Podcasts about cfos

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

.entry-img img{ display:none !important; } .single .hentry .entry-img{ display:none !important; } https://open.spotify.com/episode/3kw8uHSos6XKFrZncc2CEa Artificial intelligence is transforming the finance function, but most finance teams are still missing the skills to use it confidently, safely, and at scale. The real competitive advantage now lies in how quickly finance leaders can close this AI capability gap across their teams.  In this episode, GrowCFO host Kevin Appleby is joined by GrowCFO Facilitator and AI training specialist Guy Weaver to unpack the AI skills gap that is rapidly emerging across finance teams. As AI tools move from experiment to everyday infrastructure, finance leaders face a stark choice: either build the skills to harness these tools strategically or risk falling behind competitors who do. AI is presented not as a “nice to have” experiment, but as a core capability that will shape productivity, decision quality, and the operating model of modern finance functions.  Guy shares his journey from chartered accountant and venture capital portfolio director to AI practitioner and trainer, showing how a period on gardening leave became a deep dive into tools, agents, automations, and real-world business use cases. He explains that the real differentiator is no longer access to platforms like Copilot, Claude, or ChatGPT, but the human skills to design prompts, architect workflows, manage context files, and control costs at scale. Rather than eliminating finance jobs, AI is creating new responsibilities around context management, token and cost optimization, and continuous model evaluation—and finance leaders who invest early in mindset shifts, foundational skills, and disciplined experimentation will unlock both efficiency gains and new strategic opportunities that slower adopters will miss. Key topics covered: Why the AI skills gap is now a core strategic issue for finance leaders. Guy's journey from chartered accountant and VC to AI trainer for finance teams. The essential foundational skills: prompting, architecture, and context management. How AI is creating new roles and responsibilities instead of simply removing jobs. Managing AI cost, tokens, and model choice like any other major operating expense. The danger of AI-built financial models without proper financial modeling discipline. Links Guy Weave on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn GrowCFO Mentoring Timestamps:  00:00–05:00 – Why AI skills matter for finance leaders and how Guy's career led him into AI training.  05:00–12:00 – From “AI will take our jobs” to new responsibilities around AI, context, and automation.  12:00–18:00 – Prompting, architecture, treating AI like an employee, and managing context files.  18:00–24:00 – Who owns context files, how they're maintained, and the implications for CFOs and COOs.  24:00–29:00 – Rising AI costs, token limits, and the need to optimize AI usage across the finance function.  29:00–34:00 – What Guy sees in finance training sessions and how teams can keep up as tools evolve. Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here. You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net

Bei jeder Unternehmenskrise entsteht eine zeitliche Lücke zwischen dem Moment, an dem ein Management erkennt, dass etwas schiefläuft und dem Zeitpunkt, an dem das auch die Finanzierer merken oder darüber in Kenntnis gesetzt werden.Diese Zeit sollte von CFOs klug genutzt werden, rät Rayk Bauer von der Finanzierungsberatung Gracher bei FINANCE-TV. Der Grund: „Die Erstkommunikation zu einer Krise gegenüber den Banken, Avalgebern und Warenkreditversicherern ist enorm wichtig. Da dürfen keine Fehler gemacht werden. Sonst gibt das Management das Heft des Handelns aus der Hand.“Diese Fragen beantwortet dieses Interview:Ob CFOs vorab schon selbst (Restrukturierungs-) Berater beauftragen sollten – oder damit besser warten, bis die Banken informiert sindWelche Signale in der ersten Krisensitzung Vertrauen schaffen – und welche nichtOb Banken dazu neigen, vom Management bereits getroffene Entscheidungen zu revidierenUnd was das mächtigste Werkzeug ist, um als CFO in der wichtigen Bankensitzung zu bestehenDie GesprächsteilnehmerHost: Michael HedtstückGast: Rayk Bauer (Unternehmensjurist, Gracher)Hinweis: Dieser Talk entstand in Kooperation mit Gracher.____________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/

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

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

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

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

In this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ sits down with Jake Kornreich, CFO of CoLab and former CFO of Own, live from the New York Stock Exchange. Jake breaks down the six-part framework behind Own's $2.1B sale to Salesforce, why “control your destiny” matters, how CFOs should think about IPO readiness, board communication, share price theater, and why great finance leaders operate beyond the spreadsheet.—SPONSORS:Rillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to replace NetSuite and close faster. With revenue recognition, close management, multi-entity support, and native Stripe and Salesforce integrations, Rillet helps scaling companies run their finance stack in one place. Hundreds of teams, including Windsurf and Mercor, use Rillet to make the zero-day close real. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cjEY has been part of Silicon Valley since it was just a valley, helping the most successful names in tech go from startup to exit to megacap. With teams across strategy, tax, audit, and transactions, EY helps you get your financials right early, long before your investors start asking for it. You build the next big thing, and EY will help you build it right. Learn more at https://www.ey.com/techstartupsSpendHound cuts your SaaS and AI spend by up to 30% using real pricing benchmarks across 10,000 vendors, so you always know what fair pricing looks like before your next renewal. Rated #1 on G2 in SaaS spend management, it's free forever for teams up to 1,000 employees. Sign up by June 12th and get $500 just for getting started. Go to https://www.spendhound.com/cjBrex is an intelligent finance platform with AI-powered agents that capture expenses automatically, enforce policy before the spend happens, and close your books in minutes instead of weeks. 35,000+ companies like OpenAI, Coinbase, Anthropic, and DoorDash already run on Brex. It's time to get Brex AF. Learn more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAleph is a modern FP&A platform built for teams that want more than another planning tool. By connecting your ERP, CRM, and other systems into one trusted data layer with AI workflows, Aleph helps you move faster with real-time insights. Get a personalized demo at https://www.getaleph.com/runRightRev is an automated revenue recognition platform that lets your product team ship new pricing without asking finance for permission, and your sales team close deals without creating downstream chaos. Check out their free tool at calculator.rightrev.com It scores your rev rec process, shows what's exposing you to risk, and tells you exactly where to focus before it bites you in the rear end. Check it out at https://calculator.rightrev.com—LINKS: Mostly Talent: https://mostlymetrics.typeform.com/to/cLTxtAsNGuest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-kornreich/Company: https://www.colabsoftware.com/CJ: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.comTIMESTAMPS:0:00 Preview and Intro2:20 First stock3:28 Benefits of going public today5:42 Come-up: chief of staff to CFO6:31 Running HR like a sales org8:32 Control your destiny9:24 Synergies with Salesforce10:09 Sponsors — Rillet | EY | SpendHound13:10 Do your own ROI due diligence14:40 Share price equals entertainment16:26 Disciplined execution17:45 Performance, not stories19:24 Activist investors and the acquirer's board20:13 Write the memo for the other side20:45 Sponsors — Brex | Aleph | RightRev24:02 Triangulate your way to success25:18 Your board takes snapshots, you run the movie26:21 Knowing when to sell27:16 Valuation limits your exit options27:38 Stakeholder comms during the acquisition29:58 CFO as operator, not just function31:31 What is CoLab?32:09 Why Jake joined post-Series C33:50 Personal product market fit for CFOs35:27 Lightning round35:42 Screwed up: $5M budget error36:17 Advice to younger self36:41 Finance software stack37:34 Culture of expense discipline38:22 Credits

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

Live from the ATLIS 2026 Annual Conference, the hosting team is joined by Alex Inman and Tom Wildman to analyze the evolving role of Managed Service Providers (MSPs) in independent schools. The conversation addresses the rise of fractional staffing, shifting IT reporting structures under CFOs, and the absolute necessity of cultural alignment when outsourcing school technology services.Knowing TechnologiesEducational Collaborators

Mike Armistead has been in the room for almost every major technology wave of the past 30 years — from client-server computing, to the early internet at Lycos, to application security at Fortify Software (acquired by HP), to AI-driven security at Respond Software (acquired by FireEye for $186M, eventually folded into Google). Now on his sixth startup, he's CEO of Pulse Security AI, building what he calls a "system of record" for security leaders — giving CISOs the same kind of business-level visibility that CFOs get from their ERP and sales leaders get from their CRM.In this episode, Jeff and Mike dig into the weight of inertia that slows every major technology transition, why conviction is the one thing that gets founders through the rough patches, and how to stress-test your assumptions before spending a year building something people will admire but never buy. They also go deep on the evolving cybersecurity landscape — why security tools have historically grown in siloed, technical layers, why AI-driven threats (deepfakes, impersonation, prompt injection) are accelerating faster than most organizations can respond, and why scenario planning is no longer a quarterly exercise — it's a survival skill.Key Takeaways0:00 — Intro: The real obstacle to technology transitions isn't innovation — it's the weight of existing systems, habits, and inertia3:00 — Why conviction is the essential quality that gets founders through rough patches in every startup cycle7:00 — Lessons from Reed Hastings' Pure Software: culture, ethics, and values were being built even before Netflix9:00 — Risk evaluation after multiple exits: what Mike learned from walking into a high-debt company right before 9/11 — and why structural due diligence matters as much as product quality11:30 — The value of tabletop exercises: role-playing "what if" scenarios with co-founders and executives surfaces risks you'd never otherwise think about12:45 — What is Pulse Security AI? The gap between technical security data and business-level decision-making — and why CISOs are the only C-suite executives without a true system of record16:30 — How an agentic layer can connect siloed security tools and translate technical risk data into the business language boards actually need18:40 — Leading through platform shifts: understanding early vs. late adopters and why you can't force mainstream buyers before they're ready21:00 — Security's evolution from compliance checkbox to strategic business function — and why the threat landscape is always moving in multiple dimensions simultaneously24:20 — AI-driven threats, deepfakes, and the "trust and verify" world: practical security posture advice for companies of all sizes33:00 — Fundraising on your sixth startup: how the investment landscape has shifted (seed rounds now include institutional investors; A rounds now require real revenue)39:30 — Avoiding the customer feedback trap: why "that's cool" is not the same as "I'd pay for that" — and how to ask the uncomfortable pricing question early41:30 — The AI hype cycle: the one question that never changes — are you adding enough value that someone will pay for it?45:00 — The future of cybersecurity over the next five years: breaking down silos, AI-driven threat acceleration, and why humans still need to stay in the loopTweetable Quotes"Conviction is essential. It's what gets you through the rough patches — and there are always rough patches." — Mike Armistead"History doesn't repeat itself, but it certainly rhymes. You're gonna encounter certain things everywhere, and you have to learn how to break out of the bucket people want to put you in." — Mike Armistead"'That's cool' is not the same as 'I'd pay for that.' You have to listen for when they start thinking about how they can buy it." — Mike Armistead"Risk mitigation isn't a 'done' setting. Just because you're certified today doesn't mean you're protected tomorrow." — Mike Armistead"We live in a trust-and-verify world. If something is asking you to do something you wouldn't normally do, the flags have to go up." — Mike Armistead"AI doesn't scale people. It scales attacks. The infrastructure we built was designed for a different threat landscape." — Mike ArmisteadSaaS Leadership LessonsConviction is your most valuable asset in a hard growth cycle. Every startup goes through wild swings. The founders who make it through aren't the ones with the best product at every moment — they're the ones who maintained conviction that what they were building would be genuinely valuable to their customers. Momentum fades. Conviction doesn't.Do your structural due diligence before you walk in. Mike's hardest lesson came from his first CEO role: a high-debt company that collapsed not because the business was failing, but because lenders called loans after 9/11. The business itself was fine. The structure killed it. Always understand the financial architecture of what you're walking into — especially in uncertain macro environments.Run tabletop exercises with your leadership team. Don't wait for a crisis to figure out your response. Role-play "what if" scenarios regularly with your co-founders and executives. Someone always surfaces a risk you hadn't considered — and the solutions are often simpler than you'd expect. This is no longer optional; it's a survival skill.Know where you are in the adoption curve — and don't fight it. Early adopters will take a chance on you because they see competitive advantage. Mainstream buyers need proof points. Late adopters need to see their peers doing it. Pestering a mainstream buyer with an early-stage pitch isn't a winning fight. Build for the stage you're actually in.Ask the uncomfortable pricing question early and often. Founders are wired to build. We're not always wired to sell. But the market will tell you the truth faster than any advisor. Ask potential customers directly: "Would you pay X for this?" Fight through the politeness. Watch for buying signals — when someone starts thinking about procurement rather than just nodding along, you're onto something.Stop building for "cool" — build for "when can I buy it?" Customer enthusiasm and purchase intent are not the same thing. If your beta testers are telling you it's great but nobody's asking how to get it, you haven't found product-market fit. Continually test your story, move toward a bigger narrative when needed, and keep engaging the market until the signals change.Guest Resourcesmike@pulsesecurity.aipulsesecurity.aihttps://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-armistead-1164715/Episode SponsorThe Futureproof Series - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfkXKUPZ5xuOqMPR7_gzGybncTtavyR1NThe Captain's KeysSmall Fish, Big Pond – https://smallfishbigpond.com/ Use the promo code ‘SaaSFuel'Champion Leadership Group – https://championleadership.com/SaaS Fuel ResourcesWebsite - https://championleadership.com/Jeff Mains on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffkmains/Twitter - https://twitter.com/jeffkmainsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/thesaasguy/Instagram - https://instagram.com/jeffkmains

In Episode 11 of Season 7 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by David Krauza, VP of Enterprise Data Strategy, Products & Governance at Comcast, where they discuss why strategic clarity and proactive stakeholder engagement are the keys to unlocking genuine business value from data and AI, which includes;Why the root cause of failed AI and data programmes is almost never the technology and almost always the absence of a clear business outcome.How to tell the difference between an organisation that has genuine strategic clarity and one that just has a compelling PowerPoint.Why a strategy without explicit trade-offs, knowing what you are not going to do, is no strategy at all.How "arts and crafts" projects quietly drain data programmes of focus, credibility, and commercial impact.Why retrofitting goals around work already underway creates a circular dependency that pulls organisations further from real value.Why the "bus riders and bus drivers" framework reframes what it means to be an effective data leader.Why waiting for perfect conditions before driving impact is one of the most common and costly habits of data leaders.How proactively building relationships with CFOs, COOs, and business unit heads before you need them is what separates influence from scrambling.Why the trust deficit most data leaders face is a sequencing problem, not a communication problem.How starting within your own team or with a single friendly stakeholder is the most practical way to begin building the bus driver muscle.Why most CDO mandates are structurally designed to deliver outputs rather than value and how that shapes the type of leader organisations end up hiring.How to navigate a broken mandate in practice and why challenging it in the interview room is riskier than it sounds.Why the incentive structures within data leadership roles have historically rewarded technical delivery over commercial impact.Why the data industry's technical origins created an archetype that is now working against the commercial value organisations actually need.How company size and culture determine whether data is treated as a strategic asset or an internal IT service and why that changes everything.Why organisations that started their data journey for the wrong reasons often find the perception too deeply embedded to shift from within.Thanks to our sponsor, Data & AI Literacy Academy.Data & AI Literacy Academy is leading the way in transforming enterprise workforces with data literacy across the organisation, through a combination of change management and education. In today's data-centric world, being data literate is no longer a luxury, it's a necessity.If you want successful data product adoption, and to keep driving innovation within your business, you need to start with data & AI literacy first.At Data & AI Literacy Academy, they don't just teach data skills. They empower individuals and teams to think critically, analyse effectively, and make decisions confidently based on data. They're bridging the gap between business and data teams, so they can all work towards aligned outcomes.From those taking their first steps in data & AI literacy to seasoned experts looking to fine-tune their skills, our data experts provide tailored classes for every stage. But it's not just learning tracks that they offer. They embed a deep data culture shift through a transformative change management programme.They take a people-first approach, working closely with your executive team to win the hearts and minds. We know this will drive the company-wide impact that data teams want to achieve.Get in touch and find out how you can unlock the full potential of data in your organisation. Learn more at www.dl-academy.com.

Season 20, Episode 60 of The Adventures of Pipeman.It's the Positively Pipeman weekly segment of The Adventures of Pipeman.Chapter 1: The Pet Health Guru is back and we will discuss Your Pet's Smile - Dental Health and how to approach.Chapter 2: Michael Barbarita of Next Step CFO and Powerful Business Strategies will discuss The 13 week Rolling Cash Flow Forecast - Most business owners look at cash flow in the rearview mirror. A 13-week rolling forecast is the windshield. It's what sophisticated CFOs use to spot cash crunches before they happen, time large purchases, and negotiate with vendors and banks from a position of strength.Click Here to Subscribe to The Adventures of Pipeman for PERKS, BONUS Content & FREE GIVEWAYS! Take some zany and serious journeys with The Pipeman aka Dean K. Piper, CST on The Adventures of Pipeman also known as Pipeman Radio syndicated globally “Where Who Knows And Anything Goes.”   Would you like to be a sponsor of the show?Would you like to have your business, products, services, merch, programs, books, music or any other professional or artistic endeavors promoted on the show?Would you like to be interviewed as a professional or music guest on The Adventures of Pipeman, Positively Pipeman and/or Pipeman in the Pit?Would you like to host your own Radio Show, Streaming TV Show, or Podcast?  PipemanRadio Podcasts are heard on Pipeman Radio, Talk 4 Media, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Amazon Music, Audible, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and over 100 other podcast outlets where you listen to Podcasts.The following are the different podcasts to Follow, Listen, Download, Subscribe:       The Adventures of PipemanPipeman RadioPipeman in the Pit – Music Interviews & FestivalsPipeman – The Wandering JewPositively Pipeman – Empowerment, Inspiration, Motivation, Self-Help, Business, Spiritual & Health & WellnessClick Here to Subscribe for PERKS, BONUS Content & FREE GIVEWAYS!Follow @pipemanradio on all socials & Pipeman Radio Requests & Info at www.linktr.ee/pipemanradioStream The Adventures of Pipeman daily & live Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays at 1PM ET on W4CY Radio & Talk 4 TV. Download, Rate & Review the Podcast at The Adventures of Pipeman, Pipeman Radio, Talk 4 Media, iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, YouTube & All Podcast Apps.

It's the Positively Pipeman segment of The Adventures of Pipeman bringing you Powerful Business Strategies. Michael Barbarita of Next Step CFO discussesThe 13 week Rolling Cash Flow Forecast - Most business owners look at cash flow in the rearview mirror. A 13-week rolling forecast is the windshield. It's what sophisticated CFOs use to spot cash crunches before they happen, time large purchases, and negotiate with vendors and banks from a position of strength.Click Here to Subscribe to The Adventures of Pipeman for PERKS, BONUS Content & FREE GIVEWAYS! Take some zany and serious journeys with The Pipeman aka Dean K. Piper, CST on The Adventures of Pipeman also known as Pipeman Radio syndicated globally “Where Who Knows And Anything Goes.”   Would you like to be a sponsor of the show?Would you like to have your business, products, services, merch, programs, books, music or any other professional or artistic endeavors promoted on the show?Would you like to be interviewed as a professional or music guest on The Adventures of Pipeman, Positively Pipeman and/or Pipeman in the Pit?Would you like to host your own Radio Show, Streaming TV Show, or Podcast?  PipemanRadio Podcasts are heard on Pipeman Radio, Talk 4 Media, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Amazon Music, Audible, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and over 100 other podcast outlets where you listen to Podcasts.The following are the different podcasts to Follow, Listen, Download, Subscribe:  The Adventures of PipemanPipeman RadioPipeman in the Pit – Music Interviews & FestivalsPipeman – The Wandering JewPositively Pipeman – Empowerment, Inspiration, Motivation, Self-Help, Business, Spiritual & Health & WellnessClick Here to Subscribe for PERKS, BONUS Content & FREE GIVEWAYS!Follow @pipemanradio on all socials & Pipeman Radio Requests & Info at www.linktr.ee/pipemanradioStream The Adventures of Pipeman daily & live Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays at 1PM ET on W4CY Radio & Talk 4 TV. Download, Rate & Review the Podcast at The Adventures of Pipeman, Pipeman Radio, Talk 4 Media, iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, YouTube & All Podcast Apps.

Rick Chess, attorney, real estate strategist, capital-raising expert, and trusted advisor, is passionate about helping entrepreneurs, investors, and business owners navigate complex decisions that can dramatically impact enterprise value and long-term success. Throughout a career spanning more than five decades, Rick has raised over $100 million for multiple organizations, guided companies through acquisitions, governance challenges, and strategic growth, and helped owners prepare for successful exits. We explore The Capital Raising Framework — Focus on Individuals, Not “the Market”; Be Ready to Sell; Start With Who You Know; Connect on Emotion; and Find a Problem to Solve. Rick explains why raising capital is ultimately about understanding people, not pitching ideas, why investors care more about their needs than your opportunity, and how trust-based relationships create opportunities that compound over time. He also shares lessons from raising capital, building influential networks, serving on boards, and helping entrepreneurs avoid costly mistakes when pursuing funding, growth, and exit strategies. — How to be a Trusted Advisor with Rick Chess  Good day, dear listeners. Steve Preda here with the Management Blueprint Podcast. And my guest today is Rick Chess, who is a real estate and exit strategist. He helps business and real estate owners, and the trusted advisors who guide them, turn complex decisions into strategic moves that grow enterprise value and maximize sale outcomes. Rick, welcome to the show.  Thank you. Appreciate it, Steve.  Well, it’s great to have you. And I’m going to ask you my favorite question, which I always ask: What is your personal ‘Why’, and what are you doing to manifest it in your practice?  When you go back in my career, 50-some years, where I’ve been most happy is either growing an organization. That can be a community, that can be a business, it can be an association. And then, at some point, individuals in that association want to move on, whether that’s to retire, to go someplace else, or whatever. And I find that in that world, there are certain things where they might have a Steve Preda who helps them with how to manage day to day. But they get to certain big issues that they’ve never done before, and maybe they’ll never do again. That’s where I like to come in because I know I’m critically important to them. So you’re a trusted advisor. You like to grapple with the big challenges people have in their lives, whether it’s a big real estate transaction, getting ready for an exit, an acquisition, or something like that.  Yeah.  Yeah.  So, I mean, the things that would be—for instance, most folks, if they’re talking about real estate, they have some idea how to fix a toilet. They have some idea how to buy a property. But when they get to a certain point, it’s like, “We need to raise $10,000. We need to raise $100 million,” whatever the amount is, because there’s either a great opportunity or they want to keep moving upward. And they have, again, a Steve Preda who can help them through the process. How they get that capital often is what trips people up. So that’s where I kind of first got into this.  I was an acquisition guy. I knew how to spend other people’s money, but I didn’t know at that time how to raise the money. And I’ve done it several times. I’ve raised $100 million for three different companies. And like everything in life, like with Summit, there is a process that you go through. And I love doing it. I just love doing that kind of stuff.  Okay. So when you are doing capital raising, fundraising, M&A deals, or real estate transactions, is there a framework that has helped you, that you figured out along the way? And think about something that is three to five steps. Maybe it’s a mental model of how you look at things, or maybe it’s a process. How would you describe that framework that you have, or that has helped you, so that the listeners would also benefit from it?  The listeners are best served if they step back from their preconceived notions of, A, how they think capital is attracted, because they usually are wrong. And they step back from how wonderful they are. And those two things are difficult. Because the reality is, no one is waiting to give you money. That’s foolish. You’ve got to sell the concept like you have to sell everything else. And what you sell is not what you think is wonderful. It’s what the market is going to think is wonderful. It’s like with any other product you’re making. “Hey, I made this great widget.” And the population looks at it and says, “I don’t need it. I don’t want it. I don’t know what it does.”  And depending on whether you’re trying to raise $100,000 from friends and family or $100 million on Wall Street, you look at who it is that you know. Because people that you know might at least return your phone call. So if you don’t know Bill Gates, thinking that you’re going to go to Bill Gates and get a billion dollars is, well, stup*d. But if you’re just trying to raise money from friends and family, and you have an aunt who lives three states away that you don’t see very often, and she has some money, okay, then you start with who you know. So, for instance, thinking about one of the many ways that you can raise money, there’s something called intrastate. And it is something that’s allowed by the Securities and Exchange Commission. If all of your money is raised within your own state, there are certain allowances for that.  But if you do one transaction outside the state, it all collapses. So like everything else on the business side, where there are certain rules that you can’t violate without getting into trouble, it’s the same thing when raising money. And I get so many people saying, “I’m going to list this on Wall Street, and I’m going to make…” It’s like, “No, you don’t. You better be prepared. If you’re going to list something on Wall Street, you’d better have $25 million that you can risk just to get it out there. And nine times out of ten you’re going to fail.” Not because there’s anything wrong with you.  It’s just that if you’re going to climb Mount Kilimanjaro with a pair of Keds, a T-shirt, and some shorts, you’re not prepared to climb that mountain. It’s no different when raising capital. And also think about when you were a kid. At a certain age, your parents let you cross the street to see your buddy. Then ten years later, they’ll let you get in the car and drive, but you’ve got to get home by midnight. It’s the same thing with raising money. And there aren’t a lot of folks who have done what I’ve done. So talking to your local lawyer or accountant—who may be wonderful people—but if they’ve never raised money, they’re not the people to talk to.  One of the ways people get taken advantage of on a regular basis is they’ll go to a securities attorney. The securities attorney will charge them $100,000 and write this great offering document, and no one ever gives them a penny. Because lawyers generally have no clue what’s happening in the marketplace. I own my own securities broker-dealer. I’ve also raised money for three different companies. It’s not easy. But like having read your book, Steve, if you follow certain paths, there’s at least a chance for success. Same thing here. Fascinating. So what I’m taking away in terms of a framework: Be aware that people are not out there waiting to give you money. You have to sell them. So that’s the first step. The second one is: start with who you know. Don’t start on Wall Street. Start with the people you know, where you have some trust, the people you understand, and where you have a chance to get there. And then look at some special circumstance that’s going to give you a leg up. For example—  Absolutely. Again, this is coming right out of your book on the business side. You create a widget. So what? But you create a widget that solves a problem. Ah. Then you have something. So it’s the same thing. When you get over onto the money-raising side, it’s: who do you know? Where do they live? How much money do they have? How do I approach them? But then, in the end, it’s not what’s in it for you, it’s what’s in it for them. And for them, if it’s friends and family, your mama may give you some money because she thinks you’re cute.  Your aunt might give you some money because she’s related to your mama. But at some point, you’re going to people who really have a checkbook. They have money in the checkbook. They’re not going to give this up just because you’re cute or you have a great idea. You’re either going to get them because you have something they’ve never heard of, or you have something that really feels like it could solve one of their needs. And their needs are not always what you think. Some people think, “Well, what they need is high cash flow.” What if they don’t need cash flow, but they’re really interested in a cure for cancer?  What if you think, “Well, it’s really going to go up in value”? Well, they have all the money they need. They’re not looking for that. But is this something that is going to allow their nephew to come work for you? Yeah. When you start thinking that you know what other people are thinking, that’s when you’re going to fail. When you can step back and just ask them, “Well, what’s important to you?” If you can’t have a conversation, one, you’re never going to date anybody, and you’re never going to raise any money.  And don’t be slick. You can be slick for three sentences, and at that point they’re going to reject everything you say thereafter. So don’t talk about how much money you’re going to make and all the rest of it. No. Talk about them. Talk about them. Talk about them. Your document should talk about them. Your questions should talk about them. Now, does that mean there are certain people who won’t put money into your deal? Yes, because it doesn’t fit. If you sell high-heeled shoes and a runner comes in, they’re generally not going to buy your high-heeled shoes. They’re not going to invest money in high-heeled shoes.  But if that high-heeled shoe actually is a running shoe, and you can break off the heel and then… I mean, I don’t know. You could come up with something there. And the folks that say no are sometimes your biggest advocates. What? The folks that… Yes. Because you’ve been able to get into their head, and they’ve shaken it around, and they’ve looked at it and said, “No, that’s probably not right for me. I’m not into high-heeled shoes, but I have a friend.” If you’ve done a sincere job, a thoughtful job, you’ve really asked them questions, and you’ve connected on an emotional level, they’ll open the next door. And that’s what it’s about. It’s often a lot of the same things that you teach people about how to sell their company. It’s how they sell—  Rick, this is fascinating. So how do you connect with people on an emotional level? What’s the trick there?  First thing is: why are they going to take a meeting with you? Why they take a meeting with you answers almost everything that we’ve just asked. If they’re taking a meeting with you because you’re related, okay, that’s the emotional connection. If they take a meeting with you because some friend of yours called them and said, “This is a great way to make money,” that’s another reason. If you found them in an article in the paper—yes, there are things called newspapers. They print them. There are words in them. And there’s somebody in there who has shown an interest in something you do.  Then you’re talking to them about that interest. You want to try to avoid cold calls. Really, it’s a waste of your time and a waste of their time. It’s a random thing. It’s like asking every girl who walks by in college, “Do you want to go out on a date?” Sometimes it works. You get slapped a lot, get arrested, and what have you. There’s this thing called the internet, Steve. And what shocks me is how few people—not just my age, but young pups—say, “Well, that’s for watching YouTube videos.” No.  Through the internet, you have so much information. So maybe I can’t find anything about Johnny Jones, but his kids are on there and what sports they play. Huh. Okay, so I used to do judo. I did three years of judo in high school. If somebody’s doing karate or whatever, I have an opening. I have something to talk about. Now, it’s great if what you have to talk about then connects to something else that they want. It’s a linking process of connecting various things together. It’s what I did… I told you I was a member of the General Assembly in Pennsylvania way back in the ’70s.  And I learned there that if I could get people talking about themselves, or their next-door neighbor, or some relative… What’s funny is people are much more likely to tell you about somebody else. So when I go into a company—this is just a side note—when I’m doing due diligence and I really want to know their financial condition, I’m not going to get it from the CFO. I’m going to get it from somebody over in property management. Why? Because the property management person knows not to tell me anything secret about property management, but they’ll talk about finances all the time. And it’s the same thing. If I’m in a family and I want to know about Daddy, I talk to the daughter.  If I want to know about a neighbor, I talk to a neighbor. I can go to the post office. Everything you ever need to position yourself to sell is out there waiting for you. But you’ve got to get out of your head what you think the market is about and start thinking about individuals within the market. And accept that when I’ve raised money, 70% to 80% of the people I call on don’t do a deal with me. But of that 70%, half of them lead me to somebody else. And I keep up with them. They become my support group. They become my unofficial advisors. Because I’m a decent guy, they want me to succeed. And once they know I’m not bugging them anymore, I say, “Hey, you told me I should go talk to such-and-such.  Here’s what I heard.” And then the network just expands. And occasionally, that person who said no has somebody new come into their life and says, “You need to go talk to Rick Chess.” And sometimes the next time I’m raising money, their situation is different. So the person who told me no originally has seen me work the market and close the deal. It’s amazing how attractive an opportunity is once you can’t put any more money into it. And so you let them know, “I know it wasn’t the right time for you to come into my deal, but we did buy this company. We’ve doubled their…” Whatever it is. You continue to work with them. If somebody is willing to give you time on the phone, on Zoom, at a coffee shop, or wherever, they’re your friend for life. They don’t know that yet, but you’re going to make them your friend for life. It’s the old six degrees of separation—the Kevin Bacon game.  Everybody’s related to somebody somewhere. And it’s what makes this fun for me. You were talking before about growing an exit. I love the process of putting together the network and feeding the network. There are people I’ve known for 50 years that I still talk with.  You’re very good at connecting people and making them look good with other people that you connect them to. It’s very gratifying. So this is a long game, right? Absolutely.  It’s a long game because you’re being decent. You listen to people. You find something that helps them. You learn what they need, what is the itch that needs to be scratched, and then you connect people who can help them scratch that itch. And then they will reciprocate, and it becomes a self-perpetuating process.  Well, I mean, an example is the work that I do in North Carolina with a family that owns 44 hotels. A woman who was my CPA left the CPA firm and became the family officer for a large family here in Richmond. A friend of hers who does advisory work with family offices was giving up on a client. So she told my friend, who used to be a CPA. She introduced me to them and said, “Would you be willing to serve on the board of a private company?” I said, “Well, do they pay?” I used to be on the board of a public company, and after a certain age, you’re not attractive anymore.  After a certain age, they want you off the board because the institutions say, “We want a mix on the board. So I got introduced to these people, and I’ve had a great time. Members of the family have hired me for other work, and it just goes on and on. But I’ve learned that you’ve got to pay it forward. So I have students of mine from VCU who I’ve helped place in jobs. I keep up with them. I give them ideas. And they’re often shocked to find that I’m still in touch with them. I’m not asking them for anything. I’m just saying, “Look, I paid it forward to you. Now it’s your turn to pay it forward to somebody else.” And some of them are doing it. Some of them haven’t caught on yet.  But it is the circle of life, and it’s all tied together. And there are skills you have that I don’t have. There are skills I have that you don’t have. We both have folks that work with business brokers because they have a different drive. But it’s also self-selecting. There are a lot of people you’ve met that you don’t do business with. There are a lot of people I’ve met that I don’t do business with. If you’re going to get into raising money, doing governance, or doing exit planning, whatever it may be, one of the most important things is saying no. Or, “No, I don’t want to work with this person.” You can always be friendly with them. Yeah. But I try to fire a client every month. Somebody that just doesn’t fit for me ethically. Yeah. Or I don’t think there’s anything more I can do for them.  I pass off legal work to other attorneys in Virginia. I’m the chair of the Real Property Section of the state bar. There are 1,550 attorneys. I have plenty of attorneys that I can pass things on to, and they’re happy to get the business, and I’m happy. I’ve got somebody that I’ve referred that’s happy that I’ve referred them. My biggest challenge, my wife would say, my son would say, is that I’m a squirrel chaser. Something new and interesting comes along, and I want to get involved with it. And I’ve wasted so much time. So I’m working with this hotel group down in North Carolina. The last time I had worked with a hotel company was 30 years earlier. Two owners couldn’t agree on a direction.  I worked with them for six months. We made a decision. It was great work. I learned a lot about hotels. But I then went 30 years without applying the same skills. And that’s one thing that, with age, I’ve realized. I am better off saying: “I’ll help you with capital, I’ll help you with governance, and when you’re ready, I’ll help you exit.” That’s it.  Yeah.  If it’s not one of those three, I’ll talk about it.  Yeah.  I’ll listen to you. You don’t want to engage me.  Yeah. I mean, people want deep expertise. They don’t want generalists. They want someone who knows what they’re talking about and who can link them to other resources who also know what they’re talking about. And in today’s age, I think this is becoming more important again. Because of the internet, there was a disintermediation going on, but now there is a reintermediation, I believe. Because there’s so much noise out there, you don’t know what is true and what is fake. AI is creating a lot of fake stuff.  The only people you can really trust are the people who are in front of you, or someone recommends them whom you trust. It’s a transparency thing. So I think what you’re doing is very valuable. It’s going to become even more valuable. And knowledge is ubiquitous. You can ask ChatGPT, and it will give you an answer. But how do you get the trust? How do you get the emotion? How do you get the relationships? That’s all human stuff. And if you still have that, then you’ve got what is valuable.  Well, I have a friend of mine who wrote a book, and he wrote it as a fable. What I love about it is that I know the true story behind the fable. And what comes across in every single chapter is that, with that trust, people who were afraid took a step. And often that is the hardest thing. So I go to the gym six days a week, and the gym is hard. Getting in the car to drive there is the hard part. Once I’m there, I’m around friends, I work hard, I sweat, I get better. Getting in that car and driving down the drive…  So in your fable, in your book, and in most of where I’ve had success, I would love to say it was because I was brilliant. Eh, sometimes I will say I was brilliant. But let me give you an example. United Dominion Realty Trust, now based in Denver and originally based here in Richmond, has been around for 35 years. It was one of the original five REITs in the country—real estate investment trusts. I came in as acquisitions director. They hadn’t closed a deal in a year. I closed three in the first three months. I grew the firm tenfold in 10 years, and I had great people. Buddy Scott as an analyst. Catherine Surface as an attorney.  But what I did was look at it and say, “Does anybody know what we’re trying to buy?” Because they had no acquisition criteria. So I wrote a one-page acquisition criteria document and put it out to everybody who had ever submitted a deal. Oh, and we weren’t responding to the submissions. So a submission would come in, they would look at it and say, “Okay, that doesn’t work.” But they never told anybody no. So one of my rules was that anything that came in would get a response within 48 hours.  And it should be specific. “We don’t like this because of the city.” “We don’t like this because of the roof.” Something specific, because I knew they’d pay attention. And by responding within 48 hours, we went from struggling to get submissions to doubling our submissions within a year. Because people were like, “Oh, we know what they want. We know they will respond.” And then—and this probably sounds outrageous—we celebrated. We put out a newsletter every month. This is back when you mailed things, so we’re going way back into the dinosaur era. But anytime a broker brought us something that we bought, we would do a full-page spread on the broker. We were marketing him or her.  People loved us. And they would tell others about us. So owners would know that if they came to us, we’d make a fair offer and we’d move on. So I would love to say that’s because I was a great attorney. I would love to say that’s because I was insightful. It was just like, “Well, damn, this is obvious.” And reading some of your stuff, I’ve seen you point that out to people time and time again.  You give me too much credit. But yeah, I mean, if you’re there, they say that if you work hard for 25 years, you can become an overnight success. So yeah, it does get obvious when you’ve been studying it long and hard. Well, listen, Rick, that’s been wonderful. So what is your final thought for an entrepreneur, a young entrepreneur or founder who’s coming up? Maybe he’s in real estate. Maybe he’s trying to be successful. What’s the most important mindset for an entrepreneur to become successful?  Well, I mean, you’ve got to know something. I mean, you either need to really know construction, or you’ve got to really know how to lease a space. If you’re going into it like they do on HDTV, like, “Oh, we’re going to find this property and it’s going to be…” You’re going to fail. So get good at something. Accept the fact that you’re not going to be good at everything. Find people who fill in the spots where you aren’t good. In the old days, you might have had to hire them. In today’s world, there are fractional CFOs.  And then when you get down to picking your experts—your attorneys, your accountants, the people that cost you real money—ask them a simple question: When was the last time they did whatever it is that you’re trying to do? Not when was the last time they prepared a securities document. When was the last time they prepared a securities document that succeeded? And that’ll knock out two-thirds of them right there.  Love it. That’s fantastic. Well, if you’re listening to this and you want to be successful in business, or you have a business and maybe you’re getting close to retirement and want to figure out how to transition it, how to exit right, and how to structure it… Or maybe you have a family company and you’re trying to put together a board, and you need someone who really understands governance. Or if you’re trying to do a transaction, a merger, or an acquisition, and you need a trusted advisor who will connect you to the right people and help you make it happen, then call Rick Chess. Rick Chess is here in Richmond. He is on LinkedIn. And you have a website as well, Rick, right?  Yep, yep.  What’s your domain?  It’s chesslawfirm.com.  Chesslawfirm.com. So you can go there, and Rick is going to respond because he always does within 24 hours, or 48 hours max, and he’ll help you. So Rick, thank you very much for coming on the show and sharing your wisdom with us. And if you’re listening to this and you like this show, please follow us on YouTube and Apple Podcasts. Give us a review, and make sure you listen to every episode because we have very exciting entrepreneurs and subject matter experts sharing their knowledge. So thank you for coming, and thank you for listening. Important Links: Rick's LinkedIn Rick's website

Send me a messageWhat if supply chain resilience is already too slow for the world we're now operating in?In this episode of the Resilient Supply Chain Podcast, I'm joined by Abe Eshkenazi, CEO of ASCM, the Association for Supply Chain Management. Abe has watched supply chain move from a quiet back-office function to a boardroom priority, and this conversation gets into why that shift matters now, as export controls, tariffs, climate volatility, cybersecurity, sustainability pressures, and supplier risk collide in real time.You'll hear how agility has become more than a contingency plan. Abe makes the case that resilient supply chains are no longer just about recovering after a shock. They are about seeing earlier, deciding faster, and building optionality before disruption turns expensive. We break down why supply chain visibility is now table stakes, but also why knowing who and what is in your supplier network creates a harder question: should those suppliers still be there?We also explore the tension between CFOs pushing for lower inventory and cash flow discipline, and supply chain leaders pushing for flexibility, resilience, and long-term capability. Abe explains why AI in supply chain, automation, data, and real-time visibility matter, but also why technology without talent and critical thinking can become another risk vector. And you might be surprised by the cybersecurity angle: connecting the extended supply chain solves one visibility problem, while opening up new exposure through smaller suppliers.

Companies are increasingly focused on employee performance, which is challenging but also gives CHROs and CFOs an opportunity to collaborate. How can these key functions work together to reinforce culture, drive organizational change, and influence the CEO and board?   Join host Diana Scott and guests Henry Artalejo, SVP of global human resources at Griffith Foods, Matt Corker, EVP and chief financial officer at Griffith Foods, and Maria Colacurcio, CEO of Syndio. Find out what defines a people-first organization in 2026, how the CHRO-CFO partnership can drive culture and compensation conversations, and why AI transformation is an opportunity for HR to rebrand itself.   This special episode was recorded on June 3 at the 2026 CHRO Summit, hosted by The Conference Board in Chicago.   For more from The Conference Board: CHRO Summit: Turning Uncertainty into Growth The Conference Board to Honor S&P Global and UL Solutions at 2026 People First People First: Elevating Talent for the Future (Event)  

Step into Episode 216 of On The Delo as Delo sits down with Roland Wood III — a Phoenix-born, west-side-raised finance veteran who went from staff accountant to CFO across some of Arizona's most recognized restaurant concepts, including Grimaldi's and Square One. Roland pulls back the curtain on what a CFO actually does, why the best ones never win a popularity contest, and how "if the math doesn't math" sometimes the answer just has to be no.From navigating 50 Grimaldi's locations during a financial restructuring and securing $6–7M in COVID relief programs for Square One, to breaking down food cost management, inventory tech, marketing ROI, and the real value of fractional CFO services for growing hospitality groups — this conversation is packed with honest, practical perspective that operators, owners, and industry professionals rarely get to hear. Roland also unpacks why cutting quality to save margin is a long-game trap, how to use fixed pricing agreements to avoid supply volatility, and why "you will never save your way to prosperity."Chapter Guide (Timestamps):(0:00 - 1:50) Delo's New Book: Risky Business & Intro to Roland Wood III(1:51 - 5:06) Roland's Background, West Side Phoenix & the Restaurant Scene(5:07 - 9:28) School, ASU, Early Career & How Roland Landed in Restaurants(9:29 - 13:54) What a CFO Actually Does: Banking, Cash Flow & Hard Conversations(13:55 - 17:22) Grimaldi's: 50 Locations, Capital Structure & Food Cost Differences(17:23 - 21:38) Inventory Tech, ERP Systems, Cogswell, Craftable & Portion Decisions(21:39 - 25:09) Food Pricing Strategy, Fixed Agreements & Hedging Against Volatility(25:10 - 27:52) Marketing ROI: How Finance Holds Marketing Accountable for Traffic(27:53 - 32:28) Square One: COVID-Era Entry, Multi-Concept Finance & Barrett's Portfolio(32:29 - 34:47) Fractional CFO Services: Who It's For, Ideal Client & the Value Proposition(34:48 - 42:21) Rapid Fire + Roland's Finance Philosophy: Invest, Don't Just Cut(42:22 - 42:43) Delo's Close, Book Promo & Podcast Sponsor Mention

Everyone says seat-based pricing is dead, but do you actually have an outcome you can charge for? In episode #377, Ben Murray breaks down the 12 steps to building an outcome-based pricing plan, drawn from analyzing real, live outcome-based pricing pages and the fine print buried in their terms and conditions. Outcome pricing is complex to design and even harder for customers to understand: when are they charged, and where is the failure point at which they aren't? For SaaS founders and CFOs weighing a move to outcome- or agentic-AI pricing, getting the unit, success criteria, and spend controls right is the difference between a model customers trust and one that creates budget anxiety and billing disputes. How to decide whether you even have a billable outcome, and why a completed customer result is not the same as an activity. How to define the outcome unit and write success criteria twice, with real examples from Intercom's Fin, Help Scout's AI Answers, and Zendesk's 72-hour resolution window. Why failure forgiveness is a conversion tool, not just billing logic, and how measurement windows protect you from outcomes that unravel later. How to choose your commercial structure, anchor price to labor savings, revenue, or risk avoidance, and plan for the training lag before charges begin. Why spend controls and auditable billing events are non-negotiable, and how to know when outcome pricing is the wrong model entirely. Tune in for the full framework, then grab the deep-dive blog post before you design your next AI pricing plan. Resources Mentioned Ben's blog post: 12 Steps to Creating an Outcome-Based Pricing Plan: https://www.thesaascfo.com/how-to-build-outcome-based-pricing/

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

In this episode of FP&A Unlocked, Paul Barnhurst sits down with Robert Blanding, an experienced finance and operations leader in the ag-tech sector. Robert shares insights on building high-performing FP&A teams, partnering effectively with accounting, developing financial acumen, and applying strategic finance to drive operational impact in global businesses.Robert Blanding is the Chief Financial Officer at Fall Creek, a global leader in the Ag-Tech sector. He brings extensive experience in finance and operations from 18 years at Intel and leadership roles across industrial manufacturing, technology, and ag-tech companies. Robert combines strategic financial leadership with a focus on innovation, long-term business growth, and developing high-performing teams.Expect to Learn:What great FP&A looks like and the importance of business acumenHow to develop strong partnerships between FP&A and accountingStrategies for building high-performing, empowered finance teamsNavigating systems, processes, and technology challenges in FP&AHere are a few relevant quotes from the episode:"It starts with being connected to the business, having strong acumen, and being consulted by stakeholders." – Robert Blanding"Investing in relationships outside of crisis is critical to getting support from accounting and operations." – Robert BlandingRobert shares practical insights for FP&A professionals and aspiring CFOs, emphasizing the importance of business acumen, strong partnerships with accounting, creative problem-solving, and developing high-performing teams.Follow Robert:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rfb19/Company Website: https://www.fallcreeknursery.com/Earn Your CPE Credit For CPE credit, please go to earmarkcpe.com, listen to the episode, download the app, answer a few questions, and earn your CPE certification. To earn education credits for the FPAC Certificate, take the quiz on earmark and contact Paul Barnhurst for further details.In Today's Episode[00:00] – Trailer[03:55] – Defining Great FP&A[07:39] – Career Path & First CFO Role[17:49] – Fall Creek & Ag-Tech Overview[21:18] – Importance of FP&A & Accounting Partnership[32:23] – Creative Problem Solving & Process Improvement[38:59] – Challenges in Building High-Performing Teams[45:32] – Advice for Aspiring CFOs[49:11] – Top Technical Skill for FP&A Professionals[52:50] – Personal Interests & Basketball[56:12] – How to Connect with Robert

Episode SummaryIn this archive episode of With Flying Colors, Mark sits down with Todd Miller — longtime NCUA expert, former Director of Special Actions, and member of the CU Exam Solutions team — to break down one of the most misunderstood and under-optimized tools in credit union governance: the board package.Boards get in trouble not because they don't care, Todd explains, but because they are often misinformed, overwhelmed, or kept in the dark. A well-designed board package solves that — if it's built with the right mix of clarity, consistency, and candor.Todd explains:What high-performing board packages includeWhy “size and complexity” shape reporting expectationsThe danger of data dumps, inconsistent formatting, and detail overloadHow to pair dashboards with strong qualitative narrativesThe one question every executive should answer in their reportsWhy peer comparisons matterHow risk appetite, strategic plans, and deviation explanations must tie togetherReal-world stories from troubled and well-run credit unionsHow to avoid examiner criticism by aligning reporting with actual riskThis episode is full of practical actions your board and leadership team can apply immediately.Key Themes & Takeaways1. Great Board Packages Balance Qualitative + Quantitative ReportingTodd outlines a simple principle: Board reports should demonstrate management's compliance with the business plan, board policies, and the credit union's risk appetite. transcript Board Packages Todd …Boards need both data and narrative to understand where the credit union is, how it got there, and where it's going.2. Consistency Builds Board TrustFrom formatting to color-coding to dashboards, consistency helps directors quickly understand risk without getting bogged down.Inconsistent layouts or disorganized reporting create confusion and can lead to micromanagement or oversight failures.3. Avoid the “Data Dump” TrapTodd highlights that many troubled credit unions had mountains of data… but no clarity. Board packets that keep expanding over time—without periodic pruning—bury critical insights.Annual reviews of what stays, what goes, and how information is summarized are essential.4. Dashboards Are Critical — But Must Be Thoughtfully BuiltDashboards should show:Where the CU has beenWhere it is nowWhere it's trending nextThey must also be paired with narrative analysis to flag:VariancesDeviations from strategic/annual plansNew risksNew opportunities5. The Biggest Blind Spot: Credit Risk ReportingCredit risk is the No. 1 cause of failures. Todd explains how to reduce hundreds of pages into 2–3 meaningful pages with:Risk migration visualsLTV + credit score overlaysPortfolio trendsBusiness loan concentration & large-borrower exposure6. Committees Create Risk — and Reporting ObligationsALCO, lending, IT, risk committees… Boards need visibility but not minutiae.Todd walks through how well-run credit unions:Summarize committee outputElevate red flagsKeep the board focused on strategy, not operations7. Real-World Stories—The Good, The Bad, The UglyTodd shares examples of:39 unprofitable branches hidden in an overly detailed packetBoards blindsided by marijuana banking risk and resulting finesA $4 million depositor walking out because the board lacked contextThese stories underscore the need for transparency, context, and prioritization.Why This MattersA strong board package:Improves governanceEnhances regulator confidencePrevents surprisesSupports faster, cleaner examsKeeps boards strategicHelps management demonstrate competence and controlThis episode is a must-listen for CEOs, CFOs, lending executives, and directors looking to elevate their governance culture.

Alicia Richardson is the co-founder and managing partner of Crowd Access, the first independent measurement company creating a standard for experiential marketing. With 18 years of experience across advertising, media, sales, and measurement, Alicia has held roles at Undertone, OpenSlate, DoubleVerify, and Essence Ventures, where she helped lead sales across a powerful portfolio including Essence, Beautycon, Refinery29, and Afropunk. Today, through Crowd Access, she is helping bring clarity, accountability, and common language to an industry that has long relied on applause, attendance, and glossy recap reports instead of true performance measurement.This episode we discuss:Alicia's path from advertising and media measurement to building Crowd Access.Why experiential marketing has outgrown the language it borrowed from digital.The problem with measuring live events through attendance, applause, and surface-level engagement.Why brands need to define what success looks like before an activation is built.How Crowd Access is creating the first independent measurement standard for experiential marketing.The role of the Experiential Power Index, or EPI, in evaluating events and sponsorship opportunities.Why transparency, common language, and real-time measurement are critical to the future of the industry.How experiential teams can move from post-event “autopsy reports” to actionable insights while an event is still happening.Why agencies are often unfairly tasked with proving ROI without the right tools or shared metrics.How better measurement can help brands justify larger experiential budgets to CMOs, CFOs, and leadership teams.Follow Alicia and Crowd Access at:https://www.crowdaccess.co/https://www.instagram.com/crowdaccess/Thanks for tuning in. Check us out at https://www.instagram.com/markstephenagency/

Join Ben Murray on The SaaS CFO Podcast as he welcomes Pac O'Shea, CEO and co-founder of Round Treasury. In this episode, Pac O'Shea shares his journey from fintech consulting to launching a SaaS company focused on automating finance operations for growing businesses. Discover how Round Treasury is using AI and automation to streamline cash management, accounts payable, and reporting, empowering CFOs and founders to save time and make smarter financial decisions. Pac O'Shea talks about building secure agentic workflows, the realities of raising capital in today's AI-driven market, and why transparency in pricing matters. Whether you're a finance leader or startup founder, you'll get practical insights into the future of back office automation, the challenges of scaling a SaaS company, and strategies for engaging with CFOs in a rapidly changing tech landscape. Show Notes: 00:00 Early treasury product for businesses 04:48 Building AI for Stable Coin Payments 07:38 Testing AI for banking tasks 13:13 Customer referrals and word-of-mouth 14:36 Discussing the pricing model update 17:40 Hiring focus and enterprise projects Links: Pac O'Shea's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pac-o-shea/ Round Treasury's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/roundtreasury Round Treasury's Website: https://www.roundtreasury.com/ To learn more about Ben check out the links below: Subscribe to Ben's daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben's SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben's SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

Buy-side carve-outs can create significant value for acquiring companies, but they can also present complex challenges. In this episode, we’re joined by Kameron Kordestani, Anna Mattson, and Rui Silva to discuss how leaders—particularly CFOs, integration managers, and CHROs—must balance financial structuring, operational planning, and people management to ensure a value-creating transition. Related insights How buyers can successfully navigate integrating a carve-out The power of goodbye: How carve-outs can unleash value Solving the carve-out conundrumSupport the show: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance/See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Was passiert, wenn eine IT-Abteilung im eigenen Unternehmen vor allem als Kostentreiber wahrgenommen wird – intransparent, wenig vertrauenswürdig, weit weg vom Business? Genau das war die Ausgangssituation, die Jörg Kohlenz vorfand, als er 2022 als Group CIO zum Wuppertaler Traditionsunternehmen Vorwerk wechselte. Seine Antwort auf diese Herausforderung war überraschend: nicht zuerst Technologie modernisieren, nicht zuerst Prozesse optimieren – sondern Führung transformieren. Im Herbst 2022 startete Jörg Kohlenz das Transformationsprogramm „Everest", das die Vorwerk-IT grundlegend verändern sollte: neue Strukturen, neue Arbeitsweisen und vor allem eine neue Führungskultur. Im Gespräch erklärt Jörg Kohlenz, warum IT-Transformation vor allem ein Führungsthema ist, wie er fünf Führungsprinzipien – Walk the talk, Give and earn trust, Purpose, Autonomy und Learn continuously – als Grundlage für den kulturellen Wandel entwickelt hat, und wie daraus drei IT-Werte entstanden sind, die für alle Mitarbeitenden gelten: Value Creation, Joined Ownership und Aligned Autonomy. Außerdem spricht er darüber, wie die IT-Organisation strukturell neu aufgestellt wurde, welche Widerstände es gab – und was die Transformation nach rund drei Jahren konkret gebracht hat. Eine Episode für CFOs, Controller und IT-Verantwortliche, die verstehen wollen, warum der Schlüssel zu einer erfolgreichen IT-Transformation nicht in der Technologie liegt – sondern in der Führung.

Rory O'Neill, CMO of Checkout.com, doesn't just solve for payments- he's solving for brand preference in a crowded payments space. And he's doing it by competing on what's different, not what others do better. That insight changes everything, from how you position payments to how you build a team that can sustain growth as a challenger. In the latest episode of Scratch, Rory breaks down the playbook that lets Checkout compete with global giants. Brand preference wins 95% of B2B deals before salespeople ever show up- so your marketing owns the invisible 60% of the buyer's journey. Challenger brands win by picking one fight and building culture around it, not chasing everything competitors do. He reveals the three-part formula: focus your core business, build your culture, reinvest profit. Consumer marketing skills-data, insight, action-are B2B's secret superpower. And his rule: if you wouldn't say it at dinner, don't write it in marketing. The key takeaway: Brand preference wins deals - 95% of the time, the brands on the day-one top-five list are the ones that win. B2B buyers spend 60% of their journey before contacting a salesperson. Define your focus as a challenger - Compete on what's different, not on what competitors do better. Checkout only does digital payments to stay focused while competitors spread across multiple business lines. Three elements beat category norms - Focus on your core business, build the human operating system (culture, people, vision), then reinvest capital in new products. Consumer marketer skills are powerful in B2B - Data, insight, action, brand building, and performance marketing from the consumer world unlock B2B success. Understand stakeholder maps - B2B is complex: CTOs influence CFOs, recommenders influence buyers. Map those relationships to win. Simplify your language - Ditch jargon like "frictionless" and "seamless." Use words you'd use at dinner. Marketing becomes more interesting and understood. Marketing is logic and magic - Be both data-driven and creative. Avoid letting fiefdoms kill integrated work. Join everything together. Watch the video version of this podcast on Youtube ▶️: https://youtu.be/chR0mn9Pum0 Scratch is a production of Rival, a marketing innovation consultancy that develops strategies and capabilities that help businesses grow faster. Scratch is hosted by Eric Fulwiler, and he's joined by Rory O'Neill of Checkout.com in this episode. Find Rival online at www.wearerival.com, LinkedIn  Find Eric on LinkedIn Find Rory on LinkedIn  Say hi at media@wearerival.com, we'd love to hear from you. Rival is a marketing consultancy for brands that want to challenge convention in their category. We're on a mission to understand what challenger brands do differently to grow in categories that are being disrupted, and use a challenger playbook to deliver outsized impact through an integrated, tech-enabled approach. Past guests include CMOs from Mastercard, GE, Shell, Hyperloop, Adobe, PepsiCo, and Papa Johns.If you're interested in learning more about marketing from successful CMOs, we compiled a list of the top 5 CMO podcasts to listen to in 2024; check it out here

Is your 2027 software budget ready for the AI spend that's about to blow past every forecast you've built? In episode #376, Ben Murray covers five takeaways for CFOs from the Pricing I/O AI Pricing Report, produced in partnership with Benchmarkit, which surveyed 296 software buyers in Q1 2026. With budget season around the corner and demand for tokens, agentic AI, and tools like ChatGPT and Claude climbing fast, the gap between what buyers want and where AI pricing is heading has never mattered more. If you own a software budget or sell AI software, these findings reshape how you should think about predictability, governance, and the guardrails buyers are actually asking for. Why buyers rank predictable total cost as a top-3 priority, far above low entry price, and why the seat-based pricing obituary may be premature for enterprise deals. What the 89% budget-overrun rate really signals: a forecasting problem on the buy side, not vendors changing the rules after signing. Why credit and token pricing is the single hardest model to evaluate, and what Salesforce's new agentic work units mean for your bill. The surprising finding that IT, not Finance, owns AI cost risk, and why department-level allocation of token spend is the fix. Why buyers want soft caps, alerts, and approval steps over hard cutoffs, and where hard caps get genuinely painful in outcome-based pricing. Tune in to get the buyer-side data shaping AI pricing before you lock in your 2027 budget. Resources Mentioned Pricing I/O AI Pricing Report: https://www.benchmarkit.ai/widget/ai-pricing/cy-26?utm_source=TheSaaSCFO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=TheSaaSCFO Ben's blog post: 12 Steps to Creating Your Outcome-Based Pricing: https://www.thesaascfo.com/how-to-build-outcome-based-pricing/

Can you really grow your business if you don't understand your numbers? Many entrepreneurs delegate their finances as soon as they can afford to, but what happens when you're so removed from your financial data that you can't make informed decisions about hiring, growth, or profitability? In this episode of Life Changing Money, Barbara sits down with CFO strategist and educator Rehana Mohamed, whose mission is to help founders think like CFOs. Drawing from her background in accounting, consulting, and executive leadership, Rehana shares how business owners can use financial data to make smarter decisions, avoid costly mistakes, and create sustainable growth. The conversation explores the financial blind spots many entrepreneurs face, the importance of understanding what you're delegating, and how leaders can maintain oversight without getting lost in the day-to-day details. Rehana also shares practical insights on family finances, teaching children healthy money habits, and why surrounding yourself with the right people can dramatically accelerate your growth. Tune in to hear: Why every founder should learn to think like a CFO The difference between collecting data and making decisions from data How financial clarity impacts hiring and scaling decisions Common mistakes business owners make when delegating finances The shocking story of uncovering a $50,000 internal theft Why understanding your numbers creates stronger leadership The importance of financial oversight and checks and balances How to identify subscription leaks and hidden expenses Practical ways to have healthy money conversations with your spouse Teaching kids financial responsibility in an instant-gratification world The power of mastermind communities and proximity to high-level entrepreneurs Why in-person networking and speaking opportunities matter more than ever How Rehana is helping teens become entrepreneurs through action-based education The leadership responsibilities that should never be delegated Connect with Rehana Mohamed https://www.instagram.com/rehanaexplainsitall/ How To Get Involved: Life-Changing Money is a podcast all about money. We share stories of how money has impacted and radically changed the lives of others—and how it can do the same for you. Your host, Barbara Schreihans (pronounced ShREE-hands) is the founder and CEO of Your Tax Coach, and the creator of the Write Off Your Life Course. She is a top tax strategist, business coach, and expert in helping business owners and high-net-worth individuals save millions in taxes while increasing profits. When she's not leading her team, coaching clients, or dreaming up new goals for her company, you can find her drinking coffee, hanging out with her family, and traveling the world. Grab a cup of coffee and become inspired as we hear from those who have overcome and are overcoming their self-limiting beliefs and money mindsets! Do you have a burning question that you'd love to hear answered on a future show? Please email it to: podcast@yourtaxcoach.biz Sign Up For Our Newsletter Life Changing Money Podcast Get Tax Help!

In this episode of Future Finance, Paul Barnhurst and Glenn Hopper sit down with Dave Trier, CEO of ModelOp, to discuss how enterprises can govern, manage, and operate AI at scale. Dave shares insights on implementing AI responsibly, tracking ROI, managing risks, and creating an enterprise-wide AI portfolio that drives value while ensuring compliance and governance.Dave Trier leads ModelOp with a focus on customer value, product innovation, and enterprise execution. With over 20 years in data science, AI, analytics, cloud, and enterprise software, he brings technical expertise and a pragmatic leadership style, helping CIOs, CTOs, and AI leaders deploy AI effectively across organizations .In this episode, you will discover:How enterprises can scale AI responsibly and reliablyThe CFO's role in AI oversight and portfolio managementMeasuring AI value through ROI, usage, and internal feedbackDistinctions between AI governance and traditional data governanceImportance of change management and structured AI adoptionDave provides a framework for enterprise AI adoption, emphasizing disciplined management, measurable impact, and alignment with regulatory and operational requirements. This episode is essential for finance and tech leaders looking to integrate AI at scale while ensuring oversight, efficiency, and business value . Follow Dave:Website: https://www.modelop.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidetrier/Follow Glenn:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gbhopperiiiFollow Paul:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefpandaguyFollow QFlow.AI:Website - https://bit.ly/4i1EkjgFuture Finance is sponsored by QFlow.ai, the strategic finance platform solving the toughest part of planning and analysis: B2B revenue. Align sales, marketing, and finance, speed up decision-making, and lock in accountability with QFlow.ai. Stay tuned for a deeper understanding of how AI is shaping the future of finance and what it means for businesses and individuals alike.In Today's Episode:[00:00] – Trailer[02:38] – AI Compliance & Governance Challenges[04:35] – Distinction Between AI & Data Governance[07:28] – Measuring AI Value & ROI[12:41] – Treating AI as a Portfolio of Investments[15:05] – Change Management & Enterprise Adoption[17:39] – Wild West of AI & Need for Rigorous Processes[18:54] – CFO Oversight in AI Implementation[21:00] – Closing Remarks

Growth often looks impressive from the outside. New markets, new capabilities and new headlines. But as organizations scale, leaders quickly discover that growth is the visible part. Integration is the real work.In this episode of The CFO Show, Melissa Howatson sits down with Jim Peko, CEO of Grant Thornton Advisors LLC, to discuss one of the most significant transformations in the firm's 100-year history. As Grant Thornton evolves from a traditional partnership model into a unified multinational platform bringing together nearly 20 firms and 25,000 professionals, Jim shares lessons on governance, leadership, culture and long-term value creation.Together, they explore:Why true transformation requires more than incremental changeHow governance structures can accelerate or hinder growthThe difference between acquisition and integration, and why integration creates valueHow leaders can balance global consistency with local autonomyWhy transparency and communication matter during periods of changeHow AI and technology investments support quality, scalability and client outcomesLeadership lessons from transforming a 100-year-old organizationWhether leading a major acquisition, scaling internationally or modernizing a legacy business, this conversation offers practical insights for CFOs and enterprise leaders navigating transformation at scale.

What happens when software adapts to humans, rather than humans adapting to software?In this episode of Riding Unicorns, James and Hector sit down with Jonathan Sanders, Founder & CEO of Light, the AI-native finance platform redefining how businesses manage money.Jonathan's journey spans investment banking, consulting, Pleo, founding Juni, and now building Light. Along the way, he has developed a unique perspective on technology, AI, and what the next generation of business software will look like.The conversation explores Jonathan's concept of "organic software" where AI agents learn, adapt, and operate alongside teams, reducing complexity and transforming finance from a reporting function into a strategic intelligence layer.Jonathan shares real-world examples of AI agents managing company spend, monitoring compliance, automating finance workflows, and generating insights that would have been impossible just a few years ago.The discussion also covers founder psychology, building through uncertainty, AI-first organisations, and how leadership teams must evolve in a world where software development, product design, and operations are increasingly powered by AI.Topics Covered:• Jonathan's journey from finance and consulting into startups• Why founding a company is one of the hardest ways to create change• The concept of "organic software" and AI-native business tools• How AI agents learn from company behaviour and improve over time• Building finance software that tells stories instead of generating reports• Real-world examples of autonomous finance workflows• Why AI is changing the role of CFOs and finance teams• How Light uses AI internally across product, engineering, and operations• The rise of AI-first organisations and new ways of working• Founder resilience, stress, and the realities of building companies• Why software development is changing faster than most people realise• The future of business operations in an AI-native worldThis is a conversation about the next generation of software, the future of work, and what happens when AI becomes a true operating system for businesses.

Geschätzte Lesedauer: 14 Minuten Was unterscheidet einen deutschen Vertriebsingenieur von einem amerikanischen Sales-Profi – und was kann der deutsche Mittelstand aus fast zwei Jahrzehnten internationalem B2B-Vertrieb lernen? Genau darum geht es in dieser Folge. Mein Gast Olaf Detlef hat acht Jahre in Shanghai verbracht, dann elf Jahre in den USA – und ist seit Anfang 2025 zurück in Deutschland. Als Geschäftsführer von Kendrion Industrial Brakes bringt er Erfahrungen mit, die kaum jemand im deutschsprachigen Mittelstand so gesammelt hat. Und ich sage dir: Es lohnt sich, genau hinzuhören. Internationaler B2B Vertrieb: Drei Kontinente, drei Lektionen Olaf ist kein Vertriebstheoretiker. Er hat als junger Vertriebler den Finger gehoben, als sein damaliger Arbeitgeber – ein Mittelständler mit 300 Mitarbeitern – einen Aufbau in China suchte. Kein Netzwerk, keine China-Erfahrung und außerdem keine Sprachkenntnisse. Aber er war der Einzige, der sich gemeldet hat. Folglich wurden aus geplanten drei Jahren acht. Danach folgte Amerika – auch dort sollte es drei Jahre werden, doch es wurden elf. Wer in zwei Märkten, die kaum unterschiedlicher sein könnten, erfolgreich Vertrieb aufgebaut hat, der sieht danach das Geschäft in Deutschland mit ganz anderen Augen. Was Olaf mitgebracht hat, ist kein Handbuch. Es ist ein Mindset – und eine Menge konkreter Beobachtungen, die direkt auf den deutschen Mittelstand übertragbar sind. Lass uns die wichtigsten durchgehen. China: Zustimmung im Meeting ist keine Zustimmung im System Die erste große Lektion aus dem internationalen B2B Vertrieb kommt aus Shanghai. Olaf hatte ein vielversprechendes Projekt im Bereich Windkraft. Die Meetings liefen gut, die Stimmung war positiv, der CFO war dabei. Beim anschließenden Abendessen fehlte dieser plötzlich. Und am Ende wurde nicht das komplette System bestellt – sondern nur eine Komponente. Was war passiert? Olaf hatte die Zustimmung im Meeting mit einer echten Entscheidung verwechselt. In China läuft vieles über Gesichtswahrung. Ein „Ja" im Gespräch bedeutet oft nicht mehr als: Ich möchte dich nicht in Verlegenheit bringen. Die eigentlichen Entscheider sitzen im Hintergrund – die sogenannte unbekannte Einkäufergruppe. Und die hat niemand auf dem Schirm gehabt. Das klingt zunächst wie ein China-spezifisches Problem. Tatsächlich ist es das aber nicht. Denn genau dasselbe passiert täglich in deutschen Vertriebsgesprächen. Der Kunde sagt: „Schick mir mal ein Angebot." Daraufhin denkt der Verkäufer: Auftrag in Sicht. Was der Kunde gemeint hat: Ich habe keine Zeit mehr für dieses Gespräch. Der Unterschied ist also nur, dass in Deutschland niemand so höflich ist, es nicht zu sagen – und dass in China niemand so direkt ist, es auszusprechen. „Eine Zustimmung im Meeting bedeutet noch lange keine Zustimmung im System." – Olaf Detlef Stakeholder-Management: Der Spaghetti-Ball, den du verstehen musst Eine der wertvollsten Erkenntnisse aus dem internationalen B2B Vertrieb – und gleichzeitig eine, die im deutschen Mittelstand noch viel zu selten gelebt wird – ist das konsequente Stakeholder-Mapping. Olaf beschreibt, wie sein Team eine Kundenorganisation aufgezeichnet hat und am Ende vor einem Bild stand, das aussah wie ein Spaghetti-Ball. Verwirrend. Undurchsichtig. Kaum zu entwirren. Die entscheidende Frage dabei: Wer muss diesen Spaghetti-Ball eigentlich verstehen? Der Kunde selbst? Meistens weiß der nicht mal genau, wer bei ihm intern alles mitentscheidet. Es ist unsere Aufgabe als Vertrieb, das herauszufinden – und zwar bevor wir in den ersten echten Discovery Call gehen. Ein konkretes Beispiel: Olaf hatte ein Projekt, das praktisch abgeschlossen war. Doch kurz vor Projektabschluss meldete sich plötzlich der Produktionsleiter – den niemand auf dem Schirm hatte, nicht einmal der Kunde selbst. Sein Urteil: So geht das nicht. Folglich kam es zu über einem Jahr Verzögerung. Mein Tipp dazu, den ich auch in Workshops immer wieder bringe: Mach eine Stakeholder-Map. Wie in einem Tatort-Krimi – Fotos an die Wand, Fäden ziehen, fragen: Wen kennen wir noch gar nicht? Wer könnte noch mitentscheiden? Wo fehlen uns Informationen? Tools wie LinkedIn Sales Navigator helfen dabei, Entscheidungsstrukturen zu recherchieren – und gezielt Fragen zu stellen, die den richtigen Ansprechpartner ins Spiel bringen. So baust du deine Stakeholder-Map auf So erstellst du eine Stakeholder-Map für komplexe B2B-Deals Bekannte Kontakte auflisten Notiere alle Personen, mit denen du bereits Kontakt hattest – Name, Rolle, Abteilung. Entscheidungsstruktur recherchieren Nutze LinkedIn Sales Navigator, um herauszufinden, wer an wen berichtet und welche Rollen noch relevant sein könnten. Weiße Flecken markieren Wo fehlen Kontakte? Einkauf, Produktion, Qualität, Geschäftsführung – welche Ebenen hast du noch nicht erreicht? Gezielte Fragen im nächsten Gespräch stellen Frag deinen Ansprechpartner aktiv: „Sollten wir auch Herrn Müller aus der Qualitätssicherung einbeziehen?" – so eröffnest du Türen, ohne aufdringlich zu wirken. Map laufend aktualisieren Stakeholder-Maps sind keine einmalige Übung. Aktualisiere sie mit jeder neuen Information aus Gesprächen, E-Mails und Recherchen. Vom Problem hinter dem Problem: Was chinesische Verhandlungsstrategien uns lehren Olaf hatte in China das Glück, einen Mentor zu finden – einen Deutschen, der in Aachen studiert hatte, fließend Deutsch sprach und beide Kulturen wirklich kannte. Dieser Mentor machte ihn auf eine alte chinesische Verhandlungsstrategie aufmerksam, die heute noch im internationalen B2B Vertrieb angewendet wird: das Feuer vom Kochtopf entziehen. Gemeint ist: Das Wasser kocht – aber du musst nicht das Wasser abkühlen, du musst die Flamme wegnehmen. Übertragen auf den Vertrieb: Was ist wirklich die Ursache des Problems? Was will der Kunde wirklich erreichen? Will er Preisführer werden? Nach Europa exportieren? Netzwerk aufbauen? Die Symptome sind sichtbar – die eigentlichen Ursachen liegen tiefer. Das ist im Grunde das, was ich immer als „Problem hinter dem Problem" bezeichne. Ein Kunde sagt, er braucht eine neue Industriebremse. Okay. Aber warum? Was läuft mit dem aktuellen Lieferanten nicht? Welche Herausforderungen hat er? Und wenn er sagt, er ist mit dem aktuellen Lieferanten super zufrieden – was steckt dann wirklich dahinter? Genau hier liegt der Unterschied zwischen einem Vertriebsingenieur, der Features erklärt, und einem Verkäufer, der wirklich versteht, was der Kunde braucht. Amerika: Geschwindigkeit, Klarheit und der erste Call entscheidet alles Nach acht Jahren China kam für Olaf Amerika. Und der Kulturschock war in gewisser Weise noch größer – weil man glaubt, Amerika zu kennen. Tut man aber nicht. Die USA haben Olaf gelehrt: Im internationalen B2B Vertrieb zählt Geschwindigkeit. Amerikanische Kunden wollen früh wissen, ob eine Lösung grundsätzlich passt. Kein vollständiges Konzept, keine fertige Zeichnung – eine Skizze und eine grobe Preiseinschätzung reichen für einen ersten Orientierungspunkt. Während ein deutscher Ingenieur sagt „Das kann man nicht schätzen, das müssen wir genau berechnen", antwortet der amerikanische Einkäufer innerlich bereits: „Nächster Bitte." Noch entscheidender: In den USA gilt – wenn der erste Call nicht sitzt, bist du raus. Nicht etwa nach dem zweiten oder dritten Gespräch, sondern bereits nach dem ersten. Keine zweite Chance, kein Wiederanlauf. Das klingt zwar hart, bringt aber eine wichtige Konsequenz mit sich: Der Discovery Call muss so vorbereitet sein wie eine Präsentation vor dem Vorstand. Dazu kommt: Eine freundliche Gesprächsatmosphäre in den USA bedeutet keine Verbindlichkeit. Amerikaner sind von Natur aus freundlich und offen – das ist kulturell bedingt, aber kein Kaufsignal. Olaf hat das selbst schmerzhaft erlebt: Ein Meeting verlief bestens, er war am Ende überzeugend, aber er hatte das eigentliche Signal – es geht auch um einen Preisvorteil – überhört. Danach kam nichts mehr. Der Discovery Call: Das wichtigste Meeting im internationalen B2B Vertrieb Was Olaf aus Amerika mitgenommen hat und jetzt in Deutschland umsetzt, ist eine neue Ernsthaftigkeit gegenüber dem Discovery Call. Früher, als man sich noch persönlich getroffen hat, gab es ein Warm-up, ein paar Minuten Smalltalk, man konnte die Körpersprache des Gegenübers lesen. Heute hat man 30 bis 45 Minuten – manchmal mit Kameras aus, manchmal kommen kurzfristig unbekannte Teilnehmer dazu. Und in dieser Zeit soll man sich vorstellen, den Kunden verstehen, seinen Nutzen zeigen und die nächsten Schritte klären. Das ist kein Meeting mehr – das ist ein Sprint. Und wer unvorbereitet reingeht, verliert. Cross-funktionale Teams statt Einzelkämpfer Olafs Ansatz: Cross-funktionale Teams für wichtige Discovery Calls. Nicht einer geht alleine rein, sondern zwei bis drei Personen mit unterschiedlichen Fähigkeiten. Ein Techniker, ein Kaufmann und außerdem jemand, der gut zuhört und nachfragt. Das hat mehrere Vorteile: Zum einen kannst du das Playbook wechseln, wenn sich herausstellt, dass auf der anderen Seite plötzlich ein CFO statt eines Ingenieurs sitzt. Zum anderen zeigst du Kompetenz durch Professionalität. Und schließlich kannst du auf fast jede Frage sofort antworten. Dazu hat Olaf bei Kendrion ein Setup gebaut, das einem kleinen Nachrichtenstudio ähnelt: mehrere Kameras, professionelle Beleuchtung, ein Setup, das Professionalität ausstrahlt. Im klassischen Maschinenbau ist das noch die Ausnahme – genau deshalb fällt es auf. Und genau deshalb funktioniert es. Deutschland: Ingenieure im Vertrieb – Stärke und Schwäche zugleich Seit Anfang 2025 ist Olaf wieder in Deutschland. Und was er sieht, klingt vertraut – vielleicht zu vertraut. Deutsche Vertriebsingenieure sind tief in der Technik. Sie können erklären, wie ein Produkt funktioniert, welche Toleranzen es hat, welche Zulassungen vorliegen. Das ist ein echtes Asset. Aber es ist eben auch eine Falle. Denn während der deutsche Vertriebsingenieur noch erklärt, hat der amerikanische Einkäufer schon innerlich aufgehört zuzuhören. Olaf beschreibt das sehr treffend: In China waren deutsche Ingenieure noch bewundert – die Präzision, die Tiefe, das Fachwissen haben Eindruck gemacht. In Amerika hat er manchmal erlebt, wie die Augen seiner Gesprächspartner schon an die Decke wanderten. Die Botschaft: Komm auf den Punkt. Das bedeutet allerdings nicht, dass Fachwissen wertlos ist. Im Gegenteil. Aber es muss in den Dienst des Kunden gestellt werden, anstatt als Selbstzweck präsentiert zu werden. Denn der Kunde will nicht wissen, wie eine Industriebremse funktioniert. Vielmehr will er wissen, was sie für sein konkretes Problem bedeutet. Der informierte Kunde: 60 bis 80 Prozent des Kaufprozesses sind bereits gelaufen Ein weiterer wichtiger Punkt aus der Praxis des internationalen B2B Vertriebs: Der Kunde kommt heute nicht mehr unwissend ins Gespräch. Er hat recherchiert, er hat 3D-Zeichnungen heruntergeladen und außerdem Wettbewerber verglichen – vielleicht hat er sogar schon fünf Pitches gehört. Folglich weiß er in vielen Fällen mehr als mancher Vertriebsmitarbeiter, zumindest über die Marktoptionen. Was bedeutet das für den Vertrieb? Olaf bringt es auf den Punkt: Eine Company-Presentation zu zeigen ist heute irrelevant. Der Einstieg in ein Gespräch über die eigene Geschichte, die eigenen Awards und die eigene Unternehmensphilosophie kostet wertvolle Minuten – und die hat man nicht mehr. Was der Kunde wirklich braucht: Jemanden, der die vielen Informationen, die er bereits hat, in eine sinnvolle Reihenfolge bringt. Der sagt: Das ist zwar interessant, aber das brauchst du eigentlich nicht – weil dieses und jenes dein Problem bereits löst. Das ist echter Kundennutzen. Das ist der Moment, in dem ein Discovery Call nicht endet mit „Danke, wir melden uns" – sondern mit „Das war wirklich hilfreich." Marketing und Vertrieb: Gemeinsam oder gar nicht Wer im internationalen B2B Vertrieb Leads generieren will, kann sich nicht mehr leisten, Marketing und Vertrieb als getrennte Welten zu behandeln. Olaf setzt das konsequent um: Marketing sitzt bei Strategie-Meetings dabei, ist verpflichtet, Content zu liefern, der den Kunden bereits vor dem ersten Kontakt informiert und qualifiziert. Denn wenn 60 bis 80 Prozent der Kaufentscheidung bereits gefallen sind, bevor der Vertrieb ins Spiel kommt, dann muss Marketing diese Phase aktiv gestalten – nicht nur hübsche Broschüren produzieren. Das bedeutet konkret: technische Inhalte, die echte Fragen beantworten. Dazu Case Studies, die zeigen, wie das Problem tatsächlich gelöst wurde. Außerdem 3D-Zeichnungen, die der Kunde direkt verwenden kann. Und schließlich eine Website, die nicht über das Unternehmen redet, sondern über den Kunden und seine Herausforderungen. Mindset-Change statt Training: Der Challenger-Club als Modell Wie überträgt man all diese Erkenntnisse aus dem internationalen B2B Vertrieb auf ein deutsches Team? Olaf hat bei Kendrion einen Weg gewählt, den ich wirklich spannend finde: keinen Frontalunterricht, kein externes Training, das nach zwei Tagen vergessen ist. Stattdessen: einen Club. Erst gab es eine Verhandlungsgruppe – ein freiwilliger Zusammenschluss, der Vertrieblern hilft, schwierige Verhandlungen zu meistern. Das Format: Man liest Bücher, trifft sich, diskutiert – und hilft anderen in der Gruppe mit echten, laufenden Verhandlungen. Als Olaf den Zugang begrenzte und Bewerbungen verlangte, war der Club innerhalb von 24 Stunden ausgebucht. Dieses Prinzip hat er auf den Challenger-Sale-Ansatz übertragen. Eine gemischte Gruppe – Vertrieb, Konstruktion, Logistik – arbeitet gemeinsam daran, echte Fälle zu analysieren und Playbooks für unterschiedliche Stakeholder-Konstellationen zu entwickeln. Kein Lehrbuch, gelebte Praxis. Und der Sog-Effekt funktioniert: Andere Mitarbeiter fragen inzwischen, warum sie nicht dabei sein dürfen. Warum der Chef selbst mitmachen muss Das Wichtigste dabei: Olaf macht selbst mit. Denn er ist nicht der Chef, der von oben anordnet. Vielmehr ist er ein Teil des Teams – angreifbar, offen für Fragen und außerdem bereit zuzugeben, dass er selbst nicht immer alle Antworten hat. Genau dieser Führungsstil ist es, der echten Wandel überhaupt erst möglich macht. „Erst verstehen, dann verstanden werden." – Olaf Detlef KI im internationalen B2B Vertrieb: Noch am Anfang, aber unverzichtbar Auch das Thema KI kommt nicht zu kurz. Bei Kendrion ist man gerade dabei, die richtigen Tools auszuwählen – Enterprise-Versionen, die datenschutzkonform in einem börsennotierten Unternehmen eingesetzt werden können. Ein konkretes Problem, das gelöst werden soll: Informationen wiederfinden. Was früher auf dem Server lag, dann in Teams, dann im SharePoint, dann in der Cloud – und was jetzt niemand mehr findet, wenn ein Kunde fünf Jahre später auf eine damalige Vereinbarung verweist. Parallel läuft der Wechsel aller CRM-Systeme auf SAP Cloud for Customer – mit allen Schmerzen einer Übergangsphase, in der man gleichzeitig das alte System herunterfährt und das neue aufbaut. Das kostet Kraft. Aber wer diese Phase nicht konsequent durchzieht, hat danach keine belastbare Datenbasis – und ohne Datenbasis kein vernünftiger Vertrieb. Der Vertriebsleiter als Ermöglicher, nicht als Aufpasser Einer der wichtigsten Punkte, die Olaf mitbringt, ist sein Führungsverständnis. Ein guter Vertriebsleiter im internationalen B2B Vertrieb – oder auch im rein deutschen Markt – ist kein Händchenhalter und kein Kontrolleur. Vielmehr ist er derjenige, der seine Leute befähigt. Er findet heraus, was im Werkzeugkasten fehlt, und ist bei wichtigen Calls dabei – nicht um zu übernehmen, sondern um zu unterstützen. Außerdem steht er bei schwierigen Situationen als Gesprächspartner zur Verfügung, ohne gleich eine fertige Lösung zu diktieren. Empathieverständnis ist dabei das Schlüsselwort. Wer an der Basis versteht, welchen Druck die Vertriebsmitarbeiter haben – und diesen Druck wirklich ernst nimmt, anstatt ihn weiterzugeben –, schafft ein Klima, in dem Menschen wachsen wollen. Und das ist am Ende das, was Unternehmen langfristig besser macht. Key Takeaways: Was du aus dem internationalen B2B Vertrieb mitnehmen kannst Zustimmung im Gespräch ist kein Kaufsignal – weder in China noch in Deutschland. Hinterfrage immer, welche Stakeholder noch involviert sind. Kenne deine unbekannte Einkäufergruppe – erstelle vor jedem wichtigen Deal eine Stakeholder-Map und mache weiße Flecken sichtbar. Suche das Problem hinter dem Problem – der Kunde nennt dir ein Symptom. Deine Aufgabe ist es, die eigentliche Ursache zu verstehen. Der Discovery Call entscheidet alles – bereite ihn so vor wie ein Vorstandspräsentation. In 30 bis 45 Minuten musst du liefern. Fachwissen ist kein Selbstzweck – stelle dein Wissen in den Dienst des Kunden, nicht in den Dienst deiner eigenen Präsentation. Marketing gehört in den Vertriebsprozess – nicht davor, nicht daneben, sondern mittendrin. Kulturwandel funktioniert nicht per Anweisung – schaffe Sog, nicht Druck. Mach selbst mit. Häufige Fragen zum internationalen B2B Vertrieb (FAQ) Was ist der größte Unterschied zwischen amerikanischem und deutschem B2B Vertrieb? Der größte Unterschied liegt in der Geschwindigkeit und Direktheit. Amerikanische Kunden wollen früh eine grobe Einschätzung – Skizze und Preisgefühl reichen als ersten Orientierungspunkt. Deutsche Ingenieure neigen dazu, erst vollständige Konzepte zu erstellen, bevor sie antworten. Dazu kommt: In den USA entscheidet der erste Call. Wer dort nicht überzeugt, bekommt keine zweite Chance. Was ist die unbekannte Einkäufergruppe im B2B Vertrieb? Die unbekannte Einkäufergruppe bezeichnet alle Stakeholder, die Einfluss auf eine Kaufentscheidung haben, aber im Verlauf des Vertriebsprozesses nicht sichtbar sind. Das können Produktionsleiter, Qualitätsverantwortliche, CFOs oder andere interne Entscheider sein, die im Hintergrund agieren und eine Entscheidung kippen können – auch wenn alle sichtbaren Gesprächspartner bereits zugestimmt haben. Discovery Call, Kultur und Führung – die wichtigsten Praxisfragen Wie bereite ich einen Discovery Call im internationalen B2B Vertrieb richtig vor? Recherchiere vorab alle bekannten Stakeholder, erstelle eine Stakeholder-Map und identifiziere weiße Flecken. Plane, was du in 30 bis 45 Minuten wirklich erreichen willst. Definiere, welche Informationen du brauchst – und welche Fragen dich dorthin führen. Überlege, welche Mitarbeiter mit unterschiedlichen Fähigkeiten du mitbringen kannst, um flexibel auf verschiedene Gesprächspartner reagieren zu können. Warum ist Kulturkompetenz im internationalen B2B Vertrieb so wichtig? Weil Kaufsignale, Kommunikationsstile und Entscheidungsprozesse in verschiedenen Kulturen völlig unterschiedlich funktionieren. Was in Deutschland als Zustimmung gilt, kann in China höfliche Zurückhaltung bedeuten. Was in Amerika als freundlich wahrgenommen wird, ist nicht zwangsläufig Verbindlichkeit. Wer diese Unterschiede nicht kennt, interpretiert Signale falsch – und verliert Deals, ohne zu verstehen, warum. Wie kann ich als Vertriebsleiter im Mittelstand eine echte Veränderungskultur aufbauen? Nicht durch Anordnung, sondern durch Vorbildwirkung und Sog. Mach selbst mit – sei angreifbar, gib zu, wenn du etwas nicht weißt, und zeige deinem Team, dass du Teil der Veränderung bist und nicht ihr Auftraggeber. Begrenze den Zugang zu neuen Formaten und Gruppen, um natürliche Neugierde zu wecken. Und: Schaffe ein Klima ohne Angst, damit echte Fragen gestellt werden können. Fazit: Internationaler B2B Vertrieb als Spiegel für den deutschen Mittelstand Was ich an diesem Gespräch mit Olaf so wertvoll finde: Er spricht nicht über Theorie. Er spricht über das, was er selbst falsch gemacht hat, daraus gelernt hat – und was er jetzt anders macht. Und die meisten dieser Lektionen haben nichts mit China oder Amerika zu tun. Sie haben mit gutem Vertrieb zu tun: mit Vorbereitung, mit echtem Zuhören und außerdem mit dem Mut, Dinge zu hinterfragen, auch wenn die Antwort unbequem ist. Der internationale B2B Vertrieb hält einen Spiegel vor den deutschen Mittelstand. Und was wir darin sehen, sollte uns antreiben – nicht entmutigen. Denn die Grundlagen sind da. Das Fachwissen, die Ingenieurskultur, die Qualität der Produkte – das ist alles vorhanden. Was fehlt, sind die richtigen Fragen, das richtige Timing und die Bereitschaft, sich zu verändern. Und genau das lässt sich lernen. Wie seht ihr das? Was sind eure Erfahrungen mit internationalem Vertrieb – oder mit kulturellen Unterschieden in deutschen Kundengesprächen? Schreibt es in die Kommentare. Ich bin gespannt.

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

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

This week on the CFO 4.0 Revisited series, host Hannah Munro is joined by Isaac Strulowitz, Alternative Investments CFO, who offers his unique perspective on risk management, providing valuable insights into how CFOs can protect their firms against unforeseen challenges, a conversation that remains as timely and essential as ever.In this episode, we cover:Isaac's first-hand account of navigating the SVB collapse and the proactive steps his team took to protect investor capital.Risk management strategies that have proven effective, such as creating redundancies, maintaining a robust disaster recovery plan, and evaluating all firm relationships for potential risks.The delicate balance a successful CFO must strike between budget management, operational duties, and strategic oversight.Isaac's concept of a "cockroach" company, one built to survive and continue functioning even after major crises.Links mentioned in this episodeExplore other CFO 4.0 Podcast episodes here.Subscribe to our Podcast!

Was passiert, wenn eine IT-Abteilung im eigenen Unternehmen vor allem als Kostentreiber wahrgenommen wird – intransparent, wenig vertrauenswürdig, weit weg vom Business? Genau das war die Ausgangssituation, die Jörg Kohlenz vorfand, als er 2022 als Group CIO zum Wuppertaler Traditionsunternehmen Vorwerk wechselte. Seine Antwort auf diese Herausforderung war überraschend: nicht zuerst Technologie modernisieren, nicht zuerst Prozesse optimieren – sondern Führung transformieren. Im Herbst 2022 startete Jörg Kohlenz das Transformationsprogramm „Everest", das die Vorwerk-IT grundlegend verändern sollte: neue Strukturen, neue Arbeitsweisen und vor allem eine neue Führungskultur. Im Gespräch erklärt Jörg Kohlenz, warum IT-Transformation vor allem ein Führungsthema ist, wie er fünf Führungsprinzipien – Walk the talk, Give and earn trust, Purpose, Autonomy und Learn continuously – als Grundlage für den kulturellen Wandel entwickelt hat, und wie daraus drei IT-Werte entstanden sind, die für alle Mitarbeitenden gelten: Value Creation, Joined Ownership und Aligned Autonomy. Außerdem spricht er darüber, wie die IT-Organisation strukturell neu aufgestellt wurde, welche Widerstände es gab – und was die Transformation nach rund drei Jahren konkret gebracht hat. Eine Episode für CFOs, Controller und IT-Verantwortliche, die verstehen wollen, warum der Schlüssel zu einer erfolgreichen IT-Transformation nicht in der Technologie liegt – sondern in der Führung.

Microsoft Build 2026 announced an end-to-end agentic AI stack. COMPUTEX Taipei confirmed heterogeneous AI infrastructure across ARM, Marvell, Intel, Qualcomm, and NVIDIA. Alphabet raised $80 billion. Cisco Live repositioned the network as the AI platform. Patrick Moorhead and Daniel Newman break it all down alongside earnings from Broadcom, HPE, Palo Alto Networks, and CrowdStrike, plus the token cost conversation, the edge AI push, and what Palantir and Oracle are saying about proprietary data as the real AI moat. The handpicked topics for this week are: Microsoft Build 2026 Announced an End-to-End Agentic AI Stack: Microsoft shipped MAI-Thinking-1, its first homegrown thinking model, alongside Scout, Microsoft IQ, Project Solara, and a Majorana 2 quantum update targeting a 2029 commercial timeline with claims of a 1,000x reliability gain. Pat describes MAI-Thinking-1 as likely better than Sonnet 4.6 in blind testing and delivering close to GPT 5.5 quality at a far lower cost. Scout is Microsoft's first autopilot agent, anchoring the M365 Agent Suite with Office Pilot Agent Mode and Agent 365. Microsoft IQ serves as the context layer, integrating M365, business data, boundary IQ, and web IQ with GitHub Copilot, Foundry, and Copilot Studio. Project Solara is a new Android-based platform built for agent-first devices across transportation, retail, and hospital settings. Microsoft also added 83 Unix commands to the Windows stack. Dan frames Microsoft's real play as distribution, not frontier model development, noting that the open model ecosystem being pulled into the platform will matter more to CFOs managing token costs at scale. (The Decode) The AI Stack Goes Multi-Silicon — COMPUTEX Taipei 2026 Confirms Heterogeneous AI Infrastructure: ARM's AGI CPU is in production with Google moving its TPU head node to ARM, and adding Oracle and ByteDance as new customers. ARM also introduced a new switch, the TT100, and put the 51T CPO switch on stage. Marvell received a trillion-dollar company endorsement from Jensen Huang, adding $90 billion in market cap on the comment alone. Intel announced disaggregated inference details and Xeon 6+ Clearwater Forest, its first 18A data center processor. Vista Equity and Cambium Capital announced a NeoCloud called Vector Core Compute, with Xeon 6 handling orchestration, Salmonova RUs handling decode, and Blackwell GPUs handling pre-fill. Qualcomm's Cristiano Amon announced the Dragonfly data center brand with Snapdragon C details coming at their June investor day. The WSTS raised the 2026 semiconductor TAM forecast by 90% to $1.51 trillion, with Pat noting the market could hit a trillion dollars if memory is excluded entirely. (The Decode) NVIDIA RTX Spark and the Edge AI Push: NVIDIA coordinated with ARM and Microsoft around the RTX Spark at COMPUTEX, with the shared message being that the future of Windows is here. Signal65's Ryan Shrout asked Jensen directly why NVIDIA wants to be in the PC business, given low margins and diminishing returns. Dan frames the answer in the context of devices increasingly becoming mobile data centers, capable of running models at much greater efficiency than cloud delivery. The edge AI conversation is also directly tied to token cost economics: as intelligence delivery moves closer to the device, the cost per token drops significantly. The jury is still out on whether NVIDIA will meaningfully disrupt the PC market, but its influence over OEMs like Lenovo and Dell that depend on it for data center gives it real leverage over SKUs. (The Decode) Token Economics and Frontier Model Cost Pressure: Dan and Pat discuss a substantive shift in how enterprises are thinking about AI consumption costs. Dan argues that "token maxing," the practice of defaulting to the most powerful frontier model for every task, has now effectively peaked, as bills have come due at scale. Companies paying for tokens in volume are starting to question whether they can afford the prices that frontier models actually cost to deliver. Pat pushes back, saying the dynamic is still present, but both analysts agree that the market is moving toward a model where token selection is matched to the job, with Microsoft's MOE approach and thinking models positioned to help CFOs manage that economics story. (The Decode) Continuum Goes Public at Highest Valuation for an AI Platform: Dan notes that Continuum, the Honeywell-spawned quantum company, went public this week at what he calls the highest valuation for an AI platform to date. He flags that IonQ will likely contest that characterization. The broader context is Microsoft entering the quantum conversation with Majorana 2 at Build, a name that has largely been absent from the quantum race, while IBM has received most of the attention. (The Decode) AI CapEx Has Outgrown Cash Flow — Alphabet's $80 Billion Equity Raise: On June 1, Alphabet announced an $80 billion equity capital raise, upsized to $85 billion, structured as $40 billion ATM, $30 billion underwritten, and a $10 billion private placement with Berkshire Hathaway anchoring. Pat frames the questions over CapEx returns as entirely dependent on whether you are an AI boomer or a doomer: if the payback comes, the raise is the right move. If it does not, the math doesn't close. Dan argues the investment is existential, drawing parallels to how infrastructure-first companies have always spent ahead of monetization, and notes that Google's equity is being used as a capital engine that may be more efficient than the debt markets right now. Both analysts flag the downstream implications for Broadcom, MediaTek, and Marvell given the TPU connection. (The Decode) The Network Becomes the AI Platform: Cisco Live 2026: Cisco launched Silicon One P200, the Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA and Spectrum X, AgenticOps, MCP-native automation, Cisco IQ, LiveProtect, and folded Astrix Security and Galileo into Splunk under one control plane. Pat identifies Cisco Cloud Control as the biggest announcement of the entire show, pulling together Catalyst, Meraki, Nexus, Firewall, and WebEx under agentic ops that run natively through MCP, with code running directly on smart switches that have x86 processors. Pat also credits Cisco for establishing Silicon One as a credible chip alternative for hyperscalers capable of taking on Tomahawk and Jericho. Dan frames the long-term opportunity as campus and branch enablement when industrial AI and robotics deployments accelerate, arguing that the numerator of AI's economic impact has barely started, as edge deployment spending has not yet begun. (The Decode) The Flip: Did Microsoft Build 2026 Effectively End the OpenAI Partnership? Pat argues the divorce decree has been filed. MAI-Thinking-1 was built with zero distillation from third-party models offering clean enterprise data lineage, with Maia 200 in production plus Anthropic chip supply, which signals vendor hedging. OpenAI is going all-in on AWS, which means you cannot be married to two people, and the full Build stack covering model, OS containment via MXC, agents via Scout and Agent 365, and context via Microsoft IQ removes every architectural dependency on OpenAI. Dan counters that Microsoft is hedging rather than leaving and predicts the partnership will run through the decade. Enterprise Copilot customers are explicitly showing in data that they demand GPT 5.5, internal benchmarks have not been independently validated, and Microsoft stands to make meaningful money from the OpenAI IPO. (The Flip) Broadcom Q2 FY26 Earnings: Broadcom posted revenue of $22.19 billion, a narrow miss depending on which consensus data set is used, with EPS of $2.44 beating estimates and AI semis at $10.8 billion. Hock Tan declined to raise the $100 billion full-year AI chip target, and the stock dropped 13% in premarket trading. Q3 guide came in at $29.4 billion. Pat calls the miss a timing issue driven by Google's multi-sourcing across Marvell, MediaTek, and Broadcom rather than a fundamental problem. Dan flags that Hock Tan opened the earnings call by accidentally reading from the 2025 print, calling it "not the best moment." Sell-side re-ratings held in the 500s across Jefferies, Mizuho, and Deutsche Bank despite the drop, with Futurum Equities having it at 600. (Bulls and Bears) Hewlett Packard Enterprise Q2 FY26 Earnings: HPE delivered revenue of $10.68 billion, up 40% year over year, and EPS of $0.79, up 100%. Juniper integration and AI servers both outperformed, and all FY26 guides were raised. The stock jumped 19% after hours before settling into a roughly 15% gain, with HPE up 68% over the last month. Pat frames HPE as a value play rather than a volume play, methodically targeting enterprise and sovereign cloud deals where it can maintain profitability, rather than competing for massive NeoCloud volume. Antonio Neri was clear on the call that the profitability pull-forward is a one-shot deal. Pat and Dan will both be at HPE Discover the week after next to interview Neri and the C-suite. (Bulls and Bears) Palo Alto Networks Q3 FY26 Earnings: Palo Alto posted revenue of $3.0 billion, up 31% year over year, beating the $2.94 billion estimate, with non-GAAP EPS of $0.85, beating the $0.79 to $0.81 range. NGS ARR reached $8.1 billion, up 60% year over year, including $1.6 billion from CyberArk and Chronosphere. RPO hit $18.4 billion, up 36%. Both FY26 revenue and EPS guides were raised. Adjusted FCF margin came in at 38.5% TTM, up 430 basis points. The stock jumped 11% immediately after hours, then drifted lower. Pat points to 2,200 platformized customers and 120% net retention as the most important metrics. Dan notes the SaaSpocalypse thesis continues to be wrong. (Bulls and Bears) CrowdStrike Q1 FY27 Earnings and the Proprietary Data Moat Argument: CrowdStrike posted revenue of $1.39 billion with EPS of $1.10 and ARR of $5.51 billion. Net new ARR of $255.8 million set a Q1 record, up 32% year over year. FY27 net new ARR guide was raised by $52 million to a $1.29 billion midpoint, and FY27 revenue was raised to $5.915 to $5.959 billion. A 4-for-1 stock split was announced effective July 2nd. The stock dropped 11% despite the beat after a 64% year-to-date run into earnings. Dan uses the results to make a broader argument against the software disruption thesis, referencing Palantir CEO Alex Karp daring customers to build without him using Anthropic or OpenAI, and Larry Ellison's argument that the real AI value unlock sits in proprietary enterprise data that is not accessible to frontier models. Enterprises with governed, secure, proprietary data will continue to need platforms like CrowdStrike regardless of what frontier models can do. (Bulls and Bears) Six Five Summit is coming. Salesforce CEO Mark Benioff will kick off the event. Register and stay current at sixfivemedia.com/summit. Watch the full video at sixfivemedia.com, and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you never miss an episode.   The Decode Microsoft Declares Independence — Build 2026 Ships an End-to-End Agentic AI Stack (MAI-Thinking-1 + Scout + Microsoft IQ + Project Solara + Majorana 2) https://www.theverge.com/tech/941738/microsoft-build-2026-biggest-announcements The AI Stack Goes Multi-Silicon — Computex 2026 Confirms a Heterogeneous AI Infrastructure (ARM + Marvell + Intel ASIC + Qualcomm + RTX Spark); WSTS Raises 2026 Semi TAM Forecast 90% to $1.51T https://www.tomshardware.com/tag/computex AI Capex Has Outgrown Cash Flow — Alphabet's $80B Equity Raise Is the Largest in U.S. Corporate History; Berkshire Anchors $10B https://abc.xyz/investor/news/news-details/2026/Alphabet-Announces-Proposed-80-Billion-Equity-Capital-Raise-to-Expand-AI-Infrastructure-and-Compute-2026-b0myAMewCa/default.aspx The Network Becomes the AI Platform — Cisco Live 2026 Launches Silicon One P200, Secure AI Factory (with NVIDIA), AgenticOps, Astrix Security + Galileo https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/about/whats-new/index.html The Flip Did Microsoft Build 2026 Effectively End the OpenAI Partnership? MAI-Thinking-1 Beats Sonnet 4.6 in Blind Testing, Microsoft Claims GPT-5.5 Parity at 10x Cost Efficiency — Will MS Quietly Wind Down OpenAI Exclusivity by FY28, or Is OpenAI Still the Frontier Anchor Microsoft Needs?   FOR:  MAI-Thinking-1 beating Sonnet 4.6 in blind preference + GPT-5.5 parity at 10x cost efficiency is a frontier-model independence proof point https://www.latent.space/p/ainews-microsoft-build-mai-thinking Build 2026: Accumulating Evidence of Microsoft's AI Independence — EDN (June 4) — https://www.edn.com/build-2026-accumulating-evidence-of-microsofts-ai-independence/ Maia 200 in production + Anthropic-Maia chip talks signal Microsoft is hedging its inference vendor stack https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2026/01/26/maia-200-the-ai-accelerator-built-for-inference/ Microsoft canceled Anthropic's internal software licenses + pivoted to chip-supply pursuit — customer-not-competitor positioning https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/21/anthropic-microsoft-maia-200-ai-chip.html   AGAINST:  Enterprise Copilot customers explicitly demand GPT-5.5 — internal benchmarks don't replace the brand https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/copilot/release-notes?tabs=all MAI-Thinking-1 benchmarks haven't been third-party verified — Microsoft is the only source https://www.latent.space/p/ainews-microsoft-build-mai-thinking The MS-OpenAI partnership is contractual through 2030+ — unwinding it is impractical and expensive https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2026/04/27/the-next-phase-of-the-microsoft-openai-partnership/ Microsoft's actual strategic risk is OpenAI leaving, not MS leaving — Anthropic + OpenAI IPOs make OpenAI exit risk the real concern https://www.anthropic.com/news/confidential-draft-s1-sec Bulls & Bears Broadcom (AVGO) Q2 FY26 ACTUALS — Rev $22.19B (Narrow Miss) + EPS $2.44 (Beat); AI Semis $10.8B; Hock Tan Refuses to Raise the $100B Full-Year AI Chip Target — Stock −13% Premarket; Q3 Guide $29.4B https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/03/broadcom-avgo-earnings-report-q2-2026.html Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) Q2 FY26 ACTUALS — Blowout: Rev $10.68B (+40%), EPS $0.79 (+100%); Juniper Integration + AI Servers Both Outperform; FY26 Guides All Raised; Stock +19% AH https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260601866494/en/HPE-Reports-Fiscal-2026-Second-Quarter-Results Palo Alto Networks (PANW) Q3 FY26 ACTUALS — Beat-and-Raise: Rev $3.0B (+31% YoY, Beat $2.94B), Non-GAAP EPS $0.85 (Beat $0.79-0.81); NGS ARR $8.1B (+60% YoY, $1.6B from CyberArk + Chronosphere); RPO $18.4B (+36%); FY26 Revenue + EPS Guides BOTH RAISED; Adj FCF Margin 38.5% TTM (+430 bps); Stock +11% Immediate AH, Then Drifted Lower https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/company/press/2026/palo-alto-networks-reports-fiscal-third-quarter-2026-financial-results CrowdStrike narrowly beats estimates on AI tailwinds, but stock falls 9% — CNBC (June 3) — https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/03/crowdstrike-crwd-q1-2027-earnings.html  

Employee benefits continue to be a critical component of attracting and retaining talent. According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), 81% of employers consider both retirement savings and planning benefits and leave benefits to be either "very important" or "extremely important" offerings for their workforce. As organizations compete for talent, retirement plans remain one of the most valued benefits employers provide. In this episode of Let's Have This Conversation, I sit down with Alex Langan, ERISA attorney, Chief Investment Officer, author of the #1 bestselling book 401(k) Exposed, and founder of Langan Financial Group. Alex has built a reputation for challenging conventional wisdom surrounding employer-sponsored retirement plans. After serving as a Pennsylvania Supreme Court clerk and practicing ERISA law, he discovered what he believes is one of the most overlooked issues in corporate America: many employers unknowingly expose themselves to legal and fiduciary risks through the administration of their 401(k) plans. During our conversation, Alex explains why retirement plan providers may not always have incentives aligned with employers and employees, the fiduciary responsibilities many business owners and HR professionals inherit without formal training, and the steps organizations can take to better protect both themselves and their workforce. We also discuss: • Why retirement plans remain one of the most important employee benefits organizations offer • Common misconceptions employers have about fiduciary responsibility • The hidden costs and risks embedded in many 401(k) plans • How employees can become more informed retirement savers • What business owners, CFOs, and HR leaders should be asking their retirement plan providers • Why transparency and education are critical to improving retirement outcomes Alex also shares the philosophy behind Langan Financial Group, an independent financial planning firm focused on personalized guidance rather than product sales or quotas. Their approach centers on understanding each client's goals, challenges, and long-term financial objectives while delivering customized financial planning solutions supported by a dedicated team. Whether you're an HR professional, business owner, executive, or employee participating in a workplace retirement plan, this conversation offers valuable insights into a system that affects millions of Americans every day.   For more information: https://langanfinancialgroup.com/ Email: alex@langanfinancial.com   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send us Fan MailYvonne and Rafael sit down with Dave Chmiel, Chief Claims Officer at Hub International. Together, they engage in a great conversation about the broker's perspective on workers' compensation.Episode Highlights☕ The Core Message: Listening Changes Everything (00:02:38)From day one in the brokerage world, Dave was taught to listen, to understand what economic buyers (CEOs, CFOs) actually care about. That skill transcends the boardroom. When you truly listen, you access perspectives you'd otherwise miss. In workers' comp, where we're managing human situations, that's everything.

In this episode we sit down with Artti Aurasmaa, CEO of Staria, to discuss how the CFO role is evolving from financial reporting to strategic leadership. Artti has spent more than 25 years helping companies scale internationally and today leads Staria, a €60M+ business serving growth companies across 50 countries. In this conversation, he shares why the future CFO must become a business partner, data steward, and forecasting expert rather than simply the person closing the books. We discuss why forecasting accuracy may be the most important KPI for a modern CFO, how AI is changing finance teams, why strong data foundations matter more than the latest AI tools, and what separates companies that scale successfully from those that struggle. You will also hear Artti's perspective on international expansion, the increasing complexity of global business, and why the best CFOs are moving from the back office to the front row. Topics covered: Why the CFO role is becoming increasingly strategic The shift from historical reporting to future forecasting Why forecasting accuracy is a critical KPI How AI is changing the finance function Building the data foundation before deploying AI The future structure of finance teams International expansion and global compliance Why CFOs need stronger technical and data capabilities The rise of the "rockstar CFO" What growth companies need to scale successfully Whether you're a CFO, founder, CEO, finance leader, or SaaS operator, this episode offers a practical look at how the finance function is changing and what it takes to stay ahead.

In this episode of Future Finance, Paul Barnhurst and Glenn Hopper sit down with Dave Trier, CEO of ModelOp, to explore the challenges and opportunities of implementing AI at scale in enterprises. Dave shares how organizations can manage AI responsibly, measure ROI, and move from scattered pilots to a disciplined, industrialized approach. He also discusses the critical role of CFOs in AI oversight, change management, and creating measurable business value from AI initiatives Dave Trier is CEO of ModelOp, leading the company with a focus on customer value, product innovation, and enterprise execution. With over 20 years of experience across AI, data science, analytics, cloud, and enterprise software, Dave is a patent-holder and trusted partner to CIOs, CTOs, and AI leaders. Prior to becoming CEO, he shaped ModelOp's product strategy and held senior roles at Think Big Analytics, Powered by Action, and Accenture Technology Labs. He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame. In this episode, you will discover:How to industrialize AI delivery across an enterpriseManaging risk, governance, and compliance for AI implementationsMeasuring AI ROI using financial, feedback, and usage metricsThe CFO's role in AI oversight and rationalizing AI investmentsKey lessons for change management and process discipline in AI adoptionDave Trier highlights how enterprises can move from scattered AI pilots to a disciplined, industrialized approach that delivers measurable business value. He emphasizes the importance of governance, change management, and cross-functional collaboration to ensure AI initiatives succeed. CFOs play a key role in oversight, setting financial parameters, and rationalizing AI investments. Follow Dave:Website: https://www.modelop.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidetrier/Follow Glenn:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gbhopperiiiFollow Paul:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefpandaguyFollow QFlow.AI:Website - https://bit.ly/4i1EkjgFuture Finance is sponsored by QFlow.ai, the strategic finance platform solving the toughest part of planning and analysis: B2B revenue. Align sales, marketing, and finance, speed up decision-making, and lock in accountability with QFlow.ai. Stay tuned for a deeper understanding of how AI is shaping the future of finance and what it means for businesses and individuals alike.In Today's Episode:[00:00] – Trailer[02:07] – Meet Dave Trier, CEO of ModelOp[04:57] – ModelOp & AI Governance Explained[06:21] – AI vs Data Governance[08:11] – Evaluating AI ROI for CFOs[13:24] – AI as a Managed Investment Portfolio[16:43] – Change Management & Process Discipline[20:48] – CFO's Role in AI Oversight[27:38] – Tips to Maximize AI ROI[30:16] – Enterprise AI Complexity & Coordination[32:13] – Dave's Journey: Electrical Engineer to AI CEO[35:12] – Closing Thoughts

www.marktreichel.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-treichel/Episode: NCUA's 2026–2030 Strategic Plan: What Changed and Why It MattersIn this solo episode, Mark Treichel walks through NCUA's newly released 2026–2030 Strategic Plan and compares it section by section against the prior 2022–2026 plan. The contrast tells credit union leaders exactly where the agency is going — and which of those decisions are now codified as five-year commitments rather than reversible management choices.What's covered:•        The framework requirements: OMB Circular A‑11 and which 19 items the plan needed to address.•        What dropped out of the 2026 plan: the eight-page economic outlook, dedicated climate-related financial risk objective, full enterprise risk management section, standalone minority depository institution objective, diversity-equity-inclusion language, and the cross-agency collaboration narrative.•        What's new in 2026: AI as a standalone strategic objective, the GENIUS Act stablecoin rulemaking as a performance target, the reorganization codified as objective 3.2, real estate footprint reduction language, merit-based hiring as a deliverable, deregulation quantified at 30 actions, and a chartering automation target.•        The political cycle behind the swings: every administration gets a year after inauguration to issue a new five-year plan, and the language reflects whoever is in office.•        Practical implications for credit unions: AI-assisted exam scoping, the shift of stakeholder-facing work to the regions, what the 27% workforce reduction means for examination dynamics, and how to read the deregulation scoreboard for substance vs. headline count.•        Mark's takeaways: reorganization is now a five-year strategic commitment, safety and soundness remains the North Star, AI in examinations is coming and measurable, the deregulation scoreboard is mostly budget dust with a few real items, and the smaller examiner footprint creates short-term wins and longer-term structural questions.A practical episode for credit union CEOs, board members, CFOs, and senior staff who want to understand what NCUA has actually committed to over the next five years and what to do about it before the next board meeting.About the host:Mark Treichel is the principal of Credit Union Exam Solutions. He spent more than 33 years at NCUA, including eight as Executive Director and over five years on the senior leadership team. He hosts With Flying Colors to help credit unions navigate examinations and regulatory change.

In this episode, I'm diving into a conversation that I believe more female founders need to be having: financial intelligence, financial leadership, and why you should never outsource your awareness around money. As more women become primary breadwinners, scale businesses, and generate significant wealth, I think it's incredibly important that we learn not just how to make money, but how to understand it, steward it, protect it, grow it, and direct it intentionally. In this episode, I share some of my own financial mistakes as a founder, the mindset shifts that changed my relationship with money, and the lessons I learned about relying too heavily on experts without staying connected to the financial realities of my own business. We talk about the difference between earning money and building wealth, the roles of bookkeepers, accountants, CFOs, and wealth advisors, and why financial confidence often starts with simply being willing to ask questions, even when you feel like you "should" already know the answers. I also share why operational leadership and financial leadership are deeply connected, and how founders unknowingly create expensive business models when everything depends on them operationally. If you've ever felt intimidated by money conversations, disconnected from your numbers, or ready to become a more empowered CEO and steward of your business, this episode is for you. Resources → Watch this episode on YouTube → Subscribe to The Blueprint → Learn more & book a call with our team to learn if the Pop Leadership Academy is right for you! → Download our Operationally Excellent Practice Manager Audit → Follow Kaeli on Instagram: @kaeli.lindholm

En el episodio de hoy me siento con José Miguel Vera, SVP of Growth & Marketing de One Park Financial, una compañía de capital alternativo para pequeños negocios con presencia en Puerto Rico desde el 2015.José Miguel me cuenta cómo llegó de Guayaquil, Ecuador, a Miami a los 12 años, las lecciones de liderazgo que aprendió tocando música y haciendo shows durante high school, la decisión que tomó la compañía al momento del huracán María de pausar todos los cobros en la isla y cómo recuperaron el 90% de la cartera luego del Huracán.También hablamos sobre los dos grandes tabús del producto de One Park Financial, el nuevo Business Health Score que funciona como un FICO para negocios, el punto exacto donde One Park tiene mayor impacto en el crecimiento de un negocio, y por qué para ellos "business is personal" no es solo un slogan.Tres "takeaways" de este episodio:1.⁠ ⁠"Invertimos en los sueños de nuestros clientes. No en el negocio."2. "Los negocios son personales. Aquí no hay CFOs, aquí es un esposo, una esposa, una pareja o un chico emprendiendo, y todos los días a las cinco de la mañana están dándole."3. El punto de inflexión no es el lanzamiento del negocio: es llegar a 6 o 9 meses con ventas consistentes. Ahí es cuando el capital correcto puede multiplicar el crecimiento un 300% o 400%.Suscríbete a nuestro newsletter "Miércoles de Mentores" - ⁠https://mentoresenlinea.com/⁠ Sigue a One Park PR:Pagina Web - https://onepark.pr/ Instagram  - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/oneparkpr/

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

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

Die meisten Verkäufer glauben, ihre Kunden zu kennen. Tun sie aber nicht. In dieser Folge erfährst du, warum Einkäufer nicht einfach nur billig einkaufen wollen, wie du in 10 Minuten starke Personas erstellst und weshalb unterschiedliche Entscheider völlig unterschiedlich ticken. „Unser Einkäufer will einfach nur den billigsten Preis.“ Wenn du das glaubst, hast du vermutlich schon Deals verloren, ohne zu verstehen warum. Denn die Wahrheit ist: Einkäufer, CEOs, CFOs oder Tech-Leads verfolgen völlig unterschiedliche Ziele, haben unterschiedliche Ängste, Denkweisen und Erwartungen an dich als Verkäufer. Und genau hier liegt einer der grössten Fehler im B2B-Sales:

In this episode, Nathan Freystaetter, CEO & Financial Analytics Engineer, Go Fig, joins the podcast to discuss how his company is helping mid-market CFOs modernize financial operations with AI-driven data infrastructure and automation.

Over half of all company bankruptcies happen within 12 months of a record sales month. Not a bad month. A record month. If that stat doesn't stop you in your tracks, this episode will. Most entrepreneurs treat cash flow as an afterthought, something to deal with at tax time or when the bank starts calling. But cash flow isn't just a finance topic. It's the blood running through the veins of your business. In this episode, Karl and George pull back the curtain on what's really happening when businesses grow fast and quietly collapse, why scaling from the inside out is the only sustainable path, and how to stop flying blind by actually building a relationship with your numbers. Whether you're running a six-figure service business or a multi-million dollar company, this conversation will change how you look at every dollar in your business. What You'll Learn In This Episode: Why more sales can actually make a cash flow crisis worse and what to do instead The 12-week cash flow forecast tool that CFOs use to see trouble before it arrives The single biggest difference between entrepreneurs who scale and those who plateau How to shrink your way to more cash (and why this works) Why delegation isn't optional if you want to grow How to bet on your business with data, not emotion The hidden cost of having the wrong person in the wrong seat What risk management actually means for a small business owner Key Takeaways: ✔️Cash flow is the only thing that truly keeps a business alive. You can survive without profit. You cannot survive without cash. ✔️The 12-week cash flow forecast is your most powerful planning tool. It's not about looking backward, it's about seeing what's coming so you can act before it's a problem. ✔️Record sales can be a death sentence if you're not prepared for the cash cycle. Growth consumes cash before it creates it. ✔️Scaling comes from subtraction, not addition. Finding and cutting hidden inefficiencies often has more impact than chasing new revenue. ✔️Getting the right people in the right seats and being willing to move the wrong ones is a cash flow lever most owners ignore. ✔️The two ways entrepreneurs face their numbers: by choice or by force. Choice gives you control. Force does not. ✔️Stop making decisions based on money that hasn't landed yet. A signed contract is not cash. ✔️You don't have to manage cash flow alone. A fractional CFO, a sharp bookkeeper, or a strategic accountant can sit in it with you. ✔️One change a month, done consistently, compounds into doubling your business in two years. Timestamps & Highlights: [00:00] — George's $240,000 tax wake-up call [03:15] — Introducing Karl Maier: 40 years of entrepreneurship, fractional CFO, and doubling companies [04:35] — What becomes possible when entrepreneurs actually understand cash flow [07:13] — The manufacturing client case study: how ignored cash flow nearly sank a growing company [08:24] — "Cash flow is more important than your mother": what that actually means [11:16] — Profit First is a great start, but here's what you need next (the 12-week cash flow forecast) [13:20] — Taxes are about the past. Cash flow forecasting is about the future. They are two different games. [14:32] — Karl's background: from corporate to dot-com, family business to fractional CFO [18:32] — The real levers that scale a business (it's not just more sales) [19:08] — Over half of all bankruptcies happen within 12 months of record sales, and why [22:04] — Cash flow as a barometer: why ignoring it doesn't make it stop [24:35] — The willingness to look at uncomfortable things, and how it separates growing businesses from stuck ones [29:19] — The most common cash flow mistakes entrepreneurs make [31:32] — Why "sell more to fix it" often makes the cash problem worse [34:43] — The delegation problem and how it caps your growth ceiling [36:33] — Risk management in plain English: the difference between a smart bet and a desperate one [38:59] — Betting with data vs. emotion, and why the latter never wins [43:08] — Scaling from the inside out: real stories of companies that plateaued and why [45:50] — One change a month: Karl's framework for doubling sales in two years [46:24] — George's full summary: the three layers of cash flow mastery [49:12] — How to connect with Karl and when to reach out [52:37] — Karl's two-minute TED talk: attitude, people, and cash flow [53:27] — George's closing reflection: you can't outwork a bad relationship with your money About Karl Maier  He is the founder of Abunden and an experienced CFO and business advisor who has played a key role in doubling sales at five companies in just two years. Abunden is dedicated to helping businesses grow by understanding their numbers, building repeatable business systems, and organizing their team, especially in today's challenging economy with inflation, labor shortages, and supply chain disruptions. Karl's expertise spans expanding credit lines, leading multimillion-dollar acquisitions, and enhancing profitability through innovative pricing, systems, and financial strategies. Connect with Karl and Abunden:  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/karlkmaier Vimeo: vimeo.com/abunden YouTube: youtube.com/@abunden1 Your Challenge This Week: If this episode hit home, here's what to do next: Connect with Karl on LinkedIn, explore Abunden's resources on YouTube and Vimeo, and send him a question directly, he answers. And if you've gotten value from this show, any episode, any conversation, leave an honest review. It's the fastest way to help other entrepreneurs find this show and stop making the same costly mistakes we already made for you. 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