CFO Bookshelf

Sophie Theen is the author of The Soul of Startups. Sophie states that there is a misconception that a company's people make its culture. Instead, that culture starts at the top and works its way down into other teams which is consistently changing. And that can lead to unplanned and unforeseen consequences for the staff working in these startups.In this conversation, we learn about the three audiences this book is intended for. We learn that people do indeed leave bad companies, not necessarily bad bosses or managers. And we get some great advice for any person thinking about a role in a startup.Managing Dental Drama PodcastOwning, operating, and managing a dental practice can be difficult and sometimes...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Dr. Sam Savage is the gifted teacher all of us would have loved having as our professor in stats classes.Sam is the author of The Flaw of Averages and Chancification. During this conversation, we talk about the arithmetic of uncertainty, probability management,  and the limitations of risk matrixes. And we do it on a fifth-grade level.Managing Dental Drama PodcastOwning, operating, and managing a dental practice can be difficult and sometimes...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Canada NowBold ideas with the people shaping Canada’s next chapter.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Thomas Erikson is the author of Surrounded by Idiots, a book that simplifies four basic personality types using a coloring system and a two-by-two matrix.In this conversation, we address:the difference between the four letters in DISC and the colorsthe purpose and role of personality assessments in the workplacethe validity and reliability of such assessmentsthe three parts of the human mindSome people believe personality assessments are bogus. Others live and swear by them. Regardless of where you are on this spectrum, we address the questions you have about any type of personality assessment.Managing Dental Drama PodcastOwning, operating, and managing a dental practice can be difficult and sometimes...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Canada NowBold ideas with the people shaping Canada’s next chapter.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Can you think of a top business book exclusively for professional services firms? If so, your list is probably short and presumably headed by any title from David Maister. In this episode, a new book for this industry is introduced, The Boutique: How to Start, Scale, and Sell a Professional Services Firm by Greg Alexander.In this conversation, we talk about elephant and rabbit hunters, the one-thirds of billings, the only three types of firms in existence, and two critical metrics that buyers of professional services firms are examining closely.Managing Dental Drama PodcastOwning, operating, and managing a dental practice can be difficult and sometimes...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

If we think the reasons for the fall of BlackBerry are an open and shut case, we need to think again. Sean Silcoff is the co-author of Losing the Signal. The book covers the rise of BlackBerry, how its foundation started cracking before Apple's iPhone came on the scene and the breakup of two iconic founders of a company that once topped $20 billion in revenues.This interview explores some of the highs and lows in this story, a very readable narrative that also serves as a great business case study. Finally, we ask if there could have been a different ending. The ideas you hear might surprise you.Managing Dental Drama PodcastOwning, operating, and managing a dental practice can be difficult and sometimes...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Canada NowBold ideas with the people shaping Canada’s next chapter.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

When I read a biography, I want the words to jump out by telling me something I never knew about the person that's both memorable and interesting. I want to read about the subject's impact they had on others. And, I want to be inspired.Before reading Dirk Smillie's very readable and accessible biography on Harry Guggenheim entitled, The Business of Tomorrow, I knew nothing about this iconic family name.While one business publication heralded Harry as the godfather of flight during his day, there is so much more about this larger-than-life historical figure of the 20th century warranting a closer look at what made him special. Managing Dental Drama PodcastOwning, operating, and managing a dental practice can be difficult and sometimes...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Canada NowBold ideas with the people shaping Canada’s next chapter.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Should professionals like you and I be reading fiction and if so, why?Dr. Christine Seifert is the author of a 2020 HBR article, The Case for Reading Fiction. While professionals typically read for knowledge, Christy provides numerous reasons and studies on how reading fiction can expand our analytical abilities along with understanding others better.We explore terms such as cognitive agility and acuity, design fiction, openness to experience, and other big ideas revealing the power of reading fiction.Managing Dental Drama PodcastOwning, operating, and managing a dental practice can be difficult and sometimes...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Canada NowBold ideas with the people shaping Canada’s next chapter.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Who is Bill Gross?Who is the guy who learned to take risks in college while scalping basketball tickets at Duke? Or who was the risk-taker who counted cards in Las Vegas?Who exactly is the man once named the Morningstar Investment Manager of the Decade? And how was this lifelong investment professional able to see around corners during one of the country's greatest financial meltdowns during a time of bailouts and bank failures?You may already know Mary Childs as a co-host at NPR's Planet Money, and she's also the author of The Bond King, the person answers each of these questions.Managing Dental Drama PodcastOwning, operating, and managing a dental practice can be difficult and sometimes...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Canada NowBold ideas with the people shaping Canada’s next chapter.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

One of my favorite CFOs is Bob Lung. For the past 33 years, he's been chauffeuring players and dignitaries at the NFL's annual Hall of Fame weekend activities in Canton, Ohio.In this fast-paced interview, we talk about Bob's favorite moments at the Hall of Fame ceremony, what it means to be a driver during this event, and a couple of special stories.Should every business consider having its own hall of fame? We address that question along with the role of mentoring relationships in becoming a star in any field.

With the passing of the 20th anniversary of WorldCom filing bankruptcy in the aftermath of the whistle being blown on its reporting of fraudulent financial statements, I wanted to revisit Cynthia Cooper's page-turner, Extraordinary Circumstances.Why was the fraud committed? How? What was internal audit's role in detecting the fraudulent entries created by the CFO and four members of his staff?In this episode, Aaron Beam helps me to answer these questions as he draws on his experience in the financial statement fraud at HealthSouth. Aaron is an author and sought-after public speaker at major universities around the country.Managing Dental Drama PodcastOwning, operating, and managing a dental practice can be difficult and sometimes...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Canada NowBold ideas with the people shaping Canada’s next chapter.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify