Episode Description:
In this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ sits down with Erica Dorfman, CFO of Brex, to trace her path from capital markets at SoFi to product to the CFO seat. They cover why Brex moved away from lending, what happened behind the scenes during the SVB collapse, and how Erica keeps reinventing her role and her team as the company scales.
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LINKS:
Mostly Talent: https://mostlymetrics.typeform.com/to/cLTxtAsN
Erica on Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/erica-dorfman-4034b717
Brex: www.brex.com
CJ: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/
Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com
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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Cold Open
2:24 Swimming and the CFO Mindset
6:03 The Columbia Finance Mafia
7:48 The Physics of a Business
11:16 VP of Cash at Brex
12:40 How Banking Partnerships Work
17:58 Why Brex Moved Away From Lending
19:23 Great Adjacency vs. Distraction
21:31 AI Auditing Every Transaction
23:00 Operating Through Chaos at SoFi
25:45 The SVB Weekend
29:00 Crisis Meets Opportunity
37:31 Asking “Stupid” Questions
39:44 Rebuilding the Team
43:33 Killing Meetings
46:05 Erica’s Biggest Mistake
47:08 Advice to Her Younger Self
47:36 Brex’s Finance Tech Stack
48:37 Craziest Expense Ever
#RunTheNumbersPodcast #Brex #CFO #Building #FinanceLeadership