Most organisations don’t get stuck because they lack ideas or effort.

They get stuck because decisions stop translating into execution.

Growth activity continues, but momentum fades.

That pattern shows up differently depending on the environment.

In airlines, travel platforms, and hotels, growth can look healthy on paper but customer acquisition becomes expensive, data stays fragmented, and engagement drops once the transaction is over.

In large organisations moving to cloud, progress slows because decisions feel high-risk. Modernisation starts, but uncertainty around cost, architecture, and long-term impact delays real momentum.

With AI initiatives, the challenge is rarely the technology itself. Teams know AI matters, but struggle to translate it into clear business outcomes, ownership, and execution that actually moves something forward.

Different contexts. Same underlying issue.

When clarity is missing, progress slows, even with strong teams and effort.

Progress returns once the real constraint is clear and decisions are acted on.

Nicholas Yeap

Chap Goh Mei today.

Last day of CNY. Chinese Valentine's Day.

Singles throwing oranges into rivers hoping to find their match. Couples celebrating love that's already there.

What most people miss about this tradition?

The oranges aren't just thrown randomly. They're offered with intention. With hope that someone will notice. That connection happens first.

Business works the same way.

You can't force someone to buy from you. But you can build a relationship so strong they want to work with you.

I've closed more deals over coffee conversations than polished pitch decks. Why? Because people buy from people they trust. And trust comes from relationship, not transactions.

Three things I've learned:

1. Listen more than you pitch
2. Care about their success before your commission
3. Show up consistently, not when you need something

To all the singles out there: May you find your match this year.

To those in relationships: May you 10x your chemistry in 2026.

And to everyone building a business: Remember that relationships always come first.

The sale is just what happens after.

Happy Valentine's Day!

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You book a flight.

Get a confirmation email.

Then silence for weeks.

Meanwhile, you're the most captive audience imaginable. You've already committed. You're thinking about the trip, planning, researching, anticipating.

And your airline? Nowhere.

Then you land. Within an hour, you've switched to hotels, restaurants, ground transport. The airline becomes a memory.

There are two massive windows most airlines ignore:

1. Between booking and boarding (weeks of engagement potential)

2. Right after landing (when passengers need local context)

Both windows are wide open. Both largely untouched.

I work with airlines and travel platforms on growth optimization. This gap comes up constantly.

It's not because they don't care. It's genuinely hard. You'd need to know where the passenger is, what language they speak, what they actually need in that moment.

But it's solvable.

The airlines that figure this out won't just send better emails. They'll become useful during the parts of travel that matter most.

Acquisition gets all the budget. But retention lives in these quiet moments between transactions.

What's one thing you wish airlines would do differently after you book?

Vicente Valencia

🤔 Risk-Averse Renegade 💪 | Helping others take the leap of faith | Entrepreneur & Investor | Personal Growth, Business. 🐭 Join the free rat race 🐭

If you need PPP Advice or Training that you WON'T get from the World Bank go to: https://vicentevalencia.com.

I love infrastructure delivery and I have good reasons for that. 

I still remember my third day working in PPPs, around 20 years ago. 

I was put on a Board meeting, and my boss told the rest of the board members that "I was the new PPP advisor". 

Not bad for the third day. 

I didn't know what a PPP was, nor even a what a Board was, or shareholders, or construction contracts, or back-to-backs... and there I was. 

Now, after having tendered, managed, delivered, refinanced, sold, a few PPPs in Europe, North America and New Zealand, as a COO, CEO and Board Member, I can tell you many more stories... some of them, "terror stories": extra costs, claims, delays, incompetence, bad clients, terrible contractors, evil designers, etc. 

But I can also tell you many great stories about people. 

Happy people enjoying a new and fantastic piece of infrastructure. 

These assets have transformed for the better lives, cities and even countries. 

I’ll never forget the 15 December 2012, when I opened as the COO, the A30 Project in Montreal. 

I put my beautiful and very patient Spanish wife on a toll both to enjoy. 

Many nights working at night and she supported me all the way long, and I wanted her to live the experience. 

During a break to have diner – it was a long day – she told me that users thanked her saying “Gracias”. 
I’ll never forget the joy and happiness of thousands of people that wanted to cross the bridges that we built.
 
This is the power of great infrastructure, properly delivered. 

This is why, I love that business. 

I also have two secret passions: Real Estate Investing, and a popular newsletter. Everyday, I send a free tip about business, project management, investment, motivation and personal growth. All this comes with Spanish spice. Subscribe, join other +2k free minds and enjoy.

Co-Founder and Investor

Love the challenges, the design and changing spaces and cities for the better. 

We give a second opportunity to old buildings and houses creating unique homes.

If you’re interested about personal growth, you should read this, and of course, follow Matt Gray 

#personalgrowth

PPP Executioner | Providing Clarity to PPP Professionals, Agencies and Investors | Join the PPP MOVEMENT for Infra tips and stories

Founder & CEO, Founder OS | Proven systems to grow a profitable audience with organic content.

Being surrounded by the right people is the best hack for ultimate growth.

Your circle determines your ceiling.

Everything shifted when I found mentors who were 10x my level.

Their "normal" became my new baseline.
Their problems became my new targets.
Their thinking became my new standard.

Environment is stronger than willpower.

Here are 6 ways to upgrade your circle today:

1. Join Communities of High-Performers

Seek environments where excellence is the minimum standard, not the exception.

I've found that when you're the least accomplished person in the room, your growth accelerates exponentially.

High-performance communities create natural accountability that no app or system can replicate.

2. Attend Events Where Your Heroes Gather

The magic rarely happens during the presentations, it's in the lobby conversations, the dinners after, the unexpected connections.

I met one of my most influential mentors not during his keynote, but while waiting for coffee at an event I almost didn't attend.

Proximity creates possibility.

3. Create Value Before Asking

The moment you shift from "what can I get?" to "what can I give?" everything changes.

I spent six months helping others in my industry before ever asking for anything in return.

This approach built a reservoir of goodwill that continues to overflow years later.

4. Share Your Work Publicly

Building in public isn't just about transparency, it's about signaling.

When you openly share your journey, values, and systems, you naturally attract aligned people while filtering out those who don't resonate.

My most valuable relationships began when someone reached out after seeing something I'd shared.

5. Be Genuinely Curious

Curiosity is the hidden superpower in relationship-building.

I've found that asking thoughtful questions and truly listening creates deeper connections than any amount of impressive talking.

People remember the person who made them feel understood, not the one who tried to sound intelligent.

6. Invest in Relationships

The relationships that transformed my business weren't built over a single coffee meeting, they developed through consistent investment over time.

I block time every week specifically for relationship nurturing, treating it with the same importance as any business-critical activity.

I've seen this play out over and over with founders in our community. When they upgrade their circle, their business transforms almost automatically.

Your network isn't just your net worth. It's your thinking, your standards, your opportunities, your energy, and ultimately, your future.

Who are you surrounding yourself with?

__

Enjoy this? ♻️ Repost it to your network and follow Matt Gray for more.

Want to learn how to build a profitable personal brand that grows even when you’re not around?

Join my free live Workshop on March 24th (7 days away) to steal my homework: https://fos.now/eIBmtB

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The Battle

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Vicente Valencia

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