As a business owner, you may trust your team, but that trust can blind you to the quiet financial risks inside your business.

In this episode of The Creative Agency Success Show, we talk with Clay Kniepmann, manager in Forensic and Litigation at Anders, to share practical tips on balancing trust and control and how you can use simple steps to strengthen your internal processes.

Key Takeaways:

• Watch for Red Flags: Delayed reports and lifestyle mismatches are warning signs.
• Balance Trust and Controls: Small businesses need clear internal controls.
• Simple Steps Matter: You don’t need complex systems.
• Technology Has Limits: Prevention still relies on human judgment.
• Owner Involvement is Key: Owners must stay engaged.

Take practical steps to strengthen your business for lasting success. Tune into the episode of ▶️ Why Every Business Owner Should Think Like a Forensic Accountant with Clay Kniepmann.

Find more podcast episodes on our website:

anderscpa.com/learn/podcasts/

Episode resources:

● Anders Virtual CFO by Anders website: anderscpa.com

● Love our content? Sign up for our newsletter: https://anderscpa.com/learn/

● Check out the Virtual CFO Playbook Course:

anderscpa.com/virtual-cfo-services/vcfo-playbook/

Quotes

• Clay Kniepmann - "Forensic accounting is like piecing a puzzle together. Each case is unique and requires careful analysis and adaptability."
• Jamie Nau: "Understanding your operational processes helps identify potential fraud risks more effectively than generic controls."

Clay Kniepmann is a manager in Forensic and Litigation at Anders, specializing in forensic accounting, fraud investigation, and litigation services. He’s known for making intricate financial issues easy to understand, giving leaders the clarity they need to make smarter decisions.

Website: https://anderscpa.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/AndersCPA

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claykniepmann/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/anders-cpa/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/anderscpa/

The Creative Agency Success Show helps service-based business owners master the financial side of growth. Hosted by Jamie Nau, Director of Virtual CFO Services/ Virtual CFO, and Jody Grunden, Partner and Virtual CFO Practice Leader at Anders CPAs + Advisors, the podcast dives into essential financial strategies for scaling creative agencies.

Website: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2458889

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vcfobyanders

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vcfobyanders/

Instagram:

If you’re invisible online, you’re losing clients before they even know you exist. In today’s competitive market, your digital presence is your storefront.

In this episode, Agency Consultant & Executive Coach Karl Sakas of Sakas & Company explains why being invisible online is costing you clients and what you can do to fix it. He shares practical strategies on leadership, delegation, and long-term planning that help you attract more clients and strengthen your agency.

Key takeaways:

• Delegation done right. Learn how letting go of low-value tasks helps you focus on client growth and financial results.
• Stop being the “answer person.” Growth stalls when every decision depends on you.
• Visibility drives revenue. If you’re not visible, you’re handing over opportunities to competitors.
• Audit your meetings. Free up your time by identifying which meetings matter and can be delegated.
• Coaching and accountability matter. Having an outside advisor helps you avoid blind spots and stay accountable.

Tune into the episode of ▶️ Improve as an Agency Leader and 'Calm the Chaos' with Karl Sakas.

Find more podcast episodes on our website: anderscpa.com/learn/podcasts/

Episode resources:

● Anders Virtual CFO by Anders website: anderscpa.com

● Love our content? Sign up for our newsletter: https://anderscpa.com/learn/

● Check out the Virtual CFO Playbook Course:

anderscpa.com/virtual-cfo-services/vcfo-playbook/

Quotes

• Karl Sakas: "A meeting audit helps leaders reclaim time. Review your calendar, decide which meetings matter, and delegate or cut the rest."
• Jody Grunden: "Delegation is the cornerstone of growth. Protecting your team from failure keeps them from developing."

Karl Sakas is an agency advisor and coach who helps agency owners work less, earn more, and build stronger teams. Known as the "agency therapist," Karl has supported 600+ agencies across 36 countries in navigating growth and scaling smartly. He specializes in guiding leaders toward building lifestyle agencies or positioning for multi-million dollar exits.

Website: https://sakasandcompany.com/

FB: https://web.facebook.com/SakasAndCompany?_rdc=1&_rdr#

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlsakas/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/SakasandCompanyTeam/

X: https://x.com/KarlSakas

YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOyb-o2ICYgIOzBzCBarrjQ

The Creative Agency Success Show helps service-based business owners master the financial side of growth. Hosted by Jamie Nau, Director of Virtual CFO Services/ Virtual CFO, and Jody Grunden, Partner and Virtual CFO Practice Leader at Anders CPAs + Advisors, the podcast dives into essential financial strategies for scaling creative agencies.

Website:

You don’t need more hands—you need better tools. For service-based small business owners, AI can lift the burden of repetitive tasks, helping your team do more of what moves the needle

In this episode of The Creative Agency Success Show, we sit down with Ed Krystosik, Co-Founder of RAC Projects AI, to unpack the real-world strategies for integrating AI into small businesses. From streamlining workflows to navigating compliance risks, Ed shares how AI can support your people, sharpen your processes, and fuel sustainable growth.

Key Takeaways:

• Support Over Substitution: AI should enhance, not replace, your team.
• Start Small, Think ROI: Target low-friction tasks first.
• Fix the Process First: Map your workflows, then automate what makes sense.
• Win Team Buy-In: Assign a tech-savvy team member to lead the change. Make AI adoption a shared mission, not a top-down command.
• Play It Safe with Data: Learn how to protect sensitive info and avoid hallucinated outputs with smart model settings.
• Make Your Method Memorable: Create repeatable models that AI and humans can remember and recommend.

Learn how to use AI to power smarter decisions, sharper content, and stronger results. Watch the episode of ▶️ Amplifying Human Potential In Your Business with AI Support.

Find more podcast episodes on our website: http://www.summitcpa.net/podcasts

Episode resources:

● Summit Virtual CFO by Anders website: https://www.summitcpa.net/

● Love our content? Sign up for our newsletter: https://www.summitcpa.net/summit-newsletter

● Check out the Virtual CFO Playbook Course:

https://anderscpa.com/

anderscpa.com/virtual-cfo-services/vcfo-playbook/

Quotes

• "If you're using AI to amplify the people you already have—or possibly replace the need for new hires—that's where you get tremendous ROI." - Ed Krystosik
• "When AI takes over parts of everyone’s tasks, it shifts job roles. The challenge becomes getting buy-in as responsibilities evolve." - Jamie Nau

Ed Krystosik is the Co-Founder of RAC/AI, where he helps busy sales professionals amplify their impact through smart, AI-supported lead generation strategies. By automating follow-ups and systematizing referral pipelines, Ed empowers professionals to boost revenue without burning out. His approach focuses on maximizing quality leads, nurturing client relationships, and simplifying tech with practical workflows. With Ed's guidance, sales teams can focus less on chasing leads and more on closing deals. He's on a mission to help sales pros unlock human potential through strategic, AI-backed systems.

Website: https://racprojects.ai/

Facebook: https://racprojects.ai/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-krystosik/

The Creative Agency Success Show helps service-based business owners master the financial side of growth. Hosted by Jamie Nau, Director of VCFO Services/ Virtual CFO, and Jody Grunden, Partner and Virtual CFO Practice Leader at Anders CPAs + Advisors, the podcast dives into essential