Podcasts about cfos

AI is rapidly changing not only what finance technology can do, but how CFOs should think about the technology stack itself.In this bonus episode of CFO Thought Leader, David Den Boer, CEO of Column Five and Darwin Analytics, joins Jack Sweeney to explore how AI is reshaping enterprise performance management—and why finance leaders may need to rethink long-held assumptions about EPM platforms, data systems and analytics.Den Boer describes a market in which capabilities once associated with EPM are increasingly emerging from multiple directions. Large language models, data platforms, business intelligence tools and EPM vendors are all extending their reach into finance. For CFOs, the challenge is becoming less about selecting a single application and more about understanding how different technologies can work together.That changing landscape is also behind Den Boer's EPM Summit, taking place November 16–19 at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Rather than centering on a single vendor, the event brings competing EPM providers, consultants and customers together, giving finance leaders an opportunity to compare approaches and question vendors side by side.Den Boer argues that AI will also lower the cost of experimentation. Instead of making technology choices that effectively lock finance organizations into decade-long commitments, teams may increasingly be able to test new capabilities, evaluate new data sources and quickly determine what creates value.His message to CFOs: AI is expanding the choices available to finance—but realizing its potential will require leaders who understand the entire technology landscape and know which questions to ask.

2025 war ein schwieriges Jahr für Börsengänge – doch Pfisterer hatte damals den Sprung aufs Parkett geschafft, als eines der wenigen deutschen Unternehmen. Seitdem hat der Energieinfrastrukturspezialist auf ganzer Linie geliefert. Von Quartal zu Quartal lieferte der Pfisterer gute Zahlen, der Aktienkurs hat sich mehr als verdoppelt. Im FINANCE TV-Talk blickt Co-CEO und CFO Johannes Linden auf das erste Börsenjahr zurück: „Herausfordernd, erfolgreich, persönlich zufriedenstellend“, fasst er es zusammen. Das erwartet Sie in diesem Talk:Warum Pfisterer trotz politischer Unsicherheiten im Frühjahr 2025 am Börsengang festhielt – und ob das Timing im Rückblick wirklich optimal war.Was sich intern verändert, wenn ein mittelständisches Unternehmen plötzlich börsennotiert ist.Was Linden in seinem ersten Börsenjahr positiv überrascht hat und was er so nicht erwartet hatte.Welche konkreten Hebel Pfisterer nutzen will, um den Umsatz bis 2030 zu steigern.Warum Kapitalmarktkommunikation für die Kursentwicklung so entscheidend ist.Die GesprächsteilnehmerHost: Jasmin Rehne (FINANCE Magazin)Gast: Johannes Linden (Co-CEO und CFO, Pfisterer) ________________________________________________ Infobox (Wordpress) oder Trennlinie (Podcast/YT): Bei FINANCE TV ist die Finanzwelt im Gespräch! Jede Woche erwarten Sie hier exklusive Interviews mit CFOs, führenden Bankern und Experten aus Corporate Finance. Wir unterhalten uns über alles, was Finanzentscheider wissen müssen: von M&A und Finanzierung bis hin zu Private Equity, Wirtschaftsprüfung, Karriere, Gehalt und aktuellen Finanzskandalen. Kompakt, direkt und auf den Punkt!Mehr Infos gibt es hier: https://www.finance-magazin.de/tv

Corporate AI spend in 2026 looked like a teenager loose at the mall with their parents' credit card. No policy, no budget, no discipline about what was purchased and why. That will change in the 2027 budget season, just kicking off. Devin goes deep with Accordion's Justin D'Onofrio using an 8-step framework to get it right. They cover why 91% of PE-backed CFOs can't size their AI spend, and why 83% of portfolio companies have AI pilots running with almost none tied to measurable value. That won't fly anymore. Justin is a Managing Director on Accordion's Performance Management team and spends his days at the intersection of finance, technology, and FP&A. He's deep in conversation with PE-backed CFOs every day about this big cost looming over 2027 budgets so he's the perfect guest to help you out. https://www.accordion.com/how-to-build-ai-budget-2027/

ChatGPT Is Inside Epic, 40 Mergers in Six Months, and 92% Bracing for StrainThree stories, one direction. Technology is accelerating, consolidation is accelerating, and the people running health systems have stopped waiting to see how it shakes out.

Private Equity steht am Wendepunkt, denn die Ära günstiger Finanzierungen, hoher Leverages und klassischer Multiples-Arbitrage ist vorbei. Stattdessen sorgen steigende Zinsen und makroökonomische Unsicherheiten dafür, dass die klassischen Wertsteigerungshebel wie „Buy and Build“ alleine nicht mehr ziehen. Welche Konsequenzen hat das für die Branche und ihren Value-Creation-Ansatz? Das erläutern Benjamin Reick und Felix Schweiger, beide aus dem Private Equity Performance Improvement Team von Alvarez & Marsal, in der neuen Podcast-Folge von „Im Fokus“. Schweigger bringt es auf den Punkt: „Private Equity muss das Playbook verfeinern: Es braucht eine integrierte Value-Creation-Roadmap, die direkt nach dem Kauf losgestoßen wird.“ Für Fonds, die am alten Playbook festhalten, wird es indes eng.Das erwartet Sie in diesem Podcast:Weshalb ein Großteil der Private-Equity-Investoren bei der Umsetzung von Value-Creation-Programmen scheitertWarum Private Equity den aktuellen Value-Creation-Ansatz überdenken muss und aus welchen fünf Hebeln eine erfolgreiche Wertsteigerungsstrategie bestehen sollteWie künstliche Intelligenz die operative Wertsteigerung jetzt schon verbessern kann – und warum Quick Wins in der Breite noch selten sindWelche Fähigkeiten und Teamstrukturen Private-Equity-Fonds brauchen, um wettbewerbsfähig zu bleiben und Überrenditen zu erzielenDie GesprächsteilnehmerHost: Olivia Harder (FINANCE Magazin)Gäste: Benjamin Reick (Senior Director) und Felix Schweigger (Managing Director, beide Alvarez & Marsal)Hinweis: Dieser Talk entstand in Kooperation mit Alvarez & Marsal. ________________________________________________________________Ob Digitalisierung im Finanzbereich, ESG & Sustainable Finance, Private-Equity-Investments, M&A-Strategien oder neue Regulierungen – im Corporate Finance entscheidet Wissen über Erfolg und Misserfolg.Im FINANCE-Podcast-Format Im Fokus diskutiert die FINANCE-Redaktion gemeinsam mit renommierten Partnern aus Beratung, Investmentbanking und Private Equity die wichtigsten Trends, Strategien und Praxisbeispiele, die CFOs, Geschäftsführer und Finanzentscheider kennen müssen.Mehr Infos gibt es hier: https://www.finance-magazin.de/podcast/finance-im-fokus/

In this episode of The Fractional CFO Files, Hannah Munro is joined by Adrian Message from The CFO Centre to explore what truly defines a successful fractional CFO. Drawing on years of experience supporting businesses through growth, change and uncertainty, Adrian shares why trust, adaptability and strong relationships often matter more than technical expertise alone.In this episode, you'll learn:How fractional CFOs adapt their approach to meet the unique needs of each business and build trusted relationships with founders and leadership teams.Why emotional intelligence, honesty and difficult conversations are often just as important as financial expertise.How CFOs can enable growth by moving beyond transactions and controls to focus on strategy, education and business improvement.Practical lessons from Adrian's career, including scaling businesses, navigating financial challenges and helping finance leaders create greater impact.

Influencer spend hit $32.55 billion in 2025, and most brands still can't prove it works. In this Prohibition PR webinar, Chris Norton and Will Ockenden break down why influencer marketing keeps losing boardroom arguments, the mistake that turned a Brit Awards influencer activation into a creator revolt, and the six-part framework that turns influencer spend into a revenue channel instead of an awareness line item.Chris covers the boardroom case for influencer marketing, the Mastercard Brit Awards story, and how HelloFresh beat its own paid acquisition costs on TikTok using creators like Mindy Kaling. Will then walks through a practical framework: choosing influencers for persuasion rather than reach, building long-term partnerships (including Burgess pet food's ongoing deal with Ronnie the Mini Lop), mapping creators to the full buyer journey, feeding top-performing organic content into paid media, using influencers to win AI and social search discovery, and measuring outcomes instead of vanity metrics.Send us Fan Mail Struggling to prove marketing's worth to your board? Grab our free one-page Board-Proof Scorecard:

Der Mittelstand als idyllisches Bayern-Klischee? Ein Irrtum. Zwischen Rheinland-Pfalz, Hessen und den östlichen Bundesländern – inklusive der Chip-Hochburg Sachsen – verantwortet Sascha Malsy seit Juli als Bereichsvorstand Mitte/Ost das Mittelstandsgeschäft der Commerzbank. Der ehemalige Generalbevollmächtigte der ING bringt M&A-Erfahrung, internationales Know-how und eine klare Devise mit: „Aus meiner Sicht ist der Mittelstand das Rückgrat Deutschlands. Und das darf man nicht kleinreden. Man muss ihn eigentlich besonders großreden und auch in den Fokus stellen.“Im Gespräch mit FINANCE TV analysiert Malsy die Herausforderungen seiner Kunden zwischen Marktunsicherheit, Nachfolgeregelungen und Transformation. „Jeden Tag steht man auf und hat eine neue Information entweder aus den USA oder aus dem Nahen Osten, was eine Auswirkung auf die Lieferketten, die Preisgestaltung oder Weiteres hat“, so Malsy. Darüber hinaus verrät der Banker, warum es ihn trotz der anstehenden Übernahme durch die Unicredit zur Commerzbank zog.Das erwartet Sie in diesem Talk:Warum Marktunsicherheit, demografischer Wandel und internationale Transformation den Mittelstand gerade mit voller Wucht treffenWie sich die Stimmungslage bei mittelständischen Kunden zuletzt verändert hatWo die Commerzbank im Firmenkundengeschäft bereits gut aufgestellt ist, und wo er noch Nachholbedarf siehtWas die bevorstehende Übernahme der Commerzbank für den Bereich Mitte/Ost bedeuten könnteWas Malsy in seiner neuen Rolle antreibtDie Gesprächsteilnehmer:Host: Thomas Holzamer (FINANCE Magazin)Gast: Sascha Malsy (Bereichsvorstand Mitte/Ost Mittelstandsbank, Commerzbank)Hinweis: Dieser Talk entstand in Kooperation mit Commerzbank.________________________________________________________________Bei FINANCE TV ist die Finanzwelt im Gespräch! Jede Woche erwarten Sie hier exklusive Interviews mit CFOs, führenden Bankern und Experten aus Corporate Finance. Wir unterhalten uns über alles, was Finanzentscheider wissen müssen: von M&A und Finanzierung bis hin zu Private Equity, Wirtschaftsprüfung, Karriere, Gehalt und aktuellen Finanzskandalen.Kompakt, direkt und auf den Punkt!Mehr Infos gibt es hier: https://www.finance-magazin.de/tv/

Episode Summary Fractional roles seem to be growing in scope, including in Public Relations. Over the years, we have seen our fair share of creative titles, but does the Fractional title in Communication roles have longevity? In today's episode, we take an honest look at the fractional title, extract what's actually useful, and give solo PR practitioners a real framework for deciding whether fractional positioning is a fit for them, or whether it's a fashionable label with a new set of obligations attached. The hosts discuss the rate data for fractional roles and adoption projections for midsize companies.   Episode Highlights [00:18] Should I adopt the Fractional Title?: Michelle opens before the music: if she put fractional communications director on her website tomorrow, would she be sounding as senior as she actually is — or cosplaying a Silicon Valley CMO? Karen loves the question. It names exactly the tension the episode is built around: the fractional label is real and valuable in the right context, and it is also getting slapped on LinkedIn profiles by people who have changed nothing about how they actually work. Karen and Michelle are committed to examining both sides honestly. [02:52] The Rate Data: What Go Fractional's 2026 Benchmarks Actually Show: Go Fractional, a marketplace that publishes its own rate benchmarks by role, shows the fractional director of public relations averaging $203 an hour in 2026, with typical engagements running around 32 hours a week. Karen and Michelle both flag what 32 hours means in solo practice terms: that is essentially all of your billable time for one client. There would be no room for additional work. For broader fractional CMO engagements, monthly retainers commonly run $8,000 to $22,000, with day rates in the $1,500 to $3,500 range and hourly rates around $200 to $350. Karen's bottom line: most solo PR pros are already undercharging. The gap between what solos currently charge and what the fractional rate range represents is a real income conversation, not just a semantic one. [06:43] The Adoption Reality: Who Is Actually Buying This: Gartner projected that more than 30% of midsize enterprises will keep at least one fractional executive on retainer by 2027. Karen's honest read: 30% is a meaningful number, but it requires understanding which markets and industries you actually serve. She cautions against chasing the label without first asking whether your specific clients in your specific verticals are operating in the kinds of environments where fractional executive models are being adopted. She also notes an important structural difference: fractional engagements are typically time-bound, one to two years, sometimes as short as six months, while many solo PR practitioners maintain client relationships of five, ten, fifteen years or more. That shift in tenure expectations is not a footnote. It changes the business model. [09:44] Objection 1: This Is Just a Trendy Label for Freelancer: Karen names the objection directly: fractional is real. There are fractional CEOs, fractional CFOs, fractional CMOs and it emerged from a genuine market need. Companies wanted senior executive function without a permanent hire, particularly high-growth startups scaling toward a defined goal. The problem is that the label has been diluted by people applying it to what they were already doing. Karen's line: it has to be more than a label. It has to be a real change in how you scope work, structure your time, and price your value. If it's just a rebrand of what you're already doing, it will not hold up to a client's scrutiny. [11:08] Objection 2: I Don't Have C-Suite Adjacent Experience: Michelle raises the credibility question: what if you don't have 15-plus years or a director-level background? Can you credibly claim a fractional director title? Karen's answer is yes, with honesty about what you bring. She draws on the Dolly Parton example from a recent piece she'd read: when Barbara Walters made a condescending comment, Dolly didn't get defensive. She owned the narrative and redirected it. Karen's parallel for practitioners: if a client challenges your seniority, you don't deny the gap,  you own what you do bring and redirect toward the specific value that makes you the right person for this engagement. Karen also flags what the Solo PR Pro community data shows, many solos left corporate America holding director-level titles. The experience is often already there; the confidence to claim it is the gap. [13:28] Objection 3: Clients Will Expect Fixed Weekly Hours I Can't Sustain: This is the structural objection, and Karen says it's the most valid one. Fractional positioning is not a marketing decision; it's an organizational one. It assumes fewer clients getting more defined hours each, not the same scattered client load with a prettier name on top. That is a genuine shift in how you run your business. Karen's reframe: for practitioners who want built-in natural breaks, the project-based nature of fractional work is actually an opportunity. You do a high-value six-month engagement, step back, take time, then pick up the next one. But you have to be genuinely ready to operate that way, not just willing to say you will. [16:00] Objection 4: What If a Client Asks What Makes Me Different: The quiet objection: if a prospective client pushes back and asks what actually distinguishes you from any other consultant and you don't have a real answer beyond the title, you have a problem. Karen and Michelle are both direct: if you're going to name it, you have to be ready to back it up. Fractional is not a word that does the positioning work for you. You still have to know what you specifically bring, who specifically you serve, and what result you specifically deliver. The label focuses the conversation. You still have to win it. [17:09] The Three-Question Filter for Self-Assessment: Karen's three questions for any solo practitioner genuinely weighing this decision. One: can you honestly commit a defined chunk of weekly hours — ten, twenty, or even thirty-two — to a small number of clients rather than juggling many smaller ones? This is a capacity question, not an aspiration question. Two: have you operated at a senior strategic level where you own the outcomes rather than execute tasks someone else scoped? Be honest about what senior strategic responsibility has actually looked like in your experience. Three: does the pricing range work for the size of client you're actually targeting? The $8,000 to $22,000 monthly range requires clients with budgets to match. If you primarily serve small local businesses or early-stage startups on tighter budgets, fractional may be aspirational for a future client base rather than a realistic current pivot. [19:10] The Live Drill: Six Years of Healthcare Comms, Eighteen Months Solo: Michelle walks a hypothetical: a practitioner with six years running healthcare comms in-house, now eighteen months into solo practice, currently juggling five smaller retained clients at different rates. Karen runs the filter. On capacity: consolidating from five scattered clients to two or three larger, more defined engagements is a real structural shift, and the right question is whether the listener can genuinely commit to that model. On experience: six years running healthcare comms in-house is exactly the kind of background that supports a director-level fractional claim credibly. On pricing: if even two or three of those five current clients are midsize or larger organizations, there may be a direct pathway to repricing existing relationships at fractional rates. If the current client base skews toward small local clients on tight budgets, the fractional pivot is a longer play toward a different client type. [22:21] Why This Is a Positioning Decision, Not Just a Label Decision: Karen closes on the point the whole episode has been building toward: how you describe your own work shapes what you are allowed to charge for it. Most solo PR pros are already undercharging, not because the market won't bear higher rates, but out of habit and out of fear. The fractional conversation, done honestly, forces a real examination of capacity, value, and pricing that most solos avoid. Even for practitioners who ultimately decide the fractional model isn't the right fit, that conversation has value. Karen is transparent about herself: the corporateness of fractional work, the reporting structures, the Slack pings, the internal politics is not where she wants to be. That's also a real answer, and it's the kind of honest self-assessment the episode is asking every listener to do. Resources & Additional Information Go Fractional:  Rate benchmarks by role (2026 data referenced in episode)  Fractional C-Suite: The Future of Work: Why Fractional Executives are Booming in the AI Era (Gartner Future of Work data) Over50Pros: Fractional Work State of the Market Intelligence Report That Solo Life, Episode 349: What Solo PR Pros Need to Know Now About the Specialization Economy That Solo Life, Episode 355: Why Solo PR Pros Should Plan for Micro Retirement Now Solo PR Pro membership community: soloprpro.com That Solo Life podcast website: thatsololife.com Note on sourcing: Karen and Michelle flag on air that some of the broader fractional adoption statistics are difficult to verify precisely — treat aggregate figures as directional rather than definitive. Host & Show Info That Solo Life is a podcast created for public relations, communication, and marketing professionals who work as independent and small practitioners. Hosted by Karen Swim, APR, President of Solo PR Pro, and Michelle Kane, Principal of Voice Matters, the show delivers expert insights, encouragement, and practical advice for solo PR pros navigating today's dynamic professional landscape. Listen to all episodes and catch up on previous conversations at thatsololife.com. Did this episode inspire you? If you found value in this conversation, please take a moment to leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us reach more solo pros just like you! Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode.  

In this episode of the Conscious Finance Podcast, Leo Hewett sits down with Adam Coffey - former CEO, private equity operator, best-selling author and founder of The Chairman Group.Across 21 years as a CEO, Adam completed 58 acquisitions, worked with nine private equity sponsors and generated exits worth billions. He joins Leo to share what that experience has taught him about the role finance leaders play in building, scaling and ultimately creating value in a business.They explore why the best CFOs go far beyond simply reporting the numbers, how finance can become the “radar” that helps a business see what's coming next, and what CFOs need to do to become genuine strategic partners to their CEOs.They also discuss:• What Adam looks for in a CFO during their first 90 days• Why finance needs to move from keeping score to predicting the score• The key levers CFOs can use to drive value creation• How AI will change the role of the finance function• What CFOs should be doing years before a potential exit• Why more than 90% of deals Adam has seen fall apart during diligence• What private equity buyers really look for in a business• How CFOs can build greater influence across the leadership teamFor any CFO, FD or finance leader working in a scaling or private equity-backed business, this is a fascinating look at finance from the other side of the table.Connect with Adam Coffey:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamecoffey/The Chairman Group: https://chairmangroup.us/Connect with Leo Hewett:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leohewett/Find out more about Core3:https://core3.co.uk/

In our latest episode of The Business of School, Kenton sits down with Chris Knaggs, Business Manager at Assumption College Kilmore and Director of CEBA.​​Chris has extensive experience in school business and a real passion for the support networks within education. We chat about his experience working in schools and why having a strong community around you can make such a difference.​​It's a great conversation with someone who deeply understands the business of school.​​WHO THIS IS FOR:School Business Managers, Payroll Officers, HR leads, CFOs, Principals and Board members at independent and Catholic schools across Australia and New Zealand.ABOUT COLE SCHOOL EXPERTSWe've helped independent and Catholic schools across Australia and New Zealand run smarter for over 20 years — through outsourced finance, payroll, HR, software and strategic services. Built for Business Managers who want fewer fires and more focus.

A little less than half of workers now use AI regularly on the job. Of that group, 44% admit the output looks finished on the surface and holds nothing underneath. SHRM has a name for it: work slop. Dr. James Atkinson is VP of Thought Leadership at SHRM, where he leads the research teams behind that finding. He spent nine years at Gartner, finishing as Managing Vice President of Data Products for its HR research practice, and ran data products at Payscale before joining SHRM. James walks through SHRM's Skills Revolution research in this conversation. Read the full report here: https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/research/skills-revolution-preparing-employees-tomorrows-jobs In this episode, he covers: • Why CFOs approve people investments framed as productivity gained and cost avoided, and why SHRM's navigating the C-suite research found finance leaders want that case backed by workforce data • How 44% of AI users admit to producing work slop, and where HR can step in to define what good output looks like • What SHRM's Skills Revolution research says about learning and development systems that can't track how fast skills are changing Timestamps [00:01:01] Why the labor market is uneven rather than hot or cold, and why the last two months shouldn't set your expectations [00:01:51] Healthcare keeps adding jobs as the population ages while federal employment declines and local government picks back up [00:03:13] Framing a people investment as a business opportunity with a productivity number and a cost number attached [00:04:49] SHRM's navigating the C-suite research: CFOs want the ROI spelled out and backed by workforce data [00:05:34] Turnover as the metric finance already understands, because a role sitting empty is a day of lost productivity [00:06:11] Ask your executives how they want to be presented to before you build the deck [00:06:48] Just under half of workers use AI regularly, and 44% of them admit to producing work slop [00:07:28] Why AI needs guardrails and how managers become the people who say what good looks like [00:09:12] The Skills Revolution research: skills are changing faster than learning and development systems can follow [00:11:10] Why skills inventories still haven't replaced job descriptions, and what might finally move that Guest Bio James Atkinson is the VP, Thought Leadership at SHRM, where he leads research teams uncovering key insights on the challenges and trends affecting HR and the workplace. James joined SHRM with more than 15 years of research, data, and product experience, having spent a decade in various leadership roles within the HR industry. Prior to SHRM, James was the Vice President of Data Products at Payscale, where he was responsible for the overall strategy, development, and delivery of data products for compensation professionals. He also spent 9 years at Gartner, finishing his tenure there as the Managing Vice President of Data Products for the HR research and advisory practice. Across his career, his teams have created award-winning research and data products for HR executives and their teams on topics including learning and development, total rewards, recruiting, talent management, HR strategy, HR technology, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. This work has been featured in top business journals and media outlets such as Harvard Business Review, Wall Street Journal, and Forbes. James holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Ohio State University. Brought to You by Paylocity Paylocity is the fastest growing unified platform for HR, Finance, and IT. Paylocity brings your people, processes, and data together in one place so HR leaders can spend less time managing systems and more time doing the work that actually moves their organizations forward. Learn more at paylocity.com Keywords: SHRM research, labor market outlook, work slop, AI guardrails, HR ROI, CFO conversations, workforce data, skills revolution, learning and development, career development, employee attrition, talent retention, healthcare hiring, HR strategy, skills inventory, job descriptions, people analytics, workforce planning, HR Mixtape

Most CROs are preparing themselves for obsolescence by relying on fixed playbooks in a market that changes every three months. In this episode, Janice B Gordon and Justin Shriber explore why agile, signal-driven sales leadership is replacing rigid execution. Janice B Gordon and Justin Shriber unpack how AI, complete revenue context, and frontline signals can help leaders understand not only what is happening, but why. They also examine how to turn strategy into daily behaviors, move beyond short-term thinking, and build a sales organization that adapts as quickly as the market. What you'll learn: a) Why the traditional CRO model is becoming obsolete b) How sales leaders can replace fixed playbooks with agile frameworks c) Why AI needs complete revenue context to produce useful insights Today, Janice B Gordon is joined by Justin Shriber, co-founder and CEO of an AI-native revenue platform trusted by companies including Cloudflare and Minstrel. He began his career at McKinsey before leading large-scale enterprise sales organizations at Oracle.   Timestamps: 03:21 Adapting Sales Leadership Styles 07:47 AI needs context to analyse data 12:41 Working with sceptical CFOs 14:07 Analysing lost deals and competition 17:58 Enhancing Sales Reps' Performance 20:49 Identifying and addressing competition 24:39 Focusing on quarterly performance goals 27:11 Adapting to Market Trends   Connect with Justin Shriber LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinshriber/   Connect with Janice Book Janice to speak at your next sales or leadership event: https://janicebgordon.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/janice-b-gordon/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janicebgordon Scale Your Sales Podcast: https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/podcast Enjoy the episode? Share your takeaway in the comments and leave a review on Apple Podcasts to help more leaders discover the show.

* note - the podcast starts 30 seconds into this file - In late August, Jon returned to the CRMKonvos hot seat for an open discussion of what's working in enterprise AI, and what's not. Top of the agenda: what about the gap between high performing enterprises, and all other AI adopters? Can it be closed? Why are enterprise CEOs often less clued into real AI success than the CIOs and CFOs that work for them? Why does the architecture around AI make such a difference? The audience had questions for Jon also - this sets up another great AI debate with Michael Wu on CRMKonvos in October. See the full CRMKonvos video collection on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@crmkonvos.

*** note - the podcast starts 30 seconds into this file *** - In late August, Jon returned to the CRMKonvos hot seat for an open discussion of what's working in enterprise AI, and what's not. Top of the agenda: what about the gap between high performing enterprises, and all other AI adopters? Can it be closed? Why are enterprise CEOs often less clued into real AI success than the CIOs and CFOs that work for them? Why does the architecture around AI make such a difference? The audience had questions for Jon also - this sets up another great AI debate with Michael Wu on CRMKonvos in October. See the full CRMKonvos video collection on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@crmkonvos.

Ryan Pineda and Brian Davila sit down with fractional CFO Shelby Ashley to break down why profitable businesses can still struggle with cash flow and the financial systems owners need to better manage, forecast, and scale their money.⁣⁣Connect with Ashley - ⁣https://optimizedfinancialsolutions.com/⁣https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelby-ashley-mba-a72903b9/⁣shelby@shelbyoptimizedsolutions.com⁣__________⁣If you'd like my team to run your marketing & sales department to scale your business apply here https://www.pinedapartners.com⁣⁣Join our private mastermind for elite business leaders who golf. https://www.mastermind19.com⁣⁣Want to be featured on the Wealthy Way Podcast? Apply here https://www.wealthyway.com⁣⁣If you want to start your real estate investing business, we'll give you 1:1 coaching, seller leads, software, & everything you need. https://www.wealthyinvestor.com⁣⁣Tired of paying so much in taxes every year? We'll give you strategy, tax prep, and accounting all in one place. https://www.taylor-tax.com⁣⁣Join free Bible studies and workshops for Christian business leaders. https://www.tentmakers.us⁣__________⁣Chapters: ⁣00:00 - Cash vs. P&L⁣01:05 - Where Cash Gets Tied Up⁣06:44 - Real Estate Cash Flow & Owner Pay⁣15:01 - Partnership Opportunity⁣15:35 - Owner Pay & Cash Reserves⁣20:22 - Fractional CFOs & Forecasting⁣30:03 - Success & Profitability⁣32:37 - Valuations & EBITDA⁣36:50 - Bookkeeping & Forecasting⁣45:05 - E-Commerce Cash Flow⁣48:59 - Payment Terms & Billing⁣56:16 - Prepaid Revenue Strategy⁣1:00:23 - Gift Card Accounting⁣1:01:56 - Intercompany Loans & Draws⁣1:07:34 - Marketing & Scaling Ads⁣1:15:10 - Expenses & Break-Even⁣1:16:51 - Business Expenses & Marketing⁣1:18:42 - CFOs & Scaling⁣1:30:11 - Paying for Expert Help⁣1:30:53 - Domains & Mastermind Talk

The Sacramento Metropolitan Cable Television Commission met on September 3, 2026. With a quorum established, the Commission navigated a productive agenda focused on administrative appointments, conflict of interest updates, the adoption of the final fiscal year budget, and strategic consulting services. Executive Appointment and Compensation New Executive Director: In closed session, the Commission unanimously voted to appoint Kristyn Riggs as Executive Director. Compensation Adjustment: The Commission subsequently approved a temporary salary adjustment for Riggs while she serves in an interim capacity, set at an amount equal to 70% of the salary change maximum for the position on a monthly basis . Administrative and Consent Calendar Approvals Consent Calendar: Items 4 and 5 were approved unanimously. This included filing the GASB 75 report on other post-employment benefits (OPEB) accrual valuations ending June 30, 2024, and the engagement letter for the Commission's financial audits from fiscal years 2022 through 2024. Conflict of Interest Code (Item 6): The Commission approved amendments to the conflict code, which will be submitted to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors by October 1st. Notable updates include adding a board alternate for County District 5 (formerly held by Don Nottoli) and an alternate for the City of Sacramento, removing duplicate legal counsel titles, and removing position numbers to clean up the document. FY 2026-27 General and PEG Fee Fund Budgets (Item 7) The Commission approved its final $13.3 million General Fund budget against a backdrop of steadily declining cable franchise revenues, which are projected at $6.4 million for the upcoming fiscal year. Member Agency Revenue Distributions: Following recommendations from the Budget Ad-Hoc Committee and agency CFOs, the budget includes $8.2 million in total per-capital distributions to help member jurisdictions fund local safety, parks, and libraries. This includes a retroactive FY 25-26 distribution of $4.7 million and a budgeted FY 26-27 distribution of $3.5 million (releasing in August 2027 pending final actuals). Channel Licensee Reductions: To balance the declining revenue, channel licensees (grantees) accepted a 25% reduction from their FY 25-26 funding levels, receiving a combined $1.2 million. Final General Fund allocations approved are: Access Sacramento: $576,000 Sacramento Educational Cable Consortium (SECC): $357,000 PBS KVIE: $228,000 Sacramento Life TV: $47,869 OPEB Adjustment: The budget pre-funding line for retiree health benefits was zeroed out (from $250,000) because previous leadership heavily pre-funded the trust, leaving a highly manageable current liability of $218,000. PEG Fee Fund Budget: Left untouched from the preliminary budget, this fund contains $1.4 million in reserves with a projected $2 million in revenue. The Commission approved $690,000 in PEG capital projects for licensees (including facility leases and equipment upgrades). Sacramento Life TV remains ineligible for PEG funding due to religious content restrictions. Public and Agency Support: Finance directors from Citrus Heights, Galt, and the City of Sacramento, along with a representative from Folsom, spoke in strong support of the balanced, regional "shared pain" approach of the budget. Strategic Support Services (Item 9) The Commission authorized the Executive Director to execute an agreement for strategic support services to hire a consultant . Scope: The consultant will assist the newly formed Strategic Ad Hoc Committee in reviewing the Commission's long-term operational model, revenue-sharing methodologies, governance structure, and financial sustainability. Licensee Engagement: At the Board's direction, the consultant must coordinate substantive, direct outreach sessions with channel licensees to address their sustainability concerns. Funding Cap: Following debate from the commissioners, the motion was amended to place a "not to exceed $100,000" spending cap under the Director's discretion. The item passed with Member Sandhu abstaining. Channel Licensee Activity Reports (Item 10) The regional station managers provided updates on recent highlights and programs: KVIE: Featured its local black-and-white documentary Unhoused Neighbors and celebrated earning 16 awards (including 6 first-place honors) at the CNPA Journalism Awards for its newsroom, Abridged. Access Sacramento: Highlighted a new partnership with the Sacramento Region Community Foundation to support local non-profits with media services, a new Afghan-focused news program hosted by expat journalist Jamal Faramand, and "A Place Called Sacramento" Film Festival premiering at the Crest Theater. SECC: Shared a video celebrating over 40 years of local educational broadcasting, highlighting training workshops that help hundreds of local teachers and thousands of students find their voice in media. Sacramento Life TV: Discussed its "Powerhouse Podcasts" (60 episodes to date), "Community Spotlight" documentaries, and its highly successful Capital Cold Case series in partnership with local law enforcement (27,000 views). The station soft-launched its sacramentolife.tv streaming network on Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon TV. General Manager Herman noted that while the station is stretching its small $47,869 allocation, they will actively advocate for funding parity in 2027. Executive Director Administrative Update Riggs recognized her production staff for stepping up during the leadership transition. Key upcoming items include remote broadcasting for a Sacramento Sewer District meeting in October using a new flight pack and organizing election forums with the League of Women Voters. The next Cable Commission meeting is scheduled for December 3, 2026.

Companies are spending more on cybersecurity than ever. Yet cyberattacks, breaches and vulnerabilities continue to increase.What if we're trying to solve the wrong problem?In this episode of A Seat at The Table, Jane Singer talks with cybersecurity expert Greg van der Gaast at Sequoia Consulting, about why many cybersecurity failures aren't really technology failures at all.They're symptoms of deeper problems in the way an organization operates.Greg has spent more than 25 years in cybersecurity, including working undercover for the U.S. government and advising executives, boards and organizations on cybersecurity risk. But today, he argues that companies need to stop thinking about cybersecurity primarily as a technical problem.Instead, executives should ask a different question:What is happening inside our organization that allowed this vulnerability to exist in the first place?Why More Cybersecurity May Not Make You More SecureWhen a vulnerability is discovered, the conventional response is usually to add another security tool, process, test or layer of protection.Greg argues that this treats the symptom rather than the cause.An unpatched system, badly configured server, vulnerable application or outdated piece of technology didn't simply appear. Decisions, processes and behaviors inside the organization allowed that problem to develop.The underlying issue could be poor software engineering, inadequate lifecycle planning, unclear ownership, bad incentives, weak governance, inefficient processes or an IT function that isn't operating effectively.Fix those underlying problems and companies can potentially eliminate entire categories of cybersecurity risk rather than paying indefinitely to mitigate them.Greg shares the example of a SaaS company with a large number of software vulnerabilities. Instead of building a bigger application-security function to continually find and fix vulnerabilities, the company addressed weaknesses in its engineering practices.Within 12 months, vulnerabilities fell by 87% — without adding more security work.But the benefits went far beyond cybersecurity. The application became more reliable, customer renewals improved, engineering turnover dropped and the company's AWS bill fell by €2.3 million.The security vulnerabilities were signals of a much bigger business problem.Cybersecurity as a Quality ProblemOne of Greg's most useful ideas is surprisingly simple:Treat cybersecurity vulnerabilities as quality defects.If a manufacturer repeatedly discovers the same defect, management doesn't simply build a bigger department to repair defective products forever. It asks what is happening earlier in the process that's creating the defect.Greg argues that companies should apply the same thinking to cybersecurity.Why wasn't the software patched?Why was the system misconfigured?Why is unsupported legacy technology still operating?Why was insecure software developed?Why wasn't the technology lifecycle planned?Why did employees have access to systems they didn't need?Keep asking "why" and eventually the conversation moves away from cybersecurity technology and toward management, processes, organizational structure, incentives, accountability and leadership.That's where Greg believes many cybersecurity problems really begin.Why Blaming Employees Misses the PointCompanies frequently describe employees as their biggest cybersecurity weakness.Greg challenges that assumption.If a marketing intern clicks a phishing link and that action can bring down a company's critical financial systems, the real question isn't simply why the employee clicked.Why was one employee's mistake capable of causing so much damage?There should have been multiple layers of organizational and technical protection between that phishing email and a critical production environment.Blaming the employee can prevent companies from investigating the systemic failures that made the incident possible.Why Cybersecurity Is a Leadership IssueMany CEOs, CFOs and other senior executives assume cybersecurity belongs to IT because they don't consider themselves technically qualified to make cybersecurity decisions.Greg believes that can be a costly mistake.Executives don't necessarily need deep technical cybersecurity expertise. They already understand many of the skills needed to address the underlying problems: accountability, incentives, governance, organizational structure, quality, investment decisions and operational efficiency.In fact, Greg argues that once executives understand cybersecurity from first principles, they may be better positioned to make the strategic decisions that improve security than people looking at the problem exclusively through a technical lens.Cybersecurity becomes a business management problem — not simply an IT problem.What You'll Learn in This EpisodeJane and Greg discuss:• Why cybersecurity spending keeps increasing without eliminating cyber risk• Why cybersecurity vulnerabilities should be treated as quality defects• How poor engineering practices create security vulnerabilities• Why fixing root causes can be cheaper than continually mitigating cyber risk• How organizational health affects cybersecurity• Why IT processes, governance and incentives deserve more attention• Why executives don't need to be cybersecurity experts to improve security• How cybersecurity problems can expose waste elsewhere in the organization• Why blaming employees for phishing attacks can hide larger systemic failures• How IT and business alignment affects cyber risk• Why adding more cybersecurity technology isn't always the answer• How continuous improvement and root-cause analysis can be applied to cybersecurity• Why CEOs and CFOs should take a more active role in cybersecurity strategy• How better technology management can improve security, productivity and profitability at the same time00:00 Why cybersecurity may not be a technology problem 02:22 What cybersecurity gets wrong 09:13 Fixing the cause instead of the vulnerability 12:13 When cybersecurity is really an organizational problem 16:19 Why CEOs should rethink cybersecurity 23:15 Why blaming employees misses the real problem 24:28 Does more cybersecurity spending make you safer?Questions This Episode AnswersWhy do companies keep getting hacked despite spending more on cybersecurity?Greg argues that companies frequently spend money mitigating vulnerabilities without addressing the organizational behaviors and processes creating those vulnerabilities.Is cybersecurity really an IT problem?Technology is certainly involved, but many vulnerabilities originate in management decisions, software development practices, lifecycle planning, incentives, governance and organizational structure.Can better business processes improve cybersecurity?Yes. Greg's approach focuses on improving the underlying processes that produce technology, reducing the number of vulnerabilities that need to be managed later.Should CEOs understand cybersecurity?Executives don't necessarily need to understand the technical details of hacking. They do need to understand how organizational decisions create or reduce risk.Are employees really the weakest link in cybersecurity?Greg argues that blaming an employee for clicking a phishing link can miss the bigger issue: the organizational and technical failures that allowed one mistake to cause significant damage.Does spending more money on cybersecurity make a company safer?Not necessarily. Greg discusses why the maturity of IT and business processes — and alignment between IT and the business — can be more important than simply buying more cybersecurity tools.How can companies reduce cybersecurity costs?Instead of continually paying to mitigate recurring vulnerabilities, Greg recommends tracing security problems upstream and addressing the processes, behaviors and organizational structures that create them.The Bigger TakeawayCybersecurity vulnerabilities aren't just threats that need to be managed.They're clues.They can reveal poor engineering, inefficient IT operations, weak governance, bad incentives, outdated systems and other organizational problems that may already be costing the company money.Get more B2B insights:Subscribe to A Seat at The Table's newsletter for weekly B2B strategy:https://seat.fm/join-our-newsletter/Learn how to build a consistent B2B marketing system:https://seat.fm/marketing-mentor/Connect with Greg van der Gaast:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregvandergaast/Sequoia Consulting: httSEND US A MESSAGEStop starting over again each month. We'll work one-on-one build a tailor-made system you can repeat each quarter.  Marketing gets done - on easy mode.  Learn more about the Consistent Marketing System.Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Peter McKenzie, GM at a Blackstone portfolio company, professor at IESE Business School, and speaker at 50+ conferences across the world, talks frankly about executive presence for finance professionals, developed through 25+ years of C-suite experience   He coaches FP&A teams and CFOs on what exactly separates the executives who get recognised from the ones who don't (Communicate with influence, not just authority and focus on strategy and what boards actually want).  In this episode What the board reads (and skips) in a board deck  What “business partnership” actually means  What knowing the numbers means  How to draw a narrative “red line”  Now that AI writes a competent narrative, what's the role for finance? 

Marketing leaders are under increasing pressure to answer a deceptively simple question:What commercial value is marketing actually creating?In this episode of the LT Marketing & Leadership Show, Kevin Britz and marketing and communication expert Craig Page-Lee continue their exploration of McKinsey's State of Marketing Europe 2026 report — this time focusing on effectiveness, measurement, ROI and C-suite credibility.The challenge is significant.While 72% of CMOs planned to increase marketing spend through 2026, marketing leaders are simultaneously facing greater scrutiny from CFOs and CEOs about where that money goes and what it produces.The report identifies profit growth, revenue and market share as key objectives, signalling an important shift: marketing needs to speak the language of the business, not simply the language of marketing.And that creates a measurement problem.An extraordinary 90% of marketing spend is not covered by formal ROI measurement systems, while only 3% of CMOs can formally explain more than half of their marketing spend through ROI metrics.Kevin and Craig unpack why this is happening, including:Lack of sufficient dataPoor data qualityMeasurement capability gapsThe limitations of deterministic attributionIncreasing privacy restrictionsThe difficulty of measuring long-term and upper-funnel brand investmentThe conversation explores why leading marketers are turning toward approaches such as Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) and incremental lift studies to develop a more complete picture of marketing effectiveness.But measurement isn't simply a technology or analytics challenge.It's also an organisational alignment challenge.Craig introduces a three-layer measurement operating model consisting of central owners, decentralised doers and cross-functional users, and discusses how organisations can build measurement capability across the business.One statistic highlights the problem: only around 50% of European CMOs report regular, meaningful collaboration with their CFOs.That relationship matters.Synchronising metrics, planning budgets together and developing a shared understanding of the customer can fundamentally change marketing's position in the boardroom.We also examine where CMOs are investing next, with Gen AI, measurement capabilities and customer insights emerging as major priorities.And perhaps most importantly, Kevin and Craig challenge the assumption that difficult economic conditions automatically mean marketing budgets should be cut.Evidence suggests that organisations continuing to invest strategically in marketing during downturns can emerge stronger — particularly when they balance short-term performance with long-term brand equity and consistent media investment.The takeaway?Measurement isn't simply about proving that marketing worked. It's about giving marketing the commercial credibility to influence where the business goes next.#Marketing #MarketingROI #CMO #MarketingStrategy #MarketingMeasurement #MarketingMixModeling #MMM #GenAI #BrandStrategy #CFO #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #MarketingEffectiveness #CustomerInsights #LTS #LeadershipByDesign

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

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

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

Employer health care costs have risen 70% over the last decade while wages have grown just 30%. Kirat Kharode, CEO and Founder of HealCo, joins the Startup Junkies Podcast's Fuel Accelerator health tech series to break down why self-funded employer health plans are becoming unsustainable, and how HealCo's governance layer helps route employees to lower-cost, high-quality care before costs spiral.In this episode:Why self-funded health plans are under more scrutiny than everThe site-of-entry problem driving up specialty care costsHow HealCo's governance and routing model worksWhat a real cost-savings diagnostic looks like for employersWhy Northwest Arkansas is fertile ground for this kind of infrastructureThis episode is part of our Fuel Accelerator series⏱️ Chapters: 00:18 – Welcome & the Fuel Accelerator health tech cohort00:42 – Meet Kirat Kharode, CEO & Founder of HealCo01:00 – 20 years inside hospital C-suites 01:26 – Inside the self-funded health plan landscape 02:07 – Why costs are outpacing wages 03:06 – Site of entry: where health costs really start 04:02 – Specialty care and the $15K vs. $50K cost divide 05:33 – HealCo's origin story and validation lab 06:36 – Building the governance layer and how employees benefit 09:06 – Sponsor: RISE Arkansas 09:33 – Validating the model & where self-funded care is headed 11:48 – HealCo's 5-year vision, case studies & broker demand 15:49 – Why Northwest Arkansas, plus advice for CFOs 18:50 – Connect with Kirat + episode wrap-up—Connect with Kirat & HealCo

Summary This episode, Marc is chattin' with Ahmad Alokush, a technology risk, AI governance , and cybersecurity oversight expert. Their chat centers on AI governance and why organizations often approach it too narrowly. Ahmad explains that one of the biggest blind spots is treating governance as a one-time compliance exercise instead of a continuous operating discipline. He frames AI governance as an operating system for trust — something that must evolve as AI systems, business use cases, and risks evolve. A major theme is the hidden cost of AI governance. Ahmad notes that many CFOs underestimate the true investment required, because governance includes not just technical maintenance but also data quality work, regulatory compliance, and change management. His point is that governance is not overhead; it is what makes AI's ROI sustainable and defensible over time. The discussion then shifts to the difference between reactive and proactive organizations. Reactive teams tend to address issues only after deployment, often after a problem has already become a crisis. Proactive organizations, by contrast, build risk assessments, bias testing, documentation, and oversight into the process before systems go live. Ahmad emphasizes the importance of visibility into AI usage, including the dangers of “shadow AI” when employees adopt tools outside approved policy. They also chat about accountability and ownership. Ahmad points out that AI initiatives often span IT, data, HR, compliance, and business teams, which can make ownership unclear. In his view, mature governance requires a clear owner, often supported by a chief AI officer, risk committee, or audit committee, along with a living inventory of AI systems that identifies risk levels and update cadence. Finally, the chat moves to global regulation and how organizations can manage conflicting rules across jurisdictions. Ahmad describes the need for jurisdiction-specific risk mapping, compliance by design, and deployment variants that can satisfy stricter disclosure or transparency requirements where needed. He closes by encouraging listeners to stay proactive, continuously improve, and treat AI governance as part of the organization's long-term operating model rather than a box-checking task. Key Points AI governance should be treated as an ongoing discipline, not a one-time project. The real cost of AI governance includes technical maintenance, data quality, compliance, and change management. Reactive AI programs often lead to shadow AI, poor documentation, and post-deployment crises. Clear ownership and a live AI inventory are essential for accountability. Global AI regulation requires jurisdiction-specific strategies, not a one-size-fits-all approach. Key Quotes “[T]he biggest [blind spot] that I see is treating the governance like a one-time compliance project instead of like a living operating discipline. “[Governance] is not paperwork. It's an operating system for trust.” “AI isn't overhead. It's the insurance that keeps ROI real.” “Reactive [thinking about AI] is thinking of it as a compliance task. That's after deployment. ‘We'll fix it after it breaks.'” “You have to have a live AI register with ownership, risk level, and updating the cadence for each model.” About Our Guest Ahmad Alokush is a globally recognized expert in AI, cybersecurity, fintech, and technology litigation, and the founder of Ahmadeus Technology Boutique. He advises foreign governments, institutional investors, and C-suite leaders on emerging technologies, M&A strategy, digital asset valuation, and complex regulatory matters, while also serving as a trusted expert witness and keynote speaker for Fortune 500 companies, AmLaw 100 firms, and global policy leaders. Known for bridging technical, legal, and business perspectives, Ahmad brings clarity, discretion, and strategic insight to high-stakes engagements in boardrooms, courtrooms, and advisory settings. Follow Our Guest LinkedIn | Website About Our Host National co-chair of the Cyber Center for Excellence, Marc Schein, CIC,CLCS is also a Risk Management Consultant at Marsh McLennan Agency. He assists clients by customizing comprehensive commercial insurance programs that minimize the burden of financial loss through cost effective transfer of risk. By conducting a Total Cost of Risk (TCoR) assessment, he can determine any gaps in coverage. As part of an effective risk management insurance team, Marc collaborates with senior risk consultants, certified insurance counselors, and expert underwriters to examine the adequacy of existing client programs and develop customized solutions to transfer risk, improve coverage and minimize premiums. Follow Our Host Website | LinkedIn

Federal agency CFOs can have more confidence than ever that their agency is sending money to the right citizens. Their confidence comes from the Treasury Department finishing a four-year journey to better secure federal payments. Treasury's Payment Verification tool moved into full production mode earlier this summer using a three-step process to confirm the accuracy of the disbursement. Justin Marsico is the executive director for financial integrity at the Treasury's Bureau of Fiscal Service. He talked about hte improvements with Federal News Network's Jason Miller.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we're revisiting Hannah Munro's conversation with Ash Noah, VP & Managing Director of Learning, Education and Development at AICPA & CIMA, on the mindset shifts CFOs need to close the gap between what finance delivers and what the business actually needs.This episode covers:Why finance is hitting 90% on governance but only 40% on business guidance — and how to close that gapBuilding a value creation mindset by understanding your business model, not just costs and profitsWhy an analytics mindset and a "digital first" approach are now essential, not optionalHow agile methodology and design thinking help CFOs become better problem solversAsh's top tips for the first 90 days in a new CFO role — and why you need to "kick the tires and smell the diesel"Links referenced in this episode:Ash's Linkedin Learn more about AICPAExplore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here.Subscribe to our Podcast!

Send us Fan MailGot something genuinely new to sell — and buyers keep lumping it in with every other "revolutionary" pitch they've heard this month? This one's for you.Bill and Bryan work through a real scenario: a friend building software that could transform hospital billing, but can't get CFOs past their skepticism. The fix isn't a better pitch — it's a completely different approach to who you target and how you position the offer.You'll learn how to sort prospects by tolerance for change (not company size), why positioning your offer as limited and selective beats "revolutionizing everything," and why acknowledging buyer skepticism up front builds more trust than any pitch could.It's the 20th anniversary of the show, and Bill and Bryan want to hear from you — send a short voice memo to listener@advancedsellingpodcast.com for their September anniversary celebration.The Insider program is open for enrollment. To check out our small learning group, go to http://advancedsellingpodcast.com/insiderIf you haven't already, join 14,000+ other sales professionals in our LinkedIn group at advancedsellingpodcast.com/linkedinIs it time to make a BOLD move in your business? If so, download our brand new book, "12 Bold Moves - Insider Secrets to Reinventing Yourself and Your Business." http://12boldmoves.com

In this episode, Seth sits down with Lourdes Felix, CEO & CFO of BioCorRx, to discuss what it really takes to build and lead a publicly traded biotech company focused on substance use disorder.Lourdes shares her journey from finance professional to CEO, her 14+ years with BioCorRx, and how the company has evolved from a reverse merger into a drug-development business working on innovative addiction treatment solutions.They discuss the realities of running a public biotech company, from raising capital and managing investor expectations to navigating clinical trials, regulatory development, and the challenge of being pre-revenue. Lourdes also explains BioCorRx's approach to medication-assisted treatment and the company's naltrexone implant technology.The conversation also gets personal, exploring the patients and families who have been impacted by the company's work and what continues to motivate Lourdes after more than a decade in the industry.Finally, Lourdes discusses BioCorRx's first revenue-generating commercial asset and what could be next for the company.Subscribe for more conversations with founders, CFOs, and advisors shaping today's capital markets.00:00 — Introducing Lourdes Felix & BioCorRx 01:42 — Building a Company Around Addiction Treatment 03:52 — How BioCorRx Helps People With Addiction 05:59 — From Finance Professional to CEO 07:43 — Balancing Business With Capital Raising 10:43 — From Finance to the World of Biotech 11:50 — Developing BioCorRx's Naltrexone Implant 15:18 — The Biggest Misconceptions About Addiction 18:26 — The Patients Who Keep Her Going 19:34 — BioCorRx's First Revenue-Generating Asset & What's Next Connect with Seth LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethfarbman/ Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/sethfarbmanstock TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@sethfarbman Twitter (X) – https://x.com/sethfarbman1

Am 17. September trifft sich die Versicherungsbranche in Köln zum Versicherungsdialog – Motto: „Zukunft denken, Fortschritt schaffen". Herbert Jansky spricht vorab mit gleich vier Gestaltern des Events: den BearingPoint-Partnern Thorsten Vogel (IT/Kernsysteme), Sven Gerhardus (Vertrieb & Marketing), Dominik Testrut (Operations) und Carsten Erler (Finance & SAP).Im Talk: Warum die drängende Frage nicht mehr „ob", sondern „wie tief" KI Versicherungsprozesse verändert, wie realistisch echte Dunkelverarbeitung mit Automatisierungsquoten von bis zu 99 Prozent wirklich ist, warum die S/4HANA-Migration nur ein Zwischenschritt Richtung Cloud ist, und weshalb der Ausschließlichkeitsvertrieb trotz Maklerboom keineswegs am Ende ist. Plus: Einblicke in aktuelle BearingPoint-Studien (Kaleidoskop, Zero Lead Waste) und was CIOs, CFOs und Vertriebsvorstände konkret vom Versicherungsdialog mitnehmen sollten.Schreibt uns gerne eine Nachricht! Jetzt mit dem Code "Monday" 10% auf Deinen Plaud Pro sichern!Folge uns auf unserer LinkedIn Unternehmensseite für weitere spannende Updates.Unsere Website: https://www.insurancemondaypodcast.de/Du möchtest Gast beim Insurance Monday Podcast sein? Schreibe uns unter info@insurancemondaypodcast.de und wir melden uns umgehend bei Dir.Dieser Podcast wird von dean productions produziert.Vielen Dank, dass Du unseren Podcast hörst!

This episode was recorded live on LinkedIn with Bill Dembereckyj, CFO of Imagine360, and it's a look at renewal season from the seat that ultimately signs off on it. Bill walks through three real cases: a 250-life senior living facility staring at a 50% increase, an 85-life restaurant group facing a $450,000 jump, and a 140-life private school looking at 60%.We get into why CFOs are being brought in far too late, why Bill started his own plan renewal in Q1, and what happens when finance only gets handed the result and asked to bless it.Audience questions from the live cover captives with RBP, whether stripping the network hurts steerage, and what happens when a member needs care somewhere you're not contracted.If you want to be more useful to the CFO in the room this renewal season, this is the episode. Tune in."You've taken away all my other strategic choices. Now the only lever I have left is how much employees pay versus how much the company pays." — Bill Dembereckyj, CPAThank you to our 2026 sponsors!ParetoHealth: ParetoHealth empowers midsize employers with a long-term solution to reduce volatility and lower overall health benefits costs. Visit https://www.paretohealth.com/fully-insured-vs-self-funding-with-paretohealth-spencer-podcast/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=SelfFundedwSpencer to learn more.Samaritan Fund: A program that connects those who need help to the support they need. We are proud to offer the Samaritan Fund Program. Visit SamaritanFundProgram.com to learn more.Vālenz Health: We're Vālenz Health, your partner in improving health literacy, reducing plan spend, and delivering high-value healthcare. Visit ValenzHealth.com to learn more.Imagine360: Imagine360 helps self-funded employers save on healthcare with smarter health plans. Cut expenses by 20-30% with custom solutions. Contact us today at Imagine360.com.Chapters:(00:00:00) Intro: What Is Imagine360 and What Is RBP?(00:02:56) The CFO's Role in the Renewal(00:04:35) The Bias Toward Procrastination(00:08:13) Balancing HR, Finance, and the CEO(00:09:36) Audience Question: Captives, RBP, and Cash Pay(00:13:40) Case One: Senior Living, 250 Lives, 50% Renewal(00:18:30) Fixed Budgets and the Fear of Maximum Exposure(00:21:09) Case Two: Restaurant Group, 85 Lives, 60% Renewal(00:24:19) What Healthcare Inefficiency Does to Company Value(00:28:31) Don't Pull Every Lever at Once(00:29:50) Audience Question: Does RBP Hurt Steerage?(00:33:08) Pharmacy: The $400,000 Rebate Nobody Saw(00:38:13) Case Three: Private School, 140 Lives, 60% Renewal(00:43:24) What Bill Wants From Consultants(00:49:09) Give Your Broker Some Grace(00:52:16) Closing ThoughtsKey Links for Social:@SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFundedListen/watch on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/

Send us Fan MailShownotes can be found at https://www.profitwithlaw.com/548.Early retirement and financial independence are the dream for almost anyone, but how do we plan for and achieve them? How much money is needed to retire and be financially independent? Is the income from your law firm enough? If not, how can you get cash flow outside your business?In this episode, Sarah Young of Young + Co joins Moshe Amsel to discuss the value of CFOs in making financial decisions and planning your firm's growth trajectory. She builds on her years of CFO experience and shares tactical ways to increase your cash flow, prepare for retirement, and achieve financial independence! If you want to know how to create cash flow outside your law firm, this episode is for you! Resources mentioned:Law Firm Growth WorkshopTake the Law Firm Growth Assessment and find out how you rate as a law firm owner! Check out our Profit with Law YouTube channel!Learn more about the Profit with Law Elite Coaching Program hereNot sure if now's the right time? Book a call with us to talk it through and see if it's a good fit.Profit with Law CommunityConnect with Sarah via LinkedIn or Instagram. Learn more about Sarah's work at Young + Co through their website. Profit + Prosper PodcastGet help with your virtual staffing needs through Get Staffed Up. Get $750 off your startup fee here. Join our Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lawfirmgrowthsummit/To request a show topic, recommend a guest or ask a question for the show, please send an email to info@dreambuilderfinancial.com.Connect with Moshe on:Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/moshe.amselLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mosheamsel/

Is your ERP dashboard actually built on data that matters — or is it just a chart of accounts dressed up to look useful? In episode #386, Ben Murray breaks down why traditional ERP dashboards are losing ground to AI-generated, prompt-built SaaS reporting and what that means for CFOs and finance leaders right now. If your team is still relying on static dashboards anchored to your general ledger, you're missing three out of four key SaaS data sources before you even start the analysis. The gap between what ERP dashboards can show and what modern AI-native metrics engines can produce is widening fast and the CFOs who close that gap first will be the ones driving the board conversations. Why ERP dashboards are fundamentally limited to chart-of-accounts data — and the three additional SaaS data sources (HRIS, bookings, and customer/revenue data) that actually drive metrics like CAC payback, LTV to CAC, NRR, and Rule of 40. How Ben vibe-coded a full SaaS metrics dashboard in minutes using Claude — covering ARR trajectory, EBITDA margin, gross margin, revenue per FTE, and cash balance — and why a prompt-built report on a deterministic engine beats any canned dashboard. Why controlling the period of measurement matters: the example of setting CAC payback on a six-month sales cycle basis — something a standard ERP dashboard simply can't do. Where AI actually belongs in the FP&A process: not at the beginning, but at the end — writing board narratives, flagging dormant customers ripe for expansion via a RevIntel engine, and generating insights that traditional FP&A could never surface. Why agent-friendly APIs matter: how Saster's API grading tool surfaces whether your SaaS stack is actually exposing the data AI needs to take action — not just technically having an API. Tune in to understand exactly where your ERP dashboard ends and where a closed-loop, AI-powered metrics engine takes over — before your next board meeting. Resources Mentioned Ben's LinkedIn post (vibe-coded SaaS metrics report): https://www.linkedin.com/posts/benrmurray_saas-activity-7498039803582689280-7Ckt?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAOOEO8Bf5aRLyU0jjrGXvPD2odJNDer6KU Ben's deterministic SaaS metrics engine: https://softwaremetrics.ai Ben's Five Pillar SaaS Metrics Framework: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/saas-metrics-implementation-sprint-sept-2026

The real challenge begins once the company goes public.In this episode of From Startup to Stock Exchange, host Seth Farbman talks with Jaylvin Chan, Executive Director of Astute All Advisory and former CFO of two Nasdaq-listed companies. Based in Malaysia, Jaylvin has seen the IPO journey from both sides: as the executive preparing to go public, and now as the advisor guiding other companies through it.Jaylvin explains why the real challenge for public-company CFOs isn't audits or compliance deadlines, but coordinating global teams across time zones. He also breaks down why companies with plenty of capital still choose to list in the US, using Grab's decision to list on Nasdaq instead of Singapore as an example, and shares his take on the SEC's proposed 24-hour trading day.In this episode:The real biggest challenge for a public-company CFOWhy foreign companies list in the US even without needing the capitalWhat life looks like after the IPO bell ringsHot industries in Malaysia right now (renewable energy, AI, IoT)Jaylvin's advice: don't wait to be perfect

Artificial intelligence is accelerating the transformation of the finance function in ways that go beyond automation of existing processes. Gartner senior director Mallory Bulman explains how finance teams can help organizations move faster, make better decisions, and prepare for 2030 and beyond. The conversation explores digital talent, enterprise simulations, product management techniques, and what Bulman heard from attendees at the Future of Finance Summit about contending with volatility and deciding whether to be "AI-forward" or "AI-cautious." What you'll learn from this episode: The number of CFOs that Bulman speaks with each week, and the universal truths she hears in those calls. What an OODA loop is and why, in Bulman's words, the "observe" part of that acronym will be getting shorter. A key theme of a Gartner finance presentation and its tie-in with one of Bulman's sons' science classes. How a product management mindset and self-service tools can help finance teams effectively deliver decision-ready information. Bulman's takeaways from the Future of Finance Summit earlier in August.

What if everything you were taught about growing a desk was optional? Finish The Year Strong 2026 kicks off September 28th through October 5th, and the live sessions are free. This is your line in the sand for the rest of the year: https://recruiters-finish-the-year-strong.heysummit.com/ This episode is sponsored by Atlas, the CRM that actually understands context. Atlas captures every call, email, and message automatically, then tells you the next action to take. And whether you place permanent or contract, Atlas covers both with its new contract suite, so you never chase a timesheet again and you get live margin visibility on every single placement. Atlas customers are reporting 50% higher candidate response rates, 35% more new clients won, and monthly billings jumping 85%. See it at https://recruitwithatlas.com/ Almost every recruiter got the same day one instruction: business development is the job. Make the marketing calls, chase the ads, win the clients. Dan Lambert did the opposite. He skipped BD entirely, doubled his candidate metrics instead, and as he tells it, went on to post eight million dollar years before taking over ownership of Lambert Nemec Group. His logic was almost uncomfortably simple. Candidates are the inventory, and if you own the best inventory, clients have no choice but to deal with you. So while his colleagues left voicemails chasing ads, Dan interviewed 25 candidates a week against a target of 10, placed his people on his teammates' job orders, and waited. Those candidates became controllers, then CFOs, then the clients calling him with exclusive, hidden job orders no other agency ever saw. Dan walks through exactly how he did it, including the no pressure takeaway call he ran on week one job ads, the follow up cadence that turned cold postings into clients for life, and the story of telling a hiring manager to hire her own free candidate instead of paying him a $20,000 fee, a decision that won him every search she ran afterward. He breaks down his prep ritual too: the week is planned before Friday ends, and he never left the office without two Monday interviews booked, because a Monday without interviews is a day you never get back. You will also hear his honest take on AI and recruiting tech, why LinkedIn is a lookup tool and not a recruiting strategy, the candidate update call he believes is the most ignored moneymaker in every firm's database, and the order of operations behind his firm's low turnover: candidates first, clients next, the organization, then you. If you have ever believed there had to be another way to build a desk besides pounding out marketing calls, this episode is your proof, and your permission. And mark your calendar for the brand new Firm Leaders Summit, November 16th to 18th, with free live sessions: Details soon Finish The Year Strong 2026: https://recruiters-finish-the-year-strong.heysummit.com/ Atlas: https://recruitwithatlas.com/ Connect with Dan Lambert on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-lambert-57bb1110/ Join the Elite Recruiter Community: https://elite-recruiters.circle.so/checkout/elite-recruiter-community Subscribe to the newsletter: https://eliterecruiterpodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Most small real estate operators manage their finances by looking at what is in the bank. Money in is income, money out is expenses, and the question every Monday is how do I survive the next ninety days. Alex Lopez, CPA calls that looking in the rear-view mirror, and he spent more than a decade learning what the alternative looks like from the inside.Alex started in real estate right out of high school during the South Florida boom, and he was in his early twenties when it all came down. He lost the properties he had bought. Going back to finish his business degree, he hit the two accounting courses every Florida business major has to take, and found that the numbers were a language that explained his own mistakes better than the market crash did. He switched his major, went straight into a global firm, asked to be put on the real estate clients, and drew a $4 billion hotel REIT as his first account. Corporate came next, then helping take a company public, then his own shop.The thing he brought back is the spine of this conversation. The most powerful things those firms do are perfectly doable at any size. It comes down to structure, skill and prioritization, and to somebody actually being assigned the work.In this episode:What a fractional CFO actually does that a bookkeeper does notWhy you should run your company as though it were already much largerThe windshield versus the rear-view mirror, and why most accounting only looks backwardKPIs and plans: NOI, rent per square foot, CAM, occupancy, and how to pick yoursReverse-engineering a business plan into a debt and equity structureThe free playbook hiding in plain sight: the 10-K filings public companies in your field are legally required to publish, KPIs includedWhy the skill set changes completely at every revenue tierPlus the Final Five, a mentor named Anatoly, and the one mistake Alex committed to never making again.About Alex Lopez, CPA Alex Lopez, CPA is the Managing Partner of Osher CPAs, a South Florida firm providing accounting, CFO services, financial due diligence, and tax strategy to real estate investors, property managers, and growing businesses. He works primarily with owners in the low seven-figure to mid eight-figure range.Connect with Alex: alexlopezcpa.comThis week's book: Get Scalable: The Operating System Your Business Needs To Run and Scale Without You by Ryan DeissChapters00:00 The big-firm playbook is available to the rest of us 00:45 Welcome to Real Estate Underground 01:40 Meet Alex Lopez, CPA 02:00 Growing up in the South Florida boom 02:45 The 2008 crash, and losing everything in his early twenties 04:45 Stumbling into accounting: the language of business 05:50 Why the global firms only hire you straight out of school 06:30 Canvassing commercial property the old-fashioned way 08:15 Asking to be put on the real estate clients 08:45 First client: a $4 billion hotel REIT 09:30 Into the corporate world, then taking a company public 11:00 Opening his own shop 11:35 What a fractional CFO actually is 12:30 More than a decade inside: it is structure, skill and prioritization 13:30 Think of yourself as a much larger company 14:30 The windshield, not the rear-view mirror 16:00 KPIs and plans: where a CFO starts 17:00 Reverse-engineering the plan into financials 17:50 The metrics that matter: NOI, rent per square foot, CAM, occupancy 20:00 Debt versus equity, and what you actually need to raise 21:20 Your neighbor's daughter who does the bookkeeping 21:50 The skill set changes at every revenue tier 22:45 The free playbook: read the 10-Ks of public companies in your field 24:45 They share their playbook because legally they have to 25:00 Ed's story: running a $1M company like a $100M company 27:00 You miss 100% of the targets you don't set 28:50 The Final Five 29:00 Purpose: the high-rises of Medellin 29:45 Best advice: intentional hats, from a mentor named Anatoly 30:40 The mistake: selling property 33:50 Nobody regrets holding a property too long 35:40 This week's book: Get Scalable by Ryan Deiss 37:00 The E-Myth, Buy Back Your Time, and who he serves 39:30 How he defines success 40:20 Where to find AlexReal Estate Underground Hosted by Ed Mathews of Clark St Capital. New episodes every Tuesday. clarkst.com/podcastElevista - Speed as a Service™Elevista Connect is the first AI-powered lead conversion system built for real estate investors.

In this bonus episode, McKinsey CFO practice leaders Kevin Carmody, Matt Maloney, and Christian Grube share their insights from the 2026 CFO Forum in London. Their conversation explores how the CFO role is evolving from financial steward to strategic value creator; why leading finance organizations are moving beyond incremental budgeting; how AI can provide the catalyst to fundamentally rewire finance operating models rather than simply automate existing processes; and why talent and capability building will determine which organizations capture the greatest value. They also discuss how CFOs can reclaim the strategic narrative, strengthen capital allocation, and create the headspace to focus on the bold moves that drive long-term growth. Related insights Why accelerated resource allocation matters in the age of AI CFOs have been concerned about geopolitical impacts for months The CFO as growth leader: A conversation with Levi’s Harmit SinghSupport the show: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance/See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Send us Fan MailRuss Fradin is the co-founder and CEO of Larridin, the enterprise AI measurement platform that raised $17 million in seed funding led by Andreessen Horowitz, with Bloomberg Beta and Gradient Ventures. Larridin sells to CIOs and CFOs, and answers a question most companies still cannot answer for themselves: which AI tools are being used, by whom, at what level of proficiency, and where they are actually driving productivity.A veteran Silicon Valley entrepreneur with three decades of experience leading high-growth technology companies, Russ previously co-founded and served as CEO of Dynamic Signal (now Firstup), Adify, and SocialShield, and was the first employee at Flycast, one of the internet's pioneering ad networks.In this episode, Russ sits down with Dan to share the brutal and beautiful realities of building companies in the Bay Area. Tune in to hear his seasoned perspective on why successful AI integration requires ancient change management principles rather than new software licensing, the operational gap between power users and passive users, and why the most at-risk professionals in the AI era are not the ones you think.In this conversation, we discuss:Why a third party measurement company shows up every time money floods into a category, and what that pattern predicts for enterprise AI.What actually happens after you deploy AI to 3,000 employees, and why the gap that opens up is a change management problem, not a technology one.Why revenue growth cannot tell you whether to renew a multimillion dollar AI contract, and why the vendor's own numbers will not either.What the stark division between organizational power users and casual users reveals about the actual bottleneck in modern workplacesWhy token-spend leaderboards can accelerate adoption, and why they become unsustainable once employees learn how to game them.What the reality of task automation means for the future of knowledge work, and why the threat to specific white-collar roles is often misunderstood.Explore the Conversation00:00 Intro and AI Fun Fact: Beyond Job Replacement, How AI Can Improve Work04:22 Introducing Russ Fradin, Co-Founder and CEO of Larridin06:27 Startup Humility: Why Early Failure Is Essential for Founders09:45 Startup Alchemy: The Absurdity and Ambition of Building a Company11:51 The Larridin Vision: Building the Unbiased Measurement Layer for Enterprise AI18:03 Beyond AI Security: Measuring Usage, Spend, Productivity, and Workflows20:33 AI ROI Beyond Revenue: Measuring Productivity, Renewal Decisions, and Change Management27:02 Blazing Trails: How Facebook Speedran Adoption with Token Leaderboards34:59 What We Measure Shapes AI's Impact on Growth, Costs, and Jobs39:41 AI Replacement Theory: Why Tasks Change, but Most Knowledge Jobs Endure46:57 Where to Connect with Russ Fradin and Learn More About LarridinResourcesSubscribe to the AI & The Future of Work NewsletterConnect with Russ on LinkedIn Learn more about Larridin at https://larridin.com/AI fun fact article: Labor Market Impacts of AI: A New Measure and Early Evidence by AnthropicOn Making AI Smarter Without Harming Humans-Join Dan Turchin and 4 seasoned technology and people leaders on Sept. 17 for an executive discussion on AI, leadership, and the future of work. Attendees will receive a complimentary personalized AI Maturity Industry Benchmarks Report ($499 value). Reserve your seat: https://go.peoplereign.io/virtual-event-when-intelligence-is-everywhere-intelligence-is-nowhere

Don’t miss the marketplace revolution! Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://theultimatepartner.com/ebook-subscribe/ Check Out UPX: https://theultimatepartner.com/experience/ In this episode of the Ultimate Partner Podcast, Vince Menzione sits down with AWS Marketplace leaders George Maroulakos and Arif Razvi to uncover the rapidly shifting ecosystem of technology procurement and partner transformation. They dive deep into the evolution of buyer experiences, the critical necessity of executive alignment, and how agentic AI is redefining software discovery and consumption. If you want to accelerate deal velocity and ensure your business isn’t left behind, this conversation outlines exactly why integrating the AWS Marketplace into your core co-sell motion is no longer optional. https://youtu.be/Avp0sIyxRU8 Key Takeaways Embracing the AWS Marketplace should be viewed as a natural extension of your co-sell motion, not an interrupt-driven exception. Successfully leveraging the marketplace requires top-down executive sponsorship to overcome internal friction across legal, finance, and revenue operations. Partners must prepare for global expansion by ensuring local entities and currencies are wired up to meet buyers where they are. Agentic AI and natural language queries are leveling the playing field for software discovery, moving beyond traditional SEO-driven presence. SaaS pricing models are shifting toward consumption and outcome-based structures, demanding highly detailed product metadata. The speed of deal closure is drastically increased when partners are prepared to transact seamlessly through the marketplace. If you're ready to lead through change, elevate your business, and achieve extraordinary outcomes through the power of partnership—this is your community. At Ultimate Partner® we want leaders like you to join us in the Ultimate Partner Experience – where transformation begins. Key Tags AWS Marketplace, partner transformation, buyer experiences, hyperscalers, co-sell motion, revenue operations, strategic alignment, agentic AI solutions, outcome-based pricing, metadata optimization, software discovery, private offers, global expansion, deal velocity, cloud centers of excellence. Transcript Arif Razvi and George Maroulakos Audio Episode [00:00:00] George Maroulakos: From my perspective, think about marketplace as a why not as opposed to a why. [00:00:06] Vince Menzione: You can feel it happening. The ecosystem is shifting beneath us, the way Hyperscalers are partnering, how AI is remaking the channel and what it means to win in 2026. [00:00:17] Arif Razvi: Welcome to the Ultimate Partner Podcast. I’m Vince Menzi, own your host. [00:00:22] Arif Razvi: And each week I sit down with leaders at the intersection of technology, [00:00:26] Vince Menzione: partnerships and outcomes. The voices shaping how ecosystems actually work. We talk about what’s real, what’s changing, and what it takes to lead in this era where the partner channel isn’t just part of the strategy. [00:00:39] Arif Razvi: It is the strategy because being in the room changes everything. [00:00:44] Arif Razvi: Let’s start. [00:00:48] Vince Menzione: I’m excited to, because we were talking about some of this earlier with Matt, but I thought this would be a great conversation. I’m gonna ask each of you to introduce yourselves, George and Arif, and your roles. ’cause you have two very unique roles. Uh. Contrasting roles, I would call it, within the AWS Marketplace Organization. [00:01:06] George Maroulakos: Yep. Happy to do so. So I think Vince just didn’t wanna say my last name, so that’s why I’m gonna introduce myself. Mayor. Very, very good. So Mayor Laki, George Meki, pleasure to meet. Hey, I can say that, uh, all of those that I haven’t met before, lots of familiar faces as well here. Uh, so it’s really great to see. [00:01:21] George Maroulakos: Uh, I’m part of the AWS Marketplace team and our center of excellence. That focuses on buyer experiences. So like why is a buyer guy here in this partner session? And I think, you know, I’m gonna help to try to bring some perspective around what our buyers see as the value for using marketplace and. [00:01:40] George Maroulakos: Working with all of these great partners that are here in the room and, uh, you know, the experiences that we see in helping to drive, you know, the blood to all organs. I’m using that a lot, Alison, to copyright it. It’s, it was really good. I love that, that analogy. But, um, for, but for both our partners as well as for our customers. [00:01:59] Vince Menzione: That’s awesome. [00:01:59] Arif Razvi: Hey everybody. I’m Arif Roski. I’m based here in New York City, although I’m a Celtics fan. Um, uh, go, go. I, I still supported the Knicks through the championship and I’m very happy for them. So excited to be here. Excited to be among, uh, other channel and alliance leaders. I’ve spent my entire 25 plus career in channels and alliances. [00:02:20] Arif Razvi: The last seven years, uh, on AWS marketplace where I lead, uh, a couple of functions. One is I support all of Matt Ian’s feature launches. So from a go-to market perspective, uh, I support his launches. I also focus on international expansion of marketplace. So, uh, Matt alluded to this earlier. I’ll mention some, I’ll talk about some stuff in a little bit. [00:02:39] Arif Razvi: And then, uh, we do some deep engagements with some of our most strategic partners to help them accelerate and unblock their marketplace business. By embedding a subject matter expert from my team into their organization to really help drive, uh, adoption of marketplace. [00:02:55] Vince Menzione: So important. Both of your roles. [00:02:56] Vince Menzione: By the way, this is standout roles. I, you know, I. I don’t want to get into trouble here. I talk about other hyperscalers, but I said this with Matt on stage earlier. You guys have been at the forefront of driving marketplace in such a strong way, having somebody who’s customer focused, right? And that lens is so important. [00:03:15] Vince Menzione: I don’t feel, I feel like that’s missed so many times. And then you also have. You know, quite a bit of an important role here in terms of what you’re doing in embedding resources. ’cause a lot of times people get lost in the process and it seems to be the, the common currents. So, um, really great both sides of the same equation here, right? [00:03:33] Vince Menzione: Buyer led, partner built, uh, let’s start George here. Um. Let’s talk about how buying has changed. Right. We go back to the early days of marketplace. It felt like it was a listing at first and it started to become important. Organizations like Work Span started to come to fruition and started to drive, at least in my part of the world. [00:03:53] Vince Menzione: And then we started talking a lot more about Marketplace. And of course the, the cus customer commits really started driving things in a different direction. You’ve got the customer, so talk about what your journey’s been like. [00:04:05] George Maroulakos: So I’ve been with Marketplace nine and a half years, which is pretty long time since the beginning of it, and watching the evolution of, of where things have come and where they started. [00:04:15] George Maroulakos: And I remember, uh, I was covering the, the northeast region when I very first started and working with, uh, you know, different enterprise accounts and financial services and, and, and healthcare and life sciences, and talking about this. This creation that occurred called, called AWS Marketplace, and even folks within AWS didn’t really know what that meant or how to talk about it or sell it. [00:04:38] George Maroulakos: So there was this creation of a infield based business development function to help supplement the account teams and the value and the importance of marketplace as a part of a customer’s AWS journey. And when I first started the, the, the highest, uh, or most frequently subscribed to products that existed were. [00:04:57] George Maroulakos: Uh, Amazon machine images a amis and it’s very specifically open source amis. So think of Bantu or Cintas as the predominant things that were being subscribed out of marketplace. So, um, by definition, not really revenue generating. You’re, these are not the a hundred million dollar transactions or the billion dollar club that we talk about today. [00:05:19] George Maroulakos: It was very much helping. The builders go again, go back 10 years, uh, who are just getting started with the cloud and how could they find partner solutions that they trusted or that they felt were secure and helping them to start to build out and migrate their workloads into, into AWS. Um, so I existed before the. [00:05:39] George Maroulakos: Very first private offer was transacted. Nice. Um, there’s actually a, a gentleman towards the back, uh, who helped with one of our very first private offers. I see you back there, Joe. Nice, nice. Um, so we, we worked on, uh, uh, uh, really big transaction with, uh, with, at the time AppDynamics, uh, and, and helping to get. [00:05:58] George Maroulakos: You know, a customer really up and running with their implementation that, so watching over the 10 years from, you know, the builder mentality of, of getting started with the cloud to really embracing all kinds of partner based, um, solutions that go along with AWS. It’s really been, uh, you know, a, a rocket ship you referenced earlier, moving to the top right quadrant, if we want to use the, the Gartner analogy, and I think we’re at another. [00:06:24] George Maroulakos: Inflection point because with what’s going on with Ag agentic solutions, the way that our customers are finding and discovering different partner solutions is better than ever I would think. And I think it gives much more of a equal opportunity in playing field for all partners of all shapes and sizes because you’re not driving your presence based on SEO or whether or not you have the best Google search results. [00:06:53] George Maroulakos: With AgTech and how you differentiate your solutions, you’re gonna be able to really get yourself in front of more customers more quickly. And as Matt talked about earlier, the, the, the really big penetration that we’ve seen thus far is real, is on the discovery piece, the, the research area, the pre-purchase activity, so validate what’s available. [00:07:13] George Maroulakos: So I think marketplace has really evolved over the 10 year, nine and a half years-ish that I’ve been there. And I think it’s gonna continue to change here in the coming months ahead. Yeah. [00:07:23] Vince Menzione: Any predictions? [00:07:25] George Maroulakos: Yeah, I, I think, you know, the, I, the, the importance of marketplaces is only going to continue to grow. [00:07:32] George Maroulakos: Uh, and I think we’re going to see, you know, even more innovation and expectation from our customers on being able to find the right solutions and being able to procure and deploy them as quickly as possible. [00:07:44] Vince Menzione: Nice. Arif, from your side. Partner transformation. So, you know, embedding resources with the partners. [00:07:51] Vince Menzione: Right. So you basically help kickstart a lot of the, the efforts, right? George? George is looking at it from the customer side, and then you’re kick-starting it on the partner side. [00:08:00] Arif Razvi: Yeah. Either kickstarting it, uh, on the initial stages with a strategic partner. Yeah. Or accelerating their adoption of something that’s already there. [00:08:07] Arif Razvi: Right. So what we’re seeing, what I’m seeing a lot of more recently is partners who say, I didn’t know you had capabilities for us to sell into Korea or Japan, or we just, we just launched India. Yep. Matt alluded to this easier, uh, earlier that we’re making it easier for partners to expand globally. And now partners are realizing, wait a minute, I can match my. [00:08:26] Arif Razvi: Uh, my business processes on marketplace, so revenue recognition, tax collection, locally, local invoices, and now they’re starting to set up multiple entities outside the US to meet those buyers, uh, where they are. [00:08:41] Vince Menzione: Nice. And you mentioned having these resources. How do you determine who gets resources and who? [00:08:47] Arif Razvi: Well, there’s, uh, staging and there’s, uh, there’s qualification mechanisms we use. We work with the PDMs for the partners. So any PDM, uh, any pd DM managed partner can be nominated for, uh, what, what we call a compensation. [00:08:59] Vince Menzione: So you’re overlaying that organization sense. [00:09:00] Arif Razvi: We’re overlaying the PDs. We’re not replacing, we’re only doing time bound sprints to unlock very specific activities. [00:09:05] Arif Razvi: Very [00:09:06] Vince Menzione: cool. So it’s not a poll. Yeah. Cool. You’re not, you’re not there forever. [00:09:08] Arif Razvi: No. [00:09:08] Vince Menzione: You’re there to get the job done. We [00:09:09] Arif Razvi: did that before. Uh, yeah, we’re, we’re doing short sprints now. [00:09:12] Vince Menzione: Yep. Let’s talk about how the buyers are using marketplace. You’ve done some really in, we talked about this earlier with Matt, but we’ve talked about some of the innovative things you’ve done. [00:09:21] Vince Menzione: You know, being, being able to embed into a website and in the storefronts. All these things seem to be unique to AWS. Talk to us about how the buyers are using the marketplace today. And [00:09:31] George Maroulakos: yeah, I think, you know, Matt talked about earlier the. Pre the, the preconception around why customers use marketplaces for the financial incentives, the, the financial benefits that go along with it, whether it’s direct incentives that are associated with the individual product that’s out there, or the Association of Marketplace to our private pricing agreements and the ability for. [00:09:55] George Maroulakos: Transactions that occur in marketplace to count towards those commits. Um, I’m gonna amplify a, a particular point that Matt made, uh, in his talk that, you know, we have many more customers who do not have PPAs with AWS than those that do. And the volume of transactions that take place in marketplace. [00:10:11] George Maroulakos: Dwarf, uh, in volume from those that, uh, are occur from our PPA customers. So yes, there are very large transactions that occur and there is Ben financial benefit that goes along with it. But there’s many other value points that our customers find from discovery. From ease of use, from consolidated billing, from post-purchase, um, you know, management and governance that goes along with it, and reconciliation that’s available, that’s, that exists. [00:10:36] George Maroulakos: Um, you mentioned storefronts. I’m really excited. That was one of the most exciting launches. That’s why I reminded him when he was talking about it, uh, around, you know, what that means. And it’s both a presence for, um, our partners and being able to create their own storefronts on behalf of, of customers or within their own property, but also for our buyers directly too. [00:10:54] George Maroulakos: Take that next generation of something that was previously, you know, our private marketplace and curate a catalog that is very specific and intentional for the things that they’re interested to innovate with and the partners that they’re interested in using. And so I think meeting our customers where they’re at. [00:11:10] George Maroulakos: And being, you know, marketplace anywhere and everywhere is I think really important for our customers. And then the other aspect, you know, in terms of how our customers use marketplace, there’s more than one persona at our customer that we need to be, be, be aligning with. Right. Interesting. We typically talk about procurement and the value points that procurement find in marketplace, but just as important as, as the technologists. [00:11:32] George Maroulakos: It’s the Cloud centers of Excellence. It’s the innovators who are looking for those business applications or those infrastructure solutions that exist and making sure that we have the right things from the right partners available to them. So we see value all over the place with our customers and how they inter interface with [00:11:47] Vince Menzione: more. [00:11:47] Vince Menzione: You brought up something really interesting, insightful, is the fact that all the different personas in the organization that are touching the marketplace, right? [00:11:54] George Maroulakos: And it’s at different points of the journey, right? Yeah. So while there may be early discovery and research and experimentation going on from, you know, the technologists or, or, or the, or the, the, the business application owners, um, as it progresses through the, the, the. [00:12:09] George Maroulakos: The opportunity lifecycle procurement and sourcing and legal, and the shared services then become a more important part of, of making sure that we get those opportunities closed and launched. [00:12:18] Vince Menzione: Yeah, and that was one of the things we were talking about earlier is the fact that how, how, uh, it, it, the work arduous it could be. [00:12:25] Vince Menzione: To go through that whole process at a customer side. Right? ’cause they have to. [00:12:29] George Maroulakos: It is, and and you know, I think when Cloud first got started, it was quite scary for procurement, right? It became another version of Shadow it. And we were seeing things that were getting purchased on P cards because they could quickly stand up infrastructure versus waiting for the IT team to do it. [00:12:44] George Maroulakos: And so now you introduce all of these other things that. Procurement kept near and dear to their heart, and here comes another wave of, is this truly positive disruption? Is it going to affect what’s, what I’m doing affect really my goals and objectives of supporting the company. And as you, you know, you continue to express the value of marketplace, they start to see, hey, this is actually very complimentary and helped me can get better control and governance in a way that I. [00:13:11] George Maroulakos: Perhaps didn’t have before with what was going on inside the cloud. [00:13:15] Vince Menzione: So this is a question for both of you actually, but I was thinking about these partners in the room and what did they get wrong? Like what are they doing? Like what are the things we always talk about, things that they’re doing right? [00:13:26] Vince Menzione: We’re having the happy talk about all the great success that’s been going on, but what is your advice to partners that maybe are not getting it right? Like what, what, what are the things you see that. The easy stumbling blocks that could be fixed. [00:13:38] Arif Razvi: Yeah. Well, probably the easiest is, uh, waiting to talk about marketplace at the last minute and not making it part of the full commercial journey [00:13:45] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:13:45] Arif Razvi: That the sellers will go through. Right. So, um, but that includes being able to have those internal conversations from the executive level, getting that executive sponsorship from marketplace upfront. That filters down through the rest of the organization. So you’ve gotta get rev ops teams, finance, legal, you know, the marketplace terms, the, the standard, uh, contract that goes into your listing has to be approved by legal. [00:14:08] Arif Razvi: Uh, and then you get down to the sales teams, making sure that you’re not penalizing sales teams for doing transactions on marketplace, which will create friction, then meeting buyers where they are, right? So local entities, local currency, um, having all that wired up. Uh, I met with a, a partner yesterday at Summit who is literally wiring up 10 new regions, 10 new entities in 10 new locations on marketplace in advance of what they know is a pipeline that’s going to be building into those regions. [00:14:37] Arif Razvi: So they’re getting ready and not waiting for the last minute for marketplace. [00:14:40] Vince Menzione: I love it. And the internal, go ahead. [00:14:43] George Maroulakos: Yeah, I, I echo definitely what Arif was saying and I think the, the other aspect of that is that our customers shouldn’t feel like it’s more painful. To use marketplace versus they would any other way. [00:14:54] George Maroulakos: And so whether that shows up in pricing, it shows up in awareness of what marketplace is and isn’t, or what it can or cannot do. Um, whether it’s introducing it naturally or it’s this, oh, by the way, on the end, like the, the more. Integrated marketplace is as a part of your co-sell motion, whether you’re doing it directly on your own or through a reseller or with AWS or all of the above. [00:15:17] George Maroulakos: Um, it’s, it should be a natural extension and a value point that you’re bringing to your respective customers, not some. Interrupt driven or, or exception based activity that goes along with selling your, your, your, your solution. [00:15:31] Vince Menzione: Why do you think customer, some customers or some partners are held back or what, what, what is, is it a mindset? [00:15:38] Vince Menzione: I mean, I talk about the principles, you know that, but like, is it mindset? What is it? Is it, [00:15:42] Arif Razvi: it’s, it’s internal. Friction. Yeah. A a a lot of what I see, especially in these, in, in embedded engagements is the amount of, you know, I have a lot of empathy for this room, right? Because you are the ones that have to go internally and navigate all of these stakeholders to be able to convince them that marketplace is the route to market. [00:16:01] Arif Razvi: It’s the preferred route to market, and it’s the way that a AWS wants to co-sell. With its partners. And that’s a hard thing to do if you don’t speak the same language that the tax legal, rev ops, finance, accounting, because everything changes. When you start doing transactions on marketplace, your revenue is booked differently, right? [00:16:20] Arif Razvi: It’s booked as a w from AWS and not from the, you know, from the, so things change and having that conversation is often challenging. Uh, we are working on some tools that will help make that conversation easier. Um, and we’ve already written blogs, and again, there are mechanisms that your partner managers have internally that they can request support and guidance. [00:16:43] Arif Razvi: Uh, and we’re happy to provide that. [00:16:45] Vince Menzione: What needs to change so that marketplace becomes a true go to market engine. [00:16:49] Arif Razvi: Top down, top down, top down where, where I’ve seen the most success. From a partner is where they’ve gotten strategic alignment at the executive level. That marketplace is the way we are going to, uh, sell globally. [00:17:02] Arif Razvi: Right? Then that starts to filter down, as I mentioned earlier, into the different teams and yes, it is a journey and you may start with the US or if you’re EMEA based. Partner, you may start with just amea, but eventually you will start to expand your, you’ll want to expand your business. Um, and marketplace is a great place to do that because we have all of those mechanisms globally to help you scale without adding incremental resources to handle the tax or the compliance or the invoicing and collection and all that stuff. [00:17:30] George Maroulakos: Yeah. I’ll add to that because I’m gonna steal a second thing you said, Allison, about centering around a customer. I, I loved a lot of Allison. Come on now. I’ll be your hype guy. I absolutely, but, but, but the but demand will drive supply. And I think to what you were talking about, Arif, when are customers, when. [00:17:46] George Maroulakos: Our customers come to you about wanting to use marketplace. Yeah. How are you ready to adapt to that? How are you ready to respond to it? And if it becomes a disjointed, not centered around a customer, bespoke based, independently based interaction with the customer, everybody loses. Versus if you’re ready to embrace what that means and how to make that as good of an experience, if not better, versus how they might have traditionally procured your solution and deployed it. [00:18:13] George Maroulakos: Um, now we have a much better together story. So I think understanding that customers more and more are going to use marketplaces, particularly AWS marketplace, and want to make use of partner solutions that embrace marketplace as a part of their way to procure and deploy. You have a much better chance of being successful with them. [00:18:33] Vince Menzione: You know, it made me think about this. Is there a seminal event? Like I think about, I think back to COVID changing buying behavior, right? I’m, we’ll use AWS, an example, three boxes show up in my house every day, right? That didn’t happen before. We used to go to the store. Is there a seminal event we’re waiting to happen? [00:18:50] Vince Menzione: I, I know that the millennial buyer, we talked about this earlier with Matt, is the new buying persona. Over 50% of buyers are millennial and they’re used to doing comfortable with phones and trust Is all there. Is there something else we’re missing or what do, what do you think’s gonna happen? [00:19:03] George Maroulakos: I really think it’s what in front of us right now. [00:19:05] George Maroulakos: Yeah. Vince, I think what. Agen solutions, what Agen SaaS offers, what the power of information and research that’s now directly available to customers versus maybe indirectly available through consultancies or deeper research. Um, the velocity of what our customers are going to be able to do and with partners that they may not have even heard of right before. [00:19:32] George Maroulakos: You know, they started their journey. I, I think this is a present day. Inflection point. Yeah. Um, going back, you know, over the past several years, the advent of supporting private offers I think was a pretty big milestone for marketplace. It allowed for our partners to be able to. Work through customized terms and conditions and commercials that were important for a particular opportunity in a customer. [00:19:54] George Maroulakos: But today, the here and now I think becomes the next inflection point for the success of marketplace. [00:19:59] Arif Razvi: That would [00:19:59] Vince Menzione: Go ahead. [00:20:00] Arif Razvi: I was just gonna add on top of that, but partners need to be ready for that. Right? And if they’re not ready to accelerate a deal and get it closed in days versus stalling it for weeks to negotiate. [00:20:11] Arif Razvi: Yes. Like they’re not gonna stand. Customers are not gonna stand for that. So partners need to be ready to move quickly. If you think about all the innovations that Matt is delivering for Marketplace and Partner Central. They’re about accelerating co-sell. They’re about accelerating deal velocity. They’re about, we know f from, from the Forrester studies and others that we presented, that we’ve made public that the deal value goes up when you’re dealing with marketplace and co-selling with AWS. [00:20:36] Arif Razvi: So how can we just accelerate that? Yeah. Partners need to be ready for that and move quickly. [00:20:40] Vince Menzione: And you use partners in sort of a, you know, plural sense, but I think about those organizations as so many multifaceted. We talked about finance, we talked about all of different functions in the organization. [00:20:51] Vince Menzione: What are you doing to help that? I mean, we talked about you’re doing a lot of readiness work, but I do feel like there’s a lot of evangelism still to be done internally with those organizations. How do you think about [00:21:02] Arif Razvi: that? Yeah, we, um, obviously events like this are fantastic mechanisms to at least get the conversation started and get your head thinking about what you need to think about. [00:21:10] Arif Razvi: But we have other activities. We have, uh, rev Ops squads, right? So revenue operations teams, and we bring them together, uh, around the world op, uh, ops squad, which is operational teams, so deal desks and others that help them, uh, understand the capabilities that marketplace can bring to accelerate deal velocity. [00:21:28] Arif Razvi: And then we have, like, obviously other events like the, the, uh, marketplace Seller Conference in September where we bring marketplace sellers together and give them, you know. Guidance. And so there are ways to get this information beyond just like getting somebody from my team, of which there are very few as you, you know, as we start to, to consolidate down. [00:21:47] Arif Razvi: But um, but they are available and there’s other mechanisms and we’re happy to share those out. [00:21:50] Vince Menzione: Nice, nice. Well coming here doing this and we’ll make a podcast episode out of this as well. Can you hear. I hear us all, uh, because I do think it’s important to get in front of, especially the Chief Finance Officer and operations and all those different departmental heads who aren’t really embedded into, like, they don’t come to these events. [00:22:07] Arif Razvi: Yeah. And they also don’t log into Partner Central. That’s right. So how do they get this information right? Yeah. So we have to one to one it with them. Yeah. But that doesn’t scale when you think about what’s gonna happen now with this next wave of GSIs and sis and, and others coming onto Marketplace who hadn’t been there. [00:22:22] Arif Razvi: Yes, they’re gonna need the same guidance. Yeah. So we have to start thinking about what we’re building is AI tooling to help with those conversations. [00:22:28] George Maroulakos: Well, and, and you know, if, when I think about it from, from our buyer’s perspective, even just yesterday we held a, a couple of round table discussions with some procurement leaders that were, we’re here for the summit and, you know, we do a lot of enablement and, and awareness. [00:22:42] George Maroulakos: With alliance leaders at our partners, and that’s certainly a, the tip of the spear of getting the conversation started, but it’s not enough. And one of the things that we hear from our customers is. Well, you may have a great partnership with particular partner A, but the individual experience that I had with that sales rep doesn’t match that. [00:23:02] George Maroulakos: And so yeah, the evangelism and the awareness, yes, and the understanding of marketplace has to go beyond just the alliance team. You guys are the amplifier to it. But the folks that not only are in the back office and all the, the, the operational teams, but on the front lines and field sales need to also understand and embrace, not understand all the features and capabilities of marketplace. [00:23:25] George Maroulakos: AWS needs to handle that, but understand how marketplace fits into the co-sell strategy in what’s going on for that particular customer is very, very important to make sure our customers get the right experience. [00:23:37] Vince Menzione: Well, I think Arif, you mentioned this earlier about compensation models. And that’s a, that’s a factor too. [00:23:42] Vince Menzione: ’cause people, people, um, they’re fearful of change. They’re fear, fearful of compensation changing. Especially, especially sellers. I, um, again, that’s a coaching area. [00:23:54] Arif Razvi: Yeah, it’s a coaching area. Um, it, it, it is, um. It’s probably one of the easier ones to solve. Um, and, and, and, you know, we have these conversations with partners about net, uh, cost neutral or uh, seller neutrality and things like that. [00:24:06] Arif Razvi: Once you show them the economics of how AWS can increase their deal value, those economics sort of, they go away. The problems go away, but they, you have to get in front of those. Uh, you know, senior leaders, the CROs and the CFOs, to have that conversation to then go, okay, I get what’s going on here. I get why I’m paying. [00:24:23] Arif Razvi: The listing fee is, is about funding all of these marketing activities that we do for our partners, right? [00:24:29] George Maroulakos: Well, and then you use the word neutrality. The other end of that neutrality problem or, or, or challenge is the pricing that goes along with the opportunities that are made available to customers. [00:24:38] George Maroulakos: And so to one of your earlier questions on points of friction or what, what stops it from taking off further? When, when partners and our customers have a disconnect on. What they’re expecting to pay when they use marketplace, or if there is a unnatural cost that goes along with procuring that solution through marketplace. [00:24:57] George Maroulakos: That also tends to bring a, a pretty bad experience, not only for that opportunity in front of them, but for respective opportunities that may, may be in play thereafter. So thinking about not, you know, having an a, an unnatural experience for our customers relative to pricing as well as compensation and, and everything else is, is also very important. [00:25:17] Vince Menzione: So we’ve got a few minutes left, and we haven’t really touched on ag agentic AI and agen AI solutions. A little bit different than the SaaS solutions per se. How, how are these solutions brought and sold differently than SaaS? [00:25:30] Arif Razvi: Uh, well, as Matt said, the SaaS apocalypse is not real. [00:25:34] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:25:34] Arif Razvi: Um, he doesn’t, I’m glad to hear that, nor nor do I. [00:25:37] Arif Razvi: Um, I, I think what, you know, where, where SaaS has been very user seat based, you’re moving now to a world that’s gonna be more consumption based or outcome-based pricing. And so that’s really changing the dynamic and I think partners need to think about what does an outcome-based, uh, pricing model look for My particular. [00:25:55] Arif Razvi: Um, product, uh, Zendesk is a good example of, Matt published a blog, uh, earlier this week, I think it was, where we, we referenced Zendesk pricing on closed tickets or, or resolutions to tickets, right? For, for outcome-based pricing. So I think we need to think about on the pricing side, how to reprice, how to think about pricing. [00:26:13] Arif Razvi: But on the discovery side, thinking about what your, what your listing looks like, it’s no longer about marketing copy. It’s about, it’s almost, I was talking yesterday about being an API contract. ’cause the agent needs to have all the details that a person doesn’t necessarily need to have in order to make a recommendation that your product is the best fit based on the technology that’s underlying that, where it’s gonna fit in the infrastructure. [00:26:37] Vince Menzione: So three and a half minutes left lightning round. Um, but seriously, what, what if I’m in the room or even any, any partner that’s listening today, what do I need to change in the next 30 days? [00:26:50] George Maroulakos: From my perspective, think about marketplace as a why not as opposed to a why. And if you change your mindset around marketplace can be better together in helping to accelerate and expand your opportunities with our mutual customers. [00:27:03] George Maroulakos: You’ll get a whole lot more value out of it. You’ll get away from the fud in the system or some of the traditional roadblocks that you either have been or could be encountering when you think about marketplace, uh, together with your, with your solution. So think about the why not think about the value that the, the, the total solution can bring to our mutual customers and integrate it much more naturally into your total sales motion. [00:27:26] Vince Menzione: Nice. [00:27:27] Arif Razvi: I would say maybe three things. One, um, don’t just sell globally. Operate locally. Think about how your buyers wanna buy and then meet them there, right? As a partner, even if you’re doing CPPO transactions, um, you know, meet them in the location. Number two, top down, go get that executive alignment so the problems start to disappear, or at least are easier to manage when you’ve got that executive alignment. [00:27:51] Arif Razvi: And the third was, uh, don’t wait till the last minute to introduce marketplace. Work with your sales teams to make sure it’s part of the early conversation versus no procurement leader wants to know at the end of the day, oh wait, it’s coming. I gotta deal with this marketplace thing. They don’t wanna deal with it on the buyer side. [00:28:06] Vince Menzione: No, absolutely. Alright, we’ve got time for like one question in the back. Is that Eric? Yeah, that’s [00:28:12] Guest: me. [00:28:13] Vince Menzione: Hey. [00:28:14] Guest: Hi, Eric Rosenstein, um, with Cornerstone Strategy XAWS. So George, you talked about, uh, tools around that customers can use to research for self discovery. So what guidance, uh, first of all, like what capabilities are these tools gonna bring and what guidance would you give an industry specific ISV? [00:28:36] Guest: So someone that’s focused on law enforcement or private equity. That solution may be Angen solution, or it may be something more SaaS related. What guidance would you give an ISV to think about how to best leverage those tools? Is it metadata? Is it like. The outcome that your solution’s gonna drive, how would you tell ’em to best utilize those coming tools? [00:28:58] George Maroulakos: Yeah, excellent question and, and I think this is gonna, going to continue to emerge in the days, literally in weeks, weeks ahead. But recently, I, I’d say over the last six months, the advent of agent mode I think has been a game changer and the ability for our customers to use marketplace directly to research. [00:29:18] George Maroulakos: Efficiently what’s in our catalog. Prior to that, we had a category based. Old school based, search based category, click through way, which became very buried beyond the first page for any solution that was out there. Now with natural language query and the ability to propose, what am I specifically looking for, it gives partners that were on the first page or the last page in equal opportunity to be surfaced. [00:29:48] George Maroulakos: So then for a partner being able to do many of the things you just enumerated. Better metadata, better keywords, better description and differentiation for what your solution offers allows for the Ag agent search, whether it’s natively within AWS or outside of AWS through Claude Chat, GBT Crock Pick your, your, your agent of choice. [00:30:10] George Maroulakos: To be able to identify and know that your solution’s available. [00:30:13] Arif Razvi: And from a partner side to your question, I would say, uh, rich metadata, uh, both so that agent mode can find it. Yeah. Use cases, problems, it solves, you know, uh, technical specifications, pricing where you can, right. So that agents can really understand the solution, uh, that the buyer is, um, is looking for. [00:30:33] Vince Menzione: GEO is. [00:30:37] Guest: Perspective should be like as detailed as saying, so this agent is gonna act on these various data sources. [00:30:44] Arif Razvi: Yes. [00:30:45] Guest: Bringing it all together to drive that outcome that you want the agent [00:30:48] Arif Razvi: drive, if you can include what it needs to connect to in order to deliver that outcome as part of the listing. [00:30:53] Arif Razvi: Absolutely. ’cause the agent will want to know. For sure. [00:30:57] Guest: Thanks. [00:30:58] Vince Menzione: Alright, we are at time and this was a great session. [00:31:01] Arif Razvi: Thank you Vince. [00:31:01] Vince Menzione: Great to see you, George. George and I grew up, uh, five miles away from each other and went to the same college. I love it. Great to, great to spend some [00:31:09] Arif Razvi: time with you, George. [00:31:11] Vince Menzione: Thanks for listening to the Ultimate Partner Podcast. If today’s conversation resonated, share it with a partner leader in your network. Subscribe where you listen, and head over to the ultimate partner.com. For show notes related content and the resources for this episode, and if you haven’t already, now’s the time to register for the Ultimate Partner Live Event in Reston, Virginia, October 26th through October 28th. [00:31:38] Vince Menzione: Until next time, keep showing up in the rooms that matter because being in the room changes everything.

What if AI could produce a better board memo than any CFO — and you could trust every data point in it? In episode #385, Ben Murray breaks down how he is using AI to generate complete 5-page financial board reports, and more importantly, why the outputs are reliable. This isn't AI hype — it's a working FP&A process Ben is running today inside his fractional CFO practice. If you're still manually assembling dashboards, PDFs, and narrative summaries before every board meeting, this episode reframes what's actually possible right now. Why a deterministic metrics engine — not AI — is the non-negotiable foundation that makes AI-written board reports trustworthy (and how Ben built one backed by 35 pages of documentation) The exact structure of a SaaS financial board report: executive overview, metrics vs. benchmarks, ARR growth, customer retention, GTM efficiency, financial capacity, data anomalies, and top priorities — all generated by AI How Ben identified 84 unique data points in a single AI-written board memo using ChatGPT — and why that number changes how you think about QA The MCP connection to SoftwareMetrics.ai that makes this a repeatable monthly process — and how Replit is now building it as a native app feature What's coming in October: Ben's SaaS Metric Sprint, a live walkthrough of building the data foundation, calculating metrics, and connecting MCP so you can run this for your own company Tune in to see how Ben is turning month-end close into a board-ready narrative in minutes — and how you can build the same process for your SaaS company. Resources Mentioned Ben's app: https://softwaremetrics.ai/ SaaS Metric Sprint (October 6th): https://www.thesaasacademy.com/saas-metrics-implementation-sprint-sept-2026

Advanced Financial BasicsSuccess is boring. That's not a knock — it's the whole point. The best tennis players in the world don't win with highlight-reel shots; they win by making almost every easy shot and missing almost nothing. Wealth-building works the same way. This week, David Chudyk, CFP®, breaks down BASICS — a six-letter framework covering the unglamorous, "advanced" fundamentals that actually move the needle for people who are already building real wealth.What BASICS Actually Stands ForB — Budget. Not a lecture about canceling subscriptions. The real question isn't "can I afford this," it's "is this appropriate for my current situation." For some listeners — especially those with a solid nest egg — an appropriate spending plan means spending more, not less.A — Allocation. Where should your money actually live — checking, real estate, retirement accounts, an emergency fund, speculative positions? "Should I buy the hot new IPO?" is really an allocation question in disguise, and there's no universal right answer without knowing the full picture.S — Systems. We don't rise to the level of our goals, we fall to the level of our systems. This segment covers the financial habits — recurring money check-ins, subscription audits, auto-pay, systematic investing — that quietly determine whether goals actually happen.I — Insurance. Insurance isn't exciting, and David doesn't pretend otherwise — but its job is simple: it protects your money, nothing more, nothing less. Includes a breakdown of life insurance, liability coverage, and why finding a great local independent insurance agent is real advice, not a throwaway line.C — Caring. Tying back to David's core philosophy — how we handle our money should positively impact our lives and the lives of those around us — this segment covers generosity beyond the tax-deductible check, and a candid look at whether your spending actually reflects what you say you value.S — Support. Borrowing from Dr. Benjamin Hardy's Who Not How, David makes the case that the right question isn't "how do I figure this out myself," it's "who already knows how to do this." Financial advisors, CPAs, attorneys, fractional CFOs, and mastermind groups all make the list.Bonus Content: Allocation, Round TwoStick around after the outro for a bonus deep-dive on allocation: why the goal of investing isn't always the highest possible return, how David solves for the required rate of return needed to hit a goal, and why a 79-year-old getting a lucky 40% return doesn't mean their money was allocated correctly.Resources MentionedFree E-Book: The Rainmaker's Dilemma — for business owners stuck as the primary revenue driver in their own companyBook Referenced: Who Not How by Dr. Benjamin HardyRelated Episode: "The Richest Corpse in the Graveyard" (referenced in the Budget segment)Where Are You Strong? Where Are You Weak?Leave David a voicemail at weeklywealthpodcast.com and tell him which of the six basics you need to work on. Or skip straight to a conversation: Book your free Vision Call.

The speed and magnitude of AI implementation at the firm level will help determine its overall impact on growth, productivity, and employment. Survey evidence shows CFOs' approach to AI integration varies based on how they assess the risks and potential benefits of the innovative technology. In this episode, we talk with John Graham, Professor of Finance at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, about what's driving CFOs' decisions on AI spend, the impact on productivity and employment thus far, and parallels with the late-1990s desktop computer revolution. Simply Put: Expert perspectives on the trends influencing fixed income, banking, and the macro landscape, hosted by FHN Financial's Macro Strategist, Will Compernolle. Tune in to better understand what's moving the markets and what to keep an eye on in the weeks and months ahead. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

DDN CEO Alex Bouzari argues that AI has entered its industrialization phase, with compute evolving into a new asset class and value increasingly driven by outcomes rather than infrastructure. He discusses AI's potential to fuel economic growth, advises CFOs on budgeting for agentic workloads, and stresses the importance of aligning AI spending with profitability.======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day. Subscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribeDownload the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watchWatch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-exploreWatch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/Follow us on X – https://twitter.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/schwab-network/ About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

Candice Frazer is the revenue efficiency strategist and founder of AlphaRev, a firm that helps established businesses systematically increase revenue across retention, expansion, referrals, win-backs, and lost deals. Frazer works with CEOs, CFOs, and operators in professional services and industrial organizations to help them capture more value from their existing customers, partners, and pipeline. With more than 20 years of experience across revenue strategy, operations, and growth systems, Candice is known for bringing clarity to messy growth problems. Rather than pushing top of funnel tactics exclusively, she and her team at AlphaRev help teams focus on revenue efficiency building practical systems that turn overlooked opportunities into consistent, operational cash flow. AlphaRev's work is especially valued by leaders who want growth that compounds without burning out their people. During the show we discuss: Why more leads don't always mean more revenue. How to find revenue that's already hiding inside your customer base. How to reduce customer churn. How to turn past customers into new revenue. How to recover lost deals. How to generate referrals without making the process feel transactional. How to build systems that don't depend on the founder. How to know when your business needs a CRM. How to simplify operations so they can scale. How operational efficiency can improve fundability and business valuation. Resources: https://getalpharev.com/

Is your board meeting time being wasted on reporting instead of judgment and quality discussion? In episode #384, Ben Murray addresses how AI can transform board meeting prep for SaaS finance leaders. If your board decks are packed with data but the important issues still get buried, and board members show up with wildly different levels of prep, you already know the problem. Every hour spent reviewing numbers that should have been read beforehand is an hour not spent on the judgment calls that actually move the business forward. Understand the core frustration behind Jason Lemkin's "AI board member" post and why it resonates with CFOs building out their FP&A process See how AI can do a first analytical pass through your financials, metrics, and benchmarks before the meeting ever starts Learn how to use AI to set a focused board agenda: the 3 issues that matter, the 5 metrics that don't need discussion, and the questions still unanswered Get Ben's real-world example of using an AI agent to identify top 3 board priorities and pull follow-up ownership from meeting transcripts Discover why a deterministic data engine, not just a chatbot, is the real key to accurate AI-written financial narratives and agendas Tune in to see exactly how Ben is putting Jason Lemkin's AI board member idea into practice, before your next board meeting rolls around. Resources Mentioned Jason Lemkin's SaaStr post on AI and board meetings: https://www.saastr.com/the-ai-board-member-why-yours-should-chair-the-next-meeting-for-real/? What I'm using: https://softwaremetrics.ai/ CFO courses: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/

What if your business keeps growing, but your personal wealth does not?Phil Calandra built an insurance brokerage and an investment advisoryfirm with approximately $250 million under management before sellingboth companies in a single transaction to a $10 billion firm. The dealmade work optional. It also helped him see a problem that traps fartoo many founders.Most business owners have plenty of specialists: a bookkeeper, CPA,fractional CFO, financial advisor, and perhaps a business consultant.Each may be competent. But when no one coordinates the completefinancial system, the founder becomes the conductor, and the business,tax strategy, and personal wealth can begin working against oneanother.Phil calls this the coordination gap. It is how an owner can drivemore revenue, pay more taxes, assume more complexity, and still wonderwhy the wealth is not showing up outside the company.In this episode, Phil and Jerome Myers discuss the heart attack thatchanged Phil's relationship with risk, the unsolicited offer that ledto his two exits, the emotional high after the transaction, and why hechose to build again. They also examine the revenue trap, the dangerof assuming “I'll make it all when I sell,” and the three financialflywheels every founder must coordinate: business profitability, taxstrategy, and owner wealth.If your entire wealth plan depends on a future transaction, thisconversation will challenge you to start extracting the value of thebusiness before the exit.In This Episode:• Why an exit made Phil work optional but did not make him want to retire• How a heart attack at 51 influenced his decision to sell• Why more revenue does not necessarily mean more owner wealth• Where CPAs, CFOs, bookkeepers, and wealth managers can work at cross purposes• How the coordination gap turns the founder into the financial bottleneck• Why the business and the owner's wealth must be planned as one system• How to coordinate profitability, tax strategy, and personal wealthbefore a saleResources:Wealth Creation Scorecard: https://wealthcreationscorecard.comExit to Excellence: https://exittoexcellence.comAll the best,Jerome Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Jess Larsen Show on Innovation & Leadership, Jess sits down with Tom Shea, co-founder and CEO of OneStream, for a deep conversation on building a multibillion-dollar software company, going from private to public and back to private, and what it really takes to create lasting enterprise value. Tom shares the journey behind OneStream, from his early days building software for the office of the CFO to creating a unified platform for consolidation, planning, reporting, and financial data. He explains how his first company, UpStream, led to an acquisition by Oracle, and how that experience gave him the confidence to think bigger, build a platform, and create a company that could serve some of the largest and most demanding organizations in the world. Jess and Tom dive into the principles that shaped OneStream's growth, including the company's simple but powerful mission: every customer must be a reference. Tom explains why customer success, product-market fit, transparency, passion, authenticity, and long-term relationships became the foundation of the business, especially when selling mission-critical software to CFOs whose numbers ultimately go to Wall Street. They also discuss the realities of entrepreneurship, from surviving early implementations and coding through hard problems to leading with confidence when things get difficult. Tom shares why founders must know their strengths, surround themselves with the right partners, stay close to customers, and build a culture where the team is willing to do whatever it takes to deliver. This is a practical and thoughtful conversation about scaling a software company, building trust with enterprise customers, navigating public and private markets, and creating a business where customer success is not a slogan, but the operating system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Quinn, founder and CEO of Wellnecity, joins Stacey Richter for an outtake from their conversation last fall on rethinking how self-insured employers build their provider networks. Rather than treating the network as one big, undifferentiated system, Quinn argues employers should think like a manufacturing supply chain: break healthcare into defined "subassemblies," or pods of care — pediatric care, a cancer journey, a kidney stone episode — and direct-contract for those pods whenever the price beats the fee-for-service average. If the boundaries of the pod are clear and the price comes in lower, Quinn says, the plan and the member both win, quality being equal. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN ✅ Why Stacey Richter says the provider-network debate could fill "a 20-hour show," and why networks still have real upsides — administrative infrastructure, claims coordination, guaranteed provider payment, and broad access — even as critics like Mark Cuban ask on LinkedIn, "Why do we need networks? It is just a way for insurers to play pricing games." ✅ A real example of network rigidity: a self-insured employer identified 40 physicians who cost the plan upwards of $15 million in a single plan year while patient harm was occurring, and their ASO couldn't figure out how to remove those doctors from network under the existing contract structure ✅ How John Quinn defines a "subassembly" or "pod of care" — a bounded, definable episode like pediatric care or a cancer journey — and why purchasing that pod for less than the fee-for-service average is a win for the plan and member, assuming quality stays neutral ✅ Quinn's kidney stone example: a physician who says he can now treat a kidney stone in a 48-hour to five-day episode for roughly $2,000 to $3,000, versus the typical six weeks of pain, overuse of pain medication, and a price north of $10,000 ✅ Why Quinn frames network optimization as a manufacturing supply-chain problem — the same way an automobile gets built from subassemblies sourced from specialized providers around the globe — because it's a mental model CFOs and senior leadership at self-insured employers already trust ✅ Quinn's bottom line: "We have the tech and we've got the tools to do this at this point. We just have to get ourselves out of" the fee-for-service hangover WHY THIS MATTERS Provider networks have real tradeoffs: broad access and guaranteed payment on one side, opaque pricing and rigid contracts on the other. John Quinn's pitch to self-insured employers isn't to blow up the network model, but to layer bounded, directly contracted "pods of care" on top of it wherever a clear price beats the fee-for-service average. Framing that as supply-chain sourcing, rather than a wholesale network overhaul, gives risk-averse finance and HR leaders a model they already understand — and, Quinn argues, the technology to act on it already exists. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE LinkedIn Post by Mark Cuban Article: Medical Economics, "An Idea Whose Time Has Gone: Healthcare Provider Networks," by Jim Jusko, JD EP457 with Cynthia Fisher: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Other Apps EP433 with Justin Leader: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Other Apps EP501 with Ivana Krajcinovic, PhD: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Other Apps EP503 with Ryan Wells; Leo Spector, MD, MBA; and Adam Stavisky: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Other Apps EP485 with Cristin Dickerson, MD: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Other Apps EP486 with Stan Schwartz, MD: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Other Apps EP493 with John Quinn: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Other Apps EP495 with Mick Connors, MD: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Other Apps EP505 with Ahilan Sivaganesan, MD: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Other Apps === LINKS ===

In this episode, Andrea Marin, Chief Financial Officer, Logicalis, shares how the CFO role is evolving beyond finance, why data modernization is essential for AI success, and how building strong teams and cross-functional leadership drives long-term business growth.