–Brannon Poe
Founder, Poe Group Advisors
“I wanted to share how beneficial your webinar was. It was outstanding and extremely relevant especially with the current worldwide circumstances. I appreciate the experiential aspect of the workshop, the learning and awareness heightened, and the actionable content that can be used right away.
–Wendy L. Howland, Partner
Trusted Advisors Network LLC
“Peter’s virtual workshop was not only fun, it also amplified the importance of truly listening in all our relationships, both personal and professional. Sure, we all know listening is important, but the exercises we participated in reminded us in an original way. I’m sure my team will benefit from entering into client relationships with a “Yes, And” approach.”
–Cathy Kosin
Senior Vice President, Michigan Market Leader
Oswald Companies
“Peter was brilliant and engaging with his “Taking the Numb Out of Numbers” presentation at the University of Nebraska at Omaha School of Accounting Speakers Series! Professional and student attendees appreciated Peter’s interactive style and practical speaking tips. One student commented that Peter’s guidance is “very relevant and great advice for those entering the workforce.” Peter’s storytelling made the time go by quickly and made his points easy to remember. Thanks, Peter!”
–Susan Eldridge
Director, UN-Omaha School of Accounting
“Working with Peter is always a pleasure for our member participants and for our staff. Not only did he research industry needs, but he also worked with our organization to customize the presentation to meet our attendees’ expectations. Too often, speakers and presenters show up, give their standard presentation and leave attendees thinking, “Was that all?” Peter is the exception to the rule. Both his workshop and luncheon presentation motivated, excited and engaged our members!”
–Jarrod A. Clabaugh, CAE
President & CEO, Ohio Society of Association Executives
“Peter did an outstanding job presenting to our group of financial professionals (American Council of Engineering Companies) in the the consulting engineering industry. It was clear that he put a lot of time into learning about the industry and incorporating it into his presentation. He made the, often difficult, job of presenting financial information seem easy. I found Peter to be an engaging and effective presenter and a genuine good human being.”
–Ralph Picano
CFO, Wade Trim Group.
“Pete found an entertaining and engaging way to bring the topic of ‘Difficult Conversations’ to my group. The workshop leveraged the teachings of Improv and introduced the elements of emotional intelligence, which we can leverage in business partner discussions. Pete was able to cater to our specific development need and create scenarios and breakout sessions that we can directly apply to our day to day job responsibilities!”
–Rachel Lutz
Dir. of Budgets & Financial Mgmt, Health Care Service Corp.
“Peter Margaritis was our speaker at the November meeting of HFTP-NM in Albuquerque at Sandia Resort. Our chapter of HFTP is made up of a diverse group of financial, technology & hotel executives from mainly Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and some outlying areas of New Mexico. Peter did a fine job of picking a topic that pertains to most of our group- Presenting Financial and Technical Data that will engage the audience. His presentation was enjoyable and solicited good questions by the group, as we all have to give presentations from time to time. Peter’s ability to make a dull subject interesting is his true gift, and I would recommend him highly to bring a different perspective to annual conventions, regional meetings or executive retreats. I would also recommend his latest book, “Taking the Numb out of Numbers” as a learning tool for financial management trainees. Excellent!”
–Lydia Frank
President HFTP-NM
“I truly enjoyed the training and felt I had a lot of information to take away that I will use to try to improve on my ability to present. Your approach to the days was informative, exciting and overall inviting, which is saying a lot when talking to a CPA about public speaking.”
–Lesley Kelly
Partner, McGregor & Company, LLP
“Peter presented “Financial Storytelling: The Key in Growing Your Organization to the Next Level” in April 2018 at our Tri-State Accountants meeting. As a group we struggle with how to present financial information to a board and membership that by and large does not have a financial background. We all related to the many trials and tribulations he so eloquently spoke of. I most appreciated “there’s a story in the numbers…figure it out and tell the story” part of the training. I put that tip in place at my monthly board meeting just 17 days after his presentation and the board was much more engaged than before. Both my board and I are very thankful I was able to hear Peter speak.—Brad R. Flora
President, Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives Accounting Association, 2017-2018
“Peter presented to our local chapter of CFMA as part of our monthly meeting in February. I’ve participated in several of Peter’s seminars and speaking engagements in the past, and as always, Peter was entertaining, engaging and thought-provoking, but there was something new/different about his Financial Storytelling presentation! As the organizer of this particular event/meeting I made it a priority to gauge the room’s reaction to Peter, not just my own, and what I saw, figuratively speaking of course, were light bulbs popping-on all over the room as this room full of accountants, financial professionals, bankers, attorneys, sureties and insurance brokers started to realize why they were not getting through to their non-financial minded clients and leaders within their businesses as effectively as they desired! Many valuable hints, tips and practices for communicating with our non-financial counterparts were taken away from the meeting today and will be put into practice all around our city! Thanks Peter and we look forward to having you back!”
—Owen J. Wyss, CPA
Financial Controller, Thompson Concrete Ltd.
“I was in your CPE class a few weeks ago. I just finished your book and it was one of the best uses of my time I have had. In our class, everyone was at a higher level than me, but you were able to connect with a young associate like myself. I have recommended your book as a part of the internship program we have at our firm, which I think would be very beneficial for them. I really appreciate the time you took with us, and that you answered the questions I had seriously. To be honest, as a 25-year-old CPA at a firm, I don’t get heard very often, so I was both surprised and grateful that you would have a meaningful response to my questions. I will sign up for every class you have in Minnesota in the future.”
—Jacob Thornberg
Audit Associate at Olsen Thielsen and Colk, Ltd.
“I know that you know that Peter is a fantastic presenter, but yesterday’s session was over the top. Our staff was engaged and thoroughly enjoyed his presentation, not to mention his sense of humor. It was a very interactive, fun, yet informative day. At our happy hour post event, they were all just buzzing about it, and still are today. Now the job is in our hands to keep the momentum going, but you know we are good at that, and are already making plans to do some follow up.”
—Jeanie Price, PAFM
Partner, DeLeon & Stang, CPAs and Advisors
“Peter is an outstanding communicator who delivers results. A consummate professional, Pete’s skills and experience are first-rate, making a very positive difference at professional services firms and other organizations.
—Rob Nance
Marketing Management at Nationwide Financial
“I am on the Program Committee for the Indiana State SHRM Conference (one of the largest in the nation) and I was very pleased wit the results Peter got in our “Master’s Track.” This is a tough audience of senior executives with high standards, and Peter engaged them perfectly, delivered great material, and had them all entertained for an entire day. Very few people could have done what Peter did – teaching advanced business skills to a very high-level audience. If you have any training or facilitation or keynote opportunity, I can’t recommend Peter enough.”
—Karl Ahlrichs
Consultant at Gregory & Appel Insurance
“We engaged Peter to present two sessions for our in-house training. Topics were ‘How to Dump SALY–Same As Last Year’ and ‘Improv Is No Joke’. Soft skills are tough to teach in a large group setting. Peter did a great job of prepping examples and specific scenarios tailored for our company. He also engaged our group and everyone had fun and learned. I would highly recommend The Accidental Accountant!”
—Lori Kaiser
Founder and CEO, Kaiser Consulting
“A couple of major takeaways from the short time we spent with you is that we truly learned how to listen to each other and to drop our own personal agendas. The ability to communicate in life and with our customers is not necessarily a hard recipe but it is hard to consistently implement and live by. The exercises you walked us through that employed the “Yes, and” philosophy are lasting memories and are something that we have all benefited from. By listening to our customers and staff, I know we have already performed at a higher level and are better able to add value to the people we are interacting with. Adding value and understanding that we are in the people business will drive our success in the future.”
—Ryan L. Parker
President & CEO, Endicott
“Peter presented at the 2017 ASCPA Accounting & Reporting conference last week. The audience was thrilled! Fantastic presentation. The enthusiasm and real world examples made the financial topic very easy to keep everyone’s interest. Thank you so much for speaking at our conference! We look forward to having you again in the future.”
—Laura Ward
Director of Assurance, CliftonLarsonAllen
“Peter is spot on in this course he teaches… This course taught me how the details that our analytical minds are use seeing and showing; is not necessarily the best approach for our audience to get the intended message. There are so many critical elements and take-a-ways you can learn from your audience. I practice this in my daily interaction. It’s a course I would take annually and use to assess my growth. It’s critical for accountants to be able to the story of the numbers… Worth it – take it.”
—Nikki Cooper
President, N.Parler & Associates, LLC
“As executive director of the Ohio Society of Association Executives, I’ve had the distinct pleasure of utilizing Peter and his remarkable skills as a presenter to both a small- and large-group setting. He not only engaged his audiences well, but he left them wanting just a little bit more – the true mark of an excellent presenter. Not only did he strike up fast friendships with the group, he was flexible and fun to work with – and easy – a true gift to any meeting event planner.”
—Jarrod Clabaugh
Executive Director, Ohio Society of Association Executives
“Pete’s presentation was funny, insightful, and helped me reframe how I approach challenges. I’m a big fan of ‘Yes, and…’!”
—Chris Zimmer
Communications Manager, Ohio Association of School Business Officials
“Peter’s work is great for professionals, entrepreneurs, and business owners alike. He does a great job linking applicable improvisational techniques to real-life challenges in an informative and entertaining way. His podcast interviews are so interesting and insightful – while still fun to listen to! If you ever get a chance to hear him speak, don’t miss out. Peter’s personality, passion, and knowledge are unrivaled.”
—Brette Rowley
Founder of BrettRowley, LLC
“Pete did a great job interviewing us for podcast #23. Not only did he ask really good questions, he made the entire experience fun. Yes, and…it should be an important part of the conversation at every business. Thanks, Pete!”
—Claudia Trusty
Trusty & Company
“Thank your for being the kick-off speaker for the 2016 Conference of Accountants at the University of Tulsa. You definitely met your goal of being both informative and entertaining. Not only can I use what I learned in my professional life, I can use it in my personal relationships too. That’s high praise for an accounting CPE session!”
—Tracy S. Manly, PhD, CPA
ONEOK Professor of Accounting, May 2016
“Today, by mistake, I attended your seminar: Leveraging Leadership through Improvisation. As you may have noticed, I arrived late because I was supposed to attend another class. Regardless, I decided to stay, and I am extremely grateful I did. Without doubt, your presentation was the most engaging and valuable seminar I have attended in 30 years of practice. Your use of volunteers to participate and convey communication concepts was extremely effective. Your patience and polite prodding to engage volunteers reinforced the effectiveness of the seminar. We need to have you make this presentation as a keynote presentation at conferences because, open communication is needed for the future success of the CPA profession. Thanks again for your time and skills.”
—Conrad Giedt, CPA
Attendee at the CCH Users Conference, October 2015
“Pete is an engaging speaker with energy and keeps things interesting and makes you laugh – from his stand-up comic background. Pete has a good presentation style and helps learning by telling real-life stories. It is the real-life stories which drives the points home and greatly assists in helping attendees retain the information.”
—Seminar evaluation summary
from an attendee at the Washington Society of CPAs
“The passion and commitment you have for your business definitely shows through. It’s obvious you take pride in the development and refinement of the content.”
—Steven Dezenzo
Manager–Finance & Accounting, FedEx Custom Critical
“Peter, I wanted to personally tell you how much I enjoyed the class [Business Development for CPAs] you presented to the Indiana CPA society. You were a dynamic speaker and covered the material with interesting examples. Your real life examples were excellent as well. I will be seeking out future classes that you will be presenting.”
—Carol Stevenson, CPA
Senior Accountant, Triple Crown Services Company
“Peter Margaritis’s presentation Embrace Your Inner Superhero was dynamic and passionate! Peter’s experience and knowledge in the accounting industry drew me in and kept the audience interested and involved. For me, the presentation was interactive and thought provoking. Thanks Peter.”
—Sarah Galley, SPHR
Firm Administrator, Pohlman & Talmage CPAs, Inc
“Peter spoke at our Association for Accounting Administration Ohio Chapter meeting. Peter’s use of humor and interactive exercises helped us better understand the thought processes of CPAs. Peter provided communication tools to us to use to improve our communication with others and to also alleviate stress in our daily lives. The session wasn’t over when Peter’s presentation was finished. Attendees of the meeting gathered around him for some more gems of information! If you are in need of a speaker who can unleash your “Superhero,” be sure to contact Peter.”
—Marla Martin
Firm Administrator, Weber Obrien LTD.
“Pete Margaritis recently gave his Embrace Your Inner Superhero presentation to the Association for Accounting Administration Ohio Chapter. What a fun and engaging presentation that also teaches some valuable lessons about how CPAs can work better together. Pete uses some interesting games to drive home the importance of communications when work gets hectic. He also shares stories about his life and how he learned to be a better employee, parent and person by replacing “yes but” with “yes and”.
—Allen Lloyd
Manager of Member Services, The Ohio Society of CPAs