From $20M to $300M: CFO Insights for Navigating Growth with Rick Smith, Founder of Bonfire Advisory

Jun 10, 2025

Rick Smith, a five-time CFO and founder of Bonfire Advisory, shares his expertise on scaling businesses from $20M to $300M. He discusses why early-stage CFO roles are tougher than those in larger firms and the importance of building scalable financial systems. Rick highlights the differences between theoretical MBA skills and practical CFO experience. He also covers common pitfalls in M&A deals, complex revenue recognition challenges across industries, and essential skills aspiring CFOs need in the startup landscape.

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INSIGHT

Early-Stage CFO Role Challenges

Early-stage CFO roles are often more challenging than large company roles.
They require broad expertise, building systems from scratch, and handling many tasks with limited resources.

ADVICE

Prioritize Accurate Financial Data

Prioritize setting up correct operational and accounting data first.
Use this data to build comprehensive forecasts including P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow.

ADVICE

Build Scalable Systems Early

Set up scalable financial systems well before scaling begins.
Upgrade talent proactively; unwilling staff will hold back growth.

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The CFO role has evolved dramatically, especially for venture and growth-stage companies where traditional MBA theory meets harsh startup realities. In this episode of CFO Weekly, Rick Smith, a five-time CFO and founder of Bonfire Advisory, joins Megan Weis to share hard-earned lessons from his new book and decades of experience building financial operations from the ground up.

Rick Smith is a seasoned financial executive who has served as CFO for five different companies across industries, including SaaS, health tech, education technology, and retail. With experience scaling businesses from $20M to $300M in revenue, Rick founded Bonfire Advisory to provide fractional CFO services to Series A and B companies. His new book, "Demystifying the Role of the CFO in Venture and Growth Stage Companies," offers practical guidance for finance leaders navigating the unique challenges of high-growth environments.

What You'll Learn:

Why early-stage CFO work is harder than large company finance roles
How to build scalable financial systems before you desperately need them
The critical difference between theoretical MBA knowledge and practical CFO skills
Why most acquisitions fail and how to beat the odds in M&A deals
How to navigate complex revenue recognition in different industries (SaaS vs. healthcare)
The "boring but crucial" aspects that can make or break your company during a sale

Learn more about Rick:

Rick Smith on LinkedIn
Bonfire Advisory on LinkedIn
Demystifying the Role of the CFO: in Venture and Growth Stage Companies in Amazon

Episode resources:

Personiv's Website
Personiv on LinkedIn
Personiv on Facebook
Personiv on Twitter

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Previous guests include: Tom McDermott, CFO at Career Certified, Claire Bramley, CFO at Teradata, Chris Miles, Founder of Money Ripples, Ranil DeSilva, CFO & COO at CARE, Jordan Grumet, Financial Independence Expert & Host of Earn & Invest & William Washington, Global CFO at Baker McKenzie

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