Robinson Aquino: The Money Game Entrepreneurs Never Learn

Why do so many small businesses fail, even when they have great products and loyal customers?

In this episode of Entrepreneur | Authorities, Joe Pardavila sits down with entrepreneur, investor, and JBS CEO Robinson Aquino to break down the hidden financial systems that separate struggling businesses from scalable ones.

Drawing from his new book, The Small Business Money Game, Robinson shares lessons from growing up in his family’s bodegas, advising entrepreneurs as a financial planner, and helping thousands of business owners make smarter decisions around cash flow, hiring, margins, and growth.
The conversation explores why most entrepreneurs misunderstand money, how immigrant families shape risk tolerance and work ethic, why Monopoly might be one of the best business lessons ever created, and how financial literacy changes the trajectory of a business.

Joe and Robinson also dive into entrepreneurship, wealth creation, AI, capitalism, hospitality business failures, leadership, and the emotional relationship people have with money.

If you’re building a business, thinking about entrepreneurship, or trying to understand how wealth actually works, this episode will change the way you think about money.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why most small businesses fail
• The financial systems entrepreneurs ignore
• What Monopoly teaches about wealth
• How cash flow impacts business survival
• The difference between entrepreneurs and operators
• Why risk tolerance matters in entrepreneurship
• How money flows through the economy
• Why assets create wealth
• The biggest mistakes business owners make
• How immigrant families shape financial thinking
• What AI could mean for the future of capitalism

Chapters / Timestamps
00:00 Intro
00:26 Robinson Aquino and The Small Business Money Game
01:00 The Monopoly lesson that changed Robinson’s life
03:41 Why Monopoly teaches business fundamentals
04:28 Why business owners need financial oversight
05:33 Growing up with immigrant money fears
07:16 How entrepreneurs really build wealth
09:09 Telling his family he wanted to become an entrepreneur
11:23 The truth about “following your passion”
12:17 The chicken drumstick story and learning margins
15:04 Are entrepreneurs born or made?
18:00 Risk tolerance and entrepreneurship
20:53 What Robinson learned as a financial advisor
21:28 How money actually flows through the economy
24:55 The Costco moment that changed his thinking on wealth
27:28 Capitalism, wealth gaps, and the future of money
30:00 AI, automation, and the future of capitalism
32:30 Building JBS and helping small businesses scale
35:15 Why businesses fail financially
39:09 Why restaurants fail so often
42:16 Family legacy and entrepreneurial resilience
44:06 Final thoughts