The Finance Leader Podcast

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Episode 126: Ever wondered how to transition from the demanding world of public accounting to a prestigious industry role? Join us as we sit down with Mike Manalac, Accounting Manager at Google and former PwC and Walmart accountant. Mike shares his incredible journey and the invaluable lessons he's learned along the way. From the rigorous training environments of Big Four firms to the nuances of auditing publicly traded companies, Mike offers insights that are crucial for anyone aspiring to climb the finance career ladder.

Curious about how the accounting landscape is evolving, especially with the rise of remote work and AI? This episode delves into the transformative impact of technology on finance roles. Mike emphasizes the importance of soft skills like creativity, leadership, and critical thinking to stand out in a field often stereotyped as rigid. Learn how to effectively navigate virtual leadership, utilize new collaborative tools, and stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly changing environment.

Balance is key, and Mike's approach to integrating fun into both professional and personal life is inspiring. Discover how unique skills and perspectives can give you a competitive edge, and how work-life balance not only enhances fulfillment but also boosts your career. Don't miss Mike's personal interests and his valuable resources like his website mikefromaccounting.com and courses designed to help accountants thrive. Whether you're an aspiring accountant or a seasoned professional, this episode is packed with actionable advice and insights.

Mike's website: mikefromaccounting.com

Please connect with me on:

1. Instagram: stephen.mclain
2. Twitter: smclainiii
3. Facebook: stephenmclainconsultant
4. LinkedIn: stephenjmclainiii

For more resources, please visit Finance Leader Academy:  financeleaderacademy.com. 

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Episode 125: What if your workplace could be a source of joy and fulfillment rather than stress and dread? Join us this week on the Finance Leader Podcast as we uncover powerful strategies to transform your work environment into a thriving ecosystem where every team member feels valued and empowered. You’ll learn how to set realistic expectations, appreciate your team effectively, and utilize company benefits to their fullest potential.

In episode 125, we explore why poor leadership often turns work into a negative experience and how we can change this narrative. Discover the key to unlocking your team's true potential through meaningful one-on-one sessions and insightful conversations about their life purposes. We also discuss the importance of providing proper resources and unbiased feedback to cultivate a healthy, successful work environment. Tune in to equip yourself with the leadership skills necessary to help your team not only survive but truly thrive.

Episode outline:

1. Create a healthy work environment,
2. Inspire your team, and
3. Maximize all company benefits and programs. 

Please connect with me on:

1. Instagram: stephen.mclain
2. Twitter: smclainiii
3. Facebook: stephenmclainconsultant
4. LinkedIn: stephenjmclainiii

For more resources, please visit Finance Leader Academy:  financeleaderacademy.com. 

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Episode 124 - Join me as I explore why leadership is the cornerstone of creating positive change and achieving extraordinary results in finance and accounting. Learn how to coach your team effectively, helping them present their findings with confidence and develop innovative solutions that stand out in today’s competitive landscape. With practical advice and real-world examples, I'll guide you on the journey to becoming a great leader who can inspire a high-performing team capable of driving success and outlasting the competition. Don't miss out on this opportunity to elevate your leadership game and make a lasting impact on your organization.


Episode outline:

1. We need to develop leadership skills before anything else,
2. Leadership is how you create positive change,
3. How you can become a great leader.

Please connect with me on:

1. Instagram: stephen.mclain
2. Twitter: smclainiii
3. Facebook: stephenmclainconsultant
4. LinkedIn: stephenjmclainiii

For more resources, please visit Finance Leader Academy:  financeleaderacademy.com. 

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Are you following our Mid-Year Goal Review Challenge: financeleaderacademy.com/Goalchallenge ? Ready to transform your goal-setting game and make 2024 your most successful year yet? Join us in this special bonus episode of the Finance Leader Podcast, as we reveal how setting SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-based—can truly set you apart. We'll revisit the key insights from Episode 115 and challenge you with a Mid-Year Goal review. Learn why SMART goals outperform New Year's resolutions and how adopting a growth mindset can elevate your career and personal life. We'll also share strategies for staying focused, planning long-term, and getting back on track when necessary.

Discover the power of writing down your big goals and breaking them into manageable steps while ensuring they align with your career and family aspirations. We'll highlight the importance of continuous updates and accountability to maintain momentum. This episode isn't just about setting goals—it's about building a strong professional foundation, enhancing leadership skills, and fostering executive presence. Let's embark on this journey together and turn your 2024 aspirations into reality!


Episode outline:

1. Why we set goals and not new years’ resolutions,
2. Our mindset is our greatest asset,
3. What is your big goal for 2024?
4. Use the SMART method for goal planning.

Please connect with me on:

1. Instagram: stephen.mclain
2. Twitter: smclainiii
3. Facebook: stephenmclainconsultant
4. LinkedIn: stephenjmclainiii

For more resources, please visit Finance Leader Academy:  financeleaderacademy.com. 

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Episode 123:  Could a major competitor's sudden closure transform your business landscape? Find out how unexpected changes in your competitive space can significantly impact your customer traffic and revenue. This episode takes you through a fascinating local case where a major retailer shut its doors—not due to poor performance, but rather a landlord's decision. We dissect the ripple effects on surrounding businesses in a bustling shopping center, providing you with essential metrics to gauge how such changes affect your operations.

Equip yourself with actionable strategies to adapt and thrive amidst market shifts. We'll explore year-over-year sales changes, variations in product types, and time-of-day traffic adjustments. Learn how to identify and fill market gaps left by a complementary business's closure. Stay ahead in your financial planning by optimizing your resources and preparing contingencies for unexpected disruptions. Join us as we offer invaluable insights to ensure your business remains resilient and responsive to changes in your competitive landscape.

Episode outline:

1. What happens when a business change occurs to a competitor,
2. What metrics and planning considerations should you analyze, and 
3. We must be continually strategic in our analysis.

Please connect with me on:

1. Instagram: stephen.mclain
2. Twitter: smclainiii
3. Facebook: stephenmclainconsultant
4. LinkedIn: stephenjmclainiii

For more resources, please visit Finance Leader Academy:  financeleaderacademy.com. 

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Episode 114 encore: Does your organization have the ability to overcome a crisis or overcome rapidly changing business and economic conditions? Is decision making lagging due to financial systems that cannot adapt or because of legacy processes that don’t support change? Being agile means, you can quickly assess and adapt to rapidly changing conditions. Sometimes this lies in processes, but often it can be with leaders who are not able to see change indicators which also means that you may not be measuring for changing conditions.

Episode outline:

1. How finance agility and digital transformation gives you more flexibility in a turbulent environment,
2. Finance and digital transformation are keys to being more agile, and 
3. What are your next steps?

Please connect with me on:

1. Instagram: stephen.mclain
2. Twitter: smclainiii
3. Facebook: stephenmclainconsultant
4. LinkedIn: stephenjmclainiii

For more resources, please visit Finance Leader Academy:  financeleaderacademy.com. 

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As the NFL Draft ignites conversations about talent acquisition, we turn the spotlight on the universal principles of selecting and nurturing the right people for your finance squad. In this bonus episode, I explore the critical importance of soft skills, such as emotional intelligence and communication, and their role in creating a harmonious and effective team environment. I'll share why these innate qualities often outweigh technical prowess, and how you can foster a culture that values growth, coachability, and adding value at every turn.

Prepare to challenge your perceptions of team development and leadership as we discuss the nuanced art of recruitment. I emphasize that being a finance leader means also being a mentor, willing to invest in your team's continuous improvement. Reflecting on Mark Cuban's wisdom, I argue that there are no shortcuts to excellence, but rather a committed journey of cultivating talent. By the end of our conversation, you'll be equipped with actionable insights to help you seek out and develop individuals who don't just fill a role but elevate your entire organization. Join us for a compelling narrative that will transform how you think about and approach hiring within your finance team.

==>> Episode 45: Recruiting and Hiring Team Members

Episode outline:

1. Commit to focusing on soft skills,
2. Are they coachable,
3. Will they add value to your team,
4. Finance leaders must be teachers, and
5. Growth and development are keys to individual and team success. 

Please connect with me on:

1. Instagram: stephen.mclain
2. Twitter: smclainiii
3. Facebook: stephenmclainconsultant
4. LinkedIn: stephenjmclainiii

For more resources, please visit Finance Leader Academy:  financeleaderacademy.com. 

1. On the website, you can download the Become a Finance Leader Guide. You can use this guide to build your Finance Leadership skills so you can help senior leaders develop and execute the strategy.
2. I also offer a course, Advance Your Finance and Accounting Career: Developing a Promotion Strategy that Sets You Apart.

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Send us a text

Please download the Goal Setting Workbook that follows this episode: here

Imagine seizing opportunities as they arise, armed with a growth mindset that turns challenges into stepping stones for success. That's what we're unpacking today—how to nurture the mindset and habits that will steer us toward our most ambitious goals for the year. We'll revisit the SMART method, aligning our career and personal aspirations, even as life’s curveballs come our way. By maintaining focus and staying accountable, we're setting the stage for a year of unparalleled achievements. So, subscribe, share, and join our brigade of excellence; together, we're not just planning goals—we're setting the foundations for a legacy of leadership in finance.

Episode outline:

1. Why we set goals and not new years’ resolutions,
2. Our mindset is our greatest asset,
3. What is your big goal for 2024?
4. Use the SMART method for goal planning.

Please connect with me on:

1. Instagram: stephen.mclain
2. Twitter: smclainiii
3. Facebook: stephenmclainconsultant
4. LinkedIn: stephenjmclainiii

For more resources, please visit Finance Leader Academy:  financeleaderacademy.com. 

1. On the website, you can download the Become a Finance Leader Guide. You can use this guide to build your Finance Leadership skills so you can help senior leaders develop and execute the strategy.
2. I also offer a course, Advance Your Finance and Accounting Career: Developing a Promotion Strategy that Sets You Apart.

Support the show

Send us a text

In this episode, we're examining the transformative power of intense accountability in the realm of finance and accounting careers. We'll delve into how owning your mindset, setting clear goals, and establishing a chain of accountability can catapult you out of your comfort zone and propel you towards success.

We'll explore the fine line between making excuses and owning up to failures, and how the right mindset can encourage us to take more risks, essential for a thriving career. We'll also touch upon the concept of professional conduct and the role of accountability within our professional fields. Whether you are starting out or are a seasoned professional, this episode is brimming with unique insights and fresh perspectives designed to empower you to take charge of your career and your life. Step into the realm of intense accountability and let it shape your journey to success.

Episode outline:

1. What is intense accountability,
2. Own your mindset, goal setting, achievements, AND failures,
3. Accountability gets us out of our comfort zone, so we take risk,
4. Our professional conduct requires accountability too, and
5. Become a more sought-after finance leader.

Please connect with me on:

1. Instagram: stephen.mclain
2. Twitter: smclainiii
3. Facebook: stephenmclainconsultant
4. LinkedIn: stephenjmclainiii

For more resources, please visit Finance Leader Academy:  financeleaderacademy.com. 

1. On the website, you can download the Become a Finance Leader Guide. You can use this guide to build your Finance Leadership skills so you can help senior leaders develop and execute the strategy.
2. I also offer a course, Advance Your Finance and Accounting Career: Developing a Promotion Strategy that Sets You Apart.

Support the show

Send us a text

Embark on a journey through the treacherous terrain of strategic messaging as we dissect the recent communication blunders of Kellogg's and Wendy's. It's a perilous world out there for finance and accounting leaders tasked with navigating their company's external narratives – one wrong word could spell disaster for your brand's reputation. In this episode, we delve into why empathy and understanding the economic pulse of your audience is not just important, but critical for those speaking on behalf of their company. Discover key concepts and actionable guidance to bulletproof your public communication strategies, ensuring your messaging hits the mark every time.

Join me as we explore the nuances of crafting messages that resonate with consumers and safeguard your personal and corporate brand integrity. We'll unravel the dire consequences of disconnect and arrogance in communications, providing lessons that finance leaders can't afford to ignore. Learn how to wield the power of consistency, align company values with consumer needs, and genuinely connect with your audience—all while avoiding the snares of misplaced humor or off-the-cuff remarks. Tune in to fortify your leadership toolkit and ensure that when you speak, your audience doesn't just listen—they trust and believe in what you have to say.


Please connect with me on:

1. Instagram: stephen.mclain
2. Twitter: smclainiii
3. Facebook: stephenmclainconsultant
4. LinkedIn: stephenjmclainiii

For more resources, please visit Finance Leader Academy:  financeleaderacademy.com. 

1. On the website, you can download the Become a Finance Leader Guide. You can use this guide to build your Finance Leadership skills so you can help senior leaders develop and execute the strategy.
2. I also offer a course, Advance Your Finance and Accounting Career: Developing a Promotion Strategy that Sets You Apart.

Support the show