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On Wednesday, the Fed will hold its last FOMC meeting of the year. Their actions and communications could move interest rates across the yield curve and so are important for investors.
DisclosuresThese views are subject to change at any time based upon market or other conditions and are current as of the date at the top of the page.Investing involves risk and principal loss is possible.Past performance does not guarantee future performance.Forecasting represents predictions of market prices and/or volume patterns utilizing varying analytical data. It is not representative of a projection of the stock market, or of any specific investment.This material is not an offer, solicitation or recommendation to purchase any security. Nothing contained in this material is intended to constitute legal, tax, securities or investment advice, nor an opinion regarding the appropriateness of any investment, nor a solicitation of any type.The general information contained in this publication should not be acted upon without obtaining specific legal, tax and investment advice from a licensed professional. The information, analysis and opinions expressed herein are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual entity.Please remember that all investments carry some level of risk. Although steps can be taken to help reduce risk it cannot be completely removed. They do no not typically grow at an even rate of return and may experience negative growth. As with any type of portfolio structuring, attempting to reduce risk and increase return could, at certain times, unintentionally reduce returns.Investments that are allocated across multiple types of securities may be exposed to a variety of risks based on the asset classes, investment styles, market sectors, and size of companies preferred by the investment managers. Investors should consider how the combined risks impact their total investment portfolio and understand that different risks can lead to varying financial consequences, including loss of principal. Please see a prospectus for further details.Indexes are unmanaged and cannot be invested in directly.Copyright © Russell Investments Group LLC 2025. All rights reserved.This material is proprietary and may not be reproduced, transferred, or distributed in any form without prior written permission from Russell Investments. It is delivered on an “as is” basis without warranty.CORP-12940Date of first use: December, 2025
Send us a textIn this engaging IT Nation 2025 conversation, Kate Schlarf, Senior Marketing Leader at Moovila, joins Joey Pinz Discipline Conversations to unpack how MSPs can turn project chaos into clarity and profit. She reveals how Moovila's Project Hub—a library of MSP-built templates—helps partners improve forecasting, eliminate scope creep, and boost project margins.Kate also shares her insights on branding, marketing, and community building in the MSP space, explaining why consistency (and even a purple cow mascot
Ever wondered if it's too late to chase a new dream? Tune into this question with the legendary Fritz Coleman, former Los Angeles weatherman turned stand-up comedian and podcaster. How did a chance opportunity lead Fritz from forecasting weather to cracking jokes on stage? Join hosts Merry Elkins and Cathy Worthington as they explore Fritz's inspiring journey of reinvention.Fritz shares his serendipitous leap into broadcasting, the joy of stand-up comedy, and his latest show, Unassisted Living. He reveals how comedy unites us, especially in a divided world, and why staying active and optimistic is key to aging gracefully. Plus, hear about the comedic legends who shaped his career and his plans to spread laughter beyond California.It's never too late to pursue your passions and create a vibrant 'third act.' Ready to be inspired? Listen now!
Landscapers! Learn how to build a killer annual strategic plan for your business at our free web class on December 9. Spaces are limited, so save your spot now. https://trybta.com/CE-SPL-Dec9Get your free communication resource bundle here: https://trybta.com/DL249To learn more about Breakthrough Academy, click here: https://trybta.com/EP249 How much money have you lost to unclear instructions, buried emails, and missed change orders? Poor communication is a hidden cash flow destroyer EVERY contractor falls victim to, but no one really talks about.In today's episode of Contractor Evolution, Danny is joined by CompanyCam founder Luke Hansen and two high performing contractors for a roundtable discussion on how to invest in clear (and profitable) communication across your organization.You'll learn:⚙️ Real world systems for keeping your crews, project managers and clients all on the same page
Moon mapping could help locate active faults in the lunar South Pole.
Today we've got Joel Gratz, the founding meteorologist & CEO of OpenSnow, back on the show to talk about … snow! And snow forecasting. And what's new in the world of weather modeling. And how AI is changing virtually everything in this space. So if you like snow and you like to know when & where the snow will fly, listen up!Note: We Want to Hear From You!We'd love for you to share with us the stories or topics you'd like us to cover next month on Reviewing the News; ask your most pressing mountain town advice questions, or offer your hot takes for us to rate. You can email those to us here.RELATED LINKS: OpenSnow.comBLISTER+ Get Yourself CoveredGet Our 25/26 Winter Buyer's GuideDiscounted Summit Registration for BLISTER+ MembersNon-Member Registration: Blister Summit 2026Get Our Newsletter & Weekly Gear GiveawaysEp. 336: Joel Gratz on AI & Weather ModelingEp. 268: Best Practices for Adventuring OutdoorsEp. 237: Founder's Story: Joel on OpenSnowCHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELS:Blister Studios (new channel)Blister Review (original channel)TOPICS & TIMES:Colorado's dry start & being back in the swing of things (3:26)Is it busy at OpenSnow these days? (5:24)What should we expect this season? (6:55)Timing trips (10:28)East Coast's amazing start to winter (13:21)AI & forecasting (18:42)What else is going on at OpenSnow? (29:41)Forecasting for the resort vs the backcountry (43:48)Current state of the ski industry (50:47)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasGEAR:30 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Brad Young on Costco and boat strikes, and Dave Murray talks about forecasting and road treatments!- h3 full 1997 Tue, 02 Dec 2025 22:10:38 +0000 QiqjpB2cACOXXJtv5PdBeoycIKuwKsm5 comedy,religion & spirituality,society & culture,news,government The Dave Glover Show comedy,religion & spirituality,society & culture,news,government Brad Young on Costco and boat strikes, and Dave Murray talks about forecasting and road treatments!- h3 The Dave Glover Show has been driving St. Louis home for over 20 years. Unafraid to discuss virtually any topic, you'll hear Dave and crew's unique perspective on current events, news and politics, and anything and everything in between. © 2025 Audacy, Inc. Comedy Religion & Spirituality Society & Culture News Government False
ACX has been co-running a forecasting contest with Metaculus for the past few years. Lately the "co-running" has drifted towards them doing all the work and giving me credit, but that's how I like it! Last year's contest included more than 4500 forecasters predicting on 33 questions covering US politics, international events, AI, and more. They're preparing for this year's contest, and currently looking for interesting questions. These could be any objective outcome that might or might not happen in 2026, whose answer will be known by the end of the year. Not "Will Congress do a good job?", but "Will Congress' approval rating be above 40% on December 1, 2026?". Or, even better, "Will Congress' approval rating be above 40% according to the first NYT Congressional Approval Tracker update to be published after December 1, 2026?". Please share ideas for 2026 forecast questions here. The top ten question contributors will win prizes from $150 to $700. You can see examples of last year's questions here (click on each one for more details). This year's contest will also include AI bots, who will compete against the humans and one another for prizes of their own. To learn more about building a Metaculus forecasting bot, see here. I'll keep you updated on when the contest begins. https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/suggest-questions-for-metaculusacx
In this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ sits down with Greg Henry, CFO of 1Password and one of the most commercially minded finance leaders in tech, to break down why he left the public-company grind at Couchbase for a PLG-driven security business and what he's relearning in the private sphere. Greg explains how forecasting changes when the product does the selling, how to think about comp and pricing in a usage-led world, and the early tells that a model is quietly over- or under-performing. He shares why CFOs should meet far more customers than they do, how finance can drive revenue without stepping on sales, and what it actually takes for a company to plan with clarity instead of reacting. Greg also recounts the near-derailing of the Couchbase IPO, reflects on the “back nine” of his career, and offers grounded advice for aspiring first-time CFOs.—SPONSORS:RightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Tipalti automates the entire payables process—from onboarding suppliers to executing global payouts—helping finance teams save time, eliminate costly errors, and scale confidently across 200+ countries and 120 currencies. More than 5,000 businesses already trust Tipalti to manage payments with built-in security and tax compliance. Visit https://www.tipalti.com/runthenumbers to learn more.Aleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/runFidelity Private Shares is the all-in-one equity management platform that keeps your cap table clean, your data room organized, and your equity story clear—so you never risk losing a fundraising round over messy records. Schedule a demo at https://www.fidelityprivateshares.com and mention Mostly Metrics to get 20% off.Metronome is real-time billing built for modern software companies. Metronome turns raw usage events into accurate invoices, gives customers bills they actually understand, and keeps finance, product, and engineering perfectly in sync. That's why category-defining companies like OpenAI and Anthropic trust Metronome to power usage-based pricing and enterprise contracts at scale. Focus on your product — not your billing. Learn more and get started at https://www.metronome.comMercury is business banking built for builders, giving founders and finance pros a financial stack that actually works together. From sending wires to tracking balances and approving payments, Mercury makes it simple to scale without friction. Join the 200,000+ entrepreneurs who trust Mercury and apply online in minutes at https://www.mercury.com—LINKS:Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greghenry23/1Password: https://1password.com/CJ on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—RELATED EPISODES:Behind the Earnings Calls: Couchbase CFO Greg Henry on Consumption Models & Analyst Relationshttps://youtu.be/o_pDfz5a-Hw—TIMESTAMPS:00:00:00 Preview and Intro00:02:57 Sponsors – RightRev | Tipalti | Aleph00:07:03 Back in the Private Sphere: Why Greg Joined 1Password00:07:49 Greg's Four-Part Framework for a Great Role00:10:12 Thinking About the “Back Nine” & Legacy00:13:16 Transitioning to PLG & SLG at 1Password00:15:12 Blending PLG Efficiency with Enterprise Sales00:17:12 Sponsors – Fidelity Private Shares | Metronome | Mercury00:20:03 B2C vs. B2B ARPU Contrast00:22:41 Forecasting in PLG vs. Sales-Led Models00:24:18 Building Toward Chunky Enterprise Upside00:25:39 Comp Plans: Complexity, Pitfalls & the Alexander Group00:27:35 Keep Comp Plans Simple & Focused on ARR00:29:10 Why Mid-Year Comp Plan Changes Are Dangerous00:31:04 Governance & Guardrails for SPIFFs00:33:19 Using the CFO Network to Drive Revenue00:34:52 Why CFOs Must Meet Customers Directly00:36:19 Wallet Share & Being a Buyer AND a Seller00:38:08 Why He Avoids 3-Year+ Commitments00:40:20 How Much Discount Is a “Year” Worth?00:42:31 Greg's Structured Annual Planning Framework00:43:50 3–5% Upside/Downside Menu00:44:57 Comp Plans Must Go Out Early00:47:23 January Compensation & System Cutover Challenges00:48:31 Why Roadmap Alignment Must Kick Off Planning00:50:21 Sustain / Differentiate / Durable Growth / World-Class Teams Framework00:52:29 Couchbase IPO Almost Going Sideways00:54:59 How to Actually Become a CFO01:00:11 Legacy Greg Wants to Leave at 1Password#RunTheNumbersPodcast #CFOInsights #SaaSLeadership #PLGvsSLG #FinanceStrategy This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cjgustafson.substack.com
As December arrives in the Shenandoah Valley, most residents brace for winter's first flakes with equal parts nostalgia and dread. Yet for Ken Slack, communications specialist for the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), the "S-word" signals something far more serious: the start of long days, sleepless nights, and the full activation of a year-round effort to keep the region moving safely. During this year's annual "Snow Show" on The Valley Today, host Janet Michael talks with Ken to uncover what really happens behind the scenes before, during, and after winter storms. The conversation reveals a complex system of planning, people, equipment, and science—all working together to protect the Shenandoah Valley's roads. A Year-Round Operation: Preparing for Winter in July Although most Virginians don't think about snow until the weather turns cold, VDOT never stops planning for winter. Ken explains that salt acquisition, equipment preparation, and contractor coordination happen "pretty much year-round." Because Mid-Atlantic states often pull from the same salt suppliers, VDOT begins stockpiling materials months in advance. By early summer, the agency starts contracting plow operators and supplemental crews—critical partners, since VDOT alone cannot cover the 11-county region with 150 miles of Interstate 81 in the Staunton District. For many contractors, winter work fills seasonal employment gaps, making it a mutually beneficial relationship. As fall approaches, VDOT conducts "dry runs," where plows, spreaders, dump trucks, graders, and even the occasional snowblower undergo rigorous inspection. Mechanics check everything from hydraulics to electronic components to the flashing safety lights. New operators also drive their designated routes with seasoned staff to learn every cul-de-sac, mailbox, driveway, and hazard before the first storm arrives. More Than Machines: The Human Infrastructure VDOT's winter workforce extends far beyond plow drivers. The agency maintains equipment repair shops in multiple locations—including Staunton, Winchester, Harrisonburg, and Alleghany County—staffed with specialists who not only service vehicles in the shop but often crawl under trucks on the roadside during storms. The agency also relies on dozens of employees whose regular jobs have nothing to do with snow removal. During weather events, environmental staff, surveyors, office workers, and administrative teams might be reassigned to phone operations, storm reporting, or road-condition updates that feed directly into the statewide 511 Virginia system. As Ken puts it, "VDOT is an all-hands-on-deck operation whenever it snows." Forecasting the Fight: Science Meets Local Knowledge Weather drives nearly every decision VDOT makes during a storm. To stay ahead, the agency collaborates closely with two National Weather Service offices—Sterling for the northern Shenandoah Valley and Blacksburg for the southern region—while also relying on a private forecasting consultant. However, the most valuable insights often come from the ground. Supervisors stationed throughout the district contribute hyperlocal knowledge about cold pockets, shaded roadways, tricky curves, and elevations where conditions can change dramatically within a few miles. This matters in a district that stretches from Page County's valleys to Highland County's rugged ridges, nicknamed "Virginia's Switzerland" for its long, snowy seasons. Understanding Treatments: Brine, Salt, and Abrasives One of the most common misconceptions among drivers involves road treatments—particularly when VDOT chooses not to pre-treat ahead of a storm. Ken clarifies that brine (a saltwater solution) only works when applied well in advance of snowfall. If a storm begins with rain, the liquid simply washes away. That's why VDOT carefully times its anti-icing operations 24 to 36 hours before precipitation arrives. Salt remains the standard treatment, but once temperatures drop into the low 20s or teens, its effectiveness weakens. That's when the agency may incorporate abrasives—fine, gritty particles smaller than pea gravel—to help vehicles gain traction. In extreme cold, VDOT may also use calcium chloride, a more potent but costlier option reserved for the harshest conditions. And yes—VDOT mixes its own brine in giant onsite tanks equipped with agitators. The Interstates Come First: Prioritizing What Matters Most When snow starts falling, VDOT's first priority is always the interstates and major primary roads that support hospitals, fire and rescue, commercial trucking, and essential travel. During heavy storms, plow operators may spend the entire event clearing a single 30-mile stretch of Interstate 81, circling back and forth until snowfall eases. Only once the major routes are reasonably clear can operators move to secondary roads and neighborhoods. Why Staying Home Makes a Difference Both Janet and Ken stress one message above all: staying off the roads during storms dramatically improves safety—and speeds up VDOT's work. "It's a lot easier to plow a road that doesn't have any vehicles on it," Ken explains. Fewer cars mean fewer accidents, fewer stuck vehicles blocking lanes, and fewer obstacles for plow drivers navigating low visibility and icy conditions. For those who must drive—retail workers, health-care employees, and service professionals—Ken offers clear advice: leave early, drive slowly, avoid sudden movements, and give yourself far more stopping distance than usual. And when in doubt, assume the road is icy—especially when freezing rain creates hazardous, nearly invisible "black ice." Tools for Drivers: 511 and Real-Time Road Temperature Data VDOT's 511 Virginia system provides far more than traffic cameras. Drivers can access pavement temperature readings, weather station data, alerts, and real-time incident reports—tools that help them decide when (or whether) to travel. Even VDOT staff use the traffic cameras to track approaching storms: "They'll watch the snow hit Mount Jackson, and they know it's coming next." A Final Word: Respect the Storm As the conversation ends, Ken offers one last reminder: preparation, patience, and caution remain the keys to a safer winter season. Whether you're a commuter, a weekend traveler, or just someone who loves snow days, VDOT's work depends on drivers doing their part. And if you need an excuse to stay home? Janet jokes that she'll be citing Ken personally.
Eden Park is forecasting a profit of just $145,000 next year, because of a lack of concerts and events. Eden Park CEO Nick Sautner spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.
Getting buy-in for marketing is often harder than doing the marketing itself. So how are other teams actually doing it?In this webinar, two senior marketers and two finance leaders co-present how they work together to get marketing funded, trusted, and seen as a growth driver.You'll learn: • The three biggest reasons marketing and finance clash • How to translate campaigns into simple financial models finance can trust • How to build a shared definition of “value” (brand, pipeline, revenue, margin) • What good forecasting looks like when marketing runs in delay • Practical scorecards, budget rhythms and templates you can steal • Real-world examples from agencies and B2B SaaS (Genio, Suprpwr, Profit Sprout)Perfect if you're a marketer who needs budget sign-off, or a finance leader who wants predictable growth without killing creativity.00:00 Why marketing + finance alignment matters03:43 Biggest blockers to buy-in07:47 Explaining budgets to finance12:31 Proving marketing's value17:41 Forecasting both sides trust23:22 Alignment case study33:35 CAC, LTV + payback made simple40:05 Building one shared scorecard46:03 Key takeaways47:42 Q&A roundup************************************************************************Please take the time to check out our partners, all of whom we work with because we think they're useful companies for lovely marketers.Frontify – All your brand assets in one place: Frontify combines DAM, brand guidelines, and templates into a collaborative source of brand truth.Cambridge Marketing College – The best place to get your marketing qualifications and apprenticeships.Planable – the content collaboration platform that helps marketing teams create, plan, review, and approve all their awesome marketing content.NOAN – your superhuman business partner. Easily build your strategy & control your business knowledge with AI, then use it to manage your tasks, create content & supercharge your marketing.Wistia – a complete video marketing platform that helps teams create, host, market, and measure their videos and webinars, all in one place.
Erica talks through the often-ignored issue of why business profits don't always translate into personal take-home pay. She introduces the 50/25/25 Rule to help consultants achieve financial stability, explaining how to divide profits into owner distributions, tax liabilities, and business reserves. Erica also discusses the nuances of tax planning based on location and household income. 00:00 Intro 00:51 The Profit and Paycheck Disconnect 01:27 Introducing the 50-25-25 Rule 02:53 Breaking Down the 50-25-25 Rule 05:28 Implementing the Rule with Rolling Averages 06:36 Adjusting for Taxes 08:03 Creating Financial Stability and Confidence 08:48 Final Thoughts www.ericagoode.com ____________________ Resources Referenced: 103. Forecasting for Real Life | https://www.ericagoode.com/podcast/ep103 ____________________ Connect with Erica | LinkedIn | Website | Newsletter
PREVIEW Architect's Index Signals Continued Economic Contraction Gene Marks Gene Marks discusses the architect's index, which serves as a leading indicator for the direction of the American economy, forecasting big buildings and high-end residential construction six to twelve months ahead. For the eleventh consecutive month, the index showed contraction, not expansion, indicating a difficult market for architects and mixed, non-encouraging economic pictures overall.
DisclosuresThese views are subject to change at any time based upon market or other conditions and are current as of the date at the top of the page.Investing involves risk and principal loss is possible.Past performance does not guarantee future performance.Forecasting represents predictions of market prices and/or volume patterns utilizing varying analytical data. It is not representative of a projection of the stock market, or of any specific investment.This material is not an offer, solicitation or recommendation to purchase any security. Nothing contained in this material is intended to constitute legal, tax, securities or investment advice, nor an opinion regarding the appropriateness of any investment, nor a solicitation of any type.The general information contained in this publication should not be acted upon without obtaining specific legal, tax and investment advice from a licensed professional. The information, analysis and opinions expressed herein are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual entity.Please remember that all investments carry some level of risk. Although steps can be taken to help reduce risk it cannot be completely removed. They do no not typically grow at an even rate of return and may experience negative growth. As with any type of portfolio structuring, attempting to reduce risk and increase return could, at certain times, unintentionally reduce returns.Investments that are allocated across multiple types of securities may be exposed to a variety of risks based on the asset classes, investment styles, market sectors, and size of companies preferred by the investment managers. Investors should consider how the combined risks impact their total investment portfolio and understand that different risks can lead to varying financial consequences, including loss of principal. Please see a prospectus for further details.Indexes are unmanaged and cannot be invested in directly.Copyright © Russell Investments Group LLC 2025. All rights reserved.This material is proprietary and may not be reproduced, transferred, or distributed in any form without prior written permission from Russell Investments. It is delivered on an “as is” basis without warranty.CORP-12933Date of first use: November, 2025
Episode Overview In this episode, John sits down with longtime real estate leader Jim Pruett for a powerful reminder of what actually drives success in this business: fundamentals, discipline, and treating your business like a real business. Jim breaks down why 87% of agents fail, the mindset shift required to survive in today's market, and the simple systems and habits that have allowed him to build a long-term, consistent, and respected real estate business. From setting up your business like a CEO, to mastering the purchase agreement, to building world-class community relationships, this episode is packed with timeless truths agents desperately need—especially those who keep getting distracted by shiny objects instead of focusing on the work that matters. If you feel overwhelmed, inconsistent, or unsure what to focus on to grow, this episode is the clarity punch-in-the-face you've been needing. Key Topics Covered Why Most Agents Fail The "employee-to-CEO" mindset shift every new agent must make Why shiny objects are draining your money and killing your momentum The power of joining a team to dramatically increase your odds of success Building a Real Business Setting up your business like a real CEO: accounting, legal, brand assets, and systems Why your email, your URL, and your online profiles matter more than you think The necessity of consistency across photos, bios, and digital presence Systems & Predictable Success How checklists, workflows, and repeatable processes create freedom Why systems must be "living documents" that evolve as your business grows The role of CRMs, automation, and organized procedures for scale Relationships That Produce How to build real, human connections—online and offline The key difference between transactional contacts and real influence Why "contacts sprout contracts" is still one of the truest principles in real estate How Jim's community involvement (especially the Riverfront Development Committee) became a long-term lever for influence and opportunity Know Your Value Why agents struggle to articulate value and how to fix it How to confidently have the hard conversations with buyers and sellers Why your presence alone should add value to every transaction Mastering the Fundamentals Why every agent should reread the purchase agreement weekly How pre-listing inspections reduce future friction The essential difference between working in your business vs. on your business Blocking out noise, avoiding distractions, and staying focused on what matters CEO-Level Habits The power of being a "slave to your calendar" Forecasting and knowing your numbers like a true operator How the right rooms and the right relationships change your trajectory The mindset of professionals: "Do it until you can't get it wrong." Resources & Mentions The E-Myth Revisited – Michael Gerber Profit First – Mike Michalowicz Choose Your Enemies Wisely – Patrick Bet-David The Checklist Manifesto – Atul Gawande (Chapter 1 recommended) Honey Badger Nation John Kitchens Executive Coaching → JohnKitchens.coach Final Takeaway Success isn't complicated—it's consistent. The agents who win aren't the ones chasing noise or shortcuts… they're the ones who master the basics, know their value, build real relationships, and operate like CEOs. As Jim puts it: "Professionals do it until they can't get it wrong." Connect with Us: Instagram: @johnkitchenscoach LinkedIn: @johnkitchenscoach Facebook: @johnkitchenscoach If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and leave a review. Stay tuned for more insights and strategies from the top minds. See you next time!
The Bill Caskey Podcast: High Impact Sales Training for Sellers and Leaders
Planning season is here, but most salespeople confuse forecasting with actual planning. In this episode, Bill shares three critical building blocks from his upcoming Personal Business Planning Workshop that will help you create a comprehensive plan for 2026—not just revenue targets, but a real roadmap for growth.Bill walks you through practical examples, including how to create lead magnets that attract qualified prospects and position you as the expert. Whether you join his December 5th workshop or start implementing these three blocks today, you'll be ahead of the game in 2026.Join Bill's Personal Business Planning Workshop: December 5th, 12-2 PM ET Get all nine building blocks, a 12-page workbook, and a one-page planning overview for just $97. Get your ticket now!Join me December 5th for my Personal Business Planning Workshop where we'll build your complete 2026 blueprint in just two hours. Reserve your spot at billcaskey.com/businessplanning.
In this special episode of Run the Numbers, CJ Gustafson records live from Campfire's AI Finance Forward conference in San Francisco, serving up a trio of rapid-fire interviews with top-tier finance leaders. First, Daniel Kang, CFO of Mercury, breaks down the quality of fintech revenue streams, the mechanics of float in a falling rate environment, and what investors really value. Then, Brad Floering, SVP of Finance at Snowflake, shares war stories on usage-based pricing, forecasting consumption, and the role of AI in modern FP&A. Finally, Mitzi Yue of Boulder Care brings a mission-driven perspective, reflecting on dual roles in finance and culture, career product-market fit, and the ethical frontier of AI in healthcare. It's a fast, thoughtful taste of where modern finance is headed.—LINKS:Daniel Kang on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmkang/Mercury: https://mercury.com/Brad Floering on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-floering/Snowflake: https://www.snowflake.com/Mitzi Yue on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitziyue/Boulder Care: https://www.boulder.care/CJ on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—RELATED EPISODES:Grindr's $0 CAC Secret from the CFO Who Launched Disney+ | Vanna Krantzhttps://youtu.be/ijFIMmtpLNw—TIMESTAMPS:00:00:00 Preview and Intro00:04:03 Sponsors – Fidelity Private Shares, Metronome, Mercury00:06:49 Guest – Daniel Kang (Mercury) joins00:07:55 Lessons from being first finance hire00:10:49 Finance collaborating on product decisions00:13:12 Comparing customer segments and revenue models00:16:58 Sponsors – Right Rev, Tipalti, Aleph00:21:11 Market shift for consumer fintech models00:23:14 Balancing gross profit with product growth00:24:41 Misconceptions about fintech revenue00:26:57 Guest – Brad Floering (Snowflake) joins00:30:22 Aligning pricing with cloud resource consumption00:33:17 Forecasting challenges with usage-based revenue00:35:06 Complexity of sales commissions under consumption model00:38:23 Lessons from AWS: committing for discounts00:41:16 Cold start forecasting challenges and the role of employee size00:44:01 Customer behavior and rollover credit challenges00:47:08 Using professional services to recover unused credits00:49:05 Seasonality and forecasting challenges in Q400:54:16 Guest – Mitzi Yue (Boulder Care) joins00:57:05 The pandemic's impact on telemedicine adoption01:00:33 Finance decisions with human consequences in healthcare01:02:26 Finding personal product-market fit in Series B/C stage01:03:33 Finance as the central nervous system of the company01:07:10 Nonprofits inspired by personal values and experience01:10:52 Exploring AI's potential in healthcare and finance—SPONSORS:Fidelity Private Shares is the all-in-one equity management platform that keeps your cap table clean, your data room organized, and your equity story clear—so you never risk losing a fundraising round over messy records. Schedule a demo at https://www.fidelityprivateshares.com and mention Mostly Metrics to get 20% off.Metronome is real-time billing built for modern software companies. Metronome turns raw usage events into accurate invoices, gives customers bills they actually understand, and keeps finance, product, and engineering perfectly in sync. That's why category-defining companies like OpenAI and Anthropic trust Metronome to power usage-based pricing and enterprise contracts at scale. Focus on your product — not your billing. Learn more and get started at https://www.metronome.comMercury is business banking built for builders, giving founders and finance pros a financial stack that actually works together. From sending wires to tracking balances and approving payments, Mercury makes it simple to scale without friction. Join the 200,000+ entrepreneurs who trust Mercury and apply online in minutes at https://www.mercury.comRightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Tipalti automates the entire payables process—from onboarding suppliers to executing global payouts—helping finance teams save time, eliminate costly errors, and scale confidently across 200+ countries and 120 currencies. More than 5,000 businesses already trust Tipalti to manage payments with built-in security and tax compliance. Visit https://www.tipalti.com/runthenumbers to learn more.Aleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/run—#RunTheNumbersPodcast #FintechStrategy #UsageBasedPricing #HealthcareFinance #AIinFinance This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cjgustafson.substack.com
Porchcast! October Style. Audio Intro: “Pantyhose” by TV GirlFrom the Free Music ArchiveCC BY NC 4.0Audio Outro: “Pantyhose” by TV GirlFrom the Free Music ArchiveCC BY NC 4.0
In this episode, the operators dive deep into the current holiday shopping landscape, analyzing Black Friday Cyber Monday strategies and the shifting behavior of consumers in a soft economy. They debate the merits of starting sales early versus waiting for the "Cyber Five," discuss the complexities of inventory management, and share insights on forecasting growth for 2025 and 2026.The conversation also explores the difference between "sexy" trend-based growth and durable long-term success, using case studies like Nike and On Running, before concluding with a candid discussion on the role of the CEO in prioritizing company initiatives and making high-leverage decisionsChapters:00:00:00 - Introduction00:03:34 - Holiday Discounting & Consumer Sentiment00:18:16 - Early Sales vs. Cyber Five Strategies00:30:00 - Forecasting & Growth Targets00:42:38 - Durable vs. "Sexy" Growth00:54:53 - The CEO's Role & PrioritiesPowered By:Fulfil.io.https://bit.ly/3pAp2vuThe Only Cloud ERP Designed to Efficiently Scale 8 and 9-Figure Brands. Northbeam.https://www.northbeam.io/Richpanel.https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=9O&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdescSaras.https://bit.ly/9OP-YtdescRivo.https://www.rivo.io/operatorsSubscribe to The Marketing Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@MarketingOperatorsSubscribe to The Finance Operators here: https://www.youtube.com/@FinanceOperatorsFOPSSign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/
Researchers in Puerto Rico are building a system designed to warn people down to the block in San Juan. Learn more at https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/
In this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ Gustafson sits down with Vanna Krantz, former CFO of Disney+ and Grindr, to explore what it takes to lead finance through massive inflection points. Vanna reflects on building Disney+'s subscription model from scratch under Bob Iger's leadership and the pressure of launching a global product with no precedent. She discusses forecasting as both science and art, and the importance of appreciating high-stakes moments amid chaos. Shifting to Grindr, Vanna breaks down how the company went public with remarkable efficiency—boasting 40% EBITDA margins and under 200 employees—and how she modeled for a user base that consistently churns and returns. She also opens up about career longevity, work-life balance, and helping women find sustainability and acceleration in leadership.—LINKS:Vanna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vannakrantz/CJ on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—RELATED EPISODES:Monetizing Community Engagement: The Business of Fitness with Strava CFO Lily Yanghttps://youtu.be/zlLb5yZDKQE“Let's Just See What Breaks” — Intuit's CFO on Being a Disruptor When You're Already the Incumbenthttps://youtu.be/Le1D9HXHvGI—TIMESTAMPS:00:00:00 Preview and Intro00:03:02 Sponsors – Aleph, Fidelity Private Shares, and Metronome00:06:09 Meeting at A16z and Disney Plus Discussion00:07:13 Interviewing with Bob Iger and Joining Bamtech Media00:10:43 Forecasting the Unknown at Disney Plus00:13:01 Launch Strategy – Mandalorian and Retention00:15:15 Sponsors – Mercury, RightRev, and Tipalti00:19:23 Forecasting, Retention Curves, and the Art vs. Science Balance00:22:20 Lessons in Art and Science of Finance at Disney00:25:08 Launch Day Chaos and the Disney Plus CDN Outage00:26:24 Celebrating the 10 Million Subscriber Milestone00:27:21 Grindr IPO and Financial Discovery00:32:42 Active User Metrics and Reactivation Trends00:34:29 Seasonality and Human Behavior in App Usage00:36:02 Free vs. Paid Users and Revenue Optimization00:38:21 Pricing Strategy and Global Monetization00:40:23 Women in Leadership and Staying in the Game00:43:30 Work–Life Balance and Career Seasons00:46:12 Wisdom, Experience, and Staying in the Game00:50:08 Finance Stack, Craziest Expense, and Closing Remarks—SPONSORS:Aleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/runFidelity Private Shares is the all-in-one equity management platform that keeps your cap table clean, your data room organized, and your equity story clear—so you never risk losing a fundraising round over messy records. Schedule a demo at https://www.fidelityprivateshares.com and mention Mostly Metrics to get 20% off.Metronome is real-time billing built for modern software companies. Metronome turns raw usage events into accurate invoices, gives customers bills they actually understand, and keeps finance, product, and engineering perfectly in sync. That's why category-defining companies like OpenAI and Anthropic trust Metronome to power usage-based pricing and enterprise contracts at scale. Focus on your product — not your billing. Learn more and get started at https://www.metronome.comMercury is business banking built for builders, giving founders and finance pros a financial stack that actually works together. From sending wires to tracking balances and approving payments, Mercury makes it simple to scale without friction. Join the 200,000+ entrepreneurs who trust Mercury and apply online in minutes at https://www.mercury.comRightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Tipalti automates the entire payables process—from onboarding suppliers to executing global payouts—helping finance teams save time, eliminate costly errors, and scale confidently across 200+ countries and 120 currencies. More than 5,000 businesses already trust Tipalti to manage payments with built-in security and tax compliance. Visit https://www.tipalti.com/runthenumbers to learn more.—#RunTheNumbersPodcast #CFOInsights #DisneyPlus #GrindrIPO #Leadership This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cjgustafson.substack.com
From fuzzy caterpillars to “fog means rain in 90 days,” discover the truth behind classic weather folklore! A meteorologist debunks old wives' tales, separating fact from fiction. Accurate forecasts, not myths! Join radio hosts Rebecca Wanner aka ‘BEC' and Jeff ‘Tigger' Erhardt (Tigger & BEC) with the latest in Outdoors & Western Lifestyle News! Folklore to Old Wives Tales, Debunking The Weather Myths Meet KX News Chief Meteorologist Kenny Miller! His knowledge is a breathe of fresh air as he has extensive knowledge in forecasting for agriculture as well as the fun way of breaking down the myths! Featured Weather Expert Kenny Miller, KX News Chief Meteorologist Weather Passions: studying the impact weather can have on the agricultural industry as well as the evolution and projected track of severe storms. Florida “Iguana Freeze” Warning: Cold Snap Has Lizards Falling from Trees Florida — it's that time of year again when chilly temps don't just have people reaching for jackets… and falling iguana season has officially arrived in Florida, and they've got iguanas dropping from trees! As temperatures dip into the 40s and even 30s, green iguanas, which can grow up to five feet long and weigh more than 15 pounds, go into a kind of cold shock. Their bodies slow down, they stiffen up, and sometimes they lose their grip and fall — but most of them wake back up once the sun warms things up again. Experts estimate there are hundreds of thousands of iguanas across South Florida, from Miami up through the Treasure Coast. They're not native to the state — originally from Central and South America — and are considered an invasive species that causes millions in damage each year by digging up seawalls, eating native plants, and taking over neighborhoods. So, if you see a few frozen lizards on your fall / winter visit to Florida, don't panic — it's just another quirky Florida moment. And remember, they are stunned and a large iguana can still bite! Stay warm and watch your head under those trees! OUTDOORS FIELD REPORTS & COMMENTS We want to hear from you! If you have any questions, comments, or stories to share about bighorn sheep, outdoor adventures, or wildlife conservation, don't hesitate to reach out. Call or text us at 305-900-BEND (305-900-2363), or send an email to BendRadioShow@gmail.com. Stay connected by following us on social media at Facebook/Instagram @thebendshow or by subscribing to The Bend Show on YouTube. Visit our website at TheBendShow.com for more exciting content and updates! https://thebendshow.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thebendshow WESTERN LIFESTYLE & THE OUTDOORS Jeff ‘Tigger' Erhardt & Rebecca ‘BEC' Wanner are passionate news broadcasters who represent the working ranch world, rodeo, and the Western way of life. They are also staunch advocates for the outdoors and wildlife conservation. As outdoorsmen themselves, Tigger and BEC provide valuable insight and education to hunters, adventurers, ranchers, and anyone interested in agriculture and conservation. With a shared love for the outdoors, Tigger & BEC are committed to bringing high-quality beef and wild game from the field to your table. They understand the importance of sharing meals with family, cooking the fruits of your labor, and making memories in the great outdoors. Through their work, they aim to educate and inspire those who appreciate God's Country and life on the land. United by a common mission, Tigger & BEC offer a glimpse into the life beyond the beaten path and down dirt roads. They're here to share knowledge, answer your questions, and join you in your own success story. Adventure awaits around the bend. With The Outdoors, the Western Heritage, Rural America, and Wildlife Conservation at the forefront, Tigger and BEC live this lifestyle every day. To learn more about Tigger & BEC's journey and their passion for the outdoors, visit TiggerandBEC.com. https://tiggerandbec.com/
Join Timm Henderlight, Lead Strategy Consultant at Perficient, and Rick Olson, Consult Partner at Kyndryl, as they reveal how predictive analytics and AI are transforming holiday retail planning. Discover how retailers are: - Forecasting demand with greater accuracy - Optimizing inventory and assortments - Streamlining operations for peak season Whether you're a retailer looking to gain a competitive edge or simply curious about how data drives holiday success, this episode offers practical insights to help you plan smarter and sell more. Special thanks to @Kyndryl for making this episode possible Listen Now
DisclosuresThese views are subject to change at any time based upon market or other conditions and are current as of the date at the top of the page.Investing involves risk and principal loss is possible.Past performance does not guarantee future performance.Forecasting represents predictions of market prices and/or volume patterns utilizing varying analytical data. It is not representative of a projection of the stock market, or of any specific investment.This material is not an offer, solicitation or recommendation to purchase any security. Nothing contained in this material is intended to constitute legal, tax, securities or investment advice, nor an opinion regarding the appropriateness of any investment, nor a solicitation of any type.The general information contained in this publication should not be acted upon without obtaining specific legal, tax and investment advice from a licensed professional. The information, analysis and opinions expressed herein are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual entity.Please remember that all investments carry some level of risk. Although steps can be taken to help reduce risk it cannot be completely removed. They do no not typically grow at an even rate of return and may experience negative growth. As with any type of portfolio structuring, attempting to reduce risk and increase return could, at certain times, unintentionally reduce returns.Investments that are allocated across multiple types of securities may be exposed to a variety of risks based on the asset classes, investment styles, market sectors, and size of companies preferred by the investment managers. Investors should consider how the combined risks impact their total investment portfolio and understand that different risks can lead to varying financial consequences, including loss of principal. Please see a prospectus for further details.Indexes are unmanaged and cannot be invested in directly.Copyright © Russell Investments Group LLC 2025. All rights reserved.This material is proprietary and may not be reproduced, transferred, or distributed in any form without prior written permission from Russell Investments. It is delivered on an “as is” basis without warranty.CORP-12920Date of first use: November, 2025
Episode Overview In this episode, Scott and Jeff sit down with Mario Tovar, founder of CCMC Advanced Technologies and creator of Prometheus, a patent-pending AI forecasting platform designed to help businesses and governments see risk before it happens. Mario shares how advanced machine learning can turn complex data into actionable foresight—bridging the gap between predictive analytics and real-world decision-making. The conversation dives deep into economics, business forecasting, and founder mindset, while connecting to the TriMetric focus on Leadership, Business Health, and Life Quality. -- Connect & Learn More Take the free Business Health Quiz: TriMetricQuiz.com Learn more about Mario & Prometheus: CCMC.global Connect with the hosts: Scott Landis – Founder, Landis360 / Business Freedom Advisors Jeff Jacob – Business Freedom Advisors
#319 The modern power grid faces an existential challenge: integrating massive amounts of renewable energy while keeping the lights on. Sean Kelly, CEO and Founder of Amperon, explains how artificial intelligence and machine learning are replacing outdated forecasting methods to predict energy supply and demand with precision. This conversation explores battery optimization, demand response programs, and why traditional grid models no longer work in a world of extreme weather and distributed generation.Sean Kelly leads Amperon, a company providing AI-driven energy forecasting platforms for grid operators, battery owners, and energy traders. With nearly 20 years of experience in energy trading and risk management, Kelly has worked for major energy firms such as Tenaska, Lehman, EDF, and E.ON, where he led significant trading desk developments and transitions, including bringing nuclear power plants into new markets. Key Discussion Points:Traditional forecasting models look backward. AI models look forward and learn in real time, adapting to grid changes as they happen.Battery storage is exploding. ERCOT expects 40% more storage in the next 5 years. Texas batteries run 1-2 hours, California runs 4-hour batteries, and companies like Form Energy are developing 100+ hour systems.The critical hours are 6pm to 9pm. When solar goes down at sunset and wind drops simultaneously, batteries become essential. Amperon's platform tells operators exactly when to charge and discharge for maximum profit.The grid needs 6 terawatt hours of energy storage but we're only one-tenth of the way there. Developers should build all projects battery-ready or include storage today.Demand response works like insurance. Grid operators pay large customers to reduce load during peak times. Penalties are severe for non-compliance, ensuring the system works when needed.Forecasting is no longer optional. Sean calls it "the operating system of the modern grid." Historical averages won't keep the lights on anymore.Data centers and large industrial loads play a critical role in grid flexibility, backing down from 20 megawatts to 10 megawatts when grid operators need relief.Connect with Sean Kelly LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-kelly-0792626/ Support the showConnect with Tim Clean Power Hour Clean Power Hour on YouTubeTim on TwitterTim on LinkedIn Email tim@cleanpowerhour.com Review Clean Power Hour on Apple PodcastsThe Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America's number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com
Todd VanderStelt is the Co-founder of MixShift, a firm that helps Amazon agencies, aggregators, and brands scale operations and reporting for their Amazon accounts. He is also the Managing Partner at Dash Applications, which delivers software to improve operations and sales for retailers and brands, and the Founder of TidalBore Group, a management consulting firm specializing in retail. Previously, Todd held leadership roles at Amazon, where he built forecasting tools and operational systems. Sam Hager is the Co-founder and CEO of MixShift. He began his career in the Amazon space, managing multimillion-dollar business books across advertising and agency services. Before MixShift, Sam was the Marketplace Strategist and Amazon Advertising Manager at Booyah Advertising. In this episode… Forecasting in the Amazon ecosystem is one of the most frustrating challenges for brands and agencies. With so many shifting variables — from ad spend to competition to inventory fluctuations — how can companies predict sales and plan budgets without wasting resources or missing opportunities? Amazon forecasting and automation veteran Todd VanderStelt and eCommerce strategist Sam Hager have developed a forecasting method for Amazon brands. They emphasize simplifying forecasting through a top-down model that uses a few key data inputs — ad spend, seasonality, and organic growth — to generate highly accurate predictions. Sam and Todd advise building forecasting tools that align teams around data, tie budgets directly to performance, and factor in real-world contexts, like promotions or unexpected press coverage, to make informed decisions. In this episode of The Digital Deep Dive, Aaron Conant talks with Todd VanderStelt and Sam Hager, Co-founders of MixShift, about building accurate and actionable Amazon forecasting models. Together, they explain why top-down forecasting outperforms traditional methods, how linking ad spend to revenue improves planning, and the future innovations transforming eCommerce analytics.
In today's BizNews Briefing, Alec Hogg speaks with Charles Savage, founder and CEO of Purple Group - the force behind EasyEquities. From humble beginnings with just R2 million in seed capital 11 years ago, the platform has grown into a R4.5 billion success story. Savage shares the X factor behind EasyEquities' meteoric rise, his vision for the future, and how artificial intelligence is shaping the company's next chapter.
Revamping your financials is as easy as … Kiera shows off her savvy financial skills by sharing what it takes to know what's being spent in your practice. Her spreadsheet tips will answer such questions as: What can be cut? How can you make sure your overhead is in check? What do you need to produce? And much more. Want a sample spreadsheet to get started? Email hello@thedentalateam.com. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript: Kiera Dent (00:00) Hello, Dental A Team listeners, this is Kiera and I hope you're just having an amazing day. Like a great, great, great, incredible day. ⁓ just, today's topic is one that makes me excited and it's so dry and boring, ⁓ but I love it. And I'm like, that's probably a buzzkill for the podcast, but you know me, one of my core values is fun. And Dana, shout out to Dana, DanyDane over there. ⁓ She gave me one of the best compliments. We do a thing on Wednesdays called core value shout out in our company. And I will tell you if you do not have this in your company, I would strongly advise you do this. What we do is every single Wednesday, our company goes and our whole team says that this is our favorite. You guys, we have gone from a very small team to a much larger team and we still do this. So just know small teams, big teams, it is doable and it is very relevant and very essential. And I think it just goes so well. I am okay to take a little bit longer on this morning huddle because of how good it is. so core value shout out is where we just randomly will pick somebody and then it's popcorn after that. So they'll choose the next person. So for example, we would start and I would say, okay, Shelbi starting today and everybody chooses somebody on the team and they highlight them for a core value and it has to be a core value. It has to be something specific. And so Dana gave me one of the greatest compliments. She said, Kiera, she said she wanted to give me the core value of fun, because fun is really one of our core values. And she said, I want to give it to you for fun, because she said a lot of times topics that are so hard ⁓ or things that people wouldn't necessarily find fun. She said, you just know how to sprinkle the fun and the confetti and the glitter and make things that are hard or something that teens wouldn't want to do or doctors wouldn't want to do. you make them really fun. And honestly, that has stuck with me. It is a few days later since she gave me that compliment and I'm still remembering it. So not only is core value shout out day amazing, it also helps you just enjoy and to have like, to be happier. ⁓ It also infuses core values into your company. And I'm excited and grateful that I'm able to bring fun things to the podcast, a dry topic. I hope I've teed this up enough to where you're excited about it. But this is, think, the discipline side of business of owning a dental practice that you need to do. And this is really, think, for office managers or billers and doctors. And this is something that I think will give you so much confidence. it came actually from our doctor mastermind. We have ⁓ a private doctor only mastermind that we run every single month. It's a virtual one. And then we do an in-person one ⁓ that's more for doctor and leadership teams. But our monthly one, call it Think Tank, and it's on the first Tuesday of every month. And a doctor was saying, she's like, I just don't know where to cut. I said, send me your PNL and tips like, and she's going to want your credit card statement and she's going to want all your stuff. And while yes, I am obsessive on this. have helped family members. I've helped offices. I've helped myself. something that I will like toot my own horn on it. I actually think I'm very talented with money, with saving, with figuring out solutions and helping people understand where you can cut. This podcast also came about because this morning on my, ⁓ Shelbi Britt and I were meeting and we were literally going through. our finances to see where could we maybe squeeze the tube of toothpaste a little bit more, where could we maybe change a few things. And I think that that's just so relevant and so helpful. And so this is something I do in my day in day out life. It's something that I think for you to go from chaos and lack of financial clarity to confidence is something that I really want to just bring to the table today on the podcast. If you're new to Dental A team, welcome. We are obsessed about helping you have your best life and ⁓ doing it in a fun, easy way through dentistry. And so helping you with our yes model. So you as a person getting your life, your vision, all of that in place, then moving into earnings. So ⁓ financially, that's the piece today. And then using those financial pieces. So your analytics, your PNL, your overhead to also help us figure out what systems and team development need to go into place to make sure you have this thriving practice. Because honestly, I believe that being successful, being a successful dental practice does not have to be hard and it can actually be easy. So that's what we're here for today. ⁓ With that. So today it's going to be like, how do you actually like figure out your costs? So I did this a long time ago and then I like met a lot of really smart financial people. I'm not a financial advisor. I will throw that out there. So just make sure you talk to them and you have your, ⁓ like you chat with them of what's best for your state, but I will teach you how I do it. This is annoying. It's a little cumbersome, but people love to hear like, how do you actually do this? I'm always like, how do people get like jacked? Like how do they work out? Like. me like what time do you work out like what do you do for your nutrition and just so I understand the full landscape and then I'm going to pick and choose of what's going to work well for me that I'll actually implement so hopefully that will be effective for you today as well. So this is what we do. I have a spreadsheet that I have for monthly costs. We do this with all of our clients too. So if you're like, this feels too hard, don't worry, join the Dental A Team. We'll help you get it put together. So we have a monthly cost. And what I do is on the monthly costs, and this is probably my most visited spreadsheet of my entire company. And I'm super excited because we're bringing in another team member who does financial. Forecasting and has a whole background in finance. So my method might get revamped to 2.0 and there's always another layer. But what I have is I have on our monthly costs, I have all the salaries and all of the pay. Now for offices, I do include doctor pay. Again, I'm not a CPA and I do believe that doctors should be paid. So I put in either your W-2 salary and or your doctor compensation of 30%. Now I do lose numbers. So our consultants are paid very similar to how doctors are paid. ⁓ And so you can get a general idea. So mine are general ideas. It's not my highest month. It's not my lowest month. It's the average is what I've selected to do for these costs. So again, this spreadsheet will not be absolutely perfect, but I think it's a really great tool to figure out what can I cut? How can I make sure my overheads in check? What do I need to produce? How do I basically figure out my BAM, my bare ACE minimum in a company? And so that's what we're gonna be looking at. So with that, I first list all the salaries and... I want everything in there. And then what I have is a current. So I'm gonna have a current and then I'm also going to have like a future. So for example, if you're planning to hire somebody, but they're not hired yet, that's something that you're going to wanna know, what is my cost now? And what is going to be the future cost? Because those two things are actually different numbers. And so for me, it's really helpful so that I can look at you guys honestly. When I started this, had like three team members and now we have tons of team members on there and outsource people and virtual assistants. And ⁓ the list just gets bigger and bigger and bigger. I can go back and I can look at things that we've done before. And so mine's on Google Sheets. And again, we've built one of these and I'm even happy to share, reach out, Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. But this is something, so I go through all the salaries. And then for me, ⁓ if you do health insurance or you do a health stipend or whatever it is, you add that in. as well, but then what I do, and again, talk to your CPA, see what your payroll tax are. For me, I just estimate 10%. I always like to air higher. So you will notice in all of my projections and everything I do, I'm going to always air higher than it actually is rather than lower. And so just looking at that, just so you know, that's how I do. So my CPA told me 10%, we have business in four different states. I think we're actually up to five now. So I estimate high, no matter what state they're in, I just do a 10%. So I'll do my total salaries of the month, an estimated 10 % payroll. And then I've got that in there, my total payroll. Then we have our health stipends or health insurance, our 401k costs in there, how much it costs me per user, what the 4 % is. I actually go grab people's salaries and their bonuses, put it in there. So I have a pretty good idea. Then what I do is I check every single month to see based what I have here, is that close? to what I'm actually paying or is it not? I know some of you might be like, well, here, I just get it from my CPA, I get a P &L. I agree, but this is a good checks and balance between my CPA and myself. And also when I'm trying to project and forecast, can I add people in? How much is this gonna have? Where can I cut? If I can see it all line itemed out, it's actually for me at least much easier for me to see what are all my costs and where can I squeeze the tube of toothpaste to get a little bit more ⁓ toothpaste out of that tube or a little more juice out of the lemon. So that's what I have. And then what I have down below is like outsource. So if you've got VAs or you've got ⁓ different people that are contractors or things like that, I have that in there and that one EBS and flows mostly that hangs in my marketing department. That's where I have a lot of those. And then also VAs and EAs that'll be in there that are virtual assistants that are through other companies. So they're not running on my payroll, but they are down there. Like I have some consultants on there. I've got some coaches on there that will be in that section for me. But those again are not up in that payroll section because I'm not paying that. payroll tax on them and I'm also not 401k on them, but that helps me see how much am I paying in outsourced resources to see should I cut that, should I keep that, how much do I have on the top, is my payroll heavy. You also can break this down by department. So you can see how much am I paying in my hygiene department, are they offsetting, how much am I paying my doctor department, my front office department, all those different departments. If you want to get even more granular, you can. And then below that, I have all of the office expenses and this is something really great. This year Britt she ⁓ 2.0'd us and she put in their end of year expenses because there's a lot of things that I just pay at the end of the year that are annual subscriptions that will save money on but the reality is I should probably be saving that money throughout the year, right? Because every single month there would be an expense allocated if I didn't pay it annually. So we should be adding that in so we're saving for that. We're preparing for that for the end of the year. We have different things in there. So like all of our subscriptions that we have you might have Netflix, you might have Audible, you might have Canva for marketing, ⁓ ChatGPT if you're paying for those subscriptions, anything. And I'm constantly updating this like as you hear ChatGPT and how many do we have for that? ⁓ We use our project management software is on there. I also know that every single month I have a budget allotted for employee gifts and anniversaries. And so we have an allotment of how much we spend. I do double check this, but I try to break it down. Also I have in there my merchant fees and how much my merchant fees are on average. ⁓ And I literally list everything out. So whether it's personal, because like Audible and my phone, I do have those on there. Those are personal things for me that do run through the business, but there's still business expenses that will need to be on there. ⁓ And then we've got our bookkeeping and our accounting or CPA, our lawyers, all of that in there. If you have vehicles that your CPA said is okay for you to run through, all of that, your rent, your mortgage, your supplies, your internet, all of that in there. to where at the bottom of this list, you can get a complete grand total for the month. And what's really awesome about that, you can actually break it apart so you can have doctors where they're not in there. This then tells you basically your BAM, your bear ace minimum. And then what we can do from there is we can figure out what you need to produce to be able to hit. So hopefully all that was like not too much. just rattle, I'm like literally looking at my spreadsheet as I'm telling you this, all of that. Then below that, we're gonna wanna also add in debt services because debt services are also going to hit your cashflow side of it. So when you have these two tools together, then you can figure out what's bam, my bare ace minimum, what's my overhead and then what can I cut and then what do I need to produce? Then we can figure out what we need to produce with block schedules. There's like a whole other zone, but back to the client's question. She said, I don't even know what to cut. So today me and our leadership team, we were going through this and we literally looked to see, okay, what's on our office expenses? And I know this sounds so dumb and so like trite. but I think it's the discipline of knowing how to do this because you better believe when I'm looking at my monthly expenses, which are outlandish and they're very high. When I look at this, saving 40 bucks a month is not like, it's truly a literal spit in the bucket. But when I think about it, it's $40 here, it's $20 there. It's just like your credit card statement at the end of the month. I'm always shocked at how much is on there and it's $20 on Amazon here, $30 over here. $20 there and all those $20, $30 purchases add up to multiple thousands of dollars every single month. So when we look at this, I look at every single office expense and I'm like, okay, is Adobe something that we need? And this was actually a catch that we had. I was like, we're paying $65 a month for Adobe. Do we still need the entire suite? The answer is no, we don't. We only need it for a small thing. And then we started thinking like, softwares are evolving. So we're like, does G Suite ⁓ actually cover that? Or... does another one of our subscriptions cover it? Because so many times our subscriptions that we're paying are like duplicates of something else. G Suite has expanded and I'm like, do we still need to use boomerang? I use boomerang all the time. I love boomerang so much, but I'm like, has G Suite evolved to where they have something comparable to it that we could cut the boomerang is 120 bucks a month for us. And Shelbi was like, wait, not all of our team members, like our marketing team does not use boomerang. They're not doing client facing emails. They rarely are in their inbox. They're in Slack all the time. she's like, what if we reduce the number of people on boomerang that would actually cut our costs down. So again, it's this like fine tuning revolving through it looking, do we need this? Could we reduce this? Do we need to, are all the people that were still on there, do we still need to pay for all those people? Could we change it to this? Are we still gonna be here for that? And you go through and you literally ask, is this a want, a need, or is there a better way that we could spend our money on this? And again, I know it sounds so dumb. Like this, this is not fun. This is not something that I'm excited to share with you on a podcast, but I'm so excited because the discipline of doing this, the doctor, the reason it came up is because she wants to sign up for AI, ⁓ Pearl or Overjet. Back and forth, we talked about it at length of which one's better. This is why I love our Dr. Mastermind. And it's about $130 a month. And she just like, I'm so sick of these subscriptions. And I'm like, well, go get rid of Netflix or go get rid of one of these things or don't have all the beverages in the in the refrigerator, maybe just choose one of them. Like there's so many things like, but this is where you look at your list because you have your entire list in front of you. And my office expenses right now, and this is where I look at my credit card. I look at every single thing on there. Right now we have 39 different things that we pay for of monthly subscriptions or annual subscriptions, different things. It's got our insurance policies on there. And then what I can do is I can come in and assess and say, okay, of all these high expenses, like if I need to cut expenses very quickly, I could look to see, all right, my highest hitters are XYZ. This one's $500, this one's $1,000. Do I still need these? Are we still using them? Is there a cheaper competitor that I could switch to? Where am I at? And all these things. What I love about this is it helps you just look to see where your money's going because at the bottom it has a grand total. And then what's nice is I then can look to see, is this grand total what my CPA is telling me I'm spending every single month? Do they line up? And if not, where's the discrepancy and where is it? I also can look at future things. if I'm going to be increasing or I'm going to be adding team members or we're going to be looking to add say another subscription or another piece, what is that going to change my monthly amount? And am I okay on my production and collection side to be able to afford it? So many people are like, I talked to my CPA to see if I can afford it. And I want to just say that yes, it's great to have a CPA there. It's also better to know instead of being like a parent child. if you can spend it. I want my CPA to give me my books, my reconciliation. I want them to talk to me about my tax strategy, but I don't want them to be the ones telling me, can I afford something or can I not? I wanna go to them and say, I know I can afford this. This is what I think. Do you think it's a good idea? Then I'm counseling with them rather than being told. And this goes for all of my executive board. I want to know as much as I possibly can. So that way when I show up, like even financial advisors, even my... My lawyers, like I do a lot of research before I go into those because I don't want to just blindly follow. I want to actively participate. So we're making the best decisions. I believe they're all in the best interest. I don't believe my CPA telling me to do something or not to do something is the end all be all. I feel like we are great at counseling together. They give me their opinion. I know the numbers. They know the numbers. We know where the business is going. And then my job is to make the best decision for the business and for myself. So this is where I just really obsessed because right now I'm looking and I'm like, wow, what I'm currently paying based on bringing in some new hires, we're gonna do a $30,000 increase. And I look at that I wonder, is that wise? Is that what I wanna do? Is that what we as a business wanna do? Is that smart for the business? Or is it something like, then I get to sit here and I get to innovate and we get to think of like, what other ideas could we do? That's why I went down the list, because I wanna hire some more people. It's a little premature for these hires. So I was like, okay, let's go back to the list. Let's look at the list. Like where could I like cut some costs to see, could I free up any cash in other areas or do we need to make different decisions? Or is it like, I need to put a pause on hiring that person for a little while until the business gets to X amount and then we can bring on those different hires. So when you look at this, that's how I do it. I use this spreadsheet. I'm not kidding. I I hold, I can tell you exactly because what's great on Google Sheets is they can literally tell you all the different versions. Okay. So let's just go back to, I'm going to go, this is embarrassing. I'm going to go to June. Okay, so I'll just go back a few months for you guys. I logged into this spreadsheet of the monthly costs. June 5th, June 10th, June 16th, June 19th, June 24th, June 24th, again, June 25th, July 2nd, multiple times, July 7th, July 8th, July 9th, July 10th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 24. The only reason it stopped there is because I went out of town August 3rd, August 6th, August 7th. As you can see, I'm in this spreadsheet almost daily. If not every other day. That's insane. I mean, I can go back to April. I can go back to March, February, January, December, December. I'm in here all the time. November, October of last year. I'm just going down. October. I was in there 10 because that's when I started to do projections. So you better believe I was in there a lot more during that time. October. There's about 20 entries September. So when I tell you this is a tool, that I have found that works so insanely well. Clients love it. Cause then we're like, our overhead's high. We can go over to our costs and say, why is it high? What is causing this? I'm looking at people's loans that they have and I'm like, do you really use the Seric? Do we need to continue to use this? Are we using all these different like plan Mecca and all these other loans that we have on the practice? Are we still using that? And if so, that's fine. But let's at least know where our money's going. so then we can make better decisions of do we wanna continue that? And so hopefully, like I said, it's not a fun topic. Like it is, this one, if you can't tell, the passion, the fun, like it's really fun for me to look to say like, okay, where is it? This is where I decided it was time for us to close our headquarters down in Reno. We used to have one, but I was looking for how can I cut costs? Where can I, because for me, I'd rather not spend it on a physical location. I'd rather buy, like spend that money on different softwares that are gonna make us more efficient, being able to hire better employees. Like I'd rather reallocate those dollars to something that's gonna benefit the company more. And so for you, just feel like this is such a great tool to help you truly know where your money's going, know where you can cut. And like I said, I do this for personal. I'm like, all right, give me all your costs. Give me your credit card. We're gonna look at every single thing. And then like, what could we do differently? I mean, my cell phone, let alone, I used to pay almost a hundred bucks a month for my cell phone. It's now, hold please. I'll tell you the exact amount. Cause I can tell you it's literally right here. Um, it is a telephone right here, $35 a month. And I used to pay 95, but that was once again, like Verizon got a competitor. have a sister company called visible. I could even get it down to 20, but I didn't want to like drop that far. But we went from 90 to 35 and there was no change or disruption. I watched it for several years. I had people do it, then made the change. Is there a better company out there for X, Y, or Z? Is there a better processing company? And I know again, this seems annoying. But annually around September, October is when I start to do projections and I start to look at everything. Cause I'm looking at costs. What could I cut? But monthly, daily, I'm looking to see who can I hire? Where can I do things? Change it, adjust it. And what's amazing is when doctors and OMS have this tool available, now you're like, can we afford to hire this person? You can answer with confidence rather than hoping and praying you're going to be able to make it. Just like what I used to do. was like, let's just hope and pray we're going to hire them and hope it works out. now I can have way more confident decisions. And like, think as a business owner, being able to have confident, like one of the strongest things you need to do as a business owner is be able to make decisions. And I think the second piece to that is being able to make more confident decisions, utilizing tools like this one that I'm sharing with you. So if you want help, reach out, Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. Like I said, I love to put this together for clients. I love to give them the tools and resources to where they can actually be here and know. And also I say if you're here, Like go get your credit card, list everything out that you're spending money on. Look at your P &L, see if it matches up, see if you can figure it out. And this was something that's been evolved over the course of honestly, probably eight years. I started it when I was really new into the business. I made this myself because I'm like, I don't even know where my money's going. How am I supposed to be able to make decisions? And I could not figure out why my overhead was so high. Now I can tell you exactly this is what we're spending every month. This is why we're spending it. This is what we want to do. This is where we're going. These are the numbers that we need to do. It just gives you so much confidence, clarity. And so that's why I just love to share it and to help you. ⁓ I believe, like we said in the yes model, you as a person need to know where your vision is. Then we need to have your earnings and your profit where it needs to be. And then we need to figure out the systems and team development to support all of those pieces. And that's what we love. It's what I'm obsessed with. So reach out, ⁓ even if you're like, I don't know. I don't know if I'm a good fit. Let's just have a call. It's literally no commitment, no stress. just clarity and confidence to get you the momentum that you deserve. So reach out Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. Go fall in love with numbers and spreadsheets. And as always, thanks for listening. I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team Podcast.
In this episode of Forecasting Impact, hosts Mahdi Abolghasemi and Mariana Menchero speak with Marco Peixeiro, applied data scientist at Nixtla, about the growing importance of explainability in time series forecasting. Marco shares how his work bridges research and practice, from developing deep learning models in NeuralForecast to writing educational resources that make complex forecasting concepts accessible to all.We discuss how explainability builds trust in complex models, the role of SHAP values in understanding forecasts, and what the future holds for interpretability in forecasting. Marco also gives us a preview of his upcoming book, Time Series Forecasting Using Foundation Models, exploring how foundation models are transforming the forecasting landscape.Marco's books, including the upcoming Time Series Forecasting Using Foundations Models: https://www.manning.com/authors/marco-peixeiro
The NHL is about a month into the season. The official NHL social media accounts are posting "if the playoffs started today" content. The playoffs start in April, notably five months from now. It's the same deal with the College Football Playoff—there are still several games to be played. These types of hypotheticals are not worth stressing over.And we had a scorigami this weekend with an NFL score that's never happened before! Plus, do you think you could throw for at least 12 yards during an NFL game? Surely not, but, like...it feels kind of attainable, doesn't it?Here's the Jayden Daniels play Sean referenced: https://youtu.be/5X5fC7DSokMSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sports-r-dumb/donations
DisclosuresThese views are subject to change at any time based upon market or other conditions and are current as of the date at the top of the page.Investing involves risk and principal loss is possible.Past performance does not guarantee future performance.Forecasting represents predictions of market prices and/or volume patterns utilizing varying analytical data. It is not representative of a projection of the stock market, or of any specific investment.This material is not an offer, solicitation or recommendation to purchase any security. Nothing contained in this material is intended to constitute legal, tax, securities or investment advice, nor an opinion regarding the appropriateness of any investment, nor a solicitation of any type.The general information contained in this publication should not be acted upon without obtaining specific legal, tax and investment advice from a licensed professional. The information, analysis and opinions expressed herein are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual entity.Please remember that all investments carry some level of risk. Although steps can be taken to help reduce risk it cannot be completely removed. They do no not typically grow at an even rate of return and may experience negative growth. As with any type of portfolio structuring, attempting to reduce risk and increase return could, at certain times, unintentionally reduce returns.Investments that are allocated across multiple types of securities may be exposed to a variety of risks based on the asset classes, investment styles, market sectors, and size of companies preferred by the investment managers. Investors should consider how the combined risks impact their total investment portfolio and understand that different risks can lead to varying financial consequences, including loss of principal. Please see a prospectus for further details.Indexes are unmanaged and cannot be invested in directly.Copyright © Russell Investments Group LLC 2025. All rights reserved.This material is proprietary and may not be reproduced, transferred, or distributed in any form without prior written permission from Russell Investments. It is delivered on an “as is” basis without warranty.CORP-12912Date of first use: November, 2025
Episode Overview In this high-impact episode of the John Kitchens Coach Podcast, John Kitchens and Joel Perso unpack one of the most common struggles top-producing real estate agents face—how to escape production and build a real business that runs without you. From strategic planning frameworks like EOS and Rockefeller Habits to mastering financial discipline and team structure, John shares the exact playbook that took him and Jay Kinder from burnout to building a scalable, profitable company. They also break down real-world examples of agents who have successfully stepped out of production—including how they did it, the math behind it, and what freedom actually looks like once you get there. Whether you're a solo agent planning your next stage, a team leader looking for leverage, or a CEO aiming to scale, this episode will give you the clarity, systems, and strategy you need to create lasting freedom. What You'll Learn in This Episode The 3 Keys to Escaping Production Strategy: How mastering frameworks like Rockefeller Habits and EOS creates structure and focus. Value Systems: Why CHSA & CHBA are game-changers for consistency and scalable client value. Financial Clarity: The "Simple Numbers" model that transformed their net profit by 17% in one quarter. Forecasting and Financial Discipline Why forecasting is not goal setting—and how to get accurate with your assumptions. Understanding cash flow vs. profit to stay in control of your business. How small teams and large teams can step out of production faster than mid-sized ones. Leadership, Freedom, and Ego Why most agents can't escape production—and how to fix it. Letting go of ego to empower your team and build true leadership depth. The real difference between stepping out of production and stepping out of the business. Real Case Studies: How Jim & Leanne scaled leadership to step out within 24 months. The Reedy team's path to financial freedom through real estate investing. Why Blake Sloan and others achieved lifestyle freedom through leadership leverage. Resources & Mentions Mastering the Rockefeller Habits by Verne Harnish Traction / EOS by Gino Wickman Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits by Greg Crabtree CHSA & CHBA Designations – Certified Home Selling & Buying Advisor Programs John Kitchens Executive Coaching → JohnKitchens.coach Final Takeaway Freedom in real estate isn't about working harder—it's about building systems, developing people, and knowing your numbers. As John Kitchens says: "If you don't have a goal for freedom, you'll never escape production—it'll always own you." Connect with Us: Instagram: @johnkitchenscoach LinkedIn: @johnkitchenscoach Facebook: @johnkitchenscoach If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and leave a review. Stay tuned for more insights and strategies from the top minds. See you next time!
Send us a textInvest in pre-IPO stocks with AG Dillon & Co. Contact aaron.dillon@agdillon.com to learn more. Financial advisors only.00:00 - Intro00:07 - Tether $10B+ Profit Fuels $20B Buyback Ambition01:05 - Ripple $500M Raise at $40B Valuation Boosts Global Payment Push01:53 - Decagon Eyes $4-5B Valuation on 100x ARR Multiple02:38 - Crusoe Tender Implies $13B Valuation (+30%)03:20 - Google-Wiz $32B Deal (+39%) Clears DOJ04:09 - Armis $435M Pre-IPO Round at $6.1B (+36%)04:52 - Harvey Raises $150M at $8B Valuation (+multi-round 2025 surge)05:34 - OpenAI Revenue Soars … $574.9B Secondary Valuation (+15%)06:35 - OpenAI 1M Business Customers + 800M Weekly Users07:25 - OpenAI-AWS $38B Cloud Deal Reshapes Infra Market07:55 - Lambda + Microsoft Multibillion AI Infra Deal (+90.1%)08:56 - Gemini Prediction Markets Expand Crypto Derivatives Frontier09:57 - Perplexity v. Amazon Tests AI Agent Commerce Rules10:54 - Anthropic $70B revenue + wins Cognizant Deal12:19 - Epic Games-Google Settlement Redefines App-Store Economics13:15 - SpaceX Starlink 8M Users >> $446.3B Secondary Valuation (+11.6%)
Year-end is more than just a party.. It's the most critical strategic period for a business owner. In this episode, Aaron breaks down the essential checklist to close out your year profitably and set your business up for a dominant 2025. He covers how to use your profits to buy equipment tax-efficiently, the right way to pull money out of your company, and how to forecast for growth without the guesswork. Don't let the holiday chaos cause you to leave money on the table or start the new year on the back foot.
In this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ Gustafson sits down with Sam Jacobs, Founder and CEO of Pavilion, the global community for GTM leaders. Sam shares how getting fired multiple times as a CRO led him to build a business rooted in belonging — one that monetized members first, prioritized intimacy over growth, and turned a Slack group into a multimillion-dollar company. He and CJ unpack the mechanics of community: the tradeoffs between exclusivity and expansion, why venture capital doesn't always fit human-centered businesses, and how Pavilion balances pricing, curation, and access. They also explore the evolution of the GTM function — from the myth of the plug-and-play VP of Sales to how AI is reshaping RevOps, forecasting, and leadership. Finally, Sam reflects on building durable value beyond personal brand and what it really takes to scale trust as a product.—LINKS:Sam Jacobs on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samfjacobs/Company: https://www.joinpavilion.com/CJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—RELATED EPISODES:E120: What does the future of tech look like when it costs $0 to switch software?https://www.youtube.com/live/Cpw2pkq-FXI?si=-0y0tcLTIlIbkmyOCFOs: Want to Outmaneuver Your Competitors? Here's the Jedi Mind Trickhttps://youtu.be/Yte_fe1xF90?si=hVfgdd0Fg0PQuuoSThe Gross Margin Episode with Sarah Wang of a16zhttps://youtu.be/72aP5ohBxvE—TIMESTAMPS:00:00:00 Preview and Intro00:03:05 Sponsors – Mercury, RightRev, and Tipalti00:06:50 Pavilion, Community, and Go-to-Market Leadership00:10:28 Career Tenure and Executive Turnover00:12:55 Compensation Structure and Equity Negotiation00:14:31 Building Wealth Through Equity00:16:30 Sponsors – Aleph, Fidelity Private Shares, and Metronome00:19:36 Managing Wealth, Lifestyle, and Longevity in Leadership00:22:58 Founding Pavilion to Empower Operators00:25:13 Taking Roles for Learning, Titles, and Leverage00:28:47 Contrarian Executives, Team Dynamics, and Leadership Lessons00:30:36 What Makes a Great VP of Sales00:33:23 Revenue, Profitability, and Misaligned Incentives00:35:08 Quota Setting, Forecasting, and Spreadsheet Pitfalls00:39:07 AI in Sales and the Myth of the AI SDR00:40:32 The Future of Playbooks in the Age of AI00:43:38 The Dangers of AI and the Need for Humans in the Loop00:45:27 Monetizing Pavilion – Memberships, Sponsors, and Pricing Strategy00:49:30 Building Higher-Margin Community Businesses00:57:46 Building a Personal Brand with Long-Term Value01:01:52 Closing Credits and Outro—SPONSORS:Mercury is business banking built for builders, giving founders and finance pros a financial stack that actually works together. From sending wires to tracking balances and approving payments, Mercury makes it simple to scale without friction. Join the 200,000+ entrepreneurs who trust Mercury and apply online in minutes at https://www.mercury.comRightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Tipalti automates the entire payables process—from onboarding suppliers to executing global payouts—helping finance teams save time, eliminate costly errors, and scale confidently across 200+ countries and 120 currencies. More than 5,000 businesses already trust Tipalti to manage payments with built-in security and tax compliance. Visit https://www.tipalti.com/runthenumbers to learn more.Aleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/runFidelity Private Shares is the all-in-one equity management platform that keeps your cap table clean, your data room organized, and your equity story clear—so you never risk losing a fundraising round over messy records. Schedule a demo at https://www.fidelityprivateshares.com and mention Mostly Metrics to get 20% off.Metronome is real-time billing built for modern software companies. Metronome turns raw usage events into accurate invoices, gives customers bills they actually understand, and keeps finance, product, and engineering perfectly in sync. That's why category-defining companies like OpenAI and Anthropic trust Metronome to power usage-based pricing and enterprise contracts at scale. Focus on your product — not your billing. Learn more and get started at https://www.metronome.com#RunTheNumbersPodcast #Finance #CommunityBuilding #Leadership #GoToMarket This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cjgustafson.substack.com
The Arctic is undergoing rapid changes due to climate change, making sea ice forecasting increasingly important. In this episode of the Turing Podcast, hosts Amelia Jabry and Dr. Sophie Arana discuss the critical role of AI models like IceNet in predicting sea ice conditions and aiding conservation efforts. Featuring Dr. Ellie Bowler from the British Antarctic Survey, the conversation dives into the technical details of IceNet, its applications for wildlife conservation, and the challenges of predicting sea ice dynamics. The discussion also covers the importance of these predictions for indigenous communities and wildlife that rely on the frozen Arctic landscape. Learn how AI is revolutionising our approach to these urgent environmental challenges. Read more about our environmental forecasting work here: https://www.turing.ac.uk/blog/democratising-environmental-forecasting-age-ai Explore IceNet: https://icenet.ai/ Find out more about Dr Ellie Bowler's publications: https://www.bas.ac.uk/profile/eller/ Read more about Dr Sophie Arana here: https://www.turing.ac.uk/people/dr-sophie-arana Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Arctic Climate Change 00:39 Meet the your host Amelia and co-host Dr Sophie Arana 00:57 Understanding the Role of a Research Application Manager 01:47 Introduction to ICE Net 02:47 AI vs. Traditional Physics-based Forecasting Models 03:40 Human Expertise and AI Collaboration 04:56 Introducing Dr. Ellie Bowler and her sea ice and caribou migration forecasting research 06:21 Challenges in Sea Ice Forecasting 10:01 Caribou Migration and Conservation 12:30 Impact of Human Activities on Arctic Wildlife 16:38 Innovative Conservation Methods 23:25 Future of ICE Net and AI in Conservation 26:54 Conclusion and Further Resources
Join Caleb Bryant and Caila Schwartz as they delve into the latest holiday sales forecasts and trends. Discover how global economic shifts, interest rate changes, and consumer behavior are shaping the holiday shopping landscape. With insights into discount strategies and the growing role of AI in customer service, this episode is a must-listen for retailers aiming to capture the holiday market. Tune in to learn how to navigate the season with strategic foresight and maximize your holiday sales potential. Show Highlights: Discussion on Cyber Week 2025 discount strategies and regional variations in markdowns AI's impact on customer service, with a significant rise in chatbot usage Analysis of macroeconomic influences on retail Predictions for discount rates across various verticals, focusing on makeup, apparel, and home goods Reflections on past holiday sales trends Strategies for retailers to manage returns and leverage data-driven approaches for maximizing holiday sales Follow and Review: We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review," then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second, and it helps spread the word about the podcast. Supporting Resources: Learn more about Agentforce for Commerce: https://www.salesforce.com/commerce/ai/ See our Holiday Predictions and more: https://www.salesforce.com/retail/peak-holiday/ Join the Commerce Cloud Community Unofficial Slack: https://sforce.co/commercecrew *** Episode Credits If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know I sent you.
“Do you believe in climate change?” is the wrong question. On this episode of The Difference Makers Podcast, Dr. Joseph Ramos sits down with veteran Denver meteorologist Marty Coniglio to reframe the conversation around data, not belief and to dig into how weather, climate, aviation, and the legal system intersect.In this episode:- Why “belief” doesn't belong in physical science—only data- Forecasting then vs. now: supercomputers, models, and what still trips them up- AI in weather: powerful aggregator, not an oracle- NOAA vs. AMS (what they do, why funding and observations matter)- Weather and aviation: pilot decision-making, accidents, and expert testimony- The December 15, 2021 wind event, dust storms, wildfires & liability- Marty's journey: TV career, immigrant family roots, and life after broadcastPodcast Chapters:00:00:31 Introduction to Marty Coniglio00:00:48 35 Years on Denver Television 00:02:16 A Man of Many Talents: Scientist, Musician, & Pilot 00:03:29 Upbringing in Nebraska 00:05:33 The Immigrant Legacy: Why Education Was Non-Negotiable 00:08:06 A Drastic Career Change: From Psychology to Meteorology 00:10:41 The Appeal of Hard Science: "You Can't Fool Mother Nature" 00:11:48 Life After TV: Becoming an Expert Legal Witness 00:12:14 The First Case: A 1995 Hot Air Balloon Crash 00:13:31 What Does a "WXPERT" Do? (Slips, Crashes, & Wildfires) 00:16:35 The Historic December 2021 Derecho Wind Event 00:19:02 The "Wrong 50% of the Time" Joke 00:19:36 How Did Weather Forecasting Actually Get So Good? 00:20:14 The D-Day Forecast: One of the Greatest of All Time 00:23:58 A Fatal Example: When Budget Cuts Turn Deadly 00:25:32 Will AI Replace Meteorologists? 00:30:41 Are Emmys for Accuracy or Presentation? 00:31:16 Explaining the System: AMS vs. NOAA 00:35:20 The Dangers of Slashing the NOAA Budget 00:39:31 "Do You Believe in Climate Change?" is the Wrong Question 00:41:44 Does He Still Check the Weather Every Day? 00:43:13 Enjoying the Transition from TV to the Home Office 00:44:00 "I Don't Care Who Wins": The Ethics of an Expert Witness 00:45:33 "Pigs Can Fly in Court": When the Jury Gets it Wrong 00:50:31 The Hard Truth About Slip & Fall Cases 00:52:03 Conclusion Ramos Law — Law firm serving clients nationwide in Personal Injury, Consumer Protection, and Aviation Law.If you've been injured in an auto accident, slip and fall, are dealing with credit report errors/mixed files, debt collection issues, or need aviation attorneys for pilot medicals, certificate defense, or aviation accidents—contact us for a free consultation. No fees unless we win.
This week, we're taking an even deeper dive into all things BFCM. How the team is approaching forecasting, pacing, and spend strategy heading into the most important stretch of Q4. We break down how each of us is projecting November and December revenue this year, how new product launches and category expansion factor into those forecasts, and what data we're using to stay accurate in real time.Connor M walks us through his Holiday Sale Revenue pacing sheet, showing exactly how he tracks daily revenue and ad spend targets, while the group compares different approaches to pacing across brands and channels.We also dig into how we're scaling YouTube, Meta, and CTV spend, what the latest incrementality tests are showing, and how to use ROAS lift to decide when to push hardest.Finally, we wrap up with a look at holiday shipping cutoffs, with how distribution and messaging strategies shift in December, the “Q5” opportunity that follows, and how to make the most of those final weeks of the year when every day still counts.Holiday Sale Revenue Pacing Sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13W_a721DjhlgtLqUj7iC7w32NtitbnNnA9kYifws1NQ/edit?gid=973800920#gid=973800920If you have a question for the MOperators Hotline, click the link to be in with a chance of it being discussed on the show: https://forms.gle/1W7nKoNK5Zakm1Xv6Chapters:00:00:00 - Introduction00:09:04 - Black Friday Prep & Timelines00:20:17 - How to Re-Forecast Q4 Revenue00:35:41 - BFCM Pacing Sheet Walkthrough00:50:57 - Visualizing Pacing Data & The 12% Stat01:02:40 - Holiday Shipping Cutoff StrategiesPowered by:Motion.https://motionapp.com/pricing?utm_source=marketing-operators-podcast&utm_medium=paidsponsor&utm_campaign=march-2024-ad-readshttps://motionapp.com/creative-trendsPrescient AI.https://www.prescientai.com/operatorsRichpanel.https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=MO&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdescAftersell.https://www.aftersell.com/operatorsRivo.https://www.rivo.io/operatorsSubscribe to the 9 Operators Podcast here:https://www.youtube.com/@Operators9Subscribe to the Finance Operators Podcast here:https://www.youtube.com/@FinanceOperatorsFOPSSign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here:https://9operators.com/
If you are interested in accessing our Shooting Guide you can go to the link here: https://cramerbasketball.mypthub.net/p/219004Join US Website: www.coachsedge.coachEmail: contact@cramerbasketball.comCamps: www.Cramerbasketball.comOnline Training: https://cramerbasketball.mypthub.net/3/p/133059Twitter.com/coachsedge1Twitter.com/cramerbballFacebook.com/cramerbasketballYoutube.com/cramerbasketballInstagram.com/cramer_basketballBasketball coach basketball podcast basketball strategyPlayer development zone offense zone defense pressing pressure defense programbuilding team defense pack line defense baseline defense zone defense 1-3-1defense basketball united slapping glass coaching tips teach hoops how to coachbasketball basketball podcast youth basketball basketball camps basketballimmersion training basketball shooting tips basketball conditioning shootingdrills ball handling drills passing drills basketball drills basketballworkouts basketball drills youth basketball basketball drills open gymsshootouts scrimmages man to man defense basketball officials and deep dive refssports psychology shot selection dribble drive offense shooting coach freethrows athletic development no middle defenseJoin US Website: www.coachsedge.coachEmail: contact@cramerbasketball.comCamps: www.Cramerbasketball.comOnline Training: https://cramerbasketball.mypthub.net/3/p/133059Twitter.com/coachsedge1Twitter.com/cramerbballFacebook.com/cramerbasketballYoutube.com/cramerbasketballInstagram.com/cramer_basketballBasketball coach basketball podcast basketball strategyPlayer development zone offense zone defense pressing pressure defense programbuilding team defense pack line defense baseline defense zone defense 1-3-1defense basketball united slapping glass coaching tips teach hoops how to coachbasketball basketball podcast youth basketball basketball camps basketballimmersion training basketball shooting tips basketball conditioning shootingdrills ball handling drills passing drills basketball drills basketballworkouts basketball drills youth basketball basketball drills open gymsshootouts scrimmages man to man defense basketball officials and deep dive refssports psychology shot selection dribble drive offense shooting coach freethrows athletic development no middle defense
In this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ Gustafson sits down with Teddy Collins, EVP of Finance at SeatGeek, who helped scale the company from its first in-house finance hire to a tech-forward finance team powering one of the most dynamic businesses in live events. Teddy shares what it was like leading finance through the pandemic when live events went dark overnight, how that period reshaped his approach to forecasting and uncertainty, and how SeatGeek is now using AI and machine learning to enhance planning accuracy and decision-making. He and CJ also dive into how finance can evolve from a cost center to a strategic partner, the toughest manual processes he's eliminated, and where he sees the next big leap in the CFO tech stack. Finally, Teddy opens up about his rapid rise—four promotions in ten years—and offers practical advice on career growth, feedback, and building trust in a world where AI is redefining what “junior” really means.—LINKS:On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teddycollins/Company: https://seatgeek.com/CJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—RELATED EPISODES:CFO of FloQast on Why Finance Teams are Data Curators—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00:00) Preview and Intro(00:02:49) Sponsor – Metronome | Mercury | RightRev(00:06:36) Joining SeatGeek and the Early Finance Journey(00:08:05) Managing Finance When Live Events Went Dark(00:10:23) Forecasting Through Uncertainty(00:13:12) Building Systems and Processes from Scratch(00:15:34) Sponsor – Tipalti | Aleph | Fidelity Private Shares(00:18:06) Using AI and Machine Learning in Forecasting(00:22:44) Build vs. Buy: SeatGeek's Tech Philosophy(00:26:31) Turning Finance into a Strategic Partner(00:30:42) Killing Manual Processes and Automating Insights(00:34:55) The Next Big Leap in the CFO Stack(00:38:46) Leading Teams Through Change and Growth(00:42:11) Talent, Tools, and the Future of Finance Roles(00:46:07) Climbing the Ladder: Four Promotions in Ten Years(00:49:50) Career Advice and Earning Trust in Fast-Growing Teams(00:53:16) How AI Is Reshaping the Definition of “Junior”(00:56:22) Lightning Round and Closing Thoughts—SPONSORS:Today's podcast is brought to you by Metronome. You just launched your new AI product. The new pricing page looks great. But behind it? Last-minute glue code, messy spreadsheets, and running ad-hoc queries to figure out what to bill. Customers get invoices they can't understand. Engineers are chasing billing bugs. Finance can't close the books. With Metronome, you hand it all off to the real-time billing infrastructure that just works—reliable, flexible, and built to grow with you. We turn raw usage events into accurate invoices, give customers bills they actually understand, and keep every team in sync in real time. Whether you're launching usage-based pricing, managing enterprise contracts, or rolling out new AI services, Metronome does the heavy lifting so you can focus on your product, not your billing. That's why some of the fastest-growing companies in the world, like OpenAI and Anthropic, run their billing on Metronome. Visit metronome.com to learn more.Mercury is business banking built for builders, giving founders and finance pros a financial stack that actually works together. From sending wires to tracking balances and approving payments, Mercury makes it simple to scale without friction. Join the 200,000+ entrepreneurs who trust Mercury and apply online in minutes at https://www.mercury.comRightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Tipalti automates the entire payables process—from onboarding suppliers to executing global payouts—helping finance teams save time, eliminate costly errors, and scale confidently across 200+ countries and 120 currencies. More than 5,000 businesses already trust Tipalti to manage payments with built-in security and tax compliance. Visit https://www.tipalti.com/runthenumbers to learn more.Aleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/runFidelity Private Shares is the all-in-one equity management platform that keeps your cap table clean, your data room organized, and your equity story clear—so you never risk losing a fundraising round over messy records. Schedule a demo at https://www.fidelityprivateshares.com and mention Mostly Metrics to get 20% off.#RunTheNumbersPodcast #FinanceLeadership #CFOStack #AIForecasting #SeatGeek This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cjgustafson.substack.com
DisclosuresThese views are subject to change at any time based upon market or other conditions and are current as of the date at the top of the page.Investing involves risk and principal loss is possible.Past performance does not guarantee future performance.Forecasting represents predictions of market prices and/or volume patterns utilizing varying analytical data. It is not representative of a projection of the stock market, or of any specific investment.This material is not an offer, solicitation or recommendation to purchase any security. Nothing contained in this material is intended to constitute legal, tax, securities or investment advice, nor an opinion regarding the appropriateness of any investment, nor a solicitation of any type.The general information contained in this publication should not be acted upon without obtaining specific legal, tax and investment advice from a licensed professional. The information, analysis and opinions expressed herein are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual entity.Please remember that all investments carry some level of risk. Although steps can be taken to help reduce risk it cannot be completely removed. They do no not typically grow at an even rate of return and may experience negative growth. As with any type of portfolio structuring, attempting to reduce risk and increase return could, at certain times, unintentionally reduce returns.Investments that are allocated across multiple types of securities may be exposed to a variety of risks based on the asset classes, investment styles, market sectors, and size of companies preferred by the investment managers. Investors should consider how the combined risks impact their total investment portfolio and understand that different risks can lead to varying financial consequences, including loss of principal. Please see a prospectus for further details.Indexes are unmanaged and cannot be invested in directly.Copyright © Russell Investments Group LLC 2025. All rights reserved.This material is proprietary and may not be reproduced, transferred, or distributed in any form without prior written permission from Russell Investments. It is delivered on an “as is” basis without warranty.CORP-12906Date of first use: October, 2025
In this episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, our hosts John Kaplan and John McMahon are joined by Dan Fougere, a venture partner at Index Ventures and former CRO of Datadog. Dan shares insights from his extensive sales career, emphasizing the importance of developing adaptive and context-specific sales playbooks. He discusses the evolution of PLG (Product-Led Growth) strategies, the integration of AI in sales processes, and the critical need for continuous learning and adaptability. The episode also touches on Dan's philanthropic efforts, including his involvement with Homes for Our Troops and other charitable initiatives.ADDITIONAL RESOURCESConnect and learn more from Dan Fougere.Connect with Dan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danfougere/Support Homes For Our Troops: https://www.hfotusa.orgSupport Imagine Reading: https://imaginereading.com/Support No Person Left Behind Outdoors: https://www.nplboutdoors.orgRead the Guide on Six Critical Priorities for Revenue Leadership in 2026: https://hubs.li/Q03JN74V0Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox: https://hubs.li/Q02R10xN0HERE ARE SOME KEY SECTIONS TO CHECK OUT[00:02:24] Advice for New Sales Leaders[00:02:52] Adapting Sales Playbooks[00:03:27] The Importance of Flexibility in Sales Strategies[00:03:54] Understanding Product-Led Growth (PLG)[00:06:44] Case Study: Datadog's Sales Evolution[00:07:57] Challenges in Scaling Sales Strategies[00:08:51] Building a Sales Organization for the Future[00:12:14] The Role of a CRO in Modern Sales[00:14:48] Adapting to Market Changes[00:26:23] Traits of Effective Sales Leaders[00:34:03] The Tip of the Spear: Leading from the Front[00:34:16] Medallia: Building a Sales Process from Scratch[00:36:58] Profile of a Successful Sales Leader[00:37:47] Recruiting and Building a High-Performance Team[00:39:25] The Importance of High Standards in Hiring[00:52:41] AI's Impact on Sales and Forecasting[01:02:07] Giving Back: Charitable EndeavorsHIGHLIGHT QUOTES[00:03:21] “A big mistake is trying to force fit a playbook from a previous company into a new company.”[00:06:01] “Approach it with a beginner's mind… it's actually an advantage you only get once.”[00:10:55] “Build your outbound before you need it, because at some point you're going to need it.”[00:13:33] “98.5% of companies realize, ‘I wish I had a great sales organization to go with this great PLG motion.'”[00:19:07] “The thing that tops people out is the inability to adapt and collaborate—they become too rigid.”[00:22:25] “If you know in your heart your team is mediocre, you're never going to be great. Raise those standards.”[00:31:36] “Don't just assume you can get rid of BDRs and have AI do it. I don't see anybody telling me that's working yet." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Productive Not Busy- Do Life and Business Confident Focused and with a Plan
In this episode of Productive Not Busy, host Wayne Weathersby breaks down the truth about success: hope is not a business plan. If you're tired of drifting and ready to design your destiny, this episode will show you how to forecast your future with purpose, precision, and power. Learn how top performers create predictable results by turning vision into measurable goals and action steps. Wayne dives deep into the difference between wishful thinking and strategic forecasting, revealing why mindset without method leads to frustration — and how clarity, consistency, and accountability can change everything. Whether you're an entrepreneur, real estate professional, or high achiever in any field, you'll walk away with a roadmap to turn possibility into performance. Stop hoping for success — start planning for it. business growth, success mindset, productivity, goal setting, leadership, motivation, real estate coaching, future planning, personal development, forecasting success.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/productive-not-busy-podcast--6261465/support. Subscribe today and join a community that's growing stronger every week. The Productive NOT Busy Podcast isn't just a show—it's your playbook for creating momentum, building confidence, and living life on purpose.
Gross margins, GPUs, and the future of finance — this one's for the metrics nerds. CJ sits down with Sarah Wang, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, to talk about what happens when the traditional SaaS playbook collides with AI. Sarah shares how legacy benchmarks like payback period and burn multiple start to break down in a world where compute, not headcount, drives costs. She explains why sky-high gross margins can actually be an orange flag, how finance leaders can think about resource allocation between engineers and GPUs, and why the most valuable finance teams today are deeply operational. They also unpack what it's like partnering with AI-native founders, the evolution of pricing models as LLM costs drop, and whether we'll see a private trillion-dollar company anytime soon.—LINKS:on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-wang-59b96a7/Company: https://a16z.com/CJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—RELATED EPISODES:996 Culture, Exploding AI Bills & SaaS ChaosFrom Credit Karma to Notion: CFO Rama Katkar on Leading Finance Through Every Growth Stage5,762 Job Applications. Zero Offers.Thinking About Adding Payments to Your Software Product? Listen to This First!—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00:00) Preview and Intro(00:02:40) Sponsors – Fidelity Private Shares, Mercury, RightRev(00:05:50) Sarah Joins the Show(00:06:06) The Future of Excel in the Age of AI(00:08:24) Why Gross Margins Don't Tell the Whole Story(00:10:42) When Sky-High Margins Are an Orange Flag(00:12:57) Finance as a Strategic Lever in AI Companies(00:15:04) Sponsors – Tipalti, Aleph, Rillet(00:17:22) Partnering with AI-Native Founders(00:20:35) When Traditional SaaS Benchmarks Break Down(00:23:58) Forecasting and Financial Planning for Compute Costs(00:27:16) The Engineers-Versus-GPUs Trade-Off(00:30:29) Resource Allocation and Infrastructure Efficiency(00:33:47) How Pricing Models Evolve as LLM Costs Drop(00:37:15) Circular Finance: When Big Tech Funds Its Own Vendors(00:40:39) Metrics That Still Matter in AI-Driven Businesses(00:44:12) The Evolving Role of Finance Leaders(00:47:26) What “Operational Finance” Really Means(00:50:58) Building Sustainable Efficiency in AI Companies(00:54:03) Will We See a Private Trillion-Dollar Company?(00:55:33) Outro—SPONSORS:Fidelity Private Shares is the all-in-one equity management platform that keeps your cap table clean, your data room organized, and your equity story clear—so you never risk losing a fundraising round over messy records. Schedule a demo at https://www.fidelityprivateshares.com and mention Mostly Metrics to get 20% off.Mercury is business banking built for builders, giving founders and finance pros a financial stack that actually works together. From sending wires to tracking balances and approving payments, Mercury makes it simple to scale without friction. Join the 200,000+ entrepreneurs who trust Mercury and apply online in minutes at https://www.mercury.comRightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Tipalti automates the entire payables process—from onboarding suppliers to executing global payouts—helping finance teams save time, eliminate costly errors, and scale confidently across 200+ countries and 120 currencies. More than 5,000 businesses already trust Tipalti to manage payments with built-in security and tax compliance. Visit https://www.tipalti.com/runthenumbers to learn more.Aleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/runRillet is the AI-native ERP modern finance teams are switching to because it's faster, simpler, and 100% built for how teams operate today. See how fast your team can move. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/metrics#RunTheNumbersPodcast #FinanceLeadership #AIinBusiness #VentureCapital #SaaSMetrics This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cjgustafson.substack.com
Guest: Dr. Josh KastmanWhen you think about Amazon, you probably picture two-day shipping, Prime Video, or that familiar brown package on your doorstep. But behind the scenes, the company has to navigate one force that doesn't follow a schedule: the weather. From hurricanes threatening delivery routes to heat waves impacting worker safety, weather impacts nearly every aspect of Amazon's operations. And at the center of it all is Dr. Josh Kastman, Amazon's Chief Meteorologist. Today, we'll explore how one of the world's biggest companies forecasts, prepares for, and adapts to the atmosphere's every move.Chapters00:00 The Role of Weather in Amazon's Operations02:56 Josh Kastman's Journey to Meteorology05:52 A Day in the Life of Amazon's Chief Meteorologist09:03 Safety First: Preparing for Severe Weather12:03 Communicating Weather Risks Effectively14:21 Break 114:53 Forecasting Tools and AI in Meteorology18:08 Community Engagement and Disaster Relief21:02 The Importance of Communication in Forecasting22:41 Break 222:42 Lessons from the Private Sector27:07 Global Weather Challenges and Solutions29:55 The Excitement of Meteorology in the Private Sector32:57 Advice for Future MeteorologistsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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