Change Your Mindset

“It’s always been about making my audience better, better leaders, better communicators and have fun in their lives” Peter Margaritis As we say goodbye to the old, we are grateful for all the guests who have graced our show from the first episode seven years ago till now, with 207 episodes aired we are grateful for our listeners who have made this possible. We will still be rebranding and coming back better and bigger, especially with the launch of the Bourbon Whisky Podcast “The Kentucky Bourbon Whisky Snob Pod” on YouTube and Ky in Video in September. You can find out more on the new podcast on Peter’s social media handles: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petermargaritis Listen to this and so much more in the episode; petermargaritis.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Accounting is not just about money, it’s about what I do to make other people’s lives better” Bill Sheridan Bill Sheridan is a knowledge hunter, content curator, and lifelong learner. As chief communications officer for the Maryland Association of CPAs, he created and co-authors the association’s acclaimed blog, CPA Success; produces the MACPA’s “CPA Spotlight” podcast; and manages the association’s member communications and numerous social networks. Bill regularly speaks at national conferences on the future of the accounting and finance profession, the strategic uses of social media, and the evolution of communication, collaboration, and education. He delivers frequent presentations on behalf of the Business Learning Institute and is a certified Insights to Action strategic facilitator. He is inspired by and in awe of his wife, Alison, and their daughter, Molly. They live in St. Louis, Mo. As accountants in an ever-changing world, we need to know the facts, but the one thing we need in order to remain relevant is to learn people skills and go beyond what we know to who we are working for and with. Building better relationships and anticipation of changes that happen with people. Knowing where we are in the technological scene, sooner or later, we will be using it to crunch numbers in the accounting scene. As accountants, we will have to develop necessary skills that machines cannot duplicate and do, making us relevant in changing times. You can catch Bill on his socials: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billdsheridan https://twitter.com/BillSheridan Listen to this and so much more in the episode; petermargaritis.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Our value as CPAs goes beyond giving out facts in any situation. They act as the voice of reason and turn ideas into reality” David Peters David R. Peters is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Financial Planner (CFP) with over fifteen years of experience in financial services. He was formerly the Chief Financial Officer of Compare.com and has been a financial advisor since 2015. He holds master’s degrees in accounting, business administration, and financial services and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Financial Planning & Retirement Income at The American College. He is currently a continuing education instructor for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Surgent, and Kaplan Professional, and the President and owner of David Peters Financial Group Inc, Peters Tax Preparation & Consulting PC, and Peters Professional Education LLC. People dealing with complex financial jargon that they don’t understand need someone to simplify the information and give sound advice, and that is what David believes CPAs are. There is a level of trust that one needs in order to put your life in someone else’s hands. As a person, you can learn the words of anything, but you need to go beyond the words and actually communicate in a way that makes sense to the people in the room with you, and it leads you as an accountant to go beyond your normal facts and learn something new. He brings on board his experiences and what he believes is the future and progression of CPA as a whole. More and more, the accounting profession is coming off from just a room of accountants to meetings with different individuals who have different functions in an organization. The accountant needs to begin to evolve and adapt to be able to cater to the needs of all these people. You can catch David on his socials: https://www.davidpetersfinancial.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-peters-financial/ https://www.facebook.com/davidpetersfinancial https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBLKAMd0JeKpm6Y9rv4_oLQ https://www.buzzsprout.com/1185392 https://open.spotify.com/show/3qaBHGu27HncW2vtv8YpQ0 Listen to this and so much more in the episode; petermargaritis.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“It’s not about how good your culture is, how good it needs to be to move forward.” Joey Havens Joey Havens, CPA, is currently serving HORNE as the managing partner of strategic growth. Joey actively challenges the mainstays of business culture and strategic planning. He advocates for a faster approach to growing leaders using a holistic approach and intentional sponsorship. Joey is an active member of CPA Practice Advisor’s Top 30 Thought Leaders, where he works with other accounting professionals to help lead and shape the industry. Joey is a frequent presenter/teacher/facilitator on creating a culture of belonging, strategic planning, and leadership development and loves to teach young professionals the “ABCs to Outstanding.” He currently serves on the board of The Mustard Seed, a Christian community for adults with developmental disabilities, and Empower Mississippi. He is a past board member of HORNE LLP, Friends of Children’s Hospital, JDRF, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the AICPA Women’s Initiative Executive Committee. Joey believes in working at an organization's culture as the soul and core. Culture is the soul of the organization; it’s the people, their language, it’s the behaviors we allow over time and accept them. He brings to the table more than 30 years as an influencer. He shares his experiences about organizational culture, what he has learned, and how culture influences the growth of an organization, whether positive or negative. How autonomy works in the organization and how to use it to increase the culture. You can catch Joey on his socials: https://joeyhavens.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeyhavens https://twitter.com/joeyhavenscpa https://www.instagram.com/joeydhavens/ Listen to this and so much more in the episode; petermargaritis.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The whole world is in the mode of we have to control everything, what we do, the money, the people, the situations.” Lee Cockerell Our guest today is Lee Cockerell, the former Executive Vice President of Operations for the Walt Disney World® Resort. One of Lee’s major and lasting legacies was the creation of Disney Great Leader Strategies, which was used to train and develop the 7000 leaders at Walt Disney World. Lee has held various executive positions in the hospitality and entertainment business with Hilton Hotels for 8 years and the Marriott Corporation for 17 years before joining Disney in 1990 to open the Disneyland Paris project. He is now dedicating his time to public speaking, authoring a book on leadership, management, and service excellence titled, Creating Magic…10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney. which is now available in 13 languages, and his latest book, The Customer Rules…The 39 Essential Rules for Delivering Sensational Service. Leadership is about learning, unlearning, and relearning what is out there, taking in what you were taught, and having the capacity and mindset to make up your own mind in any situation. Every situation is different, but how we handle it tells much about who we are and what we want to accomplish. When dealing with people, understand that they come from different backgrounds, have different stress levels, and know how to balance them. Being professional is knowing what you are doing, learning how to better it, and how you carry yourself. You can catch Lee on his socials: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leecockerell/ https://www.facebook.com/createmagic/ https://www.leecockerell.com/ https://twitter.com/leecockerell?lang=en Listen to this and so much more in the episode; petermargaritis.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"The beauty of good leadership is that you can have an excellent platform to impact someone that you may never know how so. "Ruben Minor Our guest today is Ruben Minor, president of RAM Consulting Group. This organization focuses on speaking, training, and coaching individuals and groups regarding leadership, team dynamics, relationship building, diversity, equity and inclusion, fundamental business philosophies, and business and personal branding. Reuben has a rich and resourceful network of professionals across the business spectrum, ranging from influential political figures to educational leaders and entrepreneurs. Ruben leverages his network to make more meaningful connections for his clients and business partners, evolving into lasting, mutually beneficial relationships. Ruben also served this country for 15 years in the US Navy as a supply Corp officer, is a John Maxwell certified professional speaker, trainer, and coach, and is intimately engaged in the community, serving as president of the Council for the village of Galena. Reuben enjoys spending time with family, history movies, and hiking and, as a side note, is a professional speaker. Corporations have learned a lot post-COVID, as employees have realized that they do not have to face toxic work environments. Unfriendly cultures have existed for decades and are therefore not expected to change overnight. It will be a constant, intentional effort by those in leadership, and making sure that they're keeping in step with the culture in the corporate community. The beauty of good leadership is that it can have an excellent platform to impact someone you may never know how to. Listen to this and so much more in the episode; petermargaritis.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"As a leader, you cannot respect others if you do not respect yourself." Lauren Schieffer Our guest today is Lauren Schieffer, whose passion is helping organizations that want to build their next generation of leaders. Whether it's training, keynotes, or longer-term consulting partnerships, she uses her Nine Essentials of Significant Leadership to help transform the way managers think, makes decisions & act toward the people they lead. In her varied career, Lauren has navigated almost every aspect of corporate America – from trucking to achieving top-tier Sales Director status for a global cosmetics firm to managing a non-profit foundation. Today she is here to speak about her Nine Essentials of Significant Leadership and her perspective on how a leader needs to be accommodative of each person's differences. Lessons that the pandemic taught us and what we need to know from that. In leadership, the difference between significance and success is that success is about inward accomplishments that you have done. It's all about you. Significance is about outward focus, how many lives you touch, and how you change the community. Lauren is focused on growing others first. You can catch Lauren on her socials: https://laurenschieffer.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenannschieffer/ https://www.facebook.com/Lauren-Schieffer-High-Road-Solutions-191278604217872/ https://twitter.com/lschieffer https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLRuzLkApRfy5G5XPieEwow Listen to this and so much more in the episode; petermargaritis.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"The mistake that people in higher education make is operating from the Eras passed rather than the Era that we currently live in." Kate Colbert Our guest today is Kate Colbert, a former higher-education insider, and current world-renowned marketing expert who develops college-and-university brand stories that are meaningful to the prospective student and measurable on the institutional balance sheet. She has overseen brand and enrollment marketing, public relations, and alum relations at two Chicago-area graduate schools. Kate has additional expertise in corporate education, university crisis management, and faculty relations. She is a six-time recipient of CASE District V's annual awards for excellence in marketing and communications. Today she is here to speak about her new book: Commencement: The Beginning of a New Era in Higher Education. Higher education's future and our role in making it happen. She gives her perspective on where we are going and the changes institutions must make to make them more competitive in the changing times. Kate is keen on giving the best experience to learners and giving them skills not only just for the sake of getting a certificate but enhancing and giving them skills that are not found redundant with the world going into automation and more technology. The idea from her book is getting micro-credentials that give you valuable skills no matter the changes being seen. You can catch Kate on her socials: https://twitter.com/KateColbert https://www.linkedin.com/today/author/katecolbert https://www.facebook.com/KateColbertAuthor/ https://www.instagram.com/katecolbert6121/ Listen to this and so much more in the episode; petermargaritis.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“I realized after failing 6 times that Improv is something that is teachable,” Nathan Minns Our Guest for today's episode is Nathan Minns, who uses Improv comedy as a tool to develop confidence in innovation and communication. He is the founder of Green Light Improv. Nathan takes us on a journey of Improv as it is used in a business setting. The lessons he has garnered throughout the years and his stories make improv seem not so scary. And it isn't scary at all. Listen to this and so much more in the episode; petermargaritis.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Do not drink Bourbon with coke; it will give you less of a hangover,”"Peter Margaritis On today'sepisode, Peter llookst the incredible journey he has gone through in the last 7 seven years with his podcast “Change Your Mindset” amazing guests he has had over the years. As he introduces us to a whole new chapter of his podcast, Journey into the World of Bourbon. He is not saying goodbye yet to the “Change Your Mindset” podcast; he just wants to explore more and live his life a little bit fuller. We welcome you to pitch a seat, relax and enjoy all things bourbon (or American bourbon), as Peter calls it. As we take you on a cruise of American bourbon, and storied that go with sharing wisdom and fun with a glass in your hand. "The Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Snob Podcast” will be launched soon. Listen to this and so much more in the episode; petermargaritis.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"We are strategic co-creators; that is the magic of crystallization when someone sees the brilliance in you, writes it down, and shares it with you" Theresa Rose. Our guest today is Theresa Rose, with 20+ Years of consulting, marketing, and business management experience, drives Theresa's strategic thinking, creativity, and sound foundational frameworks. Her career has included senior management roles in marketing and product development for a Fortune 100 company and high-growth startups. In addition, as a former Community Builder and Head of Thought Leadership for an executive network, Theresa has seen the challenges of growing a thriving business based on personal intellectual property and how to amplify it for maximum income and impact strategically. Theresa Rose brings a wealth of wisdom on the power of strategic marketing. A business grows when finding solutions to the world's problems by finding passion in your own life that motivates you to bring your best. Each of us can create a memorable picture model of who we are from 3-5 words that we can come up with from so much verbiage that can give us a more transparent and more precise goal of what we want and how we can succeed with this in mind. This gives you a comprehension of the actions you must focus on to achieve your goal. Listen to this and so much more in the episode; petermargaritis.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“During travel, I never vent my frustrations on another human being. It isn’t their problem. It’s mine,” Roxanne Kaufman. Our guest today is Roxanne Kaufman, a certified Virtual presenter and member of the National; Speakers Association and also credentialed by eSpeakers. She leads RoxTalks, which is a division of ProLaureate Ltd. She is comfortable on a massive stage as I speak virtually to a small group. In her busy life, Roxanne had moved 22 times before she graduated high school. She speaks today about the world of travel and how these experiences have impacted her life. Traveling sometimes may be stressful, but changing your view of the whole experience can make your trips feel exciting and less stressful. Listen to this and so much more in the episode; petermargaritis.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“No matter what happens during your travel, do not lose it at the people you need help from.” Jennifer Elder Our guest for today is Jennifer Elder, CSP, CPA, who works with proactive leaders and organizations that want to survive, thrive, and adapt to rapid change, risk, and disasters by developing aggressive and positive strategies to stay ahead of the competition, make intelligent decisions, stay ethical, and continually add value. In her effort to make a difference, Jennifer has traveled a lot for work and gives insight into some of the experiences that she has gone through. What makes a difference in driving one own travel smoothly and more accessible are some of the dos and don’ts of travel. One of the take always from this conversation would be doing your best to be as humane as possible whether you are traveling or handlings clients who are traveling. Listen to this and so much more in the episode; petermargaritis.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“You have to layer your voice to make anything you do uniquely you.” Bill and Don Tomoff Bill and Don Tomoff share a passion for helping others based on their career experiences, interest, and personal/professional growth. They use their #TwinzTalk and #TwinzTechTip hashtags for tips that will help others evolve their skills, awareness, and mindset on development, enabling others to become stronger people and contributors to the world around them! ChatGTP, according to the twins, is about learning for you to help others learn, which is why they advocate for it. It’s about making things easy for the user. The good news is that ChatGPT can be applied in all the fields as long as you custom-make it for your own needs. Listen to this and so much more in the episode; petermargaritis.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Your mind sometimes hijacks your emotions to think the worst-case scenario in order to protect yourself. You need to reclaim your mind in order to be in control.” Jay Sukow Jay began teaching for Second City in 2010 and teaches in both the Improv and Conservatory programs. He is also a facilitator with Second City Works, teaching improv to business professionals to drive behavior change. Previously, he was on faculty at The Second City Chicago, iO Chicago, and ComedySportz Chicago. He is the co-host of “Improvcast with Jay and Landon” and currently performs around town with the group Zer0 H0ur with Bill Chott and Jay Sukow, as well as the monthly show Improv Famous. He has over 25 years of experience as a leader. As an Improv leader and coach, Jay speaks about the dynamics of living the future and having a standard that we can never live up to instead of living in the moment and the “now.” A difference in how we look at the world shifts our focus from our failures into the zone of learning and growing. We will always have stressors in our lives, and instead of avoiding them, we need to learn how to deal with them because we all have seasons and ups and downs; just because it happens now doesn’t mean that it will be the same forever. However, always having a positive mindset in all situations will lead you to a happy and more content life, both personally and professionally. Listen to this and so much more in the episode; petermargaritis.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Exposure to financial planning at an early age gives people an edge on their finances that can open their minds in understating numbers in the future." Chris Panagiotu Chris is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER Professional and a Certified and Chartered Retirement Plans SpecialistSM (CRPS®, conferred by College for Financial Planning). In addition, he holds the following licenses with LPL Financial: series 7 and series 66. In 2020, Chris was recognized as a Five Star Wealth Manager* by the Seattle Times. Outside the office, Chris hosts the podcast "CAPitalize" (available on Spotify), roots for his Oregon Ducks, and, most importantly, loves spending time with his wife, Stephanie. He gives thanks to God for every blessing that comes his way. Christopher, the CAP in CAPitalize, investment journey began when he was ten years old. Over the years, he has grown his business by going beyond just having clients and investing in the same platforms he recommends to his clients. Chris learned that in the journey of being a financial planner, personal touch when dealing with your clients is better. Please get to know your clients before engaging them on their needs. In most cases, the planning process is usually in reverse. According to Chris, you start with the market and the trends before you understand the client's needs since, in most cases, the clients also do not know what they need in investment. Simple language that every person can understand is the key to getting more clients, retaining your clients, and getting referrals for your business. Chris is big on understanding his client's passion, which makes him want the best for his clients and the outcomes they can receive. Listen to this and so much more in the episode; petermargaritis.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"As much as we need technical skills in the business world, soft skills are even more important." Nick Lozano Today's guest is Nick Lozano who is a technology professional who has a love for digital media. He co-hosts a podcast called >Lead.exe, which is for anyone who wants to level up their leadership skills and enhance their careers. ​ As someone in Tech, you need soft skills because you will have to sell yourself and the business to your clients and potential prospects. So much as we need technical skills in the business world, softer skills are even more critical. During the initial talks about Tech, Nick brings about the analogy of building a house; you can make it as high as you need to go, as big as you want, or it can be a simple one-room house and still be great. The complex sides of technology can be a headache, especially for someone outside the industry. Nick's soft skills make it easier to understand the technical side of technology in a fun way. The audience you present to will determine how you will do your presentation for your message to go through. This is even more so when you have a paid sponsorship and must make the audience get the news across. Sometimes being simple and precise works better than using jargon. Making mistakes is part of the process, and I know there is room for failure, but the lowest point is if you fail once, learn from it; this is how you gain experience. The downside is that if you are making mistakes and you aren't learning from them, you are wasting your time and energy. Be prepared for how you will receive feedback, which will broaden your perspective on issues. All feedback is there to build you; the good and the bad appreciate everyone who will give it to you. Nick humorously shares his story and experiences making this a unique and fantastic interview to begin the year. Listen to this and so much more in the episode; petermargaritis.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Yes...but, Yes…and, the first disrupts the thoughts flowing while the latter connects an idea already forming.” Peter Margaritis In today’s episode, Peter Margaritis continues his series on: Take a Load Off: Stress relievers for overwrought leaders. Peter shows how Business Improv is a tool that all leaders need to master to learn how to overcome pressures that come from business. Awareness is one way that can help you develop confidence and help you overcome stress. Being aware of your environment can help you control your involvement in any situation, enabling you to manage and control your reactions to different triggers. Being prepared in any circumstance adds a layer of confidence. You may not be able to foresee the unexpected, but you can be ready for the curves that may come your way. Without being prepared, in most cases, you are more concerned about anxieties and the stress of not binge prepared. As Peter shares with us the rest of the tools he believes can help manage stress for leaders, he gives fantastic examples of different stages that help drive the points home. Listen to this and so much more in the episode at petermargaritis.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Stress is not always bad; it can motivate us into positive, meaningful actions.” Peter Margaritis In today’s episode, Peter Margaritis begins his series on: Take a Load Off: Stress relievers for overwrought leaders. He also shows how Business Improv is the way to go when facing uncertain situations and changes in the business world. When trying something new, always try it with a beta test on people you are sure will give you honest feedback before taking it to the market. Peter gives an example of how something he hadn’t thought about previously became one of the most successful business decisions for 2020. Something set up to be educational also turned out to be entertaining, enjoyable, and a bonding session to learn. What makes you happy? What doesn’t make you happy? What stresses you? Stress is part of our everyday lives. It comes from the good, the bad, and the in-between. Stress is an opportunity to make a change and make a positive outcome in the long run. Stress can help you add value to your life and business. Peter shares some of his tools to manage stress into a positive outcome. Listen to this and so much more in the episode at petermargaritis.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Negotiation is not a fight but a collaboration. Prepare more than memorize.” Peter Margaritis In today’s episode, Peter Margaritis continues his on Unscripted Give-and-Take and how to use Business Improv to resolve disputes and negotiate deals. Going for an all-in approach is not an excellent way to begin a business with someone you are trying to build a relationship with. You have the tools you need to have a win-win outcome in a negotiation. The beginning of every conversation is a smile that disarms the other party. Your smile needs to be genuine. You may not get everything you need, but you will get the chance for future business opportunities. Humanizing the conversation during negotiation creates an atmosphere of calm and respect so that both parties can feel comfortable no matter the outcome. Do not manipulate the other party to get them to make your point. You can show them the benefits of what you are telling them to their goals and agenda, which makes the relationship last longer. Preparedness during negotiation is better than memorizing facts and figures for that table. Adapt to the changing moods and turns at the table, and do not follow a written-in-stone script; you will fail. Peter gives excellent tips on what to look for at the table during negotiation. Listen to this and so much more in the episode at petermargaritis.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices