S Brian Smith 🪜

I free founders from ops, sales, & management | Founder @ Strategy Ladders | Coached 1000s of B2B and Agency owners | Stop struggling, start enjoying business ownership 🏖️

Most founders of 7-figure B2B service companies reach a point where growth plateaus—and freedom remains a mirage.

They’re still in sales calls. Still solving client fires. Still holding the business together.

That’s where we come in.

At Strategy Ladders, we help founder-led B2B service businesses—agencies, development shops, consulting firms, and more—scale from $2M to $30M+ in annual revenue while removing the founder from daily operations.

We don’t do theory. We do results.

Every advisor on our team has built and scaled 8-figure businesses. We’ve been in your seat, broken through the same ceilings, and led teams to the next level.

What We Deliver:
Strategic clarity with a customized roadmap to scale

Execution firepower through world-class experts and operators

Freedom for founders through strong systems, teams, and leadership

We don’t stop at advice. We help you implement.

Whether it’s building out your sales infrastructure, overhauling project management, optimizing financials, or replacing yourself as CEO—our team has done it before and does it with you.

Services We Integrate Into Our Work:
LATAM recruiting (our secret weapon)

Full-stack B2B marketing through our in-house agency, B2B Labs

Project management systems & leadership

Financial management—without a bloated CFO title

HubSpot CRM buildouts & automation

And more—all tailored for service businesses

We’ve helped clients:
✅ Scale from $150k to $4M ARR in under a year
✅ Slash founder hours by over 40%
✅ Grow recurring revenue from 2% to 50%
✅ Land Fortune 100 clients
✅ Build 65-person teams in two years
✅ Exit profitably and on their terms

We're not a coaching business.

We're not your podcast hero.

We're the serious team for founders ready to win.

If you’re running a 7-figure business and ready to scale to 8+—without grinding yourself into the ground—we should talk.


🪜 www.strategyladders.com

Founder & Head of Strategy

The Strategy Ladder Program delivers MASSIVE results to agencies, consultancies, and service businesses.

If your business is 25-85 employees, partially or fully remote, and you're stuck trying to "level-up," I will transform it with you.

The Strategy Ladder System will get you UNSTUCK. You'll develop a bullet-proof strategy that grows with your business, streamlines operations, scales your revenue, and sets your business up to continue to grow without you.

The Strategy Ladder System doesn't just change your business. It will transform YOU. You'll undergo a mental reset that frees you from the anxiety and beliefs that tie you to the day-to-day in your business. You're the leader of your business - if you don't change, your business never will.

The Strategy Ladder System has worked for over 400 entrepreneurs, delivering & implementing strategies that have:

💥 Scaled an agency from $150k to $4mil ARR in 10 months

💥 Increased a digital marketing agency’s productivity levels by over 450%, dramatically increasing profitability

💥 Streamlined a SaaS product’s roadmap, reducing development costs by 45% while increasing execution speed by over 25%.

💥 Developed and executing a repositioning strategy that landed a web development agency a long-term contract with a Fortune 100 company

💥 Repositioned of an app development agency that grew recurring revenue from 2% to over 50% of total revenue within three month

💥 Built a sales organization of 65 sales people in two years

💥 Orchestrated & executed a legal & and business strategy that lead to a sale of key assets of a SaaS platform for a significant premium over the market value of the company

Most founders hit the same wall. (and how to break through it in 90 days  🚀)

Revenue’s up. Team’s bigger.
And somehow… you’re working more.

Every decision runs through you.
Your calendar is a hostage situation.
And that “vacation”? You spent half of it on Slack.

Here’s what I’ve learned after helping 400+ B2B service founders break the cycle:

The problem isn’t your team. It’s your operating system AND decision delegation.

One client had 80+ employees… and the founder was still spending 6–10 hours/week reviewing dashboards, reports, and funneling decisions through himself.

Not leading. Not strategizing.
Just… reviewing.

We rebuilt their operating rhythm & assigned decision ownership.

90 days later: the team runs the reviews.
The founder gets a 15-minute summary every day. That’s it.

Here’s what a real 90-day shift looks like:

✅ Days 1–30: Clarity

- Map every decision that “requires you”
- Install a simple rule: reversible decisions don’t climb to the founder
- Assign ONE owner per function (Sales, Delivery, Ops, Finance)

✅ Days 31–60: Cadence

- Weekly leadership rhythm (same agenda, every week)
- Scoreboard + priorities (no vibes, no rambling)
- Problems get solved by owners… not escalated to you

✅ Days 61–90: Accountability

- Public commitments
- Misses get fixed, not explained
- You stop rescuing — and become the strategic leader again

One client went from a $1M to $4.5M run rate during this transition.

Not because they worked harder.
Because they built a business that didn’t need them in every room.

The real question isn’t “Can my team handle it?”
It’s: “Have I given them the system to win without me?”

What’s one decision you made this week that your team should’ve owned?

But be careful with one-size-fits-all approaches. Every operating business starts with its own unique set of challenges.

If you’re serious about getting out of the middle, DM me “90 DAYS” and I’ll send you a business audit to see where you need to focus first.

✌️🧡🌮

Financial planning and education (without the jargon) I Creating blueprints for high-earning sales executives and business owners

I left the financial industry because I saw a problem.

People wanted to work with a planner, but they ended up becoming a number on a spreadsheet.

I had to leave to start something new.

And now?

I'm a fee-only planner who helps salespeople & equity compensated employees under 45 give a purpose to their paycheck.

I left the large financial institutions to start my own independent company. I did it so people could pay for real planning and not just an agenda to sell a hidden product. 

As a true fiduciary, Pashman Financial, LLC was built on that promise by focusing on you and you only.

🔵 Why people hire me? 

Well, people have come to me with the following problems:

- They want peace of mind with their money
- Their old advisor barely communicates with them
- They want an answer tailored to them, not from Google
- They felt pressured to buy a product that wasn't a right fit
- They are great at making money but struggle to keep it
- They want a simple plan that's easy to understand
- They want someone to hold them accountable
- They want someone they can trust

🔵 What are my services?

I help identify your goals, craft a financial blueprint that lays out action items to hit them, and monitor your progress. 

💵 Cash Flow Management  
📈 Equity Compensation
🏡 Real Estate Planning
📊 Investment Planning
📍 Retirement Planning
🛡 Insurance Planning
📚 Education Planning
💲 Tax Management
💳 Debt Repayment
📃 Estate Planning

🔵 Who do I serve?

Age: Individuals and families between 30-50 years old
Target: Sales pros, tech employees, other millennial families
Location: Virtually anywhere in the U.S.

But I love working with people that are driven to make a change. So even if you don’t fit these criteria, feel free to reach out. Your personality is everything. 

🔵 Why I'm different?

1) My model is primarily a flat fee service. No time trap. 

2) I do not require you to hand over your investments nor require a minimum to work with. Managing your assets is optional and I'll still assist you if you do it yourself. My focus is ongoing financial planning. 

3) I focus on how to increase your cash flow, not just your assets. I work with you to ensure your systems are set and consistently educate you on how your finances work. I get paid to truly keep you accountable over time.

You can find my pricing in my "featured" section on the website. 

Stop delaying action. Shoot me a message to schedule a complimentary intro.

Max Pashman, CFP®

70% of millionaires currently work with a financial advisor. 

Here's why many end up hiring one. 

They realize that financial planning is more than just a return. 

They also realize they have limited time on their hands. 

Like business owners, they outsource their skills

But there's so much than "what do i invest":

It's about:

- Goal Planning
- Debt Repayment
- Ongoing Education
- Emergency Fund Building
- Cash Flow Management
- Equity Comp. Planning
- Charitable Strategies
- Investment Planning
- Education Planning
- Insurance Planning
- Estate Planning
- Exit Planning
- Tax Planning
- Etc. 

And if your financial planner isn't addressing these properly with you?

It may be time to find a new one.

Helping Founders and Executives Plan for Early Retirement and Exit

If you have less than $100k, you shouldn't focus on returns.

In fact, it's a waste of your time. Here's why:

Charlie Munger once said:

"The first $100,000 is a b****.... but you gotta do it"

He wasn't talking about just returns, though. 

He was talking about your income. 

How quickly can you get it up there with your paycheck? 

In other words, what you save versus what you return. 

Just look at this example:

A 100% return on $1,000 is $1,000.

But a 10% return on $100,000 is $10,000.

10X less the return, yet 10x the dollar amount. 

And here's the best part about this. 

It's much easier to do the latter. 

In other words, it's much easier to save to $100,000 than trying to get a 1,000% return on an investment.

Not easy, but not impossible either. 

So if you haven't hit that number?

Focus on your savings rate. 

Not just your returns.

The market can wait.

If you grew up watching any of these as a kid:

- Spongebob
- Hey Arnold
- Powerpuff Girls
- That's So Raven
- Boy Meets World
- Hannah Montana
- Dexters Laboratory
- The Magic School Bus
- Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
- Fairly Odd Parents
- Wild Thornberrys
- Jimmy Neutron
- Lizzie McQuire
- Ed Edd n Eddy
- Dragon Ball Z
- Pokemon
- Yu Gi Oh
- All That
- Catdog
- Rugrats
- Arthur
- Doug

It's time to open up a Roth IRA.

75% of Americans regret not investing earlier. 
 
Here is the power of starting early (and the cost of waiting):
 
What you see in the illustration are 4 people: 
 
- 20 year old 
- 30 year old 
- 40 year old 
- 50 year old 
 
Now, as you get older, your income increases. 
 
Therefore, each generation can contribute more. 
 
So I ran a quick calculation. 
 
For ever 10 years, double the contributions. 
 
You can contribute more, but have less time to invest. 
 
Assuming an average return of 7%? 
 
The results are simply remarkable. 
 
A 20-year-old who is dedicated to starting early can outperform those with higher contributions. 
 
That doesn't mean high contributions don't matter. 
 
They absolutely do! 
Especially early on your journey. 
The difference, though, is returns helped. 
 
Over time, those returns made a difference thanks to time. 
 
It's really simple, but holds a huge lesson. 
 
There is power getting off to a good start. 

You should have started sooner. 

But you aren't too late.
 
Don't wait any longer!

Most don't realize they could put up to $72,000 in a Roth. 

Here's the "Mega Backdoor Roth" explained:

Compared to the IRA, the 401 k) has a couple of advantages, including: 
 
- Larger contribution limitations 
- Matching contributions 
- No income limitation 
 
In addition, it still offers a Roth component. 
 
But the part people overlook? 
 
The total contribution limit. 
 
On the employee side, it's $24,500 (2026).
 
Combined with the employer side it's $72,000. 
 
But there is another secret in it. 
 
If your employer allows it, they may permit additional after-tax contributions. 
 
This is taking additional income that has already been taxed and contributing it to a 401(k). 
 
For example: 
 
If the employee contributes $24,500 and the match is $7,500, that's $32,000. 
 
$72,000-$32,000 = $40,000
 
The employee can contribute an extra amount into there. 
 
But that's not where the magic happens. 
 
The magic is what you can do after. 
 
These contributions can be converted to a Roth account. 
 
This can happen in two ways: 
 
1) In-Service Distribution: Make an after-tax contribution + transfer it to an outside Roth IRA 
 
Or 
 
2) In-Plan Roth Conversion: Make after-tax contribution + transfer funds to the Roth 401k of plan 
 
Once again, your employer must allow both after-tax contributions and this type of transfer so check with them first. 
 
This strategy make large contributions to a tax-free account of this size is well known as a "Mega BackDoor Roth". 
 
It's a complicated process so always be sure to coordinate this with a financial professional. 
 
If you're looking to make great strides towards building your future, this is an option you shouldn't overlook. 
 
It's a great vehicle for financial independence.

Note: This is purely educational and should not be considered financial or tax advice. Consult with a professional on your situation before implementing this.

A $300,000+ earner with less than $15,000.

As a financial planner, I've seen more of these inquiries over the last year.

I can't stress this simple message to you all enough:

High income will take you to the next stage of your life. 

Zero planning around it will reverse that.

So when you get a bump in income…

What’s your game plan?

Let’s hear it.

Cutting your Netflix subscription will make you a millionaire.

Here's how you can do it in a year:

- Cut the $18
- Take the $18 and invest it
- Get a return of 5,555,456%

Boom. You've got $1 million

Why aren't more Millennials doing this?

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schooloffinances

Them: The 401(k) is a scam! 
 
Me: Why do you think that?
 
Them: It's locked until you are 60! 
 
Me: You can get it out early with strategies like 72(t), Rule of 55, Roth Conversion Ladder, and many other reasons. 
 
Them: Well it has high fees! 
 
Me: New 401k providers offer low-cost plans + low-cost funds and you can roll it out later if you really don't like it when you leave. 
 
Them: Well it has limitations! 
 
Me: Yeah but you're talking about $24,500 (2026) for a year, not including the match you get. 
 
Them: Well, the match has a vesting period! 
 
Me: So does equity. It's an incentive and still FREE money in the end. 
 
Them: Well, it was created to supplement your retirement, not fully fund it. 
 
Me: I agree. That's why you don't put all your wealth into a single vehicle and utilize multiple to your advantage.
 
Them: Yeah, well, it's taxed as income at retirement! 
 
Me: Yeah, that's precisely why you get a deduction upfront, and your funds grow tax-deferred, which helps retain wealth over time rather than tax sales and income each year. 
 
Them: Yeah well.... it still sucks! 
 
 
 
Not as many as the excuses made against the 401(k). 
 
It ain't all that bad as people make it to be. 
 
No one claims it will solve all your problems. 
 
But it's not a scam.

80% of their thoughts are on things they can’t control.

Here's why it's a losing choice:

If you spend all your time focusing on the things you can't control, you're investing in a losing strategy.

We see it all the time with money:

You can't control return rates.
But you can control savings rates.

You can't control tax laws.
But you can control tax planning.

You can't control interest rates.
But you can control your credit score.

You can't control contribution limits.
But you can control diversifying accounts.

You can't control risk of an asset.
But you can control your asset allocation.

You can't control when an emergency will happen.
But you can control the management of your short-term reserves.

You can't control tuition prices.
But you can control which vehicles to choose.

You can't control social security reserves.
But you can control your retirement vehicles.

You can't control inflation.
But you can control where your cash gets parked.

You can't control your death.
But you can control your estate plan.



Want to know why we do financial planning?

Because life is usually out of our control.

Your plan gives you the steering wheel.

Up to you how you steer with it.

Don't sleep on the wheel.

Make too much income for a Roth IRA? 
 
Here's how to get around it legally (Updated for 2026!)
 
First, what's the problem? 
 
The Roth IRA is a great vehicle for tax-free growth. 
 
But there are income limitations. 
 
For 2026, those limitations are as follows: 
 
- $153,000 for single filers 
- $242,000 for married filing jointly 
- $0 married filing separately
 
Make above these amounts? 
 
They get phased out or entirely ineligible. 
 
So what to do? 
 
Instead, you could contribute to the Traditional IRA. 
 
But are you contributing to a 401k? 
 
Those deductions might also phase out! 
 
This seems like a lose-lose scenario. 
 
But it opens for an opportunity. 
 
The good news is that you can use the IRA to fund a Roth IRA. 
 
This is known as a Backdoor Roth IRA. 
 
Here's what you could do: 

FIRST: Move all existing IRA money into an employer plan like a 401k. 
 
1) Open a Traditional IRA & Roth IRA 
2) Fund the Traditional IRA 
3) Do NOT invest the funds 
4) Initiate a Roth Conversion into the New Roth IRA 
5) Elect not to withhold taxes 
6) Invest in the Roth IRA 
7) File Form 8606 to show non-deduction in Traditional IRA 
 
This process is why having a Roth 401k is pretty handy: you can make any contribution with no income limitations. 

Remember, this is purely educational and is shown here for simplicity.
 
This is not financial or tax advice, so please consult with a financial and tax professional first.
 
But the door is open for tax-free money!

You've gotta find the right key.

Note: This is purely educational and not financial or tax advice. Seek a professional before acting on any of the information.

Let's normalize not having everything figured out by your 30s.

Purchasing a home without running the numbers is a coin flip. 

Yet, this is exactly how 99% of people do it.

They'll just look at what the bank will allow them to get.

But they don't look at your numbers:

- Your goals
- Your expenses
- Your future maintenance
- Your potential new furniture
- Your phantom costs not disclosed

And no, going with the notion that "it will pay off later" is not a good strategy. 

Please run the numbers before executing on a home purchase. 

You'd be surprised how unprepared some are for it.

It's not like you can change your mind very easily.

After all, it's only 30 years you are stuck with it...

If your business goes to zero, you close your doors.

If the stock you own goes to zero, they close their doors. 

If the index fund you own goes to zero, money is no longer a problem. 

Now take a look at these three and answer one question:

Which of the downsides is more likely to occur?

High reward comes with high risk. 

It's not about not taking risk. 

It's about managing it.

Welcome to Risk 101.

You can make 7 figures of income. 
 
But it's all useless without this: 
 
"The art is not in making money, but keeping it" 
 
This is especially true with HENRY's. 
 
What is a HENRY? 
 
→ H-igh 
→ E-arner 
→ N-ot 
→ R-ich 
→ Y-et 
 
I've seen this with many cases of successful business owners and tech executives. 
 
Lots of talented people making fantastic revenue and income. 
 
But not many of them without a game plan to keep it. 
 
The culprit is usually simple: 
 
Lack of financial planning. 
 
Without clarity, you don't know what to do with what you earn. 
 
You worked hard to earn your income. 
 
Now make it work harder for you to grow. 
 
But you don't have to struggle at it alone. 
 
If you do, you might need help at it.

"My commissions are taxed at a higher rate"

Not true always. Why is it wrong?

Let's look at an example here.

Selling Sally works hard at her job.

She typically gets half in salary and half in commissions.

She’s hit her quota and is excited for those commissions to kick in.

But when she checks her paycheck, she notices something…

Her commissions were "taxed" at a lower rate than her salary.

At first, this seems great, more money in her bank account!

But then, tax season arrives.

After filing her taxes, her accountant lets her know she owes a massive tax bill!

Now she's frustrated that she has to write a big check and wonders:

Did something go wrong with her return?
Did she get taxed more than expected?
Did she get hit with some penalty?
Nope.

She owes more because her employer withheld less than she actually owed.

And that's the key word here: withheld.

Whenever you have monthly income like a salary, it’s considered “regular,” which gets taxed progressively like usual.

But whenever you have irregular income like:

Awards
Bonuses
Commissions
Equity Compensation
Or anything that doesn’t pay monthly
…it’s considered “supplemental.”

And these irregular forms of income are withheld at different flat rates by default.

For commissions, the default withholding is 22% for the first $1 million and 37% for any amount beyond that (Federal rate for 2025).

This is just withholding, not the actual tax owed.

Since Sally makes $500,000, her actual marginal tax rate is 35%.

But her commissions were only withheld at 22%, which wasn’t enough.

So instead of getting a refund, she ended up owing the difference at tax time.

She didn’t pay more for her commissions.

She just had less withheld than owed.

Big difference!

(Sally is a hypothetical example, but you get the point)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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I don't know who needs to hear this, but just because you can afford the down payment for a home doesn't mean you can afford the mortgage payments. 

☝ Read that again

For the love of g*d, stop using absolutes with your finances:

You don't need to max your 401(k).
But don't leave your match behind.

You don't always need life insurance.
But you should get coverage for your family.

You don't need live on the edge.
But you should know your limits.

You don't need to invest everything.
But you should understand your timeline.

You don't need to open a 529 for your kid.
But you should prepare to support them eventually.

You don't need to have a strict budget.
But you don't have to live a Ramsey life either.

You don't have to pay off all your debt now.
But you don't have to completely avoid it either.

You don’t need to own a home.
But you should have a housing plan.

You don’t need to pick individual stocks.
But you should understand what you own.

You don’t need to retire and quit work all together.
But you should build the option to choose your path.

You don’t need multiple income streams.
But you should protect against a single point of failure.

Read what you want and take advice from whoever. 

But your situation is not black-and-white. 

Stop thinking like it too.

Your child can borrow to pay their tuition costs. 

But you cannot borrow to pay your retirement costs. 

Remember this as you prioritize where your wealth goes.

Friendly Reminder: Robinhood is not meant for you to create a strategic means of creating wealth. 

It's a place to mess around with your "F*** You" money.

Big difference.

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