Neel Parekh

I just gave an 8-minute TEDx-style talk in front of a 250 person audience. I successfully "exited the matrix" and traveled for 7 years....but eventually came to one epiphany about life by the end of the journey. Here's my story:

Underrated travel secret: Namibia might have the coolest lodges on the planet. The landscapes are so wild they basically force architects to get creative. This glamping spot from our road trip felt like a Wes Anderson film set in Mars.

Old franchising model: Don't think, just execute what we tell you. Top-down control that treats franchisees like robots. New model: Collaborative hive mind where everyone contributes ideas and grows together.

Milestone: hit 800 reviews for my LA location More reviews = more sustainable business. Trying to make sure we stay wayyyy ahead of the 2nd place company. Next stop: 1000

You’re sitting at a table with 2 people. One person runs a successful company with 100 employees. The other person has a smaller business. But he’s been bicycling around the world for 5 years. Who are you more interested in speaking to? I know my answer. Great write-up by…

SMB Truth: Business school teaches you theory. Running an actual business teaches you how to survive when nothing goes according to plan. Guess which one matters more?

The pressure to build the next $100M company is everywhere. But a simple business that generates $10-20K monthly while you control your schedule and get to enjoy time with your family and friends doing what you want. That's not small thinking - that's smart thinking.

Anyone else constantly getting added to these stupid spam DMs?

Companies forcing "return to office" aren't doing it for productivity - remote workers are often more productive. It's about justifying long-term leases they can't escape. Don't let them gaslight you.

I probably would have made more money staying in finance long-term. But making the most money isn't life's main purpose. Watch out for those golden handcuffs - they're heavier than they look.

Overheard some interesting cleaning industry numbers: - 5-7% monthly customer churn is normal for residential services - 8-12 months employee retention is average for cleaners - $40-60 cost per lead seems standard

SMB 101: I give salespeople a specific script for their first month - no deviations allowed. After that, I encourage them to add personality and tweak it. People buy from people they like, not robots reading scripts.

Corporate meeting inefficiency is insane. I read about a company that started posting the dollar cost of each Zoom meeting. Result? They eliminated tons of meetings once people saw the real waste.

You can deduct franchise fees as expenses over several years. If you're W-2, you'll probably get a bigger refund. One of our franchisees got a $10K refund in year one just from this.

In a 9-5, you don't get to choose who you work with. In business, you choose your clients, vendors, and team. Don't like someone? Don't work with them. Simple as that.

I started a YouTube channel recently to document the journey. Just created a final video of my thoughts after living in Rwanda and what I’ve noticed about life. Check it out here: youtu.be/IXsr_vvGmoI?si…

“…that same culture also created a generation of people who are successful on paper and miserable in reality.” Worth a read👇

I got an email intro made from Connor @bluecollarivy, and he introduced me this way. I hope everyone introduces me like this.

Corporate meeting inefficiency is insane. I read about a company that started posting the dollar cost of each Zoom meeting. Result? They eliminated tons of meetings once people saw the real waste.