Case Studies
Real problems solved. Numbers changed. Details anonymized to protect client confidentiality.
Built, Scaled, and Sold a Multi-Channel E-Commerce Business from My Garage
Situation
I started this business making jewelry with a small tabletop laser in my garage. Sales were tracked in spreadsheets and basic QuickBooks. There was no real financial infrastructure because, honestly, it wasn't really a business yet. It was a hobby that started generating revenue.
Problem
As the business grew, I expanded into Etsy, then Shopify, Amazon, Walmart, and eventually Wayfair. Revenue was climbing, but I had no way to see which products or channels were actually making money. I was also facing major equipment decisions: a $50,000 laser cutter and roughly $30,000 in powder coating equipment. Spending that kind of money without understanding my cash flow timing would have been reckless.
What I Did
I applied the same financial discipline I'd been using to manage eight-figure corporate budgets. Built a chart of accounts from scratch that showed me profitability by product type, by customer, and by sales channel. That data told me exactly which products to push on which platforms, and which ones to stop wasting time on. I built a cash flow model that showed me precisely when I could invest in equipment without putting the business at risk. And when the numbers started telling me that growth was plateauing and marketing costs were climbing faster than revenue, I used those same financials to time the exit while trailing profitability still told a strong story to buyers.
Result
Grew from a garage to a multi-thousand-square-foot manufacturing facility. Reached $650K+ in peak annual revenue and completed over 30,000 five-star transactions. Was selected as a Wayfair featured partner. Sold the business on my terms, at a time the data told me was right. This is the same financial framework I bring to every client.
35,000+ Transactions Reconciled Across Multiple Sales Channels
Situation
A multi-channel e-commerce seller operating across eBay, Shopify, and other online platforms with a full year of unreconciled books. Transactions had never been properly categorized, marketplace fees were lumped together, and the seller had no clear picture of actual profitability.
Problem
Over 35,000 line items across multiple platforms, bank accounts, and payment processors. Fees, refunds, and payouts were tangled together. The seller couldn't tell which channel was profitable, what they were actually paying in fees, or whether their revenue numbers were even accurate.
What I Did
Pulled transaction data from every platform and payment processor. Reconciled and categorized all 35,000+ transactions, separating marketplace fees by type, properly accounting for refunds and chargebacks, and matching payouts to the correct sales. Built a clean chart of accounts tailored to the seller's business so every cost had a home.
Result
A full year of books reconciled, categorized, and ready for tax filing. The seller could see true profitability by channel for the first time, with every fee broken out and every dollar accounted for. What would have taken a traditional bookkeeper weeks of manual work was completed efficiently through a combination of process discipline and the right tools.
$1.5M in Annual Interest Generated by Rethinking How Cash Was Held
Situation
A government transit authority holding a significant cash reserve in a primary checking account that earned minimal interest. No one had examined whether the cash position could be working harder for the organization.
Problem
Tens of millions of dollars in cash were sitting idle. Accounts payable, accounts receivable, and cash flow timing had never been analyzed closely enough to understand how much the organization actually needed on hand at any given time versus how much could be deployed into higher-yield accounts.
What I Did
Mapped the organization's monthly cash flow cycle in detail. Analyzed AP and AR timing to determine the true minimum operating cash balance. Identified the surplus that could safely move into higher interest-bearing accounts without increasing the organization's risk profile or affecting day-to-day operations.
Result
The reallocation generated an additional $1.5 million in annual interest income for the organization with zero increase to risk. The money was always there. It just needed someone to look at the cash flow closely enough to put it to work.
From $1M Annual Loss to $4M Profit in 18 Months
Situation
Regional transportation operation with a five-person senior leadership team. The organization was losing over $1 million per year with no clear visibility into where the money was going.
Problem
Transactions were miscoded or lumped into generic categories. Leadership couldn't see true costs by route, by department, or by cost type. Without reliable financial data, decisions were based on intuition, not numbers. The P&L was essentially useless as a management tool.
What I Did
Started at the transaction level. Rebuilt how every expense was coded so costs flowed into meaningful categories the leadership team could act on. From there, built P&L reports and dashboards that broke performance down by the KPIs that mattered to the business. Gave the leadership team financial visibility to manage proactively instead of reactively.
Result
The organization went from losing over $1M/year to generating over $4M/year within 18 months. The turnaround was driven by dozens of operational decisions, but every one of them started with having financial data the team could trust.
Built a Financial Model That Revealed Revenue Was Overstated by 30%
Situation
A growing marketing holding company with an established accounting team but no finance function beyond the CFO. No financial model existed. Leadership had no visibility into gross margin by client or billable hours by employee.
Problem
The company was flying blind. There was no analytics capability, no way to measure profitability at the client level, and no checks and balances on how revenue was being recorded. Strategic decisions were being made without a clear picture of the actual financial position.
What I Did
Built a comprehensive financial model from scratch within my first 30 days. Worked with the accounting team to get transactions recorded correctly. Stood up an ERP system that gave the company visibility into gross margin by client, billable hours by employee, and profitability down to the lowest level. Delivered data-driven analytics and recommendations the leadership team had never had access to before.
Result
The financial model revealed that revenue was overstated by 30% over the prior two years. Put simply, the company thought it was making significantly more money than it actually was. That discovery fundamentally changed the company's strategic direction. More importantly, leadership finally had a single source of truth for financial performance and could make informed decisions about which clients, services, and investments were actually profitable.
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