Market It With ATMA

69 Ways To Get Your Business In The Black

• Advent Trinity Marketing Agency • Season 5 • Episode 1

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Jen Perez, the Leverage Maven AKA "The Spicy CEO", shares her journey from studying sexology to becoming a financial consultant, putting a unique twist on business finances with her upcoming book "69 Ways Money is Like Sex." She reveals how her personal financial struggles inspired her mission to help business owners handle their finances without feeling intimidated or embarrassed.

• Creating a different approach to finance by drawing parallels between money conversations and visiting a gynecologist - both involving emotion, embarrassment, and fear
• Building a business over nine years, transitioning from hands-on bookkeeping to consulting and assembling a trusted team
• Developing consulting packages that help established businesses scale and grow strategically
• Helping clients create personalized financial game plans based on their lifestyle goals rather than just focusing on numbers
• Addressing common business owner challenges like knowing how much to pay themselves and structuring operations for growth
• Leveraging people, time, and money as the key lesson she wishes she'd learned earlier as a business owner
• Implementing the simple habit of opening a "profit" account and allocating 1% of all deposits to intentionally drive profitability

Text MONEY to 469-829-7697 to join Jen's VIP list for early access to her book and bonus content, or attend her three-day Scalable Success Intensive in Frisco, Texas on September 11-13.


🎙 Market It With ATMA Podcast
Brought to you by Advent Trinity Marketing Agency
www.adventtrinity.com


Storie:

Welcome back to Market it with Atma, where we share the tips, tools and strategies to help your business be successful. Today, we have on the show a very special guest. She is a consultant, speaker and author, ms Jen Perez, aka the Leverage Maven, and I'll let her tell you a little more about what she does and the areas you help our businesses with. Hello, Jen, hello, thanks for having me. Thank you for being on the show. I have never, ever, heard of anyone putting a twist on finance like this, but I absolutely love it. Tell me more.

Jen:

So background, short story is I went to college first for business, couldn't get into the business school, and so I saw all these classes for sociology and decided, hey, I can minor in human sexuality, so I wanted. And then I saw a movie Dr Kinsey which is from the Kinsey Institute. I'm like I want to be the next Dr Kinsey. So that's kind of why I decided I wanted to be a sexologist. Wow, Okay. But my heart was I love numbers, I love people, I'm kind of like an outgoing accountant. Hey, that's right. And so my. I spent 10 years in hotels. I spent another 10 plus in accounting and I just always had that question of how do you mix those two without being weird.

Jen:

Yeah or boring, or boring or attract the wrong person, or so I just kept playing with different things and thinking about it and I kept being told I have to be creatively different, because how many other financial books are out there?

Storie:

Oh my goodness, so many. And anytime you say financial book, I think I instantly start going to sleep.

Jen:

Right, I don't. I love that, but I'm not my my client.

Storie:

Right, I'm not, I don't need that help.

Jen:

I'm I'm. Marketing is where my non-expertise is.

Storie:

Right, if you needed help, you wouldn't be reading a book about it, right? Okay?

Jen:

So I kept being told be creatively different. And it actually started with a friend of mine who's also a client and I asked her. I said I don't get it. I do networking, I'm doing all the things, I'm sending referrals, getting to know everybody, making those connections, but people aren't referring to me.

Storie:

What's going on? And she's like Jen, she's, you're like the first time seeing a gynecologist. I'm like, what are you talking?

Jen:

about. That's a good friend, by the way. It is, she is a very good friend. I told her she's getting a shout out in my book, but we she's like. Well, when you go, there's a lot of emotion, right. When you're, you have fear, you're embarrassed, you're not sure what they're going to see behind closed doors, right? Same thing with money and that's. We do get to see what's behind closed doors and I get that. So I am a very trans, I'm very transparent, I'm very vulnerable. I tell people my mistakes and hopefully it's a lesson for them to not make.

Storie:

That's a wonderful thought to remember too.

Jen:

And so then I just kept testing the waters on different things and kept being told to be creatively different and finally, september, I decided you know what? I'm going to write a book. I'm going to just do a quick book like a quote book, 100 ways, yeah. And then I was like, wait, why a hundred?

Jen:

So the numbers started defining themselves Right, and so then I had the idea that I'm going to write this book, which is now getting published. It's called 69 ways. Money is like sex. I cannot wait to see the cover of that book, and and then I had to have a like a second subtitle because, okay, well, is this personal? Is this business right? So spicy insights for streamlining your business finances it's awesome.

Storie:

I love the creative aspect. You just seem like a creative person, which is really hard to do when you're an analytical mind and very numbers driven, so you're like the mesh of perfect. So since you? So? You've been in corporate America for many years in different capacities. How long ago did you decide? You know what? I'm just going to do it on my own.

Jen:

So nine years ago, um, actually, what is today Like Friday? Tomorrow, holy cow, we're there. In a couple of days, tomorrow's Thursday, it'll be my nine year anniversary of having this business. Oh, congratulations, but, thank you.

Jen:

When I first started, it was me. I was the bookkeeper. I wore all the 14 different hats. I didn't know what I was doing other than the bookkeeping and I would do networking. And I started like people were like oh, you know how to do bookkeeping, can you do mine? Sure, why not? And so it just kind of developed.

Jen:

Yeah, and I knew I always wanted to help people with money. In my story, my dad lost our house on 40 acres that we grew up with. That was our family home. I filed bankruptcy in my 20s because nobody ever taught me about money. Sex actually was more of an open topic at the table than money. So because of that, I wanted to learn everything I could and I really wanted to help these people. I was growing and thought, hey, what if I could actually help people understand money in their business in a way that in words, that they understand in the and not use all this accounting jargon? Yes, so in 2019, I decided, hey, let's focus on the consulting side. And then 2022 is when I and I also have transitioned to where I now have a team that does the accounting and bookkeeping, so I can focus on what I love. Wow, 2022 is when I left corporate for good and have been doing this full time since.

Storie:

Oh my goodness. So when you say full-time, sense what number one. Where did you find this team that was? Are they more the, the backend, like the actual black and white paper numbers team, so you can be the face of the business? Or how does it work when you say team?

Jen:

So the way I have it set up is we use I have 1099, so they're not internal W-2, but to be honest, I've been through a lot of people, I've been through a lot of companies and just trying, it took me a while to figure out what worked for me and what I wanted and how I wanted to grow and scale the company.

Jen:

And then all of a sudden, I was introduced to this one lady and she has been amazing and she's our bookkeeping manager, Kristen. She does such a great job that for our bookkeeping clients I basically help on board right now. And she takes it over. From there. We have our weekly you know meeting and catch up and I don't have to worry about anything. She brings me in when I need to and I'm like oh my gosh, I need like 10 million Kristen's in the world. So I yeah, I couldn't do it without her.

Storie:

Would you say that that trusting your team and really vetting and knowing their personality is something that's was pivotal for you and being able to scale your business? Absolutely yeah.

Jen:

Because there's been companies I've used and then when I go to check the work, I'm like this is this should be things that are super easy, when I'm being told they have the knowledge of a CPA Right and they don't. And it's just hard when they come to me in August, when there was a transaction missing in May, why didn't you come see me in May June worst case scenario when statements came out.

Jen:

So it was just really frustrating that I couldn't find that team or that person to help who actually knows what they're doing and what they're talking about across the nation, because we aren't just local right and then can see those things too, like I did you have to have that versatile personality almost.

Storie:

You have to be able to not just see what you're told to see, but what's not right as well, which is hard for some people. I mean, a lot of people out there don't even know they have what's the number dyslexia. I forget what it's called, calcula or something like that. I don't know what it is. I'm sorry, guys, y'all have to send me an info sheet on that. But they're running businesses and they can do all the talking, they can do all the marketing, but they cannot get their books straight. And that's is that when someone would come to you and say help me, yeah.

Jen:

Okay.

Storie:

So tell me how that process kind of works for for a new client coming on.

Jen:

Yeah. So we've made a transition where the bookkeeping and accounting is more of an afterthought. Now if someone's like, hey, any bookkeeping, sure we'll look at that. But a lot of times I have consulting clients that come in because they want to scale the company. They're not paying themselves enough, if at all, or they're like I just I don't even know if I need you because I don't know what my numbers are Whether that's they don't have books, it's not current or they don't know how to read the financial statements.

Jen:

So we offer that service. A lot of times our client, our consulting clients, come in, let's just bring it all in house, or we see mistakes in the books. Either they're doing it themselves or their bookkeeper's not doing the job right, and we want to make sure they have accurate data, because we do use that when putting game plans together.

Storie:

Right, so you create a strategy for them, correct, and a projected strategy of how long or is it variable depending on what they want to look for.

Jen:

So when a consultant comes, we have three different ways to work with us. We have a group, we have a private consulting and then we have a hybrid. Okay, so, depending on that, how which package works for them, they come in and all three of them we're going to assess what you've been doing, because, no matter what you've been doing, you can't just start paying yourself 50% if you haven't been paying, giving yourself a paycheck.

Storie:

Right.

Jen:

That's got to come from somewhere. So we want to look at where you've been doing and making, taking baby steps to help implement a game plan. Now we look at the next one to two years, knowing what your goals are, what you want to live your life like, making sure your business supports that.

Storie:

Oh, okay.

Jen:

But then also looking at okay, what have you been doing? Let's take baby steps to get there? Also looking at different pain points, so, while the process is the same, it's all personalized to the client, factoring in their goals, factoring in what kind of lifestyle they want wow and how, where they're at today it's literally taking all the things like for me, for if I had my own business and then I have a job, right, it's taking my personal.

Storie:

okay, I need to take my kids on vacation before they become adults in three years, with the work side of it, which I I'm very good at keeping separate, right, and you kind of just mesh them all together and give them clarity. Almost it sounds like. So how do you? You mentioned you not being a marketing person. You're more analytical how do you market what you have?

Jen:

So I'm in a transition right now. Historically, it's been through networking and referrals.

Storie:

Which is, I think, one of the best ways it is.

Jen:

That's how I probably 95% of my business has grown because of that. That's awesome, and so more recently, I'm getting into more digital space. So the social media, the newsletters, even sending newsletters through LinkedIn.

Storie:

The automation side of marketing, the automation having a lead magnet.

Jen:

Right, that's all automated Having content for nurturing emails and whatnot, and then also marketing podcasts, getting on stages, speaking, because the more that people see you and hear you and see that you're the expert and hopefully have that conversation and feel more comfortable. I have learned the hard way that I have to build trust. Yes, I have had someone tell me no. I met her at a women's lunch and learn and we had great rapport. We went through a consult and then we talked about the proposal and the reason she said no is that she just doesn't quite trust me yet.

Storie:

So I mean, I guess my question would be to that. That response is what part of what you do would make someone hesitate? So if I go to see a financial advisor, I don't know if I can truly trust them. I don't have a relationship with them. If I go to see a financial advisor, I don't know if I can truly trust them. I don't have a relationship with them if I go to a bank. So I guess what was her variance on that?

Jen:

Because it's not just it's affecting what we do. I'm hoping you're in a business that you love, right, and you want that to support your life. So while we focus on business, we sometimes get to see the personal too. I get to see how much you're paying yourself, or need to know how much that is, so we can reverse engineer that and figure that out in our plan. So I do get to see how, what your spending habits are. I get to see how much you're paying your people as well as yourself.

Jen:

So I do get to see those things that a financial advisor may not have, all the like individual transactions.

Storie:

Right. I mean you have a great mindset. Like I mentioned earlier, having both sides of your brain constantly active is a very, very niche thing, very rare, I would say. So I think it's wonderful, but then how do you make it not scary for them? So how would you overcome someone like that? I mean, I completely understand if you've got some hidden secrets in the back you don't want anybody to see. You can completely understand. But what, what is the hesitation? And how do you overcome those with with clients, cause it's very personal?

Jen:

It is, and a lot of the times, to be honest, I've probably been where they're at and I share that with them.

Storie:

Is that why you do this? It is, it is. Is that why?

Jen:

you do this, it is, it is and it's. I do it because of what I've went through and nobody taught me. I'm self-taught on a lot of things that just at different levels as I get to the next level, right. So I never had someone hold my hand and tell me what I needed to do when it comes to money. I had to wing it or guess it, throw spaghetti at the mall at the wall, see if it's stuck. And when you have somebody in your corner that can not even coach you on, oh, maybe you should do this, but more. Okay, I'm at the expert. This is what you need to do, based on what you told me. Your goals are what we're planning to do here, but if you don't, this is what could happen.

Storie:

Okay.

Jen:

And so that they feel better and more comfortable in making that decision. But ultimately they are the owner and I treat my clients as partners, as if I'm in the business with you and I get affected as well if something doesn't go right or something goes wrong, and if so, I will always own my own mistake if something happens Right.

Storie:

But you take away the humility. It feels like you don't make them feel like they're alone in this. You're not going to drop the ball and walk away and hope for the best.

Jen:

Exactly, and especially if you don't have a partner, if it's just you. You're a solopreneur. You don't have that board of advisors, you don't have support team necessarily to help you in reaching your goals.

Storie:

That's. That's very true. Now I would honestly me myself. I would say having a partner would be more difficult because of different mindsets. You know I mean different strategies. So how do you work with multiple partners in a business and on what scale of businesses do you typically help? Are you helping up startups? Are you helping people that have been established and need a new strategy?

Jen:

So I'm kind of helping in the middle. So they're not quite startup, but they're more of. They've gained traction, they're growing and they want to scale. But they're either they're not quite sure how to structure operations, how to structure maybe their packages, pricing to align with that happening, how to afford to hire the next person, whatever that might be. So that's kind of where my ideal clients sit. Now. I've helped at both extremes of, you know, startups making less than six figures, those in the millions. So I've helped all over. But that's kind of the sweet spot because you've had enough to struggle or to see really what it's like to run a business. But I feel like I can help so many ways and helping them get to that next level multiple, six, seven figures figures and that's where my passion's at you like seeing the success of it all from them.

Storie:

So is that what your book is is primarily about is? Is it your story, a biography, or is it more? Of this is how you do it.

Jen:

Combination, okay, um it depends on what the so how the book is structured is. Each page has a way, and then I'll write a paragraph or two about that, focusing on the financial part. Okay, so it can be something small, as communication is key, right?

Storie:

Right, yeah, absolutely.

Jen:

Or foreplay matters.

Storie:

Oh, I love these. I love these chapter headings. That's actually I was going to ask you about your spicy analogies. Okay, so you just leewayed me right into it, so tell me more about that. It keeps it interesting. I see where you mixed it well and merged all the information well.

Jen:

Now is it breaking it down for you on a deeper level in this book, or is that where the consulting comes?

Storie:

in you really break it down.

Jen:

For me it's really more on the consulting, so I do share some stories. I had a trademark infringement, for example, on my entire brand name, so I had. That's how the Leverage Maven was created, because I was forced legally to change my brand.

Storie:

We were talking about that earlier small world, how you would meet somebody else with the same name.

Jen:

Yeah, so, and hers was a program, so I wouldn't have necessarily known that, but it was trademarked and three attorneys told me she's 100% in the right. We do the same thing. So I had to figure that out. I didn't budget for that, I didn't plan for that Okay right, so had to kind of make those changes. But I think things happen for a reason and so now I always use that. My mistake again is your, absolutely.

Jen:

So I have stories like that, but then I also have things that are more educational without the jargon Right.

Storie:

Okay, so they can really get something out of it that they didn't have before. Yeah, but then the consulting is very important. It seems like how would you approach something like that, somebody that has a lot of the humility, you have a lot of confidence in what you do, so how would you find me and help me to say the networking events I know you're speaking at about, how many are you allocating this year to do and what kind of return do you see on that? What type of audience are you seeing in those groups that you're speaking at?

Jen:

so the groups can vary. It can be a small like chamber of commerce, it can be a local networking organization or it could be a national conference wow, and all in between so, um, it just really depends.

Jen:

As long as they are an owner of a business, okay Is really, if they're more individuals, you know, w-2 type of employees, or they're all sales managers in a specific that's probably not a good fit for me Okay, but the owner is who I want to talk to, because they're the ones that make the decisions ultimately in the company, right, absolutely.

Storie:

So, what's next, what do you have coming up?

Jen:

absolutely so what's next? What do you have coming up? So the book, of course, and I have. I also have a three-day intensive. Tell me more, it's called the scalable success intensive, and if you have ever been to conferences, I feel like I've been to a gazillion of them.

Jen:

I couldn't even count right but you go there and they're great, you have great speakers, you learn in for so much information and then you go back to business on Monday and 90% goes out the door because life happens, business happens, you forgot some of the things, you couldn't take notes fast enough. Whatever, that is right. This is a very hands on workshop style where when you're learning things, you're doing it as you learn it.

Storie:

I love it.

Jen:

And so not only do you walk away with that personalized game plan, but we work on mindset. I'm bringing somebody in for marketing because I mean I know enough to be dangerous, but I'm not your expertise.

Storie:

Hint, hint, wink, wink if you need anyone, okay.

Jen:

So I want to make sure that they walk away with a plan. So we look at their why, their vision. We focus on the mindset we look at okay, now we're going to implement and then we're going to execute it, and so they're going to have all that done in those three days. It's going to be very intense, yes, but it's going to be so worth it, and if you knew what value is like, just one of the speakers is worth the ticket in itself.

Storie:

Oh my goodness. So at the end of the day you're creating. It's kind of like the build, launch, grow scale methodology that we talk about here at Atma. You have to have that build phase because you can't build a house on sand, right, I mean? And you giving that to them. And also, I'd like to point out something that I don't see a lot of my guests do. I don't see a lot of my guests admit that their weakness in their business and that they bring other people in to optimize where they're weak. I think that's very important, because if you don't know where you're weak and you don't have a professional that knows that portion, how can you really be beneficial people?

Storie:

on an all over scale right.

Jen:

Yeah, I'm not afraid to say I don't know, but I'll find someone who does.

Storie:

And you know what? I would much rather someone tell me that than pretend they know it and it fall through, right. I mean, how many times has that happened to all of us? I think it's happened to me three times last week, yeah. But is that? Is that a reason why you have such a passion for this? I know you love seeing helping them grow at the end of the day, but is it because of your own challenges that really give you the the sense of, I guess, positiveness that you are delivering to the world?

Jen:

It is because, I mean, you've heard, you don't know what you don't know. And unless you're in the financial industry, unless you have that background, you know how to be a plumber, you know how to sell real estate, you know how to run a marketing agency, but you probably don't know how to manage the money strategically in the business to make sure you're reaching the goals that you want. And that's where I come in, because that's something that I don't, it's something I have a passion for. I'm very numbers driven. I'm weird in that way. I've always been interested in one plus one has to equal two man.

Storie:

You know, the reason I am so intrigued by what you do is because I go to all kinds of networking events Weekly. I go to networking events and anytime a financial advisor gets up, I am engaged for the first 10 seconds and then I try really hard to stay engaged, but your personality really, really helps, bring a sense of comfort and humility that I really appreciate. I don't know. Thank you, I'm sure if you've been in business for almost 10 years, then it's working pretty well for you and I love that. You gave yourself the space to actually expand your mind and allow yourself to try different things to to lead you to this today. So, with that being said, um, I wanted to ask a few questions about if someone today, um, or if you yourself today, could tell your younger self one thing that you wish you would have known, or maybe two, um, what would those things be as a business owner now?

Jen:

sooner than later. Leverage, leverage, leverage. You need to leverage other people.

Jen:

You need to leverage your time and leverage your money. When I left corporate world I had a good chunk of savings, which is kind of why I felt a little more comfortable making that leap right. Right, and if I would have known what I know now then and that was just three years ago, my goodness I would have so used that to leverage other hire quicker I mean hire slow. I always believe hire slow fire fast. But I would have been able if I knew that I would have been able to leverage the money. I had to hire the people to do the things I either don't enjoy doing or I'm not very good at or don't want to do, and that way I can grow and scale quicker. That's smart.

Storie:

That's really good advice and I think, as business owners especially, we all wish we could go back in time at some point. But, man, to know other people are there with you. It it's almost comforting. It's sad but comforting, and luckily, people like you've turned it into something that's profitable for both. Right, so, um, at your speaking event. Where will it be held?

Jen:

tell me more about that it's uh, so this year it's september 11th through the 13th nice it's going to be in frisco, Texas.

Storie:

In Frisco, so you're local to DFW, right?

Jen:

Yes, that's awesome.

Storie:

But I heard you're also going to be just spreading your brand all over the country here pretty soon right, oh yeah. So you got a lot of podcasts scheduled to come up.

Jen:

Yep, I have an event. I'm speaking tomorrow, another podcast in a week, podcast in May, and that's just what I've scheduled in the last week.

Storie:

Oh, my goodness, gracious With my book coming out.

Jen:

I've been kind of on a little kind of like a book tour these days you really are.

Storie:

Your book tour can be on podcasts, yeah, so where is your book coming out at? So it's June, right? Yep, then it'll be completely done and open to the public. Yep, where can they find that book or audience?

Jen:

So if you want, you can actually join the VIP list so you get early access and some bonuses. If you want to text the word money M-O-N-E-Y right Yep To 469-829-7697. I love the 69.

Storie:

And it's so funny.

Jen:

I actually had that number with my old brand Really, and then I was like, oh, I haven't used it since then, so I went to use it and I was like, okay, I have to keep this number.

Storie:

That is hilarious. So is it available on Kindle and in hardback or?

Jen:

no, it'll be a paperback. It won't be a hardback, perfect, but as of right now, to be honest, I don't know yet. So my publisher is working on all those details. That's why in June it's coming out, not right now.

Storie:

Story. You can just tell me that that's okay. So what's one habit or system to wrap it up closer to the end, what's one simple habit or system every business owner can start today to handle, to help them handle their finances?

Jen:

So when I mentioned back in 2019, I started focusing on more of the consulting, it's because I had I was growing and had the question of how much should I pay myself?

Jen:

It's a good question. Like you're making money, I want to be strategic with it, and everybody told me to read this book called Profit First, and it's it's a cashflow method that I am now certified in to help the clients in implementing this. But one easy step is that if you just go open up one more bank account, nickname it profit and start allocating just 1% of all your deposits into that account, and by doing that, you're driving profit intentionally and getting into that habit, because a lot of times we take what we make, we pay all the bills, pay our people what's left over. We might be paying ourselves with that, if there's anything left over, right. And then what you see in the bank doesn't match what's in your financial statements either, and so you're all confused, right. So this is just a simple step to get started and taking those baby steps in not just implementing profit first, but honestly making sure you have a profitable, financially healthy company too.

Storie:

That is probably the most important in the long run, 97% of businesses don't last, so the 3% probably need a strategy and probably look into research on how to do it, which is exactly what you are right. That's wonderful. So you have virtual and in-person services, or it's all?

Jen:

virtual. If I have someone that is local and there I have had a couple clients that I need to be in person. I'll work with them within reason. So I'm not going to drive DFWs very large, so I won't drive across the metroplex necessarily. I'm on the north side, yeah but, most part, and the reason why, too, is sometimes we'll record things that's and then it's easier for them to have access to that. I feel like wait. What was it that Jen said so?

Storie:

man that is. That's a great point for a lot of business owners. I used to dislike Zoom calls, but having that recording to go back and reference is invaluable to me now.

Jen:

And then you're also leveraging your time, so you have to factor drive time there and back and so being strategic with that too.

Storie:

I am definitely going to have you come over to Nouveau Desk, where we're hosting this podcast, to speak to people, because I actually had to remind myself that this week is. You can go to events and you can. You can meet all the people you want, but if you're not doing the follow-up to speak with them and really have those valuable conversations after then it's all pointless. It really is. I really appreciate your advice today, jen, and once you launch the book completely, I would love for you to come back on the show and and tell us more about it and give us some more detail on everything you're doing and plan to do Absolutely.

Jen:

I appreciate you having me. Thank you, jen, thank you.

Storie:

And to all of our listeners out there. We will put Jen's information in the bottom of this transcript and description. If you're nervous about what you may or may not see in finance, please reach out to her, because I know it's uncomfortable, but when you've been with someone who's been there before, it's not so bad and very beneficial. Until next time.