Like many of her peers in finance, Kristi Dannelley’s resume reflects a journey from public accounting to business ownership to C-suite, consulting and analysis. Today she serves as principal of GreenPoint CFO where she offers a range of financial services, operating as a stand-in CFO for organizations without someone in the role.
For the latest installment of our Small Business Talk series highlighting and demystifying the world of women in small business, Dannelley talks career pivots, building a process-driven business and the importance of finding your niche.
Elevator pitch time. Tell us about GreenPoint CFO.
KD: GreenPoint CFO provides outsourced and fractional CFO services to companies seeking growth, profit maximization, cash optimization and expert financial analysis without the associated cost ($150k-$500k) of a full-time CFO.
Did you have a lightbulb moment when you knew this was what you were supposed to do?
KD: I started my career 25+ years ago in public accounting as a CPA and then joined a printing and marketing company called Magna IV. I ended up owning that company and held several roles over the years including CFO, COO and CEO/owner. During COVID, I volunteered financial counseling services to several business owners to help them get through those tough months. I discovered a passion for doing that type of work, so when I eventually sold Magna IV, I decided to fall back into my financial background and offer my financial and operational expertise to add value to other business owners.
What is something you wish you’d done differently when you first launched?
KD: I should have hired someone to help with social media. I tend to make it low-priority, but there is a lot of content that I could share that would help business owners. This is a goal for 2026!
Since then, what was a moment that felt huge to you, but might not look that way to others?
KD: Expanding the practice to serve national and international clients has been a tremendous source of growth and has brought me a lot of satisfaction in terms of being able to serve a wide range of industries and business owners.
How have your goals evolved since you first started?
KD: When I started GreenPoint CFO, the goal was to primarily add value by helping the client manage the financial aspects of their business in order to supercharge growth and profitability. I still do that, but I’ve also added merger and acquisition services that help those same business owners capitalize on that growth by raising capital or achieving a successful exit.
Launching GreenPoint CFO was a big career pivot for you. What was the biggest lesson you learned — good or bad — in that process?
KD: Know your value and charge accordingly. Every client is not a fit for your business and vice versa. The best recipe for success is finding a niche where your product or service truly adds value and makes someone’s life better.
What are the best and hardest parts about working for yourself?
KD: Freedom and flexibility are both the best parts of working for yourself and also the hardest parts. Discipline and structure are key to owning a small business. Does that mean I don’t sneak off midday to play mah-jongg with my friends? Of course not, but it probably also means I’m catching up at 10 p.m. that night.
Does being a woman affect how you do business or the way people do business with GreenPoint CFO? If so, how?
KD: No, I don’t believe that being a woman has affected the way people do business with my firm. My mission is to add value and solve other people’s problems, and in every case that takes a unique and flexible approach. I believe this to be a common theme among successful entrepreneurs whether they be male or female.
What do you wish people knew about small business owners?
KD: Small business owners are absolutely critical to the economic health of our country. Main Street (business under $5 million in revenue and under 50 employees) represent about 99% of the business entities in the U.S. A typical business owner is wearing many hats and carries a very heavy load. We need to support them not only by shopping with them, but also providing resources that help them run their business and remove some of that pressure.
What advice would you give to someone starting their own business?
KD: I encourage entrepreneurs to build a process-driven business from the very start. Make sure that you create documented and repeatable processes (good financial reporting, SOPs, process maps, manuals, flowcharts, checklists, etc.). This will help you scale much more quickly and will add tremendous value to your business. I always tell my sell-side clients that “buyers want to buy a business, not a job.” Your goal should be to build a business so that it runs just as smoothly without you as with you.
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