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Break This Rule to Avoid Burnout and Increase Revenue

You became an entrepreneur because you had a vision. A better way, a solution the world needed, a calling you couldn’t ignore.

But somewhere along the way, work became everything. Family, sleep, hobbies, friends… quietly turned into “maybe someday” luxuries.

We’re told hustle is honorable. We glorify grinding. I know you know this, and so did I. And then I burned out anyway, in spite of myself. 

Hustling is not a business plan. Endless work might make you feel productive, but it doesn’t make you strategic. It doesn’t make you innovative. And it certainly doesn’t give your business the freedom you thought it would. I know because I’ve been there (and still slip sometimes).

The rule-breaking truth: Rest is not a reward. It’s a requirement.

Planned, intentional rest. Not “collapse at 1 a.m. because life finally caught up” rest. Not “I’ll relax after I send 47 more emails” rest. Not even “vacation where I secretly work anyway” rest. I’m talking about rest you protect as a non-negotiable business asset.

Great leaders don’t wait to burn out. They prevent it. And the real magic? When you rest, reflect, and recharge, you show up authentically in your business. You’re more innovative. You make smarter decisions. And yep, your revenue benefits too, because you’re creating from clarity, not exhaustion.

The Entrepreneur Lie

“I’ll rest when this next thing is done.”

I’ve told myself that lie countless times:

“I’ll breathe when the book launches.”“I’ll take a break after this speaking tour.”“Let me just fix these 17 business emergencies first…”

Plot twist: the emergencies never stop. There’s always another client, another project, another goal. Productivity alone isn’t the path to freedom. It’s a trap. Hustle without reflection is just busyness disguised as progress.

Skip rest, and everything wobbles:

Your judgment slips.Your creativity dries up.Your passion starts feeling like punishment.

Without reflection and restoration, the business that once gave you purpose starts taking pieces of you.

When you’re rested:

You make smarter decisions.You stop reacting and start leading.You see opportunities you were too tired to notice.You bring innovation and energy that directly impacts revenue.

Rest fuels clarity, confidence, and the freedom you wanted when you first started your business.

The Challenge Before Year-End

Schedule rest. Now.

Not “if things slow down.”Not “when the stars align.”Not “maybe that weekend after the conference.”

Put it on the calendar. Protect it like your life depends on it. Because it does.

Here’s how to do it right:

Pick your time. Choose at least three consecutive days before the year ends. More if you can.Make it non-negotiable. Communicate with your team, clients, and even your own brain that you’re unavailable.

And this is where I have to give credit to someone amazing: Erin, my scheduling manager. When she started working with me, she looked at my calendar and asked if I was eating and sleeping. Then she (somewhat forcefully) began blocking out time for the gym, lunch, meditation, and dinners at home. She became the guardian of my sanity. Now, I automatically add these sacred blocks to my calendar, and nothing.  Not a client, not a crisis, not even me, gets in the way.

Remove the temptations. Delete work apps temporarily. Turn off notifications. Hide your laptop. Bribe your phone if you have to. Anything that interrupts your planned rest has to go.Do something restorative. Read fiction. Cook. Hike. Lie on the floor and stare at the ceiling. Whatever fills you up, do more of it.

What Happens 

Here’s the weird thing: when you stop “doing,” your business doesn’t crumble. Your ideas return. Your energy refills. Your happiness stops being on backorder.

You come back smarter, stronger, and fully present. The rested and reflective version of you is the visionary leader your business actually needs. You show up authentically, your team and clients notice, and your business grows from innovation, clarity, and smarter execution.

The Freedom Connection

Many entrepreneurs think freedom comes from endless hustle, from revenue targets, from grinding through chaos. But true freedom—the kind that lets you think clearly, make smart decisions, and lead without burning out—comes from protecting your energy and making space to reflect.

Your mind and body need space to reset. Without it:

Money stress feels heavier.Decisions feel harder.Opportunities slip past because you’re too tired to see them.

Rest and reflection are critical to building a business that scales, innovates, and thrives. When you’re rested, you finally act from strategy instead of reaction. That’s how you grow your business without sacrificing yourself in the process.

Your Challenge

Before the year ends, I want you to do this:

Schedule your rest. Pick your days and block them off.Communicate boundaries. Tell your team and clients you’ll be unavailable.Protect your energy. Turn off the notifications, hide the laptop, and remove every temptation to “check in.”Reflect and restore. Read, hike, cook, nap – whatever fills you up.

Do this, and watch how your business responds. Because a rested, reflective, authentic entrepreneur is a better entrepreneur.

And a more profitable one.

Final Thought

Entrepreneurs like us? We move. We build. We go. But sometimes the most powerful move is standing still.

The bravest act? Taking a break.The smartest strategy? Going off the clock.

Because when you rest and reflect… you rise.

So block that time off. Make rest and reflection part of your plan. Your future self and your business will thank you.

– Mike

PS – Some exciting things are happening!

The Money Habit is available for preorder here. Get peace of mind about money.

My new podcast, Becoming Self-Made, is the free business advice you cannot do without here. I am so excited to have teamed up with Relay on this project, and we’re talking with heavy hitters like Jesse Cole from Savannah Bananas, Don Miller of Storybrand, and many more! Don’t miss out.

Watch the trailer now and get a sneak peek: Watch the TrailerOr visit the podcast homepage for all updates: Becoming Self-Made Podcast

Clockwork can help you automate your business and get you that time freedom you need to rest, restore, and innovate. Grab your book here. 

And as always, free resources to support you are here on my website. From the Profit First Assessment to just about anything else you need!

 

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How To Save – When You Hate To Save

I’ll be candid. For most of my life, I hated saving money.

There, I said it.

Every time I heard “you should save more,” it felt like someone was telling me to floss more often or eat spinach instead of fries. Sure, I knew it was good for me… but it was hard to get excited about.

Then one day, I realized something about myself (and most humans): responsibilities feel like work; desires feel like fun.

When we frame saving as something we have to do,  like paying bills or scrubbing the bathroom, our brains instantly rebel. But when we connect saving to something we want to do, everything changes.

Let me explain how this clicked for me.

The Problem: Saving feels like a chore

A few years ago, I was trying to “be responsible.” I set up an automatic transfer into a savings account called, very creatively, “Savings.”

Every month, I watched money leave my checking account and go sit somewhere else doing nothing. It felt like punishment. My motivation? Zero.

That’s when it hit me.  I didn’t hate saving. I hated saving for nothing.

The Shift: Make saving fun again

Around that time, I decided I wanted a new guitar. (Because, let’s face it, you can only play “Smoke on the Water” so many times on a beat-up acoustic before you start questioning your life choices.)

So I opened a new savings account and named it “D–SHINY NEW AXE.”

I made it fun. Every time I transferred money in, it didn’t feel like I was losing it. It felt like I was getting closer to something that genuinely excited me.

Each deposit was like tuning a string. Small, deliberate, and satisfying.

And that’s when the habit started to stick.

The Lesson: When saving feels connected to something you want, your brain stops fighting it. You start to crave that progress. It’s no longer “ugh, I have to save.” It’s “yes, I get to save!”

The System: The “Dream Account”

Here’s the step-by-step system I now use (and teach in The Money Habit):

Pick a desire, not a duty. Something that excites you. Perhaps a trip, a new bike, debt freedom, or even a weekend away. Open a dedicated savings account. Give it a name that makes you grin. (Yes, names matter.) Add even the smallest amount. You don’t need to wait until you have a big deposit. Every little transfer reinforces the habit. Celebrate the deposits. Watch your progress grow, not the total. 

When your goal feels personal and fun, the habit becomes automatic.

The Surprise Benefit

Here’s what I didn’t expect: once I got into the rhythm of saving for fun, I started saving for everything else more easily, too.

Because my brain was learning that saving wasn’t deprivation.  Now, saving was empowerment.

Now I have other accounts with equally ridiculous names like “D–FUTURE FREEDOM FUND” and “D–GETAWAY (NO EMAILS)”. Each one connects to a desire that fuels me instead of draining me.

Once you build the habit of saving for joy, you also start saving for peace of mind. Emergency funds, business buffers, and debt repayment all become easier when your mindset shifts from scarcity to excitement.

Your Turn

If saving feels like work right now, don’t start by forcing yourself to “be responsible.” Start by connecting it to something you genuinely want.

Name it. Own it. Celebrate every step.

You’ll be shocked by how quickly a small mindset shift can create a big financial transformation.

Saving doesn’t have to be boring. It can be exciting, motivating, and yes,  even fun.

So what’s your “SHINY NEW AXE”?

Open that account. Give it a name that makes you laugh. And start saving toward something that makes you want to save.

Before long, you’ll look at your bank balance and realize something magical.  Saving isn’t a chore anymore. It’s a habit that gives you freedom, not takes it away.

And that’s the real money habit worth building.

–  Mike

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The Path to Permanent Profit: Profit First.Bank powered by Dream First Bank

Whether you dreamed of financial freedom, personal freedom, impact, or all of the above, none of it can happen if your business isn’t consistently profitable. The problem surely isn’t your work ethic; it’s a faulty accounting formula: Sales – Expenses = Profit.

This formula teaches us to take profit last. It’s the “bottom line,” the “year end,” the “final take,” all signifying profit is the last consideration. Yet, human nature dictates that what comes last gets ignored, and what comes first gets done. With a simple switch, you can tame the beast!

The secret is a low-friction system that works with human nature, not against it. Introducing Profit First. We flip that old ineffective method to prioritize financial goals: Sales – Profit = Expenses. By taking your profit off the top, you force your business to become permanently profitable immediately and forevermore.

implement the system effortlessly, you need your bank accounts structured correctly. Profit First uses five foundational accounts: Income, Profit, Owner’s Comp, Tax, and Operating Expenses. This segregated structure is the physical manifestation of your commitment; money for taxes or profit cannot accidentally be spent on a new chair; money to pay the owner cannot accidentally pay taxes; and money for profit is accounted before a penny is even spent.

But, the system is only as friction-free as the bank you use. ProfitFirst.Bank powered by Dream First Bank is the only bank designed specifically to support the Profit First system and work seamlessly with the Profit First App! You no longer need to fight complexity or your bank. You are just a few clicks away from permanent profit: ProfitFirst.Bank.

 

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Profit First Is Even Easier Because Of Dream First Bank!

The life of an entrepreneur is typified by frantic sprints to generate revenue, with the dream that, one day, profit will magically appear. But does it ever? Nope. Not for many.

Business owners have been ingrained with the traditional accounting formula that promises a journey of riches: Sales – Expenses = Profit. The actual result? Expenses perpetually swallow available funds, leaving the owner perpetually stressed and profit perpetually postponed. The business becomes a growing monster that consumes all resources, a pattern that only breeds friction, frustration, and ultimately burnout. So, how do you tame the beast?

The secret to maximizing your financial wins is to adopt a system that works with human nature, not against it, to assure your financial goals. It is about reducing the friction so significantly that you are guaranteed to stick with the process. The core philosophy of Profit First flips the ineffective formula on its head: Sales – Profit = Expenses. Like the pay-yourself-first principle, by taking your profit first, you force your business to become immediately and permanently profitable.

The power of Profit First lies in its psychological foundation. It leverages two powerful behavioral concepts. The first is Parkinson’s Law, which states that demand for a resource (whether it’s time or, in this case, money) will expand to meet the supply. If you have $10,000 in your single checking account, you will find a way to spend $10,000. Profit First harnesses this law by making less money visible for operating expenses. When you remove profit off the top, you are forced to innovate and become leaner, squeezing the most out of the limited funds available for OpEx. Continuing the example, if you take $2,000 for profit first, then you will have $8,000 in your operating expense, and find a way to spend (only) that.

The second concept is the Primacy Effect, the idea that what we encounter first is what we prioritize and place the most significance on. By having profit as the first allocation after revenue comes in, you ensure it is never an afterthought. Profit transforms from an elusive, year-end event into a consistent weekly habit. This simple act of allocation removes the friction of internal debate, willpower, and complex budgeting. In other words, profit just happens.

To implement this low-friction system, you need your bank accounts set up right (and free). Profit First utilizes five foundational bank accounts: Income, Profit, Owner’s Comp, Tax, and Operating Expenses (OpEx). All revenue flows into the Income account, and on a regular rhythm, often weekly, you allocate set percentages to the other accounts. This segregated structure is the physical manifestation of the low-friction commitment. Money designated for taxes cannot be accidentally used for a new office chair; money for profit is protected from daily spending temptation. The system is designed to remove your choice in the moment, making consistent profitability the default. But the system can only be as friction free as the bank you use.

ProfitFirst.Bank powered by Dream First Bank is the first bank designed specifically to support Profit First and to work seamlessly with the Profit First App! The ProfitFirst.Bank powered by Dream First Bank understands that the more seamless the execution of the Profit First system is, the more likely you are to achieve permanent profit.

When you started your business, you envisioned a permanently profitable business. The problem is that traditional approaches are the main reason you aren’t experiencing it. They are too complex. Too confusing. Too full of friction. Today that all changes.

Starting today, you can have a permanently profitable business. Not by working against your human tendencies, but instead by working with them. Not by making things harder, but by making them easier. You are just a few free ProfitFirst.Bank accounts away from permanent profit.

 

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The Real Horror Story: When Your Finances Haunt You

Forget ghosts, ghouls, and vampires. The scariest horror stories I’ve ever lived through didn’t happen in haunted houses. They happened in my bank account.

Years ago, my life looked like a financial slasher film. I had lost everything. My businesses, my savings, and even my sense of self-worth. Every morning, I woke up with a knot in my stomach, wondering if I’d be able to pay the mortgage, make payroll, or simply keep the lights on. The monsters weren’t hiding under my bed; they were lurking in my spreadsheet, in my personal checking account, in my mindset.

That’s when I learned the hardest lesson of all:

Your personal financial habits will always haunt your business financial habits.

If you overspend, panic-spend, or avoid money in your personal life, those same patterns creep right into your business, disguised as “marketing investments,” “growth opportunities,” or “just this once” expenses.

I had to exorcise those habits one by one, and it wasn’t easy.

The Curse of the Empty Account

When I wrote Profit First, I was trying to break this curse. I realized that I wasn’t bad with money; I just didn’t have a system to protect me from myself. Every time income came in, it disappeared faster than candy on Halloween night. One moment, the balance looked healthy; the next, it was gone. The panic. The guilt. The shame. It was exhausting.

Profit First flipped that script. I began moving money into separate accounts: one for profit, one for taxes, one for operating expenses. It was like installing locks on a candy jar you thought you could never control. Suddenly, I had clarity. I knew exactly where every dollar belonged, and, more importantly, where it didn’t.

This lesson isn’t just for businesses. In my personal life, the same principle applies. If you don’t decide what your money is for, it will disappear, leaving nothing but stress and fear behind.

In business and in life, we don’t rise to the level of our income. We fall to the level of our systems.

The Client Vampires

Even with Profit First in place, I faced another monster energy-draining client. You know the type: calling at midnight, demanding the impossible, leaving you feeling sucked dry. Early in my career, I allowed them to dominate my calendar, my brainspace, and my sanity.

Enter The Pumpkin Plan. Just as a farmer weeds out the smaller pumpkins to let the biggest grow, I needed to do the same with my clients. I started politely letting the wrong ones go, making space for the right ones. Clients who respected my time, added value, and allowed the business to thrive.

The best part? When I started cleaning up my personal finances, the same principle applied. I weeded out bad spending habits, toxic money relationships, and the stories I told myself about “never having enough.” When your business is clear and your personal money is clear, the growth multiplies. They feed each other.

The Haunted Mindset

Writing The Money Habit forced me to confront an even scarier truth: systems alone aren’t enough. You can have the Profit First system in place and the perfect business model, but if your mindset is haunted by fear, shame, or scarcity, nothing changes.

Financial freedom doesn’t start with a windfall. It starts with clarity and confidence in your choices. It’s about telling your money where to go before it decides for you. Once I made this shift, the endless anxiety of “Do I have enough?” transformed into “I know exactly where this belongs.” That mindset change was the true exorcism.

How to Survive the Financial Frights

So, what’s the takeaway from my haunted entrepreneurial journey?

Start with your personal money. You can’t lead a healthy business from financial chaos at home. Your mindset and habits transfer automatically.

Build a system. Whether it’s Profit First for your business or the behavior-based habits from The Money Habit for personal finances, clarity kills fear.

Protect your energy. Don’t let client vampires, emotional spending, or constant “urgent” demands drain you. Set boundaries and stick to them.

Simplify and focus. The Pumpkin Plan teaches that doing the right things for the right clients at the right time always trumps doing everything for everyone.

Let me break down a few specific financial horrors I lived through and how I survived them:

The Empty Payday Horror: I once had a week where every invoice bounced, every account was empty, and I was terrified of making payroll. Profit First stopped the panic in future weeks by giving me immediate visibility and control.

The Overextended Nightmare: I used to say “yes” to every client or project, thinking I could handle it. I ended up exhausted, overwhelmed, and constantly reacting to crises. Pumpkin Plan principles taught me that saying no strategically is often more profitable than saying yes to chaos.

The Credit Card Crypt: I ran up personal credit cards because I didn’t track spending. I carried that pattern into my business, using it to temporarily cover business expenses. The Money Habit taught me that automatic allocations and tracking were the antidote — now I never touch money that isn’t assigned a purpose.

Final Thought

Money doesn’t have to be the monster under the bed. It can be your ally, your safety net, and even your source of peace, but only if you build habits that protect you from panic and guesswork.

This Halloween, as you dodge ghosts and goblins, ask yourself:

Are your finances haunting you?

Are you letting old habits control your business and personal life?

Or are you ready to face them — once and for all?

The scariest part of my story wasn’t losing it all. It was realizing how long I’d been living with the fear of it happening again. But when you put systems in place in your business and in your personal life, fear loses its power.

And that’s when the real magic begins.

Wishing you less financial hauntings this year!
— Mike

PS – If you need the books or systems mentioned to support you:

The Money Habit

Profit First

The Pumpkin Plan

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Take Control of Your Money

The Insight: Spending Money is Necessary, But Uncontrolled Spending Is Not

Money exists to be spent. We all have bills, groceries, and yes, occasional indulgences (#guitarcollection). 

The thing is, you’re probably not overspending on the big, essential things. You’re overspending in sneaky little ways that add up without us noticing. And when money leaves your accounts without a plan, stress follows.

It’s not that you don’t make enough. You might. The problem is a lack of boundaries. One careless transaction turns into a habit, and before you know it, that habit starts dictating how you feel about money. Anxiety. Regret. Sleepless nights.

The Perspective: Master one spending habit, master them all

You don’t have to overhaul your entire financial life at once. You don’t need to start cutting out every latte, subscription, or happy-hour drink you love. In fact, that’s a guaranteed way to quit before you even begin.

Instead, focus on one spending habit. Just one. Master it. And watch as it transforms your approach to money across the board.

Why does this work? Because your brain doesn’t separate money habits into categories. The discipline you build in one area spills over into others. Nail your spending in one small area, and suddenly, controlling impulse buys, subscriptions, and other sneaky leaks feels natural. Momentum starts to build, and with momentum comes confidence.

The Action: Weekly limits and dedicated accounts

Here’s a simple, practical step you can take today:

Pick one spending area to master. Let’s start with something common, like dining out.Set a weekly limit. Decide how much you’re comfortable spending each week and make it an amount that’s reasonable, yet forces you to make intentional choices.Open a dedicated account. This could be a separate checking account or a prepaid debit card. Fund it weekly from your income.Use it only for that expense. Eating out? Only use this card. Coffee, groceries, online shopping? Keep those separate. No mixing.

Here’s why it works: you create a physical, visible boundary. You can see exactly how much is left, and once it’s gone, it’s gone. That simple restriction trains your brain to respect money and make intentional decisions, instead of slipping into autopilot spending.

The beauty of this approach is its simplicity. You’re not restricting yourself from enjoyment. You’re giving yourself permission to spend without guilt or chaos. And once you feel control here, other areas of spending start falling into place naturally.

Final Thought: One habit leads to another 

You might be thinking, “Mike, really? Just one habit?” Yes, really. This isn’t about perfection; it’s about momentum. It’s about proving to yourself that you can control money instead of letting it control you.

Master this one habit, and you’ll notice something amazing: other money decisions start clicking into place. You’ll stop wondering where all your money went. You’ll start making choices based on intention, not impulse. And most importantly, you’ll feel a little more at peace each week.

Confidence will replace your financial stress.

Start small. Pick one spending area, set a limit, and see how your finances and your mindset shift.

Here’s to your financial freedom, one habit at a time.

– Mike

Want more weekly intel sent right to your inbox – before the book even comes out? Get on the list here, or share it with a friend!

And yes, the book launch is right around the corner! Preorder your copy here.

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How Eliminating a Single Expense Can Transform Your Financial Future

I’m going to say the unpopular thing: you can’t separate your business money from your personal money. I mean, technically, you can. Different accounts, different cards, different piles of receipts you swear you’ll organize someday. But the reality is the way you treat money in one area of life is the way you treat it in all areas.

If you’re disorganized at work, chances are your personal finances are just as messy. If you’re great at saving in your business but constantly swiping your card at home without a second thought, that stress eventually bleeds right back into your work. You can’t have financial peace in one world and chaos in the other. They’re connected. Always.

The good news? You don’t need to overhaul your entire financial life to get ahead. You don’t need to sell your car, stop eating out, and start sewing your own clothes (although my EA does, and she’s pretty fantastic). You just need to start with one small move.

And the move is this: cut a single expense. Just one.

Why one expense matters more than you think

I know what you’re thinking because I’ve heard it before. “Mike, cutting expenses sounds like punishment. Now I have to give up Netflix so you can sit in silence staring at your wall. And I am NOT saying goodbye to coffee, which would mean saying goodbye to my will to live.”

That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m not suggesting you strip your life down to bread and water. I’m saying, look for the expenses that are quietly draining you.

The software subscription you forgot to cancel. The random $29 a month tool you signed up for in a moment of “this will change everything!” that you haven’t touched in six months. The membership you’re paying for out of guilt because you keep telling yourself you’ll use it “next week.”

Cut that one.

Because here’s what happens when you do: you don’t just save money, you build confidence. You prove to yourself that you are the one in charge. That tiny act of control sends a big signal to your brain: “Hey, I can do this.”

And then something funny happens. You start noticing other leaks. You start making better decisions automatically. And suddenly you’re not just saving money. You’re changing the entire way you interact with it.

Business + personal = One money habit

Here’s the kicker: the habits are identical.

If you cut a $50 expense in your business, don’t just let it sit there waiting to get absorbed by the next shiny thing. Move that $50 into your profit account. That’s right, turn wasted money into actual profit. Boom.

Now take the same principle home. Cancel a streaming service you never use and move that same $50 into savings or a “sleep-better fund.” Every time you look at that account growing, you’ll feel a little jolt of peace. You’re no longer the passenger. You’re the driver. 

What you do at work bleeds into what you do at home. What you do at home bleeds into what you do at work. If you can prove to yourself in one area that you’re capable of steering your money, you’ll reinforce the same behavior everywhere.

That’s why entrepreneurs who get their personal finances under control suddenly find their business finances start clicking too, and vice versa. The brain doesn’t compartmentalize money habits. It just learns patterns.

A quick example

Let’s say you cut out a $100 monthly expense in your business. Maybe that extra software license you’re not using. You move that $100 straight into your profit account every month. That’s $1,200 at the end of the year, which is real profit, without doing anything except canceling something you don’t use.

Now let’s mirror that at home. You cut out a $100 “I didn’t even realize I was spending this” expense—maybe a subscription box, for instance. Fun? Sure. Necessary? Not really. Cancel it. Move that $100 a month into savings. By the end of the year, that’s another $1,200 sitting there.

Together, that’s $2,400. From cutting two things you don’t even miss. And, more importantly, you’ve trained your brain to choose where your money goes instead of letting it leak away.

But Mike, one expense won’t change my life

No, one expense won’t make you a millionaire. But it will start the shift.

Think of it like going to the gym. You don’t start by running a marathon. You start by walking around the block. The goal isn’t to change everything overnight; it’s to prove to yourself you can start, and then build momentum.

That’s what this is: financial momentum. Every little cut, every little redirect, creates a snowball effect. And pretty soon, you’re not just canceling one expense, you’re making smarter choices everywhere. You’re looking at money through the lens of “Does this serve me?” instead of “Well, I guess that’s just how it is.”

Your challenge

Here’s your assignment (yep, I’m giving homework):

Pull up your business bank statement.
Pull up your personal bank statement.
In each, circle one expense that’s leaking your money.
Cancel it today.
Redirect the money to profit or savings.

That’s it. Not ten expenses. Not a full financial audit. One.

And then, when you’ve done it once, do it again. And again. And again.

Because  – and I know you’ve heard this from me over and over – financial freedom doesn’t come from one massive move. It comes from small, intentional choices made consistently. It comes from building patterns that reinforce each other at work and at home.

One expense at a time. Cancel, redirect, repeat. That’s how you take control. That’s how you stop stressing about money. That’s how you build not just a profitable business, but a peaceful life.

– Mike

Resources:

Want more weekly intel sent right to your inbox – before the book even comes out? Get on the list here, or share it with a friend!And yes, the book launch is right around the corner! Preorder your copy here.Get help implementing Profit First here.Grab a copy of Profit First here.

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How to Never Worry About Money Again

I used to believe that the answer to money problems was always “make more.” If my income went up, my worries would disappear. But the truth is, I made a lot of money, and I still lost everything.

At one point, I was living what looked like a dream. My businesses were successful, my bank account was full, and I thought I was set for life. But behind the scenes, I had an angel investment that was tanking. I was ignoring the warning signs and using money as proof of success instead of a tool for security. When my accountant told me the money was gone, I lost my savings, my confidence, and even my sense of identity. The financial stress led to depression and strained my relationships.

That season of my life taught me the most important financial lesson I’ve ever learned: you don’t eliminate money stress by earning more. You do it by managing what you already have, intentionally and systematically.

The real source of money anxiety

If you’ve ever been awake at night worrying about bills, debt, or unexpected expenses, you know that money anxiety isn’t just about dollars. It’s about uncertainty, insecurity, and often, shame.

When you look at your bank account and see one big lump sum, your brain immediately starts racing: Is this for the bills? Can I spend some of it? Should I save it? What if something comes up? That uncertainty eats away at your peace of mind.

Our brains are wired to crave clarity and predictability. When money feels fuzzy and undefined, the lack of boundaries creates stress. You start second-guessing every purchase and fearing every unknown. 

And here’s the kicker: the more money you earn, the bigger that lump sum gets, and the more confusing it becomes. More income without organization only magnifies the anxiety.

It wasn’t until I started organizing my money into specific, purpose-driven accounts that things shifted. The simple act of dividing and labeling my money gave me clarity. Suddenly, I could see exactly what was for my needs, what was for my future, and what was for my dreams. That clarity alone relieved a massive amount of stress.

Why organization changes everything

Here’s the part most people miss: the way you organize your money is what creates your habits. And your habits are what reshape your mindset.

When your money is jumbled together, your habits are reactive. You wait for the next bill, then scramble to pay it. You wait for the next crisis, then scramble to cover it. That reinforces a mindset of scarcity and fear.

But when you separate your money into clear, intentional buckets, your habits change. You allocate consistently. You spend consciously. You save automatically. And those repeated actions begin to rewire how you think about money.

You stop seeing money as something unpredictable and start seeing it as something you direct with purpose. Over time, that shift builds real confidence and real wealth.

Think about it like this: every time you move money into a designated account, you’re reinforcing the story that you’re in control. Over weeks and months, that story becomes your truth. And once your mindset shifts, wealth is no longer about chasing income. It’s about growing with stability.

Why more income won’t fix the problem

When I hit rock bottom, I thought the solution was another big win. I needed a windfall, a new business, a pile of cash to erase my stress. Right? But when I looked back, I realized I’d already had that before. I’d earned plenty. And yet, because I lacked structure, I lost it all.

The problem wasn’t my income. It was my behavior.

I realized I needed some kind of discipline. I needed an easy system. This is how Profit First was born, which is great, but it didn’t exactly help me get my personal finances in order. 

When it comes to money, you need to make proactive choices instead of emotional ones. And once you have that framework, your mindset shifts from Do I have enough? to I know exactly where this belongs. That’s where financial peace begins.

Your action step

Here’s what I want you to do today:

Choose one area of your finances that brings you stress.Create a dedicated account just for that. Don’t overthink it. Start with the one thing that will give you the most peace of mind.Every time money comes in, move a portion into that account. Even if it’s small, the habit matters more than the amount.

The power isn’t in the size of the transfer. It’s in the clarity it creates and the habits it builds.

The bottom line

You’ll never eliminate financial stress by simply earning more. The secret is clarity. By organizing your money and giving every dollar a job, you stop reacting to money and start directing it. That organization creates habits, those habits shift your mindset, and that mindset builds wealth.

I’ve lived the chaos of losing it all. I’ve lived with the anxiety of uncertainty. And now I can support you. The way out of financial instability is focus and structure, not hustle and hope.

Start with one account. Build the habit. Watch your confidence and your wealth grow.

Here’s to your clarity and peace,
– Mike

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3 Personal Finance Lessons That Changed My Life

When you see someone who is financially well off, is your first instinct that she or he got there seamlessly? I sure used to.

I wish I could tell you that my money journey has been nothing but smart decisions, steady growth, and easy wins. The thing is, and stop me if you’ve heard this already – I had it ALL once. And then I lost it.

No kidding.

I had the big house, the cars, the trappings of “success.” On paper, I looked like a guy who had it figured out. But the reality behind closed doors was brutal: I had been an angel investor, and it went south. Like, real south. Then came the mounting debt, unpaid bills hidden in drawers, and a pit in my stomach that wouldn’t go away. Eventually, it all came crashing down.

I lost my money. I lost my confidence. I nearly lost myself.

When the numbers crumble, so do you

Money is never just about dollars. When your finances collapse, your mental health collapses right alongside it.

I remember lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to move. Depression hit me like a freight train. I felt worthless, like I had failed not just in business, but in life. My wife and kids were there for me, but I couldn’t shake the shame. Every time I looked at them, all I saw was the provider I wasn’t.

Money problems seep into everything. Your relationships get strained. Your health takes a hit. You isolate yourself because you don’t want anyone to know how bad it’s gotten. And the cruelest part? You feel like the harder you work, the deeper you sink.

The breaking point

My lowest point occurred at Valentine’s dinner when my daughter, who was little at the time, offered up her piggy bank to keep us all afloat.

That was the day I realized I couldn’t work my way out of this hole by sheer willpower. I needed a new system. Not just for my finances, but for how I thought about money.

The first big shift: Profit First

That’s when I built the Profit First system. It was born from desperation; an idea so simple I thought it might be dumb: take profit first, and run the business on what’s left. It flipped the traditional accounting model on its head, and it saved me.

Profit First gave me my footing back in business. It created boundaries, structure, and accountability where before there had been chaos. For the first time, I wasn’t scrambling to cover expenses; I was building reserves. And with that structure came a little breathing room.

“Ok, Mike – what about your personal finances?”, I’m sure you’re wondering. 

Yeah, about those. I hadn’t really fixed that. It was easier, less personal, somehow, to focus on shoring up my business. That’s what Profit First did –  solved my business finances. But that solved nothing at home.

The deeper problem

Even when my business finances stabilized, my personal habits continued to pull me back toward the edge. I’d overextend, overspend, or simply ignore the warning signs. I wasn’t just making financial mistakes; I was living with financial dysfunction.

This wasn’t about systems alone. It was about habits. About mindset.

I needed to rewire my thinking about money in my day-to-day life. To stop seeing it as something “over there” that I’d eventually get around to, and start treating it as the foundation for my freedom, my family, and my peace of mind.

Building The Money Habit

All of this to say, I decided to write The Money Habit to guide you through making money management a daily practice that feels natural, automatic, and even empowering.

I took the principles that saved my businesses and translated them into personal finance. Just like Profit First makes profit unavoidable in your business, The Money Habit makes financial progress unavoidable in your life.

And here’s the truth: habits beat willpower every time. You don’t need to “try harder.” You need systems that shape your behavior automatically, so you can build wealth without white-knuckling it.

The mindset shifts that saved me

Here are three shifts that changed everything for me:

From shame to curiosity. Instead of hiding from my financial mistakes, I started asking what they could teach me. Each misstep became data, not identity. From hustle to habits. I used to think freedom would come from one big win. It doesn’t. It comes from small, consistent actions; paying down debt piece by piece, saving a little at a time, building habits that compound. From isolation to systems. I stopped carrying the burden in silence. Systems gave me structure, but accountability gave me strength. I started involving my family, my team, and eventually, the readers of my books. 

Why this matters for you

If you’ve ever felt the shame of debt, the anxiety of not knowing how you’ll cover the next bill, or the depression that comes with financial collapse, I get it. I’ve been there. And I can tell you this: there’s a way out.

It doesn’t start with a windfall or a lucky break. It starts with simple, repeatable habits that build momentum, just like Profit First did for my businesses.

That’s the heartbeat of The Money Habit. It’s not about perfection. It’s about creating small wins, making them visible, and stacking them until you realize…you’re free.

The bottom line

I wrote The Money Habit because I know the crushing weight of financial chaos. I know the toll it takes on your mind, your health, and your family. And I also know the freedom that comes when you build systems and habits that actually work.

This book is my playbook for your freedom. My hope is that it helps you avoid the mistakes I made and gives you a way to build not just wealth, but peace.

Money isn’t everything. But when you are struggling with it, you realize how much it touches everything. And when you gain control of it, you realize you can finally live the life you were meant for.

– Mike

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Why Credit Cards Are a Money Trap – And What You Can Do Today

The Insight: Credit card companies want you to fail.

Let’s get real: credit card companies are not your friend.

Sure, credit cards are convenient, they give you buying power, and they might even come with flashy rewards programs. But make no mistake, these companies are in business to make money, and they make the most money when you don’t pay your balance in full.

Interest rates aren’t accidental. Late fees aren’t a mistake. Minimum payments are calculated to maximize the time it takes for you to pay off your debt. In other words, credit card companies structure their terms in a way that encourages you to spend more than you can comfortably afford. They’ve built a system where your success isn’t their goal. Your struggle? That’s their business.

The Perspective: The trap of carrying a balance

Reality: If you don’t pay off your credit card in full each month, interest starts compounding, and it compounds fast. A $1,000 balance at a 20% annual interest rate could cost you nearly $200 a year in interest alone without touching a single new purchase. That’s the power of the trap.

Think about it: you work hard for your money, but if you rely on credit cards without a plan, you end up giving a significant portion of your earnings back to the card issuer. And the cycle can feel endless. One month you pay the minimum, the next month you rack up a few extra charges, and suddenly you’re drowning. Meanwhile, the credit card company is celebrating. Their system is working exactly as intended: they win, you lose.

But here’s the good news: you can control this. It’s not the card’s fault if you fall into the trap; it’s simply designed to exploit human tendencies. Once you understand the game, you can set yourself up to win.

The Action: Take control of your limit

So, what’s the most straightforward way to fight back? Pay your balance in full every single month. No exceptions. Make it a non-negotiable habit.

And here’s a hack many people overlook: call your credit card company and request a lower limit. I’m not talking about a drastic reduction that makes your card useless. I mean a limit that you know you can pay off in full consistently. If your limit is $3,000 and you consistently struggle to pay that off, ask for it to be $1,500 or $1,000. You can’t change the interest rate or the minimum payment rules, but you can control how much risk you expose yourself to.

This small change does two things:

It forces discipline. A lower limit keeps you from overspending and building a balance you can’t manage.
It builds better money habits. Every time you pay your balance in full, you’re training your brain to respect your money and make intentional spending choices.

Here’s the takeaway: Credit cards are a tool. Like any tool, their value depends on how you use them. When you understand that the system is designed to take advantage of you, you stop blaming yourself for “falling behind.” You start taking actionable steps to protect your finances, and that’s where real financial independence begins.

Your next step

Call your credit card company. Set a limit you can control. Pay off your balance in full each month. And watch how your stress decreases while your confidence grows.

The game is rigged, but only if you let it be. Take control, play smart, and win on your terms.

Wishing you a lifetime of financial independence.

– Mike

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