The Owner’s Brief
A Blog
Why “Busy” Isn’t a Business Strategy
If your business feels busy but stuck, you’re trapped in urgent work. Here’s why busyness blocks growth—and how owners break free.
How to Keep High-Touch Clients Without Burning Out
High-touch clients are valuable - but exhausting. Here’s how professional services firms use AI quietly to protect relationships and sanity.
What the Global Economic Slowdown Means for Your Business
Global growth is slowing. Here’s what IMF data really means for Canadian business owners - and how to protect margins and cash flow.
Why Your Team Is Busy - but Work Still Isn’t Moving
If work keeps piling up despite long days, it’s not a busy-season problem - it’s a systems one. Here’s how bottlenecks really form.
Thinking of Selling Your Business in 3–5 Years? Read This
Too many owners wait too long to plan their exit. Here’s how to increase valuation, reduce risk, and walk away with what you deserve.
What I learned from sending 20 personalized letters (with Starbucks gift cards)
Rejection hurts, especially in business.
In this behind-the-scenes story, I share what happened when I mailed 20 handwritten letters (and Starbucks cards!) to dream clients - and heard nothing back.
Here’s what the experience taught me about resilience, rejection, and why putting yourself out there is always worth it.
How to grow your business *and* keep your margins
Thinking about growing your firm but worried you’ll lose your profit margins?
You’re not alone. In this post, we share how one Saskatchewan business owner grew strategically - without sacrificing profitability - by evaluating three smart, data-backed growth options before making her next move.
“Can I afford this?” Finally, a black-and-white answer
If you’re running a business without tracking expense ratios, you might be overpaying for rent, payroll, or marketing - and quietly draining your profits. Expense ratios show exactly how much of every revenue dollar goes toward major expenses, giving you a black-and-white answer to “Can I actually afford this?”
In this post, we’ll break down how to use industry benchmarks to protect your margins and finally pay yourself what you’re worth.
Want more revenue in 2025? Start here.
Most firms don’t realize their “quick daily meeting” could be costing them $60,000 or more every year in lost revenue. Meetings that drag on, include the wrong people, or repeat too often don’t just waste time—they erode profitability.
In this post, we’ll show you how to calculate the real cost of your meetings and the simple audit that can save your business tens of thousands annually.
Second location not going so well?
Opening a second location should double your success - not drain your cash flow. Yet for many entrepreneurs, Location 1 ends up financing Location 2 for years, eroding profits and putting the whole business at risk.
In this post, we break down why second locations fail, the KPIs you must track, and the tough decisions that can save both businesses.
No path? No loyalty.
The #1 reason top talent leaves your firm isn’t salary - it’s the lack of a clear growth path. If you’re not showing high-potential employees how they can one day become owners or partners, another firm will. In this post, we’ll walk through practical strategies to mentor future partners, reduce turnover, and protect your firm’s long-term growth.
The day my dad offered to buy me jeans (a tale of cash flow)
“How’s your cash?”
My dad asked me that once, thinking I was broke because of my ripped jeans (I wasn’t - it was fashion). But the question hit deeper than he knew.
In this blog, I’m breaking down 4 silent cash flow killers that quietly tank even high-revenue businesses — and what to do if you’re making $800k+ but still can’t confidently pay yourself.
If you’ve ever thought:
-“Is my bank balance enough?”
-“Why do I feel broke after a $100k month?”
-“What’s actually safe to spend?”
Then this one’s for you.
Big fall goals?
Not sure how to hit your fall revenue, team, or expansion goals?
We’ll show you how to prioritize, fix what’s not working, and grow profitably.
Clear decisions, custom plans, and zero fluffy advice - this is real Management Consulting.
Are you chasing the wrong horse?
Tired of growing your revenue but not your take-home pay?
You’re not alone - and there’s a fix.
This post breaks down where growth actually comes from.
The hiring metric no one talks about
Hiring feels risky - but there’s one overlooked metric that shows when it’s time.
It’s called revenue per employee, and most business owners aren’t tracking it.
This blog post breaks it down and gives you the industry benchmarks you actually need.
Time tracking is just the first step - how to use it to boost profitability
You’re collecting your team’s time sheets — but are you using them to make smarter decisions?
In this post, I’m breaking down two simple but powerful metrics every service-based business should be tracking: utilization rate and realization rate.
Whether you bill hourly, earn commission or charge a fixed fee, these numbers tell you exactly how your team is spending their time - and how much of it actually turns into revenue.
“It’s lonely at the top”
Even with a profitable, growing business, it’s common to feel stuck - unsure whether to hire, expand, or just finally act like the CEO instead of the operations mgr.
In this post, I’m sharing:
Why successful owners still feel overwhelmed
How to know when it’s actually time to hire
What to do with that extra $80K sitting in your chequing account
If you’re running a business that looks good on paper but still feels heavy, this one’s for you.
Plus: Get the details on The Monthly Reset — the strategy support you didn’t know you needed.
‘Back of the napkin' expansion plans
Thinking of opening a second location? Read this first.
At a backyard BBQ, I met a business owner who’d recently opened a second clinic… without ever running a cash flow projection. Let’s just say - it wasn’t going well.
In this post, I break down the risks of expanding on gut instinct alone, what happens when growth quietly drains your first location’s profits, and how a simple projection could save you from million-dollar regret.
If you’re planning to scale - or already feeling the pressure of a new location - this one’s for you.
Not your ‘tax season’ CPA
What does a management consultant actually do?
(Hint: it’s more than spreadsheets.)
If you’re staring down a big decision — like opening a second location, restructuring your team, or trying to figure out why your clinic’s profitable on paper but not in real life — this is for you.
Inside, I’m breaking down the real behind-the-scenes work we do with founders and EDs to clean up cash flow, raise profit margins, and make growth decisions that actually make sense.
Click to read the full post.
Before you give up 50% of your business..
When a key employee starts asking for partnership — but isn’t quite ready — what do you do?
In this post, I break down three real options beyond “just give them half”:
→ Commission models that actually incentivize the right behaviour
→ Cost-sharing arrangements that protect your brand and bottom line
→ Small equity stakes with performance-based growth
If you’re a founder navigating the sticky side of employee retention, ownership, and sustainable growth, this is a must-read.
Click to read the full post — and yes, there’s a Suits reference. Obviously.