Kettlebellin / Execution

Look at those eyes, just full of surprise to see me.

Kettlebells and a word about execution in terms of the successful “doing” portion.

Kettlebells – have hit another gear and barely felt it 11days left and going to push hard and then drop down for a week and do higher reps with lighter weights just to flush my body with blood and work on cementing technique.

Hit several personal PR’s – 60 snatches w 40kg TV dropping from the rack position in order to practice the drop for the DSN by improving each arm individually, 20+ Dual Military Press with Beast vs. a previous TV of 2, hitting 2 x 5 in the BW chin for the first time.  In my world, when you experience more than 100% increase in a relatively short period of time that is falling into the tangible result category:)

Still using that real “sissy” assistance band to have my chin up version of the taking your barbell to the river practice.  Those guys gained both muscle and strength.  I am just now barely getting to where I can get to 2 minutes of continuous tension (20+reps).  Their experiment was with sets ranging from 2-3 minutes of continuous tension and it is working so far so why not ? I have seen a discernible  improvement in strength and being able to work weak spots against that tension.  Noticed some tricep pump action because I had to push down to lockout against the band to sufficiently load it to then help raise my 270 pound weak body.   Easier for me to move the reps from 10-30, than to get to those first 4-8.

I like slipping my foot through the kettlebell because it does indeed activate a great core response with a feeling of connectedness from the tension.   When my largest problem in life becomes…ughhh yeah I have to order one of those hip belts to use the clip to hold the weight on.  That will be a happy day.  I need to get a little stronger in this, I have been careful with my technique particularly with centrating the shoulder and really getting down into that bottom of the capsule feeling.   It gives me an almost melancholy feeling thinking how deeply stimulating this has unavoidably been for my biceps.  How about this moment of illumination….”I cannot curl a 270 pound barbell but I can chin it with weight now.”  There has to be some strength caution label on the chin, “May be hazardous to your body’s weakness.”  I like that Spetsnaz chin test with 18 reps with wearing 10 kg  in the form of a bullet proof vest, it is a goal.   It may take me two years, but I’ll get so strong along the way I will not care.

TGU – getting ready to order my copy of KS II and I admitted to one of the authors privately that I was very excited.  That felt so stupid, but if I like it I like it.  Some times I have to stop and say “Do some TGU work.” Then I do it and it is so good I don’t want to stop.  I feel guilt pangs over not pressing or high-pulling or whatever, but when the day is done it hits my weak spots every rep.  After even a couple days of piece work in a row, when I come back I feel an increase in full body strength which manifests in more swings, snatches and presses.   Dangling a 40-48kg above my head stills gets my undivided attention at this point, that’s actually a great 11 day or so insertion into the practice rotation.  I relate to the positions, it reminds me of moving my hands across the fingerboard of my guitar.  What’s the exact angle that you want the point of your finger to connect with the string ?  They feel really similar and as you progress you begin to feel more from increased awareness.

I’m still in KS 1 but at least recognized the particular position and associated corrective….because I went and got screened.  My initial score was 11 back in late December 2011.  Pavel was endorsing getting screened on a video and that certainly set my wheels in motion and then MRKC Jones for whatever reason said “get screened”.  I live in Richmond, Virginia so an easy drive to access some truly world class FMS work over in Chatham.  RKC Cook, now I grew up in Kenbridge. I know you have to know someone who has a nice private pond with some H-U-G-E Largemouth bass in it.   I’m all catch and release but the hunt for the citation size largemouth is my outdoor thing.

Execution – actually moving forward accurately and gaining quality closure on activity items which lead to your entire “project” succeeding if you have mapped your process correctly.  All you have to do is connect the dots.

I am breaking my processes down, throwing out everything that does not work, is not easy and fast.  Simplify to increase velocity of my learning curve further.  The fact that I even know what to prune out or de-emphasize is a win for me.  If you do not know “it” is there you certainly cannot fight “it”.

That was a learned skill for me.

Times up – the Big Bass Safari goes on, semi-cold almost ready to snow and I am going Largemouth Bass Fishing !  When I was a child I went to the local pond armed with my fathers fly rod and casting our standard white with the red eyes and black feather popping bug.  My casting was horrible but I was learning how to hit the button on the automatic line retrieval system and the stop and start of the popping bug triggered some massive strikes from an early spawning female bass.   I guess at times the bass have to eat too, so just in case one of those “el gigante’s” want to experience a full body workout feel free to swim on over to my lure and savagely devour it.  All the hooks have been sharpened to the razor’s edge. They are calling for snow so this should prove interesting cause I’m showing up with 5 rods ready to lay a 5 star meal on ole Mr. Largemouth.

The results of fishing 50 minutes in what turned into snow.  I released my fish, more finely tuned all my reels to the individual baits I’m using on them and experimenting with different stuff from last year.  Catching more fish, the fish on average are definitely getting larger but I have not caught a huge one in some time…..so I am impatiently being patient, but I am focused and on a mission.

American Youth Harp Ensemble

Harvard Business Review – Harder than Ever to become a Senior Executive – Soft Skills

I’ll be speaking to the Thomas Jefferson School of Law’s LL.M/JD program on this very topic on Friday, February 24th, 2012.  This is what the new breed of tax professionals are being exposed to prior to becoming senior, your younger competition…..beat them at their own game or risk them making you look like a young antique.

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/02/its_harder_than_ever_to_be_a_s.html?referral=00563&cm_mmc=email-_-newsletter-_-daily_alert-_-alert_date

There is a wealth of information being brought forward right now from various sources ranging from the Harvard Business Review to Heidrick and Struggles and they all agree that Soft Skills are one of the prime separators of those who are positioned properly to move into those plum jobs and those who are left asking “What Happened?”.

This is a position I have been discussing and working on for well over a year with my senior Tax Professionals.

THE most impactful professional investment you can make in terms of accelerating your personal and professional development.

There are 2 Steps to “Getting Started” which are both simple and easily executed.

1. Find out what your Myers-Briggs Type Indicator “Type” is.

2. Start reading this book immediately -

When you start to “get” this what I am offering will make a whole lotta sense.

Imagine having and leveraging that knowledge and competing against someone who was not armed with the knowledge and didn’t use it.

Skills are forged through focused training.

Look at these two pictures and see if you can determine which person is going to reach their destination faster.

Executive Search Goes Public – Intelligence Report – Poll Results

The further I go the clearer the picture becomes, but the picture is not painted yet because it does not exist…yet.  See the spoon video from the Matrix. http://www.youtube.com/TheSourcingSamurai

Components of the picture exist but they have not been combined in such a way as to maximize the synergy. — Translation - Learn to play the cards you hold better, because they are the only ones you have.

Fuel yourself with instant gratification, without being aware of it.  More people are accepting counter-offers these days and the counter offers are becoming much larger.  So if you can snag yourself one of those eye-popping counter offers, congratulations.   You do realize you have tagged yourself “forever” as the person ready to bail out.  While the mean time that a person accepting a counter offer would stay hovered at less than 4-6 months, now it has increased slightly but remains at X < 12 months.  Gosh, if all the cash suddenly materializes, along with your new title were you really receiving all your due reward previously ?   Is this about recognizing the employee or insulating the employer from inconvenience ?  You don’t care ?  You will when you are replaced at a time not so convenient for you.

Heidrich and Struggles shared their insight that at the senior levels advancement is more impacted by Emotional Intelligence than by technical knowledge.  I whole heartedly agree, which is why you see me offering Myers-Briggs Type Indicator work to the people who clearly understand what clients are looking to see, call it an advanced expectation if you will.  Your background may speak for itself, but under the heat of the selection process you best have your entire package honed.  Ignore that advice at your own peril.

These are my stress bells 48 kilograms a piece, my method of focusing myself prior to blocks of phone time is to pick these up and press them a few times.

Gets the blood circulating to my brain because you have to have your A game in the “ON” position to talk with Tax Professionals and that’s no secret unless you have never really done the work.

Rest assured I’m training my recruiter skills to allow me to learn the most about your current role, what you have done that you are proud of and securing permission to contact you again.  That’s it….no hidden surprises.  Takes 3-5 minutes depending on how long your responses are.

I’ll ask you if you have any questions for me and I’ll honestly answer them.

Honesty alone is a rarity.

Poll Results – You were chosen over 50 Finalist, what gave you the Edge ?

Leadership, Ability to Learn and Creativity……clients call for these attributes all the time and rightly so….they are ALL enhanced by Myers-Briggs work.

Please share this with Tax Professionals you admire or respect.

I would appreciate the opportunity to learn what is important to them and help them move towards it.

With Warmest Regards,

Russ Moon

Executive Search, Taxation

www.russmoonow.com

The Virginia Experiment Day 40 – Leaning to the Finish Line

My name is Russ Moon, I specialize in Taxation as an Executive Search Consultant.

This is the Virginia Experiment – still here, resetting the goals I have already eclipsed…that’s tough my goal is in the bag and how much more do I want to cram into the remaining 18 days or so.  My decision is to stay the course, tweak my approaches to simplify them further and accelerate.

1. Spiritual – Personally, I need to get my nose in The Bible more.  – I have and will list my top 10 verses

2. Physical – address those FMS weak links with the correctives, mix with 3 parts Pavel and stay calm when the flash flood of strength gains arrive. – Results – I have foam rolled, corrected, DNS’d, arm barred, weighted hung etc., sauna stretched, and tgu’d my weak links like a freakin bombardment.  I am having to regroove every movement due to…..well to be honest it all has been terrific.  The FMS correctives have been bulls-eyes, Relax into Stretch (I have taken it in the sauna so many times in the first month the binding is coming off…but everyone that looks at it thinks it is cool , compared the with and without DNS weekly as well as other new creative things and those things “which may not be mentioned”.   My lips remain sealed.

Stopped counting the PR’s – hit 100 snatches in 5 minutes – started at 60 reps in 10 minutes, 20 bodyweight chins in under 30 minutes (weak, but good improvement for me), Doubled my TV in the DSN w 40′s in a 10 day or so period.   Starting deadlifting and going to tear that up in the remaining 18 days about 4 more times. So the assault on the DSN w 48′s marches on and they are going up,up,up.  Bumped up to 48′s for all my DSW’s moving forward until I build those reps up to where my 40′s are and then we shall see what we see.

3. Musical- play “Wish You Were Here” for Ricky, just the chords and lay it down so he can take his Mandolin, go off into soloville and take-off.

The song is ready, the stock solo is ready and I have a slightly different solo version that I am going to make sure he hears.   We just have to physically be in the same place at the same time in the next 18 days.  That’s going to happen

4.MBTI Myers-Briggs Type Indicator – Develop 3 Modules – Initial Session w Facilitation, “Under Pressure”, “Influencing”

I have dug deep into the Myers-Briggs material for myself and it is very accurate and insightful.

Powerful, people will comment on things you have “thought” about and I have also been reminded that “no” it does not hurt emotionally.  You feel good.

*Creating a module to deliver this Thursday at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law’s LL.M International Tax program and that will actually serve as my first module…pretty sweet….as I learned more the topic changed to “Leveraging Awareness of Self” in terms of turbocharging your career trajectory.

The Emotional Intelligence movement is old news in terms of that being an integral component of advancement at the more senior to executive levels.  What is HOT is how people are actually engaging in building their Emotional Intelligence “muscle” through the use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.

Oh yes they are… the elite from MD, to elite athlete to tax professional.  How often do you perceive and then make decisions based on data/input/perceptions/senses/gut/baggage….like how about 24 hours a day ?   How far do you think a meager 10% improvement would take you ?  Maybe you should be finding that out, the next wave of people who are going to be harvesting those plum jobs are training for that opportunity now like it is the Olympics.

I am a Qualified Myers-Briggs Facilitator with over 150 assessments under my belt.    You are next.

5. FMS – screen/rescreen – how much does my score elevate from a pathetic and injury prone “11″ – 14 being the minimum goal – it is not time to rescreen yet, but the results have been phenomenal so common sense tells me I must be moving better.  I certainly feel different, move different and perform better.

6. Practice – every component from grip to toes, feet connect all the bones and you  get the picture has been tuned.  It’s not perfect but imagine the difference between a filthy car and a car that has been detailed.   In less than 60 days. Loving it.

7. Recruiting – 7 DVD’s and 2 books later – I’m forming my own authentic style and learning how to say less while extracting more.

In the first call I use 3 questions – they cover alot of ground and you will know when you hear them that the 5 minutes you took to speak to me were well spent.

Please share with any Tax Professionals you respect professionally.

Thanks I am returning to the Lock and Load post with some interesting findings that if people are sharing/listening/reading will help them.

With Warmest Regards,

Russ Moon

Executive Search, Taxation

Music – “Wish You Were Here”

Study – I know I am a strong visual learner, so why not play to that strength ?

This is what I want to learn – I want to know as my finger touches a certain note the name of each note without really thinking about it.

If I decide in mid-flight that I want to change the tone of the phrase by playing it somewhere else on the fingerboard no problem.

Acoustic “Wish You Were Here” Guitar with no vocals or vocals acapella, cannot do both at the same time yet…..but I do have two guys who both have beautiful voices who both can play/sing.  One a virtuoso mandolin player and the other a nationally ranked guitarist/songwriter/singer (Karl Hepler) on the folk charts (top 5).  Suggesting we approach the song  arrangement as bluegrass/gospel with some vocal harmonies.  Ricky (Mandolin) is an incredible tenor singer who still sounds like he is 17, I listen to the CD and say “Who is this guy doing the vocals?”….and Ricky will then say “That’s me.” No joke.

Ricky loves his music and he will not compromise on the vocals which surprised me because he is such a fantastic player. He is fanatical about vocal harmonies and getting them right. At his level I know I do not know what that means, but this is going to be my first opportunity to hand him my reigns and so “take me where I need to go to learn this”.   That’s going to be priceless, 35 years of doing it….I think he knows.   He certainly knows how to sing and I feel strong enough about that to learn this song to showcase his voice just to get in on the action.

Me – I’m just going to lay back and have selected chord fingerings way down at the nut with open strings to layer that deep Martin bottom end so Ricky has a huge space musically he can explore and I’ll be totally out of the way.  He heard 20 seconds of the song and said “You could go in many directions with this song and it will sound great….and I said “Why do you think I picked it?”.  It’s for him, but I will get my feet wet and I will enjoy watching their eyes bulge out when I play my short solo and my chords are going to speak.  Almost there, scheduled for the next week as a short break from the phone muscle building I’ll be engaged in.

All work and no play makes Russ a dull boy.

I have learned to enjoy my breaks without guilt because ultimately they provide a great deal of pleasure and allow me to maintain a pace that would wither many a less seasoned person.   If I can deliver global virtual learning to Europe in the morning, the USA in the day and China at 1am be “on” for every single event and have a global class average of 95%….and sustain that for 9 months.

I can handle anything I need to.  About to scale this mountain top and it feels good.

Trophy Bass Fishing – It’s Time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chain_pickerel – About 3 pounds which is average caught 30 minutes after renewing my fishing license on a bronze Johnson Silver Minnow Spoon dressed with a 8″ Red Shad trailer.   I checked just to make sure I was not confusing this with a northern pike, but flatter bill in the front to me is the tell tale sign of a chain vs a northern pickerl.  As the definition says they are very savage predators and fight viciously, so while not a bass the violence of their struggle is great preparation for the surges of power a really large bass can generate.

You can Thank Me for this tip …….later……I was introduced to these on the Gary Yamamoto website and the scales on the blade initially caught me eye.

I love spinnerbaits…but haven’t the bass seen enough of those already ?  Of course who could not be aware of all the noise the Chatterbait made and continues to make

http://www.fishermanschoiceproshop.com/wp/phenix-vibrator-jig-is-a-cut-above-all-other-chatter-type-baits-and-we-can-prove-it.html

Been experimenting since the end of last year and the key for me has been adding a trailer to bulk up the size of the presentation and add a tiny something different.  The hooksets of both 3 lbs has been textbook and I cannot attribute that to my skill, I’m terrible at hooksetting with a jig right now. It’s the design of the bait.  It’s part spinnerbait, you can sputter, flutter to your hearts content, its jig shaped and sits like a jig on the bottom and with the Yamamoto Hula Swimmer as the trailer…it’s a swimbait.

All I know is I am catching fish in conditions which would have sent me home empty handed because I have stumbled upon something sweet. The fish are so totally fooled they are absolutely inhaling it. Now I’m looking to see what the larger sizes look like. Onto to something.

I’m definitely at a totally different level in terms of knowledge and skill than I was at this time last year.  I’m seeing that translate into a larger weight average, now up to 3.25-3.5 pounds which is really nice.  What I want is something in the 10 pound range.  Progressively I can feel I’m moving in the right direction to know how to progress to that safari level size fish.  Two years in a row with a 7lbr being my best, I’m due to breakthrough.

All my post will have something for tax professional, guaranteed it is in there..you might have to look for it as a break.  In this case the lure itself has some really nice features but when combined with the trailer it evolves into a near deadly weapon on the fish. Big Baits for Big Fish and I am about to find the largest one made to secure a few in essential color patterns.

I may rig this on several rods in different colors to more rapidly zero in on what the fish want that day. That idea for me was worth the time spent to write the blog. lol I got a nice bonus.

So I am out there, scouting the water, all my reels re-spooled with lines specifically matched to the reel & rod and the type of lure/presentation.

I did have one Daredevil who knows my skill and has thrown a gauntlet down on me which I in all probability will pick up.

He knows I can catch the big bass, but he now wants me to stalk them with ultra light gear, saying 20% of the time you might actually land the fish.

Well, I will make this compromise, if Mr. Daredevil will share that private bass fishing water, I will fish ultra light in those waters when fishing with him.  That way he can observe the skills in person.  So I am calling you out, but you know it is fun. Ultra light for me these days is under 15 lb, most are 20-40lb line wise.

Losing a giant bass will almost make you cry, it is demoralizing and I do not like that feeling. When I put the hook in the fish, my gear is heavy duty and unless I make a mental error it is over for the fish. Although I release them to grow larger.

Lock and Load – Executive Search, Taxation goes public with activity, See the other side.

This really is a good piece on how looking at things from a different perspective might really simplify things for you.  You will see the activity level, technical polish of how really “chance” your personal phone call from me is.

It’s not chance.

Now we draw back the curtain, The Virginia Experiment http://wp.me/pJn50-iE was designed to allow me to make superhuman advances in my Executive Search, Taxation skills.  Now that the strength, flexibility, music pieces have synergistically taken off…now all that momentum is focused into my Executive Search work.  30 days left in the experiment so I decided to up the ante and publicize what my activity levels were.

Possibly people would gain a deeper understanding of what it takes to isolate, identify and evaluate top tax talent.

So I am submerging and going to the phones, these reps will forge me like a set of Double Kettlebell Snatches or DSN.  In other words every rep works a wonder, so how much wonder will 3,000 call reps generate ?

The activity goals – phone calls with 30-50 a day considered the norm for people making a healthy and well-earned wage.

My goal is to take the upper end of the range 50 X 3 =150 outbound calls per day for a 5 day work week or 750 outbound calls. 3,000 for the month.

Mixing 3 styles of Executive Search training and then adapting it to my preferences….yes my Myers-Briggs prefences.  – INTJ

If you know a Tax Professional you admire please share this with them.   A former Big4 person, I understand complete confidentiality. 

I am looking for people whose peers would clearly articulate that this person is superb.

Does not matter if they are looking now, at some point they will be or they will need great people to help them remain where they are.

I would like to learn directly from the target audience I serve what you prefer.

Still looking for Tax Technology (SAP+Vertex) National Scope/All Levels and VP International Taxation – strong technically and have to have the finesse skills.

I am obviously putting in the work from my side, I would appreciate the opportunity to spend 3 minutes to hear about your current role and where you see yourself heading.

Media contacts welcome.

No personal information will be shared outside of what I share about myself.

Total Blackout otherwise, no amateur mistakes.

With Warmest Regards,

Russ Moon

Executive Search, Taxation

Richmond, Virginia

off direct 804-643-8604 – leave a great message..I’m scheduling my Inbound Calls,

I’ll  return a call within 24 hrs from receipt.

Send me a note at russmoon@gmail.com and your response will be faster.

Oxygenate

“Many centuries later Leonardo da Vinci built on Philo’s work by observing that a portion of air is consumed during combustion and respiration.^[60]“

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen

If the oxygen is consumed and no oxygen is replenished…..what’s your work capacity ?  How will you manage to recover both during exertion and as you recover ?  Certainly oxygen is essential for human life and equally essential for optimal performance, you have to breathe and the way you breathe can directly influence how brightly/frequently/if your flame burns.  I am working on breathing and I would be really interested to hear the thoughts of the person who said “I could teach all day on just breathing” elaborate.   Two of you out there know who this person is and it is the same person I told each of you I felt had the purest swing action for their particular physique I had ever seen outside of P.  Broker an introduction for me please.

Russ after a menthol “inhalation” of steam, really opens up your head and breathing. It helped me feel the oxygen going in, key word being feel because I was more aware.  My wife informed me it is also good for your skin, okay that’s a bonus.  Part of learning is being aware of what works and what doesn’t.  I would not do this daily but it was a nice change that was brief and had ongoing benefits.

What happens when you don’t breathe ?  I promise this will very shortly come to a swift and meaningful conclusion but stay with me.  You pass out at best, as I learned once more while doing chin/pull-up holds…..made it to 9th cycle then bit the turf. Didn’t breathe properly and fell off the bar, embarrassing.   Then I am in a DNS session, followed by breathing/core work and I looked at the Dr. and said “I’m not breathing until the count of 10, he laughed and said “You count out the reps then.”   Then he went for the static holds to wear me out, while I held the position longer than him while describing my freshmen year at The Citadel.  Next time I am going to wear 5lb ankle weights on each leg which will in all probability result in him smoking me, but we are going to test my concentration a little more intently.  I’m sure my core is going to get demolished in a good way.  It absolutely does mentally bulletproof you, things just bounce off you like bullets richoeting off of bulletproof glass.  No damage incurred, no slowing of forward momentum.  I do this as much for the mental benefits as the physical, possibly more so.

Okay…..here is the punch line. Oxygen equates to life, impacts our work capacity and ability to recover from exertion.  It should be automatically perfect and correct, we all do it if we are alive and without always thinking about it.  We have behaviors which exist and play like a CD during our every conscious and waking moment.  My breathing technique is still under construction, but I am aware of the issue and I am addressing it with results.  Are we aware of those behaviors which are so deeply programmed we may not even realize they are present ?  If those behaviors are critical to our ability to interact with ourselves and others more effectively, more organically and more efficiently are they then not worthy of at least a minimal level of insight ?  (Very dry humor here, of course they are).

I am shifting the focus to deepening my Myers-Briggs Type Indicator knowledge to include Temperament work.  For those I facilitate I will walk you through how to increase and leverage your productivity without bogging you down with all the technical history.  In my kettlebell practice, I have verbalized to my coach that I understand I don’t have to understand all the technical pieces in order to benefit.  Show me what to do, let me go work on it, realize my own gains and then come back to discuss what I thought happened for validation purposes.   Then….give me another dose.

Reviewed all of these materials pertaining to Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (notice it does not say “test” because there is no test) with my MBTI mentor, a world class expert with experience facilitating MBTI to executives at GE’s Crotonville campus during the tenure of CEO, Jack Welch.  She has been mentoring me on this instrument for over 5 years now.  She knew every text, listened to my approach, tabled a couple of key points that only someone at her expertise level would even understand and validated that my logic was solid, my source information was pure and my direction accurate.  She also confirmed a noticeable change in my development since our last conversation….further real time validation that the work I have started is taking root.

I do not claim to have all the answers but I do claim to have a strong ability to find them and validate that my data is accurate.  So when I work with people you are not getting judgment from me or what I think, you are getting the most pure, fact based information that exists on the topic. It stands on its own and does not need any flavoring from me.  This is advanced, high octane material that I will simplify until you pick it up as easy as you breathe.

$495 – 3-4 modules that will strike at the heart of points of behavior or situations that you can heavily leverage in your favor every waking moment, when you improve across the board….what’s that really worth ?  If the results I am experiencing are any indicator whatsoever, I am real comfortable saying “you will be pleasantly surprised”….whatever your level of expectation is.

This is part of my personal development plan and maybe it isn’t part of yours because you are not ready to really look in the mirror.  When you are, call me.

In the meantime, I am going to take a deep breathe of oxygen and walk into the flames of the unknown to see what good happens.

If you find this information helpful, please share it with someone you care about OR a Tax Professional you admire.

With Warmest Regards,

Russ Moon

Executive Search, Taxation

Richmond, Virginia

Saturday Night Special

Knebworth Fair

Hertfordshire, England

August 21, 1976

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_Van_Zant

Lynyrd Skynyrd, this video while not “Freebird” does highlight Ronnie’s vocals and how tight the band prided themselves upon being.  The Brits in the audience seem to recognize what they are hearing and apparently fancy this helping of fine Southern Rock.  Each person in the band has their own individual part and they rehearse their new members intensely until they take on the DNA of the band.

A story comes to mind, during the initial days of the band their rehearsing in an old home with no air conditioning practicing the set list over and over.  That story resonated for me as I rehearsed at an old farmhouse out in the country in 100 degree weather, with no air conditioning ….although I did buy a fan.  That sweet breeze was shared with my amp to ensure the tubes did not overheat.  Very old school playing along to a CD boombox, trying to learn some guitar licks and experiment with my gear.  I was very motivated to improve as the heat was causing me to concentrate because about 2 hours was my maximum limit.   Afterwards I would drink 2 liters of Gatorade to rehydrate myself for the ride home.

There is satisfaction in “Paying the Price”, putting in that little extra that sets you apart.

As much as I love my guitar playing, kettlebells and trophy bass fishing………..I love Executive Search……..I love Taxation……….and I am “Paying the Price” to out-learn, out strategize and tactically execute at a higher level than my peers.  Like a new Partner in the Big4, you don’t fully come into your power until you have had some time in the saddle.

I am putting in my time, today cleaning up a database of 25,000 records and my initial goal was 5,000.

25,000 Tax Professionals……not too shabby and that number will blossom over the course of this year.

You certainly cannot speak with people you don’t know exist, good results from a few months work

Looking forward to meeting some fantastic Tax Professionals, continuing to deepen my own tax technical knowledge, leveraging new technologies and techniques fully and the experience that only comes from within the gladiator arena.

It is time to earn another level of respect.

If what you read resonated with you share it with a friend OR a Tax Professional you admire/respect for their skills.

They will thank you later and I thank you now.

With Warmest Regards,

Russ Moon

Executive Search, Taxation

Richmond, Virginia