Welcome to Our Weekly Small Business Therapy Session!
In our latest podcast episode, the owners weigh the risks of hiring too soon vs. hiring too late. The decision can produce some anxiety, but the good news is the owners are seeing signs of growth.
Good morning!
Here are today’s highlights:
Why doesn’t a gallon of milk cost twice as much as a half gallon?
A wave of government stimulus is on the way.
What happens when companies make use of AI mandatory?
A study indicates that California’s regulatory environment is suppressing startups.
THE 21 HATS PODCAST
I Expect to Grow This Year. Should I Hire Now? Things are suddenly moving fast at Sarah Segal’s San Francisco PR firm. Several new clients look likely to sign on, and for the first time in a while, growth feels real. Which leaves Sarah with a familiar, nerve-racking question: Do you hire before the work arrives—or wait until the revenue is actually in the door? If she hires now, she may have to cut her own pay until the new business materializes. And there’s no guarantee it will. She still remembers the last downturn, when she had to lay off people she cared about—and she’s determined not to repeat that experience.
But if she waits and the clients do sign, she risks something else: overloading her existing team, burning people out, and falling behind before she can recruit and train new hires. The pressure is even higher because Sarah has already set an aggressive revenue goal for 2026."
Plus: Jaci Russo explains why she’s adopted a different approach to planning and budgeting. Instead of guessing how much she can afford to spend, Jaci is changing the order of the math. After revisiting Mike Michalowicz’s Profit First—prompted by a story highlighted in the 21 Hats Morning Report—she’s begun setting profit targets first and forcing every other decision, including hiring, to fit around them.
It’s only been a few weeks, but Jaci says the shift is already changing how she thinks about risk, growth, and what she can actually afford.
You can subscribe to the 21 Hats Podcast wherever you get podcasts.
