Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur | Start and Grow Your Own Business 1217: The CFO generating MORE revenue with LESS resources... and also building automations & AI workflows for small businesses w/ Mike Paradise
In this episode, Brian sits down with Mike Paradise—CFO of Chirocare of Florida and founder of Paradise Automation Solutions—to uncover how he’s helping small businesses scale smarter through automation and AI. With a finance background from PwC to Ryder, Mike blends strategic thinking with tech implementation in ways that increase revenue while decreasing headcount.
Whether you're a solopreneur or managing a small team, this episode reveals how to rethink workflows, align expenses with outcomes, and future-proof your business operations.
💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business
- 📊 Why "profit per employee" is one of the smartest metrics you should be tracking
- ⚙️ How to eliminate entire roles and save thousands through automation
- 🚦 The difference between automation and AI—and why most small businesses need automation first
- 🧱 Why foundational data and documented processes are prerequisites for smart scaling
- 💡 How to identify inefficiencies hiding in plain sight and turn them into opportunities
- 💬 The mindset shift from hiring people to hiring automations
- 💼 How Mike’s innovative pricing model aligns perfectly with client success and ROI
📝 About the Guest
Mike Paradise is a strategic finance leader turned automation expert. As the CFO of Chirocare of Florida, he’s helped scale operations from 6 to 10+ clinics—all while maintaining or reducing headcount. He’s also the founder of Paradise Automation Solutions, where he helps small businesses streamline operations, reduce costs, and build automations that work harder than full-time employees. Mike’s unique mix of financial insight, operational savvy, and tech knowledge makes him a secret weapon for founders who want to do more with less.
🎯 Guest’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs
“Never stop learning.”
💡 Key Takeaways from Mike's Advice:
✔️ The more you learn, the more you’ll see what’s possible in your own business
✔️ Every small business needs to start by fixing broken systems before layering on tech
✔️ Staying curious helps you spot inefficiencies and evolve with your business
📢 Memorable Quotes
- “Profit per employee is one of the most important—and underutilized—metrics in small business.” – Mike Paradise
- “Never stop learning. Find what you’re interested in and dive deep.” – Mike Paradise
- “Automation isn’t about replacing people—it’s about freeing them up to do more valuable work.” – Mike Paradise
💡 Actionable Takeaways
- ✅ Start by documenting your internal processes—if it’s not defined, it can’t be automated
- ✅ Track “profit per employee” to spot inefficiencies and improvement opportunities
- ✅ Move from spreadsheets to tools like Airtable to better structure your business data
- ✅ Begin with automating simple, repetitive tasks before layering in AI
- ✅ Evaluate current roles—can any tasks be replaced with automations?
🔗 Links & Resources