From Subfloors to Cash Flow: A CPA’s Journey to Profitable Small Business | Marika Ponton

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Marika Ponton, CPA and founder of Profit Truths, shares how she built, sold, and pivoted her way to helping business owners find clarity, profit, and calm. From Big Four beginnings to entrepreneurial coaching, Marika reveals how small business owners can master their numbers, reallocate marketing spend, and finally take control of cash flow.

🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube:
The Small Business Safari on YouTube

💡 GOLD NUGGETS (Key Moments)

• Big Four lessons that translate to small business grit
• Why networking beats waiting for franchise leads
• Subfloor to sales: detailed quotes as a differentiator
• Selling while you’re the rainmaker and still getting value
• Financials that tell a story buyers trust
• Marketing spend benchmarks by industry and region
• Fixing gross profit before chasing net profit
• Judgment-free coaching and honest KPI dashboards
• Cash flow tactics, payroll timing, and owner salary
• Benchmarking, reallocating ad spend, and growing margin

🔗 Guest Links

Marika Ponton – Profit Truths
• Website: https://profittruths.com

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marikaponton

🌍 Follow The Small Business Safari

• Instagram | @smallbusinesssafaripodcast

• LinkedIn | Chris Lalomia

• Website | chrislalomia.com

From the Zoo to Wild is a book for entrepreneurs passionate about home services, looking to move away from corporate jobs. Chris Lalomia, a former executive, shares his path, discoveries, and tools to succeed as a small business owner in home improvement retail. The book provides the mindset, habits, leadership style, and customer-oriented processes necessary to succeed as a small business owner in home services.

Episode Transcript

S (00:00):
SPEAKER_03

SPEAKER_04 (00:01):
SPEAKER_04
She is very, very, very, very,very, very.

SP (00:07):
SPEAKER_03
Very beautiful.
SPEAKER_04
Uh, not doing politics here, butdon't want Trump on the podcast.
You wouldn't?
I wouldn't.

SPEAKER_ (00:15):
SPEAKER_03

SPEAK (00:16):
SPEAKER_04

SPEAKER_03 (00:17):
SPEAKER_03

SPEAKER_04 (00:18):
Because it wouldn't be about you.
Right.
We know ourselves here.
I can't have him on there.
Oh.
Room's not big enough for thetwo of us, big guy.
It's true.
We're doing the deal.
Yeah.
I admit it.
I get a big ego.
All right.
But but I would share the stage.
No, I wouldn't.
All right.
Let's get back to shall we?
Falsely magnanimous.

(00:38):
There's no way it's happening.
So uh if on the other side, justin case you're wondering what's
that, I wouldn't do it withObama either.
Unless we were doing a final, wewere doing the final six.
So you want to get Governor Kempon the show.
100%.
And I'll share the stage.
And I will Yeah, that'd beinteresting.
Because that guy has done somereally good things.

SPEAKER_00 (00:55):
SPEAKER_00

SPEAKER_04 (00:56):
And uh he is for me and my business.
Yes.
The moves he's made, I'm totallycurious.
Welcome to the Small BusinessSafari, where I help guide you
to avoid those traps, pitfalls,and dangers that lurk when
navigating the wild world ofsmall business ownership.
I'll share those gold nuggets ofinformation and invite guests to
help accelerate your extent tothat mountaintop of success.

(01:16):
It's a jungle out there, and Iwant to help you traverse
through the levels of owningyour own business that can get
you bogged down and distract youfrom hitting your own personal
and professional goals.
So strap in Adventure Team andlet's take a ride through this
safari.

(01:39):
Alan, we're gonna drop it to thefloor today.
I'm flowing from bottom up.
I'm coming from the bottom.
I'm working my way up becauseyou got to start at the bottom.
You gotta start at the floorsometimes in your business and
your life, whatever's gottahappen.
But if you don't have a greatfoundation, you can't go up.
You know what I'm saying?
I'm saying, huh?
Follow me?
Start from the floor.

(02:00):
Wax off the way up, wax off.
That's right.
Miyagi's in the house, baby.
I have a great guest today.
I'm excited.
You are a little excited.
I am.
I'll tell you why.
I have uh rekindled to take yourpills.
I rekindled our relationship.
Is that a wood joke?

SPEAKER_03 (02:14):
He's good at that.

SPEAKE (02:15):
SPEAKER_04
You like that?

S (02:16):
SPEAKER_03
bat.
So I don't think kindling andowning a flooring business
should be in the same joke.

SPEAKER_04 (02:25):
Oh, but it's wood.
I I would if I would if I could.
Chuck Chuck.
Here we go.
All right.
Can we restart this?
Guys, we have a great guest.
So what did Alan and I do?
What do we have in common?
Well, we both were in thecorporate world.
And we are both, grantedly,we'll say it, successful.
Oh.
We were.
We were bald.
We are both bald.

(02:46):
Bald.
We are both have faces built forradio.
Exactly.
So he can fill in the gaps here.
This is like mad libs.
So uh we definitely have a guestwho definitely not as bald as us
and definitely not as badlooking as us.

SP (02:58):
SPEAKER_03
You're not as bald as us.

SPEAKER_04 (03:02):
I mean, your life is complete.

SPEAKER_02 (03:04):
SPEAKER_02

SPEAKER_04 (03:04):
I've been I've been known as the uh Cyreno de Bra
Debragerat, whatever you say.

SPEAKER_0 (03:11):
SPEAKER_00

SP (03:13):
SPEAKER_04
She had that job.
She's getting it out, everybody.
That's why we do it.
Hey, you're driving around herein Atlanta.

SPEAKER_03 (03:21):
It's legendary in my family.

S (03:22):
SPEAKER_04
driving around in Tasmania.
And I've got to believe you canget across Tasmania quicker than
you can actually get fromDecatur, Georgia to Johns Creek.
That's two suburbs of Atlanta at5 p.m.
Which Atlanta, the only placeyou're always an hour away from.

SPEAKER_03 (03:37):
Especially when you look at the map, it's not that
far down.
No, not at all.
And it's not at all.
A horrible drive.

SPEAKER_00 (03:43):
SPEAKER_00
But you know, look what I get tocome hang out with.

SP (03:46):
SPEAKER_03
You know, life's decisionamazing the path that he uh
chooses to walk.

SPEAKER_04 (03:52):
All right, let's get into it, guys.
Marica is here, and um, we metbecause she bought a franchise
in the floor coverings world.
Um, so I don't want to say thename of the franchise, but I
think we just kind of gotthrough to it.
And um she met the she talked tothe guy that we used to work
with, and he said, Hey, youmight want to talk to Chris.

(04:12):
And so she she texted me andsaid, Hey, would you be willing
to give me um some time just totalk about what I've done to
myself?
She'd say it like that.
I'm like, sure.
So where do we go?
She uh graciously enough comesup to my office out of the cater
into Norcross, but she says,Look, I'm kind of a bubble tea
gal, so we have to go to abubble tea place.

(04:32):
And uh I went and I did.
I said, uh, okay, I I okay.
I don't even know what thatmeant.
I actually had to look it up.
I talked to my daughter andtexting her.
I'm like, what's bubble tea?
She goes, Dad, you're so old.
I'm like, I know.
So we we met, and uh immediatelyI knew that she was too sharp
for the world she was gettinginto.
But she had she had thatoptimism we all have when we

(04:57):
start a business.
I had it.
Alan, you remember those days.
I do you vaguely even if you Ithink she will look back and she
will go, Chris, you gave me somegood advice, but you told me it
was a great idea.
And I was like the whole timetelling her, Oh my god, get out,
get out, get out.

SP (05:11):
SPEAKER_00

SPEAKER_04 (05:13):
I was trying so hard to tell you to get out, but but
the bubble tea was so good.
But the bubble tea was good, andI was chewing it.
Yeah, it was chunky tea.
You're like, ooh, bubbles.
I chunk, I had chunky tea.
That's it, not just bubbles, itwasn't effervescence, it was
bubbles.

SPEAKER_03 (05:26):
No, no, they're like little gummy balls, yeah, yeah.

S (05:28):
SPEAKER_04
I was ready for it, and I didhave one.
But what we learned is that shedid come, and uh, I I feel like
I feel like I was giving hersome good advice.
I don't know if it was or not.
She's about to tell us, and youguys will figure it out after
four years whether this adviceis any good or not.
But um, maybe it stuck, maybe itdidn't, maybe she doesn't even

(05:50):
remember that, except that Itook bubble tea at in on Jimmy
Carter Boulevard.
So Marika is here, so she hasleft the world.
She is actually out there tohelp you get your project.

SPEAKER_03 (05:59):
She's wondering why she drove from Decatur.

SPEAKER_04 (06:02):
Oh no, she's gonna so Marika, let's back up.
Now we'll not talk about Chrisjust yet.
What were you doing before youdecided to start your own
business?

SPEAKER_00 (06:11):
Makes perfect sense.

SPEAKER (06:12):
SPEAKER_04

SPEAK (06:13):
SPEAKER_00
in big public accounting firms.

S (06:19):
SPEAKER_04
SPEAKER_00
Really?
I thought they would bedifferent.
You just kind of go and no, no,that's the same, just different
colors.

SPEAKER_04 (06:29):
Yeah, she was in all the big four.
Um, and she didn't audit littlecompanies, she audited some big
companies and some heftyaccounts, bro.
Absolutely.
I mean, she saw some seriousnumbers and worked some serious
hours.
That's one thing.
What would you say?
Uh I go back because I was anAccenture, you know, and I feel
like that training for me wasamazing.

(06:49):
Right.
What would you say were some ofthe best traits that you picked
up from that that helped you inyour business?

S (06:55):
SPEAKER_00
Traits.
The treats were good.
They always tried to bribe youwith treats.
Of course they did.
The traits were here.
I can tell you exactly what itis.
I mean, other than just, youknow, knowing how to read and
manage a financial statement,what it really was, and this is
for every single business owner,anyone current or going,

(07:15):
thinking about getting intobusiness, it was hey, here's
your new client.
You don't know anything aboutit.
It's in an industry you knownothing about, learn it.
And that is what set me up forsuccess in every single business
I've ever owned.
Is that it's the grit.
You're going to go learn, you'regoing to go dig in, you're going
to figure it out.

(07:36):
When I bought the flooringcompany, I remember thinking in
one of the trainings, they weregiving us, you know, all about
the basics of flooring.
And I remember thinking, what'sa subfloor?
I remember you asked me.

SPEAKER_04 (07:49):
SPEAKER_04
Good.
You did.
Exactly.
You said it's like you said thesubfloor thing.
So what is that?
What should I be knowing atwhat's right?
What should I be looking for insubfloors?

SP (07:57):
SPEAKER_00

SPEAKER_04 (07:58):
SPEAKER_04

S (07:58):
SPEAKER_00
Think about really that is howlittle I am.
We all know, I want all of us,but you know, those of us that
know anything about constructionnow.
I mean, the subfloor is thewhole thing.
You gotta know all about it.
It's so important.
And I laugh about it now becausethat's how oblivious I was, and
I went and bought this company.
I learned, I learned a lot, andI learned all the details, and I

(08:22):
did very well in the flooring.

SPEAKER_04 (08:24):
So she went in to uh and it's a franchise system, and
I knew uh three other ownersbesides her.
Um, all three are out of it.

SPE (08:32):
SPEAKER_03

SPEAKER_04 (08:33):
SPEAKER_04
And I would tell you that theother three besides her would
not say the same story.
No, they would not say I wassuccessful, I was happy, I was
satisfied with my exit.
I will no, none of them, not theother three to a person will say
no to all of it.

SPEAKER_03 (08:51):
What did Marika do different?
Let's find out.

SPEAKER_00 (08:54):
Well, going back to you said asking, was that advice
you gave me good?
It was, of course, if you knowChris.
Also, it's all Chris throw itdown exactly.
His advice, I mean, it was justit was kind of like what I would
tell anyone starting like learn,dig in, get out there, meet
people.
And I that was my nature anyway,even though you wouldn't think a

(09:15):
CPA was like that.
That's some of mydifferentiator.
And I did that.
I networked, and he had told meto do that as well.
So that's where I started.
And that's where when all thethings, you know, close down
when your Google leads aren'tcoming in or marketing's not
working, your relationships aresending you business.
And I got commercial jobs fromthat from relationships, not

(09:38):
from spending money on you know,leads coming in from digital
marketing.

S (09:43):
SPEAKER_04
And uh, Alan uh obviously has abackground in franchising, not
only as a franchise owner, butit actually went and helped the
franchise.
When they buy that business,they sit there in that office
and they go, All right, we're myleads.
All right, help me make money.
And it's not that way at all, isit?
There's nothing.

SPE (10:01):
SPEAKER_03
this uh process and that you'resupposed to follow it and then
it's supposed to work, but thenyou kind of find out like you
did.
Okay, that that's a good start.

SPEAKER_00 (10:14):
SPEAKER_00
I mean, there is a base, yes.

SPEAKER_03 (10:16):
So how do you how do you make your business say I'm
assuming you sold the business?
I did.

SPEAKE (10:20):
SPEAKER_00

SPEAKER_03 (10:21):
And when you are the rainmaker, how do you sell the
business and extract and get thevalue that you want when you're
the key?

SPEAK (10:29):
SPEAKER_00

SPEAKER_ (10:30):
SPEAKER_03
A key?
I could rainmaker.
I couldn't I couldn't come upwith a Rainmaker S.
Yeah.
So did you notice it was a goodquestion, even though it was
like it was a good question, butyou didn't really land the
planet.

SPEAKER_04 (10:41):
I didn't we're gonna give you a half credit on that
one.
No, no, no.
I think it's it's full credit, alittle asterisk, maybe.
Oh, okay.
You give yourself full credit onstocker.

SPEAKER_00 (10:48):
Okay, that's it's a good question because I'll I'll
tell you why.
How did I do that?
It's what my current business isnow that was created out of all
this experience from being inpublic accounting, owning
multiple businesses, how did Isell it successfully?
It all goes back to yourfinancial statements, owning

(11:08):
them, living in them.
They don't have to be perfect,but do they tell the story of
this business well?
And that's what I do, and that'swhat I help business owners with
now.

SPEAKER_03 (11:20):
See, not only was it a good question, it's set up.
Great answer because she does.
It is it was I said good.

SPEAK (11:27):
SPEAKER_04
She was excited.
Way to go, Alright, perfect.
So she said, Are you calling meCaptain Obvies?
Yes, you were definitely, andyou're you're I mean your arm.
Have you broke your arm slappingyourself on the back of this
one?
I mean for the love.
Come on, we gotta keep moving.

SPEAKER_03 (11:41):
For once, I bring a little attention to myself.
Be here, you're out and Chrisgets jealous, he does, and then
suddenly easily extra faces kindof, yeah.
I'm right, yeah.
You can look me up on YouTube.
All right, I mean, why aren'tyou sitting here where I am?
I'm in the middle.
Look at this.

SPEAKER_04 (11:58):
We look at me, I'm in the middle.
We because Alan, I'm giving youa little show, I'll give you a
little extra time on YouTube.
You go check him out, he's inthe middle with a great
question.
But let's go back to Marika.
Can we please all right?

SPEA (12:08):
SPEAKER_00
though.

SPEAKER_04 (12:10):
Again, it was yeah, it was good because let's
reflect on that for a moment.
Um, no, we'll come back to that.
So you sold the flooringbusiness again.
It's a man's world big time.
Uh, but you that's a terriblefollow-up question.

SPEAKER_03 (12:22):
No, no, we got her set up to talk about how she
helps people.
All right, fine.
Preparing the statements and allthat.

SP (12:27):
SPEAKER_00
Is a man's world, it is a man'sworld.
But if you can find your ownconfidence in anything you do,
it doesn't have to be flooring.
I stuck out like a sore freakingthumb in flooring, but find your
what are makes you different.
And there was something.
I love the design aspect, I lovethe colors, but also it was a

(12:49):
combination.
Having someone who has acorporate background that can
that is a numbers person thatcan go in with these quotes that
I would do that were detailed,you know, specific.
And that just made me stand outthat much more.
People are not expecting that inflooring.

SPEAKE (13:06):
SPEAKER_04
unicorn because you're able todo the design, and that's the
aesthetics, the uh dream withme, but also given the
analytical and the background.
And I think as a customer,that's where they're up again.

SPEAK (13:18):
SPEAKER_00
with.
It wasn't just like slapsomething out, pump it out,
close it in the home.
Um, I went home, I wasthoughtful.
You know, hey, how much quarterround specifically do we all
those little things that wentin?
So when they got that quote, itwas real and they respected that
and appreciated it.
And my follow-ups were on pointbecause I came from corporate.

(13:42):
SPEAKER_04
You knew you knew that aprofessional uh so you exited
the flooring business, and thisis where um I did not know much
about the next.
So, what did you get into again?
Well, you you brought anothercompany.

SPEAKER_00 (13:53):
What did anyone to I did because this fabulous gal, I
think you know Essie, um, I hadused Office Angels when I was in
the flooring company because Icouldn't in the beginning, I
couldn't afford, nor did I needa full-time person right away.
But you still need that adminhelp.
You still need people helpingyou.
So I utilized this outsourced,outsource office services for

(14:16):
someone to answer the phones,set appointments, and that
person helped me grow thebusiness significantly.
And I didn't have to, you know,hire the person full-time
because I couldn't afford it.
And that's what I tell peoplenow.
If you can't afford it, don't doit because it'll take you down.
There's other ways to get help.

SPEAKER_03 (14:34):
You mean you you're uh so most people would say go
for it.
I mean, you know, think big,dream big, absolutely, and
invest, and then you'll growinto it.

SPEAKER_00 (14:43):
But it's your bottom line.
Can you afford it?
Is it gonna take you down?
I mean, there's if you canafford it and it makes sense,
yes, take a chance, but not tothe point where it's going to
cripple you because those threepeople, multiple other
franchisees, did things likethat.
They went and bought warehousesand hired all these people, they
couldn't afford it.
And I saw the financials.

(15:03):
They would come to me and askme, Hey, what's going on?
Why am I not doing well?
I can tell you very easily.
So, look, if it makes sense, doit absolutely.
But if it doesn't be real withyourself, you don't have to hire
a full-time person right away.

SPEAKER_04 (15:19):
And that's where you help people uh with that gut
check, with that be real withyourself.
Because as an entrepreneur, itis easy to not be real with
yourself.
So you did things a little bitdifferent than a lot of us
because I would have said, I'lljust uh I'll sell my way out of
it.
Yeah, I'm gonna grow my revenue,I'm gonna grow my top line.

SPEA (15:35):
SPEAKER_03
you gotta build theinfrastructure, right?

SP (15:38):
SPEAKER_04
Marika's talking about, right?
It's that because you can youcan go out there and say, I need
a I need a fractional CFO.
I'm not gonna get the whole CFO,I'm just gonna fractional.
I'm just gonna get a piece ofCFO.
All right.
And then you go, huh, did yougrow your sales?
Did it help you win?
Is your bottom line better, oris it worse?
Oops, a daisy.
And usually, let's face it, itis worse for a little while

(16:00):
because you got to adjust.
Yeah, it's gonna be more expensethan it is profit, but you got
to be busting your butt to getthat revenue up, right?
Right, yeah, right.

SPEAKER_00 (16:08):
And again, it might make sense.
You know, you might bestruggling for a little while,
but get advice, get someone elseto look at it.
Don't just go cold withoutgetting let's talk this through.
Does this make sense?
Because I also saw a lot ofwell, you want to look like
you're running this big company,you've got these employees, and
things are happening, but youcan't even pay yourself.
I mean, how are you buyinggroceries?

(16:30):
But you've got employees, so itlooks good.

SPEA (16:32):
SPEAKER_04
My vanity line looks reallygood.
I've talked about that in mybook.
I am killing it, bro.

SPEAKER_00 (16:39):
I got exactly I've got a lot of vanity.

SPE (16:42):
SPEAKER_04

SPEAKE (16:43):
SPEAKER_00
It's rusty.
Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_04 (16:45):
It's called From the Zoo to the Wild.
The vanity line looks reallygood.
But the sanity line, there aredays, there are weeks.
Bumping up against that.
Well, let's call it like it is.
There are years in my 17 yearswhere I go, How'd that sanity
line look?
Um, like I was insane.
I was totally insane.
Right.
Um, never missed a payroll, butalso didn't pay myself for a lot

(17:07):
of the 17 years.
Um, I gotta go back and total itup because I used to say it was
a lot higher, but I think it'sdown to three of the 17 where I
did not pay myself.

SP (17:16):
SPEAKER_03
gotta have a company that youcan pay yourself first with.

SPEAKER_04 (17:20):
SPEAKER_04

SPEAKER_03 (17:21):
And I'm like, didn't that didn't happen for how does
that work out?
Yeah, exactly.
Didn't happen for this guy forthree years.
But I still pay yourself firstand then you'll be, you know,
murdered in the parking lot.

SPEAKER_0 (17:31):
SPEAKER_04
That's the I was about to tell,I was gonna bring that up in our
last episode.
Is that uh look, uh the lasttime uh handyman uh worked when
I said, Hey, don't worry aboutit, man.
I'll pay you lotto tickets.
Hey, don't worry about it.
I'll catch you next week on yourpaycheck.
Yeah, it was a 100% zero, neverhappening.
Right because if they don't getpaid, they're gone.

S (17:50):
SPEAKER_00
And I'm a hundred percent alwayspaying your people before
yourself.
But let's look at how are wegetting paid?
How am I making this?
What's all this effort worth?
I gotta be getting something outof this, right?

SPEAKER_04 (18:03):
The juice gotta be worth the squeeze.
Yeah, Marika's gonna help youwith that.
All right, so what business didyou because I'm dying to know?
You left flooring and you went,oh my god, if I never see
another freaking hammer or floorin my life, I'm fine.

SPEAKER_03 (18:14):
Wow, wait, can I can I ask one before that?
Why why did you sell thebusiness?
It was doing well.

SPEAKER_00 (18:19):
It was doing well.
My mom got sick again.
Oh, and I was the main person, Iwas the rainmaker.
If you weren't out there,flooring is not something that
you get recurring revenue allthe time.
It is, you know, a seven-yearturn, usually.
Every now and then you can getsomething, but if you're not out
there hustling, you need to begetting jobs all the time.

(18:40):
And that was becoming too muchof a struggle taking care of my
parents.

SPEAKER_01 (18:43):
SPEAKER_01

SPEAKER_00 (18:43):
SPEAKER_00
So I needed something where Ididn't have to be the one out
there selling.

SPEAKER_04 (19:48):
So you got the exit, you got what you wanted.
All right.
Of course, we always want more,but we got what we wanted.
Yeah.
And then you went back, tookcare of mom.
And by the way, that's when werekindled our relationship.
She said that she's uh actuallyvery close to mom and dad, doing
a lot of helping them in thehouse, which again, as the
sandwich generation that Ellenand I are, um, uh, we kind of

(20:09):
know what we're up against.
Um, in fact, uh dad's up inMichigan.
The sandwich are we again?
Oh, we're right in the middle,bro.

SPEAKER_03 (20:15):
SPEAKER_03

S (20:15):
SPEAKER_04
Yeah, we got we got we had asandwich raising our kids.
I'm mad.
And next thing you know, nextthing you know, your kids have
gone.
Yeah.
So so you went back, did theright thing.
I again you can't get back thosedays.
I know we absolutely Alan and Ihave talked about this before.
Could could we we would allcould do we could trade a lot of
money right now for a couplemore days with our parents,

(20:38):
exactly.
But yes, you so you've done it,you did that, then you decided
to leap back in.
So, what'd you leap back into?

SPE (20:44):
SPEAKER_00

SPEAKER_04 (20:47):
So you bought Essie out.
I did.
I did not know that.
Yes, I did.

SPEAKER (20:50):
SPEAKER_00
And it wasn't even, I didn'teven that wasn't anything on my
radar.
I when I sold the flooring, Iwas like, I'm just gonna go do
my own thing, bebop around andfigure out what I'm gonna do
while I'm taking care of myparents.
She approached me and said, Whatdo you think about buying my
business?
Because we had been workingtogether through the flooring
business.
And I said, Hey, no, hey, no, ohno, thank you.

(21:14):
And you if you know her, um, sheis persistent.
She is, she is persistent, andshe's a wonderful, you know,
business person.
And the more I learned about itand the more I saw about it, it
made sense.
So, yes, I bought it.

SPE (21:28):
SPEAKER_04
these years.
Okay, yes, right.
So you buy office angels, whichthey say part-time, I can give
you a bookkeeper, uh,receptionist, everything you
need, everything, all the officestaff absolutely put together on
an outsource basis.

SPEAKER_03 (21:43):
How hard was that to just buy a business from a
friend?

SPE (21:48):
SPEAKER_00
Oh boy, yeah, really, truly.
I mean great question.
Yeah, it was.
He is good, yes.

SPEAKER_ (21:56):
SPEAKER_04
No, I should give you extra twopoints on that thing for the
next podcast.
I would for this one, it's stillzero.
Yeah, you got one self-greater.

S (22:05):
SPEAKER_00

SPEAK (22:08):
SPEAKER_03

S (22:09):
SPEAKER_00
this person, it makes it harderto make change, you know, it
makes it harder to do things inthe business long term,
especially a business uh withthat kind of longevity of 25
years.
And you're like, Yes, yes.
So then, and you know, thatperson is revered and loved.
Um, so highly recommend.

(22:32):
I mean, look, you you can do it,but you need to think about
things.
And that's also again going backto what I'm doing now and what
I'm focusing on, taking allthese things I've learned to
help people in theirtransactions.
All right.
SPEAKER_04
does kind of actually know whoshe is.
And if he doesn't, he knows thata lot of people in Johns Creek

(22:53):
do know who she is.
Absolutely.
Her networking years.
Um you networked in with theoffice angels everywhere.
Um, so did you sell thatbusiness as well?
I did.
And so you've it's a church.

SPEAKER_00 (23:05):
Buying their candy.
They're candy.
I mean, buying it.

SPEAK (23:08):
SPEAKER_03
Yeah, I just know this as she istoo.

SP (23:12):
SPEAKER_00
life, buy the business.
When it doesn't, sell thebusiness.

SPE (23:19):
SPEAKER_03

SPEAKER_00 (23:20):
SPEAKER_00

SP (23:21):
SPEAKER_03
So, what was the catabolism forselling this one?
SPEAKER_00
It was all the years of peoplecoming to me, like I mentioned
before.
How are you successful?
How are you doing this?
How can I be more profitable?
Help me.
And I was doing that on the sidefor free for years.

SPEAKER_03 (23:45):
I should be making money for years.

SPEAK (23:47):
SPEAKER_00
Angel, we'd be talking aboutthis, that, or the other thing,
they need an admin, they need abookkeeper.
Then, oh, they'd open up andstart telling me things.
I'd say, let me take a look atyour financials.
Happy to.
And that kept happening so much.
And they'd come back, oh, thatwas such good advice.
What else you got for me?
Well, I finally profitabilitycoached myself and I said, This

(24:07):
is a need.
People need it, want it, they'recoming to me, and I love doing
it, which is why I was doing itfor free all those years.
I loved it, a ton of joy.

SP (24:16):
SPEAKER_04
Like, this is what I should bedoing.
Find your passionate if youdon't work another day, right?
SPEAKER_00
I mean, public accounting, Imean, never felt that a day in
public accounting.
I mean, it was a grind.
But yes, that's what it was.
So it was like, I really onlywant to focus on one thing, and
that's this.
It's the profitability coaching.

S (24:38):
SPEAKER_04
Yes.
And get back to it.
And I absolutely well, this isamazing.

SPEAKER_03 (24:43):
SPEAKER_03
So the two businesses that yousold, what vehicle did you use
to sell them?

SPEAKER_ (24:48):
SPEAKER_04

SPEAKER_03 (24:49):
SPEAKER_03

SPEAKER_04 (24:50):
SPEAKER_04
Always bet on yourself.
That's why you do it.
That's why you get intobusiness.
And she found a way to sellbecause I would tell you that
the franchise way would have notyielded nearer the success and
nearer the out uh output thatshe would.
To find the franchise way.
The franchise way is you go backto them and say, I want to get
out, and they go, Okay, well,you're under this, you're under

(25:11):
that, you're under this.
And um, we take our fee and wefind somebody else who's a joker
and uh and they go run yourbusiness and run into the ground
so they can sell it again.
Yep, I call it like it is.

SP (25:22):
SPEAKER_03
uh with the option with thisone, I'm feeling better.

SPEAKER_04 (25:29):
I'm feeling better about this one.

SPEA (25:31):
SPEAKER_00
You know, there's brokers,absolutely.
You can do it on your own.
I mean, there's so many ways.
Don't feel like you're stuck.

SP (25:40):
SPEAKER_04
Uh, every business that goes upfor sale, what's the percentage
that actually gets sold?

S (25:45):
SPEAKER_03
It's less I mean, it's kind oflike we don't want that
information to be out therebecause all the small business
people would not be happy, notdo anything.

SPEAKER_04 (25:55):
Well, the reason is, I mean, I for me, I think the
number one reason is um I thinkmy business is worth at least
two billion dollars as ahandyman company here in a left.
Thank you.
Yeah, he rounds up a little bit.
I I I I tend to embellish mynumbers, um, especially when it
comes to my bandity line.
Anyway, uh, but yeah, so gottabe realistic here.

SPEAKER (26:17):
SPEAKER_00

SPEAKE (26:18):
SPEAKER_04
SPEAKER_00
Tight, is or tight clean.
Is there tight to anybody today?

SPE (26:24):
SPEAKER_04
Today, yes.
Uh, when I met Marika, no.
I told everybody they were and Ihad to get them straight, and I
did.
Um, we've been flying straight,you know, 17 years in business.
And yes, guys, uh, you guys haveheard me talk about this.
I am still thinking and workingon an exit.
When?
I don't know.
How?
Don't know yet.
Well, I bet on myself, a hundredpercent.

(26:46):
Yes.
Uh so when Marika said, how'dyou and you asked the question,
how'd you do it?
She goes, Me.
I'm like, I know.
I don't know if I need abusiness.

SP (26:53):
SPEAKER_03
I mean, what how what did youdo?

S (26:57):
SPEAKER_00
I mean, it's not like I'm goingout door to door.
Okay.
Um, but then it was, I did notuse anybody for any services
whatsoever.
But you have to remember, I'm aCPA, I've been through this, I
have the technical skills to dothat myself.
So I do recommend people stilltalk to people, get a proper

(27:17):
valuation, get this stuff upfront.
I mean, going it alone, yougotta look at your own skills
and your own experience.
But as far as the sales and theclosing, that was a hundred
percent me.
And that's why it happened soquick.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_ (27:32):
SPEAKER_04
I'm ready to switch a hundredpercent.
You ready?
Let's go or Chris one.
Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 (27:38):
SPEAKER_00

SP (27:38):
SPEAKER_04
SPEAKER_00

SPEAKER_ (27:40):
SPEAKER_04
Let's do this.
All right, tell me about yourchildhood.
So no, no, no.
Let's go back to the code.
No, let's go.
This is really simple.
CPA.
Yeah.
Revenue minor cost of goods soldis gross profit.

SPEAKER_02 (27:50):
SPEAKER_02

SPEAKER_04 (27:51):
Gross profit minus the rest of the shit is net
profit.

SPEAKER_02 (27:54):
SPEAKER_02

SPEAKER_04 (27:55):
When you go look at companies and you've been
looking at a lot of companiessince you started this, where is
our biggest problem?

SPEA (28:01):
SPEAKER_00
Oh, yeah.
I I mean it is.

SPE (28:05):
SPEAKER_03
That's one of those.

SPEAKER_00 (28:07):
SPEAKER_00

SPEA (28:08):
SPEAKER_03
Apparently she says greatquestion a lot, but stop it.

SPEAKER_02 (28:11):
I mean, just trying to, you know.
She likes to be better.

SPE (28:16):
SPEAKER_00

SPEAKER_01 (28:18):
You really got loud, loud.
Damn it.

SPEAKER_00 (28:20):
SPEAKER_00
Do you know one of the biggestthings I see?
And people think all I do isjust cut costs.
I really hear that all the time.
Oh, you're just gonna tell me tospend less.
No, right, not at all.
Oftentimes, not spending enoughin the right areas.

SPEAKER_ (28:38):
SPEAKER_04
Where should we spend more?
Or where have you seen and we'rejust with like a detailed plan?

SPEAKER_00 (28:42):
SPEAKER_00
I mean, it depends on thebusiness.
This is the CPA answer.
I mean, the attorney kind ofsounds like an attorney, but I
see a lot in marketing.
Not spending enough in the rightthings.

SPEAKER_04 (28:55):
So that's a big one.
I think um, because I I actuallyjust went through this where um
I've had to downsize a littlebit of my business because it
wasn't going the right way.
Um back to looking at my ownnumbers.
Revenue minus cost of goodssold.
GP looked like shit.
So I got rid of it.
Okay, I had to make a hard call.
And then I said, All right, waita minute, let's look at my
advertising.

SP (29:14):
SPEAKER_03
NP.

SPEAKE (29:17):
SPEAKER_04
Oh, guys, please, you gottawatch those numbers.
And I watched them and I startedseparating the divisions,
started really looking at it.
But to Marika's point, I justsaid that.
Uh I went, hmm.
So I could slash my advertisingbudget because I was going after
this part, which is theremodeling, or I could shift

(29:38):
that money over to handyman andstart killing handyman for a
day, which is what we talkedabout a little bit earlier.
And that's where I've seen someuptick already.
But so advertising, and that'syou know, everybody says, Oh,
give me a percentage, give me apercentage.

SPEA (29:51):
SPEAKER_00
You can't no, each business,each industry is so vastly
different, and that's somethingI really I utilize a lot of very
specific industry um informationbased upon the specific industry
codes where we can pull downyour competitors' info based on
revenue, based on region, but inthat specific industry code, and

(30:12):
that's often where I start.
Let's see what everybody else isdoing.
Where are you at?
And that pops things so quick,so quick.
I mean, and one of them inparticular, just recently, it
was you know, the hundredcompetitors or whatever it was
in that same industry code inthe same region were spending
four percent on marketing, andthis company was spending 0.03.

(30:34):
Oh.
I mean, and you wonder why salesare flat.

S (30:38):
SPEAKER_04
Right.
What am I doing wrong?

SPEAKER_0 (30:40):
SPEAKER_00

SPEAKER (30:41):
SPEAKER_04
You need to spend more money.
No, I need another answer.
Uh, what else do I need?
Um, you need to spend more moneythere.
No, no, no.
Give me another one.

SPEAKER_00 (30:47):
How obvious, right?

SP (30:49):
SPEAKER_03
you do need to know it's a badad plan.

SPEAKER_00 (30:54):
SPEAKER_00

SPEAKER_03 (30:54):
SPEAKER_03

SPEAKER_00 (30:55):
SPEAKER_00
So it's all let's look at thedata.
Let's look at the data.
I mean, it could go either way,but we want to assess it.

SP (31:01):
SPEAKER_04
I mean, think about that.
She just found a hundred of yourcompetitors and said, Hey, look,
here's what the other people aredoing.
I mean, I wouldn't even know howto do that.

SPEAKER_00 (31:10):
Because you have to have specific software.

SPEAKER_04 (31:12):
SPEAKER_04
Oh, yes.
You get with Rika, you getspecific software.

SPEAKER_00 (31:17):
SPEAKER_00
It's very powerful, verymeaningful.
I mean, I love it.
Yeah.

SP (31:21):
SPEAKER_04
Yes.
She is very, very, very, very,very.
The most powerful hair.
She has way better hair.

SPEAK (31:27):
SPEAKER_03
Very meaningful.
Very beautiful.

SPEAKER_04 (31:31):
And I'm gonna call it like it is.
Uh not doing politics here, butdon't want Trump on the podcast.
You wouldn't?
I wouldn't.

SPEAKER_ (31:37):
SPEAKER_03

SPEAK (31:38):
SPEAKER_04

SPEAKER_03 (31:38):
SPEAKER_03

SPEAKER_04 (31:39):
Because it wouldn't be about you.
Right.
We know ourselves here.
I can't have him on there.
Oh.
Room's not big enough for thetwo of us, big guy.
It's true.
We're doing the deal.
Yeah.
I admit it.
I get a big ego.
All right.
But but I would share the stage.
No, I wouldn't.
All right, let's get back torooms, shall we?
Falsely magnanimous.

(32:00):
There's no way it's happening.
So uh if on the other side, justin case you're wondering what
it's like, I wouldn't do it withObama either.
Unless we were doing a final, wewere doing the final six.
So you want to get Governor Kempon the show.
100%.
And I'll share the stage.
And I will be able to do that.
Yeah, that'd be interesting.
Because that guy has done somereally good things.
Yeah.
And uh he is.
For me and my business, yes, themoves he's made, I totally

(32:23):
cheering.

SPEAKER_0 (32:25):
SPEAKER_03
about, Chris.
After four years.

SPEAK (32:31):
SPEAKER_04
In fact, uh, he's still on thehook.
He said he would do it after hegets out of office.
He did?
He did.

SPEAKER_ (32:37):
SPEAKER_03

SPEAKER_04 (32:37):
I got a confer I got a confirmation on that.
I don't never leave office.
I don't know if we have termletters in Georgia, but there
shouldn't be.
Unfortunately, he's gonna haveto leave.
All right, so let's get back toour audience that's in Tasmania,
Australia, um, over there inEurope.
But we've got to talk.
Marica has a very unique namehere for where is it from?
It's German, isn't it?
Greek.
Greek.
Marica.

(32:59):
Marica.
Say your last name.

SPEAKER_00 (33:01):
Pontin, not Greek.

SPEAKER_02 (33:02):
SPEAKER_02

SPEAKER_00 (33:03):
SPEAKER_00
Well I didn't uh she did, butshe was ponton.
I mean, all you need is Marika.
I mean, come on.

S (33:11):
SPEAKER_02
She's like Cher.
She is Cheryl.
Yeah.
She is Cher.
I'm right.
It kind of looks like Cher too.
I mean I mean she does.
Let's call it like it is.
We're turning back time.
We are that way.
That's good.

SPE (33:27):
SPEAKER_03
All right, let's wait forsomebody to break in the song.
Oh, I can't think.
But uh it's coaching.
Interesting.
How about that?
Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 (33:36):
SPEAKER_04
Let's go back, shall we?
All right, so here we are.

SPEAKE (33:41):
SPEAKER_00

SPEAK (33:42):
SPEAKER_04
So how many people do you workwith at a time?

SPEAKER_00 (33:46):
It's one-on-one, the coaching.

SPEAKER_04 (33:47):
SPEAKER_04

SPEAKER_00 (33:48):
You know, 10 to 12 clients because we're going
deep.
It's one-on-one.
That's my focus.

SPEAK (33:55):
SPEAKER_04
I know because when I when I metyou and uh we rekindled the
relationship.
We did.

SPEAKER_03 (34:00):
She's been the third time you've dropped the Kindle.
It's worse every time.
No, you're not thinking anyother kind of woods.

SPEAKER_00 (34:06):
It was a rekindling.
We hadn't seen each other inyears.
It was nice.

SPEAKER_04 (34:11):
We mopped the floor up.
No, I don't know.
I try.
I'm digging now.
All right, back to this.
But she uh she said, Hey Chris,it's going really well.
And you're like, okay, yeah,yeah, yeah.
But then again, I did rememberour first conversation.
She kept it very real with me,and I felt like I kept it real
with her.
And I was like, Good.
Because you always get thatperson who says, Oh, I'm killing
it.
Oh, I'm killing it.
Right.
You're like, all right.

(34:31):
But I was like, no, you knowwhat?
She actually was very understoodabout it.
Yeah.
Uh it she kind of mentioned thatshe was doing all right.
I was like, no, we got to getyou on the podcast because I
want to hear about this.
Because I think a lot of peoplecould benefit from that.
Basically, what is she?
She's a fractional CFO with abusiness owner with a business
background.
She can look at your books andprobably within 30 minutes,
probably tell you the stuff youdidn't want to hear.

SPE (34:54):
SPEAKER_03
Oh honey.

SPEAKER_0 (34:58):
SPEAKER_00
No honey.
I'm from the West Coast.
Oh.
But there is my whole brandbased around judgment free.
And that's very importantbecause a lot of the stories
I've heard of people I've talkedto over the years, not even just
when I started Profit Truths.
Well, I don't want to showpeople my books is embarrassing.
I've made a mess of it.

(35:18):
I, you know, what are you goingto see in there?
And I understand that.
So I've seen a lot of othercoaches as well berate people
for what's in those books andmake them feel bad and shame.
And that is the exact oppositeof what I am going to do.

SPEAKER_04 (35:35):
She does not shame you at the book.
There's no shaming on the book.
Because why?
Because you're already there.
Right.
You're taking it to yourself.
We all have the imposter.
I mean, we all I already do haveshame.
Yes.
A lot of shame.
I mean, I did not want to showanybody my books.
You know, when that when thecoach came into our mastermind
group and said, Hey, I candissect your books.
And again, in 15 minutes, heactually said, I don't know much

(35:56):
about your business, but why isthat wrong?
I'm like, so is this 15 minutesmore?
I'm done.
Right.
Bye-bye.
I've already got that out ofthere.
Oh, so bad.

S (36:05):
SPEAKER_00
That I do not want that.
That does no good because wewant to change things.
We want to fix things.
And going forward with feelingshame, you're just going to
close down.

SPEAK (36:15):
SPEAKER_04
Because we do, because again, asentrepreneurs, we have that grit
you talked about early on.
And then we also have that uhthat just eternal optimism that
we will fix everything righttomorrow.

SPE (36:25):
SPEAKER_03

SPEAKER (36:28):
SPEAKER_00
That's the name.
I mean, the name of my brand isProfit Truths.
I was gonna say bad news, butit's truth, which can be good or
bad.
It's all in the delivery, whichis why I was so good in flooring
and the sales.
I mean, that's sales.
It's like I need to sell this toyou, so you want to do something
to change it.
I don't want to make you feelbad.

(36:49):
It's in that delivery of how yousay it.
But it's always gonna be candid,it's always gonna be truthful.
We're not gonna gloss over andsay this is good if it's not
good.
What's the point?

SPE (37:00):
SPEAKER_04

SPEAKER_03 (37:02):
SPEAKER_03
Yes.
Go look it up.
Alan.
So how do you deliver the badnews?

S (37:09):
SPEAKER_00

SPEAKER_03 (37:10):
So you give them a lollipop.

SPEA (37:12):
SPEAKER_00
There's no lollipops, buthopefully we've done work to
build them up to find out what'simportant to them.

SPEAKER_04 (37:20):
I just want to bagel first.
No.

SPEAKER_ (37:23):
SPEAKER_00

SPEAKER_04 (37:24):
SPEAKER_04

SPEAKER_00 (37:25):
SPEAKER_00

SPEAKER_ (37:25):
SPEAKER_04

S (37:27):
SPEAKER_00

SP (37:28):
SPEAKER_01
Right.
Yeah.
But you have to build up to it.

SPEAKER_00 (37:30):
You've got to build up and knowing again what's
important to them, that's how westart the coaching.
It's like, what is your goalhere?
Because everyone's is different.
Some people, of course, want togrow so they can exit.
Some people want to grow or justeven stay the same, but take
more time for themselves in thebusiness.
There's so many different goals.
What is their freedom look like?

(37:51):
And that's where we start.
And then so when you have togive challenging news or news
that they don't want to hear,challenging, good.
Yeah, exactly.
They you've already fucked.

SP (38:01):
SPEAKER_03
We don't say that.
Why would you done that?

S (38:05):
SPEAKER_00
So we're not hiring for othercoaches.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (38:12):
SPEAKER_02

SPEAK (38:13):
SPEAKER_00
None of that.
I mean, again, it's not likesoft and cushy and they do.
And I give it.
But we've got to know, they'vegot to know that I have their
back and I'm trying to make thembetter and help them make more
money.
And when we start with that,again, what is their freedom?
What does it mean to them?
Then the news that is morechallenging comes easier because

(38:35):
we know we're working towardsthat positive goal.

SPEAKER_04 (38:37):
So you interview a client.
Uh, let's go through uh becausewe're coming towards the end.
So we're interested in yourservices.
What's that first call looklike?
What's that?
Tell us what you because you'reprobably interviewing us as much
as you're in there.

SPEAKER (38:48):
SPEAKER_00
What do you think this is?
That's right.
Yeah.

SPEAK (38:51):
SPEAKER_04
Do we not like Marica?

SP (38:53):
SPEAKER_03
Oh, I got that already.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
There's a certain niche, evenquite the profile.
Yeah, ideal client profile.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It's tight.
We are not the avatar.

SPEAKER_00 (39:03):
SPEAKER_00
It is a conversation.
Speak for it.
Is what I would say.
It's an absolute, it is likethis.
It's a conversation.
I'm learning about them as aperson.
I'm learning about theirbusiness.
I'm learning about what'simportant to them.
I'm learning about what keepsthem up at night.
That's such a cliche, but it'strue.
Because I think you said that.
I will never forget one of thethings you said to me when we

(39:25):
had that bubble tea.

SPEAKER (39:27):
SPEAKER_01

SPEAKER_00 (39:28):
SPEAKER_00
You said, you know, makingpayroll has kept me up at night
in years past.
And that stuck with me.
It did.
It's like you're thinking aboutthat.
How do we make that?
And that's all goes back to cashflow.

SPEAK (39:40):
SPEAKER_04
Or queen.
Or queen.
Sorry.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Yes.
Sexus on my brain.

SPEAKER_00 (39:45):
SPEAKER_00

SPEAK (39:46):
SPEAKER_03
Y'all.
Again.
Y'all.
Cash is emperor.

SPEAKER_04 (39:49):
SPEAKER_04
I'll do cash is Empress.
Don't damn it.

SPEAKER_00 (39:53):
SPEAKER_00
Is it really?

SP (39:55):
SPEAKER_04
Either.

SPEAK (39:57):
SPEAKER_00
I just I like Queen because it'sdifferent.
SPEAKER_04

SPEAKER_00 (40:00):
SPEAKER_00

SPEA (40:01):
SPEAKER_04

SPEAKER_00 (40:02):
SPEAKER_00

SPEAKER_04 (40:03):
Um, can I do that?
Uh we'll come back to that one.
All right.
So cash is cash is important.
Very revenue, though.
That's and you gotta get thosesales.
Yep.
But you got to bring thosethings in because that brings
the cash, right?
And you're uh you're right,Marika.
That has kept me up.
And you think after 17 years,um, it doesn't, and it does.

SPEAKER_02 (40:22):
SPEAKER_02

SPEAKER_04 (40:22):
You're like, oh boy, this is a big week.
Oh my god, this is threepayrolls in one month.
Oh boy, suck it up.
Six months with the threepayrolls.

SPEAKER_02 (40:30):
SPEAKER_02

SPEAKER_00 (40:30):
So like, how'd that happen?

SPEAKER_04 (40:32):
I would say, even in my business, back to cash flow
management in my business withuh carpenters and uh painters,
plumbers, electricians, used tobeing paid on the weekly.
Yeah, I pay my guys on thebi-weekly.
And I have I can't tell you howmany people come out to me when
I tell them that they're like,No way, how'd you pull that off?
I'm like, I did.
And I told them why because theyknow it's coming.

(40:53):
Because they know it's coming.
And then we also have atraining, and one of our
trainings was financialmanagement.

SPEAKER_00 (40:58):
SPEAKER_00

SPEAKER_04 (40:58):
Like, I can pay you what you earned, I can pay you
what you're worth, I can pay youwhat you've done this month, but
I cannot help you spend less.
You have to actually take what Igive you and spend less than
what I give you.
And guess what?
You come out ahead.
So we give them financialmanagement help, but that's a
different story for this.

SPEA (41:18):
SPEAKER_00
I'm gonna say though, just whatyou just said, it gave me chills
because what you did was I hadto.
Come on.
I had to because talking aboutit.

SPEAKER_04 (41:30):
Yeah, talking about it.

SPEAK (41:31):
SPEAKER_00
my business.
Let's talk about it.
If you don't talk about it,things get uglier.

SPEAKE (41:38):
SPEAKER_04

SPEAKER_00 (41:38):
Yeah, in anything in life, right?

SPE (41:40):
SPEAKER_04
Give us the uh website, let's gocheck you out.

SP (41:45):
SPEAKER_00

SPEAK (41:48):
SPEAKER_04

SPEAKER_00 (41:49):
Of course, I live on LinkedIn.
All right, yes, Marika Ponton.
Yes, you can't find there's notthere's no one else.
Yeah.

SP (41:57):
SPEAKER_04
I mean Marika.

SPEA (42:01):
SPEAKER_00
Yes, yeah, beautiful.
No, find me on LinkedIn, a lotof good thoughts on there, a lot
of digging into um just ideas ofhow to improve your business.
That's all what my marketing is.

SP (42:15):
SPEAKER_04
So too.
Yeah, we've had some fun withit.
Quick, but I know it has, but wegot to go with the final four
questions.
Oh, let's go.
You ready?
Yep.
What is a book you wouldrecommend to our audience that's
not your own?
I know one's coming.
Or Chris's.
Of course, Chris's has beenabout, but a book that I would
recommend.

S (42:35):
SPEAKER_00
it is called The Courage to BeDisliked.

SPEAKER_04 (42:40):
SPEAKER_04
It is don't know that one.

SPEAKER_00 (42:42):
That oh you knew Oh, you haven't read that?

SPEAK (42:45):
SPEAKER_04

S (42:46):
SPEAKER_00
I can't lean into that one.

SPEAKER_04 (42:49):
I I've actually I've written that down.

S (42:51):
SPEAKER_00
Actually, that's the author.
Yeah, no, um, no, the courage tobe disliked.
It is, it's the one I always sayI should know the author off the
top of my head.
But it is you can only almostread a chapter at a time because
it's so intense, it makes youthink so much, and it just all
goes back to your confidence inyour own self.
It's okay if everyone doesn'tlike me.

SPEAK (43:14):
SPEAKER_04
I love it.
All right.
Next question What is thefavorite feature of your own
home?

SP (43:23):
SPEAKER_00

S (43:25):
SPEAKER_04
thing.
Get what I did with that fromthe floor.
Top floor.
So there's a floor.
But see, so now your teeth don'tjiggle when you're driving up
the driveway.
SPEAKER_00
What it actually was, my housewas built in the 50s, so it just

(43:45):
had the one just very thindriveway.
So you'd just be like one afterthe other.
Well, then I got another car,but I wasn't getting rid of my
awesome FJ cruiser.
So then it was like I wasconstantly backing out and
having to pull this one in andback, and you've I was using
this one, so it was like Iextended the width, which just
changed so you can just pull inon either side one car.

(44:08):
I mean, simple, but like lifealtering.
SPEAKER_04
Do you want a boat?
Yes.

SPEAKER_03 (44:16):
Do you want a jet?
Uh, I would like to have a jet,yes.

S (44:21):
SPEAKER_04
pull your car in and out withoutany moving around of anything
when your kids are gone?
Yeah, yes, right.

SPEAKER_00 (44:30):
It was just I fought it for a long time, but then it
was just like once you commit todoing it and you then it
happens, I mean, how did I livewithout this?

SPEA (44:38):
SPEAKER_04
Yeah, it's silly.
No, it's not silly.
Yeah, this is exactly what we'retalking about.
Oh, I gotta have that jet.
I want the big go fast boat.
I want the I want, you knowwhat?
I want the fountain boat thatabsolutely blows people away on
my little lake up the mouths.

S (44:53):
SPEAKER_03
people flying off their boatswhen you think ride in danger
fields.
I know.
Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 (44:59):
I do see it, yeah.
Yeah, I'll just but what do Ihave?
A little 26-foot pontoon boat.
I can't blow anybody away, butmy speaker system.
But it's cute, but it's cute.
Yeah, it's the entire lake knowswhen I'm out there.
Yeah, it's not cute.
They don't love me, but I do,and I could rock it out, baby.
All right, Stevie Ravon, let'skeep going.
So we haven't talked about this,but we have talked about a
little bit.

(45:20):
Customer service is one of thebig things because we're kind of
customer service freaks.
Oh my I mean what's a customerservice pet peeve of yours when
you're out and you're thecustomer.

SPEA (45:29):
SPEAKER_00
Oh, she's I mean, well, I mean,it's just but you know what?
I'm gonna go back to like I saidabout the driveway.
It is a simple thing, truly.
It's in customer service to me,it's simple as well.
Thank you, please.
Those little tiny just nicetiesinstead of rolling up on my
table with a tune on your face,like, why are you here?

(45:52):
Almost that I just I mean, howcan even a business owner even
allow that?

SPE (45:57):
SPEAKER_04
Alan, uh, I know Alan's aChick-fil-a freak.
Uh, I just was at a conferenceseminar, right?
The my pleasure did not comefrom Chick-fil-A.
True Kathy saw that at anotherrestaurant and I said, I think
we should do this.
We should be asking, we shouldbe saying this.
Uh, that's according to this guywho told the story.
And I was like, there you go.

(46:18):
I mean, it's not that heoriginated it, but he rocked it.
He rocked it.

SPEAKER_00 (46:22):
Yes, he took a good level.
So, I mean, just the niceties.
Don't have a snarl on your face.
That just kills me, and it'severywhere.
I'm like, it just makes me wantto leave.
Why am I here?
What am I doing here?
Why am I spending money here?
Happens all the time.
It's sad.

SP (46:40):
SPEAKER_04

SPEAKER_03 (46:42):
You know, it was in the what?
Oh, I see.
Oh, oh, okay.
Oh, yeah.
Okay.
How about bad parenting?
I went to just bad parenting.
I went into uh no, I mean it hasto be my logic here.
No, no, it's terrible.
I mean, I just moved my son intohis uh high-rise luxury
apartment, you know, down nearGeorgia Tech.
Night, and it just nobody'sholding a door for somebody
that's got an arm full of stuff.

(47:02):
Yeah, and and they're actuallytrying to push their way in
front of you instead of like,oh, let me help you with that.
Who is teaching these kids?
No one, that's the problem.

SPEAKER (47:11):
SPEAKER_00

SPEAKER_03 (47:11):
It's like, oh, you can become a little engineer and
stuff, but hey, you throw alittle bit of pleasantry in
there and world as your oyster.

SP (47:18):
SPEAKER_00
thing in business, too.
And anything you do, just youstand out if you're nice.
100%.
I mean, that's sad.

SPEAKER_03 (47:29):
Actually, you know what I was going?
Really sad.
I tell a lot of people, I'mlike, you think it's you versus
eight billion people.
Well, we can eliminate a lot ofpeople with education, and we
can eliminate the rest withmanners.
It's you against about 20 otherpeople.

SPEAKER_ (47:42):
SPEAKER_04
I was going with a totallydifferent business plan.
Al and I are gonna start thewe'll smack your kids for you.

SPEAKER_00 (47:49):
We should there is potential there.

SPEAKER_03 (47:51):
I think I'm the last generation where I actually had
an arrangement with my neighbor.
He's like, he goes, If you catchmy kid, you know, you can beat
him.
And I'm like, Okay, well, youcan do the same for mine.
Yeah, right.

S (48:01):
SPEAKER_04
board.
Chris had to run a little bit,and he wasn't the fastest kid,
but but I got for you.

SPEAKER_03 (48:10):
I got yeah, my god.
You were you were determined,yeah.

SPEAKER_04 (48:13):
Only only one of my friends broke his arm uh because
he was at my house and my dadkeep pulling up the driveway.
I'll never forget this one.
And they had the samearrangement.
His dad told my dad, if you seeour kids doing something stupid,
and what were we doing?
We were on the we were on ourgarage roof, which is a
standalone garage, and uh, wewere up there when my dad came
in jumping up, and so he jumpedoff, broke his arm, and uh we

(48:34):
were in football season and hewas our nose guard, and uh I was
not happy about that.
And what did I do?
Dad, why'd you do that?
And he goes, Uh, what were youdoing on our roof?
I'm like, let's not get there.
I was I was I was a negotiatorfrom the beginning, and then I
had to start running because Ithought he was gonna run me over
there and have his dad be my soI know oh yeah, it was on.
I mean, hey, back to Manders,yeah.

(48:56):
Yeah, so I wish you talked aboutthat much.
Yeah, all right, last one meansa lot.
So I know you're in flooring, Iknow you've had a lot of
contractors, but we want a DIYnightmare story that you did.
What did you do?
I'm talking about putting nailsthrough fingers, uh, which I've
done.
You can see them, they're bad.
Um, I want to talk about floods,fire, or making daughters cry.

(49:17):
That was another one we justheard.
That's a new one.

SPEAK (49:21):
SPEAKER_02

S (49:22):
SPEAKER_04
That did because my daughter hasnever cried on that one.

SPEAKER_03 (49:29):
SPEAKER_03
I think your daughter's made youcry more than you you've made
her cry.

SP (49:34):
SPEAKER_04
probably right.
Even though I've tried her.
She's just uh I've raised atough, independent young lady.

SPEAKER_02 (49:42):
And how old is she?

SPEAKER_ (49:43):
SPEAKER_04

SPEAKER_02 (49:44):
SPEAKER_02
Yeah, there we go.

SPEAK (49:45):
SPEAKER_04
She's tough and independent.
But yes, um, so DIY nightmarestory.

S (49:51):
SPEAKER_00
I I haven't done a lot.

SPEAKER_03 (49:55):
I hire a people you were doing nothing.
It was such a good podcast.

SPEAKER_00 (50:00):
I mean, until then, I let you down.
I let you down.
And here in the 11th hour, wejust went.
I let you down.
Yeah, you know what?

SPEAKER_04 (50:07):
SPEAKER_04
Profit truth.

SPEAKER_00 (50:09):
I mean, I don't have time.
I'm doing too much in mybusiness.
Yeah, I mean, really, you knowwhat I'll say?
It's not me, and I shouldn't dothis to my dad.
My dad did something.
Does that count?
Does it sure would yeah?
He put on, I won't tell him Iwas on this podcast.
Um, he put on one of thosecovers when it gets cold to like

(50:33):
protect your faucet.

SPEAKER_04 (50:35):
SPEAKER_04

SPEAKER_00 (50:35):
Because that's all I mean, you should, right?
Here in the south, we don't haveto do a lot.
Right.
Not here.
This was back in the west.
Okay.
I guess something went wrong.
It wasn't put on right, or maybeit was left on too long.
I don't know.
But it backed up something.
The pipes froze and couldn't getout, and it blew out my whole

(50:57):
condo talk.
When you said flood, that's theone thing I thought of.
And it flooded the entire condo.

S (51:02):
SPEAKER_04
I love doing that, especiallybecause now you're dad and
everybody.
Dad.
Right.
Yeah.
So now what's she doing?
She's helping dad, helping mom.
Oh, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 (51:10):
Where out was that was in Reno, Nevada.

SPEAKER_04 (51:13):
SPEAKER_04
Yeah, so cold.
Biggest little city in theworld.

SPEAKE (51:17):
SPEAKER_00

SP (51:17):
SPEAKER_04
All right, guys.
Prophet Truth, Marica.
No last name necessary.
No, none.
You will find it.
Yes, correct.
She's only taking a select fewpeople.
So you might want to go try tofind her out.
You could probably take adouble.

SPEAKE (51:31):
SPEAKER_03

SPEAKER_04 (51:32):
And you know what?
Yeah.
Let me know.
Hey, guys, by the way, don'tforget, rate, review us.
Tell us other people you wantedto have on their podcast because
this one was Dino Might.
I was excited to have her onwhen I saw her, and uh, I'm she
did not disappoint Dishi Ellen.
Only the last question.
Last question.

SPEAKE (51:48):
SPEAKER_03
She kind of rallied a littlebit.
Okay.
She did a good.
You know, the onlydisappointment was the three
uses of Kindling.
I mean, come on.
You know, you've got Oh, soyou're bringing me on this.

SPEAKER (51:57):
SPEAKER_04
You know what?
And we're gonna end this podcastright now.
So, guys, it's up to you.
Go ahead and take it.
By the way, you know who runsthis show.
Let's make this show happen.
It's you who runs this show.
Absolutely.
Make it happen.
Keep going up that mountaintop.
It's tough.
You gotta have that grit.
Make it happen.
Know your numbers and make thisshit happen.
Let's go.
Yes.
Thank you for listening to thisepisode of the Small Business

(52:18):
Department.
Remember, your positive attitudewill help you achieve that
higher altitude you're lookingfor in the wild world of small
business understanding.
Until next time, make it great.