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When my father passed away in January, I was nine years old. My mom was suddenly a widow with three kids. Nine, six, and four. Everything changed. Shortly after, my grandfather pulled me aside and said, “You’re the man of the house now.” I do not know whether he meant it literally or symbolically. But I took it literally. Whether anyone formally assigned me more responsibility or not, I felt it. I was the oldest. That meant something. That spring, organized sports started. Then more sports after that. My mom had a simple philosophy. Keep them busy playing sports so…
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Early in my career, I thought good decision-making meant slowing down. More analysis.More opinions.More time. It felt responsible. It felt careful. And sometimes it was necessary. But over time, through my own experience and by watching people make decisions, I started to notice a pattern. When the answer is yes, it is usually clear.When the answer is no, it is often immediate.When the answer is maybe, it almost always means no. We just do not want to admit it yet. Indecision rarely comes from a lack of information. More often, it comes from a quiet internal disagreement. One part of…
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Tax season may end on April 15, but the real work starts long before it. That’s a wrap. My 48th tax season is officially in the books. For most people April 15 is just another date on the calendar. For CPAs it still feels a little like the final out of a very long game. At this point in my life I really only recognize two seasons. Tax season and golf season. April 16 is the official start of golf season. Being a CPA has allowed me to eliminate a few seasons I never liked anyway. Winter. Spring. Fall. Those…
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What Most Clients Get Wrong About Their CPA One of the most common misunderstandings I see is the belief that a CPA’s job is to quietly process information, nod along, and deliver a finished product at the end of the year. That misunderstanding is where relationships start to break down. Because a CPA’s value doesn’t come from silence… it comes from conversation, judgment, and sometimes saying things that are uncomfortable but necessary. Compliance Without Context Is Dangerous There’s nothing wrong with compliance work. Tax returns need to be filed. Payroll needs to be processed. Financial statements need to be prepared.…
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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.…
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One of the most common mistakes I see business owners make is confusing cost with value. On paper, the lowest fee often looks like the smartest decision. In reality, it’s frequently the most expensive one — just not right away. I recently worked with a client who purchased a professional practice. They had used a low-cost provider to prepare their tax return. That provider did exactly what they were paid to do: they took what was in QuickBooks and plugged the numbers into the return. What they didn’t do was ask questions. They didn’t ask how the practice was acquired.They didn’t ask what…
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The first day back to work in a new year is the hardest day to go to work. Not because you’re tired from the holidays or reluctant to get started again—but because you’re back at zero. What you did last year doesn’t matter.What you accomplished over the last ten years doesn’t matter.What you’ve built over the last fifty years doesn’t matter. On the first day back, you start again. Back to Zero There’s something sobering about that reset. The calendar turns, expectations reset, and the road ahead feels long. Whatever momentum you had has to be rebuilt. Whatever discipline produced…
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After decades of advising business owners, I’ve learned that the most important decisions are rarely about numbers alone—they’re about perspective, timing, and seeing the whole field. I’ve spent much of my life around sports, particularly baseball and golf, and both taught me the same lesson early on: you can’t make good decisions if you’re only focused on what’s directly in front of you. In baseball, you have to know where every runner is and what’s coming next. In golf, you have to play the hole backward, not just aim for the green. Business isn’t any different.
Seeing The Whole Field
Reflections on Business, Judgment, and Leadership
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