Reputation is everything, seemingly now more than ever. With cancel culture in full swing, your brand, personal and professional, needs constant care and direction. Be it fact or even just speculation, one wrong turn can have you backed up against the wall when trying to further you and your business’s goals.  This is where Lida Citroen comes in. As an award-winning branding and reputation management expert who designs and enhances the identities of executives, entrepreneurs, and thought...

In the past year, the stock market has made headlines with its unexpected ebbs and flows, signaling to people who otherwise had their money elsewhere to try their hand at investing, while setting off alarms of panic in others. With the feeling of so much riding on each decision you make with your money, ‘weathering the storm’ that is the stock market certainly tests the resilience of the investor and their funds. Natural responses of fight or flight, risk versus reward and confirmation biases...

A few months ago Steve was researching the topic of bias in the workplace when he came across an incredible TED Talk -- “How to Outsmart Your Own Unconscious Bias”.  Not only was it well delivered, but it also inspired him to look deep within himself and to take action to become a more empathetic person.  Although Steve is far from perfect, and will never claim to be, he has learned that by small and simple things, he can harness greater happiness in both his life and in the lives of...

When it comes to managing one’s money, it is easy to fall into a myopic approach based on returns and growth, without considering the broader view of life.  Of course, there is a balance in all things and this is true with wealth management—live recklessly without saving for the future and there may be major consequences or pinch every penny and delay spending the money, and one may not see the future to fully benefit from it.  That is why a comprehensive approach that includes the most...

We have enjoyed having 24 wonderful guests on the show, ranging from senior advisors, faculty at the nation’s top universities, national TED speakers, authors, and c-suite level executives. Tune in this week to hear our host, Steve Coughran, discuss his own personal experiences (good and bad) as a strategic financial leader. Steve Coughran is founder of Coltivar, a business strategy platform that helps companies grow profitably. Through years of working as a CFO, management consultant, and...

ESG (Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance) initiatives and metrics are fast becoming a business imperative as the majority of leaders and investors believe that companies pursuing these things have better opportunities for long-term returns than companies that do not. Ashish Arora is one of the leading experts on the topic of common purpose and integrated strategy in business. Ashish is the Senior Associate Dean for Strategy and Rex D. Adams Professor of Business Administration at...

Most leaders today understand the value of their company, products, or services appearing front and center on internet search engines. However, too many organizations pursue flawed strategies and waste a lot of money trying to position their companies at the top of these search engines. Traditionally, marketing teams and strategists will seek out the keywords for their offerings, and then deploy a content strategy filled with these words to boost their web listings. But as Google, Bing and...

Beyond the health impacts of COVID-19, the pandemic sent shockwaves across global financial markets and disrupted business models across all industries. The emerging trends and shifts in consumer behavior promise to reshape the way companies compete, pursue growth, and foster their talent. To seize the opportunities that exist both now and, in the future, leaders need to cultivate the capabilities to drive adaptation and embed an operating system for growth. David Kidder is an experienced...

Have you ever worked really hard, sacrificed so much, and dedicated a ton of resources to achieve something—only to realize that once you accomplished your objective, it may have not been the thing you were really seeking? That is why it is so important to be purposeful and intentional with the precious time we have been granted in this life. But even beyond that, living a harmonious life where we take care of our body, mind, and spirit is critical to avoiding burnout or illness. This week’s...

One of the biggest barriers to a business getting to the next level of success is the leader’s mindset. Instead of focusing on leading the company strategically, struggling leaders get caught in the day-to-day operations of the business. This creates a bottleneck on growth. To build a truly elite organization, leaders need to adopt a strategic mindset while relying on a systematic approach to growth and profitability. Today’s guest, Don Wenner, author of “Building an Elite Organization” is an...

What if it was possible to harness large exchanges of data and use it to make informed decisions at every level of the organization? The future of a successful company strategy is founded upon effective management and interpretation of key business analytics. This week, Steve had the pleasure of interviewing a true expert and brilliant mind in the fields of strategy, economics, and data analytics. Jeremy Petranka is the Assistant Dean of the Master of Quantitative Management(MQM) program at...

Cactus is a risk-taking leader focused on fixed income automation. He is the author of the B2B data analytics book "Price: Maximizing Customer Loyalty Through Personalized Pricing." Currently, Cactus is co-managing an automated bond market making business at Exos after founding, and funding a FinTech startup, Elefant. Cactus has more than 35 years of experience in sales, of which 22 years are in fixed income for companies like Goldman Sachs. He has a graduate degree in business analytics from...

The days of the compliance and transaction-driven financial leader are quickly being replaced by the modern CFO who is focused on strategy and analysis. These leaders are not only responsible for transforming their role, but also upskilling and...

This week on the Strategic Financial Leadership podcast, Steve had a opportunity to speak with two special guests, Stan Bullis and Johnathan Wield from Unbridled. Stan Bullis is the Founding Partner of the Unbridled Companies, an expanding group of 22 businesses with combined total sales exceeding $100 million. Five businesses form Unbridled, a full-service live events agency headquartered in Denver. The others include: Wealth Management, Contact Center, Co-Working/Incubation, Construction,...

This week on the Strategic Financial Leadership podcast, Steve spoke with Travis Hendrick, the Director of Finance for Goodfellow Bros., Inc. Travis understands the power of combining the numbers side of the business with operations. He is passionate about strategic financial leadership as a lever to drive greater value within organizations. Travis has spent the last two decades in the construction industry, with a primary focus in financial management and analysis, but also spent a number of...

Those leaders who understand the importance of clear, concise, and repetitive communication and then act upon it are those who drive meaningful impact. Hunter Creech embodies this as the Chief Financial Officer of Barrett Industries, a Colas company, that is a leader in providing innovative infrastructure throughout the United States. Its main business segments include roads, materials, and pavement preservation. In this episode, Hunter discusses the acronym SICOS (spelled S - for...

If Andrew had any advice for future generations, it is to be kind and give the other person the benefit of the doubt. Andrew is always willing to lend a helping hand which truly shows through his extensive volunteer experience including “Best Buddies International” and "Habitat for Humanity International." Andrew has been apart of the company Oxy Low Carbon Ventures for over eight years which is committed to making the world a better place and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. He has played...

A good strategy is less about following the latest and greatest trends, but rather is about pursuing a strategy that is right for you. Now that industry boundaries are blurred and the game of business is less about dominating the competition, leaders need to rethink the way they craft strategy and define strategic initiatives that will lead to enduring, value-creating success. Ron Adner is a highly respected and recognized Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at the Tuck School of...

As talk about digital currency continues to make its way into headlines, many investors are debating the viability, feasibility, and longevity of this new form of money. As a speculative investment, with the potential to replace currency as we know it, individuals need to carefully navigate this new environment from both a finance and legal perspective. In this episode of Strategic Financial Leadership, Steve talked with Max Nurov, the CEO and founder of Digital Finance, LLC and an expert in...

Michelle Yu is a former HR executive and corporate ladder climbing “hustler”, turned coach. She has extensive international experience and lead HR operations and launched offices globally in Asia, Europe, and Latin America. At her last job, a global fortune 500 company, she was one of the youngest female minority directors. Michelle has 10 years of corporate experience across the employee lifecycle, including HR, Talent Acquisition and Sales, working at companies like SoftBank, Google, and...

In this episode of Strategic Financial Leadership Steve talked with Bill Adams about how to move from a transactional role to a thought leadership position that drives meaningful value. Bill is the chief financial officer of NervGen Pharma Corp., a publicly traded regenerative medicine company dedicated to creating innovative solutions for the treatment of nerve damage. In his previous companies, Bill has raised over $250 million in public and private equity financing and has engaged in over...

Steve had an opportunity to speak with Robin Moriarty, PhD. Robin is a global business executive, author, former professor, and thought leader for businesses and non-profit organizations. She is focused on aligning businesses with opportunities that create positive societal impact because businesses thrive when the communities in which they operate thrive. Working with leading Fortune 500 companies, she has spearheaded cultural and business transformations in North America, Latin America,...

In this episode of of Strategic Financial Leadership Steve talked with Steven Ginsburg. Steven Ginsburg is a successful businessman who has been actively involved in the commercial real estate and hospitality field for over 31 years. He has also been in...

In this episode of of Strategic Financial Leadership Steve interviewed Steven Schertz, Chief Financial Officer of Henegan Construction in New York city. Steven is a classic example of a strategic financial leader who understands how to drive value within organizations and lead teams for high performance. Prior to his current role, Steven has served in various financial leadership positions across industries including real estate, manufacturing, and logistics—both public and closely held. ...

In this episode of Strategic Financial Leadership Steve had the opportunity to interview Sandra Beaver. Sandra is the Senior Vice President of finance at Experian and was previously a Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of North America Gaming...