CFO suggestions: the 17 best finance podcasts right now

Published on December 21, 2020

Finance teams are always busy, and there's never enough time to learn and explore on the job. Which is why podcasts make for an exciting opportunity.

You can access insightful and valuable conversations while you work, commute, or get a little exercise. The big issue is just knowing which to subscribe to.

So our friends at CFO Connect asked their expert community for their favorite audio programming. Their answers include a few that get into the weeds on finance topics, and some that are strictly for pleasure.

Here are the top finance podcasts - plus a few extra-curricular options - available right now.

CFO Connect - community - finance leaders - Spendesk

Strictly finance podcasts

While all the podcasts on this list were chosen by CFOs and feature plenty of finance topics, some cover broader topics. We’ll get to them soon, but let’s begin with the truly finance-focused options.

[Here are some more fintech podcasts]

1. CFO Yeah! by CFO Connect

Oh yeah, we’re starting with the newest selection on the list. CFO Yeah! is from our friends at CFO Connect themselves, and features the very same community members who made this list. The concept is simple: in-depth interviews with CFOs from fast-growing, innovative companies. Episodes so far include leaders from Zapier, Strivr, Checkr, Fiit, Notion, and more.

The show gets into how finance teams and processes are built, and there are plenty of actionable takeaways. But the chief goal is really to answer the question: how do great CFOs spur growth in modern companies? You’ll have to listen to find out.

Find links and show notes for CFO Yeah!

2. CFO Weekly by Personiv

Looking to build an efficient accounting team so you can focus on strategy and business growth? Join CFO Weekly as they talk to CFOs, Controllers and other industry veterans who share their expertise on how to streamline accounting processes, create established efficiency and move to a data-driven model – allowing you to tackle what matters.

CFO Weekly is presented by Personiv, a high-quality, people-powered solution to all of your accounting needs.

3. CFO Bookshelf with Mark Gandy & Bruce Reed

You can probably guess this one from the title. Each episode, Mark and Bruce discuss the best finance books on their shelves. They also invite special guests to do the same, with backgrounds ranging from FBI agents to stand-up comedians, but always with serious finance experience.

4. Accounting Best Practices with Steve Bragg

Accountants looking to up their game will certainly enjoy Steve Bragg’s contributions to the craft. This is a very outcome-oriented show, simply hoping to make you a better accountant.

While many others on this list are more conversational and designed first to entertain, Steve’s here’s to educate. You’ll absolutely learn both fundamentals and smart tricks, and you can’t help but leave better informed.

5. Cloud Accounting Podcast with David Leary & Blake Oliver

The Cloud Accounting Podcast is part-accounting, part-technology news. The hosts tackle key issues impacting finance practitioners - particularly in the US. From IRS updates to PPP loan schemes, they dive into the key issues for accountants right now.

They also look closely at the cloud accounting market. Learn about key changes for the big players in payment processing, expenses, and reconciliation software. It’s the perfect choice for those wanting to know what’s worth knowing in cloud accounting.

Entrepreneurial & leadership podcasts

Branching out slightly from core finance discussions, these shows explore the art of building and scaling modern businesses. And they usually contain case studies from people who've been there, done that.

6. Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffmann

Reid Hoffman is co-founder of LinkedIn and a Grelock investor. But he may actually be better known for his influence upon and stories about so many of the world’s successful tech companies.

This show features interviews with founders and CEOs of the businesses most listeners would love to build one day. “Most episodes begin with an entertaining tale that sets the stage for Reid to reveal a new theory about scaling. It then unfolds like a detective story as he tests and turns the idea with some of the most iconic masters of scale on the planet.”

Certainly sounds enticing.

7. How I Built This with Guy Raz

We’ll get to another wonderful NPR podcast shortly. Similar to Masters of Scale, Guy Raz’s program looks at the inspiring stories behind top technology companies and their products.

And it’s not all success stories. Guy also uncovers the failures and missteps that founders frequently confront along the way.

8. The Goal Digger with Jenna Kutcher

Much of the rest of the podcast world could take note: this show is all about women entrepreneurs. Recorded from her own closet, Jenna Kutcher talks to the impressive leaders building products with epic results.

Naturally, the show looks closely at goals, and how successful entrepreneurs measure success. It’s more focused on small business and solopreneurship, but there’s plenty to be learned for anyone who cares about business and branding in general.

9. a16Z Podcast by Andreessen Horowitz

Andreessen Horowitz is one of the better-known venture capital firms in Silicon Valley. Which means this podcast typically covers tech and startup news, particularly in the San Francisco area.

But of course, you’ll hear from founders and leaders from all over the world. And whatever a16z says tends to be gospel in the tech world, so it pays to listen.

10. Pivot with Kara Swisher & Scott Galloway

Famous as a co-founder of Recode, and the most plugged-in tech journalist around, Kara Swisher talks to NYU professor Scott Galloway about the biggest stories in tech, business, and politics. Not much is “off limits,” and the two hosts love to speak their minds on the big stories of the day.

11. HBR IdeaCast with Alison Beard & Curt Nickisch

Want to listen to senior editors from Harvard Business Review talk business and leadership with senior business leaders? This is the podcast for you.

The show has been around since 2006, and the archives are full of fascinating conversations with just about everyone you could hope to hear from. Enjoy!

Smart podcasts for smart people

Of course, CFOs don’t only care about the ins and outs of finance. And podcasts are a great choice for curious people from all backgrounds who want to learn new things while dividing their attention.

These suggestions aren’t strictly finance or company growth, but you’re guaranteed to learn something new with each episode.

12. Planet Money by NPR

National Public Radio (NPR) has a range of great current affairs and interview podcasts, all of which are wildly popular. And perhaps because of the link to the economy, this was the favorite for CFO Connect’s finance community.

The pitch is pretty great: “imagine you could call up a friend and say, ‘meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy.’ Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.” The show explores the global economy without turning it into a dull lecture.

13. Freakonomics with Stephen J. Dubner

It’s hard to imagine that many readers haven’t heard of the Freakonomics books. But many may not be aware of the fantastically successful podcast by the same name. Just like in the books, Stephen J. Dubner looks at the more curious aspects of the economy, with great narratives to keep you hooked the whole way.

14. Make Me Smart with Kai Ryssdal and Molly Wood

“Together we make sense of today,” claim hosts Kai and Molly, the two award-winning American journalists who dive into mostly economic news in 30 minutes or less.

It’s entertaining, insightful, and perfect for the commuters among us.

Other favorites from the community

These don’t exactly fit neatly into one of the above categories, but they were still popular among the CFO Connect audience.

15. Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris

With a refreshingly realistic goal in mind, this show aims to give listeners the tools to remain calm, focused, and ultimately happy. You’ll hear from meditators, scientists, and the odd celebrity, all with the aim of crafting a more disciplined and fulfilled mind.

16. The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish

“The simple goal of ‘benefiting from the lessons that other people paid for’ has resulted in one of the most popular podcasts in the world,” says the website. You get to learn from others’ mistakes and triumphs in building businesses and lifestyles, all from the safety of your own headphones.

17. Revisionist History with Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell is another voice requiring no introduction. Famous for his “10,000 hours” theory and at least a handful of best sellers, Gladwell puts a unique spin on historical moments, rethinking what actually happened (and why).

Titles include “Dragon Psychology 101,” “Analysis, Parapraxis, Elvis,” and “Miss Buchanan’s Period of Adjustment.” Which should be more than enough to have you hooked.

Subscribe to a few favorite finance podcasts

Online podcasts are now one of the easiest ways to learn and be entertained without devoting your full attention. You can listen while your cook, drive, or run, and soak up new knowledge as you go.

They're an excellent tool to help up-skill on the side, or to help kill a few hours of admin work. (Perhaps during closing time?)

And if you prefer reading over audio, check out our list of CFO books.

Above are a few of the podcast favorites from the CFO Connect community. Would you add any other shows? Let us know.

Finance Insights Finance leaders

Spendesk Team

Spendesk has one goal: to remove the hassle of spending at work.

Get started with Spendesk

Close the books 4x faster, collect over 95% of receipts on time, and get 100% visibility over company spending.

Business spending includes different types of spend:

Strategic spend is usually centralized and managed by C-level executives with dedicated spenders. It can be managed through invoices, wire transfers and purchase orders.
Discretionary and operational spend is also centralized, but spending is done by managers and employees during their daily professional lives. It includes card purchases, subscription payments, digital ads, events, office orders, and business travel.
Expenses, unlike strategic spend, represent a significant amount of small purchases that can be difficult to track. These include card payments, expense claims, team perks, and travel expenses.

Spend management is the process through which companies manage business spending. It takes into account the end-to-end process when someone needs to spend: getting purchase approvals, providing payment methods, submitting and processing invoices, submitting and reimbursing expense claims, chasing receipts and invoices for reconciliation, and assigning the right analytical codes, expense accounts, and VAT rates to all those expenses for bookkeeping.

Spend management tools become necessary when the number of employees increases and the need for clear processes, better visibility and control starts to grow for finance teams.

Employees need flexible, user-friendly tools, in order to spend easily and be empowered to do their job.

That’s when Spendesk can be a good fit.

Spendesk provides payment methods for modern businesses, and a powerful platform for finance teams to manage spending. This includes debit cards to replace old-fashioned company credit cards, virtual cards for online purchases, and automated expense reports for unexpected payments.

For employees
Employees no longer need to spend out-of-pocket. They request funds for a particular purchase, and can use their Spendesk card or virtual card to execute the payment.

If for any reason the employee can’t use their Spendesk card, they snap a picture of the receipt via the Spendesk mobile app and create an expense claim on the spot. This is sent directly to their manager for validation, and on to the finance team.

For finance teams
Each employee has their own Spendesk profile and debit expense card. So unlike the company credit card, you always know who’s spending company money.

The platform lets controllers create spending limits and pre-approvals. C-Level executives or managers will have a different level of pre-approved spend from other staff. Should a team member need to go over their pre-approved budget, they can make a request to their manager via the mobile app or the platform online.

When an expense is made with a Spendesk card, the employee simply snaps a picture of the receipt at the time of purchase. Which means no more lost receipts.

Finance teams can see real-time company spend and follow up on missing receipts or invoices by sending reminders to employees via the platform.

Reviewing expenses is also easier as finance teams can group expenses and assign them the right VAT rates and expense accounts before exporting everything easily to their accounting tools.

Spendesk streamlines the whole business spending process, making spend management intuitive, simple and efficient.