Category: The Accidental CFO
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The Accidental CFO — Servant Leadership in Action
“Stories and lessons from an unexpected journey in finance.” Servant leadership is a philosophy where leaders prioritize serving others first, putting the needs of their team and organization ahead of their own, to empower individuals and foster growth. Coined by Robert Greenleaf, it inverts the traditional hierarchy, positioning the leader as a facilitator who removes…
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The Accidental CFO: Why CEOs Need CFOs Who Build
“Stories and lessons from an unexpected journey in finance.” When I first stepped into the CFO seat, I quickly realized something: too many people expected me to be the “no.” No to new ideas. No to bold moves. No to anything that carried risk. The CFO was supposed to guard the numbers, protect the balance…
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The Accidental CFO: What is Cash Flow?
“Stories and lessons from an unexpected journey in finance.” Last month in this series, I wrote about EBITDA and used the lemonade stand analogy to explain why it’s a helpful measure of operating performance. (Quick refresher: EBITDA is like asking, “How good am I at selling lemonade, before worrying about taxes, loans, or the juicer wearing out?”) But…
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The Accidental CFO — Finance Isn’t Just Numbers
“Stories and lessons from an unexpected journey in finance.” People sometimes assume CFOs sit in dark rooms, quietly communing with spreadsheets like monks with candles. And while I’ve had my fair share of late nights with Excel (and the occasional prayer), here’s the truth: finance isn’t just numbers. It’s life. Messy, human, and sometimes pretty…
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The Accidental CFO — A Lesson I Learned the Hard Way
“Stories and lessons from an unexpected journey in finance.” Most of us prefer to share our wins. The big deals closed, the funding raised, the transformation pulled off. But the truth is, the lessons that stick with us longest usually come from failure. I know mine did. Early in my career, I was running point…
