HUMOR

Accountants in Pop Culture: Myths, Realities, and Stereotypes – Accounting ARC

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From “The Office” to “Parks and Recreation,” listen in on how TV and movies shape our view of accountants.

Accounting ARC
With Liz Mason, Byron Patrick, and Donny Shimamoto.
Center for Accounting Transformation

Accountants are often depicted in popular culture in ways that range from humorous to downright exaggerated. In a recent episode of ARC, hosts Liz Mason, CPA; Byron Patrick, CPA.CITP, CGMA; and Donny Shimamoto, CPA.CITP, CGMA, delve into these portrayals, discussing their favorite fictional accountants and the stereotypes that come with them. 

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Patrick, vice president of Client Success at the B3 Method Institute, starts the conversation with “The Office,” where characters like Oscar, Kevin, and Angela offer a comedic take on the profession. “The beauty of ‘The Office’ is in its exaggerated realism,” Patrick explains. Angela’s strict, by-the-book approach and Kevin’s more laid-back attitude reflect common perceptions of accountants. “They were the butt of many jokes, but also some of my favorite accountants to watch,” he adds. 

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How a Case of Beer Saved the U.S. Financial System

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Great businesses are formed by trusting others … even if they need a 24-pack to get there.

By Frank Stitely
The Relentless CPA

You’ve probably heard of the 1929 stock market crash, Black Monday, the dotcom bubble and the Great Recession. All of these combined pale in comparison to what almost happened back in 1986. Save for a case of Miller Lite, our financial world, as we know it, would not exist.

MORE: Even with Value Pricing, Time Tracking Matters and Here’s Why | End Tax Season Meetings with Clients…Seriously | Get Clients to Understand Firm Processes … or Say Goodbye | Train Now Before It Costs You Down the Road | Keep Clients from “Balance Due” Shock | It’s OK to Say No to Clients (Even the Large Ones) | You Train Your Clients, Whether You Mean To or Not | Business Owners Face One of Three Exits
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I landed this job not because of my fabulous accounting qualifications. I was a double major in economics/finance in college. I would have taken a job sniffing used toilet paper out of college with those academic credentials. I got the job solely from my relationship with Paul Karstetter, the second name in what eventually became Stitely & Karstetter, CPAs.

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On a Mission: Introducing Accounting, Reaction, Comedy

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Accountants on a mission: Accounting, reaction, and maybe a little fun.

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Accounting ARC 
With Donny Shimamoto, Liz Mason, and Byron Patrick
Center for Accounting Transformation

In a universe where financial chaos threatens to overwhelm even the bravest souls, our trio of accounting change agents emerge to restore order, one ledger at a time. These stewards of integrity are uniting to serve the integrated ecosystem of families, businesses, and communities and aligning their efforts to unlock the power of the accounting profession with their unique blend of wit, wisdom, and, yes, a dash of comedy.

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In the inaugural episode, our agents pull back the curtain to reveal the origins of their financial prowess. Delve into the captivating backstories as they share their personal journeys, unveil the driving forces behind their decision to become accounting professionals, and what led them to seek and find ways to improve the world.

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Train Now Before It Costs You Down the Road

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Your time investment now could reap dividends during tax season. 

By Frank Stitely
The Relentless CPA

We’ve all heard it.

Ask if an assigned project has been completed and get the, “It’s done, but …” followed by a few reasons why said project is still – let’s be honest – incomplete.

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Let’s examine how we got a “done but” society. A lot of this will sound like, “Back in my day, sonny …” old man nonsense, and a lot of it is.

However, I promise you a solution after my sociological exploration of 21st-century culture. You won’t need a degree in sociology to understand this.

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“Done” Only Has One Meaning

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“Done but” increases WIP and turnaround time. Profits go … well, you know.

By Frank Stitely
The Relentless CPA

In my last book, I recommended hiring younger staff. In that book, I cautioned that you might have to teach very simple tasks like breathing and using the bathroom to your newbies.

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One reader posted that she didn’t believe it was the responsibility of an admin department to teach bathroom use. She was new to this hot new writing technique called sarcasm, but she did a great job making my point that you have to teach your staff a lot of basic things.

One of those teaching tasks is the meaning of “done.”

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