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So, I've been in the industry now going on my 16th year, I started off working with teachers and administrators and then I've also evolved into doing a lot of seminars, working with pre-retirees and retirees, and I also have a small book of tax clients inherited from my father. I have been dabbling with and looking at trying to partner with CPAS probably since about 2009. I've looked at different organizations and I actually did work with another group right before I looked at Elite Resource Team. Actually, I was looking at them both concurrently a few years ago and I decided to go the other way because it gave me a so-called layup and they said, well, here's three CPAs will give you to work on. But what I really learned through that process was just because you have a CPA, just because they can fog a mirror, they're not the ideal CPA to work with because they don't focus on one critical part - working with business owner clients.

 

I think the real big key is do you know what kind of lifestyle do you want and what's important to you? Partnering with a CPA and offering small business solutions is a way to improve your own lifestyle. So, one of the things I had also learned about what is working with small business clients because most of my clients were w2 employees, so that was a bit of a learning curve. And then there's also the specialists that, you know, there were different concepts that I was not aware of or some of them I was, but a lot of them I weren't. So, trying to learn that. And then the scripts on how to work with the CPAS. And then really I think the biggest value was, is how to vet and how to have qualifying questions and criteria for CPAS.

 

Unlike the other group I was trying to work with, I'm not going to waste my time with people who are not even going to be qualified to work with. And I'm trying to really immerse myself in the CPA program spending a lot of times going out and working with my own current A client's trying to get referrals. I have identified different influencers in my town and people that I know in my book of business and I'm asking them for referrals, so I'm really starting to now get traction since I have a pretty good idea of the type of CPI really want to work with. I was working with three before and then they were the three wrong ones. So, I basically fired all of them, or they've kind of worked themselves out and we've just mutually agree that, you know, you're a nice person, I'm a nice person, who put this isn't a good fit and I'm in the process of trying to develop relationships with a few handful of CPAS. I had a whole bunch that I called after tax season. I went and met with them and there's two or three of them that are really, really excited about it. We're still kind of figuring things out and I was trying to get them to come out to a CPA event because I think that that's a huge validation. But what I really noticed is that in just having followed the script, talking with the CPAs and I went into the office and they were like, oh, this is only going to be a 10-minute appointment, an hour later they're you their whole life story. And then we get into this work life balanced conversation as well as they start, you know, here's like the last three cases that came up for me.

 

Can you do something with this? It looks like I'll be able to do some stuff. So, I think some of it is going to be learning to build some trust because they don't know me, but they took the appointment because someone that we knew that was mutual and very influential recommended me to them. So, I'm hoping by the November event I'll be able to bring in two more CPAs long with me. Well, it's really interesting because in my conversations with these CPAS, I ask them what kind of advanced planning and they do. And the hardest thing is to just shut up and listen to what they say. And it's amazing because most of them that I've talked to is like, well, I do projections, well, anybody that is even just a tax preparer and we'll do a projection for so on and make sure they're paying enough tax that's not really advanced tax planning, that's as basic that should be done on the taxes.

 

Then while I try to tell them how much they can put into their IRA or I might help them with a qualified plan, but it's very low level, low hanging fruit types of planning because they're not aware, they haven't been educated. This is not their wheelhouse. So, I just see a huge opportunity to add tremendous value to the CPA in terms of their work life balance, my own work life balance, and to really deliver solid solutions are really going to be valuable or invaluable to their business clients. I think the biggest thing is, um, you know, check it out, kick the tires, come out to an event and then immerse yourself. Do the training and learn the scripts and then start just doing the work and the only way you can fail at this is to quit. If this is something that you can see that will add more value to your own personal life and to others, if that's important to you, this is something worth considering it and just go take massive action.

 

And if you fail at something, you know, pick yourself up and say, what did I learn from that? And then keep moving on. Because ultimately what did they say? Maybe I have to kiss 100 frogs to find three or four princes out of that hundred frogs. So, taking that massive action, it's just really, really important. And the great thing is there's a big community of support here, you know, Anton and Ken, they're awesome. And even the other advisors that you meet at these different events, there are key people that help you out and you keep coming to their events, they come and check on you, hey, how about this? And then you can bounce ideas off of them.