The Number

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.

The Number is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 168 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts The Number, a business show with 168 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  The Number

  The Two Numbers Every Business Owner Should Know

  Aug 13, 202616 minS6

  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.

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  The Number

  How to Resolve a Business Partner Dispute Without Going to Court

  Aug 4, 202631 minS6

  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.

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  The Number

  How to Know What Your Business Is Really Worth

  Jul 7, 202618 minS6

  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.

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  The Number

  CPP Explained: Salary vs Dividends for Business Owners

  Jun 22, 202612 minS6

  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

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  The Number

  How Business Owners Can Start Using AI Well

  Jun 8, 202639 minS6

  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.

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