The Growth and Wealth Podcast

Every year business owners ask me what they can still do before December 31 to reduce their taxes. It's a fair question, but if saving taxes is the only reason for a decision, you're asking too little of it. In this solo episode, I walk through five year-end conversations every business owner should have while there's still time to influence the outcome. I explain how to get clear on where your business really stands, how to spot the opportunities still open this year, why good decisions are lost when they never get implemented, how to give freed-up financial capacity a job before it shows up, and the one question I'd filter every major decision through. I also share the story of two owners who each create an extra $50,000 through planning: one lets it get absorbed into everyday expenses, the other deploys it on purpose. Same money, completely different future.Take the Builder's Mirror Assessment to discover your Builder Story and get clear next steps toward the business freedom you want. - ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3RdNRLH⁠⁠Learn more about Rodney Boswell -IHS Group - ⁠https://bit.ly/4pCdouJ⁠LinkedIn - ⁠https://bit.ly/454Aktf⁠Instagram - ⁠https://bit.ly/4yI42lo⁠CHAPTERS00:00 Why year-end tax questions are often the wrong ones01:09 How better questions lead to better business decisions02:37 Conversation one: where your business stands today04:54 Why clarity has to come before strategy06:53 Conversation two: opportunities still open this year09:22 Adjusting your course before the year closes11:13 Conversation three: implementing the decisions you've made12:46 Why good decisions get lost in a busy year-end14:14 Planning sets direction but execution builds results16:26 Conversation four: deploying the financial capacity you create18:47 Two owners, the same $50,000, different futures20:33 Giving every dollar an assignment before it arrives21:03 Conversation five: the future you're intentionally building22:16 The one question to filter every major decision27:56 The year-end Builder's ChallengeKEYWORDSyear-end tax planningyear-end planning for business ownershow to reduce business taxes before year endwhat to do before December 31 to save taxestax planning for business ownersbusiness tax strategyfourth quarter business planningend of year business reviewhow to make better business decisionsclarity before strategyunderstanding your business numberscash flowprofitability

If your income depends on you showing up every day, one injury or one shutdown can stop everything, even if you've done everything else right. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Jeff Anzalone, a dental specialist in Louisiana. Jeff had paid off every dollar of debt, including his house, when a ski accident injured his wrist and he realized that being debt free isn't the same as being free. That moment, and later a COVID shutdown of his practice, pushed him to build income that doesn't depend on his hands. Now he runs Perdido Capital, invests in mobile home parks, and teaches on his YouTube channel, The Debt Free Doctor. Jeff explains his seven work optional wealth steps, how to calculate your freedom number from your real monthly expenses, why he shifted savings into cash-flowing investments instead of selling assets to live on, and how to tell good debt from bad. Take the Builder's Mirror Assessment to discover your Builder Story and get clear next steps toward the business freedom you want. - https://bit.ly/3RdNRLHLearn more about Dr. Jeff Anzalone - https://www.debtfreedr.com/Learn more about Rodney Boswell - IHS Group - https://bit.ly/4pCdouJLinkedIn - https://bit.ly/454AktfInstagram - https://bit.ly/4yI42loCHAPTERS00:00 Debt free but not free: Jeff's wake-up call02:18 Why relying on one income stream is risky06:18 Why high earners rarely diversify their income11:15 How COVID exposed financially fragile business owners14:25 Turn your business into an asset by replacing yourself19:12 Why a clear why keeps you investing through losses23:06 What work optional means and how it differs from retirement26:29 The shortcut of learning from people who've done it30:51 The seven work optional wealth steps34:10 How to calculate your freedom number37:24 Why cash flow beats selling assets to fund retirement43:36 Why most people never take action45:02 Why wealthy families invest in real estate48:52 Active vs passive real estate investing53:37 Good debt, bad debt, and avoiding overleverageKEYWORDSwork optionalfreedom numberseven work optional wealth stepsmultiple streams of incomepassive incomehow to become financially independenthow to retire earlyhow to stop trading time for moneyhow to replace myself in my businessfinancial planning for dentistsfinancial planning for doctorsdebt freedebt snowballemergency fundgood debt vs bad debtlifestyle creepcash flow investingdividend stocksdividend ETFs

Most business owners spend years growing their business without asking what actually makes it more valuable. Two companies can serve similar customers, bring in similar revenue, and earn similar profits, yet be worth dramatically different amounts. In this solo episode, I walk through the five decisions I believe shape that difference: intentionally developing your people, multiplying leaders so the business doesn't depend on you, building systems that protect client relationships instead of replacing them, earning trust through hundreds of small, consistent moments, and continually increasing your capacity to create value. I share what we're putting into practice at IHS Group, why Chick-fil-A's consistency protects its hospitality, and one question you can ask yourself tomorrow for each decision. This isn't an episode about selling your business. It's about building one that is stronger next year than it is today, because business value isn't something you discover. It's something you build, one decision at a time.Take the Builder's Mirror Assessment to discover your Builder Story and get clear next steps toward the business freedom you want. - https://bit.ly/3RdNRLHLearn more about Rodney Boswell - IHS Group - https://bit.ly/4pCdouJ LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/454Aktf Instagram - https://bit.ly/4yI42loCHAPTERS00:00 Why business growth and business value aren't the same01:21 Value is built long before anyone measures it02:42 Decision 1: intentionally develop your people05:17 Decision 2: multiply leaders throughout the business07:17 Why distributed leadership beats owner dependency09:12 Decision 3: build systems that protect relationships11:07 Systems protect your promises, not just efficiency12:39 What Chick-fil-A shows about consistent client experiences13:33 Find the client experience that depends on memory14:12 Decision 4: intentionally build trust through relationships16:46 Why trust creates opportunities money can't buy19:31 Decision 5: keep increasing your capacity to create value22:07 Why great businesses never stop improving23:40 Choose one area and manage the decision daily25:39 This week's builder's challengeKEYWORDSbusiness valuehow to increase business valuehow to build a more valuable businessbusiness growth vs business valuefive decisions business owners makecapacity to create valuedeveloping employeesemployee development planhow to develop leaders in my businessleadership developmentdistributed leadershipowner dependencykey person dependencyhow to step back from running my companybuilding a business that runs without youbusiness systemsdocumenting processesclient experiencecustomer experience consistencybuilding trust in businessclient relationshipsreferral partnerscompany culturecontinuous improvementbusiness owner mindsetsmall business leadership

A lot of business owners leave a 40-hour job only to end up working 80. The money is coming in, but there's no real freedom and not much wealth building on the side. In this episode, I talk with Albert Butler, a CPA, author, and former auditor who has worked with founders and executives around the world. Albert explains what it means to be financially exposed and why you should treat your CPA like your financial doctor. He also covers how income, enterprise value, and personal wealth differ, his five muscles of enterprise framework, and why payroll and people are the biggest risk on your P&L.Take the Builder's Mirror Assessment to discover your Builder Story and get clear next steps toward the business freedom you want. - ⁠https://bit.ly/3RdNRLH⁠Learn more about Albert Butler - https://albertbutler.com/Learn more about Rodney Boswell - IHS Group - https://bit.ly/4pCdouJ LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/454Aktf Instagram - https://bit.ly/4yI42loCHAPTERS00:00 Built a business or just a job with your name on it01:37 Why your CPA is your financial doctor06:12 Reading the tax code as a roadmap, not a threat10:55 Income vs. business value vs. personal wealth17:37 Why work-life balance doesn't exist18:58 Scale yourself, then your family, then your business26:07 Risk assessment and accounting as the heartbeat of business32:24 The vacation test and the five muscles of enterprise36:20 Using AI with judgment: functionality vs. vitality39:07 Why a strong admin should be your first hire40:40 Buying back your time at home and at work46:33 Why payroll and people are your biggest risk51:31 The customer blind spot and three reasons people buy54:11 Exit options and building a business to sell57:29 When to bring your kids into the businessKEYWORDSfinancially exposedbusiness or a jobhow to step back from running my businesshow to take time off as a business ownerbuy back your timework-life balance for entrepreneursincome vs wealthenterprise valuebuilding personal wealth as a business owner

If your business feels harder to run now than it did a few years ago, the problem probably isn't your people. It's your systems. In this solo episode, Rodney Boswell answers five questions he hears all the time from business owners who feel stuck at their current size. He explains why growth reveals weak spots instead of creating them, how clarity gets your team to take ownership, and why customers judge your business as a single experience. You'll also learn how leaders keep culture from drifting and how to find the one constraint to fix first before your business grows again.Take the Builder's Mirror Assessment to discover your Builder Story and get clear next steps toward the business freedom you want. - ⁠https://bit.ly/3RdNRLH⁠Learn more about Rodney Boswell - IHS Group - ⁠https://bit.ly/4pCdouJ ⁠LinkedIn - ⁠https://bit.ly/454Aktf ⁠Instagram - ⁠https://bit.ly/4yI42lo⁠Chapters00:00 Why your business feels harder to run as it grows01:06 Question 1: Why everything feels harder after you hit your revenue goals03:46 Growth doesn't create problems, it reveals them05:25 Asking the better question: Is my business strong enough to support growth?06:32 Question 2: Why good employees won't take ownership07:35 Why ownership problems are usually clarity problems09:43 Confusion doesn't scale, and neither does the owner10:25 Question 3: Why customers get inconsistent experiences13:05 Shifting from individual tasks to the full customer journey14:30 Question 4: Why company culture drifts as you grow16:07 Reinforcement as a core leadership responsibility19:12 Question 5: Where to start when everything needs fixing20:41 Finding your biggest constraint: What breaks if you double in size?22:29 Preparing your business for growth vs. chasing growth24:58 Why growing thin and wide makes a business brittle25:47 Strong businesses grow because they become strongerKeywordsbusiness growth, scaling a business, small business owner, business systems, growing pains in business, entrepreneur leadership, business leadership, employee ownership, team accountability, delegation, owner dependency, clarity in leadership, customer experience, customer journey, consistent customer service, company culture, culture drift, leadership reinforcement, business constraints, scaling challenges, sustainable growth, business foundation, operational systems, organizational structure, business strategy, Rodney Boswell, Growth and Wealth podcast, business podcast, entrepreneurship podcast, leadership podcast