From the Foxhole to the Ledger: Fixing Broken Books and Surviving Family Business Politics | Matt Hunter, CPA

Matt Hunter, CPA didn't take a straight line into construction finance. He was out on his own at 16, sitting in a classroom at North Georgia Military College when the second plane hit on 9/11, and deployed to Afghanistan within weeks. Twenty-one years later he retired as an Army major in military intelligence — and only came to accounting in his thirties. In this episode of Finance at the Jobsite, Rishi and Matt get into the parts of the CFO seat most people won't say out loud. What we cover: - Digging out of ~$1.2M in unpaid payroll tax at a packaging company — the cash-out refi, getting the IRS to abate roughly $400K in penalties, and losing a banking relationship over a tax lien mid-COVID - Cleaning up 36 months of financials at a copier business and adding close to $1M to the sale price - The first things Matt checks when he inherits broken books (hint: it starts with the balance sheet, not the P&L) - What it actually takes to stand up a finance function from scratch — and why the best money an owner can spend is on the best bookkeeper they can find - Owners who have never once logged into their ERP, and the 20,000 inventory items that should have been 1,000 - The politics of family-owned construction: supervising the owner's spouse, intercompany billings in Vista, and why the hardest part of these jobs is rarely the numbers - Finding out he was being replaced from an email to a recruiter he was accidentally copied on — two months after a glowing review - Mental health, bravado, and job loss in construction and the military — told honestly, without the polish - Earning credibility in ego-heavy rooms: know your numbers, get out of the office, and take care of people - Red flags and the questions to ask before you sign with a founder-led construction company Matt is currently looking for his next CFO role in commercial construction or manufacturing, open to relocating within a half day's drive of Atlanta. If you're hiring — or know someone who is — reach him at [mrhcpa1706@gmail.com](mailto:mrhcpa1706@gmail.com) or on LinkedIn. Finance at the Jobsite is hosted by Rishi Srivastava and brought to you by Beiing Human. #FinanceAtTheJobsite #ConstructionFinance #ConstructionAccounting #CFO #ConstructionCFO #CPA #FamilyBusiness #JobCosting #ERP #Vista #ViewpointVista #ConstructionIndustry #Leadership #VeteranLeadership #MentalHealthInConstruction #APAutomation #Controller #ConstructionManagement #BeiingHuman