What I didn’t expect was that I would eventually become one of his clients too. Like many small business owner, I had a reasonable understanding of our finances, as in, I knew roughly where things sat but what I realised through working with Sloan is that “roughly knowing” and having genuine financial clarity are two very different things.Sloan wasn’t focused on creating fear or finding problems. Instead, he helped me understand what the numbers were actually telling me. Where was money flowing? What was working well? Where were opportunities being missed? What needed more attention? What became obvious very quickly was that the numbers tell a story. 

One question Sloan asked that really stayed with me was: “Is the business serving me, or am I serving the business?” It’s one of those questions that sounds simple, but the more you sit with it, the more powerful it becomes. As business owners, it’s easy to get caught up chasing growth. But if we’re not careful, we can find ourselves building a business that consumes our life rather than supports it.

That’s why Sloan believes EOFY should be about much more than tax returns and compliance. “EOFY is less about looking backwards and more about creating clarity for the year ahead,” he says. It’s an opportunity to pause and ask whether your business is actually helping you create the life you want.

One of my favourite insights from Sloan is this: “Goals give money a clear job and a purpose.” It’s such a simple statement, yet it stopped me in my tracks. Most business owners work incredibly hard to make money, but many have never clearly defined what they actually want that money to do.

Do you want more freedom? More security? A bigger team? Investment opportunities Less stress? More time with family? A future beyond the business. Without a destination, it’s difficult to know whether you’re making progress. And that’s where clarity becomes so important.

As Sloan says, financial clarity helps you distinguish between a genuine investment and an expensive distraction. That’s a lesson I think many of us need reminding of.

Another insight that resonated with me was his belief that income alone doesn’t create wealth. Many professionals and business owners are earning good money, yet still feel like they’re not getting ahead. According to Sloan, financial progress comes from the quality of decisions we make and how effectively we put our income to work over time. In other words, it’s not just about earning more; it’s about being intentional with what you already have.

Sloan’s work also extends well beyond business owners. One area he’s particularly passionate about is helping organisations improve the financial wellbeing of their teams. It’s easy to assume financial education is only for people who are struggling financially. But that’s not what Sloan sees. Many employees are earning good incomes and building successful careers, yet still don’t have a clear understanding of where their money is going because life gets busy and sometimes habits take over.

Spending happens without intention and before they know it, they’re wondering why they’re not making more progress. By helping people better understand their finances, spending habits and goals, Sloan helps create greater confidence, control and financial wellbeing. For businesses, that matters. Because financial stress doesn’t stay at home. It affects focus, confidence, productivity, wellbeing and decision-making at work. Helping employees gain greater financial confidence isn’t just good for individuals. It’s good for business too.

One of the reasons I wanted to share Sloan’s story is because there are so many parallels between what he does and what we do at Branding Profiles. He helps people gain clarity around their finances. We help people gain clarity around how they show up in the world. Greater confidence equates to better decisions and  stronger businesses.

As we head into another financial year, maybe the goal isn’t simply to make more money. Maybe it’s to better understand the money we’re already making. Because when you understand where you are, where you want to go, and what’s required to bridge that gap, business becomes a whole lot less overwhelming. And your money finally has a job to do.