Through the Storm
Each Tuesday, Kurtis talks to a business owner who has gone "through the storm" in their business. In short, our goal is to have real conversations with business owners navigating their hardest financial moments. From cash pressure and margin strain to growth decisions and capital tradeoffs, each episode explores what actually happened when the path forward wasn’t obvious. Hosted by Kurtis Hanni, fractional CFO and founder of Bison CFO, the show focuses on real conversations: what options leaders considered, how decisions were made with imperfect information, and the result that followed. These conversations are designed to help business owners see they’re not alone and ultimately, make better financial decisions by learning from others. Show notes and resources at smbfinanceos.com.
Episodes
Gabe Pluguez started a fitness business at 19 with a simple goal: freedom. What he got instead was two failed business partnerships, a revenue collapse, and a forced rebuild, twice.
This isn't a story about avoiding partnerships. It's about what happens when you skip the hard questions, overlook misalignment, and let urgency override clarity.
Gabe walks through both splits, what caused them, what he missed, and what changed the secon...
Business failure isn't always about making the wrong moves, sometimes it's about not making any moves at all. Kurtis and Travis break down a real client engagement that didn't work out, exposing the structural issues, team dysfunction, and owner disconnection that killed what could've been a viable business. This isn't theory, it's a transparent look at what happens when cashflow bleeds, AR piles up, and no one takes ownership of t...
Clifton Sellers, CEO of Legacy Builder, shares his journey from zero to a $3M run-rate agency in five years. The conversation covers the brutal realities of agency growth including losing half his clients in six weeks, working 16-hour days, and the faith that kept him moving forward. Clifton breaks down the difference between growing and scaling, the professionalization moment that changed everything, and why most agencies fail at ...
Nahuel Hilal built Iris Tattoo from a $7,000 side hustle in Buenos Aires to a multi-million dollar operation across three countries without ever doing a tattoo himself. Then a $400,000 buildout turned into a $1.2 million nightmare, revenue dropped 25%, and he nearly lost everything.
This is the story of how he and his wife fought back, firing the architects mid-project, managing permits themselves, and opening a second U.S. location...
Ryan Ray joins Kurtis Hanni to share his journey through one of the worst storms a business can face: selling a family oil and gas surveying company during the catastrophic March 2020 price collapse and COVID-19 shutdown. Ryan walked into March 2020 with international deals lined up, a diversified strategy in place, and a business that finally didn't require him day-to-day. Within two weeks, every lever he'd built was gone—China de...
In this conversation, Kurtis Hanni and Travis Woods discuss the Business Model Canvas, a strategic tool used to understand and optimize business operations. They explore the roles of a fractional CFO, the importance of identifying customer segments, crafting a unique value proposition, and the various channels for reaching customers. The discussion also covers building strong customer relationships, monetizing value through revenue...
In this conversation, Kurtis Hanni and Brad Smith discuss the evolution of Brad's business, Automation Links, focusing on marketing automation and the challenges faced during a significant transition from freelancers to an in-house team. They delve into the financial struggles caused by chargebacks from clients in high-risk industries, the lessons learned from these experiences, and the importance of vetting clients and having soli...
In this conversation, Kurtis Hanni and Doug Diakite discuss the intricacies of the rent-to-own real estate business, focusing on acquisition strategies, market changes, and the challenges faced during downturns. Doug shares insights on team management, compensation structures, and the importance of adaptability in business. They explore the significance of strategic partnerships and the lessons learned from relying too heavily on a...
In this conversation, Kurtis Hanni interviews Jared Doerfler, the founder of Hanna Golf, about his journey from a golf enthusiast to a successful entrepreneur in the golf industry. Jared shares the inspiration behind starting his putter company, the challenges of manufacturing, and the importance of community engagement. He discusses the financial realities of launching a business, the decision to quit his job, and the growth strat...
In this conversation, Kurtis Hanni and Harrison Bonner delve into the challenges and lessons learned in the real estate business. Harrison shares his journey from initial success in real estate investing to facing significant challenges due to mismanagement and changing market conditions. They discuss the importance of financial literacy, the impact of personal stress, and the need for resilience in entrepreneurship. The conversati...
In this conversation, Nick Anderson, CEO of One Accord, shares his journey in transforming the consulting firm, focusing on improving gross margins and redefining the business model. He discusses the challenges faced in the transition, the importance of data, and how technology plays a role in enhancing service delivery. Nick emphasizes the need for margin discipline and the value of involving the team in decision-making processes....
Most business owners overlook the one critical leverage point that can turn a struggling company into a profitable powerhouse, but not Nick Anderson. In this exclusive sneak peek, he reveals how he completely restructured his business model to boost gross margins from 20% to a level that finally works, for both clients and consultants. This isn’t theory; it’s real-world, behind-the-scenes strategy from a CEO who faced a near-collap...
Our new podcast, 'Through the Storm,' focuses on the real struggles business owners face.
Often we just hear the highlight reels, but it's important
we share the honest conversations about financial pressures and the lessons learned from adversity too.
The podcast aims to create a supportive community for business owners, sharing stories of challenges and triumphs to help others navigate their own journeys.
Stay up to date at smbfinanc...
In this reintroduction of the podcast, Kurtis Hanni outlines the new direction of 'Through the Storm,' focusing on the real struggles business owners face.
He emphasizes the importance of honest conversations about financial pressures and the lessons learned from adversity.
The podcast aims to create a supportive community for business owners, sharing stories of challenges and triumphs to help others navigate their own journeys.
Have you ever seen people living just a little differently and wondered how they built that life for themselves?
In today's interview, I talk to Brian Luebben, who has done just that.
Brian runs a few different businesses but intentionally runs them in a way that creates more freedom for him.
In this episode, we talk about his story, the 3 types of freedom, and why you should prioritize passionate income over passive income.
I talk a lot about the numbers of business, but what are the hidden costs?
Today I break down opportunity cost and sunk cost and how to make decision-making models that account for these and help you avoid the biases that are all too common.
To learn more about these biases, check out my newsletter editions on them:
How to avoid sunk cost fallacy and save your business money
Football, Food, & Opportunity Cost
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Jeff Rose is Certified Financial Planner that 3 years ago sold his wealth management to become a full-time online educator. He has a blog, book, and youtube channel that reaches 400,000 unique visitors to his website per month.
Jeff currently writes for Forbes and Entrepreneur and has been featured in USA Today, Wall Street Journal and Fox Business where he talked personal finance, entrepreneurship and online business.
In this episod...
What is the goal of running a business? I argue that everyone's goal is to create value. Ultimately for themselves, but also for their customers and those around them.
I break this process into 4 elements and identify some ways you can measure the value you're creating.
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In the busyness of life and work, it's easy to get distracted by the things around us.
In this week's episode, I spoke to Joshua Becker, a multiple-time best seller, and his newest book, Things That Matter.
Check out Joshua's work:
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Understanding what key metrics to choose is extremely important. The wrong metric can give you the wrong information. The right metric can help you make better decisions in your business.
In this episode, I break down the 7-step process of identifying the right KPIs.
To learn more, reach out to me here: kurtishanni.com/consulting
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