Beyond the Bottom Line

Miguel Alexander Centeno
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Entrepreneurship

Beyond the Bottom Line is a podcast for founders and business owners who want practical insight they can actually use as they grow. Hosted by Miguel Alexander Centeno, founder and CEO of Centurion Firm, the show features in-depth conversations with industry experts, clients, and business owners about how they think through tax, cash flow, operations, and the decisions that come with running a real business. We focus on how things really work when you’re scaling, what challenges tend to come up, and how other founders, experts, and operators have dealt with them. If you’re building or growing a business (often somewhere between $500K and $25M+ in revenue), this show is designed to help you make smarter financial and operational decisions and keep more of what you earn.

  1. 1d ago

    The Real Story Behind Leaving PwC to Build Centurion Firm

    What if the "raise" that was supposed to keep you happy was actually the moment you realized you needed to leave? In this episode, Miguel Alexander Centeno joins Alex Roman, host of Humans in Accounting, for a wide-ranging conversation about the real path from Big Four tax to founding Centurion Firm. It's a rare chance to hear Miguel on the other side of the mic, answering the kinds of questions he usually asks his own guests. For any founder or business owner who has ever wondered whether the leap from a stable paycheck to building something of their own is worth it, this conversation is a grounded, honest look at what that decision actually costs and what it can return. Miguel walks through the inflection point that pushed him out of public accounting (an 8% raise offer after growing an engagement into the millions), the reality of his first year in business (a $56K gross, and not even hitting his own salary target), and the mistake that nearly burned him out early: saying yes to every client regardless of fit. The conversation also digs into how Miguel and his team found their footing by identifying the right niches: Airbnb hosts and digital marketers in the early days, and how that same instinct for finding "who you're uniquely positioned to serve" still shapes Centurion Firm's work today, including their focus on the R&D tax credit. Miguel and Alex also get into where AI fits into the future of accounting, why Miguel sees it as a tool rather than a threat, and the advice he'd give someone considering the leap in 2026. Other insights from this episode include: The moment Miguel realized incremental raises weren't going to get him where he wanted to goWhy "who wants to pay me for this" was Miguel's version of testing product-market fitThe real numbers behind his first year in business, and why he didn't hit his own goalThe client-mix mistake most new firm owners make, and how to avoid burning out on the wrong clientsHow Miguel identified Airbnb hosts and digital marketers as his first profitable niches, and whyThe role outbound sales played in scaling the firm, and bringing on Ashton as the first hire focused on itMiguel's take on AI's role in accounting, and why he sees it as an opportunity rather than a replacementThe advice Miguel would give someone thinking about leaving a Big Four firm to start their own practice todayAbout Our Guest Miguel Alexander Centeno is the Managing Partner of Centurion Firm and host of Beyond the Bottom Line. After beginning his career in Big Four tax at PwC, he left in 2017 to build a strategy-first tax advisory practice for founders, startups, and growing businesses. Learn more about Humans in Accounting and Alex Roman's podcast. Connect with Miguel on LinkedIn or media@centurionfirm.com

  2. Jul 14

    Cash Flow, Controllers & World Cup

    Most business owners think they need a CFO. What they actually need is a controller. In this episode of Beyond the Bottom Line, Miguel Centeno sits down with Nikole Mackenzie, founder of Momentum Accounting, to unpack why so many growing businesses hire the wrong financial help at the wrong time, and what actually causes a business to look profitable on paper while running out of cash in the bank. For founders and business owners, this episode tackles one of the most common blind spots in running a company: assuming your P&L tells the whole story. Nikole breaks down why a business can show a profit and still have no cash at the end of the month, walking through the two biggest culprits, timing differences between when revenue is earned and when cash actually arrives, and balance sheet items like equipment purchases, debt principal payments, and owner distributions that never show up on the P&L at all. The conversation also gets into the practical side of managing cash: how to read a cash flow statement, why days sales outstanding (DSO) is one of the most useful metrics for catching a collections problem early, and why chasing high-interest debt like credit card cash advances is usually a symptom of a business that isn't actually profitable, not just a timing issue. Nikole and Miguel also break down the real difference between a bookkeeper, a controller, and a CFO, and why most business owners skip a step they need. Other insights from this episode include: Why "profitable on paper, no cash in the bank" usually comes down to timing differences or balance sheet items invisible on the P&LHow to read a cash flow statement, starting with the operating activities sectionWhy distributions and debt principal payments never appear on the P&L, and where they actually show upThe tax consequence founders often miss: distributions taken in excess of income get taxed at 20%Why DSO (days sales outstanding) is a key early warning metric for collection issuesHow to tell the difference between a cash flow timing problem and a business that simply isn't profitableWhy high-interest debt (credit card advances, quick-cash lenders) is often a red flag rather than a solutionThe real difference between a bookkeeper, a controller, and a CFO, and why most businesses need a controller before they need a CFOWhy "CFO" is a title anyone can claim, while CPA is an actual certificationAbout Our Guest Nikole Mackenzie is the founder of Momentum Accounting, a remote team of 12 working with small businesses across the U.S. to build out their full financial operating system, including bookkeeping, controller-level reporting, and CFO-level strategy. Momentum works with roughly 60 monthly recurring clients ranging from $1M to $10M in revenue, spanning SaaS, professional services, and trade industries like disaster restoration, HVAC, and plumbing. Connect with Miguel Centeno on LinkedIn or reach out at media@centurionfirm.com

  3. Jul 7

    Minisode: Building Resilience at Work

    Most people think resilience means toughing it out. Ashton has learned it's actually about not making a bad moment worse. In this minisode, Miguel sits down with Ashton to learn the habits that keep him steady under pressure, from how he structures his day around his own energy to the boundaries that protect his focus, to the mental process he runs before responding to an angry client instead of reacting to one. The lesson underneath it all: the instinct to match someone's frustration, whether it's a client or your own kid, is almost always the wrong move. What actually works is separating the facts from the emotion, owning what's yours to own, and letting the rest go. For founders who feel like every bad interaction threatens to derail the whole day, this episode is a reminder that staying calm isn't a personality trait. It's a practice, built one small decision at a time.

    Minisode: Building Resilience at Work

  4. Jun 30

    Why Your Biggest Cybersecurity Risk Isn't AI, It's Your People

    Most business owners think cybersecurity is about hackers in hoodies breaking through firewalls. The reality is far simpler, and far scarier: your biggest security risk is your own people. In this episode, Miguel sits down with Matt Mulcahy, founder of Miami Cyber, to unpack what cybersecurity actually looks like for small and mid-sized businesses in the age of AI. Matt shares how a $25 million wire transfer was approved by a real executive on a real video call, except the "executive" on the other end was an AI-generated deepfake. From there, the conversation moves into the practical: how AI is changing phishing, why passwords are on their way out, and what it actually means to adopt AI responsibly instead of just rolling it out and hoping for the best. If you're a founder trying to figure out where AI ends and risk begins, this episode breaks down exactly what to prioritize first. Other insights from this episode include: Why "vishing" (voice phishing) is now a real threat, thanks to AI's ability to clone a voice from just 10 seconds of audioThe most common cybersecurity gaps Matt sees in companies under 20 employees, and why most IT providers don't prioritize that segmentWhy policy should come before technology when rolling out AI in your company, and what that policy conversation should actually coverThe hidden risk of giving employees AI tools without training, and why "buying licenses" isn't the same as adoptionWhy passkeys and authenticator codes are replacing SMS-based two-factor authentication, and what business owners should switch to nowThe real difference between a company that's "using AI" versus one that's leveraging Model Context Protocol (MCP) to connect AI directly to their business dataWhy Matt believes the technology itself is the least important part of a successful AI rollout, and what actually drives success or failureAbout Our Guest Matt Mulcahy is the founder of Miami Cyber, a technology services firm built around a service-first approach to cybersecurity, IT, and responsible AI adoption for small and mid-sized businesses. With a background spanning technology consulting, managed IT services, and AI implementation, Matt works closely with founders to make sense of a fast-moving technology landscape. Miami Cyber recently became a certified Anthropic partner, and Matt is an active member of the Miami founder community, where he regularly hosts educational events focused on AI readiness and cybersecurity. Connect with Miguel on LinkedIn or media@centurionfirm.com

  5. Jun 23

    AI Search Strategy for Business Owners (R)

    We're bringing this one back because the conversation is more relevant than ever, AI search isn't slowing down, and neither is the impact on your business visibility. Many business owners are watching their website traffic drop without understanding why. Miguel experienced this firsthand when Tax Hack's blog traffic plummeted from 88,000 to 3,000 unique visitors. The culprit? AI overviews are changing how people find information online. In this episode, Miguel sits down with Ryan Russell, founder and CEO of BizIQ, to get answers. If you're seeing similar drops or wondering how to stay visible as AI changes search, this episode breaks down what's actually happening and what to do about it. Ryan Russell shares findings from asking AI platforms directly where they source their business recommendations — and the answers point to clear actions you can take. Other insights from this episode include: Where AI platforms actually get their business information (spoiler alert: your Google Business Profile matters more than you think)Why AI search and traditional search work together, not against each otherThe ranking factors that determine if you show up in AI recommendationsPractical tactics for optimizing your Google Business Profile, including the underutilized Products & Services sectionContent strategy in the AI era: quality vs. quantity and what's actually workingThe truth about using AI-generated content on your websiteThree actions you can take this week to test and improve your AI visibilityAbout Our Guest Ryan Russell, Founder & CEO of BizIQ, a search optimization expert whose team researches how businesses can adapt to AI-driven discovery. Visit biziq.com/contact for a free audit or consultation Connect with Miguel on LinkedIn or media@centurionfirm.com

  6. Jun 16

    Minisode: An Interview with Miguel

    Most founders learn leadership through business books, mentors, or painful trial and error. Miguel learned some of his most important leadership lessons at the dinner table. In this minisode, Miguel reflects on how raising kids, especially through the messiest, most humbling moments, quietly shaped the way he leads his team. The same instinct that makes a founder dangerous at work, the certainty that you know best, is the exact instinct that can damage trust at home and in the office. What fatherhood forced Miguel to learn is that passionate people don't need to be corrected. They need to be heard. For founders who pride themselves on having the answers, this episode is a useful disruption. The strongest teams, like the strongest families, aren't built by the person who's always right. They're built by the person willing to hold their convictions loosely enough to let others lead. That's a lesson you can't find in a business book. Sometimes it takes a teenager pushing back on AP Spanish to teach you what your leadership team has been trying to tell you all along.

    Minisode: An Interview with Miguel

  7. Jun 9

    Minisode: The Business and Family Balance

    Most entrepreneurs are great at building systems for their business. Calendars, processes, accountability, all of it. But very few build systems for being present. Miguel has been an entrepreneur and a father since he was 17, and one of the hardest lessons he's learned isn't about scaling a firm, it's about learning to actually show up for the moments happening right in front of him. In this minisode, Miguel shares what it really means to create space for memories and why that discipline matters whether you're a parent or not. The insight is simple but easy to miss: your most vivid memories form when your mind is clear, not when your calendar is full. For founders constantly carrying the weight of what's next, this episode is a reminder that presence is a practice, and that the life you're building a business to support deserves the same intentionality you bring to work. Tune in for a conversation that will make you rethink how you transition out of work mode.

    Minisode: The Business and Family Balance

  8. Jun 2

    Building with AI: The New Rules for Entrepreneurs and Innovators

    Why do so many AI initiatives fail despite the massive investment and excitement surrounding artificial intelligence? In this episode, Miguel sits down with Art  Shectman , Founder and CEO of Elephant Ventures, to discuss how businesses can move beyond AI experimentation and start creating real operational impact. An MIT-trained engineer and technology leader with more than 20 years of experience, Art shares practical insights on AI adoption, agentic workflows, innovation, and entrepreneurship. From building autonomous robots at MIT to helping enterprises deploy AI at scale, Art has spent his career at the intersection of technology and business transformation. This conversation explores why organizations struggle with AI implementation, how to identify the right opportunities for automation, and what leaders should focus on as AI continues to reshape the way companies operate. Other insights from this episode include: • Why most AI pilots fail and how to improve your chances of success • How to think about AI agents as semi-autonomous coworkers • The importance of context, organizational knowledge, and human oversight • Why shorter development cycles are becoming a competitive advantage • How founders can avoid common cash flow and scaling mistakes • The role relationships and trust play in building a successful business • Practical approaches to AI governance and risk management • How Amazon is helping fund AI proof-of-concept projects for qualifying businesses • Why the future of AI depends more on discernment and decision-making than technology alone About Our Guest Art  Shectman is the Founder and CEO of Elephant Ventures, a digital innovation firm that helps organizations transform ideas into scalable technology solutions. An MIT-trained engineer and longtime entrepreneur, Art has spent more than two decades building innovative systems, leading technology teams, and helping companies navigate digital transformation and artificial intelligence. Learn more about Elephant Ventures at elephantventures.com Connect with Miguel on LinkedIn or media@centurionfirm.com

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5
out of 5
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About

Beyond the Bottom Line is a podcast for founders and business owners who want practical insight they can actually use as they grow. Hosted by Miguel Alexander Centeno, founder and CEO of Centurion Firm, the show features in-depth conversations with industry experts, clients, and business owners about how they think through tax, cash flow, operations, and the decisions that come with running a real business. We focus on how things really work when you’re scaling, what challenges tend to come up, and how other founders, experts, and operators have dealt with them. If you’re building or growing a business (often somewhere between $500K and $25M+ in revenue), this show is designed to help you make smarter financial and operational decisions and keep more of what you earn.

Information

  • Creator
    Miguel Alexander Centeno
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    29
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Beyond the Bottom Line
  • Show Website
    Beyond the Bottom Line