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About Phil Symchych

Why 'Grumpy'?

Because Traditional Accounting Fails Business Owners

Most financial professionals love spreadsheets and tax deductions. I don't.

I Love Building Business Wealth

For 34 years, I've helped business owners turn financial confusion into clarity, grow profits, and build stronger companies. No fluff. No jargon. Just real financial strategy that works.

If you want another accountant who just hands you reports, I'm not your guy.

But if you want a strategic advisor who helps you grow your business, increase valuation, and gain more control over your time, let's talk.

Book a Free Strategy Call

My Story: Growing Up in a Struggling Family Business

When I was a teenager, my parents, aunt, and uncle bought a small 22 room resort called Clear Lake Lodge.

Three of them were government employees with no business experience. Their accountant warned them not to buy it because it didn't make money. The bank only gave them a loan because of second mortgages and personal guarantees.

It only operated full-time two months of the year.

And interest rates were 23%.

That business struggled for years. The financial stress on our family was enormous. I still remember how heavy it felt.

That traumatic financial experience shaped everything I do today.

I became a CPA, not because I loved accounting (I don’t), but because I wanted to help business owners avoid the financial pain and pressure my family went through.

Walking Away From

Traditional Accounting

Early in my career, I followed the typical CPA path. I prepared financial statements and filed tax returns.

But I knew something was missing.

Nobody was teaching owners how to grow their businesses. Accountants were only taught how to report the past.

Then I discovered training on how to become a real business advisor, not just a report creator. I went to Vancouver for that training. When I came home, I made the biggest decision of my career.

I walked my tax files down the hall, gave them to my mentor, and switched full-time to business consulting.

That was 34 years ago. I've never looked back.

Today, I don't even do my own accounting or taxes. That's just putting numbers in boxes.

What I do is help business owners build real financial strength, gain control, and scale their companies the right way.

What Makes Me Grumpy

Two things drive me crazy because they hurt business owners.

First, accountants who advise you to minimize taxes.

Minimizing taxes is the wrong goal. The goal is to maximize cash flow to grow your business and build your wealth.

When you drain all your profits to avoid taxes, you have no retained earnings. Your banker won't lend you money because banks lend based on your balance sheet, not your income statement. You look undisciplined with profits. Your business never builds long-term value.

That's stepping over dollars to pick up pennies.

Paying some tax and leaving profits in your company gives you leverage for growth. You can borrow 2X against those retained earnings. (The bank uses a simple debt to equity ratio of 2:1 to determine your debt capacity) The growth is worth far more than the taxes you paid.

Second, financial statements that don't help you run your business.

Year-end statements prepared according to GAAP create a gap between your real business value and what gets reported. Most accountants give you reports with no insights, no analysis, no guidance on what's actually driving profit or draining cash.

I've seen this even at a $200 million company with 12 locations. Their CFO was so busy preparing reports for the bank that he never gave insights to the management team. When I arrived and gave their division leaders company-wide financial statements for the first time and explained them, they finally understood how their division fit into the bigger picture.

That's when they stopped working in silos and started thinking like a real team.

That's the difference between financial reporting and financial strategy.

From $8 Million to $55 Million: How Strategy Drives Growth

One of my clients was an industrial service company doing design/build, installation, and maintenance of production equipment.

When I started working with them, they were operating reactively. They fixed things when they broke.

Here's what we did together.

We analyzed their financial information to determine profitability by product, service, and customer. We improved their financial reporting to build credibility with their banker. That helped us secure $4.5 million in working capital, a margined line of credit, and millions more for capital expenditures through leasing and asset financing.

We gave management better financial reports and budgets so they could make smarter decisions.

Then we analyzed the financial impact their company had on their customers. That's when we discovered something powerful.

Their preventative maintenance services helped customers protect millions of dollars in downtime losses and production disruptions. The value they delivered was immense. But they weren't charging for it.

We restructured the company to focus on proactively providing high-value services instead of just reacting to breakdowns. We increased pricing to match the higher value they were delivering.

Management gained confidence in their value.

Customers loved their new focus and proactive value that helped them prevent millions of dollars in downtime.

The result? They grew from $8 million to $55 million in revenue. Profits increased. Valuation increased. The company became stronger.

That's what happens when you align financial strategy with the real value you create for customers.

The result? They grew from $8 million to $55 million in revenue. Profits increased. Valuation increased. The company became stronger.

That's what happens when you align financial strategy with the real value you create for customers.

What I've Learned Working With Business Owners Like You

Over 34 years, I've advised hundreds of clients across 66 industry segments in seven countries.

I've seen patterns. I know what works and what doesn't.

Business owners tell me they're struggling with growth, accessing capital, understanding complex reports, too many hours, too much stress, scaling up, finding customers, pricing, getting out of the day-to-day operations, finding good strategies, focusing on priorities, attracting talent, and dealing with new technologies like AI. Feel free to add your items to this list.

Now, I help them solve these problems by bringing financial clarity into every decision they make.

Clients say I tell them what they need to hear, not just what they want to hear. I give them clear action

plans they can actually use. And I speak plain English, not accounting jargon.

Why Business Owners

Work With Me

I've helped B2B companies scale from $8 million to $50 million and beyond. Whether you want to grow, exit, or just gain more freedom, I know what works.

I focus on profits, cash flow, valuation, and owner freedom. Not just reports.

I don't waste time on theory. Just real, proven strategies that increase your business wealth.

I tell it like it is. If something is broken, I'll tell you and then help you fix it.

My credentials: I've spent 34 years in the trenches with business owners just like you. CPA, MBA, Certified Management Consultant (CMC), and Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D) don’t hurt, either. Results matter more than credentials.

I've been there. I grew up in a family business when interest rates were 23%. I know what financial stress feels like. That's why I'm driven to help you build a business that creates options and builds wealth for you and your family.

If You're Ready to Stop Guessing and Start Growing

If you're tired of financial confusion, tired of spreadsheets that don't help you make decisions, and tired of feeling stuck, let's talk.

I'll help you build a business that works without you being in the day-to-day operations. A business that increases in value. A business that gives you back your time.