I teach Finance Teams how to use ChatGPT - Keynote speaker on AI for Finance & FP&A

For AI Finance Trainings and Workshops:

✉️ Contact me here: hello@nicolasboucher.online

About me:

Number one Finance Thought Leader specialized in AI, trained more than 10,000 people and on a mission to help more than 1 million finance professionals.

3 million people are receiving daily my insights on AI for Finance across all social media channels.

I teach finance people how to use AI.

You can also book me as a keynote speaker.


My previous roles:

🏭 Thales (Germany):
2022-23: Senior manager controlling role for the Transportation business (€500 million business)
2018-22: Part of the management and led the Finance and Controlling team of a production site (400 people) specialised in producing Traveling Waves Tubes for Satellites
2016-2018: Head of Finance Transformation

👨‍💻 PwC:
2014-2016: Audit Manager in PwC Luxembourg
2012-2014: Audit Manager in PwC Singapore
2009-2012: Auditor in PwC Luxembourg


My experience:

Living in 5 different countries across 3 different continents (France, USA, Luxembourg, Singapore and Germany) gave me the capacity to integrate myself quickly and understand different local and working cultures.

Worked 8 years for Thales, an engineering and industrial french multinational.
I had finance manager roles and was part of the management of a 400 people production site.

Prior to that, I worked 7 years as an auditor and consultant for PwC in Luxembourg and Singapore.


My private life:

I am married and a happy father of two young daughters. We both learn from each other and we enjoy reading french books together and play outside.
When I am not busy with my daughters, I am exercising, cooking and spending quality time with friends.
Finally, traveling and tasting new food are some of my favorite experiences. But if you ask me where is the most beautiful place and where can we find the best food in the world, I have only one response: my hometown, Brittany in France.


My Specialties:

-Finance & accounting
-Controlling, budgeting & forecasts
-FP&A
-ChatGPT
-AI
-Storytelling
-Cross-cultural management, coaching and training
-Cost reduction
-Management
-Analytics, Business Performance and Activity Dashboard
-Audit & controls
-Business Processes Modelling
-Financial Statements and Cash Flow
-Business Intelligence
-Fluent in French (native speaker), English & German

Hashtags:
#finance #controlling #accounting #management #cfo #cash #budgeting #forecasting #chatgpt

https://nicolasboucher.online

Nicolas Boucher

Top 22 Excel Formulas
👉 Download the HHD PDF and register for my AI masterclass: https://lnkd.in/d7Qj5e9n

10x your productivity with these 22 Excel must-know formulas:

1. SUM
Adds all numbers in a range

=SUM(A1:A9)
Add values from cell A1 to A﻿9

2. AVERAGE
Calculates the average of numbers in a range

=AVE﻿RAGE(B1:B9)
Averag﻿e of B1 t﻿o B9

3. ROUND
Rounds a number to a specified number of digits

=﻿ROUND(C1;2)
Round C1 to 2 decimal places

4. MIN
Identifies the lowest number in a range

=MIN(D1:D9)
Find the min﻿im﻿um in D1 to D9

5. MAX
Finds the highest number in a range

=MAX(D1:D9)
Get the maxim﻿um v﻿alue in D1 to D9

6. COUNT
Counts th﻿e number of cells that contain numbers

=C﻿OUNT(F1:F9)
Count numeric cells in F1 to F9
*It only counts the numerical inputs

7. INDEX
Returns a value in table based on row & column number

=INDEX﻿(K1:L10,2,3)
For the value i﻿n the 2nd row & 3rd column from the range K1:K10

8. MATCH
Searches for a value and returns its relative position

=MATCH﻿(L1,M1:M9,0)
To find L1's p﻿osition from the range M1:M9

9. VLOOKUP
Searches for a value in the first column of a range

=VLOOKUP (G1,H1:H10,2,FALSE)
To find G1 in H1:H10

10. HLOOKUP
Searches for a value in the top row of a table

*Number of rows that contains the data you want to retrieve

=HLOOKU﻿P(I1,J1:S2,2,FALSE)
To f﻿ind I1 in the top row J1:S2

11. XLOOKUP
Finds a value in one range & returns a result from another

=XLOOKUP(A7,A2:A4,B2:C4)
To find A7 in A2:A4 & return the corresponding value from B2:C4 if a match is found

12. COUNTIF/COUNTIFS
Counts cells that meet a condition

=COUNT﻿IF (N1:N9;">5")
To count cells greater tha﻿n 5

13. COUNTA
Counts non-empty cells

=COUNTA(O1:O9)
To coun﻿t all non-em﻿pty cells in a range

14. SUMIF / SUMIFS
Counts non-empty cells

=SUMIF(﻿P1:P9,">5")
Add cells that meet a condition

15. IF / NESTED IFS
Performs conditional tests

=IF(R﻿1>5;"Yes";"No")
For sim﻿ple cond﻿itions

Note:

IF: 1 variable
IFS: multiple variables

=IF(test, true, false)

=IF(test1, true, IF(test2, true, false)
Nested IF

=IFS(test1, true, test2, true, test3, true)

16. AVERAGEIF / AVERAGEIFS
Calculates the average for cells that meet criteria

=AVER﻿AGEIF(Q1:Q9;">5")
Average of values over 5

17. Logical Operators (AND, OR)
Combines multiple conditions

=AND(S1>5;S2<2)
Both conditions are true => Output is true

=OR(S1>5;S2<2)
Just 1 condition is true => Output is true

18. CONCATENATE
Joins two or more text strings

=C﻿ONCATENATE(T1," ",T2)
Com﻿bine first name and last name in one cell

19. LEFT/RIGHT
Extracts characters from the start/end of a text string

=LEF﻿T(U1;5)
Excel

=RIGHT(U1;5)
Class

20. MID
Extracts characters from the middle of a text string

=MID(V1;7;7)
7 characters starting from the 7th => Mastery

21. TEXT
Converts a value to text in a specific number format

=TEXT(V1;”MMM-YY")
7/02/2024 => Feb-24

22. IFERRROR
Returns a custom result if a formula errors out

=IFERROR(W1,"0")
Give 0 as output, instead o﻿f "# div" error

I teach Finance Teams how to use AI - Keynote speaker on AI for Finance (Email me if you need help)

Are finance certifications still the "Golden Ticket"? 
Move beyond certifications: https://lnkd.in/dxbPe7P3

While these 10 are the industry gold standards
The "CFO of 2026" needs more than just a certificate

The Top 10 Finance Certifications to Watch:
(Free masterclass to move beyond certifications, See it at the end!)

1. CPA - Certified Public Accountant
Issued by: Local Boards of Accountancy
Focus: Expertise in accounting, tax preparation, and financial planning

2. CMA - Certified Management Accountant
Issued by: Institute of Management Accountants (IMA)
Focus: Skills in management accounting, financial planning, analysis, control, and decision support

3. CFA - Chartered Financial Analyst
Issued by: Chartered Financial Analyst Institute
Focus: Widely recognized for investment analysis and portfolio management

4. FMVA - Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst
Issued by: Corporate Finance Institute (CFI)
Focus: Financial modeling, valuation, and analysis skills

5. FRM - Financial Risk Manager
Issued by: Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP)
Focus: Identifying, assessing, and managing financial risks

6. FPAC - Certified Corporate FP&A Professional
Issued by: Association for Financial Professionals (AFP)
Focus: Planning, analysis, budgeting, and decision support in finance

7. CA - Chartered Accountant
Issued by: Local Institutes of Chartered Accountants
Focus: Expertise in financial accounting, taxation, and auditing

8. ACCA - Chartered Certified Accountant
Issued by: Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
Focus: Financial management, taxation, and audit expertise

9. CIA - Certified Internal Auditor
Issued by: Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA)
Focus: Proficiency in internal auditing, risk management, and control

10. CTP - Certified Treasury Professional
Issued by: Association for Financial Professionals (AFP)
Focus: Managing corporate treasury, cash, and risk management operations

My take? I’m not a big believer in judging talent solely by certifications
They are valuable, but they are often theoretical and expensive

🚀 The Next Level: Beyond the Certification

Certificates show you know the rules
AI shows you how to break the manual workload.

If you want to go beyond theory, join my upcoming Masterclass:
"How to Become an AI CFO"

In 60 minutes, I’ll show you how to:
• Automate reporting and forecasting (zero code)
• Save 20–40+ hours per month.
• Build secure AI workflows for your team.

📅 Tuesday, January 20
⏰ 11am EST | 4pm UK | 5pm CET

👉 Register for the Masterclass here: https://lnkd.in/dxbPe7P3

See you there!

The 100 AI Finance Tips Handbook
(135 pages to become a top 1% AI-driven Finance Pro in 2026)
👉 Comment "AI TIPS" and I will send your ebook (+ your invite)

I am planning to limit the launch to only the first 100 comments so make sure to be quick!

This is the premiere release of this handbook and it’s the most comprehensive AI resource I’ve built for finance teams

This guide can save you 10+ hours every single week in 2026
and it is worth $1,000+ in saved training time

Most finance professionals are stuck in "prompting purgatory." 
They know AI is powerful, but they don't know the specific use cases for their daily work

So I compiled the most practical, "plug-and-play" tips
into one handbook: 100 Tips for AI in Finance

Inside the handbook, you will find:
#1 AI Prompting for Finance: How to get accurate, hallucination-free results
#2 Data Analysis & Clean-up: Speeding up your monthly closes
#3 Forecasting & Modeling: Using AI to spot trends your eyes might miss
#4 Automating Reporting: Moving from manual data entry to strategic analysis
#5 Risk & Compliance: Using AI to audit and find anomalies in seconds
... and 95 other actionable tips you can use today

Also, this handbook is organized into 5 levels: 
Level 1 – Foundations: how AI really behaves, how to handle confidential data, and how to avoid “black box” outputs
Level 2 – Data & Numbers: analysis workflows, modeling, dashboards, and automation (Excel, Power Query, scripts, Colab)
Level 3 – Prompting Mastery: proven techniques to force clearer reasoning, better structure, and more reliable outputs
Level 4 – Custom AI: how to build GPTs/agents/gems that think like finance - consistent, auditable, governable
Level 5 – AI CFO: how to scale AI across the finance function with roadmaps, governance, KPIs, and adoption

I’ve seen FP&A managers and CFOs spend days on manual tasks that these tips could solve in under 15 minutes

This is the shortcut to stop being "the person who does the reports" and start being "the person who provides the insights"

👉 Comment "AI TIPS" if you want to receive the link to download this handbook and your free seat for my upcoming AI masterclass.

♻️ Repost to help a colleague who is still doing finance the "old way"

17 FREE AI Finance Resources (only the fastest one will claim it)
These resources are worth more than $10,000+

👉 Comment "AI" to get it (+ bonus: free AI Finance masterclass invite)

These AI Finance resources are a collection of my top masterclasses, courses, and expert videos that I created in 2025.

All of the methods inside are tested and CFOs reported savings
of 10+ hours every week.

This is more than important now because:
The gap between a "Traditional CFO" and an "AI-First CFO" is now more than a 10-hour-per-week difference in productivity.

To help you bridge that gap, I’ve updated my resource library.

Here is what’s inside the "17 AI for Finance Resources" collection:

- Excel's AI Agent Mode builds complete financial models in minutes
- See how CFO Saul Mateos uses AI to save 10+ hours per week
- How to use ChatGPT 5 to build INSANE financial models
- ChatGPT for FP&A Masterclass with Drivetrain 
- The complete guide to using Microsoft Copilot as a finance pro
- How to Create a Finance Forecast in 30 Minutes with Maxio
- Vibe coding for finance pros - Featuring Christian Martinez
- Advanced AI Tips with Ramp
- The Blueprint to Using AI for Finance in 2026 with Shawn Kanungo
- How to use Gemini for Finance
- Stop Throwing Money Away on SaaS with Vertice
- 3 practical ways to use AI for financial analysis
- Financial Storytelling with AI and Jedox
- Train your finance team on AI in 30 days
- From Traditional CFO to AI CFO with Agicap
- Finance Masterclass: How to Become an AI-First CFO in 2026
- Master AI in Accounting with Zenskar

There are many masterclasses I gave for companies last year, which are included for which companies paid thousands of dollars.

I advise that you stop throwing time away on manual spreadsheets and outdated SaaS

I’m giving this collection away for FREE to help you lead the AI transition in your company

BONUS: When you comment, I’ll also send you your exclusive invitation for my upcoming AI Finance Masterclass

Only the fastest will get it, as last time we had thousands of requests, and unfortunately, we don't have that much capacity yet!

So, don't wait! React fast and comment "AI" to get the downloadable link!

Share it around so that you help other finance pros who are losing hours every week.

You’re not paid to read documents,
you’re paid to see what others miss
👉 Master this at our AI CFO Webinar: https://lnkd.in/dGWTJABy

If you're digging through PDFs and spreadsheets for one insight
You're doing it the hard way

I used to juggle reports, trackers, and memos in my head
but the brain isn’t built for that complexity

I started using NotebookLM. It doesn’t guess; it only works with your uploaded files

Finance Brain in 3 Steps:

Step 1: Upload your files
Organize by project: Strategy (competitor PDFs), Operations (variance reports), or Compliance (regulations)

Step 2: Ask for synthesis, not a summary
A summary repeats data; synthesis finds the insight between files

Try these prompts:
* Strategic: "Compare Competitor A’s risks with ours. What are we missing?"
* Operational: "Cross-reference Q3 expenses with our Operating Plan to find unplanned overspends."
* Regulatory: "Which clauses in this Tax Guide contradict our internal policy?"

Step 3: Get your output
Generate audio overviews, infographics, or slide decks instantly. NotebookLM pulls connections across documents and cites its sources

Now I turn 12 hours of reading into 15 minutes of thinking

Pick your messiest stack of documents, upload them, and run one prompt
You’ll see why this is the secret weapon of modern finance teams

—

If you want to go beyond and actually save 20–40+ hours per month
I am hosting a live session for real finance teams

- Automate reporting and forecasting without writing code
- Cut days of manual work down to minutes
- Adopt AI securely while staying ahead of 2026's fast-changing tools

Tuesday, January 27, 2025
EST: 11am | UK: 4pm | CET: 5pm

👉 Join me here for a live masterclass, together with 1000s of CFOs and finance pros: https://lnkd.in/dGWTJABy

🔁 Repost to help a finance peer who is tired of feeling behind on AI

This changes the game for financial analysis:

(and it’s not an Agent for Excel)

It’s called MCP
(Model Context Protocol)

And you can use it to connect AI to your data, and your apps.

So, if you’re tired of being a data cleaner,
And want to become a better business partner using AI…

You can get ahead by joining my free masterclass (with NetSuite) here - https://lnkd.in/dnZ4Nw5v

Because, most finance teams don’t struggle with AI.
They struggle connecting their data to AI
(securely)

But with MCP or ‘Connectors’ you can connect ChatGPT and Claude to the apps you use every day.

You can ask AI questions like:

“Summarize this Excel forecast in Drive”
“Get last month’s finance slides from Dropbox”
“Find me the last commentary from Sarah in my e-mails”

Plus, it’s super easy to set up.

In ChatGPT - Go into your settings and look for ‘Apps’
2. In Claude - Go into your settings and find ‘Connectors’

But, if you want to get ahead faster, join me next week (with NetSuite) where I will show you:

How to create financial models in minutes
How to use AI to automate financial analysis
How turn data into insights using AI prompts and MCP (Model Context Protocol)

Spaces are limited, so reserve your space here - https://lnkd.in/dnZ4Nw5v

P.S. - For live attendees we’re giving away an exclusive ‘AI for Financial Analysis Handbook’ with prompts, use cases, and step-by-step guides - totally free.

If you want an early copy ahead of the Masterclass, let me know.

Brand partnership • I teach Finance Teams how to use AI - Keynote speaker on AI for Finance (Email me if you need help)

If your finance team feels like a service desk, read this.
(my newsletter below has the fix)

It’s Tuesday. Your inbox fills up with the same questions again:
“How are we tracking vs budget?”
“What if we add 2 headcount in Q2?”
“When will the big clients pay?”

You run the scenario, send it back… and a follow-up lands 10 minutes later.

That’s the trap: finance becomes the calculator.
And the queue keeps you away from real analysis.

The fix in 2026: build a self-service scenario tool in ~5 minutes with Canvas (ChatGPT or Gemini).
Your business partners change inputs themselves and see results instantly.

Join me on Tuesday to learn my time saving techniques live:
https://lnkd.in/d9zDFjM2

View newsletter: AI+Finance by Nicolas Boucher

How to Become an AI CFO Don't miss my first AI CFO Masterclass of 2026 (this Tuesday!) I will teach you: How to automate reporting, forecasting & anal

Open article: Stop being a finance request ‘help desk’ (free yourself in 5-steps) by Nicolas Boucher • 7 min read

Stop being a finance request ‘help desk’ (free yourself in 5-steps)

Stop wasting hours on manual dashboards
Get real-time insights in seconds with AI
Join our live webinar tomorrow: https://lnkd.in/dnZ4Nw5v

Most finance teams spend 80% of their time maintaining models
instead of advising the business

We are stuck rebuilding spreadsheets after every "What if...?"
and waiting days for answers that were needed in the meeting

It is time to close the "hallucination gap" by moving to Connected Data

To help you make this shift,
I’m giving away my Free AI Finance Handbook to everyone who joins our live session tomorrow

Inside the handbook: You’ll find the step-by-step technical setup for the workflows I’m sharing with NetSuite, so you don't have to start from scratch

I’ve designed this handbook specifically to help you master the core of our session: my partnership with Oracle NetSuite

Where we’ll show you how the Model Context Protocol (MCP) acts as a secure bridge between your AI and your live financial data

Make sure to register now and get the handbook: https://lnkd.in/dnZ4Nw5v

The 3-Step Workflow:
1️⃣ Ask in plain English: "Graph our Q3 revenue trends"
2️⃣ Connect to Live Data: MCP fetches data directly from NetSuite using your specific permissions. 3️⃣ Instant Visualization: The AI processes the raw data and instantly renders a chart or dashboard.

Why this is a must-have for 2026:
- No more manual prep: Find trends instantly without the manual data preparation dance.
- Full Auditability: Logic lives in code that you can review or ask the AI to explain.
- Platform Freedom: Whether you use ChatGPT’s Canvas, Copilot’s PowerPoint integration, or Gemini’s Google Slides workflows, MCP connects them all

The Impact:
✅ 20-30% reduction in month-end close cycle time
✅ 50%+ faster variance analysis
✅ 3-5 hours saved per person, every single week

Don't stay stuck in maintenance mode while others reach AI-Native status

Register here and get the handbook: https://lnkd.in/dnZ4Nw5v

See you on January 22nd!

This post was sponsored by NetSuite.

Buying AI licenses won’t upskill your finance team
(here's what will)

CFOs have asked me the same question for 3 years:
“How do I train my team on AI without chaos or security risks?”

What I see in most companies:
Multiple AI licenses are bought, then a big announcement and the team goes exploring
On the end: nothing happens

Here’s the 30-day blueprint that actually sticks:

Week 0: Pick one tool and commit 
Week 1: 1-hour “Eye Opener” 
Week 2: Hands-on workshop with your team’s own files
Week 3: Build Sharing habit 
Week 4: Mini hackathon: 

Open my newsletter below to learn in detail.

👇 Join my FREE masterclass next week to see the playbook + 5 high-impact use cases (and get the AI in Finance Handbook).
https://lnkd.in/dkfJ6jkM

This newsletter was sponsored by NetSuite

Sponsored by NetSuite If you’re a finance pro that's tired of cleaning data, who wants more time to become a better business partner. Next week I have

Open article: 30 days to a finance team your competitors will envy (full guide inside) by Nicolas Boucher • 8 min read

30 days to a finance team your competitors will envy (full guide inside)

Are you still grinding through manual data entry?
Stop losing the time you should spend on strategy
👉 Learn my AI workflows here: https://lnkd.in/dsrAdd3P

I’ve been testing Gemini Canvas for a few weeks, and here’s what surprised me

It’s not just another doc tool
It’s a smarter workspace that cuts the grind from reporting, analysis, and content creation

Here’s how I use it in my workflow

I log into gemini.google.com and open a Canvas
From there, I can drop in my data points, themes, or even a rough outline
Gemini instantly turns it into a draft tailored for reports, financial briefings, or client notes

I adjust the tone depending on the audience
Regulatory? Keep it formal
Execs? Make it sharp and concise
Clients? More persuasive

You can choose the length and even ask Gemini to suggest edits to improve clarity
Headings, bullets, numbered lists... all done automatically

But the real power is in visuals
With one click, Gemini turns long reports into infographics or interactive web pages
Great for internal dashboards or exec presentations
You can also take deep-dive research and convert it into quizzes, visuals, or other engaging formats

Everything stays inside the Canvas
I just hit Create when I’m ready, and choose a format: PDF, infographic, web page, or Google Doc

And yes, you still need to be mindful of data security
I use a Google Workspace Business account that fits my company’s needs

If you’re in finance, reporting, or content-heavy roles
This tool is worth exploring
The free tier gives you the core features
Paid plans unlock deeper integration if needed

If you want to go beyond and actually save 20–40+ hours per month
I am hosting a live session for real finance teams

- Automate reporting and forecasting without writing code
- Cut days of manual work down to minutes
- Adopt AI securely while staying ahead of 2026's fast-changing tools

👉 How to become an AI CFO Masterclass: https://lnkd.in/dsrAdd3P

🔁 Repost to help a finance peer who is tired of feeling behind on AI

How to build an AI roadmap for Finance
👉 Sign up for my live masterclass: https://lnkd.in/d3iBWyvg


Most finance teams want to use AI
Very few know where to start

The result
Too many tools
No clear impact
And growing frustration across FP&A and accounting teams

But don't worry, I have already built a roadmap
Already used by 1000s of finance teams

Here’s the framework 👇

1. Start with a corporate AI license
• Enterprise-grade security and privacy
• Clear rules for your finance team
• No shadow AI usage

2. Automate finance processes first
• Use AI to generate scripts
• Python + AI = fast automation
• Focus on repetitive tasks

3. Automate payables with AI
• AI AP tools connected to your ERP
• Invoice capture, checks, postings
• Immediate time savings

4. Add AI-native finance tools
• Forecasting
• Reporting
• Planning and analysis
• Pick tools that solve one clear problem

5. Create custom AI agents
• Custom GPTs or Copilot agents
• Gemini Gems for finance use cases
• Your own finance copilots

6. Build AI workflows
• Text analysis
• Code automation
• Audio workflows
• Insights from large datasets

7. Move to AI forecasting
• Only once data foundations are ready
• Predict trends, not just report history

And if you have some problems or questions
about this AI Roadmap

You can join us here in my Live Masterclass next week Tuesday
Save your seat here: https://lnkd.in/d3iBWyvg

I’ll walk through this roadmap live
Practical examples, no buzzwords

• Automate reporting, forecasting, and analysis without writing code
• Cut days of manual finance work down to minutes
• Save 20–40+ hours per month with AI workflows
• Adopt AI securely and stay ahead of fast-changing tools

Built specifically for CFOs, FP&A and finance teams

Live on Tuesday, January 20
EST: 11am | UK: 4pm | CET: 5pm

💬 Where is your finance team today on this roadmap

🔁 Repost if this helps you structure your AI journey

The Top 1 mistake finance teams make in analysis?
They describe everything, but prescribe nothing
👉 Learn how to automate analysis: https://lnkd.in/ddrH2SD5

They act like reporters, not advisors
They tell the board what happened, but not what to do next
They explain results, but stay silent on risks and decisions

And it’s costing them influence

"Revenue grew 8%" is safe
"Revenue will likely slow to 4% next month" is bold
But only one of those statements moves strategy forward

To shift from being a back-office observer to a strategic partner, you need all 4 types of analysis:

Type 1: Descriptive
What happened and by how much

Type 2: Diagnostic
Why did it happen and what caused the change

Type 3: Predictive
What’s likely to happen next and what risks or trends to watch

Type 4: Prescriptive
What should we do now based on what we know

Most finance teams stop at Type 1
Some reach Type 2
Very few consistently deliver Types 3 and 4

That’s the gap
That’s the opportunity

I created the 4-Analysis Prompt Framework to help close this gap
Use it to level up your analysis, train your teams, and shift your role from data summarizer to strategy enabler

Because when you bring predictions and recommendations to the table,
people stop seeing you as just the numbers person

They see you as the business partner who drives better decisions

Be the strategic voice your company listens to
Not just the one that recaps last quarter

Here's the quick recap
1. Descriptive – What happened?
2. Diagnostic – Why did it happen?
3. Predictive – What’s likely next?
4. Prescriptive – What should we do now?

Most teams stop at Type 1
Some make it to Type 2
Very few touch 3 and 4

That’s the gap. That’s your opportunity

-

In my How to Become an AI CFO Masterclass: https://lnkd.in/ddrH2SD5

I will share how to:

1. Automate reporting, forecasting & analysis without writing code
2. Cut days of manual work down to minutes with AI workflows
3. Adopt AI securely with confidence
4. Keep on top of the rapid developments in tools and when you should use them

All of these AI for finance lessons
Live, and most importantly free!

I am giving away these lessons to help finance pros
start using AI in 2026 the right way

👉 You can join me and 1000s of finance pros: https://lnkd.in/ddrH2SD5

🔁 Repost to help a finance peer who is tired of feeling behind on AI

See you in the masterclass!

Still paying the “PowerPoint tax”?
👉 You can change that by joining me live: https://lnkd.in/dHDshJZK

Most finance pros spend 6 hours "fixing" slides
Formatting, aligning, and manual labor

You weren't hired to be a designer
You were hired to be a strategic partner

The "New Way" transforms you into the AI CFO
You save 5.5 hours per presentation

Shifting from a mechanic to a strategist
(Which is what you want to be!)

Here is how to do it in 4 simple steps:

1. Generate Your Story Structure
• Open an LLM and use a prompt for the "three whats"
• Define your role, audience, and context
• Get an outline: What happened, what it means, what to do

2. Create Your Slides
• Open PowerPoint online for better AI features
• Use Copilot to "Create a presentation about..."
• Paste your LLM outline directly into the tool

3. Refine and Verify
• Trim the content to make slides scannable
• Verify all numbers to avoid hallucinations
• Apply your corporate theme for a professional look

4. Practice Your Delivery
• Use "Rehearsal Coach" in the Slide Show tab
• Let AI track your pace, tone, and filler words
• Get feedback on body language and slide reading

👉 You can go to my newsletter if you want more details: https://lnkd.in/dcitBYfH

or even better get my Top 100 AI tips here: https://lnkd.in/d6AHmc78

After you get the Top 100 AI tips,
You will be redirected to a webpage about my "How to become an AI CFO" masterclass!

You will learn even more AI use cases for finance!
These are real, solid, and concrete examples of AI in finance

Which I have taught to 1000s of finance pros!
👉 Join us here next Tuesday! https://lnkd.in/dHDshJZK

🔁 Repost if this helps your team work faster

“The first useful AI presentation”
One of the real comments from my latest masterclass

Last night reminded me why I keep running “How to Become an AI CFO” sessions:

Finance professionals don’t need more AI hype
They need a clear path and use cases proven to work

That’s what we did live with 100s of CFOs and finance pros

What I shared in the masterclass

1) 3 secrets to become an AI CFO
- You don't need to be technical with AI
- How to automate hours of work without new tools
- Why now, every CFO role requires AI Skills

2) Your AI CFO Roadmap
Build an AI roadmap based on your company size

3) Practical, not theoretical
You could feel it in the chat: people weren’t just “impressed”
they were identifying use cases for their own portfolio dashboards, reporting, analysis, and automation

(And yes… someone called it the first useful AI presentation they attended , that’s the goal)

You could feel it in the chat people weren’t just “impressed”…
they were identifying use cases for dashboards, reporting, analysis, and automation

"Didn't believe this was possible"
“Powerful honestly”
“Did you say ‘Team of Avengers’? Love it!”
…made my day

Want the invite to the next masterclass?

Comment “AI CFO” below and I’ll DM you the registration link as soon as it opens

Let’s make AI actually useful for finance leaders

and ofcourse, I am not letting you leave this post
Without something valuable

My Top 100 Prompt Tips: https://lnkd.in/deCEf7WX

100 AI tips for AI in Finance eBook: https://lnkd.in/duzE3g-3

30-Day AI Finance Playbook: https://lnkd.in/dTa_HjzK

🔁 Repost if you found these resources super valuable!

The ChatGPT feature CFOs need
👉Download my 100 AI Tips Handbook: https://lnkd.in/djTrG6_7

Most people are still using ChatGPT like a search bar

But there’s a whole other level that unlocks serious productivity

It’s called Agent Mode

Instead of just helping you think, it can actually do work
Like extract data from websites
Build Excel models
Transform messy files
And even create full presentations

The best part
You stay in control while it handles the execution

Here’s how to get started in under 5 minutes

Step 1: Turn it on
Click Tools → Agent mode inside any ChatGPT chat

Step 2: Write a better prompt
Give it context, a clear problem, and a defined goal
For example, don’t just say “clean this file”
Tell it what the file is, what’s wrong, and what you want as output

Step 3: Try real use cases
Finance pros are already using it for
Adding variance commentary
Building weekly KPI packs
Reconciling bank vs GL
Department-level budget analysis

Step 4: Review like a manager
Think of it as checking a junior’s work
You’re not doing the formulas anymore
You’re deciding, correcting, guiding

One thing to keep in mind
Agent Mode isn’t about speed
It’s about doing work you probably wouldn’t have attempted solo

And yes, it can handle some of your toughest tasks in under 15 minutes

If you’ve been waiting to try Agent Mode
This is the week to do it

And if you liked this, I have something that you will like even more
In this link: https://lnkd.in/djTrG6_7

Contains my Top 100 AI tips for finance, which you can have for free!
+ A free seat for my Live AI for Finance masterclass

Next week, Tuesday! January 27, 2025

Save your seat,
And I will see you there with live AI in Finance use cases!

🔁 Repost if you want to master AI in 2026!

Machine learning in 6 steps
👉 Join my AI Masterclass here: https://lnkd.in/dpTt-bRP

Most people overcomplicate machine learning before they even start
I’ve helped thousands simplify their process and get real insights fast

Here’s how I do it in 6 clear steps

Step 1: Start with a small, clear question
Don’t try to model everything at once
Pick one or two metrics you want to understand better
For example: revenue trends, churn behavior, or cost breakdowns
Use a small CSV to begin
Big datasets usually cause more confusion than clarity early on

Step 2: Upload your data and state your goal
Open a new conversation with your LLM chatbot
Tell it exactly what you want to predict or explore
Keep it simple and jargon-free
The AI will suggest the right model and explain why it fits

Step 3: Ask for a quick first look
Before any code is written, ask the AI to run a preliminary analysis
Look for patterns
Request a basic model
Visuals
And a plain-English summary
If things don’t make sense here, adjust your approach before coding anything

Step 4: Generate Python code
Once the early results look solid, ask the AI to write Python code for Google Colab
Make sure the file paths are correct for the CSVs you’ve uploaded
Now you’re ready to test it properly

Step 5: Run it in Google Colab
Paste the code into a new notebook
Upload your data
Run each section
In a few minutes, you’ll get predictions, charts, and insights

Step 6: Export and refine
Ask for the code to export results
Download everything
Then bring your CSVs back into the chatbot and ask how to improve the model
This is where the learning really happens

I’ve shared this process with startups, analysts, and execs
It works because it keeps you moving
One simple step at a time

I also have a free masterclass next week,
How to become an AI CFO

If you want to go beyond the PDF and actually save 20–40+ hours per month
I am hosting a live session for real finance teams

- Automate reporting and forecasting without writing code
- Cut days of manual work down to minutes
- Adopt AI securely while staying ahead of 2026's fast-changing tools

Tuesday, January 27
EST: 11am | UK: 4pm | CET: 5pm

👉 You can reserve your seat for my live masterclass here: https://lnkd.in/dpTt-bRP

🔁 Repost to help a finance peer who is tired of feeling behind on AI

See you in the masterclass!

Stop treating NetSuite like a static database
Start treating it like your smartest team member
👉 Learn how here: https://lnkd.in/dnZ4Nw5v

Finance teams are sitting on a goldmine of data
but they’re still "mining" it manually

Which is a "no-go" especially today
where we are in the forefront of AI

and finance teams are the one who should be leading it!

They spend 80% of their time exporting, cleaning, and formatting
Leaving only 20% for the actual analysis that moves the needle

AI changes this equation forever
But the thing is, you have to know how to use it

I’ve partnered with Oracle NetSuite to break down exactly how you can move from manual spreadsheets to real-time strategic insights using the 3 Levels of AI

Here is what the journey to an AI-Native finance team looks like:
1️⃣ Embedded AI: Automate the "high-friction" manual tasks. Think automated bill capture and continuous auditing that catches errors before month-end

2️⃣ Intelligent Analytics: Stop building saved searches. Use natural language to get instant answers on revenue trends or aging reports

3️⃣ Connected AI (MCP): This is the game-changer. Securely "plug" models like Claude or ChatGPT directly into your live data for custom dashboards and complex analysis

Example of MCP use case in Netsuite: Real-Time Variance Analysis ("Flux-in-Flight")
Instead of waiting for month-end close, audit expenses in real-time.

Prompt:
Check the Travel expense category for Q3 to date vs Q2 to date. Group by Department. If any department is more than 20% over, drill down and list the top 3 vendor bills driving the increase.

(See more in the infographic)

The results aren't just "cool" they are measurable:
✅ 20-30% reduction in close cycle time
✅ 50%+ faster variance analysis
✅ 3-5 hours saved per person, every single week.

Ready to see this in action? 🎥
I’m hosting a special webinar on January 22nd where I’ll be doing a live deep dive into these workflows and showing you how to set up your own AI Finance Toolkit 🛠️

Don't let your team get stuck in the "experimentation" phase
while others are reaching "AI-Native" status

👇 Register for the webinar here: https://lnkd.in/dnZ4Nw5v

See you there!

This post was sponsored by NetSuite

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

Theory is great until someone sends you 17 blurry PDFs and says "hey what's our business worth?"

This is the wake-up call that happens in the real world.

Businesses still need cash to operate, and they need profit if they eventually want to sell, but 9 times out of 10 the underlying data is a mess, and the "finance team" isn't sophisticated enough to build a forecast.

That's where YOU come in, right?  Just jump in and "stand up the model."

It's easy enough to understand on paper, but when you open that blank spreadsheet, suddenly, you can just freeze up.

Having spent over 15 years in Private Equity & FP&A, I know exactly how that feels.

When it's just you, some incomplete data, and AI isn't helping at all, how do you move forward?

That's where I can help -- I teach you to build (and own) the financial models that run real companies -- completely from scratch.

(𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯, especially in an unstructured environment).

This is financial modeling in the real world.

🌐 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 👉 https://www.financialmodelingeducation.com/ 


———

𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁:

🏆 Trusted by over 91,000 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


———

𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗺𝘀:

"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..."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🌐 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 👉 https://www.financialmodelingeducation.com/

Chris Reilly

A Balance Sheet even your 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 👇


Even though I live in Excel every day, I was never a "finance person" in school.

(in fact, I started as an Art Major 🎨).

All the "business terminology" used to confuse me.

The only way I could understand things was to break them down to their simplest form, and talk about it like I was at the kitchen table.

So sometimes when I'm building a model, I bust out this guide and ask myself, 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦?

𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦?

Hopefully this clears up anything you might find confusing 🙂


➕ 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀:

𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗵: Dollars in my bank account.

𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲: Money people owe me (for work I've already done)

𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆: Physical stuff I'm trying to sell

𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘀: Stuff I paid for (in cash) in advance & will expense this year

𝗙𝗶𝘅𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀: Assets I bought (in cash) & will expense over several years

𝗧𝗢𝗧𝗔𝗟 𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗧𝗦: Everything I Have (or will be getting soon)

~~~
✨ Here's a guide to model it 👉 https://lnkd.in/ew4nwaVx 
~~~


➖ 𝗟𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀:

𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲: Money I owe other people

𝗨𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲: Cash I've received, but I haven't done the work yet (or delivered the service)

𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘀: Expense I know is coming (this year) that I'll pay in cash later

𝗗𝗲𝗯𝘁: Money I borrowed to start the business or cover a cash crunch


🟰 𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆:

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹: My own money to start the business or cover a cash crunch

𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: A record of what I did with the profits (not cash)

𝗧𝗢𝗧𝗔𝗟 𝗟𝗜𝗔𝗕𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗦 & 𝗘𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗧𝗬: Where Everything Came From (or needs to go)


⚖️ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲?

To satisfy the accounting equation: 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀 = 𝗟𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 + 𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆.

This means all things a company owns (𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀) are either:

   * Financed by borrowing money (𝗟𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀)
   * Or created by what the owners invest (𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆)

It balances because every transaction affects 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 equally.


𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲...

No worries at all.  I've been there.

🧠 See what you're missing with a 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘇 👉 https://lnkd.in/eccYpT-R 

🎓 Or look at a 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 if you're interested 👉 https://bit.ly/FMECourses 

"...𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵-𝘪𝘯-𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯."

Private equity & FP&A veteran that teaches you to build the financial models that run real companies | 🎓 91,000+ students

So this is called the "pro forma balance sheet."  It's what a PE deal looks like right after the deal closes.  Here's how I model it... 👇

It's a 5-minute video on social media, no captions (sorry).

BUT...

This is 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 of building an LBO model.

So it takes a little longer to explain and I didn't have room for captions.

So take a few minutes, turn the sound on, and learn to model the Pro Forma Balance Sheet.

𝙉𝙚𝙭𝙩 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙥𝙨 ⤵️

📥 Grab the template 👉 https://lnkd.in/ex6BKa4E

The 13-week cash flow is the lifeblood of the business.  Can we actually keep the lights on?  Here's how I'd start 👇


🕜 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴?

13 weeks, 4 weeks, 7 weeks?

Doesn't matter.

I just need a general sense of what cash will do in the short term.

When will I collect payments?

Can I pay vendors?

Can I make payroll?


😡 𝗔 𝗙𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

What drives me nuts about these forecasts?

They have become so overly "professionalized" that no one understands them.

I just want to know:

"What will my bank account look like next week?"

"How about two weeks from now?"

Enough of the fluff.


📚 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲

Open a spreadsheet and whip this thing together.

You build it like this:

1. Stuff that comes in

-- minus --

2. Stuff that goes out

= What you have left.

(repeat for next week)

(💡𝗽𝗿𝗼 𝘁𝗶𝗽: add "float" to your beginning balance = cut checks that haven't been cashed)


🖼️ 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲

In the example image I'm focused on three things:

1. Mapping out the past

2. Making reasonable estimates about the future

3. Figuring out if I have shortfall (so I can do something about it 𝙣𝙤𝙬)


➕ 𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮 𝗧𝗶𝗽𝘀

💡𝗣𝗿𝗼 𝘁𝗶𝗽 𝟭: Build a "cushion" line called "unknowns" to make things conservative

💡𝗣𝗿𝗼 𝘁𝗶𝗽 𝟮: forecast expenses early, receipts late (making it conservative)

💡𝗣𝗿𝗼 𝘁𝗶𝗽 𝟯: forget about weeks, just 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝘆

(you can always summarize by week later)


🧠 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲

The best way to practice?

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲:

   + paycheck in

   - expenses out

Build a short forecast, maybe 4 weeks at most.

How'd you do?

If you were even 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 close,

you have the raw skills to do this at the business level.


📌 𝗧𝗟;𝗗𝗥

   1. Map out history
   2. Make conservative estimates about the future
   3. Make a plan now


𝙉𝙚𝙭𝙩 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙥𝙨 ⤵️

Here's a personal cash flow template to get you started.

📥 https://lnkd.in/edmwgYCv

Financial models can get insanely complicated, so I made this simple video to show how just ONE inventory purchase travels all the way through, which helps you visualize the cash conversion cycle 👇


✔️ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 "𝗥𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿" 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵

Model Revenue & COGS first.

Then, calculate 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥 working capital using DSO, DPO, or DOH.


📙 𝗔𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗼 𝗜𝘁

Model Inventory 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩, and:

   - Watch it flow through AP
   - Then your Income Statement
   - And lastly through AR where cash is received


📝 𝗠𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁?

This is a great way to 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴, and also helps you "see" the cash conversion cycle over a few months.


𝙉𝙚𝙭𝙩 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙥𝙨 ⤵️

I wish I could give away the model in this video but it's a half-broken WIP I use to create one-off lessons (like this one).

So here's the next-best thing: a guide to help you build the Balance Sheet.

📥 Grab it here: https://lnkd.in/ew4nwaVx

Here's a video on how I build direct and indirect cash flows in the 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 financial model (and it's an awesome double-check) 👇


📘 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗪𝗮𝘆:

Normally, a three statement model uses the 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 method only.

That means Net Income + 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴 in the Balance Sheet.


🔑 𝗧𝗵𝗲 "𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸" 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱:

How do I build both?

I use something called the "𝗕𝗔𝗦𝗘" or "𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘄" modeling technique, which works like this:

𝗕𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲
   (➕) Plus: [additions]
   (➖) Less: [subtractions]
𝗘𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲


📜 𝗔𝗥 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲:

So for Accounts Receivable it would be:

𝗕𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗥
   (➕) Plus: Revenue
   (➖) Less: Cash Receipts
𝗘𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗥


🔁 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗜𝘁 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹

You can 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 of these BASE accounts to your direct method cash flow.

This makes the overall cash section so much easier to understand and also serves as a great way to double-check the structure of your model.

I've been putting this "direct method double-check" into every model I build.


𝙉𝙚𝙭𝙩 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙥𝙨 ⤵️

📥 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁: Grab this indirect one-pager › https://lnkd.in/ez9Af7er 

🎓 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: Join 91k+ students › https://bit.ly/FMECourses

My simple process for refreshing Actuals each month (helpful if you're the person who "owns the model") 👇


𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲:

It all starts with an IF trigger - a formula that identifies whether we're looking at "Actual" results or still in "Forecast" mode.

If Actuals are available, it pulls directly from the Chart of Accounts (its own tab).

If not, it uses the forecast formula.

I control this through a LATEST_ACTUALS named range on my control panel.

That way, one simple date change updates the entire model.


𝗟𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄:

This logic flows through everything:

- Income Statement updates based on actuals
- Balance Sheet pulls new actual data
- Cash Flow Statement is automatic (indirect method)
- Support schedules adjust accordingly


𝗪𝗮𝗶𝘁... 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁?

Most importantly, I always include validation checks on my Control Panel to ensure everything reconciles properly.

- Does net income match QuickBooks?
- Does the balance sheet balance?
- Does ending cash match?


𝗣𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲:

The beauty of this system is its simplicity:

↳ Formulas do the heavy lifting
↳ Built-in validations catch errors
↳ No manual data entry needed
↳ One trigger cell controls everything

Hope this helps 🙂.


𝙉𝙚𝙭𝙩 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙥𝙨 ⤵️

If you want help mapping out a model, grab this checklist.

📥 https://lnkd.in/eVTU67fY

I still see this mistake 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵, so I just want to drive home the fundamentals on building the balance sheet / SCF 👇


❌ 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲:

Using the Statement of Cash Flows to 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿 the Balance Sheet.

That's a "no no."

I see it most often in the Cash from Investing section.

For example, if someone knows they're going to spend $10,000 on new equipment:

1. They'll add $10,000 to the Cash Flow Statement first, and 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯;

2. Add that amount to the Fixed Assets account in the Balance Sheet


👎 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲

It's not "wrong" from an 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 perspective.

That's actually fine, but...

It will likely mess you up from a 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 perspective.

Once you've got stuff from the balance sheet going to the cash flow statement 𝘢𝘯𝘥 vice versa, it's very likely you will create an error or unintended circular reference.


✅ 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝘁:

1. Build the Income Statement

2. Build the Balance Sheet

3. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 build the Statement of Cash Flows (using the "indirect method")

What do I mean by the "indirect method"?

It means you refer to items that 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵 in your Income Statement and Balance Sheet, and calculate the difference b/t time periods.

It works like this:

= Net Income (from Income Statement)

+ D&A (from Income Statement)

+/- the 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘯 Assets, Liabilities, & Equity


➕ 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀

For Assets, it's the previous period minus the current period

(i.e., January's ending AR balance minus February's ending AR balance)


➖ 𝗟𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀

For Liabilities, it's the current period minus the previous period

(i.e., February's ending AP balance minus January's ending AP balance)


🟰 𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆

For Equity, it's the current period minus the previous period (same as Liabilities)

(i.e., February's ending Contributed Capital balance minus January's ending Contributed Capital balance)


⚠️ 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

The only exception to this rule is Fixed Assets, where you will also pull out the Depreciation because it's 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 captured in the Cash from Operations.

(i.e., January's ending Fixed Asset balance minus February's ending Fixed Asset balance 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘴 𝘍𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘺'𝘴 𝘋𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯)


𝙉𝙚𝙭𝙩 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙥𝙨 ⤵️

📥 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: one-pager download: https://lnkd.in/ez9Af7er 

🎓 𝗚𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿: master the full skillset: https://bit.ly/FMECourses

A short one-pager to explain "GRR" (Gross Revenue Retention) in SaaS 👇


𝗚𝗥𝗥 𝟭𝟬𝟭

GRR or "Gross Revenue Retention" is a common metric used in SaaS companies.

I like to think of it as, "here's how much ARR I have left after accounting for Downsells and Churn."

You're basically seeing how much your Revenue shrunk without accounting for anyone who might have upgraded (via an Upsell).

It's expressed as a percent, so the basic formula is:

(Beginning ARR - Downsells - Churn) / Beginning ARR


𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲

So if ARR looked like this:

Beginning ARR     $100,000
+ Upsells                $10,000
- Downsells            ($5,000)
- Churn                   ($3,000)
Ending ARR           $102,000

Then GRR would be:

GRR = ($100,000 - $5,000 - $3,000) / $100,000

GRR = $92,000 / $100,000

GRR = 92%


𝗦𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝘆...

"I only have 92% of the Recurring Revenue I started with."

 
𝗦𝗼 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁...?

Then, to actually do something about it, the next thing you'd ask is "why?"

Reach out to the customers, get the story, and hopefully make some changes in the future.


𝙉𝙚𝙭𝙩 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙥𝙨 ⤵️

When it's time to take 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 on what to do, this guide can help:

📥 Data storytelling guide: https://lnkd.in/dCt-P3Na

This remains my favorite "tagging" technique when building time-series models. Awesome guide that Jason Hershman put together 👇


Having trouble tagging him, but Jason Hershman put this together (https://bit.ly/PointFPA) -- he's a long-time modeler and fellow FTI Consulting alum.


𝗔 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲 / 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗜 𝘀𝗲𝗲:

"𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘐 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺?"


Here's the catch: you DON'T build it by quarter.

You 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙞𝙩 by month and then 𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙯𝙚 by quarter, year, etc.

You do this by building the "hooks."

Jason illustrates this on Slide 7 (sometimes called "tags" as well).

Those additional rows act as reference points for rolling into a larger summary.


𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴

From there you can use SUMIFS, INDEX/MATCH, XLOOKUP, SUMPRODUCT to 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩 your data in a different format such as quarterly or annually.

But most importantly, you still have your detailed monthly model sitting underneath it all.


💡𝗣𝗿𝗼 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Fiscal vs Calendar year

If your 𝗳𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 differs from your 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿...

1. Create a lookup/mapping tab that maps calendar dates to fiscal dates, then;

2. Using a lookup function, you add the fiscal dates as another "hook" to the model

(i.e., another row as shown on Slide 7).

✓ This allows you to 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗯𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿.


𝙉𝙚𝙭𝙩 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙥𝙨 ⤵️

📥 Grab a copy here: https://bit.ly/excel-hooks

Building Excel tags/hooks to summarize your model

My first Private Equity interview started at 9am, 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝟭𝟬𝗽𝗺, and was a head-to-head competition with someone else 👇


𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟭:

The day started normal enough: show up wearing "the suit," feeling jitters.

Told there was an "accidental schedule conflict," so I'd be interviewing alongside another candidate.

(deliberate of course, but I didn't realize it at the time).

Weird, I thought, but I just said "okay" and kind of moved on.

Regular day from there -- conversations with the team and a modeling test.

(I could 𝘯𝘰𝘵 get my balance sheet to balance, btw 🫠)


𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟮:

We moved to dinner and drinks, much more casual.

But with another candidate there, I'm left wondering...

  - Am I saying enough?
  - Is he sounding smarter than me?

I've always been super introverted, so while I can "turn it on" in those social settings, it's not my comfort zone.


𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟯:

The Partners "call it a night," and we head to the bar with the Associates.

The other candidate invites a girl to the bar, then kind of disappears.

I sat and talked with the Associates most of the time.

Eventually, we got an Uber back to my hotel, said thanks and goodbye, and parted ways.

I had no idea "how I did," but in my gut felt like it was decent that I at least finished the night with team members.

(and they were cool guys, so it was easy).


𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲:

I eventually got the job.

I'll never truly know how "well I did" vs the other guy, but since I submitted a busted model (🙃) , I have to assume the fit was better.‍


𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗶𝘁𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳

It turned out to be really hard (at least for me).

I wasn't prepared for the hours or the travel schedule.

(I came from a more "comfy" 9-5 FP&A role).

Honestly, it was too much for me at times.

But, 𝗜 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗧𝗢𝗡.  There was more growth in that one role than there was anywhere else in my career (other than going out on my own).

It's also why I created a modeling program: to help people learn faster and not struggle like I did: https://bit.ly/FMECourses 


𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱:

1️⃣ A huge part of PE is 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥.

   - the "double booking"
   - unplanned travel
   - long hours

2️⃣ Also, 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺?

Modeling skills get you in the door, but a huge part is spending time on the road meeting management teams.

That means all different types of personalities.

You need some level of EQ to build a partnership.

And although the travel was a lot for me, I loved the time onsite.

Meeting the entrepreneurs ultimately inspired me to do my own thing.


𝗣𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲

PE is no joke, but it can be a really fulfilling career if you can find a good team and build genuine, human relationships with your portfolio companies.

I put this guide together as one small tool that can help.

📥 https://lnkd.in/ewh-x6_k

Private Equity Interview Guide

My quick thoughts on AI & financial modeling:

- AI is great in 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 hands

- Experience can interpret what AI builds (and spot any mistakes)

- You gain this experience “the hard way,” building models from scratch

- By doing so, not only do you gain technical skills (Excel, etc.)…

- You 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 along the way (which is ultimately your job)

AI can definitely save you time on the front end, but you’ll likely use that same time on the backend (1) interpreting/auditing the model and (2) learning the business.

That’s why I still prefer using the time to build by hand.  The total net time may be greater, but I’ll understand more.

𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆: taught myself to build a ROU Asset / Operating Lease with AI in a client model.  It worked because I already knew the underlying finance and accounting — my experience allowed me to take advantage of the tool.

I think the professionals best-suited for the future will have the foundation of old school learning coupled with new school tools.  That’s the edge.


𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽...

If you're building a model from scratch, sometimes it's hard to know where to start.

📥 This checklist can help: https://lnkd.in/eVTU67fY

Which of the following is 𝘯𝘰𝘵 part of Cash from Investing Activities?

Take the full quiz here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eccYpT-R

Which of the following is not part of Cash from Investing Activities?

The author can see how you vote. Learn more

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