Financial Modeling Education

Financial Modeling Courses for Investment Banking, Private Equity, and FP&A.

Founder

Mission Capital Consulting

Leesa Sleep

Board Member

TitleCard Capital Group, LLC

Vice President

Lariat Partners, LP

Associate

Hilton

Senior Analyst

FTI Consulting

Consultant

👇50% off all Financial Modeling Courses this week only.

Ever found yourself facing a last-minute request to build a financial model, feeling so overwhelmed you literally couldn’t think straight?  Then read this 👇

I've been there.  I remember EXACTLY how it feels, and it 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘴.

After being up until 2am the previous night, I had my head in my hands at a Colorado Rockies’ game, so insanely overwhelmed because I felt unprepared building a financial model.

Today, I can build in 2 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 what used to take me 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘴, and it’s definitely 𝘯𝘰𝘵 because I’m smarter, it’s because... 𝗜 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗼.

What most people don’t realize is that Financial Modeling can be broken down in systematic steps you can repeat every time, so you’re not always recreating the wheel from scratch.

So that’s why I created the 𝗨𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺: teach everything I 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 I knew back then—𝙖 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠—to hopefully save just one Analyst from spending all weekend at the office.

Fast forward, here’s what things look like today:

🏆 Trusted by over 43,000 students with 4.9/5.0 Star average rating

🏆 Over 100,000 followers on LinkedIn & other social media platforms

🏆 Recognized by Business Insider and Financial Modeling World Cup

🏆 Featured by Wharton Online, Wall Street Prep, & LinkedIn Learning

In just 8 hours, you'll learn to build the 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵 Financial Models I use with real Investment Banks, FP&A Teams, and Private Equity Firms—models you can use immediately—no fluff or insufferable corporate jargon.

Enroll today, and make sure you never spend another night, weekend (or vacation) burned out at the office 👉 https://www.financialmodelingeducation.com/

"Training is fantastic..."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Best money ever spent..."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Absolute game changer..."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Best course I've taken online..."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Most comprehensive course I've taken..."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"I have taken several modeling courses, this one is the best..."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Check it out here 👉 https://www.financialmodelingeducation.com/

Chris Reilly

Check out this video...

How you can use SUMPRODUCT to spot errors in your model 👇

~~~
📥 𝘱.𝘴. 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘰 👉 https://lnkd.in/efdpVuxX 
~~~

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮

Here's the formula: =SUMPRODUCT(--iserror([range]))

Note: In the video I incorrectly say "double negative 🙃," but Matthew Herbert of BizTrix pointed out that:

"The double minus is an operator, not negation. The double minus is the unary operator and it explicitly converts logical values into numbers (true converts to 1 and false converts to 0). ISERROR returns a logical value. This is why SUM(ISERROR(range)) or SUMPRODUCT(ISERROR(range)) returns 0 but placing the unary operator in front of ISERROR returns >0 when there is an error."

I have no idea what that means, but sounds good to me.

(Even as an experienced user and instructor there's always something new to learn!)


𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲

I will often put this SUMPRODUCT formula in the upper-left corner of a given sheet, and use it as a quick check/scan to see if any errors pop up.

Maybe something helpful you can add to your model 🙂.



~~~

👋 Hey, I'm Chris Reilly -- I teach financial modeling the way I 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 someone taught me.

🎓 I can help you master Three Statement Modeling and 13 Week Cash Flow Forecasting in only 8 hours -- and you'll complete your first working model in just 45 minutes.

↪ https://bit.ly/FMECourses

I can help you master Three Statement Modeling & 13 Week Cash Flow Forecasting in 8 hours.

Hey so that model you just emailed your boss...

...did you check it for errors?


For real though, how closely?

(slamming F2 saying "looks good looks good looks good" isn't a strategy)

I hate to break it to you, but 90% of all spreadsheets contain errors.

(𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘵)

That's an A- in being wrong.

Not great.

The truth is, Excel's amazing flexibility also exposes our 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 limitations —

We make mistakes.

All of us.

———

If there is software out there that can be:

▪️ a grocery list, and;

▪️ a time keeper, and;

▪️ billion-dollar LBO, then;

𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 the human mind can find a way to make a mistake.

(I've done it plenty of times)

———

That's why the first thing I do with every file is build "error checks."

It's a separate tab.

I call it "QC" for "Quality Control."

Others call it "QA" ("Quality Assurance").

Others call it "Errors" or "Validations."

Doesn't matter what you call it, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘵.

———

You link all your possible errors to this one place.

▪️ Does my Balance Sheet balance?

▪️ Does my Statement of Cash Flows match the Balance Sheet?

▪️ Are my Covenants in compliance?

▪️ Does my Cash go negative?

Then at the top, you put a "𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗞 𝗖𝗘𝗟𝗟."

The Master Check Cell references all the 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 errors below.

And ~𝗣𝗿𝗼 𝗧𝗶𝗽~ you link this Master Check Cell to cell A1 of 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘢𝘣 in your workbook.

That way, when something goes wrong (and it will),

you are 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 notified (in cell A1), and you can investigate.

𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗶𝗽:

▪️ press "ctrl + [ " on cell A1

▪️ it will bring you to your "QC" tab

———

I've got an example in the image below.

You can see my list of possible errors,

and my "Master Check Cell" at the top.

For complicated files I will have hundreds of these.

It is the first and last tab I 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 check before hitting "send" in my email.


𝙉𝙚𝙭𝙩 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙥𝙨 ⤵️

📥 Stay organized with this modeling checklist 👉 https://lnkd.in/eVTU67fY 

✅ Master this error-checking technique with step-by-step videos 👉 https://bit.ly/FMECourses

Paul Barnhurst

The FP&A Guy

FP&A Tomorrow

FP&A Tomorrow is a podcast focused on discussing not only what is happening in FP&A but what does the future look like for FP&A. The show is hosted by The FP&A Guy and is the premier podcast FP&A podcast. The show launches in April 2024.

Podcast Host

Financial Modeler's Corner

Hosting a world-class podcast all about Financial Modeling.  The podcast is for anyone who wants to listen to and learn from the best financial modelers in the world.

Future Finance

Future Finance is the podcast show that illuminates the future of finance through the lens of AI, innovation, and technology.  I co-host the show with the amazing Glenn Hopper.

Co-Host

The FP&A Hub

Co-founder of the only dedicated planning and analytics community created by and for planning and analytics professionals.  

Com join us today at https://community.plan-buddies.com/c/about-us

Co-Founder

Born Capital

The tides of change are flowing into the finance function which sends the function into the age of 4.0. We say it is "Enabled by tech - Driven by people". 

At Born Capital, we focus on tech enablement and are looking for early-stage startups in what we call #CFOTech that will enable the finance function to become a profit driver. We have a keen interest in FP&A and Business Finance as this is where we see the biggest improvement potential.

Actually, CFOs themselves know this as 71% of them are not happy with the performance of their FP&A team despite significant investments made in the past decade. We will help the office of the CFO get the right tech and tools to step up to the plate and deliver on the expectations of the CEO and other CXOs.

Feel free to reach out if you would like to know more about how we can help your start-up to the next level...

Advisory Board Member

Operators Guild

The Operators Guild is an independent, invitation-only group, home to the world’s top finance and operations (high growth and technology) leaders.

Scaling a company is hard. We are working together to share best practices, help one another solve similar problems, and invest in the operator community. We meet and connect regularly to support each other as we create the next generation of high-growth companies and company leaders.

Member

FP&A Today

Host FP&A Today, one of the premier podcasts on FP&A.  It is a weekly show where we bring you the latest news and actionable tips about all things FP&A.

DigiCert, Inc.

Director of Finance Sales Operations and Analytics

Solera, Inc.

Director of FP&A - Dealer and Aftermarket Division

Director of FP&A - Dealer Divison

Built Excel data model and developed financial reporting tool that allows easy review of budget and actuals for 30 North American legal entities transactional data, this model has helped reduce accounting errors and improved insight into key business expenses and vendors.
•	Provide support to NA CFO for $500M+ SaaS business to include preparing decks, providing ad-hoc analysis, and attending various leadership meetings.
•	Coordinate consolidation of forecasts and monthly results for 3 North American business units
•	Co-Led team effort to select software financial planning system and led effort to select consulting company to implement TM1 panning tool.
•	Worked closely with accountants to improve balance sheet reconciliation reporting for prepaid and capitalized software projects allowing business to have a clearer picture of actual spend on software & software projects.
•	Supported various accounting improvement initiatives resulting in improved accounting processes, to include reconciling over $4M of unreconciled balance sheets.

FP&A Manager

Founder of The FP&A Guy | Providing training and content that helps FP&A and Finance Professionals be better at their job today and tomorrow.

I am a passionate teacher and creator of FP&A content. I enjoy helping FP&A professionals become more effective creators of value for their businesses. Today, I provide content and training on important subjects, including FP&A, Excel, Power Query, Data Visualization, Storytelling, and more. 

I host three popular podcasts, FP&A Tomorrow, Future Finance, and Financial Modeler’s Corner, which bring you the best and brightest people in finance and FP&A. 

I am a Microsoft MVP and have earned the AFP FP&A Certification and the FMI Advanced Financial Modeler Certification. 

I am a big advocate of FP&A planning tools and share research on FP&A software. I have also published several market guides to help buyers understand the landscape. 

☛ Feel free to contact me – Pbarnhurst@thefpandaguy.com

Paul Barnhurst, The FPandA Guy

The people getting promoted in FP&A aren't always the best analysts.

They're often the best communicators.
They know how to walk into a room and make executives care.
They turn numbers into stories.

And they become trusted advisors while others stay stuck as "𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧."

I saw this for years. 
It happened to me. 

Brilliant FP&A pros with killer insights... getting overlooked.
Not because their work wasn't good.
Because they couldn't make it land.

That's why Ron and I built "𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞."

A 5-day course to help you close that gap.
So your analysis finally gets the recognition it deserves.

It’s almost done.
𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞!

Very excited to share more details on this course, so stay tuned to LinkedIn for more information.

Free Course: Selecting the right FP&A Software!!!!

What is the best FP&A Software?

This is a question I get all the time, and my favorite is when they say I will not tell anyone you told me. 🤣 Like it is some secret. 

The reality is that no best tool exists, and the same person will often select a different tool depending on the company they are working at and the needs they have at the time.  Many factors, including company size, software stack, and personal preference, etc. will all play a role in the process.   

That is why I have created a free course titled:

𝐅𝐏&𝐀 𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

The course helps you:

➡ Identify when it might be time for a dedicated tool
➡ Understand the core components of FP&A software
➡ Understand how to segment the market and narrow down the list of tools to consider for your use case
➡ Select the right tool for your business by conducting a formal RFP Process
➡ Implement the tool using best practices for your implementation process

Included in the course are:

➡ 44 Videos
➡ Interview with implementation specialist Christopher McKay from Capitalize Analytics
➡ Templates: RFP Checklist, RFP Cover Letter, Requirements Document, Evaluation Criteria Templates

The sections for the course are: 

➡ Introduction to FP&A Software
➡ When do I need a Planning Tool?
➡ The Benefits of Planning Software
➡ Core Components of Planning Software
➡ Segmenting the Market for Planning Software
➡ Tool Types
➡ Selecting a Software Tool for Your Business
➡ Managing the RFP Process
➡ Implementing Your Planning Software
➡ The Future of Planning Software
➡ Conclusion and Key Takeaways

This is the most complete course you will find on selecting and implementing FP&A software, and I have made it absolutely free.

 I also offer FP&A software selection services, so you can contact me directly for assistance selecting the tool best suited to your needs.   

Link to course:
https://lnkd.in/ddTj8tJp

A special thanks to Christopher McKay, Kamal Gregory, MBA, and Capitalize Analytics for assisting with the implementation section of the course. 

Let me know in the comments what questions you have about the process.

The Formula That Made Me Question Everything About AI in Excel
 
Want to hear Giles rap? Then this episode is for you. He raapped freestyle about LAMBDA.
 
We watched an AI tool turn a simple Esports task, split the text, and add the two largest numbers into a 100+ character formula monstrosity.
 
Then Ian broke it down to 15 characters using basic Excel functions.
 
This moment from our latest Mod Squad episode captures where we are with AI Excel tools in 2025.
 
Here's what happened:
 
We tested Melder (our 7th AI tool) on a straightforward problem: extract numbers from text strings separated by dashes, find the two largest, and add them up.
 
Melder's solution? A nested nightmare involving SUBSTITUTE, MID, REPT (repeating spaces 100 times!), and multiple embedded functions. There
 
Ian's solution? TEXTSPLIT + VALUE + LARGE + MAX = done.
Gile's Solution: TEXTSPLIT + VALUE + LARGE + SUM = optimized for Excel Esports.
 
The bigger lesson for FP&A professionals:
→ AI tools promise "never write a formula again" - but you absolutely must understand what they're building
→ Overengineered doesn't mean more accurate - often the simplest solution is the best
→ When your boss asks "what does this formula do?" you need an answer beyond "the AI made it"
→ Break down complex formulas to validate logic 
 
 
The reality check:
 
Melder showed promise - completing our Excel esports case quickly with 4 out of 5 bonuses solved. But we hit "Failed to build Agent Focus" errors repeatedly. It unfortunately couldn't even create its own worksheets, requiring manual setup of a worksheet before building the deferred revenue schedule. We hope this is an update in the future to put it on parity with other tools.
 
On the whole, Melder was a mixed bag. It showed a lot of promise being in "Open-Beta," and we liked the custom functions, ability to upload your own files, but the reality is we do not think it is ready for General Release or for paying customers, and has some work to do.
 
 
After testing seven tools, Giles nailed it: "Have we learned anything new from a bird's eye view?
 
No. They're all doing lots of interesting, good, and bad things."
 
The AI plateau is real.
 
Bottom line: These tools are powerful assistants, not replacements. Your value as a Finance professional isn't just building models - it's understanding, validating, and explaining them.

The tool that wins won't be the one that writes the most complex formula. It'll be the one that helps you understand what it built.
 
Listen here 🎤 https://lnkd.in/g-jfrxWH
 
 
⭐⭐⭐
🎓 ​ Earn your Advanced Financial Modeler accreditation from the Financial Modeling Institute (FMI) at https://lnkd.in/gQV55MxS (Use code Podcast to save 15%)
📰 Join The Modern Finance Playbook Newsletter and receive access to a free FP&A Business Partnering Digital Course Module - https://lnkd.in/g5H4YsvH
📺 Check out the podcast on our YouTube Channel at https://lnkd.in/gxZ45zXN

I've been working on something with Ron Monteiro, CPA, CMA.

Something for FP&A professionals who conduct brilliant analysis...

But watch their insights get ignored in the boardroom.

The ones who know their analysis is solid. But feel like something's just not landing.

If that's you?

You are not alone. I still remember when my boss said, and I quote: "Your Analysis was Brilliant, but Your Presentation Lacked." 

What I have coming is going to help.

I'm not saying more today.

But check back tomorrow for more details.

It's going to be worth the wait.

Something that I’ve noticed through the years is that FP&A pros don’t have a communication problem.

They have a translation problem.

Because nobody told us early in our careers:

That executives don’t make decisions based on just the numbers.
They make decisions from the story behind the numbers.

And most of us were never taught how to tell that 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲.
So we present data.
Walk through tabs.
Explain what changed.
Meanwhile… the real insight, the part leaders actually need, gets buried.

Ron and I have been working on something to address that issue.

For the FP&A pros who are technically strong but tired of feeling unheard.
For the ones who want their analysis to land, not just get reviewed.

For the future strategic partners who just need the right communication tools.

We’re dropping it tomorrow.

When people ask what makes me difference as a Finance Trainer and podcast host. I have 5 things I share

1. The look of my beard
2. The color my beard
3. The length of my beard
4. They style of my beard
5. The look of my beard

Or in the words of Joel Steendam: 


Came for the content, stayed for the beard. A true champion of good modelling!”


If that is not enough for you then check out my new free 5-day email course designed to help transform your analysis into stories executives want to hear. 

https://lnkd.in/gCfjDgSg

No alternative text description for this image

We are Shortcut, we solve Financial Modeling World Cup cases "10𝐱 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬." We also find it acceptable to leave a B/S with an out-of-balance error of $1.3 million.
 
This week, we tested Shortcut against its bold claims and found that it does not live up to them, but it did perform several tasks very well.
 
My co-host Giles Male and I tackled Shortcut without Ian Schnoor, CFA, CFM 😢 , who was traveling back from London, and our honest, no-hype feedback is below.
 
Shortcut is the AI spreadsheet tool that went viral, claiming to solve Financial Modeling World Cup cases "10𝐱 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬." and today it makes the bold claim on its website to be
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥'𝘴 𝘉𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘌𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘭 𝘈𝘐
 
The results?
 
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝:
→ Best visual formatting we've seen—color coding, layout, separate assumption tabs
→ Solved 5 of 7 intermediate Excel esports challenges correctly
→ Built a three-statement model structure that looked incredibly professional
 
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐬:
→ Created custom number formatting that literally REVERSED positive and negative signs (We've never seen this in our careers)
→ Built a model with an unbalanced balance sheet, then rationalized why a $1.3M variance was "acceptable" and said it was not going to fix it.
P.S. This would get you fired if you told your boss this was acceptable.
→ Hard-coded calculations instead of using dynamic formulas
→ When we asked to solve Excel Esport cases, it didn't even attempt the bonus questions that other tools tackled without us having to prompt it.
 
𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭: Solid tool that fails to live up to its bold claims
 
Giles and I disagree on which tool we like best for different reasons, but we are aligned on one thing:
 
AI is not ready to take a modeler's job. In fact, Giles said this moment is "the most dangerous moment in Excel financial modeling, and he expects it will only get better from here"
 
It is so dangerous because the outputs look SO professional. A junior analyst could easily submit this work without catching the fundamental errors hidden beneath the polished surface.
 
My take for FP&A professionals: This isn't about whether AI tools work—they absolutely can enhance productivity. But the marketing hype claiming these tools replace expert modelers is dangerously premature. You need strong foundational skills to catch what AI gets wrong.
 
Listen here:
https://lnkd.in/gTA-H6kY
 
⭐⭐⭐
🎓 ​ Earn your Advanced Financial Modeler accreditation from the Financial Modeling Institute (FMI) at https://lnkd.in/gQV55MxS (Use code Podcast to save 15%)
📰 Join The Modern Finance Playbook Newsletter https://lnkd.in/g5H4YsvH
📺 Check out the podcast on YouTube https://lnkd.in/gxZ45zXN

It’s live.

Ron and I built this for every FP&A pro who’s ever watched their analysis get ignored:

𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐏&𝐀 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫

A free 5-day email course that shows you how to turn your financial insights into clear, compelling stories leaders actually act on.

Inside, you’ll learn how to:

• Make executives care about your numbers
• Use the 3-Story Framework to make your insights memorable
• Align your message with business strategy
• Shift from “reporter” to trusted partner

If your analysis is strong but your influence feels capped… this will help.

Click here to sign up for the 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄 and receive it in your inbox absolutely free. 

https://lnkd.in/gCfjDgSg

I answered absolutely YES!  


This was my response yesterday when  a college kid asked me if he still needed to learn how to model and use Excel with AI. 

I strongly believe the need for strong Excel skills for FP&A peofessionals has never been stronger. 

The AI tools inside Excel are getting better and they will make us more efficient and effective but we have to know what we are doing to take full advantage of these tools. 

Those who invest the time to learn both Excel and AI will have an advantage over those who invest in one or the other. 

When it comes to learning Excel For FP&A pros some great courses are offered by Carl Seidman, CSP, CPA on the LinkedIn platform. 

I spent a couple hours yesterday reviewing content from two of his Excel FP&A courses. 

➡️ Excel for FP&A

https://lnkd.in/g3CV_XDe

➡️ Advanced Excel fo FP&A

https://lnkd.in/gQnPeSY8

I will admit I picked up some new ideas and tips that I will use in my modeling/teaching that are much cleaner than what I was previously doing. 


If you are not investing in Excel you are making a mistake. DM me if you need more course ideas but Carl’s content is very good.

"I've never had a failure in my life. I've only had learning experiences."
 
My mission president told me this when I was 20, serving a 2-year mission in California for the LDS Church. At first, I remember thinking he was crazy. What is he talking about?
 
Then he explained: Every failure teaches you something. If you learn from it, it's not really a failure.
 
Later, when working at a summer camp, we had 8 Keys to Success, and one of them was Failure Leads to Success.
 
This week on FP&A Unlocked with Glenn Snyder and Rosemary Linden, one of the things we talked about was our biggest failures and lessons learned.
 
Rosemary shared how, early in her career, she sent an email to a sales leader about a pricing violation. She was technically right. But she damaged trust and learned a crucial lesson:
"Being right is not the job of FP&A. It's being influential."
 
Glenn shared how he built a brilliant IT cost allocation model that his CFO said was brilliant, but then he watched it get rejected because he did it in isolation and did not involve the IT leaders. His CFO's words changed everything: "If you can't figure out how to bring people along with you, your career will never go anywhere."
 
My failure? Being too detailed for YEARS. I'd take executives through every step of my analysis.
 
One manager literally messaged me in meetings: "Pull it back up."
 
A General manager taught me the BLUF principle (Bottom Line Up Front). First sentence = answer. Everything else = supporting detail.
 
Within a year of that conversation, I was a Director.
 
Here's what we learned about turning failures into learnings:
 
➡️ Treat mistakes as information, not your identity
➡️ Own failures publicly with "I," share successes with "we"
➡️ Face-to-face communication > email (especially for tough conversations)
➡️ Get stakeholder buy-in BEFORE presenting to executives
 
Check out the full episode with Rosemary Linden here:
https://lnkd.in/gY8i2UqB
 
What failure taught you the most about your career?
 
 
FP&A Unlocked is sponsored by Campfire. Campfire is the AI-first ERP that powers next-gen finance and accounting teams. With integrated solutions for the general ledger, revenue automation, close management, and more, all in one unified platform.
 
Explore Campfire today:https://lnkd.in/dKxnyDNV 
 
 
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
📰 Join The Modern Finance Playbook Newsletter and get a free FP&A Business Partnering Digital Course Module at https://lnkd.in/g5H4YsvH
📺 Check out the podcast on our YouTube Channel at https://lnkd.in/ejtkdsQd

In this episode of FP&A Unlocked, host Paul Barnhurst is joined by Glenn Snyder and Rosemary Linden to talk about the important role of FP&A in today’

Open article: The Soft Skills in Finance for CFOs to Build Influence and Leadership with Rosemary Linden by Paul Barnhurst • 3 min read

The Soft Skills in Finance for CFOs to Build Influence and Leadership with Rosemary Linden

Vibe working is here, and yes, you can build a model in 5 minutes 👇 



However, the hype videos fail to tell you the real story, in the words of one of the smartest financial modelers I know:

𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘐'𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘢𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯...'𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘶𝘣𝘣𝘪𝘴𝘩'—𝘪𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘫𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘴.”

This is why it is more important than ever to have strong Excel and modeling skills, not less important. 

But it's not all doom and gloom vibe working, and Excel agents are here to stay, and if you use them correctly, they can make a huge difference. 

That is why I am excited to partner with Drivetrain and Kirk K. for a webinar this Thursday: 

Excel Agents: What Works, What Doesn't & What's Next

In this webinar, I will share lessons learned from testing several Excel and spreadsheet AI tools on the market today.  

I will share:

➡️ What tools are available today, and how can you prepare for the Excel future of tomorrow
➡️ How to navigate the tools today and ways to work with current limitations
➡️Show real-world use-cases including PVM analysis, smart chart selection, and headcount schedules


Date: Thursday, November 20th, 2025
Time: 1 PM ET
Register Here: https://lnkd.in/gHiKXUmG

Let me know in the comments how you Vibe Work responsibly?

Never thought I would get to be on the stage via AI with Kamal Gregory, MBA but I am glad he has a hat :)

My course will be dropping any day so keep your eyes open for it.

When #AI finally made the moment happen before real life did. 🤖🎩 

Apparently the future of FP&A includes machine-generated conferences… and custom hats. 

Huge shoutout to my friend Paul Barnhurst — The FP&A Guy — for “handing” me one of his legendary hats on stage. 
(Yes, this is an AI-generated photo. No, we have not met in person yet. Yes, AI decided we should share a stage anyway.) 
But honestly… this picture is kind of perfect for where FP&A is heading: 

AI accelerating insights before humans catch up 
FP&A leaders showing up with brand-level swagger 
And software selection becoming one of the most strategic moves a finance team can make 

Speaking of which — Paul has a new course dropping soon: 
FP&A Software Selection and Implementation Course 
If you’ve ever been stuck choosing between 14 demo calls, 9 feature matrices, and 3 vendors that all “do everything,” this course is going to save people years of their lives. 

Until then, I’ll be over here waiting for the real-life moment when Paul hands me an actual FP&A Guy hat. 
(And yes, I’m absolutely wearing it on my next Zoom call.) 
#FPandA #AI #FinanceTransformation #TheFPAAGuy #SoftwareSelection #FPnAFriends #CapitalizeAnalytics Capitalize Analytics Workday Adaptive Planning Vena Solutions Jedox Pigment

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