by starting with conversations and clean books, accountants can deliver clarity, confidence, and real results.
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it’s not just the numbers
with penny breslin and damien greathead
for 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间
when accountants and advisors talk about “advisory services,” the conversation often drifts toward models, frameworks, and numbers. advisory is explained through dashboards, kpis, forecasts, and ratios. however, sometimes in our focus on data, we forget the human side —the fact that behind every balance sheet is a business owner who is stressed, overwhelmed, and often lonely.
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that’s where voices like steven ladd’s come in. in a recent it’s not just the numbers podcast “after hours” session, ladd shares his journey from engineer to entrepreneur to trusted advisor for small business owners. his insights reveal why advisory services are more than just financial analysis. they’re about empathy, connection, and equipping business owners with clarity.
ladd doesn’t come from an accounting background. in fact, he describes himself as a “recovering engineer.” after starting out in product design and manufacturing, he found himself laid off and decided to build his own business to serve existing customers. that business grew and was eventually sold to honeywell.
between ventures, steven often helped other companies, sometimes as an advisor and sometimes by starting joint businesses. however, it was the shock of covid-19 that fully drew him into small business advisory services.
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“when covid hit,” he recalls, “i thought, everyone’s going to go broke. i want to work with small businesses to see what we can do to stay alive.” over the past four years, he has worked with around 40 small businesses, positioning himself as a virtual chairman of the board, a role that’s part cfo, part strategist, and part mentor.
what he discovered, however, was that most small businesses weren’t ready for high-level strategy. they were struggling with more fundamental issues:
- they didn’t know if they could make payroll.
- they weren’t sure which parts of their business were profitable.
- their books were in disarray, making it impossible to get loans.
his lofty goal of being a strategic advisor had to wait. first, he had to help clients understand their numbers and set up systems that worked.
the catalyst program: starting with the foundations
ladd developed what he calls the catalyst program, a structured, 10-week onboarding and discovery process for new clients.
instead of diving straight into transactions and reconciliations, the program starts with conversations. ladd asks:
- why did you start this business?
- what are you proud of?
- where do you want it to go: succession, sale, or long-term ownership?
- who are your customers?
- what keeps you awake at night?
only then does he look at the financials. and when he does, it’s through the lens of simplicity. for example, he often explains profitability through a “lemonade stand” model: if it costs $1 to make lemonade and you sell it for $5, you earn $4 per cup. if your overhead is $400 a day, you need to sell 100 cups to break even. that simple framing helps business owners connect numbers to reality without jargon.
the program often involves cleaning up messy books, building clarity around sources of income and expenses, and teaching business owners how to spot anomalies, like uncleared deposits or double-counted revenue, that distort their view of reality.
advisory as mentorship, not expertise
one of the biggest obstacles accountants face when moving into advisory is the belief that they must have all the answers. ladd challenges this mindset.
“there’s no way anyone can know a lot about every business they serve,” he says. his client base has included immigration law firms, mental health clinics, cardboard box manufacturers, and software companies. “the key is to let the client be the expert in their own business, and for us to ask the right questions.”
for ladd, advisory is less about showing technical superiority and more about building trust and empathy. many of his clients have told him they feel “talked down to” by their accountants. they don’t want to hear about ebitda or gross margin. they want to understand their business in plain language, and they want someone to respect their efforts.
“i tell business owners,” he explains, “that i know how hard it is to run a business. you’re stressed, overwhelmed, and lonely. i’ve walked this path. i’m here to walk it with you.”
delivering value in the first six months
advisory relationships succeed or fail in the early months. without tangible value, clients can feel like they’re paying for “fluff.”
ladd focuses on helping clients understand their business in new ways. that might mean uncovering the true profitability of different business lines, identifying why cash flow feels tight despite high revenue, or showing them how their financials impact loan eligibility.
one client, initially skeptical, told ladd his program was “just another bs program,” but gave it a try. by the end, she had secured a quarter-million-dollar loan thanks to clean books and new financial confidence. more importantly, she could finally see how her business could succeed long term.
advisory is not just the numbers
perhaps the most important lesson from ladd’s approach is that advisory isn’t about replacing bookkeeping or compliance work; it’s about building on it.
numbers matter, of course. but business owners don’t just need reconciliations; they need clarity, confidence, and a partner who helps them see beyond the spreadsheet. advisory is about creating space for business owners to dream, strategize, and grow once the basics are in order.
moving from operator to strategist
the ultimate goal, ladd says, is to move business owners along the advisory quadrants—from catalyst (kickstarting clarity), to operator (running systems smoothly), to strategist (thinking about growth, succession, and legacy).
“once the foundation is in place, that’s when the fun begins,” he says. “that’s when we can ask: where do you want to be when you grow up? what makes you special? why do customers buy from you? where can we take this business together?”
without that foundation, though, the strategy conversation is premature. advisory has to start with empathy, clarity, and systems—then build toward vision.
at its best, advisory isn’t just about driving better margins or preparing for exit. it’s about walking alongside business owners as they navigate the challenges of running companies that form the backbone of the economy.
“we need to honor the genius of our clients and help them get a simpler understanding of their own business,” ladd says. “it’s not just the numbers—it’s about making their lives easier and their futures brighter.”
5 key takeaways
- start with empathy, not expertise. clients don’t want to be talked down to. speak in plain language and honor their knowledge of their own business.
- don’t skip the foundations. clean books, clear cash flow, and simple models (like the lemonade stand) are essential before strategy can take hold.
- value is in the questions, not the answers. advisory is about uncovering insights together, not delivering pre-packaged solutions.
- deliver early wins. whether it’s spotting double-counted revenue or helping secure a loan, show value in the first three to six months.
- think beyond compliance. bookkeeping and tax remain vital, but advisory helps business owners connect numbers to meaning and future growth.