Danielle Hendon is the founder and owner of 4 Corners CFO, a firm offering financial advisory services to small business owners on a scale that fits their company and budget. Coupling her decade of experience in corporate finance and accounting with her passion for small business owners, Danielle brings the benefit of “big business” financial analysis to entrepreneurs. Now, instead of helping corporations increase share prices, Danielle gets to help business owners increase their livelihoods so they can leave a legacy and lasting impact on their community.
Episode Summary
In this episode, Liz chats with Danielle Hendon, founder of Four Corners CFO—a financial advisory firm that helps service-based business owners make sense of their numbers and build businesses that support the lives they want. Danielle shares how she landed on her business name, her unique six-part financial framework, and busts common myths about CFO services (spoiler: they don’t do taxes or bookkeeping!).
Together, Liz and Danielle dive into practical money matters: when you might be ready for a CFO, how intuition blends with financial decisions, and why profit matters more than just revenue growth. Danielle also gives concrete examples for managing business expenses, handling feast-or-famine workflows, and how to confidently make hiring decisions.
They also share a fun, unscripted moment when they discover they work with the same CPA, and discuss the importance of having a supportive financial team.
Key Takeaways
- Four Corners = Cornerstones for Your Business: Danielle explains that her company name represents foundational pillars, not a geographical location—and her framework actually became six parts, not four.
- What Four Corners CFO Does (and Doesn’t Do): Danielle’s team doesn’t handle taxes or bookkeeping. Instead, they focus on higher-level financial strategy, budgeting, and profit analysis.
- Making Peace with Your Numbers: Many business owners feel nervous about reviewing financials, but Danielle stresses that understanding your numbers leads to better decisions and opportunities for growth.
- Personal Perks & Smart Spending: Danielle introduces her method for categorizing expenses into three buckets: required, personal perks, and investments—helping business owners intentionally choose how to spend.
- Intuition Meets Analysis: Danielle encourages trusting your gut but running the numbers so you can confidently take strategic risks.
- Profit over Revenue: Both Liz and Danielle agree that chasing simple revenue growth can backfire—true success comes from profitability and a business that fits your life.
- When to Hire a CFO: Danielle says, “You’re ready before you think you’re ready”—especially when hiring your first “mini-me” or when you hit an income ceiling.
- Seasonality & Feast-Or-Famine Cycles: They discuss how different industries (like law, creative services, and interior design) face unique revenue ebbs and flows—and why forecasting matters.
- Build the Business You Want: Success isn’t just about reaching a million dollars. Danielle champions creating a business that fits your lifestyle, goals, and happiness.
Notable Quotes
- “Everybody should want to be the business they want to be. More money, more problems if you’re just aiming for revenue.” – Danielle Hendon
- “Our job is to make sure you’re taking care of YOU, and that you’re making profit distributions, not just growing for the sake of it.” – Danielle
- “If you’ve got the itch, just book a quick strategy call with a CFO and see where the numbers point.” – Danielle
Resources & Links
- Four Corners CFO: 4cornerscfo.com/lizonbiz (The number 4, not the word!)
- Connect with Danielle for a strategy session or learn more about her six-part financial framework.
Special Shoutout
- CPA Mary Anderson gets a glowing review from both Liz and Danielle!
