Gary this website thing you're talking about. It sounds like a waste of money. We have the Yellow Pages like why would somebody have to find you on the interwebs worldwide web like everyone uses the Yellow Pages and I was like John everybody used to ride a horse to work, now we use a car. Attention is the number one asset.

Gary I'm looking right at you again. Thank you for joining us today. So yeah, of course. um, looking at your record of early stage Investments you know Facebook Uber Twitter I I I wish I knew you way back then.

It's evident you have an eye for understanding how technology can digitally transform and disrupt. Industries So you heard my Spiel at the beginning here about the profession, like how have you identified these industries and why uh, such a strong proponent of tech adoption and digital transformation no matter what sector you're in. um I I'll answer a second one. First of all, super pumped to be on this uh on this panel um Logan I'm missing your beard Tiff that's one of the best head shots I've ever seen and Don I think you and I could be tag team WWF Champions uh the energy is real uh and then Super enjoying the chat here.

by the way. Matt I'm like all in the trenches with everybody here. so let me answer the second part because I think it really matters for everybody who's listening, who might be tentative or who might not be thinking about it. The concept that I have to answer this question in 2023 blows my mind because it was the question I was answering in 1996 in local Chambers of Commerce in New Jersey which looked like the following Gary and I was like 21 and I looked like 16 at the time.

So I get where the Cism came from. For the business people, they're like Gary this website thing you're talking about. it sounds like a waste of money. We have the Yellow Pages like why would somebody have to find you on the interwebs worldwide web like everyone uses the Yellow Pages and I was like John every body used to ride a horse to work now we use a car.

You know the answer to your question is if people on average are losing $76,000 that are on this call by not using technology and even if that's an inflated number if the number is a thousand plus time. you know many people here, if they used proper technology would be able to go and see their kids soccer game during tax season like like this is time and money like I don't understand like your ideology that you hate AI or you hate technology or you liked it better in the 80s when the kids played outside like I'm sorry like you live in 2023 and you're running a business and to not use technology or demonized technology is asinine. You use technology for everything. If you don't like technology, why do you have an iPhone If you don't like technology, why do You use Uber If you don't like technology, why do your your food with seamless and you do all these things in real life like why don't you use a paper ticket at the airport? You're using your QR code Like like if you're doing all those things, how on God's green earth are you not using technology to make more money and have more time with your family? And because you're not used to it or you don't like it I Get it.

I Get it. Like it's like you don't want another app, you don't want another. You don't want to pay the SAS fee if you don't use I Get it. The problem is, it's pretty well documented that you're wrong.

and more importantly, if you're competitors continue to get more efficient at this. They're going to take your business so real quick in the chat for the 600 plus of you. How many of you are retiring in the next five years? And I don't mean you're going to crush it and make so much money in Bay Island I mean you're old and you're finished and you're done in five years? How many are retiring within the five years? Good. So for Al Dorf and one other person, okay, like I can I can wrap my head around you? Kind of like mailing it in the next year or two because you're wrapping it up.

But for everyone else here, when when I see Jack at 26 years old in the chat like what are we doing here? forget about this technology like everybody here should be using AI every day and nobody is I know that to be true, it's that early I Get it. By the way, me included. you know I'm giving my own ad I'm like kind of giving advice to myself like I really need people to wrap their head around not understanding how to use better tools like look I guess I get that you can like get a screw into you know into wall by using a rock but like we invented the screwdriver, use it like I get that you can eat with your hands I By the way, do that often but like but it's like the fork exists like the concept to not use software to make more money and have more time for your family. Bananas to me.

Let me ask you here. I think you raised a good point? What? What do you think? The friction point is there? Like what? What do you think is the the barrier that they're that's hard to ideology, complacency and laziness they'd rather not put in the work for. and I and I don't say that lightly. I Don't say that to anybody.

it's an ideology and a demonization and a and a insecurity that they can't learn it without realizing they're way more capable than they think and and going back You ask people like who's who's going to be retiring in like five, say 10 years? Is there Is there advice you might give for someone who is retired who's thinking like you're an accountant? Was your business like this? There's a lot of money in that firm. Is there? Have you ever talked to anybody about like future proofing their business to say like if you're not on technology and I'm sorry if I'm frontloading the question but if you're not on technology I'm laughing I'm laughing because a lot of people here based on the comments have a sense of me and a lot of people don't And one of the reasons I think I have nice Vibes towards me is I'm not just interacting with the Facebooks and the twitters and the Ubers I'm like answering random DMS at like 2: in the morning from like small businesses that have like three like I Love people and love small business I come from small business I grew up in a ontore liquor store in New Jersey um of course nobody's going to buy your if you don't have Tech yeah like like it's 2024 they they don't want your cell phones in your phone and that's your business. Your book of business is dramatically less valuable if it's not got a layer of tech infrastructure. To the people that would actually buy it yeah like I would pay I actually not in this sector but in a different industry I Told a friend's cousin to buy the leading software which was like $5,000 a month which was expensive for how small the business was.

but they were ready to sell it because I knew they could ARB out the $60,000 investment on the exit of the business. And they did They They literally got a million dollar off or more because they had the tech even though they weren't even using it. Matt they weren't even using it, they just had the license and put it so like to your point I wasn't even thinking this. Kudos to you on the question it's 2024 Jesus Christ Listen, we we.

We penned an open letter Gary to the industry and it was was. It was basically about being brave and you know, obviously we're talking about the technology aspect of it, but like thinking about working smarter uh, looking at technology to boost efficiency, profitability, uh, and driving healthier cash flow increased Revenue you name it. So when you hear that 43% of accounting professionals this is from uh, a survey that we put out fairly scientific I I'll add they absorb that time, cost, and that scope create basically absorbing the avilable work they've already worked like. what does that make you think about the industry? It makes me love the industry.

Believe it or not, there's no Raz on this I'm empathetic. You know, don't let my cursing and Jersey energy right now throw anyone off. I'm deeply empathetic. my father didn't accept credit cards or have a computer computer in the store when I started in 1993.

I'm like we we didn't take credit cards I'm like Dad he's like people have checks I'm like not for long bro like like I'm like Dad we don't have our inventory figured out. He's like we count it by paper I'm like Dad they're stealing your managers are stealing for like like technology is good I understand you didn't want to pay like I I have such an old school father Matt Do you know that my father still doesn't wire money digitally? He like still signs the checks we have a 100 employees at Wine Library in Springfield New Jersey right now. Yeah and my father can't vacation because on Wednesdays he has to sign everyone's check. You know like I'm deeply empathetic I live with an old like my favorite person on Earth professionally as my father and I like basically still help him manage his business like I understand I just also refuse to take an opportunity and miss it if anyone is part of that crew on this call or listening In the future you will make more money and you will have more time and you will be happier if you make the commitment no different then eating better and going to the gym will be better.

For your health news alert, it's better and like I get like I that doesn't come natural to me. All the muscles in my body only happen the last 10 years, not the prior 38 years I'd never been in a gym in my life I drink less soda I eat less candy I eat less carbs. All are devastating to me I want them. They are delicious.

But if I want the right things to happen, you do the right things for the people. like I Don't understand business people not wanting to run a better business I understand being hesitant because it doesn't come natural to you. but but the cat's out of the bag. It's like I said 10 times already.

it's 2024. It's hard to compete without technology and I'm not even getting into what I need everybody else to do of what I care about which is everybody here should be making two to three posts on LinkedIn a day to get customers like we're not even getting in, like what you're talking about is like oxygen and like getting out of bed like the you're talking about is like step one. You don't want me to unleash on these people. Maddie I don't know Gary You're getting me pumped here.

No. but I mean like like to your point, like for your agenda and like what you want for these people, both for yourself and for them. Like to me, that's just like waking up in the morning for me. I'm worried about everyone here not producing content on social media.

I'm worried about everybody here not having their website properly. I'm worried about people here not really creating funnels that lack friction to great business development. I'm worried about here people being complacent of word of mouth because they've been doing it for 22 years. G You don't get it I've been the local CPA for I'm like that's great Don but like I promise you right now I can start a firm in any single place tomorrow and take tons of people's business from here never doing the work prior hiring a kid that's been doing it for three years years.

I'm not going to get to it but like somebody else is like Zillow became a problem for a real estate like like let there be no confusion, the Googles and the apples and the Amazon they're coming for your business everyone. you better wake up I'm gonna pass it over now. Gary to uh our esteemed panel here and you know Don I'm gonna throw it over to you uh and this is GNA be a Q&A from them so don first question from you for Gary How about it? Well I think everyone's wondering your thoughts are around the AI to be able to rebuild the Achilles tendon of Aaron roders. Have you figured that out yet? And no crying.

We lost him. He's already left. Mic drop. It was a mic drop I Thought it was a pretty simple question personally.

so he laughs. He closed the laptop on accident. That's probably while we're waiting for Gary to rejoin Any reactions from the panel on what he's saying. Is there anything here? He is okay.

He is all right. Completely unemotional when it comes to business. Completely unemotional. It is my greatest strength.

No emotion, no ideology, just execution. Customer first win. But the New York Jets is a very different place for me. Don that is a very different I It took everything.

If I was not contractually obligated to sign back in, there is zero chance I'd be back in this call. Well my heart goes out to you I want you to know So that was really it was coming from the heart. But just aside from that, what I want I want to ask you So the biggest problem that I see with within the change that needs to happen is 100% the mindset. BEC And that's what our biggest challenge is.

It's not our hands, it's not our feet. It's not anything else. it's what happens between your ears. And how can we help other practitioners? Come with the confidence and one of the one one of the podcast I watch of you being curious enough and courageous enough to take the step.

So how can we help them do that? You know you know this. Don for I Look at all these names right? Jackie C versus Beverly G versus Jennifer T And the reality is, it's different for everyone, right? Like for example, one of the things I fear is Comfort One of the biggest enemies for us trying to help people on this call is they're good, right? They're part of a two income family like I Can give you 30 examples that are: good loving relationship, good kid like they made like they're They've got their together, they don't need another. They don't need a Lamborghini or Mercedes or a second house to fulfill their insecurities. They're plenty secure.

They make enough money, their savings. They're good. The problem is, technology is either your best friend or your enemy, right? It's it's like a big wave for a surfer, right? Either you're going to grab the surfboard and ride it and it's gonna be epic or it's gonna get you right and so my could. First, there's many different answers to your question.

One is getting the people that are complacent understanding that people are coming for them. That last year was great. The year before was great. Next year is great.

it's all looking great. Until somebody invents an Uber I Spoke at the National Black Car and Taxi Convention the year Uber launched and I was an investor and it was just kind of like it lined up I wasn't speaking as the investor of Uber I was speaking as Gary B because I wrote this orange book about customer service and it went really well. I Just invested in Uber and I could see Uber was winning and I'm on stage and I'm like by the way I did my Spiel but I'm like by the way, have anybody raise your hand if you've seen Uber and like some people in LA and SF and New York raise her hand not the whole room and I went into a five minute Spiel of like hey this might be a problem when I tell you they laughed at me the same way Don that somebody right now when I say somebody's coming to get you and some someone sitting there and saying I've been dominating Short Hills New Jersey or Beverly Hill or Topeka Kansas for 20 years Gary I love you, you're entertaining I get it, but not for me 20 years 59 clients who've always been with me third generation families I Got the grandkid now not for me Gary And they don't realize that like you've got to continue to Future Proof your business with new technology because you can get caught and I want to remind people here that a lot of you built your business business is by taking market share from the person that you out innovated with Google Adwords a website Direct Mail working Harder by hustling in the local area innovating like you did that and somebody can do that to you and so like just don't don't chill right and and Denise is right into it with AI like like and they're already making moves, they're already They're already. doing other things that we're all seeing.

as the email comes in, you're like what are they doing now and it's like well just stay ahead of them. We can stay ahead of them and honestly you, it's probably going to be hard to stay ahead of big tech companies just staying a hair more contemporary and on it than a low state will service people well here right? Just sending an email to all your clients to talk doing a zoom like this with all of them about how to use AI That's like left field. Let me let me give you a weird strategy. Done: Send an email to all your clients saying doing a Google Hangout and now this is after three four six months of playing with AI yourself because you can't talk out of your ass all my clients I'm just doing a little five minutes.

literally 6:15 to 6:45 30 minutes on some fun things about AI I Think we all know AI is out there I'll show you what I've been thinking about that 30 minutes for the 10% of your clients that show up to the zoom where you really just talk about AI in general, not from a CPA standpoint point. We'll make every one of your clients that got that email subconsciously understand that you're staying ahead, thus rendering them not to consider to move from you. Yeah, well, we're going to commence polling shortly folks to be on the lookout for those polls. Um, just an FYI uh Logan over to you for a question for Gary please.

Awesome! Gary Jin Z Is starting to make money and need accountants like what needs to change to be able to attract and sell our services to that generation? There's two ways to think about it, Brother, As you know, a lot of you get business just because their parents worked with you. right? That's real. That's cool for a lot of people. and I love that I do think Gen Z is Sh and Jen Alpha for sure, which is a little further away.

but there's some youngsters on this call, but Gen Z is showing very clear indication that they're not going to use their parents accting will like they're very, very very, very cynical to their parents generation. There is a Generation War of Boomer Millennial versus Gen Z and it's manifesting as a ha haa on Tik Tok. but it's showing up in business results. We're seeing the lowest, uh, conversion of generational service providing and it's a big fear for me for a lot of people here.

Um, and and I hate this generational stuff. One of the best. Please can we just stop saying Jenz? Like every person's different, like generalization of generations is hurting us. you know? Look, I think this goes back to what I was alluding to Logan I I Really do want people here to make three or four or five Tik toks describing CPA 101 or taxes 101.

You know like I think relevance is GNA matter and I know that people are like wait a minute I'm not making a Tik Tok I'm like cool but go put in CPA hashtag CPA or hasht taxes. search that on Tik Tok Right now you'll be blown away and you don't have to dance and you don't have to make a skit. you could just talk real facts. This is a big one for a lot of people.

Jenzi is using Tik Tok as a search engine over Google in a real way and a lot of you get your business from Google Things are changing and so you know I really really, really want to make sure that if especially for the people here who plan on doing business for the next 20 30 years um, even 10 that they're starting to get to a place where the requirement of making a little bit of content in these platforms really matters because they're look like you don't even need the content. It's similar to what I just said earlier creating a Tik Tok and making 10 videos just having it. When Genen Z client looks at you and looks for your Tik Tok and sees that you're there, there's a level of confidence that you understand. Um, because they're asking questions and they're thinking about it differently and they don't want to pay your fees if they can get around it and into it with AI or other things is going to be a thing and so you're going to have to win on people skills like you always have.

and I think relevance is going to matter and I think a little bit of content on Tik Tok will go a long way for a lot of people who future proofing their business doesn't have to go viral. you just have to show that you do it. I Love that point The people skills Gary It's never going away. it's never go.

Here's the good news for all the AI and all the Tik Tok and all the Gary being excited about technology. It's a human game. but scaling the humanity is what I'm trying to get all everybody do I like that I Want you to use technology to scale your human I Want you to use technology as a gateway drug to your human skills Tiffany What's your question for Gary All right Gary So for us people that we are with you, we 100% know technology is the absolute way we have been doing our best to be able to stay forward, stay on top of it. What is that advanced information that you would share for those to take our businesses that are techsavvy to that next level to be able to get those science and start scaling? YouTube shorts is a secret weapon for everybody here because YouTube is the second biggest search engine in the world and the biggest when it comes to accounting and taxes because most people's reading comprehension isn't strong enough to read the long form.

C Content that's out there. so a lot of people are going to YouTube to watch videos and listen to information on making decisions. YouTube Shorts: A short form video similar to Tik Tok and Instagram but if you touch tile it based on search queries. So you go and look on Google Trends or on Google to see what people type for.

how do I do my So you make a video on some new tax law and that's your video. but you title the video even though it's not actually what's in the video. You title it how to do my taxes in 2024 because that's how it indexes on. Google Excuse me on YouTube for search, so look this even for someone like me who's an advanced businessman I Am not going to stay up to date on every tax law.

Most people know nothing about what you guys do for a living. Showing confidence or information to people is the quickest way to get their business. And so for the advanced group Here YouTube Shorts even more than Tik Tok or Instagram because people use YouTube to search is a huge huge opportunity and something people should be looking at. The other one is LinkedIn I I can't express especially for you three pan I don't know where you're at on your career on this.

Like two three posts a day and I know that's like a daunting number. but like Zach said what if you freeze up on video? well then talk like show a tax return, show your tax return, video it, and talk over it. You don't have to be in the video. Not everybody is as Dynamic on film as Dawn B here who explodes off the screen with a double fist pump.

Not everyone has that, you know and that's okay for people that can write their asses off but aren't good on video. Then linkedin's a Mitzvah right? Uh, Instagram You can post something like a dollar bill, but then write 10 paragraphs and that's the post you know you can. You can do a lot of you can go do AI generated content and say make me a picture that has $76,000 in pennies. Now you got an image to reinforce what Matt wants People know which is you're wasting $76,000 Imagine that image of like a drillion pennies and then you write so like There's a lot of ways to be creative and do content, but that is required Tiff that is required.

This is a Content Warfare Gary Like this doesn't take a lot of time throughout your day is what I'm hearing. It takes a lot of time to make the mental jump that Don was talking about. and then it's what happened with me with working out. It's still the hardest, but it's a lot easier for me to go to the gym this morning and bang out my work than 10 years ago when like it was just death literally there was in that first year I was like I just G to jump out the window and die I do not want to go to the gym right and like like and then it just becomes like right now there's a lot of people with tech SAS Social they're listening to me talking.

they're like no way, they're like I'll let my niece do that or this that but once it becomes a habit and it doubles your business or protects your business, you're really happy you did it just like the people that would have died of a heart attack that didn't I Promise you they may not know it because they'll have to wait to get to heaven when God tells them you would have died if you didn't stop eating those cheeseburgers. but they will be happy when they get to heaven and realize they live for 20 more years because they changed their health for all of you. On this and then everyone in the chat. do you all believe that when you do your service for people you Sav them money by understanding the tax law that year and put them in a position to save money.

Please say yes or no. Real quick. Very simple question. This industry is like I Understand humans back to Dawn Vers Tiff DNA Parenting environment.

There's variables to why someone will feel comfortable or uncomfortable to ask for money. There's a lot of parents that demonize asking for money or neighborhoods or teachers or people of influence. I The reason I asked the question and obviously everybody responded what they responded is there's not a lot of businesses on Earth that can speak to saving people tangible money. that's black and white that you can show them right like like when.

I Talk about time efficiency savings. This is a blind thing. You're 19 hours back made you more money, but that's a very heady, intellectual, deeper understanding thing. You nobody here should be scared to ask for money because you can literally at the end of it have show them that you saved it.

More importantly, like this is a big one. just gonna I'm sorry to interrupt your flow Don But I'm like about like what's gonna happen when you ask for more money than you asked last year They're going to tell you you're a creep. like what? Like you know this. The biggest issue for most people here is asking for more money from someone that they've been doing business with for a long time, right? I Don't know if you guys heard like money costs money now like we don't get money at zero interest anymore.

Like like I just really need people like like like literally here's the conversation. let's role play Don Hey quick I'm really glad you answer my email I just need five minutes I know how busy you are listen I'd have to tell you what's going on Obviously we've been doing business for a long time and I'm really thankful for our relationship. but the supply and demand you know I'm running my own business too just like the business you're running I have a lot of people trying to come in the door but I want to do that hand-to-hand Dirty Work that I've always done for you. But I've got so many more people coming to want to work with me and you know.

Full disclosure: I've been grandfathering your price to do the work for you for so long. I'm going to need to raise it because I'm really starting to hurt myself and my business. and I know that's not your headache and you it may be right for you to go with someone else who can stay within the budget. but I really think I've earned this 20% increase on the fees that I've been passing along.

Okay, so now that's what you say here is literally the answer now. I'm going to be in Reverse Don Just said that to me. Hey Don you we're never working together again. Hang up.

What just happened. What happened is you lost that Revenue But for a lot of you, was that Revenue worth it? Like you can't ask for more money if you're scared to lose it. But for a lot of you, you don't have more capacity to take on more money at a higher money. So what? I just did to Da In a lot of ways, you're like good I Don't want that toxic person in my life anymore that's not a good customer.

What is more likely going to happen 70% of the time is Don I Totally get it. You've absolutely earned it. Thank you or the 20% of time because the you is only one% of time. The 20% of the time is like hey Don you're hitting me on you know like I appreciate you called me in September tax season's obviously April like this year hasn't gone as well.

Can we do this? Can Can we just keep it for one more year? Can you Can You do my season this year at the old price and I'm in for the following year and then Dawn can make that decision. If Dawn's got 4,000 requests to work with her, she might say no. if Don's got like eight and she's always liked Gary she may say yes, but this concept of imagining some sort of weird Boogeyman by asking for a higher fee than you got paid the year before or the last 13 years, you're allowed to raise prices. You know, gas isn't 99 cents a gallon anymore.

These coffees are nine bucks. You want to talk about dumb? There used to be a quarter like it's okay to ask. Yeah, 100 percent. and I think that again.

I Think you guys get the understanding of what I'm trying to show here that client experience and that in that last scre I was go G I'm the worst. No, you're the best I'm about to say something that's gonna help Jennifer and Jackie can't look at this I'm pumped on double fist like you do. Let's go. let's go ready.

Lowball clients suck. You suck. Jen You and Jackie suck what I mean by that? Of course you don't suck I Love you. This is why I'm jumping in.

There is no such thing as lowball clients. You don't have to take them. There's no lowall clients. They you're a puss and a pushover and you can't have cander.

You're the one that's wrong, not them. Their job is to pay as little as possible I don't know I don't I'd like to pay I'm in business out here. you know Tiff can't have lowball clients. She's out here trying to make money.

They're trying to make money I don't want to pay you tip. But guess what? you don't have to say. Yes, lowball clients don't suck complaining about lowball clients when you have full control of not taking them. That sucks.

You are all 100% in control. You know who this is. This is the accountable ant. This is my favorite.

be friend in my little Sesame Street meets Pokemon world that I'm building. Do you know why? I Love the Accountable Ant. The world especially America has become incredibly not accountable. Everything's fingers.

It's the President's fault. It's my boss's fault. It's the world's fault. It's my uncle's fault my parents up.

everything's no, no thumbs, get out of the finger pointing lowball clients do not suck you in control of firing them. That's 100% And That's and that's where the Mind shift has to happen. like we we. we have to take that responsibility on and I definitely for sure have had to and you have to look into your own soul to figure out where that is.

But at the end of the day it's true and you know when you get a new client, let's just say you get a new client who calls up. We had we had one just last week and they're like hey, we want you to do this. We want you to do that. We're a manufacturing company out of here.

We're doing all this stuff I'm like no problem. Tell you what, We'll do a six-month contract here. it is. He goes that's out of our budget I Said that's I to You know what? I respect that.

You're a business owner. You're going to work hard. That's fine. We're not your firm people.

Come in here I'm like we are not the cheapest firm around here and as a matter of fact I prefer clients that are not in my area to be honest with you I would rather have people in different parts of the country who have that value and respect for what I do I think a lot of times in my this is just maybe in my area. Local clients are tough. They know you, they see you out at dinner and they want you're their buddy and they want to get something cheap and it's like those aren't the people you want, they're just not. It's not.

They're bad people by the way. Lowball clients often started as the best because they were your first clients that got you off the ground. That really pisses me off Don When people are mad at the clients that actually started their whole career and they got them on grandfather fees and now they're mad at them when those prop them up. There's a lot of people in here who aren't ready to fire clients.

you're not there yet I Didn't fire any client for nine years building Vayer Media I Ate left and right. Delicious. Don ate it because I had no options I wasn't there and a lot of people here are watching. Don't don't listen to me.

You should charge less. Get more clients right out. meaning you got to be self-aware where you are on your journey. You know what I mean? Yeah, absolutely.

I would talk back and forth with Gary the whole time, but that's unfair. So I'm gonna just be quiet. um Gary I was looking at the time and being respectful of everybody who's on the call here. but listen I want to ask you one last question real quick Matt I Just want to pound this and I'll get I promise I won't leave this huge mindset I'm seeing it here and we're gonna win.

I'm so pumped for everyone who's in this seminar Lisa says so confusing to me why friend and family wants discounts. They know you, they want, You know them. just put the mirror on yourself. Why shouldn't they like Why do they want discounts Because they're your friend.

Well why do you not want to give them a discount? They're your friend. Like what I'm saying is if we all just spend Zero Energy of being mad at our customers zero and take all that energy, all that yapping with your do you know who listens to you complain other people that complain I promise you if we were friends and relatives and you called me with that dumb of like Ron he was always trying to get a deal I'm like say no Well Gary I need you need that 1500 bucks? You want 2,000 but you'll take the 1500 so stop being a hypocrite. Take let's make a commitment all hands in on this ignition um seminar. All hands in all collectively that we never again all hands in that we never again ever again blame our customers.

They have the right in a capitalistic environment like America to ask but you have the power to say no and if you say yes, it don't listen to where I'm at a different point of my career. Now we now say no to people who want to pay us $2 million a year to do our services when we were estatic to take 5,000 a month 14 years ago. So know where you're at. but when you say yes, own it.

We people are like Gary are you so tired and exhausted I'm like I made this bed I'm a hungry entrepreneur I made my bed I have to sleep at it You think I'm gonna complain about being tired when I'm living in my bed that I made you've got to live in the bed you make. If you say yes, you say yes but you only have to do it that one year. You're allowed to ask for more the next year and if they say no, you're allowed to say yes. You're not a push over.

Do you know how many times I've negotiated and be like I can't do it Don Logan you're out of your mind I can't do it for less than 30k. Logan's like 20K bro and then at 1159 59 before it hits 12 I'm like fine I'll do it for 20K I like you Logan you shaved your beard. We'll do it this year right? Like you're in full control. and I don't feel like I'm a pushover or a loser in that situation because I didn't win that current kind of negotiation I Feel like I was in control of making my decision at the last minute That worked for me.

and whether you give free to your family like I see Jennifer or if you charge them double, it's you're just in control and you're wasting a lot of energy overthinking it based on your own insecurities, not what they're doing wrong. Go ahead. Maddie Yeah! listen. I'm gonna launch the last poll.

We're heading into tax seeson renewal season so folks I hope you're thinking about your taex tax so we're going to get that PLL up and running. Gary I Think you took the one question I was going to ask you last. I'm I'm going to give you the lob ball here. uh I'm sure you got something to say like what is the one piece of advice after everything you've heard today, everything you've read in the comments that you would give to the folks on this call about technology running a more profitable business, Sky's the limit that this is an insular game that you take your two index fingers and you put them in your ears and you worry about nothing besides you and what you can do about what you need to do.

Forget about if you do not want to use technology after. The motivation that we've done here for an hour mle off good for you. but if you get your ass kicked in the next two or three years, you better own it. And don't tell me that it's Elon Musk's fault or America's fault or the democrat's fault or the Republicans fault.

Fingers and ears, you're in full control. 100 100 100% in control 100 You are 100% in control. Okay, you are 100% in control, not 99 and with that you will start making decisions that can make you much happier. And whether that's to go harder at technology after today, I'm telling you I saw some of you jump into this I'm so pumped.

The number one way to have a happier life and a more productive life in service businesses is never blaming your customer. I'm so I'm so pumped we got that in serendipitously here. Like because you'll see what happens. It just changes everything.

You start hiring another person, you start charging more. You actually fire two people. by the way, if if you can afford it because some of you can't but no one should treat you nasty. You don't understand how much it's costing you.

And I know all of you have that one or two client that just curse at you. Or you know, like some you know you're all humans. You probably missed some sort of $538 rebate. Somehow they figured it out.

They call you in June and you're a piece of that. Do not allow anyone to be overly nasty once in a blue moon. Maybe their mom's dying from a disease you didn't know. Like if somebody's proed to you that they're a good human being and they have a bad moment, we have to have stability and capacity for that.

But if someone's consistently shown you that they're not a nice person and they're treating you, they're paying you to beat you up to get their he anger and hurt out on you. Because you're a service provider, you fire that customer I mean that right now I mean again. Or you're where I was 14 years ago and all of us were. Maybe you're in that year one, two three where you really need it.

Or maybe you just put your kid in private school and like you just need it and like that's okay because now you're doing it for a reason I Eat constantly even at the level that I play out because I know why I'm doing it So this, you know one big game. MADD of self-awareness is my final piece of advice. one big game of self-awareness and self-love for yourself about yourself. but hold yourself accountable.

No excuses. Matt Do you know how crazy it is how many people spend their entire life complaining about what their parents up as if they're not up? their kids? Oh my, my sister's a therapist I Get I Get all the skinny that locks. It's like constant. It's like like what? Okay, but what? you're 49 Johnny What are you gonna do about it like I get it your mom up Cool.

Everyone's mom up like like like accountability is the gateway to happiness. There is no bad customers, there's just bad behavior that you created to create a bad customer. And if they're bad, no, no, that's you being strategic to eat some to get to the next place. Gary I Think that is a a hell of a note to finish on.

Um I Think as you've seen from the comments, uh, the best accounting webinar people have sat on, you've stoked people up. I Think it's the message everyone need to hear, especially this time of year. I Want to thank Tiffany Logan Don and Gary thank you so much for your time and everything you've You've told us today it's been awesome. It's been a lot of fun.

Appreciate it and by the way by the way just to add another value because this goes back to like what I want all of you to do and I'll do this here and I did it earlier I'll do it one more time. this is my LinkedIn no if you see me involved in something I can help with right? like you see a photo with me with one of your customers because I was at a conference like I read my messages if I have to hit them up and be like yo Dawn's the best double her salary like I do random I you need me to send a selfie to your nephew I'm about that life so anything I can ever do I Love Karma points I'm happy to put it on. So awesome Gary Thank you thank you Gary.