If your CFO isn’t producing a return, they’re not an asset—they’re an expense. In this episode, I break down what it really takes to get ROI from a fractional CFO and why so many business owners miss the value simply because they don’t know how to use one effectively.

We talk about the key shifts that happen as your business grows, why bad financial habits only get worse with scale, and how a CFO should help you actually keep more of what you make. I walk through the exact ways you should be working with a CFO—from communication and goal setting to dashboards and accountability—so you can turn that investment into real financial results in your business.

Timeline Highlights:

[0:00] Why a CFO must produce ROI or they’re just an expense

[0:50] Growth stages where financial problems become more visible

[1:31] Why making more money often leads to keeping less

[1:48] What triggers business owners to hire a fractional CFO

[2:07] Why most owners don’t know how to work with a CFO

[2:45] The importance of open and honest communication about money

[3:28] Understanding your money habits—spender vs saver

[4:00] Why clear goals drive measurable ROI from a CFO

[4:41] Tracking progress: reserves, owner pay, and financial outcomes

[5:22] The role of dashboards in decision-making

[6:06] The “sleep at night” factor and financial clarity

[6:48] How a CFO creates systems instead of relying on hope

[7:21] Managing your bookkeeper and CPA through a CFO

[8:10] Turning tax strategies into real execution

[9:04] Time savings, peace of mind, and true financial freedom

Key Takeaways

1. A CFO should generate measurable ROI—not just reports.
2. Scaling without fixing financial habits amplifies problems.
3. Open communication about money is critical for success.
4. Clear financial goals create measurable progress.
5. Dashboards turn numbers into actionable decisions.
6. A CFO provides systems, accountability, and leadership.
7. Real ROI includes more money, less stress, and saved time.

Links & Resources

Book a free discovery call to see how a fractional CFO can create ROI in your business: profitrei.com

Closing

Thanks for spending time with me today. If this episode helped you understand how to actually get a return from a CFO, make sure to follow the show, leave a review, and share it with another business owner who’s growing but not keeping enough. And if you’re ready to turn your finances into a system that produces real results, visit profitrei.com and book your free discovery call to start building clarity, confidence, and financial freedom.

Book your FREE financial discovery call at ProfitREI.com

In this episode of the Profit First for Real Estate Investing podcast, I sit down with Andrew Becker—real estate operator, systems builder, and co-creator of the CRM platform Billions. Andrew shares how his team scaled from traditional retail real estate into wholesaling and high-volume investing by focusing on something many teams overlook: systems, data, and disciplined financial processes.

We dive into how tracking lead sources and key performance indicators transformed Andrew’s business, why many real estate companies are “flying blind” even at high volume, and how Profit First helped him remove emotion from financial decisions. If you’ve ever felt like your business is busy but not predictable, this episode will show you how data and financial discipline can change everything. 

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Episode Highlights

[0:00] – Andrew’s start in real estate with Keller Williams in 2013
[4:00] – Transitioning from retail real estate to wholesaling after discovering new strategies
[6:00] – Why Andrew’s operations mindset pushed him to systematize everything
[8:19] – The painful moment when a coach exposed gaps in their business data
[10:46] – Building internal systems that later became the CRM platform Billions
[13:46] – How automation and data tracking removed chaos from the team
[16:00] – What Billions does and how it simplifies CRM and reporting for real estate teams
[18:16] – How Profit First and marketing data work together to guide spending decisions
[20:00] – Why financial discipline removes emotional decision-making in business
[23:24] – Applying Profit First principles to personal finances as well
[26:00] – Why most real estate teams don’t know where their deals actually come from
[27:30] – The trap of working in the business instead of on the business
[30:00] – How systems and data can become a powerful recruiting advantage for teams

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5 Key Takeaways

1. Data removes guesswork. Knowing exactly where your deals and revenue come from allows you to double down on what works.
2. Systems create scalability. Without repeatable processes, teams become chaotic and growth stalls.
3. Profit First builds financial discipline. Allocating money by percentage removes emotion from business decisions.
4. Automation saves time and stress. When systems collect data automatically, leaders can focus on strategy instead of spreadsheets.
5. Successful teams run like businesses, not hustles. The difference between chaos and scale is often structure and accountability.

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Links & Resources

• Learn more about the Billions CRM platform: https://joinbillions.com
• Connect with Andrew Becker on social media: @iamandrewbecker (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok)
• Learn more about Profit First for real estate investors: https://www.simplecfo.com

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If this episode helped you rethink how you run your real estate business, please rate, follow, and review the podcast. And share it with another investor who’s ready to stop guessing and start running their business with real data and profit discipline.

If your flip isn’t profitable before you buy it, it won’t magically become profitable later. In this episode, I break down one of the biggest mistakes real estate investors make—buying deals with margins that are simply too thin.

I share lessons from my early days working in a high-volume real estate investing company where we were doing dozens of deals a month but still getting burned by projects that didn’t have enough profitability built in. We talk about how to reverse-engineer your profit margin before you make the offer, how to account for the unexpected costs that always show up in flips, and why understanding where your profit will go after the deal closes is just as important as estimating it upfront.

Timeline Highlights

[0:00] Why flips must be profitable before you ever buy the deal

[0:49] Lessons from doing 25 deals a month and still losing money

[1:32] Why unexpected repairs destroy thin margins

[1:57] The common formulas investors use to calculate flip offers

[2:18] Why beginner investors need larger buffers in their deals

[2:39] A real story of a first deal that became a losing deal

[3:03] Why managing multiple flips increases risk

[3:31] How reserves give you the confidence to walk away from bad deals

[4:22] Using Profit First to allocate profits from each deal

[5:20] Why turning failed flips into rentals can create long-term problems

[6:16] Reverse engineering your profit goal before buying the deal

[7:11] Why your minimum profit target may need to increase

[8:12] Building a financial buffer before you even submit the offer

[9:16] Taking control of your flip business instead of reacting to it

Key Takeaways

1. A flip must be profitable on the front end—not hoped for on the back end.
2. Thin margins leave no room for unexpected repairs or delays.
3. New investors should prioritize larger profit buffers.
4. Reserves give you the freedom to pass on risky deals.
5. Reverse engineer your profit goals before making the offer.
6. Profit should be allocated intentionally after every deal.
7. Strong financial systems protect your business from bad deals.

Links & Resources

Book a free discovery call to build profitability systems into your real estate business: profitrei.com

Closing

Thanks for spending time with me today. If this episode helped you rethink how you analyze flip deals, make sure to follow the show, leave a review, and share it with another investor who wants to build more profitable deals. And if you’re ready to build systems that help you keep more of what you make with guidance and accountability, visit profitrei.com and book your free discovery call to start creating financial clarity and freedom.