Flight Financial

Flight Financial is an outsourced CFO firm that helps professional service providers have growing, profitable, and successful businesses. https://www.flight.financial/

Founder & Chief CFO

Cadilus

•  Cadilus is a managed service and consulting firm founded to bring Fortune 500 finance and analytics to the middle-markets. 
•  The Company's strategy is to merge finance, analytics, and best-practice management systems into innovative capability offers that enable customers to make better business decisions. 
•  The Company leverages technology and delivery process excellence and innovation to offer exceptional value at an unprecedented pace.
•  As a Manager, I was responsible for leading several client engagements and my key tasks centered on the following core service offerings – 
(1) Financial Modeling & Forecasting, 
(2) Performance Measuring & Reporting, 
(3) Business Planning & Budgeting, and 
(4) Business Analytics & Insights.

Manager, FP&A Services

AmeriLife

Summary:

• Provide direction, coordination, oversight and execution of all phases of acquisition analysis and due diligence to ensure consistency with company strategy, commitments and goals.

• Support the firm’s Corporate Development function through management of research, due diligence, financial analysis and development of presentations for initiatives across the company.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Support the CEO, CFO and other senior Corporate Development executives in strategic and financial analysis for acquisitions and key business initiatives. 

• Research and assess transaction opportunities. 

• Build valuation and financial models. 

• Communicating the business case for proposed acquisitions, particularly the strategic alignment, market context, business analysis and financial justification. 

• Manage the due diligence review of target acquisitions. 

• Identify risk issues that impact transaction value and engage the right resources to address. 

• Meet with stakeholders and provide status updates; clearly communicate issues, potential risks, and mitigation plans. 

• Serve as liaison with target acquisitions and internal subject matter experts to clarify due diligence requirements and ensure thorough follow through. 

• Consolidate due diligence reports from subject matter experts; Distill and summarize relevant information for Senior Executive team. 

• Identify due diligence issues and work with legal team to resolve issues in the transaction documents.

Manager, Corporate Development

Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP

• Participate in buy-side and sell-side financial due diligence engagements with both private equity and strategic corporate buyers 

• Perform (i) quality of earnings, (ii) working capital and (iii) debt and debt-like items analyses 

• Analyze the financial operations of the target companies and identify issues that may impact the purchase price 

• Understand and evaluate financial and operational trends of target companies 

• Lead diligence meetings with target company management team 

• Communicate due diligence findings in a formal report 

• Supervise senior associates and provide performance review feedback 

• Develop and maintain strong client relationships/project management 

• Manage multiple tasks/projects at a time

Manager, Transaction Advisory Services

MetLife

• Worked in MetLife's Corporate & Other Segment Controllers Group. 
•  Served as Controller for start-up businesses within MetLife, primarily the Expatriate Insurance Business (Life, Health, LTD).

Controller, Expatriate Business, C&O Controllers Group

Crosstree Capital Partners, Inc.

• Crosstree is a Healthcare-Focused Investment Bank Providing Mergers and Acquisitions
and Financing Advisory to the Diagnostics & Tools, Drug & Medical Device Outsourcing, and Healthcare Providers segments of the Healthcare industry.

Investment Banker

Silverwood Partners

• Provided financial and strategic advisory services to TMT and Healthcare companies in connection with M&A, divestiture, and private financing transactions.

About Silverwood Partners

Silverwood Partners is a specialized investment bank that provides merger & acquisition advisory services, private capital financing capabilities, and financial and strategic advisory services to public and private companies worldwide in the TMT, healthcare, and consumer sectors.

Vice President Investment Banking

Liberty Savings Bank

• Coordinated several client projects and internal initiatives across multiple offices in different states

Associate, Investment Services

Is your business booming💥but your bank balance barely pays your bills?😭I can help.😎I'm a fractional CFO for founder-owned, self-financed businesses seeking more money, more time, and more peace. | DM me for details 🚀

👋 Lawyers & Fellow Professional Services Firm Owners,

Are you buried in billable hours, but your bank balance barely budges?

Want to grow, but lack financial and strategic guidance?

Do you seek freedom over your time and income?

I started my own firm, Flight Financial, to gain autonomy over my time and earnings. 

🛫 Why 'Flight'? Because it symbolizes freedom, momentum, direction, and raising your firm to unprecedented heights.

Today, I’m committed to guiding you towards experiencing that same sense of liberation and clarity for your firm.

My clients work 40 hours or less per week and have profits in excess of $500,000 per year, without financial unknowns and stress.

At Flight Financial, we have a 6-step One Clear Path system for your firm that will give you the roadmap to that lifestyle.

Within the first 30 days you’ll have a bulletproof plan in hand to gain at least a 2x return on our service in the first year - the sky’s the limit!
 
✅ Here’s How I Elevate You:

➡️ Craft a Clear Profit Path: We’ll give you actionable next steps to achieve transformative results for your firm.

➡️ Seal Profit Leaks: We’ll stop your firm from being a leaky bucket of profits.

➡️ Amplify Marketing ROI: Waiting years for marketing to pay off is a thing of the past. Every $1 of marketing should be generating at least $3 of billable hours for your firm this quarter.

➡️ Optimize Staff ROI: Start earning at least 3x what the lawyers on your team cost you.

➡️ Simplified Financial Mastery: No convoluted jargon, just tailored insights. Each month, you’ll get an easy-to-understand 1-page scoreboard that will clearly show you what’s working and what needs improvement in your business. No need to look at boring or confusing financial accounting statements.   

As a fellow professional services firm owner with 15+ years in finance, accounting, and diverse business collaborations, I deeply understand your aspirations and your challenges. 

I've aided professionals, from lawyers to marketing agencies, in nurturing businesses that thrive, boost profits, amplify cash flow, and resonate with their unique definitions of success.

Ready to soar higher in your firm? 

Let’s get on a quick call to see if we’re the right fit for each other.

Book your free “Right Fit” call here: https://calendly.com/flightfinancial/right-fit 🚀

Brian Zapf, CPA

Are you constantly managing fires instead of leading your team forward?

Do you feel like you're the only one who really gets it—and wish your team did too?

If you're ready to lead with clarity and stop babysitting your business, you're in the right place.

After 50+ years of hands-on leadership—from startups to multi-billion-dollar corporations—I know the real cost of unclear leadership: time, money, and energy you can't get back.

That’s why I created the T.R.I.P™ Leadership Method: a practical, proven framework to help small business owners and corporate executives:

-Identify internal leadership gaps

-Reignite team commitment

-Build a culture that performs without micromanagement

This isn't theory. It's grounded in decades of real-world leadership, mentoring, and executive coaching. I've coached hundreds of high-achieving business owners and executives through team disengagement, stalled growth, succession planning, and culture chaos.

The result?

-Passionate, accountable team members

-Strong internal leaders

-Higher profits and lower turnover

-More discretionary time for you

My process starts with the T.R.I.P™ Leadership Assessment—a diagnostic that helps us uncover what's really going on with your team and your leadership style.

From there, we dive into a personalized Clarity Call to map out your next best move. No fluff. Just real strategy from someone who's been there.

Want to lead a team that runs like a well-oiled machine—without running yourself ragged?

Let’s talk.

🔗 Book your Clarity Call: https://calendly.com/henrychidgey/45min
📧 Or email me directly: Henry@henrychidgey.com

• Chidgey

If they’re just there but don’t care, something deeper needs repair.

They show up.
They do the task.
They don’t complain.

On paper, everything looks fine.

But the spark is gone.

No ideas.
No initiative.
No energy.

Silent disengagement doesn’t scream.
It whispers.
And it slowly drains the room.

When people stop caring, it’s rarely about the task.
It’s about the environment.
The leadership.
The lack of meaning.

You don’t fix this with discipline.
You fix it with connection.

Ask deeper questions.
Rebuild trust.
Reconnect purpose.

Compliance isn’t commitment.

What’s one early sign you notice when someone starts disengaging?

• Henry Chidgey

Mentor to Owners & Leaders in the Skilled Trades | Field-Tested Leadership Clarity | Fix Accountability, Strengthen Teams, Grow Profit. Earn Respect.

The Gate Code Test

A man once showed up at my ranch with my gate code…
after I had already told him not to come.

That’s not a small detail.

When someone has access to your property
and ignores your instructions,
you have a decision to make.

Most leaders do one of two things.
They explode.
Or they ignore it.

Neither response builds leadership.

So when he arrived, I told him directly:

“Right now, you are a security risk to me.”

Not because I believed he was dangerous.
But because trust isn’t built on assumptions.
It’s built on evidence.

What followed turned into one of the clearest leadership lessons I’ve seen in years.

Because the real issue wasn’t the firewood.

It was reliability.
Broken commitments.
Missed deadlines.
Excuses that sound reasonable but slowly destroy trust.

That’s when I explained a rule every professional should live by:

Every promise must include two parts:

WHAT you will do
and
BY WHEN you will do it.

When the “by when” disappears,
accountability disappears.

But that wasn’t even the biggest lesson from the conversation.

The bigger lesson was about discernment.

How leaders protect boundaries
without becoming cynical.

And how trust can be reset
without lowering the standard.

I wrote the full story and leadership lesson here:

▶ Read the full blog below

Because leadership isn’t proven when things are easy.
It’s proven when standards are tested.

I had a man deliver firewood to my ranch. Nice enough fellow. Hard worker. Talkative. Seemed harmless. But early on, something happened that forced me

Open article:  The Gate Code Test: A Field-Tested Lesson in Trust by • Henry Chidgey • 4 min read

The Gate Code Test: A Field-Tested Lesson in Trust

If it’s only in your head, the system is dead.

A process that only works when one person is present isn’t a system it’s a risk. When knowledge lives in someone’s head instead of inside the operation, the entire team becomes fragile.

In this episode, I break down:

• Why undocumented knowledge creates operational fragility  
• What really happens when your “expert” suddenly isn’t there  
• How SOPs and checklists protect consistency and reliability  
• Why documentation isn’t disrespect it’s protection for the team  

Strong operations don’t depend on one person. They build systems that allow the whole team to succeed.

If one person leaves and everything falls apart, that’s not a system it’s a risk.

Write it down. Train it out. Build depth.

Where is your operation most dependent on tribal knowledge?

Subscribe for more field-tested leadership lessons built for the real world.

#Leadership #Systems #Operations #Management #SkilledTrades #WorkplaceCulture #BlueCollarLeadership #Supervisor #ProcessImprovement #Accountability

Respect isn’t lost all at once.

It rarely disappears in one big moment.

No blowups.
No walkouts.

More often, it fades quietly.

The room gets quieter.
Energy drops.
Ideas slow down.

And leaders start asking:
What changed?

Here’s what most don’t see:

Respect isn’t lost in an instant.
It’s lost in small, repeated moments.

A sarcastic reply.
A correction made in front of others.
A pattern of favoritism real or perceived.

Each one chips away at trust.

People may not say anything.
But they remember how they were made to feel.

And when that happens, they start holding back.

That’s when leadership begins to suffer.

If you want respect to stay strong:

• Watch your tone
• Correct in private
• Celebrate fairly
• Handle people with care

Because small moments don’t stay small.

They either build respect 
or quietly break it.

What’s one small habit you’re paying closer attention to as a leader?

Respect isn’t lost in one big moment 

If one person fixes everything, no one else learns anything.

This episode breaks down the hidden cost of leaning too hard on your strongest player and how to build a team that carries the weight together.

Because leadership isn’t about finding the best worker. It’s about developing the whole crew.

#LeadershipLessons #TeamCulture

Helping small business owners and corporate executives lead skilled blue-collar teams with CLARITY using the T.R.I.P™ leadership method | Leadership Coach and Mentor

Undermining rarely shouts. It whispers.

Most cultures aren’t destroyed by loud conflict.

They’re weakened by subtle disrespect that spreads quietly until it feels normal.

Sarcasm.
Side comments.
Quiet doubt in the background.

In this episode, I break down:
• What undermining actually looks like on real teams
• Why subtle disrespect spreads faster than open conflict
• How informal influence can quietly weaken leadership
• The right way to address it early privately and directly

Strong leaders don’t overreact.

But they also don’t ignore it.

Because what you tolerate today becomes culture tomorrow.

Have you ever dealt with this on a crew?

Subscribe for more field-tested leadership lessons built for the real world.

#Leadership #WorkplaceCulture #TeamLeadership #Management #SkilledTrades #Respect #Accountability

Accountability isn’t about being harsh. It’s about being fair.

Early in my leadership journey, I thought accountability meant being tough.

Calling people out.
Making rules stricter.
Putting pressure on results.

And sometimes, I avoided it.

I didn’t want to seem harsh.
I didn’t want to create conflict.
It felt easier to let things slide.

But over time, something started to happen.

Inconsistency.
Frustration.
A quiet loss of respect.

That’s when I learned something important:

When accountability disappears, fairness disappears with it.

You can’t correct one person and ignore another.
You can’t talk about standards and then bend them for your favorites.

Teams don’t need you to be harsh.

They need you to be clear.
They need you to be consistent.

Accountability isn’t punishment.

It’s alignment.

It protects trust.
It protects culture.
It keeps everyone moving forward.

Avoiding accountability might feel easier in the moment.

But over time, it costs the team more than the discomfort you tried to avoid.

Where in your leadership are you avoiding accountability, and what is it quietly costing your team?

Accountability

There’s a reason small team problems turn into big ones.

It’s not bad people.
It’s not poor systems.
It’s not a lack of talent.

I used to see small issues and think:
“It’ll work itself out.”
“I don’t want to make it awkward.”
“It’s not that serious yet.”

So I waited. Delayed the talk. Avoided the tension.

And over time… small problems became big ones. Harder. Messier. Painful.

Lesson: hard conversations don’t get easier with time. They get heavier.

When leaders delay truth, resentment builds. Assumptions grow. Clarity disappears.

Avoiding discomfort now only creates damage later.

You don’t need to be harsh. You just need to be honest. Early. Respectful. Clear.

So next time you feel the urge to stay silent say it. Kindly. Privately. Directly.

Where in your team are you avoiding a tough conversation and what is it costing you?

P.S. If this resonates with you, I created something specifically for leaders working in real-world pressure.

Comment “FIELD TESTED” and I’ll send you access to the Field-Tested Leader GPT.

There’s a reason small team problems turn into big ones.

Communication isn’t just what you say.

It’s how they hear it.

I used to think I was being clear.

I explained the task.
Said it directly.
Made sure everyone heard me.

And yet 

Misunderstandings kept happening.

Steps were missed.

The room went quiet.

That’s when it hit me.

Clarity isn’t about volume.

It’s about connection.

Different people bring different backgrounds.
Different rhythms.
Different ways of hearing.

When you lead diverse teams, you can’t assume understanding.

You have to build it.

That means slowing down.

Listening without judgment.

Asking, “Did that make sense?”

And making it safe to ask questions.

Leadership isn’t just giving direction.

It’s building bridges between different worlds.

Say it clearly.

But more importantly make sure it lands.

P.S. If this hit home, I built Field-Tested Leader GPT for moments like this no fluff, just real-world leadership moves that hold under pressure.

👉 Try it here: https://lnkd.in/gg9rMdEv

#Leadership #Communication #TeamLeadership #WorkplaceCulture #Management #FieldTestedLeader

I used to have a “go-to” person.

The reliable one.
The fast one.
The fixer.

Whenever something broke I called their name.

At first, it worked.
Deadlines were saved.
Problems disappeared.

But slowly… the rest of the team stopped stepping up.

Why try, when someone else will handle it?

Over-reliance on one person weakens everyone else.

When one carries the weight:
Confidence fades.
Growth slows.
Skill gaps widen.

And eventually?
Even your strongest performer burns out.

Leadership isn’t about building a hero.

It’s about building depth.

Spread responsibility.
Coach the quiet ones.
Let others struggle and grow.

Because when one person becomes the solution to everything,
The team stops becoming anything.

P.S. If this hit home, I built Field-Tested Leader GPT for moments like yours no fluff, just real-world leadership moves that hold under pressure.

 👉 Try it here: https://lnkd.in/gg9rMdEv

Compassion without standards creates quiet resentment.

Every leader wants to be understanding. But when weak performance is protected too long, your strongest people notice and motivation starts to drop.

In this episode, I break down:
• Why “being nice” can quietly turn into unfairness
• How resentment builds inside strong teams
• Why standards protect both the mission and the people
• How to coach with care while still holding the line

You can support people and still protect the standard. When the line disappears, your best workers feel it first.

Subscribe for more field-tested leadership lessons built for the real world.

#Leadership #Standards #Accountability #WorkplaceCulture #Management #BlueCollarLeadership #SkilledTrades #Supervisor #Foreman #TeamLeadership

Experience builds skill.
But it can also build blind spots.

“I’ve done this a hundred times.”

That’s usually when mistakes happen.

Not from ignorance.
From overconfidence.

When familiarity replaces discipline, risk increases.

The more experienced you are,
the more disciplined you must become.

That’s why professionals rely on systems.

Checklists aren’t disrespect.
They’re protection.

They protect quality.
They protect safety.
They protect the standards that experience alone can’t guarantee.

Skill never replaces standards.

And the best leaders understand this:

Discipline is what keeps experience sharp.

P.S. If this hit home, I built something for leaders who operate under real pressure.

Comment “FIELD TESTED” and I’ll send you access to the Field-Tested Leader GPT.

Overpromising Is Leadership Failure, Not Confidence

The promise sounds bold in the meeting but heavy on the floor.
What feels strong in the moment often becomes pressure for the team.

In this episode, I explain why overpromising breaks trust, how pressure flows downhill, and how strong leaders protect their crews without losing credibility.

Watch the video to learn the phrase that protects your team and keeps your word solid.

#Leadership #Management #BusinessOwner #WorkplaceCulture #SkilledTrades #BlueCollarLeadership #TeamLeadership #Burnout #Accountability #Integrity

If they’re just there… but don’t care… something deeper needs repair.

Some of the most dangerous problems in leadership aren’t loud they’re quiet. Disengagement doesn’t scream. It whispers.

In this episode, I break down why quiet disengagement is more dangerous than open conflict, what environments create “checked out” workers, and how to tell the difference between discipline problems and connection problems.

Plus, one simple question that can reopen trust and restore purpose.

If you lead people in the real world, this one matters.

👉 Type “T.R.I.P” or visit [trip.henrychidgey.com](https://lnkd.in/g4gZTpHf)

#Leadership #EmployeeEngagement #WorkplaceCulture #BlueCollarLeadership #TeamLeadership

Trust Isn’t Lost Loudly.
It Slips Quietly.

Most leaders think trust is automatic.
That it comes with the title.
The role.
The responsibility.

It doesn’t.

Trust isn’t given because you’re in charge.
 It’s built in the moments you think don’t matter.

The pause before you respond.
The way you handle pressure.
Who you blame first when something breaks.

When trust drops, teams don’t push back.
They pull back.

Fewer ideas.
Less honesty.
Bare-minimum effort.

Not because they don’t care.
Because they don’t feel safe.

Trust isn’t built with speeches.
It’s built with consistency.

Calm over control.
Presence over pressure.
Proof over promises.

And teams don’t follow noise.
They follow leaders they can rely on.

If things feel flat right now,
don’t demand more effort.

Build more trust.

👉 Read the full article below

Trust compounds.
Titles don’t.

Trust Isn’t Given. It’s Built Under Pressure. If you’re leading a crew and feel like people are doing the job but holding back you don’t have a perfor

Open article: If You’re Leading but People Are Holding Back, This Is Why by • Henry Chidgey • 3 min read

If You’re Leading but People Are Holding Back, This Is Why

A team without a reason
will struggle every season.

Early in my leadership journey, I thought tasks were enough.

Give people clear instructions.
Set deadlines.
Keep the work moving.

That’s leadership… right?

But something didn’t add up.

Energy was low.
Motivation faded.
Results were inconsistent.

They weren’t confused about the work.
They knew what to do.

They just didn’t know why it mattered.

And that’s when I learned a hard lesson:

When people don’t see the purpose,
they stop caring about the progress.

Without a clear “why”

Work becomes routine.
Effort becomes mechanical.
Accountability weakens.
And the team slowly drifts.

Purpose isn’t fluff.
It isn’t corporate language on a wall.

It’s fuel.

It turns pressure into pride.
It helps people push through hard days.
It connects today’s task to tomorrow’s impact.

As leaders, we don’t just assign work.

We translate meaning.

We show how the task connects to the mission.
How the mission serves people.
And why the standard matters.

Because when the reason is clear,
performance rises.

But a team without a reason?

They’ll struggle every season.

How do you make purpose visible in your leadership?

A team without a reason will struggle every season.

Experience builds skill. But it can also build blind spots.

Some of the biggest mistakes in skilled teams don’t come from rookies. They come from veterans who get too comfortable.

In this episode, I break down:

• Why routine can create dangerous blind spots  
• How confidence slowly turns into carelessness  
• Why “I’ve done this a hundred times” can become a warning sign  
• The truth every leader must reinforce: checklists are for professionals

The checklist isn’t for rookies. It’s for professionals.

The more experienced you become, the more disciplined you must be.

If you want more field-tested leadership lessons like this, subscribe and stay with me.

What’s one routine mistake you’ve seen experienced workers make?

#Leadership #Discipline #WorkplaceCulture #SkilledTrades #BlueCollarLeadership #Safety #Management #Supervisor #Foreman #Accountability

Control feels safe but it slowly kills ownership.

I used to check everything.
Every step.
Every detail.
Every decision.

I thought I was protecting the outcome.

But the team stopped thinking.
Stopped taking initiative.
Stopped owning the work.

Micromanagement doesn’t build excellence.
It builds dependence.

Skilled people don’t need constant control.

They need clarity.
They need trust.
They need space.

When you hover, you send one message:
“I don’t trust you.”

Ownership dies quietly.

Leadership isn’t about holding every string.
It’s about setting direction and stepping back.

P.S. If this hit home, I built Field-Tested Leader GPT for moments like yours  no fluff, just real-world leadership moves that hold under pressure.

👉 Try it here: https://lnkd.in/gg9rMdEv

Recognition Is Leadership, Not Just Praise

True leadership means noticing the work most people miss.
Behind-the-scenes contributors often keep operations running, yet their impact goes unseen.

In this episode, I explain why recognizing effort not just outcomes protects motivation, strengthens culture, and shows your team their work truly matters.

Watch the video to see why the quiet worker might be the backbone of your operation.

#Leadership #Recognition #WorkplaceCulture #Management #EmployeeEngagement

When Old and New Collide, Respect Must Be the Guide

“They don’t work as hard as we used to.”
“They’re stuck in the old ways.”

Sound familiar?

Every workplace has this tension.

One generation values long hours and seniority.
The other values efficiency and innovation.

And when leaders ignore the conflict…
teams slowly break apart.

But here’s the truth most managers miss:

Different work styles don’t mean different work ethics.

Experience brings wisdom.
New energy brings fresh perspective.

Great leadership isn’t about choosing a side.
It’s about building a bridge between them.

🎥 Watch Episode 43 of Leadership They Don’t Teach in School

#Leadership #LeadershipLessons #TeamLeadership #BlueCollarLeadership #ManagementTips

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The Battle

Brian Zapf, CPA

• Chidgey

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The Battle

Brian Zapf, CPA

• Chidgey

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}• Chidgey's LinkedIn Performance

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