"I thought I had all the answers, when I didn't. Ego and fear were big issues. Fear of failure has always driven me and I think now I have less of that. I certainly have my ego in check and I am constantly looking at it. I now don't fear failure."
These are the words of Firdaus Nagree: Business owner, serial entrepreneur and angel investor. It was a fascinating conversation, going into the mechanics of business growth, the ins and outs of angel investment as well realisations that led Firdaus to live a more fulfilled life.
Firdaus has founded a number of businesses in furniture, property and digital marketing. His company FCI London has grown to become the largest designer furniture showroom in London, showcasing over 700 brands. Today, his company is operating globally with locations in the Emirates, Nigeria, India and Macau.
He is an Angel Investor and passionate about working with founders, helping them scale their business ideas. He shares that founders often underestimate the importance of having a professional pitch deck and gives advice on improving sales pitches.
Interestingly, he mentions that working with trios of founders can be extremely valuable and more effective in growing a business compared to the solo founder or two co-founders.
We also talked about the importance of having the right network of people around and how to find those, as part of his board role at EO - Entrepreneur's Organisation.