Ep 252: The Owner’s Blind Spot: How a Fractional CFO Can Strengthen and Scale Your Business

Podcast: The Weekly Wealth Podcast

Host: David Chudyk, CFP®

Guest: Mike Draper, Partner at CFO Systems

If you’re a business owner generating $2 million to $15+ million in annual revenue, one of your biggest risks may not be sales, competition, or employees — it may be your financial blind spot.

In this episode of The Weekly Wealth Podcast, David Chudyk sits down with Mike Draper, Partner at CFO Systems, to explain how a fractional CFO helps business owners improve cash flow, make better strategic decisions, and prepare their company for long-term growth or a future sale.

🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

1. What a fractional CFO actually does (and how it differs from a controller)
2. Why growth often uses cash before it creates cash
3. Common financial blind spots business owners don’t realize they have
4. The difference between keeping score and making strategic decisions
5. When it makes more sense to hire a fractional CFO instead of a full-time CFO
6. How poor financial processes can lower the value of your business
7. Why clean books, forecasts, and procedures matter before selling your company
8. How fractional CFOs help with:
9. Cash flow forecasting
10. Budgeting and capital planning
11. Debt restructuring and banking relationships
12. Preparing for due diligence and quality of earnings reviews

⚾ A Simple Way to Think About It

Mike uses a Moneyball analogy:

1. Controllers keep the score (historical data)
2. CFOs analyze the data to guide future strategy

Most business owners have the score — but not the strategy.

👤 About Today’s Guest: Mike Draper

Mike Draper is a Partner at CFO Systems, a fractional executive leadership firm with over 100 directors nationwide and more than 300 active clients. CFO Systems provides fractional CFOs, COOs, controllers, HR leaders, and interim executives to businesses across industries and revenue sizes.

Mike began his career at Deloitte, spent nearly a decade auditing Berkshire Hathaway, and has served in controller and CFO roles for publicly traded companies.

📞 How to Contact Mike Draper

1. Email: mdraper@cfosystemsllc.com
2. Phone: (402) 598-7150
3. Website: www.cfosystemsllc.com

💡 Final Thought

True wealth isn’t just about money — it’s about clarity, freedom, and being present for what matters most. As Mike shares, strong financial leadership allows business owners to step out of the weeds and back into the role they’re best at.