• The surprising origin story of how a college painting franchise led to a parking lot empire
• Real financial challenges that nearly bankrupted a now-successful company
• Why managing solely from your bank account is a recipe for disaster
• How to avoid the tax burden trap that catches most new business owners
• The critical importance of financial forecasting and budgeting
• What makes franchisees succeed or fail from a financial perspective
• How private equity partnerships can accelerate business growth

• EverLine Coatings and Services - Learn more about franchise opportunities
• Hiline - Financial operations platform for growing businesses
• Traction by Gino Wickman - The essential EOS implementation guide
• The Great CEO Within by Matt Mochary - Recommended resource for growing CEOs
• Red Iron Group - Private equity partner supporting franchise growth

About Fiscally Awesome
Want to unfu*k your finances? Fiscally Awesome is produced by Hiline, where we make small business finances stress-free so you can focus on building a great company. Visit our website or connect with us on LinkedIn to learn more.

Hosted by Matt Gardner, CEO and Co-Founder of Hiline. New episodes drop every other Thursday.

In this episode of Fiscally Awesome, Hiline CEO Matt Gardner connects with Mark Shepherd, founder of Gathr, a thriving community platform for UK founders, investors, and service providers.

Mark shares his entrepreneurial journey from selling boat photos at 16 to building a 10,000-member strong business community. He breaks down the UK startup scene and why community is the backbone of success.

Check out this episode to learn:

🔹 Why UK founders look to expand to the US (and the hidden pitfalls)

🔹 The truth about "growth at all costs" versus sustainable business building

🔹 How Gathr connects founders with vetted service providers who truly understand tech

🔹 Mark's unfiltered advice for early-stage entrepreneurs

Plus, discover Mark's surprising past and his post-Gathr dream that combines his passion for food with supporting underrepresented talent!

🔗 RESOURCES:

🔸 Get connected with Gathr: www.joingathr.com

🔸 Learn how Hiline supports companies expanding to the US: https://www.hiline.co/services/us-expansion

About Fiscally Awesome
Want to unfu*k your finances? Fiscally Awesome is produced by Hiline, where we make small business finances stress-free so you can focus on building a great company. Visit our website or connect with us on LinkedIn to learn more.

Hosted by Matt Gardner, CEO and Co-Founder of Hiline. New episodes drop every other Thursday.

In this episode of Fiscally Awesome, we dive into the often overlooked connection between employee wellness and business performance. Multi-time founder and CEO Clark Lagemann shares how investing in employee health isn't just good for your team—it's good for your bottom line.

Discover:

1. Why human capital deserves the same attention as financial capital
2. The measurable impact of wellness programs on productivity and profitability
3. How employee disengagement can silently cost your business up to 15% in profitability
4. Practical, low-cost strategies to improve wellness in your organization
5. The competitive advantage of creating a culture where employees feel valued and supported

Whether you're running a bootstrapped startup or a growing company, this conversation reveals why wellness isn't just a nice-to-have perk—it's a strategic business investment. Learn how addressing stress, sleep, and overall wellbeing can reduce turnover, boost engagement, and ultimately drive stronger financial outcomes.

Join us for an honest discussion about the hidden financial benefits of taking care of your most valuable asset: your people.

About Fiscally Awesome
Want to unfu*k your finances? Fiscally Awesome is produced by Hiline, where we make small business finances stress-free so you can focus on building a great company. Visit our website or connect with us on LinkedIn to learn more.

Hosted by Matt Gardner, CEO and Co-Founder of Hiline. New episodes drop every other Thursday.