Most individuals do not get a warm feeling when they hear the term, audit. Typically, an audit means a lot of tedious work, and it can produce significant anxiety should any large discrepancies be found. Though an audit can cause some anxious moments, there is also a lot of good that can come from performing an audit. Performing audits in a retail business will help achieve higher inventory accuracy and… Read More
The Master’s Minute – Turning the Page on 2020
This week we close the book on 2020 and look forward to the beginning of 2021! For many it may seem like a more significant event this year than it was in previous years. I have two specific wishes for all of us as we transition into a new year. These are not typical New Year’s resolutions, so allow me to explain. Let’s go back 15 or 16 years. I… Read More
OTB
Master’s Advisors has recently begun a new, exciting tradition. Known as “On the Business” or “OTB,” for short, it is a week each calendar quarter that is dedicated time for the Master’s team to: • focus on learning new technology and improving existing systems and procedures to enhance our service to our clients, • hold discussions on improving the client experience here at Master’s, • work on business projects within… Read More
A Season of Gratitude
Our previous blog post, written by my associate Tim Tyson, encouraged all of us to approach the Christmas season with an attitude of generosity. Well, Christmas of 2018 has come and gone. I hope you were able to both practice and graciously receive generosity. As I reflect on this season, and the past year, my mind goes to another important attribute – gratitude! Gratitude comes from a heart that is… Read More
A Season of Generosity
Christmastime is a season of generosity, a season of focusing on others, rather than ourselves, giving generously to others and receiving the generosity of others. I was recently reminded of a story that is not a Christmas story but that nonetheless captures the heart of the Christmas season. Nabal was a very wealthy man who owned a large amount of livestock. Nabal’s servants were tending sheep in the wilderness near… Read More
T.G.I.F.
Thank goodness it’s Friday (T.G.I.F.). That’s what I heard from one of my early morning workout comrades on Friday. Why are we so thankful to get to Friday? Does it in part have to do with our outlook on work? I have observed three unhealthy attitudes toward work. First, it’s a necessary evil. I need to make a living so I have to work. Work is simply a means to… Read More
Change the Status Quo
As humans, we are conditioned to crave comfort and stability. Most of us do not strive to put ourselves in situations that could end up being embarrassing or harmful to us. This leads to a phenomenon called ‘status quo bias’. A recent Harvard Business Review article explains this behavioral bias: “Breaking from the status quo means taking action, and when we take action, we take responsibility, thus opening ourselves to… Read More
When Life Changes
When asked, I agreed to become the legal power of attorney, health care power of attorney and executrix for two beloved family members. Naively, I thought it would be years and years before I would be called upon. Wrong. On July 3rd of this year, these two family members were in a serious car accident, leaving one in the trauma unit and the other, challenged with dementia, scared and frightened… Read More
Habits
When I think of habits, I generally think of the bad ones: failing to exercise, not eating right, watching too many sports highlights instead of being productive around the house to name a few. However, habits can do just as much good as they can bad if we focus on the right things. A recent study estimated that 40% of our day is habit-driven, highlighting the importance of developing healthy… Read More
Give and Receive
I recently read a quote from Todd Harper, president of Generous Giving. He said, “People who have learned to be generous are the happiest people.” This quote has me thinking about the role generosity plays in our overall happiness and satisfaction with our life. His quote certainly seems contradictory to the prominent messages we hear most frequently. Our consumer culture preaches that only if we buy the right products or… Read More
