Who's Really the BOSS?

There may be errors in spelling, grammar, and accuracy in this machine-generated transcript.

Rachel Dillon: Hi, I'm Rachel Dillon, and together with my husband, Marcus Dillon, we lead Who's Really the Boss podcast, where we highlight the joys and challenges of running a business with your spouse or family. Our mission is to strengthen families and businesses by helping listeners avoid the mistakes we have made so they can lead.And live happily ever after.

Rachel Dillon: Welcome [00:00:30] back to another episode of Who's Really the Boss podcast.

Marcus Dillon: Hey, thanks for having me back.

Rachel Dillon: Yeah. So right now or the past couple of months have felt, um, really busy with different conferences and different opportunities and things that are happening and available to attend. A lot of people are out of the office more than they have been the beginning of the year. We're recording this in June of [00:01:00] 2024, so January through April, I feel like, you know, an our industry, we're pretty much working either in office or remotely, but kind of tied to our computers, emails, that kind of thing. And then right after April ends, starting kind of May through June. A lot of opportunities to go out and learn new things, see new vendors and technology. Um, and hopefully [00:01:30] get together with friends during that time as well.

Marcus Dillon: Yeah. Uh, we kicked it off for most, you know, the event that we had at the end of April in The Woodlands. Um, so that was the beginning of some people. They were on a journey for like a week and a half just going to conferences because right after us, you know, there's AICPA engage is a big one, but then there's just other smaller ones that maybe people go to, um, and travel for. So, like, it doesn't slow down all summer. I think, you know, you've got [00:02:00] scaling new heights and different things like that all the way. You know, you kind of have to go back to work. And as a CPA as what we do in August, September and then October is your final deadline. But then it all starts back up, right? You've got a kind of another run of conference season, if you will, uh, in October through probably even December, as late as December. So, um, yeah, it's, it's just a wave that it comes in. And so with that, we wanted to talk through just [00:02:30] what we've seen here recently. Um, the, the, I guess the quality of conferences that are out there, the size of conferences that are out there. And then, uh, you know, how do you make this? How do you make sense of it all? Um, whenever you make whenever you get back home.

Rachel Dillon: Yeah. For me, when I get overwhelmed, I start trying to turn off all of the noise or the different places that I get information and learning and inspiration [00:03:00] from. So what I'll notice whenever I start to get overwhelmed when I'm at the gym, I'll stop listening to podcasts. Because just in my nature, when I hear something, when I hear a good idea from a podcast, from a book, from whatever I might be listening to or learning from, I want to implement it like I want to apply it immediately. I want to implement some part of it either in my daily routine, in work, share with the kids, whatever it might be. I just want to take something [00:03:30] that I've heard and put it into action somewhere. And when I'm overwhelmed, I start losing the ability to put those things in action. So I think I'm just hearing all of these things, but I'm not doing anything with it. And if I don't do anything with it, I just won't remember it. Like, I'm too old now to think that I'm just going to collect all this information in my mind and then, you know, at the right time, I'll remember exactly what it was that I heard. Uh, that's not reality for me anymore. And [00:04:00] so I just noticed that I really just naturally start turning things off or turning things down when I get overwhelmed.

Marcus Dillon: Yeah. No, that's a that's a good point. And the larger conferences are the ones where there's just so much, um, as far as the different tracks of learning, there's just so much available and that. That's great. So maybe you choose one of those large conferences like engage or Scaling New Heights or, um, Intuit Connect, which is the new name [00:04:30] for Cube Connect. Uh, maybe you choose one of those just because there's like 2 or 3 sessions that really stand out. But what we've seen, what I've seen when I go to those is like, the content is in 45 minute blocks. You're moving from room to room over 15 minutes, and then a whole new, like, data dump, like drops on you for 45 minutes, and then you start it all over again. You're doing that probably 6 to 8 times per day. Uh, you've got a lot of activity at night. You're just exhausted. [00:05:00] You probably haven't eaten. Well, you've probably drank maybe too much. Um, it's just it's. I don't want to say miserable, but it is an experience. So, um, whenever, whenever we plan to go to conferences now, we have to be very disciplined about the sessions that we're going to go to. Maybe even opting out of a of a block of sessions to be able to retreat and reflect on what we did learn in the session that was important to us, because [00:05:30] if you signed up for that conference just to go to like 2 or 3 sessions because the speaker that you wanted to go see or listen to was there, but then you immediately roll into 3 or 4 more sessions, like you didn't do yourself justice, you know, to to go all that way for that one.

Marcus Dillon: So that's what I've learned, to try to give myself space. Um, the other part of that is the sponsor or vendor area, uh, being very selective on [00:06:00] who you visit there, who you give your name or email to because immediately after the conference, then that's when the emails and sales calls potentially start. Um, on the other side of that. So be prepared for that. But just like the the conference content itself, maybe there's a sponsor to that you want to go visit with, really see a demo live in person and ask the person, you know, specific questions about your situation. So that's always the best. But it can be very, very [00:06:30] overwhelming. And I love the the word that you use. There's just so much noise out there. Almost chaos.

Rachel Dillon: Yeah, it feels a little bit like that to me. At big conferences. However, QuickBooks connect is one of my favorite ones that we've attended, and not because Ryan Riddles was on the stage. That was actually probably my least favorite of the last, um, QuickBooks connect that they had, or what will be Intuit Connect going forward. That was probably my least favorite part. [00:07:00] Uh, they had other incredible keynote speakers that did an awesome job that I really did appreciate as well. Um, the parties, I can take them or leave them. I'm like, they're fun. And it's it's a nice kind of break or distraction at the end of the day. Uh, but I don't I don't necessarily need to have that. What, um, what I do appreciate is the kind of the variety that you have to pick from. What is hard for me is [00:07:30] when I'm sitting in one session by probably the last ten minutes, I'm already thinking about, am I going to have time to go to the bathroom or get a drink in between? Where am I going? Do I know where the next session even is? Is there going to be a seat? I don't want to sit in the very front, and I certainly don't want to stand in the back. So my mind is already distracted when I'm in that type of environment. But I again, I always want, if I've invested the time and money to go to something, [00:08:00] a learning opportunity. I definitely want to take that learning and turn it into some type of action, something that's going to make myself, our team, our clients or the business as a whole better. Yeah.

Marcus Dillon: So what would you say, you know, turning it into action? Is that just some something that people have to have their own discipline to do? Or how do you really stay on the path of taking what you've learned and [00:08:30] actually integrating it into your everyday life or business, depending on the topic?

Rachel Dillon: Yeah, if for for me, and I think for you as well, we've kind of set out and it's just about being intentional and thinking about and talking about what you really want out of certain situations. We typically don't treat conferences as vacation. We typically separate those two things. We go to conferences to learn and [00:09:00] get actionable, maybe insight, actionable steps coming out of it. And then we go on vacation to relax and unplug and enjoy time together with our family or friends, whoever might be involved. And so typically we don't necessarily try to treat a conference as a vacation. So that's one. So I guess that may require some discipline if you're like a fun fun fun I not that person. [00:09:30] What did you call. You said I'm a fun sponge. So there's that.

Marcus Dillon: Um, yeah. I don't think that was public, but yeah.

Rachel Dillon: So it is now. Now they know the the real, uh, relationship that we have going on. But I think that yeah, you could look at it as discipline but maybe more. It's just being intentional and deciding, do I is it worth making this conference a vacation, or is it better to just take [00:10:00] a vacation and make this conference a learning opportunity where I can go get new ideas or confirmation on ideas or solutions to ideas or challenges that I'm having in my firm.

Marcus Dillon: Yeah, no, that's really good. Um, I think just like with anything, just it can become overwhelming really fast. So having a plan coming into it, having a plan going out of it, you know, the obviously the Mike Tyson quote, you know, everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. Um, maybe [00:10:30] for you, getting punched in the mouth is that first stop and the sponsor area and, you know, or or drinks, you know, at the welcome reception. So hopefully you stay disciplined on that plan for the whole conference. Um, you know, the flight back is good if you're not asleep or, you know, just so tired. Um, to kind of recap what you've gotten out of the last few days, but then also what the next few days or weeks could look like as you go [00:11:00] deeper on what you've learned. So. Um, but we've seen that kind of, you know, noise or conference chaos, um, be there. And it seems like these conferences are just getting bigger and more, um, broad. I guess you will like overall broad, but you can go to here, like specific things. And I know we've spoken at some of these conferences and that's always great.

Marcus Dillon: But overall it's just you can get lost pretty quick. And we we took it um, [00:11:30] a step further. Uh, and because we believe in it, I think that the main thing that hands down the best thing about conferences are being able to see other people that you know, and that's friends, right? And so friends and colleagues, peers maybe that you've seen on LinkedIn that you've wanted to meet, you enjoy, you know, the conversations that you have virtually, but then you see them in person and it's just a deeper connection. Um, so those are all the pieces that really the icing on the cake from a conference [00:12:00] and how we started asking ourselves, like, how do you get the best parts of that conference in a in a different setting, in a smaller setting? And that kind of asked like that led us to ask the right questions, to then come out with the event that we had in April, which we've covered before, like what that was. Um, but then plan ahead for like, what's next? And, you know, the, the events that will be in November for DBA.

Rachel Dillon: Yeah. So we have we [00:12:30] hosted a get together because we, we named it Get Together because it really was a gathering of friends of accounting industry peers. If if you've emailed me directly or talked to me even one time, I count you as a friend. So if you're not a friend yet, just email me or set up a time on my calendar so we can be friends. But really, a room full of people that kind of have same same goals, same desires. [00:13:00] Um, I wouldn't say same vision for firms, but just same ideas and want to improve their firms, uh, make a better place for their teams and themselves to work. I think that's the thing that maybe we kind of all forget is we're trying to create better firms because we want we want a better place to work. Uh, sometimes. And I think this was a question that you asked me or you asked someone else, but like, [00:13:30] would you want to work in your firm? Like, that's a really good, uh, measuring stick for is it something, you know, have you created what you thought you were set out to create? Um, so yeah, that's really good. So our event was small. Uh, only I think we had 70 total people in the room, including our team and the attendees. And so we enjoyed that so much. The attendees took away, uh, a lot of ideas [00:14:00] and action steps to move their firms forward.

Rachel Dillon: Uh, and so we have set that up again for the fall. So we actually have two events this fall coming up. We have together again for the um, firm owners and leaders who previously attended a get together. And then later in that week we have another event, fall get together. So it will be kind of a repeat or a replica of what we were able to present to those [00:14:30] first attendees and then present that, um, and share in that with a new group. And so some of the things that kind of set that event apart from others, one definitely a much smaller scale. So only 50 firm owners and leaders in the room. It is a smaller room that is set up in round tables. And we actually give the opportunity for the firm owners and leaders to get to know each other, not [00:15:00] just by name or firm name, but sharing in being able to share in their own challenges, their own successes that they've had in their firms, and then be able to talk through and process the information that they're hearing from the speakers at the front of the room. And then time to, you know, kind of process that and write down what are the next steps that I'm going to do with this information that I've heard.

Marcus Dillon: Yeah. And a lot of it, um, you know, as far as like the April event [00:15:30] and then what we release not only on these podcasts, but, um, in webinars and different learning opportunities that we host. Um, it just goes back to it's it's not theory, Right. There may be a part of theory weaved in, but it's it's real results from a firm. You know, I think you and I feel called to this as well as other team members and, and really, um, we're most qualified, um, to help the, the person that we used to be. Right. And [00:16:00] so we used to be that legacy firm owner. We used to be that burned out tax professional and that's that's who we speak to a lot of times. And so given our experience, we felt like, hey, we have a voice in this and take a little bit step further and here's how we can do it instead of in one on one situations, actually do it with a group of people. And we've set that at an intimate group of people, um, in one room with round tables with a lot of downtime in between, as as [00:16:30] we've mentioned before. So that was our solution, um, to the large conferences that get really overwhelming really fast. Um, and we know that the best conversations, the best parts of those conversations are what happen during the in between.

Rachel Dillon: Yeah. So we actually call those advanced study sessions in our, uh, conference or event advanced study session. If you just take like the initials or the acronym from that word, that [00:17:00] wasn't intentional whenever we set that up. So let's not we won't shorten that. So the advanced study sessions are definitely set up for, um, those attendees to kind of take it into a smaller discussion or conversation again and kind of talk through. On a previous episode we recorded, we said we talked through with our team, optimists and pessimists, where team members were paired up and they had to come up with like two [00:17:30] positive things about what they just heard and two negative things. It forced people to talk about it. This doesn't necessarily force people to talk about any negatives that they heard, but it definitely allows them to bring those hesitations or reservations, concerns or even challenges like, yeah, I tried that, but this was my roadblock, and they're able to present that to a group of, you know, 5 or 6 other leaders and say, you know, have you guys experienced this? [00:18:00] How have you overcome this? What, you know, what could I do differently?

Marcus Dillon: Yeah. And it is a safe space. So we've created, you know, our our community or our room, so to speak, in this situation with other firm owners and leaders. We try not to have an overwhelming majority, all from one firm. We actually cap it at two per firm if at all possible. That way it's not, you know, the same firm being represented over and over again. We already get a lot of that with DBA being [00:18:30] represented, um, maybe from the front of the room on specific situations. But we want the collective experience of everybody that's in that room. And, you know, sharing is caring. So we want to make sure that if someone's gone through a situation that didn't work out for themselves, that they feel comfortable enough to be vulnerable and share about that situation because they're amongst friends. They're sharing in that. And, um, the other side of that is if they've seen some wins, [00:19:00] um, same thing there. Like there's more than enough, uh, work to go around, more than enough team members to go around. So, like, what is what is working for them? Like, what's the secret to their success? Because, like, you can gain so much experience through other people and avoid, you know, the trauma that comes with negative experiences, or take what they've learned and then implement it into your business and have just a greater ROI. And that's honestly [00:19:30] like, that's what we believe in. That's why we have these conversations and do what we do is obviously so we can have people avoid the mistakes we've made or get additional return on the things that have worked for us.

Rachel Dillon: Yeah, it's funny that the relationships that are built, they're pretty open and strong from the get go. It seems like people who just meet by the time they leave that, you know, they have someone that [00:20:00] they would feel comfortable calling or emailing after the fact to share, to share with, or to even ask questions of. And I think part of that comes from our transparency and not standing at the front of the room, or our team members standing at the front of the room and presenting a perfect story or painting a perfect picture. We definitely talk through all of the challenges and the reason that we would make recommendations or [00:20:30] suggestions is because we lived through the pain of whatever that challenge may have been. That gives people just the, I guess, the permission to share like that within their table groups, to share like that at lunch, at dinner, kind of after the fact, um, after the conference has ended, that, oh, I don't have to pretend that my firm is something that it's not. I don't have to pretend that I'm something that I'm not like. This is a [00:21:00] safe space. Everybody's good here, and we're all trying to figure out different things. And the awesome part of that is different strengths. Um, within the room that people can tap into.

Marcus Dillon: Yeah. And we've, you know what we've done, um, here lately. And then what we're creating is, um, just where people can share knowledge and, and those experiences in situations or atmospheres where it's not threatening. I think [00:21:30] we've kind of recapped that really well. You you mentioned something today, which, you know, some people may see as a negative, but, um, the exclusivity, uh, that comes along with being in those rooms, I think, is something that I'm not ashamed of. You know, I think that that, that that is just me personally. Um, there's a certain level of polish that I like to everything. And, um, that's why DBA is the way it is. That's why, you know, certain things come across is [00:22:00] because we do want to stand out as, like we have our stuff together. And I love the fact whenever people do poke holes and things that like, it just gives us room for improvement on the other side of that feedback. Um, but really, these these rooms are also, you know, kind of exclusive. Um, which in today's world isn't always seen as positive. So let's peel back the onion a little bit on exclusivity and what that means.

Rachel Dillon: Yeah. So thinking about that word exclusive, [00:22:30] um, not to be the opposite of inclusive, but by nature it just is. And what that really means is there's a limited number of seats, and we want to make sure that we are real people, and we want to make sure that people who appreciate that are in the room. So kind of a certain set of values as far as being growth minded, [00:23:00] being open to share, and then also open to receive, um, people who are looking for real transformation and not just to gain more knowledge. So we want to see action. We want to see change. We want to see transformation. We want to help people as much as we possibly can do that and not just give somebody, uh, it's not about just getting CPE, and it's not about just knowing more. It's really about [00:23:30] doing something with what you're learning. And so when we say exclusive, that's more what it's about is saving room for the people who want those same things. Um, and then, you know, helping people find different places that are much bigger and have more capacity to go to those other places where, you know, they can kind of get some more knowledge, they can get their CPE, they can have a party after the fact. Um, but may or may not take that and [00:24:00] make real changes from what they've learned in that setting.

Marcus Dillon: Yeah. And I think that just goes along to, you know, this is built on our experience of these large conferences and what we like. And so, you know, we're going to choose a smaller, more intimate or exclusive setting. And that's that's what we're okay with. And that's why we've limited the number of seats at both events at 50, you know, it's just it is what it is. And while we would love to help everybody [00:24:30] and there's different ways to help everybody, it's just there. The the seed comes at a cost. So, um, really, really excited about what that event will be for folks. And, um, you know, not just the, the internal kind of goals and things like that that we've got. Um, as far as for our, you know, impact on others, but really how they can take what they will learn, what they will gain, new [00:25:00] things, new ways to think about things and move forward in their own lives. Really?

Rachel Dillon: Yeah. So talking through some of the topics or what will be covered, um, at Together Again and Get together, we as DBA firm are always going to talk through strategy, structure and software. So let's start with strategy. When we talk about strategy, what does that encompass for an accounting firm and an [00:25:30] owner or leader of an accounting firm?

Marcus Dillon: Yeah. Strategy. Strategy is a lot of um, I would say top like top priorities. Uh, as far as what is your client roster look like? What is your overall team? Not your team structure, but what is your team? Who do you feel called to employ? What does that look like? Um, who do you feel called to serve? You know, some of those easier questions as far as working, working on like, ideal clients, uh, which [00:26:00] a lot of people speak on, but so few go anywhere after the Sage, Um, they want you to just take what they you heard in 45 minutes and apply it really easy. So we did the hard work early on and kind of developed some different spreadsheets and had to wrestle with hard conversations and hard decisions on how to exit clients or how to grow service lines or client rosters around, you know, the team that we wanted to support. And so in doing that, we feel equipped [00:26:30] to have those same conversations and lead others through that. So that's part of the strategy piece. Um, strategy could also be as simple as, uh, mission vision and values, which a lot of people just write off as like fluff in their business. But as we've, you know, started consulting with firms and really helping firms if they don't have a clear mission, vision or value like statement, it's so hard to help them steer [00:27:00] the ship, you know, if they if they have no destination in mind or any guiding compass along the way. So those are some of the overall strategies, um, that we look at, and I'm sure I've missed some. So what other ones are you thinking about?

Rachel Dillon: Yeah. Thinking about um, I think you hit it when we look at strategy, thinking through ideal clients, how we're going to serve those ideal clients with ideal services. So what do we want to offer? All of that comes [00:27:30] back to vision, mission and values, which then plays into our team. And then again, like you said, we never want to stop there. We don't want to tell you. Stop accepting clients, you know, fire or exit all of these clients with no plan of how are you going to build back a client base or build back revenue for your business? And so then even talking through, um, what does that look [00:28:00] like on the other side, giving alternatives to firing clients, um, or putting a sign on your door of, you know, retired. Find somewhere else. Not not that. So definitely giving alternatives of how to monetize on the other side of determining your ideal clients and services, as well as then attracting what you want to see. So strategy really encompasses a lot, and we like to break it down and make it really [00:28:30] practical and applicable for each person who's in attendance. I listened, I used to listen to a podcast and it was fitness. It was unrelated to accounting, but it was called Where optimal Meets Practical. And as soon as I read the title, I listened to the podcast only because of the title of that, because I feel like that is how that's how you see success, that's how you're consistent, is taking what you know is best, but then kind of combining [00:29:00] it or, um, altering it to, to what's practical so that you can see it through to the end of whatever you're trying to achieve.

Marcus Dillon: Yeah. No, that's really good. That was a catchy, uh, podcast title. Wish, wish we would have thought of it first. Right. You know, so.

Rachel Dillon: I know we won't steal. We won't steal anyone's ideas without giving credit where credit is due. Right. But that I think it's just it's like a kind of a guiding principle now of not [00:29:30] everything has to be the best. Like, we don't have to keep researching for what is the very best way to do something at some point. One, you have to be able to do it consistently to even start. And then also you have to be able to start. So you don't always have to, you know, find the very best or the one answer. Sometimes it's a combination of things that you can alter to fit your lifestyle or kind of your [00:30:00] goals and your vision.

Marcus Dillon: So we've talked about strategy. The next piece is structure. Um, so when we think about like the three pillars, uh, within a firm, uh, that next one is really around what, what's the structure of the business like? How are you serving clients? What does that team structure look like? And so part of that is the team of three model that we speak into, those roles and responsibilities of each team member. And what we've learned up to this point [00:30:30] and what we're continuing to learn after this point. And so some of that comes in play with, like the workload of team members, how we know they are balanced given those defined roles and responsibilities. And then it goes into, okay, if they're balanced, what does compensation look like. So kind of talking into some of that structure as well. And you know even I would say that's the formula piece of it. All right. So you're you're kind of engineering during that structure phase. But [00:31:00] a lot of it goes back to team. And while we believe in the team three concept and model, um, you know, there's there's ways to modify that or do something completely different that we all learn from. But but structure is a big part. And, um, that's the scaffolding for success, we believe over here.

Rachel Dillon: Yeah. And then the kind of the third piece of that is actually systems, which of course I said software because in the event specifically we are going [00:31:30] to touch on software, uh, but systems to encompass how, how we're running the business, how we're creating efficiencies, um, how we are making the client experience even better, how team member experience is getting even better. And so, um, systems kind of encompasses that. But a big part of the systems piece is software. Uh, what are we using? How are we reducing [00:32:00] the number of apps and programs that we use? That's always very apparent and sometimes feels almost embarrassing when we onboard a new team member and, you know, like we're rolling out the CVS receipt of the list of technology and softwares that we use. And so definitely always trying to reduce the number, but also to use each one to its fullest capabilities [00:32:30] that make sense for our firm. We don't want to have these softwares that we just use one piece of it, one piece of ten softwares, when we could use four and use them for multiple things.

Marcus Dillon: Yeah, I think the software and app fatigue is a very real thing. Um, you know, you, you compare like our personal life and all the different streaming applications we have between Netflix, Amazon or Prime, um, Hulu, you know, Fubo, all that good stuff, which, um, go [00:33:00] back to the olden days, right of cable or even further back with antenna, you know, and you just that's how you survived. And you equate that to our firms, right, with the stack that we've now built. And does it make sense? And you go back to, I'm just going to go back to old school, like server in the closet with a local program and, uh, green sheets or, you know, one specific accounting program. Um, but we can't we can't go back, much like we can't go back to cable or satellite, [00:33:30] as you know, that just wouldn't be a life worth living, uh, in my mind. So all that, all that kind of gets, um, pretty, pretty crazy, pretty quick as far as just the number of options that are out there as far as a lot of softwares can do, um, similar things. So just which one's the best one? And much like the, you know, the visual of putting the big rocks first into, um, you know, the limited amount of limited amount of space, you begin with the big rocks and [00:34:00] then you fill in the remaining space with little rocks.

Marcus Dillon: So those big rocks for us are, you know, QB Qbo, uh, our tax program. And, um, just it kind of goes down from there all the way down to some softwares that we may use just one off. And that's where we question is that even a good solution? Obviously one of the bigger rocks for us is Microsoft. Um, you know, we joke all the time that Microsoft is always going to win and things that we're learning [00:34:30] within teams and how to, you know, map bank codes to teams, channels through shared mailboxes and rules and all that good stuff like, man, like that saves so much time. Uh, and and if someone isn't talking about it, you know, you're not going to get that data directly from Microsoft. So who do you go to for those, uh, different techniques? And we feel like if we figured something out along the way, we'll keep talking about it until, like, everybody knows about it and they're like, dude, we've we've already heard that. You've [00:35:00] told us last time. Then. Okay, let's move on. Let's go to the next. So that's just, uh, a lot of those systems that we talk about in place. And I would say what makes us unique a little bit, um, just our view on like, vendor relationship, sponsor relationships, it goes back to like those rocks.

Marcus Dillon: We have some very important people that we are connected to, um, in the software like systems world and like that's who we partner with. And we try to not cause a lot of noise. So even [00:35:30] at our events, like it's not full of people that want to sell you stuff, that's actually if they're there to sell you something, they don't need to be in the room like that is, you know, safe space for us. So this last one in April, we had a couple of people that we trust really, um, to the fullest extent possible. And, you know, we may add an additional, uh, person to the next two rooms, but it's not going to get crazy, like, there's no need to. And I think that every seat or, uh, area [00:36:00] that is taken by a vendor or sponsor, it's taken away from another CPA firm, owner or leader. So like that's who we will continue to want to be near. Because, you know, selfishly, we're learning from those firm owners how to make DBA better and how to have more balance in life. And so those are always going to be how we side whenever we look at different relationships, uh, going forward.

Rachel Dillon: Yeah. Something [00:36:30] that I appreciate as far as the software conversation within kind of our, uh, group of peers within our events is the perspectives on how to use those softwares or what software to use what what's best, and just the fact that, you know, like we mentioned before, it's an exclusive room because the room is meant for, you know, firms from 500,000 to 3 to 5 [00:37:00] million in revenue with team sizes 3 to 30. So we're looking at people who are pretty similar. But what also is offered there is what are we using in a remote first environment versus what are we using in person and what works better? How do you keep track of work and know what people are working on if they're working remotely? So that's a lot of questions that get answered and talked about. For people who are considering that. [00:37:30] I think a lot of people have tried that. Maybe they tried and want to try again, or maybe they just want to be in person. So they're not only getting this is what we use. We're in a remote environment. And you know, I don't know what you should do. There's a lot of ideas in the room for people who work in both settings.

Marcus Dillon: Yeah, and just the world we live in. Like, you know, I think plenty of people have been polled. I think hybrid kind of work environments are going to be the norm [00:38:00] moving forward. Um, virtual is you just have to have leadership that embraces virtual and that's a little bit hard, uh, with the different generations that we now have mixed in the workplace. So maybe one day virtual will beat out hybrid. Um, but as we mentioned in an earlier podcast, it seeing people, you know, in, in person is always great. Um, for us, we've just chosen to do that a couple of times a year versus a couple times a week. So, um, and then in office, [00:38:30] you know, all the infrastructure and everything that goes along with, like, the tech stack still needs to support people whenever they are working from home, if they're sick or if they have an extended leave or traveling. So all the options are there to to kind of talk through, you know, what I love as part of our journey is just people tapping me and asking, you know, hey, you know, me personally, like, what do you think a good solution is for our firm? I know that you use, let's say, canopy, um, to kind of run parts of your firm. [00:39:00] And, you know, I'll jump on a call. I jump on a lot of calls with people that are like trying to evaluate things.

Marcus Dillon: And, um, this is just a way to get all of those people in one place. And that way I can say, hey, like, we use it this way, you know, so and so over here uses carbon another way, Like go talk to them and then you can get kind of the best of both worlds and see what's right for your firm. Um, and that's just, that's the trust that we've built over the years with the trust that we have with folks in that room. [00:39:30] And we don't want, uh, a software, you know, salesperson to kind of confuse that situation by overemphasizing features and really just leading with sales. So, um, those are conversations that happen a lot. The reason why, partly we had that April event is just to consolidate those conversations. You know, I think we were having so many one off conversations around the team of three model almost weekly, a couple, you know, a couple times per week in some situations where people [00:40:00] were tapping you, asking you specific questions. So like this event, the one that we just had and the two that are coming up was a way for people to hear it all in one place, but then also hear it from team members that live it on a daily basis. So we bring in our team to these events. Um, and they're there, you know, and that's kind of that's almost scarier for you and I because, you know, people try to people try to poach, even though we have a great team, a great culture, like good luck trying to find somebody [00:40:30] that's that's willing to leave at this point.

Marcus Dillon: But, you know, I think that's the other thing with what we're presenting, we're being fully transparent about what's working, what's not working, where we've made mistakes in the past. And that may hit a little too close to home for some of those team members that are in the room. So I'm just as nervous in those situations. But, you know, I think it's a trusted room, even from the DBA team that is there. And the great thing is, the DBA team is the ones that are sitting at the tables answering questions, not you [00:41:00] or I. And so I think they're really answering the what does this really look like for my team member, you know, that has a name that's a real person that's back home that wasn't able to come. And how do they how do they know it's going to be okay after we start making some of these changes and hearing it firsthand from others, like gives them that, you know, motivation and assurance that things are going to be okay if they start making some, some much needed changes in their firm.

Rachel Dillon: Yeah. [00:41:30] And you, Amy and I and, um, we, we do get to go to the tables, like during the advanced study sessions where it is led directly at tables. But you're right, during some of the other sessions where we are speakers from the front of the room, during those kind of turn and talk times, that's when our team members and also during those advanced study sessions, they lead table groups so you can hear it straight from people besides the two of us, [00:42:00] um, which is really great. But speaking of our team, this is always a question that we wrestle with as far as going to conferences and taking team members and which ones to take and who benefits, and kind of what do we want that to look like to really get a good ROI, both for them personally and then for the team and clients as a whole. Um, let's talk through that discussion that [00:42:30] we have because this pretty much comes up anytime a new conference is released that we're considering, um, attending.

Marcus Dillon: Yeah, it's a great point. So we've spent money like, we're not afraid to spend money as long as we get ROI on it. And I think that's what makes us a little bit unique on this situation is I'll throw, you know, money at experiments and hopefully the experiment works. And part of that is we've taken teams to conferences and it's cost thousands of dollars, tens of thousands of dollars. And then [00:43:00] once you get to that conference, those team members only talk to themselves like, you know, they're they're they're talking to the people that they know and trust, just like you do whenever you go to an extended family, uh, you talk to your immediate family. You don't go around and, like, talk to the crazy people that you really don't know that often. And those family situations, you sit there and bond in your own little core family group and talk about everybody else. Like that's just what that could be.

Rachel Dillon: Just all we do, right? That could be us that gravitate towards [00:43:30] the people we're most familiar or most comfortable with.

Marcus Dillon: No, no, that can't be just us. So I think, uh, maybe give me some assurance out there and tell Rachel, uh, that is not just us, but it's no different. Like what we saw is whenever we took our team to these conferences, which cost thousands of dollars in travel and conference fees and work, you know, in the opportunity cost of lost work. Um, the results just weren't there because they would just go and talk to one [00:44:00] another. And while bonding is is very important, like, that wasn't the goal that we had set in that. So it was just lack of communication from our part and what was necessary. So if you are taking team members, make sure that you have an agenda for them, like what sessions that they want, that you need them to go to. And if they do go to those like they need to present back not only to you, but to your whole team that could not go to that session, what they learned, what their takeaway was, how they [00:44:30] may incorporate that into their daily work. So whether you go as a group or you send somebody like you parachute somebody into a conference, make sure you've sat with them to know exactly what they're going to go like, listen to and then what they're going to come back with, and then give them the task of presenting at a team meeting what they've learned. So that's that's a tip that we've learned along the way. The other thing that we've learned is we actually polled, [00:45:00] you know, our team and said, okay, if you had different options of learning, do you want to travel? Do you want to, you know, do this in a virtual environment? Like what? You know what? All options exist. And overwhelmingly, we were shocked on that because I think you and I like to travel, but what did our team say?

Rachel Dillon: Our team preferred either virtual or local um, CPE or learning opportunities. [00:45:30] However, we it was it was potentially unfair because we gave them that survey before they came to our get together event, and a lot of people wanted to change their answer after that get together event because of kind of the friends that they made, or the network and the connections that they made in that room, because the information shared and they were sharing the information, this wasn't new. The [00:46:00] information being presented in the event wasn't new to them, the information they were hearing from the table groups was new to them and very relevant, very applicable. And so they kind of changed their mind on that. So that's something also when you're considering is our team went to share and to learn they didn't go to have the party the night after or meet [00:46:30] people at the pool during the break or anything like that. Um, that wasn't really a thought. They were definitely very focused and had like specific intentions and goals going into that setting. And so that was really important. But yeah, they said that they would rather do either virtual or local. The other part that we asked is do would they prefer a budget? Would they prefer a budget to be able to go and pick their own CPE [00:47:00] or professional development, or do they want us to come up with, um, like a professional development tract with assigned courses? And they kind of just do the checklist, check them off one by one, the ones that apply to their, uh, career advancement or their career goals and so on. That again, surprised but maybe shouldn't have been after finding out that they mostly chose virtual or local majority also chose. [00:47:30] They would rather be told what professional development to take. I think on that. And then you jump in here. But I think mostly because they trust the opinion or the recommendation for that professional development rather than like try it. And it wasn't good. And so just they just want reassurance that what they're spending their time doing is actually going to help them in their day to day. [00:48:00]

Marcus Dillon: Yeah. Well, I think part of it is you nailed it on the head like earlier, uh, if they want to travel and go on vacation, they're not going to go to Las Vegas. Or they're not going to go to Orlando every time. Like they're going to go somewhere maybe different that they would enjoy with, like, their family. And because we employ a lot of working parents, like travel and days away from the family are precious. Like it's just all the coordination of childcare or pet care and everything [00:48:30] that goes along with, um, that that may be part of the reason why they said, um, you know, either virtual or local, where I can be in my bed, you know, every night, like that's the better option for me, this stage of life. Um, as far as the the second piece, where it's like budget or defined track. Um, it probably does go back to a lot of trust, but then also just the overwhelm of options that are out there. So our whole team, [00:49:00] obviously the no brainer is you need to do Qbo certification, right. And then on top of that, what other programs do you use on a daily basis that just know about the product updates or enhancements, as those are coming out? A lot of times that may have CPE like weaved into it. Sometimes it may not. It's just good learning. At this point, we could care less about CPE and the hours that go along with. We would much rather someone learn like the updates [00:49:30] about keeper and how that's going to like shave off 30 minutes of their day every day, versus taking a three hour CPE course on how to do an S Corp election that they may do five times a year.

Marcus Dillon: You know, like it's just so random or not even five times a year. I give ourselves a lot more credit for that, like probably once or twice a year as far as an S Corp election. But, um, those are just the pieces that you have to look at. And that's the strategy behind some of those development. The other [00:50:00] piece is I want people, I want our team to go out and learn from others. And so there are ways that you can send people to do some of the stuff, like Geni Whitehouse is doing with her CFO program, or, uh, Dominic Merlino with certified tax coach. And I think those are the things that like bring that knowledge back, like our team is going to be much stronger because of what you are presenting, but then our client base is going to be stronger. Like how do we weave this into what we do on a daily basis? So those are the those are the pieces [00:50:30] that, you know, we're totally okay with learning from others because others have great ideas as well. So I think seeking just good education is a full time job, and our team doesn't have that availability to do so. They 85% of their time is focused on client work and the other 15 in a full capacity person needs to be kind of very defined on their education.

Rachel Dillon: All right. So [00:51:00] let's close it out with how do you determine kind of how do you determine the conference or how do you take the new learning and put it into action. So you've attended a conference. You're considering a conference. How do you take what you hope to get there and turn it into action? So I think if you're considering for team members, kind of what I heard, the first thing is determining what is going [00:51:30] to be relevant to them, what area. If they don't do tax, they don't need to go to a conference that is majority focused on new tax learning strategies or updates. So that's that's easy. That's first is make sure that the conference that you're choosing for yourself or for others aligns is very relevant to what you're trying to accomplish, kind of in the immediate or the near future.

Marcus Dillon: Yeah. Great question. I think it [00:52:00] comes with accountability on the other side of it. So having people that hold you accountable, you know, DBA does that for other firms. Dba firm is kind of that option for that. And how we hold people accountable both in a, um, you know, collective setting, but also in, uh, one on ones is something that we pride ourselves on. And the other thing is like, if it's not, let's say, you know, the the Get Together event that we're hosting in November, um, [00:52:30] if it's Intuit Connect, let's say I think what you could do there is like, how do you hold yourself accountable is you actually go to the Intuit people, not the other sponsors. You go to intuit their people. You get to know your rep at that large company and begin a relationship with that rep, and then they are going to help your journey be that much better to whenever on the other side, whenever you go home. If you've got questions about, you know, issues that you're having or learning tracks that they have [00:53:00] within like we're selling into it. So like their ProAdvisor program or, um, just different releases that they're doing, you've got a point of contact. So in all of this, like accountability is matched with people in my mind. And so go find your people like that's that's it. And whether it's a software company, go find the people that are going to help you along the journey of use. If it's another community, go find your people that you, um, click with [00:53:30] who you want to learn from. And then that's that's kind of how you find success on the other side of that conference.

Rachel Dillon: Yeah. So let's put the accountability piece and make it real practical. Let's put it in like a checklist. So first definitely prior to the event um write down. So define and document like clear goals and intentions for each individual who will be attending for that specific conference [00:54:00] or event. Um, next, definitely check the agenda if it's available. I feel like they're almost always available ahead of time and see which sessions align. Also, find out which sessions maybe are your backup, because sometimes they fill up and you thought you were going to go to one room, and then you can't get into that room for whatever reason. So definitely have a backup. Um, and then you mentioned talking with other people. While you're there, meet other [00:54:30] people and share the challenges or your successes because guaranteed, those people will also chime in with what they've seen as challenges or successes. So I guess just be willing to share and to receive from people you didn't know prior. Um, or maybe you did know them, but you don't get the chance to talk with them on a regular basis. And then last, definitely take time to reflect and process everything that you've [00:55:00] just heard and learned and then put them into like prioritize next steps. That's going to be that for me, that's key. If there are no actionable steps out of a conference, I don't know that I can say that there that it was a success, even if that next step is just call this person or reach out to this company or something like that. But if there is literally like not a next step, that was a fun time and now I'm on to the next. I [00:55:30] don't know that that was worth the time and monetary investment made.

Marcus Dillon: Yeah. And you mentioned two things the time and monetary, but it's also the opportunity cost. You know, I think about.

Marcus Dillon: Like.

Marcus Dillon: On the other side of this career, am I going to be, you know, am I going to regret, you know, um, or am I going to be thankful I went to that conference or am I going to regret doing something else with that time?

Rachel Dillon: So our first event and again, these are gatherings. Names are neither [00:56:00] here nor there, but these in the fall together again is for attendees, um, for previous event attendees to come back and go deeper into some of the topics covered at the first one then.And that one's about that.That one's about 60% full as of today. So as of.

Rachel Dillon: June and this one as of for a while. So it may not be um, and then fall get together has space um, for registration. So come [00:56:30] if you need additional accountability. Besides that checklist, bring another leader or key team member from your firm with you to help, uh, help you process and put some actions in place going forward. In the event that you're unsure if it's the right thing for you, or if you're not sure how to sign up and register, you can always email me directly. Rachel at Dylan Advisors comm. I'd be happy to have a conversation or set up a meeting to talk, um, over [00:57:00] video chat.

Marcus Dillon: Yeah. All right. Well, thanks for leading this. Hopefully, like, definitely not trying to be sales or pushy on this. We just want to let people know what's going on so they're not surprised whenever they see the good time that was had on the other side of it.

Rachel Dillon: Yeah. Awesome. Thanks for this conversation and see you on the next.

Marcus Dillon: All right. Thanks so much.

Rachel Dillon: Thanks for hanging with us to the end of another episode. Leave us a review with your thoughts, comments, and feedback on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Be sure to [00:57:30] subscribe to our podcast so you don't miss any future episodes. Join us again next week for another great conversation.