My First Business, with Naeem Parvez (2025)

04/12/2024

𝗜𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀—𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗜 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀.

Ready for that?

I think, especially in B2B, AI agents will be screening all ‘demo’ and ‘discovery’ calls. Humans will not be entering the ‘buying’ phase until their AI agent tells them to.

AI agents will be the new gatekeepers.

Future sales = convincing a machine that their human will care.

Less ‘Can I close the deal?’ and more, ‘Can I impress this AI agent?’

And of course, you’ll be building AI agents to sell for you (I know some of you that already are!).

So it’s just AI selling to AI, and we’re all just watching a game of rallies.

Imagine arguing with your AI because it didn’t pick the vendor you wanted.
Welcome to the future of sales - part exciting, part terrifying.

p.s. don’t tell Greg Isenberg I told you this

p.p.s. if you’re building these AI agents that act as a ‘buyer’, we should have a chat.

27/11/2024

𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗮 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗴𝘂𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝟭𝟭 𝗣𝗠.

Here’s a fun fact about me:

I once spent two hours trying to figure out why my Excel sheet wouldn’t total correctly.

𝗧𝘄𝗼. 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀.

At the end,

↳I wasn’t a smarter entrepreneur.

↳I wasn’t closer to my goals.

↳I was just furious and still bad at Excel.

And that’s when it hit me:

What’s the point of being an entrepreneur if I’m spending my time doing things I hate and suck at?

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀.

Or to micromanage yourself.

You started it to:

↳ Do work that matters to you.

↳ Make an impact.

↳ And, let’s be honest, enjoy your life.

But that only happens when you 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 yourself.

So now, whenever I’m faced with a task, I ask myself:

“𝗜𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼?”

If the answer is no?

It goes straight to someone else.

OK, fine, I’m not that awesome yet, I’m still improving on this.

A reminder for myself: every minute I spend wrestling Excel, fixing printers, or troubleshooting Canva is a minute I’m not building the business I dreamed of.

My job?

↳ Do what only I can do.

P.S. The Excel sheet still doesn’t total. And I’m perfectly fine with that.

—

Congrats on making it to the end of this post. Your prize? My podcast. Go listen. Link in bio!

25/11/2024

Why is everyone suddenly “helping companies scale”?

I opened LinkedIn today, and I swear, every tagline looked the same.

↳ “Helping companies scale.”

↳ “Scaling businesses to 8 figures.”

↳ “Your scaling partner.”

Apparently, everyone is scaling something now.

↳ Expense management software? Helping you scale.

↳ Hiring junior developers? Scaling companies.

↳ Even my neighbor’s dog walker is probably “scaling your pet care experience.”

What happened?

When did the entire world become obsessed with scaling?

And here’s my real question:

How many of these “scalers” are actually scaling anything?

Because scaling actually sucks sometimes.

Scaling means systems.

It means structure.

It means sweating through the *hard stuff*—not slapping “scale” on your LinkedIn bio because it sounds cool.

So, let me ask you this:

- Are you really helping companies scale?
- Or are you just scaling the hype?

Something to think about next time you hit “update” on your tagline.

[P.S. If you’re scaling BS, no judgment—but at least listen to my podcast while you do it. Links in BIO]

20/11/2024

I’ve quit jobs.
I’ve quit relationships.
I’ve quit on friendships.
I’ve quit more times than I’ve stayed.

Sometimes out of anger.
Sometimes out of anxiety.
Sometime out of pure frustration.

I don’t regret quitting.
But I do regret not leaving every room, and every relationship in a better state than I found it.

Did I add peace for myself at the expense of adding chaos for others? Probably.

Here’s what I’ll be asking myself in the future:
Am I leaving things better—or just leaving?

27/06/2024

Feeling stuck and need a push? Saahil Mehta, recognized as one of the Top 10 Rising Global Indian Influencers, shares powerful insights that could transform your personal and professional life. Don’t miss this episode! 🌟

Saahil Mehta is a best-selling author, keynote speaker, and peak performance coach. He is passionate about helping individuals and businesses reach their full potential and achieve success. 💪

Through his book “BREAK FREE” and motivational speeches, Saahil inspires leaders to achieve diamond-grade clarity and scale new summits of success every day. 🏔️

He has worked with global brands like P&G, Dell, HP, Silicon Valley Bank, Thomas Cook, TATA group to name a few; as well as entrepreneur-focused organizations like EO, YPO, TiE, and Corporate Connection. He also leads SCL training programs for Marshall Goldsmith in India and the Middle East and has been recognized as one of the Top 10 Rising Global Indian Influencers by India Today. 🌍

During my conversation with him, he recounts personal experiences and provides actionable advice for anyone seeking to improve their relationships or navigate the complexities of family businesses. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

I’m warning you - this episode might really pump you up and make you do the things you’ve always wanted to do. 🚀

Tune in to this episode for valuable lessons on navigating family businesses, improving personal relationships, and living a life of clarity and purpose. Saahil Mehta’s story is guaranteed to inspire and challenge you to rethink your own journey. 🎧✨

13/06/2024

Who knew that a Canadian Air Force helicopter mechanic with a well-worn copy of Reader’s Digest Complete Guide to Sewing could transform the swimwear fashion industry in Dubai? ✨

Say hello to Maureen Hall - the Founder, CEO, and Head of Design for COÉGA Sunwear. Realizing a need for protective sunwear in Dubai (especially for her kids), she leveraged her sewing and design expertise to create the Pool Shoe, which marked the beginning of COÉGA’s success. 🏊‍♀️👙

After more than 19 years, COÉGA has become a highly commendable company in the fashion sector, collaborating with major international brands like Disney, Marvel, Warner Bros, and Masha & the Bear. 🌟

In this episode, Maureen shares her insights as a business owner, emphasizing the importance of organization and time management. She discusses the role of templates and checklists in streamlining operations and offers tips on balancing rigidity and flexibility in business processes. Maureen also highlights the significance of meditation and mindfulness in maintaining a calm and focused mindset. 🧘‍♀️📋

Here are some of the key points Maureen and I talked about:

- Experiences from hiring friends and having to let them go 🤝
- Why streamlining processes is crucial and what happens if they’re not followed 📈
- Using creativity to make the business future-proof 🌍
- Tips for planning an effective work week (how to prioritize tasks and set deadlines) 📅
- Celebrating 20 years of success 🎉
- And much more...

It was a pleasure meeting and nerding out about processes with Maureen. Her contagious laugh, energy, and genuine passion for what she does shine through in this episode. 😊

Check this new episode on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more! 🎙️LINK IN BIO

28/05/2024

Ever wondered how to seamlessly blend art and business? Tini Meyer’s journey from artist to top contract furniture supplier in Dubai is a masterclass in creativity and entrepreneurship. 🎨

My guest for this conversation is Tini Meyer, who has found a way to mix art and business so aesthetically. What I learned from her during this conversation is how to set a good foundation first before trying to grow the business. She emphasized the need to “nail it before you scale it” and shared her approach to making strategic pivots and taking calculated risks.

In 2009, Tini moved to Abu Dhabi to establish an artist studio residency center. In 2012, she co-founded interior360 as a boutique home furnishing store, which then pivoted to contract furniture. She started her business by importing designer furniture and home objects. But with the one-off nature of the products and the customization requests from clients, she realized that her business model might not be sustainable. Instead of giving up and packing her bags, she pivoted the business to focus on supplying furniture to hotels and restaurants in 2015. 🏨

Now, interior360 has become one of the largest contract furniture suppliers in Dubai, having delivered over 900 restaurant and hotel projects throughout the GCC. Over the years, Tini has expanded her business to include in-house manufacturing and has recently gone vertical, now supplying cleaning materials made by a company that’s been around for 100 years. 🛋✨

I’ve been so lucky to have found such humble superstars that should be heard about more, and Tini is definitely on that list! As always, there was no pretense, no academic business jargon, just pure passion for the way she molds her business and keeps it going and growing.

I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did. Without much further ado, here’s Tini Meyer, on the EO Series of the My First Business Podcast. 🎙

18/04/2024

Join me in this inspiring episode as Rajesh Sajnani, the Founder and CEO of the RVS Group, shares his remarkable journey from a young entrepreneur to a visionary leader in the fashion and technology industries. ⚙️

Discover how Rajesh founded the RVS Group at the age of 19 in 1989 and grew it into a thriving enterprise with four subsidiaries, including Rajesh Trading Co. LLC, Si Fashion Galerie, The Studio, and the innovative ecommerce platform, Olyoly.com. Rajesh's ventures extends beyond fashion, as he delves into the technology space with Cloudhost Technology, recognized as the Best Innovative Cloud service provider in the SME segment. 💼

In this captivating conversation, Rajesh reflects on his entrepreneurial experiences and offers valuable insights into various topics, including:

🤗 Taking risks and embracing change (like jumping off a ship without knowing how to swim)
👗 The evolution of the Dubai fashion landscape
🌐 Building a strong ecosystem in the global fashion industry
💭 Insights into his latest venture, #8, a brand incubator business
📈 Identifying market gaps and competing on value
🤔 Balancing business innovation with personal reflection
✍️ Rapid 30-day brand launches and business conceptualization in hospital rooms and more!

Tune in to gain valuable perspectives from Rajesh as he shares his entrepreneurial wisdom and passion for creating innovative solutions. Learn how he navigates challenges, embraces opportunities, and remains committed to driving positive change in the fashion and technology sectors. 💻

And for someone who’s a serial entrepreneur, I haven’t met a humbler human being who doesn’t pretend to be perfect - in fact, sometimes he doesn’t even think of himself as an entrepreneur. 🙂

I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did! 🎙️

Listen to this episode with Rajesh on My First Business Podcast. Check us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platforms!

04/04/2024

Say hello to Shilpa, the heart and soul behind Apex Dental Clinics Group, co-founded with her life partner, Ajoy. For the past seven years, they’ve been nurturing a space where dental care goes hand in hand with community warmth. 🤝

At Apex, it’s all about offering comprehensive dental care—or as Shilpa likes to call it, “Community Friendly Dental Care.” This isn’t just a slogan; it’s a family affair, with their young son playing a significant role in the clinic’s day-to-day life. They’re not just talking about community values; they’re living them.

Shilpa’s journey to this point is both diverse and rich. Armed with an MBA and a degree in Microbiology, she has a solid background in marketing, with more than a decade of experience across various fields like Telecom and Airlines. This eclectic mix of knowledge and experience has shaped her into a leader who sees beyond the balance sheet. 📝

But here’s what truly makes Shilpa stand out: she’s more than just a successful entrepreneur. She’s someone who believes in the power of kindness and community. In a world where business can often be about the ‘survival of the fittest,’ Shilpa chooses a path less traveled. She’s proof that success can be achieved by putting people and values first, making her business a platform for fostering community connections rather than just chasing profits. 💰

Dive into the heart of entrepreneurship and partnership in this episode. Explore the concept of Ikigai—your reason for being—and how it shapes your business journey, especially when working with your spouse. Expect insights on growth, purpose, and the unique dynamics of sharing your professional and personal life with your partner. 💑

Loved putting this together and hope it inspires you. Share with those chasing dreams and making things happen! ✨

21/03/2024

“Your own self-belief is your investment.”

What I loved about Divakar the most is that I can safely say, he is on another level. His feet are firmly planted on the ground, yet his brain processes things from the view of a satellite orbiting the earth.

In 2007, Divakar was an esteemed banker and had one of the best jobs in India - but he felt his curiosity draining every single day. He felt like the walls of knowledge were closing on him. He couldn’t stand having his thoughts constrained by artificial barriers.

The banker turned ex-banker, and founded DVS Advisory group, which designs tax structures for entrepreneurs, SMEs & funded startups to enter India, expand globally from India or exit India, with zero penalties & 100% clarity.

Divakar uses his business as his laboratory: he uses it to ideate, experiment, and build new products, services and models.

You’ve probably seen him around - he’s a Forbes Advisor, has over 500 media publications and quotes and is also author of 15+ books on Direct & International Taxation.

In this captivating conversation, Divakar and I dive deep into the concept of thought capitalism – a revolutionary approach to understanding and navigating the complexities of the modern economic landscape.

I can safely say, this was a life altering podcast for me. I had goosebumps throughout the conversation, and a few awakening moments as I listened to it again, and I think it will happen to you as well.

From discussing India’s rise as a global economic powerhouse to exploring the opportunities and challenges facing entrepreneurs in the country, this episode is packed with invaluable wisdom and perspective. 🚀🌍

Watch this new episode available NOW on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other podcast platforms! ✨

07/03/2024

What drives you to continue building and growing the business? What’s your calling? 🤗

Meet Nishan, CEO and Revenue Head of Bluestream, a design + manufacturing company based in Dubai, where he’s dedicated to creating and enhancing products and services that promote sustainable urban development. 🍃

He says it’s his calling to do so. 🫡

Nishan’s narrative is one of personal conviction—a journey woven with threads of legacy, resilience, and unyielding determination. As a steward of his father’s vision, he has not only steered Bluestream’s trajectory but has sculpted it into a beacon of progress and ingenuity.

If you live in Dubai, you must have sat on one of their many park benches for sure, and hung out in the many public spaces they’ve built that we take for granted. 🪑

A biomedical engineer by education, Nishan has over 17 years of experience in Bluestream following in his father’sfootsteps - who founded the company. As a focused re-founder, he has been able to grow the company from 3 member trading organization to a full-fledged design and production facility now in Jebel Ali. 🏢

Nishan is also a member of the Entrepreneur’s Organization and was a Founding Member of Vistage Worldwide Inc’s Dubai Chapter.

What I loved about Nishan the most is that not only is he a book nerd like me, but he’s got this uncanny ability to reference what he’s read and apply it to all the conversations we were having.

Nishan is one of the smartest dudes that’s come on the show, he’s a life long learner and has a pathological obsession with the truth & an obsession with optimism - and that’s exactly who is this podcast is for. 🎧

This conversation is fast paced, I think it’s just the nature of how quick Nishan thinks while maintaining serious depth in the topics that we explored - this will be an absolute treat for your ears. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did. 🌟

Link for this new episode in the comments!

22/02/2024

“You think education is expensive? Try ignorance. Education is the only thing they can never take away from you.”

Peter, a man of multifaceted experiences, shares a glimpse into his life’s journey. From dealing with family expectations to chasing his own dreams, Peter spills the beans on how he navigated the twists and turns of generational legacies and the pursuit of individual identity. ✨

After working in the family business for six years, he realized he wanted to get out of his father’s shadow. So, he moved out to another continent and created his own path despite the disapproval from his father.🧔‍♂️

From there, he founded Hale Education Group in 2015, a Dubai-based company who assists students in their university preparation, application and admissions journeys, with a particular focus on the USA. 🧑🏼‍🏫

Peter wins the 🏆 ‘Most Enthusiastic & Energetic Guest Ever’ Award from me - he had me in fits with hilarious stories about his father, before switching to some real-life practical philosophies on how to become your best self. You’ll be left on the floor laughing one moment, and completely inspired the next. What a roller-coaster this conversation was!

Aside from that, we talked about:
▶️ Introduction
🧔‍♂️ His father’s humble beginnings and moving to US
↩️ Choosing a different path and leaving his father’s shadow
🤔 One person’s belief in him that changed the trajectory
💪 Playing to his strengths and delegating his weaknesses
🧅 Having multiple layers as part of his identity
7️⃣ His seven metrics for success
💰 What “Money speaks, Wealth whispers” means
🫡 Not selling your soul for anything
🧑‍🎓 Why education should not be taken for granted

Learn how Peter took charge of his career and relationships by saying no to the expected norms. His story of bouncing back from tough financial times serves as a touching reminder of the power of belief, support, and unexpected twists that shape our lives.

Check this latest episode with Peter Davos on My First Business Podcast. Available on YouTube, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platforms!

Or, check the New Episode Out! link in bio! 🔗

My First Business, with Naeem Parvez