Overdue Advice: Cash Flow & Debt Collection Strategies to Grow Your Business

Can you trust the numbers when deciding whether to extend credit? And what happens when the technology helping you analyze those numbers gets them wrong?

In this episode of Overdue Advice, host Bryn Griffiths reconnects with Andrea Browne, Director of Finance at KBH Chartered Professional Accountants, at the National Credit Conference in Jasper, Alberta.

Andrea brings decades of accounting experience and a passion for helping businesses make smarter financial decisions. She explains how credit professionals can use financial statements to assess a customer's ability and willingness to pay, identify potential risks and make more informed credit decisions.

The conversation also explores how technology is transforming accounting and credit management. From Excel's often-overlooked capabilities to the growing influence of artificial intelligence, Andrea shares practical examples of how these tools can improve efficiency while introducing new risks.

One particularly revealing example? Andrea asked AI to generate a financial case study for a presentation. The result looked impressive until she discovered that the balance sheet didn't balance.

It's a useful reminder that better access to financial information doesn't automatically produce better financial decisions. Human judgment, professional knowledge and careful verification remain essential.

Bryn and Andrea also discuss the challenges of obtaining financial information from prospective customers, the importance of professional networks and why continuous learning is increasingly important for credit and accounting professionals.

The episode wraps up with a memorable observation about the difference between accounting profits and actual cash flow: "Profit is opinion. Cash is reality."

Whether you're managing commercial credit, evaluating customer risk or simply trying to make better use of financial technology, this conversation offers practical insights into making decisions with greater confidence.

Episode Highlights
00:14 — Meet Andrea Browne
01:57 — Excel: An Accountant’s Best Friend
03:53 — Making Financial Information More Useful
04:25 — Overcoming the Fear of New Technology
05:31 — Using AI Safely with Financial Information
05:59 — When AI Gets the Numbers Wrong
07:04 — Can They Pay? And Will They?
08:13 — How AI Is Changing Accounting
08:57 — Why Human Judgment Still Counts
10:49 — Getting Financial Information from Customers
12:23 — Keeping Up with a Changing Profession
13:44 — Andrea’s Unexpected Career in Credit
15:01 — Learning to Love Public Speaking
17:15 — Profit Is Opinion. Cash Is Reality.

The people your business depends on today won’t be there forever. Who are you preparing to take their place?

Host Bryn Griffiths sits down with Trina Casey-Myatt, Regional Director with Robert Half, to talk about succession planning and developing the people your organization will need next.

After nearly three decades in recruitment, Trina says the workplace has changed more in the past six years than in the previous 23. Remote and hybrid work have shifted expectations, personal and professional lives have become more intertwined, and AI is changing both how work gets done and the skills employers need.

Against that backdrop, succession planning becomes increasingly important. Trina argues that organizations should continually ask a simple question: who is being developed to step into each key role?

The conversation explores mentorship, reverse mentorship and why good leaders shouldn’t be afraid to develop someone who could eventually become better than they are. Trina also explains why experienced professionals need to keep learning as technology changes their jobs, and shares a great example of a company that hired a summer student with one assignment: figure out how AI could help the rest of the team.

For credit leaders and business owners, it’s a practical conversation about retaining knowledge, developing talent and making sure the departure of one important person doesn’t leave an organization scrambling.

Chapters

00:00 — Meet Trina Casey-Myatt
Bryn introduces Trina, her recruitment background and the growing importance of succession planning.

01:03 — Six Years That Changed the Workplace
Why Trina believes the workplace has changed more since 2020 than during the previous two decades.

02:37 — Is Hybrid Work Fading?
What Robert Half is seeing as more employers return to four or five days in the office, and where flexibility remains.

03:41 — What Different Generations Want From Work
Why younger employees may value the office for learning while experienced workers approaching retirement may increasingly value flexibility.

05:16 — When Work and Personal Life Blended Together
How remote work changed the boundaries between employees’ professional and personal lives.

06:53 — Who’s Ready to Take Over?
Trina gets to the heart of succession planning: identifying the talent you already have and developing people to step into key positions.

08:07 — Your Mentee Should Become Better Than You
Why mentorship benefits both sides, and why leaders shouldn’t be threatened by developing talented successors.

08:41 — The Opportunity in Reverse Mentorship
Experienced employees have knowledge to share, but younger employees can return the favour with technology and new ways of working.

09:52 — Keeping Up When Work Keeps Changing
Why experienced professionals who continue learning and adapting are better positioned as technology reshapes the workplace.

10:34 — What AI Changes About Our Jobs
Trina and Bryn discuss automation, eliminating mundane work and using AI to spend more time on higher-value thinking.

13:19 — Succession Planning Isn’t Only for Executives
Why every organization should be thinking about who can step into important roles throughout the business.

14:13 — The Danger of “We’ve Always Done It This Way”
How resistance to change can make it harder to retain and attract talented people.

14:52 — Why the Future of Work Still Excites Trina
After 29 years in recruitment, Trina explains why the pace of change has made her more interested in what comes next.

16:53 — The Summer Student Who Became the AI Expert
A company gives one student a deceptively simple summer assignment: learn how AI can help the team and teach everyone else. The result becomes a practical example of reverse mentorship in action.

18:25 — Finding the People Your Business Needs Next
Trina explains how Robert Half works with employers and candidates to match changing organizational needs with people and career opportunities.

What does it take to reinvent a family business without losing the values that made it successful in the first place? In this episode of Overdue Advice, host Bryn Griffiths sits down with Amanda Anderson, Vice President of Credifax, and Chris Noel, Manager of Customer Care, to explore the evolution of one of Canada's leading commercial credit reporting companies.

Amanda shares how she unexpectedly joined the business founded by her father nearly three decades ago, while Chris explains why he once insisted he'd never work for the family company before ultimately helping shape its future. Together, they discuss taking over a successful business, modernizing a decades-old credit reporting platform, and embracing AI to improve efficiency while keeping people at the centre of every decision.

The conversation also explores the lessons they learned leading through the pandemic, why industry collaboration strengthens credit decisions, and the importance of teaching financial literacy long before young people receive their first credit card.

Whether you're responsible for credit, collections, or running a growing business, this episode offers practical insights into leadership, innovation, and why trusted relationships remain one of the most valuable assets in business.

Episode Highlights
00:00 – Meet Amanda Anderson and Chris Noel, the second generation leading the Credifax family business.

01:06 – Amanda shares how answering the phone after university turned into a lifelong career in commercial credit.

04:48 – Chris explains why he never planned to join the family business—and what changed his mind.

10:31 – How Credifax evolved into a nationwide credit reporting and industry information-sharing network.

13:00 – AI in the credit industry: improving efficiency while keeping privacy, security, and human judgment at the forefront.

15:21 – Leading through the pandemic: adapting quickly, protecting employees, and positioning the business for long-term growth.

20:14 – Why building relationships and helping clients avoid losses is more rewarding than simply collecting debt.

22:10 – Financial literacy: why young people should learn about budgeting, credit, and money management before entering adulthood.

25:49 – Looking ahead: modernizing the Credinet platform, listening to customer feedback, and shaping the future of commercial credit reporting.

Relevant Links
Credifax Canada: https://www.credifax.on.ca/

Economic conditions can change in a heartbeat. For credit professionals, the challenge is recognizing what’s changing before it shows up in overdue accounts.

In this episode of Overdue Advice, host Bryn Griffiths sits down with Donna Burton, Credit Manager with ZyTech Building Supplies and the Alfab Group, to talk about preparing for uncertainty when business is booming today and tomorrow is much harder to predict.

Donna has seen what happens when conditions turn. During the 2008 downturn, construction customers with spotless payment histories suddenly disappeared. More recently, she helped navigate pandemic-era price volatility, disputes and rapidly changing credit requirements. Today, with construction busy but economic questions mounting, those experiences are shaping how she approaches risk.

Donna explains why her team focuses closely on payment behaviour, how regular communication with sales and branch teams helps surface problems early, and why conventional credit limits sometimes need to give way to more responsive measures of customer risk.

The conversation also explores tariffs and economic uncertainty, AI and automation, the value of industry intelligence, and the often-overlooked importance of relationships between credit professionals. For Donna, staying prepared means watching economic indicators, listening to people closest to customers and continually learning from peers facing the same challenges.

It’s a timely conversation with a timeless lesson: you may not know what’s coming next, but your credit team can prepare for it.

Episode Highlights:

00:48 — Why Credit Managers Need Other Credit Managers
Donna discusses the value of industry conferences, peer relationships and learning from people who understand the unique challenges of the credit role.

02:20 — Navigating the Pandemic and Its Aftermath
How Donna returned to the workplace and joined ZyTech during a period of extraordinary activity and volatility in construction.

04:00 — When Pricing Changes Create Credit Problems
Rapidly changing material prices, shortened quotation periods and the customer disputes that followed.

05:35 — Getting Proactive About Disputes
Donna explains the weekly reporting process that keeps branches and sales teams aware of outstanding issues and recognizes problems that get resolved.

06:22 — Business Is Booming. Will It Hold?
Alberta construction is busy, but Donna draws on her experience during the 2008 downturn to explain why today’s success can’t be taken for granted.

08:33 — Tariffs, Trade and Economic Uncertainty
Donna and Bryn discuss concerns around steel, employment and an economy that can send conflicting signals.

09:22 — Preparing for Whatever Comes Next
How ZyTech is positioning itself to respond proactively as economic and market conditions evolve.

10:00 — AI, Automation and Better Ways to Work
Donna discusses adopting new technology for efficiency and how automation in manufacturing produced an important additional benefit: improved worker safety.

11:25 — How a Credit Manager Watches the Economy
Economic reports, sales-team intelligence and conversations with other credit professionals all help Donna assess what could be coming.

12:39 — When Traditional Credit Limits Stop Working
During extreme price volatility, Donna’s team shifted its attention toward a highly practical indicator: how quickly customers were actually paying.

13:02 — Passing Along Decades of Credit Experience
With retirement on the horizon, Donna talks about mentorship and helping the next generation of credit professionals develop their skills.

Relevant links:
ZyTech Building Systems website: https://www.zytechtruss.com/

Host Bryn Griffiths sits down with seasoned civil litigator Howie Sniderman, just back from speaking at the National Credit Conference in Jasper, Alberta. With 45 years of legal experience, Howie shares his insights on the real challenges credit professionals face: it's not so much about winning lawsuits, but actually collecting what's owed. They also explore how artificial intelligence is shaking up the legal landscape, from research tools to the risks of AI "hallucinations." Tune in for practical advice, real-world stories, and a forward-looking discussion on mastering technology and staying ahead in the credit industry.

Episode Highlights:
00:00 Due diligence and payment issues

04:17 Identifying serial offenders in credit industry

09:12 Robots in customer service

13:51 Appreciating conference attendees' diligence

16:26 Discussing Canada's current economic outlook

19:00 Signing off and contact info

Disclaimer: always get legal advice specific to your own situation from a legal professional. The information provided here is general and does not apply to every situation.

Host Bryn Griffiths sits down with Rhonda Fox-Miles, founder of Fox-Miles and Associates, to unpack the evolving landscape of commercial and personal insolvency. Recorded at the National Credit Conference in Jasper, Alberta, the conversation covers everything from shifts in creditor and debtor behavior to the economic uncertainties influencing the industry today.

Rhonda shares real-world examples, discusses the critical skills insolvency trustees need, and reflects on how businesses and individuals are adapting (and often struggling) in a changing environment. Whether you’re a creditor, debtor, or just curious about the world of insolvency, this episode offers timely insights and practical advice for navigating uncertain financial waters.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to Debt Collection and Insolvency

01:07 Current Trends in Insolvency and Bankruptcy

03:57 Economic Influences on Debt Collection

07:01 The Role of a Licensed Insolvency Trustee

09:45 Navigating Information in the Age of AI

12:52 Best Practices for Debt Collection

14:50 Understanding Good vs. Bad Bankruptcies

Fox-Miles & Associates: https://foxmiles.ca/

Host Bryn Griffiths explores the dynamic world of credit reporting with two experts from Equifax, a global leader in data analytics and credit information. Recorded at the National Credit Conference in Jasper, Alberta, today’s discussion features Ken Malin, a ten-year veteran of Equifax’s credit groups, and commercial data consultant Kevin Freeland. Together, they shine a spotlight on the evolution of credit management, the critical role of credit scores, and how companies like Equifax and MetCredit are helping Canadians and businesses navigate an ever-changing financial landscape. Whether you’re new to credit or looking to deepen your understanding, this episode offers timely perspectives and practical advice on leveraging credit data for smarter, safer business decisions.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Bryn Griffiths and Equifax

00:24 Equifax's Role in Global Credit Data

00:58 Reinvention and Cultural Change at Equifax

01:58 Changes in Business Practices Post-Pandemic

02:33 Managing Credit Groups During and After COVID

04:15 The Shift to Virtual Business Interactions

06:07 Selling Big Deals via Video Conference

07:23 Equifax’s Specific Role and Data Use

08:32 Personal Stories and Data Privacy in Credit

09:18 The Importance of Financial Literacy for Youth

10:33 Building Credit Early and Its Impact

12:08 Credit Reports and Personal Financial Health

13:19 The Ecosystem of Business Credit

14:29 Teaching Kids About Credit and Math Skills

15:22 The Role of AI and Digital Skills in Future Finance

15:50 Encouraging Responsible Credit Use Among Youth

16:57 Ken Malin on Credit Groups and Industry Collaboration

17:50 The Role of Credit Data in Industry and Risk Management

18:48 The Value of Relationships and Trust in Credit

20:11 Future Challenges in Personal and Business Credit

21:40 Using Data to Support Business and Credit Decisions

24:38 Connecting with Experts for Financial Education

Resources

Equifax Canada Official Website - https://www.equifax.ca

The Wealthy Barber by David Chilton - https://thewealthybarber.com/

A Rich Future, Essential Financial Concepts for Youth by Noah Booth 

Credit Safe - https://www.creditsafe.com

Guest links

LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/in/kenmalin

LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/in/kevinfreeland

In this episode, we're shining a spotlight on estate collections: a challenging and often misunderstood area of debt recovery. We're joined by Jojo Staples, MetCredit’s Director of Estate Recovery, who brings over 20 years of specialized experience to the conversation.

Together, we’ll delve into the complexities of collecting on estates, how the landscape has evolved in recent years, and the increasing emotional and legal challenges faced by executors and collectors alike. Whether you’re managing an estate, dealing with unexpected debts, or simply curious about what happens to finances after someone passes away, Jojo Staples offers valuable insights into how compassion, legal know-how, and a human touch are all essential in this sensitive line of work. Stay tuned to learn how estate collections impact businesses, families, and the broader economy in ways you might not expect.

On this episode of Overdue Advice, MetCredit’s podcast focused on cash flow strategies and financial literacy, host Bryn Griffiths talks with Noah Booth, a now-third-year student at Dalhousie University and author of the best-selling book “A Rich Future: Essential Financial Concepts for Youth”. As someone who wrote a book on personal finance before graduating high school, Noah brings a fresh, relatable perspective to young people (and parents, educators, and business owners) on how to build strong financial habits from an early age.

Whether you’re navigating your own financial journey or helping your kids avoid common pitfalls, this conversation is packed with practical advice for managing money, budgeting for life changes, and understanding the importance of starting early. The episode explores how basic financial literacy can make all the difference in avoiding debt, achieving stability, and setting up a "rich future," no matter your age. If you're a business leader or a parent worried about your youth's financial readiness, or a young adult wanting a head start, Noah’s story and simple strategies are a powerful guide.

Episode Highlights

• 00:00:59 – Noah’s passion project sparks his personal finance journey and reveals a gap in youth-targeted resources 
• 00:03:02 – Why financial literacy is missing in schools and why that matters for young people
• 00:04:03 – The challenges of digital spending and practical tips for mindful money management 
• 00:05:31 – How a school presentation evolved into a published book, and partnering with RBC
• 00:08:07 – Family support, early lessons, and using real-life examples—including siblings—in the book
• 00:10:31 – Opportunities and impact since publishing; advice for teachers amplifying financial lessons 
• 00:14:23 – Financial concepts apply at any age—breaking the silence on money conversations at home 
• 00:15:36 – The power of starting early with budgeting, saving, and compound interest 
• 00:16:05 – Overcoming procrastination and taking action for your financial future 
• 00:17:32 – Feedback from students and the influence of social media on money management 
• 00:19:57 – Budgeting tips for life’s big transitions, like moving away for school 
• 00:20:10 – How to find more resources, connect, and apply these lessons via MetCredit and Noah’s website 

Whether you’re just starting out or recalibrating your finances, this episode offers overdue advice that can shape your path to security and success … at any age! Be sure to share the book with a young person.

Noah's website: ARichFuture.com

In this insightful and engaging episode of Overdue Advice, host Bryn Griffiths welcomes Lorne Smith, MetCredit’s new Senior Vice President and a 20+ year veteran of the credit collection industry. Lorne shares surprising insights on the evolution of the collections business, his personal journey, and the importance of mentorship, culture, and putting people first. They get into the impacts of technological changes, including AI’s role, and discuss leadership, building strong teams, and adapting in a rapidly shifting industry. It's a window into MetCredit's phenomenal ability to retain great people, from one who started here, worked elsewhere ... and is clearly excited to be back.

Episode Highlights:

• [00:00:27] - Introduction to Lorne Smith:
  Lorne Smith returns to MetCredit after years away, discussing his early start and long-standing mentorship under COO Marc Billard.

• [00:01:15] - The Importance of Culture:
  Lorne Smith emphasizes MetCredit’s people-first, staff-driven culture and how crucial work-life balance is for him at this stage of his career.

• [00:02:13] - Finding Passion in Collections:
  He describes falling into the industry and discovering a natural fit due to his competitive nature and commitment to problem-solving.

• [00:03:17] - Problem-Solving & Listening:
  Lorne Smith highlights that listening is key to resolving issues in collections, whether dealing with consumers or team members.

• [00:04:17] - Lessons from His Career Gap:
  He learned vital management skills and the importance of balancing competitiveness with staff needs, as well as embracing technological changes.

• [00:06:44] - Putting People First:
  Lorne Smith discusses how genuine care and respect for people, both clients and employees, lead to success.

• [00:07:27] - Industry Evolution & Technology:
  He reviews the shift to digital outreach and stresses the need to continually adapt to the changing demographics and tech landscape.

• [00:08:52] - AI in Collections:
  Lorne Smith weighs the potential and limitations of AI in the industry, expressing cautious optimism while stressing that human interaction remains essential.

• [00:11:17] - Post-Pandemic Learnings:
  Reflecting on how the pandemic affected consumer behavior and the collections process, he notes the importance of strong foundational skills for new collectors.

• [00:13:09] - Building & Growing in Mississauga:
  Lorne Smith shares his ambitions for expanding MetCredit’s reach in Central Canada and the importance of relationship-building.

• [00:14:03] - Looking Ahead:
  He discusses the challenges of sustainable growth and the necessity of building a solid foundation for staff development and company advancement.

• [00:16:28] - A Sense of Belonging:
  Lorne Smith expresses gratitude for returning to MetCredit and the positive, family-like atmosphere cultivated by leadership.

Listen in for practical strategies, career advice, and forward-thinking perspectives on collections and leadership in a changing world!