Over the years, I’ve spent a great deal of time working alongside business owners navigating difficult decisions.

Growth that stretched operational capacity. Cash flow pressure. Leadership transitions. Hiring decisions. Pricing challenges. Businesses moving fast enough that the complexity started outpacing the systems and leadership supporting them.

What became increasingly clear through those experiences is that many businesses need stronger financial leadership than they currently have access to.

Not simply reporting or technical accounting support, although those things matter. Businesses need advisors who can help leadership teams think clearly, evaluate tradeoffs thoughtfully, and make sound decisions under pressure.

That combination is harder to find than many people realize.

I’ve met many finance professionals with strong technical skills who were never given meaningful exposure to the advisory side of the profession. They understand forecasting, reporting, and financial statements, but they have not yet had the opportunity to develop the judgment that comes from participating in real business conversations over time.

And businesses feel the difference immediately when that leadership is present.

Leadership conversations become more grounded. Decision-making becomes more disciplined. Owners gain perspective during periods of uncertainty instead of reacting emotionally to every short-term pressure point.

That is a large part of why I decided to begin mentoring finance professionals pursuing advisory and fractional CFO work.

The mentorship is designed as a practical, one-on-one, three-month engagement focused on helping experienced finance professionals build a stronger advisory practice and develop the operational thinking businesses increasingly need.

Month One: Building the Foundation

The first month focuses on building the practice correctly from the start — structure, pricing, positioning, contracts, systems, and the operational decisions that tend to create unnecessary friction and expense later if handled poorly. We also spend time on how to communicate your value clearly in real business conversations.

Month Two: Getting Clients and Leading Conversations

The second month centers around business development and advisory work itself. We focus on networking, sales conversations, evaluating client fit, structuring engagements properly, and learning how to communicate as a trusted advisor rather than simply a service provider.

Month Three: Running a Sustainable Practice

The final month focuses on operating the practice well over time — managing profitability, utilization, pricing discipline, client relationships, and building a business that remains sustainable as it grows. A large part of this work centers around judgment, operational thinking, and becoming someone leadership teams genuinely trust during important decisions.

Businesses need more people who can operate at that level.

And the finance professionals who develop those skills become incredibly valuable to the organizations they serve.

If you'd like to learn more about the mentorship program, visit Impact CFO Mentorship.

And if someone comes to mind while reading this — someone considering going out on their own or building a fractional CFO practice — please feel free to forward this email to them or make an introduction. I’d be happy to connect.