Strategic Financial Leadership

In this day and age, we are bombarded with to do’s, to haves, and a ton of noise that distracts us from what truly matters most. In life, it's not that we don't know what's good for us to pursue, rather it’s knowing what to cut in order to focus on the most essential activities. However, once we strip our lives down to the most essential things, the demands on our time and energy can still be overwhelming. 

That’s why I’m excited to have today's guest on the show, Greg McKeown. What you’ll learn about today is not only how to pursue the most essential, but also, how to give yourself permission to take the path of least resistance at times to achieve your most meaningful goals. 

Greg McKeown has dedicated his career to discovering why some people and teams break through to the next level—and others don’t.

He is the CEO of McKeown Inc. whose clients include Adobe, Apple, Google, Facebook, Pixar, Salesforce.com, Symantec, Twitter, VMware and Yahoo!.

As the author of New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, his writing has appeared or been covered by The New York Times, Fast Company, Fortune, HuffPost, Politico, and Inc. Magazine. He is among the most popular bloggers for the Harvard Business Review and LinkedIn’s Influencers group: averaging a million views a month.

An accomplished public speaker, he has spoken to hundreds of audiences around the world. 

He serves as a Board Member for Washington D.C. policy group Resolve and as a mentor with 2 Seeds, a non-profit incubator for agricultural projects in Africa. 

Prior to this, McKeown collaborated in the research and writing of Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter and worked for Heidrick & Struggles’ Global Leadership Practice assessing senior executives.

His newest book, , Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most, delves into the simple principle that not everything has to be so hard.

Helpful links:

• Free masterclass for business leaders and entrepreneurs: The Surprising Path to Excellence
• Take our free Performance Health Score Assessment. Start here
• Download the FREE Boosting Your Financial IQ app at the Apple App Store or Google Play Store
• Join our SFL Accelerator Program
• Check out our free masterclass "The Surprising Path to Excellence".

Disclaimer:
BYFIQ, LLC is a wholly owned entity of Coltivar Group, LLC. The views expressed here are those of the individual Coltivar Group, LLC (“Coltivar”) personnel quoted and are not the views of Coltivar or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, Coltivar has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation.

This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. The Company is not registered or licensed

We hear it time and time again: having the right attitude will take you far. Definitely an easy lesson to roll your eyes at when times get tough, but when you find yourself starting a new business or looking for a new career or job, having the right mindset is what sets apart the successful from the missed opportunities. 

Our guest today, Bryan Cressey, discusses how he has wired his brain after years of experience in the world of investing. He’ll delve into the times he uses intuition versus analytics, how a good leader takes credit for the failures and gives credit where credit is due, and how risk taking is built into the foundation of our economy, so you might as well go for it. 

Bryan Cressey is a pioneer in the field of private equity investing and is co-founder of four of the largest private equity firms in the United States. He has managed billions of dollars of private capital and is well known for generating consistently strong investment returns. 

A member of the Chicago Business Hall of Fame, and Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame, Bryan received his BS in Economics at the University of Washington and earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and a JD from Harvard Law School.

With over 40 years of experience, Bryan’s leadership has been recognized by Fortune and Time magazines and was the subject of a feature article in Harvard Law Today. He is highly sought out to speak nationwide on healthcare, its future, and private equity investing. He serves on the board of many companies and was Chairman of Belden, a NYSE company.

Helpful links:

• Free masterclass for business leaders and entrepreneurs: The Surprising Path to Excellence
• Take our free Performance Health Score Assessment. Start here
• Download the FREE Boosting Your Financial IQ app at the Apple App Store or Google Play Store
• Join our SFL Accelerator Program
• Check out our free masterclass "The Surprising Path to Excellence".

Disclaimer:
BYFIQ, LLC is a wholly owned entity of Coltivar Group, LLC. The views expressed here are those of the individual Coltivar Group, LLC (“Coltivar”) personnel quoted and are not the views of Coltivar or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, Coltivar has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation.

This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendations. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. Please see https://www.byfiq.com/terms-and-privacy-policy for additional important information.

Unlike 30 years ago, business today doesn’t take place behind closed doors. Or at least it shouldn’t. As the workplace becomes more of a community rather than a monetized entity, your team and customers are becoming your most important attributes as a leader. 

Our guest today, Jeff Cobourn, tells us how the company he works with, Gusto, takes this idea and goes all in. Setting the playing field straight with no titles, running extensive peer reviews twice a year and operating in full transparency, Jeff and Gusto are reaping the rewards from this shift in management. 

Jeff was born and raised in Toronto, Canada and graduated from Ivey Business School. He currently empowers the Revenue Finance team at Gusto. Prior to Gusto, he was a growth equity investor at Silver Lake. He's been at Gusto for over three and a half years and in addition to helping to define, defend, and accelerate Gusto, he's supported fundraising, M&A, and company strategy. When he's not thinking about Gusto's revenue, you can usually find him backpacking, cycling, or skiing!

Helpful links:

• Free masterclass for business leaders and entrepreneurs: The Surprising Path to Excellence
• Take our free Performance Health Score Assessment. Start here
• Download the FREE Boosting Your Financial IQ app at the Apple App Store or Google Play Store
• Join our SFL Accelerator Program
• Check out our free masterclass "The Surprising Path to Excellence".

Disclaimer:
BYFIQ, LLC is a wholly owned entity of Coltivar Group, LLC. The views expressed here are those of the individual Coltivar Group, LLC (“Coltivar”) personnel quoted and are not the views of Coltivar or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, Coltivar has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation.

This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendations. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. Please see https://www.byfiq.com/terms-and-privacy-policy for additional important information.

Life is becoming a lot less predictable, meaning businesses need to start evolving their preparation for the future by turning unforeseen circumstances into something they already saw coming. However, with Excel spreadsheets really requiring a master of both the program and finance to undertake such a project, many are deterred away from including uncertainty in their number crunching. 

Our guest today, Taimur Abdaal, introduces his product, Causal, a clearer way to tackle those frustrating spreadsheets, and reasons for why every employee should be up to speed with the finances at hand. 

Taimur is a graduate of the University of Oxford with a degree in Mathematics and Statistics. He’s been awarded the OxTALENT Student Innovation Award, for his online arthritic game Speedsums,  as well as the CREST Gold Award.

He currently serves as the founder and CEO of the start up Causal, an all-in-one FP&A tool for modern finance teams.

Helpful links:

• Free masterclass for business leaders and entrepreneurs: The Surprising Path to Excellence
• Take our free Performance Health Score Assessment. Start here
• Download the FREE Boosting Your Financial IQ app at the Apple App Store or Google Play Store
• Join our SFL Accelerator Program
• Check out our free masterclass "The Surprising Path to Excellence".

Disclaimer:
BYFIQ, LLC is a wholly owned entity of Coltivar Group, LLC. The views expressed here are those of the individual Coltivar Group, LLC (“Coltivar”) personnel quoted and are not the views of Coltivar or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, Coltivar has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation.

This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendations. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. Please see https://www.byfiq.com/terms-and-privacy-policy for additional important information.

Technology and business over the past 20 years have seen such a quantum leap in innovation, that it’s about time we changed our strategies to match the present and future. No longer can we just focus on mastering one discipline, but rather find a way to weave topics like technology, science and finance, together.

Dr. Vinay Nair discusses with us today how through complex and creative contemplation, putting the customers needs and your employees growth ahead of the product is the new wave of thought that will lead to big results in these modern times.

A serial entrepreneur, investor, and academic, Dr.Vinay Nair has taught at several business schools, has a portfolio of venture investments and has started several companies in financial services.  He started his career as a finance faculty member at The Wharton School. After launching and managing a quantitative hedge fund which led him to start 55ip, which was successfully sold to JPMorgan Chase, he started TIFIN to tap into the potential that science and technology have to deliver better investor experiences and outcomes.

His 2008 book, “Investing for Change”, published by Oxford University Press, reflects his recognized expertise in the areas of sustainable and responsible investing. His academic background includes a Ph.D. in Financial Economics from the Stern School of Business at NYU with an award for the best thesis, and a Bachelor of Technology from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras with the Governor’s Gold Medal, an award for all-round excellence.

Helpful links:

• Free masterclass for business leaders and entrepreneurs: The Surprising Path to Excellence
• Take our free Performance Health Score Assessment. Start here
• Download the FREE Boosting Your Financial IQ app at the Apple App Store or Google Play Store
• Join our SFL Accelerator Program
• Check out our free masterclass "The Surprising Path to Excellence".

Disclaimer:
BYFIQ, LLC is a wholly owned entity of Coltivar Group, LLC. The views expressed here are those of the individual Coltivar Group, LLC (“Coltivar”) personnel quoted and are not the views of Coltivar or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, Coltivar has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation.

This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendations. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. Please see https://www.byfiq.com/terms-and-privacy-policy for additional important information.

One could argue that entrepreneurship is the purest form of business: Building the idea, team and strategy from the ground up, all while having the freedom of being your own boss and setting your own expectations. But this freedom doesn’t come without major roadblocks. The odds of a start up getting past the early stages is slim, and maneuvering around all the unforeseen tribulations makes the odds of a long-term success story slimmer. 

That’s why today’s guest, Tom Eisenmann, is a much needed voice on this topic. In his new book, "Why Startups Fail: A New Roadmap for Entrepreneurial Success", Eisenmann goes through his six patterns of failure that startup’s make throughout their course, and when to take the leap and when to call it quits. 

Eisenmann is the Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School. He teaches the MBA elective Entrepreneurial Failure and the MS/MBA core courses Technology Venture Immersion and Launch Lab. With colleagues, he launched the MBA electives Making Markets, in which students specify and supervise development of a software application. He also created the January Term Startup Bootcamp for first-year MBAs and the MBA electives Launching Technology Ventures and Managing Networked Business, which surveyed strategies for platform-based businesses that leverage network effects. 

Professor Eisenmann received his Doctorate in Business Administration, MBA, and BA from Harvard University. Prior to entering the HBS Doctoral Program, Eisenmann spent eleven years as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, where he was co-head of the Media and Entertainment Practice. He currently serves as a director on the board of Harvard Business Publishing.

Helpful links:

• Free masterclass for business leaders and entrepreneurs: The Surprising Path to Excellence
• Take our free Performance Health Score Assessment. Start here
• Download the FREE Boosting Your Financial IQ app at the Apple App Store or Google Play Store
• Join our SFL Accelerator Program
• Check out our free masterclass "The Surprising Path to Excellence".

Disclaimer:
BYFIQ, LLC is a wholly owned entity of Coltivar Group, LLC. The views expressed here are those of the individual Coltivar Group, LLC (“Coltivar”) personnel quoted and are not the views of Coltivar or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, Coltivar has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation.

This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendations. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. Please see https://www.by

We are all given 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. But when it comes to leadership, how we prioritize that time is what separates the innovative from the disoriented. With each decision triggering a domino effect, everyone, from your team behind you, all the way to your customers, feels the aftershocks.

Our guest today, Aaron Sallade, tells us how by looking through the windshield, rather than the rear view mirror, your choices will prove both strategic and constructive to your employees, mission, and overall happiness of your customers.

Aaron Sallade is a seasoned finance, strategy, and operations leader with over 15 years of experience in enabling value creation.  Before becoming the Chief Financial Officer at BiggerPockets, Aaron led multiple strategic initiatives and category expansion opportunities at HomeAdvisor and Cinch Home Services.  Prior to these roles, he held various positions in corporate finance, private equity, and investment banking.  He is also an Army veteran who served in both Bosnia–Herzegovina and Afghanistan.

Outside of work, he is an avid mountaineer who has climbed 5 of the 7 world’s highest summits and numerous other peaks throughout the continental US.

Helpful links:

• Free masterclass for business leaders and entrepreneurs: The Surprising Path to Excellence
• Take our free Performance Health Score Assessment. Start here
• Download the FREE Boosting Your Financial IQ app at the Apple App Store or Google Play Store
• Join our SFL Accelerator Program

Disclaimer:
BYFIQ, LLC is a wholly owned entity of Coltivar Group, LLC. The views expressed here are those of the individual Coltivar Group, LLC (“Coltivar”) personnel quoted and are not the views of Coltivar or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, Coltivar has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation.

This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendations. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. Please see https://www.byfiq.com/terms-and-privacy-policy for additional important information.

Be it the cost of living continuing to climb while salaries remain stagnant, or the hope of owning a house and retiring becoming more far fetched, managing our personal finances feels like an incredibly daunting task. We are told we need to prepare for the future with its abundance of confusing options while trying to also account for unforeseen circumstances. But with the lack of early education, few of us actually come into this system knowing anything about it.

That’s why our guest today is here to ease the stress. Alok Deshpande educates us on how with baby steps, one can grab hold of their finances with better understanding of their decisions and capitalism as a whole. 

After earning degrees at Emory and Harvard University, Alok began working at Bain & Company as a consultant and later manager. Recognizing that only 4 of 50 states require financial education to graduate from high school, he eventually left his job to follow his passion of teaching personal finance. 

Inspired by his mother, who immigrated to the US, and watching her grow her $8 into a million, Alok published his own system called Financial Fuel and the 7-Tank System, which has since transformed into what is today SmartPath, where he is Co-Founder and CEO.

Helpful links:

• Free masterclass for business leaders and entrepreneurs: The Surprising Path to Excellence
• Take our free Performance Health Score Assessment. Start here
• Download the FREE Boosting Your Financial IQ app at the Apple App Store or Google Play Store
• Join our SFL Accelerator Program
• Check out our free masterclass "The Surprising Path to Excellence".

Disclaimer:
BYFIQ, LLC is a wholly owned entity of Coltivar Group, LLC. The views expressed here are those of the individual Coltivar Group, LLC (“Coltivar”) personnel quoted and are not the views of Coltivar or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, Coltivar has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation.

This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendations. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. Please see https://www.byfiq.com/terms-and-privacy-policy for additional important information.

Nothing in life is strictly black and white, and the same goes for the world of business. No more are profits just ‘good’ and loss is ‘bad’, or does higher salary equal a happy employee. Our guest today, Ragu Bhargava, explains how success can reach a higher magnitude in your organization AND personal life by practicing empathy and balancing your focus on quality rather than just quantity.  

Ragu is an experienced, award-winning entrepreneur, financial executive, and leader. He helps clients successfully navigate some of the world’s trickiest business environments.

After immigrating to the US, Ragu co-founded his own company in 1999. Today Global Upside Corporation and it’s four brands operate in 150+ countries.

With professional experiences ranging from being a CPA to heading dozens of international M&As, Ragu has leveraged his vast business expertise in scaling his companies to solve some of the most complex business challenges.

Helpful links:

• Free masterclass for business leaders and entrepreneurs: The Surprising Path to Excellence
• Take our free Performance Health Score Assessment. Start here
• Download the FREE Boosting Your Financial IQ app at the Apple App Store or Google Play Store
• Join our SFL Accelerator Program
• Check out our free masterclass "The Surprising Path to Excellence".

Disclaimer:
BYFIQ, LLC is a wholly owned entity of Coltivar Group, LLC. The views expressed here are those of the individual Coltivar Group, LLC (“Coltivar”) personnel quoted and are not the views of Coltivar or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, Coltivar has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation.

This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendations. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. Please see https://www.byfiq.com/terms-and-privacy-policy for additional important information.

In the past 10 years, the work place and expected ‘work ethic’ has seen many alterations from what our parents had ingrained in them. No more is it the norm to grin and bear it in an unhealthy work environment in order to rack up the years, nor is it acceptable for leadership to cut corners. With Millennials and Generation Z entering the workforce, they don’t care about title and office size, but rather who you are and what makes you credible as a manager. 

Our guest today, Vince Molinaro, discusses his newest book Accountable Leaders:  Inspire a Culture Where Everyone Steps Up, Takes Ownership, and Delivers Results, illuminating why accountability should be the #1 attribute to instill in every leader working in this modern-day environment.

Vince Molinaro is Founder and CEO of Leadership Contract Inc. and is an author, speaker, leadership adviser and researcher. Molinaro has helped create one of the leading brands in the Human Capital industry, working in several key sectors including energy, pharmaceutical, professional services, technology, financial services, and the public sector.

He is the author of four other books, Leadership Solutions, The Leadership Gap, The Leadership Contract, and the Leadership Contract Field Guide.  His work has been featured in many of the world’s leading business publications, including The Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and The World Economic Forum.

Helpful links:

• Free masterclass for business leaders and entrepreneurs: The Surprising Path to Excellence
• Take our free Performance Health Score Assessment. Start here
• Download the FREE Boosting Your Financial IQ app at the Apple App Store or Google Play Store
• Join our SFL Accelerator Program
• Check out our free masterclass "The Surprising Path to Excellence".

Disclaimer:
BYFIQ, LLC is a wholly owned entity of Coltivar Group, LLC. The views expressed here are those of the individual Coltivar Group, LLC (“Coltivar”) personnel quoted and are not the views of Coltivar or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, Coltivar has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation.

This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendations. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. Please see https://www.byfiq.com/terms-and-privacy-policy for additional important information.