Adam Larson: 00:05

Welcome to Count Me In. I'm Adam Larson, and today I'm thrilled to bring you a conversation with Jill Eubank, Executive Vice President at Ronstadt and a true thought leader in the finance and accounting space. If you've ever wondered how to stand out in meetings, communicate your insights effectively, or adapt to lightning fast changes in our industry, you're in the right place. In this episode, Jill shares her inspiring career journey from a love of numbers to a passion for people and why developing both technical skills and human skills like storytelling is more important than ever. We'll tackle how AI is transforming the finance world and what it takes to build real executive presence, practical ways to grow as a communicator, and what leaders can do to help their team step up and shine.

Adam Larson: 00:50

So whether you're just starting out or looking to boost your impact as a leader, you'll walk away with actionable ideas to bring your best self to every room. Let's dive in and get inspired. Well, Jill, I'm so excited to have you on the Count Me In podcast. I've known I've known you for a while now and I love hearing you talk about leadership. When I saw you in Tampa recently at IMA twenty six, I was like, oh my gosh, we've never done a podcast together.

Adam Larson: 01:19

So really excited to have you on today. And I wanted to kinda start by introducing you to our audience, maybe talking a little bit about where your career began and what led you to where you are today.

Jill Eubank: 01:29

Yeah. Well, thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to be here and honored to be here as well. So I am Jill Eubank. I currently am the Executive Vice President at Ronstadt, and my team specializes in staffing and placing finance and accounting professionals, office professionals, as well as HR, sales, legal.

Jill Eubank: 01:47

So anything that it takes basically to run a business, that is what we specialize in. So where has my career taken me? So I've I've been with the company. I'm now going on my twenty fourth year. And so I started at kind of the ground level and and I just worked my way up in different leadership roles, doing different parts of our organization.

Jill Eubank: 02:06

So if you don't know about Ronstadt, we also do manufacturing logistics and in house services. So I've had my hands in all of it, but I've been on the professional side my entire career. And I think just understanding an organization and being open to different things has basically gotten me where I am today.

Adam Larson: 02:25

That's really interesting way of putting it, like understanding where organization, where it means. Because when you're when you're in an accounting and finance professional, a lot of times you just focus on that side of things. And, you know, you you did start out in your, you know, your career, like kind of understanding finance and those things. At what point did you say, hey, you know, I like being around people more than the numbers?

Jill Eubank: 02:46

Yeah. So I I think I skipped the part about how I have a finance degree. Yeah. So I went to college. I have a finance degree.

Jill Eubank: 02:54

I thought I wanted to get into the finance world. Initially thought I wanted to be a stockbroker and then realized very quickly, that's probably not where I wanna go, but I wanted to do something in finance. But then I realized doing some internships with some of the large organizations that there was a people piece that was missing, being stuck behind the numbers. And so I felt like I needed to find something that allowed me to be with people and in front of people and really leverage what I think is a strength in that while still being very exposed to numbers. And I mean, a very large part of my job is budgeting, financials, forecasting, even in even though I I still sell and I'm in front of our clients and in front of people all the time.

Jill Eubank: 03:41

So for me, it was about finding something that still, you know, worked the muscle of finance and numbers and understanding the business and how this number tells you this story, but then still being in front of people to be able to have an impact on.

Adam Larson: 03:56

I I I like that perspective where like you can still have your hand in the numbers, but also connect to the people around in the world around you. Because you know, maybe not everybody's cut out to just be one thing in their life. Like you might study one thing in college. Like, I studied music in college, but I'm not doing music professionally. I'm doing I'm doing podcasting and education and stuff like that.

Adam Larson: 04:19

And it's interesting how the things in our life teach us one thing and then we can use that lesson. Like, I can use my production and music knowledge and when I'm doing these things. And so, like, maybe we could talk a little bit what, like, what the skills and stuff that you learned that you're like, hey, I can apply this wherever I'm going.

Jill Eubank: 04:34

Yeah. I think especially as it relates to financial world. I mean, everything I learned in school around forecasting, budgeting, you know, understanding what the numbers mean and then how do you translate those numbers into what's actually happening in the business. So I think those were things I learned, you know, throughout my schooling and then through my internships and then early in my career. I think those are the things that helped me even today.

Jill Eubank: 05:03

Now I have real life experience. So when I think back to the classes I was sitting in where we were talking about those things and it felt very much over my head at the time, but now that I have the real world experience, it all makes sense. So I think those skills were really what I was able to bring with me along the way is, you know, it's very, to have somebody who loves numbers, but then also is people driven is not something that you find, you know, very often because we tend to kind of go one way or the other or to have both of those skills, think is, it's certainly worked in to my advantage throughout my career.

Adam Larson: 05:41

Now there's a skill that you mentioned when you were telling your stories about, you know, storytelling. And storytelling communication, it's something we're talking a lot about in the finance accounting industry, how you can't just present a chart, you have to tell the story behind it and be able to translate that. How important are you seeing that as you talk with different finance folks, you know, as just as important as having the right technical skills to get all the finance and accounting done as well?

Jill Eubank: 06:03

It's very funny you bring that up because even at the conference, when we touched on that, that was, I think, the the topic that everybody really got very interested in. I happened to mention a book, and I've I've gotten probably 60 messages on LinkedIn asking me what that book was. And also in talking with our with the clients that I work with every day and my team works with every day on the financial side, it's becoming such a massive part of the role. Why? Because of AI.

Jill Eubank: 06:31

Right? So AI can give you all the numbers and twist in and turn that data in all these different ways. But what AI is not replacing is when you take that information, what does that actually mean for the business? Right? What does it mean for the business currently?

Jill Eubank: 06:47

What does it mean for how we can steer and forecast our business? And so there's a part of that storytelling that has to come from, okay. Great. I I have all these numbers and even AI spit it out. And and let's be honest, I think AI could probably give you some nuggets of what it means, but as human beings, we have to take what we know about our organization, about what's happening in our business, and and basically quality check, is that the right answer?

Jill Eubank: 07:15

Is that the right information? And, you know, while AI may say, hey, this number means this, you start translating that and you quality control that and realize what that actually means in my business is x, y, and z. And along with that is, so then what does that mean? So you take the numbers and now you're figuring out what it means for the business. Well, the storytelling part comes in front of the people you have to talk to about the numbers.

Jill Eubank: 07:42

So what I'm seeing happen in the finance and accounting world is that the roles are becoming very much a liaison between the different segments of the business, different parts of the business and being able to take the information and say, hey, let me tell you the story behind this and what this means. And we can all stand up in front of a presentation and spit out numbers and look at graphs. But you know, what does that really tell us? If I'm an executive and you can stand in front of me and say, here's a graph. Let's talk about the story of the graph.

Jill Eubank: 08:18

How did we get here? What's happened and and what can I maybe predict for the future or what could I recommend for the future? We're seeing that all over the finance world is that the the way that the role is, you're becoming a strategic partner. Maybe you're sitting in different rooms that you weren't in before because you aren't gonna have to sit at your desk and crunch those numbers all day. There's more time.

Jill Eubank: 08:43

And and that critical thinking part is so important when it comes to telling that story because, again, we can all stand up in front of a graph and in front of a bunch of numbers and say, you know, 75% of our business comes from these sort of customers. That's fine. But what does that mean? Does it mean we need to diversify our business? Does it mean that that's an industry that's growing and we need to keep putting investment behind that?

Jill Eubank: 09:06

There's a story behind that. And that strategic partnership has to be very important between the finance and the accounting world within an organization and the rest of the organization. I know for myself within our, you know, the Randstad world, I partner very closely with our financial partners. And we're constantly looking at I mean, they're coming to me and saying, hey, I analyzed this data. Did you know this is happening in your business?

Jill Eubank: 09:33

Sometimes I know, but I don't really know what that tells me and what to do with it. Sometimes I had no idea that that was happening and it's a trend, and I either have to fix it or is it a good trend that I wanna keep going? So it's really that partner and being a strategic thinker with the other people in the business.

Adam Larson: 09:52

Yeah, it's building that partnership and that trust between them as opposed to having the silos. Think something that think that AI is helping us maybe do a little bit is it's making us break down the silos because you can throw, you know, you can throw things at AI a bunch of times, but then you actually have to talk to each other to make sure that we're all understanding it together. And if you have those silos still up, don't have those lines of communication open at all.

Jill Eubank: 10:14

Yeah. And I've also seen where people have used AI to put a presentation together. So I'm not saying don't do that. But Yeah. Even AI putting the presentation together, that's great, but we still have to talk.

Jill Eubank: 10:27

And we still have to figure out what does it mean for the business? Where does the business go? And we have to be the decision makers on what to do next. Know, the world is changing very fast. I think we've all experienced that, you know, if you go back six years to COVID, I think that was probably the biggest thing that changed within the business world is how fast things move now and how quickly things And so that's where that partnership and that strategic thinking in the finance and accounting world is so important within an organization because in order to move fast, you have to know, do I have the money to spend?

Jill Eubank: 11:04

If I if I spend this money, what sort of return on that investment should I should I expect in what time frame, and does that really make sense for our business?

Adam Larson: 11:15

Yeah. Now when when you and I were first chatting about having this having this recording, you used a phrase that I really appreciated, executive presence. And so maybe somebody who's hearing it for the first time, maybe you could define it and talk a little bit about it.

Jill Eubank: 11:27

Yeah. So executive presence, I think we all think it's I'm gonna get up in front of the CEO or the CFO and I'm gonna present to them. Yes. That is true. But executive presence is just how do you get up in front of key stakeholders within the organization?

Jill Eubank: 11:42

So it could be your peers. It could be other departments. It could be yes. It could be a c level individual, but it could also be that you are a finance professional who has to sit in front of, you know, a group of VPs of sales to explain trends in the business in regards to pricing. You know, currently currently, we're pricing our business at this.

Jill Eubank: 12:03

Our margin is here. We need to increase our margin by X percent. So I'm recommending that we price our business at X, right? That is what Executive Presence is. It's being able to get up and talk to whoever those stakeholders are and be able to, I go back to tell a story and either get them to buy into what you're saying or create some sort of collaborative conversation.

Jill Eubank: 12:30

But it really is about being able to effectively communicate to the people that you need to communicate with. And what's the story and what do you want them to walk away with?

Adam Larson: 12:41

Yeah. It's almost like you're telling them, like, you have to kinda be commanding and like be command the room almost. Like, you come in as a presence. Like, people want to listen to you. How do you how do you kind of bring people to that place to be ready for that?

Adam Larson: 12:54

Because obviously, it's not easy. You know, you can't just walk into a room the first time and be ready to command it. Like, you have to go through that learning period as well.

Jill Eubank: 13:02

Yeah. It it takes a lot of practice. So, I mean, it is certainly something that you're not going to probably nail the first time you do it. So I I there's a lot of different ways that you can work on Executive executive presence. So one is, you know, get into a Toastmasters group.

Jill Eubank: 13:20

Right? So if if you struggle with standing up in front of a group of people, I mean, were all kids one day and I can remember taking speech class and you thinking I have to get up and give a speech in front of my peers, which to be very honest with you, I think the most nerve wracking thing to do is get up in front of your peers and present something. Right? So, you know, whether it's a Toastmasters class where you get to practice and and flex those muscles and get some tips and tricks on how to do that, I think also signing up for opportunities to do it as well. Like, don't be afraid if there's an opportunity to present information, whether it be on a call.

Jill Eubank: 13:56

It doesn't have to be a big presentation. I think sometimes when you hear executive presence, you think, I have to give some giant presentation to c level. No. If there's an opportunity to be on, whether it's in person or virtual, to own a message or own an implementation of something, that's a great way to practice that and and clearly communicate, you know, what it is we're trying to accomplish, what is everybody's role. It it honestly, it just takes practice and it also takes putting yourself in situations to be able to do that.

Jill Eubank: 14:27

And then my next thing is gather feedback from the people around you. Right? So gather feedback from the people that sit in whatever it is you're doing, Toastmasters presenting, and and be open to hear what is the feedback. Right? I certainly have had that over many, many years and we all do little things when we're nervous.

Jill Eubank: 14:47

We all fidget or we touch our hair. There's certain things that we do that we don't realize we're Gather that feedback, find ways to work on that, and then just keep practicing. But I think the big part is really learning how to tell a compelling story. And I think sometimes people think a story is like an actual story, like as if we're watching a movie or reading a book. Yeah, that's true.

Jill Eubank: 15:13

But a story is this is where we're currently at. Right? This is where we're going and this is how we're gonna get here. And and it might start with this is where we're currently at. Maybe I need to take a few steps back to talk about how we got here.

Adam Larson: 15:27

Yeah.

Jill Eubank: 15:28

That's what a story is. And that's how you practice, know, executive presence is just building confidence through practicing and putting yourself in uncomfortable situations, taking the feedback, and then learning how to tell that story.

Adam Larson: 15:42

Yeah. That's that's that's so much easier said than done. And I think I think you've made that very clear where, you know, you you have to practice, you have to put yourself out there, volunteer, you know, even present in front of your family and say, hey, I need to practice this presentation in front of somebody. You know, like I just use a filler word right there. You know, that's my filler word.

Adam Larson: 16:01

That's Adam's filler word. I got rid of, I got rid of the ums, but I started saying, you know, and sometimes when I'm talking and I'm going on, I start saying you know because I'm searching for the right words and that's part of being prepared. And I'm sure you have your own filler words that you know you used in the past as well.

Jill Eubank: 16:15

Definitely filler words. I'm also I talk with my hands a lot, so I have to be very conscious of I mean, I don't I still can talk with my hands, but I they don't need to be covering my face as I'm doing it.

Adam Larson: 16:25

Yep.

Jill Eubank: 16:26

Yep. So I've had to work on that. And and being virtual versus being live and in person are two very different things. So I think also giving yourself opportunities to do both because trying to learn how to command a virtual room is very different than commanding a physical room. I always give people this advice.

Jill Eubank: 16:49

People are always gonna be distracted, whether you're virtual or in person. And you you just can't take it personally because it's I I think sometimes I've been in rooms where somebody just all of a sudden gets up and walks out and I'm like, did they not like what I said? Am I boring? Like, what's going on? But at the end of the day, I'm like, they probably just took a phone call.

Jill Eubank: 17:08

Maybe they're, you know, they're babysitters calling about their child. I I I can't take that personally. And I just have to be able to move on. And I think unless you practice and you put yourself in those situations, you don't know what's gonna bother you or what's gonna be a frustration or distracting distraction until you actually put yourself in that situation.

Adam Larson: 17:28

Mhmm. Yeah. You have to actually practice to know how you're gonna react in those situations. Because maybe we could maybe we can talk a little bit about that. Like, when you're especially when you're in room with a lot of decision makers with C level people, they sometimes certain people will like fixate on certain things or fixate on a slide that you only wanted to spend one minute on and suddenly you're spending ten minutes because they're asking tons of questions.

Adam Larson: 17:48

How do you bring it back in those moments? Because sometimes you feel like you're losing the room and everybody's talking and going back and forth and you wanna try to get it back on track so you can either finish your presentation or finish a thought and kinda keep that going. That's part of that commanding presence, it's not easy to do, especially with those decision level people in the room.

Jill Eubank: 18:06

Yeah. And I think because understanding your stakeholders is the number one thing you can do before you even get in that room. So who's gonna be in the room? If you have an opportunity, and this is not always the case, and depending on the size of what it is you're presenting or what you're doing, if you can get in front of a few of those stakeholders prior to the presentation and just pick their brain or get some information or find out what might be You know, I I'm gonna be doing a presentation on pricing. What's most important to you when you're talking about pricing your business?

Jill Eubank: 18:44

Then you find out. Right? And so now if you do a little homework, if you can get in front of a handful of them, great. If not, just understanding who's in the room. The CFO wants different information than the CEO, than the CIO, than maybe the COO.

Jill Eubank: 19:01

They all have a different stake in the business. So, you know, are you ever gonna be a 100% prepared for questions? You are not. But I think a really good tip is like, it's okay to say, I don't have the answer to that or I did not prepare that for this presentation. Let me get back to you and then obviously do your due diligence and make sure you follow-up.

Jill Eubank: 19:25

I think part of executive presence is having the confidence to say, Hey, that's a great question. I did not prepare that today. That is okay. Or, That's not part of what I'm presenting today, but I can certainly come back to you with that information.

Adam Larson: 19:39

It's scary to say that because sometimes when you say that, you're afraid of what their reaction is gonna be and are like, oh no, I'm gonna look like I'm unprepared. But it's like, it's like, hey, you're going off track. I'm like, let's be let's be in this moment right here, right now. And that's and I think that also shows your confidence if you're able to say that confidently to somebody.

Jill Eubank: 19:57

Yeah. I recently did a presentation where I had to do just that, where I said, you know, I actually don't have that specific thing in this presentation. However, I will I will get the information to you, you know, within a couple of days. So I also gave myself a timeline of when I would get that And information to the the person on the receiving end said, oh, great. Thank you.

Jill Eubank: 20:17

I look forward to having that. So it wasn't that I screwed up or that I messed up or I didn't walk away feeling like, oh, wow. Like they think I'm a really bad presenter now. No. I just didn't have it in the presentation.

Adam Larson: 20:31

Yeah.

Jill Eubank: 20:32

But what I also know is the next time I have to do a presentation to that individual, that is clearly something that's important to them. So I will make sure going forward that is a part of my presentation.

Adam Larson: 20:44

Yeah. You said the words right out of my mouth. I was just about to say, well, do you like add that in next time? So as soon as you were saying that, I was yeah. Like

Jill Eubank: 20:53

Yeah. And and I would probably reference the last time we met, you really wanted this information so I made sure to add this in. Is this still important to you? Would you like how much time would you like to spend on this? Because chances are, the next time, it may not be what is the hot button for that individual, but at least it's there in case they want it, and we can certainly spend time on it if we need to.

Adam Larson: 21:14

What about the, you know, dress code? Because I mean, everybody's business has different dress code, if you're gonna be presenting, what does it look like when you're carrying yourself in that room? Do you like, hey, I'm gonna dress up above everybody, make sure because I'm presenting? Like, what does that look like?

Jill Eubank: 21:27

I commend that you do. I I, you know, I think every company culture is different. Every company has a different, you know, dress code or what they feel is is Yeah. Acceptable. So I recommend just maybe whatever it is, take it a level up.

Jill Eubank: 21:42

I mean, every time I present, I I put on a blazer. Why? Part of it is I wanna show up a certain way, but it makes me feel a certain way when I'm presenting. It makes me feel put together. It makes me feel confident.

Jill Eubank: 21:55

So I think you have to you have to find what makes you feel confident and then maybe just go a notch up from what maybe normal day to day is. And then I always recommend if you're in front of C level, think it's always good to come in probably at the top of your game when it comes to to what you're wearing. You know, my grandmother always told me, you know, you'd rather be overdressed than underdressed. So, you know, a collared shirt or, you know, a blazer, but just I I think just taking it up a notch to what you're typically every day is is my advice.

Adam Larson: 22:26

Yeah. So what if you're, you know, somebody's listening to this, they're maybe just starting their career or they're like, hey, I wanna build my presence so I can be in that room. What's kind of that first step? Those first two steps as they're kind of getting stepping their feet in their water.

Jill Eubank: 22:38

Well, that's a good question. I think again, I think finding ways to do it, it might be, you know, joining IMA, for example, and finding an opportunity to present something at a meeting. That's always a good you know, every company's pushing out information or data, or maybe you just wanna get in front of your IMA group and talk about what your business does. That's a great way to practice. This maybe an outside organization that you're a part of.

Jill Eubank: 23:05

Could be something you volunteer for that you feel very passionately about. Maybe it's a nonprofit that you, you know, are very passionate. Maybe there's something you can get up and and be able to practice and get in front of it. And then obviously within your organization, again, go back to, you know, talk to your leader and say, you know, is there anything on our next team meeting I could take the lead on and present to the group? You know, I found I did that early in my career and I think that that is how I got to practice because I learned very quickly that the job I had was gonna require me to either be in front of clients having conversations, being in front of my organization and having conversations.

Jill Eubank: 23:46

And then as I became a leader, I to get in front of my team and have discussions and present information. And so, I learned very early I had to find different ways to practice and do that.

Adam Larson: 23:58

That's awesome. So, we've been talking a lot about the perspective from the person who's presenting, who's coming, who's bringing that executive presence. Maybe we can take a step over to the leader who is leading a group of people and and bringing these people up and trying to help them become better presenters. What does that look like when you're building that kind of a culture?

Jill Eubank: 24:17

First, you have to be open to it. Right? I think sometimes as leaders, we think we have to own all the information. We have to own all the messaging. We have to be the person who is telling everybody what to do and when to do it.

Jill Eubank: 24:30

And so number one, definitely be open to it and allow that sort of environment and opportunity for your people. I think even those that maybe don't want to work on talking in front of a group or working on how they present information, it's still a very, very beneficial skill that people need to have. So sometimes I just give people the chance, like next week I will be on a flight home and I might miss our quarterly town hall. Like, if if my flight is even if it's more than thirty minutes delayed, I'm gonna have to punt it to somebody else. So that is a massive opportunity for somebody on my team that I'm gonna give to, you know, here's all the information.

Jill Eubank: 25:14

We can practice together, but they're gonna be on deck in case my flight gets thirty minutes delayed. So it's about giving people the chance. And are they gonna do it the way you want them to do it? Probably not. And it's okay.

Jill Eubank: 25:28

But again, if they don't practice and you don't give them the opportunity, it's never gonna get better. They're never gonna have the opportunity to hone that craft. And as I go back to the world of finance and accounting is changing and being that strategic partner, being that person that is the liaison and working with different aspects of the business, this is a skill that people need to learn. And it's our job as leaders to be able to to put them in in the position to do that, And then encouraging them to find different avenues to do that. You know, I know organizations might have different business resource groups that they can become a part of and maybe they get involved and that's how they're maybe on some small stage that they can practice.

Jill Eubank: 26:09

But I do think it is our responsibility as leaders to find places to allow people to to work on the things they wanna work on.

Adam Larson: 26:19

I I really appreciate that because I think a lot of times, you know, there's everybody there's there's different types of leaders everywhere, obviously. And remembering as a leader, hey, it's not about you. It's about bringing the team up and bringing everybody up around you and creating that culture. And when you do that, people around you get better and you become a better leader because you're gaining from what they're learning and what they're doing. And you're able to and it raises you up as well.

Adam Larson: 26:42

And so it's like, it's a humbling moment realizing you need to give other people opportunities. You can't always just take every every hit. Yeah.

Jill Eubank: 26:49

Well, I think too also you, you know, if you yourself as a leader struggle with it, because not all leaders are great, you know, public speakers and that's okay, Help them find somebody who is, or maybe if they see you working on it and you're working on it with them, I think that's really important. And I also think the the last part of what we need to do as leaders is then we have to provide the feedback.

Adam Larson: 27:17

Yes.

Jill Eubank: 27:19

Right? So letting somebody get up, practice, do it, then we have to actually provide them with the good feedback, not just the good feedback, but here are some things maybe you could do different next time. Yeah. Because if you allow somebody to just keep doing the same thing and not get better, then that's irresponsible as a leader. Because you're just letting them get up there and do the same thing over and over again and they think they're honing their craft, but they're not.

Jill Eubank: 27:48

And I think early on in my career or throughout my career, I have had leaders who have done that. And, you know, I can remember I I presented to a CEO one time and she stopped me in the middle of my presentation because I think I used the word I. No. Yeah. I was taking all the responsibility for everything my team was doing.

Jill Eubank: 28:07

And she stopped me halfway through and she said, can I give you some feedback? I said, sure. She goes, what does your team do? And I went, well, they do a lot. And she said, well, all I've heard about is what you do.

Adam Larson: 28:20

Wow.

Jill Eubank: 28:20

And you've taken on all the responsibility. Your your team is responsible for just as much as you are, but you're taking all the responsibility. That was very humbling for me.

Adam Larson: 28:32

Mhmm.

Jill Eubank: 28:33

But a massive lesson.

Adam Larson: 28:34

That's super humbling. I remember the first time I presented in front of like a massive group like that, and it was a it was a small like remote location, not remote, but it was it was separate from like the headquarter offices. And like the the big, like the big VP had come down or I forget what level the person was, but it was a lot of pomp and circumstance and they wanted me to present something. And I remember I presented and like my boss took me aside and he said, okay, you did great. You got all the information there, but slow down because we could barely understand the words you were saying.

Adam Larson: 29:05

And I didn't realize how fast I was going. Was talking so bad. And so like, it was like remembering to like, Hey, get feedback from those people, grab that because it, and it was like, okay, remember to slow down Adam. Okay, calm down. You think you're talking slow, but you're not.

Adam Larson: 29:19

And it's like, if you get that humble pie and you're like, okay, take that and learn from it as opposed to saying like, what do you mean? I was talking really slow and getting offensive and that doesn't help at all either.

Jill Eubank: 29:29

Yeah. Yeah. You can't take it personal. I mean, you can't ask for feedback and then when you get feedback, you take it personal.

Adam Larson: 29:35

Yeah.

Jill Eubank: 29:36

But yeah, very humbling. I've had several humbling experiences after, you know, a presentation or speaking in front of a group of people, but but I can laugh about it now. I can, wow, I remember when that happened.

Adam Larson: 29:48

Yeah. In the moment it's hard because you're like, you're you're you're fighting that that initial reaction of like, what do you mean I didn't do a great job? I I want my gold star like I always get. And it's like, no. You have to actually take a humble moment and recognize that there's always room to grow and do better.

Jill Eubank: 30:04

I recently gave somebody some advice because we were talking about this very topic and they said, you know, I just don't wanna forget something. And I said, well, who is let me ask you a question. Who is gonna know you forgot something? And they said, well, me. I said, nobody else is gonna know.

Jill Eubank: 30:21

Nobody's gonna know you forgot a line. Nobody's gonna know you skipped over a number that you meant to give. If it wasn't important to somebody or if it was important to somebody, they would've asked about it. Nobody knows that but you. So I think just getting out of your own way and getting out of your own head.

Jill Eubank: 30:38

But again, it goes back to practice, building confidence, finding out your I also think finding your style. My style may not be your style.

Adam Larson: 30:47

Yeah.

Jill Eubank: 30:48

And and it becomes inauthentic or you lose that confidence if you try to think that you have to do it a certain way versus finding a way that really is comfortable for you, still getting the message across, still doing it with confidence, that's the most important thing.

Adam Larson: 31:05

And it goes to show in in any aspects of our lives, you know, if somebody's a musician, if you're playing a song and you're playing it for everybody, you might play the wrong note. But guess what? Unless the person has heard that piece before, they don't know it's a wrong note. You could just keep going and never, they'll, you'll never even notice that you hit a wrong note. Obviously somebody, there might be that one person in the audience, well, I know that they played the wrong note there.

Adam Larson: 31:26

Well, that's okay. Most people didn't. You just keep going. It's your confidence that you bring and we're, you know, whether it's in the business room or it's in a recital or, you know, it's presenting in front of like a PTA or whatever, whatever it is, you just have to bring that confidence and know what, you know, know what you need to bring forth. And if you forget one thing, you forgot one thing.

Adam Larson: 31:46

That's okay. Just keep going.

Jill Eubank: 31:48

Yeah. I think too just I I look at any time I have to talk in front of people as we're just having a conversation. Sometimes, depending on the situation, if I'm in in front of a team and I'm rolling something out or I'm doing a presentation, it's a little bit more of a one-sided conversation for a certain amount of time until you open it up for questions, but it really is just a a discussion you're having. It's just a different way to have that discussion. And for me, that's how I've always been really gotten comfortable with it is I'm just I'm just talking.

Jill Eubank: 32:19

I'm just telling a story. I'm just talking. I'm just, you know, especially in our world and and maybe this applies in finance and accounting is, you know, when I get in front of a customer, I'm asking a lot of questions to learn about their business, learn what's important to them, what type of person they're looking for before I come back and say, based on everything you told me and based on what I've learned, here's my recommendation. Here's how we can help you. Here's how we can support you.

Jill Eubank: 32:43

It's the same thing as if you're in the finance world, you have all the numbers, you have the data. If you talk to your stakeholders before you have to present something, you find out what's important to them. You take those two things and you put it together. Then it becomes a discussion about based on what you told me, based on what the numbers are telling us, this is my recommendation for where we could take the business or what we might wanna do with this investment that we're gonna make.

Adam Larson: 33:10

Yeah. I like that. I Jill, I feel like we could keep talking about this for the rest of this this Friday that we're recording it, but I just wanna thank you so much for coming on the podcast. This has been a wonderful conversation. I hope our audience got as much as I did out of it, And I continue, like, as we post this online in LinkedIn, let's keep this conversation going.

Adam Larson: 33:28

Let's keep talking about how we can have better executive presence and just be better presenters and be better versions of ourselves in our each and every workday.

Jill Eubank: 33:35

Thank you for having me. It's been a lot of fun.

Announcer: 33:40

This has been Count Me In, IMA's podcast, providing you with the latest perspectives of thought leaders from the accounting and finance profession. If you like what you heard and you'd like to be counted in for more relevant accounting and finance education, visit IMA's website at www.imanet.org.