Podcast
Cultivating Business Growth
Hosted by Willow Virtual CFO · EN
How can I increase the value of my business? How can I increase profitability in my business? Is it possible to balance owning a successful business with living the lifestyle I desire? Welcome to the Cultivating Business Growth Podcast, where we answer all of those questions and MUCH MORE! We host weekly discussions designed to help you grow your business AND create the lifestyle you desire. Elevate your business with proven strategies from CPAs and business advisors. We discuss real-world challenges solved with actionable steps that get you real results both in business and building the life you deserve.
16episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
#185: How to Reduce Overwhelm in Your Business (And Protect Your Profitability)
May 400:29:51Tap to summarizeFeeling overwhelmed in your business, even when you're getting things done? It might not be your workload. It might be your decisions. In this episode of Cultivating Business Growth, we break down how to reduce overwhelm in your business by improving your business decision making process and understanding how decision fatigue impacts business profitability. As a business owner, you're responsible for constant decisions: pricing, hiring, client management, and more. Over time, that mental load can lead to slower execution, poor choices, and reduced margins. We walk through: What decision fatigue is and why it affects business owners more than employees How overwhelm shows up in your financials (and impacts profitability) The types of decisions that drain your time and energy the most A simple framework to eliminate, automate, and elevate decisions How to build decision filters and empower your team If your business feels reactive, chaotic, or mentally exhausting, this episode will give you practical tools to regain clarity and protect your profitability. Ready to get support? Book your CFO Clarity Call with Willow Virtual CFO to identify your next best steps.
Transcribe →#184: Med Spa Management Strategies for Sustainable Growth
Apr 2000:23:22Tap to summarizeThe aesthetics industry is growing fast, but many med spa owners are discovering that growth alone doesn't guarantee success. In this episode of Cultivating Business Growth, we sit down with Abby Honaker of Pink Sky to break down what effective med spa management really looks like behind the scenes. While many practitioners excel clinically, scaling a business requires systems, structure, and strong operational leadership. Abby shares how practices can move from chaos to clarity by building better processes, improving team accountability, and shifting from reactive to proactive management. We also discuss the warning signs that your practice may need operational support, and how ignoring them can lead to burnout, lost revenue, and stalled growth. If your practice feels like it's constantly putting out fires, this episode will help you understand what's missing and how to fix it.
Transcribe →#183: Improving Profitability: How to Improve Profit Margins without Working More
Apr 600:31:51Tap to summarizeMany business owners assume that increasing sales is the key to improving profitability, but that's not always the case. In this episode of Cultivating Business Growth, we explore how to improve profitability in a business by focusing on what truly drives results: improving profit margins, increasing efficiency, and strengthening cash flow. If your business is growing but you're not seeing the financial progress you expected, this conversation will help you identify where the gaps are and how to fix them. We break down practical, actionable strategies to help you: Improve profit margins through pricing and cost awareness Increase operational efficiency by reducing manual processes and inefficiencies Strengthen cash flow with better invoicing, collections, and forecasting You'll also learn why profit and cash flow are not the same, and why understanding both is critical to long-term success. If you're ready to stop working harder and start building a more profitable, sustainable business, this episode is a great place to start.
Transcribe →#182: Financial Planning for Business Owners: Why a Holistic Financial Plan Matters
Mar 2300:27:42Tap to summarizeMany entrepreneurs spend years building successful businesses but don't always connect their business growth with their personal wealth strategy. In this episode of Cultivating Business Growth, Katina Peters speaks with Katherine Dean, CFP® of Opal Wealth Advisors about why financial planning for business owners requires a different approach than traditional wealth management. Together they explore how holistic financial planning helps entrepreneurs align their personal finances, business growth, and long-term goals. The conversation covers the realities of fluctuating income, planning for a future business exit, building wealth outside the business, and why having advisors who understand entrepreneurship is essential. They also discuss common red flags business owners should watch for when working with financial advisors and why a collaborative advisory team, including CPAs, financial planners, and legal advisors, can create stronger outcomes. If you're a business owner who wants greater clarity around your financial strategy and long-term wealth planning, this episode will give you practical insights to help you think beyond revenue and taxes toward a more integrated financial future.
Transcribe →#181: How to Fire a Client: The Math and Mess Behind Client Profitability
Mar 900:28:26Tap to summarizeIf a client brings in revenue but drains your team, disrupts your processes, or creates constant stress, are they actually profitable? In this episode of Cultivating Business Growth, Megan Spicer is joined by Willow Virtual CFO partner Jaime Staley to tackle one of the most difficult decisions business owners face: when it's time to fire a client. Many business owners hold on to clients longer than they should because they're focused on the revenue coming in. But true client profitability goes far beyond the top-line number. Jaime walks through how to evaluate the real impact a client has on your business, including hidden costs, team capacity, operational drag, and payment behavior. Together, Megan and Jaime break down a practical decision framework that helps remove emotion from the process and allows leaders to evaluate both the math and the mess behind a client relationship. They also share how to approach difficult conversations and how to fire a client professionally while protecting your reputation and relationships. If you've ever wondered whether a difficult client is worth keeping, or how to walk away when they're not, this episode provides a clear and practical framework to help you decide. In this episode, you'll learn: How to evaluate client profitability beyond revenue Warning signs that a client relationship is becoming unhealthy The hidden operational costs that can drain your team How to use a simple decision framework to evaluate difficult clients How to fire a client professionally and exit the relationship cleanly If you're feeling the pressure of difficult client relationships or wondering whether your current client mix is truly profitable, this conversation will help you approach the decision with clarity and confidence. To learn more about working with Willow Virtual CFO, visit: willowcfo.com
Transcribe →#180: Building a Business Development Plan That Actually Works (and How to Build a Referral Network)
Feb 2300:33:03Tap to summarizeIf your firm says business development is everyone's job, but no one owns it, this episode is for you. In Episode 180 of Cultivating Business Growth, Megan Spicer is joined by Neil Barrow, founder of Enabled BD and host of I Hope This Email Finds You Well, to unpack what business development really looks like inside professional service firms. Neil explains why business development isn't a soft skill, how to build consistent habits around growth, and how to create a practical business development plan focused on strengthening relationships first. He also shares how to build a referral network using your existing clients, why culture and structure both matter, and what firms should clarify before hiring a business developer. In this episode, we cover: – What business development actually is (and why we overcomplicate it) – How to make business development feel authentic instead of salesy – The four core areas every business development plan should include – Using the 80/20 rule to focus on what drives results – Why your current clients are the foundation of referrals – One actionable step you can take this week to strengthen your business development efforts This episode is ideal for CPAs, consultants, attorneys, and service-based business owners who want a clearer, more human-centered approach to growth.
Transcribe →179 - Should You Add a Location The Expansion Scorecard
Feb 900:29:54Tap to summarizeAdding a second location is often treated like a milestone, but it's one of the fastest ways to put pressure on a healthy business if it's done too soon. In this episode of Cultivating Business Growth, Megan Spicer is joined by Willow Virtual CFO partner Katina Peters to break down a practical expansion framework designed to help business owners decide when growth makes sense, and when it doesn't. We introduce the Second Location Scorecard, built around three critical areas every owner should evaluate before signing a lease or hiring a team: Demand: Is your growth repeatable and sustainable, or is it temporary pressure? Cash: Can your cash flow absorb fixed costs, upfront expenses, and a slower-than-expected ramp? Capacity: Do your systems and team support growth without burning out the owner or leadership team? You'll learn why expansion should be treated as a strategy, not a reward, how to spot red flags before they become expensive mistakes, and what to fix first if the answer is "not yet." If you're feeling busy, maxed out, or considering opening a second location, this episode will help you make the decision with clarity instead of pressure. 👉 Learn more or book a strategy call at willowcfo.com/contact
Transcribe →#178: Data Protection for Small Business During Growth
Jan 2600:30:29Tap to summarizeGrowing your business means adding vendors, cloud tools, and systems, but it also means increasing your exposure to data risk. In this episode of Cultivating Business Growth, Jaime Staley sits down with Timothy O'Hara, VP of Data Risk at The Hack Ninja, to break down data protection for small business in a way non-technical owners can actually understand and act on. You'll learn why small and mid-sized businesses are often more vulnerable than large enterprises, how vendor and third-party risk quietly creates exposure, and what "minimum viable" cybersecurity really looks like for growing companies without internal IT leadership. This conversation reframes cybersecurity as a leadership and growth issue, not just an IT problem, showing how strong data controls can reduce risk, speed up deals, improve valuations, and protect your reputation as you scale. In this episode, we cover: Why growing businesses are prime targets for data breaches The biggest misconceptions about cybersecurity and vendor responsibility How third-party tools and vendors create hidden risk What questions to ask vendors to protect your data Zero Trust explained for small business owners Practical first steps to improve data protection this quarter How strong security controls can actually accelerate growth Resources mentioned: Learn more about Tim's work at The Hack Ninja: https://thehackninja.com Access a complimentary cybersecurity education session for small business owners through The Hack Ninja website If you're scaling your business and relying on software, vendors, or cloud tools, this episode will help you understand where your risk lives, and how to address it before it becomes a costly problem.
Transcribe →#177: Construction Job Costing That Protects Your Margins (Best Practices for Contractors)
Jan 1200:32:28Tap to summarizeIf job costing only tells you what went wrong after a project is complete, it isn't protecting your margins; it's just record keeping. In this episode of Cultivating Business Growth, Megan Spicer is joined by construction industry expert Katina Peters of Willow Virtual CFO to break down how construction job costing should function as a real-time leadership system, not post-mortem accounting. They discuss why lack of job visibility shows up as profit problems, where job costing typically breaks down, and the job costing best practices contractors can use to protect margins while a job is still running, not after it's too late. If you're tired of surprise overruns, delayed billing, and jobs that look profitable on paper but not in reality, this episode will help you rethink how job costing supports profitability, cash flow, and smarter decision-making. 👉 Learn more or book a conversation at willowcfo.com/contact
Transcribe →#176: Managing HR Risk & Compliance with Andrea Herran of Focus HR
Dec 100:35:31Tap to summarizeAs your business grows, so does your HR risk. In this episode, we're joined by Andrea Herran, CEO of Focus HR, to break down the most common compliance pitfalls small businesses face, and how to avoid them before they become expensive problems. Andrea shares why HR compliance for small business is essential to sustainable growth and how outsourced HR services can give owners expert guidance without the cost of hiring a full-time HR manager. We explore hidden risks that surface as your team expands, the red flags that signal it's time for HR support, and practical steps you can take today to strengthen your policies, protect your business, and set your team up for success. Whether you're building your first HR foundation or realizing you've outgrown your current process, this episode offers clarity, direction, and confidence for your next stage of growth.
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