SPEND CULTURE STORIES PODCAST

EPISODE 53

How Small-Medium Businesses Can Make the Road to Recovery in 2021

"In this episode, Scott Omelianuk, Editor-in-Chief of Inc. joins us to chat about the biggest learnings business owners had from 2020, and strategies on how small-medium businesses can regain momentum for success in a new year. Scott also shares his lessons as an entrepreneur himself, and how he helped other companies pivot and scale even within a crisis."

Scott Omelianuk, Editor-in-Chief of Inc.

EPISODE 52

Leading the Finance Function at a People-First Tech Company

In this episode, Pinder Sekhon, the Sr Director of Finance at Vancouver-based company Unbounce shares her experience as a people-first finance leader who made her transition from the more bureaucratic, traditional industries to the agile, fast-paced culture at Unbounce. She shares how to build a proactive spend culture using technology, and how finance leaders can balance control with trust in fast-scaling organizations.

Pinder Sekhon, Sr Director of Finance, Unbounce

EPISODE 51

How to Onboard as a New CFO While Leading a Remote Team

"Shouvik Roy, the CFO of Drop joined the company during the 2020 pandemic, having to adapt to a new team and environment while being completely remote. As a seasoned financial executive in the fintech sector, Shouvik discusses the challenges in tech startups during downturns, as well as the CFO's role in setting vision, strategy, and fundraising in 2021"

Shouvik Roy, CFO, Drop

EPISODE 50

CFO Lessons Learned from Zapier and Mailchimp

In this episode, Jenny Bloom, the Chief Financial Officer at Zapier shares her learnings as a seasoned finance exceutive at multiple fast-growing tech companies. She chats with us about how to support team members during remote work, how Zapier has adapted throughout the downturn, and their plans for growth in 2021.

Jenny Bloom, CFO of Zapier

EPISODE 49

How to Prioritize People and Manage Financial Operations in a Remote Work Culture

Wajdi Goussoub, the Director of Finance at Plooto gets honest about the changes and sacrifices made during the pandemic, and how he built a successful spend processes that empowers the individual team members within the company. Wajdi also draws to his prior experience as a VC and identifies what makes successful startups stand out from the rest.

Wajdi Goussoub, Director of Finance, Plooto

EPISODE 48

Managing Hypergrowth and Achieving IPO in a Downturn Economy

In this episode, Jim Kelliher, the CFO at Drift shares how Drift became the fastest growing tech company in Boston, and how they navigated strategic challenges during a downturn by being customer-centric, trusting the team, and investing in the right processes and people. In addition, Jim shares his advice on IPO best practices from his previous CFO roles.

Jim Kelliher, CFO, Drift

EPISODE 47

Why Finance Leaders Should Stay Informed, Connected, and Humble

"In this episode, Kingsley Chan, Director of Finance at Finn Ai shares his insights on what makes a forward-thinking, strategic finance leader, and why being informed, connected, and humble are keys to success. In addition, he shares his remote work tips on how Finn Ai was able to adapt with agility to the downturn.

Speaker: Kingsley Chan, Director of Finance, Finn Ai

EPISODE 46

Category Management Must Knows for Biotech Procurement Professionals

In this episode, Dana Small, the Senior Category Manager, Head of Global Commercial Strategic Sourcing at BioMarin Pharmaceuticals, and procurement blogger join us to chat about how women in procurement can thrive in the profession and the category management must-knows for biotech procurement leaders.

Dana Small, Senior Category Manager at BioMarin Pharmaceuticals & Blogger at Ms. Category Management

EPISODE 45

Why Building a Brand is the Best Investment Against a Downturn

In this episode, John Tabis, the Founder of The Bouqs Company shares his thoughts on why building a long-lasting brand is the best investment against a downturn, and his fundraising journeys through Shark Tank and beyond. In addition, he shares why a vision-driven CFO is the best business partner a CEO can get, and what traits to look for in a CFO hire

John Tabis, Founder and Chairman of The Bouqs Company

EPISODE 44

Bridging the Business Gap Between Finance and Procurement With Karthik Rama

In this episode of, Karthik Rama joins us to chat about how procurement can find alignment with finance and work together as business partners, and how procurement leaders can successfully lead a cross-departmental digital transformation project.

Karthik Rama, Procurement Doctor

EPISODE 43

Procurement and Contract Management Horror Stories With Daniel Barnes

In this episode, Daniel Barnes chats with us on procurement and contract management horror stories he's seen throughout the years, and how to combat the biggest blockers to procurement efficiency. In addition, we chat about how procurement leaders can build a personal brand, and how to communicate the value of procurement in organizations.

Daniel Barnes, Founder of The World of Procurement

EPISODE 42

How to Validate a Business Idea Before Seeking Investment Capital

In this episode, Cynthia Del'Aria shares the challenges of launching a startup as a tech CEO, and how to determine the product-market fit for your organization and to validate an idea before seeking investment capital. Cynthia also shares her thoughts on making the right strategic calls on investment to truly build a sustainable business that lasts even during recessions.

Cynthia Del'Aria, CEO/COO of Raika Technologies

EPISODE 41

How to Fundraise and Use Your Startup Capital for Growth

In this episode, Roy Stein, the CEO and Co-Founder of Babelbark shares how to set a healthy foundational spend culture for early-stage startups, and how to secure your first stage of VC funding - and spend it wisely to grow effectively and efficiently.

Roy Stein, CEO & Founder, Babelbark

EPISODE 40

Category Spend Management Lessons Learned from Zuora & Salesforce

In this episode, Maria Centeno, Head of Procurement at Zuora shares her learnings from her many years of strategic sourcing for tech giants such as Salesforce and eBay. She tackles how to best manage marketing and tradeshow spend, and how procurement can work with finance to make the best spending decisions.

Maria Centeno, Head of Procurement, Zuora

EPISODE 39

How Future Driven CFOs Approach Crisis Management

In this episode, Adam Metzger, Managing Partner at ACM Consultants and ex-financial trader shares his unique perspective regarding what sets top leaders apart in times of crisis and black swan events, and how to leverage the downturn as an opportunity for growth.

Adam Metzger, Managing Partner, ACM Consultants

EPISODE 38

Scenario Planning for the New Normal

In this episode, Debbie Rosler, Outsourced CFO at Burkland & Associates chats with us about best practices for scenario planning, how to get started with an easy five-step approach, and the tactics to extend your runway and cash flow.

Debbie Rosler, Outsourced CFO, Burkland & Associates

EPISODE 37

Lessons from a Remote Virtual CFO Firm

In this episode, Jody Grunden, the CEO and Co-Founder of Summit CPA shares his tips on successfully working remotely as a pioneer in the virtual CFO space, and also what well-run companies do differently from a financial perspective within a crisis.

Jody Grunden, CEO of Summit CPA

EPISODE 36

How Forward-Thinking Accounting Teams are Adapting In The New Normal

In this episode, Ryan Lazanis, the forward-thinking founder of Future Firm shares his insights as a veteran fully remote accounting firm owner on how accounting and finance teams can adapt to the changes to remote work, and how to modernize processes for the future.

Ryan Lazanis, Founder, Future Firm

EPISODE 35

For This CFO, HR is Part of the Job

In this episode, Steve Watson, the CFO of CFSS Arizona shares his insights as the wearer of two pivotal hats - the CFO and CHRO. As a healthcare CFO, Steve shares the challenges of adapting to a remote work model, and how his essential service was able to transition. Steve also shares his passion for helping others save costs related to employee benefits when he founded Trendbreakers.

EPISODE 34

How to Mitigate Risk for Your Finance Team During a Recession

"In this episode of Spend Culture Stories, Helina Patience, CEO of Entreflow joins us to talk about her experience scaling Canadian tech and manufacturing organizations. implementing best practices for finance teams, and change management during times of economic downturn. Entreflow is a boutique management and financial consulting firm with a team of 18 finance legends, HR leaders, and marketing ninjas. They're a licensed public practice CPA, accounting firm, licensed recruitment agency and Growth Marketing Strategy Practice."

Helina Patience, CEO, Entreflow

EPISODE 33

Do You Have The Right Finance Role for Your Organization?

Having the right finance leader is more critical than ever in these uncertain times. John Kasian, Director of Operations at Signature Analytics breaks down the 'who does what' in key finance leadership roles, and also gives some easy to follow tips on the best internal control practices that every venture-backed company should know.

Speakers: John Kasian, Director of Operations, Signature Analytics

EPISODE 32

How to Hire Your First Procurement Executive

In this episode, executive recruitment expert Nakita Gates shares her best practices and insights on finding the right procurement leader for your organization, and what makes a strong candidate stand out amongst the rest.

Speakers: Nakita Gates, Procurement Executive Recruitment Expert

EPISODE 31

How to Manage a Finance Team as a Remote CFO

In this episode, seasoned remote CFO and finance executive Suzanne Shifflet of Gym Launch joins us to chat about strategies on managing spending and finance teams in a distributed workforce, and how to keep teams motivated and engaged during the shift to remote work.

Speakers: Suzanne Shifflet, CFO, Gym Launch

EPISODE 30

How C-Suite Can Empower Their Procurement Heroes

In this episode, Anthony Clervi, the CEO & Managing Partner at UNA shares his thoughts on why the C-Suite needs to empower procurement as a function, and the role of group purchasing and how it affects organizational spend culture.

Speakers: Anthony Clervi, CEO, Una

EPISODE 29

What The New Generation of CPAs Actually Care About

Anna Sun, CPA is a former auditor at PwC and now is the newest member of our finance team at Procurify. In this episode, she shares why many CPAs are flocking to startups, and why she refuses to work for a company that does not use technology to level up their finance team.

Speakers: Anna Sun, Senior Accountant, Procurify

EPISODE 28

How High Growth Startups Can Create Your First Procurement Strategy

In this episode, John Evans, the CEO of leading procurement consulting firm Procureability discusses how high growth companies can develop the right procurement strategy to properly track spending and catch maverick spending as they grow.

Speakers: John Evans, CEO, Procureability

EPISODE 27

How Procurement Can Re-invent Itself In the Workplace

In this episode, Kelly Barner from Buyer's Meeting Point chats with us on the new role of the procurement executive, and how procurement can reclaim itself as a key function in an organization. She explains the hilarious and shocking stories behind how the role of procurement is behind everything that we see.

Speakers: Kelly Barner, Owner, Buyer's Meeting Point

EPISODE 26

Measuring The Impact of Finance Digital Transformation

Nilly Essaides, the Senior Research Director of Finance at the Hackett Group chats with us and discusses what digital transformation looks like for the finance function, how tech will impact future work and what the trends look like for 2020 and beyond.

Speakers: Nilly Essaides, Senior Research Director, The Hackett Group

EPISODE 25

WTF Is the Uniform Guidance Policy and How Does it Affect Procurement?

In this episode, Veronica Cook, the Audit Senior Manager at Peterson Sullivan shares all you need to know about the Uniform Guidance in a straightforward and engaging way, and how to align your procurement procedures with the UGC.

Speakers: Veronica Cook, Audit Senior Manager, Peterson Sullivan

EPISODE 24

How People Can Make or Break Your Spend Culture

Mason Brady is a finance and operations leader who is passionate about empowering finance leaders to act as strategic partners within an organization. In this episode, Mason shares how an inquisitive mindset can bridge departmental gaps, and why people are the key to building a better spend culture.

Speakers: Mason Brady

EPISODE 23

Going Public as a Late Stage SaaS Startup

In this episode, Barry Jahansetan, serial CFO for late-stage SaaS startups, shares his learnings for what a SaaS startup needs to know before going public, including the top KPIs to take note of, when to implement technological tools, and how to scale your finance leadership team to get IPO ready.

Speakers : Barry Jahansetan

EPISODE 22

From Seed to Series B: How Startups Should Build a Finance Function

In this episode, Jim Gellas, the VP Finance of Kruze Consulting and former Head of Finance at Xero shares the biggest red flags to look for when it comes to internal controls in a scaling company, and how to prepare your people, financial processes, and systems to scale with your organization.

Speakers: Jim Gellas

EPISODE 21

How This CEO is Changing Banking and Personal Finance with AI

In this episode, Jake Tyler, the CEO of Finn.ai, talks conversational banking, scaling a business effectively with spend culture, and balancing growth perspectives while also being financially responsible.

Speakers: Jake Tyler

EPISODE 20

How to Take Your Cannabis Business Public

In this episode, Sabas Carillo, the CEO of Adnant Consulting shares his insights with Aoife Kelly on KPIs to track and what to look out for when going public in cannabis, and how Spend Culture in cannabis will evolve.

Speakers: Sabas Carillo

EPISODE 19

How to Land Your First CFO Role

In this episode, Lisa Rangel, executive resume writer, job search expert, and executive recruiter extraordinaire shares the secrets behind a well-written resume for a C-level finance hire, as well as key considerations to ace your interview as a new CFO.

Speakers: Lisa Rangel

EPISODE 18

How to Build a Profitable Cannabis Business

In this episode, Steve Gormley, the President and CEO of International Cannabrands, Inc. shares his perspective on running a profitable cannabis business, considerations on taking a cannabis business public, and the KPIs investors look for.

Speakers: Steve Gormley

EPISODE 17

What Cannabis CFOs Need to Know About Bill 280E

Bruce Joliff, cannabis CPA and CFO for hire, shares his insights to establishing internal controls and compliance requirements for tax bill 280E for cannabis CFOs.

Speakers: Bruce Joliff

EPISODE 16

What Technological Tools Do Cannabis Business Owners Use?

Scott Berdell, the CEO of cannabis business Stryps and former dispensary CFO shares his views on software and technological tools that cannabis business owners use, and his learnings on operating a successful business.

Speakers: Scott Berdell

EPISODE 15

Cash Flow Lessons Learned from a Cannabis Dispensary Owner

In this episode, Chris Cody, CEO of Highly Functioning and former cannabis dispensary owner shares his insights on how to manage cash flow and the mistakes cannabis small businesses make when it comes to operations.

Speakers: Chris Cody, Carlo Alvarez

EPISODE 14

What Cannabis Businesses Owners Need to Know About Accounting Practices

In this episode, Andrew Hunzicker, the founder of DOPE CFO shares his insights on best accounting practices for cannabis businesses under strict compliance laws, and how to win in a growing industry.

Speakers: Andrew Hunzicker, Founder, DOPECFO

EPISODE 12

How to Align Spend Culture With Your Company Culture

In this episode, Jon Brodsky, the Country Manager at Finder.com shares his insights on understanding the why behind company spending, how to manage multi-locational teams, and how to align your culture with company spend processes.

Speakers: Jon Brodsky, Country Manager, Finder.com

EPISODE 11

Why a Deloitte Accountant Made the Switch From Big Four to Tech Startups

In this episode, Brittany Nasso, the Controller at Voices.com shares how to drive change and efficient processes that are positive on the bottom line, and also how she made the switch from big four firms to leading finance teams in fast-growing companies.

Speakers: Brittany Nasso, Controller at Voices.com

EPISODE 10

The President of Procurious Shares How to Advance Your Career In Procurement

Tania Seary is the president and founder of Procurious.com, the world’s first online community dedicated to procurement and supply chain professionals, which now has 60,000+ followers and members in 140 countries. In this episode, Tania shares how to create a fulfilling career in procurement, embracing diversity, and what the next generation of procurement professionals need to know.

Speakers: Tania Seary, Founder of Procurious

EPISODE 9

Former Director of P2P At Coca-Cola Shares How to Track Company Spending

Lilia Stoyanov is the CEO of Transformify.com, a recruitment platform. Prior to founding Transformify, Lilia led a team at Coca Cola, where she implemented digital transformation processes in P2P. In this episode, Lilia shares mistakes companies face when it comes to tracking company spending in the procure-to-pay cycle, and how to evaluate the best P2P Solution.

Speakers: Lilia Stoyanov, CEO of Transformify.org

EPISODE 8

A Museum CFO Shares The Hidden Costs Behind a Jackson Pollock Painting

Kate Motonaga is the COO/CFO of the Museum of Contemporary Art in L.A. Prior to joining MoCA, Kate led finance teams in billion dollar companies in steel, mining, and CPG. In this episode, Kate shares the secrets within the world of world-class museums, such as the hidden costs behind Jack Pollock paintings, and being a female CFO in a male-dominated function.

Speakers: Kate Motonaga

EPISODE 7

The Tech Stack of a CFO - Why ERPs and One Size Fits All Solutions Are Dying

Paul Riegel, CPA, CGA is the Regional Director at the CFO Centre, a firm that provides the skills and experience of large company CFOs to small & medium sized enterprises on a part-time basis. In this episode, Paul shares the red flags to look for when it comes to poor spend management, and the tech stack recommended for CFOs to cultivate a healthy Spend Culture.

Speakers: Paul Riegel

EPISODE 6

UCLA Law CFO Shares How To Get Promoted from an Accounting Assistant to a CFO

Steve currently serves as the CFO and Assistant Dean at UCLA School of Law where he has worked for the past 21 years. Steve oversees the $90 million budget and 200+ staff at UCLA Law. Learn about how Steve started out as an assistant accountant, the secret tools to level-up your game as a finance leader, and what it takes to be the CFO of a world-renowned law school.

Speakers: Steve Yu

EPISODE 5

IBM's Head of Digital Procurement Shares Why Your Tech Stack Shouldn't Inform Your Purchasing Strategy

Hans is the Head of Digital Procurement at IBM, and has over 25 years of professional experience working within and with Fortune 150 or start-up companies. Opinionated, passionate and experienced, learn what Hans thinks of the future of procurement and why automation is a tool, not a goal.

Speakers: Hans Casteels

EPISODE 4

A COO/CFO's Advice on Scaling Your Charter School's Purchasing Process

Rob Dibacco is the COO/CFO of The Arizona Charter School Association. Learn how Rob manages the financial operations of a non-profit organization, how to implement a purchasing process for educational institutions, and how to scale spend management sustainably.

Speakers: Rob Dibacco

EPISODE 3

What Jack Welch Taught This CFO About Leadership

In the seventies and eighties, GE was the training grounds for overachievers who would go on to head other companies and challenge the status quo. One of these leaders is Michael Dinkins, who also happens to be one of the most visible faces in the community of Corporate Finance.

Speakers: Michael Dinkins

EPISODE 2

How This VP Finance Breaks Workplace Silos

Peter Gebert is an unusual Finance leader. Right from his beginnings as an accountant working at mining sites in the Arctic Circle, to his astonishing successes leading finance for billion-dollar tech and biotech companies in the Valley, Peter has shown contempt for workplace silos. Learn how Peter works side-by-side with every department in the company to steer companies into new and path-breaking directions.

Speakers: Peter Gebert

EPISODE 1

Why This CFO Entrusts Every Employee With Their Own Credit Card

Lindsey Head is the CFO of J Public Relations - and she has figured out her way to financially manage an efficient and lean PR agency. Rather than asserting controls or pushing a budget onto the operations itself, Lindsey truly believes that giving her employees the power to make decisions from the bottom up is the culture she wants to promote as a CFO - a proactive spend culture.

Speakers - Lindsey Head