Andy Wang started playing guitar just after graduating high school and later joined a punk rock/ska band when he was in college. He started after his father told him, "Why talk about it? Go take a lesson!" Since then, he's learned to play the Hawaiian slack key guitar and has entertained Christie Brinkley, performed at Staten Island Stadium, the Highline Ballroom, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and the Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Festival, where he was able to perform with his musical heroes.
In this episode, Andy and I talk about how his guitar playing benefited his career in so many ways. He developed a niche by realizing there weren't many Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar players in New York City. He also learned to take a leap of faith and trust the process -- you'll get better over time. Early in his career, he didn't share his guitar playing because he didn't feel that it benefited his career. Now he's inviting clients to his shows, includes it in his twitter bio and on his page of the firm's website. Andy said, "When you're in the business world, there's always the risk of trying to take yourself too seriously. The fun goes out the window."
The Green Apple Podcast does weekly "Green Apple Slices", where John Garrett and Rachel Fisch discuss a recent business article related to the Green Apple Message. These shorter segments are released each Monday, so don't miss an episode by subscribing on iTunes or Stitcher.
This week, John and Rachel discuss a Washington Post article, "Uber founder Travis Kalanick resigns as CEO amid a shareholder revolt" by Elizabeth Dwoskin.
Drew Carrick, aka "Petty Ca$h", has always wanted to entertain those around him. Whether it's his original rap songs about accounting or him being his college mascot for a few events, Drew really enjoys standing out, so he was a natural fit for the Green Apple Podcast. His "Public Accounting Anthem" went viral and the rest was history. Colleagues at his firm have recognized his innovation and entertaining skills, and as such deemed him as the "Most Creative". He's even performed his original rap songs at Grant Thornton events, which got the attention of the Marketing group for some special projects.
In this episode, Drew and I talk about how Grant Thornton is doing some things to promote bringing your whole self to work. Drew said, "You shouldn't only be yourself when you're at home or hanging out with your friends. You should be able to be that around the people you work with, too." For most people, work isn't the most important thing in their lives and they need to know that it's not only okay, but the norm. And it definitely doesn't make you any less effective at your job.
The Green Apple Podcast does weekly "Green Apple Slices", where John Garrett and Rachel Fisch discuss a recent business article related to the Green Apple Message. These shorter segments are released each Monday, so don't miss an episode by subscribing on iTunes or Stitcher.
This week, John and Rachel discuss a Forbes article, "Ten Company Rules That Destroy Trust And Teamwork" by Liz Ryan.
Chris Ekimoff refers to himself as a "swammer", as in someone that used to swim competitively. So competitive in fact that he was a member of the Saint Bonaventure University swimming team who won conference championship for the Atlantic 10 Conference in 2006. This helped him stand out in his start class at Deloitte thanks to the Summer Olympics happening the year he graduated. Many people found out he was a swimmer, so they were asking him questions about the swimming events, which allowed him to develop unique relationships at all levels of the firm.
In this episode, Chris and I talk about how being a part of a swimming team taught him to have confidence in himself while understanding how his piece fits into the bigger picture. He says that no one is judging you. Chris feels the firm plays a big role in this, saying, "The firm itself can't make you share but the firm also shouldn't limit it from happening." And shared experiences are great, too, but the firm must be careful to find a balance in activities so a variety of people can be involved.
The Green Apple Podcast does weekly "Green Apple Slices", where John Garrett and Rachel Fisch discuss a recent business article related to the Green Apple Message. These shorter segments are released each Monday, so don't miss an episode by subscribing on iTunes or Stitcher.
This week, John and Rachel discuss a Entrepreneur article, "Why You Should Never Follow Your Passion" by Bryan Elliott.
Jeff Crosley is a natural when it comes to performing, especially when it comes to the piano. He's been playing since he was very young and continued that passion through college, playing jazz and pop rock whenever he gets the chance. One such opportunity came before his firm's hospitality suite at an event in Atlantic City. As the Marketing Manager, he had taken the lead on planning and organizing the event. To take the edge off a little before the guests arrived, Jeff decided to sit at the piano that was in the room as decoration. And he never stopped. Both guests and firm partners encouraged Jeff to keep playing, often making requests and buying him drinks. This one moment has been the topic of conversation both in the office and with clients who were at the event.
In this episode, Jeff and I talk about that night and how using his piano skills made for such a great work event. We also discuss how his practicing and performing music is very similar to running marketing campaigns for the firm. And to never feel like you're the only one in your office who participates in a particular hobby or passion. He says, "Some people might think no one else shares their hobby but you don't know until you're talking about it."
The Green Apple Podcast does weekly "Green Apple Slices", where John Garrett and Rachel Fisch discuss a recent business article related to the Green Apple Message. These shorter segments are released each Monday, so don't miss an episode by subscribing on iTunes or Stitcher.
This week, John and Rachel discuss a Thin Difference article, "Pushing Past the Fear of Looking Stupid" by Eric Torrence.