Episode 20: What Your Accountant Sees That You Don’t — with Pat Fuelling, CPA

Most CEOs think their CPA only sees the numbers. Pat Fuelling sees the patterns — the warning signs, the blind spots, and the decisions that separate leaders who scale from those who stall.Pat is a partner and executive committee member at Doran Mayhew, one of the top 30 CPA firms in the U.S., and has spent 32 years advising privately held businesses through growth, crisis, and everything in between. In this conversation with Glen Dall and John Ninkovich, he shares what he actually observes from inside the companies he serves.WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE:Imposter syndrome in the CEO seat — why it doesn’t go away and how it shows upThe physical and behavioral warning signs Pat sees before companies hit a wallReacting vs. responding: the distinction that matters most under pressureGrowth for growth’s sake — a real example of doubling revenue while cutting profitWhat high-performing leadership teams actually look like (and how rare they are)Why the right time to invest in your team is when things are hardestCash flow: the blind spots most CEOs carry longer than they shouldFinancial transparency — what to share, who to share it with, and howPat’s three unconventional CEO Playbook additions: empower your people, learn from the next generation, and teach people how to thinkTIMESTAMPS:0:00 — Introduction and how Pat and John met2:46 — About Doran Mayhew and Pat’s role8:07 — The CEO Doom Loop explained10:46 — Imposter syndrome: does every CEO feel it?12:46 — Recognizing imposter syndrome and finding your way out14:03 — Growing leaders: from sink-or-swim to intentional development19:30 — Clients vs. people: which comes first?22:35 — 360 feedback and giving leaders room to grow23:35 — Financial warning signs and the early signals of a Doom Loop26:14 — Reacting vs. responding under pressure26:37 — Leadership team quality: what Pat actually sees33:29 — Outside advisors and why objectivity matters35:32 — Reinvesting in the business when it’s hard39:00 — Financial acumen for founder-CEOs43:23 — Cash flow: defining terms and building a foundation45:00 — Receivables and the false sense of security48:24 — Financial transparency with the leadership team51:46 — CEO Playbook: Pat’s three pieces of advice57:15 — Why Pat went into accounting (and how he discovered it was actually about people)ABOUT THE GUEST:Pat Fuelling is a partner and executive committee member at Doeren Mayhew, a top-30 CPA firm serving privately held businesses. He’s been in the profession for over 32 years and was one of the early connectors behind the research project that became the CEO Playbook — the foundation of this podcast.ABOUT THE SHOW:Escape the CEO Doom Loop is hosted by Glen Dall and John Ninkovich of Apex North Business Coaching. Every episode is built for CEOs of growing companies who are tired of carrying everything — and ready to lead differently.RESOURCES MENTIONED:Wild at Heart by John EldredgeThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen CoveyThe CEO Playbook — NinkCoach/ Apex North Business CoachingDoeren Mayhew — doranmayhew.com#CEOLeadership #ImpostorSyndrome #BusinessGrowth #CashFlow #CEODoomLoop #ApexNorth #Podcast #TrustedAdvisor #LeadershipDevelopment #PrivatelyHeldBusinessSend us Fan Mail