Money First CEO

Harman Johnston breaks down the three biggest financial illusions that keep business owners stuck in stress and confusion. Revenue is not clarity. Your bank balance is not profit. And growth is not stability. She explains why these misconceptions create anxiety, poor decisions, and cash flow pressure even in high revenue businesses. Through simple examples, she shows how two businesses with the sa...

Harman Johnston outlines a 15 minute money health check built around five questions to help business owners regain financial control: know your current profit percentage, know how many months of operating expenses you have saved, pay yourself a consistent owner’s wage, separate tax money so it is not spent from the operating account, and track what has changed in expenses over the last 90 days. Sh...

Harman Johnston explains why business owners can hit a record revenue month and still feel broke, focusing on four causes: measuring success by revenue instead of what you keep, spending with false confidence after a high month, failing to retain cash due to a lack of structure, and letting expenses expand as revenue grows. She shows how money disappears when everything sits in one account and get...

Harman Johnston flips the Buy Now Pay Later debate to focus on business spending, warning that it creates an illusion of affordability while undermining cash discipline. She explains how BNPL commits future revenue before it arrives, hides true expense levels by dulling the upfront pain, creates fixed obligations during fluctuating months, and disrupts Profit First allocations by fragmenting costs...

Harman Johnston urges business owners to face the “$10K decision” they keep avoiding, arguing it is already costing them money each month through delay. She outlines four common versions: hiring operational support to remove the CEO bottleneck, saying no to low margin draining clients, raising minimum standards through repositioning and pricing, and installing real financial structure using Profit...

Harman Johnston explains what working with a professional bookkeeper should actually feel like for Australian business owners, challenging the belief that bookkeeping is just data entry, reconciliations, and BAS compliance. She describes how clients often arrive overwhelmed, avoidant, or growing fast but financially messy, and how the right support creates visibility, clean and reliable numbers, a...

In this episode, Harman Johnston explains how established business owners can increase consistent owner’s pay without increasing revenue by changing from an operator mindset to a CEO mindset and using Profit First style allocations. She challenges the formula of revenue minus expenses equals profit and shows how expenses often rise with revenue unless pay is protected. Using a $120,000 per month e...

In this episode of 'Money First, CEO,' host Harman Johnston discusses the significant shift in a CEO's role as their business grows, specifically why continuing to handle your own bookkeeping can hinder growth. Harman outlines the mental and practical strains of DIY bookkeeping and explains why delegating this task is crucial for making high-level decisions. She provides a clear, ac...

In this episode of Money First, CEO, Harman Johnston delves into the common issue business owners face when their profit and loss statements don't align with their bank account balances. Harman explains the crucial distinctions between profit and cash flow, and outlines five key reasons for these discrepancies, including timing differences, large purchases, loan repayments, taxes, and how own...

In this episode of Money First, CEO, host Harman Johnston shares practical advice on financially preparing for hiring staff. Harman emphasises the importance of proactive planning and introduces a strategic approach to ensure new hires do not become a financial burden. Key tips include opening a dedicated bank account for future hires, building a 90-day payroll buffer, treating hiring as a fixed e...

In this episode of Money First, CEO, Harman Johnston discusses the importance of conducting annual price reviews. Harman guides service-based businesses, retail operators, and manufacturers on strategies to ensure their pricing reflects increased work, costs, and market conditions over the past year. The episode highlights the impact of scope creep, client growth, rising expenses, and new tools on...

In this episode of Money First, CEO, Harman Johnston discusses a major expense she cut from her business: online courses that were never finished. Harman shares her struggle with 'course addiction' and the financial and mental toll it took. By implementing a strict rule to only buy courses that could be immediately acted upon and setting dedicated time for both learning and execution, sh...

In this episode of Money First, CEO, host Harman Johnston reflects on the lessons learned and milestones achieved in 2025, while outlining exciting plans for 2026. Harman shares the mission behind the podcast, emphasising the importance of prioritising financial control to build a business that serves its owner first. Key takeaways include actionable money lessons like building profit with small s...

In this episode of Money First, CEO, host Harman Johnston discusses the critical importance of rest for business owners. Harman explains how intentional rest can be a powerful revenue strategy, leading to clear decisions, better boundaries, and higher profits. The episode includes practical steps for taking a real CEO break, such as creating a money wind-down checklist, setting boundaries, and pla...

Welcome back to Money First, CEO, with your host Harman Johnston, who shares her journey from a one-person operation to a thriving business through smart money habits and systems. This episode focuses on the importance of delegation, highlighting the pitfalls of trying to do everything yourself and offering practical steps to effectively delegate tasks. Harman discusses how using platforms like Up...

Welcome to Money First, CEO, with Harman Johnston, an expert bookkeeper, profit-first professional, and business coach from Sydney, Australia. This episode focuses on envisioning a fearless business quarter, free from self-doubt and overwhelm. Harman emphasises the power of financial clarity and strategic bold moves based on real data. Listeners are guided through actionable steps such as reviewin...

Unlocking the Five Types of Wealth: A Holistic Approach to Business Success In this episode of Money First, CEO, host Harman Johnston introduces listeners to the five types of wealth, inspired by Sahil Bloom's framework, which she encountered at Angela Henderson's Women in Business Conference. Harman underscores the significance of balancing time, social, mental, physical, and financial...

This is a special episode as we welcome our first guest, Mike Michalowicz. Mike is the author of Profit First and a global expert on small business finance. His mission is to end entrepreneurial poverty, and he's helped thousands of business owners take control of their money. We talk about the real mistakes that keep business owners stuck, the myth of growing your way to success, and why tak...

In this episode of Money First, CEO, Harman Johnston discusses the critical importance of setting boundaries in business. Harman shares a personal story about the costly mistake of saying yes to a rush job, highlighting how it drained her resources and affected her profits. She explains why saying no to low-value clients and requests is essential for maintaining profitability and mental well-being...

In this episode, Harman discusses the challenges of dealing with late payments and how it affects cash flow and overall business health. She outlines practical steps to improve debtor follow-ups, including sending friendly reminders, automating notifications, and making payment processes easier for clients. Harman shares a three-step plan to ensure timely payments without alienating clients and of...

In this episode of Money First, CEO, Harman Johnston discusses how to keep customers forever with cash-boosting loyalty strategies. She shares her personal experience of losing a $10,000 client and explains the significant costs associated with acquiring new customers compared to retaining existing ones. Johnston outlines a three-step plan to enhance customer loyalty: personalising interactions, c...

Mastering the 80/20 Profit Hack: Work Less, Earn More  In this episode of 'Money First, CEO,' host Harman Johnston is focused on helping business owners leverage the 80/20 rule (Pareto Principle) to maximise their profits while reducing work hours. Harman shares her own experience of how focusing on top revenue-generating clients significantly increased her profits. She explains the impo...

Hiring can make or break your business finances. In this episode of Money First CEO, I share how to build a cash-savvy team that helps you grow profits without draining your bank account. I talk about how rushing into hiring can hurt your cash flow, why hiring strategically is a Profit First move, and how to make sure every hire adds value, not stress.    I walk through my own story of hiring too...

In this episode of Money First, CEO , Harman Johnston gets real about one of the biggest mindset shifts in business: charging what you’re truly worth. If you’ve ever hesitated to raise your rates or felt weird asking for more money, this episode is exactly what you need. Harman shares the story of how undercharging in her early days nearly burned her out, and how switching to value-based pricing c...

In this episode of Money First, CEO , Harman Johnston explores the powerful framework from Adam Grant’s Give and Take that categorises people into Givers, Takers, and Matchers. Learn how each type shows up in business, why givers tend to both fail and succeed the most, and what separates a sustainable giver from a burnt-out one. You’ll discover: - How to recognise your giving style and its impact...