Dan Hakim joins Always Business Class to unpack how CUB grew from a premium members club into one of Australia’s most influential business communities. We talk work ethic, proximity, culture, systems for scaling networking, and the real travel hacks founders use, from points strategy to VIP airport shortcuts.
What happens when you “turn left” instead of following the obvious path?
We dive into the psychology of premium communities, why culture is the hardest thing to scale, and the two traits Dan believes every highly successful founder shares. We also go deep on travel: the comfort equation, status versus points, how business owners can use travel as a competitive advantage, and the “VIP airport” experiences that change the way you fly forever.
If you are building a business, craving better rooms and better people, or simply want smarter ways to travel while staying in founder mode, this one is for you.
Sponsors:
Guest: Daniel Hakim
CUB: https://www.instagram.com/clubofunitedbusiness/
https://cub.club/
Daniel: https://www.instagram.com/the.danielhakim/
Key topics covered
- How Dan’s upbringing overseas shaped CUB’s “premium club” DNA
- Why CUB started without a rigid plan, and what it became once Dan listened to members
- The reality of scaling a community: systems, intentionality, and maintaining culture
- Why “the product is the members”, and what that means operationally
- The role of pricing and eligibility in creating a high-trust, high-engagement room
- Proximity, environments, and why location and relationships shape outcomes
- The two traits Dan sees in every ultra-successful founder: work ethic + network
- Travel as a business advantage: more in-person time, better deals, faster learning
- Status vs points: when loyalty matters and when points win
- Points strategy using business expenses and high-volume hospitality spend
- Dan’s travel preferences: privacy, seat width, lounge quality, and comfort routines
- VIP airport services and the shortcuts founders use to save time and friction
- Bucket list travel, short trips, and why “waiting for two weeks” stops people travelling
- Where Dan wants to take CUB next: global clubhouses and tiers for every stage
Chapters
- 00:00 Intro: Turning left and the business class mindset
- 00:47 Dan’s last 10 years and why CUB exists
- 03:00 The accidental pivot: from club to networking engine
- 05:15 “Just start”: how founders get stuck before they begin
- 07:23 The hardest part: scaling culture when members are the product
- 09:46 Relationship managers and “uncommon connections”
- 10:58 Proximity, environment, and why the right room changes everything
- 14:07 Travel as a competitive advantage for founders
- 17:31 The North Star: building the world’s largest business networking organisation
- 18:59 What travel means to Dan: privacy, comfort and airline choices
- 21:49 Status vs points and loyalty decisions
- 26:17 Memorable travel moments and VIP airport stories
- 31:35 Using points to unlock more travel and better business outcomes
- 36:30 Bucket list travel and why short trips matter
- 40:00 Hotel routines, tipping systems and getting looked after
- 43:51 How CUB and travel will fuse as it expands globally
- 47:23 Wrap and what’s next for CUB
CUB community, Dan Hakeem, premium networking Australia, business owners community, founders networking, leadership and culture, proximity and success, business class mindset, status vs points, points strategy for business owners, Virgin status, Singapore Airlines lounge, Emirates business class, VIP airport service, travel hacks for entrepreneurs, building community systems.
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