A lot of people know me as one of the creators and executive producers of NBC's World of Dance with Jennifer Lopez. Most are surprised to learn my path into entertainment began somewhere else entirely: in the CFO chair.
I was ambitious early — the type who graduated college with a triple major, and had a master's degree and multiple certifications by 22. I was a CFO by 25. A year later I helped sell that company, making several of its owners multimillionaires. One of the people there went on to start the World of Dance organization.
What David Paine taught me
It wasn't until I met my mentor, David Paine, in my late twenties that I learned the real hallmark of a great CFO: to be good. He taught me that CFOs wield tremendous power and influence — as strategic partners, advisors, and business builders — and that if we are good, we have the ability to transform organizations, cultures, and people.
What I learned from him didn't just amplify the success of his company. It reshaped my worldview — and it has helped me help countless entrepreneurs and organizations in the decade since.
Be good, and do good
To be a good CFO you have to be good — skillful, strategic, and successful. But you also have to do good — ethical, fair, and compassionate. Just as a business thrives on profits, it flourishes when it has purpose. A good CFO's mission isn't only to drive financial results, but to do so in a way that uplifts, serves, and adds value to everyone the business touches.
Why The Good CFO
I founded The Good CFO with my longtime colleague Vincent Nguyen to rally a coalition of CFOs around that idea — to build community among financial leaders, and to collaborate in a way that makes all of us better CFOs and better partners to the clients we serve.
Those clients are the businesses I came up inside: creative agencies, media companies, and the entertainment companies where the finance chair and the creative work turn out to be much closer together than anyone expects.
To do good work with good people.