The FP&A Guy Network

In this episode of FP&A Unlocked, Paul Barnhurst sits down with Etinosa Agbonlahor, behavioral economist and Founder & CEO of Decision Alpha, to discuss why pricing is one of the biggest drivers of business success. They explore how customer psychology influences pricing, why many companies underprice their products, and how FP&A can play a more strategic role in pricing decisions.
Etinosa Agbonlahor is a behavioral economist and pricing strategist who helps businesses improve pricing through behavioral science and customer insights. As Founder & CEO of Decision Alpha, she has advised organizations across the US, Australia, Africa, and the UK on pricing, customer behavior, and growth. She is also the author of How to Talk to Your Parents About Money.
Expect to Learn:
Why most businesses underprice their products
How customer psychology influences pricing
The role of FP&A in pricing strategy
When outcome-based pricing works best
Why storytelling makes data more impactful

Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode:
"The problem with underpricing is that no one is going to tell you you're underpriced." – Etinosa Agbonlahor
"People don't walk around knowing what your product should cost, they infer your value from your price." – Etinosa Agbonlahor

Etinosa shares practical strategies for improving pricing through customer research, behavioral economics, and data-driven decision-making. This episode is ideal for FP&A professionals, finance leaders, and business owners looking to build stronger pricing strategies.

Follow Etinosa:
Website - https://playbook.decisionalpha.co/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/etinosasere/

Earn Your CPE Credit
For CPE credit, please go to earmarkcpe.com, listen to the episode, download the app, answer a few questions, and earn your CPE certification. To earn education credits for the FPAC Certificate, take the quiz on earmark and contact Paul Barnhurst for further details.

In Today’s Episode
[00:00] – Trailer
[05:18] – What Great FP&A Looks Like
[06:12] – Why Pricing Drives Business Success
[10:03] – Why Businesses Underprice
[17:23] – Customer Segmentation
[24:02] – FP&A and Pricing
[29:28] – Behavioral Pricing Framework
[34:12] – AI & Outcome-Based Pricing
[46:05] – Data Storytelling
[57:02] – Final Advice

In this episode of Future Finance, Paul Barnhurst and Glenn Hopper are joined by Nick Jain and Daniel Settel, co-founders of Eagle Rock CFO. They discuss how AI is changing FP&A, why finance teams still need human expertise, and how their platform helps CFOs automate financial analysis while improving decision-making.
Nick Jain is a Harvard MBA and former CEO, CFO, and investor with experience at McKinsey, Bain Capital, and multiple high-growth companies. Daniel Settel is a Stanford engineer, Harvard MBA, former investment professional at Primecap Management, and co-founder of a venture secondary marketplace. Together, they founded Eagle Rock CFO to combine technology with fractional CFO services for growing businesses.

In this episode, you will discover:
How AI can automate FP&A without replacing finance professionals
Why clean financial data is essential for better analysis
The role of humans in AI-powered finance workflows
How fractional CFOs can use technology to serve more clients
Where businesses can uncover hidden value in their financial data

AI-powered finance tools are changing how businesses analyze data, but success still depends on combining automation with sound financial judgment. Nick and Daniel share practical insights into how finance leaders can use technology to save time, uncover opportunities, and make better decisions.

Follow Nick:
Website: https://www.eaglerockcfo.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickmjain/

Follow Dan:
Website: https://www.eaglerockcfo.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dsettel/

Follow Glenn:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gbhopperiii

Follow Paul:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefpandaguy

Follow QFlow.AI:
Website - https://bit.ly/4i1Ekjg

Future Finance is sponsored by QFlow.ai, the strategic finance platform solving the toughest part of planning and analysis: B2B revenue. Align sales, marketing, and finance, speed up decision-making, and lock in accountability with QFlow.ai.

Stay tuned for a deeper understanding of how AI is shaping the future of finance and what it means for businesses and individuals alike.

In Today’s Episode:
[02:24] – Why Eagle Rock CFO Was Founded
[04:35] – Building AI for FP&A
[09:12] – The Human Role in AI-Powered Finance
[10:38] – Why Fractional CFOs Need Better Tools
[14:18] – Cleaning Financial Data & Chart of Accounts
[16:21] – White-Labeling the Platform
[17:17] – Time Savings and Business Impact
[19:18] – Final Thoughts

In this episode of The Mod Squad, Paul Barnhurst, Ian Schnoor, and Giles Male put today's leading AI tools to the test in a live financial modeling "bake-off." Using the same modeling case and prompts, they compare ChatGPT, Claude, and Copilot to see how well each tool builds a financial model. The discussion highlights the progress AI has made, where it still falls short, and why financial modeling expertise remains essential.
Expect to Learn:
How ChatGPT, Claude, and Copilot perform on the same financial modeling task
The strengths and weaknesses of AI-generated financial models
Why AI-generated models still require careful review and testing
How custom instructions and skills can improve AI outputs
Why financial modeling knowledge is still critical in an AI-driven world

Here are a few quotes from the episode:
"People are trying to do their jobs and keep up with AI at the same time. It's exhausting." – Ian Schnoor
"AI is a magnifier, not a replacement for financial modeling skills." – Paul Barnhurst

AI is powerful, but it is not a shortcut to quality work. It still needs guidance, structure, and strong fundamentals. The people who benefit most are those who understand both the tools and the work behind them. For now, the best approach is simple: test it, guide it, and never trust it blindly.

Follow Ian:
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianschnoor/

Follow Giles:
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/giles-male-30643b15/

In today’s episode:
[00:00] – Trailer
[03:30] – AI Fatigue & Keeping Up
[05:48] – The Modeling Challenge
[08:41] – ChatGPT Results
[17:57] – Claude Results
[27:33] – Copilot Results
[30:36] – Human Review Still Matters
[33:18] – How AI Has Improved
[36:10] – Better Results with Custom Skills
[37:08] – Final Verdict & Key Takeaways

In this episode of FP&A Unlocked, Paul Barnhurst sits down with Alok Ajmera, CEO of Prophix, to explore how AI is reshaping FP&A, financial planning, and enterprise decision-making. Alok explains how modern finance teams are evolving from spreadsheet-heavy workflows to AI-enabled systems, while still relying on structured data, deterministic processes, and human oversight to maintain accuracy and trust in financial outputs.

Alok Ajmera is the CEO of Prophix, a leading financial performance management platform helping CFO organizations modernize planning, budgeting, and forecasting. With over 22 years at Prophix, he has supported more than 3,000 finance teams globally in transforming how they close, consolidate, and plan. Alok has led the evolution of FP&A systems from spreadsheet-first to system-first, and now toward AI-enabled finance operations.

Expect to Learn:
What makes FP&A a true force multiplier inside organizations
How data stewardship, collaboration, and forecasting define great finance teams
Why AI must stay deterministic when handling financial calculations
The difference between probabilistic AI and structured finance systems
How AI agents support FP&A without replacing financial control

Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode:
"The biggest opportunity is to take inefficient manual workflows and simplify them with AI agents, delivering value quickly while building confidence in the team." – Alok Ajmera
"AI democratizes capabilities, but there must be governance and discipline. It’s easy to build things, but maintaining them is hard." – Alok Ajmera

Alok explains that while AI is transforming FP&A through speed and automation, the core of finance still depends on structured systems, clean data, and human judgment. He emphasizes that the future of finance is a hybrid model where AI enhances productivity while finance leaders maintain control, context, and strategic oversight.

Follow Alok:
Website - www.prophix.com
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alok-ajmera-93896617/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@prophix

Earn Your CPE Credit
For CPE credit, please go to earmarkcpe.com, listen to the episode, download the app, answer a few questions, and earn your CPE certification. To earn education credits for the FPAC Certificate, take the quiz on earmark and contact Paul Barnhurst for further details.
In Today’s Episode
[00:00] – Trailer
[04:10] – What great FP&A looks like
[09:13] – Revenue and qualitative goals
[18:38] – Why AI in FP&A needs structure
[29:36] – AI in forecasting and planning
[33:45] – Risks, governance, and AI sprawl
[45:40] – Soft skills in FP&A
[49:11] – Travel and personal reflections
[51:25] – Closing thoughts

In this episode of Future Finance, Paul Barnhurst and Glenn Hopper sit down with Nick Jain and Daniel Settel, co-founders of Eagle Rock CFO, to discuss how AI is reshaping FP&A and fractional CFO services. Nick and Dan explain how their AI-powered system combines structured data processing, automation, and financial expertise to help companies analyze complex financial data faster, reduce manual workload, and uncover hidden value in their operations.

Dan and Nick are co-founders of Eagle Rock CFO, a financial advisory firm helping mid-size businesses grow faster and improve profitability. They combine AI and technology to deliver operational finance insights at a fraction of traditional consulting costs. Both are Harvard Business School graduates, with undergraduate degrees from Stanford and Dartmouth. Dan previously co-founded FinTech company Zanbato and worked as a professional investor at PrimeCap, while Nick has experience in private equity investing and scaling companies across SaaS, footwear, and trucking.

In this episode, you will discover:
AI works best when paired with structured financial data, not raw inputs
Why deterministic systems still matter alongside AI in finance workflows
How Eagle Rock’s 5-step system improves financial analysis accuracy
Why human oversight is still needed in AI-powered FP&A systems
How fractional CFOs can save 20–50 hours per month using AI tools

Nick and Daniel demonstrate how AI is transforming finance by automating analysis while still relying on structured systems and human judgment. Their approach shows that the future of FP&A is not fully autonomous AI, but a hybrid model where AI enhances decision-making, improves efficiency, and strengthens financial visibility.

Follow Nick:
Website: https://www.eaglerockcfo.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickmjain/

Follow Dan:
Website: https://www.eaglerockcfo.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dsettel/

Follow Glenn:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gbhopperiii

Follow Paul:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefpandaguy

Follow QFlow.AI:
Website - https://bit.ly/4i1Ekjg

Future Finance is sponsored by QFlow.ai, the strategic finance platform solving the toughest part of planning and analysis: B2B revenue. Align sales, marketing, and finance, speed up decision-making, and lock in accountability with QFlow.ai.

Stay tuned for a deeper understanding of how AI is shaping the future of finance and what it means for businesses and individuals alike.

In Today’s Episode:
[00:00] – Trailer
[04:10] – Founding Eagle Rock CFO
[06:21] – Deterministic vs probabilistic systems
[07:22] – Why agents are not enough
[09:13] – Data compression and structuring
[10:13] – Human oversight in AI workflows
[14:51] – Data mess in SMB finance
[18:38] – White-label and consulting model
[22:18] – How to start using AI safely
[29:36] – CFO vs CEO vs CIO experience
[33:45] – Closing thoughts