Posts Tagged With ‘ Joey Havens ’

It’s my son Brandon’s 40th birthday, and CeCe and I are heading to Las Vegas with him and his wife Margie to celebrate. We have tickets to see Garth Brooks and James Taylor and some excellent dining experiences lined up.   Shortly after takeoff, the pilot announces that we should remain in our seats, seat belts fastened, as we will be experiencing some moderate turbulence as we continue the climb to our cruising altitude of 39,000 feet. I am never sure why they tell us how high we are off the earth; that never comforts me. Ha!  As he finishes his announcement, I gaze back down at my notes... Continue Reading

My younger sister Mitzi (Mom and Pop Joe’s favorite child) has provided us lots of joy, love, and LAUGHS over the years (you may remember her new mixer last year). Now I will be the first to admit that after raising me and Mike, I completely understand why a sweet, caring daughter might be the favorite, as we like to joke. On this year’s annual Havens Beach Retreat, Mitzi provided us with another one of her funny moments. I’m having coffee on the deck with Mom and Pop Joe as we watch the waves roll onto the beach — the sounds of the waves and the birds flying around made for a peaceful... Continue Reading

My brother Mike and I host the Havens Beach Retreat in Perdido/Orange Beach, AL, every year. We bring our wives, Mom and Pop Joe, my sister Mitzi and her husband, the kids and their spouses, and the grandkids, all of who number around 43. It’s a great time to celebrate family, connect and enjoy so many blessings we have as a family.   You don’t take 43 people out to dinner every night, so we have planned meals that Mike and I mostly prepare and serve. Tonight is our hamburger/hot dog social. I am grilling the hamburgers and hot dogs while and Mike appears to be socializing under the umbrella... Continue Reading

Recently, I saw a very interesting pie crust in the refrigerator. It appeared to be chocolate with nuts in it. As I was leaving for a trip to Chicago, I opened the refrigerator to discover it had developed into a beautiful pie. On my flight home, I couldn’t wait to have a piece of that pie as soon as I unpacked. Now, looking into the refrigerator, it’s GONE! CeCe, where is that pie you made? It looked delicious. Oh, it was! Where did you put it, in the other fridge? No, it’s gone. What? Yes, I ate the whole thing. It was so good and you know I don’t cook, so I just ate a little for every... Continue Reading

We have just taken the redeye back home from Vegas so we can be home a day sooner than we had planned. Unfortunately, CeCe’s mom, Happy, had a stroke while we were gone and is in the hospital. We drive straight from the airport to the hospital so we can be there when the neurologist makes her rounds. Happy is stable but very weak with ongoing issues with her sight and ability to communicate coherently. (Prayers welcomed!) CeCe is her Mom’s primary caregiver and watching her love and care for her mom is simply wonderful.    We leave the hospital having met with doctors and arranged additional... Continue Reading

As CeCe and I were shopping and enjoying a casual day in the Florida panhandle, I saw a sign in a shop that reminded me of one that we saw way back in 2012 when we were in the British Virgin Islands. Open Some Days, Closed Others! CeCe of course had a picture of it on her phone. I have always found this humorous and even feel some hints of jealousy as I am one of those who loves to control my schedule. We found the sign to be very accurate on the islands as “island time” was very different from the way we have always viewed time. As I gazed at the picture, smiling as memories came flooding... Continue Reading

One of our favorite things to do is host an afternoon crawfish boil at our house. Kris, CeCe’s brother, is our master chef. He always features the normal corn and potatoes, but he likes to elevate his boil with a few surprises. For example, smoked sausage is a favorite add-in, mushrooms, green beans, onions (Yum!), garlic cloves (CeCe has these off limits for me but I love them), artichokes and even asparagus.   Of course, the preparation and social time between boils is as much fun as the meal itself which happens around a round table with the garbage can in the middle for the shells. The... Continue Reading

Hopefully, you remember the hilarious story of Taco, the Purdie’s cat who mistakenly met a premature death in one of my earlier blogs. The story was so popular, I felt an obligation to share with you that Taco has now lived his nine lives, and for the second time, he received an appropriate burial and ceremony.   What has been enlightening from the experience is how much more the Purdies have enjoyed and appreciated having Taco around the house after his first premature burial. CeCe and I received frequent updates on what Taco was up to and how much he was enjoying life. Second chances sometimes... Continue Reading

Ready for a bold statement? My new book Leading with Significance is sweeter than Christmas candy! There, I said it. Here’s eight reasons why: The joy of impacting the lives of others far outlasts the fleeting pleasure from the sweetness of Christmas candy.   The more you focus on people first, the stronger you get, while too much candy can be a stomach ache.    You never run out of the goodies from magnetic culture but Christmas candy always runs out.   There’s no real cost to investing in people, while Christmas candy always hits the pocketbook.    Everybody enjoys a strong sense... Continue Reading

This article was originally published in the AICPA Journal of Accountancy on May 10, 2023. Our profession has in front of us the greatest opportunity for increased relevance and abundance that I have seen in 40 years. Demand for our services, skill sets, and leadership have never been higher. We can simply look at the growth percentages from the latest 2022 large firm reports and see that firms are growing at much faster rates due to this increased demand. We have growing opportunities to have an impact on client businesses with consulting and advisory services, as every sector of business is... Continue Reading