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.
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.
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.
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.
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JJ Levenske is a seasoned construction executive with over 30 years of experience in the commercial and industrial sectors. From pre-construction services to complex quality controls and close-outs, he brings a commitment to delivering the highest levels of professionalism and customer service.
Robert Johnson is a knowledgeable construction professional with over 40 years of experience. His experience ranges from residential to the commercial and industrial sectors.
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