Behind Numbers

What if empathy could actually take your career to the next level?In this episode of Behind Numbers, I sit down with Paul Barnhurst, The FP&A Guy, to talk about what really separates great finance professionals and leaders from the rest.Paul has spent more than 12 years in corporate FP&A, including roles at American Express, Solera, and DigiCert, before building his own business around FP&A education, content, training, and advisory work. Today, he is a recognized voice in the finance community, a Microsoft MVP, FPAC/FPAP/AFM-certified finance professional, educator, speaker, and host of multiple finance podcasts.But this conversation goes far beyond FP&A.We talk about why "technical skills alone aren't enough to build a successful finance career", and why the ability to understand people, communicate effectively, and become a true business partner can make such a difference.Paul shares his perspective on:• Why empathy may be the most important soft skill for an FP&A professional• How putting yourself in the shoes of the business can completely change the way you approach finance• Why understanding the business is often more important than simply understanding the numbers• The growing importance of data storytelling and turning numbers into insights and recommendations• Why curiosity can be more valuable than technical expertise when hiring finance professionals• The biggest mistake candidates can make in an interview• What junior finance professionals should do today to accelerate their careers• Why communication, relationships, and influence matter so much in finance• How technology is changing the technical side of finance—and potentially giving finance professionals more time to focus on people and the business• The leadership lessons Paul learned from one of his former CEOs• Why great leaders don't always need to be the smartest person in the room• Why being hungry and humble can be such a powerful combination• And why you should “network your timeline” instead of waiting until you need your networkPaul also shares lessons from his own unconventional career journey—from government procurement to American Express, into corporate FP&A, and eventually into entrepreneurship and building The FP&A Guy brand.One of my biggest takeaways from this conversation is simple:The further you progress in your career, the less it's about what you know—and the more it becomes about how effectively you can use what you know to help other people and the business succeed.About Paul BarnhurstPaul Barnhurst, known as **The FP&A Guy**, is a finance professional, educator, trainer, speaker, content creator, and podcast host specializing in FP&A, financial modeling, business partnering, and finance transformation.After more than 12 years in corporate FP&A at companies including American Express, Solera, and DigiCert, Paul went independent to help finance professionals and teams become better business partners. He is a Microsoft MVP and holds FPAC, FPAP, and Advanced Financial Modeler (AFM) credentials. He also hosts finance podcasts including FP&A Unlocked and Financial Modeler's Corner.If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe to Behind Numbers for more conversations with the leaders, entrepreneurs, and finance professionals shaping the future of business.#Finance #FPA #Leadership #CareerGrowth #BusinessPartnering #BehindNumbers

What separates the people who reinvent themselves from the people who get left behind?

According to Bipasha Ghosh, it isn't intelligence. It's curiosity, adaptability, judgment—and the ability to avoid tying your identity to a particular role or tool.

In this episode of Behind Numbers, Bipasha and Alessandro Cozzi explore what it really takes to stay relevant when entire industries and careers are changing around us.

Bipasha Ghosh (BG) is a technology and business leader, educator, advisor and podcast host who has spent more than two decades navigating major technology shifts across the media and business world. She has held leadership roles with organizations including CNN, BBC, Reuters and NBCUniversal, and has taught AI at the university level. Today, she advises executives and organizations on technology, AI, leadership and business transformation.

She also hosts and contributes to several conversations around the future of finance, technology and business, bringing a unique perspective from both the executive world and the classroom.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• Why the smartest person in the room isn't always the one who survives change• Why curiosity may be more valuable than expertise• How to reinvent yourself without losing your identity• What 22-year-olds should focus on—and what 52-year-old executives should let go of• Why successful leaders can become trapped by the playbooks that made them successful• How executives can learn, unlearn and relearn• Why discomfort can be more valuable than worry• What the next generation of leaders needs to develop

The biggest takeaway: your role may change, your industry may change, and the tools you use may change—but curiosity and judgment travel with you.

Welcome to Behind Numbers, where we go beyond the numbers to uncover the stories, decisions and mindsets behind successful people and businesses.

#Leadership #Career #Business #FutureOfWork #BehindNumbers

What does it really take to scale a business from millions to hundreds of millions?

According to executive coach Benoy Tamang, it starts with something most founders overlook: you have to grow before your company can grow.

After building companies, leading businesses, and coaching CEOs for more than two decades, Benoy has helped founders overcome fear, become better leaders, and build organizations capable of extraordinary growth. His clients include venture-backed startups and fast-growing companies, including founders who have successfully exited for over $100 million.

In this episode of Behind Numbers, we explore:

• Why most leaders plateau while others keep growing
• The mindset required to scale a business
• The hidden fears that drive successful CEOs
• How the best leaders make decisions with incomplete information
• Why emotional intelligence matters more than ever
• The biggest mistake leaders make when trying to grow their companies
• The one lesson Benoy wishes he had learned much earlier in life

Whether you're a founder, executive, entrepreneur, manager, or someone looking to become a better leader, this conversation offers practical insights that apply far beyond business.

About Benoy Tamang

Benoy Tamang is President & CEO of BLUERIVER Direct and Managing Partner at TECH CEO COACH. He has spent decades building companies, scaling organizations, and coaching founders and executives through high-growth, fundraising, leadership challenges, and business transformation.

📌 Subscribe to Behind Numbers for conversations with leaders shaping the future of business, finance, leadership, and technology.

#Leadership #CEO #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #Mindset #ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipDevelopment #Founders #Business #BehindNumbers

Most people spend years trying to reach leadership roles in technology.

Jewell did exactly that, building her career at global companies like Accenture and SAP and positioning herself for a future as a technology executive.

Then she made a decision that surprised everyone: she walked away, returned to business school, and started over in finance.

Today, Jewell is a Finance Leader at PepsiCo, bringing together expertise from both technology and finance to navigate a rapidly changing business world.

In this episode of Behind Numbers, we discuss career pivots, AI, finance, leadership, and the uncomfortable decisions that can completely change the course of your life.

#CareerGrowth #Leadership #Finance #FPandA #AI #PepsiCo #CareerPivot #BehindNumbers

What happens when AI can execute faster than organizations can make decisions?

In this episode of Behind Numbers, I sit down with Neil Redding, Global Keynote Speaker on AI, Leadership, and the Future of Work, to discuss how artificial intelligence is reshaping leadership, decision-making, and the way companies operate.

Neil shares why the biggest challenge facing businesses may not be AI adoption itself—but the speed at which leaders can adapt, decide, and execute.

We also explore:
✅ AI and leadership✅ The future of work✅ Humans as decision-makers, not just doers✅ Organizational change in the AI era✅ How executives can stay ahead of disruption

If you're a founder, executive, investor, orbusiness leader, this conversation offers a practical look at what comes next.

#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Leadership #FutureOfWork #Innovation #BusinessStrategy #ExecutiveLeadership #DigitalTransformation #Technology #BehindNumbers #Podcast

At 27 years old, Bryan set out to do something most people would never attempt: start an airline.

After raising $30 million in investor commitments, everything was about to change.

In this episode of Behind Numbers, Bryan shares the story of his biggest business failure, the lessons that came from it, and how that experience led him to build companies in industries ranging from oil & gas to AI and housing.

🎙️ We discuss:
• Starting before you're ready
• Building businesses in unfamiliar industries
• Why most entrepreneurs quit too soon
• The biggest risk people don't talk about
• The role family plays in entrepreneurial success

#Entrepreneurship #Startups #Business #Leadership #BehindNumbers #FounderStory #SuccessMindset

Five unicorns. Four failures. Nearly 30 startup investments.Most investors never back a unicorn. Baba Page has backed five.In this episode of Behind Numbers, Baba breaks down how he evaluates founders, why he believes people matter more than ideas, and what separates the companies that scale from those that disappear.But this conversation goes far beyond investing.We also discuss the realities of entrepreneurship, the myth of multitasking, building systems that create leverage, and how Baba balances business, investing, and fatherhood as the father of eight children.In this episode:• How Baba evaluates founders before writing a check• The common traits shared by successful entrepreneurs• Why he believes multitasking is a fallacy• The difference between lifestyle businesses and venture-scale companies• Lessons learned from backing winners and losing money on failed startups• How to build systems that scale both at work and at home• What he wishes he had known 20 years earlierWhether you're an entrepreneur, investor, operator, or leader, this episode is packed with practical lessons on decision-making, focus, growth, and priorities.Guest: Bubba PageHost: Alessandro Cozzi#behindnumbers #Startups #VentureCapital #Entrepreneurship #AngelInvesting #Business

In this episode of Behind Numbers, Senofer Mendoza — Founder & General Partner of Mendoza Ventures — shares an inside look into the world of venture capital, startup investing, and the challenges of building a fund outside the traditional system.From representation in venture capital to founder psychology, leadership, AI, and the future of innovation, this conversation explores what really happens behind the scenes of the startup ecosystem.Senofer also explains why she believes capital should be assigned to talent, why more women need to write checks, and how diverse perspectives can shape stronger businesses and better outcomes.A powerful conversation on investing, entrepreneurship, leadership, and the future of venture capital.#VentureCapital #Startups #Leadership #Business #BehindNumbers

Why do some people build successful careers without having everything figured out… while others feel stuck even when they’re doing everything “right”?In this episode of Behind Numbers, Catherine shares how her path evolved from early storytelling to journalism, marketing, and eventually building her own business, without a perfectly planned roadmap.Along the way, she reveals one pattern she’s seen again and again when working with leaders: most professionals struggle to communicate clearly, and it often holds them back more than they realize.But this conversation goes far beyond communication.Topics include:– Navigating career uncertainty and wrong turns– The overlap between journalism, marketing, and leadership– What it really takes to build something on your own– Why many leaders feel pressure and responsibility differently than expected– The role of clarity and brevity in effective communicationIf you’re thinking about your next step, building something, or improving how you communicate your ideas, this episode offers a practical and honest perspective.Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of work.#careergrowth #Leadership #Communication #Entrepreneurship #Clarity #BehindNumbers

He left Google at the peak of his career… but something still felt wrong.
Even on a beach in Mexico, the stress didn’t go away.

In this episode of Behind Numbers, Julian Pistone (ex-Google leader) shares the moment he realized success wasn’t enough—and what it really takes to redesign your life from the inside out.

After nearly a decade at Google leading international teams, Julian walked away from everything to pursue a deeper question:
👉 What if the system you're optimizing for isn't the one you actually want to live in?

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why high achievers often feel stuck (even at the top)
• The hidden cost of success and identity
• How to know if you're on the wrong path
• The question that can change your life

If you’ve ever felt like something is “off”… this will hit home.

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations with leaders redefining success and the future of work.

#JulianPistone #GoogleCareer #CareerChange #Burnout #Purpose #SelfGrowth #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #Mindset #Success #PersonalGrowth #LifeDesign #BehindNumbers