MGO Consulting Partner Angel Naval has a talent for turning chaos into clarity. She recently spoke with Chief Revenue Officer Bill Penczak about how she helps her law firm and small business clients to transform their financial operations strategically and make data-driven decisions that lead to growth.
Bill: Angel, you’re not just giving clients numbers; you’re giving them a road map of sorts. How do you initiate those conversations to dig deeper?
Angel: I usually ask where they want to be. If a client says, “I want to hit $5 million in revenue in three years,” then we work backward. I look at where they are now, what’s working, what’s not, and we build a realistic path to get there. I strive for it not to be simply a forecast, but a strategy they can implement.
Bill: What’s usually getting in the way for them?
Angel: Cash flow, every time. Most clients come to me because they can’t cover fixed or variable costs. And sometimes, they think the ultimate solution is more revenue, but they’re not looking at expenses going out. We break it down—sources of revenue, expenses, and the timing of each Then, we build future financial statements that show where they are, where they want to go, and what needs to change to actually get there.
Bill: So, it’s less about crunching numbers and more about guiding decisions while looking ahead.
Angel: Exactly. My role is really more like a connector. I tell them, “I’m not here to give you a pile of spreadsheets. I’m here to give you clarity.” And that only works when there’s trust. Without that relationship, it’s just numbers on a page, and that’s not how I like to operate. With trust, we can have honest conversations. Like, “Hey, this bonus structure doesn’t align with performance. Let’s fix that.” Then we do.
Bill: What kinds of things are you spotting that clients tend to overlook?
Angel: I see a lot of overspending and not revisiting it. Incentives, partner commission, unnecessary costs…they add up. And they’re not always tied to performance. We help them analyze those details and ask: is this helping you scale, or holding you back?
Bill: What happens when collections are slow?
Angel: That’s a big issue, especially now. We encourage our clients to incent early payments — offer discounts, small perks, whatever makes sense. You want to make sure you have enough cash for the next three to six months, and that means managing revenue and expenses, not just chasing the top line.
Bill: Let’s talk dashboards. You’re building partner dashboards for small law firms. How is that similar to what we do internally here at MGO?
Angel: It’s actually very similar! We gather data from different sources and create an easy-to-use report that gives real-time insight. One of my clients, a managing partner, checks his dashboard daily. He’s tracking revenue, collections, partner productivity…and it’s helped him renegotiate contracts with partners and address misaligned incentives.
Bill: So, they’re using that data to drive real change?
Angel: Absolutely. One client used the insights to rewrite a partner agreement because the original terms didn’t reflect reality. And because we track collection timelines, they can follow up with slow-paying clients earlier. That gives them leverage to negotiate faster payments —and more control over their cash position.
MGO helps small firms think like big businesses to achieve their goals. Whether you’re trying to scale, manage cash flow, or make smarter decisions with your data, our team is here to give you clarity and strategy to move forward with confidence. Contact us to learn more.