Sparking The Fuse

Real conversations with the leaders sparking growth in their businesses. Host Chris Cook explores the wins, failures, and breakthroughs that fuel progress. If you’re building, scaling, or leading—this podcast will light your next fuse.

Sparking The Fuse is a business podcast hosted by Chris Cook, with 23 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Chris Cook hosts Sparking The Fuse, a business show with 23 episodes published.

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  Sparking The Fuse

  Kash Rocheleau: From Corporate CEO to Entrepreneur

  Jul 9, 202650 min

  Kash Rocheleau left the corporate CEO seat to build something of her own — and learned that growth creates as many problems as it solves. In this episode of Sparking the Fuse, Chris sits down with Kash Rocheleau, Owner of Outgrow Accounting & Finance. They dig into networking, understanding your financials, and what a fractional CFO actually does for a small business. EPISODE SUMMARY Kash Rocheleau shares her journey from corporate CEO to entrepreneur, and what it took to build Outgrow Accounting & Finance from the ground up. She and Chris talk through why relationship-building drives business development, how financials tell a story that should shape your decisions, and how she thinks about managing internal growth challenges while balancing business and personal life. They also get into the evolving role of fractional CFOs and why small businesses should rethink financial leadership. KEY TAKEAWAYS - Relationship-building and networking are the foundation of sustainable business development - Your financials tell a story — learning to read and communicate that story drives better decisions - Growth creates internal challenges that need to be managed deliberately, not reactively - A fractional CFO gives small businesses financial leadership without the full-time cost - East Coast and West Coast business cultures differ in ways that shape how you build relationships CHAPTERS 00:00 The Journey to Entrepreneurship 03:26 Building Outgrow: The Early Days 06:38 Networking and Relationship Building 11:18 Understanding Financials: The Language of Business 19:56 The Structure of Outgrow: Team and Clients 25:22 Cultural Differences: East Coast vs. West Coast 32:19 The Role of a Fractional CFO 35:09 Rethinking Financial Leadership for Small Businesses 38:13 Navigating Internal Growth Challenges 43:08 Balancing Business Growth and Personal Life 44:56 Vision for the Future of Outgrow 47:25 Connecting and Building Relationships in Business KEYWORDS entrepreneurship, finance, networking, growth strategies, fractional CFO, business development, leadership, small business, Outgrow Accounting 🔗 Connect With Chris LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scalewithchris/ Work With Five Fuse: https://www.fivefuse.com/ 🔗 Connect With Today's Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kash-rocheleau-a0678528/ Website: https://outgrowaccounting.com/ 🎧 Listen on Other Platforms Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5rgYjB8RxYKfgvOf1PrNFv?si=0dd85415f6174756 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sparking-the-fuse/id1857737431 📸 Socials Five Fuse LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/five-fuse/

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  Sparking The Fuse

  Dylan Hendrickson: Why Cash Flow, Not Profit, Is the Secret to Business Growth and Stability

  Jun 18, 202650 min

  Dylan Hendrickson built Staxx into a 30-person, nearly $4M fractional CFO firm without ever becoming a CPA. In this episode, he explains why most business owners are running their company off the wrong financial statement entirely. From college football to private equity playbooks, this is how cash — not profit — becomes the real decision-making tool. Dylan Hendrickson started his accounting business while playing college football and finishing his master's degree, eventually merging it with his business partner's firm to form Staxx. He shares why he still recommends an accounting degree, how Staxx's ideal client profile evolved, and why most business owners are confused about their finances because they're managing cash off a P&L instead of a 13-week cash flow forecast. - Dylan built his accounting business while playing college football, doing one small thing daily to move it forward. - Staxx formed when Dylan merged his solo practice with his business partner's firm after meeting at an industry event. - Hiring ahead of need and stepping out of service delivery early made Staxx scalable, not founder-dependent. - A P&L can't manage cash; a 13-week cash flow forecast can, and that's the real gap for most business owners. - Staxx's ideal client typically does $1M-$30M in revenue, needing more than a bookkeeper but not yet an in-house team. - A clear sign it's time for outside help: making decisions purely off the bank balance and gut feeling. 00:00 - Intro 00:37 - College football and building a business at once 03:14 - How Staxx came together 09:17 - Building for the long term over quick wins 11:24 - Why Dylan still recommends accounting 17:49 - What Staxx looks like today 20:43 - How the offer has evolved 22:28 - The ideal client profile 23:43 - CFO-ready vs. controller-ready 28:23 - Why cash flow forecasting beats the P&L 32:00 - In-house accountants vs. fractional CFOs 35:23 - How long engagements last 37:45 - The hardest part of scaling right now 43:22 - Messaging, pricing, and positioning 46:32 - Balancing marketing, sales, and ops 49:18 - Where to find Dylan and Staxx fractional CFO, cash flow forecasting, Staxx, Dylan Hendrickson, small business CFO, cash flow vs profit, scaling a service business, financial advisory, business exit planning, entrepreneurship 🔗 Connect With Chris LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scalewithchris/ Work With Five Fuse: https://www.fivefuse.com/ 🔗 Connect With Today's Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylan-hendrickson-113419153/ Website: https://www.startstaxx.pro/ 🎧 Listen on Other Platforms Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5rgYjB8RxYKfgvOf1PrNFv?si=0dd85415f6174756 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sparking-the-fuse/id1857737431 📸 Socials Five Fuse LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/five-fuse/

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  Sparking The Fuse

  Olivia Tillema: The Surprising Power of Systems Thinking in Small Business Growth

  Jun 17, 202628 min

  Olivia Tillema helped automate a workflow that saved 91,000 hours in a single year. From a remote support gig to rebuilding operations for Bungie, she now runs her own ops agency, t2i collective. This episode breaks down the systems thinking that helps small businesses scale without burning out the team. Olivia Tillema went from a remote support role to rebuilding operations inside Bungie, one of the gaming industry's biggest studios, before launching her own boutique agency, T2i Collective. In this episode, she shares her systems-based approach to operations, how tools like Asana can transform team workflows, and the surprising amount of time (and money) the right systems can save a growing business. Key Takeaways: - Systems thinking is crucial for operational success - Automation can save thousands of hours annually - Understanding team responsibilities improves project flow Chapters: 00:00 From Layoff to Opportunity: Olivia's Journey 02:03 The Evolution of Remote Work and Operations 05:08 Navigating Career Transitions and Freelancing 08:15 Landing the Bungie Project: A Game Changer 11:14 Current State of T2I Collective: Growth and Challenges 14:01 Understanding Operations: The RACI Framework 17:18 Industry Insights: Communication and Workflow Improvements 23:14 Transforming Efficiency with Automation 24:38 Setting Growth Goals and Expanding Reach 26:26 Building Connections and Networking 27:27 Passion for Work and Personal Fulfillment Keywords: operations, systems, Asana, remote work, startup growth, process improvement, freelancing, Bungie, video game industry, business scaling 🔗 Connect With Chris LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scalewithchris/ Work With Five Fuse: https://www.fivefuse.com/ 🔗 Connect With Today's Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivia-tillema-329599138/ Website: https://t2icollective.com/ 🎧 Listen on Other Platforms Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5rgYjB8RxYKfgvOf1PrNFv?si=0dd85415f6174756 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sparking-the-fuse/id1857737431 📸 Socials Five Fuse LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/five-fuse/

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  Sparking The Fuse

  Stephanie Groschup: Navigating Wealth with Purpose and Values

  Jun 3, 202635 minS0

  A two-decade wealth management veteran on why money is a tool, not a destination. Stephanie Groschup shares how aligning investments with values changes everything. Listening first, the great wealth transfer, and building a boutique firm that stays high-touch. Stephanie Groschup, Founder and President of ArchHaven & Co. Wealth Partners, joins Chris to talk about what it means to manage wealth with purpose. Drawing on a career that started in oil and gas and spanned major market events at Merrill Lynch, Stephanie unpacks why listening is the foundation of good advice, how client expectations have shifted, and what the $70-90 trillion great...

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  Sparking The Fuse

  Saim Abbasi: Speed and Systemization for Business Success

  Jun 1, 202637 minS0

  <p>Saim Abbasi built multiple businesses before most people finish school.</p><p>His edge? Speed and systems — executed before doubt sets in.</p><p>Here's what that looks like in practice.</p><p>Saim Abbasi is the founder of SA Digital Media Group, a multi-venture digital media and incubation company. In this episode, he breaks down how he moved from university startups during COVID to acquiring and scaling businesses across industries — and what he learned about execution, systems, and the evolving role of generalists in an AI-driven world.<br /></p><p>Key Takeaways:</p><p>- Speed to market is a...

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