Latest / Daily Influence / 749. Scaling Smarter: Annette Kastner on Leadership, Talent, and Intentional Growth

Transcript

749. Scaling Smarter: Annette Kastner on Leadership, Talent, and Intentional Growth · Daily Influence

• 0:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to Daily Influence, your daily dose of positive influence.
• 0:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm Brian Smith founder of IA Business Advisors and co-author of the Iain team series.
• 0:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: Each day we share stories and insights to help you find be and build your influence in a positive and responsible way.
• 0:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I'm Greg Clino, partner at IE Business Advisors, and co-host of Daily Influence.
• 0:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: Be sure to follow, subscribe, and share Daily Influence with someone who could use a little extra positivity today.
• 0:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: And make us part of your Daily routine, whether it's during your commute, on a walk, or an quiet moment just for you, because you're influenced matters.
• 0:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: Welcome to Daily Influence, I'm Greg Clano.
• 0:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: Today's guest is someone who truly embodies what it means to build with intention, and that Welsh of cast and consulting stepped into her business full-time just two years ago, and immediately took action, starting with creating structure, visibility, and a foundation for growth where their previously was none.
• 1:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now, with a clear goal to double the business and expand her team, a net is focused on scaling, not just revenue, but capability, leadership, and long-term value.
• 1:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: Her journey is a powerful reminder that growth doesn't happen by chance.
• 1:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: It happens through clarity, ownership, and consistent action, and that welcomed daily influence.
• 1:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: Thanks, Greg.
• 1:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: I appreciate you having me.
• 1:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: And that you stepped into the business full time and immediately took ownership, building a website, creating structure and setting a vision for growth.
• 1:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: Can you walk us through that transition in what shaped your approach in those early stages?
• 1:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: You know, it was really interesting because my husband was kind of doing this business, and I had a full time CFO role, and so it was a way for
• 2:02
  [SPEAKER_02]: for us to have income for him, but also have flexibility for our family.
• 2:09
  [SPEAKER_02]: And when I decided that, hey, let's grow this together and let's create something legacy-wise, then I knew that, okay, now it's not just him, now it's both he and I.
• 2:21
  [SPEAKER_02]: And so I knew that we needed to have all the normal tools of a business.
• 2:26
  [SPEAKER_02]: So, day one developed the website and then start with the marketing,
• 2:33
  [SPEAKER_02]: and kind of get, let's get our first couple of clients.
• 2:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: And then once we had our first couple of clients under our belt, then it was, then it was, okay, how do we build from here?
• 2:43
  [SPEAKER_02]: And now we're really doing a lot more with strategy where, you know, I call it our three legs stool.
• 2:49
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I'm,
• 2:50
  [SPEAKER_02]: I've got, you know, we've got a recurring revenue channel where we're acting as chief financial officer or controller for specific companies and and that's and I'm going long term client assignment and then we have kind of our consulting piece of the business which is maybe like a short term, sometimes those turn into longer term,
• 3:10
  [SPEAKER_02]: assignments of like can you help us get our consolidation done or can you help us with a yardy conversion or or something like that.
• 3:18
  [SPEAKER_02]: And then and then we kind of have our temp line, which I hate to use the word temp because I feel like it kind of, um,
• 3:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: diminishes what we're doing but we have we have several high level controller and CFO team members that we've added to our team as we've gone along and so we'll outsource them to different clients either on an interim basis or if they have something special that's going on where we'll provide kind of we can provide an immediate impact to our clients.
• 3:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: that kind of proactive ownership is something many business owners aspire to, but don't always know where to start.
• 3:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: As you begin building more structure into the business, can you share a moment where you saw your actions directly create a positive impact, whether for a client, your team, or the direction of the company?
• 4:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, I think the positive impact is just kind of staying connected.
• 4:17
  [SPEAKER_02]: There've been, there've been a lot of times where I'm out, I'm doing networking, I'm trying to stay connected.
• 4:22
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm doing I do a lot of charity work as well.
• 4:25
  [SPEAKER_02]: And some of those people that I've connected with over time have been the source of business for us and also staying connected with people that I've worked in with the past have been.
• 4:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: huge connections such as a gentleman that I worked with for many years at Lincoln property company, which is now a little bridge is now one of our largest client where I'm acting as CFO for their residential apartment development.
• 4:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: and management company out in Seattle.
• 4:54
  [SPEAKER_02]: So, just making sure that people out there know what you're doing, know what the scope of your businesses and staying current with your connections because you never know when that connection can bring you some additional business and where you can add value to their business.
• 5:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, that's a great example of intentional decisions.
• 5:21
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's been really fun, I mean it's kind of for me it's really fun to to reconnect with this gentleman.
• 5:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: He was one of my favorite people when I worked there and and now we get to work together on a daily which is which is awesome and and I'm very excited about what the team is doing out there and and their vision and being able to use use my knowledge and my skills set to help them build their vision as well.
• 5:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: From your perspective, what is responsible influence look like as a business owner, especially when you're growing and making decisions that impact others in your team?
• 5:57
  [SPEAKER_02]: Leadership is leadership, right?
• 5:59
  [SPEAKER_02]: So any decision that you make is always gonna have impact on other people.
• 6:04
  [SPEAKER_02]: So you look at things through a lens of, if this was my company, how would I handle this?
• 6:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: And you draw from your experience.
• 6:14
  [SPEAKER_02]: And my biggest thing is surround yourself with good people, right.
• 6:18
  [SPEAKER_02]: So there's going to be certain things that I might not know the answer to, but I need to have somebody that's a phone call away that that I can utilize to help get me those answers so that I'm not working in an vacuum and and also you want to network with the team right you need to know.
• 6:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: You need to know your team.
• 6:37
  [SPEAKER_02]: You need to know your strengths and weaknesses.
• 6:39
  [SPEAKER_02]: Most of the time, we're stepping into a client where we're acting as CFO or we're acting as controller.
• 6:45
  [SPEAKER_02]: And so we need to know what the client's team is and be an integral part of that team and not be looked at as an outsider.
• 6:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: So really to kind of build those relationships and build those networks is super important because
• 6:58
  [SPEAKER_02]: If you don't have those open lines of communication, you're doing a disservice to the client, because you really need to have some of that water cooler conversation, you really need to have that open lines of communication so that you can make a true impact, and you're not trying to work in a vacuum for a specific client.
• 7:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, having that network is so huge to be able to help you and your clients.
• 7:23
  [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, one of the things that I've done recently is we've created this collective called the Wedge Collective and it's it's a group of of very very driven women that each have their own businesses and and obviously we have we have great men that are supporting us and that are part of our businesses as well, so I don't want to, you know, take away from the guys in the room either, but
• 7:51
  [SPEAKER_02]: But there's five of us and so we've we've got a chief information officer, Dan, we've got a chief HR officer Julie, we've got a chief marketing officer Jessica and a chief operating officer Amber and so whenever we run into issues with clients if they need CFO help or if they need accounting advice.
• 8:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: They can come to me and I can give that to them.
• 8:15
  [SPEAKER_02]: And on the flip side, for instance, the Seattle client that I was just mentioning I'm taking overall of their HR oversight.
• 8:22
  [SPEAKER_02]: And so I'm not familiar with Washington state law because I'm used to operating primarily in Illinois, although I've I've led companies where, you know, we've had people in Texas and in California and different places like that, but Washington is it's own little animal.
• 8:40
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I was able to tap into Julie and say, you know, can you send me all the nuances that you have on Washington so that I can make sure that.
• 8:49
  [SPEAKER_02]: you know, I'm not missing a beat with employee onboarding and in managing, you know, taxes and payroll and benefits and all of that good stuff.
• 8:58
  [SPEAKER_02]: So it's again important to have that team that you can surround yourself with that you can always count on to tap into.
• 9:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it sounds like you've built your whole a C-suite power partners out, so you guys can all support you, ladies can all support you, each other.
• 9:16
  [SPEAKER_02]: Absolutely.
• 9:17
  [SPEAKER_02]: And we all have connections too.
• 9:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: So, you know, sometimes they may not have the right answer, but they may, they have multiple connections because we're all very well connected and we, we all kind of network, it's some, some in the same circles, which is how we met each other, but then network outside of those circles too, so that we can add value across each other and and also refer clients as well.
• 9:42
  [SPEAKER_02]: You know, so I literally just introduced Julie to a gentleman that I'm really good friends with that's on the CFO council of leadership council Chicago chapter advisory board with me.
• 9:54
  [SPEAKER_02]: And he was looking for some HR outsourcing and so they were able to meet and I'm hoping that they'll be able to do some business together as well because it's all about who you know like and trust right.
• 10:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: absolutely.
• 10:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, and that you've set a clear goal to double the business in a year.
• 10:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: Can you break down how you're approaching it that in a practical way?
• 10:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: What are the two to three specific actions or systems you're putting into place to make that goal achievable?
• 10:24
  [SPEAKER_02]: the first thing is that I'm on the lookout for talent, right?
• 10:28
  [SPEAKER_02]: So whenever you pick up a new client, you have to staff that and I can't staff everything myself, my partner David can't staff everything has himself.
• 10:37
  [SPEAKER_02]: So we need to make sure that when we pick up a new client that we have great resources,
• 10:42
  [SPEAKER_02]: that we can tap into and that helps us grow our business too because obviously we're making a little bit of margin off of those people and so so we're constantly networking to find those people that we can add to our organization.
• 10:57
  [SPEAKER_02]: We've added, I think Kate, we added within the first year and then we added Chris last year, we just added Adam.
• 11:04
  [SPEAKER_02]: So people that we can really tap into that can help us with the type of business that we're pursuing so that we have deep bench.
• 11:15
  [SPEAKER_02]: to be able to service those clients I think is is number one and I think that that's some people think that a lot of people forget because they're outpitching the business but they don't think about how am I going to service the business once I get it I need to know that I can service the business before I pitch it because I'm not going to pitch something that I can't service I think is huge and then and then number two don't be afraid to apply right I think I
• 11:43
  [SPEAKER_02]: You know, men are typically not very shy about applying for jobs.
• 11:47
  [SPEAKER_02]: Like if you look at something that's posted out there, I mean, I spend a lot of time, you know, scouring LinkedIn, looking at different companies that are out there and what they're doing as they're growing, so that you can reach out and kind of tap into those things.
• 12:02
  [SPEAKER_02]: But never be afraid to apply.
• 12:04
  [SPEAKER_02]: Like it may, they may list, you know, 10 or 15 things that they're looking for and who they're looking to hire or they may say,
• 12:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm only looking at full time, but if you can get in front of them and tell them the benefit of what your business can bring to the table for them, then a lot of times you'll end up with that business where people may be looking like, oh, I'm looking to hire a full-time person, but I can go in front of them and say, well, you might be looking to hire a full-time CFO, but
• 12:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: Let me tell you, if you show me the list of all the responsibilities of what you're looking at as being a CFO, I can tell you that half of those responsibilities are probably controller responsibilities and not necessarily CFO responsibilities.
• 12:49
  [SPEAKER_02]: Higher us, you'll get a season CFO and we'll do the CFO duties for you, but we also have controllers that are on our bench where we'll charge you controller rate to do those controller taxes.
• 13:01
  [SPEAKER_02]: so that you're not attached so that you're not overhiring or underhiring and then you get the best of both worlds and then you're not married to one person, you have multiple people that know your business and can service you at any given time.
• 13:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, that's a great point, and that's where companies like ours at IA, we can support you and partner with you and help support your clients and help you scale and grow your business building and scaling a business doesn't come without challenges.
• 13:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: What has been one of the hardest lessons you've learned over the past couple of years and how has it changed the way you lead today.
• 13:39
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think the biggest thing that I've learned is that I need to be more protective of my time, right?
• 13:44
  [SPEAKER_02]: Is it, is it something that I can do or is it something that I can delegate?
• 13:50
  [SPEAKER_02]: Is it something that is going to generate business for us or is it something that, you know, maybe would just be a fun thing to do or a fun conversation to have?
• 13:59
  [SPEAKER_02]: And
• 14:00
  [SPEAKER_02]: And if it's not on my calendar, it doesn't exist.
• 14:02
  [SPEAKER_02]: So everything needs to be on the calendar, so that nothing falls to the cracks and nothing is missed.
• 14:09
  [SPEAKER_02]: But like I said, the biggest lesson is just really being protective of your time.
• 14:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: It is a really good point and so important.
• 14:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: For business owners listening, who are still relying heavily on word of mouth and want to create more structure, what's one habit or shift you would recommend the implement, right?
• 14:30
  [SPEAKER_02]: You know, I think that word of mouth is huge because people, again, I said people like to work with people that they know, like in trust.
• 14:40
  [SPEAKER_02]: So, you know, you never know where you're going to get your business from.
• 14:43
  [SPEAKER_02]: Everything is two degrees of separation, especially kind of in the the the areas that we work in.
• 14:50
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm not doing a lot of like social media advertising or anything like that.
• 14:56
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm really just kind of getting out there and participating in things that I think are going to add value and that where I can get into those networks where we will get those referrals in the future.
• 15:09
  [SPEAKER_02]: And so just really kind of map it out and look at, you know, I'm involved in a women's real estate group, which, you know, it's all people from different walks of life
• 15:25
  [SPEAKER_02]: And so that's a great source of business.
• 15:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: So, you know, just really like being intentional with the use of your time and how you're spending it and making sure that those things that you're spending a lot of time and effort on are things that are gonna bring fruits back to you.
• 15:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, that's great advice.
• 15:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: If you could challenge our listeners with one specific action, they could take this week to start building a stronger, more scalable business, what would it be?
• 15:53
  [SPEAKER_02]: Take time to plan.
• 15:56
  [SPEAKER_02]: I took a little bit of a little bit of a sabbatical in January.
• 16:01
  [SPEAKER_02]: I shouldn't even call it a sabbatical.
• 16:04
  [SPEAKER_02]: We had a condo for Christmas that we spent time at with our family.
• 16:09
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I ended up going back down for a week just by myself and really did a lot of brainstorming on, you know, how are we going to pursue the year?
• 16:20
  [SPEAKER_02]: What are our goals going to be?
• 16:22
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I have this great mentor who I call my work husband, even though my work husband is my real husband too.
• 16:32
  [SPEAKER_02]: And so, I scheduled time with Kevin because I know that he really thinks out of the box and that he challenges me in ways that other people may not challenge me.
• 16:44
  [SPEAKER_02]: And so, we just spent, I think we spent about two hours on the phone and just kind of bounced a few things off of each other.
• 16:53
  [SPEAKER_02]: And really, and really talked about like, where do we want to go?
• 16:57
  [SPEAKER_02]: How do we want to do it?
• 17:00
  [SPEAKER_02]: And so I think taking that time away to really just have some quiet time to think about how you're gonna build your business and what your focus is gonna be and kind of what your targets are and where am I really making my money?
• 17:13
  [SPEAKER_02]: And how do I continue to do that?
• 17:17
  [SPEAKER_02]: And being purposeful in that nature, I think is very important
• 17:23
  [SPEAKER_02]: I sometimes think that I have squirrels, and I call it squirrel syndrome.
• 17:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: You know, oh, shiny object.
• 17:28
  [SPEAKER_02]: Oh, shiny object.
• 17:30
  [SPEAKER_02]: Um, and so to not where you're just like flying by the seed of your pants at all times.
• 17:37
  [SPEAKER_02]: Um, and so to like take that time and even if it's like just a couple of hours to to focus on like this is what I'm doing.
• 17:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: And also I also sat on a seminar
• 17:53
  [SPEAKER_02]: And we talked a lot about time blocking and just making sure that you're kind of taking that time to plan your week are you doing it first thing in the morning on Monday or you doing it Sunday night.
• 18:04
  [SPEAKER_02]: Um, or are you, you know, maybe Wednesday is your sweet spot, right?
• 18:08
  [SPEAKER_02]: Um, but just really like taking that time to plan and also don't over exert yourself in your downtime.
• 18:16
  [SPEAKER_02]: Like you know your body and you know that am I a morning person?
• 18:20
  [SPEAKER_02]: Am I an afternoon person?
• 18:21
  [SPEAKER_02]: Like where, where am I the most energetic?
• 18:24
  [SPEAKER_02]: Where am I, where am I the most, um, the most proficient with what I'm getting when I'm getting things done?
• 18:30
  [SPEAKER_02]: And making sure that when you're scheduling things, that you're not scheduling things in that time where you like dragging or you know, it I feel like I'm not great in the morning, I've never really been a morning person.
• 18:45
  [SPEAKER_02]: So morning is kind of when I like,
• 18:47
  [SPEAKER_02]: You know, I'm playing my LinkedIn game, I give my, look at my calendar kind of think about my day, but I'm not like really interacting with anybody until after I have my coffee.
• 18:58
  [SPEAKER_02]: And then sometimes around like 430 or 5 o'clock, I just hit like this little low and then, but once I get past that law, then I'm like ready to rock and roll because I'm more of a night, I'll sometimes people tell me I howl at the moon.
• 19:17
  [SPEAKER_02]: and works for your clients as well.
• 19:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, that makes sense.
• 19:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, and that thank you for sharing your journey and your insights today.
• 19:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: If our listeners want to get in touch with you, what is the best way to do so?
• 19:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: Email and that at cascinerconsulting.com.
• 19:33
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'd be happy to answer any questions or provide guidance or just network and be able to help people.
• 19:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: And that will put that information in the show notes.
• 19:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you so much for joining us and sharing your stories in your life today.
• 19:49
  [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you very much for having me.
• 19:51
  [SPEAKER_02]: It was really fun.
• 19:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: into our listeners.
• 19:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you for joining us for another episode of Daily Influence.
• 19:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: I hope today's conversation brought you insight and inspiration.
• 20:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: If it's spoke to you, share it with someone who could use little positivity today.
• 20:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: Here's something to think about.
• 20:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: What is one area in your business or your leadership that you've been putting off, creating structure around?
• 20:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: Start there.
• 20:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: Because influence isn't just about what we say.
• 20:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's about what we build and how we show up every day.
• 20:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: Remember small actions create big impact, keep showing up, leading and growing one day to time.
• 20:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: Until next time, stay inspired and keep having a positive and responsible influence.
• 20:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: Bye-bye.