November 8, 2024 • 25 mins
Prepare to be inspired as Mickie explores a life-changing car accident that tested her resilience and highlighted the power of support systems. After enduring a leg amputation, Mickie chose humor and positivity over despair, teaching us the importance of a lighthearted perspective in tough times. Her anecdotes, from naming her "residual leg" to sharing emotional moments with her family, underscore the strength found in optimism. Mickie's journey is a testament to embracing life's challenges with grace and a smile, reminding us all that positivity can transform even the most daunting situations.
Mickie's tale is one of courage and determination. From living in 18 different places and mentoring countless couples on marriage and faith to shattering glass ceilings as the president of Blue Benefits Consulting and a CPA firm, Mickie was initially overlooked for leadership roles but her initiative and substantial contributions proved her worth, making her a trailblazer in her industry.
Guest Bio:
Mickie Murphy, CPC, QPA, QKC, ERPA
Mickie leads the Blue Benefits Consulting practice firm-wide. Over 30 years in the retirement plan administration, has given her experience in serving client retirement plan needs in banking, record keeping and Third Party Administration practices. She specializes in retirement plan consulting, plan design and corrections, and has responsibility for new business development.
Mickie is an Enrolled Retirement Plan Agent (ERPA) with the IRS, and a current credentialed member of the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA) with designations of Qualified Pension Administrator (QPA) and Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA). Mickie is also a current member of the Indiana Benefits Conference and has previously served multiple terms as Vice President of the Illinois Chapter of The ESOP Association as well as served on the Employee Benefits Committee of the US Chamber of Commerce. She has spoken and presented through various media on retirement plan subject matter before professional and business groups.
Connect with Mickie:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickiemurphy/
Connect with Theresa and Ivana:
Theresa, True Strategy Consultants: tsc-consultants.com
LinkedIn @treeconti, Insta @tscconsultants
Ivana, Courageous Being: courageousbeing.com
LinkedIn @ivipol, Insta @courbeing
SITP team, Step Into The Pivot: stepintothepivot.com
LinkedIn @step-into-the-pivot, YouTube @StepIntoThePivot
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This conversation is being brought to you in two
parts.
Today, our conversation withMickey Murphy starts off talking
about her incredible journey in2023, and then we will continue
next week talking about how shemoves forward from her big
pivot.
Welcome everybody to thisweek's episode of Step Into the
Pivot, where Teresa and I are soexcited and honored to welcome
(00:25):
our friend, mickey Murphy.
Mickey, welcome to the show and, yes, such an awesome moment to
be here with you.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
You are a a role model for bravery, resilience
and leading your life with loveand really using your heart,
using your intellect, using yourbeautiful voice that comes
(01:03):
through, kind and compassionate.
In so many different settings,teresa and I have been honored
to work alongside with you, sowe've seen you in a lot of
different capacities and it'sjust so wonderful that, also
with so much availability,you've said yes to record this
special episode with us.
And I say special because youhave a very special and unique
(01:26):
story and we're going to getinto that.
You also have a very specialand unique bio.
We can talk about it moretraditionally.
I'm not going to do that.
I'm going to highlight thehighlights.
So if I was writing your bio,one of the first things I would
put up there is that Mickey issomeone who is so devoted and
(01:51):
dedicated to family values.
One of the first things Ilearned about you when we met
quite a few years ago was howmuch you loved your family, how
much you loved your husband andhow important your marriage is
to you.
And I learned from you thatyour marriage really is not only
(02:13):
something that is, you know, adedicated practice for you, but
it is a place of role modelinghow to be married with purpose
on purpose for others.
So you and your husband mentorother couples.
What a cool thing to behighlighting as part of your bio
and really helping people tuneinto faith and how faith is part
(02:38):
of relationship, especially asyou counsel folks who are ready
to say yes to marriage andpreparation for a lifetime
relationship, and to ourlisteners and our viewers.
I am highly pay attention here.
I'm highlighting these thingsfor a reason.
You're going to see how theycome up in Mickey's story.
And another thing I want tohighlight before I turn it over
to Teresa is that sense ofadventure that you and your
(03:00):
husband share with regards totravel and exploration of a lot
of different places.
Let me check my notes so Idon't get this wrong.
You have lived with yourhusband in 18 different places
since you got married 30 yearsago.
Let me make sure that myCroatian accent is pronouncing
this correctly 30, guys, that'sthree, zero.
(03:21):
You've owned seven houses andin lived in six different states
.
Do I have all that correct,mickey?
Yes, I think yes correct?
uh, you've lived on both coastsand in the middle also before
maybe you got married.
(03:41):
So another little like spoileralert here for our listeners.
So tune into the idea ofadventure lots of landscape
covering a lot of differentexperiences, you and your
husband, you know, journeying.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Like most of us, mickey fell into the retirement
industry by accident.
That's, I think, what we all do, especially us who've been in
this business a long, long time.
I think you're around 21.
We're working as a temp for abank and now have been working
on retirement plans for a long,long time.
So where I would like you tostart is that 2023 was a really
(04:20):
big year for you in many, manyways.
So let's kind of start how 2023started off for you, and I
think this started actually inmid 2022, when you were asking
about being president of thefirm you work for.
So can you kind of start therewith us, because I love this
(04:43):
story about how you becamepresident of Blue Benefits
Consulting.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
I would be happy to.
As you mentioned, I have beenin this industry a long time.
I've worked a lot of differentplaces and in a lot of different
formats.
I came to Blue BenefitsConsulting to head up this
practice as they found thingshad changed and so I was taking
(05:08):
care of multiple locations anddoing conversions and bringing
all those people together whohad been kind of us and them and
making them us, making us oneteam and had been doing that.
I think it was about sevenyears at that point.
And then we're related to a CPAfirm where you have very few
(05:29):
levels and they're all kind oflaid out, where you come in as
associate and get promoted tomanager and then senior manager
and then maybe partner.
Well, I wasn't any of thosethings.
I was third party administratorsame type of thing you're
familiar with and had beenrunning this practice as senior
manager.
We even acquired anotherpractice where the owner came in
(05:52):
as principal and here I wasover him as senior manager, so
I'd given information tosomebody else to present as
president's address for threeyears in a row and by about that
time I was kind of tired ofthat and did a little research
and found out I didn't have tobe an owner or a CPA to be
(06:13):
president of our practice.
And after I'd had my annualreview with my managing partner,
I said yes, I do have one morething I want to bring up.
And yes, I do have one morething I want to bring up.
And I'm just wondering is theresomething I'm doing or not
(06:35):
doing that is keeping you frommaking me president?
And he kind of sat back and hesaid well, because we're jerks
and I keep saying I'm not goingto say it that way anymore.
But that is exactly what hesaid.
And I said well, I, you know, Idon't really know if that's the
case.
He said well, you know, we justnever thought about that.
But I have a couple ofquestions.
(06:56):
And and so we talked about thatand there was stuff that you
know that when they had startedout 30 years ago, they had to
have certain people doingcertain things and licensing and
none of that was requiredanymore.
And he said well, you know, wehave to vote on this, the
partners have to vote on this.
And I said, okay, you know.
Fine, you know I'm here and notnothing's changed.
(07:20):
And that was in June.
And on December 1st I got anemail that says you're, you've
been elected as president.
I said, oh, okay, good, whendoes that take effect?
He said yesterday, when we didthe election, I said, okay, so
when can I start using thattitle?
He says, oh, now, I said so Icould put it in my tag on my
(07:40):
email.
I said, well, yeah sure.
I said okay, thanks.
That was kind of it.
I was made president.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
What a great story.
And what would have happened ifyou didn't ask right, like
that's what I'm thinking, itwould have been nothing.
How brave it was for you to ask, for sure.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
For sure.
So that that's the moral to thestory is, I was getting pretty
grumpy sitting around thinkingwhy haven't they made me
president?
Surely someone would havenoticed.
I've been running this and I'vebeen supplying the information
and I'm doing everything frombudget to firing and hiring
usually in the other way aroundbut they just had never
(08:19):
purchased somebody that I hadn't.
I wasn't a partner in the CPAfirm.
Why would I be president ofthis practice?
But none of my people are CPAs.
(08:40):
For me then was in July of eachyear.
They have a time when peoplefrom the different entities come
and present to directorsmeaning directors or partners in
our firm and I was invited tospeak to that to give up my 10
minute.
Presidents reported that andwhat I didn't say was I.
It was a bigger deal to them tojust me to be president of my
practice because I was the firstone who wasn't a CPA.
(09:02):
I was the first one who wasn'tan owner of the firm and it gave
my whole team something to lookup to.
That we could be president.
Could be president anybody inmy and I've got one young person
that I'm.
She doesn't know she's beinggroomed, but that's.
I think that she could be thatsomeday, and I've actually told
(09:22):
her you could be president ifyou wanted to.
So there's, there's that goal,that's there.
That wasn't there beforebecause there'd actually been.
People told well you, you'llnever be more than a manager
because you're not a CPA, you'renot a, a partner.
So this was a big deal.
My whole team knows I'm goingto go do the president's report
at the director's meeting and Ihad my 10 minutes of fame and
(09:45):
got a lot of pats on the backsand attaboys and I left there
just delighted because I knew itwas a big deal in more ways
than just me being given adifferent title.
It was in Lexington because theyrotate that among different
locations for our CPA officesand I was driving back to north
(10:08):
of Indianapolis to get homeExciting get home.
But on the other hand you knowit's a three and a half hour
drive.
So I'm driving, get uh north ofCincinnati and I'm on the
outside lane and look over inthe car in the inside lane just
like stomps on the gas and I'mthinking what the heck is going
on as as a minivan comes acrossthe median at full speed and
(10:32):
hits me head-on.
So I feel the car spin.
I don't have any identificationof the other vehicle, but I'm
still fully aware, as the baghas gone off and then deflated
again and kind of looking aroundthe car and thinking I don't
(10:53):
see my phone.
I'm thinking I don't see myphone.
My bag is dumped over onto thefloor.
Oh, that's looks like it's thebattery, but nothing else has
come through the car.
That's all.
Look down.
(11:16):
Yeah, I think that's a compoundfracture, legs kind of not doing
too well.
I'm really slumped down in theseat.
I wonder how I get help.
I have no idea where I am, kindof out in the middle of nowhere
on the highway, and the sweetvoice comes over my shoulder.
The window must have broken outbecause I was riding with the
AC on and I find out later.
She could hear me talking tomyself.
I wasn't thinking those things.
She heard me talk about my arm,the compound fracture, and she
(11:37):
just says is there someone I cancall?
And I said yes, my husband.
And remember, thinking hisphone is one digit off from mine
.
I have to remember to give herJoe's number and I did.
She called him.
So I was that much aware.
Still, she called him and putme on.
So I have your wife here, putme on, and I said well, I've
(11:59):
been in an accident, I think youneed to come.
And so he tells me that Isounded like I must have been
kind of in shock.
He was in the middle of paintingour living room, tells this
young lady, I'll be there justas soon as I can, washes the
brushes, throws some things inan overnight bag and drives the
(12:22):
three hours to Cincinnati.
Meantime this young woman staysin touch with him, texting him.
The ambulance is here, they'recutting her out of the car with
the jaws of life, they'reputting her in a medevac and
taking her to the Cincinnatihospital with the address, so he
was able to drive directlythere.
I have no idea how.
(12:46):
I was fully aware up to thatpoint.
I remember nothing aftertalking to him until waking up
in the hospital and at somepoint I found out this past week
actually that I gave myhusband's people's names to call
.
Let them know, and somebody inparticular.
(13:06):
I had wondered how did she know?
Because she came and visited mein the ICU.
I had spelled it out for himcall her.
I had spelled it out for him,call her.
But they listed 25 injuries thatJoe immediately recognized.
On there I had both forearmsbroken, both bones and hands.
(13:27):
I was casted up to myfingertips.
My right leg was in traction,with you know things holding it
together immediately uh, I'mjust trying to think eight ribs
broken.
My abdomen had just beendestroyed by the seat belt, kept
me from going through thewindshield, but, um, it did
(13:50):
serious damage.
I look kind of like a hotcrossbone right now.
So it was four days before theyremoved the ventilator and my
family felt like.
My mom felt like she couldleave.
My son and his wife were thereas well as Joe, so that just
started a four month stay in thehospital.
(14:13):
I was there in Cincinnati untilOctober when I was finally
moved closer to my home, whichabout an hour away, that Joe
could get back and forth toduring the day and take care of
our three cats and all the goodthings that come with taking
care of a home.
I was home for a couple weeks,briefly, and then went back in
(14:35):
to have some revision surgery onmy knee and I neglected to say
that Three weeks after theaccident my leg was in such bad
shape that I was told that theyrecommended amputation at the
knee and I knew that it was insuch bad shape that I didn't
want it there anymore.
(14:55):
So when this sweet young mancame to me and told me that news
, that was heartbreaking in avery real sense and I knew he
dreaded telling me, I just saidtake it off, get, get it off of
me.
I know I'll feel Cause thatthat as soon as it was gone, the
(15:15):
pound, the pain that I was inwas gone, I knew that it was a
mess.
They had tried so many things.
I'd had 15 surgeries by then.
Uh, between the leg and and myarms.
I wave them around like on myarms.
Uh, so that was a lot ofrecovery to go through.
They had given me colostomy.
(15:39):
In the two days that wereabdominal surgeries that just
saved my life.
That just recently was reversed, july 1st.
So it's kind of been a longjourney.
2023, I was finally home fromthe last knee surgery and a
(16:00):
couple more weeks in rehab afterthat, december 15th.
So from July 12th 23 toDecember 15th 23, I was in
hospital or rehab and I startedwork on January 2nd.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
One of the most amazing stories.
Honestly, you know, I love thatyou tell this and I love that
you tell it in that way.
So I'm really even ask you someother questions.
But I want to ask you can youtell us about Betty?
So, you didn't really mentionBetty.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
No, I haven't.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Betty.
Betty is um.
I love Betty, so tell us whoBetty is.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
So so I stopped at January 2nd.
January 2nd I did go back towork part-time while I was uh
still uh recovering fromanesthesia and some of the other
things Anesthesia kind of somepeople take gives you brain fog.
So I knew I needed to work outof that.
So I was working 10 or 15 hoursa week, which is, as you know,
(17:09):
rarely works that way.
It was probably more like 20 or25.
And in February I had healedwell enough in January for my my
knee surgery to be fitted forprosthetic and I always say my
leg guy because it's easier thanprosthesis and I have a
(17:29):
prosthetic leg that I was givenin February and I call her Betty
because I can put her in thecorner when I'm tired of her or
she's misbehaving.
And one of the fun things toknow about Betty, she has a
microprocessor in the knee thatcontrols the hydraulics.
So, which is very cool, I don'tfall down really fast If I trip
(17:52):
the knee, just kind ofcollapses slowly.
So it's actually prettyhumorous when it happens, and
that hasn't happened in a while.
But I have a funny story fromprobably the last time that it
happened, getting out of the carin the driveway and Joe lets me
into the garage so I don't haveto, you know, squeeze between
things.
And I got out and I stubbed mytoe and he's still in the car
(18:14):
with it running and I just kindof went down slowly till I was
on my knee and then I got togiggling because I could just
imagine what he could see fromhis side of the car was my head
going down the stair, you know,just slow motion.
So I was laughing so hard.
By that point I just rolledover on my back.
(18:34):
I'm laying in the driveway andI hear the car turn off, the
door close and look over me andsay you okay, yes, I am.
Says, can I help you up?
I said no, my knee doesn't workthat way.
I've got to get up on my handsand knees.
So now I'm in the grass on myhands and knees saying you know,
take my hand.
So who knows what the neighborssaw?
(18:59):
But Betty is marvelous.
I introduce anybody who'sinterested in Betty to her and
happy to show her.
I have toes on my foot so Icould wear sandals properly if I
wanted to.
Little children who look up mayget more information than they
want, because I'll say oh, areyou looking at my leg.
Let me show you.
Here's the knee, isn't thatcool?
And I saw a little girl theother day and she was admiring
(19:23):
my leg.
I was wearing a skirt and I didthat.
Oh, you want to see, yes.
And so we had a little fashionshow and she says can you walk
over there for me so I can look?
I did, and for me so I can look?
I did.
And I came back I said did I do?
Okay, she says that was great.
So I'm totally transparent.
Anybody wants to know gets tomore information than they want,
(19:44):
probably.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
Your laughter is so infectious, it's so beautiful,
and Teresa and I tend to keepourselves in mute mode while our
guests are speaking.
You can see if you're lookingat the video.
But it's just infectiousbecause it's real and I love
noticing that.
So you are telling that story,it's humorous and you're letting
yourself kind of like look atit humorously and joyfully and
(20:11):
being like, and who knows whatthe neighbors saw?
And then there's this lovingquality, not harsh and sarcastic
, but like who knows what theneighbors saw.
And then there's this likeloving quality, not not harsh
and sarcastic, but like whocares what the neighbors saw.
You know.
There's like, then, thattransparency.
You are just authentic, like,yeah, look, kids, here is.
What are you curious about this?
Let me show you.
(20:31):
It's loving that here, learningabout you know, learning about
the challenges, challenges.
But then you're bringing in thehumor.
You're bringing in it's likefull spectrum, everything.
We've just witnessed it hereit's how you know.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
People ask me how, how did you do this?
Or they'll tell me I don't knowhow you did this.
Well, that that's one of you.
If you don't laugh, you do theopposite.
I've always kind of been thatpersonality, not to take myself
too seriously, nobody else does,so you kind of have to go with
(21:06):
the flow, right?
My family treats things withhumor.
I had my leg amputated.
My brother says can we, can Icall you Peg?
Now I said no, I think that'sgoing a little too far, but I
don't know what to call.
This Stump sounds kind of, youknow, weird.
(21:26):
And come to find out later thatthe medical professionals now
call that a residual leg, whichI think that's so bizarre too.
I call it my short leg.
But you know, here they were,my, my son and his wife and I
were sitting around going well,what shall we name that?
I mean, if you don't have asense of humor, it really
(21:47):
doesn't help, I think.
And and that's just kind of mygo-to and it's not it like you
say, I I do not care for sarcasm.
My husband and I have a joke.
I'll tell him sarcasm doesn'tbecome you, because it doesn't.
You know, it's usually there's,it's acrid and that's.
That's not what I am.
(22:08):
What I am is choosing to belighthearted about things that a
lot of people take tooseriously.
Lighthearted about things thata lot of people take too
seriously.
I knew, when they came and toldme that I needed to have my leg
amputated, what was going tohappen.
I've seen that.
I've seen people with a legthat's been amputated that are
(22:28):
in a wheelchair for the rest oftheir lives.
I've seen people who use aprosthetic and can walk.
I knew what they were talkingabout, but I also knew that
could be me.
I can walk.
I can use the tools that I'mgiven.
I've seen handicapped peopleall my life and you can either
sit in the corner, go into adark place and curl up and die,
(22:50):
or you can choose to live everyday and use the tools that you
have and use the resources thatyou have.
I I choose that and I willchoose that Some days.
It's not so easy.
I will will tell you that Icame home with a wheelchair that
was large and I sat in mybedroom and cried and my husband
(23:11):
said what is the matter?
I said I'm tearing up the newbaseboards you just put in.
He's like I'll paint it again,don't worry about it, it you.
You know it's.
And then I'm laughing.
He's like I'll paint him, it'sno big deal.
Okay, you're right.
I don't know why I'm crying.
It's so, you just, it's achoice a lot of times.
But if you live that all thetime, that choice is minimal.
(23:33):
You know it's, you just getused to that, that way of living
.
This conversation is being brought to you in two
parts.
Today, our conversation withMickey Murphy starts off talking
about her incredible journey in2023, and then we will continue
next week talking about how shemoves forward from her big
pivot.
Welcome everybody to thisweek's episode of Step Into the
Pivot, where Teresa and I are soexcited and honored to welcome
(00:25):
our friend, mickey Murphy.
Mickey, welcome to the show and, yes, such an awesome moment to
be here with you.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
You are a a role model for bravery, resilience
and leading your life with loveand really using your heart,
using your intellect, using yourbeautiful voice that comes
(01:03):
through, kind and compassionate.
In so many different settings,teresa and I have been honored
to work alongside with you, sowe've seen you in a lot of
different capacities and it'sjust so wonderful that, also
with so much availability,you've said yes to record this
special episode with us.
And I say special because youhave a very special and unique
(01:26):
story and we're going to getinto that.
You also have a very specialand unique bio.
We can talk about it moretraditionally.
I'm not going to do that.
I'm going to highlight thehighlights.
So if I was writing your bio,one of the first things I would
put up there is that Mickey issomeone who is so devoted and
(01:51):
dedicated to family values.
One of the first things Ilearned about you when we met
quite a few years ago was howmuch you loved your family, how
much you loved your husband andhow important your marriage is
to you.
And I learned from you thatyour marriage really is not only
(02:13):
something that is, you know, adedicated practice for you, but
it is a place of role modelinghow to be married with purpose
on purpose for others.
So you and your husband mentorother couples.
What a cool thing to behighlighting as part of your bio
and really helping people tuneinto faith and how faith is part
(02:38):
of relationship, especially asyou counsel folks who are ready
to say yes to marriage andpreparation for a lifetime
relationship, and to ourlisteners and our viewers.
I am highly pay attention here.
I'm highlighting these thingsfor a reason.
You're going to see how theycome up in Mickey's story.
And another thing I want tohighlight before I turn it over
to Teresa is that sense ofadventure that you and your
(03:00):
husband share with regards totravel and exploration of a lot
of different places.
Let me check my notes so Idon't get this wrong.
You have lived with yourhusband in 18 different places
since you got married 30 yearsago.
Let me make sure that myCroatian accent is pronouncing
this correctly 30, guys, that'sthree, zero.
(03:21):
You've owned seven houses andin lived in six different states
.
Do I have all that correct,mickey?
Yes, I think yes correct?
uh, you've lived on both coastsand in the middle also before
maybe you got married.
(03:41):
So another little like spoileralert here for our listeners.
So tune into the idea ofadventure lots of landscape
covering a lot of differentexperiences, you and your
husband, you know, journeying.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Like most of us, mickey fell into the retirement
industry by accident.
That's, I think, what we all do, especially us who've been in
this business a long, long time.
I think you're around 21.
We're working as a temp for abank and now have been working
on retirement plans for a long,long time.
So where I would like you tostart is that 2023 was a really
(04:20):
big year for you in many, manyways.
So let's kind of start how 2023started off for you, and I
think this started actually inmid 2022, when you were asking
about being president of thefirm you work for.
So can you kind of start therewith us, because I love this
(04:43):
story about how you becamepresident of Blue Benefits
Consulting.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
I would be happy to.
As you mentioned, I have beenin this industry a long time.
I've worked a lot of differentplaces and in a lot of different
formats.
I came to Blue BenefitsConsulting to head up this
practice as they found thingshad changed and so I was taking
(05:08):
care of multiple locations anddoing conversions and bringing
all those people together whohad been kind of us and them and
making them us, making us oneteam and had been doing that.
I think it was about sevenyears at that point.
And then we're related to a CPAfirm where you have very few
(05:29):
levels and they're all kind oflaid out, where you come in as
associate and get promoted tomanager and then senior manager
and then maybe partner.
Well, I wasn't any of thosethings.
I was third party administratorsame type of thing you're
familiar with and had beenrunning this practice as senior
manager.
We even acquired anotherpractice where the owner came in
(05:52):
as principal and here I wasover him as senior manager, so
I'd given information tosomebody else to present as
president's address for threeyears in a row and by about that
time I was kind of tired ofthat and did a little research
and found out I didn't have tobe an owner or a CPA to be
(06:13):
president of our practice.
And after I'd had my annualreview with my managing partner,
I said yes, I do have one morething I want to bring up.
And yes, I do have one morething I want to bring up.
And I'm just wondering is theresomething I'm doing or not
(06:35):
doing that is keeping you frommaking me president?
And he kind of sat back and hesaid well, because we're jerks
and I keep saying I'm not goingto say it that way anymore.
But that is exactly what hesaid.
And I said well, I, you know, Idon't really know if that's the
case.
He said well, you know, we justnever thought about that.
But I have a couple ofquestions.
(06:56):
And and so we talked about thatand there was stuff that you
know that when they had startedout 30 years ago, they had to
have certain people doingcertain things and licensing and
none of that was requiredanymore.
And he said well, you know, wehave to vote on this, the
partners have to vote on this.
And I said, okay, you know.
Fine, you know I'm here and notnothing's changed.
(07:20):
And that was in June.
And on December 1st I got anemail that says you're, you've
been elected as president.
I said, oh, okay, good, whendoes that take effect?
He said yesterday, when we didthe election, I said, okay, so
when can I start using thattitle?
He says, oh, now, I said so Icould put it in my tag on my
(07:40):
email.
I said, well, yeah sure.
I said okay, thanks.
That was kind of it.
I was made president.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
What a great story.
And what would have happened ifyou didn't ask right, like
that's what I'm thinking, itwould have been nothing.
How brave it was for you to ask, for sure.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
For sure.
So that that's the moral to thestory is, I was getting pretty
grumpy sitting around thinkingwhy haven't they made me
president?
Surely someone would havenoticed.
I've been running this and I'vebeen supplying the information
and I'm doing everything frombudget to firing and hiring
usually in the other way aroundbut they just had never
(08:19):
purchased somebody that I hadn't.
I wasn't a partner in the CPAfirm.
Why would I be president ofthis practice?
But none of my people are CPAs.
(08:40):
For me then was in July of eachyear.
They have a time when peoplefrom the different entities come
and present to directorsmeaning directors or partners in
our firm and I was invited tospeak to that to give up my 10
minute.
Presidents reported that andwhat I didn't say was I.
It was a bigger deal to them tojust me to be president of my
practice because I was the firstone who wasn't a CPA.
(09:02):
I was the first one who wasn'tan owner of the firm and it gave
my whole team something to lookup to.
That we could be president.
Could be president anybody inmy and I've got one young person
that I'm.
She doesn't know she's beinggroomed, but that's.
I think that she could be thatsomeday, and I've actually told
(09:22):
her you could be president ifyou wanted to.
So there's, there's that goal,that's there.
That wasn't there beforebecause there'd actually been.
People told well you, you'llnever be more than a manager
because you're not a CPA, you'renot a, a partner.
So this was a big deal.
My whole team knows I'm goingto go do the president's report
at the director's meeting and Ihad my 10 minutes of fame and
(09:45):
got a lot of pats on the backsand attaboys and I left there
just delighted because I knew itwas a big deal in more ways
than just me being given adifferent title.
It was in Lexington because theyrotate that among different
locations for our CPA officesand I was driving back to north
(10:08):
of Indianapolis to get homeExciting get home.
But on the other hand you knowit's a three and a half hour
drive.
So I'm driving, get uh north ofCincinnati and I'm on the
outside lane and look over inthe car in the inside lane just
like stomps on the gas and I'mthinking what the heck is going
on as as a minivan comes acrossthe median at full speed and
(10:32):
hits me head-on.
So I feel the car spin.
I don't have any identificationof the other vehicle, but I'm
still fully aware, as the baghas gone off and then deflated
again and kind of looking aroundthe car and thinking I don't
(10:53):
see my phone.
I'm thinking I don't see myphone.
My bag is dumped over onto thefloor.
Oh, that's looks like it's thebattery, but nothing else has
come through the car.
That's all.
Look down.
(11:16):
Yeah, I think that's a compoundfracture, legs kind of not doing
too well.
I'm really slumped down in theseat.
I wonder how I get help.
I have no idea where I am, kindof out in the middle of nowhere
on the highway, and the sweetvoice comes over my shoulder.
The window must have broken outbecause I was riding with the
AC on and I find out later.
She could hear me talking tomyself.
I wasn't thinking those things.
She heard me talk about my arm,the compound fracture, and she
(11:37):
just says is there someone I cancall?
And I said yes, my husband.
And remember, thinking hisphone is one digit off from mine
.
I have to remember to give herJoe's number and I did.
She called him.
So I was that much aware.
Still, she called him and putme on.
So I have your wife here, putme on, and I said well, I've
(11:59):
been in an accident, I think youneed to come.
And so he tells me that Isounded like I must have been
kind of in shock.
He was in the middle of paintingour living room, tells this
young lady, I'll be there justas soon as I can, washes the
brushes, throws some things inan overnight bag and drives the
(12:22):
three hours to Cincinnati.
Meantime this young woman staysin touch with him, texting him.
The ambulance is here, they'recutting her out of the car with
the jaws of life, they'reputting her in a medevac and
taking her to the Cincinnatihospital with the address, so he
was able to drive directlythere.
I have no idea how.
(12:46):
I was fully aware up to thatpoint.
I remember nothing aftertalking to him until waking up
in the hospital and at somepoint I found out this past week
actually that I gave myhusband's people's names to call
.
Let them know, and somebody inparticular.
(13:06):
I had wondered how did she know?
Because she came and visited mein the ICU.
I had spelled it out for himcall her.
I had spelled it out for him,call her.
But they listed 25 injuries thatJoe immediately recognized.
On there I had both forearmsbroken, both bones and hands.
(13:27):
I was casted up to myfingertips.
My right leg was in traction,with you know things holding it
together immediately uh, I'mjust trying to think eight ribs
broken.
My abdomen had just beendestroyed by the seat belt, kept
me from going through thewindshield, but, um, it did
(13:50):
serious damage.
I look kind of like a hotcrossbone right now.
So it was four days before theyremoved the ventilator and my
family felt like.
My mom felt like she couldleave.
My son and his wife were thereas well as Joe, so that just
started a four month stay in thehospital.
(14:13):
I was there in Cincinnati untilOctober when I was finally
moved closer to my home, whichabout an hour away, that Joe
could get back and forth toduring the day and take care of
our three cats and all the goodthings that come with taking
care of a home.
I was home for a couple weeks,briefly, and then went back in
(14:35):
to have some revision surgery onmy knee and I neglected to say
that Three weeks after theaccident my leg was in such bad
shape that I was told that theyrecommended amputation at the
knee and I knew that it was insuch bad shape that I didn't
want it there anymore.
(14:55):
So when this sweet young mancame to me and told me that news
, that was heartbreaking in avery real sense and I knew he
dreaded telling me, I just saidtake it off, get, get it off of
me.
I know I'll feel Cause thatthat as soon as it was gone, the
(15:15):
pound, the pain that I was inwas gone, I knew that it was a
mess.
They had tried so many things.
I'd had 15 surgeries by then.
Uh, between the leg and and myarms.
I wave them around like on myarms.
Uh, so that was a lot ofrecovery to go through.
They had given me colostomy.
(15:39):
In the two days that wereabdominal surgeries that just
saved my life.
That just recently was reversed, july 1st.
So it's kind of been a longjourney.
2023, I was finally home fromthe last knee surgery and a
(16:00):
couple more weeks in rehab afterthat, december 15th.
So from July 12th 23 toDecember 15th 23, I was in
hospital or rehab and I startedwork on January 2nd.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
One of the most amazing stories.
Honestly, you know, I love thatyou tell this and I love that
you tell it in that way.
So I'm really even ask you someother questions.
But I want to ask you can youtell us about Betty?
So, you didn't really mentionBetty.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
No, I haven't.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Betty.
Betty is um.
I love Betty, so tell us whoBetty is.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
So so I stopped at January 2nd.
January 2nd I did go back towork part-time while I was uh
still uh recovering fromanesthesia and some of the other
things Anesthesia kind of somepeople take gives you brain fog.
So I knew I needed to work outof that.
So I was working 10 or 15 hoursa week, which is, as you know,
(17:09):
rarely works that way.
It was probably more like 20 or25.
And in February I had healedwell enough in January for my my
knee surgery to be fitted forprosthetic and I always say my
leg guy because it's easier thanprosthesis and I have a
(17:29):
prosthetic leg that I was givenin February and I call her Betty
because I can put her in thecorner when I'm tired of her or
she's misbehaving.
And one of the fun things toknow about Betty, she has a
microprocessor in the knee thatcontrols the hydraulics.
So, which is very cool, I don'tfall down really fast If I trip
(17:52):
the knee, just kind ofcollapses slowly.
So it's actually prettyhumorous when it happens, and
that hasn't happened in a while.
But I have a funny story fromprobably the last time that it
happened, getting out of the carin the driveway and Joe lets me
into the garage so I don't haveto, you know, squeeze between
things.
And I got out and I stubbed mytoe and he's still in the car
(18:14):
with it running and I just kindof went down slowly till I was
on my knee and then I got togiggling because I could just
imagine what he could see fromhis side of the car was my head
going down the stair, you know,just slow motion.
So I was laughing so hard.
By that point I just rolledover on my back.
(18:34):
I'm laying in the driveway andI hear the car turn off, the
door close and look over me andsay you okay, yes, I am.
Says, can I help you up?
I said no, my knee doesn't workthat way.
I've got to get up on my handsand knees.
So now I'm in the grass on myhands and knees saying you know,
take my hand.
So who knows what the neighborssaw?
(18:59):
But Betty is marvelous.
I introduce anybody who'sinterested in Betty to her and
happy to show her.
I have toes on my foot so Icould wear sandals properly if I
wanted to.
Little children who look up mayget more information than they
want, because I'll say oh, areyou looking at my leg.
Let me show you.
Here's the knee, isn't thatcool?
And I saw a little girl theother day and she was admiring
(19:23):
my leg.
I was wearing a skirt and I didthat.
Oh, you want to see, yes.
And so we had a little fashionshow and she says can you walk
over there for me so I can look?
I did, and for me so I can look?
I did.
And I came back I said did I do?
Okay, she says that was great.
So I'm totally transparent.
Anybody wants to know gets tomore information than they want,
(19:44):
probably.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
Your laughter is so infectious, it's so beautiful,
and Teresa and I tend to keepourselves in mute mode while our
guests are speaking.
You can see if you're lookingat the video.
But it's just infectiousbecause it's real and I love
noticing that.
So you are telling that story,it's humorous and you're letting
yourself kind of like look atit humorously and joyfully and
(20:11):
being like, and who knows whatthe neighbors saw?
And then there's this lovingquality, not harsh and sarcastic
, but like who knows what theneighbors saw.
And then there's this likeloving quality, not not harsh
and sarcastic, but like whocares what the neighbors saw.
You know.
There's like, then, thattransparency.
You are just authentic, like,yeah, look, kids, here is.
What are you curious about this?
Let me show you.
(20:31):
It's loving that here, learningabout you know, learning about
the challenges, challenges.
But then you're bringing in thehumor.
You're bringing in it's likefull spectrum, everything.
We've just witnessed it hereit's how you know.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
People ask me how, how did you do this?
Or they'll tell me I don't knowhow you did this.
Well, that that's one of you.
If you don't laugh, you do theopposite.
I've always kind of been thatpersonality, not to take myself
too seriously, nobody else does,so you kind of have to go with
(21:06):
the flow, right?
My family treats things withhumor.
I had my leg amputated.
My brother says can we, can Icall you Peg?
Now I said no, I think that'sgoing a little too far, but I
don't know what to call.
This Stump sounds kind of, youknow, weird.
(21:26):
And come to find out later thatthe medical professionals now
call that a residual leg, whichI think that's so bizarre too.
I call it my short leg.
But you know, here they were,my, my son and his wife and I
were sitting around going well,what shall we name that?
I mean, if you don't have asense of humor, it really
(21:47):
doesn't help, I think.
And and that's just kind of mygo-to and it's not it like you
say, I I do not care for sarcasm.
My husband and I have a joke.
I'll tell him sarcasm doesn'tbecome you, because it doesn't.
You know, it's usually there's,it's acrid and that's.
That's not what I am.
(22:08):
What I am is choosing to belighthearted about things that a
lot of people take tooseriously.
Lighthearted about things thata lot of people take too
seriously.
I knew, when they came and toldme that I needed to have my leg
amputated, what was going tohappen.
I've seen that.
I've seen people with a legthat's been amputated that are
(22:28):
in a wheelchair for the rest oftheir lives.
I've seen people who use aprosthetic and can walk.
I knew what they were talkingabout, but I also knew that
could be me.
I can walk.
I can use the tools that I'mgiven.
I've seen handicapped peopleall my life and you can either
sit in the corner, go into adark place and curl up and die,
(22:50):
or you can choose to live everyday and use the tools that you
have and use the resources thatyou have.
I I choose that and I willchoose that Some days.
It's not so easy.
I will will tell you that Icame home with a wheelchair that
was large and I sat in mybedroom and cried and my husband
(23:11):
said what is the matter?
I said I'm tearing up the newbaseboards you just put in.
He's like I'll paint it again,don't worry about it, it you.
You know it's.
And then I'm laughing.
He's like I'll paint him, it'sno big deal.
Okay, you're right.
I don't know why I'm crying.
It's so, you just, it's achoice a lot of times.
But if you live that all thetime, that choice is minimal.
(23:33):
You know it's, you just getused to that, that way of living
.
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