[{"content":"I\u0026rsquo;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.\nI 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.\nI 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.\nI\u0026rsquo;m the author of Zen and the Art of Weekly Accounting (with Jeff Abrams), and I\u0026rsquo;m writing Book 2 now.\nI live in Del Mar, California. I think best on walks, at fire pits, and in the car — almost never at a desk.\nTopics you\u0026rsquo;ll find here:\nSmall 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 Subscribe via RSS to follow along.\n","permalink":"https://zdanowski.com/about/","summary":"About John Zdanowski","title":"About"}]