You May Be Owed a Tariff Refund — Here's What to Do
If you imported goods from certain countries and paid IEEPA tariffs, you may be owed a refund. Here's how the CBP CAPE portal works and what to do with the money when it arrives.
Dear Bootstrapped Founder: That Tax Bill Means You Won
A tax bill means your business made money this year. Here's why that's worth celebrating — and how Profit First makes tax season almost boring for product founders.
Scale is Not a Strategy. It's a Cash-Eating Monster.
A founder texted: "We're up 40% this month. And we might miss payroll." Revenue is not cash. Scale without financial architecture is one of the most dangerous things you can chase in CPG.
The Financial Cadence That Keeps My Business (and Sanity) Flowing
A simple, repeatable financial management cadence that keeps two businesses running in under two hours a week — annual, quarterly, monthly and weekly rituals for product founders.
Managing Cash Flow in a High-Growth Product Business
High growth is supposed to be the goal. So why does it so often feel like a financial emergency? Here's the three-part system for managing cash flow when you're funding future sales from current cash.
When Did We All Become "Founders"?
A woman at a comedy show said \"Founder\" and the room paused. It got me thinking about why we all adopted the word — and what we might be losing by running from \"small.\"
Why Profitability Isn't Optional — Even If You're Not Selling
Whether you plan to sell your product business or run it forever, SDE — Seller's Discretionary Earnings — is the number that tells you whether you're building real value or just staying busy.
Discount Fatigue: When Sales Start Costing More Than They Bring In
Run sales too often and you teach your customers to wait for them. Here's the five-question framework to run before any promotion — and the margin maths that tells you whether it's worth it.
What If You Chose to Not Scale Your Brand?
In CPG, more revenue often just means more cost, more complexity, and less money in your pocket. Here's the case for building a small, highly profitable product business — and why it might be the smartest move you make.
The COGS Are Too Damn High
COGS isn't just ingredients and packaging. It's freight, duties, tariffs, shrinkage and the three extra cents your supplier added without warning. Here's how to build margin that actually holds.
