The Power of Change

Leading a high-performing team is hard in and of itself, let alone during times of constant technology changes and economic uncertainty. In this episode, Michael Praeger, CEO of AvidXchange, is joined by Claudia Herrera, the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Donohoe Commercial Real Estate and Borger Residential, to discuss how she’s led their accounting and operations teams to become revenue-generating assets for...

In this episode of the Power of Change podcast, host Michael Praeger engages with Patrick Brensinger, a senior advisor at Trinity Growth Advisors, discussing the intersection of leadership, technology, and personal growth . Patrick shares insights from his diverse career journey, including the significance of purpose-driven leadership, especially in high-growth environments. Whether you’re a C-suite executive or a new manage...

We’ve interviewed several C-suite leaders on this podcast, but in this episode we’re chatting with Shawn Robinson, the Accounts Payable Manager at ASSA ABLOY in Monroe, North Carolina, who is boots on the ground, implementing AP automation with AvidXchange. In this episode, Shawn shares how he has led his team through implementing AP automation to increase productivity so they can focus on relationship building and needle-moving go...

Adopting new technology quickly is the name of the game in fintech, but not everyone in your organization—including your customers—will be on board at first. In this episode, Michael Praeger sits down with Blake Sanford, VP of Association & Strategic Partners at Property Management, Inc. (PMI), to discuss how he’s led PMI’s franchise owners through technology advancements. Plus, his daily and weekly routines he follows to show ...

Trust, collaboration, and innovation are the ideal words that leaders hope describe their organizations, but how are you modeling that for your team? In this episode, Michael Praeger is joined by Jill Castilla, CEO & President of Citizens Bank of Edmond, to discuss how her military background taught her how to lead a team - and later an entire bank - that kept these three words at the forefront. 

Jill Castilla is a nationall...

There is so much we can learn from athletes about leadership, routines, and growth, which is why we’re thrilled to have Gabi Ruffels, Team AvidXchange’s sponsored professional golfer, on the podcast. In this episode, Gabi shares her road to the LPGA Tour, the team that helps her grow on a daily basis, and the routines she maintains both at home and on the road.

Gabi Ruffels is an Australian-American LPGA Tour player. After becoming...

More and more finance leaders are being asked to leverage data and analytics for their decision-making, and for good reason. Data allows us to make informed and strategic decisions that can positively impact revenue and customer satisfaction. In this episode, Michael Praeger interviews Brian Tarble, Vice President of Product at AvidXchange, on product development, data and analytics, and leadership lessons learned from coaching you...

Mentorship and daily rhythms are two keys to success as a leader. In this episode, Michael Praeger is joined by his longtime friend and mentor, Patrick Thean, the Co-Founder and CEO of Rhythm Systems, to discuss these and more. Plus, they share some of the principles in their co-authored book, The Journey to CEO Success.

Links mentioned:

• The Journey to CEO Success | The Seven Practices for High-Growth Leadership by Patrick Th...

“Automation” is quite the buzzword in the business and tech spaces, and for good reason. In this episode, Michael Praeger sits down with Sara Grafals, the Senior Vice President of Regional Finance for Speedway Motorsports, to discuss how AvidXchange’s automation tools have saved their team $300K and hundreds of hours of staff time. 

Resources mentioned:

• Customer Story: Speedway Motorsports Revolutionizes Finance Department Us...

Letting go of the status quo can be difficult, especially when it comes to technology. In this episode, Michael Praeger is joined by Howard Barash, Chief Financial Officer of Property Resources Corporation, to discuss how he has embraced change throughout his career, and his thoughts on the shift to AI-based tools. 

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• Question everything. Recognize that while some things might be wo...

We know that growth requires getting out of your comfort zone, but it can sometimes be tricky to run head-on towards a fire instead of away from it - sometimes literally. That’s what Ben Currin, CEO of Vantaca, was trained to do as a submarine officer and nuclear engineer in the U.S. Navy. In this episode, Ben joins Michael Praeger to discuss his biggest lessons learned in the Navy, how he applies them in his role at Vantaca, and h...

Our guest for this episode of "The Power of Change" is Ryan Davis, CEO for CINC Systems, the largest provider of SaaS solutions for the community association industry. CINC currently serves more than 20,000 homeowners associations and 2 million homes.

In Michael Praeger's conversation with Davis, they cover Davis’ unique journey from newspaper reporter to CEO, strategies on leading massive transformation for your orga...

Our guest for this episode of "The Power of Change" is Elizabeth Francisco, Chief Experience Officer for Inhabit, which owns a collection of tech-forward products serving the residential and vacation rental management industries. Inhabit IQ’s portfolio of products includes ResMan, an industry-leading property management platform that Francisco has led as president and co-founder since 2016.

In Michael Praeger's conver...

Our guest for our very first episode of "The Power of Change" is Cat Carmichael, the CEO for Strategy 123, a strategic community association management (CAM) consulting company focused on acquisition preparation, increased profitability and creating successful exit strategies and succession plans.

In Michael Praeger's conversation with Carmichael, they talk about the main challenges facing the CAM industry, the reasons for...