The Owner Seat

In Episode 6 of The Valisights Podcast, host Albert Ramos sits down with Brian Kalish — founder of Kalish Consulting, former AFP Executive, and one of the most connected thought leaders in global FP&A.

Brian unpacks how Agentic AI and hyperautomation are reshaping the Office of Finance, why static reporting is dead, and how finance leaders must evolve into strategic advisors. With decades of experience building finance roundtables and partnering with organizations like AFP, Treasury & Risk, and Braintrust, Brian brings an unmatched perspective on the intersection of finance, technology, and leadership.

You’ll also hear Brian’s take on the future of real-time decisioning, the impact of generative AI, and why FP&A pros need to build curiosity muscles, not just technical ones.

He also gives his take on how platforms like Valisights and it's popular products like CashIQ, Trendsights, Deepsights and Peersights are disrupting the Accounting, FP&A and CFO space.

Topics:
FP&A | AI in Finance | Agentic AI | Office of Finance | Hyperbots | Strategic Finance | Treasury | Financial Transformation | Decision Intelligence | Forecasting

Want to be on the show or learn more about Albert Ramos? Book a call with him ⁠⁠here⁠⁠

→ Book a free Valisights demo at ⁠⁠Valisights.com⁠⁠ to see how AI-powered tools like CashIQ and TrendSights help CFOs and FP&A teams turn data chaos into strategy.→ Follow Albert on LinkedIn and visit ⁠⁠www.StrategoIntel.com⁠⁠

About the Host — Albert Ramos

Albert Ramos is the Founder of Stratego Intel Consulting, a boutique Fractional CFO firm built for fitness, wellness, hospitality, and longevity brands. Stratego specializes in fixing broken cash flow, rebuilding financial systems, and delivering AI-powered FP&A solutions for operators scaling from $1M–$50M.

Albert’s experience spans the HALO space (Health, Active Lifestyle, Outdoors) — including Alchemize House, Fitizens Holdings, Plunge House, Relentless Brands, Life Time Athletic, Orangetheory, Planet Fitness, The Well NY, 24 Hour Fitness, and Gold’s Gym International.

Through Stratego, Albert helps founders and finance leaders:

• Build investor-ready financials and raise capital confidently

• Fix cash flow leaks and optimize working capital

• Forecast with AI-powered dashboards for clear decision-making

• Support M&A and roll-ups with clean, reliable unit economics

Albert has led $200M+ P&Ls, managed 200+ stores, and guided teams of 3,000+ employees, blending financial precision with AI innovation to help companies scale sustainably.

In this episode of The Valisights Podcast, host Albert Ramos sits down with Irene-Marie Seelig, Co-Founder and CEO of AccountGroove, for a tactical conversation on pricing psychology, workflow automation, and building a modern, scalable firm.

Irene shares how she went from custom software development for brands like Adidas to launching a proposal-to-billing platform that’s transforming how accountants and fractional CFOs package and price their services. She breaks down the power of 3-tier pricing, the hidden insights behind proposal acceptance rates, and why niche positioning is the growth unlock most firms overlook.

You’ll hear Irene’s hard-won lessons from the trenches, including what makes premium-tier clients say “yes,” how to build time freedom through automation, and why financial professionals need to stop duct-taping their workflows together.

Plus, Irene shares her take on Valisights and how AI-powered strategic finance platforms are reshaping the role of today’s firm owners and finance leaders.

Topics:
Pricing Strategy | Workflow Automation | Fractional CFO | Proposal Psychology | Niching | Strategic Finance | AI in Finance | Women-Led Firms | FP&A Tools | SaaS for Accountants

Want to be on the show or learn more about Albert Ramos? Book a call with him ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠

→ Book a free Valisights demo at ⁠⁠⁠Valisights.com⁠⁠⁠ to see how AI-powered tools like CashIQ and TrendSights help CFOs and FP&A teams turn data chaos into strategy.→ Follow Albert on LinkedIn and visit ⁠⁠⁠www.StrategoIntel.com⁠⁠⁠

About the Host — Albert Ramos

Albert Ramos is the Founder of Stratego Intel Consulting, a boutique Fractional CFO firm built for fitness, wellness, hospitality, and longevity brands. Stratego specializes in fixing broken cash flow, rebuilding financial systems, and delivering AI-powered FP&A solutions for operators scaling from $1M–$50M.

Albert’s experience spans the HALO space (Health, Active Lifestyle, Outdoors) — including Alchemize House, Fitizens Holdings, Plunge House, Relentless Brands, Life Time Athletic, Orangetheory, Planet Fitness, The Well NY, 24 Hour Fitness, and Gold’s Gym International.

Through Stratego, Albert helps founders and finance leaders:

• Build investor-ready financials and raise capital confidently

• Fix cash flow leaks and optimize working capital

• Forecast with AI-powered dashboards for clear decision-making

• Support M&A and roll-ups with clean, reliable unit economics

Albert has led $200M+ P&Ls, managed 200+ stores, and guided teams of 3,000+ employees, blending financial precision with AI innovation to help companies scale sustainably.

In this episode of The Valisights Podcast, host Albert Ramos sits down with Stefan Boehmer, VP of Finance for Körber Supply Chain North America, to explore how finance leaders are navigating the intersection of AI, sustainability, and leadership transformation.

Stefan shares how Körber is embedding ESG principles across their global operations—while simultaneously investing in the next generation of finance talent. From fostering emotionally intelligent leadership to building a data-driven finance culture, Stefan unpacks what it takes to drive real value in today’s evolving landscape.

They also dive into the future of finance teams, AI literacy, and how to balance innovation with compliance in an increasingly complex regulatory environment. Stefan reflects on takeaways from the World Finance Forum and Convergence AI Dallas—and why EQ, IQ, and TQ are the new foundation of executive effectiveness.

You’ll hear Stefan’s perspective on how tools like Valisights’ CashIQ and TrendSights elevate financial planning, forecasting, and strategic decision-making—helping transform finance from a back-office function into a true business partner.

Topics:
AI Strategy | Sustainable Finance | Talent Retention | Finance Leadership | ESG | AI in Finance | CFO Innovation | Strategic Forecasting | Digital Transformation | Data Storytelling | Change Management | Emotional Intelligence | Cash Flow Intelligence | Financial Benchmarking | Finance Talent Development | FP&A Automation | Predictive Modeling | Regulatory Compliance | AI Governance | Business Agility

Want to be on the show or learn more about Albert Ramos? Book a call with him ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠

→ Book a free Valisights demo at ⁠⁠⁠Valisights.com⁠⁠⁠ to see how AI-powered tools like CashIQ and TrendSights help CFOs and FP&A teams turn data chaos into strategy.→ Follow Albert on LinkedIn and visit ⁠⁠⁠www.StrategoIntel.com⁠⁠⁠

About the Host — Albert Ramos

Albert Ramos is the Founder of Stratego Intel Consulting, a boutique Fractional CFO firm built for fitness, wellness, hospitality, and longevity brands. Stratego specializes in fixing broken cash flow, rebuilding financial systems, and delivering AI-powered FP&A solutions for operators scaling from $1M–$50M.

Albert’s experience spans the HALO space (Health, Active Lifestyle, Outdoors) — including Alchemize House, Fitizens Holdings, Plunge House, Relentless Brands, Life Time Athletic, Orangetheory, Planet Fitness, The Well NY, 24 Hour Fitness, and Gold’s Gym International.

Through Stratego, Albert helps founders and finance leaders:

• Build investor-ready financials and raise capital confidently

• Fix cash flow leaks and optimize working capital

• Forecast with AI-powered dashboards for clear decision-making

• Support M&A and roll-ups with clean, reliable unit economics

Albert has led $200M+ P&Ls, managed 200+ stores, and guided teams of 3,000+ employees, blending financial precision with AI innovation to help companies scale sustainably.

In this episode of The Valisights Podcast, host Albert Ramos sits down with Anna Tiomina, Founder of Blend2Balance, to explore how finance leaders can move from experimenting with AI to implementing real, time-saving automations.

Anna shares her journey from CFO to AI strategist, and how she helps finance teams overcome digital transformation blockers, build AI literacy, and take the first steps toward sustainable AI adoption. She breaks down the frameworks she uses to assess team readiness, evaluate data integrity, and identify the best low-risk use cases to automate—without waiting for perfect conditions.

They also discuss how to navigate internal resistance, avoid the common pitfalls of prompt engineering, and implement governance structures that empower speed without compromising compliance.

Anna weighs in on tools like Valisights, sharing why platforms like CashIQ and TrendSights provide clarity, real-time visibility, and decision-ready insights that modern CFOs can’t afford to ignore.

You’ll hear practical examples, automation wins, and why Anna believes finance leaders must shift from experimentation to execution—now.

Topics:
AI in Finance | Workflow Automation | CFO Strategy | Finance Transformation | Prompt Engineering | AI Literacy | Team Enablement | FP&A Automation | Finance Data Readiness | Digital Transformation | AI Governance | Strategic Planning | AI Adoption Frameworks | Cash Flow Forecasting | Financial Benchmarking | Finance Use Cases | Compliance Strategy | AI Change Management | Valisights Tools | CashIQ | TrendSights | Operational Finance

Want to be on the show or learn more about Albert Ramos? Book a call with him ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠

→ Book a free Valisights demo at ⁠⁠⁠Valisights.com⁠⁠⁠ to see how AI-powered tools like CashIQ and TrendSights help CFOs and FP&A teams turn data chaos into strategy.→ Follow Albert on LinkedIn and visit ⁠⁠⁠www.StrategoIntel.com⁠⁠⁠

About the Host — Albert Ramos

Albert Ramos is the Founder of Stratego Intel Consulting, a boutique Fractional CFO firm built for fitness, wellness, hospitality, and longevity brands. Stratego specializes in fixing broken cash flow, rebuilding financial systems, and delivering AI-powered FP&A solutions for operators scaling from $1M–$50M.

Albert’s experience spans the HALO space (Health, Active Lifestyle, Outdoors) — including Alchemize House, Fitizens Holdings, Plunge House, Relentless Brands, Life Time Athletic, Orangetheory, Planet Fitness, The Well NY, 24 Hour Fitness, and Gold’s Gym International.

Through Stratego, Albert helps founders and finance leaders:

• Build investor-ready financials and raise capital confidently

• Fix cash flow leaks and optimize working capital

• Forecast with AI-powered dashboards for clear decision-making

• Support M&A and roll-ups with clean, reliable unit economics

Albert has led $200M+ P&Ls, managed 200+ stores, and guided teams of 3,000+ employees, blending financial precision with AI innovation to help companies scale sustainably.

In this special edition, Beyond The Ledger, of The Valisights Podcast, host Albert Ramos sits down with Shawn Dargusch, CEO and Founder of Luna Locums, to explore how he’s transforming the healthcare staffing space through purpose, innovation, and AI-powered financial intelligence.

Shawn shares his personal journey—from overcoming a cancer diagnosis to launching Luna Locums with a bold mission: restore human connection to healthcare staffing and bring top-tier providers to underserved communities.

They dive into the emotional and operational drivers behind Luna, how strategic finance fuels growth, and why staffing is more than just filling a shift—it’s building relationships that drive impact.

In a unique crossover moment, Shawn discusses how tools like Valisights’ CashIQ and TrendSights, along with fractional CFO strategy from Stratego, have helped him gain real-time visibility, tighten cash flow forecasting, and turn financial reporting into a leadership advantage.

You’ll hear how a founder outside the finance world is leveraging AI-enabled finance tools to grow with confidence—and why the future of healthcare staffing demands this kind of data-driven agility.

Topics:
Healthcare Staffing | Locum Tenens | Strategic Finance | AI in Business | Founder Story | Startup Leadership | Purpose-Driven Business | Financial Visibility | Cash Flow Forecasting | Burnout Prevention | Valisights Tools | FP&A for Non-Finance CEOs | Mission-Driven Growth | AI-Enabled Forecasting | Talent Strategy | Financial Benchmarking | Scaling Operations with AI | CFO Tools | Real-Time Financial Reporting | Human-Centered Innovation

Resources:
Visit Luna Locums: ⁠⁠www.lunalocums.com⁠⁠
Explore Valisights: ⁠⁠www.Valisights.com⁠⁠
Albert LinkedIn: ⁠⁠Albert Ramos Jr. | LinkedIn

In this episode of The Valisights Podcast, host Albert Ramos sits down with Lukas Sundahl, founder of Accounting Couture, to explore how he’s reshaping the perception of accounting through creativity, education, and community.

Lukas shares how his love for accounting turned into a platform that promotes the profession through merchandise, content, and financial literacy tools — including a new activity book that teaches kids the fundamentals of accounting in a fun, engaging way. They also discuss career transitions into accounting, the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) pathway, and what the future of accounting looks like as AI enters the profession.

Lukas shares his take on how AI is reshaping accounting and finance, from faster forecasting to real-time insights. He also weighs in on Valisights, calling tools like CashIQ and TrendSights “game-changers for modern CFOs” that elevate decision-making and turn finance into a true strategic partner.

You’ll hear how Lukas blends brand-building with purpose, what inspires his outreach to aspiring accountants, and why financial storytelling is more important than ever.

Topics:
Accounting | CMA Certification | Financial Literacy | AI in Accounting | Career Change | Content Creation | Brand Building | Financial Storytelling | Education | Finance Community | FP&A | AI in Finance | Cash Flow Forecasting | Financial Benchmarking | GAAP Compliance Tools |Strategic Financial Planning | AI Financial Analytics | Financial Risk Management | Predictive Financial Modeling | Automated Financial Reporting | Financial Data Visualization | AI-Driven Financial Insights | Financial Performance Metrics | Business Financial Intelligence | Financial Compliance Automation | Financial Strategy Optimization

Want to be on the show or learn more about Albert Ramos? Book a call with him ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠

→ Book a free Valisights demo at ⁠⁠⁠Valisights.com⁠⁠⁠ to see how AI-powered tools like CashIQ and TrendSights help CFOs and FP&A teams turn data chaos into strategy.→ Follow Albert on LinkedIn and visit ⁠⁠⁠www.StrategoIntel.com⁠⁠⁠

About the Host — Albert Ramos

Albert Ramos is the Founder of Stratego Intel Consulting, a boutique Fractional CFO firm built for fitness, wellness, hospitality, and longevity brands. Stratego specializes in fixing broken cash flow, rebuilding financial systems, and delivering AI-powered FP&A solutions for operators scaling from $1M–$50M.

Albert’s experience spans the HALO space (Health, Active Lifestyle, Outdoors) — including Alchemize House, Fitizens Holdings, Plunge House, Relentless Brands, Life Time Athletic, Orangetheory, Planet Fitness, The Well NY, 24 Hour Fitness, and Gold’s Gym International.

Through Stratego, Albert helps founders and finance leaders:

• Build investor-ready financials and raise capital confidently

• Fix cash flow leaks and optimize working capital

• Forecast with AI-powered dashboards for clear decision-making

• Support M&A and roll-ups with clean, reliable unit economics

Albert has led $200M+ P&Ls, managed 200+ stores, and guided teams of 3,000+ employees, blending financial precision with AI innovation to help companies scale sustainably.

In this premiere episode of The Valisights Podcast, host Albert Ramos sits down with Paul Barnhurst, better known as The FP&A Guy, for a powerhouse conversation on the future of finance. Paul is a Microsoft MVP, AFP-certified pro, and host of FP&A Tomorrow, Future Finance, and Financial Modeler’s Corner.

Together, they unpack how AI is transforming financial modeling, forecasting, scenario planning, pricing strategy, and even mental health in finance teams. You’ll hear Paul’s insights on digital twins, tool overload, certification trends, and what today’s CFOs and FP&A leaders need to thrive.

Plus, Paul gives his take on Valisights, the next-gen AI platform for finance teams.

Topics:
FP&A | AI in Finance | Forecasting | Financial Modeling | CFO Strategy | Automation | Upskilling | Burnout | Digital Twins | Finance Tools

Want to be on the show or learn more about Albert Ramos? Book a call with him ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠

→ Book a free Valisights demo at ⁠⁠⁠Valisights.com⁠⁠⁠ to see how AI-powered tools like CashIQ and TrendSights help CFOs and FP&A teams turn data chaos into strategy.→ Follow Albert on LinkedIn and visit ⁠⁠⁠www.StrategoIntel.com⁠⁠⁠

About the Host — Albert Ramos

Albert Ramos is the Founder of Stratego Intel Consulting, a boutique Fractional CFO firm built for fitness, wellness, hospitality, and longevity brands. Stratego specializes in fixing broken cash flow, rebuilding financial systems, and delivering AI-powered FP&A solutions for operators scaling from $1M–$50M.

Albert’s experience spans the HALO space (Health, Active Lifestyle, Outdoors) — including Alchemize House, Fitizens Holdings, Plunge House, Relentless Brands, Life Time Athletic, Orangetheory, Planet Fitness, The Well NY, 24 Hour Fitness, and Gold’s Gym International.

Through Stratego, Albert helps founders and finance leaders:

• Build investor-ready financials and raise capital confidently

• Fix cash flow leaks and optimize working capital

• Forecast with AI-powered dashboards for clear decision-making

• Support M&A and roll-ups with clean, reliable unit economics

Albert has led $200M+ P&Ls, managed 200+ stores, and guided teams of 3,000+ employees, blending financial precision with AI innovation to help companies scale sustainably.