Black Belt Startup with Feras

Feras
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Starting as a dishwasher who spoke no English and eventually founding 7 businesses that generated 65M - and one of which sold for 8 figures - serial entrepreneur Feras Alhlou is now on a mission to empower other consulting and service entrepreneurs. Combining this business experience with the mindset and discipline of a 4th-degree Black Belt in Aikido, Feras dives into principles and critical actions for kickstarting your consulting and services business, including: Why passion is optional but skills and sacrifice are not Starting a business after a layoff Three cases when side hustling is OK Pricing at the earliest stages of your new company Early-stage marketing techniques How avoid mistakes and save precious time and resources Strategies to break the 7-figure consulting barrier Don’t do it on your own. Listen to Black Belt Startup to start smarter and stronger.

  1. 3d ago

    5 Habits That Keep Entrepreneurs Growing

    What’s one skill you know you need to get better at, but keep avoiding? Sales? Networking? Public speaking? Negotiation? AI? Financial management? Last Tuesday, we talked about the beliefs that can hold aspiring entrepreneurs back and how to tell the difference between a real limitation and a skill you simply haven’t developed yet. This Tuesday, September 29, we’re going to work on what comes next. I’ll walk you through five practical habits you can use to turn discomfort into deliberate practice, and we’ll apply them to real situations from the audience.

  2. Sep 23

    Are You Really Not Cut Out for Entrepreneurship?

    Have you ever wondered whether you're simply not cut out for entrepreneurship? Maybe you're good at your profession, but sales makes you uncomfortable. You don't consider yourself a networker. Or taking the leap feels riskier for you than it seems to feel for other entrepreneurs. We'll work through the beliefs that keep experienced professionals stuck, how avoidance can reinforce them, and how to distinguish between a real limitation and a skill you simply haven't developed yet. And next Tuesday, we'll build on this by working through how to respond differently when business gets difficult.

  3. Sep 9

    7 Lessons I Learned Going From Laid-Off Tech VP to Entrepreneur

    What would you do if your paycheck disappeared tomorrow? More than 20 years ago, mine did. I was laid off from a Silicon Valley startup with a young family, a dry job market, and eventually our savings and 401(k) started disappearing. Entrepreneurship wasn’t the dream. It became the path forward. Seven businesses later, including an 8-figure consulting firm, I’ve learned some lessons I wish I understood back then, from building financial runway and learning to sell to developing the confidence to create opportunities from nothing. I’ll break down 7 lessons from 20+ years as an entrepreneur, share some of the mistakes behind them, and discuss how you can apply them if you’re starting or growing a business.

  4. Sep 2

    Sales Negotiation Gimmicks Consultants Should Avoid (Plus the Golden Rule)

    Fake deadlines. Pressure tactics. Artificial discounts. “Let me check with my manager.” These tactics may show up in negotiations, but they’re not how I believe consultants should sell.  I’ve had a lot of opportunities to learn this, including making plenty of mistakes myself. In the final session of my three-part series on professional, win-win negotiation, we’ll cover the sales negotiation gimmicks consultants should avoid, how to recognize when a client is actually negotiating, and how to respond professionally without automatically giving something away. We’ll also work through real client scenarios and apply my Golden Rule of Negotiation. What do you do when a client asks: "Can you knock 10% off?" "Can you add one more deliverable? "Can we have Net 60 terms?" We’ll apply the Golden Rule to price, scope, timelines, and payment terms.

  5. Aug 26

    7 Ways to Negotiate Consulting Deals Without the Sales Pressure

    “Can you lower the price?” “Can we add one more deliverable?” “Can you finish two weeks earlier?” “Can we pay you Net 90?” If these questions make you uncomfortable because you don’t want to become pushy or “salesy,” you’re not alone. A consulting negotiation can move in several directions, and price is only one of them. In the second of my three-part series on professional, win-win negotiation, I’ll walk through 7 practical ways to negotiate without feeling like a salesperson, covering price, scope, timelines, payment terms, capacity, and client promises. We’ll work through real consulting scenarios, including an expensive mistake I made with a global brand, and I’ll show you how to respond when a client pushes back without automatically giving something away.

  6. Aug 19

    5 Negotiation Prep Steps to Win More Consulting Deals

    “What if I lose the deal?” “What do I say if they push back?” “Am I charging too much?” “Should I just give them the discount?” If you’ve had these thoughts before a client negotiation, you’re not alone. Most consultants spent years developing their expertise, not learning how to sell and negotiate it. In the first of my three-part series on professional, win-win negotiation, I’ll walk through 5 Negotiation Prep Steps to Win More Consulting Deals, including how to prepare your boundaries, listen before reacting, build trust, and set expectations before they become negotiation points. I’ll also work through real consulting scenarios and share my Negotiation Preparation Checklist to help you prepare for your next client negotiation.

  7. Aug 12

    From Expert to Entrepreneur: The Skills That Actually Matter To Start a Consulting Business

    Most professionals spend years learning how to do the work. Far fewer learn how to sell it. I recently read The Almanack of Naval Ravikant, and several ideas stayed with me, especially his emphasis on learning to build and sell, taking rational optimistic risks, and choosing hard actions that create an easier life over time. Those ideas apply directly to anyone building a consulting business. In this podcast, I’ll show you how to turn your expertise into an offer, test the market without taking reckless risks, and develop the sales skills needed to win clients consistently. We’ll also discuss the uncomfortable decisions many new consultants avoid, and why those decisions often determine whether the business moves forward.

  8. Aug 5

    Ask Me Anything: Starting a Consulting Business (Live Q&A)

    Thinking about leaving corporate to start a consulting business? Or have already started but feeling stuck? When you leave the corporate world, one thing changes immediately: Your expertise is no longer enough. When you leave corporate, you leave the ship and you step into your own boat. Your expertise built the boat. Sales and marketing are the oars. If you don't row, you drift. Some of the topics we'll cover include: How do I land my first consulting client with no sales experience? Should I specialize in one niche or offer multiple services? How should I price my consulting services? Can I build a consulting business while keeping my full-time job? Why are prospects ghosting me after outreach?

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About

Starting as a dishwasher who spoke no English and eventually founding 7 businesses that generated 65M - and one of which sold for 8 figures - serial entrepreneur Feras Alhlou is now on a mission to empower other consulting and service entrepreneurs. Combining this business experience with the mindset and discipline of a 4th-degree Black Belt in Aikido, Feras dives into principles and critical actions for kickstarting your consulting and services business, including: Why passion is optional but skills and sacrifice are not Starting a business after a layoff Three cases when side hustling is OK Pricing at the earliest stages of your new company Early-stage marketing techniques How avoid mistakes and save precious time and resources Strategies to break the 7-figure consulting barrier Don’t do it on your own. Listen to Black Belt Startup to start smarter and stronger.

Information

  • Creator
    Feras
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    64
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Black Belt Startup with Feras