Lisa Tierney, CLSC is a
certified life strategies coach, marketing expert and founder of TIERNEY Coaching &
Consulting, Inc., which serves multi-partner CPA firms across the country. Lisa interviewed several up-and-coming CPA
professionals who shared their slant on how using a business coach helped them
to define - and achieve - success. Enjoy
this interesting read.
Eric Larson, CPA/ABV, ASA, CBA, CMA, CFE is a
partner with the Grand Rapids based CPA Firm, Beene Garter LLP. Eric offers expertise in the areas of
forensic, valuation and litigation services concerning disputes and/or business
transactions. His practice has grown exponentially
over the last few years while he has been working with a coach. When asked how using a coach helped him
improve as a professional, Eric replied, “The area I have improved the most has
been in creating structure and focus around business development. I was
always active and doing the “right things”. But the added structure and
focus really helped me become more efficient and spend time in those areas and
on those activities that really mattered.”
Jon Moll,
CPA
provides financial expertise and education for nonprofit organizations and is a
shareholder at the Delaware-based CPA firm of Belfint Lyons & Shuman, P.A.
Jon’s practice area has thrived over the last year while he has been working
with a coach. When asked how using a coach helped him improve as a
professional, Jon said, “Coaching gave me a better awareness of the
importance of the branding of myself as an individual and how that benefits not
only me but also the firm. It also instilled in me a more disciplined
approach to making practice development a priority.”
What’s the Most Valuable Aspect of
Using a Coach?
“The most
valuable aspect of working with a coach is the third-person perspective you
receive”,
says Eric Larson. He added, “The
coach sees you and your firm in a different way than you can. They can
give you honest feedback and point you in directions you were not aware of
before. The coach gives you a much more comprehensive view that really
helps you use your best traits, and helps develop those areas that need
improvement. The coach provides a plan and structure, rather than just a
scattershot approach.”
Gabrielle Luoma CPA, CGMA is the Chief Executive Officer and Visionary of Gabrielle
Luoma CPA Firm, located in Tuscon, Arizona which she started nearly ten years
ago. Gabrielle says that coaching helped
her to improve her leadership skills and plan more strategically. “Coaching helped me with direction and
focus” she says. “I learned I can go
after what I want and that if I set specific goals I can take baby steps and
reach them.”
“I think there are two incredibly valuable aspects”,
offers Jon Moll. “The first is that you have
access to a different type of thought process. Accountants are
trained to analyze data and people in a very methodical and facts based
approach. My coach helped me to analyze relationships, situations, and
thought processes and how each affects the process of decision making or
influencing. Secondly, coaching gives
you motivation to achieve tasks outside your comfort zone. CPAs have a
tendency (absent imminent deadlines) to prioritize based on what they are good
at or comfortable with achieving. Some practice development items
such as speeches, written articles, and asking our clients for more work is
sometimes viewed as not important at the present time.” Jon
also noted that a coach establishes a sense of accountability in making sure
the items get accomplished in a timely basis.
When asked if
coaching at work trickled over in other aspects of their life, all agreed that
it had. Jon Moll offered, “I spend more time “building”
relationships with people rather than letting established relationships go
stale. Eric Larson agreed. “Coaching has
reaffirmed that a big part of life is all about developing real, personal
relationships with people. When you make those great connections,
personally and professionally, it is very enriching.” Gabrielle says, “Coaching made me be more
balanced and recognize that my life wasn't all about the business. It was about
family and personal well-being too.”
“Success or failure will be determined by whether or not
you buy-in to the program and how much effort you put in”, says Jon. “The
CPA is in the driver’s seat. The coach is only holding the map.” Gabrielle explained what surprised her about
working with a coach. “I learned from
their experiences and was able to apply that to my own life and business, which
I didn’t expect.” Eric relayed that the
most surprising thing about working with his coach was, “that I have developed
a great friendship with my coach.”
These CPAs have come to work with a coach because of
different circumstances. Gabrielle met
her coach through her involvement with a networking group, BNI (Business
Networking International). Jon Moll’s
CPA firm initiated a professional
development coaching program a few years ago. “The program’s objective
was to help develop personal marketing plans for the firm’s future leaders
(positions supervisor through director.) I was included in
the second wave of participants after the first group had extremely positive
feedback. I volunteered to be included in the group.” Eric Larson’s firm decided to bring on business
coaching to augment the firm’s current business development function.
Among this
group of CPAs who are near or under 40 years of age, the consensus is that
coaching is a very effective means by which to grow your particular practice or
service area and also a great way to improve your overall professional – and
personal – experience.
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Lisa Tierney, CLSC is a certified professional
life coach who works predominantly with CPA professionals, assisting CPAs in
growing their practice, developing their leadership abilities, effectively
managing their relationships and finding graceful exists around succession
planning.
