Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond

Why Most Marketing Fails—And How to Make Yours Finally Pay Off with Andrew Gregory   Why Most Marketing Fails to Deliver Profit—And How to Fix It Marketing agencies promise leads. But what if leads aren’t your problem?   Thousands of small business owners are stuck in the same trap: they’re spending money on ads, but their bank accounts still feel tight. The real issue? Bad leads, broken follow-up systems, and a total disconnect between sales and profitability.   In this episode of Profit Answer Man, marketing expert Andrew Gregory breaks down the hidden cost of poor marketing strategy—and the profit leaks most home service businesses never see coming.   The Real Cost of “Just Getting More Leads” ·       Every business wants more leads. But what happens when: ·       The leads don’t convert? ·       The wrong people answer the phone? ·       You can’t track what’s working?   The result is wasted ad spend, missed revenue, and a whole lot of frustration.   Andrew walks us through how most service businesses are focusing on the wrong end of the marketing funnel—and what to do instead.   In This Episode, You’ll Learn: Why response time is the #1 lead conversion factor (and most teams fail here). How to calculate Customer Lifetime Value (and why it changes your ad strategy). The difference between top-of-funnel vanity ads and bottom-up revenue generation. What it means to build trust at scale—and how Google is measuring it. Simple ways to fix your lead handling process before spending another dollar.   Costly Blind Spots You Might Be Missing: You’re paying for leads without tracking who actually called. Your website creates friction instead of conversions. Your intake team doesn’t follow up fast enough (or at all). You're treating referrals as luck, not a strategy. You’re advertising like a national brand—without the budget or systems.   Meet Andrew Gregory: Andrew Gregory is the COO and Partner at UpRoute, a marketing agency focused on helping home service businesses grow profitably. With deep entrepreneurial roots—he’s owned a winery, served on business boards, and helped hundreds of small businesses—Andrew blends real-world experience with practical marketing strategy. His specialty? Turning advertising into measurable, scalable profit.   Links: Email: andrew@uproute.com  Website: www.uproute.com  LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcgregory/   Your Next Move: Fix the Leaks Before Scaling Up Before you spend another dollar on ads, ask yourself: Are we tracking lead sources with clarity? Is our intake team converting calls with consistency? Do we know our true customer value (including referrals)? Is our follow-up fast, friendly, and frictionless?   If you’re not 100% sure, this episode is your wake-up call.   Listen now and plug the profit leaks before they drain your next ad campaign.   #ProfitFirst #BusinessGrowth #CashFlowFix #SmartScaling #RevenueLeaks #ProfitClarity #OwnerPay #StrategicFinance   Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@profitanswerman Sign up to be notified when the next cohort of the Profit First Experience Course is available! Profit First Toolkit: https://lp.profitcomesfirst.com/landing-page-page  Relay Bank (affiliate link): https://relayfi.com/?referralcode=profitcomesfirst Profit Answer Man Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/profitanswerman/ My podcast about living a richer more meaningful life: http://richersoul.com/ Music provided by Junan from Junan Podcast Any financial advice is for educational purposes only and you should consult with an expert for your specific needs. #profitfirst

How to Solve the Real Problem Killing Your Profit with Doug C. Brown   Why Sales ≠ Profit—And the Blind Spots That Bleed Cash   The Profit Gap: Why More Sales Might Be Making You Broke You’re pushing for more revenue. Your team is grinding. But your bank balance isn’t growing. In fact, you're more stressed, your margins are tighter, and your team is overwhelmed.   Why? Because most businesses chase symptoms—like “bad sales teams” or “slow growth”—instead of finding and fixing the true root cause.   Doug C. Brown, a $900M revenue growth expert, exposes the hidden math, decision blind spots, and operational leaks that silently kill profit… even in high-revenue companies.   If you’re running faster but falling further behind, this episode is your wake-up call.   In This Episode You’ll Learn: Why your biggest profit leaks never show up on your P&L. How a simple math-based model predicts revenue and risk. The deadly myth of “more sales = more profit” (and what to do instead). Why follow-up failures cost you more than bad leads. How to stop being held hostage by top salespeople.   Key Takeaways (Costly Mistakes & Blind Spots): You’re solving symptoms, not root causes.. Most owners blame sales teams, not systems. Doug shows how tracking lagging indicators masks the real issues. Revenue can bankrupt you. One client scaled from $5.7M to $8.2M in three weeks—and imploded because ops couldn’t handle the growth. You’re losing 6–7 figures in slow follow-up. Many companies take 28+ days to follow up on leads. Doug’s framework closes this loop—and closes more deals. Poor cash flow ≠ pricing problem—it’s a terms problem. A utility pole company nearly collapsed waiting 180 days for payments. Doug explains how to fix your pay-cycle math. You don’t need more clients—you need better ones. 90% of profit often comes from 10% of clients. But you’re spending your energy on the wrong 90%. Doug teaches how to flip that math.   About Doug C. Brown: Doug C. Brown is CEO of CEO Sales Strategies and a globally recognized sales revenue and profit growth expert. He’s built 35+ businesses and driven over $900 million in sales—helping companies like Intuit, Procter & Gamble, and Tony Robbins’ organizations scale smarter.   Former President of Sales for Tony Robbins & Chet Holmes, Doug is known for his math-based, cause-first approach to revenue growth. His latest venture, Vibitno, is revolutionizing follow-up automation to fix one of the biggest leaks in sales: speed to response.   Links: Website (CEO Sales Strategies): https://ceosalesstrategies.com/ Vibitno: https://vibitno.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dougcbrown123/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougbrown123/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dougcbrown_/ Follow-Up Masterclass: http://ceosalesstrategies.com/stoptheleak   Ready to Stop the Bleed? If you’re tired of “working harder” and want to make more by fixing less, it’s time to stop solving symptoms and start fixing root causes. Listen to this episode and ask: Where are you bleeding cash—without even knowing it?   Listen now. Then look at your scoreboard. Small shifts = big profit.   #ProfitFirst #BusinessGrowth #CashFlowFix #SmartScaling #RevenueLeaks #ProfitClarity #OwnerPay #StrategicFinance #MathOverMyth #FixTheCauseNotTheSymptom   Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@profitanswerman Sign up to be notified when the next cohort of the Profit First Experience Course is available! Profit First Toolkit: https://lp.profitcomesfirst.com/landing-page-page  Relay Bank (affiliate link): https://relayfi.com/?referralcode=profitcomesfirst Profit Answer Man Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/profitanswerman/ My podcast about living a richer more meaningful life: http://richersoul.com/ Music provided by Junan from Junan Podcast Any financial advice is for educational purposes only and you should consult with an expert for your specific needs. #profitfirst

The Purpose of Business is to Make Money with David Schomer   Why Scaling an E-Commerce Brand Can Bankrupt You (Unless You Fix This First) The Hidden Cost of Growth Nobody Talks About It’s every entrepreneur’s dream: launch a brand, grow revenue, and finally fire your boss. David Schomer lived that dream—scaling a pet supply company on Amazon before going full-time in e-commerce. But what most business owners don’t realize (until it's too late) is that scaling too fast without financial structure can choke your cash flow and starve your business of profit. You can hit record sales and still be broke. The reason? You're playing the wrong financial game. Too many business owners confuse top-line growth with bottom-line success. David learned the hard way—and then rewired his entire approach using Profit First principles.   In This Episode You’ll Learn: Why Profit First changed the game for David’s business—and how he applied it to multiple brands. How he scaled a side hustle while working a full-time consulting job (without burning out or going broke). The mindset shift from “revenue chaser” to strategic operator—and why most e-commerce brands don’t survive that jump. Where most Amazon and e-comm sellers leak cash—and what to do instead. How to build a business that supports your life (not the other way around).   Key Takeaways: The Costly Blind Spots Killing Profit Revenue ≠ Profit. Most sellers obsess over revenue milestones. But as David puts it, “If you’re not reading Profit First, you’re leaving money on the table.” No Capital = No Exit. David delayed launching a business after college because he didn’t have capital. But later learned you don’t need investor money—you need smarter cash flow systems. Growing Without Guardrails. David scaled his Amazon brand before implementing Profit First—and the stress of staying ahead of vendor payments nearly broke the business. The Risk of Ignoring Financial Education. With a background in M&A and fraud investigations, David understood numbers. Yet even he struggled with cash flow until he embraced simple, behavior-based money management.   Guest Bio: David Schomer David Schomer is the CEO of Build Grow Scale, an e-commerce conversion optimization company, and the host of the Firing The Man podcast. He started his entrepreneurial journey selling pumpkins at 12, then worked in M&A, fraud investigation, and business valuation before launching multiple successful private label brands. With over 300 SKUs across Amazon, Etsy, Shopify, Walmart, and more, David brings street-smart financial experience and digital scale savvy to today’s business owner.   Links: https://firingtheman.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FiringTheMan/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firingtheman/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCidVyf9RjDBFK8RTlERaq0Q Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@firingthemanpodcast   Conclusion: What’s Your Profit Leak? David’s story is proof that financial clarity—not just product-market fit—is what separates hobby businesses from real wealth builders. If your e-commerce brand is growing but your bank account is shrinking, it’s time to get strategic.   #ProfitFirst #BusinessGrowth #CashFlowFix #SmartScaling #RevenueLeaks #ProfitClarity #OwnerPay #StrategicFinance   Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@profitanswerman Sign up to be notified when the next cohort of the Profit First Experience Course is available! Profit First Toolkit: https://lp.profitcomesfirst.com/landing-page-page  Relay Bank (affiliate link): https://relayfi.com/?referralcode=profitcomesfirst Profit Answer Man Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/profitanswerman/ My podcast about living a richer more meaningful life: http://richersoul.com/ Music provided by Junan from Junan Podcast Any financial advice is for educational purposes only and you should consult with an expert for your specific needs. #profitfirst

How Storytelling Can Drive Your Profits with Seth Donlin   Why Visibility ≠ Growth—And How It’s Quietly Costing You Profits Most business owners think the next breakthrough in revenue will come from ads, funnels, or more hustle.   But what if the real opportunity is getting in front of someone else’s audience—without spending a dollar on ads?   In this episode of Profit Answer Man, we expose the costly visibility gap most owners don’t realize is bleeding their business. Seth Donlin shares why chasing attention isn't enough—and how strategic podcast guesting can generate inbound leads, higher trust, and profit-rich conversations.   The GAP Framework: GAP – Business owners invest heavily in visibility, but not all attention converts. They spray money across ads, content, and social without ever becoming trusted in a specific space. This “spray and pray” method burns cash and time.   ALTERNATIVE – Many default to building their audience one follower at a time, ignoring the leverage of podcast guesting—a proven method to build instant credibility with zero ad spend.   PROFIT PLAN – Use Seth’s approach to land curated podcast appearances where your audience already exists. Create content that scales your voice, authority, and cash flow—while fixing your visibility-to-revenue bottleneck.   In This Episode You’ll Learn: How podcast guesting builds trust faster than any cold pitch or paid ad ever could. The three types of audiences—and how to find the ones that convert. Why owning your message (through storytelling) is the most profitable marketing move. How to get in front of thousands without building your own audience. The silent sales advantage of “borrowed trust” from podcast hosts.   Key Takeaways: Marketing ≠ Monetization – Many owners show up everywhere but never become memorable anywhere. You Can’t Afford to Be a Commodity – Without a unique story, you’re just noise. Podcast Guesting Isn’t PR—It’s Pipeline – Done right, it’s one of the highest-ROI lead sources for service businesses. You're Missing Buyer-Ready Audiences – The average podcast listener is a high-intent decision-maker. You just need the right pitch and positioning to reach them.   Guest Bio: Seth Donlin Seth Donlin is a marketing and communications coach with over 20 years of expertise in storytelling and strategic brand-building. He’s the founder of Awen A/F, a boutique agency helping coaches, consultants, and fractional executives grow their authority and client base by tapping into borrowed audiences—primarily through podcast guesting tours.   He’s helped clients leverage this “earned stage” to generate demand, build trust, and grow without the grind of ads or algorithm-chasing.   Links: Website: sethdonlin.com/rocky LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethdonlin/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seth.donlin/?hl=enm   Ready to Fix Your Profit Leaks? If your sales are up but your calendar’s still empty… if you’ve been seen but not sought out… it’s time to explore your visibility-to-profit gap.   #ProfitFirst #BusinessGrowth #CashFlowFix #SmartScaling #RevenueLeaks #ProfitClarity #OwnerPay #StrategicFinance   Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@profitanswerman Sign up to be notified when the next cohort of the Profit First Experience Course is available! Profit First Toolkit: https://lp.profitcomesfirst.com/landing-page-page  Relay Bank (affiliate link): https://relayfi.com/?referralcode=profitcomesfirst Profit Answer Man Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/profitanswerman/ My podcast about living a richer more meaningful life: http://richersoul.com/ Music provided by Junan from Junan Podcast Any financial advice is for educational purposes only and you should consult with an expert for your specific needs. #profitfirst

Ep 277 Why VAs Fail (And How to Fix It) with Barbara Turley   If your A-players are bogged down in busywork—or worse, you’re the bottleneck—then this episode is your wake-up call. The true cost of bad delegation isn’t just time—it’s lost momentum, missed profit, and mental burnout.   Why Your Team’s Wasting Time (And Bleeding Profit) Most business owners know they’re leaving money on the table—but they don’t realize just how much it’s costing them. The real profit leak? It’s not your marketing. It’s not your pricing. It’s your people strategy—or more accurately, your lack of one. When your A-players spend half their day buried in tasks a trained assistant could do, you’re not just wasting time. You’re eroding profit, burning out staff, and stunting growth. In this eye-opening episode, Barbara Turley exposes the hidden cost of messy operations, bad delegation, and hiring without process—and offers a blueprint to fix it.   In This Episode, You’ll Learn: The #1 reason delegation fails (hint: it’s not your VA). How to build systems that free your best talent to focus on growth. Why your P&L doesn’t show your biggest profit leak. The profit-first approach to optimizing human capital. What scalable delegation really looks like in a 350-person company.   Key Takeaways (A.K.A. Expensive Blind Spots): Hiring a VA without systems is like putting a race car driver in a junkyard car. Most businesses bleed profit by forcing A-players to do admin work. Bad delegation isn’t about bad people—it’s about bad process. High growth with low structure = burnout, churn, and cash chaos. Without an operational foundation, strategy is worthless.   Meet Barbara Turley: Barbara Turley is the Founder & CEO of The Virtual Hub, a 350-person global VA firm that’s helped over 200 founders escape the weeds and scale smarter. With a background in equity trading and financial strategy, Barbara brings a sharp operational lens to business growth. Her company boasts a 95% Net Promoter Score, a 4.8-star client rating, and a track record of 50% year-over-year growth. She’s the systems whisperer behind countless business transformations—and a fierce advocate for optimized human capital.   Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-turley/  www.thevirtualhub.com FREE Delegation Masterclass: https://www.thevirtualhub.com/outsourcing-mastery-masterclass-sign-up/   Your Business Is Only as Scalable as Your Systems If your A-players are bogged down in busywork—or worse, you’re the bottleneck—then this episode is your wake-up call. The true cost of bad delegation isn’t just time—it’s lost momentum, missed profit, and mental burnout. Listen now and discover how to systematize your delegation, optimize your people strategy, and finally scale with sanity.   Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@profitanswerman Sign up to be notified when the next cohort of the Profit First Experience Course is available! Profit First Toolkit: https://lp.profitcomesfirst.com/landing-page-page  Relay Bank (affiliate link): https://relayfi.com/?referralcode=profitcomesfirst Profit Answer Man Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/profitanswerman/ My podcast about living a richer more meaningful life: http://richersoul.com/ Music provided by Junan from Junan Podcast Any financial advice is for educational purposes only and you should consult with an expert for your specific needs.   #ProfitFirst #BusinessGrowth #CashFlowFix #SmartScaling #RevenueLeaks #ProfitClarity #OwnerPay #StrategicFinance

Outsourcing To Grow Profitably with Yoni Kozminski   What if you could scale your business into eight figures using an offshore team, lean capital, and rock-solid systems? On this episode of The Profit Answer Man, we sit down with Yoni Kozminski – a global entrepreneur who built not one but two bootstrapped companies past the $10M revenue mark. He shares the exact strategies he used to scale using top-tier talent from the Philippines, all while maintaining high profitability and operational control. If you’re looking to reduce margin-killing inefficiencies and systematize your way to profit freedom, this episode is your game plan.   In This Episode, You’ll Learn: How Yoni bootstrapped two companies past $10M+ with just $100K in capital. Why hiring offshore isn’t about cheap labor – it’s about buying leverage strategically. The difference between SOPs that gather dust and those that create clarity and scale. How to avoid the hidden tax of operational chaos and stop being the bottleneck in your business. Why process improvement is your best risk management tool. The playbook to build an EOS-aligned, system-driven company with profit-first thinking at its core.   Key Takeaways: You don’t need VC money to scale. Yoni’s blueprint shows how leveraging talent and process beats chasing capital. 95% offshore doesn’t mean lower quality – it means higher ROI. When done right, this approach creates margin-rich scale. Process is the new profit lever. SOPs aren’t just for compliance; they’re the foundation of sustainable growth. Hiring top talent isn’t about geography – it’s about alignment, clarity, and culture. Financial freedom starts with operational freedom. If your business can’t run without you, you don’t own a business—you own a job.   About Yoni Kozminski: Yoni brings 15+ years of global marketing and strategy expertise, having worked with brands like Mercedes-Benz, Sony, and Mastercard. After scaling and selling a $5M Amazon business, he founded MultiplyMii and Escala – powerhouse agencies that specialize in elite offshore hiring and process optimization. His companies were bootstrapped with just $100,000 and now generate over $10M in combined revenue annually, with a team that’s 95% based in the Philippines. Yoni now helps entrepreneurs systematize, scale, and reclaim their time – all while growing their bottom line.   Conclusion: If you're serious about scaling without stress and multiplying your profits without multiplying your headaches, this episode is a masterclass in operational leverage.   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yonkoz/?originalSubdomain=il Website: https://www.multiplymii.com/multipliers Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/multiplymiicareers Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/multiplymiiofficial/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/multiplymii/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MultiplyMiiCareers   Salary Guide: https://hubs.ly/Q03lYNhH0 https://www.multiplymii.com/salary-guide   Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@profitanswerman Sign up to be notified when the next cohort of the Profit First Experience Course is available! Profit First Toolkit: https://lp.profitcomesfirst.com/landing-page-page  Relay Bank (affiliate link): https://relayfi.com/?referralcode=profitcomesfirst Profit Answer Man Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/profitanswerman/ My podcast about living a richer more meaningful life: http://richersoul.com/ Music provided by Junan from Junan Podcast Any financial advice is for educational purposes only and you should consult with an expert for your specific needs. #profitfirst

The 7 Profitable Parts of a Business with James Brown   If you think scaling a business means sacrificing your life, family, and freedom—this episode will shatter that belief. In this week’s episode of The Profit Answer Man, we talk to James Brown, the founder of Perseverance Squared and the Business Accelerator Institute, who shares how he built an $8M law firm across four cities—without grinding 80-hour weeks. Instead, he built a business that bought back his time, gave him freedom, and funded his life purpose. Whether you're a solo operator, multi-location service provider, or scaling a firm—this episode gives you the roadmap to do it profitably and sustainably, all while putting Profit First.   In This Episode, You Will Learn: How James went from GM assembly lines to law school to running an $8M firm. The myth of the hustle and why "buying back your time" must be part of your strategy. The game-changing moment Profit First reshaped how he viewed business finance. How he systematized his firm so well, he could travel for weeks—and revenue didn’t drop. The difference between a business owner and an operator (and how to become the former). What you can implement today to take your hands off the wheel without crashing your business.   Key Takeaways: Build to Exit Before You Need To. James sold his law firm at 49—not because he had to, but because he planned for it. “I never wanted to be 60 and still reviewing client files,” he said. Profit is a Habit, Not an Event. Switching to Profit First forced him to be intentional. He stopped hoping for leftovers and started allocating profit first—literally. If You’re the Bottleneck, You’re the Problem. The business didn't need him. That was the goal. "I designed my firm so I could leave at a moment's notice," James shared. The systems ran the business. Business Should Fund Your Life—Not Consume It. When his son got a last-minute hockey invite in Europe, he packed up and went for three weeks. No stress. That’s the power of designing the right systems from day one. Coaching Is a Force Multiplier. James has now helped over 450 business owners scale smarter—not harder—through his coaching and accelerator programs.   Guest Bio: James Brown is the CEO and Founder of Business Accelerator Institute and Perseverance Squared. He launched his first business in 1994 and scaled it to $8M in revenue, eventually selling it to pursue his passion for coaching entrepreneurs. As a former fractional CEO and SLFU Program Manager, he launched Small Law Firm University and developed a marketing program generating $2M annually. James is the co-author of the best-selling book Shift Happens and holds a JD from St. Louis University and a business degree from Lindenwood University.   Conclusion: Are You Running a Business or Just Working a Job? James’ story proves what we teach: a business should be built to give you time, money, and freedom—not steal them from you. If you’re stuck in the weeds, constantly solving problems, and unsure where your profit is going—it’s time for a change. You don't have to build alone. We're here to help you implement Profit First, take control of your cash flow, and scale strategically.   Links: Website: BusinessAccelerator.Institute  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/businessacceleratorinstitute  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/business.accelerator.institute/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/businessacceleratorinstitute Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@business.accelera YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@Business.Accelerator.Institute  Podcast episode landing page: BusinessAccelerator.Institute/profitanswerman Course: https://courses.businessaccelerator.institute/?am_id=ProfitAnswerMan    Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@profitanswerman Sign up to be notified when the next cohort of the Profit First Experience Course is available! Profit First Toolkit: https://lp.profitcomesfirst.com/landing-page-page  Relay Bank (affiliate link): https://relayfi.com/?referralcode=profitcomesfirst Profit Answer Man Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/profitanswerman/ My podcast about living a richer more meaningful life: http://richersoul.com/ Music provided by Junan from Junan Podcast Any financial advice is for educational purposes only and you should consult with an expert for your specific needs. #profitfirst

Increase Agency Profit with Eli Rubel   From Burnout to Bankable: How Eli Rubel Built $10M+ in Profit Working 25 Hours/Week What if the secret to explosive agency profits isn’t grinding harder—but designing smarter? Meet Eli Rubel, the founder of Profit Labs and serial agency entrepreneur who’s racked up over $10 million in net profit since 2020—all while working just 25 hours per week. In this powerhouse episode of The Profit Answer Man, Rocky sits down with Eli to uncover the playbook that’s helping agency owners stop the hustle and start keeping real money in their pockets. If you're tired of scaling your revenue only to watch profits vanish, this conversation will flip your mindset and give you the tools to build a cash-printing agency that works for you.   In This Episode, You Will Learn: Why revenue means nothing without profit—and how Eli structures his agencies to maximize take-home income. How Profit First shaped Eli’s philosophy on agency finance (including lessons learned on a beach in Hawaii). The financial blind spots killing your margins—and how to flip your decision-making process. How to reverse-engineer your agency’s operations from profit, not pressure. Why Eli is betting big on specialized, agency-focused bookkeeping and financial services. The overlooked math mistake almost every creative entrepreneur makes—and how to fix it fast.   Key Takeaways: Net Profit > Vanity Metrics. Eli focuses on what matters: how much you keep, not just what you make. Revenue without profit is just ego. Design the Business Around the Life You Want. Working 25 hours a week with high profit is not luck—it's intentional structure, delegation, and data-driven decisions. Profit First Isn’t Optional—It’s Essential. Implementing Profit First early on gave Eli the foundation to control cash flow and stop “hope” from being his strategy. The Reverse Budgeting Shift. Don’t spend and hope there’s profit left. Define profit first, then determine what’s left to spend—Eli’s agencies live by this rule. Pain Builds Purpose. Eli launched his agency finance firm because he lived the pain—and now helps others avoid the same traps.   Guest Bio: Eli Rubel is a serial entrepreneur and founder of Profit Labs. He owns a portfolio of agencies and has generated over $10 million in net profit since 2020—all while working part-time. His latest venture, Profit Labs, is laser-focused on helping creative and digital agency owners stop losing money through tailored financial insights, clean books, and actionable data.   Conclusion: This episode is your wake-up call: Stop measuring your business by how busy you are. Start measuring by how profitable it is. If Eli’s journey showed you anything, it’s this—agencies don’t need more work; they need better financial systems. And if you’re ready to create a business that pays you like the owner—not the operator—it’s time for a conversation.   Links: Website: https://www.profit-labs.co/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elirubel/   Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@profitanswerman Sign up to be notified when the next cohort of the Profit First Experience Course is available! Profit First Toolkit: https://lp.profitcomesfirst.com/landing-page-page  Relay Bank (affiliate link): https://relayfi.com/?referralcode=profitcomesfirst Profit Answer Man Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/profitanswerman/ My podcast about living a richer more meaningful life: http://richersoul.com/ Music provided by Junan from Junan Podcast Any financial advice is for educational purposes only and you should consult with an expert for your specific needs. #profitfirst

Stop the Stupid, Proactive Problem Solving with Doug Hall   Stop the Stupid, Increase Profits: Unlocking the Hidden Power of Proactive Problem Solving with Doug Hall Imagine running a business where your team is fully engaged, dumb processes are eliminated, and profits grow as a byproduct of operational clarity. That’s not a fantasy—it’s the Profit First future that innovation expert Doug Hall lays out in this episode of The Profit Answer Man. Doug has spent nearly 50 years innovating and coaching at the highest levels—from Procter & Gamble to launching his own distillery. Today, he’s here to help you “stop the stupid” and start leading a high-performance, high-profit team. Doug isn't just talking theory. He’s lived this transformation, and in this episode, he gives you the blueprint to build a culture of ownership, continuous improvement, and scalable profit. Ready to turn your employees into proactive problem solvers? Read on…   In This Episode, You Will Learn: Why "stop the stupid" is more than a catchphrase—it's a profitability strategy. How Doug created cultural buy-in with frontline distillery workers and turned skeptics into profit generators. The #1 mindset shift leaders must embrace to get their team aligned with business goals.  A real-life system for transforming your business from chaos to clarity—without burning everyone out. The simple opening line that Doug used to flip disengagement into excitement (you’ll want to steal this!).   Key Takeaways: Proactive Problem Solving Begins With the Frontline. Doug’s strategy starts with fixing what employees already hate. When you solve their problems first—like back pain from poor equipment—you earn the right to solve your business problems next. Broken Systems Are Margin Killers. You’re not losing profit because of the market—you’re losing it because of inefficiency. Doug shows how identifying daily process friction is the first step to improving cash flow and boosting morale. Innovation Isn’t Just Big Ideas—It’s Fixing Dumb Stuff. We often chase grand strategies while tripping over small, solvable issues. Doug’s framework filters ideas based on feasibility and ROI, turning every team member into a profit multiplier. Employees Don’t Want to Be ‘Managed’—They Want to Matter. This episode explores how to lead with clarity, accountability, and trust. Doug shares how to train staff to think, solve, and take ownership—even if they’re working the bottling line. Real Innovation Happens When Systems Support People. From Procter & Gamble to his own distillery, Doug explains how scalable growth comes from clear systems, engaged people, and leadership that empowers both.   Meet Doug Hall: Doug Hall, author of PROACTIVE Problem Solving, is the founder of Eureka! Ranch and Brain Brew Distillery. Named one of America’s top innovation experts by Inc. and The Wall Street Journal, Doug has helped Fortune 500 companies and gritty entrepreneurs alike find, filter, and fast-track big ideas. A former Master Marketing Inventor at P&G, Doug brings an engineer’s precision and a rebel’s mindset to the business world. Fun fact: He’s been awarded two honorary doctorates—for engineering and laws—for his game-changing work in business innovation.   Conclusion: Innovation Without Profit Is Just Noise If your team is disengaged, if systems are broken, or if profits are inconsistent—stop the stupid. You don't need more revenue to fix this. You need better alignment, smarter problem solving, and the courage to challenge business-as-usual.   Links: http://doughall.com http://eurekaranch.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doughallinventor/   Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@profitanswerman Sign up to be notified when the next cohort of the Profit First Experience Course is available! Profit First Toolkit: https://lp.profitcomesfirst.com/landing-page-page  Relay Bank (affiliate link): https://relayfi.com/?referralcode=profitcomesfirst Profit Answer Man Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/profitanswerman/ My podcast about living a richer more meaningful life: http://richersoul.com/ Music provided by Junan from Junan Podcast Any financial advice is for educational purposes only and you should consult with an expert for your specific needs. #profitfirst

Scaling In The Age of Digital Disruption with Mike Peterson   Are your teams helping you scale—or silently sabotaging your margins? In today’s episode, we dig into the critical intersection of people, process, and technology with Mike Peterson, author of Leading in the Age of Digital Disruption and founder of Apex Consulting Partners. Mike brings a rare combination of HR and IT expertise to the table—two departments that can either clash or collaborate to drive exponential growth when led strategically. Mike’s story is one of corporate reinvention. After a health scare, he left the executive grind to help leaders build high-performing teams that don’t just work—but work profitably. If you're stuck with cultural friction, technology that no one uses, or leadership that lacks alignment, this episode is for you.   In This Episode, You Will Learn: Why most businesses underutilize their IT teams and how to align tech with the bottom line. How to turn human capital into a strategic multiplier, not an overhead line item. How digital transformation fails when change management and culture are ignored. Mike’s framework for identifying misalignment between people, process, and profit goals. The simple but powerful question leaders should ask to unlock performance (and it's not about KPIs).   Key Takeaways: HR and IT must stop operating in silos. When united, they become the backbone of scalable, high-margin operations. Technology is not a cost center—unless you make it one. ROI from systems comes when people understand the "why" behind the tools. High-performing teams aren’t built by perks. They're built by clarity, alignment, and accountability—especially in hybrid or remote environments. If your team isn't supporting your vision, it's draining your cash flow. Mike explains how to recalibrate roles and culture to support strategic goals. Profitability comes from process discipline and people performance. Get both wrong, and growth turns toxic.   Guest Bio: Mike Peterson is the founder and managing partner of Apex Consulting Partners LLC and the author of Leading in the Age of Digital Disruption. With nearly two decades of global experience in HR and IT leadership at companies like BioMarin and Structure Therapeutics, Mike now helps companies strategically integrate people and technology to build high-performing, scalable operations. He’s a certified HR professional through SHRM and the HRCI.   Conclusion The true cost of poor team performance isn't just friction—it’s profit erosion. Mike Peterson reminds us that the businesses that scale profitably aren’t the ones with the flashiest tools or the busiest calendars. They’re the ones with high alignment, disciplined execution, and a culture that’s built to last. If your team feels like a tax on your time and wallet, it’s time to recalibrate. Let’s make your people your greatest profit center.   Links: www.apexconsulting.partners   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mpeterson3/   Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@profitanswerman Sign up to be notified when the next cohort of the Profit First Experience Course is available! Profit First Toolkit: https://lp.profitcomesfirst.com/landing-page-page  Relay Bank (affiliate link): https://relayfi.com/?referralcode=profitcomesfirst Profit Answer Man Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/profitanswerman/ My podcast about living a richer more meaningful life: http://richersoul.com/ Music provided by Junan from Junan Podcast Any financial advice is for educational purposes only and you should consult with an expert for your specific needs. #profitfirst