Motive Financial Command Center

In Development · A Human First Media build · All figures pending human verification

5:42PM 9/2/2026 · rebuilt with August actuals (closed 8/31/2026)

Motive

The Motive Finance Agent · 2026 Report & Forecast

The Deck

Week Ended 7/31/2026

Billed This Week

$78,975

▲ from $32,312 prior week 39% of a normal $200K week

Nine properties billed in one week: Green Onion, Reasonable Doubt S4 (new client), Forgotten Island, Sense and Sensibility, The Diplomat S4, Wild Horse Nine, Betamax, Fleetwood Mac doc, Funky City S2.

Pace Check

est. $200K normal week

Good sign, not yet a normal week

A $1M month needs roughly $250K/week. Dollars only on this tile; creation fees land at V1 delivery, so weekly percentages mislead.

Variance Flag · ±20–25% Rule

Flagged, with the explanation attached

July ran 73% under the Jan–Jun average

Any month tracking 20–25% under projection flags automatically, requires a written explanation, and triggers a same-week partner note. This flag would have fired in week two of July.

July, Week by Week

Producer Activity · August Knowns

Producer	% of YTD	YTD (7/31)	Aug Knowns	Watch
Chad Russell	36.5%	$2,398,462	est. $135K	Strong
Jamie Choy (Partner · AV)	22.0%	$1,448,979	est. $231K	Back & billing
Jacklin Maisyan (Social/Digital)	20.9%	$1,372,782	est. $376K	Heavy pipeline
Darren Hamlyn	20.6%	$1,354,138	$48K	OOO 8/1–14 · book needs diversity
Chris Connors is a Creative Director who works across the producers' books, so his $3M+ a year of business (roughly 10x his est. $300K salary) shows up inside their billing lines rather than in a row of his own.

August Actual · Closed 8/31/2026

August Billed

$722,300

▲ 152% vs July's $286,125 15% below the $851K normalized average

Production/AV $638,175 (88%) · Social/Digital $84,125 (12%). Two new projects opened as August closed, per Jon (9/1): THE STICKS, Netflix teaser, $30,000; STEVIE WONDER, Hulu trailer, $45,000 — these land in September's book, not in this total.

August Result

–$71,035

▼ Modified adjusted loss · –9.8% margin 84% smaller than July's $433,457 loss

Second straight loss month, but the trend is improving fast: July −$433K → August −$71K. Expenses $763,783 all-in against $722,300 billed.

Variance Flag · ±20–25% Rule

Clear — no flag this month

–15% vs the $851K normalized average

Inside the ±20–25% band, so no automatic flag or written explanation triggers for August. July's −73% miss remains the one flag on the books this year.

Billing Trend

$1,117K

Jan

$891K

Feb

$1,900K

Mar

$844K

Apr

$756K

May

$775K

Jun

$286K

Jul · Flagged

$722K

Aug · Actual

Dashed line marks the $1,048K Jan–Jun monthly average. Monthly income from the Division report 2026 tab, closed through 8/31 (June restated to $774,806 from $780K in the July close — a minor reclass). Normalized average excluding March's high and July's low: $851K. YTD 2026 $7,291,161 vs YTD 2025 $7,751,628, down 5.9%.

Cash & Receivables · 8/31/2026

Cash in the Bank

$2,554,868

▼ $104,651 (−3.9%) this month

Savings $2,205,108 (86%) · General $295,606 · Payroll $54,154. No priority distributions ran in August.

Receivables

$1,569,069

▲ $47,127 (+3.1%) this month

Invoices $1,135,056 · PO requests $434,013.

Net Working Position

$4,098,029

Roughly flat vs July's $4,169,064

Cash + receivables − credit cards ($17,823) − accounts payable ($8,085).

Division Split · August Only

Division	August Billed	% of August
Production / AV	$638,175	88.4%
Social / Digital	$84,125	11.6%

Producer Activity · August Only (Computed)

Producer	August Billed	% of August
Chad Russell	$359,726	49.8%
Darren Hamlyn	$112,575	15.6%
Jamie Choy	$105,675	14.6%
Jacklin Maisyan	$84,126	11.6%
Unattributed / other	$60,200	8.3%
Computed, not a controller line item: each producer's through-August total (Billing tab) minus their through-July total from the prior report. The $60,200 gap likely includes Chris Connors' book and new business not yet coded to a producer row — flagging for Devin to confirm rather than guessing further.

Social/Digital · Forward Look (Jon, 9/1)

Essentially breakeven through August. The updated projection incorporates savings from Jacklin Maisyan's departure — flagging this for the Producers tab pending more detail on timing and how her forward book reallocates.
Needs roughly $250K more by year-end to stay breakeven for the full year.
Upside levers: Rayanne-originated business, successful pitch conversions, the proposed Hulu retainer.
Precedent: Social/Digital had a strong Q4 2025, which is some reason for hope on the finish.
Watch: freelance utilization. Digi leaned hard on freelance support during the summer pitch cycle — incremental freelance commitments need to track confirmed revenue and scope, not run ahead of it.

Year to Date · Through August 31, 2026

Revenue

$7,291,161

▼ 5.9% vs Jan–Aug 2025 ($7,751,628) 56.1% of the $13M goal · 66.7% of year elapsed

Falling behind the pace line: roughly $1.4M short of where the $13M goal calls for at this point in the year. Internal goal $13M = $10M AV + $3M Social/Digital.

Modified Adjusted Profit

$837,708

▼ margin fell to 11.5%, was 13.8% through July Net income $725,893 YTD vs $1,821,630 same period 2025 (−60%)

August's −$71,035 loss pulled the cumulative margin down. Same cost-structure fix as before: convert freelance spend into the Social/Digital Art Director and Producer hires.

Net Working Position

$4,098,029

Roughly flat vs July's $4,169,064

Cash $2,554,868 (Savings $2,205,108 · General $295,606 · Payroll $54,154) + receivables $1,569,069 − cards $17,823 − AP $8,085. YTD distributions: Billy $790,000, Jamie $245,438, plus $111,815 pass-through tax.

Goals vs Actuals · Are We On Track

Goal	Target	Booked (8/31)	% Booked	Where it stands · 66.7% of the year is done
AV / Production	$10,000,000	$5,834,254	58.3%	8 points behind pace; the fall slate is the close
Social / Digital	$3,000,000	$1,456,908	48.6%	18 points behind pace; needs ~$250K more by year-end just to break even, per Jon
Combined	$13,000,000	$7,291,161	56.1%	11 points behind pace; needs $1.43M/month avg Sep–Dec, a $515K/month lift over the current pace

Efficiency · Billing per Dollar of Salary (moving to quarterly)

The Standard

2–3x salary in billing

A $100K salary should carry $350K–$500K of billing. FileMaker hours assign roughly 50% of a project's billing to the people who log time on it.

The Benchmark

10x

Chris Connors, Creative Director, drives $3M+ of business on roughly $300K of salary working with the producers. That is the ceiling the multiple measures against.

The Cadence

Quarterly was annual

The year-end efficiency analysis moves to a quarterly rhythm so a softening book surfaces in weeks, not in December.

Divisions

Division	YTD Income	% of YTD	August Billed	% of August	Read
Production / AV	$5,834,254	80.0%	$638,175	~88%	Rebounded with August's billing; 8 points behind the $10M pace line.
Social / Digital	$1,456,908	20.0%	$84,125	~12%	Essentially breakeven through August (Jon); updated projection reflects savings from Jacklin's departure.
Division split from the controller's own Division report, closed package through 8/31/2026 (Devin Heath, CPA). The prior "Recurring & Verticals" cut (Searchlight, gaming, etc.) isn't a separate GL division in this workbook — those dollars live inside Social/Digital or AV depending on the project.

Who's Doing Awesome, and Why

Chad Russell · Top Producer

37.8% of company YTD

$2,758,188

The engine of the year, and it widened in August.
The Sheep Detectives and Forgotten Island remain his anchors; August added roughly $360K on top.
He carries more than a third of the company's billing on a producer's salary.

▲ August actual: $359,726 — the biggest producer month by a wide margin

Jamie Choy · Partner, Head of AV

21.3% of company YTD

$1,554,654

Bills $1.55M while personally QCing everything AV ships and running the division.
July's dip traced to her planned ramp-down; August confirms she's back to a steady pace.

▲ August actual: $105,675

Jacklin Maisyan · Social/Digital

20.0% of company YTD

$1,456,908

Her billing has been the Social/Digital division all year; that history stands as-is.
Per Jon (9/1): her departure is now factored into the updated Social/Digital forward projection. Timing and how her book reallocates are still being confirmed — holding on any further change here until Meredith has that detail.

August actual: $84,126 · flagged, pending confirmation

Darren Hamlyn · Rebuild Watch

20.1% of company YTD

$1,466,713

Still a fifth of the year's billing, and August was his second-best producer month.
The book still leans on Apple relationships; the ask remains diversity, not effort.

▲ August actual: $112,575

The Pie, Two Ways

Share of YTD · $7.29M

■ Chad 37.8% · ■ Jamie 21.3% · ■ Jacklin 20.0% · ■ Darren 20.1% · ■ Other 0.8%

Share of August Actual · $722,300

■ Chad 49.8% · ■ Darren 15.6% · ■ Jamie 14.6% · ■ Jacklin 11.6% · ■ Unattributed 8.3%

Percentages That Tell the Story

37.8%

of every dollar Motive billed this year runs through Chad — and his share grew in August.

49.8%

of August's actual billing ran through Chad. The widest single-producer share all year.

65.4%

of August's billing sits with Chad and Darren combined — the two AV producers carried the rebound.

20.0% → 11.6%

Jacklin's YTD share vs her August share, the month her departure entered the plan.

YTD Billing by Producer · Share of $7.29M

Chad Russell · $2.76M · 37.8%

Jamie Choy · $1.55M · 21.3%

Darren Hamlyn · $1.47M · 20.1%

Jacklin Maisyan · $1.46M · 20.0%

Bars scaled to Chad's $2.76M. Source: Billing tab, closed package 08312026.

August Actual by Producer

Chad · $359,726

Darren · $112,575

Jamie · $105,675

Jacklin · $84,126

Computed (through-August minus through-July, both from the Billing tab), not a controller line item. Sum $662,100 of the $722,300 August total; the $60,200 gap is unattributed — likely Chris Connors' book or new business not yet coded to a producer row.

Wins Worth Saying Out Loud · July 2026

Cash Grew in the Losing Month

+$420,133 +19%

Cash ended at $2,659,519 while the P&L took the hit. Receivables came down 41% on over $900K collected.

New Client, Fast

$18,525 in 2 weeks

Reasonable Doubt S4 opened 7/14 and billed within two weeks. New engagements rarely move that fast.

Recurring Revenue Working

$175K Searchlight 2026

September concepts pitched 7/28 and the client is already asking about October creative, which opens the 2027 renewal early.

Costs Held

−$100K vs run rate

July expenses $709,030 all-in, est. $609K operational vs an est. $700K operational run rate (tax and partner distributions held out). No panic cuts, no overspend; cards paid down 82%.

The Final Week Turned

9 properties billing

$78,975 in the last week, up from $32,312, with Green Onion at $27,700 leading.

Prestige Pitches Out

$260K+ A24 alone

Club Kid ($100K) and V8 ($80K) decks delivered to A24, Heart of the Beast at $80K, Hulu brand work opened. The Social/Digital story is bigger than its July number.

Relationships Held Under Stress

2 losses contained

Disney killed a shoot and Focus chose another agency once, yet a second Disney shoot is approved for inquiry, a Disney retainer is being pitched, and Focus billed digital again the week of 7/30.

Team Ramped

3 hires productive

Karllon Musni, Nina Carlin, and Maureen Mailloux all fully ramped on July payroll. 41 on staff, sized for the fall.

August Mostly Booked

99% of the $800K midpoint

est. $790K of August is already known on the producer sheet, with $200K–$300K of upside that keeps a $1M month in play.

Motive / the year in pictures

Closed through 8/31/2026

Monthly Billing · Actuals Through August

June restated to $774,806 from $780K in the July close (minor reclass). All months from the Division report 2026 tab, closed through 8/31.

Goals vs Actuals · 66.7% of the Year Elapsed

AV / PRODUCTION · $5.83M of $10M · 58.3%

SOCIAL / DIGITAL · $1.46M of $3M · 48.6%

COMBINED · $7.29M of $13M · 56.1%

11 points behind the 66.7% pace line. Needs $1.43M a month average Sep–Dec, a $515K/month lift over the current pace, to close $13M by December.

Who Bills · Share of $7.29M YTD

■ Chad Russell · $2.76M · 37.8%
■ Jamie Choy · $1.55M · 21.3%
■ Jacklin Maisyan · $1.46M · 20.0%
■ Darren Hamlyn · $1.47M · 20.1%
■ Other · $0.05M · 0.8%

Cash

Peaked at $2.66M on Jul 31; cash fell $104,651 (−3.9%) in August — no priority distributions ran this month. Net working position (cash + receivables − cards − AP) $4.10M, roughly flat vs July's $4.17M.

The Twelve-Month View · 2026 vs 2025

Jan

$1,117K

+26% vs 2025

2025: $887K

Feb

$891K

−25% vs 2025

2025: $1,196K

Mar

$1,900K

+63% vs 2025

best month of the year

Apr

$844K

−10% vs 2025

2025: $934K

May

$756K

−2% vs 2025

2025: $769K

Jun

$780K

−11% vs 2025

2025: $878K

Jul

$286K

−58% vs 2025

flagged · ramp-down month

Aug

$722K

−42% vs 2025

2025: $1,240K

Sep

Open

slate building

$75K booked so far (Sticks + Stevie Wonder) · 2025: $1,295K

Oct

Open

slate building

2025: $889K

Nov

Open

awards season

2025: $838K

Dec

Open

awards season

2025: $1,380K

Open months carry the 2025 same-month figure as the shape to beat; the $13M goal needs $1.43M/month average Sep–Dec, a $515K/month lift over the current pace.

Sources: closed package 08312026 (Devin Heath, CPA), Division report 2026/2025 tabs, Jon's 9/1 written update. August bar is closed-month actual, not a projection.

Starting This Month

Name	Start Date
Rayanne Piaña	Sep 8 (Tue)
Roxanne Floes	Sep 9 (Wed)

Contract Review Timeline

Stage	Name	Date	Note
Drafted	Jessica Petersen	Sep 3	O1B expires 3/18/27
Current	Steven Martinez	Aug 4
1 month	JD Navarro	Oct 13
2 months	Andrew Gerstenblatt	Nov 3
2 months	Jacob Fuller	Nov 3
3 months	None
4 months	Chris Connors	Jan 19
5 months	Michele Duane	Feb 2
5 months	Karl Burian	Feb 12
5 months	Chris Swart	Feb 20
5 months	Josh Bishop	Feb 20
6 months	George Streicher	Mar 3
6 months	David Celemen	Mar 30

Source: Jon's 9/1 email, verbatim. Non-financial — kept here rather than folded into the finance tabs above.

September 2026 Plan · Built 9/2, One Day Into the Month

Projected Bookings

$1,036,000

Budget set at 80% of Sep 2025 ($1,295K)

Confirmed today: $75,000 (THE STICKS $30,000 · STEVIE WONDER $45,000). The remaining $961,000 has to come from the slate Chad and Darren are building plus Social/Digital pitch conversions. This is a planning target, not a forecast Devin has signed.

Projected Expenses

$782,000

▲ 2.4% vs August's $763,783

Two starts add payroll from Sep 8 and Sep 9 (Rayanne Piaña, Roxanne Floes). Freelance is held at the August level; anything above that should track a signed scope, not a pitch.

Projected Result

+$254,000

First profitable month since June, if bookings land

At the $75,000 booked today the month runs −$707,000. Every $100K booked moves the result $100K. Breakeven sits at $782,000 billed, 60% of the 2025 same-month figure.

Budget vs Actual

Line	Budget	Actual	Variance	Read
July billed	$1,006,000	$286,125	−$719,875 (−72%)	Flagged
August billed	$1,054,000	$722,300	−$331,700 (−31%)	Under
August expenses	$800,000	$763,783	−$36,217 (−4.5%)	Held
August result	$254,000	−$71,035	−$325,035	Miss
Jan–Aug billed	$8,666,667	$7,291,161	−$1,375,506 (−15.9%)	Behind pace
September billed	$1,036,000	$75,000 booked	$961,000 to go	Open
Budget lines are modeled here, not pulled from a controller budget file: monthly billing budget is 85% of the 2025 same month, the YTD line is the $13M goal spread evenly across twelve months, and the expense budget is the trailing three-month run rate rounded to the nearest $10K. Actuals come from the closed 08312026 package.

Cash Bridge · September

Opening Cash · 9/1

$2,554,868

Savings $2,205,108 · General $295,606 · Payroll $54,154.

Projected Closing Cash · 9/30

$2,495,000

▼ about $60,000

Collections lag billing by roughly a month, so September collects against July and August work while paying a full September cost base.

Watch

Two soft months collect in September

July's $286,125 is the thinnest receivable month of the year. If any of it slips past 60 days, closing cash lands nearer $2.40M.

Movement	Amount	Basis
Opening cash 9/1	$2,554,868	Closed package 08312026
Collections on July billing	$258,000	90% of $286,125
Collections on August billing	$469,000	65% of $722,300, balance lands in October
Payroll and benefits	−$492,000	August base plus two September starts
Freelance and production cost	−$203,000	Held at the August level
Overhead, rent, software, cards	−$87,000	Trailing three-month average
Distributions	$0	None planned, same as August
Projected closing cash 9/30	$2,499,868	Rounded to $2.50M in the tile above

What Has to Happen for the Plan to Hold

Bookings

$961,000 still open

Chad and Darren carried 65.4% of August. September needs the AV slate rebuilt to roughly $650K with Social/Digital adding $250K to $300K.

Expense discipline

$782,000 ceiling

August came in $36K under budget. Holding that behavior is worth more than any single pitch on the board right now.

Flag trigger

Below $777,000

The ±25% band around the $1,036,000 budget. Under the new rule this shows up in week two, not at month end.

Beta tab. Projections are modeled from closed actuals and the 2025 Division report, and no line here has been reviewed by Devin Heath or Jon. Treat every September figure as a planning number.

The Motive Finance Agent

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meredith@humanfirstmedia.com · 805-636-8182

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