Podcasts about cfos

Send a textThe Wireless Way: Unpacking Enterprise Tech, AI, and Expense Management StrategiesIn this episode, Chris Whitaker hosts Hyoun Park, a market strategist with over two decades of experience in enterprise technology, to explore the evolving landscape of wireless expenses, AI integration, and operational efficiency. This interview offers actionable insights into managing complex enterprise mobility environments, leveraging AI responsibly, and aligning technology strategies with business outcomes.How telecom and wireless expense management have evolved from basic billing to strategic business tools in 2026.The impact of AI on telecom expense parsing, user democratization, and operational transparency.The significance of contract enforcement, governance, and compliance in long-term expense optimization.The debate between BYOD and corporate-owned devices, and the security and cost implications involved.Strategies for cross-selling IT services and expanding customer relationships over time.The overlooked importance of managing apps and hardware together in digital employee workflows.How companies can leverage actionable data for efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability initiatives.Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction to Hyoun Park's background and expertise 01:45 - Hyoun's diverse career journey from music to tech and mobility 04:05 - The intersection of classical performance and enterprise technology 06:49 - Evolution of telecom expense management (TEM) and wireless expense management (WIM) in 2026 08:47 - Broader perspective: managing SaaS, cloud, and hardware expenses collectively 09:30 - Increase in demand for wireless expense management due to device proliferation and security concerns 12:51 - Cross-selling opportunities: expanding from wireless to broader IT services 14:09 - How to approach CIOs and CFOs with expense management solutions 16:32 - BYOD vs. corporate-owned device strategies and security considerations 20:31 - How AI is transforming expense parsing, democratizing telecom, and assisting end users 23:57 - Common pitfalls companies face when evaluating AI-driven operational tools 25:03 - The probabilistic nature of AI and importance of data governance and testing 26:45 - Overhyped vs. undervalued aspects of AI in business contexts 29:17 - Beyond cost savings: features and strategic advantages of expense management platforms 32:53 - Actionable data and the importance of real-time insights for operational efficiency 36:49 - The significance of managing apps and devices in tandem for digital employee workflows 38:22 - How Calero integrates mobile and SaaS management into a unified platform for better control 39:01 - Final thoughts: embracing technology to build strategic, efficient, and sustainable enterprisesResources & Links: Calero - Telecom and Mobility Management PlatformHyoun Park - LinkedIn“This is The Wireless Way—where mobility, IoT, and innovation drive real business outcomes.” Support the showCheck out my website https://thewirelessway.net/ use the contact button to send request and feedback.

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

a16z general partner Julie Yoo talks with Nikhil Buduma, CEO and cofounder of Ambience Healthcare, to discuss how AI is transforming clinical workflows. They cover the early days of deep learning, why Ambience started by running a medical practice before building a platform company, and what it takes to achieve high clinician adoption rates at major academic medical centers. They also dig into the challenge of building products when AI capabilities change every few months, the real ROI that's finally converting CFOs, and why this might be the moment to reimagine the legacy EHR stack.   Resources: Follow Nikhil Buduma on X: https://twitter.com/nkbuduma Follow Julie Yoo on X: https://twitter.com/julesyoo   If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Stay Updated:Find a16z on YouTube: YouTubeFind a16z on XFind a16z on LinkedInListen to the a16z Show on SpotifyListen to the a16z Show on Apple PodcastsFollow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Die Liste der Herausforderungen für CFOs ist lang: Inflation, geopolitische Konflikte und die unaufhaltsame Welle der künstlichen Intelligenz. In einer Welt, die sich im permanenten Wandel befindet, wird die Unternehmensplanung zur Königsdisziplin. Doch wie navigiert man ein Unternehmen sicher durch diesen Sturm? „Es reicht nicht mehr aus, dass ich einen Mittelfristplan oder einen Langzeitplan habe. Stattdessen muss ich jetzt aktiv und schnell auf Veränderungen reagieren können“, warnt Björn Staus, General Manager Zentraleuropa bei dem Softwareanbieter Board, im Gespräch mit FINANCE TV. Das erwartet Sie in diesem Talk:• Welche Rolle Szenarioplanung jetzt spielt.• Was KI heute und in Zukunft möglich machen wird.• Wie genau sich die Rolle von CFOs verändert.• Was der größte Fehler ist, den CFOs jetzt machen können.Das ganze Interview mit Björn Stauss von Board gibt es jetzt bei FINANCE TV. Hinweis: Dieser FINANCE TV-Talk entstand in Kooperation mit Board.

In this episode of the GaryVee Audio Experience, I sit down with Jon Evans to discuss the enduring truth of marketing, the massive mid-funnel opportunity, and the challenges facing corporate marketers today. I share my foundational belief that relevance leads to purchase and explain how I used this principle to grow my father's business, Wine Library. I'm "flabbergasted" by the amount of money still wasted on unvalidated creative and make the case for why marketers are losing credibility with "fake data." You'll learn:The unchanging business truth that relevance leads to consideration and purchase.Why I believe the mid-funnel—organic social media creative—is the biggest opportunity in marketing.My strategy for validating creative for free on social media platforms before spending media dollars.Why I am seeing CFOs show more belief in modern marketing strategies than CMOs.Why Live Social Shopping and YouTube Shorts are the most important trends for any product-selling business today.The number one trait of a successful marketer is the "lack of fear of losing their job"

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

AI in customer experience, fraud prevention, and back-office operations is moving fast in banking and financial services, and the firms that fall behind risk losing both customers and competitive ground. Tedd Huff, CEO of fintech advisory firm Voalyre and founder of Fintech Confidential, sits down with Mamta Rodrigues, Chief Client Officer of Banking, Financial Services and Insurance at TP, one of the largest employers in the world with over 500,000 people globally. Mamta brings decades of hands-on experience across American Express, MasterCard, Visa, and Synchrony, and she holds a patent, a signal that she has spent real time building products, not just advising on them. The conversation covers practical AI use cases in fraud, collections, and compliance, along with what separates clients who get results from those who stall out after a pilot.The pressure on banks and fintechs right now comes from two directions at once. Consumer expectations keep rising because people interact with payment products every single day. At the same time, fraud is accelerating. Every time the industry catches up, fraudsters adapt faster and the cycle resets. That means fraud teams, product teams, and customer experience teams are all fighting for resources and attention at the same time. For treasury managers, CFOs, and compliance leaders, this creates a real tension: how do you invest in AI-powered fraud prevention and still deliver a smooth experience that keeps customers loyal?The numbers from inside TP's client work tell a clear story. Fifty percent of TP's solutions are now AI-led, with the heaviest concentration in back-office operations like fraud, financial crime, and claims management. Mamta describes a recent deployment of TP's AI blueprint, tp.ai fab, layered into an existing client's operations to prevent and predict fraud. The results showed significant improvement in key metrics. On the collections side, predictive analysis now arms agents before a call even starts with propensity to pay, likely timing, expected recovery percentage, and recommended remediation paths. That kind of preparation changes the entire tone of a collections interaction from adversarial to solution-oriented, and the outcome is measurable: increased repayment, stronger loyalty, product expansion, and reduced breakage.One of the clearest signals Mamta uses to gauge whether a client will actually get results versus abandon the effort after a test: the composition of who shows up. When the cross-functional team walks through the door, operations, product, IT, and data leaders together, that's when real progress happens. She describes a design thinking approach where the client provides a problem statement in advance, both sides bring the right people, and in a single day they can shape a solution direction. The typical pattern is that they start with one problem statement and end the session with additional problem statements and new opportunities they had not considered. Clients who send a single department to "explore AI" without bringing the other stakeholders rarely make it past the pilot stage.Looking three to five years out, Mamta expects advanced AI and predictive analytics to fundamentally reshape how customer experience operates, powered by stronger data foundations and more mature tech stacks. She predicts continued growth in AI-led back-office solutions, deeper fraud protection capabilities, and a rising focus on elevating talent rather than replacing it. The human factor, she says, will always remain because both the customers and the agents serving them are still people. Her single piece of advice to fintech executives and founders: "Be comfortable with the uncomfortable." The firms that try, pivot, learn, and avoid the belief that they already know everything will be the ones that pull ahead.Key HighlightsFraud Signals Your Phone RevealsEvery mobile transaction generates thousands of hidden data points including gyroscope movement, touch pressure patterns, key press timing, and screen angle behavior that machine learning models use to verify identity. IP address matching combined with geolocation checks can confirm whether the person making a payment is physically located where their device says they are, adding layers of fraud protection most consumers never realize exist.Automation Is Not Replacing AgentsTP proposes automation first in every client engagement, yet the goal is augmenting agent performance through AI-powered training, quality assurance, and workforce management tools. Mundane tasks like balance inquiries have already moved to apps, while new roles in data analysis, predictive modeling, financial crime investigation, and fraud prevention are growing faster than the positions being phased out.Consumer Behavior Now Drives FintechBanking and payments typically lead BFSI adoption cycles because consumers transact with payment products daily, while insurance interactions are infrequent and purpose-driven. That frequency gap means consumer expectations hit banking and fintech firms first, forcing faster response times and creating pressure that insurance companies eventually absorb as a fast follower.Living On Cash Taught Product ThinkingOne of the sharpest product leadership lessons came from spending an entire month using only cash, no cards, no checks, no electronic payments, to understand what consumers actually experience when they lack access to modern payment tools. That hands-on immersion shaped a framework for understanding customer pain points from the inside out, a method still applied today when onboarding new clients by finding internal employees who already use the client's products.The Real Meaning Of DataThe phrase "so what of the data" reframes the entire conversation around why raw data collection means nothing without a clear connection to personalization, spend analysis, and predictive outcomes. Combining multiple data sources with analytics can reveal buying power, transaction patterns, location behavior, and propensity to pay, turning passive information into active intelligence that drives customer engagement and retention.Storytelling Aligns Stakeholders FasterComplex enterprise sales involving operations, product, and executive teams require more than technical specs to move forward, and framing solutions around a clear North Star with a human impact story accelerates buy-in. Using a collections call as an example, the narrative centers on saving a customer relationship rather than recovering a balance, which reframes cost of acquisition against breakage and makes the ROI case emotionally and financially persuasive.Banks Now Seek Outside PerspectiveA year ago, most banking clients told TP they would solve AI and CX challenges internally within their own teams and systems. In the last twelve months, that posture has shifted sharply toward requesting peer group insights, consortium-style knowledge sharing across 350+ global BFSI clients, and collaborative problem solving that treats the current wave of change as an industry-wide learning curve.Culture Shapes Customer Experience StrategyThree years of living and working in India reinforced that cultural context directly affects how customers respond to service interactions, communication styles, and engagement approaches across different regions. Global CX strategies that ignore cultural layers risk delivering a technically sound but emotionally flat experience, which is why regional adaptation matters as much as the tech stack powering the interaction.Hidden Fraud Detection Through BiometricsBeyond standard two-factor and three-factor authentication, financial services firms are now layering behavioral biometrics that track how a person physically handles their device during a transaction. Screen touch patterns, movement signatures, and Face ID verification create a composite identity profile that runs silently behind every interaction, catching anomalies that traditional password-based security would miss entirely.Meeting People Where They AreCross-functional leadership across global teams starts with something as simple as asking a new direct report which communication channel they prefer, whether that is Viber, WhatsApp, text, or another platform. That small signal of respect sets the tone for a people-first management approach where multiple perspectives are actively solicited, because the operating principle is that one brain is never as effective as seven or eight working together.Five Key Takeaways1️⃣ Bring Cross-Functional Teams To Every PilotSending one department to evaluate AI or data analytics tools is how pilots die quietly after 90 days. Get your operations lead, product owner, IT or data leader, and digital officer in the same room with one shared problem statement before you commit budget. That combination forces the real blockers to surface early, things like legacy system constraints, rule adjustments, and use case selection, so you can design around them instead of discovering them after you have already spent the money.2️⃣ Use Your Own Products Before SellingThe fastest way to understand a customer's pain is to become one. Before pitching a solution or onboarding a new client, find people inside your own organization who already use that client's product and pull them into the conversation. You will learn more about friction points, feature gaps, and real user behavior in one week of hands-on product use than in six months of reading market research decks.3️⃣ Arm...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzUbogTP12A .entry-img img{ display:none !important; } .single .hentry .entry-img{ display:none !important; } https://open.spotify.com/episode/5adKQ9IEs8J3Y9kTHp4NBd In today's capital-constrained and AI-accelerated economy, company valuation is no longer just an exit consideration, it is a strategic priority. Investors, lenders, and strategic partners are increasingly assessing businesses not only on financial performance but on scalability, defensibility, and global potential. For modern finance leaders, valuation has become a continuous process rather than a one-off event. In this episode of The CFO Show, Matteo Turi, Chief Operating Financial Officer at Letoon Holding Ltd, shares a structured framework for driving valuation growth: the High Valuation Triangle. Drawing on over two decades of CFO experience across blue-chip organisations, scale-ups, restructurings, and turnarounds, Matteo outlines how intellectual property monetisation, leadership architecture, and global market strategy combine to make businesses investable at every stage, from startup to exit. The discussion explores how CFOs must move beyond traditional reporting responsibilities and step into the role of “valuation architect.” As artificial intelligence reshapes competitive dynamics and lowers geographic barriers, the ability to systemise, scale, and defend value has never been more critical. This episode provides finance leaders with a practical lens for building transferable, investor-ready value in an increasingly intangible economy. Key topics covered: Why intellectual property monetisation significantly increases funding probability and enterprise value The importance of building transferable value through succession planning and leadership depth How CFOs should evolve into Chief Value Officers and valuation architects The role of global expansion and partnerships in accelerating valuation growth Why AI amplifies both operational strengths and weaknesses — and what CFOs must fix first How failing strategically, pivoting decisively, and scaling systematically drive long-term value creation  Links Matteo Turi on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn GrowCFO Mentoring Timestamps:  00:00:01 – Introduction to the High Valuation Triangle framework 00:02:00 – Why CFOs must focus on wealth creation, not just wealth management 00:04:15 – Intellectual property monetisation and its impact on funding success 00:11:08 – Building transferable value through leadership architecture 00:17:44 – The global markets dimension of valuation growth 00:23:06 – Overview of Fail, Pivot, Scale and its practical application 00:33:08 – AI as the “new electricity” and why businesses need a structural grid 00:36:17 – Preparing processes and documentation to scale with AI  Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here. You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net

Get ready for an inspiring listen with author and founder of Busy Bee Advisors, Melissa Broughton, on Count Me In! Host Adam Larson sits down with Melissa as she shares her journey from watching her grandmother and mom work in bookkeeping to carving out her own path in accounting. Melissa brings you inside her world, from falling in love with paperwork as a kid, navigating corporate life, and boldly leaping into entrepreneurship with Busy Bee Advisors. You'll hear candid stories about the highs and lows: growing too fast, building a team, and learning how to course-correct. Melissa opens up about adapting to remote work during the pandemic and how that shift sparked new opportunities for her team. She also talks about launching the One Hour Bookkeeper, a project that helps stay-at-home parents and military spouses build careers on their own terms. Whether you're dreaming of starting your own business, seeking advice on managing growth, or just want to hear a real story about balancing family and ambition, this episode is for you. Grab your headphones, Melissa's story is full of motivation, practical tips, and a reminder that there is always a way forward. ___________________________________________________________BILL is a leading financial operations platform for startups to established brands. Headquartered in San Jose, California, we're a trusted partner of leading US financial institutions, accounting firms, and accounting software providers. We empower business owners, CFOs, controllers, and accountants to save time and take control of their payables, receivables, spend, and expense management. For more information, visit bill.com.

In this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ breaks down the 5,000-year history of marketplaces—from Mesopotamia to Amazon—and the economics behind take rates, trust layers, and vertical unbundling. We unpack Airbnb's fee backlash, Facebook Marketplace's hidden value, why inventory kills platforms, and how AI will reshape discovery—without eliminating the middleman.—SPONSORS:Rillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to close faster without fighting legacy systems. Designed to support complex revenue recognition, multi-entity operations, and real-time reporting, Rillet helps teams achieve a true zero-day close—with some customers closing in hours, not days. If you're scaling on an ERP that wasn't built in the 90s, book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cjTabs is an AI-native revenue platform that unifies billing, collections, and revenue recognition for companies running usage-based or complex contracts. By bringing together ERP, CRM, and real product usage data into a single system of record, Tabs eliminates manual reconciliations and speeds up close and cash collection. Companies like Cortex, Statsig, and Cursor trust Tabs to scale revenue efficiently. Learn more at https://www.tabs.com/runAbacum is a modern FP&A platform built by former CFOs to replace slow, consultant-heavy planning tools. With self-service integrations and AI-powered workflows for forecasting, variance analysis, and scenario modeling, Abacum helps finance teams scale without becoming software admins. Trusted by teams at Strava, Replit, and JG Wentworth—learn more at https://www.abacum.aiBrex is an intelligent finance platform that combines corporate cards, built-in expense management, and AI agents to eliminate manual finance work. By automating expense reviews and reconciliations, Brex gives CFOs more time for the high-impact work that drives growth. Join 35,000+ companies like Anthropic, Coinbase, and DoorDash at https://www.brex.com/metricsMetronome is real-time billing built for modern software companies. Metronome turns raw usage events into accurate invoices, gives customers bills they actually understand, and keeps finance, product, and engineering perfectly in sync. That's why category-defining companies like OpenAI and Anthropic trust Metronome to power usage-based pricing and enterprise contracts at scale. Focus on your product — not your billing. Learn more and get started at https://www.metronome.comRightRev is an automated revenue recognition platform built for modern pricing models like usage-based pricing, bundles, and mid-cycle upgrades. RightRev lets companies scale monetization without slowing down close or compliance. For RevRec that keeps growth moving, visit https://www.rightrev.com—LINKS: Mostly Talent: https://mostlymetrics.typeform.com/to/cLTxtAsNCJ: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.comSlacker Stuff: https://www.slackerstuff.com/Ben: https://www.linkedin.com/in/slackerstuff/—RELATED EPISODES:The Mindshare Advantage Marketplace Success With Boris Wertz of Version One Ventureshttps://youtu.be/kN61sAxw_ykThe Marketplace Plus Model Explained | Colin Gardiner of Yonder VChttps://youtu.be/VIWFVwCfyLEA CFO Explains the History of EBITDAhttps://youtu.be/JySZv_fSNqs—TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Preview1:34 Marketplace Origins2:48 The Digital Shift5:55 Unbundling of Craigslist9:56 Sponsors — Rillet | Tabs | Abacum13:21 Smart Phone Revolution17:33 Take Rate Calculations21:08 When the Marketplace Crosses the Line24:49 Sponsors — Brex | Metronome | RightRev28:09 When Fees Become Friction30:37 The Marketplace Plus Model33:26 The $100B Flea Market36:14 The Inventory Trap40:07 The Disintermediation Problem42:35 Convenience Beats Inspection45:09 AI Compresses the Marketplace47:56 You Can't Cut Out the Middleman50:03 Credits#RunTheNumbersPodcast #Marketplaces #PlatformEconomy #Middleman #TechStrategy

On this episode, host Adam Russo welcomes Ken Uveges, President of Enterprise Group Planning, Inc., (EGP) a professional service organization specializing in Employer Sponsored Health Benefit Plan management. Ken discusses EGP's 50-year history and their commitment to innovative reimbursement systems despite facing skepticism from large carriers and health systems. They explore the challenges of self-funding and the tension between CFOs seeking cost reductions and HR departments resistant to change. To stream our Station live 24/7 visit www.HealthcareNOWRadio.com or ask your Smart Device to “….Play Healthcare NOW Radio”. Find all of our network podcasts on your favorite podcast platforms and be sure to subscribe and like us. Learn more at www.healthcarenowradio.com/listen

We help B2B brands launch shows that turn their point of view into pipeline. If you're launching a podcast (or have one already) and are not sure how it can hit your bottom line, book a meeting with Jason: https://meetings-eu1.hubspot.com/jason-bradwell/youtube-meeting-link Most B2B marketers are drowning in content and starving for pipeline. Joel Harrison has spent 23 years building media empires in B2B – and he's finally putting his cards on the table. In this episode of Pipe Dream, Jason Bradwell sits down with Joel Harrison, founder of the B2B Marketing publication and host of the Trust and Influence in B2B podcast. Joel brings a rare perspective to owned media: he has built a media company from scratch, exited the operational role he created, and then rebuilt his personal brand through podcasting and thought leadership content. The result is a frank, practical conversation about what it actually takes for B2B organisations to communicate with authority in an AI-saturated world. Joel shares why he launched his podcast after abandoning plans for a book, how he has evolved from audio-only to a full content flywheel spanning YouTube, LinkedIn newsletter, and LinkedIn Live, and why trust – not technology – is the defining challenge for B2B marketers right now. He also makes a compelling case for humanisation as the antidote to AI-generated commodity content, arguing that brands which put real people and genuine points of view at the centre of their marketing will win long-term. The conversation turns candid when Joel addresses why marketing still struggles to earn a seat at the board table, and what it will take to change that dynamic. Key Takeaways ◼️ How to build a content flywheel from a single podcast – why launching with audio alone limits your reach and how adding video, newsletter, and live formats accelerates audience growth. ◼️ Why trust is the defining issue in B2B marketing right now – and how AI-generated content is making the problem worse, not better. ◼️ How to use AI as an enabler of thought leadership, not a replacement for it – the distinction between repurposing genuine perspectives and using AI as a crutch for a missing point of view. ◼️ Why B2B marketing still struggles to earn board-level credibility – and what marketers must do to speak the commercial language that CEOs and CFOs actually respond to. ◼️ How to hook your audience in the first 30 seconds – the simple structural shift Joel made after a year of podcasting that reduced early listener drop-off. ◼️ Why incremental improvements beat big production budgets – and why your point of view matters far more than your studio setup. Chapter Markers 00:00 Intro 02:15 Joel's journey: from founding B2B Marketing magazine to podcasting 07:40 Building a content flywheel across audio, video, and LinkedIn 13:05 The biggest lessons from year one of running a podcast 18:30 What "thinking like a media company" actually means in B2B 23:10 Why marketing still fails to prove its value to the board 28:45 How AI enables thought leadership without replacing it Relevant Links and Resources Joel Harrison on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-harrison/Trust and Influence in B2B Podcast: [search on Spotify / Apple Podcasts]B2B Marketing (publication Joel founded): https://www.b2bmarketing.netTools mentioned by Joel: Riverside, Claude, ChatGPT, Fireflies What's Next If this episode got you thinking about how your organisation can build content that actually earns trust and drives pipeline, don't sit on it – take the first step and book a conversation with the B2B Better team today. Useful Links Connect with Jason Bradwell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbradwell/Listen to Pipe Dream on Podbean: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/bac4p-2a0121/Pipe-Dream-PodcastLearn more about B2B Better: https://www.b2b-better.com

In this bonus episode of Count Me In, recorded live at Oracle NetSuite's SuiteConnect NYC, Adam Larson sits down with Sue Vestri, CFO at CRIO and a finance leader with a wealth of experience in startups, public companies, and private equity-backed businesses. Listen in as Sue shares real stories from her career, everything from wrangling accounting platforms for rapidly scaling teams to building a finance culture that embraces AI and continuous learning. Whether you're curious about growing a finance team from scratch, navigating the complexities of SaaS billing, or keeping your organization future-ready, Sue's practical perspectives and candid advice are sure to inspire. Perfect for finance professionals and anyone interested in how a modern CFO drives growth and innovation while building trust across the business. ___________________________________________________________BILL is a leading financial operations platform for startups to established brands. Headquartered in San Jose, California, we're a trusted partner of leading US financial institutions, accounting firms, and accounting software providers. We empower business owners, CFOs, controllers, and accountants to save time and take control of their payables, receivables, spend, and expense management. For more information, visit bill.com.

In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Brooke Lively discuss: Recognizing that law firms must master the business of law Prioritizing rocks before everything else Building culture through the right people and real accountability Understanding personal wiring and stage fit   Key Takeaways: Law school teaches legal doctrine, not leadership, systems, or execution. Firms that struggle often lack clear vision, aligned people, and real accountability. Frameworks like EOS provide structure for turning intention into consistent results. You cannot pursue every opportunity at once without diluting impact. Identifying quarterly “rocks” forces focus and determines what gets a firm's time and attention. Without clear priorities, “urgent” noise will crowd out important progress. Success depends on having the right people in the right seats and refusing to tolerate toxic high performers. Clear metrics, documented processes, and regular follow-through create traction. When accountability becomes normal, execution improves across the firm. Leaders thrive in different environments, whether scrappy growth or mature stability. Misalignment between personality and company stage can create friction and unintended chaos. Self-awareness allows both the leader and the firm to operate at their best.   "The urgent overtakes the important, and the important never gets done." —  Brooke Lively   Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.   Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don't miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/   Thank you to our Sponsor! Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/ Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/   Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/   About Brooke Lively: Brooke Lively is a speaker, author, and profitability expert, and the founder of Cathedral Capital, a team of CFOs and Profitability Strategists dedicated to helping entrepreneurs transform their private practices into profitable, well-managed businesses. With an MBA in Investments and Corporate Finance, Brooke has leveraged her experience growing multiple companies to guide clients—from law firms to marketing agencies—in understanding financial statements, making data-driven decisions, and increasing profitability. She is the author of the 6 Key Numbers series, providing accessible financial guidance for business owners, psychologists, and attorneys. Known for her approachable yet candid style, Brooke also delivers engaging keynote presentations that educate entrepreneurs on financial stability, growth management, and sustainable profitability.   Connect with Brooke Lively:  Website: https://brookelively.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CathedralCapital LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brookelively/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg1JD7XBFwGjizaa9_566sg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathedralcapital/   Connect with Steve Fretzin: LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin Twitter: @stevefretzin Instagram: @fretzinsteve Facebook: Fretzin, Inc. Website: Fretzin.com Email: Steve@Fretzin.com Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more! YouTube: Steve Fretzin Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911   Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

CJ sits down with Mike Jung, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Founders Circle Capital. They unpack the rise of structured liquidity, how secondaries went mainstream, and what CFOs should know before running a tender. Mike shares lessons from the dot-com era, AI's “super cycle,” and what separates durable growth companies from hype.—SPONSORS:RightRev is an automated revenue recognition platform built for modern pricing models like usage-based pricing, bundles, and mid-cycle upgrades. RightRev lets companies scale monetization without slowing down close or compliance. For RevRec that keeps growth moving, visit https://www.rightrev.comRillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to close faster without fighting legacy systems. Designed to support complex revenue recognition, multi-entity operations, and real-time reporting, Rillet helps teams achieve a true zero-day close—with some customers closing in hours, not days. If you're scaling on an ERP that wasn't built in the 90s, book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cjTabs is an AI-native revenue platform that unifies billing, collections, and revenue recognition for companies running usage-based or complex contracts. By bringing together ERP, CRM, and real product usage data into a single system of record, Tabs eliminates manual reconciliations and speeds up close and cash collection. Companies like Cortex, Statsig, and Cursor trust Tabs to scale revenue efficiently. Learn more at https://www.tabs.com/runAbacum is a modern FP&A platform built by former CFOs to replace slow, consultant-heavy planning tools. With self-service integrations and AI-powered workflows for forecasting, variance analysis, and scenario modeling, Abacum helps finance teams scale without becoming software admins. Trusted by teams at Strava, Replit, and JG Wentworth—learn more at https://www.abacum.aiBrex is an intelligent finance platform that combines corporate cards, built-in expense management, and AI agents to eliminate manual finance work. By automating expense reviews and reconciliations, Brex gives CFOs more time for the high-impact work that drives growth. Join 35,000+ companies like Anthropic, Coinbase, and DoorDash at https://www.brex.com/metricsMetronome is real-time billing built for modern software companies. Metronome turns raw usage events into accurate invoices, gives customers bills they actually understand, and keeps finance, product, and engineering perfectly in sync. That's why category-defining companies like OpenAI and Anthropic trust Metronome to power usage-based pricing and enterprise contracts at scale. Focus on your product — not your billing. Learn more and get started at https://www.metronome.com—LINKS: Mostly Talent: https://mostlymetrics.typeform.com/to/cLTxtAsNMike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikjunghttps://www.founderscircle.com/CJ: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/https://www.mostlymetrics.com—TIMESTAMPS:1:08 Founder Circle origin3:15 The founder liquidity insight5:16 Staying private longer problem6:04 Secondary market control vs chaos8:44 Secondaries over IPOs10:12 Liquidity keeps VC alive11:27 Ask Jeeves dot-com lesson12:26 $190 to $1 + AMT reality13:10 Sponsors — RightRev | Rillet | Tabs16:39 Private share opacity risk20:25 Founder + employee liquidity playbooks21:55 Early investors need liquidity too22:31 Cap table math actually matters24:17 SPV fee stacking insanity25:37 Sponsors — Abacum | Brex | Metronome28:54 Tender offer guardrails30:09 Minimum vs maximum liquidity balance33:01 Growth stage sweet spot + IPO bar rising34:17 AI Cambrian explosion34:58 Buying fear vs buying hype36:29 AI growth sustainability37:19 Founder-led advantage + product velocity38:47 TAM is created, not measured41:06 Anti-portfolio lessons43:01 What is a supercycle44:34 Do supercycles end in crashes?46:16 AI's unprecedented adoption curve48:31 Community as a moat52:50 Earning the right to be on the cap table

In this episode of the Sharpen Podcast, Steve Van Diest sits down with Blaine Cheshire, Founder & CEO of Level 10 CFO, to talk about money, growth, and the financial decisions that can make or break a business.They unpack the common lies leaders believe about revenue, introduce the idea of the “Revenue Fairy,” and explain why CFOs aren't risk-averse—they're risk-conscious. Blaine also shares hard-earned lessons from walking through a personal health storm while leading a growing company, and why building a business that runs without you isn't optional.If you're a CEO in the growth stage wondering whether your financial leadership matches your ambition, this episode delivers clarity, wisdom, and practical perspective.

In this episode, Jim Molloy, Executive Vice President, CFO and Treasurer of Ochsner Health, shares how fresh perspective, disciplined integration, and a focus on access and experience are shaping his 2026 strategy. He discusses navigating government reimbursement pressures, driving efficiency as smart growth, and why optimism and urgency are essential mindsets for today's health care CFOs.

In the first official episode of Culture Over Quota, AJ Vaughan introduces a concept that sits right in the uncomfortable gap most high-growth organizations refuse to measure: People Profit.Every leadership team can tell you their CAC, EBITDA, unit economics, and revenue per employee. Those numbers are discussed, defended, and forecasted like gospel. But the most important operating system behind all of them — the lived reality of the workforce — often goes unmeasured until it breaks.This episode is a direct conversation to CHROs, CFOs, CROs, and private equity operators who are chasing scale without pretending the human layer will “figure itself out.”AJ breaks down the hidden margin crisis that shows up when companies optimize for short-term output while ignoring human capacity alignment: the quiet disengagement, the innovation drag, the internal hesitation, the missed handoffs, the cancelled collaboration meetings, the increase in “heroics,” and the fear-based grind that turns high performers into flight risks.You'll hear why a company can look “fine” on paper while internally bleeding speed — and why leaders often feel the month was “off,” even when dashboards don't explain it.AJ uses a simple but sharp sports analogy: teams that sprint too hard early burn out late. Businesses do the same thing — pushing intensity without building sustainable alignment — then act surprised when Q2 momentum fades, Q3 gets weird, and Q4 becomes a recovery plan.People Profit is AJ's push to change what we track:Not just financial outcomes, but the human signals that predict them alignment, psychological safety, workload strain, collaboration quality, and the invisible behaviors that either compound performance or quietly tax it.Because culture isn't a vibe.It's a performance system.And when you measure it honestly, it becomes a margin.This is Part One of a multi-part breakdown of the People Profit framework and the start of Culture Over Quota as a movement for leaders who want growth without burnout, speed without chaos, and profit without losing the people who create it.

In episode #356, Ben shares the results from the FP&A category of his 7th Annual SaaS Tech Stack Survey, highlighting the top financial planning and analysis solutions used in software companies today. With 37 FP&A solutions named in the survey, this remains one of the most competitive and fast-moving segments in the back-office tech stack. While spreadsheets still dominate usage—by a wide margin—dedicated FP&A platforms are gaining traction, especially as companies scale past $10M+ ARR and investor reporting requirements increase. Ben also compares this year's results to prior years and explains how FP&A tool adoption shifts by ARR size. Resources Mentioned 7th Annual SaaS Tech Stack Survey: https://www.thesaascfo.com/surveys/finance-accounting-tech-stack-survey/ What You'll Learn The most widely used FP&A solutions in SaaS and AI companies Why spreadsheets still dominate financial modeling workflows Which platforms are gaining momentum (Drivetrain, Mosaic, Aleph, Pigment, Planful, and others) How FP&A adoption changes as companies scale beyond $10M ARR Why enterprise-grade tools like Workday appear in larger organizations How funding and competition are reshaping the FP&A software landscape Why It Matters FP&A systems power your forecasting, budgeting, and board reporting Spreadsheet-based processes eventually break as complexity increases As ARR grows, investors expect more sophisticated financial modeling and analytics Selecting the right FP&A tool impacts forecasting accuracy, KPI visibility, and strategic planning Understanding market adoption trends helps founders and CFOs benchmark their financial systems

What happens when a Wall Street bond analyst, urban planner, freelance filmmaker, and investment banker all become the same person, and that person ends up running healthcare benefits for 215,000 people at the University of California? Laura Tauber didn't follow the rulebook. She followed curiosity. Laura Tauber is the Executive Director of Self-Funded Health Plans at the University of California, Office of the President. She oversees PPO plans, HMO plans, and benefit partnerships with Anthem and Blue Shield for a workforce that spans everything from Nobel laureates to gardeners — active employees, early retirees, and families spread across California and beyond. 60% of that workforce is unionized. 5 of her campuses have no medical center. And 50-60% of total plan spend runs through UC's own health system, meaning she's constantly negotiating with the very hospitals she depends on. It started not in healthcare — but in natural resources. Laura studied environmental policy, nearly became a forester, spent a summer in rural Montana, and realized that wasn't the life for her. She pivoted to urban planning, moved to San Francisco in 1982 in the middle of a recession, couldn't find work, and called a friend in New York who happened to be hiring at a bond insurance company. That one phone call put her in healthcare. She became a healthcare bond analyst — spending years doing deep financial analysis for hospitals, understanding how CFOs and CEOs think, what keeps them up at night, what their numbers actually mean. Then she moved to Blue Shield of California. Then Accenture as a healthcare strategy consultant. Then a stint in investment banking — where her biggest revelation wasn't finance, it was that she hated banking but loved strategy. Then Scan Health Plan. Then Kaiser. And somewhere in the middle of all of it, she took what she calls "a long sabbatical or a midlife crisis" — left healthcare entirely, got a BFA in cinematography, worked freelance for the BBC, worked on a travel show, and worked on a Spike Lee film. Then she came back. And everything clicked. In this conversation, Laura breaks down what it actually takes to make high-stakes benefit decisions across a system this complex — balancing member needs, budget constraints, union contracts, provider negotiations, pharmacy costs, and the constant pressure of doing right by people whose lives depend on the decisions you make. We go deep on: How her background across hospitals, health plans, investment banking, and consulting gives her a different lens when she looks at data — and why that multi-perspective thinking shapes every decision she makes The GLP-1 decision that consumed 18 months of her life — every study, every doctor conversation, every ethical consideration — and the hard call she ultimately made The $2 million hemophilia cure problem and the question underneath it: if a drug pays for itself over time and it's the right thing to do for the member, can you afford not to cover it? Why she still pulls up the raw spreadsheet herself instead of reading the summary — and why that habit has repeatedly led her to insights her own team missed What "making room at the table" actually looks like in practice — and how her first boss at UC gave her the opportunities that shaped everything that followed How she thinks about developing the next generation of leaders: understanding where people want to go, clearing the path for them, and supporting them even when that means helping them leave Why healthcare is fundamentally different from every other corporate environment — and why that emotional dimension is exactly what draws her to it Every detour Laura took — the bond analysis, the urban planning, the film set — gave her a way of thinking about problems that a straight-line career never could have built. This conversation is about what that actually looks like in practice.

Most cybersecurity people talk at CFOs instead of with them. What if there were a simple test to know when a CFO wants to learn about cyber risk versus when they just need someone to trust? Let's find out with our guest James Wheeler, a highly experienced CFO who now runs kept.pro, providing fractional accounting teams to businesses across the country. Your hosts are Kip Boyle, CISO with Cyber Risk Opportunities, and Jake Bernstein, Partner with K&L Gates.   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesdavidwheeler/   "Fire Doesn't Innovate" by Kip Boyle: https://a.co/d/0bYatohy

J.P. Morgan's Ken Ouimette, Head of Supplier Experience and B2B Payables, joins Paul McMeekin to share insights on payment lifecycle automation, cash conversion cycle metrics, and strategies for reducing errors and fraud. Practical and actionable advice for CFOs and treasury teams who want to drive results.

How can you succeed creatively in an age of generative artificial intelligence? In this episode of The Science of Creativity, Keith Sawyer speaks with creativity keynote speaker and author James Taylor about his new book SuperCreativity. His guiding metaphor is the music concert. Sitting in the audience, we naturally focus on the stars playing on stage. Taylor played a critical role that remained invisible to the audience. He working backstage, managing internationally successful artists. Along with teams of roadies, lighting experts, and sound engineers, he helped keep things running backstage at venues like the Royal Albert Hall. That experience shaped a central insight of his book: creativity is rarely the product of a lone genius. Instead, it emerges from collaboration and group dynamics, whether in jazz ensembles or business teams, or live concert tours. The conversation ranges widely, touching on creative pairs, improvisation, flow, wellbeing, sustainability, and human-AI collaboration. Taylor is bullish on AI and creativity. He argues that AI should be viewed as a creative collaborator. He provides some suggestions about how to use AI to increase your creative potential, such as identifying your cognitive blind spots and helping you see your own work in different ways. Key Takeaways Creativity happens backstage. Much of the creativity we see, consume, and love, is dependent on invisible collaborators. People like editors, coaches, producers, and managers. Creativity is a social system, not a solo act. Creative pairs matter more than lone geniuses. From musicians and editors to CEOs and CFOs, sustained creative excellence often emerges from trusted partnerships where ideas are challenged, refined, and strengthened. Psychological safety fuels innovation. The best creative teams encourage dissent, questioning, and constructive pushback—not polite agreement or deference to authority. Constraints don't limit creativity—they enable it. Whether in jazz improvisation or organizational innovation, well-designed constraints create the structure that allows originality to flourish. Creative flow requires protected time. Deep creative work can't happen in 15-minute calendar fragments. Leaders and individuals need to intentionally carve out longer blocks of "maker time" to enter flow states. Creativity and wellbeing are deeply connected. Engaging in creative activities enhances mental health and personal growth. AI works best as a creative collaborator, not a creator. Don't ask AI to do the creative work for you. You're still the creative agent, but use AI as a thoughtful peer. Use it to come up with new questions, to offer alternative viewpoints, and to help get you out of cognitive ruts. Humans still rule at taste, judgment, and imagination. For further information: James Taylor's web site: https://www.jamestaylor.me/ SuperCreativity book web site: https://www.jamestaylor.me/supercreativity/  Music by license from SoundStripe: "Uptown Lovers Instrumental" by AFTERNOONZ "Miss Missy" by AFTERNOONZ "What's the Big Deal" by Ryan Saranich Copyright (c) 2026 Keith Sawyer

What does your CFO actually want to hear from you?In this episode of That's What I Call Marketing, Conor Byrne sits down with Michael Kaminsky former analytics leader at Harry's and Founder & CEO of Recast to unpack the real tension between marketing and finance. After Michael's Harvard Business Review article on the CMO–CFO relationship circulated widely (and resonated strongly with CFOs and CMOs), this conversation goes deep on:Why marketing forecasts keep missingWhy finance doesn't trust marketing numbersHow to talk about ROI and risk crediblyThe problem with last-click attributionHow to structure experiments properlyWhat “expected value” really means for marketersWhy brand investment must be framed as capital allocationIf you're a CMO, Marketing Director, Head of Performance or brand leader trying to build a stronger relationship with your CFO — this episode is essential.⏱️ Chapters 01:02 – Michael's time at Harry's: analytics, growth & experimentation 05:00 – The early days of podcast advertising & growth bets 06:15 – False precision in marketing measurement 07:23 – Brand tracking, survey data & real signal 08:42 – The Harvard Business Review article 09:07 – Why CMOs and CFOs feel tension 10:13 – Speaking the language of finance 14:21 – Discounted cash flow & thinking in timelines 15:00 – The credibility killer: marketing marketing 15:32 – Why being willing to be wrong builds trust 18:20 – Talking about risk & expected value 22:18 – Incrementality & structured experimentation 25:05 – Recast: forecasting & bridging marketing and finance 28:28 – The forecasting trap: last-touch attribution 30:19 – Compounding learning & agency transparency 32:00 – Final reflections: marketing as growth co-pilot

Join Prashanth Swaminathan, Co-Founder and CEO of Zynk, for a deep dive into the hidden plumbing of global commerce. After a decade at Morgan Stanley managing billions in structured loans, Prashanth is now tackling one of the most persistent bottlenecks in finance: the inefficiency of correspondent banking. In this episode, we explore how Zynk is building an embedded transaction-level infrastructure that enables instant settlement without the need for traditional pre-funding—liberating capital for global startups and enterprises.

Digital transformation in procurement has been "imminent" for over a decade, however, Legacy Thinking Is the Real Bottleneck! Boards talk about automation. CFOs talk about control. Procurement leaders talk about value creation. And yet, across industries, source-to-pay (S2P) remains one of the most stubbornly legacy bound functions in the enterprise. The irony? Procurement should be one of the easiest functions to modernize. It is structured, process driven, data rich, and measurable. But in practice, S2P transformation efforts stall, underdeliver, or quietly die after expensive, lengthy and limited implementation cycles. Why? The bottleneck isn't technology. It's legacy gravity. The Hidden Cost of "Good Enough" Procurement Many organizations still operate on a patchwork of: ERP systems and bolt-ons built for another era Email based approvals Manual vendor onboarding Disconnected sourcing tools Excel driven reporting and even pen and paper These systems "work"… in the same way that a fax machine technically still works. The problem is that legacy procurement systems were designed for control and record keeping, not agility, collaboration, or strategic insight. They reflect a time when procurement was administrative. Today, it's expected to be strategic. That shift breaks the old model. Where Source-to-Pay Innovation Gets Stuck 1. ERP-Centric Thinking For years, procurement innovation meant adding modules to an ERP. But ERPs are transactional systems of record, not innovation platforms. They are excellent at posting journal entries. They are poor at enabling dynamic sourcing, supplier collaboration, or real time spend intelligence. Trying to build modern procurement on top of ERP architecture is like building a streaming service on top of a DVD player. 1. Change Fatigue and Organisational Inertia Procurement teams are often overworked and understaffed. Digital transformation becomes "another project" layered on top of operational pressure. Without clear ROI and intuitive user experience, adoption fails. Stakeholders revert to email. Maverick spend returns. The transformation narrative and urgency fades. 1. Fragmented Tool Stacks Organisations frequently assemble S2P capabilities from multiple vendors: One for sourcing One for contract management One for P2P Another for analytics Integration becomes the project. Data reconciliation becomes a full-time job. Innovation slows under its own complexity. 1. Supplier Experience Is an Afterthought Most legacy procurement systems optimize for internal compliance, not supplier usability. Clunky onboarding. Repetitive data entry. Limited transparency. In an era where supplier relationships are strategic assets, this friction is more than inconvenient — it's counterproductive. 1. Procurement Still Seen as Cost Control Perhaps the deepest legacy issue is philosophical. Many executive teams still view procurement primarily as a cost-cutting function. But modern S2P innovation unlocks: Risk visibility ESG traceability Working capital optimization Data driven negotiation leverage Cross functional alignment Actionable game changing business intelligence insights When procurement is framed as a back-office function, investment remains incremental. When it's framed as a strategic value driver, transformation becomes inevitable. What Modern Source-to-Pay Should Actually Look Like True S2P innovation isn't about digitising paperwork. It's about re-architecting the procurement experience. That includes: Consumer grade UX that drives adoption Unified workflows from sourcing through payment Real-time spend visibility Embedded analytics Supplier-first design Automation of approvals and compliance Configurability without heavy IT dependency In short, S2P should feel like modern SaaS, not a compliance portal from 2009, with the UX of teletext from the 1990's. The New Model: Agile, Unified, Intuitive Forward-thinking organizations are abandoning monolithic, ERP bound procurement stacks in favor of flexi...

The Supreme Court just tossed a Reverse Uno Card on Trump's tariffs… Trade War over?Nestle is selling off its $1B ice cream biz… because everyone loves ice cream, except CFOs.What's that mystery brand everyone wore at the Olympics?... It's ACG, and it's actually Nike.Plus, rivals Sam Altman and Dario Amodei refuse to hold hands… so we found the 1st handshake in history: 900 BC$NKE $NSRGY $SPY Buy tickets to The IPO Tour (our In-Person Offering) TODAYAustin, TX (2/25): SOLD OUTArlington, VA (3/11): https://www.arlingtondrafthouse.com/shows/341317 New York, NY (4/8): https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0000637AE43ED0C2Los Angeles, CA (6/3): SOLD OUTGet your TBOY Yeti Doll gift here: https://tboypod.com/shop/product/economic-support-yeti-doll NEWSLETTER:https://tboypod.com/newsletter OUR 2ND SHOW:Want more business storytelling from us? Check our weekly deepdive show, The Best Idea Yet: The untold origin story of the products you're obsessed with. Listen for free to The Best Idea Yet: https://wondery.com/links/the-best-idea-yet/NEW LISTENERSFill out our 2 minute survey: https://qualtricsxm88y5r986q.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dp1FDYiJgt6lHy6GET ON THE POD: Submit a shoutout or fact: https://tboypod.com/shoutouts SOCIALS:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tboypod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tboypodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tboypod Linkedin (Nick): https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolas-martell/Linkedin (Jack): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-crivici-kramer/Anything else: https://tboypod.com/ About Us: The daily pop-biz news show making today's top stories your business. Formerly known as Robinhood Snacks, The Best One Yet is hosted by Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recent data highlights a growing disconnect between technology spending and measurable business outcomes, with small business optimism softening and widespread skepticism about the benefits of artificial intelligence. The transcript cites an 80% rate of firms seeing no noticeable AI-driven productivity improvements, while trust in technology companies, particularly AI vendors, has declined globally according to the Edelman report. For MSPs, this presents a risk of credibility gaps, especially for those selling AI solutions without corresponding outcome data, as client trust and spending habits grow more discerning in the face of unfulfilled promises. Further context is provided by economic indicators showing a resilient U.S. economy, yet persistent challenges for small businesses. The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index has dropped slightly to 99.3, with insurance costs and labor quality as major pain points; only 16% of business owners expect higher sales. At the same time, IT professionals face salary compression—median IT salaries fell from $145,000 in 2023 to $115,000 in 2024—despite a severe shortage of skilled cloud, AI, and infrastructure talent, as less than 10% of hiring managers are confident in filling in-demand roles. Additional market pressures include rising technology budgets—three-quarters of CFOs anticipate larger tech allocations, but headcount increases are slowing and tech spending faces a widening affordability gap due to sector-specific inflation outpacing budget growth. Vendor-specific developments, such as Western Digital exhausting hard drive capacity for 2026 and Enable reporting 12.8% revenue growth alongside ongoing losses and a 65% stock decline since 2021, illustrate structural risks. Vendor rationalization and strategic uncertainty are likely outcomes for MSPs relying heavily on underperforming partners. Key takeaways for service providers and IT leaders include the need for caution in messaging and solution positioning: outcome data and defensible value propositions are essential when advocating AI or cloud services. Salary data should be weighed against demand-side evidence to avoid retention failures. Finally, dependency on vendors with deteriorating financial outlooks heightens operational risk; providers should proactively assess alternatives and align with financially sustainable partners to reduce exposure during vendor consolidation cycles or market restructures. Four things to know today 00:00 AI Productivity Gap Widens as Trust Drops — MSPs Selling Outcomes They Can't Measure Face CFO Audits  04:51 IT Median Salary Dropped 20% in 2024, But Only 7% of Hiring Managers Can Fill AI and Cloud Roles 07:26 IT Inflation Hits 6.9% as CFOs Concentrate Spend; Western Digital Fully Booked Through 2026 10:28 N-Able Beats Revenue, Misses Earnings as 2026 Growth Guidance Drops to 8–9%   Sponsored by: CometBackup Small Biz Thoughts Community

Healthcare costs are no longer just a line item — they're a growing liability for employers. In this episode of Insurance Shoptalk, host Eric Stein sits down with Brandy Thompson, CEO of BenefitBay, to explore how ICHRA (Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements) is reshaping the way larger employers approach employee benefits. With renewal volatility, self-funded risk exposure, fiduciary pressure, and increasing administrative burden, many CFOs and HR teams are feeling squeezed from every direction. Brandy breaks down how a defined contribution model can restore budget control, preserve pre-tax advantages, and give employees true plan choice across multiple carriers — all while significantly reducing internal administration. The conversation covers: • How ICHRA works for groups 200+ lives • Why large employers are moving away from traditional self-funded models • How employees can shop plans based on their own doctors and prescriptions • The role of technology in simplifying enrollment and payroll coordination • How brokers and P&C agents can expand advisory value in the benefits space If you work with CFOs, HR leaders, or growing organizations facing healthcare cost pressure, this episode offers a fresh perspective on a rapidly evolving market. Watch now and learn how this model is changing the benefits conversation. #InsuranceShopTalk #EmployeeBenefits #ICHRA #HealthcareStrategy #CFOInsights #AgencyGrowth #InsuranceIndustry

Get ready for a fresh perspective on pricing in this engaging episode of Count Me In. Host Adam Larson welcomes behavioral pricing expert and Decision Alpha CEO Etinosa Agbonlahor to share how psychology, emotion, and real customer conversations can reshape the way businesses think about pricing. Forget relying only on cost-plus formulas or spreadsheets. Etinosa brings stories from the field, insights from brain science studies, and practical advice for using behavioral principles to set prices customers will value. Find out why understanding what customers care about and how they actually make purchase decisions can help you stand out from competitors. Learn how to confidently raise prices when needed and avoid common mistakes when communicating those changes. If you want your pricing to truly reflect the value you deliver, this episode has actionable tips, relatable examples, and fresh ideas worth hearing. Discover what happens when you combine financial know-how with a behavioral mindset, with guidance straight from Etinosa Agbonlahor. ___________________________________________________________BILL is a leading financial operations platform for startups to established brands. Headquartered in San Jose, California, we're a trusted partner of leading US financial institutions, accounting firms, and accounting software providers. We empower business owners, CFOs, controllers, and accountants to save time and take control of their payables, receivables, spend, and expense management. For more information, visit bill.com.

In this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ sits down with Mateo Bryant, CFO of Minted. They break down Minted's life-event flywheel and decades-long LTV, managing extreme seasonality when half the year happens in one month, and balancing long-term CAC with short-term monetization. Mateo also shares lessons from scaling Uber and Amazon globally, localization missteps, and making marketplaces work in emerging markets.—SPONSORS:Abacum is a modern FP&A platform built by former CFOs to replace slow, consultant-heavy planning tools. With self-service integrations and AI-powered workflows for forecasting, variance analysis, and scenario modeling, Abacum helps finance teams scale without becoming software admins. Trusted by teams at Strava, Replit, and JG Wentworth—learn more at https://www.abacum.aiBrex is an intelligent finance platform that combines corporate cards, built-in expense management, and AI agents to eliminate manual finance work. By automating expense reviews and reconciliations, Brex gives CFOs more time for the high-impact work that drives growth. Join 35,000+ companies like Anthropic, Coinbase, and DoorDash at https://www.brex.com/metricsMetronome is real-time billing built for modern software companies. Metronome turns raw usage events into accurate invoices, gives customers bills they actually understand, and keeps finance, product, and engineering perfectly in sync. That's why category-defining companies like OpenAI and Anthropic trust Metronome to power usage-based pricing and enterprise contracts at scale. Focus on your product — not your billing. Learn more and get started at https://www.metronome.comRightRev is an automated revenue recognition platform built for modern pricing models like usage-based pricing, bundles, and mid-cycle upgrades. RightRev lets companies scale monetization without slowing down close or compliance. For RevRec that keeps growth moving, visit https://www.rightrev.comRillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to close faster without fighting legacy systems. Designed to support complex revenue recognition, multi-entity operations, and real-time reporting, Rillet helps teams achieve a true zero-day close—with some customers closing in hours, not days. If you're scaling on an ERP that wasn't built in the 90s, book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cjTabs is an AI-native revenue platform that unifies billing, collections, and revenue recognition for companies running usage-based or complex contracts. By bringing together ERP, CRM, and real product usage data into a single system of record, Tabs eliminates manual reconciliations and speeds up close and cash collection. Companies like Cortex, Statsig, and Cursor trust Tabs to scale revenue efficiently. Learn more at https://www.tabs.com/run—LINKS: Mostly Talent: https://mostlymetrics.typeform.com/to/cLTxtAsNMateo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryantmatt/Minted: https://www.minted.com/CJ: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—RELATED EPISODES:Peter Oey, CFO of Grab:https://youtu.be/tdq0AZO0dLU—TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Intro03:16 Fixer to CFO05:32 Mexico City Startups09:00 Minted Flywheel10:24 LTV Expansion11:04 Entry Points12:18 CAC and Cohorts13:42 Sponsors: Metronome | RightRev | Rillet17:06 Wedding Lifecycle19:49 Holiday Forecasting22:23 Retail Calendar24:03 Cash Flow Swings25:05 Marketing Over Sales26:06 Email Limits27:41 Sponsors: Tabs | Abacum | Brex31:02 Retail Strategy35:08 Global Experience40:47 Uber Cash Economics46:04 Cost of Not Localizing50:19 Importer of Record53:17 No Google Lesson55:34 QBR Mistake56:48 High Leverage Hours59:03 Finance Stack59:50 Seven Day Cruise Expense#RunTheNumbersPodcast #MarketplaceStrategy #EcommerceFinance #GigEconomy #CFOInsights

a16z general partner Julie Yoo talks with Nikhil Buduma, CEO and cofounder of Ambience Healthcare, to discuss how AI is transforming clinical workflows. They cover the early days of deep learning, why Ambience started by running a medical practice before building a platform company, and what it takes to achieve high clinician adoption rates at major academic medical centers. They also dig into the challenge of building products when AI capabilities change every few months, the real ROI that's finally converting CFOs, and why this might be the moment to reimagine the legacy EHR stack.   Resources: Follow Nikhil Buduma on X: https://twitter.com/nkbuduma Follow Julie Yoo on X: https://twitter.com/julesyoo Read the full transcript here: https://www.a16z.news/s/podcast   Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see http://a16z.com/disclosures Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Many of us are not CFOs or finance gurus. But, understanding the financial metrics that drive the business is critical - no matter how intimidating a P&L or balance sheet can be. In this Quick Hit, you'll hear from Michael Barbarita, Founder of Next Step CFO. He helps small business owners create more time freedom and more consistent profits by helping you implement financial and business strategies your competition is not using. Listen to the full episode here

In this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ sits down with Varsha Udayabhanu of Invisible to unpack what enterprise AI adoption actually looks like beyond the hype. They cover forward deployed engineers, eight-week solution sprints, value-based pricing when outcomes are hard to meter, ARR vs. services revenue, and why “momentum” beats traditional SaaS metrics. A tactical look at trust, expansion, and building durable AI revenue.—SPONSORS:Brex is an intelligent finance platform that combines corporate cards, built-in expense management, and AI agents to eliminate manual finance work. By automating expense reviews and reconciliations, Brex gives CFOs more time for the high-impact work that drives growth. Join 35,000+ companies like Anthropic, Coinbase, and DoorDash at https://www.brex.com/metricsMetronome is real-time billing built for modern software companies. Metronome turns raw usage events into accurate invoices, gives customers bills they actually understand, and keeps finance, product, and engineering perfectly in sync. That's why category-defining companies like OpenAI and Anthropic trust Metronome to power usage-based pricing and enterprise contracts at scale. Focus on your product — not your billing. Learn more and get started at https://www.metronome.comRightRev is an automated revenue recognition platform built for modern pricing models like usage-based pricing, bundles, and mid-cycle upgrades. RightRev lets companies scale monetization without slowing down close or compliance. For RevRec that keeps growth moving, visit https://www.rightrev.comRillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to close faster without fighting legacy systems. Designed to support complex revenue recognition, multi-entity operations, and real-time reporting, Rillet helps teams achieve a true zero-day close—with some customers closing in hours, not days. If you're scaling on an ERP that wasn't built in the 90s, book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cjTabs is an AI-native revenue platform that unifies billing, collections, and revenue recognition for companies running usage-based or complex contracts. By bringing together ERP, CRM, and real product usage data into a single system of record, Tabs eliminates manual reconciliations and speeds up close and cash collection. Companies like Cortex, Statsig, and Cursor trust Tabs to scale revenue efficiently. Learn more at https://www.tabs.com/runAbacum is a modern FP&A platform built by former CFOs to replace slow, consultant-heavy planning tools. With self-service integrations and AI-powered workflows for forecasting, variance analysis, and scenario modeling, Abacum helps finance teams scale without becoming software admins. Trusted by teams at Strava, Replit, and JG Wentworth—learn more at https://www.abacum.ai—LINKS: Varsha: https://www.linkedin.com/in/varshaudayabhanu/Company: https://invisibletech.ai/CJ: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—RELATED EPISODES:Marketing as a Form of Capital Allocation With Carta's Head of Growth Angela Winegarhttps://youtu.be/rG09ehsrWv8—TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Intro03:21 What Invisible Technologies Does05:34 Enterprise AI Adoption Gap07:38 Forward Deployed Engineers09:44 Evolving GTM in AI Services10:36 Solution Sprints12:37 Sponsor — Brex | Metronome | RightRev15:56 Upfront Investment vs. Upside18:38 Bespoke Deals20:37 Value-Based Pricing in Enterprise AI22:12 Value Sold vs. Value Delivered23:31 Enterprise Revenue as a Portfolio of Bets24:53 Time-Bound Solution Sprints27:06 Sponsor — Rillet | Tabs | Abacum30:32 Humans in the Loop & Expert Incentives33:38 Niche Human Expertise34:10 Rethinking KPIs Beyond ARR35:44 Momentum Metrics39:00 Evaluating GenAI Financial Profiles40:47 Expansion as the Atomic Unit42:19 AdTech Lessons on Distribution & Brand43:23 Why Brand Matters for Enterprise47:10 Commoditization Risk48:31 Long-Ass Lightning Round53:20 Credits

In this episode of FP&A Unlocked, host Paul Barnhurst sits down with Rey del Valle to discuss what it really takes to move from reporting the business to steering it. Rey shares lessons from more than 25 years across media, entertainment, ecommerce, and fintech, explaining why curiosity, collaboration, and driver-based modeling are essential to effective finance leadership.Rey del Valle is a strategic CFO with deep roots in FP&A, having built his career at organizations such as FedEx, Norwegian Cruise Line, MTV Networks, and The Walt Disney Company. He has since served as CFO and advisor for companies including Ticketmaster, AXS, Guitar Center, OpenX, and several entertainment-focused fintech platforms.Expect to Learn:What great FP&A looks like beyond spreadsheets and reportingThe biggest mindset shift required when moving from FP&A to CFOWhy curiosity and operational understanding matter in financeHow collaboration plays a key role in successful turnaroundsHow benchmarks and driver-based models uncover opportunitiesHere are a few relevant quotes from the episode:“FP&A is about taking data and turning it into actionable insight so the business can actually do something with it.” - Rey del Valle“Our role in finance is not to look at numbers for their own sake, it is to help the company make better decisions.” - Rey del ValleRey shares practical insights on how FP&A teams can become stronger strategic partners by understanding business drivers, building models that support decision-making, and working closely with operations. He emphasizes that finance leaders create the most value when they listen first, stay curious, and help teams translate strategy into execution, especially during periods of change.Campfire: AI-First ERP:Campfire is the AI-first ERP that powers next-gen finance and accounting teams. With integrated solutions for the general ledger, revenue automation,close management, and more, all in one unified platform.Explore Campfire today: https://campfire.ai/?utm_source=fpaguy_podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=100225_fpaguyFollow Rey:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/reydelvalle/Company - https://www.linkedin.com/company/everestadvisorsllc/Earn Your CPE Credit For CPE credit please go to earmarkcpe.com, listen to the episode, download the app, and answer a few questions and earn your CPE certification. To earn education credits for FPAC Certificate, take the quiz on earmark and contact Paul Barnhurst for further details.In Today's...

In episode #354, Ben shares the results from his 7th Annual SaaS Tech Stack Survey and reveals the top accounting solutions used by software, SaaS, and AI companies today. With participation across 22 software categories, this year's survey highlights both the consistent market leaders and the rise of newer, AI-first ERP platforms. While legacy players continue to dominate, new entrants are gaining meaningful traction. Ben breaks down the “Power Six” accounting platforms and what their market concentration tells us about the current state of financial systems in tech companies. Resources Mentioned 7th Annual SaaS Tech Stack Survey: https://www.thesaascfo.com/surveys/finance-accounting-tech-stack-survey/ Light, sponsor of the core accounting category: https://light.inc/ What You'll Learn The top accounting and ERP systems used by SaaS and AI companies How the “Power Six” now dominate the accounting stack landscape Which newer AI-first ERP platforms are gaining traction How concentrated is the accounting software market among SaaS companies Why accounting system selection matters as companies scale ARR Why It Matters Your accounting system is the foundation of your financial reporting, SaaS metrics, and KPI tracking Poor financial systems limit your ability to calculate ARR, revenue retention, and other recurring revenue metrics As revenue grows, moving from SMB accounting tools to more robust ERP and financial systems becomes critical Investors and auditors expect scalable accounting infrastructure as companies mature Understanding market trends helps founders and CFOs evaluate whether their current financial systems can support growth

In this episode, host Sandy Vance chats with Dr. Sean Kelly, the Chief Medical Officer and the SVP of Customer Healthcare Strategy at Imprivata. Together, they unpack how healthcare organizations can strengthen cybersecurity without slowing clinicians down—exploring everything from mobile device security and passwordless authentication to adaptive authentication, risky user behaviors, and the very real implications for patient safety, workflow efficiency, and ROI for healthcare leaders.In this episode, they talk about:How cybersecurity can be improvedThe impact that Imprivata has on clinicians Why multi-factor authentication systems aren't more prevalent in the healthcare industryThe risky behaviors that open up organizations to security risksThe different things that Imprivata offers organizationsThe risks of patient harm in cybersecurity and privacyAdvice for CIOs or CFOs: workflow implications, security compliance, security and efficiency ROI, and financial valueAdaptive authentication at ImprivataA Little About Sean:Dr. Sean Kelly brings a uniquely well-rounded perspective to healthcare, shaped by a career that spans emergency medicine, healthcare leadership, technology, teaching, and entrepreneurship. An emergency physician at Beth Israel Lahey Health in Boston and an Assistant Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at Harvard Medical School, he is also the Chief Medical Officer and SVP of Customer Healthcare Strategy at Imprivata, where he helps guide product vision, go-to-market strategy, and customer experience after more than a decade with the company from startup through IPO and private equity ownership. He has led high-performing teams in both clinical and executive settings, contributed to care delivery improvements impacting millions of patients, published widely in emergency medicine and medical education, and earned multiple teaching awards. His background includes training at Harvard College, UMass Medical School, and Vanderbilt University, co-founding a concierge medical practice on Martha's Vineyard, international teaching and humanitarian work, and service in roles ranging from hospital administration to disaster relief—all grounded in a deep commitment to learning, mentorship, and collaboration.

On this episode of The Valley Current®, host Jack Russo sits down with Professor Sam Savage to tackle a question CFOs, founders, and finance-minded operators can't ignore: Will CFOs adopt ChanceCalc? Sam breaks down a deceptively simple, app-like tool that transforms static financial inputs into stochastic models, exposing the real probabilities behind cash flow, budget risk, and runway. Behind the clean interface are thousands of simulations designed to answer the question spreadsheets can't: what's the chance this plan actually works? Jack and Sam dig into why averages routinely mislead executives, how probabilistic forecasting flags systemic budget overruns, and why tools like ChanceCalc could become essential infrastructure for modern financial decision-making. https://www.probabilitymanagement.org/    Jack Russo Managing Partner Jrusso@computerlaw.com www.computerlaw.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso "Every Entrepreneur Imagines a Better World"®️  

Hey humans, welcome back to the podcast. In our last episode, I introduced you to the concept of allostatic load—that cumulative wear and tear on our bodies from chronic, unresolved stress. Today, we're taking that conversation straight into the boardroom. I'm talking to the CEOs, CFOs, and HR leaders who might not realize that this invisible burden is already showing up in your P&L through productivity losses, healthcare claims, and the "quiet quitting" of your highest-performing talent. With an estimated $136B annual cost attributed to chronic illness in the US workforce, this isn't just a "soft" human issue; it's a hard business reality that we have the power to change.   I'm sharing a tactical three-lever framework to help you look at organizational design as a health intervention. We'll dive into how to audit invisible labor, train managers to see performance dips as health signals, and redesign accommodation pathways to be proactive rather than reactive. It's time to stop asking our women to just be more resilient and start fixing the systems that accumulate the load in the first place. Join me as we explore how a proactive workforce strategy can become your greatest competitive advantage. Stacie More episodes at StacieBaird.com.

In this episode, we sit down with Louie Nguyen, CEO of Say San Diego, to discuss what it really means to run a nonprofit like a business while staying deeply committed to mission.Louie shares his journey from institutional investor and impact investing leader to nonprofit CEO, and how that financial discipline is now shaping SAY San Diego's strategy. The conversation covers revenue diversification, reserve policy design, social enterprise models, mental health innovation, and what responsible risk-taking looks like in the nonprofit sector.If you are a nonprofit executive, board member, or impact investor thinking about long term sustainability, this episode is worth your time.About SAY San DiegoFounded in 1971, SAY San Diego has grown from one employee to more than 500 staff members serving approximately 45,000 San Diegans each year.Key program areas include:After school programs serving 4,000 students dailyMental health services at 26 school sitesSupport for young mothers from pregnancy through early childhoodFatherhood engagement programsCommunity advocacy and educationWith annual revenue near $30 million, SAY San Diego operates at a scale most nonprofits never reach.What You Will Learn in This EpisodeWhy nonprofits should aim to generate positive marginsThe importance of unrestricted capitalHow to calculate a true rainy day reserveWhy holding real estate is not always the best strategyHow to diversify revenue beyond grants and contractsWhat investment risk looks like inside a nonprofitHow to structure social enterprise investment opportunitiesWhy mental health funding needs long term endowment solutionsKey Topics Covered1. Transitioning from Finance to Nonprofit Leadership Louie explains how his background in institutional investing and impact finance shaped his approach to leadership at SAY San Diego.2. Revenue Diversification in a Volatile Funding Environment With federal and state funding uncertainty, Louie shares how SAY is building independent, self-sustaining revenue streams.3. Rethinking Reserves and Asset Allocation A practical discussion on how CEOs and CFOs should scenario plan, define real operating risk, and segment reserves intentionally.4. The Boba Wellness Model A bold social enterprise concept where SAY acquires boba shops that operate as businesses during the day and convert into youth wellness spaces at night.5. Intellectual Property as a Revenue Strategy How a community safety initiative evolved into a licensing and IP opportunity that can scale nationally.6. The Wellspring Initiative A $2 million mental health endowment designed to fund 1,300 therapy sessions per year in perpetuity for students who need care beyond what school districts cover.

Join host Adam Larson as he chats with David Frieder, Head of Corporate Payment Systems at US Bank, about his unique journey from college intern to leading payment innovation. David Frieder shares real stories on how banks build new products, why real-time payments are gaining momentum (and where they're not), and the practical challenges of bringing new tech to traditional finance teams. They cover everything from instant payments and AI-driven fraud prevention to what it takes to build trust and lasting relationships between banks and finance professionals. David also gives a behind-the-scenes look at how he leads his team with a focus on joy and purpose. Packed with actionable insights and candid advice, this episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about the future of payments, technology in banking, and how innovation really happens in finance. ___________________________________________________________BILL is a leading financial operations platform for startups to established brands. Headquartered in San Jose, California, we're a trusted partner of leading US financial institutions, accounting firms, and accounting software providers. We empower business owners, CFOs, controllers, and accountants to save time and take control of their payables, receivables, spend, and expense management. For more information, visit bill.com.

In this episode, CJ talks with Paul Stansik of ParkerGale Capital about what separates Simplifiers from Complicators. They unpack why most board meetings miss the point, how to answer the actual question, and why naming the real problem builds trust.—SPONSORS:Abacum is a modern FP&A platform built by former CFOs to replace slow, consultant-heavy planning tools. With self-service integrations and AI-powered workflows for forecasting, variance analysis, and scenario modeling, Abacum helps finance teams scale without becoming software admins. Trusted by teams at Strava, Replit, and JG Wentworth—learn more at https://www.abacum.aiBrex is an intelligent finance platform that combines corporate cards, built-in expense management, and AI agents to eliminate manual finance work. By automating expense reviews and reconciliations, Brex gives CFOs more time for the high-impact work that drives growth. Join 35,000+ companies like Anthropic, Coinbase, and DoorDash at https://www.brex.com/metricsMetronome is real-time billing built for modern software companies. Metronome turns raw usage events into accurate invoices, gives customers bills they actually understand, and keeps finance, product, and engineering perfectly in sync. That's why category-defining companies like OpenAI and Anthropic trust Metronome to power usage-based pricing and enterprise contracts at scale. Focus on your product — not your billing. Learn more and get started at https://www.metronome.comRightRev is an automated revenue recognition platform built for modern pricing models like usage-based pricing, bundles, and mid-cycle upgrades. RightRev lets companies scale monetization without slowing down close or compliance. For RevRec that keeps growth moving, visit https://www.rightrev.comRillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to close faster without fighting legacy systems. Designed to support complex revenue recognition, multi-entity operations, and real-time reporting, Rillet helps teams achieve a true zero-day close—with some customers closing in hours, not days. If you're scaling on an ERP that wasn't built in the 90s, book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cjTabs is an AI-native revenue platform that unifies billing, collections, and revenue recognition for companies running usage-based or complex contracts. By bringing together ERP, CRM, and real product usage data into a single system of record, Tabs eliminates manual reconciliations and speeds up close and cash collection. Companies like Cortex, Statsig, and Cursor trust Tabs to scale revenue efficiently. Learn more at https://www.tabs.com/run—LINKS: Paul on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulstansik/ParkerGale Capital: https://www.parkergale.com/https://hellooperator.substack.com/CJ on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Fixing Broken Windows in Investing3:08 What an Operating Partner Actually Does5:35 Managing Nine Portfolio Companies6:07 Where PE Investors Spend Their Time9:02 Do Investors Think About You All Day?10:16 The Operator “Bermuda Triangle”12:35 Sponsors — Abacum | Brex | Metronome15:52 The CFO “Triangle of Doom”17:47 How to Become an Investor Favorite18:42 Templates Build Trust in Board Communication20:54 Using Trusted Data22:10 The Board Payback Record Scratch23:18 Building Your “Data Diet” With the Board25:19 Sponsors — RightRev | Rillet | Tabs28:47 Signs a Team Isn't in Command31:30 Board Meetings Aren't a Performance34:16 “20 Board Meetings—Don't Waste Them”35:15 Ask Permission to Reallocate the Agenda37:54 When to Send Board Materials40:28 Simplifiers vs. Complicators41:58 The Simplifier Finds the One Question That Matters42:16 Three Traits of a Simplifier: Answer, Find, Do43:15 Why Complicated Operators Take You on a Ride44:26 Selling vs. Substance46:23 “Get There, Bob”47:25 Why We Hedge49:36 You Can't Fix a Secret52:50 Credits

About John Munsell: John Munsell is the CEO of Bizzuka, Inc. and author of INGRAIN AI – Strategy through Execution: The blueprint to scale an AI-first culture. With more than 10,000 hours working hands-on with AI, he created the AI Strategy Canvas® and Scalable Prompt Engineering™, frameworks that have helped everyone from law professors to non-technical construction CFOs use AI to compress weeks of work into hours and save their companies millions.Known for making complex AI instantly understandable, John combines real-world case studies, clear frameworks, and a healthy dose of Southern charm. A former Adjunct Instructor of AI at Louisiana State University, he's consistently rated as the speaker who “finally makes AI make sense” and gives audiences tools they can put to work immediately.In this episode, Jennie and John Munsell discuss:Why most businesses overestimate their current level of AI masteryHow AI can remove administrative work and free salespeople to focus on peopleUsing AI to analyze conversations, uncover hidden needs, and improve follow-upHow personalized, AI-assisted proposals dramatically increase conversion ratesKey Takeaways:AI isn't just a faster copywriter; it's a capacity creator that gives salespeople back time to build real relationships.The most powerful AI workflows start with understanding pain, frustration, and desire—before ever pitching a solution.Personalized proposals perform better because they reflect how buyers think, decide, and communicate, not just what they need.When sales conversations are guided by preparation and insight, prospects feel seen, heard, and understood.The future of sales belongs to those who use AI to solve problems, not push products."AI creates capacity, and if you know how to use AI, then you have this excess capacity that is then used to be in front of people, because you're delegating the paperwork to AI." —  John MunsellConnect with John Munsell:Website: https://www.bizzuka.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jwmunsell  CONNECT WITH JENNIE:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/badassdirectsalesmasteryInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/badassdirectsalesmastery/Website: https://badassdirectsalesmastery.com/Show: https://badassdirectsalesmastery.com/blog/YouTube: COMING SOON!LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levelupcoachllc/Email: jennie@badassdirectsalesmastery.com  Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

In this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ Gustafson talks with Rivian CFO Claire McDonough about financing one of the most capital-intensive businesses in the world. They cover long-term investment decisions, capacity planning, cash management as production scales, lessons from Rivian's nearly $14B IPO, the risks of over- and under-building, and why federal EV tax credits matter more than most people think.—SPONSORS:Tabs is an AI-native revenue platform that unifies billing, collections, and revenue recognition for companies running usage-based or complex contracts. By bringing together ERP, CRM, and real product usage data into a single system of record, Tabs eliminates manual reconciliations and speeds up close and cash collection. Companies like Cortex, Statsig, and Cursor trust Tabs to scale revenue efficiently. Learn more at https://www.tabs.com/runAbacum is a modern FP&A platform built by former CFOs to replace slow, consultant-heavy planning tools. With self-service integrations and AI-powered workflows for forecasting, variance analysis, and scenario modeling, Abacum helps finance teams scale without becoming software admins. Trusted by teams at Strava, Replit, and JG Wentworth—learn more at https://www.abacum.aiBrex is an intelligent finance platform that combines corporate cards, built-in expense management, and AI agents to eliminate manual finance work. By automating expense reviews and reconciliations, Brex gives CFOs more time for the high-impact work that drives growth. Join 35,000+ companies like Anthropic, Coinbase, and DoorDash at https://www.brex.com/metricsMetronome is real-time billing built for modern software companies. Metronome turns raw usage events into accurate invoices, gives customers bills they actually understand, and keeps finance, product, and engineering perfectly in sync. That's why category-defining companies like OpenAI and Anthropic trust Metronome to power usage-based pricing and enterprise contracts at scale. Focus on your product — not your billing. Learn more and get started at https://www.metronome.comRightRev is an automated revenue recognition platform built for modern pricing models like usage-based pricing, bundles, and mid-cycle upgrades. RightRev lets companies scale monetization without slowing down close or compliance. For RevRec that keeps growth moving, visit https://www.rightrev.comRillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to close faster without fighting legacy systems. Designed to support complex revenue recognition, multi-entity operations, and real-time reporting, Rillet helps teams achieve a true zero-day close—with some customers closing in hours, not days. If you're scaling on an ERP that wasn't built in the 90s, book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cj—LINKS: Claire on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-rauh-mcdonough-5291b946/Rivian: https://rivian.com/CJ on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—RELATED EPISODES:Why Revenue Recognition Is the Next AI Battleground | Dan Miller of RightRevhttps://youtu.be/TxhTtwmOass—TIMESTAMPS:00:00:00 Craziest Expense Story at Rivian00:01:22 Intro to Claire McDonough00:03:09 Capital Intensity and Vertical Integration at Rivian00:06:44 Raising $14B: How Rivian Planned Its IPO Capital00:10:22 Capacity Planning and Scaling R2 Production00:12:13 Sponsors — Tabs, Abacum, Brex00:15:34 Sweating Existing Capacity vs Overbuilding00:18:22 Winning EV Adoption from ICE Buyers00:22:27 How Federal EV Tax Credits Shape EV Pricing00:26:03 Sponsors — Metronome, RightRev, Rillet00:29:27 R2 as a Driver of Long-Term Profitability00:33:14 Supply Chain as the Critical Path to Launch00:36:53 Product Roadmap as the Anchor for Capital and Headcount00:39:40 Peloton and Flipkart Lessons from Banking00:43:42 Biggest Career Mistake00:44:50 Advice to Younger Self00:47:19 Rivian's Finance Software Stack

Private Funds CFO's 23rd annual New York Forum gathered together nearly 600 compliance, financial and operational experts in two days of discussions that covered everything from AI to new ways to think about carry. In this episode of Private Equity Spotlight, PEI Group editor Graeme Kerr chats with Private Funds CFO's Graham Bippart, Rob Kotecki and Bill Myers to get their top takeaways from one of the world's biggest events for CFOs. In this episode: Graham Bippart is senior editor of Buyouts and Private Funds CFO Rob Kotecki is deputy editor of Private Funds CFO Bill Myers is Washington correspondent for Private Funds CFO Graeme Kerr is an editor at PEI Group

The 2026 IPO Quiz: Since January 1, 2026How many companies?20How many total founders?34How many female founders?2: Cassandra Curtis and Jennifer GarnerHow many companies have female founders?1: Once Upon a FarmHow many companies with only female founders?0Once Upon a Farm: J. Garner, J. Foraker, C. Curtis, A. RazCo-founded in 2015 by Cassandra Curtis and Ari RazIn 2017, Jennifer Garner joined as a co-founder and “Chief Brand Officer”, alongside CEO John ForakerMost represented industry?Healthcare (5), including Pharma, Biotech, and AI Biotech How many are already down from their offer price (as of 10:45am)?17How many female chairs?1: Shoushana Ohanessian: VenHub GlobalHow many female CFOs?1: Cantor Equity VI: Jane Novak (F)How many female CEOsZeroHow many directly associated with Epstein Island?1: Cantor Equity VI: Cantor was founded over 75 years ago and was led by Howard W. Lutnick from 1992 until February 2025 when he became the United States Secretary of CommerceSon Brandon G. Lutnick CEO/ChairTrump Commerce Sec. Lutnick admits visiting Epstein island during family vacationHow many boards have ZERO male directors?ZEROHow many boards of zero female directors?Only six!How many with one? Only six!How many boards with at least 30% women? 4AgomAb Therapeutics 2/6 33%Green Circle Tech 2/5 40%Once Upon a Farm 4/9 44% (CEO/Chair, CFO, Nominating Committee chair, Compensation Committee chair = MEN)VenHub GlobalTotal percentage of women?18%BONUS HEADLINES QUIZKraft Heinz pauses work to split the company as new CEO says ‘challenges are fixable'What were the two new companies?Strategic Flavor Holdings Co. and North Atlantic Provisions Co.Global Taste Elevation Co. and North American Grocery Co.North Atlantic Snack Holdings and Strategic Grocery Development GroupInternational Flavor Solutions Co. and United Continental Grocery Co.Universal Taste Logistics Co. and North American Food Alignment Co.Proxy Voting: Asset Managers Increased Their Support for Management in 2025What percentage of management resolutions did the Big Three index managers support in the 2025 proxy year? Hint, it's up 3% since 2023.99% (98.7%), up from 96% in 2023Top 10 U.S. asset managers in 2025? 98%Top 50 U.S. asset managers in 2025? 96%What percentage of shareholder resolutions did the Big Three index managers support in the 2025 proxy year? Hint, it's down 1.5%.7.5%True or False: in a landmark social media case that seeks to hold tech companies responsible for harms to children, A google lawyer said this to Jurors yesterday: “It's not social media addiction when it's not social media and it's not an addiction.”True or False: xAI cofounder Jimmy Ba, the second cofounder [Tony Wu] to depart xAI in less than 48 hours, said this yesterday: "It's time to recalibrate my gradient on the big picture. 2026 is gonna be insane and likely the busiest (and most consequential) year for the future of our species."According to a new report from the WSJ, why did OpenAI fire Executive Ryan Beiermeister?sexual discriminationWhat's the story behind the story?Ryan Beiermeister, one of OpenAI's top safety executives, a vice president leading OpenAI's product policy team, was accused of sexual discrimination against a male employee after she voiced opposition to the controversial rollout of AI erotica in its ChatGPT product saying that she opposed adult mode, worried it would have harmful effects for users, and that she believed OpenAI's mechanisms to stop child-exploitation content weren't effective enough, and that the company couldn't sufficiently wall off adult content from teens.Beiermeister started a peer-mentorship program for women at OpenAI in early 2025.

You've got £250K in the bank. You're profitable. Everything looks fine.Then your VAT bill hits and you're scrambling. Or a major client payment is 60 days late and suddenly you can't make payroll.Marc Obrart has seen this exact scenario play out dozens of times. As co-founder of Fin House, he provides finance teams and CFOs to 50+ scale-ups. And the pattern he sees most often? Founders managing by their bank account instead of understanding the two stories every business tells.Here's what makes this different:Marc's not talking about hiring expensive CFOs or implementing complex ERP systems. He's talking about getting the basics right - and most founders don't have them in place.His approach is simple: finance should be embedded in your business, not isolated in a dark corner. When finance is done right, you have access to forward-looking data that lets you make confident decisions about hiring, marketing spend, and growth.You'll learn:Why your bank balance is a terrible way to manage your business. It tells you where you are now, not where you're going. Founders look at £250K and think they're fine—then their VAT bill goes out in three days and they've forgotten to connect the dots.The rolling 13-week cash flow framework and why this specific timeframe matters. In 13 weeks (roughly 3 months), you should know everything: new hires coming in, monthly payroll, payment terms from customers (30-90 days), supplier obligations. This is your Bible. If you don't have this, you're flying blind.Why VAT catches founders out more than margins, profitability, or any other metric. It's a red herring—you're collecting it, sitting on it, and then suddenly you owe £150K and don't have the cash because you thought it was available. Ring-fence it. Track available cash separately.The two stories your business tells: your profit story (management accounts) and your cash story (cash flow). These are completely different. You can be profitable and run out of cash. You can have cash and be unprofitable. Get your profit wrong, you have time to fix it. Get cash wrong, you're out of business in 30 days.Why you probably don't need an ERP system or NetSuite. Most businesses can run on Xero with proper bookkeeping, controls, and forward-looking insights. Don't overcomplicate it.How to know if your finance setup is useful. If you're skipping pages in your management pack, they shouldn't be there. If you don't understand something, it's not simple enough—and that's the finance team's fault, not yours.Marc also shares his background as an FA-qualified football coach and how explaining tactics to 9-year-olds taught him to simplify finance for founders. The crossover is remarkable: clear, concise messaging that people can actually understand and act on.The reality check:This isn't about fancy systems or complicated models. It's about nailing the basics: up-to-date bookkeeping, a rolling 13-week cash flow, and understanding your 3-5 key KPIs (not 25). If you don't have these in place, you're managing by gut feel—and that's how businesses end up in trouble.If you've been managing by your bank balance or avoiding your finance function because it feels too complicated, this episode shows you exactly what to fix.One action: Listen to the end for Marc's single recommendation every founder should implement immediately.Questions? Email hello@peereffect.com or find us on LinkedIn.More from James: Connect with James on LinkedIn or at peer-effect.com

This week on Next in Media, I sat down with Matt Spiegel, EVP of Marketing Solutions Growth Strategies at TransUnion, to unpack one of the most pressing questions in advertising right now: what's actually changed since cookies started disappearing and privacy laws started piling up? And just as importantly, what hasn't changed? Matt brings a refreshingly practical perspective to the conversation, explaining how disconnected data infrastructure remains the biggest obstacle for most brands, even as everyone races to adopt AI-powered marketing. He breaks down why walled gardens still have an inherent advantage, how signal loss is forcing marketers to rethink their strategies, and why the industry's obsession with the "easy button" might be holding progress back.We also tackled some uncomfortable truths about where the industry is headed. Matt shared his thoughts on agentic advertising and whether bots will really replace media planners, the noisy MarTech landscape that's overwhelming CMOs, and why he believes the next economic downturn could trigger massive layoffs in marketing and advertising. Throughout our conversation, Matt emphasized that while the tools and technology are evolving rapidly, the fundamentals of good marketing haven't changed. It's about understanding your customers, connecting your data, and applying that intelligence at scale. This is a conversation for anyone trying to make sense of the chaos in modern marketing, wondering how to navigate identity resolution in a post-cookie world, or just trying to figure out which AI tools are actually worth the hype._______________________________________________________Key Highlights

Get ready to rethink your company's legal strategy in this episode of Predictable B2B Success. Host Vinay Koshy speaks with Jeff Holman, founder of Intellectual Strategies and creator of the first fractional legal team model. Whether you're a first-time founder facing hidden legal pitfalls or a seasoned executive scaling fast, Jeff Holman explains why traditional law firms might hold you back and how fractional legal guidance can unlock growth and agility. You'll hear candid stories about real-world risks, how proactive legal input can save millions, and ways to align intellectual property strategy with investor expectations and business goals. Discover tips on managing legal debt, building IP moats in the era of AI, and why simple documentation can be your strongest defense. Learn how embedded legal partners can streamline product development and turn compliance headaches into competitive advantages. Curious about the untapped legal potential that can drive revenue growth? Ready to hear how startups and scaleups can turn legal from a roadblock into a driver for success? Tune in and let this conversation challenge what you thought you knew about legal support for growing businesses. Some topics we explore in this episode include: Fractional Legal Team Model: How Jeff Holman developed a scalable alternative to traditional legal services for startups and growing businesses.Access to Legal Support for Small Businesses: Addressing the barriers small businesses face in getting affordable, practical legal advice.Key Moments Shaping Intellectual Strategies: The pivotal decisions and experiences that led Jeff Holman to build his unique legal offering.Translating Legal Complexity for Business Leaders: The importance of making legal and technical concepts business-friendly.First-Time vs. Experienced Founders' Needs: How legal priorities differ and the crucial role of documenting agreements.Quantifying the Impact of Legal Teams: Communicating ROI to CFOs, with examples of cost and risk avoidance.Strategic IP Management: Aligning patents and trademarks with business goals and investor expectations.Adapting IP for Rapid Tech Change (AI Focus): Layering protections and adjusting strategies amidst fast-moving technology.Managing Legal Risk and Debt: Using playbooks and frameworks for identifying and prioritizing legal issues.Embedding Legal into Operations and Product Development: The value of being closely involved in client teams to deliver timely legal guidance.And much, much more...