Why Profit Margin is My Most Important KPI for 2026
Release Date: 11/24/2025
A Peek Inside the My Favorite Metric Summit
The Experienced Entrepreneur
This week on The Experienced Entrepreneur, we're doing something a little different. The My Favorite Metric summit kicked off this week, and if you've been curious about what it's all about, this episode gives you a full look inside. Marissa walks you through the structure of the five-day event, who it's designed for (spoiler: growth-stage entrepreneurs, not newbies), and why she built it without the typical summit pressure tactics like disappearing content or forced upsells. You'll hear about the four themed days covering lead acquisition, engagement, sales and profit, and lifestyle metrics,...
info_outline
The Metrics Myth Keeping Entrepreneurs in the Dark
The Experienced Entrepreneur
If you've ever said "I'm just not a numbers person" — this episode is going to gently, but firmly, challenge that. For experienced entrepreneurs, the belief that metrics are complicated, cold, or designed for someone else is one of the most costly myths in business. Not because tracking is hard, but because the story we tell ourselves about it keeps us from accessing the clearest signal our business has to offer. In this episode of The Experienced Entrepreneur, Marissa Lawton breaks down where the "I'm not a metrics person" identity actually comes from, what it's quietly costing you in...
info_outline
Human-Centered Sales in a Post-Algorithm Market - with Megan Smyth
The Experienced Entrepreneur
In this episode of The Experienced Entrepreneur, Marissa Lawton sits down with Megan Smyth to unpack what’s actually working in sales right now — and why many experienced business owners are quietly moving away from social media–dependent strategies. Megan shares the story of losing every copywriting client in a single week and how that moment forced her to confront a hard truth: relying on referrals without a system is not a strategy. Instead of doubling down on platforms she hated, Megan rebuilt her sales process around what felt sustainable, human, and repeatable — and went on to...
info_outline
Behind the Scenes of Monday Meeting: What We’re Doing Inside the Founding Round
The Experienced Entrepreneur
In this behind-the-scenes episode of The Experienced Entrepreneur, Marissa Lawton pulls back the curtain on the first few weeks of the Monday Meeting founding round. Instead of theory or hype, this episode shares what’s actually happening inside the container: how the Decision Dashboard is being used in real businesses, what patterns are emerging through live dashboard reviews, and why Monday Meeting was intentionally designed as an accountability and community-based mentorship rather than a content-heavy membership. Marissa walks through two real examples from recent one-on-one sessions: ...
info_outline
Make Better Business Decisions Part 4: Lifestyle
The Experienced Entrepreneur
Lifestyle and energy are often treated as personal concerns, separate from “real” business metrics. But for experienced entrepreneurs, they are some of the earliest and most honest indicators of how a business is actually functioning. In this episode of The Experienced Entrepreneur, Marissa Lawton explores why lifestyle and energy deserve a permanent place inside your business metrics system — and what happens when you ignore them for too long. Rather than framing energy as a mindset issue or a self-care problem, this conversation positions lifestyle metrics as leading indicators. They...
info_outline
Make Better Business Decisions Part 3: Sales & Profit
The Experienced Entrepreneur
Sales numbers can look fine on the surface and still leave you feeling uneasy. For experienced entrepreneurs, sales and profit are not just outcomes. They are signals — indicators of alignment, capacity, sustainability, and decision quality over time. In this episode of The Experienced Entrepreneur, Marissa Lawton breaks down how to think about sales and profit metrics beyond “did it work or not.” Instead of treating revenue as a scorecard, this conversation reframes sales data as information that helps you lead your business more intentionally. You’ll hear why many seasoned business...
info_outline
Make Better Business Decisions Part 2: Engagement
The Experienced Entrepreneur
Lead nurture is not about posting more, emailing more, or staying visible at all costs. For experienced entrepreneurs, lead nurture is about trust, continuity, and relationship — and when it’s working, it should feel steady, not exhausting. In this episode of The Experienced Entrepreneur, Marissa Lawton explores what lead nurture really looks like once your business has matured past hustle-based marketing. Rather than focusing on engagement hacks or content volume, this conversation reframes lead nurture as a signal-based system that helps you understand how your audience is actually...
info_outline
BONUS EPISODE: Rant on the Amy Porterfield Jenna Kutcher Drama
The Experienced Entrepreneur
Bonus Episode: The Market Shift, “Dead” Business Models, and What’s Actually Changing In this spontaneous bonus episode of The Experienced Entrepreneur, Marissa Lawton shares an unscripted, candid reflection on the current market shift and the growing narrative that “courses are dead,” “podcasts are dead,” or that entire business models are suddenly no longer viable. Drawing on more than a decade of experience in online business, formal business education, and firsthand work across industries like real estate and mental health, Marissa brings much-needed context, nuance, and...
info_outline
Make Better Business Decisions Part 1: Lead Acquisition
The Experienced Entrepreneur
Since you’ve been in business for a while, you already know that “getting more leads” isn’t the be-all-end-all solution some coaches say it is. The real challenge is knowing what kind of leads you’re attracting, where they’re coming from, and whether your lead flow is actually supporting sustainable business growth — or quietly working against it. In this episode of The Experienced Entrepreneur, I kick off a four-part January series about making better business decisions starting with Lead Acquisition. This conversation is for seasoned online business owners who are tired of...
info_outline
10 Questions to Get Your Business Ready for 2026
The Experienced Entrepreneur
Before you rush into goal-setting, optimization, or “what’s next,” there’s something more important to do: integrate the year you just lived. In this reflective year-end episode of The Experienced Entrepreneur, Marissa Lawton guides seasoned business owners through 10 powerful questions designed to help you make sense of 2025 and move into 2026 with more clarity, steadiness, and intention. This is not a productivity episode. It’s an integration episode — created for entrepreneurs who have been in business long enough to know that insight doesn’t come from moving faster, but from...
info_outlineWhat if the real measure of a healthy business isn’t how much you make—but how much you keep?
In this episode of The Experienced Entrepreneur, Marissa Lawton shares why she’s shifting her focus to profit margin and what that means for seasoned business owners who are ready to step off the “scale at all costs” treadmill.
After more than a decade in business, Marissa has seen every iteration of the CEO era—the endless hiring, the tech subscriptions, the outsourcing, the pressure to look like you’re growing faster than you actually are. But now, the most experienced entrepreneurs are craving something different: stability, discernment, and financial breathing room.
Inside this episode, you’ll learn:
-
What profit margin actually means and how to calculate it.
-
Why mature entrepreneurs are prioritizing profit over growth.
-
The difference between smart and wasteful investments (and how to know which is which).
-
How to simplify your tech stack, trim recurring expenses, and build true financial resilience.
-
Why keeping more money isn’t about scarcity—it’s about sovereignty.
If you’ve been feeling the weight of too many expenses, too many tools, and too little clarity, this conversation will help you get back to what matters: a business that’s efficient, steady, and deeply sustainable.
Listen to Episode 10: Why I’m Focusing on Profit Margin Right Now