What Fractional CFOs Really Do For Growing Businesses with Alison Bolt

What Fractional CFOs Really Do For Growing Businesses with Alison Bolt

In this episode of The New F*Word host Colin Hewitt sits down with Alison Bolt, a CIMA-qualified CFO, to unpack how fractional finance can help founders build stronger businesses, make better decisions, and avoid costly mistakes as they scale. What You’ll Learn: * How to transition from tactical finance work to strategic advisory * Why copy-and-pivot beats original ideas when building your fractional practice * How to build a scalable fractional model around three interconnected services * Why chemistry with your clients matters more than size * The real value of staying close to cash flow Alison Bolt is a Fractional CFO and Founder of Agile Talent, specializing in providing strategic financial guidance and integrated business support to high-growth SMEs and membership-based organizations. With over a decade of experience spanning multinational corporations to the SME space, Alison has built a reputation for moving beyond traditional finance management to become a trusted strategic advisor and right-hand person to founders and CEOs. Explore Float’s platform and solutions at https://floatapp.com [https://floatapp.com]. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newfword.substack.com [https://newfword.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

The CFO Skill Nobody Teaches: Coaching and Human Leadership with Alastair Manson

In this episode of The New F*Word host Colin Hewitt sits down with Alastair Manson, Fractional CFO at Flinder, to discuss why the human side of leadership is where real value gets created, how coaching can unlock your teamțs potential, and the practical strategies to shift command-and-control to collaborative leadership. What You’ll Learn: * Why technical excellence alone won’t keep you at the table * How to shift from ‘telling’ to ‘coaching’ without losing control * The three non-negotiable relationships every CFO must master * How to spot when your fixed mindset is sabotaging your team * Why fractional CFOs have a competitive edge in advisory services Alastair Manson is a seasoned fractional CFO, leadership coach, and performance strategist. With over 20 years of experience helping founders, finance teams, and even athletes unlock peak performance, Alastair brings a rare blend of financial expertise and human-first coaching. As a Fractional CFO at Flinder and Founder of Kinetika Coaching, he helps finance leaders and SMEs build resilience, clarity, and purpose in their work. Explore Float’s platform and solutions at https://floatapp.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newfword.substack.com [https://newfword.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

How Fractional CFOs Actually Add Value with Jonathan Rosenzweig

In this episode of The New F*Word host Colin Hewitt sits down with Jonathan Rosenzweig, Fractional CFO at OpenExchange, to break down how the fractional CFO role differs from a traditional CFO seat and why fractional CFOs are reshaping how growing companies build financial clarity. What You’ll Learn: * How to know when you actually need a fractional CFO vs. a full-time hire * Why your financial narrative must pass the one-sentence test * The critical importance of alignment across every stakeholder * How to balance long-term vision with tactical flexibility * Why scenario analysis beats point forecasts every single time Jonathan Rosenzweig is a globally seasoned finance leader and fractional CFO who has navigated nearly every corner of the financial services industry. Today, he works fractionally with middle-market growth companies and innovative tech firms, bringing his deep expertise in financial narrative building, forecasting, and team leadership to founders and finance leaders who need sophisticated CFO guidance without the full-time commitment. Explore Float’s platform and solutions at https://floatapp.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newfword.substack.com [https://newfword.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Greatest Hits: Cash, Clients, and the Secrets Behind Growing Businesses

In this greatest hits episode, The New F*Word, host Colin Hewitt, along with Karen Reyburn, Kevin Jacobs, and Michael Wood, pulls together three themes that keep showing up in growing businesses: human-first advisory, cash discipline, and the hidden cost of ‘big system’ upgrades. What You’ll Learn: * Why fractional CFOs are reshaping how SME businesses think about money * How to connect authentically with clients to uncover their real pain points * The critical difference between cash flow forecasting and the gut-feel approach most businesses rely on * How to talk to clients like a therapist Karen Reyburn is the Founder of The Profitable Firm, a creative agency specializing in transforming how accounting firms approach marketing. With over a decade of experience combining her background as a qualified accountant with marketing expertise, she has pioneered a unique approach to helping finance professionals connect authentically with their ideal clients. Karen is the author of “The Accountant Marketer” and an upcoming book on creativity in finance, sharing her methodology for helping accountants embrace both their analytical and creative sides. Kevin Jacobs is a Fractional CFO at BDO USA, bringing over 20 years of industry experience spanning construction and manufacturing. With a background that includes scaling a $30M company to over $100M in six years through strategic financial planning, ERP implementation, and working capital management, Kevin specializes in helping contractors and manufacturers gain financial clarity and sustainable growth. Michael Wood is a pioneering force in accounting technology. He co-founded Receipt Bank (now Dext), the leading data capture tool for accountants and bookkeepers, and helped scale it into a global category leader. After stepping back due to health challenges, Michael returned to build Translucent, a new platform designed to help multi-entity businesses stay on their existing accounting systems while scaling with clarity. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newfword.substack.com [https://newfword.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

How Laura Taylor Built a £1M+ Firm That Won The Advisory Game

In this episode of The New F*Word host Colin Hewitt sits down with Laura Taylor, Founder of Empowered by Cloud and architect of the RITMOS methodology, to discuss why accounting firms remain stuck in outdated service delivery models. And, more importantly - what it actually takes to transition from compliance work to genuine advisory partnerships that drive real business value. What You’ll Learn: * Why virtual FD services fail to scale * The compliance trap that kills advisory * How to position advisory so price objections disappear * The rhythm framework that replaces chaos with clarity * Why your background matters more than your credentials Laura is a visionary accounting entrepreneur and business strategist known for transforming how accounting firms operate and deliver value. With a background spanning retail management at major corporations like Sainsbury’s and ASDA, followed by founding and scaling Empowered by Cloud - a specialized virtual finance department firm serving the UK construction industry - Laura brings a unique, business-first perspective to the accounting profession. She sold her thriving practice in April 2024 and has since pivoted to helping accountants build more profitable, sustainable businesses through one-to-one advisory work and her newly launched Virtual Finance Department Program, now serving 50+ firms. Explore Float’s platform and solutions at https://floatapp.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newfword.substack.com [https://newfword.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]