The Mentor Series

The "Master of the Craft" is defined as the best in their field, the one who has accumulated their wisdom through years of experience, and who can provide insight into your industry and fine-tuning your skills.  My introduction to the “Master of the Craft” mentor type began when I was a young college graduate with a blue-collar upbringing trying to select that first new business suit, shirt, tie, and dress shoes. 

Just purchasing that first new car (moving on from a 71 Cougar to 84 Honda), experiencing marriage and starting with a Big Six Firm in the early 80’s.

Week-long new hire training awaited me in the old Bank of Louisville building at 7th and Broadway to kick off the professional journey.

Introductions to the need to acquire a taste for both coffee and diet cokes to survive long days in a retro 70’s looking training room to start the professional path. A training week that educated me on topics such as TRAP (Touché Ross Audit Process), Billable Hours, Best Lunch Spots, Phoenix Hill/Butchertown Pub Happy Hours, National Training, Out of Town Travel, and the Winter expectations of “Busy Season”.

1984 was more than a novel by George Orwell – it was the beginning of a rewarding career and the intro to my first Mentor – the Master of the Craft – Touche Ross Quality Control Partner Joseph A. Blitzko!

I have been grateful to have a 40-year plus friendship with valuable years of Joe’s mentoring on Mastering of the Craft. 

He instilled in me the following:

• The importance of the deliverable and passed on key traits relating to “brain on paper” researching and putting on paper grounded conclusions

• The learned skills required to provide “world-class” technical business writing edits and keeping the message simple.

• The communication style to be direct and authentic with clients on matters of controversy and “bad” news.

• The value of “being prepared” and not underestimate what is required to meet and exceed client expectations.

Our friendship grew from a demanding young professional environment to a seasoned manager before having less engaged time that was refueled with Hawkins Company CPAs as Joe joined me in my efforts of building the Firm. His support and ongoing friendship helped mature me and my practice.

He soon after became a Florida resident and a sanctuary for refueling my professional endeavors and sharing the path. These years continued our growth as close friends as we share enjoying flat water fishing, Tampa Ray’s games, Spring Training games and talking shop. 

God Bless and Thank You -- Joe Blitzko!

The Second Issue of the Hawk’s Eye View about Mentors introduces us to the next type of Mentor – “Champion of the Cause.”

The “Champion of the Cause” Mentor is someone who advocates you and has your back. And most importantly, they are ones that can be connectors introducing you to key people in your industry.

1993 led to this next Mentor's introduction as I made my first Firm change leaving Deloitte and moving on to Strothman and Company - new firm , fresh start and partner candidate process led to new relationships and building a client base to be accepted as a partner.

Financial Institutions was the foundation of my client career but now I learned that AAA was more than American Automobile Association but a critical metric with S Corporation shareholders and my tax knowledge expanded beyond the FI’s. During the transition I was becoming more connected to my Bank client Boards as an extension of the management team relationships and by improving “executive presence”.

The thirst for knowledge and being prepared led me to new introductions in learning about the best in the other professions – legal, actuary, IT, HR, etc.

It was with a new connection with an attorney that I met my new and additional mentor who became my “Champion of the Cause.”

I was blessed to meet one of the premier Senior Banking Attorneys in the region. One of my newest bank clients was one he had serviced for years. This new client was one that led to many professional development traits for me and from my newest Mentor – James (Jim) Straus with Frost Brown Todd.

Jim blessed me with his presence and his seasoned wisdom on dealing with banks senior management and board members. His talented abilities to gain the confidence of the room with his knowledge and experience kept my undivided attention.

Our relationship allowed me to grow in the following areas.

• A more universal perspective of the banking industry

• Serving the client’s bank board

• Embracing and building positive relationships with the regulatory agencies

• Advocating for clients but maintaining elevated level of professional skepticism

• Dealing with issues timely and communicate appropriately

Jim quickly learned of my direct, authentic, trusted and engaged approach to life and client service. 

He quickly became my first stop on dealing with client challenges whether for my personal insights or the needs of his legal counsel. We grew into a good team – Jim, FBT , The Hawk and whoever was the Hawk’s Home Firm at the Time.

He embraced my professional commitment and me. 

This invested and rewarding relationship was also grounded outside our professional life with the love of America’s past-time – “Baseball” – whether the Cards, Bats, or the Reds – we spent many hours at the Ballpark with clients, family, and friends. A cold beer, the “crack of the bat” and the sound of the fans was always a good way to regroup, refresh and attempt to limit “shop talk.”

The Third Issue of the Hawk’s Eye View describes the last core pillar of Mentor types – “The Anchor.”

The Anchor complements the previous mentors (The Master of the Craft and Champion of the Cause) by providing a confidante and sounding board while being actively connected with you experiencing speed bumps and some uncertainty around you.

Entering my professional decade of the 2000’s and creating Hawkins Company CPAs led to the growing need for insights and perspectives in my career and maturing my level of leadership and responsibility.

This period led to building a boutique firm of senior level professionals who were all “subject matter experts” in their own skilled areas. We began to serve and deliver emerging and technology based clients requiring more depth in more complicated service areas including third party control validation (SOC) , risk management and internal audit programs followed by “mergers and acquisition”. Strategically the  practice moved to regulated industries and to those companies that served as vendors in these  industries.  These new and successful clients were very entrepreneurially focused.

This new practice environment played a critical role in my  development and industry expertise with an emerging financial services’ client that ultimately led to a strong relationship with a young energetic and determined young entrepreneurial executive woman -  Dana A. Bowers.  Dana was the visionary founder of today’s iPay Technologies (Jack Henry & Associates) and currently the Chief Solutions Architect, Founder and Board Member of Venminder.  Dana’s presence and determination during this period obviously projected what was to come in her successes.  Dana’s personal and professional life blossomed successfully during this same time period and led to the introduction of Mike Bowers, her husband and partner personally and professionally in their endeavors.  Dana played her own critical role in my career and was complemented by Mike evolving into the “The Anchor” mentor role for me.  He brought on-going insights and “knowledge share” to me in SAAS and technology companies and more importantly with mergers and acquisitions (M&A).  The M&A experiences included evaluating strategic partners, developing strong forecast models, managing relations with private equity and financial services public companies.

The Bowers team was a blessing to my career experiencing life both personally and professionally.  Their impact on their families, their friends, their community, and their business relationships are “world class”!  The relationships that expanded between us continue to this day.

Outside of the busy work days, we found time to enjoy Florida sunshine - Seaside, family life events, share war stories, savor Dana’s home cooked fried chicken, experience YUM arena concerts and embrace many evenings enjoying dining experiences.

I recently posted content on LinkedIn discussing three core mentor types - “Master of the Craft”, “Champion of your Cause” and “the Anchor”.  

Finding my way through childhood - school - college - graduation to young adulthood for the opportunity to experience those future mentor types would have not ever been possible without the most important mentor of all - The Father Mentor!

My Father was the prequel to my life’s blessed mentor relationships!

My Father - started his adult life at an early age of 18 as an Ironworker building the skyline of Louisville, and modern day bridges  connecting  Kentucky and Indiana, erecting the Ville’s largest church campus and largest plants and employers.  He spent much of his life working on the structured steel foundations of many high rise office buildings downtown.  

I worked in many of those buildings my Dad built either as my Firm office, client offices or other professional offices including National City Tower, PNC Plaza, Humana Building, Aegon, Brown & Williamson Towers, and the LG&E building.  

Living his trade, My Father usually was the “Pusher” (the Foreman) in his more seasoned years.  

His determination to see a job done was grounded on his core traits of:

• Being prepared

• Setting expectations (desired behaviors) with his “raising gang” (crew that sets the structural steel) and 

• Holding them accountable (actions has consequences)

This was ingrained in me during my childhood.  Those traits carried over to him coaching me in little league at Valley Sports Little League and blessing not only me but other young boys who we shared the diamond with.  

He constantly displayed his Fatherly traits as a motivator, an enforcer, an encourager, a trainer and a counselor with a core mix of humor and directness.

Although not educated beyond the 10th grade, his intelligence was a core to his forethought and wit.  Simple common and repeated sayings echoed from him:

• You only get out of it what you put into it!

• Don’t be afraid to ask questions - they can’t eat you!

• Education is the path to becoming something!

God Bless my Father Bill Hawkins who passed August 2021 and provided me the path to a rewarding career and life filled with many valued relationships!