There are Business Levels

// The Fight

This weekend, I chilled out on Saturday night watching the 'Undisputed' Heavyweight clash between Daniel Dubois and Oleksandr Usyk - now, despite being British, I have a huge admiration for Usyk.

He is, and probably will remain, a modern legend - I remember when he switched from Cruiserweight (after beating Tony Bellew) to Heavyweight and everyone mocked him (me included) saying that he was too small and that he wouldn't make a dent on the division because of the bigger guys like Joshua or Fury.

Over the last 6 years, Usyk has elevated himself to the top of the division and by doing so, has created a huge army of fans - me included.

But 6 years ago, I was in the camp of ridiculing him - saying that he couldn't do what he's now done and that he will never be a success at this weight. But on Saturday night, I had no doubt. I wasn't backing 'our man' - I was backing a Ukrainian who has shown, time and time again that he exceeds everything that is thrown at him and he has created a legacy which will unlikely be beaten until after my time.

The fight on Saturday was, whilst expected, still enthralling to watch as Usyk now understands the Heavyweight division and he understands what he needs to do to 'turn the screw' and come away with a win. From round 3 onwards, I could see he was taking Dubois apart systematically and he undoubtedly was going to win.

Why am I rambling on about a fight which took place at Wembley Stadium in front of 90,000+ fans?

// Levels

There’s a reason fighters don’t debut as headliners at Wembley Stadium.

You don’t just lace up gloves one day and call out a world champion - when Usyk switched from Cruiserweight to Heavyweight, despite being a unifed world champion at Cruiserweight, he didn't immediately call out the current Heavyweight World Champion - You have to train, you have to spar and most importantly, you have to get hit at that weight because thats the way you learn.

Slowly - painfully, purposefully - you rise through the ranks and people (people like me) start to see that you do know what you're doing and believe in you.

In business it's the same story but you're just using different gloves.

Take the fight just this weekend, you could see the difference - not just in skill, but in the space between them. The pacing, the patience, the sheer ring IQ - all of this is what time, reps, and reality give you.

Not just confidence - but craft.

And this is where it should hit home for anyone building something - trying to build a community, a movement or a new thing.

// Find it.

As Daniel Dubois found out on Saturday night, there’s no shame in not being ready yet.

There is absolutely no shame in losing or even starting out and playing the smaller venues. In fact, that’s where you learn how to move, how to protect your corners and how to take a hit and still show up next round.

The hard work starts when you're just starting out and you can't hop on a trend, just jump onboard someone elses train and expect good results.

The danger in the ring (and in business) comes when we start pretending - I've seen it all too often over the last year where someone is starting out and pretends at being the coach, the nutritionist, the commentator and the roaring crowd - all at once.

They're trying to be all of those people at once, they're faking their own engagement - that’s not grit, that’s delusion.

Time will always expose the gap between the persona and the practice.

Just take a moment to read that again - it's important and you have to understand it.

Someone, anyone, can show up and say they are something - they can pretend for only so long but eventually, they will get found out and their true intentions, personality or reputation will bubble to the surface.

I've had it before where a competitor has rocked up to one of my clients and tried to rock the relationship by offering a similar service but at a slightly cheaper price believing that our client has only chosen our service because of a cheaper price - my client has called me, told me what his person has done and stayed with us because we're seen as a trusted advisor over a tiny price change - I'm sure you've had it before.

But then again, I've also has clients who have changed because of that tiny price change - they have been sucker punched into believing that they are being sold 'apple for apples' at a cheaper price and yes, they have come back to us after a period of time because price is just a number and it's the service levels which actually matters.

Between who you say you are and what you’ve actually earned is where your true position lies.

Some people though, they believe their own hype.

// Other fans.

On Saturday night, despite the fight taking place in Wembley and Dubois being British, the loudest cheers were for Usyk - British, Ukranians and the ones sitting on the fence, they all recognise that Usyk is one of the greatest and he's earned his place by putting in the work - you can't expect fans just because of who you are - you have to earn them.

Just like Dubois couldn’t take Usyk’s fans with him into that ring, you can’t shortcut your way to loyalty, trust, or presence in a place which you think you deserve them.

Buying followers?
Launching five social profiles, liking all your own posts and then calling it a “brand”?

It’s ego inflation - not business development.

I can say this because when you fake your level, you lose sight of the work it takes to own your corner.

For you to get a whole stadium to cheer for you, you need to start out small.

Usyk didn't buy his fans - he started with a small team around him, his nutritionist, his promoter, his coaching team - all of these people believed in Usyk way before he got any fans in his Heavyweight title bid. These people supported him (he didn't fake that coaching team, he actually had one) - and he was able to take the right decisions at the right time.

That's where the growth happens - In the gym, in the rounds no one watches and in the daily grind.

For you, it's in the DMs that don’t get replies, in the emails you send and resend and get ghosted for and for the events that you run where no-one turns up.

That’s where you earn your people - one at a time.

You can't shortcut that process.

// Do the rounds.

This is my rally cry to you - please listen because you'll want to shortcut the process but you have to understand - there’s honour in every level.

When Usyk fought Chaz Witherspoon in his first Heavyweight fight, he was starting his journey at this new weight and he couldn't have had 60-70% of Wembley stadium singing his name without that first Heavyweight fight - people mocked him for that first fight but there is power in pace, in the consistency and the levels.

You should never try to skip the leagues because you'll be found out - you'll be mocked for trying and you should never act like a champion before you’ve earned your cut.

I think this is why I resonate with Usyk so much - he didn't make a huge noise when he was carving out his space, he just went about his business and let the results speak for themselves.

And you need results to prove that you can do anything.

You have to keep showing up, you have to keep learning and when you get hit, you have to keep getting back up.

The most important thing is when it’s your time under the lights - you (and everyone else around you) will know it wasn’t luck - it was the work.