Most business owners I know can feel it... the harder you work, the less it seems to matter. You’re producing real value, taking real risk, and yet the system keeps changing the rules.The system isn’t broken… It’s working exactly as designed. But it’s designed to steal your time.  Watch on YouTubeIn this episode, I sit down with Lawrence Lepard, author of The Big Print and sound money advocate, to unpack the truth about how fiat currency erodes value, distorts incentives, and traps business owners inside a system they were never meant to win. We break down how inflation isn’t just an economic concept — it’s a moral failure. The rules of the game have been rewritten to reward those who can borrow and print, while punishing those who produce and save. But there’s a way out. We talk about sound money — and why Bitcoin represents more than a new asset class. It’s the modern evolution of fairness, freedom, and real capitalism. This conversation connects history, economics, and ownership into one simple idea: if you understand how money works, you can finally design a life and business that align with reality, not illusion.  What We Covered  Why inflation is a mechanism of theft, and who it really serves  How fiat money distorts incentives and disconnects value from effort  The historical cycle of empires, debasement, and decline  Why sound money (and Bitcoin) rebalances fairness and accountability  The link between ownership, time, and personal sovereignty  What it means to “opt out” as a business owner, without checking out of society  How this transition might reshape capital markets, valuations, and freedom itself  Who This Is For For any business owner who feels like the game keeps changing, this episode will help you understand why. If you’ve ever wondered why your hard work isn’t compounding the way it should, or what Bitcoin actually means beyond speculation, this conversation connects the dots between money, time, and ownership.  Lawrence Lepard is a professional investment manager who has been a long time advocate for a return to sound money. He manages funds which focus on companies involved with gold and silver mining and Bitcoin. He is an active contributor to the "sound money" discussion on X, using the handle: @LawrenceLepard, and he recently published his first book: THE BIG PRINT: What Happened to America and How Sound Money Will Fix It.        The book is a discussion of how America's monetary system has gone astray and caused enormous pain for millions through inflation. The history of this process is laid out in the first part of the book: The Problem. The second half of the book is titled The Solution and explains what we must do to restore the American Dream. It offers investment insights that are relevant to all individuals and families and shows people how to protect themselves from inflation. The book is timely because as Mr. Lepard shows the problem is getting worse and is likely to result in a crisis very soon.  Chapters:   (0:00) Why The Big Print was written for the average person  (2:58) The fair game of capitalism that...

Most owners talk about “creating value,” but few stop to ask a more fundamental question: Value for what? Watch on YouTube In this episode, I sat down with my friend Nick Bradley—entrepreneur, investor, and host of The Scale Up Podcast—to explore how your ownership goals determine everything about your value-creation strategy. Nick comes from the private equity world, where the goal is clear: build to sell. I work with mid-market owners designing companies that can outlast them. We both work with the same kinds of businesses—but from opposite ends of the ownership spectrum. Together, we dig into how clarity of intent changes the entire game: the capital structure you choose, how you lead your team, and how you allocate your time and cash flow.  This isn’t about chasing one “right” path. It’s about picking your game—and understanding what freedom, wealth, and legacy look like depending on whether you’re designing for a third-party exit or an internal transition.  What We Covered  Why every ownership strategy starts with defining the end game  How valuation, structure, and leadership priorities change across exit paths  The investor lens: what third-party buyers actually look for  The owner lens: what matters most in family or internal transitions  How clarity on your long-term goal aligns your strategy, team, and time  The tradeoffs between liquidity, legacy, and control  Why “value creation” looks different depending on the game you’re playing  Who This Is For For any owner trying to decide what’s next—whether to sell, transition internally, or redesign their role—this episode will help you see the tradeoffs clearly. If you want to understand how your value-creation plan must align with your personal and ownership goals, this conversation will give you the clarity to design your next move intentionally.  Nick Bradley is an entrepreneur, investor, and former PE-backed CEO/Operating Partner who has scaled 100+ businesses and driven $5B+ in exits. Host of the top-ranked Scale Up with Nick Bradley podcast and author of the #1 bestseller Exit for Millions, he works with founders generating $1M+ EBITDA to diagnose true enterprise value and 2–10x it through operational excellence, acquisitions, and systems—so owners create freedom, optionality, and elite businesses.  Chapters:   (00:00) Nick Bradley joins to discuss his new book  (05:24) Ryan's ownership operating system and ideal client profile  (08:36) Three layers of exit and different coaching approaches  (18:34) Scale to sale framework and five pillars explained  (32:40) Private equity playbook and value creation strategies  (35:50) Real deal example: Rolling up three companies strategy  (46:15) Valuation expectations gap and education challenges explained 

Every owner wants a leadership team that can run the company without them. Few actually build one that can.  Watch on YouTube In this episode, I sat down with Cyndi Gave to talk about what it really takes to develop a team that thinks, decides, and acts like owners. We break down the tension every entrepreneur feels: how to let go without losing control, how to build trust without blind faith, and how to design leadership that frees you — not traps you. Cyndi shares her own experiences leading through growth, building accountability structures, and navigating the emotional side of leadership development. We connect those lessons directly to enterprise value, owner freedom, and what it really means to move from operator to owner.  This isn’t about org charts or titles. It’s about building a system of leadership that makes the company—and the owner—more free.  What We Covered  Why most owners stay trapped in operations (and how to escape the bottleneck)  How to build a leadership team that owns outcomes, not just tasks  The difference between management and leadership — and why it matters  How to let go without losing control  The connection between trust, accountability, and enterprise value  Why leadership development is the bridge between operating and owning  Cyndi Gave is an executive leader and organizational strategist who helps businesses build the systems, teams, and leadership culture required for sustainable growth. With deep experience guiding owners through transitions of scale, Cyndi specializes in aligning people, processes, and accountability so leadership teams can perform independently — freeing owners to focus on vision, strategy, and enterprise value creation.  Chapters:   (00:00) Cyndi's background as recovering HR person and evolution into behavioral expert  (15:05) Challenges of traditional recruiting and the adversarial hiring relationship dynamic  (32:58) Building the leadership team and defining job scorecards with stakeholder input  (46:13) Process for screening candidates using multiple assessment sciences and behavioral interviews  (1:04:12) Internal versus external candidates and succession planning without replacement mindset  (1:19:19) Coaching and development strategies for hard skills versus soft skills gaps  (1:27:54) Critical thinking assessment and AI's impact on strategic thinking abilities  (1:38:42) Understanding chaos creators and the importance of structured systems for creativity  Rate, comment, and share with the owner/operators you know!  Resources: https://www.themetissgroup.com/  https://www.themetissgroup.com/leadership-academy/hire-employees-service  Ryan Tansom Website

Most revenue budgets start with a top-down number: add 10%, push sales harder, and hope the math works out. That’s why so many plans collapse by spring. Watch on YouTube In Part 3 of our Budget Season 2026 Series, I sat down with Kim Clark to break down how to build revenue the right way: from the bottom up. Kim shares her 12-step revenue forecasting process and shows how to build by product, segment, and pipeline. We talk about aligning sales, marketing, and operations so the plan is deliverable — and how to connect the revenue build-up directly into the budget model from Part 2.  This isn’t about sales stretch goals or wishful percentages. It’s about creating a clear, defensible revenue plan that finance can trust and owners can use to make boardroom decisions about hiring, capacity, and cash.   In this episode, Kim and I screen-share and walk through the 12 steps. If you want to see the forecast in action, check out the video version on YouTube or Spotify.  What We Covered  Top-down vs. bottom-up forecasting → why most owners default to “just add 10%” and how that fails.  Kim’s 12-step process → very tangible, step-by-step structure owners can follow.  Revenue build-up mechanics → segments, products, pricing, pipeline, win rates, seasonality.  Operational alignment → connecting sales, marketing, and delivery so revenue forecasts don’t break capacity or margin.  Integration with Pat’s model → feeding clean revenue assumptions directly into the budgeting model.  Trust & credibility → how finance, leadership, and owners can finally use the same numbers and stop arguing about “whose forecast is right.  Kim Clark is a sales and marketing strategist who helped scale ITR Economics from a founder-led advisory firm to a professionally managed company that exited at eight figures. As head of sales and marketing, she built the firm’s first CRM, content strategy, and inbound engine—moving the company from personality-based selling to a system built on data, automation, and strategic execution. Today, she works with business owners to build marketing engines that align with their strategy, team, and long-term cash flow goals—so they can grow without chaos and delegate without losing visibility. Her frameworks are directly aligned with the "Predictable Revenue" module within the iBD Ownership Operating System.  Chapters:   (00:00) Overview of the three-part podcast series and revenue buildup process  (05:45) Kim's background at ITR Economics and systematic revenue forecasting approach  (16:36) Introduction to Kim's 12-chapter revenue forecasting framework  (22:29) Chapter 1: Understanding rates of change and business cycle positioning  (27:10) Chapter 2: Economic indicators and their impact on business planning  (34:55) Chapter 3: Market mix analysis and customer psychology strategies  (40:01) Chapter 4: Bottom-up forecasting with averages and historical data  (48:38) Chapters 5-12: Competitive analysis, pricing strategy, and execution planning<...

Most budgets don’t survive past Q1. They collapse because they aren’t built on cash flow, they don’t roll into the balance sheet, and they aren’t tied to owner goals. In other words, they’re not budgets — they’re wish lists. Watch on YouTube That’s why Part 2 of our Budget Season 2026 Series is all about the model itself. I sat down with Pat Hobby, who’s spent decades building financial models, to break down how owners can create a budget file that actually runs the business.  We dig into how to structure assumptions, link them to drivers, and roll everything into financials you can trust. We talk about Base, Upside, and Downside scenarios, how to keep the model simple but powerful, and how to set a monthly cadence so the budget stays alive all year.  This isn’t about Excel tricks. It’s about having one system that tells you when to hire, when to invest, when to pull back — and the confidence to make those calls from the boardroom.   In this episode, Pat and I screen-share and walk through an actual model. If you want to see the file in action, check out the video version on YouTube or Spotify.   What We Covered:  Why most budgets fail (and how to avoid building a wish list)  The structure of a usable model: assumptions → drivers → financials → outputs  How to build Base / Upside / Downside scenarios without breaking the file  The importance of linking P&L, cash flow, and balance sheet together  How to set a monthly cadence so budget vs. actuals drives real decisions  How to keep the model “living” without turning it into a science project  Pat Hobby is a seasoned CFO, CPA, and the founder of The CFO Advantage, a fractional CFO firm that helps business owners gain true financial clarity and use their numbers to drive long-term value. He was also the cofounder of Ryan Tansom’s former business, where they built a fractional CFO model serving dozens of clients across multiple industries. Pat has guided companies through ESOPs, private equity transactions, and complex financial transitions, always bringing an investor mindset and operational discipline to the finance function. He’s known for making complex financials simple, actionable, and aligned with ownership strategy.  Chapters:   (0:00) Introduction to budgeting fundamentals and three statement modeling approach  (4:59) Why budgeting starts with sales and revenue forecasting methodology  (21:04) Building the complete three statement model and end result overview  (26:32) Creating detailed monthly payroll budgets with full burden calculations  (38:55) Understanding cash flow statements and the owner operator bridge  (53:16) Forecasting balance sheet and working capital management levers  (1:09:35) Managing distributions, debt, and capital allocation decisions  (1:31:34) Implementing monthly budget reviews and ongoing financial management  Rate, comment, and share with the owner/operators you know! 

Budgeting season is here. But most owners build budgets in a vacuum — starting with last year’s numbers and layering on guesses. The result? Fantasy budgets that collapse by Q2. Watch on YouTubeThat’s why I’m kicking off a three-part Budget Season Series. Each episode will build on the last to give you a step-by-step process to create a budget you can actually run your company with.  We start with the big picture. I sat down with Alan Beaulieu and Kim Clark to talk about where the economy is heading, what the data says about demand, inflation, and interest rates, and how to translate those signals into real targets for your business. Alan (previously with ITR Economics) has spent decades forecasting with 94% accuracy. Kim works with owners every day on capital and operations. Together, they’ll help you orient before you open Excel.   This isn’t about predicting the future perfectly. It’s about setting guardrails, defining risks and opportunities, and making sure your budget starts with reality — not wishful thinking.   What We Covered  Why most budgets fail before they start (and how to avoid it)  Translating economic signals into volume, price, and capital targets  Building scenarios (Base, Upside, Downside) that actually matter  Creating a simple risk/opportunity register to carry into your plan  Why orientation first is the key to protecting margins and avoiding mid-year chaos  Kim Clark is a sales and marketing strategist who helped scale ITR Economics from a founder-led advisory firm to a professionally managed company that exited at eight figures. As head of sales and marketing, she built the firm’s first CRM, content strategy, and inbound engine—moving the company from personality-based selling to a system built on data, automation, and strategic execution. Today, she works with business owners to build marketing engines that align with their strategy, team, and long-term cash flow goals—so they can grow without chaos and delegate without losing visibility. Her frameworks are directly aligned with the "Maximize Growth" track inside the Build a Valuable Business module of the iBD™ Magic Model.   Alan Beaulieu is a globally recognized economist and partner at ITR Economics, a firm with 94.7% forecasting accuracy over 80 years. For more than three decades, Alan has guided executives worldwide through all economic cycles, providing clear, actionable insights on markets, strategy, and investment. A respected speaker, author, and advisor, his data-driven approach helps companies anticipate change, protect value, and maximize profitability.  Chapters:   (00:00) Introduction to Budget Season Series and why economic orientation comes first  (05:57) Why GDP headlines don't help and the data quality crisis  (10:05) Finding leading indicators and the three-cycle learning curve  (13:55) The train analogy for understanding where you are in business cycles  (20:04) Money supply expansion, inflation trap, and the 2026-2027 outlook  (24:07) Time, talent, and money: the only three resources that matter 

Every owner’s journey is made up of inflection points, the moments where you have to make big, irreversible decisions.  Watch on YouTubeIn this episode, my friend Tom Nagler shares his full story arc as an owner. From growing up in a family business, to buying it from his dad, to juggling cash and growth pains, to considering a sale but choosing to acquire instead, to bringing on a partner, and finally making the hard decision to sell — Tom lived through the full journey of ownership.   What makes Tom’s story powerful is how openly he shares both the human side and the technical side of those decisions. He talks about family dynamics, cash pressure, risk, and identity — but also about valuations, deal structures, and what actually creates value in a company. He also reflects on how education, an ownership framework, and clarity gave him the confidence to understand his options and choose intentionally at each step.  If you’re an owner navigating the day-to-day grind, facing big decisions, or just wondering what the road ahead might look like, Tom’s story will give you a clear window into the full arc of ownership — and the lessons you can carry into your own journey.  What We Covered: Growing up in the family business and deciding to buy it from his dad The reality of juggling cash flow, debt, and growth pains The moment he considered selling — and why he chose to acquire instead Bringing on a partner and how it reshaped the business How he approached his valuation and learned to understand what really drives value The difficult decision to sell — and how he and his family worked through it What life and perspective look like after the business  Tom Nagler is a former business owner who grew up in a family company, later bought it from his father, and spent years navigating the challenges of cash flow, growth, acquisitions, and partnerships. Through a series of major inflection points, he gained a deep understanding of valuation and what truly drives company value. After ultimately selling his business, Tom now shares candid lessons from the full arc of ownership — from family handoff to life after the sale.  Chapters:   (00:00) Introduction of guest Tom Nagler  (05:22) Joining the family business, early career decision making process  (17:14) Father-son dynamics and building complementary business partnership skills  (27:06) Building company culture, values and hiring the right people  (41:15) Managing cash flow challenges and capital intensive business growth  (51:51) First acquisition offers and decision to decline early exit  (01:18:19) Strategic acquisition of supplier, vertical integration and lessons learned  (01:28:02) COVID impact on diagnostics business and final sale opportunity  (01:32:03) Working with Ryan on exit planning and decision framework  (01:44:24) Post-sale reflections, lessons learned and advice for business owners  Rate, comment, and share with the owner/operators you know!  Res...

Margins are under pressure, and scaling isn’t about throwing more people at the problem. Owners have to leverage technology to increase throughput per employee — but that only works if your data is clean and your processes are digitized.This isn’t an AI-hype conversation. It’s about putting best practices in place so you can actually use automation and AI as accelerants. If your company is still running on paper, PDFs, or messy file shares, you’ll never have the information flow you need to make fast, accurate decisions from the boardroom.That’s why I brought on Bob Muller, an expert in document and data management, to talk about how owners can digitize processes, manage change, and align their information flow with their financial and operational goals. Bob has lived this world for decades, and for me it was a full-circle moment — since I started my career in document management before building and selling our family business. We get into what it really takes to prepare your company to scale: not just buying new tech, but organizing your processes, cleaning your data, and creating the link from operations → financials → owner goals.  What We Cover:⇒Why digitizing processes and cleaning data is the foundation for scaling — and how it protects margins under pressure.⇒How analog → digital → clean data → automation creates throughput and frees owners from bottlenecks. ⇒Why AI is only an accelerant — it works if the inputs are good, but it’s useless without clean data. ⇒The real challenge of change management: how culture, leadership, and buy-in make or break tech adoption.⇒How to connect operations → financials → owner goals so technology actually drives valuation, not just efficiency. ⇒Practical steps to start: mapping processes, prioritizing wins, and aligning tech projects with business outcomes.Bob Muller is a veteran in document and data management with decades of experience helping companies digitize processes, clean data, and unlock efficiency. He specializes in guiding organizations through change management and building the foundation for automation and AI. Bob’s work equips owners to protect margins, scale operations, and tie information flow directly to financial performance and strategic goals. Chapters:  (00:00) Bob Muller's background in document management evolution (03:04) From copier sales to understanding business operations (05:12) Learning company processes through document management projects (09:23) First boardroom experience discovering operational chaos

The business advice system is completely broken. Tax, estate, and wealth must be one plan — and you can’t trust the system to build it for you. Watch on YouTube Advisors sell products, optimize for their own fees, and stay in their silos. Taxes here. Estate there. Wealth over in another corner. Nobody owns the whole. And owners are the ones who pay the price.If you don’t take ownership of the plan, you’ll be the one left holding the bag when taxes hit, valuations disappoint, or estate plans fall apart. It’s just like the healthcare system. Specialists cut and prescribe. Nobody’s responsible for keeping you healthy. In business, nobody’s responsible for making sure your entire plan actually works together.  In this conversation with my friend Brandon Henry, who works inside the family-office world of the 0.1%, we tell the truth about how advice really works — and why middle-market owners can’t afford to buy the orchestration back. If you don’t step up as the general contractor of your own plan, you’ll drown in noise, propaganda, and bad advice.  We don’t hold back. We lay out what good looks like, how to spot misaligned incentives, and what it takes to design a plan that actually serves you.  What We Cover: –Why the business advice system is designed to serve advisors, not owners.  –The healthcare analogy: why the parallels are too obvious to ignore.  –Why there’s no such thing as “three plans” — tax, estate, and wealth are one system.  –The general contractor role every owner must play until you can buy back orchestration.  –How to filter propaganda, spot misalignment, and hold advisors accountable. –What “good” advice actually looks like — and why it’s so rare.  Who This Is For: If you’re a business owner tired of piecemeal advice and sales pitches disguised as planning — and you want to finally understand how the game really works so you can take control — this episode is for you.  Chapters:   (00:00) Introduction and the broken business advice ecosystem  (04:22) Brandon Henry joins, defining the core pain point  (09:42) General contractor role, advisor complexity, and misaligned incentives  (18:15) Income tax compliance versus strategic tax planning  (26:59) Estate planning versus estate tax planning distinctions  (40:02) Wealth management industry evolution and fee compression  (56:58) Being your own general contractor until escape velocity  (1:08:01) Business structuring and preparing for transactions proactively  (1:19:31) Transaction readiness, avoiding vultures, and maintaining optionality  (1:36:40) What the ideal family office experience looks like  Rate, comment, and share with the owner/operators you know!  Resources: Mosaic Advisors https://mosaicadvisors.com/ IBD Newsletter on Valuations https://newsletter.ryantansom.com/  P...

If you’re a business owner trying to make sense of Bitcoin, this conversation is your entry point.  Over two episodes combined into one, I sat down with Kim Clark and her father Alan Beaulieu—a partner at the world-renowned forecasting firm ITR Economics, known for its 94.7% accuracy over the last 80 years. Alan has spent his career helping owners understand what’s coming in the economy. In this conversation, he turned the tables and asked me to explain Bitcoin.  Across our discussion, we unpack what Bitcoin really is, how it compares to money as we’ve known it, and why it matters for owners thinking about value, valuations, and the future. Alan came in skeptical but open, and the questions he asked are the same ones every thoughtful owner has on their mind: Is Bitcoin safe? Is it different from other cryptocurrencies? Could it actually protect my wealth in the decades ahead?  I don’t claim to have all the answers. I’m still a student on this journey. But I’ve spent thousands of hours studying economics, money, and the history of financial systems—and I’ve come to believe Bitcoin is one of the most important developments of our time. It’s sound money for a world that desperately needs it.  In this episode we cover:  What Bitcoin actually is—and how it differs from cryptocurrency in general  Why money itself is just an open ledger of time and value  How Bitcoin solves the trust problem through scarcity and decentralization  Why fixed supply, proof-of-work, and network effects make it unique  The difference between Bitcoin and “shitcoins”  How demographics, debt, and fiat debasement are shaping the future of money  Why Bitcoin could redefine valuations and serve as a store of value for owners  How to think about Bitcoin as both a hedge and a design choice for your business and life  This isn’t financial advice, and it’s not a get-rich-quick pitch. It’s a real conversation—between an economist who’s spent decades forecasting the future, and me, an owner who’s spent a decade wrestling with how money, time, and business truly work.  Kim Clark is a sales and marketing strategist who helped scale ITR Economics from a founder-led advisory firm to a professionally managed company that exited at eight figures. As head of sales and marketing, she built the firm’s first CRM, content strategy, and inbound engine—moving the company from personality-based selling to a system built on data, automation, and strategic execution. Today, she works with business owners to build marketing engines that align with their strategy, team, and long-term cash flow goals—so they can grow without chaos and delegate without losing visibility. Her frameworks are directly aligned with the "Maximize Growth" track inside the Build a Valuable Business module of the iBD™ Magic Model.  Alan Beaulieu is a globally recognized economist and partner at ITR Economics, a firm with 94.7% forecasting accuracy over 80 years. For more than three decades, Alan has guided executives worldwide through all economic cycles, providing clear, actionable insights on markets, strategy, and investment. A respected speaker, author, and advisor, his data-driven approach helps companies anticipate c...

Most advice treats all owners the same. The reality? There are two different games. For the 98% (smaller, tightly owner‑dependent companies), the job and the asset are commingled. Generic “exit planning” advice often creates noise: the math, buyers, and timelines rarely line up. For the 2% (true middle‑market owners with durable EBITDA and a management team), the game shifts to the boardroom. It’s about capital allocation—protecting value, preserving options, and making decisions across time, cash flow, and wealth. That’s the conversation in this panel debate with Mike Finger (Exit Oasis), moderated by Graham Stephen and Kyle McCulloch. Mike advocates for pragmatic guidance that helps the 98% make real progress. I argue for a clear line between the two games—and for ownership thinking when you’ve crossed into the 2%. We dig into: How the U.S. company landscape actually breaks down—and why that matters more than slogans What’s signal vs. noise for the 98% (cash flow, role/asset separation, transferable systems, realistic debt math) What’s signal for the 2% (board governance, valuation lenses, optionality, capital allocation) Where demographics, debt costs, and normalized EBITDA distort decision‑making Why many “exits” below the middle market don’t pencil—and what to optimize instead How to decide whether to design a great job (time + cash flow) or build a true asset—and what each path demands Where I think Bitcoin fits as long‑term store of time/value for owners—and where it doesn’t help Bottom line: Know which game you’re in. Filter the advice accordingly. If you’re in the 98%, focus on cash flow, dependability, and de‑risking. If you’re in the 2%, think like an allocator and run from the boardroom.Graham Stephen is a former banker and chartered accountant turned entrepreneurial strategist. After witnessing firsthand how the traditional financial system fails owner-operators, he co-founded Bizval to bring clarity, simplicity, and first-principles thinking to the messy world of valuation. His work helps owners understand their true worth—not just on paper, but in cash terms they can act on.  Kyle McCulloch brings a rare combination of global macro risk analysis, cyber strategy, and operational grit. From trading floors to turnaround jobs in small bu...

If your goal is to run your company from the boardroom, the real work isn’t just stepping out of day-to-day operations. It’s making sure the business—and your wealth—are protected no matter what happens. In this conversation with attorney and deal advisor Jim Carlisle. Jim has guided hundreds of owners through sales, ESOPs, continuity crises, and legacy planning—and he’s seen what works, what destroys value, and what keeps owners up at night. We unpack how to think like a capital allocator while protecting your operating asset.  Watch on YouTubeThat means three things: 1. Estate readiness – ensuring your ownership transfers the way you want without value lost to taxes, infighting, or missed planning windows. 2. Business operations continuity – having a contingent operational plan so the company runs at full value if you’re suddenly out of the picture. 3. Market readiness – knowing your valuation through multiple lenses so you can seize a premium-price moment in the market without scrambling.  Jim shares real-world stories of owners who preserved 100% of their company’s value in a crisis—and others who watched it evaporate in weeks. We get into why continuity planning is different from estate planning, how to stress test your org chart, the role of fiduciary or advisory boards, and how to balance legacy, culture, and net proceeds when offers come in. If you want to keep control, protect what you’ve built, and be ready to move when your goals change or the market says “now,” this episode is your blueprint.  Jim Carlisle is a corporate attorney and entrepreneur with 34+ years of experience helping business owners achieve growth, succession, and exit goals. Chair of Dinsmore’s National Growth & Exit Planning and ESOP Transactional Services groups, he guides owners through M&A, ESOPs, estate planning, and business continuity. Drawing on his own ownership experience, he blends legal expertise with practical insight to protect value and preserve legacy.   Chapters:   (00:00) Newsletter launch, three lenses of business valuations overview, reconnecting with Jim Carlisle after shared consulting partnership  (04:34) Jim's practice focus on growth, exit planning and ESOP work  (08:25) Boardroom leadership versus selling and preparing for unexpected events  (13:50) Estate planning versus business continuity planning key differences  (18:15) Stress testing organizational structure and identifying critical leadership gaps  (25:00) Capital allocation mindset and three valuation lenses framework  (34:00) Real world story of engineering firm succession disaster  (42:06) Advisory boards versus fiduciary boards for succession readiness  (50:52) ESOP transactions and tax advantages for business owners  (1:00:28) Advisory fee inflation and serving mid market companies  (1:06:32) Deal structure gotchas and representation and warranty insurance  (1:13:26) Listening to clients versus telling them what you know

If you want to design a business that works for your life — not the other way around — you need to understand the actual game you’re playing.  In this episode, I sit down with Candice Bradley, a business owner, investor, former banker, and strategic advisor who’s lived through nearly every ownership structure in the capitalist playbook: banking, investment banking, private equity, public markets, venture capital, and now private business ownership.  Candice doesn’t just know the rules of finance and business ownership — she’s played in every field. And in this conversation, she unpacks what most owners miss: the game isn’t just about money. It’s about the structure you choose, the bets you make, and whether those bets are actually worth your time.  We go deep into:  Why understanding valuation, risk, and cash flow is foundational to making good decisions as an owner  How different forms of ownership — from PE to VC to private — come with built-in expectations that shape your life  What happens when you finally see the system for what it is… and choose to design your own rules  And toward the end, we cut through the jargon and speak plain English: the fiat system is broken. Time is scarce. And if we’re not choosing our game and constraints consciously, they’ll be chosen for us.  This is a conversation for owners who are ready to lead with clarity — and design a business that gives them options, not just obligations.  Key Themes:  The connection between valuation and decision clarity  Why private owners must define their own timelines and targets  Tradeoffs between financial engineering and operational cash flow  Escaping fiat-based illusions and designing a game that actually works for your life    Who This Is For:  If you're an owner-operator who:  Is tired of gut-based decisions and wants a clear strategy  Feels the weight of every tradeoff between time, cash, and equity  Wants to understand how different financial models and ownership structures actually affect your freedom  ...this episode is for you.  Candice’s journey will help you see the full landscape — and start placing your bets with intention.  Candice Bradley is a 3x founder and seasoned operator with 20+ years across investment banking, private equity, venture, and entrepreneurship. She’s built and scaled businesses from both sides of the table — as investor and owner — and now helps founders navigate the tradeoffs of growth, cash flow, and exit. Her current focus: acquiring and operating a $15M+ company with intention and impact.   Chapters:   (00:00) Introduction and Ryan's excitement about the conversation level  (02:11) Can...

If you’re trying to grow your business without creating a mess of misaligned incentives, resentment, or comp plans that backfire—this episode is for you. I brought Jennifer Davis back on because she built one of the most intentional compensation systems I’ve ever seen. We walk through how she tied her company’s mission and KPIs directly to each person’s comp—and connected it all the way down to their personal goals. We talk about cleaning up old promises, removing politics, and building a system that creates momentum instead of confusion. It’s tactical, practical, and deeply aligned with what we talk about in Independence by Design™—because comp is strategy. And when you get it right, everything gets easier. Watch on YouTube Jennifer Davis is the co-founder and former CEO of Davisware, a bootstrapped ERP platform scaled to over $20M in revenue and sold to private equity. She’s a tech entrepreneur, mom of 10, and author of two books including Living Exponentially. Now through her new venture BExponential, she helps growth-minded women lead with clarity and purpose. Her story blends grit, systems thinking, and a deep commitment to impact. Chapters:   (00:00) Introduction- guest Jennifer Davis  (04:19) The three assets that matter: brand, culture, customers  (26:31) The gap between expectations and reality  (30:24) Using a fake sale to rethink structure  (32:31) From firefighting to structure  (39:27) The pyramid: from brand to bonus  (53:47) The 80/20 bonus plan  (1:06:24) The timeline: clarity in two years  (1:26:48) Tying comp to life goals  (1:30:17) 100% KPI transparency  Rate, comment, and share with the owner/operators you know!    Resources: Jennifer's site: jenniferleedavis.com (consulting/retreats/book).  BExponential: bexponential.com (women's leadership).  Davisware: davisware.com (former ERP company).  Ryan Tansom Website https://ryantansom.com/

What if the success you're chasing isn't the final destination, but the beginning of something more? Watch on YouTube Most business owners I talk to know AI matters—but many are still stuck thinking it’s just for writing emails or something their IT team should handle. That’s not the game we’re playing.   In this episode, I sat down with Geoff Woods to talk about what it really means to become an AI-driven leader. We’re not talking about automation—we’re talking about thinking. Geoff and I break down how AI becomes your most powerful thought partner once you’re clear on your goals, your constraints, and your role as the owner. If you’ve been wondering how to actually integrate AI into your business at a strategic level, this conversation is for you.  We covered everything from the CRIT prompting framework to building executive-level AI boards, why most people struggle to think clearly, and how the education system trained creativity out of us. I also share how I’m using AI with my clients to build strategic plans, model out deals, and clarify ownership goals faster than ever before.  This episode is for the owner who wants to stay ahead—who’s ready to think bigger, make better decisions, and design a business that works without them.  Geoff Woods is the author of The AI-Driven Leader and the founder of AI Leadership. He previously co-founded the company behind The ONE Thing and served as Chief Growth Officer at Jindal Steel, where he helped grow its market cap from $750M to over $12B. Geoff teaches CEOs how to use AI as a strategic thought partner—not a task robot—so they can lead more effectively, make smarter decisions, and build companies that thrive in an AI-driven future. His frameworks, including CRIT and the AI Empowerment Curve, are helping leaders around the world operationalize AI from the boardroom to the frontlines.   Chapters:   (00:00) Geoff's career journey from CEO advice to AI leadership  (03:53) The One Thing company partnership and strategic questioning expertise  (06:50) December 2022 ChatGPT discovery and initial limiting beliefs  (08:35) CRIT framework development context role interview task methodology  (13:50) Strategic thinking as competitive advantage versus tactical approaches  (24:39) Industrial revolution education system and modern workforce implications  (34:47) Growth mindset versus fixed mindset in AI adoption  (38:39) Custom AI board creation for strategic business decisions  (44:41) Enterprise value focus versus tactical AI use cases  (54:34) AI-assisted book writing process and content creation  (1:06:02) Data privacy security and enterprise AI implementation  (1:13:26) Future of work and maintaining humanity in technology  (1:17:12) Zero to one implementation daily AI usage habits  Rate, comment, and share with the owner/operators you know!    Resources: 

What if the success you're chasing isn't the final destination, but the beginning of something more? Watch on YouTube This episode is the natural continuation of last week's conversation with Jean Moncrieff, the new leader of the Small Giants Community. But today, we go back to the source to get the full origin story of the Small Giants Community. I sit down with Paul Spiegelman, co-founder of Small Giants Community, to trace the full arc of a founder's journey: from building and selling BerylHealth to scaling a culture-first company within a public firm, to co-creating the Small Giants movement that has helped thousands of values-driven leaders build something that lasts.  What ties all of Paul's chapters together, from Beryl to Small Giants to Kintsugi Village, is a deep commitment to clarity, purpose, and process.  This isn't just a conversation about business, it's about designing a life that means something.  We talk about how values in a company often show up before we have the words for them, how the discipline of reflection creates repeatability, and how purpose, when acted on over time, turns into legacy.  Paul Spiegelman is the co-founder of Kintsugi Village and the Small Giants Community, and the former founder and CEO of BerylHealth. He also served as Chief Culture Officer at Stericycle, where he brought his people-first approach to a publicly traded company.  Paul is a New York Times best-selling author, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, and a recognized voice on leadership, corporate culture, and values-driven business. His insights have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Inc. Magazine. What sets Paul apart is his ability to live out what most leaders only talk about—building companies that align with values, operationalize culture, and last beyond the founder. Today, through Small Giants and Kintsugi Village, he helps steward a new generation of entrepreneurs who want to build with purpose—and chase something more than just growth. Chapters:   (00:00) Paul's path from law to entrepreneurship  (00:06) Building BerylHealth with brothers, bootstrapping without capital or business experience  (00:14) Meeting Bo Burlingham and discovering Small Giants philosophy  (00:26) Chasing purpose and the transition from BerylHealth to community building  (00:33) Selling to Stericycle and becoming Chief Culture Officer  (00:42) Defining culture as discipline, not fuzzy feelings  (00:52) Values-driven decision making and the circle of growth  (01:03) Transitioning leadership and passing the torch to next generation  (01:16) Kintsugi Village nonprofit and early childhood education mission  (01:25) Legacy, impact and what comes next in Detroit  Rate, comment, and share with the owner/operators you know!  Resources: Small Giants Community https://www.smallgiants.org Small Giants by Bo Burlingham

What does it actually mean to build a company that lasts? Watch on YouTube Not just one that grows. Not just one that sells. But one that thrives beyond the founder—because it was built with values at the core.  In this episode, I’m joined by Jean Moncrieff, an entrepreneur, coach, and the new leader of the Small Giants Community, for a conversation about identity, legacy, and the tension every owner eventually faces: when and how to let go.  We unpack the deeper reason Small Giants exists: to support leaders who want to build purpose-driven companies where people thrive, cultures endure, and success isn’t just measured by size. We also talk about what it means to scale values, not just revenue—and why Jean is uniquely positioned to carry this movement forward.  Whether you’re in the thick of operations or starting to imagine your next chapter, this episode will help you re-anchor to what matters most—and show you that you’re not alone in the process.  Jean Moncrieff is an entrepreneur, coach, and the current leader of the Small Giants Community—a global network of values-driven founders committed to building purpose-first businesses that prioritize people, culture, and long-term impact. Jean’s own journey includes founding, scaling, and exiting multiple 7- and 8-figure companies across Europe and South Africa. But what defines his work today is helping leaders clarify their vision, let go with intention, and grow companies that outlast them—not just operationally, but culturally and philosophically. Based in Zurich, Jean splits his time between Europe, the U.S., and South Africa, where he continues to coach CEOs, foster authentic community, and guide the next chapter of Small Giants with the same values that made it what it is.   Chapters:   (00:00) Introduction and Jean's journey from business owner to Small Giants leader  (01:14) What is Small Giants and the rebellious philosophy behind it  (07:25) The vulnerability and mojo that defines the Small Giants community  (14:20) The founder's dilemma: letting go without losing identity  (25:50) Scaling culture with intention and putting people first  (32:36) Why employee ownership correlates strongly with Small Giants values  (41:15) Why Jean stepped into the leadership role at Small Giants  (52:30) What it really means to build a company that lasts  (58:58) The future of Small Giants: global expansion and leadership development  (01:07:38) How to engage with Small Giants and join the community  Rate, comment, and share with the owner/operators you know!  Resources: Small Giants Community https://www.smallgiants.org/ Small Giants by Bo Burlingham https://www.amazon.com/Small-Giants-Companies-Instead-10th-Anniversary/dp/014310960X Jean Moncrieff on LinkedIn

This episode is different. No guest. No business mechanics. Just me, reading from my journal and unpacking the questions that have been driving my work, my life, and everything behind Independence by Design™. Watch on YouTube A few questions have been front and center for me since my first memories. Why are we here? What’s the point of all this work? And how do money, time, biology, and spirituality all fit together? If you’ve ever wondered why I care so much about alignment, ownership, and how we spend our time, this is the foundation. This is the throughline behind the Playbook, the coaching, the podcast… all of it. I talk about:  Why constraints make life meaningful How dopamine, purpose, and sacrifice tie into love, fear, and fulfillment What sin actually means (and why it’s about missing the highest aim) Why money is just stored time—and how corrupt money corrupts life And how the ultimate game is to turn chaos into clarity, and help the most people we can, for the longest time we can If you’re on your own journey of trying to make your life and business make sense, this episode is for you. It’s not doctrine. It’s not advice. It’s a flashlight into the questions I’ve been living through.  Chapters:   (00:00) Why this episode exists and intention behind journal reading   (05:30) The game of life: constraints, relativity, and physical world   (13:15) Love, fear, and the aim of life   (22:00) The role of sacrifice and work in creating meaning  (29:00) What money really represents and inflation's spiritual impact   (36:45) Designing a life that works and final reflections  Rate, comment, and share with the owner/operators you know!    Resources:  Ryan Tansom Website: https://ryantansom.com/

Jennifer Davis is the co-founder and former CEO of Davisware, a vertical ERP platform she and her husband started at 17. Over two decades, they scaled it to $20M+ in revenue, built a team of over 200, and sold to private equity. She’s also the mother of ten kids and the author of two books, including Living Exponentially. Watch on YouTube In this conversation, Jennifer walks us through the full arc of building, leading, and eventually stepping away from a company she built from the ground up. We talk about the early growth years, the identity shift from founder to CEO, what she learned inside private equity, and how she’s now designing her next chapter with clarity and intention.  Jennifer Davis is the co-founder and former CEO of Davisware, a bootstrapped ERP platform scaled to over $20M in revenue and sold to private equity. She’s a tech entrepreneur, mom of 10, and author of two books, including Living Exponentially. Now, through her new venture BExponential, she helps growth-minded women lead with clarity and purpose. Her story blends grit, systems thinking, and a deep commitment to impact.  Chapters:   (00:00) Introduction and Jennifer's "Gen 2.0" mission statement at age 50  (07:10) Starting Davisware at 17, meeting husband on Grapevine Lake boat  (14:19) Family farm background, sixth of nine kids, entrepreneurial roots  (19:31) India outsourcing journey, Dan spending 200 days there  (24:03) First major acquisition in 2007, saving competitor with cash bag  (27:48) Selling to private equity in 2019, COVID leadership as portfolio CEO  (34:09) Land development disaster, 80-acre subdivision bankruptcy and banking crisis  (41:08) Bank president meeting, driving three hours for personal negotiation  (52:44) Separation of business and personal finances, ownership mindset lessons  (74:30) Life integration philosophy, writing book and exponential mindset framework  Rate, comment, and share with the owner/operators you know!    Resources: Jennifer Davis: https://www.itsjenniferdavis.com/ Davisware: https://www.davisware.com Ryan Tansom Website: https://ryantansom.com/  

What’s happening in the M&A market right now? Who’s buying, who’s selling, and how should owners think about timing, value, and optionality? Watch on YouTube In this episode, I sit down with Jeff Buettner from ButcherJoseph, an investment banker who specializes in founder-led companies in the lower middle market. We unpack the current state of dealmaking for $2M to $10M EBITDA businesses and talk candidly about what’s really driving—or stalling—transactions in today’s environment.   We cover everything from deal structure, buyer behavior, and interest rate dynamics to why some owners are stuck in “no man’s land” between SBA buyers and private equity funds. Jeff shares the patterns he sees across the market and what business owners can do right now to improve their position and expand their options, even if they’re not ready to sell.  Whether you're prepping for an exit, considering a recap, or just want to understand what drives valuation and interest in the middle market, this episode gives you a grounded, experience-backed view into what's working—and what’s not—in M&A today.   This conversation ties directly into the Elevate phase of the iBD™ Magic Model—helping owners increase strategic value, attract aligned capital, and design a business that’s ready for optionality.  Jeff Buettner is a Managing Director at ButcherJoseph, where he works with owner-led businesses exploring recapitalizations, ESOPs, and strategic exits in the lower middle market. With deep experience across private capital markets, investment banking, and founder transitions, Jeff specializes in helping owners navigate complex deal dynamics while maintaining control and clarity. He is known for his honest, practical approach and his ability to bridge the gap between what founders want and what the market will support.  Chapters:   (00:00) Welcome to Independence by Design with guest Jeff Buettner  (00:34) Current M&A market trends and tariff impact conversations  (02:23) How uncertainty stopped transactions and lending activity cold  (05:52) Finding pockets of certainty in volatile deal environments  (09:28) Strategic versus financial buyers in tariff-impacted markets  (14:02) The five million EBITDA threshold and why it matters  (25:24) Navigating the no man's land of middle-market businesses  (33:31) Building management teams and reducing owner dependency risk  (36:40) Strategic planning three years ahead for better outcomes  (40:18) When to engage investment bankers for maximum value  Rate, comment, and share with the owner/operators you know!    Resources: ButcherJoseph: https://www.butcherjoseph.com Jeff Buettner LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-buettner-8839432/ Ryan Tansom Website