Brian was bringing on new customers when he ran out of money. Brad knows entrepreneurs who bought boats while their businesses were still bleeding cash. One of Brian's investors would ask him the same two questions every time they met: "How's your wife and what are you driving?" One question's about divorce. The other's about expensive cars that kill businesses before they get off the ground. Your baseline shifts without you even noticing. You start buying things and suddenly your expectations are different. Brad calls it lifestyle creep. This is episode 49. What entrepreneurs get wrong about money.

*YOU'LL DISCOVER*

• Why 3% profit margin loses to 4% money market

• When Brian ran out of money despite growing

• How lifestyle creep happens without you noticing

• "Never be an expense, be an investment"

• Degradation is imminent: employees spend looser than the CEO

*WHAT ACTUALLY WORKS*

• Build slowly, ramp fast once profitable

• One-time vs fixed expenses matter

• Set the tone - employees follow your habits

• Review financials to catch overspending

*WHO THESE GUYS ARE* Brian Balduf co-founded and sold VHT Studios. Brad Balduf runs By Your Side Autism Therapy with 550 employees across 11 centers. Matt Croke keeps it honest and pulls out the chaos. They've been there, survived it, and have the scars to prove it.

*THE UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH* "I've seen businesses growing like crazy that just spent themselves into oblivion. Their gross profit margins are zip." Chasing revenue while ignoring profit?

👇 SUBSCRIBE for new episodes every Friday. Real stories, real disasters, no LinkedIn energy. ————————————

*TIMESTAMPS*

1:10 - Revenue makes you feel good, profit sets you free

6:19 - When they ran out of money

9:34 - The 3% vs 4% money market problem

12:33 - Every $50K hire better have impact

16:02 - Lifestyle creep: boats when business is bleeding

17:23 - The investor who asked "What are you driving?"

21:49 - One-time vs fixed expenses

24:38 - Degradation is imminent ————————————

*ABOUT CEO BROS AFTER HOURS* CEO BROS: After Hours is raw business talk from CEO brothers Brian Balduf (VHT Studios) and Brad Balduf (By Your Side Autism Therapy) with host Matt Croke. Every Friday they share what actually happens building companies: brutal failures, scaling disasters, and the messy truth about leadership. No corporate polish. No LinkedIn energy. Just honest stories from the trenches.

🍸 *WIND DOWN WITH THE BROS: THIS WEEK'S COCKTAILS* Three drinks for three money mistakes. Pick the one that matches your spending habits.

🍸 *THE 3% PROFIT* Brad Balduf - Why investors won't touch you Recipe: • 2 oz vodka • 1 oz dry vermouth • ¼ oz olive brine • 2 olives • Stir with ice, strain into coupe The Vibe: Clean, simple, barely profitable. Brad's point about 3% profit losing to a 4% money market account. This martini's classic but there's barely any flavor margin here. Just like your business when you're chasing revenue and forgetting profit.

🍸 *THE LIFESTYLE CREEP* Brian Balduf - The boat you bought when business was bleeding Recipe: • 2 oz aged rum • 1 oz pineapple juice • ¾ oz lime juice • ½ oz orgeat • Mint sprig • Shake with ice, strain over crushed ice The Vibe: Tropical, expensive-looking, tastes like vacation. Brian's investor always asked "what are you driving?" because entrepreneurs start making money and buy fancy cars. Your baseline shifts without you knowing. One day it's beer and pizza, next it's bottles of champagne at Lowe's hotels.

🍸 *THE BARNABY'S BUDGET* Matt Croke - Beer and pizza while execs drink champagne Recipe: • 2 oz Irish whiskey • 1 oz ginger beer • ¾ oz lemon juice • ½ oz honey syrup • Lemon wheel • Build in rocks glass over ice, top with ginger beer The Vibe: Simple, affordable, gets the job done. Brian ate at Barnaby's with free parking while his execs stayed at Lowe's and valetted at the airport. Degradation is imminent - whatever standard you set as CEO, employees will spend one level looser. This drink proves you don't need expensive ingredients to win. Make all three. Figure out which mistake you're making. Generating revenue with no profit? Buying boats when cash flow's dying? Setting the tone with tight spending? Tag us.

*JOIN THE CONVERSATION* https://x.com/CeoBrosAH https://www.instagram.com/ceobrosah/ https://www.facebook.com/CEOBrosAH https://www.linkedin.com/company/ceo-bros

#Entrepreneurship #ProfitMargins #BusinessFinance #StartupLife #RevenueVsProfit

Music: "Back to Black" by Rockin' For Decades (licensed through Epidemic Sound)

Brad asks for exactly 15 minutes. At 14 minutes and 59 seconds, he stands up and leaves. Doesn't matter if they're interested or want him to stay. He asked for 15 minutes, that's what he takes. Most salespeople overstay. Brad walks out while they're still engaged. Next meeting, they already know he respects time. No bracing for a pitch that won't end. This is episode 50. How to actually close deals instead of just talking about closing.

*YOU'LL DISCOVER*

• Brad's 15-minute rule: leaving on the number gets more second meetings

• VHT Studios closed 10,000 units in Jacksonville, Orlando said "we weren't involved" •

Why dropping price proves you never conveyed value

• Where deals die after you think they're closed

*WHAT ACTUALLY WORKS*

• Ask for short time, leave exactly when promised

• Ask who signs the contract upfront

• Never drop price first (shows you don't believe in value)

• Stay urgent after verbal yes (time kills unsigned deals)

*WHO THESE GUYS ARE* Brian Balduf co-founded and sold VHT Studios. Brad Balduf runs By Your Side Autism Therapy with 550 employees across 11 centers. Matt Croke keeps it honest and pulls out the chaos. They've been there, survived it, and have the scars to prove it.

*THE UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH* "If you resort to price reduction early, you're showing your cards. You've left yourself nowhere to go. You didn't convey value. The deal was already lost." Ever close a deal only to watch it die in legal? Drop your approach in the comments.

👇 SUBSCRIBE for new episodes every Friday. Real stories, real disasters, no LinkedIn energy. ————————————

*TIMESTAMPS*

0:43 - Every employee should take money from customers

4:05 - The three things that make closing work

10:30 - What are all the things that can go wrong?

13:00 - Dropping price is the rookie death spiral

16:02 - The Regional VP disaster (lost half the deal)

20:03 - Orlando region wasn't participating

26:40 - Brad's 15-minute rule (leave on the number)

29:11 - Time kills all deals (urgency after verbal yes)

*ABOUT CEO BROS AFTER HOURS* CEO BROS: After Hours is raw business talk from CEO brothers Brian Balduf (VHT Studios) and Brad Balduf (By Your Side Autism Therapy) with host Matt Croke. Every Friday they share what actually happens building companies: brutal failures, scaling disasters, and the messy truth about leadership. No corporate polish. No LinkedIn energy. Just honest stories from the trenches.

🍸 *WIND DOWN WITH THE BROS: THIS WEEK'S COCKTAILS* Three drinks for three closing strategies. Pick your move.

🍸 *THE 15-MINUTE TIMER* Brad Balduf - Leaves at 14:59 every time Recipe: • 2 oz tequila blanco • ¾ oz lime juice • ½ oz agave syrup • 2 dashes orange bitters • Lime wheel • Shake with ice, strain into coupe The Vibe: Brad asks for 15 minutes and leaves on the number. No lingering, no pushing, no overstaying. This drink is clean, crisp, respectful. You asked for a cocktail, here it is, exactly as promised.

🍸 *THE REGIONAL VP* Brian Balduf - Sold 10,000 units to the wrong guy Recipe: • 2 oz dark rum • 1 oz pineapple juice • ½ oz lime juice • ¼ oz Campari • Pineapple wedge • Shake with ice, strain over fresh ice The Vibe: Looks complete, tastes good, then bitterness hits. VHT Studios negotiated for months with Jacksonville. Orlando said "we weren't involved." Only got half. This drink promises more than it delivers.

🍸 *THE RED LINE* Matt Croke - For deals that die in legal review Recipe: • 2 oz Irish whiskey • ¾ oz sweet vermouth • ½ oz Cynar • 2 dashes Angostura bitters • Orange peel • Stir with ice, strain into rocks glass The Vibe: Smooth at first, then unexpected complexity. Deal's done, attorneys redline one thing, business people get involved, three weeks later there's a "major problem." This drink's got layers you didn't see coming. Make all three. Figure out your closing style. Respect time and leave early? Talk to the wrong person for months? Or think it's done before it's signed? Tag us.

*JOIN THE CONVERSATION* https://x.com/CeoBrosAH https://www.instagram.com/ceobrosah/ https://www.facebook.com/CEOBrosAH https://www.linkedin.com/company/ceo-bros

#entrepreneurship #sales #closingdeals #businessstrategy #startuplife

Music: "Back to Black" by Rockin' For Decades (licensed through Epidemic Sound)

Looking for mentorship but keep finding people who don't actually help? Brian never joined a formal program. He asked questions at lunch. David Robin had just sold Chicago's biggest real estate firm and was stuck in a non-compete. He couldn't work but could advise. Brian kept asking. Robin kept answering. Decades later, they still meet. Brad built his company by admitting "I don't know" while other CEOs fake it. His wise man was Brian, who helped him build everything (but won't accept credit.)

This is episode 46. How to find your wise man when programs and LinkedIn don't work.

*YOU'LL DISCOVER*

• How Brian never sought formal mentors but always found the right ones

• The conviction vs stubborn test that keeps you open

• How admitting "I don't know" attracts better mentors than faking it

• Why the best wise man relationships have no contract

*WHAT ACTUALLY WORKS*

• Ask questions like your business depends on it

• Never waste their time on things you could Google

• Stay open to counsel but keep conviction

*WHO THESE GUYS ARE* Brian Balduf co-founded and sold VHT Studios. Brad Balduf runs By Your Side Autism Therapy with 550 employees across 11 centers. Matt Croke keeps it honest and pulls out the chaos. They've been there, survived it, and have the scars to prove it.

*THE UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH* "There's a ton of shit I don't know." Most people fake expertise to look strong. The ones who admit ignorance get the real help. Ever found your wise man? Too stubborn to admit you need one?

👇 SUBSCRIBE for real stories about building companies without the corporate polish.

*TIMESTAMPS*

0:00 - Dementors vs Mentors (Matt's Harry Potter joke)

2:16 - Brian never sought mentors but always asked questions

3:24 - How Brian met David Robin (the lunch that changed everything)

5:13 - The North Shore real estate legend in non-compete lockup

7:28 - Why this relationship still works decades later

8:23 - Being open to advice beats faking expertise

9:44 - Brad's "I don't know" philosophy (people think it's weakness)

28:53 - Matt learned mentoring through hosting this show

29:57 - Brad admits Brian built his business (the reluctant wiseman exposed)

*ABOUT CEO BROS AFTER HOURS* CEO BROS: After Hours is raw business talk from CEO brothers Brian Balduf (VHT Studios) and Brad Balduf (By Your Side Autism Therapy) with host Matt Croke. Every Friday they share what actually happens building companies: brutal failures, scaling disasters, and the messy truth about leadership. No corporate polish. No LinkedIn energy. Just honest stories from the trenches.

🍸 *WIND DOWN WITH THE BROS: THIS WEEK'S COCKTAILS* Three drinks for three wise man strategies. Pick yours.

🍸 *THE RELUCTANT WISE MAN* Brian Balduf - The storyteller who's been there and sold the company Recipe: • 2 oz Irish whiskey • 0.75 oz honey syrup • 0.5 oz lemon juice • 2 dashes Angostura bitters • Lemon twist • Shake with ice, strain into rocks glass The Vibe: Brian says he won't be held accountable for mentoring but built Brad's entire company anyway. This drink's smooth and generous, like advice given without keeping score. The honey makes wisdom easy to swallow.

🍸 *THE THOUSAND QUESTIONS* Brad Balduf - The operator running 550 employees across 11 centers Recipe: • 2 oz vodka • 1 oz St-Germain • 0.75 oz grapefruit juice • 0.5 oz lime juice • Grapefruit peel • Shake hard with ice, strain into coupe The Vibe: Brad asked everything. Never faked knowing what he didn't. This drink's clean and honest, no hiding behind barrel-aging or smoke. You taste exactly what's in it, just like admitting "I don't know."

🍸 *THE INFORMAL ARRANGEMENT* Matt Croke - The host keeping it real and pulling out the chaos Recipe: • 2 oz cognac • 0.5 oz Grand Marnier • 0.5 oz lemon juice • 2 dashes orange bitters • Orange peel • Stir with ice, strain into coupe The Vibe: No contract. No structure. Just lunch meetings that turn into decades of wisdom. This drink's got depth that only comes from time and consistency. No flash, just substance that lasts. Make all three. Are you the reluctant wise man helping anyway? The curious one asking everything? Or building something informal that lasts? Tag us. ————————————

*JOIN THE CONVERSATION* https://x.com/CeoBrosAH https://www.instagram.com/ceobrosah/ https://www.facebook.com/CEOBrosAH https://www.linkedin.com/company/ceo-bros

#Entrepreneurship #BusinessMentorship #CEOAdvice #StartupLife #Leadership

Music: "Back to Black" by Rockin' For Decades (licensed through Epidemic Sound)

Two CEO brothers. One podcast. Zero filters.

45+ episodes of business stories, lessons, disasters and triumphs you need to hear. Mark Cuban email wars at 2am. Climbing forklifts to reach your girlfriend's window. National hotel chains spending $80K on pool diarrhea warning signs. See some of the more memorable moments when the guys discuss and debate the ups, downs and just plain craziness of business from the perspective only two brothers, each with 35+ years of running different businesses, could share. This is CEO Bros - after hours.

The year in review. The moments that made this year: Brad refusing to fall asleep before Mark Cuban did during a 3am email negotiation. Brad's forklift romance climbing to his girlfriend's second-floor window. The hotel chain with $80K fabricated steel signs warning about pool diarrhea. The house squatter who crushed every interview until Brad called references: "Don't you under any circumstance hire that freaking asshole." Between the chaos: real business wisdom. Why founders fudge commitments. Why Brian moved his office next to the exit door. Setting company culture early. Why friction creates better solutions. Zero-based budgeting. Trust in deals. The difference between selling lasagna at a seafood restaurant and solving actual customer problems.

This isn't a highlight reel. It's proof that running a business is strategy, chaos, stubbornness, and climbing forklifts when you have to.

*WHO THESE GUYS ARE* Brian Balduf co-founded and sold VHT Studios. Brad Balduf operates By Your Side Autism Therapy with 550 employees across 11 centers. Matt Croke keeps it honest. They've been there, survived it, and have the scars to prove it.

*THE UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH* "I'm not going to bed first. He's going to bed first." Sometimes the stubbornness that makes you a terrible negotiator makes you a great CEO. What was your favorite moment from Season 1?

👇 SUBSCRIBE for Season 2. More chaos, more disasters, more truth.

*ABOUT CEO BROS AFTER HOURS* CEO BROS: After Hours is raw business talk from CEO brothers Brian Balduf (VHT Studios) and Brad Balduf (By Your Side Autism Therapy) with host Matt Croke. Every Friday they share what actually happens building companies: brutal failures, scaling disasters, and the messy truth about leadership. No corporate polish. No LinkedIn energy. Just honest stories from the trenches.

🍸 *WIND DOWN WITH THE BROS: THIS WEEK'S COCKTAILS* Three drinks for three kinds of moments. Pick the one that matches your year.

🍸 *THE HIGHLIGHT REEL* Brian Balduf - The storyteller who sold the company Recipe: • 2 oz bourbon • 0.5 oz honey syrup • 2 dashes Angostura bitters • Orange peel • Stir with ice, strain into rocks glass The Vibe: Smooth, refined, looks good on camera. Brian's got the wins that make people say "wow, you built that?" This drink's for the moments you screenshot and send to your mentor. Zero-based budgeting. Moving your office next to the exit. The logo sketched on a napkin that actually worked.

🍸 *THE LOWLIGHT REEL* Brad Balduf - The operator who scaled to 550 employees Recipe: • 2 oz mezcal • 1 oz Aperol • 0.75 oz lime juice • 0.5 oz agave syrup • Salt rim • Shake hard with ice, strain The Vibe: Smoky, intense, leaves a mark. Brad's got the disasters nobody warns you about. Forklift romance. 2am Cuban standoffs. Almost hiring a house squatter. This drink's for the moments you can't believe you survived but make the best stories later.

🍸 *THE CHAOS CUT* Matt Croke - The host keeping it real Recipe: • 1.5 oz gin • 0.75 oz elderflower liqueur • 0.75 oz lemon juice • Club soda • Build in glass, top with soda, stir gently The Vibe: Matt's job is asking the questions nobody else will and watching the brothers argue about pool signs, clown college, and whether "nits and nats" is a real phrase. This drink's balanced, refreshing, keeps you honest.

For everyone who watched 45+ episodes and thought "I can't believe they said that out loud." Make all three. Figure out which kind of year you had. Highlight reel wins? Lowlight disasters? Pure chaos? Tag us.

*JOIN THE CONVERSATION* https://x.com/CeoBrosAH

https://www.instagram.com/ceobrosah/

https://www.facebook.com/CEOBrosAH

https://www.linkedin.com/company/ceo-bros

#entrepreneurship #startuplife #leadership #CEOpodcast #businessstories

Music: "Back to Black" by Rockin' For Decades (licensed through Epidemic Sound)

Brian's Monday ritual for years: write 100 letters by hand, stuff 100 envelopes, stick on 100 stamps, drop them at the post office. Every single week. Not emails. Not LinkedIn messages. Physical letters that landed on decision-makers' desks when everything else got filtered by assistants or spam folders. Most founders won't do this. It's tedious. It's analog. It feels outdated. But Brian's pipeline never ran dry because he did the work nobody else wanted to do.

Meanwhile Brad's watching restaurants with incredible food go under in six months because they perfected their menu but nobody knows they exist.

This is episode 45. How to build a sales pipeline when you're starting from zero.

*YOU'LL DISCOVER*

• Why "selling to everybody" means selling to nobody

• Brian's 100 letters every Monday (physical mail beats digital shortcuts)

• Why restaurants with perfect food fail in six months (awareness crisis)

• The pipeline reality: multiply your target number by 10 *WHAT ACTUALLY WORKS*

• Define your customer universe before building anything

• Hustle beats hoping (mail letters, knock doors, put flyers on cars)

• Turn customers into evangelists who sell for you

*WHO THESE GUYS ARE*

Brian Balduf co-founded and sold VHT Studios. Brad Balduf runs By Your Side Autism Therapy with 550 employees across 11 centers. Matt Croke keeps it honest and pulls out the chaos. They've been there, survived it, and have the scars to prove it.

*THE UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH* "So everybody in the world already has one? Then go. Get out of the office." What's your excuse for not building your pipeline?

👇 SUBSCRIBE for new episodes every Friday. Real stories, real disasters, no LinkedIn energy. ————————————

*TIMESTAMPS*

0:00 - Funnel cakes vs sales funnels

1:31 - Pipeline vs funnel (same thing)

3:27 - "Everybody already has one" (then leave the office)

4:46 - Selling to everybody = selling to nobody

12:40 - Brian's 100 letters every Monday

16:22 - Restaurants dying with perfect menus

19:32 - Raising Cane's grand opening strategy

22:36 - Turn customers into evangelists

*ABOUT CEO BROS AFTER HOURS*

CEO BROS: After Hours is raw business talk from CEO brothers Brian Balduf (VHT Studios) and Brad Balduf (By Your Side Autism Therapy) with host Matt Croke. Every Friday they share what actually happens building companies: brutal failures, scaling disasters, and the messy truth about leadership. No corporate polish. No LinkedIn energy. Just honest stories from the trenches. ————————————

🍸 *WIND DOWN WITH THE BROS: THIS WEEK'S COCKTAILS* Three drinks for three pipeline strategies. Pick the one that matches your hustle.

🍸 *THE 100 LETTERS* Brian Balduf - The storyteller who's been there and sold the company Recipe: • 2 oz Irish whiskey • 0.75 oz lemon juice • 0.5 oz honey syrup • 2 dashes orange bitters • Lemon twist • Shake with ice, strain into rocks glass The Vibe: Every Monday, Brian mailed 100 letters to decision-makers. Physical letters that landed on desks. This drink takes effort to make right, just like stamping 100 envelopes. But it works when shortcuts don't.

🍸 *THE GRAND OPENING* Brad Balduf - The operator running 550 employees across 11 centers Recipe: • 2 oz vodka • 1 oz cranberry juice • 0.5 oz lime juice • 0.5 oz triple sec • Lime wheel garnish • Shake with ice, strain into martini glass The Vibe: Raising Cane's gives 200 people free chicken for a year. Makes the newspaper. Creates lines around the block. This drink is bold, visible, impossible to ignore. A launch that demands attention.

🍸 *THE MULTIPLY BY 10* Matt Croke - The host keeping it real and pulling out the chaos Recipe: • 2 oz aged rum • 1 oz coffee liqueur • 0.5 oz vanilla syrup • 2 dashes chocolate bitters • Orange peel • Stir with ice, strain into rocks glass The Vibe: Whatever pipeline number you think you need, multiply it by 10. Most prospects won't close. This drink looks simple, tastes richer than expected. Always assume you need more in the funnel. Make all three. Figure out your move. Mailing letters until your hand cramps? Going big on your launch? Building a pipeline 10x bigger than you think? Tag us. ————————————

*JOIN THE CONVERSATION* https://x.com/CeoBrosAH https://www.instagram.com/ceobrosah/ https://www.facebook.com/CEOBrosAH https://www.linkedin.com/company/ceo-bros

#Entrepreneurship #SalesFunnel #BusinessGrowth #StartupLife #CustomerAcquisition

Music: "Back to Black" by Rockin' For Decades (licensed through Epidemic Sound)

Brad refuses to outsource billing even when people ask. When healthcare got hacked, competitors with outsourced teams went bankrupt. Brad walked down the hallway, his team solved it. Brian built VHT by outsourcing everything that wasn't core. He could shut down when season ended. Variable costs kept him alive. Then he got acquired by engineers who refused to outsource anything. Speed died.

This is episode 44. Two brothers, opposite strategies, both made money.

*YOU'LL DISCOVER*

• Why Brad will never outsource billing after the healthcare hack

• Brian's survival strategy: turn everything off when revenue stops

• The red flag: partners who say "this is how we do it"

• How refusing to outsource killed VHT's speed after acquisition

*WHAT ACTUALLY WORKS*

• Brad's approach: Control beats cost when crisis hits

• Brian's approach: Flexibility beats fixed costs (could shut down seasonally)

• What they agree on: Partners must adapt to YOUR process

• The truth: Both strategies work depending on your business

*WHO THESE GUYS ARE* Brian Balduf co-founded and sold VHT Studios. Brad Balduf runs By Your Side Autism Therapy with 550 employees across 11 centers. Matt Croke keeps it honest and pulls out the chaos. They've been there, survived it, and have the scars to prove it.

*THE UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH* Brad: "I never want to depend on somebody outsourced to solve a crisis for me." Brian: "If it's critical but not a core competency, you should outsource it." Two successful CEOs, completely opposite philosophies. Which brother's approach matches yours?

👇 SUBSCRIBE for new episodes every Friday. Real stories, real disasters, no LinkedIn energy

*TIMESTAMPS*

1:40 - The brothers approach outsourcing completely differently

2:02 - Brad's philosophy: keep it in-house for control

4:48 - Brian's philosophy: outsource everything that isn't core

6:49 - Brad's crisis: healthcare hack killed competitors with outsourced teams

12:38 - Brian's advantage: variable costs, could shut down seasonally

16:01 - When VHT got acquired by engineers who refused to outsource

17:06 - The speed death: "marketing's backed up three months"

21:06 - The one thing they agree on: rigid partners always fail

*ABOUT CEO BROS AFTER HOURS*

CEO BROS: After Hours is raw business talk from CEO brothers Brian Balduf (VHT Studios) and Brad Balduf (By Your Side Autism Therapy) with host Matt Croke. Every Friday they share what actually happens building companies: brutal failures, scaling disasters, and the messy truth about leadership. No corporate polish. No LinkedIn energy. Just honest stories from the trenches. ————————————

🍸 *WIND DOWN WITH THE BROS: THIS WEEK'S COCKTAILS* Three drinks for three outsourcing philosophies. Which strategy matches yours?

🍸 *THE IN-HOUSE OPERATOR* Brad Balduf - Keeps control no matter the cost Recipe: • 2 oz Irish whiskey • ¾ oz honey syrup • ¾ oz lemon juice • 2 dashes Angostura bitters • Lemon peel • Shake with ice, strain into rocks glass The Vibe: Everything under one roof. Healthcare got hacked, Brad walked down the hallway, his team solved it. Competitors with outsourced billing went bankrupt. This drink's about knowing exactly what you control.

🍸 *THE VARIABLE COST KING* Brian Balduf - Outsource everything, survive everything Recipe: • 2 oz vodka • 1 oz espresso • ½ oz coffee liqueur • ½ oz simple syrup • 3 coffee beans • Shake hard with ice, strain into coupe The Vibe: Turn it all off when revenue stops. Brian built VHT on outsourced partners he could scale. Survived lean times because fixed costs were zero. This drink's about flexibility over control.

🍸 *THE PHILOSOPHY CLASH* Matt Croke - Watching the brothers argue Recipe: • 1 oz Irish whiskey • 1 oz vodka • ¾ oz lemon juice • ½ oz honey syrup • Shake with ice, strain into rocks glass The Vibe: Half Brad's control, half Brian's flexibility. Two CEOs, opposite strategies, both made money. This drink combines both approaches because sometimes the answer depends on your business. Make all three. Figure out which brother you are. Keep control in-house? Outsource for survival? Still deciding? Tag us.

*JOIN THE CONVERSATION* https://x.com/CeoBrosAH https://www.instagram.com/ceobrosah/ https://www.facebook.com/CEOBrosAH https://www.linkedin.com/company/ceo-bros

#entrepreneurship #outsourcing #businessstrategy #startuplife

Music: "Back to Black" by Rockin' For Decades (licensed through Epidemic Sound)