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Entrepreneur
2 hours ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
The Leader's New Year: Why September Success Starts Now
How not to get stuck in the 'simmering six' this summer. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. This article is co-authored with Jason Leavy. There's a historical obsession with the New Year period being a critical window, but if you're an entrepreneur in the Gulf, you know that it's actually September that hits different. As your increasingly brief summer hiatus soon becomes a distant mirage in the rear view mirror, the question is how you're going to show up - get it wrong and you'll find yourself on the back foot in permanent catch-up mode. Get it right and you'll be coming out of the blocks quicker than Usain Bolt. As any great entrepreneur knows, it's the prep work you put in in the shadows that makes the difference. The paradox we've observed at Prime Performance Labs is that the very intensity that drives your success can undermine your ability to perform at your best when it matters most. As an entrepreneur, you're not just managing your own stress, you're absorbing it from your team, your investors, your customers and clients. The bottom line is that the buck always stops with you. Your brain processes this constant stimulation by defaulting to what neuroscientists call your sympathetic state - your nervous system's 'always-on' mode. Stay there too long and you'll hit September having burned through your cognitive 'runway'. Here's what most entrepreneurs get wrong about summer: they treat it as a binary choice - either complete shutdown or business-as-usual. The fact is that both approaches miss the mark. The shutdown camp believes rest means switching off completely - no stimulation, no reflection, just pure escape. At the other end of the spectrum, the business-as-usual crowd can't resist the urge to keep grinding, treating summer like any other time of the year - for them it's 'game time' all day, every day. But there's a third way that has the power to be far more effective: intentional rejuvenation. This is all about having agency over your choices and understanding what you truly want out of this period. Think of it like building your vacation MVP - are you actually solving for what your mind and body need most? The Neuroscience Behind Why This Matters We often assume the brain thinks like a computer, either processing at full capacity or shutting down. This leads to that 'hustle or hibernate' mentality, where people think they need to either push relentlessly or tap out completely. The reality is that the brain actually operates more like a complex ecosystem that requires different types of activity for optimal performance. True neural resilience comes from alternating between focused work, active recovery and restorative practices. But when this ecosystem gets disrupted by chronic stress, things go sideways fast, as it literally rewires the brain. When we are constantly in high-pressure situations, our brains adapt by creating a higher sensitivity to potential threats, therefore prioritising threat detection, while compromising higher order cognitive functions such as working memory, cognitive flexibility and strategic planning. What you need to be able to do is switch from your sympathetic state to your parasympathetic state as quickly as possible - think of this as like a 'powering down' of your nervous system, allowing you to shift into a state of replenishing and recharging. You've been hard-charging at a 10/10 pace, and you now need to switch to a 1/10 ASAP. Your summer break is a huge window of opportunity in this regard, but you need to be intentional here - one of the biggest dangers is that you end up in what we term the 'simmering six', that dangerous grey zone where you think you're rejuvenating, but in reality you're just burning through your energy at a lower pace. You know what that looks like - checking emails by the pool, doom-scrolling, eating and drinking to excess. To use start-up terminology, you're taking action, but not solving the core problem. The research here is proven: opt for the right kind of downtime and it doesn't just prevent burnout, it actively improves your cognitive health and performance. This means that when you're back in the game, you're better able to manage stress, better prepared to make complex decisions at speed and better placed to regulate your emotions. These are precisely the capabilities you'll need when September's intensity kicks in. We want to be really clear here, this isn't about stripping all the joy out of your well-earned time off, quite the opposite. Things like social connection and embracing new experiences can be huge cognitive health enhancers. What we're saying is optimize for the user experience - and in this case, you're the user. Are you actually getting what you need from this product called 'vacation', or are you just going through the motions? We believe entrepreneurs are akin to the athletes of the business world, so we want to give you the insights and tools that will ensure you have a great vacation AND show up in September on your A-game. Five Growth Hacks to Prime Your Performance 1. Analyze the Data You know the value of data in your venture, but are you bothering to check in on the 'data' from your body and mind? There's an increasing amount of evidence that how you feel is one of the best predictors of performance, so consciously tune in to how stressed you're feeling, what your energy levels feel like and how it makes you feel when you visualise aspects of your vacation. 2. Make Trade-Offs Life is about trade-offs. What worked for you last summer might not be what you need this year. Be willing to consciously choose a different path - reading over scrolling, reflecting over reacting. Consider the opportunity cost of blowing through your most precious commodity: time. 3. Disconnect… And Connect Neuroscience tells us that social connection is hugely important for your health and wellbeing, so take the opportunity to ditch the phone - be present, be engaged, be curious. Apply your amazing growth mindset to your social surroundings. 4. Do Some A-B Testing Your brain craves stimulation so lean into that and engage in an activity that stimulates different neural networks - explore an unfamiliar place or tackle a physical challenge that demands presence and focus. Novel experiences trigger neuroplasticity, strengthening the brain's ability to adapt and form new connections. They also release dopamine and reduce cortisol, naturally easing anxiety and promoting a sense of discovery that counters mental fatigue. Don't try to overload here, the key is balance. Adopt an explorer mindset and have fun. Your brain will thank you for it. 5. Prioritize Sleep Mode Sleep is when the brain literally cleans itself. Think of it like your phone - if you never restart it, it gets sluggish and glitchy. During deep sleep, the brain flushes out metabolic waste and toxins that accumulate during the waking hours, including proteins linked to cognitive decline. Simultaneously, deep sleep is required to strengthen synaptic connections that consolidate the day's learning into long-term memory. Finally, remember that choosing to rest and rejuvenate is an action, not an inaction. We live in a world where you're bombarded by distractions, but resisting the noise and focusing on yourself and those you're with? That's where the real opportunity lies. Don't Underestimate the Network Effect As an entrepreneur, you're 'on stage' performing a role nearly all year round. That can weigh heavy, and it's vital you feel empowered to shed that burden for a limited time. You owe it to yourself. You owe it to those around you. When you show up in September, rejuvenated and primed rather than depleted and drained, everyone benefits. You're not just investing in your own wellbeing, you're investing in your company's future.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Dan Martell Shares His Top 3 Tips for Starting Your First Side Hustle This Year
Starting your first side gig can feel like standing at the edge of a cliff. You've got the idea, maybe a little passion, but you're unsure when (or how) to jump. According to entrepreneur, coach and bestselling author Dan Martell, the answer is simple: Jump now, figure it out as you go and don't wait for perfection. Learn More: Read Next: In a recent video, Martell shared the top three pieces of advice he offers to anyone starting their very first business. His insights are direct, refreshing and perfect for side hustlers who are ready to make 2025 the year they finally start. Get Paid — and Fast! 'The business starts the moment you sell something to somebody, Martell said. The entrepreneur doesn't waste time with business plans, branding or perfect packaging, because none of that matters if no one is willing to buy. His first tip is all about action: Sell something. Anything. Right now. You don't even need the final product in hand. You just need someone to believe in what you're offering enough to pay for it. It's a mindset shift. Instead of overthinking, start validating. Let's say you're thinking about launching a digital course or handmade product — pre-sell it. Offer it to a small audience or even friends. If someone pulls out their wallet, you've got something worth building. If not, you've saved yourself time and energy. Selling early forces clarity, builds confidence and gets you in motion. And in side hustling, momentum matters more than polish. For You: Work Harder on Yourself Than the Business This one might catch you off guard, but it's a game-changer. Martell challenges new entrepreneurs to 'work harder on yourself than you do on your business.' At first, it sounds backwards. Shouldn't your time and energy go into the hustle itself? Not exactly. Your business can only grow as much as you do. When you invest in yourself, whether that's reading, taking care of your health, learning new skills or improving your mindset, you show up better for every decision, every conversation and every opportunity. Martell tells his team to be 'selfish about developing yourself' because that kind of growth lifts the whole ship. For first-time side hustlers, this means not just grinding at midnight, it means building the habits, confidence and emotional resilience to sustain the journey in the long term. Learn From People Who've Already Done It Martell's third tip is simple: Don't try to figure it out alone. Find people who've already walked the path. Whether that's joining a mastermind group, asking a mentor for coffee, or even following the right creators online, proximity to experience is a shortcut. Learning from those ahead of you helps you avoid rookie mistakes, stay grounded and accelerate your growth. You'll gain not just knowledge but a mindset. The kind of confidence that only comes from seeing what's actually possible. More From GOBankingRates 6 Popular SUVs That Aren't Worth the Cost -- and 6 Affordable Alternatives This article originally appeared on Dan Martell Shares His Top 3 Tips for Starting Your First Side Hustle This Year Solve the daily Crossword
Forbes
18 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
How To Remove Yourself From Sales, Without Breaking Your Business
If you're still leading every sales conversation, you become the bottleneck in your business. Most business owners don't start with the intention of becoming their business's bottleneck. But if you're still leading every sales conversation, closing every deal, and holding every client relationship in your head, you are. And here's the hard truth: If your business needs you to make a sale, you business is not ready to be sold if you ever desire to exit. that's because business buyers don't just evaluate profit, they evaluate risk. And the riskiest businesses? The ones that crumble when the founder steps away. The good news is: you can fix you being the bottleneck in sales, without losing revenue, quality, or control. In this article, I'll walk you through how to remove yourself from sales, without breaking your business. Let's start with the why. Step 1: Understand Why Founder-Led Sales Lowers Business Valuation When a business buyer looks at your business, they're not just buying revenue, they're buying reliability and predictability. If, as the founder or owner, you're the one making the sales, business buyers see: This is where many founders stall: they assume they're indispensable. But from a business buyer's perspective, you being essential is a liability, not an asset. Action Step You Can Take: Start by getting clear on exactly how involved you still are in the sales processes of your business. Grab a notepad (or a spreadsheet) and list every single sales-related task you personally handle. This becomes your Sales Dependency Map. Once you see the map, you can start removing yourself from sales related activities. Step 2: Choose Your Path to Sales Independence There are two core strategies to remove yourself from sales: This is ideal for service-based businesses with longer sales cycles and human-to-human trust: This works well for productized services, digital offers, or education-based businesses: It's the model I use for more than 15 years. I haven't been on a sales call in years. But sales happen all the time, because the Founder-Free Sales System replaces me. So how do you know which path is right? Look at your offer, your team, and your personality. Some founders thrive on relationships. Others prefer to scale through structure. There is no one-size-fits-all. But doing nothing is the only wrong choice. Step 3: Document What Only You Know If your sales process lives in your head, it can't be delegated. Start by recording yourself: Write down your typical structure: how you open, what questions you ask, and how you handle objections. If you use storytelling or case studies, add those too. Your goal is to build a Sales Playbook, a simple internal guide that includes: Think of it as your business's sales brain. Once it's written down, others can step in, whether that is a new sales agent or the buyer of your business. Step 4: Shift Your Team Into Sales Mode Here's a mindset shift: sales isn't a department. It's a company-wide culture. Even if you only have two team members, they impact the sale: Start having sales check-ins where every team member answers this question: "What did you do this week that helped someone say yes to us?" It builds buy-in into sales from the whole team. It shifts ownership. And it makes sales a shared priority, not your solo burden. Step 5: Delegate One Sales Task Now Business owners often fail at sales delegation because they try to hand over everything at once. Don't. Start small. Pick one low-risk task: Once you've delegated one piece, you build confidence and capacity. Step 6: Automate Your Sales System If you're automating (parts of) your sales process, you're giving up live client feedback. So you need another way to hear what's working well. With automations, your numbers become your ears: Set up a small spreadsheet with your key metrics. Look for trends. Iterate constantly. Your sales system should improve even when you're not touching it. Conclusion: You Don't Have to Be the Rainmaker Forever Removing yourself from your sales department isn't just a strategy. It's a key responsibility you have as the owner of your business. Your clients shouldn't have to wait for your calendar availability to get served. Your team deserves a business that grows without burning you out. The future buyer of your business is looking for a company, not a personal brand built around you. If you wait until six months before selling your business to step out of your sales department, it's already too late. Start now. Start small. But start. Because a business that does sales without you? That's a business worth buying.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
BHMI Mourns the Passing of CEO and Co-Founder Jack T. Baldwin, PhD
Company to Continue Under Established Leadership of Dr. Lynne J. Baldwin and Michael Meeks OMAHA, Neb., July 23, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BHMI announces with great sorrow the passing of its Chief Executive Officer and co-founder, Dr. Jack T. Baldwin, on July 18, 2025, following a courageous battle with leukemia. A pioneering computer scientist, educator, and entrepreneur, Jack co-founded BHMI in 1986 alongside his wife, Dr. Lynne J. Baldwin, and longtime colleague and friend Michael Meeks. Under Jack's visionary leadership, BHMI grew from a custom software development firm into an internationally recognized provider of mission-critical transaction processing solutions, including the Concourse Financial Software Suite®—a trusted back-office solution in the global payments industry. Jack's professional journey began in Odessa, Texas, and was defined by academic and professional excellence. After earning his PhD in Computer Sciences from the University of Texas at Austin, he became one of the first Computer Science faculty members at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He later joined Applied Communications (ACI) in Omaha, helping to establish the company's first branch office in Chicago before returning to academia at Creighton University. In 1986, Jack co-founded BHMI, where his passion for computing, education, and innovation laid the groundwork for a culture of excellence that remains central to the company today. Dr. Lynne J. Baldwin, President, and Michael Meeks, Chief Technology Officer, will continue to lead the company forward. Together, they have worked alongside Jack for nearly four decades and are committed to preserving the values and vision that defined Jack's leadership. "Jack wasn't just my business partner—he was one of the most brilliant and principled people I've ever known," said Michael Meeks. "He brought a rare blend of academic brilliance and deep compassion into everything he did. His vision built BHMI, and we are fully committed to honoring that legacy by continuing to lead with the same integrity, intelligence, and heart Jack exemplified every day." Jack's influence extended far beyond technology. He was a passionate conservationist and philanthropist, supporting numerous organizations including The Nature Conservancy, Nebraska Humane Society, and the Nebraska Wildlife Rehab's Baldwin Wildlife Center. "It was an honor to work under Jack's leadership for more than 27 years and to witness his steadfast dedication to innovation, integrity, and generosity," said Casey Scheer, Director of Marketing. "He will be deeply missed, and his spirit will live on through BHMI and the countless lives he touched." A visitation to celebrate Jack's life will be held on Thursday, July 24, 2025, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM Central Time at the Heafey Hoffman Dworak Cutler West Center Chapel (7805 W Center Road, Omaha, NE 68124). To obtain full details, please go to About BHMI BHMI is a respected provider of software solutions for managing the back-office processing of electronic payment transactions. The company's flagship product, the Concourse Financial Software Suite, offers a dynamic and flexible solution for processing a wide range of payment types, including debit cards, credit cards, mobile payments, P2P, real-time payments, ATMs, and POS. Concourse provides essential back-office functions such as automated reconciliation, fee assessment, settlement and dispute management. Its continuous processing architecture and powerful rules engine make it an ideal solution for organizations looking to modernize and optimize back-office payment operations. View source version on Contacts MEDIA CONTACT: Casey ScheerBHMI402-333-3300cscheer@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Forbes
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Defying Racist Bullying To Achieve Huge Business Success
Rudy Heywood 'Don't dream too small - and if there's no obvious path, create your own.' These are the words of Rudy Heywood, a Birmingham-based entrepreneur who did exactly that after a chance conversation with actor Idris Elba. But not before enduring a level of bullying that might have destroyed most people. He is the founder of Famous Wolf, a successful digital marketing agency that holds the record for one of the highest-performing ad campaigns in the U.K. As he explains, the road to success was far from easy. Along the way, he had to contend with vile racist bullying, but refused to let it destroy his passion and determination to succeed. A tough start Born to a Jamaican father and a White British mother, his parents worked long hours and lived from one pay packet to the next. By the age of five, he'd already experienced direct racism from a toddler league football coach and had noticed verbal racist abuse directed at his parents on the street. His dad always told him he'd have to work ten times harder just to be seen as equal, and this has driven him throughout his life. 'When my dad gave me that advice, I was very aware that I was looked at and treated differently,' says Heywood. 'It didn't discourage me or upset me, it simply made me more determined and lit an unquenchable fire that still drives me today.' Stage and screen After leaving school, he pursued his dream of becoming an actor, securing an agent and landing a scholarship at the prestigious East 15 Acting School. He won roles on the West End stage and in numerous TV shows. But the industry was tough, especially for Black and mixed-race actors, and within a couple of years, Heywood was questioning his choice of career. The tipping point came after a chance meeting with actor Idris Elba in a Covent Garden health store. 'That was a defining moment for me,' says Heywood. 'Idris had just secured the role in The Wire, which was also a defining moment in his career. He noticed my Spotlight card in my wallet as I was paying for a protein shake and asked me how long I'd been acting. I told him I was thinking of quitting, and instead of asking why, he said, 'It's hard at the moment for us, isn't it? The roles for people that look like you and I are very slim, but don't worry, I aim to change that one day.' Discovering a new talent Although after this meeting, Heywood decided to switch careers, Elba's words stayed with him. 'He made me realize that if I want things to change, I needed to create my own path and be the changemaker in whichever career I move into, which is my primary goal today.' Charting a new career course, Heywood secured a graduate job in advertising sales, where he quickly discovered he had a real talent for impactful, results-driven marketing. He says: 'The interview process was roleplay-led, which played to my acting skills. I realized I was good at it when I sold a £27,000 marketing campaign to a high-end furniture brand that delivered a ten-fold return for them. As a result, they offered me a position in their marketing team.' Racist bullying His career rocketed as he built high-profile creative campaigns, closed seven-figure partnerships, travelled the world and sold hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of ads. In just a few short years, he had worked his way up to become a regional director for a global multimedia agency, overseeing 150 staff. But behind the scenes, he was suffering racial abuse at the hands of senior directors. 'The racial abuse that I experienced was incredibly direct,' he recalls. 'Racist slurs were being said in my presence. Some senior directors made comments about black women being seen as ugly, in text messages, emails and in meetings. It was raised with HR, but they ignored it. That was when I decided to resign; the best decision I ever made as it drove me to start my own agency, Famous Wolf.' Entrepreneurial spirit Heywood threw himself into launching his new business, which was completely self-funded. He set about networking, building relationships with business owners, knocking on doors and cold calling. Within the first month, he was winning business. He quickly earned a reputation for delivering results, and thanks to word-of-mouth recommendations, Famous Wolf began to scale. In March 2020, he encountered his first major challenge. The business had been running for a year and had scaled to £10,000 per month when the pandemic hit. 'We lost 75% of our monthly revenue practically overnight,' says Heywood. 'I had to think quickly to assess the new landscape, pivot, and adapt to keep Famous Wolf alive.' He spotted a significant gap in the market. COVID had severely impacted the ability of small businesses to keep trading because traditional marketing methods had been rendered ineffective. Many small firms were unfamiliar with digital marketing and couldn't afford agencies to support them on a retainer. Heywood's solution was to establish the Famous Wolf E-learning platform, delivering regular, updated monthly step-by-step video training directly to SME's that they could implement directly into their businesses for a small monthly subscription fee. 'We helped over 200 businesses to survive and thrive throughout the pandemic,' says Heywood. 'It also acted as a nurture programme for Famous Wolf, which encouraged those businesses to become clients and kept a steady flow of revenue coming in. Award-winning agency Now one of the U.K.'s fastest-growing digital marketing agencies, Famous Wolf has grown 300% in the last 12 months and holds a Meta U.K. record for one of the highest performing ad campaigns. It has also established a broad and increasingly global client base. German audio equipment manufacturer Sennheiser began partnering with Famous Wolf in May this year to accelerate its digital growth strategy. 'In just three months, our Google Ads conversions increased by 70% under Famous Wolf's guidance,' says content coordinator Chris Smee. 'Rudy Heywood's entrepreneurial vision and data-driven approach have not only optimized our campaigns, but also but also laid the groundwork for sustained, market-leading performance. We're looking forward to a long and successful partnership with Famous Wolf.' Another client partnership was established much closer to home when tech retailer Box and Famous Wolf crossed paths during a power outage last year in their shared office building in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter. Emma Powell, marketing manager at Box, says: 'Rudy and I both stepped out of our offices wondering what was going on and ended up having one of those classic 'what do you do?' chats. It turned out, we were looking for video support, and they were just two doors down, specializing in exactly that.' Since then, Famous Wolf has helped Box to bring bespoke video production back into its offering. 'Their support has been instrumental in helping us produce high-quality, platform-ready video content that fits seamlessly into our social commerce strategy,' adds Powell. 'As an online tech retailer, engaging, agile video content is key, and their team consistently delivers work that's both creative and commercially effective.' Transforming dreams Heywood attributes his business success to resilience, skill transfer and adaptation, visionary mindset, and relentless hustle. His advice to today's young entrepreneurs is to understand that true entrepreneurial success is born from boldly transforming past skills into new ventures, embracing challenges as opportunities to pivot, and harnessing the resilience and mental toughness to turn setbacks into fuel for growth. Having overcome the trauma of bullying, he says: 'Being an entrepreneur demands relentless perseverance regardless of background, so building strong networks, staying agile and being customer focused, while holding fast to a visionary mindset, will transform dreams into lasting impact.'
