Blueprint CFO Presents: Future Focused Entrepreneurs

Performance Under Pressure | Blueprint CFO Presents: Future Focused Entrepreneurs

Dante Valve is a full-service manufacturer, distributor and VR™ certified repair facility of valves and related products for the industrial and military markets. They manufacture military specification Danco pressure relief valves, they distribute Kunkle relief valves and TRAC regulating, reducing, and temperature regulating valves, fittings and flanges, and they also provide CNC machining services.
As the President and CEO of Dante Valve, Lisa Papini establishes the organization’s strategic priorities and vision and has responsibility for Dante Valve’s financial performance. Named to this position in 2016, she has focused on expanding manufacturing capabilities at the Norfolk, Virginia location, enhancing a planning process and enacting additional financial controls. Lisa is wholly dedicated to the Dante Valve “family” – both her actual relatives and the company’s long-time dedicated employees. Lisa began her career as a concert promoter in the Jazz and Blues industry. She joined Dante Valve in 1993 as a warehouse clerk – shipping orders, running forklifts, and managing inventory levels. Later, she moved into contract administration and sales, with responsibility for shipyard and original equipment manufacturers.  Lisa has played an instrumental role in the growth of the Danco brand – spearheading the strategic direction, financing and expansion of the product line, including all of the capital equipment and staffing, and managing the growth.
Lisa holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism/Public Relations from California State University, Long Beach and a Master’s of Business Administration with an emphasis in Entrepreneurship from the University of Southern California. She is the Chair of the Aircraft Carrier Industrial Base Coalition (ACIBC), a member of the Board of Trustees of GENEDGE, a Manufacturing Extension Partnership of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is an active member of the Submarine Industrial Base Council, the Marine Machinery Association and Shipbuilders Council of America.
Topics discussed in this episode:
Dante Valve’s belief in customer service as a part of the company’s promise to customers
The history of the firm, and how Lisa became a part of the multi-generational family business
Lisa’s early career as a concert promoter, and why Lisa decided to go back to school for her MBA
How Lisa’s values play a role in her career, and where her passion lies
How Dante Valve has responded to difficulties and challenges in the business
The importance of resilience, commitment, and leadership when facing challenges
The best and most difficult parts of running a business, from Lisa’s perspective
COVID-19’s impact on Dante Valve, and the proactive leadership mentality the firm embodied during that time period
Lisa’s perspective on the concept of work-life balance, and how many hours per week she works on average
How working with Blueprint CFO has benefited Dante Valve
Lisa’s tips and advice for budding entrepreneurs, and the importance of recognizing both the rewards and sacrifices
About the Series. Blueprint CFO Presents: Future Focused Entrepreneurs is an interview series and podcast highlighting entrepreneurs and businesses that are going places by focusing on the future and developing a roadmap for success. Hosted by Jim Downes, founder of Blueprint CFO, a future focused fractional CFO & accounting services firm based in Southern California.
About Blueprint CFO. Blueprint CFO is a future focused fractional CFO and accounting services firm based in Orange County, California. Partnering with entrepreneurial companies to guide and support them on their road to success, Blueprint CFO equips clients with the Profitability Roadmap® they need to grow.

Concepts from a Construction CEO | Blueprint CFO Presents: Future Focused Entrepreneurs

Known as J-Squared or J2 throughout the industry, J-Squared General Contractors Inc. is a privately-owned general contracting company founded by President & CEO Jeffrey M. Clark in 2007. Headquartered in Orange County California and servicing Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Diego Counties, J-Squared is rated AAA by the Better Business Bureau, was listed in the Top 10 Fastest Growing Companies in Orange County (2015, 2016), and was rated # 1 in 2014 as published by Orange County Business Journal. J-Squared’s team prides itself in a company culture of integrity, professionalism, and hard work. The key to J-Squared’s success is their “Nothing’s Impossible” approach to challenging project logistics and deadlines.
Jeff Clark possesses over 20 years of progressive experience in the construction & management fields. He has developed a solid reputation of integrity and commitment in his industry and has shown a constant track record of highly successful projects using multiple project delivery methods over many market sectors. As founder and CEO of J-Squared, Jeff has instilled in his team that only the highest level of commitment to the client’s cause is acceptable to be truly successful. He lives by the company’s mantra that “Nothing’s Impossible” and implements that theory daily. Words like ‘innovative approach’, ‘customer experience’, ‘quality’ and ‘timeliness’ are all part of Jeff’s daily vocabulary as he leads his team of highly-trained builders.
Topics discussed in this episode:
The power of a collaborative team in which each employee makes a difference
Which key players often get overlooked in the construction industry
Jeff’s entrepreneurial history, and what motivating factors compelled him to start his own company
J-Squared’s ‘Nothing’s Impossible’ motto, and the power of bringing like-minded, passionate people together
The joys and sacrifices that come with the entrepreneurial journey
COVID-19, and the impact of the pandemic on the construction industry, from Jeff’s perspective
How making sacrifices and learning to “do without” is key to entrepreneurial leadership and success
How working with Blueprint CFO has helped J-Squared, and Jeff as a leader
About the Series. Blueprint CFO Presents: Future Focused Entrepreneurs is an interview series and podcast highlighting entrepreneurs and businesses that are going places by focusing on the future and developing a roadmap for success. Hosted by Jim Downes, founder of Blueprint CFO, a future focused fractional CFO & accounting services firm based in Southern California.
About Blueprint CFO. Blueprint CFO is a future focused fractional CFO and accounting services firm based in Orange County, California. Partnering with entrepreneurial companies to guide and support them on their road to success, Blueprint CFO equips clients with the Profitability Roadmap® they need to grow. Learn more at www.BlueprintCFO.com.

Movers & Shakers in Material Handling | Blueprint CFO Presents: Future Focused Entrepreneurs

From living room enterprise to a multi-million-dollar business, Quality Material Handling started out as a husband-and-wife-operated business founded on the principles of hard work, dedication, and commitment to excellence. With a combined experience of over 32 years in the material handling industry, Hector and Brenda Pinto have built a reputation for supplying top-quality services, solutions, and products for every customer.
As a team, Hector and Brenda Pinto bring complementary skills to the table, which allows them to effectively manage all aspects of the business. Hector had extensive experience in closing sales, meeting delivery deadlines, establishing and managing customer relations, and performing installations; while Brenda brings her ability in team management, leadership, resilience and managing all QMH’s finances & legal matters that led them to their success today.
Over time, the dynamic duo has grown not only into a family-operated business, including their daughter and son, but has expanded into a team of over 50 employees. Together QMH is committed to delivering exceptional results leading to the satisfaction of every client.
Topics discussed in this episode:
Hector and Brenda’s employee-to-entrepreneur journey
The importance of a mindset of “we,” and valuing your employees
The power of ethics and hard work to accomplish anything
Setbacks Hector and Brenda have experienced over the course of their time in business
COVID-19, and the promise Hector and Brenda made to their employees
Hiring challenges Hector and Brenda have experienced post-pandemic
The pros and cons of being in business with family members, and how the Pintos main balance
Core values that guide the team at Quality Material Handling
How working with Blueprint CFO has impacted Hector, Brenda, and QMH as a whole
The power of commitment, tenacity, and being true to your word
About the Series. Blueprint CFO Presents: Future Focused Entrepreneurs is an interview series and podcast highlighting entrepreneurs and businesses that are going places by focusing on the future and developing a roadmap for success. Hosted by Jim Downes, founder of Blueprint CFO, a future focused fractional CFO & accounting services firm based in Southern California.
About Blueprint CFO. Blueprint CFO is a future focused fractional CFO and accounting services firm based in Orange County, California. Partnering with entrepreneurial companies to guide and support them on their road to success, Blueprint CFO equips clients with the Profitability Roadmap® they need to grow. Learn more at www.BlueprintCFO.com.

Landscaping Leadership from the Ground Up | Blueprint CFO Presents: Future Focused Entrepreneurs

Eric Fenmore is the owner of Garden Studio Design, a full-service landscape design/build firm located in Southern California. Eric grew up in Orange County and graduated from Foothill High School in Tustin in 1986, and continued on to study Economics at UCLA and the London School of Economics. After graduating college in 1990, he worked in a small family finance business until his father retired in 2000 and closed the business. From there, Eric went into banking, and his wife Chris started Garden Studio Design.
At the time, Garden Studio was a small, home-based landscape design-only business, but quickly the opportunity to grow into a landscape design-build business emerged, and the construction business started in 2001. From 2000 until 2004, Eric juggled his banking career with running Garden Studio. With the growth in the housing market in the early 2000s, Eric realized he could focus his efforts on Garden Studio, and resigned from banking in 2004. All went well until the housing crash of 2008. Garden Studio, still a young, inexperienced firm, was hit very hard by the Great Recession. By early 2008, Eric was back in banking and also running Garden Studio. He continued in the banking world until 2017, at which time he fully dedicated his time to Garden Studio’s growth.
Eric lives in Newport Beach with his wife Chris. They have three boys, Henry (25) and John (23) who both live in NYC and work in finance, and Shane (17), a junior in high school. They love to spend time with family, travel, cook and eat with friends and spend time with their two golden retrievers, Ted and Olive.
Topics discussed in this episode:
Eric’s career beginnings in the finance industry, and the origin story of Garden Studio Design
The impact of The Great Recession on Eric’s career and the design business
The two categories entrepreneurs tend to fall under when it comes to passion
Adaptability in business, and the twists and turns Eric has experienced with his company
The importance of valuing your time and focusing on high-value activities
Transparency as a company value, and whether California’s rainy winter impacted Garden Studio Design
Eric’s thoughts on the best and hardest parts of owning a business
Work-life balance and the importance of prioritizing personal growth
About the Series. Blueprint CFO Presents: Future Focused Entrepreneurs is an interview series and podcast highlighting entrepreneurs and businesses that are going places by focusing on the future and developing a roadmap for success. Hosted by Jim Downes, founder of Blueprint CFO, a future focused fractional CFO & accounting services firm based in Southern California.
About Blueprint CFO. Blueprint CFO is a future focused fractional CFO and accounting services firm based in Orange County, California. Partnering with entrepreneurial companies to guide and support them on their road to success, Blueprint CFO equips clients with the Profitability Roadmap® they need to grow. Learn more at www.BlueprintCFO.com.

Inside the Cosmetics C Suite | Blueprint CFO Presents: Future Focused Entrepreneurs

Gabriela and Fergus Hernandez are the co-founders of Bésame Cosmetics, a carefully curated line of cosmetic essentials inspired by style icons both famous and familial.
As a young girl, Gabriela would watch in complete wonder while her beloved grandmother applied makeup as part of her daily beauty ritual. From the swipe of a bold lip color to the dusting of rouge on a cheek, Gabriela loved how this small moment connected art to beauty, and grandmother to granddaughter.
After immigrating from Buenos Aires to the United States, Gabriela’s fascination for cosmetics grew into passion followed by expertise. She became a historian of makeup through the decades, studying photography and art direction at ArtCenter, where she met Fergus. The pair started a photo studio business together after graduation, and later co-founded Bésame Cosmetics.
Just like Gabriela’s experience watching her grandmother apply makeup decades ago, Bésame offers authentic connection across generations, so you can build looks that transcend time. As co-founder, Fergus shares that hearing what Bésame customers appreciate is hard to put a price on, and that customer feedback is what gets him up every day. He shares that his happy place is with Gabriela and their kids.
Topics discussed in this episode:• Gabriela and Fergus’s journey to launching Bésame Cosmetics, and where the inspiration came from• Rough spots the Bésame team has faced along their entrepreneurial journey• Changes Gabriela and Fergus have seen in the cosmetics industry over time, and the impact of the internet on the direct-to-consumer model• Being self-motivated as an entrepreneur, and the most difficult aspects of owning a business• The immeasurable joy of receiving impactful client feedback• Whether the economy (and looming recession) has impacted Bésame Cosmetics recently, and purchasing trends the co-founders have noticed• The cost of chaos, the risk of being tunnel-visioned as a passionate entrepreneur, and “not knowing what you don’t know”• The value of great accounting, and how working with Blueprint CFO has helped Gabriela and Fergus run their business better• What entrepreneurs should be looking out for along their journey, from the Bésame co-founders’ perspective
About the Series. Blueprint CFO Presents: Future Focused Entrepreneurs is an interview series and podcast highlighting entrepreneurs and businesses that are going places by focusing on the future and developing a roadmap for success. Hosted by Jim Downes, founder of Blueprint CFO, a future focused fractional CFO & accounting services firm based in Southern California.
About Blueprint CFO. Blueprint CFO is a future focused fractional CFO and accounting services firm based in Orange County, California. Partnering with entrepreneurial companies to guide and support them on their road to success, Blueprint CFO equips clients with the Profitability Roadmap® they need to grow. Learn more at www.BlueprintCFO.com.

The Business of Biking with Dustin Gyger | Blueprint CFO Presents: Future Focused Entrepreneurs

Today on Blueprint CFO Presents: Future Focused Entrepreneurs, Blueprint’s Jim Downes sits down with Dustin Gyger, an entrepreneur in the bike industry, to dive deep into Dustin’s entrepreneurial journey and leadership insights.
Dustin Gyger started his professional career in the television industry, working in business affairs for CW Network. After Dustin moved to the beach in 2005, Dustin discovered an opportunity for inexpensive, yet nicely designed, cruiser bikes. And the rest is history!
Soon after launching his company with his then-business-partner, the business quickly scaled to four retail locations in Southern California, selling over 50,000 cruiser bikes a year. When retail stores started struggling in 2015, Dustin purchased his business partner’s share of the company, and turned his attention to the direct-to-consumer online and wholesale aspects of the business.
Since 2015, Dustin has more than 6x the company’s revenue and expanded from cruisers into hybrid, comfort and electric bike offerings as well. 2023 marks Dustin’s eighteenth year of leading the company, with profitability every year. With extensive experience in direct-to-consumer retail, brick and mortar retail, digital marketing, fulfillment, logistics, product design and development, Dustin is a visionary leader who utilizes his creativity to stay ahead of the competition.
“The numbers help drive creativity in the right direction. With Blueprint, I’m able to think creatively about the segments and opportunities that are presented in the numbers.” – Dustin Gyger, Founder & CEO of sixthreezero
Topics discussed in this episode:• Dustin’s journey to founding sixthreezero, and what led him to start the business• Dustin’s thoughts on having a business partner when launching a new company, and his insights on decision-making in a 50/50 partnership• Rough spots Dustin has faced as a business leader through the years• The importance of diversifying your marketing channels• Best and worst parts of owning a business, from Dustin’s perspective• COVID-19’s impact on Dustin’s company, and his thoughts on an upcoming recession• Work-life balance, and how many hours a week Dustin typically works• Dustin’s top tips for blossoming entrepreneurs, and the importance of creating your own definition of success• How sixthreezero has benefited from working with Blueprint CFO
About the Series. Blueprint CFO Presents: Future Focused Entrepreneurs is an interview series and podcast highlighting entrepreneurs and businesses that are going places by focusing on the future and developing a roadmap for success. Hosted by Jim Downes, founder of Blueprint CFO, a future focused fractional CFO & accounting services firm based in Southern California.
About Blueprint CFO. Blueprint CFO is a future focused fractional CFO and accounting services firm based in Orange County, California. Partnering with entrepreneurial companies to guide and support them on their road to success, Blueprint CFO equips clients with the Profitability Roadmap® they need to grow. Learn more at www.BlueprintCFO.com.

Blueprint CFO Presents: Future Focused Entrepreneurs - Jim Downes Shares His Entrepreneurial Journey

Introducing Blueprint CFO Presents: Future Focused Entrepreneurs, an interview series and podcast highlighting entrepreneurs and businesses that are going places by focusing on the future and developing a roadmap for success.
Hosted by Jim Downes, founder of Blueprint CFO, a future focused fractional CFO & accounting services firm based in Southern California.
In this introductory solo episode, host Jim Downes of Blueprint CFO discusses:• the inspiration for the Blueprint CFO Presents: Future Focused Entrepreneurs interview series• Jim’s entrepreneurial journey to founding Blueprint CFO• key lessons Jim has learned over his many years in business• the work Blueprint CFO does in partnership with business leaders and entrepreneurs• what listeners can expect in future episodes of Blueprint CFO Presents: Future Focused Entrepreneurs
About Jim Downes. Jim Downes is the Founder of Blueprint CFO, a future focused fractional CFO and accounting services firm based in Southern California. Jim has served business owners and management teams for over twenty years as a veteran outsourced Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and financial advisor. A forward-looking strategist, Jim’s unremitting passion for working with business owners led him to open Blueprint CFO in 2019. At Blueprint CFO, Jim and his team leverage data to look to the future and help clients achieve their profitability goals. Jim was a nominee for the 2022 Orange County Business Journal CFO of the Year Awards. 
About Blueprint CFO. Blueprint CFO is a future focused fractional CFO and accounting services firm based in Orange County, California. Partnering with entrepreneurial companies to guide and support them on their road to success, Blueprint CFO equips clients with the Profitability Roadmap® they need to grow. Learn more at www.BlueprintCFO.com.