It doesn’t matter how good your logo looks, how clean your Instagram is, or how hyped your friends are. If you can’t break down your numbers, you’re not running a business. You’re running a guessing game.

Every time someone asks you what your expenses are, how much profit you’re making, or how many units you’ve sold, and you say “I’m not sure,” you lose credibility. And eventually, that catches up to you. Fast.

When I did Holy Hoops, I had to track everything. The cost of the gym. How many shirts were there? How many tickets I needed to sell to break even. How much each sponsor was bringing in. I couldn’t just wing it and hope the money worked out. I had to know where every dollar was going.

Knowing your numbers gives you control. It helps you price things properly. It helps you pitch to sponsors with confidence. It helps you see what’s working and what needs to change. Without numbers, you’re just hoping. And hope is not a strategy.

This doesn’t mean you need to be a finance expert. Just know the basics. Track income. Track expenses. Use a simple spreadsheet. Make sure the math makes sense. Because when it does, your business can grow without falling apart behind the scenes.

Ideas get attention, but numbers build trust. If you want people to take you seriously, take your own numbers seriously first. That’s what makes the difference between something that sounds good and something that actually works.