Financial leadership for moments when decisions matter more than ever
Financial leadership for moments when decisions matter more than ever
Financial leadership for moments when decisions matter more than ever
I work directly with founders and operators running execution-heavy businesses where delivery, cash timing, and judgment are tightly linked.
When growth increases pressure and visibility drops, I help restore clarity, confidence, and control so decisions are made with intent, not guesswork.
I work directly with founders and operators running execution-heavy businesses where delivery, cash timing, and judgment are tightly linked.
When growth increases pressure and visibility drops, I help restore clarity, confidence, and control so decisions are made with intent, not guesswork.
Trusted by 7 & 8-figure B2B agency founders in SaaS, creative, and media.
IT'S HARD TO SCALE A BUSINESS WHEN…
IT'S HARD TO SCALE A BUSINESS WHEN…
You feel
overwhelmed
Cash, timing, and delivery become tightly linked, and intuition alone no longer holds.
Cash, timing, and delivery become tightly linked, and intuition alone no longer holds.
Cash, timing, and delivery become tightly linked, and intuition alone no longer holds.
Risk rises faster than confidence
Hiring, pricing, and commitments carry consequences that are harder to unwind once made.
You feel financially isolated
You crave someone senior who can pressure-test decisions and surface blind spots,.
HERE'S WHAT CHANGES WHEN CONTROL RETURNS
HERE'S WHAT CHANGES WHEN CONTROL RETURNS
Simon O'Kelly, Founder & CEO
UMA Entertainment Group
Angus Imlach, Founder & CEO
Sweetshop
WHY AMBITIOUS FOUNDERS INVITE ME IN…
I’ve spent my career inside businesses or professionally advising businesses where decisions have real consequences.
Hiring ahead of cash. IP and Licensing Structures.
Committing to delivery before certainty.
Pricing work where margin depends on execution, timing, and judgement.
Much of my experience has been with agencies and service-led businesses operating in high-stakes environments, including entertainment and IP-led sectors, where contracts, reputation, and delivery risk directly shape financial outcomes.
I’ve built businesses. I’ve exited businesses.
I’ve operated at board level and lived with the cost of getting decisions wrong.
Today, I work directly with a small number of founders and operators who don’t need more reports or finance theatre. They need senior financial judgement, grounded in how the business actually works, and present when the pressure is highest.
Connect with me on LinkedIn
WHY AMBITIOUS FOUNDERS INVITE ME IN…
I’ve spent my career inside businesses or professionally advising businesses where decisions have real consequences.
Hiring ahead of cash. IP and Licensing Structures.
Committing to delivery before certainty.
Pricing work where margin depends on execution, timing, and judgement.
Much of my experience has been with agencies and service-led businesses operating in high-stakes environments, including entertainment and IP-led sectors, where contracts, reputation, and delivery risk directly shape financial outcomes.
I’ve built businesses. I’ve exited businesses.
I’ve operated at board level and lived with the cost of getting decisions wrong.
Today, I work directly with a small number of founders and operators who don’t need more reports or finance theatre. They need senior financial judgement, grounded in how the business actually works, and present when the pressure is highest.
Connect with me on LinkedIn
HOW ENGAGEMENT TYPICALLY EVOLVES
HOW ENGAGEMENT TYPICALLY EVOLVES
1
A focused starting point: The 90 Day Control Sprint
For most founders, the right place to start is a defined, time-bound reset.
This is where I work directly with you to:
Get clear on cash position, exposure, and decision constraints
Surface and resolve decisions that have been quietly compounding risk
Bring structure to execution-heavy trade-offs
Remove blind spots that create pressure and second-guessing
By the end of 90 days, founders typically feel calmer, clearer, and back in control of the business.
2
From clarity to consistent control
For some founders, the 90-Day Control Sprint is enough.
The pressure lifts, decisions feel clearer, and control returns.
For others, complexity remains. It simply changes shape. In those cases, I stay involved to:
Sense-check high-impact decisions before they lock in risk
Maintain visibility on cash, execution, and exposure
Act as a steady second brain during pressure points
This is not full-time finance. It is light-touch, senior support focused on decision quality.
3
When deeper involvement is needed
Occasionally, a business enters a phase where decisions cannot afford to go wrong.
This usually happens during:
A new growth phase
Increased investor or partner pressure
Heightened awareness of execution risk
In these moments, I work more closely with the leadership team for a defined period to stabilise decision-making and restore control.
Once the business finds its footing, my involvement reduces.
1
ESTABLISH ECONOMIC TRUTH (DAYS 1–30)
Stop lying to yourself with “profit.”
Owner’s Salary:
We normalise your pay to market rate. No more fake profit. You’ll know if the business works without you.
Real Profit:
We strip noise out of the numbers so profit connects directly to cash, capacity, and risk.
Labour Productivity:
Revenue per head. Role productivity. When to hire — and when to stop.
Outcome:
You’ll know exactly when growth strengthens your business — and when it’s killing it
2
CONTROL CASH REALITY (DAYS 31–60)
Replace anxiety with clarity. We model and control the Four Forces of Cash Flow:
Profitability
Working capital
CapEx
Debt & distributions
You’ll see where cash is earned, where it leaks, and where it gets stuck.
Downside scenarios are built in, not avoided.
Tax stops being a surprise.
We forecast, integrate, and clarify what’s truly distributable.
Outcome:
Cash behaves predictably — finally.
3
INSTALL DECISION RHYTHM (DAYS 61–90)
This is where it becomes effortless.
Forget dashboards that look cool but change nothing.
We define:
What gets reviewed
What decisions follow
What triggers action
We ditch budgets (they’re fiction) and install rolling, scenario-based forecasts that adapt in real time.
Outcome:
You operate like a disciplined owner again — not a firefighter.
WHAT FOUNDERS SAY AFTER 90 DAYS WORKING TOGETHER
WHAT FOUNDERS SAY AFTER 90 DAYS WORKING TOGETHER
Simon O'Kelly, Founder & CEO
UMA Entertainment Group
Angus Imlach, Founder & CEO
Sweetshop
Taylor Jones, Founder & CEO
The Hello Group
Simon O'Kelly, Founder & CEO
UMA Entertainment Group
Angus Imlach, Founder & CEO
Sweetshop
Taylor Jones, Founder & CEO
The Hello Group
CAPACITY AND BOUNDARIES
I work with a small number of founders at any one time. That constraint is deliberate.
It allows me to stay close to the business, present when decisions carry weight, and involved where judgement matters most.
If you’re looking for senior financial leadership in complex conditions, the next step is a conversation.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is this the same as a controller or fractional CFO service?
No. Controllers ensure accuracy. This sprint installs decision-grade control so growth doesn’t introduce hidden risk.
Is this the same as a controller or fractional CFO service?
No. Controllers ensure accuracy. This sprint installs decision-grade control so growth doesn’t introduce hidden risk.
Is this the same as a controller or fractional CFO service?
No. Controllers ensure accuracy. This sprint installs decision-grade control so growth doesn’t introduce hidden risk.
Will you clean up our books or run our finance function?
No. We assume your numbers exist and you have an accountant, bookkeeper or CPA. This sprint focuses on whether they’re usable for decisions, not on day-to-day finance operations.
Will you clean up our books or run our finance function?
No. We assume your numbers exist and you have an accountant, bookkeeper or CPA. This sprint focuses on whether they’re usable for decisions, not on day-to-day finance operations.
Will you clean up our books or run our finance function?
No. We assume your numbers exist and you have an accountant, bookkeeper or CPA. This sprint focuses on whether they’re usable for decisions, not on day-to-day finance operations.
Do I need to continue after 90 days?
No. The sprint is complete in 90 days. Any ongoing work is optional and discussed only once control is installed.
Do I need to continue after 90 days?
No. The sprint is complete in 90 days. Any ongoing work is optional and discussed only once control is installed.
Do I need to continue after 90 days?
No. The sprint is complete in 90 days. Any ongoing work is optional and discussed only once control is installed.
Is this suitable if I’m not raising money?
Yes. This is about running a safer, more disciplined business, not fundraising.
Is this suitable if I’m not raising money?
Yes. This is about running a safer, more disciplined business, not fundraising.
Is this suitable if I’m not raising money?
Yes. This is about running a safer, more disciplined business, not fundraising.
START WITH A CONVERSATION
If you are a founder or operator running a complex, execution-heavy business and feel the weight of decisions increasing, the next step is a conversation.
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