Wow! What a wild ride the past few years have been for the accounting profession. For those of us running public accounting and bookkeeping practices, we’ve been called on like never before to be a trusted advisor to our business clients, a reliable resource for individuals who need our expertise when dealing with the financial fallout of Covid-19, and of course, being the conduit between the government and the rest of society when it comes to communicating and interpreting the tax code.
Oh, and that’s all before breakfast! Some days it seems that way, doesn’t it? I think for many of us, this feeling of being overwhelmed and out to sea has become our new normal, and to me, that’s not the way anyone should live because life is too short. I’ve been there and done that, too. That’s why I decided to write this book, immediately after the original The Designated Motivator. Because I feel that our community of Accounting professionals needs a lifeline.
I’ve been on the receiving end of that lifeline myself, and it truly has been the difference between my success and failure. Knowing that there are others in the same boat, or those that have been in the same boat and made it to the land of solid success. This has given me a sense of security and calm amid some very rough waters and stormy seas. I am so thankful, not only to those Designated Motivators for Accounting professionals who I have mentioned in this book, but to anyone who touches our profession in a positive capacity and has helped us keep moving forward. I hope if you need a helping hand, you'll find one in this book and also in me...my wish is that we all make the world better for our peers as we progress in our careers.
“As you start to read this book, you will feel the energy yourself. You will feel a shift inside you that can never be undone. You will find that there is a Designated Motivator waiting to be awakened in you and anyone you, well, designate.
When you become a DM it exponentially improves every area of your life. Your business will improve, your personal life will improve, the people in your orbit will be more engaged. You will thrive. The people who benefit from the DM will also have improvement throughout their lives.”
-Mike Michalowicz, Author, Profit First and Designated Motivator for Entrepreneurs
“Many of us are thrust into leadership not knowing what that exactly means. We struggle to do it well. We try hard and yet we are not sure if we are having an impact. The best leaders are DMs, what Dawn calls a Designated Motivator. DMs have the influence to positively change behavior and that is what leadership is at its core. This book is refreshing in that it reminds us that all of us can be a DM to our peers, our colleagues, and our communities. As you read it, you recall those who have been important DMs in your own life, and that makes you smile. That feeling reminds you why and inspires you to go out into the world today and be a great leader one DM moment at a time.”
-Jody Padar, The Radical CPA, Author & Strategic Leader
“Most of the time when I read a business book, I feel like the author is talking “at” me and telling me all of the things that they know how to do better and that is why they are writing to book to shout from the mountaintop of their superiority and their ability to share it with us out of the kindness of their heart.
Dawn Brolin is not like that, in fact, Dawn is the person that I can genuinely say is like no other person on this planet, but I knew that before I read her book. Throughout the whole book, Dawn is talking to us and never at us. It is almost like she is in our head because before we can ask her a question about what she is talking about, she writes in a way that she is already responding to the questions that she knows that we will have, it really is like having a conversation with her. She not only talks about but gives us real live relatable examples of when things worked and when they did not, as we all know that we can sometimes learn more from our failures and Dawn is not afraid to put those out there but embraces them.
The meaning of “WIN”, will change my mindset forever now, it is not the being on top but “What’s Important Now?”
Dawn practices what she preaches and now I have a name that I can put to her actions, she is a true leader. I would recommend this book not to just business owners but to anyone that is looking to find their place, at home, at work, in hobbies; this knowledge share is good for any age or education level, it is not your normal business book.”
-Robin Hall, President & Principal Consultant, VARC Solutions
“Before this book I had never heard the term designated motivator, but it is something that has always been very important to me. The past couple of months (6+) have been very challenging for me and left me questioning myself more than I ever should have.
As time went on, the anxiety of responsibility only seemed to multiply, cementing me further and further into my frozen state.
Now that I have started accepting help and support from my own community of Designated Motivators, what was once an overwhelming pile of tasks has quickly transformed into a roadmap to the next chapter of my life. In full disclosure, I am still only 25% up that hill, but this book has helped to remind me that when I reach that summit, I will be able to share this journey with others and will hopefully be able to inspire others "to have confidence in themselves."
Thank you, Dawn, for being my designated motivator!
-Matthew Fulton, Parkway Business Solutions
