MINDFUL GROWTH METHODOLOGY

Clarity | Discipline | Alignment

Strategy Meets Structure –

OUR PROCESS

At AVL, everything begins with Mindful Growth™ — our belief that sustainable success comes from balancing ambition with clarity.

Growth, to us, is not about chasing the next milestone at any cost. It’s about moving with intention, building resilience into your business, and making decisions that stand the test of time.

This philosophy shapes the way we work with every client. By pairing financial discipline with strategic foresight, we help leadership teams not only pursue opportunity but prepare for it — so when the moment arrives, you’re ready.

Mindful Growth comes to life through our financial process. We begin by clarifying your company’s end goal — your north star — so that every step connects back to where you ultimately want to go. From there, we establish a clear picture of where you stand today across finance, operations, and strategy. In many cases, this includes a Business Evaluation, a structured assessment that surfaces both strengths and gaps. With the destination in mind and the starting point defined, we engineer the right systems, reporting structures, and models to strengthen your foundation.

Our process is designed to move you through the stages of growth with confidence– Whether you need a full-stack fractional finance team or specialized project support, our work is always anchored in preparing you for what’s next.

EVALUATE

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Every journey starts with clarity. Through our Business Evaluation, we dig into the financial health, operating model, and market position of your company.

This isn’t just about producing reports — it’s about surfacing insights. By looking both backwards at performance and forwards with forecasting, we help you see the full picture: what’s working, what’s holding you back, and what opportunities are on the horizon.

ENGINEER

Once the landscape is clear, we design the right financial architecture to support your next stage of growth. This means building models, systems, and strategies that fit your business — not a one-size-fits-all template.

From scenario planning to capital structure, we engineer the tools and frameworks that give you the confidence to move fast without losing balance.

EXECUTE

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Strategy only matters if it translates into action. With AVL as an embedded partner, execution is woven into your daily operations.

We manage reporting cadence, align leadership teams, and provide real-time decision support so you can act decisively. Whether it’s fundraising, M&A prep, or simply scaling smarter, we’re in the arena with you to make things happen.

ENDGAME

Great companies think beyond today. Whether your vision is an exit, long-term legacy, or simply optionality for what comes next, we help you design and reach your endgame.

That means building value in ways that attract the right partners, protect your culture, and maximize outcomes — financial and otherwise. With AVL, you don’t just plan for growth — you plan for what growth makes possible.

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SEE OUR SERVICES

Turn Mindful Growth™ into Measurable Results.

Services

WHAT WE BRING

As a Fractional Service we add more than finance expertise —

It means adding people who care about your business as if it were their own. Our Core Values shape how we show up, how we work alongside your team, and how we influence growth, alignment, and develop culture from the inside.

IT’S IN WHO WE HIRE

Our values aren’t just words on a page —

They’re the lens we use when building our team. Every hire is intentional, chosen not only for professional expertise but for how they embody the care, authenticity, curiosity, and collaboration that define us.

By bringing in people who live these values every day, we ensure our clients don’t just gain financial expertise — they gain partners who influence culture, alignment, and growth from the inside out.

Career opportunities

SHOW UP & CARE

We care deeply about the people and actions that are central to our purpose and all that align with our values; our team, partners, clients, mission, commitment to growth, the doers, the innovators, and the aspiring entrepreneurs. Every day we show up with intention and insert care into every crack and crevice.

AUTHENTICALLY HUMAN

The unique makeup of AVL is a direct result of the authenticity of every individual on our team. Our perspectives may be different, and our backgrounds may vary, but being human is where we align. We believe people do their best when they are empowered to bring their authentic selves to work.

PASSIONATELY CURIOUS

We believe curiosity breeds intellect. For us, the unknown ignites curiosity and pushes us beyond traditional practice, comfort zones, and our daily assumptions. We are passionately curious about our approach, our clients, and one another. We seek to understand, practice non-judgment, and celebrate curiosity in its many forms.

IN THE ARENA TOGETHER

The credit belongs to those who are in the arena. Every day together. A team of “we” because we know big impact comes from a collective effort. Every person plays a pivotal role, and as a team, we make waves. Growth is a team sport, and we are all willing to jump into the arena together in the name of big wins.

CREATE WOW MOMENTS

Every action has a reaction, and we believe in the influence that comes with every wow moment created. Every day we push for the wow moments knowing the outcome generates positive ripple effects that flow and transcend into the lives of our team and clients.

OPERATIONS TEAM

CHRIS SCHWALBACH

Founder | CEO
JENNIFER PEARCE

CFO Team Lead
DOMINIC MARELLA

Head of Growth
STEFFANY AYALA

Head of Finance
BETHANY KICZ

Manager of Talent & Recruiting
KRISTY GIBBS

Operations Manager
MITCHELL SEURER

Financial Reporting Controller
KEVIN KINGHORN

Content Marketing Manager

WHAT ARE PEOPLE SAYING?

AVL is my entire finance function. Spending with them gets me more expertise than I could ever afford in-house. They’re part of my C-suite. The trust they build with our Board through clean, credible financials gives me leverage to make decisions the Board can back. That’s invaluable.

– Mark G., CEO
With AVL, we have an expert team member serving our executive-level needs who brings targeted experience from various companies, all at a fraction of the price of having a full-time position.

– Christina A., CEO
A true partnership where the AVL fractional partner can advise, guide, listen, and protect us by having a deep understanding of our goals and vision. With rapid growth, and as CEO, I needed a real partner to help me and the business with expertise and decision making that I was not able to make on my own.

– Dave B., Founder & CEO
I inherited AVL when stepping into my role and stayed with them based on their competence and reliability. They are strong, competent professionals who get the work done the right way. My perception of the quality, competence and reliability of the AVL team has only increased the closer I have worked with them.

– Scott R., Interim CEO
The level of C-suite-level expertise that AVL provides is much higher than other firms we considered. Most other companies provided basic levels of support and a very boiler-plate approach. They are efficient, client-focused, and personable.

– Mark S., Co-Founder & Managing Partner