Digital Agency Growth: From Infancy through Adolescence to Maturity with Karla Santi

“I'm the CEO. I'm not a CFO, but I was acting as one. It was not my favorite part of running a company because math doesn't excite me like it does some of you. I can do it, and I think I did it pretty well. But it was invaluable to be able to have your firm come in and take a look at how we've been running the company and just to get the reassurance of, 'You guys are good, you're not doing things wrong.' You've been able to come in and tweak things and make it even better. It's been quite the journey from first meeting you, in 2015.” -Karla Santi   The finer details of this episode: ●       Importance of mentoring in personal and professional growth ●       Value of finding a mentor or coach in the professional world ●       Significance of advisory boards and diverse perspectives in decision-making Episode resources: ●       Summit Virtual CFO by Anders website: https://www.summitcpa.net/ ●       Love our content? Sign up for our newsletter: https://vcfo.summitcpa.net/ddc https://www.summitcpa.net/summit-newsletter ●       Digital Dollars and Cents: A Virtual CFO’s Playbook to help Digital Companies Create a Financial Roadmap to Success, is now an audio book! Download it here: https://vcfo.summitcpa.net/ddc ●       https://www.blendinteractive.com/   Timestamps: Karla's Background and Agency (00:00:15) Discussion about Karla's impressive background and her agency, Blend Interactive. Karla's Journey and Agency Evolution (00:01:51) Karla shares her personal journey and how her agency has evolved since its founding in 2005. Long-time Friendship and Events (00:03:25) Discussion about the long-time friendship between Karla and the hosts, as well as their shared experiences at various events. Karla's Decision to Seek Financial Help (00:07:03) Karla discusses the triggering event that led her to seek financial help and the decision to commit to working with a financial team. Adoption of AI and Employee Development (00:10:45) Karla talks about the adoption of AI in web development and the focus on employee development within her agency. Empowering Leadership Team and Future Plans (00:12:24) Discussion about empowering the leadership team to make decisions and future plans for the agency. Karla's Role as a Mentor (00:15:26) Karla's role as a mentor and the importance of personal connections in mentoring relationships. Influence of Sports on Mentoring (00:20:01) Karla reflects on the influence of ballet and tennis on her leadership style and team collaboration. Finding the Right Mentor (00:21:53) Discussion on the importance of finding a mentor who connects with you and fosters a meaningful relationship. Transparency and Trust in Relationships (00:23:02) Importance of transparency and trust in professional relationships, including the mentor-mentee dynamic. Takeaways from Conferences (00:24:11) The value of attending conferences and the key insights gained from them. Learning from Others (00:33:19) The significance of learning from others and seeking guidance to improve professional development and business success.