CFO Bookshelf

Before Moneyball, we had Finley Ball. While Finley ball lacked the analytics brought to us by Moneyball in the same baseball city of Oakland, California, Finley Ball was about color, magical moments at the ballpark, and improving the product for the fan while still producing a winning product on the field. Our guest is the niece of Charlie Finley who owned the Oakland A's. Nancy Finley's book is appropriately entitled Finley Ball. 

If you are looking for a clear and concise explanation of ESOPs, then you'll enjoy listening to Jess Helvick of First International Bank and Trust. Jess is an ESOP expert who explains these benefit plans simply and with impact.During this conversation, we address the what, why and who of ESOPs. We examine three commonly-held myths surrounding ESOPs. We also look at the before, during, and after implementation activities of ESOPs.

Is Atomic Habits by James Clear overrated? And, is Atomic Habits worth reading?I’ve asked my friend and fellow CFO, Bruce Reed of PracticeLink to go all bookclub in this discussion. We answer these questions and hit our favorite big ideas in the book.

Dealing or coping with change is one of the most difficult challenges for any financial leader to come to grips with - either for themselves or those they lead, mentor, or coach.Rick Maurer is the author of Beyond the Wall of Resistance which includes important constructs like the three levels of resistance and the change cycle.During this conversation, Rick provides advice and guidance on how to address change in the workplace

Shannon Susko, experienced business consultant, discusses the 3HAG Way framework for achieving great results. Topics include balanced goal setting, strategic planning with leadership teams, and utilizing key function flow maps for business success.

If you liked the book, Barbarians at the Gate, then you'll like The Ceasars Palace Coup.Max Frumes is one of the co-authors of the book, and we learn more about what went wrong when the investors levered Harrah's with nearly $27 billion in debt when they took the gaming business private.

Probably everything you know about setting goals and how to achieve them rests on the research of Dr. Edwin Locke and Gary Latham in the 1980s.Dr. Edwin Locke is also the author of the underrated book The Prime Movers which is as good if not better than Good to Great.In this show, we talk about Dr. Locke's pioneering research on the theory of goal setting along with the men and women who are wealth creators.

While intellectual capital is nearly impossible to value, it clearly counts in the process of building wealth.Ron Baker is the author of Mind Over Matter which is an exploration of where wealth comes from and its three pillars of capital - human, structural, and social.As Ron would say, there's nothing more pragmatic than a good theory. That's why we'll come away from this conversation with so many actionable ideas.

Gary Harpst is one of the co-founders of Solomon Software which was ultimately acquired by Great Plains.After that divestiture, Gary did a deep dive into what drove success in small businesses. The research resulted in two books on strategy and execution, and a consulting framework called Six Disciplines.Gary is the author of two books: Six Disciplines for Excellence and Six Disciplines Execution Revolution.

Are we to celebrate startups that fail or fail fast? What if you are the founder of one of those startups? How do you deal with that failure?Mark Jacobsen attacks that topic head-on in his book, Eating Glass, an honest manuscript about his inner journey through failure and renewal.