Cultura Coaching, LLC

Founder and leadership coach helping service-based business owner/operators grow their business with clarity, structure, and purpose—one business at a time. 

Through my initial 90-day Growth & Profit Accelerator ($3,995), I deliver a proven, strategic framework that aligns teams, improves culture, and drives measurable results. 

Clients consistently see 25%+ revenue growth, 3%+ profit increases, and stronger retention through clear SMART goals, actionable steps, and full accountability.

Profitable Growth Coach

Cascadia Global Security

Led regional security operations across Oregon, managing 60+ client accounts, 90+ employees, and $5.2M+ in annual revenue with a consistent 18%+ profit margin. Achieved a 47% gross margin improvement within 3 months by optimizing workforce scheduling and reducing labor inefficiencies. Successfully lowered direct labor costs by 9.8% and overhead by 58% while maintaining 100% client satisfaction through strategic hiring and responsive service delivery.

Regional Operations Manager (Oregon)

Premier Services Group

Directed administrative operations for a $40M+ company servicing 110 Lowe’s stores across 6 states, overseeing 800+ daily activities for 1,500+ weekly customers. Led a 30+ person scheduling team, HR, and training functions, enabling 300% revenue growth by formalizing recruiting, onboarding, and customer support systems. Improved customer satisfaction scores by 11% and eliminated overdue scheduling commitments through strategic process design, data-driven accountability, and scalable operational structures.

Director Of Operations

Dovetail Coffee

Brought in by a potential investment group as a business operations expert to partner with the CEO in scaling a specialty coffee business. Oversaw 3 café managers, 12 staff, and 1 roaster while developing and executing a growth strategy that led to the opening of two new locations. Built and optimized internal processes for recruiting, hiring, and training, resulting in a 100% increase in trained team capacity prior to COVID-19-related closure.

Vice President of Operations

G.W. PAULSON COMPANY

Managed operational projects for a construction services provider, leading a team of 12 installers and overseeing all estimating, ordering, and scheduling functions. Handled 100+ daily requests from project superintendents while streamlining processes to increase home builds by 85% and set a 30-year department revenue record at $1.5M/month. Maintained 100% client retention through consistent, high-level service and execution.

Account/Project Manager

Renewal by Andersen of Oregon

Led and developed a high-performing sales team of 15 for a premium window installation company, generating 90+ quality leads per month and driving 30%+ revenue growth in just 6 months. Recruited and trained 25+ new team members in one year, built client satisfaction tracking systems to improve NPS, and optimized field rep placement to achieve record-breaking monthly sales. Recognized by leadership for strategic execution and sales excellence.

Marketing Manager

First Response Security

Oversaw organizational strategy, vision, and execution of operations, client services, human resources, accounting, and business development processes, people, and systems.  
Primary driver of B2B firm delivering 5K+ weekly guard and security services with team of 4 direct reports and 130+ customer-facing security officers. 
Generated revenue by performing all sales activities. Conceived of and implemented new recruiting structure. 

> Executed organizational goals through business process improvement resulting in 842% growth over 8 years and 2 highest years of revenue and profit in 25 year history.  
> Led, coached, and motivated 8+ critical client-facing operational staff and managers overseeing 130+ employees, providing 3 different services to 500+ clients at 6,000+ accounts exceeding client expectations, resulting in 95% client retention and 10%+ annual growth. 
> Analyzed operating budget of $5M+ annually focusing on P&L opportunities resulting in 10% revenue growth and 1%+ of increased net profit year over year.  
>  Increased revenue from -16% loss during recession (2007 -2011) to 27%+ growth over 5 years through strategic planning and execution
>  Improved customer satisfaction and mitigated business risks through the project management,  strategic planning, budgeting and implementation of a proprietary customer facing software and technology for 50+ accounts

Vice President of Services

Negotiated and sold B2B contracts growing revenue by 842% from $360k annually to $3.25M. Achieved 84% revenue growth in 2 years after 3 years of negative profit. Recruited, trained, and onboarded a staff 
of 4 direct reports and 95 security officers.

Oversaw all branch operations to include administration, operations, human resources, customer services, sales and scheduling. In addition, played a leadership role in the client services approach for the company.

Sr. Director, Client Services | Branch Manager

Customer Service Representative

You didn’t start your business to stay stuck—scrambling to make payroll, buried in the weeds, guessing at your margins, and wondering why your bank account doesn’t reflect your hard work.

Yet here you are.

When it comes to building a profitable business, there are two common paths:

1.  Keep pushing, hoping next month will be different—ignoring your numbers, chasing more sales, and reacting to cash flow chaos.
2.  Get strategic—plug profit leaks, build a financial system that works, and create a scalable growth plan based on data, not gut instinct.

Most business owners fall into the first camp.  Not because they’re lazy—but because no one ever taught them how to manage the financial side of the business like a CFO.

Even if you're brilliant at what you do, the numbers can feel intimidating.

Margins are shrinking. Cash is tight. Expenses creep up. And you’re not even sure where the money goes.

You know how to work hard.

You just don’t have a route—a clear, proven path to take back control.

Now, imagine this instead…

▪️ You know your numbers—and exactly where your profit is leaking
▪️ Your cash flow is steady, predictable, and growing
▪️ Your pricing, margins, and offers are optimized for sustainability
▪️ You have time to think, plan, and lead—not just put out fires
▪️ You finally feel in control of your business—and your future

That’s what I help growth-focused business owners do.

What I Offer: The 90-Day Profitable Growth Route™

Inside this high-touch 1:1 program, I guide you from 'Basecamp' to 'Peak'—through a proven route to gain clarity, confidence, and control over your business finances.

Here’s what we build together:

▪️ A clear financial map—so you know what to track, fix, and measure
▪️ A 25%+ increase in profit by plugging leaks and optimizing your pricing
▪️ A cash flow system that ensures you're never surprised by your bank balance
▪️ Operational clarity so you stop spinning and start scaling
▪️ A repeatable, scalable 90-day growth framework to stay on track year-round

Backed by Two Guarantees:

1.  Confidence: If after 2 sessions, you don’t feel confident in the value I bring—I refund you in full.
2.  Completion: If by Day 90 you don’t have a complete plan and time to execute it—I work with you up to 2 additional sessions, at no extra cost.

You Deserve a Business That Pays You Well—Not One That Drains You

If you’re ready to fix your financial foundation and start building toward real, sustainable growth—I invite you to shoot me a DM or schedule your 20-minute clarity call.  

Start your profitable growth journey today!

Damien Foglio

I had a tough chat with a new client yesterday. He asked his top employee to perform a task, and the response was: "Nope." 

This pattern only happens because it’s been allowed to happen before. 

I told him, "Your business will only be as good as what you tolerate." 

Tolerate poor behavior, sloppy work, or low standards — and you’ll keep getting the same results. 

No amount of warnings or conversations will change that. 

Change only happens when you decide enough is enough and stop accepting what’s unacceptable. 

Leadership isn’t just about messaging — it’s about setting clear standards and holding your team accountable. 

Because growth begins where tolerance ends. 

What’s your take on how leadership sets the boundaries that drive success?

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Cash Flow Freedom - Dec 1

Workshop

📌 On Monday, January 19th at 7 pm EST I am hosting a 1-hr workshop: Profitable Gameplan helping business owners get a jump start on achieving their 2026 goals. 

https://calendly.com/coach-damien/workshop

It's only $25 to join. 
Includes bonuses and a replay.


Hands-on help for $300k-$3M Service Owner-operators to ditch the COO hat, fix their cash flow, and finally get paid | All Inside the 8-Wk Profitable Growth Accelerator™

Meeting with a prospective client yesterday, one thing became apparent: 
He had great revenue ($1M+), was even making 5%+ profit, but had no cash flow to float payroll. 

Truth is, every small business owner wants steady cash flow, 
but not all of them have it. 

Start with this fact: 
The biggest reason small businesses struggle to keep the lights on is because they don’t have enough profit.

Sounds simple, right? 

But here’s the kicker: 
Even if you’re making a profit, you’re not necessarily staying afloat. 

Why? 

Because most business owners are spending that profit right away:
Debt payments, owner draws, bonuses, or just plain old overspending.

If you want to build predictable cash flow, you need to control what you’re extracting from your business.

Here’s my advice: 
Review your monthly financials like a hawk. 

Understand where every dollar is going.
If you’re not doing that already, you’re flying blind.

Profit isn’t just an end-of-month number. 
It’s the fuel that keeps your cash flow alive.

Stop spending your profit like it’s Monopoly money. 
Reclaim your financial clarity, and your cash flow will follow.

Are you ready to take control? 

Do this, starting today: 
1️⃣ Start by reviewing your numbers weekly.
2️⃣ Review your P&L's by percentage (in accordance to revenue) monthly. 
3️⃣ Make decisive actions to improve the outliers. 

Because no matter how busy you are, 
if your profit isn’t growing, your cash flow isn’t either.

Let’s get real about your numbers. 
Your business depends on it.

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Here's a super unpopular opinion that might ruffle some feathers...
Sometimes, the best move is to just fire your employees and move on.

My client had one admin , the person who handled all the tasks he hated doing, didn't want to do, and honestly, wasn't great at.

That admin let him focus on what he loved: the field, the customers, growing his business.

But earlier this week, she vanished.
No calls, no texts, nothing. 

The next day, still nothing.

My client reached out, asking how to handle it when she comes back.
Wait, what?!

I told him straight: don't bother having her come back.

In my world, employees have three jobs:

1. Show up ready to work
2. Do the work
3. Leave on time

When they nail those, you usually win.

But when step one, showing up, is broken?
You're already losing.

It's trust. Confidence that your team has your back.
When that trust is gone, every day becomes a question mark.

Is my team gonna show up today?
That's not a team I want my clients to be part of.

A team where you can count on them, every single day.
Not one where you wonder if they'll even bother to show up.

In this case, no-call/no-show? 
That's job abandonment. Self-termination.

Sometimes, the toughest decision is letting go.

Many service-based business owners are scared to bring me into their business. They fear being judged for a messy business — no clear financials, no clear direction, and no clear goals. 

I’ve talked to many owners who are nervous — almost scared — about what I might discover when I dig into their books and systems.

Here’s the truth: 

That mess? It’s exactly where I thrive.
That chaos is a goldmine.

It’s where the real story lives — the hidden leaks, the missed opportunities, the profit leaks buried in the clutter.

And here’s a secret: Just because the data looks bad doesn’t mean the business is bad.

Problems are honest messengers.

They tell us where we need to fix things, where to tighten margins, where the profit leaks are hiding.

The key isn’t solving everything at once — it’s starting with ONE thing, the biggest challenge, and knocking it out.

Like pushing snow downhill, solving one frustration snowball makes everything easier moving forward.

So, if your business feels like a mess, remember — that’s where growth begins.

Tackle the biggest pain first, and watch how momentum builds.

Ready to turn your chaos into clarity? 
Let’s start cleaning up those profit leaks today.

One of my favorite follows here on is Blake Harber. 
Building a business from scratch, while sharing his journey along the way. 

But he recently asked a question that I love answering: 
How do you set up your week on Sunday? 

Here's my answer with a little more detail: 

Every Sunday afternoon, I take 1-2 hours and plan out my week: 

1️⃣ Confirm and schedule all personal items with my wife: Work schedules, pickups, drop offs, dates, following weekend plans, etc. 

2️⃣ Schedule all my client coaching appointments in my calendar and notebook. (I love analog). This is my "working" schedule for the week and must make times. 

3️⃣ I then plan all my workouts (4 x /week, 40 min ea) around those items. Day 1 through 4. With what I am going to work out and when. 

4️⃣ With the remaining time I build in my "business building" hours. 

I choose 3 strong objectives (My big 3) each week to accomplish by Friday afternoon. 

I then do 3 small tasks (My Little 3) each day to accomplish them - and schedule that time around all of the items above. 

5️⃣ And finally, I set out my clothes, grind all my coffee, and food prep for week (even though I work from home). 

Doing this every Sunday gets me motivated to get out of bed and start tackling everything every Morning. 

Do you have a Week prep routine? 
If so, let me know what works for you!

I say a lot of things on LinkedIn, but never did I expect something I said to turn in to a "mini-viral" moment.   At least in my small world.  

But apparently my post on Sunday struck and nerve and invited new people into the conversation of leadership.  

In this case, an employee was asked by the owner of the company (his dad) to perform a client request, to which the employee (the son) refused to do. 

The requested service was well within the scope of work and the owner felt it was helping a long term client out.  The employee felt it was a waste of time.

So, who is right in this situation?  

I might argue that as long as the work order and service request is within the scope of work the company provides, the employees are to do what is requested of them.  

That's what this conversation is all about.  

However, part of what I learned from this post is that context matters.  
And I completely agree with that.  

Without context there is a cliff hanger.  A desire to know more. 

But then the question is: 

With more context would it have gotten the response that it did?  
Did the fact that my post lacked context create the curiosity to join the conversation?  

Not really clear, but one more thing I learned: Keeping up with a post like this, providing context and responses to every single comment is a lot.  

Almost overwhelming, but worth it.  

Here is the link to the original post: 
https://lnkd.in/g-x5QhwM

Merry Christmas from the Foglio's! 

I hope everyone got to spend time with the people they wanted to.

Ever been so unhappy with your business that just the thought of another day doing the same thing made your stomach turn? 

That’s exactly where Will was when he found me. 

He wasn’t clear on what his goals were. 
He didn’t have a plan. 

All he knew was: 
He hated where he was and refused to stay there. 

Sometimes, that’s all it takes to get moving. 
A little dissatisfaction with the status quo. 

So, even without a specific target, we agreed on one thing: 
Things had to change. 

We started by digging into his frustrations. 
The sleepless nights. 
The dread when he drove to the office. 

Turns out, there were two main issues holding him back: 

1. Job and work order intake. 
2. Employee scheduling and assignment. 

Fix those, and everything else becomes easier. 

Once we hammered out those pain points, we moved to the next stage. 

My 3-Step System to optimize and scale businesses in 90 days or less: 

Step 1️⃣: Identify & Eliminate Bottlenecks 
→ What’s slowing you down? 
→ We audit where your time and money are leaking. 

Step 2️⃣: Systemize & Automate 
→ We ditch manual work. 
→ Implement automation and delegation so you can grow without burning out. 

Step 3️⃣: Scale with Strategy 
→ We craft a custom 3-year roadmap. 
→ Double your revenue—without sacrificing your sanity. 

This isn’t some fancy theory. 

It’s the exact system my clients use to boost profit and free up time fast. 

If you’re tired of spinning your wheels, let's talk. 

What’s holding your business back? 
Drop a comment or send me a message. 

Let’s make change happen.

If I was frustrated with how my business ran in 2025, here are the 8 things I would do to get it back on track and hit the ground running in 2026. But most owners are not doing #2. 

1. Set Goals: I would set my goals for 2026 based around my three primary metrics: Revenue, Profit, and Time. 

Fix these and many other items fall into place. I would review these quarterly to ensure I am on track for my 1 year goal. 

2. Measure Weekly: I would set up a recurring 45-min meeting to review these 3 items weekly. 

What did it cost me to run my business this week (payroll, overhead, cost of goods, etc.)? Make 1 decision each week that is going to improve each of these and by the end of the quarter, your business should start to look quite different. 

3. Monthly review: Each month I would review my P&L and make up to three decisions to improve it. Cutting costs and/or expenses, negotiating discounts, improving pricing, etc. 

4. Manage Cash: I would use 4 bank accounts to manage my cash so I know where it is at all times and how much runway I have each month. 

Have a savings account for taxes and emergency expenses, along with profit. 

5. Fix Pricing: I would improve and increase my pricing for new customers when getting too many “yes’s”. 

By building a pricing model for the business, it often just takes one lever to make an improvement. 

6. Add Services: I would add any new services in which I get regular requests about. 

Tracking these as they ask and add them up each quarter and add that service to my menu of services. 

7. Generate Revenue: now that I have all of these items in place, I would focus any remaining time, with a minimum of 4 hours per week, focused on creating content, placing ads, and reaching out to potential customers. 

8. Define done: Each day and each week I would define what done looks like. 

Each week I would have 3 primary objectives to accomplish by Friday each week. And each day I would define 3 secondary objectives to accomplish prior to leaving for the day. When these are done each day and when the weekly objectives are done each week, I am done. 

In the end, I want a business I am running, not one that is running me. 

By setting the direction and doing everything I can on a daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis, there is no way to not achieve my one year goals. 

Anything you would add to this?

Profit isn’t just a dollar amount. It’s a percentage.
Focusing solely on a number can be dangerous...

Why? Because numbers don’t grow or scale with your business.

A big profit figure today might look impressive, but what happens when your sales double?

Will that dollar profit stay the same?
Probably not.

But if your profit margin — that percentage — is solid, it scales with you.
It grows as your revenue grows.

That’s the real key to sustainable, profitable growth.

Managing a percentage gives you a clear view of your business’s health
regardless of size.

If you want to grow without losing margins, focus on the percentage, not just the dollar figure.

Because percentages don’t just scale—they multiply.

What’s your profit margin?
And how are you making sure it grows with your business?

(Yes, our house has been fully decorated for Christmas since the first weekend in November.)

Time to start thinking in percentages.
Your future self will thank you.

Last week I sat on a call with a client and his brand-new admin.

He’d just had to move on from the previous one.
Clean break. Fresh start.
And one big problem:

The admin wanted to do a great job.
The client had no idea where to start.

So instead of training task-by-task...
or dumping a massive SOP doc on them...

We focused on just three things.

Not forever.
Just to get momentum.

Here’s what we did:

Defined the start of the day
What does “a good day” look like the moment they log in?
Clear tasks. Clear ownership. No guessing.

Defined the end of the day
Before signing off, what must be done for it to count as a win?
This alone removed 80% of the anxiety.

Prioritized the middle
A simple list of the best use of time in between.
Not everything. Just what matters most.

That’s it.

No micromanaging.
No overtraining.
No “let’s cover every edge case.”

And here’s the result:

The admin was up and running by day 2.

Not perfect.
But confident.
And moving.

This worked because most people try to train for completeness…

When what people actually need is clarity.

Clarity creates confidence.
Confidence creates momentum.
Momentum buys you time to refine later.

If you’re onboarding someone right now:

Start with the bookends.
Then fill in the middle.

What’s the first thing someone should own when they start their day?

—

If this was useful, say 👋 or steal the framework.
I share real behind-the-scenes moments like this often.

I am constantly having to remind myself this key fact: 

Consistency > Intensity

Of course it sounds simple, but in reality, its a game changer. 

Combine consistency with review, revision, and action...
And you have the exact formula for success. 

Success in personal life. 
Or in your business. 

I often find myself in, what feels like, a unique spot of coaching my clients towards their success, while also building and growing my business. 

This has caused me to often feel anxiety, like I am not doing enough...

That is why I: 

1️⃣ Break down every one of my annual goals into weekly metrics. (IE: $250k annually is a huge goal, but it’s only $4,800 per week). 

2️⃣ Identify the daily habits that help me achieve my personal and professional goals. (IE: 1 LI post per day, 5 prospect follow ups, 1 x 40-min workout, etc)

3️⃣ Track my progress in a habit tracker I have on my desk at all times (A Small grid of the items I know, that if done daily, will move me closer). 
Review weekly and make necessary pivots or improvements. 

Doing this, helps me define “done”. 

If I do my daily items each day, and weekly tasks each week, I can be confident that I did what I needed to do to move closer towards my goals. 

For me, it’s all about accomplishing what I need to do, while having time for what I want to do. 

But hey, I'll be the first to admit—this path isn't for everyone.

For me, spending time with family is not just about eating, drinking, gifts, and games. It is much deeper than that. 

Getting together with family is great, but that is not the point: 
Just being together. 

It's a start, but not the reason. 

The point (for me at least) is to grow together, to learn more about each other, to support each other, and let them know they are very important to us. 

When we get together, I try and be intentional about this, engaging in conversations and asking questions.

This year, while on our annual trip to the mountain with my wife's family, we went around the table and discussed our 2026 BHAG's (Big Harry Audacious Goals). 

Some we work and career related. 
Others, personal goals. 
No wrong answers. 

To me, you learn the most about people when you learn what their goals are. 

It shows me what is important to them. 
It expresses what area(s) they want to grow the most in. 

For those curious...
My BHAG: Double my income without doubling my time. 

What is yours?

Part of me wants to raise daughters who are great team players and dependable employees: self-aware, responsible, respectful, and willing to go above and beyond.

But another part of me dreams of raising entrepreneurs.

Ones who push boundaries, question things to better understand, and aren't afraid to forge their own path.

Honestly, either path works for me, as long as they are happy.

Every Thursday night, on the way to hip-hop dance class, my 11-year-old Harper and I talk about the business she wants to build.

It's become our weekly ritual, reviewing her "business plan," updating it, and figuring out what's missing.

And since I promised to be her first investor and biggest supporter, it's crucial we build that investor-entrepreneur relationship early.

Right now, we are building "Fit & Fashion" where local ladies can gather, purchase Alo quality items at Rack prices, while joining in fitness classes. 

The real question: are we empowering her to chase her dreams or just teaching her to follow orders?

Either way, I know one thing , what she learns now will shape her future.

And honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.

What about your kids? Do you want them to follow a well-trodden path or blaze their trail?

Let's talk about it in the comments.

Last week I was looking at a client’s numbers and had to pause.

Not because they were flashy.
But because of how quiet the growth was.

In 2023: $160k revenue | $60k pay/profit

In 2024: $652k revenue | $130k profit

This year? On track for $800k with $200k profit.

Same business. Same market. No hype.

So what actually changed?

We didn’t add more chaos. 
We removed it.

Here’s what we did:

1️⃣ Restructured pricing
2️⃣ We stopped winging it.
3️⃣ Built a firm pricing list.
4️⃣ Then increased it intentionally each year. 

No apologizing.
No custom quotes for everything.

Focused on the most profitable services
Not the busiest ones.
The repipes that actually made money.

If it wasn’t profitable, it stopped being a priority.

Changed how talent was paid
Instead of bloated fixed costs,
we paid a fixed % per job.

Cheaper access to great talent.
Costs stayed predictable.
Margins stopped getting crushed.

That one shift did two things at once:

More jobs completed per week

Cost per job finally stayed under control

This worked because most businesses try to grow revenue first...

When the real unlock is structuring profit before scale.

Revenue is loud.
Profit is quiet.
But profit compounds.

If you doubled revenue tomorrow, would your profit double too — or disappear?

—

If you want help tightening the engine before pushing harder, say the word.
I share what’s actually working behind the scenes.

This week was... loud.

Multiple client calls.
Same issue. Different employees.

People asking for more money —
using every tactic in the book to get it.

Market rates.
Past titles.
What their friend makes.
What they feel they deserve.

So here’s how I look at it:

Compensation = the value the position brings to the company.

That’s it.

Your prior experience?
Relevant to getting hired — not getting a raise.

Your prior pay or title?
Relevant to your resume — not your compensation here.

Other companies paying more for “the same role”?
Then that role might make sense... at that company.

Titles, responsibilities, leadership, expectations —
they vary too much for pay-by-comparison to mean much.

So what’s the real goal?

Stop playing their game.
Play your game.

The one built around:
1️⃣ Profit
2️⃣ Growth
3️⃣ Sustainability

If someone materially contributes to those —
work to keep them.

If they don’t —
don’t take the easy road and pay more for the same value you already had.

When I evaluate compensation, I come back to two questions:
1. What would it cost to replace them in their current role?
2. Knowing what I know now, would I hire them today at the pay they’re asking for?

Those two answers solve a lot of future problems.

One more thing most people don’t like hearing: When someone worked for me, compensation was discussed once per year.

That’s it.

Not open-ended.
Not ongoing.
Not emotional.

Because compensation should:

1️⃣ Align with responsibilities
(As clearly defined in the job description.
If responsibilities change → comp gets reviewed.)

2️⃣ Scale with growth
Every role should have a clear formula for what growth with the company looks like.
When compensation is tied to revenue and/or profit percentages,
most “raise conversations” disappear.

Clarity beats negotiation.
Structure beats pressure.

Curious — how do you think about compensation when emotions enter the room?

Investment diversification can look a lot different for a lot of people. 
But the truth is, there is no one size fits all approach. 

Some people invest in the stock market. 
Many invest in real estate. 
Others into bullion (Have you seen gold prices lately?!) 

One of the approaches I coach is that your business is your income generator. Your money making machine. Both in income (through payroll) and through owner draws (from profit). 

It makes you money, which then allows you to build personal wealth and invest it. 

And, when it comes to personal investing, I stick to one rule: 
𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁. 

Not what the influencers say you should invest in. 
Not what ads you are seeing on social media. 
Not what your broke friends or family say you should. 

But in what you know in and out.

So, what do I know best? Vintage Baseball Cards. 

A collector as a kid, reinvigorated over the last 8 years to really learn more. 

Just like many investments, there is risk:
Risk of decrease in value. (Vintage has less risk than current players)
Risk of something being stolen or damaged. (I keep them in a safe)

But there is also reward: 
This year the vintage sports cards market is up 6.18%
One investment of mine has 10x since 2017. 
A good conversation. 

What ever your investment approach is, I encourage you to be intentional about it. 

Know your risk tolerance. 
Focus on growing your business to grow your wealth. 
Be relentless about making the most of your money. 

What are some of your alternative or diversified investments?

Where are you on the side of New Year's resolutions? 
Personally, I love them, but I know they are not for everyone.  

An old friend of mine was anti-resolutions. 
They said that people should not wait to new years to set new goals.  

I can agree with that, but they also didn't set any sort of goals.  

For me personally, here is what I do: 
1.  Review last year's goals.  
2.  Build upon those.  

Did I hit my goals?  If not, what's the next level? 
If not, are they are still important?  
Do I need to pivot?  

Professionally, every goal is an annual revenue, profit, and time goal: 
1.   Revenue: How much money I make in my business? 
2.  Profit: How much of my revenue to pay myself?
3.  Time: How much time am I willing to put into to achieve those two?

Any thoughts or feedback on this format?  
What is your approach?

Are you the type to make New Year's Resolutions, or do you skip them altogether?

Honestly, I believe everyone needs at least one goal, because real growth only happens when there's change.

We don't need more information. We need transformation. 

But here's the catch: Change doesn't just happen.
It starts with a clear, measurable goal, a timeline, and a plan.

Whether your goal is to lose 20 pounds or grow your business by 20%, breaking it into 90-day chunks makes it manageable.

Want to drop 20? Focus on 5 pounds every 90 days.
Looking to scale? Aim for a 5% growth each quarter.

It's not about WHEN you start, 
it's about HAVING a goal and a plan to reach it.

Goals for 10 years, 3 years, and 1 year are important.

But the real magic? 
Breaking them down into actionable steps for the next 90 days.

Know where you are now, define where you want to go, and map out your 90-day milestones.

Set your goals today , whether it's New Year's or a random Tuesday.
Grow in every aspect, and make this year different than the last.

One goal at a time.
One 90-day sprint.

Struggling to define your next 90-day goals?
Reach out, I'd love to help you turn big dreams into achievable plans.

Let's make this year your best yet.

PS: My goal is to help 100+ small service-business owners build better businesses in 2026. Improving pay, satisfaction, and profit - all without adding more hours.

My wife and I have started the process of looking for a new family vehicle. 

We simply cannot fit our family of 4 and our luggage (We all have a tendency to overpack a bit.) in either of our two current cars. 

But while talking to sales people and dealerships one thing stood out. 
This dealership 20 min south, does not negotiate. 

They go by a one-price motto. 

I was a bit used to this when purchasing Audi's in my previous life, but for a Toyota? 

But that's it. 

The price they give you in store is the price they sell it. 
Everyone gets the same price. 

Then I started thinking about all of the positives of this...

Eliminates possible discrimination. 
Levels the ground for different levels of negotiations. 
Allows each person to get the same deal, no matter their purchasing power. 

I hated it as a buyer, as I wanted to negotiate. 
I want to feel like I am winning something more. 

But as a business, I love it. 

Too many times, service-based business owners build their price, but are open to negotiation. 

They lower their price to make a customer happy. 
Or provide a discount to help get the sale. 

But this can work in the opposite direction. 
It cheapens the service. 

1️⃣ Build your perfect profitable price for each service. 
2️⃣ Stick to it. Don't negotiate. 

Some of my clients are hesitant to tell clients their pricing. 
When that is the case, we...
1️⃣ Post it to a website or landing page. 
2️⃣ Point every client to that page. 
3️⃣ Have them book a call at the bottom. 

Easy peasy.

(PS: This was last night's sunset from the dealership. God's creation is beautiful!)

Helping Founders Break the $10M Ceiling | Strategy, Cash Flow & Leadership Systems | Scaling CFO

Scaling Founders Beyond $10M with Strategy, Financial Clarity, and Leadership Expansion

Most companies stall not because of lack of effort—
but because the founder has outgrown the systems, strategies, and financial models that once worked.

At Ascend Growth Ventures, we partner with CEOs of $3M–$10M companies to implement Scaling Up, strengthen financial infrastructure, and elevate leadership teams—building businesses that scale profitably and predictably, without burning out the founder.

By integrating Scaling Up, Exponential Organizations, and CFO-level financial insights, we deliver a complete, battle-tested system for sustainable, high-performance growth.

🔹 We Work With CEOs Who Want To:
✔️ Scale revenue and profits without chaos
✔️ Build self-managing leadership teams
✔️ Unlock hidden cash flow and improve financial decision-making
✔️ Sharpen their strategy for exponential growth
✔️ Prepare for capital raises, acquisitions, or exits

🔹 Our Core Focus Areas:
  * Strategic Scaling Up Implementation

  * Financial Strategy & Cash Optimization

  * Leadership Team Development

  * Systems for Predictable Growth

  * Valuation Prep and Exit Strategy

✅ Why Work With Me?
25+ years of experience scaling businesses from the inside out:
➡️ Regional CFO, GE Gas Power (LATAM, +1.5GW record year)
➡️ Strategic finance and underwriting leadership at GE Capital
➡️ Business/project development for 8-figure ventures
➡️ Trusted advisor to founders scaling past $10M and beyond

✅ Industries We Specialize In:
✔️ Clean Energy & Decarbonization
✔️ Industrial Goods & B2B Services
✔️ Impact-Driven Companies
✔️ Scaling Coaching & Consulting Firms

🧠 If You're Ready to Scale Intelligently and Sustainably

Let's have a strategic conversation about where you are—and where you can go.

Easiest way to work with me?

Book a 30 min call and let's see if we are a fit.
https://calendly.com/cruzagamboa/call-with-cruz-ascend-30min

Cruz Gamboa

Scaling isn’t about being nice.
It’s about being clean.

Clean with roles.
Clean with standards.
Clean with truth.

You don’t fire people.
You outgrow misalignment.

As the Netflix CEO puts it:

“If I wouldn’t fight to keep you, I owe you honesty—and a generous exit.”

Not because someone failed.
But because one of three things is true:
•	The role evolved faster than the person
•	The seat was wrong from the start
•	The bar moved—and the company didn’t move it back

High-performing companies don’t drag this out.
They decide early and act with dignity.

No drama.
No ego.
No moral stories.

Just:
•	Radical clarity
•	Respectful exits
•	Fair severance
•	Clean energy left behind

Dragging misalignment is the real cruelty.
Clarity is the kindness.

Scaling isn’t loyalty to individuals.
It’s loyalty to the mission, the team, and the future.

Right people.
Right seats.
Right standards.

And when someone no longer fits?
You don’t shame them.
You set them free.

If you want to scale, stop managing discomfort.
Start architecting teams.

Managers hesitate.
Leaders make room.

#scalingup #founders #growth #ceo

Empires don’t collapse overnight. They die one decision at a time.

Blockbuster laughed. Kodak hesitated. BlackBerry mocked. Nokia grew arrogant. Yahoo said no. MySpace lost control. Toys “R” Us handed away power. Xerox watched. Sears refused to evolve.

None of them were stupid. They were comfortable. Comfortable with the way things were. Comfortable with yesterday’s wins. Comfortable thinking tomorrow would take care of itself.

Here’s the hard truth:
✅ Ego delays change.
✅ Comfort kills urgency.
✅ Arrogance blinds vision.
✅ Fear freezes action.

The future doesn’t wait. It doesn’t negotiate. It doesn’t care about excuses.

2026 is here. This year, make bold decisions. Execute fast. Learn relentlessly. Build systems that last. Stop waiting for perfect. Stop letting fear or ego decide.

💡 Save this if it opened your eyes.
💡 Share it if it humbled you.
💡 Apply it if you’re building something that matters.

History doesn’t repeat. It replaces. Make 2026 your year. Happy New Year
#ceo #founder #scalingup

Expensive Mistakes

At 35, Dave Thomas walked away from KFC.

Not just a few stores.
Millions in guaranteed money.

Most people would’ve retired.
Dave didn’t.

He started a burger chain.
Named it after his daughter.
Wendy.

Square patties.
Fresh beef. Never frozen.
“Quality is our recipe.”

He didn’t copy McDonald’s.
He did it better.

Then he changed the game.
Built the first modern drive-through.
Called it the “Pick-Up Window.”
Customers didn’t know what to do at first.
He taught them.
They came back. Fast.

By 1972, he was franchising.
Not individual stores. Entire cities.
Growth exploded.
1,000 restaurants in under 9 years.

Then came the fall.
Bad decisions.
Failed menus.
Brand fading.

Most founders would’ve quit.
Dave didn’t.
He became the ads.
Not an actor.
Not a celebrity.
Himself.

The commercials were awkward.
Critics laughed.
Viewers noticed.
He leaned into it.
Made fun of himself.
Spoke like a human.

Result?
800+ commercials.
90% brand recognition.
Third-largest burger chain in America.

As of December 2025, Wendy’s has a market cap of $1.61 Billion USD.

Here’s the lesson:

👉 Growth doesn’t come from comfort. It comes from bold moves.
👉 Your flaws aren’t weaknesses. They’re leverage.
👉 The founder isn’t behind the brand. The founder is the brand.

Walk away from millions.
Take the awkward path.
Show up as yourself.

That’s how empires are built.

#scalingup #founder #CEO #businessstories #branding #authenticity

She built a $7.8 BILLION empire
…from a basement
…with $70,000
…and zero investors

Judy Faulkner.
Founder & CEO of Epic Systems.

No VC hype.
No IPO roadshows.
No “exit strategy.”

Just one woman, one computer, and a decision most founders are too scared to make:
“I will not give up control.”

Judy wrote Epic’s first code herself.
When hospitals still ran on paper.
When people said tech had no place in healthcare.

GE tried to buy Epic Systems.
Oracle tried.
Private equity tried.
She ended every meeting the same way: No.

46 years later:
➡ Epic Systems powers 50%+ of U.S. hospital beds
➡ 305M+ patient records
➡ Still private. Still founder-led.

No ads.
No apps.
No noise.

Just software that helps doctors save lives
—and quietly prints billions.

Lesson most founders miss:
Fast money buys speed.
Control buys decades.

Boring businesses.
Long vision.
Unbreakable conviction.

#scalingup #ceo #founders

Bill Gates could have flown First Class every day or flown on his own plane, even as a billionaire, 

But he chose to fly Economy until around 1997.

Why?

Because it wasn’t worth the money.

Same plane.
Same arrival time.
5× the cost for a tiny upgrade.

That’s how smart people think about scale.

Most people make money and immediately upgrade their lifestyle.

Smart operators upgrade what makes money.

More spending doesn’t equal more growth.
It usually equals more noise.

When you’re scaling, ask one question:
👉 Does this change the outcome?

If it doesn’t:
Cut it.

A fancy office doesn’t increase revenue.
A luxury car doesn’t improve execution.
Premium tools don’t fix broken systems.

Wealth has one real job:
Buy back your time.

Once you have enough, the goal isn’t more stuff.
It’s fewer constraints.

Less distraction.
More focus.
More leverage.

Scale isn’t about looking successful.
It’s about building something that works without you.

That’s real wealth.
#scalingup #ceo #growth #founder

Santa didn’t turn red by accident.

It was a deliberate capital allocation decision.

Coca-Cola didn’t run a holiday campaign.
They invested in a brand asset.

One color.
One story.
Repeated relentlessly for decades.

The payoff?

Red now signals Christmas—globally.

Here’s what most people miss 👇
Campaigns depreciate.
Brand assets compound.

Short-term attention fades.
Long-term memory accrues.

The lesson:
Stop buying impressions.
Start building assets.

MERRY CHRISTMAS from our crew at Ascend Growth Ventures!!

#growth #ceo #scalingup #christmas
Diego Bravo

Managing Director | CEO | President | CFO | Finance | LATAM Market expert

Red Santa

He was 78 years old
…when he launched a vodka brand
…with no distillery
…in an industry that laughed at him

Sidney Frank.
The man behind Grey Goose.

No product breakthrough.
No secret formula.
No startup hype.

Just one insight most people missed:
People don’t buy vodka. They buy status.

Sidney didn’t make better vodka.
He made a better story.

France on the label.
Luxury in the bottle design.
A price so high it forced belief.

While others chased volume,
he chased perception.

He didn’t market to the masses.
He placed Grey Goose in elite bars first.
When bartenders poured it,
the world followed.

He moved slowly.
Protected exclusivity.
Ignored trends.

8 years later:
➡ Grey Goose became the default “premium vodka”
➡ Competitors copied the look
➡ Bacardi paid $2.3 BILLION

No overnight success.
Just disciplined positioning.

Lesson most builders miss:
Innovation gets attention.
Positioning creates power.

Experience didn’t slow him down.
It sharpened him.

Long vision.
Clear narrative.
Unshakeable belief.

#founders #scalingup #businessstrategy #longtermthinking

cruzgamboadrive

patagonia-solar-llc

Most people don’t need a new year.

They need a new operating system.

2026 won’t reward louder marketing, more hustle, or more tools.
It will reward founders who build clarity early and compound it fast.

What I’m seeing with founders between $3M–$10M is consistent:
• When financial visibility improves, decisions slow down in the right way
• Leadership shifts from reactive to intentional
• Teams stop guessing and start executing
• Growth becomes calmer, not heavier

Breakthroughs rarely come from doing more.
They come from removing noise and tightening the system.
That’s the mindset I’m taking into 2026.

Less chaos. More leverage. Fewer moves. Better ones.

If you’re also thinking about how you want to operate differently next year, I wrote a short piece on what actually creates momentum at this stage.

DM me or write "2026", and I will share the memo I wrote for my clients and friends with you.

#ceo #founder #scalingup

Jamie Dimon was done.

At least, that’s what Wall Street believed.

Fired by his own mentor.
Pushed out at the peak.
Labeled too ambitious. Too difficult. Too much.

1998: Career over.

Most people would’ve faded away.

He didn’t.

He took the job no one wanted.
A broken bank. 
Low morale. 
Bleeding cash.

Bank One.

No big speeches.
No flashy moves.
Just discipline, cost control, and culture.

Four years later, it worked.

JPMorgan noticed.
Bought Bank One.
Dimon became CEO in 2006.

Then the world collapsed.

2008: Banks failed. Panic everywhere.

Dimon stayed boring.
Protected downside. 
Avoided stupid risk.

Bought strong assets while others burned.

JPMorgan didn’t just survive.
It dominated.

The lesson:

👉 Setbacks don’t end careers. Ego does.
👉 Boring fundamentals win in chaos.
👉 Power is built by outlasting the noise.

Jamie Dimon didn’t beat Wall Street.
He stayed standing when everyone else fell.

What is one career or business move that seemed like a terrible ordeal and resulted in the greatest gift for you?

I invite you to think about it for 5 minutes, and find the evidence for yourself that things are always working out for you if you choose to believe that. 

Stay humble but hungry
Committed but unattached to quick results
Always add value, lead with integrity

What you put in, comes back. 

This is what cause and effect it's all about. 

You may have had a rough season this year.
But guess what, a new year is almost already here. 

For some, it already began.

Happy 2026. Thanks for your support, your engagement and your trust!

Cruz Gamboa
CEO Ascend Growth Ventures

Diego Bravo
COO Ascend Growth Ventures

#gratitude  #scalingup #ceo #growth

He refused to touch a $1.50 hot dog, and it helped build a ~$250B business.

Jim Sinegal.
Costco co-founder.

Inflation hit.
Costs rose.
Wall Street pushed the obvious move:

“Raise prices.”

Jim’s response was blunt:

“If you raise the price of the hot dog, you’re done.”

No slides.
No consultants.
No narrative gymnastics.

Just a rule.

So Costco did what most companies won’t:

They redesigned the system.
* Built their own production capacity
* Reduced supplier dependency
* Ruthlessly simplified SKUs
* Absorbed costs where trust mattered most

Instead of passing pain to customers, they owned it.

While others:
→ Blamed inflation
→ Shrunk products
→ Optimized short-term margins

Costco:
→ Held the line on iconic prices
→ Added ~5M new member households
→ Sustained ~92% renewal rates
→ Scaled to ~$250B in annual revenue

Here’s the part most founders miss:

They weren’t protecting a hot dog.

They were protecting trust.

And trust compounds faster than margins ever will.

Most companies raise prices to survive.
Strong companies redesign economics so prices don’t have to.

Boring moves.
Brutal discipline.
Unfair long-term advantage.

So what’s the one price, promise, or principle in your business that you refuse to break, no matter the pressure?

#scalingup #founders #leadership #pricing #ceo

GIANTS don’t fall overnight.
They fall one comfortable decision at a time.

They built the category.
Owned the market.
Had money, talent, and trust.

Then they did one thing wrong 👇
They stopped adapting.

Motorola. 
Intel. 
Netscape. 
Borders.

Not stupid.
Not unlucky.
Just late.

The market doesn’t punish failure.
It punishes complacency.

Scroll through this carousel if you want a reminder of one brutal truth:
➡️ Past success is not future security.
➡️ Comfort is more dangerous than competition.
➡️ If you’re not improving, someone else is preparing to replace you.

Stay hungry.
Or become a case study.
#SCALINGUP #CEO #FOUNDER #GROWTH

CRITICAL MISTAKES

Scaling up doesn’t break businesses.
Losing focus does.

When things are small, empathy is easy.
You know the people.
You hear the problems.
You feel the impact.

As you scale, noise increases.
More numbers.
More pressure.
More opinions telling you to “detach.”

That’s where most leaders get it wrong.

They think empathy doesn’t scale.
So they replace it with the process only.
Speed only.
Efficiency only.

Bad trade.

Empathy isn’t soft.
It’s a force multiplier.

It tells you:

➡️ What customers will actually pay for
➡️ What teams will execute without friction
➡️ What systems will break before they do

Tim Cook didn’t build Apple by caring less as it grew.
He built systems so care could scale.

Real scaling is this:
Clarity over chaos.
Preparation over panic.
Empathy baked into the process.

Because when you remove empathy, growth stalls.
When you systemize it, growth compounds.

Scale the business.
Don’t shrink the human.
#scalingup #growth #ceo #founder

In 1997, Jeff Bezos was stressed for all the right reasons.

Amazon was losing money.
Online retail wasn’t proven.
Most investors thought he was wrong.

Here’s the part people miss:

Stress doesn’t come from working hard.
It comes from knowing what to do and not doing it.

So Bezos acted.
Packed boxes himself.
Made the calls.
Shipped anyway.

No fancy office.
A door for a desk.
A Honda Accord in the parking lot.

Fast forward to amazon have $2.6 TRILLION market cap.

Lessons for founders:

▶️ Action kills anxiety
▶️ Clarity is earned through execution
▶️ Fancy setups don’t build big companies
▶️ Ignore opinions, obey the math
▶️ The long game compounds quietly

If something is stressing you out right now,
it’s probably your to-do list calling you out.

#scalingup #founder #ceo #growth

Most founders brag about revenue.

That’s a mistake.

I’ve seen companies doing millions a year…
and the owner is still stressed, still stuck, still one bad month away from panic.

Why?

Because revenue doesn’t buy freedom.
Profit does.

More revenue without profit just gives you:

• More people
• More complexity
• More risk
• Same lifestyle

That’s not growth.
That’s leverage working against you.

Here’s the truth:

Growth does not start with selling more.
It starts with a profitable system.

There are only 3 levers that matter:

1. Price – Are you charging what it’s worth?

2. Volume – Are these the right customers?

3. Cost – Are you efficient without breaking delivery?

Everything else is noise.

Fix those three, and profit shows up.

Profit gives you:

➡️ Margin for mistakes
➡️ Proof the model works
➡️ Room to breathe

Profit turns into cash.

Cash pays the team.
Cash pays you.
Cash funds growth without stress.

Then you reinvest:
Better people.
Better systems.
Better clients.

That feeds the engine.

The engine creates more profit.

And now growth funds itself.

Stop asking:
❌ “How do we get more revenue?”

Start asking:
✅ “How do we make this system more profitable?”

Revenue is movement.
Profit is power.

If your business feels fragile, it’s because it is.

Fix the system.
The money follows.

Are you focused on more revenues or more profit in your business?  What would your business look like if you had more profit with the same amount of revenue?

#scalingup #growth #Ceo #founder

Every Fortune 500 CEO has this skill.

Most founders don't.

Worse...they don't even know they're supposed to.

It's not vision. Not charisma. Not industry expertise.

It's the one thing that's quietly eroding your credibility, slowing your decisions, and making you vulnerable to bad advice.

I spent 20 years at GE in leadership roles. We all got trained in it.

Founders? You learned business by doing business. And somewhere along the way, you missed this.

Full breakdown in my latest article ↓

#CEO #GROWTH #SCALINGUP #FINANCIAL

Here's something nobody tells first-time founders. There's a skill that every Fortune 500 CEO possesses. Every single one. It's not vision. It's not c

Open article: The Skill Every Fortune 500 CEO Has That Most Founders Don't by Cruz Gamboa • 4 min read

The Skill Every Fortune 500 CEO Has That Most Founders Don't

Scaling doesn’t fail because of lack of effort.
It fails because effort doesn’t scale.

More clients won’t fix broken delivery.
More hires won’t fix unclear systems.
More revenue won’t fix weak structure.

Growth without systems = expensive chaos.

Build once.
Repeat forever.
Scale without breaking.

Save this if you’re serious about scaling.
Follow for frameworks that actually work.

#scalingup #growth #ceo #founders

Scalable Systems

Most “marketing advice” is a waste of time.

Apple didn’t win because they ran clever ads.

They won because they obsessed over the product.
They obsessed over why it mattered.
They obsessed over how it transformed people’s lives.

Here’s the secret most founders miss:

✅ Be different — safe ideas get ignored.

✅ Sell transformation — nobody buys features.

✅ Clarity compounds — repeat the message until it sticks.

✅ Stories beat specs — emotion wins attention.

✅ Remarkable products market themselves — hype can’t save average.

✅ Trust is your brand bank account — every promise is a deposit or withdrawal.

Apple turned near-bankruptcy into $3T by doing one thing:
focusing on what they built and why it mattered.

Stop chasing tactics.
Start obsessing over substance.

Because clarity + obsession > any marketing trick.

#scalingup #growth #ceo #founder

John D. Rockefeller won everything.

Except the one thing money couldn’t buy.

📍 Cleveland, 1870.

Oil refining was chaos.
Rockefeller saw order where others saw opportunity.

He built Standard Oil.
Not around product.
Around leverage.

Railroads. Data. Pricing.

By 1880, he controlled 90% of American refining.

And yes—he got rich.

Richer than anyone in American history.

When the Supreme Court broke up Standard Oil in 1911, he held stock in all 34 successor companies.

His wealth actually increased.
He died at 97.

The richest man in the country.

So why do we still talk about him as a cautionary tale?

Because wealth isn’t legacy.
Ida Tarbell’s exposés made him a national villain.
“Rockefeller” became shorthand for greed.

He spent his final three decades giving away money—desperate to reshape how history would remember him.

Universities. Foundations. Churches.

It worked. Partially.

But here’s what he couldn’t undo:
The fear he built his empire on didn’t disappear when he signed donation checks.
The relationships he burned didn’t rebuild themselves.
The reputation he earned in his climb followed him to his grave.

The real lesson isn’t that domination fails.
It’s that domination costs—even when it wins.
👉 You can build wealth through control
👉 You can’t build legacy through fear
👉 The money you make means less than the reputation you leave

Rockefeller proved you can squeeze your way to the top.
He also proved you can’t buy your way back to respect.

The strongest businesses aren’t just profitable.
They’re wanted.

Build something people choose to be part of—not something they’re forced to tolerate.

That’s the difference between getting rich and building something that lasts.


#scalingup #ceo #growth #founder

Knowledge²

I was reflecting today about where technology is taking us as humans. 

Everyone thinks AI is expanding their knowledge and wisdom.

It's not.

AI is set to magnify your own thinking = Knowledge2

Here's what that actually means:

Bad ideas become exponentially bad ideas.

Biased problems magnify to the square.

Blind spots don't get corrected—they become incorrect beliefs masked by root cause projection.

You ask AI a flawed question, you get a flawed answer delivered with perfect confidence.

You feed it your assumptions, it feeds them back to you gift-wrapped in data and frameworks.

This isn't intelligence amplification.
It's confirmation bias at scale.

And if you're a founder scaling past $1M?
The stakes just got existential.

You're making decisions about hiring, cash flow, pricing, and growth strategy, asking AI to validate the very assumptions you should be questioning.

That "financial model" you built with AI? It's only as good as the constraints you knew to include.

That "growth plan"? It might be scaling the exact problem that's quietly bleeding you dry.

AI can't see your blind spots. It inherits them.

So what's the answer?

An outside perspective. A human one.

Someone who's sat across the table from thousands of financial decisions. 
Who knows what scaling problems actually look like—not what you assume they look like.

Someone who will tell you what AI never will:
"You're solving the wrong problem."

That's why I created the Scaling CFO Audit.

It's not a report. It's a mirror.

Two hours. Your financials. Your assumptions. Your blind spots—exposed.
Most founders walk away saying: "Why didn't I see that?"

Because you couldn't. You were too close.

If you're scaling and making decisions with AI as your only sounding board...

You might be building faster toward the wrong destination.

DM me "AUDIT" if you want an outside perspective before your next big move.

#Leadership #AI #Entrepreneurship #ScalingUp #CFO

Knownledge2

Peloton was dead.

Or at least that’s what everyone said.

$2,500 bikes dumped on Facebook Marketplace for $500.
$187 million lost in a single quarter.
Employees were laid off. Stock in freefall.

2022. The company was bleeding.

Most people would’ve shut it down.

Barry McCarthy didn’t.

He looked at the numbers. Really looked.
Subscriber patterns. Churn rates. Usage. Behavior.

And he saw something no one else did:

Most people weren’t using the bike.
They were using the classes. The community. The experience.

The product wasn’t the bike.
The bike was just the delivery mechanism.

So he did the unthinkable.

He unbundled the hardware.
Dropped the subscription from $44 to $12.99.
Made the classes accessible on any bike, any equipment, any device.
Made it cheap. Made it easy. Made it irresistible.

The subscription exploded.
Millions of new users.
Hardware sales became a funnel to software.
Peloton went from near-death to thriving.

Here’s the real lesson:

👉 People don’t buy your product. They buy the outcome.
👉 Stop obsessing over your widget. Start obsessing over what it delivers.
👉 Sometimes, Plan A dies. Plan B builds the empire.

Most companies panic when the plan fails.
Winners ask:
“What’s really working?”

Peloton’s bike didn’t fail.
Peloton’s mindset did.
Shift that, and everything changes.

#entrepreneurship #founder #businessstories #resilience #scalingup

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Cruz Gamboa

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The Battle

Damien Foglio

Cruz Gamboa

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Damien Foglio's LinkedIn Performance

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