Strategy Meets Finance

Hosted by Steve Coughran

Business Management

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Episodes

333

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

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.

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60 recent

August 17, 2026Episode 25515 min

The Gap Between Your Strategy and Your Results | Ep 255

Know your numbers, fix your cash flow, and build a business that works for you. Start free with myColtivar. Most businesses have a strategy. They have done the offsite, built the plan, and know where they want to go. Then you look at the financials and the strategy is nowhere in the numbers. In this episode Steve breaks down exactly what is happening in that gap, why strategy without a financial connection is just a list of good intentions, and what it actually takes to build a strategy that shows up in your margins, your cash flow, and your return on invested capital. _______________________________________ Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the individual Coltivar Group, LLC (“Coltivar”) personnel quoted and are not the views of Coltivar or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, Coltivar has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation. This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendations. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. Please see https://www.coltivar.com/privacy-policy-and-terms-of-use for additional important information. LinkedIn | YouTube coltivar.com

August 12, 2026Episode 25420 min

The Moment a Good Business Starts Becoming a Great One | Ep 254

Know your numbers, fix your cash flow, and build a business that works for you. Start free with myColtivar. There is a specific moment Steve has seen over and over again inside businesses. Revenue becomes more predictable, cash flow steadies out, and the owner goes from reactive to proactive. In this episode he breaks down exactly what that moment looks like in financial terms and the five conditions that have to be in place before it happens. If you are still in survival mode, this one will show you what you are actually working toward. _______________________________________ Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the individual Coltivar Group, LLC (“Coltivar”) personnel quoted and are not the views of Coltivar or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, Coltivar has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation. This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendations. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. Please see https://www.coltivar.com/privacy-policy-and-terms-of-use for additional important information LinkedIn | YouTube coltivar.com

August 4, 2026Episode 2538 min

Is Your Business Really Generating Value? | Ep 253

Know your numbers, fix your cash flow, and build a business that works for you. Start free with myColtivar. Most business owners look at profit on their income statement and assume the business is doing well. But profit and value are not the same thing. In this episode Steve breaks down why the majority of businesses are not generating returns above their cost of capital, what that actually means for the health of your company, and the one question every business owner should be able to answer about their strategy right now. If you have been measuring success by the bottom line alone, this one is going to change how you look at your numbers. _______________________________________ Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the individual Coltivar Group, LLC (“Coltivar”) personnel quoted and are not the views of Coltivar or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, Coltivar has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation. This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendations. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. Please see https://www.coltivar.com/privacy-policy-and-terms-of-use for additional important information. LinkedIn | YouTube coltivar.com

July 29, 2026Episode 25217 min

The Problem With Your Annual Budget (And What Actually Works) | Ep 252

Know your numbers, fix your cash flow, and build a business that works for you. Start free with myColtivar. Every year business owners build a budget. They set targets, present the numbers, tie bonuses to it, and by March it is already wrong. In this episode Steve makes the case that a static annual budget is one of the most limiting financial tools a business can use and walks through exactly what to do instead. Not a tweak to the process. A fundamentally different way of thinking about your numbers and your future. If you have ever sat in a budget meeting that felt more like a negotiation than a plan, this will resonate. _______________________________________ Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the individual Coltivar Group, LLC (“Coltivar”) personnel quoted and are not the views of Coltivar or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, Coltivar has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation. This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendations. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. Please see https://www.coltivar.com/privacy-policy-and-terms-of-use for additional important information. LinkedIn | YouTube coltivar.com

July 23, 2026Episode 25116 min

Your Best Customers Might Be Your Worst Financial Decision | Ep 251

Know your numbers, fix your cash flow, and build a business that works for you. Start free with myColtivar. Most business owners know their best customers by name. Longest relationships, biggest contracts, most consistent work. But in this episode Steve shows why looking at revenue per customer and profitability per customer are two completely different things and why the gap between them might be the most important number you are not tracking. He walks through exactly how to run a customer profitability analysis, what most accounting systems miss, and what the numbers usually reveal when you actually do the work. _______________________________________ Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the individual Coltivar Group, LLC (“Coltivar”) personnel quoted and are not the views of Coltivar or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, Coltivar has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation. This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendations. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. Please see https://www.coltivar.com/privacy-policy-and-terms-of-use for additional important information. LinkedIn | YouTube coltivar.com

July 20, 2026Episode 25018 min

What Buyers Actually Pay For When They Buy a Business | Ep 250

Know your numbers, grow your cash flow, and build a business that works for you. Start free with myColtivar. Two businesses, same revenue, same profit. One sells for three times EBITDA. The other sells for eight times. On a $2 million EBITDA business that gap is $10 million. In this episode Steve breaks down exactly what creates that difference and why sophisticated buyers are not just looking at the size of your earnings but the quality and the risk underneath them. Whether you ever plan to sell or not, understanding this will change how you run your business right now. _______________________________________ Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the individual Coltivar Group, LLC (“Coltivar”) personnel quoted and are not the views of Coltivar or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, Coltivar has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation. This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendations. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. Please see https://www.coltivar.com/privacy-policy-and-terms-of-use for additional important information. LinkedIn | YouTube coltivar.com

July 14, 2026Episode 24921 min

Why Your Pricing Has Nothing to Do With What You Charge | Ep 249

Know your numbers, grow your cash flow, and build a business that works for you. Start free with myColtivar. Most business owners set their prices based on what competitors charge, what feels right, or what they think customers will pay. None of those approaches have anything to do with the value your business actually delivers or what your business needs to be financially healthy. In this episode Steve breaks down how pricing actually works, the three most common pricing mistakes he sees, and why getting it right changes everything downstream from margin to cash flow to how fast your business can grow. If you have ever discounted work just to win it, this one is going to sting a little. _______________________________________ Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the individual Coltivar Group, LLC (“Coltivar”) personnel quoted and are not the views of Coltivar or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, Coltivar has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation. This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendations. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. Please see https://www.coltivar.com/privacy-policy-and-terms-of-use for additional important information. LinkedIn | YouTube coltivar.com

July 9, 2026Episode 24814 min

Business Lessons I Had to Learn the Hard Way | Ep 248

Know your numbers, grow your cash flow, and build a business that works for you. Start free with myColtivar. Steve started his first business at 16 out of his sister's garage with no money, no financial background, and no idea what he was doing. He made every mistake you can make. In this episode he shares the five lessons that would have saved him millions of dollars and thousands of hours if someone had told him earlier. Not motivational fluff. The real stuff that actually changes how you build and run a business. If you are earlier in your journey or just tired of learning things the expensive way, this is worth your time. _______________________________________ Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the individual Coltivar Group, LLC (“Coltivar”) personnel quoted and are not the views of Coltivar or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, Coltivar has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation. This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendations. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. Please see https://www.coltivar.com/privacy-policy-and-terms-of-use for additional important information. LinkedIn | YouTube coltivar.com

July 6, 2026Episode 24713 min

What Your WIP Schedule Is Trying to Tell You | Ep 247

How much cash is hiding in your business? See if you qualify for a Free Financial Health Check Financial Intelligence Toolkit Most specialty contractors either do not have a WIP schedule or do not treat it with the attention it deserves. And if your WIP is wrong, Steve will tell you straight: your financials are wrong too. In this episode he breaks down exactly what the WIP schedule is tracking, why billings are not the same thing as revenue, and how to use it to catch problems on a job before they become a cash flow crisis. If you run projects and you are not living inside your WIP every week, this one is for you. _______________________________________ Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the individual Coltivar Group, LLC (“Coltivar”) personnel quoted and are not the views of Coltivar or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, Coltivar has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation. This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendations. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. Please see https://www.coltivar.com/privacy-policy-and-terms-of-use for additional important information. LinkedIn | YouTube coltivar.com

July 2, 2026Episode 24615 min

Profitable But No Cash? This Is Why | Ep 246

How much cash is hiding in your business? See if you qualify for a Free Financial Health Check Financial Intelligence Toolkit Revenue is up. The team is celebrating. And the business owner is quietly pulling on the line of credit because cash is constantly tight. In this episode Steve breaks down exactly why profitable businesses run out of cash, what is actually happening between the income statement and the bank account, and the three things you can measure to find where the money is getting trapped. He also walks through a real landscape business he worked with and exactly what they fixed to turn it around. _______________________________________ Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the individual Coltivar Group, LLC (“Coltivar”) personnel quoted and are not the views of Coltivar or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, Coltivar has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation. This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendations. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. Please see https://www.coltivar.com/privacy-policy-and-terms-of-use for additional important information. LinkedIn | YouTube coltivar.com