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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 www.WhatsYourAnd.com. Now let’s jump into this week’s conversation.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:00:28]:
Hey, I’m Calvin Harris, CPA and CEO of NYCPA. And when I’m not running the Society or running in New York, I’m listening to John Garrett on What’s Your “And”?.

John Garrett [00:00:36]:
Welcome to episode 695 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. The book goes more in-depth with the research behind why these outside 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.

John Garrett [00:01:20]:
Truly, 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. 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, Calvin Harris. He’s the CEO of the New York State Society of CPAs and now he’s with me here today. Calvin, thanks so much for taking time to be with me on What’s Your “And”?.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:01:52]:
Hey, I’m really glad to be here, John. Thanks for having me.

John Garrett [00:01:54]:
This is going to be a blast. It was so cool meeting you in January. You’re a perfect example of this. So it’s just great to share this with everybody. I’m excited.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:02:02]:
Yeah, no, I’m excited to be here. We were chatting just before we came on that you had one of our past presidents, Rumby Petrozzello, on. So I feel like I follow her on these sort of things.

John Garrett [00:02:12]:
Hey, it’s all right. It’s all right. You’re both good people. So I’m excited to have you be a part of this. And I have 17 rapid fire questions. Get to know Calvin right out of the gate here. I mean, it’s right out. How about favorite color?

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:02:23]:
Blue.

John Garrett [00:02:25]:
Mine, too. Yeah. Yeah, that’s a popular one. How about a least favorite color?

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:02:29]:
Let’s go with fuchsia.

John Garrett [00:02:30]:
You know, and I agree on that one because you can’t even spell it or I can’t. So, you know, there you go. Like, it’s like, I don’t know, f you sha. Like, you know, it’s like, I don’t know. Are you more of an early bird or a night owl?

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:02:41]:
I’m a night owl, but I force myself to get up early.

John Garrett [00:02:44]:
That works. How about a first concert?

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:02:47]:
All right, so I’m from a little further south, just outside Washington, D.C. i’m pretty sure it was a Go Go concert, so I want to say it was probably Chuck Brown. RIP Chuck Brown. And so I think it was Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers.

John Garrett [00:03:00]:
That’s so cool. I love that. I love going to concerts, but the first one’s always a legendary, like, epic. How about a favorite actor or an actress?

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:03:08]:
Actor. It’s. Man, a bunch flew in my head, but the first one that popped in was Denzel was.

John Garrett [00:03:13]:
Oh, yeah.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:03:13]:
But I got to say actress at the same time. So I’m going to go Viola Davis. Even though there are a bunch of names, came in my head. So Fences is one of my. You know, it’s a hard movie to be because I had both of them with each other.

John Garrett [00:03:24]:
That’s amazing. Very cool. Very cool. How about a toilet paper roll? You go over or under?

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:03:29]:
Got to be over. No question about it. Shame on you. If you go under, you’re making it more difficult.

John Garrett [00:03:34]:
Okay. All right. There you go. How about puzzles? You go sudoku, crossword, A jigsaw puzzle.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:03:39]:
Definitely Sudoku because it has numbers versus words. And I feel like, honestly, I feel that Sudoku. Sudoku. I can’t pronounce it, obviously, but that puzzle is more fair than crossword because you could have language barriers. You could have context, you could have the clues. Might be a little tough, but Sudoku is just numbers. Just numbers and logic. Side note, I’m a cpa.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:04:02]:
Go figure.

John Garrett [00:04:02]:
No that’s so perfect. How about Star wars or Star Trek?

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:04:07]:
Oh, boy. Now we’re all right. So I began as Star wars for sure. Cause I saw the first movie in a theater.

John Garrett [00:04:12]:
Sure. Yeah, ditto. Yeah.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:04:15]:
And then I was more Star Trek because Captain Picard. And then I got all into that, but then the new movies came back. So I’m actually one of those few who are both. If we were at home, I have an Ahsoka Tano on there. She’s my favorite Star wars character. And then on Star Trek, it’s gotta be Worf. So I’m actually both.

John Garrett [00:04:33]:
No, that. I’ll take it. Man, that’s. That’s impressive. Your computer. More of a PC or a Mac?

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:04:38]:
PC.

John Garrett [00:04:39]:
Yeah. I was gonna say we can’t do both for that.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:04:41]:
You know, old school accountants like me, we were trained on PC, so they kind of. It was kind of forced on me, so.

John Garrett [00:04:46]:
Right. No, very much, very much ice cream. You go in a cup or in a cone?

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:04:50]:
Cup. Cones are too messy.

John Garrett [00:04:52]:
Yeah, yeah, for sure. Are you more sweet or savory?

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:04:55]:
Savory, without question. Growing up, I was very sweet. And if you ask them this, this applies to me. And not just the food, but I started out sweet when I was younger, but as I got older, it’s all savory. Savory and salty. That’s me with a dose of bitter.

John Garrett [00:05:09]:
Right? Right. I love it. That’s amazing. Since you’re in New York City, I gotta ask. Favorite pizza?

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:05:16]:
Oh, I don’t have one. But I gotta say, when I first came to New York, I’ve been here over six years. So now, you know, I’m in New York. I love it here. Love it, love it here. I had the foolish goal of trying to find the best pizza in New York when I first came here. Then I realized that was a foolish thing and I said, I’m gonna find the best pizza in Brooklyn. When I lived in Brooklyn, realized that was stupid.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:05:35]:
Then I went for the best pizza in my neighborhood in Brooklyn. And I still ran out of places to go before COVID hit. So, you know, I will say first, Times Square is a lovely visit. If you’re a tourist, do not go there for pizza. Never go to Times Square for pizza. But I’m going to say Brooklyn pizza, this is going to really tick off a significant portion of my members. But Brooklyn pizza is where you got to be. I’m going to go bed style.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:06:03]:
There’s a number of places in beds with a dose, believe it or not, of Brooklyn Heights. So Those are very different neighborhoods. But they’re walking. Yeah, very. But Brooklyn Pizza, I used to live.

John Garrett [00:06:11]:
In Park Slope and then Crown Heights.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:06:12]:
Oh, See? Pizza. And Park Slope, too.

John Garrett [00:06:15]:
Yeah, there is. Yeah. See, Brooklyn Pizza, Juliana’s. If you’re going to be over by the Brooklyn Bridge, it’s, you know, it’s the old Grimaldi’s. The old Grimaldi’s. Because it’s the oven.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:06:25]:
We were just talking about this home. There’s a place in Brooklyn on Montague called Montague’s Fantastic Pizza. I clearly was in there so much because when I walk in, the lady at the counter, whose name I still don’t know to this day, hey, honey, how you doing? You want the regular? I was like, okay, this must be my spot. That’s the way it works.

John Garrett [00:06:41]:
You’re Norma now. You’re the guy. Shout out.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:06:44]:
Montague’s in Brooklyn. On Montague. On Montague Street.

John Garrett [00:06:47]:
That’s fantastic. When you were a kid, do you have a favorite cartoon?

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:06:50]:
We’re gonna go back a bit. Speed Racer.

John Garrett [00:06:53]:
Nice.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:06:54]:
Go, Speed Racer, go.

John Garrett [00:06:56]:
Yeah. Go, Speed.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:06:57]:
Oh, my God. I did root for Racer X sometimes. I got older, I was like, you know what? I think Racer X had a point.

John Garrett [00:07:02]:
Yeah, right.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:07:03]:
Speed Racer was kind of a jerk sometimes.

John Garrett [00:07:05]:
A little bit.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:07:06]:
Shout out to racers.

John Garrett [00:07:07]:
Eager disco. Right? Right. How about balance sheet or income statement?

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:07:13]:
Oh, you know, the younger me said income statement, but the older me would say statement of financial position. Oh.

John Garrett [00:07:21]:
Oh, okay.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:07:22]:
There you go. You want to be real fancy. Balance sheet for sure.

John Garrett [00:07:25]:
Right, right.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:07:26]:
Net worth versus net income all day.

John Garrett [00:07:28]:
Impressive. Okay, how about a favorite number?

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:07:31]:
6?

John Garrett [00:07:31]:
6.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:07:32]:
Is there a reason numerology takes me to 6? So there you go.

John Garrett [00:07:36]:
Fair? Fair. Absolutely. We got two more favorite sports team, and it might be a loaded question.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:07:41]:
All right, so here. Here’s the thing, and it’s going to be a long answer. I know. This is rapid fire. My childhood favorite team by far was the Washington football team. They remain so my childhood was fantastic. My adult life has been generally terrible last year, but I’ve adopted a number of teams in New York. My favorite New York team is absolutely the Brooklyn Nets.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:07:59]:
It’s been ugly, but I was a season holder for a few years. But I will say the. I love every team that plays in New York State.

John Garrett [00:08:10]:
So that’s all the way from Buffalo through to the city. All right, there you go. Very good.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:08:14]:
Gotta play in New York State.

John Garrett [00:08:16]:
Well played. Yeah. Yeah. Your marketing team just stopped sweating bullets. There you go. Yeah. Because, I mean, when you were a kid, I mean, Doug Williams.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:08:23]:
Oh yeah.

John Garrett [00:08:24]:
Oh yeah, John Riggins was absolutely.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:08:26]:
So look, the New York State Society has an event, one of our chapters has an event where Joe Theisman is going to be there. And you know, I try to get to many chapter events and the moment I heard that I said, you know, I think I need to be there. And I’m like, do you really need to. Yes, I do.

John Garrett [00:08:41]:
Yeah.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:08:41]:
I’m going to support the child.

John Garrett [00:08:42]:
The 10 year old me needs to be there.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:08:43]:
The childhood me needs to be there.

John Garrett [00:08:45]:
Yes, exactly. No, that’s amazing, man. That’s awesome. And the last one, the favorite thing you have or the favorite thing you own.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:08:52]:
I’m going to go with the phone, which. Man, that’s some cliche stuff, but at this point, as I looked around this office, I can make do with almost everything except for the phone. Because the phone is personal, it’s work, it’s everything in between. I run with the phone. This particular phone’s been through a marathon or two, so it’s like it’s gotta be my favorite thing.

John Garrett [00:09:09]:
That’s impressive, man.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:09:09]:
We’re only talking options, objects and not.

John Garrett [00:09:12]:
Food or not family and whatever. I mean, of course, you know all that stuff.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:09:16]:
But.

John Garrett [00:09:16]:
Yeah, yeah, no, that, that’s fantastic. So let’s talk since you brought it up, I mean, the phone’s done some miles too. So the running, like how did you get started with that? Was it something you were into as a kid or was it more when you got bitter and grumpy as you got older and saved?

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:09:30]:
Yeah, more of the latter for sure.

John Garrett [00:09:32]:
Right.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:09:33]:
So look, when I came to New York, just before I came to New York, the job I had just before this one as a chief financial officer of the National Urban League based here in New York. And I left Maryland to come up here just before then I bought a peloton bike. Product placement, unintentional, but I bought a bike, right?

John Garrett [00:09:49]:
Yeah, yeah.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:09:50]:
But right around the time of that I ended up realizing, well, the studio’s here. I started going to the studio. So this is all pre Covid. I would be in the studio very frequently, mainly to keep myself healthy. Da da da da da. While there I met a lot of people. It was a great way to create a community in a new city. Is going there, met a lot of people, a lot of friends.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:10:07]:
I’m still in contact with today. End up, you know, knowing a lot of instructors and there I met all these people who loved running, which I thought was the craziest thing in the world. I still do Even though I do it. But once Covid happened, I had this thought that, okay, what am I going to do to stay sane and kind of do whatever Now, I fell into that buckle, but I still do. Technically, those people with a preexisting condition, very well maintained, but preexisting condition. I was literally quarantined. My doctor said, can’t do this, can’t do that. One of the things she said I could do was run outside.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:10:37]:
If I literally cross the street when I think, okay, fine. Well, it ended up being a good way to get outside, prevent cabin fever. I mean, granted, in the midst of COVID you know, worrying about getting outside, that is a first world problem, to be sure, but at the same time as a way to get outside. So. And it kind of grew from there. My first metal was on a. On a little bitty 5K. And then it just kind of grew from that to half marathons.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:11:00]:
And then I had the crazy idea on whether I could do a marathon, and I wasn’t sure. But after seeing a friend of mine also in that peloton world run New York City marathon, I was like, I can do that. So I’ve done the last three marathons. My first one is right back there, and I’ve done it ever since. So it’s at this point, I will admit, I’ve finally come along the way of saying, yeah, I’m a runner. You know, I don’t worry about my pace. I, you know, my metal is just as shiny as everyone else’s. But it ends up.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:11:27]:
I was just saying a little earlier today to someone, I literally became one of those people that I find annoying who talk about running. It’s like, why are you bragging about this? I don’t care that you can run all that. But I realized, for me, I actually believe it makes me a better person, a better CEO. It helps ground me. I will tell you for sure. When you are running in New York City, it’s a little less so in Westchester, where I live now. But it is a little treacherous to run in the streets of New York if you’re not being focused on that. So it creates a whole mindful sort of thing.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:11:58]:
And, oh, by the way, it helps keep me in pretty good shape. I’m in better shape now than I was before I started running, by far. So training now for marathon number four.

John Garrett [00:12:08]:
That’s impressive, man. Yeah, that’s so cool. Yeah. I mean, running, to me, is punishment because I grew up playing sports where if I did run a mile, run a lap, run Laps and run sprints and run. And so, like. But I look like a runner. And that’s what’s so annoying, because people want to talk to me. Other runners want to talk to me.

John Garrett [00:12:27]:
And I’m like, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Like, I don’t have a favorite shoe. I don’t know what you’re like, good for you. Like, that’s great. I did a half marathon once, and because I was dating someone, and that’s why I did it. And it should not be called half of anything, because that’s still far. That’s a full something. I mean, like, that’s far.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:12:45]:
It’s a full bit of pain. Yeah. But I will tell you this. You know, there is. I’ve been up here a while. There is no better day on the New York City calendar, biased, of course, than marathon day. The running through New York City and having people cheering is just mind blowing. The energy.

John Garrett [00:13:08]:
You go through all the boroughs in Central park and like, all of it. Yeah.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:13:12]:
New York gets a reputation as being a rough place. And it is, you know, New York’s not for everybody. Or I’ll say New York City, because once you get a little further north, as you know, it’s. It’s a lot more. It’s a lot nice.

John Garrett [00:13:22]:
By further north, you mean like 10 miles north?

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:13:24]:
Like, it’s like, it’s a little different. New York’s a place that’ll toughen you up. And I mean that in a good way. I love that part about it, to be honest. But the love that you get from New York when you are riding in those streets is just hard to even describe. It’s amazing.

John Garrett [00:13:40]:
I mean, New York City is the most resilient city I’ve ever been to, lived in. I mean, like, the people there are just. I mean, no matter what, you know, it doesn’t matter. We’ll get around it. Okay. You know, the subway’s closed. Well, I’ll walk. I’ll, you know, drive.

John Garrett [00:13:54]:
I’ll, you know, like, there’s no. You can’t put up any barricades because. Well, we’ll just climb over and we’ll go around them. We’ll do, you know, like, whatever.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:14:00]:
Absolutely. You cannot keep New York down. I don’t believe such a thing exists. So.

John Garrett [00:14:05]:
No, I believe it. So what were some of your more fun runs or memories that you have from these?

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:14:11]:
Yeah. Well, I’ll say that the first half marathon I did was a virtual half marathon, and I did it. The Brooklyn half usually happens in May. And In May of 2020, it was canceled, but I was planning on running it. So I ended up creating a path where I started at the Brooklyn Bridge, which is not where the course typically is, and ran down to Coney Island. But what I ended up doing is that was literally my first time. I ran across the Brooklyn Bridge to where my old office was. Well, now my old office.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:14:38]:
So it was my first time in Manhattan, was running around during COVID and I ran all the way down. And one of the cool things was that part of the way a friend of mine from the Peloton Studio joined me for the last bit of the race, which is very cool. Shout out to Notar, who ran with me to rest. So that. That sticks out because it was my first time running that far and a bunch of my friends were waiting for me. Shout out Stephanie, who was there that day. So it’s always cool then. My first marathon, of course, was amazing because my fiance was there, my sister was there, my niece and nephew were there.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:15:10]:
And I remember the first time that race. And it’s the picture there. And granted, I might have been a little delirious after a while, but there were points in that race where friends of mine just kind of popped up and said, calvin, keep going, keep going. And it was just an amazing, amazing feeling. So it’s hard to be. Every marathon day has been amazing. Every marathon is honestly painful at some point and exhilarating at some point, and you just kind of put through it. But those.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:15:37]:
I gotta admit, the longer runs just tend to stick out a lot.

John Garrett [00:15:41]:
Sure. No, I mean, I would absolutely believe that for sure. I mean, because, I mean, it’s. It’s a feat. I mean, it’s something to be proud of. Like, look at what I did, you know, And I love how you said earlier, you know, like. And I find this with runners especially is. I don’t know if I can call myself a runner because I didn’t win the Boston Marathon or some crazy.

John Garrett [00:15:58]:
And it’s like, no, no, I enjoy running. Well, now the pressure’s off. I know it’s asking your time, like, no one. Like, guess who cares? Like, and if anyone does, well, then, you know, they’re not your friend. Like, that’s crazy.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:16:09]:
That’s a good point. And I will admit I only recently, and I mean, over the last few months, really finally got it into my head to not, you know, quantify my number or try to apologize. You know, the reality is. And part of it is just because, you know, I’ve got a Bit of a, of a physical limitation. My, my lungs just simply aren’t as strong as someone else. It’s just the reality. So there are people with my condition who literally can’t run, which honestly inspires me a little bit because I’m like, gosh, this person literally can’t do it. The least I can do is while I’m still able, let’s, let’s go in and do it.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:16:42]:
You know, the reality is, you know, so many of my friends will say, you know, your pace is your pace. If you need to walk, then you walk. If you can run, then that’s fantastic. And you know, I will admit my goal for this year because I last year I was very close, but I almost, well, almost threw up. So, you know, little detail during the race, unfortunately that didn’t happen. But I just want to finish it just slightly faster than last year. But goal is to just finish.

John Garrett [00:17:08]:
No, man, that’s. I mean, my goal would be not pee my pants.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:17:12]:
That’s a worthy goal, right?

John Garrett [00:17:14]:
I mean, that’s really every day, to be honest.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:17:19]:
Well, you know, it happens sometimes.

John Garrett [00:17:22]:
The bar is low for other people. Okay, Calvin, but you said earlier how, you know, finishing a long race and there is pain, there is that pride that comes from enduring that. You know, do you feel like this is a skill set you bring to work or is there something else that, that the running makes you better at your job?

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:17:38]:
Yeah, I, I do think that’s part of it. I think especially if you’re running longer distances out there, there’s certain things that you, you have to remember. So like, at least for me at this point, I know during every long run, the half marathons, it doesn’t typically happen, but anything once it goes longer than that. But definitely every marathon there will be some point where I inexplicably am in pain, but the pain is actually going to go away. But there will also be some point where I’m inexplicably feeling fantastic, the so called runner’s high. And that won’t last in the end. I’ll still feel great when it’s all done. So for me, that reminds me that over the long haul, particularly if you know you’re on a long.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:18:16]:
Sometimes it’s like, it’s literally like that there will be times when it’s difficult and you just need to, you just need to bear down and you will make it through. You’ve made it through tougher things. I’ve, I’ve told myself many times, you’ve made it through tougher you will make it through this. And I also find for me, unless I’m injured, which fortunately, knock on whatever hasn’t happened, is that no matter how difficult I. It is, more often than not, I’ll actually feel fine. Two hours later on a marathon, it’ll probably be two days later, but it won’t last. The difficulty won’t last. And that’s an important thing to remember, particularly when you’re in a leadership role, that even when it’s a tough time, as dark as it can be, as it can get, and as tough as it can be, that it more than likely won’t last.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:18:59]:
So I have to remind myself of that. And running does help me keep that perspective in mind.

John Garrett [00:19:03]:
Yeah, no, that’s. That’s beautiful, man. Because it’s something where, you know, I found from talking to people about their ends, it’s wild how these are part of who we are. Like, we can’t cut them out or leave them outside of work, but they all make you better at your work. I mean, it’s a relatability factor. It’s a direct skill set. It’s a mentality thing. There’s something about it that makes you better at what you do.

John Garrett [00:19:28]:
To ask people to leave this out, or this isn’t professional, or this isn’t. And was there ever a part of you that thought, hey, I shouldn’t share the exercise, running part of me, or I shouldn’t talk about it. That inner demon voice, that’s not our friend.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:19:44]:
Yeah, absolutely. And I think part of this goes into the type of people, myself included, that go into accounting. In many cases, we are more on the conservative side and whatnot. I remember when I first got on what was then called Twitter. I remember someone asking me if I was going to have a separation between my personal and my work, having two accounts. And for a brief period of time, I did, but I found it too confusing to separate it out. So you’re going to create a business account and then a personal account, but I’m one whole person, and there are times when the personal will affect the work and vice versa. So I find that.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:20:22]:
And granted, there is a bit of privilege on this because there are some people that I’ve been in those situations where you really can’t comfortably have that personal and business mesh. But for me, it’s easier, it’s more natural. And as it turns out, at least for me, it ended up being better. You know, when it comes to, you know, the first time, you know, we’ve got on this T shirt, the first time I posted a T shirt on social media was actually on LinkedIn, and it was based on a dare. I do a lot of things on a dare. I was literally at a peloton studio here in New York, and I had a T shirt on. It was around Christmas time and I. And the holiday season, I had a T shirt on that said Santa’s favorite accountant.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:21:02]:
If you go deep in my LinkedIn feed, you can find it. And someone dared me to post it on LinkedIn. I was like, I don’t care. I’ll just let’s. I was like, I’m just having fun. It’s just silly. And it had all this. These comments and engagement on it, which I was like, this is just silly.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:21:16]:
And then someone dared me to, and I kept doing it. And then after a while, it became a thing. The same thing, like with me having these various tattoos on me. Shout out. Byron Patrick in Maryland.

John Garrett [00:21:26]:
Yeah, he’s been on that show.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:21:28]:
Yeah. Oh, I know. I interviewed him on my podcast as well. And he’s one of the first people I saw. I was like, but why not? It’s not the most unusual thing. And I think for me, particularly now in the accounting profession, when we have all these challenges, you know, with getting people interested in the profession pipeline, just the realities of population, because the accounting is not the only profession where there’s a shortage of people, but the things we can control is making it relevant for everyone. And I think one of the things that’s most important about that is helping people to understand of all ages that you should be able to be your best self at work. There’s this whole thing.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:22:06]:
Can you bring your whole self to work? I don’t know. I think in some environments, you know, you may not want to bring your whole self. Your whole self has you, you know, walking around the bathroom. That might not fit that company. Right. That’s your whole self. Well, maybe you don’t want to be that whole self right now. You know, you got to decide what is the best fit for you.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:22:22]:
And if that’s being in a very conservative office, there’s nothing wrong with that. If that’s being in a place where it’s T shirts and jeans, there’s nothing wrong with that. What’s most important is are you getting the work done? So for me, particularly as CEO here in New York, I actually am. I’ve done the work. I’m a cpa. I’ve had some success in a few areas. But I think just as important to show is that I’m an accountant who actually likes to run. I’m an accountant who has a sleeve.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:22:48]:
I’m deciding what tattoo I’m getting this summer because I tried to run more than a year ago without more ink. And I love to run. And all those things are me. All those things to me. And I’m still a cpa, and that’s fine.

John Garrett [00:22:58]:
And that’s why this is what’s your. And it’s not what’s your. Or you’re not a CPA or a runner. Like, you’re both. You’re all those things, you know, like, so. And that’s why it’s the nampersand, you know, it’s. It’s. We’re all of the thing.

John Garrett [00:23:09]:
We have all different parts to who we are. And sure, one of the parts is facing, but the other parts are still there, you know, and then when, you know, when you’re running, a different part is facing or when you’re at home, it’s a different part is facing or whatever it is. But they’re all still parts of us. And I mean, in my book, look, I go into, you know, what’s professional is changing as we’re talking right now. I mean, like, I mean, you know, and. But what’s unprofessional has always been there. And if you inhibit your ability or someone else’s ability to do their job, then, you know, not that, you know, like. And if it’s super taboo or supercharged or whatever, that’s not professional, you got to leave it out.

John Garrett [00:23:48]:
But if it’s, you know, if it’s, you know, I have a sleeve, you know, with some tats. Well, what are they all about? Like, I would love to know, you know, type of thing or whatever, you know.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:23:56]:
Absolutely. And it’s all still situational. I will freely admit that I have yet to go into a client meeting or we’re talking about someone we’re going to partner with, with the society or whatnot and have them showing. I will admit I’m still conservative in that regard to where I’ll have a loan screen shirt. All of my ink is intentionally set up to where I can easily cover it up if I want. That said, it ain’t that it ain’t the hardest thing to find out. So if you’re going to judge based on ink, well, gosh, it’s 20, 25. You’d need to catch up, catch up.

John Garrett [00:24:26]:
With the real world.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:24:27]:
But, you know, it’s still got to be situational. I don’t think you ever let those parts of you Go. It is important to know what fits best because there are going to be some environments where it doesn’t work. If you’re going to a formal gathering, I’m not going to have on a T shirt. I’ll have on a tuxedo or formal attire. But it’s all about the situation. You don’t have to let go of what makes you you to still fit in the particular situation.

John Garrett [00:24:50]:
Yeah, no, that’s exactly it. And right now our friend Byron is like, what about a tuxedo T shirt? Does that count? Like, is that like. And it’s no Byron. It does not count. So that’s such great words of encouragement for everybody listening of they’re all parts of who we are and you don’t have to let them go, they just don’t have to take the lead. And such great words of advice. And this has been so much fun, Calvin, but I feel like it’s only fair that I turn the tables. Make this Calvin Harris podcast and I’m in the hot seat.

John Garrett [00:25:21]:
Since I peppered you with questions at the beginning of the episode, I’m all yours now. So what do you got?

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:25:27]:
What is the favorite and you’ve heard, you know, I’m 695. So you know, just off the top, what’s the favorite and you’ve heard so far?

John Garrett [00:25:36]:
You know, sometimes people ask this like, you know, like when I’m done speaking at conferences or whatever. And it’s kind of like I would imagine if you had a bunch of kids, they’re all cool. But there’s some that are more unique where you’re like, wow. Like there was a guy in Austin, Texas who started an animal sanctuary of like rescued farm animals and all kinds of animals then, and now it’s a giant operation. But he still does like biz Dev for a SaaS company, you know, But I mean, he’s got a whole army of people doing it.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:26:08]:
That seems like a full time job.

John Garrett [00:26:10]:
Yeah, yeah. Well, you know, he does a good amount of, you know, the fundraising side of it and whatever. But he has people that run the sanctuary as well. I mean, but he’s there, they live there. Like, you know, kind of a unique one. I had a woman on who does stained glass. Like, I’ve always seen stained glass. But I didn’t know you.

John Garrett [00:26:26]:
Like, I didn’t know people make it. Like, I didn’t know where it came from. Like, it grows in a garden. I don’t know, like, and so, you know, just for fun, she, and she, she’s actually A bookkeeper. And she ended up getting them as a client. The studio is a client of hers because she started working there and was like, hey, well, this is what I do. Like, you need some help. And then there you go, sort of a thing.

John Garrett [00:26:47]:
So that’s always fun. I had a. I’ve had people that have been in bands, people that, you know, like, you know, volunteer stuff.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:26:54]:
I was in one, too.

John Garrett [00:26:55]:
Oh, really? Okay. What did you play?

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:26:57]:
Saxophone.

John Garrett [00:26:58]:
Oh, there you go. Saxophone.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:26:59]:
That is.

John Garrett [00:27:00]:
Saxophone. Yeah. Okay.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:27:01]:
I have a saxophone at home. Not many people know that.

John Garrett [00:27:04]:
That’s very cool. I played trombone when I was. I was in college in the marching band as well. But not like, you know, performing that level. I was in one of 300. So, like, that’s easier to miss a note or two, right? That’s cool, man. Saxophone. That’s awesome.

John Garrett [00:27:21]:
That’s very cool. Yeah. Nice.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:27:23]:
One more question.

John Garrett [00:27:24]:
Yeah, yeah, sorry, I forgot this is your show.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:27:26]:
No, no, no. Fine. Look, we were about to go on a good segue, and look.

John Garrett [00:27:30]:
Yeah, we were.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:27:31]:
You know, I will say my staff make fun of me on many levels, and actually, most of my members do. One of the things I am guilty of saying very frequently is just one more thing. Because I’ll have something like, wait a minute, one more thing. But unlike Steve Jobs, there’s no special piece of technology coming out when I say I forgot something. So what phrase or word or whatever do you probably say? More than you should, but, you know, you do it and you just say, the heck with it. That’s my. That’s my thing.

John Garrett [00:28:03]:
It is funny because when I’ll listen to episodes, I’ll say, yeah, no, but, you know, and it’s like, well, which one is it, John? Is it yeah. Or is it no? Or is it. Yeah, no. Or, I mean, I’m sure on this episode I’ve said it, you know, where. No, yeah, that’s exactly what. And it’s like, what are you doing, dude? Like, just say the one that you mean and then go with it instead of, like. It’s almost like I have an argument in my head that happens off air, like, that no one else hears. And then I’m telling that voice, no, yeah, this is the thing.

John Garrett [00:28:32]:
You know, like, type of thing. But the no comes out. So that’s. That’s a thing that. Yeah, no or no. Yeah. Comes up on occasion.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:28:38]:
That’s a good one. Yeah, that’s a good one. Yeah. I think I’m guilty of that because I. I frequently will nod my head and every once in A while I have to be reminded. My few of my staff are reminding me of that, but when I’m nod in my head, it’s really more like an acknowledgement that, yes, I hear you. Not necessarily, yes, I’m agreeing with you. And it absolutely might not mean, yes, I’m doing what you want.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:28:58]:
It just means, okay, I gotcha, I understand. So I have to sometimes remind myself to lock my neck in place as I. Stop nodding your head.

John Garrett [00:29:07]:
I’m more nodding like, wow, this. This person really thinks I’m gonna do that. Are you serious? Okay, okay. Like, wow, you got. You got some codies. All right, there you go. Like, that’s. Yeah, no, that’s not happening.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:29:18]:
There you go. All right. I think that’s the only question I had. I was about, well, all right, here’s an easy one.

John Garrett [00:29:24]:
Do one more, one more, one more.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:29:26]:
Well, it’s inspired. It’s inspired by the helmet in. At least on my screen in the top, I know that. What do you see happening this year?

John Garrett [00:29:37]:
Yeah, well, you know, this will be interesting because this will come out mid season, so. Yeah, I mean, that was a tough road loss. Notre Dame at Miami, we beat ourselves. Miami’s still a good team for sure, but we had two turnovers and. Yeah. So I think a team to be undefeated in this era of college football is going to be impossible. It’s going to be really, really tough. So, you know, it’s.

John Garrett [00:30:01]:
There’s a lot of heart, there’s a lot of talent. They really care. They fought back. And I think we figure it out and. Yeah, and have a fun season. We’re fun to watch and they’re good kids. Like, that’s what I do appreciate about Notre Dame is that when they’re interviewed, it’s full sentences that are, you know, like, it’s like, oh, wow, this, this is a college student that goes to class. Okay, I get that.

John Garrett [00:30:22]:
You know, and it’s, it’s fun to. Fun to them talk about other things because there was a big quarterback battle for who was going to be the starter. And, you know, one of them was like, you know, whatever happens, happens. I don’t define myself as a football player only. I’m other parts of me too. And that’s where what’s your end comes in of, you know, hey, if your whole identity is professional, if a client doesn’t choose you, or if you’re not chosen to be on that project or you’re not promoted or you’re whatever, that’s a 100% blow to your identity. But if you have these other parts to who you are, runner, volunteer, friend, family, you know, faith, all these things, then yeah, sure, that stings a little bit. But, man, there’s so much more to who I am and then my sources of confidence and identity and all of it, I mean, it’s just richer and better when you’re, you’re multidimensional.

John Garrett [00:31:11]:
And, you know, we’re not CPAs, we’re humans that do accounting work, you know, and that’s. That’s it. So that I saved that for your show.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:31:18]:
Yeah. I am stealing every word you just said. And I’ll say in terms of the Notre Dame, I have no skin in the game whatsoever. But I will admit, for me, and I think it’s really happened with leadership there, and it ends up being much easier when it comes to sports teams. But there are various people to where I don’t have any sort of rooting interest. I was like, you know, it is really hard for me to not cheer for this person. And I gotta say, Coach Freeman is one of those people. Coach Staley at South Carolina, Coach oriana or at UConn, even though they’re rivals.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:31:51]:
But, you know, I can still, you know, there are certain people that it’s like, man, boy, oh boy, I’d love to play for that person. Not that I could play it, but.

John Garrett [00:31:58]:
No, Coach Freeman is an amazing human. I’ve met him many times and done some stuff with him and projects there with football team and stuff. And he’s a great, great person. And another really, really great person that I met, he used to be the defensive coordinator of Notre Dame, head coach at Vanderbilt. Clark Lee is another amazing, amazing person that if I had a kid that played college football, one of those two would be easy, hands down, you know, just because they’re developing you as humans. Because the odds that you go, I don’t care how good of a high school player you are, that you even make it to college, it’s like a single digit percentage, but then from college to pro, it’s like less than 1%. And then the fact that you play pro for more than like the average contract is like a year and a half or less, and then you’re done. And it’s like, okay, sure, you got, you know, a couple hundred thousand or, you know, maybe 600,000 after taxes.

John Garrett [00:32:47]:
Now. What? You know, and, and that’s the thing is, you know, there’s other parts to who we are and that matters, and it’s important. And so I love that. And well, this has been so great. Calvin, you’re you’re such a great example for, for everybody of, you know, having an and and living it and sharing it. And so thank you so much for being a part of the show.

Calvin Harris Jr. [00:33:04]:
As are you. Thank you. Thank you so much, John. Glad to be here.

John Garrett [00:33:10]:
Yeah. And everybody listening. If you want see some pictures of Calvin running or connect with him on social media, 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, 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.