by cstrauss | Dec 20, 2025 | Business
I just spent the weekend at the CSP Summit in Scottsdale, Arizona, surrounded by 150 Certified Speaking Professionals, some of the best speakers in the world…. And I couldn’t speak. Not a whisper. Not a croak. Nothing. I arrived with a perfectly normal voice the night before the Summit. Woke up the first morning with acute laryngitis, and by breakfast had officially been rebranded as a Certified Silent Professional. Which, as you can imagine, is not a designation the National Speakers Association currently offers. Yet.
For a group of people whose professional identity revolves around ideas, delivery, nuance, timing, and the ability to land a point with precision, being silent turns out to be a fascinating social experiment. (And for my colleagues who know me well… especially for me!) For the entire time I had fully formed responses running through my head, insightful, well-timed, hilarious (IMHO) with absolutely no way to express them. It was like participating in an important Zoom meeting in my head with my mic on mute. I nodded. I smiled. I gestured. I typed notes into my laptop and according to some of my group members, communicated like a less intelligent Stephen Hawking. At one point, I seriously considered making cue cards using my television background resources.
During lunch on day 2, I sat next to a speaker I’d never met before. He didn’t know me, my work, or my background. And he talked. He talked about his business. What was working. What wasn’t. What he was wrestling with. And I listened. Fully. Intentionally. Without interruption, not by choice, but by medical necessity. When the conversation wound down, he paused, looked at me, and said: “I just love you.” Which was a surprise, especially since I didn’t say a word.
My dad used to say, “Keep your mouth shut and smile and people will wonder what you’re up to.” This weekend, I realized he wasn’t being funny. He was being strategic. I went to the CSP Summit expecting ideas, connection, and professional elevation. I didn’t expect laryngitis to be the teacher. But it reminded me that communication isn’t just about speaking, it’s about impact. And impact doesn’t always require sound. That said, I am very much looking forward to getting my voice back. Because at least for me, the world is slightly more entertaining when I can talk.
by cstrauss | Dec 4, 2025 | Business
Anyone who knows me, knows I can’t cook. But I can bake exactly one thing; my mom’s pumpkin cake. And I guard that recipe like my entire holiday reputation depends on it… because it does.
This year, while measuring out the nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger, something clicked. Those spices had been sitting in my pantry for a while. And suddenly it hit me, business ingredients can get just as stale.
Think about it:
Cinnamon = Customer Communication When it’s fresh, it’s warm and inviting. When it’s stale? The message falls flat. Customers can smell “going through the motions” a mile away.
Nutmeg = Your AI Strategy That subtle, sophisticated edge that separates fine from exceptional. If it’s outdated, you’re serving up last year’s thinking in a world that moved months ago.
Ginger = Your Product Lineup It should have zing. It should make people say: “Yes. THIS.” If your offerings have lost their kick… they’re just background noise.
Here’s the thing about baking and business: the magic is in timing, freshness, and care. You can’t rush a cake, and you can’t shortcut strategy. Both demand attention, intention, and checking the ingredients before you mix.
And what about your secret ingredient? Do you know what that is? For my pumpkin cake its…. (oh wait, its a secret). The thing is, even the best secret ingredient can’t save stale spices.
So as we close out 2025, I’m curious. When was the last time you evaluated your “strategic ingredients” to meet the current moment? Which ones have been on the shelf too long and maybe even harming your business? What needs to be replaced before you bake the plans for 2026?
Fresh ingredients and fresh business approaches matter more now than ever. And when done right… the return on every Dollars Per Minute™ goes way up.
What’s one “spice” in your business that’s overdue for a refresh? I’d love to hear what you’re updating as we head into the new year. And if you could use a “tweak” to your current recipe, I’m here to help. Please reach out for a quick conversation before you turn on the oven to heat up your business for 2026!
Here’s to strategies as irresistible as warm pumpkin cake. 🎂
by cstrauss | Mar 13, 2025 | Business
It’s the end of Winter…. not quite Spring. We’re officially in the stretch between now and Memorial Day — the no-holiday zone. It’s that time of year when the days start blending together, and even the most motivated teams can feel like they’re on autopilot.The work gets done. The deadlines are “hopefully” met. But… where’s the fun?
Here’s the thing: people don’t burn out from doing too much. They burn out from doing too much of what drains them. That’s why this is the perfect time to take a step back and ask:
What kind of work feels exciting and easy?
What tasks drain energy faster than a dead battery?
Where do conversations flow, and where do they stall?
When teams know their strengths and how to communicate them, it doesn’t just make the grind easier—it makes the work more meaningful (and even a little fun).
Here are two ideas to play with:
- Discover your team’s Working Genius: What parts of work feel energizing? Which parts feel heavy? It’s amazing what happens when you figure out how to spend more time in your area of genius.
- Words matter: The way we say things changes everything. Try experimenting with simple phrases to see what sparks better conversations. Sometimes the smallest shifts make the biggest difference.
And here’s the challenge— Do something to make the next stretch of work matter to you, your team and your entire company. I can help! Reach out if you want to bounce some ideas around.
Because even when the grind is real, the fun doesn’t have to be missing.
by cstrauss | Nov 9, 2024 | Business, How to
I got the opportunity to create a brand new keynote specifically for accountants called “The P&L of Communication,” where I encouraged accountants to see P&L as “People and Language” – the real assets in client relationships. Accounting today is about more than numbers; it’s about understanding clients’ needs, communicating effectively, and bringing real value beyond the balance sheet.
I shared a Future Fit Framework to help attendees assess and elevate their approach moving into this rapidly changing business climate, along with a mindset called “Meliorism”—the belief that we can each make a positive impact through compassion, creativity, and kindness. This shift is crucial as accountants evolve into trusted advisors, connecting with clients on a deeper level and helping them navigate both their financial and personal worlds.
Ultimately, it’s about reframing the role. By embracing “peopling” skills, leveraging technology like video emails, and setting clear expectations in all interactions, “Expert Financial Accounting Professionals”, the rebranded language I suggested, create meaningful and lasting client relationships. It’s time to level up the accounting profession, redefine what it means to serve clients, and Reframe the accounting profession.
And to Carlos M. Garcia and Hector Garcia CPA who imagined and delivered the REFRAME2024 event, your BDA (Before, During and After) of this event was exceptional.
by cstrauss | Jun 5, 2023 | Business
I’ve spent the past 4 weeks on the road working with CEOs and teams all around the US and Canada, and I’ve found one thing that everyone is asking: “What can I do to support my team in being great at what they do, and help them see how individually and as a team they bring value and feel valued?”
I believe the answer to this question is based in our ability to access and embrace our humanity. Of course there are skills that leaders and managers need to know and apply, but mostly, it’s the human connection that will keep team members working up to thier potential. So how does all of this new AI affect our work and ability to connect with our mission, vision and values so that everyone feels a part of something bigger than themselves? Here’s my take…
AI has its merits for research, idea generation and process enhancement. But AI can’t replicate the depth, complexity, and emotional connection that come from genuine human-to-human interactions. Building meaningful relationships and a heart based human connection that brings people together requires the nuances of emotional intelligence, social context, and personal engagement, which AI currently cannot replicate. And I suspect it never will.
So, while it is important to embrace AI as a tool that can enhance certain aspects of our work and can increase productivity when used wisely, it is crucial to remember the irreplaceable value of human connection and the need for authentic relationships both in our professional and personal lives. Hopefully we are spending time paying attention to our humanity in both.
by cstrauss | Dec 30, 2022 | Business, Current Events, Life
To Complete: Definition: 1. To bring to a finish or an end:
2. To make whole, with all necessary elements or parts
It’s the end of 2022. For some of us, 2022 was a great year filled with growth, excitement and forward movement. For others of us, it was a year of challenges, obstacles and we are looking forward to putting it behind us.
Whichever of these you relate to, here are some strategies for powerful completion and for intentionally creating and attracting that which will make your 2023 your best year yet!
1. Review your year and assess what you learned. There is never nothing going on, and you are always learning. What did you learn and how can you use it to make your next year smooth and easy?
2. Look at the people in your world. Review whom you spent the most time with. How did that work for you? Are these people who bring you inspiration and energy? Or do they drain you? Choose where to put your time in the upcoming year. Be kind to others, but more kind to yourself. There is only so much time in a year, who do you want to spend it with?
3. Finances, did you meet your financial obligations? Is there some rearranging you need to do to make money more manageable? If it was all managed successfully, did your allocate your resources to make your world better?
4. Your environment, are your home and your work environment supporting you? Look around. Is there unfinished business taking up space in your environment? Those “unclosed loops” are taking up space and energy in your brain. Spend some time cleaning out unfinished business, or at least filing it away so it is not in view and put it where you can get it done later. Put a tickler in your calendar to get it done. Also, this is the time of year where retailers have sales on storage solutions. Get what you need to start your year free of physical/ mental clutter.
5. How are you? A simple question with a complicated answer. Take stock of your health, and make what ever appointments or arrangements you need to get to “as good as you can”, as 2023 begins. Nothing affects our experience as drastically as our physical well being.
And finally, what do you want to manifest for yourself in 2023? Take a moment to pause as we collectively step into this new year and get clear as to what your 2023 will be for you. You get one chance to live in 2023. Enjoy the moments as they happen! Wishing you a Happy, Healthy New Year!!
