Profits & Pints Recap — July 2026
- Strategic Business Coaching
- Aug 6
- 4 min read
The Decision Filter
How Successful Business Owners Know What to Say Yes To... and More Importantly, What to Say No To
Watch the Full Workshop Replay
If you missed this month's Profits & Pints, you're in luck! We recorded the entire session for you.
Catch the replay to learn a practical framework for evaluating opportunities, creating focus, and making decisions with more confidence.
Download the Worksheet:
The Big Idea: Most Business Owners Don't Have an Opportunity Problem
Business owners are rarely short on ideas.
New services.
New products.
New markets.
New partnerships.
New technology.
The challenge isn't finding opportunities.
The challenge is deciding which opportunities deserve your time, energy, and resources.
As Samantha shared during the session:
Most business owners don't have an opportunity problem. They have a decision problem.
Without a clear filter, every opportunity can seem like a good opportunity. The result is often distraction, overwhelm, and a business that feels busy but lacks focus.
The Fox and the Hedgehog
The foundation of the workshop came from Jim Collins' Hedgehog Concept.
The story compares two animals:
The fox knows many things.
The hedgehog knows one big thing.
The fox constantly tries new approaches and new strategies. The hedgehog stays focused on what works.
Every time the fox attacks, the hedgehog responds the same way. It doesn't get distracted. It doesn't chase new ideas. It sticks to its strength.
Successful businesses operate much the same way.
Rather than trying to be everything to everyone, they develop clarity around what they do best and use that clarity to guide decisions.
The Three Components of a Decision Filter
Samantha introduced a simple framework made up of three overlapping circles.
Where all three intersect is where the best opportunities live.
1. What Are You Passionate About?
This isn't necessarily the service you provide.
It's the work that energizes you.
What gets you excited to show up every day?
What problems do you love solving?
What kind of day makes you drive home thinking, "That was a great day?"
One example Samantha shared was a plumbing company owner who discovered that what he truly loved wasn't plumbing.
It was developing people.
That realization changed how he thought about the future of his business.
2. What Can You Be Best in the World At?
The second circle focuses on differentiation.
What makes you different from your competitors?
What do your customers consistently praise you for?
What do your Google reviews say over and over again?
Samantha encouraged attendees to think about the combination of strengths that make them unique.
For Southwest Airlines, it was:
Simple
Reliable
Low Cost
For Jeff's HVAC company, it was:
Proactive
Transparent
Dependable
The goal isn't to be everything.
The goal is to identify what you can genuinely excel at.
3. What Drives Your Economic Engine?
This is the most strategic part of the exercise.
Jim Collins calls it your Profit Per X.
It's the single measurement that has the greatest impact on profitability.
For example:
Southwest Airlines focused on Profit Per Airplane
Walgreens focused on Profit Per Customer Visit
Restaurants often focus on Profit Per Table
Subscription businesses may focus on Profit Per Subscriber
Once identified, this metric begins to shape every major decision in the company.
Instead of chasing growth everywhere, you focus on the activities that improve your economic engine.
The Jeff Example
Throughout the workshop, Samantha used her familiar example of Jeff, an HVAC business owner.
Jeff had two possible paths:
Option 1
Focus on Profit Per Project
Pursue larger HVAC installations and commercial projects.
Option 2
Focus on Profit Per Maintenance Customer
Build recurring revenue through maintenance agreements and long-term customer relationships.
Neither answer was wrong.
The question was:
Which option aligns with Jeff's passion, strengths, and economic engine?
That's the power of the decision filter.
It doesn't tell you what to choose.
It helps you make choices that align with your business strategy.
Why This Matters
Many businesses struggle not because they're doing the wrong things.
They struggle because they're doing too many things.
Every opportunity requires:
Time
Attention
Resources
Energy
Without a filter, it's easy to say yes to opportunities that look good but don't actually move the business forward.
The decision filter creates clarity.
And clarity creates focus.
Action Steps You Can Take
✔️ Identify what truly energizes you as a business owner.
✔️ Review customer feedback and determine what makes you different.
✔️ Define your Profit Per X metric.
✔️ Evaluate current opportunities against all three circles.
✔️ Start saying no to opportunities that don't align.
The Big Takeaway
The most successful businesses aren't successful because they pursue every opportunity.
They're successful because they know which opportunities to ignore.
When passion, capability, and profitability overlap, decision-making becomes much easier.
And that's where momentum begins.
The goal isn't to do more. The goal is to do more of what matters.
Big Giveaway 🎉
One lucky attendee won a free seat in our Purpose → Priorities Workshop!
This hands-on workshop helps business owners create clarity around their people, strategy, execution, and cash flow so they can focus on what matters most.
Save the Date!
📅 August 25, 2026
🕓 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
📍 6th Street Bar & Grill | Eugene, OR
We'll explore why so many businesses become dependent on the owner, how that limits growth, and practical ways to create a business that can thrive without you being involved in every decision.
The Topic:
Your Business Doesn't Need More of You
Why Growing Businesses Must Stop Depending on the Owner
RSVP for the next Profits & Pints event or join our email list to receive future invites.
Until next time, cheers to smart moves and great conversation.
— Samantha & the SBC Team 🍻
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