The Number

Hosted by Wendy Brookhouse

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168

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Aug 2026

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About the show

The Number is a business podcast about the numbers that actually run your business. Each episode focuses on one number. Revenue, profit, cash flow, capacity, time, valuation, customer cost, risk, or exit readiness. Hosted by Wendy Brookhouse, and often joined by Kelsey MacAulay, the show breaks down what that number means, why it matters, and how it should influence the decisions you make as an owner. Some episodes feature guests. Some are honest conversations. Some are solo deep dives. If you own a business and want better clarity, better decisions, and better outcomes, it starts with knowing your numbers.

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September 9, 202644 min

How to Decide What to Do With Your Business

Most owners default to two exits: sell to a stranger, or shut down. Exit planning advisor Pete Walker lays out why that's a false choice. He explains how to get clear on what you actually want before an offer arrives, the three gaps every owner has to close first, and why employee ownership, including the newer employee ownership trust, is becoming a credible way to sell a business while keeping it locally owned. A grounded conversation about legacy, money, and knowing your number. In This Episode Why fewer than 10% of Canadian owners have a written plan for their exit, and how to start one The three gaps to close before you sell: your personal number, your business value, and your life after work How to weigh money against legacy so an offer becomes a clear yes or no The full range of employee ownership options, from stock options to worker co-ops How an employee ownership trust works, including the $10 million capital gains exemption and the 50.1% controlling-interest rule Why keeping a business local protects the jobs, customers, and community around it Featured Quote "It's your story. It's your life, your legacy, your financial plan. You have the right to choose that outcome for yourself." — Pete Walker About the Hosts Wendy Brookhouse is the founder and chief strategist at Black Star Wealth and a Certified Financial Planner with over 20 years of independent advisory experience. She works with entrepreneurs and business owners to build financial clarity, business value, and wealth that lasts. Kelsey McCauley is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Relationship Officer at Black Star Wealth, and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor. She works with business owners on the operational and strategic side of building a business worth transitioning. About Our Guest Pete Walker is a Certified Exit Planning Advisor and a self-described reformed banker who spent 14 years in executive leadership at TD before building his own practice, Bolton Riverview Consulting. He grew up on a seventh-generation family farm in St. George's, Prince Edward Island, an experience that shapes how he talks with owners about legacy and letting go. Today he helps business owners get clear on what they want from their exit and understand every option for selling, including employee ownership, and he serves on the board of Employee Ownership Canada.

August 13, 202616 min

The Two Numbers Every Business Owner Should Know

Most business owners can't name two numbers that shape their entire exit: what the business is worth today, and what it needs to be worth to fund the life they want after they sell. In this episode, Wendy and Kelsey break down why both matter, why rules of thumb like the 4% guideline don't tell the whole story, and how knowing your numbers turns a surprise offer into a clear yes or no. It's a practical look at planning the gap between where you are and where you need to be. In This Episode The two numbers every owner should know: what the business is worth, and what it needs to be worth to fund life after the sale Why the 4% rule and other rules of thumb fall short when you're figuring out your real after-business income What a "second bite of the apple" is, and how selling a stake now can pay off later at a higher valuation Why the number in a letter of intent rarely matches the final closing number, and what sets apart the owners who get full value How knowing your numbers turns an unsolicited offer into a decision you can make on the spot What a roll-up is, and why being the most prepared business on the block changes your bargaining power Featured Quote "It gives you so much power in negotiations, because you're so sure of what your basement number is, and everything above it is gravy." — Wendy Brookhouse About the Hosts Wendy Brookhouse is the founder and chief strategist at Black Star Wealth and a Certified Financial Planner with over 20 years of independent advisory experience. She works with entrepreneurs and business owners to build financial clarity, business value, and wealth that lasts. Kelsey MacAulay is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Relationship Officer at Black Star Wealth, and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor. He works with business owners on the operational and strategic side of building a business worth transitioning. Resources & Links The Value Builder e-book referenced in this episode is available by request. Send Wendy a note and she'll get you a copy. Learn more about Black Star Wealth at blackstarwealth.com Connect With Black Star Wealth Website: blackstarwealth.com LinkedIn: Wendy Brookhouse | Kelsey MacAulay Podcast: The Number — available on all major platforms If this episode resonated, follow The Number so you don't miss what's next.

August 4, 202631 min

How to Resolve a Business Partner Dispute Without Going to Court

Most business partners never put anything in writing for the day the relationship stops working, and by the time a dispute erupts, court can feel like the only path forward. In this episode, lawyer Aileen Furey explains why nearly every lawsuit settles anyway, what a fight really costs once you add up the legal bill and the toll on your focus and sleep, and how to have the hard conversation before it ever reaches a courtroom. It's a practical look at protecting both your business and the partnership behind it. In This Episode Why 97% of lawsuits settle before trial, and what that means for how you should handle a dispute What court actually costs, from the $25,000 small claims limit to roughly $50,000 to fully pursue a $100,000 claim with no guaranteed outcome The hidden costs of a legal fight: lost focus, lost sleep, and time pulled away from running your business Why a signed partnership or shareholder agreement is only worth the conversation you're willing to have behind it How the 5-to-1 ratio and a “trust bank” keep partnerships healthy before conflict ever starts When to have the hard conversation yourself, and when to bring in a neutral third party Featured Quote “97% of lawsuits don't make it to trial. They resolve before court. So if that's where we know we're all headed, let's stop the dance and have these conversations sooner and more directly so that people can get back to business.” — Aileen Furey About the Hosts Wendy Brookhouse is the founder and chief strategist at Black Star Wealth and a Certified Financial Planner with over 20 years of independent advisory experience. She works with entrepreneurs and business owners to build financial clarity, business value, and wealth that lasts. Kelsey MacAulay is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Relationship Officer at Black Star Wealth, and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor. She works with business owners on the operational and strategic side of building a business worth transitioning. About Our Guest Aileen Furey is the founder of Fresh (freshadvice.ca). She began her career on the account side at M5, one of Atlantic Canada's largest advertising agencies, before going to law school and practicing criminal and civil litigation at established firms. She now works with entrepreneurs to resolve business and partnership disputes through negotiation and direct conversation rather than the traditional court process, stepping in as a neutral facilitator or as an advisor behind the scenes. Resources & Links Aileen Fury online: freshadvice.ca Connect with Aileen on LinkedIn Connect With Black Star Wealth Website: blackstarwealth.com LinkedIn: Wendy Brookhouse | Kelsey MacAulay Podcast: The Number — available on all major platforms If this episode resonated, follow The Number so you don't miss what's next.

July 7, 202617 min

How to Know What Your Business Is Really Worth

For two out of three business owners, selling the company will be the largest financial transaction of their lives. Yet most have never had it valued, and many don't know where to begin. In this episode, Wendy Brookhouse and Kelsey MacAulay dig into the number 66, why business value belongs right alongside revenue and profit as a metric worth tracking, and the practical first steps owners can take, often years ahead of a sale, to understand what their business is worth and build it into something worth transitioning. In This Episode Why business value deserves a seat next to revenue and profit as a number to track every year What the "66%" and "less than 40%" figures reveal about how few owners actually know their number How to get a baseline read on your business's worth when a sale is still 5 to 10 years out Which levers can lift both your profit and your multiple, and why that combination changes the sale price so dramatically Who belongs on your exit team, and why a transaction specialist is not the same as your generalist lawyer Why waiting until you're tired weakens both your energy and your bargaining position Featured Quote "The person buying your business generally wants to buy cash flow. They don't want to buy a job." — Kelsey MacAulay About the Hosts Wendy Brookhouse is the founder and chief strategist at Black Star Wealth and a Certified Financial Planner with over 20 years of independent advisory experience. She works with entrepreneurs and business owners to build financial clarity, business value, and wealth that lasts. Kelsey MacAulay is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Relationship Officer at Black Star Wealth, and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor. He works with business owners on the operational and strategic side of building a business worth transitioning. Resources & Links CEPA (Certified Exit Planning Advisor): the credential Kelsey points to when choosing an advisor who specializes in transitions Baseline business valuation: an informal valuation to establish a starting number, referenced in the episode as a service Black Star Wealth offers Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB): succession research cited in the episode (roughly 76% of owners planning to transition within 10 years, and 9% with a written plan) Connect With Black Star Wealth Website: blackstarwealth.com LinkedIn: Wendy Brookhouse | Kelsey MacAulay Podcast: The Number, available on all major platforms If knowing your number feels overdue, visit blackstarwealth.com to learn whether a baseline valuation is a fit for where you're at.

June 22, 202611 min

CPP Explained: Salary vs Dividends for Business Owners

The Canada Pension Plan comes off almost every paycheque, but most business owners never stop to ask how it works or what it means for them. In this episode, Wendy Brookhouse and Kelsey MacAulay use the average CPP payment of $925.35 a month as a way in. They explain how contributions work, why the choice between paying yourself salary or dividends has gotten closer than it used to be, when it might make sense to take CPP early or wait, and how your pay structure shows up when you eventually sell your business. In This Episode Understand what CPP is and how the 5.95% contribution works, including why the self-employed pay both halves at 11.9% See why the tax gap between paying yourself salary and paying yourself dividends has narrowed, and what that means for your pension and for getting financing Weigh the tradeoffs of taking CPP early, which reduces your benefit each month before 65, against waiting, which increases it each month up to 70, and learn where the crossover point lands Recognize how your pay structure looks during a sale, when buyers normalize salary and add dividends back into profit Find out how to check what you are actually eligible to collect through Service Canada

June 8, 202638 min

How Business Owners Can Start Using AI Well

Most business owners have run a few prompts through ChatGPT and assumed that counts as using AI. Susan Diaz, CEO and founder of Northlight AI and author of Swan Dive Backwards , joins Wendy and Kelsey to make the case for going deeper. The conversation covers why AI literacy matters more than access, how to treat AI as delegation instead of magic, and why documenting how your business actually runs is both the starting point for AI and a quiet driver of business value. In This Episode Understand the difference between AI access and AI literacy, and why a license alone doesn't move the needle Reframe AI as delegation, so a weak result points you back to a weak brief rather than a broken tool See why writing down how your business works builds intellectual property and makes the business more valuable and sellable Use the 10/80/10 approach, where you set the thinking, let AI carry the middle, and keep the final polish Pick one tool and get better at it instead of chasing every new headline and feature Ask the harder questions about jobs, security, and adoption that leadership tends to skip Featured Quote "Everything we're doing with AI is a form of delegation. The second you start to think of it as delegation, you'll get less frustrated about 'oh, it didn't do anything.' But did you tell it how you do it? Did you tell it the 37 steps that go into making the thing the way you like it?" — Susan Diaz About the Hosts Wendy Brookhouse is the founder and chief strategist at Black Star Wealth and a Certified Financial Planner with over 20 years of independent advisory experience. She works with entrepreneurs and business owners to build financial clarity, business value, and wealth that lasts. Kelsey MacAulay is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Relationship Officer at Black Star Wealth, and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor. He works with business owners on the operational and strategic side of building a business worth transitioning. About Our Guest Susan Diaz is the CEO and founder of Northlight AI and the author of the self-published book Swan Dive Backwards . She works largely with small businesses on practical AI adoption and hosts a long-running podcast with more than 275 episodes. She wrote her book by recording 25 episodes over 30 days, 13 of them with guests, and using AI to help structure and cross-reference the material. Resources & Links Swan Dive Backwards by Susan Diaz, available on Amazon (including Amazon Canada) Northlight AI, Susan Diaz's company The four AI archetypes from the book and its companion quiz: the Diver, the Pathfinder, the Operator, and the Bridge Builder The Big Leap and its four zones of incompetence, competence, excellence, and genius, referenced in the conversation Connect With Black Star Wealth Website: blackstarwealth.com LinkedIn: Wendy Brookhouse | 1 Podcast: The Number, available on all major platforms If this episode resonated, follow The Number so you don't miss what's next.

May 12, 202636 min

Why 44,000 Businesses Closed in One Year

The number is 44,000: businesses that closed in a single year, most of them not sold, just shuttered. Manja Horner, leadership strategist and founder of Boost Learning Design, joins Wendy and Kelsey to unpack why so many trades owners are walking away with no successor and no plan for the knowledge they spent decades building. The conversation looks at the hidden costs of skipping training, the brain drain hitting the trades, and what it takes to build a business that actually holds its value. In This Episode Why "figure it out as you go" can quietly cost owners up to 8 percent on every project What goes wrong when a strong tradesperson is promoted into management without training How to think about training and HR as core business functions rather than overhead Why a quarter of the trades workforce is heading for retirement, and what that means for owners What a knowledge capture system looks like, and why it matters before key people leave How leadership and skills training tie directly to business value and exit readiness Featured Quote "Yes, we have the bodies leaving. We haven't talked about the brain drain that's happening." — Manja Horner About the Hosts Wendy Brookhouse is the founder and chief strategist at Black Star Wealth and a Certified Financial Planner with over 20 years of independent advisory experience. She works with entrepreneurs and business owners to build financial clarity, business value, and wealth that lasts. Kelsey MacAulay is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Relationship Officer at Black Star Wealth, and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor. She works with business owners on the operational and strategic side of building a business worth transitioning. About Our Guest Manja Horner is a third-generation tradesperson, leadership strategist, and founder of Boost Learning Design. She helps trades businesses fix the leadership training and accountability breakdowns that drive turnover and crush margins. She is the author of Pass the Torch: A Call to Rescue the Future of Trades . Resources & Links Pass the Torch by Manja Horner: passthetorchbook.com Boost Learning Design (Manja's company) Connect With Black Star Wealth Website: blackstarwealth.com LinkedIn: Wendy Brookhouse | Kelsey MacAulay Podcast: The Number , available on all major platforms If this episode resonated, follow The Number so you don't miss what's next.

April 28, 202615 min

Why Working With a Financial Planner Reduces Stress

Money is still the number one source of stress for Canadians, and this episode gets into what the data actually shows. Wendy and Kelsey walk through the 2026 FP Canada Financial Stress Index — nine years of tracking financial anxiety across the country — and zero in on one number that tells the real story. People who work with a financial professional are 14 percentage points less likely to lose sleep over money. That gap shows up twice in the survey. This episode explains why, and what it looks like in practice. In This Episode What's driving financial stress for Canadians in 2026 and how it's shifted over the past few years How financial anxiety breaks down differently across age groups — from early career to peak earning years Why the 14-point gap between people with a planner and those without keeps showing up in the data What the shift from "freedom from" to "freedom to" language tells you about where someone is in their financial journey Why waiting until you have things figured out before seeing a planner is the wrong approach Featured Quote "It replaces assumption with clarity, and it replaces fear with options. You don't know where you are until you do that analysis." — Wendy Brookhouse About the Hosts Wendy Brookhouse is the founder and chief strategist at Black Star Wealth and a Certified Financial Planner with over 20 years of independent advisory experience. She works with entrepreneurs and business owners to build financial clarity, business value, and wealth that lasts. Kelsey MacAulay is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Relationship Officer at Black Star Wealth, and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor. He works with business owners on the operational and strategic side of building a business worth transitioning. Resources & Links FP Canada Financial Stress Index (2026) — the survey referenced throughout this episode. Connect With Black Star Wealth Website: blackstarwealth.com LinkedIn: Wendy Brookhouse | Kelsey MacAulay Podcast: The Number — available on all major platforms Curious whether Black Star Wealth works with people in your situation? Visit blackstarwealth.com to learn more.

April 14, 202627 min

Why Real Business Success Takes Ten Years

The Number | Episode 004 — Long-Game Thinking Bryan Clayton built a landscaping company from a single push mower to 150 employees and eight figures in annual revenue — then sold it. Then he started over. In this episode, Bryan shares the number that guided his second act: 10. Not a revenue target or a headcount — a timeframe. He and Wendy talk through what it actually takes to build a business that works, why most "overnight successes" are the result of a decade of quiet grinding, and how a single metric can be the difference between perseverance and delusion. In This Episode Why every discretionary expense in your business costs you five to seven times that amount at the sale — and what to do about it How Bryan used one metric (weekly transactions) to stay focused and avoid building on a bad idea for years What "default alive" means, and why it's the most important financial position a business owner can hold The difference between a pivot that makes sense and one that just lets you avoid hard work Why thinking in decades — not quarters — is the mindset shift that changes how you run a business Featured Quote "Every decision you make as a business operator — if you want to sell your business — is going to cost you by five, six, or seven times, whatever the multiple is in your business." — Bryan Clayton About the Hosts Wendy Brookhouse is the founder and chief strategist at Black Star Wealth and a Certified Financial Planner with over 20 years of independent advisory experience. She works with entrepreneurs and business owners to build financial clarity, business value, and wealth that lasts. Kelsey MacAulay is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Relationship Officer at Black Star Wealth, and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor. He works with business owners on the operational and strategic side of building a business worth transitioning. About Our Guest Bryan Clayton is the CEO of GreenPal, a technology platform that connects homeowners with local lawn care providers. Before GreenPal, he built and sold Peachtree, a landscaping company based in Nashville, Tennessee, that grew to 150 employees and 90 trucks before being acquired by a national operator. Resources & Links Built to Sell by John Warrillow — referenced by Bryan as a key resource for founders thinking about exit planning The Cashflow Quadrant by Robert Kiyosaki — referenced by Bryan when reflecting on life after his first exit 10x Is Easier Than 2x by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy — referenced by Wendy in conversation with Bryan Connect With Black Star Wealth Website: blackstarwealth.com LinkedIn: Wendy Brookhouse | Kelsey MacAulay Podcast: The Number — available on all major platforms If this episode resonated, follow The Number so you don't miss what's next.

March 31, 202610 min

The One Number That Simplifies Your Spending Plan

The Number | Episode 3 — The One Number Most people manage money reactively — checking their bank account after the fact and hoping it adds up. In this episode, Wendy and Kelsey dig into The One Number: Black Star Wealth's system for cutting through the noise of multiple accounts, competing priorities, and unconscious spending. They explain why a spending plan works better than a budget, how automating your fixed costs frees up mental energy, and how a single weekly number can give you both boundaries and permission — depending on what you need. In This Episode Why "spending plan" works better psychologically than "budget" — and how the framing changes your relationship with money How The One Number works: automating fixed costs so you only need to track one weekly discretionary figure Why the number resets every seven days, and why that matters when life goes sideways How to use your weekly number to understand the real trade-off between paying down debt and maintaining your current lifestyle Why this system helps both over-spenders and under-spenders — and how it removes the guilt from both sides Featured Quote "It's about how much can you spend on your discretionary things every week without worrying. Everything else works." — Wendy Brookhouse About the Hosts Wendy Brookhouse is the founder and chief strategist at Black Star Wealth and a Certified Financial Planner with over 20 years of independent advisory experience. She works with entrepreneurs and business owners to build financial clarity, business value, and wealth that lasts. Kelsey MacAulay is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Relationship Officer at Black Star Wealth, and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor. He works with business owners on the operational and strategic side of building a business worth transitioning. Resources & Links The One Number — Black Star Wealth's system for simplifying spending and aligning money with your goals. Learn more at blackstarwealth.com Connect With Black Star Wealth Website: blackstarwealth.com LinkedIn: Wendy Brookhouse | Kelsey MacAulay Podcast: The Number — available on all major platforms If this episode resonated, follow The Number so you don't miss what's next.