Why I started The Finance Fix

Report-builder no more: the big finance rebrand

Finance is finally going through a rebranding. We saw this when HR became People Ops, Data analysts became Data Scientists, IT became Dev Ops, and more.

Historically, we’ve been known as the spreadsheet wizards—the report builders. We’re the bad cops chasing down budget contributors and the executives known for saying “no.”?

At least, that’s the stereotype.?

But, if the last few years have taught us anything, it’s just how mission-critical finance really is. Be it a global pandemic, a soft recession, or a tough funding environment, the volatility of the last few years has underscored how much businesses need a strategic partner equipped with the skills to navigate unpredictable waters.?

When finance is empowered to think outside the cell (pun intended), businesses gain access to foresight, flexibility, and efficiency thanks to strategic forecasting, thorough scenario planning, and up-leveled operations.?

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.?

The role of the CFO continues to evolve, along with the reputation of the finance function. To usher in this new era, I believe it’s time for finance leaders to step up, speak out, and share their knowledge.?

That’s why I started my newsletter, The Finance Fix. In it, I share insights from my time as a 3x CFO and CEO of Cube. I cover the good, the bad, and the ugly (including my fingerless glove era).??

Subscribe to The Finance Fix to get finance insights sent straight to your inbox every other week.

The making of The Finance Fix

Each edition of The Finance Fix is carefully crafted to stand alone—but when pieced together, they form a comprehensive guide to succeeding in the world of finance. It’s more than just a newsletter; it's a toolkit for finance success, designed to address various aspects of finance leadership.?

Here's how we do it:

Zeroing in on “the big idea”

Every edition starts with a central theme, something I like to call “the big idea.” This could be anything from the importance of strategic thinking in finance to the nuances of budget planning.?

For example, in one of the earlier newsletter editions, I focused on the importance of adopting a strategic mindset. I brought out one of my many sports metaphors to highlight why finance leaders shouldn’t just focus on executing short-term goals, but also act as evangelists for the long term:

"Working towards long-term business goals is sort of like competing for the World Cup.

Every pass, every goal, every defensive move is a calculated part of the team's overall strategy. Sure, it’s exciting when they win a match—but these players (and their fans) are thinking about how they’re going to win the entire tournament.

The same can be said for finance leaders. Stakeholders are rooting for us to bring home the win, which means it’s our job to make sure our financial plans help us achieve short-term and long-term business goals.”?

Top three tips and tricks for achieving success as a finance leader

From there, we dive into the most important part of being a finance leader: taking actionable steps toward your goals. In every newsletter, I (or one of my colleagues) share three tips to help you get closer to your goals.

For example, when it comes to building an effective finance team, getting the right people in the right structure with the potential to scale meaningfully is essential.?

That’s why in our team-building edition, we shared the following tips:?

1. Set SMART goals that align with your overall strategic vision.
2. Create a roadmap for your team's growth and scalability.
3. Measure and track your team’s success with KPIs.

P.S. Find these tips (and more) in our guide to growing and scaling a top-notch FP&A team.?

The nitty gritty: battle-tested techniques to get sh*t done?

I believe in the power of continuous learning. That's why each edition includes recommendations for articles, books, or resources that have inspired me or deepened my understanding of the topic at hand.?

For example, The Finance Fix made its debut at the start of one of the most crucial times of year—budget season. Despite being an omnipresent, mission-critical effort, budgeting is really hard to do well. To make planning and executing a budget easier, we offered resource recommendations that focused on:?

• Building a foolproof operating budget
• Aligning OKRs and financial plans to build better budgets?
• Surviving budget season and tips for rolling out a fresh budget?

Everything in-between: insights from fellow finance leaders?

Now for my favorite part. The Finance Fix isn't just about my insights; it’s an outlet for all of us to learn from each other. We feature stories, tips, and questions from fellow finance professionals as often as we can.

For example, in our Halloween edition, a few other finance leaders and I recounted terrifying tales from our past. These included:??

• “The Nightmare on Excel Street” that massively inflated global numbers from fractional CFO and CEO of Fresh FP&A, Chris Ortega?
• A million-dollar typo that left the CEO wondering if they could trust their numbers from VP of Finance and Data Strategy at Smart City Locating, Dustin Walsted
• Completing a budgeting cycle and realizing it wasn’t tied to a plan, from yours truly

Of course, mistakes happen. But each of these stories relates back to why I started The Finance Fix in the first place. If we share insights into what can go wrong, hopefully, others can avoid those speed bumps and do it right the first time.

Learn how to fix your FP&A strategy with The Finance Fix

I believe that knowledge sharing can accelerate the transformation of the finance function. It’s time to embrace our role as evangelists of proactive strategy, skillful navigators of rough waters, and dependent decision-makers.?

Ready to get on board with the future of finance? Click here to subscribe to the Finance Fix.?

See you in your inbox!