Profitable on Paper, Broke in Cash: Why Leaders Cut People First

Episode 190 Founders and operators: strong EBITDA means nothing if the bank balance is empty. In this episode, Dr. John Dentico talks with chartered accountant and non-executive director Ayanda Vabaza-Mvandaba (Outsourced CFO) about cash vs. profit, customer-acquisition costs, mission alignment across functions, and why cutting people is the wrong first lever. Takeaways: • Profit on paper can hide a cash crisis — watch runway, not just EBITDA • Fragmented strategies nobody can recite are a leadership/structure problem • Every function needs its own mission that supports the whole • Compliance lag and product irrelevance kill scalability quietly • Cyber resilience starts with basic education and enforced policy 00:00 – Welcome & Guest Introduction 01:48 – Early Life, Influences & Path to Chartered Accountancy 05:47 – Cash Flow vs Profit: The Quiet Crisis Scenario 08:48 – Customer Acquisition Costs in Downturns 10:30 – What a Non-Executive Director Really Adds 12:30 – Aligning Mission, Strategy & the Whole Team 16:10 – Why Finance (and Every Function) Needs Its Own Mission 20:30 – AI Financing Realities from a South African Lens 23:50 – Healthcare Cyber-Attack Case Study & Lessons 28:20 – The Compliance Blind Spot Founders Share 30:50 – Two Leadership Mistakes Seen Across Every Sector 34:00 – South Africa's Entrepreneurial Future & Closing Listen + resources: https://www.throttleupleadership.com/podcast Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/throttle-up-leadership-podcast/id1613171927 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3i8W3PvFJz9rQuD2uQ7FIY If this helped, leave a rating — it helps other leaders find the show. About the guest: Ayanda Vabaza-Mvandaba is a chartered accountant and non-executive director with Outsourced CFO in South Africa, with audit, valuations, and board experience across financial services and public entities.