Drive Innovation with Curiosity & Discipline - Gary Thomson

10/18/22 • 44 min

Branch Out - A Podcast from Connection Builders

Insatiable curiosity is often correlated with leadership and business success. But if it isn't combined with a healthy dose of strategy and discipline, it can have the opposite effect. With more than 35 years of experience in public accounting, Gary Thomson is a sought-after consultant and leadership development expert. His years of experience working in firm structures and as an entrepreneur make him well equipped to discuss what it takes to drive innovation and growth for yourself and your business.

Although every person and every situation is unique, Gary shares his thoughts on why curiosity and discipline are two essential keys to success and how you can cultivate these traits and use them to your advantage along your own career journey. For the technology geeks out there, we also go down a bit of an unplanned rabbit hole about the rapid pace of technological advancements today. Make sure to tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

The biggest change that Gary has witnessed in his industry since his career began.
Technological advancements that are taking place in the CPA world today.
Why a high level of curiosity is correlated with great leadership.
The downsides of too much curiosity amongst people within an organization.
How taking breaks will benefit your business.
The value in setting goals and being flexible in your approach to achieving them.
Cultivating your curiosity within a corporate structure.
A hypothetical example of implementing a cascading, organization-wide strategy.
How boundaries promote creativity.
How to foster creativity amongst your employees.
A better way to think about sunk costs.
Examples of indirect ROIs, and the value these hold.

Thomson Consulting
Gary Thomson on LinkedIn
True ProfessionalismExtreme OwnershipConnection Builders Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

Key Points From This Episode:

The biggest change that Gary has witnessed in his industry since his career began.
Technological advancements that are taking place in the CPA world today.
Why a high level of curiosity is correlated with great leadership.
The downsides of too much curiosity amongst people within an organization.
How taking breaks will benefit your business.
The value in setting goals and being flexible in your approach to achieving them.
Cultivating your curiosity within a corporate structure.
A hypothetical example of implementing a cascading, organization-wide strategy.
How boundaries promote creativity.
How to foster creativity amongst your employees.
A better way to think about sunk costs.
Examples of indirect ROIs, and the value these hold.

Thomson Consulting
Gary Thomson on LinkedIn
True ProfessionalismExtreme OwnershipConnection Builders Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

Previous Episode

Earn Confidence and Play The Long Game - Meahgan O'Grady Martin

Telling her story on the Podcast today is one of McGuireWoods' Women in Private Equity to Know, Meahgan O'Grady Martin. Meahgan is the Director of Business Development for Palladium Equity Partners and a chairwoman at the Association for Corporate Growth Women in Leadership committee. During our discussion, we unpack the process of enduring challenges to earn confidence, the power of building a network, and the perils of having a mindset of victimhood. Drawing on her own experience, Meaghan shares some powerful advice with listeners on how to grow from everything you experience and leverage your relationships to find success.

Key Points From This Episode:

Meahgan's unique path to private equity and the unique skill set that helped her succeed.
The learned and innate skill sets behind Meahgan's success.
Distinguishing between confidence and arrogance.
Meahgan's thoughts on victimhood and understanding that you have to work for confidence.
Combatting victimhood with resilience and grit.
Why self-pity is a waste of time and what you should do instead.
Her belief in the power of looking fear in the face.
Thinking of your career as a marathon to avoid analysis paralysis.
Why there is always a way forward.
The value of a network and where to find time to prioritize it.
Why it is important to see your network as more than transactional.
How even though she doesn't always have the answers, Meahgan knows she can figure them out.
The reality that sometimes an opportunity is just more work in disguise.
Leveraging the power of your network to solve problems.
How time and maturity develop your perspective.

Meahgan O'Grady Martin on LinkedIn
Palladium Equity Partners
Connection Builders Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

Next Episode

Increase Revenue with Client Advisory Services (CAS) - Ed Warren

Building a Client Advisory Services (CAS) practice can be challenging, but when you identify the right business opportunities and apply a value-based pricing model, you'll not only increase your business revenue but reveal your true worth to your clients! Today's guest has identified seven tips for growing your CAS practice and is here to share his insights on growth opportunities for professional service providers. Join us in welcoming Ed Warren, an accomplished sales executive with over 25 years of professional services, sales, and marketing experience. Ed has worked in marketing, business development, and practice growth roles in Top 100 CPA firms, and today, we discuss the seven ways that practitioners can leverage a CAS model to shift the traditional service model, create a more value-added service, and function more like a fractional provider while driving increased revenue and building a more scalable practice.

Key Points From This Episode:

Defining Client Advisory Services (CAS).
Thinking about CAS like an on-call fractional CFO.
Why finding and mastering your niche is critical for advisory success.
How to leverage low-hanging fruit with existing clients.
Benefits of thinking like a general manager, especially in an increasingly virtual world.
The importance of systems in building a replicable model.
Ed's tips for creating a sales and marketing plan.
The value of being anticipatory.
Your responsibility to understand hard trends if you want to become a thought leader.
Recommended first steps on your CAS journey.

Edward Warren on LinkedIn
7 Tips to Increase Your Revenue with Client Advisory Services
Sage Intacct
The E-MythThe Anticipatory OrganizationConnection Builders Alex Drost LinkedIn
Branch Out Podcast LinkedIn
Connection Builders LinkedIn

Branch Out - A Podcast from Connection Builders - Drive Innovation with Curiosity & Discipline - Gary Thomson

Transcript

[INTRO]

[00:00:01] ANNOUNCER: Welcome to Branch Out, a Connection Builder’s podcast. Helping middle-market professionals connect, grow and excel in their careers. Through a series of conversations with leading professionals, we share stories and insights to take your career to the next level. A successful career begins with meaningful connections.

[00:00:22] AD: Hey, everyone. Welcome to Branch Out Podcast. I’m your host, Alex Drost. Today we'r