What would actually happen if you injected $250,000 into your business tomorrow—would it create real value, or disappear into unfocused spending? In this episode of The Business Behind Your Business, host Paul Sweeney sits down with Rodrigo Rodriguez-Novás to tackle one of the most common (and costly) challenges facing founders and business owners: the gap between big ideas and disciplined execution. If you’ve ever felt confident in your vision but uncertain about where to invest time, money, or people, this conversation will give you a clearer path forward.

Rodrigo is the founder and CEO of NORDES Consulting, a former global finance leader, business school professor, and author of The CFO Myth. Drawing on more than 20 years of experience across finance and operations, he introduces his practical CPR Framework—Core, Priorities, and Resources—a simple but powerful way to stop building your business backwards and start allocating resources where they actually create value.

Throughout the episode, Rodrigo explains why raising money is often easier than using it wisely, and how many businesses fail not from lack of capital, but from poor spending discipline. He unpacks the idea of “building backwards,” where founders focus on shiny tools, roles, or growth initiatives before validating the core problem they are solving. You’ll also hear why responsible spending culture matters at every level of a business, why not every company needs a CFO (yet), and how treating company money with the same care as your own can dramatically improve sustainability.

This is a grounded, common-sense conversation about slowing down to grow stronger—perfect for business owners who want to turn vision into execution without burning cash or momentum.

Rodrigo Rodríguez-Novás is the Founder and CEO of NORDES Consulting, a boutique firm specializing in financial leadership, operational efficiency and M&A execution.

With more than 20 years of global experience in finance, operations, and executive leadership, he brings a sharp, strategic mindset to every challenge—paired with the steady focus of a former competitive freediver. Rodrigo holds an MBA from EGADE Business School and has pursued advanced studies at The London School of Economics, Wharton, and the University for Peace.

A certified Project Management Professional, author, entrepreneur and business school professor, Rodrigo is passionate about building resilient businesses, leading with purpose, and helping others navigate complexity with clarity and confidence.

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www.cfomyth.com

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If you’re a business owner thinking about private equity, growth, or an eventual exit, this episode could save you years of stress — and potentially millions of dollars. Most founders only learn how private equity really works after they’ve signed a term sheet, when it’s often too late to negotiate from a position of strength.

Paul Sweeney is joined by Alexis Sikorsky, founder of KnightScale Partners and a former CEO who successfully scaled and sold his own software company in a $100M+ private equity exit.

You'll learn:

• What private equity buyers are actually looking for
• How deals are structured, and what you should have in place before you ever start the conversation
• A deeper understanding of private equity - it's not 'funding' in the traditional sense, how it differs from venture capital, and why so many founders misunderstand the process
• What private equity firms really buy (profitability, growth, and operational discipline)
• The importance of understanding your numbers
• Why time horizons, autonomy, and alignment matter more than headline valuations
• Hard-earned lessons on due diligence, common red flags, and tactics founders must watch out for — including how deals can quietly change during the process

This conversation is an essential listen for founders approaching the $5–15 million revenue mark, feeling stuck at a growth plateau, or wondering whether private equity is the right exit path for them. It’s a practical, honest look at how to prepare your business, protect your interests, and make informed decisions about your next chapter.

Alexis Sikorsky is a strategic advisor to founders who are serious about scaling fast and exiting strong. With a nine-figure private equity exit under his belt, Alexis isn’t speaking from theory—he’s lived the entrepreneurial highs and lows across decades of company building, boardroom negotiation, and international leadership. His flagship book Cashing Out lays out the APEX methodology, a four-part framework (Assess, Plan, Execute, Exit) that demystifies the journey to private equity for founders feeling stuck or overwhelmed by growth and decision fatigue.

Alexis founded, scaled, and sold New Access, a Switzerland-based software company, ultimately closing a $100M+ exit and transitioning into a new chapter as a Special Advisor to ambitious CEOs. Today, through Sikorsky Consulting and KnightScale Partners, he works with growth-stage businesses, typically doing $5M+ in annual revenue, who want to engineer their next chapter or PE exit.

A straight-talking alternative to cookie-cutter coaches, Alexis is often referred to as "The CEO Whisperer" for his candid insight and ability to diagnose issues in minutes. He supports leaders who are weighed down by their own business, helping them build vision, unlock cash flow, and scale toward freedom. He's also on a mission to serve founders priced out of one-to-one consulting through his mastermind programs, offering a rare blend of lived experience and practical strategy.

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www.knightscalepartners.com

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What happens when you want to grow your business—but you refuse to lose its heart in the process? In this episode of The Business Behind Your Business, host Paul Sweeney sits down with Nuttha Goutier, founder of Sabai Thai Spa, to explore how small business owners can scale, franchise, and systemise without sacrificing values, culture, or authenticity. If you’re worried that growth might dilute what makes your business special, this conversation offers both reassurance and a practical roadmap.

Nuttha shares her remarkable journey from growing up in rural Thailand—where wellness, community, and natural healing were part of everyday life—to building an award-winning spa franchise in Canada. She explains how her early experiences shaped a deeply human-centred approach to business, one focused on care, consistency, simplicity, and genuine connection rather than transactions.

Throughout the conversation, Nuttha breaks down how she translated “heart” into systems—developing repeatable customer and staff journeys that preserve culture at scale. She explains how Sabai Thai Spa trains teams, selects franchise partners, adapts across cultures and generations, and maintains a deeply personal customer experience across multiple locations.

This episode is a powerful reminder that systems don’t have to make businesses cold—and that franchising can be a force for connection, purpose, and impact when done intentionally. For founders considering expansion, franchising, or simply wanting to build a more meaningful business, Nuttha’s story offers inspiration and practical insight grounded in real-world experience.

Nuttha Goutier Growing up in a Thai village without running water or electricity, Nuttha Goutier saw healing as part of life, not a luxury. Days spent gathering herbs with local healers and learning from her grandmother taught her that wellness was about community, presence, and simple daily practices. When she moved to Canada, she was struck by how spas often felt sterile, rushed, and focused on transactions instead of connection. She dreamed of creating a space where guests felt welcomed like family, somewhere that could bring the sensory richness of Thai hospitality to a new place.

Nuttha opened Sabai Thai Spa to offer guests more than a service: from warm greetings to calming scents, every element was chosen to help people slow down and feel cared for. The immediate response from the community confirmed the need for a spa that offered genuine warmth. Over nearly two decades, she has expanded Sabai Thai Spa into a franchise recognized for its immersive Thai-inspired environments and consistently attentive service.

Through franchising, Nuttha aims to make wellness a regular part of life for more people, helping communities embrace massage and self-care as everyday practices rather than rare indulgences. Her leadership is rooted in the belief that taking care of ourselves helps us be better in every role, from parenting to work to simply showing up for ourselves.

www.sabaithai.com

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