Meet Josh!

Zane Stevens interviews Josh Sterling, a wealth strategist at Camas Advice. Josh shares his journey from being a soccer coach to entering the financial industry. He discusses the importance of education and mentorship in his success. Josh emphasizes the value of helping others and building genuine relationships.

He also talks about his focus on educating clients and professionals about advanced planning strategies. Throughout the conversation, Josh highlights the challenges he faced in transitioning careers and the importance of staying focused. In this conversation,

Josh Sterling shares insights and advice on various topics, including balancing work and family life, setting short-term goals, starting a career, leadership, and being yourself as a leader. He also discusses his passion for sports and coaching.

Takeaways

- Education and mentorship are crucial for success in any industry.

- Building genuine relationships and helping others are key to long-term success.

- Focus on providing value and educating clients about their options.

- Challenges are opportunities for growth and learning. Balancing work and family life is a challenge that many people face in their careers. It requires staying focused and allocating time in the right areas.

- Setting short-term goals is important for personal and professional growth. Creating an education platform and achieving revenue goals are examples of short-term goals.

- One piece of advice for those starting their career is to not feel the pressure of having all the answers. It's okay to not know everything and to seek help and learn from others.

- Being yourself as a leader is crucial. Authenticity and taking care of the people around you are key qualities of effective leadership.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Protea Conversations

01:01 Introduction to Josh Sterling

03:48 Transition from Soccer Coach to Wealth Strategist

10:26 Transition from Coach to Director

18:18 Formation of Canvas Advice

23:22 Value of Helping Others

29:58 Day-to-Day Activities

33:37 Focus on Education

37:29 Challenges and Focus

39:33 Balancing Work and Family Life

41:03 Short-Term Goals

42:34 Advice for Those Starting Their Career

45:08 Leadership

47:17 Being Yourself as a Leader

49:23 Personal Life and Coaching

49:38 Rapid Fire Questions

Connect with Josh: LinkedIn personal - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshsterlinginsurance/

LinkedIn company - https://www.linkedin.com/company/camas-advice/

Hannah Smolinski, founder of Clara CFO Group, shares her journey from working at a large accounting firm to starting her own virtual CFO agency. She discusses the benefits of starting in a big accounting firm and the experience she gained.

Hannah also talks about the transition to entrepreneurship and the challenges she faced. She explains how she started a YouTube channel to provide financial guidance to small businesses and the unexpected success it brought. Hannah emphasizes the importance of building a team and empowering team members. She shares her lessons in leadership and the growth of Clara CFO Group. In this conversation, Hannah Smolinski discusses her approach to leadership, her short-term goals for Clara CFO, the vision for her YouTube channel, her personal goals, the best piece of advice she's received, advice for new accountants, and shares insights into her personal life.

Takeaways

- Starting in a big accounting firm provides valuable training, mentorship, and opportunities for professional development.

- Transitioning from a corporate job to entrepreneurship requires taking risks and finding your unique value proposition.

- Creating content on platforms like YouTube can help establish expertise and attract clients.

- Building a team is essential for business growth and success, and empowering team members is crucial for a positive work environment.

- Leadership requires learning to delegate, hiring the right people, and continuously improving as a leader. Leadership involves leading by example and ensuring that you act in a way that you would want your team members to act.

- Short-term goals for Clara CFO include transitioning to a visionary role and achieving a 30-hour work week.

- The vision for the YouTube channel is to educate small business owners and provide them with the confidence and knowledge to make financial decisions.

- Hannah's personal goals include playing tennis and creating a comfortable home.

- The best piece of advice Hannah received is to not worry about what others think, as people are often focused on themselves.

- Advice for new accountants is to explore different opportunities within the accounting profession and pursue the path that aligns with their desired lifestyle.

- Hannah enjoys drinking decaf coffee and has a love for pizza.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

03:29 Experience at EY and Transition to Entrepreneurship

08:14 Benefits of Starting in a Big Accounting Firm

12:02 Transitioning to Clara CFO Group

15:12 Building Confidence as a Fractional CFO

20:01 Working with a Team at Clara CFO Group

25:09 Challenges and Lessons in Leadership

28:32 Leadership and Leading by Example

31:18 Short-Term Goals for Clara CFO

34:18 Vision for the YouTube Channel

39:10 Personal Goals

40:47 Best Piece of Advice

44:41 Advice for New Accountants

46:19 Insight into Hannah the Person

49:06 Rapid Fire Questions

Connect with Hannah:

LinkedIn personal - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-smolinski-cpa-16994aa/

YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@ClaraCFO

Meet Jeremy! The teacher turned attorney. An incredible journey from helping troubled teens to keeping business owners out of trouble. A specialist in dirt, food and booze.

Jeremy Little, a partner at CMPR Attorneys, shares his career journey from being a teacher to becoming a lawyer. He discusses the challenges he faced along the way and the importance of networking and learning from others. Jeremy also talks about his role as a leader and the advice he received that helped him in his career.

In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, exploring Maine, and supporting Boston sports teams. In this episode of Protea Conversations, the host and guest discuss their favorite piece of technology and favorite childhood meal. They explore the impact of technology on their lives and how it can both simplify and complicate things. The conversation also delves into the nostalgia and memories associated with favorite childhood meals.

Takeaways

- Networking and learning from others are crucial for career growth.

- Being true to yourself and being present and engaged with others are important qualities of a leader.

- Balancing work and personal life can be challenging, but finding a groove and prioritizing is key.

- Exploring different opportunities and being open to new experiences can lead to unexpected career paths.

- Having a strong foundation in business knowledge is essential for success as a lawyer. Technology can have both positive and negative effects on our lives.

- Favorite childhood meals hold a special place in our hearts and can evoke nostalgia.

- Engaging in conversations about personal preferences can help build connections and understanding.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

01:00 Jeremy's Career Path

06:17 Transitioning to Law School

08:27 Working at Different Firms

12:46 Becoming a Partner

19:46 Day-to-Day as a Partner

23:24 Navigating Alcohol Beverage Law

26:06 Challenges in Jeremy's Career

30:50 Short-Term Goals 34:29 Best Piece of Advice

41:08 Leadership Advice 44:15 Jeremy's Personal Life

45:49 Rapid Fire Questions 47:03 Favorite Piece of Technology

48:00 Favorite Childhood Meal Connect with Jeremy:

LinkedIn personal - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-little-7213321/

CMPR - https://cmprlaw.com/

Protea Conversations is an enlightening leadership podcast that delves into the dynamic world of business and accounting. In each episode, we engage with seasoned leaders to unravel their unique stories, uncovering pivotal advice that has shaped their success. Our guests generously share insights and practical guidance, offering listeners valuable lessons to propel their own career trajectories. Our dialogues aim to spark ongoing discussions about the varied experiences, opportunities, and challenges confronting today's leaders. Through these conversations, we aspire to cultivate a forum where ideas on building a more diverse, inclusive, and successful professional landscape can flourish. Whether you're an aspiring leader or an established executive, our podcast offers simple yet powerful advice to accelerate your growth and broaden your understanding of leadership in today's ever-evolving global environment. Join us on Protea Conversations to be a part of this journey.