In this episode of The Role Forward, host Joe Michalowski welcomes CJ Gustafson, CFO of PartsTech and the mind behind Mostly Metrics. They dive into the intricacies of annual planning, a critical period for finance professionals. CJ shares his unique journey from M&A consulting to private equity and finally to his current role, emphasizing the importance of understanding business models and resource allocation.The conversation shifts to the practical steps of strategic planning. CJ outlin...

In the latest episode of The Role Forward podcast, host Joe Michalowski sits down with Kristian Marquez, founder of FinStrat Management. Kristian shares his diverse journey in the finance sector, highlighting his experiences from being part of a billion-dollar IPO to the challenges faced in a telemedicine startup.The duo dives deep into the evolving landscape of startup profitability, especially for VC-backed ventures. They discuss the shifting paradigms from a growth-centric mindset to a mor...

In the latest episode of The Role Forward, Joe Michalowski welcomes Todd Spartz, the CFO at LinkLive. Todd dives deep into his rich background in the tech world. From semiconductor equipment manufacturing to networking, and from web analytics to web advertising, Todd's journey is vast. As he transitioned to enterprise SaaS, he shares the insights and challenges faced, especially around the newest hottest topic - AI.For anyone keen on understanding the intricacies of the tech world and the jou...

In this episode of The Role Forward, Joe and Scot dive into the world of fractional CFO services and the transition to in-house teams. They discuss the inflection points where companies outgrow fractional CFO services and the economic factors that drive the decision to hire in-house. The complexity of business activities and the need for a 24/7 finance team are key considerations.The conversation shifts to data infrastructure and the challenges early-stage companies face in building and track...

In this episode of The Role Forward, Joe Michalowski hosts Zack McCarty, Director of FP&A at Qwick. McCarty shares insights on the importance of collaborative planning and stakeholder buy-in in the food and beverage industry. He emphasizes the transformative power of basic financial information in driving valuable change within a company.McCarty discusses the challenges and strategies of planning for Qwick, a two-sided marketplace for on-demand staffing. He highlights the necessity of bal...

In this episode of The Role Forward, Joe Michalowski hosts a deep dive into strategic finance with Bijan Moallemi and Joe Garafalo, co-founders of Mosaic. The trio unpacks the evolving landscape of business and the increasing complexity that demands more from finance professionals.Joe emphasizes the importance of investing in finance functions, especially in today's economy. He illustrates how strategic finance operates in real time, allowing businesses to know exactly where they stand and wh...

In this episode of The Role Forward, Joe Michalowski hosts a deep dive into the world of venture funding. The guests — Joe Garafalo, Marissa Moore, and Eugene Lee — share their insights and experiences. The conversation revolves around the importance of good financial modeling practices, the current state of venture funding, and the future outlook. The guests also discuss the importance of understanding the customer base, assessing risks, and the role of metrics in investor conversations.The ...

In this episode of The Role Forward, host Joe Michalowski brings together a panel of industry leaders for a Q&A-style discussion. The guests include Bijan Moallemi, Co-Founder and CEO at Mosaic, Chauncey Kerr Hamilton, Partner at XYZ, and Jeron Paul, CEO of Spiff. The conversation revolves around board management, investor communications, and effective strategies for keeping the board up to speed.The panelists delve into the intricacies of board meetings, emphasizing the importance of sto...

In this episode of The Role Forward, host Joe Michalowski brings together a panel of industry leaders for a Q&A-style discussion. The guests include Bijan Moallemi, Co-Founder and CEO at Mosaic, Chauncey Kerr Hamilton, Partner at XYZ, and Jeron Paul, CEO of Spiff. The conversation revolves around board management, investor communications, and effective strategies for keeping the board up to speed.The panelists delve into the intricacies of board meetings, emphasizing the importance of sto...

In this episode of The Role Forward, Joe Michalowski hosts Brian Campbell, the co-founder at Mosaic. The two delve deep into the world of strategic finance, discussing the challenges and solutions of handling high-volume data.Brian shares his experience working with Stripe, a platform often used by B2C and product-led growth companies. He highlights the rigidity of billing systems and the difficulty of changing historical data. The conversation then shifts to the importance of data cleanlines...

In this episode, our host Joe Michalowski speaks with Jervis Williams, the CFO of Second Front Systems. Jervis shares his experiences and lessons learned from his journey as a finance professional, particularly during his first 90 days as Second Front's new CFO. He highlights the importance of establishing a solid finance team early on and engaging with stakeholders, including the board, to ensure a smooth onboarding process.Jervis also discusses the benefits of hiring finance professionals e...

Many of today's most innovative companies rely on debt capital to reach their full potential, and debt capital can be the difference between hypergrowth and stagnation.But capital providers and borrowers are stuck with legacy systems, which means slow transactions, disjointed processes, and limited visibility. In this episode of The Role Forward, Jeremy Tsui, the Co-Founder and CEO of Finley, a company that offers software to accelerate the pace of capital, gets into the importance of ca...

In times when a growth-at-all-costs mentality, companies funneled as much money as possible into customer acquisition. Retention was always important, but not the primary focus.But now, as companies get more cautious with their capital, there's a brighter spotlight on customer success and retention. Great customer retention is key to efficient, sustainable growth.In this episode of The Role Forward, Nick Tarnoff, the VP of Finance at SupportLogic, gets into the importance of customer retentio...

Ad hoc analysis is a type of analysis that is performed on an as-needed basis without a predefined plan or structure. Ad hoc analysis is often used when there is a need to investigate a particular issue or answer a specific question, and it can be a powerful tool for gaining insights into data quickly and efficiently. But ad hoc analysis can be time-consuming and challenging without automation, especially if you are dealing with large datasets. In this episode of The Role Forward, J...

Episode SummaryNo matter your industry, clean data results in well-informed decisions. By keeping your data clean and accurate, you save time from searching for answers and reconciliations and can spend more time diving into the “why” behind your numbers and making actionable insights. But for companies who experience hypergrowth or need to make a switch to a new source system, how do you effectively clean your company’s data? In this episode of The Role Forward podcast, our host Jo...

Investors provide vital funds so that companies can achieve their next level of growth, whether it’s making the next important version of a product or a key hire that will unlock the company’s potential even further. But in a time of economic uncertainty, where we see layoffs, budget freezes, and falling tech industry stock prices, venture capital investors are putting the brakes on aggressive funding for early-stage growth companies. According to a Crunchbase report, in the last quarter...

Episode SummaryNetSuite implementation is a large, challenging project, as it includes many different phases and complex steps. But an experienced implementation partner can make all the difference. In this episode of The Role Forward podcast, our host Joe Michalowski welcomes Edwine Alphonse, a controller at Ramp. They talk about the biggest challenges with NetSuite implementation, tips for tackling some common issues, and the importance of cleaning your data before you start the proces...

The finance team is essential for any business — especially as the company grows. And while in recent years the role of the finance team has evolved from a stereotypical back-office scorekeeping function toward a forward-thinking strategic partner, the process of financial transformation and implementation within the business is complex — and sometimes, it can fail.In this episode of The Role Forward, our host Joe Michalowski welcomes Chris Ortega, the CEO of Fresh FP&A, which provides fr...

There's something special about a career in finance. Because you sit at the intersection of all data in the organization and collaborate with so many different functions, your job in finance can become the perfect stepping stone to a wide variety of career paths. But how do you maneuver your way from day one to where you want to take your career?In this episode of The Role Forward podcast, our host Joe Michalowski welcomes Peter Nesbitt, an early-stage startup advisor, investor, and founder w...

Times are tough right now. World events have affected the macro environment, and a market downturn looms on the horizon as the Federal Reserve Board raises interest rates and the CPI continues to go up each month. Companies have to be extra careful about their finances. That’s why it’s important for finance teams to feel enabled to embrace the spotlight and be a more strategic partner to the business.This episode of The Role Forward podcast revisits Ramp’s Head of Finance and Capital Markets,...