Practical guidance on margins, cash flow, capital raising and building the finance function, from 35+ years inside the industry.
Part 1 of The Next Phase: a business is a bridge to the life you are building, not the destination.
Part 2 of The Next Phase: if the facts change, adjust the plan. If they have not, stop reopening the worry.
Part 3 of The Next Phase: there will always be another chore. There will not always be another healthy year.
Part 4 of The Next Phase: rest is part of a good life, not a reward for productivity.
Part 5 of The Next Phase: four questions that help owners look forward, and the financial steps that make a transition work.
Three words I come back to whenever I think about why I do this work, and how I try to do it well.
Hoʻokuleana is the Hawaiian idea of taking responsibility. For a fractional CFO, it means owning the outcome, not just the advice.
ʻŌlelo hoʻohiki is a solemn promise. In a CFO engagement, it shows up as fixed fees, kept deadlines and doing what we said we would.
Hawaiʻi’s Aloha Spirit law describes kindness, unity, agreeableness, humility and patience. They make for better financial leadership too.
Kākou is the inclusive “we” in Hawaiian: all of us, together. A good fractional CFO works that way with your team, your lenders and your board.
“Strive for the summit” was Queen Kapiʻolani’s motto. In finance, reaching the summit is a matter of doing the fundamentals well, every month.
Pono means right, honest and in balance. For a CPA and CFO, it is the difference between numbers that look good and numbers you can trust.
Kuleana is both a responsibility and a privilege. Being trusted with a company’s finances, and often a family’s legacy, is both.
Signs you need CFO-level help, how fractional and full-time compare, and what the first 90 days look like.
How freight, yield loss and trade spend turn a 39% quoted margin into 15%, and how to fix it.
What investors look for in a food or beverage brand's finances, and how to get ready before you raise.