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The Role Forward is a podcast for the next wave of finance leaders. The ones looking to transform their roles by making smarter, faster, and more profitable business decisions using the power of technology and a forward-looking approach to finance. In each episode, Joe Michalowski interviews industry leaders responsible for shaping the future of SaaS finance. Ultimately, The Role Forward arms finance professionals with strategies to help them get out of the back office trenches and become mo ...
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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 impo…
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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 evolvi…
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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 a…
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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 fin…
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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 d…
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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, es…
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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.…
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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 effec…
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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 effec…
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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 highligh…
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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…
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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, …
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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, su…
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Getting Off the Ad Hoc Analysis Treadmill with Joel Blachman, Operations and Finance Lead at Amper Technologies
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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 tim…
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Episode Summary No 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…
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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 …
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Episode Summary NetSuite 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 chal…
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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 somet…
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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? I…
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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 spot…
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Taking Your Financial Storytelling to the Decision-Makers' Table with Mosaic CEO, Bijan Moallemi
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Finance can be a strategic partner and growth catalyst for department and executive leaders. But many organizations still see finance teams as a back-office department, simply delivering financial reports. If companies really want sustainable growth, that mindset needs to change. This episode of The Role Forward revisits the presentation Mosaic CEO…
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Forecasting is essential for every team, and it involves tracking key performance indicators and financial metrics to measure each team's success. But many people don’t discuss best practices, especially when you begin to add headcount into the mix. Our host Joe Michalowski welcomes Brian Weisberg, the CFO at Tidelift, back to The Role Forward podc…
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Death to Spreadsheets? Tracking the Way to Finance’s Future in Automation with Lauren Bahr of Occupier
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No one denies Excel’s contribution to the business world and how it took operations to the next level. However, it’s time to admit that there are use cases that have outgrown spreadsheets and can make the lives of finance professionals easier. Whether spreadsheets will soon become part of the past is a burning topic among finance professionals acro…
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Technology is always evolving, and over the last few years we’ve seen rapid advancement of third-gen tools. But these third-gen tools are still evolving. In this episode of The Role Forward, our host Joe Michalowski welcomes Paul Barnhurst, the founder of The FP&A Guy. They talk about the gaps in third-gen FP&A tools, why MS Excel is not going anyw…
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For SaaS companies, headcount amounts to 70% of operating expenses. If finance dives straight into the numbers without keeping the company’s short- and long-term goals in mind when headcount planning, it spells imminent disaster with misforecasts and errors that can take months, if not years, to resolve. In this episode of The Role Forward, our hos…
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The Most Interesting Conversation on SaaS Tax Compliance with Paddle VP of Finance, Daniëlle Keeven
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Tax compliance is not everyone’s cup of tea, and it’s often underappreciated and overlooked — until it’s down to the wire for SaaS companies who have received warnings about being audited. Tax compliance needs to be more top of mind for SaaS leaders who want to truly embrace strategic, sustainable growth and expansion. In this episode of The Role F…
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Finance is often perceived as a back office function. But getting out of the back office to collaborate with other departments within an organization is a prerequisite for business success. In this episode of The Role Forward, our host Joe Michalowski chats with Jenny Jao, the head of finance at Sprig, to discuss what it takes to build a financial …
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Organizational transparency is one of many buzzwords in the business world, but it can be a game changer for any company that adopts it. Executive leaders shouldn’t be afraid of being transparent with employees because it can lead to greater motivation, more trust, and improved productivity. However, it can be a struggle to find the sweet spot betw…
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Starting a company requires an idea and people to help bring it to reality. But a company requires more than a vision, even though it’s fundamental to its success — its needs a well-thought-out business model. For early-stage SaaS startups, creating and implementing a financial model is challenging for a variety of reasons. Which is why Taylor Davi…
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Building a finance team means investing in processes, tools, and people. But, making all three segments successful can be time-consuming and requires having a CFO ready to look outside the box and build partnerships with every department within an organization. That's easier said than done, but fortunately, there are success stories that prove it i…
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It is common for accounting and finance teams to work together. However, for a business to grow, it is important for executives to create a culture encouraging partnership between all the departments. Although accountants are not perceived as the most creative people in an organization, their expertise and unique perspective can help other teams, i…
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In this era where there’s a better SaaS tool for every workflow, ERP solutions are ripe for innovation. Many finance and accounting teams leverage a distributed EPR model that they’ve cobbled together using various point solutions coupled with spreadsheets to fill additional gaps between the systems. What they’re often lacking is a solution that ti…
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CRM software is one of the most vital business tools today, and most companies nowadays use it to conduct sales, track finances, and manage customer relationships. However, CRMs can be complicated and difficult to set up and use. But your CRM should work for you instead of the other way around. In this episode of The Role Forward podcast, our host …
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SaaS companies have a lot of different efficiency metrics. And customer acquisition cost — the amount of money a company spends to get a new customer — is a ubiquitous SaaS metric. How can SaaS companies achieve financial stability and transparency and calculate CAC correctly? What if we have basic calculations and our company matures? How are othe…
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Cryptocurrency is a hot topic not just in the finance or business world but also in our everyday interactions. But, with all the information available today, it's still challenging for most of us to understand what it is and how it has and will change the global monetary system. Luckily, the number of subject matter experts is growing daily, and on…
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How to Think About Customer Cohort Analysis with Steve Groccia, Head of Customer Success Operations at Mosaic
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The contemporary business world depends on in-depth and high-quality data analysis. But it seems like many departments don't have adequate time or tools to focus on data. In a study conducted by Mosaic, only 14% of surveyed finance leaders said they used cohort analysis. Therefore, it is critical to determine the reasons behind this small percentag…
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A successful pitch deck is an informative presentation that includes all relevant details and critical metrics that SaaS investors want to see. And you should use that space wisely to get your message across. But there's no one-size-fits-all pitch deck template. You need to tell your company's unique story. In this episode of The Role Forward podca…
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In every business, the goal is to protect cash and to build a product to get to market. And big companies, which earn tons of revenue, are successful at cash optimization. But there is so much pressure in the economy — interest rate movement, inflation, rising prices — that needs to be overcome. And that could be difficult for companies that do not…
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There are lots of stereotypes around accounting teams, and one of them is that they're controlling and "no" people. Their stereotypical reputation arises from the fact that they live and die by their routine, spreadsheets, and statements, and they seem to like it that way. But one of the goals of CFOs is to align finance and accounting with other t…
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With data as one of the most valuable assets, most companies, regardless of their size, work on ways to better organize and leverage this information to drive their business growth. But becoming a data-driven company requires several technical and administrative changes. The success of such a venture depends on collaborative work between all the de…
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Finance and accounting teams play a significant role in every organization. Their job is to provide relevant and dependable information that helps department heads make the best decisions. But, being an accountant or finance expert is more than a technical role; it is also a strategic role. The success of these two teams depends on the quality of t…
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Collaborative Budgeting with Brian Weisberg, Head of Finance and Business Operations at Tidelift
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When someone even mentions the budgeting season, most business owners and their team members — especially the finance department — start feeling anxious. But it should not be like that, says our guest, Brian Weisberg, the Head of Finance and Business Operations at Tidelift. The key to any fruitful budgeting process is a well-thought-out financial m…
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In this episode of The Role Forward, our guest is Andi Ruda, the founder and CEO of Rainbow CFO. Prior to starting her own business, Andi worked as the full-time CFO at three different companies. The experience she gained during that period and the challenges and struggles she saw many companies face when determining their financial strategies, emp…
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While departments like sales, marketing, and engineering have seen massive advancements in the technology they use every day, finance has been left behind. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) tools were supposed to centralize and streamline operations, but they never lived up to that promise. That's why upgrading the CFO tech stack with a new wave o…
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The Shift From Subscription to Consumption-Based Pricing With Fivetran's VP of Finance, Kalor Lewis
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In the cloud data space, people almost exclusively charge on the basis of data volume. Many companies switch to a consumption-based model to align their pricing with the value their customers are getting. But moving from a subscription-based to a consumption-based pricing model comes with many challenges. Despite the industry they are operating in,…
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The most successful companies disrupt their sector by innovating and changing the way business occurs. They make it streamlined, they forge new relationships, they collaborate. Unfortunately, lack of technological investment has trapped the financial side of companies in a pattern of looking backward. Finance groups spend too much time finding data…
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