How Founders Can Keep More of Their Profits (and Stress Less About Taxes)

How Founders Can Keep More of Their Profits (and Stress Less About Taxes)

Most business owners work too hard building their company just to hand a massive chunk of it to the IRS when they exit. But that’s exactly what happens when there’s no proactive tax strategy in place.

On a recent episode of the Scale Smart, Grow Fast Podcast, Brett Swarts, founder of Capital Gains Tax Solutions, broke down how entrepreneurs, real estate investors, and even crypto holders can legally defer 20–50% of capital gains taxes—and redirect that money into new investments or passive income.

Preferred listening on-the-go? Catch the full podcast episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what you need to know.

The Problem: Great Exit, Huge Tax Bill

Whether you’re selling a company, real estate portfolio, or large investment position, you could be handing over half your gains in taxes. And many founders don’t know this until it’s too late.

Most are only familiar with the 1031 Exchange, which:

  • Only applies to real estate
  • Has a tight 45/180-day timeline
  • Requires reinvesting in another property (even if market timing is poor)
  • Often forces buyers to overpay just to defer taxes

Brett calls this “a shotgun wedding for your money.” It may work sometimes, but rarely when flexibility matters most.

The Better Tool: Deferred Sales Trust (DST)

The Deferred Sales Trust offers a smarter way to defer taxes with more flexibility.

✅ Works for real estate, business sales, crypto, stocks, etc.
✅ No like-kind restrictions—you can move from real estate to stocks, Bitcoin, or private lending
✅ No tight timeline—you can sit in cash until the right opportunity
✅ Eliminates debt pressure and reduces risk
✅ Creates passive income or funds your next big venture

Real-world example: One client sold a $17M digital billboard company and used the DST to diversify into Nvidia stock at the perfect time—avoiding capital gains taxes and unlocking exponential growth.

When Should You Plan for This?

The best time: now.
The worst time: after your buyer has removed contingencies.

Brett’s team can help business owners set up a plan in as little as five hours. If your deal is expected to have $1M+ in gain and net proceeds, it’s worth exploring this strategy early. Even better? You don’t need to fire your CPA. They partner with your advisor to handle the specialized work.

It’s Not Just Real Estate

DSTs work for:

  • Business exits
  • Bitcoin & crypto
  • Public/private stock
  • Land or asset-heavy portfolios
  • Even luxury primary homes

If you’ve been scaling your company and want to eventually enjoy the freedom you’ve built—without being dragged down by capital gains taxes—this is a strategy to seriously consider.

Ready to keep more of what you’ve earned—and scale smarter?
Schedule a free discovery call to learn how our executive support team can help you implement high-impact strategies without adding complexity.

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The Systems That Give You More Time and Freedom

The Systems That Give You More Time and Freedom

Most entrepreneurs start their businesses for freedom—freedom of time, financial independence, and the ability to work on what they love. But as your business grows, so does the workload. Instead of gaining time, many business owners find themselves buried in tasks, stuck managing operations instead of leading growth.

In a recent episode of the Scale Smart, Grow Fast Podcast, we sat down with Stephanie Cabral, a former attorney turned real estate entrepreneur, to discuss how she scaled her business efficiently without sacrificing quality or control.

Listen on the go! Catch the full episode on your favorite podcast platform:

🎧 Spotify
🍏 Apple Podcasts

The Mindset Shift: Treating Your Business Like a Business

One of the biggest mindset shifts Stephanie made was realizing that real estate investing—or any business—is not a side hustle, it’s a company. If you want to scale, you can’t run your operations manually forever.

She stopped managing everything herself and implemented automation and delegation.
She focused on systems that could scale, not just processes that worked in the moment.
She prioritized high-impact work instead of getting stuck in daily tasks.

How Systems and Delegation Transformed Her Business

Stephanie knew she couldn’t scale while handling every invoice, repair call, and tenant request. So she built a structured system for efficiency by:

🔹 Using automation tools to manage communication, invoicing, and workflows.
🔹 Hiring a dedicated assistant to take over administrative tasks, freeing her time for strategy.
🔹 Implementing SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) to ensure consistency and eliminate micromanagement.

This shift allowed her to focus on growing her portfolio, securing better deals, and expanding her impact—all while working less.

How You Can Apply This to Your Business

No matter your industry, these principles apply. If you’re feeling stuck in daily operations, ask yourself these questions:

🔸 What tasks do I repeat every day that could be automated?
🔸 What low-value tasks am I holding onto that someone else could handle?
🔸 Where am I spending time that isn’t directly growing my revenue?

The key to scaling smart is removing yourself as the bottleneck. With the right systems and support, you can grow your business without working 24/7.

Want to Scale Faster Without Burnout?

If you’re ready to free up your time and focus on what truly moves the needle, it’s time to build a smarter, more efficient business. Watch the full podcast episode now and start implementing the strategies that will help you grow without the overwhelm.

Ready to streamline your business and reclaim your time? Schedule a discovery call today and see how the right systems and support can help you scale smarter and grow faster.

Like what you read? Get weekly insights on scaling, efficiency, and profitability—straight to your inbox. Click here to subscribe.