Leading Ladies - Lisa Howze

Summary

In this inspiring episode of Leading Ladies podcast, Lisa How, a Walsh College alum, CPA, and author, shares her compelling journey of resilience and success. From facing challenges in her early career to becoming a nationally recognized empowerment speaker, Lisa emphasizes the importance of creativity, imagination, and attaching oneself to a cause greater than oneself. Her experiences in politics and accounting, as well as her work with Junior Achievement, highlight the power of perseverance and the value of serving a mission bigger than oneself. Lisa's story is a testament to the impact of a strong mindset and the significance of maximizing the potential of every moment.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Lisa's three fundamental beliefs are: everything happens for a reason, there's a lack of creativity and imagination rather than money, and attaching oneself to a cause greater than oneself leads to significance in life.
• 📚 Lisa's journey began with her education at Walsh College, where she pursued a Masters of Science in Finance, inspired by the frequent requirement of a master's degree in job opportunities and her role as a church accountant.
• 💡 The importance of creativity and imagination is emphasized, as Lisa believes that these are the true currencies of success, rather than money.
• 🏛 Lisa's unexpected entry into politics was driven by the financial crisis in Detroit and her background as a CPA, showing that opportunities can arise from challenging situations.
• 🔄 Lisa's experiences with failure, such as not passing the CPA exam initially, demonstrate the value of perseverance and learning from setbacks.
• 🤝 The power of networking and building relationships is highlighted, as Lisa advises students to focus on both academic achievement and the connections they make during their education.
• 📈 Lisa's involvement in politics, including her role as Chief of Staff for the Mayor of Detroit, underscores her commitment to public service and contributing to a larger cause.
• 📖 'Candy Girl Mentality' is Lisa's book that encapsulates her life story and entrepreneurial mindset, teaching the next generation about financial acumen and leadership.
• 🌱 The concept of 'maximizing the meantime' is introduced, encouraging individuals to make the most of their current situation while keeping an eye on the future.
• 🏆 Lisa's recognition as Junior Achievement Advocate of the Year reflects her dedication to empowering youth through financial education and entrepreneurial skills.
• 💼 The impact of corporate sponsorship on education is discussed, with Lisa's book serving as a tool for organizations to invest in future talent and build lasting impressions.

Q & A

What are Lisa's three fundamental beliefs that guide her life and career?

Lisa's three fundamental beliefs are: 1) Everything happens for a reason, 2) There's only a lack of creativity and imagination, not a lack of money, and 3) To be great in life and have significance, one must attach themselves to a cause much bigger than themselves.

How did Lisa's early experiences with Junior Achievement influence her entrepreneurial mindset?

Lisa's early experiences with Junior Achievement exposed her to the concepts of entrepreneurship, economics, and leadership. This exposure was instrumental in shaping her entrepreneurial mindset and belief in the possibility of creating value and wealth from a young age.

What was the turning point for Lisa when she decided to run for politics?

The turning point for Lisa to run for politics was when she recognized the city of Detroit's $300 million budget deficit and realized that her skills as a CPA could contribute to addressing this issue.

How did Lisa overcome her initial failures in the CPA exam?

Lisa overcame her initial failures in the CPA exam by learning from a colleague, Maria, who had successfully passed the exam after multiple attempts. By following Maria's study patterns and dedication, Lisa was able to pass the exam on her third attempt.

What is the 'Candy Girl Mentality' that Lisa discusses in her book?

The 'Candy Girl Mentality' is a mindset that recognizes life's challenges as opportunities for growth and success. It involves seeing life as happening 'for you' rather than 'to you', and responding to adversity with resilience and creativity.

How did Lisa's involvement in politics lead to significant changes in Detroit's economy?

Lisa's involvement in politics, particularly her role as the first chief of staff for Mayor Mike Duggan, contributed to significant economic changes in Detroit, including helping the city achieve an investment-grade credit rating, which benefits various aspects of the city's development and its residents.

What advice does Lisa give to young people and professionals about building a strong network?

Lisa advises young people and professionals to not only focus on academic achievements and career progression but also to invest in building relationships with their peers, professors, and industry professionals. She emphasizes the importance of being present and engaged in networking events and opportunities.

How does Lisa's book 'Candy Girl Mentality' offer value to organizations interested in developing future talent?

Lisa's book 'Candy Girl Mentality' offers value to organizations by providing a framework for developing a strong financial acumen and entrepreneurial mindset among young people. Organizations can use the book as a tool to invest in future talent, while also gaining recognition through branded labels in the books provided to learners.

What is the significance of the 'BBOP' (Book Order Partners) program mentioned by Lisa?

The 'BBOP' (Book Order Partners) program is significant as it allows organizations to support the distribution of Lisa's book to young people while gaining recognition for their contribution. This partnership helps organizations brand themselves positively with the recipients and potentially cultivates a relationship that could lead to future collaborations or talent acquisition.

How did Lisa's experiences with adversity and failure contribute to her success?

Lisa's experiences with adversity and failure, such as not passing the CPA exam initially and facing financial challenges, taught her valuable lessons about resilience, perseverance, and the importance of learning from setbacks. These experiences helped her develop the 'Candy Girl Mentality', which ultimately contributed to her success in various aspects of her life and career.

What does Lisa recommend for individuals who face challenges or setbacks in their career or personal life?

Lisa recommends that individuals facing challenges or setbacks should view these situations as opportunities for growth and learning. She encourages people to stay focused on their long-term goals, be open to learning from their experiences, and maintain a positive mindset that embraces the belief that everything happens for a reason.

Outlines

00:00

🎤 Introduction and Personal Beliefs

The paragraph introduces Lisa, a Walsh College alum, entrepreneur, and author, as a guest on the Leading Ladies podcast. Lisa shares her three fundamental beliefs: everything happens for a reason, creativity and imagination overcome financial limitations, and attaching oneself to a significant cause is essential for making a mark in the world. She also discusses her excitement about being at Walsh College and her journey towards earning her Master of Science in Finance.

05:01

📚 Overcoming Challenges and the Importance of Persistence

In this segment, Lisa talks about her career path and the challenges she faced, particularly her initial failure to pass the CPA exam. She emphasizes the importance of persistence and learning from others' successes. Lisa shares how a colleague's study habits helped her pass the exam on her third attempt, highlighting the value of resilience and the idea that success leaves clues.

10:03

🏛️ Transition into Politics and the Candy Girl Mentality

Lisa narrates her unexpected entry into politics during Detroit's financial crisis, driven by her background in finance and public service. She introduces the 'Candy Girl Mentality,' a concept she discusses in her book, which is about turning life's adversities into opportunities. Lisa also shares how her political journey began with a failed mayoral campaign but led to other significant roles in public service.

15:03

🌟 Learning from Failure and the Role of Service

This paragraph focuses on Lisa's experiences with failure and how she used those lessons to move forward. She talks about volunteering and the unexpected benefits that came from her selfless acts, eventually leading to a significant career shift. Lisa emphasizes that being in the right frame of mind and being open to learning from others is crucial for success.

20:06

📈 Financial Education and Entrepreneurship

Lisa discusses her passion for financial education and how it led her to entrepreneurship. She shares a personal story of reevaluating her financial situation and the pivotal moment when she realized she might be deficit spending. Lisa's narrative also includes her involvement with the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) and her commitment to empowering others through financial literacy.

25:07

🏆 Reflecting on Political Achievements and Future Plans

In this part, Lisa reflects on her political achievements, including her role in helping Detroit improve its credit rating and her tenure as a Michigan State Representative. She talks about the long-term impact of her work and the importance of serving a cause larger than oneself. Lisa also discusses her future plans, hinting at the possibility of returning to politics and her ongoing commitment to public service through her book and advocacy for financial acumen.

30:09

💼 The Candy Girl Mentality and Entrepreneurial Mindset

Lisa delves deeper into the 'Candy Girl Mentality,' explaining it as an entrepreneurial mindset that involves perceiving life's challenges as opportunities. She shares her personal journey of bouncing back from setbacks, including professional and political experiences, and how she applied this mindset to create positive outcomes. Lisa's narrative emphasizes the importance of faith, learning from adversity, and the belief that life events happen for a purpose.

35:11

📖 Book Sponsorship and Empowering the Next Generation

The final paragraph discusses Lisa's book sponsorship initiative, where organizations can provide her book to young people, reinforcing the importance of financial literacy and entrepreneurship. Lisa talks about the benefits for both the readers and the sponsoring organizations, including brand recognition and contributing to the development of future talent. She provides information on how to access her book and expresses gratitude for the support of organizations investing in youth education.

Keywords

💡Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship refers to the process of designing, launching, and running a startup company or initiative. In the context of the video, Lisa exemplifies an entrepreneur through her various endeavors, including authoring a book and speaking engagements. Her entrepreneurial mindset is highlighted as a key to her success, as she consistently turns challenges into opportunities for growth and development.

💡Resilience

Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties or to endure tough conditions with strength and courage. In the video, Lisa discusses how she and other leading ladies have faced adversity with resilience, using setbacks as opportunities to bounce back stronger. Her personal experiences, such as failing the CPA exam initially and later succeeding, demonstrate her resilience.

💡Candy Girl Mentality

The Candy Girl Mentality is a concept introduced by Lisa in her book, which represents an entrepreneurial mindset focused on perceiving life's challenges as opportunities for growth and success. It involves recognizing that life events happen 'for' you, not 'to' you, and using these experiences to build a better future. This mindset is central to Lisa's personal philosophy and professional success.

💡Financial Empowerment

Financial empowerment refers to the process of equipping individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to take control of their financial decisions and improve their economic well-being. In the video, Lisa is passionate about financial education and aims to empower others, particularly through her book and speaking engagements.

💡Accounting Profession

The accounting profession involves the practice of accounting, which includes the analysis, preparation, and communication of financial information. Lisa's extensive experience in this field, as a CPA and in various accounting roles, has provided her with a strong foundation for her career and leadership strategies.

💡Leadership

Leadership is the action of leading a group of people or an organization, or the ability to do so. It involves setting a vision, motivating others, and making decisions for the benefit of the group. Lisa's journey into politics and her role as an author and speaker demonstrate her leadership skills and her commitment to serving a cause larger than herself.

💡Service

Service refers to the action of helping or doing work for others. In the video, Lisa emphasizes the importance of service in personal and professional development. Her volunteer work and acts of service have not only benefited others but have also led to significant opportunities and personal growth for her.

💡Networking

Networking is the process of building and maintaining professional relationships to exchange information, advice, or support. In the video, Lisa discusses the importance of networking in career development, emphasizing the value of connections made at events and in educational settings.

💡Adversity

Adversity refers to difficult or painful circumstances that test a person's endurance and ability to cope. In the video, Lisa's experiences with adversity, such as her initial failure in the CPA exam and challenges in her entrepreneurial journey, are portrayed as opportunities for growth and learning.

💡Personal Development

Personal development involves the growth and enhancement of an individual's skills, qualities, and abilities. It is a continuous process of self-improvement and self-awareness. In the video, Lisa's journey reflects her commitment to personal development, as she constantly seeks to learn from her experiences and improve herself.

Highlights

Lisa's three fundamental beliefs that guide her life and career.

The importance of creativity and imagination in overcoming financial challenges.

Lisa's journey to Walsh College for her Masters of Science in Finance and how it ties into her career path.

How Lisa's book speaks to the challenges and opportunities in the accounting profession.

Lisa's unexpected entry into politics and how her CPA background was crucial.

The story of Lisa's initial failure in the CPA exam and how she overcame it.

The concept of success leaving clues and the importance of learning from others' experiences.

Lisa's experience as a politician and how it led to her becoming the first Chief of Staff for the Mayor of Detroit.

The Candy Girl mentality and its significance in personal and professional growth.

Lisa's advice on maximizing the meantime and the importance of being of service to a larger mission.

The impact of Lisa's political career on the city of Detroit's credit rating and financial recovery.

Lisa's current role as an empowerment speaker, author, and career strategist.

The power of resilience and seeing adversity as an opportunity, a common theme in the Leading Ladies podcast.

Lisa's personal story and how her mother's belief in her contributed to her success.

The role of Junior Achievement in shaping Lisa's entrepreneurial mindset and career trajectory.

Lisa's advice for students on building networks and the long-term benefits of relationships.

How organizations can support youth by sponsoring Lisa's book and building their brand.

Transcripts

welcome to another episode of leading

ladies podcast at Walsh college today I

am so excited to be joined by one of our

Walsh College Alum and an incredible

entrepreneur and author So Lisa how

welcome to Walsh College Welcome to our

beautiful Creator Studio thank you for

joining us thank you for having me I'm

excited to be here oh Lisa I really

enjoyed our conversation we had a lunch

about a month ago maybe two months ago

and you were sharing your journey and I

met you at kind of an micpa Michigan

Institute of certified professional

accountants event and I was so impressed

by you speaking in the room talking

about your book which we'll talk about

in a second so if you could share a

little bit about kind know who you are

what you do and then your journey to

that brought you to Walsh college for

your Masters of Science and finance yes

absolutely so when you think about um

that question that people always ask

tell me about yourself I like to say

that the best way to get to know a

person is by what they believe and for

me I have three fundament beliefs number

one everything happens for a reason

number two like there are people who

believe that there's a lack of money

what I believe is that there's only a

lack of creativity and Imagination and

then number three if you want to be

great in life like if you want to have

significance in this world you must

attach yourself to a cause that's much

bigger than you and so when I think

about my life like that is literally How

I Live it oh I love this please I I love

this no one has ever introduced

themselves what those values and I know

I recognized those when you said that I

said this is from her book this is

amazing but I love when you said that

about how everything happens for a

reason so abolutely and the fact that

we're here today yes serves proof to

that like um I'm I'm so excited that you

are the president of Wash College my

love my alma moer um and then you know

professionally when people think about

who I am and what I do you know I am a

nationally recognized empowerment

speaker author CPA and career strategist

who has more than 30 uh three decades of

experience in government higher

education and the accounting profession

which is where I cut my teeth which is

why you saw me at the micpa event uh

last fall uh and then personally people

always say okay well that's the

professional Lisa house who is Lisa like

behind the scenes well I am a sister

I am the best auntie ever according to

my nie and nephews I like I'm the

original Bae

right the original B we got to put that

on hashtag I like that and I am that

close friend that they say you should

check in on that strong friend um many

times what happens is people will see

that outer appearance that that strong

woman like I had someone a couple of

weeks ago tell me that when she saw saw

my video of me getting out of the car

with these red shoes on yes that that

spoke to her and that it spoke the word

strength confidence and I can do it

right but there are sometimes that

sometimes you don't feel like you can

like you know that this is um yet

another challenge that you got to wake

up and and face um but you make it

through and uh I couldn't couldn't have

chosen a better life well and you speak

to that so well in your book too is that

just because you're on the path that you

want to be on or just because you're in

a career that you love doesn't mean

there aren't going to be challenges and

difficulties along the way you know

we're in one of the most challenging and

changing economies that we've been in in

a while and especially the accounting

profession is seeing so much change and

disruption we know at Walsh because

we're right on the Forefront of it

teaching and educating our students in a

lot of the different uh advancements and

the CPA exam but share a little bit

about your journey into into politics

because I know you have a very very

interesting and fascinating experience

there and then how the candy girl well

let's talk about what the candy girl

mentality is but also how those three

values of yours have really served you

through your life and through your

career wow so let's try to unpack that

one at a time right um let's start with

politics

um I would never have imagined going

into politics for number one right

however um when I did did enter into

politics it was at a time in the city of

Detroit when we were experiencing a $300

million budget

deficit and when you think about that

and how daunting those times were right

like city services weren't being

delivered on time um the mayor at that

time was threatening to shut off parts

of the city in terms of service street

lights were not working buses weren't

running on time and who better to sit at

the Hem or sit at the table than a CPA

right oh so that's how I positioned

myself in that race once it dawned on me

like okay if this is what I'm supposed

to do okay I'll do it but I'll tell you

when my friend called me that day to

suggest that I should do it I thought he

was crazy I was like I'm not doing that

but the fact of the matter is you talk

about everything happens for a reason

this opportunity presented itself as one

of those things that happened for a

reason now I tie it to me being a CPA

because of the very fact that we had

this budget deficit but when I think

back 20 years or so prior to that time

when I was just starting in the

accounting profession as an auditor with

Arthur Anderson um brigh eyed and bushy

tail right out of the University of

Michigan sitting for the CPA exam the

first time and guess what I didn't

pass so what did I do I did what anybody

else would do they jump back in and give

it another try and guess what I didn't

pass in fact the P the part that I

passed on the previous exam taking I

failed it but passed a different part I

was like what are the odds of that

happening I thought at least I repeat

you know a good performance on that one

part but that wasn't the case so as a

result I got upset I I was disappointed

I balded up the results I threw them to

the floor and I said I'm never taking

this test again

wow now imagine if I had stayed in that

place imagine if I didn't get exposed to

a young lady who was in our office who

was a year ahead of me and she had taken

the exam a number of times but this

particular time she passed three parts

and I said to her Maria how did you do

that she told me exactly what she did

she told me her study patterns she told

me when she studied and how she studied

and it was before work after work during

lunch on the weekends and that seemed

like too much for me I said I'm not

doing that and then I said wait a minute

Lisa you just asked her what did she do

she told you exactly what she did who am

I to say I'm not going to do it now how

often do we experience people like that

who might come to you for advice may

come to some of their professors for

advice for that matter right right and

the road map is laid out on EX exactly

what that person should do what that

student should do but somewhere down the

line they believe that ah I'm Different

I don't have to do it that way there

must be an easier way but there is no

straight line to

success sometimes to achieve

success you have to experience the

difficulty you have to experience the

challenge you have to experience the

failure but a failure doesn't have to be

permanent and it doesn't have to be

fatal what it does is it provides a

lesson for us to move forward and so um

that next time I was given an

opportunity to take the exam I did

exactly as Maria said and guess what I

did I passed three parts passed three on

the third time you passed three parts

isn't that incredible oh good job so the

last part was just the breeze at that

point so so yeah so that was like the

first um career experience where I had

uh a bit of adversity um and you know

was able to be able to turn it around so

thanks to being exposed to success and

what it looks like um I was able to do

that well Lisa I want to highlight that

because this is a common theme in our

leading ladies podcast the ladies are

resilient they're able to see adversity

as opportunity and I love how you said

you know kind of success leaves Clues if

this is what Maria did and she passed

who am I to say well I'm not willing to

put in that work I should have it easier

sometimes I think we look at business

folks successful entrepreneurs like

yourself and say oh they just got lucky

or they were in the right place at the

right time and you created your luck not

only by how you move through the world

taking those adversities and making

opportunities but you put in the work

you put in the time the sweat the grit

that a lot of folks don't always see

they like to see the celebration right

or the pictures of success so I really

love that you spoke about I listened to

what somebody who did it who got where I

wanted to be and how they did it and

then I followed their lead absolutely

and you said something important that I

want to um touch on this whole ideal

about being in the right place at the

right time we hear that a lot but

there's another missing piece you have

to be the right person meaning you got

to be in the right frame of mind you

have to be one who is willing to be

coachable teachable and open to doing

something different like we didn't come

into this world being all knowing right

so that's why we have those who have

wisdom who have been uh to the places

that we have yet to go and it just

behooves us to like you said follow

those Clues yeah absolutely success

leaves Clues don't leave those behind

yeah I love that okay so keep going

along your journey this is so good

already oh so um so of course like if

you think about it you mentioned about

uh candy girl mentality and and how that

is the foundation that's the description

of my life story uh from a personal

standpoint as I matriculated through

school the early parts of my career um

and then this idea of you know

entrepreneurship cuz this isn't my first

rodeo right like literally life has come

back full circle I am doing today as an

author and speaker what I wanted to do

18 years ago when I left my corporate

job right how many people do you know

like 18 years ago when the I I didn't

know the economy was going to be what it

was in 2008 and 2009 so but what happens

is you know you step out on faith I had

the full you know belief that what I was

doing was um was something I was

passionate about that I had the skills

and the abilities to do it but there's

this thing that um as a chapter in the

book called I didn't see that coming yes

so life will throw you a curveball that

you didn't see coming and there were

some times where I felt like I wanted to

give up mhm but I knew giving up was not

the answer I had to push forward so give

us an example of one of those times that

people listening students Alum I can say

oh that sounds like something I've been

through so it had gotten to a point

where of course financially you kind of

look at you know I looked at where I was

financially and and I had um been doing

Financial education I could recall being

at a nabba convention in Atlanta Georgia

and NABA is the National Association of

black accountants I am a lifetime member

I at that time prior to that period of

my life I spent four years as the

chapter president in Detroit and I

always um had a passion for you know

Financial education helping people to

feel empowered by using money as a tool

to um not only something to work for but

learning how to make their money work

for them so these were the things that I

was teaching right yeah but I can recall

a young lady who was in the audience at

one of those sessions and she mentioned

something about deficit spending and if

you've never heard that term before in

other words that's like using your

credit card right to fund this lifestyle

or to help fund your business and it

made me take a step back and say hm

perhaps that is what I'm doing and so it

made me reach a point where I started to

get concerned like can I continue at

this pace um will I be able to realize

this dream the way that I had imagined

it and coming into

2009 again everything happens for a

reason this is the entree into politics

that I never expected to occur and so

one of the things that I share in the

book is that sometimes when you get down

on yourself and you're worried and

you're concerned like how am I going to

make it through the next day what I

realized is that in order for me to come

out of that thinking I needed to be of

service to someone else so I

volunteered to help uh another

entrepreneur uh host an event for her

business and as a result of that and I

won't give it all away

but I will share that someone that I met

while I was in the act of

service actually helped to change my

life and all that had unfolded from a

political standpoint wow I can say this

person yeah and I love that so your

heart in doing that act of service was

truly to volunteer truly to be of

service and then through that with that

pure intention came such a benefit for

your career I think that's so important

too so that's being the right type of

person in the right room and it may not

always seem like the right room because

sometimes business folks are saying well

what is the ROI on that event or if I

volunteer I do that I'm not able to be

at this networking opportunity sometimes

it's just stepping back and saying how

can I serve and contribute and not

expect anything in return and that's

what happened for you and then look at

the the payoff you didn't know that it

was going to happen but this is how life

Works absolutely and and there are

multiple occasions like that so if we

think about the time when I was uh a

candidate for mayor oh wow I know wow

impressive I ran against you know our

current Mayor Mike Dugen he wasn't um

the mayor at that time of course he had

uh recently retired from his career with

the DMC and he decided that you know he

would live his dream of becoming mayor

of the city of Detroit um but long story

short you know we had a very contentious

I would say somewhat fun it was fun for

me uh primary election but after the

primary he reached out to me and he

wanted to have a conversation about his

candidacy and what it looked like in

terms of me supporting him during the

general election and I literally when I

when I heard him on the other end of the

phone saying this I'm looking at him

like are you sure like do you remember

that stuff I said I ran against you yeah

yeah exactly wow but the reality is um

in situations like that it's always is

looking at what the bigger picture is

right and so the city of Detroit again

where we were at those times um it it

required leadership and I decided after

a discussion that I would endorse him uh

and every step of the way where I was

being asked to step up and give an

opportunity not really expecting

anything in return I was rewarded for

that um and I'll just say that it led to

you know the eventual win of the mayor

me leading the transition team me

becoming his first chief of staff and

helping to on board our team and so all

the amazing things like right now you've

probably seen recently in the news that

the city has um increased its credit

rating right uh and so we are investment

grade credit rating um with with the

moodies and standards and Pur and all

those organizations that rate uh

municipalities so I can say proud say

that I was a part of that that's

incredible Lis well first of all this

goes to the third point you made which

is be of service be in contribution to a

mission bigger than yourself and this is

exactly the whole pursuit of saying well

yeah I wasn't going to run for politics

but I will do it to serve the city the

city that you lived in that you loved

and then also when you didn't win being

willing to not only endorse but join on

his team the mayor that did to serve the

city and now you're looking back saying

because of the decisions we made before

because those those ratings are usually

delayed by a little bit of time to build

to build you were a part of doing that

that's going to help the city

tremendously yes so this has been a

10year process right and in between time

there was the initial run for city

council Mayor run was the the the last

election that I ran in but in between

there I'd become elected to the state

house so I'm actually a former Michigan

State Representative and because of the

experience that I had there um many of

the polic the initiatives that the

administration dougen administration had

during my tenure I was a part of helping

to make that happen oh helping with the

exit financing helping to address uh

burnt out homes and and the uh Insurance

needed to to rectify that helping

families to stay in their homes who had

gotten behind on their property taxes

allowing them to adjust uh the interest

rate with the county those are all

measures that I can say I worked on um

and the biggest thing that I'm most

proud of and given that it's it's still

tax season right for a couple weeks yeah

for a couple weeks but in Michigan if

people don't know this in Michigan we've

got a special pass if you will in

certain counties where the IRS is

extending that date to June 17 I did not

know that yes wow for certain counties

that were impacted by one of the floods

that happened in 2023 so as a result of

that they're giving business owners and

individuals additional time to not file

but pay their taxes so that's a huge

reward W look at this is like free this

is great tax information for people

listening well you know at least what I

love about what you're saying too is

that you this was a 10-year process

sometimes with entrepreneurship and

Leadership you don't always see the

benefits right away and and folks can

get really concerned like am I having an

impact I don't really think I'm getting

results and they give up before

persevering to see that impact so it

sounds like in your life and maybe you

can give an example of you really had to

H be in it for the long path path for

the long Runway and not just look for

what are the quick returns but really

seeing the vision for the future yeah

you can only like hindsight is 2020

right you can see everything by looking

back however when you're in the process

you don't know you only hope and what I

have found is work on that thing that's

right in front of my face right keep a

eye to the future but you must be

diligent where you are and so I'll give

you an example um um of that because

what I call it in in my book again as a

part of the bounceback framework there's

this idea of maximizing the meantime you

go from strength to courage maximize the

meantime and then there's wisdom so the

meantime is usually that period between

where you are where you've been and

where you like to be right and many

times people aren't comfortable or

satisfied with where they are want to be

at the top they want to be at that next

level but what I found is in those

periods that's when you might call it or

consider it a valley moment where you're

not at the peak you're not at your

Mountain you're not at the top of your

game you're not where you want to be but

the importance of is recognizing where

you are and why you are in that moment

so for me it's about sharpening my saw

it's about accepting where I am and

maximizing or or fully uh maximizing the

potential of the moment and so when

given the opportunity to work on

projects that you don't know what the

outcome is going to be but you just dig

in you you focus you concentrate and do

what needs to be done and let the

results take care of

themselves that is a part of maximizing

the meantime I love that framework so do

you think you'll ever do politics again

in your future you see that have well

I'm looking at what's in front of me

right very good framework yeah no that's

exciting well and and it really is

public service I think the the best

folks you know politics can get a very

negative WP yet really when you're in it

to serve and you see that you're part of

something bigger than yourself even on

those difficult days the mission the

ability to impact like you said the the

credit rating for the city of Detroit to

be able to help them financially recover

and get stronger that is so rewarding

because that benefits so many folks that

you know the kids in the schools and it

benefits the working professionals the

economy all of that lifts up through

service absolutely and I think on that

note you mean there are people who serve

an elected office I've been there and I

won't say I've done that meaning I'll

never return but there are other ways to

serve and through through my book it's

actually Mission driven right so I'm

very passionate about creating uh the

next generation of leaders of those who

have a strong financial Acumen so that

they're making decisions with their

money instead of their money making

decisions for them oo that's powerful I

like that yes and tell a little bit

about what you do I mean I heard you

speak at micpa but I know that you speak

to students and you speak to young

people and what is the message that you

convey when you talk with them so

there's two audiences that I speak with

one is the um youth audience um but

professionals as well and so the youth

for that matter is more like the

beneficiaries and the recipients of the

work that I get to do so when an

organization partners with me whether

they're a bulk book order partner and

they purchase the book they will either

make those books available to Student

Services organizations that service

students right or they'll make the books

available to their employees what that

does in turn is it frees me up in a

couple of ways where I can donate my

time to an organization like the city's

grow Detroit young Talent program where

last year we were able to award 600

books or 600 copies of the books to

young people thanks to those who partner

with me and individuals who said hey

Lisa I love what you're doing how can I

help and so they would donate a dozen or

donate a half dozen um to contribute to

that cause um going in and having those

conversations with Junior Achievement

and the kids that they bring in from the

various schools that they work with and

sharing with them my Junior Achievement

experience um and I think it's important

right to to take note there of why the

book is even called yeah I was let's get

into candy girl I love the word candy

yeah okay good so sometimes or when I

was first promoting the book like two

years ago before ID even published it I

was telling people hey this book is

coming I'm working on it I'm I'm at this

phase in the process so on and so forth

and I know that there were certain men

who may have been confused by the title

thinking that it was only meant for

women and girls well let me clear that

up the reality is candy girl mentality

is a mindset it is a way of thinking

it's actually an entrepreneurial mindset

meaning that you recognize that life

isn't happening to you life is happening

for you and so when Life Starts lifing

the way that life does lifing yes the

question is what are you going to do and

return how are you going to respond and

so all throughout my life whenever I've

experienced a challenge or something

didn't work out according to plan of

course I may be upset for the moment

disappointed number of times that's

occurred and I know I don't speak just

for myself but the question is how did I

bounce back from those setbacks you know

how did I bounce back from that initial

disappointment of not passing the CPA

exam how did I bounce back from not

being promoted with my peers when I

thought that I should have been promoted

to senior as well how did I bounce back

when I didn't win the city council race

but got a call the next day suggesting I

should run for State Rep all those

opportunities that were presented to me

were given uh me a chance to look at the

situation different finding that silver

lining if you will and saying oh I can

see this differently now okay so I'm

going to act accordingly that is the

candy girl mentality that is beautiful

in fact we had podcast uh earlier today

and we talked a little bit about

Napoleon Hills book can grow rich and it

and it really reflects so much of what

you're saying too about how in every

adversity there is the seed of

equivalent or equal advantage and so the

way that you move through the world the

way you've moved through your career has

been okay this adversity has happened

but how is it happening for me so that I

can make something even better from it

so Lisa how much of that do you think is

the mindset that actually helps you see

and create that opportunity versus just

if you didn't have that mindset would it

have happened anyway like what if

somebody says well you just got lucky or

that happened anyway or do you believe

that the way that you perceive

situations and go into it helps to

create that future I would say and and I

want people to to know this about me I

am a woman of Faith right so by being

grounded in my faith and my beliefs

those core beliefs that I shared with

you before um that's what guides me

right I don't believe that things happen

by chance um per se

things happen but again it's about did

it happen to me yeah or did it happen

for me how can I use it to my advantage

how can I take adversity and turn it

into an advantage and that's what I've

been blessed to be able to do well I

appreciate you sharing that and I'm I'm

a person of Faith as well and I look at

that and say what is God trying to teach

me here and sometimes he'll give us a

lot of times to learn a lesson oh yeah

Before He'll kind of say okay now you're

really going to learn it but it's always

for our benefit because many times I

look back and I'm thinking why did this

happen at this time right and I realize

I had something to learn from this I had

something to grow from this so this this

adversity that occurred generally it's

of my own making when I really look back

at some of the problems I've had I'm

like I was involved in all of this right

yeah this was really me and then me

again there I am again am yeah and then

it was what did I need to learn because

I kept putting myself in the situation

to see this pattern what is God trying

to show me and I believe that moving

through the world that way when I've

talked to the most successful business

owners Entre r preneurs i mean some of

these people they're in the eight

figures maybe even going into nine they

will tell you that they can't always

explain how success happened in their

life but they can tell you that there

was an element of Faith where they just

knew they were destined for something

bigger and as you had said when they let

go of the me and they looked at the Wii

they looked at the contribution they

could make in the world it was as if the

money opened up and the abundance opened

up so when you talk about money you're

right I mean deficit spending even the

words of it come from a scarcity

standpoint of not enough so I better

keep spending so I can look like or have

more versus stepping back and saying

wait a minute how can I create something

of value how do I really step into my

purpose so that I can have that

abundance and you speak into that so

well your book talks about that too so

share a little more about candy girl

though and kind of like how that

entrepreneurial mindset showed up for

you even very young even if you didn't

fully know all of this about adversity

yeah so it all kind of unfolds right as

you turn the pages the story continues

to unfold and so if I go back to the

origin story right yes um the origin

story and this is a part that you would

never wouldn't ordinarily read in a bio

about me it's in there now right cuz

it's like this is my story this is who I

am take it or leave it that kind of

thing right um but would you believe you

know I I talk about my mom in the first

chapter and even in the second chapter I

kind of introduce her and in many ways

she's like a lot of people's moms I hear

that from some of the people who have

read it like very close to the chest

love her children will give her shirt

you know give the shirt off her back uh

to help her family to help her children

in particular um and she had a strong uh

desire for me to be educated right and

the thing that I always equate to her is

her affirming me as a child so when you

talk about where does this belief come

from where does confidence come from I'm

thankful that I had a mother who spoke

life into me who said to me as a little

girl Lisa you're going to grow up to be

a special

star oh wow and the thing is I believed

her and so with that she gave me this

thirst for knowledge and you know she

have me practicing my times tables

throughout the summer so like being able

to crunch numbers in my head was the

thing that um you know one of the

strengths are superpower that my mom

helped me to develop and with that

though would you believe that by the

time I reached fifth grade um I had my

education excuse me my education had

been disrupted not once not twice not

three times but four times by the time I

reached fifth grade like literally I had

been to five different elementary

schools I would not have known that well

and if someone which you being in

education if you were to look at my

transcript back then you'd probably

conclude that this is a problem child

like she's least likely to succeed M

well we know that couldn't be further

from absolutely not only you CPA you

have a master's degree and and exactly

yeah so so one would ask then Lisa what

happened like how did you turn it around

how did you bounce back and how did you

bounce back better yes so it goes back

to the time when I was 8 years old my

family had been evicted from our home

for the second time in a matter of 2

years and that's what set off this going

from one school to another because we

constantly moved until we found our

permanent home but in that new

environment I got exposed to a young

lady who was selling lemonade in front

of her home and when I saw that she was

making money from this Venture I said

well heck if she could do it I can do it

too and then fast forward to high school

I got exposed to Junior Achievement M

and through that program and for those

who don't know what Junior Achievement

is it's an international uh organization

that teaches youth grades K through 12

about entrepreneurship economics uh

leadership all of those things right and

I must add that I am the Junior

Achievement advocate of the year so I'll

be reing an award W when and where it's

going to be on May 9th at the Gross

Point War remor

wonderful 9: p.m. congratulations Lisa

that's incredible so I love this you

were someone who came through Junior

Achievement and now you're winning an

award this is great I like yeah I forgot

about that let me just add that in

absolutely add that in so I um attribute

attribute a lot of My Success to Junior

Achievement because again as a child I

got exposed to something that um totally

was just mindblowing well at leis it

speaks into how when we're exposed two

things a mindset or belief like you said

your mother believed in you she said you

can do anything you want you were going

to be a rock star and then Junior

Achievement you got exposed to folks

that were doing it it really shifts your

brain to say this is what's possible for

me so that when those opportunities come

up or those adversities you're able to

see those as they say the rard Kipling

those two imposters just the same they's

still all benefits on the path forward

failure Triumph they're both imposters

for experience mhm yeah and it's just

like like the more success breeds

success the more knowledge breeds The

Thirst for more knowledge and so through

those experiences being exposed to

Junior Achievement and taking part in

that also being given opportunities to

you know have a co-op job when I was in

high school so Not only was I selling

candy and making money from that I

turned a $13 investment in M&M's into

more than $4,000 I love this which

helped to fund my first semester at the

University of Michigan right

and um the rest as they say is history

because it is that education that formed

the foundation upon which the rest of my

life have been built oh I love that and

now let's talk about when you came to

Walsh college for your education so what

made you look at Walsh and then talk a

little bit about the degree that you

have and how you've used it yes so

Walsh appeared to me as a quality

institution when I was deciding you know

I'm I'm how many years into my career at

this point cuz I was at DTE

um It's

1999 when I decid okay I'm going to go

back to school I've been out of

undergrad for 4 years at this point and

um Walsh gave me an opportunity to

position myself because here's what I

saw when I was at my company I was

looking at the different job

opportunities that would come up and

many of them would say master's degree

either required or preferred I said hm

okay duly noted

and the other thing at that time is I

was working again in service to my

church as the church's accountant and I

know that we have been doing some

different transactions with uh taking

out loans buying property in the

neighborhood um building up the real

estate so that we could provide

opportunities for housing for either our

members or other people in the community

like that was a part of something that I

was a part of and I said well what

better way to better position myself

round my education and knowledge then to

go back to school um not necessarily to

climb the corporate ladder but if the

opportunity presented itself yeah I

would be in a position to take advantage

of it because I said and I've heard this

said before uh Les Brown I believe said

it it is better to be prepared for an

opportunity and not have one than to

have an opportunity and not be prepared

oh first of all I love Les Brown and I

love that phrase I had not heard that

before but isn't it amazing when someone

says that you're like oh yeah that's so

true yeah I love so so that was the the

initial motivation for going back to

school and choosing Walsh um as as that

school of choice and so the Masters of

Science and finance program um what was

beautiful about it was a couple of

things one the professors demonstrated

that they cared they also worked within

the profession so they weren't just

teachers they had practical experience

that they could relate to us as students

the other thing is that the work that I

was doing at the time also translated

into some of the things that I was

studying so the two went hand in hand so

I felt really good about that I think

one of the things that as I reflect on

that time in my life um is staying

present to the relationships right often

times when we go to school we're focused

on passing yes right we just want to get

get through this class get a a hopefully

right a finish it so we can move on

but what happens that we're sometimes

unaware of is that as we're passing time

we're also passing through and passing

up the opportunity to connect oh and so

if I were to talk to a student whether

in undergrad or graduate school I'd say

get the grades do all that you need to

do to study well and and to perform well

um to position yourself for that career

but don't forget about the people who

are around you like these are the people

who are part of your network that when

that career doesn't work out over here

yes John or Bob or Paula may be the very

person that you can lean on or speak to

when you need some advice when you need

some guidance when you need uh support

for that next venture and Ed milet

always says your network is your net

worth yes yes so you want to build that

up so that when you do need it if you

need it you can rely on it whether it's

advice whether it's it's Council it's

connections it's the next career move

and we tell our students that all the

time is that many times even if you have

a job come to our Career Fairs anyway

because you don't know who you're going

to meet who you can bring into your

network that for your next job or maybe

you have somebody that's looking for a

position or they know you now you've got

that internal Network built so I love

when you say that because when you think

about being at the right place it's

knowing the people many times we get

invited to events because of our Network

and it's at those events that the next

big thing in our life opens up so I love

that advice for young folks and even for

students to say look go to these events

I know we're in a hybrid learning

environment and our students love that

which is great we can meet our Learners

where they're at but when we have events

on campus like our career fair

internship connection or any type of an

HR Summit or business Summit definitely

come to campus because you're able to

connect you're being in community and

you build your network absolutely and

that whole ideal about being present um

takes me back to a time when I was a

student at uh at Michigan and I knew

that I wanted to work for Arthur

Anderson oh wow and I knew this right in

high school right and uh every time they

came to campus even though I was still

in the younger grades um as far as you

know freshman and sophomore and I

couldn't start to work with them yet but

whenever they did come to campus I made

sure that I was in their face shaking

their hand saying you remember me I'm

Lisa house you know I think that's so

important and given that we're in this

hybrid environment as you mentioned I

think people uh Rob themselves of the

opportunity to stand out it's like when

those recruiters show up and those

representatives from those uh companies

show up they're excited they're elated

to see a live person in front of them

and so what would it be like if that

person is you yes oh we agree yeah it's

great because we've had over a 100

employers at times and students come and

it's just been so Dynamic there and

they're so excited to connect and meet

and even if again they don't take the

job there they now have that connection

for life so it's just a great way to

build that so Lisa talk a little bit

about what so in your book for example

you talked about a a company or a

corporation sponsoring books and I love

what you do so in the beginning of your

book you have a way of giving

recognition to the corporations to the

organizations so if somebody were to say

you know what Lisa I want to put your

book in the hands of a hundred young

people what do you offer those

corporations those organizations as a

way to recognize thank them yes so there

is a page in the front of the book um

that's a thank you to our supporters

thank you to our B book order Partners

is what I call them bbop right bbop I

like that okay book order Partners yes

and what that does is it's a way for

them to continue to Brand themselves

with the recipient of that book so what

I do is I provide a branded label that

has their logo and their organization's

website and I fixed it to the front part

of that book so that when that young

person receives it and they open to that

page they know that that book was

provided by this organization oh I love

that that is such a way to honor them

and recognize them and also you know to

help the young folks know that like

there are people out there that want to

support the journey so I love that and

then where can they get the book so they

can get it through my website uh

candygirl mentality book.com candygirl

mentality book.com and we'll put a link

to that as well in the show notes

absolutely and then the other thing

about um you know that whole connection

and and placing the label there you know

it may be something years down the road

where that young person now they're

being exposed to this organization that

they may not have known existed before

you know they could be a senior in high

school preparing to go to college but

I've always appreciated the whole idea

of First Impressions or Lasting

Impressions when I was first introduced

to Arthur Anderson they immediately

became the company that I wanted to work

work for Wow and so I think that um it's

like planning a seed so whenever a

partner partners with me in this way

they're helping to plant a seed yes that

can only grow and develop over time no

that's so true and that's so true

because so many of our accounting firms

say we want to reach back and access

students in high school or even Junior

High in part because there is a little

bit of a challenge recruiting talent but

they also know what you just said which

is folks tend to identify with a brand

with an association early on so this is

a great way for accounting firms

auditing firms Financial Services firms

to say look I can do this I can partner

with Lisa we can get some incredible you

know and and the nice thing about your

book is it teaches mindset and all of

that is so important when you show up to

work whether you're working as an

accountant an auditor you're leading and

managing accounting and auditing teams

so to be able to say we're going to help

these folks develop a candy girl mindset

and a great mindset around money and at

the same time we're going to actually

have our logo our brand to out to those

you know individuals as well so they can

begin associating themselves or seeing

themselves here that's just really

powerful so I just want to affirm you

for doing that I think it's a great way

to serve not only the reader the learner

but also the organization that's taking

the time to invest in future Talent

absolutely yeah thank you so much well I

am so excited this was wonderful to be

joined by Lisa how a Walsh College Alum

and to learn more about her book candy

girl mentality I have it I've read it it

was very good and I had the opportunity

to actually meet with Lisa before so she

shared some of the experiences so as I

was reading it I was thinking oh my

goodness I can almost visualize this

here but it's a really great book

especially for entrepreneurs and young

people and if you're an organization or

Corporation and you want to be able to

get this book in their hands and get

your logo and get your name there

definitely go to the website so thank

you so much for another wonderful

episode of leading ladies at Walsh

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