In this episode of The Intentional Owner, co-hosts Kaustubh Deo and Sam Rosati unpack what it looks like to build a fulfilling life around small business ownership without sacrificing long-term goals. Framed around personal goal setting, competing priorities, and everyday tradeoffs, the episode offers a candid look at how both hosts are trying to design lives that support sustainability—not just scale.

They share stories of recent chaos, from moving mishaps and work-life boundaries to surprise break-ins and activity trackers, all while reflecting on how much structure is enough to keep life moving forward without being overly rigid.

They also discuss:

• The tension between goal-setting and adaptability in both life and business

• How to balance ambition with long-term personal sustainability

• Frameworks like EOS and the Vision Traction Organizer for business planning

• The opportunity cost of hobbies and how personal priorities evolve with family

• Leveraging tools like KPI dashboards and Google Sheets for operational clarity

• The importance of community, fitness, and calendaring for intentional living

This episode is a thoughtful, unfiltered conversation for anyone navigating the overlap between business ownership, relationships, and building a meaningful life—one decision at a time.

Kaustubh on Substack - https://bigdealsmallbusiness.substack.com/p/read-me-first

Sam on X - https://x.com/Sam_Rosati

Topics:

(00:00:00) - Intro

(00:01:08) - Catching up

(00:14:39) - Setting meaningful goals

(00:20:34) - BHAGs

(00:22:47) - M&A Approaches

(00:26:53) - Goal setting at Blooma and at home

(00:33:48) - Maintaing friendships

(00:45:35) - Living with a long-distance SO

(00:48:50) - Priority tradeoffs