Take a look at the latest edition of The Roz Report!
The Roz Report
MAY/JUNE 2023
AUTHORIZED MEMBER 2023
As seen on...
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Clear Vision Equals Clear Success A few months ago, I bit the bullet and finally had a long- overdue eye surgery. I say it was overdue because I put the procedure off for about two years. I knew I needed to let the doctors stop my glaucoma from getting worse and remove the cataract in my right eye, but I postponed the surgery anyway. The thought of going under the knife — and especially letting something that sharp near my eyeball — was a non-starter for me. Looking back, I can’t believe I procrastinated on an eight- minute surgery for two years. If I’d booked my appointment sooner, I might have saved more of the vision in my right eye. Now I’m finished procrastinating. If something needs to be done, I just do it.
This is the best mindset you can have in life and business. You should never procrastinate on your health, put off something that would help your company grow, or postpone an important life milestone. Procrastination is just fear in disguise!
I tried everything under the sun to avoid that surgery appointment. Roslyn and I did our research on glaucoma, and I tested out all of the noninvasive treatments. A year and a half ago, I even tried stem cell therapy in the hopes that the good cells would route out the bad cells in my eye and bring my vision back. Of course, that was magical
I see this fear all the time in the CPAs, attorneys, and Enrolled Agents who Roz Strategies works with. It often kicks in when the topic of our Founder’s Mastermind comes up.
“You should never procrastinate on your health, put off something you want in your
thinking because glaucoma doesn’t have a cure. Eventually, I scheduled the surgery. But that week, I woke up sick
Many of our
members have told me they want to join our Founder’s Mastermind. They see all of the benefits that the one-year, August-
business, or postpone an important life milestone. Procrastination is just fear in disguise!”
and couldn’t make it. I was secretly glad to be under the weather so I could avoid surgery. We rescheduled the procedure. But the next time it came around, Roslyn was sick. She
to-August program comes with, like virtual immersion days, trainings, hot-seats, and next-level networking opportunities, and they want those perks for their businesses. But they haven’t joined I understand the feeling. I didn’t think I was ready for eye surgery, either! But that worry is just the committee in your head stirring up fear of the unknown. You have to squash that fear now to keep growing your business. If you don’t stamp it out, your momentum will stall and fade away. Continued on Page 6 ... the group because they don’t think they’re ready .
was supposed to be my ride to and from the hospital, so we postponed yet again. I was secretly thrilled.
The third time was the charm. No one in our family was sick, and I was finally mentally prepared for the procedure. I showed up at the hospital two and half hours early with my stomach doing flip-flops. I was still nervous on the way to the operating room, but guess what? The procedure was quick and painless! I was only under the knife for eight minutes before they sent me home with a temporary eye patch.
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE
“You are flying with a fallen soldier,” the airline attendant said over the intercom. “There’s a ceremony taking place on the tarmac where the flashing police lights are. It’s a beautiful ceremony if you’d like to go to the window and watch it.” Hearing the attendant say that startled and saddened me at the same time. I’ve never flown with a fallen soldier before or knew anything about it. I was barely awake, as it was 6 a.m., cold, and dark outside. Michael, his brother Neil, our nephew Diego, and I were at LAX waiting to board our flight to Rhode Island with a stop in Atlanta. Even at this early hour, the terminal was packed with people. I was curious to go to the window, but the three of them walked away from our seats and carry-ons faster than I did, so I stayed. I didn’t feel comfortable leaving all of our stuff on the chairs unattended to see what was happening outside. As I sat guarding our belongings, I thought this must be a young man or woman, but most likely, it was a young person. Being a mother myself, I felt such an overwhelming sadness for this soldier’s parents. Did he or she have a spouse or children? I felt sorrowful for someone I didn’t know. The attendant interrupted my thoughts and informed us that the fallen soldier would be boarding the plane first. Michael came back to the seat and shared the story of the ceremony: the flashing lights, the American flag placed on top of the coffin, and the other soldiers carrying the coffin to a lift for it to go up into the underside of the plane.
The entire flight from Los Angeles to Atlanta, I thought about the fallen soldier, and person, who died too soon. As we neared our destination, the flight attendant announced, “Fallen soldier Sergeant Dobson will soon be reaching his final resting place.”The soldier was a man, and I now knew his name. I Googled his name trying to find out more information on him, as I had an urge to send his family a condolence card. I couldn’t find any information on him in particular. The attendant then said we’d be landing soon and asked everyone to remain seated, to please not get up and get items from the overhead bins, or to line up at the door, as Sergeant Dobson would be the first to leave the plane, and there would be a ceremony outside. When the plane landed, everyone remained seated. Not one person jumped up, and I was glad everyone gave Sergeant Dobson the respect he deserved. I was also able to observe the ceremony of him coming off the plane. I can’t remember all the details, as this happened many months ago, although it was similar to what Michael told me when the soldier boarded the plane. I remember this: It was a beautiful ceremony. I don’t live in a military town, and I don’t know any military families. We have a few people in our membership who served in the military, and I know people who know people who
serve in the military. But for the most part, I’m unfamiliar with people serving in the military.
While I don’t know much about the military, what I do know is that I’m very grateful for the young men and women who sign up to serve and protect our country. Every year, we honor those who have fallen on Memorial Day on the last Monday of May. It doesn’t need to be Memorial Day to honor a fallen soldier. I appreciated the care and respect that Delta Airlines gave Sergeant Dobson, the man who paid the ultimate price for keeping our country safe. With Memorial Day approaching, I want to say to every person in the military, those who served, those serving, and those who’ve passed on, I appreciate you, and thank you for your service. –Roslyn Rozbruch
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When to Hire and When to Fire FROM THE PRACTICE CORNER ?
This month, I want to talk to you about two critical processes in a tax resolution (or any) business: hiring and firing. The success of a company is highly dependent on the quality of its employees. It’s essential to have a hiring and firing process that is efficient and effective. I see many business owners struggle with finding the right candidates for the position they’re hiring for. That’s where the phrase, “Hire slow, and fire fast” comes in. Hiring “slow” means taking your time during the hiring process to make certain you are bringing on the right person for the job. Rushing to fill a position out of desperation often leads to a hire you’ll regret that costs you time, money, and even clients in the long run. It’s important to take your time and review resumes and conduct thorough interviews to make sure you find the right fit for your business and for the position. Keep in mind that the most important characteristic to look for when hiring is attitude. Skills can be taught. Just about anyone can learn how to do casework or answer phones, but neither attitude nor desire can be taught. Look for a willingness to learn, a positive attitude, and someone who is teachable. Firing “fast” means addressing any red flags as soon as they appear. This includes consistent performance issues, a negative attitude, or a lack of a cultural fit in your business. You will lose the respect of your good team members when you tolerate a bad one. While it’s important to give your team members the proper training and resources to succeed, it’s equally important to recognize when a person is not the right fit for your company and let them go quickly. Keeping an employee who is not performing well or is toxic to the company culture can bring down team morale and hurt the company’s bottom line. If you
have given them the opportunity to improve and they continue to exhibit poor performance or behavior, it’s time to cut the cord. Where should you be looking for quality team members? One of the best places to start is by looking within your current organization. Often, your current employees can recommend candidates who would be a good fit for the company. This not only shows you value their opinion, but it also helps to engage them in the hiring process and get them invested in the success of the new employee. I read a study once that said when an employee has a good friend at work, they tend to stay with the firm longer and are more efficient. Another best practice is ‘A-B-H’ or ‘Always Be Hiring.’ What this means is you do not want to lose out on a good candidate just because you’re not hiring at the time. You must always be thinking about hiring and telling others you’re hiring. Worst case is that you have a resume and do an interview. You can keep that in your files for when you do want to hire. But your mentality should be, “I am always hiring, and I am always on the lookout to get a good employee.” Hiring slow and firing fast is an important strategy for building a successful team. By taking the time to find the right candidate and addressing any red flags early on, you can ensure your team is motivated, engaged, and committed to the success of your business. Remember to always be hiring, engage your current employees in the process, and focus on hiring for mindset and attitude, not just experience. Keep these tips in mind and you’ll be well on your way to building a winning team that can help take your business to the next level.
–Michael Rozbruch
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FOUNDER’S MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Victoria Blasiak, CPA
Victoria Blasiak, CPA, of Victory Tax and Financial Services seemed to be destined to have a career in tax resolution. It all began for her in a high school social studies class. “I’m a Southern California native, and I went to San Gabriel High School. It was mandatory that every freshman learn how to do a tax return,”Victoria explains. At the age of 14, she started doing taxes for family members. She kept the momentum going, and while she was in college, she had her own tax prep business. Victoria’s knowledge was put on display when a professor called her out for talking with a friend during class. Victoria shares, “One day in class, I was sitting in the back talking to another girl, and the professor says, ‘You’re talking. Do you think you know this already?’ And I said, ‘Yeah.’ And he said, ‘Okay. Why don’t you come up and teach the class?’ And I said,‘Okay.’”The professor was a CPA, and he was so impressed with Victoria’s work that he hired her to work in his firm while she was still in college. After graduation, Victoria taught accounting and continued to work for her former professor. She was 22 and didn’t know it at the time, but she was about to begin a 40-year career in tax resolution. “Every CPA firm has a percentage of people who have tax issues. Because of my personality — I was persistent about stuff — he would say, ‘Here, you deal with this.’ Back then, there were no classes you could take in tax resolution,”Victoria says, “so I learned all the different channels of the IRS by myself. When I was 26, I started my own firm.” Early in her career, Victoria answered an ad from Dennis Brager, a tax attorney in Los Angeles who wanted a CPA to
work on his cases. Victoria continued to build her own firm while she worked on tax resolution cases for the law firm for the next six years. She gained valuable experience working on high-dollar cases for celebrities and corporate clients. In one particular case for a well- known actress who had become ill and was unable to pay her tax debt, Victoria was enlisted to release a levy on the celebrity’s bank account. “I made up my mind that I was not going to leave that franchise tax office until I released that levy,”Victoria says. “They kept turning me down because this woman had made millions of dollars throughout her lifetime.”Victoria used her expertise and said, “The tax law is what you have to go by and on what she can afford now, and this is creating a hardship for her. Long story short, I got them to release everything.” Working in Southern California, Victoria knew all about Michael Rozbruch, his tax resolution firm, and the results he obtained for his clients. When she heard he had closed his firm and opened Roz Strategies, she attended the Tax Resolution Success Summit in Austin, Texas, purchased the Tax Resolution Domination System, and later joined the Founder’s Mastermind group. Her first important takeaway was that she was undervaluing and undercharging for her services. “After going to his first seminar, I got three clients within a month,” she recalls. She shares how before knowing Michael, she would have charged $15,000 to $30,000 tops in total for these three cases. “I ended up charging $50,000 for all three by going through his system. I learned a lot about billing, building the fee, adding
Victoria and her trainer
up the different services, and not being afraid to charge your worth as an expert.”
Victoria says she is making more money with fewer clients — with an added bonus. “The more somebody pays you, the more they appreciate their service! They’re going to respect your time, and they’re going to allow you to do your job,” she says. As a Founder’s Mastermind member, Victoria says she is learning to expand upon her marketing, learning from Michael and the other members of the group. Next step, Victoria plans to move into radio marketing as well as posting tax topic videos on social media. She says she is learning from the younger Mastermind members who are comfortable with an online presence, and the younger members are benefitting from Victoria’s depth of knowledge from her 40 years of experience. Victoria and her husband have a total of eight children, six grandchildren, and a grandson who will make his appearance in June. They have a large extended family living in the Los Angeles area, so they’re always busy with family gatherings, going to the beach, and enjoying other outdoor activities. Victoria also enjoys keeping her energy up by doing Zumba and U-JAM. Not one to waste an opportunity, Victoria wears her Victory Tax T-shirt to the gym. “Always be marketing,” she says. “I tell people about what I do because everybody knows somebody who has an issue with the IRS.”
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Join Us Aug. 24–26, 2023 ! It’s Our 8th Annual Virtual
This year’s 2023 Virtual Event is going to be a knockout. That’s right — we will train you to become a champion in tax resolution as you learn from the best and brightest minds in the industry and pick up new skills and strategies so you can WIN against the IRS.
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Congratulations to Tracie Lowe for closing $75,000 in fees in four days, including one client for $56,000! That’s awesome! Kudos to Greg McCauley for signing 30 new clients in 30 days. Wow! High-five to Randall Brody for having his tax resolution article, “Give Your Clients Peace of Mind: Exploring Tax Resolution Options,” featured on the front page of the NAEA journal. Nice going! Way to go, Jennifer Walker , for correcting her client’s IRS balance of $226,000. Now, the client is receiving a refund of $1,290.99 from the IRS. Congrats to Douglas Dick for having his client’s case reviewed by IRS Chief Counsel. Now, instead of his client owing the IRS $60,000, the IRS will be refunding his client $13,500 plus interest. Way to go, Kristen Cunningham , for retaining her second resolution client. Kudos to Rhonda Saucedo for sending out her PTIN letters and receiving a call SHOUT
... continued from Cover
Joining our Founder’s Mastermind is a leap of faith. There’s no way to know exactly what the end result will be, but I can guarantee that when an unknown issue pops up, your fellow members will be there to help you work through it and find success. We did this recently for two members: Douglas Dick, EA, and Melinda Tolbert, EA. Douglas took on a case he wasn’t quite sure how to resolve for a client who owed more than $60,000. He was nervous about going in blind, but after getting one- on-one coaching through the Founder’s Mastermind, he gained the confidence he needed. Douglas went toe-to-toe with the IRS, and in the end, his client got a refund check of $13,500, plus interest! I’m proud of him for taking that leap of faith. Melinda Tolbert, a newly minted EA, took her own leap when she took a case for a client who owed over $1 million to the IRS. Thanks to a specific free structuring strategy she learned in the Founder’s Mastermind, she obtained a $100,000 fee from that client without any pushback. Melinda has now moved up to the Platinum Mastermind. Wins like that are possible when you go after what you want and need instead of procrastinating. The opportunity to join our Founder’s Mastermind is coming up in a few months at our Virtual Tax Resolution Success Summit from Thursday, Aug. 24–Saturday, Aug. 26. If you’re interested in joining, don’t miss that opportunity!
The summit is still a few months away, but you can start the process today if you haven’t already. To find
out all the details on the Founder’s Mastermind, scan the QR code or contact Becky
(Info@RozStrategies.com, 818-973-2733). We’ll mail you an information package with everything you need to know before you take your leap of faith. –Michael Rozbruch
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from a nonlicensed preparer who said that based on her marketing and answering her phones, he feels comfortable sending clients to her. Congratulations to Teresa Almanza for implementing the Client Care Package and receiving an extra $5,000 in passive income within the first month of implementation. Kudos to Eugene Ganeles and John Williams for mailing out your referral letters. OUTS !
Happy Birthday to Our Members!
Do you have a story or picture to share with us about something you’ve implemented, a client you’ve helped with a tax problem, or anything else you’d like to share? If you do, email it to Info@RozStrategies.com, and we will give a Shout Out to you!
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Inside This Issue
pg 1 ∙ Clear Vision Equals Clear Success
pg 2 ∙ Thank You for Your Service
pg 3 ∙ When to Hire and When to Fire
pg 4 ∙ Founder’s Member Spotlight
pg 5 ∙ Save the Date!
pg 6 ∙ Shout Outs!
pg 8 ∙ The Tax Woes of Lisa Marie Presley
IRS TERROR TALE OF THE MONTH Elvis’s Daughter Dies With $2.5 Million of IRS Debt
Ben Franklin once said, “In this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.” He had a point, and his words sprung to mind this January when we learned that Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of the famous rocker Elvis Presley, had passed away suddenly at the age of 54. Not only did Presley die far too young — just like her father — but she also left behind an estate mired in $2.5 million of IRS debt. Talk about the certainty of death and taxes! They creep up even on celebrities. Presley had just over $95,000 in cash and a bit more than $714,000 in stocks, bonds, and other assets to her name when she died of cardiac arrest. That put her almost $1.7 million short of what she would need to pay off the IRS. She also owed $1.5 million to other creditors, putting her in a total of $4 million in debt. As you might imagine, reporters immediately picked apart Presley’s finances. How could it be that the daughter of Elvis, who inherited a business worth as much as $100 million at one point, died with her books in the red? It turns out that
Presley was quite the spender. She brought in about $108,000 per month but spent roughly $92,000 on expenses like rent and car payments. In 2005, she also sold her 85% stake in her father’s company, Elvis Presley Enterprises, on the advice of business
manager Barry Siegel — a move it seems she later regretted, claiming he placed the profits in risky ventures that caused her to blow through the $100 million she received. One of the assets she kept was the Graceland property. Selling it would likely have solved all of Presley’s financial problems, but she never considered it an option. In 2013, she said, “Graceland was given to me and will always be mine, then passed to my children. It will never be sold.” Perhaps, in a way, it’s a blessing Presley never sold Graceland, which always felt like home to her. She was buried in its Meditation Garden. Now, her mother, Priscilla Presley, is battling with Lisa Marie’s daughter, Riley Keogh, over the estate, but that’s a whole other terror tale.
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