Ep 273 Stop the Stupid, Proactive Problem Solving with Doug Hall
Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond
Release Date: 06/07/2025
Ep 302 The Financial Model Every 7–8 Figure Business Needs for Predictable Profit with Salvatore Tirabassi
Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond
The Financial Model Every 7–8 Figure Business Needs for Predictable Profit with Salvatore Tirabassi Most business owners don’t lack data. They lack clarity. They have a P&L, a balance sheet, maybe even a dashboard. But when a real decision shows up—Can I afford this hire? Should I scale marketing? Why did margins drop again?—the numbers don’t give a clear answer. That’s where growth starts to feel chaotic. In this episode of Profit Answer Man, Rocky Lalvani sits down with fractional CFO and former private equity investor Salvatore Tirabassi to unpack...
info_outline
Ep 301 How to Build a Business Fortress: Liquidity, Cash Flow, and Exit Readiness with David Barnett
Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond
How to Build a Business Fortress: Liquidity, Cash Flow, and Exit Readiness with David Barnett Build a Business Fortress: Why Liquidity Beats Leverage and Most Businesses Never Sell Most owners assume the big payoff will come when they finally sell the business. The hard truth is that roughly 80 percent of small businesses listed for sale never actually sell as going concerns. The real payoff is in the years of ownership: the cash flow you extract, the wealth you build outside the business, and the resilience you create so you can survive the next punch in the face. In this...
info_outline
Ep 300 The Referable Client Experience with Stacey Brown Randall
Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond
The Referable Client Experience with Stacey Brown Randall Most business owners say they want more referrals. Very few are actually drowning in them. The default strategy is to do good work, hope people notice, and maybe ask for introductions when things get slow. In this episode of Profit Answer Man, I sit down again with referral expert and author Stacey Brown Randall to talk about why that approach does not work and how to build a truly referrable client experience. Stacey has spent years helping small business owners generate referrals without asking, without incentives, and...
info_outline
Ep 299 How to Build a Business You Can Actually Sell with Saul Cohen
Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond
How to Build a Business You Can Actually Sell with Saul Cohen Most business owners say the same thing: “I want to grow as big as I can.” But when you press them on what they really want—time freedom, a great income, flexibility with their family—they’re actually describing a lifestyle business, not a high-growth scale-up destined for a huge exit. In this episode of Profit Answer Man, Rocky Lalvani talks with Saul Cohen, an accountant and advisor who helps ambitious entrepreneurs grow through acquisition and prepare for a successful exit. Together, they unpack the...
info_outline
Ep 298 From Chaos to Cash Flow: How Business Owners Can Scale with Less Stress with David Forster
Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond
From Chaos to Cash Flow: How Business Owners Can Scale with Less Stress with David Forster “Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.” If you’re stuck reacting all day, this episode with David Forster hands you the blueprint: clarify roles, codify the 80%, install scorecards that measure what matters, and make Profit First automatic so cash is where you need it—when you need it. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: Why “boring, repeatable systems” beat heroics—and how to build them for people who crave structure. The clarity–consistency–accountability trio: what...
info_outline
Ep 297 Profit First with Megan Schwan
Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond
Profit First with Megan Schwan Most owners chase revenue and wonder why cash keeps disappearing. In this episode, Rocky sits down with Megan Schwan—CEO of Sidekick Accounting and a certified Profit First Professional—to unpack the simple systems that turn chaos into cash: clean books, pricing discipline, expense sweeps, and a short list of actionable KPIs. If you want fewer surprises and fatter reserves, start here. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: Why “good books” are your #1 tax saver—and the foundation for pricing and fraud control. How Profit First creates...
info_outline
Ep 296 Simple Numbers, Big Profits with Greg Crabtree: How to Scale Without Debt or Chaos
Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond
Simple Numbers, Big Profits with Greg Crabtree: How to Scale Without Debt or Chaos Most business owners chase revenue—and lose sight of profit. In this episode of Profit Answer Man, Rocky Lalvani sits down with Greg Crabtree, author of Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits, to cut through the noise and talk about what really drives a successful business. A self-described “recovering accountant,” Greg shares how data—not opinions—can transform how entrepreneurs see their numbers, make decisions, and grow sustainably. If you’ve ever felt like your financial reports...
info_outline
Ep 295 How to 4X your Revenue in 4 Years with Alexis Sikorsky
Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond
How to 4X your Revenue in 4 Years with Alexis Sikorsky Most business owners dream about growth, but few know how to scale without chaos. In this episode of Profit Answer Man, Rocky Lalvani talks with Alexis Sikorsky, a strategic advisor who helps founders scale fast and exit strong. Alexis doesn’t speak from theory—he built and sold his own Switzerland-based software company, New Access, in a $100M+ private equity deal. He learned firsthand what it takes to go from exhaustion to exponential growth—and how the right strategy, mindset, and systems can help you 4X your revenue...
info_outline
Ep 294 Scale Smarter: Use EOS to Add Another Zero with Rick Benton
Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond
Scale Smarter: Use EOS to Add Another Zero with Rick Benton When business growth starts to feel like chaos, it’s time to add structure. EOS (the Entrepreneurial Operating System) gives you a clear roadmap to align people, processes, and profit — but when you combine it with the right financial systems, that’s when the real transformation happens. In this episode, Rick Benton, EOS Implementer and former multi-state business owner, joins Rocky Lalvani to unpack how EOS helps entrepreneurs simplify, scale, and create freedom. Together, they explore how visionaries can step...
info_outline
Ep 293 From Bankruptcy to 60 Million: The Systems Behind a Successful Exit with Jason Sisneros
Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond
From Bankruptcy to 60 Million: The Systems Behind a Successful Exit with Jason Sisneros Most business owners think success means more sales and more hustle. But Jason Sisneros discovered the opposite — freedom comes from systems, not speed. After crashing three businesses and digging himself millions into debt, Jason rebuilt from scratch. Over time, he created, scaled, and sold 26 companies with 6,800 employees for more than $60 million — all without investors or partners. Today, through his company Built to Exit, he helps business owners do what he finally mastered: design a...
info_outlineStop 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:
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