Podcasts about planful

In this episode, CJ sits down with Rob Paterson, CFO of Employment Hero, to talk about smart growth, why not all revenue is good revenue, and Australia's startup scene. They start by discussing when to turn down growth opportunities and which financial metrics are more distracting than helpful. Rob explains the challenges of holding people accountable when you are a growth CFO and how to be a Chief Reality Officer instead of a “CF-No”. He offers a view into the Australian startup ecosystem, highlighting what sets it apart, the challenges local founders face, and why global expansion from day one is a must. Rob also outlines his approach to forecasting and cost control, including how he applies the 80/20 rule to revenue, before sharing a wild fraud story from his auditing days.If you're looking for an ERP head to NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.—SPONSORS:Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities to automating painful procurement workflows and giving you the best market data to turn vendor negotiations in your favor, Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn how.NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 40,000 companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform, head to NetSuite https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Subscript is a modern billing and revenue recognition platform designed for SaaS finance teams that need flexibility and accuracy. From automated invoicing and dunning to compliant, transparent revenue recognition and real-time analytics, Subscript eliminates manual work, reduces errors, and gives you a single source of truth for all your financial data. Book a free demo at subscript.com.Rippling Spend is a spend management solution that handles your entire company's spending in one unified system. It enables you to bring your corporate cards, expense management, bill pay, and more into one place to achieve real-time visibility and uniquely granular control with automated policy controls across every type of spend. Get a demo to see how much time your org would save at rippling.com/metrics.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:18) Sponsor – Vanta | Tropic | NetSuite(07:06) Not All Revenue Is Good Revenue(14:09) Metrics: Overrated and Underrated(16:14) Sponsor – Planful | Subscript | Rippling Spend(20:18) Lifetime Value (LTV)(20:11) Vertical and Horizontal P&L(21:27) Chief Reality Officer: Holding People Accountable(24:37) Staying Approachable as a CFO(26:04) The Australian Startup Ecosystem(27:28) What Sets Australian Startups Apart(29:39) Going Global on Day One(31:47) The Remote-First Superpower(32:52) Competitiveness and Tall Poppy Syndrome(35:24) Mastering the 80/20 Rule(39:17) Building Strong Management(41:32) Long-Ass Lightning Round: The Fraud Story(46:10) Finance Software Stack(47:06) Craziest Expense Story Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

In this episode, we sit down with Greg Mrva, CFO of GoFundMe, to explore what it takes to lead finance in a mission-driven organization. Greg shares his path from Wall Street to Silicon Valley, his pivotal career lessons, and how GoFundMe has raised over $30 billion to help people worldwide. He breaks down the platform's unique business model — relying on voluntary tips — and the company's major investments in trust, safety, and product innovation. Whether you're a finance leader or someone passionate about impact, this conversation reveals how purpose and profit can coexist to create lasting change. To book a demo with Planful, click here.

Rick Smith, multi-time CFO, founder of Bonfire Advisory, and author, joins CJ to discuss the complexities and nuances of the CFO role in venture-backed companies. They delve into the dynamics of the CEO-CFO relationship and examine the qualities CEOs think they want in a CFO versus what they need. Rick introduces the concept of “The triangle of doom” that exists between the CEO, the CFO, and the board, and how to navigate situations when forced to pick sides. Having been a CFO of five different organizations across industries and stages, Rick then explains how he categorizes company stages relating to CFO needs. As the founder of Bonfire Advisory, Rick talks about how founders can set themselves up for financial success before they need a full-time CFO and breaks down some of the most common mistakes early-stage companies make.If you're looking for an ERP head to NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.—SPONSORS:Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities to automating painful procurement workflows and giving you the best market data to turn vendor negotiations in your favor, Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn how.NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 40,000 companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅, head to NetSuite https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Subscript is a modern billing and revenue recognition platform designed for SaaS finance teams that need flexibility and accuracy. From automated invoicing and dunning to compliant, transparent revenue recognition and real-time analytics, Subscript eliminates manual work, reduces errors, and gives you a single source of truth for all your financial data. Book a free demo at subscript.com.Rippling Spend is a spend management solution that handles your entire company's spending in one unified system. It enables you to bring your corporate cards, expense management, bill pay, and more into one place to achieve real-time visibility and uniquely granular control with automated policy controls across every type of spend. Get a demo to see how much time your org would save at rippling.com/metrics.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)LINKS:Demystifying the Role of the CFO in Venture and Growth Stage Companies - https://www.amazon.com/Demystifying-Role-CFO-Venture-Companies/dp/B0DS9KF2C8Rick Smith on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-smith-906939/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:13) Sponsor – Tropic | NetSuite | Planful(06:49) The Challenges of the CFO-CEO Relationship(12:59) What CEOs Think They Want in a CFO Versus What They Need(17:46) Sponsor – Subscript | Rippling Spend | Vanta(21:21) Hatred of Failure and Personal Accountability(24:38) Establishing Trust With a New CEO(28:21) Navigating Ethics When the CEO Is Dishonest(32:54) Picking Sides Between the Board & CEO(36:42) How To Exit When You Disagree With the CEO(38:19) Categorizing Company Stages(41:21) Why Early-Stage Companies Should Have Fractional CFOs(43:51) Common Mistakes for Early-Stage Companies(48:49) The Types of CFOs You Need at Different Stages(53:14) What Rick Likes About Working With Series A and B(54:54) Rick's Book(57:15) Anecdotes From Rick's Career(01:00:47) Long-Ass Lightning Round: Leases(01:04:49) Advice to Younger Self(01:05:38) Rick's Recommended Tech Stack(01:08:54) Craziest Expense Story Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

In this episode, CJ Gustafson sits down with Brad Channer, the CFO of UBIO and possibly the world's most interesting CFO and accountant. He describes his unconventional career path from acting to accounting and the he lessons learned from some entrepreneurial failures along the way. Brad also discusses communication and leadership, including how his acting background shaped his style in the boardroom. He breaks down the biggest mistakes CFOs make when explaining financials and why some accountants struggle to reach the C-suite even if they're brilliant on paper. He shares insights on neurodiversity in the workplace and how to unlock its advantages before unpacking why the UK has produced fewer tech giants than the US and the one regulatory shift that could potentially supercharge the industry.If you're looking for an ERP head to NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.—SPONSORS:NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 40,000 companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅, head to NetSuite https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Subscript is a modern billing and revenue recognition platform designed for SaaS finance teams that need flexibility and accuracy. From automated invoicing and dunning to compliant, transparent revenue recognition and real-time analytics, Subscript eliminates manual work, reduces errors, and gives you a single source of truth for all your financial data. Book a free demo at subscript.com.Rippling Spend is a spend management solution that handles your entire company's spending in one unified system. It enables you to bring your corporate cards, expense management, bill pay, and more into one place to achieve real-time visibility and uniquely granular control with automated policy controls across every type of spend. Get a demo to see how much time your org would save at rippling.com/metrics.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities to automating painful procurement workflows and giving you the best market data to turn vendor negotiations in your favor, Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn how.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:32) Sponsor - NetSuite | Planful | Subscript(05:39) From Actor to Management Accountant(10:25) Brad's Bold Move to the UK(13:02) His Journey into Entrepreneurship and Accounting(16:07) Sponsor - Rippling Spend | Vanta | Tropic(20:08) Reclaiming the F Word: Failure(23:37) Communicating Like a Human(25:42) Acting Lessons for Accountants(29:49) How to Understand Your Audience(35:36) Navigating Neurodiversity in Business(36:35) How to Adapt Your Communication for Founders(38:30) Why Some Accountants Don't Make it to the C-Suite(40:38) Learning to Ask Questions(43:29) Leadership in Large Companies Versus SMEs or Scale-Ups(45:24) The UK Versus US Tech Scene(47:10) Tall Poppy Syndrome in the UK(51:38) Long-ass lightning round: Do Your Research(55:14) Advice to Younger Self(56:15) Finance Software Stack(56:58) Craziest Expense Story Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

Are chargebacks eating into your profits? You should take care of it before it exhausts your wealth. Jack McCullough sits down with Rebecca Beam, CFO of Chargeback Gurus, to demystify the complex world of chargebacks and reveal how to reclaim lost revenue. Rebecca brings a unique perspective to combating these disputed credit card transactions that lead to fund reversals. She also explains how they use an award-winning proprietary platform and data science to provide compelling evidence for their clients, helping them win disputes and prevent future chargebacks. Do not let this drain your bottom line, so tune in now!To book a demo with Planful, click here.

Strong leadership shapes the future of finance, and Lauren Dillard, CFO of LiveRamp, knows exactly what it takes. In this conversation with Jack McCullough, she shares how her diverse career—from investor relations to marketing—has influenced her approach to financial strategy and team building. Lauren discusses how LiveRamp drives data connectivity and why a CFO's role goes beyond the numbers. She also reveals the key to fostering accountability, adapting to change, and making bold career moves. Don't miss this inside look at leadership, innovation, and the evolving world of finance. To book a demo with Planful, click here.

Sanjay Datta, CFO of Upstart and former senior finance exec at Google, joins CJ to discuss leadership, scaling, and the future of lending with AI. Sanjay spent 12 years at Google, helping grow it into an $80B global ads business. He sheds light on Google's monetization model, the simplicity of its forecasting, and the power of centralized analytics. He also reflects on scaling Upstart from $10M to $500M, going public, managing investor and employee expectations, and staying agile through macroeconomic shifts.If you're looking for an ERP head to NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.—SPONSORS:Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Subscript is a modern billing and revenue recognition platform designed for SaaS finance teams that need flexibility and accuracy. From automated invoicing and dunning to compliant, transparent revenue recognition and real-time analytics, Subscript eliminates manual work, reduces errors, and gives you a single source of truth for all your financial data. Book a free demo at subscript.com.Rippling Spend is a spend management solution that handles your entire company's spending in one unified system. It enables you to bring your corporate cards, expense management, bill pay, and more into one place to achieve real-time visibility and uniquely granular control with automated policy controls across every type of spend. Get a demo to see how much time your org would save at rippling.com/metrics.MUFG is the largest bank in Japan and a global banking powerhouse with a focus on empowering Growth and Middle Market stage companies in North America and Europe. MUFG provides comprehensive banking services for VC-backed, PE-backed, and public companies with revenues starting at $40M. The bank combines its global capabilities with deep operational understanding to help companies accelerate their growth trajectory. Contact Bob Blee at bblee@us.mufg.jp to find out more.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities to automating painful procurement workflows and giving you the best market data to turn vendor negotiations in your favor, Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn how.NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 40,000 companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅, head to NetSuite https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:17) Sponsor – Planful | Subscript | Rippling Spend(05:39) Sanjay's Unconventional Career Path(07:55) Lessons From Google on Being a Leader(10:11) Managing an $80 Billion Revenue Ad Business(12:24) The Evolution of Google's Monetization Model(15:06) Sponsor – MUFG | Vanta | Tropic | NetSuite(21:04) Scaling Google Ads to $80 Billion(23:18) Google's Forecasting Model(24:48) Complexity and Scale at Google(28:03) The Science of Analytics in a Digital Company(31:06) Upstart's IPO(33:00) Managing Internal Expectations in Good and Bad Times(37:10) Why You Should Work Yourself Out of a Job Each Year(41:23) Things That Get Easier As You Scale(42:18) How Metrics Shift With Scale(43:35) Contingency Planning at Upstart(47:13) Why the Lending System Is Broken(49:44) How Upstart Keeps Its Credit Models Accurate and Ethical(54:31) Predictions on the Lending Market for the Next Year(58:35) Long-Ass Lightning Round: Wine Corking Business(1:01:17) Advice to Younger Self(1:02:26) Finance Software Stack(01:02:57) Craziest Expense Story Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

In this episode, Kelli Dragovich and Nolan Church are joined by Lucy Adams, founder of Disruptive HR. Adams critiques traditional HR's rigid policies, advocating instead for judgment-based approaches that treat employees as grown-ups. The conversation explores challenges facing HR business partners, the evolution of DEI initiatives, and how organizations can create environments where people thrive through high-trust cultures, rather than compliance-driven systems.*Email us your questions or topics for Kelli & Nolan: hrheretics@turpentine.coFor coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.Support HR Heretics Sponsors:Thatch makes it easy to give your team great healthcare. Save ~$1620 per employee yearly while giving them customizable plans. Visit https://thatch.AI/HR for a demo and receive a $100 gift card.Planful empowers teams just like yours to unlock the secrets of successful workforce planning. Use data-driven insights to develop accurate forecasts, close hiring gaps, and adjust talent acquisition plans collaboratively based on costs today and into the future. ✍️ Go to https://planful.com/heretics to see how you can transform your HR strategy.Metaview is the AI assistant for interviewing. Metaview completely removes the need for recruiters and hiring managers to take notes during interviews—because their AI is designed to take world-class interview notes for you. Team builders at companies like Brex, Hellofresh, and Quora say Metaview has changed the game—see the magic for yourself: https://www.metaview.ai/hereticsKEEP UP WITH LUCY, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINLucy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucykadams/Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—LINKS:Disruptive HR: https://disruptivehr.com/Lucy's article “HR Business Partner: The toughest role in HR?”: https://disruptivehr.com/hr-business-partner-the-toughest-role-in-hr/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(01:17) Lucy's Background and BBC Experience(03:08) Personal Connection and BBC Stories(04:25) Origins of Disruptive HR(07:00) Evolution of HR and Post-COVID Workplace Changes(11:39) Trust and Autonomy in Workplace Decisions(16:56) Trust as Foundation for Business Success(17:32) Sponsors: Thatch | Planful(20:27) Progressive HR Policies and Examples(23:53) HR Business Partner Role Challenges(25:13) Sponsor: Metaview(27:55) Messy Reality of Great HR Work(31:00) HR's Focus on Process vs. Real Impact(33:26) Current HR Trends and Community Concerns(35:56) DEI Evolution and Conversation Approaches(45:53) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

In this episode, CJ sits down with John Connolly, Managing Director at Spectrum Equity, to explore the evolution of consumer investing. They discuss how investor sentiment toward consumer companies has shifted over the past 15 years and why traditional SaaS metrics like net dollar retention (NDR) don't always apply in this space. John explains what signals indicate a strong consumer business, whether brand or product wins in the long run, and how consumer companies have adapted their monetization strategies over the last decade. Plus, John shares the story behind Spectrum Equity's investment in Teachers Pay Teachers and the craziest thing he's ever done to land a deal.If you're looking for an ERP, head to NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.—SPONSORS:Subscript is a modern billing and revenue recognition platform designed for SaaS finance teams that need flexibility and accuracy. From automated invoicing and dunning to compliant, transparent revenue recognition and real-time analytics, Subscript eliminates manual work, reduces errors, and gives you a single source of truth for all your financial data. Book a free demo at subscript.com.Rippling Spend is a spend management solution that handles your entire company's spending in one unified system. It enables you to bring your corporate cards, expense management, bill pay, and more into one place to achieve real-time visibility and uniquely granular control with automated policy controls across every type of spend. Get a demo to see how much time your org would save at rippling.com/metrics.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities to automating painful procurement workflows and giving you the best market data to turn vendor negotiations in your favor, Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn how.NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 40,000 companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅, head to NetSuite https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:32) Sponsor – Subscript | Rippling Spend | Vanta(06:04) The Evolution of Investing and Defensibility(08:50) Cooling Investor Appetite for Consumer Businesses(10:13) Efficiency Metrics for Consumer Businesses(12:24) How To Navigate Retention and Churn(14:12) Sponsor – Tropic | NetSuite | Planful(17:47) When Churn Is Necessary(19:15) Increasing TAM in Consumer Businesses(21:13) The Most Important Metric: Funnel Health(24:08) Celebrity Partnerships as a Competitive Mode(25:05) Why Brand Is Even More Important in B2C Than B2B(26:25) The Strongest Brands John Has Invested In(28:23) Changes in How Companies Monetize Over the Past Decade(29:52) Using the Supply Side To Bring You Demand(34:02) How COVID-19 Wreaked Havoc on Consumer Trends(38:11) Evaluating Consumer Businesses(39:04) The Craziest Thing John Has Done To Win a Deal(40:56) How To Pitch to Bootstrapped Founders(43:00) The Revolutionary Teachers Pay Teachers Marketplace(46:18) Wrap Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

In this week's 'Dear Heretics' segment, Kelli and Nolan discuss the profound impact of personal crises on work life. They share vulnerable stories about caring for ill family members—Kelli's mother's recent stage four cancer diagnosis and Nolan's father-in-law's illness and passing. They reflect on the impossibility of compartmentalizing personal trauma, the importance of workplace support networks, and practical advice for both those experiencing crises and colleagues supporting them.*Email us your questions or topics for Kelli & Nolan: hrheretics@turpentine.coFor coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.Support HR Heretics Sponsors:Thatch makes it easy to give your team great healthcare. Save ~$1620 per employee yearly while giving them customizable plans. Visit https://thatch.AI/HR for a demo and receive a $100 gift card. Planful empowers teams just like yours to unlock the secrets of successful workforce planning. Use data-driven insights to develop accurate forecasts, close hiring gaps, and adjust talent acquisition plans collaboratively based on costs today and into the future. ✍️ Go to https://planful.com/heretics to see how you can transform your HR strategy.Metaview is the AI assistant for interviewing. Metaview completely removes the need for recruiters and hiring managers to take notes during interviews—because their AI is designed to take world-class interview notes for you. Team builders at companies like Brex, Hellofresh, and Quora say Metaview has changed the game—see the magic for yourself: https://www.metaview.ai/hereticsKEEP UP WITH NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINNolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro (02:24) Impact of Crisis on Professional Life (03:19) Becoming a Parent to Your Parent (03:41) The Adrenaline Phase vs. Reality Setting In (04:18) Nolan's Story of His Father-in-Law (05:47) How Crisis Changes Your Perspective (07:11) The Impossibility of Compartmentalizing Life (08:02) The Importance of Strong Work Relationships (09:21) The Speed of Life-Changing Events (10:01) Gaining Wisdom Through Difficulty (10:18) The Value of Having a Coach (12:22) Using Your Support System Effectively (13:19) Finding a New Balance in Crisis (14:10) Practical Ways to Help Someone in Crisis (14:49) Sponsors: Thatch | Planful(17:00) Navigating the Healthcare System (18:03) The Critical Need for Medical Advocacy (19:35) How Crisis Impacts Your Work Priorities (20:17) Asking the Right Questions When Supporting Others (21:04) Sponsor: Metaview This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

While few plan for the demise of their startup, it's something that many face. In this episode, CJ is joined by Dori Yona, co-founder and CEO of SimpleClosure, to unpack the financial, legal, and emotional complexities of shutting down a company. Dori explains the options available when a company is running out of cash, what bankruptcy actually means, and the importance of budgeting for the end. The conversation covers acqui-hires, dissolution, returning capital to investors, hidden liabilities, legal pitfalls, tax implications, and more. Dori breaks down the differences between shutting down corporations versus LLCs and the timelines involved. They also discuss how to break the news to investors and why perseverance is sometimes overrated.If you're looking for an ERP head to NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.—SPONSORS:Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. It doesn't just show you where the problems are—it helps you solve them. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities, like duplicative spend, to automating those painful procurement workflows, to giving you the best market data that turns every vendor negotiation in your favor. Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn how.NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 40,000 companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅, head to NetSuite https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.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. Whether it's multi-element arrangements, subscription renewals, or complex usage-based contracts, RightRev takes care of it all. That means fewer spreadsheets, fewer errors, and more time for your team to focus on growth. For modern revenue recognition simplified, visit rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Brex makes it easy to control spend before it happens, automate annoying tasks, and optimize your finances. Find out how Brex can help you make every dollar count at brex.com/metrics.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)@DoriYona https://x.com/doriyona (Dori)LINKS:SimpleClosure: SimpleClosure.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dori-yona-b8369877/Email dori@simpleclosure.com—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(01:44) Sponsor – Tropic | NetSuite | RightRev(05:32) The Inspiration Behind SimpleClosure(08:25) Three Scenarios When a Company Is Running Out of Cash(11:32) The Complications of Shutting Down a Business After Selling It(13:38) What Bankruptcy Actually Means and the Different Types(16:34) Sponsor – Planful | Brex | Vanta(20:16) Giving Money Back to Investors and the Pref Stack(24:31) How To Budget for a Shutdown(27:15) The Time It Takes To Shut Down a Business(29:24) SimpleClosure's Business Model: Serving Customers That Churn(32:00) The Velocity of SimpleClosure's Transactions(36:09) What “Piercing the Corporate Veil” Means(41:27) Shutting Down Corporations Versus LLCs(45:36) The Seasonal Nature of Startups Shutting Down(47:49) Communicating a Shutdown to Your Investors(54:35) Knowing When To Persevere and When To Move On(59:53) Wrap Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

Jack McCullough sits down with Julianna Hayes, CFO of Philo, to discuss the transformative role of financial leadership in the streaming industry. Julianna shares how Philo balances affordability and innovation while navigating the competitive landscape of live TV streaming. This episode dives into leadership strategies, building diverse teams, leveraging data analytics, and creating a finance-first approach that supports company growth. Whether you're a finance professional or simply curious about what makes a modern CFO thrive, this conversation offers practical insights and fresh perspectives. To book a demo with Planful, click here.

In this episode, CJ is joined by Peter Benevides, CFO of Olo, a leading vertical SaaS company powering digital ordering, payments, and guest engagement solutions for popular restaurant brands. Peter explains how Olo successfully expanded into payments and used this as a strategic advantage. He breaks down how the company stacks S-curves through continued product expansion and adoption, and how this enables them to increase revenue without increasing the take-rate. The conversation also covers pricing strategy and how Olo balances subscription and consumption-based models. Peter also sheds light on what it's like selling into franchise businesses and lessons learned from other vertical SaaS companies like Veeva.If you're looking for an ERP head to NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get a customized KPI checklist.—SPONSORS:NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 40,000 companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅, head to NetSuite https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.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. Whether it's multi-element arrangements, subscription renewals, or complex usage-based contracts, RightRev takes care of it all. That means fewer spreadsheets, fewer errors, and more time for your team to focus on growth. For modern revenue recognition simplified, visit rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Brex makes it easy to control spend before it happens, automate annoying tasks, and optimize your finances. Find out how Brex can help you make every dollar count at brex.com/metrics.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. It doesn't just show you where the problems are—it helps you solve them. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities, like duplicative spend, to automating those painful procurement workflows, to giving you the best market data that turns every vendor negotiation in your favor. Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn how—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(01:53) Sponsor – NetSuite | RightRev | Planful(05:24) An Introduction to Olo(08:34) Reaching Larger and Smaller Enterprises(10:34) The Focus on Guest-Facing Technology(13:22) The Evolution of Payments at Olo(16:38) Sponsor – Brex | Vanta | Tropic(20:33) The Card-Not-Present Offering and Fraud(23:50) Knowing Who Your Guest Is and Olo's Extended Value Prop(32:04) Stacking S-Curves(33:30) Increasing Revenue Without Increasing the Take-Rate(36:27) How the Payments Module Makes Other Products Stickier(37:39) Advice to CFOs Looking to Add Payments(39:11) Pricing Subscription and Consumption-Based Products(42:35) Forecasting and the Predictability of This Model(44:43) Vertical Software Company Case Study: Veeva(49:06) Working with Franchises(53:42) Long-Ass Lightning Round: Planning for the Future(56:16) Advice to Younger Self(58:48) Finance Software Stack(59:24) Craziest Expense Story Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

In this episode, CJ interviews Lucas Swisher, Co-Lead of Growth Investing and Software Investing at Coatue, to explore how one of tech's most influential investment firms navigates both public and private markets. Lucas explains Coatue's evolution—from hedge fund origins to a powerhouse in venture capital—and how the company balances short-term public market pressures and long-term private investments. The conversation takes a dive deep into data-driven decision-making and how Coatue's proprietary Mosaic platform provides an edge while still leaving room for human intuition. They also discuss the firm's investment philosophy, what differentiates them from other investment companies, and why they choose to have such a concentrated portfolio of investments. Lucas sheds light on how they evaluate the sustainability of a small software company's unit economics, the most important metric that they look at, and other important factors and red flags that often get overlooked when choosing where to invest.If you're looking for an ERP head to NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get a customized KPI checklist.—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. Whether it's multi-element arrangements, subscription renewals, or complex usage-based contracts, RightRev takes care of it all. That means fewer spreadsheets, fewer errors, and more time for your team to focus on growth. For modern revenue recognition simplified, visit rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Brex makes it easy to control spend before it happens, automate annoying tasks, and optimize your finances. Find out how Brex can help you make every dollar count at brex.com/metrics.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. It doesn't just show you where the problems are—it helps you solve them. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities, like duplicative spend, to automating those painful procurement workflows, to giving you the best market data that turns every vendor negotiation in your favor. Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn howNetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 40,000 companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅, head to NetSuite https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:18) Sponsor – RightRev | Planful | Brex(06:15) Lucas's Role at Coatue(07:58) The Evolution of Coatue's Investment Strategy(11:36) Growth-Stage Private Assets Versus Public Markets(14:18) Balancing Short-Term Public Investing and Long-Term Patience of Private Markets(16:07) Sponsor – Vanta | Tropic | NetSuite(19:50) The Service Business at the Core of Coatue's Growth Investing(22:08) Coatue's Mosaic Platform and Due Diligence(26:29) How Mosaic Helps Coatue Get to No Faster(28:05) Creating a Concentrated Portfolio of Investments(30:40) Coatue's Edge Versus Firms with Other Investment Philosophies(37:20) How the Best Investment Firms Differentiate Themselves(41:14) Assessing the Sustainability of a Small Software Company's Unit Economics(44:12) Evaluating Enterprise SaaS Versus Consumer Software(46:21) The Next Buyer Scenario(48:53) Prediction for Coatue's Future Structure and Strategy(50:34) What Growth Stage Companies Should Look for in an Investor(52:29) Advice for the Next Generation of Investors Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

Mark McCaffrey, the CFO of GoDaddy, joins CJ to talk about the evolution of one of the most recognizable brands on the internet from domain registration to a full-service platform for small businesses. Mark sheds light on GoDaddy's role in the entrepreneurial micro-startup ecosystem and how, after 21 years, GoDaddy has grown to 21 million customers. He describes the trends he's identified in the formation of micro businesses, their adoption of AI, their survival rates, and why churn caused by failing small businesses doesn't affect GoDaddy as much as you think it would. He also talks about the metrics that matter, what he tracks, what he discloses, and how he uses this to pursue customers with intent. He also explains how to not lose sight of the micro when the macro is so big, and lists the two things every company in the tech industry needs to do to achieve long-term success. Spoiler: one has to do with customer relationships.If you're looking for an ERP head to NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get a customized KPI checklist.—SPONSORS:Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Brex makes it easy to control spend before it happens, automate annoying tasks, and optimize your finances. Find out how Brex can help you make every dollar count at brex.com/metrics.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. It doesn't just show you where the problems are—it helps you solve them. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities, like duplicative spend, to automating those painful procurement workflows, to giving you the best market data that turns every vendor negotiation in your favor. Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn how.NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 40,000 companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅, head to NetSuite https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.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. Whether it's multi-element arrangements, subscription renewals, or complex usage-based contracts, RightRev takes care of it all. That means fewer spreadsheets, fewer errors, and more time for your team to focus on growth. For modern revenue recognition simplified, visit rightrev.com and schedule a demo.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(01:54) Sponsor – Planful | Brex | Vanta(06:16) GoDaddy and the Entrepreneurial Micro-Startup Ecosystem(07:40) The Origins of the GoDaddy Name(09:08) GoDaddy's Business Model and its Evolution(11:45) The Strategic High Ground of Starting with the Domain(12:58) Definition of a Micro-Business(15:32) Sponsor – Tropic | NetSuite | RightRev(19:15) The Mostly Metrics Domain Name(21:50) Unsuccessful Businesses and Churn at GoDaddy(27:07) Surprises from GoDaddy's Data(29:20) Customer Trends in Openness to AI(30:45) Determining Which Metrics Matter and Which to Disclose(34:31) Pursuing Customers with Intent(35:44) When and How Mark Introduces a New Metric(38:25) ARR Versus Bookings(39:25) Retention Trends(41:06) Two Things to Do in the Tech Industry for Long-Term Success(45:47) How the Power of Relationships Led Mark to GoDaddy(49:08) Long-Ass Lightning Round: Excel Spreadsheets(49:44) Three Rules for Every Young Professional(51:02) Finance Software Stack(52:11) Craziest Expense Story Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

Ambereen Toubassy, the CFO of Airtable, has experience as an advisor, an investor, and an operator. In this episode, she joins CJ to talk about how this experience informs her role as a CFO. The two delve into the complexities of navigating investor feedback and how to take criticism without getting defensive. They also discuss how to build the right advisory network, red flags to watch for, and the importance of scaffolding your weaknesses with external expertise. The episode also highlights the value of specificity in the role of a finance leader. Ambereen shares insights from her extensive career, including her time at Quibi, explaining what she learned from this moonshot idea that didn't work out as hoped and her approach to balancing fiduciary duties with the human side of leadership.If you're looking for an ERP head to NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get a customized KPI checklist.—SPONSORS:Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Brex makes it easy to control spend before it happens, automate annoying tasks, and optimize your finances. Find out how Brex can help you make every dollar count at brex.com/metrics.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. It doesn't just show you where the problems are—it helps you solve them. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities, like duplicative spend, to automating those painful procurement workflows, to giving you the best market data that turns every vendor negotiation in your favor. Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn howMUFG is the largest bank in Japan and a global banking powerhouse with a focus on empowering Growth and Middle Market stage companies in North America and Europe. MUFG provides comprehensive banking services for VC-backed, PE-backed, and public companies with revenues starting at $40M. The bank combines its global capabilities with deep operational understanding to help companies accelerate their growth trajectory. Contact group head Bob Blee at bblee@us.mufg.jp to find out more.NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 40,000 companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅, head to NetSuite https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.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. Whether it's multi-element arrangements, subscription renewals, or complex usage-based contracts, RightRev takes care of it all. That means fewer spreadsheets, fewer errors, and more time for your team to focus on growth. For modern revenue recognition simplified, visit rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:25) Sponsor – Brex | Vanta | Tropic(06:55) What Ambereen Has Learned from Being an Investor(10:53) Dealing with Investor Feedback(18:09) Sponsor – MUFG | NetSuite | RightRev | Planful(22:54) Tips for Not Taking Feedback Personally(24:12) When to Bring Founders into Meetings with Investors(25:52) Scaffolding Your Weaknesses(30:59) Whether or Not to Pay More for Great Advisors(34:12) How to Identify the Right Banker or Consultant(35:13) Banker and Consultant Red Flags to Watch Out For(39:11) “In the Particular Is Contained the Universal”(42:42) How the Specific Plays a Role in the Job of a Finance Leader(46:46) Quibi, the Moonshot Idea That Didn't Land as Planned(50:16) Fiduciary Responsibility When Things Don't Go as Planned(55:00) Long-Ass Lightning Round: A Career Mistake(55:48) Advice to Younger Self(57:14) Finance Software Stack(58:26) Craziest Expense Story Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

Public finance is more than just numbers – it is about vision, leadership, and building strong teams. Jack McCullough welcomes Lauren StClair, CFO of NerdWallet, to discuss how she led the company through its IPO while maintaining its core values of transparency and innovation. Lauren shares her unique journey from Stanford athlete to finance leader, highlighting the lessons learned along the way. Tune in as she dives into the evolving role of the CFO, the power of technology in scaling businesses, and practical advice for future finance leaders.To book a demo with Planful, click here.

In this episode, Dashlane's David Lapter, a five-time CFO, joins CJ to discuss the challenges of steering high-growth companies. He breaks down the common blind spots that CFOs face, why many double down on their strengths and avoid their weaknesses, and how the Eisenhower Matrix helped him tackle his own gaps. David also gives his take on competitors and his philosophy of differentiating your org from theirs without demonizing them, as well as how they can be used for motivation. David shares insights on building high-functioning teams, when teams should move from overlapping responsibilities to more defined roles, how to simplify your OKRs to be more effective, and the nature of the ideal HR-CFO relationship. This episode is packed with valuable takeaways for finance leaders navigating the complexities of high-growth environments.If you're looking for an ERP head to NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get a customized KPI checklist.—SPONSORS:Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. It doesn't just show you where the problems are—it helps you solve them. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities, like duplicative spend, to automating those painful procurement workflows, to giving you the best market data that turns every vendor negotiation in your favor. Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn howNetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 40,000 companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅, head to NetSuite https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.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. Whether it's multi-element arrangements, subscription renewals, or complex usage-based contracts, RightRev takes care of it all. That means fewer spreadsheets, fewer errors, and more time for your team to focus on growth. For modern revenue recognition simplified, visit rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Brex makes it easy to control spend before it happens, automate annoying tasks, and optimize your finances. Find out how Brex can help you make every dollar count at brex.com/metrics.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(01:52) Sponsor – Vanta | Tropic | Netsuite(06:18) Identifying Blind Spots(10:44) Hiring to Fill Your Blind Spots(14:21) The Eisenhower Matrix and Prioritising Your Blind Spots(17:15) Sponsor – RightRev | Planful | Brex(20:58) The Traps of Execution Mode Syndrome(26:37) David's Philosophy on Speaking About Competitors(31:09) Tips for Communicating How You're Differentiated(33:02) How Competitors Can Motivate Teams(39:46) When to Move from Overlapping Responsibilities to More Defined Roles(46:50) Simplifying OKRs(52:16) The Urge to Copy the Goal Setting of Other Companies(54:56) Should HR Report to the CFO?(57:57) Long-Ass Lightning Round: A VAT Mistake(01:00:21) Advice to Younger Self(01:03:32) Finance Software Stack(01:06:14) Craziest Expense Story Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

In this episode, CJ interviews Hanan Aharoni, CFO of Operative, who is an expert in operational excellence, particularly in private equity. Hanan shares insights on managing acquisitions and overcoming silos, inefficiencies, and decision paralysis in the process. He highlights the importance of having a clear org chart and a unified leadership team before discussing the critical role of culture in successful integrations. He breaks down how to spot inefficiencies, consolidate systems, and optimize costs without stifling innovation. He also sheds light on how the private equity model differs from the venture capital model in terms of allocating resources, managing debt, and being prepared for an exit or sale. This is a masterclass in private equity operations.—SPONSORS:Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. It doesn't just show you where the problems are—it helps you solve them. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities, like duplicative spend, to automating those painful procurement workflows, to giving you the best market data that turns every vendor negotiation in your favor. Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn how.NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 40,000 companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅, head to NetSuite https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.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. Whether it's multi-element arrangements, subscription renewals, or complex usage-based contracts, RightRev takes care of it all. That means fewer spreadsheets, fewer errors, and more time for your team to focus on growth. For modern revenue recognition simplified, visit rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Brex makes it easy to control spend before it happens, automate annoying tasks, and optimize your finances. Find out how Brex can help you make every dollar count at brex.com/metrics.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Preview and Intro01:50 Sponsor – Tropic | Netsuite | RightRev 05:55 Hanan's Impressive Career Rise to CFO08:20 Overcoming Silos and Inefficiency When Scaling10:46 Overcoming Inefficiency and Paralysis in M&A15:50 Sponsor – Planful | Brex | Vanta19:18 The Importance of Having a Clear Org Chart22:07 “Vision Without Execution Is Just Hallucination”25:33 Operational Excellence: Identifying Inefficiencies and Optimizing Costs28:40 Acknowledging Biases29:40 Using Industry Benchmarks32:20 Balancing Optimizing Expenses and Preserving Innovation35:16 Forming a Mitigation Plan41:09 Areas Notorious for Inefficient Costs42:56 Allocating Resources in a PE Model Versus a VC Model45:57 How Debt Impacts How You Operate in PE49:12 Tips for Finance Professionals Moving from VC to PE Models50:48 Being Prepared for an Exit or Sale in a PE Environment53:00 Long-Ass Lightning Round: A Massive Excel Spreadsheet Error54:53 Advice to Younger Self: Fast Decisions55:17 Finance Software Stack55:55 Craziest Expense Story Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

The week began with financial results from Workday and Planful. First, Workday announced its results for the fiscal 2025 fourth quarter and full year ended January 31st, 2025. Then, Planful achieved record-breaking bookings in 2024, surpassing its previous annual high and reinforcing its strong growth trajectory. In other news, Aptean announced the signing of a definitive agreement to purchase Germanedge, a provider of industry-leading software for discrete and process manufacturers from funds managed by Alpina Management GmbH and private shareholders. Finally, Boomi unveiled its comprehensive API Management solution, delivering cloud-scale APIM alongside its integration and automation, data management, and AI capabilities as part of the Boomi Enterprise Platform.Connect with us!https://www.erpadvisorsgroup.com866-499-8550LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/erp-advisors-groupTwitter:https://twitter.com/erpadvisorsgrpFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/erpadvisorsInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/erpadvisorsgroupPinterest:https://www.pinterest.com/erpadvisorsgroupMedium:https://medium.com/@erpadvisorsgroup

Dive into the exciting world of CAVA, the fast casual restaurant taking the Mediterranean by storm. Join Jack McCullough as he sits down with CAVA CFO Tricia Tolivar. In this episode, she shares her incredible journey from a childhood fascination with numbers to leading the financial charge at CAVA. Tricia reveals the secrets behind CAVA's innovative approach to menu creation and customer experience that keeps their guests coming back for more. She opens up how she navigated the challenges of motherhood, handled a demanding career, and dealt with an IPO while staying true to her values.To book a demo with Planful, click here.

Today's guest went from being the CFO of a very large telecom company where he was meeting with ministers in Jordan to joining a team of just four people at a startup in Saudi Arabia. Abdullah Tahboub, CFO of Foodics, a cloud-based POS and restaurant management solution, joins CJ to talk about this leap and explain why he wishes he had joined the startup world sooner. The conversation delves into the differences between corporate and startup CFO roles. Abdullah also explores the rapid digital transformation in the food and beverage industry in the Middle East. He outlines Foodic's business model and evolution from cashier systems to payments, becoming a comprehensive fintech and SaaS company. He provides insights into the crawl-walk-run process of this business and how he balances growth in both the SaaS and payments aspects of the org.—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. Whether it's multi-element arrangements, subscription renewals, or complex usage-based contracts, RightRev takes care of it all. That means fewer spreadsheets, fewer errors, and more time for your team to focus on growth. For modern revenue recognition simplified, visit rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Brex makes it easy to control spend before it happens, automate annoying tasks, and optimize your finances. Find out how Brex can help you make every dollar count at brex.com/metrics.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. It doesn't just show you where the problems are—it helps you solve them. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities, like duplicative spend, to automating those painful procurement workflows, to giving you the best market data that turns every vendor negotiation in your favor. Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn how—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:27) Sponsor – RightRev | Planful | Brex(06:12) Abdullah's Bold Career Move & Why CFOs Avoid Risks(09:58) Being a Corporate World CFO Versus a Startup CFO(16:05) Digital Transformation in the Food and Beverage Industry(17:56) Sponsor – Vanta | Tropic(20:20) Food & Beverage and Tech in the Middle East and North Africa(23:06) The Evolution of Foodics' Business Model(30:17) How Lending Works in This Industry(33:37) Balancing Growth in SaaS and Payment Revenue Streams(36:03) Forecasting for Payments(39:12) Staffing for Both SaaS and Payments(41:09) The Most Difficult Part of Adding Payments(44:16) Long-Ass Lightning Round: Dealing with Underperformers(46:21) Advice to Younger Self(47:04) Finance Software Stack(47:45) Craziest Expense Story Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

Jim Cook, Netflix co-founder, former CFO of Mozilla, early employee at Inuit, executive coach, and author of Substack Cook's Playbooks, returns to the podcast for the third time. In this episode, he breaks down the evolution of the role of CFOs from traditional scorekeepers to more strategic and operator roles, before looking ahead at what's to come. This episode is packed full of helpful advice about transparency, building trust, authenticity in your executive role, and why “fake it till you make it” is actually bad advice. Looking at the future of the CFO role, Jim explains why he believes there will be no need for both COO and CFO roles in an organization, the biggest mistake a CFO can make at this time, and how CFOs should be adapting in order to succeed in this next era.—SPONSORS:Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Brex makes it easy to control spend before it happens, automate annoying tasks, and optimize your finances. Find out how Brex can help you make every dollar count at brex.com/metrics.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. It doesn't just show you where the problems are—it helps you solve them. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities, like duplicative spend, to automating those painful procurement workflows, to giving you the best market data that turns every vendor negotiation in your favor. Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn how.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. Whether it's multi-element arrangements, subscription renewals, or complex usage-based contracts, RightRev takes care of it all. That means fewer spreadsheets, fewer errors, and more time for your team to focus on growth. For modern revenue recognition simplified, visit rightrev.com and schedule a demo.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)LINKS:Cook's Playbookswww.benchboard.comJim Cook on LinkedIn—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(01:37) Sponsor – Planful | Brex | Vanta(05:49) CJ's Career Growth Since First Interviewing Jim(08:35) Making Finance Transparent(14:40) Sponsor – Tropic | RightRev(17:07) The Influence of Bill Campbell(18:57) How to Get to Trust Faster(20:32) Letting Your Freak Flag Fly in Your Executive Role(23:06) Is “Fake It Till You Make It” Bad Advice?(25:25) Why CFO Tenures Are Getting Longer(28:16) The Evolution of the CFO Role and Technological Capability(32:45) Scorekeeping and Actuals Don't Matter Anymore(34:38) The Era of the Strategic CFO(36:48) SaaS and the Operator CFO Era(41:09) Jim's Prediction on the Next Era: The CFO Architect(49:47) The Biggest Mistake We Could Make in This Era(51:48) The Era of, “I Need a COO and a CFO,” Is Over(55:41) Where a CFO Will Spend Most of Their Time in This Next Era Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

Strong financial leadership can shape the success of any organization, and Amy Butte, CFO of Navan, exemplifies this with her vast expertise and emboldened vision. She joins Jack McCullough in this conversation that dives into the evolving role of CFOs, the importance of mentorship, and various strategies for building world-class finance teams. Amy shares her career journey from working at Wall Street to leading a high-growth company, offering valuable insights on aligning financial planning with long-term strategy. Whether you are a current CFO, an aspiring leader, or a curious individual about the challenges and opportunities in today's business landscape, this conversation provides practical takeaways and inspiration.To book a demo with Planful, click here.

Today's guest, Arvind Kadaba, the CFO of Aidoc, started his career as a high-profile investor before transitioning into the role of a CFO. He joins CJ to share his career journey and discuss the challenges he faced in transitioning into an operational role. The conversation explores the “grass is always greener” mentality that drives career shifts, and how to find the right career fit. Arvind describes the evolving landscape of healthcare technology and AI. He emphasizes the need for innovation and how to choose whether to build, buy, or partner to achieve this, giving listeners a masterclass in portfolio theory for operators. He also gives helpful tips for balancing short-term and long-term investments and explaining long-term shareholder value to employees. The episode concludes with Arvind defending his contrarian views that not all businesses should be venture-backed and not all great businesses are tech businesses.—SPONSORS:Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Brex makes it easy to control spend before it happens, automate annoying tasks, and optimize your finances. Find out how Brex can help you make every dollar count at brex.com/metrics.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. It doesn't just show you where the problems are—it helps you solve them. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities, like duplicative spend, to automating those painful procurement workflows, to giving you the best market data that turns every vendor negotiation in your favor. Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn howRightRev 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. Whether it's multi-element arrangements, subscription renewals, or complex usage-based contracts, RightRev takes care of it all. That means fewer spreadsheets, fewer errors, and more time for your team to focus on growth. For modern revenue recognition simplified, visit rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:21) Sponsor – Brex | Vanta | Tropic(06:59) Transitioning from Investor to Operator(11:13) The Problem-Specific Nature of Being an Operator(14:29) Sponsor – RightRev | Planful(16:39) Personal Product Market Fit(23:18) “All You Need Is One”(25:46) How Arvind Decided to Switch Careers(33:07) The State of Healthcare Technology in AI(36:05) Innovation: Build Versus Buy Versus Partner(37:36) Portfolio Theory for Operators(44:36) Explaining Long-Term Shareholder Value to Employees(47:50) Not All Businesses Should Be Venture-Backed(53:38) Not All Great Businesses Are Tech Businesses(57:03) Long-Ass Lightning Round: Cross-Functional Trust(58:04) Finance Software Stack(58:54) Craziest Expense Story Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

This episode takes a deep dive into the business model of super app Grab as CJ interviews CFO Peter Oey. Peter introduces listeners to Grab and how it operates in Southeast Asia, highlighting the company's journey from a ride-hailing service to acquiring Uber's operations in the region, expanding into food delivery, and even branching into banking services, all in one single super app. Peter explains why this model thrives in Southeast Asia and speculates on its potential in Western markets. He sheds light on the flywheel effect of branching into banking services, how they get customers to use Grab's different products, and the advertising opportunities that exist for the platform. He also discusses how Grab has positively affected economic activity in the region and shares one customer's incredible success story. The podcast concludes with insights into Grab's proprietary technology, including its unique mapping system, and advice for Western companies looking to enter the Southeast Asian market.—SPONSORS:Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. It doesn't just show you where the problems are—it helps you solve them. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities, like duplicative spend, to automating those painful procurement workflows, to giving you the best market data that turns every vendor negotiation in your favor. Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn how.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. Whether it's multi-element arrangements, subscription renewals, or complex usage-based contracts, RightRev takes care of it all. That means fewer spreadsheets, fewer errors, and more time for your team to focus on growth. For modern revenue recognition simplified, visit rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Brex makes it easy to control spend before it happens, automate annoying tasks, and optimize your finances. Find out how Brex can help you make every dollar count at brex.com/metrics.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:15) Sponsor – Vanta | Tropic | RightRev(05:54) Super Apps and Grab's Business Model(11:16) Why the Super App Model Thrives in Southeast Asia(15:33) The Super App Model and Western Markets(17:03) Sponsor – Planful | Brex(19:16) The Role of Banking Services in Grab's Business Model(23:05) The First Step to Becoming a Fintech(25:05) Getting Users to Use Multiple Grab Products(30:31) The Advertising Opportunity for Grab(32:14) Why Southeast Asia Is Overlooked as a Tech Hub(35:30) Advice to Western Tech Companies Operating in Southeast Asia(37:15) How Grab Increases Economic Activity(40:51) A Grab Success Story(41:45) Grab's Proprietary Tech and Mapping System(45:43) Long-Ass Lightning Round: A Forecast Accuracy Error Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

In this episode, CJ is joined by Kelly Mahncke, the CFO of USA Hockey, and the first CFO of a nonprofit to come on the show. They discuss the organization's business model and its revenue streams. Kelly emphasizes the importance of having a successful business whether it's a nonprofit or not, and what she means when she says that there's no mission without margin. The conversation also covers USA Hockey's efforts to balance grassroots development with elite programs, the role of data and technology in enhancing operations, and the challenges of making hockey accessible to underprivileged communities. Kelly shares insights into the financial management of USA Hockey, including the for-profit and nonprofit aspects of the business, and how the four-year cadence of the Winter Olympics affects annual planning.—SPONSORS:Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. It doesn't just show you where the problems are—it helps you solve them. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities, like duplicative spend, to automating those painful procurement workflows, to giving you the best market data that turns every vendor negotiation in your favor. Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn howRightRev 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. Whether it's multi-element arrangements, subscription renewals, or complex usage-based contracts, RightRev takes care of it all. That means fewer spreadsheets, fewer errors, and more time for your team to focus on growth. For modern revenue recognition simplified, visit rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Brex makes it easy to control spend before it happens, automate annoying tasks, and optimize your finances. Find out how Brex can help you make every dollar count at brex.com/metrics.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:00) Sponsor – Tropic | RightRev | Planful(06:23) The Companies Under the USA Hockey Umbrella(07:50) Balancing Investing in Grassroots Development and Elite Teams(10:01) USA Hockey's Revenue Streams(11:14) USA Hockey's Data and IT(13:07) Learnings from USA Hockey's Data and Analytics(16:38) Sponsor – Brex | Vanta(19:10) Why Kids Should Try Different Sports(20:03) Anecdotes About Hockey Players(21:56) No Mission Without Margin(23:40) The Most Surprising Line Items in USA Hockey's Budget(24:32) How the Winter Olympics Affects Annual Planning(26:12) For-Profit Money in the Space(29:14) The Business of Rink Ownership(32:54) Making Hockey Accessible to Underprivileged Communities(35:30) The For-Profit and Nonprofit Aspects of USA Hockey(36:56) How Being a Nonprofit Impacts Hiring and Volunteers(39:31) Lightning Round: Advice to Younger Self(40:04) Technology at USA Hockey(41:30) Finance Software Stack(42:20) The Legacy Kelly Hopes to Leave Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

Serial CFO Michael Bayer, who is currently the CFO of Wasabi, joins CJ to share wisdom from his long career. He talks about his journey from being a “CF-no" to becoming a “CF-go” while emphasizing the importance of strategic investment to fuel hypergrowth companies. He breaks down the epochs of growth that a company goes through as it scales from driving revenue to focusing on cash flow. He highlights the significance of order of magnitude thinking and hiring for future needs. Michael also introduces his “rock-turning” exercise for identifying and addressing issues when joining a company, and shares his three guiding principles: speed is God, best ideas win, and if you're not making mistakes, you're not trying hard enough. The episode concludes with an insightful story about Van Halen's "brown M&M" clause, and what finance leaders can learn from it.—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. Whether it's multi-element arrangements, subscription renewals, or complex usage-based contracts, RightRev takes care of it all. That means fewer spreadsheets, fewer errors, and more time for your team to focus on growth. For modern revenue recognition simplified, visit rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Brex makes it easy to control spend before it happens, automate annoying tasks, and optimize your finances. Find out how Brex can help you make every dollar count at brex.com/metrics.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. It doesn't just show you where the problems are—it helps you solve them. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities, like duplicative spend, to automating those painful procurement workflows, to giving you the best market data that turns every vendor negotiation in your favor. Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn how—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:16) Sponsor – RightRev | Planful | Brex(06:02) The Reason for a Sloth Background(08:31) A Company's Epochs of Growth(12:52) Staffing for the Different Epochs of Growth(17:08) Sponsor – Vanta | Tropic(21:29) The CF-No Versus CF-Go Mentalities(23:42) The “Rule Of” Metric: EBITDA or Cash Flow(27:05) The Rock-Turning Exercise(29:12) The First Rock Michael Turns Over(30:26) Forming Relationships Before Solving Problems(32:08) The Time Factor in Becoming a Good CFO(36:01) Michael's Three Simple Rules for Being a Great CFO(38:45) Creating Space for the Best Ideas(41:18) What It Means to “Rent Capital”(47:25) The Brown M&M Story Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

Great CFOs don't just crunch numbers – they shape strategies, build teams, and drive transformation. Jack McCullough welcomes Claire Bramley, CFO of Teradata, to explore the journey of a true rockstar CFO. From leading Teradata's shift to cloud-based solutions to championing team diversity and breaking career barriers, Claire shares her insights on what it takes to excel in financial leadership. Whether you are a seasoned executive or an aspiring leader, this episode dives into the power of communication, the importance of storytelling in finance, and how to embrace opportunities that push boundaries.To book a demo with Planful, click here.

Erica Gessert, CFO of Upwork, and former Senior Vice President of Finance & Analytics at PayPal, joins CJ for this episode. They discuss Erica's experience with forecasting models at PayPal, emphasizing the need for adaptable models that change with economic conditions. Delving into her role at Upwork, Erica explains the company's approach to customer acquisition costs, the significance of network effects in marketplace businesses, and Upwork's take rate strategies. The conversation covers Upwork's investment in R&D, how the company maintains platform trust in the face of bad actors, and the impact of AI. Apart from explaining how Upwork gained 20 points of EBITDA in just three quarters, Erica also sheds light on their North Star metrics, how they balance growth and profitability, their approach to M&A, and her experience reporting to Masayoshi Son during her time at Sprint. —SPONSORS:Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.MUFG is the largest bank in Japan and a global banking powerhouse with a focus on empowering Growth and Middle Market stage companies in North America and Europe. MUFG provides comprehensive banking services for VC-backed, PE-backed, and public companies with revenues starting at $40M. The bank combines its global capabilities with deep operational understanding to help companies accelerate their growth trajectory. Contact group head Bob Blee at bblee@us.mufg.jp to find out more.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Brex makes it easy to control spend before it happens, automate annoying tasks, and optimize your finances. Find out how Brex can help you make every dollar count at brex.com/metrics. Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics. Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. It doesn't just show you where the problems are—it helps you solve them. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities, like duplicative spend, to automating those painful procurement workflows, to giving you the best market data that turns every vendor negotiation in your favor. Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn howRightRev 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. Whether it's multi-element arrangements, subscription renewals, or complex usage-based contracts, RightRev takes care of it all. That means fewer spreadsheets, fewer errors, and more time for your team to focus on growth. For modern revenue recognition simplified, visit rightrev.com and schedule a demo.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Preview and Intro(02:30) Sponsor – Planful | MUFG | Brex(06:17) Budgeting at PayPal(10:23) Forecasting Methodologies at PayPal(13:15) The Impact of the Calendar on Forecasting(15:01) Forecasting and Macroeconomic Indicators(16:29) Planning Will Take as Long as the Time You Allot for It(17:56) Surprising Insights About Freelancers(19:26) Sponsor – Vanta | Tropic | RightRev(24:55) Upwork's Customer Acquisition Cost(27:59) Freelancers and AI Adoption(29:07) Network Effects in Upwork's Model(31:14) Upwork's Take Rate Strategies(34:49) R&D Investing at Upwork(38:36) Selling Trusted Transactions(41:12) Upwork's North Star Metrics(42:59) Recognising the Potential of AI(44:05) How Upwork Gained 20 Points of EBITDA in Three Quarters(45:29) Balancing Growth and Profitability(46:41) Upwork's M&A Strategy(48:35) Long-Ass Lightning Round: A Big Career Mistake(50:55) Reporting to Masa from SoftBank(52:49) Advice to Younger Self(54:18) Finance Software Stack(54:55) Craziest Expense Story Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

In this episode, CJ is joined by Kapil Agrawal, CFO at Outschool, former CFO of Poshmark, and former Global Head of Pricing and Finance Business Partner at Uber. Kapil shares insights on Uber's pricing strategies and the use of promotions to drive customer growth. He discusses the multiple North Star metrics used at Uber before explaining his role in changing the company's take rate. He also talks about his role at Poshmark and how he raised the company's gross margin. The conversation explores the advantages and challenges of marketplace models versus subscription models and highlights the potential of combining both. Also covered is the significance of high-quality decision-making as a leader and the role of hard work in achieving this.—SPONSORS:MUFG is the largest bank in Japan and a global banking powerhouse with a focus on empowering Growth and Middle Market stage companies in North America and Europe. MUFG provides comprehensive banking services for VC-backed, PE-backed, and public companies with revenues starting at $40M. The bank combines its global capabilities with deep operational understanding to help companies accelerate their growth trajectory. Contact group head Bob Blee at bblee@us.mufg.jp to find out more.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Brex makes it easy to control spend before it happens, automate annoying tasks, and optimize your finances. Find out how Brex can help you make every dollar count at brex.com/metrics.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. It doesn't just show you where the problems are—it helps you solve them. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities, like duplicative spend, to automating those painful procurement workflows, to giving you the best market data that turns every vendor negotiation in your favor. Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn how.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. Whether it's multi-element arrangements, subscription renewals, or complex usage-based contracts, RightRev takes care of it all. That means fewer spreadsheets, fewer errors, and more time for your team to focus on growth. For modern revenue recognition simplified, visit rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:(0:00) Preview and Intro(02:50) Sponsor – MUFG | Brex | Vanta(07:15) Discounting and Promotions at Uber(09:26) Pros and Cons of Acquiring Customers with Promotions(13:48) How Uber Determined the Promotion Term of Nine Months(14:33) Promotional Launch Strategies Across Different Uber Platforms(17:49) Sponsor – Tropic | RightRev | Planful(21:10) The Multiple North Star Metrics at Uber(24:31) Retention for Drivers Versus Passengers(25:25) Tackling the Competition for Drivers(27:20) Changing Uber's Take Rate(31:55) Raising the Gross Margins at Poshmark(37:53) Moving from Buyer and Seller Cohorts to User Cohorts(39:20) Poshmark's Take Rate(42:46) Intro to Outschool(43:20) Transaction-Based Models Versus Subscription-Based Models(45:04) The Role of Capital Allocation(47:22) Combining Transaction-Based and Subscription-Based Models(49:45) Being Judged on the Quality of Your Decisions(54:00) Hiring: Generalists Versus Specialists(56:06) Long-Ass Lightning Round: A Price Cut Regret(57:34) Advice to Younger Self(58:44) Finance Software Stack(59:28) Craziest Expense Story Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

In this episode, CJ interviews Nigel Glenday, CFO, COO, and board member at Masterworks, a company that allows investors to buy shares in high-value artworks. He sheds light on the art market and Masterworks's business model. They discuss the intricacies of art as an asset class, its historical significance, and its potential as an investment. Nigel explains the process of securitizing art, comparing it to other unique asset classes like racehorses and athlete contracts. He highlights the importance of data in valuing art and the company's approach to managing a large portfolio of art investments, before discussing the evolution of Masterworks' business model. The episode provides insights into the unique aspects of this asset class and the innovative ways Masterworks is scaling its business.—SPONSORS:Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. It doesn't just show you where the problems are—it helps you solve them. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities, like duplicative spend, to automating those painful procurement workflows, to giving you the best market data that turns every vendor negotiation in your favor. Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn howRightRev 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. Whether it's multi-element arrangements, subscription renewals, or complex usage-based contracts, RightRev takes care of it all. That means fewer spreadsheets, fewer errors, and more time for your team to focus on growth. For modern revenue recognition simplified, visit rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Brex makes it easy to control spend before it happens, automate annoying tasks, and optimize your finances. Find out how Brex can help you make every dollar count at brex.com/metrics.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:23) Sponsor – Vanta | Tropic(04:53) Overcoming the Thomas Crown Affair(06:22) Finance Within the Art World(07:34) The Most Expensive Piece of Art Ever Purchased(09:15) The History of Art as an Asset Class(10:51) The Data-Rich Nature of Trading Art(12:46) The Performance of the Art Market Compared to Other Markets(15:37) Emotional Dividends in Art Investing(17:13) Sponsor – RightRev | Planful | Brex(20:55) Securitizing Anything with a Cash Flow(24:45) Securitizing Art(27:28) Determining When to Sell(30:03) Museums: Owned Versus Loaned(30:55) Masterworks' Revenue Streams(34:21) How Masterworks Services Their Investors(36:06) Data and How It Informs What Masterworks Buys and Sells(41:55) Evaluating the Value of the Art(43:04) The Trading Market(44:59) The Scaling and Evolution of Masterworks(49:24) Long-Ass Lightning Round: Auto-Renewal Contract Mistakes(50:43) Advice to Younger Self: No Style Points(53:52) Finance Software Stack(57:31) Craziest Expense Story: Defend Your Spend Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

Bea Ordonez, CFO of Payoneer, a leading financial technology company, joins Jack McCullough to discuss the exciting opportunities and challenges of driving Payoneer growth in today's dynamic global economy. Bea shares her insights on building a high-performing culture, fostering innovation, and navigating volatility in the fintech landscape. She also discusses the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace and offers advice for the next generation of finance leaders. Tune in to hear Bea's inspiring story and learn how Payoneer is empowering businesses around the world. To book a demo with Planful, click here.

Eliran Glazer is the CFO of Monday.com. He joined the company just four months before its IPO. As a big believer in the art of storytelling, in this episode, Eliran explains how to be a great storyteller while weaving it into the story of Monday.com's IPO. The conversation also delves into the unique aspects of the Israeli tech scene, the impact of military service on entrepreneurship, and the importance of resilience and adaptability in leadership. Eliran highlights the evolution of Monday.com's narrative, the strategic use of benchmarks, the importance of authenticity, tips for talking about your competition, and the pillars of a good story to help CFO's supercharge their skillsets.—SPONSORS:Tropic is an intelligent spend management solution that consolidates your spend data and processes into one unified offering, enabling insights and decisive action. It doesn't just show you where the problems are—it helps you solve them. From spotting hidden optimization opportunities, like duplicative spend, to automating those painful procurement workflows, to giving you the best market data that turns every vendor negotiation in your favor. Tropic combines smart insights with real human expertise to keep you ahead of the curve. Visit tropicapp.io/mostlymetrics to learn how.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.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. Whether it's multi-element arrangements, subscription renewals, or complex usage-based contracts, RightRev takes care of it all. That means fewer spreadsheets, fewer errors, and more time for your team to focus on growth. For modern revenue recognition simplified, visit rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Brex makes it easy to control spend before it happens, automate annoying tasks, and optimize your finances. Find out how Brex can help you make every dollar count at brex.com/metrics.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(01:53) Sponsor – Tropic | Vanta(04:22) The Story Behind Monday.com's Name(09:25) What Makes Israel's Tech Scene So Unique(14:30) How Being an Expat in the USA Shaped Eliran as a CFO(16:56) Sponsor – RightRev | Brex | Planful(20:36) Managing the IPO Four Months After Joining Monday.com(25:02) Differentiating Your Company Through Storytelling(27:14) The Importance of Authenticity(31:03) Avoiding “Robot Mode” When You Repeat Your Company's Story(32:43) The Pillars of a Good Story(35:42) How the Story Changed Throughout the Process(38:25) Being Bold in Your Storytelling(40:39) Using Benchmarks to Support Your Valuation(44:38) Tips for Talking About Competition(46:34) How Monday.com's Story Is Evolving Post-IPO(51:04) Long-Ass Lightning Round: A Mistake Eliran Made(52:27) Advice to Younger Self(53:39) Finance Software Stack(55:03) Craziest Expense Story Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

In this episode, we sit down with Mark L. Vincent, an executive advisor and expert in leadership development and succession planning. Mark shares his insights on the critical elements of creating a seamless leadership transition, including the importance of a future value balance sheet, individualized succession strategies, and fostering a legacy-oriented leadership philosophy. We dive into his framework for the evolving executive role, discuss how organizations can incubate and nurture future leaders, and explore the intersection of personal and organizational growth. Whether you're a business owner, executive, or entrepreneur, this conversation provides invaluable strategies for ensuring business continuity and success. Tune in to learn how to prepare your organization—and yourself—for the next chapter. Disclaimer: Not advice. Educational purposes only. Not an endorsement for or against. Results not vetted. Views of the guests do not represent those of the host or show.   To check out the YouTube (video podcast), visit: Financial Freedom Podcast with Dr. Christopher Loo Click here to join PodMatch (the "AirBNB" of Podcasting): Join PodMatch Enhance your productions through Descript (affiliate): Descript: Edit Videos & Podcasts Like a Doc | AI Video Editor Check out TubeBuddy, the all-in-one platform that helps you grow and scale your YouTube channel (affiliate): Pricing Click here to check out our Amazon product of the day (affiliate): https://amzn.to/3ZLseCC We couldn't do it without the support of our listeners. To help support the show: CashApp- Pay $drchrisloomdphd on Cash App Venmo- Venmo | Christopher Loo Spotify- https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/christopher-loo/support Buy Me a Coffee- Christopher H. Loo, MD-PhD is Podcast for thought leaders and creative influencers   Click here to schedule a 1-on-1 private coaching call: Book Online | Christopher H. Loo, MD- PhD   Click here to check out our bookstore, e-courses, and workshops: Store | Christopher Loo Click here to purchase my books on Amazon: Christopher H. Loo MD-PhD: books, biography, latest update For audiobooks, visit: Christopher H. Loo MD-PhD – Audio Books, Best Sellers, Author Bio | Audible.com Follow our YouTube channel: Financial Freedom Podcast with Dr. Christopher Loo Follow us on Twitter: Christopher H. Loo, MD-PhD (@drchrisloomdphd) on X Follow us on Instagram: Instagram (@thereal_drchrisloo) Follow us on Threads: Christopher Loo (@thereal_drchrisloo) • Threads, Say more Follow us on TikTok: Visit TikTok to discover profiles! Follow our Blog: Blog | Christopher Loo Follow the podcast on Spotify: Financial Freedom Podcast with Dr. Christopher H. Loo, MD-PhD Subscribe to our Substack newsletter: Christopher H. Loo, MD-PhD | Substack Subscribe to our Medium newsletter: Christopher H. Loo, MD-PhD – Medium Subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6992935013231071233 Subscribe to our email list: Financial Freedom Podcast Newsletter Thank you to all of our sponsors and advertisers that help support the show! Financial Freedom for Physicians, Copyright 2025  

CJ delves deep into the world of analytics in this interview with Jesper Sorensen, the CFO of Mambu, a leading fintech and banking platform in Europe valued at over $5 billion. Jesper, who has authored three books on analytics, introduces the Analytics Escalator—a framework for unlocking real value through descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive analytics. In the discussion, Jesper covers everything from getting started with analytics and deciding where it should sit within an organization to identifying key opportunities, building a solid BI tech stack, and understanding the role of analytics tools and data lakes. He outlines the journey to creating a high-impact analytics function within a company, emphasizing the critical interplay between people, processes, and systems in fostering a thriving analytics culture—and shares practical advice on how to achieve it.—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. Whether it's multi-element arrangements, subscription renewals, or complex usage-based contracts, RightRev takes care of it all. That means fewer spreadsheets, fewer errors, and more time for your team to focus on growth. For modern revenue recognition simplified, visit rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Brex makes it easy to control spend before it happens, automate annoying tasks, and optimize your finances. Find out how Brex can help you make every dollar count at brex.com/metrics.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:01) Sponsor – RightRev | Brex(04:53) Jesper's Pre-CFO Career(06:50) The Huge Success of Mambu(10:40) Understanding What Analytics Is(13:56) Sponsor – Planful | Vanta(16:02) Where Analytics Should Sit in the Org(20:12) Model for Serving a Team's BI Needs Internally(22:03) Creating Value with the Analytics Escalator(29:51) Prescriptive Analytics and How to Achieve Them(31:08) The Steps on the Analytics Escalator(33:36) Establishing People, Processes, and Systems(34:54) Self-Service Versus Customer Service BI(37:57) The Components of a Good BI Tech Stack(38:50) Data Visualization Tools Versus Analytics Tools(41:59) The Value of a Data Lake(44:26) Build-Versus-Buy for Analytics Tools(46:50) The Need for a Proof-of-Concept for Analytics Tools(48:10) Managing the Trade-Off Between Performance and Cost(50:19) Wrap Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

In this episode, CJ interviews Jeff Cassidy, CFO of Prodigy Education about navigating a diverse career across multiple industries and building strong teams based on ambition and skills rather than credentials. Having worked in financial services, biotech, restaurants, travel, edtech, and even crypto, Jeff shares the story of his own varied career, giving advice on finding the “right” career path, achieving personal product market fit, and what he looks for in a new role. He talks about how he goes about building a strong team and the qualities he looks for in applicants, while sharing stories of some of the hiring choices he's made. The conversation touches on the evolving landscape of higher education, the failures of American four-year colleges, and the need for more practical skills and diverse experiences. Jeff also discusses the challenges of leading a travel company through the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the importance of transparency, customer empathy, and supplier management. —SPONSORS:Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Brex makes it easy to control spend before it happens, automate annoying tasks, and optimize your finances. Find out how Brex can help you make every dollar count at brex.com/metrics. Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics. 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. Whether it's multi-element arrangements, subscription renewals, or complex usage-based contracts, RightRev takes care of it all. That means fewer spreadsheets, fewer errors, and more time for your team to focus on growth. For modern revenue recognition simplified, visit rightrev.com and schedule a demo.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(03:28) Sponsor – Brex | Planful(06:48) Finding Personal Product Market Fit(12:13) Qualities to Look for in a New Role(14:01) The Misconception About Finding the “Right” Career Path(16:04) Sponsor – Vanta | RightRev(18:32) Linear and Non-Linear Career Moves(20:16) Hiring Based on Ambition and Skills(22:38) How American Four-Year Colleges Are Failing(29:20) Transitioning into Finance(32:05) The Story of a Surprising Finance Hire(35:20) Lessons from an Applicant's Interview Fail(38:16) Running a Travel Company in the Pandemic(41:45) Supplier Management in a Crisis(43:59) Lessons on Communicating Internally(45:43) Long-Ass Lightning Round: An Early Career Mistake(48:25) Advice to Younger Self: Pursue Interests(49:28) Finance Software Stack(49:59) Craziest Expense Story Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

Michiel Boere, the CFO of Remote, joins CJ to talk about building multinational companies and the benefits of ditching traditional budgets for better business outcomes. Michiel introduces listeners to Remote's business model and discusses how it levels the global job market by enabling companies to hire talent from anywhere while absorbing complications regarding payroll, taxes, and legal entity status. The conversation also covers the complexities of managing a multinational company and the challenges of scaling finance operations globally. As a risk-on CFO, he breaks down how he looks at unit economics in order to underwrite certain risks necessary for in growth. He also shares insights from his experience at Uber before explaining how budgets can lead to suboptimal decisions, such as unnecessary spending or missing out on valuable investments.—SPONSORS:Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.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. Whether it's multi-element arrangements, subscription renewals, or complex usage-based contracts, RightRev takes care of it all. That means fewer spreadsheets, fewer errors, and more time for your team to focus on growth. For modern revenue recognition simplified, visit rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Brex makes it easy to control spend before it happens, automate annoying tasks, and optimize your finances. Find out how Brex can help you make every dollar count at brex.com/metrics.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:32) Sponsor – Planful | Vanta(04:43) How Remote Levels the Playing Field(08:02) The Marketplace-Like Element of Remote(09:52) Increasing Optionality Versus Decreasing Costs(13:11) How Remote Built a Multinational Company in Five Years(14:58) Sponsor – RightRev | Brex(17:48) The Complexity of Building a Multinational Company(20:53) Scaling Finance Globally with a Distributed Team(21:51) Remote's Revenue Lines(23:06) Managing FX in Multiple Countries(26:06) Embracing Investment and Risks(29:37) The Biggest Challenge Michiel Tackled at Uber(32:50) Lessons Michiel Learned About Complexity from Uber(37:42) Why Your Budget May Be Counterproductive(40:56) How to Get Your Board to Change Their Thinking About Budgeting(44:04) Setting Ambitious Goals for Revenue Generators Without a Budget(45:06) Changing Your North Star Metric as Your Company Grows(46:21) Non-Standard Metrics That Michiel Looks At(47:31) Long-Ass Lightning Round: HR Mistakes(49:55) Michiel's Biggest Career Risk(56:21) Finance Software Stack(57:40) The Wall Street Journal Test and the Blush Test for Expenses Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

Reid DeRamus, formerly of Hulu, Crunchyroll, HBO Max, and Substack, joins CJ in this episode to discuss B2C business models and growth strategies. Reid sheds light on some of the profound evolutions he's experienced in his career at the intersection of tech and media. The discussion dives into the nuances of price increases in B2C subscriptions—how they affect revenue growth, customer acquisition, and retention—and explores strategies for effectively communicating these changes. They examine the pitfalls of discounting, the pros and cons of annual plans, and the art of segmenting consumers who may be willing to pay more. Reid introduces the concept of “elevating the cohort floor” and emphasizes the importance of the initial subscription period for retention and conversion. The episode also tackles the paradox of "too healthy" metrics and why you should consider pairing your KPIs up. The podcast is not over until they touch on balancing advertising and subscription models, and discuss unique monetization lessons from platforms like OnlyFans, among others.—SPONSORS:Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.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. Whether it's multi-element arrangements, subscription renewals, or complex usage-based contracts, RightRev takes care of it all. That means fewer spreadsheets, fewer errors, and more time for your team to focus on growth. For modern revenue recognition simplified, visit rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Brex makes it easy to control spend before it happens, automate annoying tasks, and optimize your finances. Find out how Brex can help you make every dollar count at brex.com/metrics.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)LINKS:Growth Croissant - https://www.reidtandy.com—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:00) Sponsor – Vanta | RightRev(04:40) Reid's Career Path Through Evolutions in the Media World(11:40) Price Increases for Revenue Growth(15:14) Why Price Increases Impact Subscriber Acquisition More than Retention in B2C(18:00) Sponsor – Brex | Planful(20:25) Strategies for Price Increases Without Dropping Subscriptions(24:32) Pricing B2C to Allow for Room to Discount(25:52) Can Discounting Cheapen Your Brand(29:26) The Pros and Cons of Pushing People Towards Annual Plans in B2C(34:50) The Hierarchy of What Monetizes Best in Paid Subscriptions(39:59) Targeting Consumers Who Are Willing to Pay More(45:00) The Importance of the Initial Subscription Period for Retention and Conversion(50:01) Why Your Health Metrics Can Be Too Good(51:49) Paired Metrics: Growing Two KPIs at the Same Time(54:08) Balancing Advertising and Subscription(01:00:49) The B2C Business Application of OnlyFans(01:04:35) Substack and the Value in Focus(01:07:07) Interesting Emerging B2C Apps(01:07:59) B2C Apps Becoming B2B Apps Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

In this episode, CJ sits down with Ryan Roccon, CFO of Zapier, to explore the power of storytelling in finance, decision-making frameworks, and the company's commitment to extreme transparency. Ryan highlights the significance of storytelling in finance to connect complex data with company strategy. He explains how he adapts a story for a specific audience and how he avoids “robot mode” when repeating it. The discussion delves into Zapier's unique approach to transparency, how this plays out, the benefits of it, the challenges of it, and how it has become an integral part of the company's culture. Ryan unpacks the unique dynamics of being a remote-first, bootstrapped company with a cash flow break-even or better requirement. The conversation also covers the importance of effective decision-making, where Ryan suggests that most decisions are reversible and breaks down different frameworks for effective decision-making and fostering organizational buy-in.—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. Whether it's multi-element arrangements, subscription renewals, or complex usage-based contracts, RightRev takes care of it all. That means fewer spreadsheets, fewer errors, and more time for your team to focus on growth. For modern revenue recognition simplified, visit rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Brex makes it easy to control spend before it happens, automate annoying tasks, and optimize your finances. Find out how Brex can help you make every dollar count at brex.com/metrics.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Vanta's trust management platform takes the manual work out of your security and compliance process and replaces it with continuous automation. Over 9000 businesses use it to automate compliance needs across over 35 frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Centralize security workflows, complete questionnaires up to five times faster, and proactively manage vendor risk. For a limited time, get $1,000 off of Vanta at vanta.com/metrics.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:34) Sponsor – RightRev | Brex(06:31) What Storytelling Is in Finance(09:01) Adapting Your Story for the Audience(12:19) Avoiding “Robot Mode” When Repeating a Story(17:30) Sponsor – Planful | Vanta(19:37) Frequently Used Analogies(21:33) The Cohort of Companies Zapier Compares Itself To(23:33) Storytelling to Potential New Employees(24:38) Zapier's Extreme Transparency(26:08) The Challenges of Extreme Transparency(29:36) Avoiding Creating Anxiety by Oversharing(31:11) Zapier's Cash Flow Break-Even or Better Requirement(34:18) Other Rules and Ambitions at Zapier(34:55) Burdening the P&L by Product Line(37:24) Getting People to Use the DACI Framework(40:51) The “Fist to Five” Framework(44:51) Making It Safe to Fail While Expecting Excellent Performance(48:35) What Ryan Would Most Like to Automate(49:46) The US Steel and Stanley Cup Story(52:21) Long-Ass Lightning Round: A Mistake Made Early in Ryan's Career(53:31) What Ryan Wishes He Had Known Earlier in His Career(54:27) Finance Software Stack(55:25) Craziest Expense Story Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

In this episode, CJ interviews Matt Hudson, CFO of Coda, who shares insights from his unique career path that spans roles as a product manager at Google, YouTube, and Coda before becoming a CFO. He breaks down a number of frameworks he's used in his career from the Blue and Black Loop framework for understanding the growth of a shareable product like Coda's, Eigenquestions for getting to the one question at the center of all questions, and the Vacation Rule for determining whether to build or buy software tools. Matt also discusses the evolution of Coda's pricing model and offers perspectives on community-driven growth instead of typical product-led growth. He sheds light on how to better understand and work with product managers, how to minimize SaaS sprawl, and the role of luck and failure in one's success, before sharing nuggets of wisdom from working with notable investors like Mamoon Hamid and Reid Hoffman.—SPONSORS:Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Brex makes it easy to control spend before it happens, automate annoying tasks, and optimize your finances. Find out how Brex can help you make every dollar count at brex.com/metrics.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.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. Whether it's multi-element arrangements, subscription renewals, or complex usage-based contracts, RightRev takes care of it all. That means fewer spreadsheets, fewer errors, and more time for your team to focus on growth. For modern revenue recognition simplified, visit rightrev.com and schedule a demo.—FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:13) Sponsor – Brex | Planful(04:30) Matt's Journey from Product Manager to CFO(08:59) The Blue and Black Loop Framework(12:42) Modeling for Growth Loops(16:32) Why Looking at User Cohorts Can Be Misleading(17:59) Sponsor – RightRev(21:08) How Coda's Pricing Model Has Evolved over Time(27:37) The Downside to PLG(31:35) Community-Driven Growth Versus Product-Led Growth(32:29) The Billing Mechanism for PLG(34:16) The Biggest Misconceptions About Product Managers(38:09) Build Versus Buy: The Vacation Rule(42:43) SaaS Sprawl(45:45) Eigenquestions(50:15) Nuggets of Wisdom from Investors(53:32) Reconciling Hard Work and Luck(57:05) Long-Ass Lightning Round: Clarity over Comprehensiveness(1:01:09) Something Matt Wishes He Had Known Earlier(1:03:19) Finance Software Stack(1:03:36) Craziest Expense Story Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

Steve Isom, the CFO of Bloomerang, joins CJ to talk about what it really means to be a “strategic” CFO. Steve shares profound insights on the people element of the job and how finance leaders can avoid making the business a math problem. He discusses the CFO's job in playing offense not just defense, and what that looks like. He sheds light on how as a CFO, you can prove yourself as a valuable contributor and earn an invitation to various conversations instead of being seen as an umpire or “CF-no”. He also explains how to deal with friction when you do have to play that role. The conversation covers transaction readiness as part of the CFO's job and how this helped Steve when a previous company, Flywheel, was acquired in a process that took just 31 days even though it wasn't even for sale. He closes with advice on how to build a kick-ass finance team.If you're looking for an ERP head to NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get a customized KPI checklist.—SPONSORS:Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.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. Whether it's multi-element arrangements, subscription renewals, or complex usage-based contracts, RightRev takes care of it all. That means fewer spreadsheets, fewer errors, and more time for your team to focus on growth. For modern revenue recognition simplified, visit rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Brex makes it easy to control spend before it happens, automate annoying tasks, and optimize your finances. Find out how Brex can help you make every dollar count at brex.com/metrics. —FOLLOW US ON X:@cjgustafson222 (CJ)—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:40) Sponsor – Planful | RightRev(07:48) What It Means to Be a Strategic Finance Leader(12:44) Having Empathy for Sales and Other Roles(15:29) Sponsor – Brex(16:48) Playing Offense Versus Playing Defense(21:02) Balancing the Metrics with the People Element(29:05) Earning a Seat at the Table as a CFO(31:58) Dealing with Friction When You Have to Play Umpire(38:36) Transaction Readiness as Part of the CFO's Job(41:14) Flywheel's 31-Day Acquisition(47:47) Building a Kick-Ass Finance Team Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

Karen Walker, CFO of Sysdig, joins Jack McCullough to discuss what it takes to lead in the dynamic world of cloud security. Karen shares her journey from global childhood experiences to leadership roles at iconic companies, such as Uber and Pandora. Together, they explore the evolving role of CFOs, the power of networking, and how technology is reshaping financial leadership. Whether you are curious about scaling fast-growing businesses or balancing passion and practicality, this conversation offers valuable insights for professionals at every stage of their careers.To book a demo with Payhawk, click here.To book a demo with Planful, click here.

Grameen America is more than microfinance – it is a lifeline for women striving to build a better future. Jack McCullough sits down with their CFO, Lucas Ramirez, who shares how they prioritize social impact over financial gain to make actual and tangible change in community and society. He shares how Grameen America garnered impressive growth through its unique approach to microfinance and operational efficiency. Lucas also shares how he found himself in the CFO role, emphasizing the importance of work-life harmony, networking, and financial depth when taking on this position.To book a demo with Payhawk, click here. To book a demo with Planful, click here.

In today's challenging business landscape, marketers face the daunting task of not only crafting an efficient marketing plan, but implementing it quickly, proving its value, and continuously adapting the plan on the fly. The ever-changing macroeconomic environment adds an extra layer of complexity, making success even harder to achieve.In this episode, Rowan Tonkin, CMO at Planful, and Dave Gerhardt, Founder of Exit Five, lead you through the essential steps to building your plan, getting it approved, and unlocking the full potential of your marketing efforts.They cover:Tips to build a powerful marketing plan that aligns with your business objectives.Strategies to gain plan approval from executives and board membersBest practices and practical approaches to flawlessly execute your marketing plan, turning ideas into measurable results.Insights into the advantages of scenario planning and how it can prepare your marketing team to adapt to the ever-changing economic landscape. Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***This episode of the Exit Five podcast is brought to you by our friends at Knak.  Launching an email or landing page in your marketing automation platform shouldn't feel like assembling an airplane mid flight with no instructions, but too often that's exactly how it feels.No more having to stop midway through your campaign to fix something simple. Knack lets you work with your entire team in real time and stops you from having to fix things mid flight. Check them out at knak.com/exit-five/***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

Join Jack McCullough as he dives into the world of CFO problem-solving with Virpy Richter, the CFO of Awin Global. In this episode, they explore how a scientist's problem-solving mindset can shape financial leadership, and the strategic initiatives driving Awin's global growth. If you're interested in mastering CFO problem-solving in today's digital landscape, this conversation offers valuable insights from one of the industry's leading minds.To book a demo with Payhawk, click here. To book a demo with Planful, click here.

Joining Jack McCullough in this thought-provoking episode is Rowan Wilkie, CFO at Nutromics. He looks back on the origin story of their company, which has a high chance of making a huge difference in continuous diagnostic monitoring. Rowan reflects on how he found himself working Nutromics, the most valuable lessons he learned from his mentors, and how he became a mentor to other promising business leaders. He also shares their fundraising and financial strategies, as well as his insights on how generative AI could change the entire market right now.To book a demo with Payhawk, click here. To book a demo with Planful, click here.

In this episode, Jack McCullough sits down with Dan Durn, Adobe's CFO, to dive into the transformative leadership strategies driving Adobe's success. They explore the company's journey in the digital economy, discussing how Adobe has catalyzed some of the most significant technological shifts today. Listen as they uncover insights into Adobe's leadership, innovation, and the role of the CFO in a fast-evolving business landscape. This conversation sheds light on what it takes to maintain leadership in the digital age.To book a demo with Payhawk, click here.To book a demo with Planful, click here.

True leadership is about more than just managing numbers; it's about empowering teams and embracing change. In this episode, Jack McCullough sits down with Navneet Govil, Executive Managing Partner and CFO of SoftBank Investment Advisors, to dive deep into the modern role of CFOs. From Navneet's journey from Zambia to leading SoftBank's $100 billion Vision Funds, to the challenges of navigating a fast-paced tech environment, this conversation is packed with wisdom. Learn how engineering skills help problem-solving in finance, the importance of mentorship, and the evolving role of generative AI in shaping business strategies. If you're ready to think big and lead like a rockstar, this is the conversation you won't want to miss. To book a demo with Payhawk, click here. To book a demo with Planful, click here.

In this episode, CJ interviews Anthony “Tony” Boor, Executive Vice President and CFO of Blackbaud, who shares the unique path he took from working at a motorcycle shop in New Mexico to becoming a CFO. Tony reflects on his first management experiences and the lessons learned as he navigated his early career. The conversation dives into the evolving role of CFOs, particularly as they take on more GM responsibilities. Tony offers insights into Blackbaud's business model, its revenue layer cake strategy, and their expansion into verticals like payments, which sees over $100 billion processed through their platform annually. He discusses how they monetize this and secure a competitive edge. Tony also introduces his approach to efficiency metrics, including ARR per OTE, and elaborates on key financial concepts like EVA and ROIC. The interview explores his consolidation philosophy focused on simplifying, standardizing, and automating, and how this has played out at Blackbaud. Tune in to hear Tony's insights on building the right team to propel a career forward in the long-ass lightning round and a fascinating embezzlement story.If you're looking for an ERP head to NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get a customized KPI checklist.—SPONSORS:Leapfin is accounting automation software that automatically prepares and posts reliable journal entries. High-growth businesses like Reddit, Canva, and Seat Geek choose Leapfin to eliminate manual tasks, accelerate month-end close, and enable accounting leaders to provide faster insights to help their companies grow. To automatically standardize your revenue data with measurable business impact, check out leapfin.com today.Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Mercury is the fintech ambitious companies use for banking and all their financial workflows. With a powerful bank account at the center of their operations, companies can make better financial decisions and ensure that every dollar spent aligns with company priorities. That's why over 100K startups choose Mercury to confidently run all their financial operations with the precision, control, and focus they need to operate at their best. Learn more at mercury.com.Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group and Evolve Bank & Trust®; Members FDIC.NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 38,000 thousand companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅ NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get a customized KPI checklist.Maxio is the only billing and financial operations platform that was purpose built for B2B SaaS. They're helping SaaS finance teams automate billing and revenue recognition, manage collections and payments, and put together investor grade reporting packages.