“Better isn’t better, different is better. So get different.” – Mike Michalowicz Building my first two businesses taught me that the only way to get in front of the people who need you is to master marketing, and that has nothing to do with mastering an actual marketing plan. Any marketing plan is just fiction if you can’t get prospects’ attention in the first place. Our own fear of standing out is the number one reason why we struggle to get noticed. People lose the game of marketing because they play by the rules—rules that don’t even exist. If you’re looking to nail your marketing strateg ..read more

 Know what your marketing needs? It needs to pass the blink test. “Ok, ok, Mike, what in the world is the blink test?” Picture this: You’re scrolling (and scrolling) through your social media feed, bombarded with ads left and right. In the blink of an eye, you decide whether to stop and engage with a post or keep on scrolling. That, my friends, is the blink test in action. You have one millisecond to make an impression. The blink test is inspired by the concept of the “blink” or “thin-slicing” phenomenon, where individuals make quick judgments or decisions based on limited information. It’s s ..read more

 Ah marketing. If there’s anything we learned from this video, it’s that marketing has a very real trial and error aspect to it (and, that even my butt flex at the end didn’t translate into sales!). I have two questions for you: What was your best marketing idea? What was your worst?  Business owners get these ideas (usually inconveniently in the middle of the night or in the shower) and think, “THIS is it! This will be the idea that my prospective clients and customers won’t be able to resist!” Yet they do. Many of them do resist. And many of them never even noticed your marketing at ..read more

 Since writing Profit First, I’ve heard quite a few comments (and eye rolls) over the word, “profit”, itself. This always makes me curious. What’s so bad about making a profit? Making a profit gets a bad rap. Here’s why: Misconception about profit: Some individuals might associate profit with greed or exploitation, believing that it comes at the expense of others. This misconception overlooks the fact that profit is essential for the sustainability and growth of businesses. Negative corporate practices: Instances of unethical business practices, where profit is pursued at the expense of empl ..read more

   At its core, Profit First is all about flipping the script on traditional accounting and prioritizing profit from day one. One of the key pillars of Profit First is percentage allocation—the art and science of dividing your revenue into different buckets to ensure financial health and sustainability. Let’s break it down step by step and explore how to allocate percentages using the Profit First method: Profit (5-10%): First things first, let’s talk about profit—the lifeblood of your business. With Profit First, we flip the script and prioritize profit over expenses. Allocate a percen ..read more

   Life’s journey can be complex – including our business journey. In Search Of You, by Kasey Compton, beautifully captures the essence of finding joy when the usual path falls short. It’s a captivating read that has the power to transform perspectives. Kasey is a therapist, business owner, and author. In our interview, we talk about, well, a lot. From how we’ve evolved as people, business owners, and leaders to the realization that what our ideas of fulfillment were before we started our business have evolved too. And mostly, how to maintain joy in the journey. One big takeaway for me f ..read more

  Man, do I get hassled about  the Profit First formula.  Let me be clear, I do believe following the GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting  Principles) is important so that when the time comes, you  are prepared to submit taxes,  financial statements for investors. However, using the GAAP as your  primary accounting method is the wrong way to grow a  hugely profitable business.  Replacing GAAP to track spending, enhance cash-flow  management and assess the health of your company makes sense, you may just be afraid to go against what “everyone&n ..read more

How many decisions did you make for your business last year? Decisions to solve a problem, fix a mistake, decide whether or not to take advantage of an opportunity, add a new product or service to your offerings, or try a new marketing strategy. No doubt you made a lot of decisions last year and put out a lot of fires. Phew. Now, let me ask you this: Did any of those decisions move your business forward in a big way? Did your company see record growth? Were you able to step back from the grind of doing all the things and let your team run things? Did you make a significant impact in your cli ..read more

Those two specks on the right side of the photo? My wife and me in Hawaii. (Notice, I am not working.) My question to you: Did you take a summer vacation? Did you take a four-week vacation? Did you know that as of July 2nd, 2022 was half over? No pressure, just thought I’d you know, remind you. Here in the States, the summer is winding down. Kids are getting back to school, and folks are getting back to their routines. I know that for some, a four-week vacation sounds like a lofty goal. Once upon a time I too subscribed to the old-school mentality that stepping away from my business for e ..read more

If you feel like you’re stuck in a grind and want to get more time to do what you love, I want to remind you about game-changing strategies that transform the way you run your business and reclaim your precious time. I know we often find ourselves trapped in a never-ending cycle of working in our businesses rather than on them. We’re constantly putting out fires, handling day-to-day tasks, and wearing multiple hats. The result is this leaves us little time to focus on the big picture and design the business of our dreams. And the life of our dreams. You need to create systems and processes t ..read more