Mark Gandy

Some of my favorite books by business founders include Boss Life by Paul Downs, Anything You Want by Derek Sivers, and Wild Company by the Zieglers. What it Takes by Raegan Moya-Jones, the gritty and successful co-founder of aden + anais is also high on my list. Her book includes many of the typical hurdles we’d expect in a startup story. But few tackle the weighty subject of pioneering women building a global brand in a male-dominated space as Raegan did.

[Read more…] about Building a $100 Million Brand Against Formidable Odds

Do you have any idea what a donor-advised fund is? I didn’t until my conversation with the founder of Groundswell, Jake Wood. Jake is no stranger to charitable giving and non-profits, as he c0-founded Team Rubicon in 2010. In this conversation, Jake explains how any individual or business can give like Bill Gates, be taxed like Warren Buffett, and be recognized like John D. Rockefeller through such a simple giving mechanism–donor-advised funds.

[Read more…] about What is a Donor-Advised Fund?

There’s a Mad Men scene where Harry Crane where learns that a colleague makes $100 a week more than he does. He believes he deserves a raise, and he ultimately receives a slight raise from his intimidating boss. Do you believe he was happy with the outcome? How about you? Are you paid fairly? In this episode, compensation expert David Buckmaster is going to unpack this fascinating topic based on his book Fair Pay. 

[Read more…] about What is Fair Pay?

CFO Bookshelf does not sit in the seat of judgment, nor does it play the role of pundit in the midst of the 2023 banking crisis. We’ll let the regulators and the media handle those duties. Instead, CFO Bookshelf is about old and revolutionary ideas we can test and apply in our organizations. In response to this banking crisis, we share four impactful banking frameworks that can be applied by any senior leadership team in any industry.

[Read more…] about Four Banking Frameworks for Any Industry

I have a very strong opinion about the restaurant industry. Before starting their careers, every professional should run or manage a restaurant. That’s because a restaurant encompasses manufacturing, service, and retail in the midst of intense competition. Add in the people element, where it’s hard to find and keep great people for the long game, and your management skills could reach new highs that will be difficult to experience in any other environment.

[Read more…] about The Business Every Professional Should Manage for a Year

Author and HBR contributor Peter Cappelli asserts that accounting and financial reporting are wreaking havoc on damaging HR decisions by corporate leaders. In this conversation, Peter reveals that 90% of all company vacancies were filled internally prior to 1980. Today, that number is just over 20%. He adds that there were very few layoffs more than 40 years ago. Today, layoffs make headlines weekly. We’ll learn how accounting is driving these trends in the wrong direction.

[Read more…] about Accounting’s Impact on Human Capital

Many business readers who are fans of Apple will probably state that Walter Isaacson’s book on Steve Jobs is the best starting point for learning about the business he co-founded with Steve Wozniak. Thanks to my guest and his unique insights on this episode, I now believe that Return to the Little Kingdom by Michael Moritz is the go-to book for learning both the backstory and the early days of this unicorn.

[Read more…] about Return to the Little Kingdom

Occasionally, I’ll scour the podcast universe looking for other podcasts that focus on great business books. I recently found Business Books & Co. created by three friends who went to college together. There are ten to twelve shows per season, and they recently wrapped up their third season. I listened to one show and then another. In about three weeks, I listened to their entire episode catalog. I love this show, and I’ll continue to be a loyal listener.

[Read more…] about Behind the Scenes of One of Our Favorite Podcasts