Podcasts about cfo

Caleb and Brittany are podcasting from Las Vegas during the ConExpo construction trade show. They discusses their business operations, including the launch of a new coaching group and Brittany's upcoming presentation on business growth. A significant portion of the conversation focuses on financial maturity, where they credit budgeting software and CFO services for transforming their company from a struggling venture into a profitable seven-figure business. They reflect on the necessity of professionalizing operations and moving away from "management by chaos" to achieve long-term stability. The episode serves as both a travel log of their time in Nevada and an educational resource for contractors seeking to improve their administrative systems.   Key Takeaways: Avoid the temptation to fill your schedule with "junk work" during slow periods and instead remain selective to ensure you are available for high-quality projects that fit your ideal business profile. Utilize professional budgeting and management software to clearly see your numbers and ensure that every job you take is generating a real profit. Shift from reactive to proactive financial management by working with a CFO who can help you plan for future growth rather than just looking at past performance. Develop the confidence to charge higher prices by respecting the value of your work and understanding the actual overhead costs required to run a sustainable business. Practice long-term financial foresight by incrementally budgeting for future major expenses, such as new equipment or facilities, well before you actually need to make the purchase. Episode Sponsors CompanyCam – Get 50% off for 2 months https://companycam.com/auman Cycle CPA – Save $200 https://cyclecpa.com (Use code: AUMAN) LMN Software – Save on onboarding https://golmn.com (Use code: AUMAN) Connect with Auman Landscape YouTube: @AumanLandscape Instagram: @aumanlandscapellc All Links: Linktree  

Early in Lucanet's expansion, two Chinese employees working in Germany noticed something unusual. The consolidation software they worked with functioned so well that they believed it could succeed in their home market. Acting on that conviction, they traveled from Berlin back to China and built what would become Lucanet's Chinese business. The story illustrates how a tool designed for global complexity could travel easily across borders, Gurney tells us.Lucanet's origins are firmly rooted in Germany, where the company first built its reputation with a consolidation platform designed for companies operating across multiple jurisdictions. That design decision proved foundational. Because customers often consolidate entities across countries, the platform had to integrate financial data from different jurisdictions and support multiple accounting frameworks, Gurney tells us. The system can report under German GAAP, IFRS, or different management accounting rules and allows users to toggle between those views efficiently, he tells us.Today, the company's geographic reach reflects that original cross-border orientation. While Germany remains Lucanet's strongest market, the company now operates across Europe and Asia, including the Netherlands, Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, China, and Singapore, Gurney tells us. Increasingly, a majority of new customer bookings come from outside Lucanet's historical DACH and Netherlands markets, he tells us.Growth has also been shaped by capital structure changes. After roughly eighteen years as a founder-run business, HG Capital made a majority investment in 2022, accelerating both product development and geographic expansion, Gurney tells us.For Gurney, who joined Lucanet at the start of May last year, the company's focus remains clear: build tools that make the Office of the CFO more effective across borders and systems, he tells us.

AI is forcing a leadership choice. You can treat it like a stack of use cases and end up with a lot of motion and a little progress. Or you can start with a clear vision of the future you want, make strategy visible, and use that to align decisions across the business.  In this episode, Drew Neisser talks with Brian Evergreen, author of Autonomous Transformation, about why the AI conversation so often collapses into tools and use cases, and how leaders can pull it back to vision, outcomes, and the kind of alignment that drives transformation. What you'll take away:  Why optimization can keep you busy while you stay stuck  How to make a future vision concrete enough to act on  What "no strategy without vision" means, and how to spot fake strategy  Why leaders default to scorecards, and how it stalls transformation  How Brian's "nindrant" separates "we can do" from "we need alignment"  Why use case first AI limits gains, and how to shift to value creation Plus:  A simple workshop to surface visions before projects  A clean split between what marketing can do now and what needs CRO and CFO alignment  How to move AI from tool talk to a value creation leadership conversation If you are tired of AI conversations that start with tools and end with small wins, listen to this episode for a vision first approach that changes what you do next.  For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/

Ashley Still, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Intuit's mid-market business, discusses how the expectations of finance leaders are shifting as AI reshapes the finance function. She explains how Intuit is expanding beyond its small-business roots with Intuit Enterprise Suite, designed to serve growing mid-market organizations seeking faster implementation and lower total cost than traditional ERP systems. Still highlights how AI-powered agents are helping finance teams reduce manual work, accelerate month-end insights, and focus more on strategic decision-making. As the CFO role evolves from scorekeeper to growth driver, she believes technology will increasingly enable finance leaders to connect data, manage risk, and guide business growth.

Workforce reimagination is here. In 2026, the office of the CFO is moving from AI as a tool to a coworker. Recorded in Davos, this episode digs into the human side of transformation. We sit down with global leaders to unpack why the human in the loop is being rewritten and why change management has become a core executive capability. Mandi McReynolds talks with Costi Perricos, Global GenAI Business Leader at Deloitte, Dennis Woodside, CEO of Freshworks, and Dr. Márcia Balisciano, Board Member Foundation for the UN Global Compact and CSO of RELX, about what they're seeing on the ground as roles evolve from task execution to AI orchestration. In this episode: 04:00 Costi Pericos on agentic collaboration and why HR and AI are converging 13:10 Dennis Woodside on the execution gap and changing daily work habits 15:30 Marcia Balisciano on CFO leadership and becoming "chief environmental champions" 19:00 Conclusion: Why CFOs must architect the agentic future "I often say you'll learn without AI first so that one day you can be the human in the loop, coordinating and governing AI." — Costi Pericos, Deloitte Enjoy this episode? Find more at workiva.com/podcast/the-pre-read  

Compliance and regulatory reporting used to mean endless spreadsheets, fragmented data sources, and teams drowning in manual work. Today, AI is transforming how the world's largest companies manage financial reporting, sustainability disclosures, and audit workflows—not by replacing humans, but by giving them time back to do strategic work. In this episode of IT Visionaries, host Chris Brandt sits down with Kim Huffman, CIO of Workiva, the platform used by 85% of the Fortune 100 for critical financial and compliance reporting. Kim shares her unique perspective as both a former Workiva customer and now the CIO steering the company into an AI-powered future. They explore how the office of the CFO is evolving under pressure from new sustainability regulations, how AI governance actually works in practice, and why collaboration between IT, finance, sustainability, and risk teams has become essential. Kim also discusses the changing role of the CIO, the coming wave of autonomous agents in the workplace, and why having more data doesn't always mean making better decisions.   Key Moments: 00:58 – The State of Compliance Today 02:18 – Why Standards and Regulations Matter 05:48 – The Complexity of Global Compliance 07:36 – Data Collection Across Teams 08:36 – Single Source of Truth 10:20 – The Sustainability Data Challenge 13:36 – The Endless Spreadsheet Problem 16:12 – What's Driving the CFO Office 19:46 – AI's Strategic Role at Workiva 23:02 – Beyond Repetitive Tasks 25:20 – Transforming How Teams Work 27:03 – Will AI Replace Jobs or Create Capacity? 30:00 – Measuring AI's Business Impact 33:06 – Speed vs. Data Overload 36:25 – The Evolving Role of the CIO 40:00 – Technology Leadership in Transition 43:09 – The Next Five Years for CIOs 46:14 – Managing the Coming Wave of AI Agents 50:02 – AI Will Create Its Own Security Industry 52:26 – The Sustainability Reporting Reality 55:31 – Resource Constraints and AI Consumption 57:34 – Why ESG Data Is Now Critical Business Intelligence 59:23 – Keeping NPS High While Innovating   -- This episode of IT Visionaries is brought to you by Meter - the company building better networks. Businesses today are frustrated with outdated providers, rigid pricing, and fragmented tools. Meter changes that with a single integrated solution that covers everything wired, wireless, and even cellular networking. They design the hardware, write the firmware, build the software, and manage it all so your team doesn't have to.That means you get fast, secure, and scalable connectivity without the complexity of juggling multiple providers. Thanks to meter for sponsoring. Go to meter.com/itv to book a demo.---IT Visionaries is made by the team at Mission.org. Learn more about our media studio and network of podcasts at mission.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Early in his career, Intekhab Nazeer found himself sitting in go-to-market meetings rather than finance reviews. A CFO mentor had pushed him beyond traditional accounting responsibilities, exposing him to pipeline discussions and sales forecasting. That experience changed how he viewed finance leadership. Instead of simply reporting financial results, he began understanding “how pipeline is generated, how deal flow is measured, how the forecasting really works,” Nazeer tells us. The exposure reshaped his perspective, shifting his mindset from reporting outcomes to influencing them.The shift became even more real when he stepped into an interim CFO role after his mentor moved on. Responsibility changed overnight. “I was no longer supporting decisions. I was making decisions,” Nazeer tells us, describing board meetings, capital allocation choices, and the balancing act between growth and risk.Throughout his career, he continued to place finance alongside operations rather than apart from them. At one venture-backed company, that mindset proved critical. Revenue targets were being met, yet something felt wrong. When Nazeer overlaid unit economics—customer acquisition cost, payback period, and expansion revenue—he discovered the company was optimizing growth while quietly locking in unprofitable customer behavior, he tells us.The response required collaboration rather than spreadsheets alone. He worked with sales and product leaders to redefine the ideal customer profile, adjust pricing discipline, and elevate metrics like payback period and the “magic number” into core operating indicators, he tells us.The experience reinforced a lesson he carries today: the CFO role is “far less about spreadsheets and more about psychology,” Nazeer tells us. Precision creates accuracy, but influence creates outcomes.

In this episode, Brendan and Hunter sit down with O&P Insight's Vice President and General Manager Lesleigh Sisson, CFo, CFm, to discuss the rising trends in payer audits, the most common causes of avoidable revenue loss, and the proactive compliance strategies that help O&P clinics ensure claims not only get paid—but stay paid.Learn more about O&P Insight and connect with Lesliegh on Linkedin. Many thanks to Trulife for sponsoring this episode! Introducing the A-Pace—an innovative AFO designed for individuals with mild to moderate foot drop, with or without foot spasticity, weak muscles, or calf muscle loss, serving both unilateral and bilateral patients across low to high activity levels. Built with lightweight carbon fiber and a customizable trim-to-fit foot plate, the A-Pace reduces SKUs while offering comfort and ease of use with its anterior style and two magnetic closures. PDAC verified under codes L1932 and L1933, the A-Pace is available now at SPS.SPS Update: On the latest episode of SPS Unpacked, we unboxed the PROTEOR Kinterra EVAQ8. This innovative foot combines hydraulic articulation with vacuum suspension to deliver enhanced mobility and limb health. Click here to learn more!Visit spsco.com

Industrial manufacturing finance is complex by nature. Multiple ERPs, acquisitions, intercompany activity, and heavy Excel reliance can make it difficult for leaders to gain clear visibility into performance. In this episode, we explore how modern finance teams are turning that complexity into clarity using a unified CPM platform. Through three real-world transformation stories from the industrial manufacturing sector, we break down how finance leaders solved critical challenges around working capital visibility, post-acquisition carve-outs, and operational reporting. You'll hear how organizations used OneStream to establish a single source of truth, introduce structured workflows, and give executives the transparency they need to confidently answer questions about cash flow, receivables, and business performance. If you're a CFO, Controller, or FP&A leader navigating the realities of manufacturing finance, this episode highlights what it takes to build an "ironclad" finance function, one that replaces fragmented processes with visibility, accountability, and faster decision-making.

One of the most consequential decisions a CFO will make is selecting and implementing an enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform. Yet beyond vendor comparisons and licensing costs lie hidden risks—customization overruns, stalled implementations, legacy system constraints, and organizational change fatigue.In this episode of The CFO Show, Melissa Howatson speaks with Harpal Mattu, FCMA, Managing Director at Agilyx Group, about what truly determines ERP success or failure. Drawing on decades of experience guiding global ERP transformations, Harpal shares practical lessons from both high-performing implementations and recovery projects where things went wrong.Together, they discuss:The true total cost of ERP ownership beyond implementation feesWhy excessive customization creates “Frankenstack” environmentsWhen to adapt your processes versus customizing the systemHow to structure ERP programs to reduce risk and avoid burnoutPhasing vs. “big bang” go-lives—and what CFOs must protectWhy change management must begin before system selectionThe evolution of ERP from system of record to system of reasoningWhether you're modernizing a legacy ERP, evaluating new platforms, or leading a finance transformation initiative, this conversation offers a strategic lens for navigating ERP decisions with confidence and discipline.

KI schreibt Texte, beantwortet Fragen – und lügt. In Experimenten haben KI-Agenten ihre eigene Leistung systematisch zu gut berichtet, Budgetforecasts bewusst manipuliert und sogar Daten gefälscht, um eigene Ziele zu verfolgen. Was klingt wie Science-Fiction, ist bereits heute in Testsettings beobachtbares Verhalten – mit weitreichenden Konsequenzen. Wenn KI-Agenten künftig Reporting-Aufgaben übernehmen, Forecasts erstellen oder gar eigenständig Entscheidungen treffen sollen, braucht es ein Management Control Framework. Zu Gast: Prof. Dr. Matthias Mahlendorf – Frankfurt School of Finance and Management. In dieser Episode: Warum KI-Agenten in Experimenten systematisch zu gut reporten, Budgets strategisch falsch einschätzen und wie das Entdeckungsrisiko ihr Verhalten beeinflusst.  Welche vier Ursachen stecken hinter dem Fehlverhalten autonomer KI-Agenten  Wie kann ein Management Control Framework für KI-Agenten aussehen.  Warum sollte das Controlling die treibende Kraft bei der Steuerung von KI-Agenten sein – und diese Verantwortung nicht der IT überlassen. 

Jon Miller co-founded Marketo, the company that helped turn MQLs, lead scoring, and the demand waterfall into the operating system of B2B marketing. Now he's the one telling you to throw most of it out.When Jon did the same playbook at Demandbase that worked brilliantly at Marketo, it flopped. That failure changed how he thinks about almost everything.In this conversation, Carolyn sits down with Jon, co-founder of Marketo and Engagio (which merged with Demandbase), to dig into why the traditional B2B marketing playbook stopped working, what brand actually does for demand gen that most teams never account for, and what a modern measurement framework should look like in 2026. What we cover:Why the same playbook that worked at Marketo failed at DemandbaseWhy MQLs aren't inherently bad, but how they became a game most marketing teams were rigging without realizing itThe case against marketing-sourced vs. sales-sourced attribution (and why it breaks the teamwork you need to win)What a modern CMO dashboard should actually includeWhy the buying process is chaotic and nonlinear and why treating it like a simple funnel has always been the wrong modelHow AI is finally making true 1:1 personalization across millions of buyers possible The one question to ask your CFO socratically that will reframe the entire conversation about brand ROIThis episode is an absolute MUST listen for any marketing leader or revenue operator who knows something is broken but keeps hitting a wall trying to fix it.

Is 2026 the year AI finally has to prove it is worth the investment? In this episode, I'm joined by Chris Riche-Webber, VP of Business Intelligence and Analytics at SmartRecruiters, to explore why so many AI and agentic AI initiatives stall after the pilot phase and what separates the projects that scale from the ones that quietly disappear. With Gartner predicting that more than 40 percent of agentic AI programs could be cancelled by 2027, Chris brings a pragmatic, data-led perspective on what is really happening inside organizations as the hype meets operational reality. We talk about the fundamentals that have not changed despite the new technology. Influence, clearly defined problems, measurable impact, and adoption still determine success, yet they are often overlooked in the rush to deploy the latest tools. Chris explains why "good vibes" are no longer enough in front of a CFO, how to baseline outcomes properly, and why ownership of results is one of the most common missing pieces in enterprise AI programs. A big part of the conversation focuses on what Chris calls the "agent washing" problem. Just as products are sometimes marketed with fashionable labels that do not reflect their real value, many solutions are being positioned as agentic without delivering true autonomy or business outcomes. We discuss how leaders can cut through the noise by asking better questions, aligning technology to specific use cases, and recognizing when simple automation is the right answer. Trust, adoption, and measurable ROI emerge as the three signals that determine whether an AI initiative survives. Chris shares a clear framework for defining these signals in a way that is consistent, comparable over time, and meaningful to the executive team. We also explore how connecting talent decisions to revenue, productivity, and retention changes the conversation, especially in the context of SmartRecruiters' broader SAP ecosystem and the opportunity to link people data directly to business performance. This is a conversation about moving from experimentation to accountability, from buying narratives to solving real problems, and from technology-first thinking to outcome-first leadership. So as the window for easy wins closes and the demand for proof of value grows, will your AI strategy be remembered as a pilot that generated excitement or as an initiative that delivered measurable business impact?

In this episode, we share how to confidently give patients clear choices in the exam lane without creating confusion or pushback around vision and medical care. We explain how setting expectations early and taking ownership of clear communication builds trust and increases acceptance of follow up visits. We also touch on how to structure your schedule to support shorter, more frequent visits and why giving patients ownership of their decisions improves both the patient experience and practice profitability.   Hosted By Adam Cmejla, CFP and Chad Fleming, OD, FAAO Have a question? Submit it here Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://shorturl.at/Fq1Ro  Subscribe on Spotify: https://shorturl.at/jCtsk    The Optometry Success Podcast, hosted by Adam Cmejla, CFP and Chad Fleming, OD, FAAO helps private-practice optometrists build profitable, sustainable businesses with clarity and confidence. Hosted by Adam Cmejla, CFP—a financial planner and CFO to ODs nationwide—and Dr. Chad Fleming, OD—a multi-location practice owner with decades of hands-on experience—each 20-minute episode delivers practical strategies and actionable insights you can apply right away. From leadership and financials to team culture, operations, and growth, this is your weekly dose of real-world advice for real-world practice owners. New episodes every Wednesday.   Please be sure to subscribe to The Optometry Success Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify now to check out the next two episodes right now!   The Optometry Success Podcast  Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/4tttng6 Subscribe on Spotify: https://bit.ly/4tuf0YM        Resources: Book a Triage call with Adam Download the Practice Owner's Financial Toolkit 20/20 Money Ultimate Financial Success Masterclass OD Mastermind Interest Form   ————————————————————————————— Please rate and subscribe to 20/20 Money on these platforms Apple Podcasts Spotify ————————————————————————————— For past episodes of 20/20 Money with full companion show notes, please check out our episode archive here!

Procurement's incentive problem doesn't stop at the contract. It gets worse after signature. In this Phil-Ins episode of "Buy: The Way…To Purposeful Procurement," Rich Ham and Philip Ideson are joined by Kelly Barner to unpack three "Buy Laws" at once, mainly because they're inseparable in practice. First: count only what hits the ledger. If the value doesn't show up in actuals, it doesn't count. That means moving procurement out of the projection business and into the results business… where the CFO lives. Second: stop counting only the good. The status quo lets category managers rack up credit for isolated wins while bad outcomes quietly pile up elsewhere. Procurement can't become more credible (or more strategic) if the scoreboard only records highlights. Third: fund a validation function. If you're going to demand that outcomes be real, you have to resource the work that proves it. Validation isn't optional. It's the bridge between negotiation and execution, the place where contract adherence, leakage, "technically compliant but avoidable" spend, and invoice-level reality either confirm the deal… or expose the fiction. Along the way, the conversation also confronts the uncomfortable tension at the heart of all three Buy Laws: procurement can't control everything that drives financial outcomes. But that can't be an excuse to keep rewarding imagined savings. The answer is a healthier system altogether, which should include clear carve-outs, smarter attribution, and a consistent discipline of asking the simplest kinds of questions procurement too often avoids: "this was supposed to be 12… so why is it 15?" If procurement wants to claim value, they have to stay involved long enough to validate it, and build a measurement system strong enough to survive contact with reality. Links: Rich Ham on LinkedIn Learn more at FineTuneUs.com  

Traditional finance models are hitting a wall. This episode highlights a panel at Davos that gets straight to the engine room of the enterprise.  Jatin Dalal, Chief Financial Officer, Cognizant; Mike Rost, Chief Strategy Officer, Workiva; Jonathan Zanger, Chief Technology Officer, Check Point; and Jennifer Steinmann, Global Sustainability Business Leader, Deloitte gathered to talk about:  The ROI heresy: Why waiting for a fixed ROI is like using an obsolete map for a moving target  The 3x productivity jump: Why a 300% increase is the new starting point for AI  Security risks: Understanding white font attacks and AI doppelgangers in HR systems  Strategic insights: How predictive analytics and earth observation are changing risk valuation  Timestamps: 00:00—Multiplying traditional productivity by three  02:15—The Davos panel: AI promise and peril  04:10—Why ROI is an irrelevant measure for AI  05:40—Security alerts: The white font attack  07:15—The $3.8 trillion insight at stake  08:20—The Monday morning mandate  "Whatever you thought about traditional productivity multiplied by three at minimum, and that should be a starting point, not the end point." —Jatin Dalal, CFO of Cognizant  Find past conversations at workiva.com/podcast/the-pre-read 

In this episode, I sit down with John Daniel of the University of Cincinnati to discuss the modernization of one of the most innovative athletic departments in the country. John shares insight into Cincinnati's record-setting financial year, the institution's critical support before full revenue distribution from the Big 12 Conference kicked in, and how the House Settlement has once again reshaped their financial landscape. We also explore his unique reporting line to both the athletic director and the university's CFO—an experience that is clearly preparing him for a future cabinet-level role. JD walks through his preparation and thought process for potential athletic director opportunities and the stops he's had up to this point in his career. I invited JD on the show because as the top deputy in a forward-thinking department like UC, I believe he won't be a deputy much longer.HEA is presented by PILYTIX, an AI tech company for higher education institutions and sports organizations. Increased Donations. Fast, Effective Targeting. Improved Performance. AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts.Onrise provides complete mental health Coverage for your Athletes. One call. Same-day setup. Your athletes get immediate access to peer support from retired pros, licensed clinicians, and 24/7 crisis care. Less than one in-house FTE. No hiring hassles. No initiative fatigue. 0:00 Introduction2:00 Modernization of the Athletic Department5:30 Onrise6:35 Record Financial Year11:35 Reporting Line with University CFO18:50 Projects JD Thinks is Preparing Him to be an Effective AD23:20 AD Vantage27:10 What to Look for in Job Opportunities29:27 Titles Aren't Everything, But the Data Says it Matters32:30 How JD Prepares for Opportunities40:20 Why JD is Ready to Become an AD in the Evolving World of College Athletics

What happens when divorce forces you to look at your money differently?In this episode of The Crazy Ex-Wives Club, Erica sits down with Shana and Vanessa of Budget Besties to talk about the B word. Budgets. Not the restrictive, shame-filled kind. The bougie kind. The kind that supports your next chapter instead of shrinking it.Divorce often brings financial fear to the surface. Whether you managed the money before or not, stepping into full financial responsibility can feel overwhelming. Shame creeps in. Avoidance sets in. The credit card becomes the emotional buffer.Shana and Vanessa break down how to move from fear to clarity using a simplified, automated budgeting system designed specifically for women. They explain how most women don't have a spending problem. They have an organization problem.If you're navigating financial independence after divorce, feeling behind with money, or afraid to look at your bank account, this episode will remind you that you are capable of being the CFO of your own life.You'll learn:Why money feels heavier after divorceThe difference between a spending problem and an organization problemHow shame keeps women stuck financiallyThe three-step simplified budget system: create, separate, automateWhat a digital envelope system is and how it replaces outdated cash envelopesHow separating accounts creates natural guardrailsWhy automation eliminates financial stressHow to stop relying on credit cards to fund your lifeWhy adding cushion prevents rebound overspendingHow paying off debt creates financial freedomHow to let your money work for you instead of against youWhy your version of “bougie” is allowedWe talk about:00:00 Reframing the B word after divorce02:00 Why budgeting feels emotional and overwhelming04:00 Money shame and “I should know this already”06:00 Avoidance and head-in-the-sand habits08:00 The simplified five-column budget structure10:00 Digital envelopes and separating accounts12:00 Why guardrails create freedom14:00 Overspending and emotional justification16:00 Designing a budget you actually want to follow18:00 Becoming the CFO of your own life20:00 Adding buffer and flexibility into your spending22:00 Automating your bills and savings24:00 Debit cards versus credit card reliance26:00 Paying off debt and reclaiming income28:00 Financial independence in your next chapter30:00 Letting your money multiply while you sleep32:00 Small shifts that create financial momentum34:00 Why budgeting is self-respect, not restriction36:00 Your first simple step this weekLinks Mentioned in the ShowNeed a monthly reset and rhythm? Explore The WILD WOMANReady to Define the New You? Create your BLUEPRINTWant to grab your own bougie budget? Grab your download from the podcast HERELoved this week's guest? LEARN MOREContact Erica & The Crazy Ex-Wives Clubwww.thecrazyexwivesclub.com Tag us @ Instagram | Facebook | TikTokDid you love this episode? Make sure to follow for more.

Dr. Johnny Franco joins Kat Taranto to share what it truly takes to scale a modern aesthetic practice, from subleasing a 600-square-foot office to leading three locations and 90 employees. They discuss the systems and financial discipline required for sustainable growth, why structured operations outperform chaos, and how hiring a CFO clarified profitability. The conversation also explores the role of artificial intelligence in today's clinics, including how AI can support marketing, patient communication, and operational efficiency when built on strong underlying systems. This episode offers a clear look at scaling with structure, margin awareness, and long-term strategy.Talking PointsStart lean, preserve capital, and use AI strategically to stay flexible for growthSet real budgets early and use AI tools to control marketing and operational spendHire a full-time marketing lead and leverage AI to scale visibility and executionBuild SOPs for every patient touchpoint before scaling or automating with AIHire slow but fire fast to protect culture and performanceAvoid one-off schedule exceptions that fracture team equityUse working interviews to test cultural and operational fitTeach-me interviews reveal true leadership and executive capabilitySocial media consistency outweighs perfection in content strategyCRM systems prevent wasted leads and maximize marketing ROIStructured team meetings create clarity and reduce internal frictionRevenue means nothing without margin awareness and financial oversightA CFO mindset shifts focus from growth volume to profitabilityMed spa, surgery, and wellness are converging into one continuumDownload episode resource hereOur SponsorsEpisode Sponsors: MINT AestheticsLink from this Episode: Austin Plastic Surgeon

Welcome to another episode of Building the Premier Accounting Firm. Today Roger Knecht and tax expert Michael Uadiale discuss strategic tax planning for business owners, moving beyond basic tax preparation to proactive wealth building. This episode reveals how to legally minimize tax liabilities and achieve financial freedom through expert tax strategies and dedicated client relationships. In This Episode: 00:00 Introduction & Journey to Tax Planning 04:31 Tax Prep vs. Tax Planning 08:41 DECIDE: 6-Step Tax Plan 12:51 Achieving Zero Tax Legally 17:15 7 Workhorse Tax Strategies 23:09 Work Less, Keep More: Lifestyle Strategies 30:13 Marketing and Pricing Tax Services 34:16 Client Experience & Deliverables 40:27 Gratitude and Collaborative Mindset 47:09 Conclusion and Resources Key Takeaways: Define the critical differences between tax preparation and strategic tax planning, emphasizing proactive tax reduction. Implement the "DECIDE" six-step plan for slashing tax bills, covering deductions, entity types, credits, income shifting, deferrals, and eliminations. Utilize workhorse strategies like home office deductions, hiring family members, and maximizing auto and health insurance write-offs. Structure services with clear menu pricing for tax advisory and outsourced CFO offerings, demonstrating value to clients. Foster client relationships through consistent meetings and communication, ensuring ongoing tax planning and implementation support. Featured Quotes: "There is no patriotic duty to overpay your taxes." - Michael Uadiale "Our services are free… if we cannot get you to a point where you are able to get at least two to three times reduction in your taxes net of our fees, we don't want you as a client." - Michael Uadiale "Planning is not a firehose activity in December. It's something that you got to do all through the year." - Michael Uadiale Behind the Story: Michael Uadiale shares his personal journey from an immigrant with a significant unexpected tax bill to becoming a master tax advisor. This pivotal experience shaped his approach to tax planning, leading him to found a seven-figure firm focused on proactive client strategies rather than reactive tax preparation. He advocates for a collaborative and value-driven approach within the accounting profession. Conclusion: Thank you for joining us for another episode of Building the Premier Accounting Firm with Roger Knecht. For more information on how you can establish your own accounting firm and take control of your time and income, call 435-344-2060 or schedule an appointment to connect with Roger's team here.   Sponsors: Universal Accounting Center Helping accounting professionals confidently and competently offer quality accounting services to get paid what they are worth.   Offers: Join the Financial Freedom Academy: We guide you through expert wealth and tax strategies to enhance your financial health, regardless of experience. https://www.skool.com/financialfreedomacademy   Are you ready for a change, both personally and professionally?  Then accept and participate in the Accountrepreneurs Challenge.  This is a FREE opportunity to apply best practices and make this the best year yet in your career.   Get a FREE copy of these books all accounting professionals should use to work on their business and become profitable.  These are a must-have addition to every accountant's library to provide quality CFO & Advisory services as a Profit & Growth Expert today: "Red to BLACK in 30 days – A small business accountant's guide to QUICK turnarounds" – This is a how-to guide on how to turn around a struggling business into a more sustainable model. Each chapter focuses on a crucial aspect of the turnaround process - from cash flow management to strategies for improving revenue. This book will teach you everything you need to become a turnaround expert for small businesses. "in the BLACK, nine principles to make your business profitable" – Nine Principles to Make Your Business Profitable – Discover what you need to know to run the premier accounting firm and get paid what you are worth in this book, by the same author as Red to Black – CPA Allen B. Bostrom. Bostrom teaches the three major functions of business (marketing, production and accounting) as well as strategies for maximizing profitability for your clients by creating actionable plans to implement the nine principles. "Your Strategic Accountant" - Understand the 3 Core Accounting Services (CAS - Client Accounting Services) you should offer as you run your business. Help your clients understand which numbers they need to know to make more informed business decisions. "Your Profit & Growth Expert" - Your business is an asset. You should know its value and understand how to maximize it. Beginning with the end in mind helps you work ON your business to build a company you can leave so that it can continue to exist in your absence or build wealth as you retire and enjoy the time, freedom, and life you want and deserve. Follow the Turnkey Business plan for accounting professionals.  This is the proven process to start and build the premier accounting firm in your area.  After more than 40 years we've identified the best practices of successful accountants and this is a presentation we are happy to share.     Also learn the best practices to automate and nurture your lead generation process allowing you to get the bookkeeping, accounting and tax clients you deserve.  GO HERE to see this presentation and learn what you can do today to identify and engage with your ideal clients.   Check it out and see what you can do to be in business for yourself but not by yourself with Universal Accounting Center.   It's here you can become a:   Professional Bookkeeper, PB Professional Tax Preparer, PTP Profit & Growth Expert, PGE   Next, join a group of like-minded professionals within the accounting community.  Register to attend GrowCon and Stay up-to-date on current topics and trends and see what you can do to also give back, participating in relevant conversations as they relate to offering quality accounting services and building your bookkeeping, accounting & tax business.   The Accounting & Bookkeeping Tips Facebook Group The Universal Accounting Fanpage Topical Newsletters: Universal Accounting Success The Universal Newsletter   Lastly, get your Business Score to see what you can do to work ON your business and have the Premier Accounting Firm. Join over 70,000 business owners and get your score on the 8 Factors That Drive Your Company's Value.   For Additional FREE Resources for accounting professionals check out this collection HERE!   Be sure to join us for GrowCon, the LIVE event for accounting professionals to work ON their business. This is a conference you don't want to miss.   Remember this, Accounting Success IS Universal. Listen to our next episode and be sure to subscribe.   Also, let us know what you think of the podcast and please share any suggestions you may have.  We look forward to your input: Podcast Feedback   For more information on how you can apply these principles to start and build your accounting, bookkeeping & tax business please visit us at www.universalaccountingschool.com or call us at 8012653777  

Entrevistamos a Rafael Pampillón, catedrático de Economía de la Universidad CEU San Pablo y del IE University, para analizar la amenaza de Donald Trump de cortar relaciones comerciales con España y las posibles consecuencias económicas y comerciales de una medida de este tipo. En Empresas Cotizadas hablamos con Ixone Vicente, CFO de Arteche. Con ella repasamos el negocio del grupo, sus principales líneas de actividad y su aportación al conjunto de ingresos y beneficios, los objetivos de crecimiento y si la compañía contempla nuevas adquisiciones. También analizamos la evolución del equipo, el balance desde su incorporación a BME Growth en 2021 y qué representa para la compañía el salto dado este año al Mercado Continuo. En el Foro de la Inversión contamos con María José Gálvez, directora de Sostenibilidad de UNESPA y miembro del Comité Ejecutivo de FINRESP, con quien analizamos las conclusiones del VI Encuentro Anual de FINRESP. Durante la conversación abordamos el momento actual de las finanzas sostenibles en España y Europa, el debate sobre la simplificación de la normativa europea, el papel del sector asegurador en la gestión de los riesgos climáticos y la estabilidad financiera, así como la adaptación de las pymes a las exigencias de sostenibilidad. También reflexionamos sobre el papel del seguro y de la previsión social complementaria en un contexto de envejecimiento y sobre si las finanzas sostenibles pueden convertirse en una ventaja competitiva para Europa frente a EE. UU. o China. El programa ha finalizado con el Consultorio de Fondos de Inversión junto a Alberto Loza, responsable de Selección de Producto de Norwealth Capital.

A new study, Women in the Workplace 2025, reports a troubling reversal: stalled early advancement, declining company commitment, and a new ambition gap as fewer women aspire to promotion than men for the first time in a decade. In a fast growing Central Ohio economy, this Columbus Metropolitan Club forum asks: are women being left behind just as opportunity expands? New research from McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.org shows that only 80% of women now aspire to promotion, compared with 86% of men—a reversal of long-standing trends. Yet the data tells a more hopeful story as well: when women receive the same sponsorship, support, and clarity about advancement as their male peers, the ambition gap disappears entirely. The problem, it turns out, may not be women's ambition—but workplaces that make ambition harder to sustain. Leaders from business and the nonprofit sector discuss what is driving the ambition gap, why it disappears when women receive equal sponsorship and support, and what leaders can do to build workplaces where women can advance. Featuring: Michelle Bryant, Partner, McKinsey and Company Dr. Pamela Gregory, Owner and CFO, National Center for Urban Solutions Kelley Griesmer, President and CEO, The Women's Fund of Central Ohio Lillian Morales Laster, Executive Director, Empowering Latinas Leadership Academy The host is Margaret D Finley, President, Central Ohio Belonging Consortium. This forum was made possible by the Mary Lazarus Legacy in Civic Engagement Fund and was sponsored by Advanced Drainage Systems, Event Marketing Strategies, and The New Directions Career Center. The presenting sponsor of the CMC livestream was The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. CMC's livestream partner was The Columbus Dispatch. If you'd like to keep exploring this week's forum topic, our friends at The Columbus Metropolitan Library recommend reading This Isn't Working: How Working Women Can Overcome Stress, Guilt, and Overload to Find True Success by Meghan French Dunbar (2025). This forum was recorded before a live audience at The National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus Ohio on March 4, 2026.

Geschätzte Lesedauer: 9 Minuten Hallo und herzlich willkommen! Hier ist euer Host Christopher Funk. Schön, dass du dir heute wieder die Zeit nimmst. Konkret Zeit, um an deinem Vertrieb zu arbeiten und nicht nur im Vertrieb. Wenn du aktuell merkst, dass deine alte B2B Vertriebsstrategie nicht mehr richtig zieht, dann bist du hier genau richtig. Zunächst lass mich direkt mit einer echten Story aus meiner letzten Woche starten. Ich saß bei einem Chef eines richtig starken Maschinenbauers. Es ist ein tolles Unternehmen mit super Produkten. Zudem ist die Firma extrem innovativ. Dennoch saß der Chef mir gegenüber, schüttelte den Kopf und sagte: "Christopher, mein Außendienst dreht langsam völlig durch." Warum passiert das? Früher fuhr der Verkäufer zum Leiter der Produktion. Zuerst trank man Kaffee. Anschließend besprach man die Details der neuen Anlage. Schließlich machte der Verkäufer einen guten Preis. Und der Deal war durch. Heute ist das allerdings alles ganz anders. Wie bringst du dein Team mit einer modernen B2B Vertriebsstrategie daher wieder auf die Erfolgsspur? Genau das schauen wir uns heute sehr genau an. Die neue Realität für deine B2B Vertriebsstrategie Wenn wir heute über messbaren Erfolg im Verkauf sprechen, müssen wir zunächst ehrlich sein. Das Spielfeld hat sich nämlich radikal verändert. Die alten Zeiten sind definitiv vorbei. Folglich muss sich auch dein Ansatz anpassen. Warum der Verkauf heute so viel schwerer ist Heute sitzen in den Terminen plötzlich Leute, die früher nie dabei waren. Zum Beispiel ist der CFO da. Zusätzlich spricht der IT-Leiter mit, weil die Anlage in das Netz der Firma passen muss. Ein Chefeinkäufer redet ebenso ein Wörtchen mit. Und dann gibt es oft noch einen Projektmanager aus Italien. Plötzlich wollen also alle mitreden. Dadurch zieht sich der Weg zum Kauf wie Kaugummi. Deine Verkäufer wissen deshalb oft gar nicht mehr, an welcher Front sie eigentlich kämpfen sollen. Und weißt du was? Du bist damit natürlich nicht allein. Die B2B-Welt ist schlichtweg brutal komplex geworden. Das Buying Center: Über 5 Entscheider am Tisch Das sogenannte Buying Center ist mittlerweile riesig. Eine Analyse zeigt beispielsweise: Im Schnitt sind heute 5,4 Leute an der Entscheidung für eine neue Lösung beteiligt. Überleg mal, was das konkret für deine Verkäufer bedeutet. Aktuelle Studien von Gartner sagen hierzu, dass 72 Prozent der Verkäufer völlig überfordert sind. Die Menge an Skills, die heute von ihnen verlangt werden, ist einfach enorm. Jeder Zweite kapituliert fast vor der Masse an neuen Tools. Wenn dein Team also stagniert, liegt das nicht daran, dass sie das Verkaufen plötzlich verlernt haben. Vielmehr hat sich die Welt um sie herum einfach rasant gedreht. Die DNA der Top-Performer: Eine neue Sichtweise Genau deshalb sezieren wir heute die DNA der Top-Verkäufer. Was machen die besten Leute heute eigentlich anders? Sie haben vor allem eine glasklare B2B Vertriebsstrategie, die auf drei Säulen aufbaut. Warum alte Tricks heute nicht mehr wirken Es reicht heute einfach nicht mehr, stumpf die reinen Daten einer Maschine zu nennen. Die Kunden kennen diese Fakten meistens schon aus dem Internet. Wer heute lediglich Features aufzählt, verliert. Der Kunde nickt zwar freundlich, kauft aber am Ende bei der Konkurrenz. Die drei Säulen für deinen echten Verkaufserfolg Gartner hat kürzlich über 3.500 B2B-Verkäufer genau analysiert. Und zwar über alle Branchen und Länder hinweg. Dabei kamen schließlich drei ganz konkrete Kernkompetenzen heraus. Verkäufer, die diese drei Säulen in ihre B2B Vertriebsstrategie einbauen, übertreffen ihre Ziele damit mit einer bis zu vierfach höheren Chance. Das ist übrigens keine reine Theorie, sondern das sind echte, belegte Zahlen. Säule 1: Mentalizing – Das Upgrade für dein Team Die erste Kernkompetenz nennt sich Mentalizing. Das klingt vielleicht wie aus einem Studium der Psychologie. Ist es aber nicht. Es ist vielmehr ein zutiefst menschliches Basic im Vertrieb. Nur eben auf einem völlig neuen Level. Die wahren Wünsche des Kunden richtig lesen Mentalizing ist grundsätzlich die Fähigkeit, echte Motive und Einwände der Käufer zu finden. Du musst dafür tief hinter die Fassade blicken. Technik spielt hier überhaupt keine Rolle. Es geht rein um den Menschen. Vier konkrete Skills für besseres Mentalizing Gartner teilt dieses Mentalizing daher in vier konkrete Skills, die du deinem Team beibringen musst. Aktives Zuhören als absolute Basis Das ist wirklich absolut wichtig. Aktives Zuhören ist nämlich eine Technik, die man lernen kann. Es geht nicht darum, auf den eigenen Text zu warten. Es geht vielmehr darum, dem Käufer voll und ganz zu folgen. Der direkte Wechsel der Perspektive Deine Leute müssen sich zudem wirklich in die Lage des Käufers versetzen. Wie sieht die Welt eigentlich aus seiner Sicht aus? Welche Probleme plagen ihn täglich? Echte Empathie im harten Verkaufsgespräch Verstehe außerdem, wie sich der Kunde auf seiner schweren Reise zum Kauf fühlt. Empathie bedeutet dabei, diese tiefe Unsicherheit und den Druck des Kunden zu erkennen und aufzufangen. Infos sammeln und richtig nutzen Hier führst du letztendlich alle Infos zusammen. Lass uns das kurz konkret machen: Ein Leiter der Produktion fragt plötzlich aggressiv nach Zyklen für die Wartung. Ein normaler Verkäufer rattert jetzt das PDF runter. Ein Verkäufer, der Mentalizing beherrscht, hört hingegen die echte Angst in der Stimme. Er versteht sofort: Der Leiter hat massiven Druck vom Chef, weil die alte Anlage letzte Woche ausfiel. Seine wahre Motivation ist somit pure Sicherheit für seinen Job. Wer das lesen kann, erreicht seine Ziele folglich dreimal häufiger! Säule 2: Taktische Flexibilität im Verkaufsalltag Kommen wir nun zur zweiten Säule für deine B2B Vertriebsstrategie. Wir im Vertrieb lieben bekanntlich klare Prozesse. Ich baue selbst oft Playbooks mit einfachen Checklisten. Das ist auch gut so. Warum starre Playbooks heute viele Deals kosten Dennoch gilt: Wenn der Verkäufer beim Kunden sitzt und nur stur seinen Faden abarbeitet, fährt er den Deal meist gegen die Wand. Ein gutes Beispiel hierfür: Dein Key Account Manager zeigt gerade das neue System für die Steuerung. Plötzlich kommen der CFO und der Chef dazu. Der Chef fragt direkt nach Sicherheit bei der Lieferung und nach flexiblen Modellen für das Geld. Ein starrer Verkäufer fängt daraufhin sofort an zu schwitzen. Er blättert verzweifelt zu Folie 28. Damit ist das Gespräch leider tot. Lernagilität und clevere Anpassung an die Lage Taktische Flexibilität besteht daher aus Lernagilität und Vielseitigkeit. Ein agiler Verkäufer macht den Laptop einfach zu. Er wechselt in Echtzeit seine Strategie. Er holt die neuen Entscheider genau da ab, wo sie gerade stehen. Verkäufer, die diese schnelle Agilität zeigen, knacken ihre Ziele dadurch 3,4 Mal leichter. Du musst nämlich switchen können: Mal klassischer Verkauf, mal Challenger Sale, mal tiefes Spin-Selling. Säule 3: Künstliche Intelligenz als dein Sales-Partner Die dritte Säule ist schließlich der absolute Turbo. Es geht um die echte KI-Partnerschaft. Oft höre ich allerdings von Leitern im Vertrieb: "Meine Leute sollen beim Kunden sein und Vertrauen aufbauen. Die sollen nicht am Computer spielen." Dieser Impuls ist zwar logisch, aber extrem fatal. Wie Top-Verkäufer richtig KI im Vertrieb nutzen Technik ist heute absolut kein Extra mehr. Sie ist vielmehr eine klare Pflicht. Top-Verkäufer wollen heute ganz gezielt KI im Vertrieb nutzen. Und zwar nicht als dummes Tool. Sie nutzen es stattdessen als echten Kollegen im Team. Perfekte Vorbereitung in nur 3 schnellen Minuten Das Zauberwort heißt hierbei Prompt Engineering. Normale Verkäufer verbringen oft viele Stunden mit der Suche für einen Pitch. High-Performance-Verkäufer gehen hingegen zu ihrem KI-Partner (wie Perplexity oder ChatGPT) und geben einen klaren Befehl ein. Sie definieren zuerst eine Persona, geben den Kontext und fordern dann genaue Aufgaben. Das Ergebnis? Eine perfekte, passgenaue Vorbereitung mit smarten Ideen für das Gespräch. Und das in drei Minuten anstatt in drei Stunden. Der Kunde wird danach sagen: "Schön, dass Sie sich so extrem gut vorbereitet haben. Das spart uns viel Zeit." Transkribieren als extremer Turbo für deinen Umsatz Verkäufer mit starker KI-Kompetenz erreichen ihre Ziele sogar 3,7 Mal häufiger. Die KI-Kompetenz schlägt damit sogar das Mentalizing und die Flexibilität. Denk außerdem an das Transkribieren von Gesprächen. Es spart enorm viel Zeit bei der Arbeit danach. Du hast somit mehr Zeit für den Kunden. Wer KI als Partner erkennt und strategisch KI im Vertrieb nutzen kann, hat schließlich einen riesigen Vorteil. Ein Vorteil, der im deutschen Mittelstand leider noch viel zu selten genutzt wird. So verankerst du die neuen Skills fest im Team Jetzt kommt jedoch der entscheidende Punkt für dich als Chef. Wie bekommst du diese neue B2B Vertriebsstrategie eigentlich auf die Straße? Warum Gießkannen-Trainings heute gar nichts bringen Das alte Prinzip der Gießkanne funktioniert einfach nicht mehr. Du schickst dein Team beispielsweise für zwei Tage in ein teures Hotel. Dort werden ihnen Folien um die Ohren geknallt. Und am Montag hoffst du dann auf ein Wunder. Wir alle wissen: Das klappt niemals. Die Verkäufer wehren sich nämlich massiv gegen solche Crash-Kurse. Lernen direkt am Arbeitsplatz klug etablieren Was stattdessen hervorragend funktioniert, ist Just-in-Time-Learning. Das bedeutet, du gibst immer wieder kleine "Nudges" (Anstupser) direkt im Alltag. Du webst das Lernen also fest in den echten Alltag des Vertriebs ein. Und zwar genau dann, wenn die Skills gebraucht werden. Firmen, die das tun, haben eine extrem höhere Chance, ihre Ziele zu übertreffen. Das wirklich geniale Praxis-Beispiel von Salesforce Salesforce hat das wirklich genial in der Praxis umgesetzt. Sie haben nicht nur einfache Videos für das Training hochgeladen. Sie haben vielmehr ständige Tests genutzt, um genau zu sehen, wo es bei welchem Verkäufer hakt. Der wichtigste Karriere-Hebel für dein Team Und der größte Hebel dabei: Sie haben die neuen Skills direkt mit dem Geld und der Karriere fest verknüpft. Wenn du zum Beispiel Senior Account Manager werden willst, musst du nicht nur deine Zahlen bringen. Du musst ebenso klare Lernziele erreichen. Wenn die Leute endlich verstehen, dass sie sich geistig weiterentwickeln müssen, um auf die nächste Stufe zu kommen, bist du plötzlich auf einem ganz anderen Level. Fazit: Dein Weg zum High-Performing Sales-Team Wir haben heute klar gesehen, wie extrem wichtig es ist, diese drei Kompetenzen zu pushen. Nutze diese Ideen unbedingt für deine B2B Vertriebsstrategie. Mach dein Team außerdem flexibel. Integriere zudem KI aktiv in euren Alltag. Quick Takeaways für deinen schnellen Erfolg Der Prozess für den Kauf ist heute komplexer denn je (über 5 Leute im Schnitt). Eine solide B2B Vertriebsstrategie braucht zwingend starkes Mentalizing, um echte Motive zu finden. Starre Playbooks sind mittlerweile tot. Du brauchst daher echte Flexibilität. Top-Verkäufer, die bereits erfolgreich KI im Vertrieb nutzen, bereiten sich in Rekordzeit vor. Verzichte bitte auf alte Seminare. Setze stattdessen auf Lernen direkt im Alltag. Verknüpfe die Entwicklung von neuen Skills außerdem direkt mit eurer Karriereplanung. Hole dir schließlich externe Hilfe, wenn du im Tagesgeschäft ertrinkst. Wenn du dein Team von reinen "Feature-Tellern" zu echten High-Performern umbauen willst, dann mach das nicht allein. Es gibt nämlich Experten, die dir dabei optimal helfen. Lass uns zusammen besser werden. Besser als gestern. Die Chancen sind da. Nutze sie jetzt! Gib wie immer alles, bis zum nächsten Mal, dein Christopher Funk.

What if the music charts you see aren't real? What if the numbers that define success can be manufactured? We talked to Andrew, a man who has spent his career on both sides of this battle. He once profited from the loopholes in streaming platforms, but now, his job is to close them. This episode will change the way you understand music streaming platforms from now on.SponsorsSupport for this show comes from ThreatLocker®. ThreatLocker® is a Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform that strengthens your infrastructure from the ground up. With ThreatLocker® Allowlisting and Ringfencing™, you gain a more secure approach to blocking exploits of known and unknown vulnerabilities. ThreatLocker® provides Zero Trust control at the kernel level that enables you to allow everything you need and block everything else, including ransomware! Learn more at www.threatlocker.com.Support for this show comes from Adaptive Security. Deepfake voices on a Zoom call. AI-written phishing emails that sound exactly like your CFO. Synthetic job applicants walking through the front door. Adaptive is built to stop these attacks. They run real-time simulations, exposing your teams to what these attacks look like to test and improve your defences. Learn more at adaptivesecurity.com.This episode is sponsored by Meter, the company building networks from the ground up. Meter delivers a complete networking stack - wired, wireless, and cellular - in one solution that's built for performance and scale. Alongside their partners, Meter designs the hardware, writes the firmware, builds the software, manages deployments, and runs support. Learn more at meter.com.

If you own a 1–2 location med spa and want the option to scale or sell in the next 3–5 years, this episode breaks down what actually makes an aesthetics practice valuable — beyond surface-level revenue growth.  Strong revenue alone does not make your med spa sellable. Buyers care about predictability, repeatability, clean financials, and reduced owner dependency. In this episode, I'll explain what private buyers, partners, and lenders really evaluate when assessing the enterprise value of a medical spa.    Common Mistakes that Lower Your Med Spa's Enterprise Value  Whether you're years away from selling or just want to increase your business value, this episode will help you focus on the core elements that make your business not just worth running—but worth buying.   Even profitable, cash-flowing med spas can struggle to sell if:  Financial reporting isn't clean EBITDA isn't normalized The owner is still the bottleneck Systems aren't documented Growth depends on personality rather than process  Enterprise value determines whether your growth is transferable and durable.    From Owner-Dependent to Sellable Med Spa: A CFO's Perspective  You'll learn how to shift your mindset from emotional attachment to your work towards making smart, strategic, and financially sound decisions that attract the right buyers. From building clean financial infrastructure to understanding the importance of normalized EBITDA, I'm sharing real-world examples and reasoning, including why presenting trustworthy financials and reducing owner-dependency can make or break a potential sale.   Listen for these 6 key insights:  The difference between owner-dependent profit and institutional profit Why EBITDA normalization matters when selling a med spa How personal expenses distort financial optics Why clean financial infrastructure builds buyer trust How tax strategy can impact your exit valuation What buyers look for in multi-location aesthetic practices    Action Steps for Scaling and Selling Your Aesthetic Practice  If selling — or scaling — is even a remote possibility in the next 3–5 years:  Ensure your books are clean and up to date for at least 3 years Separate personal expenses from business operations Normalize revenue and expenses to reflect true operating profit Evaluate owner dependency in day-to-day operations Document SOPs for treatment delivery, leadership reporting, and financial processes Assess whether your med spa could operate without you for 60–90 days  If your practice cannot function without you, you've built an income stream — not an asset.    Thinking About Opening Another Location?   "The best thing you can do when you're exploring a transaction with a potential buyer is to establish trust through clean financials, establish that trust that they have reliable data they're working off of, and then everything else is seamless." - Shannon Weinstein    Before expanding, ask:  Are your current economics repeatable? Is your EBITDA consistent and defensible?  Could a second location follow the same financial blueprint?  Scaling without institutional structure multiplies risk. Scaling with documented systems multiplies enterprise value.    Financial Strategies to Prepare Your Aesthetics Business for Sale  If you want to evaluate whether your med spa is positioned for scale or exit, start with the Financial Scaling Playbook for Aesthetics. Get it today: www.keepwhatyouearn/playbook  This free 5-part video series walks you through:  Offer profit Operating margin Cash flow management Customer lifetime value Enterprise value readiness      Follow Shannon & Keep What You Earn:   Shannon Weinstein is the founder of a fractional CFO firm specializing in helping 7-figure aesthetics and wellness practices scale with clarity, cash flow, and confidence. Host of the "Keep What You Earn" podcast, Shannon provides practical financial insights and strategies for business owners looking to build truly valuable and sellable practices. She breaks down what it means to create a business buyers will pay a premium for—going beyond surface-level metrics to address the essential financial building blocks. Shannon is committed to helping med spa owners understand, fix, and maximize their business's enterprise value, offering actionable advice and resources, including a popular free video series specifically for aesthetics practice owners.   Fractional CFO Services and Executive Financial Review: https://www.keepwhatyouearn.com/  Connect with Shannon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonweinstein  Watch full episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@KeepWhatYouEarn  Listen on your favorite podcast app: https://pod.link/1580071347  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannonkweinstein/    The information shared is for educational purposes only and is not individualized financial advice. Aesthetics practice owners should consult a qualified professional before implementing financial strategies discussed here. 

If you're a paralegal who's ever thought:  "Maybe I should start my own business…" This episode is your reality check, and maybe your inspiration. In this candid conversation, Ann sits down with Leah Miller, a former litigation paralegal who became a firm administrator, then CFO, and eventually launched her own fractional CFO company serving law firms nationwide. But this isn't a "quit your job and chase your dreams" story. It's an honest discussion about: ✔️  What it really takes to leave a stable law firm job✔️  The financial risks most paralegals underestimate✔️  Why connections won't automatically bring you clients✔️  The income reality of year one in business✔️  How LinkedIn can change your trajectory✔️  Why understanding firm economics makes you more valuable https://paralegal-bootcamp.com 

There's one number every business owner needs to know… and it might surprise you. Net profit isn't just what's left at the end of the year—it's the heartbeat of a sustainable, healthy business. Today on Business by the Books, we're diving deep into why 15% net profit is the sweet spot, how too much or too little profit can signal imbalance, and what small business owners can do to protect and grow their money. You'll learn:  Why net profit matters more than revenue  How "too much" profit can actually hurt your business  The owner behaviors that impact profit most: hiring, time management, and money mindset  How to protect your profit before investing, paying yourself, or saying yes to new opportunities  Why tracking net profit monthly is essential for long-term sustainability

Chrome unveils quantum-safe certificates Vulnerability allowed hijacking Gemini Live UK warns of Iranian cyberattack risks Get the show notes here: https://cisoseries.com/cybersecurity-news-chrome-quantum-safe-certificates-gemini-live-vulnerability-uk-warns-of-iranian-cyberattacks/ Huge thanks to our sponsor, Adaptive Security This episode is brought to you by Adaptive Security, the first security awareness platform built to stop AI-powered social engineering. Today's phishing doesn't just hit inboxes — it can sound like your CFO or look like your CEO on Zoom. AI voices, video, and deepfakes are turning trust into the attack surface. Adaptive fights back with AI-driven risk scoring, deepfake simulations featuring your own executives, and interactive training your team will actually remember. Take a three-minute tour or request a CEO deepfake demo at adaptivesecurity.com.

In this episode of the Profit First for Real Estate Investing podcast, I sit down with Shannon O'Neill, fractional COO and operations expert at Let's Grow COO. Shannon and I dive into one of the most overlooked pain points in growing a real estate business: the loneliness and pressure at the top—and the even more invisible pressure on the second-in-command.We unpack what it really looks like to move from being an operator inside your business to actually leading it. Shannon shares how tracking your time can completely change your perspective, why most CEOs are still employees in their own company, and how fractional leadership can create clarity, structure, and sanity. If you're feeling stretched thin, stuck in the day-to-day, or unsure where your time is actually going, this episode is your wake-up call.  Episode Highlights:[0:00] – Shannon's role as a fractional COO and how she partners with fractional CFOs[3:26] – Growing a real estate company from 2 to 25+ team members[5:42] – Learning every seat in the business—from cold calling to running operations[8:00] – Why being outside the day-to-day politics gives her an edge[10:09] – Who should (and shouldn't) hire a fractional COO[12:45] – Building AcquisitionReps.com to solve hiring bottlenecks[15:24] – Why most CEOs are “fractional everything” inside their own company[17:27] – The powerful (and painful) impact of doing a time study[20:18] – Giving CEOs permission to actually work on the business[24:31] – The hidden burden of the second-in-command[29:11] – The two things every entrepreneur must track: time and money5 Key TakeawaysTrack your time before you do anything else. Most CEOs have no idea where their day actually goes until they see it in writing.You are likely still an employee in your own business. If you're stuck in operations, you're not leading—you're reacting.Fractional leadership creates focus. A dedicated COO or CFO can focus fully on their lane while you stop juggling 17 roles.The second-in-command needs support too. They carry pressure from above and below—and often feel just as isolated as the CEO.Time and money tell the truth. If you want freedom, track both. Clarity comes from measurement.Links & ResourcesLearn more about Shannon and Let's Grow COO: https://letsgrowcoo.comEmail Shannon directly: shannon@letsgrowcoo.comLearn more about Profit First for real estate investors: https://www.simplecfo.comIf this episode challenged you to take a hard look at how you're spending your time—or reminded you that you don't have to carry the weight alone—please rate, follow, and review the podcast. And share it with another business owner who needs support at the top.

Jeannette to talks to Pablo Gomez, the CEO of Holafly, the global leader in eSIMs for travellers, to talk about the inspiring story of Holafly's journey, from its humble beginnings to its current status as a leader in the digital eSIM market.  They examine the importance of staying connected while traveling, the challenges of scaling a startup, and the personal reflections that drive Pablo's leadership style, focussing on the significance of aligning business missions with personal values and the transformative impact of technology, particularly AI, on the future of travel and connectivity You'll Learn Why: Their service addresses the modern traveler's need for reliable connectivity, which has become essential rather than a luxury. The focus remains on enhancing the customer experience Moving from CFO to CEO involves a significant shift in responsibilities, requiring a broader perspective on the entire organisation Personal experiences, such as overcoming a life-threatening accident, can profoundly shape one's perspective on life and career This episode is living proof that no matter where you're starting from — or what life throws at you — it's never too late to be brave, bold, and unlock your inner brilliant. Visit ⁠https://brave-bold-brilliant.com/⁠ for free tools, guides and resources to help you take action now

In this episode, the "Godfather of Effectiveness" Peter Field joins the show to discuss why the pursuit of efficiency is making marketing less effective. He breaks down the "Triple Jeopardy" facing modern marketers: over-investing in the bottom of the funnel, producing dull rational creative, and purchasing low-attention media. Field provides an evidence-based case for why the industry must move away from CPM and toward "cost per attentive second" to drive real profitability.Key TakeawaysThe Triple Jeopardy: Effectiveness is being squeezed by three factors: a lack of brand investment, a decline in creative "magic," and the rise of low-attention media platforms.The 60% Waste: Choosing media based on low CPMs often results in zero attention, effectively wasting the majority of the investment.The One-Second Brand Fail: You cannot build brand memory or mental availability in one second.The Recession Playbook: Economic uncertainty is the best time to "go long" as media costs for brand building decrease, providing a massive competitive advantage for the recovery.The CFO Dialogue: Use evidence and case studies to prove that brand health is the primary driver of conversion efficiency.Guest BioPeter Field is a world-renowned marketing consultant and researcher. He is the co-author of several seminal works on marketing effectiveness, including The Long and Short of It and The Five Principles of Growth in B2B Marketing.Peter Field on LinkedInTimestamps00:04 – The Rant: Stop buying on CPM.04:11 – Defining the Triple Jeopardy of Media.08:44 – Why "going short" in a recession is the riskiest move.15:30 – The "Science-ification" of creative and why it's failing.22:07 – Why CPM is a "bad drug."31:15 – The difference between "Active" and "Passive" attention.42:10 – How to talk to your CFO about brand investment.51:21 – Closing thoughts: Fixing the number one problem in media.Reference LinksBinet, L., & Field, P. (2013). The Long and the Short of It: Balancing Short and Long-Term Marketing Strategies. Institute of Practitioners in Advertising.Field, P. (2024). The Cost of Dull: How boring advertising is costing brands billions. eatbigfish & System1.Field, P., & Binet, L. (2021). The 5 Principles of Growth in B2B Marketing. LinkedIn B2B Institute.Field, P., & Nelson-Field, K. (2022). The Triple Jeopardy of Attention. Amplified Intelligence.Trading Economics. (2026). Canada Consumer Confidence Index. Retrieved from https://tradingeconomics.com/canada/consumer-confidence

Drew Sechrist, CEO and co-founder of Connect the Dots, takes us on a journey from being Salesforce's 36th employee to building his own venture addressing one of B2B sales' most persistent challenges: unlocking the hidden power of professional networks. In this conversation, Drew shares inside stories from Salesforce's scrappy early days in 1999, when "SaaS" didn't even exist as a term and the company spent VC money "like drunken sailors" to hire account executives who gave away a beta product for free.The core of the episode focuses on Connect the Dots' mission: making warm introductions scalable and measurable. Drew explains why the traditional sales pillars of inbound and outbound are suffering in the AI era, and why "Go-to-Network" (GTN) represents the critical third pillar that AI can't destroy because it's built on real human relationships. This is essential listening for any SaaS founder struggling with cold outreach fatigue and looking to unlock their most underutilized growth asset: their extended network.Key Takeaways[00:00] Introduction to Drew Sechrist and the power of network-based growth vs. cold outreach[04:00] Drew's early career: implementing client-server CRM tools in the pre-SaaS era (Goldmine, Sales Logics, CD-ROMs)[08:00] The birth of ASP (Application Service Provider) - reading about Salesforce in the Wall Street Journal, 1999[10:00] The cold email that changed everything: reaching out to Mark Benioff and getting hired as employee #36[13:00] Category creation at Salesforce: from ASP to "on-demand" to SaaS to "cloud" - Mark Benioff defining a new market[15:00] The dotcom boom launch: B-52s playing at the launch party, spending VC money freely, hiring AEs to give away free beta product[18:00] The pivot to paid: introducing the $50/user/month model with no contracts - proving people would pay for "a website"[22:00] Scaling through the dotcom bust: losing dotcom customers but winning larger enterprises with smaller budgets[25:00] The golden handcuffs: why it was "never a good time to leave" Salesforce even after 10 years[28:00] The Mexico motorcycle sabbatical: conceiving Kuzo while riding through Baja in 2007-2008[30:00] Kuzo's vision: live Google Street View powered by crowdsourced cameras - a startup that ultimately shut down[32:00] The connection theme: from Kuzo to Connect the Dots - helping people see and leverage their networks[34:00] The core problem: thousands of missed opportunities because you can't see who you really know well enough to leverage[36:00] LinkedIn's limitation: binary connections that don't signal relationship strength (best friend vs. 30-second conference interaction)[39:00] The billion-dollar question: will people actually make introductions? The nuance of asking mom vs. board members vs. customers[42:00] Network inheritance: Drew's biggest career hack was joining Salesforce and inheriting Mark Benioff's network overnight[45:00] Investor selection strategy: you're not just getting money, you're buying a network - be intentional about your cap table[47:00] AI's role in relationship-based sales: surfacing the right relationships at the right time, not replacing human connection[50:00] The third pillar: "Go-to-Network" (GTN) emerges as inbound and outbound suffer from AI saturation[52:00] Real relationships can't be destroyed by AI: when you call your mom, she picks up - that's the power of authentic networks[54:00] Action step for founders: sign up for Connect the Dots (ctd.ai) - free for individuals, paid for companiesTweetable Quotes

Send a textEpisode # 153: Strategy rarely changes because of a perfect variance report. It changes when someone connects the numbers to what customers feel, what operations can deliver, and which levers will protect margin and growth. We dig into how FP&A analysts and staff accountants can stop just reporting results and start shaping what happens next by diagnosing drivers, partnering across functions, and communicating like executives.We start with a mindset reset: reporting performance is not the same as shaping performance. You will hear practical ways to move from scorekeeper to strategist, including turning variance reports into conversations, using price‑volume‑mix to explain revenue shifts, and running simple scenario and sensitivity analyses If you are ready to think and operate at a higher level, start building the CFO mindset now: keep technical excellence, expand business acumen, and practice clear, decisive storytelling that earns influence. Episode outline:Shift from scorekeeper to strategist,Build credibility by understanding the business beyond finance, andCommunicate like an executive so your analysis actually drives action.Please connect with me on:1. Instagram: stephen.mclain2. Twitter: smclainiii3. Facebook: stephenmclainconsultant4. LinkedIn: stephenjmclainiiiFor more resources, please visit Finance Leader Academy:  financeleaderacademy.com.Support the show

La statistique qui fait mal.Durée de vie moyenne d'un CMO dans une grosse boîte : 3 ans.Le même temps qu'une histoire d'amour.Pendant que les CEOs et les CFO tiennent confortablement 5 ans et plus !À mon époque, c'était déjà comme ça.Premiers budgets coupés ? Marketing.En ce moment, pour tout ceux qui bossent en Marketing, plus que jamais, le sol tremble.Voici mon guide de survie !Accède au récap ici → https://linktw.in/dCdhSCMERCI LES BIG BOSSEnvie d'accélérer votre croissance et de rencontrer les bons partenaires ?Les BigBoss, c'est le club qui connecte décideurs et prestataires.— Matchmaking ciblé— Contenus exclusifs— Deal making convivialRDV ici pour nous rejoindre : https://linktw.in/XJRqWS

Send us your thoughtsTo mark the return of CFO 4.0 Revisited and celebrate International Women's Week, we're bringing back a powerful conversation that is just as relevant today as when it first aired. In Episode 77, Hannah Munro sits down with Fiona Hathorn, CEO of Women on Boards UK, to explore what it truly takes to step into the boardroom and succeed.Board roles are often discussed but rarely explained in practical terms. Fiona cuts through the noise, sharing clear guidance on balancing cultural fit with constructive challenge, assessing whether a board opportunity is right for you, and positioning yourself as a credible candidate in a competitive market. At a time when representation and leadership are firmly in focus, this conversation is about progression, not just celebration.In this episode, you'll hear:What skills and experience boards are really looking forHow to build board-ready credentials before you applyWhere to find opportunities and how to assess them properlyWhat a typical board recruitment process involvesPractical tips to stand out and interview with confidenceHow to balance fitting in with constructively challenging the status quo Explore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here. Subscribe to our Podcast!

Independent analyst Jimmy Moyaha unpacks robust JSE results as the bull run and record highs flow through to the group's earnings. Lance Foxcroft, CEO of Italtile, talks tough numbers as strained consumers and rising imports bite – with the Itac dumping decision now key. Rob Field, CFO of RCL Foods, breaks down results in which sugar dragged, but groceries delivered the upside.

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   In this episode, Justin interviews Randy Nornes, the 2025 Harry and Dorothy Goodell Award Winner, about his career. They talk about uncertainty and a long-term approach to risk. Randy won the 2025 Goodell Award for his lifetime achievements. He is a problem solver. Randy advises risk professionals not to focus on what they did yesterday, but on what is happening today, and to stay current with risks such as AI and cyber risk. Randy talks about how staying with Aon for years has given him the latitude to look across the company and focus on the next risk. Listen for tips on laying the groundwork before the risks.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:16] About this episode of RIMScast. Our guest is 2025 Goodell Award Winner Randy Nornes. We will learn all about his fascinating career and his risk philosophies. But first… [:42] RIMS Virtual Workshops. On March 10th and 11th, we have a two-day course led by John Button for the RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep. [:53] On March 17th and 18th, RIMS will align with AFERM for a two-day RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep Course. [1:01] On March 4th and 5th, we have a virtual workshop, "Facilitating Risk-Based Decision Making", with Joe Milan. On April 15th, we have a virtual workshop covering "Emerging Risks", led by Joseph Mayo. [1:18] Register today and strengthen your risk knowledge. RIMS members always enjoy deep discounts on the virtual workshops. [1:26] Webinars. On March 6th, RIMS presents "Hard Hats & High Stakes: Women Leaders Shaping Construction Risk Management". We'll be joined by a Chief Risk Officer, an underwriter, and a broker. [1:40] They will explore their career paths, risk and safety philosophies, and lend some insight as to why this is the time for the next generation of leaders to rise. [1:51] For a quick preview, check out last week's episode with Cynthia Garcia. She is the Chief Risk Officer from Bernards, who will be joining us on that exciting panel. [2:00] On March 12th, Global Risk Consultants returns with "Don't Waste the Soft Market: Where to Reinvest Insurance Savings Before the Window Closes". Register for these and other webinars by visiting RIMS.org/webinars and the links in this episode's show notes. [2:20] On with the Show! Our guest today, Randy Nornes, is the 2025 Harry and Dorothy Goodel Award Winner. [2:29] Named after the first President of RIMS and his wife, the Harry and Dorothy Goodell Award honors an individual who has furthered the goals of risk management and the Society through outstanding service and lifetime achievement. [2:41] Randy Nornes exemplifies all that and more. He has been with Aon for 38-plus years. Currently, Randy is the Executive Vice President and Enterprise Client Partner for Technology, Media, and the Communications Industry. He has done some volunteer work, which we will talk about. [3:00] Randy has a fascinating career. We're going to learn about it as well as his leadership style, his risk philosophy, and how he is keeping Aon at the forefront of AI innovation. [3:09] [If you've been to RISKWORLD, you've seen Randy in the halls and the educational sessions. He has been an ever-present force there. And he is a highly-regarded member of the Chicago RIMS Chapter. Let's get to it! [3:23] Interview! 2025 Goodel Award Winner, Randy Nornes, welcome to RIMScast! [3:44] Randy is proud of that award. He wonders, after receiving a lifetime achievement award, what's next? Retirement? Should he write a book? [4:11] On the day of the award, Randy was backstage with Martha Stewart and had a chance to visit with her and discuss risk management. [4:21] Randy's wife and one of his sons were in the audience. When Martha Stewart came out and spoke, she referred to their conversation. Randy gained credibility at home that Martha Stewart listened to what he had to say! [4:52] Justin says that RISKWORLD 2025 was fantastic! Randy says he has probably attended three dozen RISKWORLD conferences. He says they get better and are different every time. You can see, decade by decade, what's important. [5:31] There is a wonderful profile on Randy Nornes, written by Russ Banham, in the special Awards edition of RIMS Risk Management Magazine. It is still available online. That's how Justin got to know Randy Nornes before this interview. [5:57] Randy always tries to link up with what the next big thing is. Since late 2025, Randy has been leading Aon's AI infrastructure efforts, from the financing of data centers, to the construction, to the development, to the operation, and to the energy attached to that.  [6:28] AI is the next big thing. Randy says that 40% of GDP is coming through the lens of building AI infrastructure. Aon has a big team for it, and that's what Randy does every day. He says it's massive, exciting, and relentless. [7:03] Randy says, Because it's coming so fast and furious, it's not something you have time to sit back and think about. He says we're seeing this thing evolve week by week. It's global. Risk management is at the center of making it all work. [7:27] Randy says there's a different lens depending on where you sit in the AI infrastructure world. Everyone is thinking about the risks of the construction, the operation, the access to power, and the climate. It's all melded into one thing. [7:48] Randy calls the Chicago RIMS Chapter big and vibrant. Chicago is unique in having representation from so many different industries. It's not highly concentrated. People have a lot of lenses to look at risks through. It makes for good conversations. [8:11] Justin notes that last year's Risk Manager of the Year, Jennifer Pack, was from Chicago. The Rising Star, Megan Smalter, was originally from Chicago. Randy has spent time on the West and East Coasts, and he finds the Chicago Chapter unique, with 25 different industries. [8:49] Justin gives a shout-out to Julie Bean, the 2024 Heart of RIMS Award Winner. Justin says Randy is in great company. The talent coming out of Chicago brings something special to RIMS. [9:27] Randy was going to be a banker. A banker manages risk around lending and projects. It's not a huge leap to get to the world of risk management from there. [9:44] In the 1980s, it was a turbulent time for banking. We had just come out of a tough inflationary period, with real estate bankruptcies and banks and savings and loans going under. His advisor told him not to go into banking. [10:18] Randy interviewed someone from Chubb. Chubb was scaling up a new product, Directors' and Officers' insurance. Randy was good at case studies in business school. Underwriting D&O insurance is a case study. Randy thought he could do that job. [10:54] Randy started at Chubb and ended where he is today. In 1987, Randy moved to Frank B. Hall, acquired by Aon in 1992. He was young and a good worker, so he was kept by the company. He says it was a trip working alongside Pat Ryan and learning the business at Chubb. [11:48] Pat Ryan took Randy and others under his wing. He is a great mentor. Randy credits him for access. Randy mentions other early supporters, Al Diamond and Skip Dunn. With Pat Ryan, Randy was always looking for the next big risk to come along or a new framework. [13:00] In the 1990s, governance, Sarbanes-Oxley, and enterprise risk frameworks came to the forefront, following bankruptcies of major companies that had appeared to be successful. [13:28] When enterprise risk became a thing, it needed frameworks. That led Randy to build one of the first enterprise-risk-focused teams to help companies think about it. This was before COSO. [13:55] Randy says a lot of the clients they dealt with in those early days were in industries where someone had already gone through some trauma, and they wanted to make sure they weren't next up. It was a lot of, "Hurry up and make sure we're OK!" [14:26] Randy says, in the 1990s, they were doing risk modeling. The reinsurance teams had risk models that ran on AS400 mainframe computers. They had to book computing time to run a scenario with a set of assumptions. They would run 10,000 simulations in a day. [14:55] If they wanted to change the assumptions, they had to book another time. [15:02] Now it's all on the laptop. The quality of data is significantly higher. They can do it in real time. Risk managers today may not recognize how lucky they are. [15:24] Randy says, We're always trying to decide what problem we're trying to solve for and what we know about that particular issue. The modeling is the entry point to know what to do or what matters. [16:10] Randy thinks risk is a terrible word. We risk professionals have a hard time communicating with people who aren't in our space when we use the word risk. Everyone has a different definition of risk. Randy says everyone can get on board with certainty and uncertainty. [16:34] Randy says, what we're doing with modeling is trying to understand what the distance between certainty and uncertainty looks like. Then, we have to decide what's comfortable and where our tolerance is. Then, decide what to do with the part that we want to get rid of. [16:48] That's at the core of risk management, and it hasn't changed in decades. The tools we have now have changed dramatically. [16:56] Justin cites Christy Kaufman from the profile article, who said that Randy is far more than a traditional broker; he is a thought partner and a problem-solver. Justin asks what allows Randy to move beyond transactional work into a strategic advisory mindset. [17:19] Randy says insurance is a complete waste of money, unless you can show how you're adding value. You can get there by showing this uncertainty spectrum and understanding it. [17:58] Randy says the mindset is, "I've parachuted in. What do we have going on?" If I did that today, I'd be looking at supply chain issues. It's amazing when you have that lens. Early on, he looked at a supply chain that was "perfect, end-to-end" on spreadsheets. [18:27] Everything was manually entered. Managers were judged on average inventory levels, and wanted to keep the levels as low as possible. To game the system, they ran inventory at the lowest level.  [18:57] They would raise the inventory at the end of the month to make it look like they were on target. It was not a real-time inventory. It looked like risk management was fine, but the chance of a stockout or a long-term impact was pretty great. [19:24] A Quick Break! RISKWORLD 2026 will be held from May 3rd through the 6th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. RISKWORLD attracts more than 10,000 risk professionals across the globe. It's time to Connect, Cultivate, and Collaborate with them. [19:43] Booth sales are open now. General registration and speaker registration are also open right now. Marketplace and hospitality badges will be available starting on March 3rd. Links are in this episode's show notes, and be sure to check out RIMS.org for more information. [20:02] Save the dates March 18th and 19th, 2026, for the RIMS Legislative Summit, which will be held in Washington, D.C.! Join us in Washington, D.C. for two days of Congressional meetings, networking, and advocating on behalf of the risk management community. [20:19] Visit RIMS.org/advocacy for more information and to register. Also, check out the prior episode of RIMScast, Episode 378, featuring RIMS General Counsel and Vice President of External Affairs, Mark Prysock, as we discuss the top priorities for RIMS in 2026 and beyond. [20:39] The Second Annual RIMS Texas Regional Conference will be held in San Antonio from August 10th through August 12th. [20:46] The call for submissions for educational sessions is open through March 18th. Check out the link in this episode's show notes and make a pitch! Hopefully, you get selected, and we'll see you in San Antonio! [20:59] Let's Return to Our Interview with 2025 Goodel Award Winner, Randy Nornes! [21:19] Justin asks how Randy delivers good or bad news to a high-level executive. Randy says he was gifted by his radio announcer father with a very calm demeanor. You're delivering what it is, based on some fact. Randy has had to deliver a lot of crazy facts over the years. [22:29] Early in his career, Randy had a financial institution client. They had some major issues. He was standing outside the boardroom, ready to go in to tell them whether they had insurance or not. They did not. He was on the phone with London, working out some coverage. [23:28] He got the message while he was in there that they had managed to land something for the client, so he could pivot. His colleagues said they couldn't believe how calm he had been, going in. [24:11] Randy says it's best to set the landscape with executives before extra risk is taken, showing alternatives and strategy, so if something happens, it was foreseen, you were just unlucky in that year. [24:53] If you hadn't done the front-end work and gotten everybody onboard to see why it was the right strategy, then the news of unanticipated issues gets a lot harder to deliver. [25:04] There's a lot of front-end work to do. To drop bad news on people without any prep is going to be a lot harder. Being transparent and on the same page, especially with finance people, makes communication easy. This flows up to the CFO and higher. Set the foundation. [25:51] Randy has 100s of people focused on data centers. They have analysts and use AI for some things. There are people from the financial institution vertical, construction, operations, cyber, AI, energy, and renewal. They gather together. It's multidisciplinary, under one umbrella. [27:05] Randy says his leadership style is collaborative. He tries to lift the whole team, orchestrating how it comes together. He lets them have the success they deserve. Randy is a strong proponent of mentorship. It's the secret to his success. [27:50] Randy has worked with some people for his entire career, as clients, colleagues, or competitors, and he stays connected with them. Hundreds of people fit that profile. [28:17] Another Quick Break! The Spencer Educational Foundation's Risk Manager on Campus application period will open on April 1st, 2026, and it will close on June 30th. Grant awardees, colleges, and universities are typically notified in September. [28:43] The Course Development Grant application deadline for Interval Number 2 will be on June 15th, 2026. Award notifications will be sent out in late July. [28:57] General Grant applications will open on May 1st, 2026, and the application deadline is July 30th. Internship Grant applications open on August 15th and close on October 15th. [29:10] Links to each of these grants are in this episode's show notes. Visit SpencerEd.org for more information. [29:18] Let's Conclude Our Interview with 2025 Goodel Award Winner, Randy Nornes. [29:39] Randy worked with Pat Ryan to lead the Risk Management and Financial Guarantee Team for Chicago's 2016 Summer Olympic bid. Randy says when Pat retired as CEO of Aon, he took on this project to head Chicago's Olympic bid. He invited Randy to the project. [30:19] In an Olympic Bid, the city has to sign a Host City Agreement that says they will take on the risks of delivering the Games. There's an effective financial guarantee. Globally, it is often done on a country level. That's not how it operates in the U.S. [30:43] Pat and Randy had to figure out how to de-risk the games so that what the city's guarantee would look like was limited because the team had built insurance and risk management. On the construction side, they had contractors take on risks. [31:03] They created a de-risking model. It was the first time anyone had done that for an Olympic Games. Chicago was not successful, but the work the team did on de-risking the Games became the model that a lot of Western cities took on for their Olympic bids. [32:03] Randy says you start with a line-item budget that the bid team puts out. A big part of it is the construction of venues, living spaces, technology, including massive broadcast bandwidth, tens of thousands of volunteers to transport and train, and secure. [32:35] Randy says they took the line-item budget and worked on each item separately, to create certainty and shrink the distance between certain and uncertain, so that when they put the umbrella guarantee on top of it, it touched a lot fewer things and had a lot more certainty. [33:01] The biggest thing the umbrella policy covered is delivering the Games on a certain date. No delays. All the costs are front-end. If, for some reason, the Games don't happen: terrorism, global war, or pandemic, you're stuck with all those front-end costs. It's the worst case. [33:39] The closer you get to the event, the more risk you have. Then you have the three or four weeks when you're delivering the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games. [33:49] Randy says it was interesting. They did a white paper on it, "How to De-risk Games." It was done to encourage cities not to be afraid to host the Games. [34:19] Randy says, over the years, when cities in North America are bidding for Winter or Summer, they reach out, and Pat and Randy give them the template. San Francisco, LA, Boston, and Calgary all asked for it. [34:51] Most of the people on the Bid Committee were on the City level. It was Mayor Daley, his staff, and 50 aldermen. Randy says, We gave them lots of transparency into what we were doing. [35:16] Randy says they provided 1,200 pages of material, in 3-ring binders, for each of the aldermen. They also put all the text on discs to search electronically. Later, an alderman called Randy, angry because he couldn't listen to the disc in his car. Randy explained it to him. [3:24] Randy thinks a city should be thankful to host the Olympic Games. They make the city sparkle. The city gets a big influx of outside money. Chicago would have gotten a lot of Federal money. The transportation system would have been upgraded. It would make the city better. [36:49] Randy describes how London and Paris were improved by hosting the Olympic Games. If you're thinking of bidding, it's worth it. Randy wishes Chicago's bid had been successful. [37:33] Justin and Randy comment on the Milan Winter Olympics Opening and Closing Ceremonies. The next Winter Olympics will be on the French side of the Alps. [38:01] Justin says that Chicago is known for its colorful history of notorious characters. [38:45] Justin asks Randy about Project Six. Project Six came out of the Olympic Bid. Seeing corruption in the city government, Randy and a few committee members put together Project Six, referring to the six business leaders who partnered with Elliot Ness to go after Al Capone. [39:44] They set up Project Six as a nonprofit whistleblower organization so people could come to report corruption. They got hundreds of whistleblower tips. They published things and gave information on criminal activity to Federal prosecutors. [40:07] Some things were not criminal but unethical. When the Chicago Cubs were playing in the World Series, public officials paid face value for Cubs tickets instead of the market price. Project Six brought it to the ethics committee, and they changed that practice for tickets. [41:31] Randy says they did not make a lot of friends in public office. Project Six is closed. [41:47] Randy talks about angering a bunch of people in public office. They went after Project Six because they weren't getting whistleblower tips on Republicans. There might have been one Republican commissioner in Chicago. [42:20] Randy says some of the senior people they ruffled went after donors. So it was a better idea to shut it down. It ran for three and a half years. [42:41] Randy says the biggest frustration was how slow things move. It takes years for some convictions to go through. You would like justice to happen faster. Randy hopes that when high-profile people go to prison, others pause to consider. [43:59] Randy gives his advice on what separates a good risk manager or problem solver from a great one. He says not to get too focused on what you did yesterday. Every day, step back and ask, Am I still doing the right stuff? Am I focused on the right thing? [44:26] You have a fixed amount of money to spend to solve your risk problems. You're insuring your buildings for fire, but over time, you've engineered them to be fire-resistant. There is less risk. At the same time, you have AI, cyber risk, and new things that come in. [44:48] Is it better to direct money to solve cyber risk and take on more risk for property? Don't get hung up on what you did yesterday. Stepping back and staying on top of what's happening with the business has never been more important. [45:17] Businesses are transforming before our eyes, and AI is leading the transformation. Make sure you're interacting with your business to stay current on what the business is all about. [46:02] Randy says being at Aon a long time has given him a lot of latitude to do all the things he has done. He can look for new things, cut across the towers that exist and think about risk at the broadest level. [46:40] If you move company to company, you'll step into the new role, fix a few things, and move to the next company. You won't have the latitude to experiment with new things or ask what comes next. You're there because you're needed at that time. [47:07] Randy says, That can be comfortable. But don't get too comfortable and make sure you're staying current. [47:17] We really appreciate you joining us here on the show. I want to wish you congratulations again on the Goodel Award. It's a big honor here at RIMS, and you certainly deserve it. [47:27] I look forward to meeting you in Philadelphia, from May 3rd through the 6th at RISKWORLD! Thank you so much for joining us here on RIMScast, Randy! [47:40] Special thanks again to 2025 Goodel Award Winner, Randy Nornes, for joining us here on RIMSCast! A link to his profile in RIMS Risk Management Magazine's Awards Edition 2025 is in this episode's show notes. [47:57] He's one of our men in Chicago. Check out ChicagoRIMS.org. They have a live event coming up called "Nuclear Verdicts: Live Mock Trial for Evaluating Litigation Risk and Strategy"  at the Aon Center (Chicago), on March 11th. You might see Randy there! [48:14] We've got the Chicago RIMS Annual Golf Outing on September 21st, and the 11th Annual Chicagoland Risk Forum on September 24th at the Old Post Office in Chicago. They're one of our most active and vibrant chapters, so check out those events and visit ChicagoRIMS.org. [48:34] Plug Time! You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in the show notes. [49:02] RIMScast has a global audience of risk and insurance professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let's collaborate and help you reach them! Contact pd@rims.org for more information. [49:20] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [49:37] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [49:54] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. [50:08] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. Please remember to subscribe to RIMScast on your favorite podcasting app. You can email us at Content@RIMS.org. [50:20] Practice good risk management, stay safe, and thank you again for your continuous support!   Links: RIMS Legislative Summit — March 18-19, 2026 on Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. | Register now! RISKWORLD 2026 Registration — Open for exhibitors, members, and non-members! Reserve your booth at RISKWORLD 2026! Spencer Educational Foundation — Scholarships and Grants RIMS Texas Regional Conference 2026 Education Content Submission — Deadline March 18, 2026! RIMS-CRO Certificate Program In Advanced Enterprise Risk Management | April ‒ June 2026 Cohort | Led by James Lam RIMS Compensation Survey 2025 — Download Today RIMS Risk Management magazine | Contribute | Awards Edition 2025 RIMS Now RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) | Insights Video Series Featuring Joe Milan! The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center RIMS Diversity Equity Inclusion Council RIMS-CRMP Story, featuring John Button RIMScast Canada — Episodes Now Live RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Prep Virtual Workshops: RIMS-CRMP Exam PrepMarch 10‒11 | April 21‒22 | June 9‒10 RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep with AFERM | March 17‒18 Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops RIMS Virtual Workshop – Facilitating Risk-Based Decision Making | March 4‒5 | Register Now Risk Appetite Management | March 25‒26 Claims Management | April 7‒8 Emerging Risks | April 15 | Register Now! Upcoming RIMS Webinars: Hard Hats & High Stakes: Women Leaders Shaping Construction Risk Management | March 6 | Presented by RIMS Don't Waste the Soft Market: Where to Reinvest Insurance Savings Before the Window Closes | March 12 | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants RIMS.org/Webinars   Related RIMScast Episodes: "Investing In Yourself with RIMS 2026 President Manny Padilla" "RIMS 2024 Goodell Award Winner Eamonn Cunningham"   Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: Secondary Perils, Major Risks: The New Face of Weather-Related Challenges | Sponsored by AXA XL (New!) 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RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring RIMS President Manny Padilla!   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model®   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org for more information.   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org, and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org.   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guest: Randy Nornes, at Aon   Production and engineering provided by Podfly.

In this episode, host Alex Rawlings welcomes James Carver, a seasoned CFO with two private equity-backed exits under his belt. James shares his unique journey from the trading desk to executive leadership, and unpacks valuable lessons from navigating complex M&A deals, ESOP sales, and private equity integrations.⏱️ Episode Highlights00:00 – Intro & Background James shares his career path from stock analysis to FP&A and investment banking before stepping into CFO roles.05:22 – Transition to Corporate Finance & First Exit How James helped scale a medical distributor from $30M to $65M, leading to a PE-backed strategic sale.08:47 – Second Exit in Charlotte Turning around a struggling portfolio company and leading it through a successful 2024 exit.09:51 – Common CFO Hiring Mistakes in PE The importance of SOPs, process infrastructure, and cross-functional alignment.12:13 – Strategic Focus: Quote-to-Cash & Customer Experience Mapping key processes to maximize customer lifetime value and ROI.13:35 – Value Creation Before Exit Driving growth through territory expansion, sales team optimization, inventory efficiency, and acquisitions.17:26 – Exit Lessons Why having no advisor in his first sale was a challenge—and how having one in the second made a big difference.21:17 – Acquiring Smaller Businesses James' playbook for building trust with founders, being transparent, and respecting their culture post-acquisition.25:37 – Final Advice Embrace best practices from acquired companies—don't force your way if theirs is better.26:32 – Resources James recommends the Wall Street Journal and CNBC to stay sharp on market trends.27:28 – Contact

KI schreibt Texte, beantwortet Fragen – und lügt. In Experimenten haben KI-Agenten ihre eigene Leistung systematisch zu gut berichtet, Budgetforecasts bewusst manipuliert und sogar Daten gefälscht, um eigene Ziele zu verfolgen. Was klingt wie Science-Fiction, ist bereits heute in Testsettings beobachtbares Verhalten – mit weitreichenden Konsequenzen. Wenn KI-Agenten künftig Reporting-Aufgaben übernehmen, Forecasts erstellen oder gar eigenständig Entscheidungen treffen sollen, braucht es ein Management Control Framework. Zu Gast: Prof. Dr. Matthias Mahlendorf – Frankfurt School of Finance and Management. In dieser Episode: Warum KI-Agenten in Experimenten systematisch zu gut reporten, Budgets strategisch falsch einschätzen und wie das Entdeckungsrisiko ihr Verhalten beeinflusst.  Welche vier Ursachen stecken hinter dem Fehlverhalten autonomer KI-Agenten  Wie kann ein Management Control Framework für KI-Agenten aussehen. Warum sollte das Controlling die treibende Kraft bei der Steuerung von KI-Agenten sein – und diese Verantwortung nicht der IT überlassen. 

In this episode of The Real Women Real Business Podcast, Shauna Lynn Simon is joined by fractional CFO and financial strategist Zahra Carol Baghdadi for a grounded, practical conversation about what it really means to stop flying blind financially. Zahra works with startup founders and small business owners who are tired of reacting to cash flow surprises and want to lead their businesses with clarity instead of stress.Together, they break down the three numbers that matter most in business finances and explain why revenue alone is a misleading metric. Zahra shares how cash flow timing impacts daily decisions, why healthy profit margins determine long-term sustainability, and how understanding burn rate helps business owners make smarter choices about hiring, pricing, and growth. Rather than overwhelming listeners with accounting jargon, this episode focuses on using numbers as a strategic tool, not a source of fear.Listeners will gain a clearer lens for spotting financial red flags, asking better questions, and making proactive decisions that support both growth and peace of mind.If finances have felt intimidating or reactive, this episode offers a simpler, more empowering way forward. Share it with a business owner who's ready to lead with confidence instead of guesswork.Timestamps:(00:01) - (05:55) - What it really means to be flying blind financially(05:56) - (13:08) - Cash flow explained and why timing matters more than revenue(13:09) - (22:45) - Profit margin mistakes that quietly undermine sustainability(22:46) - (32:30) - Using numbers to evaluate services pricing and business models(32:31) - (40:25) - Burn rate explained and how it guides smarter growth decisions(40:26) - (52:10) - Building financial confidence and shifting from reactive to proactive leadershipResources:Book Your FREE Coaching Assessment Call with Shauna Lynn: https://www.aboutshaunalynn.com/coachmeLearn more about the show: AboutShaunaLynn.com/podcastCFO Office Hours with Zahra: https://www.crunchtmz.com/your-money-lab/Ep 46: Mastering Profitability With Michele Williams: https://www.aboutshaunalynn.com/rwrb-podcast-episodes/mastering-profitabilityConnect with Zahra Carol Baghdadi:Learn more about Zahra: https://www.crunchtmz.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@crunch_timeZ_CFOLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zcb/Zahra Carol Baghdadi is a fractional CFO and financial strategist and the founder of Crunch TimeZ CFO Services Inc. She supports startup founders and small business owners who want greater clarity around cash flow, pricing, and sustainability without feeling overwhelmed by financial complexity. With a background in finance, accounting, and strategic advisory, Zahra helps growth-stage businesses strengthen their financial foundation so they can make confident decisions, plan proactively, and lead with clarity rather than guesswork.

There's one number every business owner needs to know… and it might surprise you. Net profit isn't just what's left at the end of the year—it's the heartbeat of a sustainable, healthy business. Today on Business by the Books, we're diving deep into why 15% net profit is the sweet spot, how too much or too little profit can signal imbalance, and what small business owners can do to protect and grow their money. You'll learn:  Why net profit matters more than revenue  How "too much" profit can actually hurt your business  The owner behaviors that impact profit most: hiring, time management, and money mindset  How to protect your profit before investing, paying yourself, or saying yes to new opportunities  Why tracking net profit monthly is essential for long-term sustainability

Misinformation, amplified by AI, has climbed to the top of the global risk landscape. What does that mean for the office of the CFO? We kick off a Davos miniseries with Workiva CSO Mandi McReynolds, bringing perspectives straight from the World Economic Forum in Davos. Mandi sits down with Ami Badani, CMO of Arm, Rob Fisher, Global Head of Advisory at KPMG, and Robin Hodes, CEO of Global Reporting Initiative, to break down brand risk, workforce pressure, and why transparent, trusted data is now a leadership mandate. In this episode: 04:00 Defending information certainty and proactive brand protection 09:30 The "dollar for dollar" rule: Investing equally in tech and people 18:00 Why reporting is becoming a frontline risk tool 21:00 Preview: The rise of cybersecurity doppelgangers "For every dollar on the tech, you should be spending a dollar on the workforce transformation." —Rob Fisher, Global Head of Advisory, KPMG Enjoy this episode? Find more at workiva.com/podcast/the-pre-read #Davos2026 #GlobalRisk #CFO #AIStrategy #WorkforceTransformation

On this episode of CFO at Home, Elizabeth George, a Dallas-based financial strategist and former private banker, shares her personal journey of reaching financial independence, and using her freedom to build an advice-only consulting practice focused on guiding women through transitions such as divorce, death of a spouse, and marriage. She and Vince then dive into male-female money differences (risk-taking vs. focus on relationship and purpose), and couples balancing managing their finances together, while leaving themselves the freedom to work towards separate goals. For more on Elizabeth and her work, go to melizabethgeorge.com 01:29 From Banking to Advocacy 02:28 Financial Independence Enables the Pivot 04:47 Elizabeth's FIRE Path 06:41 Freedom After Leaving Work 12:00 Women and Money Dynamics 19:27 Engaging Both Spouses 24:11 Joint Accounts vs Separate Key Links elizabeth george Elizabeth George | Facebook Elizabeth George (@melizabethgeorge) • Instagram photos and videos https://www.linkedin.com/in/melizabethgeorge-cfp/ Contact the Host - vince@thecfoathome.com Want to be a guest on CFO at Home? Send Vince a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1628643039567x840793309030672500  

Life 3 Years After Stroke: Three years ago, Pete Rumple was in a hospital bed, weighing 337 pounds, unable to walk, unable to talk, and completely paralysed down his right side following a massive hemorrhagic stroke. He was on 17 medications and had just spent his first night as a wheelchair user. By his own admission, the first year was so dark that he didn’t want to live. Today, Pete does CrossFit every day, has lost 150 pounds, is off 15 of his 17 medications, and is about to launch a new business at 61 years old. This is what life 3 years after a stroke can look like and, more importantly, how Pete got there. The First Decision: Control What You Can Within days of his stroke, while still in the hospital, Pete made a choice. He couldn’t walk. He couldn’t use his right arm. Doctors were managing everything around him. But he could control one thing: what he ate. “I got to change everything,” he says. “And as I lay there, this was one thing I could control with all the things I couldn’t.” Pete reduced his intake to two or three bites of food per day. By the time he left the hospital 30 days later, he had lost 40 pounds. That single decision became the foundation of everything that followed. For anyone newly out of the hospital and feeling overwhelmed, this is perhaps the most important message: you don’t have to fix everything at once. Find one controllable. Start there. Books like Grain Brain by Dr David Perlmutter and Why We Get Sick by Benjamin Bikman are excellent starting points for understanding the role of nutrition in brain recovery; both are recommended in this episode.   Movement: From Water to CrossFit Pete’s physical recovery moved in deliberate stages. With right-side proprioception severely affected, his body couldn’t properly sense where it was in space land-based exercise felt impossible at first. The solution was water. “The water surrounds you,” Pete explains. “It’s easier to move with what we both have.” He spent nearly a year in the pool doing aquatic therapy, then transitioned to a gym with a personal trainer for four months, then, in April 2024, ditched his cane and started CrossFit. He now attends every day, with about 30% modification. The journey from wheelchair to CrossFit wasn’t fast, and it wasn’t linear. But it was intentional.   The Brain Science Behind Doing Hard Things One of the most fascinating parts of Pete’s recovery is how he used neuroscience to drive his progress. After watching a Huberman Lab episode featuring David Goggins, he learned about the anterior mid-cingulate cortex (AMCC), a region of the brain that grows and strengthens specifically when you do things that are difficult and unpleasant. “Everything I did not enjoy or created pain, I’m doing it.” This wasn’t masochism. It was a strategy. Pete began deliberately choosing the exercises, behaviours, and tasks he least wanted to do and watched his recovery accelerate as a result. His speech improved. His movement improved. His cognitive function came back faster. Bill adds important context here: when you visualise movement, your brain fires the same neural pathways as when you physically perform it. Pete used this daily, studying his CrossFit workout the night before, visualising each exercise, then arriving 30 minutes early to breathe and mentally rehearse before training. This is neuroplasticity working for you, not against you. The choice is yours: choose the hard that rewards you, or endure the hard that doesn’t.   Identity: Three Words That Changed Everything Beyond the physical, Pete’s recovery demanded a complete rebuild of who he was. An executive career was gone. Independence had been stripped away. The personality and habits that contributed to the stroke, such as overworking, overeating, and using alcohol to manage stress, needed to be replaced, not just removed. He approached this the way he’d approached business: with a framework. At any given time, Pete identifies three words that define who he is. Right now: resilient, consistent, and unafraid. “I try to be honest with myself and say, where am I now?” he explains. “And it may change, but it gives me something to triangulate toward.” This kind of identity-based self-management, knowing who you are deciding to be, not just what you are trying to do, is one of the most transferable lessons from Pete’s story. What Life 3 Years After Stroke Really Looks Like Pete’s neurologist, who once saw him quarterly, recently told him she doesn’t need to see him annually anymore. “We have not seen this kind of recovery before from what you had,” she said. He’s about to start a fractional leadership business with a former CFO. He does CrossFit every day. He sleeps well. He volunteers. He uses AI tools to stay sharp and curious. He is, as he puts it, “on the other side of it.” But he’s also clear-eyed about what’s ahead: returning to high-stakes work, managing the stressors that contributed to his stroke in the first place, and monitoring the potholes that come with re-entering a demanding professional world. “I realise that is a very real risk,” he says. “I’m going to test and learn.”   The Lily Pad Principle When asked how to frame the journey for people still in the early stages, Pete offers one of the most useful images in this entire conversation: “It’s like lily pads across the lake. Get to a lily pad, then get to the next one. Don’t worry about boiling the ocean. Don’t worry about what it’s going to be in months or a year. Step by step. Keep pushing.” That is life 3 years after stroke, not a finish line, but a direction. And for Pete Rumple, the direction is forward.   Want more stories like this? Read Bill’s book recoveryafterstroke.com/book | Support the show: patreon.com/recoveryafterstroke   Disclaimer This blog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your health or recovery plan. From Wheelchair to CrossFit: Life 3 Years After a Massive Hemorrhagic Stroke Pete Rumple lost 150 lbs, ditched the wheelchair, and now does CrossFit at 61. Here’s what life 3 years after a stroke really looks like. Turnto.ai InterviewPeter Rumple Interview EP 332Turnto.ai discount code: Bill10Highlights: 00:00 Introduction to Life 3 Years After Stroke Recovery Journey05:31 Physical Recovery and Rehabilitation11:05 Dietary Changes and Weight Loss15:42 Medication Management and Health Improvements21:29 The Role of Visualisation in Recovery26:03 Embracing Discomfort for Growth33:31 The Power of Hard Work and Persistence40:53 The Journey Back to Work50:48 Navigating Health Challenges56:25 Resilience and Consistency in Recovery01:04:38 Proactive Health Management01:15:11 Defining Identity Through Resilience Transcript: Introduction to Life 3 Years After Stroke Recovery Journey Pete Rumple (00:00)And Bill, I want to take a second and plug your book back in the first ⁓ the first session I did with you, I referenced a number of things you taught me through the podcast that I did to make to start building momentum like the cooking dinner every day was the to do. That was your mission. Yeah. so much of what I’ve learned from you, the podcast and what’s inevitably in the book was a great starting point for me. And I built my, my stuff on top of it, but it was really great to stand on your shoulders and get, and get that lift. Bill Gasiamis (00:44)Hi everyone, before we get into Pete’s story and you are definitely going to want to hear this one. I want to share something I’ve been using myself that I genuinely think could help a lot of you. It’s called turn2.ai and it’s an AI health sidekick that keeps you up to date with personalized updates every single week. Did you know there were over 800 new things published every week related to stroke? Research, expert discussions. patient stories, clinical trials, events. It’s an enormous amount of information. Turn2 finds what’s most relevant to you and delivers it straight to your inbox. I use it myself and it’s genuinely my favorite tool for 2026 for staying across what’s new in stroke recovery. It’s low cost and completely patient first. You can try it for free. And when you’re ready to subscribe, you can use my code, BILL10, at turn2.ai slash sidekick slash stroke to get a discount. I earn a small commission if you use that link at no extra cost to you. And that helps keep this podcast going. Also, if you haven’t yet, pick up a copy of my book, head to recoveryafterstroke.com/book. Real stories, real tools. The same stuff Pete and I talk about today and a huge thank you to everyone supporting us on Patreon and in the other ways that you support the show and myself. You’re the reason this content stays free for the people who need it You can support the show at patreon.com/recoveryafterstroke. Right. Let’s get into Pete Rumple’s story. Massive hemorrhagic stroke. Wheelchair couldn’t walk or talk 337 pounds three years later. He does CrossFit every day So you’re gonna want to hear this one. Let’s get into it Bill Gasiamis (02:35)Pete Rumpel, hello, welcome back. Pete Rumple (02:38)Hey Bill, it’s great to see you again. Bill Gasiamis (02:41)Great to see you too, my friend. ⁓ Last time we met was about a year ago. And this is gonna be a slightly different episode because we’re gonna talk about what things were like then and then what they’re like now, just so that we can paint a picture for people about how recovery has gone, what happened in the last 12 or so months. And in the previous episode, by the way, that was episode… 338 or something. And now we’re nearing episode 394, 395. will be. So I’ve been pretty consistent. So it means that it’s been over a year because I try and release one episode a week, et cetera. So it’d be a really good thing to do for people is to give them a bit of a guide of. some of the setbacks, some of the challenges, some of the things that have changed, improved. And now everyone’s different, okay? So this is Pete’s version. And what we’re hoping to do is kind of inspire hope, Pete, right? We wanna give people hope that things can change and improve. And even if it’s slower for you than other people, there can be a reward for putting in a lot of effort, hard work, re-educating yourself about what it means to live healthily. and all that kind of thing. And give us just a little bit of an insight because there’ll be a link to the original video where you can find out Pete’s complete story, but give us a little bit of an insight into the stroke, the day that it happened, what it was like. Pete Rumple (04:24)Okay, you bet Bill it was about 38 months ago. The stroke, was, it was a massive hemorrhagic stroke. ⁓ eight months in a wheelchair had to learn to talk again, walk again, all that. And, ⁓ so we had, ⁓ had the call about a little over a year and a half through it. And then, ⁓ now I’m further through it and, it’s gone amazing. I’m so lucky. So whatever we want to dig into that’ll be great. Bill Gasiamis (05:04)So your deficits were your right arm wasn’t working properly. Initially you weren’t able to walk. You were wheelchair bound for nearly six months. ⁓ So what are the physical deficits like now? What has changed? What has improved? And how did that go? what were the things that you did that helped you improve in that way? Physical Recovery and Rehabilitation Pete Rumple (05:31)Yeah. So Bill, I, um, it was my right side that I lost, which I forget what the term is, but, uh, it was my whole right side. So, um, when I, what, what I did that was important is first of all, totally overhauled my diet. And I, um, I had lost about 150 pounds. Um, I then, when I started about a year into it, I started, um, doing aquatics, the water aerobics to start dealing with their proprioception and the, um, and just movement. couldn’t, I couldn’t do that in, the ether. I couldn’t do it in the air. had to do it with the water. Bill Gasiamis (06:27)Okay, why is that? Because that’s interesting, because I have a similar problem with proprioception. My left side kind of doesn’t know where it is. There’s not enough information telling it where it is. And sometimes it overcompensates and I get off balance, etc. It feels strange. In the water, I also calmly, I felt calmly different, like I felt ⁓ more supported, even though the water wasn’t really supporting me. How was it for you? Pete Rumple (06:56)You’re absolutely right, Bill, because the water surrounds you, right? So it’s easy to move in the water with what we both have. So I spent almost a year in the water. then I started to, then what I did is I moved to a gym with someone helping me work out for about four months. And then in April, so almost a year ago, in April, I got rid of my cane and I went to CrossFit. And so now I do CrossFit every day. And that was really ugly at first, Bill, and I had to do a lot of modification. But now I modify probably 30%. But Bill Gasiamis (07:42)Uh-huh. Pete Rumple (07:54)row bike. can’t run yet. I’m still walking, but I’m getting ready to go to the beach and practice running for about a month. Bill Gasiamis (08:05)Okay, where in the head was the hemorrhagic stroke? Where did it happen? Do you know? Pete Rumple (08:14)The where, ⁓ I forget. Bill Gasiamis (08:18)That’s all right. It’s not important to remember. So also then, ⁓ when you had the hemorrhagic stroke, how was it rectified or resolved? Did they operate? What did they do? Pete Rumple (08:30)They didn’t have to operate. Bill Gasiamis (08:32)Uh-huh. Pete Rumple (08:33)They just, I got in there, they did things to make sure the bleeding stopped, ⁓ but it was no operation. Bill Gasiamis (08:45)what caused the bleed? Was it ⁓ high blood pressure as a result of your weight? Pete Rumple (08:50)It was a number of things, was high blood pressure, it was a lot of stress. They have a scale bill called the Holmes Raw Scale, Holmes with an L and Raw, R-A-H-E, where you can, it has like 42 major stress events. If you score under 150, you’re fine, 150, 300s. pretty bad and then over 300 is devastating like it’s predicts a major stroke or heart attack within a year. And I was 360 on that scale. I’d gone through the divorce, I had the kids, I had a job change, you name it, I had it. ⁓ Weight was not good, drank too much. So that was my wake up call. if you will, which was severe. And it’s been, it’s great now. Bill Gasiamis (09:53)Yeah, so your arm was completely flaccid, I think, when we spoke last. So where is it now? Pete Rumple (10:03)I can do everything with it. This is the, so I can lift and I’m lifting more weight, not where I was, but about probably 50%. I’m doing pull-ups with the arm and my legs are, I’ve worked them a lot. I’m very strong there. So it’s getting there. Bill Gasiamis (10:25)Okay, cool. When we spoke, you mentioned that in hospital alone, you’d lost 40 pounds. That kind of makes sense. A lot of people say that things change in hospital food relation. When you’re unwell, ⁓ how you consume food completely changes, as well as how hospitals ⁓ treat people with regards to the food, how it’s terrible, how often you get to eat. and how accessible it is. So, but earlier, a little earlier, you said that you lost 150 pounds all up. Dietary Changes and Weight Loss Pete Rumple (11:05)Yeah, Bill. So when I was in the hospital, which was obvious, I was there 30 days from the stroke. And that was where I had to make a choice. And it was like, if am I going to try and get better or not. And so what I did is I ate two to three bites of food a day. That was it because I was in a wheelchair, Bill, I couldn’t move. So coming out 40 pounds lighter was ⁓ a lot of work and a lot of fasting, if you will. Bill Gasiamis (11:42)Why did you decide that that was what you needed to do? How did you conclude that? I know I’m gonna be in hospital. I’ve had a hemorrhagic stroke. There’s nothing else I can do. What I’m gonna do is fast and stop eating food. How does that? Pete Rumple (12:01)was a first step, Bill. Absolutely. was like, I got to change everything. And so as I lay here, this is one thing I can control with all the things I can’t. Bill Gasiamis (12:14)In hospital though, most people in hospital don’t have that realization. I mean, that would have been days out from a hemorrhagic stroke. They’re telling you all these things. Like how did you get to that conclusion? Were you cognizant of needing to do that earlier before you got sick and then you thought, well, now I have to do it or was it an aha moment of some other kind? Pete Rumple (12:40)No, you’re absolutely right. And it was something I knew was getting out of control, Bill. And I couldn’t, I couldn’t resolve it. It was just, it was really tough. And I’m like, this is it. I mean, this is the ultimate wake up call. The other one, Bill, was I had, when I came into the hospital, I was on 17 meds. I now have two. and I’m at 20 milligrams and I’m probably off those in the next four to five months. So it’s been a long programmatic diet, nutrition, health, and it’s been three years. I mean, it’s not insignificant for sure. Bill Gasiamis (13:27)⁓ What was the 17 medications treating or or or managing? Pete Rumple (13:37)I think Bill, it’s almost like, like, what do you do with this guy? You got to throw everything at him to keep on going. I don’t think it would have been 17 for very long. It was probably stop gap measures. Some were pain, but even the pain bill second day. I said, I want no more pain meds, take them away. And it was brutal, right? Cause you know, the way you feel and the, my scapula, my legs, was, it was awful, but I was like, I found my way here, I got to find my way out and let me get off as much as I can and start the pilgrimage back. Bill Gasiamis (14:20)Before the stroke, would you have been somebody who would have taken a device to change your diet? Pete Rumple (14:28)I would have taken every hack I could have, Bill, before the stroke. Bill Gasiamis (14:34)Anything to avoid doing the hard work? that what you mean? Yes. Pete Rumple (14:38)Yes, sir. And look, I was always a hard worker. And I would work out and do stuff. But this is a whole other level. This became life or death. I mean, because you know, the stats bill, like, when I looked at the stats that about 75 % of people are gone in year one, there’s 25%, especially hemorrhagic, 25 % at the time. 25 % a month later, 25 % at the end of the year, another 20 at the end of year two. I’m like, I’m gonna go through all this and then I still have so little chance. So I just went for it and I went really hardcore. Bill Gasiamis (15:25)Did you eat, drink too much to manage emotional ⁓ stress, challenges? What do you think was behind it? Or was it just bad habits? Or did you think you were bulletproof? What was the reason behind it? Medication Management and Health Improvements Pete Rumple (15:42)Everything you just said, Bill, everything you just said. Yeah. I mean, it’s everything, right? You start justifying bad behavior. You have a reason for why things happen. And I just like, even when I try to lose weight, though, I might lose a couple pounds, but then I eat again and what I was eating, how I was eating. So in that first year, I went super deep on nutrition. and how your body works. And I went from, at the stroke I was 337 pounds. And then when I did my podcast with you, I was 180. Bill Gasiamis (16:25)Yeah, well, ⁓ one of the books that I’ll mention to people, you might have read different ones, and that’s cool. But the one that always comes to mind that I always recommend is Grain Brain by Dr. David Pelmutter. So if you’re in the very early stages of recovery and you want to make some changes like Pete did, read or listen to the book Grain Brain by Dr. David Pelmutter, and then ⁓ read a book called ⁓ Why We Get Sick. ⁓ I’m going to quickly do a search on ⁓ online because I keep forgetting the person’s name. ⁓ And what it’s going to do is going to why we get sick by Benjamin Bickman. And what it’s going to do is going to give people an insight into the. ⁓ I one of the things is the first book is the food that you can avoid and stop eating and the reasons why and how they benefit the brain and then ⁓ why we get sick is an insight into, in fact, exactly that why we get sick. so that you have an understanding of what might have got you into that real bad state. And then also before that, ⁓ the food component of it, because those two things, if you know why you got somewhere and then you know what the trigger was, what the thing was that made you get there, so the food, for example, then you’ve got a great foundation for taking the next step forward ⁓ and reversing it. Pete Rumple (18:02)Absolutely. Bill Gasiamis (18:04)and improving your health and improving your diet, losing weight and decreasing your risks of heart attack, stroke, cancer, all that kind of stuff. ⁓ So I love that you got curious. That’s what I did. I was in hospital reading and watching YouTube videos about how I’m going to recover, how I’m going to overcome things, all sorts of stuff like that. And it was… Pete Rumple (18:19)I remember. Bill Gasiamis (18:31)in a situation where control is given over to medics, doctors, surgeons, all that kind of stuff, you feel like you’re a little bit of a, you’re just floating in the wind and you’re not really stable and you don’t have an anchor point, right? So when you, if you want to feel like you’re a little more anchored, what you could do is you could take control of the controllables and Nutrition is one of those controllables and it doesn’t cost you any extra. You don’t have to spend money. Pete Rumple (19:04)You’re absolutely right, Bill. It’s a huge point. By the way, there’s a great app, and I know there are many, but there’s a great app called Yuka, Y-U-K-A. You can scan any barcode in the store and it will tell you the score and what’s wrong with it and the amount of food I was eating that was, especially in the U.S., Bill, heavily processed, additives, dyes. It’s like toxic. And so you can scan it and know what’s really in it. And it tells you what’s good, what’s bad. And it was a huge help. Bill Gasiamis (19:44)Yeah. So we’re going to have some of these links in the show notes for anyone who wants to find them. I’ll put a link to the books. I’ll put a link to Pete’s previous episode. We’ll put a link to that Yuka app. Pete, that’s your homework. You have to send me that link when we’re chatting. ⁓ When you say you’ve lost 150 pounds, like that is 50 kilograms. That is almost two-thirds of my weight. Well, it’s actually, yeah, it’s about two-thirds of my weight. That means that if I lost 50 pounds, I would just be a bag of bones. Pete Rumple (20:30)Well, and Bill, I was a bigger guy to begin with. have a big frame and I played a lot of US football, American football. So I had a lot of weight to lose, Bill, and it’s gone now. And I’m back up to about 205 and it’s all muscle life, about a 32 inch waist now. really, really fit and I go for it. And by the way, by the way, I want to make one point to all listeners that took a long time, Bill, like between being the wheelchair for eight months and then getting the pool. It took a long time. I used to go and sit and watch people work out to just reacquaint myself. Bill Gasiamis (21:03)How old are you? The Role of Visualisation in Recovery Pete Rumple (21:29)what it looked like and inspire myself. It has been a long road, but my goodness, is absolutely I’m on the other side of it now. Cause as I had said in the first podcast, the first 18 months, I did not want to live, especially year one, ⁓ immense amount of pain. had been a successful executive that was gone. Like it was really really rough. And so now it’s beautiful. And I want people to know that because it it’s so worth it. Delay gratification, you learn a lot about it. And it’s ⁓ Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (22:14)I love that delayed gratification, but also you went into a gym watching other people train when you couldn’t train, just so you can be around it and familiarize yourself with it again. That’s really interesting. That’s probably one thing I’ve never done is go to a gymnasium and watch other people train. It’s a bit creepy Pete. Pete Rumple (22:32)Yeah, it is. It’s weird. And people would look at me like, what’s he doing? And by and by the way, Bill, I did a lot of work on how to breathe, which was really helpful, how to how to manifest and to really sit and get mentally so I go even today, Bill, I go in a half hour before my workout to work on breathing and visualizing my exercises, because I get the the list of what my workout is before I get there the night before. So I study and I prepare and then go. Bill Gasiamis (23:10)What I love about visualizing is that if you visualize the brain actually fires off the exact same neuron and pathways that it does if you actually physically do that thing. And there’s been studies in the past that have showed that you can take an average guy like me and you can make them watch a video of somebody doing archery, for example, and you can ⁓ take them through a number of repetitions of this person, this champion doing archery. And just with that information and the visualization techniques later, you can take somebody who has basically never shot ⁓ an arrow through a bow and you can get them to a certain level of competence far more rapidly than you would have if you just got that person out of a crowd and sent to him. Have you ever shot an arrow? If they said no and they took the shot, they probably wouldn’t be able to do it as well as the person who was trained by just watching what the other person, the champion was doing. And when I was in hospital wanting to walk again, I’m sitting in my bed between sessions because I had a wheelchair as well. And I was visualizing myself doing the perfect walk, what the perfect walk would look like. And then I would take myself later to ⁓ therapy where I would be walking and I would be trying to replicate what I was seeing in my head so that we could get a similar result. And of course at the beginning, your leg is now doing it physically and it needs to catch up to the brain. The brain has ⁓ the pathway, but the leg needs to catch up. So then what the leg does is it goes, this feels a bit weird or this is a bit strange or this is not how I expected it. But it has a reference point for where to get to and how to do the perfect step, right? And then you’re closer to the perfect step than you were if you were just relying on therapists to ⁓ train you through that. Pete Rumple (25:22)You’re absolutely right, Bill. And the brain is amazing. Look, it can work for you or against you depending on what you’re thinking and how you’re doing things. And it was really amazing, Bill, because as I built my capability through CrossFit, it was amazing how my brain would start to take over. Like I wasn’t sure, but my brain was already, I got it, and so grew. It started carrying me and just getting it done. It’s amazing. Bill Gasiamis (25:58)Yeah, yeah. Embracing Discomfort for Growth But how did you know to do that? That’s the thing that I’m interested in understanding because I didn’t know the guy before stroke didn’t know about doing like magic like this. know, how do you, I don’t know, like, can you explain how you found yourself in that situation? Cause I can’t, people go to me like, well, how did you know to do that? Or how did you do that? And I’m like, I don’t know what happened, but something clicked. that made me stumble onto, discover, find all the necessary tools that I needed to get me to the next stage. I’ve never been able to do that before and I can do that now. Pete Rumple (26:46)Yep, me too, Bill, me too. And you know what? I think it’s how desperate we are for answers. And especially you can read all these blogs about what doesn’t work and what’s a waste of time, but you find the nuggets and you go for it. Here’s a great one, Bill. And I’ll send this in the link. Andrew Huberman, he runs a podcast called Huberman Lab. He had David Goggins on and he purposely waited for Goggins to share with him the research around the AMCC, which is the anterior mid-cruciate cortex, which is a part of the brain. And when you do things that are hard and you don’t enjoy it, that part of your brain grows and gets stronger. So I sat there, Bill, and I’m like, well, damn, if I can start to make my brain stronger, I’m going to do it. So I did all the stuff I hate to do. And I started doing it. And I started even faster, talking better, walking better, and really doing everything I did not like to do. And he even brings up the point when he describes it. He brings up that if you like running every day, It doesn’t work. But if you hate running and you have to go run, it works and it makes sure and make, they’ve learned so much that was, that was about three to four years ago. They found it, but this is a massive find in the brain. And I started using it, Bill. And what I started to do was everything I did not enjoy or created pain. I’m like, I’m doing it. And it took me from averting it to leaning into it. And it was amazing. it’s, you’d think it’s BS, it’s not. And Huberman, you know, he works at Stanford. He knows his stuff. It was really, really impactful. Bill Gasiamis (29:03)Yeah, it’s about being comfortable being uncomfortable, isn’t it? Like it’s realizing that you’re probably not killing yourself by paying in a little bit of pain exercising. also, yeah. Pete Rumple (29:16)And Bill, I will just say, I did a very good job for the first time in my life of listening to my body. So I go hard, I push, but when I wasn’t feeling it or didn’t feel right, I take the day, relax, and then come back stronger next. Bill Gasiamis (29:38)I want to pause there for a second because what Pete just described is exactly the kind of thing I wrote about in my book. The idea that the obstacle is the path, the doing the hard stuff in recovery. If you haven’t grabbed the copy yet, it’s called the unexpected way that a stroke became the best thing that happened. You can find it at recoveryafterstroke.com/book. The link is in the show notes and in the YouTube description. So let’s get packed. to Pete. Bill Gasiamis (30:08)Yeah, yeah, agreed. And it’s important to listen to your body after a stroke, because you don’t want to make things worse, especially when you’re still healing and still recovering and you’re still fragile, you know, there’s a lot of things that you need to take into consideration. However, being uncomfortable and being comfortable with that is really a good skill to master. ⁓ It is, ⁓ it reminds me of the saying that we hear that’s often attributed to the old great Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, which is the obstacle is the way, you know, when you get to something that’s really hard, you go for it, because that’s what you’re to be. That’s the purpose of the obstacle. It’s to overcome it, to find the way around it, under it, over it, through it, whatever it is. And Goggins is a scary guy. He’s a scary guy, because he runs without, without cartilage in his knees or something. I don’t know what he’s missing. but he shouldn’t be able to run, he shouldn’t be running and somehow he still runs. I think his version of running is a little toxic. I think he’s just a slight too far, ⁓ but nonetheless, it’s still proof of ⁓ what you’re capable of and how much people can push and go beyond their comfort zone. And if you’ve never pushed beyond your comfort zone, there’s no better time to do it. You really have to do it now because you want to activate the right neuroplasticity. You don’t want to activate negative neuroplasticity, which rewires your brain to be more comfortable, less willing to do hard things. ⁓ And therefore, you get the results of that. You get the decrease in your recovery or the ⁓ overcoming of your deficits. So I appreciate that whole ⁓ mentality of finding what’s hard and you’re probably in the right place. That’s probably what you need to do. Pete Rumple (32:07)Absolutely right, Bill. And I agree with everything you said. And look, I love Goggins, but it’s not to be like a warrior like him. The point is, like with Huberman, it was cool because Goggins thinks that way so much. He wanted to launch the foundational research with Goggins there with him. He purposely waited. So it was pretty cool. Bill Gasiamis (32:35)Yeah. And that that’s the thing, right? It’s like you get rewarded for doing hard things. ⁓ Stroke is hard. And if you ⁓ take the easy route, the comfortable route, the hard part of your stroke remains hard. Like it doesn’t get better. If you choose the other hard, the recovery Pete Rumple (32:59)right. Bill Gasiamis (33:04)benefits that you get from choosing hard of exercise, the hard of changing your diet, the hard of changing your mindset, et cetera. Like then that version of hard gets you a reward that is beneficial. The other hard just gets you more suffering. And that’s the hard you wanna avoid. Suffering without purpose. Well, suffering for a purpose gets you a payoff. The Power of Hard Work and Persistence Pete Rumple (33:31)That’s right. That’s exactly right, Bill. And look, with the, when you put it all together between the diet, though, increasingly working out, going after the deficits, all that, day by day, painful, hard, depressing, but you start looking three months, six months, a year later, you’re like, you start building your will and your ability. to do things you did not think you could do, and then it starts feeding on itself, and it becomes so powerful. Bill Gasiamis (34:09)Yeah, that’s my experience too. ⁓ Somebody put it in my head that I should start a podcast 10 years ago. It’s been 14 years since my first stroke this month, February, 14 years. It’s just gone like that. And then about three years in, a friend of mine said, should start a podcast type of thing. So I did. And it has been more than 10 years that I’ve been doing this podcast. ⁓ And I never thought that I’d be doing a podcast, let alone for 10 years. We’re talking about at the beginning, not a lot of episodes because I was too unwell to put a lot of episodes out. it’s ramped up now in the last four or five years, doing an episode a week, most weeks. And then the other thing I never ended up, I never thought I’d end up doing is writing a book here. Here’s the plug for the book. Pete Rumple (35:01)love it. I love it. Bill Gasiamis (35:03)The title is mental, like it’s the unexpected way that a stroke became the best thing that happened. ⁓ But the book is exactly the things that you’ve said. And I thought initially when I discovered those things about my book that I needed to put in my book, I thought that I was rediscovering these for the first time. Like at the very beginning, diets, ⁓ mindset, ⁓ exercise, sleep. ⁓ ⁓ meditation, hanging around other people who are positive, all that kind of stuff, doing stuff for other people, ⁓ like volunteering, that kind of thing. I thought I was discovering these things ⁓ for the first time ever, but turns out these are things that humans have always done. That’s what they default to. They default to all of these things when it’s necessary, and that’s where they get lost from. They kind of move away from there because they get diverted from there, from say, marketing or advertising or what somebody else is doing or through a lack of ⁓ focus from being distracted from work, from relationship issues, whatever the situation is. I didn’t write anything different in my book than has been written in the hundreds and thousands of books on this topic that have come before it. I just reorganized that and set it in my own words. But the reality is, is this is what people do when they’re trying to recover. They default back to the bare basics and they’re things that you can implement without ⁓ spending any extra money buying a course or anything like that. Of course, you might need to read it in a book for the first time to remind you or you might need to hear it on a YouTube video, but the reality is, is that nothing new in this book. Pete Rumple (36:51)And Bill, I want to take a second and plug your book because I have not read it yet. But back in the first ⁓ the first session I did with you, I referenced a number of things you taught me through the podcast that I did to make to start building momentum like the cooking dinner every day was the to do. That was your mission. Yeah. so much of what I’ve learned from you, the podcast and what’s inevitably in the book was a great starting point for me. And I built my, my stuff on top of it, but it was really great to stand on your shoulders and get, and get that lift. Bill Gasiamis (37:38)Yeah, isn’t it weird? Like it was just one thing, but it was the most important one thing. My whole world revolved around that. If I could put dinner on the table for the family in any capacity, it didn’t have to be like a five star meal or three courses or anything like that. It just had to be dinner. If I could do that, then that was kind of how I rehabilitated myself. I needed to be healthy enough, good enough, fit enough, have enough energy to just put a meal on the table for everyone when they came home from. work. was such a it’s such a it was it was important for many reasons. But it was also what I didn’t realize the underlying benefits that it was creating, which were the ones that ⁓ I noticed later after Pete Rumple (38:25)Yep. And you were re-engaging and you were pushing yourself. And I remember you go to the store to buy the stuff you needed sometimes. like all that stuff, Bill, when I look at the beginning, I couldn’t watch a TV for over a year. I couldn’t listen and did not listen to music for two years. It was, and now I’m like back in the fold, but it’s the push, the push, the push and just, you know, listening to the body, but going for it all the time. Bill Gasiamis (39:03)Yeah, exposure, like exposure, exposure, exposure, small, then larger, then more and more. I remember going to the stores to the local mall here, and we call it a shopping center, and parking the car, and then not being able to remember where I parked the car, walking around the entire car park, and talking to my brother, and going to him, he rang me just out of blue and I said to him, he goes, what are you doing? I said, I’m walking around the car park. He what are you doing that for? That’s because I don’t know where my car is. I’ve been looking for it for half an hour and I’ve got no idea where it is. I parked it and I just got no idea where. I don’t know which car park. I don’t know where I came in from. I don’t know what level it was on. And I was just walking around the car park talking to my brother, just telling him, I came and got a few things, but now I can’t get back to my car. Pete Rumple (39:55)Yeah, and there’s definitely you know bill once I got out of the darkness There’s definitely some really funny stories That that happened especially like the way The way I would walk people would see me I might be in a restaurant and i’m going to the bathroom and they think i’m drunk Yeah, and they’re like making fun of him like hey i’m not drunk, but ⁓ I get you know, I’m all right, I got it. And they’d be like horrified and I’d just start laughing. It was funny, but you gotta have some fun with it too, you know? Bill Gasiamis (40:34)Absolutely, you have to, you gotta laugh. you don’t laugh, well, it’s gonna be difficult time. You, ⁓ I remember when we spoke last time, you mentioned about trying to get back to work. ⁓ How did that go? Was it successful? Did you have some challenges? What was going back to work like? The Journey Back to Work Life 3 Years After Stroke Pete Rumple (40:53)So Bill, I’m gonna start back in June. I’ve done some projects, work projects, but I have not officially started working, but I’m going to. I’m starting a business with a close friend of mine, my former CFO, and we’re gonna start a new business. Bill Gasiamis (41:18)Tell me about the new business. What is it about? Can you share anything about it? Pete Rumple (41:22)Yeah, it’s called fractional leadership bill will probably go to companies that are ⁓ getting funded, trying to grow. They got a good idea. They can’t afford the people they need. So you basically it’s less consulting. It’s more you’re operating it for them and you work with multiple customers and it’s called fractional leadership is becoming a really pretty popular model. And, ⁓ and also for companies that have that have their revenue is stalled or shrinking, get them turned around. That was my background. My background was ⁓ running chief revenue officer. So everything that drives revenue in a company and I was a CEO twice. Bill Gasiamis (42:06)Uh-huh. Soon. Did you have a specific industry that you worked in? Pete Rumple (42:23)Yet a lot of times I call it TMT for telecom media and tech so tech companies and media and That kind of stuff Rosetta Stone was his language learning company. I was I ran all our institutional business education government and and ⁓ Corporate Bill Gasiamis (42:49)Wow, what a challenge. mean, technology is changing so rapidly. ⁓ I Pete Rumple (42:55)love it, Bill. And look, I’m sorry, I just had to make this point and not forget it. That was another thing I’ve done, Bill is I’ve gone heavy into AI. And I did it, not just because it’s the buzzword. But I’m like, Hey, if I’m going through this process, if I’m retraining my brain, why not try to get good at stuff that I either didn’t do or need to know. And it’s been so rewarding, Bill. Bill Gasiamis (43:24)out. Pete Rumple (43:25)It’s just crazy. Like AI, use chat chat, GBT, and it’s like my, my best friend. now work with chat daily and it’s amazing how the tech technology works. Not only can it be really helpful for figuring things out and having a partner, but it also remembers things about you in how it builds the profile. So it’ll basically say, Pete, don’t forget this, this, and this. And it’s awesome. It’s really killer. Bill Gasiamis (44:02)So here comes another plug, Pete. Okay, so this is not a sponsor, but it’s something that I truly believe in, okay? Because the person who contacted me, A, is an Australian, B, is a mother, ⁓ C, is a mother of two children with cerebral palsy. And she was looking for solutions to all the challenges that they faced as a family, especially to help her children, right? parent would do. So then ⁓ she used to do research like you and me jump on the computer, do some research, find out about all the things that ⁓ she needed to know with regards to what was most current in cerebral palsy right now. And she’s the struggle because ⁓ imagine like the time that it takes when you have a stroke brain to research, read, comprehend, determine whether Pete Rumple (45:01)We know. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (45:04)whether or not that is applicable. Okay, that’s not applicable. Put that to the side, do another search. And then also going to doctors and researchers and all these other people and saying to them, what about this? What about that? And then them not being aware of anything that was new because they’re too swamped. They’ve got a massive workload. They don’t have time to be up to date with all the research, right? And this is a hundred percent a full on plug. I’m not apologizing for that. However, what this lady did, Jess from turn2.ai, I have a link to her interview as well, because I interviewed her, is she created an ⁓ AI that goes and does the research, the searching for you, and then sends you an email every week with everything new in your particular topic, for example, stroke. And then it tells you, I found seven, nine, 10 things for you this week that are new on stroke. It could be a podcast. It could be a research document. could be ⁓ whatever it is. It could be a book. It could be anything. It just finds it and sends you that information. And as your recovery continues, right, ⁓ what happens is ⁓ you might say, okay, now is there any information about food related to stroke recovery and healing the brain? And then it adds that to the search list. And then it comes back at the end of the next week with all the new information from food and brain. And then also whatever it was that you previously prompted it to find you. And it just keeps finding information and you build it and you build it and you build it. And then next week you get interested in meditation and you type, what can you tell me about meditation and healing the brain? And then it’s going to bring you all that information to your inbox. I spent hours and hours and days and days trying to find information about what I needed to know about stroke recovery. And when I found that little piece of paper, I had to go through the rabbit hole. I had to go down the rabbit hole and try and find ⁓ where ⁓ where it kind of where the exit point was where it led to so that I can discover whether I need to implement this, do this. So this just saves so much time and the guys are selling it for two bucks a week. Like you can get a month free and two, and then after that it’s two bucks a week just to find and do all the searching for you and bring you specific and relevant stuff. And we’re talking about scientifically relevant and specific like PubMed articles, like scientifically proven stuff, not what Bill ⁓ concocted up in his bedroom. you know, in suburban Melbourne, like proper things. So I love that you said that you’ve turned to AI. I’ve been using chat as well. Chat helps me with so many things, but what’s important is to learn how to interact with it. And that’s another, that’s another thing, another skill to discover. And it’s important that we jump on the bandwagon. AI is not going away. You need to learn about it, how to interact with it, and how to use it to benefit you and decrease the amount of time it takes to do something and get to recovery. Pete Rumple (48:37)You’re absolutely, absolutely right, Bill. I mean, it is, and even if you just use it for basic stuff to begin with, and you start learning how to create the right prompts to get the kind of answers you’re looking for, it’s a great skill. And the biggest thing is not being afraid and leaning into it. Bill Gasiamis (49:00)Yeah, not bad. Well, there’s nothing to be afraid of. They can get them all for free. At the beginning, you can get a free subscription. It doesn’t cost anything. And it’s just as useful. Perfect for that early training kind of phase in your chat, in your chat, JBT kind of discovery. There’s also Claude, there’s also the Elon Musk one. There’s hundreds of them now. Yeah, there’s heaps of them now, right? So I really encourage people to do that because If you ask it one question like, you know, what is one of the most ⁓ best books that I can read for, we’ll call it nutrition for nutrition and stroke recovery. That’s just going to decrease the amount of time it takes to find those books and bring that to you. Jump on Amazon, find it, get it sent to your house. ⁓ So I think it’s a great time for people. and it’s never been a better time to recover from a stroke. I mean, it’s a shit ⁓ group to become a part of at the beginning and it’s difficult and it’s painful. But if somebody has a stroke today compared to a stroke 30 years ago. Pete Rumple (50:17)⁓ my goodness. Bill Gasiamis (50:19)Like it’s a completely different experience. ⁓ I think we’re kind of lucky to be living in the time that we’re living. ⁓ Even though I know that people hear about AI and what it could potentially do in some other situations. ⁓ Let’s use it for good. Like let’s break the work. Pete Rumple (50:21)That’s all we’ll That’s right. That’s exactly right, Bill. It can be used for evil, but it can be used for good. So use it. That’s right. Navigating Health Challenges Bill Gasiamis (50:48)Yeah, just like any technology, right? Like you hear all these things, but any technology can be used for good or evil. So let’s just use it for good. Let’s just make the most of it. So before your stroke, you were going through a divorce or had you already been divorced? Pete Rumple (51:08)I was already divorced. Yeah, it had been it had been a couple of years earlier. I had a bad car accident a bunch of but you know the kids live with me. It was just a stress sandwich and I did not go out the right way. Bill Gasiamis (51:27)Yeah. You didn’t go out at the right way because what do you think was behind that? Like, it’s hard to make really good decisions in very stressful times anyway. You have to have an opportunity or the insight to pause, step out of that situation for a little bit, reflect and then try and make decisions. how did you get into that stage where you found yourself not being ⁓ not going about things appropriately, for example, perhaps. Pete Rumple (52:02)For me, Bill, it was like I didn’t have a choice. I was now in a wheelchair. I was in pain and I had nothing I could do but think. And at first that was very negative. It was, I didn’t handle it well. I didn’t accept it. And once I went through that process and I got like, okay, I’m going to get holistic about this. And by the way, I don’t want to, I don’t want to just fix the physical and then I get done and everything else is a wreck. So went after all of it and just started carving up my day, spiritual, cognitive, physical, mental, every day, a block of each practicing writing, all that stuff. So I just started doing it and rebuilt my life. probably like I should have in the first place, but stuff happens. I had to, you sometimes, you know, we, you and I laughed about this before. Sometimes we’re a little thick. takes a little longer. So it took me a while, but I’m there now. Bill Gasiamis (53:18)Yeah. And reflecting on that version of yourself from the past, does that does that person ever come up again, every so often, because we’re talking about all these positive things, all these amazing changes. And I don’t want to paint a picture that it’s only ever fantastic you and I like what we go through after our initial stroke has been all just roses. Is there moments of that things rearing their ugly head and you reverting back, how do you catch yourself when you’re there? Pete Rumple (53:57)Yeah, I mean bill that’s why what’s really good about this is my first podcast with you because we went really deep in the in the darkness of that now bill is beautiful man. It is beautiful. I am almost I almost don’t talk to people about it because My life is so much better because I had a stroke. It’s crazy. It sounds nuts, but it’s so true. Everything’s sweeter. I just, it’s hard to describe. It’s a blessing. Bill Gasiamis (54:38)Yeah, that’s crazy. It is probably crazy. Pete Rumple (54:42)It is? Bill Gasiamis (54:45)I find myself, ⁓ I find myself obviously having bad days. My bad days are related to stress, ⁓ you know, work, if they’re related to ⁓ interactions with people that don’t go the way that I preferred. They’re related to ⁓ what the stroke still does to me after 14 years. ⁓ It still causes neurological imbalances. still causes tightness on my left side, know, that tightness causes dysfunction on my right side, you know, the body goes out of whack. And if I catch it, if I have a bad night’s sleep, things get thrown out and it’s hard to, ⁓ it’s hard to always navigate it and be effective at catching it and then doing something about it, you know, cause you’re human, you get distracted, et cetera. Pete Rumple (55:38)Well, and Bill, you’re bringing up great points because as I transition back to work, I’ll have some potential potholes that I don’t have right now. So I’m very, I’m very conscious of what I’m going to go back into. Now. I love, I love work. It’s my sport and I love it. But, ⁓ and today I have now. bad moments, not bad days. Maybe those occurred, but I’m going to try to stave that off. But that’s just how it is now. as of as of now, that’s that’s the update, if you will. Yeah. Resilience and Consistency in Recovery Bill Gasiamis (56:25)Yeah. Okay. I like that you said that about work, like there’s gonna be some potholes with if you’re doing the type of work that you’re doing. ⁓ That’s pretty high level and high stress and intense for ⁓ at some stages, it could be right, you’re talking at organizations that are going through a hard time that are looking to you to solve their problems, so to speak, or to support them solve their own problems. So ⁓ You know, the ramping that up is gonna need a little bit of thought so that you don’t go too far into that type of work without realizing how far in you’ve gotten. Pete Rumple (57:10)Absolutely right, Bill. You’re absolutely right. And look, I’m going to try to be as bulletproof as I can. The good news is I’ve been doing this work my whole career. So it’s been 40 years. So I don’t think I have to micromanage or get to like, I think I can find the right balance if I can’t. I’ll go to a lesser job and do something else. But so I realize, especially because I can get pretty intense. So ⁓ I realized that is a risk, a very real risk. I’m not shying away from it. I’m not saying, don’t worry. yes, there is stuff to worry about, but I’m gonna, I’m gonna test and learn. Test and learn is what I always do. Test it and learn, can I do it, not do it, do I have to do different, do I have to do something else? Bill Gasiamis (58:14)Yeah, brilliant. How old are you now? Pete Rumple (58:17)61. Bill Gasiamis (58:18)Okay, so at 61, most people are thinking about retiring. What are you thinking starting a new business at 61? Pete Rumple (58:25)Well, mean, Bill, look, let’s be honest, I think the last three years off. So I have some ⁓ room left in the battery. But I mean, part of the reason for this type of job, Bill, is because if we do this, we run it. And we’ll decide how we take care of clients, how we work and all that. And if I have to take on less, take on less. If I can take on more, take on more. And I’m gonna, like everything else, I’m gonna figure it out one step at a time, Bill. And I, you know, I don’t have the answers, but I’m gonna find them. Bill Gasiamis (59:11)And retirement’s not really in the frame for you. Like it’s not something that you’re thinking about, like to ⁓ officially retire, know, step away from the day to day and just, you know, go and sail off into the sunset type of thing. Pete Rumple (59:24)Yeah, I think to your point, Bill, like if I can make this work, I’ll probably work through my 60s. If I can’t, then I’ll have to probably hang it up earlier or do something lighter. And if that’s the way to be healthy, so be it. I’ll do that. Bill Gasiamis (59:43)What else does work bring you though? Because it doesn’t just bring work income. Like it brings more than that. Like for you, I feel like it’s more than just I’m making a wage or bringing in some money or whatever. What else does it bring? Pete Rumple (1:00:02)Yeah, it’s it’s competitive, Bill. It’s it’s my sport. You know, so hitting the numbers in a month and a quarter and a year. That is the scoreboard for what I do. And if you if you do it well, you can do really well and be very happy and influence a lot of people’s lives in a positive way. And if you don’t, it can be really awful. So Fortunately, I’ve been on the right side of that for a long time and I want to get back to it and no ego stuff I just I want to I want to I want to have an impact and I want to enjoy my sport. Bill Gasiamis (1:00:48)Fair enough. Even in your unhealthiest and heaviest before the stroke, were you this energetic? Did you have this same amount of energy? Pete Rumple (1:01:00)I’ve always been energetic, Bill, but I couldn’t operate like I do now. Like my sleep is wonderful. I go hard at the gym. I do projects. I volunteer. Like I’ve been readying myself for coming back in. And look, if I can, great. If I can’t, I’ll adapt. Bill Gasiamis (1:01:27)Yeah. I know when I went back to work, uh, well, I had to, I had to pause my business. have a painting and maintenance. Yeah. I had to pause it. I had to go back into an office, very basic admin role, like low level, but it was so hard being at work, sitting in front of a computer for eight hours a day. We started, I started that job in 2016 and finished in 2019. By the time I got to 2019. Pete Rumple (1:01:36)I remember. Bill Gasiamis (1:01:57)I was way more capable of going in focusing on the task at hand and doing the work that needed to be done and then being able to be okay to do the drive home because at some point at the beginning I wasn’t really able or up to the task. But I kind of built ⁓ the muscle again and then got to that stage where by 2019 it was fine. So some people might find going back to work like You know, retraining that muscle of being at work and working and focusing and all that kind of stuff. They might find that it’s gonna take a little bit of time to get there and you might have to step back. You might have to decrease the days, decrease the hours and then go again and then try and find where the threshold is, see if you can exceed it and then see how far you can push it and reflect a year, 18 months, two years. Pete Rumple (1:02:38)That’s right. Bill Gasiamis (1:02:56)down the track back to notice how far you’ve come. Pete Rumple (1:03:00)Yeah, right on Bill. I mean, I’m gonna have been out of it for 42 months, probably when I go back. So I hear you loud and clear, and it would have been really tough to do it. before now. Bill Gasiamis (1:03:20)Yeah. Yeah. And you did have a you had a goal to get back to work a lot earlier. Pete Rumple (1:03:29)Yes, that’s right. And ⁓ that’s another thing, Bill, like I’ll set an intention to do something. I’ll go for it. I’m not ready. I’m not gonna, I’m not gonna do it wrong. I’m not gonna hurt myself. So I set a goal. I try to manifest it, but if I have to push it, I push it. Bill Gasiamis (1:03:51)Yeah. Just before we spoke and started this episode, you’re you apologize for wearing a hat, which is was unnecessary ⁓ because you have a scar on your head because there was a skin cancer found. And before it became a thing, the you got you had it removed. That’s right. So now when So I wanna understand like your mindset now compared to before when you come across ⁓ an issue like that, a health, potentially health issue for people. How do you navigate that now compared to how you might have done things before? ⁓ Proactive Health Management Pete Rumple (1:04:38)Beautiful question. Yeah, I used to avoid all that stuff. I avoided the doctor. I don’t want to do this. I want to there’s always a reason to do something else. Now I lean in, I pay attention, I learn I go in, I may agree or not agree with the doctor on certain things. But especially now because I can think again, took me a couple years. But yeah, I lean in. I want to I want to get in there. I want to know what’s wrong. What’s right. What have you just had my annual exam two days ago ago. It went great. Labs came back great. I I my neurologist that I used to have to ⁓ visit quarterly said Pete I don’t even need to see you annually now. Just if you need me call me. Other than that you’re good to go. And she said, we have not seen this kind of recovery before from what you had. Bill Gasiamis (1:05:43)Yeah, I have a similar experience when I was in hospital. They booked me in for two months. I was out in a month ⁓ in rehab and I feel like they should have asked me what I was doing because It’s really important for people to know the difference between being passive and waiting for somebody to rehabilitate you or being the person who’s driving your own rehabilitation. Like there’s a massive difference and Pete Rumple (1:06:13)Huge difference, Bill. You’re right. Huge difference. mean, last last call, I talked to you from my sister’s house in December, just a couple months, few months after it, I made the decision to move out on my own, which I did, which really stunk, Bill. That was hard. Like, I there were some nights I couldn’t eat. I was like, I can’t I’m either gonna make the the bed or the kitchen, which am I doing? Bed. And I just do it. And but it was important. It was important to start knowing where I could push and not being too reliant. Bill Gasiamis (1:06:59)Yeah, yeah, the less reliant you can be the better, but still also good to be able to rely on people when you need a little bit of support. Pete Rumple (1:07:05)Right on. Absolutely. don’t, you know, it was, there’s not a right or wrong. It’s like, what do you think? What’s your gut? Bill Gasiamis (1:07:14)Yeah. Now let’s do a little bit of a community service announcement about this skin cancer. A, how did you notice it? ⁓ What were the steps that you took after you noticed it? How long did you take? Why did they remove it? And so on. Give us a little bit of information. There’ll be people listening here who ⁓ may have noticed a little bump or a lesion or something on their face, their head, their arm, whatever. Give us a little bit of an understanding of how that came to be. Pete Rumple (1:07:43)absolutely the one thing I’ve done Bill through my life as I’ve stayed disciplined on the dermatologist and I don’t know why I think it’s how I was raised everything else I skipped but the dermatologist I stayed on top of and to your point if I notice something and it seems pervasive like it’s not going away I have it looked at a

In this episode, the Metrics Brothers, Dave "CAC" Kellogg and Ray "Growth" Rike dive deep into the ICONIQ State of AI: Bi-Annual Snapshot Report. Published in January 2026, this 44-page report summarizes insights from ~300 software executives on the front lines of building and scaling AI products.Ray and Dave explore a market transition from experimental model races to the challenge of building durable, economically sound products. Key discussions in this episode include:Differentiation Beyond the Model: Why 69% of builders are focusing on vertical AI applications and why 49% cite the application layer (UX and workflows) as their primary competitive edge over the underlying model.The Gross Margin "U-Curve": A look at the shifting economics of AI, where aggregated gross margins are projected to climb to 52% by 2026, even as inference and infrastructure costs remain significant hurdles.Pricing Evolution: The rise of outcome and usage-based pricing, with only 23% of companies still relying on seat-based models as customer demand shifts toward value-aligned monetization.AI as an Internal Force Multiplier: How R&D teams are leading internal adoption, with 83% of companies now measuring success through productivity gains and 59% through direct cost savings.Whether you are a CEO or CFO navigating AI product gross margin concerns or a GTM leader rethinking your proof-of-concept strategy, this episode provides the benchmarks you need to understand the "new phase of maturity" in the AI market.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

293 - Infinite Banking: Unlocking Financial Freedom with Anthony Faso & Cameron Christiansen What if the money you need for your next deal is already sitting right under your nose—and you're just not using it the right way? In this episode, we break down how real estate investors can stop "begging" for funding, keep their money compounding, and use smarter systems to build real financial freedom. Jen Josey sits down with Anthony Faso and Cameron Christensen (founders of Infinite Wealth Consultants and hosts of the Infinite Wealth Podcast) to dumb down the concept of infinite banking—aka "becoming your own bank." They explain it with simple, real-world examples (think: using a rewards credit card… but for investing), and show how a properly designed high cash value whole life insurance strategy can keep your capital safe, liquid, and compounding while you use it for down payments, BRRRR deals, and scaling your portfolio. If you're a real estate investor tired of the stock market rollercoaster, confused about whole life insurance, or trying to build passive income greater than monthly expenses, this is for you. The market shifts, taxes change, and "traditional" advice keeps failing investors—so if you want more certainty, control, and collateral right now, this conversation will challenge what you think you know. 5 Powerful Takeaways How to turn friends and family into private money lenders (ethically, clearly, and in writing) so you can fund deals without chasing strangers The simplest explanation of infinite banking: store capital in a place that stays safe + liquid, then leverage it so your money never stops compounding Why withdrawing cash breaks the compound interest curve—and how borrowing against cash value can keep growth going while you invest The real definition of financial freedom: passive income > monthly expenses (and why "net worth" can be a trap) The 2-step next move: get educated first, then run the math for your situation before you decide if infinite banking is a fit About the Guest Anthony Faso and Cameron Christensen are the founders of Infinite Wealth Consultants and hosts of the Infinite Wealth Podcast. Anthony is a U.S. Army veteran and "recovering CPA" who worked at the world's largest accounting firm and served as a CFO before the 2008 recession pushed him to rethink traditional financial advice. Cameron is a long-time small business owner who became frustrated with the typical "Wall Street" approach and shifted into infinite banking and real estate investing. Together, they help clients build financial independence with more certainty, control, and collateral—so they're not stuck relying on the stock market. Their focus is on creating systems to grow passive income and make smarter money decisions that support real-world investing. Resources & Websites Mentioned https://infinitewealthconsultants.com/reign   00:00 Welcome to REIGN 01:01 Private Money from Loved Ones 04:04 Meet Anthony and Cameron 05:26 Infinite Banking Explained 08:16 Compounding and Capital Storage 09:50 Whole Life Policy Mechanics 20:20 Who It Works For 22:15 Using IBC for Real Estate 28:33 Bad Financial Advice Myths 31:01 401k Retirement Myth 31:34 Passive Income Compass 33:14 Active Versus Passive Deals 35:30 Retirement Cashflow Options 36:37 Safety And Risk Tolerance 38:33 Stop Paying Cash 41:17 First Steps To Start 42:54 Scaling And Age Concerns 47:48 Deposit Limits Explained 50:24 Books Advice And Drive 54:49 Systems And Success 57:14 Family Legacy Wrap Up  

In this episode, Scott Hawig, Executive Vice President and CFO of BJC Health, shares how the $12 billion, 14 hospital system is strengthening access across the Midwest following its rebrand and merger with St. Luke's Health System. He discusses rising demand, aging populations, virtual care innovation, and the evolving CFO role as a strategic operator driving growth, research, and long term sustainability.

Thanks to our Partners, NAPA TRACS, Today's Class, KUKUI, and Pit Crew Loyalty Watch Full Video Episode In this episode, Melissa Parker, Amy Bartel, and Sara Abrecht join Carm Capriotto to discuss why women are the automotive industry's “secret weapon.” The panel explores the concept of automotive hospitality, focusing on relationships, empathy, and customer experience as key drivers of trust, loyalty, and profitability. They share how hospitality driven environments, strong listening skills, and hiring from service focused industries elevate the customer experience and strengthen shop performance. Sara also reveals data showing female-led shops achieve higher average repair orders, highlighting the business impact of communication and relationship building. The conversation challenges outdated industry perceptions and calls for a shift toward hospitality centered operations, encouraging shop owners to embrace these principles and inspiring more women to pursue leadership roles in this evolving, people first profession. Timestamps (00:00:00) - Introduction and Guest Welcome (00:03:15) - Defining "Automotive Hospitality" (00:06:00) - The "Ritz-Carlton" Standard (00:09:45) - Men vs. Women: Fixers vs. Listeners (00:14:15) - Hiring Outside the Industry (00:18:20) - The Role of the Customer Service Rep (CSR) (00:21:00) - The "Anytime" Presentation (00:27:45) - The Financial Case: Women Drive Higher ARO (00:30:15) - The "Secret Weapon" & Workplace Culture (00:34:30) - The Household Decision Maker (00:37:45) - Rebranding: From "Trade" to "Skilled Career" Melissa Parker, COO, Harrell's Tire and Auto Amy Bartel, Owner, Bartel's Auto Clinic Sara Abrecht, CFO, Dynamic Automotive Thanks to our Partner, NAPA TRACS NAPA TRACS will move your shop into the SMS fast lane with onsite training and six days a week of support and local representation. Find NAPA TRACS on the Web at http://napatracs.com/ Thanks to our Partner, Today's Class Optimize training with Today's Class: In just 5 minutes daily, boost knowledge retention and improve team performance. Find Today's Class on the web at https://www.todaysclass.com/ Thanks to our Partner, KUKUI Stop juggling multiple marketing tools. KUKUI's integrated platform delivers 4x better website conversions, automated follow-up, and real-time ROI tracking. Get industry-leading customer support with KUKUI at https://www.kukui.com/ Thanks to our Partner, Pit Crew Loyalty You're probably tired of chasing new customers who never return. We understand. Pit Crew Loyalty ends the one-and-done cycle, turning first visits into lasting, reliable revenue at https://www.pitcrewloyalty.com/ Connect with the Podcast: - Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RemarkableResultsRadioPodcast/ - Join Our Virtual Toastmasters Club: https://remarkableresults.biz/toastmasters - Join Our Private Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1734687266778976 - Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/carmcapriotto - Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmcapriotto/ - Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/remarkableresultsradiopodcast/ - Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RResultsBiz - Visit the Website: https://remarkableresults.biz/ - Join our Insider List: https://remarkableresults.biz/insider - All books mentioned on our podcasts: https://remarkableresults.biz/books - Our Classroom page for personal or team learning: https://remarkableresults.biz/classroom - Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/carm - Special episode collections: https://remarkableresults.biz/collections - The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/ - Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/ - Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/ - Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/ - The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/ - The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/ - Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. https://craigoneill.captivate.fm

Most recruitment agencies believe in training. Very few build a structured system that consistently produces top billers. Larissa Gerlach experienced the hard version first. In year one, she earned $40,000 and questioned whether she would make it in recruitment at all. By year three, she had reached President's Club. Soon after, the CFO of a private equity-backed recruiting firm asked her to replicate her results across 25 offices. That request became the foundation of a national recruiter training programme. In this episode, Mark Whitby and Larissa unpack what actually drives recruiter performance, why activity metrics alone don't create top billers, and how recruitment business owners can build scalable training systems that reduce ramp-up time and increase recruiter billings. If you are serious about recruitment agency growth, search firm leadership, and building consistent performance inside your team, this conversation goes beyond theory. It's about systems. What You'll Discover • Why 200+ calls per week worked — and why most recruiters still fail at high activity • The difference between knowledge and live desk performance • How to turn individual billing success into a national training framework • Why daily role plays accelerate recruiter revenue • The three structural reasons founders struggle to implement training • Why cohort-based onboarding produces stronger long-term performance • How to build recruitment agency systems that scale beyond one top performer Episode Highlights [03:56] From fashion sales to recruitment after the 2009 recession [08:37] The $40,000 first year and the meeting where she nearly quit [12:35] Why most recruiters struggle in year one — and what actually starts to click [22:15] The 200-calls-per-week discipline that changed her trajectory [26:07] The CFO email that led to building a national sales training programme [28:17] What the training playbook looked like — from binder to LMS [35:51] Why daily role plays create elite performers [1:05:49] The three reasons most founders struggle to train their teams [1:10:29] Why group cohorts outperform one-to-one onboarding About Larissa Gerlach Larissa Gerlach is the founder of Vibrant Talent Group, an executive search firm specialising in marketing, product, and design roles across New York and San Francisco. She has over 15 years of experience across billing, business development, national learning and development, and agency leadership. At a private equity-backed recruiting firm, she became the fastest-growing salesperson in company history before leading national recruiter training initiatives. Resources Mentioned Recruiter Training Programme https://recruitmentcoach.com/training Seven Figure Freedom Scorecard https://recruitmentcoach.com/scorecard Recruiterflow https://recruitmentcoach.com/recruiterflow Trusted Voice Video https://recruitmentcoach.com/video Book a free strategy session with Mark Whitby https://recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-session If you want weekly conversations with recruitment business owners, executive search leaders, and top billers focused on recruitment agency revenue, recruiter performance, and long-term business resilience, follow The Resilient Recruiter on Apple Podcasts. The difference between average billers and elite teams is rarely motivation. It's structure.

The Big Retail Shakeup: Stripe's PayPal Play & Walmart's High-Income TakeoverThe retail and fintech worlds are moving faster than a 150-day tariff cycle, and this week, Watson Weekly Weekend edition hosts Rick Watson and Jessica Lesesky break down the seismic shifts you can't afford to ignore. From "sharks in the water" at PayPal to Walmart's sneaky-good transformation into a tech-first powerhouse, we're unpacking the data behind the headlines.Is Stripe about to carve up the "Good Ship PayPal" to fuel its own world domination? And how has Walmart managed to win over the $100k+ crowd while automating its way to record margins? We're diving deep into the "tale of two cities" in consumer spending and why being "bold" is the only strategy for 2026.In this episode:The PayPal Pivot: Why Stripe might be circling Venmo and what it means for the future of Stablecoin.Tariff Redo: Navigating the Supreme Court's recent ruling and why your CFO shouldn't be the one making marketing decisions.Walmart's Trillion-Dollar Climb: How 72% grocery penetration and automated fulfillment are widening the gap with the competition.Agentic Commerce: Is "Sparky" the real deal or just a higher AOV glitter?.Stay Ahead of the CurveSubscribe to the Newsletter: Get the deep dives Rick and Jess mention at watsonweekly.com.Join the Conversation: Are you a "turtle shell" business or are you playing for growth this year? Let us know in the comments.Stay bold. Stay classy.Chapters:0:00 - Welcome to the Watson Weekly Weekend 1:00 - PayPal without a captain6:29 - Trump Tariff Redux10:06 - Walmart earnings10:10 - https://youtu.be/K-IPpyhtwMM#FintechNews #WalmartEarnings #Stripe #PayPal #EcommerceStrategy #WatsonWeekly #BusinessTrends2026 #SupplyChainInnovation #AgenticCommerce