If Your Business Isn’t Making Money, You Have An Exhausting Hobby
Jo Rawald • March 18, 2025
Let me tell you about a landscaping business in Kansas pulling in $1.2 million a year in gross revenues. Sounds like a solid business, right? Except for one little problem - over the past ten years, they racked up $1.3 million in unpaid invoices.
That’s not just bad; that’s horrific. They weren't just doing work for free - it was costing them money to service a client's lawn!
Their billing and collection system was a disaster. Clients were paying late (if at all), invoices were slipping through the cracks, and their bank account was bleeding cash. But here’s the kicker - they didn’t even realize how bad it was because their bank account never went into the negative. It came close a few times, but, as long as there was still $100 in their checking account - they thought they were doing fine.
From that moment, when we discovered their 10-year Accounts Receivable balance was well into the 7-figures, we came up with a collections plan! I know what you’re thinking. “Jo, there’s no way you went back ten years and collected on old invoices.” Ohhhhh....but we did. And not just that - we re-invoiced and sent late payment notices for every single outstanding balance, even ones from a decade ago.
But here’s the secret sauce - we didn’t just send out friendly reminders and hoped for the best. Nope. We threatened to report every single past-due balance to the IRS. [Keep reading if you want to learn more about how we did that]. Suddenly, those clients who had been ghosting them for years? They started paying real fast when they heard the IRS could get involved.
And guess what? In just six weeks, we collected $1,079,000 a whopping 83% of what they thought was a lost cause.
Now, let me be clear - that didn’t happen by magic. It wasn’t just about sending invoices. It took hustle, strategy, and relentless follow-up. But we did it. And once we got that money in the door, we put a bulletproof billing and collection system in place so they NEVER ended up in that mess again.
Now? Today? They have a $0 balance on anything past 30 days. Clients pay ON TIME, cash flow is smooth, and they don’t have to chase down their own money anymore.
So let me ask you - how much money are YOU leaving on the table? How many clients are you “hoping” will pay? How long are you willing to stay stuck, grinding without seeing the cash actually hit your account?
Because here’s the truth - Hard work alone doesn’t equal profit. Strategy does.
And that’s exactly why I created Brains, Brilliance & Bold Moves - a LIVE, in-person workshop in South Florida for women business owners who are DONE spinning their wheels and READY to get paid what they’re worth.
This is where business owners learn how to make MONEY.
B.A.M.B.O.O. - The Business Growth Formula That Refuses to Break
Bamboo doesn’t chase sunlight - it grows straight to it.
It doesn’t fight for space - it claims it.
It doesn’t wait for perfect conditions - it expands anyway.
Your business should be doing the same.
If you’re tired of grinding without growing, GET IN THE ROOM.
Brains, Brilliance & Bold Moves
📍 LIVE in South Florida – Are you in?
📅 Wednesday, May 7, 2025
📍 Total Wine & More | Pembroke Pines, FL
👉 Do you know a badass woman business owner who’s tired of struggling? Forward this email and bring her with you.
Let’s get you in the room and turn your business into a money-making machine.
See you at Brains, Brilliance & Bold Moves!
See you there,
Jo Rawald
For more details on Badass Ways to Collect Unpaid Invoices, download my free guide at https://www.jorawald.com/badass-ways-to-collect-overdue-invoices
I went to a networking event yesterday at Rosie’s Bar & Grill in Wilton Manors. Tropical-chic to the max. You know the kind of place - upscale casual, strong cocktails, mandatory valet. Now usually, I’m all about valet. But not yesterday. I wasn’t there to sip martinis or hang around all night. I could only stay for 20-minutes. That means - I was on a serious 20-minute mission: say hi, shake hands, peace out. Then, get back in my car to jump on a Zoom meeting! I certainly wasn’t about to drop $20 just to park my car for 20 minutes. No way! I pulled into the valet area, looked the guy dead in the eye, and said, “I’ll be in and out faster than your last relationship. Can I just park it right here?” And bless his heart - he said yes. Honestly, that should’ve been my win for the night. But then I met Sean Gac-Guerrier. Sean’s the Marketing Director at Excel Title, Inc. We started talking about dogs - and **cue the angels singing. We clicked instantly. Not two strangers meeting, more like two childhood friends who hadn’t seen each other in a decade! Sean showed me a photo of his dog, Dottie. I pulled out pics of my girl, Adelaide. Then he pulled out a photo of Dottie that stopped me in my tracks. Sean had a photo of what Dottie would look like as a human. Not a cartoon. Not a filter. I’m talking AI-generated, fully humanized, real-world, cardigan-wearing, intelligent-and-intimidating Dottie. I was mesmerized! It was as if Pixar and the FBI teamed up to design her. I looked at Adelaide’s pic… then looked back at Sean… and blurted out, “I need to humanize my dog!!” And I did. I went home, found the exact AI prompt, uploaded Adelaide’s photo, answered a few fun questions about her personality, and style - then… BOOM. Human Adelaide was born. Tall, lean, cozy-chic, with that unmistakable “don’t-mess-with-me-but-I’ll-still-hug-you” vibe. She looked like she ran Homeland Security and still had time for tacos and espresso martinis on a rooftop. Honestly? I stared at the image for like five minutes. Because it wasn’t just about making something cute. It was about seeing something familiar - something you know - come to life in a new way. Here’s the AI Prompt if you want to try it yourself:
Your business is not a side dish. It’s the main course—and it deserves to be treated like one. In this no-BS blog, I’m calling out “leftover” business strategies that leave women entrepreneurs stuck, stressed, and scaling in all the wrong ways. Discover how to build a business that’s bold, sustainable, and built to outlast trends using my BAMBOO Framework.
Too many women are stuck in the hustle—working nonstop, solving the same problems, and barely seeing the return.
You didn’t start your business to burn out. You started it to break free.
If you’re ready to ditch the stress and build a business that actually pays you back, this is your moment.
Join me LIVE in South Florida at Brains, Brilliance & Bold Moves—where I’ll show you how to scale smart, simplify your systems, and make way more money doing less.
🍷 Dinner, wine, and your profit breakthrough: www.jorawald.com/Brains-Brilliance-and-Bold-Moves
If your business feels like a tornado of to-do lists, dropped balls, and duct-taped systems… it’s not just exhausting—it’s expensive.
Chaos costs you time, clarity, and cold hard cash.
This blog is your wake-up call:
🛠️ Simplify your operations
💸 Stop bleeding profit
📈 Build a business that works for you
Read it. Apply it. Start making smart money moves →
👉 https://siteeditor.thryv.com/home/site/c8e9f361/blog/if-your-business-feels-like-a-hot-mess-its-costing-you-money#preview
You’re not charging too much. You’re not “bad at sales.”
You’re just leaving money on the table—and this blog breaks down exactly how to stop.
If you’re underpricing, over-delivering, or relying on guesswork to grow… you’re leaking profit.
Let’s fix that.
I’m giving you the tools to:
💰 Price like a pro
📊 Package for profit
🎯 Sell with strategy
Read it, bookmark it, share it with your business BFFs →
👉 www.jorawald.com/youre-leaving-money-on-the-table-lets-fix-that
The right clients are watching—but do they actually know what you do?
If your messaging is vague, cute, or confusing, you’re basically invisible.
This blog is your wake-up call to get crystal clear, magnetic, and straight-up undeniable.
You’ll learn how to:
🧲 Attract the right people (without chasing)
📢 Clarify your offer
👑 Show up as the go-to expert in your space
Because your next client isn’t on the fence—they’re just unsure if you are the answer. Fix that here →
👉 www.jorawald.com/the-right-clients-should-be-coming-to-you-theyre-watching-but-do-they-know-what-you-do
One Zoom call. That’s all it took to blow up how I coach—and rebuild it into something way more powerful.
If you’re overcomplicating your client process, trying to “do it all,” or feel like coaching is starting to drain you… this blog is your game-changer.
Inside, I break down:
🔥 The shift that simplified everything
🎯 How I get faster results (without burning out)
💡 What most coaches get totally wrong
If you’re a coach or service provider who’s doing the most and getting the least—read this NOW.
👉 www.jorawald.com/this-one-zoom-call-changed-how-i-coached-forever
They’re dyeing rivers green for attention—and you’re still “hoping” someone sees your post?
Nope. Not in this business.
Visibility isn’t optional. If you're not making waves, you're not getting paid.
This blog dives into why playing small is costing you BIG and how to show up like a brand that actually wants to win.
Inside, I break down:
🌊 Visibility vs. volume
🎯 Making moves that matter
💡 Building brand authority (without gimmicks)
Your audience is watching—what are you showing them?
👉 www.jorawald.com/they-re-dyeing-rivers-green-what-are-you-doing
Sometimes the best business lessons don’t come from a boardroom—they show up at the dog park.
This blog unpacks a real-life moment with my pup that exposed something big:
Too many women entrepreneurs are overthinking, under-trusting, and second-guessing their own power.
Here’s what I realized (and what you need to hear):
🐾 Your instincts are an asset
🧠 Overanalyzing kills momentum
👑 Leadership starts with self-trust
Don’t miss this one—it’s a mindset reset wrapped in fur.
👉 www.jorawald.com/the-lesson-i-didnt-expect-at-the-dog-park
My husband turned dinner into a full-blown hostage negotiation—and honestly? It was a sales masterclass.
If you’ve ever struggled with pricing, people-pleasing, or setting clear boundaries in business, this one’s for you.
Inside, I share:
🍽️ The negotiation moment that made me rethink sales
🧠 Why boundaries = profitability
🎯 How to own your worth without explaining yourself
It’s part humor, part truth bomb—and 100% strategy.
👉 www.jorawald.com/when-your-husband-treats-dinner-with-his-friend-like-a-hostage-negotiation