Operating finance  ·  DTC and consumer brands $5M–$50M

Operating finance for DTC brands, before the business gets tight.

I help founders get ahead of cash, margin, inventory, and working capital. I've run finance inside growing consumer brands, so I think the way you do.

10 years leading finance and operations DTC, wholesale, and retail Through growth and acquisition
Brad Schroeder
Brad Schroeder, CPA
Founder & Principal, Hard Number Finance
The work

The finance work that actually matters.

The models and reporting are the baseline. What matters is a thought partner in the numbers, so you make the hard calls early, not late.

0113-week cash flow forecastingSee the squeeze coming with time to act on it.
02Inventory and open-to-buy planningBuy enough to grow without starving cash.
03Contribution margin and channel P&LKnow what actually makes money, by product and channel.
04Working capital and payment timingCover payroll, vendors, and big POs without scrambling for cash.
05Forecasting and scenario planningDecide with the downside already in view.
06Board and lender reportingWalk in with numbers you trust and can defend.
Who you'll work with
I've sat where you sit.

For ten years I led finance and operations inside growing consumer brands, usually as the first finance hire, working directly with the founder to build the model, the cadence, and the discipline from scratch.

The big PO. The slow cash week. The margin that looked fine until it didn't. I've lived those calls, not just advised on them. I think like an operator because I've been one.

I use AI to move faster through the analysis, but the value is judgment: what the numbers mean, what needs to change, and which calls to make first. You get fast answers and a finance rhythm your team can actually use.

DTC and consumer brands Finance and operations Cash · Margin · Inventory
Getting started

It usually goes like this.

Step 01

Start with a diagnostic

We take a focused look at your cash, margin, inventory, working capital, and reporting. You walk away knowing what's working, what's at risk, and what to fix first, whether or not we keep working together.

Step 02

Then I become your operating finance partner

I stay close to the business and install the rhythm: a 13-week cash view, a working capital calendar, inventory planning, a forecast you can trust, and clean reporting for your board and lenders.

Fit

A fit if

  • You're $5M–$50M and inventory-heavy
  • Growth is outpacing what you can see in the numbers
  • You want judgment, not another dashboard or tool
  • You want to see the hard calls early, while you can still act

Not a fit if

  • You want full-time CFO coverage at a part-time price
  • You're after bookkeeping or tax prep. That's not the work I do.
  • You want someone to agree with the plan, not pressure-test it
  • You want a quick fix, not a steady rhythm

You don't need another dashboard, another tool, or another AI subscription. You need a finance rhythm that makes the hard calls visible early enough to do something about them.

Book a 30-minute call →