Ep 7: Putting your Career in High Gear with Alyssa Gelbard, Founder & President of Point Road Group

Managing our careers for long-term resilience takes time and effort.  In this episode of Upside/Downside, Alyssa Gelbard, Founder & President of Point Road Group, tells us to fight through our Zoom fatigue, keep building our networks, and to show empathy towards others.  Alyssa also explains why a lot of things can come next after a Finance Business Partner role and offers strategies to keep growing.  Rev your engines and tune in!

Thank you for listening and please visit Upside/Downside podcast and enter your email for my FREE list: "10 places to look for higher profits and cash flow right now!".

Matt

Transcript

UNKNOWN: 0:00

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00: 0:01

Hi, this is Matt Cooley, host of the podcast Upside Downside, where we explore what it takes to be the best finance business partners possible. I'm a finance business partner myself and former president of the New York City chapter of Financial Executives International. Prepare to meet professionals on the front lines of value creations and hear their stories. If you'd like to suggest a future guest for this podcast or be a guest yourself, please reach out. Now on to today's podcast. Please welcome Elisa Gelbhard. founder and president of Point Road Group. Welcome, Elisa. Thanks, Matt. Good to be here. Well, thank you so much for taking the time. Please tell us about your business and how you came to the role that you have today.

SPEAKER_01: 0:45

Sure. So Point Road Group is a personal branding and consulting firm, and we help both companies and individuals make better impressions to drive success. And on the company side of things, we help the companies actually make better impressions through their people. That's who we focus on. So we work with executive teams, finance departments, business development departments, and business units and entire companies to help their people be more visible and effective so they can have a better impact internally and externally. And so that's whether it's their virtual presence, and we're doing a heck of a lot of that these days, LinkedIn, communications, networking, coaching. It's all about helping people improve how they come across to others and the impressions they make. And we're industry agnostic. We work with companies of all sizes, you know, private companies, Fortune 500, startups, nonprofits. And on the individual side of things, we work with senior executives who want to strengthen their personal brand to drive success in whether it's just, you know, in their everyday jobs or because they're conducting a job search or a board search. And we work across functional areas with individuals, but a very large portion of them are finance executives. And we've been doing that, you know, since the company's inception. And we're industry agnostic there too. And My background is actually in strategic marketing and branding. I worked in a variety of industries and actually always worked closely with finance and IT leaders, which is why I think I still love working with them to this day, with all due respect to all the other functional areas. We

SPEAKER_00: 2:18

won't tell them, don't

SPEAKER_01: 2:19

we? Yes. And of course, I'm saying it on a podcast, so yeah, that's a big secret now. But as my career progressed, I was always hiring and building teams, and I enjoyed really enjoyed connecting people, just whether it was for their career or just for business success. And I was kind of like an unofficial go-to person in the companies that I worked for when people were looking to either hire people, specific people, or improve impressions. And I didn't realize at the time during all this, it was just something I was doing on this, as just part of my job, but not really a requirement. And I didn't realize that I was sowing the seeds for the business that it is today. And people started asking me, you know, who I knew for advice. And then it became people I didn't know. And so at the time I was working in the nonprofit world, nonprofit world. And so I hung up a shingle and figured, you know, why not? And things kind of took off from there. And I'm a completely, I call myself an accidental entrepreneur because I never had the intention of owning my own business. And it just kind of happened as things started to grow. And, you know, and then, you know, we started initially when we started the company, it was working just with individuals and then, you know, the corporate business grew out of that.

SPEAKER_00: 3:32

Oh, that's excellent. That's a great path. And I love that accidental entrepreneur. Very cool. So you do work with a lot of finance professionals, as you mentioned. What's the biggest thing when you look at us as a group that you would like to change? And I know there must be something. Oh,

SPEAKER_01: 3:49

there absolutely is. This is actually

SPEAKER_00: 3:51

an easy one. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_01: 3:53

Because, you know, like you mentioned, we've been working with finance leaders since day one. But what actually the biggest thing actually hasn't changed over all this time, which is not really being as effective as possible in both how you introduce yourself and explain what you do. So it's usually one extreme or the other. It's a kind of five-minute speech without coming up for air and getting into lots and lots of detail or something super, super short that's not so informative. And there's obviously a balance there. You want to do something in between those two things. And I think you know, kind of relating to that is also not tailoring to an audience. So you can't always assume, even if you're speaking to someone in finance, you don't know their background and how much knowledge they have and kind of larger picture. So I think a mistake also is kind of, you know, not tailoring to who you're speaking with and speaking to. And regardless though, of kind of how you share information, whether it's a short version or a long version, it also, and this is really, I think one of the most important pieces is that it doesn't really truly reflect their value, capabilities, accomplishments. I think finance people more than most undersell themselves. And I shouldn't use the word sell because I actually don't really mean that, but kind of just don't really fully communicate what they bring to the table and kind of boosting themselves up a little bit to show what they're really doing. And I think then, of course, by extension, that gets reflected in LinkedIn profiles and if they have resumes and bios and things like that. Wow.

SPEAKER_00: 5:34

You're striking right at the heart of our psyche and our insecurities as finance people. But you're amazing. That's the thing. I like that answer. And you need to

SPEAKER_01: 5:43

tell people about it.

SPEAKER_00: 5:45

Yeah, that's neat. Finance business partners, which is what this podcast really is about, are usually joined at the hip with decision makers, right, at companies, executives. What aspects of this role, from your perspective, differentiate it from other finance roles? Let's say somebody who's probably more focused on the accounting side. And how should we be using those aspects to grow our skills and our careers?

SPEAKER_01: 6:10

I love this question. I really do because I think a lot of people just think if they don't know what a finance business partner is, they just think it's just like you said, like any other finance role. And here, it's different because it's a much more strategic role. You're a trusted advisor to that business area, you add value in decision making. And not that other finance roles don't add value. They absolutely do. But this is at a different level. And I think it has a bigger impact. And, you know, in this role, you have a pulse on the business and have meaningful insights. And you're not just in one area, you know, focusing on, let's say, financial reporting or, you know, or budgeting or something like that. And you're really looking cross-functionally across finance, but also in other areas too. And I think what is, you know, what kind of skills are required? Well, I think critical is communication skills. And this is really, I think, what sets people apart in their, you know, if they're kind of set up to be, you know, having a finance business partner role or a different role within finance. Communication skills, listening skills, being kind of proactive and anticipating things because you're doing analysis and you're partnering with someone. So you're really understanding their business area and what they're thinking and thinking strategically And being empathetic because, you know, of course, the technical finance skills are important. They come after that. But these other skills, I think, are really critical. And if you hone those, that's going to help as you progress. And as you look to a finance business partner role, or if you haven't done it before, or a larger one, if you're looking to kind of develop in that area. And I think, you know, as you think about your career, after once you become a finance business partner, you're not likely to be a finance business partner. limited to finance anymore if you want to be making a change. There's a lot of things that can come next. You can go in different directions. And of course, though, those type of roles depend on, you know, a wide variety of factors. You know, of course, like I mentioned, if you want to stay in finance or not, but also, you know, what you did beforehand, what you've accomplished in your finance business partner role, other roles that you've held and level and all those kinds of things. But you could go so many different ways, you know, whether it's strategy or operations and other things too. But it really is a good transition role if you're looking to do something else and have a larger impact on the business. But it's also a good role if you're looking to progress within finance and you want to get a different perspective.

SPEAKER_00: 8:45

Yeah, that's outstanding. And that should really psych up everybody listening here. I love the way that you put that. With all the uncertainties in the world right now, we've got so much going on, not just COVID, geopolitics, inequality the growing power of technology on our roles and the impact that it has. Would you say this is a good or bad time to be looking for a finance business partner job?

SPEAKER_01: 9:12

Well, I actually get asked that question all that time just about jobs in general, right? What do we do now? But, you know, I think there's positives and negatives and I'll just kind of focus on a few because it's, you know, it's, yes, it's challenging to look for a job right now, but it's not necessarily a bad time. So some of the positives And I'll just give you, you know, I'm just giving a few, but this is not an exhaustive list by any means. But, you know, you can consider opportunities out of your geographic area. You know, we just hired someone from Iowa. And I got to tell you, you know, six months ago, that would have been pretty unlikely. So, you know, that opens kind of up the world to people. It's also a good time, in my opinion, to evaluate kind of what's important to you and your career. And if you've been wanting to make a change for a while you can kind of leverage the current situation and what's going on to start moving in a different direction. You know, very often, and we find this with people in finance roles, they stay in them for a long time. And I can't tell you how frequently we've talked to people, work with clients who say, you know, I've been wanting to do this for, you know, a couple of years at least. So for, I think people who have been thinking that it's a good time, you know, and just because the market's filled with so many different, you know, so many candidates right now, for a wide variety of reasons. That doesn't mean that they're all, you know, direct competitors for the roles that you're seeking. So, yes, it's generally more competitive out there, but I think that was happening pre all the lovely things that you mentioned. So, you know, you don't want to think just because everybody, lots of more people are looking for a job that that means they're direct competitors to you. Another plus, I think, is that, you know, companies have really reinvented themselves, gone through transformation, you know, And obviously so many across so many industries because of what recently happened, but even before. But especially given what's happened over the last couple months, they can be looking for people with new perspectives and new experience. So maybe the type of person who they previously looked for in a finance business partner role, that may have changed. And maybe, I don't know, it could be industry experience isn't as relevant or having have held specific roles previous isn't as important, you know, that their perspective on who would be a good fit for the role is changing because how they do business and how they, you know, how they're approaching the company strategically, you know, for, for, you know, to grow is different now too. And, you know, some negatives are, okay, yes, there are fewer positions open because companies are trying to do more with less given kind of everything that's happened, you know, but, and, and at the same, but at the same time, at at the senior level, there's certain things that more junior level staff can't do, so they still need to fill those roles. So I'm sorry, I'm kind of going back and forth with a little positive and negative here, but I think it's harder though now, generally speaking, to look for a job because networking is obviously not as easy. You can certainly, and for anybody who thinks you can't network virtually, you absolutely can. It's just a different kind of effort and it doesn't come as easy as kind of the way it was before, but it's also harder when you're interviewing to get to know a potential boss and team, colleagues, board, you know, through a screen. You know, it's that gut feeling that you have about people. You can still get it, but it doesn't happen quite the way it used to, you know, when you were meeting people regularly in person. Another area that I think makes it a little more challenging is that the uncertainty with companies right now and what's happening. And maybe they're virtual now, maybe they're, well, maybe the role itself is virtual now but maybe it won't be in a year so that makes maybe a geographic you know if you're looking at other geographies a little more challenging but maybe the company is still going through transformation and that can be both a positive and a negative in a finance role you know I think so there's different things that are that happen right that are happening right now with uncertainty that can make it a little bit more challenging you know or the company they want to bring you on but think that maybe as a a consultant first or it's getting delayed. I mean, we hear every kind of scenario there is. But again, but another positive, I want to end on a positive note, is that companies are looking at candidates in new ways. They're also being more flexible with the type of people that they're bringing on, both in terms of their background and experience and skills, et cetera, but also the type of person and where they are. So I do think it's not necessarily a bad time. It's just the challenges are a little bit different.

SPEAKER_00: 13:58

You mentioned networking. So we know each other through a finance association. What are the best sources right now from your perspective for finance business partners to be networking in outside of the office?

SPEAKER_01: 14:11

That is the million dollar question, right?

SPEAKER_00: 14:14

Well, I think

SPEAKER_01: 14:14

there's a lot

SPEAKER_00: 14:15

of- Don't charge us.

SPEAKER_01: 14:18

There's a lot of things that you can be doing. One, of course, is if you're part of professional associations like you and I are, that you don't stay disconnected from them. That yes, it's not the same as meeting people in person, but you still can reach out to people, attend, you know, Zoom. Yes, we all have Zoom fatigue, but you still can attend them and meet new people. And the beauty of that is you're not limited to your geography. You can meet people from all over, you know, the country and in other countries as well. I, you know, I've actually, I experienced that, you know, when everything first changed, you know, it was, you know, I think, thought, how am I going to do this? How am I going to still continue to network because I enjoy it, but it's also important for business. And I had to figure it out too, you know, where I was, I had done some of it virtually before, but now it was critical that I did it exclusively. So you have to kind of get over it that, you know, it's not going to be as comfortable as it was before. And, and let's also, let's also be realistic that, you know, I'm going to make a sweeping generalization, but I think you'll probably support it that there's a lot of finance professionals who don't like networking or don't don't think that they're good at it, and so they shy away from it. So it's really critical that you make the effort now. I always say to people, start with the easy stuff. Start with the network you already have, people you haven't been in touch with, and get in touch with them. Think of, are there other professional associations that might be of interest? Talk to people you know and say, what are you doing for networking? How's it working? What's worked? What hasn't? And get feedback from other people. But critical here is not to just get feedback from people in financial roles. Look at people outside of that so you get different perspectives. I think that that's really important. And you've got to make a little more effort. If you're on a group Zoom or whatever platform that you're on, you have to make an effort to connect with someone afterwards. And whether it's through LinkedIn, email, someone making an introduction, it's really important to do that and to follow up and not just have that one and done.

SPEAKER_00: 16:31

Right. And I think particularly if you're in a finance business partner role, some of those skills and abilities to do just that, you should probably already have. So from one perspective, it's stepping a little bit outside of your comfort zone, but it shouldn't be completely foreign to you.

SPEAKER_01: 16:48

Correct. Correct. And if it's something that you're really looking to strengthen, now's the perfect time to do it. Absolutely. And it'll only help you in your role.

SPEAKER_00: 16:57

Right. Right. That's a wonderful Wonderful way to look at it. Elisa, where is this finance business partner role headed? And what would you recommend people do now to prepare for the future? I don't know. Let's say the next five years. What should we be doing to prepare for that future?

SPEAKER_01: 17:13

So it's funny, you know, in thinking about the role, I was, you know, in anticipation of our conversation today, I was thinking, you know, 10 years ago, people didn't use that expression finance business partner, just like they didn't use personal branding. You know what we do. It's just funny how it's trailblazers. my friend yeah it you know it still existed but people didn't have it just wasn't called that so i was just thinking about how you know interesting it is because it's now front and center um to me in the finance world anyway that that and i see it and i think companies are really seeing finance professionals in new ways you know particularly the value that they bring beyond the traditional way that they've always brought value um businesses are a lot more focused on strategy and performance and kind of measurable outcomes and results so i think the value of a finance business partner is just going to increase. So I think the importance is going to get just, you know, be more and more significant over the next, what did you say, five years. So what can you do now to prepare for that? Well, I think first for, you know, people listening and, you know, if you only have a top line understanding of really what a finance business partner role is, talk to people in the role now. You know, understand how they got there, what their biggest challenges are in the role, where they excel, if there are things that they wish they kind of accomplished or did before landing the role that could have been helpful. You know, you want to find out those things. Those are the best people to speak with. But I think you should also, you know, as you prepare for the future, whenever possible, get more involved in strategic initiatives. Identify opportunities where you can kind of up your analytical game, you know, where you can get more experience drawing insights and making business recommendations. If, you know, if it's something that you you haven't done a lot of, certainly strengthening communication and collaboration skills. I think that's critical. I also think it's important to know where you are on the emotional intelligence spectrum, if you will. Having a higher EQ can only benefit you in this kind of role. And I also think that whenever there's an opportunity to raise your hand and get involved in cross-functional projects, if you have limited experience in those areas, that can also be helpful. You want to kind of break down some of the things that are important. We had even discussed some of those earlier and say, okay, if you don't have a ton of experience in those areas, or even if it's soft skills that you just really haven't just had the opportunity to hone just because of the way you've come up in the finance organization, then see opportunities, if there are opportunities where you can get more involved.

SPEAKER_00: 19:55

Well, and especially this last year with little to no commute going on. Most of us don't have excuses for working on things like that. Wow. Taking care of our careers and feeding them over the long haul is something that's so important. And I've observed not enough people do. So I really want to thank you for being with us today and sharing your wisdom, Elisa. It's been a

SPEAKER_01: 20:19

pleasure, Matt.

SPEAKER_00: 20:20

Absolutely. And thank you to our subscribers for listening to this episode of Upside Downside. We will see you next time.

UNKNOWN: 20:26

Thank you.