Today's financial leader is more than a number cruncher - they're a growth architect and a strategic partner in the organization’s success.
The Growth-Minded CFO podcast challenges the status-quo and explores how the best CFOs approach their work and lives.
Hosts Lauren Pearl (Fractional CFO, 3-time Founder and Startup Finance Instructor at NYU) and Alex Louisy (FinTech CEO and Y Combinator graduate) speak with inspiring finance and business leaders who’ll share what great CFOs are doing to support high-performing organizations.
Site
RSS
Apple
Données mises à jour le 22/09/2026
Classements récents
Dernières positions dans les classements Apple Podcasts et Spotify.
Liens partagés entre épisodes et podcasts
Liens présents dans les descriptions d'épisodes et autres podcasts les utilisant également.
Why "AR Automation" Was Never the Right Name: Alex Louisy on Building Financial Relationship Management
Saison 3 · Épisode 19
mercredi 2 septembre 2026 • Durée 52:47
For three seasons, Alex Louisy has sat on one side of the mic, asking CFOs about the decisions that shaped their careers. In this episode, he switches seats.
Lauren Pearl interviews her own co-host about the company behind The Growth-Minded CFO, and why Upflow spent nearly a decade walking away from the category it set out to build.
In this episode, Alex shares the origin story that started with a failed financing thesis, and led him to a much bigger problem: getting paid is still slow, manual, and completely disconnected from everything else a company does well for its customers.
Because according to Alex, the moment a business sends an invoice is often the worst part of the customer relationship, even when every other touch point has been carefully designed.
The conversation also gets into why "AR Automation" was never the right name for what Upflow built, how a customer's offhand comment reframed the whole category into Financial Relationship Management, and why bringing B2C-grade payment experiences into B2B was never optional.
They also discuss what AI actually changes in collections, why trust matters more than automation, and what it will take for FRM to become as obvious a category as CRM or expense management.
If you are a CFO, finance leader, or founder trying to understand why getting paid deserves the same rigor as getting the sale, this episode is a great place to start.
Subscribe for more conversations with growth-minded finance leaders.
📮 Got a question or want to get in touch? Reach us at hello@growthmindedcfo.com
Interested in joining us on the show? Or know someone we should interview? Apply here: https://growthmindedcfo.com/contact
Inside the CFO-Sales Partnership: How Real-Time Data Changes the Game, with Christina Liu
Saison 3 · Épisode 18
jeudi 6 août 2026 • Durée 30:24
Most CFOs can see the final sales numbers. Far fewer have a clear view of what is happening inside the pipeline before those numbers land.
As CFO of Sigma Computing, Christina Liu works closely with sales to create greater visibility, accountability and confidence around commercial decisions. By bringing CRM data, customer conversations, product usage and other signals together, her team has moved away from repetitive quarter-end deal calls toward a real-time view of the pipeline.
In this episode, Christina joins Alex and Lauren to explain how curiosity helped her move from accounting into her first CFO role - and brought her closer to customers, contracts and the sales process.
She shares why transparency creates a common language between finance and sales, why finance should focus less on saying no and more on helping the business find a responsible yes, and how real-time data allows teams to act before a deal becomes a quarter-end emergency.
We also explore how AI can help finance teams understand fragmented and unstructured sales data. Christina explains where AI is useful for answering what happened, while understanding why it happened (and deciding what to do next) still requires human judgment.
Plus, she discusses balancing speed with structure in a high-growth company, hiring for curiosity and ownership, developing people alongside the business and the role mentors played in her own career.
Chapters:
03:05 Taking a risk on yourself
04:00 Letting curiosity lead your career
05:18 How contract reviews brought Christina closer to sales
06:48 Creating a common language between finance and sales
07:46 Replacing quarter-end deal calls with real-time data
09:00 Bringing fragmented sales data into one place
10:00 Using AI to understand customer sentiment and deal progression
11:10 Why finance should not default to “no”
12:50 What AI can - and cannot - answer
14:08 Why “now what?” remains a human decision
16:50 Balancing speed and structure during rapid growth
From GE’s $100B Transformation to Klarna and DeepL: Lessons in Scaling, with Martino Cadoni
Saison 3 · Épisode 17
mercredi 8 juillet 2026 • Durée 46:51
Martino Cadoni has had a front-row seat to some extraordinary moments throughout his career so far.
At GE Capital, he was selected to help transform a business with more than $100 billion in assets, working across M&A, strategic sales and IPOs. At Klarna, he was involved in fundraising, IPO readiness and major transactions. Today, he is CFO of DeepL.
So, what has that journey taught him about building companies that actually last?
In this episode, Martino joins Alex and Lauren to unpack why starting a company is becoming easier, while sustaining success is getting harder. He shares what GE taught him about leadership, what Klarna taught him about disruption and scaling, and how those lessons influence the way he thinks about growth at DeepL.
We explore how companies make the shift from hypergrowth to discipline without losing their builder DNA, the questions that reveal whether a business is truly ready to IPO, and how CFOs should think differently about public markets, private equity and strategic buyers.
Martino also explains why predictability is essential in any major transaction, why CFOs need to help craft the company story from day one, and why the CFO of the future needs to think more like a CEO.
Plus, we discuss lifelong learning, Martino's experiences at Oxford, London Business School and MIT, and his simple approach to networking: give before you take.
Chapters:
04:47 Why staying successful is harder than starting
08:46 The people great companies hire
12:26 Bringing discipline into a scale-up
15:08 Working backwards from success at Klarna
18:04 Inside GE Capital's $100B+ transformation
21:46 IPO, acquisition or staying private?
25:33 Is your company really ready to IPO?
Revisiting: Wall Street to SaaS CFO with Carla Cooper (CFO @ Contentful)
jeudi 25 juin 2026 • Durée 43:31
What does it take to be a truly great CFO today?
It’s not just about balancing the books—it’s about driving strategy, managing risks, and telling the financial story in a way that inspires confidence.
In this re-released episode, first published in March 2025, Carla Cooper, CFO of Contentful, shares her journey from Wall Street equity analyst to CFO, discussing her role in scaling Contentful, navigating IPOs and acquisitions, and offering valuable tips on transitioning into a CFO position.
She emphasizes the importance of networking, continual learning, and telling a compelling financial story.
Carla also provides practical advice for finance professionals contemplating job changes and reflects on the evolving responsibilities of a CFO.
Connect with Carla on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carla-newmeyer-cooper-843a591/
Connect with Alex on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexlouisy/
Connect with Lauren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenepearl/
The Growth-Minded CFO podcast aims to challenge the status-quo and explore how the best CFOs approach their work and lives. Hosts Lauren Pearl (Fractional CFO, 3-time Founder and Startup Finance Instructor at NYU) and Alex Louisy (FinTech CEO and Y Combinator graduate) speak with inspiring finance and business leaders who’ll share what great CFOs are doing to support high-performing organizations.
Find all our episodes, in both video and audio format with written summaries, on our news website: https://growthmindedcfo.com/
The CFO’s AI Playbook: How to Roll Out AI Across Your Company, with Ryan Roccon (CFO at Zapier)
Saison 3 · Épisode 15
mercredi 10 juin 2026 • Durée 42:27
AI is no longer just an experiment. For many companies, it is quickly becoming an expectation.
But rolling it out across a business is a very different challenge from giving a few people access to a few tools.
So what does AI adoption actually look like when it is done at scale?
In this episode of The Growth-Minded CFO, Alex Louisy and Lauren Pearl sit down with Ryan Roccon, CFO at Zapier, to unpack how one of the world’s leading automation companies is approaching AI across the organisation.
Ryan shares why Zapier has taken a broad-access approach to AI tools, how they balance speed with control, and why CFOs need to avoid getting stuck in a purely cost-focused mindset.
Because according to Ryan, the risk of getting left behind is far greater than the risk of a few expensive experiments.
The conversation also gets into how Zapier measures AI usage, why telemetry matters, how to build guardrails without killing momentum, and why finance can be one of the best places to prove what AI can really do inside a company.
They also discuss Ryan’s own journey from controller to CFO, the importance of curiosity in finance leadership, and why the modern CFO has to play a much more active role in shaping company culture.
If you are a CFO, finance leader, founder, or operator thinking about how to move from AI experimentation to real adoption, this episode is a great place to start.
Subscribe for more conversations with growth-minded finance leaders shaping the future of the CFO role.
Revisiting: Chris Ortega on What Makes a Great CFO (Hint: They're Not Just a 'Human Calculator')
Saison 3 · Épisode 15
jeudi 28 mai 2026 • Durée 37:49
In this episode, hosts Lauren and Alex sit down with Chris Ortega, the CEO and founder of Fresh FP&A.
Chris shares his inspiring career journey, from his early passion for finance to roles at Ernst & Young and leadership positions in fast growing software and pharmaceutical companies.
He discusses the foundation and philosophy behind Fresh FP&A, highlighting its focus on being Financial Partners and Advisors - and why all internal finance teams should position themselves the same way!
The conversation delves into the necessity of thinking like a business person for success in finance leadership, and why a collaborative approach that builds strong business partnerships with other departments is key.
Chris also emphasizes the role of emotional intelligence, authenticity, and learning from failure as key components of effective leadership.
This episode is rich with personal anecdotes and professional insights, illustrating how CFOs can inspire and empower their organizations beyond traditional financial metrics.
We hope you enjoy the episode!00:00 Welcome and Guest Introduction00:22 Chris Ortega's Background and Career Journey02:12 The Role of CFOs and CEOs06:56 Transitioning to CEO and Fresh FP&A14:43 Building Collaborative Finance Teams18:41 The Consultative Approach in Finance19:38 The Power of Empathy in Finance20:55 The Concept of First Team22:11 Balancing IQ and EQ25:39 Embracing Failure as a CFO30:24 Inspiring Leadership and Authenticity33:45 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Connect with Chris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/freshcfo/
Connect with Alex on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexlouisy/
Connect with Lauren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenepearl/
Want to get in touch? Reach out to our producer at joseph.sweeney@upflow.io
Want to recommend a guest? Apply via our form: https://insights.upflow.io/apply-to-be-a-guest-on-the-growth-minded-cfo-podcast
Why Every CFO Needs a Personal Brand (And How to Build One), with Wassia Kamon
Saison 3 · Épisode 13
jeudi 14 mai 2026 • Durée 38:38
Most CFOs don’t think about personal brand until they need something: a new role, a board seat, a stronger network, or a way to stand out.
But by then, it might already be too late.
In this episode of The Growth-Minded CFO, we speak with Wassia Kamon, CFO of Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs and host of The Diary of a CFO podcast, about why finance leaders can no longer afford to stay invisible.
Wassia shares how she went from having “nothing much” show up when she Googled herself to building a LinkedIn presence with more than 20,000 followers, launching her own podcast, becoming a speaker, teaching in Wharton Online’s FP&A Certificate Program, and landing her first CFO role.
We discuss why personal brand is not about becoming an influencer. It is about making your thinking visible, building trust before you need it, and creating opportunities your resume alone cannot unlock.
Chapters:
01:50 Why Wassia started The Diary of a CFO
03:39 The moment personal brand clicked
04:47 How LinkedIn led to Wassia’s first VP role
05:21 Speaking, Wharton Online, and unexpected opportunities
06:51 Why personal brand helps inside your company too
09:13 Building systems to make LinkedIn sustainable
09:35 Writing LinkedIn posts at swimming lessons
10:22 Creating an idea bank and scheduling content
12:17 Why being memorable matters more than another resume
14:21 What writing, speaking, and podcasting give Wassia
17:33 How the podcast makes content easier
18:10 Finding finance lessons in everyday life
20:12 How visibility can influence your finance team
21:00 How CFOs can post without breaking confidentiality
23:34 Practical advice for aspiring CFOs
24:20 Wassia’s three-part Venn diagram for personal brand
27:10 Using AI to understand what future employers want
37:12 Why CFOs need to learn from each other
For CFOs and finance leaders thinking about their next stage of growth, this episode is a reminder that personal brand isn’t about posting for the sake of posting. It’s about making sure the market can see the leader you already are.
Revisiting: Ilana Esterrich (CFO @ Planned Parenthood) On Leading Beyond The Numbers
Saison 3 · Épisode 10
mercredi 29 avril 2026 • Durée 40:21
If your role as CFO stops at the numbers, you’re already behind.
Ilana Esterrich, CFO at Planned Parenthood, breaks down what it actually means to lead in today’s environment—from building resilient teams to operating in constant uncertainty.
With a background in the military, Ilana brings a unique perspective on leadership, discipline, and adaptability—showing how finance leaders can step into a far more strategic role inside their organisations.
In this episode, we cover:
What a “growth-minded” CFO really looks like in practice
How to lead finance teams through uncertainty and change
Lessons from the military that translate to modern leadership
Moving from tactical execution to strategic impact
Why curiosity and continuous learning matter more than ever
About our guest:
Ilana Esterrich is the CFO at Planned Parenthood, where she leads financial strategy in a complex, high-stakes environment. With a background in the military, she brings a unique perspective on leadership, resilience, and team development.
The Growth-Minded CFO is the podcast for finance leaders who want to go beyond the numbers and play a bigger role in driving growth.
Hosted by Alex Louisy (CEO at Upflow) and Lauren Pearl (Fractional CFO and Founder), the show explores how modern CFOs are building, leading, and scaling high-performing organisations.
This podcast is powered by Upflow - helping businesses get paid faster, strengthen customer relationships, and grow more efficiently. Learn more at upflow.io
Want to get in touch? Reach out to our producer at joseph.sweeney@upflow.io
Want to recommend a guest? Apply via our form: https://insights.upflow.io/apply-to-be-a-guest-on-the-growth-minded-cfo-podcast
Revisiting: Rita Kale (CFO @ Valo Health) On Why The Best CFOs Think Like Owners
Saison 11 · Épisode 3
mercredi 15 avril 2026 • Durée 40:34
In this special re-release of The Growth-Minded CFO, Alex and Lauren revisit the very first episode of the podcast - featuring Rita Kale, now CFO at Valo Health.
At the time, we didn’t know what this show would become. Since then, we’ve spoken to some of the best finance operators in the world. But looking back, this conversation set the tone for everything that followed.
Rita brings a rare combination of global corporate experience - from companies like Roche Pharmaceuticals - and hands-on leadership in high-growth biotech startups. That mix makes this episode just as relevant today as it was when we first recorded it.
In this conversation, we explore what it really means to operate as a modern CFO:
Why the best CFOs act as owners, not observers
How moving from large corporates to startups forces a shift in mindset, speed, and accountability
What it takes to navigate global complexity, from ERP implementations to scaling finance operations across markets
Why investing early in systems and processes pays off long-term
And how adaptability separates good finance leaders from great ones
We also get into something a bit unexpected, but now very familiar for this show.
Rita shares how running became a tool for reflection and decision-making. Creating mental space. Finding your own rhythm instead of copying others. It’s a reminder that performance isn’t just about output - it’s about sustainability, both professionally and personally.
Looking back, this episode captures what The Growth-Minded CFO is all about: going deep into the technical side of finance, while also exploring the mindset behind great leadership.
It’s a gem - and the perfect place to start if you’re new to the show.
Chapters:
03:25 Rita Global Career Path
05:56 From Global To Local CFO
How a Former Pro Musician Became the CFO of a $1B Marketplace, with Kevin Drost
Saison 3 · Épisode 10
mercredi 1 avril 2026 • Durée 48:41
How does someone go from jazz musician to CFO of a $1B marketplace?
In this episode of The Growth-Minded CFO, Alex Louisy and Lauren Pearl speak with Kevin Drost, former CFO of Reverb — the musical instrument marketplace acquired by Etsy — about his unconventional path into finance and what it taught him about the role.
Kevin didn’t start in finance. He started by running a business. From founding a record label to navigating cash flow, trade-offs, and uncertainty in real time, he learned finance by doing — not by following a traditional path.
In this conversation, he shares how that operator mindset shaped his approach as a CFO, why finance leaders need to stay close to customers, and how the role has evolved from reporting performance to helping drive growth.
Découvrez des podcasts liées à The Growth-Minded CFO. Explorez des podcasts avec des thèmes, sujets, et formats similaires. Ces similarités sont calculées grâce à des données tangibles, pas d'extrapolations !
19:32 How AI is empowering finance leaders to build their own tools
22:12 Hiring for curiosity and ownership
23:02 Growing people alongside the company
24:54 The role model who made leadership feel possible
26:10 Why you should reach out to people you admire
27:08 Building a network as an introvert
Subscribe to The Growth-Minded CFO for more candid conversations with the finance leaders shaping the next generation of high-growth companies.
The Growth-Minded CFO podcast challenges the status quo and explores how the best CFOs approach their work and lives. Hosts Lauren Pearl - Fractional CFO, three-time founder and Startup Finance Instructor at NYU - and Alex Louisy - FinTech CEO and Y Combinator graduate - speak with inspiring finance and business leaders about what it takes to support high-performing organizations.
For the full episode summary and key takeaways, visit: https://growthmindedcfo.com/podcast/christina-liu
📬 Got a question or want to get in touch? Reach us at hello@growthmindedcfo.com
Interested in joining us on the show? Or know someone we should interview? Apply here: https://growthmindedcfo.com/contact
27:01 Simplifying Klarna's equity story
30:32 The importance of financial predictability
32:28 Why CFOs need to become storytellers
38:18 Investing in lifelong learning
40:02 Why we underuse our networks
44:44 Learning AI to become a better business partner
Subscribe to The Growth-Minded CFO for more candid conversations with the finance leaders shaping the next generation of high-growth companies.
The Growth-Minded CFO podcast challenges the status quo and explores how the best CFOs approach their work and lives. Hosts Lauren Pearl (Fractional CFO, 3-time Founder, and Startup Finance Instructor at NYU) and Alex Louisy (FinTech CEO and Y Combinator graduate) speak with inspiring finance and business leaders about what it takes to support high-performing organizations.
For the full episode summary and key takeaways, visit: https://growthmindedcfo.com/podcast/martino-cadoni
The Growth-Minded CFO podcast challenges the status quo and explores how the best CFOs approach their work and lives. Hosts Lauren Pearl, Fractional CFO, 3-time Founder, and Startup Finance Instructor at NYU, and Alex Louisy, FinTech CEO and Y Combinator graduate, speak with inspiring finance and business leaders about what it takes to support high-performing organisations.
Got a question or want to get in touch? Reach us at hello@growthmindedcfo.com
Watch the full video episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/dGFQHSJuoOo
Check out Wassia's Diary of a CFO podcast here: https://thediaryofacfo.com/
Subscribe for more conversations with growth-minded finance leaders shaping the future of the CFO role.
The Growth-Minded CFO podcast challenges the status quo and explores how the best CFOs approach their work and lives. Hosts Lauren Pearl (Fractional CFO, 3-time Founder, and Startup Finance Instructor at NYU) and Alex Louisy (FinTech CEO and Y Combinator graduate) speak with inspiring finance and business leaders about what it takes to support high-performing organizations.
This podcast is powered by Upflow — a Financial Relationship Management platform enabling faster payments, stronger customer relationships, and efficient growth for your business.
Join thousands of next-level finance leaders and go from chasing invoices to engaging customers. Find out more at upflow.io.
Want to get in touch? Reach out to our producer at joseph.sweeney@upflow.io
Want to recommend a guest? Apply via our form: https://insights.upflow.io/apply-to-be-a-guest-on-the-growth-minded-cfo-podcast
Lire plus
Réduire
08:28 No Copy Paste Solutions
09:57 First 60 Days Playbook
12:06 Stakeholders And Priorities
13:46 ERP Planning Mindset
18:54 Beyond Back Office CFO
21:00 Financial Peace Foundation
22:18 From Reporting to Impact
22:46 Escaping Spreadsheet Chaos
23:28 Right Tools Not ERP
24:00 Why She Joined a Startup
27:35 Founder Lessons in Finance
29:06 Biggest Shift Leaving Corporate
31:26 Work Life Balance as a CFO
32:01 Running as a Reset Button
34:42 Thinking Time Beats Hustle
38:25 Culture Time Off and Clarity
Subscribe for more conversations with growth-minded finance leaders shaping the future of the CFO role.
The Growth-Minded CFO podcast challenges the status quo and explores how the best CFOs approach their work and lives. Hosts Lauren Pearl (Fractional CFO, 3-time Founder, and Startup Finance Instructor at NYU) and Alex Louisy (FinTech CEO and Y Combinator graduate) speak with inspiring finance and business leaders about what it takes to support high-performing organizations.
This podcast is powered by Upflow - a Financial Relationship Management platform enabling faster payments, stronger customer relationships, and efficient growth for your business.
Join thousands of next-level finance leaders and go from chasing invoices to engaging customers. Find out more at upflow.io.
Want to get in touch? Reach out to our producer at joseph.sweeney@upflow.io
Want to recommend a guest? Apply via our form: https://insights.upflow.io/apply-to-be-a-guest-on-the-growth-minded-cfo-podcast
44:57 Advice for Finance LeadersIn this episode, Kevin covers:
Why learning finance inside the business builds better judgment
The limits of traditional career paths (and when an MBA actually helps)
How marketplace businesses create complex trade-offs
Why CFOs need to take calculated risks to drive growth
The importance of staying close to customers and product
How to scale a business without losing control
Why putting yourself in uncomfortable roles accelerates learning
As Kevin puts it: “Getting yourself out and speaking to customers is probably the most valuable thing you can do as a finance leader.”This is a practical look at how finance leaders can move beyond reporting and play a more active role in shaping the business.Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/W30D0JNJnLg?si=53lBTp2oyBHyTXBVIf you’re a CFO, finance leader, or operator, this episode will give you a clearer view of how the role is evolving — and what it takes to stay effective as the business grows.Subscribe for more conversations with growth-minded finance leaders shaping the future of the CFO role.The Growth-Minded CFO podcast challenges the status quo and explores how the best CFOs approach their work and lives. Hosts Lauren Pearl (Fractional CFO, 3-time Founder, and Startup Finance Instructor at NYU) and Alex Louisy (FinTech CEO and Y Combinator graduate) speak with inspiring finance and business leaders about what it takes to support high-performing organizations.This podcast is powered by Upflow — a Financial Relationship Management platform enabling faster payments, stronger customer relationships, and efficient growth for your business.Join thousands of next-level finance leaders and go from chasing invoices to engaging customers. Find out more at upflow.io.Want to get in touch? Reach out to our producer at joseph.sweeney@upflow.ioWant to recommend a guest? Apply via our form: https://insights.upflow.io/apply-to-be-a-guest-on-the-growth-minded-cfo-podcast
