The Diary of a CFO

The Diary of a CFO

by Wassia Kamon, CPA, CMA, MBA

Management Careers

Season 1

What Technology Can (and Can’t) Fix for Finance Teams, with Campfire CEO, John Glasgow

Finance leaders are under pressure to move faster, stay accurate, and be more strategic. But not every challenge can be solved with technology. In this episode, John Glasgow, Founder and CEO of Campfire, shares issues technology can help solve, like improving audit trails and enforcing controls, and the ones that require stronger business partnerships, like getting finance involved in the right conversations early. We also get into why some teams over-engineer their processes, how to scale without adding unnecessary complexity, and what it really takes to grow as a leader in today’s business environment.

How to Get on High-Impact Projects and Lead Major Change, with Sindy Wilson

Sindy Wilson didn’t plan to be in finance. She was headed for med school until dissecting a rat and a cat made her rethink everything. That switch led her to a career in finance, where she’s led transformation at Kickstarter, Lyft, and AutoTrader. In this episode, she breaks down how to stand out, get on big projects, and lead major change in any organisation.

What I’ve Realized After Six Months as CFO

Six months as a CFO has taught me a lot about leadership, decision-making, and what it really takes to succeed in this role. In this solo episode, I share my biggest takeaways so far: why managing a board is nothing like just presenting to one, how to lead when there’s no playbook, and why staying plugged into the right circles is non-negotiable.

Nonprofit Finance Isn’t as Simple as You Think, with Stephen Newland

Most people assume nonprofits just need to balance donations with expenses. But in reality, nonprofit finance comes with its own set of complexities. In this episode, Stephen Newland shares what leaders need to understand about nonprofit financial management, and how to make better long-term financial decisions.

Leadership Lessons from a CFO-Turned-Coach, Jeremy Earnshaw

After 25 years as a CFO, Jeremy Earnshaw transitioned from managing numbers to mentoring leaders. He shares what he wishes he knew earlier, the common leadership mistakes CFOs make, and how coaching can accelerate career growth. We also talk about the shift from technical expertise to strategic influence, the importance of self-awareness in leadership, and the mindset changes that separate good CFOs from great ones.

Aligning Strategy and Execution, with Beverly Davis

What if the problem isn’t the numbers, but everything around them? Beverly Davis has spent years helping businesses fix their financial blind spots. From misaligned strategies to communication breakdowns, she knows why execution often fails before it even starts. In this episode, we dive into what really makes or breaks a company’s financial success and how to spot the non-financial issues slowing your business down.

Balancing strategy, risk, and leadership decisions as a CFO (with Scott Meyers)

Scott Meyers, CFO of Plurilock, talks about what it takes to lead in a fast-changing environment. We discuss how he approaches strategic decisions, manages risk, and communicates with the board while keeping the team aligned. He also shares lessons from handling unexpected situations, like bankruptcy, and how those experiences shaped his approach to the role.

Taking on bigger roles before you feel ready and how it shapes your path to CFO (with Janice Stucke)

Janice Stucke shares how her career evolved without a clear roadmap and how stepping into roles before feeling fully ready shaped her path to the CFO seat. We talk about career pivots, taking on new challenges, and how those decisions influenced her growth over time. She also reflects on how that mindset carried into her work leading teams and navigating change.

Reducing month-end close time and leading finance transformation as a CFO (with Basem Waheed)

Basem Waheed, CFO of Golden Chicken Farms Co., shares his path into finance leadership and the work behind improving finance operations. We talk about how his team reduced month-end close to one day, what had to change to make that possible, and how he approached digital transformation inside a large organization. He also shares how communication, trust across teams, and continuous learning play a role in leading change at this level.

The day-to-day of managing a finance team as a CFO (with Jessica McClain)

Jessica McClain, CFO of Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital, talks about her move from public accounting into a CFO role and what changed once she started leading a team. We get into what managing a finance team actually involves day to day, how leadership responsibilities shift over time, and how to build strong working relationships across the organization. She also shares what she learned navigating different environments and how that shaped her approach to leadership..

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