This month we are delighted to continue with our team spotlight series. This is where we interview members of our team and ask them to share a little more about themselves and their role at Rocksteady Finance.

Next up is an interview with Ryan Wardle, our Client Manager, who, like Ewa was one of the first people to join the team. Here is what Ryan had to say:

1. How long have you worked at Rocksteady Finance?

I started working with Aggie and the Rocksteady Finance, then CFO for Growth, in February 2024, so just over 2yrs ago.

2. What do you do day-to-day for Rocksteady’s clients (Tell us about your role)?

In my day-to-day role I focus on preparing management accounts, reviewing VAT returns and handling all things payroll. I keep a close eye on compliance to ensure that our VAT and payroll processes run smoothly and nothing gets missed. I am also regularly in touch with clients, assisting with their queries big or small to give them a clear picture of how things are going behind the scenes.

3. What does good look like and how do you know when you have done a good job in your role?

To me, doing a good job results in quiet. If everything is running as smoothly as it should, clients aren’t worried, they’re not raising queries and they’re confident the work is being done properly and in a timely manner. There’s no need to chase or second guess anything, just that quiet reassurance while they focus on running their business.

4. What’s the most common financial mistake you see agency founders making – and what’s the fix?

I’d say focusing too much on revenue is a common mistake many agency founders make. It’s easy to look at the top line numbers of your P&L and think that your business is doing well – however you could be having cashflow issues, experiencing poor margins, or increasing cost pressures. The fix here is to get a better handle on profitability, whether it’s by client, project or service. This will help to understand what drives profit rather than what looks good on paper.

5. What’s a financial problem that agency founders often don’t realise they have until someone points it out?

One of the key problems that agency founders often don’t realise they have is around cash flow timing. This is really important to consider,  particularly for agencies in the early growth stages. It’s not always obvious for agency owners until it gets laid out properly in a cashflow forecast, but things such as payment terms, late paying clients and gaps between projects can create cash flow issues.

6. What do agency founders most misunderstand about what you do?

A common misunderstanding is that revenue equals success. Many agencies can hit strong top-line numbers but have low profit due to underpriced retainers or poor utilisation rates. Finance isn’t about just reporting those issues but identifying why they’re happening and suggesting how to fix them.

7. What’s the one financial challenge you think agency founders aren’t taking seriously enough right now?

Too many founders outsource their financial understanding along with their accounting. Trusting your finance team is important, but a clear view of your numbers is required to run the business effectively.

8. What drew you to working in accounting and finance?

As cliché as it sounds, I was good at maths in school and figured a career in accounting could be a good fit for me. What kept me interested however, was realising that it’s not just about the numbers but understanding how businesses really work. There are endless paths that you can take within finance and accounting, there’s always something new to learn.

9. What’s the one thing you’d tell your younger self or anyone wanting to work in this field?

I‘d say to get your studies completed sooner rather than later. It took me a little while to work out which area of finance I liked best, as a result I am still working on my studies in my mid-twenties.  If you start your studies earlier, you can spend the beginning part of your career focusing on what type of accounting career you want to venture into.

10. Best piece of financial advice you ever received (from anyone, formal or not)?

I don’t have one standout piece of advice to note, but what I’ve learned and continue to learn on the day to day has been invaluable.

11. What do your friends and family think you do for a living?

I don’t often talk in detail about work to my friends and family, but occasionally I do get asked questions relating to self-employment or personal finances. I think there’s a general assumption that I just stare at spreadsheets all day, but it’s a lot more varied than that!

12. Tell us something about that you we may not know about you.

I’m a big Manchester United football fan and I try to go to as many of their games as possible. I also enjoy long walks with my puppy Honey, as I live in a small village with plenty of countryside fields, woods and lakes nearby to explore.

Thank you for your time Ryan it was great to learn more about what you do and the role you play at Rocksteady Finance.  If you are a marketing, creative or PR agency that is ready to take the next step and looking to gain some financial clarity and direction, get in touch to book a no-obligation discovery call!