From Money Fog to Profit & Panache: 7 Numbers Every Stylish Founder Should Know
Your business looks busy.
Your days are full.
But when you glance at your bank balance, it still feels… blurry.
That blur is what I call Money Fog.
Not because you are “bad with money”, but because no one ever showed you which numbers actually matter — and how to read them in a way that supports the life you are building.
You do not need a finance degree.
You need a short, beautiful list of numbers that give you clarity at a glance.
Here are the seven numbers every stylish founder should know if they want to move from Money Fog to Profit & Panache.
1. Your Minimum Monthly Personal Take‑Home
This is the number that lets you breathe.
It is the amount you need to pay yourself every month to cover your non‑negotiables: home, food, family, basics, and a little bit of joy.
Why it matters:
Without this number, every month feels like a guessing game.
With it, you can instantly see if your business model even has a chance of supporting your real life.
Panache lens: this is not survival money. This is dignified money — the level that feels respectful of who you are and the life you are curating.
2. Your True Business Overheads
Overheads are the cost of keeping the lights on: software, rent, team, subscriptions, delivery costs, the tools you actually use.
Why it matters:
Until you know this, you cannot tell if you are “busy but broke” or genuinely profitable.
It shows you how much you need to make before you can pay yourself.
Profit & Panache move: do a quick annual sweep of subscriptions and “nice‑to‑haves” that no longer match the level of brand you’re building.
3. Your Average Monthly Revenue (Last 6–12 Months)
Not your best month. Not your worst.
Your real baseline: the average of what has actually come in.
Why it matters:
It stops you lying to yourself with “high‑light reel” months.
It is the number you should use when planning a 6‑figure year, not the one magical launch.
Panache lens: this is the “floor” under your lifestyle. From here, we ask: what needs to shift for this to feel more worthy of your work?
4. Your Gross Margin
Gross margin is:
(Sales – Direct Costs) ÷ Sales
In plain English: what’s left after you’ve paid to deliver the thing, but before overheads and tax.
Why it matters:
It shows whether your offers are structurally profitable, or if you are giving too much away in time, materials, or delivery costs.
It is where many “premium‑looking” brands quietly leak cash.
Profit & Panache move: review your top 1–3 offers. If the margin is consistently thin, you can either raise prices, trim delivery costs, or redesign the offer.
5. Your Effective Hourly Rate
Even if you charge packages, each one hides an implied hourly rate.
Why it matters:
It reveals whether your “successful” months are actually paying you like a junior contractor.
It keeps you honest about how long things really take when you include prep, admin, revisions, and emotional labour.
Panache lens: if your effective hourly rate is lower than what you would accept in a job you have outgrown, something needs to shift — price, scope, or both.
6. Your 90‑Day Cash Buffer
This is the total of accessible cash (business and, if relevant, ring‑fenced personal) that you could use to keep things running if income dipped.
Why it matters:
Cash buffer = nervous system buffer.
With even a modest runway, you make braver, more intelligent decisions: raising prices, saying no, changing direction.
Profit & Panache move: set a gentle, stylish target like “3 months of lean expenses” and treat building that buffer as an act of self‑care, not punishment.
7. Your “Enough for Now” Income Goal
This is the stepping‑stone between where you are and the 6‑figure dream.
It is:
Higher than your survival take‑home
Lower than the big long‑term goal
Specific enough that you can design offers and pricing around it
Why it matters:
It turns “one day I’d love a 6‑figure income” into a staged plan.
It gives your profit strategy a direction without drowning you in pressure.
Panache lens: “Enough for now” is not settling. It is acknowledging the season you are in, while designing a path towards something more generous.
From Numbers to Profit & Panache
Knowing these seven numbers will not magically make you rich.
What they will do is:
Clear the fog
Show you where the leaks and limits are
Give you a calm starting point for every decision
That is where Profit & Panache lives: in the space where clarity meets ambition, and where numbers stop being something you avoid and start being something that quietly supports you.
If you read this and thought, “I need help figuring out my seven,” that’s exactly what I help with.
You can:
Start small with a one‑off taster (a month of books done properly, a Pricing & Panache Power Hour, or a Cashflow Calm Session), or
Dive deeper with a Profit Architecture Day to map out your next season with numbers that finally make sense.
Either way, the goal is the same:
less Money Fog, more Profit & Panache.
