You see it all the time. Mega successful people sharing their business advice online. But does any of it actually stack up when you're running a small business day to day? Today we're taking 10 business lessons from the new Audi F1 team boss Jonathan Wheatley and pressure testing them against the reality of small business life to see what actually resonates and what's unrelatable.

On this episode, we discuss:
(00:00) Intro
(01:05) Ten Business Lessons from the New Audi F1 Team Boss
(02:20) Invest Properly from the Start as a Small Business
(05:06) Stop Keeping Up with the Joneses When Starting Out
(06:00) Why Playing the Long Game Pays Off in Business
(09:18) Why Every Small Business Needs a Three to Five Year Plan
(10:35) How to Blend Experience with New Talent When Hiring
(13:45) What Leading by Example Really Means in Small Business
(16:55) Define Roles Clearly and Give Your Team Autonomy
(19:36) Build a Strong Identity and Brand at Any Size
(20:49) The Pricing Power of Having a Strong Brand
(21:50) How Budget Constraints Actually Force Innovation
(24:16) Leverage Data but Trust People to Make Decisions
(26:39) Combine Proven Performers with Rising Stars

Episode Resources:

The AFR article we reference in this episode:
https://www.afr.com/companies/sport/10-tips-to-overtake-the-competition-from-the-head-of-f1-s-newest-team-20260129-p5ny0x

Check out the free resources from Inovayt here.

Send us an email: hello@thenumbersgamepodcast.com.au

The Numbers Game is brought to you by Future Advisory & Inovayt.

Hosts:
Nick Reilly
Jason Robinson

This podcast is produced by VIDPOD.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Family Trusts can be a seriously powerful structure for income distribution and asset protection, but they only work well when you’re across the rules and the deadlines. We talk through how trust distributions actually work, what needs to be documented before 30 June, and what changes in ATO reporting mean now that trust distributions are showing on pre-fill reports. If you’ve got a family trust or you’re thinking about setting one up, this is the stuff you want to be across so it does what it’s meant to do.

On this episode, we discuss:

(00:00) Intro
(00:19) Family Trusts: Powerful Structure Or Problematic?
(01:14) How Income Splitting Works In A Family Trust
(02:27) Asset Protection And Why Sole Traders Can Be Exposed
(04:00) The 30 June Deadline For Trust Distribution Minutes
(06:39) The Tax Strategy Of Distributing To Adult Children
(07:22) Trust Distributions Will Show On ATO Pre Fill Reports
(10:14) Section 100A: The Rules On Reimbursement Agreements
(13:04) The Risks Of Distributing Trust Income To Pensioners
(14:20) Buying Property In A Family Trust
(16:08) Why Banks Are Tightening Family Trust Lending Right Now
(20:07) The Cost Of Moving Company Shares Into A Trust Later
(23:44) The Family Trust Compliance Checklist For 2026

Check out the free resources from Inovayt here.

Send us an email: hello@thenumbersgamepodcast.com.au

The Numbers Game is brought to you by Future Advisory & Inovayt.

Hosts:
Nick Reilly
Jason Robinson

This podcast is produced by VIDPOD.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There’s a lot of talk about buying property through a Self-Managed Super Fund at the moment, but the difference between a smart strategy and an expensive mistake is knowing the rules and the real numbers. Today we cover what lending actually looks like, what it costs to set up and run, and the compliance traps that catch people out.

On this episode, we discuss:

(00:00) Intro
(00:24) Why Everyone Is Talking About Self-Managed Super Funds
(01:37) The Rise Of Property Investment In SMSF's
(05:14) Can You Renovate Property In A Self-Managed Super Fund?
(06:08) How Much Deposit Do You Need To Buy Property With Self-Managed Super Fund?
(09:44) How Business Owners Can Buy Commercial Property With A SMSF
(12:30) Paying Zero Capital Gains Tax On Property In Retirement
(14:24) How Much Does It Cost To Set Up A Self-Managed Super Fund
(17:05) The Risk Of Losing Insurance When Switching Super Funds
(20:28) Why You Cannot Develop Or Live In Self-Managed Super Fund Property
(24:58) Annual Accounting And Audit Fees For A Self-Managed Super Fund

Check out the free resources from Inovayt here.

Send us an email: hello@thenumbersgamepodcast.com.au

The Numbers Game is brought to you by Future Advisory & Inovayt.

Hosts:
Nick Reilly
Jason Robinson

This podcast is produced by VIDPOD.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A business can be busy, growing revenue, and still be going backwards. Today we share a framework we use to judge business health properly, covering cash flow, profit margins, and the personal wealth piece most owners ignore. It’s a clearer way to tell what’s working, what’s not, and what matters next.

On this episode, we discuss:

00:00) Intro
(02:34) Three Key Numbers Every Business Owner Must Watch
(04:03) Revenue Is Vanity, Profit Is Sanity: The Cash Is King Rule
(06:07) Profit vs Cash Flow: Understanding Dividend Payouts
(08:23) The Power Of Recurring Revenue And Retainer Models
(10:15) Data-Driven Sales: Using Lead Conversion To Predict Revenue
(16:42) Decoding Margins: Gross Profit vs Net Profit Margins
(19:45) Benchmarking Your Business: How Do You Compare To Competitors?
(23:47) When To Increase Your Fees Without Losing Customers
(28:35) Personal Wealth Strategy: Building Assets Outside Your Business

Check out the free resources from Inovayt here.

Send us an email: hello@thenumbersgamepodcast.com.au

The Numbers Game is brought to you by Future Advisory & Inovayt.

Hosts:
Nick Reilly
Jason Robinson

This podcast is produced by VIDPOD.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Most people start the year fired up, then fall back into the same yearly pattern and end up on the fast track to burnout by December. So how do you break that cycle and stay consistent all year? It’s our first episode back for 2026, and Nick runs through the patterns he’s noticed in himself and the system he’s putting in place this year to keep energy and momentum steady, from quarterly goals and daily priorities to saying no more often and building in proper resets before the wheels fall off.

On this episode, we discuss:

(00:00) Intro
(01:41) Why New Year Motivation Fades So Fast
(06:14) How To Build Sustainable Energy All Year
(08:36) The Self Reflection Step Most People Skip
(10:12) The Habits That Cause Burnout
(11:12) The Daily Task List System For Focus
(13:34) Quarterly Goals For Consistency And Momentum
(14:59) Tony Robbins Take On Motivation And Energy
(15:07) Why Helping Others Refills Your Energy
(16:39) When Ice Baths Stop Feeling Like A Reset
(18:18) Blood Work After 40 And Why People Put It Off
(19:10) Planning Breaks Before You Burn Out

Check out the free resources from Inovayt here.

Send us an email: hello@thenumbersgamepodcast.com.au

The Numbers Game is brought to you by Future Advisory & Inovayt.

Hosts:
Nick Reilly
Jason Robinson

This podcast is produced by VIDPOD.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We’re back with our yearly Predictions Episode and we’re also farewelling our mate Marty as he wraps up his time on the show. We look back on our 2025 predictions to see who was on the money and who was way off, then lock in our calls for 2026. From interest rates and modular homes to AI, robots in business and the payday super nightmare, there’s plenty on the table for next year.

On this episode, we discuss:

(00:00) Our Yearly Predictions Episode
(01:00) Nick’s 2025 Prediction Scorecard
(03:49) Jase’s 2025 Prediction Scorecard
(08:06) Marty’s 2025 Prediction Scorecard
(10:34) Nick’s 2026 Predictions: Modular Homes, Market Dip, Rate Hike, Geopolitics
(15:56) Marty’s 2026 Predictions: Rate Rise, Robots, AI And Jobs
(26:12) Jase’s 2026 Predictions: Payday Super Nightmare, AI Bookkeeping, Bombers
(37:06) Marty’s Farewell And What’s Next

Check out the free resources from Inovayt here.

Send us an email: hello@thenumbersgamepodcast.com.au

The Numbers Game is brought to you by Future Advisory & Inovayt.

Hosts:
Nick Reilly
Jason Robinson
Martin Vidakovic

This podcast is produced by VIDPOD.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to episode $$ of The Numbers Game. On today's show

On this episode, we discuss:

(00:00) Intro
(00:39) Why Marty’s Leaving The Show
(02:26) Lesson 1: Know Yourself And Have Courage
(05:14) Leaving “Safe” Jobs To Follow Meaningful Work
(12:59) Lesson 2: Doing Simple Things That Work
(16:02) How Complexity, Compliance And Tech Can Kill Progress
(20:59) Lesson 3: You Are Your Own SEO
(25:03) Why Human Relationships Beat Fancy Tech Stacks
(32:08) Lesson 4: Reverse Engineering Your Business Goals
(36:24) Building A Business As A Valuable Asset, Not Just An Income
(39:20) Lesson 5: Finding Your Edge And Playing To It
(44:46) Compounding Small Advantages Into Big Long-Term Results
(47:25) Marty’s Favourite Numbers Game Moment

Check out the free resources from Inovayt here.

Send us an email: hello@thenumbersgamepodcast.com.au

The Numbers Game is brought to you by Future Advisory & Inovayt.

Hosts:
Nick Reilly
Jason Robinson
Martin Vidakovic

This podcast is produced by VIDPOD.(00:00) Intro

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

More young Australians are choosing to buy “boring” small businesses instead of investing in property. In this episode we look at a young couple who bought a 29-year-old fabrication business and turned it into a highly profitable asset, and we break down how profit, valuation multiples, succession gaps and efficiency improvements can create serious wealth for the right buyer.

On this episode, we discuss:

(00:00) Intro
(01:07) Why Young Australians Are Buying Businesses Instead Of Property
(01:25) The Rise Of “Boring Businesses” And Why They’re So Profitable
(03:05) How A $2.5M Fabrication Business Generates $500K Profit
(06:44) Baby Boomers Retiring & The Small Business Opportunity
(08:34) Small Business vs Salary Jobs: Which Builds Wealth Faster?
(10:18) How Small Business Valuations & Multiples Actually Work
(13:44) Using AI & Automation To Improve Old-School Businesses
(14:28) How A $1.5M Business Becomes A $5M Asset
(21:31) How To Find, Assess & Fund A Small Business In Australia

Check out the free resources from Inovayt here.

Send us an email: hello@thenumbersgamepodcast.com.au

The Numbers Game is brought to you by Future Advisory & Inovayt.

Hosts:
Nick Reilly
Jason Robinson
Martin Vidakovic

This podcast is produced by VIDPOD.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.