R. Shawn McBride Attorney, CPA Business Speaker

What do you have to do to be successful? How do you need to dress? How is it supposed to be done?

These questions have at least one thing in common – programming. The “musts” we are given on how to do things are an indication of how we have been doing things, but are they the way we should be doing things to continue to be successful in the future? When businesses and individuals follow these pre-programmed ways, they may be at risk of losing their competitive edge.

IF that is the case, what actions can lead to continuous improvement as a business, meeting planner, association, or speaking professional? What makes you unique in the marketplace, and what will allow you to keep doing business on your terms? According to R. Shawn McBride, the way everyone else is doing it is probably not the most future-ready way. This advice comes from a grown man in a polka dot suit who calls himself names that begin with “The”: “The Our Shawn,” “The Planning Done Right Guy ™”, and “The Future Done Right™ Guy.”

Licensed to practice law in 13 states and D.C., an experienced CPA, speaker, trainer, and consultant with over 17 years of business experience, Shawn is masterful at helping business owners foresee problems before they happen and structure solutions to head these issues off at the pass.

With an accounting degree, Shawn went to law school and became a corporate lawyer. He played the game and found big firms groom you to be the black and white thing – buttoned up and standardized. He says, “That’s where things started to break apart. I was a different guy. After I left my corporate position, it

His signature unusual suits open the conversation of how we should “Do Business Differently™.” His Web site says, “The Our Shawn makes the complicated world of the future of business simple…with humor mixed in to make it fun.” So what is up with that phrase, “The Our Shawn”? Well, when he set out to make a name for himself as a speaker, there was already a Shawn McBride. So he tacked on the initial of his first name to become R. Shawn McBride. This evolved into his clients beginning to call him the “Our Shawn McBride.”

“Embrace your uniqueness; people come to you for that.” The process of marketing his own law firm got him into the creative quest for a unique proposition. He had to learn to differentiate his firm from others. “Quite simply everyone needs to know ‘why you’. There has to be some reason that you are the right fit for the situation.”

Shawn says this is true even as employees within organizations and as members of associations. “You have to figure out what uniqueness - what combination of skills - you have that no one else has.” He also cautions organizations not to stifle creativity. “Law firms’ way of doing business historically involved waiting for people to have a problem, helping them fix it, and collecting money from the back end. But proactive money,” he says, “is smarter money.”

The foundation of Shawn’s business persona is Planning Done Right where his experience looking at thousands of business plans has given him the ability to consult on the Future of Business. “It is necessary but hard to differentiate yourself. Break the mold. Question the ‘have to’ programs.” Your focus should not be on doing what everyone else is doing. Instead, he suggests, “Look to the future – to where the markets are going to be two to three years from now. That is where you will find your success.” It is always fascinating to find out the “why” that motivates a dynamic person like R. Shawn McBride. He is passionate about letting people be authentic and successful without losing their creativity. “Letting people be themselves and get the lives they want to do to be fulfilled” is Shawn’s reason for being such a prolific speaker, writer, and activist.

Shawn’s TedX talk, The Advantages of Women in Business Partnerships, showcases his cutting-edge approach to business and life. He is often one of the first thought leaders to start important conversations on topics like Coronavirus, programmer liability, “Me too,” going virtual, and the fact that technology is replacing humans in many niche areas. Saying, “The world is changing. I think most people can agree that change is happening faster and faster.” He insists that “Having a good knowledge of where the market is headed and changing forces is key to planning” which is his core topic.

Shawn still does the bulk of his work one-on-one – helping business owners and business leaders conduct their work and lives empowered and happy – not reactionary. “We can't just rely on the past to inform the future,” he says. “We have to be projecting where things are headed if we are going to be successful.” Many of Shawn’s clients actually came to him too late, and he created the book Business Blun

ders to tell some of the stories. This showed him that in the marketplace, a lot of people weren’t getting the right information. “I needed a way to get more people in the know about the fundamental business planning issues I talk about, such as Do Business Differently™,” he said. So like any successful business consultant, Shawn turned to speaking as a way to get important information to more people.

“My speaking and my services go hand-inhand,” Shawn observes. “As I learn more about organizations through consulting, it helps me tailor my speeches to real life situations. Meanwhile the feedback I get from audiences give me a broader cross-section of what's happening.” For speakers it used to be important to choose a specific lane and niche down. Shawn feels technology is taking over the niche. Computers excel at drilling down and going deep. People are uniquely able to make connections and cross function. Being a CPA, a lawyer, a consultant, an author, a trainer, and a speaker enables Shawn

to provide the best services in both realms. “My topics range from tactical to theoretical, spanning the spectrum of technical to creative.” Shawn’s work is everywhere, but a good place to start is to find him at planningdoneright.com. There you can find his blog, free articles, links to his social media accounts, videos like the one of his TedX talk, and pictures of him in those unique suits. Shawn quickly assesses businesses and provides discerning advice to help them make good choices that stand the test of time. As you consider your business, association, practice, or offering, Shawn would like to challenge you to question the “have to” “way we’ve always done it,” and even the realities you see today. Where is what you do headed? What external factors will shape it? What will you need to be doing in five years? Expose yourself to healthy discussions, surround yourself with a brain trust of people who will challenge you, make the connections only you can make with your unique set of skills. And don’t forget to be creative.

By: Sherry Prindle