Ep 287 How Small Businesses Beat Big: Profit Lessons from McKinsey to Main Street with Sri Kaza
Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond
Release Date: 09/09/2025
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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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_outlineHow Small Businesses Beat Big: Profit Lessons from McKinsey to Main Street with Sri Kaza
Most small business owners feel like underdogs—limited resources, endless responsibilities, and constant pressure just to keep up. But what if those very constraints were the secret to outpacing billion-dollar corporations?
That’s exactly what Sri Kaza, former McKinsey consultant and now small business advocate, reveals in his book Unconventional and in our latest conversation on the Profit Answer Man podcast.
After years advising Fortune 500s and later scaling and selling private-equity backed companies, Sri discovered something surprising: small businesses that embrace their unique strengths can outmaneuver the giants.
Key lessons from our conversation:
- Profit Struggles Aren’t Just for the Small Guys. Even Fortune 500 companies wrestle with profit pressures—just on a different scale. Every quarter, CEOs are forced to deliver “more” to investors. Small business owners feel the same weight, but without the safety net of massive budgets. The lesson? Pressure is universal—discipline is optional.
- Stop Digging, Take the Ladder. Many business owners keep “digging” harder when they’re in a hole—working more hours, cutting corners, or avoiding debt even when smart investment could be the ladder out. Climbing requires perspective. Look up, not down, and take the smarter path to profit.
- The Underdog Advantage: Positioning, Proximity & Purpose. Sri’s underdog principles are what separate resilient small businesses from the rest: Positioning – Know exactly who you serve, and stop trying to please everyone. Proximity – Stay close to your customers; your agility and speed are advantages no big corporation can match. Purpose – Profit matters, but purpose keeps you and your team going when times are tough.
- Build Jobs Around People, Not Just Seats. Unlike big corporations that design roles and then try to squeeze people into them, small businesses can craft jobs around people’s strengths and passions. It’s not just about skills—it’s about values, culture, and fit.
- Trust Is the Invisible Profit Driver. There’s no line on the P&L for trust, yet it may be your most valuable asset. Sri highlights the Trust Equation: credibility × reliability × intimacy ÷ self-interest. The more authentic, reliable, and human you are, the more customers and employees will follow you.
Key Takeaway:
Small doesn’t mean weak. It means nimble, personal, and resilient. By leaning into what makes you different—your closeness to customers, your unique positioning, and your purpose—you can outmaneuver the giants and build a business that’s both profitable and fulfilling.
Abou Sri Kaza:
Sri Kaza is a seasoned business leader and small business advocate with a background in corporate strategy and entrepreneurship. After earning degrees from the University of Michigan and Northwestern, he began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers and Blue Martini Software before advising Fortune 500 companies at McKinsey & Co.
He later transitioned to executive roles, including a leadership position at Viking Cruises, before shifting his focus to small business support. Sri founded Talytica, a data analytics startup that helped small businesses assess job applicants, and led the employment tax credit division at Tax Credit Co. (now part of Experian), supporting thousands of businesses in securing government incentives. Most recently, as CEO of ForwardLine Financial, he scaled the private equity-owned company and guided its sale to new investors.
His book, Unconvention, draws on this extensive experience, challenging conventional corporate thinking and empowering small businesses to succeed by staying true to their unique strengths.
Links:
Website: Sri-Kaza.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/srikaza
Conclusion:
The story of small business isn’t about competing on size—it’s about competing on strengths. While big corporations drown in bureaucracy and quarterly pressures, small businesses have the power to stay close to their customers, move quickly, and lead with purpose.
Sri Kaza reminds us that profitability isn’t just about spreadsheets and strategies. It’s about positioning yourself where you can truly make an impact, crafting a business around your people and values, and never underestimating the invisible currency of trust.
At the end of the day, being the underdog can be your greatest advantage. The question is: will you use it?
#ProfitFirst #BusinessProfit #CashFlow #Entrepreneurship #SmallBusinessGrowth #BusinessClarity #Profitability #UnderdogAdvantage #SmartScaling #EntrepreneurTips
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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.