The Growth-Minded CFO27 Mai 2025

Spreadsheets to Storytelling: Communication & EQ Tips for CFOs, with Erik Nakamura

Being great with numbers may open the door—but it’s your emotional intelligence that keeps you in the room.

In this episode, Erik Nakamura—CFO of Journal Technologies—joins hosts Lauren Pearl and Alex Louisy to explore how emotional intelligence (EQ) is transforming the modern CFO role from number cruncher to strategic business partner.

With 25+ years of experience across startups, public companies, IPOs, and CFO consulting, Erik shares real-world insights on how today’s finance leaders can lead with empathy, drive culture, and communicate with clarity.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Erik’s three pillars for choosing the right company as a CFO.
Why EQ matters more than IQ in building high-performing teams.
How CFOs can become trusted communicators, not just financial enforcers.
Why Erik says CFO should also mean Chief Feelings Officer.
How coaching his kids in sports shaped his leadership style.
The value of mentorship, humility, and curiosity in finance.

“You want to treat people how they want to be treated. That takes emotional intelligence. That’s how you build trust—and trust is everything.” — Erik Nakamura

Whether you're hiring your first CFO, leading a finance team, or just exploring how to grow your leadership skills, this episode is packed with tactical advice and human-first leadership insights.

Chapters:

00:53 Meet Erik Nakamura: A Journey Through Finance
01:21 Erik's Career Highlights and Lessons Learned
03:27 The Three Pillars of Choosing the Right Company
07:43 Assessing Company Culture and Leadership
12:07 The Importance of Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
16:28 The Evolving Role of the CFO
18:52 The Importance of Storytelling in Finance
19:30 Adapting Communication for Different Audiences
20:23 Coaching and Mentorship in Leadership
22:34 The Role of EQ in a CFO's Daily Practice
24:15 Building Relationships and Culture in Finance
26:37 The Journey to Confidence and EQ Mastery
31:19 The Impact of Coaching on Professional Growth

Watch this episode on YouTube → https://youtu.be/lYktfwG2w44?si=Sz3CdbO-anAITqTr

Connect with Erik on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eriknakamura/

Connect with Alex on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexlouisy/

Connect with Lauren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenepearl/

The Growth-Minded CFO podcast aims to challenge the status-quo and explore how the best CFOs approach their work and lives. Hosts Lauren Pearl (Fractional CFO, 3-time Founder and Startup Finance Instructor at NYU) and Alex Louisy (FinTech CEO and Y Combinator graduate) speak with inspiring finance and business leaders who’ll share what great CFOs are doing to support high-performing organizations.

This podcast is powered by Upflow - a Financial Relationship Management platform enabling faster payments, stronger customer relationships and efficient growth for your business.

Join thousands of next-level finance leaders and go from chasing invoices to engaging customers. Find out more at https://upflow.io/

Feedback or praise for the podcast? Want to get in touch? Reach out to our producer at joseph.sweeney@upflow.io

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Episoder(40)

Why "AR Automation" Was Never the Right Name: Alex Louisy on Building Financial Relationship Management

For three seasons, Alex Louisy has sat on one side of the mic, asking CFOs about the decisions that shaped their careers. In this episode, he switches seats.Lauren Pearl interviews her own co-host abo...

2 Sep 52min

Inside the CFO-Sales Partnership: How Real-Time Data Changes the Game, with Christina Liu

Most CFOs can see the final sales numbers. Far fewer have a clear view of what is happening inside the pipeline before those numbers land.As CFO of Sigma Computing, Christina Liu works closely with sa...

6 Aug 30min

From GE’s $100B Transformation to Klarna and DeepL: Lessons in Scaling, with Martino Cadoni

Martino Cadoni has had a front-row seat to some extraordinary moments throughout his career so far.At GE Capital, he was selected to help transform a business with more than $100 billion in assets, wo...

8 Jul 46min

Revisiting: Wall Street to SaaS CFO with Carla Cooper (CFO @ Contentful)

What does it take to be a truly great CFO today?It’s not just about balancing the books—it’s about driving strategy, managing risks, and telling the financial story in a way that inspires confidence.I...

25 Jun 43min

The CFO’s AI Playbook: How to Roll Out AI Across Your Company, with Ryan Roccon (CFO at Zapier)

AI is no longer just an experiment. For many companies, it is quickly becoming an expectation.But rolling it out across a business is a very different challenge from giving a few people access to a fe...

10 Jun 42min

Revisiting: Chris Ortega on What Makes a Great CFO (Hint: They're Not Just a 'Human Calculator')

In this episode, hosts Lauren and Alex sit down with Chris Ortega, the CEO and founder of Fresh FP&A.Chris shares his inspiring career journey, from his early passion for finance to roles at Ernst & Y...

28 Mai 37min

Why Every CFO Needs a Personal Brand (And How to Build One), with Wassia Kamon

Most CFOs don’t think about personal brand until they need something: a new role, a board seat, a stronger network, or a way to stand out.But by then, it might already be too late.In this episode of T...

14 Mai 38min

Revisiting: Ilana Esterrich (CFO @ Planned Parenthood) On Leading Beyond The Numbers

If your role as CFO stops at the numbers, you’re already behind.Ilana Esterrich, CFO at Planned Parenthood, breaks down what it actually means to lead in today’s environment—from building resilient te...

29 Apr 40min