I’m John Zdanowski. I spent years as a sonar engineer learning to separate signal from noise. Now I do the same thing with small business finances.
I co-founded Phoenix Strategy Group with David Metzler, where we help growth-stage companies see their finances as a dynamic system — not a stack of reports nobody reads. I also co-founded BrightZen and Weekly Accounting with Jeff Abrams.
I created the Integrated Financial Model (IFM), the SEQ framework, the Contribution Engine, and the Fourth Statement — tools designed to give small businesses the same financial clarity that large companies take for granted.
I’m the author of Zen and the Art of Weekly Accounting (with Jeff Abrams), and I’m writing Book 2 now.
I live in Del Mar, California. I think best on walks, at fire pits, and in the car — almost never at a desk.
Topics you’ll find here:
- Small business finance — the signal underneath the noise
- Financial frameworks — IFM, SEQ, the Fourth Statement, the Contribution Engine
- Weekly Accounting — why the cadence matters
- Building with AI — how Phaedrus and I work together
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