Mapping Value Creation w. Mary Adams

Most founders track KPIs religiously, but still feel disconnected from what drives their business forward. The problem isn't the metrics. It's the gap between measurement and action. In this conversation, Mark sits down with Mary Adams, co-founder and CMO of Insights7, to explore how the Work to Value framework turns strategic vision into aligned daily execution.

Mary brings 30+ years of experience helping founders move from reactive reporting to proactive alignment. She breaks down why your business exists as a value creation system, how to map your GL to actual operations, and why AI will make organizational clarity necessary. Whether you're struggling to align your team around shared goals, finding your KPIs live in silos, or preparing for the agentic workforce revolution, this episode reveals the framework that turns dashboards into decisions.

Time Stamps:

00:00 Introduction to Scaling CFO

00:29 Guest Introduction: Mary Adams

01:13 The Work to Value Framework

02:42 Aligning Passion, Problem, and Payment

04:11 Building a Unified System for Value Creation

06:59 Empowering Leadership and Teams

08:53 Tracking KPIs and Strategic Goals

11:01 Systemizing Business Processes

17:48 Mary Adams' Background and Insights

19:30 Understanding Financial Statements

19:46 Identifying Silent Drains

21:03 Cost of Value and GL Strategy

22:02 Aligning KPIs and Costs

23:09 Effective Communication and Accountability

24:14 Case Study: Medical Device Company

27:28 The Importance of Clarity

31:09 Leveraging AI for Business Efficiency

36:54 Rapid Fire Questions

38:07 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Follow Mark and Mary:

Connect with Mark: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stilescpa/

Website: https://www.markstilescpa.com

Connect with Mary: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryadamsica/

Website: https://insights7.com