Workplace Multiplier by Tola Akinsulire

October 7, 2025

Welcome to the Workplace Multiplier newsletter. Published Monday to Friday, equipping you to achieve your professional goals faster and without burnout or overwhelm.

Why that expensive thing isn't actually luxury

Howdy ,

Recently, during a session with a company team, we went into a bit of talk about the competition.

They were playing in the luxury category, so they were trying to benchmark their product with what their competition was doing.

A fair start. The only problem is that the competition was not playing the luxury game better.

To be a truly luxury brand and stand out from the crowd, there are 3 things you need to have in your product.

I call this "The Luxury Rule of Three"

Let me give you the cliff-notes version of it here.

Luxury = Scarce by design + Gives time back + Feels unmistakably better.

1. Scarce by design — Limited access on purpose (not price alone).
2. Time-positive — The experience returns time (no friction, no recovery).
3. Felt quality — Craft/comfort you can immediately perceive.

I use my "The Luxury Rule of Three" to identify whether something is luxury or not.

• All 3 = Luxury.
• Any 2 = Premium.
• ≤1 = Expensive, not luxury.

Why Am I Sharing This With You?

Because "The Luxury Rule of Three" didn't appear out of nowhere.

It came from a simple lens I use to create repeatable results across everything I do - my career, my clients, my practice.

That lens is my Number One Priority.

And by the time you're done reading this, you'll have a clear line of sight to how you can use the same approach to improve the results you deliver—and how you deliver them.

My Number One Priority

My Number One Priority is High-Leverage Wins - driven by clear focus, repeatable systems, and sustainable momentum - to deliver the outcomes we want, without burnout- for me and those I serve.

I define high-leverage wins as results that:

• Move your most important goals forward (not just any goal—the vital few)
• Can be repeated without starting from scratch every time
• Trigger 2–3 follow-on wins without extra effort
• Arrive quickly enough to keep you motivated
• Fit inside your life without wrecking your health, relationships, or sanity

Think of it this way: low-leverage work is like pushing a boulder uphill every single day.

High-leverage work is like building a machine that rolls boulders uphill while you sleep.

What This Looks Like in Real Life

Let me show you the difference with a simple example.

I once went to a high-end hotel in Nigeria for their Sunday Buffet. This was meant to be a luxury brand, but I left feeling ripped off.

Why? Because the only way to "get value" was to eat a lot - like a side-of-the-road buffet, not a luxury experience.

Compare that to one of my favourite buffet restaurants in Barcelona.

They had a spread that covered Chinese, Spanish, Italian, and Japanese cuisine with a few more under one roof. A grill station where you could pick any protein, including seafood, and have it grilled fresh while you savoured other meals. I got my regular "salmon fix" every time I visited.

By visiting that one restaurant, I had visited many others.

It wasn't even marketed as luxury, but it felt like a 5-star experience.

The difference?

One operated from a clear, strong priority. The other didn't. or maybe it was

That's what having a Number One Priority does for you - and for your work.

How I Turn My Priority Into Results (The 5-Step System)

My commitment to high-leverage wins isn't just a catchphrase. It's a living operating system.

It's OK to write something inspiring and turn it into a motto, but if it doesn't translate into how you actually work, it will gather dust somewhere in the recesses of your mind—like many other things you already know.

So, how did I give it life?

I evolved it into a 5-step operating system for everything I do. It's my winning edge, and it works from the position of my genius. And that’s why I call this The Genius Edge Method.

Here's how it works:

1. Know exactly what to focus on (2–3 priorities)

Cut the noise. Identify the vital few moves that actually matter.

2. Operate from my genuine unfair advantage

Don't compete where you're average. Double down where you're exceptional.

3. Create momentum with one decisive move

One bold action that unlocks everything else.

4. Multiply each win into 2–3 more

Every result becomes a catalyst for more results.

5. Install a feedback engine

Weekly 1% improvements compound into massive gains over time.

How I Apply This to the Luxury Brand

Now, let me show you how I use this system with the luxury brand I mentioned at the start. This is a simplified summary of the whole magic that happens at the backend.

1. Know exactly what to focus on (2–3 priorities)

Solved by creating "The Luxury Rule of Three" as the positioning framework.

2. Operate from my genuine unfair advantage

They had a prime location and the ability to upgrade their facilities to implement "The Luxury Rule of Three." They could create a client journey that lives up to the "pampering" experience the Top 1% demand.

3. Create momentum with one decisive move

Launch their signature product package to test for market acceptability.

4. Multiply each win into 2–3 more

Expand the signature product package into more exclusive offerings.

5. Install a feedback engine

Improve the customer experience by 1% every week. That's over 50% improvement by year-end.

This is the engine I run every time - on myself, at work, and with my clients. It works because it's built on my Number One Priority.

And here's the truth: you can build your own engine too.

How to Find Your Number One Priority

Your Number One Priority isn't something you invent—it's something you uncover. It's already inside you, guiding your best decisions. You just need to name it.

Notice, I wrote "uncover"—not "create." Why? Because it's already there. You just have to do the work of bringing it out from inside you.

Here's how to start:

Ask yourself these four questions:

1. What's the one thing I refuse to compromise on—even when it's hard?
2. When I look back at my best decisions, what principle was I honoring?
3. When I'm overwhelmed, what's the lens I use to cut through the noise?
4. What would I want people to say about how I operated—regardless of the outcome?

Your answers point to your Number One Priority.

It taps into your inner genius and gives you that unique differentiation.

And it will do the same thing even for businesses.

Your Turn

You will be doing yourself a huge favor by doing this work.

If you want to see how this system creates real results - and discover what's possible when you have the right operating system for your work - join me for a FREE live demonstration workshop.

When: Saturday, October 11, 2025 | 7:00 PM WAT

Where: Live on Zoom

What you'll experience:

I'll walk you through the complete Genius Edge Method - all 5 steps - and show you exactly how it turns scattered effort into high-leverage wins.

You'll see:

• What the system does (the transformation from chaos to compounding results)
• How it works in real situations (live demonstration with a volunteer)
• What's possible in 90 days (real outcomes, real timelines)

You'll leave with clarity on whether this system is right for you—and if it is, how to implement it over the next 90 days.

Register here: https://bit.ly/TheGEMWorkshopSF

This is for professionals who are ready to move from busy to effective, from isolated wins to compounding momentum.

If you're done with scattered effort and ready for a repeatable system that delivers results without burnout, save your spot now.

Here's to high-leverage wins,

Keep winning at work and in life

Tola Akinsulire

Your Strategic Workplace Mentor