Are you generating more revenue than ever, but still losing sleep over your cash flow? Two real estate investors can make the exact same gross revenue in the same market, but one will take home significantly more profit. The difference? A proven financial system.

In this live episode of Strength in Numbers, host Marcus Crigler is joined by COO and tax guru Kaden Hackney to unveil their proprietary 13-step financial framework. They break down the four critical stages of real estate business growth (Stuck, Secure, Expand, Exit) and reveal why skipping the Secure stage is the number one reason businesses fail. You will also learn the two non-negotiable financial systems every business must have, how to correctly handle a surprise letter from the IRS, and how to determine whether you should scale your business or simply maintain your current profit margins.

Enjoy the show!

You’ll Learn How To:

• Navigate the 4 stages of business growth without moving backward
• Implement 13 essential methodologies to manage cash, reduce debt, and lower taxes
• Diagnose why skipping the Secure stage is the leading cause of business failure
• Correctly handle and resolve unexpected IRS letters without panicking
• Determine whether your business needs to scale up or focus on building reserves

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

(00:33) Why two investors in the same market can have vastly different take-home profits

(03:55) The danger of running your business with a pile of parts instead of a system

(09:40) The 4 Stages of Growth (Stuck, Secure, Expand, and Exit)

(16:44) Why prematurely jumping from Stuck to Expand guarantees business failure

(19:39) A rapid-fire breakdown of the 13 methodologies of financial management

(30:00) Why operating without a cash discipline system means you have a hobby, not a business

(33:36) What to do if you are netting $800k a year but still losing sleep

(36:20) The exact steps to take when you receive a letter from the IRS

(42:10) How to decide between scaling your operations or maintaining your current income

Who This Episode Is For:

• Real estate investors, wholesalers, and flippers making $300,000 to $5M a year
• Business owners who generate strong revenue but lack clarity on true profit and cash flow
• Entrepreneurs ready to stop living deal-by-deal and install a scalable financial system

Why You Should Listen: 

Making more money does not automatically solve financial chaos, it usually magnifies it. This episode provides the exact roadmap you need to transition from financial confusion to total clarity. By understanding the four stages of growth and installing these 13 methodologies, you will ensure that the wealth you are building is properly managed, tax-optimized, and fully secure.

Connect with Marcus Crigler:

• Website: Beck CFO & CPA
• LinkedIn: Marcus Crigler
• Facebook: Marcus Crigler

Are you rushing to build your net worth and buy assets before your business is actually financially stable? Doing so is a recipe for disaster. In this solo episode of Strength in Numbers, host Marcus Crigler breaks down the concept of "investment readiness" and explains why trying to scale your portfolio too early can actually stunt your growth and bankrupt your business.

Marcus outlines the four non-negotiable financial pillars you must establish across both your personal life and your business before deploying capital into external investments. You will learn why cash reserves are your ultimate safety net, how unpaid tax issues can result in the IRS seizing your new assets, and the golden rule of eliminating bad debt.

Enjoy the show!

You’ll Learn How To:

• Assess your "investment readiness" before attempting to scale your net worth
• Build a bulletproof personal and professional cash foundation (targeting 6 months of reserves)
• Clear out old tax liabilities and keep your tax accounts fully up to date to avoid IRS seizure
• Manage and clear out toxic bad debt before funding new ventures
• Implement the "slow is smooth, smooth is fast" philosophy to compound your wealth safely

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

(01:10) Why trying to build net worth in the wrong order can stunt your personal and business growth

(02:40) The importance of achieving financial stability in both your personal life and business

(03:15) Why discipline entrepreneurs wait until they have 6 months of cash reserves before investing heavily

(04:30) The absolute necessity of having your taxes paid up to date and clearing old IRS issues

(05:20) Why additional 10% cash reserves are crucial if you carry debt on your balance sheet

(05:50) The rule of "no bad debt": Clearing toxic liabilities before chasing new assets

Who This Episode Is For:

• Real estate entrepreneurs and investors tempted to buy assets before their cash position is secure
• Business owners looking for a clear, step-by-step financial hierarchy to scale safely
• Anyone wanting to stop living deal-by-deal and build a truly stable, compounding net worth

Why You Should Listen: 

Investing without a solid foundation is gambling. This episode provides the exact financial prerequisites you need to check off before putting your hard-earned cash into deals. By following Marcus's four-part readiness checklist, you will protect your business from catastrophe, avoid costly tax traps, and ensure that every dollar you invest actually stays in your pocket.

Connect with Marcus Crigler:

• Website: https://beccfo.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-crigler-cpa-977a45b7
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/marcus.crigler

Sitting on a healthy pile of cash reserves and wondering where to deploy it next? Before you rush to acquire another rental property or dump capital into alternative assets, you need to look inside your own business. In this solo episode of Strength in Numbers, host Marcus Crigler breaks down the ultimate investment hierarchy for real estate entrepreneurs.

Marcus explains why investing internally in people, processes, and technology will almost always yield a higher return than external assets. You will learn how to determine if your business is financially ready to invest, why making your operations better naturally makes them bigger, and the simple five-question framework you must use to evaluate any external investment opportunity.

Enjoy the show!

You’ll Learn How To:

• Determine when your business is financially ready to start investing capital
• Identify the highest ROI internal investments (People, Process, and Technology)
• Know exactly when it is time to hire C-suite executives and operational leaders
• Evaluate any external investment using a simple five-question framework
• Balance passive and active external investments based on your desired time commitment

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• (01:25) The "6X Reserve" milestone you must hit before making major investments
• (02:20) Why investing internally to make your business better naturally makes it bigger
• (02:50) The three internal pillars to fund first (People, Process, and Technology)
• (04:30) Transitioning to external investments once internal optimization is exhausted
• (05:25) The five key questions to ask before funding any external real estate or business venture

Who This Episode Is For:

• Real estate business owners who have built strong cash reserves and want to scale safely
• Entrepreneurs looking to boost their profit margins through strategic hiring and technology
• Investors needing a simple, effective framework to vet external real estate and alternative assets

Why You Should Listen: 

Deploying capital randomly is a recipe for disaster. This episode provides a clear, step-by-step hierarchy for investing your profits. You will learn why optimizing your own machine is often the most lucrative move you can make, and exactly how to vet external opportunities to ensure they align with your tax strategy, risk tolerance, and time capacity.

Connect with Marcus Crigler:

• Website: https://beccfo.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-crigler-cpa-977a45b7
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/marcus.crigler

Are your massive fix-and-flip profits masking a deadly cash flow problem that could put you out of business? Because host Marcus Crigler breaks down why rehabbing properties is simultaneously one of the most profitable opportunities in real estate and the single biggest cash flow drain an investor can face.

Marcus explains why you should never fund rehabs using your operating capital, the exact cash reserves you must hold before taking on a project, and how to structure private debt to maximize your cash flow instead of just your gross profit. You will also learn the two non-negotiable margin rules that dictate whether you should quick-sell a property or take on the risk of a full rehab.

Enjoy the show!

You’ll Learn How To:

• Protect your operating account by refusing to fund rehab projects with your own working capital
• Calculate exactly how much cash you must hold in reserves (minimum 3X) before attempting a house flip
• Negotiate capital partnerships that defer interest payments and fund 100% of rehab draws upfront
• Utilize the "2X Rule" to determine if a full rehab is mathematically worth more than a quick wholesale assignment
• Enforce a strict 20% minimum profit margin to protect yourself from cost overruns and market shifts

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

(01:23) Why the current lack of inventory makes rehabbing properties a long-term, high-profit strategy

(03:13) The fatal mistake and why massive flip profits often hide a deadly cash flow drain

(04:47) Why you should never fund rehabs with your primary operating capital

(05:44) The 3X Reserve.requirement for operating capital before taking on your first flip

(06:23) Why deferring interest payments and funding 100% of rehab costs is better than getting the lowest interest rate

(07:33) The hidden 10% Reserve Rule for all private debt to protect your payroll during a bad flip

(09:12) The 2X Rule and why a flip must pay double what a wholesale assignment would pay to justify the risk

(10:20) The 20% Margin Rule and why accepting skinny margins will inevitably lead to bankruptcy when the market shifts

Who This Episode Is For:

• Real estate investors and wholesalers looking to safely transition into fixing and flipping properties
• Rehabbers struggling with inconsistent cash flow despite closing highly profitable deals
• Entrepreneurs who need strict mathematical rules to evaluate deal margins and reduce operational risk

Why You Should Listen: 

A $100,000 profit on a house flip looks great on paper, but if it completely drains your operating account and forces you to miss payroll for six months, it is a bad deal. This episode provides the exact financial guardrails you need to safely rehab properties, negotiate better debt, and ensure that your flips actually generate cash flow instead of just trapping it.

Connect with Marcus Crigler:

• Website: https://beccfo.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-crigler-cpa-977a45b7
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/marcus.crigler

It is not just about how much money you make; it is about how much you actually get to keep. In this foundational episode of Strength in Numbers, guest host Brian Spear sits down with Marcus Crigler to reveal why sophisticated real estate investors obsess over after-tax cash flow instead of just chasing high gross returns.

Marcus breaks down the critical difference between a reactive tax preparer and a proactive tax strategist. He explains exactly how high-income earners leverage the Real Estate Professional Status (REPS) to offset active income, the overlooked pros and cons of grouping elections, and why passive investors can never afford to be passive about their financial oversight. Tune in to discover the number one mistake that destroys investment compounding and how to ensure your wealth grows uninterrupted. 

Enjoy the show!

You’ll Learn How To:

• Distinguish between a tax preparer who just files documents and a tax strategist who actively builds wealth
• Utilize the Real Estate Professional Status (REPS) to offset active income with passive real estate losses
• Navigate the pros and cons of grouping elections so your passive losses do not get permanently trapped
• Evaluate the true after-tax cash-on-cash return of an investment before committing your capital
• Protect your compounding interest by avoiding premature lifestyle withdrawals from your investment pool

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• (02:02) Guest host Brian Spear introduces Marcus Crigler and a free 50-page Tax Wealth Playbook
• (05:57) The fundamental difference between a standard tax preparer and a proactive tax strategist
• (10:15) How the IRS differentiates between active income and passive income
• (13:18) How Real Estate Professional Status (REPS) turns passive losses into active tax savings
• (19:08) The hidden pros and cons of grouping elections for passive investors
• (23:05) How to determine the exact meeting cadence you need with your tax strategist based on your investing volume
• (25:48) A real-world example of passive investors getting hit with phantom income after a syndication loss
• (30:04) The two critical, non-negotiable questions you must ask a CPA before hiring them
• (33:16) Marcus’s number one rule for investing, that is to never rob your compounding machine to fund your lifestyle
• (35:58) Brian’s final takeaway, and why every passive investor is essentially running their own family office

Who This Episode Is For:

• High-income earners and W-2 executives looking to offset their active income with real estate investments
• Passive investors in syndications who want to avoid surprise tax bills, phantom income, and suspended losses
• Real estate entrepreneurs who are ready to transition from a basic tax preparer to a proactive tax strategist

Why You Should Listen:

Most investors spend all their energy hunting for the highest possible returns, completely ignoring the tax architecture that determines what they actually get to keep. If you are blindly handing K-1s to a traditional tax preparer on April 15th, you are likely leaving tens of thousands of dollars on the table. This episode provides a masterclass on how to proactively plan your investments, leverage the tax code to your advantage, and protect your compounding wealth from unnecessary taxation and premature lifestyle withdrawals.

Connect with Marcus Crigler: 

• Website: https://beccfo.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-crigler-cpa-977a45b7
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/marcus.crigler

Are high personal expenses and unpredictable payouts silently choking your business's growth? In this episode of Strength in Numbers, Marcus Crigler reveals the exact steps to calculate and set an owner's compensation that sustains your lifestyle while allowing your business to scale.

Marcus breaks down how to calculate your true business cash flow, why taking 100% of profits is a fatal mistake, and how to leverage low personal expenses or dual-income households to accelerate company growth. Learn the exact process for automating your pay, knowing when to adjust your salary, and protecting your company from cash crunches.

Enjoy the show!

You’ll Learn How To:

• Calculate your baseline personal expenses and true business cash flow
• Set a sustainable owner's compensation that doesn't drain company capital
• Automate your compensation schedule to maintain financial consistency
• Calculate average cash flow using accounting statements or bank balance tracing
• Determine the right time and frequency to increase or decrease your pay

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

(01:15) The step-by-step process for calculating and setting owner's compensation

(01:45) Why taking 100% of your business cash flow as salary ruins growth

(02:45) Implementing and automating the One-Way Street payment policy

(03:55) How to accurately calculate average cash flow using QuickBooks, Xero, or bank balances

(05:30) What to do when your business cash flow is lower than your personal expenses

(06:40) How dual-income households provide a strategic growth advantage

(07:55) Why inflated personal lifestyles are the number one reason businesses fail to scale

(09:30) When and how often you should adjust your owner's compensation

(11:00) Why owner's pay can (and sometimes should) go down during stabilization phases

Who This Episode Is For:

• Real estate entrepreneurs unsure of how much they can safely pay themselves
• Business owners whose personal living costs are straining company cash reserves
• Entrepreneurs wanting a clear, repeatable formula for owner compensation and cash flow forecasting

Why You Should Listen:

Guessing your salary or treating your business bank account like a personal ATM will eventually stall your growth and trigger financial panic. This episode gives you a structured, step-by-step framework to balance personal needs with business reinvestment, ensuring you stay financially secure while building a resilient, self-sustaining operation.

Connect with Marcus Crigler:

• Website: https://beccfo.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-crigler-cpa-977a45b7
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/marcus.crigler

Are you constantly pouring your personal savings back into your business just to keep it afloat? In this episode of Strength in Numbers, Marcus Crigler breaks down why blending your personal and business finances is the fastest way to destroy your financial stability.

Marcus reveals his proven "One Way Street Method," explaining why your owner's compensation must be treated as a non-negotiable fixed expense, how to stop relying on "owner bailouts" to fix business problems, and why the basic level of business growth requires personal financial stability first. Listen in to discover how to set clear family finance goals and confidently distribute quarterly profits without stalling your company's growth.

Enjoy the show!

You’ll Learn How To:

• Separate your personal and business finances using the "One Way Street Method"
• Calculate and structure your owner's compensation as a fixed monthly expense
• Prevent your business from relying on an owner bailout to survive
• Manage your personal financial stability to improve your business decision-making
• Safely distribute leftover business cash on a quarterly basis

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

(01:54) Why personal financial stability is non-negotiable for business success

(03:22) How taking the financial stress off your family actually fuels business growth

(05:25) The core principles of the "One Way Street Method"

(06:05) Why owner's compensation must be treated as a fixed business expense

(07:05) The dangers of bailing out your business with your personal funds

(08:08) Why your fixed pay must consistently exceed your monthly personal expenses

(08:52) How to strategically plan and distribute leftover cash on a quarterly basis

(11:05) Why the One Way Street Method guarantees personal stability and clarity

(12:35) How enforcing strict financial rules enables discipline, growth, and self-sustainability

Who This Episode Is For:

• Real estate entrepreneurs who are struggling to separate personal and business finances
• Business owners who want to stop relying on personal funds to keep their company afloat
• Entrepreneurs looking to build a self-sustaining business model

Why You Should Listen:

If you are constantly guessing how much you can afford to pay yourself each month, or if you are draining your personal savings to fund your business, you are suffocating both your family's stability and your company's potential. This episode gives you a bulletproof framework to guarantee your family is provided for first, allowing you to make clear, emotionless business decisions that drive massive long-term growth.

Connect with Marcus Crigler:

• Website: https://beccfo.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-crigler-cpa-977a45b7
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/marcus.crigler

Making money is one thing. Having enough cash to cover your expenses, handle problems, and take advantage of new opportunities is another key factor.

In this episode of Strength in Numbers, Marcus Crigler breaks down how much cash a real estate entrepreneur should have on hand and why your cash position should be measured against your expenses.

Listen as he walks you through the cash position hierarchy and the “float method” for building personal and business cash reserves.

Enjoy the show!

You’ll Learn How To:

• Determine how much cash you need
• Understand the different levels of cash reserves
• Use the float method to build personal and business reserves
• Measure your cash position against monthly expenses

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

(01:54) How much cash do I actually need to have?

(02:41) The cash position hierarchy

(03:24) Reaching the secure phase

(04:28) 'Float method' explained for building cash reserves

(05:38) The biggest pain most entrepreneurs go through

(06:42) What to do when you have less than one month of cash

(07:46) What to do with one to three months of reserves

(08:38) When you reach three to six months' worth of cash

(10:57) Moving from business cash to external investment opportunities

(12:14) Set cash position goals quarterly

(13:52) Measure cash against your expenses every month

(14:11) Dedicating a resource to cash position forecasting

Who This Episode Is For:

• Real estate entrepreneurs who are making money but still feel stretched
• Business owners who want help with their finances
• Anyone ready to expand

Why You Should Listen:

This episode gives you a simple framework for understanding where you stand, what you should focus on next, and how to build the cash reserves that give you more freedom and better options as an entrepreneur.

Connect with Marcus Crigler:

• Website: https://beccfo.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-crigler-cpa-977a45b7 
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/marcus.crigler 

Do you want a profitable business or a large business?

In this episode of Strength in Numbers, Marcus Crigler explains why cash position should be one of the first things real estate entrepreneurs focus on.

Listen as he explains why some of the biggest companies in the world keep significant amounts of cash on hand, and how liquidity can give you more security, flexibility, and power when it comes to making business decisions. Enjoy the show!

You’ll Learn How To:

• Build stronger liquidity in your business
• Use cash to create security
• Manage your cash the way larger companies do

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

(01:40) Cash position should come first

(02:18) How to properly look at and allocate your cash

(02:58) What the biggest companies can teach you about cash

(04:25) Understanding liquidity

(05:17) Liquidity creates security, opportunity, and power

(05:53) Improving your cash position

(06:00) Do you want a profitable business or a large business?

Who This Episode Is For:

• Real estate investors who are tired of being broke
• Business owners who are not in control of their finances
• Entrepreneurs who want more financial stability
• Anyone who wants to stop living deal to deal

Why You Should Listen:

Marcus explains why building a strong cash position can help you weather slow periods, handle your obligations, and take advantage of opportunities when they show up.

Connect with Marcus Crigler:

• Website: https://beccfo.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-crigler-cpa-977a45b7 
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/marcus.crigler 

It's one thing to know how much cash you need, but another to understand how that cash needs to flow throughout your organization.

In this episode, Marcus Crigler shares a simple method he created that you can use in your business to not only store cash but also do so efficiently.

Listen as he breaks down the Cashflow Waterfall, a simple system for managing where your money goes so you can stay ahead of expenses, taxes, and unexpected cash flow problems.

Enjoy the show!

You’ll Learn How To:

• Set up the three accounts in the Cashflow Waterfall system
• Know how much cash to keep in your operating account
• Build a reserve account that acts as your business safety net
• Create a more disciplined system for managing business cash

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

(01:46) A simple method to efficiently and effectively store cash

(02:05) The Cashflow Waterfall and the three-account system

(02:49) Operating account: Built to house day-to-day activity

(03:17) Tax savings account: Should be based on profits, not revenue

(03:56) Reserve account: The safety net making money

(04:18) Two times your fixed expenses in the operating account

(05:40) How to manage the tax savings account month by month

(06:21) What types of bank accounts to use

(08:35) The order of operations for the Cashflow Waterfall

(11:41) Financial discipline to get yourself ahead of the majority of competitors

(12:10) The reality of using tax funds during a difficult period

Who This Episode Is For:

• Business owners who are struggling with cash flow
• Real estate entrepreneurs who want control over their numbers
• Anyone who is living deal by deal

Why You Should Listen:

This episode gives you a straightforward system for making sure your cash is going where it needs to go and that you have money available when your business actually needs it.

Connect with Marcus Crigler:

• Website: https://beccfo.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-crigler-cpa-977a45b7 
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/marcus.crigler