Strategy Meets Finance
Welcome to Strategy Meets Finance, the podcast for business owners and entrepreneurs who want to start, grow, and run a business that lasts.
Most business owners struggle because they treat strategy and finance as separate. But without a clear strategy, your finances won’t support long-term growth. And without strong financial planning, even the best business ideas fall flat.
On this show, we bring both sides together—so you can grow your business with confidence, improve cash flow, increase profit, and make better decisions.
Hosted by Steve Coughran, a former CFO and founder of Coltivar, each episode shares simple tools, real examples, and practical advice from working with companies of all different sizes. You’ll learn how to set smart goals, fix money leaks, build stronger teams, and create lasting value.
Episodes
270 episodes
Financial and Economic News: October 23, 2025
Not sure what your numbers are telling you? Get a free review: coltivar.com/financial-review Major moves and market momentum in this week’s top financial stories, including:
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11:18
Want to Scale Your Business? Do These 3 Things Right Now | Ep 193
Not sure what your numbers are telling you? Get a free review: coltivar.com/financial-review Most companies want to grow, but few are actually ready to scale. In th...
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Episode 193
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14:17
Financial and Economic News: October 16, 2025
Not sure what your numbers are telling you? Get a free review: coltivar.com/financial-review Major moves and market momentum in this week’s top financial stories, including:
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12:11
What Is Strategy In Less Than 5 Minutes | Ep 192
Not sure what your numbers are telling you? Get a free review: coltivar.com/financial-review Most business owners confuse strategy with planning.In this episode, Steve b...
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4:39
Financial and Economic News: October 9, 2025
Not sure what your numbers are telling you? Get a free review: coltivar.com/financial-review Major moves and market momentum in this week’s top financial stories, including:
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9:03
What Makes a Great CFO (and How Owners Can Tell) with Tim Anderson | Ep 191
Not sure what your numbers are telling you? Get a free review: coltivar.com/financial-review Learn more about Ready Electric: readyelec.com...
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Episode 191
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32:12
3 Finance Skills That Separate Successful Leaders from the Rest | Ep 190
Not sure what your numbers are telling you? Get a free review: coltivar.com/financial-review Most business owners avoid finance because it feels complicated—but it doesn’t have...
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Episode 190
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13:48
Financial and Economic News: October 2, 2025
Not sure what your numbers are telling you? Get a free review: coltivar.com/financial-review Major moves and market momentum in this week’s top financial stories, including:
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11:13
Listen to This If You’re Ready to Change Your Life | Ep 189
Not sure what your numbers are telling you? Get a free review: coltivar.com/financial-review If you’ve ever felt stuck, ashamed, or on the edge of giving up, you’re not alone.&...
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Episode 189
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25:38
What is Strategy in Business? | Ep 188
Not sure what your numbers are telling you? Get a free review: coltivar.com/financial-review Profit benchmarks for the construction industry:
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Episode 188
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30:28
Financial and Economic News: September 18, 2025
Not sure what your numbers are telling you? Get a free review: coltivar.com/financial-review Major moves and market momentum in this week’s top financial stories, including:&nb...
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11:35
From $10M to $50M: Strategy and Clarity Behind Timberline One’s Growth | Ep 187
Want to grow your business? Download your free roadmap today: coltivar.com/growth Learn more about Timberline One: timberlineone.com
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Episode 187
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30:46
Financial and Economic News: September 11, 2025
Want to grow your business? Download your free roadmap today: coltivar.com/growth Major moves and market momentum in this week’s top financial stories, including: Stocks...
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12:11
What is Strategic Finance and Why Should You Care | Ep 186
Want to grow your business? Download your free roadmap today: coltivar.com/growth Free Financial Pro course: coltivar.com/byfiq W...
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Episode 186
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20:52
Part 14: The Cash Flow Formula for a Thriving Business | Cash Flow
This is Part 14 of Steve Coughran’s book Cash Flow. In the conclusion, Steve shares the personal lessons and turning points that shaped his obsession with cash flow. He emphasizes why business leaders have a fiduciary duty to master it...
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8:43
Part 13: The Cash Flow Playbook | Cash Flow
This is Part 13 of Steve Coughran’s book Cash Flow. Steve introduces the Cash Flow Playbook—a step-by-step plan to apply the seven levers, use the scorecard, and build a resilient, cash-generating business. He shows how to prioritize t...
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8:35
Part 12: The Cash Flow Scorecard | Cash Flow
This is Part 12 of Steve Coughran’s book Cash Flow. Steve introduces the Cash Flow Scorecard—a simple framework to diagnose where your business is leaking cash across the seven key levers. By scoring each area, you can pinpoint constra...
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8:11
Part 11: Lever #7 – Strategy | Cash Flow
This is Part 11 of Steve Coughran’s book Cash Flow. Steve covers the seventh lever of cash flow: strategy. He explains why profit is just the result of a good strategy, how ROIC is the scoreboard that proves whether your strategy is wo...
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20:48
Part 10: Lever #6 – Risk | Cash Flow
This is Part 10 of Steve Coughran’s book Cash Flow. Steve unpacks the sixth lever of cash flow: risk. He explains how uncertainty lowers valuation multiples and raises the cost of capital, the biggest risks that scare investors, and th...
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9:30
Part 9: Lever #5 – Capital | Cash Flow
This is Part 9 of Steve Coughran’s book Cash Flow. Steve introduces the fifth lever of cash flow: capital. He explains why EBITDA isn’t cash flow, how invested capital and ROIC reveal whether a business is creating or destroying value,...
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16:32
Part 8: Lever #4 – Operating Expenses | Cash Flow
This is Part 8 of Steve Coughran’s book Cash Flow. Steve explains the fourth lever of cash flow: operating expenses. He shows why cutting costs blindly destroys value, how to eliminate waste without hurting growth, and the smart ways t...
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10:13
Part 7: Lever #3 – Cost of Goods Sold | Cash Flow
This is Part 7 of Steve Coughran’s book Cash Flow. Steve covers the third lever of cash flow: cost of goods sold (COGS). He explains why lowering COGS directly boosts profitability, how throughput matters more than margins, and the str...
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12:46
Part 6: Lever #2 – Price | Cash Flow
This is Part 6 of Steve Coughran’s book Cash Flow. Steve unpacks the second lever of cash flow: price. He explains why price is the most powerful driver of profitability, how perceived value determines what customers will pay, and how ...
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11:15
