Burt Copeland is the Founder of New Life CFO, a financial advisory firm overseeing over $900 million in revenue across its client base. With a career rooted in public accounting, strategic finance, and operational leadership, Burt brings decades of insight into helping entrepreneurs understand financial risk, increase profitability, and prepare for successful exits. His journey from construction company president to fractional CFO is both compelling and deeply instructive.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- [03:30] How a construction CFO became a business owner and faced financial disaster in 2008
- [07:15] Why Burt started New Life CFO and how it serves entrepreneurs
- [10:30] The five blind spots most CEOs have about their finances
- [15:00] A real-world example of how broken processes drain profitability
- [20:00] Why all financial reports reflect behaviors, decisions, and systems
- [21:30] How to prepare your business for a successful exit — and why processes matter most
In this episode:
What happens when a thriving business suddenly loses 86% of its revenue in just four weeks? Burt Copeland knows firsthand—and he turned that crisis into a calling.
In this engaging episode, host Adi Klevit interviews Burt about the near-collapse of his construction company in 2008 and how that life-altering event led to founding New Life CFO. Together, they explore why financial systems and processes are critical to long-term business health and how most CEOs overlook key risks by focusing too much on sales and too little on operations.
From diagnosing margin issues to leveraging financial reporting for deeper operational insight, Burt shares actionable strategies business owners can implement to strengthen foundations before scaling. He also reveals the surprising power of letting go—why documenting your knowledge and stepping back from day-to-day roles can dramatically increase a company’s valuation and readiness for exit.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Adi Klevit on LinkedIn
- Business Success Consulting Group
- Burt Copeland on LinkedIn
- New Life CFO Website
- Email Burt Copeland: burt.copeland@newlifecfo.com
- Call or Text: (214) 315-2275
Quotable Moments:
- “More revenue is not the answer if your foundation is weak. It’s how you digest that revenue that matters.”
- “If your profitability is 2%, you’re walking a financial cliff—fix that before you scale.”
- “Broken processes aren’t just annoying—they’re distractions that cost you profit.”
- “Every financial report is a historical reflection of your people’s behaviors and decisions.”
- “If your business can't run without you, then you don’t have a business—you have a job.”
- “The worst conversation is the one not being had. Your CFO should be your most honest peer.”
Action Steps:
- Conduct a risk assessment: Are you ignoring red flags in favor of promotion and growth?
- Evaluate your revenue streams: Are all dollars equal in terms of margin and sustainability?
- Fix your processes: Identify bottlenecks that are draining time and cash—especially in billing or collections.
- Test your business’s independence: Could it run without you for 90 days?
- Prepare for exit: Shore up your balance sheet, clarify revenue streams, and document your core processes.
- Empower your CFO (or fractional CFO) to speak the hard truths—then listen.
Sponsor for this episode:
This episode is brought to you by Business Success Consulting Group.
At Business Success Consulting Group, we create custom processes and tailor-made management systems so businesses can thrive.
Businesses simply can’t survive without workable systems and well-documented processes. That’s why our team of experienced professionals takes care of it for you.
We provide business owners, entrepreneurs, and key executives with six phases to success, along with the long-lasting systems necessary to support business expansion.
So, what are you waiting for? Do yourself a favor and cut the chaos out of your business.
Visit bizsuccesscg.com today or email info@bizsuccesscg.com to schedule a free consultation.
