The Playbook: Money, Taxes, & Financial Clarity

Financial avoidance is one of the most documented behavioral patterns among small business owners. Research from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (2022) found that businesses without basic financial tracking are 3x more likely to close within 5 years. This session gives participants the knowledge, and the emotional permission, to open their books.

What you will learn:
● LLC vs S-Corp: when structure matters
● Cash flow vs profit, and why confusing them is fatal
● Write-offs, deductions, and what your CPA needs from you
● A simple financial tracking system you’ll actually use
● When and how to hire a CPA vs. DIY your books

Emotional Intelligence Focus:

● Money avoidance as an anxiety response (not a character flaw)
● Scarcity mindset vs. ownership mindset: the neuroscience
● Reactive spending vs. intentional financial decisions
● The emotional cost of financial avoidance over time

About the Facilitator:
Kurt Faustin
Founder & CEO, The Dropout · Certified Brain-Based Coach · Speaker & Success Strategist
Kurt Faustin has spent over a decade at the intersection of emotional intelligence, performance coaching, and community development. As founder of The Dropout, a Boston-based nonprofit recognized by both the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the City of Boston, Kurt has reached more than 50,000 individuals through keynotes, workshops, and programs designed to bridge the gap between mental health and high performance.

Kurt is a certified Brain-Based Coach and has been appointed to a City of Boston commission. His work spans schools, universities, nonprofits, and corporate partners, all united by one core belief: that execution is an emotional capacity problem before it is a strategy problem. He brings the same framework that has helped youth, educators, and executives to this series, adapted specifically for the pressures and emotional terrain of early-stage entrepreneurship.

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Advance registration is preferred for all Ed Portal programs and events. Walk-in attendees may not be admitted.

Parking is limited around the Ed Portal so we recommend taking public transportation.

Public transportation options:

We are about a 15-20 minute walk from the Red Line Harvard Square station or Green Line -B Harvard Avenue station.

Several MBTA buses also stop near the intersection of North Harvard Street and Western Avenue: #66, #86, #70.

Parking information:

If you choose to drive to the Ed Portal please be prepared to utilize the two-hour on-street parking surrounding the Ed Portal or to park at Artesani Park and walk 10-12 minutes along Western Avenue to arrive at the Ed Portal. A limited number of parking spaces are available in the rear of the Ed Portal building on a first come, first serve basis. You may only use parking spaces in the rear of the Ed Portal building outlined in orange paint.

To help protect visitors and staff, members of the public are asked to stay home if they are unwell or have experienced signs of illness* in the past 24-hours.

If you require an accommodation for a disability, please call the Ed Portal ahead of time at 617-496-5022 or e-mail us at edportal@harvard.edu, and we will do our best to assist you.

* Signs of illness include: fever, chills or feeling feverish; a new cough (not related to chronic condition); new fatigue; muscle or body aches; sore throat; new nasal congestion or new runny nose (not related to seasonal allergies); nausea or vomiting; diarrhea.