I Took My Eye Off the Numbers

This week, in episode 190, Jay Goltz tells Shawn Busse and Jaci Russo that, while he’s always been good with numbers, he’s never really enjoyed tracking his finances. It’s not what drove him to start a business, and over time, he stopped paying close attention. But now, after seeing his inventory levels and some big expenses get out of control, he’s diving back into the numbers and pretty much serving as his own chief financial officer, something he says he should have been doing all along. Plus: Shawn explains how one book and a specialized accounting firm and a monthly routine have gotten him comfortable with his numbers. And Jaci says it took years for her to learn to ignore the accountants who always gave her the same advice: Cut expenses. Instead, she tells us, “We've spent the past probably eight years really right-sizing what we charge. And now I feel like I can breathe.”

Om Podcasten

The 21 Hats Podcast presents an authentic weekly conversation with small business owners who are remarkably willing to share what’s working for them and what isn’t. Unlike many business podcasts, which tend to talk to highly successful entrepreneurs whose struggles are in the past, the 21 Hats Podcast features a rotating cast of business owners who are still very much in the trenches fighting the good fight. Every week, our regulars gather to talk about the kinds of important issues many owners won’t even discuss behind closed doors: whether their businesses are as profitable as they should be, whether they are willing to give up some control to an investor in order to grow faster, why they had to lay off employees, how they wound up with way too much inventory, why they don’t have a succession plan, and even why they are concerned about their own mental health. Visit 21hats.com to hear all of our podcast episodes, read episode transcripts, and learn more. The show is produced by Jess Thoubboron, founder of Blank Word.