Business process management is about more than creating workflows, tracking tasks, or improving efficiency. It’s about building the systems, accountability, and strategic direction that allow a business to grow without sacrificing the people behind it.
In this episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes, we sit down with Rusty Fulling, founder and CEO of Fulling Management & Accounting, Inc., based in Olathe, Kansas.
With more than 25 years of experience helping business owners understand their financial performance, improve profitability, and make better decisions, Rusty shares valuable lessons about business strategy, operational processes, leadership, and building a company that lasts.
From overcoming burnout to developing a values-driven organization, Rusty’s journey demonstrates why understanding your numbers is only part of the equation.
From Burnout to Building a Business with Purpose
Before launching Fulling Management & Accounting in April 2000, Rusty worked at a CPA firm where demanding schedules and long hours eventually took a serious toll on his health.
The situation became so severe that he ended up in the hospital.
Following that experience, a colleague encouraged him to consider starting his own business.
That encouragement became the catalyst for a new chapter.
Rusty launched his company with just three clients. More than two decades later, one of those original clients remains among the company’s largest accounts.
His experience highlights an important lesson for entrepreneurs: building a successful business shouldn’t require sacrificing your health, family, or personal priorities.
From the beginning, Rusty wanted to create a different kind of accounting firm, one that could operate sustainably while helping other business owners achieve greater financial confidence.
Why Business Process Management Starts with the Right Strategy
One of the most interesting aspects of Rusty’s approach is how Fulling Management & Accounting defines its ideal clients.
Rather than specializing exclusively in one industry, the company focuses on working with high-integrity business leaders.
This decision also became an important part of its long-term strategy.
As Rusty watched industries consolidate and businesses experience economic uncertainty, he recognized the importance of maintaining a diversified client base.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the company’s clients performed exceptionally well while others faced significant challenges. Having clients across different industries helped the firm navigate that period.
The same principle applies to the businesses Rusty advises.
Companies that depend too heavily on one customer, revenue source, or industry may expose themselves to unnecessary risk.
Effective business process management begins with understanding those vulnerabilities and building an operational strategy that supports long-term stability.
Building Business Processes Around Core Values
For Rusty, processes and systems are most effective when they support clearly defined company values.
Fulling Management & Accounting operates around five core principles represented by the acronym GRACE:
- Growth: Encouraging continuous improvement and development.
- Represent the Client: Prioritizing the interests and needs of the people the company serves.
- Accountability: Taking responsibility for commitments and performance.
- Champion Attitude: Maintaining a positive, supportive approach.
- Eternal Impact: Recognizing the lasting influence of business decisions and relationships.
These values are more than statements on a company website.
They influence hiring, client relationships, employee expectations, and everyday operations.
Rusty shares that some prospective clients have recognized they weren’t a good fit after reviewing the company’s values.
Rather than viewing that as a missed opportunity, he considers it a positive outcome.
As Rusty explains:
“You want to draw a line in the sand to say, hey, here’s what we stand for.”
When businesses clearly communicate their principles, they create stronger alignment between their people, processes, and strategic objectives.
Business Process Management in a Virtual Workplace
In 2020, Fulling Management & Accounting transitioned to a fully virtual operation.
For many businesses, remote work creates concerns about accountability, communication, and employee engagement.
Rusty’s experience demonstrates how intentional systems can address those challenges.
The company uses workflow management tools to monitor responsibilities and maintain accountability without relying on employees being physically present in an office.
However, technology is only one component of the company’s approach.
During weekly staff meetings, employees recognize colleagues who have demonstrated exceptional service or supported fellow team members.
These acknowledgments are tracked throughout the year, and recognized employees receive gift cards.
This approach reinforces the behaviors the company wants to encourage.
Rather than viewing business process management as simply monitoring performance, Rusty uses systems to strengthen accountability and celebrate contributions.
The result is an operational structure that supports both productivity and employee engagement.
The Connection Between Financial Strategy and Business Performance
Financial reports are essential tools for business owners, but Rusty believes their true value comes from understanding what the information reveals.
Balance sheets, profit-and-loss statements, and cash-flow reports provide important information about business performance.
However, receiving those reports isn’t the same as knowing how to use them.
Rusty recalls business owners who would receive their financial statements and simply file them away without meaningful review.
His approach is different.
He wants business owners to understand what their numbers are communicating and how those insights can improve operations.
As Rusty explains:
“I think what’s behind the numbers, it’s gonna be the people, and so the numbers just tell a story.”
This perspective connects financial management directly to business process management.
When owners understand their financial performance, they can make more informed decisions about staffing, operational improvements, profitability, and future investments.
The goal isn’t simply to produce accurate reports.
It’s to use financial information to guide better business decisions.
Why Sustainable Business Growth Requires Boundaries
One of Rusty’s earliest goals was to create an accounting business that could operate within a standard 40-hour workweek.
Having experienced the consequences of excessive working hours, he wanted to establish a healthier approach.
Over more than 25 years, the company has largely maintained that standard.
Rusty credits intentional boundaries and a commitment to protecting time for the things that matter most.
He also emphasizes the importance of creating margin in daily schedules.
“Yeah, building in margin, margin is so underutilized these days.”
Without adequate time to recover, reflect, and prepare for upcoming responsibilities, business owners and employees can experience burnout.
For entrepreneurs, this raises an important strategic question:
Are your business processes creating greater freedom, or are they making the organization increasingly dependent on you?
Sustainable growth requires systems that support consistent performance without demanding constant availability from the owner.
Leadership Development as a Business Strategy
Effective business process management also depends on developing people who can carry out the company’s strategy.
At Fulling Management & Accounting, employees participate in training every Tuesday morning.
These sessions address leadership, personal development, boundaries, and other subjects that help employees grow professionally and personally.
Rusty’s goal extends beyond improving immediate job performance.
He wants employees to become stronger leaders throughout their careers, even if they eventually leave the company.
This investment has helped create a connected culture within the company’s virtual environment.
Rusty even recalls a remote employee expressing that they felt closer to their colleagues than they had in previous office-based positions.
His experience demonstrates that strong workplace relationships don’t necessarily depend on physical proximity.
They depend on intentional leadership, communication, and shared values.
The Power of Mentorship and Investing in People
Rusty’s commitment to leadership development extends beyond his own organization.
Through his involvement with A Bright Future for Kids, he traveled to Ethiopia and Kenya to support entrepreneurship and leadership development initiatives.
The organization works with single mothers, helping them develop the skills and opportunities needed to build businesses and support their families.
During his visits, Rusty observed the progress participants made through the program.
He describes the entrepreneurs as hungry, humble, and smart, drawing on leadership principles popularized by Patrick Lencioni.
Their willingness to learn, work hard, and improve their circumstances left a lasting impression.
The experience reinforced Rusty’s belief that business success is ultimately about people.
It also highlighted the importance of surrounding ourselves with supportive communities, especially during difficult seasons of entrepreneurship.
Business Process Management and Succession Planning
For business owners focused on daily operations, succession planning can feel like something to address much later.
Rusty encourages a different perspective.
After more than two decades in business, he has witnessed clients prepare for generational ownership transitions, business sales, and other significant changes.
He emphasizes that these transitions are more successful when owners prepare well in advance.
That preparation includes developing future leaders, establishing sustainable processes, and ensuring the business can operate effectively beyond its founder.
For family-owned businesses, succession planning also involves preparing the next generation to manage the responsibilities that come with ownership.
Simply handing over a company without adequate training can create significant challenges.
Rusty encourages business owners to consider their long-term destination and build toward it intentionally.
Strong business process management makes those transitions more manageable by reducing dependence on any single individual.
What Does It Take to Be a Business Owner?
At the end of every episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes, we ask our guests one signature question:
What does it take to be a business owner?
Rusty’s answer centers on a principle that has become increasingly important throughout his entrepreneurial journey:
“Keeping the end in mind, keep the end in mind. It’s not all about you.”
When Rusty first launched his company, thinking about an eventual exit seemed premature.
He was focused on getting the business established.
Today, he recognizes the value of understanding where the business is ultimately headed.
Having a long-term vision helps owners make more intentional decisions about their operations, employees, financial strategy, and future leadership.
Business ownership isn’t simply about generating profits or reaching the next milestone.
It’s about building something meaningful and sustainable.
Final Thoughts: Your Numbers Tell a Story, Your Strategy Shapes the Future
Rusty Fulling’s journey demonstrates that successful business ownership requires more than financial knowledge.
It requires strategic thinking, operational accountability, intentional leadership, and a commitment to developing people.
Business process management provides the structure that connects those priorities.
When owners understand their numbers, establish effective systems, and align their teams around a shared purpose, they can make better decisions and create healthier businesses.
The most important question isn’t simply whether your company is profitable today.
It’s whether you’re building the processes, people, and strategy needed to sustain that success tomorrow.
Connect with Rusty Fulling
Learn more about Rusty’s work and Fulling Management & Accounting:
- Website: https://www.fullingmgmt.com/
- Personal Website: https://www.rustyfulling.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rustyfulling/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FullingMgmt
About Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes
Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes features candid conversations with entrepreneurs who share their experiences, challenges, and lessons learned while building and leading businesses.
Each episode explores the realities of business ownership and provides practical insights to help other entrepreneurs grow and lead more effectively.
Want to strengthen your business processes, improve accountability, and build a company that doesn’t depend on you for every decision?
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