Samona Pheils
Samona (Ridge) Pheils, MBA, is a Certified CFO and financial strategist based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the founder of Your CFO Expert LLC. With more than three decades of experience in accounting, tax, and financial management, she is known for helping business owners gain clarity, control, and confidence in their financial operations. Through her hands-on, consultative approach, Samona partners closely with clients to establish clear financial goals, implement key performance indicators, and build sustainable paths toward consistent cash flow and long-term growth.
Throughout her career, Samona has held leadership roles across accounting and business management, including serving as President of Advanced Accounting & Business Solutions. Her expertise spans budgeting, forecasting, tax strategy, and operational efficiency, allowing her to deliver comprehensive financial oversight for growing businesses. By offering detailed financial assessments and ongoing monthly guidance, she equips clients with real-time insights that support proactive decision-making rather than reactive adjustments.
Samona holds a Master of Business Administration and a Certificate in Accounting from the University of Maryland University College. She is passionate about empowering entrepreneurs to strengthen their financial foundations, build cash reserves, and create the freedom to scale their businesses with confidence. Known for her practical, solutions-driven mindset, Samona remains committed to helping her clients not only manage their finances—but truly understand and leverage them for lasting success.
• Certified CFO
• University of Maryland Global Campus
• Walden University
• CFO Program Overachiever Recognition - $6
• 000 tuition gift and complete website/CRM system gifted by program founder
• Rotary
• Organization trains service dogs for veterans with PTSD
• Autism Speaks
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my clients and the relationships I have with them. I literally have a friend hat and a professional hat, so I tell them when I'm putting my friend hat on or my business hat on. I want to say 90% of my clients are family to me - they would do anything for me. One client sends me on a trip every year, and we're actually going to England, France, and Spain this September and October. Another client gave me a $900 tip. My clients love me and they won't go away. I treat my clients like family because I don't have family around me, so all my clients are family. I tell them I will never yell, scream, cuss, or be disrespectful to them, and I expect the same. If they have a problem with me, they have to tell me, because you can't change what you don't acknowledge. They all do it - they tell me when something's wrong, or I can feel the tension, and I de-escalate it pretty quickly just because I listen. That's mainly what they want - they don't want a solution, they want to vent. So I just listen and then give my suggestions to help de-escalate situations. Money is secondary - the relationship I have with my clients is more important.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received was this: When you're talking to somebody and they have a question, do not answer the question. Respond with 'I can help you with that.' That way, I'm not losing money. I used to tell everybody the answers, but now I tell them I can help them. Generally, that breaks the ice and then they want to go into a conversation about how I can help them. But they still don't get the answer until they sign an engagement letter.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I'm not in politics, but I am about women's rights and women's power. That's why with Scott and I, I'm the majority owner. I find it sad that in the 50s, we were awarded some rights but didn't get them all, and here we are almost 100 years later, still fighting for our rights. So I tell women: if you're in the corporate world, you have to prove yourself. If you own your own business, you're the brand. Make sure that you know who you are and what clientele you want, and then go brand yourself. And then it takes a full year, once you start your business, for people to like you, love you, or hate you. So don't push trying to get that client right away. Make sure everybody knows you. Once they know you, then that's when the referrals come and the money comes.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge in my field right now is finding the right client. Finding the right client is more important to me than the money, so I'm being very picky. The reason I am is because I don't want to onboard somebody who cannot afford my services after 3 months and quit, because that's not going to help anybody. If I'm sitting with you every month and showing you where your cash is, how you're spending it, and what we need to do to change it, and then you quit after 3 months, it takes 90 to 120 days to see any kind of difference. So I'm very picky because I need to match my personality. I'm not your typical bean counter - I do things very differently. Like when I do taxes, I don't just take your information and do them. I take it, I call, and I walk them through the process as I'm doing their taxes so they understand, and not just go sign a piece of paper.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are treating my clients like family and service above self. I'm an avid bowler and I do nationals in Vegas, so my clients all know my schedule and when to bug me and when not. To me, my clients are family. I don't have family around me, so all my clients are family. I tell them I will never yell, scream, cuss, or be disrespectful to them, and I expect the same. If they have a problem with me, they have to tell me because you can't change what you don't acknowledge. I believe service above self is more important than trying to just make money. I tell my clients that money is secondary - the relationship I have with them is more important. I work with strategic partners so that when an issue comes up that I'm not qualified for or don't have a good understanding of, my clients are in the best hands possible.