Podcasts about cfos

What happens when an AI experiment becomes a production service that your employees, customers, and daily operations depend upon? In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I speak with Brian Klingbeil, Chief Strategy Officer at Ensono, about AI infrastructure resilience, operational dependency, FinOps, legacy modernization, and the growing pressure to prove that enterprise AI investments are producing meaningful returns. Brian has been speaking with major enterprises through Ensono's Executive Advisory Council. Three years ago, many participants were experimenting with proofs of concept. Today, they are being asked to present AI projects that are already in production, approaching production, or demonstrating a clear return through productivity, lower risk, service quality, or financial results. That progression creates a new problem. When an AI model begins supporting product delivery, customer service, logistics, software development, or internal operations, it becomes part of the company's operating infrastructure. Leaders must then ask familiar IT questions about availability, monitoring, security, incident response, disaster recovery, ownership, and cost. Brian believes FinOps often provides the first warning. Token consumption can be difficult for CFOs and business leaders to interpret, particularly when hundreds of agents are operating across different models. Ensono's internal platform has produced around 1,000 agents, prompting questions about which are effective, which are expensive, and who should carry the cost. We discuss why chargeback and showback could change employee behavior. When AI spending is absorbed by a central corporate budget, teams may have little reason to question whether an expensive model is suitable for a routine task. When the cost reaches their departmental budget, the decision can look very different. Architecture also matters. Brian recommends systems that are loosely coupled and tightly integrated. Companies should be able to replace a model, provider, FinOps tool, or service as the market changes, while still connecting each component closely enough to deliver useful business outcomes. That creates a genuine tradeoff. Providers such as Microsoft, Amazon, Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic can offer specialist capabilities that businesses may want to use. Avoiding every provider specific feature can limit what the technology delivers, while becoming too dependent on one provider can make future change expensive and disruptive. The conversation then turns toward legacy technology. Brian argues that many systems described as outdated still process airline reservations, banking transactions, insurance claims, government services, and other high volume workloads. Turning them off without suitable replacements would create far bigger problems than the word "legacy" suggests. AI can change the modernization decision. Ensono worked with Markerstudy Group to analyze six million lines of RPG code running on an IBM i platform. The resulting plan identified applications that should move elsewhere while preserving workloads that still benefited from the platform's reliability and transaction processing capabilities. Brian treats migration as one possible part of modernization. AI tools can document old code, support modern development environments, and allow younger developers to work with established platforms without immediately beginning a lengthy and expensive replacement program. We also discuss Ensono's use of AI operations. Brian says the company reduced mean time to repair by 50% while processing approximately 50,000 tickets each month. The example shows how AI value can be measured through service quality and operational performance rather than relying entirely on direct revenue. The result is a balanced conversation about moving quickly while building enough control to keep AI dependable. Organizations need space for experimentation, but production services also require ownership, budgets, recovery planning, and people who know what to do when something fails. If one AI model or provider disappeared tomorrow, how much of your business would stop working? Listen to the episode and share your thoughts with me.

HR leaders spend all day surrounded by people. So why does it often feel like the loneliest job in the building? In this episode, Tom Emery, former Chief People Officer at a top City of London wealth manager, 20-year corporate HR veteran (ex-HSBC), and founder of HEX Talent & Development, joins Al and Leanne to pull back the curtain on the reality of HR leadership. Tom shares his powerful "Vet Analogy" for HR: just like veterinarians enter the profession out of love for animals only to see them at their illest, weakest, or most aggressive, HR leaders enter the role because they love people, only to be brought in when people are backed into a corner. Together, they dive deep into how HR leaders can step out of the isolated "police officer" role and step into the room as true strategic drivers, how senior leaders can build psychological safety by simply asking for help, and why learning to disagree well is the missing ingredient in high-performing C-suites.

Retail media has evolved incredibly quickly over the last few years, but the conversation has also become far more financially scrutinized. From your perspective, what phase is the industry actually entering now?A lot of retailers rushed to launch retail media networks, but many are now discovering that building ad inventory is very different from building a scalable media business. What are the biggest structural mistakes you see retailers making today?Brands continue shifting budget into retail media, but many executives are starting to question incrementality, duplication, and measurement consistency across networks. What are brands asking for now that they were not asking for even 18 months ago?One of the biggest tensions in retail media right now is the relationship between trade spend and media spend. How do you think CFOs and commercial leaders should be reevaluating the role retail media plays inside the broader P&L?As Amazon, Walmart, and Instacart continue to scale, what does the future look like for mid-sized and regional retail media networks? Do you see consolidation coming, or are there areas where smaller RMNs can still build defensible advantages?

The SaaS world is in the middle of a brutal reckoning. Products that looked innovative 18 months ago are quietly becoming redundant — not because markets disappeared, but because the floor rose. In this episode, Jeff Mains sits down with Brian Herr, a 30-year technology and SaaS veteran, to dissect what it actually takes to build a software business that survives — and wins — in the age of AI.Brian brings sharp investor-grade thinking to the conversation, drawing on his work with startups, venture studios, and PE-backed companies. They cover the death of thin-wrapper SaaS, why blocking AI agents is a catastrophic mistake, how security and compliance have become unexpected competitive moats, and the critical distinction between a product that helps and one that solves. If you build software or provide services, this episode is non-negotiable.Key Takeaways4:08 — The value expectation from SaaS platforms is shifting fast. Thin wrappers around someone else's AI model have no future — customers will ask why they're paying when they can do it themselves.4:53 — Companies that survive will be the ones that solve real problems, curate the right data, and give meaningful feedback — not just deliver a slick interface.6:46 — Investor rubrics have changed. A key new question before committing capital: "Can this be replicated as a Claude skill or agent in six months?" If yes, it's not fundable.7:39 — Where physical world meets digital data is a major investment magnet. These companies have stronger moats, are more AI-resistant, and occupy underserved territory.13:53 — Natural language interfaces are no longer a differentiator — they're an expectation. And Brian's crystal ball: local on-device AI will push this even further into everyday life.14:29 — Natural language is democratizing technology for older users. If you don't have a conversational interface, the market will pass you by.20:23 — Agents are no longer just for technologists. CFOs and revenue officers are using them. Blocking agents is a strategic blunder — competitors are advertising agent compatibility while you're building walls.21:00 — The smart play: figure out what people are doing with agents hitting your platform and monetize it. Blocking just pushes them to your API — or to a competitor.21:20 — Every SaaS company needs a quarterly gut-check: What is my value? What do I do well? How do I evolve? A business plan from one year ago doesn't fit today's market.33:04 — Security, compliance, and certifiability are the new defensible moat. You literally cannot vibe-code your way into SOC 2, HIPAA, or AI trust scores. That's the value story.33:59 — The AIUC-1 framework is making AI applications insurable for the first time. MITRE has joined the consortium. If your SaaS uses AI, this becomes part of your trust story.39:50 — The single most important product question: Does it help, or does it solve? Helpful gets cut from budgets. Essential doesn't.43:09 — Going niche gives you orders-of-magnitude higher odds of success. Trying to do what everyone else is doing? Your chance of success drops to 13% or less.47:37 — Brand trust and human relationships are more important than ever. People do business with people. When you become indifferent to your customers, you become a vendor. Vendors don't survive.Tweetable Quotes"If someone opened a fresh ChatGPT window right now and got roughly the same result your product delivers — would your customers notice the difference, or would they even care?" — Jeff Mains"The thin wrappers aren't going to make it very long. What's going to survive is companies that still solve real problems, curate the right data, and give the right feedback." — Brian Herr"One of our investment rubrics now: Can this be turned into a Claude skill or agent in six months? If so, it doesn't make sense for us to invest." — Brian Herr"Natural language interfaces are now an expectation, not a differentiator. If you think you'll eventually get around to it, the market will pass you." — Brian Herr"Helpful solutions get cut from the budget first. Solutions that solve don't. Stop asking whether you can bolt on AI and start asking whether customers actually need YOUR data and process to make it work at all." — Jeff Mains"Agents are becoming for everyone — especially as the interface evolves. Blocking them is evolve or die." — Brian Herr"Figure out what people are doing with agents and monetize it. People will pay for it. By being a blocker, you're just pushing them to find another way." — Brian Herr"People do business with people. When you become indifferent to your customers, you stop being a partner and become a vendor. Vendors have a hard time surviving." — Brian Herr"Success is a journey, not an endpoint. The founders who make it understand you're going to be a little wrong — as long as you course correct in the right direction." — Brian HerrSaaS Leadership Lessons1. Moat = Data + IP + Experience, Not Interface A beautiful UI sitting on top of a commodity model is not a business — it's a countdown clock. Your defensible moat is proprietary data, domain expertise, and institutional knowledge that competitors cannot prompt their way into.2. Run a Quarterly Value Audit Especially in the $5M–$15M revenue range, ask yourself every quarter: Does my business plan still match the market? What do I do well, and how am I evolving? Founders who don't course-correct veer further off target every quarter until they no longer recognize where the target moved.3. Embrace Agents as a Revenue Channel, Not a Threat Your API traffic spikes are signals, not attacks. When agents are hitting your platform, that's demand you haven't monetized yet. Build for agent access, charge for it, and let your competitors play defense while you build offense.4. Compliance and Trust Are Your Unfair Advantage In a world where anyone can vibe-code a competitor over a weekend, the thing they cannot replicate is your certifications, your compliance posture, your years of regulated-market experience, and your insurance-grade AI trust scores (AIUC-1). Make this part of your sales story.5. Help vs. Solve Is the Only Product Question That Matters Helpful products live in discretionary budgets — they're the first cut when times get hard. Products that solve real, urgent problems command non-negotiable budget lines. Every feature you build, every market you target: ask which one it is.6. Stay a Partner, Never Become a Vendor When customers feel like a transaction to you, you become a commodity to them. In the $5M–$15M range, clients know your team personally — that trust is a competitive advantage. Build systems to maintain it as you scale, or risk waking up one day to find out you've been quietly moved to the vendor pile.Guest ResourcesWebsite: https://www.startingblocks.io/LinkedIn (6k): https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-herr/https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1kS1WsPODEaqtMnB_g1_Dut6oTv1FYYvXEpisode SponsorThe Futureproof Series - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfkXKUPZ5xuOqMPR7_gzGybncTtavyR1NThe Captain's KeysSmall Fish, Big Pond – https://smallfishbigpond.com/ Use the promo code ‘SaaSFuel'Champion Leadership Group – https://championleadership.com/https://jeffmains.com/books/SaaS Fuel ResourcesWebsite - https://championleadership.com/Jeff Mains on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffkmains/Twitter - https://twitter.com/jeffkmainsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/thesaasguy/Instagram - https://instagram.com/jeffkmains

Value Creation ist das Schlagwort der Stunde im Private-Equity-Geschäft – doch hinter dem Begriff steckt mitunter mehr Marketing als Substanz. Nicht so bei Triton: Der Private-Equity-Investor hat seit 2007 eine eigene Einheit, die für operative Wertsteigerungsmaßnahmen bei den Portfoliounternehmen zuständig ist. „Unsere Accelerator Unit besteht aus über 60 Spezialisten, die nur für uns arbeiten und auch auf unserer Payroll sind“, erläutert Andi Klein, Managing Partner bei dem Finanzinvestor, im Gespräch mit FINANCE TV.Das erwartet Sie in diesem Talk:Wie Tritons Accelerator Unit aufgestellt ist und mit den Beteiligungen zusammenarbeitetWie es Triton mit dem Value-Creation-Team geschafft hat, über mehrere Beteiligungen hinweg jährlich eine halbe Million Euro an Leasingkosten einzusparenWarum Triton trotz hauseigener Value-Creation-Unit weiterhin auf externe Berater setztWie Künstliche Intelligenz und psychometrische Tests zur Value Creation beitragenDie Gesprächsteilnehmer:Host: Olivia Harder (FINANCE Magazin)Gast: Andi Klein (Managing Partner, Triton)Hinweis: Dieser FINANCE TV-Talk entstand in Kooperation mit Triton._________________________________________Bei FINANCE TV ist die Finanzwelt im Gespräch! Jede Woche erwarten Sie hier exklusive Interviews mit CFOs, führenden Bankern und Experten aus Corporate Finance. Wir unterhalten uns über alles, was Finanzentscheider wissen müssen: von M&A und Finanzierung bis hin zu Private Equity, Wirtschaftsprüfung, Karriere, Gehalt und aktuellen Finanzskandalen. Kompakt, direkt und auf den Punkt! Mehr Infos gibt es hier: https://www.finance-magazin.de/tv/

What allows some CFOs to lead with influence while others never move beyond the numbers? Today's CFOs are expected to do much more than oversee financial performance. They must build trust, influence executive decisions, communicate with empathy, and help shape company strategy. In this episode, leadership expert and former CFO Dr. Emilia Bunea shares why technical expertise alone isn't enough and explains the mindset and behaviors that help CFOs lead executive teams, boards, and entire organizations more effectively. By listening to this episode, you'll learn how to: Discover why relationship building and influence have become essential skills as CFOs lead beyond traditional finance responsibilities. Learn practical techniques for communicating strategic recommendations in ways that earn buy-in from CEOs, boards, and executive teams. Understand the leadership habits that prepare finance executives to become trusted business leaders and future CEOs. Listen now to learn how CFOs lead with influence, strategic thinking, and emotional intelligence to create stronger organizations and position themselves for greater leadership opportunities. Check out: 05:10 | Why CFOs Lead Through Relationships, Not Just Numbers Dr. Emilia Bunea explains the difference between an accounting leader and a true CFO, revealing why relationship management and influence are what separate finance executives from strategic leaders. 14:35 | Influence Is More Powerful Than Logic Learn why even the strongest financial arguments can fail without emotional engagement, and how CFOs can present ideas that inspire action instead of resistance. 31:10 | Preparing CFOs to Become CEOs Hear the leadership qualities boards look for when evaluating CFOs for the CEO role, including strategic thinking, executive presence, and building trust outside the finance function. About Emilia Bunea Dr. Emilia Bunea, CFA, is a leadership lecturer at VU University Amsterdam and co-founder and CEO of Ed.movie, a California-based edutainment company. She served in CFO and CEO roles at large financial corporations, most recently as CEO of MetLife Romania, and previously as CFO of ING Insurance Europe, and currently serves on the board of directors of an asset management company.  Dr. Bunea received her Ph.D. in Management from VU Amsterdam, her MBA from the University of Washington, and is a CFA charterholder. She delivers lectures and keynotes on leadership at business schools, companies, and events around the world. Her research was published in Human Resource Management Review, Corporate Governance - An International Review, Frontiers in Psychology, Academy of Management Proceedings, and shared through outlets such as Harvard Business Review and Le Monde.  Emilia Bunea is the producer and co-writer of Crossroads Life, the world's first "cinematic management case"—a groundbreaking teaching tool that combines the rigor of the case study method with the storytelling power of film. Based on the real-life leadership journey of a CFO, the film has won multiple international awards (IMDb link). Each chapter of her book, Leadership for the CFO, includes curated film scenes that bring its concepts to life.  

Matt Butts, Head of Marketing Science at Samsung Ads Europe, joins That's What I Call Marketing to discuss marketing science, incrementality, connected TV measurement and why rigorous testing matters more than a positive result. This episode explains how marketers can move beyond convenient metrics, design better experiments and connect advertising activity to meaningful business outcomes. Matt also explores how changing television behaviours are reshaping media planning, audience measurement and the role of connected TV.In this episode, we cover:– Why marketers often measure metrics without questioning whether they matter– The difference between basic A/B testing and genuine incrementality testing– Why the quality of the test matters more than whether the result is positive– How marketing scientists translate complex analysis into commercial decisions– How Samsung Ads measures viewing across linear television, streaming and gaming– Why reported reach can hide significant audience duplication– How incremental reach can reduce media waste and identify missed audiences– The role of connected TV data in advertising planning and measurement– Why marketers need to communicate measurement differently to CMOs, CFOs and media teams– How rigorous measurement helped one advertiser move from zero investment to a seven-figure commitmentMatt argues that marketing science should not simply validate decisions that have already been made. Its role is to challenge assumptions, identify what would have happened without the advertising and give marketers evidence they can confidently use to make better investment decisions.A useful listen for marketers interested in marketing science, advertising effectiveness, connected TV, incrementality, media measurement, experimentation and commercial impact.Timestamps01:16 How Matt found his way into marketing science02:19 How advertising measurement has changed03:27 Are marketers measuring things without knowing why?04:27 Why measurement assumptions must be tested continually05:02 Do marketers know how to test properly?06:00 The limitations of basic A/B testing06:17 Why incrementality is the missing part of marketing testing07:18 The importance of statisticians, data scientists and translation08:13 Matt's journey to Samsung Ads08:18 What Samsung Ads does09:00 How television viewing behaviour has changed10:18 Balancing audience precision, relevance and scale11:02 Relevance without intrusive personalisation12:19 Samsung Ads' Total View measurement capability12:36 Audience duplication, incremental reach and missed audiences13:40 Why platform reach figures can be misleading14:06 What a Head of Marketing Science actually does14:40 Building advertiser-specific measurement playbooks15:16 Using measurement to improve future advertising investment15:23 How to explain incrementality to senior business leaders15:41 Why marketers need to understand marketing science17:00 How measurement feeds into marketing mix models17:33 A real example of fixing incomplete advertising data19:00 How a geo test led to a seven-figure investment19:43 Why negative test results should not frighten marketers20:40 Combining scientific rigour with commercial thinking21:51 What comes next for connected TV measurement22:00 Connecting television and mobile data23:30 Why marketing measurement must keep pace with human behaviourThat's What I Call Marketing is the podcast for marketers who care about brand, B2B, creativity, effectiveness and the future of the profession.Follow the show for more conversations with CMOs, marketing leaders, agency leaders, professors, authors, thinkers and practitioners.Find more episodes at: https://www.thatswhaticallmarketing.comThanks to the Digital Voice for their partnership https://www.thedigitalvoice.co.uk/That's What I Call Marketing is where marketers come for real conversations about brand, B2B, creativity, effectiveness and the future of the profession.Hosted by Conor Byrne, the show features conversations with CMOs, marketing leaders, agency leaders, authors, thinkers and practitioners about what good marketing looks like in practice.Listen, follow and find more episodes at: https://www.thatswhaticallmarketing.comConnect with Conor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conorbyrneirl/If you enjoy the show, please follow, subscribe and leave a review. It helps more marketers find the conversations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As finance teams evaluate the future of SAP BPC, organizations must consider how planning, close, consolidation, reporting, reconciliations, workflows, and analytics will work together across their broader finance architecture. In this episode of CPM Customer Success, Andy Smetana explores where SAP Analytics Cloud may fit into the roadmap, when S/4HANA Finance for group reporting may become part of the discussion, and why some organizations are evaluating OneStream as a unified alternative. He also examines the priorities of controllers, FP&A leaders, and CFOs, supported by examples of companies that modernized complex finance processes and reduced their reliance on disconnected systems and spreadsheets. For an additional SAP-to-OneStream comparison, listeners can also revisit Episode 40 featuring OneStream's Dave Collins.

The Death of the Junior Recruiter: Where Is the Next Generation Coming From?   Since 2022, the talent acquisition landscape has undergone a seismic shift. Once a thriving entry point for ambitious professionals, the function has been systematically truncated as economic pressures mount, headcount budgets shrink, and AI tools increasingly optimise workflows that once demanded human intuition. Companies have all but ceased hiring early-careers recruiters, creating a dangerous vacuum at the foundation of the profession. This webinar confronts an uncomfortable truth: we are witnessing the extinction of the junior recruiter role, and with it, the pipeline that has sustained the industry for decades. Where will tomorrow's talent leaders come from if we stop cultivating them today?   Key Themes We Must Address: • The Great Early Career Hiring Freeze – Why organisations stopped investing in entry-level TA talent after 2022 and what this signals about perceived value   • AI's Double-Edged Sword – How automation optimised efficiency while simultaneously justifying the elimination of junior roles traditionally used for training   • The Experience Trap – The growing expectation for "senior-only" hiring that leaves no room for developing raw potential or diverse perspectives   • Broken Apprenticeship Models – The collapse of structured learning pathways where junior recruiters once absorbed expertise from seasoned professionals   • Skills Atrophy at the Top – What happens when senior recruiters lose the ability to delegate, mentor, or scale their impact without junior support   • The Succession Crisis – Who steps into leadership roles in 5-10 years when an entire generation of developing talent never entered the pipeline   • Redefining Value in TA – Moving beyond cost-per-hire metrics to recognise the long-term strategic damage of eliminating early-careers investment   • Alternative Pathways – Whether adjacent professions (HR tech, marketing, operations) can realistically feed experienced professionals into TA leadership   • Reversing the Trend – Practical frameworks for justifying junior headcount to CFOs who view TA as a cost centre ripe for automation   Watch this essential discussion on the long term future of the function!   We're on Friday 17th July at 2pm BST. Register by clicking on the green button (save your spot) and follow the channel here (recommended).     Ep395 is supported by our friends at Greenhouse   With application volumes at historic highs, AI claims shaping procurement, and candidate fraud entering the funnel in ways most teams can't track, your ATS decision carries more weight than ever. Download this updated guide from Greenhouse for a practical roadmap to cut through vendor noise, understand true total cost of ownership, and choose the platform your hiring function actually needs.   Download now

Jon Goodwin joins Aaron Patrick from the Ask the Accountant Podcast Network on the Ask the Accountant Pitstop Podcast, live from Accountex London 2026. They discuss Jon's first experience attending Accountex, the conversations that stood out, the challenges and opportunities facing modern finance teams, and how technology is changing the way business leaders access and use information.Jon also shares the story behind Stratavor, a decision intelligence platform designed for CEOs, CFOs, and executive teams. They explore how organisations can move beyond fragmented spreadsheets and manual reporting by unifying financial, commercial, and operational data into a single source of strategic insight.The conversation covers the importance of understanding the full business picture, from P&L performance and cash flow to customer trends, operational metrics, and forward-looking indicators powered by AI-driven analysis. Jon explains why timely, decision-ready insight is becoming essential for leadership teams looking to improve governance, drive performance, and make faster, better-informed decisions.An engaging discussion packed with practical insights for finance leaders, accountants, advisors, business owners, and anyone interested in the future of business intelligence and strategic decision-making.

In this episode, Chibueze Okey Agba, Executive Vice President and CFO, Hartford HealthCare, discusses how AI, consumer-focused care, and strategic partnerships are transforming healthcare delivery, while sharing why today's CFOs must be multidimensional leaders who drive innovation, operations, and long-term growth.Learn more about relentlessly raising RCM yield here: https://med-metrix.com/?utm_source=beckers&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=brand

In this Episode of FP&A Unlocked, host Paul Barnhurst features returning guest Jack McCullough, founder of the CFO Leadership Council, for a conversation about The Rodman Paradox and what it means for FP&A teams. The discussion explores how specialists can create outsized value, how leaders should recognise them, and how to manage them without turning them into the wrong kind of generalist.Jack McCullough is the founder and president of the CFO Leadership Council, a professional community he built to empower senior financial executives through peer learning and collaboration. Over the course of his career, Jack has served as chief financial officer for twenty-six companies, leading not only finance but also business development, HR, and IT functions.Expect to Learn:Build FP&A teams with the three Cs: communication, curiosity, courage.Rare specialists can outperform broad generalists.Spot true critical specialists vs. those who just seem important.Find hidden influence by who people turn to in crises.Avoid promoting specialists away from their best work.Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode:You want to encourage a culture of what I call the three Cs, which are communications, curiosity, and courage." – Jack McCullough"The Rodman paradox is there might be people that on the surface seem like they have a limited skillset, but because there are so few people who can do it well, they may actually be more important to your organisational success than executives." – Jack McCulloughJack brings the perspective of a seasoned CFO, author, and adviser who has spent years thinking about financial leadership, specialist talent, and the skills that matter most in modern finance.Follow Jack:Website - https://cfoleadershipcouncil.com/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackmcculloughcfo/Earn Your CPE Credit For CPE credit, please go to earmarkcpe.com, listen to the episode, download the app, answer a few questions, and earn your CPE certification. To earn education credits for the FPAC Certificate, take the quiz on earmark and contact Paul Barnhurst for further details.In Today's Episode[00:00] – Trailer[01:42] – Jack shares the coming book The Rodman Paradox[05:56] – The three Cs for strong FP&A teams[07:27] – Why the book is about specialists, not basketball[13:15] – How to spot a Rodman through influence and crisis[20:19] – Managing specialists through motivation and bureaucracy[30:05] – AI may increase the value of specialists[33:42] – Career advice for future CFOs and FP&A leaders[40:57] – Reflecting on the ultimate interview opportunities[45:57] – Wrap-up

Einmal im Jahr präsentiert FINANCE den Banken-Survey – und die diesjährigen Ergebnisse haben es in sich: Denn auch diesmal stand neben der Frage nach der besten Firmenkundenbank Deutschlands der Übernahmekampf zwischen Unicredit und der Commerzbank, der Finanzentscheider deutscher Unternehmen seit bald zwei Jahren Jahr in Atem hält, im Fokus.Und das Stimmungsbild der CFOs und Treasurer ist eindeutig: Sieben von zehn Befragten haben Bedenken gegen eine Übernahme, nahezu unverändert gegenüber dem Vorjahr. Und der Übernahmepoker sorgt auch für Unsicherheit bei den Kunden. Welche Häuser davon profitieren, welche an Boden verlieren, und was CFOs und Treasurer von ihren Banken in einem volatilen Umfeld wirklich erwarten, verrät der Chefredakteur bei mit FINANCE TV.Das erwartet Sie in diesem Talk:Warum die Commerzbank trotz anhaltender Übernahmeschlacht bei Firmenkunden so stabil dasteht.Was es für Unternehmen bedeutet, wenn zwei ihrer Hausbanken fusionieren, und warum viele CFOs dabei nicht an ein einfaches „1 + 1 = 2“ glauben.Welche Häuser von der Unsicherheit rund um den Übernahmepoker profitieren, und welches Geldhaus das Comeback des Jahres feiert.Wie Dentz den weiteren Verlauf der Causa Commerzbank einschätzt und warum er eine vollständige Übernahme nicht für zwingend hält.Was CFOs und Treasurer in Zeiten von Volatilität, Krisen und Transformation von ihren Bankpartnern am dringendsten fordern.Die Gesprächsteilnehmer:Host: Thomas Holzamer (FINANCE Magazin)Gast: Markus Dentz (Chefredakteur, FINANCE Magazin)_________________________________________Bei FINANCE TV ist die Finanzwelt im Gespräch! Jede Woche erwarten Sie hier exklusive Interviews mit CFOs, führenden Bankern und Experten aus Corporate Finance. Wir unterhalten uns über alles, was Finanzentscheider wissen müssen: von M&A und Finanzierung bis hin zu Private Equity, Wirtschaftsprüfung, Karriere, Gehalt und aktuellen Finanzskandalen.Kompakt, direkt und auf den Punkt!Mehr Infos gibt es hier: https://www.finance-magazin.de/tv/

**AI for Sales Podcast: Unlocking Customer Expectations and Human Trust with John Hetherington**Join us in this episode as John Hetherington, AI strategist and technology leader from Calgary, shares insights into how AI is transforming customer experience, the importance of human touch, and the future of AI-driven workflows. Discover practical advice on balancing automation with personal interactions and learn about emerging AI tools shaping sales strategies. Main topics include: How AI elevates customer expectations and enhances experiences The role of personal storytelling and individualism in sales success Using AI to streamline processes and identify new opportunities Addressing misconceptions and ethical considerations of AI Balancing automation with human relationship building The future of agentic AI and workflow management tools Developing skills for prompt engineering and AI mastery Timestamps: 00:00 - Welcome & introduction to John Hetherington and AI for Sales 00:29 - John's background: from UK to helping CFOs and CIOs accelerate growth 01:33 - The journey of sales roles from BDR to leadership 02:47 - Impact of AI on customer experience and expectations 03:29 - Raising the bar in customer service through AI 04:23 - Moving beyond information to insights and personalized experiences 05:09 - The importance of personal stories and individualism in sales 05:50 - Success stories and ROI examples of AI in customer engagement 06:33 - How AI saves time but requires strategic application 07:02 - AI's role in collaborative planning and customer empowerment 08:03 - Using AI for rapid research and list-building in government and public sector projects 08:56 - Risks of AI-driven outreach flooding inboxes and maintaining quality 09:47 - Common misconceptions about AI's impact on jobs and tasks 10:06 - The real question: how humans can leverage AI to do better work 11:17 - Repositioning sales and marketing as value sharing, not just selling 12:04 - Balancing personal touch with AI-driven automation 14:25 - Trust building through face-to-face and meaningful interactions 15:55 - Relationship nurturing and long-term engagement 18:23 - Falling in love with the customer's problem rather than the solution 20:40 - Emotional decision-making in high-stakes, personalized sales 21:07 - Emerging AI trends: agentic AI and workflow orchestration 22:55 - Practical first steps: choosing one AI tool and learning it deeply 23:49 - Developing skills in prompt engineering and asking the right questions 24:52 - Treating AI as a new team member: training, supervising, and inspecting 25:38 - Final advice for mastering AI and maintaining human trust Twitter Stay tuned for more insights on integrating AI into sales and customer success strategies! The AI for Sales Podcast is brought to you by BDR.ai, Nooks.ai, and ZoomInfo—the go-to-market intelligence platform that accelerates revenue growth. Skip the forms and website hunting—Chad will connect you directly with the right person at any of these companies.

Most CFOs spend their careers focused on accounting, compliance, and reporting.The best CFOs do something completely different.In this episode of The Authority Company Podcast, Joe Pardavila sits down with Chris Festog, author of The CFO Advantage, to explore how finance leaders can move beyond the numbers and become strategic partners, transformational leaders, and drivers of organizational growth.Drawing on more than four decades of experience in finance leadership roles with companies including Texaco, Zurich Insurance Group, and Mutual of America Financial Group, Chris explains why the CFO role is often misunderstood and how the most effective finance leaders shape strategy, influence culture, and help organizations thrive.The conversation covers leadership, stewardship, innovation, AI, career growth, ownership mentality, and why many professionals stay trapped in mediocrity.Whether you're a CFO, entrepreneur, business owner, executive, or aspiring leader, this episode offers practical insights on building influence and creating impact inside any organization.In this episode:• What separates a CFO from an accountant• Why CFOs are often underestimated• The three pillars of a high-impact CFO• How finance leaders become strategic partners• Why ownership matters more than talent• The danger of mediocrity in your career• How AI will change finance leadership• The rise of fractional CFOs• Why leadership requires courage• How great organizations balance stewardship and growthCHAPTERS00:00 Introduction00:27 CFO vs Accountant: What's the Difference?02:37 Why People Underestimate CFOs05:00 The "Chief No Officer" Problem07:38 The Three Pillars of the High-Impact CFO08:00 Stewardship Explained10:00 Leadership and Courage12:00 Why Transformation Matters14:00 Surviving vs Thriving at Work17:00 Partnering Instead of Policing19:22 Early Career Lessons on Hard Work22:59 Escaping the Narrative of Mediocrity25:05 AI and the Future of the CFO29:05 The Rise of Fractional CFOs31:37 Final Thoughts

Most reps trap themselves in the red sea of crappy discovery by stopping at basic operational problems that CFOs refuse to fund. In this episode, Armand and Nick break down their exact playbook, including:

Patrick Dillon, three months into the CRO seat at Nudge Security, joins Andrew to talk about what "AI-first" actually means when everyone at RSA has slapped AI on the booth. The conversation runs from product (AI-native vs. bolted-on, and the shadow AI hiding inside companies) to the go-to-market side: how he's rebuilding the team around technology, process, and people, in that order, and who he'll hire to run it.In this episode:Why companies without a deep AI strategy could be "zombie companies" that don't know it yetThe difference between AI-native, AI-first, and just connecting an LLM to your old stackHow one prospect thought they ran 2,000 apps and actually ran 5,300Why the buyers now include CFOs, compliance, and corporate counsel, not just securityFlipping "people, process, technology" to "technology, process, people" for an AI-first GTMWhy AI replaces reps who won't use AI, not salespeople as a wholeHow Patrick screens candidates for want-to, including whether they used AI to prep for the interviewWhy buyers now demand in one to three months what used to be a twelve-month roadmap promiseAbout the guest:Patrick Dillon is CRO at Nudge Security. He and Andrew first spoke on the podcast at RSA 2025, when Patrick was launching a channel program at Airlock. Nudge closed its Series A last November.Notable quotes:"You can't secure, you can't govern what you can't see.""The call is literally coming from inside your house.""It's not a skill thing or an age thing. It's really a want-to thing." Support the showThe Cyber Go-To-Market Talk is the show for cybersecurity sales leaders, founders, CROs, and go-to-market operators looking to improve cyber sales performance and build more predictable revenue growth. Hosted by Andrew Monaghan, founder of Unstoppable.do, covering cyber sales leadership, revenue leadership, sales onboarding, forecasting, pipeline generation, and cybersecurity go-to-market execution.Follow me on LinkedIn for regular posts about growing your cybersecurity startupWant to grow your revenue faster? Check out my cybersecurity sales consulting and trainingNeed ideas about how to grow your pipeline? Sign up for my newsletter.

In Episode 15 of Season 7 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined for the third time by Vin Vashishta, CEO and Founder of V-Squared, where they discuss why the organisations getting the most value from AI are focused less on models and use cases, and more on outcomes, information architecture and business transformation, which includes;Why AI strategy has become a revenue growth strategy rather than a technology strategy.Why AI is an information product that depends on context, information architecture and data.Why information flywheels will become the defining capability that separates AI leaders from everyone else.Why organisations are moving from buying AI products to forming outcome-based partnerships with technology and consulting providers.Why CEOs and CFOs are now demanding clear links between AI investment, business outcomes and shareholder value.Why meaningful AI ROI requires organisations to transform operating models rather than simply automate existing processes.Why the fastest-growing organisations are extracting the greatest value from AI by creating entirely new forms of value.Why organisations such as JPMorgan Chase and Eli Lilly are turning AI into sustainable competitive advantage.How organisations can begin building information flywheels.Why technical strategy is becoming a core capability for both executive leaders and technical practitioners as traditional management layers disappear.Why ownership of commercial outcomes matters far more than whether AI sits with the CIO, CDO or a Chief AI Officer.Why robotics, autonomous systems and edge AI could soon eclipse today's generative AI conversation.Why LLMs will become just one small component within far more sophisticated agentic systems.Why we'll see LLMs diminish in importance.Thanks to our sponsor, Data & AI Literacy Academy.Data & AI Literacy Academy is leading the way in transforming enterprise workforces with data literacy across the organisation, through a combination of change management and education. In today's data-centric world, being data literate is no longer a luxury, it's a necessity.If you want successful data product adoption, and to keep driving innovation within your business, you need to start with data & AI literacy first.At Data & AI Literacy Academy, they don't just teach data skills. They empower individuals and teams to think critically, analyse effectively, and make decisions confidently based on data. They're bridging the gap between business and data teams, so they can all work towards aligned outcomes.From those taking their first steps in data & AI literacy to seasoned experts looking to fine-tune their skills, our data experts provide tailored classes for every stage. But it's not just learning tracks that they offer. They embed a deep data culture shift through a transformative change management programme.They take a people-first approach, working closely with your executive team to win the hearts and minds. We know this will drive the company-wide impact that data teams want to achieve.Get in touch and find out how you can unlock the full potential of data in your organisation. Learn more at www.dl-academy.com.

The Financial Times reports that Wall Street is earning larger fees from SpaceX's initial public offering and renewed mega-merger activity. IPO underwriting fees typically range from three to seven percent of proceeds, with greenshoe options and lockups shaping liquidity. Advisory fees on transactions above $10 billion can reach into the high tens or hundreds of millions of dollars. Recent examples of large announced deals include ExxonMobil's move for Pioneer Natural Resources and Chevron's agreement to acquire Hess. A stronger fee environment draws resources to exchanges, law firms, auditors, and secondary platforms. Founders and CFOs face choices among IPOs, direct listings, spin-offs, and sales as they prepare for shifting market conditions.Learn more on this news by visiting us at: https://greyjournal.net/news/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Don’t let the AI wave crush you. Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://theultimatepartner.com/ebook-subscribe/ Check Out UPX: https://theultimatepartner.com/experience/ Dive into the seismic shifts happening within the AWS Marketplace and discover how AI, self-service product-led growth (PLG), and advanced co-selling strategies are redefining partner success. Matt Yanchyshyn, VP of Marketplace at AWS breaks down the recent announcements from the summit, illustrating how agility and adaptation are crucial to surviving the new agentic future. From lowering professional services fees to the explosion of business applications like ServiceNow, this conversation reveals the hidden mechanics of modern cloud procurement and how you can position your organization to capture massive enterprise opportunities before your competitors do. https://youtu.be/gaWxU1kgCLk Key Takeaways Adapting to the new agentic future requires agility rather than fighting the influx of AI tools. Lowering the listing fee for professional services from 2.5% to 0.5% drastically improves partner economics. Organizations without a self-service or PLG motion on the marketplace are literally leaving money on the table. Millennial buyers increasingly initiate complex enterprise procurements through self-service and AI-driven research. New AI-powered opportunity scoring empowers partners to prove their value internally and to AWS. Marketplace success hinges on optimizing metadata for AI agents, not just traditional SEO. If you're ready to lead through change, elevate your business, and achieve extraordinary outcomes through the power of partnership—this is your community. At Ultimate Partner® we want leaders like you to join us in the Ultimate Partner Experience – where transformation begins. Key Tags: AWS Marketplace, agentic workflow, med pick scoring, phoenix.ai, Cara Cloud, branded storefronts, product-led growth strategy, intrinsic value boost, SaaS evolution, self-service motion, Databricks credit model, Trend Micro companion app, MCP servers, opportunity score tracking, PPA drawdown, concurrent agreements, AAMI structural debt, CXML procurement Transcript: Matt Y Audio Podcast [00:00:00] Matt Y: The ability to adapt with change and kind of roll with punches. ’cause a lot of people are saying like, agents are gonna destroy everything. And, and the opposite has been true. [00:00:08] Vince Menzione: You can feel it happening. The ecosystem is shifting beneath us, the way hyperscalers are partnering, how AI is remaking the channel and what it means to win in 2026. [00:00:19] Vince Menzione: Welcome to the Ultimate Partner Podcast. I’m Vince Menzi, own your host. And each week I sit down with leaders at the intersection of technology, partnerships and outcomes. The voices shaping how ecosystems actually work. We talk about what’s real, what’s changing, and what it takes to lead in this era where the partner channel isn’t just part of the strategy. [00:00:42] Vince Menzione: It is the strategy because being in the room changes everything. [00:00:46] Matt Y: Let’s start. [00:00:50] Vince Menzione: And now on to the really important stuff. So, Matt, I don’t wanna butcher it ’cause I, a couple people have told me how to pronounce your last name and they said use the word magician and you’ll get close to it. But I’m just gonna introduce you as Matt Wy and I’m gonna ask you to pronounce your name on stage, but I want to have you join us. [00:01:08] Vince Menzione: So excited to have Matt wy. After a super busy day and night last night, come over from Brooklyn and join us today. Matt, so great to have you. Thanks. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Alright, so pronounce your name for us. [00:01:23] Matt Y: Anyone wanna guess? Ian’s? It’s like magician. [00:01:27] Vince Menzione: It’s not that hard, [00:01:28] Matt Y: it’s not that [00:01:28] bad, [00:01:28] Vince Menzione: but I don’t wanna butcher. [00:01:29] Vince Menzione: I wanted to let you do it. Good. [00:01:30] Matt Y: What calls me Matt White. [00:01:31] Vince Menzione: That’s great. [00:01:32] Matt Y: Yeah. [00:01:32] Vince Menzione: So 13 years. [00:01:34] Matt Y: Four coming up on 14 next month. Yeah. [00:01:36] Vince Menzione: Wow. Congratulations. Yeah. So you’ve been there, you’ve been there since the early days. And we, we had a conversation. I had some Microsoft, former Microsoft colleagues. Uh, Theresa Carlson, for those of you who knew the public sector business. [00:01:48] Vince Menzione: Yeah. Who started, I mean, Andy came out, it was so funny because I was there and she was hosting Andy for a dinner and with all the CIOs of the federal government. [00:01:57] Matt Y: Yeah. [00:01:58] Vince Menzione: And she was still at Microsoft and it was actually kind of an interesting time. And she came over and did a lot of great things for a number of years. [00:02:04] Matt Y: Yeah. She [00:02:05] Vince Menzione: and a lot of great [00:02:05] Matt Y: business. [00:02:06] Vince Menzione: Yeah. She really like, it went from employee number one to 7,000. [00:02:09] Matt Y: Yeah. [00:02:09] Vince Menzione: And you, you were, you’ve been there all that whole time. Pretty much. [00:02:12] Matt Y: Yeah, I guess when I started in New York, just down the road, we were, uh, in a Regis facility. There were like 11 of us in, uh, just sitting around a table and we had to speak quietly sometimes because there was a, um. [00:02:21] Matt Y: Some type of a financial services organization down the hall and they’d listen to try and get stock tips on Amazon. Yeah, [00:02:28] Vince Menzione: I love it. [00:02:29] Matt Y: Never leaked. That’s [00:02:29] Vince Menzione: good. I love it. [00:02:30] Matt Y: Yeah, [00:02:30] Vince Menzione: you probably got some great stories and, um, we won’t have time for today ’cause I wanna leave some room for conversations on marketplace end questions. [00:02:38] Matt Y: Yeah. [00:02:38] Vince Menzione: But I would love to invite you back for a real, like, in-depth podcast and I would love to get the whole genesis story. [00:02:44] Matt Y: Let’s do it. [00:02:45] Vince Menzione: We’ll do it. Okay, so let’s talk about, let’s talk about yesterday for you. Uh, some, some really big announcements as well. I thought maybe you could recap a little bit of what’s been going on in the marketplace business and it’s an, it’s been an exciting time. [00:02:58] Matt Y: Yeah. Yeah. You know what’s, I think what was really nice yesterday is it was sort of the combination of bringing, uh, our partner services like Partner Central and all those other services together closer to marketplace. We’ve been doing that over, over several years. So Marketplace has some of its own. [00:03:12] Matt Y: Big announcements, like, uh, we have a, we formalized our list and sell initiative. For example. We have a new, so it we essentially reducing the cost, uh, to list on marketplace through a partner program. [00:03:22] Vince Menzione: Yep. [00:03:22] Matt Y: And incentives associated with that. We have a new AI powered listing experience, which I think is particularly important ’cause I think many of you are like me and watching your SEO numbers go down and watching your agent traffic go up. [00:03:33] Matt Y: And so having, uh, an AI assistance in marketplace to optimize your listings for not just to, you know, retain what you can of your SEO, but prepare for the newent future and improve your GEO as we’re calling it. So that, [00:03:45] Vince Menzione: so it’s GEO now? [00:03:46] Matt Y: Yeah. You know, there’s a little debate right now in the acronym Moral A A EO versus GO I’m going, I’m on the G team, so, yeah. [00:03:52] Vince Menzione: Alright. GEO [00:03:54] Matt Y: It’s like the, the, yeah, they’re gonna win. They’re like the Knicks, but the, um, [00:03:57] Vince Menzione: yeah, yeah, exactly. [00:03:57] Matt Y: But yeah, so AI assisted, uh, I mean, making. The most of, like, essentially marketplace is an excellent conversion engine. And so using AI to help improve that conversion engine in the form of your PDPs for both humans and agents. [00:04:08] Matt Y: So that was an exciting launch. Um, I got the most applause when I announced that. We lowered, we made the economics better for, uh, consulting offers professional services, nice to marketplace. We lowered the listing fee from 2.5 to, to 0.5% and wow, it goes even lower in certain circumstances. So just improving the economics. [00:04:24] Matt Y: I’m really excited to. Really partner with a lot of you to reinvent services through, through the marketplace like we did with SAS and other areas. Uh, and we’re doing with agents right now. So that was a big one. And then a whole series of announcements around, um, how we’re making it easier and more cost effective and more efficient to partner with AWS. [00:04:41] Matt Y: So using AI to, uh, using med pick scoring to automatically progress opportunities so you don’t have to kind of wait on a human. To, to click and progress, you know, that that can take days. And, uh, if you, if you wanna have an opportunity and have that be cos sold with AWS, that can be through a mix of agents for the long tail and with humans in the, in the sort of top end and more complex. [00:05:00] Matt Y: And allowing AI to help all the partners improve their opportunity quality so that we can better co-sell together. So. Yeah, I said AI a lot intentionally. Um, [00:05:09] Audience Guest: yeah, [00:05:10] Matt Y: AI sort of in the whole cycle for buyers, for sellers, uh, for operational efficiency, cost of sales. So a lot of announcements. I think I hit the big ones, so yeah. [00:05:18] Matt Y: I’m Might have missed something there. There we go. [00:05:21] Vince Menzione: George. [00:05:21] Matt Y: Oh, and storefront. Yeah. Thanks George. See, I look at George to see what I missed. Uh, we, we acquired a great company called phoenix.ai late last year. Okay. And you, you actually were said Caresoft and Yeah. Be down. Uh, [00:05:30] Vince Menzione: yeah. [00:05:30] Matt Y: So if you’re familiar with Cara Cloud, they have a procurement portal. [00:05:33] Matt Y: It’s heavy use by the US government, and they, um. Uh, we, we acquired them, uh, the really great growth company. They have over 70 logos now, and they help you build a branded storefront on marketplace, which obviously is important in the government space. If you’re procuring on a certain contract with a certain reseller, um, you know, there’s a certain set of products you’re allowed to buy. [00:05:51] Matt Y: But what we’re finding is even down on Wall Street, you hear, um, enterprises are, are using storefronts for internal procurement and they wanna have a curated collection of, of partner products and, and your own ecosystems internally. So we’re selling to both customers. And also to channel partners to build custom storefronts, branded storefronts for, and [00:06:07] Vince Menzione: it makes total sense, right? [00:06:08] Vince Menzione: Yeah, because you wanna li you wanna limit the, the viewing and, uh, and get, because I mean, how many different listings do we have? Like over 30,000? [00:06:16] Matt Y: Yeah. Yeah. There’s, I think the official numbers over th we have over 36,000. I was checking from over 6,000 vendors. Um, it’s a lot. And, and that’s gonna explode with the AI powered, uh, listing, uh, experience that we launched. [00:06:26] Matt Y: We’re gonna make it easier. And I guess what I’ve been telling partners is. You know, customers aren’t clicking through categories anymore. They’re using AI to search. And so it doesn’t matter how big our catalog is, what matters is being found. And what matters is converting that buyer. So if you have a. [00:06:39] Matt Y: If you’re running a demand gen campaign for say, like, you know, life sciences in, in Jersey and there’s a specific buyer at j and j, you wanna capture, that person doesn’t wanna be just dropped onto a generic marketplace, 30,000 listings. They wanna be dropped in a very specific place where they’re seeing like life sciences offers from Accenture, for example, coupled with a life sciences power thing with Elastic, you know, like, but a solution. [00:07:00] Matt Y: And that they want to land in a curated place where that highly intention buyer can be converted effectively. So that, that’s what we’re doing with all this. [00:07:06] Vince Menzione: And that’s where the GEO comes in because [00:07:09] Matt Y: Yeah. ’cause that buyer might be an agent That’s right. With, and that agent has is even more fickle, honestly. [00:07:14] Matt Y: And you know, what used to be milliseconds for the human before they kind of click away is, is now perhaps microseconds. Yeah. And so, uh, you know, having the right metadata and, and the right positioning, uh, the right story that an agent or a human can pick up to ultimately. Uh, complete their product research and choose your product is, is critical. [00:07:30] Vince Menzione: Very cool. Very cool. So before I, I, I’ve been asked to ask you this because I, I’ve had this con, people have brought come to me and said, you gotta ask Matt about music. He’s a big music guy. And, uh, so what are your favorite bands? [00:07:49] Matt Y: So, I mean, the, the real answer is, uh. I, I go to about a show about every week. [00:07:54] Matt Y: As, as Mike Trill knows, uh, we heard a show last night. Um, we were, uh, just a few hours ago, really? And, uh, um, favorite band, uh, well, I’ll tell, I’ll tell a story. I, I had a side hustle with MTV for years. Um, I used to run a music website. Um, oh, that’s cool. I didn’t know that. It got, it got kind of popular. It got sponsored by, if, if anyone’s into like early hip hop. [00:08:16] Matt Y: It got sponsored by a group called Jurassic Five. ’cause he, one of them reached out to me and said, nice. Hey, uh, you know, I’ve been, I like your website. And he ended up paying for a web, hosting a Dream host, if you remember, of cost back then. [00:08:26] Vince Menzione: Oh, Jesus. [00:08:26] Matt Y: Because I was broke and couldn’t afford it. And then, uh, and then this band sent me like a, a single and said, Hey, you know, trying to get the word out about our little band, can you help us out? [00:08:35] Matt Y: And I put their, uh, I put their, you know, single up on my, on my website and it blew up. And that band is Vampire Weekend. So they’re kind of big now. Wow. Yeah. Um, and uh, that got picked up by like Vanity Fair and all these other guys. And then I got sponsored by MTV to essentially write. Music reviews for years on the side. [00:08:51] Matt Y: So I was working for the Associated Press, laying cable in sports and war and, and, uh, yeah. So Vampire Weekend was good to me that, that they, they kind of paved a way to go to a lot of free shows over the years and a lot of bands and see a lot of great music. But yeah. [00:09:03] Vince Menzione: That is very cool. And that, and how did that get your day? [00:09:05] Vince Menzione: WS It was just a, it was just the technology path that was like, [00:09:09] Matt Y: I mean, it’s a, it’s a, I guess it’s a bit of a long story, but, um, the. There’s many versions of this story. I’ll tell the, tell the one quickly. I was living for free in a Fulbright scholarship house in West Africa. You, we can talk about how that happened another time. [00:09:23] Matt Y: And, uh, a guy had sort of fallen down on the floor ’cause he’d had too much to drink. And I, I sort of lay down beside and be like, Hey man, are you all right? And, um, he, uh. He worked, he, he worked for the Associated Press and next day I had the job, um, being West Africa, head of technology for West Africa. [00:09:37] Matt Y: And because of that, um, and as I learned years later, the AP didn’t have dr they had no disaster recovery. Yeah. And I, I can tell you that now ’cause um, you know, 16 years since I worked there, but they, uh, I put the DR in, um, on AWS and we’re talking like, yeah, 16, 17 years ago. This is early. It was early days. [00:09:56] Matt Y: And I, I swear to God, I paid for. Uh, our AWS bill using, um, taxi receipts, fake taxi receipts that I bought in on Nigerian market, um, because there was no budget and so, you know, it was like 30 bucks. [00:10:08] Vince Menzione: I was gonna say swipe a credit card, but they didn’t [00:10:09] Matt Y: knew that this is the entire press this before. [00:10:11] Vince Menzione: This is before, yeah. [00:10:12] Matt Y: Yeah, like the entire ap. Um, and, uh, so AWS called me like, who are you? Like, why, why are you paying on like this like low limit credit card for like the ap? Like, who are you? And, uh. Next day I had the job. Well, a week later I had the job with aw WS. That so cool. So that’s the story’s [00:10:29] Vince Menzione: cool thing. [00:10:29] Matt Y: Yeah. [00:10:30] Vince Menzione: Very cool. [00:10:31] Vince Menzione: Uh, sports teams. So Knicks fan. [00:10:34] Matt Y: Yeah, I mean, I like the Knicks. Um, they’re h hockey, I’m not allowed to say anything different. No. I appreciate them. Uh, I’m a Raptors fan. I grew up in Toronto mostly. Yeah, yeah. Uh, so, and you know, when they won, uh, that was very exciting as well. So no, Nicks are great. I like the Knicks. [00:10:49] Matt Y: Nothing against the Knicks. Um. They’re fine. Yeah. [00:10:54] Vince Menzione: Hockey, hockey fan. Favorite hockey teams? [00:10:56] Matt Y: Oh yeah. Itron. Maple leaf. Maple leaf. Yeah. They’re gonna, they’re gonna win. Of course. Of course. Yeah. Um, like every year they’re actually, we [00:11:02] Vince Menzione: have some Canadians laughing in the sand. [00:11:03] Matt Y: Well, the leaf are, are, are the Knicks of hockey? [00:11:05] Matt Y: Like Yes, they are. You know, it’s 67 years out, coming up on 68 since they won, so That’s crazy. 53 is nothing. I know. Pain. So. Yeah, definitely the least. Yeah. [00:11:15] Vince Menzione: I love it. I love it. It’s so cool. Yeah. So what was the, uh, what was the, what was the last concert you went to? [00:11:22] Matt Y: Well, literally last night. Oh, it was last, [00:11:23] Vince Menzione: oh, that [00:11:24] Matt Y: was actually concert were my favorite bar in the world. [00:11:26] Matt Y: This place called Sunny’s. Uh, it’s, you know, I, I took Mike and, and Matt from, from Texas and from TGS down there to sort of see my neighborhood and they’re like, where are we? And I’m like, yeah, I live here. Uh, sort of an industrial part of Brooklyn. And, and we went to see, um, I dunno what you would call it, like. [00:11:40] Matt Y: I guess it’d be like roots music. There was a woman with an accordion and a guy with a big cowboy hat. Yeah, it was, it was fun. Yeah. [00:11:47] Vince Menzione: That is so funny. Alright, we’re gonna shift back years. Um, important time right now for partners. What, what should partners be looking out for the most? What would you say to them in terms of what’s the, what’s their real headline for them? [00:11:59] Matt Y: Well, I, I, you know, to borrow from you actually, you know, I liked, uh, the, the principles you had up there and, and with agility, um, you know, there’s a lot of fud flying around right now. You know, people. People were like, oh, it’s the demise of sis with the arrival of ai, you know, everyone’s gonna be using agents. [00:12:13] Matt Y: And then it turns out it’s been a huge boon for most, uh, you know, system integrators and consulting companies that I work with. They all have, you know, the, the good ones especially have vibrant consulting practices now, and everyone is deploying fds, uh, you know, um, the new, the new cool acronym. But it’s, it’s essentially created a huge opportunity for the consulting space. [00:12:31] Matt Y: Uh, and similarly, uh, you know, there there’s this narrative around the sa sa apocalypse, which I really hate, you know, ’cause it was, uh, premature and kind of a trigger reaction from the stock market. And, you know, just look, look what Snowflake did. And, you know, they did what a lot of SaaS companies are doing, but they, they added a nice sort of glaze of positioning and, and, you know, their stock popped and they did pretty well. [00:12:50] Matt Y: And so I think the ability to adapt with change and kind of roll with the punches. ’cause a lot of people are saying like, agents are gonna destroy everything. And, and the opposite has been true. For the more successful consulting companies and software companies who have become agentic. But SaaS hasn’t gone away, you know? [00:13:05] Matt Y: No. Look at our own marketplace. We have this agent marketplace, but people aren’t buying atomic agents at scale. They’re buying ified SaaS solutions with sort of agent sidecars, which has created new opportunities for candidly additional licenses, [00:13:16] Vince Menzione: right? [00:13:16] Matt Y: Um, as customers sort of want to consume more AI services on top of their. [00:13:20] Matt Y: On top of their SaaS solutions. So I think being agile, you know, you see like ServiceNow as part of our billionaires club. Yes. They’re not going anywhere. They’re, yeah. They’re gentrifying. You know, Salesforce has pivoted to this headless model, um, along with Asian Force and using sort of Slack as the operating system. [00:13:34] Matt Y: And, you know, you said like a lot of companies from the seventies aren’t around anymore. They’re gonna be winners and losers. Yeah. Um, but the winners are gonna win even more. And so I, I think what’s so important right now for partners is to not, not bite too hard at the, the latest trend. You know, models are changing and everyone’s like, oh, you know, philanthropics really in the world and they’re wonderful, great to work with, amazing technology. [00:13:55] Matt Y: That’s what people are saying about open AI six months ago. That’s right. And before that, you know, and it, I, I was with Fireworks AI yesterday, a great company and they have some really cool stuff with sort of, um, they believe in more cost effective, uh, open source models essentially, that you can find tune. [00:14:08] Matt Y: Maybe that’s gonna win. I don’t know. Um, is it gonna be sort of domain specific models? Is it gonna be highly capable LLMs? Are LLMs gonna level off as soon as Fable and Mythos are allowed to launch? Maybe. I, I don’t think anyone can predict the future right now. So you have to be agile and you have to kind of seize the opportunities and take a couple punches. [00:14:25] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:14:26] Matt Y: You know, and marketplace too, like we’re, you have to be unafraid to experiment right now. Um, you know, that’s hard if your stock’s taking a beating. Um, but this is, it’s a, it is a disruptive time, uh, but it’s creating actually enormous opportunities for growth for partners and, and we really see that, you know, in marketplace specifically within AWS. [00:14:45] Vince Menzione: It, it, it does still feel like the deer in the headlights moment. Right. Would you agree? Like you’re probably taking a lot of meetings and, and calls from ISVs specifically? [00:14:54] Matt Y: Well, [00:14:54] Vince Menzione: that are still trying to figure it out. [00:14:56] Matt Y: Yeah. But it’s everyone. Yeah. I think what’s really interesting, I had a meeting [00:14:58] Vince Menzione: with, it’s not just one. [00:14:59] Matt Y: Yeah. I, well, I had a meeting with one of the leading AI companies, like one of the biggest ones. And they, uh, they demonstrated how they work and they were really proud. They were like, you know, look at our agentic workflow. And I came out at me. I’m like, that’s it. Ours is way better. Like really like, you know, ’cause we we’re, we’re using quick desktop with MCP servers and connectors and all this, and you know, we, we have our own sort of ecosystem of partners, a mix of homegrown software and third party. [00:15:20] Matt Y: And I kinda walked out there and, and looked at, you know, my phone, which has been populated by agents this morning with all the, and I was like, I have a way better agent workflow than this world’s leading supposedly AI company. And I think, um, that really, so during, I, I would, during the headlights, you can call it deer in the headlights, I call it chaos. [00:15:36] Matt Y: And in times of chaos there are people who create. Opportunity again. And so, yeah, there are some people who are stuck and who don’t know what to do, who are over worried about token costs, um, who are not experimenting. But there are a lot of companies, uh, taking this opportunity to kind of pivot their business. [00:15:53] Matt Y: Um, I think, I think we’re in a moment and, uh, yeah, I, I candidly I see more of the latter. I see more experimenting. [00:15:59] Vince Menzione: You mentioned ServiceNow. Any other great examples of that? Organizations that really embraced it? [00:16:04] Matt Y: Uh, yeah. Well, you know, ServiceNow is part of this business applications category, as we call it, in marketplace. [00:16:09] Matt Y: That outside of AI, I think is the fastest growing category in marketplace, which is wild when you think about it. ’cause we’ve historically been an infrastructure partner marketplace with security and data and analytics and, you know, security with channel partners, et cetera. But Salesforce, ServiceNow, Workday, Adobe, you know, I could go on. [00:16:23] Matt Y: They, they are actually. You know, our fastest growing category and yeah, ServiceNow, obviously reinventing itself for ai, Salesforce, but Workday, you know, the workday’s done some, who knows if it’s gonna work, but they, they’re experimenting with essentially like a Databricks, uh, credit style model for like, units of work, uh, which I think is fascinating. [00:16:41] Matt Y: Like everyone’s talking about value-based, outcome-based pricing and meter. And, and you have companies that are ERP companies, you know, like traditional business applications, experimenting with effectively like a metered pay as you go, value based credit model. Again, like who knows if it’s gonna work. [00:16:54] Matt Y: But I think that’s really amazing to see and we need more ISVs experimenting. I, I was talking about trend ai and I know they’re, they’re, they’re one of the sponsors yesterday. You know, many of you know them as Trend Micro back in the day. They’ve successfully reinvented themselves. They built that companion app. [00:17:10] Matt Y: Um, you know, that I think we’re seeing. Just a ton of experimentation in the market across categories. Uh, I could go on and on about partners. Um, yeah, there, I I wouldn’t pick a winner right now. Yeah. [00:17:24] Vince Menzione: You, you, we’ve talked about ai. We’ve talked, talk more about the buying journey and how that’s changing, because again, it feels, it feels like that’s also [00:17:33] Matt Y: Yeah. [00:17:33] Matt Y: So, you know, one of, one of the core, uh, strategic objectives, or we’ll say like the philosophy marketplace is that. Um, financial incentives are important, you know, EDP or PPA drawdown, uh, credits. Like we need to act as an efficient and effective vehicle for allowing buyers to exercise their discounts for, and, and sort of partners to exercise their credits, et cetera. [00:17:55] Matt Y: That, that’s actually important. But what, what a lot of people over rotate on that, and we’re really, one of the things we say a lot inside at Amazon or at AWS marketplace is we want to continue to boost the intrinsic value of marketplace beyond the financial incentives. And well over a quarter of all private offers, private pricing, private, uh, custom terms, et cetera. [00:18:14] Matt Y: Um, begin with a self-service or PLG motion. And partners who don’t have a PLG or self-service motion are literally leaving money on the table. Like if you look at like a Databricks for example, and they did a good job integrating buy with a WS within their SaaS application. They have free trials, they have really strong pego and, and, uh, and PLG motion. [00:18:33] Matt Y: They’re making, I can’t share their numbers obviously, but they’re making a ton of money. On purely self-service motions. And importantly, they’re acquiring new business, new logos that they nurture, you know, really like not just leads but closed opportunities, right? That they lead, they’re growing, uh, at a reasonable conversion rate or or success rate into the next big logos. [00:18:50] Matt Y: And these are over multi-year horizons. They’re patient, you know, they bring in these new logos with PLG, and they’re also bringing banking, a lot of large enterprises. Through self-service. I, I was with data Mask. There’s this great little startup from New Zealand. They’re a New Zealand based company. Um, super nice guy. [00:19:06] Matt Y: And, and, uh, they, they got huge logos. I think they got, what was it? A DP and some huge American logos. Okay. And this like logo in, I think it was Chile, or no, it was Peru. They’ve never been to Peru. They don’t have sales in Peru. Um, and they. Buyers were discovering them self-service and they, they, I think they got something like 13 logos entirely through a self-service motion. [00:19:26] Matt Y: One password will tell you the same thing. I was just with them in Toronto and companies big and small startups and the largest are getting enterprise wins in addition to net new small logos through that PLG. Buyer motion. And that’s because you have a whole generation of CFOs, CTOs, CROs, whatever. The C is [00:19:43] Vince Menzione: millennial [00:19:43] Matt Y: who grew up on their phones. [00:19:45] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:19:45] Matt Y: And, and it sounds like, you know, hyperbole, but it’s true. They, they want immediate apps, immediate access. And that actually, you’re like, oh, that never translates to business applications. Turns out it does. It does. And they might not be buying on their phone, but what they are doing is researching and we see the numbers, the amount of customers who are doing their research, and then eventually landing on the page from chat, GPT. [00:20:06] Matt Y: From major financial, like Fortune 500 companies is extremely high. Yeah. Uh, you have procurement team, sourcing team, uh, developers who are starting the research increasingly, like in clawed in chat, GPT, and then, you know, building a proposal and then handing it to their enterprise procurement team. Yeah. [00:20:22] Matt Y: Which is still largely unchanged. So buyer behavior is on the front end, on the research side is really changing. So the [00:20:29] Vince Menzione: discovery is happening through PLG. [00:20:32] Matt Y: Yeah. [00:20:32] Vince Menzione: And then the backend work on private offers and things like that sometimes still happens the old way. [00:20:36] Matt Y: Yeah. Well, and so, you know, it’s [00:20:37] Vince Menzione: fax machine, [00:20:38] Matt Y: some people Yeah, sure. [00:20:39] Matt Y: They’re bringing the deal directly to Marketplace last minute. But even if that deal goes direct, sometimes they’re still beginning their research journey and increasingly using Marketplace as a research vehicle, which is why we launched Agent Mode, um, to help you sort of help you and agents do research. [00:20:51] Matt Y: But that I think if, if I have one piece of device for any partner consulting or ISV is. Don’t leave those leads and that money on the table by not having a PLG self-service strategy like you’re fooling yourself. Uh, and it’s, it’s a huge, it’s a huge, huge business for us. The, the majority of all customers by far on marketplace don’t even have a PPA, uh, and a huge percentage of even those with PPA spend beyond the p. [00:21:17] Matt Y: And so if you’re just think if you’re just using marketplaces as like BPA retirement, you are literally losing money. [00:21:22] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:21:22] Matt Y: Yeah. [00:21:23] Vince Menzione: We have a session with Vinod. We’re gonna talk a little bit about that right after. Great. So good. Um, so I, yeah, I think, um. We talked about, we talked about agents, we’ve talked about the millennial buyer, the change in buying behavior. [00:21:40] Vince Menzione: What other, what other areas of aspect I, I, I, I do wanna think about like opening it up though for a second. I think that maybe with maybe nine minutes left. Sure. I just want to get a read from the people in the room. People have questions for Matt that we weren’t able to ask them. Yeah, I think, I think we probably have a few of those. [00:21:57] Vince Menzione: I think that would probably be great. [00:21:58] Matt Y: I can sense the hardball coming. [00:22:00] Vince Menzione: You’ve known each other [00:22:00] Matt Y: a long time. [00:22:01] Vince Menzione: Yeah. No, no. Hardball. We have a mic back here. Okay. I’ll just, we’ll, we’ll, we’ll get you a mic as we are recording. So good. Thank you. [00:22:11] Audience Guest: Uh, Boris Geller with a, a Click PLG is near and dear to my heart. [00:22:17] Audience Guest: We’ve been doing a lot of business in marketplace and I’m still struggling to sell my vision internally on, on, uh, on PLG. Uh, I think. Ag Agent AI is gonna be one of the drivers, and we are already on, uh, agent Marketplace, but I would appreciate guidance on, uh, best practices. How do we kind of, uh, operationalize it? [00:22:41] Audience Guest: It’s, it’s on us, not on you. [00:22:43] Matt Y: Well, no, I think it’s on both of us. You know, we, uh. One thing that we’re trying to do is give you more data to, to sell to your internal stakeholders in your executive suite. The value of co-sell with AWS all up, like finally with what we launched at, uh, the summit yesterday, you now get an opportunity score. [00:23:02] Matt Y: You, you get a number. People have been asking for this for years, so, so you can say when we do this and we, when we give AWS this information. The score goes up and we have a higher propensity to be cos sold by humans or agents before you had to kind of, it was like this mystery you had to guess. And similarly with marketplace, um, we, we have new dashboards that you can use to sort of, you used to have to sit down with us and go through spreadsheets to trace sort of lead to trace the funnel to sort of a close opportunity. [00:23:28] Matt Y: And we’re gonna continue to launch more there. But you now have more data that you can show. You can be like, listen, these are our inbound leads, this how’s converting, and now we have PRM, the partner revenue measurement where we can say like, this is what it’s translating into in terms of. AWS service revenue driven by our product. [00:23:41] Matt Y: And so that being able to tie from that inbound lead from your demand gen campaign through to a converted opportunity to what you actually drive from an AWS impact perspective, so you can, and then what your opportunity score is that data you can use to sell. Not only internally, but to us as well. Yeah, to a skeptical sales team or whatever who’s not maybe, you know, hype on partners in the, in the US West. [00:24:03] Matt Y: You can be like, listen, I don’t care what you think about my business. This is what I’m gonna drive for you with your quarter retirement from an AWS perspective, and this is how the shape of your customer accounts are gonna change. And this is why you should pay attention to my opportunities. ’cause my opportunity score is, is crazy high and I’m giving you insights into business that AWS would not otherwise have. [00:24:19] Vince Menzione: That’s your brand story we’re talking about. [00:24:21] Matt Y: Yeah. [00:24:22] Vince Menzione: Building your story up with within [00:24:25] Matt Y: So it’s, it’s about the data, I guess. And, and you should, you know, you should all actually be [00:24:28] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:24:29] Matt Y: Asking me for more data, so, you know, and tell me like, what do you need to sell to your internal stakeholders? ’cause if I can draw a clear line. [00:24:35] Matt Y: From your demand chain campaign that lands on a marketplace, which I know is a conversion machine, it has way better than industry levels of, of conversion rates. And then you can show, hey, if we have a PLG strategy and we land those leads on marketplace, we will convert them with high efficiency, low cost of sales and, and, and have sort of a bifurcated where we can close some through self service, some through express private offers and some through private offers, depending on deal size. [00:24:57] Matt Y: Like you tell A CFO that, and they’re my number one customer now and they love it ’cause they see cost of sales going down, cost of operations going down and business going up. Um, so I think we have more data than we used to use that data. And let me know what other data do you need to make that pitch and make that pitch to the CFO go around the head of sales, all those other people. [00:25:15] Matt Y: Honestly, the CFO is where we get the best leverage. [00:25:18] Vince Menzione: Awesome. Great question. [00:25:23] Matt Y: Gonna bring your mic. [00:25:23] Vince Menzione: We’re, we’re gonna get your mic here. There you go. Oh, [00:25:25] Audience Guest: thank you. So my name’s Jody Cheval and I’m a consultant now, but I was at Workday during when they adopted AWS and it, a sales organization needs propensity to buy data. [00:25:34] Audience Guest: To really drive the sales team to realize the opportunity kind of makes them visualize it. We didn’t struggle, but it was challenging to get that data because at that time we’re getting spreadsheets. So does AWS have a vision of making that API based data that our client, my clients, can get at and bring into a tool to start building account hypothesis based on that data? [00:25:57] Audience Guest: ’cause it really is important to an enterprise sales guy to have the sense that OAWS can help me close this deal. [00:26:03] Matt Y: Yeah. I mean. Part of that. So we, we launched, we’ve been launching part of that in stages and we’re not done. There’s, there’s more coming. Um, part of that is embedded really within the new, uh, partner agent workflows. [00:26:13] Matt Y: We are giving sort of more, uh, information back to you, not just about like what funding programs you’re eligible for, but like, you know, and when, when we will co-sell this deal with you, which is effectively a signal like we, we see this as a high value opportunity, that you have a likelihood of winning internally. [00:26:28] Matt Y: We, we have this solution matching engine that we’re using and we announced. That, that that ties you the partner to a customer specific opportunity that you have a high propensity or the partner has a high propensity to assist with and ultimately win. And now we’ve tied that to our express private offers, which we announced this week. [00:26:44] Matt Y: So it’s an indirect answer to what you’re asking, but a rep can essentially say. Send a private priced offer to the customer on behalf of the partner without having to ring up the partner because they have a high propensity to win this deal with the customer. So we’re progressively launching features like that. [00:26:59] Matt Y: In addition to the propensity to buy data that we do now share. It used to be kind of, again, manual magic depending on who you knew we could share. Now we do share that programmatically, and there’s more to come specifically in that space. Uh, I’d say watch that space. In the next few months, there’s gonna be more data coming away, but we do have the APIs, we have the agent. [00:27:16] Matt Y: We have things like express private office solution matching, and we have been sort of in that space progressively launching features over the last six to 12 months. And, and you should expect to see some more there soon, not just from us or from our partners. [00:27:27] Vince Menzione: Nice. Any announcement dates? [00:27:30] Matt Y: I can’t commit to a date or else my engineers will get mad at me. [00:27:33] Vince Menzione: It looks like we Another question number. Is the mic still back there? Okay. There’s a gentleman over here [00:27:40] Audience Guest: first Go leaves. Um, it’s awesome. I’m right next to. I was right next. [00:27:46] Vince Menzione: We’ve got a lot of great plants here, so, [00:27:49] Audience Guest: um, so this may be a little bit myopic or, or a challenge that we run into, but I love a lot of the innovation that’s looking forward and all the future things that we’re doing. [00:28:00] Audience Guest: One of the things that we’re struggling with is a little bit of almost like tech or structural debt. How do you think about bringing flexibility to the core pieces that underpin all of the innovation, which is. We are self-hosted. So one of our listings is an a MI. You can’t amend an a MI, you have to cancel and start over. [00:28:18] Audience Guest: So a lot of the building blocks, when you think about PLG, if somebody wants to add to that in an a MI listing, it’s, it’s sort of broken. So how are you thinking about taking all of the, the rapidly changing buyer behavior and then looking back at the structural foundation that underpins all of those things, like offers and, and amendments and changes and all of that? [00:28:39] Matt Y: Yeah. I, I promise I didn’t seed that question, but that, that’s a great one. Um, so not to get too in the weeds, but fundamentally, marketplace was built up, um, a bit like AWS like a set, a series of services somewhat independently. And each product type was effectively its own service, SaaS, server images, ais. [00:28:59] Matt Y: Um, what we’ve done recently is now we, we have, we got rid of product types basically on the backend. You, you don’t see it, but what that means, for example, like another thing AAMIs don’t support today, future data agreements. Um, or concurrent agreements, uh, they will all be supported by amis before the end of the year. [00:29:14] Matt Y: ’cause what we’re doing, this fundamental thing that you won’t even see called product offer decoupling. Uh, and it’s a fundamental piece of things that we need to unwind. ’cause we built up, we were moving very quickly over the years. We had a distributed engineering model and we built each product type independently. [00:29:28] Matt Y: And so yeah, if you’re a seller and you’re selling containers, agents, SaaS, amies, um, we’re breaking down the silos between those so that each of them will get the same benefits. And, and by the way, we’re taking the same approach to international. Hopefully you’ve noticed now that. It’s not like a feature launches in the US only and then takes five years to launch in either public sector or another country. [00:29:48] Matt Y: We, we’ve taken a global approach to feature launch and increasingly a product type neutral approach to feature launches. Uh, that’ll be largely resolved before the year’s out. We’re working on it right now. So again, it’s, it should be transparent to you, like you shouldn’t actually see any difference in the, in the experience. [00:30:05] Matt Y: Except that all of those features will be available. So, so that is, uh, actively under work. And that’s actually something if you’d like to try, um, you’re, you’re welcome to. So, yeah, [00:30:17] Vince Menzione: we have time for maybe one more question and we we’re actually gonna have you up here with a couple partners. [00:30:24] Matt Y: Sounds [00:30:24] Vince Menzione: good. Kind of fun. [00:30:32] Audience Guest: Hey, Matt, uh, met Natasha from Dondo. Uh, quick. So great announcements. And you know, you talked about the million, multi-billion dollar, uh, club, and, uh, that’s all great. Uh, in terms of the. Propensity data. I think that’s coming at the center of a lot of things, right? You know, for enterprises, oh, there’s an investment and you tap into that investment. [00:30:53] Audience Guest: But also there’s the other side of the procurement where a lot of customers, sometimes we work with, they’re like, they still wanna go direct for whatever reason, right? So I think there’s an education piece there, but also trying to understand like how we can work together to, you know, get some of that side of the things sorted out as well. [00:31:11] Audience Guest: You know? ’cause a lot of times it’s not about. Just, you know, retiring the, uh, the, the spend comets, but also like, Hey, I’m used, I’m already used that for something else. So maybe that’s not an, uh, something that applies here. And in also in tying that the PLG motion, uh, you know, for the customers you said, you talked about, you know, if there is. [00:31:34] Audience Guest: Leads on the TA table, like where the, it’s not the enterprise, but you know, the others. Um, I feel like it’s more to do, changing the business model at some times. Like with the enterprises, you have the revenue stream coming through, say large deals, right? And all of a sudden you tap into this, you know, PayGo. [00:31:51] Audience Guest: Where it flips the whole equation with, you know, the financing and the, and the, and the revenue measurement. So I think there’s two aspects of how do you kind of cons reconcile those things in terms of, you know, the revenue measurements going forward. [00:32:05] Matt Y: Yeah. So, so two things real quick on the procurement. [00:32:07] Matt Y: Um, yeah, like, yeah, I sort of alluded to this earlier, but, uh. Procurement is a bit late to the AI ag agentic transformation. They’re trying, and there’s a lot of great new incumbents in this space. And the big leaders like, you know, Coupa and Ariba and Oracle are, are, are evolving their products, albeit a bit slowly. [00:32:26] Matt Y: Um, but the, I think, uh, it’s still the long pole in the tent. You know this. And so like, there are two reasons why deals tend to go direct, because it kind of hits a wall of. Legal, uh, you know, procurement, governance, like all that kind of after the selection’s been made, et cetera, or, or they’re, you know, we can’t change. [00:32:44] Matt Y: People are gonna optimize for, for finance, you know, they’re, they’re going to, if they’re getting big discounts. I mean, that is life. I always say it’s like sellers at the most agented company are still gonna chase quota no matter how, you know, crazy. Uh, your, your company is, and it’s the same with, um, with the chief, uh, financial officer and chief procurement officer. [00:33:01] Matt Y: They are going to, they’re literally. Paid to find discounts. And so we’re not, we’re not gonna get rid of financial engineering. That’s a, that’s a thing. What we can do is reduce the friction for procurement. So we launched, for example, like mandatory purchase orders. That was a big thing. We, we have buyer notifications, now we’re making other procure to pay enhancements. [00:33:17] Matt Y: I mean, procurement systems still use like CXML. It’s like, that was, that was cool when I worked for the ap. And like I, I have teenagers that are old, like older than, so they, I, I think, um. Procurement needs to evolve and we’re gonna help it evolve. We’re gonna push it forward and, and we need to make it more seamless for procurement teams so that we remove those objections. [00:33:38] Matt Y: Uh, I can’t remove the financial engineering objection, like, you know, that’s just life. Um, but I can make it irresponsible not to use marketplace ’cause it’s so easy to use. And, uh, that, that’s kind of the approach we’re taking on, on the front end. Uh, you, you know, I think you, you, again, I didn’t see this question. [00:33:52] Matt Y: You, you stepped into a trap. Un unwittingly, um, PLG is not just is for enterprise. And, and PLG doesn’t necessarily mean pego or self-service. Uh, doesn’t necessarily like, uh, most of our self-service efforts are actually focused on private offers. And not necessarily for pego. Uh, when, when I say self-service and, and PLG, uh, it, it can mean all kinds of things like it. [00:34:14] Matt Y: We have requested private offer, requested demo call to actions, buttons that you can put on your listing. For example, you don’t necessarily need a free trial or a metered pay as you go listing to take advantage of those inbound self-service leads. So, and those inbound self-service leads are often massive enterprise deals, like I mentioned specifically, uh, the data mask. [00:34:31] Matt Y: Those giant enterprise deals that they launched came from an enterprise like Fortune 1000 Enterprise in the US that organically discovered their solution on the marketplace using our AI search. And that was a massive enterprise. And so I, I think yes, there is the long tail, you wanna capture a new logo acquisition, but you should think of your product like growth in your self-service strategy as a way to, um, acquire all kinds of leads, including large enterprise. [00:34:54] Matt Y: And so when I say leave money on the table, I’m not just talking about things that are gonna mature over two years or tiny little deals. These could be massive deals. Uh, and, and you’ll accelerate those deals by accelerating their discovery and, and research so that I think that, so, and my advice is don’t, you don’t have to go all in if you don’t have, if you don’t have metering, if you don’t have PayGo, that’s cool. [00:35:13] Matt Y: Start with something simple. Start with a public listing, with a request to private offer like that. That is a, a huge step. That doesn’t take much, and, and it kind of blows my mind still that a lot of companies aren’t doing that yet. [00:35:25] Vince Menzione: Great answer. Well, it’s now time we’re gonna bring, we’re gonna bring, it’s time. [00:35:29] Vince Menzione: We, we’ve got some great partners coming up here, Nvidia Elastic, Accenture gonna all join us for a conversation. Great. And I’m glad that you’re gonna stay with us. And let’s, let’s, well, let’s thank Matt, by the way, for that session. [00:35:41] Matt Y: Thanks. [00:35:42] Vince Menzione: And [00:35:42] Matt Y: thanks for listening to the Ultimate [00:35:44] Vince Menzione: Partner Podcast. If today’s conversation resonated, share it with a partner leader in your network. [00:35:51] Vince Menzione: Subscribe where you listen. And head over to the ultimate partner.com. For show notes related content and the resources for this episode. And if you haven’t already, now’s the time to register for the Ultimate Partner Live Event in Reston, Virginia, October 26th through October 28th. Until next time, keep showing up in the rooms that matter because being in the room changes everything.

Katie Bullard helped take DiscoverOrg from $30 million to $300 million in revenue, then served as president of A Cloud Guru and Red Canary through exits to Pluralsight and Zscaler. She joins AJ Bruno and Asad Zaman to break down what actually changes for operators in an AI-first world. From why "AI native" is not a growth strategy, to how to align the CRO, CFO, and product team around a single growth plan. Topics include building for customer value before chasing AI ARR, the move from seat-based to consumption pricing, and why 70% of the old playbook for hiring a great executive is suddenly out of date. Also: a reality check on AI accuracy across multi-step work. Plus, a Bulls and Bears debate on whether $200 a week is the real ceiling on AI's value. Key Takeaways: - AI has to earn its keep in customer value, not exist for its own sake. As Katie put it: "Too many companies, I would say, are focusing on the technology … and not on the customer value." Her fix is to ground every AI investment in the ROI it drives for a customer before worrying about the AI ARR label investors keep asking about. - The profile of a great executive is being rewritten in real time. Katie's warning for anyone with a strong track record: "the classic operator of a $100 million business actually will not be particularly successful in a $100 million business today that is redefining itself." She estimates 70% of the pattern-matching investors and recruiters used to hire CROs, CFOs, and CEOs is now out the window, replaced by a hunt for learning velocity over past wins. - AI's success with code does not automatically transfer to the rest of the org. Asad Zaman, CEO at STA, ran the math: "if you take the best model … against any one step … it has 95% accuracy … if you do a 20-step process … that same model achieves 37% accuracy." His point is that stacking agents to cover that compounding error only works when you spend enough compute to make the task uneconomical. - The AI-native shift is already changing how companies hire and build. AJ Bruno, CEO at QuotaPath, said flatly that "Our engineers aren't writing code at all," noting roughly 90% of the company's code now comes from either Cursor or Claude, and framed AI-enabled services at above 70% margin as QuotaPath's real growth engine for 2027. Connect with the Hosts & Guests: Host: AJ Bruno, CEO at QuotaPath - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajbruno3/ Host: Asad Zaman, CEO at STA - https://www.linkedin.com/in/azaman1/ Guest: Katie Bullard, Board Member & Strategic Advisor - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiebullard/ Topline is more than a YouTube Channel: Subscribe to Topline Newsletter: https://toplinemedia.substack.com/ Tune into Topline Podcast, the #1 podcast for founders, operators, and investors in B2B tech: https://www.joinpavilion.com/topline-podcast Join the free Topline Slack channel to connect with 600+ revenue leaders to keep the conversation going beyond the podcast: https://www.joinpavilion.com/topline-slack Chapters:  00:00 Introducing Katie Bullard 05:24 The $30M to $300M Playbook 09:58 Operating In The Age Of AI 15:54 Aligning The CRO And CFO 23:26 AI Native Is Not A Strategy 25:35 Value First, Then Pricing 26:51 The AI ARR Valuation Puzzle 41:11 Inside The Red Canary Exit 45:35 Betting On AI-Enabled Services 49:15 Rewriting The Hiring Profile 52:51 The Executive Hiring Reset 58:24 The AI Accuracy Reality Check 1:01:16 Why Humans Still Hold The Pen 1:04:53 Bulls and Bears

Most founders end up as their own default CFO, buried in spreadsheets, cash flow, and pricing decisions. In this episode of Growth Think Tank, Gene Hammett talks with Brennan de Raad, founder of Vessel Advisors (No. 2,665 on the Inc. 5000). We explore the key signs that it's time to bring in strategic financial leadership, especially as your business grows beyond $5 million in revenue and the founder is still managing the finances. Gene sits down with Brennan De Raad of Vessel Advisors to discuss how fractional CFOs, controllers, and back-office accounting teams help businesses gain financial clarity, improve cash flow visibility, and make better decisions with actionable reporting. We also dive into how AI is transforming recurring finance tasks, the importance of tracking leading indicators alongside traditional financial metrics, and why weekly revenue, cash flow forecasts, and sales activity deserve closer attention. The conversation wraps up with a practical discussion on pricing strategy and gross margin, two of the most overlooked drivers of sustainable growth and profitability. Episode Highlights & Time Stamps 0:03 Fractional CFO Basics 4:23 AI in Finance 7:19 When to Hire a CFO 15:03 Tracking the Right Numbers 19:47 Pricing and Margin Blind Spots 24:32 Final CFO Takeaways Key Takeaways The $5M threshold: Once a business crosses roughly $5M in revenue, it's usually strong enough to benefit from a fractional CFO but not yet large enough to justify a $250K–$600K full-time hire.  Warning signs it's time to hire: Financial reports stop making sense, revenue grows but cash stays tight, or the founder feels lost in a finance world they no longer fully understand.  AI is reshaping finance functions: Platforms like QuickBooks, NetSuite, and Sage are building in native AI agents, while tools like Claude are cutting cash-flow forecasting projects from hours down to a fast, natural-language process.  Fractional works at scale too: Vessel Advisors now supports companies north of $100M on a fractional basis, a shift from a decade ago when a $25M company "had to" have a full-time CFO.  Track leading indicators, not just lagging ones: Trailing 4–6 week revenue, a 13-week rolling cash forecast, and sales activity metrics (like meetings booked) give founders earlier warning signs than a monthly P&L.  The #1 hidden problem: Most companies haven't audited their actual pricing and gross margins in years; the deal they thought was a 35% margin project might really be closer to 4–12%.  Time is the real cost: Founders who stay in spreadsheets they should have delegated aren't just losing hours; they're losing the deals, meetings, and strategic moves that would have grown the business faster. Pricing increases rarely cost you customers: One example shared: a 9% average price increase across the board resulted in customer gratitude, not attrition, once the founder finally acted. This episode is a must-listen for CEOs and executives looking to lead innovation with purpose, scale responsibly with AI, and build cultures where people feel empowered to think boldly and grow. Connect With Today's Guest Brennan De Raad is the Founder & CEO of Vessel Advisors. Vessel Advisors provides Fractional CFO, Controller, and Back-Office Accounting services for growing businesses, helping founders gain financial clarity, improve cash flow, and scale with confidence. How to Connect with Brennan De Raad: LinkedIn: Brennan De Raad https://www.linkedin.com/in/brennanderaad/ Company Website: Vessel Advisors https://vesseladvisors.com/ – to learn more about his work and platform

https://youtu.be/_i6C7OstTEI Courtney Berry, President and Co-founder of Bandits & Friends, is driven by a desire to build an advertising agency where trust, creativity, meaningful relationships, and building energy instead of burnout replace bureaucracy and transactional client engagements. Inspired to create more opportunities for women in executive leadership and eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy, Courtney founded Bandits & Friends to prove there is a better way to build both an agency and lasting client partnerships.  In this conversation, Courtney introduces the Bandits & Friends Growth Flywheel: Choose the Right Opportunity, Create Clarity, Empower Ownership, Protect Your Point of View, and Build Energy Instead of Burnout. She explains why selecting the right clients is the foundation of sustainable growth, how clarity and ownership eliminate friction, and why agencies create the most value when they offer strategic judgment instead of simply executing requests. Courtney also explains how trust creates a self-reinforcing growth flywheel and how Bandits & Friends leverages culture, AI, and fractional talent to scale without sacrificing creativity or client relationships. — Build Energy Instead of Burnout with Courtney Berry  Good day, everyone. Steve Preda here with the Management Blueprint Podcast, and today my guest is Courtney Berry, the President and Co-founder of Bandits & Friends, a full-service creative advertising agency that specializes in stealing attention for brands. Courtney, welcome to the show.  Thank you, Steve. Thanks for having me. It’s good to see you.  Well, you have to tell us first about the choice of the brand—Bandits & Friends. I mean, bandit is not typically something that people would want to start building trust with. But obviously your brand is an award-winning one, so you must be doing something right.  That’s right. Well, we’re in the world of advertising. It’s all about branding, so we had to make sure that we had a good name to back it up. Our name, Bandits & Friends, is as much an operating ethos as it is a name. Bandits—we steal attention on behalf of brands. And Friends, that part of the equation, is how we refer to our clients.Share on X We actually try to never even use the word client in our agency because it creates a certain kind of them-versus-us mentality. And so that’s how we got to the name. We liked that it really infused the way that we operated as much as who we were at the end of the day.  Yeah, I like it. And how do clients react to being called friends? Do they take it at face value, or do you choose clients that you feel could fit—could become friends? How do you do that?  That is a great question. One, when we started, we fully thought the Bandits part of the equation was going to be the thing that potential clients really liked. We thought they would understand that that’s exactly what they’re going to an agency for. But what we have found is that it’s the Friends part of the equation that they have all sparked to so much more. Because sometimes it is a very transactional relationship between clients and agencies.  Sometimes there’s a strong difference of opinion when it comes to certain things, and that can create tension between clients and agencies. So when we talk about friendship, what we really mean is that the basis of all of it is trust. We have to trust each other in terms of the brief being right. We have to trust each other to have really honest conversations with one another to get to the real solution that we’re all trying to reach. Friends don’t waste each other’s money at the end of the day. We don’t want to waste our clients’ money, and we don’t want them to waste ours.  Also, friends are really looking for the best for each other. When we want the best for our clients, and they also want the best for us—because friendship really does go two ways—that's a really important component.Share on X And to your other point, not every client is a friend. Not every client really wants to play in that world of having a back-and-forth relationship, with give and take. If that’s not something they’re interested in, then at the end of the day, they’re probably not the right fit for us and our agency culture. It really resonates with me. I used to be kind of an agency owner. It was an investment banking firm. Whenever we had a friendly relationship with a client who really trusted our judgment, who would let us lead, and who would not be receptive to divide-and-rule tactics from acquirers, then we could get so much more out of the transaction.  Absolutely.  We could negotiate harder because we knew they had our back, and we could really push the envelope to get the best results for them. If we didn’t have that, then it was much harder.  It’s so true. When you don’t have that kind of trusting foundation, there’s an element of fear. There’s an element of fear that they’re not going to do good work for me, or they’re going to overcharge me, or they’re going to do a bait and switch. So yeah, you’re exactly right. It’s the same kind of philosophy and mentality in order to get to better work for them and better outcomes.  Yeah. Yeah, love it. Love it. So let me ask you, what is your personal “why,” and how are you manifesting it in Bandits & Friends?  Yes. I had to think about this question a lot, Steve. Unfortunately, I don’t really have a positive answer for this one. I listened to all of your other podcasts, and I thought, “Oh man, mine’s a little bit of a Debbie Downer.” But I guess it is what it is. I started Bandits & Friends because I was really frustrated by two things. First, when I looked around the industry, there just weren’t many examples of women in real power.  In my last role before starting this agency, there wasn’t a single woman in the C-suite of the holding company that I was working for. Not one. There weren’t women making the biggest decisions. There weren’t many examples of the career path that I was looking for. At some point, I realized I could either wait for someone else to carve out that path or I could be the one to help create it for myself and help create a lot of the opportunities that I wish I had seen. So that’s the first one.  The second one—and I think it really manifests itself in an independent agency culture—is that I was really fed up with the bureaucracy of everything. There was too much energy in our industry being spent on politics, approvals, or process instead of the things that make our work happen: the people, the clients, and the work itself. So I really wanted to build a company that could move faster, trust people more, and focus on the things that actually matter.  What we’re being paid for is to focus our time and energy on our clients’ businesses and on creativity. Removing all the bureaucracy really allows us to focus on that. So I guess, to sum up those two things—and really 343: Build Energy Instead of Burnout with Courtney BerryShare on X  Yeah. I mean, Steve Jobs said there are two functions in business: marketing and innovation. In some ways, those two things are the same because if you don’t keep innovating in marketing, you’re not going to steal anyone’s attention. And you have to remove the bureaucracy to create a culture where people can be creative. That’s right. I love it. That is very interesting.  So tell me about this framework. This is a podcast about frameworks. Maybe it’s a little bit misworded in the description that it’s a shortcut. It doesn’t have to be a shortcut. It’s more of a mental model. It’s a way of looking at and simplifying the world that allows you to do good work or create that Bandits impact. So what’s a framework that you could share with the listeners?  Yeah. To your point, I think it’s more of a mentality and approach versus steps that we take because we don’t work in a very linear business. Often, things are running on parallel paths. The way that I try to approach things—and really what ultimately becomes the culture that we're trying to create at this agency—is removing friction to create momentum.Share on X Because if we’re ever static, we’re wasting our money or we’re wasting our clients’ money. Or, to your earlier point, it means that someone else is going to be able to steal attention before we can on behalf of the brands that we work for.  So, removing friction to create momentum. There are kind of five different components that I’ve thought about for this. The first one, which seems so basic, is that I think a lot of times we get so excited by an opportunity that we forget to stop and ask, “Are we choosing the right opportunity for us and what we can do for the brand?” Because not every opportunity that comes across our desk deserves that momentum. When we first get an RFP or an RFI, or some kind of pitch that’s going to happen, we really ask ourselves two things.  One: Can we make money? Sometimes, in this business, you can’t. The answer is no. The other question that we ask ourselves is, “Can we make great creative?” If neither one of those things is true, we move on, and that helps prevent wasting energy and wasting time. If we can’t answer those questions, then we ask more questions of the prospective client. A lot of times, those clients can’t answer either one of those questions, and in those cases, we also move on. So the first step is really about choosing the right opportunities that we think deserve momentum and deserve the stealing of attention.Share on X  The second point is clarity. I think that, in order to be a great leader, you have to be decisive. You have to be someone who is willing to make decisions when no one else can, or no one else is really tasked with making those decisions. So we’re all about creating clarity because momentum really dies in a world of ambiguity. We’re asking ourselves, “What are we solving for? Who owns this? What does success look like? What is the budget?” Don’t ever leave a meeting without knowing the next steps. I think this is also a step that a lot of people skip, or maybe shortchange, and then you’re going to pay for it later.  Third one is all around ownership. When you’re kind of just starting out, you’re just getting going. At the lowest level, people operate with the mindset of, “I do what is assigned to me.” Right? And then managers get to that managerial level, and they’re all about managing on outcomes. “I’m going to make sure this thing that is my responsibility is going to succeed.” Ultimately, what we’re trying to build are the highest-operating types of people who say, “If I see a gap, I close it.” It might be a gap where no one has assigned the task yet, or no one has even identified that it is a gap.  No one owns the problem, but they see it, they own it, and they move it forward. So we're really trying to create that culture where we don't wait for permission to solve problems, and we don't wait for those problems to even be identified.Share on X And that’s where we can really add value to our clients. We don’t wait for that ownership. We just kind of assume that it’s ours, and we run with it.  Love it.  The fourth piece is protecting our point of view. This is probably one of the most difficult. But as a creative agency, we really don’t exist to execute instructions. We exist to bring judgment to a brief. We talk a lot about partnership, and especially at Bandits & Friends, obviously friendship. But what that really means is that we’re not adding value if we’re simply taking instructions and just executing what’s already known. The best agencies come in to provide perspective and judgment because every single time there’s an opinion in the room, if we surrender our point of view, we’re no longer providing that value.  If you think about it, the Apple “1984” commercial, right? That almost didn’t air because Apple’s board hated it. They wanted to pull it. They didn’t want it to go anywhere. So if they had listened to every stakeholder concern, then arguably one of the best ads that a gazillion people are aware of would’ve never existed. It would’ve never aired. So that is a daily struggle and a daily debate for us. But I can’t even believe I’m going to say this on the record, but in our business, the customer is not always right.  We have to make sure that we can defend why we believe that or why we think that there might be a better path forward for them to consider. And last but not least, honestly, it's about having fun. I think a big part for us is that we have to build energy among both our employees and the clients that we're serving instead of burnout.Share on X Again, it’s not always easy, and it’s not just necessarily a cultural thing. It is very behavioral in terms of the way that we do things, the way that we operate under stress, and the way that we take feedback. But the work itself is hard enough already. I’ve never seen people do their best work in a miserable state or a miserable environment.  Again, that goes for both employees and clients. When we do talk about our clients, we often talk about one of our goals being to try to be the best part of their day, and to be the ones who are actually going to have the best meeting they've had that entire week.Share on X And if we only achieve that 50% of the time, at least it’s 50% more fun than they would’ve had otherwise. So, choosing the right opportunities, bringing clarity to what those opportunities are, empowering ownership, protecting our point of view, and having some fun while we’re doing it.  Wow. You really did a good job. I hope you won’t send me a bill for coming up with that. But I resonate with it. Just to your last point, we’re in the experience economy, right? People don’t just want to buy a service. They want to buy an experience. They want to feel good about the process of why they’re doing this ad or why they believe in this creative.  You want to energize them as well because they ultimately have to sell it. If they don’t believe in it and aren’t excited about it, then it’s not going to work as well. I have the same view with my clients. I typically see them once a quarter, and I know that I have to show up. I have to recharge them so that they come out of the meeting feeling like they want to tear apart the next quarter. Yes. That’s right. Otherwise, what separates you from someone else who can tactically and executionally do the exact same thing that anyone else can?  Or AI, even. I mean…  Oh, 100%. Yeah.  I think the emotional part is our competitive advantage compared to AI. Yes. Love it. So, Courtney, tell me, what drives growth in Bandits & Friends? It’s what I’ve been referring to, I guess, kind of throughout our whole conversation, which is, again, maybe on the surface, a little oversimplified. But for us, the biggest driver of growth is trust. Again, it goes back to our philosophy of treating clients like friends, not just because it's a nice thing to say, but because trusted relationships are where the best work happens.Share on X So that becomes the most scalable asset that we have. When you really think about it, creativity—the business that we’re in—is very vulnerable.  So first, you need trust in order to create great work. Then great work creates more trust with the clients you’re working with. That trust can lead to referrals. It can lead to recommendations, which is where a lot of our new business comes from. Those create more opportunities. We’re in a people business at the end of the day. When referrals create opportunities, we’re attracting more talent.  The talent that we have here wants to stay longer, and they want to give more because they’re working on fun and exciting opportunities, briefs, and brands. Then you have talent that creates better work. So it becomes this flywheel at the end of the day. It’s something that we really feel responsible for every time we’re taking on a new friend at the agency. Do we feel like we have the right kind of chemistry to build trust with them in order to create that flywheel? Our clients don’t necessarily hire us because we’re the cheapest.  They don’t necessarily hire us because we have the biggest team. They hire us because they trust our judgment, and they trust the way that we operate. Once that exists, everything starts to open up. Everything starts to move faster. When you can move faster, get to more work, and get that work out into the world, that continues to open up more opportunities and more growth at the end of the day.Share on X  Yeah, I love that. Do you find that you have to lead with your own trust to get trust?  That is such a great question. Yes. I think that we have to prove that we are trusting that they’re coming to us with all of the information that they can give us. I have to trust that they’re being transparent and truthful about the budget they’re giving us. I have to trust, to be honest, that this is a real opportunity they’re coming to us with, that has been approved by all the necessary parties, and that it’s something that’s actually going to move forward and happen.  It’s really hard to do when you’re picking up a call from somebody you’ve never worked with before. You have to assume good intent. At least starting from that place of positivity, I think can help to then create that path towards the ongoing conversations, us proving that we have trust in everything that they’re telling us, so that then they return that same favor to us. Yeah. I mean, sometimes I get the criticism that I’m too trusting of people. Yeah. But it’s a little bit like optimism. If you don’t have optimism, then you have no positive vision to strive for. If you don’t trust people, you have no chance to earn their trust.  Right.  Maybe it’s vulnerability. It’s something to do with vulnerability. Right. But you’re totally right. You definitely have to have those guardrails around trust to make sure that your trust and your optimism aren’t clouding your judgment at the end of the day. That is one of the hardest things, I think, that we have to do with new opportunities because you’re making a lot of assumptions. Sometimes those assumptions are stated, and sometimes they’re not, and you just have to roll with it. Obviously, you win some, you lose some. But hopefully, the more we do it, the more it becomes that positive net effect.  Yeah. So, Courtney, what is something that you’re actively trying to figure out in your business?  Well, I won’t talk about AI because I feel like everyone’s talking about AI, but that is definitely an obvious answer. Operationally, are we using all of the best tools that are out there? Are we staying compliant with our agency agreements and client agreements when we introduce some of those new AI tools? And then, of course, in the world of creativity, everybody’s really questioning how much we should be using AI in final assets versus the human part of things.  From our perspective right now, we’re interested in exploring. We’re interested in understanding how things can continue to help us remove friction from a process in order to get to those fast-moving flywheels that we want everyone at the agency to be operating on. But also, how do we make sure that we’re continuing to bring craft and fidelity to all of the campaigns that we’re working on? So AI is a very obvious one. I think the other thing we’re really trying to figure out at the agency is scaling. The more we’re trying to grow, the more we’re trying to scale.  The processes and behaviors that you have as a young agency can be quite different from those of a more mature agency with several hundred people. What we’re trying to instill is making sure that the behaviors and processes we’re creating and adopting now are scalable for the future. Sometimes that’s easy to figure out, and other times it’s something we really have to evaluate and take into consideration. For example, time sheets. That’s not something we care to do at an independent agency.  One, we think they’re wildly inaccurate. As somebody who used to work at a bunch of holding companies, my Wi-Fi would be turned off if I didn’t enter my time sheets within a certain amount of time. But I think they’re wildly inaccurate. We’re not lawyers. We’re not accountants. We don’t turn our brains off by the hour. We’re constantly thinking about the briefs that we have. I’ve been challenged multiple times on whether that’s a scalable behavior and process for the future.  When you’re several hundred people, you’re going to want to know exactly how much time so-and-so spent on which project. I just don’t think it’s necessary for us. I think there’s a level of organization that we can bring to the way we operate where something like a time sheet is going to be obsolete in our future. But it really all comes down to how we scale and whether we’re making the right choices every single day to support that scale and that growth. Yeah, this is fascinating. Peter Drucker said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” Some people say that the most enduring professional service businesses build a unique culture, and that becomes their competitive advantage. So they’re scaling the culture rather than the frameworks, the processes, or whatever else they have. That’s an interesting idea.  As an agency co-founder, what would your advice be to other professionals—maybe on Madison Avenue or wherever they are—working in professional services in some kind of leadership position and thinking about breaking out to do their own thing? What’s one thing you would advise them that maybe wasn’t obvious to you when you got started?  I think, first, if people are really thinking about it and weighing the pros and the cons, if you’re not willing to take a bet on yourself, then that’s a larger conceptual, philosophical conversation that you need to have with yourself. I think, at the end of the day, that’s one of the ultimate things that pushed me forward to start this agency. I wanted to take a bet on myself.  I felt like I had proven myself in a number of different opportunities and roles, and that I was ready for it. If it failed, then all right—that’s a problem for another day. Honestly, on a very tactical level, I think today’s world and the way that we operate in a remote and very fractional sense has been one of the most helpful things for us as an agency. I didn’t know about the world of fractional bookkeeping, fractional CFOs, fractional benefits and payroll providers, or fractional HR.  That creates so much back-office power for us. And it’s so important in terms of making sure that, again, we have behaviors and processes that can scale, where we don’t necessarily have to have all of those employees from an overhead standpoint. That has truly been eye-opening for me in terms of the world that exists outside of hiring full-time employees and this ecosystem that’s there that so many people can tap into in order to really have that firepower to show up in a very legitimate and credible way. Wow. Okay. That’s great. You’re running a remote business, you have fractional people, and you’re leveraging AI without hurting the creativity, hopefully. That’s a model for the 2020s—or the 2030s, potentially. Fantastic. So if someone is yearning for the kind of creative juice that your team is bringing, and they have a product or service that they want to steal some attention for, where can they learn more about Bandits & Friends, and where can they connect with you? Sure. Anyone can go to our website at banditsandfriends.com, or they can email us at hifriend@banditsandfriends.com. We’d love to have a conversation with anyone who’s ready to steal attention and operate with that mindset and philosophy of trust and friendship in order to get to the best ideas that are really going to help drive business results. All right. Well, if you want to befriend Courtney and her friends at Bandits & Friends, then reach out to her. So, Courtney Berry, President and Co-founder of Bandits & Friends, thanks for coming and sharing your unique ideas with us. And if you enjoyed listening, stay tuned to our YouTube channel, follow us, and give us a review. Thanks for coming, and thanks for listening. Important Links: Courtney's  LinkedIn Courtney's  website Courtney's email: hifriend@banditsandfriends.com

Three accomplished CFOs. Three candid conversations. One revealing look at how finance leaders think about acquisitions before the headlines ever appear.In this special CFO Thought Leader edition, we revisit conversations with Jonathan Carr, former CFO of Armis, James Redfern, CFO of Reltio, and Toby Driver, CFO of IdeaGen. Each discusses acquisitions from a different vantage point—planning, integration, organizational readiness, and the people challenges that ultimately determine whether a transaction creates lasting value.What makes these discussions especially compelling is their timing. Carr and Redfern shared their perspectives months before their companies were acquired. ServiceNow completed its acquisition of Armis in April 2026, while SAP completed its acquisition of Reltio in May 2026. Their remarks offer an unfiltered look at how experienced CFOs approached M&A before those transactions became public realities.Driver complements those perspectives by explaining why successful acquisitions depend on disciplined integration, thoughtful execution, and finance leaders who understand that value is created long after the purchase agreement is signed.Together, these conversations reveal that successful M&A extends well beyond valuation models and deal negotiations. It requires aligning people, integrating operations, managing risk, and establishing clear decision-making processes across the organization. Whether discussing integration playbooks, organizational change, or strategic planning, each CFO highlights a different dimension of the finance leader's role in helping acquisitions achieve their intended objectives.For finance leaders navigating growth, transformation, or acquisition activity, these three conversations provide a timely look at the strategic thinking that often precedes—and helps shape—successful deals.

For more thoughts, clips, and updates, follow Avetis Antaplyan on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/avetisantaplyan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠In this episode of The Tech Leader's Playbook, Avetis Antaplyan sits down with Ariel Jalali, an AI entrepreneur, advisor, operator, longtime CTO, and founder of Paragon Tech. Ariel has been building in AI and machine learning since 2014, previously taught part-time at UCLA, and now helps mid-market companies drive capital efficiency and value creation through practical, measurable AI implementation.Together, Avetis and Ariel unpack why this AI wave feels fundamentally different from previous technology shifts like the internet, cloud, mobile, ERP, and CRM. Ariel explains why the speed of change is compressing decades of transformation into years, why curiosity may matter more than age when adopting AI, and why the future of work may be better understood as the future of earning, ownership, purpose, and belonging.The conversation moves from tactical to philosophical, covering AI adoption inside private equity-backed and mid-market companies, the rising importance of CFOs and COOs, the difference between efficiency AI and productivity AI, and why organizations should avoid simply automating broken processes. Ariel also shares his perspective on career reinvention, player-coach leadership, AI avatars in meetings, the risks of outsourcing human thinking, and why human relationships still matter in an increasingly automated world.TakeawaysAI is not just another technology cycle; Ariel frames it as a new wave moving much faster than cloud, mobile, ERP, or CRM adoption.Career resilience in the AI era depends less on age and more on curiosity, tinkering, adaptability, and a willingness to learn by doing.Ariel argues that the “future of work” may become the future of earning, ownership, purpose, and belonging as traditional jobs evolve.Companies should begin AI projects with clear KPIs, measurable ROI, and an understanding of the business outcome they are trying to improve.Efficiency AI focuses on automating tedious back-office workflows, while productivity AI helps people create, decide, and execute faster.Spreadsheets are often a signal of operational gaps between systems, processes, or expectations—and can be a strong place to find automation opportunities.Automating a broken process only makes the dysfunction faster; leaders should simplify, question assumptions, and redesign workflows around outputs.Middle management and traditional project management are being reshaped into “player-coach” roles where leaders must orchestrate work and add real value.AI is powerful, but high-stakes thinking, judgment, relationship-building, and nuanced communication still require human ownership.Chapters00:00 The Role of the COO in the AI Era02:09 The Impact of AI on Careers and Industries05:58 AI as a Collaborative Partner08:11 The Future of Work and Purpose13:53 Embracing Change and Learning17:14 The Importance of Curiosity in the Workplace23:02 Best Practices for AI Implementation30:10 Navigating Career Changes in the AI Landscape37:09 The Dangers of Multitasking in Career Development40:03 The Impact of AI on Work Efficiency42:27 Evolving Roles in Management and Project Oversight49:21 The Future of Meetings and AI Integration56:09 Identifying What's Broken in Organizational Processes01:02:34 The Importance of Relationships in Business01:10:21 Navigating the Future with AI and Human CollaborationAriel Jalali's Social Media Link:https://www.linkedin.com/in/arieljalali/https://x.com/arieljalaliResources and Links:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.hireclout.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.podcast.hireclout.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/hirefasthireright⁠

In this episode of Future Finance, Paul Barnhurst and Glenn Hopper are joined by Nick Jain and Daniel Settel, co-founders of Eagle Rock CFO. They discuss how AI is changing FP&A, why finance teams still need human expertise, and how their platform helps CFOs automate financial analysis while improving decision-making.Nick Jain is a Harvard MBA and former CEO, CFO, and investor with experience at McKinsey, Bain Capital, and multiple high-growth companies. Daniel Settel is a Stanford engineer, Harvard MBA, former investment professional at Primecap Management, and co-founder of a venture secondary marketplace. Together, they founded Eagle Rock CFO to combine technology with fractional CFO services for growing businesses.In this episode, you will discover:How AI can automate FP&A without replacing finance professionalsWhy clean financial data is essential for better analysisThe role of humans in AI-powered finance workflowsHow fractional CFOs can use technology to serve more clientsWhere businesses can uncover hidden value in their financial data AI-powered finance tools are changing how businesses analyze data, but success still depends on combining automation with sound financial judgment. Nick and Daniel share practical insights into how finance leaders can use technology to save time, uncover opportunities, and make better decisions. Follow Nick:Website: https://www.eaglerockcfo.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickmjain/Follow Dan:Website: https://www.eaglerockcfo.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dsettel/Follow Glenn:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gbhopperiiiFollow Paul:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefpandaguyFollow QFlow.AI:Website - https://bit.ly/4i1EkjgFuture Finance is sponsored by QFlow.ai, the strategic finance platform solving the toughest part of planning and analysis: B2B revenue. Align sales, marketing, and finance, speed up decision-making, and lock in accountability with QFlow.ai. Stay tuned for a deeper understanding of how AI is shaping the future of finance and what it means for businesses and individuals alike.In Today's Episode:[02:24] – Why Eagle Rock CFO Was Founded[04:35] – Building AI for FP&A[09:12] – The Human Role in AI-Powered Finance[10:38] – Why Fractional CFOs Need Better Tools[14:18] – Cleaning Financial Data & Chart of Accounts[16:21] – White-Labeling the Platform[17:17] – Time Savings and Business Impact[19:18] – Final Thoughts

In this episode of CFO 4.0, Hannah Monro sits down with John Lees career strategist, coach, and author to unpack the real work behind a successful CFO transition.John shares why your first 100 days actually begin long before day one, how to balance appearing confident with genuine curiosity, and the art of "checking in" with peers, stakeholders, and even the person on the security desk. He also digs into the people dynamics that make or break a new role: spotting enablers, navigating blockers, understanding personality at the top, and building trust across the C-suite fast.In this episode, you'll learn:The three biggest mistakes new CFOs make in their first 90 daysHow to practise "informed curiosity" to build credibility from day oneWhy due diligence on culture and people matters more than technical skillsHow to navigate difficult early conversations when the numbers don't add upThe check-in framework for 30, 60, and 90 days and why it mattersLinks mentioned in this episode John's Linkedin Learn more about John Lee's Associates John's Book "Get Ahead in Your New Job"Explore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here.Subscribe to our Podcast!

[0:06] The psychology of vocal fry. Why ending a sentence in vocal fry removes commitment from your message. [1:07] Introducing Dr Louise Mahler: from singing opera on the great stages of Europe to Top 30 Global Guru in body language, vocal intelligence and communication; author of the bestselling book, Gravitas. [1:50] What's wrong with communication today? We've left out the most important part - delivery. [2:30] How gestures fell out of fashion after World War Two, and why body language theory of the 1970s-80s got it wrong; communication is about bringing your best, not pandering to others' perceptions. [3:30] Cicero: it's not about how to be understood; it's how not to be misunderstood. [4:10] The five canons of rhetoric, and why delivery was considered the most important; gravitas as the manner of trust and respect. [5:20] Gravitas is not seriousness; it's equally weighted with humour and levity. Cicero was said to be the funniest man in ancient Rome. [6:30] A keynote timing mix-up in front of hundreds of CFOs, and how walking on stage laughing set the room on fire. [7:20] Laughter is the bouncing of the diaphragm; only people who trust you will laugh with you. [7:50] Do some people just have executive presence, or can it be learnt? It's always learnt. [8:40] Creating anchors in the air with gestures; what the ancients called architecturally designing your material. [9:40] Three reasons to move: breathing, visual interest, and memory . . . how Roman orators presented for hours without notes. [11:00] The three rules of gestures: always congruent, never repeated more than twice, and hold each gesture until the next one. [12:20] Why breathing matters so much: if the breath doesn't work, go home. What a held diaphragm does to your voice and why upper-body tension reads as aggression. [14:00] Do you need vocal warm-ups before a meeting? The voice is warm all the time; just kick the diaphragm free. [15:00] A fix for nerves and self-doubt: confidence is competence. Without training there is no knowledge; without knowledge there is no confidence. [16:30] On a good day natural talent will arise; on a bad day they fall back on the craft. The amateur practises till they get it right; the professional practises till they can't get it wrong. [17:40] Where practice really happens: internalising your material in everyday life so it comes out authentically, improvised within a framework. [19:00] How metaphor speaks to the unconscious mind; opening with a creative link that connects to your message. [20:20] The autostereogram (magic eye picture) as a metaphor for transformational change: refocus the eyes and see the real picture behind the abstract. [21:20] Vocal fry explained: closing the throat, jamming the diaphragm, and why salespeople sabotage the end of their sentences. You never run out of breath; you only run into tension. [22:30] One thing to do before a big meeting tomorrow: breathe out, throw the elbows off the body, and show your palms - the gesture of trust. [23:00] How to work with Dr Louise Mahler: online and face-to-face coaching, keynotes and executive team work. Closing thought: delivery, delivery, delivery CONTACT DR LOUISE MAHLER https://www.louisemahler.com.au/ Connect with Dr Louise Mahler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisemahler/ ABOUT PODCAST HOST, NINA SUNDAY Nina Sunday's latest book, ‘'Manage Self, Lead Others: Constructive Conversations, True Self-Leadership, and Culture You Can't Fake'' now on Amazon - paperback or kindle. Amazon USA ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://a.co/d/3WaplI9⁠⁠⁠⁠ Amazon Australia ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.asia/d/0KwghaM⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can read any Kindle eBook on your PC, laptop or phone; you don't need a Kindle device.  === To learn more about face-to-face training programs with Nina Sunday or one of her experienced Facilitators from Brainpower Training Pty Ltd in Australia Pacific, visit: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.brainpowertraining.com.au...⁠ === To visit Nina Sunday's speaker site for global in-person speaking bookings visit: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.ninasunday.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ === Connect with Nina Sunday on LinkedIn ⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ninasunday/ === To subscribe to Nina Sunday's blog go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.brainpowertraining.com.au/⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and scroll to bottom of the page to register Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of UC Today, Kristian McCann sits down with Vishnu Shankar, Chief Data Officer at Draup, to explore why hiring, workforce planning, and skills strategy have moved beyond HR and into the CFO's office. As AI agents, automation, and evolving regulations transform the workplace, organizations can no longer think about recruitment as simply filling vacancies. Every hiring decision now carries implications for productivity, operational costs, compliance, and long-term business performance. Yet many businesses are still relying on outdated workforce planning models that fail to account for the growing role of AI alongside human talent. Vishnu explains why companies need to rethink how work itself is structured, moving away from traditional hiring frameworks towards AI-augmented operating models that combine people, software, automation, AI agents, and partners.  Key discussion points include: Why AI has transformed hiring decisions into strategic financial decisions for CFOs and boards.  How organizations should move beyond the traditional "build, buy, borrow" workforce model to embrace AI agents, automation, software, and human talent together.  Why measuring ROI from talent now means focusing on productivity, augmentation, and business outcomes—not simply headcount or cost reduction.  Practical steps organizations can take to build AI-ready workforce strategies while managing governance, compliance, and future skills.  Next Steps Subscribe to UC Today for more conversations on AI, HR, and enterprise technology.

Send us Fan MailIn this solo episode of Marketing Espresso, I'm wrapping up season two with a conversation about marketing strategy, business growth, AI, customer experience and why the foundations of good marketing still matter, even when the world around us feels like it is changing at speed.After taking myself out of the office and spending time at the SmartCompany Growth Summit, I wanted to share the ideas, reminders and uncomfortable truths that stayed with me. Because while AI, agentic commerce, automation and changing consumer behaviour are all big conversations right now, I kept coming back to something much simpler: marketing is still a business function, not just a collection of posts, ads or content ideas.One of the biggest reminders from the event was that consistency over a long period of time still matters. Marketing is not free. It is not just social media. It is not something that magically creates leads if the rest of the business is unclear. Marketing works best when it is built on strong foundations, clear strategy, customer understanding, brand positioning and the patience to build something over time.I also reflect on hearing Naomi Simson speak about the early days of RedBalloon, including the story of how long it took to get the first sale and the level of dedication required to get the business moving. It was such a good reminder that there is no such thing as an overnight business. Behind every “quick” success story is usually grit, effort, persistence and a huge amount of foundational work.This episode also dives into one of the questions I think more business owners need to ask: what impact are we already having on our customers? So many businesses are focused on finding more customers, but they forget to listen to the stories of the customers they already have. If you want to understand your unique selling proposition, your customer journey and the real value of your business, you need to ask better questions.I also talk about AI and why I believe businesses need to be incredibly careful about outsourcing too much of their thinking to technology. AI can help with repetitive tasks, data, reports and automation, but it cannot replace the human insight, creativity, disruption and emotional intelligence that strong businesses and strong brands need.We also explore the idea of agentic commerce, where AI could potentially make purchases on our behalf, and what that might mean for consumer behaviour. If people currently buy based on emotion, what happens when an AI agent starts making purchasing decisions based on logic, patterns and prompts? It raises big questions for marketers, business owners and brands trying to build trust and loyalty.Another key theme in this episode is the difference between using AI as a support tool and using it to replace the roles that require human judgement. Whether we are talking about virtual CFOs, CMOs, strategists or operations support, the danger is not necessarily the technology itself. The danger is assuming AI can understand the nuance, context, emotion and intuition required to make strong business decisions.This episode is also a reminder that marketing is not just about lead generation. Yes, leads matter. Sales matter. Growth matters. But marketing is also about relationships, customer experience, positioning, trust, visibility, brand memory and making sure people understand why your business exists in the first place.If you have been feeling overwhelmed by AI, tired of being told to “just post more”, or unsure where to focus your marketing energy, this episode is designed to bring you back to the basics that actually matter.DOWNLOAD MY CONTENT PLANNERInstagram @bec_chappellLinkedIn – Bec Chappell If you're ready to work together, I'm ready to work with you and your team.How to work with me:1. Marketing foundations and strategy consultation 2. Marketing Coaching/ Whispering for you a marketing leader or your team who you want to develop into marketing leaders3. Book me as a speaker or advisor for your organisation4. Get me on your podcastThis podcast has been produced and edited by Snappystreet Creative

Learn how to reclaim your time, escape the founder's trap, and build a business that grows without depending on you for everything. If you've ever found yourself working longer hours than ever before while feeling like you're making less progress, you're not alone. Many founders are stuck in a cycle of reacting instead of leading—buried in administrative work, back-office tasks, and daily firefighting that keeps them from focusing on growth. In this episode, Charles Gaudet sits down with Tricia Sciortino, CEO of Belay and the company's very first employee, to explore one of the most overlooked growth levers available to entrepreneurs: delegation. Together, they unpack why so many founders become the bottleneck in their own companies, how executive assistants create massive return on time (ROT), and why combining AI with the right support team can dramatically increase productivity and profitability. From scaling a company from startup to nine figures to helping tens of thousands of business owners reclaim their time, Tricia shares practical insights on leadership, delegation, hiring, and building a business that doesn't require you to do everything yourself. KEY TAKEAWAYS:   Why founders become the biggest bottleneck in their business Many entrepreneurs spend their days doing administrative work instead of focusing on leadership, strategy, innovation, and growth. The result is longer hours, lower productivity, and slower growth. Return on Time (ROT) is the new competitive advantage The most successful business owners measure how effectively they use their time. Every hour spent on low-value tasks comes at the expense of activities that drive revenue and growth. If you don't have an assistant, you are the assistant Founders often justify doing administrative work themselves, but every hour spent managing calendars, inboxes, travel, and scheduling is time taken away from building the business. Why great assistants create revenue, not expenses An executive assistant isn't simply a cost center. The right assistant frees leaders to focus on high-value activities that generate revenue, improve decision-making, and accelerate growth. The cruise ship leadership model CEOs should operate like a ship captain—focused on future opportunities, market shifts, risks, and strategy—not down in the engine room trying to manage every operational detail. AI plus an assistant is a force multiplier The combination of AI and a highly skilled assistant creates exponential productivity gains. Tasks that once took hours can now be completed faster and at a higher level than ever before. How executive assistants are evolving into strategic operators Today's top assistants aren't just managing calendars. They're leveraging AI, analyzing data, helping prepare board reports, building workflows, and acting as strategic partners to leadership teams. The importance of hiring people who are better than you at their job Whether it's an assistant, marketer, salesperson, or executive, growth accelerates when you hire experts and allow them to operate in their zone of genius. Why delegation is a leadership skill, not a management tactic Many founders struggle to let go of control. Learning to trust talented people and delegate effectively is often the difference between a company that scales and one that stalls. The best leaders build teams, not dependencies Nearly every highly successful entrepreneur credits their growth to the strength of their team. The ability to attract, develop, and retain exceptional talent remains one of the greatest competitive advantages in business. RESOURCES MENTIONED: Belay - For executive assistants, fractional CFOs, bookkeeping, and other business support services Website: belaysolutions.com Connect with Tricia Sciortino LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/triciasciortino Follow Charles Gaudet and Predictable Profits on Social Media: Facebook: facebook.com/PredictableProfits Instagram: instagram.com/predictableprofits Twitter/X: twitter.com/charlesgaudet LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/charlesgaudet Visit Charles Gaudet's Websites: www.PredictableProfits.com www.predictableprofits.com/community https://start.predictableprofits.com/community   Growing a business is hard, but it doesn't have to be. Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode packed with proven strategies for building, scaling, and profiting beyond seven figures.   Mixed & Edited by Next Day Podcast info@nextdaypodcast.com

Financial pressure is no longer cyclical as the majority of healthcare organizations report consistently low margins 

Welcome to another episode of "The Unconventional Path: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Stories and Ideas." In this episode, hosts Bela Musits and Mike Wasserman sit down with Michael Barbarita, the founder of a specialized fractional CFO firm dedicated to helping small and medium-sized companies achieve rapid growth.Michael Barbarita is not your typical CFO. While many fractional CFOs focus primarily on historical numbers and compliance, Michael's approach combines forward-looking financial expertise with strategic implementation. He shares how business owners hire him to double or even triple their profits by employing business and financial strategies that their competitors simply aren't using.The Fractional CFO Advantage: Michael explains why small to medium-sized businesses, which often cannot afford a full-time high-quality CFO, benefit from fractional services that provide a broad spectrum of scalable strategies.Beyond the Numbers: A core theme of this conversation is the necessity for CFOs to understand business strategy. Michael argues that while traditional CPAs look backward at historical data, a true CFO must be forward-looking to provide real value to a CEO.Pressure Testing Ideas: One of Michael's signature methods is "pressure testing" a CEO's ideas. Whether it's a new marketing campaign or a pricing change, he discusses the importance of expanding upon these ideas to ensure they are financially viable and strategically sound.The Conversion Formula: Michael introduces the concept of a conversion formula used to create successful messaging for things like drip campaigns, ensuring that a business stands out rather than just repeating what everyone else in the market is doing.Strategic Growth for Cash-Limited Companies: Most small companies face limited cash flow. Michael shares insights on how to improve financial foundations and implement growth strategies even when resources are tight.This interview serves as a master class for any entrepreneur looking to improve their financial footing and understand the financial ramifications of their business strategies. Michael's unique blend of strategic knowledge and financial expertise offers a roadmap for turning high costs and uncertain footing into favorable growth opportunities.Connect with The Unconventional Path:Our podcast is now available on YouTube. Simply search for "The Unconventional Path" to subscribe and never miss an episode.We're always on the lookout for interesting guests to feature on our show. If you know someone who has an inspiring story, unique perspective, or valuable expertise to share, please let us know. We're eager to connect with potential guests who can bring fresh insights and engaging conversations to our audience.We also love hearing from our listeners! Your questions, comments, and suggestions are incredibly valuable to us. Send us an email at bela.and.mike@gmail.com with your thoughts, and we'll do our best to address them in a future episode. Whether you have a question about a specific topic, feedback on a recent episode, or ideas for future content, we want to hear from you. Your engagement helps us shape the show and deliver content that resonates with our listeners.Thanks for listening,Bela and MikeFractional CFO, Entrepreneurial Finance, Business Strategy, Small Business Growth, Profit Strategy, Cash Flow Management, Strategic Implementation, Michael Barbarita, Bela Musits, Mike Wasserman, The Unconventional Path Podcast, Business Advising, Financial Forecasting, Startup Accounting, Growth Mindset.

Welcome to another episode of the Data Debrief, the companion show to Driven by Data: The Podcast, where hosts Catherine Dowden-King and Kyle Winterbottom unpack Tuesday's episode, share what's been on their minds, and explore the realities of leadership, culture, and capability across the data and AI landscape.This week, Catherine and Kyle reflect on the conversation with Diana Comsa, Global Director of Customer Data Products at Condé Nast, diving deeper into what it takes to reframe customer data as a growth engine rather than a marketing function, the value of professional friction in shaping better thinking, and the practical blueprint for translating technical output into commercial outcome.They cover:Why Diana's framing of customer data as a growth engine, rather than something that sits under a marketing initiative, struck such a chord, and what that reframing means for how data teams position their value across a businessDiana's account of learning to ask the right questions, shaped by mentors and managers who consistently challenged her, and why that kind of pushback, however uncomfortable in the moment, is often the biggest driver of professional growthThe distinction between challenge and conflict: why psychological safety isn't about agreement, but about creating an environment where pushback is understood as people wanting the best outcome, not personal frictionCatherine's take on choosing a boss over a company, why the person you report to, and the culture of professional friction they create, tends to shape a career more than a brand name ever willWhy relationship-building remains one of the most underrated skills in the data industry: fundamentally, the job is about changing what people think, do, and believe, and trust is what makes that possibleKyle's reflection on remote culture and professional friction, why strong company culture doesn't require co-location, but does require deliberate investment in getting to know people at a personal levelKyle's thought of the week: put on the spot by Catherine, Kyle lays out his blueprint for commercial articulation, the skill of anchoring data work to what a business actually cares about. He walks through the logic of tracing everything back to organisational goals and KPIs, then down through the decisions that influence them, before returning to his newspaper analogy: lead with the headline (the business outcome), not the small print (the technical how). Kyle unpacks the difference between an output (an improvement in data quality) and an outcome (what that improvement enabled for the business), and why board members and CFOs care almost exclusively about the latter. He also stresses that the narrative changes depending on the audience, a CIO, CFO, and CMO each need a different version of the same story. For anyone wanting to act on this today, his advice: ask your boss why you're doing what you're doing, build relationships with your CFO before you need them, and use tools like Claude to research a company's stated priorities from earnings calls and board updates.Plus, a few community shout-outs: registration is open for Driven by Data Live in October, the magazine is in production ahead of launch at the event, and the team is still on the hunt for book club nominations — reach out via community@orbitiongroup.co.uk.This episode explores why the technical work is only ever half the job — the ability to build trust, ask better questions, and translate output into outcome is what actually earns data leaders a seat at the table, and keeps them there.

Taking a Company Public: What CFOs KnowWhat does it really take to prepare a company for life as a public company?In this special CFO Thought Leader compilation, we revisit three conversations with finance leaders who helped guide some of the technology industry's most recognizable companies through the IPO journey. Rather than focusing on the transaction itself, these CFOs share what happened behind the scenes—the operational changes, leadership decisions, and financial discipline required long before the opening bell rang.John Kinzer, former CFO of HubSpot, explains how preparing for an IPO required transforming finance from a back-office function into a strategic business partner. He discusses the importance of balancing growth with profitability and creating the operational discipline expected of a public company.Kelly Steckelberg, former CFO of Zoom Video Communications, reflects on building the people, processes, forecasting capabilities, and financial infrastructure necessary to support a successful transition to the public markets. She also shares lessons from leading Zoom through its first earnings call as a newly public company.Drawing on his experience helping lead IPOs at Salesforce, Pandora, and Yext, Steve Cakebread offers a broader perspective on why companies go public, how management teams should prepare, and why governance, investor communication, and long-term vision are essential to building enduring public companies.Together, these three accomplished CFOs offer a practical look at what it really takes to take a company public—from preparing the organization and strengthening financial operations to communicating with investors and leading through one of the most significant milestones in a company's evolution.

In this episode of Future Finance, Paul Barnhurst and Glenn Hopper sit down with Nick Jain and Daniel Settel, co-founders of Eagle Rock CFO, to discuss how AI is reshaping FP&A and fractional CFO services. Nick and Dan explain how their AI-powered system combines structured data processing, automation, and financial expertise to help companies analyze complex financial data faster, reduce manual workload, and uncover hidden value in their operations.Dan and Nick are co-founders of Eagle Rock CFO, a financial advisory firm helping mid-size businesses grow faster and improve profitability. They combine AI and technology to deliver operational finance insights at a fraction of traditional consulting costs. Both are Harvard Business School graduates, with undergraduate degrees from Stanford and Dartmouth. Dan previously co-founded FinTech company Zanbato and worked as a professional investor at PrimeCap, while Nick has experience in private equity investing and scaling companies across SaaS, footwear, and trucking.In this episode, you will discover:AI works best when paired with structured financial data, not raw inputsWhy deterministic systems still matter alongside AI in finance workflowsHow Eagle Rock's 5-step system improves financial analysis accuracyWhy human oversight is still needed in AI-powered FP&A systemsHow fractional CFOs can save 20–50 hours per month using AI toolsNick and Daniel demonstrate how AI is transforming finance by automating analysis while still relying on structured systems and human judgment. Their approach shows that the future of FP&A is not fully autonomous AI, but a hybrid model where AI enhances decision-making, improves efficiency, and strengthens financial visibility.Follow Nick:Website: https://www.eaglerockcfo.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickmjain/Follow Dan:Website: https://www.eaglerockcfo.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dsettel/Follow Glenn:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gbhopperiiiFollow Paul:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefpandaguyFollow QFlow.AI:Website - https://bit.ly/4i1EkjgFuture Finance is sponsored by QFlow.ai, the strategic finance platform solving the toughest part of planning and analysis: B2B revenue. Align sales, marketing, and finance, speed up decision-making, and lock in accountability with QFlow.ai. Stay tuned for a deeper understanding of how AI is shaping the future of finance and what it means for businesses and individuals alike.In Today's Episode:[00:00] – Trailer[04:10] – Founding Eagle Rock CFO[06:21] – Deterministic vs probabilistic systems[07:22] – Why agents are not enough[09:13] – Data compression and structuring[10:13] – Human oversight in AI workflows[14:51] – Data mess in SMB finance[18:38] – White-label and consulting model[22:18] – How to start using AI safely[29:36] – CFO vs CEO vs CIO experience[33:45] – Closing thoughts

Mike & Tommy tackle the question of whether it's time to hold CEOs and CFOs accountable for data literacy, not just the analysts building the reports. Inspired by a mailbag from jedc at bi.fo, they explore why leaders so often ask for A when the business actually needs B, and what it really takes to build a shared data language across the org.They also cover the latest on AI-powered Power BI reporting from design to deployment: https://community.fabric.microsoft.com/t5/Power-BI-Updates-Blog/AI-Powered-Power-BI-reporting-From-design-to-deployment-with/ba-p/5190703Mailbag from jedc: http://bi.foGet in touch:Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with the hashtag #empMailbag or submit on the PowerBI.tips Podcast Page.Visit PowerBI.tips: https://powerbi.tips/Watch the episodes live every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 730am CST on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/powerbitipsSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/230fp78XmHHRXTiYICRLVvSubscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/explicit-measures-podcast/id1568944083‎Check Out Community Jam: https://jam.powerbi.tipsFollow Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcarlo/Follow Tommy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommypuglia/

You can't grow a business you can't defend. Every line item on your P&L deserves a real answer when someone asks why it's there. For years as a corporate CFO, I learned a framework for reviewing business expenses that I now use with every Kickstart Accounting client. It is a step-by-step method for small business owners who feel like their profit is leaking somewhere but cannot see exactly where. I walk through how to pull every vendor in your business, grade each one against your actual operations, and create an action plan you can defend. By the end you will know exactly how to bring boardroom-level accountability to your business spending. In this episode of CEO Numbers Network, I break down the expense grading framework into 5 steps any business owner can execute this week. You will learn how to audit every vendor in your business and apply the A/B/C grading system that CFOs use in boardroom reviews. If you have ever felt overwhelmed looking at your P&L or signed up for subscriptions you can no longer defend, this episode gives you the framework to take ownership back.  

Financial decisions are rarely as rational as we think. In this episode, Hannah Munro is joined by Lesley Thomas, Founder of the Money Confidence Academy, to explore the hidden psychology driving the choices CFOs and finance leaders make every day.In this episode, we cover:Why financial decisions are driven more by emotion than data The role your childhood relationship with money plays in your leadership style todayHow to separate personal identity from the decisions your role demands you makeWhy avoiding difficult conversations creates a "hidden tax" on your organisation's performanceHow to overcome decision paralysis and know when you have enough information to actThe importance of building a culture where your team feels safe to share ideas and concernsLesley's Five R's framework for making clearer, faster, and more confident decisionsLinks mentionedLesley's Linkedin Learn more about The Money Confidence AcademyExplore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here.Subscribe to our Podcast!

The risks keeping CFOs up at night aren't new. But the way they connect, accelerate, and amplify each other is. In the final episode of their three-part GRC series, Embark's Adam Olsen and Managing Director Allison Bradshaw break down the risk landscape organizations are navigating right now, and what it actually takes to get ahead of it.In this episode:AI governance frameworks: how to build tiered oversight proportional to risk, from chatbots to credit decisions, without slowing down adoptionThe "black box" problem: why explainability and transparency are now regulatory expectations, not just best practicesCybersecurity as enterprise risk: how to reframe board conversations around cyber exposure and what ransomware preparedness actually requiresIdentity, access, and the human element: why phishing remains the most common attack vector and what effective security culture looks like beyond annual trainingData privacy in a fragmented regulatory environment: GDPR, CCPA, and the state-by-state patchwork, plus why privacy and cybersecurity programs are stronger when built togetherThird-party and vendor risk: how to apply a risk-based approach across a complex vendor ecosystem, including fourth-party exposure and ESG considerations in the supply chainThe regulatory change problem: AI regulation, SEC cyber disclosure rules, ESG reporting requirements, and how to build compliance capabilities that don't start from scratch every timeWhy integrated risk management isn't optional: how AI, cyber, privacy, and regulatory risks connect in ways siloed functions will always missTo connect with Allison or learn more about how Embark approaches GRC, visit embarkwithus.com.

In this episode, Laura Dyrda, Vice President, Editor-in-Chief, Becker's Healthcare, shares key themes emerging from conversations with healthcare CEOs and CFOs, including access to care, financial sustainability, workforce resilience, and policy advocacy. She also discusses how leaders are balancing uncertainty around reimbursement and Medicaid changes with growing optimism about AI, innovation, and the future of healthcare transformation.

In this episode of Future Finance, Paul Barnhurst and Glenn Hopper sit down with Ron Nachum, Founder of Sapien, an AI-native company building systems that understand and act on enterprise financial data. Ron shares how his team is redefining finance operations using AI agents that go beyond dashboards and chatbots to actively analyze, optimise, and recommend actions across business functions. Ron Nachum is the Founder of Sapien, an AI-native platform that helps companies run finance and operations through intelligent systems built on top of ERPs, spreadsheets, and enterprise data. With a background in applied AI research at Harvard, Ron focuses on building systems that turn fragmented financial data into real-time business decisions. In this episode, you will discover:How AI agents are reshaping finance and FP&A workflowsWhy companies need systems that understand their business contextHow Sapien automates reporting, analysis, and decision supportThe importance of guardrails, auditability, and financial structure in AI Ron shows how AI agents are moving finance beyond reporting into real-time decision-making. Sapien blends structure, data, and intelligence to turn complex systems into actionable insights.Follow Ron:Website: https://sapien.ai/newsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ron-nachum/Follow Glenn:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gbhopperiiiFollow Paul:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefpandaguyFollow QFlow.AI:Website - https://bit.ly/4i1EkjgFuture Finance is sponsored by QFlow.ai, the strategic finance platform solving the toughest part of planning and analysis: B2B revenue. Align sales, marketing, and finance, speed up decision-making, and lock in accountability with QFlow.ai. Stay tuned for a deeper understanding of how AI is shaping the future of finance and what it means for businesses and individuals alike.In Today's Episode: [02:35] – Why Ron left Harvard to build Sapien [05:15] – Founding story and early vision [07:46] – Building AI systems for finance [09:13] – From manual workflows to AI automation [10:03] – Evolution of AI agents in finance [11:29] – How AI is changing FP&A roles [12:45] – Guardrails and system design [13:56] – Financial intelligence in AI systems [16:19] – Opinionated vs. flexible AI systems [18:26] – Closing thoughts

Revenue cycle metrics can reveal far more than days in A/R, cash collections, or cost to collect. In this episode, Jon Vitiello, SVP & CFO at St. Luke's Health, joins Stuart Newsome to discuss how CFOs interpret RCM signals, separate operational noise from financial risk, and use revenue cycle insight to guide strategy, investment, Medicare Advantage response, and patient access performance.Brought to you by www.infinx.com

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Mark Mascarenhas. Purpose of the Interview The interview aims to educate listeners—especially entrepreneurs, small business owners, and aspiring millionaires—on financial planning, wealth management, and risk mitigation strategies. It emphasizes the importance of discipline, clarity, and professional guidance in achieving financial success and sustaining wealth across generations. Key Takeaways Financial Planning is Foundational A written financial plan is the first step before any investment portfolio is built. Success is defined individually—financial, health, or lifestyle goals. Diversification & Risk Management Digital assets like Bitcoin should only make up 2–3% of a portfolio for high-net-worth clients with high risk tolerance. Fear and greed drive markets; advisors help clients maintain discipline. Long-Term Care & Insurance Planning for long-term care is essential, typically starting in your 50s. Term life insurance early locks in health; whole life policies provide stability and living benefits. Tax Strategy Use tax-loss harvesting, asset location strategies, and estate planning to minimize tax burdens. Estate planning focuses on transferring wealth tax-efficiently to future generations. Millionaire Mindset Millionaires are clear, disciplined, optimistic, and collaborative. 74% of millionaires work with financial advisors vs. 34% of the general population. Power of Compounding Compounding interest is the cornerstone of wealth accumulation—requires patience and discipline. Avoid lifestyle creep and impulsive spending, especially for younger millionaires and influencers. Fiduciary Responsibility Advisors act in the client’s best interest; success is mutual. Trust and transparency are critical in client-advisor relationships. Notable Quotes On Risk & Bitcoin:“You could potentially double your money, but you could also potentially lose 70% of it.” On Financial Planning:“Every dollar needs a job description.” On Millionaire Mindset:“Successful people view us as CFOs—they’re the CEOs.” On Compounding:“If you could win 72% of the time, would you play that game? Yes. That’s the stock market.” On Retirement Success:“Living the same or better lifestyle in retirement than you do today while working.” On Fiduciary Role:“We make more money when the client makes more money.” #SHMS #BEST #STRAWSupport the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Mark Mascarenhas. Purpose of the Interview The interview aims to educate listeners—especially entrepreneurs, small business owners, and aspiring millionaires—on financial planning, wealth management, and risk mitigation strategies. It emphasizes the importance of discipline, clarity, and professional guidance in achieving financial success and sustaining wealth across generations. Key Takeaways Financial Planning is Foundational A written financial plan is the first step before any investment portfolio is built. Success is defined individually—financial, health, or lifestyle goals. Diversification & Risk Management Digital assets like Bitcoin should only make up 2–3% of a portfolio for high-net-worth clients with high risk tolerance. Fear and greed drive markets; advisors help clients maintain discipline. Long-Term Care & Insurance Planning for long-term care is essential, typically starting in your 50s. Term life insurance early locks in health; whole life policies provide stability and living benefits. Tax Strategy Use tax-loss harvesting, asset location strategies, and estate planning to minimize tax burdens. Estate planning focuses on transferring wealth tax-efficiently to future generations. Millionaire Mindset Millionaires are clear, disciplined, optimistic, and collaborative. 74% of millionaires work with financial advisors vs. 34% of the general population. Power of Compounding Compounding interest is the cornerstone of wealth accumulation—requires patience and discipline. Avoid lifestyle creep and impulsive spending, especially for younger millionaires and influencers. Fiduciary Responsibility Advisors act in the client’s best interest; success is mutual. Trust and transparency are critical in client-advisor relationships. Notable Quotes On Risk & Bitcoin:“You could potentially double your money, but you could also potentially lose 70% of it.” On Financial Planning:“Every dollar needs a job description.” On Millionaire Mindset:“Successful people view us as CFOs—they’re the CEOs.” On Compounding:“If you could win 72% of the time, would you play that game? Yes. That’s the stock market.” On Retirement Success:“Living the same or better lifestyle in retirement than you do today while working.” On Fiduciary Role:“We make more money when the client makes more money.” #SHMS #BEST #STRAWSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Jennifer Miles-Thomas is Vice Chair of Integration and Innovation at Northwestern Medicine, Executive Treasurer of the American Urological Association, and a former CEO of one of the largest private urology groups in the country. She earned her MD at Northwestern, completed her residency and fellowship at Johns Hopkins, and her MBA at MIT Sloan. In this episode of DGTL Voices, Jennifer talks with Ed about the spinal meningitis diagnosis at age three that pointed her toward medicine, what changed when she got to MIT and started thinking alongside multinational CFOs and SpaceX engineers, and why she left a CEO seat for protected innovation time at a health system. She shares her perspective as a Black female urologist on what it took to navigate her training, how she leads through really listening, and why she believes failure is part of the path to anything worth building. https://marxadvisory.com

Finance teams are being asked to influence outcomes in real time while operating on architectures built for delayed, aggregated, and heavily reconciled data. In this episode, Alex Curran, CEO at Aptitude Software, examines how finance functions can move toward real‑time, event‑level visibility and discusses this shift with host Dan Faggella. She highlights the practical changes required for CFOs — from capturing every financial event at the transaction level to enabling continuous reconciliation and full lineage — so finance can surface exceptions immediately and support decisions as they unfold. This episode is sponsored by Aptitude Software. Learn how financial institutions are digitizing paper-based records to unlock usable data for AI, and using alternative data like public web and social signals to enhance risk assessment. Download our free PDF report, "AI in Financial Services Executive Cheat Sheet" at emerj.com/fcs1

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Mark Mascarenhas. Purpose of the Interview The interview aims to educate listeners—especially entrepreneurs, small business owners, and aspiring millionaires—on financial planning, wealth management, and risk mitigation strategies. It emphasizes the importance of discipline, clarity, and professional guidance in achieving financial success and sustaining wealth across generations. Key Takeaways Financial Planning is Foundational A written financial plan is the first step before any investment portfolio is built. Success is defined individually—financial, health, or lifestyle goals. Diversification & Risk Management Digital assets like Bitcoin should only make up 2–3% of a portfolio for high-net-worth clients with high risk tolerance. Fear and greed drive markets; advisors help clients maintain discipline. Long-Term Care & Insurance Planning for long-term care is essential, typically starting in your 50s. Term life insurance early locks in health; whole life policies provide stability and living benefits. Tax Strategy Use tax-loss harvesting, asset location strategies, and estate planning to minimize tax burdens. Estate planning focuses on transferring wealth tax-efficiently to future generations. Millionaire Mindset Millionaires are clear, disciplined, optimistic, and collaborative. 74% of millionaires work with financial advisors vs. 34% of the general population. Power of Compounding Compounding interest is the cornerstone of wealth accumulation—requires patience and discipline. Avoid lifestyle creep and impulsive spending, especially for younger millionaires and influencers. Fiduciary Responsibility Advisors act in the client’s best interest; success is mutual. Trust and transparency are critical in client-advisor relationships. Notable Quotes On Risk & Bitcoin:“You could potentially double your money, but you could also potentially lose 70% of it.” On Financial Planning:“Every dollar needs a job description.” On Millionaire Mindset:“Successful people view us as CFOs—they’re the CEOs.” On Compounding:“If you could win 72% of the time, would you play that game? Yes. That’s the stock market.” On Retirement Success:“Living the same or better lifestyle in retirement than you do today while working.” On Fiduciary Role:“We make more money when the client makes more money.” #SHMS #BEST #STRAWSteve Harvey Morning Show Online: http://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Inner Edison Podcast, Ed Parcaut sits down with Mike Jesowshek for a practical conversation about small business taxes, proactive planning, and the financial mistakes that keep entrepreneurs stuck. Mike explains why most business owners think about taxes too late, why tax prep is not the same as tax planning, and how better bookkeeping, better structure, and better strategy can legally reduce what a business owner owes. He also shares how his own path started in online marketing and finance before evolving into bookkeeping, accounting, and ultimately a stronger focus on tax planning for entrepreneurs. The conversation covers LLCs versus S corporations, the role of bookkeepers, CPAs, and fractional CFOs, the difference between filing returns and building strategy, and why too many business owners rely on reactive advice instead of planning ahead. This is a strong episode for entrepreneurs who want more clarity, more control, and fewer tax surprises. *Contact Ed Parcaut:** -

In this episode, Brent Berger, CFO, NXT Ascent, shares insights on why cash flow matters more than revenue alone, how CFOs can drive operational value beyond financial reporting, and the growing role of AI in helping businesses make faster, smarter decisions.