Here is a question you may not have been asked at work recently: What do you do outside of the office? Not the surface-level pleasantry, but a genuine, curious inquiry into what lights you up when you are not crunching numbers or reviewing client files. 

If that question feels oddly out of place in your professional world, author John Garrett has something important to say to you.

In the summer 2026 NewsAccount, now available digitally, COCPA member Jim Brendel, a retired Moss Adams partner and frequent community volunteer and board member, shares his thoughts on Garrett’s book, What’s Your “And”?: Unlock the Person Within the Professional. 

Garrett’s book takes on one of the accounting profession’s most stubborn assumptions: that the best professionals are defined entirely by their technical expertise and professional credentials. Instead, he argues, the opposite is true: The hobbies, passions, and quirks that CPAs leave at the office door every morning are not distractions from their professional identity. In reality, they’re just what the profession is missing.

The CPA Who Became a Comedian

Garrett brings credibility to this conversation, as he is not merely an outsider looking in at the accounting world — he lived it. A Notre Dame graduate who passed the CPA exam and worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers, he was as “inside” the profession as it gets. 

During that time, he was also performing on the side as a stand-up comedian, ultimately leaving public accounting to build a career as a professional comedian, keynote speaker, and culture consultant. 

Garrett has since written two Emmy Award-nominated shows, released a comedy album on Sirius XM, and appeared on stage more than 2,000 times. Accounting Today has named him one of the 100 most influential people in the profession.

The Book’s Core Idea: You Are More Than a CPA

Garrett uses his personal journey as the book’s main premise: While we introduce ourselves professionally with a title – “I’m a CPA” – who we actually are is far richer than that. We are CPAs and marathon runners. CPAs and beekeepers. CPAs and competitive chess players, ballroom dancers, amateur astronomers, volunteer firefighters, and novelists. 

That “And” — the thing we do outside of work — is not just a footnote to our professional identity. Garrett argues it is a defining feature of who we are, and when we share it authentically with colleagues and clients, our professional relationships grow stronger and deeper.

Hundreds of interviews from his podcast, What’s Your “And”?, support this idea, and the book – an easy, engaging read – includes nearly 40 real-life stories and examples. 

A Business Case for This Cultural Shift

Beyond anecdotes and inspiration, the book offers a practical framework through which leaders and employees can begin to build cultures where outside interests are welcomed and celebrated. 

Managing partners and firm leaders will find particular value in the chapters aimed at organizational culture. Garrett is direct: If you want to attract and retain top talent in a competitive market, you must create an environment where people feel seen as human beings, not just billing units.

As many accounting firms grapple with staff shortages and high turnover, the book makes the case that something as simple and costless as genuine curiosity about your team members’ lives outside the office can have an outsized impact on engagement and loyalty.

Garrett also speaks directly to the client relationship dimension, asserting that when a client knows that his or her CPA is also a jazz musician or a youth soccer coach, for example, the relationship shifts. It becomes warmer, more personal, and more resilient. In a profession where so much of client retention comes down to relationships, that point alone makes the book worthwhile.

Check out the summer 2026 issue of NewsAccount to read Brendel’s full review, “What's Your “And”?: How Sharing Personal Passions Enhances Workplace Performance, Culture, and Relationships.” 

What’s Your “And”? Share Your Story. CPAs do all kinds of interesting things both professionally and personally, and we’d like to shine the spotlight on members' unique passions, hobbies, and interests. Please email Kelli Davis at kelli@cocpa.org to indicate your interest in being interviewed for an article or to let us know of a fellow COCPA member who has a story to tell.

Jim Brendel serves on the COCPA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. For more information on joining this group, email Stacy Svendsen at stacy@cocpa.org. 

NewsAccount Reader Pulse: Take a look at the summer 2026 issue of NewsAccount and let us know what your favorite read was!