<![CDATA[Ask the CFO with Lowell Mora]]>I’m Lowell Mora, CEO of Impact CFO and a fractional CFO with more than 30 years of experience helping privately held and family-owned businesses make better financial and operational decisions.

This channel is about what happens when the spreadsheet alone isn’t enough.

Through Ask the CFO, I sit down with business leaders and advisors to talk candidly about cash flow, profitability, growth, people, technology, succession, risk, and the decisions that move a business forward.

Through Unwritten CFO, I share what no certification or job description can fully teach: how to think in the CFO seat, advise an owner, navigate difficult decisions, build credibility, and become a trusted financial leader.

Whether you’re a business owner, fractional CFO, or finance professional preparing for the CFO seat, you’ll find practical conversations grounded in real experience.

**Better questions. Better decisions. Stronger financial leadership.**

]]>www.impactcfo.net/askRiverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Sat, 17 Oct 2026 06:14:41 GMTTue, 18 Aug 2026 19:50:48 GMT60Lowell Mora<p>I’m Lowell Mora, CEO of Impact CFO and a fractional CFO with more than 30 years of experience helping privately held and family-owned businesses make better financial and operational decisions.<br /><br />This channel is about what happens when the spreadsheet alone isn’t enough.<br /><br />Through <b>Ask the CFO</b>, I sit down with business leaders and advisors to talk candidly about cash flow, profitability, growth, people, technology, succession, risk, and the decisions that move a business forward.<br /><br />Through <b>Unwritten CFO</b>, I share what no certification or job description can fully teach: how to think in the CFO seat, advise an owner, navigate difficult decisions, build credibility, and become a trusted financial leader.<br /><br />Whether you’re a business owner, fractional CFO, or finance professional preparing for the CFO seat, you’ll find practical conversations grounded in real experience.<br /><br />**Better questions. Better decisions. Stronger financial leadership.**</p>episodicLowell Moralowell@impactcfo.netno<![CDATA[ Ask the CFO with Ben Jones: Are you overlooking tax savings in your business?]]>Could your business be overlooking tax opportunities in work it’s already doing?

In this episode of Ask the CFO, Lowell Mora sits down with Ben Jones of Capstan Tax Strategies to explore “3D Tax Incentives”—Depreciation, Design, and Development—and how they connect to everyday business investments.

From purchasing or renovating a building to testing a new production process, we discuss where opportunities may exist, what deserves a closer look, and why documentation matters.

IN THIS EPISODE:
• R&D tax credits—and why you don’t need a laboratory to have qualifying activities.
• Why unsuccessful projects may still deserve an R&D review.
• Cost segregation and the potential value of accelerating depreciation.
• When older property purchases and improvements to leased space warrant evaluation.
• Section 179D deductions for qualifying energy-efficient building projects.
• The difference between a tax deduction and a tax credit.
• How specialists work alongside your CPA to evaluate and document opportunities.

CONNECT WITH BEN JONES
Email: bjones@capstantax.com
Website: https://capstantax.com/
Meet Ben: https://capstantax.com/about-capstan/...

COMPANION RESOURCE
“3 Tax Strategies Every Business Owner Should Know”
https://us.simplerousercontent.net/up...

READ THE REPLAY BLOG
https://www.impactcfo.net/blog/124690...

Ask the CFO remains a live, interactive conversation where business owners and financial leaders can ask questions and share perspectives. Follow the podcast and subscribe to this channel to catch the conversations on your own schedule.

#AskTheCFO #TaxPlanning #CostSegregation

]]>f26cf009-8836-4f9e-9a54-4b856c78b17dTue, 13 Oct 2026 18:45:00 GMT<p>Could your business be overlooking tax opportunities in work it’s already doing?<br /><br />In this episode of Ask the CFO, Lowell Mora sits down with Ben Jones of Capstan Tax Strategies to explore “3D Tax Incentives”—Depreciation, Design, and Development—and how they connect to everyday business investments.<br /><br />From purchasing or renovating a building to testing a new production process, we discuss where opportunities may exist, what deserves a closer look, and why documentation matters.<br /><br />IN THIS EPISODE:<br />• R&amp;D tax credits—and why you don’t need a laboratory to have qualifying activities.<br />• Why unsuccessful projects may still deserve an R&amp;D review.<br />• Cost segregation and the potential value of accelerating depreciation.<br />• When older property purchases and improvements to leased space warrant evaluation.<br />• Section 179D deductions for qualifying energy-efficient building projects.<br />• The difference between a tax deduction and a tax credit.<br />• How specialists work alongside your CPA to evaluate and document opportunities.<br /><br />CONNECT WITH BEN JONES<br />Email: <a href="mailto:bjones@capstantax.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">bjones@capstantax.com</a><br />Website: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUZZTVljR1k2WGx0WnpFZm1PQ2VWOVY1SW9vcXxBSTVJdTVzQUZHd3VfMTFxZGo5VnVraW9EY0RZcjBWZHJMWmlkZkQzU3RWU2dNc0g4U1FuLUlWUE5qbmc3c1o3RFBJU0lJOW9QV2JjWU4wamZKNV9nM2ptX0dRRU1ZZ1c0c25T&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fcapstantax.com%2F&amp;v=EUySj5j7Wg8" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://capstantax.com/</a><br />Meet Ben: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUZZTVljR2lwS1ZycjB4QlQ3ZnhlYTE2M0FyZnxBSTVJdTV0WmFjTWN4VXhBMVhxRlMzczFfc2tWUm5wSVBFOXp2dmhkTm1vOEtuMTcyalRzRFVYTy1kRnVzR094OUMtTFdGaWFJcWxTT3pNUUQtazhLaGZtWEJ0S0hNZURWZ0Y0&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fcapstantax.com%2Fabout-capstan%2Four-people%2Fben-jones%2F&amp;v=EUySj5j7Wg8" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://capstantax.com/about-capstan/...</a><br /><br />COMPANION RESOURCE<br />“3 Tax Strategies Every Business Owner Should Know”<br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUZZTVljR1JFSExqcUplRVlTQ3J4T3A4X21FTnxBSTVJdTVzUjExMzh1OThGUFJyaUc4S3FEdHdSRThLNUpBcGljUlNnNEhlQTlHMUpJLUdMYkU2T29PRlFqaG5LLWo2RjlMUHNPOTVTcHlYWGhGNkVZSWdMSFo0OVV1WHhIRjdz&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fus.simplerousercontent.net%2Fuploads%2Fasset%2Ffile%2F15312333%2F3-Areas-of-Tax-Incentives.pdf&amp;v=EUySj5j7Wg8" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://us.simplerousercontent.net/up...</a><br /><br />READ THE REPLAY BLOG<br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUZZTVljRjdDSGlsWVFPZjZxT3JjazVwTzk4MXxBSTVJdTV2MU9tdDZfMW5aN0xPcUpQYUdjYVY1cTNhM2k4clNhUXVLNnZOc0ppX3I2OVJRZFB2TF81c1pNRVUzZFN2RFdDN0FlNlNLclRESzhhS1dSUFNPMS16TG9TVG4wMm1y&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.impactcfo.net%2Fblog%2F124690-ask-the-cfo-3d-tax-incentives&amp;v=EUySj5j7Wg8" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.impactcfo.net/blog/124690...</a><br /><br />Ask the CFO remains a live, interactive conversation where business owners and financial leaders can ask questions and share perspectives. Follow the podcast and subscribe to this channel to catch the conversations on your own schedule.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/askthecfo" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">#AskTheCFO</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/taxplanning" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">#TaxPlanning</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/costsegregation" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">#CostSegregation</a></p>no00:47:57 Ask the CFO with Ben Jones: Are you overlooking tax savings in your business?full<![CDATA[Disrupting Retirement: Why 1 in 3 New 401(k) Plans Start With Human Interest with Stan Francom]]>A 401(k) is no longer simply a nice benefit to offer—it can be an important tool for attracting and retaining employees, reducing taxes, and helping business owners prepare for their own retirement.

In this episode of Ask the CFO, Lowell Mora speaks with Stan Francom of Human Interest about what business owners should know before starting or evaluating a retirement plan. They discuss available tax credits, Safe Harbor options, Roth contributions, employee participation, fiduciary responsibility, and how automation can make plan administration easier.

Whether you already offer a 401(k) or have assumed one would be too expensive or complicated, this conversation will help you understand the options, costs, and questions worth asking.

Learn more about Ask the CFO at www.impactcfo.net/ask.

]]>12b6c5f4-a09d-4799-ba1b-b3ab9bf734eeWed, 16 Sep 2026 17:38:50 GMT<p>A 401(k) is no longer simply a nice benefit to offer—it can be an important tool for attracting and retaining employees, reducing taxes, and helping business owners prepare for their own retirement.</p><p>In this episode of Ask the CFO, Lowell Mora speaks with Stan Francom of Human Interest about what business owners should know before starting or evaluating a retirement plan. They discuss available tax credits, Safe Harbor options, Roth contributions, employee participation, fiduciary responsibility, and how automation can make plan administration easier.</p><p>Whether you already offer a 401(k) or have assumed one would be too expensive or complicated, this conversation will help you understand the options, costs, and questions worth asking.</p><p>Learn more about Ask the CFO at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://www.impactcfo.net/ask" target="_blank">www.impactcfo.net/ask</a>.</p>no00:37:47Disrupting Retirement: Why 1 in 3 New 401(k) Plans Start With Human Interest with Stan Francomfull<![CDATA[If Your Marketing Isn't Generating Revenue, Here's Why]]>What happens when your marketing is creating activity—but not enough revenue?

In this episode of Ask the CFO, Lowell Mora sits down with Dolores Hirschmann of Masters in Clarity to talk about what is actually working in marketing today, especially for consultants, fractional executives, advisors, and service-based businesses.

They discuss relationship-based marketing, LinkedIn lead generation, why consistency matters, how AI is changing the way we find and communicate with prospects, and where automation should stop.

The biggest takeaway? AI can help you move faster, target better, and eliminate a lot of the grunt work—but the last mile still has to be human.

If you are trying to turn more of your marketing efforts into real conversations, stronger relationships, and ultimately revenue, this episode is worth a listen.

]]>d2959887-d715-40b9-8cf2-0650e4fb28fdTue, 01 Sep 2026 18:23:03 GMT<p>What happens when your marketing is creating activity—but not enough revenue?</p><p>In this episode of <b>Ask the CFO</b>, Lowell Mora sits down with Dolores Hirschmann of Masters in Clarity to talk about what is actually working in marketing today, especially for consultants, fractional executives, advisors, and service-based businesses.</p><p></p><p>They discuss relationship-based marketing, LinkedIn lead generation, why consistency matters, how AI is changing the way we find and communicate with prospects, and where automation should stop.</p><p></p><p>The biggest takeaway? AI can help you move faster, target better, and eliminate a lot of the grunt work—but <b>the last mile still has to be human.</b></p><p>If you are trying to turn more of your marketing efforts into real conversations, stronger relationships, and ultimately revenue, this episode is worth a listen.</p>no00:44:32If Your Marketing Isn't Generating Revenue, Here's Whyfull<![CDATA[Ask the CFO: Cultivating Fulfillment -- Why It Comes First with Diana Patel]]>Most high-achieving business leaders eventually hit a moment where they stop and ask, is this it. Not because anything is wrong. The revenue is there, the team is growing, the milestones keep getting checked off, and something still feels unresolved.

In this episode of Ask the CFO, Lowell Mora sits down with Diana B. Patel, founder and president of Resonant LLC, to talk about what fulfillment actually means for a business leader, and why it has to come before success and happiness, not after.

Today's chat is about the four building blocks of fulfillment: purpose, people, process, and peace of mind, and why fulfillment is not the same thing as happiness Why core values only mean something when they change what you say yes and no to, not when they are words on a poster Lowell's own reasons for turning down CEO offers he knew would set him up to fail, and what that has to do with the Peter Principle Work-life balance versus what Diana calls work-life harmony, and a simple way to decide what gets protected on a hard week The difference between patience and active patience, and how process goals keep you moving while an outcome plays out on its own timeline

Whether you are running a business, leading a team, or figuring out your own next step, this conversation is a practical look at how to build a career and a company you do not need a vacation to recover from.

Diana B. Patel is the founder and president of Resonant LLC, where she works with senior leaders through one-on-one coaching, keynote speaking, and workshops focused on turning insight into practice. Learn more at dianapatel.com.

About Ask the CFO Ask the CFO is a free, interactive series hosted by Lowell Mora, founder of Impact CFO. Each session brings business owners and financial experts together for practical conversations about the decisions that shape profitability, growth, succession and long-term business value.

Register for an upcoming session: https://impactcfo.net/ask

Connect with Lowell Mora: Website: https://www.impactcfo.net LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lowellmora/

Connect with Diana B. Patel: Website: https://www.dianapatel.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianabpatel

#AskTheCFO #ImpactCFO #Fulfillment #Leadership #WorkLifeBalance #ExecutiveCoaching #BusinessOwners #DecisionDiscipline

]]>44f4efe8-9285-4a9c-8912-4f8a5a0b1b71Tue, 18 Aug 2026 21:05:46 GMT<p>Most high-achieving business leaders eventually hit a moment where they stop and ask, is this it. Not because anything is wrong. The revenue is there, the team is growing, the milestones keep getting checked off, and something still feels unresolved.</p><p></p><p>In this episode of Ask the CFO, Lowell Mora sits down with Diana B. Patel, founder and president of Resonant LLC, to talk about what fulfillment actually means for a business leader, and why it has to come before success and happiness, not after.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Today's chat is about the four building blocks of fulfillment: purpose, people, process, and peace of mind, and why fulfillment is not the same thing as happiness Why core values only mean something when they change what you say yes and no to, not when they are words on a poster Lowell's own reasons for turning down CEO offers he knew would set him up to fail, and what that has to do with the Peter Principle Work-life balance versus what Diana calls work-life harmony, and a simple way to decide what gets protected on a hard week The difference between patience and active patience, and how process goals keep you moving while an outcome plays out on its own timeline</p><p></p><p>Whether you are running a business, leading a team, or figuring out your own next step, this conversation is a practical look at how to build a career and a company you do not need a vacation to recover from.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Diana B. Patel is the founder and president of Resonant LLC, where she works with senior leaders through one-on-one coaching, keynote speaking, and workshops focused on turning insight into practice. Learn more at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://dianapatel.com" target="_blank">dianapatel.com</a>.</p><p></p><p>About Ask the CFO Ask the CFO is a free, interactive series hosted by Lowell Mora, founder of Impact CFO. Each session brings business owners and financial experts together for practical conversations about the decisions that shape profitability, growth, succession and long-term business value. </p><p></p><p>Register for an upcoming session: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://impactcfo.net/ask" target="_blank">https://impactcfo.net/ask</a></p><p>Connect with Lowell Mora: Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.impactcfo.net" target="_blank">https://www.impactcfo.net</a> LinkedIn: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lowellmora/" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/lowellmora/</a></p><p>Connect with Diana B. Patel: Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.dianapatel.com" target="_blank">https://www.dianapatel.com</a> LinkedIn: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianabpatel" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianabpatel</a></p><p>#AskTheCFO #ImpactCFO #Fulfillment #Leadership #WorkLifeBalance #ExecutiveCoaching #BusinessOwners #DecisionDiscipline</p>no00:42:33Ask the CFO: Cultivating Fulfillment -- Why It Comes First with Diana Patelfull