You're booked out three weeks. Prospects are calling. Your calendar is full. This should feel like success. Instead, it feels like drowning.

Because here's what nobody tells you about being "fully booked": you've built a cage, not a business. You can't take more clients even though people are trying to give you money. You're working 65-hour weeks. You missed your kid's soccer game because of a client emergency. You haven't taken a real vacation in three years.

Every new client means more work for roughly the same profit. You're not growing, you're just getting busier. And you know the profit margin calculation. You can do the math. But that formula doesn't tell you HOW to fix it.

In this episode, I break down why knowing how to calculate profit margin isn't the same as knowing how to improve it without working yourself into the ground.

What You'll Discover:

The seven-lever system that multiplies profit growth. Most businesses only work on ONE lever (leads) while the other six are broken or rusting shut. When you improve all seven levers by just 10% each, they don't add up, they multiply. Small improvements across all seven create massive profit growth.

Why two businesses with the same revenue can have wildly different take-home pay. A $500K business at 30% margins puts $150K in your pocket. A $1M business at 10% margins only puts $100K in your pocket. The bigger business makes LESS money while working twice as hard.

The capacity trap that's killing your margins. You're maxed out trying to generate more leads while completely ignoring conversion rate, average sale, and the four other levers that would let you make more money from your existing customer base.

What "good" profit margins actually look like by industry. Consulting and advisory: 20-40%. Marketing agencies: 15-25%. Home services: 15-25%. Professional services: 25-50%. If you're below these ranges, something in your seven levers is broken.

The biggest mistake fully booked businesses make. They spend every dollar on more leads, pouring water into a bucket with six holes in it. You're not building profit, you're just getting busier.

The systematic approach that moves businesses from 12% to 25% margins in 6-12 months without spending a single additional dollar on marketing or adding hours to the workweek.

This isn't about working more hours. It's about working different levers.

I'm Ryan Herrst, Certified Profit Advisor and author of "Profit Foundation" (second edition coming 2026). Over the past year, I've interviewed over 100 service business owners generating $250K to $5M annually. The pattern I see repeatedly: owners focus only on the profit margin calculation and miss the seven underlying levers that CREATE that margin.

If you're fully booked but barely breaking even, if you're working 65-hour weeks for 12% margins when industry standard is 25%, if you know something needs to change but you don't know which lever to pull first, this episode is for you.

Stop pedaling harder on a broken bicycle. Fix the bicycle, then pedal.

Book Interview Opportunity:

I'm currently interviewing service business owners for the second edition of "Profit Foundation." During these 45-minute conversations, I walk you through your seven profit levers and show you which one is your biggest opportunity. It's a research conversation, not a sales pitch. You'll receive a complimentary copy of the book when published. Schedule here: https://mediaaceadvisors.com/contact/

Connect with Ryan:

Website: https://www.mediaaceadvisors.com

Email: ryan@mediaaceadvisors.com

Phone: 517-955-2154