In this episode of The Intentional Owner, Sam Rosati and Kaustubh Deo sit down with Denisse Montenegro to unpack the realities of operating and scaling a business while fully owning the P&L. Denisse shares a candid look at navigating financial visibility, decision-making, and the evolving responsibilities that come with ownership. The conversation explores the tension between delegation and accountability, as well as the importance of building the right support systems across finance and operations. Throughout the episode, Denisse offers an honest perspective on what it actually feels like to be in the operator’s seat, especially when answers are not always clear. We discuss: • The responsibility of being both the operator and the ultimate owner of the P&L • How to think about delegation when everything still feels like your responsibility • The role of bookkeeping, accounting, and advisory support in growing a business • Why complementary partnerships across finance and operations create leverage • The challenge of finding peers who truly understand the financial realities of ownership Support our Sponsors Bay Business Group provides managed accounting and finance--think bookkeeping to fractional CFO--for scaling businesses. Learn more at ⁠redacted NewCo Risk gives SMB businesses access to the same bespoke approach, sophisticated strategies and big thinking as the leading global insurance consulting firms. Learn more @ ⁠redacted Have SMB questions for Kaustubh and Sam? Email them to redacted and they will answer them on the Pod! Topics: 00:00 - Intro 02:22 - Introducing Denisse 06:41 - Acquisition story and first year challenges 12:11 - Financial awareness as owner 17:48 - The P&L owner seat 23:14 - Cash flow vs reported profits 29:55 - Bookkeeping vs real financial insight 35:40 - Surviving the turnaround year 42:12 - Advisory support and peer groups 48:27 - Advisory board idea 55:12 - Discipline in financial review 01:02:30 - Closing thoughts and advice for new owners