Action Academy: The ONE Framework That Turned Panic Into $80K/Month (And Can Solve All Your Business Problems)

Host: Brian Luebben
Guest: Salish Navidad
Air Date: September 9, 2025

Overview

This episode of the Action Academy Podcast features a breakthrough coaching session between host Brian Luebben and Action Academy member/entrepreneur Salish Navidad. The episode dives deep into the mindset and strategic frameworks that helped Salish rapidly scale her business, Home Run Experts, from zero to nearly $80K/month in revenue—while replacing debilitating fear with clarity and confidence. The conversation provides real-world, step-by-step guidance for founders who feel panic as they scale, revealing how a simple framework (diagnosing state, story, strategy) can dissolve overwhelm and create rapid business growth.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. From Overwhelm to Opportunity: Salish’s Story (00:00–05:45)

• Salish’s background: Started Home Run Experts to help contractors navigate the permit-pulling process for rebuilds after Los Angeles wildfires.
• Unique value: Her experience in both construction geology and government plan review positions her to streamline the bottlenecked permit process for contractors.
• Origin moment: Initially tried to buy a business before Action Academy peers convinced her to build on her unique skill set and the wildfire-driven market demand.
• Emotional context: Experienced early imposter syndrome and fear, even as revenue soared.

“I can't fathom that this is how my business is going so quick, so fast. It was just making like, shit ton of money real quick.”
—Salish, 00:43

2. Early Financials: Rapid Growth & Bottleneck Fears (04:02–08:07)

• Started with minimal retainers, then grew to $23K revenue and $13K net income within 3 months.
• Hired four consultants quickly as project demand overwhelmed her capacity.
• Fear triggered by seeing $12,400 in both her bank and on her credit card—despite business success.

“I looked at my bank account … and in my mind, that's like, well, I'm broke now.”
—Salish, 00:00

3. The ONE Framework: State, Story, or Strategy Problem? (08:23–13:14)

• Brian’s core advice: Whenever you’re freaking out, ask: Is this a State problem (how you’re physically/emotionally feeling), a Story problem (what you’re telling yourself), or a Strategy problem (systems/processes)?
• Emphasis: 80% of the time, the real issue is your state or story, not your strategy.
• Breakdown:
  • State: “Are you in stress mode, or in a clear, creative state?”
  • Story: “What beliefs are running in the background—am I worthy, is this sustainable, do I deserve this?”
  • Strategy: “What actual business actions or levers can solve this?”

“Whenever you're having a freak out, ask yourself these three questions. Is this a state problem, is this a story problem, or is this a strategy problem?”
—Brian, 00:13 & 08:23

4. Mindset: Shifting from Scarcity to Scalability (13:14–18:06)

• Origins of Salish’s scarcity: Growing up poor; frugality and fear of letting go of financial safety.
• Brian reframes ‘freakouts’: Identifies them as normal growing pains when you expand past your comfort zone.
• Key entrepreneurial lesson: Growth feels like pain—don’t confuse it for failure.

“You feel pain and you think it's the pain of failure? No, it's just the pain of growth.”
—Brian, 15:29

5. The Power of Price & Numbers (16:33–28:01)

• Business constraint identified: Salish has a supply (capacity), not a demand, constraint—her problem is too much business!
• Solution: Double her price for new clients to manage demand.
• Revenue math: By refining her offer to $7K per project and targeting even 20 new projects a month, she could realize $70K–$175K/month in revenue potentially.
• Mindset shift: Realizing the opportunity is “infinite” if she leverages her bottleneck as a lever (raising prices, hiring strategically).

“There's not many problems that writing a check can't solve ... You have control over price. Whenever you're an entrepreneur, the number one lever that we pull to fix our constraints is price.”
—Brian, 16:04 & 17:04

6. Building Systems & Focusing on Metrics (18:50–27:31)

• Operational review: Salish’s main bottleneck is following up with leads and tracking project/client data.
• Simple CRM/follow-up practices: The majority of her success comes from networking, in-person events, and direct outreach.
• Key insight: She doesn’t need social media yet; referrals and events alone can build a million-dollar business in her niche.
• Sales math: Figure out how many contractor conversations yield how many clients to set clear targets.

“Your job, solely as the CEO of the company, to make $80,000 a month to retire your family and save 50% of your profit is you have to talk to five contractors a day.”
—Brian, 46:01

7. Cash Flow & Profit-First Mentality (34:16–43:16)

• Profit First framework: Revenue minus profit equals expenses—not the other way around. Decide your margin first, then allocate money.
• Suggested splits: 40% profit, 10% marketing, 20% salaries, 30% OPEX.
• Real-world example: Brian’s business consistently achieves 40% margins using this approach.
• Practical takeaway: Use this framework to ensure sustainable cash flow and avoid running your business “by accident.”

“Business is literally making your own rules. There are no rules.”
—Brian, 36:16

8. Translating Big Goals Into Daily Action (43:51–48:43)

• Salish’s core goals: Retire her parents, provide $20K/mo for them, $20K/mo for her and her husband.
• Brian’s translation: With a 50% margin, $80K/mo revenue generates $40K in profit for her goals.
• Breakdown: To hit $80K/mo, she simply needs to close 23 new clients a month—or talk to five qualified contractors per day with a 23% close rate.

“If you guys want to know … for us to do $10 million a year … we need 54 members a month … We talk to 50 people a week, about 10 people a day, we'll do $10 million a year.”
—Brian, 47:05

9. Action Steps & Mindset Anchors

• Use the State/Story/Strategy tool during moments of overwhelm.
• Double prices for new business when facing excess demand.
• Know your metrics: Calculate how many conversations attract how many clients.
• Reframe debt/floating expenses as part of growth, not as personal failure.
• Put systems (CRM, follow-ups, referrals) before chasing shiny tactics (social media).
• Define your profit first—don’t let your business eat up your margin unknowingly.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Soundbites

• On Panic & Growth:
  • “What you're thinking is the feeling of failure is actually the feeling of growth.” (Brian, 15:27)
• On Pricing Power:
  • “Price is the ultimate lever that you can pull. And you don't think about things like this because you're thinking about things like an employee. Think about things like an entrepreneur.” (Brian, 16:53)
• On Referral Leverage:
  • “For every 3,500, maybe give them like 5 or 10% referral ... contractors know a hundred other contractors.” (Brian, 35:04)
• On Business Simplicity:
  • “Business is math, business is data … The strategy can actually become easy when you just know your numbers.” (Brian, 33:10)
• On Scaling:
  • “All you have to do is talk to five contractors a day, five days a week. That's 25 a week. Four weeks in a month, that's 100 a month. Close 23% of them at $3,500, you made $80,000.” (Brian, 46:24)

Practical Frameworks and Takeaways

• State/Story/Strategy Diagnostic: Use these three questions to break the spiral of panic and find the real constraint in your business.
• Profit First Accounting: Reverse the standard equation—define your net profit goal, then cap expenses to fit.
• Sales Math: Break revenue goals into daily actionable metrics (number of conversations/meetings).
• Leverage Bottlenecks: Raise prices to control demand and maximize margin before chasing more clients or tactics.
• Systemize Referrals: Contractors are the best referral sources for contractors; offer incentives and systematize follow-up.

Calls to Action & Closing

• Salish’s advice for listeners:

  “Just do it. It's so nice to be around … a room where everyone here is literally willing to help you and raise the bar and invest in you … You're not going to have that experience if you don't join.”
  —Salish, 52:03

• Contact Salish:
  • Instagram: @salishnavidad
  • Business: homerunexperts.com
  • Email: info@homerunexperts.com

Segment Timestamps (HH:MM)

• 00:00 – Salish’s bank account, panic
• 00:43 – Business blows up fast
• 01:57 – Overview: Helping contractors post-wildfires
• 04:02 – Early financials, hiring, overwhelm
• 08:23 – Brian introduces State/Story/Strategy framework
• 13:14 – Salish’s money story and upbringing
• 15:29 – The pain of growth vs. failure
• 16:33 – “Double your prices”, managing demand
• 22:44 – DISC profile & networking as lead gen
• 26:25 – Defining offer & pricing clarity
• 34:16 – “Profit First”, margins, and hiring
• 43:51 – Mapping financial targets to client numbers
• 46:01 – Five meaningful conversations a day as a million-dollar company
• 50:45 – Final thoughts on acclimating to entrepreneurship, next steps
• 52:03 – Salish on Action Academy
• 53:09 – Where to connect with Salish

Summary:
This episode deconstructs how to shift from fear and overwhelm into clarity, growth, and high-profit entrepreneurship using a simple diagnostic framework. With actionable advice, real-time “math,” and mindset wisdom, it serves as a blueprint for anyone looking to escape their job, conquer panic, and create a scalable, freedom-giving business.