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.

🌟 Some of my favourite parts were:

✅ Manny’s family background and how his parent’s experiences helped shape Manny’s own professional journey;

✅ How Manny’s first career as a restaurateur helped shape his views on cash and subsequent advice as a Fractional CFO;

✅ The importance and grounding that continuous learning provided Manny – most notably how to think about credit risk and analyse a financial statement;

✅ On the contrary though, how successful billionaire business owners dismissed complex financial calculations and relied on simplicity to keep everyone rowing in the same direction;

✅ How small business owners can be resistant to change but through gentle education and helping clients improve their profits, Manny has been able to work with some clients for upwards of 20 years.

Business Book Bonus: Million Dollar Consulting, Alan Weiss

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Million-Dollar-Consulting-Alan-Weiss/dp/0071622101

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.

🌟 Some of my favourite parts were:

✅ How David’s holistic early career experience outside of accounts helped his view of using tech efficiently;

✅ How AI is shaping the accounting landscape not currently as Artificial intelligence but more as Automation Intelligence

✅ The shiny toy syndrome and the need to ensure you are fully utilising existing software rather than just bringing in more toys;

✅ How it is mindset management with the Finance Department or Business Owner that is the hardest part of introducing new technologies;

✅ How David trials new tools to ensure that any new tech is rolled out only if it makes life markedly better either on the Client or Youtopia’s workflows.

Business Book Bonus Section:

· Eat That Frog - Brian Tracy - https://amzn.eu/d/aFbR8UF

· The Diary of a CEO Podcast - https://stevenbartlett.com/the-diary-of-a-ceo-podcast/

· Lewis Morgan Podcast - https://www.lewismorganpodcast.com/

· The ups and downs of a small business owner Podcast - https://www.youtopia.co.uk/podcast

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.

🌟 Some of my favourite parts were:

✅ How Rachael sees the role of finance as a vital second pair of eyes within the business;

✅ The challenges of working in a Creative agency and managing overspends to ensure client satisfaction;

✅ The management of projects and ensuring that as a global agency international clients are supported in a consistent way;

✅ How Brunswick Creative use regular finance surgeries as ways to provide visibility to Account Management on project progress;

✅ How education of the team on the direct link between timesheets, estimates and invoicing improves timesheet completion rates.

Business Book Bonus - Belonging: The Ancient Code of Togetherness by Owen Eastwood - https://amzn.eu/d/cLr4TFZ

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.

🌟 Some of my favourite parts were:
✅ The financial and non-financial metrics that Rich as an Investor considers before investing;
✅ The role that Founders Capital and its community play in the companies they invest in;
✅ How Angel Investors are evaluating the potential exit strategies in the current market;
✅ Rich talking through how he evaluates the businesses and founders that he invests in;
✅ How best to evaluate a business model and potential at the pre-revenue stage.

Business Book recommendation -

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.

🌟 Some of my favourite parts were:

✅ Developing your team’s skills and using competency frameworks to do so;

✅ Hiring for shared values amongst your management team as you scale;

✅ Forecasting for staff fluctuations and seasonality in your business;

✅ Rules of thumb around hiring full time vs. fractional staff;

✅ The benefits of virtual co-working for hybrid teams.

Business Book Bonus Recommendation –

The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle - https://amzn.eu/d/1dZmjl3

🌟 Kicking off our new series, I'm thrilled to be in conversation with @Ali Gray, the VP and Executive Creative Director at @Free Think Media.

In this episode, we delve deep into the world of Creative businesses, exploring the commercial challenges of managing creative teams and nurturing their potential.

Here are some highlights from our discussion: 

✅ Ali's unique blend of creativity and spreadsheet prowess. 

✅ Strategies for motivating and empowering creative teams. 

✅ Uncovering significant savings through questioning and innovation. 

✅ The power of constraints in driving creative solutions. 

✅ Embracing failure as a pathway to innovation.

 
Business Book Bonus Recommendation – 

Creative Act – Rick Rubin - https://amzn.eu/d/0YgZ1eq

Robert Mayhew – TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@mrrobertmayhew?lang=en

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.

🌟 Some of my favourite parts were:

✅ How to educate and manage expectations of young staff around share options;

✅ Understanding the not insignificant tax benefits of the EMI scheme;

✅ How an internal market typically works for these kinds of schemes;

✅ Managing Share Option schemes with an International hat on;

✅ Marrying long term ESOPs with shorter term bonus scheme.

 
Business Book Bonus Recommendation – 

Legacy – James Kerr - https://amzn.eu/d/5xTOA4B