Ep. 4: Fear of Finance? The CFO Secrets Every Developer Must Know

Episode 4: Fear of Finance? The CFO Secrets Every Developer Must Know

Most developers don’t fail because of construction delays, bad contractors, or market shifts.
Wrong.

They fail because of their numbers.

In this episode, Katie Kim sits down with CFO Cheryl Heller of Pillar One Consulting, who doesn't just crunch numbers - she shows entrepreneurs how to weaponize them - we unpack:

🔥 The rookie mistakes that bankrupt businesses
📊 The KPIs that actually matter - bankable or doomed?
🏦 How to make your business bankable
🧮 Why saying "I'm not good with math" might be the most expensive lie you're telling yourself
💡 Why “slow down to speed up” is the secret to scaling

If you’ve ever said “I can’t do math”—this episode is your wake-up call!

💡 This isn’t about accounting. It’s about survival. It’s about growth. It’s about building a legacy without getting burned.

👇 Drop the word "bootcamp" in the comments, and we'll DM you the link to the Real Estate Developer 101 Bootcamp where you can start doing "real reps" on real - real estate deals!

🫳🏻🎤 Show Quotes (Mic Drops)
🥧 “Don’t sell me the pie in the sky—show me the real numbers.” (08:48)
✅ “Part of being a leader is knowing which risks to accept and which to mitigate.” (12:13)
😱 “If the customer isn’t buying, it’s not their fault—it’s your numbers.” (21:06)
🟢 “Make your active decision. Don’t just end up somewhere because you didn’t choose.” (39:02)
🛑 “Stop saying ‘I’m not good at math.’ That excuse is costing you millions.” (13:58)

🕓 Timestamps
00:00 – Why most developers fail (hint: it’s not construction)
00:20 – Meet Cheryl Heler: the CFO who makes numbers work for developers
04:29 – The deal that almost broke her (and what she learned)
06:54 – The art of underwriting: how to run real numbers, not wishful math
09:22 – Risk tolerance, gut instincts & knowing when to shut fear off
11:02 – Data vs. risk: the twin protectors of your legacy
12:52 – Slow down to speed up: math before momentum
18:39 – KPIs that matter most (gross margin, cash flow, bankability)
21:06 – Product-market fit: your customer doesn’t lie—your numbers can
25:39 – Rookie mistakes that bankrupt businesses before they scale
29:08 – Bankable growth: how to make lenders say YES
37:22 – Visionaries & focus: reining in idea overload without killing creativity
43:12 – Pivot with power: making active decisions vs. drifting into failure
47:03 – Cheryl’s 3 ways to work with her (CFO in a box → fractional CFO → full strategic partner)

🔗 Connect with Katie Kim

🌐 Website
www.katiekim.com – The Katie Kim Educational Platform
www.thekimgroup.com – The Kim Group

📱 Instagram
@thekatiekim
@thekimgroup

💼 LinkedIn
Katie Arnholt Kim, CCIM
The Katie Kim Educational Platform
The Kim Group

📘 Facebook
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The Kim Group

▶️ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@TheKatieKim

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