Ep 289 Scorecards, Not Gut Calls: How to Run Profitable Weeks with Austin McMillan
Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond
Release Date: 09/23/2025
Ep 305 Mid 8-Figure Exit Lessons: How to Avoid Millions in Taxes and Regret After the Sale with Nathan Collins
Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond
Mid 8-Figure Exit Lessons: How to Avoid Millions in Taxes and Regret After the Sale with Nathan Collins Find Rocky Lalvani @ or email him at Most business owners think the hardest part of selling a business is the deal. But the real danger often shows up after the sale: the taxes you didn’t plan for and the identity shift you didn’t expect In this episode of Profit Answer Man, Rocky Lalvani sits down with , a former CEO who sold his business for a mid-eight-figure exit—and then realized he wasn’t personally...
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Ep 304 From Bankruptcy at 24 to $35M: Building Profitable Business Through Discipline and Purpose with Mike Chaput
Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond
Find Rocky Lalvani @ or email him at From Bankruptcy at 24 to $35M: Building Profitable Business Through Discipline and Purpose with Mike Chaput What if the worst business failure of your life became the foundation for 26 years of unbroken profitability? At 24, Michael Chaput bought a business that went bankrupt. At 50, he runs a $35 million company that hasn't had a single unprofitable month in 26 years—not through 2008, not through COVID, not ever. In this episode, Michael shares the hard-won lessons from hitting rock bottom and how financial discipline, tough...
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Ep 303 How to Legally Pay Less Tax as a Business Owner with Former IRS Agent Carlotta Thompson
Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond
How to Legally Pay Less Tax as a Business Owner with Former IRS Agent Carlotta Thompson With Former IRS Agent Carlotta Thompson Most business owners believe high taxes are just the price of success. They’re wrong. In this episode of Profit Answer Man, Rocky sits down with former IRS agent turned tax strategist Carlotta Thompson to reveal how the tax system really works, what actually triggers audits, and how profitable business owners legally keep more of what they earn. This is not about loopholes or risky moves. It’s about understanding the rules well enough to play the...
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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...
info_outlineScorecards, Not Gut Calls: How to Run Profitable Weeks with Austin McMillan
Build a Profitable Business Buyers Can’t Resist
Most business owners dream of selling one day—but the reality of what buyers actually pay can be sobering. In this episode of Profit Answer Man, Rocky sits down with Austin McMillan, founder of Flywheel Financial, to break down how investors truly evaluate businesses, why contractual revenue beats hype, and how Profit First and a handful of simple ratios can transform your company into a business worth buying.
Key Lessons from the Conversation:
- Buyers Value Contracts, Not Stories. When Austin worked on acquisitions in the landscaping industry, he learned buyers cared far more about signed contracts than the stories in a P&L. Relationships matter, but recurring revenue is what sets your valuation. Reflection: How much of your revenue is secured by contracts vs. one-time sales?
- Your Books Tell the Truth. Clean, accurate financials can instantly raise your sticker price. Many owners think they’ll get a big payout, only to find sloppy accounting drags down value. Reflection: If you had to sell tomorrow, could you prove your profit?
- Profit First is a System—Not a Straitjacket. Austin loves Profit First because it forces owners to prioritize profit—but he stresses that you must adapt the allocations to your business, not force your business to fit the book. Reflection: Where do your Profit First allocations need adjusting?
- Obsess Over the Labor Efficiency Ratio. For every $1 in total labor costs (including admin, taxes, contractors), service businesses should aim to generate about $2 in gross profit. This simple ratio is often the fastest lever for boosting margins. Reflection: What’s your current labor efficiency ratio with and without owner labor?
- Run on a Simple Weekly Scoreboard. Instead of drowning in a 100-line P&L, Austin runs his firm with five weekly metrics: Sales activity (lead generation), New client onboarding experience, Operations consistency, Cashflow & receivables, Customer service response time (the “Queen Bee” role). This keeps the team aligned, accountable, and focused on leading indicators that drive real results. Reflection: What five numbers would tell you if your business is winning or losing?
- Fix Process Before People. If a metric stays in the red for three weeks, Austin first checks the process before blaming the person. Only after validating the process does he shift focus to coaching or replacement. Reflection: Where might broken processes—not bad people—be costing you profit?
Key Takeaway:
A business that runs on clean books, clear systems, and a handful of key ratios isn’t just more profitable today—it’s more attractive to buyers tomorrow. Stop guessing by your bank balance. Start running the scoreboard that investors (and your future self) will thank you for.
About Austin McMillan:
Austin McMillan is the founder of Flywheel Financial, an accounting firm that helps business owners scale with financial clarity and build companies of lasting value. He believes healthy businesses create healthy families, and healthy families create healthy communities.
Links:
https://www.flywheel.financial/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/austindmcmillan/
Conclusion:
At the end of the day, buyers don’t purchase your hustle—they purchase proof. Proof in the form of recurring contracts, clean books, efficient labor, and systems that keep a business running smoothly. Austin reminds us that profitability isn’t just about bigger numbers on the top line—it’s about clarity, discipline, and building a machine that works whether you’re in the office or not.
The businesses that win—whether you keep them or sell them—are the ones designed with profit and process at the center. Start small: track the right five numbers, implement Profit First in a way that fits you, and focus on turning every $1 of labor into $2 of profit. Do that consistently, and you’ll create a business worth keeping… and worth buying.
#ProfitFirst #CashFlowFix #BusinessProfit #FinancialClarity #SmartScaling #LaborEfficiency #Scorecard #ServiceBusiness #BusinessValuation #OwnerPay #EntrepreneurFinance #RevenueLeaks #SystemsAndProcesses #SmallBusinessGrowth #ProfitMindset
Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@profitanswerman
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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.