Mastering Cash Flow: Four Gritty Moves to Take Control
If you’ve ever found yourself staring at the ceiling at 3 a.m., wondering how to make payroll, meet expenses, or just keep your dream alive, this episode is for you. Ralph Estep Jr. kicks off Grit & Growth Business by cutting through the noise and getting real about what it means to run a business without a roadmap. With raw honesty and hard-earned wisdom, he shares stories of scrappy beginnings, common pitfalls, and the critical habits that separate those who burn out from those who build something lasting. At the top of the list? Mastering cash flow.
Check out the full podcast episode here
Ralph lays out four gritty, no-fluff strategies to stop the cash bleed, from slashing expenses without mercy to demanding faster payments. But this isn’t just about spreadsheets—it’s about mindset, grit, and the power of small, consistent action. He reminds listeners that setbacks come with lessons, boundaries protect what matters most, and burnout isn’t a badge of honor. Whether you’re just starting out or rebuilding after a rough season, this episode will help you take your next bold step with confidence and clarity.
Download your free Action Plan Sheet for this episode
Chapters:
- 00:03 - The Burden of Business Ownership
- 04:12 - Stories of Transformation: From Small Beginnings to Success
- 05:50 - Identifying and Solving Business Problems
- 08:49 - Mastering Cash Flow: Four Powerful Moves
- 12:08 - Overcoming Setbacks: The Path to Resilience
- 13:58 - The Journey Ahead: Embracing Challenges and Growth
Takeaways:
- You’ll be challenged to face your biggest business headaches head-on, with real strategies that help you take control of your cash flow and cut costs where it counts.
- Ralph breaks down four key moves to master cash flow, like tracking down every dollar and finally setting up that emergency fund you’ve been putting off.
- Setbacks? Yep, they’re part of the deal. But instead of getting stuck, this episode helps you focus on what you can learn so you bounce back even stronger.
- And if you’re hoping for a quick fix, think again. Ralph reminds us that lasting business success isn’t about shortcuts, but showing up, doing the work, and building a rock-solid foundation.
To access the action sheet for today's episode click here http://gritandgrowthbusiness.com/action
To book a call with Ralph to discuss how he can help you grow your business click here
To listen to listen to Ralph's other shows click here https://www.askralph.com/
Get a free copy of Ralph's book Mastering Your Finances
Buy Ralph's Latest Book - The Gospel of Entrepreneurship
00:00 - Untitled
00:03 - The Burden of Business Ownership
04:12 - Stories of Transformation: From Small Beginnings to Success
05:50 - Identifying and Solving Business Problems
08:49 - Mastering Cash Flow: Four Powerful Moves
12:08 - Overcoming Setbacks: The Path to Resilience
13:58 - The Journey Ahead: Embracing Challenges and Growth
Ralph:
Hey there.
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Let me ask you something.
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Are you running your business or does it sometimes feel like the business
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is just absolutely running You?
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Are you finding yourself awake at 3:00 AM You're just staring at the ceiling,
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the weight of payroll, the weight of inventory, just every single thing about
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the business just pressing you down.
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Are you pouring your heart?
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Are you pouring your soul, maybe even your lifetime savings into this dream?
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Often wondering if anyone truly understands that daily
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grind you're going through?
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Well, if that sounds like you, then I'm really glad you're here.
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Welcome to Grit and Growth Business.
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I'm Ralph Estep Jr.
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And I do truly appreciate you choosing to spend some valuable time with me today.
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Listen, this show isn't about those Silicon Valley fairytales
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or those overnight success stories that you see plastered all online.
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This is for someone just like you.
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The builder, the trades person, that service provider.
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The person who started with little more than just an idea and just
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completely sheer determination.
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The one fighting for every single inch of ground, if you're like me,
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often figuring it out as you go with without a map, without that safety net.
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And listen, I know you know the exhaustion and I know you know the uncertainty.
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And hopefully you also know those small little crucial victories that keep you
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putting one foot in front of the other.
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The fact is you're still here.
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You're still fighting.
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You're still building, and that relentless spirit you have, that's
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exactly why I created this show.
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This show is for you.
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Believe me.
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I know that feeling deep in my bones 'cause I've been there.
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See my own story didn't start in some fancy boardroom.
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It started right at my dining room table, borrowing money from a hard money lender.
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Now talk about pressure.
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I had two little boys and a wife at home, just three and six back then, and they
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were all counting on me to make it work.
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In those early days.
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Yeah, those early days, they were raw.
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It was just me.
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Late nights fueled by cheap soft drinks.
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Weekends that weren't really weekends, and that constant gnawing question in the back
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of my mind, can I actually pull this off?
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Can I actually make this work?
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And the worry, well, you probably know what that feels like.
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My first office, a tiny space above a buy here, pay here.
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Car lot definitely wasn't glamorous.
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I can still remember having to run out to buy mousetraps because
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I'd hear little feet scurrying when I'd flip on the lights.
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But let me just tell you something.
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Stepping into that space, even as small as it was, felt like planning
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a flag for me felt like hope.
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It wasn't a magic wand, though.
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The grind continued.
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I made mistakes.
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I learned lessons, and oftentimes I learned them the hard way, just like
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you might be doing right now, but brick by painstaking brick, fueled
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by grit, and maybe even a little stubbornness, something started to grow.
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And over 30 years now as an accountant, as a coach, walking alongside business
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owners, people just like you, I've seen it happen again and again.
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I think about Susan.
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Now, Susan started small selling handmade crafts at a flea market.
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Did she have doubts?
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Absolutely.
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She had doubts, but Susan had that fire.
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She learned, she adapted.
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she tackled the scary world of online marketing.
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Today,
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she runs a successful online boutique providing for her family on her terms.
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She built that I. Let's talk about John, who literally started mowing
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lawns with a borrowed push mower.
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No complaints, just pure determination.
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He put strategies in place.
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He built systems, and he just kept pushing through the challenges.
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Now he has a respected landscaping name.
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He created jobs.
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He's got 10 crews out there running every morning.
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He serves his community.
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He built that.
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Their stories, my story, your story.
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These aren't flukes.
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They show what happens when your grit meets growth.
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Your determination, your willingness to learn and adapt.
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That's the most powerful asset you possess.
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But let's be really honest, just between us, the path you're on, it's tough.
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Listen, the statistics aren't pretty.
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Many businesses don't make it, and oftentimes it boils down to a few key
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things, but I want you to hear this.
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These are things that you can actually influence
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first.
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It's that cashflow nightmare.
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We're gonna talk about that in today's show.
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When money seems to go out faster than it comes in, it
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can feel like quicksand, right?
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The second big thing I see is just aimless action.
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Working incredibly hard, but maybe without that clear plan, feeling like
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you're just spinning your wheels.
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We're gonna cover that in the shows coming up as well.
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Third thing is that marketing maze struggling to consistently attract the
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right customers for what you offer.
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We'll cover that coming up as well.
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And fourth and certainly not last, that burnout trap, just
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feeling drowned in stress.
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Maybe losing some of that initial passion and just feeling utterly exhausted.
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Yeah, we'll cover that too.
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Any of these things sound familiar?
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Well, here's the powerful truth, and I want you to hear this today.
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These are solvable problems.
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Again, these are solvable problems.
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You don't have to be defined by them or become one of those statistics.
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That's the promise of this show right here with you.
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Each week, I'm gonna bring you strategies that grow businesses.
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No fluff, no hype, just real world actionable insights from
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my decades in the trenches.
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Share directly with you.
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We're gonna talk about what might be broken in your
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business and how you can fix it.
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We're gonna talk about what might be missing and how you can build it.
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But let me just tell you right now.
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Fixing things takes work.
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Fixing things takes courage.
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It means facing hard truths and making tough decisions.
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It requires that grit, but I know you've got it.
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Okay, well let's pause for just a second here.
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Just you and me.
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What's that one thing in your business right now that causes you the most stress.
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I'm talking about that biggest knot in your stomach.
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Is it that unpredictable cash flow?
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We're gonna talk about that in a few minutes.
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The fear hanging over you about making payroll.
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Is it finding good help that you can rely on or just completely feeling
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overwhelmed like you're drowning in tasks?
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Be honest with yourself.
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Just name it, even if you're only naming it in your own head.
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Now, if you can.
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Just imagine that specific problem is gone.
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It's solved, lifted right off of your shoulders.
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How does that feel?
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No, no, seriously.
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Physically, how does that feel?
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What does your day look like then?
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How does your energy change?
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What does that freedom mean for you?
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What does that freedom mean for your family?
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What does that freedom mean for your peace of mind?
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That feeling?
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That vision, I want you to hold onto that picture because guess what?
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That's your why.
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That's the fuel for this journey you're on.
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So, alright, well let's turn that vision into action.
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I promise this today.
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Let's tackle cash flow.
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Let's talk about how you can start mastering it, not just managing it.
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These aren't just tips.
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Think of them as powerful moves that you can make to take back control.
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Let's face this head on and take some bold action.
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Here are four powerful, gritty moves to master cash flow, giving you that
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absolute control number one thing.
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You've gotta hunt every dollar relentlessly.
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Yes, I said hunt, not just track it.
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You want to hunt it.
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Challenge every expense fiercely.
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You can use tools aggressively like QuickBooks or FreshBooks, or Zero.
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They can help you automate and sharpen your financial vision,
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but you gotta hunt these things.
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Number two, slash expenses without mercy.
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Without mercy, identify every nice to have thing and cut it ruthlessly.
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This is the time to renegotiate contracts and do it boldly.
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'cause here's the truth.
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Short term discomfort now means long term survival and success.
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It might be the difference between making it and failing.
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Number three, build your fortress fund.
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Start your emergency fund today.
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No excuses, no more putting it off.
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I want you to automate small regular transfers.
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Yes, I want you to aim for three to six months of expenses,
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but start with what you have.
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This is your safety net.
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This is your business survival fund.
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You gotta do that.
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Build that fortress fund.
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And number four, demand your money faster immediately.
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Invoice and clearly.
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Invoice clearly no exceptions.
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I've seen way too many clients over the years who wouldn't even invoice timely.
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That's gonna destroy your business, that's gonna destroy your cash flow.
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And if you got to require deposits upfront, offer incentives for prompt
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payment and listen to me Charge interest.
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If people don't pay you on time, charge interest on those overdue payments.
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Your business deserves timely cash.
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Demand it unapologetically.
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Now, maybe you're sitting there thinking, Ralph, that sounds great.
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This sounds good, but some days it just feels hopeless.
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Let's talk about some of those feelings right now.
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Maybe you're sitting there asking, Ralph, how do I keep going?
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I get it, but here's the thing you need to focus on.
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Focus on progress.
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Stop focusing on perfection.
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What's the one small step forward that you can take today?
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Did you make that tough phone call?
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Did you finish that quote you've been putting off?
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Acknowledge that win no matter how small, because here's a truth bomb.
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Momentum builds from those small, consistent actions that you take.
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Or maybe you're thinking, Ralph, how do I juggle the demands of this
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business and still have a life?
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How do I still connect with my family?
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I wanna share something with you right now.
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Boundaries are your best friend.
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You've gotta schedule family time, just like you schedule a critical client
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meeting and talked with your loved ones.
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Talk about your vision, talk about your why behind all this effort, and I get it.
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It's a constant balancing act.
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I know that, but it's crucial for you.
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Or maybe you're saying, Ralph setbacks keep knocking me down.
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How do I get back up?
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Let me share something really bold with you.
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It's okay to feel knocked down.
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Allow yourself that moment.
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Listen, I've been punched in the head.
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I've been kicked in the teeth I've been, you name it.
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It's okay to feel knocked down.
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Allow yourself that moment, but then right away, ask yourself,
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what's the lesson here?
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What's the lesson here for me?
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Here's a simple Every setback has feedback hidden inside of it.
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It just does.
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You've gotta analyze it.
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You gotta learn from it.
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You've got to adjust your approach.
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And then you get back up.
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You get back up, and you get back up smarter.
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You get back up stronger than you ever were before.
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Look, I get it.
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Building something real, something Yours is hard work.
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If you're not in for the hard work.
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This isn't the show for you.
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Success is not guaranteed.
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It's earned through relentless grit.
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And listen, I see you, I see that resilience.
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I see that refusal to quit.
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And I genuinely believe you possess that spirit.
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And listen, I know the journey feels daunting.
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It feels exhausting sometimes.
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It feels impossible, but hear me clearly on this.
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You can absolutely do this.
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You have more resilience and strength than you realize, and here's
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the best part, you're not alone.
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I'm right here with you every step of the way.
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When we work together week by week, tackling these challenges head on,
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you can transform your business and you can transform your life because
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you're stronger than the stress you're facing and you're way more capable
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than the doubts that creep in at night.
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Now, I know we've covered a lot, but get ready for next week.
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You and I are gonna go deep into something crucial, why you can't shortcut success.
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See, we live in a world selling quick fixes.
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We're gonna explore why patience doing that foundational work, doing things
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the right way, even when it feels like it's the hard way, is really the only
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path to building a business that truly lasts and serves you for the long haul.
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We're gonna talk about the pitfalls.
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We're gonna talk about those pitfalls of chasing those tiny
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little shiny objects and how you can build enduring value instead.
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Yes, it's a perspective shift.
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But I think you're gonna find it really valuable.
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Remember this, you already have the grit.
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Together, we're gonna unlock that growth.
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So right now, I wanna encourage you head over to grit and growth business.com
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and grab your free action sheet.
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This isn't just a download, it's your roadmap.
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It's your roadmap To your next bold step to turning today's strategies
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into immediate, impactful actions.
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Intentions are great, but actions are where it's at.
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So take this critical step, put the plan into action and regain control.
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Today, you are doing something extraordinary.
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Never doubt the power of your grit, and let's keep building
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one powerful step at a time.
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This is grit and growth business, delivering strategies that grow
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businesses directly to you.
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I just wanna thank you so much for listening today.
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And just lemme tell you, we're just getting started.
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So God bless you.
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Have a great day, and I'll see you again for more powerful,
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impactful discussions next week.
