The Finance Gem 💎 #100: 3 Planning Mistakes That Keep CEOs Stuck Reacting

Hi everyone,

This is it! We’ve reached the 100th issue of the Finance Gem. Whether you’re brand new to my newsletter or have been here since the 1st issue, THANK YOU.

In today’s newsletter, I cover: 

• A special surprise I put together for us to celebrate the 100th issue (read till the end to find out more!)

• I also talk about why your annual budget is killing your company's growth potential

But first, a quick reminder:

Save $500 on the CEO Financial Intelligence Program

Early Bird pricing on the CEO Financial Intelligence Program ends July 15th. You will save $500 by enrolling now.

I created this program because I’ve seen what happens when leaders don’t have strong financial skills.

Here’s what I’ve seen again and again:

They miss big opportunities: When you can't read the financial signs, you miss your chance to grow or sell at the right time. I've seen companies walk away from deals that would have doubled their value, simply because they didn't understand the numbers.

They waste money without knowing it: Most mid-marketing companies waste 22-38% of their resources on the wrong things. That's millions of dollars going nowhere, year after year. But without financial intelligence, you can't even see the waste.

They get blindsided by problems: Market changes and competitor moves show up in the numbers first. Leaders without financial skills don't see the warning signs until it's too late to adjust.

They lose credibility: When your team, board, or investors realize you don't really understand the financials, they stop trusting your decisions. Your authority disappears, and others start making decisions for you.

The CEO Financial Intelligence Program gives you the skills to avoid every one of these problems.

Now, let's get into today's topic.

3 planning mistakes that keep CEOs stuck reacting

Does your company have a budget or a strategic plan?

Most CEOs would confidently say "both!"

But when you look at how planning actually happens, it’s mostly budgets. Detailed, backward-looking, and locked to last year’s assumptions.

If something goes wrong, the company reacts. If something changes, the plan doesn’t. And growth stalls.

Today I’ll walk you through 3 planning mistakes that keep CEOs in reactive mode—and what successful companies do differently.

Mistake 1: Your budget is based on last year's assumptions and not next year's opportunities.

Think about how most budgets get created.

You take last year's numbers, add 10% for growth, maybe adjust for inflation, and call it a plan. This approach just repeats what you did before instead of preparing for what's ahead.

And it leads to three problems:

1. Capital allocation becomes stagnant: You keep funding the same departments in the same way because "that's how it was done last year."

2. Innovation slows: New opportunities may receive little to no budget because they weren't part of last year's plan.

3. Teams concentrate on the wrong goals: They work hard to meet their budget targets, even when those targets no longer support business growth opportunities.

Real strategic planning starts with a different question: 

What do we need to achieve in the next 3-5 years, and where must we invest today to get there?

And then building backward from that.

When you start with strategic goals, budgeting becomes just one part of a much bigger system designed to help you win—not just stay within limits.

Mistake 2: You're managing to fixed targets in a moving world

Here's what happens in most companies:

• January: "This is our budget for the year!"

• March: Your major customer changes their orders

• June: A new competitor enters the market

• September: Supply chain costs spike 20%

• December: "Why didn't we hit our budget?"

Sound familiar, right? But as you know, the world doesn’t stop changing just because you set your budget. 

If you're managing to static targets in a dynamic environment, you're always behind.

Here’s what successful companies do instead:

1. They use rolling forecasts—updated quarterly, looking 12–18 months ahead

2. They adjust assumptions as conditions change—but always stay anchored to the long-term plan

3. They reallocate capital where it creates the most value—even if it means going beyond the original budget

4. They track monthly, quarterly, and YTD performance—but only as checkpoints toward strategic outcomes, not as ends in themselves

Forecasting is not about predicting—it’s about preparing. And that means making the right decisions in real time without losing sight of the long game.

Mistake 3: Your financial planning is disconnected from your business vision.

This is the root of the problem.

Most companies have two separate conversations:

1. The strategy discussion (where we're going)

2. The budget discussion (what we can afford)

These happen in different rooms, at different times, with different people. So, no wonder they don't connect.

Here’s what I recommend: 

• Plan 3-5 years ahead: Build financial plans that connect to where you want your business to be
  

• Set clear checkpoints: Decide what success looks like each year, then budget for it
  

• Check in regularly: Every quarter, ask if your spending is actually helping you reach your goals

So here’s the shift I would love you to take away from today’s newsletter: budgets limit what you can do. Strategic financial plans shows you where to go.

The top companies first decide what they want to achieve and then figure out how to fund it. They prioritize their goals over money.

Why think about this now?

Most leaders take it easy in July and wait until Q4 to plan next year. But NOW is actually the perfect time to plan because:

• You have 6-7 months of real numbers to look at

• You can see what's working and what's not

• You have time to fix things before the year ends

Right now, you can look at your budget and ask: "Is this helping us reach our goals?" If not, you still have time to change it.

This is why the CEO Financial Intelligence Program starts on August 27th. You'll have 6 weeks to build a real plan for a strong Q4 and a breakthrough 2026.

While others are still making budgets in December, you'll already be making progress.

And remember that Early Bird pricing on the CEO Financial Intelligence Program ends July 15th.

You will save $500 by enrolling before Tuesday, midnight Pacific time. 

Warm regards, 

Oana

P.S. Today marks Issue #100 of The Finance Gem 💛 To celebrate, I have a special surprise for you. 

If you join the CEO Financial Intelligence Program during the Early Bird period (ending July 15th), you'll also get a private strategy call with me.

In this 45-minute call, we'll review your current financial planning process and create a custom roadmap for your 6 weeks in the program. This way, you start the program with a clear plan tailored to your specific business challenges.

The Early Bird window closes on July 15th. After that, both the $500 discount and the strategy call disappear. Secure your spot + strategy call here.

Reading these newsletters is helpful, but having a custom plan to improve your financial leadership will make a real impact.

Here's to the next 100 issues!