August 11, 2025

#042: Breaking the Cycle: How to Stop Buying Yourself Broke

9 minutes

Have you ever felt like you're just buying and selling inventory on repeat only to find your bank account isn’t growing?

You're not alone… and you’re definitely not broken.

In this episode, Cathy dives deep into a question from Amanda in our Richer Retailer Facebook group: "How do you get out of that never-ending cycle of purchasing, selling, and spending the profit right back on inventory?"

If you’ve ever felt like you’re buying yourself broke, this episode is for you. Cathy shares her own experience with this frustrating cycle and teaches the exact mindset shift and systems you need to build real profit not just more sales.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Why "inventory doesn’t pay you, profit does"

How to stop treating every dollar like it belongs to your next PO

4 practical steps to shift from chaos to clarity with your money

How one change can boost your sales by 13%!

Key Takeaways:

[01:19] Breaking the Cycle of Inventory Spending

[02:42] Mindset Shift: Inventory vs. Profit

[04:31] Practical Steps to Improve Profitability

Resources & Links

Tired of feeling like every dollar just disappears into more inventory? Apply for your free Gameplan Call, we’ll look at what’s working, what’s not, and map out your most profitable next step. You’ll walk away with a clear plan to break the cycle, pay yourself more, and finally grow a business that supports your goals (not just your vendors).

Want a behind-the-scenes look at how our top clients grow profit without burning out? Our free training, Beyond Busy: 3 Shifts to Reclaim Your Time and Boost Store Income, walks you through the exact Profit Roadmap we use in Profit Club, focusing on your role as CEO, CIO, and CFO to grow a business that’s both profitable and sustainable.

Millie Moment:

Break the cycle: Start assigning every dollar a job using the Profit First percentages:

50% → Inventory

10% → Owner's Pay

1%+ → Profit

The rest → Expenses & Taxes

Know your best-sellers: Review your top 20 items by both dollars and units sold—then keep those in stock.

Join the community with ambitious store owners in our Richer Retailer Facebook Group.

Share this episode with a fellow store owner and help them tackle cash flow challenges!

💚 Remember: You didn’t start your store just to stay stuck in a cycle, you started it to build freedom, joy, and abundance. Profit is possible, and you deserve to be paid well for the impact you make. One step at a time, you’re getting there.

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