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Growth feels great until it starts to choke your cash and your calendar. We sit down with Jim Bartlett, Navy mission commander turned e-commerce founder and now Area President at Focus CFO, to unpack how owners stop firefighting and start leading with forward-looking finance. Jim’s path from scaling a sporting goods brand on early AdWords to exiting as Amazon rose gives him a rare operator’s lens on what actually moves a business past the $3M ceiling.

We dig into the first habit every founder needs: a rolling 13-week cash flow forecast. Jim shows how this simple discipline, paired with a practical “DNA model” of your operations, turns instinct into insight—linking pricing, pipeline, margins, inventory, AR, and AP to real cash outcomes. He explains why many small businesses think bookkeeper plus CPA equals coverage, and where the true gap lives: strategic, proactive financial leadership. That’s the sweet spot for a fractional CFO who’s been inside operating companies, not just advising from the sidelines.

From navigating cash crunch during high growth to speaking “bank” with clear risk and mitigation plans, Jim shares how operator-CFOs act like Sherpas—carrying the analytical load while helping the owner climb. We talk delegation, coachability, and the moment some leaders realize they’re the bottleneck. Jim also offers a simple 1% daily practice: calendar a non-negotiable 30-minute outreach block to keep revenue motion consistent.

If you’re feeling stuck near seven figures, worried about payroll despite rising sales, or unsure how to win your bank’s confidence, this conversation gives you a roadmap. You’ll leave with concrete steps to forecast cash, tighten your cash conversion cycle, translate vision into banker-ready numbers, and free up your time to lead again. If this resonates, subscribe, share with a founder friend, and leave a quick review telling us your top cash or delegation challenge.

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