The New F*Word (F for Fractional Finance)

In this episode of The New F*Word host Colin Hewitt sits down with Alison Bolt, a CIMA-qualified CFO, to unpack how fractional finance can help founders build stronger businesses, make better decisions, and avoid costly mistakes as they scale.What You’ll Learn:* How to transition from tactical finance work to strategic advisory* Why copy-and-pivot beats original ideas when building your fractional practice* How to build a scalable fractional model around three interconnected services* Why chemistry with your clients matters more than size* The real value of staying close to cash flowAlison Bolt is a Fractional CFO and Founder of Agile Talent, specializing in providing strategic financial guidance and integrated business support to high-growth SMEs and membership-based organizations. With over a decade of experience spanning multinational corporations to the SME space, Alison has built a reputation for moving beyond traditional finance management to become a trusted strategic advisor and right-hand person to founders and CEOs.Explore Float’s platform and solutions at https://floatapp.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newfword.substack.com

In this episode of The New F*Word host Colin Hewitt sits down with Alastair Manson, Fractional CFO at Flinder, to discuss why the human side of leadership is where real value gets created, how coaching can unlock your teamțs potential, and the practical strategies to shift command-and-control to collaborative leadership.What You’ll Learn:* Why technical excellence alone won’t keep you at the table* How to shift from ‘telling’ to ‘coaching’ without losing control* The three non-negotiable relationships every CFO must master* How to spot when your fixed mindset is sabotaging your team* Why fractional CFOs have a competitive edge in advisory servicesAlastair Manson is a seasoned fractional CFO, leadership coach, and performance strategist. With over 20 years of experience helping founders, finance teams, and even athletes unlock peak performance, Alastair brings a rare blend of financial expertise and human-first coaching. As a Fractional CFO at Flinder and Founder of Kinetika Coaching, he helps finance leaders and SMEs build resilience, clarity, and purpose in their work.Explore Float’s platform and solutions at https://floatapp.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newfword.substack.com

In this episode of The New F*Word host Colin Hewitt sits down with Jonathan Rosenzweig, Fractional CFO at OpenExchange, to break down how the fractional CFO role differs from a traditional CFO seat and why fractional CFOs are reshaping how growing companies build financial clarity.What You’ll Learn:* How to know when you actually need a fractional CFO vs. a full-time hire* Why your financial narrative must pass the one-sentence test* The critical importance of alignment across every stakeholder* How to balance long-term vision with tactical flexibility* Why scenario analysis beats point forecasts every single timeJonathan Rosenzweig is a globally seasoned finance leader and fractional CFO who has navigated nearly every corner of the financial services industry. Today, he works fractionally with middle-market growth companies and innovative tech firms, bringing his deep expertise in financial narrative building, forecasting, and team leadership to founders and finance leaders who need sophisticated CFO guidance without the full-time commitment.Explore Float’s platform and solutions at https://floatapp.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newfword.substack.com

In this greatest hits episode, The New F*Word, host Colin Hewitt, along with Karen Reyburn, Kevin Jacobs, and Michael Wood, pulls together three themes that keep showing up in growing businesses: human-first advisory, cash discipline, and the hidden cost of ‘big system’ upgrades.What You’ll Learn:* Why fractional CFOs are reshaping how SME businesses think about money* How to connect authentically with clients to uncover their real pain points* The critical difference between cash flow forecasting and the gut-feel approach most businesses rely on* How to talk to clients like a therapistKaren Reyburn is the Founder of The Profitable Firm, a creative agency specializing in transforming how accounting firms approach marketing. With over a decade of experience combining her background as a qualified accountant with marketing expertise, she has pioneered a unique approach to helping finance professionals connect authentically with their ideal clients. Karen is the author of “The Accountant Marketer” and an upcoming book on creativity in finance, sharing her methodology for helping accountants embrace both their analytical and creative sides.Kevin Jacobs is a Fractional CFO at BDO USA, bringing over 20 years of industry experience spanning construction and manufacturing. With a background that includes scaling a $30M company to over $100M in six years through strategic financial planning, ERP implementation, and working capital management, Kevin specializes in helping contractors and manufacturers gain financial clarity and sustainable growth.Michael Wood is a pioneering force in accounting technology. He co-founded Receipt Bank (now Dext), the leading data capture tool for accountants and bookkeepers, and helped scale it into a global category leader. After stepping back due to health challenges, Michael returned to build Translucent, a new platform designed to help multi-entity businesses stay on their existing accounting systems while scaling with clarity. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newfword.substack.com

In this episode of The New F*Word host Colin Hewitt sits down with Laura Taylor, Founder of Empowered by Cloud and architect of the RITMOS methodology, to discuss why accounting firms remain stuck in outdated service delivery models. And, more importantly - what it actually takes to transition from compliance work to genuine advisory partnerships that drive real business value.What You’ll Learn:* Why virtual FD services fail to scale* The compliance trap that kills advisory* How to position advisory so price objections disappear* The rhythm framework that replaces chaos with clarity* Why your background matters more than your credentialsLaura is a visionary accounting entrepreneur and business strategist known for transforming how accounting firms operate and deliver value. With a background spanning retail management at major corporations like Sainsbury’s and ASDA, followed by founding and scaling Empowered by Cloud - a specialized virtual finance department firm serving the UK construction industry - Laura brings a unique, business-first perspective to the accounting profession. She sold her thriving practice in April 2024 and has since pivoted to helping accountants build more profitable, sustainable businesses through one-to-one advisory work and her newly launched Virtual Finance Department Program, now serving 50+ firms.Explore Float’s platform and solutions at https://floatapp.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newfword.substack.com

In this episode of The New F*Word, host Colin Hewitt is joined by Frank Overtoom, a seasoned commercial finance leader with experience across industries, continents, and high-pressure environments. Together, they explore what it really takes to lead financial strategy when decisions carry weight, how the role of the fractional CFO continues to evolve, and how working internationally has shaped Frank’s approach to modern financial leadership.What You’ll Learn:* What financial leadership looks like in high-stress environments* How the role of the fractional CFO has changed in recent years* Why judgement and perspective matter as much as technical finance skills* How international experience shapes modern leadership approaches* What businesses should expect when bringing in senior financial leadership* How experienced CFOs stay effective across different industries and stagesFrank Overtoom is a multi-lingual, board-level commercial finance leader with experience across technology, retail, pharmaceuticals, and consumer goods. He has lived and worked internationally and is known for leading financial strategy in complex, high-pressure environments. Frank currently works as a fractional CFO across a portfolio of businesses, supporting leadership teams with strategic clarity, commercial judgement, and calm decision-making as they navigate growth and change. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newfword.substack.com

In this episode of The New F*Word, host Colin Hewitt is joined by Siân Grinter, Founder and Fractional Finance Director of Superstar FD, to dive into how she transformed personal adversity into entrepreneurial growth, built a thriving niche in professional services, and learned to set healthy boundaries while scaling sustainably.What You’ll Learn:* How Siân turned personal challenges into motivation for change* What separates a great fractional CFO from an accounting practice* Building a business model that aligns with your strengths* How to transition from doing all the work yourself to building a teamSiân Grinter is the Founder and Fractional Finance Director of Superstar FD, a fractional finance department specializing in professional services firms. With over 25 years of experience progressing from accounts assistant to finance director across law firms and financial services organizations, Siân has built a unique expertise in translating corporate finance leadership into scalable, fractional advisory. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newfword.substack.com

In this episode of The New F*Word, host Colin Hewitt is joined by Mairianne Stewart, Fractional CFO at Plug-In Finance, to discuss her leap from big business to entrepreneurship, what she’s learned helping founders manage cash and growth, and why startups should never wait until it’s too late to bring in a fractional CFO.What You’ll Learn:* Why cash blindness is killing your startup faster than a bad product* How to avoid the two-to-three-month onboarding tax when bringing in fractional finance support* The hidden skill that fractional CFOs actually need that has nothing to do with accounting* How to structure a fractional CFO practice so you’re not the bottleneck* Why the corporate world and startup world are polar oppositesMairianne Stewart is a fractional CFO with over 20 years of experience in FTSE-100 companies and four years providing strategic CFO services to ambitious SMEs. She helps growing businesses navigate complex financial, operational, and regulatory challenges without the need for a full-time CFO. From cash flow management to governance and scalable operations, Mairianne works with founders to professionalise their businesses and prepare them for the next stage of growth. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newfword.substack.com

In this episode of The New F*Word, host Colin Hewitt is joined by Kevin Jacobs, Fractional CFO at BDO USA, to discuss the unglamorous but critical reality of cash flow management, scaling from $30M to $100M in revenue, and why contractors and manufacturers are leaving money on the table by obsessing over profit instead of cash.What You’ll Learn:* Why profit is a vanity metric and cash is your actual business lifeline* How to implement a 13-week cash flow forecast* Why diversification of customers and revenue streams prevents the cash flow death spiral* How to educate field staff and back-office teams to speak the same financial language* The fractional CFO futureKevin Jacobs is a Fractional CFO at BDO USA, bringing over 20 years of industry experience spanning construction and manufacturing. With a background that includes scaling a $30M company to over $100M in six years through strategic financial planning, ERP implementation, and working capital management, Kevin specializes in helping contractors and manufacturers gain financial clarity and sustainable growth. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newfword.substack.com

In this episode of The New F*Word, host Colin Hewitt is joined by Pauline Healey, Owner and Director at Logical BI, to share her journey and the lessons she now brings to manufacturers, distributors, and service businesses across the UK and beyond.What You’ll Learn:* How to identify and eliminate hidden manufacturing wastage through systematic process analysis* Why inventory management is crucial and how to unlock millions in working capital* How to navigate international manufacturing relationships, especially with Chinese suppliers* The strategic approach to evaluating and optimising cash cycles in manufacturing businesses* Why manufacturing businesses need both technical and financial expertise and operational understanding* The key metrics and reporting systems that drive manufacturing efficiencyPauline Healey is a seasoned fractional CFO and Founder of Logical BI. With vast international experience, including 19 visits to China and significant work in supply chain optimisation, she has helped numerous businesses improve their financial performance and operational efficiency. Her expertise spans manufacturing processes, inventory management, and international trade, having generated millions in savings through strategic financial leadership and process improvements. Currently, she’s developing a groundbreaking CFO mentorship community platform to help finance professionals in smaller businesses access high-level strategic guidance.Episode Resources:* Pauline Healey on LinkedIn* Logical BI Website* Colin Hewitt on LinkedIn* Float Cash Flow Forecasting Website* Visit Profit Harmony® Hub, the new Commercially Focused, CFO led membership for Business owners and Finance managers www.profitharmony.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newfword.substack.com