What if you lost your largest client – representing forty percent of your entire revenue – almost overnight?
Most founders would panic and start mass layoffs, but our guest today chose a different path. He asked his entire team to take a pay cut so he could keep the talent together, and then he made a high-stakes gamble: he hired a salesperson and paid that person more than he was paying himself.
That move didn’t just save the company; it fueled a decade of growth that transformed a one-man shop into one of the largest independent agencies in the world.
Welcome to today’s episode of Your Business Growth Podcast. I’m your host, Jeremy Shapiro, author of Your Business Growth Playbook, and my guest today is Jon Morris.
About Jon Morris
Jon Morris is the Founder and CEO of Fiscal Advocate Inc, a technology-enabled professional services company powered by EngineBI software. His entrepreneurial journey began in 2004 when he established Rise Interactive using prize money from his second-place finish in the University of Chicago’s prestigious New Venture Challenge. Over the following sixteen years, he successfully scaled Rise from a one-person startup into one of the largest independent marketing agencies in the world.
After selling Rise in 2020, Jon sought a new way to help fellow entrepreneurs grow their businesses. He realized that the insights-driven finance that was instrumental to his agency’s success could benefit nearly any professional service company. This led to the creation of Fiscal Advocate, where he utilizes a proprietary, tech-enabled approach to surface hidden financial insights that drive critical business decisions for his clients.
The innovative services provided by Fiscal Advocate are designed to help companies drive revenue growth, improve profitability, and strengthen their cash position. By offering tech-enabled financial management—including accounting, cash flow analysis, and annual forecasting via EngineBI—Jon helps other agency owners move past plateaus using the same financial discipline that fueled his own massive growth.
Outside of his professional life, Jon is an avid soccer fan who played for his alma mater, Kenyon College. He is fascinated by data-driven approaches to developing youth athletes and enjoys spending his spare time with his wife, three daughters, and two dogs. His work continues to sit at the intersection of high-level financial strategy and entrepreneurial mentorship.
Connect with Jon Morris
Speed Round Answers:
- All In Lead Source: Partnerships
- Books: Choose a theme you want to improve on, then read five books in that theme to build your own point of view.
- Unlikeliest Mentor: Jack Kraft
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Jon Morris Episode Transcript
Coming Soon!
Like This Episode? There’s More!
Subscribe!
Your Business Growth Podcast is available on all major podcast platforms. Subscribe today!
Get the Book!
Pickup the #1 Best Seller, Your Business Growth Playbook today online or at your local bookseller!
Meet Jeremy!
Book your Blueprint Discovery Call with Jeremy today and get back to the growth you deserve!