Podcast
Behind Numbers
Hosted by Alessandro Cozzi · EN
Welcome to Behind Numbers — the podcast where business and finance leaders reveal what’s not visible from the outside.
Hosted by Alessandro Cozzi, a finance and M&A executive with over 18 years of global experience, the show dives into the pivotal career moments, struggles, and leadership lessons that shape today’s top CFOs, CEOs, and corporate decision-makers.
Discover how they lead transformation, build teams, embrace AI, and drive the numbers that define success in today’s fast-changing world.
13episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
98% of Venture Capital Money Goes to the Same People...
1w ago00:22:50Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Behind Numbers, Senofer Mendoza — Founder & General Partner of Mendoza Ventures — shares an inside look into the world of venture capital, startup investing, and the challenges of building a fund outside the traditional system.From representation in venture capital to founder psychology, leadership, AI, and the future of innovation, this conversation explores what really happens behind the scenes of the startup ecosystem.Senofer also explains why she believes capital should be assigned to talent, why more women need to write checks, and how diverse perspectives can shape stronger businesses and better outcomes.A powerful conversation on investing, entrepreneurship, leadership, and the future of venture capital.#VentureCapital #Startups #Leadership #Business #BehindNumbers
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She Thought She Chose the Wrong Career… Then Everything Connected
4w ago00:28:20Tap to summarizeWhy do some people build successful careers without having everything figured out… while others feel stuck even when they’re doing everything “right”?In this episode of Behind Numbers, Catherine shares how her path evolved from early storytelling to journalism, marketing, and eventually building her own business, without a perfectly planned roadmap.Along the way, she reveals one pattern she’s seen again and again when working with leaders: most professionals struggle to communicate clearly, and it often holds them back more than they realize.But this conversation goes far beyond communication.Topics include:– Navigating career uncertainty and wrong turns– The overlap between journalism, marketing, and leadership– What it really takes to build something on your own– Why many leaders feel pressure and responsibility differently than expected– The role of clarity and brevity in effective communicationIf you’re thinking about your next step, building something, or improving how you communicate your ideas, this episode offers a practical and honest perspective.Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of work.#careergrowth #Leadership #Communication #Entrepreneurship #Clarity #BehindNumbers
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He Left Google… Then Realized Something Was Very Wrong
Apr 2700:25:36Tap to summarizeHe left Google at the peak of his career… but something still felt wrong.Even on a beach in Mexico, the stress didn’t go away.In this episode of Behind Numbers, Julian Pistone (ex-Google leader) shares the moment he realized success wasn’t enough—and what it really takes to redesign your life from the inside out.After nearly a decade at Google leading international teams, Julian walked away from everything to pursue a deeper question:👉 What if the system you're optimizing for isn't the one you actually want to live in?In this conversation, we explore:Why high achievers often feel stuck (even at the top)The hidden cost of success and identityHow to know if you're on the wrong pathThe question that can change your lifeIf you’ve ever felt like something is “off”… this will hit home.🔔 Subscribe for more conversations with leaders redefining success and the future of work.#JulianPistone #GoogleCareer #CareerChange #Burnout #Purpose #SelfGrowth #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #Mindset #Success #PersonalGrowth #LifeDesign #BehindNumbers
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I Wasted Years Worrying… (Ex-Microsoft Leader)
Apr 1400:31:32Tap to summarizeWhat if the key to a successful career isn’t working harder… but worrying less?In this episode of Behind Numbers, I sit down with Monica Pool Knox — former CHRO and Leader at global companies like Microsoft, Twitter/X, Sony, and PepsiCo — to unpack what really drives career success, leadership, and long-term impact.From building high-performing teams across global organizations to transitioning into venture capital, Monica shares the real, behind-the-scenes lessons that most professionals never hear.We dive into:What it really means to be “great” at your job How relationships shape your entire career trajectory The truth about company culture (and how to spot the right one) What separates good leaders from exceptional ones Why talent and people still matter more than AI and tools The mindset shift that can change your entire career And at the end, one powerful reflection:👉 “I would worry less and have fun more.”If you’re navigating your career, leading teams, or thinking about your next move — this conversation will change how you think.#Leadership #CareerGrowth #ExecutiveLeadership #BehindNumbers #CareerAdvice #Management #Hiring #CompanyCulture #VentureCapital #PersonalGrowth #Entrepreneurship #SuccessMindset #HR #FutureOfWork
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After Cancer, She Had a Thought Most People Can’t Understand
Mar 2900:29:49Tap to summarizeMost people ask “Why me?” when life breaks them.She didn’t.After being diagnosed with cancer, Asya had a reaction that most people would never expect… and honestly, most wouldn’t understand.In this conversation, we go beyond the surface to uncover: How a life-threatening diagnosis reshaped her mindsetWhy she prioritizes impact over personal gainHow she approaches decision-making across career and lifeThe role of gratitude, purpose, and perspective in adversityWhy small actions can create meaningful ripple effectsThis episode is not just about entrepreneurship or career growth, it’s about perspective, humanity, and how to live a more intentional life.If you’ve ever questioned your direction, your priorities, or the legacy you want to leave behind, this conversation will challenge how you think.#BehindNumbers #Business #Cancer #decisionmaking #impact
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The “Smartest Guy in the Room” Mistake | CFO Nick Fuoco
Mar 1700:20:36Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Behind Numbers, Alessandro Cozzi sits down with Nick Fuoco — Chief Financial Officer, Equity Partner, Honorary Consul of Italy, and founder of one of Utah’s largest cultural events.Nick shares the leadership mistake that shaped his career: trying to always be the smartest person in the room.From growing up in an immigrant family to helping build Festa Italiana in Salt Lake City — now attracting over 50,000 people every year — Nick explains what leadership really looks like behind the numbers.In this episode we discuss:• The mindset shift from accountant to business leader• Why great CFOs must understand the entire business• The hardest leadership decisions about people and culture• How a $1,000 idea became a 50,000-person festival• Why great leaders are comfortable saying “I don’t know”Subscribe to Behind Numbers for conversations with leaders shaping the future of business and finance.#Leadership #CFO #Entrepreneurship #BusinessPodcast #BehindNumbers
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7,000 Miles. One Suitcase. One Dream
Mar 200:17:28Tap to summarizeAt just 24 years old, he left his family, his country, and everythingfamiliar, with only a small suitcase and a big ambition.In this episode of Behind Numbers, I sit down with Pushkar Bedekar, a CFO whose journey started in Mumbai and led him across the world to build a career in global business and healthcare innovation.We talk about:· The moment he decided to leave home and move 7,000 miles away· Why sometimes you just need to show up at the starting line· The biggest difference between working in India and the U.S.· What it really means to lead as a CFO in a mission-driven company· How new breakthroughs in cancer treatment could change millions of livesThis conversation is about courage, perspective, and the decisions that shape a career, even when they feel crazy at the time.If you're building something, changing countries, or thinking about taking a big leap, this episode will resonate with you.#CareerGrowth #EntrepreneurMindset #Leadership #StartupJourney #BehindNumbers
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Stop Asking ‘What If It Fails?’ — A Global CFO’s Mindset Shift
Feb 1600:19:04Tap to summarizeWhat separates good leaders from great ones?In this episode of Behind Numbers, we explore, with Jenny Fuss – CFO at Crowley, a powerful mindset shift that changes how leaders think about risk, failure, and decision-making.“Your energy flows where your focus goes.”“Everything is figure-outable.”“Stop asking: What if it fails?”Jenny shares lessons from a global career that took her from Germany to China to the United States; navigating complexity,cultural shifts, and high-stakes leadership decisions along the way.We dive into:• The mindset shift that reframes fear of failure• The difference between “reporting the weather” and “steering the ship” as a CFO• Why energy and focus shape outcomes more than strategy alone• What global leadership teaches you about adaptability• How finance leaders should think about risk in uncertain times• AI, transformation, and the evolving role of the modern CFOThis conversation goes beyond balance sheets and numbers. It’s about courage, clarity, and the responsibility of leadership when the stakes are high.If you're a founder, CFO, entrepreneur, or aspiring leader, this episode will challenge the way you think about decision-making under pressure.🎙 Welcome to Behind Numbers: where we look beyond thesurface to uncover what’s not visible from the outside.If this resonates, subscribe for more conversations with business and finance leaders who share the pivotal moments that shaped their careers.#Leadership #CFO #Finance #ExecutiveLeadership #BehindNumbers
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Behind the $3B Empire: Why a CEO Started Back in the Dish Pit
Feb 100:27:07Tap to summarizeWhat does it really take to build a $3B company?Sometimes, it means starting at the very bottom — even after you’ve already “made it.”In this episode of Behind Numbers, I sit down with Andrew Smith, Founder of Savory Fund, to unpack the unconventional choices behind building one of the most successful hospitality investment platforms in the U.S.After years in tech, Andrew made a counterintuitive move: he went back to the dish pit. Not for optics, and not as a stunt — but to truly understand the business he was about to scale from the inside out.We dive into:• Why failure and rejection are part of every founder’s daily reality• How the skills that drive early traction can become liabilities at scale• The mindset shift required to let go of control and ego• Why unlearning is often more important than learning• How starting from the bottom shaped Savory Fund’s path to a $3B empireThis is a raw, honest conversation about leadership, resilience, and the kind of lessons you only learn by doing the work — not managing it from a distance.If you’re a founder, operator, or leader navigating growth — or questioning what real leadership looks like when the stakes rise — this episode is for you.🎙 Behind Numbers is the podcast where leaders share the decisions, failures, and insights that don’t show up in headlines — but define success.#Entrepreneurship #Leadership #Founders #StartupLife #behindnumbers
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The Founder’s Journey Is a Decade of Rejection — Until One Day You Win
Jan 2000:20:01Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Behind Numbers, host Alessandro Cozzi sits down with Saroop Bharwani, founder and CEO of Senso AI, to unpack what the founder journey really looks like behind the hype — constant rejection, daily failure, and the resilience required to keep building anyway.Saroop describes entrepreneurship as a decade-long journey of rejection, where failure isn’t the exception but the rule. Through his story, we explore why this cycle of failure is not only unavoidable, but essential — especially in today’s fast-moving world of AI, autonomy, and exponential technology.The conversation traces Saroop’s path from early curiosity about artificial intelligence and neuropsychology, to building enterprise software, to founding Senso AI — a knowledge orchestration platform helping organizations unlock the value trapped in static documents, policies, and workflows. Along the way, he shares how global shifts in AI, particularly in the post–ChatGPT era, have reshaped what’s possible for builders and leaders alike.Together, Alessandro and Saroop explore:• Why founders must learn to live with rejection and uncertainty• How failure accelerates learning more than any textbook ever could• What Y Combinator really looks for when selecting founders• The difference between enterprise thinking and builder thinking• Why traditional long-term planning breaks down in the age of AI• How leaders must unlearn corporate habits to keep pace with innovation• Why mindset, not technology, is the biggest blocker to AI adoption• How building communities and empowering people through technology has been a constant thread across Saroop’s companiesSaroop also reflects on the emotional highs and lows of entrepreneurship — the moments where quitting feels inevitable, and the moments where everything clicks. He explains why every leader today, founder or not, must adopt a builder’s mindset: experimenting fast, accepting failure, and starting every day as “day one.”This episode is not just about startups or artificial intelligence. It’s a raw, honest conversation about resilience, leadership, decision-making, and what it takes to build something meaningful in an uncertain world.If you’re a founder, executive, operator, or builder trying to understand how to navigate failure, AI disruption, and the future of work, this episode will challenge how you think — and how you lead.#BehindNumbers #FounderJourney #Entrepreneurship #StartupLife #Leadership #FailureToSuccess #Resilience #Ycombinator
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