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John Garrett [00:00:00]:
Hey, this is John Garrett. I’m passionate about making work more human, especially in this age of AI. I don’t just host this podcast. I also help organizations put people first through my keynote speaking, coaching, and What’s Your “And”? implementation programs. To learn more or to connect with me on LinkedIn or Instagram, I invite you to join the movement at WhatsYourAnd.com. Now let’s jump into this week’s conversation.

Beth van Bladel [00:00:21]:
Hello, this is Beth van Bladel, and I love listening to What’s Your “And”? when I’m riding my Can-Am Spyder.

John Garrett [00:00:32]:
Welcome to episode 743 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 Noble, Bookshop, a few other websites. All the links are at whatsyourand.com. 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.

John Garrett [00:01:25]:
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 hit 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, Beth van Bladel. She’s a director and outsourced CFO with BST, an accounting and advisory services firm in Albany, New York. And now she’s with me here today. Beth, thanks so much for taking time to be with me on What’s Your “And”?.

Beth van Bladel [00:01:59]:
Wonderful to be here. Thanks for having me.

John Garrett [00:02:01]:
This is going to be so much fun. I’m excited about this after meeting you in New Orleans at the AICPA conference that I keynoted. So I’m just excited to have you be a part of this and, uh, ask you some rapid-fire questions here right out of the gate. So, uh, yeah, I mean, you ride motorcycles, so we’re good. Like, it’s like this is nothing. How about a favorite color?

Beth van Bladel [00:02:22]:
Orange.

John Garrett [00:02:22]:
Oh, nice. Okay. All right. You’re one of those creative types. I got you. How about a least favorite color?

Beth van Bladel [00:02:27]:
Pink. Too much in my childhood. Yes.

John Garrett [00:02:30]:
Oh, okay. Okay. There’s some scars there. I could tell. Do you have a favorite sports team?

Beth van Bladel [00:02:35]:
Actually, I will say the Houston Texans football team because I used to work for the owner, Robert McNair. Oh, and he’s an amazing— he’s no longer with us, but very— a great member of the community. Would like loan out his jet when somebody needed to get to a hospital or get some sort of medical care. So, and I had the opportunity to go to a bunch of his games. Down in Houston.

John Garrett [00:02:55]:
Yeah, that counts. Totally cool. How about a favorite actor or an actress?

Beth van Bladel [00:03:00]:
You know, Robin Williams. I feel that he could go deep either in comedy or emotion. I thought he was amazing. And lately Ryan Gosling. I thought he’s been amazing in some of the movies that he’s been in.

John Garrett [00:03:13]:
Yeah, yeah, definitely showing more diversity to his acting. That’s for sure. How about more mountains or oceans?

Beth van Bladel [00:03:20]:
Oceans. I was born on Long Island. I love my mountains. They’re second. But there’s nothing like being by the ocean and the fresh sea air.

John Garrett [00:03:28]:
Okay. Puzzles. Sudoku, crossword, jigsaw puzzle?

Beth van Bladel [00:03:31]:
Well, as a patient advocate, I would have to say the healthcare system is a big puzzle that I’m still working through. It’s in progress.

John Garrett [00:03:39]:
That’s amazing. That’s such a perfect answer right there. Never had that one, but that totally counts. I might just— I should add that. to the list for people to choose from. How about Star Wars or Star Trek?

Beth van Bladel [00:03:52]:
Star Trek. I have to say that when I was developing my managerial and leadership skills, Star Trek: The Next Generation came out and Jean-Luc Picard, there was something about the way he led. It really inspired me. And sometimes, we have to make decisions without all the information and you knew sometimes he was winging it. So, um, sometimes I’m just like, what would Jean-Luc Picard do?

John Garrett [00:04:17]:
That’s awesome. That’s very good. That’s fantastic. Uh, how about, uh, seasons? Uh, summer, winter, spring, or fall?

Beth van Bladel [00:04:24]:
I love the spring. I love just watching everything in bloom. Everything’s green. Nothing needs to be mowed yet. So it’s nice and neat and there’s just, everything’s being reborn.

John Garrett [00:04:35]:
Yeah. That’s fantastic. Uh, how about your computer? PC or Mac?

Beth van Bladel [00:04:39]:
I am a PC girl, but I do love all my other Apple products. So other than my PC, which is a Microsoft, you know, I use the Microsoft system. I love all my Apple products.

John Garrett [00:04:51]:
That’s fantastic. Okay. Okay. How about ice cream? You go in a cup or in a cone?

Beth van Bladel [00:04:55]:
A waffle cone because I can fit a lot in there and it’s not going to drip all over me. Right.

John Garrett [00:05:02]:
Yeah. I like it. That totally counts. Are you more sweet or savory?

Beth van Bladel [00:05:06]:
Sweet, for sure.

John Garrett [00:05:08]:
Yeah. Yeah. I think I’m the same.

Beth van Bladel [00:05:10]:
I will never turn down tiramisu.

John Garrett [00:05:13]:
Okay. Okay. All right. And there you go. Do you have a favorite cartoon as a kid?

Beth van Bladel [00:05:18]:
I love The Jetsons.

John Garrett [00:05:19]:
Nice.

Beth van Bladel [00:05:19]:
You know, the future, just, and then the scary part, it’s some of it’s coming true. So yeah, I love The Jetsons.

John Garrett [00:05:27]:
No, that’s fantastic. How about, this is a fun one someone asked me and I like to turn it around. Socks or shoes?

Beth van Bladel [00:05:33]:
I guess I would have to say shoes. Right.

John Garrett [00:05:36]:
Okay.

Beth van Bladel [00:05:37]:
Yeah, I would say, yeah, I would say that. But, you know, I, I’m happy with my, with some sandals and something comfortable.

John Garrett [00:05:43]:
Yeah. Yeah. Then shoes it is. That totally works.

Beth van Bladel [00:05:45]:
Shoes it is.

John Garrett [00:05:46]:
And since you have the accounting background, balance sheet or income statement?

Beth van Bladel [00:05:49]:
Balance sheet. I want to see where you are today.

John Garrett [00:05:51]:
Oh, okay.

Beth van Bladel [00:05:52]:
Because people can, can really be creative in that income statement for good or for bad. But I want to, I want to test reality.

John Garrett [00:05:59]:
There you go. Favorite number?

Beth van Bladel [00:06:02]:
17.

John Garrett [00:06:03]:
Oh, is there a reason? That’s a unique one.

Beth van Bladel [00:06:05]:
Date of birth.

John Garrett [00:06:06]:
Oh, well then, yeah, that works. We got 2 more. Pens or pencils?

Beth van Bladel [00:06:13]:
A nice easy-flowing pen, so it keeps a nice flow.

John Garrett [00:06:17]:
Yeah, I’m with you on that one. And then the last one, the favorite thing you have or the favorite thing you own?

Beth van Bladel [00:06:22]:
I would have to say that’s my Can-Am Spyder, my 3-wheel machine. It’s a snowmobile on wheels, and it’s my alternate meditation cushion.

John Garrett [00:06:32]:
Yeah. Oh, okay. Okay. I like that. That’s fantastic. Well, we’ll jump into Can-Am Spyder, but I know it’s a journey to getting there for you. And so that wasn’t your first “And”. So how’d that get started with the outside of work, Beth?

Beth van Bladel [00:06:47]:
I would say the origin story for my and is I grew up on Long Island and, you know, once upon a time it was very colonial and then eventually suburbia hit. And so what they did was they uprooted all of the old houses from the 1700s and moved it into this one spot called Old Bethpage Village Restoration. In Massachusetts, there’s a place called Old Sturbridge Restoration. And what was really cute is my dad took me there and it was just like being— living an episode of Little House on the Prairie, which was like my favorite book. I actually won it in a spelling bee. And you could go in and see in an old schoolhouse and there was a teacher that was— so they’d have volunteers that would dress up. So you had the pastor, the teacher, you’d sit in the class in the schoolroom, which was also the church, and then you’d go in the saloon and they’d give you some sarsaparilla with some pretzels. And it’s just, there was something about that that I just wanted to be Laura Ingalls.

Beth van Bladel [00:07:42]:
I wanted to be out of suburbia in the countryside with animals and being in a peaceful place. And I— so then what ended up happening was I went to SUNY Albany, went back to Long Island, worked in Manhattan for 5 years, and then was on the 5-year plan to just get out of there. I transferred. I worked for— it was Arthur Young, then became Ernst Young, and transferred up to the Albany office. I bought some land and built a post-and-beam house in the countryside. Then I started going to country fairs and I learned that miraculously, when I used to go to Macy’s and get a sweater, I found out where they came from. I went to the New York State Fair and I watched a shear to shawl contest and I watched them shear the sheep and dye it and spin it and then knit a sweater.

Beth van Bladel [00:08:30]:
And I just was like, if I’m going to be being a CPA and audit and then ultimately be going into industry as a controller and a CFO, I wanted some balance in my life. So I was going to get sheep and then I found out people were putting llamas with the sheep to protect them, so I started a network and I made some friends who had llamas and I used to hang out on their— at their farms on the weekends and get hands-on experience what it was like to do veterinary care on a llama and take care of them and feed them. And then I found a professional organization, an association called GALA, the Greater Appalachian Llama and Alpaca Association. And I was going to their conference every year and I was taking their veterinary classes.

John Garrett [00:09:08]:
But you didn’t have a llama at the time. You were just a big fan.

Beth van Bladel [00:09:11]:
Big fan. Literally, I once carpooled with someone in a minivan to Providence, Rhode Island. We had a llama in the back of the minivan, went through Wendy’s drive-through, and they’re looking at us like we’re crazy with this llama sticking his head out. It was hilarious.

John Garrett [00:09:27]:
That’s so great. That’s fantastic. Yeah.

Beth van Bladel [00:09:30]:
And then so what happened was I ended up— from the person I was helping out, I ended up getting 2 of her females. And when you start with females, they usually come with a future breeding. So, we got all set up with the 2 females, and then Ashton, the stud, spent the summer with us, and we attempted to breed. And it was funny, I actually took a llama Lamaze class.

John Garrett [00:09:50]:
Oh, wow.

Beth van Bladel [00:09:51]:
They had like a stuffed llama, and then I actually watched videos. I read books on, you know, how to breed and how to— and then what would happen when the lamb is born. So, here I am, reading the books and it says gestation is 360 days. So I’m doing my math and I’m like, okay, it’s going to be Memorial Day weekend. And I’m sitting on my porch and I’m waiting for it, waiting for it. I go in to get a cup of tea. My husband comes in and says, I think the baby just dropped. And the book said the mom will give birth in the mid-morning when you’re not looking.

Beth van Bladel [00:10:28]:
That’s what the book said. And it really happened.

John Garrett [00:10:31]:
It’s in the book.

Beth van Bladel [00:10:32]:
And then the book said that the llama should be up and bouncing around like pretty quickly and it wasn’t. So I run out there and I’m looking at it and looking at my books because this was before Google, right?

John Garrett [00:10:45]:
Right.

Beth van Bladel [00:10:46]:
It was early 2000s and I’m like, uh-oh, it’s premature. What do I do? So good luck getting a vet to the house on Memorial Day. So I worked my network and I called around and I begged people to come over to help me and they coached me by phone, but they’re like, it’s really important you get mom’s milking that baby as soon as possible. So start milking that llama. And I’m trying everything, okay? And nothing’s happening. And I’m like, I can’t get it to work. I’m squeezing, I’m pulling.

John Garrett [00:11:14]:
What would Jean-Luc Picard do? That’s where you need to—

Beth van Bladel [00:11:17]:
Exactly. What would Jean-Luc Picard do, right? And so finally, one of my friends was like, squeeze and pinch really hard. And it worked. And then I spent 48 hours straight in the barn with that little baby llama, literally holding him up to nurse from his mom until he could stand on his own. And then he grew into a 500-pound, huge, beautiful Brazilian llama. I mean, gorgeous. And yeah, his name was Pegasus. He could leap in the air like he was flying, like he had wings.

Beth van Bladel [00:11:51]:
And yeah, so that’s my llama experience. And I did that for 20 years.

John Garrett [00:11:54]:
Wow.

Beth van Bladel [00:11:54]:
And while I was doing that and learning about healthcare systems for animals, I was doing a lot of volunteer work and then I started getting into volunteer patient advocacy. I spent time— I segued from being a controller and a CFO into being like a fractional CFO so I would have time to volunteer and I started learning the healthcare system in the Albany, New York Capital Region, shadowing healthcare practitioners. And from there, I took my audit experience and started making checklists— how to prepare for a doctor’s visit, how to manage medications, how to navigate a hospital discharge. And that was a really great experience to help people. And then, along with that stuff, I was getting into meditation, and Catskill Mountains are really close to me. There’s a lot of monasteries. And then I had this opportunity to combine it all.

Beth van Bladel [00:12:43]:
And I went— 10 years ago, I went on a medical service trip to Nepal. They have llamas there too, I think, right? They have yaks.

John Garrett [00:12:51]:
Oh, they have yaks.

Beth van Bladel [00:12:52]:
Yaks, which are just very furry. They’re more like a hybrid sheep more than anything. Big horns. And people milk them for their milk. And there’s a great story out of that milk. You can make butter with that milk. So here I am. I’m, you know, not a great packer.

Beth van Bladel [00:13:10]:
All I could do is pack like 23 pounds in my duffel bag. We had to fly from New York to Kathmandu, up to Simikot, which is in the Humla region of Nepal. You know, we’re like 10,000 feet up there. We had Sherpas with us, and we were trekking from village to village to village bringing holistic medical care. Acupuncturists, I was assisting. But when they told me where we were going, they said, be prepared, it’s a gift what you’re bringing them, so there’s going to be a big ceremony when you arrive. And they’re going to be dressed in ceremonial garb and they’re going to be playing music and there’s going to be a butter ceremony because they can make butter out of a yak.

John Garrett [00:13:52]:
Okay.

Beth van Bladel [00:13:52]:
The yak’s milk. And if you’re able to own a yak and make butter and waste it like that in a ceremony, it means you’re wealthy.

John Garrett [00:14:00]:
Oh.

Beth van Bladel [00:14:00]:
So we get out of the plane and we’re bowing to them and they’re treating us like we’re rock stars and they put these white scarves on us and then we bow down and before we know it, they’re patting this butter on our heads.

John Garrett [00:14:14]:
Oh, what?

Beth van Bladel [00:14:16]:
And I’m like, okay, done with butter.

John Garrett [00:14:19]:
Right.

Beth van Bladel [00:14:20]:
Well, we visited a lot of villages and we got a— every village buttered us. And I did not able to take a shower, no joke, for a month.

John Garrett [00:14:31]:
Like, who knew that that would be a verb that you would use appropriately in a sentence?

Beth van Bladel [00:14:35]:
I got buttered.

John Garrett [00:14:36]:
Like buttered. Like I got buttered.

Beth van Bladel [00:14:40]:
I mean, and we’re in this 2-person tiny tent, and when it got warm, it really smelled rancid. And one guy just took a whole can of coffee grounds and just was rubbing it into his hair. And another guy was so thankful he was bald. And then when we got back to Kathmandu, it took hours to get— I mean, I had the softest, most conditioned hair. That was brutal.

John Garrett [00:15:02]:
That’s amazing. I would have rolled out, like, showed up with like a loaf of bread or something. Hold on, like, just put like a piece of bread on the— butter the bread and then like that. There you go. Like, it’s— that was an amazing experience, though. That’s fantastic. Yeah.

Beth van Bladel [00:15:15]:
And then from there, I only had 2 llamas left. And so, they’re herd animals, so you never want to leave them alone. So, I found a farm that was looking for llamas to guard their sheep. And so, I brought Pegasus and Bobby, his brother, over to this farm, and a goat had been born that day, and it looked like a mini version of him. Pegasus turned into a goat bouncer. He wouldn’t let anyone near that little baby goat. It’s like he’d never seen a goat in his life, but he knew. And it was like dropping your kid off to college.

Beth van Bladel [00:15:48]:
See ya, Mom. Could care less about me ever again. I’d go back and visit him and he couldn’t care. But that freed me up for travel. And my husband is a motorcycle safety instructor, so I’ve been like a passenger on his motorcycle. And I said, it’s time for me to get my own license because riding with him was a lesson in essentials. I mean, I really couldn’t pack much. It was worse than packing for Nepal.

Beth van Bladel [00:16:13]:
So with a 3-wheel Can-Am Spyder, it’s like a Volkswagen Bug. Like you have the front trunk.

John Garrett [00:16:19]:
Nice.

Beth van Bladel [00:16:20]:
You have tons of your back. So I love that. I’ve put 30,000 miles on that bike since 2019. I take it to clients. It’s a great conversation with my clients. clients because, you know, they’re like, you’re an accountant and you ride a motorcycle? Are you kidding me? And I say, listen, I wear all the protective gear. I wear an inflatable vest, but it’s no different than being a CFO, which I am. I’m an outsourced CFO and we have to manage our risks, but life is short.

Beth van Bladel [00:16:48]:
We have to start having some fun.

John Garrett [00:16:50]:
Yeah, no, I love that so much. Like, that’s, that’s so amazing. And the Can-Am Spyder, it’s the 2 wheels in the front.

Beth van Bladel [00:16:56]:
And the one in the back. Yeah, it’s a much safer platform than having like one in the front and 2 in the back. Yeah.

John Garrett [00:17:02]:
Yeah. I mean, I wrecked a Big Wheel when I was a kid, so I can vouch for that.

Beth van Bladel [00:17:04]:
Oh my God. Yeah. You can roll that. Yeah.

John Garrett [00:17:07]:
Yeah. You can definitely roll a Big Wheel for sure.

Beth van Bladel [00:17:09]:
And you know, it’s funny because like my husband, the first time I went on a ride with him, we were going this really indirect way and it was really bugging me because I’m like, this is not direct. This isn’t efficient. And he’s like, Beth, man, We’re following this beautiful stream because if you follow streams and rivers, that means the road will be windy and twisty, and that’s so much fun. And that’s when I learned, you know, it’s not all about perfection. Maybe look more towards precision, but just like let it, let it unfold. But I think just my, my, you know, the culture of being a CPA and always having a plan. But I don’t know about you, COVID certainly taught us you really need to flex your— you got to be agile and be able to just like, like let go of the plan sometimes.

John Garrett [00:17:57]:
That’s why I— massive pet peeve of mine is the phrase future-proof or, you know, future-ready or whatever the jargon is. And it’s like, no, you’re not. I mean, you’re just not. I mean, like, you’re just not. I mean, just COVID, for example, where— how future-proofed and how future-ready were you for that one?

Beth van Bladel [00:18:17]:
Not.

John Garrett [00:18:17]:
You know, and so it’s like, uh, you know, to, for people to use that, that phrasing, I’m always like, you know, you, you can think about it, but don’t, don’t, don’t put a stamp of approval on it. Like you sealed it up, you know, kind of a thing. And yeah, who knows what the alternatives are, but then that’s where you have to trust yourself to say, I’ve got the skills to do whatever happens to get out of this. Yeah.

Beth van Bladel [00:18:38]:
And it’s interesting cuz you know, last year we rode Ireland.

John Garrett [00:18:41]:
Wow.

Beth van Bladel [00:18:42]:
Celtic Rider. He rents out motorcycles and Can-Am Spyders, and he puts the GPS on your bike. He books your hotel and your— we did it clockwise. And I thought, oh, we’re good. Until it got bad weather and we had to change the plans. One of the GPSs failed. One of us got sick. And then we realized— and then I kept thinking I failed.

Beth van Bladel [00:19:10]:
And then someone told me, because I want to ride Greece next year, and they’re like, Beth, it’s an adventure. That means let’s just let it be an adventure. But I don’t think I’ve ever looked at anything in my life like an adventure. And I don’t know, maybe that’s what happens when you get this far along in your life where you have to say it’s now or never. Just let’s see what happens, because otherwise you miss out. I’m learning that, you know, with my mindfulness practice. If you’re not present and if you don’t pay attention, And, you know, sometimes it could just turn into a happy accident. We have found some amazing stops by turning— making a wrong turn.

Beth van Bladel [00:19:46]:
And that can happen. Look at the myths. So many scientific discoveries were accidents.

John Garrett [00:19:50]:
Yes, very much. Yeah. And yeah, looking at it as like all of life is an adventure. It’s all an experiment. It’s all, well, let’s see. I mean, you know, we think that we’re in control and we’re not. Like, we’re not. And so it’s, you know, go along for the ride.

John Garrett [00:20:06]:
The more that you resist and the more that you fight it, the harder it’s going to be. So embrace and lean in, you know, type of a thing. And it’s so beautiful to me though, that throughout all of your career, you had this pull for the other parts of you to also be nourished and to also acknowledge them and shine a light on them.

Beth van Bladel [00:20:27]:
Yeah. And we were talking about this before we started to record, you know, here it is, my “And”, and if you ask me like, what’s my favorite favorite things to do is ride my spider, and I love my yoga. Ironically, I went to a yoga retreat last weekend, and of all things, an om sign, which is a sign of the universe— it was solid wood— came crashing down on me. It was hanging over the front door, and it karate chopped me. I laugh— well, I wasn’t laughing then. I was crying, literally. But, you know, when I first started my meditation practice in the Catskill Mountains at the Zen Mountain Monastery, you’d sit in this meditation hall.

Beth van Bladel [00:21:01]:
And in Japanese Zen, you can’t move. If you move, they will say, sit still. And then if you’re struggling, they’ll come around as well with a big stick and you put your hands in a prayer position and they will hit you in that same exact spot—

John Garrett [00:21:18]:
On your shoulder.

Beth van Bladel [00:21:18]:
With the stick on the shoulder.

John Garrett [00:21:20]:
Yeah.

Beth van Bladel [00:21:20]:
And boy, did I get a really big stick. And it was really interesting because I put it into Japanese Zen. ChatGPT, like, what does it mean when an om sign comes crashing down on your shoulder? And it basically said, are you shouldering too much? Do you— is, you know, is the universe telling you you need to slow down? And, you know, living in upstate New York, I can only ride half, not even half the year. And I just saw my acupuncturist and she’s like, uh, you’re not going to be riding for a while this summer, I don’t think. And your yoga, you’re going to have to take a pause on that too. So pause on my 2 favorite things. At first it felt like something was being taken from me. And then I think about how many more good years do I have to be able to do physical activities like riding? But then my acupuncturist is like, no, nothing was taken from you.

Beth van Bladel [00:22:11]:
It’s like the universe telling you maybe it’s time to just slow it down a little bit. And one of the things that she pointed out to me, which was, I think was fascinating because when people look at my resume and my accomplishments, you know, you think great, right? But what I’m learning at this stage in my life is that there was also a cost. And she said, Beth, you run on adrenaline, and when you run on adrenaline, that can really deplete your chi, your life force, and you, you don’t get that back. So I feel like this is just It’s just kind of a rebalancing.

John Garrett [00:22:48]:
Yeah, I mean, I—

Beth van Bladel [00:22:49]:
it—

John Garrett [00:22:50]:
that’s such a great lesson for everybody, you know, listening, that, you know, just a reframe of things, you know, like, because what is, is, and whether it’s good or bad is up to the lens that you’re looking through. And so you got hit on the shoulder by an OM sign. Is it good or is it bad? It is what it is. And you can choose which lens to look through. And one is easier on your life and one is much, much harder, you know? And so just, I love that, that it’s, you know, it’s a pause. It’s a, it’s just a— Because by pausing, maybe then you have more years where if you burn hard this year, then maybe that takes away those years. And like you were saying, your life energy. And that’s what the other thing too, like with so many leaders of professional services organizations that I work with, they’re always so short-sighted.

John Garrett [00:23:38]:
It’s always like, well, what are we like? What are we doing now? Now? And I’m like, yeah, but 5 years from now, that’s really bad. Like, do you even just look past today or next week? And they’re so like, like, we’re all going to be broke and homeless if we don’t do it right now. And it’s like, just calm down. Like, you’ll be all right, you know, type of a thing. So I think that’s a good mindset to carry through a lot of things. Yeah.

Beth van Bladel [00:24:01]:
And as a patient advocate, I’m always curious why one day somebody is really healthy, one day they’re healthy, and the next day they get this fatal diagnosis. I see it with a lot of people like a month after they retire. And I honestly believe that it’s— they’ve been ignoring themselves. And then you finally come in. It’s like people get sick on vacation. My dad always got sick on his vacations because he’s pushing against that adrenaline. And then you have time and then it all starts to show. So I really do feel like it’s important to pay attention to those signs and listen to your body.

John Garrett [00:24:35]:
That’s incredible. And how much do you feel like it matters for professionals to have an and, or for leaders to nourish that in their people at their organization?

Beth van Bladel [00:24:46]:
You know, it’s interesting. I didn’t have children. And so I was one of those people who was putting in all those crazy hours because I was making my work life my family life. And I think that it wasn’t until It wasn’t until I moved up to the countryside and developed my “Ands” that I started to really learn how to shut off work. Or, the subconscious is really important. Even though I might be doing something with the animals, something’s happening in the back of my mind. I mean, here’s the thing. If I needed to get something done with the llamas and I was walking out there with this really serious intention, they could feel the energy on me.

Beth van Bladel [00:25:28]:
I was like, it was quite a mirror and they were not going to participate kindly. So it really taught me a lot how interaction— but I think it’s important to have that balance so you give yourself a break. The central nervous system, there’s a lot of studies on it now and just taking a break from that constant and realizing that it gives you greater insights and appreciation for your coworkers. Because I think my level of intensity Almost at the beginning of my career, I think I almost was a little too intimidating to people. And so, when I started to relax, they could relax more with me.

John Garrett [00:26:02]:
Yeah. And be— just be more human and show them those other sides of you. So then, it’s not so intense like you said. That’s amazing that you experienced that and that you saw it as opposed to just, you know, it happened and you were unaware because you were so busy punching in those billable hours type of thing. Yeah, that’s incredible and really fantastic and really awesome. So I feel like this has been really, really fun, but I rudely peppered you with questions at the beginning, and I feel like it’s only fair that we turn this around and make this the Beth aan Bladel podcast. So thanks for having me on. I’m all yours, whatever you want to ask me.

John Garrett [00:26:41]:
I’m in the hot seat now.

Beth van Bladel [00:26:42]:
So a lot of times I think to myself, what would I— what advice would I give to my younger self? It’s really easy. Don’t chew gum and don’t wear Bluetooth in your ear, because then your ears will start ringing and you’re going to crack your teeth. So what advice would you give your younger self?

John Garrett [00:26:57]:
That’s amazing. That’s amazing. I think it would be, it’s going to be okay, but not in the way that you think it’s going to be okay. So yeah, I mean, when I, when I was in school, you know, I was like, you know, I’m going to be an engineer. I mean, I was just killer at Legos and Lincoln Logs and all that. And like, science and whatever. And then when I got to Notre Dame, I just got destroyed, absolutely destroyed. And it was just, have a plan, but yeah, I mean, good luck with that.

John Garrett [00:27:31]:
And then you get a D in physics and you’re like, well, I don’t think I should be anywhere near bridges or any engineering at all. So that’s when accounting was for me. And then also, dude, you can make a difference. Like, you can really make a difference. Um, you’re not insignificant. Every once in a while, there’s times where, you know, the imposter complex or whatever creeps in. And, you know, and so it’s like, no, no, like, you make a difference. Like, people’s lives are, are forever changed because of your interaction.

John Garrett [00:28:04]:
And that applies to everybody, everybody listening, everybody, you know? And so choose how you want that interaction to be and You know, go, go about your day like that. You’re not insignificant. Like, people see you and people notice you and care.

Beth van Bladel [00:28:18]:
Well, I watched you at AICPA Council in May in New Orleans, and you really raised level of self-awareness and energy in that room because you were able to show your “And” and how you just, you know, you saw that you had other interests which had nothing to do with, um, I mean, accountants are not typically risk-prone people and, um, that really inspired us an incredible amount.

John Garrett [00:28:44]:
Well, thank you so much for that. Yeah.

Beth van Bladel [00:28:46]:
So leading into my second question, my last question is, so you’re a very high-energy person in that room, on your podcast. You really, you know, you’ve done a lot. You have so many different, you have a lot of balls in the air. How do you manage your wellbeing when you project so much high-energy engagement? Like, what do you do? To balance that out and make sure that you’re refilling your well?

John Garrett [00:29:10]:
So shockingly, I’m massively introverted, like massively. Like when I’m on stage in front of a whole audience, I just look at it as no different than one-to-one like you and me right now. It’s very much a one-to-one and I just pour into every single person there and then crash. I’ve never turned the TV on in my hotel room. Except for when I was traveling during World Cup, I watched a game there. Otherwise, I don’t even know where the TV remote is. Like, I don’t know any outside noises, any, like, very chill on that. And then also through meditation, gotten into a lot of like Joe Dispenza’s work and things along these lines.

John Garrett [00:29:50]:
And so that’s also been very helpful to just, you know, go out of the body a bit and really go you know, to a, to a higher level of, of consciousness, to be aware of, you know, the things that are happening and the things that, you know, just almost like a reset of put it all in perspective kind of a thing, um, has been helpful. And, and just, yeah. And then just taking care of my energy. Like after I do a keynote or travel, coming back, like that next morning’s blocked off on my calendar. Like I’m not coming back and the next morning doing a, you know, I used to, And then I realized, you know, I don’t have to anymore. Like, I can block that off. Um, you know, the person that chose that time on my calendar didn’t know that what I was doing, you know, they don’t, they’re not aware. So make it a good time for me too, you know, type of thing.

John Garrett [00:30:39]:
And so little things like that, uh, that I do and try to be consistent on, but, but definitely not high energy all the time. Like, not a Robin Williams, like you referenced earlier. Not at all. Like, You know, I dial it up when I need to, and then most of the time it’s pretty chill, I like to think.

Beth van Bladel [00:30:57]:
Yeah, we just definitely need that downtime. And I— and that’s one of the things I always do when I’m coaching my clients in, in taking care of themselves, because people don’t realize an outsourced CFO, so much of what we do is coach, therapist, whatever, but try to help them see their value and take care of themselves. But, you know, schedule that, block out that time on your calendar It’s a meeting with yourself.

John Garrett [00:31:20]:
Very much.

Beth van Bladel [00:31:20]:
Right?

John Garrett [00:31:21]:
Go out.

Beth van Bladel [00:31:21]:
It’s a beautiful— I’m always saying it’s beautiful outside right now. Have you gone outside yet? Have you stepped outside?

John Garrett [00:31:27]:
Yeah. Go touch grass or whatever they say type of a thing. Yeah. I mean, every morning, every Monday morning, I don’t open it up till 11:00 AM. And every Friday it stops at 3:00. And it’s like, you know, that’s definitely me time. And if I’m done, then It’s no time. Like, it’s just, you know, whatever, I’m out.

John Garrett [00:31:47]:
Like, more work doesn’t equal more productivity. I’ve even experimented somewhere. It’s like, I’m just going to do a 4-hour day. And I often get more work done in a focused 4 hours than I do in 8 hours of whatever lollygagging I’m doing, you know, type of thing. And so it’s, you know, like, be intentional with your time, like, you know, and get away from the, I have to look busy, I have to act busy, billable hours, whatever. Like, you know, it’s, it’s not, it’s not true. So if anything, it’s, it’s the opposite of what they’re trying to reinforce. So, uh, yeah, but take care of yourself and, and having an “And” and, and sharing it with others is super, super important.

John Garrett [00:32:27]:
And it’s so encouraging to hear that. I mean, you’ve been a living ambassador for this movement for decades, which is awesome. So I love it. So thank you so much, Beth, for being a part of “What’s Your And”?

Beth van Bladel [00:32:38]:
Thank you. Thanks for having me. Yeah.

John Garrett [00:32:43]:
And everybody listening, if you want to see some pictures of Beth on her bike or connect with her on social media, be sure to go to WhatsYourAnd.com. And while you’re on the page, please click that big button, do the anonymous research survey about corporate culture, and don’t forget to read 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.