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Forbes
04-08-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How To Build A Billion-Dollar Business Mindset In A Volatile Economy
Dr. Stephen Akintayo is Forbes Best of Africa Leading Investment Coach and Real Estate Mogul. Chairman and Founder, Gtext Holdings. I firmly believe that economic chaos does not destroy billion-dollar potential, small thinking does. I began my entrepreneurial journey with no financial cushion, no connections and no startup capital. With little more than a basic laptop, prepaid internet and a hunger for change, I began what would later become a global company. My secret to success? I rewired my mindset long before I could upgrade my circumstances. I thought like a billion-dollar leader while operating from a modest one-room apartment. And I learned that the most powerful investment you will ever make, especially in volatile economies, is in your mentality. I also learned that your mindset is not inherited. It's built. Turning Scarcity Into Strategy In my early days, like many aspiring entrepreneurs, I was reactive. I thought the economy was the enemy, that success could only come once 'things stabilized.' That changed when I met someone who had built real, generational wealth in the same unstable environment I found overwhelming. His message was simple, but piercing: The economy is external. Wealth is internal. Master your mind and you'll multiply anything in your hands. It took time, trial and painful mistakes, but I began to understand. What I lacked was not money. It was mental infrastructure. Here's what billion-dollar minds know that most don't: Volatility is not the enemy. It is a filter. It reveals who's merely coasting and who's truly built for the long game. While most entrepreneurs panic, billion-dollar thinkers prepare. They don't wait for certainty. They think in decades, not quarters. They invest in people and systems when others hoard. Shifting Your Mindset Here are five defining mindset shifts I've learned along the way: Most entrepreneurs today are obsessed with visibility. But visibility doesn't guarantee viability. Billion-dollar minds understand that attention is fleeting, but impact is generational. They don't build to impress. They build to outlive trends. They obsess over what their grandchildren will inherit, not what the algorithm will boost. In economically unstable environments, many default to self-preservation. But long-term wealth thinkers approach money like seed, not security. They ask, "What can I grow with what I have?" and "Where should I plant for long-term returns, not short-term comfort?" At my company, we have consistently invested in land and infrastructure even during economic downturns. Those assets became more valuable because of them. That's the power of thinking beyond fear. You don't have to live in New York or London to build with global relevance. You need to ask better questions, such as: • Can this solution solve problems across cultures or continents? • Is my branding, structure and team built to scale internationally? • Will this business still make sense 10 years from now in a global market? When I started my company, I wasn't just thinking in terms of location, I was thinking in terms of relevance. We hired internationally. We studied what real estate looked like in the United States and Dubai. We learned global compliance structures. We invested before we were 'ready.' That mindset created open doors. Not every storm requires noise. Not every crisis demands a public opinion. While many entrepreneurs panic, billion-dollar thinkers retreat inward and move strategically. They restructure. They protect their team. They revisit their vision. They build quietly. Here's what most people get wrong: They think cutting corners is the shortcut to success. But in reality, nothing limits expansion like compromised integrity. In our business, we've declined partnerships that promised immediate cash but lacked long-term alignment. We've chosen trust over trend, even when it was hard. And today, that decision is paying off. Because influence built on character lasts longer than income built on convenience. During times of uncertainty, economic or otherwise, what matters most is not how much you have, but how trained your mind is to see opportunities in the cracks. I encourage you to ask yourself the following questions: • What beliefs do I need to retire to grow bigger than my circumstances? • Am I reacting to fear or building toward vision? • What legacy will I leave if I keep building the way I currently am? Lastly, remember that billion-dollar thinkers adapt. They revise, not retreat. So, stop waiting for perfect conditions—they don't exist. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
Forbes
09-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Why Integrity Is Your Biggest Asset When Scaling Up
Dr. Stephen Akintayo is Forbes Best of Africa Leading Investment Coach and Real Estate Mogul. Chairman and Founder, Gtext Holdings. Let me be blunt. I've met entrepreneurs who raised millions, expanded into multiple cities, got featured in top publications … and still crashed. Why? Not because they lacked vision. Not because they lacked capital. They lacked integrity. It's one thing to scale a company. It's another thing to sustain it, without losing your soul or burning bridges along the way. Integrity is not perfection. It is precision. Let's clear this up: Integrity does not mean you're flawless. It means you're consistent. It means you say what you mean, do what you say and own your outcomes, especially when they're inconvenient. We're living in a time where entrepreneurs glorify speed, scale fast, go global, raise big and dominate. But very few are asking the hard question: 'Is what I'm building truly built to last?' If you build without a foundation of integrity, what you're building is a tower of cards. One scandal, one misstep, and everything falls. As someone who scaled a company from scratch in Nigeria to a global enterprise with offices in Dubai, London and the U.S., I can tell you firsthand that reputation travels faster than revenue. Years ago, in our early expansion phase, I was presented with a deal that could have tripled our income overnight. Everything looked great on paper. But deep down, I knew something was off. The partner had a pattern of cutting corners. The numbers weren't transparent. And more than anything, my gut said 'No.' We walked away. A few months later, that same partner was publicly exposed for fraud. If we had gone ahead, we would've been dragged into the mud, and the damage to our brand would've taken years to clean up. That moment cemented a principle in my leadership: Fast money is expensive if it costs you trust. Let's take a step back. What, exactly, is integrity in business? It's not just doing the right thing when people are watching. It's doing what's right when nobody's clapping. Integrity is: • Saying 'no' to shortcuts, even when the pressure is high • Creating policies that protect customers, not exploit them • Owning mistakes publicly, rather than covering them privately What I've learned after 15 years in business is that integrity pays. Massively. If your team constantly second-guesses leadership decisions, the culture can become toxic. When your people trust your intentions, they'll give you their best. In Gtext, our real estate and investment teams span multiple countries. Integrity is the glue holding us together. Without it, we'd collapse under our own weight. High-integrity businesses attract high-integrity investors, partners and customers. These are the people who stick around. They don't panic at the first sign of volatility. Let's be real, anyone can build hype. But only a few build history. Ten years from now, your product may change. Your team may grow. Your market may evolve. But your reputation? That's the one constant that will speak louder than your pitch decks ever could. In my book, Scaling Your Business With Integrity, I discuss in detail why we need to treat integrity like tech founders treat product-market fit. Without it, nothing else matters. We don't just scale to make money. We scale to make meaning. The pressure is real, but that's when you decide who you are. I get it. Investors are breathing down your neck. Competitors are moving faster. The media loves dramatic numbers. The temptation to cut ethical corners is real. But here's what I tell every founder I mentor: Don't build what you'll one day need to apologize for. You don't want to succeed and have to wonder every night, 'Did I cheat someone to get here?' You want to build something your children will be proud of. Something your name can stand beside decades from now. • Define your values. Not just on a wall. In your contracts. In your hiring. In your product guarantees. • Build transparent systems. Document processes. Invite feedback. Let truth move freely. • Say 'no' quickly. Especially to deals that feel good but smell wrong. • Encourage honesty. Build a culture where the truth is not punished. • Lead by example. Your company will not rise above your character. Now, let me ask you: Would you rather be known as the fastest-scaling founder of your generation, or the one who built something that lasted? Because I've seen both. And only one of them gets invited into legacy conversations. Don't just scale for speed. Scale with soul. Scale with structure. Scale with integrity. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
