Black Belt Startup with Feras
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.
Episodes
Overnight success is often 5+ years in the making.
If you’re waiting for fireworks today… …. you’ll miss the sparks that are already trying to ignite.
So many would-be founders get stuck right here:
- They’ve seen smart people fail, wondering, “Why should I be any different?”
- They want to build something, but fear what their boss (or company) might think.
- They’re frozen, not because they don’t want it, but because they don’t kn...
🥋 Kickstart your consulting business today: https://www.blackbeltstartup.com/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sometimes, you’re doing what looks smart, just at the wrong time.
You say no to smaller clients too early.
You hold off on raising prices.
You niche down too far.
You stick to your original idea even when the data says pivot.
These decisions sound strategic, but when done too so...
Most new consultants never get stuck on strategy.
They get stuck waiting to feel “ready.”
They overthink and overplan.
And quietly delay the launch for months.
Here’s the truth:
Perfection is a trap.
And action before clarity is often the only way through.
In this livestream, I’ll walk you through:
1. Why launching before you’re ready is the smartest move you can make
2. Why overplanning might be the #1 thing holding your business ...
Smart consultants don’t grow by doing more.
They grow by doing less of the wrong things.
In this live stream, I’ll show you:
1. How to spot what’s draining your time and energy
2. The simple framework I used to reclaim 10+ hours a week
3. How to delegate, automate, and streamline operations—even on a tight budget
4. Why acting like a CEO (not an employee) is the first step to scaling
We’ll walk through my Founder Schedule Optimizer...
When the economy dips, big business hits the brakes.
They slash budgets, lay off talent, and pause R&D.
This retreat creates a massive opening for nimble entrepreneurs.
Service businesses, in particular, are perfectly positioned to take advantage, with less risk than product-based businesses. Why?
Because service businesses come with:
• Lower startup costs
• Faster path to cash
• Flexible offers that meet shifting demand
• The ...
Two weeks ago, I posted on Reddit and it blew up!
I got 300+ questions and spent 10 hours answering them!
Here are the hottest topics:
— Balancing time while scaling
— Finding high-ticket clients
— Monetization & retention
— Increasing conversion rates
These are real challenges I’ve faced and solved, so I’ll share the strategies that helped me.
If you’re stuck, join me this week to get your questions answered. Whether you’re thinking of starting a business or are struggling with one, ask what’s on your mind, and I’ll answer. If you don’t have burning questions, tune in to see what other founders are struggling with. Some questions I’ll address:
-How and where to start a business.
-1 year into it and barely making it, what to do next? -Should you niche down or go broad?
-S...
🥋 Kickstart your consulting business today: https://www.blackbeltstartup.com/
When I started my first business, I thought my skills would speak for themselves. They didn’t…
I had no tagline. No strong presence. Just a flimsy, forgettable business card.
I realized two things early on:
1- Image matters: branding isn’t just for big companies–there are basic but essential branding any small business needs
2- Branding isn’t about look...
🥋 Kickstart your consulting business today: https://www.blackbeltstartup.com/
Dragging people back to the office won’t fix a broken work culture.
I learned that back in 2013. When two key team members had to relocate.
I faced a decision: lose great people or adapt.
I chose to adapt.
We went remote before it was cool—way before the world was forced to.
Once we had two people working remotely, I thought, Why not hire the best talen...
Your business can grow by 1,700% in 3 years.
It sounds impossible, but research by Gallup states that "high delegators" achieve an average three-year growth rate of 1,751%.
That's 112% higher than those who struggle to delegate.
So, how can you become a delegating queen? In this live stream, we’ll talk about how to delegate tasks effectively without losing control.
YouTube: @StartUpWithFeras
Your best clients are slipping away while you're 'busy being busy.'
If you focus too much on one thing, you risk damaging another.
Being a business owner isn’t about running from one thing to the next; it’s about getting what’s critical out of the door with the best quality possible.
Let's connect! 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/ferasalhlou/
YouTube: @StartUpWithFeras
In this week’s live stream, we’ll cover how you can:
1. Build a financial safety net.
2. Turn your skills into a consulting business.
3. Land your first paying client. Let’s turn your layoff into a breakthrough.
Let's connect! 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/ferasalhlou/
YouTube: @StartUpWithFeras
I once tried to do everything on my to-do list in a single day.
But I ended up binge-watching martial arts videos instead.
Trying to tackle everything at once is a sure way to get nothing done.
Let’s prioritize your tasks so you can take on more clients!
Check me out on YouTube: @StartUpWithFeras
Popular Podcasts
Welcome to Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club — the podcast where great stories, bold women, and irresistible conversations collide! Hosted by award-winning journalist Danielle Robay, each week new episodes balance thoughtful literary insight with the fervor of buzzy book trends, pop culture and more. Bookmarked brings together celebrities, tastemakers, influencers and authors from Reese's Book Club and beyond to share stories that transcend the page. Pull up a chair. You’re not just listening — you’re part of the conversation.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.
Joyce Sapp, 76; Bryan Herrera, 16; and Laurance Webb, 32—three Miami residents whose lives were stolen in brutal, unsolved homicides. Cold Case Files: Miami follows award‑winning radio host and City of Miami Police reserve officer Enrique Santos as he partners with the department’s Cold Case Homicide Unit, determined family members, and the advocates who spend their lives fighting for justice for the victims who can no longer fight for themselves.