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• About : Tom Dillon, CFA, founded Frak Finance after careers in investment banking at William Blair and as CFO and CEO of a $10M ecommerce company.

Best Posts

Fractional CFO insights from Tom Dillon — on cash flow discipline, M&A due diligence, and the financial decisions that actually determine whether a business scales or stalls.

• Your Bank Balance Is Lying to You : Tom Dillon explains why a bank balance is an unreliable measure of business financial health and how cash flow discipline provides a more accurate view.
• 7 Due Diligence Mistakes That Kill Deals : Tom Dillon identifies seven due diligence mistakes that derail acquisitions, covering cash flow, customer concentration, and seller transition planning.
• CFO Chronicles: The Secrets Behind Success podcast : Tom Dillon joins James Donovan's podcast to discuss moving from technician to CEO, when to hire ahead of growth, and scaling Frak Finance.
• My Trip to Italy : Tom Dillon recounts a trip to Italy through photographs, including coastal views, Tuscan hillsides, street art, and a friend's wedding in the countryside.

Finance

Practical finance writing for business owners and operators. Tom covers cash flow, budgeting, KPIs, and the fundamentals every founder should know to run a financially healthy company.

• The Biggest Tension in AI Right Now : The real AI fight is CEO ambition versus CFO discipline. Why finance leaders are pushing back on AI spending, and what separates winners from hype.
• How CFOs Earn the CEO Seat Before the Title Changes : CFOs earn the top job through judgment under pressure, not visibility. What Toyota's Kenta Kon shows SMB owners about finance as leadership.
• Your Bank Balance Is Lying to You : Tom Dillon explains why a bank balance is an unreliable measure of business financial health and how cash flow discipline provides a more accurate view.
• Why I Gave My Nephew a Deposit Instead of a Birthday Gift : Tom Dillon shares how he started saving for his nephew each birthday, using real investing conversations to build financial literacy over time.
• The Cash Leak Nobody Talks About: Why Timing Breaks Profitable Businesses : Tom Dillon explains how mismatched payment cycles create cash pressure even in profitable businesses, and outlines the cash flow mechanics that fix it.
• Why Your Annual Budget Is Already Outdated : Tom Dillon makes the case for quarterly budget reviews, drawing on a client example where an unreviewed annual budget led to overspend and missed targets.
• CEO vs COO vs CFO: Who Owns What in a Fast-Growing Company? : Tom Dillon explains how CEO, COO, and CFO roles divide in fast-growing companies and why clear boundaries between vision, execution, and finance matter.
• What Your Business Would Actually Sell For : Tom Dillon explains what business buyers evaluate, why messy financials reduce valuations, and how founders can prepare for a more realistic exit.
• 30 Finance Basics Every Business Owner Should Know : Tom Dillon defines 30 core finance terms for business owners, covering profitability metrics, balance sheet concepts, and cash flow fundamentals.
• Build Your Revenue Engine: 7-Part Framework : Tom Dillon presents a seven-part framework for building predictable revenue in small businesses, covering offer clarity, unit economics, and sales process.
• Stop Hoarding KPIs! : Tom Dillon explains why founders should track no more than seven KPIs, how to choose leading over lagging indicators, and when to reevaluate them.
• How to Secure Funding for Your Business: A Strategic Guide : Tom Dillon outlines business funding options including SBA loans, investor pitches, and revenue-based financing, with guidance on financial preparation.

General

Personal posts from Tom: travel, golf, family moments, and reflections outside the spreadsheet. A look at the person behind the CFA credential.

• What Unilever's $1.2B Grüns Deal Really Teaches Us About Building Consumer Brands : Tom Dillon examines what Unilever's $1.2B Grüns acquisition reveals about how consumer brands build demand before scaling into retail.
• Building Real Connections Outside The Boardroom : Tom Dillon reflects on a client fishing trip and why activity-based networking builds stronger professional relationships than conference rooms.
• Golfing Moments on the Green : Tom Dillon shares a photo collection of golfing experiences, from client rounds and charity events to course landmarks and moments with Frak Finance.
• My Trip to Italy : Tom Dillon recounts a trip to Italy through photographs, including coastal views, Tuscan hillsides, street art, and a friend's wedding in the countryside.
• Our Gender Reveal Story : Tom Dillon shares his family's gender reveal, featuring a cake, a golf ball shot, and the announcement that they are expecting a daughter.

M&A

Tom's take on mergers, acquisitions, and selling a business. From due diligence mistakes to what your company would actually sell for, these posts break down the deal process from a CFO's perspective.

• The $1.2 Billion Banking Merger That Quietly Redrew the Southeast Map : Tom Dillon analyzes the $1.2B merger between Renasant and First Bancshares, which reshaped the regional banking landscape across the Southeast.
• 7 Due Diligence Mistakes That Kill Deals : Tom Dillon identifies seven due diligence mistakes that derail acquisitions, covering cash flow, customer concentration, and seller transition planning.
• What To Do Before Selling Your Business : Tom Dillon outlines the financial groundwork business owners should complete before a sale, including clean books and documented cash flow records.
• How Bob Swan Redefined the CFO Role at Intel : Tom Dillon looks at how Bob Swan used Intel's CFO role to align financial planning with strategy and position the company for AI investment.
• The Silent Killers of Mergers and Acquisitions : Tom Dillon covers five acquisition pitfalls that derail M&A deals, including normalized EBITDA gaps, cash flow blind spots, and integration failures.

Media

Tom's podcast and media appearances. Conversations where he digs into fractional CFO work, financial strategy, and what business owners miss about their numbers.

• Fractionals Unplugged with Jay Kingley : Tom Dillon joins Jay Kingley's Fractionals Unplugged podcast to discuss cash flow, forecasting, and scaling a fractional CFO practice for SMBs.
• CFO Chronicles: The Secrets Behind Success podcast : Tom Dillon joins James Donovan's podcast to discuss moving from technician to CEO, when to hire ahead of growth, and scaling Frak Finance.