Are your financial reports giving you the full picture, or hiding costly mistakes?

In this episode of Getting to the Bottom Line, host Stephanie Smith of New Light Financial Solutions is joined by her husband and business partner, Kris Smith, to unpack the most common bookkeeping cleanup issues they see when working with high-earning entrepreneurs.

If you’ve ever fallen behind on your books, categorized expenses “close enough,” or wondered why your profit doesn’t match your bank balance, this episode is for you.

Stephanie and Kris break down two of the biggest financial clarity killers:
→ Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) being miscategorized
→ Payroll entries recorded incorrectly

When these items aren’t properly structured on your Profit & Loss statement, your margins become distorted, your gross profit is misleading, and your decision-making suffers. You may think you're profitable — but the numbers could be telling a different story.

They explain:
• What cost of goods actually includes (and how to know if it applies to your business)
• Why service businesses often overlook COGS
• How misplacing COGS impacts your gross profit percentage
• Why recording payroll as “net pay” is a major bookkeeping mistake
• The difference between employer vs. employee payroll taxes
• How liabilities from payroll affect your balance sheet

If you want accurate financial reports, clean books, and better business decisions, this conversation will help you understand where clarity begins.

Because at the end of the day, good decisions require good data.

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

What happens when your business crosses $1 million in revenue… but you can’t afford your mortgage?

In this powerful Cash Flow Confessions episode of Getting to the Bottom Line, host Stephanie Smith sits down with profitability expert Leanne Ozaine to unpack the painful, and surprisingly common, reality of being “profitable” on paper but broke in real life.

Leanne shares the dark moment that changed everything: running a million-dollar software company, speaking in 30 cities a year, growing fast… and quietly accumulating six figures of debt. The turning point? A simple, humbling exercise with a stack of bank statements and a highlighter.

This episode dives into:
→ Why revenue growth doesn’t guarantee cash flow
→ The dangerous “it takes money to make money” mindset
→ The difference between profitable investment and waste
→ Why most entrepreneurs avoid looking at their bank accounts
→ A practical “Heartbeat Audit” you can implement immediately

If you’re a high-earning entrepreneur who feels like money slips through your fingers even though sales are strong, this conversation will give you clarity, courage, and actionable next steps.

This is not about shame. It’s about awareness, ownership, and building a business that actually pays you back.

Listen now to learn how to stop chasing revenue and start keeping more of what you make.

Connect with Leanne:

• Website: https://profitwithleanne.com
• Free Heartbeat Audit Guide: https://gift.profitwithleanne.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

What if the fastest way to grow your revenue, profit, and cash flow wasn’t working harder, but letting go?

In this episode of Getting to the Bottom Line, host Stephanie Smith, owner of New Light Financial Solutions, sits down with Renee Hastings, President and CEO of Executive Help Now, for a powerful conversation about delegation, trust, and reclaiming your time as a business owner.

Renee shares her incredible journey from growing up in an Amish community in Wisconsin to becoming a trusted right-hand partner for founders, executives, and content creators worldwide. With over 20 years of experience supporting C-suite leaders, she explains how letting go of low-value tasks can dramatically improve not just business performance, but quality of life.

You’ll hear real-world stories of how outsourcing email management, scheduling, operations, and even podcast production freed founders to focus on revenue-generating activities, and sparked massive business growth. This episode tackles the emotional side of delegation, including trust, fear, and control, and reframes support as self-care, not weakness.

If you’re overwhelmed, stretched too thin, or stuck doing work you’ve outgrown, this episode will help you rethink how you use your time and how that choice directly impacts your bottom line.

Connect with Renee:
→ https://executivehelpnow.org/
→ https://www.instagram.com/executivehelpnow/
→ https://www.linkedin.com/company/executive-help-now/
→ https://www.facebook.com/ExecutiveHelpNow
→ https://www.tiktok.com/@executivehelpnow

Watch more podcast episodes here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5WTE9D35Qv2n46vqCoM7nW3EHd-ZuD5Z&si=ovaqJ3OsW-o3GGvv

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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

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

---

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

In this eye-opening Cash Flow Confessions segment of Getting to the Bottom Line, host Stephanie Smith sits down with Ian Noble, former dry cleaning business owner turned passive real estate investment strategist, for a candid conversation about one financial moment that changed everything.

Ian shares how witnessing his father burn out and cover payroll from personal funds taught him a hard lesson early in business ownership. That experience led him to build one simple but powerful habit: automating profit daily. Without realizing it, Ian was already applying Profit First principles, building reserves that eventually saved his company during COVID when revenue dropped 85%.

Now the founder of Run Steady Investments, Ian helps time-strapped business owners build long-term wealth through passive real estate investing with due diligence, shared vetting, and aligned incentives.

Listeners will walk away with clear, actionable advice on:
• How to structure daily savings to weather cash flow storms
• Why not paying yourself first can sabotage your entire business
• Building real wealth outside your business without extra time or stress

Whether you're trying to stabilize your business finances or expand into new investment opportunities, this episode is packed with practical insight you can apply immediately.

Connect with Ian and grab his cheat sheet:
• Free Passive Investing in Real Estate Cheat Sheet: https://go.runsteadyinvestments.com/cash-flow-confessions-podcast
• Join My Passive Investor Mailing List: runsteadyinvestments.com/investor-club
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/iannoble1/
• Instagram: @ian_invests

Listen to more cash flow confessions: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5WTE9D35Qv1gYiuESlCg96Qc0DbodMzJ

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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

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

---

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

If you feel like your business is profitable on paper but your bank account says otherwise, you’re not alone, and this episode is for you. In this powerful conversation, Stephanie and Kris Smith from New Light Financial Solutions unpack the real reason cash can be tight even when sales and profit look great.

We dig into why profit ≠ cash, how cash actually moves through your business, and the common blind spots - like accounts receivable, inventory, and debt payments - that trap cash and create stress.

You’ll learn:
✓ The difference between profit and cash flow
✓ What slows cash down in your business
✓ Practical steps you can take today to get clarity and start fixing cash flow gaps

If you’ve ever asked, “Where did the money go?” this episode will help you follow the money, spot where it’s stuck, and take concrete actions to improve your cash position.

Get the CFO Worksheet to start tracking the drivers in your business: https://newlightfs.com/cfoworksheet/

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

In this eye-opening episode of Cash Flow Confessions on Getting to the Bottom Line, host Stephanie Smith sits down with Wes Towers, founder of Uplift360, a digital agency specializing in “Search Everywhere Optimization” for the trades and construction industry. Wes shares a deeply personal financial moment: getting his business professionally valued—only to find out the number was far lower than expected.

What caused the dip? A fear in the industry about AI's rapid evolution and its potential to replace traditional digital marketing services. Wes candidly reflects on the challenges of adapting, the dangers of mismatched cash flow terms, and the strategic pivots required to future-proof a business.

You’ll walk away with real-world insights on:
• Why strong SOPs and recurring revenue streams matter more than ever
• How to handle the emotional gut-punch of a low valuation
• Navigating the evolving digital landscape with AI as both a threat and tool
• What makes a business truly valuable beyond just revenue

Whether you're planning to sell your business or just trying to improve your financial structure, this is a must-listen for any entrepreneur building with the long game in mind.

Learn more about Wes: https://uplift360.com.au/

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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

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

---

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

In this episode of Getting to the Bottom Line, host Stephanie Smith sits down with sales expert Jonny Holsten, founder of Bridge Selling, to unpack how business owners and sales leaders can dramatically improve their conversion rates without spending a dime more on leads.

Jonny shares how most organizations lack a defined sales call strategy, causing inconsistent results and lost revenue. He introduces Bridge Selling’s powerful “Bridge Score” model — a repeatable, structured framework that helps sales teams diagnose call effectiveness and create predictable outcomes.

Whether you’re a growing company with a sales team of 10+ or a solopreneur closing your first deals, you’ll walk away with practical strategies to stop treating your sales process like a slot machine and start running it like an assembly line.

🎧 Listen in as Stephanie and Jonny cover:
• The #1 mistake sales teams make on calls
• How to score your sales conversations for success
• Real results: Tripling revenue without new lead generation
• How to build a repeatable sales process your team can follow
• Where to start if you want to fix broken sales calls today

Perfect for business owners, sales leaders, and coaches ready to keep more of what they make and close more deals with confidence.

Learn more about Jonny and Bridge Selling at https://www.bridgeselling.com/

Connect with Jonny on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonnyholsten/

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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

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

---

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

Welcome to the first episode of Cash Flow Confessions, a new segment on Getting to the Bottom Line with your host, outsourced CFO Stephanie Smith. In this real-talk mini-series, we spotlight raw and relatable financial challenges that business owners are quietly facing—and how they’re solving them.

In this kickoff conversation, Stephanie sits down with action-oriented business coach Kate Gilbert, who shares her eye-opening realization: she was bleeding money through unused subscriptions and unfinished online courses. Kate walks us through how she’s reclaiming her cash flow by tracking her expenses, prioritizing resources, and leveraging her own organizational tools—like a brilliant course tracker spreadsheet she created to bring order to the chaos.

This episode is your behind-the-scenes look at a real business owner tackling the not-so-glamorous parts of entrepreneurship. If you’ve ever looked at your monthly expenses and wondered where all your money is going, this episode will give you practical next steps and serious motivation.

Whether you're a coach, creative, or CEO, you’ll walk away with clear ideas for improving your bottom line—starting today.

Learn more about Kate: https://kategilbert.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

---

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