Jonathon Blair

Free to Grow CFO

www.freetogrowcfo.com

Increase Profit and Cash Flow As You Scale. 

Outsourced CFO and Bookkeeping services for profit-focused DTC brands. 

Scaling a DTC brand is stressful. 

With messy books and no CFO on your team you run the risk of…

-Hiring too quickly 
-Buying too much inventory
-Scaling ad spend unprofitably
-Running out of cash

And that leads to stressful, sleepless nights. We don’t want that for you.

Free to Grow CFO has given dozens of DTC brands a plan for scaling alongside
healthy profit and cash flow. Our plan will work for you too


Fast, Insightful Reporting.  Proactive Strategic Advice.  From DTC Finance Experts.

-M&A
-Debt & Equity Funding
-Accurate Financials by the 15th
-Planning, Forecasting, Budgeting
-Financial Dashboards and KPI Tracking


All delivered through our proven, ready-to-implement “Free to Grow CFO Process”.

Founder | Fractional CFO

Luminous

Strategic Advisor

StoreHero

SureStop

SURESTOP (A Mark Cuban Company) is a patented brake technology which solves the problem of incorrect braking on bicycles and revolutionizes the experience of stopping on a bike. On a traditional bike, if a rider brakes too hard, or grabs the wrong brake lever at the wrong time, the front wheel can stop too soon, causing the bike to flip over. Not with SURESTOP. In addition to the safety advantage, SURESTOP also makes the experience of braking simple, requiring only one brake lever to control both brakes.

Learn more at:
www.surestop.bike

COO & CFO

Guardian Bikes

Guardian Bikes (A Mark Cuban Company) is a digitally native vertical brand focused on creating the world's safest kid's bikes, featuring our patented and award winning SureStop brake technology.

In addition to innovating the bicycle itself, Guardian has created the first truly seamless online bike buying experience. Our first of its kind online 3D sizing software (RideSizer), along with our 99% assembly and packaging methods, allow customers to receive the perfect sized bike to their door that's ready to ride in less than 10 minutes. www.guardianbikes.com

SureStop/Guardian Bike Company

SURESTOP (A Mark Cuban Company) is a patented brake technology which solves the problem of incorrect braking on bicycles and revolutionizes the experience of stopping on a bike. On a traditional bike, if a rider brakes too hard, or grabs the wrong brake lever at the wrong time, the front wheel can stop too soon, causing the bike to flip over. Not with SURESTOP. In addition to the safety advantage, SURESTOP also makes the experience of braking simple, requiring only one brake lever to control both brakes.

Learn more at:
www.surestop.bike

Guardian Bikes is a digitally native vertical brand focused on creating the world's safest kid's bikes, featuring our patented and award winning SureStop brake technology.

In addition to innovating the bicycle itself, Guardian has created the first truly seamless online bike buying experience. Our first of its kind online 3D sizing software (RideSizer), along with our 99% assembly and packaging methods, allow customers to receive the perfect sized bike to their door that's ready to ride in less than 10 minutes. www.guardianbikes.com

A Mark Cuban Company

Controller & Operations Director

RSS Manufacturing

Controller

Civil Solutions Incorporated

RSS Manufacturing/Phylrich

Accounting Manager

The Joseph Company International

DTC Brand Fractional CFO | Follower of Jesus | Husband | Father of 3 | Fractional CFO | Leadership, Strategy & Productivity Nerd

Formerly a founding team member, CFO, and COO for Guardian Bikes:
       -Shark Tank/Mark Cuban Company
       -High-growth DTC brand
       -Led business growth from $0 to 8-figure revenue in 4 years.  
       -Raised 8-figures in debt and equity capital 

Over a decade of experience working as a Controller, CFO, or COO at fast-growing companies with:
              -$5MM to $50MM in annual revenue
              -50% to 200% annual revenue growth

Founded Free to Grow CFO to:
       -Package hands-on experience leading growing brands
       -Help DTC brand founders increase profit and cash flow as they scale.

www.freetogrowcfo.com

www.freetogrowcfo.com

Fractional CFOs for High Growth Direct-to-Consumer Brands

Outsourced, part-time CFO services for high growth D2C brands, designed to help you scale your business with confidence.

You don't have to suffer through another sleepless night worrying about making difficult business decisions alone.  Hire a Free to Grow CFO and get the financial insights you need to make fast, effective business decisions with confidence.

Get access to the CFO you need to scale your business without the full-time salary:
-Strategic Planning
-Forecasting & Projections
-Cash Strategy & Fundraising
-Financial Statement Analysis

Jon Blair

Mark A. Samuel

MARK'S SNACKS

• Seed oil-free kettle chips at MarksSnacks.com

Founder

Siddhi Capital

Growth

Let's Eat with Mark Samuel

• If you're a CPG founder and want to be interviewed, or you're a CPG service provider and want to sponsor, please email mark@letseatwithmarksamuel.com 
• Over 200+ interviews, with more than 40 more planned through 2025

Host

IWON Organics

•    Lead all aspects of business development and management, from operations, to sales and marketing
•   IWON's snacks can be found in over 4,000 stores nationwide, including Whole Foods, Vitamin Shoppe, Safeway, Wegmans, and online at iwonorganics.com, Amazon and Thrive Market.
•  Licensed brand, Nov 2024

Founder and CEO

Fitmark

•	Lead all aspects of business development and management, from operations to sales and marketing
•	Designed, developed and filed patents on Fitmark's travel and meal prep bag innovations. U.S. Patent no. 9,462,874. Other patents pending
•	Fitmark is sold in more than 25 countries
•	Fitmark was acquired Jan, 2018

Concept2Commerce

•	Formed successful product development and marketing company
•	Oversee recruitment and manage experienced designers, engineers, writers, producers and manufacturers
•	Manage rotating teams of business professionals for each innovation or new company created
•	Establish licensing and distribution agreements with companies and retailers 
•	Coordinate product development and manage marketing campaign per product
Notable Achievements:
•	Innovated, designed and filed patents on multiple products
•	A lost and found solution
•	Housewares innovation
•	Wine industry innovation

Co-Founder, Managing Partner

6 Pack Fitness

•	Designed, developed and filed a patent on a unique meal management system used to organize and transport all of the essential components of a fitness enthusiast’s daily meals
•	Oversaw all steps of development from product design to prototyping, manufacturing, sales and marketing strategies, website design, branding and capital acquisitions
•	Acted as brand representative at fitness expos to increase exposure and brand loyalty
•	Maintained viral marketing strategies and ongoing branding campaigns
•	Managed business operations and finances
Notable Achievements:
•	Negotiated an International licensing and distribution deal within the first six months of operations
•	Continued to maintain month over month revenue and sales growth  
•       Distribution in 10 countries within the first twelve months of product launch
•	Sold interest Sept, 2011

A San Francisco Cooperative

•	Oversaw establishment of a retail store, from leasing the storefront to developing the store’s design and company image, as well as staffing and training 20 employees
•	Assisted with marketing campaigns, general accounting and daily operations
•	Created operational manuals and spearheaded business development and planning
•	Developed viral marketing campaign utilizing social networks
Notable Achievements:
•	Continued to maintain month over month revenue and sales growth
•	Recognized as one of the premier stores throughout the entire Bay 
•	Sold interest Dec, 2010

Co-Founder

Bridgeline Capital Group

•	Developed a boutique brokerage firm catering to high end clientele and high loan amounts
•	Completed incorporation filings, acquired two office locations in the San Francisco area, developed business plans and marketing campaigns, oversaw company branding strategies
•	Assembled a highly skilled staff of over 25 brokers and analysts to ensure rapid growth and profitability
•	Developed key partnerships with major holdings companies and real estate developers, including becoming an in-house mortgage broker for Vanguard Properties and negotiating a lucrative contract with the Mark Company, developer of large, upscale condominiums
•	Competed with and alongside major lenders including Bank of America and Wells Fargo to provide customized client brokerage solutions and a range of mortgage related products
Notable Achievements:
•	Maintained positive revenue stream during the 2009 recession and national housing collapse

Co-Founder and President/CEO

LaLanne Fitness

•	Trained with Chris LaLanne, grand nephew of Jack LaLanne the godfather of fitness, on fitness strategies and gym models
•	Partnered with Chris to open a CrossFit affiliate, boutique fitness program, in  a 2500 sq. ft., Olympic style weightlifting environment, focused on conditioning and strength training
•	Managed most aspects of the business including development and execution of marketing strategies, staffing, training and recruiting CrossFit instructors, leasing, day to day operational requirements, accounting and asset acquisitions
•	Managed specific health and fitness software program for accounting of clients and finances, as well as viral marketing campaigns
Notable Achievements:
•	Became the most successful CrossFit affiliate in the Bay Area within the first year of operations, and one of the fastest growing CrossFit facilities in the nation
•	Achieved profitability within the first three months of operations and maintained month over month revenue and sales growth with over 225 clients within the first twelve months
•	Sold interest Dec, 2009

Co-Founder and President

Founder and CEO at IWON Organics | Health and Wellness

I’m a dad. A health and fitness enthusiast. And I’ve spent the last 20 years building startups.

Today, I’m the founder of MARK’S, a seed oil-free snack brand that just launched a non-GMO kettle chip line. I also drive growth initiatives at Siddhi Capital, a leading VC firm in food and beverage. On the side, I host Let’s Eat, a podcast for CPG founders—where every interview lives right here on LinkedIn.

Previously, I was the Founder & CEO of IWON Organics (since licensed).

What fuels me most: my kids, training hard, and living a balanced nutritional lifestyle. Professionally, it’s partnering with exceptional people to build companies that matter—teams committed to helping one another level up in business, health, and life.

Specialties: 
•	Creative Branding and New Product Innovation
•	Strategic Business, Market & Sales Planning
•	Business Development and Management
•	Operational Management
•	Strategic Partnerships and Joint Ventures

•    Lead all aspects of business development and management, from operations, to sales and marketing
•   IWON's snacks can be found in over 4,000 stores nationwide, including Sprouts, Whole Foods, Vitamin Shoppe, Safeway, Wegmans, and online at iwonorganics.com, Amazon and Thrive Market.

Everyone should watch this video. It crushed my soul when I originally saw it a few days ago, but by God‘s grace this video went viral, and over the last couple days they have raised over $1.3M for this gentleman. More than 40,000 people have contributed to a gofundme campaign so far. If you ever think that there is not enough love in the world, come back to things like this for a reset. At the end of the day, we are all brothers and sisters, never forget that. 🙏🏼

Founder at MARK’S | Host of Let’s Eat | Health and Fitness

A quick moment from yesterday that just makes my heart happy.
My fiancée Katharina and my mom — two amazing women who genuinely love one another. Their smiles say everything.

Feeling blessed for family, for connection, and for the people who make life brighter. ❤️

No alternative text description for this image

Our single flavor 1oz, 24pk master cases being manufactured this morning, in upstate NY. They came out looking beautiful, nice work Shane Joswick and team!  📦

There’s nothing like the small stuff that hits you big.

A friend sends me this pic — “hey, look what we found” — and unless you’ve been in the trenches building something, you might not realize how powerful that is. Whether you’re selling a product, a service, or just trying to get something off the ground… this founder road is lonely. It’s full of obstacles nobody ever sees, feels, or even knows exist.

But these little moments? The quick text. The “we grabbed your product!” The “saw this and thought of you.”
They rebound you in ways that are absolutely invaluable.

If you support a founder — me or anyone in your circle — God bless you. You have no idea how much you’re doing. It matters more than you know.

And if you’re on the receiving end, like I am today, don’t forget to give that same energy right back. Full circle support is real. And it’s everything.

Let’s keep lifting each other up. 🙏

7 reasons why I’m going to wait until January 1 to start my health routine…



…

Taking a page from that mensch Sean Riley, hoping we can all support a brand or two today as we close out Black Friday and Cyber Monday - do you own a brand with a great product? Tag it. Do you have friends who own a brand with a great product? Tag it. Let's go ahead and support founders today - especially small businesses! I'll be buying a few things that you recommend, so let's gooooooo!

Saturday workout check-in with Mark A. Samuel. Giving away a box of MARK'S SNACKS today to one lucky winner, just check-in and you’re entered! 
Which one are you getting after?
1. 🏋️‍♂️
2. 🏃‍♀️ 
3. 🧘🏽‍♂️
4. 🚴🏽 
5. ⛳️ or other sport 
6. Write it 

Mine: 1 mile walk, 40 back, 10 core, 1 mile walk. 

Your turn! I’ll choose one lucky winner tomorrow! 

Let’s get it!

#health #wellness #exercise #mentalhealth

Let's Eat with Mark Samuel, ep. 250 with Adam Brown interviewing me! Yes, we flipped the script for this episode (and one after this) and he hit me with a handful of questions. 

We touched on my previous brand and a few of the things I would’ve done differently. I only hit on a couple that came to mind first — like making packaging changes without enough process, or not fully understanding certain requirements — but the truth is, after eight years you can look back and easily rattle off fifty moments you’d revisit.

None of that is about regret. It’s about being honest. You only learn those lessons by actually living them. You’ve got to go through it, build it, break it, process it, and grow from it. I’m applying a lot of those learnings to this new venture, but that doesn’t mean mistakes won’t happen again. That’s part of the journey.

I think it’s important people hear this kind of storytelling — the transparent side of what it looks like when a business doesn’t always go to plan, and how we can share those experiences so others can take something meaningful from them.

Hope you enjoy the episode. One more coming after this. And big love to Adam — a true friend I’ve been rolling with for 15+ years.

Shout out to the sponsors MARK'S SNACKS (now on Amazon), FST Logistics, Transparent Labs, Drivepoint, Vividly (please support each of them as they support these interviews)! 

#cpg #startups #founders

I'm hoping to get some more eyes on this for my friend Ashley Rogers! If you're in CPG, have a new brand or are in the thick of it, take a look! Great work, Ashley - keep at it!

CEO of Sprinkles | Founder of Spudsy & ShelfMade

🚨 ANNOUNCING THE ShelfMade FOUNDER GRANT 🚨 
APPLICATIONS OPEN!!!!

We’re giving ONE deserving CPG founder a grant worth approximately $130,000 in partner services + $5,000 in cash 💸designed to give your brand the expert support, tools, and cash you need to scale.🔥

Applications are NOW OPEN and close on December 10 at 11:59 PM ⏳

The winner receives:
💰$5,000 in cash

Approximately $130,000 in partner services, mentorship, and growth resources, including: (THANK YOU to all our amazing partners!)
💥 $5,000 in custom swag from SWAG HAPPY! 
💥 $15,000 in PR (3 months) from Rachel Kay / Finn Partners
💥 $6,000 in manufacturing search or consulting from David Boyle
💥 $12,000 in Automated Deduction Services from Glimpse
💥 $15,000 in recruitment/ HR consulting from Odyssey People Partners Inc. 
💥 1 year of CPG platform management (~$8,500) from Vismerch
💥 30-day capital advisory + investor support (~$10,000) from David Kram ⚡️
💥 1 month of fractional brand marketing (~$6,000) from Cult & Culture
💥 6 months of Amazon management (~$15,000) from Elite Commerce Group
💥 $5,000 in legal consulting from Elazab Legal 
💥 $6,000 dynamic sales sheet package from Satellite CPG
💥 $5,000 in digital marketing services from Poast Ecommerce 
💥 3 months of fractional sales + marketing support (~$15,000) from The CPG Collective
💥 6 months of indie retail outreach + INFRA/NCG strategy (~$15,000) from Karyn Lindell

APPLY NOW INSIDE SHELFMADE

⚠️ Disclaimer: Founder must be 21+ and a legal U.S. resident.
No purchase necessary. Must be 18 and a legal U.S. resident. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries. Void where prohibited. Winners may be liable for taxes. By entering you agree to the official rules. See official rules for complete details at https://lnkd.in/gMXK8UEB.

GOODLUCK!!!!!!!!! 🥹

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Jon Blair

Mark A. Samuel

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The Battle

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Mark A. Samuel

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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);}Mark A. Samuel's LinkedIn Performance

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