alpine climbing rope
As small business advisors, you must bravely accept the challenges your small business clients present you: That means you must bravely explore (and adopt) new technologies; and you must continually refine your practice by becoming and remaining distinctive, building and leading a team, finding and retaining the right clients, and moving beyond compliance into the role of advisor.
This brave response – this obstacle-tackling climb – is what we call “Facing the Yeti.” We believe that having the courage to make the climb doesn’t mean you must climb alone. Only a handful of people have successfully climbed Mount Everest alone.
Most climb with Sherpas, porters and fellow climbers.
Sherpas are local people who have made the climb before; and their job is to define the safest route for the climbers to follow, manage the porters carrying the climbing gear, set up camp, fix ropes firmly in place, ensure the safety of the climbers, and offer encouragement when needed. Making the climb with Sherpas and other climbers is a key element of practice success.
We believe the best way for you, as a small business advisor, to make the climb is in the company of others who are facing the same “Yeti” (i.e., challenge) you face. That's why the annual "Scaling New Heights®" conference is more than just an event. It is a community of small business advisors with shared experiences, interests, and challenges. The members of this vibrant community all strive to learn, to grow, to improve both themselves and their practices, and, finally, to rise above their challenges.
How do you find fellow climbers with similar practice goals and practice challenges?
On Sunday, June 4, 2017, from 6 p.m. to 6:45 p.m., you'll have the opportunity to join what we are calling a "Yeti Team.” We're holding a meet-up event where you can connect with others who face the same “Yeti” in their practices and brainstorm together about your practice goals for the following 12 months and ways to tailor your experience at the 2017 "Scaling New Heights®" conference around those goals.
By doing so, you will infuse increased value into the whole of your conference experience – including educational sessions, connecting with your peers, and exploring products that integrate with QuickBooks and QuickBooks Online.
In this unique, unprecedented meet-up event we will designate specific tables to a specific “Yeti” (practice challenge) category, and each table will include a facilitator to guide the process.
We also will have highly-experienced, successful practitioners (“Sherpas”) moving from table to table to answer your questions about the paths (conference tracks) we have designed for you and to work with you to customize your own conference experience.
Once you have connected with your Yeti team, we encourage you to stay in touch with your team throughout the event, using our state-of-the-art conference app and/or through group texts. With these tight-knit team communications, you can exchange learnings specific to your shared practice challenges/goals and forge enduring relationships that we hope will last throughout the coming year.
Tip: The Woodard Network is a great place to stay connected with your Yeti Team throughout the year. We will provide more information about this opportunity during the conference.
You can find more details about the sessions at the 2017 "Scaling New Heights®" conference in a downloadable document located here: Download Course Descriptions.
Reminder – As your ever-faithful Sherpas, we stand ready to guide and encourage you along your chosen path. If you'd like to consult with us about your path, email me at coliver@woodard.com or Liz at ecolley@woodard.com.
Be sure to tell us your goals and what you hope to learn so that we can recommend appropriate learning paths (tracks) for your upcoming "Scaling New Heights®" conference experience, June 4-7, in Orlando Fla.
Carol Oliver Woodard
Carol Oliver is a CPA with an accounting degree from Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla. She is a certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor (QB Online, QB Desktop and QB Enterprise Solutions). Carol has worked in the accounting software consulting and training field for more than 18 years and is a certified trainer for multiple accounting software products including Microsoft, Crystal Reports and F9 (a financial report writer).
For 10 of those 18 years, Carol spent about 75 percent of her time training on accounting and accounting technology, and she developed numerous software user guides, as well as curricula for many different courses. In 2011 she joined Woodard Consulting, providing services that included software integration, financial statement analysis, and customization and development of applications in Method.
In early 2014, Carol accepted a position with Woodard Events as Manager of Accountant Education and Training, allowing her to return to her first love - training accounting professionals.