Count Me In®

In this special edition of Count Me In, Adam Larson sits down with Dr. Brigitte de Graaff , IMA's new Board Chair and Assistant Professor at Vrije University in the Netherlands. Brigitte shares how a student job with IMA's CMA program launched a career that never followed a straight line, and why she believes that is a strength, not a detour. She talks about her vision for a more connected IMA com...

Soufyan Hamid , founder of The Finance Circle , returns to Count Me In to share fresh insights on the evolving role of finance teams. His company specializes in training FP&A leaders and finance professionals to master financial storytelling, deliver impactful presentations, and build strong business partner relationships. Since Soufyan's last appeared in 2024, AI has swept through the finance...

Join us for a lively conversation with Marina Ter Sargsyan , Founder and CFO of Crystal Books Consulting , whose 25-year journey spans Armenia to the U.S., banking to nonprofits, and tech transformations to teaching. Marina shares how her love for numbers and problem-solving fueled her passion for helping small businesses and nonprofits tackle complex challenges. You'll hear honest insights on the...

What does it really take to keep ethics at the forefront as AI changes the game in accounting? In this episode, Tala Khalifeh , Chief of Staff at STAXX and a leader for IMA Shared Interest Groups, joins Adam Larson for an honest, insightful chat about her journey from internal audit to championing ethics in finance. Listen as Tala shares real stories about walking away from unethical workplaces, w...

Join Adam Larson as he sits down with Ali Hussain , founder and CEO of Tabs , for a candid conversation about redefining the landscape of accounting and finance through AI-powered technology. Ali shares his journey from COO to entrepreneur, the real struggles finance teams face with outdated tools, and why party tricks in AI aren’t enough for meaningful change. Get an inside look at what it means...

Ever wondered how an electrical engineer ends up as the CFO of a major company in Brazil? Join us for a candid conversation with Rafael Pinho , Co-Founder and CFO at TD Pine Advisors , as he shares his unconventional career journey from engineering to investment banking, and onward to leading large finance teams. Rafael opens up about learning on the job, the challenges of managing through crisis,...

Join us for an engaging and insightful chat with Katie Trowbridge , educator-turned-CEO and author of the latest leadership book, Lead Boldly Think Deeply . Katie shares her journey from the classroom to the boardroom and reveals how experiences in both spaces are more alike than you might expect.   Throughout the episode, Katie highlights ideas from her book as she talks about creating genuine co...

Get ready for a revealing conversation as Jennifer Pinde r, Controller for Watchdog Real Estate Project Management, joins Adam Larson to share real-life stories of bank fraud in the small business world. This episode is brought to you in connection with IMA's Shared Interest Groups , a community where members explore topics that matter most to their careers and industries.   From firsthand experie...

Looking to boost your confidence as a presenter and storyteller? In this engaging episode, Adam Larson welcomes Christiane Schroeter , Professor at Cal Poly State University, health economics doctorate, TEDx speaker , and storytelling coach. Together, they explore how taking small steps and making authentic connections can help you become a better communicator.   Christiane Schroeter opens up abou...

If you've ever stared down a massive prepaid spreadsheet, chased a missing accrual on the last day of close, or found out about a new contract when the invoice showed up months later, this episode is for you.   Adam Larson sits down with David Buchanan , product leader at FinQuery and former auditor, for a candid conversation about why the traditional month-end close is still a chaotic scramble fo...

Join host Adam Larson as he welcomes expert guests Dana Hermanson , Daniel Haggerty , and Douglas Boyle —the authors of the 2026 Curt Verschoor Ethics Feature of the Year —for an honest, eye-opening discussion on the shadow side of professional ethics. After their award-winning article on building virtue, the trio flips the script—this time tackling the capital vices of pride, envy, and greed, and...

Join Barry Dyke , veteran financial planner, author, and leader of Castle Asset Management , for an honest and eye-opening conversation on the fundamentals of building financial stability. With 40 years of experience and stories from working with everyone from families to billionaires, Barry shares practical advice on saving smart, planning for uncertainty, and why focusing on real retirement inco...

In this engaging conversation, Adam Larson welcomes data science veteran, AI thought leader, and founder & CEO of AI-celerator , Michael Housman , back to the podcast. Michael shares his personal journey from data nerd to bestselling author, reflecting on his years building machine learning platforms and fintech innovations. They chat about the rapid evolution of AI—from its early "big data" d...

What exactly makes a community thrive, especially one built for professionals around the globe who are passionate about the same topics? In this lively and insightful episode, Amanda Bernard , Tala Khalifeh , and Izz Ansari —dynamic leaders of three of IMA’s Shared Interest Groups —chat with Adam about what sets these virtual communities apart. You’ll hear real stories about why these leaders got...

Join Adam Larson as he sits down with entrepreneur and founder Jon Morris , the mind behind Rise Interactive and Fiscal Advocate . Jon shares the story of how he scaled a digital marketing agency from its early days and how picking the right industry can make or break a business. Hear firsthand about the unconventional talent strategies that fueled his journey—like recruiting investment bankers an...

Get ready for an eye-opening conversation with Sharrin Fuller , a serial entrepreneur, founder and strategic advisor at Glass Wallet Ventures , and a true expert on scaling accounting firms the smart way. In this episode, Sharrin shares her hard-earned lessons on building a business that doesn’t just add headcount, but actually works better with fewer people. Hear her candid stories about the chal...

Ready for a fresh take on accounting and finance? In this episode of Count Me In, Adam Larson sits down with Helen Hastings —Stanford-trained software engineer turned founder of Quanta —for a conversation packed with insights, real talk, and a peek into the future of financial operations.   Helen shares her journey from building in-house financial systems to creating Quanta’s AI-powered platform t...

Welcome back Timothy Wingate ! In this episode of Count Me In, Adam Larson welcomes Timothy for a refreshingly honest conversation that goes far beyond accounting. Timothy shares the story of his entrepreneurial journey—from stepping away from corporate dreams to facing wild challenges like unexpected lawsuits and a wrongful arrest, all the way to founding his own company, G+F Business & Finan...

On this episode of Count Me In, Adam Larson sits down with Sharoon Thomas , founder of Fulfil , for a lively conversation about the unique accounting challenges facing direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands. Sharoon Thomas shares fascinating stories from his journey working with ERP systems and D2C brands, revealing why traditional spreadsheets just can’t keep up with today’s high-volume, multi-channel c...

In this engaging episode, Adam Larson chats with Dr. Simone Ahuja about her remarkable career journey from dentist to documentary filmmaker, author, and creative problem-solving champion. Simone offers refreshing insights on how to be more resourceful at work, especially when facing limited resources and high demands. She shares relatable stories and simple yet powerful strategies for letting go o...

On this episode of Count Me In, Adam Larson sits down with John Glasgow , founder and CEO of Campfire , for a candid conversation about building a company and transforming finance teams with AI-driven ERPs. John opens up about the challenges of juggling parenthood and entrepreneurship, lessons learned from Y Combinator, and how his frustration with outdated financial software inspired him to creat...

Get ready for an inspiring listen with author and founder of Busy Bee Advisors , Melissa Broughton , on Count Me In! Host Adam Larson sits down with Melissa as she shares her journey from watching her grandmother and mom work in bookkeeping to carving out her own path in accounting.   Melissa brings you inside her world, from falling in love with paperwork as a kid, navigating corporate life, and...

In this bonus episode of Count Me In, recorded live at Oracle NetSuite's SuiteConnect NYC, Adam Larson sits down with Sue Vestri , CFO at CRIO and a finance leader with a wealth of experience in startups, public companies, and private equity-backed businesses. Listen in as Sue shares real stories from her career, everything from wrangling accounting platforms for rapidly scaling teams to building...

Get ready for a fresh perspective on pricing in this engaging episode of Count Me In. Host Adam Larson welcomes behavioral pricing expert and Decision Alpha CEO Etinosa Agbonlahor to share how psychology, emotion, and real customer conversations can reshape the way businesses think about pricing.   Forget relying only on cost-plus formulas or spreadsheets. Etinosa brings stories from the field, in...

Join host Adam Larson as he chats with David Frieder , Head of Corporate Payment Systems at US Bank , about his unique journey from college intern to leading payment innovation. David Frieder shares real stories on how banks build new products, why real-time payments are gaining momentum (and where they’re not), and the practical challenges of bringing new tech to traditional finance teams.   They...