Stuck at $5 million in revenue? You’re not alone. Strategic advisor Alexis Sikorsky reveals why growth stalls at this critical threshold—and how to break through.

The culprit? Founder exhaustion that goes beyond burnout. Most CEOs remain entangled in daily operations, confusing urgent tasks with important ones. The fix starts with ruthlessly delegating everything that doesn’t require your unique expertise.

Financial blindness compounds the problem. Whether you’re reviewing numbers quarterly or drowning in 200-page reports, you need a focused dashboard of 10-20 key metrics updated monthly.

Finally, scaling demands experienced leadership. Consider fractional executives who bring C-level expertise without full-time costs. Sikorsky’s nine-figure exit proves these strategies work when executed correctly.

Visit us on Apple Podcast. You can also find SalesPOP! On all major podcast stations.

Small business equipment financing operates with minimal regulation, creating opportunities for exploitation. Understanding common scams helps entrepreneurs secure legitimate funding while avoiding costly mistakes.

The “approval trap” involves fake pre-approvals with unrealistic rates. Companies collect upfront payments—first month, last month, documentation fees—before shopping your deal to actual lenders. Hidden contract language makes these fees non-refundable regardless of outcome.

Fair Market Value leases present another risk. Automatic renewals activate unless you notify the company within specific timeframes before expiration. Business owners have paid five to seven times the equipment value by missing these deadlines.

Red flags include pressure to pay quickly, vague fee explanations, lack of verifiable business presence, and rates that seem too good to be true.

Due diligence matters: Research companies thoroughly through BBB and online reviews. Demand written fee breakdowns. Ask direct questions about payment terms and lease endings. Track all deadlines with calendar reminders.

Legitimate lenders welcome questions, maintain transparent practices, and earn payment only when delivering actual financing.

Visit us on Apple Podcast. You can also find SalesPOP! On all major podcast stations.

We often chase a number in a bank account, thinking it equals freedom. But what if the way you earn that money is actually trapping you?

In this episode of the Expert Inside Interview, John Golden sits down with real estate titan Gino Barbaro. Co-founder of a portfolio managing over $450 million in assets, Gino breaks down his journey from the grueling grind of restaurant ownership (“buying a job”) to the freedom of multifamily investing.

But this isn’t just about real estate cap rates. It’s about the psychology of wealth. Gino introduces the concept of “Happy Money”—income that aligns with your values—versus “Unhappy Money,” which breeds stress and burnout.

Visit us on Apple Podcast You can also find SalesPOP! On all major podcast stations.

If your retirement strategy feels like riding a daily market rollercoaster, it’s because you’ve been playing by Wall Street’s rules. The standard advice—heavy on 401(k)s, mutual funds, and bonds—leaves your entire financial future dangerously exposed to volatility. This reliance on “cookie-cutter” portfolios is the single most prominent blind spot in modern retirement planning.

As institutional strategist Ben Mohr highlighted on the Sales POP podcast, the path to true financial resilience lies outside the public market. The solution is uncorrelated assets—investments whose returns aren’t tied to the S&P 500.

This is where life settlements come into play. For decades, these unique, non-market-linked assets have been a staple among the ultra-wealthy. A life settlement is simply the purchase of an existing life insurance policy from a senior who no longer needs it. The investor pays a premium and eventually collects the defined death benefit.

Visit us on Apple Podcast You can also find SalesPOP! on all major podcast stations.

Are you wasting time chasing billion-dollar funds that will never write a check your size? A critical mistake in startup fundraising strategy is targeting the wrong investors. The key to successful funding lies in aligning your capital needs with the investor’s fund size and expertise.

In this actionable segment, industry veteran Jeffrey Fidelman peels back the curtain on investor qualification and the strategic importance of choosing partners who bring more than just financial resources to the table. We’ll teach you how to analyze a fund’s typical check size and portfolio focus to optimize your outreach.

Critical Insights for Better Outcomes:

• Money is Just the Start: Learn to evaluate investors based on their style—do you need a hands-on strategic partner or just a capital source? We share the reference questions you must ask other founders in their portfolio.
• 18-24 Months of Runway: The New Rule: Forget the 12-month budget. Discover why raising for 18 to 24 months is non-negotiable for mitigating desperation and providing your team with the necessary buffer for execution and pivoting.
• Capital Deployment: The Investor Litmus Test: Investors scrutinize your plan for efficient use of capital. We break down how to prioritize spending on product development and customer acquisition and why realistic burn-rate tracking is more important than rapid, unnecessary hiring.

Stop networking and start qualifying. This episode serves as your playbook for building long-term, value-added investor relationships.

Visit us on Apple Podcast You can also find SalesPOP! on all major podcast stations.

Don’t mistake high income for financial freedom. That’s the hard-earned lesson from CPA and tech strategist Catrina Craft. After losing 80% of her income overnight, Catrina realized that true wealth isn’t about how much you earn, but how much you strategically protect.

In this powerful episode, we break down the critical tax strategies and structural changes every entrepreneur, coach, and consultant must implement now to achieve resilient financial security.

Key Takeaways & Actionable Insights

1. The Tax Code is Your Strategy Manual

Most entrepreneurs only use the tax code for compliance. This is a massive missed opportunity. Catrina stresses that the tax code is designed to incentivize business investment and real estate ownership. Stop paying the maximum and start planning proactively.

• ACTION: Hire a CPA who specializes in proactive tax strategy, not just year-end preparation.

2. Your Entity Choice is a Tax Decision

Thinking your LLC is enough? Think again. An LLC is a legal structure, but how you’re taxed (S Corp vs. C Corp) is the financial game-changer. An S Corporation can dramatically reduce self-employment taxes, but it mandates paying yourself a “reasonable salary” through formal payroll to avoid IRS red flags.

• ACTION: Review your current business entity with both a CPA and an attorney to ensure your structure maximizes tax efficiency and liability protection.

3. Non-Negotiable Financial Compliance

Co-mingling personal and business finances is the quickest way to dissolve your asset protection. The IRS and courts view mixed funds as a reason to “pierce the corporate veil,” exposing your personal wealth.

• ACTION: Immediately establish dedicated business bank accounts and set up a formal payroll system if you operate as an S Corp.

🔥 Listen to learn the blueprint for using the tax code to engineer, not just hope for, lasting financial freedom.

Visit us on Apple Podcast You can also find SalesPOP! on all major podcast stations.

Are you a self-employed professional finally ready to build absolute financial security? We recently spoke with Chartered Financial Adviser Lisa Conway Hughes, and her message is clear: the path to freedom starts with financial discipline. Here are the three non-negotiable foundations for sustainable small business money management.

1. Build the Financial Firewall (Immediately!): The single most prominent mistake entrepreneurs make? Mixing personal and business accounts. This is a massive legal and tracking hazard. From day one, you must open separate bank accounts for your business. Then, pay yourself a regular salary from your business account into your personal one. This simple step professionalizes your operation and creates a legal “firewall” that protects your personal assets.

2. Master the Feast-or-Famine Cycle: Entrepreneur cash flow is rarely linear. To survive the unpredictable nature of sales, you need a substantial buffer. Lisa advocates for an aggressive approach: aim to build a business emergency fund (or “War Chest”) equivalent to 2–4 years of operating income. While this is a long-term goal, start with a 6-month reserve and consistently grow it to insulate your business from economic shocks or prolonged client payment cycles.

3. The 15-Minute Tax Discipline: Don’t let tax season be a massive, terrifying surprise. Treat tax planning as an ongoing, weekly task. Dedicate just 15 minutes to setting aside funds. A smart benchmark? Save 25% of all income for taxes, and save another 25% into a separate Profit Account. This proactive approach ensures you always have the capital you need, eliminating cash-flow crises and setting you up for scalable growth.

Visit us on Apple Podcast You can also find SalesPOP! on all major podcast stations.

Investment advisor fraud is a growing concern for entrepreneurs, often beginning with subtle red flags. So what does a scam actually look like, and how can you recognize the signs before it’s too late?

Financial expert Timothy Smith shares critical insights, explaining that most fraud schemes rely on a few common tactics. They promise “guaranteed” high returns with no risk. They pressure you to move money off established, regulated platforms and into private, opaque investments. And they lack transparency, refusing to provide clear, detailed statements on where your money is held.

Visit us on Apple Podcast You can also find SalesPOP! on all major podcast stations.