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January 2025
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CraigHansonCPA.com • (701) 252-6190
The Blessing of Compassion and Care My Life With Jean and Ceily
January has always meant a lot to me, as it’s the time of year when I reflect most on the accomplishments and milestones that have defined my life and career. I’m sure many of you use this month for the same purpose. For me, the most significant milestone I’ve ever experienced is the day I married my wife, Jean, nearly 42 years ago. Jean and I have known each other forever. We were neighbors growing up, and we’ve always been there for one another. I didn’t need to ask her to marry me — it was simply understood. I can’t say we haven’t had our ups and downs over the years, as all married couples do, but I’m blessed to spend my life with the best friend I’ve ever had. Although Jean has retired from her career in education, she still takes the time to help me here at the office during the busy tax season. She answers the phones, scans documents, and helps assemble clients’ tax returns. I’ve been in this business for 38 years and still find fulfillment in what I do, but nobody can do it alone these days. I wouldn’t be where I am today without Jean. She is the glue that keeps my office — and my heart — together when times get tough. After all these years together, we still do everything we can to live life fully. I love fishing and collecting stamps, while Jean enjoys quilting and sewing. Camping has become our favorite pastime over the years, as it always allows us to get away and clear our heads. We’ve stayed at only half the parks in this state, but we’re working on visiting the rest! When our three adult children left the nest years ago, our wonderful Lab-poodle mix, Ceily, completed our home. We met her through a rescue nearly 15 years ago, and she entered our lives under concerning circumstances. A lady in the western part of the state was breeding designer dogs, but she got a little carried away and ended up with more than 200 animals she couldn’t take care of! Ceily had warmed our
hearts from the day we brought her home. Although she had already been named Cecilia when we got her, we shortened it to make it easier to call her! As I was working on this cover article, Ceily became sick and had to leave this world. She was a great dog and a tremendous companion. Jean and I are grateful to have spent as much time with her as God gave us. As someone who’s devoted his life’s work to the financial world, I know how stressful it can be for many folks to get through their days without worrying about the future or facing obstacles in the present. For me, making a stronger effort to focus on the joys, milestones, and beloved people who’ve made our lives whole is the best New Year’s resolution we can make. In times of loss or despair, faith in who we are — and faith that things will ultimately work out — is the key to happiness and prosperity.
Money, people, and pets may come and go, but the cherished moments we enjoy along the way mean the most. No matter how rough life gets, always find time to spend with the Jeans and Ceilys in your life — and show them how much you love them.
–Craig Hanson
Have tax problems? Unsure what to do? Our Free video reveals what you should and should NOT do when you receive the dreaded letter from the IRS. CraigHansonCPATaxResolution.com
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Marketing the Macabre
Liquid Death’s Daring Ascent
At first glance, not much about 42-year-old Mike Cessario stands out. Like many in his generation, he’s heavily tattooed and likes to wear band T-shirts — far from outrageous by 2025 standards. He would blend into the crowd at any major rock concert in the country. Depending on your age or sensibilities, you’re likely to either pass him on the street without giving him much thought or walk to the other side to avoid him. Either way, your preconceptions would be wrong — dead wrong. He’s the man behind Liquid Death, a name you’ve likely seen on your supermarket shelves. Although you’d expect someone with his aesthetics to fill his company’s aluminum cans with alcohol, he’s made a fortune by selling good old-fashioned … water?!
and a water company,” he said in a 2022 interview with CNBC. “We want to actually entertain people [and] make them laugh in service of a brand. And if you can do that, they’re going to love your brand because you’re giving them something of value. You’re actually making them laugh.” The Brain Behind the Brand Cessario had already mastered the art of millennial- focused marketing long before Liquid Death dominated the field. In addition to collaborating with influencers Steve-O (“Jackass”) and Travis Barker (Blink-182), his viral promotion skills helped drive the success of the Netflix shows “House of Cards” and “Stranger Things.” Unsurprisingly, he embraced social media upon Liquid Death’s arrival and boasts 6.3 million followers on TikTok and 4 million on Instagram as of October 2024. Not bad for someone who readily admits his upward climb has resulted mainly from choosing what he describes as “the dumbest possible name” for a safe and healthy beverage.
Murdering Thirst — and the Marketplace Equal parts Warren Buffett and P.T. Barnum, Cessario has revolutionized the beverage industry by adhering to the philosophy that the best way to someone’s wallet is through their eyes. With its provocative, skull-emblazed cans and promise to “murder your thirst,” Liquid Death has
One of the biggest success stories of the last half-decade, Cessario is poised to expand Liquid Death beyond what we’ve already seen from this innocuous product with the incendiary name. As he told CNBC, “If someone I knew saw [one of our cans] in a store, I’m pretty sure they’re going to have to pick that up and be like, ‘What is this?’ And once someone picks something up, you’ve basically won.”
exceeded expectations of what a water company can achieve. It has grown from a cheeky concept to a $1.4 billion business in just five years, proving that just about anything will sell if given the right spin. After all, there’s nothing inherently chic about a can of H2O — a fact that Cessario was keenly aware of when he rolled the dice on making hydration hip.
“At the end of the day, we’re really creating an entertainment company
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comments about themselves or their businesses, it’s actually a fantastic litmus test. Will you respond with a public attack against that commenter or use their words as a learning opportunity? Bill Gates famously said, “Unhappy customers are the best customers.” If the reviewer’s grievances are legitimate, hear them out and fix your mistakes. If handled properly, your reaction to a complaint could be the best marketing tool you’ll ever have. Fiction: There’s no room for failure. Fact: In the words of the great philosopher Yoda, “The greatest teacher, failure is.” True entrepreneurs are never afraid to fall on their faces; every misstep is a lesson learned. After all, it took Thomas Edison more than 1,000 attempts to perfect the light bulb. Mistakes are inevitable in all facets of life, but what matters is how we adapt to those situations and progress. Fiction: You’re the best person for the job. Fact: You may have been the one to drive your entrepreneurial concept forward, but that doesn’t mean you have all the answers. Whether driven by pride or
perfectionism, business owners often risk being too reluctant to let others take charge. If you insist on wearing all the hats, this lack of delegation can lead to burnout at best and complete economic disaster at worst. You can be the head of your company and still let others carry the weight — and tell you when you’re wrong or need to change your perspective.
HAVE A Laugh
The Great French Mustache Strike of 1907 Workers usually go on strike to improve their wages or working conditions. Leave it to the French to mount a historic strike for the right to grow a mustache. A full mustache was a mark of status in Europe a century ago. Policemen were required to grow them to project authority. Waiters rebelled when restaurant owners forced them to shave their faces clean as a sign of their lower-class status. On April 17, 1907, hundreds of servers walked off the job over the issue, as well as their low pay and long hours. Restaurant owners soon caved, implemented a fairer pay structure, and restored waiters’ right to grow a mustache. As one French newspaper of the time declared, the waiters won the right “to finally show that they are men, free men … who can wear at their ease this symbol of the all-powerful male, the mustache. Oh! The beautiful independence!”
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905 James Ave. NE • Jamestown, ND 58401 (701) 252-6190 • CraigHansonCPA.com Inside This EDITION
Have tax problems? Unsure what to do? Our Free video reveals what you should and should NOT do when you receive the dreaded letter from the IRS. CraigHansonCPATaxResolution.com
1.
The Love of Family Forever
2.
‘Murdering’ the Competition
3. Remembering the Great French Mustache Strike 4. Business Truths vs. Tall Tales
Dispelling Deceptive Business Myths Entrepreneurial Facts and Fables
The roads to entrepreneurial success are varied, but common philosophical potholes can knock any profitable journey off course. Here are five standard pieces of fiction from the business world — and the facts that will set owners free. Fiction: Being an entrepreneur is always exciting. Fact: While taking the reins of your own enterprise is thrilling, you may find your aspirations becoming stale once routine sets in. If you’re lucky enough to experience prolonged comfort — and perhaps boredom — at your business, it’s time to shake things up. Being open to new ideas and challenges will invigorate your spirit and lead to new opportunities for expansion. Pro Tip: If you’re feeling stagnant in your day-to-day work, your employees likely feel the same
way. Welcome their input to refresh your services and goals and take your operation in new directions. Of course, boredom can be an excellent motivator for existing entrepreneurs. For example, legendary celebrity cook Ina Garten (“Barefoot Contessa”) bought a food shop while feeling restive at her White House job. Sometimes, following your heart — even if it means exiting an accomplished role elsewhere — is the key to successful entrepreneurship. Fiction: Being your own boss is a blast. Fact: Even though you may have gone into business for yourself because you didn’t like answering to others or wanted to set your schedule, you likely had a rude awakening once the gears started spinning and you became the one calling the shots. There’s a world of difference between being an employee
and being the one responsible for everything that keeps a business afloat. If entrepreneurship were easy, everyone would do it. Fiction: Disappointing a customer is disastrous. Fact: Many factors can cripple a business, but few obstacles have more potential to cause harm than the dreaded bad online review. Although no one wants to read negative
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