Host Erik Zhou sits down with Amber Papp, VP of Finance at Scentbird, to explore the unique challenges of accounting in the e-commerce space. From managing a massive inventory of over 700 fragrances to navigating rapid growth and making smart automation decisions, Amber shares firsthand insights on what it takes to keep financial operations running smoothly at a high-growth, subscription-based company.

Amber and Erik also dig into relevant themes like the role of AI in accounting, balancing efficiency with cost when evaluating new financial tools and systems, and the never-ending pursuit of data integrity.

And as the episode closes, Amber shares a truly unexpected budget request—one that involved a Cybertruck, a demolition derby, and a marketing team with big dreams.

Key quote

• “Having over 700 fragrances, it does present certain challenges. We want to make sure as an ecom business that we're giving our customers the best offering. You want to have as much variety as possible, obviously, but at the same time, you have to be able to manage the different fragrances.”

Time Stamps

• (02:20) Career path and transition to Scentbird
• (06:20) Challenges with inventory management
• (16:31) Data integrity and AI in accounting
• (21:25) Homegrown systems vs. off-the-shelf solutions
• (30:07) Maintaining company culture remotely
• (41:09) Finance leaders are fun too

Links

• Connect with Amber
• Visit Scentbird
• Connect with Erik
• Visit Brex