What if the money sitting in your business bank account isn't actually telling you the truth? A lot of side hustlers manage their income and expenses in a simple spreadsheet, but that's a far cry from an actual strategy. I break down why the traditional profit and loss statement — while necessary for taxes — is backward-looking and doesn't help you make real-time decisions about your money. I introduce a better mental model based on the "Profit First" framework, walk through the four-bucket system for every dollar you earn, and share the exact tool I use to automate the whole process so it doesn't become another chore on your to-do list. Highlights Why tracking income and expenses in a single account is simple, but not a real money strategy The core problem with profit and loss statements: they're backward-looking and don't help day-to-day decision making The "Profit First" flipped equation: Sales minus Profit equals Expenses (instead of the other way around) Why you should plan to pay yourself a profit from day one, not just whatever's left over The four buckets every dollar should be sorted into: profit, owner's compensation, tax, and operating expenses Why side hustlers can often combine the profit and owner's compensation buckets into one The friction problem with manually moving money between multiple bank accounts How automating bucket splits with a business banking app removes that friction Why having a real-time view of your money is more powerful than a backward-looking P&L How this system scales as your business grows more complex (adding buckets for payroll, materials, etc.) Chapters 0:00 — Welcome 1:03 — Why P&L Falls Short 2:54 — Profit First Mindset 5:01 — Four Bucket System 6:37 — Account Friction Problem 7:47 — Automating with Novo 9:03 — Real Time Money Clarity 11:53 — Next Steps and Resources 13:43 — Wrap Up Resources Mentioned Profit First by Mike Michalowicz Novo Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review! For more information about The Side-Hustle Dad, visit our website at https://thesidehustle.dad Remember, build the business, but be the dad! This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net.

Ever noticed how a garden doesn't stay weed-free on its own? The same thing happens with a once-thriving business. That's not bad luck — it's the law of entropy, and it applies to everything: your business, your relationships, your health, and especially your second act. The natural tendency of everything is to move from order to disorder unless energy is applied. That means if you're not intentionally improving something, entropy is quietly changing it for you. The good news? Once you understand this law, you can leverage it. The opposite of entropy is leadership — and your second act isn't waiting for the perfect time. It's waiting for your decision. HIGHLIGHTS The law of entropy explained: nothing naturally improves on its own — gardens grow weeds, houses get dusty, cars wear out, relationships drift apart, and businesses slowly decline Why businesses don't stay the same — they don't naturally improve, they naturally drift How stopping one-to-one meetings and team communication slowly erodes a healthy company culture Why marketing isn't something you do when you're slow — it's something you do to avoid ever becoming slow How shortcuts and skipped steps in your systems lead to quality drops, customer complaints, and costly errors The "orange cones" analogy: construction on the road is frustrating, but without repairs and improvements, the bridge eventually crumbles Even your dreams suffer from entropy — "someday" turns into next year, and next year turns into five years A personal story about writing a book: motion creates momentum while waiting creates decline — there's no in-between The neighborhood story: one house that stopped fighting entropy brought down the whole block and cost the owner real money at sale time The opposite of entropy is leadership — entropy says "wait another year," leadership says "start today" CHAPTERS 0:59 — Law of Entropy Explained 2:37 — Why Businesses Drift 3:46 — Culture Needs Maintenance 5:02 — Marketing and Pipeline Drift 5:35 — Systems Need Upkeep 7:40 — Dreams Need Action 8:32 — Writing a Book Momentum 10:11 — Neighborhood Entropy Story 11:54 — Spot Entropy in Your Life 12:30 — Leadership Over Entropy 13:10 — Wrap Up and Share Want to get more help from Lee with your business? Visit her website: https://leegray.actioncoach.com/ Identify your strengths and weaknesses as a second actor with our comprehensive Second Act Assessment. https://secondact.scoreapp.com This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network. For more information, visit ictpod.net.

Everyone assumes car people grew up under the hood with grandpa. This guest didn't — and he might be the best in the business anyway. On this episode, we sit down with Matthew "Matt" Miller-Wells, Associate Director of Automotive Studies at McPherson College, to talk about how a '68 Beetle and a lot of video games turned into a career restoring some of the rarest vehicles on the planet. We get into what it's really like inside the only four-year vintage automotive restoration program in the country, the wild story behind building a car museum from scratch in Salina, and how a student-restored 1953 Mercedes ended up placing second in class at Pebble Beach. Highlights Matt's automotive obsession traces back to a family '68 Volkswagen Beetle and a Herbie the Love Bug replica bought while stationed in Germany. McPherson College is the only school in the U.S. offering a four-year Bachelor of Science in Vintage Automotive Restoration Technology, started in 1976 by Smokey Blue. A feature on Jay Leno's show helped grow the program from a small two-year technical track into a full four-year degree. About 98% of McPherson grads land a job within six months of graduation, with many landing internships and offers well before commencement. Career paths extend far beyond the shop — alumni now work in insurance (Hagerty), auctions, social media/marketing, and even GM's heritage and design divisions. Matt spent five years building The Garage museum in Salina from the ground up, including VR welding/painting simulators and rotating exhibits like an all-yellow-car show. The college's "Path to Pebble" project — a student-restored 1953 Mercedes 300S Cabriolet — placed second in class at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 2023. McPherson is reviving its T Build Team, where students assemble a Model T from parts to a running car in minutes. The college offers numerous scholarships (including from the Model T Ford Club, SEMA, and the Piston Foundation), and over 40% of the class of '26 graduated debt-free. McPherson's annual car show (first weekend in May) draws close to 500 cars and effectively shuts down the town. Chapters 0:00 – Car Show Photos 3:30 – Meet Matt Miller-Wells 4:42 – Military Roots & Moving Around 5:60 – Falling for Volkswagens 8:10 – Starting at McPherson 9:49 – Building The Garage Museum 14:44 – Making Car Museums For All 17:04 – McPherson Program Explained 22:48 – Careers Beyond The Shop 27:27 – Bringing Back the T Build Team 31:56 – Community Support & Scholarships 33:07 – Parking Lot Rebuilds 33:38 – Car Community Support 34:16 – Scoring a Parts Haul 35:38 – Young Enthusiasts Thrive 36:11 – Scholarships and Debt 37:14 – Path to Pebble 39:14 – Concours Level Details 40:48 – Pebble Beach Triumph 42:58 – Monterey Car Week 45:25 – Program Future & Tech 47:20 – Visit and the Annual Car Show 49:05 – The Hearse and Other Projects 51:42 – Host Wrap-Up and Thanks 54:10 – Kansas Car History Segment 1:02:53 – Final Sign-Off Resources Mentioned McPherson College Automotive Restoration – Instagram (@mcautoresto) Hagerty Classic Vehicle Insurance SEMA Piston Foundation Model T Ford Club of America Newspapers.com Learn more about the podcast at askakansan.com! This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net

What if the guilt you feel every time you say "no" is actually costing you more than the yes ever could? After a peer advisory group session turned into an unexpected goldmine of ideas, I knew I had to bring it straight to you. If you're a people-pleaser, a do-gooder, or someone who feels a pang of guilt every time you turn someone down, this one's for you. I'm sharing the practical frameworks that came out of that conversation — from budgeting your time like a budget line item, to getting curious about what people actually want from you, to understanding why your "no" protects the power of your "yes." We also get into the guilt-versus-pride dynamic between how women and men tend to overcommit, and why learning to trust your body's signals might be the most important skill of all as we head into Q4. Highlights Why saying no matters more than ever heading into the last stretch of Q3 and into Q4 Budgeting your time like money: predetermine how many "yeses" you can afford to give Asking for the "why" behind a meeting request before automatically saying yes How offering a group workshop can turn one-on-one asks into a scalable win-win The idea that unchecked "yeses" dilute in power if you never say no Creating a "not now" list of things you're saying no to for this season of life Learning to trust your body's signals over your mind's endless search for reasons to say yes The difference between guilt-driven overcommitment (often seen in women) and pride-driven overcommitment (often seen in men) Why it's okay for "no" to come with a little guilt sometimes Chapters 0:00 — Why Saying No Matters 2:57 — Time Budget Your Yeses 4:14 — Ask For The Why 7:09 — Offer A Group Workshop 9:09 — Protect The Power Yes 9:59 — Create A Not Now List 11:27 — Trust Your Body Signals 13:42 — Guilt, Pride, And Overcommit 16:50 — Closing Pep Talk Want to learn more? The Thread Be sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedIn This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network. Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

What if the very thing making you feel like a failure has nothing to do with your business at all? If you've ever scrolled social media late at night and watched a competitor announce their big win while you're sitting there wondering why it's not you, this one's for you. I share a moment that knocked me off balance — seeing someone I'd hoped to work with celebrating a partnership with a competitor — and unpack why comparing your side hustle to someone else's highlight reel is a losing game. Social media only shows the glossy storefront, never the debt, the strain, or the struggles behind it. I walk through the hidden variables that make every "race" different — starting lines, financial support, family obligations, goals — and bring it back to the two-part definition of success we set up earlier in this series: are you reaching your goals faster than you would without the business, and is it operating within the constraints you set for it? If both are true, you're winning, no matter what anyone else's feed says. Highlights A personal story about seeing a hoped-for client publicly celebrate signing with a competitor — and the gut-punch of comparison that followed Why "comparison is the thief of joy" and how easily a few minutes of scrolling can spiral into doubt about your own progress Social media as a "glossy storefront" — it shows the wins, not the debt, health struggles, or unprofitable months behind them The reminder: "you are running your own race" — comparison only works when every variable is equal, and it never is The hidden variables behind someone else's success: starting capital, inherited audiences, spousal income, debt load, family obligations, and different goals altogether Revisiting the two-part success equation: (1) is the business moving you toward your goals faster than without it, and (2) does it operate within the constraints you originally set for it A preview of next week's topic: managing the money in your business — how it flows and where it goes Chapters 0:19 — Recap of The E-Myth Revisited series 0:38 — The story: seeing a competitor's win on social media 3:35 — Social media as a glossy storefront 4:35 — "You are running your own race" 6:37 — Revisiting the success equation, part one: reaching your goals faster 7:37 — Success equation, part two: fitting within your constraints 8:30 — Next week: managing the money in your business Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review! For more information about The Side-Hustle Dad, visit our website at https://thesidehustle.dad Remember, build the business, but be the dad! This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net.