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Story By The Riverbank

Let’s picture your cash flow. I want you to imagine cash flowing through your business, like water in a stream—steady, purposeful, visible. 

Unfortunately,  most of us? We’re stuck upstream, trying to splish and splash our way through “making money” without thinking about where it goes. That’s how I was for the longest—pouring heart and hustle into my biz, but watching profit slip away like sand through fingertips.

Thankfully, that’s going to change for both of us thanks to this interview with Geily Romero, a fractional CFO and all-around Cashflow Queen. She turned my “murky money fears” into a clear path: not just tracking what’s coming in and going out… but actually using cash flow to grow my business with confidence.

Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Stop into my YouTube channel for weekly videos about all things content marketing
• Geily’s membership group, The Profitable Circle Membership (use code “AMANDA” for 30 days free)
• Grab the Mastering Cash Flow Guide at Geily’s website
• Relay Bank, recommended by Geily for setting up automatic cash flow into predetermined accounts
• Geily’s Book recommendation: 10x is Easier than 2x by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy
• Action Step: Set up your bookkeeping or hire a bookkeeper.
• One of my favorite business finance books, Profit First by Mike Michalowicz, it comes up all the time. Even if you aren’t following everything inside, it is a great resource, and one of my favorites for thinking about my business finance’s.
• Want your own live coaching session? Apply here
• Find me on Instagram and tell me what you thought of this episode: @mrsamandawarfield

Why Cash Flow Is The Real Game-Changer (Not Just Revenue or a P&L)

Geily broke it down in a way that stopped my eyes from glazing over:

• Revenue is your top line—what’s pouring in.
  
• Profit is the bottom line—what’s left after all the noise.
  
• Cash flow? Now that’s the movement in between—tracking where every dollar is going so your river doesn’t dry up.
  

Imagine having clarity on WHEN money needs to come in (timing), HOW MUCH needs to come in relative to what goes out (amount), and what system you have to manage it all. That’s what makes cash flow strategic, not just arithmetic.

Build Clarity With Systems Over Stress

Geily is all about simplicity—and she starts by helping you build a system instead of sweating over the next dollar.

Step 1: Clean Up Your Books

If you don’t have a bookkeeper—or your books feel like sticky notes and mystery expenses—start there. Without records, clarity is just a dream. 

Step 2: Set Up Your Cash Flow Levels

She describes four “levels”:

1. You’re still funding the business from your pocket.
   
2. Business can at least cover operating costs (but not taxes or pay).
   
3. Business can cover its expenses and taxes.
   
4. Business fully supports itself—including paying you, having reserves, and covering taxes.
   

Knowing your level helps you stop trying to sprint from chaos—so you can build upward, not spin in overwhelm.

Step 3: Use a Modified Profit First System

Think four bank accounts, not a dozen:

• Operating expenses
  
• Tax savings
  
• Reserves (like a cushion)
  
• Owner’s pay
  

As income comes in, it hits each account by percentage—not manually toggling numbers each time. I personally use Navy Federal for my banking, but Geily let us know that Relay Bank, the Profit First–friendly bank, can automate this for you.

Step 4: Start Small with Percentages

You don’t need 75% for profits on day one. Geily recommends starting with something like 5% profit, 10-15% for taxes, and letting the rest build your pay and operations. Grow it over time.

Step 5: Run an Expense Audit

Figure out your minimum monthly burn—your true baseline for running the business. Anything over that isn’t “just sitting there”—it belongs in one of those designated accounts.

I want you to picture your business not as a trickle or a flood, but as a steady, manageable river—flowing toward your goals, not backwards into overwhelm. Cash flow isn’t boring math—it’s your tool for freedom, sustainability, and yes, paying yourself what you truly deserve.

If your finances feel entangled, you’re not alone—and there is clarity on the other side. Let’s not just survive our numbers—let’s make them work for us.

Your Action Step This Week

This week, take a breath and start one small, clear step:
If you don’t have a bookkeeper—or if your records are a hot mess—spend 30 minutes gathering your income and expenses (even if it’s just Excel or your bank statements). Then, figure out how much your business actually costs to run, and then only move from there. That clarity is powerful.

This Week’s Book Recommendation

Geily recommended a book that shifted her mindset—and mine might be next on the list: “10X Is Easier Than 2X“. It helps you dream bigger (and smarter), by scaling in a way that doesn’t burn you out.