The Gross Profit Podcast

In this episode, James Kennedy sits down with Lindsay Webber (Omnipro) to unpack what modern audit really looks like - why it matters far beyond “ticking boxes,” and how audits help organisations (especially those handling public, donor, or regulated funds) prove compliance, protect reputation, and avoid nasty surprises. Lindsay shares her unusual “almost adopted by Pauly Shore” story from a small...

In this episode, James Kennedy sits down with Stephen Newland, founder of Money Path, to unpack what it really takes to keep a nonprofit financially healthy as it grows. They cover Stephen’s unusual early-career work at Delta Air Lines, what he learned running a financial education program at a large church, and why money is never “just numbers on a spreadsheet.” From cashflow forecasting to grant...

In this episode, James Kennedy sits down with Anna Tiomina (Blend to Balance) a former CFO who turned a career curveball into a new mission: helping finance teams adopt AI responsibly and effectively. They unpack how AI is already changing finance work (reporting, commentary, document review, and more), why finance leaders shouldn’t wait for the tech to “mature,” and how to keep human controls in...

In this episode, James Kennedy sits down with Angela Satterfield-Sexton from Burkland to unpack fund accounting and why it matters even if you’re not a nonprofit. Angela breaks down how grant funding really works (pre-award → mid-award → post-award), what causes the most compliance pain, and how the right systems (and habits) can keep your funding safe, your reporting clean, and your team sane. Fr...

In this episode, James Kennedy sits down with Luca Aversa, corporate finance advisor and fractional CFO based in Northern Italy, to explore why banking relationships, timing, and disciplined financial strategy can be a true superpower for growing businesses. From Luca’s early career inside major Italian banks to advising SMEs across manufacturing, construction, real estate, and distribution, this...

In this episode, James Kennedy sits down with Patrick McCarthy, founder of My Startup Consulting, to explore what it really takes to be a fractional CFO for early-stage startups - where chaos is constant and clarity is priceless. Patrick shares how his love of metal music and the “rules of the mosh pit” mirror startup leadership, why he left M&A for the unpredictable world of startups, and what fo...

In this episode, James Kennedy sits down with Vincent Biscaye, founder of Two Step Advisors and former commodities trader who walked away from a high-flying career to help entrepreneurs build real, sustainable businesses in CPG (especially food & beverage). Vincent shares how growing up across multiple countries shaped his leadership style, why finance in CPG is uniquely brutal (and why so many br...

In this episode, James Kennedy sits down with Rachel Phillips of Fully Accountable - a trained M&A attorney who now helps lead a 52-person outsourced accounting and CFO services firm. Rachel shares how a background in competitive Irish dancing shaped her endurance and consistency as an operator, why she chose entrepreneurship over a traditional law career, and how Fully Accountable evolved into a...

In this episode, James Kennedy sits down with Phil Trowler, financial strategist and early finance leader at Olipop, to unpack the realities of scaling a high-growth CPG brand and why storytelling, cash-flow foresight, and purchase-order discipline can make or break a business. From Phil’s unconventional journey through EY, government finance, and Silicon Valley startups, to hard-earned lessons fr...

In this episode, James Kennedy sits down with Susanne IJkema-Hilgenkamp, Regional Director at The CFO Centre / CFO Center and a fractional CFO based in the Netherlands, to unpack what great stakeholder management really looks like - especially when the stakes are high. From boardrooms that include government and global corporates (including a joint venture where the CEO of the board was the Crown...