How a Former Pro Musician Became the CFO of a $1B Marketplace, with Kevin Drost

<p>How does someone go from jazz musician to CFO of a $1B marketplace?</p><p>In this episode of The Growth-Minded CFO, Alex Louisy and Lauren Pearl speak with Kevin Drost, former CFO of Reverb — the musical instrument marketplace acquired by Etsy — about his unconventional path into finance and what it taught him about the role.</p><p>Kevin didn’t start in finance. He started by running a business. From founding a record label to navigating cash flow, trade-offs, and uncertainty in real time, he learned finance by doing — not by following a traditional path.</p><p>In this conversation, he shares how that operator mindset shaped his approach as a CFO, why finance leaders need to stay close to customers, and how the role has evolved from reporting performance to helping drive growth.</p><p>Chapters:</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W30D0JNJnLg&amp;t=158s" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">02:38</a> From Jazz to Record Labels</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W30D0JNJnLg&amp;t=318s" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">05:18</a> Learning Business on the Fly</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W30D0JNJnLg&amp;t=411s" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">06:51</a> MBA While Operating</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W30D0JNJnLg&amp;t=640s" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">10:40</a> MBA Value Framework</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W30D0JNJnLg&amp;t=853s" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">14:13</a> Faking It and Risk</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W30D0JNJnLg&amp;t=1219s" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">20:19</a> Why Choose CFO</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W30D0JNJnLg&amp;t=1437s" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">23:57</a> Leaving Consulting for Reverb</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W30D0JNJnLg&amp;t=1528s" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">25:28</a> Building the Music Marketplace</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W30D0JNJnLg&amp;t=1592s" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">26:32</a> Choosing Growth Priorities</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W30D0JNJnLg&amp;t=1645s" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">27:25</a> From Strategy to CFO</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W30D0JNJnLg&amp;t=1761s" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">29:21</a> Learning by Doing</p><p><a href="https://www.yout