Unlocking the Secrets to Business Growth with Susan Foard

In the fast-paced and highly competitive business world, success is often determined by one's ability to grow and adapt to new market trends and demands. For many entrepreneurs and business owners, this growth can be challenging to achieve on their own. What are key strategies and tactics that can help businesses grow and succeed? In this episode, Steve talks with Susan Foard, President and Chief Compliance Officer of Pugh Wealth Management. Susan has been in public accounting since 1986 and specializes in consulting, tax planning, and tax preparation services for closely-held businesses, individuals, estates, and trusts. She often speaks for seminars and presentations on leadership, strategic business relationships, and various technical topics within her tax specializations. A CPA with 37 years of experience and expertise in tax, Susan shares her story of launching a wealth management firm while serving as the president of a long-standing CPA firm. She also speaks about how she leads through transition and business growth, her approach to propelling change within the firm, and the power of shadowing other firms to learn new ways of approaching the client experience and maximizing business growth.   Key Takeaways [03:21] - What motivated Susan to build Pugh Wealth Management. [07:17] - The risks Susan faced when she launched Pugh Wealth Management. [10:51] - Why Susan chose to specialize in tax planning. [14:18] - How Susan balances her time between serving clients and running her business. [20:39] - How Susan grew her wealth management firm. [26:39] - What Susan looks for in a wealth manager. [31:10] - What Susan thinks about retirement plans for businesses. [38:13] - Susan's approach to building a strategic plan.   Quotes [16:04] - "The biggest things that have helped us grow our wealth management firm are having others involved with the wealth management practice, hiring new staff, and educating our partners and other team members." ~ Susan Foard [30:44] - "Clients need a good partner to help them make wise decisions. They need someone they know and trust to help them with financial planning, tax planning, and estate planning. We want to be more of a holistic approach to help them, but mostly to sit down and understand what they need." ~ Susan Foard [41:11] - "One of the things we learned by shadowing is that we understand more about the Design | Build | Protect program with Buckingham and began using the life cards. It allows us to have a much deeper knowledge of our client's goals and help them more." ~ Susan Foard   Links  Susan Foard on LinkedIn Pugh Wealth Management Pugh CPAs Charles Schwab MoneyGuidePro Alexander Vetrano Christi Fightmaster Ascendant Compliance Manager   Connect with our hosts Steve on LinkedIn Buckingham Strategic Partners   Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Steve on LinkedIn Follow Buckingham Strategic Partners on Twitter   Disclosure For informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as specific investment, accounting, legal, or tax advice. Certain information is based upon third party data which may become outdated or otherwise superseded without notice. Third party information is deemed to be reliable, but its accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed. Some analysis presented is based off current economic information and may become outdated or irrelevant without notice. Individuals should speak with their qualified financial professional based on his or her unique circumstances. Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) nor any other federal or state agency have approved, determined the accuracy, or confirmed the adequacy of this podcast. © 2022 Buckingham Wealth Partners, LLC. Buckingham Strategic Wealth, LLC and Buckingham Strategic Partners, LLC (collectively, Buckingham Wealth Partners)