Issue 125, Part Time CEO Newsletter

Hey, it's Dhiren 👋,

A few years ago, I nearly lost a big client over a misread email over at Cloudscape, my other business.

They sent a short message after our demo session:

“Let’s pause on this for now.”

Instant panic.

• Did I mess up?

• Are they pulling out?

• Do I need to do damage control?​
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My perception kicked in: This is bad.

I stewed on it for hours. Then, before sending a frantic follow-up, I re-read the email without my emotions attached.

And suddenly, I saw another angle.

Maybe they just needed time. Maybe it wasn’t about me at all.

So I waited. Three days later, they came back:

“We’re ready to go. Let’s move forward.”

That day, I learned a powerful lesson:

Bullet One​
​🧠 The Stories We Tell Ourselves​
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Your brain is wired to protect you. But sometimes, it protects you from the wrong things.

• A client gives short replies? They must be unhappy.

• A team member misses a deadline? They don’t respect the work.

• A competitor posts a win? We’re falling behind.

But here’s the truth: Perception is NOT reality—it’s just a fast, emotional guess.

Your brain fills in the gaps based on past experiences and insecurities.

And if you don’t pause to question it, you make bad calls.

The best founders I know don’t react emotionally—they analyze, reframe, and move strategically.

Bullet Two​
​🧠 The Cost of Getting This Wrong

A founder I worked with—let’s call him Sanjay—almost fired a key team member over a false perception.

Sanjay thought his employee was disengaged. Meetings were quiet, quality of work wasn't up to par.

The reality? That team member was overwhelmed and burned out but didn’t know how to ask for help.

Had Sanjay acted on his perception, he would’ve lost a valuable leader.

Instead, by shifting perspective, he opened a conversation—and retained a star performer.

This mistake? It could’ve cost him AED12K + in rehiring and lost momentum.

Your Turn: Flip the Script This Week

This week, try this:

• Catch yourself reacting, then pause. Is this fact or just my interpretation?

• Before sending a frustrated email, reframe. What else could be true?

• When feeling stuck, zoom out. What would my smartest self do here?

P. S I want to hear from you:

• Have you ever misread a situation that turned out differently?

• Or—have you ever avoided a costly mistake by changing perspective?

Hit reply and share your story.

🧨 DHIREN'S UPDATES 🧨 Amid all the coaching, clarity sessions, and business planning, I got to spend a few precious days with Prisha. And in those moments—her laughter, the way she grabs my finger, the simple joy of just being present—I was reminded of something important. Success isn’t just about scaling businesses. It’s about moments like these—the ones that make everything else worthwhile. Here’s a little snapshot of that joy. ❤️ ​

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Dhiren Bhatia ​Founder, Elevated Entrepreneur ​ElevatedEntrepreneur.co​ ☎️ Book a 1:1 Clarity Call​

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