Building Financial Models That Actually Work
We've been knee-deep in spreadsheets and financial projections since 2019, helping businesses make sense of their numbers without the usual corporate nonsense.
What drives us every day
-
Real-world application
Every model we build has to survive contact with actual business decisions. No theoretical frameworks that fall apart when you need them most.
-
Honest complexity
Financial modeling isn't simple, and we won't pretend it is. But we can make it manageable and teachable without dumbing it down.
-
Long-term thinking
Quick fixes don't work in finance. We focus on building skills and systems that will serve you for years, not just quarters.
-
Collaborative learning
The best insights come from working together on real problems. We learn as much from our clients as they do from us.
Started with a simple observation
Most financial models in 2019 were either oversimplified templates or incomprehensible monsters built by consultants who'd moved on to other projects. Companies needed something in between — robust enough to be useful, clear enough to understand.
So we started building them. One spreadsheet at a time, one confused CFO at a time, one late-night debugging session at a time.
Teaching became inevitable
By 2021, we realized we were explaining the same concepts over and over. Not because people weren't smart enough to get it, but because nobody was teaching practical financial modeling in a way that stuck.
Traditional courses focused on theory. Real work required understanding how to build models that wouldn't break when assumptions changed or data got messy.
The people behind the models
Zelda Hawthorne
Senior Financial Model Architect
Spent her early career fixing broken models at mid-sized manufacturing companies. Now designs training programs that prevent those problems from happening in the first place. Has strong opinions about cell formatting and isn't afraid to share them.
Poppy Ainsworth
Head of Training Development
Former investment analyst who got tired of explaining why forecasts were wrong. Now focuses on building models that acknowledge uncertainty upfront. Believes the best financial models are the ones that help you ask better questions.
We're not trying to revolutionize finance or disrupt anything. We just want to build better tools for making better decisions. Some problems are solved with better spreadsheets, clearer thinking, and more honest conversations about what the numbers actually mean.
Common problems we tackle together
Every business faces these challenges. Here's how we approach them with practical solutions that work in the real world.
Models breaking during updates
You change one assumption and suddenly half your formulas show errors. Sound familiar?
Our approach:
Build models with consistent structure and clear input sections. Use dynamic ranges and proper cell references that adapt when data changes.
Complex models nobody understands
The previous analyst left behind a 47-tab monster that calculates everything but explains nothing.
Our approach:
Documentation isn't optional. Every model needs clear assumptions, logical flow, and comments that future users can follow. We teach how to build transparency into the structure.
Scenarios that don't scenario
Your best-case, worst-case, and realistic scenarios all look suspiciously similar to last year's budget.
Our approach:
Build scenario modeling that reflects actual business drivers. Link variables that move together, separate ones that don't, and test assumptions against historical patterns.
Forecasts that age poorly
Your carefully crafted projections become obsolete the moment market conditions shift or new data arrives.
Our approach:
Design models for uncertainty. Build in feedback loops, regular updating processes, and variance analysis that helps you understand when and why forecasts diverge from reality.
Data that doesn't connect
Financial data, operational metrics, and strategic goals live in separate systems and never quite align.
Our approach:
Create integration points between different data sources. Build models that connect financial outcomes to operational drivers and strategic initiatives.
Models for presentation, not decision-making
Your financial models look great in meetings but don't actually help you make better business decisions.
Our approach:
Focus on models as decision support tools first. Build in sensitivity analysis, break-even calculations, and what-if scenarios that directly inform business choices.