I don't love the business world, but I do get it.

This post was interseting. I started to form perceptions of the company based on the post. I think: smallish company; OP is CEO or similar high-title; all OP's direct reports are people managers, so there's bureaucracy separating him and anyone who's actually executing. His approach is business centric bc of his role - but since he's used to looking at everything from an executionable standpoint, this view has transferred over to his employees. OP - I want to say - if this is on point, it's reasonable. We all get blinders on at work. But you have to realize this is a blind spot for you and mitigate it. I don't think OP has much experience in a highly corporate atmosphere/in a big company because while I did make several actionable suggestions, none are that unusual - if you've worked corporate a while. So I'm guessing it's a start up.

I feel like it would really help OP to develop a mentor with a lot of experience in business. My dad has taught me a lot about the business world, and we don't work in the same industry.

Something I think OP maybe hasn't thought of:

The company's priority is the company. It is not the workers, and the workers know this. A company will not be loyal to you. So you shouldn't be loyal to it - that's dumb.

When a company invests in its workers it is demonstrating an amount of trust and loyalty. People respond to that.

OP has been paying company bills on charge card - promises - not cash. He said "Employees, loan me your hard work for a year, and it will pay off. Things will get WAY better." And the employees trusted him.

A year later he's come back: "I need another loan. THEN the company will get fixed!" while his employees look at their first loan still oustanding and think, "what a crock."

Companies aren't stable. People get laid off a lot. Promise of future payment means little. If a company changes its mind and doesn't want to pay you, easy - they can fire you instead. Cheaper, too.

A company will survive if one person quits but a family might not if their breadwinner gets fired. The company has way more power here. So the company needs to invest in its employees first, generously, and repeatedly. Make them grateful and happy to work for that company - and I do believe that the company will get paid back in work across the board.