To Tweet Or Not To Tweet:  What’s The Question? Twitter (www.twitter.com) has a bad rap.  Most of us think of it as a platform that celebrities use to share meaningless information about their most recent meal or to promote their latest product.  But the application has unbelievable power and reach – all at your fingertips ...

It’s the sound of the holidays in full swing as we all prepare.  The question is, prepare for what? A lot of the sounds that I’ve been hearing are those of anxious buyers worried that they don’t have the right gifts purchased, pressured workers trying to wrap up all of their year-end loose ends so ...

In my CPA Insider blog this week, I challenged firm leaders to evaluate their “old school” practices and shift toward more engaging, motivating and even “cool” ways of operating as a means to retain top talent.   One of the ideas we’re hearing cool firms employ is the elimination of mandatory Saturdays during busy season.  When ...

Our dear colleague, Lisa Spear, lost her brother-in-law last week.  Brian was a young family man, killed by a young driver while walking in a crosswalk.  The loss was sudden, tragic and very hard to swallow.  As a team, we are praying for Brian’s family to heal and praying to hear the faithful message that ...

For the past several months, I’ve been marveling at my 12 year old daughter, who has been passionately fighting against the XL Pipeline project here in the state of Nebraska (http://www.keystonepipeline-xl.state.gov/clientsite/keystonexl.nsf?Open).   Winning 1stplace in last year’s State Championship Science Olympiad for Aquifer Science, she is very concerned about the pipeline’s long-lasting effects on the Ogallala ...

I am still surprised by the number of professionals – from firms both large and small – who are unable to articulate their firm’s core values guiding principles. That is why I wanted to write this blog, in the hopes that you will be motivated to define, communicate and then model your firm’s values. Why ...

Happy Birthday, USA!  On our 235th anniversary as a nation, I wanted to write an open letter of thanks to the many wonderful people who contribute to our beautiful, proud nation.  I extend my profound gratitude to: Our current president and to all of our past presidents, too, for their courage to step up and ...

I am always watching high performance people and wondering:  what makes them tick?  What’s different that enables them to achieve uncommon results and reach the pinnacle of their profession or sport? It would be cool if there was one single secret to success, but we all know that it’s a combination of genetic, environmental, cultural, ...

Several weeks ago I began to explore why so many of us are ineffective at setting and achieving goals in our personal and professional lives. In my last two blogs, I have addressed those who don’t set goals at all, somehow believing no one will notice you’ve fallen short.  You have what I call “Fear ...

I am a late-blooming runner, having taken up the sport 4 years ago.  I ran my first half marathon in late September 2010 and, even though I’m over 40, I am committed to extend my distance and improve my time.  Sometimes, and especially when I’m pushing to a new barrier, I am forced to dig ...