Can performance-based pay outperform the traditional hourly wage model? And what does that mean for productivity, culture, and ultimately, business value?
On this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, Michael Fortenberry, co-founder of Protiv, explains how shifting from time-based pay to performance-based compensation is changing the game—particularly for contractors and hourly workforces.
Michael shares how Protiv’s model brings…

Leadership and innovation are closely tied – especially when building companies that create jobs, scale new ideas, and strengthen local economies.
In this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, Dave speaks with Angelo Valletta, President and CEO of Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania and author of The Seven R’s of Leadership and Life. Angelo shares lessons…

In this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, Dave is joined by advisor and author Kris Kluver for a conversation on why leadership – not structures, not strategies, not spreadsheets – is the real driver of long-term value creation and generational wealth preservation.
They dig into the coming great wealth transfer and the uncomfortable reality that roughly 70%…

On this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, Dave speaks with entrepreneur and author Betsy Pepine about her book Breaking Boxes: Dismantling the Metaphorical Boxes That Bind Us — and what those “boxes” really mean for business owners.
They move beyond the metaphor and into the boardroom. Dave and Betsy examine how invisible constraints — family expectations, industry…

How do you build a mission-driven brand that survives beyond a single personality – and still create real enterprise value?
On this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, I speak with Bob Bush, founder and CEO of Mutombo Coffee, about building a purpose-driven specialty coffee company rooted in relationships, disciplined execution, and long-term thinking.
Bob traces the origin…

How does storytelling build authority – and where’s the line between authenticity and vulnerability?
On this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, Dave Bookbinder is joined by Autumn Karen – filmmaker, journalist, ghostwriter, educator, and author of The Surrogate Author – for a deep dive into the power of narrative and the responsibility that comes with it.
Autumn…

Referrals are often talked about as a “nice to have.” In this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, they’re treated for what they really are – a measurable, scalable driver of profitable growth.
Dave Bookbinder speaks with Brandon Barnum, widely known as the “King of Referrals,” about how referral-driven businesses outperform those that rely on traditional selling. Brandon…