At The Siegfried Group, LLP (Siegfried), we encourage and invest in transformation. We understand that by committing to positive change, facing challenges with ambition, and adapting to an ever-evolving external environment, exponential growth is not just possible, but probable. Therefore, transformation shapes our Higher Purpose and drives everything we do – for our people, for our clients, and for our Firm.
This September, Rob Siegfried, CEO and Founder, took the MY Journey® stage to discuss the mindset crucial for successful change – the courage and mental agility needed to clarify the most rewarding path, take the road less traveled, and adapt on your journey to personal and professional fulfillment.
“Becoming the best version of yourself is a lifelong commitment, and it requires the mental agility adapt,” explained Rob, welcoming employees from across the county to Las Vegas for the Firm’s 30th MY Journey® event. “The process of bettering your life never ends, but it starts with having the courage to clarify and follow your dreams.”
Throughout the day, Rob, alongside guest speaker Michael Easter, encouraged professionals from Siegfried’s 19 offices nationwide to step outside their comfort zones, face challenges that increase their character ethic, and unlock their latent potential. They urged their audience to rediscover the art of the possible in pursuit of their own transformation.
Crossing and re-crossing your perceived edge
“When was the last time you were truly challenged?” Author, speaker, and journalist Michael Easter explored this question as central to his audience’s growth. In a highly automated and increasingly comfortable world that threatens to challenge humans less and less every day, when was the last time you pushed yourself?
“Select to do the uncomfortable things that will spark your growth,” Michael encouraged. “When you rise beyond what you think your potential is, you will learn more about yourself and your capabilities. Put one foot in front of the other, move past your edge, and realize that you’ve sold yourself short – then, you can ask where else you’ve been underestimating yourself.”
Michael reflected on his trip to the remote Baird Mountains in Alaska, where he redefined his perceived edge. It was extreme, dangerous, and very uncomfortable – but it was also filled with beauty, meaning, and lessons about himself and humanity. It showed him that the growth you challenge yourself to achieve impacts more than just your own life and capabilities – it positively impacts the lives of those around you as well.
“When you start to do what makes you uncomfortable, you will become better to the people you care about,” said Michael. “You will lift others up with you.”
Short-term discomfort, long-term success
Throughout the MY Journey® event and in a reflective closing panel discussion, several Siegfried professionals were inspired to begin crossing their perceived edge – sharing their experiences and taking to the microphone in moments of courage. They embodied Michael’s concept of ‘being a 2-Percenter’ – choosing to do what is uncomfortable in the moment for benefit and growth down the line.
“2% of people take the stairs when there is also an escalator available,” Michael explained. “Most people know that the stairs are better for them, and yet, 98% choose the easier, more comfortable option, which causes harm in the long run. This is a metaphor for living and the decisions we must make every day. Choose to be a 2-Percenter.”
Courageously adapting to the age of AI
Having the courage and mental agility to change doesn’t just apply to Siegfried professionals; it applies to our Firm as a whole. Will Ulrich, Senior Vice President & General Counsel, discussed how Siegfried is transforming with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and the increasingly digital landscape around us.
“Siegfried cares deeply about people and the authentic, long-term relationships that make our Firm so special,” said Will. “AI has the power to elevate our professionals’ ability to achieve success and build the relationships at the heart of the Firm.”
Siegfried is courageously diving into change, developing new tools to deliver AI-enhanced business solutions both internally at the Firm and externally for our clients. This bold transformation will increase the Firm’s capability and growth, allowing us to better provide talent delivery, leadership advisory, and financial advisory support services to Fortune 1000 and other dynamic companies.
This MY Journey® event was hosted live in Las Vegas and broadcast to 17 locations and nearly 1,400 people around the country.
About Siegfried’s MY Journey® program
MY Journey® is an investment that Siegfried makes in its employees to help them build mastery in a variety of areas. Rooted in the Firm’s higher purpose to help people transform themselves into better individual leaders to exponentially improve their lives, MY Journey® is just one of the ways Siegfried employees experience leadership advisory and transformative growth. A multi-faceted program, MY Journey® includes live events with compelling guest speakers, leadership advisory trainings with the CEO and Founder, on-demand courses, interactive professional development calls with experts, special allowances to support MY Journey® goals, state-of-the-art education, customized tools, and more. Additional information is available at siegfriedgroup.com/my-journey/.
About The Siegfried Group, LLP (Siegfried)
The Siegfried Group, LLP (Siegfried) is a national, relationship-driven professional services organization. Led by our higher purpose to help people transform themselves into better leaders to exponentially improve their lives, we partner with financial executives at Fortune 1000 and other dynamic companies and provide them with a powerful combination of talent delivery, leadership advisory, and financial advisory services.
With these services, we assist leaders with enhancing clarity and prioritization, while matching them with the high-performing talent needed to execute their most important accounting and finance initiatives. We hire the best people to serve the best companies, and we do it under the direction and control of client personnel to get things done better, faster, and cheaper.
