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The Truth About Margins in Your Business
Episode 7 • 17th February 2026 • Digital Business Your Way • Tracie Patterson
00:00:00 00:29:32

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If you’ve ever looked at your revenue and thought…

“This looks fine on paper… so why does it feel tight?”

This episode is for you.

Because margins don’t live in spreadsheets.

They live in delivery. In support. In your calendar. In your nervous system.

In this conversation, I’m taking margins out of theory and looking at them in real life — inside a functioning digital business.

Not as a math lesson.

Not as a “just raise your prices” pep talk.

But as a structural conversation about what your offers are actually doing.

Because here’s what most people miss:

An offer can generate revenue and still erode stability.

A launch can look successful and still build cost underneath it.

And break-even isn’t failure — it’s information.

We’re talking about margins in the wild — what happens after the excitement fades and the ecosystem has to carry the weight.

If you want to stop reacting emotionally to numbers and start reading them structurally, drop in on this one.

What We’ll Talk About in This Episode

In this episode, I’m unpacking how margins behave once they’re interacting with real life — real delivery, real support, real time, real capacity.

Specifically, we explore:

  1. The three margin thresholds every offer moves through
  2. What cost buildup actually is (and why it sneaks up on you)
  3. Why break-even is neutral data — not a judgment
  4. The difference between loud revenue and usable profit
  5. How stabilization cycles work inside a digital ecosystem
  6. The questions to ask before changing your pricing

This is about designing offers that support you long term — not just impress people short term.

Episode Timestamps:

(1:15) Why margins don’t live in spreadsheets

(3:40)What “margins in the wild” really means

(5:50)The three margin thresholds explained simply

(8:30) Threshold #1: covering creation and sunk costs

(11:10) Threshold #2: break-even and sustainability

(14:00) Threshold #3: true profit vs. impressive revenue

(16:45) How cost buildup quietly accumulates

(19:20) Why a good launch can still destabilize your business

(22:10) Revenue spikes vs. stabilization cycles

(24:40) Evaluating offers without spiraling

(27:00) Structural questions to ask before adjusting pricing

(28:20) Designing for sustainable margins

What’s Mentioned in This Episode:

  1. Margin thresholds (creation, break-even, profit)
  2. Cost buildup across launches and delivery
  3. Sunk costs in digital offers
  4. Revenue spikes vs. stabilizing income
  5. Ecosystem-based business design
  6. Sustainable pricing decisions
  7. Capacity-aware offer structuring

Mentioned in This Episode:

Ask Me Anything: https://traciepatterson.com/ama

Podcast Show Notes & Links: https://traciepatterson.com/podcast

Your Next Steps:

  1. Work with Me: https://www.traciepatterson.com/connect
  2. Ask Me Anything About Business: https://traciepatterson.com/ama
  3. Free training: Build a launch that fits how you actually lead 👉🏼 https://traciepatterson.com/style
  4. Connect on Social: https://www.instagram.com/thetraciepatterson

CREDITS:

Music: ColourfulSounds

Podcast Editor: Maia McLachlan

Photo: WorkPlay Branding

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