The Fractional CFO Blueprint: What to Do in Monthly Meetings & What to Charge – Rusty Fulling

Fractional CFO services are growing in demand for a simple reason: business owners are no longer satisfied with reports. They want clarity, direction, and someone who can help turn financial information into decisions.

In this episode of Building the Premier Accounting Firm, the conversation breaks down a practical blueprint for delivering CFO advisory in a way clients feel immediately and answers the question every accountant asks when moving into advisory: what should be charged, and how should it be packaged?

If the goal is to build a repeatable advisory service with strong retention, this episode offers a framework worth borrowing.

Meet the guest: Rusty Fulling

This episode features Rusty Fulling, founder and CEO of Fulling Management and Accounting. Rusty has decades of experience supporting business owners and is known for blending practical leadership with mentorship, storytelling, and humour.

Rusty is someone who helps leaders “get clarity, grow profit, and gain peace of mind.” That outcome-led focus is a strong theme throughout the conversation and it shows up directly in how he approaches meetings, pricing, and the advisory relationship.

What fractional CFO services actually include (and what they do not)

A fractional CFO is not simply a more expensive bookkeeper. The value is not in producing financials, it is in guiding decisions from them.

Across the discussion, fractional CFO work is positioned as:

• Translating numbers into decisions

• Creating accountability and follow-through

• Helping owners prioritise what matters most

• Introducing structure (KPIs, action items, and regular cadence)

• Strengthening leadership habits that support better business outcomes

This is one reason CFO advisory retains well: it sits close to the owner’s real problems. It is strategic, but also practical. Built around recurring conversations, decisions, and execution.

The monthly CFO meeting blueprint: what to cover every month

One of the most standout parts of this conversation is the breakdown of a repeatable monthly meeting format.

Rusty describes having “a really nice outline” for meetings, built around “four or five things” every time. The agenda is designed to be both relational and execution-driven.

Here is the blueprint as discussed:

1) Start with a win

Rusty opens with a simple question: “What’s been a win for you since we last met?”
This creates momentum and keeps meetings human, not just transactional.

2) Review accountability

The next step is checking what was agreed in the previous meeting—Rusty calls it out plainly: “You said you’re going to do this. I said I was going to do this.”
This is where advisory becomes valuable: it creates follow-through.

3) Set the “hot topic”

This is a core differentiator. Rusty asks: “What’s the hot topic for today?” and notes it “may not be accounting related.”
That matters because the real blockers in a business are often operational, people-related, or personal. The CFO conversation has to meet the owner where reality is.

4) Review numbers and KPIs

Only after the priorities are clear does the meeting move into “the numbers, KPIs, and some of those.”

5) Close with action items

Finally, the meeting ends with clear next steps: “let’s set some action items going forward.”

This framework is simple, but it scales well—because it can be repeated monthly, delivered consistently by a team, and understood by clients quickly.

Delivering advisory value beyond the numbers

A recurring idea in the episode is that advisory services are not only about financial correctness. They are about leadership support, decision support, and providing a steady cadence that helps business owners think clearly.

That is why the “hot topic” portion matters. It creates space for the real-world issues that influence performance.

This is also why the service retains. When a client sees the CFO relationship as part accountability partner, part strategist, and part thinking partner, the engagement becomes difficult to replace.

What to charge for fractional CFO services

The pricing conversation in this episode is especially practical because it acknowledges how many firm owners were trained: bill by the hour, minimise time, and avoid “extra hours.”

Rusty describes coming from a traditional model where “we charge by the hour,” and the constant pressure is “don’t work more hours.” That mindset limits advisory because the most valuable work is often the thinking, the coaching, and the follow-through—not a neat hourly task.

A practical alternative: retainer plus a value-aligned model

Rusty shares that they launched with an approach tied to client growth: “we charged a small monthly retainer, but a percentage of the client’s revenue.”
The logic is straightforward: if advisory helps grow revenue, the firm shares in the upside.

This model is not presented as a universal solution. It is presented as one example of moving away from hourly thinking and aligning price with outcomes.

Real-world monthly pricing ranges discussed

The episode also includes candid benchmarks from both the host and guest:

• The host notes that across firms offering CFO/advisory services, “the average is around $2,500 a month,” with a range commonly between $1,500 to $3,000 per month.

• Rusty adds that some clients can be “in the 20,000 range” depending on scope, and that “most” sit roughly in the $2,500 to $8,000 range.

A key detail is what drives the high end: scope. Rusty notes that larger numbers can show up “if we’re doing full service, accounting, bookkeeping, CFO, all that together.”

In other words, pricing is not only about what the market can bear—it is about what is included, how often the firm is involved, and how integrated the relationship becomes.

Packaging your CFO services so clients understand what they are buying

One reason CFO services get underpriced is because the offer is unclear. Packaging solves that.

The episode repeatedly returns to the idea of defining what happens in meetings, what happens between meetings, and what outcomes the client should expect. When the meeting structure is clear, it becomes easier to package and price the service.

A strong CFO package typically clarifies:

• Cadence (monthly, weekly, or a hybrid)

• Meeting agenda and deliverables

• KPI tracking and reporting expectations

• Availability between meetings (and boundaries)

• Implementation support vs advisory-only

• Scope additions (bookkeeping, accounting, payroll, etc.)

This helps clients compare options correctly. It also reduces the urge to turn everything into “extra hours,” because the deliverable is the relationship and the outcomes—not time.

Leadership lessons that support better advisory work

This episode goes beyond pricing and meetings and lands on leadership principles that strengthen advisory delivery.

Mission and values as an operating system

Rusty describes mission and values as “so pivotal,” and explains why: once they were defined, the team could make decisions without running everything through the CEO.

He puts it simply: the team can “lean on” core values when making decisions.

For firm owners building advisory services, this is relevant in two ways:

1. Advisory requires consistent delivery, which is easier when the firm has shared principles.

2. Clients often need the same thing inside their businesses: clarity on what the business is working toward.

Stillness and sustainability

One of the most memorable moments in the episode is Rusty’s advice: “be still.” He warns that it is easy to stay busy “burning the midnight oil” without taking time to recharge, reflect, and regain clarity.

The host adds that stepping away helps leaders “work on the business” rather than staying trapped in the day-to-day.

For advisory professionals, this matters because the work depends on clear thinking. Burnout makes the service reactive. Space and reflection improve judgment.

The “3 C’s” everyone needs

Near the end, Rusty offers a simple framework: “everyone needs three people in their lives”:

• A coach (mentor-type support)

• A cheerleader (someone who celebrates wins and supports tough seasons)

• A community

For firm owners, this is both personal and professional. Advisory growth is easier when there is support, accountability, and a place to learn from peers.

Key takeaways from the episode

• A strong fractional CFO service can be built around a repeatable monthly meeting structure.

• The meeting blueprint works because it blends relationship, accountability, priorities, KPIs, and action items.

• Pricing becomes easier when the offer is packaged clearly and tied to outcomes, not hours.

• Real-world ranges discussed include averages around $2,500/month, with broader ranges depending on market and scope.

• Mission, values, and sustainability habits improve advisory delivery and leadership over time.

• Long-term success often comes down to support systems: coach, cheerleader, and community.

Listen to the full episode

If building or improving a fractional CFO offer is a priority—whether the goal is better delivery, better packaging, or better pricing—this episode provides a grounded blueprint that can be applied immediately.

Listen to the full conversation with Rusty Fulling to hear the full context behind the meeting structure, the pricing models, and the leadership principles that support long-term advisory success.

Don’t miss the previous episode