For Kathleen Sabia Civiello, building a business of her own wasn’t about ego. It was about full ownership of her work, her relationships and her future.
After more than three decades in financial accounting, controller and CFO roles, Civiello had earned her seat at the table. But something never quite sat right.
“I was doing an awful lot of work, but I wasn't the one out there having the relationships” she says candidly. “I wanted to be part of that. I wanted to be the one in the community doing the work and also having the relationships.”
That realization led her to launch Ambassador Accounting, LLC. “There’s only one way you’re going to be able to do this,” she recalls thinking. “You’ve got to go out on your own.”
Today, as a fractional CFO and strategic partner to small businesses across Colorado, she’s often the calm voice behind the numbers.
“I am 100 percent on their side,” she says. “And I make sure I’m available. I understand their situations because I’m in them. I’m also a business owner. So I get it.”
That empathy is critical in a state where small businesses dominate the landscape. “The last time I researched it, about 92 percent of businesses in Colorado were small businesses,” she says. “That’s huge. And that’s what makes working here unique.”
Unlike Fortune 500 corporations, small businesses are deeply personal. The wins and losses don’t just affect shareholders, they affect families.
Part of her role is translating what can feel intimidating into something manageable. One of the biggest blind spots she sees? Confusing revenue with cash.
“When I present financials, the first thing they say is, ‘Well, where is that money? It’s not in my bank account,’” she says with a knowing laugh. “Understanding the difference between revenue and cash is a big learning curve.”
Her approach is grounded and reassuring. “At the end of the day, it’s only accounting,” she says. “Anything can be fixed if there’s a correction to be made.” With the right guidance, she adds, financial reporting and tax strategy can align with a business owner’s mission instead of working against it.
That steady presence was shaped, in part, by her life outside the office.
Civiello became a single mother while raising three children, including a daughter with special needs. The demands of motherhood — and the need for flexibility — pushed her toward entrepreneurship.
“My daughter required flexibility,” she says. “And the ability to make more money than what a salary could provide. That played a part in my decision to jump from corporate to entrepreneurial.”
In larger companies, she felt the absence of understanding. “If I got a call from school and had to leave my desk, all they knew was they weren’t getting what they needed,” she says.
Owning her own firm allowed her to “zigzag and weave” her personal life with her business. It wasn’t easy. “Yeah, sure. Of course it was overwhelming at times,” she says. But it was worth it.
When asked what makes her most proud, she points to simple moments.
“When a client pulls me aside or calls and says, ‘Thank you for taking the time to do that. I know you were busy, but you did it anyway,’” she says, pausing. “That’s what means something.”
“Customer service is the key,” she adds. “Not just to prosperity in money, but prosperity in relationships.”
Her resilience has also been forged on race courses. An Ironman athlete who has completed 100-mile trail runs, she began racing during some of her most challenging years.
“I needed something in my life that was for me,” she says. “So I started racing.”
Her children watched her train early, work hard and build a business. “It’s very challenging physically, but it’s really a mental game,” she says. “It makes you tough.”
That same grit shows up in her business philosophy. Success, she says, has evolved over time.
“We all like to make money,” she acknowledges. “But my idea of success is not the cash. It’s the relationship. It’s the community.”
And for women considering entrepreneurship?
“Don’t be afraid,” she says. “Take the leap. The fear is very real. Acknowledge it — and then set it aside.”
“The last time I researched it, about 92 percent of businesses in Colorado were small businesses, that’s huge. And that’s what makes working here unique.”
“We all like to make money, but my idea of success is not the cash. It’s the relationship. It’s the community.”