What I Learned Running Businesses on Five Continents

April 23, 2026

I’ve run businesses in North America, Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa. The cultural differences are real. The business fundamentals aren’t.

What’s different

How you build trust. How you negotiate. How you hire. How fast people say yes or no. In Japan, silence means no. In Brazil, silence means keep talking. A CEO who doesn’t adapt to this loses the room before the deal starts.

What’s the same

Cash flow matters everywhere. Customers leave when you stop listening. Employees work harder for leaders they respect. Products win when they’re genuinely better. These truths don’t care what language you speak.

The mistake American executives make

They assume their playbook travels. It doesn’t. The best global operators I know are humble — they ask more questions than they answer in new markets. The worst ones arrive certain.

What this means for you

You don’t need to run a global business to benefit from this lesson. Every customer, every market, every team is a different culture. The operators who win ask first and decide second.

Want Bill to speak to your team, board, or event?

Bill Canady keynotes sharpen middle market executives on turnaround, profitable growth, and the 80/20 discipline behind $3B+ in enterprise value. Inquire about speaking engagements at billcanady.com.

About the Author

Bill Canady

Bill Canady is a national best-selling author, Founder & CEO of The 80/20 Institute, and a global business leader known for transforming companies into high-performing, profitable enterprises. Over the course of his career, Bill has led multibillion-dollar organizations through their most critical challenges—navigating complex regulatory, investor, and media environments—while consistently delivering profitable growth.

Drawing on decades of executive experience, Bill created the Profitable Growth Operating System (PGOS), a proven framework designed to help leaders cut complexity, focus on the critical few, and accelerate growth. Through The 80/20 Institute, he and his team partner with CEOs, executives, and entrepreneurs worldwide to apply the 80/20 methodology in real-world settings, unlocking revenue growth, margin expansion, and shareholder value.

As both an operator and advisor, Bill’s mission is clear: to give leaders the tools, systems, and confidence they need to achieve sustainable, profitable growth — without sacrificing focus, culture, or execution.

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