On this week’s episode of the Service Based Business Society, we’re ripping the bandaid off and mapping the small circle that quietly decides whether you scale or stall. Tiffany-Ann breaks down the six relationships every service-based founder needs: a truth-teller who cuts through the noise, a clean finance stack (bookkeeper → management accounting/CFO → tax strategist), a banker who believes in your vision, the right lawyer at the right time, an insurance pro who matches coverage to real risk, and a mentor plus personal believer to keep you moving when it’s hard. You’ll walk away with a one-page audit to find your gaps, a simple email script to re-engage your banker, and prompts to pressure-test your legal and insurance exposures—so you can make faster, smarter decisions and get to the good part sooner.

Click here to watch a video of this episode.

Creators & Guests

• Tiffany-Ann Bottcher - Host

• Why a single truth-teller can collapse weeks of indecision—and how to invite unvarnished feedback you’ll actually use.
• The finance stack demystified: bookkeeping vs. management accounting/CFO vs. tax—and when each role pays for itself.
• How to sell your vision to your banker so you get better products, higher limits, and a real human who advocates for you.
• When to stick with a generalist lawyer and when risk demands a specialist (plus a simple triage lens).
• The overlooked value of an insurance pro who maps coverage to your actual exposures (not generic checklists).
• The mentor + personal believer combo: one sharpens your strategy, the other protects your stamina.

The Short List: Your Circle of Scale

1. Truth-Teller — cuts through nice-sounding noise
2. Bookkeeper → Mgmt Accounting/CFO → Tax — three roles, three outcomes
3. Banker — a person, not a 1-800 queue
4. Lawyer — generalist for routine, specialist for risk
5. Insurance Pro — coverage matched to reality
6. Mentor + Personal Believer — tactics + resilience

Apply It This Week

✔️ Name your truth-teller: DM one peer/vendor and ask for “the unvarnished version” on your top decision.
✔️ Map your finance stack: Who owns bookkeeping? Who interprets numbers (CFO/analyst)? Who handles tax strategy? Circle gaps.
✔️ Email your banker: Share a 12-month vision + ask, “What would we need in place to qualify for X?” Book a call.
✔️ Legal triage: List your next 3 initiatives; mark which deserve a specialist review and schedule it.
✔️ Insurance pulse check: Write your top 5 exposures (advice liability, subcontractors, vehicles, in-suite work, data). Book a coverage review.
✔️ Mentor & believer: Identify each by name. If missing, shortlist 3 mentors to approach and choose your personal believer (spouse/friend/coach).

Click here to view the episode transcript.