The Accidental CFO: Why Chasing Problems Beats Chasing Titles | Clarinda Ho and Jeff Robson
Most finance leaders know how to recommend a decision. That's the easy part!
Far fewer know what it takes to carry the accountability for making it work.
In this episode of the CFO Access Podcast, Jeff Robson sits down with Clarinda Ho, "The Accidental CFO" (her words), to unpack how she transformed from a technical finance expert into a strategic business leader.
They explore what CFOs need to be across in a business, the culture strong leaders need to create, how to overcome the challenges of rapidly scaling up (her business went from 40 to 200 staff in 12 months), and where AI fits into all of this.
It's practical, provocative and full of hard-won lessons for CFOs who want more than a title.
22 Sept 2026
Ep 18: The $100k Software Mistake you Might be Making | Jeff Robson and Mark Birkinshaw
Most software buying mistakes don't start with the product or the vendor — they start with a vague brief, internal politics and a lack of discipline.
In this episode of the CFO Access Podcast, Jeff Robson speaks with Mark Birkinshaw about why organisations can waste serious money on technology they don't actually need, why truly independent advice matters, and how finance leaders can de-risk major IT decisions before contracts are signed.
The conversation explores:
• How vague requirements can lead to expensive technology decisions
• Why internal politics can influence software selection
• The value of genuinely independent technology advice
• Procurement and data governance considerations
• The growing challenge of AI and shadow IT
• How to avoid buying a "shiny" piece of software dressed up as a solution
• Why experience matters when navigating complex technology decisions
A practical conversation for CFOs and senior finance leaders who want to make more disciplined, informed technology investments — and avoid expensive mistakes.
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Follow Access Analytic:
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AccessAnalytic (https://www.youtube.com/@AccessAnalytic)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/@accessanalytic (https://www.facebook.com/@accessanalytic)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/access_analytic (https://www.instagram.com/access_analytic)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/access-analytic (https://www.linkedin.com/company/access-analytic)
Website: https://accessanalytic.com.au/ (https://accessanalytic.com.au/)
Connect with Jeff Robson:
Jeff Robson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrobson/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrobson/)
Chapters:
(00:00) Intro: meet Mark and Tango
(01:42) From chartered accountant to selling software
(06:59) No timesheets: paying people on output
(09:32) How accounting plus sales became an advantage
(17:46) Why Tango won't tell you which one to buy
(23:23) Fixing government procurement
(26:44) The biggest mistake: not defining what you need
(32:01) De-risking a major technology decision
(39:52) Where finance teams get data governance wrong
(46:36) AI, shadow IT and vibe coding
(53:09) Where AI genuinely helps CFOs
(58:33) The Tango branding disaster
(1:03:58) Dad jokes to finish
Produced by Podwave Studios: www.podwavestudios.au
The information provided in this podcast is general in nature and does not constitute financial or business advice.
#cfo #cfoaccess #financeleadership #jeffrobson #podcast #podwavestudios #perth #technology #itstrategy #procurement #erp #digitaltransformation #datagovernance #aiinbusiness #vibecoding #compliance #independentadvice #tango #businesstechnology
8 Sept 2026
Ep 17: The Psychology of Pricing: Why Smart Businesses Still Get it Wrong. Etinosa Agbonlahor with Host Jeff Robson
Most businesses don't have a cost problem ... they have a pricing problem. In this episode of the CFO Access Podcast, Jeff Robson speaks with behavioural economist and pricing strategist Etinosa Agbonlahor about why so many leaders undercharge, why a single take-it-or-leave-it price can drive away up to 90% of customers, and why price is one of the strongest signals in any buying decision. They unpack the psychology behind willingness to pay, fear, uncertainty, discounting, and price rises, then turn that thinking into practical actions CFOs can use immediately. If you've ever wondered whether your pricing is too low, too safe, or just built on habit rather than evidence ... this episode will make you rethink it.
What's coming up in this episode:
•What a behavioural economics firm actually does, and the psychology behind financial decisions
•Why one "take it or leave it" price makes 90% of customers defer, and how options fix it
•The "curse of knowledge" and why experts consistently underprice their own work
•Who should actually own pricing, and why "a horse is a camel designed by a committee"
•Where fear, regret aversion and uncertainty quietly shape the prices you set
•The four-step behavioral pricing framework, from willingness-to-pay to test and refine
•How AI is bringing transparency, dynamic pricing and outcome-based models to the fore
•The one piece of advice for a CFO's next pricing conversation: talk to your customers
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Follow Access Analytic:
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AccessAnalytic (https://www.youtube.com/@AccessAnalytic)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/@accessanalytic (https://www.facebook.com/@accessanalytic)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/access_analytic (https://www.instagram.com/access_analytic)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/access-analytic (https://www.linkedin.com/company/access-analytic)
Website: https://accessanalytic.com.au/ (https://accessanalytic.com.au/)
Connect with Jeff Robson:
Jeff Robson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrobson/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrobson/)
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Chapters:
(00:00) Intro: price as a signal
(02:06) What a behavioural pricing firm does
(05:36) Reference points, loss aversion and bias
(09:03) Why "take it or leave it" loses 90% of customers
(11:24) The curse of knowledge: why experts underprice
(25:07) Where the fear of pricing comes from
(27:30) The right way to raise prices
(37:00) The startup trap of building instead of selling
(41:03) Pricing scenarios in forecasting
(47:30) Discount hygiene: bonuses and concessions
(50:00) How AI is changing pricing
(55:36) Dad jokes to finish
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Produced by Podwave Studios:
https://www.podwavestudios.au (https://www.podwavestudios.au)
The information provided in this podcast is general in nature and does not constitute financial or business advice.
#cfo #cfoaccess #financeleadership #jeffrobson #podcast #podwavestudios #perth #pricing #pricingstrategy #decisionalpha #valuepricing #willingnesstopay #finance #smallbusiness #professionalservices #aiinbusiness
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