Voices

A little humor can take CPAs on an unexpected journey

[IMGCAP(1)]For anyone who has ever said that accountants, technologists and consultants aren’t funny…well, I beg to differ! At the recent IC Opportunities event in Chicago, myself and several other thought/feeling leaders spent an entire day creating content to educate and move the profession forward—using humor throughout. In fact, we did all of this while wearing hobbit feet. Yes, that’s right: hobbit feet! See? Funny!

You read about these types of events all the time…thought leaders getting together behind closed doors to discuss the state of the profession. If you’ve ever wondered what goes on behind those closed doors, I’ll give you a direct view into what happened in our sessions. I guarantee it’s not what you think. We are not your traditional thought leaders. We strive to do things very differently in order to shake things up and really make an impact of the evolution of today’s firms.

So, here’s what happened…

First, as mentioned above, we wore hobbit feet the entire time while creating videos to change the way the accounting profession is perceived. We learned how to use humor to create real change, and we also learned how to be the one degree that makes a boiling point for change.

We pushed the traditional thought-leader-meeting boundaries by including leaders from all niches of the profession and giving everyone a voice in the conversation. We also used a lot of humor, which allowed us to laugh at ourselves while facing difficult changes that need to take place within our own businesses.

We were lucky enough to have Greg Kyte, CPA and stand up comedian, to guide us through how to use humor and create open, honest discussions. The hobbit feet? Well, we figured that we all have a little Bilbo Baggins in us—that is, a little magic to aid us in making difficult changes.

All of this combined took the group on an unexpected journey of discovery. We learned about each other, about ourselves, and about our businesses. Sometimes, you simply have to step out of the traditional mindset and get a little crazy to see things differently. Only then can true change occur. Otherwise, you will likely stay on a path of the same old, same old. Join us on the journey. It’s going to be a wild and eye-opening ride!

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Take a moment to watch one of the videos we created, Demystifying Twitter.

Jody L. Padar, CPA, MST, is a Certified Public Accountant experienced with Complex Federal & State Income Tax Compliance for Business & Individuals. Jody is an adjunct professor at Oakton Community College, where she teaches Taxation and QuickBooks Courses. She is part of Intuit Trainer Writer Network and speaks nationally on various Technologies and Taxation. She can be reached at www.newvisioncpagroup.com.

 

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