No. 22 · 11 Sept 2026 · 28 min
Your Best Year Was a Trap
Record revenue went on the holiday-party banner. Six months later, two top employees were gone, margins were down, and the line of credit was maxed.
Episodes
23 episodesEvery episode, newest first
Notes, chapters and a full transcript on each one. Worksheets where an episode earned one.
No. 21 · 4 Sept 2026 · 31 min
You Sell Time. That’s the Problem.
You’re booked out, billing $650 for the lawyer and $400 for the paralegal, but doubling revenue still means doubling the bodies.
No. 20 · 28 Aug 2026 · 34 min
If You’re the cheapest, That’s the problem!
Your $3 million service business is booked solid, but you’re taking home less than your lead tech.
No. 19 · 21 Aug 2026 · 25 min
You're Fixing the Wrong Thing
You hire the agency, buy the ads, and rebuild the funnel. Six months later, the phone is ringing, but you still can't make payroll.
No. 18 · 14 Aug 2026 · 33 min
Stop Hiring a Coach. Hire a CFO.
You're about to spend $200,000 on equipment because your gut says yes.
No. 17 · 7 Aug 2026 · 37 min
Fire Your Family
Everybody on your payroll gets evaluated except the person you can’t fire without ruining Thanksgiving.
No. 16 · 31 Jul 2026 · 52 min
The Fractional CMO Playbook
You’re up in the middle of the night running Google campaigns while your business quietly underperforms.
No. 15 · 24 Jul 2026 · 41 min
Your Marketing Agency Has No Idea What You Make, and They Don’t Care
Your agency reports an 847% return. Your bank account says 0.6 to 1.
No. 14 · 17 Jul 2026 · 30 min
Three legs. One Wobbly.
You engineer a clean sale, sign on the right multiple, and still end up sitting in your kitchen 18 months later wondering what comes next.
No. 13 · 10 Jul 2026 · 31 min
Should I Buy My Competitor?
You grew from $3M to $8M. But one path cost 12 hires, three new markets, 40 extra pounds, and nearly a marriage. The other closed on a competitor, then spent 100 days integrating and two years cleaning up surprises.
No. 12 · 3 Jul 2026 · 22 min
Your Best Customer Is Costing You Money
You keep bending over backwards for your biggest client. The late-night calls, rush jobs, discounts, and 75-day payment terms all feel like "good business."
No. 11 · 26 Jun 2026 · 30 min
I Watched a $6M Deal Die Over $80K
You watched a $6 million deal die over an $80,000 dispute. That's just 1.3% of the sale.
No. 10 · 19 Jun 2026 · 41 min
The Buy Box I Part 2
You're sitting on a $2 million business, hearing that private equity wants a $3 million EBITDA minimum, and wondering if anyone would actually buy what you've built.
No. 10 · 12 Jun 2026 · 15 min
The Buy Box
You bought yourself a job. Now you're wondering why no buyer is calling.
No. 9 · 5 Jun 2026 · 42 min
The Owner Dependency Trap
You're approving every invoice. Every quote. Every decision.
No. 8 · 29 May 2026 · 36 min
Why EOS Won't Fix Your Cash Flow
You install EOS. The meetings get cleaner. The accountability chart looks great. Everybody's rowing in the same direction.
No. 7 · 22 May 2026 · 34 min
Your Business Isn't Worth What You Think
In this episode of From Burnout to Bought Out, Jon and Ryan break down the truth about business valuation and why most owners are wildly off when estimating what their company is worth.
No. 6 · 15 May 2026 · 31 min
Your Bookkeeper Isn't Your CFO
In this episode of From Burnout to Bought Out, Jon and Ryan, joined by special guest Brian, break down the difference between bookkeepers, controllers, and CFOs and why growing businesses need more than just basic bookkeeping.
No. 5 · 8 May 2026 · 30 min
Your CPA Works for the IRS, Not You
Most business owners think their CPA is saving them money… but what if they’re just helping the IRS get paid first?
No. 4 · 1 May 2026 · 27 min
Revenue Is a Vanity Metric
Most business owners are chasing the wrong number.
No. 3 · 27 Apr 2026 · 28 min
Cash First (Profit First Baby!)
Your business might be profitable… but still broke.
No. 1 · 10 Apr 2026 · 19 min
The Treadmill
We've been helping business owners build profitable, sellable companies for years. Now we're talking about it. Today, we are so excited to introduce the Synergy Operating System Podcast “From Burnt Out To Bought Out”.