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This article was co-authored by Donna Zinsmeyer, Elbert Johnson, and David Deslatte.
Behind the Numbers: CFO Insights from the Field
Dallas Edition | August 2025
In an environment where the business sands are shifting, CEOs and business owners are under pressure to make smart, fast decisions across finance, operations, and people. We sat down with fractional CFO and HR experts from vcfo who partner with these leaders and their organizations to talk about the role of fractional support, how businesses are adapting to change and uncertainty, and what practices are helping companies not only stay afloat but grow stronger.
Donna Zinsmeyer
Vice President, Operations
Donna brings more than three decades of extensive experience in finance, accounting, and operational leadership to the role of Vice President of Operations. Since joining the team in 2014, Donna has been instrumental in driving organizational efficiency and aligning staff development with market trends and best practices.
Elbert Johnson
Practice Manager, Consulting CFO
Elbert Johnson is a senior finance professional with nearly three decades of experience in financial reporting and analysis, banking and credit relationships, treasury-cash management, profit improvement, budgeting and forecasting, and e-commerce across multiple industries.
David Deslatte
Senior Consulting Controller
David Deslatte is a highly skilled consulting controller with more than 30 years of experience spanning from public accounting to private and public entities in an array of industries. He has been deeply involved in ERP implementations, insurance negotiations, ERISA, government contracting, and M&A.
Which of your recent engagements especially illustrate vcfo's mission to “make companies stronger?”
Elbert: A manufacturer reached out after having some issues with an SBA loan. Their numbers were not quite where they thought they should be. Two significant reasons were they were still using cash based accounting and had outgrown the capabilities of their ERP system. This meant they were not getting timely, useful financial information to base decisions on. We engaged and moved them to GAAP-based accounting, helped them implement a new ERP system, and began guiding them through a period of rapid growth. Since then, they’ve nearly tripled in size and recently secured $25 million in financing to open a new plant. It’s been incredibly rewarding to watch them evolve from a company that was struggling into one that’s now thriving.
David: In two of the larger engagements I’ve been part of, the challenge was helping organizations through the handoff from one internal financial executive team to the next. These were two different industries, but in both cases, our role was to understand the financial controls and processes, stabilize operations, identify and implement process improvements, and ensure a smooth, stable transition. We kept the train on the tracks, enhanced and documented processes, and ensured a smooth hand-off to the new internal team members as they came on board.
Donna: I really appreciated that at both of those clients, David and Elbert left the organizations in a much better place than where they found them. A big part of our mission is to make sure we're coaching and mentoring at the same time we are executing on our work plans so that the investment clients make in us is easily transferable and not lost when we leave.
After prior shifts to remote work models, we’ve seen some movement back to on-site and hybrid models. How are companies adapting their talent strategies and work models today?
Donna: We informally surveyed clients and their employees about what works best for them. About half of the employees said, “I'm ready to be back in the office. Home is my sanctuary, and I don't want work in my personal life.” The other half said, “I'm never going back to on-site work.” The shift has gone from how can we be flexible to how do we add clarity around roles, responsibilities, and expectations? How do we rethink our organizational design? And that conversation is often less about where people sit and more about do we have the right people in the right roles.
At vcfo, we’ve always worked side-by-side with our clients either virtually or onsite, and our own employees are rarely all together in our corporate office. That means we’ve had to be deliberate with accountability, regular check-ins, clear communication of expectations, and tracking key metrics. It’s made our culture stronger because we pay close attention to how our people are doing, what concerns they have, and how we can support them.
One approach (remote/hybrid/on-site) is not inherently better than another; it’s about adapting and tailoring what’s right for your business and your employees. Moving forward, companies need to understand what employees across generational and situational spectrums value and how to meet them where they are. For leadership teams that skew older, this can sometimes be a challenge, especially when they have significantly younger employees with fresh ideas and different work expectations who are moving up quickly.
How are macroeconomic factors beyond CEOs’ or owners’ direct control affecting business operations and decision-making today?
David: Factors like inflation, trade policy, DOGE initiatives, and the political climate in general have compelled CEOs and owners to re-evaluate key aspects of their businesses and where they focus. For example, one outcome of DOGE actions left one of my clients who had been all-in with a large new government contractor, suddenly faced with the reality that the partnership wasn’t going to happen. He had to take a step back, de-emphasize government-related revenue streams, and devote more attention to commercial customers and contracts. Another client is navigating how to handle the tariff situation. They historically brought in products from Canada, but unexpected tariff-induced cost increases were resulting in significant margin erosion. One way we’re helping them manage that is by finding opportunities for better terms and partnerships across their supply chain and adjusting pricing models to bridge the gap.
What’s a perspective or practice you wish more CEOs and business owners embraced during times of uncertainty?
Elbert: Uncertainty in the marketplace doesn’t just create confusion; it also creates opportunity. It’s a chance to shift the game, change the rules, and do something different. Yes, it’s a disruptor—but it’s also a spark for innovation. Leaders who have a solid understanding of their business fundamentals—clear financials, a strong narrative, and operational insight—are best positioned to seize that opportunity. If your company has its act together, now’s the time to get proactive. What do the numbers tell us? What levers can we pull to perform differently or better? Don’t retreat into a cocoon. Expand your perspective and start scanning for possibilities. Are there sourcing options you haven’t explored? Are domestic providers a better option now than before? Look at every ‘we’ve always done it this way’ practice and ask, “Is there a better way?” I remind clients that business is always in a state of transition—and uncertainty isn’t something to fear, but something to manage.
How are you advising clients to approach and employ scenario planning and forecasting today?
Donna: Budgeting is no longer an annual plan you prepare in November, execute in January, and then set on the shelf. It needs to be dynamic scenario-based planning that looks at all the levers that may need to be pushed or pulled over the coming year – headcount, pricing, churn, capital structure, interest rates, etc. How would each action, rise, or fall affect our balance sheet, income statement, and most importantly, our statement of cash flow? Cash flow forecasting is now a non-negotiable. You have to understand what your burn rate and cash runway are, how they affect your liquidity, and what the financial trade-offs are based on operational decisions you're making. That what-if analysis comes across with a dynamic model that will get you through uncertainty and at the same time drive better collaboration across teams - talking to operations, the warehouse, HR, IT, risk management, and others about the decisions they're making every day and how those decisions affect the business.
What HR or People Ops missteps are companies making that cost them money or leave them vulnerable to risk or missed opportunities?
Donna: One of the biggest 'people' costs that won’t show up on an income statement or balance sheet is the impact cost of replacing talent that leaves the organization. As one example, there isn’t an expense line for the ramp up time for a new hire to become fully functional or for the lost efficiency a team experiences during turnover, and yet there is a very real negative financial impact to the organization. This makes focus on retention an imperative. One misstep to avoid is not fully understanding what people need and want from their careers. For some, it’s career progression. For others, it’s the chance to learn something new or to be mentored and coached. You’ll find more and more today that it’s not always about an extra dollar or even $10,000 more. It’s about how the role they’re in helps move them toward their one-, three-, or five-year goals. Put more focus on the needs of your employees, stated and unstated. Recruiting and retraining new talent is extremely expensive in itself, but the real cost is embedded in the lost opportunity turnover causes the organization.
Having the right people in your organization is the first big step. Then the question becomes: are they in the right role? One of the things we ask is, Do you get it? Do you want it? Do you have the capacity to do this work? That ‘want it’ piece is something only the individual can answer. As an employer, you can influence whether someone ‘gets it’ and whether they have the capacity. If you’ve got someone who’s a great cultural fit but not in the right role, the next step is to ask: Is there a better role for them here? Can we shift them into a position where they can thrive? Technical expertise is much easier to hire for. Its much harder to find candidates that align with your culture and values. It is essential to your success to hire people who not only understand your values but live them every day.
If you could give business owners just one piece of advice right now, what would it be?
Elbert: I think business owners today need to widen their view. We’ve always been pretty good at looking straight ahead—at what’s on the dashboard—but now it’s just as important to pay attention to what’s happening in the lanes beside us. There are forces entering the marketplace that may not have been directly in our line of sight before, but they’re starting to have an impact. Stay vigilant, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to ask for help—even in areas where you haven’t before. Whether it’s accounting, HR, operations, IT or sales, assess those areas of the business you’ve been putting off. The good news is you don’t have to go it alone. Sometimes the greatest value comes simply from being open to help and paying closer attention to what’s just outside your usual field of view.
Donna: I'll add that a lot of business owners are so focused on running the day-to-day that they don’t spend enough time working on the business. One of the most commonly overlooked areas is succession planning—regardless of age. If you’re not thinking about what your exit or transition might look like, you’re missing a key piece of long-term strategy. Having the right systems in place, organizing your data, and being able to clearly tell your financial story are critical, too. At some point, every business will go through a transition. Being prepared—with clean books, clear processes, and the right support—can make that process far smoother and more successful.
Elbert: I’d say too that risk-aware management is more important than ever—not just in terms of insurance, but in asking: What are the threats that could derail my business that I haven’t considered or accounted for? Especially in uncertain times, it’s wise to take a step back and ask, ‘What’s out there? What risks are we not seeing?’ To Donna’s points about scenario planning, this is the time to make sure you’ve got a Plan B—or even a Plan C—in your back pocket. It’s also about having a flexible model in place that allows you to pull different levers when conditions shift so you can keep the business on solid footing.
What are some of the most rewarding aspects of being a fractional CFO or HR leader?
Elbert: One of the most rewarding parts of being a fractional leader with vcfo is seeing the real impact we make—not just on the businesses we work with, but on the people within them. When we step into a client engagement, we come in with a plan and a clear purpose. Over time, you get to see that plan take shape. I’ve had some clients for years now, and watching their growth has been incredibly satisfying. I’m not just talking about the executives or owners we work with, but also the team members across the organization— with folks who were once on the front lines now stepping into management and leadership roles. The opportunity to mentor, teach, and help others grow is something I truly value. It’s gratifying to know we’re leaving organizations stronger than we found them. One of my clients tripled in size during our work together, and being part of that journey was just incredible. Seeing people develop, take on new challenges, and thrive because of the guidance we’ve provided—that’s what makes this work so meaningful.
Donna: A common misconception about fractional resources is that we’re just temporary help or task managers. But the truth is, we're not only solving problems, we’re actively moving the business forward. When I walk into a client engagement, I ask myself, 'If I were your full-time CFO, what would I be doing to advance the business?' That mindset shapes everything we do. Yes, we address the pain points that brought us in—whether that’s implementing a new ERP system or transitioning financials from cash to GAAP (or, as I like to say, from 'crap to GAAP'). But while we’re rolling up our sleeves and solving immediate issues, we’re also identifying growth opportunities and providing leadership that helps companies evolve. I see my role as more than just an outside consultant. I aim to be a true part of the management team. We’re not just doers—we bring strategic insight, hands-on execution, and a commitment to the business. I always say, if I get invited to your holiday party, that tells me I’m not just completing tasks—I’m part of the team. And that’s the level of partnership we strive for at vcfo.
Lead the Way
Leading a business today is no easy task. Navigating big external swings and changes while making high-stakes decisions with limited time and resources can feel overwhelming. Partnering with a fractional CFO and/or HR leader can add expertise, clarity, capacity, and a fresh perspective when it’s needed most and help you build a stronger, more resilient organization.
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Looking to gain momentum and improve financial and operational clarity in today’s business climate? Invite our team to come alongside you in this journey and show you how we can help. We’ve partnered with leaders from over 6,000 businesses in our 29-year history and are ready to put our experience to work for you. Reach out and start the conversation today.
