78. 90% of His Business Comes from Storytelling (Ciaran O’Donnell)

Nov 26, 2025

57 mins

Episode Description

In this episode of the Ideas on Stage Podcast, we share a conversation with Ciaran O’Donnell – originally recorded as part of the Ideas on Stage Academy. We decided to repurpose it as a podcast episode so more people can learn from his inspiring communication journey and practical insights.

Ciaran is a Virtual Finance Director. He launched Virtual FD in 2010 to help growing businesses access Finance Director–level advice before they’re ready for a full-time hire. A qualified accountant since 1998, he spent 12 years at Hutchison Whampoa, Three, and Carphone Warehouse – all with entrepreneurial beginnings. Since then, he has advised more than 100 startups and fast-growth companies, helping them grow, prepare to sell and stay on track. Ciaran was named CFO of the Year at the British Accountancy Awards 2019 and is a Finance Director of the Year finalist in the Accounting Excellence Awards 2023 and 2024.

In this episode, we talked about how Ciaran became a better communicator

What You'll Learn:

- Why improving your communication can transform your career

- How to rehearse and internalise your message to sound natural

- How to use stories that make people care

- How pauses, breathing and feedback strengthen your delivery

- How better communication can attract clients and grow your business

In This Episode:

00:00 - Introduction

04:15 - Why a CFO Decided to Speak Better

07:57 - How One Imperfect Video Sparked Growth

10:00 - How to Know You’re Improving as a Speaker