Podcasts about cfo

From investment banker to crypto fund strategist, Stas Sukhinin shares insider perspectives on how credit committees really make decisions, why over-leveraged companies fail fast during downturns, and where stablecoins are creating trillion-dollar transaction opportunities. In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer sits down with Stas Sukhinin, a finance veteran with over 19 years of experience spanning investment banking, corporate lending, and alternative asset management. Stas began his career at internationally recognized institutions including UniCredit and Societe General, where he helped pioneer mezzanine loan products in Eastern Europe. By age 29, he had become a senior partner at one of the region's largest mezzanine lenders, managing a team of 20 finance professionals and overseeing a $450 million loan portfolio. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: In this episode, you'll discover what really happens inside credit committees when your loan application gets reviewed and why factors unrelated to your business can determine outcomes. Stas explains how strong companies can go from healthy to restructuring in just three to four months when leverage catches up with them, and the critical difference between how first-time owners and experienced operators approach debt decisions. You'll learn the two key factors that determine how much debt your business can handle, why working capital provisions in purchase agreements deserve more attention than most buyers give them, and how sellers legally present financials in the most favorable light. The conversation also covers Stas's experience investing in the 2017 ICO boom where 90% of projects went to zero but winners returned 50x to 100x, why venture capital investors sometimes block deals that would be life-changing for founders, and where stablecoin transaction volume is already reaching trillions while most people remain unaware. STAS'S JOURNEY: Stas's path into finance started at age 14 when a classmate brought a business magazine to school. Reading about business owners selling companies for millions crystallized his direction. He knew he wanted to be in corporate lending where he could see businesses, analyze financials, and speak directly with owners while working with numbers at a bank. His first role as a junior credit analyst gave him exactly that. He progressed from working with small businesses that had no financials to mid-sized companies to large corporations. Each step taught him more about how deals really get done from inside the institutions making funding decisions. CREDIT COMMITTEE INSIGHTS: Stas pulls back the curtain on what actually happens when loan applications reach credit committees. The reality differs dramatically from what most business owners imagine. Factors affecting approval can seem completely unrelated to the specific deal. Maybe the bank already has a competitor in their portfolio. Maybe the receivable financing department has a different relationship with someone in your industry. One offhand comment from a committee member who hasn't read the full memo can change the entire trajectory of a conversation or result in higher interest rates. DEBT MANAGEMENT LESSONS: The pattern Stas has seen destroy companies in months follows predictable steps. Revenue drops or stagnates. Margins deteriorate because of increased competition and client uncertainty. Debt ratios that looked comfortable suddenly reach concerning levels. Refinancing options disappear just when needed most. Interest rates climb. Everything compounds simultaneously. The difference between experienced and first-time business owners comes down to scenario planning. Experienced operators build safety margins and stress-test assumptions. First-time owners assume conditions will continue as they are. That assumption determines survival. ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS: Stas joined a crypto investment fund at its inception in 2017 during the ICO boom. Out of many investments, approximately 90% went to zero. The winners returned 50x or 100x. His observation about liquidity cycles was particularly interesting. Traditional venture now averages seven-year holding periods while crypto projects can reach liquidity events in three or four years through token distributions. On stablecoins, Stas sees enormous opportunity in programmable money. Transaction volume is already in the trillions though most people in developed countries don't realize the scale. Goldman Sachs reportedly reduced bond settlement time from three days to minutes using blockchain technology. Perfect for business owners considering debt financing, entrepreneurs navigating capital raising, and anyone interested in how credit decisions really get made and where alternative investments are creating new opportunities. FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE: https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/stassukhinin FOR MORE ON STAS SUKHININ: https://www.thesourcer.so https://www.linkedin.com/in/stassukhinin/ FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/ https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today! Episode Highlights with Timestamps: [00:00] - Introduction: Stas Sukhinin's 19 years in finance from investment banking to crypto [03:26] - First deal experience: Structuring a real estate development loan with disbursement tied to sales [05:47] - Hidden factors: Why deals get rejected for reasons unrelated to underwriting criteria[08:20] - Committee dynamics: How one comment from an uninvolved member changes deal trajectories [11:41] - Timing and instruments: When companies use the wrong type of capital [15:55] - Risk assumptions: The difference between first-time and experienced business owners [18:29] - Volatility factors: How income stability determines appropriate leverage levels [21:09] - M&A implications: Structuring adjustment provisions for concentration risk [24:09] - Liquidity advantages: Why crypto offers shorter holding periods than traditional venture[27:55] - Venture math: The story of a VC blocking a life-changing exit for 1x returns [29:27] - Due diligence limitations: Legal ways sellers present favorable financials [32:14] - Stablecoins explained: Digital tokens designed to maintain dollar parity [36:31] - Programmable money: Smart contracts that execute automatically on conditions [38:00] - Financial advisory services: How Stas helps business owners understand their financials[39:14] - Freedom defined: Removing gatekeepers and accessing financial systems without barriers Guest Bio: Stas Sukhinin has over 19 years of experience in finance spanning investment banking, corporate lending, and alternative asset management. He began his career at internationally recognized institutions including UniCredit and Societe General, where he helped pioneer mezzanine loan products and shaped the market in Eastern Europe. By age 29, Stas had become a senior partner at one of the region's largest mezzanine lenders, managing a team of 20 finance professionals and overseeing a $450 million loan portfolio. He later served on boards of several private companies, deepening his expertise across credit investments and corporate governance. Recognizing early opportunities in alternative assets, Stas joined a crypto investment fund at its inception in 2017 and continues to lead its strategy and operations. He now helps business owners run more efficiently from the lens of financials through his advisory practice. Host Bio: Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker with more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. Show Description: Do you want your business to grow faster? The DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer reveals how successful entrepreneurs and business leaders use strategic deals to accelerate growth. From large mergers and acquisitions to capital raising, joint ventures, strategic alliances, real estate deals, and more, this show discusses the full spectrum of deal-driven growth strategies. Get the confidence to pursue deals that will help your company scale faster. Related Episodes: Episode 350 - Tom Dillon: When NOT to Take Venture Capital Money: Explore alternative funding sources including private credit, SBA loans, and sale-leasebacks with a fractional CFO who works with startups on capital strategy. Episode 370 - Gerry Hays: Democratizing Venture Capital Through VentureStaking: Discover alternative approaches to early-stage investing that don't require massive checks or exclusive networks. Episode 85 - Nick Adams: Seed Stage Venture Capital Funds: Understand how traditional VCs think about early-stage deals and what metrics they evaluate from the investor perspective. Episode 351 - Solocast: Deal Structures Beyond M&A and Capital Raising: Learn about joint ventures, strategic alliances, licensing agreements, and other creative partnership models for business growth. Episode 324 - Sejal Lakhani-Bhatt: Tech Due Diligence in M&A: Explore how technology systems and cybersecurity impact business valuation and deal outcomes. Episode 330 - Pete Mohr: Preparing Your Business for Exit: Understand why sellers often cause deals to fail and how to prepare for the emotional aspects of selling a business. Follow DealQuest Podcast: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/ Website: https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Follow Stas Sukhinin: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stassukhinin/ Website: https://www.thesourcer.so Keywords/Tags: corporate lending insights, credit committee decisions, debt management for businesses, mezzanine lending, alternative asset management, crypto investment strategy, stablecoin business applications, EBITDA management, leverage risk, working capital due diligence, venture capital exits, ICO investing, blockchain finance, programmable money, business financing, capital structure, due diligence strategies, financial advisory, dealmaking, business growth strategies

Today on Exploring the Marketplace, Shawn Bolz and Bob Hasson tackle a struggle many leaders, creatives, and believers quietly carry: striving for God instead of working with God.This episode features guest Nathaniel Vossler, former CFO turned founder of Rhema Now, an app designed to help believers engage in listening prayer, group intensives, and Spirit-led coaching. In early 2025, Nathaniel stepped away from the corporate world after sensing God's clear call into a new season—building this platform alongside his wife while raising their growing family in Idaho.Together, Shawn, Bob, and Nathaniel get practical about:Moving from pressure to presenceSaying no to good things that aren't God thingsCreating Spirit-led rhythms for your calendar and decisionsHearing God clearly in real business and life transitionsLetting go of ego, overcommitment, and burnoutBuilding sustainably with God, not just for HimShawn and Bob also share personal stories of burnout, overextension, and the hard-earned wisdom that comes from learning to surrender control and trust God's pace. This episode is an honest, hope-filled invitation to trade striving for peace—and rediscover what it looks like to walk in true partnership with the Holy Spirit.If you're tired, driven, successful—but longing for peace—this conversation is for you.

Send us a text"RAISE CAPITAL LIKE A LEGEND: https://go.fundraisecapital.co/apply"DOWNLOAD "The UVE Framework Guide": https://go.fundraisecapital.co/uve-framework In this landmark  200th episode of Making Billions, Ryan Miller reveals why the elite top 0.01% of fund managers don't just hustle harder—they master their internal state to dominate the external market.If you've ever felt like the chaos of capital raises, deal deadlines, and market volatility was soul-crushing, this episode is your strategic blueprint for transformation. Ryan breaks down the UVE Framework—a powerful energy management system for identifying the Umpires, Vampires, and Empires in your life. This 200th episode delivers the hard-hitting strategies you need to protect your focus, purge your circle, and engineer an empire from a position of absolute peace. Stop playing small. Start leading with purpose. This is the pursuit of Making Billions. Subscribe on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTOe79EXLDsROQ0z3YLnu1QQConnect with Ryan Miller:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rcmiller1/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makingbillionspodcast/X: https://x.com/_MakingBillionsWebsite: https://making-billions.com/[THE HOST]: Ryan Miller is a recovering CFO turned angel Support the showDISCLAIMER: The information in every podcast episode “episode” is provided for general informational purposes only and may not reflect the current law in your jurisdiction. By listening or viewing our episodes, you understand that no information contained in the episodes should be construed as legal or financial advice from the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for legal, financial, or tax counsel on any subject matter. No listener of the episodes should act or refrain from acting on the basis of any information included in, or accessible through, the episodes without seeking the appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer, finance, tax, or other licensed person in the recipient's state, country, or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction. No part of the show, its guests, host, content, or otherwise should be considered a solicitation for investment in any way. All views expressed in any way by guests are their own opinions and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the show or its host(s). The host and/or its guests may own some of the assets discussed in this or other episodes, including compensation for advertisements, sponsorships, and/or endorsements. This show is for entertainment purposes only and should not be used as financial, tax, legal, or any advice whatsoever.

 With host retail coach Wendy Batten   https://wendybatten.com/podcast-intro/   Episode Overview Ever find yourself wondering "Where do I start when I'm juggling multiple priorities in my retail business?" You're not alone. I'm addressing this question that's been asked many times since Episode 290 dropped at the beginning of the year. In this episode, I'll lay out the most important steps to focus on FIRST in order to achieve the success you want this year in your retail business. You'll learn why clarity around your numbers and a growth mindset are the foundations for building a sustainable, profitable shop.  Our Key Topics Fully taking on the CEO and CFO roles within your business The dangers of chasing revenue numbers without understanding profit or margins Defining why your business exists and aligning it with your desired lifestyle Managing inventory as your biggest business asset Identifying and overcoming automatic negative thoughts (ANTs) The importance of seeking professional coaching and support   Let's Prioritize These Things in Your Business Know your numbers beyond just revenue. You must understand the variables like margins, expenses, and inventory turns that lead to actual profit.   A business that supports your life, not the other way around. This requires planning for a personal paycheck and defining success on your own terms.   Paying attention to your "growth mindset" brain. This includes reading financial reports, managing open-to-buy programs, and being comfortable with the discomfort of change, among other things.   Avoid the "accidental entrepreneur" trap. Clearly define your business motivation and reverse-engineer your goals from the bottom up. "Stop chasing other people's version of success." -Wendy Batten Your next step? Choose one small action today to lead your business with intention and clarity. Resources Mentioned: Creative Shop Talk Podcast Episode 290: 7 Things to Focus on in 2026 If You Want a Retail Business That Lasts Back-of-the-Napkin Profit Calculator (Profit Planning Masterclass) A simple, approachable way to understand your core retail numbers without overwhelm or complicated spreadsheets. Retail Sales & Marketing Accelerator (On-Demand)A practical course designed to help shop owners stop guessing and start making clearer, data-informed decisions around sales and marketing. Join my Love List! About your host, Wendy Batten In case we haven't met…I'm Wendy Batten. I've been a small business owner, coach, and mentor for over 25 years. I help thoughtful, established entrepreneurs step into their role as CEO and build businesses that are profitable, meaningful, and supportive of the lives they want to live. My work blends real-world strategy with a life-first philosophy, shaped by lived experience, not theory. I've been there! Through honest conversations and practical insight, I invite you into bigger thinking about leadership, possibility, and how to build both business and life on purpose.  For more support from Wendy Hang out and connect with Wendy on IG All of Wendy's current programs and services for shop owners can be found HERE.  Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the Creative Shop Talk Podcast and get the tools, inspiration, and strategies you need to thrive as an independent retailer.Click here to subscribe to iTunes!  Loved the episode? Leave a quick review on iTunes- your reviews help other retailers find my podcast, and they're also fun for me to go in and read. Just click here to review, select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. So grateful for you! Thank you!

When Kevin Rubin arrived at Zscaler in May 2025, he joined an established organization following the retirement of the company's longtime CFO, taking responsibility for continuing the work of a finance leader who had already built a strong foundation. Rubin describes stepping into a business with scale, experienced leadership, and a customer base that included some of the world's largest enterprises, he tells us.In explaining what Zscaler does, Rubin walks through the company's core idea: zero trust. Traditional cybersecurity, he says, relied on network-centric “castles and moats,” requiring large amounts of equipment to connect people, applications, and data. Zscaler challenged that model by treating the internet as a “superhighway” and applying a principle of minimal access. If an employee wants to use Salesforce or email, Rubin explains, the system first authenticates the user and then limits access to only what that person is authorized to see, he tells us.Zscaler was founded in 2007 and went public in 2018, Rubin tells us. Today, roughly 40 percent of the Global 2000 and about 45 percent of the Fortune 500 use the company's platform. Rubin attributes that adoption to a model that delivers security with less overhead and infrastructure than traditional approaches, he tells us. At its core, he says, cybersecurity comes down to two problems: stopping malicious activity from entering the network and preventing sensitive data from leaving it.Reflecting on his first 100 days, Rubin says the transition was shaped by continuity and people. He describes a welcoming executive team and an organization already positioned for growth. Cybersecurity, he notes, remains a dynamic market, with new vulnerabilities constantly emerging, and staying ahead of those threats continues to define the work ahead, Rubin tells us.

On this episode of CFO at Home, Vince continues his conversation with financial experts Steve Short and Mark Schlipman, authors of ·The Simple Road Toward Financial Freedom·, a #1 Amazon bestseller with a foreword by Will Ferrell. This time around Steve, Mark and Vince tackle pressing financial topics relevant to Gen Z. They dive into the subject of budgeting, including the concept of "bucketing" instead of traditional budgeting, debt management, where Steve and Mark share strategies for addressing student loans and consumer debt effectively, and finally investing, discussing the allure of quick gains versus the value of long-term strategies traditionally used to build a solid financial foundation. You can learn more about ·The Simple Road Toward Financial Freedom· by going to simpleroadbook.com Key Topics: 01:01 How does the concept of budgeting play with Gen Z? 05:08 Bucketing;  an old method that has become new again 10:31 The common standard financial advice is debt is bad, credit cards are bad 14:59 Student loans for Gen Z 17:20 Millennials/GenZ and investing 21:06 "Simple Road Towards Financial Freedom" book Key Links: The Simple Road Toward Financial Freedom The Simple Road Toward Financial Freedom | Facebook The Simple Road Toward Financial Freedom (@simpleroadbook) • Instagram photos and videos The Simple Road Toward Financial Freedom - YouTube The Simple Road Toward Financial Freedom | #GenZMoneyMentors | LinkedIn https://www.tiktok.com/@simple_road_book 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  

In this episode, I talk with CJ Gustafson, the former CFO behind Mostly Metrics. CJ didn't come from journalism or media. He came from operating. He started writing to document the playbooks he'd built as a finance executive. That side project turned into a $3 million business with no full-time employees, built around a narrow, high-value audience of CFOs.We talk about why subscriptions are a useful base but not where the money is in B2B, how sponsorships actually work when sales cycles are long and considered, and why CJ has deliberately avoided becoming an events company. Mostly Metrics is now largely sponsorship-driven, sold out well into the future, and optimized for cash flow and leverage.

Growth targets keep climbing while cost lines tighten, and planning season starts to feel very personal for CMOs. AI threads through every conversation, zero-based thinking pulls against last year's baseline, and the goalposts never seem to hold still.  So the job becomes building a budget you can walk into the room with, own, and defend with conviction. To get there, Drew brings together Andrew Cox (Forrester), Lisa Cole (2X), and Alan Gonsenhauser (Demand Revenue). The conversation centers on tying spend to strategy, translating marketing into CFO-ready terms, and giving AI a role in the plan that the numbers can support. In this episode:  Andrew shares Forrester's view on moving past "last year plus X," building budgets around corporate objectives and campaigns, and forcing prioritization.  Lisa applies a zero-based mindset to business priorities, uses a 70-20-10 program mix for core, flex, and test, and frames marketing as an ATM of Audience, Trust, and Monetization.  Alan outlines the signals of strong and weak budgets, tying the majority of spend to growth campaigns and long-term value plans, and maintaining a year-round working relationship with the CFO. Plus:  Keeping tech spend in check, including guidelines for MarTech mix and contract flexibility  Positioning brand and PR in financial terms like pipeline influence, win rates, and pricing power  Responding to AI efficiency pressure by fixing workflows first and framing value in utilization, speed, and scalability  Why the budget should be the numerical expression of strategy, not a defense of legacy spend If you want to walk into your next budget review with a clear story, solid numbers, and conviction, this conversation will help you get there.  For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/

Podcast: The Weekly Wealth Podcast Host: David Chudyk, CFP® Guest: Mike Draper, Partner at CFO SystemsIf you're a business owner generating $2 million to $15+ million in annual revenue, one of your biggest risks may not be sales, competition, or employees — it may be your financial blind spot.In this episode of The Weekly Wealth Podcast, David Chudyk sits down with Mike Draper, Partner at CFO Systems, to explain how a fractional CFO helps business owners improve cash flow, make better strategic decisions, and prepare their company for long-term growth or a future sale.

"You look too young. You can't talk to me about my benefits." That was the feedback Stephanie Handschuh received from a CFO early in her career. It is a bias that plagues the insurance industry, where the average age is pushing 60 and the "old guard" still holds the keys. With a massive wave of retirements on the horizon, the industry is in the middle of a culture clash between the traditional "golf and drinks" crowd and a new generation demanding tech, resources, and rapid growth.My guest, Stephanie Handschuh, Principal at Palmer & Cay, joins me to discuss how to navigate this generational divide. We talk about the burden on the "Middle Generation" to bridge the gap, why Gen Z doesn't care about your country club membership, and how young producers are using content to bypass the age objection entirely. This is the truth about what it takes to succeed when you are the youngest person in the room.Chapters:(0:00) The Silver Tsunami: Why the Industry is "Male, Pale, and Stale" (3:32) The AI Stance: Why You Can't Just "Evaluate" It Anymore (6:55) Gen Z Demands: Why They Want Titles Over Job Security (11:54) The Death of the "Three Martini Lunch" Culture (15:21) The Hardest Lesson for Young Producers: Pick Up the Phone (18:35) "You Look Too Young": Overcoming Age Bias in the Boardroom (20:37) How a 25-Year-Old Producer Won a President's Trust via Content▶▶ Sign Up For Your Free Discovery Callhttps://calendly.com/aneary/strategy-sessionCONNECT WITH ANDY NEARY

As part of our official DealFlow Discovery Conference Interview Series, produced by Mission Matters, along with our partner DealFlow Events, we're showcasing the innovative companies presenting at the upcoming DealFlow Discovery Conference (January 28-29, at the Borgata in Atlantic City) and the executives behind them. In this episode, Adam Torres interviews Brian Krogol, CFO of SPFX (Standard Premium Finance), about the insurance premium finance industry and SPFX's mission to build stability that lasts. Brian explains how SPFX helps businesses manage large upfront insurance premiums, and how the company is pursuing long-term growth through a rollup strategy in a fragmented market. About Brian Krogol Brian Krogol joined the organization in 2019 as Vice President of Accounting and has since been named as CFO. Mr. Krogol graduated from the Fisher School of Accounting at the University of Florida with a Master of Accounting (MAcc) in 2011. After graduation, he worked as an auditor with Grant Thornton, an international organization of independent assurance, tax, and advisory firms, gaining audit experience with companies in the health care, manufacturing, distribution, hospitality, restaurant, and financial industries, as well as, experience on 10-Q, 10-K, SOX 404, benefit plan, and IPO engagements for SEC clients, including quarter- and year-end engagements for private clients reporting under US GAAP from 2011 to 2013. Mr. Krogol gained recognition for earning the prestigious Elijah Watt Sells award in 2012 for his performance on the Certified Public Accountant examination. About SPFX (Standard Premium Finance) Standard Premium Finance Management Corporation provides premium financing solutions for businesses and individuals. With over 200 years of combined industry experience, the team is uniquely positioned to support and advise partners, agents, and clients on all aspects of premium financing. As an industry leader, the company facilitates over $140 million in annual loan originations, offering loan options ranging from $500 to more than $500,000. Standard Premium Finance Holdings, Inc. (OTCQX: SPFX) is an industry-specific holding company pursuing merger and acquisition opportunities of synergistic businesses to take advantage of economies of scale within the specialty finance sector. To date, SPFX companies have provided financing solutions totaling approximately $1.5 billion to businesses and individuals to secure coverage for their property and casualty insurance policies. SPFX companies currently operate in more than thirty states across the United States. The organization continuously seeks roll-up opportunities in a historically consolidating industry while providing maximum value for its shareholders. This interview is part of our effort to help investors discover compelling companies ahead of the event — and to help CEOs introduce their story to the 1500+ conference attendees. Learn more about the event and presenting companies:⁠⁠https://dealflowdiscoveryconference.com/⁠⁠ Follow Adam on Instagram at ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/askadamtorres/⁠⁠ for up to date information on book releases and tour schedule. Apply to be a guest on our podcast: ⁠⁠https://missionmatters.lpages.co/podcastguest/⁠⁠ Visit our website: ⁠⁠https://missionmatters.com/⁠⁠ More FREE content from Mission Matters here: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/missionmattersmedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Parable is building an end-to-end intelligence platform that quantifies how organizations spend their collective time—the foundation for measuring real AI impact. With a thousand data connectors ingesting activity and log data across the enterprise software stack, Parable constructs proprietary knowledge graphs that size opportunities and measure outcomes in hard dollars, not adoption metrics. In this episode of BUILDERS, I sat down with Adam Schwartz, Co-Founder & CEO of Parable, to explore why 95% of CFOs see no AI ROI, how his decade running profitable businesses under resource constraints shaped his focus on inputs over outcomes, and why 2026 requires moving AI from CapEx experimentation to measured OpEx. Topics Discussed: Why the 95% CFO stat on AI ROI matters as an arbiter of truth, despite backlash Building knowledge graphs from activity data to quantify collective time allocation across hundreds of people The fundamental problem: enterprises lack quantitative frameworks for operational efficiency pre-AI Running parallel ICP experiments to achieve sales-market fit before product-market fit Why Parable has never lost a POC once leaders see quantitative baselines Market dynamics creating false signals—unprecedented curiosity without buying intent The demarcation between companies treating AI as product work versus those waiting for vendor solutions Why AI transformation demands century-old management structures to be questioned GTM Lessons For B2B Founders: Engineer disqualification in momentum markets: Market-wide AI enthusiasm creates pipeline illusion. Prospects will engage indefinitely for education without purchase intent. Adam's framework: "How do we get people to say no to us and not drag us along... They want to keep talking because they want to learn and they want to know what's going on and they are genuinely interested." In enterprise sales during category shifts, build explicit qualification gates that force prospects to reveal resource commitment or disqualify. Extended evaluation cycles feel like traction but destroy unit economics. Use go-to-market as ICP discovery mechanism: Adam intentionally pursued multiple customer segments simultaneously—different company sizes and AI maturity stages—to let data reveal fit rather than rely on hypothesis. His memo to the team: "We're going to go after these three, you know, many different sizes of companies in order for us to decide like, who we like best." The key insight: get to problem-market fit and sales-market fit validation before optimizing product-market fit. This inverts conventional wisdom but works when TAM is massive and the bottleneck is identifying who feels pain acutely enough to buy now. Qualify on organizational structure, not verbal commitment: Every enterprise claims AI is strategic. Adam's hard filter: "Who in the organization is responsible for AI transformation? And if you don't have a one person answer to that question, you're not serious." Serious buyers have a named owner reporting to C-suite with dedicated budget and team. Buying Gemini, Glean, or other point solutions isn't a seriousness KPI—it's often passive consumption of AI as a byproduct of existing software relationships. Look for companies doing five-year work-backs on industry transformation and cascading effects on their operating model. Target post-experimentation, pre-scale buyers: Adam discovered the sweet spot isn't companies beginning their AI journey—it's those who've deployed initial programs and now need to prove value. "The market of people that have started to build AI into their operating model or into their strategy in like a coherent way, there's a team, there's an owner, there's budget... those are the people that we really want to be talking to." These buyers understand the problem viscerally because they're living it. They do product work daily—talking to stakeholders, generating use cases, building briefs, triaging roadmaps. They need your solution to professionalize what they're already attempting manually. Build measurement into your category narrative: The AI tooling market has over-indexed on soft efficiency claims that won't survive renewal cycles. Adam's warning: "There is too much hand waving around soft efficiency gains... you're going to have to renew and you need NRR and I don't think it's going to be that usage of the tool internally by employees and adoption is going to be enough." The last decade over-rotated to "everything drives revenue" due to VC pressure. This decade requires precision: does your product save time, reduce headcount needs, or accelerate revenue? Quantify it. Partner with measurement platforms if needed. Adam's insight on Calendly is instructive—it clearly saves time, but most buyers can't quantify how much, which weakens renewal economics. // Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe. www.GlobalTalent.co // Don't Miss: New Podcast Series — How I Hire Senior GTM leaders share the tactical hiring frameworks they use to build winning revenue teams. Hosted by Andy Mowat, who scaled 4 unicorns from $10M to $100M+ ARR and launched Whispered to help executives find their next role. Subscribe here: https://open.spotify.com/show/53yCHlPfLSMFimtv0riPyM

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Industrial Talk is talking to Jason Kruger, Partner at Citrin Cooperman about "Capital access starts with a trusted advisor focused on your success". Scott Mackenzie hosts the Industrial Talk podcast, featuring industry professionals like Jason Kruger from Citrin Cooperman. The conversation covers the importance of podcasting for business, emphasizing its role in building authority, trust, and engagement. Jason discusses his firm's services, focusing on outsourced accounting and CFO advisory, and their unique approach to client support. He highlights the impact of tariffs on manufacturing profitability and the necessity of accurate financial reporting for accessing capital. Jason also touches on the role of AI in enhancing efficiency and decision-making in financial processes. The discussion underscores the value of human connection and strategic financial planning in business success. Action Items [ ] Publish the guest's contact information on the Industrial Talk website and episode page so listeners can reach the guest[ ] Provide placement of a guest's podcast on the Industrial Talk platform upon the guest's request (listener must ask to proceed) Outline Introduction and Purpose of the Podcast Scott welcomes listeners and highlights the importance of celebrating innovators and problem solvers in the industry.The podcast aims to tell the stories of industry professionals and discuss topics like access to capital and financial strategies.Scott shares his passion for finance and the importance of financial conversations in every organization. The Value of Podcasting Scott expresses frustration with companies that do not see the value in podcasting.He shares his personal journey into podcasting, inspired by the widespread popularity of podcasts.Podcasting is presented as a way to create human connections, build authority, and improve engagement.Speaker 2 emphasizes the tangible financial rewards and SEO benefits of podcasting. Challenges and Opportunities in Podcasting Scott discusses common objections to starting a podcast, such as lack of personnel or time.He encourages companies to prioritize creating content and human connections through podcasting.The podcasting process is described as relatively inexpensive and straightforward.Scott offers to help companies distribute their podcasts on the Industrial Talk platform for greater exposure. Introduction of Jason Kruger Scott introduces Jason Kruger, a partner at Citrin Cooperman, and sets the stage for a discussion on financial topics.Jason Kruger joins the conversation, mentioning his location in San Diego, California.Scott and Jason share personal anecdotes about San Diego and their experiences there.Jason provides a brief overview of his background and his current role at Citrin Cooperman. Citrin Cooperman's Services and Approach Jason explains that Citrin Cooperman is a top 15 national CPA firm, specializing in tax, financial statement audits, and advisory services.He highlights his focus on outsourced accounting and CFO advisory services, as well as valuation work and mergers and acquisitions.Jason shares his experience at Deloitte and the inspiration behind starting Signature Analytics in 2008.The company was acquired by Citrin Cooperman a year ago, and Jason continues to support clients in a partner role. Differentiating Citrin Cooperman Jason discusses how Citrin Cooperman differentiates itself from other CPA firms by focusing on the client's specific needs and pain points.The firm does not just provide bodies but offers a...

You are on slide 34 when the CFO's phone buzzes. She glances down. The VP to her left is nodding, but you can tell he checked out ten minutes ago. You know this pitch cold. You have rehearsed it. You built the deck. You covered every feature, every capability, every objection. And still, you are dying up there. You spent weeks on this presentation. None of it matters because everyone in that room has already sat through the same pitch from three other vendors this month. “Pitching sucks,” says Danny Fontaine, author of Pitch, on an episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast. “It sucks for the people doing it because we get so stressed out, and we spend weeks doing mountains of work. Meanwhile, there is a whole audience who has just as bad of a time as us because they have to sit through an hour of 100 PowerPoint slides and they're bored.” He is right. The audience suffers just as much. They sit through identical presentations, back to back, trying to remember which vendor said what. Both sides leave exhausted. No one wins. There is a better way. Effective sales pitch techniques don't rely on slides. They create engagement, tell stories, and turn monologues into conversations that actually move deals forward. Why Traditional Pitches Fail The standard pitch follows the same predictable pattern. Company overview. Capabilities. Case studies. Pricing. Questions at the end. Every competitor uses the same structure. That means you are asking your prospect to choose between nearly identical presentations. When everything looks the same, decision makers default to price or familiarity. Your carefully crafted message gets lost in the noise. You are treating the pitch like a presentation when it should be a conversation. You are trying to inform when you should be persuading. Experience Beats Information In 1979, a small advertising agency called Allen Brady and Marsh (ABM) competed against industry giant Saatchi & Saatchi for the British Rail account. ABM's founder, Peter Marsh, knew he couldn't win by playing it safe. When the British Rail executives arrived for the pitch, no one answered the door. They rang the buzzer three times before it finally opened, with no one behind it. The receptionist ignored them while filing her nails. The waiting area was filthy. After a while of being dismissed, the chairman stood up to leave. That is when Marsh burst through the doors and said, “Gentlemen, you have just experienced what your customers go through every single day. Shall we see what we can do to put it right?” ABM won the account. And it worked because the executives didn't just understand the problem. They felt it. Most sales pitches fail because they ask buyers to care before they are emotionally engaged. Information alone doesn't create urgency—experience does. Start With Them, Not You Pitches always start the same: ‘Thanks for your time. Here's our agenda. Let me tell you about our company.' Your prospect stops listening after the first sentence. If you want engagement, start with a question. Ask what matters to them. Ask what would make the time valuable. Ask what problem they are trying to solve. Before you show a single slide, say something like, “Before we start, what would make this conversation worth your time today?” Or, “What is the biggest challenge you are facing with this right now?” Those questions do three things immediately. They show respect. They give you intelligence. And they turn the pitch into a conversation from the first minute. This works even better over Zoom, where attention is fragile and distractions are everywhere. When you ask early questions, you pull people in instead of competing with their inbox. Stories Create Memory The most powerful stories aren't pulled from case studies. They come from real life. Every meaningful achievement involves obstacles. Those obstacles contain lessons. Those lessons connect directly to the challenges your prospects are facing. A story without relevance is just noise. A story with a clear lesson becomes a lever. A consultant once shared a story about buying a secondhand Lego set. She started building it, only to discover key pieces were missing. After hours of searching for replacements, she had to start over. When pitching a complex implementation, she said, “That taught me something. At the beginning of any project, we have to make sure all the pieces are in the bag.” That story worked because it made preparation tangible. It made risk visible. It connected emotionally and logically. If the story does not clearly support the point you are making, don't tell it. Ask Before You Lose Them Most salespeople cling to their script even when they can see the room drifting away. They are afraid of losing control, so they keep talking. That is how you lose the deal. Don't wait until the Q&A to ask questions. Sprinkle them throughout your pitch to keep your audience engaged and the conversation alive. Ask if you're hitting the mark, what they want to explore deeper, and what matters most to them. When you ask questions, you aren't giving up control. You are gaining it. The person asking the questions is always in control of the conversation. Emotion First, Logic Second Buyers like to believe they are rational. They are not. Emotion drives decisions. Logic justifies them. If you want someone to care, you have to make them feel something. Frustration. Relief. Possibility. Urgency. That is why the British Rail experience worked. Marsh didn't argue that customer service was bad. He made them experience it. The feeling came first. The logic followed. Once a buyer is emotionally engaged, they start looking for reasons to say yes. They look for data to support the decision they already want to make. This is why information-first pitches fall flat. You are asking people to care before you have given them a reason to. Create the emotional connection first. Then give them the facts. When the Room Goes Cold Even the best sales pitch techniques don't work every time. Sometimes the wrong people show up, there is a fire you didn't know about, or your message just doesn't land. When that happens, don't push harder. Pivot. Call it out. Ask what would be more valuable. Acknowledge the moment instead of pretending it is not happening. That level of honesty builds trust. It shows you are there to solve a problem, not deliver a performance. Why This Matters Your prospect didn't show up to be entertained or to be bored. When you give them an experience they didn't expect, you separate yourself from every competitor running the same tired deck. You become memorable. You become relevant. You become human. The pitch that feels risky is usually the one that wins. The personal story. The direct question. The willingness to have a real conversation. Because the alternative is being forgotten the moment you leave the room, no matter how many slides you showed. Want to take your pitch from forgettable to unforgettable? Download the FREE A.C.E.D. Buyer Style Playbook, which shows you exactly how to read your buyers, adapt your approach, and turn every conversation into a deal-closing opportunity.

351: Five Finance Skills Every Nonprofit Leader Needs (Stephen Newland)SUMMARYMany nonprofit leaders step into their roles with deep passion for mission, but far less confidence when it comes to finance. In this episode, Stephen Newland, founder of MoneyPath FP&A, breaks down five essential finance skills every nonprofit leader must develop to lead with confidence, reduce risk, and sustain impact. Stephen explains why financial uncertainty is so common in the sector, how organizational growth often triggers financial overwhelm, and why leaders can no longer rely on a simple “there's money in the bank” mindset. He introduces the idea of cash flow as organizational oxygen, and shares practical ways to forecast cash, use the budget as a strategic tool, and prepare for both downside risk and upside opportunity. The conversation also tackles one of the most persistent nonprofit tensions - restricted versus unrestricted funding - and offers clear guidance on how to tell the financial story in ways boards and donors actually understand. Stephen closes with a powerful reminder: financial confidence doesn't start with spreadsheets - it starts with curiosity.ABOUT STEPHENStephen Newland, CMA is the founder of MoneyPath FP&A, where he provides fractional CFO services to growing nonprofits—most often in the $1M–$10M revenue range. He helps nonprofit leaders save time, reduce financial stress, and make confident decisions through better forecasting, reporting, and financial storytelling. Stephen's background includes corporate finance, startup advising, and leading a large-scale financial education program—experience that shaped his ability to translate complex financial concepts into practical, mission-aligned leadership tools.RESOURCES & LINKSMoneyPath (free tools, cash flow templates, nonprofit discounts)Stephen Newland on LinkedInBook recommendation: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale CarnegieFollow the PodcastLearn more about the PMA & Armstrong McGuire merger!

Most business owners wait way too long to get financial support, not because they don't need it, but because they think their books are too messy, too far behind, or too embarrassing to hand over to a professional. In this episode, Tap the Potential's Lead Strategist, Melissa Kay, talks with Tammy Little about precisely what you should look for in an accounting firm, and why you're more ready for help than you think! We cover the difference between a bookkeeper, accountant, controller, and CFO (and who you actually need; the essential systems and processes to make your finances easier, more efficient, and more organized; why waiting until the end of the year to prepare for taxes is the fastest way to lose money and add stress; and how the proper accounting support creates clarity, confidence, and real profit. If you want to stop feeling behind, stop guessing, and finally get your financial house in order, this episode is your roadmap to a better future. Join us!Tammy Little is the owner of FTC Group and Summit Accounting Partners, a full-service accounting firm for small, medium, and large businesses. All of their services are virtual, making their top-notch services accessible to companies nationwide.Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production.Show Highlights:Understand the terminology: CFO, accountant, bookkeeper, controller, etc. (“What do I really need?”)Common reasons that business owners don't have financial supportThe process when Tammy's firm comes in to help clean up the financial messYou will feel safe and relieved when a qualified financial professional takes the reins!Think you can't afford an accountant? You can't afford NOT to have one!Tammy's philosophy of systems and operations is to know each client and their business as a true partnerConsiderations in looking for an accountant: your comfort level, their range of offerings/services, communication, and the level of trust you have with themSigns that you need accounting help NOW!Tammy's one thing she gives to every client: peace of mindResources:Connect with Tammy Little: Summit Website, My Ghost Crew Website, Facebook, and LinkedIn.Download your free, updated copy of the

With Jason Ozur, Founding Partner, Chief Executive Officer, Lido Advisors Overview As firms pursue scale, advisors face a critical question: how do you grow without compromising the client experience? Jason Ozur joins the show to explore what intentional growth really looks like and what scale can enable when culture and clarity come first. Watch… Listen in… > Download a transcript of this episode… NOTE: The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Diamond Consultants. Neither Diamond Consultants nor the guests on this podcast are compensated in any way for their participation. About this episode… Over the last decade, scale has become one of the defining themes in wealth management. Larger firms promise broader resources, deeper infrastructure, and expanded opportunity. But they also raise a fair question: at what point does growth begin to work against the client experience it's meant to enhance? That's the center of today's conversation. Jason Ozur and his partners at Lido Advisors have built one of the largest RIAs in the country, managing more than $40B in assets, while maintaining a family-office mindset and a distinctly client-first culture. What's notable is not just the firm's growth, but how intentionally it has been pursued. Jason talks about Lido's growth story and more with Jason Diamond, including: The real constraints on growth—and the roles of culture, capital, and clients. The role of the wirehouses in the modern landscape and how the RIA model differs. The realities of scale—and what it enables when done thoughtfully. The concept of “bigger is better”—and why Jason sees that as an oversimplification. Integration versus aggregation—and how Lido evaluates acquisitions. The evolving role of private equity in the RIA space—and why access to capital doesn't have to come at the expense of independence or client outcomes. It's a candid look at what sustainable growth actually means—and what advisors and owners should consider as firms across the industry continue to grow. Want to learn more about where, why, and how advisors like you are moving? Click to contact us or call 908-879-1002. Related Resources Is Scale a Necessary Evil in Wealth Management? Scale can provide a competitive advantage. Yet there might be scenarios in which bigger isn't always better. How to Set Up Your Business to Maximize Enterprise Value Jason and Louis Diamond explore strategies for maximizing enterprise value, whether or not an advisor plans to move. Learn actionable insights, key business practices, short-term vs. long-term tactics, and real-world examples. IBD vs. RIA – Which Model Fits Your Future This guide offers a clear, side-by-side view of the two models—including distinctions between the DIY route of building an RIA from scratch and opting for a supportive independence platform to help align your business goals with greater options and opportunities. Jason Ozur Chief Executive Officer Jason Ozur is the Chief Executive Officer of Lido Advisors, where he considers client focus central to his leadership and devotes significant time and attention to the individuals and families he serves. Based in Los Angeles, he also serves as Co-Chair of the investment committee, overseeing Lido's alternative investment platform and leading due diligence on real estate oriented strategies. A Certified Public Accountant, Jason earned his B.S. from California State University at Northridge before beginning his career in public accounting. He worked as a CPA performing audits, preparing tax returns, and providing back-office services for numerous hedge funds. In 1999, he joined a large family investment office, becoming part of the team that managed the family's substantial investments. During this time, he also served as CFO of the family's worldwide water conservation company, which operated in more than 22 countries, and later provided financial oversight as controller for a multi-billion-dollar Los Angeles–based hedge fund. In addition to his executive and investment responsibilities, Jason is deeply committed to shaping Lido's culture. He takes an active mentorship role within the firm, fostering an environment rooted in progression, excellence, and integrity. Also available on your favorite podcast app and other media sites

In this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ sits down with Bruno Annicq, CFO of Wellhub (formerly Gympass), to unpack a practical finance playbook built around cash discipline, sustainable growth, and simplicity. Bruno explains how he rebuilt forecasting using an AI-driven, probabilistic ensemble model, moving teams beyond single-scenario planning. They also dig into his EMPOWER planning framework, usable OKRs, and why tighter alignment between finance, HR, and wellbeing is becoming a durable lever for long-term performance.—SPONSORS:RightRev is an automated revenue recognition platform built for modern pricing models like usage-based pricing, bundles, and mid-cycle upgrades. RightRev lets companies scale monetization without slowing down close or compliance. For RevRec that keeps growth moving, visit https://www.rightrev.comRillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to close faster without fighting legacy systems. Designed to support complex revenue recognition, multi-entity operations, and real-time reporting, Rillet helps teams achieve a true zero-day close—with some customers closing in hours, not days. If you're scaling on an ERP that wasn't built in the 90s, book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cjTabs is an AI-native revenue platform that unifies billing, collections, and revenue recognition for companies running usage-based or complex contracts. By bringing together ERP, CRM, and real product usage data into a single system of record, Tabs eliminates manual reconciliations and speeds up close and cash collection. Companies like Cortex, Statsig, and Cursor trust Tabs to scale revenue efficiently. Learn more at https://www.tabs.com/runAbacum is a modern FP&A platform built by former CFOs to replace slow, consultant-heavy planning tools. With self-service integrations and AI-powered workflows for forecasting, variance analysis, and scenario modeling, Abacum helps finance teams scale without becoming software admins. Trusted by teams at Strava, Replit, and JG Wentworth—learn more at https://www.abacum.aiBrex is an intelligent finance platform that combines corporate cards, built-in expense management, and AI agents to eliminate manual finance work. By automating expense reviews and reconciliations, Brex gives CFOs more time for the high-impact work that drives growth. Join 35,000+ companies like Anthropic, Coinbase, and DoorDash at https://www.brex.com/metricsMetronome is real-time billing built for modern software companies. Metronome turns raw usage events into accurate invoices, gives customers bills they actually understand, and keeps finance, product, and engineering perfectly in sync. That's why category-defining companies like OpenAI and Anthropic trust Metronome to power usage-based pricing and enterprise contracts at scale. Focus on your product — not your billing. Learn more and get started at https://www.metronome.com—LINKS:Bruno on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bannicq/Wellhub: https://wellhub.com/CJ on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—RELATED EPISODES:“Run Toward a Tough Market” — Developing the Hard and Soft Skills To Be a Great Finance Leaderhttps://youtu.be/iNHbkcG7YEo—TIMESTAMPS:00:00:00 Preview and Intro00:02:19 Sponsors — RightRev, Rillet, Tabs00:06:43 Accidental CFO Origin Story00:07:34 Consulting to Operations Pivot00:08:12 Why Finance Clicked for Bruno00:09:28 McKinsey Prioritization in Real World00:10:02 Eisenhower Matrix and Prioritization00:11:08 Investing in Non-Urgent Work00:13:30 Lessons From AOL Reinvention00:16:10 Sponsors — Abacum, Brex, Metronome00:20:01 Career Growth Through Hard Problems00:20:52 Broadening Skills Through Change00:23:12 Five Core Finance Principles00:24:02 Cash Is King00:25:14 Driving Sustainable Growth00:26:01 No Surprises and Forecasting00:26:07 Finance as Business Enabler00:27:22 Less Is More Philosophy00:28:47 Hardest Principle: Less Is More00:29:46 Deterministic vs Probabilistic Forecasting00:31:11 Marketplace Volatility and Forecast Error00:32:10 Ensemble Models Explained00:33:37 Forecast Accuracy Gains00:34:53 Building Models In-House00:36:46 Why Explainability Matters00:37:48 Empower Framework Introduction00:47:47 Urgency, Compounding, Long-Term Thinking00:48:10 Advice to Younger Self00:50:06 Finance Stack and Expense Stories00:52:51 Credits#RunTheNumbersPodcast #CFO #FinanceLeadership #Forecasting #AIinFinance This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cjgustafson.substack.com

Budgeting is one of the most overlooked and most critical skills for law firm owners. In this episode, Kevin Daisey is joined by Leah Miller, a fractional CFO who specializes in law firms, to break down how lawyers can finally get clarity around cash flow, expenses, marketing spend, and profitability. They discuss why so many firms struggle with budgeting, especially contingency and personal injury practices, and how simply reviewing your financial statements monthly can transform decision-making. Leah Miller shares practical frameworks for building a realistic budget, determining your true breakeven point, managing uneven cash flow, and avoiding common financial traps. You'll also learn how budgeting impacts marketing, hiring, tax planning, and long-term growth, and why having the right financial conversations early can save years of stress later. Today's episode is sponsored by The Managing Partners Mastermind. Click here to schedule an interview to see if we're a fit. If you're a law firm owner who wants to stop guessing and start leading with confidence, this episode is a must-listen. Chapters (00:00:00) - The Best Lawyers: Managing Partners Podcast(00:00:37) - Budgeting for Law Firm Executives(00:01:47) - How to Manage a Law Firm(00:05:49) - Law Firm Business Financials(00:10:35) - Budgeting for Marketing(00:13:39) - How to Manage Cash Flow in the Firm(00:16:38) - How many months of cash should a firm have on hand?(00:21:31) - How to Run a Business with a Roth IRA(00:27:34) - CFO vs Law Firm CFO: Making Smart Decisions(00:30:54) - Leah on Connecting With People

In this episode of Disruption/Interruption, marketing veteran Ed Locher pulls back the curtain on B2B marketing's biggest lie: that the MQL machine actually drives growth. As CMO of PureFacts Financial Solutions and author of "Digital Transformation: People, Process and Technology," Ed reveals why 15 years of marketing automation created a sugar rush that's now crashing, and how AI can help fix it without repeating the same mistakes. This is a no-holds-barred conversation about emotional connection, the 95% of buyers marketers ignore, and why marketing tenure averages just 18 months. Four Key Takeaways: The MQL Mirage Is Built on a Lie 8:56Marketing automation promised accountability through MQLs, but overdelivering on MQL targets quarter after quarter never translated to actual revenue growth. The entire system targets only the 5% of the market ready to buy right now—ignoring the 95% who need demand creation, not demand capture. B2B Buying Committees Have Tripled in Size 16:30The buying committee for enterprise B2B purchases has exploded from 5 people to 16. You can't build credibility and trust with 16 stakeholders through email sequences—you need emotional connection and personalized storytelling that speaks to each person's specific drivers (CFO cares about ROI, compliance cares about regulations, operations cares about not making headlines). AI Raises the Floor, Not the Ceiling 29:59AI protects terrible marketers from themselves by raising the quality floor, but it hasn't raised the bar for great marketing. The real opportunity lies 3-4 standard deviations above the mean—where human empathy, emotional triggers, and genuine understanding of customer pain create outsized impact that AI can't replicate. Marketing Attribution Is a Myth 44:13There will never be a "cast iron steel rod of attribution" connecting marketing activities directly to purchases. Marketers who work for leadership that doesn't understand this are doomed to 18-month tenures, chasing MQL targets that deliver short-term sugar rushes followed by revenue crashes. The rare CEO or investor who recognizes this broken motion is the problem—not the marketer—creates space for real growth. Quote of the Show (44:13):"There will never be a cast iron steel rod of attribution that says marketing did X, which led to this person buying something. It just doesn't work that way.” — Ed Locher Join our Anti-PR newsletter where we’re keeping a watchful and clever eye on PR trends, PR fails, and interesting news in tech so you don't have to. You're welcome. Want PR that actually matters? Get 30 minutes of expert advice in a fast-paced, zero-nonsense session from Karla Jo Helms, a veteran Crisis PR and Anti-PR Strategist who knows how to tell your story in the best possible light and get the exposure you need to disrupt your industry. Click here to book your call: https://info.jotopr.com/free-anti-pr-eval Ways to connect with Ed Locher: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edlocher/ Company Website: https://purefacts.com How to get more Disruption/Interruption: Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/eccda84d-4d5b-4c52-ba54-7fd8af3cbe87/disruption-interruption Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/disruption-interruption/id1581985755 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6yGSwcSp8J354awJkCmJlDSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to this episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast! Today, Ben Murray sits down with Michael Babineau, co-founder of Turnstile, to unpack the journey from software engineer to successful second-time founder. Michael Babineau shares how his engineering background and the exit of his first company, Second Measure, to Bloomberg helped shape the vision for Turnstile—a next-gen, AI-native quote-to-cash platform designed to handle the complex challenges of sales-led, recurring revenue businesses. In this candid conversation, Michael Babineau dives into lessons learned from scaling and selling a company, the difficulties of automating revenue processes for custom deals, and why building a truly integrated, flexible system is crucial for SaaS companies looking to grow. You'll also hear insights into Turnstile's go-to-market strategy, their unique pricing approach, and what it's really like to raise capital as a second-time founder. Whether you're a SaaS operator, CFO, or founder plotting your next move, this episode is packed with operational tips, market observations, and behind-the-scenes stories that you won't want to miss! Show Notes: 00:00 "Founders Ready to Start Again" 03:05 "Turnstile: Unified Revenue Management Platform" 07:12 Turnstile: CRM-ERP Integration Simplified 11:38 "Finding True Revenue Ground Truth" 13:15 "Venture Growth Through Mid-Market" 17:29 "Scalable Growth for Enterprise Success" 22:09 "M&A Process: All-Consuming Commitment" 24:08 Flexible Dealmaking for Company Growth 27:47 "Shifting to Marketing-Led Growth" 31:35 "Self-Serve Enterprise Software Simplified" 33:00 "Driving Growth for B2B Startups" 36:34 "Turnstile AI Discussion" Links: Michael Babineau's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbabineau/ Turnstile's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/turnstile-co/ Turnstile's Website: https://turnstile.ai/ To learn more about Ben check out the links below: Subscribe to Ben's daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben's SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben's SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

Does running your firm have to feel this uncertain to be working?Most CPAs assume uncertainty, discomfort, and the unknown are signs of risk – but they're often just signs you're doing something new.This episode breaks down six practical truths that help firm owners stop overthinking, make calmer decisions, and move faster toward “enough.” Enough money. Enough time. And real freedom.If you've been grinding, hesitating, or waiting to feel ready, this episode reframes what actually matters – and what doesn't.…Link to full shownotes: https://www.businessstrategyforcpas.com/380…Want Pricing Essentials?If you feel trapped by your own accounting firm, it's not because of the work – it's how you've priced the work. Too many accountants are stuck in undercharging, overdelivering, and people-pleasing cycles. Break the pattern with my short PDF guide: 7 Pricing Essentials »It's free and you can read it in 5 minutes.I want to help you get your prices up without losing loyal clients.  …Want client interviews?310 From Exhausted to Having Her Life Back: Wendy Norman, CPA304 From 55 Down to 15 Hours; Same Take-Home Pay with Melissa Downs, EA293 What it Takes to Work 15 Hours per Week with Erica Goode, CPAComplete list:geraldinecarter.com/client-interview-episodes…FOUR ways I help overworked CPAs go down to 40 hours without losing revenue or hiring:THE EMAIL COURSE – Freegeraldinecarter.com/stop-working-weekendsStop Working Weekends will teach you how to reduce your hours without giving up revenue. THE BOOK – $9.99geraldinecarter.com/bookDown to 40 Hours – A Roadmap for CPAs to End Overworking Without Losing RevenuePEAK FREEDOM COMMUNITY – $197/mogeraldinecarter.com/peak-freedomFor solo and small accounting firm owners who want to rise above the insanity of hustle-cultureDOWN TO 40 HOURS ACCELERATOR – $995/mogeraldinecarter.com/40For the overworked CPA at multiple six figures of revenue who is ready to stop working weekends, wants to implement overdue changes, and doesn't want to do it alone. You'll make progress faster and with more confidence. …

At Intel, Bruce Schuman remembers walking into a meeting as a controller, proud of a product change his team had worked on “for months.” Then CFO Andy Bryant asked one question—one that reframed the proposal around customer impact. “Nobody had thought about (it),” Schuman tells us, and that question “completely changed the entire conversation,” leading to a “10 times better” outcome.That moment captures why Schuman spent “two decades plus 27 years” at Intel, he tells us. Rotational roles pushed him into new challenges every few years, while leaders modeled what influence and partnership looked like in practice. Intel even had a term for it—“constructive confrontation,” Schuman tells us—encouraging finance leaders to put difficult issues on the table in service of better decisions.When Schuman later moved into CFO roles outside Intel, he carried that mindset with him. FP&A, he says, should not simply “report the score of the game,” but act like “people on the field literally changing the outcome of the game,” Schuman tells us. That expectation shaped how he built finance teams and approached decision-making in smaller, faster-moving organizations.Today, as CFO of Universal Technical Institute, Schuman applies those lessons to a mission-driven business focused on workforce development. UTI works with “about 35 OEM partners” and “about 6000 employer partners,” Schuman tells us, and measures success through “70% graduation rates” and “about 85% placement rates,” Schuman tells us. Growth remains disciplined: “We'll never sacrifice student outcomes,” he tells us, even as the company plans to build “anywhere from two to five campuses a year for the next five years,” Schuman tells us.

What if the reason you're working nonstop but still not seeing real profit has nothing to do with mindset and everything to do with your numbers? In this episode, Ati sits down with operations and finance expert Michelle Ghassemi to break down the single most important metric every coach and service provider must track to build a sustainable, six- or seven-figure business — without burnout or guesswork.

The Transformation Ground Control podcast covers a number of topics important to digital and business transformation. This episode covers the following topics and interviews:   New Tech Laws of 2026, Q&A (Darian Chwialkowski, Third Stage Consulting) Legal Shifts and Regulatory Pressures in the ERP Space (Marcus Harris, Taft Law) Digital Transformation Mistakes that CFO's Often Make We also cover a number of other relevant topics related to digital and business transformation throughout the show.  

In this episode of the Level Up Claims Podcast, host Galen Hair sits down with Marie Torossian, CPA, former CFO, and founder of The Profit Lab, to discuss how business owners can scale smarter, increase valuation, and build systems that attract investors. Marie explains why true business modernization goes far beyond technology and into mindset, leadership, and financial strategy. She breaks down value-based pricing, financial projections, process documentation, and why clean financials are non-negotiable for growth, private equity interest, and long-term scalability. This conversation is packed with practical insights for firm owners and entrepreneurs who want to reduce owner dependency, create predictable growth, and build a business that can operate—and sell—without chaos. Highlights:  Marie Torossian's journey from CPA and CFO to scaling strategist Why modernization is about mindset—not just tech stacks How value-based pricing increases profitability and confidence Common financial red flags that hurt valuation Why clean books are essential before scaling The role of financial projections in strategic growth What investors look for in scalable businesses Systems and processes that reduce owner dependency Identifying chaos vs. structure inside your organization Leadership habits that drive long-term growth What it really means to "level up" as a business owner Episode Resources: ·       Connect with Marie Torossian ·       https://marietorossiancpa.com ·       Connect with Galen M. Hair ·       https://insuranceclaimhq.com ·       hair@hairshunnarah.com  ·       https://levelupclaim.com/

Brand vs Demand: Why B2B Marketing Is Stuck in a Measurement TrapIn this episode of The Metrics Brothers, Dave "CAC" Kellogg and Ray "Growth" Rike tackle one of the most persistent and controversial questions in B2B marketing: Brand vs. Demand.The discussion is grounded in new data from the 2026 B2B Brand vs Demand Benchmark Report. While most marketing teams say they believe brand and demand are complementary, the numbers tell a more complicated story.Today's reality?Marketing budgets are still heavily skewed toward short-term demand generation, with roughly 70% of spend allocated to demand and only ~25% to brand. Yet when asked how they want to invest, marketing leaders overwhelmingly say they'd prefer a much more balanced future, closer to 50% demand and 40% brand.So why the disconnect?Ray and Dave dig into the root cause: measurement.Demand generation is tied to metrics CFOs understand like pipeline dollars, opportunities, and ARR. Brand, on the other hand, is still largely measured using proxy metrics like website traffic and awareness, leaving many executives unable to confidently link brand investments to revenue outcomes. Only 28% of companies say they can directly tie brand activity to pipeline, and when budgets are cut, brand is sacrificed five times more often than demand.The episode also explores:Why performance marketing struggles are pushing CMOs back toward brandThe growing inefficiency of demand spend aimed at “future buyers”How much of the “demand” budget is effectively unmeasured brand spendThe dangerous gap between belief in brand and proof of impactWhy AEO, AI search, and LLM visibility will make brand ROI even harder and more urgent to measureRay and Dave don't just highlight the findings, they discuss the reality of Chief Marketing Officers making the Brand vs Demand budget allocation trade-offs.One key takeaway? Until brand investments can be credibly connected to pipeline efficiency, win rates, and ARR, it will remain more a faith-based investment instead of a financial one the CFOs understand.If you're a CMO trying to defend brand spend, or a CFO trying to understand where marketing dollars truly drive growth, this episode is required listening.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We had a kwentuhan with Q-Alert last Philippine Startup Week 2025!Q-ALERT is a mobile app for disaster alert notifications and an incident monitoring system around our communities.This episode is recorded live at the Philippine Innovation Hub in Marikina City.In this episode:00:00 Introduction00:58 Ano ang Q-Alert?31:02 How can listeners find more information?Q-ALERTWebsite: https://qalertapp.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/qalertappPHILIPPINE STARTUP WEEKWebsite: https://phstartupweek.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/PhilippineStartupWeekTHIS EPISODE IS CO-PRODUCED BY:Yspaces: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://knowyourspaceph.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apeiron: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://apeirongrp.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twala: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twala.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Symph: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://symph.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Secuna: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://secuna.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SkoolTek by Edfolio: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://skooltek.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MaroonStudios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://maroonstudios.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CompareLoans: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://compareloans.ph⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CHECK OUT OUR PARTNERS:Ask Lex PH Academy: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://asklexph.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (5% discount on e-learning courses! Code: ALPHAXSUP)Argum AI: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://argum.ai⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PIXEL by Eplayment: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://pixel.eplayment.co/auth/sign-up?r=PIXELXSUP1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Sign up using Code: PIXELXSUP1)School of Profits: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://schoolofprofits.academy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Founders Launchpad: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://founderslaunchpad.vc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hier Business Solutions: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://hierpayroll.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Agile Data Solutions (Hustle PH): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://agiledatasolutions.tech⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Smile Checks: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://getsmilechecks.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CloudCFO: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cloudcfo.ph⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Free financial assessment, process onboarding, and 6-month QuickBooks subscription! Mention: Start Up Podcast PH)Cloverly: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cloverly.tech⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BuddyBetes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buddybetes.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HKB Digital Services: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://contakt-ph.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (10% discount on RFID Business Cards! Code: CONTAKTXSUP)Hyperstacks: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://hyperstacksinc.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OneCFO: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://onecfoph.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (10% discount on CFO services! Code: ONECFOXSUP)Wunderbrand: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://wunderbrand.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DVCode Technologies Inc: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dvcode.tech⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠NutriCoach: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://nutricoach.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Uplift Code Camp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://upliftcodecamp.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (5% discount on bootcamps and courses! Code: UPLIFTSTARTUPPH)START UP PODCAST PHYouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/startuppodcastph⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/6BObuPvMfoZzdlJeb1XXVa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/start-up-podcast/id1576462394⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/startuppodcastph⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://patreon.com/StartUpPodcastPH⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PIXEL: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://pixel.eplayment.co/dl/startuppodcastph⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://phstartup.online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This episode is edited by the team at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tasharivera.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Vækstaktier gjorde en fin figur i 2025 - særligt de amerikanske - men er festen ved at være slut? Ikke hvis du spørger dagens gæst i Millionærklubben, porteføljeforvalter i Maj Invst, Henrik Knudsen. Hør, hvordan han spotter interessante investeringsmuligheder og få et par bud på selskaber, som han pt. holder øje med. Med på telefonen er også Nikolaj Wendelboe, CFO og interim CEO i B&O, der efter en uge med store forandringer lægger det fulde regnskab frem til aktionærerne. Og i studiet tager HC Andersens aktiechef, Michael Friis Jørgensen, fat på dagens marked og aktuelle finansnyheder. Vært: Bodil Johanne GantzelSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The CFO of Wells Fargo joins the show fresh of the earnings call with the stock falling after results. Then a lawyer representing one of the plaintiffs in the supreme court tariff case joins the show for more on why he's calling the Trump administration's tariffs illegal. Plus, Republican Senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota saying that the Fed Chair should cut a deal and step down in exchange for the DOJ investigation against him being dropped. He explains why. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tax Strategies and Planning Tips for Small Business Success as Tax Season Approaches Books4hospitality.com Solutionsbychs.com About the Guest(s): Douglas Carpenter is a seasoned financial expert with over 40 years of experience in accounting and financial consulting. He holds credentials as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). Starting his career as the youngest registered stockbroker in America at age 17, Douglas has built an illustrious career across various high-level CFO and consulting positions. He currently owns and operates Comprehensive Accounting Solutions, specializing in tax-saving strategies and accounting services for small businesses, with a particular focus on the hospitality sector. Episode Summary: In this insightful episode of The Chris Voss Show, host Chris Voss welcomes Douglas Carpenter, a distinguished CPA and CFA, to discuss strategies for effective tax planning as we move into 2026. The conversation kicks off by highlighting the unique challenges of accounting in the hospitality sector and how Comprehensive Accounting Solutions provides tailored services to mitigate these complexities. Chris and Douglas dive into the importance of preparing for tax season early, discussing strategic planning that can save individuals and businesses considerable amounts in taxes. Douglas shares his extensive expertise on tax strategies, focusing on key elements like proper entity structuring and the nuances of different business setups, such as S-Corps and C-Corps. Douglas stresses the importance of regular evaluation of financial strategies and planning for cash flow and budgeting in small and medium-sized businesses. The episode offers valuable insights into how businesses can effectively manage and plan their taxes, preventing last-minute rushes and the often-fatal “head in the sand” approach to budgeting and cash management. This episode is a must-listen for business owners eager to optimize their tax planning for the upcoming year. Key Takeaways: Proper entity structuring and regular financial reevaluation are critical to maximizing tax savings. The difference between tax preparation and tax planning can greatly affect a business's financial health. Early organization and strategic planning can prevent rushed decisions and missed opportunities in tax deductions. Understanding new tax laws, such as the Secure Act, can offer additional avenues for financial optimization. Comprehensive tax solutions involve integrating tax planning with broader financial strategies for sustained success. Notable Quotes: “The important thing to remember, if you owe the tax, pay the tax, but don’t overpay the tax.” “Tax planning is very different from just getting your tax return done.” “Proper entity structure is a key area where business owners can save significantly on their taxes.” “Regularly reevaluating your financial strategy is crucial for making the most of your business’s tax situation.” “A well-prepared and organized approach to taxes is essential to avoid last-minute frustrations and missed deductions.”

What if the most important people in a company are the ones no one talks about? They're the builders behind the scenes. The operators who organize chaos, fix what's broken, and quietly turn vision into reality. Scaling isn't glamorous — but it's essential. In this episode, we explore what it really takes to grow companies fast and smart, and how AI is accelerating the shift toward adaptable, cross-functional leadership. Casey Woo is a public market investor turned high-growth technology COO and CFO with more than two decades of experience helping companies scale. He's served as a six-time CFO and two-time COO across software, hardware, marketplaces, and eCommerce. He's also the founder and CEO of The Operators Guild, a global community of over 1,000 top operators, as well as FOG Ventures and Guild Talent — all built to support the people who actually make companies run. In this conversation, Casey breaks down what it means to be a "scaler," how AI is reshaping the value of specialization, and why operators are the backbone of every high-growth company. From Investor to Operator Casey shares his journey from Wall Street to Silicon Valley and why leaving a prestigious investing career was both terrifying and freeing. The money and status were there, but fulfillment wasn't. That realization pulled him into early-stage tech, where he discovered his true passion: building companies from the inside out. As an operator, Casey learned that scaling isn't about titles — it's about solving problems. Finance, operations, strategy, leadership — whatever the company needs, the role stays the same. That mindset eventually led to the creation of The Operators Guild, which began as a small breakfast group for overlooked CFOs and COOs and grew organically into a global community. Why AI Rewards the Elite Generalist Casey offers a practical take on AI — not as a threat, but as leverage for the right leaders. As AI replaces narrow, repetitive specialist tasks, the advantage shifts to people who can think horizontally, connect ideas, and move across functions with ease. Early-stage founders and operators are uniquely positioned to thrive in this environment, using AI as a team of "semi-specialists" to move faster and build smarter. Rather than abandoning your strengths, Casey encourages leaning into them — and using AI to amplify what you already do best. This is the rise of the modern business artist. Enjoy this episode with Casey Woo… Soundbytes 13:42-13:55 "Scalers are highly creative. They are generally impatient. They love the intellectual stimulation of organizing chaos, solving problems. So they run towards problems." 19:26 – 19:44 "AI literally is intelligence, right? Artificial intelligence. Right. So it's starting to be like a human and specifically, the easiest thing for it to start is anything specialized. Because anything specialized is homogenous." Quotes "Scaling is actually very nuanced. It's not just, 'Oh, finance needs a CFO.' No — you don't need a CFO at Series A." "Scalers are highly creative. They are generally impatient." "AI is moving the world away from hardcore specialists." "I could go to a corporate job, but my soul would die." Links mentioned in this episode From Our Guest Website: https://operators-guild.com/ FOG Ventures: https://fog.ventures/ Connect with Casey Woo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseywoo Connect with brandiD Find out how top leaders are increasing their authority, impact, and income online. Listen to our private podcast, The Professional Presence Podcast: https://thebrandid.com/professional-presence-podcast Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/

The role of the school CFO is changing — and compliance alone is no longer enough.In this episode of School Business Insider, host John Brucato is joined by Ahnaf Tahmid, CFO of South Bend Community School Corporation, to explore how school finance leaders can move beyond compliance to become true strategic partners.Drawing from his School Business Now article, “The Strategic CFO: Moving Beyond Compliance to Build Capacity,” Ahnaf shares insights on financial leadership, organizational capacity building, and the skills CFOs need to support long-term district success.This conversation is a must-listen for CFOs, SBOs, and aspiring leaders who want to elevate their impact and lead with purpose.Contact School Business Insider: Check us out on social media: LinkedIn Twitter (X) Website: https://asbointl.org/SBI Email: podcast@asbointl.org Make sure to like, subscribe and share for more great insider episodes!Disclaimer:The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker's own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the Association of School Business Officials International. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "ASBO International" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service. The presence of any advertising does not endorse, or imply endorsement of, any products or services by ASBO International.ASBO International is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, nonpartisan organization and does not participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for elective public office. The sharing of news or information concerning public policy issues or political campaigns and candidates are not, and should not be construed as, endorsements by ASBO Internatio...

Has organizational change redefined your job role? If it hasn't yet, it will at some point. Whether acknowledged or ignored, every organizational change at a company impacts you. This is broader than just layoffs and more employees under a single manager. What are the organizational changes we might see, and what can we do to stand out and stay the course? This week in episode 355 we're joined by guest Ryan Conley. Listen closely as we uncover different patterns of organizational change and provide practical tips to take action when those changes happen. Ryan helps us understand the corporate lifecycle and how to reframe this concept to understand where we are in the career lifecycle. You'll hear from Ryan's personal experience why the most resilient (and successful) technologists can identify and fill the gaps left after an organizational change whether that means working for a new boss, joining a different team, or changing job roles. Original Recording Date: 11-13-2025 Topics – Framing Our Focus on Organizational Change, Observations and Patterns, Defining the Career Lifecycle, When Colleagues Leave the Company, Layoff Resources, Working for a New Boss, Becoming Part of a Different Team, Shifting Job Roles or Job Level Changes, Parting Thoughts 2:58 – Framing Our Focus on Organizational Change Ryan Conley is a global field principal with 11p years of technical pre-sales experience. Before this, Ryan accumulated 13 years of systems administration in industries like education, finance, and consulting. In a recent episode of our show, guest Milin Desai compared organizations to living, breathing organisms that change. Nick posits that we don't always think changes at our company will or can affect us as employees, but they do. Ryan references Aswath Damodaran's writings about organizational change through the frame of a corporate lifecycle. We can relate by considering where our company might be in that lifecycle. As we experience the impacts of organizational change, Ryan encourages us to consider where we are in our career lifecycle. 4:19 – Observations and Patterns We see organizational change in different ways. What are some of the things Ryan has seen that he would classify as organizational changes? Let's take a step back, past the current headlines, and look at the wider industry. Companies are growing inorganically (through mergers and acquisitions) or organically through investments in R&D (research and development), for example. Ryan has worked with companies that grew by acquiring 2 new companies each year to give an example. When you're on the IT side of the acquiring company, there is a lot involved in the process like integrating e-mail systems, networks, and CRM systems. This process also involves getting 2 teams to work together. If one team needs to move from Office 365 to Gmail, it can be a big adjustment to employees' daily workflow. The acquiring and acquired companies may have the same or very different cultures. In some cases, a company will want to acquire others with similar cultures, while some may not be concerned about the culture and choose to focus on the intellectual property (products or services, knowledge of how to build or manufacture something, etc.) of the company to be acquired. Nick says the experience for people on the side of the acquiring company and that of the company getting acquired can be quite different. Nick worked in IT for a manufacturing company for about 9 years, and over the course of his time there saw the company acquire several other companies. Nick usually had to go assess technology systems of companies that were going to be acquired and figure out how to integrate the systems in a way that would best service the user base. From what Nick has seen, some employees from the acquired company were integrated into the acquiring company, while others were eventually no longer with the company. Anxiety levels about an acquisition may be different depending on whether you work for the acquiring company or the acquired company. “The people are just as much of the intellectual property of the company as, in many cases, the actual assets themselves. And in some cases, that culture just isn't a fit.” – Ryan Conley Ryan shares the example of someone he knew who left after another company acquired their employer because the culture was not a fit. Losing a key leader or a key subject matter expert after an acquisition could create a retention problem because others may want to follow them or start looking elsewhere. "So how do you protect the culture internally? How do you integrate a different culture in? But also, how do you kind of protect the long-term viability of the team as individuals, first and foremost, but then also the organization long-term? Depending on the intellectual property the acquiring company is after, we don't usually know the level of due diligence completed to understand the key resources or subject matter experts who must be retained for longer-term success. Ryan encourages to imagine being the CTO or VP of Research and Development at a specific company that is suddenly acquired. People in these roles drive the direction of the technology investment for their company today as well as years to come. After being acquired, these people might be asked to work in lower levels of leadership with different titles, which could result in “title shock” and require some humility to accept. This scenario is a leadership change that happens as a result of an acquisition, but we might see leadership changes outside of acquisitions. Some leadership positions get created because of a specific need, others are eliminated for specific reasons, and some get shifted down or changed. Each of these changes has a downstream impact on individual contributors. Ryan talks about the positive impacts of leadership changes and gives the example of when a former manager was promoted to senior manager and allowed that person to hire a manager underneath him. There isn't always internal mobility, but leadership changes could create these opportunities for individuals. Nick talks about the potential impact of a change in our direct boss / manager. If a boss who was difficult to work for leaves the company, getting a different boss could make a huge positive impact on our daily work lives. Similarly, we might have a great boss leave the company or take a different role, requiring that we learn to work for someone else who may operate very differently. Ryan tells us he has worked for some amazing leaders and says a leader is not the same as a manager. Ryan cites an example of getting promoted into a role that allowed him to have more strategic conversations about the focus of a team with his boss. We can choose to mentor members of our team so that when opportunities arise from structural change, they are equipped to seize those opportunities. Change can be viewed as an opportunity. A company's overall priorities may have changed. Shifting priorities may require a company to operate very differently than it has in the past, which can cause changes to people, processes, and technology. Nick references a conversation with Milin Desai on constrained planning from Episode 351. Milin encourages regularly asking the question “is this still how we want to operate?” The way a company or team operated in the past may not be the best way to do it in the future. Changes to operations may or may not create opportunities for our career. Ryan loves this mindset of reassessing, which could apply to the company, a team, a business unit, the technology decision, etc. “I love the mindset of ‘what was best, why did we do it, and why was it best then?' And then the follow up question is ‘is that still best today?' And it's ok if the answer is no because that leads to the next question – ‘how should we be doing it today…and why?'” – Ryan Conley, commenting on Milin Desai's concept of constrained planning Ryan talks about companies reassessing their core focus. We've seen some companies divest out of a particular space, for example. Nick says this reassessment could result in a decision to pursue an emerging market which could lead to the creation of a new business unit and new jobs / opportunities for people. It could also go in the other direction where the company decides to shut down an entire business unit. 15:30 – Defining the Career Lifecycle Going back to the analogy Ryan shared about corporate lifecycle, we can reframe this and look at the career lifecycle. “Where are you at in your individual career journey? Where are you at in that lifecycle?” – Ryan Conley People close to retirement may be laser focused on doing well in their current role and hesitant to make a change. Others earlier in the career may want to do more, go deeper, or be more open to making a change. Ryan recounts speaking to a peer who is working on a master's degree in AI. “With challenge comes opportunity, so do you want to try something new? And it's ok if the answer's no. But if there is an opportunity to try something new and you're willing to invest in yourself and in your company, I think that's worth considering.” – Ryan Conley We've talked to a number of former guests who got in on a technology wave at just the right time, which led to new opportunities and an entirely new career trajectory. Becoming aware of and developing expertise in emerging technologies can lead to new opportunities within your company (i.e. being able to influence the use of that technology within your company). “I think as technologists, whether you're a business leader over technology, whether you're day in / day out in technology as an individual contributor…emerging technology brings new challenges, just with a learning curve…. There's hard skills that have to be learned. You get beyond the education it's then also sharing with the peers around you…. So, what was best yesterday? Is it still best today? And tomorrow, we'll ask the question again.” – Ryan Conley Ryan says this goes back to our analogy. Should we be doing certain things manually now, or is it better to rely on tools that can help automate the process? If we go back for a second to Ryan's previous mention of integrating the technology stack for different companies, being part of the integration process might enable someone to learn an entire new technology stack. We might have to assess what is best between Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, for example, and develop the transition plan to move from one to the other and perhaps even capture the business case for using both within a company. To Ryan, this is an example of seeing a problem or gap and working to fill it. “If you want to be just a long-standing contributor to the team and your individual organization, I think it's worth calling out…those who stick around longer and get promoted faster are the ones who see a gap and they plug it.” – Ryan Conley Ryan shares a personal story about a co-worker who attended a Microsoft conference on their own dime. This person worked over a weekend to setup a solution that saved the team significant time doing desktop imaging. But then, Ryan's colleague took it a step further and trained the team on how to use it. Nick highlights the fact that we should remember to document our accomplishments to keep track of how we've changed as a result. We can use this information when searching for new opportunities or even in conversations with our leader. 20:34 – When Colleagues Leave the Company Another form of organizational change we've seen is outsourcing specific business functions. Daniel Paluszek spoke about companies outsourcing functions outside of their core business in Episode 338. If IT is outside the core business, a company might decide to outsource it. It doesn't mean that's the right decision, but it could be a possibility. Companies may outsource other functions like HR and payroll as well to give other examples. If IT was internal and it gets outsourced, that is an organizational change and will affect some people. Similarly, insourcing a function which was previously outsourced will have an impact. Ryan has learned in the last few years that some people are more adaptable to change than others. “And it's not just looking at the silver lining. It's recognizing the change. Maybe there's a why, and maybe there isn't a why. Or maybe the why hasn't been clearly articulated to you. Being able to understand, what does this mean to me…. As an organization do I still believe in them? Do I still believe in the technology as a technologist? Do I still enjoy the people I work with? Those are all questions that come up, but ultimately you have to decide…is this change I want to roll with? Is this change I don't want to roll with?” – Ryan Conley To illustrate, Ryan gives the example of a peer who left an organization after seeing a change they didn't like in order to shift the focus of their role from technology operations to more of a site reliability engineering focus. While this type of change that results in a talented individual leaving an organization can be difficult for teammates to accept and for a manager to backfill, these types of changes that are beneficial to someone's career should be celebrated. When we assess whether the changes made at a company are those we can accept and roll with, we can first make sure we understand what we are to focus on as individuals operating within the organization. We have an opportunity to relay that to other members of our team for the benefit of the overall team culture and to build up those who do not adapt to change well. Understanding organizational changes and what they mean for individuals may take repetition. While Ryan understands that he responds well to change, he remains empathetic to those folks to need to hear the message a few times to fully understand. Nick says we can learn from the circumstances surrounding someone leaving the company. For those we know, what interested them about taking a role at another company? Perhaps they took a role you've never thought about for yourself that could be something you pursue in the future. If a member of your team leaves the company, sometimes their role gets backfilled, and other times it may not. If the role is backfilled, you get to learn from a new team member. If not, the responsibilities of the departing team member will likely be divided among other team members. Though it would result in extra work, you could ask to take on the responsibility that would both increase your skill set and make you more valuable to the company. When Ryan worked for a hedge fund, the senior vice president left the company. This person was managing the company's backups. Ryan had experience in this area from a previous role at a consulting firm and volunteered to do it. Shortly after taking on this responsibility for backups, he found that restoring backups from tape and needing to order new servers posed a huge risk to the company in a disaster scenario (i.e. would take weeks to restore everything). Ryan was able to write up a business plan to address the business continuity risk and got it approved by the COO. “Being able to see a gap and fill it is the central theme, and that came from change.” – Ryan Conley Ryan says if you're willing to do a little more work, it is worth the effort to see a gap and work to fill it. 27:34 – Layoff Resources We acknowledged some of the byproducts of organizational change like layoffs and flatter organizations in the beginning of our discussion. We are not sidestepping the fact that layoffs happen, but that is not the primary focus of our discussion today. Here are a few things that may help if you find yourself being impacted by a layoff: First, know that you are not alone in experiencing this. “When a layoff hits, it's important to remember…it's extremely rare that that's going to be personal. Once it's firmly accepted, look for the opportunity in a forced career change. It's there.” – thought shared with us by Megan Wills Check out our Layoff Resources Page to find some of the most impactful conversations on the topic of layoffs on our show to date. We also have our Career Uncertainty Action Guide with a checklist of the 5 pillars of career resilience as well as reusable AI prompts to help you think through topics like navigating a recent layoff, financial planning, or managing your mindset and being overwhelmed. 28:43 – Working for a New Boss Let's move on to section 2 of our discussion. If you're still at a company after an organization change has happened, we want to talk through some of the ways you can take control, take action, and succeed. We want to share a thought from former guest Daniel Lemire as we begin this discussion: “Companies are the most complicated machine man has ever built. We build great machines to accomplish as set of goals, objectives, or outputs. The better you can understand the value the company delivers…the faster you can understand where you fit in that equation. If you don't understand where you contribute to that value, there's work to be done. That work may be on you, may be on your skills, or perhaps it's your understanding of where you fit into that equation.” – Daniel Lemire Let's say that you're impacted by an organizational change and will be working for a new boss. What can we control, and how to we make a positive impact? Ryan says we can be an asset to the team and support larger business goals by first giving some thought to who the new boss is as a person. Try to get to know them on a personal level. Ryan wants to get to know a new boss and be able to ask them difficult questions. Similarly, he wants a boss to be able to ask him difficult questions. Meeting a new boss face-to-face is ideal if that is possible, but this can be more difficult to arrange if your boss lives a large distance from you. Make sure you understand the larger organization's mission statement. As individual contributors, we may lose sight of this over time. “If that is important to the team and the culture, I think it's worth making sure you're aligned with that. I think it's worth understanding your direct manager's alignment toward that and then having that kind of fuel the discussions…. What are you expecting of me? Here are my expectations of you as my manager. Where do you see change in the next 6, 12, 18 months?” – Ryan Conley, on using mission to drive conversations with your manager A manager may not have all the answers to your questions. They could also be inheriting a new team. Ryan encourages us to ask how we can help our manager to develop the working relationship further. This is something he learned from a previous boss who would close every 1-1 with “is there anything else I can do to help?” Nick says a manager may be able to contextualize the organization's mission statement for the team and its members better than we can do for ourselves. For example, the mission and focus of the team may have changed from what it once was. A new manager should (and likely will) set the tone. Nick would classify Ryan's suggestions above as seeking to learn and understand how your new manager operates. Back in Episode 84 guest Brad Pinkston talked about the importance of wanting to know how his manager likes to communicate and be communicated with. This is about understanding your manager's communication preferences and can in some ways help set expectations. A manager may be brief when responding to text messages, for example, because they are in a lot of meetings. But if they tell you this ahead of time, it removes some assumptions about any hidden meanings in the response. Ryan gives the example of an executive who used to respond with Y for yes and N for no to e-mails when answering questions. We can also do research on a new boss in advance. We can look on LinkedIn to understand the person's background and work history. We can speak to other people inside the company to see what they know about the person. Ideally, get a perspective from someone who has worked for the manager in the past because a former direct report might be able to share some of the context about communication preferences and other lessons learned from working with that specific manager. We can also try to be mindful of how the manager's position may have changed due to organizational flattening. They may have moved from managing managers to having 15 direct reports who are individual contributors, for example. “Their time might be stretched thinner, and they're just trying to navigate this new leadership organizational change with you.” – Ryan Conley The manager may or may not have wanted the situation they are currently in. How is your boss measured by their boss, and how can you help them hit those metrics? You may not want to ask this in the first 1-1, but you should ask. Ryan suggests asking your boss what success looks like in their role. You can also ask what success for the team looks like in a year and what it will take to get there. Based on the answer, it might mean less 1-1s but more in depth each time, more independence than you want, or even more responsibility than you wanted or expected. Ultimately, by asking these questions, you're trying to help the team be more successful. We want our manager to understand that we are a competent member of the team. Understanding what success looks like allows us to communicate with our manager in a way that demonstrates we are doing a good job. Some of the time in our 1-1s with a manager will be spent communicating the things we have completed or on which we are actively working. We need to demonstrate our ability to meet deadlines, for example. Daniel Lemire shared this book recommendation with us – The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter. It's a great resource for new leaders but also excellent for individual contributors. Ryan tells us to keep track of our wins over the course of any given year (something that was taught to him) so we have it ready for performance reviews. He encourages keeping a journal that we start in January. Keep track not only of what you did but the outcomes your work delivered and the success metrics. For example, if you gave a presentation, note the number of people present. The company culture may have some impact on the language you need to use to word your accomplishments (i.e. using “I” statements). “I didn't want to be the only person who could do it. I'd rather learn it and then enable 5 other people to do it. And then those 5 people go do it, and that is a much bigger outcome.” – Ryan Conley, on the outcome of efforts at work and being a force multiplier Have a journal of the things you do at work that you update consistently. This could be screenshots, a written description, etc. “What are the metrics that you should be tracking? Mentally think about that because…when you have your annual review, you're going to miss something. You're going to miss a detail. You're going to miss an entire line item versus if you started in January and you just get into the practice of ‘I did this.' And then when you're having your first annual review with this brand-new manager, it's far easier to have a more successful conversation.” – Ryan Conley, on the importance of documenting our work in a journal somewhere Ryan reminds us it is ok to use generative AI tools to check our work. Use multiple different tools to get suggestions on how you might want to phrase the outcomes you delivered and the metrics you tracked. Nick says we should document our accomplishments as Ryan mentioned, but we should make sure we keep a copy of them so that we do not need to rewrite them from nothing in the event we are impacted by a layoff. If the journal containing all of your accomplishments is sitting in the corporate OneDrive or cloud storage, you will lose access to it when you leave the company. Be sure you have a disaster recovery plan for your accomplishments! The new boss is probably going to have team calls of some kind. While what you experience may vary from this, in Nick's experience the first time a manager hosts a call with their team they will share some career background, how they operate, and give team members some idea of what to expect. This kickoff team call usually happens before 1-1s begin. Listen really carefully when this first team call happens. Write down some questions you can ask the boss in that first 1-1 conversation. The manager will have to lead that first 1-1 conversation a little bit, but coming into it prepared with questions will be far easier than trying to think of questions in the moment. A simple follow up question Ryan suggests is how the manager wants to handle time off. Is there a shared team calendar, a formal process, carte blanche, specific blackout dates to be aware of, etc.? We can handle the simple things about how this new manager operates and what their values are early on in our working relationship. Ryan tells us he learned far too late to ask how managers handle promotion / raise / career growth conversations. One of Ryan's past managers scheduled a quarterly checkpoint to specifically talk about career growth items. Ryan was in charge of making the agenda in advance, and his manager would come prepared to talk about each agenda item. It's ok to ask for these regular career discussions. If your manager has a large team, these may be less frequent than otherwise. Ask the manager about the best way for both you and them to come into these discussions prepared. Nick likes the idea of an individual owning the agenda for these conversations. Nick tells us about a manager who sent out 1-1s to team members and provided a menu of options for the types of things that could be discussed during the 1-1 time in the body of the meeting invitation. It helps give people ideas for things to discuss but also lets them know the overall intention of the 1-1s. For the very busy manager, we could ask to use a specific 1-1 to talk about career-related items rather than in a separate meeting (if needed). Nick mentions a recent episode of Unicorns in the Breakroom Podcast in which Amy Lewis talks about using a shared document for 1-1s to hold an employee accountable for bringing agenda items and to document what transpired in previous conversations. Along the lines of trying to be helpful to a new manager, ask how they want to handle team calls when on vacation. Will team calls be cancelled when the manager is on vacation, or are they looking for team member volunteers to host these calls? This may be an opportunity to step up and do more if you want that, especially if you want to gain some leadership experience. Ryan tells us at one point he was a team lead, and part of his responsibility was leading team calls in his manager's absence. This involved leading the call, taking notes, and taking action on follow up items from the meeting. We should bring up time sensitive items to the boss quickly, especially if something needs attention. Communicate things that have a financial impact to the company (a subscription renewal, drop dead due date to exit a datacenter facility, point at which access to something will be lost, etc.). Do not assume your manager knows if you are unsure! Ryan recounts a story from earlier in his career when a CFO wanted a specific number of users added to the Exchange server. There were several cascading impacts of completing this task that went well beyond the scope of licensing and involved procuring more hardware. Ryan took the time to explain the implications. “This is a simple ask. You want the answer to be yes, but I'm going to give you more context…. There is a deadline. I want to make sure we hit it as a team, but there are some implications to your ask. I want to make sure you're fully aware.” – Ryan Conley, on giving more context to leadership Share what you have in flight and the priorities of those items. The new manager may want you to change the priority level on some things. 45:21 – Becoming Part of a Different Team You could end up working on a completely different team of peers as a result of organizational change. You might work on the same team as people you already know but might not. You may or may not work for the same boss. Ryan and Nick have experienced very large reorganization events and ended up in different divisions than they were previously. Ryan had a change of manager, change of a peer he worked closely with, and joined a new team of individuals reporting up to the same boss all at once. “A little bit of the tough lesson is you go into a bigger pond…. I think it's ok to take a moment and pause. For me, I had to kind of reassess and kind of figure out…what are these changes? What are the new best ways to operate within this new division so to speak? …within my team, no one on my prior team was on my team, so it was like this whole new world.” – Ryan Conley After this change, Ryan saw an opportunity to go deeper into technology and chose to take a different role. Ryan worked for a new (to Ryan at least) leader who was very supportive of his career goals. This leader helped Ryan through the change of roles. “If you do good work, even through change…if you're identifying gaps, you're filling it, you're stepping up where the team needs you to step up, you're aligning with the business direction to stay focused…I think there can still be good outcomes even if in the interim period you're not 100% happy.” – Ryan Conley If you don't know anyone on your new team, you have an entire set of people from which you can now learn. Does your job function change as a result of joining this new team? Make sure you understand your role and its delineation from other roles. Maybe you serve larger customers or work on different kinds of projects. Maybe you support the technology needs of a specific business unit rather than what we might deem as working in corporate IT. Maybe you focus on storage and high-level architecture rather than only virtualization. It could be a chance to learn and go deeper in new areas. Did the focus of the overall team change (which can trickle down and impact your job function)? Maybe you're part of a technology team that primarily manages the outsourced pieces of the technology stack for your company. So instead of working with just employees of your company you now work with consulting firms and external vendors. Ryan says we can still be intentional about relationships and he illustrates the necessary intentionality with the story behind his pursuit of a new role. Ryan was intentional about his desire to join a new team after the reorganization, but it didn't work out on the timeline he wanted. He remained patient and in constant, transparent communication with a specific leader who would eventually advocate for him with the hiring manager. Just doing our job can be difficult when we're in a challenging situation like a manager we do not get along with, trying to evolve with a top-level strategy change, etc. This can involve internal politics. Stay the course. Ryan tells us about a lesson he learned when interviewing for a new role he wanted. “Maybe be a little bit more vocal. Pat yourself on the back in a concise way. Again…go back to your journal, know your metrics, and stick by them.” – Ryan Conley, on interviewing and humility Nick says the intentionality behind building relationships applies to your relationship with your boss (a new boss or your current boss that has not changed). This also applies to new teammates! What are the strengths in the people you see around you? Who volunteers to help? Who asks questions when others will not? Ryan shares a story about 2 peers who on the surface seemed to disagree a lot but ended up making each other better (and smarter) by often taking opposing sides on a topic. When one of them left the company, the other person missed getting that perspective and intellectual challenge. Ryan suggests we pay attention to the personalities of team members and the kinds of questions they ask. If a specific teammate tends to do all the talking in meetings, find ways to enable others to speak up who have valuable perspectives but may be quieter. This at its heart is about upleveling others. We can do that when we join a new team, but we can also do this for former teammates by keeping in touch with them over time. This could apply to former teammates who still work at the same company as well as those who have left the company. Ryan tells us a story about when he first made the transition from working in IT operations to getting hired at a technology vendor in a very different role. “It's very different being face-to-face as a consultant, face-to-face as a vendor. And I had a buddy. He started going back 11 years almost to the day here. We were each other's lifeline…. He would have a bad day, and he would call me. Most of the time I was just there to listen…. And then the next week it was my turn, and I would call him…. So having a buddy in these change situations I think is a great piece of advice.” – Ryan Conley It can be easy to fall out of touch with people we no longer interact with on a daily or weekly basis. This takes some effort. We've met people who try to setup a 1-1 with someone in their professional network once every 1-2 weeks. Ryan has a tremendous amount of empathy for others who have recently had a child, for example. We can buddy up with specific professional or life experience and take the opportunity to learn from them. Ryan refers to building an “alumni network” of people you want to remain close with over time. While this helps build our own set of professional connections, we can do this by mentoring others as well (a chance to give back, which is usually much less of a time commitment than we think). Ryan has mentored a number of new college graduates and managed to keep up with their progress over time. Listen to the way he describes the career progression of his mentees and the long-term relationships it produced. We might be mentoring others (on our own team or beyond). This could act as relatable experience for a future role as a team lead or people manager, but highlighting this experience to your manager is something you should do in those career conversations. In those 1-1s with your manager you are asking how you are doing but also how you can do better. Sometimes that means doing more of something you have done in the past. Ryan reminds us that the journal is a tracking mechanism for specific actions and their impact. Whether it's mentoring or helping the manager with hiring or candidate evaluation, be sure to track it! There might be a gap in expertise on your team that you can fill (either because you have a specific skill or because you learned a new skill to fill that gap). When joining a new team, do some observing and stay humble before you declare there is a gap and that you are the one to fill it. Ryan says we can raise gaps with our manager. For example, maybe there is only one person on the team who knows how to do something. Could you pair with that person and cover them while they are on vacation? “I think it goes back to recognizing that you cannot learn it all and then revaluating…what do I need to learn? So, there's certain functions that you have to know how to do, and that's where your manager's going to help you set those expectations…. We're in technology, so as a technologist, what do you want to learn? What do you want to do more of? And that could be a gap that you see, and you have that conversation….” – Ryan Conley If there is not an opportunity at work to learn what you want to learn (i.e. your manager might not support you doing more of specific work, etc.), you can learn it on your own time and then re-evaluate longer term what you want to do. 59:46 – Shifting Job Roles or Job Level Changes We talked about this a little bit earlier. Maybe you stay an individual contributor, move into leadership, or change leadership levels entirely within an organization. Ryan talks about the new expectations when you change your daily role. There are expectations we put on ourselves and those expectations put on us by our leaders. There are both opportunities and challenges. Ryan shares that he has been approached in the past to lead a team, but when this has happened, he took the time to think through what he wanted (his career ladder, his motivations, and his desired focus). “Leading people is not something that I want to currently focus on. I know what I'm motivated by. I'm a technologist at heart. I want to keep learning, and I personally like the technology that I'm focused on right now. And it's not that leadership would necessarily remove technology entirely…. It's just it would be a different focus area. And I think in your career journey it's worth just kind of keeping tabs on where you're at in your career (the ladder of change that we keep mentioning, that lifecycle)…. Do you want to go up the ladder as part of your lifecycle and get into a management role? I think mentorship can be very fulfilling. I think leading people can be very fulfilling. But in my case, I've decided I still want to stay an individual contributor. There's still aspirations that I have there….It's ok to say no is really what I'm getting at…. Really think about the job that you're in at the company that you're in. What are the opportunities within? What motivates you? And stay true to that.” – Ryan Conley Ryan has said no to being a people leader as well as to technical marketing roles. He had a desire to get through the principal program. He encourages listeners to think about whether they would be happy in 1-2 years if they took a new role before making the final decision. Nick mentions the above is excellent when you have the choice to take a new role. But what if it's forced on you as the result of an organizational change? We can recognize where we are in the career lifecycle even if an organizational change places us in a new role that was not our choice. Make sure you understand what the new role is, and think about how you can align it with where you are in the career lifecycle (including the goals you have and the things you want). Nick had a manager who encouraged his team to align their overall life purpose to the current job role or assignment. In doing this, it will be easier to prevent intertwining your identity with your job or your company. We may have to put out heads down and just do the work for a while. But maybe there is an opportunity to align with the things you want and the type of work you want to do which is not immediately obvious. In this job market, if you are employed, be thankful and do a great job. Ryan hopes listeners can think back to an unexpected change that happened which led to new opportunities later. “Pause, recollect, align your focus with your new manager, align your focus with either the changing mission statement or the current mission statement…. What is fulfilling you personally (your own internal values)? If they are being conflicted, I think there's a greater answer to some of your challenges, but they're not being conflicted how can you be your best self in a company without the company being all of yourself? …The cultural identity of the workplace and the home can sometimes be a little too close, a little to intertwined…. Maybe you're just way too emotionally invested in your day job and it's just a good moment to reset…. What is your value system? Why? And then how can you be your best self in your workplace? And I think far too often we want to have our dream job…. ‘A dream job is still a job. There are going to be days when it is just a really difficult day because it's a really difficult job. It's still your dream job, but every job is going to have a difficult day.'” – Ryan Conley Every job will be impacted by some kind of organizational change multiple times throughout your career. 1:06:18 – Parting Thoughts Ryan closes with a funny anecdote about a person who worked on the same team as him that he never had the chance to meet in person. In this case, the person invested more in their former team than meeting members of their new team. Maybe a good interview question for those seeking new roles could be something about organizational changes and how often they are happening at the company. Ryan encourages us to lead with empathy in this job market and consider how we can help others in our network who may be seeking new roles. Ryan likes to share job alerts on LinkedIn and mentions it has been great to see the formation of alumni groups. “Share your rolodex. Help people connect the dots. And lead with empathy.” – Ryan Conley To follow up on this conversation with Ryan, contact him on LinkedIn. Mentioned in the Outro A special thanks to former guest Daniel Lemire and listener Megan Wills for sharing thoughts on organizational change that we were able to include in this episode! Ryan told us we can lead with empathy when helping others looking for work in this job market, but Nick thinks it's empathy at work when we're asking a new boss or team member how we can help. If you want to bring more empathy to the workplace, check out Episode 278 – Uncovering Empathy: The Greatest Skill of an Inclusive Leader with Marni Coffey (1/3) in which guest Marni Coffey tells us about empathy as her greatest skill. It's full of excellent examples. If you're looking for other guest experiences with organizational change, here are some recommended episodes: Episode 210 – A Collection of Ambiguous Experiments with Shailvi Wakhlu (1/2) – Shailvi talks about a forced change of role that was actually an opportunity in disguise Episode 168 – Hired and Acquired with Mike Wood (1/2) – Mike Wood's company was acquired, and the amount of travel went up soon after to increase his stress. Episode 169 – A Thoughtful Personal Sabbatical with Mike Wood (2/2) – Mike Wood shares another acquisition story that this time ended with him taking a sabbatical. Episode 84 -Management Interviews and Transitions with Brad Pinkston – Brad Pinkston shares what he likes to do when working for a new boss. Contact the Hosts The hosts of Nerd Journey are John White and Nick Korte. E-mail: nerdjourneypodcast@gmail.com DM us on Twitter/X @NerdJourney Connect with John on LinkedIn or DM him on Twitter/X @vJourneyman Connect with Nick on LinkedIn or DM him on Twitter/X @NetworkNerd_ Leave a Comment on Your Favorite Episode on YouTube If you've been impacted by a layoff or need advice, check out our Layoff Resources Page. If uncertainty is getting to you, check out or Career Uncertainty Action Guide with a checklist of actions to take control during uncertain periods and AI prompts to help you think through topics like navigating a recent layoff, financial planning, or managing your mindset and being overwhelmed.

❓Have a question for Monthly Money Talks? Send your question to me in a DM on Instagram → @aleciastg.  Your question may be featured in an upcoming episode with Zen Jenn. Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep089 If you've ever hit a point in your business where things feel hard and you're not sure whether you should push forward or pull back, this conversation will bring clarity. In this episode, you'll learn how to quickly diagnose whether your business challenges are growing pains that strengthen you or signs of disordered growth that weaken your foundation. In our Monthly Money Talk, Zen Jenn and I break down one of the most overlooked reasons businesses plateau: confusing disordered growth with healthy, capacity-expanding growth.

Hiring Isn't a Gut Call. It's a Numbers Call. EP333 of Profit With A Plan Podcast Released January 13, 2026 Guest: Jen Fizer, CEO of MKB CFO & Bookkeeping Host: Marcia Riner, CEO of Infinite Profit, Business Growth Strategist  

On this episode of the Insurance Coffee House Boardroom Series, Nick Hoadley is joined by David Herzog, former CFO of American International Group (AIG) and one of the most experienced finance and governance leaders in global insurance. David served as CFO of AIG from 2008 to 2016, stepping into the role in the immediate aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis and helping lead the company through one of the most complex turnarounds in modern financial services. In this conversation, David reflects on the years leading up to the CFO appointment, including rebuilding AIG's financial infrastructure as Group Controller, and the intensity of navigating markets that rapidly moved from strained, to expensive, to effectively closed. He shares what it was like inside AIG as liquidity evaporated, why coordination with the Federal Reserve and U.S. Treasury was pivotal, and how the organisation focused on stabilising the business, stopping the “bleeding,” and ultimately repaying government support. The discussion also explores David's transition from executive leadership into board governance. He talks through early lessons from his first directorship, how he approaches chairing audit and oversight roles, and what aspiring directors should understand about the line between being an overseer and a doer. David also shares why the opportunity to chair Aegon appealed to him, and what he looks for in organisations on a journey of strategic change. Connect with David Herzog on LinkedIn.The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is brought to you by Insurance Search.We are a global Insurance Executive Search Consultancy, supporting Insurance and Insurtech businesses to attract and retain the very best insurance talent.Find out more about showcasing your employer brand as a guest on the Insurance Coffee House Podcast or sign up to our News and Insights.Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram.Insurance Executive Search Consultants in USA, London and Bermuda.Copyright Insurance Search 2025 - All Rights Reserved.

Healthcare finance leaders are operating under unprecedented pressure. Rising costs, staffing shortages, payer complexity, and constant uncertainty. Matthew Ennen, Senior Vice President of Finance and Business Development at Ensemble Health Partners, shares how finance leaders can navigate volatility while staying anchored to their mission, their people and long-term resilience. Drawing on more than 20 years of experience across healthcare and consumer industries, Matthew explains why finance skills are highly transferable, how analytics and scenario planning enable proactive decision-making, and why transparency, empathy and communication are now essential leadership requirements. From balancing cost containment with innovation to keeping teams motivated through periods of transformation, Matthew offers practical insights for finance leaders in any industry facing rapid change. Discussed in This Episode:  Leading finance teams through uncertainty and transformation Why finance skills transfer across industries Balancing cost control with innovation in mission-driven organizations Using analytics to move from reactive to proactive decision-making The role of transparency, empathy and communication in leadershipFor CFO insights, episode show notes and exclusive blog content, visit thecfoshowpodcast.com.

Today's Post - https://bahnsen.co/4jyfdpi Market Updates, Fed Investigation, and Public Policy Insights - Monday Dividend Cafe In this Monday edition of Dividend Cafe, David Bahnsen emphasizes the productivity and enjoyment derived from the structured Monday format, which covers key market categories including public policy, economic data, and energy. The episode dives into five significant recent events, including criminal investigations into Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, tweets from President Trump, market reactions, and President Trump's various policy announcements. David also provides a market performance update, specifically mentioning the Dow, S&P 500, and NASDAQ movements, and discusses the implications of public policy changes on sectors like housing, defense, and finance. Economic data such as job creation numbers, the trade deficit, and CFO survey findings are also analyzed. Additionally, Bahnsen previews the upcoming earnings season and offers insights into the impact on markets and sectors. Closing the episode, David shares details about Dividend Cafe's regular content offerings. 00:00 Introduction to Monday's Dividend Cafe 00:48 Market Overview and Recent Events 01:48 Federal Reserve and Jerome Powell Investigation 04:18 Market Reactions and Analysis 12:09 Public Policy Announcements 15:28 Economic Data Insights 18:46 Housing and Mortgage Market Update 21:46 Oil Market and Geopolitical Factors 23:20 Conclusion and Upcoming Earnings Season Links mentioned in this episode: DividendCafe.com TheBahnsenGroup.com

1045: AI is no longer a side experiment—it's a core capability. But are your people, partnerships, and governance models ready for it? In this special Metis Strategy Summit panel episode, three seasoned technology leaders explore what it really takes to build trust, scale talent, and lead responsibly in the age of AI: Paul Ballew, Chief Data & Analytics Officer, National Football League Lakshman Nathan, EVP & CIO, Paramount Mark Sherwood, EVP & CIO, Wolters Kluwer Moderated by Peter High, the conversation dives into transformation through the lens of distributed governance, workforce readiness, and the human element behind every AI ambition. Key themes from the panel include: How the NFL's “One-to-One” fan engagement model blends personalization and privacy What happens when $2B in savings depends on department-level AI strategy (Paramount) Why “value realization” starts with your CFO and ends with trust (Wolters Kluwer) The limits of centralization—and why distributed innovation may win out How to balance Copilot rollouts with responsible AI guardrails

On this episode of CFO at Home, Vince·s guests are Steve Short and Mark Schlipman, authors of ·The Simple Road Toward Financial Freedom·, a #1 Amazon bestseller with a foreword by Will Ferrell. Steve and Mark recount how their own experiences as fathers prompted them to address the financial knowledge gap facing young adults today. They explore the importance of teaching personal finance to the younger generation and the challenges of delivering this message in a relatable way. We also discuss practical strategies, such as the 50-20-30 budgeting method, and the importance of visualizing financial goals. You can learn more about ·The Simple Road Toward Financial Freedom· by going to simpleroadbook.com Key Topics: 01:03 The Story Behind the Book 03:03 Meeting and Collaboration 05:29 Financial Lessons for Gen Z 09:11 Challenges and Solutions in Financial Education 20:40 Parental Guidance and Financial Literacy Key Links: The Simple Road Toward Financial Freedom The Simple Road Toward Financial Freedom | Facebook The Simple Road Toward Financial Freedom (@simpleroadbook) • Instagram photos and videos The Simple Road Toward Financial Freedom - YouTube The Simple Road Toward Financial Freedom | #GenZMoneyMentors | LinkedIn https://www.tiktok.com/@simple_road_book 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  

Atty. Third Bagro is Co-Founder and General Counsel at Twala.Twala offers secure and tamper-proof digital signatures for businesses and individuals alike. Digitally transform your agreement workflows with a legally binding and secure e-signature powered by Twala's Blockchain Hashproof Technology. Also, the future of notarization is here: eNotary! Secure, digital, Supreme Court-compliant. Twala is empowering legal professionals with trusted, digital-first notarization.This episode is recorded live at Yspaces in BGC, Taguig. Yspaces is the official co-working and event space partner of Start Up Podcast PH.In this episode:00:00 Introduction01:39 Ano nga ba ang Twala?31:16 What are updates since our last interview? 42:06 How does the new product work? 55:59 How can listeners find more information?TWALAWebsite: https://twala.ioFacebook: https://facebook.com/twalaioYSPACESWebsite: https://knowyourspaceph.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/yspacesphTHIS EPISODE IS CO-PRODUCED BY:Yspaces: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://knowyourspaceph.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apeiron: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://apeirongrp.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twala: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twala.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Symph: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://symph.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Secuna: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://secuna.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SkoolTek by Edfolio: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://skooltek.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MaroonStudios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://maroonstudios.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CompareLoans: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://compareloans.ph⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CHECK OUT OUR PARTNERS:Ask Lex PH Academy: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://asklexph.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (5% discount on e-learning courses! Code: ALPHAXSUP)Argum AI: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://argum.ai⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PIXEL by Eplayment: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://pixel.eplayment.co/auth/sign-up?r=PIXELXSUP1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Sign up using Code: PIXELXSUP1)School of Profits: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://schoolofprofits.academy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Founders Launchpad: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://founderslaunchpad.vc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hier Business Solutions: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://hierpayroll.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Agile Data Solutions (Hustle PH): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://agiledatasolutions.tech⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Smile Checks: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://getsmilechecks.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CloudCFO: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cloudcfo.ph⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Free financial assessment, process onboarding, and 6-month QuickBooks subscription! Mention: Start Up Podcast PH)Cloverly: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cloverly.tech⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BuddyBetes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buddybetes.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HKB Digital Services: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://contakt-ph.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (10% discount on RFID Business Cards! Code: CONTAKTXSUP)Hyperstacks: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://hyperstacksinc.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OneCFO: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://onecfoph.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (10% discount on CFO services! Code: ONECFOXSUP)Wunderbrand: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://wunderbrand.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DVCode Technologies Inc: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dvcode.tech⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠NutriCoach: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://nutricoach.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Uplift Code Camp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://upliftcodecamp.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (5% discount on bootcamps and courses! Code: UPLIFTSTARTUPPH)START UP PODCAST PHYouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/startuppodcastph⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/6BObuPvMfoZzdlJeb1XXVa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/start-up-podcast/id1576462394⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/startuppodcastph⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://patreon.com/StartUpPodcastPH⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PIXEL: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://pixel.eplayment.co/dl/startuppodcastph⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://phstartup.online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This episode is edited by the team at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tasharivera.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

“A large part of what you bring to work affects everybody else around you, so if you bring joy that becomes infectious, that infection makes the whole place more joyful.”Dipak Golechha is Chief Financial Officer of Palo Alto Networks, the world's leading enterprise cybersecurity company, where Dipak leads global finance and operations. A seasoned finance leader, prior to Palo Alto Networks, Golechha held a variety of global leadership and executive roles around the globe. Prior to joining Palo Alto Networks, Dipak served as CEO of Excelligence Learning Corporation, a childhood education company backed by private equity. Before that, Dipak was CFO at The Nature's Bounty Company, a $3+ billion health and wellness consumer products company with brands including Holland & Barrett. Dipak also spent seven transformative months as CFO of Chobani, helping structure the rapidly growing company through capital raising and private equity partnerships. Dipak spent 18 years at Procter & Gamble in finance and operations leadership roles across multiple geographies. His P&G career began in London before an early expatriate assignment to Caracas, Venezuela. He held finance leadership positions in the Clairol acquisition, corporate treasury, global M&A, and became Global Divisional CFO and COO for Pringles—one of P&G's youngest executives in this role. His final position was leading finance for the global feminine care division. Dipak serves on the board of Spring Health, and holds a B.A. and M.A. in Economics from St. John's College, Cambridge University, This conversation is hosted by P&G Alum Sudha Ranganathan, who's spent over 19 years in diverse Marketing leadership roles at companies like P&G, PayPal, and LinkedIn where she's honed her passion for customer-centric marketing and talent development.This is a sponsored episode with our partners at Palo Alto Networks, a proud global presenting sponsor of the P&G Alumni Network. Interested to feature your company and executives on the P&G Alumni Podcast? Reach out to jswuest@pgalums.com

When Drew Laxton looks back on the past year at Outreach, one moment stands out—not a transaction, but a plan. The company set its annual targets, executed against them, and then exceeded expectations. “When you see green numbers at every quarterly all-hands,” Laxton tells us, “it's amazing how that little bit of momentum just builds the company.” What surprised him most was the cultural impact: morale rose, confidence compounded, and belief followed performance.That belief didn't happen by accident. Laxton's career has consistently positioned him at the intersection of numbers and narrative. He began in investment banking, where he learned early that finance only matters if people can retain the story behind it. “If you can't tell the story, it just stays there,” he tells us. That mindset carried him from banking into operating roles, and later to Apptio, where he experienced nearly the full corporate lifecycle—from IPO preparation to public markets and eventually a private-equity take-private.Serving as Chief of Staff during Apptio's Vista ownership pushed him beyond traditional finance. The role, he explains, was about making sure the CEO “didn't run into a locked door,” anticipating decisions and asking the questions leadership would need answered. That experience sharpened his instinct for alignment.Today, as CFO of Outreach, Laxton applies those lessons through planning discipline, FP&A embedded in the business, and storytelling that connects strategy to execution. Finance, in his view, is not a back-office function—it is the force that helps people understand why the company is moving where it is going.

Alok Sama was a high-flying CFO who fraternized with the world's richest men.  But he wasn't immune from intimidation. Anonymous letters sent to his boss, Softbank's Masayoshi Son, accused him of corruption. Suddenly, shadowy “shareholders” emerged from nowhere, and a whisper campaign quietly derailed his career. Then - as he recounts to Olly in this compelling conversation - Alok discovered his family was under surveillance. Desperate, he met men claiming ties to Mossad. And ultimately walked away, with first-hand experience of the corporate espionage that lurks in the shadows of Britain's biggest companies. Alok's book, The Money Trap, is out now. _____________ Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart - fresh from veritably leaping into his forties - tests out the viral wellness trend for ‘sleepmaxxing'.  Can grounding sheets, a bone-conducting pillow-speaker, or light therapy help him get his forty winks? With the aid of the National Sleep Helpline, he delivers hacks and tips for anyone looking to improve their sleep in 2026. … Got a trend you'd like to challenge Ollie to test out on a future edition of the show? Fill out the Feedback form on our website, or join our Discord.    _____________ Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox is contemplating the surprising side-effects of ketamine, and discovering the demand for ‘creature cock' sex toys such as Lovehoney's ‘Swamp Monster'.  How did this kink for fantasy dildos - kickstarted by niche brands like Bad Dragon and Gang Bankster - evolve into a mainstream, sold-out product category?  Is it linked to zoophilia, ‘romatasy' books on TikTok, liberation from masturbatory stigma… or all of the above? As always, Alix has some (eye-opening) answers... _____________ Finally, in music corner, our Record of the Month brings a welcome return to the show for Cavetown, whose new single, "Sailboat (feat. chloe moriondo)", is out now. _____________ We'll be back with our Playback edition on 30th Jan, and something new on 10th February.  In the meantime, thanks for your help supporting the show into 2026 with your beer money and/or reviews. Mwah! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Alok Sama, Alix Fox, Ollie Peart, Cavetown. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: ‘Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Artwork: Podcast Discovery. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Katrina Fitten. Purpose of the Interview The interview aims to educate entrepreneurs—especially women business owners—on how to secure funding responsibly, avoid scams, and develop a strategic financial plan. It also highlights Katrina Fitten’s expertise as CEO/CFO of New Day for You Financial and her mission to help startups and small businesses access capital. Key Takeaways Funding Opportunities & Qualifications Katrina helps women business owners secure up to $100,000 in 100 days or less, with same-day approval and next-day funding. Basic qualifications include: Credit score of 680+ Existing credit lines (at least $10,000) A clear business mission and low-risk profile. Avoiding Scams Beware of unsolicited emails/texts promising easy money. Do your homework: Check companies on Better Business Bureau (BBB). Look for testimonials and partnerships with reputable banks (e.g., Chase, American Express). Never share sensitive information without verifying legitimacy. Importance of a Business Plan Funding is not free money—you need a strategic plan. Katrina calls it a “money mission”: know exactly how funds will be deployed. Without a plan, money disappears quickly, leading to debt and bad credit. Family & Friends Lending Treat personal loans like business loans: Have written agreements with terms, repayment schedule, and penalties. Decide upfront if it’s a gift or a loan. Services Offered by New Day for You Financial SBA loans, equipment loans, purchase order financing. Lines of credit and 0% interest credit cards (18–21 months). Credit card stacking for higher funding amounts. Credit restoration referrals for those with poor credit. Success Story Example: A tax accountant secured $160,000 in less than a week due to strong credit, revenue history, and a solid business plan. Notable Quotes “If you don’t have a plan for your money, your money will have a plan—and you’ll look up and it’s gone.” “We don’t want to be out here racking up good debt and then you’re not going to be responsible.” “You have to vet companies. Go to BBB, Google them, and check their credibility.” “If I give you money, I decide—is it a gift or a loan? There are rules to borrowing money.” “We say if you don’t get anything, we don’t get paid.” #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSupport the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katrina Fitten. Purpose of the Interview The interview aims to educate entrepreneurs—especially women business owners—on how to secure funding responsibly, avoid scams, and develop a strategic financial plan. It also highlights Katrina Fitten’s expertise as CEO/CFO of New Day for You Financial and her mission to help startups and small businesses access capital. Key Takeaways Funding Opportunities & Qualifications Katrina helps women business owners secure up to $100,000 in 100 days or less, with same-day approval and next-day funding. Basic qualifications include: Credit score of 680+ Existing credit lines (at least $10,000) A clear business mission and low-risk profile. Avoiding Scams Beware of unsolicited emails/texts promising easy money. Do your homework: Check companies on Better Business Bureau (BBB). Look for testimonials and partnerships with reputable banks (e.g., Chase, American Express). Never share sensitive information without verifying legitimacy. Importance of a Business Plan Funding is not free money—you need a strategic plan. Katrina calls it a “money mission”: know exactly how funds will be deployed. Without a plan, money disappears quickly, leading to debt and bad credit. Family & Friends Lending Treat personal loans like business loans: Have written agreements with terms, repayment schedule, and penalties. Decide upfront if it’s a gift or a loan. Services Offered by New Day for You Financial SBA loans, equipment loans, purchase order financing. Lines of credit and 0% interest credit cards (18–21 months). Credit card stacking for higher funding amounts. Credit restoration referrals for those with poor credit. Success Story Example: A tax accountant secured $160,000 in less than a week due to strong credit, revenue history, and a solid business plan. Notable Quotes “If you don’t have a plan for your money, your money will have a plan—and you’ll look up and it’s gone.” “We don’t want to be out here racking up good debt and then you’re not going to be responsible.” “You have to vet companies. Go to BBB, Google them, and check their credibility.” “If I give you money, I decide—is it a gift or a loan? There are rules to borrowing money.” “We say if you don’t get anything, we don’t get paid.” #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's This Week in Bourbon for January 9th 2026. Meat Church BBQ Makes an Investment in Pursuit Spirits, The Weavers of Uncle Nearest File a Civil Suit against their former CFO, and Watch Hill Whiskey Company unveils two new limited releases.Show Notes: Meat Church BBQ acquires minority stake in Pursuit Spirits to fuel distribution and innovation Uncle Nearest co-founders file 223-page fraud lawsuit against former CFO Michael Senzaki Kentucky Bourbon Country Auction unveils rare Elijah Craig and Four Roses "12 Lots" benefiting veterans Ohio-based A.M. Scott Distillery files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy with $3.35 million in debt Bardstown Bourbon Company earns second consecutive EPA ENERGY STAR certification for energy efficiency Whiskey House of Kentucky achieves major ISO certifications for quality, safety, and environmental excellence The Whiskey Social App launches new Clubs feature to enhance community bottle tracking and discovery Sotheby's announces first live single-owner American whiskey auction estimated at $1.17M–$1.68M Give 270 surpasses $2 million in donations and launches Weller “Rainbow” vertical charity raffle Watch Hill Whiskey Company debuts 18-year Exceptional Series Batch 03 and Chef Series Rye New Riff Distilling expands single barrel program to include 6-year-old 100% Malted Rye Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pascal Wagner interviews Bob Fraser, CFO and chief macro strategist at Aspen Funds, to break down how oil and gas can (or can't) fit inside a diversified portfolio. Bob explains the three parts of the industry (upstream, midstream, downstream), why most LP horror stories come from drilling risk, and why he prefers buying already-producing, non-operated working interests to reduce geology/engineering/operator risk. He also walks through what tax benefits investors often misunderstand (IDCs vs. depletion allowance), the importance of low leverage + hedging in a volatile commodity business, and the key red flags he'd watch for when underwriting deals (vertical wells, unrealistic pricing assumptions, and weak operator quality). Bob FraserCurrent role: CFO and Chief Macro Strategist, Aspen FundsBased in: Overland Park, KansasSay hi to them at: Website: https://investlikeabillionaire.org Company: https://aspenfunds.us LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobfraser10/ Join us at Best Ever Conference 2026! Find more info at: https://www.besteverconference.com/  Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It's free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.  Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow. Apply now at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠⁠ Podcast production done by⁠ ⁠Outlier Audio⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices