Shows
CFO BookshelfRevisiting a Good to Great CEO: Nucor's Ken IversonI'm calling Ken Iverson the Alan Mulally of CEOs in the 1980s and 1990s. "Plain Talk" by Ken Iverson is one of my favorite business books, despite its lack of self-congratulation and the absence of so-called transformational management concepts.Instead, this is a book about how people were treated, the concept of decentralization, bonus structures, and using instincts to make business decisions.Plain Talk will also undergo a revival period, as the Audible version was released this month. In this conversation, you'll find out why Mark and Bruce rate this a five-star book.
2025-08-3054 minCFO BookshelfIt's Not About the CoffeeWe have read many stories about the magical growth of Starbucks. However, did you know that one of its first presidents had a background in furniture sales and did not hold a college degree?Our guest is the author of It's Not About the Coffee, and Howard Behar saw store units grow from a small handful to more than 15,000 during his two stints as one of its presidents.In this conversation, we'll learn why Mark's favorite line is, "If you grow people, the people grow the business. That’s it. That’s the numb...
2025-06-2953 minCFO BookshelfThe Rise and Fall of the Match KingCFO Bookshelf had never heard of Ivar Kreuger until the former Managing Director of CFO.com suggested we discuss the book, The Match King.Andy Burt joins Mark Gandy to explain why Ivar Kreuger is a financial mastermind worthy of studying and what led to his downfall.At one time, Kreuger was worth billions in today's dollars, but his empire, built on a house of debt, could not withstand the Great Depression or a subsequent audit when he tried to raise cash by liquidating a key asset.A story made for Hollywood reveals...
2025-03-1556 minCFO BookshelfMore Than a SoftBank Money TrapOne book critic has asked readers of The Money Trap to imagine Michael Lewis as the President of a multinational investment holding company. Instead, Alok Sama is that person after working for Morgan Stanley for sixteen years.In this sometimes lighthearted but philosophical tome, occasionally sprinkled with dark humor and cleverness, Alok shares his most interesting stories while working next to one of the wealthiest men in the world. It's a story that includes investing insights, a smear campaign, and parent heartbreak.Learn fascinating insights from an investment banker with a strong mathematical...
2025-02-011h 04CFO BookshelfThe Bottleneck DetectiveWhat would happen if a business-minded Encylopedia Brown entered the busy line of movie patrons waiting impatiently for soda and popcorn?This perspective guided Clarke Ching in writing his latest book, The Bottleneck Detective. It offers a straightforward and enjoyable reading experience, focusing on identifying bottlenecks and understanding their subsequent effects on bottleneck detection.Mark explores Clarke's FoCCCus framework and whether bottleneck detection is a learned skill or an innate talent.
2024-12-2157 minCFO BookshelfCompeting on Customer PersonalizationHave you ever wondered how Amazon, Netflix, and Starbucks started their customer personalization programs? What was the starting point? What were the costs? Who was involved?The co-authors answer these questions in the very readable Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI.Mark Abraham and David Edelman explain that personalization is not email or glorified loyalty rewards programs. Instead, this cross-functional activity starts with a few simple questions in their 5 Promises framework, a launching pad for creating a customer personalization journey.
2024-10-2159 minCFO BookshelfWho Was Jay Gould?What do you know about Jay Gould's life, and how does he compare to the other robber barons of his day? More importantly, is his life worth examining?Mark discusses Gould's upbringing in this book review, which influenced his desire to be rich. Learn about one of the most significant market corners on Wall Street and the man who helped to create America's economic expansion during the internet era of his day.
2024-07-2024 minCFO Bookshelf5 Inspiring Books for Financial LeadersMark provides five titles in this special CFO Bookshelf episode that inspire and educate. Mark wraps up the show with some financial food for thought - what statement do you present first in a reporting package and why?
2024-07-1318 minCFO BookshelfQuick ValueI cannot begin to count the number of times I've heard the following question or something similar, "Mark, I've heard my industry EBITDA multiple is 5x. What do you think?"As much as I want to scream at that question, this type of thinking on business value is prevalent amongst many CEOs of both big and small companies.When the book Quick Value by Reed Phillips hit my radar, I bought it immediately and couldn't put it down as I started reading it.Reed's process for valuing a private company is...
2023-11-0458 min
CFO 4.0 - The Future of Finance130. Flipping the Script: Hannah Munro hops into the Guest Seat on Mark Gandy's CFO BookshelfSend us your thoughtsThis week's episode of the CFO 4.0 Podcast takes an exciting twist as host Hannah Munro steps into the guest seat on Mark Gandy's highly-regarded CFO Bookshelf podcast. Hannah & Mark engage in an interesting discussion that spans entrepreneurship, mentorship, literature, and the evolution of CFO 4.0! Throughout their discussion, Hannah and Mark delve into: A detailed review of Derek Sivers' book 'Anything You Want: 40 lessons for a new kind of entrepreneur', evaluating its worthiness for CFOs and finance professionals.The significance and impact of having a mentor, specifically for CFOs, and...
2023-05-3050 minCFO BookshelfExecutive ToughnessOf the nearly two thousand books that the producer of CFO Bookshelf has read, there is one title he has gifted the most to CEOs than any other title. That book is Executive Toughness by Dr. Jason Selk.In this episode, we learn three of Mark's favorite big ideas in Jason's short and fast-based book: 1) product and process goals, 2) written daily debriefs, and 3) relentless solutions focus.Two other titles are also mentioned that are excellent companions to Jason's book.
2023-02-0436 minCFO BookshelfPlay Bigger By Becoming a Category ChampionWhen we do our weekly shopping at the grocery store, finding products is relatively easy because of the way food items are grouped throughout the aisles. That's the starting point for understanding category design in any business setting.The authors of Play Bigger did not invent category design, but these gifted marketers gave this term and its underlying disciplines a name by studying more than five thousand businesses.In this conversation, co-author Al Ramadan explains what category design along with some of the book's biggest ideas: the 6-10 rule, points of view, and...
2022-11-2551 minCFO BookshelfCrazy Eddie, The Rise and Fall of a Retail FraudsterThe Crazy Eddie stores of the 1980s are probably most remembered by the Jerry Carrell commercials that have been parodied in the movies, TV shows, and even by other CEOs in the past such as Steve Ballmer.Gary Weiss is the author of Retail Gangster, The Insane, Real-Life Story of Crazy Eddie. Through Gary's research and captivating narrative, we learn the origin story of Eddie Antar and how he first started various skimming schemes to both undercut competitors and stash untaxed sales and profits in bed mattresses and overseas bank accounts.We also learn about...
2022-10-1451 minCFO 4.0 - The Future of Finance92. Top reads for CFOs this summer with Mark Gandy, host of CFO BookshelfSend us your thoughtsIn the latest episode of CFO 4.0, Hannah Munro talks to Mark Gandy, creator of the Financial Operating System and Host of the CFO Bookshelf podcast. A finance pioneer, Mark has worked in several finance positions during his career including Corporate Controller, VP of Finance, and CFO. Together Hannah and Mark talk about their shared interest in reading and discuss their book recommendations for finance this Summer. Also covered on this episode:Hannah & Mark’s favourite genre of booksWhy people in finance should embrace their creative sideMark’s top book...
2022-08-1658 minCFO BookshelfMeasures of Success With Mark GrabanMy four favorite authors on performance measure with improvement as the primary aim is Don Wheeler, Stacey Barr, Dean Spitzer, and Mark Graban.In this conversation, we find out three of the most important questions surrounding performance improvement the right. Our guest is Mark Graban, and he's the author of Measures of Success, our topic for this episode.
2022-02-0656 minCFO BookshelfThe Greatest Gambling Story Ever ToldMy favorite books are narrative non-fiction which can inform, inspire, and entertain. When the book possesses all of these traits, we have a special book. And that's what we have with Mark Paul's book, The Greatest Gambling Story Ever Told.At times, the book reads like fiction, but it's not. The book includes an NFL owner who wanted to swap his Chargers for horses, a horse trainer who acted like a CFO, a horse racing track tied to a drug cartel, and a horse named, Winning Colors.
2021-11-1247 minCFO BookshelfBeyond the Wall of Resistance with Rick MaurerDealing or coping with change is one of the most difficult challenges for any financial leader to come to grips with - either for themselves or those they lead, mentor, or coach.Rick Maurer is the author of Beyond the Wall of Resistance which includes important constructs like the three levels of resistance and the change cycle.During this conversation, Rick provides advice and guidance on how to address change in the workplace
2021-10-0955 minCFO BookshelfAchieving Great Results with the 3HAG WayShannon Susko might be the most energetic business consultant I've ever met thanks to her infectious enthusiasm and deep understanding of how to scale a business toward achievable and positive results.Shannon has successfully started and sold two businesses and now runs a consulting firm that includes a pillar framework called 3HAG Way which is the topic of this discussion.
2021-10-0244 minCFO BookshelfDistressed Debt Investing Gone WrongIf you liked the book, Barbarians at the Gate, then you'll like The Ceasars Palace Coup.Max Frumes is one of the co-authors of the book, and we learn more about what went wrong when the investors levered Harrah's with nearly $27 billion in debt when they took the gaming business private.
2021-09-2538 minCFO BookshelfThe Theory of Goal SettingProbably everything you know about setting goals and how to achieve them rests on the research of Dr. Edwin Locke and Gary Latham in the 1980s.Dr. Edwin Locke is also the author of the underrated book The Prime Movers which is as good if not better than Good to Great.In this show, we talk about Dr. Locke's pioneering research on the theory of goal setting along with the men and women who are wealth creators.
2021-09-1851 min
Business Strategy for CPA's155 CFO Meetings: Go Beyond Dashboards and KPIs with Mark GandyAs more and more CPAs make the shift to Advisory services, one question that comes up is how do I run meetings, what’s the agenda, what am I showing my clients, what are we talking about? Meetings of course are great opportunities to add value for your clients and increase their clarity and help them better understand what’s happening and what decisions to make. Here today to talk with me about how to hold great CFO meetings is my guest, Mark Gandy. Mark has been working as a part-time CFO for more t...
2021-09-1538 minCFO BookshelfLeveraging Intellectual CapitalWhile intellectual capital is nearly impossible to value, it clearly counts in the process of building wealth.Ron Baker is the author of Mind Over Matter which is an exploration of where wealth comes from and its three pillars of capital - human, structural, and social.As Ron would say, there's nothing more pragmatic than a good theory. That's why we'll come away from this conversation with so many actionable ideas.
2021-09-111h 01CFO BookshelfThe Intersection of Strategy and ExecutionGary Harpst is one of the co-founders of Solomon Software which was ultimately acquired by Great Plains.After that divestiture, Gary did a deep dive into what drove success in small businesses. The research resulted in two books on strategy and execution, and a consulting framework called Six Disciplines.Gary is the author of two books: Six Disciplines for Excellence and Six Disciplines Execution Revolution.
2021-09-0442 minCFO BookshelfA Journey Through Failure and RenewalAre we to celebrate startups that fail or fail fast? What if you are the founder of one of those startups? How do you deal with that failure?Mark Jacobsen attacks that topic head-on in his book, Eating Glass, an honest manuscript about his inner journey through failure and renewal.
2021-08-2842 minCFO BookshelfA Virtual Dinner with Guy SpierOne of my favorite parts of The Education of a Value Investor is when Guy Spier talks about his lunch with Warren Buffett. Similar to the Buffett lunch, what if I could have a virtual dinner with this incredible and deep-thinking business author and money manager?The end result was a satisfying conversation rich with investing, business, and economic insights.
2021-08-2438 minCFO BookshelfThe Education of a Value InvestorIn the world of value investing, Guy Spier never needs an introduction. I believe his book, The Education of a Value Investor is one of the Top 5 investing books ever written in the past 25 years. While we hit many high points in Guy's book, we do a lightning round of topics where Guy over-delivers with mindful and thorough responses.
2021-08-2157 minCFO BookshelfData Visualization for Financial and Business LeadersSteve Wexler is one of my favorite teachers in the data visualization space because he's easy to understand and doesn't speak over our heads.He's the co-author of The Big Book of Dashboards, and his newest book is The Big Picture.Our topics include preattentive attributes, the love affair with stoplight colors, dead-end dashboards, and important tips when building visualizations.
2021-08-1432 minCFO BookshelfPeople Skills for Analytical ThinkersI've met and talked to many CFOs around the country. We're rational, analytical, and can be direct at times.Some of us these CFOs are rare in that they have great people skills. But I'm not sure that's the case for the majority of financial leaders.Gilbert Eijkelenboom is the author of People Skills for Analytical Thinkers, our guest on this week's episode where we talk about the tools of gaining better communication skills.
2021-08-0732 minCFO Bookshelf3X Revenue in 2 Years with Felix VelardeI was captivated by the website 2x3y.com months before the creative genius of that site released his book, Scale at Speed.The author is Felix Velarde, and his growth accelerator canvas is elegant, pragmatic, and impactful. If you like the writing of Verne Harnish, then you'll enjoy what Felix has to say about scaling at a rapid pace.
2021-07-3140 minCFO BookshelfThe Biggest Financial News Stories During the First Half of 2021CFO Bookshelf welcomed back CFO Dive's, Jane Thier to talk about the biggest headlines in 2021.We also talked about the stories we'll be reading about in the second half. Jane also told us the three CFOs she'd like to interview and the one company she's keeping an eye on.
2021-07-2431 minCFO BookshelfOur Favorite Books in the First Half of 2021Guest host Shaefer Schuetz interviews Mark Gandy about the 60 books he's read or listened to during the first half of 2021.Mark shares his favorite five books and provides another half dozen or so books as honorable mentions.
2021-07-1742 minCFO BookshelfPrison vs. Harvard MBAFrom serving a term as a Missouri Senator to serving a year in prison, Mr. Smith Goes to Prison was one of my favorite books in 2015.After watching College Behind Bars on Netflix this winter, I wanted to get Jeff Smith's input on how to reduce recidivism within the prison system. We also talked about the comparisons of an IVY League MBA with the entrepreneurial activities behind prison walls.
2021-07-1037 minCFO BookshelfThe IRS Learns to Think Like a BusinessBefore taking the position as the IRS Commissioner, a reporter asked Charles Rossotti, "Were you ever in the military, and if you were, did you volunteer for a suicide mission?"Before running the IRS from 1997 to 2002, Rossotti was the co-founder, former chairman, and CEO of American Management Systems, Inc.In this episode, we look at what Charles did to help turn around that beleaguered agency.
2021-07-0330 minCFO BookshelfThe Grandfather of Gamification Talks The Game of WorkHe's been called the grandfather of gamification. He's also the best-selling author of The Game of Work and Scorekeeping for Success.Behind his back, I'm calling Chuck Coonradt the owner, general manager, and MVP head coach of The Game of Work who is a Hall of Famer.
2021-06-2655 minCFO BookshelfAlan Mulally is an American Icon of BusinessYou probably know about the best-selling book entitled American Icon which explains how an outsider turned around an ailing automotive company.But what set Alan Mulally apart from any other CEO? Why didn't he bring his Boeing managers to Ford with him? Is he as humble as we see him in the many interviews he conducts?Bryce Hoffman is the author of American Icon, and we learn more about this fascinating CEO along with his newest book about red team thinking.
2021-06-1946 minCFO BookshelfChristina Wodtke Doubles Down on OKRs and Radical FocusMy favorite book about OKRs is Radical Focus by Christina Wodtke. Christina recently updated her book with a second edition which is the topic in this episode. We also talk about her dream job at Stanford University, why OKRs are not for every business, why some CEOs go wrong with OKRs, and why having a healthy culture is the starting point for implementing OKRs of any scale.
2021-06-1353 minCFO BookshelfBurying the Billable HourGeraldine Carter is a consultant to small CPA firms around the country, and her message is niching down and burying the billable hour by implementing value pricing.Geraldine is also the host of the Smart Strategy for CPA's podcast. But her message is not unique for CPA firms - it's universal - all professional services firms can gain meaningful insights from Geraldine's expertise.
2021-06-0548 minCFO BookshelfWardley Mapping with Ben MosiorWhile Simon Wardley is the creator of the visual strategy mapping construct called Wardley Mapping, I consider Ben Mosior one of the greatest teachers of this framework.In this show, we discuss how to get started with Wardley Mapping and the mindset to stick with it.
2021-05-2955 minCFO BookshelfStrategy Meets Wardley MappingThe host of CFO Bookshelf bumped into Simon Wardley's writing on mapping strategy several years ago, and he couldn't put his content down.In this conversation, we talk about the strategy circle, the OODA loop, the 'why' of purpose, doctrine, and many other key concepts related to Wardley Mapping.
2021-05-2948 minCFO BookshelfA CEO's ESOP Success StoryGreg Graves is the former CEO of the employee-owned engineering firm, Burns & McDonnell. In this show, he talks about going 'all in' regarding ESOPs and his book Create Amazing.
2021-05-2130 minCFO BookshelfThe E-Strategy FrameworkBrad Chase was the marketing mastermind behind one of the most successful software launches ever - Windows 95. He replicated this success while serving at Microsoft on several other high-profile projects.Brad is the author of Strategy First: How Businesses Win Big. In this episode, we discuss the big ideas in his book including the E-Strategy and simple formula that's simple, impactful, and memorable.
2021-05-1535 minCFO BookshelfWhat is a Rock Star CFO?Jack McCullough is the CFO of all CFOs. He's the founder and President of The CFO Leadership Council with a membership of more than 1,800 financial leaders. Jack is the author of Rock Star CFOs which lists 9 traits of a great CFO, our topic in this fascinating and insightful interview.
2021-05-0856 minCFO BookshelfJohn Raskob - The First CFO of the Modern EraEverybody Ought to Be Rich by David Farber is now one of my favorite books in the business history genre. It's the story of one of the greatest number 2 men of the modern business era, John Jakob Raskob - a name that every financial leader should know about.
2021-05-0245 minCFO BookshelfA CFO’s Playbook for Data Science and AnalyticsIf I'm going to listen to a data science and analytics expert for nearly an hour, that person better speak a language that I can understand and who is relatable.That person does exist, and his name is Jon Daniels of Bamboo HR. In this episode, he talks about data lakes, data warehousing, ETL, and data governance.He also provides simple strategies to go from no intelligence to business and artificial intelligence.
2021-04-2445 minCFO BookshelfERP Implementations with Ed KlessWhile this is CFO Bookshelf where we generally interview book authors, there's no way I want to read a book on ERP planning and implementations.I believe this is a better topic addresses through doing and listening to the sage advice of others. One such person is Ed Kless who is an expert in software implementations. He's also the co-host of my favorite podcast, The Soul of Enterprise. You can also hear him several times a week hosting the Sage Thought Leader Podcast.In this show, we'll hear Ed talk about what happens before, during...
2021-04-1746 minCFO BookshelfThe Wisdom of Profit Wise with Jeff MorrillAs a financial leader, I enjoy any conversation with a CEO, especially one that's co-founded a business generating more than $100 million annually.Jeff Morrill is the co-founder with his brother of Planet Subaru based in Boston. His new book is Profit Wise, and we hit on many of the big ideas in that insightul read.
2021-04-1045 minCFO BookshelfStrength Versus Corporate Momentum With Mike BerlandSome of my favorite words in the CFO lexicon are momentum, acceleration, velocity, drive, and even thrust.Coincidentally, Mike Berland is the author of Maximum Momentum - How to Get It, How to Keep It. And it's those very words we focused on during our conversation.Mike is the founder of Decode_M, a research and analytics firm that decodes data into momentum for clients.In this episode, we talked about how businesses gain momentum, and how it can jumpstart our strategic initiatives.
2021-04-0340 minCFO BookshelfOrigins of the Fintech Money HackersIf you liked The Big Short by Michael Lewis where we learn about the financial meltdown of 2007-08, then you will probably like the stories behind the financial revolution that took place during the 10 years that followed. | Daniel Simon has weaved more than 150 interviews with technologists that he calls misfits | or financial hackers - the men and women who shaped Fintech after the global financial crisis.Daniel's book is entitled The Money Hackers. He writes about the personal stories behind electronic payments, debit cards, peer-to-peer lending cryptocurrencies, blockchain, and much more.
2021-03-2634 minCFO BookshelfFrameworks to Improve a Company's CultureThe legendary CEO, Hunter Harrison, was making an impact with his tools and philosophies while turning around Canadian National Railway. But he still needed help with a serious problem. The organization's culture was still a problem.Judy Johnson was part of the consulting team who helped with CN's cultural turnaround. She and her co-authors of SwitchPoints talked about their journey and the tools and frameworks they applied during that project.SwitchPoints is by far the best book I've ever read on reviving the culture in any organization. The tools described in the book...
2021-03-1944 minCFO BookshelfThe Complete Financial History of Berkshire HathawayAdam Mead's new book, The Complete Financial History of Berkshire Hathaway was 5 years in the making and started out as a 5,000-page manuscript that was finally shaved to just under a thousand pages.Instead of this being a book about Warren Buffett, it's a complete history of every purchase made by Berkshire Hathaway since the beginning.
2021-03-1342 minCFO BookshelfThe Real Numbers of Lean ThinkingOne of the best accounting books I've ever read about Lean from a CFO's perspective is Real Numbers by Jean Cunningham, one of the authors of that book.But the audience for that book is CEOs, operating managers, and anyone working on the plant floor. The book is also relevant for health care and other service industry professionals.Real Numbers was written a decade ago, but listening to Jean who is so kind and generous reminds us that the lean message is still relevant, impactful, and real.
2021-03-0637 minCFO BookshelfPractical Performance Measurement with Stacey BarrStacey Barr is the author of Practical Performance Measurement and Prove It!She is also the creator of the best performance measurement framework I've ever reviewed, and it's applicable to businesses and non-profits of all sizes. The thinking person's framework is called PuMP(R).In our interview with Stacey, we address why so many organizations fail at implementing performance measurements bringing sustainable change and improvement to the organization. We talk about tools, methodology, and the social side of measurement.
2021-02-2825 minCFO BookshelfDaniele Martins, a Global FP&A Director Talks Technology, Methods and PeopleDaniele Martins is the Head of Global FP&A at ThoughtWorks in Brazil.In this show, we talked about technology, processes, and people. We drilled into spreadsheets, budgeting, forecasting, and the 65% which makes for a great FP&A ideal team player.
2021-02-2046 minCFO BookshelfAn OKRs DoubleheaderDid you realize the first book written on OKRs was Radical Focus by Christina Wodtke? She's our guest along with Ben Lamorte who joins us for his second appearance on the show. We talk about when and when to never use OKRs.
2021-02-1434 minCFO BookshelfIs Hunter Harrison the Greatest CEO of All Time?When you think of iconic and successful CEOs, names like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Howard Schultz, Jack Welch, and Sam Walton probably spring to mind.Can you name a 4-time CEO who orchestrated overwhelming turnarounds at each of his stopping points?Hunter Harrison did, and he's the subject of the book, Railroader: The Unfiltered Genius and Controversy of Four-Time CEO Hunter Harrison.Our guest is the author of this biography, Howard Green. We talk about the CEO's childhood, the relationship with his father, 3 keys to his emerging success as a railroader...
2021-02-0733 minCFO BookshelfWhat Is The Management Myth?I'm a huge fan of the book, The Management Myth by Matthew Stewart.During our conversation, we talk about the business gurus, strategic planning, management consulting, philosophy, and what is a great manager.
2021-01-3136 minCFO BookshelfA Deep Dive Into Supply Chain MetricsLora Cecere needs no introduction, but she's a global thought leader on supply chain.She is the founder of Supply Chain Thought Leader and also writes for Forbes. She also publishes content on her website Supply Chain Shaman as well as on LinkedIn.Lora is the author of Supply Chain Metrics that Matter which was published in 2015. She is followed by more than 320,000 on LinkedIn, and her organization's Supply Chains to Admire is must-reading each year.
2021-01-2427 minCFO BookshelfPerformance Measurement Meets Beauty and the BeastThere are only three books I recommend on the topic of performance measurement. By far, the best title is Transforming Performance Measurement by Dean Spitzer.While working for IBM, Dean realized that training was not the path to better and transformation performance. As he started learning the good and the bad of performance measurement, he learned what was needed for organizational transformation - something The Balanced Scorecard could never deliver.The Big IdeasTraining alone does not improve organizational performanceChanging the measurement system precedes organizational changeThe strongest quadrant in the...
2021-01-1649 minCFO BookshelfSteve Cakebread and The IPO PlaybookSteve Cakebread's current CEO at Yext says he is the master of taking technology companies public. Steve published his first book in 2020 entitled The IPO Playbook, and we talk about what happens before, during, and after the IPO.
2021-01-0928 minCFO BookshelfRevisiting 2020's Top Stories with CFO Dive's Jane ThierCFO Dive's, Jane Thier joins CFO Bookshelf to discuss the top business stories of 2020. While COVID and PPP dominated the headlines, other stories and themes developed as well such as automation, pivoting to digital, and working from home.
2020-12-2737 minCFO BookshelfWho Said That a Tax Conversation Was Boring?Tax CPA Jeff Shore gives us some last-minute tax insights for 2020 along with tax ramifications of a new administration in 2021. We also talk about PPP, timing expense deductions, tax credits, and expense classification. Don't worry - this is not boring at all. Jeff is quotable and easy to understand as he demystifies some complex tax topics.
2020-12-2042 minCFO BookshelfFrom Data Extraction to Business Insights with Dan MurrayI'm a long-time reader of the great blog posts at Interworks.com. One of those writers is Dan Murray who is their Director of Strategic Innovation. I was so lucky in getting to meet Dan at a Quantrix conference a few years ago - that friendship has continued and led to this conversation about data extraction, ETL strategies, data infrastructure, and BI tools such as Tableau.
2020-12-121h 00CFO BookshelfIs S&OP Still Relevant?I recently heard an S&OP podcaster ask if S&OP is dead, and so I wanted to ask one of the pioneers in this planning space if S&OP was still revelvant.Our guest is Bob Stahl, an S&OP pioneer, speaker, writer, and consultant. You'll enjoy his first answer to my question.
2020-12-0951 minCFO BookshelfThe Three Best Marketing Questions I've Ever HeardI first learned about Doug Hall's insights on marketing and innovation when I read Jump Start Your Business Brain. His newest book is Driving Eureka. Doug is a pioneer in the field of innovation engineering and the founder of Eureka Ranch. He's our guest on this week's edition of CFO Bookshelf.
2020-12-0647 minCFO Bookshelf5 Cybersecurity Shopping TipsRetired FBI agent and cybercrime expert and author Scott Augenbaum is back for this bonus episode. He gives us 5 shopping tips for the upcoming holiday to protect us against cybercriminal activity.
2020-11-2814 minCFO BookshelfCould Your Business be a Cybercrime Target?This year, my email was hacked. I was lucky as nothing was stolen, just my time and patience.Once I got my email restored from Microsoft who made me feel like a criminal, I wanted to find an expert on cybercrime who specializes in cybersecurity. Not only did I find him, but I read his book and found him on LinkedIn. Within hours, I was able to schedule an interview with retired special agent Scott Augenbaum of the FBI.
2020-11-281h 07CFO BookshelfA CFO Turns Fantasy Football Into a BusinessBob Lung is a CPA and CFO who has a side gig that includes followers around the globe. Bob is an author, podcaster, and membership site owner in the realm of fantasy football. Bob tells us how he got his start in accounting and how he was introduced to fantasy football in the mid-80s. We also learn how his volunteer work at the NFL Hall of Fame each year in Canton, OH.
2020-11-2144 minCFO BookshelfWhat's Your And?Do you have an and? That is, what do you do outside of work?That's the topic we explore with John Garrett, a former PwC internal auditor in M&A who then became a stand-up comedian. Today, he's a public speaker and consultant with a specialty in improving business cultures. He's also the author of the book, What's Your And?
2020-11-1556 minCFO BookshelfIs Executive Coaching Overrated?Business coaching is a $15 billion industry, so CFO Bookshelf wants to know if executive coaching is overrated and over-prescribed.The no-name CFOs address those questions and more along with a very special guest who is relatively new to the industry.
2020-11-1446 minCFO BookshelfMillions Are Learning Business Through this Online Game SimulationI had no idea that the GoVenture suite of online business simulations even existed. Millions of players have learned the basics of business along with strategy, marketing, sales, operations, finance, and accounting through weaving their way through these realistic simulations.Our guest is Mathew Georghiou, the CEO and founder of MediaSpark, the creator of the GoVenture games.We talk about the origin of the game and who the intended audience is. Looking for a fun way to learn business? This episode is for you.
2020-11-0748 minCFO BookshelfA Startup CEO's JourneyStartup expert Brett Fox is the author of Learn How to Take a Punch. In our interview, he discusses team building, culture, raising VC funds, when to scale and when not to and, product-market fit leading indicators.
2020-10-311h 01CFO BookshelfAdam Coffey Demystifies Private EquityIn the next four years, CEO, author, and private equity expert Adam Coffey will be creating $2 billion in new wealth for his investors through just 6 initiatives with only a small team while maintaining a great culture of 3,000 employees. Adam is also the author of The Private Equity Playbook.
2020-10-241h 04CFO BookshelfOpen Book Management and Financial TransparencyYou've probably heard the term Open Book Management, but what if you could hear Board members of a successful company talk about this practice that's been used for nearly 10 years.In this episode, we talk with the founder and CEO of PFSbrands based in Missouri where topics include financial huddles. the book Keeping Score with Gritt, a strong company culture, core values, customer service, and the power of critical data made available to team members on a daily basis.
2020-10-1753 minCFO BookshelfPrivate Equity and A Simple ModelWe've been a long-time fan of Peter Lynch who has created the Excel-based, A Simple Model. Peter brings an uncanny ability to teach and elevate the skills of those wanting to build financial models through his growing platform.
2020-10-121h 00CFO BookshelfAre You Hyper-Learning at the Speed of Change?Professor Edward Hess is one of our all-time favorite business authors who has written 12 books. His newest is Hyper-Learning: How to Adapt to the Speed of Change.Ed states that hyper-learning is a high-quality effort that requires learning unlearning then relearning at the speed of change.
2020-10-061h 16CFO BookshelfYoung College Student Not Phased by Pandemic, Perceived Nepotism, or a Hard Sales JobWhat job did you have when you were 20 years old? Imagine starting a complex sales position during one of the most challenging economic environments our country has ever experienced. Yet, 20-year-old Alex Dickinson overcame overwhelming odds that he would not succeed in his father's company.
2020-09-2928 minCFO BookshelfFormer CFO Aaron Beam Revisits the HealthSouth Accounting FraudIf you were asked to cook the books, would you? That's the situation Aaron Beam found himself in when his CEO told him to fix the numbers to appease Wall Street investors. Aaron is the author of HealthSouth: The Wagon to Disaster. Aaron joins us to talk about his role in the fraud, ethics, intimidating CEOs, and so much more.
2020-09-1950 minCFO BookshelfPaul Downs Says We Don't Need to be a Steve Jobs or a Phil KnightPaul Downs is the author of the highly-popular book, Boss Life, and is a former guest columnist of The New York Times.Paul in this insightful interview talks about the ups and downs in running a small business and getting the help he needed to stay on track and even begin to thrive.
2020-09-121h 34CFO BookshelfRon Baker Discusses Pricing, NPS, Economics, Metrics, and Much MoreThe co-hosts of The CFO Bookshelf Podcast have been fans of Ron Baker for years, and our favorite podcast is one that he co-hosts with Ed Kless, The Soul of Enterprise.Ron is a recovering CPA who is probably the father of value pricing for professional services firms. We talked about pricing at length plus many other of Ron's favorite topics.
2020-09-051h 06CFO BookshelfThe Rule of 40 and More SaaS MetricsDave Kellogg is the former CEO of Host Analytics now called Planful. Dave is a brilliant writer on his blog called Kellblog and he's outstanding behind a mic too. Since leaving his CEO post, Dave has been consulting SaaS-based businesses in Silicon Valley, and we hit on many of the topics that are near and dear to him.
2020-08-3147 minCFO BookshelfHR's Most Dangerous Podcasters Talk Talent, Technology and Their TradeBruce is able to coax the coolest podcasters in the HR space with some bourbon to join the show to talk about COVID, employee engagement, privacy issues surrounding technology and numerous other topics in this colorful discussion.
2020-08-1556 minCFO BookshelfJohn Boyd and the OODA LoopMaybe the name John Boyd does not ring a bell, but perhaps the OODA Loop will, the mental model created by one of the most gifted military strategists since Sun Tzu. I was so mesmerized by Robert Coram's biography on John Boyd, I reached out to the author to talk about his book.
2020-08-1533 minCFO BookshelfConnecting the Dots Between Business and Rowing with Dan BoyneAfter reading two of Dan's books, The Read Rose Crew and Kelly, CFO Bookshelf jumped at the chance to interview the author, Dan Boyne.Dan shares how he got started in rowing, what he does now as a coaching instructor at Harvard, and the two aforementioned books.
2020-07-2646 minCFO BookshelfStrategy, Competition, and PoliticsMany business students and most strategic analysts are familiar with Porter's Five Forces competitive framework.Katherine Gehl is a former CEO and was frustrated with the lack of innovation and competition she was noticing in our two-party political system. After successfully publishing a white paper on the issue and a solution with Michael Porter a few years ago, she recently released her first book with her research partner entitled The Political Industry. Katherine is our guest on this installment of CFO Bookshelf.
2020-07-1257 min
The Everything or Nothing Podcast with Brian JonesMark Gandy -- He Coaches the Coaches Who Coach CFO'sToday we welcomed Mark Gandy into the podcast. Not only does he share a client with Brian, he also shares Brian's love for mid-80's baseball and coaching executives. Mark shares his wisdom from 30 years in finance including his current work coaching CFO's and the coaches who coach them. Yes, we unpack all of that on the podcast.
2020-06-2400 minCFO Bookshelf2 CFOs Break Down the Kolbe A™ IndexLast week, we heard from the President of Kolbe Corporation, Amy Bruske. We enjoyed that conversation so much, we decided to unpack much of what she had to say on conative strengths.Mark and Bruce addressed the relevance of Kolbe in the business and smaller work teams and that this is an assessment that will have a major impact on your life personally and professionally.
2020-06-0636 minCFO BookshelfThe Conative Mindset is Vastly UnderratedAmy Bruske is the president of Kolbe Corp. She is also the co-author of Business is Business with her step-mother, Kathy Kolbe.Amy discusses a number of topics on the show including an overview of conative instincts, her book, and why teams get stuck.
2020-05-3135 minCFO BookshelfThe Co-Founder of Dryrun Talks about Cash Flow ForecastingCFO Bookshelf is impressed with the Canadian software company called Dryrun which specializes in cash flow forecasting. The co-founder of the company, Blain Bertsch joins us to talk about his company, the software, and cash flow modeling in general.
2020-05-2341 minCFO BookshelfRookie Smarts With Liz WisemanYou probably know her for the best-selling book, Multipliers. But Liz Wiseman is also the author of one of CFO Bookshelf's favorite books on A-Players entitled Rookie Smarts. Liz tells us the difference between having a rookie and a veteran mindset.
2020-05-1843 minCFO Bookshelf2 CFOs Unpack OKRsBruce and I enjoyed our conversation so much last week with OKR expert, Ben Lamorte, we wanted to unpack that discussion by sharing our own observations.Key themes include:starting smallis it flavor-of-the-month?teams vs. individualsthe OKR cycleis the OKR process only short-term thinking?grading the OKR process each quartermoving the needle
2020-05-1029 minCFO BookshelfOKRs with Ben LamorteBen Lamorte is one of the top experts and consultants on implementing OKRs around the globe. He's an author and the President of OKRs.com.In this episode, Ben explains how Jeff Walker, his mentor and former CFO of Oracle, introduced the OKRs concept to Ben.Ben goes on to explain that OKRs are simple to implement, but hurdles and barriers can surface near the beginning of an implementation -- he explains his process in getting team buy-in.
2020-05-031h 02CFO BookshelfSmart vs Healthy BusinessesBrian Jones joins the 2 CFOs at CFO Bookshelf to talk about organizational health and the benefits to the company as a whole.
2020-04-2619 minCFO BookshelfA CFO Reflects on 3 Key Insights Learned during COVID-19Every person around the globe has been impacted directly or indirectly by the pandemic that's swept nation after nation. One of the CFOs reflects on what's been weighing on his mind during the past 4-6 weeks - always be learning, navigating in uncertain times, and never forgetting who you are.The 2 CFOs also read a booklist from one of the consultants of The Table Group.
2020-04-1938 minCFO BookshelfLoan Packaging 101 Using the Crawl MethodMany banks around the U.S. have funded small businesses with the SBA's PPP loan which was provided by the CARES Act.Will that funding be enough to keep these businesses afloat? Will more debt financing be required? More than ever, small business owners need to be reminded of the loan packaging process that can lead to favorable decisions by their lenders.In this show, Mark talks about his CRAWL process for obtaining bank financing.
2020-04-1149 minCFO BookshelfSBA Options and Unintended ConsequencesThe 2 CFOs go off on a rant over the newly-created SBA funding package for small businesses called the Payroll Protection Program.While the loan can be forgivable, is it the right option? And are small businesses getting the best advice on how to pick a possibly better option?
2020-04-0524 minCFO BookshelfUnderstanding Loss of Income Insurance During COVID-19Mark and Bruce welcome insurance expert, Jake Taylor of Missouri-based Winter-Dent to discuss business interruption insurance in the wake of thousands of business closings during COVID-19.Jake provides insights as to what is covered and what may not be. He also provides practical advice on when to start the claims process.
2020-03-2933 minCFO BookshelfCourage, Confidence, and Clarity in a Time of CrisisTo say it's been a rough week would an understatement. Mark and Bruce do their best to bring words of encouragement during uncertain times. They also revisit the Stockdale Paradox mentioned by Jim Collins in Good to Great.
2020-03-2123 minCFO BookshelfTime to Revisit Scenario Planning?In the wake of the current pandemic, is it time to revisit scenario planning? In this episode, Mark and Bruce discuss three keys to successful scenario planning along with a McKinsey briefing on three actions all businesses should be undertaking.
2020-03-1531 minCFO BookshelfA Ghost Writer's Experience with W. Edwards DemingShe worked with a man who worked for both Thomas Waston Sr. and Jr. She spent another 10 years working with W. Edwards Deming. Oh, did we mention she's a friend of Verne Harnish?
2020-03-0943 minCFO BookshelfThe Inaugural ShowThis week's CFO bookmarks include an introduction to an entrepreneur who worked with Dr. Deming and the founder of the IBM Executive School. Other bookmarks include mentions of Welcome to Management, The Experience Economy, and Data Sanity.
2020-03-0116 min