How We Got Here: The Origin Story

Before Miguel and Ashton worked on bringing tax credits and advisory strategies to small and medium sized businesses, they were debate partners at South High School in Torrance, CA. This is their origin story of how a whiteboard strategy in Miguel's LA apartment and a three-month trial period turned into seven years of scaling a 7-figure tax advisory business together at Centurion Firm. They also break down the tactics they've developed for running client calls as a duo, including how their old high school debate team dynamic translates directly to making sure they're solving for what the client actually needs.

Most vacation rental owners buy a property, throw in some furniture, and hope for the best. Then they wonder why the bookings are inconsistent and the nightly rate never reaches what the numbers promised.

But what if you could incorporate a design strategy that changed your business for the better?

In this episode, Miguel sits down with Erica Dike, principal designer at Erica O Designs, to walk through her Designing for Dollars formula. After leaving a career at NASA, Erica has gone on to design over 78 vacation rentals while bringing a business-analyst mindset to every property.

Other insights from this episode include:

• Why designing for “everyone” is the fastest way to attract no one and how to identify your ideal guest before you buy a single piece of furniture
• The Designing for Dollars formula: a data-driven approach to knowing exactly where to save and where to splurge in your budget
• The design trap that makes your property blend into every other listing in your market, and how “timeless design” helps create properties that “stop the scroll."
• Why your budget conversation has to happen before you close on the property, not after
• Common design mistakes that quietly kill your occupancy rate - including TV placement, seating capacity, and underestimating the work-from-home traveler
• The one small kitchen appliance that can directly influence your bookings (and it’s not what you’d expect)

About Our Guest

Erica Dike is the principal designer at Erica Ooh Designs, specializing in vacation rental design for investors and busy professionals. With a background in Management Information Systems and experience as a business analyst at NASA, Erica brings a systems-first approach to interior design - one focused on ROI, not just aesthetics.

Visit ericaooh.com to schedule a consultation, request a pricing estimate, or book a design audit. You can also follow Erica on Instagram at @ericaoohdesigns for design tips, guides, and before/after reels.

Connect with Miguel on LinkedIn or reach out at media@centurionfirm.com

AI Search Strategy for Business Owners

Many business owners are watching their website traffic drop without understanding why. Miguel experienced this firsthand when Tax Hack's blog traffic plummeted from 88,000 to 3,000 unique visitors.

The culprit? AI overviews are changing how people find information online.

In this episode, Miguel sits down with Ryan Russell, founder and CEO of BizIQ, to get answers. If you're seeing similar drops or wondering how to stay visible as AI changes search, this episode breaks down what's actually happening and what to do about it. Ryan Russell, founder of BizIQ, shares findings from asking AI platforms directly where they source their business recommendations and the answers point to clear actions you can take.

Other insights from this episode include:

• Where AI platforms actually get their business information (spoiler alert: your Google Business Profile matters more than you think)
• Why AI search and traditional search work together, not against each other
• The ranking factors that determine if you show up in AI recommendations
• Practical tactics for optimizing your Google Business Profile, including the underutilized Products & Services section
• Content strategy in the AI era: quality vs. quantity and what's actually working
• The truth about using AI-generated content on your website
• Three actions you can take this week to test and improve your AI visibility

About Our Guest

Ryan Russell, Founder & CEO of BizIQ, a search optimization expert whose team researches how businesses can adapt to AI-driven discovery.

Visit biziq.com/contact for a free audit or consultation

Connect with Miguel on LinkedIn or media@centurionfirm.com