The Number

Guest: Ray Samuels, Growth Advisor and Founder, Cer Capital
Episode in a sentence: Ray shares how “done beats perfect,” why relationships are the real currency, and how a simple idea plus disciplined iteration can create momentum, funding, and valuation growth.
What we cover
  • From high-school dances to London Telecom to Direct Energy: Ray’s entrepreneurial through-line
  • The 65% rule: ship, listen, iterate
  • “Clarity beats complexity,” and getting “pedestrian” with customers to gather real feedback
  • G.R.O.W. mindset: Gratitude, Resilience, Optimism, Willpower
  • The Equal Tank story: a simple washer-fluid dispenser, environmental impact, and national rollout
  • Funding growth: why sales orders are easier to fund than ideas
  • Packaging a story investors understand and want to back
  • Daily relationship rituals that keep your network alive
Key takeaways
  • Ship at 65% and improve with feedback
  • Relationships compound if you maintain them intentionally
  • Keep the product and the story simple so adoption is easy
  • Growth needs cash, data, and proof, not perfection
  • Momentum creates new problems, but they are the right problems
Timestamps
  • 00:00 Meet Ray and the power of relationships
  • 02:30 Early entrepreneurship: dances, driveways, done over perfect
  • 07:10 Iteration vs. perfection and the 65% rule
  • 08:50 Clarity beats complexity and learning to listen
  • 18:20 The G.R.O.W. mindset explained
  • 23:20 Equal Tank: simple solution, big impact
  • 28:20 When and how to fund growth
  • 35:50 Packaging the story for partners and investors
  • 36:30 Wrap: relationships and iteration as operating systems
Connect with Ray
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-samuels-a20165/
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Creators and Guests

Host
Wendy Brookhouse
The Financial Planner for ambitious growth oriented Entrepreneurs
Editor
Shaun Whynacht
I’m the founder of Blue Cow Marketing and father of an amazing little boy. helping other business owners overcome challenges is my passion.

What is The Number?

The Number is a business podcast about the numbers that actually run your business.

Each episode focuses on one number. Revenue, profit, cash flow, capacity, time, valuation, customer cost, risk, or exit readiness.

Hosted by Wendy Brookhouse, and often joined by Kelsey MacAulay, the show breaks down what that number means, why it matters, and how it should influence the decisions you make as an owner.

Some episodes feature guests. Some are honest conversations. Some are solo deep dives.

If you own a business and want better clarity, better decisions, and better outcomes, it starts with knowing your numbers.