“I needed someone to jump in and do the work. I didn’t have time to teach. Lori jumped in and was the best thing that happened to me. I would have never been able to be acquired if she wasn’t with me.”
– Ashleigh Kirsten, Founder & CEO, AK Consultants & Healthcare (now part of Griffin Resources)
The Need for Immediate Financial Expertise
Ashleigh Kirsten is the CEO and founder of AK Consultants & Healthcare, LLC, which she launched in 2017 and scaled to become the nation’s premier full-service growth management company for post-acute care healthcare businesses. Over the years, she grew her client portfolio by 300% and assembled a team of over 70 contractors. By the end of 2023, AK Consultants & Healthcare was going strong.
Then, in December of that year, Kirsten found herself in need of an immediate replacement CFO and flew into action. She knew she needed someone to clean up and manage the financials while she figured out her next steps, so she started making calls and scouring websites, hunting for someone who could fill the new void in her business.
“I never cheapen on my weakest point. Finance is my weakest. I want the top person in there because they will capture things better than I will,” Kirsten said.
In her search, she came across FocusCFO and submitted a form through our website. The next day, she got a call from Jim Collins, an area president with FocusCFO. He had read her message and recognized her situation was urgent. He offered a call the following morning with himself and Lori Rothel, a fractional CFO based in the Tampa Bay region. Kirsten accepted.
Finding the Right Solution with FocusCFO
On the call the next morning, Kirsten told the FocusCFO team exactly what she needed: someone who could jump right in, someone who didn’t need to be taught, someone who could save her and her business. Rothel had over 20 years of quantifiable achievement behind her She had extensive experience in direct operational and financial management of complex healthcare organizations. It was exactly what Kirsten needed. She had found her savior.
Strategic Guidance and Executive Coaching
Rothel got to work immediately, cleaning up the books and closing out the company’s fiscal year. That first quarter of 2024, AK Consultants ran at a loss – Kirsten’s first since her launch. But she kept moving forward. Kirsten navigated many unforeseen challenges so she could propel the company forward. She hunted for investors. She met with banks about potential loans. Meanwhile, Rothel created her pro forma and built her business development plan – providing financial expertise, strategic guidance and, most importantly, a level of executive coaching Kirsten didn’t know she needed.
“She took me to a new level as a CEO. She helped me extract the emotions from some very tough decisions, and I was able to think more shrewdly. She became my right hand, and she gave me the sound advice and support I needed when I needed it,” Kirsten said. “I’ll be honest with you: She saved me.”
For Rothel, the experience was equally rewarding. “Ashleigh is a great visionary and strategic leader,” she said. “I have seen her exhibit tremendous personal growth over the past six months. She was faced with a difficult situation and came out on top. As she moves on to her next challenge, her strength and determination will ensure that she is successful. I have enjoyed the fast pace and positive energy of such a passionate CEO.”
Overcoming Challenges and Moving Forward
By June, Kirsten was able to move past significant challenges and move the company forward. Then came another one: One of her senior leaders and instrumental team lead in operations and project management left the company. Kirsten had already been working around the clock; now she had to work harder. She asked Rothel to increase her hourly commitment, and the two continued to move AK Consultants forward.
By July, AK Consultants was healthy and stable, and Kirsten began to consider her path forward. She thought about approaching investors once again and continuing to build her business. At the same time, she had deepened her professional relationship with Griffin Resources, an HR solutions provider and long-time collaborator with AK Consultants. The possibility of an acquisition began to percolate. Kirsten believed firmly that the company’s CEO, Dr. Michelle Griffin, was the right partner, and she decided she was ready for an exit. She had spent seven years growing her business, and now it was time to move on.
She spoke to Rothel soon after coming to her decision and made a request: When the next opportunity arises, Kirsten wants Rothel back.
“I’m very fast-paced. Lori is the only person who can keep up with me,” Kirsten said. “She steps in when she needs to step in and takes care of what she needs to take care of. She does her job, and that’s what I really needed.”
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