TurnkeyCFO · Discovery Call

Epic Life Church

1-on-1 with the Lead Pastor · New Braunfels, TX · Tue, June 16 · AM
My seat: not the campaign expert — Generis owns that. I'm the financial backbone behind the campaign. Bring clarity before the complexity hits.
The Flow
🗺️ Agenda ~40–45 min · keep it conversational
5 min

Opening

  • Thank him for the time; congratulate on the 10 acres — big step of faith
  • Frame the call: "I'm here to listen first and understand where you're at"
  • Set my lane early: Generis runs the campaign — I'm the finance backbone
10–15 min

Current State

  • How they run finances today — who, what tools (QuickBooks? IFR?)
  • What's working / what's frustrating about the current setup
  • How restricted gifts & designations are handled now
  • Confirm the facts: rent jump (~$2K → ~$18K), land purchase, campaign timing
10 min

Future State

  • What the board will need to SEE weekly/monthly once the campaign launches
  • Cash-flow reality with the new rent + debt service on the land
  • What "financial clarity" would feel like for him personally
5–10 min

Your Value

  • Connect each pain to a specific thing TurnkeyCFO does
  • Position as the guide / backbone — not another vendor
  • Show, don't tell: offer to walk a live church dashboard
Close

Next Steps

  • Propose a concrete next step (books review / sample dashboard on their numbers)
  • Agree on timing relative to the campaign launch
  • Ask who else needs to be in the next conversation (board? exec pastor?)
Ask & Listen
💬 Discovery Questions Glance, ask, then listen
Q1 · Rhythm

"Walk me through a typical month — how do you know if you're on track financially?"

Listen → Is there a real close + report, or just a bank balance? Who reads it?
Q2 · Campaign

"When the capital campaign launches, what financial questions will your board want answered weekly or monthly?"

Listen → Pledges vs. cash, fund tracking, debt coverage — gaps they can't answer today.
Q3 · Funds

"How are you currently handling restricted gifts and designations?"

Listen → Blended into one balance? Can they prove a designated dollar was honored?
Q4 · Pain

"What's your biggest financial headache right now?"

Listen → Let it breathe. Don't fill the silence. This is the deal.
Q5 · Magic wand

"If you could wave a magic wand on one financial thing before the campaign kicks off, what would it be?"

Listen → Their #1 priority in their words — repeat it back when you frame value.
Why TurnkeyCFO
🎯 Your Value Points Tie each to what he just said
1

Growth-mode church specialists

We work with churches in exactly this season — land, debt, capital campaign. This isn't new terrain for us.

2

Real-time financial visibility

Live dashboards leadership can open any day — not a PDF that's three weeks stale.

3

Clean donor & restricted-fund accounting

Every designated gift tracked to the dollar and provable to a donor or the board on demand.

4

Board-trusted monthly close package

A consistent, ready-before-the-meeting report your elders actually trust.

5

CFO-level commentary

Not just numbers — a read on cash flow, campaign progress, and long-term sustainability with the new rent + debt.

Stay Sharp
🧭 Things to Be Mindful Of How I show up
🤝

Don't trash-talk Innovative Faith

Ask "what's working, what's not?" instead. Let the gaps surface on their own — never knock the incumbent.

👂

Listen for the unsaid

Hesitations, sighs, "we've been meaning to…" — the real problem is usually in what he doesn't finish saying.

⏱️

Emphasize the timing

Land buy + rent 9x-ing + a campaign = the moment to get the financial house in order. Fix ops before the complexity lands, not after.

🪨

Confidence, not arrogance

Calm and certain. I'm the steady hand that's done this before — I don't need to oversell. The clarity speaks for itself.

If It Comes Up
🛡️ Objection Handling Tap to reveal a response
?"We already have Innovative Faith handling this."
"That's great — they've gotten you here. My question is whether what got you to today is built for what's coming: a 9x rent jump, debt on the land, and a campaign. I'm not here to replace what works — I'm here to make sure the insight layer is there when the board starts asking harder questions."
?"This feels like a lot right before a campaign."
"I hear that — and it's exactly why now. The worst time to discover your books can't answer a board question is mid-campaign. Getting clarity in place before launch is what makes the campaign feel calm instead of chaotic."
?"Isn't Generis already handling our campaign finances?"
"Generis is excellent — they own strategy and the donor side. I'm the other half: the books, the fund accounting, and the monthly clarity underneath it. They drive the campaign; I make sure your financials can carry it. We're complementary, not competing."
?"What's this going to cost us?"
"Fair question — and the honest answer is it depends on scope, so I'd want to understand your books first. What I can promise: it's priced for a church in growth mode, and the clarity it buys you going into a $1M+ campaign tends to pay for itself fast. Let's get the scope right before we talk numbers."
?"We're too busy to switch right now."
"Totally understand — and a clean transition is on me, not your team. We take it off your plate. The goal is less on your staff during the busiest season, not more."
Capture It Live
✍️ Live Notes Auto-saves on this phone