It was a cold, rainy Friday evening in 2011.We were living in Istanbul with my wife, Agathe.I had just returned home after a long week of customer visits across the country. As I walked in, she asked casually,“So, how was your day?” Normally, I would have said “Fine.”But that evening, I felt heavy.And I saidContinue reading “Removing Masks: A Journey to True Selling”
Category Archives: Learning
Why AI Isn’t Killing Consulting, But Reshaping It
Every conference panel seems to start with the same anxious question: “Will artificial intelligence make consultants obsolete?” It is the wrong question. AI will devour the work that never belonged to us in the first place. It will wipe out endless slide decks stuffed with benchmark charts. It will automate spreadsheet gymnastics that try toContinue reading “Why AI Isn’t Killing Consulting, But Reshaping It”
🟡 Rivalry Done Right: What This Iconic Photo of Rafa Nadal Really Tells Us
Rafael Nadal lost many matches in his career. Against rising stars. Against seasoned pros. Against players who came and went. So why, during the emotional Roland Garros tribute ceremony, are only three men standing beside him in this photo? One word: Rivalry But not just any kind. What Nadal shared with Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray wasn’t mere competition. It was somethingContinue reading “🟡 Rivalry Done Right: What This Iconic Photo of Rafa Nadal Really Tells Us”
Old-School Sales Reps? Here’s Why That Might Be Your Superpower
I recently spoke with a business owner eager to boost her company’s commercial performance. When I asked about her plan, she said something that caught my attention: “I have old salespeople. I need to change their methods.” Curious, I asked what those methods were. She didn’t know. I asked what they were good at. Again,Continue reading “Old-School Sales Reps? Here’s Why That Might Be Your Superpower”
The Hidden Cost of the Zero-Sum Mindset
When I first learned about the zero-sum game in my Economics 101 class, it seemed like a neat academic concept. A simple equation: one party’s gain is another’s loss. It made sense in the realm of game theory, useful in modeling competitive behavior in markets, negotiations, or international trade. But over time, I’ve come to realize somethingContinue reading “The Hidden Cost of the Zero-Sum Mindset”
What Mesopotamia Can Teach Us About the Future of Sales
Ancient Mesopotamia, regarded as the cradle of commerce, established foundational principles such as tracking trades and fostering trust that still resonate today. Modern sales has fragmented into specialized roles, often losing essential human elements. By embracing a mindset rooted in relationships and ethics, we can reconnect with the true spirit of commerce.
Small is Beautiful
There must be a mid-point between the entrepreneur who sacrifices their life to their business and the 9-to-5 employee who trades time for a paycheck.What if success didn’t require burnout or blind obedience to scale? In Small is Beautiful, E.F. Schumacher reminds us that human well-being, not endless growth, should be the measure of progress. YetContinue reading “Small is Beautiful”
Hit the road Jack!
Right before the start of the weekend, Friday evening at around 8 p.m., I was searching for an old email on a completely unrelated matter when I suddenly came across a message. It was an email on an ongoing delicate topic that I did not appreciate. Over the weekend, this topic kept wobbling in myContinue reading “Hit the road Jack!”
Balancing Client Quantity and Revenue Quality in Business
This week, I had a fascinating discussion with a business owner about the size of a business and the balance between client quantity and revenue quality. The question was simple yet profound: Is it better to generate €2M with 18 clients, or €1.8M with just 10 clients? The answer, as with most things in business,Continue reading “Balancing Client Quantity and Revenue Quality in Business”
Leadership and Followership: A Dynamic Dance of Roles
Leadership is often celebrated as the pinnacle of success, while followership remains misunderstood and undervalued. Yet, in modern organizations, followership is not passive; it is an active and noble role, requiring the same finesse and skill as leadership. Together, these roles form a dynamic interplay that drives innovation, resilience, and success. Contrary to the passiveContinue reading “Leadership and Followership: A Dynamic Dance of Roles”
Learning for Performance 