As a graduate of Lifework Leadership’s Inaugural class more than 10 years ago, Miguel Rodriguez, CPA, PFS, Managing Partner of Rodriguez, Kinzbrunner & Company, LLP, has witnessed firsthand the impact the Lifework program and its alumni have had on his career, personal life and in the community.

Applicable in today’s marketplace, Lifework Leadership is a nine-month course that examines the life of Jesus as the best example of leadership. The program includes teaching from nationally-known speakers, case studies with prominent business people, literary discussion and practical life application. The opportunity to connect with peers in relationships that enrich their personal and professional lives is a highlight for many, and attendees are challenged to view their workplace as platform to positively affect others.

“I credit Lifework Leadership for influencing the development of organizations like Hope South Florida and Church United, John Offerdahl’s Grid Iron Grill-off and the work of Roy Moore to stop bullying through Be Strong.  Those initiatives and many more have formed from relationships developed at Lifework. The people involved have certainly given credit to Lifework and it has been a privilege to see,” Rodriguez said.

Recently, Rodriguez shared how his Lifework Leadership experience encouraged him to use his accounting and financial services experience for good in the community.

Working with Lifework

 

Good News (GN) – Tell me a little about your company and the services you provide.

Miguel Rodriguez (MR) – We started [Rodriguez, Kinzbrunner & Company] in 1991, but I’ve been a CPA for over 30 years. We’re primarily general practitioners providing accounting, auditing and management consulting, but our main focus is on tax planning, tax return preparation and financial advice for businesses, individuals and nonprofit organizations. We’ve done a lot of work over the years with the real estate industry in terms of developers, contractors and real estate professionals. We also do a lot of work with nonprofit organizations including churches, synagogues and charities.

 

GN – What would you say are your strengths as a business?

MR – We like to think of ourselves as the people that provide financial peace of mind for our clients. When we develop good, solid financial and tax strategies, it’s going to provide them with some financial peace of mind.  We work really hard to make sure our clients’ work gets done in a timely manner, so they can be sure they’re not going to be facing penalties for late filings. We try to lift that pressure and responsibility off our client’s shoulders and put it on our shoulders. A lot of times we worry about that more than our clients do, but that’s what we offer. That’s the peace of mind we provide. We have to be a little proactive, maybe a little assertive, because it’s important for us to educate our clients as to what needs to be done so they can avoid getting into difficulties.

 

GN – When did you go through Lifework Leadership?

MR – I was in the first class. I think it was in 2007. It was a real privilege to be there, and I got to meet a lot of great leaders in the community in both business and the nonprofit areas. I liked it so much that I kept coming back and was going to most of the classes for a few years. Then I had the privilege of being a table coach and seeing other people go through the class. Seeing how their lives were changed was a great joy. I’ve been able to witness a lot of significant things happen because of relationships that were developed in Lifework. Some of the passions people developed and the connections they made have really accomplished amazing things.

 

GN – What had the biggest impact on you personally?

MR – It’s helped me to focus my passions and my purpose in such a way that I learned I could use what I do at the office, what I do at church and in other organizations and obviously my homelife as well. All those different areas I’m involved in can and should move me along in the journey and path to my purpose. So I think that’s one of the most impactful things that has come out of the Lifework experience.

 

GN – Is there a certain priority that has developed out of that for you?

MR – The two main things I have focused on are charities that are involved with helping kids and families. I’ve been blessed to be on the board of directors at Sheridan House and we support the United Methodist Children’s Home. We’ve also been involved over the years with Heart Gallery and some other organizations involved with kids and families.

I’ve also been involved over the years training and working with families on personal finances. At church I’ve had the privilege of leading Crown Financial studies as well as Financial Peace University studies, and that has been very rewarding. It kind of all fits into me being a CPA and helping people achieve financial peace of mind. I’ve seen a lot of families be blessed by going through those classes and learning how to deal with money and how God teaches us to deal with money. It’s been great to see lives changed and families impacted as a result.

 

GN – Why did you as a company think it was important to invest in Lifework?

MR – We’re very selective about what we do as far as community involvement is concerned. As a result of going through lifework, I learned how important it is to have the right leadership and to develop leadership. This allowed us to work in that leadership development in the community. That’s why we sponsor Lifework.

 

GN – Who do you think is a good candidate for lifework? Who should participate?

I think there’s a spot for everybody. The way lifework looks at leadership, anybody who has influence over somebody else is in position to be a leader. If we can learn how Jesus taught us to do leadership, that’s going to help us in our families and work environments and church and everywhere else. So I think everybody can certainly benefit from it. I don’t think somebody has to be a president of a company, although certainly those people would be the obvious choices, but I think Lifework is also in a position to develop future leaders to grow into those positions. I can’t think of anybody that should not go through a Lifework experience.

 

To learn more about Lifework Leadership, visit www.lifeworksouthflorida.com.

For more articles by Shelly Pond, please visit goodnewsfl.org/author/shelly/