Profit > Ego: The Dashboard That Stops “Scaling by Vibes”

Hey there, it’s Patrick from TVG.

If you can’t answer “what happens to profit if we double ad spend next month?” without opening 14 tabs and a stress ball… this one’s for you.

We just dropped a full breakdown of the Growth Dashboard we build for 7–8 figure partners so they can scale aggressively without burning cash.

Spoiler: revenue feeds the ego, profit feeds your family.

👇 Watch the full video + step-by-step breakdown (screens, formulas, and how to copy it to your brand).

Why Brands Stall (Even with “Great Ads”)

Bad math beats good creative. Here’s the trap:

$100K revenue − $40K ads − 40% COGS − 10% discounts = your “profit” quietly moonwalking out the door.

If you’re not forecasting this before you scale, you’re playing “Pin the Tail on the MER.”

The Growth Dashboard (TVG’s Money Map)

A single source of truth that pulls Shopify + Meta/Google + Klaviyo into one live view. (We use Supermetrics, but you can update it manually if you like spreadsheets and suffering.)

Main tabs we use:

• Growth P&L: Net Sales → Gross Profit → Ad Spend → Fees/Opex → Net Profit

• Comparisons: Month vs. Month, Year vs. Year

• Targets: Breakeven, 10% Profit, Stretch Goals (so the team knows what “good” looks like)

What We Track (So Decisions Aren’t Guesswork)

Topline reality check

• Gross → Net Sales: Include discounts and returns so revenue isn’t lying to you.

• COGS: Put unit economics in Shopify. Guessing margins is a hobby, not a business.

Acquisition levers

• New Customers (from Shopify)

• Blended CAC = Total Ad Spend ÷ New Customers (yes, blended—because your bank account is blended)

• AOV (raise this and CAC suddenly feels friendly)

LTV sanity

• 1-Year LTV (or 3/6-month for subscriptions/CPG)

• LTV:CAC and Lifetime Gross Profit ÷ CAC (margin-aware reality)

Retention engine

• Net List Growth (joins − unsubscribes)

• Klaviyo Orders & Revenue

• Total Revenue Attributed (are emails/SMS actually compounding?)

How We Use It (In Plain English)

• Before scaling spend: Model “+20%, +50%, 2x” scenarios and see profit, not just ROAS.

• When discounts creep: Watch net profit get sad in real time. Adjust offers with math, not feelings.

• When LTV is low: Shift focus to AOV, bundles, and retention before stomping the gas.

• When CAC rises: Decide whether to hold, fix conversion, or out-AOV the problem.

Translation: it turns “We think this might work” into “Here’s what happens and what we’ll do next.”

Quick Start Checklist (Steal This)

• Add discounts & returns to your P&L (goodbye vanity revenue)

• Track blended CAC and AOV monthly

• Pick a north star: Breakeven, 10% Profit, or Cash-Cow Mode

• Set LTV window that matches your model (1-yr, 6-mo, 90-day for subs)

• Tie email/SMS metrics to growth goals (list growth → revenue)

• Build what-if tabs for +20%, +50%, 2x ad spend

Pro tip: Commit these numbers to a single dashboard and review weekly. If your team can’t find the number in 10 seconds, it doesn’t exist.

Want the Full Walkthrough?

We recorded the entire process—sheet structure, live examples, and how to forecast profit before you touch budgets.

👉 Watch the full video + dashboard breakdown

Prefer white-glove?

Book a CORE Growth Audit and we’ll build your 30-day profit plan, custom to your unit economics: [Get your audit].

See you inside,

Patrick O’Driscoll

Founder, The Visionary Group