The FI Planner Ben Martinek CFP ®, EA, CSLP®, RICP®

Would entrepreneurship be less scary if you knew you’d make more money than your current job?   
In this episode, Nancy Bleeke explains how analyzing expenses motivated her to start her own business and what she’s learned since she made the transition to entrepreneurship over twenty years ago. 
In this episode, you’ll also hear:
Evaluating what it costs you to work vs. start your own business      Making the transition to entrepreneurship without incurring debt  Why community is crucial to growth and why it’s okay to be scared  Must-listen moments: 
[00:09:20] After calculating what it cost me to work, including travel, childcare, clothes, etc. even though I had a good job, my net income back to the family was about $10,000 a year.
[00:16:08] Part of being profitable right away was watching my expenses. I think knowing what I wanted my net take home number to be helped ensure that my business had net profit. Otherwise, why was I doing it?
[00:32:00] When I'm afraid, I always do look for help, that is just how I am. I'm going to find a way to work through it. I get afraid if I notice that my pipeline isn't healthy. But then, right away I'm like, all right, so what do I need to do?
 
Guest Info: 
Nancy Bleeke
Nancy left the comfort of a “regular” job to launch Sales Pro Insider Inc. While she’s always been entrepreneurial, finding a passion in sales was never the plan. Who would ever want to be “in sales”? she thought. Yet, she found her calling helping people who also never saw themselves in sales, succeed in selling!
Connect with Nancy - https://www.salesproinsider.com/
 
Bona Fide Finance:
Website: https://bonafidefinance.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bonafidefinance
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BonaFideFinancialPlanning/
Fb Profile: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069532276726
 
Student Loan Tax Experts:
Website: https://studentloantaxexperts.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/student-loan-tax-experts/
 
 

How do some small businesses make the leap from fledgling concept to successful big company while others go kaput before they can even get started?
In this episode, Ben and Andrew delve into the gritty reality of how the majority of new small businesses fail and why people still go for entrepreneurship despite the challenges it brings. 
In this episode, you’ll also hear:
Defining small business vs. micro business   
Why people go into business despite the risks 
Embracing the dream, sustaining the losses of entrepreneurship


Must-listen moments: 
[00:07:12] In the first five years, 50% of businesses that start out don't make it, and by the five year mark, half of the people who first get into business are no longer in business. And then when you extend that out to 10 years, that reduces down from 50% to 30%.
[00:12:18] I do like the money but the dream sustains you. It's the meaningful impact. It's the connection. It's the change that you can have on other people's lives. It's the change you can have in the world.
[00:27:39] Having the personal finances be in a position where you can sustain those losses, it's really critical to the success of the business. It's not the business finance that under does a business…it's the personal finance. Managing those personal responsibilities as you make this transition is huge.



Bona Fide Finance:
Website: https://bonafidefinance.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bonafidefinance
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BonaFideFinancialPlanning/
Fb Profile: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069532276726



Student Loan Tax Experts:
Website: https://studentloantaxexperts.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/student-loan-tax-experts/






 

Taking on the family business can feel daunting, but staying true to the authentic heart of the company is key. 
In this episode, Ben and Deb welcome David Hurley as he dives into how growing up in Country Stores Health Foods fostered his entrepreneurial drive. They discuss the action steps he took to move the business forward under his stewardship while also helping people stay healthy using natural holistic resources. 
In this episode, you’ll also hear:
Understanding the value of holistic healthcare therapy to improve wellbeing Some of David’s concerns about taking over the family business and how he moved through them Bringing Country Stores Health Foods into the digital age and how that increased the company’s revenue Must-listen moments: 
[00:12:00] “Really, the focus of my career has been to try to uncover as much of the truth as possible — that's my career goal.”
[00:19:00] “It’s much better to bring in the right people right from the get-go because you invest your time in them.”
[00:25:00] “The primary focus is a genuine desire to improve people's lives and sometimes to extend people's lives and sometimes to outright save people's lives. That is the primary motivating force.”
Guest Info: 
The Country Stores Health Foods is a third-generation family-owned health food store specializing in high-quality supplements and personalized expert advice. 
Website: https://www.countrystoredanville.com/ 
Healthcare.gov
Bona Fide Finance:
Website: https://bonafidefinance.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bonafidefinance
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BonaFideFinancialPlanning/
Fb Profile: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069532276726
 
Student Loan Tax Experts:
Website: https://studentloantaxexperts.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/student-loan-tax-experts
 

For many entrepreneurs, launching your own business means long hours and late nights with little to no financial gain when you first begin.  
In this episode, Jonathan and Amanda Teixeira join Ben and Deb to share how a forced leap of faith kickstarted their entrepreneurial journey and what it’s like to be financially independent while balancing business and family as a married couple.   
In this episode, you’ll also hear:
Navigating the challenges of creating a sustainable business   Enjoying the flexibility and freedom of entrepreneurship Realities of being married and in business together  Must-listen moments: 
[00:18:14] We didn't know how to get anything sustainable. It was this feast and this famine cycle. And I think a lot of entrepreneurs, particularly online course owners, that's where they begin. And you buy yourself enough time to learn a little bit so that you do better the next time.
[00:29:15] We spend about three months out of the year in the RV. If we had a day job, we couldn't do that, but we do spend a decent bit of the time when we're on the road still working because we can…I wanted to be able to have that flexibility and that freedom and entrepreneurship has afforded us that. 
[00:26:03] We had to figure out how to get the right systems and boundaries and operations in place. And then even for ourselves, how do we talk to each other?
Guest Info: 
Jonathan and Amanda Teixeira are the duo—and happily married couple—behind WalletWin, where they help everyday Catholics create the life of their dreams by getting intentional with money.
Website - https://walletwin.com/
Podcast - https://walletwin.com/podcast/
 
Bona Fide Finance:
Website: https://bonafidefinance.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bonafidefinance
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BonaFideFinancialPlanning/
Fb Profile: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069532276726
 
Student Loan Tax Experts:
Website: https://studentloantaxexperts.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/student-loan-tax-experts/
 

Being an entrepreneur means taking a ride on a never-ending rollercoaster full of intoxicating highs and sobering lows with twists and turns around every corner. 
In this episode, Ben and Andrew share lessons they’ve learned from their own setbacks and why entrepreneurs must be overly confident and ready to take on whatever challenge comes next.
In this episode, you’ll also hear:
Lessons from Andrew’s failed restaurant in Korea Knowing when and how to pivot as an entrepreneur  Understanding the risk and loss that comes with entrepreneurship Must-listen moments: 
[00:13:42] And that's what you say, right? You think all this money's gonna come so easy? Just because the first buck comes in, you think a wheelbarrow is gonna be behind it. 
[00:20:23] Maybe you start off with one idea or entrepreneurial pursuit, you learn a few things from it, but you realize, this just isn't really the gig I want to be in. But that doesn't mean we close the door to all entrepreneurial pursuits, we just look to maybe what's the next thing? 
[00:33:57] Maybe you need to really have an honest conversation with yourself in the mirror and say, maybe I'm still into entrepreneurship, but maybe I do need to really have some very strong guardrails in place that guide me, and I need to really analyze the risk on this deal and take a look at what needs to happen for this to be a situation that I'm comfortable with entering into.

Thinking, Fast and Slow  by Daniel Kahneman - https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Fast-Slow-Daniel-Kahneman/dp/0374533555
Bona Fide Finance:
Website: https://bonafidefinance.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bonafidefinance
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BonaFideFinancialPlanning/
Fb Profile: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069532276726
 
Student Loan Tax Experts:
Website: https://studentloantaxexperts.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/student-loan-tax-experts/

Not everyone is ready to leave their 9-5 job but if you’re thinking about it, Megan Giles is proof you can succeed on your own.  
In this episode, Ben and Deb talk with Megan Giles about how she quit her corporate job cold turkey, found a supportive community and started making connections that helped her focus on the value she offers. 
In this episode, you’ll also hear:
Quitting the corporate world without a plan The power of truly investing in yourself  Benefits of networking with like-minded, hyper-focused people  Must-listen moments: 
[00:09:36] Prior to quitting the corporate world, I would go meet friends after work every day. That completely shifted to going to networking events…so my social life went from strictly friends and fun to networking events with other business folks. 
[00:23:15] Being part of that community is what really helped me take off…and then flipping that mindset to where it doesn't matter how many hours I spend on this thing, if I am delivering value, then that's what you're paying me for, the value that I deliver.
[00:26:03] If you want to be serious about going out on your own and being in business, you need to be willing to put some money down and join another group of other folks who are similarly serious and willing to commit money and capital.
Guest Info: 
Most graphic designers will deliver a beautiful layout, but don’t understand that the words you use matter. Megan Giles helps clients with their marketing messages as well, so every piece she designs uses the right words to turn prospects into customers.
Website - https://www.mggraphics.design/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/megangiles/
 
Bona Fide Finance:
Website: https://bonafidefinance.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bonafidefinance
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BonaFideFinancialPlanning/
Fb Profile: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069532276726
 
Student Loan Tax Experts:
Website: https://studentloantaxexperts.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/student-loan-tax-experts/