Good morning. Stephen Curry’s trailblazing NBA career has prepared him for the CEO role.
“I’m about to go into my 17th year [in the NBA], and from the beginning, work ethic was my superpower,” Curry told actor and comedian Roy Wood Jr., at a fireside chat I attended this month at Brooklyn Paramount Theatre.
As the Golden State Warriors’ star guard, Curry is the NBA’s all-time leader in three-pointers, a two-time MVP, and a four-time champion. He spoke about how work ethic shapes not only his basketball legacy but also his approach to business and life.
Curry’s new book, “Shot Ready,” provides an intimate look at his journey from childhood to his NBA career, sharing lessons on preparation and growth. He told the audience that a strong work ethic is universally relatable: “It’s a philosophy and a mindset for getting the most out of life, and enjoying every experience and opportunity.”
Off the court, as the founder and CEO of Thirty Ink, Curry oversees a house-of-brands conglomerate including Unanimous Media, Underrated Golf and Basketball, and Gentleman’s Cut bourbon. Thirty Ink generated $173.5 million in revenue in 2024, according to CNBC. You can read more of my take on Curry’s fireside chat here.
‘Prepare for every scenario’
Research studies show that participation in sports is strongly correlated with the development of leadership skills. A 2023 Deloitte study found that 85% of women surveyed who played competitive sports say the skills they developed were important to their professional success.
I spoke with Elena Gomez, president and CFO of the tech company Toast, who shared how sports have influenced her career. She played pick-up basketball with her brothers, then competed in high school, later coaching in her 20s and for her daughter’s team.
“There are so many lessons you can take from coaching basketball,” Gomez said. “Prepare for every scenario. If there are five seconds left and we’re down by two points—this is the play. That’s scenario planning.” She added, “A game can turn on a dime; the other team has a great second quarter, and suddenly what seemed like a great game is a different one. The ability to adapt quickly and course correct applies in leadership.”
Often in business, the competitive landscape changes, expected outcomes shift, or the geopolitical climate evolves, Gomez explained.
“Being able to course correct is always valuable,” Gomez said. “You also need to know when to take your last shot or pass the ball.” She uses this analogy in her CFO role: “Many want to be in the spotlight or presenting, but sometimes it’s important to pass the ball—because the win is greater as a team than as a hero.”
Sheryl Estrada
sheryl.estrada@fortune.com
Leaderboard
Steve Kinsey, CFO of Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE: FLO), plans to retire at the end of 2025 after 36 years of service, including the last 18 as chief financial officer. The company has initiated a search for Kinsey's successor. Following his retirement, Mr. Kinsey is expected to continue to serve in an advisory role for a period of time. Flowers operates bakeries across the country. Among the company's top brands are Nature's Own, Dave's Killer Bread, Wonder, Canyon Bakehouse, and Tastykake.
Bonnie Boyer was appointed CFO of Guident Corp., an autonomous vehicle teleoperation, effective immediately. Boyer brings over 15 years of financial leadership experience. Most recently, she served as chief accounting officer at Sagent M&C, a SaaS provider in the mortgage technology sector.
Big Deal
“The return of optimism and GDP expectations to levels more in line with the beginning of 2024 is reassuring," Sonya Ravindranath Waddell, VP and economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, said in a statement. "But concern about tariffs is real and impactful for many CFOs in the survey.”
For the third consecutive quarter, trade policy and tariffs remained the top concern for CFOs. Concerns about monetary policy and inflation moved up to claim the second and third spots.
Tariffs are a major factor in rising costs and prices for these firms. On average, firms attribute just under 40% of their expected unit cost growth in 2025 and 2026 to tariffs, and say tariffs will account for one-third of this year’s price growth and about one-fourth of next year’s.
The CFO Survey panel includes firms that range from small operations to Fortune 500 companies across all major industries.
From "The CFO Survey," a collaboration of Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and the Federal Reserve Banks of Richmond and Atlanta.
Going deeper
Overheard
“The markets for years convinced themselves that we would fail, and they didn’t need to react to us, and that was helpful to us. We were out of sight and out of mind.”
—Mike Sabel, cofounder and CEO of Venture Global, a major exporter of liquefied natural gas, told Fortune in an interview. Sabel highlighted that Venture Global’s Arlington, Va., headquarters is far from the energy epicenter in Houston. The pace of the startup’s growth has been staggering, shocking virtually every industry analyst. Venture Global has no plans to slow down through the early 2030s.
