What separates businesses that scale from those that stall?

In this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, we’re joined by Stewart Ervin, founder of Bracket Management and creator of Built to Run: The $100 Million System. Stewart specializes in business turnarounds and operational systems designed to align finance and operations—so businesses can scale efficiently and maximize value.

Stewart shares a practical playbook for helping owners break through growth ceilings by focusing on:

Clean financials that tell the real story
Core process reviews that improve efficiency
Forward-looking forecasts that drive decision-making

Drawing from deep experience in the manufacturing sector, Stewart explains how fractional CFO services can deliver C-suite-level insights without the full-time cost. He also discusses how smart pricing, cost optimization, and cultural alignment can unlock new levels of profitability.

Whether you're building toward an exit or just trying to regain control, this episode delivers actionable insights for creating a business that runs—without running you.

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About Our Guest:

Stewart Ervin, founder of Bracket Management and creator of the Built to Run: The $100M System™ — a no-fluff, execution-first operating system for real businesses that are stuck, scaling, or preparing for exit.

With over 25 years of experience in finance, operations, and manufacturing leadership, Stewart has helped companies break through profit ceilings, eliminate chaos, and drive results — not just reports. His clients, typically owner-led businesses between $1M and $100M, see an average 36.7% increase in revenue and a 27.9% increase in net profit.

About the Host:

Dave Bookbinder is known as an expert in business valuation and he is the person that business owners and entrepreneurs reach out to when they need to know what their most important assets are worth. Known as a collaborative adviser, Dave has served thousands of client companies of all sizes and industries.

Dave is the author of two #1 best-selling books about the impact of human capital (PEOPLE!) on the valuation of a business enterprise called The NEW ROI: Return On Individuals & The NEW ROI: Going Behind The Numbers.

He’s on a mission to change the conversation about how the accounting world recognizes the value of people’s contributions to a business enterprise, and to quantify what every CEO on the planet claims: “Our people are this company’s most valuable asset.”

Dave’s book, A Valuation Toolbox for Business Owners and Their Advisors: Things Every Business Owner Should Know, was recognized as a top new release in Business and Valuation and is designed to provide practical insights and tools to help understand what really drives business value, how to prepare for an exit, and just make better decisions.

He’s also the host of the highly rated Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder business podcast which is enjoyed in more than 100 countries.

🔸 Grab Dave’s Books: The New ROI: Return on Individuals | The NEW ROI: Going Behind The Numbers | A Valuation Toolbox for Business Owners and Their Advisors: Things Every Business Owner Should Know

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🔸 Check out www.NEWROI.com for more.

💡 Want to share your insights with the business community? Message Dave to learn how you can be a guest on Behind The Numbers. https://linktr.ee/BehindTheNumbers

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