The Growth-Minded CFO15 Okt 2025

Season 2 Recap — What Today’s Best CFOs Actually Do

Hosts Alex Louisy (CEO, Upflow) and Lauren Pearl (Fractional CFO) unpack the sharpest insights from Season 2 of The Growth-Minded CFO - from AI (without the hype) and executional finance to storytelling, EQ, and when to hire fractional vs. full-time. It’s your highlight reel to operate smarter, lead better, and move faster.

What you’ll learn

1. Clean data before clever AI — hygiene first; tools and agents second

2. Storytelling that moves decisions — narratives that align teams and unlock action

3. The rise of the executional CFO — architect systems, not just measure them

4. Stage-fit team building — when to hire full-time vs. bring in fractional expertise

Episodes mentioned

Jeffrey Fidelman — The Modern CFO: Fundraising, AI, and Starting Smart in 2025: https://upflow.io/growthmindedcfo/modern-cfo-fundraising-ai-2025
Jon Gross (RepeatMD) — From Banker to Builder: Hands-On CFO Lessons for SaaS: https://upflow.io/growthmindedcfo/banker-to-builder-cfo-lessons-for-saas-jon-gross
Nicolas Kopp (Rillet) — Rewiring Finance: AI, ERP, and the Rise of the Executional CFO: https://upflow.io/growthmindedcfo/rewiring-finance-ai-erp-rise-of-the-executional-cfo
Erik Nakamura — From Spreadsheets to Storytelling: Communication & EQ Tips for CFOs: https://upflow.io/growthmindedcfo/spreadsheets-to-storytelling-communication-tips-for-cfos
Anne Samak de la Cerda (FLG Partners) — Rise of the Fractional CFO – Your Next Career Move? (& When and Why to Hire One): https://upflow.io/growthmindedcfo/rise-of-the-fractional-cfo
Dav Masaon (Zanda) — What Makes a Great CFO in 2025? Insights from the Frontlines of CFO Hiring: https://upflow.io/growthmindedcfo/cfo-hiring-dav-masaon
Nicolas Boucher — AI in Finance: From Buzz to Business Value: https://upflow.io/growthmindedcfo/ai-myths-finance-2025-nicolas-boucher
Kate Gulliver (Wayfair CFO & CAO) — The CFO Leading Talent, Operations & Corporate Communication Too: https://upflow.io/growthmindedcfo/talent-to-finance-wayfair-kate-gulliver
Carla Cooper (Contentful CFO) — Wall Street to SaaS CFO: Lessons from IPOs, Acquisitions & Growth: https://upflow.io/growthmindedcfo/ipos-acquisitions-growth-carla-cooper
Gabi Steele (Preql) — Clean data, clear insights: AI for finance & building the right foundation: https://upflow.io/growthmindedcfo/building-a-structured-foundation-for-ai-with-gabi-steele
Ilana Esterrich (Planned Parenthood CFO) — The CFO as Leader: Mastering Management: https://upflow.io/growthmindedcfo/cfo-as-leader-mastering-management-ilana-esterrich

Try Upflow FRM (Financial Relationship Management) – get paid faster and keep customers happy: https://upflow.io

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The Growth-Minded CFO podcast challenges the status quo and explores how the best CFOs approach their work and lives. Hosts Lauren Pearl (Fractional CFO, 3-time founder, Startup Finance Instructor at NYU) and Alex Louisy (FinTech CEO, Y Combinator graduate) talk with inspiring finance and business leaders who share playbooks for building high-performing organizations.

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

Questions or guest ideas? Email our producer: 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