Hey Friend, 

 

 

Products and services you already use and love.

 

You’ve just got to train yourself to think like an investor.

 

Not just a consumer.

 

The other week, we were at 48 Flavours.

 

(Love their ice cream)

 

And I found myself thinking: is this a company I could invest in?

 

Turns out, it’s privately owned. So the answer was no.

 

But I was thinking like an investor.

 

That’s the shift.

 

Here’s a personal example.

 

Back in 2019, when I started my coaching business, I signed up to MYOB.

 

It was the big name at the time.

 

But I’d been hearing great things about Xero for years – simpler platform, better user experience.

 

When I became Treasurer for BNI, I got to use their Xero account first-hand.

 

And I got it.

 

Recently, Xero put out an offer too good to refuse.

 

So one painful Saturday in February, I took the plunge.

 

Migrated everything from MYOB to Xero.

 

Saved some decent money. Simplified my accounting.

 

But something else happened too.

 

That switch made me start thinking about Xero differently.

 

Not just as a user.

 

But as a potential owner.

 

Because I know how ‘sticky’ accounting software is.

 

Once a business is set up on a platform – the data, the integrations, the habits – they’re not going anywhere.

 

That creates customers who stay for years.

 

That means strong recurring revenue.

 

So I did what any investor would do.

 

I looked under the hood.

 

The first thing I noticed was that Xero (XRO) was trading at a significant discount to where it had been sitting twelve months prior.

 

Now, a cheaper price doesn’t automatically make something a good investment.

 

But it made me ask: why?

 

After digging into it, I found the main cause was high valuations coming back to earth, fear around AI, and a broader tech sell-off.

 

So, I asked myself another question:

 

Has it been beaten down too much?

 

To answer that, you need to understand intrinsic value.

 

Basically – what is this business actually worth?

 

If the stock is trading below that number, you’re buying at an attractive price.

 

One of my favourite books on this is ‘Rule #1 Investing’ by Phil Town.

 

His whole approach is rooted in Warren Buffett.

 

The idea is simple: work out the intrinsic value of a business, then only buy if it’s trading at 50% of that figure.

 

That buffer is your margin of safety.

 

I ran the numbers.

 

Liked what I saw.

 

And decided to build a small position in Xero.

 

I won’t bore you with all the details.

 

But the point of this newsletter isn’t really about Xero.

 

It’s about a mindset shift.

 

Every time you pull out your wallet, or open an app – ask yourself:

 

Is this something I could own a piece of?

 

Because the best investment ideas often start with products you already use and believe in.

 

And by switching from consumer thinking to investor thinking – you stop just spending money, and start building wealth.

 

So, next time you’re eating great ice cream somewhere…

 

Don’t just enjoy it.

 

Ask yourself: could I own a piece of this?

Have a great week,