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Sugey Piedra [00:00:05]:
Hi. My name is Sugey Piedra. When I’m out traveling, smoking a cigar, I love listening to John Garrett and What’s Your “And”?

John Garrett [00:00:17]:
Welcome to episode 625 of What’s Your “And”?. This is John Garrett, and each Wednesday, I interview a professional who, just like me, is known for a hobby or a passion or an interest outside of work. And to put it another way, it’s encouraging people to find their and. Those things above and beyond your technical skills, the things that actually differentiate you when you’re at work. It’s the answer to the question of who else are you beyond the job title. And if you like what the show’s about, be sure to check out the award winning book. It’s on Amazon, Indigo, Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, a few other websites. All the links are at www.WhatsYourAnd.com.

John Garrett [00:00:51]:
The book goes more in-depth with the research behind why these outside of work passions are so crucial to your corporate culture. And I can’t say how much it means that everyone’s reading it and writing such great reviews on Amazon. Thank you so much for those. And more importantly, changing the cultures where they work because of it. And if you want me to read it to you, that’s right, this voice reading the book. Look for What’s Your “And”? on Audible or wherever you get your audiobooks. And please don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss any of the future episodes. I love sharing such interesting stories each and every week, and this week is no different with my guest, Sugey Piedra.

John Garrett [00:01:26]:
She’s an enrolled agent at Prominence Business and Wealth Management in Southern California, and she’s the host of the Tax Talk with Hey Hey podcast. And now she’s with me here today. Sugey, thanks so much for taking time to be with me on What’s Your “And”?.

Sugey Piedra [00:01:39]:
Thank you, John. I’m really, really excited to be here today.

John Garrett [00:01:43]:
It’s gonna be awesome. I have a rapid fire question, so get to know Sugey right out of the gate here. Are you buckled in? Ready?

Sugey Piedra [00:01:49]:
Nervous. Yes.

John Garrett [00:01:50]:
Nervous. Fair enough. Well, you’ll be able to get me back at the end, so we’ll we’ll call it even. Alright. This one’s, I think, an easy one. Favorite color?

Sugey Piedra [00:01:58]:
Oh, I’m gonna have to say purple.

John Garrett [00:02:01]:
Oh, okay. That’s a fun one.

Sugey Piedra [00:02:02]:
It is. It’s, reminds me of my childhood, always purple. And so, I don’t know. I just said it’s always purple.

John Garrett [00:02:09]:
That’s great. I love it. How about a least favorite color?

Sugey Piedra [00:02:12]:
I’m gonna have to say brown. Brown’s soap brown. Right?

John Garrett [00:02:17]:
That is definitely the most popular, least favorite. I don’t even know. I think I contradicted myself, but whatever. It’s the one everyone sees. But, yeah, fair enough. It makes all the other colors look good.

Sugey Piedra [00:02:27]:
I think that’s the reason for

John Garrett [00:02:28]:
it. How about cats or dogs?

Sugey Piedra [00:02:30]:
I’m gonna have to say dogs because I have 4 of them.

John Garrett [00:02:33]:
Wow. Okay. Yeah. You’re way in. Dogs are awesome.

Sugey Piedra [00:02:37]:
Yes. And they’re all different sizes and all different personalities. I think maybe they represent one of them, my each personality. I thought I’d think about it. But yeah. Oh, okay. I like that.

John Garrett [00:02:46]:
That’s super fun. Love it. How about a favorite actor or an actress?

Sugey Piedra [00:02:51]:
That’s a hard one for me. Let’s see. I’m gonna have to say I can’t think of 1. I do watch movies, but I will never remember the movie title. I’ll never remember the actors’ names or who they play. And I’ll be like, you know that movie that we watched and that actor? And they’ll be like, which one? I’m like, you know, you gotta know what I’m talking about.

John Garrett [00:03:13]:
1 with the 2 eyes and the hair. You know? Come on. No. That’s totally fair. Totally fair. Toilet paper roll, we going over or under?

Sugey Piedra [00:03:21]:
Over.

John Garrett [00:03:23]:
Yeah. No. That works. That works. How about oceans or mountains?

Sugey Piedra [00:03:27]:
You know what? I love them both. And I’ve traveled to both. I live in Southern California. I’ve gone to see the sunrise and beach because I love the beach. And I’ve gone up to the same day, drove up to a big bear mountains and saw the sunset. I’m very lucky to be able to do that. But if I had to pick 1, definitely the ocean, something about the waves.

John Garrett [00:03:54]:
Yeah. That’s true. It’s very peaceful.

Sugey Piedra [00:03:55]:
It takes, you know, my breath away. It takes my stress away. It takes my thoughts away. So definitely the ocean.

John Garrett [00:04:02]:
That’s great. How about puzzles? Sudoku, crossword, jigsaw puzzle?

Sugey Piedra [00:04:07]:
Oh, I’m a big fan. I don’t do it as often as I wish, but Sudoku, yes.

John Garrett [00:04:12]:
Okay. Alright. There you go. How about wars or Star Trek?

Sugey Piedra [00:04:16]:
Wars. Just because, you know, I never got into Star Trek. I don’t know, my childhood is kind of, you know, I don’t know. I don’t remember. I remember good parts of it. But it was mostly outside, you know, not a lot of TV going on. But definitely the Star Wars watched every single movie and I’ve been to them some time. So yes.

John Garrett [00:04:36]:
No. For sure. How about your computer? More of a PC or a Mac?

Sugey Piedra [00:04:39]:
I’m gonna have to say PC because I recently got introduced to iPhone and Mac. I’ve tried to stay away from it so much. I did not wanna convert to the dark side, but

John Garrett [00:04:51]:
They sucked you in.

Sugey Piedra [00:04:52]:
Last year, I got an iPhone finally and a Mac. So yes. But we’re gonna stick with PC.

John Garrett [00:04:58]:
Yeah. No. I I’m PC Android all the way, and I own it. I don’t care.

Sugey Piedra [00:05:03]:
And I’ll still say that Android is better than an iPhone, but, gosh, I’m so sorry for those listening out there because they’re probably like, no way.

John Garrett [00:05:10]:
Well, it’s funny how, like, polarizing it is. Like, how people really, really care.

Sugey Piedra [00:05:15]:
Oh, gosh. Those iPhone users are hardcore. I was, like, always the outsider just because I have my Android. I’m like, what’s wrong with it? It does better things in your iPhone sometimes.

John Garrett [00:05:27]:
Yeah. It’s the iPhone people have the opinions of others.

Sugey Piedra [00:05:30]:
Clubs are like, you can’t be part of my club because you’re not an iPhone user. I’m like, you’re sweet. Right?

John Garrett [00:05:36]:
Well, then you buy me one. How about that? Pens or pencils?

Sugey Piedra [00:05:41]:
Oh, pens. I can color in all these different pen Well, I guess I could do that with pencils too, but no. Definitely pens. The brighter and colorful they are, the better.

John Garrett [00:05:50]:
Okay. How about heels or flats?

Sugey Piedra [00:05:53]:
Definitely heels. Do you know that I went on a diet just so that I can continue to wear my heels?

John Garrett [00:05:58]:
That’s impressive. Okay. Well, you have a fair amount. You might as well, like, use

Sugey Piedra [00:06:04]:
all the way. And it’s funny because I’ve, you know, as I’ve gotten older, it’s like, you know, gained weight and stuff. And then sometimes, like, my knees, and I’m like, nope. I’m going on a diet. And they’re like, well, why? And I’m like, because I have to wear heels. I cannot do that.

John Garrett [00:06:19]:
That’s incredible. I love it.

Sugey Piedra [00:06:21]:
There’s my dedication.

John Garrett [00:06:23]:
Yeah. That’s all in. That might be your end right there, actually. That’s pretty awesome. How about ice cream? You go in a cup or in a cone?

Sugey Piedra [00:06:31]:
Always a cone. Yes. But sometimes I’ll have to go with the cup if I’m driving and I still wanna eat my ice cream. Right.

John Garrett [00:06:37]:
Yeah. You don’t want it all over

Sugey Piedra [00:06:38]:
your hands and everything while you’re driving. But no, for sure on a cone.

John Garrett [00:06:43]:
We got a couple more early bird or night owl?

Sugey Piedra [00:06:46]:
Night owl. You know, when they say it’s time to go to bed, all of a sudden I have, like, this boost of energy. Like, what do you mean? I gotta clean the house. I gotta, you know, a book to read. I got a movie to watch.

John Garrett [00:06:56]:
That’s awesome. Right? That I won’t remember the name or the actors that are in it and actresses.

Sugey Piedra [00:07:01]:
No. First probably because I have fall asleep halfway through the movie. But, no, for sure. I think it’s a child trauma. My dad would always say it’s bedtime, and he’d walk around the house turning off TVs and lights whether you are ready to go to bed or not. He said it’s bedtime, and we all had to go to bed. So now you say bedtime and it’s like the rebellious part of me comes out and says, like, I’m not going to bed. It’s time to watch TV or, you know, read a book or something.

John Garrett [00:07:27]:
I love it. That’s awesome. How about this is a fun one, balance sheet or income statement?

Sugey Piedra [00:07:31]:
Oh, gosh. Do I have to pick 1? Well, you

John Garrett [00:07:35]:
can go full trial balance if you’re gonna nerd out on me. I’m good with that.

Sugey Piedra [00:07:39]:
We’re gonna definitely go with the balance sheet. It has so much valuable information on a balance sheet. And I think it’s just one of the statements that gets overlooked by a lot of people, especially like smaller mom and pop shops, you know, but definitely the balance sheet. Yes.

John Garrett [00:07:53]:
Okay. Alright. Do you have a favorite number?

Sugey Piedra [00:07:56]:
11. Why? I don’t know. Because you’re supposed to make a wish at 11:11. I don’t know.

John Garrett [00:08:02]:
That’s a good number, though. Absolutely.

Sugey Piedra [00:08:04]:
What’s better than 1? 2 ones. Why not? Yes. Exactly.

John Garrett [00:08:09]:
2 more. How about a favorite cereal from when you were a kid or now? Whatever.

Sugey Piedra [00:08:13]:
Oh, again, my childhood was kind of, you know, very humble upbringing, and we always had cornflakes. Gosh. So the minute that I can have, like, real cereal, I tell my dad, I’m like, now we buy real cereal. And he’s like, Captain Crunch or something. You know?

John Garrett [00:08:29]:
Yeah. No. That’s awesome. I love it. That’s great. And the last one, the favorite thing you have or the favorite thing you own?

Sugey Piedra [00:08:35]:
It’s something very simple. It’s a very small gold ring band that I wear, and it’s super thin. Sometimes you can’t even see that I’m wearing that ring, But it has a lot of meaning to it. It was it cost me $8. And that was the first thing I bought when I started working at a, like, a farmer’s market stand. And I made a little bit of dollars, and the lady next door was selling jewelry, and I bought this little ring for $8. I think that was, like, probably, like, 13 years old or something, helping one of my family members at the stand. And I wear it ever since, and I’ve never taken it off.

Sugey Piedra [00:09:10]:
And so if you ask me if I have it on, I have it on every single day. It never comes off.

John Garrett [00:09:15]:
That’s incredible. I love that. That’s awesome. I mean, that’s like how much better than that. Right?

Sugey Piedra [00:09:20]:
It’s simple, but it has a lot of meaning to me. It was the first thing I bought for myself. It’s such a thin gold band that but it’s so durable. And that I don’t know. Just it has a lot of meaning to me. So always wear it. Always have it. Cherish it.

John Garrett [00:09:35]:
And you take it on your travels. So let’s dive into that side of of Sugey here. So, like, how did you I mean, it sounds like you didn’t grow up traveling. So how did that come about?

Sugey Piedra [00:09:45]:
You know, it’s weird when we really start to get to know ourselves and why is it that we like certain things or why is it that we don’t like certain things. It really does go back to our childhood. Right? Our childhood whether you call them traumas or not, it doesn’t really matter. It’s something that happened when you were kids. But my dad was very you know, he’s an immigrant and very, just very humble individual. And he just would not allow us to leave, you know, past our 4, you know, 4 block radius kind of a thing. And he worked down the street. He, you know, we went to church down the street.

Sugey Piedra [00:10:18]:
We eat at the same restaurants every paycheck down the street. So everything literally was down the street for him. We never really left. And so when I first got my first job, he let me borrow his car, and he said I can, you know, now start driving as long as I get the gas in the car and all that good stuff. So, of course, I would test the waters and go 5 blocks out. You know? Right. Just blocks out. And so I always wanted to just go out, drive out, go further, and see where things, you know, where a road would take me.

Sugey Piedra [00:10:49]:
I remember the first time we went to the Dodgers Stadium game, his his work took us. So we drove a mile to his work parking lot, and then from there, they took us to the Dodgers Stadium. It was a company event. And they gave us these posters, these posters that had the Dodger Stadium, and then you would see, like, the city and then the beach. And I was like, dad, the beach is like right there. You know? He’s like, oh, no. The beach is so far. Like, you know, there there no.

Sugey Piedra [00:11:17]:
Like, it it he just I don’t even remember how he described how far the beach was. Right? And I’m looking at this poster, and I was just like, it’s fake. You know? Like, he’s right. The beach must be real far. And so when I started to drive, the first thing I did was go to the beach. You know? And I was like, god. The beach is only 28 minutes away.

John Garrett [00:11:40]:
Yeah. That’s incredible.

Sugey Piedra [00:11:41]:
Yeah. So he’s freaking out because I went to the beach, you know, and I was like, Kevin’s not that far. And so now I travel. And I’m like, dad, it’s not that far. Like, nothing is that far. You know?

John Garrett [00:11:55]:
I love it. That’s it. That’s incredible.

Sugey Piedra [00:11:57]:
Yeah. And it’s something that I also share with my siblings. Like, one of my sisters has actually gone to Africa. I still haven’t built up the guts to get be on a plane longer than, you know, 5, 5 and a half hours. But that was a very long flight for her. But it was something that we shared and it was we talked about. It was like, to think that my dad would thinks that being outside of our city is far. And now here I am, you know, in Africa.

Sugey Piedra [00:12:20]:
And for me, it was just like, you know, wow. Like, that’s amazing that we can travel and be able to explore outside of our city, you know, boundary.

John Garrett [00:12:31]:
What a great, you know, story and and revelation that you had. Thanks to that poster from the Dodgers. Yeah. That just got you, like, imagining what if the beach is right, and then you went and found it. I mean, you Christopher Columbus did. You’re like, I’m gonna go find it. I don’t care

Sugey Piedra [00:12:45]:
how long it takes. Funny because I really did feel like that.

John Garrett [00:12:50]:
Yeah. You found the edge? Like, this is the end of the world. Like, this

Sugey Piedra [00:12:53]:
is I’m trapped. Yes.

John Garrett [00:12:54]:
Almost flat, and this is the edge. Here it is.

Sugey Piedra [00:12:56]:
Yes. And this was before we had, like, the map on the phone or the GPS. Oh, totally waiting for it.

John Garrett [00:13:02]:
Yeah. Yeah.

Sugey Piedra [00:13:03]:
It was like trying to figure out ways and asking people how I can get to the beach. Right? And so it was really funny that those are one of some of the things I tell my kids, like, you miss being so innocent or so naive to things. Because now with the Internet and googling and your phones, you know, you find things out a lot more quicker and stuff, which is also great. But there was such an innocence to being, like, okay. I’m gonna go or I discovered the beach. And then the next time I went, I took all my sisters. I’m the oldest of 5 girls. And so to take them with me and be like, okay.

Sugey Piedra [00:13:38]:
Check this out. Like, it’s not even that far. You know? And mind you, this is why my dad’s at work because had he known I was about to do this, like, my sisters and I share the fact that we would sneak around, you know, where are we gonna go on Saturday when dad’s at work? Like, what are we gonna do? Where are we gonna explore?

John Garrett [00:13:58]:
That’s great. I love I love the exploring side of you. That’s super cool. So do you have some favorite places you’ve been, like within the 5 hour flight radius?

Sugey Piedra [00:14:06]:
You know, last year, honestly, I traveled 8 times without realizing it was I don’t mean to but I guess I still I you know, unconsciously, I still mean to, you know, you plan this out very spontaneous in my plannings as well as like, Okay, I’m gonna go here, What can I do? What can I explore? What can I, you know, find? But earlier in the year, actually, my sisters and I so at Prominence, the business was cofounded with my 2 other sisters. And so we went to Puerto Rico, we went to Puerto Rico for a conference. It was such a fun event to go with my sisters. You know, we went as business partners, but then there was times that we’re sisters, it was family. It was like, my gosh, you know, we’re in this island. We’re in this beautiful place surrounded by water. And it was just so much fun to explore, To be there and see it from end to end, it was just that was one of my favorite most memorable trips that we took last year. But also last year, we took my parents, we actually took my mom and dad to New York for the very first time.

John Garrett [00:15:10]:
Wow.

Sugey Piedra [00:15:10]:
They went to the sea, Niagara Falls, and we all went as a family. It was 12 of us that went. So it was a big trip. We went to Cooperstown. And then we did the the city, of course, and stuff. But I had been a couple times before that to New York already. But to take my parents out there and have them explore you know, Cooperstown is very country type of a, you know, area, and then experiencing New York in that sense and then driving because we drove them to the city. And then being in the middle of the city, and they’re like, I like the country better.

Sugey Piedra [00:15:45]:
This is so noisy. There’s so much stuff going on here. All these sirens, you know?

John Garrett [00:15:52]:
Right? But

Sugey Piedra [00:15:53]:
yeah, and so last year was kind of fun. I did take a lot of trips, I drove out to Arizona. And that’s about a 6 hour drive for me, but I have a convertible and I just put on some good music. Don’t ask me who I was because I was just playing good music. And just drove to Arizona for, you know, there was a conference there as well. But I try to make the best of it. I try to make the best of those trips and really see, like, what those little cities or what those little places have to offer and more. So love exploring.

John Garrett [00:16:25]:
That’s awesome. And is this something that you bring up with clients or obviously your sisters? I mean, it comes up right there, but with coworkers. But do clients know about this side of you?

Sugey Piedra [00:16:35]:
You know, I’ll display sometimes pictures and stuff like that. Like, my screensaver will have, you know, pictures of my newest or great space that I’ve seen. But a lot of the times where, you know, even when we went to Puerto Rico, you know, I try to escape and find a place where I can enjoy a cigar. I love smoking a cigar lounge or, you know, most of the time, it’s not as common sometimes. So you find a place that sells them and usually they’ll have 1 or 2 chairs and you they’re like, yeah, you can smoke your cigar here. And that is where I meet, like, some really cool people, have some really cool conversations because it’s literally you and maybe one other person. The cigar lounges are typically very small places, but, little holes in the wall sometimes. They’re becoming a little more popular out here, and I’m a member at 1 down the street, and it’s a 3 story place.

Sugey Piedra [00:17:26]:
They’ll have sometimes music, bands, members night kind of a deal. But I think that that’s where my travel sometimes is when I I’ve gone to Florida, Miami, and then I’m like, okay, let me go find, you know, a cigar place. And I find and meet really cool people. And so clients sometimes trip out that I do things like that or that I enjoy a cigar. They’re like, it’s not so common for, you know, women to like cigars. And I’m like, well, I don’t know. I just my brother-in-law got me into them, and I like them, and I enjoy them now. So that’s my thing.

John Garrett [00:18:02]:
Yeah. And, I mean, was there ever a part of you that’s like, oh, I better not share the human Sugey with clients or coworkers because they might, you know, quit or whatever? Was there ever a side of you that was afraid?

Sugey Piedra [00:18:15]:
It’s not that that they would quit, obviously, but it’s not as common. You know? Even now when, you know, doing your podcast, I was very nervous just because I was like, what am I gonna do? What am I, like, what am I gonna talk about? Right? I forget that there’s another side of me. And I typically talk business, work in my, you know, work. And then when clients come in, I treat them as clients. And then somehow, some way, when we’re in the middle of it all, you know, we start talking personal stuff, and then I realize that that’s how they connect. I know they love what I do, obviously, help them with their business and their taxes and their stuff, but the real me, the person is who really strikes the conversation and ties us in a relationship that it’s more than just the work that I do. And and it was sometimes it’s really hard for me to to realize that but it’s the truth. Clients love the person that I am with them and the relationship and the conversations that we have.

Sugey Piedra [00:19:13]:
And now I think that’s how they also know that when I’m scolding them over their finances Right. That I do really mean it from the bottom of my heart that I care for them, and I want the best for them.

John Garrett [00:19:25]:
That’s an excellent point right there. I mean, you know, is that, you know, when you have those other strings of attachment, then, you know, there isn’t just one. And then if that becomes tense, then it can break. You know? But if you have other connection points and other then it is. It’s it’s your friend pulling you aside and being like, yo, you can be better than this. It’s not, you know, the tax accountant yelling at me. You know? Because it’s like, well, I’ll just go find a tax accountant

Sugey Piedra [00:19:51]:
that doesn’t yell

John Garrett [00:19:52]:
at me. Right. But I love that how, like, just unconsciously, you get into these human conversations. And then when you’re able to step back, you know, preparing for this podcast or whatever, you start to realize, like, oh, wait. They like me for me. Like, not my brains, not my tax expertise. You know? Like, that’s certainly part of it, but they like me for me. And if you don’t share that, then what’s the sticky point? They can go find somebody else down the street within the 4 blocks, you know, like, type of a thing.

Sugey Piedra [00:20:20]:
I think that that’s also why we’ve now that it has been more recent is the way we designed the office, the pictures that I put out, it’s really not, yeah, I have my degree, I have all these certificates and all these accomplishments and stuff. But I think putting the picture behind it is really what clients are drawn to. Like, hey, I’ve been to, you know, Arizona or how was Miami or how was this? And so that conversation is more, interesting to them than anything else, and it breaks the ice. Plus, also, I noticed that they let their guard down because when they come in and or they’re thinking they’re gonna have to do their taxes or whatever, they already fear the IRS. They’re already scared of everything. And they come in here and they walk in, and they’re like, man, your office is so homey. I’m usually burning some sort of, like, call me incense or, you know, whatever. My lobby is all very well put together.

Sugey Piedra [00:21:12]:
There’s some lights and lamps, and it just looks homey. It feels homey. So they start to let the guard down, and then they walk into my office. And then I they see the pictures and stuff, and so they’re like, okay. She’s human.

John Garrett [00:21:26]:
Right? Like, I love that. It helps them relax. It helps them trust you. You know? Like, because we think that the trust comes from being an expert and knowing all the things, and not really. The trust comes from from being human, you know, and then you keep their trust by being good at your job. But, you know, they they assume that that’s gonna happen. They don’t assume you’re gonna be a human. And then when you are, they’re it’s a pleasant surprise.

Sugey Piedra [00:21:52]:
It is. I’m always here. And I tell them, I wanna be your biggest cheerleader. I wanna be part of your team. So you’ll see inspiration quotes and you’ll see stuff like that that I sometimes put on my pictures. I have a picture of my son and daughter at the beach and, you know, I have a a spring shoot quote, you know, that was printed on the picture. And I’m like, they’re my why. Right? And we all have our whys and why we do whatever it is that we do, but we need a reminder of it constantly, you know, so that we don’t deviate.

Sugey Piedra [00:22:21]:
And so I’ll tell the clients all the time. I was like, hey. I’m yelling at you not because I’m yep. Just to yell. I yell at you because I care. Like, I

John Garrett [00:22:30]:
I have 2 kids I can yell at. I don’t need to yell. Like, I I get plenty

Sugey Piedra [00:22:33]:
of yell.

John Garrett [00:22:34]:
Don’t worry about it. Like, it’s right? Yeah. But that’s awesome. Plus, those pictures bring you joy. When there’s no client in the office at the moment, you look up and you’re like, oh, yeah. Yeah. Beach is awesome. My kids are great.

John Garrett [00:22:46]:
You know? I should just go

Sugey Piedra [00:22:47]:
to the beach.

John Garrett [00:22:48]:
Yeah. I should just go to the beach.

Sugey Piedra [00:22:50]:
You’re telling me just go to the beach.

John Garrett [00:22:52]:
Right? Yeah. No. That’s incredible. I love it. I love it so much and and just how much it matters. You know? That that human side of Sugey, it really matters. And seeing your why and remembering your why is great, but and your and, just as important, totally different, but also just as important, maybe simpler even because it’s it’s a lot easier to just go to the beach, you know, type of thing. That’s your end.

John Garrett [00:23:15]:
Let’s do it. That’s so cool. And I love to hear how much it’s benefited, you know, you and and the business as well as just a cool byproduct. You know, that’s not why you do those things, but then it helps you be a better professional.

Sugey Piedra [00:23:28]:
It does. And for I think in our industry, specifically in accounting and all, you know, all accountants that are out there, they have this that people think especially, like, back in the day with the way they would draw us, you know, with glasses and a hat, and we were grumpy. And, you know, it’s like, you don’t have this personality. You’re just a grumpy accountant. You know? And I think this career has that taste to it where a lot of people are like, ew, an accountant or taxes? Like, I don’t wanna do that. You know? Especially, like, even listening to your podcast and listening to those that personality come out through a lot of the accountants that you’ve interviewed. It’s funny because you’re like, oh my gosh. I’m not the only one that has a personality.

Sugey Piedra [00:24:06]:
They’re out there too that have personalities, but you always think of an accountant and you think of somebody who’s boring, somebody that does not have any type of personality as grumpy. And I’m like, we’re not like that. We really are not.

John Garrett [00:24:20]:
We’re not. That’s why I mean, I created the show. I mean, it’s same with engineers, same with lawyers, you know, bankers. We’re not that, but the problem is is that a very small percentage of people have created this stereotype that everyone latches onto. Yes. But there’s 92 plus percent of us that are normal and have other dimensions to who we are and personalities and all that. And so we need to get that side out there, you know, because the the the PR for the nerd side is killing it. Like, we need a better PR group to promote people like us that are well rounded individuals that happen to do accounting or engineering or banking or law.

Sugey Piedra [00:25:02]:
Other cool exciting part of us too.

John Garrett [00:25:04]:
Totally. Yeah. Just bring it out. Absolutely. No. That’s so cool, Sugey. I I love it so much. And I feel like before we wrap this up though, since I peppered you with questions at the beginning, it’s only fair that I turn the tables.

John Garrett [00:25:17]:
And, I mean, you host your own podcast, so you know the drill. But I’m in the hot seat now, so talk about nervous. I’m twice as nervous as you were.

Sugey Piedra [00:25:24]:
I’m gonna make it easy because I’m not gonna ask you somebody’s name because I don’t wanna know who you’re talking about.

John Garrett [00:25:32]:
Oh, that’s hilarious.

Sugey Piedra [00:25:33]:
I’m just kidding. But I do wanna know, super villain or superhero?

John Garrett [00:25:38]:
Oh, wow. Oh, that’s man, that’s a good one. Because, yeah, I mean, like, the joker is such a great character.

Sugey Piedra [00:25:46]:
Right?

John Garrett [00:25:47]:
But, like, so is Batman. Like, I think I’m gonna go supervillain just because I feel like there’s a depth there. They weren’t born that way. Like, it just happened. And, like, why? Like, what what are the layers there that are over and, like and maybe it’s just the lens that like, one of my favorite musicals is Wicked where, you know, you you have The Wizard of Oz where you think, well, the, you know, the the the evil witch or whatever and then the Wicked Witch of the West. And then you go see Wicked, and you’re like, she’s not wicked at all. Like, she’s, like, she’s actually the hero. Like, she’s super cool and, like, really great.

John Garrett [00:26:21]:
And and so it’s like maybe it’s the lens that we’re seeing the story through that makes them a villain and maybe they’re not.

Sugey Piedra [00:26:26]:
And that happens with Maleficent. Yes. No. I agree with you.

John Garrett [00:26:30]:
Yeah. I’m gonna go with that just because I feel like there’s layers. There’s a little more complexity to it.

Sugey Piedra [00:26:35]:
Love it. Love it. Okay. What about what’s your favorite food dish?

John Garrett [00:26:40]:
Oh, man. Yeah. Lasagna is gonna be a hard one to pass up. I mean, that’s that’s so good. Like, I mean, it’s yeah. That’s a pretty solid one. And it’s not one that I get, like, a lot. So I think maybe that’s why, you know, where pizza, it’s like, well, you know, probably, I don’t know, once a week, which is always good.

Sugey Piedra [00:26:55]:
A good dinner dish for tonight. Thanks, everybody.

John Garrett [00:26:58]:
Oh, there you go. You’re welcome.

Sugey Piedra [00:27:00]:
Alright. And my last one that I have for you is cake or pie?

John Garrett [00:27:04]:
Oh, cake. Yeah. Cake. Yeah. I mean, like, when I when I grew up like, this is another thing. Like, when I moved out and I was, like, shopping on my own, and I realized that, like, in the grocery aisle, like, you can buy a cake, like, the cake box thing for, like, $3. I don’t know. Now it’s probably 40, but, like, you know, at the time, it was $3 and then, like, a couple eggs.

John Garrett [00:27:24]:
And, like, you could make a cake, like, every week for, like, $5. I mean, like, icing all in. Like, I mean and I was like, we should all have cakes. Like, all in we’d all, like, be £400 and have diabetes, but we’d all have cake, like, every week. I mean, it’s just cakes. Cake’s always good. Always good.

Sugey Piedra [00:27:43]:
Well, you see, I have so many sisters. We have a birthday. I tell them, we have a birthday every month. I’m done with cake. Let’s switch it to pie.

John Garrett [00:27:50]:
Okay. Alright. No. I mean, I’ll go with pie, but I’m a little more choosy on pies. Yeah. I’ll probably eat all the cakes, but pies, I’m a little more

Sugey Piedra [00:27:59]:
choosy on. That’s awesome. No.

John Garrett [00:28:00]:
This is so great, Sugey. Thank you so much for being a part of What’s Your In? This was so much fun.

Sugey Piedra [00:28:05]:
No. Thank you. Thank you for having me. This is definitely a different type of a podcast for me. So thank you!

John Garrett [00:28:14]:
Absolutely. And everybody listening, if you’d like to see some pictures of Sugey in her travels or cigar lounge hanging or connect with her on social media or get a link to the tax talk with be sure to go to www.WhatsYourAnd.com. All the links are there. And while you’re on the page, please click that big button to the anonymous research survey about corporate culture, and don’t forget to check out the book. So thanks again for subscribing on Apple Podcasts or whatever app you use and for sharing this with your friends so they get the message that we’re all trying to spread that who you are is so much more than what you do.