When I started my business, I had one goal: increase sales.
No KPIs.
No dashboards.
No tracking systems.
Just sell more and figure out the rest later.
And for a while, that worked. I bootstrapped the company and grew fast—hit $10 million in revenue before realizing hustle alone doesn’t scale.
Margins tightened.
People burned out.
We were always putting out fires.
That’s when I learned: real growth requires processes, systems, and the right metrics.
Here’s the CEO KPI Master List I wish I had from day one—and the same one I use when coaching other CEOs today.
Business KPIs: The Foundation of a Scalable Company
Revenue is easy to chase.
But if you want to scale, you need profit, efficiency, and retention.
Key Metrics to Track:
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Net Profit Margin – How much of every dollar you keep after expenses.
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Gross Margin – Measures efficiency after cost of goods sold. First lever to improve profitability.
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Inventory Turnover – Tells you how fast you’re moving inventory. Slow turnover = cash trap.
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Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) – Pair this with Lifetime Value (LTV) to see if your marketing is profitable.
I used to think more sales would fix everything.
It wasn’t a sales problem—it was margin and efficiency.
These metrics changed everything.
Leadership KPIs: You Can’t Scale Alone
At $10M, I didn’t just need more people—I needed better people.
And systems to keep them aligned and accountable.
What to Track:
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Employee Engagement – Are people motivated and committed? Or just showing up?
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Retention Rate – Losing your best talent kills momentum. Keep the good ones.
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Succession Planning – Who steps up if a key leader leaves? Build a bench.
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Leadership Team Effectiveness – It’s not just about individual performance. It’s about how they perform together.
Focusing on these let me step out of the day-to-day and actually lead.
Personal KPIs: You Are the Business
I thought grinding 24/7 was required.
But burnout doesn’t scale either.
Track These:
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Time Management – Are you focused on what only you can do?
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Health & Wellness – No sleep and bad habits catch up fast.
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Personal Financial Health – Stability gives you freedom to lead without fear.
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Goal Execution – Are you growing outside the business, too?
If you don’t take care of yourself, your business will suffer.
Simple as that.
Pulling It All Together
KPIs aren’t about spreadsheets—they’re about clarity and control.
Whether you’re running a $1M or $50M business, tracking the right metrics is how you stay ahead of problems and move with purpose.
Start Here:
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Pick the Right Metrics – 5–10 that actually matter right now.
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Set Clear Targets – Define success. Make it real.
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Review Regularly – Weekly or monthly. Never “set and forget.”
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Involve Your Team – Get everyone rowing in the same direction.
What KPIs are you tracking this year?
Drop a comment or let’s connect—this is the stuff that separates operators from real CEOs.
