A milestone birthday is coming up soon: I’ll be 50 on August 3. It’s a half-life milestone, hopefully, because I wouldn’t be the first person in my family to live to 100. My grandmother made it to 102.
Though we can never know what the future holds for us, I hope that what I’m doing today is something I’ll still be doing many years from now — and that’s working with businesses (mostly small-sized) helping them make sense of their financials, doing their books (our great Moxie team does the heavy lifting there) and coaching people on how to help them run more profitable companies.
The life of an entrepreneur and business owner is full of peaks and a few valleys. Some of the dips are financial-related and some aren’t. But I found that the more the financial side of Moxie is running smoothly, the better my business partner Tracy Stanfield and I feel. There’s peace of mind when you have your ducks (or books) in order, your financial processes nailed, and enough money in your bank accounts. (If you’re familiar with the Profit First cash-management philosophy, you’ll know why “accounts” is plural.)
Since I’m in a reflective mood today, I’d like to share 50 thoughts about my life and business and about money. It’ll be a lightning round of sorts, and I promise to keep the pace brisk.
Before I go from 1 to 50, here’s something else I’m counting down this month: I’m excited to announce the official live launch for my next Profit First small group! It’s a week of activity and free training that starts August 24 in my private Facebook group. If you’re not a group member, please come on over and wish me a happy milestone birthday!
My Nifty Fifty
It doesn’t bother me to share my age. Numbers are just data! It’s what you do with it that counts.
Money scares the shit out of many business people I work with. (I’ve been called a “money therapist” more than once.)
If you check your bank account each day to see if your business is making money, we need to talk.
You can rebound from filing bankruptcy and come back stronger, more financially savvy and even start a business where the focus is all about money. (This is my story, ICYMI.)
Ean Talks with Ilise Benun on the Marketing Mentor Podcast
Going from a company of one to more than one person with you is the biggest leap many people have to take. Start small and delegate something to someone, be it a virtual assistant, an outside bookkeeper (hint hint) or getting help with marketing.
I’d rather be a podcast guest than listen to a podcast. I’m not an auditory learner and don’t retain the info.
A client recently called me a “blessing.” Yep, it doesn’t get much better than that.
My BHAG (you know – a big, hairy audacious goal) is to donate $1M. I can’t do that if I’m not paying myself regularly.
Mindset matters. I’m pretty allergic to “woo-woo,” but a lot of it is actually based on neuroscience.
Always be learning, always be growing.
I believe that our purpose is to be of service — however we define that.
This is of another era, but I still love it: A rising tide lifts all boats.
None of us are liberated until all of us are.
Most business axioms are BS (“It takes money to make money.” “You can’t afford not to.”)
It was easy for me to buy into the mission of Profit First (the book/the movement): We must end entrepreneurial poverty.
If you want to go far or go fast, go together.
Get comfortable with discomfort. It’s the only path to progress.
Worry doesn’t help prevent catastrophe. It just wastes your time.
One of the hardest business lessons I learned is I’m the bottleneck (almost always).
I’m a newly certified Fix This Next coach. I help business owners figure out their vital need — i.e., the most important are to focus on and fix!
The easiest thing for me to let go of in my business is controlling the process; the hardest is living with a less-than-perfect result.
I have no clue why people enjoy writing so much. I’m definitely a numbers person!
I like working with creative professionals and creative-minded people because they are often making the world a better and more beautiful place.
I don’t like Facebook at all. Yet I still use it every damn day.
One of the most incredible experiences I had in the last few years was attending a traditional wedding in Cambodia. I barely make it to the end of my driveway today!
I never tire of watching people’s expressions when I say I have eight business bank accounts.
I can’t not talk about politics and my views, online or offline. It probably cost me a few clients and a friend or two. But those people probably weren’t going to lift me up anyway.
I’m lucky and privileged to have a family who espouses social justice!
The secret to productivity is seeing everything but only focusing on one thing at a time.
My name’s pronounced EE-an, but I let spellcheck call me Ran sometimes just for fun.
When we clean up a company’s books and then we come back later and they’re a mess again, I’m sad.
I’m a business coach, but I still need my own coach. Everyone can benefit from having a coach, a confidant, mentor, whatever you call it. I also like the power of small but mighty groups — masterminds, accountability groups. (They go by so many names!) I say a LOT about this topic here.)
I’ve been a Profit First coach for two years now. (I bet you’ve heard me talk about it!) If you haven’t, this blog post is a quick, informative read.
My dog, Thor, occasionally makes a cameo in some of my business videos — mostly sleeping on his bed. And if I were a dog, I’d be a pitbull. (Some people think I’m scary but really I’m a goofy cuddler.)
My great-grandmother lived in Harlem when it was Dutch dairy farms. Amazing, right? My grandmother lived in Manhattan. My father was born in New Jersey, so when I went to college in NYC, the culture felt like home.
I lived in the same neighborhood in Brooklyn for nearly 30 years. Change is the only constant in NYC.
I decided to return to California as the pandemic started — to be closer to my family — and I’ve decided not to return to NY. Tough! But three acres and a pool beats a 700-sq foot walk-up any day.
A trio of thoughts on bookkeeping: 1) I love love love it when someone who thought they were “no good” at the money stuff discovers they actually like bookkeeping. 2) I find taxes booooring but love bookkeeping. 3) I don’t approve of creative bookkeeping but creative problem-solving is a must.
Being able to empower business owners through education is my happy place. I could do it all day long … and some days I do.
I love learning new things, especially if someone fun is teaching.
I taught personal safety/self defense (while running my bookkeeping business) for nearly 10 years because taking that class was transformational for me. I credit a lot of my business success to the boundary work I learned and taught.
I used to act as a hobby and have a cameo in a terrible movie called Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter.
Jazz taught me that structure and improvisation are both important for harmony. Oddly, I love country music too.
My favorite quote, “Resilience is the secret of joy,” is from the book The Secret of Joy by Alice Walker. Fun fact: Alice Walker also narrated one of my sister’s film projects — Maestra — about the Cuban Literacy campaign.
I’d rather hang out with people who are interesting than “successful.”
Some of my favorites – movie: Harold & Maude (if I were a fictional character, I would be Maude); pastime: Jigsaw puzzles and card games with my husband or reading; coffee: black; ice cream: YES!
I bought a fully electric car (my first ever new car) and love it. My house is solar, too.
We were named Moxie by one of our first clients who is still with us! And Moxie is the name of a soda from the Northeast that calls itself “distinctly different” because of its herbal medicine flavor. (Not for everyone — perfect for me.)
I’m counting down to my next vacation, and I hope it’s in Banff Canada.
My favorite way to lose a client is when they outgrow us!