Understand what and how we are impacting cannabis sales. We'll cover the average price per transaction during the month of March and months following the California shut-down due to COVID.

COVID Impact on Cannabis Sales

We explore the question of, when where and how to report STOLEN cannabis from looting or riots. We'll cover best practice documentation ideas and documents you'll need to meet the various California Cannabis regulations. In general, when a licensed cannabis retailer has experienced a theft, the retailer must notify the BCC within 24 hours from the date of the incident. Any theft, loss, and or Criminal Activity fall within section 5036 of the Bureau’s regulations. Notification and Request Form, BCC-LIC-027 is located here. You can submit this form via email located here. We'll discuss what to expect after you file and how to keep your record available for 7 years.

Cannabis Retailer Looting and Theft How and What to Report to BCC

With COVID19 cannabis retailers must prioritize the customer experience, and educate sales teams effective strategies to deal with difficult situations, handle resistance, avoid liability, better manage their time, and ensure clients are comfortable and reassured.Want to learn how to maximize the confidence and success of cannabis retail sales professionals. Discover a proven step by step training method to get your team to learn the importance of focusing on people, rather than product. Understand how to build a relationship of trust and loyalty with customers. Active listening tools, asking the right questions, knowing the product, and guiding customers to the best solution for their specific needs encourages informed purchasing decisions, satisfied customers, retention, and referrals.This interview we'll discuss how to get: Real Results * Real Education * Real Success!Melissa Jane (MJ) Stapley, founder of MJ Hybrid Solutions, started her journey in the cannabis industry in 2014. She left her corporate management career and joined the cannabis industry to work for CV Sciences, a CBD manufacturer. After discovering a need for cannabis employee training, MJ combined her passion for sales training and cannabis education to develop the MJ Hybrid Training System. With her 12 years of corporate sales experience and 5 years of cannabis industry expertise, MJ created a training for cannabis employees that is both scientifically accurate and helps employees better sell to customers. Her mission is to legitimize the cannabis industry through proper employee education and training.

With COVID19 cannabis retailers must prioritize the customer experience, and educate sales teams effective strategies to deal with difficult situations, handle resistance, avoid liability, better manage their time, and ensure clients are comfortable and reassured. Want to learn how to maximize the confidence and success of cannabis retail sales professionals. Discover a proven step by step training method to get your team to learn the importance of focusing on people, rather than product. Understand how to build a relationship of trust and loyalty with customers. Active listening tools, asking the right questions, knowing the product, and guiding customers to the best solution for their specific needs encourages informed purchasing decisions, satisfied customers, retention, and referrals. This interview we'll discuss how to get: Real Results * Real Education * Real Success! Melissa Jane (MJ) Stapley, founder of MJ Hybrid Solutions, started her journey in the cannabis industry in 2014. She left her corporate management career and joined the cannabis industry to work for CV Sciences, a CBD manufacturer. After discovering a need for cannabis employee training, MJ combined her passion for sales training and cannabis education to develop the MJ Hybrid Training System. With her 12 years of corporate sales experience and 5 years of cannabis industry expertise, MJ created a training for cannabis employees that is both scientifically accurate and helps employees better sell to customers. Her mission is to legitimize the cannabis industry through proper employee education and training.

Cannabis Retail Sales Strategies During COVID 19 Pandemic

Sonia Luna covers highlights of the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Department of Treasury programs created through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.Visit the following websites for new guidelines:SBA – here you will find information on all COVID-19 related programs that SBA is providing, including the Paycheck Protection Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loans and Emergency Grants, and Small Business Debt Relief.	 Department of Treasury –  here you will find information on the Paycheck Protection Program, as well as other tax provisions meant to help employers, including non-profits.To help small business owners and entrepreneurs better understand the new programs you can always reach Aviva Spectrum at: info@avivaspectrum.com

Sonia Luna covers highlights of the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Department of Treasury programs created through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Visit the following websites for new guidelines: SBA – here you will find information on all COVID-19 related programs that SBA is providing, including the Paycheck Protection Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loans and Emergency Grants, and Small Business Debt Relief. 	 Department of Treasury –  here you will find information on the Paycheck Protection Program, as well as other tax provisions meant to help employers, including non-profits. To help small business owners and entrepreneurs better understand the new programs you can always reach Aviva Spectrum at: info@avivaspectrum.com

CARES Act - COVID 19 Loan Programs US Stimulus Packages

Forgot about your lease terms and eviction clauses when you signed your lease over a year ago? Don't worry most of us forget about all the terms and conditions we cover in a typical lease. Aviva Spectrum specializes in offering CFO and accounting advice for cannabis companies and some are hit hard because of the recent Coronavirus Outbreak. Even though the President just signed a 2 Trillion Dollar relief package today on March 27th, 2020. NONE of those dollars cover cannabis companies! In our local city in Los Angeles, Mayor Garcetti, orders a moratorium on evictions and yes, this includes cannabis companies.In this episode, I'm going to offer free and clear advise on how to:When and how to give your landlord a good heads-up?How to determine if you should pause payments for a month or two?Determine if you can give them a later due date to better coincide with your customer payments?What to look for in your tenant lease to find out what remedies your landlord can take.We'll cover what you can do today to find out your free cashflow and when things become too tight!Aviva Spectrum offers a cashflow analysis and we'll share what's covered to help all cannabis companies to determine what they should do in this new Coronavirus outbreak. Want a free cash flow analysis then email us at: info@avivaspectrum.com.

Forgot about your lease terms and eviction clauses when you signed your lease over a year ago? Don't worry most of us forget about all the terms and conditions we cover in a typical lease. Aviva Spectrum specializes in offering CFO and accounting advice for cannabis companies and some are hit hard because of the recent Coronavirus Outbreak. Even though the President just signed a 2 Trillion Dollar relief package today on March 27th, 2020. NONE of those dollars cover cannabis companies! In our local city in Los Angeles, Mayor Garcetti, orders a moratorium on evictions and yes, this includes cannabis companies. In this episode, I'm going to offer free and clear advise on how to: When and how to give your landlord a good heads-up?How to determine if you should pause payments for a month or two?Determine if you can give them a later due date to better coincide with your customer payments?What to look for in your tenant lease to find out what remedies your landlord can take. We'll cover what you can do today to find out your free cashflow and when things become too tight! Aviva Spectrum offers a cashflow analysis and we'll share what's covered to help all cannabis companies to determine what they should do in this new Coronavirus outbreak. Want a free cash flow analysis then email us at: info@avivaspectrum.com.

Can't Pay Your Rent? How to work with your cannabis landlord during coronavirus?

The Coronavirus has created the most unprecedented business disruption that we have seen since the 2008 financial crisis. We will be interviewing cannabis insurance industry expert Alana Long. This is the first pandemic that has rocked our country and businesses to the core in over 50 years. Learn from cannabis industry experts about what insurance coverage is actually out there today and what you can do to file the right claims at the right time. Understand what supporting documents you'll need when the government offers assistance to the cannabis industry. Leverage insight about how to account for insurance claims and even business losses which may occur in this critical time.

Insurance Impact From The Coronavirus - How Cannabis Companies Can Prepare

Learn about tax advantages you can take from the NEW tax bill and also the new FARM BILL. Understand how to differentiate your operations from CBD sales and selling expenses and those that are "plant touching" activities.

2019 Farm Bill Hemp & CBD How to Grow Your Cannabis Business Revenue

Nicole Johnson

Sonia Luna interviews practice leader Nicole Johnson on strategies to deal with cannabis taxes. Aviva Spectrum has won "Best Accountant" for the California Cannabis Awards in 2018 and we're sharing the tips and tricks every cannabis business owner needs to understand before they file their 2018 tax returns.Nicole M. Johnson, EA, is a Practice Leader with Aviva Spectrum and works out of Los Angeles, California. She has over 20 years of professional experience, with a focus on training, accounting, and tax. As an enrolled agent (EA), Nicole is federally authorized to practice tax and has technical expertise in the field of taxation. She is empowered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to represent taxpayers before all administrative levels – examination, collection, and appeals – of the Internal Revenue Service.Having worked with clients across a number of industries to determine the best way to resolve tax liability, Nicole can analyze how to minimize tax debt and expense as much as possible. She has extensive accounting experience along with detailed tax knowledge, which puts her in an ideal position to offer her clients the best solution-based accounting and tax services.For a FREE Cannabis TAX diagnostic consultation email us at: Info@avivaspectrum.com

Sonia Luna interviews practice leader Nicole Johnson on strategies to deal with cannabis taxes. Aviva Spectrum has won "Best Accountant" for the California Cannabis Awards in 2018 and we're sharing the tips and tricks every cannabis business owner needs to understand before they file their 2018 tax returns. Nicole M. Johnson, EA, is a Practice Leader with Aviva Spectrum and works out of Los Angeles, California. She has over 20 years of professional experience, with a focus on training, accounting, and tax. As an enrolled agent (EA), Nicole is federally authorized to practice tax and has technical expertise in the field of taxation. She is empowered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to represent taxpayers before all administrative levels – examination, collection, and appeals – of the Internal Revenue Service. Having worked with clients across a number of industries to determine the best way to resolve tax liability, Nicole can analyze how to minimize tax debt and expense as much as possible. She has extensive accounting experience along with detailed tax knowledge, which puts her in an ideal position to offer her clients the best solution-based accounting and tax services. For a FREE Cannabis TAX diagnostic consultation email us at: Info@avivaspectrum.com

Nicole Johnson: How to Deal with Cannabis Taxes

Elena Gomez

In this one of a kind interview with Zendesk CFO, Elena Gomez, Sonia Luna uncovers some of the best practices and lessons learned from someone who's been there!With an unparalleled knowledge of the SaaS business model and proven ability to build teams and partner with business leaders, Elena has been invaluable to the company.  Prior to joining Zendesk, Elena spent 6 years at SalesForce, where she helped build a world-class finance department.  Throughout her two-decade career in finance at Fortune 500 companies, including Visa and Charles Schwab, Elena has built a track record of strategic financial leadership.   Elena holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of California, Haas School of Business, and is a National Board Member of the non-profit, Spark.

In this one of a kind interview with Zendesk CFO, Elena Gomez, Sonia Luna uncovers some of the best practices and lessons learned from someone who's been there! With an unparalleled knowledge of the SaaS business model and proven ability to build teams and partner with business leaders, Elena has been invaluable to the company.  Prior to joining Zendesk, Elena spent 6 years at SalesForce, where she helped build a world-class finance department.   Throughout her two-decade career in finance at Fortune 500 companies, including Visa and Charles Schwab, Elena has built a track record of strategic financial leadership.    Elena holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of California, Haas School of Business, and is a National Board Member of the non-profit, Spark.

Elena Gomez: Handling a Company's Growth

In this exciting interview CEO of Aviva Spectrum Sonia Luna, interviews Gayle Edwards, Managing Director, Professional Accounting Solutions (PAS).Gayle Edwards has over 25 years of experience in hotel operations, starting as a night auditor and advancing to the VP of Finance level.  Her impressive track record and wealth of operational insight allows her to be the resident BlackLine expert for PAS and pasUNITY.  By leveraging her deep knowledge of back office operations, Gayle has been able to successfully introduce BlackLine into hospitality, creating one of the largest Blackline Partners deals to date. Gayle earned a BA from Penn State.

In this exciting interview CEO of Aviva Spectrum Sonia Luna, interviews Gayle Edwards, Managing Director, Professional Accounting Solutions (PAS). Gayle Edwards has over 25 years of experience in hotel operations, starting as a night auditor and advancing to the VP of Finance level.  Her impressive track record and wealth of operational insight allows her to be the resident BlackLine expert for PAS and pasUNITY.  By leveraging her deep knowledge of back office operations, Gayle has been able to successfully introduce BlackLine into hospitality, creating one of the largest Blackline Partners deals to date. Gayle earned a BA from Penn State.

Gayle Edwards: Financial Transformation with BlackLine

Welcome to Compliance Expert Radio, hosted by Sonia Luna, CEO of Aviva Spectrum, the premier provider of Cannabis Accounting, Cannabis Compliance and Taxes. Thought leader of BlackLine software implementations, Accounting Automation &amp; Advisory, Internal Audit, SOX compliance, and Risk Management Services.

There aren’t many resources for Internal Auditors in the podcast world.  I’m glad to have found this one.  She has some interesting interviews, each bringing valuable, applicable content.

A Light in the Dark

Aviva Spectrum / Sonia Luna

Compliance Expert

Kyle Redding

In this compelling interview, Sonia Luna interviews the President of QuickFee, Kyle Redding.Kyle is a CPA &amp; President of QuickFee, Inc. He started his career with EY, working in both the US and Australia, and transitioned into the early stages of QuickFee Australia, where he grew the business from 50 to 700 firms, including 70% of the Top 100 Accounting firms in Australia and the Big 4.Kyle moved back home to California to establish QuickFee USA and quickly gained notoriety by being published in Accounting Today, Accounting Web &amp; CPA Practice Advisors. QuickFee was recently recognized by Accounting Today as one of the “2017 Top New Products” for their unique payment portal that offers clients of professional firms a “fee financing option” directly alongside ACH payment &amp; Credit Card payment.

In this compelling interview, Sonia Luna interviews the President of QuickFee, Kyle Redding. Kyle is a CPA &amp; President of QuickFee, Inc. He started his career with EY, working in both the US and Australia, and transitioned into the early stages of QuickFee Australia, where he grew the business from 50 to 700 firms, including 70% of the Top 100 Accounting firms in Australia and the Big 4. Kyle moved back home to California to establish QuickFee USA and quickly gained notoriety by being published in Accounting Today, Accounting Web &amp; CPA Practice Advisors. QuickFee was recently recognized by Accounting Today as one of the “2017 Top New Products” for their unique payment portal that offers clients of professional firms a “fee financing option” directly alongside ACH payment &amp; Credit Card payment.

Kyle Redding: Calculating the Best Lending Fit for You

In this breakthrough interview, you will gain significant insight on what to consider and measure when reviewing organizations social media marketing efforts. For years now, the auditing profession has been trying to understand the impact and risk of Social Media. More importantly what costs it could have when good money is being spent on bad social media marketing plans!Today, our listeners, will walk away knowing how and why influencer marketing works and how auditors can find the right audit trail! Go “way, way” back in the day, over 22 years in digital marketing, and explore the changes in the last two decades. Understand what are third party reports that compliance experts can rely on the data they’ve been given. Discover why content marketing appears to be growing so fast. Learn who's doing content marketing right (and why)! Sonia Luna, CEO of Aviva Spectrum, a financial transformation and compliance consulting firm headquartered in sunny, Los Angeles, California. She is also a speaker and writer on topics like Financial Close Transformation, Internal audit and accounting related topics.Our guest today is Bill Carmody. Bill is the CEO of Trepoint. Bill is the founder of Trepoint, named one of INC 5000’s Fastest Growing Companies for two consecutive years. In 20+ trailblazing years in digital marketing, he built some of the first commercial websites, and was also among the first to create mobile apps for enterprise brands. Bill’s main specialty is big data marketing for advanced ROI in social and mobile. He authored the book on Online Promotions, and is a celebrated marketing columnist for INC.

In this breakthrough interview, you will gain significant insight on what to consider and measure when reviewing organizations social media marketing efforts. For years now, the auditing profession has been trying to understand the impact and risk of Social Media. More importantly what costs it could have when good money is being spent on bad social media marketing plans! Today, our listeners, will walk away knowing how and why influencer marketing works and how auditors can find the right audit trail! Go “way, way” back in the day, over 22 years in digital marketing, and explore the changes in the last two decades. Understand what are third party reports that compliance experts can rely on the data they’ve been given. Discover why content marketing appears to be growing so fast. Learn who's doing content marketing right (and why)!  Sonia Luna, CEO of Aviva Spectrum, a financial transformation and compliance consulting firm headquartered in sunny, Los Angeles, California. She is also a speaker and writer on topics like Financial Close Transformation, Internal audit and accounting related topics. Our guest today is Bill Carmody. Bill is the CEO of Trepoint. Bill is the founder of Trepoint, named one of INC 5000’s Fastest Growing Companies for two consecutive years. In 20+ trailblazing years in digital marketing, he built some of the first commercial websites, and was also among the first to create mobile apps for enterprise brands. Bill’s main specialty is big data marketing for advanced ROI in social and mobile. He authored the book on Online Promotions, and is a celebrated marketing columnist for INC.

Influencer Marketing & the Future of Social Media for Auditors

In this in-depth interview Sonia Luna interviews Brenda Morris, on ways to modernize the accounting department.Brenda is retail financial consultant, working with teams to optimize their environments and support growth.  She was most recently with Hot Topic/Torrid, an exciting leader in gift &amp; fashion apparel retail, as a strategic partner to leadership to grow and develop the company and to spin out the Torrid brand. Prior to that Brenda was CFO for 5.11 Tactical, an international apparel and gear company, Love Culture Inc., a young women's retailer, which doubled in size during her time with them. Brenda was with Icicle Seafoods from 2009 to 2011 as CFO. Brenda was previously with Maveron start-up iFLOOR Inc., a hard surface retailing concept. She was CFO of Zumiez Inc, a specialty teen retailer. At Zumiez, she completed an IPO, 2 follow on offerings, and an acquisition of one 20 store chain. Prior to Zumiez, Brenda was at K2 Corporation as CFO. At K2, she directed all financial and ops functions. Prior to joining K2, Brenda spent 5 years as the Controller of UNIONBAY. Morris also had roles at Bowers Machine, FlowMole (aka UTILX, where she completed an IPO and two follow-ons).  Brenda is the Past-Chair of Washington Business Week, a Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) Regent and Vice-Chair, past Chair Exec. Advisory Board for PLU’s School of Business; and is a guest speaker and active member of AICPA. She obtained her Undergraduate Degree in Business, Accounting from PLU, and her MBA from Seattle University focused on Organizational Behavior and Operations. She holds her CGMA, CPA and CMA. Brenda is an Advisor for Proformative.com, an online resource and professional network for senior finance, accounting and related professionals.

In this in-depth interview Sonia Luna interviews Brenda Morris, on ways to modernize the accounting department. Brenda is retail financial consultant, working with teams to optimize their environments and support growth.  She was most recently with Hot Topic/Torrid, an exciting leader in gift &amp; fashion apparel retail, as a strategic partner to leadership to grow and develop the company and to spin out the Torrid brand. Prior to that Brenda was CFO for 5.11 Tactical, an international apparel and gear company, Love Culture Inc., a young women's retailer, which doubled in size during her time with them. Brenda was with Icicle Seafoods from 2009 to 2011 as CFO. Brenda was previously with Maveron start-up iFLOOR Inc., a hard surface retailing concept. She was CFO of Zumiez Inc, a specialty teen retailer. At Zumiez, she completed an IPO, 2 follow on offerings, and an acquisition of one 20 store chain. Prior to Zumiez, Brenda was at K2 Corporation as CFO. At K2, she directed all financial and ops functions. Prior to joining K2, Brenda spent 5 years as the Controller of UNIONBAY. Morris also had roles at Bowers Machine, FlowMole (aka UTILX, where she completed an IPO and two follow-ons).  Brenda is the Past-Chair of Washington Business Week, a Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) Regent and Vice-Chair, past Chair Exec. Advisory Board for PLU’s School of Business; and is a guest speaker and active member of AICPA. She obtained her Undergraduate Degree in Business, Accounting from PLU, and her MBA from Seattle University focused on Organizational Behavior and Operations. She holds her CGMA, CPA and CMA. Brenda is an Advisor for <a href="http://Proformative.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Proformative.com</a>, an online resource and professional network for senior finance, accounting and related professionals.

Continuous Accounting: Modernizing the Finance Department

David Chavez

Sonia Luna, CEO of Aviva Spectrum, interviews, David Chavez, Chief Audit Executive at DreamWorks Animation responsible for creating the strategy, vision and execution of the risk management and internal audit operations located here in sunny, Los Angeles, California.David also serves as an Advisory Board Member of the North Carolina State University ERM project and he served as a Governor of the Board for the Institute of Internal Auditors for a local chapter in Texas. David was nominated in 2012 as a candidate for the PCAOB Advisory Board. We’ll be discussing what are the current issues and best practices regarding Risk Management, data analytics and the best use of GRC technology in the internal audit department and across an enterprise.Prior to joining DreamWorks Animation, David was a National Leader of Deloitte’s GRC Technology practice where he managed multiple GRC related engagements for Fortune 100 companies. Before that David was the Head of the ERM &amp; GRC office for Dell Computers. He is the recipient of 2 MVP awards from the GRC institute for his contribution to the GRC market.

Sonia Luna, CEO of Aviva Spectrum, interviews, David Chavez, Chief Audit Executive at DreamWorks Animation responsible for creating the strategy, vision and execution of the risk management and internal audit operations located here in sunny, Los Angeles, California. David also serves as an Advisory Board Member of the North Carolina State University ERM project and he served as a Governor of the Board for the Institute of Internal Auditors for a local chapter in Texas. David was nominated in 2012 as a candidate for the PCAOB Advisory Board. We’ll be discussing what are the current issues and best practices regarding Risk Management, data analytics and the best use of GRC technology in the internal audit department and across an enterprise. Prior to joining DreamWorks Animation, David was a National Leader of Deloitte’s GRC Technology practice where he managed multiple GRC related engagements for Fortune 100 companies. Before that David was the Head of the ERM &amp; GRC office for Dell Computers. He is the recipient of 2 MVP awards from the GRC institute for his contribution to the GRC market.

Sonia Luna Interviews David Chavez, DreamWorks Animation, GRC Solutions

Erin Selleck

In this insightful new episode, Sonia Luna CEO of Aviva Spectrum interviews Erin Selleck, Chair of the Audit Committee and member of the Enterprise Risk Committee at Broadway Financial Corp, and it’s subsidiary Broadway Federal Bank.Discover the the core elements of Enterprise Risk Management and the expectations and best practices for the board’s role in successful governance and oversight of ERM.Learn effective techniques when handling out-of-the-ordinary challenges, as well as considersations before key decision making on a board.Prior to joining the board at Broadway Financial Corp., Erin Selleck served as Senior Executive Vice President, Treasurer, and Executive Committee member at MUFG Union Bank, a top-25 U. S. bank and a key subsidiary of Japan’s Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), one of the world’s largest financial organizations. Her many accomplishments at Union Bank include successfully guiding the bank through the most significant financial crisis of the modern era, presiding over meaningful growth in the bank’s balance sheet, and expertly navigating an increasingly challenging economic and regulatory environment in the banking industry. She is the recipient of a number of professional honors, including being named a “Woman to Watch” by American Banker Magazine in 2012.

In this insightful new episode, Sonia Luna CEO of Aviva Spectrum interviews Erin Selleck, Chair of the Audit Committee and member of the Enterprise Risk Committee at Broadway Financial Corp, and it’s subsidiary Broadway Federal Bank. Discover the the core elements of Enterprise Risk Management and the expectations and best practices for the board’s role in successful governance and oversight of ERM. Learn effective techniques when handling out-of-the-ordinary challenges, as well as considersations before key decision making on a board. Prior to joining the board at Broadway Financial Corp., Erin Selleck served as Senior Executive Vice President, Treasurer, and Executive Committee member at MUFG Union Bank, a top-25 U. S. bank and a key subsidiary of Japan’s Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), one of the world’s largest financial organizations. Her many accomplishments at Union Bank include successfully guiding the bank through the most significant financial crisis of the modern era, presiding over meaningful growth in the bank’s balance sheet, and expertly navigating an increasingly challenging economic and regulatory environment in the banking industry. She is the recipient of a number of professional honors, including being named a “Woman to Watch” by American Banker Magazine in 2012.

The Evolving Role of Corporate Boards: Sonia Luna interviews Erin Selleck

Alan Phillips

In this engaging episode with Alan Phillips, Vice President of Internal Audit at The Cheesecake Factory, he and Sonia Luna CEO of Aviva Spectrum will discuss ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­some of the changes in the internal audit field and best practices for structuring this important department.Learn some of the changes that have occurred and gain insights into upcoming trends from a 40-year veteran in the financial services and hospitality fields. Prior to joining The Cheesecake Factory, Alan served as a Partner at Ernst and Young for 10 years where he started the firm’s internal audit outsourcing and co-sourcing practice in the Southwest.  There, he had the pleasure of serving numerous Global 1000 companies. Alan has worked in Internal Audit field for over 30 years. Alan holds a B.S. in Accounting from the San Diego State and is a CPA and Certified Fraud Examiner and is a speaker for the IIA on Risk Management and Sox.

In this engaging episode with Alan Phillips, Vice President of Internal Audit at The Cheesecake Factory, he and Sonia Luna CEO of Aviva Spectrum will discuss ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­some of the changes in the internal audit field and best practices for structuring this important department. Learn some of the changes that have occurred and gain insights into upcoming trends from a 40-year veteran in the financial services and hospitality fields. Prior to joining The Cheesecake Factory, Alan served as a Partner at Ernst and Young for 10 years where he started the firm’s internal audit outsourcing and co-sourcing practice in the Southwest.  There, he had the pleasure of serving numerous Global 1000 companies. Alan has worked in Internal Audit field for over 30 years. Alan holds a B.S. in Accounting from the San Diego State and is a CPA and Certified Fraud Examiner and is a speaker for the IIA on Risk Management and Sox.

Key Internal Audit Trends & Best Practices: Sonia Luna Interviews Alan Phillips

Leena Roselli

In this compelling interview with Leena Roselli, Senior Manager of Research for FEI (Financial Executives International), Sonia Luna, CEO and Founder of Aviva Spectrum and Leena will be discussing the four year audit fee trends. We'll delve into how compliance and regulatory issues have impacted how much organizations are spending on audit fees and what they can do to minimize their costs.

Audit Fee Trends and Ways You Can Save: Sonia Luna Interview Leena Roselli

Nicole Ungaro

Listen as Sonia Luna, CEO and Founder of Aviva Spectrum interviews, Global Director of Internal Audit at Quiksilver, Nicole Ungaro about auditing 3rd party providers.  We will cover best practices and risks.Quiksilver is that look and feel of “California surfer.” It’s truly a global California based brand. Nicole has 16 years experience in auditing, starting her career in external audit at KPMG.  She then transitioned to internal audit, creating an internal audit department at Universal Electronics and Wet Seal.  Nicole holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Cal State Long Beach.   Nicole is also involved with the Institute of Internal Auditors, Orange County chapter as the Treasurer, since August 2014.

Listen as Sonia Luna, CEO and Founder of Aviva Spectrum interviews, Global Director of Internal Audit at Quiksilver, Nicole Ungaro about auditing 3rd party providers.  We will cover best practices and risks. Quiksilver is that look and feel of “California surfer.” It’s truly a global California based brand. Nicole has 16 years experience in auditing, starting her career in external audit at KPMG.  She then transitioned to internal audit, creating an internal audit department at Universal Electronics and Wet Seal.  Nicole holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Cal State Long Beach.   Nicole is also involved with the Institute of Internal Auditors, Orange County chapter as the Treasurer, since August 2014.

Auditing 3rd Party Providers-Sonia Luna Interviews Nicole Ungaro

Karla Sasser

Why don't IT and Accounting understand each other? Why is the IT project failure rate so high and what are some key ways that accounting can help IT? We delve into these questions and more in our interview with Karla Sasser about her new book,  FRIGGIN’ BEANCOUNTERS: Navigating the BS infested cubicles of the Accounting Department.  Karla Sasser is an accomplished Internal Auditor, CPA, CIA and new Author with more than 20 years’ experience in Information Technology and Accounting. Her areas of expertise include Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, corporate governance, enterprise risk services and IT auditing. Karla has a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and a Master’s in Information Technology.  For a copy of her book, visit, http://www.amazon.com/Friggin-Bean-Counters-Navigating-Accounting-ebook/dp/B00XRTNQL6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1432924970&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=friggin+bean+counter

Why don't IT and Accounting understand each other? Why is the IT project failure rate so high and what are some key ways that accounting can help IT? We delve into these questions and more in our interview with Karla Sasser about her new book,  FRIGGIN’ BEANCOUNTERS: Navigating the BS infested cubicles of the Accounting Department.   Karla Sasser is an accomplished Internal Auditor, CPA, CIA and new Author with more than 20 years’ experience in Information Technology and Accounting. Her areas of expertise include Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, corporate governance, enterprise risk services and IT auditing. Karla has a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and a Master’s in Information Technology.   For a copy of her book, visit, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Friggin-Bean-Counters-Navigating-Accounting-ebook/dp/B00XRTNQL6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1432924970&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=friggin+bean+counter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Friggin-Bean-Counters-Navigating-Accounting-ebook/dp/B00XRTNQL6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1432924970&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=friggin+bean+counter</a>

Figgin Bean Counters: Sonia Luna Interviews Karla Sasser

Venkat Iyer

In this eye opening interview, Professor, Venkat Iyer, Ph.D., CPA, from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro discusses his recent research on job satisfaction in the Internal Audit profession.Venkat specializes in organizational and behavioral issues in audit firms and the internal audit profession.  He began his career at UNCG’s Bryant School of Business and Economics in 1999 as an Assistant Professor.  He earned his Ph.D. in Business Administration from the J.M. School of Accounting at the University of Georgia, in Athens Georgia.  He is a CPA and has many notable publications and honors, including the Teaching Excellence Award from the Bryan School at UNCG in 2005.  He also received research grants from Big 4 Firms, such as KPMG, PWC, and the IIA Research Foundation.Venkat Iyer is Professor of Accounting and Finance at the Bryan School of Business and Finance at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He began his career there in 1999 as an Assistant Professor.  He earned his Ph.D. in Business Administration from the J.M. School of Accounting at the University of Greorgia, in Athens Georgia.  He is a CPA and has many notable publications and honors, including the Teaching Excellence Award from Bryan School in 2005.

In this eye opening interview, Professor, Venkat Iyer, Ph.D., CPA, from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro discusses his recent research on job satisfaction in the Internal Audit profession. Venkat specializes in organizational and behavioral issues in audit firms and the internal audit profession.  He began his career at UNCG’s Bryant School of Business and Economics in 1999 as an Assistant Professor.  He earned his Ph.D. in Business Administration from the J.M. School of Accounting at the University of Georgia, in Athens Georgia.  He is a CPA and has many notable publications and honors, including the Teaching Excellence Award from the Bryan School at UNCG in 2005.  He also received research grants from Big 4 Firms, such as KPMG, PWC, and the IIA Research Foundation.Venkat Iyer is Professor of Accounting and Finance at the Bryan School of Business and Finance at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He began his career there in 1999 as an Assistant Professor.  He earned his Ph.D. in Business Administration from the J.M. School of Accounting at the University of Greorgia, in Athens Georgia.  He is a CPA and has many notable publications and honors, including the Teaching Excellence Award from Bryan School in 2005.

Are Internal Auditors Satisfied with Their Job?  Sonia Luna intvs Venkat Iyer

Laura Anthony

For 15 years, Laura has focused her law practice on small and mid-cap public companies, the OTC market, new IPOs, mergers and acquisitions and complex business transactions. She founded and hosts a regular show on LawCast.com and You Tube watched regularly by thousands across the U.S. Prior to founding Legal &amp; Compliance, Laura served as Chief Legal Counsel for a national investment banking firm and a NASDAQ broker dealer with over 200 employees. She is an honors graduate from Florida State University College of Law and has been practicing law over 22 years.  She is a supporter and of community organizations, including the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and is active the American, Florida and Palm Beach Bar Associations.

For 15 years, Laura has focused her law practice on small and mid-cap public companies, the OTC market, new IPOs, mergers and acquisitions and complex business transactions. She founded and hosts a regular show on <a href="http://LawCast.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LawCast.com</a> and You Tube watched regularly by thousands across the U.S.  Prior to founding Legal &amp; Compliance, Laura served as Chief Legal Counsel for a national investment banking firm and a NASDAQ broker dealer with over 200 employees. She is an honors graduate from Florida State University College of Law and has been practicing law over 22 years.  She is a supporter and of community organizations, including the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and is active the American, Florida and Palm Beach Bar Associations.

SEC Successes and Challenges-Sonia Luna Interviews Laura Anthony

Sandra Almo, Director of Internal Audit at Clean Energy, shares her insight about how to attract and retain top Internal Audit professionals.  Clean Energy is the largest provider of natural gas fuel for transportation in North America.  Sandra has nearly twenty years of experience in the Internal Audit field, serving as Assistant Internal Audit Director with Volt Information Services and Senior Manager with Ernst &amp; Young.  Sandra holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from USC.

Recruiting & Retaining Top Talent for Internal Audit-Sandra Alamo

William Judge

Learn about Corporate Governance, Board Selection Process and Interactions with Boards when Sonia Luna interviews Wiliam Judge. Professor Judge is the E.V. Williams Professor of Strategic Leadership at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.  His areas of expertise are Corporate Governance, Strategy Implementation, and Organizational Innovation and change.  He has published over 100 articles and 3 books on these subjects, and has served as a consultant for business in all three areas.  In 2001, he was a U.S. Fulbright Scholar in MGIMO University Moscow, Russia; and in 2013, he was a distinguished visiting scholar at Instituto d Industrial Engineering degree from Lehigh University, followed by MBA and PhD degrees at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  Bill is currently engaged in a nationwide study of the director selection process for U.S. board seats.

Learn about Corporate Governance, Board Selection Process and Interactions with Boards when Sonia Luna interviews Wiliam Judge.  Professor Judge is the E.V. Williams Professor of Strategic Leadership at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.  His areas of expertise are Corporate Governance, Strategy Implementation, and Organizational Innovation and change.  He has published over 100 articles and 3 books on these subjects, and has served as a consultant for business in all three areas.  In 2001, he was a U.S. Fulbright Scholar in MGIMO University Moscow, Russia; and in 2013, he was a distinguished visiting scholar at Instituto d Industrial Engineering degree from Lehigh University, followed by MBA and PhD degrees at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  Bill is currently engaged in a nationwide study of the director selection process for U.S. board seats.

Board Selection Process-Sonia Luna Interviews William Judge

Jay Qatato

In this interview with Jay Qatado, Director of Internal Audit at Calpine, we discuss how being an adviser, rather than an auditor can help an organization in the context of the new Revenue Recognition standardJay is the Director of Internal Audit with Calpine Corporation based in Houston, Texas. Jay has an extensive background in Operations, Auditing and Shared Services. Prior to joining Calpine, he worked for Mobil Oil, KPMG, Hewlett Packard and Nabors Industries. He has held positions in Engineering, Procurement, Corporate Audit, Shared Services and as a Consultant.  He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas in Austin. He is a Certified Internal Auditor, Certified in Control Self-Assessment and a Certified Investment and Derivatives Auditor. Jay is a current member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) recently authored an article for the IIA titled Auditor or Adviser.

In this interview with Jay Qatado, Director of Internal Audit at Calpine, we discuss how being an adviser, rather than an auditor can help an organization in the context of the new Revenue Recognition standard Jay is the Director of Internal Audit with Calpine Corporation based in Houston, Texas. Jay has an extensive background in Operations, Auditing and Shared Services. Prior to joining Calpine, he worked for Mobil Oil, KPMG, Hewlett Packard and Nabors Industries. He has held positions in Engineering, Procurement, Corporate Audit, Shared Services and as a Consultant.  He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas in Austin. He is a Certified Internal Auditor, Certified in Control Self-Assessment and a Certified Investment and Derivatives Auditor. Jay is a current member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) recently authored an article for the IIA titled Auditor or Adviser.

Auditor or Advisor-Sonia Luna Interviews Jay Qatato

Daniel Selby

Get the academic perspective on Accounting and Internal Audit from Dr. Daniel Selby, Professor at University of Richmond's Robins School of Business.Dr. Selby is founder and CEO of Daniel Selby PLLC. He has over 25 years’ hands-on experience with Fortune 100 entities via corporate reporting, external auditing, internal auditing, regulatory compliance, and SOC/SSAE16 services. He is a Certified Public Accountant (licensed in multiple states) and Certified Information Systems Auditor with a master’s and PhD from Florida State University.  He is currently affiliated with the University of Richmond’s Robins School of Business, where he has taught accounting information systems, financial and management accounting, auditing, and graduate IT auditing. His research on accounting, auditing, and information systems has been published in ISACA Journal, and other distinguished publications.

Get the academic perspective on Accounting and Internal Audit from Dr. Daniel Selby, Professor at University of Richmond's Robins School of Business. Dr. Selby is founder and CEO of Daniel Selby PLLC. He has over 25 years’ hands-on experience with Fortune 100 entities via corporate reporting, external auditing, internal auditing, regulatory compliance, and SOC/SSAE16 services. He is a Certified Public Accountant (licensed in multiple states) and Certified Information Systems Auditor with a master’s and PhD from Florida State University.  He is currently affiliated with the University of Richmond’s Robins School of Business, where he has taught accounting information systems, financial and management accounting, auditing, and graduate IT auditing. His research on accounting, auditing, and information systems has been published in ISACA Journal, and other distinguished publications.

What Can We Learn from Academia-Sonia Luna Interviews Daniel Selby

JOE KOENIG

Discover what Certified Fraud Examiner, Joe Koenig, has to say about deception in Internal Auditing. Joe retired from the Michigan State Police after 26 years and has 45 years of investigative experience in both the public and private sectors. He was lead investigator on the James R. Hoffa case, and investigated homicides, organized crime, financial crimes, narcotics, and public corruption. He is Past President of the Michigan FBI National Academy Associates. He is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), holds a BS in Accounting from Wayne State University, and a Masters in Public Administration from Eastern Michigan University where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. He now owns a financial fraud investigations firm, called KMI Investigations, located in Western Michigan. He is the author of a new book entitled, Getting the Truth, which is available on Amazon.

Discover what Certified Fraud Examiner, Joe Koenig, has to say about deception in Internal Auditing.  Joe retired from the Michigan State Police after 26 years and has 45 years of investigative experience in both the public and private sectors. He was lead investigator on the James R. Hoffa case, and investigated homicides, organized crime, financial crimes, narcotics, and public corruption. He is Past President of the Michigan FBI National Academy Associates. He is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), holds a BS in Accounting from Wayne State University, and a Masters in Public Administration from Eastern Michigan University where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. He now owns a financial fraud investigations firm, called KMI Investigations, located in Western Michigan. He is the author of a new book entitled, Getting the Truth, which is available on Amazon.

Why People Lie to Auditors-Sonia Luna Interviews Joe Koenig

The best podcast episodes about true crime. For any thrill seeking podcast listeners who just can't get enough of the captivating stories of murderers and criminals. This topic has all the best episodes from many different true crime podcasts.  Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

Best True Crime Podcasts

The best podcast episodes of the most interesting stories and things. From skyping someone while they're in space, to tracking down and meeting a telephone scammer in person, to the story of a Galapagos. These episodes will keep you and all your friends entertained and captivated for hours. Learn something new in every episode! Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!