Dealing With the Tough Stuff

1 Conquering cash

Did you look at the chapter titles or flip through the book, skimming the headlines until you found the word “cash”? Welcome! You are the reader we are writing to, and this is the topic we assumed would get your attention first. If you ask entrepreneurs to name the toughest, most stressful aspect of running their companies, cash is almost always at the top of the list. It’s the King of stressors.

In this chapter, we talk frankly about how we stayed focused on cash while balancing our values with the realities of meeting payroll. Lisa and Margot talk about the importance of knowing when to be frugal and creative ways to deal with inventory and payment terms. Gary Hirshberg of Stonyfield Farm explains that all problems are really ...