Building A Business, Not a Job w. Karl Hughes

Building A Business, Not a Job w. Karl Hughes

In this episode of The Scaling CFO, host Mark Stiles, CPA and founder of MASCPA, sits down with Karl Hughes, founder of Draft Dev and advisor to service business CEOs. If you've ever felt trapped being the expert who built the business but can't step away from it, this episode is your roadmap out. Karl breaks down how to move from "chief everything officer" to holistic CEO—someone who builds systems, delegates with confidence, and creates a business that generates cash flow without constant founder input. From time audits to transferable value, this conversation is packed with frameworks for founders ready to stop owning an expensive job and start running a real company. Topics include: * What most technical founders get wrong about delegation * The E-Myth principle: building your franchise prototype from day one * Why tracking your time in buckets changes everything * How to price for margin so you can actually hire people * The fear barrier that keeps founders from letting go * Why message clarity beats volume every time * How to know when you're ready to step back from client work * The "who not how" framework for every business decision * Why energy—not money or status—should be your optimization metric * How to take a full month off and have the business still run * What makes a business attractive to buyers beyond revenue * The cash cycle mistake that almost killed Draft Dev If you're the best at what you do but exhausted from doing all of it, this conversation will help you engineer your way out. TIME STAMPS: 00:00 Introduction to the Scaling CFO 00:34 Meet Carl L. Hughes: From Engineer to CEO Coach 02:14 The E-Myth and Building a Scalable Business 03:41 Tracking Time and Outsourcing Tasks 04:46 The Box Method: Balancing Business Quadrants 09:18 Pricing Strategies and Market Focus 15:15 The Holistic CEO: Confidence and Clarity 21:50 Leveraging Time for Maximum Impact 26:54 The Value of Virtual Assistants 27:46 Who Not How: Delegating Effectively 28:28 Balancing Business and Personal Life 30:14 Optimizing for Energy and Fulfillment 33:57 The Importance of SOPs and Documentation 39:22 Building a Business That Runs Without You 47:12 Rapid Fire Questions and Final Thoughts Follow Mark and Karl: Connect with Mark:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stilescpa/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stilescpa/] Website: markstilescpa.com [http://www.markstilescpa.com/] Connect with Karl:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karllhughes/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/karllhughes/] Website: https://www.karllhughes.com/ [https://www.karllhughes.com/]

Optimizing Human Talent With AI w. Vivian Chen

In this episode of The Scaling CFO, host Mark Stiles, CPA and founder of MASCPA, sits down with Vivian Chen, founder and CEO of Rise Data Labs. If you've ever wondered how to invest in people while embracing AI without losing the human element, this conversation is essential listening. Vivian shares her unconventional journey from L'Oréal marketer to self-taught coder to AI founder—a path that mirrors the adaptability required in today's business landscape. She breaks down her B-to-AI-to-B model, revealing how to bridge human judgment with machine scale, and why the highest ROI often lives in human capital, not just technology. From time audits to 10X goal-setting to knowing when AI helps versus when it hurts, this episode delivers a masterclass in building teams that thrive in transformation. Topics include: * From marketing to coding to founding an AI company: Vivian's unconventional path * Why the Abacus-to-AI story matters for change management * The B-to-AI-to-B model: bridging human judgment with machine intelligence * How time audits reveal your team's zone of genius * Why unconventional hires often become your strongest performers * The 10X framework: setting stretch goals that motivate without burning out * Where to embrace AI and where to resist automation * Intrinsic motivation vs. external rewards: what really drives performance * Communication as the #1 non-financial skill every leader needs * Why the biggest waste of human capital is people doing work they don't love If your team feels stuck, your scaling strategy unclear, or your AI adoption uncertain, this conversation brings clarity to all three. Timestamps: * 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome * 00:58 Vivian Chen's Unconventional Journey * 02:37 The Immigrant Founder Experience * 04:47 Change Management and Founder Fears * 07:15 AI and Human Collaboration * 09:43 Maximizing Human Capital * 17:07 Setting and Achieving Goals * 21:22 Embracing AI with Discipline * 25:46 Rapid Fire Questions and Conclusion Follow Mark and Vivian: Connect with Mark:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stilescpa/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stilescpa/] Website: markstilescpa.com [http://www.markstilescpa.com/] Connect with Vivian:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivianmingweichen/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivianmingweichen/] Website: joinrise.co [http://joinrise.co/]

From Startup Chaos to Elite Partner: Systems That Scale w. Chris Nault

In this episode of The Scaling CFO, host Mark Stiles, CPA and founder of MASCPA, sits down with Christopher Nault, founder of Growth. If you've ever wondered how to turn early-stage chaos into predictable scale, this conversation is for you. Chris shares the raw reality of building a business—from producing San Francisco's first-ever canceled St. Patrick's Day parade during COVID to becoming one of HubSpot's elite partners globally. This isn't a story about overnight success; it's about 20 years of reps, intentional fluidity, and building systems that actually work. Topics include: * The real story behind pivoting from events to growth operations during COVID * Why investing in "adult software" earlier would have changed everything * Rev ops, go-to-market strategy, and AI enablement defined (no fluff) * How a 2% margin mentality and deal-by-deal iteration built elite status * The power of CRM as infrastructure, not just a cost line item * Why "your gut" is actually 20 years of pattern recognition * Intentional fluidity vs. fixed mindset in scaling * The leadership principles that create joyful accountability * How AI is changing go-to-market (without changing the fundamentals) * Why consistency beats silver bullets every single time * What founders should never outsource too soon * The 2026 go-to-market playbook releasing with Apollo and HubSpot If you're tired of random acts of marketing and ready to build systems that compound, this episode delivers the truth about what it actually takes to scale. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to the Scaling CFO 00:41 Chris Nat's Early Beginnings and Vision 02:14 Defining Key Business Terms 03:50 The Inflection Point and Pivot 06:22 Building Systems and Processes 14:52 Investing in Software and Tools 21:22 Mindset and Leadership 23:22 Leadership Journey and Servant Leadership 23:59 Communication and Organizational Health 26:00 Go-to-Market Strategy Insights 27:22 Marketing Myths and Realities 29:29 AI's Impact on Marketing 34:05 Future of Go-to-Market Strategies 41:12 Joyful Accountability in Leadership 43:48 Rapid Fire Round and Conclusion Follow Mark Stiles and Christopher Nault: Connect with Mark Stiles:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stilescpa/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stilescpa/] Website: https://www.markstilescpa.com/ [https://www.markstilescpa.com/] Connect with Christopher Nault:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-nault-growth/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-nault-growth/] Website: https://www.growthoperationsfirm.com/ [https://www.growthoperationsfirm.com/]

Mapping Value Creation w. Mary Adams

Most founders track KPIs religiously, but still feel disconnected from what drives their business forward. The problem isn't the metrics. It's the gap between measurement and action. In this conversation, Mark sits down with Mary Adams, co-founder and CMO of Insights7, to explore how the Work to Value framework turns strategic vision into aligned daily execution. Mary brings 30+ years of experience helping founders move from reactive reporting to proactive alignment. She breaks down why your business exists as a value creation system, how to map your GL to actual operations, and why AI will make organizational clarity necessary. Whether you're struggling to align your team around shared goals, finding your KPIs live in silos, or preparing for the agentic workforce revolution, this episode reveals the framework that turns dashboards into decisions. Time Stamps: 00:00 Introduction to Scaling CFO 00:29 Guest Introduction: Mary Adams 01:13 The Work to Value Framework 02:42 Aligning Passion, Problem, and Payment 04:11 Building a Unified System for Value Creation 06:59 Empowering Leadership and Teams 08:53 Tracking KPIs and Strategic Goals 11:01 Systemizing Business Processes 17:48 Mary Adams' Background and Insights 19:30 Understanding Financial Statements 19:46 Identifying Silent Drains 21:03 Cost of Value and GL Strategy 22:02 Aligning KPIs and Costs 23:09 Effective Communication and Accountability 24:14 Case Study: Medical Device Company 27:28 The Importance of Clarity 31:09 Leveraging AI for Business Efficiency 36:54 Rapid Fire Questions 38:07 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Follow Mark and Mary: Connect with Mark:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stilescpa/ Website: https://www.markstilescpa.com Connect with Mary:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryadamsica/ Website: https://insights7.com

Scale Revenue and Relationships w. Jeff Kirchick

Revenue growth without retention is just expensive churn. And sales strategies without financial grounding? That's a recipe for burning cash faster than you're making it. In this episode of The Scaling CFO, Mark Stiles sits down with Jeff Kerchick, VP of Sales at Zorro, four-time startup veteran (three exits, one IPO), and author of Authentic Selling, to break down why the sales-finance relationship matters more than most founders realize. Jeff shares why Net Revenue Retention (NRR) has replaced growth as the north star metric, how to build sales systems that scale without losing the human touch, and why AI might actually help you spend less on your tech stack instead of more. Whether you're struggling with customer concentration, wondering how to justify your CAC to your CFO, or trying to figure out which tools to build versus buy, this conversation will help you align sales and finance so growth is sustainable, not just exciting. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction to Scaling CFO 00:38 The Box Method Framework 01:41 Sales and Finance Synergy 04:35 Jeff Kerchick's Journey 07:47 Sales Strategies and Metrics 12:14 Leadership and Customer Retention 28:00 Navigating the CFO-Marketing Relationship 28:32 The Role of Automation in Sales Outreach 29:32 Balancing Human Touch and Automation 30:36 Leveraging AI for Operational Efficiency 32:16 AI's Impact on Job Roles and Business Models 34:58 AI in Communication and Customer Relations 35:43 AI in Healthcare Benefits and Quoting 42:12 The Importance of Data Privacy in AI 44:41 ICRA: A New Model for Healthcare Benefits 46:07 Sales Strategies and Decision Making 51:23 Rapid Fire Questions with Jeff 53:21 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Connect with Jeff: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeffkirchick Website: https://jeffkirchick.com/ Connect with Mark: Mark A. Stiles, CPA Founder, MASCPA [markstilescpa.com] [https://www.markstilescpa.com] https://www.linkedin.com/in/stilescpa/ | Host, The Scaling CFO [LinkedIn] [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stilescpa/]  [https://www.markstilescpa.com] 📅 Book a free consult with Mark → https://calendly.com/mark-stiles-markstilescpa/new-meeting [https://calendly.com/mark-stiles-markstilescpa/new-meeting]