In this episode of the Wealth Wisdom Financial Podcast, we're joined by Jason Petro, a Certified Profit First Professional and seasoned entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience as a small business owner.

Jason is one of the founding owners of the Profit First App, developed in partnership with Mike Michalowicz, author of Profit First. Having implemented the system in his own businesses, Jason now helps other entrepreneurs do the same—turning profit into a consistent, repeatable habit rather than an afterthought.

Together, we explore why traditional accounting often leaves business owners frustrated, how Profit First shifts both behavior and mindset around money, and why building intentional systems is the key to sustainable profitability.

This conversation goes beyond spreadsheets and software. It's about creating clarity, confidence, and a business that truly supports the owner—not just the expenses.

⭐ Key Quote "Profit isn't what's left over after expenses—profit is a habit, and when you build it intentionally, everything else falls into place." About Jason Petro

Jason Petro is a Certified Profit First Professional Coach and seasoned entrepreneur with more than two decades of experience owning and operating small businesses. As one of the founding owners of the Profit First App, created in partnership with Mike Michalowicz, Jason has been deeply involved in bringing the Profit First methodology to life through technology.

Having implemented Profit First in his own ventures, Jason now works with small business owners to help them build lasting profitability, improve cash flow, and make confident financial decisions. His passion lies in helping entrepreneurs make profit a consistent habit, not a once-in-a-while win.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Jason Petro's role in the creation of the Profit First App
• How Profit First works in real-world businesses
• Why profit must be intentional to be sustainable
• The behavioral side of money management
• Common cash-flow challenges business owners face
• How systems—not willpower—create financial success
• Why profitability should come before growth

Who This Episode Is For:

• Small business owners and entrepreneurs
• Service-based businesses
• Anyone using or considering Profit First
• Business owners who want clarity, consistency, and control over their finances

If you've ever felt like you're working hard but profit still feels unpredictable, this episode will help you see how building the right system can change everything.

More on Profit First: https://wealthwisdomfp.com/profit

More on Jason Petro: https://www.profitprocoach.com/

Get the Profit First App here: https://profitfirstapp.com/?via=wwfp

00:00 Welcome to Wealth Wisdom Financial Podcast

00:16 Introducing Live Counter Flow and Wealth Wisdom

01:06 Meet Our Guest: Profit First Coach Jason

02:52 Jason's Journey from Engineering to Profit First Coaching

04:28 Implementing Profit First: Challenges and Successes

06:05 Transitioning from Engineering to Coaching

07:59 The Importance of Profit First for Small Business Owners

10:28 Addressing Debt and Financial Challenges

14:26 Setting Goals and Making Financial Adjustments

17:28 Using Technology and Software for Financial Management

21:14 Client's SaaS Expenses Shock

22:29 Building the Profit First Software

24:36 Profit First App Features and Benefits

29:24 Navigating the Profit First App

39:20 Upcoming Features and Conclusion

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/CHsYzS9oFhQ

What do you do when the thing you've been building needs room to become something bigger?

Most people barrel into January with fresh goals, new planners, and that familiar pressure to start strong. But what if the bravest thing you could do right now is... pause?

This isn't a farewell episode. It's a pivot point.

In this final episode of the year, Brandon and Amanda share something they've been wrestling with behind the scenes. The podcast, the brand, the way they serve you—it's all evolving. And evolution needs breathing room.

Before they step back, they're leaving you with one powerful gift: a simple end-of-year practice to reset your financial nervous system. No resolutions. No pressure. Just presence.

You'll discover:

• Why your money doesn't need a new plan—it needs a new nervous system experience
• The STILL Method™️: a 5-step practice you can use right now to end the year grounded instead of anxious
• What's actually happening behind the scenes (and why they're pressing pause on weekly episodes)
• Where to stay connected while they build what's next
• A gentle reminder that sometimes the most productive thing you can do is stop

Key Quote: "You can't strategize your way out of a dysregulated financial nervous system. Change doesn't start with discipline. It starts with stillness."

This episode is for anyone who's felt the pressure of year-end reflection turn into year-end anxiety. It's a permission slip to slow down. To breathe. To trust that what's being built in the quiet will be worth the wait.

Stay connected: The best place to follow along during the pause is Amanda's Substack: livecounterflow.substack.com and Brandon's TikTok: tiktok.com/@livecounterflow

That's where the next chapter is being written.

Resources mentioned:

• Find Your Flow Quiz — 10 questions to discover your financial personality
• Financial Nervous System Diagnostic — A deeper 54-question assessment
• Profit Planning Network 2026 — Enrollment closes January 2nd

00:00 Welcome to Wealth Wisdom Financial

01:56 Reflecting on the Past Year

02:38 Introducing the STILL Method

03:28 Year-End Practice for Financial Health

05:56 Exciting Announcements and Future Plans

08:42 Staying Connected During the Pause

11:08 Final Thoughts

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/TS3DCvf5Sq4

What if the real problem isn't your work ethic? What if it's that nobody ever taught you how to run a profitable business?

You went into business to make a difference. To take care of your family. To build something that matters. But somewhere along the way, the dream turned into a grind. You're exhausted, stretched thin, and wondering why success still feels so far away.

Sound familiar?

Neeka Williams felt the same way. As the practice administrator for a urology company, she was doing all the "right" things—showing up every day, solving problems, keeping the wheels turning. But she kept asking herself: There has to be more to this, right?

In this episode, Brandon sits down with Neeka to talk about her year inside the Profit Planning Network. This isn't a story about magic formulas or overnight wins. It's about finally having a framework that fits who you actually are—and a community that keeps you accountable to your own goals.

You'll discover:

• Why most business advice fails entrepreneurs who think differently (and what to do instead)
• How understanding your "financial archetype" can change the way you plan, save, and grow
• The one shift that let Neeka walk away from her business for a full week—without anything falling apart
• Why emotions in business aren't a weakness, but actually a guide to your next move
• What happens when you stop being embarrassed about needing help and start treating business like the skill it is

Key Quote: "People don't go into business to fail. You go into business to be profitable, to make a positive impact, to pass on a legacy. You just don't know how—and what Wall Street says and what the business gurus say hasn't been working." — Neeka Williams

If you've been feeling like you're running on a hamster wheel and wondering when it gets easier, this conversation is for you.

Resources mentioned:

• Find Your Flow Quiz — 10 questions to discover your financial personality
• Financial Nervous System Diagnostic — A deeper 54-question assessment
• Profit Planning Network 2026 — Join our community of business owners building profitability and wealth
• Urology Consultants, Inc. — Neeka's practice (and a reminder for the guys to get checked!)

00:00 Welcome to Wealth Wisdom Financial Podcast

01:01 Introducing Neeka Williams and Her Journey

01:41 Joining Profit Planning Network

04:35 Experiences and Insights from PPN

13:12 The Role of AI in Business

19:11 Understanding Emotions in Business

20:36 The Importance of Reflecting on Feelings

21:59 Who is PPN For?

23:08 Balancing Sales and Expenses

25:15 The Value of Certification and Experience

28:48 The Role of Profit Planning

32:11 Encouraging Regular Health Check-ups

34:29 Final Thoughts and Enrollment Information

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/cDBONHEVILA

What If Everything You've Been Told About Building Wealth Is Wrong?

Have you ever wondered why the financial industry treats entrepreneurs like they should act like employees?

Save for retirement. Max out your 401(k). Lock your money away for 30 years. That advice might work for someone with a steady paycheck and a pension. But for business owners? It's a recipe for disaster.

In Part 2 of our conversation with Perry Marshall, we're pulling back the curtain on what's broken in the financial planning world—and how we're using Profit First, Infinite Banking, and AI tools to help business owners build wealth on their own terms.

You'll discover:

• Why the conventional financial industry is designed to extract money from entrepreneurs, not empower them

• The difference between saving for retirement and building actual liquidity (and why it matters more than you think)

• How we combine Profit First and Infinite Banking to give business owners control over their cash flow AND their wealth-building

• The AI tools we built to help clients understand their "financial nervous system" before they ever talk to us

• Why we stopped explaining what we do and started letting people experience it instead

Key Quote: "The financial industry is designed to move your money to Wall Street. We're designed to help you build a healthy, profitable business first—and then build wealth from that foundation."

This episode is for business owners who've felt like the conventional financial advice never quite fit. If you've ever thought, "There has to be a better way" … there is. And we're showing you how.

Resources mentioned:

• Find Your Flow Quiz — A free 10-question assessment to discover your financial personality

• Financial Nervous System Diagnostic — A deeper 54-question assessment that reveals your money patterns

• Perry Marshall's Roundtable 2026 — The mastermind community that helped accelerate our growth

• Profit Planning Network 2026 — Join our community of business owners building profitability and wealth

00:00 Introduction and Recap

00:39 Shifting Gears: What's Broken in the Financial Industry

03:15 Behavioral Economics and Financial Planning

04:27 Empowering Clients: A Different Approach to Finance

08:12 Combining Profit First and Infinite Banking

11:39 Lessons Learned and Overcoming Challenges

16:54 Transformative Experiences and Future Plans

25:11 Conclusion and Next Steps

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_xNQQzQovf8

What happens when your dream business nearly destroys you, and then teaches you everything you needed to know about money?

We don't usually talk about this. The early days. The subway rides hauling coffee beans across Chicago. The polar vortex brought us to the edge of bankruptcy. The moment we realized we'd been doing money completely wrong.

But Perry asked us to get real. So we did.

In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, we're pulling back the curtain on our entrepreneurial journey, from bootstrapping a coffee shop with zero financial backing to discovering the principles that would eventually reshape how we help business owners build wealth.

You'll hear:

• Why we delivered coffee beans on the subway before our shop even opened (and what that taught us about building a business with no money)
• The brutal wake-up call that came during a Chicago polar vortex—and the single lesson that saved everything
• What our financial planner told us contradicted everything we thought we knew about "saving for retirement."
• The three things every entrepreneur needs to survive (hint: passion isn't enough)
• Why we were told we were "too entrepreneurial" to get hired and how that rejection became our biggest opportunity

Key Quote: "We were naive about how hard it would be. But that naivety is also what kept us going when smarter people would have quit."

This isn't a polished success story. It's the real version—the good, the bad, and the ramen. If you've ever wondered whether you're cut out for this entrepreneur thing, or if you're doing money all wrong, this one's for you.

Coming next week: Part 2 dives into what's broken in the financial planning world and how we're using Profit First, Infinite Banking, and AI to help business owners build wealth differently.

Resources mentioned:

• Find Your Flow Quiz — 10 questions to discover your financial personality
• Financial Nervous System Diagnostic — A deeper 54-question assessment
• Get more info about Perry Marshall's Roundtable here.
• Profit Planning Network 2026 — Join our community of business owners building profitability and wealth

00:00 Introduction

00:45 The Coffee Shop Dream

03:20 Bootstrapping with Nothing

06:15 The Polar Vortex Wake-Up Call

09:30 Discovering Liquidity Over Retirement

11:45 The Three Things Every Entrepreneur Needs

13:00 Preview of Part 2

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bC5j2xh8y_g

What Happens When You Stop Juggling Spaghetti and Start Planning Profit?

Have you ever felt like your business is just spaghetti thrown against a wall?

You're spinning plates, putting out fires, and wondering which pieces will stick. Joseph Cadavos knows that feeling. With a real estate business closing 90-110 transactions a year, a wife running a med spa an hour away, and three school-aged kids, life was chaos.

But here's what changed everything: He stopped trying to do it all and started doing what actually mattered.

In this episode, Brandon sits down with Joseph to talk about his year in the Profit Planning Network. This isn't your typical "business success story." It's raw, real, and refreshingly honest about the messy parts of business ownership that nobody posts on Instagram.

You'll discover:

• Why blocking time with your spouse on Google Calendar might be the most profitable thing you do this year

• How two completely opposite businesses (making people pretty vs. buying ugly houses) used the same framework to find clarity

• The surprising way AI helped them understand their marriage better

• What "profit planning" actually means (spoiler: it's not what you think)

• How having a buffer changes everything when marketing challenges hit

Key Quote: "I don't care what you make gross—what matters is what you keep at the end of the month." — Joseph Cadavos

This conversation will make you rethink everything about how you're running your business. And maybe, just maybe, it'll convince you to finally schedule that date night.

Ready to learn more about creating a business that doesn't consume your life? Visit https://livecounterflow.com/collections/profit-planning-network-2026 to explore the Profit Planning Network.

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:19 The Profit Planning Network: An Overview

01:58 Transition to Financial Services

02:55 Launching the Profit Planning Network

04:53 Interview with Joseph Cadavos

06:25 Joseph's Business and Family Life

07:43 Impact of the Profit Planning Network

13:07 AI and Financial Tools

22:05 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

28:24 Conclusion and Call to Action

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2aZUKO47eBY

Are you trying to buy your way to financial peace?

It's Black Friday season, and every ad promises the same thing: relief. This course will fix your business. This software will organize everything. This planner will finally make you consistent.

But here's what nobody's telling you: confidence isn't a product you can purchase.

In this no-BS episode, Brandon cuts through the holiday shopping noise to reveal what real financial confidence actually is—and why you can't swipe your card to get it.

Discover:

• Why entrepreneurs get trapped in consumption cycles that look like progress but change nothing

• The one question to ask yourself before buying anything this week (it's a game-changer)

• What real confidence actually is (hint: it has nothing to do with your revenue or savings balance)

• How your nervous system drives more of your money behavior than you realize

• The difference between buying from clarity vs. buying from chaos

Key Quote: "Peace can't be purchased. It has to be practiced. You don't need to fill your life with more stuff. You need to fill your system with more stability."

Ready to stop the consumption cycle?

Stop buying fake confidence and start building real clarity. Take the Find Your Flow Quiz to discover which nervous system pattern is running your financial life → https://livecounterflow.com/pages/fyf

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction: The Season of Sales & False Confidence

01:58 Why We Buy: Feelings, Not Things

03:08 Confidence Isn't a Product—It's a Pattern

05:20 Why We Built CounterFlow & Clarity Before Consumption

06:59 Tools for Clarity: Find Your Flow & Cash Confidence Roadmap

08:37 Are You Buying from Clarity or Chaos?

13:15 The Live CounterFlow Movement & Confidence Tools

15:01 Closing Thoughts: Building Real Wealth & Stability

🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Share it with one entrepreneur who's on the edge of burnout and about to buy another fix they don't need. Then take the quiz and start building confidence that can't be sold.

Work with us: Get tools to build calm, confident cash flow → livecounterflow.com

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/MmmulCBxy6I

What if the guilt and shame around money isn't a character flaw, but a nervous system pattern you can actually change?

If you've ever felt like you're "doing everything right" but still can't shake the money anxiety… if you've secretly resented your business while feeling guilty for that resentment… or if you've hit financial goals only to feel exhausted instead of excited… then, this episode will help you understand why.

Amanda shares the truth most financial professionals won't say out loud: You can't build calm from criticism. Shame doesn't make you responsible. Shame makes you reactive.

In this vulnerable, paradigm-shifting conversation, discover:

• Why entrepreneurs carry more emotional weight than most people realize (and how it shows up in your money decisions)

• What shame actually does to your nervous system and why it keeps you hustling to prove your worth

• The difference between a "self-care break" and a true emotional reset that changes your financial patterns

• How the STILL Method helps you make money moves from peace instead of panic

• Why making money without shame is about returning to your natural rhythm

Key Quote: "Shame activates your survival system. It tells your brain, 'You're not safe until you fix this.' And that keeps you in constant motion - hustling, optimizing, proving. But here's what's wild: most entrepreneurs don't realize that pattern isn't logical; it's biological."

What's possible when you reset?

• You start seeing your business as an ecosystem instead of a battlefield

• You stop apologizing for wanting to be paid well

• You build wealth without guilt because your motives are clean

• Your Profit First plan becomes easier to stick with

• Your budget stops feeling like punishment

• Your goals start feeling like alignment

This isn't about fixing yourself. It's about reintroducing your nervous system to safety.

Ready for your reset?

Take the Find Your Flow Quiz →https://livecounterflow.com/pages/fyf Discover your unique money pattern and the small shift that brings relief right now.

Join the next Cash Flow Reset experience → Email Andrea at [email protected] A 90-minute live session where Amanda personally walks you through reconnecting your nervous system to your financial life.

Explore more nervous system tools for money → LiveCounterflow.com

00:00 Introduction: Embracing Financial Emotions 01:03 Welcome to Wealth Wisdom Financial Podcast 01:56 The Importance of Emotional Resets 03:50 Understanding the Emotional Weight of Business Owners 07:10 The Still Method: Practical and Reflective Modes 09:22 Introducing the Cash Flow Reset 11:21 Final Thoughts and Next Steps

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/DcK0fLQlmBM

Does practicing gratitude ever leave you feeling more anxious than at peace? If being thankful isn't magically fixing your finances, this episode is for you.

Tune in as Amanda gently exposes the myth of "gratitude fixes everything" and reveals what it really takes to find calm, clarity, and confidence with money.

Discover:

• Why your financial stress isn't a moral failing (and what's actually going on under the surface)

• The critical money step most experts skip that keeps you stuck in survival mode

• How to build real safety in your nervous system so you can make empowered money moves from presence, not panic

If hustling harder and journaling longer aren't bringing you peace, press play. Amanda shares the tool that's 10x more powerful than your gratitude practice for creating lasting financial freedom.

Key Quote: "Gratitude soothes the heart - but it doesn't regulate the financial nervous system. You can't think your way into peace if your body still believes you're in danger."

Ready to find your unique money flow? Take the quiz. https://livecounterflow.com/pages/fyf

Tired of feeling tense when you think about money? Learn the nervous system tools that actually work at LiveCounterflow.com

If this episode helped you exhale, share it with a friend who's drowning in financial overwhelm. Your story could be the life raft they need today.

00:00 Welcome & Gratitude 00:18 The Limits of Gratitude in Financial Well-being 01:23 Introduction to Wealth Wisdom Financial Podcast 02:01 The Disconnect Between Gratitude and Financial Anxiety 04:27 The Still Method: A New Approach 05:20 Reflective Mode of the Still Method 06:40 Practical Application of the Still Method 09:37 Understanding Financial Nervous System Patterns 13:01 Conclusion and Next Steps Watch On YouTube: https://youtu.be/XYY2x4-d0Bk

Do you ever feel like you're doing everything "right" in your business - clients are happy, revenue is growing - but you still feel behind and anxious?

In this raw, real episode, Brandon digs into the hidden systems silently running your financial life and sabotaging your peace. If hustling harder isn't working, this will be a game-changer.

Discover:

• The secret biological wiring keeping you stuck in "survival mode" (even when you're successful)

• How to find clarity and calm in the chaos (and make money decisions you trust)

• The real reason you're exhausted from chasing a finish line that keeps moving

• Practical tools to break the cycle and rebuild a foundation of financial peace

Stop grinding against your own nervous system. Tune in to get off the emotional rollercoaster and find your financial flow.

Key Quote: "You don't have a discipline problem - you have a systemic wiring problem. You can't out-budget biology."

Work with us & get tools to build calm, profitable cash flow → https://livecounterflow.com/

00:01 Breaking the "doing everything right but still behind" feeling

01:40 The myth of the finish line (and why it keeps moving)

03:19 What's really running your finances: the system under the surface

04:59 You've read the books and tried the tactics, what's missing

06:39 Finding clarity in chaos: a simple, usable framework

08:16 Lessons from working with tons of business owners

09:58 If this resonates: how to apply and share it

11:36 Next steps & resources to save you time

🎧 Enjoyed this episode?

Like, subscribe, and tell us the one shift you're making this week. Your future self (and your cash flow) will thank you.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6WIN7C8xqIU