Ep 114 – Courtney De Ronde, Forge Financial – Unlocking Business Growth

Featuring: Courtney De Ronde, Forge Financial

In episode 114, I sit down with Courtney De Ronde, CEO of Forge Financial and Management Consulting, to talk about the powerful intersection of financial visibility and leadership growth. Courtney shares her journey from CPA to strategic business advisor, and we dig into her Simple Scale Up System—a framework designed to help agency leaders evolve from scrappy doers to scalable CEOs.

We explore the importance of accurate revenue recognition, the dangers of relying too heavily on gut instincts, and the mindset shifts needed to lead at the next level. Courtney also gets candid about AI’s impact on the accounting industry and why embracing technology is a must—not a maybe. We wrap things up with some rapid-fire questions that reveal the human side of this numbers expert.

Key Bytes

• Courtney De Ronde has over 20 years of experience as a CPA.• Understanding financial visibility is crucial for business growth.• AI presents both challenges and opportunities in the CPA industry.• The Simple Scale Up System focuses on scaling leaders and organizations.• Leaders must shift from relying on instincts to leveraging insights.• Cash flow issues often indicate deeper business problems.• Delegation and trust are essential for scaling a business.• Learning from others' failures can accelerate growth.• Financial reporting should match revenue with related expenses.• Things don't have to be perfect to be effective.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Agency Bites and Guest Background01:04 Courtney's Evolution from CPA to Business Leader03:19 Understanding Financial Visibility and Coaching Services04:12 Common Financial Red Flags in Service-Based Businesses08:06 The Impact of AI on the CPA Industry12:25 The Simple Scale Up System Framework15:46 Shifting Mindsets: From Instincts to Insights22:53 Challenges in Scaling Dependent Businesses25:13 Rapid Fire Questions and Closing Thoughts

Courtney De Ronde is the CEO of Forge Financial & Management Consulting and the creator of the Simple ScaleUp System™. With over 20 years as a CPA and 15 years in business

leadership, Courtney specializes in guiding small businesses from startup to scaleup. She’s an expert in business intelligence, leadership, and corporate finance. We’re thrilled to have her share her insights on how you can achieve your most ambitious goals.

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Agency Bytes is a podcast for owners of creative, marketing, and advertising agencies that packs a ton of important agency information on one topic, from one expert into a 25-minute brief. Why 25 minutes? Because who has the attention span for much more these days, and you can squeeze in a listen between meetings with time for a bathroom break or coffee refill before your next meeting. Agency Bytes is brought to you by Steve Guberman from Agency Outsight. Steve is a 20-year agency veteran who works as a business coach for agencies around the country. He coaches owners of branding, marketing, design, and PR agencies to conquer their goals and overcome their challenges. Learn more about Agency Outsight at www.agencyoutsight.com

• No. of episodes: 100
• Latest episode: 2025-06-23
• Business Entrepreneurship Marketing

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