Here’s the truth most FP&A leaders won’t say out loud: the majority of financial models aren’t built for decision-making. They’re built for optics. They exist to be opened in board meetings, skimmed over by execs, and bookmarked as evidence that Finance is doing its job. But when Sales wants to run a hiring scenario or […]
https://sarahgschlott.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/pexels-gustavo-fring-4975637-scaled-e1747874826891.jpg8001200Sarah Schlotthttps://sarahgschlott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/icon-10c-two-blob-light_clearspace-1030x1030.pngSarah Schlott2025-05-21 21:11:242026-10-01 00:23:51How to Build a Driver-Based Model That Actually Supports Decision-Making
Here’s the truth no one wants to admit: most 13-week cash flow forecasts are just glorified guesswork. We treat them like gospel because they’re standard. Safe. Palatable. But if you’ve ever had to explain a sudden shortfall to your CEO or board, you already know: Thirteen weeks is not a crystal ball. It’s a snapshot. […]
Let’s start with a blunt truth most leaders don’t want to admit: You’re not going to predict the future. Not with that pristine forecast. Not with that 50-tab spreadsheet. Not even with your new AI-powered tool that’s supposed to “learn” the business. And that’s okay. Because This article focuses on using scenarios when uncertainty is […]
Let’s skip the pleasantries. If you’re in strategic finance and still fumbling around with basic formulas, you’re wasting time, missing insights, and burning credibility. I’ve seen it firsthand: high-performing FP&A teams with broken models, inconsistent logic, and bloated files that barely run. The fix? It’s not another dashboarding tool or AI-powered platform. It’s mastering the […]
https://sarahgschlott.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/pexels-leeloothefirst-5561913-scaled-e1747444484811.jpg8011200Sarah Schlotthttps://sarahgschlott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/icon-10c-two-blob-light_clearspace-1030x1030.pngSarah Schlott2025-05-20 21:54:372026-09-24 21:58:273 Excel Functions Every Strategic Finance Team Should Master
Let me say this up front: Month-end reporting doesn’t have to feel like an endurance sport. We all know the drill. You build your reporting pack. You double-check numbers. You chase down last-minute actuals from operations. You rebuild links that broke since last month. You massage charts to be board-ready. And somewhere along the way, […]
https://sarahgschlott.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/pexels-rdne-7947716-scaled-e1747790397288.jpg8001200Sarah Schlotthttps://sarahgschlott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/icon-10c-two-blob-light_clearspace-1030x1030.pngSarah Schlott2025-05-20 21:54:352026-09-24 21:58:29How Small Excel Tweaks Can Save You Hours in Month-End Reporting
Let me be honest: budgets are broken. At least, the traditional kind. You know the one: twelve-months-in-advance, set-it-and-forget-it, rooted in last year’s numbers, built to please the board rather than steer the business. I’ve built those. I’ve torn them apart, too. If you need the mechanics of the method, start with my rolling forecast guide. […]
https://sarahgschlott.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/pexels-rdne-7947999-scaled-e1747790424274.jpg8001200Sarah Schlotthttps://sarahgschlott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/icon-10c-two-blob-light_clearspace-1030x1030.pngSarah Schlott2025-05-20 21:54:332026-10-01 00:24:04Rolling Forecasts vs. Budgets: What High-Performing Teams Get Right
Financial models are fragile beasts. They look solid—clean lines, smart formulas, pristine formatting—but it only takes one wrong input or overconfident growth assumption to turn that glossy forecast into a cautionary tale. We’ve all seen it: one bad board question and the model unravels like a sweater caught on a nail. The real test of […]
https://sarahgschlott.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/pexels-leeloothefirst-5561913-scaled-e1747444484811.jpg8011200Sarah Schlotthttps://sarahgschlott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/icon-10c-two-blob-light_clearspace-1030x1030.pngSarah Schlott2025-05-16 21:16:132026-09-24 21:58:31How to Stress Test Your Model Without Breaking It
I used to think we could scale our finance team with grit, hustle, and spreadsheets. And for a while, we did. Forecasts were living documents (in five tabs). We tracked cash burn on whiteboards. The budget was something I explained out loud more than I ever wrote down. Eventually, I realized that if we were […]
https://sarahgschlott.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/pexels-tima-miroshnichenko-6693647-scaled-e1747318862740.jpg8001200Sarah Schlotthttps://sarahgschlott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/icon-10c-two-blob-light_clearspace-1030x1030.pngSarah Schlott2025-05-15 10:22:162026-10-01 00:24:16The Hidden Edge: Why Growing Companies Need FP&A Before They Think They Do
FP&A business partnering gets described in a way that makes it sound more mysterious than it is. Put Finance closer to the business. Become strategic. Influence decisions. Great. Then Monday arrives and FP&A spends six hours refreshing reports, two hours reconciling headcount, and the rest of the day asking department leaders why their forecast inputs […]
https://sarahgschlott.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/pexels-padrinan-3785927-1.jpg7981200Sarah Schlotthttps://sarahgschlott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/icon-10c-two-blob-light_clearspace-1030x1030.pngSarah Schlott2025-05-14 22:29:012026-10-01 00:17:52FP&A Business Partnering: How Finance Becomes Useful to the Business
Financial modeling, when it’s good, is like jazz—dynamic, structured, and intentional. When it’s bad, it’s a car crash on the freeway: you can’t look away, and everyone’s pretending it’s still moving forward. I’ve reviewed hundreds of models in my career, from scrappy startup decks to nine-figure buyout scenarios. Some were elegant. Many were… not. The […]
https://sarahgschlott.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ChatGPT-Image-May-10-2025-10_28_47-PM.jpg8001200Sarah Schlotthttps://sarahgschlott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/icon-10c-two-blob-light_clearspace-1030x1030.pngSarah Schlott2025-05-10 22:35:562026-10-01 00:23:59The 5 Most Common Mistakes I See in Financial Models—and How to Fix Them
How to Build a Driver-Based Model That Actually Supports Decision-Making
Here’s the truth most FP&A leaders won’t say out loud: the majority of financial models aren’t built for decision-making. They’re built for optics. They exist to be opened in board meetings, skimmed over by execs, and bookmarked as evidence that Finance is doing its job. But when Sales wants to run a hiring scenario or […]
Cash Flow Forecasting: Why 13 Weeks Isn’t Always Enough
Here’s the truth no one wants to admit: most 13-week cash flow forecasts are just glorified guesswork. We treat them like gospel because they’re standard. Safe. Palatable. But if you’ve ever had to explain a sudden shortfall to your CEO or board, you already know: Thirteen weeks is not a crystal ball. It’s a snapshot. […]
Scenario Planning in Uncertain Times: A Practical Framework
Let’s start with a blunt truth most leaders don’t want to admit: You’re not going to predict the future. Not with that pristine forecast. Not with that 50-tab spreadsheet. Not even with your new AI-powered tool that’s supposed to “learn” the business. And that’s okay. Because This article focuses on using scenarios when uncertainty is […]
3 Excel Functions Every Strategic Finance Team Should Master
Let’s skip the pleasantries. If you’re in strategic finance and still fumbling around with basic formulas, you’re wasting time, missing insights, and burning credibility. I’ve seen it firsthand: high-performing FP&A teams with broken models, inconsistent logic, and bloated files that barely run. The fix? It’s not another dashboarding tool or AI-powered platform. It’s mastering the […]
How Small Excel Tweaks Can Save You Hours in Month-End Reporting
Let me say this up front: Month-end reporting doesn’t have to feel like an endurance sport. We all know the drill. You build your reporting pack. You double-check numbers. You chase down last-minute actuals from operations. You rebuild links that broke since last month. You massage charts to be board-ready. And somewhere along the way, […]
Rolling Forecasts vs. Budgets: What High-Performing Teams Get Right
Let me be honest: budgets are broken. At least, the traditional kind. You know the one: twelve-months-in-advance, set-it-and-forget-it, rooted in last year’s numbers, built to please the board rather than steer the business. I’ve built those. I’ve torn them apart, too. If you need the mechanics of the method, start with my rolling forecast guide. […]
How to Stress Test Your Model Without Breaking It
Financial models are fragile beasts. They look solid—clean lines, smart formulas, pristine formatting—but it only takes one wrong input or overconfident growth assumption to turn that glossy forecast into a cautionary tale. We’ve all seen it: one bad board question and the model unravels like a sweater caught on a nail. The real test of […]
The Hidden Edge: Why Growing Companies Need FP&A Before They Think They Do
I used to think we could scale our finance team with grit, hustle, and spreadsheets. And for a while, we did. Forecasts were living documents (in five tabs). We tracked cash burn on whiteboards. The budget was something I explained out loud more than I ever wrote down. Eventually, I realized that if we were […]
FP&A Business Partnering: How Finance Becomes Useful to the Business
FP&A business partnering gets described in a way that makes it sound more mysterious than it is. Put Finance closer to the business. Become strategic. Influence decisions. Great. Then Monday arrives and FP&A spends six hours refreshing reports, two hours reconciling headcount, and the rest of the day asking department leaders why their forecast inputs […]
The 5 Most Common Mistakes I See in Financial Models—and How to Fix Them
Financial modeling, when it’s good, is like jazz—dynamic, structured, and intentional. When it’s bad, it’s a car crash on the freeway: you can’t look away, and everyone’s pretending it’s still moving forward. I’ve reviewed hundreds of models in my career, from scrappy startup decks to nine-figure buyout scenarios. Some were elegant. Many were… not. The […]