We’re tribal… and that’s dangerous.

Tribes are what human beings love; it’s in our DNA.

Comfort, trust and recognition are where we like to be. Yet sometimes, it’s failure or disaster that leads to our greatest discoveries.

A redundancy can finally push you to start that business, or a heartbreaking breakup can pave the way for an even better love.

Sometimes things need to go wrong for things to get better.

We really are different.

This weekend I’ve been in full-on education mode, training business owners to change gear and reach super success! 

Say you want to build one of the biggest companies in the country, heck, even the world?

Then I really want to bring you the answers at my events.

£300k here, £500k there, “£200k for me too, please.”

These are the daily emails, WhatsApps and calls I get from my team for the projects and bills that sit above the norm.

Of course I sort it, but when you’re owed millions and trying to grow a company, getting all the pennies, pounds and millions to line up can be exhausting - especially with ever more turnover taxes.

On Friday I watched £1.2 million leave our accounts in a 12 hour window.

No Days Off for Responsible People.

I’ve often pondered the notion that if you're a “grand fromage,” there are no days off. Death, of course, is your day off.

This week, I have gathered some concrete evidence to support this theory.

Convenience is Death.

The question to ask yourself is this: is it convenience for us, or convenience for them?

When I say “them”, I mean your customers.

We look for logic in most things we do – it has moved us forward. But in reality, it’s the illogical that has created the most magical moments in life.

This letter reflects on a chat I had with Chudds. (He’s basically in charge of everything you see me put out — the big cheese of the James Sinclairbrand.) I love this guy.

We had a little chat about stress and happiness on Friday, in between filming for a video.

That happiness question always seems to crop up, especially when you’re making and sharing as much personal development content as we do

In my quest to never eat alone and to make mealtimes a valuable use of my time, to delve into fascinating conversation, I’d like to share a story from two dinners I had this week.

Both featured my accountant.

It's clear that we are entering a period where people are tightening their purse strings.

Believe you me I have rang around chums of mine that all feel it from my industry. 

At Marsh Farm, our visitor attraction, we have maintained visitor numbers this year compared to last, which is somewhat disappointing given our investments.

I've just taken my familia to Disneyland Paris for the weekend.

It's a love-hate relationship I have with the brand. Some parts I adore. Others I hate.

As someone heavily invested in hospitality and leisure, I can't help but compare it to my own work.

I know more about how it all works than your average Joe! They are, after all, the biggest and, in many ways, the best – or are they?

This week, it happened - I hit Mount Mood.

“Fed Up” came knocking on my door. I let the wretched thing in, and he stayed for three days.

When he very occasionally shows up, I usually think: Why don’t I just sell the lot, buy more warehouses, and rent them out?

I could live the Instagram lifestyle - and then some. I could have the life most people dream of. It’d be like winning the lottery.

The difference between good and great is just 10%.

Any of you who have been reading this for long enough will know I'm obsessed with the word "effective".

I've also noticed that to be effective in most things, you usually need just 10% more effort, skill or time.

The extra 10% is where all the mastery lies.

Have you heard the saying, "If you want something done, ask a busy person"?

A better spin on this is, "If you want something done, ask a busy, effective person."

Adding that little word "effective" makes all the difference. Plenty of people are busy for the sake of being busy.

Here’s a funny thing: a few months ago, I was approached to help in politics.

Something I usually shy away from quite massively.

The funny thing is, when you write newsletters, make podcasts, produce YouTube videos, build businesses, and carry responsibilities - you’ll get asked to do more, and indeed, I was asked.

Responsibility leads to responsibility.

There are a couple of things I make myself do. Religiously.

Continuous learning and dinner dates.

And I usually find myself helping myself to both at the same time.

Learning while tucking into some nibbles is a super-efficient use of one’s time.

You’ve got to eat – so you might as well learn while you’re at it!

This weekend, we conquered Snowdon.

The sheer number of people climbing was astonishing. It was incredibly busy.

And then there were the absolute nutters running up it! I've never seen so many crackpots seemingly determined to prove the word "stupidity" right.

This weekend I fell victim to what I can only describe as crime, in another twist of sheer terrible customer service and tomfoolery.

Before I tell you more, I have to come clean and tell you I feel like an old codger moaning about the price of things these days.

With every line on my forehead, I find something to grumble about, certainly when I feel ripped off or fall victim to terrible customer service.

This weekend, I took a walk around Marsh Farm (one of my companies).

I saw some friendly weeds sprouting up to say hello, some paint that’s fallen out of love with the wood it was laid on, no name badges on our team members, the wrong music playing in certain areas, and three messy crowd barriers that looked as if they'd been on a night out and hadn’t made it home.

I’ve mentioned these friendly weeds - or broken windows - in previous letters.

I went to the O2 to see Lionel Richie; I’ve seen him loads.

Vegas, Colchester Football stadium and, of course, the O2.

This ridiculous overpriced marquee nestled in the heart of our capital with yellow cocktail sticks for statements - pushed me over the edge this weekend, and I’ll tell you for why in a moment.

The next time I put pen to paper and flutter through my thoughts with you, I’ll be in a new decade of life, my years on this world will start with a 4!

I was certainly mortified about turning 30, but with this big birthday I have love and warmth - things are good.

The years of wisdom and experience are piling up on me like equity does in your house.

So what has 25 years in business taught me? (yes, I really did start at 15).

I thought I’d share my nuggets that I’ve learned along the way.

So here's some of them to tickle your taste buds.

If you're choosing the path of an entrepreneur, you'll be a knowledge hunter with the best being exceptional at implementing that knowledge.

That’s the power of doers.

What I admire about successful people I meet is their ability to remain sponges for knowledge, regardless of the treasures and accolades they've won!

These titans never stop learning.

This week, that theory became a fact.