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Welcome to The 6 a.m. CFO, where finance chiefs share how they jump-start their days and engage with the tasks that are in front of them.
Today, TS Imagine’s Kate Peachway, shares her favorite leadership lesson, the importance of expecting the unexpected and why her mom is her biggest inspiration.
Be sure to check out the entire 6 a.m. CFO series, and if you’d like to be featured in a future post, please email us here.
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TS Imagine
- A capital markets and investment management software company
- Year founded: 2021 — after the merger of TradingScreen and Imagine Software
- Number of employees: Over 390
- Annual growth: $120M annual recurring revenue
MORNING ROUTINE
Weekday wake-up time: 5:45 a.m.
Morning beverage choice: I love coffee so much that I go to bed thinking about it the night before.
Non-work-related morning activities: I work out every morning at 6 a.m. and then take my three kids to school. Then I drink coffee. I’ve tried to take on the two-minute cold shower challenge, which makes you feel awesome but is still terrifying.
Workday start time: Between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m.
How I usually spend the first hour of my day: I’ve found the key to a good day is organizing your action items the night before, so you can hit the ground running.
Time I send out my first email: I try to not send emails. Instead, I have standing one-on-one meetings with my team members to catch up on our priorities.
Best advice for writing an effective email: Pick up the phone. Of course, we do have to send emails. My best advice is to be very aware of your tone, and to not address sensitive topics over email but face to face instead.
First dashboard I review: I use my calendar as a to-do list of priorities. I block out action items and tasks to stay organized and on time.
Every week, we review our key top-line KPIs, pipeline and forward 13-week cash flow. Working capital is the stuff of this CFO’s dreams.
On a monthly basis, we have top-line and expense dashboards that we review to track our forecast. We share these insights with business leaders to assess opportunities and challenges.
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How I structure my morning meetings: I think the biggest gift you can give your teammates is time. I generally try to solve problems and complexity through subtraction so I try to avoid excessive meetings. The ones we do have are quite structured with key dashboards reviewed by cross-functional leaders to get aligned and to share information.
Mid-morning snack of choice: Coffee. Have I mentioned that I like coffee?
How do you adjust to a morning that doesn’t go as planned? Expect the unexpected. I have found that if you build an organization that runs on systems and processes, it will give you enough buffer.
INSPIRATION AND LEADERSHIP
Favorite quote or mantra: Ginny Rommety said, “Growth and comfort do not co-exist.” I find this quote to be insightful and inspiring. There is a delight in taking on difficulty and walking out stronger on the other side.
Another quote is from one of my heroes David Goggins, “Roger that,” which is a refrain used by the Marines. David talks about this mantra in his book “Never Finished” as a mindset to meet challenges in life and in business. I love these two simple words because they are grounding and they also acknowledge that there is an eventual solution that you can find. Even if you don’t see it immediately.
Another quote I find to be equal parts hilarious and brilliant is, “Vision without execution is hallucination” by DJ Deb, CEO of Francisco Partners. It reminds me that we need a good plan, and we need a plan to deliver it.
Favorite leadership lesson: There is a cheesy quote I read in a fortune cookie or on a self-help Twitter feed that says, “The strength of the pack is in the wolf and the strength of the wolf is in the pack.” My favorite leadership lesson is teamwork is the mechanism of great outcomes. I have felt this across multiple levels at TS Imagine: our finance organization, our executive team and our board of directors.
The finance team at TS Imagine is the most dedicated, thoughtful and upstanding group of people I have worked with and I’m constantly inspired by what we accomplish by working together.
Something important to know about me that you wouldn’t know from my business bio: I immigrated from Western Ukraine to NYC when I was four years old and I’ll give you a run for your money on the tennis court.
Most noteworthy items in my workspace: My pictures of dancing with Warren Buffett and playing tennis with Roger Federer; a list of team values written by my team; and loads and loads of behavioral finance books.
Do you have a pet? I have a dog and a coffee maker.
Favorite app on my phone not related to business: Oura ring app — I am addicted to KPIs, even when it comes to my sleep and activity levels.
The year, make, and model of your first car: I’m from Brooklyn so my first car was the subway.
Most influential/famous person you’ve ever met: A tie between Warren Buffett and Roger Federer.
Most inspirational person in your life: My mom immigrated from Ukraine with me in her arms when I was four years old and became an oral surgeon in her second language. She is the bravest, most determined and kindest person I know. She’s also fun to grab a coffee with.
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