Don’t Move the Goalpost: It’s Easier to Advise Than to Do 8-6-25 - Becker Business

Summary3 min read

Becker Business Podcast Summary: "Don’t Move the Goalpost: It’s Easier to Advise Than to Do"

Release Date: August 6, 2025
Host: Scott Becker
Podcast: Becker Business, Becker Private Equity Podcast
Episode Title: Don’t Move the Goalpost: It’s Easier to Advise Than to Do

Introduction and Acknowledgments

In the opening segment of this episode, Scott Becker extends heartfelt shout-outs to his invaluable team members, emphasizing the critical role they play in the podcast's success.

At 00:10, Scott acknowledges Chanel Bunger, the podcast producer, whose efforts ensure each episode runs smoothly.
At 00:25, he thanks Jessica Jolliffe from Becker's Healthcare, highlighting her contributions.
Additionally, Scott expresses gratitude towards Cosette Benjamin, praising her as "extremely helpful" and integral to the team’s operations.

These acknowledgments set a tone of appreciation and teamwork, underscoring the behind-the-scenes support that enables the podcast's quality content.

Main Theme: Don't Move the Goalpost

Scott delves into the episode's central theme: "Don't Move the Goalpost: It’s Easier to Advise Than to Do." He explores the challenges of maintaining consistent business targets and the pitfalls of continually adjusting objectives.

Key Points Discussed:

Case Study of a Friend’s Business:
- At 01:00, Scott shares a story about a close friend struggling to maintain expense targets. Despite achieving a record revenue month, the business isn't profitable because they continuously add expenses, effectively "moving the goalpost."
- This example illustrates how exceeding revenue expectations doesn't necessarily translate to success if costs are not managed effectively.
Personal Reflection on Business Practices:
- At 02:30, Scott reflects on his own experiences developing various businesses. He admits that while he can easily identify others' mistakes in moving the goalposts, he often falls into the same trap.
- "I see myself... sometimes guilty of exactly the behavior that I so ardently lecture my friend about," Scott confesses, highlighting the universal difficulty of adhering to sound financial practices even when one knows better.
The Temptation to Expand Expenses:
- At 04:00, he discusses how initial success in one revenue stream can lead to complacency, prompting the addition of more expenses. This incremental increase worsens the financial balance, making it harder for revenues to cover costs.
- "We've moved the goalposts, making it harder and harder to have revenues match expenses," Scott explains, emphasizing the cyclical nature of this business flaw.
Moral of the Story:
- At 05:30, Scott summarizes the episode's lesson: advising others to avoid moving the goalpost is straightforward, but implementing this advice in one's own business is considerably more challenging.
- "I'm very good at preaching to my colleague about not moving the goalpost, but I'm often guilty of making the same error myself," he admits, underscoring the personal struggle between knowledge and action.

Insights and Conclusions

Scott's candid discussion offers several valuable insights for entrepreneurs and business leaders:

Self-Awareness is Crucial: Recognizing one's own tendencies to adjust goals impulsively is the first step toward sustainable business growth.
Consistent Expense Management: Maintaining strict control over expenses, even during periods of revenue growth, is essential for profitability.
The Advisor’s Dilemma: Advising others requires a level of objectivity that can be challenging to maintain when similar issues arise within one's own ventures.

Closing Remarks

Before concluding, Scott reiterates his gratitude towards his team members—Chanel Bunger, Cosette Benjamin, and Jessica Jolliffe—for their outstanding support. He emphasizes their role in making the podcast a success and thanks the listeners for their continued support.

At 07:00, Scott states, "Thank you all for your amazing help. Just the best in the business. I can tell you how thankful I am."

He wraps up the episode with a heartfelt thank you to his audience, encouraging them to apply the episode's lessons to their own businesses.

Takeaway:
The episode "Don’t Move the Goalpost: It’s Easier to Advise Than to Do" serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of steadfast financial management. Scott Becker's honest reflections and real-world examples illustrate the delicate balance between growth and sustainability, urging business leaders to stay disciplined in their financial strategies to achieve true profitability.

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Transcript1 lines

[00:00]
Scott Becker
This is Scott Becker with the Becker Business podcast, the Becker Private Equity Podcast. I'll start today with a quick shout out to two people that I work with closely. They're just fantastic. I might end a third. One is Chanel Bunger, our podcast producer. Two is Jessica Jolliffe, who is with us at Becker's Healthcare. And Becker Business was just the most amazing virtual assistant ever. And finally third, Cosette Benjamin, who's also extremely helpful. So that's my quick shout out to the day. Before we get into the concept of this podcast, today's concept is don't move the goalpost. It's easier to advise than to do so. So one of my closest friends has been involved in a business where they have the hardest time keeping expenses at the right target amount each month so that they don't. So they could they keep their expense where they are and get revenues to beat those numbers so they finally have a record month in revenues. But even though they had a record month in revenues, they're still not making money because they keep on moving the goalpost. Now, similarly, as I develop other businesses at different times, it it is very easy for me to see the error in somebody else's ways, but not correct my own. So I see myself, as I start different businesses, sometimes guilty of exactly the behavior that I so ardently lecture my friend about. And I know he gets sick of me doing it because I'll get into that pitch tone or that sort of talking and preaching like, you got to stop moving the goalpost. You got to stop doing this. You got to get a general manager. You got to do this, you got to do that. And so I know all things. And of course, like many things in life, it's very easy to know all things versus actually doing the right thing. So I find myself in different businesses that I deal with often doing the same error that he or they do in moving the goalposts, making it harder for revenues to catch up to expenses. So recently we had one revenue source going great, and that's terrific. But then we add on more expenses so we get again, we've moved the goalposts, make it harder and harder to to have revenues match expenses. So the moral of the story is I'm very good at preaching to my colleague about not moving the goalpost, but I'm often guilty of making the same error myself, moving the goalpost, making harder and harder to get to the spot. We break even in that business. So that's the gist of the story for today. Again, the shout out today to Chanel Bunger, Cozette Benjamin and Jessica Jolof. Thank you all for your amazing help. Just the best in the business. I can tell you how thankful I am. Thank you very, very much. And thank you for listening to the Becker Business Podcast, the Becker Private Equity Podcast. Thank you so much.