Intro: In Episode 5, we go straight to the heart of what it means to build a business that pays you. Too many owners are last in line behind payroll, expenses, and the chaos of growth. It doesn’t have to be that way.
The Shift You Need to Make:
Stop hoping for leftovers.
Start setting your target profit margin first, then pricing and planning around that.
Your business should pay you consistently, not just when there’s money left.
Why It Matters: If you’re not profitable by design, you’re just busy.
You’ll never feel safe hiring
You won’t invest in your team or tools
And you’ll eventually burn out
How to Build a Profit-First Model:
Define your target margin (10%? 20%?)
Back that into your pricing model
Build cost control habits into your operations
Forecast cash flow with margin goals in mind
Final Word: You don’t need to scale to $10M to get paid well. You need a model that puts profit first.