Meet Jamila, Virtual CFO at CFO on Speed Dial
Meet Jamila O’Gilvie. As a Virtual CFO at CFO on Speed Dial, she’s instrumental in our mission to serve female founders as they maximize profit and social impact.
If you’ve been following us for a while, you likely know me, Christine Rico — the Founder of CFO on Speed Dial. However, you may not know that there’s more than one brilliant Virtual CFO that makes everything we do around here possible.
Jamila O’Gilvie has worked with CFO on Speed Dial since 2018 and is an instrumental part of our business and our mission to serve female founders as they maximize profit AND their social impact. Jamila currently lives and works in Lisbon, Portugal, and I’m thrilled to introduce you to her today!
Rather than tell Jamila’s story for her, I’m handing the mic over and sharing an interview with her. I know you will love her as much as our team and clients do!
Before working at CFO on Speed Dial, what did you do?
Prior to working with CFO on Speed Dial, I was working in the Finance Industry in NYC for almost 13 years. The last position I held was Senior Vice President at a multibillion-dollar structured-credit hedge fund in which I was responsible for overseeing the financial and investor reporting.
At that time, the next step in my career was to become a CFO at a Hedge Fund and despite my professional accomplishments, every fiber of my being wanted nothing to do with that!
What made you decide to step out on your own as a business owner and virtual CFO?
Despite the financial success I had achieved while working in the finance industry my mental, physical and emotional health were at a low. I was doing work that was not fulfilling and actually felt dirty and destructive at times ( that's a whole other story!). I was working in environments and with people that did not align with my core values and beliefs. I always had this feeling I was in a place where I did not belong and at my core, I felt I was not living the life I had always imagined for myself.
While still working at my last position, I took on a side gig to work as second in command at an African men’s fashion start-up — as Director of Operations. In this role, I was responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the company including both the digital platform and the offline experience. I was managing people and building processes and overseeing brand relationships across the globe.
This opportunity was so eye-opening for me — it allowed me to see a version of myself that I had no idea existed. I was being entrepreneurial, I was learning new skills and repurposing the talents I had acquired throughout my career. I was working in a way that made me feel excited, empowered, and alive! (Despite the fact that it was burning me out). In seeing this version of myself fully activated, I knew that it was time for me to make a decision I had been contemplating for years.
It was time for me to get in the driver’s seat and start making conscious choices that would orientate me toward the life that I truly wanted. To discover what that looked like I had to give myself space — space in a way I had never imagined!
In 2018, I left the Hedge Fund Industry and I also let go of my side gig — it was one of the most freeing and scariest feelings I have ever had in my adult life. I created the space I wanted for myself and at the same time felt my professional identity shifting without knowing what was next! I found comfort in knowing that understanding what I did not want would help me to discover what I do want.
And that was when I set out on a road of self-discovery, self-care, and self-exploration and that is what led me to meet Christine and then move abroad shortly thereafter. I was connected to Christine through a mutual contact who thought that she and I may be able to support each other on our journeys. I remember the first time we met in a coffee shop in Brooklyn! Telling her how I really wanted to leverage my finance skills for good and that I was contemplating moving abroad for a year — and she was very open to the idea of exploring how this could coincide with what she needed!
For me, it felt serendipitous. CFO on Speed Dial was a place where I could use my financial talents and skills to support and empower business owners to make confident and informed decisions around money so they could grow their business and their impact. AND at the same time pursue my travels abroad to infuse more adventure and exploration into my life.
I have been working as a virtual CFO with CFO on Speed Dial for about 4 years and in that time I was able to learn so much about supporting businesses, adding value as consulting CFO, and cultivating work relationships that allow space for vulnerability and authenticity.
Two years ago, I launched my own CFO consultancy to support entrepreneurs and business owners I’ve been meeting during my travels abroad.
What is your life like now? What does work look like for you?
After living in Thailand for almost a year, I came to Portugal and have been living in Lisbon for over three years with my partner.
The work I do now is more aligned with who I am. I am able to be more intentional in choosing how I have an impact through the work that I do. I am doing work to support the creation of new systems and structures that are more sustainable and forward-looking — the change makers who are committed to doing business in a way that values positive impact equally with profit.
As a remote worker (who has been doing this before the pandemic!), I love having the freedom to design my work life and at the same time have learned that cultivating relationships remotely is a time investment and when done with intention can lead to fruitful and fulfilling connections.
Why are you so passionate about working with women-owned businesses?
I work mainly with women and I love helping them to feel more confident and comfortable in making financial decisions. Women have been traditionally told by society that we are not good with money and we are not equipped with the know-how to make sound financial decisions like our male counterparts. Not to mention the wage-gap disparity most of us have experienced as well as many unconscious biases.
Although we continue to dispel these myths over and over again — the reality is that women business owners are up against more obstacles! I want to support more women in growing businesses that are aligned with their passions, support their communities and bring them financial freedom.
Last — but definitely not least — here’s what our clients have to say about Jamila:
“I love talking to Jamila! She is always upbeat and excited to discuss anything we need help with! She has a way of making me not feel stupid when I'm asking financial questions. Plus, she keeps me grounded when we discuss goals. I am always impressed with the level of detail that she brings to our meetings about financial strategy, costs, and cash management.”
“Jamila is truly excellent at bringing intelligent decision-making to difficult decisions. I trust what she says. It is always super valuable to work with Jamila through the issues and get to a decision that is good.”