As business professionals, we often focus on the challenges we face and the issues we need to resolve. Sometimes that focus can be stressful or overwhelming. The ideal is to be optimistic about resolving the challenge or having a positive experience from finding the solution. I had the pleasure of speaking with 29 of the most enthusiastic business leaders, which was comprised of the Florida CFO Group clients, partners, and colleagues. Their positivity came from experiencing ease, reassurance, and reliability when finding a solution or serving solutions that involved strategic financial direction.
I set out on a journey to explore the ins and outs of the Florida CFO Group and tell their story. I was completely new to the organization and began to prepare a mini-documentary series that discovered what exactly the Florida CFO Group was about – who were the partners, what makes this group special, what do clients and colleagues have to say about the group, and how do they help businesses?
As a newcomer, I felt entirely welcomed in by a group of impressive, authentic, kind, highly skilled seasoned executives that had a sense of humor, seemed to truly enjoy life, and genuinely love what they do – so much that they reject retirement to continue doing it. At first, I thought, “Surely this was not indicative of the entire group,” but as I continued to meet partners one by one, I saw the culture was consistent and it made sense to me that the best-of-the-best were turning to the Florida CFO Group.
After speaking with clients, I saw yet another pattern of positivity. As a small business owner, I could relate to the confusion, frustration, and deluge of everyday finances and operations. Again, one by one, each client shared the same energy I felt upon meeting multiple partners from the Florida CFO Group. They talked about what their organizations were missing and how they lacked the strategic vision and financial insight of a CFO. They shared their concerns about not being able to afford a full-time CFO and how the fractional CFO offering was a huge benefit. They filled gaps, got better financial documentation and reporting, raised much-needed funds, increased their business value, or had the guidance they needed for major business transactions or milestones. They learned things about their business that allowed them to grow, expand, and get organized. Some clients finally achieved long-awaited goals because they found the solution in the Florida CFO Group that eased their burdens and brought them the insight they needed. They saw the tremendous value of having access to a GROUP of CFOs with an expansive network of resources.
It didn’t stop there – turns out, CFOs (at least the cool ones) have fun too! I traveled with the Florida CFO Group to a conference in Orlando called DisruptHR, where two partners spoke on-stage while performing. They shared industry knowledge and thoroughly entertained the attendees. Partner, Marylean Abney spoke on proper care with human talent while singing hits from The Supremes, and partner, Phil Nahajewski addressed the audience with expert advice on rocking the job interview while performing as Elvis Presley. I was even more impressed, to say the least.
Gone was the assumption that financial executives were dry or stuffy – at least not for the Florida CFO Group. I saw real people with real indispensable skills sharing their talents with pleasure and sharing them with other real people with fascinating entrepreneurial journeys. The business leaders I spoke with that work with the Florida CFO Group consistently showed big-picture thinking and experienced results. The reason for their success seemed evident to me. They chose to work with the Florida CFO Group.
Watch the first three episodes in this mini-documentary series featuring the Florida CFO Group, so you too can understand what this organization is about and how it makes a significant impact on the businesses they serve:
Episode 1 - Journey to Discover the Florida CFO Group
Episode 2 - What Was the Result of Working with the Florida CFO Group?
Episode 3 - Why the Best CFOs Can't Retire & Why That's Great News for Business Owners
Episode 4 - Why the Florida CFO Group Attracts the Best CFOs?
Episode 5 – Behind the Scenes Collaboration – The Secret Sauce
Episode 6 – CFOs Can be Fun Too
