Ever wondered why some nonprofits thrive while others struggle to stay afloat? It's not just about passion for the mission – it's about having the financial systems that support sustainable impact.

In this episode, Matt sits down with a nonprofit executive director who transformed her organization from paper-heavy, months-behind reporting to real-time financial visibility. From managing 65+-person teams at major nonprofits to launching a new organization from scratch, she shares the hard-won lessons about why financial systems aren't optional, they're essential.

What You'll Learn:

• Why waiting months for financial reports kills strategic planning
• How modern tech can transform nonprofit operations (without the overwhelm)
• Why workforce challenges are creating new budget realities
• The mindset shifts needed to navigate funding uncertainty
• How to build systems that scale from startup to established nonprofit

Links & Resources:

• Early Childhood Alliance of Onondaga: https://ecaonondaga.org
• Contact Bethany: bcreaser@ecaonondaga.org
• Connect with the Hiline team: hiline.co/get-started
• Free Nonprofit Budget Template: hiline.co/ledger/tools/nonprofit-budget-template

Connect With Us:

Subscribe for more insights on making finance less scary and more strategic!

About Fiscally Awesome
Fiscally Awesome is produced by Hiline, where we make small business finances stress-free so you can focus on building a great company. Visit our website or connect with us on LinkedIn to learn more.

Hosted by Matt Gardner, CEO and Co-Founder of Hiline.

In this episode of Fiscally Awesome, Hiline CEO Matt Gardner sits down with multi-time founder Eli Portnoy to explore how customer obsession directly drives financial success. As the CEO of BackEngine and veteran of three successful companies, Eli reveals why most businesses are flying blind when it comes to understanding their customers—and how that ignorance costs them real money.

What You'll Learn:

• Why customer sentiment is a leading indicator of financial performance
• How "going quiet" is actually your biggest churn warning sign (not complaints!)
• Why setting up finance infrastructure on day one saves you massive pain later
• The AI revolution that's finally making customer intelligence scalable
• Real examples of how customer feedback directly impacts revenue and retention

Related Links:

• BackEngine: https://www.backengine.com/
• Connect with Eli Portnoy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliportnoy/
• Connect with Matt Gardner on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattgardnercpa/
• Book mentioned: "The Hard Thing About Hard Things" by Ben Horowitz: https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Thing-About-Things-Building/dp/0062273205
• Hiline x Digits: https://www.hiline.co/services/real-time-accounting

About Fiscally Awesome
Want to unfu*k your finances? Fiscally Awesome is produced by Hiline, where we make small business finances stress-free so you can focus on building a great company. Visit our website or connect with us on LinkedIn to learn more.

Hosted by Matt Gardner, CEO and Co-Founder of Hiline. New episodes drop every other Thursday.

• The surprising origin story of how a college painting franchise led to a parking lot empire
• Real financial challenges that nearly bankrupted a now-successful company
• Why managing solely from your bank account is a recipe for disaster
• How to avoid the tax burden trap that catches most new business owners
• The critical importance of financial forecasting and budgeting
• What makes franchisees succeed or fail from a financial perspective
• How private equity partnerships can accelerate business growth

• EverLine Coatings and Services - Learn more about franchise opportunities
• Hiline - Financial operations platform for growing businesses
• Traction by Gino Wickman - The essential EOS implementation guide
• The Great CEO Within by Matt Mochary - Recommended resource for growing CEOs
• Red Iron Group - Private equity partner supporting franchise growth

About Fiscally Awesome
Want to unfu*k your finances? Fiscally Awesome is produced by Hiline, where we make small business finances stress-free so you can focus on building a great company. Visit our website or connect with us on LinkedIn to learn more.

Hosted by Matt Gardner, CEO and Co-Founder of Hiline. New episodes drop every other Thursday.

In this episode of Fiscally Awesome, Hiline CEO Matt Gardner connects with Mark Shepherd, founder of Gathr, a thriving community platform for UK founders, investors, and service providers.

Mark shares his entrepreneurial journey from selling boat photos at 16 to building a 10,000-member strong business community. He breaks down the UK startup scene and why community is the backbone of success.

Check out this episode to learn:

🔹 Why UK founders look to expand to the US (and the hidden pitfalls)

🔹 The truth about "growth at all costs" versus sustainable business building

🔹 How Gathr connects founders with vetted service providers who truly understand tech

🔹 Mark's unfiltered advice for early-stage entrepreneurs

Plus, discover Mark's surprising past and his post-Gathr dream that combines his passion for food with supporting underrepresented talent!

🔗 RESOURCES:

🔸 Get connected with Gathr: www.joingathr.com

🔸 Learn how Hiline supports companies expanding to the US: https://www.hiline.co/services/us-expansion

About Fiscally Awesome
Want to unfu*k your finances? Fiscally Awesome is produced by Hiline, where we make small business finances stress-free so you can focus on building a great company. Visit our website or connect with us on LinkedIn to learn more.

Hosted by Matt Gardner, CEO and Co-Founder of Hiline. New episodes drop every other Thursday.

In this episode of Fiscally Awesome, we dive into the often overlooked connection between employee wellness and business performance. Multi-time founder and CEO Clark Lagemann shares how investing in employee health isn't just good for your team—it's good for your bottom line.

Discover:

1. Why human capital deserves the same attention as financial capital
2. The measurable impact of wellness programs on productivity and profitability
3. How employee disengagement can silently cost your business up to 15% in profitability
4. Practical, low-cost strategies to improve wellness in your organization
5. The competitive advantage of creating a culture where employees feel valued and supported

Whether you're running a bootstrapped startup or a growing company, this conversation reveals why wellness isn't just a nice-to-have perk—it's a strategic business investment. Learn how addressing stress, sleep, and overall wellbeing can reduce turnover, boost engagement, and ultimately drive stronger financial outcomes.

Join us for an honest discussion about the hidden financial benefits of taking care of your most valuable asset: your people.

About Fiscally Awesome
Want to unfu*k your finances? Fiscally Awesome is produced by Hiline, where we make small business finances stress-free so you can focus on building a great company. Visit our website or connect with us on LinkedIn to learn more.

Hosted by Matt Gardner, CEO and Co-Founder of Hiline. New episodes drop every other Thursday.

In this episode of Fiscally Awesome, Hiline CEO Matt Gardner explores the art and science of strategic business pivots with a legal influencer, sales leader, and now CRO at Latitude, Alex Su.

From shifting professional identities to recognizing when your business model needs a refresh, this conversation digs into how successful leaders know when it's time to change direction—and how to do it without losing momentum.

Discover:

1. Why professionals trained to avoid risk often struggle to embrace necessary pivots
2. How to recognize when "the cheese has moved" in your industry before your competitors do
3. Practical strategies for balancing caution with the need for speed in business decisions
4. Why understanding your true audience is crucial when shifting direction
5. The financial implications of pivoting too late (or too early)

Whether you're a founder at a crossroads, a professional considering a career shift, or a small business leader watching market dynamics change, this episode delivers candid insights about making smart pivots that create lasting competitive advantage.

No jargon, no fluff—just straight talk about how to stay fiscally awesome when everything around you is changing.

Tune in and learn how to turn market disruption into your next opportunity!

About Fiscally Awesome
Want to unfu*k your finances? Fiscally Awesome is produced by Hiline, where we make small business finances stress-free so you can focus on building a great company. Visit our website or connect with us on LinkedIn to learn more.

Hosted by Matt Gardner, CEO and Co-Founder of Hiline. New episodes drop every other Thursday.

In this episode of the Fiscally Awesome Podcast, host Matt Gardner (Co-founder and CEO of Hiline) sits down with Dave Wieseneck, Expert in Residence at Ramp, for a deep dive into the evolving world of finance and accounting technology.

Dave and Matt explore how modern finance professionals are leveraging automation and AI to move beyond transaction processing and deliver true strategic value. As former auditors who've navigated similar career paths, they share candid insights about:

• The current state of finance technology and how it's finally catching up to other departments
• Why the traditional accounting skillset is being rapidly transformed by AI and automation
• How finance teams can architect the right tech stack for their organization's needs
• The bottlenecks preventing wider adoption of modern finance tools
• What finance professionals should be automating right now
• The exciting future where finance teams deploy AI agents to handle routine tasks

Whether you're a finance professional looking to stay ahead of industry trends, a founder wanting to modernize your financial operations, or simply curious about how AI is reshaping traditional roles, this conversation offers practical wisdom from two industry veterans.

About Fiscally Awesome
Want to unfu*k your finances? Fiscally Awesome is produced by Hiline, where we make small business finances stress-free so you can focus on building a great company. Visit our website or connect with us on LinkedIn to learn more.

Hosted by Matt Gardner, CEO and Co-Founder of Hiline. New episodes drop every other Thursday.

In this episode of Fiscally Awesome, Hiline CEO Matt Gardner sits down with multi-time founder Jeff Knauss to dig into the financial realities of scaling a service business.

Jeff shares the unfiltered truth about his journey from building Digital Hive (ranked 52nd on the Inc. 5000) to his successful exit and newest venture, Arcovo AI. From bootstrapped beginnings with a three-month-old at home to managing rapid growth, Jeff offers practical wisdom on:

1. Why "sales cures all" and how to develop this critical function beyond founder-led selling
2. Building and maintaining a championship team culture that drives performance
3. How to approach financial management when you "don't know what a P&L is"
4. The emerging opportunities in AI automation for small businesses
5. Why the most successful entrepreneurs obsess over how they spend their time

Whether you're running an agency, building a service business, or just trying to make sense of your financial data, this conversation delivers straight talk on what it really takes to build a fiscally awesome company.

Subscribe for more insights that make finance fun again!