“Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.” – Judy Garland Usually, at some point when we’re kids, we hear an adult say some version of “You can be anything you want when you grow up.” And we believe that. So when you ask kids what they’re going … Read more
“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas.” – Steve Jobs One of the things I think is a big struggle for high performing people (which I’m sure you all are) … Read more
“The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.” – Harriet Beecher Stowe I’m going to at least moderately break on of my own personal rules today. I typically avoid like the plague anything that sounds like a New Year’s Resolution. They’re the same every year, and every year … Read more
“However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.” – Winston Churchill We are an accomplishment-oriented society. At work we receive praise for “getting things done”. Our best employees are the ones who “find a way to get the job done”. In our personal lives we talk about having had a great year … Read more
“Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.” – Pablo Picasso We all procrastinate. Some of us admit it, some of us don’t, but we all do it. We could do something we know we should do, or even want to do, but we put it off because ____________ … Read more
“If you want to succeed, you should strike out on new paths rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success.” – John D. Rockefeller, Jr. I’ve had a number of conversations lately that seemed on the surface to make sense, but the more I’m thinking about them the more I think they miss the … Read more
“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.” – Jim Rohn There are a lot of leaders out there who aren’t really leading their business; they’re managing (or simply working for) someone else’s business. They may technically … Read more
“The man who moves mountains begins by carrying away small stones.” – Confucius We’re taught from a young age to dream big. Imagine a big future and it can all become a reality, etc. It’s ingrained in our culture to be excited about and dreaming about the future, and the more exciting and dreamy it … Read more
“It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.” – W. Edwards Deming Sometimes when I visit with business leaders & individuals and the conversation turns to change, I get the impression that people are content with survival. They talk about change like it’s some unattainable Valhalla, something for people who are inherently more … Read more
“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” – Sun Tzu I recently attended a workshop that included some team decision-making exercises. The scenario was this: you’re stranded in the desert, 80 miles from civilization, and you have a list of 15 things you could have … Read more
Get to know our proven, forward-thinking accounting, planning and business consulting experts.
1008 Third Avenue Sheldon, Iowa 51201 • (712) 324-4614 & 5130 E. 57th Street, Sioux Falls, SD 57108 • (605) 610-4611
© 2025 Cain Ellsworth & Company, LLP
Sheldon:
1008 Third Avenue Sheldon, Iowa 51201 • (712) 324-4614
Sioux Falls:
5130 E. 57th Street, Sioux Falls, SD 57108 • (605) 610-4611
© 2017 Cain Ellsworth & Company, LLP
