What if the way you think about money is actually keeping you from building the business you want? As a founder, you're making financial decisions every single day—but most of us are operating with outdated beliefs about what money actually is and how it works. Katherine Pomerantz, fractional CFO and tax strategist, reveals that money isn't something you earn and keep—it's a flowing force that needs to be assigned jobs, just like a teammate. Through her Money Storyteller Method, Katherine helps personal brands, speakers, and consultants understand the three roles money plays in their business story: teammate, treasure, or villain. When you cast money in the wrong role, you delay success, give away your power, or worse—burn out trying to reach a finish line that keeps moving. Katherine shares how to identify your money mindset, organize your financial data, and map a path to the lifestyle and freedom you actually started your business to create.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Money is a flowing force (currency = current) that cannot stand still—your cash flow statement will never be zero

• The three roles money plays in your story: teammate (effective), treasure (delays success), or villain (gives away power)

• Making money the "treasure" shows up as "I'm not ready yet" or "I need to earn/deserve this first"

• Making money the "villain" sounds like "I could never charge that much" or "my clients will always be demanding"

• Every life event—positive or negative—has a significant financial consequence, creating financial trauma that shapes our decisions

• The average wedding costs $27,000; financial stress isn't about the money itself but about the emotions we attach to it

• Taxes are the biggest expense you'll pay in your lifetime—you need a smart system so you work for yourself, not the government

• Having clean financial data isn't enough; you need it organized in a way that helps you make strategic decisions

• The Money Storyteller Method has three pillars: Money Story (mindset), Money Systems (data), and Money Map (strategy)

• You don't stop being the chief of everything—you just become a smarter one

CHAPTERS

0:00 - Introduction: Understanding Founders' Mindset About Money

1:09 - The True Nature of Money: It's Always Moving

3:50 - Money as a Teammate: Assigning Jobs to Money

7:34 - The Hero's Journey: Storytelling and Money

10:39 - Common Money Archetypes: Treasure and Villain

18:10 - Financial Trauma and Its Impact on Money Mindset

21:18 - Integrating Professional Services with Storytelling

24:43 - Practical Steps for Founders: Financial Help and Assessments

26:54 - Conclusion: Becoming a Smarter Chief of Everything

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Money Storyteller Method Assessment - Take the 10-minute assessment to get your Money Storyteller score across all three pillars (money story, money systems, money map)

• GROW 2026 Conference - Katherine Pomerantz will be offering Financial Readiness Review sessions in her consulting corner

• StoryBrand - Business storytelling framework referenced in the episode

• Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey - The storytelling research that forms the foundation of Katherine's money framework

Want to join with other like minded entrepreneurs? Visit the Good Humans Growth Network for connections and support: https://www.theghgn.com/