I think I found the perfect job!!  And it’s not mine! 

 Okay, before I get fired, hear me out! 

I can’t count the number of times throughout my career when I’ve thought to myself “I’m the luckiest person in the world to get to do what I do.”  As an Account Executive with a background in creative, I’ve been exposed to many diverse industries. 

I’ve been inside the operating room during open-heart surgery.  I filmed a commercial for a company that builds yachts off the coast of Georgia.  

I’ve sat in the conference room on the top floor of a Fortune 500 company in Virginia, and I’ve attended conferences in Las Vegas, and Denver.

I’ve met some truly great people like Dale Jarrett, Faith Hill and Jimmy Carter.

I’ve interviewed Charlie Daniels, been on the starting line at a NHRA race, rubbed elbows with Chris Rock and, await the day when Justin Timberlake will need my strategic skills and creative gifts…

I digress.

Last week I attended an expo in Charlotte for the African Sporting Exposition, and this week I attended an expo in RTP for the NC City and County Managers Association.  Now I’m getting to my point!! 

What’s so exciting about a NC City and County Managers Association meeting? 

His name is Robert Segal. 

I’ve been talking with Mr. Segal for a few weeks because I want his business.  I want to help him promote his company because what he does is really cool.  He’s hasn’t committed yet, but he did invite me to come to the RTP conference and meet some of the City and County managers that he has worked with in the past. 

My videographer, Joe and intern, Alyssa joined me for the 2.5 hour drive there.

We set up shop in a conference room and invited several of Mr. Segal’s clients to talk to us on camera.  I wanted to know what exactly these city and county managers’ responsibilities were.  Then I wanted to know why they hired Mr. Segal, and what exactly he did for these municipalities.

I already knew that Robert Segal wasn’t the typical income tax return guy or financial statement auditor you think of when you hear “CPA.”  I knew he helped increase annual revenues and reduced operating expenses, but to hear it from the men I spoke to was very enlightening. 

This man has the perfect job!

Here is why:

Mr. Segal approaches city and county governments with an offer to find money for them.  He works on contingency, meaning, if he can’t find ways to help them, then he doesn’t get paid.  (See?  Perfect!  Who’s going to say “no” to that?)

So, he goes in to their file rooms, pulls invoices and assorted other tax reports, makes copies for himself and he’s out.  He goes back to his own office, where he and his CPA associates pore over the papers and examine ways to save money.  They look at past records and identify opportunities for refunds that were previously overlooked - dating back 3 years, and / or determine ways to make more money in the future.

 Some of Segal’s findings seem obvious, like consolidating systems, and identifying extra phone lines that aren’t being used, but it’s not obvious if you don’t have time – or if you don’t know what you don’t know.  (Ya, know?) 

He’s a loyal man as well.  If he finds a vendor who’s been “sticking it” (my words, not his) to his client…overcharging, under-delivering, etc., he doesn’t try to “stick ‘em back,” and take the business elsewhere. 

He said he assumes that if the offices are doing business with a particular vendor, they’re most likely happy with their service, and at the end of the day, service is most important.   So, he politely points out the vendor’s flaws – and gives the vendor the opportunity to make it right.

He also told me there is sometimes the perception that – in order to save money – he will recommend lay-offs, or changes in personnel.  He has never done this, and never will.  “If I can’t find savings – and sometimes I can’t, then I’m okay with that.” 

Well, I think its pretty cool, but if it still sounds like number crunching, then that’s because you haven’t met Mr. Segal, or the men I spoke with yesterday. 

See, when you do these “testimonial-type” interviews, you have to craft your questions in a way that you don’t get a “yes” or “no” answer.  You mentally plan what you think you want them to say, and ask questions in a way to get the conversation going. 

I thought this would be a great learning experience for our young intern Alyssa, and it would give her something to do on the long ride up while Joe and I talked about our kids, politics and getting old. 

Alyssa provided me a thoughtful list of questions for Mr. Segal’s clients and I was ready to dig for the answers I wanted to hear.  After all, these were city and county managers…talking about a CPA.  They were going to need my help.

Well they didn’t need my help at all!  I started each conversation with, “Tell me about your experience working with Robert Segal.” 

Each person must have talked for 10 minutes straight.  Not just talked - but complimented Robert Segal’s abilities, demeanor and professionalism.  Each one spoke of the savings he found (and there was a great story about a half million dollar little nugget of info filed away that he discovered for one particular city.) 

You can hear all about it in a couple of weeks.  I’m going to put these discussions on youtube.com, and perhaps on Mr. Segals website, so check them out.  They’re inspirational. 

Spending the day with a CPA and government officials would have never topped my list of “reasons why my job rocks,” but it’s exactly why it rocks.  I’ll settle for number 2 in the best job department.  I met a man who brings good news to people.  What he does makes people happy.  That’s his “job.” 

 I found the perfect job!