Cameron Kinloch

True Vantage Partners

I work with CEOs, founders, executive teams and Boards to accelerate growth and strengthen governance during critical inflection points - fundraising, scale up, IPO prep, and M&A. 

My expertise spans Finance, Biz Ops, HR, Legal, and RevOps across a wide range of industries.

Key Projects:
• M&A Advisory: Led diligence, buyer negotiations, and Board updates for a fintech company exploring strategic alternatives.
• PE Portfolio Company Scale-Up: Built Finance, HR, and Legal functions from scratch for a PE-backed company to enable scale under new ownership.
• Fundraising & Forecasting: Developed 5-year models and investor decks that supported successful Seed and Series A raises.
• Liquidity Planning: Designed cash flow and scenario models to guide capital planning and lender alignment for high-growth businesses.
• Operating Discipline: Introduced OKRs and operating "rhythm of business" that improved alignment and accountability across teams.
• Biz Ops & RevOps: Helped establish forecasting, GTM analytics, and cross-functional planning processes.

I advise, support, and execute, bringing C-suite and Board-level perspective while helping companies build the financial and operational foundations to reach key milestones.

Board, CEO & CFO Advisor

EROAD

EROAD is a public telematics company, dual listed on the NZX/ASX exchanges. Member of the Finance, Risk and Audit Committee and the Nominations Committee.

Independent Board Director, Audit & Nom Gov Committees

Copper Cow Coffee

Independent Board Director

Weights & Biases

Successful exit to CoreWeave in May 2025.  W&B is building the best in-class, enterprise grade tools for AI developers. 

I am incredibly proud of our achievements at W&B. To highlight a few:

• Significant company scaling with 10x ARR growth and headcount growth from 90 to 270
• Built Finance & Legal teams from 0 to 15 + staff; supported scaling of People, Rev Ops and Deal Desk
• Launched first long-range model, AOP, and board reporting
• Forecast accuracy >97 %
• Closed $50M Series C-2 and managed investor relations
• Implemented treasury program
• Completed clean Deloitte first-year audit with no audit adjustments
• Deployed NetSuite, Pigment, Airbase; cut close to 8 days
• Opened Japan entity

Chief Financial Officer

Guided Board and CEO through M&A exit to private equity. Chair of Strategic Planning Committee. Finance Committee.

Independent Board Director, Audit & Strategic Planning Committees

Dynamic Signal

Led successful M&A exit to private equity for enterprise SaaS company with 30% of the Fortune 100 as customers. 

Led all M&A workstreams for the company (banker selection, diligence, negotiation of deal terms, closing of the transaction and integration) while also leading Finance, Legal and Revenue Operations.

Bulletproof 360

Joined as CFO of Bulletproof.  Promoted to COO and added to the Board of Directors within 6 weeks of joining.  The full executive team reported into me.

• Full operational responsibility across Sales, Marketing, e-Commerce, Supply Chain, R&D, Finance, Legal, HR, and Customer Service
• Restructured operations and cost structure to achieve profitability within 6 months
• Led creation of Compensation and Audit Committees and refinement of corporate governance policies and practices

Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Board Director

Ripple Foods

Full CFO responsibilities. Recruited to lead all Finance functions reporting to the CEO.

• Board: Led Board discussions on financials.  Managed Board agenda and resolutions
• Financings: $65mm Series C announced January 2018; led upsize of large debt facilities
• Audit: Managed successful completion of first year audit
• Team: Built out Accounting and FP&A team from 2 to 8 in ten months

SVP, Finance

Ripple

Full CFO responsibilities for global enterprise software and payments company, reporting to CEO.

Recruited to lead all Finance and Facilities functions.  Finance responsibilities spanned FP&A, Accounting, Business Intelligence, Investor Relations, Revenue Operations, Treasury, and Tax.

• Strategy: Developed framework to refine and drive alignment to long-term company strategy 
• Finance: $55mm Series B announced September 2016. Transformed Finance into a strategic partnering function across entire business and built out key finance functions from scratch
• Operations: Drove operational maturity and excellence as the company rapidly scaled its enterprise sales. Scoped, established and helped hire key roles across the company
• Metrics: Created company goal setting process and responsible for cascading goals throughout the organization. Defined key company metrics
• Tax: Led initiatives to optimize company's global tax structure
• Investor Relations: Established IR function for digital asset and equity investors
• Facilities: Led global facilities function and full build-out of 30,000 sq. ft new HQ

VP of Finance

Box, Sunrun

Recruited to establish and scale critical finance functions and the FP&A organization at several incredible companies.  Built teams and established finance functions from scratch through hyper-growth, international expansion, multiple acquisitions and IPO.  

Took Box through the S-1 process and Sunrun through IPO. Took on progressively larger and more senior roles culminating in VP, FP&A role.

VP of FP&A

As a CFO, COO and 4x Board Director, I bring over 20 years of experience leading companies through pivotal transitions and driving strategic growth. 

Here's how I've helped some of the most prominent startups on Wall Street and in Silicon Valley scale:

↳ Led companies to triple-digit growth and profitability within six months.
↳ Spearheaded numerous eight-digit debt, equity, and convertible fundraises.  Achieved 100% direct sales growth while reducing costs by 20%.
↳ Advised CEOs and companies ranging from $2M to $450M+ in revenue through multiple funding rounds, IPOs and M&A exits. 
↳ Served on 4 boards, both private and public, guiding CEOs and management teams.
    
I grew up in LA where grit and education were non-negotiable. That drive took me from a public school to Harvard—and eventually to Wall Street.

My time on Wall Street was a wild ride. While I loved the fast-paced world of finance, I found my true passion in Silicon Valley, helping tech companies grow and succeed.

I’ve enjoyed combining my financial expertise with the innovative spirit of startups, guiding them through growth, IPOs, and successful exits. In the past decade, I've had the chance to work with visionary founders, helping them scale while setting them up for long-term success.

Now, I’m on a mission to help companies grow, using everything I’ve learned.

Here’s how I can help you:

1) Speak at your event on leadership, finance, or scaling startups.
2) Advise your company on navigating growth challenges, preparing for an IPO, or improving financial performance.

Shoot me a DM or email me at cameron.kinloch@gmail.com, and we’ll chat more.

We are building the best in-class, enterprise grade tools for AI developers. Our vision is to be the single system of records for all things AI within an organization.

Used by teams at NVIDIA, OpenAI, Lyft, Blue River Technology, Toyota, and MILA, W&B is part of the new standard of best practices for AI.

Early in my career as a CFO, I opened a 60-slide board deck to present in our quarterly meeting.

By slide 4, the Chair stopped me and asked, “Cameron, what do you want from us?”

That question stung and it changed how I run boards forever. 💡

Board meetings aren’t report-outs.
They’re decision forums.

It’s not about reciting metrics or proving effort.
It’s about getting clarity on what moves next. 🎯

Here’s the 3-step formula I now follow to make that happen:

1) Start with the ask.

Before you open your deck, be clear on what you need from the board.
A decision? A green light? A perspective?

If you can’t summarize your ask in one sentence, you’re not ready to present.

2) Simplify the narrative.

Most CFOs think the board wants everything. They don’t.

They want the why and the so what. Cut the noise, connect the dots, and frame every slide around what truly matters to the business.

3) Tie every metric to a story.

Don’t stop at “what happened.” Explain “why it matters” and “what we’ll do next.”

Every metric should lead somewhere, otherwise, it’s trivia.

Once I reframed meetings around action, everything changed.
Our discussions became faster, decisions clearer, and execution sharper. ⚡

That shift also supercharged trust.

The board began seeing finance not as a function but as a strategic partner that keeps the business moving forward.

If you’re a CFO still measuring success by how much you present → flip it.

Measure it by how clearly the board moves after you’re done.

P.S. I advise CFOs and VPs of Finance on building decision clarity, tighter narratives, and leadership rhythms that move the business forward. Reach out if you want to strengthen how your team shows up in the boardroom.

Board Director | CFO & COO | 4 Exits, 2 IPOs | Advisor to High-Growth CEOs and CFOs

After 15 years in the C-suite and 4 board seats, I’ve noticed the same mistakes that quietly stop talented finance leaders from becoming CFO:

1) They think like controllers, not operators.

CFOs don’t just report numbers - they shape decisions.

If you never talk about customers, product, competitive pressure, or revenue levers, you’re signaling you’re a functional expert… not an enterprise leader.

2) They build relationships up, not across.

Great CFOs aren’t just trusted by the CEO and board.

They’re trusted by GTM, Product, Ops, and People because they show up early, listen, and help solve real problems.

3) They can model a forecast but not tell the story.

The CFOs who earn board confidence connect everything in one clean thread: what’s happening, why it matters, what options exist, and the trade-offs behind each path.

Boards remember the narrative - not the spreadsheet.

4) They wait to be invited in.

Future CFOs don’t sit back. They initiate scenario plans, pressure-test strategy, and surface risks before anyone asks.

5) They stay stuck in precision mode.

Perfect accuracy slows companies down.

Standout CFOs set decision thresholds, embrace scenario ranges, and call out the unknowns so the business can move faster.

6) They solve today’s problem, not the next stage.

Boards choose the leader who can scale the company from $20M → $50M, $50M → $200M, or pre-IPO → public.

Your mindset must shift with the stage.

7) They underestimate how much the CFO role is leadership.

Most misses aren’t technical - they’re about influence.
CFOs lead rooms, drive alignment, and bring clarity in moments where ambiguity is high.

The difference between a great finance leader and a CFO isn’t technical skill.
It’s how you think, how you lead, and how you show up.

PS: I coach finance leaders on strategic storytelling, board communication, and executive presence. If you’d like to explore working together, send me a DM.

Starbucks’ new CFO, Cathy Smith, turned heads this year with a $5 million cash signing bonus and a $6.4 million equity grant.

But the real headline isn’t the pay.

It’s why she was hired.

Smith stepped in at a moment when Starbucks was facing:

☕ Multiple quarters of declining same-store sales
☕ A weakening emotional connection with customers
☕ A culture and operating model that needed a reset

This wasn’t a “steady state” CFO hire.

It was a turnaround hire paired intentionally with CEO Brian Niccol.

Because today’s CFO mandate has changed.

It’s not just a finance problem.
It’s a leadership problem.

And that’s exactly why she was chosen.

Boards today don’t want CFOs who just balance books.
They want CFOs who can lead the business forward.

It’s no longer about reporting what happened, it’s about shaping what happens next.

1) From finance leader → enterprise leader

Cathy Smith wasn’t hired to oversee accounting.
She was hired to rebuild momentum - Using finance as the lens for execution, culture, and customer experience

2) From data → narrative building

Financial Precision matters, but it doesn’t move people
The CFO who can extract meaning behind earnings, costs, and forecasts, and turn it into a clear story, inspires belief across investors, employees, and the board.

3) From siloed thinking → cross-functional leadership

Turnarounds don’t happen from one department.
The most effective CFOs align teams, re-energize culture, and enable faster, better decisions across the entire business.

Starbucks didn’t hire Cathy Smith for where the company is.

They hired her for where it needs to go.

And they placed a bet that finance leadership can help drive that shift.

Lesson:

The CFOs who shape the future - not just report the past - are the ones defining the next era of leadership.

PS: If you’re a CFO or VP of Finance preparing for that next step, I coach leaders on the real levers of the role: strategic narrative, board communication, and enterprise leadership. DM me if you want to explore working together.

Forbes called her the most powerful and influential CFO of the last decade…

But when Google hired Ruth Porat in 2015, most analysts doubted she was the right fit.

A Wall Street operator at an innovation-driven tech giant? 
Many assumed her discipline would slow Google down.

The opposite happened:

📈 Alphabet’s market value grew past $3 trillion during her tenure
🚀 The stock jumped after her early earnings calls
💡 The company consistently beat revenue and profit expectations

Here’s what she actually changed - and what today’s CFOs can learn from her:

1) Anchor decisions in data.

Porat was famous for saying, “The answer is a number.”
Data over opinions. Signal over noise. It cut through politics fast.

2) Replace passion projects with real frameworks.

She introduced structure to how Google funded big bets.
Teams had to prove why they deserved capital - not just ask for it.

3) Challenge the status quo.

She pushed back on excess, tightened spend, and reset expectations.
Not to clip innovation - but to fuel the right innovation.

4) Think in decades, not quarters.

Her support for AI and Cloud was grounded in long-term value creation.
CFOs don’t just protect the present. They underwrite the future.

5) Earn investor trust through transparency.

By separating core results from “Other Bets,” she gave investors clarity.
Clarity → confidence → multiple expansion.

Porat didn’t shrink Google. She sharpened it.

That’s the new era of finance leadership:

CFOs don’t just keep companies healthy. 

They shape strategy.
They influence product priorities. 
They build investor conviction. 
And they make the long term impossible to ignore. 💪

PS: If you’re a CFO or VP of Finance preparing for that next step, I coach leaders on the real levers of the role: strategic narrative, board communication, and enterprise leadership. 

DM me if you want to explore working together.

At 25, my boss called me into her office...

"You're making great progress, but we're holding off on the promotion..."

I didn’t get it.

Now that I’m in the C-suite, I see why that promotion never came.

I was the hardest worker in the room.
Answering emails at midnight.
Taking every project.
Saying 'yes' to everything.

But here’s what I didn’t understand then:
Hard work isn’t the same as visible impact. 💡

I kept my head down. 
I never talked about my wins. 
I never connected my work to the bigger business story.

20 years later, I still see employees being misled.

❌ The hardest worker doesn’t get promoted.
❌ The smartest worker doesn’t get promoted.

✅ The person who shows their value gets promoted.

Your work won't speak for itself.
You have to.

Make your value impossible to miss.

- Pitch your ideas in meetings
- Talk about your career goals during 1:1s
- Tie your wins to business objectives
- Bring solutions, not just problems
- Celebrate milestones through internal channels

Quiet mouths don’t get fed.

And in your career, visibility is a skill - not a personality trait.

Early in my tenure as a board director, I emailed a question about an assumption in the financial model.

Within hours...

- The Chair acknowledged the question
- A fellow director asked for clarification
- Management responded with context the next day
- The item was added to the next meeting agenda

That simple exchange told me everything → this board values transparency, accountability, and speed.

And I realized you can learn a lot about a board’s culture from something small: how they respond when a director raises a concern over email.

On less mature boards, the same note is met with silence, defensiveness, or deferral.

And the truth is, concerns don’t disappear.

 They just reappear later as bigger, more expensive problems.

Governance reveals itself in small moments.

A healthy board:

✅ Acknowledges
✅ Clarifies
✅ Discusses
✅ Acts

An unhealthy board avoids all four.

We talk a lot about culture in the boardroom, but you can usually see it long before the meeting starts.

In 2003, Michael Fiddelke joined Target as a finance intern.
In 2019, he became CFO.
In 2026, he’s set to become the CEO of the $106 billion giant.

Here’s a big lesson if you’re a finance professional and you want to scale your career:
🎯 Think beyond finance.

Fiddelke didn’t rise to the top just by mastering accounting entries or delivering perfect forecasts.

He rotated through merchandising, operations, supply chain, and strategy.
He learned how the business actually works.

That’s the part most finance professionals miss.
Here’s what thinking beyond finance actually looks like:

1) Understand how money moves. 

Go beyond the P&L. Learn where value is created, where it leaks, what slows revenue down, and what accelerates it.

2) Speak the language of operators.

Talk in customer impact, velocity, margin, and growth. When you translate numbers into business outcomes, influence goes up.

3) Build cross-functional trust. 

The best insights live with the people closest to the work. When they trust you, they’ll tell you what the spreadsheet never will.

4) Drive decisions.

Executives don’t need more data, they need clarity. Frame trade-offs, recommend a path, make decisions easy to act on. Then you’re a strategic partner, not just a reporting function.

5) Solve problems outside finance

Fixing bottlenecks in GTM, product, or ops grows your impact far faster than polishing another report.

The truth is simple:

You don’t grow your career just by getting better at finance.
You accelerate when you become more valuable to the business. 💡

That’s the shift Fiddelke made early.

And it’s exactly the shift high-growth finance professionals need to make now.

P.S. After 15+ years in the C-suite, 4 exits, and 2 IPOs, I now coach finance leaders on strategic storytelling, board communication, and executive leadership. If you’d like to explore working together, send me a DM.

12 career principles I’ve learned as a C-suite leader and 4x Board Director that I wish I knew on day one:

👇

1) Become the go-to person for hard problems. Solve what others avoid and you become impossible to replace. 💡

2) The best communicator wins.
It’s not the idea - it’s your ability to get others to believe in it.

3) You don’t get what you deserve. You get what you negotiate. Closed mouths don’t get promoted.

4) No one gets promoted for “doing their job.” Growth comes from stretching beyond your job description.

5) Make other people look good. If you help them win, they’ll pull you up with them. 🤝

6) Soft skills pay the highest ROI. Selling, influencing, navigating tough conversations - that’s leverage.

7) Speed matters. Fast movers get more opportunities because they create momentum.

8) Grow by being the least experienced person in the room. If you’re always the expert, you’re not learning anymore.

9) Being right isn’t enough. If you can’t persuade, you can’t lead.

10) Your first decade is about skills, not salary. Chase learning. The comp follows competence. 🎯

11) Reputation compounds. Every action builds or erodes your future opportunities. Protect it.

12) People don’t follow titles. They follow value. Become someone worth listening to.

What’s one lesson you wish you knew earlier?
Let me know in the comments.

My CEO once said in frustration, “Cameron, can’t we just agree for once?”

We were prepping board materials, and I kept pushing back on his assumptions.

Early in my career, I saw moments like this as conflict.
Now, I see them for what they really are - trust being tested. 🤝

The best CEO–CFO relationships aren’t built on harmony.
They’re built on truth.

My job isn’t to match the CEO’s optimism or nod along.
It’s to protect clarity.

Here’s what great partnership actually looks like:

🧩 Challenge privately, align publicly It builds credibility in both directions.

🎯 Speak in tradeoffs, not turf wars “What’s the cost?” and “What’s the upside?” are the real questions.

📊 Push for facts, even when it’s uncomfortable

Respect grows when you bring precision, not politics.

A good CFO manages numbers.
A great CFO manages tension.

Alignment doesn’t mean agreement.

It means friction delivered with respect - and clarity that elevates the whole company.

P.S. If you’re a finance or operations leader trying to build this kind of trust with your CEO, I coach leaders through exactly that shift. DM me if that’s where you want to grow.

If you’re a CFO getting labeled “too cautious” or “too tough,” here’s the real story:

You’re doing exactly what the business needs.

Here’s why:

1) You protect the company from bad spending

When the world expected Apple to chase splashy acquisitions, CFO Luca Maestri stayed disciplined. No wasteful M&A. No undisciplined expansion.

A focus on efficiency, capital returns, and precision in R&D.
Instead, he doubled down on operational efficiency, capital returns, and precision in R&D spending.

✅ Result: Apple’s stock value grew approximately 800%, and its cash reserves now exceed $160 billion giving it the freedom to innovate that no competitor can match.

2) You ask the questions no one wants to answer.

When Ruth Porat joined Google as CFO in 2015, she immediately started asking uncomfortable questions about spending priorities and accountability.

She cut unnecessary moonshot projects and demanded clarity on ROI for each initiative.
Critics said she was “too strict” for Google’s free-spending culture.

✅ Result: Google’s market capitalization soared from $384 billion to nearly $3 trillion during her tenure, and she set the standard for financial focus in Big Tech.

3) You choose integrity over popularity.

As a finance leader and later CEO, Indra Nooyi resisted pressure to optimize only for short-term profits. She pushed PepsiCo toward healthier categories.
A move Wall Street initially hated.

✅ Result: PepsiCo evolved into one of the most diversified and future-ready CPG portfolios while competitors played catch-up.

The traits people criticize in CFOs are often the ones that keep companies resilient when things go wrong.

Leadership isn’t about being liked. It’s about being responsible.

After 15 years in the C-suite, 3 M&A exits, and 2 IPOs, I now help VPs of Finance and incoming CFOs sharpen their leadership, communication, and board presence. If you want to operate like the strategic partner every CEO wants, DM me.

There have been moments in my career as a board director where I’ve looked around the table and realized I was the only one with my hand up.

And I felt a familiar hesitation → “Is it just me?”

But here’s what experience teaches you:

Board work isn’t about avoiding disagreement.
It’s about protecting the decision.

Asking the lone question isn’t a sign you’re out of sync.

It’s often a sign you’re seeing something others haven’t processed yet.

Here’s why those questions matter:

1) Timing matters → early questions prevent late surprises.

In the early 2000s, LEGO was near bankruptcy after expanding into too many unrelated products.

The board asked a pivotal question: “What business are we really in?”

Refocusing on core brick-based play laid the foundation for their turnaround. 🎯

2) Discomfort matters → the best questions feel awkward before they become necessary.

When a question feels risky, it’s usually because it challenges an assumption the group has quietly accepted as truth.

That’s when a board earns its keep - by seeking a truer picture, not a more comfortable one.

3) Conviction matters → if it sits in your mind, it deserves airtime. 🔁

In the 1980s, Intel was still clinging to its memory-chip business even as Japan dominated the market.

Andy Grove kept asking why Intel was fighting to save a business it had already lost.

That conviction drove Intel to pivot to microprocessors -A decision that shaped the next 30 years of computing.

4) Perspective matters → fresh eyes catch what familiarity filters out.

Teams closest to a decision stop seeing its weak points. 🧩

A question from someone less entangled can break the certainty loop and reframe the entire discussion.

Remember:

Board work isn’t about perfect alignment.
It’s about pressure testing the decision until it’s truly sound.

And sometimes the most valuable person in the room is the one willing to raise a hand when no one else does.

One of the most important leadership lessons I’ve learned is this:
Hire for capacity, not comfort.

I learned that 15 years ago at Goldman.

I had years of capital markets experience - but not the traditional investment-banking background.

A Partner hired me anyway.

She wasn’t optimizing for familiarity.
She was optimizing for growth.

→ She saw trajectory, not gaps
→ She saw velocity, not pedigree
→ She saw how fast I could scale, not what I hadn’t done yet

And she didn’t shelter me from the work.

From day one, I was staffed on the hardest deals:

📈 70-hour weeks absorbing the pace of banking
📊 High-stakes negotiations with seasoned clients
⏳ Tight deadlines building and defending complex models

It was intense, uncomfortable, and career-defining.

But that experience shaped how I evaluate talent today - as a CFO, as a board director, and as a leader of teams:

- Who learns fastest under pressure?
- Who can operate at altitude before they feel “ready”?
- Who grows into stretch, not away from it?
- Who has the judgment to scale into bigger roles?

Capacity is the real differentiator.

Not resume lines.
Not prior roles.
Not perfect pedigree.

The leaders who bet on capacity build organizations that outperform.

The leaders who hire for comfort build teams that stall.

I’ve seen $500M+ companies crash post-IPO.
On the other hand, I’ve seen $100M companies thrive.

At Goldman, I helped evaluate IPO candidates and prepare them for the public stage.

In Silicon Valley, I was Head of FP&A at Sunrun and Box through their IPO journeys.

I’ve sat on both sides of the table.

And the brutal lesson is always the same:
Maturity beats size.

Most CEOs and CFOs nail the table-stakes metrics:

✅ Revenue growth rates
✅ Market size projections
✅ Competitive positioning

But the real predictors go deeper.

Here are the 5 signals that separate IPO-ready companies from the rest:

1) Consistent Performance → Six or more quarters of steady execution, hitting guidance even when markets shift.

2) Operational Discipline → 5-day close or less, SOX-ready controls, teams that thrive under investor scrutiny.

3) Narrative Clarity → CEO and CFO can articulate the growth story in one sentence - and analysts can repeat it.

4) Leadership Alignment → Management and the board united on strategy, numbers, and messaging.

5) Market Pull → Analysts already tracking and investors leaning in before the S-1.

Here’s the truth:

💪 IPO ≠ graduation ceremony
🎯 IPO = starting gun for quarterly judgment

The companies that thrive don’t just prepare for a financing event.
They build the muscles of a public company long before they ever file.

The real question isn’t: “Have we hit $X in revenue?”
It’s: “Are we mature enough to deliver quarter after quarter?”

P.S. I advise CEOs, CFOs, and boards on IPO readiness, governance, and financial strategy, drawing on 20+ years across Wall Street and Silicon Valley, 3 M&A exits, and 2 IPOs.

If your company is preparing to go public, now is the time to build those muscles.

I used to think the CFO role was about numbers.

Then I delivered a financial review with flawless charts, metrics, and margin breakdowns only for my CEO to look confused and say, “Cameron, what do I do with this?”

And that’s when it hit me:
Data doesn’t drive decisions, context does.

The best finance leaders translate reporting into business clarity. Here’s how:

1) Lead with the insight, not format.

❌ Here’s our revenue trend.
✅ Revenue is up 12%, but 80% of that growth came from one segment - concentration risk is rising.

Start with the meaning.
Start with why it matters.
Start with the thing people will remember.

When you give the takeaway first, the numbers finally have a reason to exist.

2) End with “So what?” and “What’s next?”

A great review doesn’t show what happened. It clarifies what leaders should do about it.

Before sharing any number, ask:

- Is this a risk to mitigate?
- An opportunity to accelerate?
- A decision that needs to be made?

Then close with a path forward:
“Here are the options, here’s the impact of each, and here’s what I recommend.”

Finance earns influence by offering judgment, not just information.

3) Turn variance analysis into a story about cause, not blame.

❌ We missed targets.
✅ We missed due to delayed hiring and slower onboarding. If we adjust sequencing and speed ramp time by 30 days, we recover trajectory.

Great finance leaders replace emotion with:

→ Pattern recognition
→ Accountability
→ Clear next steps

Because companies don’t need more reporting. They need clarity.

___ 

Once I shifted from presenting numbers to shaping decisions, everything changed:

⚡ Teams moved faster.
🎯 Leaders made sharper calls.
🚀 Execution tightened because priorities were obvious.

Finance becomes strategic when the story sticks.

P.S. After 15 years in the C-suite and four board seats, I now advise finance leaders on the skills that matter most: partnering with CEOs, communicating with boards, and leading at the executive level.

If you’re sharpening those muscles, reach out.

Ghostwriter & Messaging Strategist helping leaders achieve 70% opt-ins with a Microstory Journey using the 3-Minute Story Blueprint to build trust and convert hesitant prospects into eager customers.

Most businesses struggle to convert leads because they rely on forgettable downloads and meaningless discounts that fail to create an emotional connection. 

Prospects don't just need information, they need to feel valued, to trust you, and to experience genuine engagement. 

That's why I created the concept of the Microstory Journey, a 5-day emotional experience that uses the 3-Minute Story Blueprint to touch hearts, build authentic connections, and establish unshakable trust, turning hesitant prospects into eager customers ready to take action.

AWAI Verified Copywriter
Case Studies Certification
Sales Enablement Certification

WRITING SERVICES I PROVIDE:

📨 5-Day Education Email Courses
💲 Ghostwriting on Social Media Platforms
📰  Newsletters
🌐   Web Content
✍️   Blog Posting
📧   Email Marketing
🛒   Sales Pages
📱   Facebook/Google Ads 

WHOM I WORK WITH: I help executives, CEOs, founders, & coaches.

3 Simple Steps to Powerful Messaging
1. Define your goals and messaging. 
2. Develop a customized storytelling strategy. 
3. Execute and refine messaging for maximum impact.

HERE'S WHAT TO DO NEXT:
Email me at mike@mikehays.net OR
Book a call with me at https://calendly.com/ask-mikehays

Mike Hays

“If I were really that good… wouldn’t people just know?”

I used to think great work spoke for itself.

That thought used to haunt me.

I’d pour my heart into coaching, get referrals 
here and there, and quietly assume that great 
work would naturally lead to great clients.

Meanwhile, I watched others post daily.
Sharing testimonials. Wins. Lessons. Offers.
At first, I judged them. “Must be compensating,” I told myself.

But beneath that judgment?
A fear I didn’t want to name.

The day I tried writing a post about my services, I froze.
It felt like admitting I wasn’t good enough.
Like needing to promote meant my work couldn’t speak for itself.

But then a client said something that cracked the whole illusion:

I had no idea you even did that. 
I would’ve hired you months ago if I knew.

That hit hard.

Here’s what I finally realized:

The people who need you the most aren’t psychic.
They don’t see the lives you’ve changed unless you show them.
They don’t know the depth of your work unless you talk about it.

Self-promotion isn’t proof you’re not good enough.
It’s proof you care enough to serve beyond 
the ones who already found you.

Quiet brilliance doesn’t create impact.
Visible value does.

Self-promotion isn’t arrogance.
It’s leadership.

If you're a coach or consultant struggling to be seen
what's holding you back from showing up?

Follow Mike Hays for more insights on leadership.

Mike  Hays

Messaging Strategist & Ghostwriter for Leaders - I help you turn short stories into trust, influence, and premium clients with my Microstory Journey using the 3-Minute Story Blueprint.

The Simple Clarity System I Guarded for Years

Now I’m Finally Sharing It

My career has been defined by high-stakes decisions and ticking clocks.

One thing kept me from burning out.

Clarity.

When the pressure hits, your brain 
wants options, not decisions.

More meetings, more messages, 
more browser tabs pretending to be progress.

Early in my career, I played that game.
I was always busy, rarely moving the needle.

Then higher roles raised the stakes even further.

Clients waited on my calls, revenue hinged on my calendar.

That pressure forced a hard truth on me.

Clarity isn't a nice-to-have.
Clarity is survival.

So I built a simple productivity system my career could trust.

Here is the system I use every single day:
→ Decide what you want.
→ Write it down where you will see it.
→ Each morning, choose the ONE task that moves you closest.
→ Block time and do that task before anything else.

No inbox.

No scrolling.

No “quick favors” that hijack your day.

This is how I rebuilt myself, again and again.

I have started companies, sold franchises, and pivoted careers.
Every reinvention began with one clear daily priority.

Most people confuse movement with progress.

Their calendars are full, their results are thin.

You win when your day serves your direction.

Tonight, will you pick tomorrow's one non-negotiable task?

Follow Mike Hays for more leadership advice.

Most communication fails before the first word is spoken.

(And it has nothing to do with your message)

Everyone focuses on what to say.
But the real breakdown happens earlier:

↳ Wrong context makes everything irrelevant.
↳ Wrong timing destroys perfect words.
↳ Wrong audience kills brilliant ideas.

Here's where communication actually breaks down:

1. Preparation Phase

↳ You skip understanding their current state
↳ You assume they're ready to listen
↳ You ignore their emotional context

2. Attention Phase

↳ They're distracted before you start
↳ Their priorities don't align with yours
↳ You compete with 1,000 other messages

3. Reception Phase

↳ They filter through their existing beliefs
↳ Past experiences shape their interpretation
↳ Your intent gets lost in their translation

The Hidden Truth:
↳ Timing beats technique every single time
↳ Perfect words to the wrong person = Failure
↳ Average words to the right person = Success

Most people craft messages.
Masters craft moments.

They understand that communication succeeds when the audience is ready, willing, and able to receive it.

Quick Question:

What's the biggest communication mistake you've witnessed in business?

⤵️ Share your experience below
🔔 Follow Mike Hays for more communication insights

There’s no “magic list” of buyer emotions.

But there is a sequence you can’t skip.

Every time someone says yes to your offer
They’ve walked an invisible emotional path to get there.

Not because you convinced them.
Because you reflected what was already true.

They were feeling something.
They saw themselves in your words.
And something clicked.

It didn’t start with logic.
It started with emotion.

Here’s what that emotional journey looks like underneath the surface:

Desire: “This matters to me.”

Resonance: “You get me.”

Belief: “This could actually work.”

Vision: “That’s what my life could look like.”

Momentum: “I don’t want to wait another day.”

That’s the runway.

Not persuasion.
Progression.

If your story, sales page, or pitch isn’t landing
Check the emotional sequence.

Are you rushing to urgency…
Before someone even believes it’s possible?

Are you pitching transformation…
Before they’ve felt seen?

Every skipped emotion is a drop-off point.
Every honored one builds trust.

Don’t just move people.
Walk with them.

Which step in the emotional journey are you most likely to skip?

Follow Mike Hays for more communication strategies

Most businesses think positioning is just marketing fluff.
(They're dead wrong)

It's the foundation of every buying decision.

But here's what they don't understand about positioning:
It's not about what you say.
It's about what your audience believes.

Facts you should know:
↳ 64% of consumers share values with brands they buy from
↳ Consistent positioning increases revenue by 23%
↳ Trust drives 88% of purchase decisions

Here's why positioning builds unshakeable loyalty:

1. Mental Real Estate

↳ You own a specific space in their mind
↳ Clear positioning eliminates confusion
↳ Customers know exactly what you deliver

2. Value Alignment

↳ Your beliefs match their worldview
↳ Creates emotional connection beyond price
↳ Transforms customers into advocates

3. Decision Shortcuts

↳ Strong positioning reduces choice paralysis
↳ Customers pick you without comparison shopping
↳ Premium pricing becomes justified

Where businesses go wrong:
Everyone has features.
Everyone has benefits.
But only positioned brands own customer minds.

Quick Question:

What position do you own in your customer's mind? Share below.

Follow Mike Hays for more communication tips

She made a decision most people never do.

Did the world’s most famous coaches give her the right advice?

She stopped asking if she should leave her marriage.

And asked something much harder.

They still loved each other. That part wasn’t broken.

But the relationship?
It was stuck.

↳ No spark.
↳ No growth.
↳ Just a subtle decay
Like paint fading in slow motion.

She felt invisible in her own life.
Still loyal. Still present.
But disconnected from the woman she used to be.

She didn’t want a divorce.
She wanted her clarity back.

So she took a chance and asked for help 
from two people known for unlocking human potential.

They didn’t give her an answer.
They gave her a challenge:

What if, for the next 90 days, you led with love, not logic?

What if you stopped waiting to feel it, and became it?

Not the kind of love that feels good to give.
The kind that feels good to receive from him.

↳ Appreciation.
↳ Recognition.
↳ Presence.

Not to change him.
Not to fix anything.

But to clean the lens so she could finally 
see what was real and what wasn’t.

Long-term relationships gather dust.
Old resentments. Recycled assumptions.
Little bruises that go unspoken.

That dust clouds everything.

But clarity doesn’t come from distance.
It comes from immersion.

The question wasn’t:
"Do I stay or go?"

It was:
“Can I show up with zero agenda, total presence, 
and serve the love that’s still alive?”

This isn’t just about marriage.
It’s about ANY relationship that matters.

Whether it's a spouse, a business partner, or your own team:

* Don’t wait for change—>lead it.
* Don’t negotiate love—>demonstrate it.
* Don’t react from fear—>respond from alignment.

She didn’t find the answer.
She became the woman who could see it.

And the coaches who guided her through that?

Tony Robbins and Sage Robbins.

Follow Mike Hays for more communication insights.

Show Up as Yourself 

Attracts Better Clients Than Any Polished Brand Voice.

If visibility feels like selling out, this is for you.
I used to hide behind my clients’ success instead of my own.

As a coach, I hated those polished, corporate-sounding posts.

Every draft I wrote sounded like a brand deck, not me.
So I stayed quiet and told myself silence meant integrity.

Meanwhile, louder voices defined what “leadership” looked like in my space.
Then a dream client said something that stopped me cold.
“I keep referring you, but your online presence doesn’t sound like you.”

They weren’t asking for a polished version.

They were begging for the real coach they met in sessions.

That day I made one rule for visibility.
I will show up as the room version, not the stage version.

↳ No perfect brand voice.
↳ Just the questions I actually ask clients, written in my voice.
↳ No glossy carousels.
↳ Just simple stories, real stakes, and clear invitations to reflect.

The result surprised me.

Views were smaller, but the right people started reaching out.
They quoted my messy lines, not the polished phrases.

Because leadership and coaching land when they feel human.

If you fear selling out, try this experiment for thirty days.

↳ Post as if you were recapping a session to a trusted friend.
↳ One story, one client moment, one honest insight each time.
↳ Hit publish before you smooth the interesting edges away.

Visibility is not selling out when your values hold the microphone.
What part of you are you still hiding from clients?

Follow Mike Hays for more visibility advice

Sometimes the most obvious solution is staring us in the face…

But we can't see it because we're looking too hard.

(The hiring mistake that costs us millions)

We overthink everything:
↳ The revolutionary marketing agency
↳ The perfect candidate profile
↳ The groundbreaking strategy

But here's what we miss:

What No One Wants to Admit:
↳ 73% of great hires come from internal referrals
↳ Our best marketing ideas already exist in customer feedback
↳ Winning strategies are often simple executions done consistently

Here's why we overlook the obvious:

1. Complexity Bias

↳ We assume harder = better
↳ Simple solutions feel too easy
↳ We discount what's right there

2. External Validation Trap

↳ We chase shiny new agencies
↳ Ignore our internal expertise
↳ Outsource what we already know

3. Strategy Paralysis

↳ We overcomplicate proven methods
↳ Analysis replaces action
↳ Perfect becomes the enemy of good

The Hidden Power:
Our best people are already here.
Our winning message is in our reviews.
Our strategy worked last quarter.

Quick Question:

What obvious solution have you been overlooking in your business?

⤵️ Share below

Storytelling isn’t a gift.

It’s a skill.

For years, I believed:

↳Some people are born with it.
↳Some aren’t.
↳Talent decides everything.

I thought charisma was the secret sauce.
And if you didn’t have it… tough luck.

Then one day, a coach told me something simple:

“You already tell great stories.
You just don’t notice them.”

That hit me.

I realized I was telling stories to my kids every night.
↳Small moments.
↳Tiny lessons.
↳Real emotion.

Those same stories worked flawlessly with clients.

The breakthrough wasn’t learning to be a storyteller.
It was recognizing that I was already one.

Most people think they need “better stories.”
They don’t.

↳They need to notice the stories they’re already living.
↳The awkward moments.
↳The small wins.
↳The passing conversations.
↳The doubts.
↳The tiny transformations that happen every day.

Consistent storytelling isn’t about creating bigger moments.
It’s about paying attention to the ones that already exist.

When you start seeing these moments, 
your storytelling muscle grows fast.

Repetition builds confidence.
Structure beats talent.
Authenticity beats perfection.

Your best stories are already happening.
All you have to do is notice them.

What’s one small moment from this week that taught you something?

Follow Mike Hays for more microstory advice.

Before: Brilliant but Invisible. 

After: Visible, Trusted, In-Demand.

The most talented professionals often remain invisible in their industries.

(And it's not because they lack expertise)

It's because of three limiting beliefs.

But here's what they don't realize about visibility:
It's not about ego.
It's about impact.

The Hidden Barriers:
↳ "My credentials should speak for themselves"
↳ "Good work will naturally be discovered"
↳ "Self-promotion feels arrogant"

Here's why these beliefs sabotage success:

1. The Service Reframe

↳ Sharing knowledge isn't bragging. It's helping
↳ Your expertise solves real problems for people
↳ Staying quiet deprives others of solutions

2. The Credential Trap

↳ Qualifications open doors, but stories close deals
↳ People connect with transformation, not titles
↳ Your experience matters more than your degrees

3. The Discovery Myth

↳ Exceptional work happens behind closed doors
↳ Visibility requires intentional communication
↳ Talent without promotion equals missed opportunities

The Part You Can’t Ignore:
Your expertise sitting in silence helps no one.
Your knowledge locked away serves no purpose.
But your voice sharing wisdom changes everything.

The experts who break through don't abandon humility, they channel it into service.

They understand that hiding their light isn't noble; it's selfish.

Quick Question:

What's one piece of expertise you've been keeping to yourself that could transform someone's business?

Follow Mike Hays for more leadership insights.

If You're Responding to Passive Aggressive Comments…
You're Playing Their Game.

(Here's the smarter approach)

Everyone says, "defend yourself."
But strategic silence often wins.

Here's the framework:

1. Pause Before Reacting

↳ Take 24 hours minimum
↳ Emotional responses backfire
↳ Distance creates clarity

2. Assess the Intent

↳ Is it worth your energy?
↳ Will engagement help your brand?
↳ Sometimes ignoring wins

3. The High-Road Response

↳ Stay professional always
↳ Address the issue, not the tone
↳ Thank them for their perspective
↳ Redirect to productive dialogue

4. When to Ignore Completely

↳ Obvious trolling behavior
↳ No constructive point made
↳ Repeated negative patterns
↳ Protect your mental space

5. Turn It Into Value

↳ Use feedback to create content
↳ Show how you handle criticism
↳ Demonstrate your character
↳ Let your audience see your professionalism

The Key Insight:
↳ Your response defines your brand.
↳ Passive aggression seeks reaction.
↳ Strategic responses build respect.

Remember: Not every comment deserves your time.

Quick Question:

How do you handle negativity on your posts?

Follow Mike Hays for more social media strategies

“And suddenly…the argument disappeared.”

That’s the power of masterful redirection.

Redirecting conversations is the most underrated communication skill.

I used to think great communicators won conversations.

Raised voices.
Counterarguments.
Trying to “prove” the other person wrong.

But the more I observed real leaders, the more one truth became obvious:

Arguments don’t end because someone wins.

They end because someone redirects the conversation.

And there are only two ways to do it:

The defensive way 
→ Using aggressive body language
→ Shutting down opposing views
→ Interrupting with "but actually"
→ Making it about being right
→ Raising your voice

Or 

The strategic way
→ Steering with curiosity
→ Maintaining calm tonality
→ Asking clarifying questions
→ Validating before redirecting
→ Acknowledging their point first

One escalates the conflict.
The other dissolves it.

The best communicators aren’t forceful they’re intentional.

They know acknowledgment precedes influence.

They use bridge phrases like:
“I hear you, and here’s another angle…”
“Yes, and let’s consider…”

Not to manipulate.

But to create space for both perspectives to coexist.

Redirection isn’t about avoiding conflict.

It’s about reshaping it into something productive.

Leaders who master this turn tense conversations into
collaborative ones without ever raising their voice.

If you want to guide discussions, start with acknowledgment, not resistance.

Which redirection skill do you find hardest to practice?

Follow Mike Hays for more communication insights.

taplio

The Battle

Cameron Kinloch

Mike Hays

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreCameron Kinloch's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreMike Hays's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Cameron Kinloch

Mike Hays

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Cameron Kinloch's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreMike Hays's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreCameron Kinloch's LinkedIn Performance