The Role Forward: A Strategic Finance Podcast
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 more strategic partners to the rest of their organizations.
Episodes
46 episodes
Breaking Down Annual Planning with CJ Gustafson of Mostly Metrics
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 shar...
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Episode 46
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46:16
Mapping the Path to Profitability with Kristian Marquez, CEO of FinStrat Management
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 ...
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Episode 45
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45:55
Exploring AI in Finance with Todd Spartz, CFO of LinkLive
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 t...
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Episode 44
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47:37
Getting the Best Out of Fractional CFO Services with Scot Mollot, CFO at Attivo Partners
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 t...
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Episode 43
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48:11
The Collaborative Finance Function with Zack McCarty, Director of FP&A at Qwick
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 ...
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Episode 42
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49:44
The State of Strategic Finance in Q3 2023
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 de...
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Episode 41
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42:12
The State of Venture Funding in 2023 with OMERS Ventures
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 ...
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Episode 40
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48:53
Board and Investor Communications Q&A with XYZ Capital, Spiff, and Mosaic
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 J...
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Episode 39
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54:36
Modern Finance Tech Stack Q&A with Spiff, XYZ Capital, and Mosaic
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 J...
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Episode 38
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54:36
Making Sense of SaaS Billing Data with Brian Campbell, Co-Founder of Mosaic
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 shar...
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Episode 37
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45:45
30-60-90 Plan for New Finance Leaders with Jervis Williams, CFO of Second Front Systems
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 Secon...
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Episode 36
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50:23
How to Raise Debt as a Startup with Jeremy Tsui, Co-Founder and CEO of Finley
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, wh...
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Episode 35
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35:53
How Finance Can Help Drive Customer Retention with Nick Tarnoff, VP Finance, SupportLogic
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, ...
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Episode 34
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42:28
Getting Off the Ad Hoc Analysis Treadmill with Joel Blachman, Operations and Finance Lead at Amper Technologies
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...
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Season 1
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Episode 33
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40:29
How to Manage Your Accounting Data Hygiene with Numeric Co-Founder and CEO Parker Gilbert
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 t...
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Season 1
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Episode 32
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43:49
Fundraising in a Down Market with Scott Stouffer, CEO and Founder of scaleMatters
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 o...
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Season 1
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Episode 31
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42:56
How to Ensure a Successful NetSuite Implementation with Edwine Alphonse, Controller at Ramp
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...
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Season 1
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Episode 30
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44:25
Financial Transformation in Finance’s Golden Age with Chris Ortega of Fresh FP&A
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 str...
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Season 1
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Episode 29
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48:08
Building a Career in and Beyond Finance, Former Teampay COO Peter Nesbitt
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 varie...
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Season 1
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Episode 28
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45:55
How to Bulletproof Your Business with the Right Tools with Mosaic COO, Joe Garafalo
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 e...
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Season 1
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Episode 27
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33:15
Taking Your Financial Storytelling to the Decision-Makers' Table with Mosaic CEO, Bijan Moallemi
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 ...
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Season 1
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Episode 26
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29:07
The Heuristics of Forecasting with Brian Weisberg, CFO at Tidelift
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...
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Season 1
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Episode 25
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40:34
Death to Spreadsheets? Tracking the Way to Finance’s Future in Automation with Lauren Bahr of Occupier
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.&...
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Season 1
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Episode 24
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45:12
The Rapid Growth of Third-Gen FP&A Tools: The FP&A Guy, Paul Barnhurst
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 wel...
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Season 1
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Episode 23
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46:05
A Complete Guide to Headcount Planning: Assemble Co-Founder, Enrique Esclusa
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...
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Season 1
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Episode 22
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46:39
