Blog
The Weight of Being Trusted
One of the most respected phrases in our profession is trusted advisor. We all know trust matters. In many ways, it defines the quality of our relationships. But what is trust, really? Think about what happens when someone chooses to trust you. They are making...
How Do You Show Up to a Conference?
Recently, I was coaching a manager who was preparing to attend a multi-day industry conference. Like many professionals, she was feeling a mix of excitement and pressure. She wanted to maximize the opportunity, but she also knew that three full days of networking...
The Most Important List You’ll Make
Everyone has a to-do list. We look at it first thing in the morning and immediately begin organizing our day around it. We prioritize tasks, rearrange responsibilities, and measure progress by what gets checked off. But what about your to-be list? Getting things done...
National Accounting Day: Your Story Matters More Than You Realize
National Accounting Day isn’t just an annual celebration of a profession. It’s a celebration of you - the CPA with a story that’s uniquely yours. Somewhere along the way, something sparked your interest in accounting. Maybe it was a love of numbers, a desire for...
Avoid Making Clients Feel Let Down
Client relationships vary depending on the level of trust involved - and trusted relationships have never been more important. With new technologies, changing regulations, and a shifting economy, clients increasingly look to their trusted advisors for insight and...
Ownership Changes Everything
In many CPA firms, “accountability” is treated as the gold standard of performance. But in reality, accountability is reactive because it shows up after something has already gone wrong. Responsibility, on the other hand, is proactive. It’s the difference between...
High Performance Isn’t Talent – It’s Leadership
A high-performance (HP) culture doesn’t happen by accident. It develops when enough people consistently demonstrate a high-performance mindset, take the right actions, and produce strong results - until that standard simply becomes “how we do things.” Bringing...
Stop Managing Problems. Start Amplifying Excellence
What if the key to growing your firm faster isn’t fixing what’s broken, but investing more in what’s already working? A well-known McKinsey study found that high performers can be up to eight times more productive than their peers. That’s not just a statistic - it’s...
Don’t Wait Until You Crash
Susan’s Message last week hit the mark: catching yourself when you start to fade - before you crash - is critical if you want to avoid mistakes and poor decisions. But here’s the real question: when do you plan for that moment? It’s a mistake to assume that once you...
A Lesson From the Back 9
Last Monday, my daughter teed off in the first tournament of her spring golf season. The weather was unseasonably warm, the sun was shining, and there was just enough breeze to keep you cool without impacting ball flight. Days like this are rare for March golf in...
