cash flow management Archives - Business RadioX ®

Next Level Financial: Fractional CFO for Commercial Real Estate

May 5, 2026 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Next Level Financial: Fractional CFO for Commercial Real Estate

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Paris and James Williams, Next Level Financial, on Fractional CFO Services for Commercial Real Estate Firms (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 960)

In this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray welcomes Paris and James Williams, co-founders of Next Level Financial, a fractional CFO firm based in Suwanee that works specifically with commercial real estate service businesses. Paris and James are return guests, and they dig into the financial challenges that firms in this space face, particularly around unpredictable cash flows tied to the project-based nature of real estate development.

James walks through why cash management is so acute for these firms: payments come in through a draw process that is anything but consistent. Projects start, stop, and stall, and firm owners often manage fixed costs and payroll against a revenue stream they cannot predict. One client, coming off a strong run from 2022 through 2024, had never seen a cash flow forecast laid out for their business before Next Level Financial put one together. The owner’s reaction, James says, was that they had never seen anything like it.

Paris and James also describe what it means to tell the story behind the numbers. In a recent meeting with a bank, James used a month-over-month accounts receivable chart and a days-sales-outstanding metric to explain why a low accounts receivable balance was actually a sign of financial strength, not weakness. That framing helped the banker understand the firm’s business model well enough to take the case to his supervisor.

John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is produced by John Ray and North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, and is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Key Takeaways from This Episode

Commercial real estate service firms face a distinct cash flow problem: payments arrive through a draw process tied to project milestones, creating gaps that can threaten payroll and operations even when business is growing.
Doing “bank account forecasting,” checking the balance and assuming things are fine, is a common pattern Next Level Financial sees when first engaging with new clients. A proper cash flow model replaces that guesswork with scenarios and projections.
Telling the story behind financial data matters when approaching banks or investors. In one meeting, James used a days-sales-outstanding chart to reframe a low accounts receivable balance as evidence of faster collections, not weak revenue.
Next Level Financial uses a five-level Financial Health Assessment to evaluate new clients, ranging from financial crisis to financial excellence, and to identify which foundational practices are missing.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:20 John Ray introduces Paris and James Williams and Next Level Financial
01:54 How Paris and James describe fractional CFO services to people unfamiliar with the term
03:00 James’s background and what drew him to commercial real estate finance
05:45 Why Next Level Financial focuses specifically on commercial real estate firms
07:45 The cash flow challenge unique to real estate service businesses
12:00 A client that had a strong 2022-2024 run and then hit a slowdown; their first cash flow forecast
14:20 The “bank account forecasting” pattern and what it costs business owners
16:00 Working with developers who have outside investors and banking partners
18:30 What “telling the story” behind financial data means
19:00 The bank meeting: using an accounts receivable trend chart and days-sales-outstanding to make the case
24:25 The Financial Health Assessment: five levels from financial crisis to financial excellence
27:00 Symptoms that tell a business owner it’s time to call Next Level Financial
28:50 A client wanting to buy assets and the cash flow analysis that redirected the decision
31:40 Paris shares how to get in touch with Next Level Financial

Paris Williams, CEO, Next Level Financial

Paris Williams is a former teacher and school principal who transitioned into the financial world. In 2022, she joined forces with her husband James to build Next Level Financial, a fractional CFO company focused on serving the commercial real estate industry. She holds a bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State University and a master’s degree from UC Berkeley.

James Williams Jr., CFO, Next Level Financial

James Williams Jr. is co-founder and lead Chief Financial Officer of Next Level Financial. He has over two decades of experience in accounting and finance, beginning his career at a Big Four accounting firm before working across large global organizations, small businesses, and multiple industries. He holds a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. His in-house experience in commercial real estate development, investment, and asset management is what led Next Level Financial to focus specifically on that sector.

Next Level Financial

Next Level Financial is a fractional CFO firm based in Suwanee, Georgia, focused on advancing entrepreneurial companies in the commercial real estate space. The firm provides CFO services to commercial real estate service businesses, helping them move from reactive to proactive financial management through a proprietary CFO system designed for small and mid-sized businesses. Next Level Financial works primarily with CEOs and founders in the Atlanta Metro area with revenues in the $5 to $20 million range who want better data to understand and run their businesses.

Website | Facebook | LinkedIn

Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio

Renasant Bank has humble roots, having started in 1904 as a $100,000 bank located in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has grown into one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, boasting over $26 billion in assets and more than 280 offices offering banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services throughout the region. All of Renasant’s success stems from the commitment of each banker to invest in the communities they serve, which in turn helps them better understand the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, their banking professionals understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio

Whether you’re a law firm, medical practice, or manufacturer, there’s one headline you don’t want to make: “Local Business Pays Thousands in Ransom After Cyberattack.” That’s where Beyond Computer Solutions comes in. They help organizations like yours stay out of the news and in business with managed IT and cybersecurity services designed for industries where compliance and reputation matter most.

Whether they serve as your complete IT department or simply support your internal team, they are well-versed in HIPAA, secure document access, written security policies, and other essential aspects that ensure your safety and well-being. Best of all, it starts with a complimentary security assessment.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube

About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray

Approaching 1,000 episodes and having featured over 1,400 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in our community like no one else. We are the undisputed “Voice of Business” in North Fulton!

The show invites a diverse range of business, non-profit, and community leaders to share their significant contributions to their respective markets, communities, and professions. There is no discrimination based on company size, and there is never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates businesses by sharing positive stories that traditional media ignore. Some media lean left. Some media lean right. We lean business.

John Ray, host of North Fulton Business Radio, and Owner, Ray Business Advisors — **John Ray, host of *North Fulton Business Radio* and Owner, Ray Business Advisors**

John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. John and the team at North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, produce the show, which is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

The studio is located at 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.

You can find the entire archive of shows by following this link. The show is accessible on all major podcast apps, such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.

John Ray also operates his own business advisory practice. John’s services include advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their value, their positioning and business development, and their pricing. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as consultants, coaches, attorneys, CPAs, accountants, bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.

John is the author of the five-star-rated book The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices, praised by readers for its practical insights on raising confidence, value, and prices.

When Life Goes Sideways: Experts Who Restore Order

March 4, 2026 by John Ray

Family Business Radio

When Life Goes Sideways: Experts Who Restore Order

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When Life Goes Sideways: Experts Who Restore Order, with Gladys Wanyeki, CFO ANX; Laura Delavan, Sterling Seacrest Pritchard; Adam Schwartzberg, Voda Cleaning & Restoration of North Atlanta; and Stacy Fotos, The Happy Dog Hotel (Family Business Radio, Episode 72)

People seek someone who can quickly restore order when life becomes chaotic. In this episode of Family Business Radio, guest host Anthony Chen talks with four guests who do exactly that. Gladys Wanyeki, CFO ANX, helps business owners get a grip on cash, forecasting, and the few numbers that actually matter. Laura Delavan of Sterling Seacrest Pritchard explains what is changing in employee benefits and how employers can make smarter choices without leaving employees to carry the burden.

Adam Schwartzberg, Voda Cleaning & Restoration of North Atlanta, walks through what happens when water, mold, or fire damage hits and why “quick fixes” can make things worse. Stacy Fotos of The Happy Dog Hotel brings it home with a different kind of stability: reliable dog boarding, daycare, and grooming that keeps pets safe and owners sane, especially when plans change or life gets disrupted.

Anthony closes with a simple reminder from the financial side: before you chase a number, get clear on your core purpose and the legacy you want to leave. He encourages listeners to reconsider their definition of “retirement” and use that definition as their guiding principle. After that, while the financial aspects hold significance, they are not the primary focus.

Family Business Radio is underwritten and brought to you by Anthony Chen with Lighthouse Financial Network. The show is produced by John Ray and the North Fulton affiliate of Business RadioX®.

Key Takeaways from This Episode

If you do not know your cash position and what is driving it, you are guessing. Gladys Wanyeki explains how to build a simple rhythm around cash management, forecasts (predictions about future financial performance), and KPIs (key performance indicators that measure success).
Benefits are not just paperwork. Laura Delavan shares how to think about benefits like a business decision that affects hiring, retention, and cost.
With water, mold, and smoke damage, doing it “fast” is not the same as doing it “right.” Adam Schwartzberg explains why process and containment matter.
Pet care is emotional. Stacy Fotos explains what owners really want when they leave their dogs with someone: trust, consistency, and attention.
While industries may differ, the core responsibility remains the same: be present when it counts and maintain order.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:00 Introduction to Family Business Radio
00:45 Gladys Wanyeki’s origin story
01:54 Finance vs. accounting
03:57 Values drive numbers
07:01 Integrity client example
07:54 When to hire a CFO
09:18 First steps with clients
10:58 Laura Delavan’s insurance journey
13:10 Partner perspective
14:26 Going the extra mile
16:03 Controlling benefit costs
18:28 Lego plan design
20:33 Self-funding basics
22:48 Mentoring next generation
24:41 Adam Schwartzberg franchise pivot
26:39 Why Voda stood out
28:17 Restoration in action
30:14 Hiring for Core Values
30:57 Contents Restoration Pack-Outs
32:33 Mold Dangers and Proper Remediation
34:38 Fire and Water Damage Decisions
35:49 Why Pros Beat DIY
36:31 How to Reach Voda
37:17 Stacy Fotos’s Service-First Journey
39:39 Vision for Disaster Dog Shelter
41:02 Owner-Run Care and Cleanliness
47:14 Dog Whisperer Grooming and Training
50:03 Core Values Roundtable
55:03 Anthony’s Financial Take and Closing

Gladys Wanyeki, CFO ANX

Gladys Wanyeki, MBA (Finance), CAMP, is the Founder and Principal of CFO ANX, a fractional CFO firm focused on helping growing businesses achieve strategic objectives through KPI dashboards and accountability scorecards. After serving in CFO roles across four corporate positions, she launched CFO ANX from a deep passion for helping small businesses overcome financial and operational challenges. Her approach is comprehensive and holistic, bringing together what CFO ANX calls Soul, Strategy, and Statistics to help leaders stay focused, track progress, and make better decisions.

Gladys brings 30+ years of corporate finance and accounting experience, including 15 years at the executive level, plus 10+ years of board experience and six years of M&A experience. Her background spans both large and small companies across industries such as IT, construction, security, health, and fintech, with leadership responsibilities that have included finance, accounting, administration and operations, corporate strategy, financial reporting, cash flow management, budgeting, forecasting, and compliance. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, hiking, and travel, and she lists her priorities as God, family, and work.

Website | LinkedIn

Laura Delavan, Sterling Seacrest Pritchard

Laura Delavan is a Partner at Sterling Seacrest Pritchard and brings more than 19 years of experience in employee benefits. Her work spans fully insured plans, self-funding, captive strategies, PEO solutions, ICHRA, and association benefits programs. She also serves on SSP’s Women in Leadership Committee, has published on employee wellness in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and has been a featured speaker on local business radio as well as HR and benefits forums.

Sterling Seacrest Pritchard is one of the largest privately held risk management and insurance brokerage firms in the United States, partnering with clients and the community to deliver services and solutions tailored to today’s dynamic marketplace. The firm’s stated aim is to operate as advisors first and insurance brokers second, supported by more than 400 team members across seven offices with expertise in property & casualty, employee benefits, and private risk. SSP has also been consistently listed on the Hales Top 100, recognized as a Best Practices Agency, and voted a Best Place to Work.

Website | LinkedIn

Adam Schwartzberg, Voda Cleaning & Restoration of North Atlanta

Adam Schwartzberg is the owner of Voda Cleaning & Restoration of North Atlanta. He brings more than 20 years of experience in corporate finance and business operations, where he held leadership roles focused on financial strategy and operational execution. Over his career, Adam worked closely with executive teams to drive disciplined growth, manage complex operations, and make high-stakes financial decisions, experience that now directly informs how he approaches business ownership. After a successful corporate career, he transitioned into entrepreneurship to build and lead a service business of his own.

Voda Cleaning & Restoration of North Atlanta provides professional cleaning and restoration services for residential and commercial clients, including water damage restoration, mold remediation, and specialty cleaning. The company operates with an emphasis on responsiveness, clear communication, and high standards of workmanship, particularly during stressful and time-sensitive situations. Adam is intentionally building a team grounded in shared core values, including integrity, community, teamwork, and excellence, with a focus on delivering consistent, high-quality service and earning long-term trust.

Website | LinkedIn

Stacy Fotos, The Happy Dog Hotel

Stacy Fotos is a Metro Atlanta entrepreneur and community leader who has called Alpharetta home for more than three decades. She is a mom of two adult children and a grandmother, and she is known for pairing business leadership with service, including board work with the Children’s Restoration Network, where she later served as Chair and led fundraising and media relations efforts. She also founded and ran Synergy HomeCare of North Atlanta for many years, overseeing operations, staffing, and compliance through the end of 2024.

Stacy is the co-founder of The Happy Dog Hotel, a family-owned dog boarding, daycare, and grooming facility she launched with her childhood friend Christopher Zimmerman in March 2024. Built as a “home away from home,” the business features spacious, climate-controlled suites, supervised play, and individualized care, plus an organic dog ice cream parlor. Stacy leads the day-to-day management across HR, marketing, networking, social media, and operations, and the founders have set a longer-term goal to use proceeds to support dogs in need through a homeless shelter initiative.

Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Stacy LinkedIn

Anthony Chen, Host of Family Business Radio

Family Business Radio is sponsored and brought to you by Anthony Chen with Lighthouse Financial Network. Securities and advisory services are offered through OSAIC, member FINRA/SIPC. RAA is separately owned, and other entities and/or marketing names, products, or services referenced here are independent of OSAIC. The main office address is 575 Broadhollow Rd., Melville, NY 11747. You can reach Anthony at 631-465-9090, ext. 5075, or by email at anthonychen@lfnllc.com.

Anthony Chen started his career in financial services with MetLife in Buffalo, NY, in 2008. Born and raised in Elmhurst, Queens, he considers himself a full-blooded New Yorker while now enjoying his Atlanta, GA, home. Specializing in family businesses and their owners, Anthony works to protect what is most important to them. From preserving to creating wealth, Anthony partners with CPAs and attorneys to help address all of the concerns and help clients achieve their goals. By using a combination of financial products ranging from life, disability, and long-term care insurance to many investment options through Royal Alliance, Anthony looks to be the eyes and ears for his client’s financial foundation. In his spare time, Anthony is an avid long-distance runner.

Follow this link to access the complete show archive of Family Business Radio.

Avi Pinsky on Tracking Value Creation in Your Financials

December 10, 2025 by John Ray

Avi Pinsky on Making Your Financials Track Client Value Creation, Five Key Business Drivers That Never Appear on Statements, and Why Smart Service Providers Still Struggle With Business Finances, on The Price and Value Journey podcast with host John Ray

North Fulton Studio

Avi Pinsky on Tracking Value Creation in Your Financials

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Avi Pinsky on Making Your Financials Track Client Value Creation, Five Key Business Drivers That Never Appear on Statements, and Why Smart Service Providers Still Struggle With Business Finances (The Price and Value Journey, Episode 155)

Smart service providers often run profitable businesses, even very profitable ones, but often do not understand the dynamics and drivers of their income statement. Avi Pinsky, the Business Finance Doctor, joins host John Ray on The Price and Value Journey to walk through the disconnect between accounting statements and business reality for solo and small firm practitioners who could benefit from answers their CPA doesn’t provide.

Avi explains five revenue levers that never appear on financial statements but determine whether your practice thrives or barely survives: leads, conversion rate, retention, billing frequency, and average sale value. For consultants, coaches, and professional service providers who’ve mastered their craft but struggle with the business side, he reveals why accounts receivable functions as an interest-free loan you’re giving clients while your bills come due, how to classify team member salaries so you actually know if you’re pricing high enough, and why paying vendors the day invoices arrive is overly generous because it’s also strangling your cash flow.

You’ll learn to shift from “I need more sales” to “I need to create more value” and understand why your financial statements should track value creation for clients, not just satisfy reporting requirements for accountants who bill you and then disappear until next tax season.

The Price and Value Journey is presented by John Ray and produced by North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of the Business RadioX® podcast network.

Key Takeaways You Can Use from This Episode

Track five revenue levers your accountant never measures: leads, conversion rate, retention rate, billing frequency, and average sale value. These numbers drive your business but don’t appear on financial statements, so you have to track them yourself.
Profit on paper doesn’t equal cash in the bank. Your P&L might show a million-dollar profit while your bank account is overdrawn because accounting statements are theoretical, not actual cash flow.
Classify employee salaries by value creation. Put client-facing team members (associates, therapists, consultants) in cost of goods sold, separate from overhead staff, so you can see if you’re pricing services high enough to cover what you’re actually selling.
Accounts receivable is an interest-free loan you’re giving customers. Every invoice you let sit unpaid ties up cash you need to pay vendors who won’t give you the same courtesy.
Stop paying vendors faster than your terms require. If your payment terms are 30 days, paying on day one might be generous, but it’s also draining cash your business needs to operate.
Build a value scoreboard, not just financial statements. Track the health metrics that tell you which part of your business needs attention in the next 30, 60, or 90 days rather than just looking backward at what already happened.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:00 Introduction and Welcome to The Price and Value Journey
00:15 Avi Pinsky’s Background and Business Philosophy
01:57 Challenges Faced by CPAs and Business Owners
04:35 The Transition from Operator to Owner
07:03 Understanding Business Development and Financial Dynamics
09:17 The Five Revenue Levers
12:18 Value Creation and Price Justification
13:55 Building a Value Scoreboard
18:13 Mindset Shift: From Sales to Value Creation
25:57 Understanding Revenue and Profit
26:33 The Importance of Cash Flow
27:15 The Disconnect Between Profit and Bank Balance
28:21 The Role of Accountants and Bookkeepers
30:14 Key Revenue Levers for Business Owners
30:47 Setting Realistic Business Goals
33:27 Common Cash Flow Killers
36:50 Classifying Costs Correctly
41:23 Cash Flow Forecasting for Non-Numbers People
44:30 Practical Cash Preservation Strategies
46:19 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Avi Pinsky, Pinsky Consulting

Avi Pinsky is the founder of Pinsky Consulting and is known as the “Business Finance Doctor.” After more than a decade as a public accountant, Avi realized that small business owners don’t just need someone to crunch numbers; they need a financial partner who can diagnose hidden issues and prescribe practical solutions that actually grow the business.

He helps entrepreneurs get clear on what’s really driving (or draining) their revenue, profit, and cash flow. Through his signature “Business Wellness Checks,” he pinpoints operational blind spots and delivers simple, results-focused “treatment plans” that business owners can act on immediately.

His specialty is helping service-based small businesses stop guessing, start tracking, and scale with confidence. Avi offers a fresh, down-to-earth approach to financial clarity and sustainable growth.

Website | LinkedIn

John Ray, Host of The Price and Value Journey

John Ray, Author of The Generosity Mindset and Host of The Price and Value Journey — John Ray, Author of *The Generosity Mindset* and Host of *The Price and Value Journey*

John Ray is the host of The Price and Value Journey.

John owns Ray Business Advisors, a business advisory practice. John’s services include business coaching and advisory work, as well as advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their pricing. John is passionate about the power of pricing for business owners, as changing pricing is the fastest way to change the profitability of a business. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as attorneys, CPAs, accountants and bookkeepers, consultants, coaches, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.

John is a podcast show host and the owner of North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®. John and his team work with B2B professionals to create and conduct their podcast using The Generosity Mindset® Method: building and deepening relationships in a non-salesy way that translates into revenue for their business.

John is also the host of North Fulton Business Radio. With over 900 shows and having featured over 1,300 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in its region like no one else.

John’s book, The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices

John Ray is the author of the five-star rated book The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices, praised by readers for its practical insights on raising confidence, value, and prices.

If you are a professional services provider, your goal is to do transformative work for clients you love working with and get paid commensurate with the value you deliver to them. While negative mindsets can inhibit your growth, adopting a different mindset, The Generosity Mindset®, can replace those self-limiting beliefs. The Generosity Mindset enables you to diagnose and communicate the value you deliver to clients and, in turn, more effectively price to receive a portion of that value.

Whether you’re a consultant, coach, marketing or branding professional, business advisor, attorney, CPA, or work in virtually any other professional services discipline, your content and technical expertise are not proprietary. What’s unique, though, is your experience and how you synthesize and deliver your knowledge. What’s special is your demeanor or the way you deal with your best-fit clients. What’s invaluable is how you deliver outstanding value by guiding people through massive changes in their personal lives and in their businesses that bring them to a place they never thought possible.

Your combination of these elements is unique in your industry. There lies your value, but it’s not the value you see. It’s the value your best-fit customers see in you.

If pricing your value feels uncomfortable or unfamiliar to you, this book will teach you why putting a price on the value your clients perceive and identify serves both them and you, and you’ll learn the factors involved in getting your price right.

The book is available at all major physical and online book retailers worldwide. Follow this link for further details.

Connect with John Ray:

Website | LinkedIn | Email

Business RadioX®: LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Succession Planning with Steve Fisher and Bryan Preston

November 13, 2025 by John Ray

Family Business Radio

Succession Planning with Steve Fisher and Bryan Preston

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Succession Planning with Steve Fisher and Bryan Preston (Family Business Radio, Episode 70)

In this episode of Family Business Radio, host Anthony Chen is joined by Steve Fisher from Strategy Partners Group and Bryan Preston from Gaelic Business Solutions for a candid conversation about the real challenges that prevent family businesses from growing and transitioning successfully.

Steve shares how his journey from being an engineer to becoming a longtime CFO, which included navigating a stressful acquisition and downsizing, ultimately led him to advise business owners on strategic, operational, and financial issues. He explains why most businesses plateau because the owner becomes the bottleneck, how weak financial reporting and “shoebox” accounting quietly destroy valuation, and why a buyer is purchasing the company’s future potential, not the owner’s heroic history.

Bryan draws on his corporate background and his experience growing up in a declining mill town to explain why healthy small businesses are vital to the communities they serve. He discusses the danger of running a family business like a family instead of a business, how to free up owner time by building repeatable processes and delegating effectively, and why owners should be spending a significant portion of their week working on the business instead of just in it.

Together, Steve and Bryan present practical low-hanging fruit that family business owners can address immediately, including establishing clean books and standard operating procedures, as well as tackling difficult questions about succession, legacy, and the true requirements for successfully passing the torch.

Family Business Radio is underwritten and brought to you by Anthony Chen with Lighthouse Financial Network. The show is produced by John Ray and the North Fulton affiliate of Business RadioX®.

Key Takeaways from This Episode

Start with the end in mind. Steve says owners should think about their exit when starting a business, as every owner will leave eventually, and the only question is how much control they will have over that transition.
Owner dependency kills value. Both guests note that the greater the business’s reliance on the owner’s daily involvement and crisis management, the less attractive and valuable it becomes to potential buyers or future successors.
Clean financials are nonnegotiable. Many family businesses rely on checkbook accounting or neglect their balance sheets and cash flow, making it difficult to run the company and even harder to sell it. Establishing solid, understandable financial statements is a foundational step.
Documented processes are an asset. Written, current, and consistently followed standard operating procedures make a business more turnkey, easier to scale, and significantly more appealing to successors or acquirers who need to understand how operations function without the owner’s presence.
Delegation is about trust and monitoring. When owners refuse to delegate responsibilities to capable team members, it often indicates a trust issue, either regarding the employee or the owner’s ability to supervise effectively. Learning to delegate tasks and then monitor the results is essential for growth.
Family must act like a business at work. Bryan highlights that family dynamics, charitable payroll decisions, and unresolved personal issues can undermine performance and value. Buyers will not pay to support family dynamics, so these issues must be addressed well before any transition.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:00 Introduction to Family Business Radio

00:41 Meet Steve Fisher: From Engineer to CFO

02:03 The Rise of Fractional CFO Services

03:16 Challenges in Family Businesses

05:10 Succession Planning Insights

08:09 Personal Experience and Lessons Learned

10:01 Common Mistakes in Family Businesses

12:30 The Importance of Delegation

19:28 Unique Client Stories

21:53 Future Aspirations and Goals

24:52 Introduction to Bryan Preston

25:02 Bryan’s Corporate Journey

25:46 Helping Small Businesses

29:07 Challenges in Delegation

30:51 Vision and Growth

33:13 Succession Planning

36:15 Family Business Dynamics

38:15 Final Thoughts and Contact Information

43:51 Closing Remarks and Financial Advice

Steve Fisher, Founding Partner, Strategy Partners Group

Steve Fisher, Strategy Partners Group, on Family Business Radio with host Anthony Chen — **Steve Fisher, Strategy Partners Group**

Steve Fisher is the founder of Strategy Partners Group and brings more than 30 years of leadership experience as a CFO, management consultant, and advisor to growing companies. With a background in industrial engineering from Virginia Tech and a long tenure as CFO of a national financial services firm, he helps business owners and executive teams improve financial performance, manage risk, and build companies that are prepared for growth or exit. His expertise includes financial analysis and modeling, regulatory compliance, process improvement, and building monitoring and accountability systems that support better decision-making.

Known for making complex financial topics understandable to non-financial leaders, Steve has co-developed and delivered “Finance for Everyone,” contributed as a subject matter expert to executive training programs, and spoken to groups ranging from Emory University’s continuing education programs to private business networks. Through Strategy Partners Group, he works with C-suite leaders to design and support strategic, value-enhancing initiatives across their organizations, including succession and exit strategy planning.

Website | LinkedIn

Bryan Preston, Owner, Gaelic Business Solutions, LLC

Bryan Preston is the owner of Gaelic Business Solutions, LLC, a consulting firm focused on small and mid-sized businesses. He brings more than 30 years of executive experience from large organizations, where he served in roles such as Vice President of People and Culture, Senior Vice President of Talent Management and Community Relations, Interim CIO, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Product Management, Managing Director of New Product Development, Vice President and Business Unit Leader, and Vice President of Operations. Bryan holds a bachelor’s degree in quantitative economics from Framingham State University. Bryan has been married to his wife, Lori, for 39 years, and together they have three grown children and five grandchildren.

Gaelic Business Solutions partners with mid-market leaders who have outgrown basic business tactics but do not fit the mold for enterprise playbooks. Using its Mid-Market Optimization Method™, the firm provides strategic advice grounded in Bryan’s cross-industry executive experience. The focus is on practical, executive-level insight tailored for operators who want results and clarity, not theoretical frameworks or unnecessary complexity that slows execution.

Website | LinkedIn

Anthony Chen, Host of Family Business Radio

Follow this link to access the complete show archive of Family Business Radio.

Tiffany C. Wright, The Resourceful CEO, LLC

July 22, 2021 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

Tiffany C. Wright, The Resourceful CEO, LLC

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Tiffany C. Wright, The Resourceful CEO, LLC (The Exit Exchange, Episode 7)

Tiffany Wright of The Resourceful CEO joined The Exit Exchange to discuss many factors business owners need to consider in preparing to sell. These issues are both varied and complex, including cash flow issues, the psyche of the owner as they prepare to sell, being realistic about what the buyer needs to see, the strategic vs. investment potential of a business, and more. Tiffany’s comments are chockfull of insights for business owners thinking ahead to their exit strategy or even just wanting to improve their operations. This edition of The Exit Exchange is co-hosted by David Shavzin and Bob Tankesley and is produced virtually from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® in Alpharetta.

The Resourceful CEO, LLC

Your business IS valuable. It provides income for you, jobs that allow your employees to support their families and grow, and equity / net worth that supports your current, retirement, or next-generation wealth objectives.

Increase company EARNINGS and CASH FLOW and free up your time to drive wealth. If you or your business isn’t there yet, The Resourceful CEO can help.

Acting in a business consultant or a fractional COO/CEO capacity, The Resourceful CEO leads owners through successful, impactful financial and operational business restructurings that drive higher cash flow, stronger profits, greater owner flexibility, and freedom…and successful owner exits.

Company website | LinkedIn | Twitter

Tiffany C. Wright, President, The Resourceful CEO, LLC

Tiffany helps small to medium B2B companies restructure their operations and finances to generate stronger cash flow, higher profits and greater revenue. Her clients have experienced revenue increases of 10 to 40%, profitability increases of 20% to 250%, and doubling to quadrupling of cash flow in <=1 year. Tiffany C. Wright will talk to us about how you too can revamp your business to deliver your goals. She’s also the author of The Funding Is Out There! Access the Cash You Need to Impact Your Business.

Whether you’ve got a $300,000 transportation business, a $20 million business services company, or are an aspiring entrepreneur with options – Tiffany C. Wright has information and strategies for your business success.

Tiffany now combines her passion for financial independence and business ownership into helping B2B business owners who are frustrated, bored, upset and scared about the state of their business operations.

The Exit Planning Exchange Atlanta

The Exit Planning Exchange Atlanta (XPX) is a diverse group of professionals with a common goal: working collaboratively to assist business owners with a sale or business transition. XPX Atlanta is an association of advisors who provide professionalism, principles and education to the heart of the middle market. Our members work with business owners through all stages of the private company life cycle: business value growth, business value transfer, and owner life and legacy. Our Vision: To fundamentally changing the trajectory of exit planning services in the Southeast United States. XPX Atlanta delivers a collaborative-based networking exchange with broad representation of exit planning competencies. Learn more about XPX Atlanta and why you should consider joining our community: https://exitplanningexchange.com/atlanta.

The Exit Exchange is produced by John Ray in the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® in Alpharetta. The show archive can be found at xpxatlantaradio.com. John Ray and Business RadioX are Platinum Sponsors of XPX Atlanta.