How to Bet on Yourself and Build a Business Around Freedom
Mission Driven Business
Building a business around freedom is more than a financial decision, it's a deeply personal one. In this episode, Brian Thompson sits down with Kyra Mitchell Lewis, a brand strategist, marketer, podcast host, and founder of and , to talk about what it truly means to bet on yourself. Kyra shares how more than 20 years in corporate marketing led her to a pivotal moment of liberation, how she built a thriving consulting business in under a year, and why keeping an open mind has been one of her greatest entrepreneurial assets. A Business Built Around Purpose Kyra defines a mission-driven...
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How to Prepare for Next Year's Taxes Without the Stress
Mission Driven Business
Tax season doesn't have to be a scramble, but for most business owners, it is. In this episode, Brian Thompson offers a simple, practical system for taking the stress and surprise out of taxes by shifting from a once-a-year reaction to a year-round strategy. If last episode left you wondering whether you missed something, this one is your action plan. Start With a Mindset Shift Before getting into tactics, Brian makes an important reframe: taxes are not a once-a-year event. They are a year-round strategy. This matters especially for mission-driven business owners who are growing...
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How to Optimize Your Tax Return for More Business Tax Savings
Mission Driven Business
In this episode, Brian Thompson discusses key insights from the recent tax season, highlighting trends, surprises, and strategic opportunities for business owners to optimize their tax planning and financial health. Your tax return is not something to file and forget. If you pay attention, your tax return gives you a roadmap for what to do better this coming year. Brian also gives real-life examples of two clients that stood out this tax season. Understanding Unexpected Tax Outcomes One of the most significant stress points during tax season is the unexpected tax outcome. Many business...
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S-Corps Explained: Tax Savings, Trade-Offs, and What No One Tells You
Mission Driven Business
The S-Corp question is one of the most common Brian hears from entrepreneurs, but the answer is almost never as simple as the internet makes it sound. In this episode, Brian Thompson breaks down what an S-Corp actually is, how the potential tax savings work, and the real-world trade-offs that often get left out of the conversation. Whether you're considering the election for the first time or revisiting the decision, this episode gives you the context you need to make an informed choice. What is an S-Corp? First, an important clarification: an S-Corporation is not a business structure,...
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Budgeting Series #3: A Guide to Building Your Financial Strategy
Mission Driven Business
Awareness and acceptance lay the groundwork, but nothing changes until you take action. In this final episode of the budgeting series, Brian Thompson brings the framework full circle by focusing on what to actually do with your numbers. Because understanding your finances and accepting where you are is only powerful if it leads somewhere. This episode is about making intentional, strategic decisions that move your mission-driven business forward. Start With Vision, Not Spreadsheets Before diving into tactics, Brian starts with something that might surprise you in a budgeting...
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Building a Profitable Practice with Authenticity and Heart
Mission Driven Business
Rooted in identity, community, and purpose is what it truly means to build a business with heart. Brian Thompson sits down with Kala Lacy, an EMDR-trained yoga psychotherapist and founder of , a holistic wellness practice centered on Black and queer people of color. Kala shares how she turned her own healing journey into a thriving private practice, why niching down with radical specificity was the key to her success, and what inspired her newest venture: , a mentorship community for Black, queer, and trans clinicians building aligned private practices. A Business With Heart Kala...
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Budgeting Series #2: A Guide to Money Mindset Shifts
Mission Driven Business
Money isn't just math and for most entrepreneurs, it never has been. In this episode, Brian Thompson continues the budgeting series with part two: acceptance. Building on , Brian explores the emotional side of budgeting and why looking at your numbers without shame or judgment is just as important as looking at them at all. Why Financial Acceptance Is the Missing Piece Once you have your numbers, you're naturally going to have feelings about them. Money is tied to your upbringing, your fears, your identity, and your sense of security. Brian sees it constantly in his client work: people...
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Budgeting Series #1: A Guide to Financial Awareness
Mission Driven Business
Budgeting doesn't have to be intimidating, but it does have to be intentional. In this episode, Brian Thompson kicks off a brand new solo series on budgeting for entrepreneurs, approaching the topic through three lenses: awareness, acceptance, and action. The episode is the first and most foundational step: Awareness. Whether you're a new business owner or a seasoned mission-driven entrepreneur, understanding where your money is actually going is the starting point for everything else. Why Financial Awareness Comes First Every January, Brian's inbox fills up with clients asking to...
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How Veterans Are Transforming Into Mission-Driven Entrepreneurs
Mission Driven Business
Julie Austin and Matthew Cain share their journey in leveraging their military backgrounds to assist veterans in transitioning to entrepreneurship through their podcast Dogtags to Ownership. We explore the definition of mission-driven businesses, the importance of community & networking, and the personal experiences that shaped their call to service. The discussion also touches on the significance of identity, the challenges faced during the Don't Ask, Don't Tell era and how their backgrounds influence their current endeavors. The episode concludes with insights on partnership dynamics and...
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Transform Your Business with an Annual Client Audit
Mission Driven Business
Understanding your client relationships is more crucial than ever in today's fast-paced business environment. The that can help you gain clarity on your client base, enhance your business relationships, and ultimately drive growth. In this episode, Brian Thompson focuses on how a thoughtful client audit can transform your business. He emphasizes that this process is not about hastily cutting ties with clients but rather about thoughtfully evaluating client relationships to enhance business growth and personal well-being with a simple three-step process. The Importance of a Client Audit...
info_outlineBrian chats with Brian Moak, an entrepreneur, consultant, coach, and motivational speaker focused on service-based businesses and team engagement. As the owner and CEO of HEART Certified Auto Care, Brian used empathy to transform his family’s business into an industry-leading auto shop. He also owns one of the largest Shack Shine franchises in North America and is a partner in a digital marketing firm.
On the episode, Brian Moak details his rollercoaster entrepreneurial journey, riding the lows of losing $1.5 million in one year to growing his business to earn nearly $15 million in revenue. He also lists his Four Point Plan to help any business thrive and shares the most critical question to ask to change your business’s trajectory.
Episode Highlights
Mission-driven businesses are aligned.
When defining a mission-driven business, Brian takes a term from the auto shop world: alignment. At a mission-driven business, all parts of the operation are aligned toward the end goal or outcome to be achieved.
“Every person in the company should be facing the same way,” he said. “That has to come from the top. The top has to give that vision and sell that vision to the team, so they can feel engaged and make it happen.”
Create a 4-point plan.
Through the years, Brian has learned that for a plan to work it needs to be based on strategy, not just an idea. He’s since created and implemented a 4-point plan to help his company reach its goals.
Step 1: Build rapport
Rapport means understanding the connection between the owner and the employees as well as understanding the needs that your employees have. To build rapport, Brian makes it a point to talk with every one of his 75 employees every week.
“It’s not like I do a review,” Brian said. “It’s a casual stroll through the business to say hello and find out how their family is doing."
Step 2: Define “it”
To know where you want to go, you first have to define “it.” Rather than speaking in generalities, get clear on your vision, mission, and short- and long-term goals. Also, be specific when you tell employees what you need from them to achieve those goals.
Step 3: Share why
Not only is it important to clearly detail the plan, but it’s also critical to share why the broader goal matters.
“Sometimes it’s as simple as we have to do this so we can ensure job security,” Brian said. “Sometimes it’s as big as we have to do this, so you can get a huge raise.”
Step 4: Ask for commitment
A plan can’t succeed without the commitment of everyone to follow the process and achieve the outcome. At HEART Certified Auto Care, Brian makes sure everyone is aligned on the plan and then asks for a verbal commitment.
“If we don’t have their commitment, typically there’s a breakdown in communication somewhere,” Brian said. “Either their values don’t align, the ‘what’ wasn’t clear enough, or the ‘why’ wasn’t compelling enough.”
Live up to your standards.
As a gay man in a blue-collar industry, Brian felt he had to prove himself. Early in his career, he tended to overcompensate, which created a toxic work culture. The result was that he almost lost his business.
“I asked everyone else to succeed in an area that I was failing, and that’s the worst kind of leader,” he said. “I have really high standards, and if I was going to have those high standards, I better live up to them myself.”
After personal therapy and a forced business rebrand, Brian committed to putting heart at the center of his business and leading with empathy instead of tyranny. It didn’t take long for the business to start to grow.
“All of a sudden, people wanted my help,” he said. “We went from losing a million and a half dollars in one year to we’re going to do just shy of 15 million bucks this year.”
Resources + Links
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HEART Certified Auto Care: Website
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Brian Thompson Financial: Website, Newsletter, Podcast
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Follow Brian Thompson Online: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X (formerly known as Twitter), Forbes
About Brian and the Mission Driven Business Podcast
Brian Thompson, JD/CFP, is a tax attorney and certified financial planner who specializes in providing comprehensive financial planning to LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs who run mission-driven businesses. The Mission Driven Business podcast was born out of his passion for helping social entrepreneurs create businesses with purpose and profit.
On the podcast, Brian talks with diverse entrepreneurs and the people who support them. Listeners hear stories of experiences, strength, and hope and get practical advice to help them build businesses that might just change the world, too.