How do you go from graduating into a recession to becoming CFO of a publicly traded retailer? John Szczepanski shares the real story: the 200-resume grind, pivoting from audit to finance, building a toolkit across treasury, FP&A, M&A, and an 18-year run at Ralph Lauren. Now CFO of The Children’s Place, he breaks down leading through transformation, tariffs, investor pressure, liquidity management, and where AI is already boosting productivity in finance. This interview is practical, candid, and packed with career lessons.