Brad Farris is the Principal Advisor at Anchor Advisors, a consultancy that helps creative agency founders grow their leadership capacity and scale their businesses. With over 20 years of experience, Brad specializes in coaching agency owners to sharpen focus, raise prices, and build stronger teams. He is also a speaker and author, passionate about helping business owners find better ways to do things, make more money, and enjoy life more.

Scaling a business sounds exciting until you hit the invisible ceiling that stalls your growth. Many entrepreneurs know they should step back from day-to-day delivery, but actually doing it feels overwhelming or even impossible. What makes this particular shift so hard for business owners to pull off?

According to Brad Farris, a seasoned advisor to hundreds of agency owners, the transition from doer to leader challenges an entrepreneur’s identity more than their skills. He highlights that leaving behind the technical work, the very thing that brought early success, can feel like losing a part of yourself. This shift becomes even more daunting when the livelihoods of a growing team are at stake. It’s a leap into unfamiliar territory, requiring new systems, team trust, and a mindset focused on sustainable leadership rather than personal execution. Brad emphasizes that this change is not just necessary for growth, it’s essential for survival.

In this episode of the Financial Clarity podcast, Hannah Smolinski is joined by Brad Farris, Principal Advisor at Anchor Advisors, to talk about why stepping out of client work is the most difficult transition in business growth. They explore how to reframe your role as a leader, build a capable team around you, and delegate without losing quality or client trust. Brad also shares how hiring smarter (and often pricier) can actually fuel scalability.

Chuck McDonald is the Founder of Cresscila, a company dedicated to assisting small business owners in creating value through education, optimization, and strategic vision. After a distinguished 20-year career in wealth management, during which he held key roles in marketing, sales, client optimization, compliance, and staffing, Chuck established Cresscila in 2024 to pursue a new chapter inspired by the successes and lessons from his clients. As a Certified Financial Planner and Certified Exit Planning Advisor, he leverages his extensive experience to empower entrepreneurs to transform blind spots into opportunities, ultimately enhancing profitability and lifestyle. Chuck's mission is to equip business owners with the knowledge and tools necessary to achieve success beyond their expectations.

Letting go of a business is never just a transaction, it’s a transition. Yet too many owners only start thinking about an exit when it’s already on the horizon, missing crucial steps that could make or break their financial future. What’s the biggest blind spot owners have when preparing to exit?

According to Chuck McDonald, a seasoned exit planning advisor and former wealth manager, most owners don’t realize that exiting a business is as much a personal journey as it is a financial one. He highlights the importance of aligning business operations, personal goals, and financial readiness years in advance. Without that alignment, owners risk regret, missed value, or even a failed sale. Chuck explains that many founders are deeply intertwined with their businesses, making it hard to delegate or detach when the time comes. By starting early, removing risk, and building a self-sufficient team, owners not only increase valuation but also create the freedom to transition on their own terms.

In this episode of the Financial Clarity podcast, Hannah Smolinski sits down with Chuck McDonald, Founder of Cresscila, to discuss what most business owners miss when planning their exit. Chuck breaks down the true meaning of exit planning, the emotional roadblocks owners face, and how to prepare your business to be buyer-ready. He also shares how to protect your personal legacy while maximizing value.

Kristine Nguyen is the Founder and Principal Accountant of Pretty Books, an accounting boutique in Seattle that provides bookkeeping, tax, and back-office management services to small businesses. With extensive experience setting up and managing accounting systems across various industries — including retail, information technology, food and hospitality, and nonprofits — she enjoys working with small businesses and exploring different tools and technology to create efficiency and transparency in business operations.

Choosing the right bookkeeper for your business isn’t as simple as hiring someone to balance the books. Depending on your needs, you may require a meticulous, process-driven professional, an analytical thinker who can spot financial trends, or someone who blends both skill sets. How do you determine what kind of bookkeeper will best support your business’s growth?

According to Kristine Nguyen, an accounting expert with years of experience helping small businesses manage their finances, the key is understanding what you truly need from a bookkeeper. She highlights that some bookkeepers excel at structured, repetitive tasks like processing invoices and reconciling accounts, while others focus on financial reporting and deeper analysis. The mismatch between business owners’ expectations and a bookkeeper’s actual role often leads to frustration. Kristine explains that identifying whether your business requires operational bookkeeping or strategic financial oversight can prevent costly hiring mistakes and set you up for long-term success.

In this episode of the Financial Clarity podcast, Hannah Smolinski speaks with Kristine Nguyen, Founder and Principal Accountant of Pretty Books, to discuss how business owners can find the right bookkeeping support. Kristine breaks down the differences between bookkeepers, controllers, and CFOs, shares key questions to ask when hiring, and explains why bookkeeping has become more technology-driven. She also provides insights on setting expectations to build a productive accountant-client relationship.