Most service-based founders didn’t start their business to run spreadsheets, chase team issues, or babysit backend chaos.

But that’s where they end up—wearing the COO hat, buried in operations, and stuck running a business they never meant to build.

That’s where I come in.

I work hands-on with founders to:
- Plug profit leaks
- Create clarity with cash
- Build simple systems that scale
- Reclaim time, margin, and control

My 8-week Profitable Growth Accelerator™ is built for service businesses doing $300K–$2M who are ready to grow on purpose, get paid properly, and stop the chaos—without adding more hours.

📊 We start with your numbers
📈 We fix what’s broken
🧠 You get your business—and your life—back

If that sounds like the kind of help you’ve been hunting for, DM me or visit the link above.

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?

undefined undefined

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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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.

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!

One of my favorite new perspectives on life and learning is from Alex Hormozi. 

In one of his older podcasts, he mentioned that only reads books to solve a specific problem or challenge. 

Or in other words: his next biggest constraint to his goals. 

As a business coach, for me that might be: 
+ Lack of leads
+ Low sales conversion
+ Improvement in my program
+ Long term growth

And as small business owners, it could be similar: 
> Lack of consistent revenue and profit. 
> Low cash flow and no system to manage it. 
> Hiring and retaining the best people. 
> Leadership and building a long term business. 

Or whatever it might be. 

We all have limited time - only so much available per day. 

𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗜 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳, 𝗶𝗳 𝗜 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲? 

The answer to that question is how I spend my available time and energy. 

I watch YouTube videos on it during my lunch break. 
I fill any social media feed with people that solve that challenge. 
I read books at night before I go to bed on how to solve it. 
I join workshops to help me accelerate my learning. 

I don't stop until I solve it. 

And, when I do, I find my next biggest roadblock. 

Curious – What are you currently reading? 
And how do you choose which book to read next?

Merry Christmas from the Foglio's! 

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

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

If you are anything like me, you have planned your future as if it is guaranteed. We save for the obvious, set fixed goals, but often forget one critical thing...the unknown. 

My wife and I do this every year on our family planning trip. 
We ask ourselves: 

What are we not seeing? 
What surprises might come our way? 
What unexpected opportunities or challenges could pop up? 

It's the biggest reason folks miss out on game-changing moves. 

- Buying that house down the street to rent out 
- Investing in a friend's business just about to take off 
- Handling a health scare without freaking out 
- Weathering a job loss and keeping the lights on 
- Taking time for yourself and your family without guilt 

Your future isn't guaranteed. 

But why do so many plan for a future they can't predict, 
yet leave the unknown unaddressed? 

What if we started prepping for the unexpected? 

Over the past 6 weeks, my wife and I experienced this firsthand, taking over a family home to turn into a part-time vacation rental. 

We weren't planning for anything like this. 

But because we focus on preparing for the unknown, we were ready when opportunity knocked. 

Think about it. 

How are you preparing for what you don't see coming? 
Because the right preparation today can unlock a world of possibilities tomorrow. 

Don't wait for the surprise to hit , start planning for the unknown now. 
Your future depends on it. 

What's one thing you're doing today to prep for what's coming next?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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!)

One of my college friends dropped a simple truth that stuck with me: 
Our two most valuable resources are time and money.

But here's the catch, they're often on opposite ends of the spectrum.
We rarely get both at once.

In the beginning, we use our time to generate money.
It's a grind, but it's how we build the foundation.

Then, once we start making money, suddenly we're tapped for time.
That's when buying back your time becomes essential.

Problem is, do it too soon, and you risk becoming top-heavy, overloaded with employees or systems that aren't yet sustainable.

Wait too long, and your service quality takes a hit because you're involved in every little detail.

The truth? Your business is only as strong as you are.

Knowing when to step back and when to lean in is the secret to sustainable growth.

Are you buying back your time at the right moment?
Or are you stuck trying to do everything yourself?

Over the past decade, I've built three multimillion-dollar businesses while growing a family and raising four children.

I started with no resources, no connections, and didn’t have access to the playbooks that would have made the journey 10X easier. 

As a kid, I made money garden landscaping for families at church, manufacturing merchandise for private clubs, and then developing websites and running ad campaigns for local companies.

By 21, I was founding companies. In the decade since, I've:

➤ Generated $300M+ in revenue
➤ Built operations in 1,000+ U.S. cities
➤ Served over 3 million customers globally
➤ Helped grow hundreds of small businesses
➤ Raised $30M+ in capital from Angels, VCs, Private Equity, and Family Offices
➤ Successfully navigated both successful and failed multimillion-dollar acquisitions
➤ Been featured in leading publications like Forbes, Bloomberg, Entrepreneur, USA Today and more
➤ Worked with and advised the world's most iconic brands, including Diageo, Mars, Tesco, 7-Eleven, AB-InBev, Molson Coors, and Constellation

BUT, the journey was hard (harder than it needed to be).

I’ve faced many of the things you don't think about when starting a company:

→ Fought off (and won) predatory lawsuits
→ Closed a Seed round days after my wedding
→ Negotiated with demanding government agencies
→ Worked with lobbyists to introduce or change legislation
→ Raised a Series A while in the hospital for my first son's birth
→ Navigated a failed multi-million dollar merger while my daughter was born
→ Survived near-extinction events where we had single-digit weeks or days to save the company

Personal interests: Boxing, strength training, being in the ocean, spending quality time with my wife Danielle and our four little ones.

———

👋 Follow me for daily tips on mindset, systems, lifestyle design, and high-growth habits.

🔥Get my newsletter – Playbook Academy (www.playbook.academy). See why thousands of founders and executives read Playbook Academy every Saturday morning.

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The Battle

Damien Foglio

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