Behind the 10-K: From Navy Mechanic to SEC Reporting | Joshua Gomez & Gana Misra on Ai and Accounting

Daniel:
Thanks for joining us today. Today I want to introduce Gana, CEO and Founder of Finrep, and Joshua. Can you introduce yourself Joshua?

Joshua:
Yeah, I work for it. Yeah, I'm the Senior SEC Reporting Analyst over at Fox Factory, and thank you for having us.

Daniel:
Yeah, thanks for coming up. Tell us a little bit about what your company does and then describe your role to us.

Joshua:
Yeah, of course. At Fox Factory we make high-end specialty suspension components for vehicles. We also have a number of different subsidiaries underneath us, one of them being Marucci Sports, which we acquired back in the end of 2023. And they're a manufacturer of baseball bats, gloves, and different accessories for baseball, which is pretty cool and different to what Fox has traditionally been doing for it.

Daniel:
And then, Gana, can you give us a little intro about what Finrep is? What do you do, and how did you get into this space? And then we'll move forward.

Gana:
Yeah, I'm Gana, Founder, CEO at Finrep. We built an AI co-pilot for SEC reporting teams. We pretty much help you right from the book close to the filing process today. I was doing product management at a venture capital prior to this, used to see our own set of portfolio companies struggling on finance, which made me go deeper into these areas and super excited to have you in charge.

Daniel:
Great, thank you. So if you could just give us a quick rundown of where you started your career and then how did you make the transition from public accounting into specialized roles, such as a senior in SEC reporting?

Joshua:
Yeah, of course. So I think I have kind of a unique circumstance and journey. I started out actually joining the military by joining the Navy where I was a construction mechanic. Nothing to do with accounting. I don't think most people grew up wanting to be an accountant. It's not really a dream of most people. But it was towards my transition class when I was transitioning out that we were looking at the projection of different fields. And accounting was one of them that was to exponentially grow. I was always good at math, so it just made sense for me to go in that field.

As I was in my junior year of college, I didn't really know too much about the CPA track and realized, okay, that's something I want to do. I always want to achieve more, constantly trying to push myself. So I decided that that was going to be my path. So then I applied for a master's after getting my bachelor's in accounting, continued with that, got my master's, and then entered public accounting.

When I entered, I was working at a national firm. I worked for about two years in audit practice, and the hours were pretty long. The busy seasons were really tough. Yeah, I think one of the hardest — I wouldn't say worse, but definitely the hardest weeks — I probably worked 90 to 100 hours that week. There was one night where I maybe had two hours of sleep. Luckily, I was working from home, so I didn't have to drive my vehicle. But I had two hours of sleep and then had to wake up and continue working because we were in that last push to get our audit report out for them to file their 10-K. It was just really taxing on me mentally and physically — the lack of sleep and the hard push at the end. But it made me realize, you know, it could get better than that, definitely.

Daniel:
So now that you're on the other side of that and you're dealing with the auditors, do you feel like you have extra sympathy and a different relationship with them? Maybe an extra motivation to get them your documents on time so that they're not crunched as well?

Joshua:
Yes, yes, exactly. And I think that's one thing that's been so helpful about being an auditor prior to being in this role is I know what they're going through. I can try to help them out and make their job a little bit easier. And in the end, it makes my job easier because once we get down towards the very end, I don't want to have a lot of questions coming from outside sources on things that maybe we could attack a little bit earlier. So by just trying to help out the other teams with collaboration as soon as possible, it definitely helps out me in the long run.

Daniel:
How many people would you say you're collaborating with as far as pulling information from different teams? Walk me through how that works, how do you keep track of everything in that workflow?

Joshua:
Yeah, well that's definitely one of the challenging parts, especially with my company. We have about 20 different subsidiaries that we have to consolidate information from. On top of that, not all of them are using the same ERP systems. So they're getting data in different formats from different sources. It really takes a lot on me to create my own sort of trackers and to continuously follow up with different individuals. Staying on top of the time management for that is really important. Setting up schedules, timelines, all of these different little pieces together really help to keep us on track and to make sure we're getting the right information from the right people. Luckily, we've had the system kind of built already. So it's really just more of a maintain and improve process rather than starting from the ground up.

Daniel:
So to backtrack a little bit, I know that previously you were in more of a controllership position. Could you talk about the difference between being in SEC and more of an audit or technical accounting path — and then being in more of a day-to-day controllership? What made you choose SEC reporting?

Joshua:
Yeah, definitely. When I was in audit, I was always trying to look at where I want to go later. I'm constantly trying to see what's my goal in five years — what do I want to achieve? I didn’t really see myself being a partner in audit. I wanted to move into industry. SEC reporting seemed like one area where you can really dive into every little piece of the company.

You look at finance, talk with legal, deal with technical accounting, and then you’re doing the filings themselves. You see it all — the 10-Q or 10-K becomes your own product. That’s what attracted me. Ultimately, I’d like to be Chief Accounting Officer one day, and SEC reporting feels like a great path toward that. The one area I still need more exposure to is tax. Once you’re in tax, you’re in tax — it’s very niche.

Daniel:
Can you talk a little bit about work-life balance? You're out of those 100-hour audit weeks. Now you’re in a more cyclical business where you can plan your life around filings. What’s that like?

Joshua:
Yeah, definitely. And I’d say part of it is the culture of where I work — it’s flexible. Accounting and SEC reporting are deadline-driven, so we know our timelines. If I have stuff I need to do personally — like take my kids to school or the doctor — I can do that. Then maybe make it up in the evening. There’s a lot of trust in my organization, and that’s been a great feeling. In public accounting, I felt micromanaged, like I was being babysat. The contrast is huge — it’s been a breath of fresh air.

Daniel:
You mentioned earlier about getting into SEC reporting from public accounting — that was difficult. Tell us more about that.

Joshua:
There aren't many entry-level SEC reporting roles. Most postings want a senior analyst with four years’ experience, a CPA, and public accounting background. I had my CPA, but not the years. I just got lucky — a recruiter reached out to me on LinkedIn. That’s how I got in. Eventually, I was promoted to senior analyst. It’s a tough field to break into, but once you’re in, it’s rewarding.

Gana:
Which companies in the US have to go through an SEC reporting process today?

Joshua:
For SEC reporting, it’s any public company that reports to the SEC. For me, I work for Fox, which is public, so we’re constantly required to do SEC reporting.

Gana:
Can you walk us through a typical quarterly reporting process — what does the beginning-to-end look like?

Joshua:
Yeah, of course. Our quarter-end process starts before the quarter even ends. Usually in the first or second month we create a timeline, working backward from the filing date. We aim to file a week early to avoid any late filings. From there, we coordinate with auditors, legal, finance, and schedule drafts of the 10-Q. Once that’s approved by the CFO, CAO, and CLO, we send requests to controllers and contacts for disclosures and support. We keep everything tracked in SharePoint through review and approval workflows.

Daniel:
Would you say that one-week-early filing goal is common practice across industries, or is that specific to you?

Joshua:
I’m not 100% sure. For Fox, historically we’ve always filed a week early just to have a buffer. No one wants a late filing.

Gana:
In terms of preparing for a 10-Q, what does the roll-forward process look like? How do you track numbers? What tools do you use?

Joshua:
Our main reporting platform is Workiva. We haven’t used all of its roll-forward features yet, but we’re expanding. We use Oracle as our ERP, exporting financial statements to Excel, then syncing that data into Workiva. Some footnotes and disclosures remain manual. Workiva’s Excel functionality isn’t as robust as desktop Excel, so we rely on support files externally and update numbers internally. Always looking for ways to cut down on manual data entry.

Gana:
Which parts of this 10-Q process — writing new disclosures, footnotes — are the most time-consuming?

Joshua:
Definitely the collaboration part. We have many subsidiaries with different systems, so there’s a lot of follow-up. If one person’s late, it slows the whole chain. Since we own the final product, delays roll down to us — and to the C-suite. So we do our best to keep everyone on schedule.

Gana:
In terms of coordinating between different teams, are there practices you follow that give you an advantage?

Joshua:
During crunch time, I respond to every message immediately during work hours and save independent work for the evenings. It helps balance collaboration with focused time. It’s temporary but effective.

Gana:
How do you keep up with SEC comment letters or industry notices?

Joshua:
Our senior manager mainly handles comment letters, but I stay aware of broader updates. I don’t think we’ve received any since I started — good news for us!

Gana:
As far as regulatory updates — like new ASUs or deregulation — how do you stay on top of that?

Joshua:
We start by reading the guidance itself, then look for Big 4 examples — PwC, Deloitte, etc. We also benchmark early adopters to see how they disclose and compare. That helps us understand the standard in context.

Gana:
What does that benchmarking workflow look like?

Joshua:
We use Intelligize for disclosure benchmarking. I don’t use it as heavily as my senior manager, but it’s our go-to platform.

Gana:
What does the full tech stack for your team look like?

Joshua:
We use Workiva for reporting and certifications, Intelligize for benchmarking, PwC’s disclosure checklist, and Oracle for ERP. Those are our main tools.

Gana:
Interesting point about disclosure checklists — how’s your experience with them?

Joshua:
It’s a big team effort. We roll forward a lot of items since changes are minimal period to period, but it’s still a long process with many N/As. I wish Workiva had a built-in checker that flagged missing disclosures automatically.

Gana:
With all the AI products coming out, what’s been your experience? What tasks would you want AI to take over?

Joshua:
I use Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT often — mainly to search for accounting guidance, examples, or write Excel VBA formulas. It saves time and helps automate small tasks.

Gana:
How do you verify that AI’s information is correct?

Joshua:
I always trace results back to reputable sources — usually Big 4 publications. If I can’t verify where it came from, I discard it.

Gana:
When new bills or ASUs pass, how do you handle writing new disclosures in line with them?

Joshua:
Our senior manager leads that, but it’s always a team effort. We collaborate with tax and sometimes external consultants to get it right.

Gana:
In your off-season between filings, what do you spend most of your time on?

Joshua:
Outside of SEC reporting, I focus on technical accounting — mainly lease accounting under ASC 842. We’re implementing LeaseQuery to replace our manual Excel tracking. A lot of my time goes into improving processes and supporting others where needed.

Gana:
As part of the SEC reporting team, do you prepare presentations for executives?

Joshua:
Yes, we help with disclosure meetings and audit committee materials. My senior manager leads those, but we contribute slides and data.

Gana:
Can you explain for our listeners what an audit committee is and how it interacts with your team?

Joshua:
The audit committee is part of the board of directors. They oversee internal audit and interact with external auditors. They monitor how we perform accounting, compliance, and controls. I haven’t attended their meetings yet, but that’s my understanding.

Gana:
Do you still use PCAOB resources now that you’ve left audit?

Joshua:
Rarely. I usually stick to Big 4 codifications for guidance.

Gana:
In a mature AI world, what accounting tasks will still need human experts?

Joshua:
Judgment-based tasks — interpreting standards, weighing alternatives, choosing treatments. AI can’t yet apply reasoning like a professional accountant.

Gana:
And what are the most manual, time-consuming things that you wish AI already did?

Joshua:
Large Excel workbooks that crash my computer. I wish AI could process and summarize massive datasets efficiently in the cloud.

Gana:
When searching EDGAR or researching filings, do you have any hacks or search methods you’ve developed?

Joshua:
Not really — I mostly use Intelligize. Haven’t found good shortcuts for EDGAR yet.

Gana:
Could you tell our listeners what roles fall under the CFO?

Joshua:
Under the CFO we have the Chief Accounting Officer, FP&A, Treasury, Corporate Accounting, and SEC Reporting. FP&A handles budgeting and forecasting; Treasury manages cash and debt. Our SEC Reporting team also handles technical accounting alongside corporate accounting.

Gana:
And can you explain what FP&A does?

Joshua:
FP&A uses historical data from accounting to project budgets, forecasts, and expected growth. Treasury handles cash management, large transactions, and debt disclosures — we work closely with them on filings.

Gana:
Are there communities or events for SEC reporting professionals?

Joshua:
I haven’t joined any yet, but that’s a great idea. A community to share experiences and help each other grow would be valuable.

Daniel:
What’s one thing you wish your colleagues in other teams understood about SEC reporting?

Joshua:
That our work depends on many others. If one team’s late, we’re delayed too. It’s not about procrastination — it’s dependencies. Sometimes we have to escalate up to the CAO to get what we need.

Daniel:
What advice would you give to a junior-level person interested in a role like yours — especially with few SEC reporting seats available?

Joshua:
Get your CPA as soon as possible. It only gets harder once you’re working full time. Learn Excel deeply — shortcuts and functions save hours. And get familiar with AI tools early, because they’re becoming essential.

Daniel:
If AI takes over entry-level work, how can juniors still grow and learn?

Joshua:
They’ll have to intentionally re-perform what AI does — understand it manually, learn by doing. Even if AI completes a task, learning the reasoning behind it is key to career growth.

Daniel:
Looking back on your whole career — even beyond accounting — what have been your biggest realizations?

Joshua:
My military experience shaped me most. It taught me to handle stress calmly and support my team. During busy seasons, that attitude helps everyone stay positive and focused.

Daniel:
Say some closing remarks — what would you tell your younger self?

Joshua:
Trust yourself. It’s easy to feel imposter syndrome, but you’ve earned where you are. Believe in yourself.

Daniel:
What about you, Gana — advice to your younger self?

Gana:
I would’ve started sooner. And when it gets hard, I remind myself this is the only path. We do whatever it takes to make it successful. The long-term vision and our team’s persistence keep me going, even after tough meetings.

Gana:
That’s great. I like that mindset. Thanks, Joshuaua, for being with us and sharing your experience.

Joshua:
Yeah, it was great to be here.