Concierge CPA's online newsletter for September 2018
September 2018
8221 Brecksville Rd, STE 205 Brecksville, OH 44141
Borbala@ConciergeCPAs.com
(440) 340-1030
ConciergeCPAs.com
The Power of a Story In a Hungarian Goulash Cook-Off
prairie,”where herdsmen would eat it as they drove their cattle to Europe’s biggest cattle markets inVienna and Venice. We told the story of howwe went to the HistoricWest Side Market in Cleveland at the crack of dawn to get not one, but four (!) different cuts of beef from local organic butchers and cooked the concoction for six hours on low heat, adding the hand-cut vegetables and meat to it slowly. That we scouted for the biggest pot and wooden spoon we could find tomake this wonder. That we carefully transported it and drove an hour to finally be able to present it to the honorable audience.
Laz and I had relatives visiting us from Europe this summer. I don’t get to see my aunt and uncle or their two daughters very often, so we were excited—not tomention jealous of all the time off European employees get! Anyway, we heard of a Gulyas cook-off happening at a nearby Hungarian club in Hiram, Ohio, and we thought it would be great to sign up to create memories together with our extended family. If you are not sure what a Hungarian goulash is, it’s kind of a soup or stewwithmeat. What Laz and I didn’t knowwas that my aunt, who happens to be a fellow accountant in Hungary, andmy uncle, who is a minister in the church, are also foodies who would take this contest very seriously! On the day of the cook-off, as we started handing out the samples to the horde of visitors and judges, we realized that not only were there 12 other contestants, but we were likely the least experienced. Other families had Hungarian décor around their station and were handing out appetizers and homemade brandy. We only had our 7 gallons of goulash. It dawned on us that every goulash would taste good, so there was no way to win this competition based only on taste! By the time the visitors tried 12 different bowls, they wouldmost likely forget how the first one had tasted, and they would not knowwhich goulash to vote for at the end. But we really wanted to win in order to crown this day with the glory and the memory of winning at least one of the two first-place prizes! The only thing that we could do at this point was tell the audience the“story”of our goulash. We told themhow this was a family effort. That my aunt and uncle were here visiting fromHungary and had brought with them authentic Hungarian paprika and other spices. That the family recipe had been handed down through generations and was an authentic one originating from the“Hungarian
Needless to say, after telling the story a hundred times, everybody knewwho we were and the story behind our goulash! When it came to voting, they did remember us, and I’mproud to say that we won the people’s choice award (and second place by the judges)! We all know that story-oriented thinkingmakes us better at selling. A story immediately adds some warmth and humanity to our message. And an amusing story will probably help us stand out among our competitors! Our family will have a lastingmemory of multiple generations from across the globe coming together for a fun day, and Laz and I have another reminder of how powerful stories can be when it comes tomarketing and selling!
–Borbala Banto, CPA
P.S. Somany of our clients who follow us on Facebook (@BorbalaBanto) asked us about this“award-winning”goulash that we decided tomake a batch the next time we host a live event. You don’t want tomiss it!
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BORBALA’S SCHEDULE
SEMINARS AND EVENTS Sept. 17: Board Meeting at The Treehouse Sept. 19: EOA Accountability Group Meeting Sept. 28: Solo and Small Law Firm Expo/CMBA Oct. 3: Panelist at the Edward Jones Women’s Symposium
Weekly Live Roundtable Calls
Register at BeyondTheNumbers.Club Thursdays at 2 p.m. EDT: • Sept. 13 • Sept. 27 • Client Advising and Coaching Days • Sept. 5 • Sept. 12 •
Oct. 4
Sept. 19 •
Sept. 26
Schedule at Borbala.AcuityScheduling.com Prospective client inquiries: Borbala@ConciergeCPAs.com
2 CREATIVE PROFESSIONALS: 1 POWERHOUSE COUPLE Gary Adams and Erica Brenner are musicians who have been working in the music business for nearly 70 years collectively: Gary as a performer and teacher, and Erica mostly in a behind-the-scenes capacity. They met in 1985 as members of the Canton Symphony Orchestra (Gary was the principal tuba player and Erica was the piccolo player), married in 1991, and have made their home in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Erica received her master’s degree fromYale University in flute performance but made the jump intomusic production when (another!) fellow Canton Symphony musician asked her to join the
As a tuba player, Gary has toured with the Cleveland Orchestra, is a member of the Cleveland Pops andWheeling Symphony, has managed his own brass quintet, and has taught hundreds of aspiring young tuba players at the college, high school, and secondary level. But music isn’t his only passion. About 20 years ago, Erica bought him a digital camera, and he discovered a new artistic outlet that has become a complementary career to his music-making: photographing students and families, many of whom know his fun-loving nature as a teacher. Gary Adams Photography creates students’senior portraits using the same sense of fun and simplicity of approach that he is known for in his teaching— if everyone has fun, the results are amazing!
Telarc Records classical music label as a music editor. She soon became director of audio production and producedmany classical CDs for the label. After nearly 20 years at Telarc, the production department was laid off during restructuring. Having developed skills inmusic production and editing, she decided to try“going it alone.”One of her artists asked if she would edit their videos, and diversifying her skill set looked like a smart move! Classical music is a niche market, and she discovered a need for video production people with that particular expertise. While her music training was in a formal environment, all her production training was“on the job”and self-taught. Erica Brenner Productions now serves many classical musicians throughout the country in both audio and video. After years at a company with a robust infrastructure, Erica’s biggest challenge is balancing the“running”of the business with“doing”the work. A big step toward that is understanding the value of hiring people who have expertise that can save time—and in the long run, money. Erica makes use of independent contractors and establishes collaborative teams to fulfill her project load. Hiring a good accountant who understands the nature of two entrepreneurs in the creative field is also a key component of their success! Concierge CPAs lives up to their name and helps Gary and Erica run their businesses withmuch less stress and lots of support!
As a musician, Gary has been employed by different organizations, ensembles, and schools throughout his career. His first foray into owning his own business was managing the Metropolitan Brass Quintet, which helped himbecome skilled at managing clients, schedules, and personnel. When he decided tomake photography a profession rather than just a hobby, he was well-positioned to understand some of the challenges of entrepreneurship, and he learned new skills, such as marketing creatively and effectively for the photography business.
Visit garyadamsphotography.com and ericabrennerproductions.com to view their work.
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More Than Just Ideas I was lucky to start my career at one of the Big Four accounting firms. Looking back, the most valuable part of my experience was having access to a wonderful support system that was set up to help us get ahead: but it doesn’t mean you have to go without one. In my case, I just had to become self-sufficient and build my own support system. We Find Solutions — Together!
When I started working with Borbala, it was just the two of us in the practice, but both of us understood that we could only go so far alone. Over the years, we’ve belonged to various coaching, support, and mastermind groups. Some groups were very goal-oriented, some were marketing-related, and others were more focused on personal development.
• I had an experienced “buddy” to help me with the day-to-day small issues. • My mentor helped me stay focused on my long-term goals. • Personal development conferences were a regular thing. • Technical knowledge trainings were even more frequent. To be honest, at the time, some of these conferences felt like a chore, and we did it just to make HR happy. In retrospect, these were the valuable experiences that continue to help me to this day.
Why do we belong to mastermind groups?
These are only a few examples of the value we get:
• We can tap into the experience of other business owners who face similar problems. • We hear new perspectives that help us think bigger. • It’s a great way to set time aside and focus on the big picture. • It helps us find new solutions. • And, of course, we get to celebrate our achievements!
Howmuch more could you achieve if you had access to the best support system that was designed to help you get ahead?
Working for yourself or for a small company can be challenging because you don’t have access to a ready-made support system,
Recently, we rented additional office space to set up a conference room. Our goal is to provide a space where we can find
solutions together. Take action!
You don’t have to build your business alone! We would like to invite you to our in-person growth days that we host with a group of motivated business owners. You’ll love spending a day with like- minded entrepreneurs! Email Borbala@ConciergeCPAs.com for details.
–Laszlo Szilagyi, CPA
Late-Summer Panzanella Panzanella, a Tuscan favorite, is a salad that features hearty chunks of bread instead of leafy greens as its base. What could be better for a late-summer cookout?
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2 red bell peppers, seeded and cubed 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced 1 cucumber, sliced into rounds 20 basil leaves, chopped
INGREDIENTS •
1 small loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups) 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 large tomatoes, cubed
• •
•
• • •
Salt, to taste Vinaigrette
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DIRECTIONS 1. Place a large sauté pan over medium-low heat and add olive oil. Add bread and 1 teaspoon salt, and toss often for 10 minutes or until toasted. 2. In a large bowl, mix vegetables and herbs. Toss in bread and your favorite vinaigrette and mix again. 3. Serve immediately or let sit 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
Inspired by Food Network
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INSIDE The Power of a Story Page 1 Borbala’s Schedule Page 2 2 Creative Professionals: 1 Powerhouse Couple Page 2 We Find Solutions — Together! Page 3 Late-Summer Panzanella Page 3 Find Your Moment in ‘The Front Row Factor’ Page 4
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Book Review: ‘The Front Row Factor’ FIND YOUR MOMENT
Author, motivational speaker, and founder of the Front Row Foundation, Jon Vroman has had many unique experiences in his life. A lot of these experiences came through the charity he founded. The Front Row Foundation is a charity built around the idea of creating once-in-a-lifetime experiences for kids and adults with life-threatening illnesses, offering them a “front row” to life.
fullest. Jon made it his mission to share what he learned while working with his charity simply because he wanted to help other people discover what was truly important in their own lives. The book is written to empower. It’s a guide to help readers find ways to celebrate the best moments in life, whether those moments are small or large. Jon makes a point of celebrating the little things — the steps along the way to a bigger goal or bigger moment — because every moment is important. But “The Front Row Factor” isn’t just an exploration of what’s important; it also gets into the “why” behind Jon’s charity and what it’s meant to him and the many lives the charity has touched. Using these stories, Jon conveys a framework to help you identify what’s important in your own life and how you can build and strengthen relationships, both personal and professional. “The Front Row Factor” is an inspiration. If you want to get more out of life and every moment, give this book a read. It’s your time to become a moment maker!
While working with the charity, Jon saw memories made — and memories cherished. This gave him a new perspective on life. He saw what was truly important. This ultimately inspired him to write “The Front Row Factor: TransformYour Life With the Art of Moment Making.” “The Front Row Factor” is a mix of inspiring stories straight from the foundation, along with ideas and strategies to help you live life to the
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