Tough day on Tuesday, when a new client revealed their true colours. It really concerns me, that some many owners make such an effort to say and portray all the right buzzwords to be liked and seen as "the best thing since sliced bread" only to so quickly reveal something quite different. Our "the Ethical Coaching Company" isnt just a strap line we came up with to be popular. Its a title bestowed upon us in 2017 by Smith and Williamson when we were added to the "Clear Business Thinking Power 100" in recognition of both the level of ethics we uphold within our business, and that which we teach to others. Furthermore, my MSc in International Business Ethics wasn't delivered for free in a cornflake packet. I worked damn hard to attain that, something Im both proud of, and maintain as a living standard not just a certificate on the wall. The conversation on Tuesday, was uncomfortable but necessary. We could all 'turn the other cheek' but as I often say to clients "How you do anything, is how you do everything" What's been your biggest challenge this week?

Is it just me, or do more and more people simply not know how to network? I admit, many years ago when I first left my corporate job and became an Entrepreneur - I DID NOT KNOW how to network. I'd show up with a hand full of business cards, and be really proud if EVERYONE left with one in their hand! Thankfully, I was quickly taken to one side and 'educated' on what networking actually is, and since then I've got alot better on showing up consistently and both giving value and building relationships than I did in those first few weeks. But, what I've witnessed recently has almost been a flashback to those early days I mentioned. Recently I've been networking, and for every person who I meet, I listen intently as they "show up and throw up" all about them, and what they can do, through the lens of "Who can I introduce you to?" If it's unclear, I now ask "If the PERFECT client walked into my office, what might they do or say that makes me think - I must introduce you to X?" Interestingly a growing number of them can't answer that. However in the past 2 weeks somebody did. And the moment they did, I immediately thought "Mmmmm thats interesting, as I was only speaking to X last week who mentioned exactly that" So, I made an introduction. Not a X meet Y, Y meet X A full detailed introduction highlighting how I know each, the conversation we have both had, WHY I think they are a good fit, and what I think would be the next step for them. 2 weeks later, and one has made contact, with a full sales pitch in the initial communication and now come back to me wondering why the other side is "Ghosting them" Whats your experience of the networking scene right now?

Time - WHERE does it go. It doesn't matter how many people, systems and processes you have in place, there are only ever 24hours in every day. The big challenge I've faced this week, is a growing TO-DO list against a finite amount of time. I love what I do, it's more a vocation than a job - but there is ALWAYS so much more than can be done, that sometimes you quickly get sucked into doing more and more and more, without remembering it will still be there tomorrow. So, this weeks challenge has been personal discipline.

“How much is it?” It’s usually the first question people ask—and often the least useful one. At face value, it makes sense. Price feels concrete. It’s measurable, comparable, and easy to anchor decisions around. But focusing on price too early in a conversation can distort judgment, oversimplify value, and lead to decisions that cost more in the long run. The real issue isn’t the question itself—it’s what it ignores. Price Without Context Is Meaningless A price tag only tells you a number. It doesn’t tell you what you’re getting, what problem it solves, or what it replaces. Consider two services: one costs £500, the other £5,000. Without context, the cheaper option looks like the obvious choice. But what if the £500 option barely solves your problem, while the £5,000 one eliminates it entirely—and saves you £20,000 in lost time or missed opportunities? In isolation, price is just data. Value is what gives that data meaning. It Shifts the Conversation Too Early When you lead with “How much is it?”, you push the conversation into a transactional frame before understanding whether the thing is even relevant to you. A better starting point would be: - What problem does this solve? - How well does it solve it? - What happens if I don’t solve this problem? These questions create context. Only then does price become a useful filter instead of a premature constraint. It Encourages Comparison on the Wrong Axis When price becomes the primary lens, everything else gets flattened. You start comparing unlike things as if they’re equivalent. This is how people end up choosing based on cost instead of outcome. Two products might look similar on paper, but differ wildly in durability, support, scalability, or long-term impact. Price is just one axis. Reducing a decision to that single dimension is like choosing a car based only on fuel cost, ignoring safety, reliability, or how often it breaks down. It Can Lead to Expensive “Savings” Ironically, chasing the lowest price often leads to higher total costs.

Because wins without challenges isn't a real picture. This is what being an SME owner actually looks like. Honestly! This week tested me in a few places. Building in public is uncomfortable. Launching the community means committing to showing up consistently — content, conversations, responses. That's not the uncomfortable part. The uncomfortable part is knowing that everything I teach, I now have to demonstrate in real time. In front of you. There's nowhere to hide in a community you founded. That's the point. And it's still uncomfortable. The course rebuild is taking longer than planned. Although I've delivered this as a Live, In-Person course with some outstanding feedback and results. The Price, Package and Profit Course, rebuilt from the ground up to be offered digitally, takes time. This week I felt the tension every business owner knows well. The gap between the standard you've set for yourself and the reality of what's achievable in the hours available. I set myself a deadline, and really didn't want to miss it, so there have been some late nights and early starts this week, to get what I'm really proud of uploaded and available to you in this community. I've made some tough financial decisions to protect the runway. I'll be straight with you — building something new costs before it returns. This week, I made some pragmatic calls to extend the Training & Development budget and remove financial pressure from the work needed to ensure we deliver right the first time from day one. Not comfortable decisions. Necessary ones. Three real challenges, shared with you here. This is what building looks like from the inside. What are you navigating this week? Drop it below. Jay In arduis fidelis