Every small business owner needs financial advice to help scale and grow. Each week successful Operators join fractional CFO Adam Cooper, to share their experiences, tips and tricks to help improve your business cash flows, profits and help reach your financial goals. If you are an entrepreneur looking to take control of your business finances, this is the podcast for you.
This week, I sat down with the brilliant @Sarah Lamontagne, Founder of @Montagne Motion Consulting, to dive into what really matters when founders make those all-important first hires.Sarah's seen it all, from prisons to AI scaleups, and brings some refreshing honesty, and tonnes of experience to bear hiring, culture, and building the foundations for a people-first business.Some personal highlights from our conversation: ✅ Why founders waste time (and budget) trying to DIY their early hires. ✅ The real cost of a 5-stage interview process (and why it needs to die). ✅ How finance and HR should actually collaborate (hint: start with muffins). ✅ What culture really is, and why Slack emojis don't count. ✅ Why every founder needs to think about succession planning before they think they're ready.
This week, I sat down with Peter Charalambides, CEO of The Upper Room and former Property CEO, for a powerful conversation on how to run a charity with a business mindest.Some of my favourite moments from our chat include:✅ What Peter learned from starting-up a business and how that shapes his charity leadership today. ✅ Why charities must diversify income streams and the impact of local community. ✅ Financial lessons from the business world on cash flow, benchmarking salaries, and tech that Peter took to the third sector. ✅ How Peter uses mindfulness (and a beard net) to help out with The Upper Room's meal service. ✅ And his call to action for younger donors, and those who can help reach them.If you're leading a purpose-driven business or want to hear what financial leadership looks like in the charity sector, this one's for you.Big thanks to Peter for being generous with his story, and for the Doctor Who name drop too
In this week's episode, I sat down with Dan DeGolier, CEO of Ascent CFO Solutions, to dig into the world of metrics, and how small businesses can start to think about this subject.Some of the highlights from our conversation included: ✅ Why “cash is king” still matters – regardless of your growth stage. ✅ The biggest mistake small businesses make with dashboards – think noise vs. insight! ✅ How to make KPIs work best across teams – tip: link them to bonus schemes. ✅ The difference between tracking leads... and tracking the right ones. ✅ Power BI vs Excel – when to upgrade and when to keep it simple.If you've ever looked at a spreadsheet and didn't know where to start, then this one's for you.Business Book Bonus:Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business: https://amzn.eu/d/8MlexvzBlue Ocean Strategy: How To Create Uncontested Market Space And Make The Competition Irrelevant:https://amzn.eu/d/hOKTFT7
This week, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Mark Jenkins, CEO of The Gap, a platform to help accountants, CFOs, and advisors turn their expertise into scalable value-driven services.Some of my personal highlights from the conversation include:✅ Why clients struggle to see your worth.✅ The sweet spot between “art and science” when selling services.✅ The importance of systemising delivery with repeatable frameworks.✅ Tools to turn advisory chats into valuable and commercial outcomes.✅ And why “efficiency ≠ profit”—unless you reinvest that time intentionally.This one's packed with insights for anyone selling services, especially if you've ever found yourself thinking, “I know I added value... but did I explain it well enough?”Business Book Bonus Section:The Grapes of Wrath: https://amzn.eu/d/4SCeJHpWhat Got You Here Won't Get You There: https://amzn.eu/d/3n48q3K
This week, I had the pleasure of sitting down with @Gerri Phillips, Co-Founder and Chief Experience Officer of @Cue Gravity - a company that's built its niche helping retailers tell their story successfully by blending the physical and the digital.While Cue Gravity is already working with top-tier brands across the U.S. Gerri is now leading the U.K. charge, focusing on bringing that U.S.. experience and success to the UK.
This week, I had a fascinating conversation with @Rajeev Nandan, founder and CEO of @Pierian, about the evolution of Marketing technology and the impact of AI on digital marketing strategies.We covered:✅ The move from traditional marketing to AI-driven, data-led strategies.✅ The transition from a consulting business model to a scalable SaaS offering.✅ The financial metrics that drive e-commerce success and sustainable growth.✅ How businesses, big and small, can use AI to improve customer acquisition and retention.✅ The importance of balancing creativity and data in a world increasingly shaped by automation.
This week, I sat down with @Alistair Roman, Founder and Managing Partner of @Cost Optimisation Consultancy, to explore cost optimisation for small businesses and discuss how you can reduce costs in your business sustainably.We discuss the model that Alistair has developed - the cost transformation maturity map - why most businesses fail to retain cost savings, and explore how SMEs can build cost efficiency into their company culture.
This week, I had a fascinating conversation with St John Dalgleish, CEO of Perlon AI, about the reality of building AI-driven solutions that actually deliver results.We explored how Perlon AI went from consulting to product, the challenges of scaling AI in diverse industries, and what the future holds for businesses using AI.
On this one I had the pleasure of speaking with Paul Sherratt, founder and CEO of gloveglu – an innovative brand that's reshaped the goalkeeping product category with products sold in 55 countries and over 1.1m followers on social media.This conversation was a real lesson to me in entrepreneurial courage, strategic pivots, and turning challenges like Brexit and COVID into opportunities for growth. Paul's journey from a corporate career to creating a globally recognised brand is inspiring, and definitely a great conversation to start the new year with.
On this one I was delighted to be joined by Lizzie Allen Phillips, the founder of IWant2Network, who is on a mission to become London's number one premium business networking organization with her networking group, IWant2Network.This was a fascinating conversation with Lizzie where we discussed the power of networking for financial success.
On this one I was delighted to be joined by Francesca Hodgson, MBA, the successful entrepreneur and Founder of We are Ambition, a business consultancy offering fractional leadership, growth services, mentoring and coaching.This was a fascinating conversation with Francesca where we explored the need for clarity of mind, as it relates to the entrepreneurial journey.
On this one I was very pleased to be joined by @Jon Reay and @Tim Seddon, the Co-Founders OF @Room 42, a start-up that facilitates effective change and innovation through the use of Design Thinking based programmes, to help businesses tackle the most challenging of live business problems. I really enjoyed this conversation with Jon and Tim where we dived into how they went on the journey to start Room 42 and specifically how they have seen Design Thinking used to improve Financial Performance.
On this one I was very pleased to be joined by Emilia De Stasio, CFA, the Founder & COO at Artscapy, the wealth management platform dedicated to art collecting.I really enjoyed this conversation with Emilia where we explored her background in Finance, her love of Art and her journey over the past 4 years as she has co-founded Artscapy, a platform dedicated to the needs of art collectors.
Click the link below for the Limited time 2 for 1 offer mentioned on the pod: Life Ready PathwayIn this first episode of the new season, I'm thrilled to be joined by Suke Ridler, the CEO and founder of My LifeJars, a company that assists in organising documents and passwords to access during life and after death. In this conversation, Suke and I discuss her journey from acoustic engineer through to winemaker, sheep breeder, and then on to becoming a start up founder.
I was delighted to be joined by @Alice Olins, Career Expert, Coach and Trainer, and the Founder of the @Step Up Club, an organisation that works with individuals and teams to help them fulfill potential, navigate and embrace change. This was an impactful conversation with Alice where we explored change and how small businesses can best navigate it.
I was very pleased to be joined by @Russell Rich, one of the senior partners at @Lubbock Fine, a leading firm of chartered accountants and tax advisors, where Russell heads up the sports, media and entertainment desk. I really enjoyed this conversation with Russell where we explored a situation familiar with many these days, noticeably some considerations when starting up a business as a second career.
In this one, I'm excited to be joined by Chris Cummings, the Group CEO and Founder of Wellbeing at Work World, an organisation on a mission to make wellbeing a strategic priority for every business.I really enjoyed this conversation with fellow Centaur Media Plc alumni Chris, discussing his journey over the past 10 years, inspired by personal circumstances, to fly the flag for the importance of wellbeing at work.
In this one, I'm delighted to be joined by Helen Cox, a Chartered Marketer, and Founder of Helen Cox Marketing, a marketing consultancy specialising in advising professional service firms on their marketing and business development.In our wide ranging conversation, Helen and I cover all that you need to know about the benefits of effective marketing plans for small business owners.
In this one, I'm delighted to be joined by @Wenceslyne Ong, the Founder of @Elite LVL, a business operations consulting firm with a world-class customer onboarding and continuous improvement framework, helping cost conscious businesses scale. In this broad ranging conversation, Wenceslyne and I cover all that you need to know about having a strategic and mindful approach to staff onboarding in small and growing businesses.
In this episode, I'm thrilled to be joined by Chris Lang, the Founder of Flash Partners Limited, a company that provides in-sourced finance functions for small and medium sized companies in the marketing communications industry. In this conversation, Chris and I explore what new founders and startups need to consider from a finance perspective and provide some tips and tricks that startups and small businesses need to consider around finance.
In this first episode of the new season, I'm thrilled to be joined by Lewis Turek, the General Manager of North America at GoCardless, a payment company that allows a simple, secure way to get paid, without the chasing stress or expensive fees. In this conversation, Lewis and I discuss his journey from IBM Intern, through to setting up Uber for Business in the UK and dive into his current experience as an English ex pat, leading GoCardless expansion into the U.S.
In this episode, I'm thrilled to be joined by @Manny Skevofilax, the Owner of @Portal CFO Consulting a consultancy that Manny has been operating for over 20 years with a mission to help business owners make more money by successfully navigating the challenges of growing their businesses profitably. In this conversation, my first with another fractional CFO, the tables are turned and Manny and I discuss his journey from restaurateur, through to Corporate Banker and now to Fractional CFO.
In this one I had the pleasure of chatting with Dave Parry, the Managing Director at Wellmeadow Ltd, a consultancy that helps businesses that need non-exec support, process transformation or support with lead generation. Dave and I had a wide ranging discussion, looking at how small businesses set their vision and strategies, how they live up to those and ensure the entire organisation stays on track. We looked at some of the specific challenges of hybrid working, with Dave's experience of chairing thousands of Board Meetings providing interesting insight to the In Office vs. Remote discussion many of us are having. Dave then shares some excellent rules around hosting an effective meeting as well as a well thought through marketing workflow that they support their clients with at Wellmeadow. If you are looking for clarity around Operations, Corporate Governance and Marketing, Dave's clear thinking and straightforward approach to business is refreshing and this episode is a must for you.Business Book Bonus: Harvard Business Review - https://hbr.org/Management Today - https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/ SME Growth Podcast - https://www.smegrowthpodcast.com/
In this episode, I'm thrilled to be joined by @David Adderson, the co-founder of @Youtopia, a premium cloud accounting service that helps simplify your finance department.. In this conversation, David and I explore how we can integrate technology into your client's workflows as an accountant and how to help make their finance operations simpler and more streamlined.
In this episode, I'm thrilled to be joined by @Rachael Ager, the Client Services Director at Brunswick Creative, the creative arm of Brunswick group, where Rachael leads the account management team working across offices in Europe, North America, Asia, and the Gulf. In this conversation, Rachael and I explore how agency finance teams can best empower and support account management and in turn their clients.
In this episode, I'm thrilled to be joined by Richard Hadler, an Angel Investor, experienced executive and Co-Founder of Founders Capital, an investment community dedicated to helping founders raise investment from other founders and start up experts.In this conversation, Rich and I explore the world of finance for founders – and understand what investors are looking for in the companies that they invest in.
In this episode, I'm thrilled to be joined by @Sarah Ropek, the Founder of @People Management Partners, an HR consultancy committed to delivering HR solutions to startup, small and medium sized businesses. In this conversation, Sarah and I explore the world of HR for Small Businesses – and how small business owners can best approach the people side of their businesses.
In this episode, I am joined by Sam Lenox, the Head of Employee Incentives at Harper James, a modern law firm, purpose-built to support entrepreneurial businesses in their growth from startup to scale up and beyond. In this conversation, Sam and I explore the world of employee share options, looking at the structure, their implementation and an important insight for businesses who may be new to this world of incentives to better understand what is available.
In this episode, I'm delighted to be joined by Jason Miles, SVP Finance at Conde Nast, the global media company with a portfolio including brands such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, GQ, Wired, among others.In this conversation, Jason and I dive into some of the complexities of multinational expansion and how businesses can effectively manage those challenges that come with that.
As we kick off the new year, I'm thrilled to be joined by Magda Dillon, the Owner-Director and Head of Consultancy at Pain Free IT, experts in leading and delivering best in class business solutions. In this broad ranging conversation, Magda and I cover all that you need to know about selecting, implementing and launching a new agency finance and project management system.
In this, our fifth and final episode before we break for the holidays, I'm joined by Dan Kalms, an experienced Finance Leader, currently Financial Controller at Sullivan and Stanley, the award-winning specialist change consultancy. In this broad ranging conversation, Dan and I cover all that you need to know about good Corporate Governance in small and growing businesses.
In this, our fourth episode, I'm joined by David Blois, the Founder and Managing Partner at M&A Advisory, the specialists advising on company sales, mergers and acquisitions in the marketing communications, media and martech sectors. In this broad ranging conversation, David and I cover all that you need to know about selling your agency business. Some of my favourite parts were: ✅ The best time to engage an M&A Advisory firm; ✅ The steps in the sale process from Offer through to Completion; ✅ The importance and value of structuring the incentive part of the deal correctly; ✅ The structure of deals and earn out periods David is seeing at the moment; ✅ The importance of getting your books in shape to help you run your business and expedite the sale process.
In this, our third episode, I'm joined by @Rich Nicholas, Global CFO & COO @Ridley Scott Creative Group, the Creative Group led by the legendary Director Sir Ridley Scott. In this conversation, Rich and I cover all that you need to know about running a production profitably from commercials all the way through to episodic TV. Some of my favourite parts were: ✅ The (£75 grand) risks of going over budget on filming;✅ Rich's insights and tactics for setting budgets on Productions;✅ How Rich balances the conflicting demands of cash and creative;✅ The value and importance of a strong, experienced Head of Production;✅ Finance being responsible for the sweets and the petrol - don't worry, it makes sense on the pod! Subscribe now to make sure you don't miss out on future episodes. #FractionalCFOShow #ProductionFinance #PodcastAlert #RichNicholas #AdamCooperCFO
In our second episode, I'm delighted to be joined by Merley Okine, Group General Counsel of Ebiquity plc, the media investment analysis firm. In this conversation, Merley and I cover a plethora of topics that you won't want to miss. Some of my favourite parts were: ✅ What legal support a business needs as it scales;✅ Budgeting tips for Legal and other Departments as well;✅ When to bring Legal into strategic commercial situations;✅ How the Finance and Legal teams should best collaborate;✅ Insights into how to manage legal and compliance across an international entity. Merley's Business Book recommendation: Radical Candor by Kim Scott: https://amzn.eu/d/g73NzUJ Where to find Merley: Web: https://ebiquity.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/merleyokine/
In our premiere episode, I was joined by Richard Carpenter, CEO of Bladonmore, the specialist stakeholder communications agency.In our wide ranging conversation, Richard and I dive into the dynamic relationship between the Finance team and the CEO.Some of my favourite parts were:✅ How job profitability is a team sport;✅ The financial metrics Richard can't live without;✅ How Richard looks at the business post pandemic;✅ Insights into successful budgeting and forecasting;✅ Some pearls of wisdom around recruiting and retaining staff.Richard's Business Book recommendation: Thinking Fast and Slow – Daniel Kahneman - https://amzn.eu/d/iiaqYICWhere to find Richard: Web: https://www.bladonmore.com/contact/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bladonmore/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bladonmore/
Every small business owner needs advice and guidance. Each week successful Operators join fractional CFO Adam Cooper, to share their experiences, tips and tricks to help improve your business cash flows, profits and help reach your financial goals.
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