What if the biggest part of your business... the one bringing in the most revenue... turns out to be one of the least profitable?

That's the money moment Derek Fredrickson, founder and CEO of The COO Solution, is working through right now. And he was honest enough to talk about it while he's still in the middle of it.

In this Cash Flow Confessions episode, Stephanie sits down with Derek, who has spent more than 16 years as a fractional COO helping companies grow and scale. He shares how he realized his highest revenue service line wasn't his most profitable one, and what it took to shift from chasing revenue to actually protecting profit. A big part of that? Something a lot of owners skip. He started tracking his own time to see where it was really going.

Derek also walks through the simple planning framework he uses to keep his business pointed in the right direction, why every number in your business needs an owner, and how he finally got out of his own way to free up his time and grow his margin.

If you've ever assumed your busiest, biggest revenue stream is your best one, or you've felt like you're stuck running the day to day instead of leading, this conversation will give you a clearer way to look at your numbers and your role in the business.

Real talk about cash flow, profit, and the difference between being busy and being profitable.

Learn more about Derek and take his free fractional COO quiz on his website: https://thecoosolution.com/

We want to hear from you! Send us a message.

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My name is Stephanie Smith, owner of New Light Financial Solutions, and we help business owners walk the one clear path to generating more cash in their business. To learn more, visit us online at https://newlightfs.com/

Sign up for our newsletter for more great tips on how to keep the cash flowing in your business: https://newlightfs.com/newsletter/

Need help generating more cash in your business? Book a right fit call with us today: https://newlightfs.com/rightfit

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Want to be a guest on Getting to the Bottom Line: Conversations to help business owners maximize revenue, profit, and cash flow? Send Stephanie Smith a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/newlightfs

Looking to be on more podcasts this year? Check out PodMatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/newlightfs

One month you have a steady paycheck coming in. The next, it's gone... and the small business you've been building on the side suddenly has to carry everything.

In this solo episode of Cash Flow Confessions, Stephanie Smith, owner of New Light Financial Solutions, gets honest about her own money moment. Last year she was laid off from the corporate job that had been her family's main income. Her husband Kris had left his job years earlier to be a stay-at-home dad, so overnight the business went from a growing side venture to the thing that had to pay the bills. It was always the plan for her to work in the business full time. It just happened a lot faster than she was ready for.

Stephanie walks through exactly what she and Kris did to steady the ship. First, they went line by line through their spending and cut every expense that wasn't earning its keep, from software they weren't using to subscriptions they'd forgotten about. Then they doubled down on what was already working to bring in revenue, including the YouTube channel that quietly sends them most of their clients. She also talks about getting back out to networking events, meeting local business owners after a recent move, and how leaning on her faith kept her out of panic mode.

If you're a business owner facing a sudden drop in income, an unexpected expense, or a season where cash is tight, this one is for you. It's a real, encouraging look at how to protect your cash flow, tell the difference between needs and wants, and come out the other side with a stronger, leaner business.

We want to hear from you! Send us a message.

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My name is Stephanie Smith, owner of New Light Financial Solutions, and we help business owners walk the one clear path to generating more cash in their business. To learn more, visit us online at https://newlightfs.com/

Sign up for our newsletter for more great tips on how to keep the cash flowing in your business: https://newlightfs.com/newsletter/

Need help generating more cash in your business? Book a right fit call with us today: https://newlightfs.com/rightfit

---

Want to be a guest on Getting to the Bottom Line: Conversations to help business owners maximize revenue, profit, and cash flow? Send Stephanie Smith a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/newlightfs

Looking to be on more podcasts this year? Check out PodMatch: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/newlightfs