The Scaling CFO
The Scaling CFO
Podcast Description
Most small business owners hit a ceiling around $1M—not from lack of talent, but because scaling to multiple seven figures requires a different financial strategy, operational structure, and leadership mindset. The Scaling CFO podcast helps serious entrepreneurs break through that barrier. Host Mark Stiles brings together top minds in business, operations, and finance to help you master cash flow, build scalable systems, and make data-driven decisions that drive real profitability. Ready to move beyond six figures? This is your podcast.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on mastering cash flow, building scalable systems, and enhancing leadership mindsets, with episodes that dive into topics such as the importance of human capital, crafting effective standard operating procedures (SOPs), and leveraging technology for business growth. For instance, discussions around the 'Widget Framework' and creating memorable client experiences illustrate actionable insights for entrepreneurs at various growth stages.
Most small business owners hit a ceiling around $1M—not from lack of talent, but because scaling to multiple seven figures requires a different financial strategy, operational structure, and leadership mindset. The Scaling CFO podcast helps serious entrepreneurs break through that barrier. Host Mark Stiles brings together top minds in business, operations, and finance to help you master cash flow, build scalable systems, and make data-driven decisions that drive real profitability. Ready to move beyond six figures? This is your podcast.
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/
Website: markstilescpa.com
Connect with Karl:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karllhughes/
Website: https://www.karllhughes.com/
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