When someone even mentions the budgeting season, most business owners and their team members — especially the finance department — start feeling anxious. But it should not be like that, says our guest, Brian Weisberg, the Head of Finance and Business Operations at Tidelift. The key to any fruitful budgeting process is a well-thought-out financial model. Therefore, each company needs a finance expert — someone ready to go beyond their role to get to know the business and its parts and "knit the whole thing together." In this episode of The Role Forward, Brian and our host Joe Garafalo discuss the importance of mindful sales planning, the role of technology in the FP&A space, and why every company should perceive a finance expert as a team captain. Guest-at-a-GlanceName: Brian WeisbergWhat he does: Brian is the Head of Finance and Business Operations at TideliftCompany: TideliftNoteworthy: Before joining Tidelift, Brian spent a considerable number of years running finance for fast-growing startups in the enterprise B2B SaaS space. Where to find Brian: LinkedIn｜Twitter

Forecasting is essential for every team, and it involves tracking key performance indicators and financial metrics to measure each team's success. But many people don’t discuss best practices, especially when you begin to add headcount into the mix.Our host Joe Michalowski welcomes Brian Weisberg, the CFO at Tidelift, back to The Role Forward podcast. While they work through departmental headcount planning, Joe and Brian also discuss the importance of understanding the business’s goals, why you need to be realistic with expectations, and why companies should invest early in a financial position.Links Referenced in This EpisodeDave Kellogg’s BlogLauren Kelley and Tom Huntington on the R&D Magic NumberGuest-at-a-Glance💡 Name: Brian Weisberg💡 What he does: He's the CFO at Tidelift.💡 Company: Tidelift💡 Noteworthy: Brian Weisberg is an experienced finance leader who enjoys working in startup cultures. Before joining Tidelift, he held VP of Finance roles at companies like Code Climate and Anchore.💡 Where to find Brian: LinkedIn | Twitter