Over the years, I’ve been criticized for plenty of things.
But one of the most consistent and, honestly, the funniest is this:
People love to make fun of my font.
Yes, I still use Comic Sans. Size 14.
Nobody ever asks, “Ren, why Comic Sans?”
No.
They just roast me.
And honestly?
That’s fine.
Who cares.
I Just Like It
Let’s get this out of the way:
This is not a branding strategy.
There’s no scientific study behind it. No marketing consultant signed off on it. No PowerPoint presentation was harmed in the decision-making process.
I’m probably just a nine-year-old at heart.
I like the font.
It feels friendly. It feels informal. It feels like me.
And after decades in a profession where people argue over commas in footnotes, Comic Sans feels like my small act of rebellion.
This Work Is Still About People
Accounting can sound intimidating.
But this job has never really been about tax forms or spreadsheets.
It’s about people.
Business owners. Families. Entrepreneurs. Students.
People trying to figure things out while someone throws around words like capitalization, amortization, and all the other terms nobody uses at a dinner table…
(Although to be fair, at my dinner table, we actually do, my wife is a CPA, and among our three boys, we have two CPAs and an attorney. So maybe we’re not the best example.)
If Comic Sans makes something feel even 2% less intimidating, I’ll take it.
I’ve Always Been “Ren”
Approachability has always mattered to me.
Early in my career, I worked at a firm where the owner was known as “Mr. ___.”
Then I came to Alloy Silverstein, and Marvin Alloy and Ray Silverstein were just Marvin and Ray.
I remember going home thinking, that is very cool.
No ego. No distance. Just real people doing serious work.
To this day, I’m still just Ren.
And I’ve developed a very simple filtering system based on what people call me:
- Anyone asking for Ren is usually family first… then friends… then work.
- Anyone asking for Reynold clearly doesn’t know me.
- And anyone asking for Rennie…
Well… they grew up with me.
Hide your wallet.
The “Rennie” Phone Call
One time, long ago, back before cell phones, my receptionist received a call.
The caller asked, very casually:
“Is Rennie there?”
She told him I wasn’t in the office.
And the caller responded:
“Oh @$#@%… I only get one call.”
Then he paused.
My receptionist, trying to make sense of this, asked:
“Wait… where are you calling from?”
And the caller gave her the name of the police station.
Then he hung up.
Now, picture my receptionist.
She’s sitting there thinking:
- Who is Rennie?
- Why does he only get one call?
- And why does this feel like the beginning of a crime show?
All she had was:
- A nickname nobody uses unless they really know me
- And the name of the police station the guy was sitting in
So, for the rest of the day, she’s trying to track me down like it’s a federal emergency.
When she finally reached me, I listened to the whole story…
And I just started laughing.
I told her:
“Oh… that’s just someone I grew up with.
He figured I was the only one with enough money to post his bail.
He also apparently thought whoever had the most points on their driver’s license wins.”
By the way…
He spent the night in jail anyway.
So yes, sometimes Comic Sans isn’t even the strangest thing happening in my office.
Criticism Comes With the Role
As Managing Shareholder, you walk around with a giant bullseye on your back.
People will critique your decisions, your style, your approach…
And apparently, your font.
That’s leadership.
And I’ve learned something over time:
If people are going to criticize you anyway, you might as well control what you get criticized for.
I’m perfectly comfortable with Comic Sans being one of those things.
Final Thought
Comic Sans isn’t for everyone.
But it’s part of how I communicate: direct, human, approachable, and not trying too hard to impress.
And if someone wants to tease me about it?
That’s fine.
There are worse things to be known for than being a little informal and a little different.
Besides…
I’m nine years old at heart.
And I like it.
And honestly, if you call my office asking for Rennie, I am coming to the phone, and we’re probably going to spend a long time laughing about old times, how far we’ve come, and where we are today.
Because the truth is, there are moments when I look around and think how lucky I am.
I’m not sure I ever ended up exactly where I was “supposed” to be.
I just kept showing up, kept moving forward, kept doing the work…
And somehow, I got here, Comic Sans and all.
