Grant Keaffaber, CPA
Manager – Bucheri McCarty & Metz LLP
You recently competed in a Half IRONMAN in Michigan and finished 16th overall. Congratulations, that is no small feat! What is your favorite part of the IRONMAN? What keeps you motivated?
I’m a competitive person and love the challenge of training for triathlons. I also enjoy the community of people I run and bike with. Many IRONMAN training hours can be done by myself, but it’s much more rewarding to enjoy it with others. I ran cross country and track at Indiana Wesleyan University, so doing triathlons has been a new way to challenge myself post-college.
Constantly setting faster time goals for myself helps me stay motivated. I am new to the sport of swimming and cycling, so it is exciting to see the improvement I have made over the past several years. To reach these goals, I have to stay very disciplined with my training, but it is rewarding when I see myself going faster in training and in races.
How many IRONMAN competitions have you participated in?
I have competed in one IRONMAN, two Half IRONMANs, and several Olympic and Sprint triathlons. An IRONMAN is a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run. I plan to do more full and half IRONMANs in the future.
What is your favorite part of your job?
My two favorite parts of my job are the people I work with and the clients we serve. At Bucheri McCarty & Metz LLP my colleagues feel like family, and even though topics like taxes are so much fun to talk about (hint a little sarcasm!), we like to catch up on each other’s personal lives as well. Having this strong team connection makes tax season much more successful.
Also, the most rewarding part of my job is serving our small business clients. Our clients relied on us more than ever this past year during the pandemic and they continue to look to us as trusted advisors.
How has COVID-19 impacted how you work?
COVID-19 mainly affected where work can be done now. It also helped me appreciate the in-person interactions I have with colleagues and clients in the office since we didn’t have that for some time. I currently have a flex schedule, so I get the benefits of interacting with colleagues/clients in the office and also enjoy the convenience of working from home.
Why did you decide to become a CPA?
In college, I decided to become a CPA because of all the career opportunities it provides and it distinguishes me as an accountant.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out in the profession?
Always be willing to learn. College provides a great foundation, but the learning doesn’t stop there. You will constantly be challenged and learn new things during your career. It is important to pull from your past learning experiences and apply what you know to new challenges.
CPAs have had to quickly adapt to new technology over the past year. What’s your favorite (or most used) app/technology and why?
For work, my favorite general technology is “the cloud.” Our firm invested in technology several years before the pandemic started, so we were well prepared to the move of remote working. This allowed there to be no interruptions in work when the pandemic hit.
What is the best thing you’ve read recently?
The Kiplinger Tax Letter comes out periodically and helps me stay updated on tax topics. I like the structure of the letter because it is short but packed with useful information. It is a much easier read than the Internal Revenue Code.
What is your favorite podcast?
I’m not much of a podcast listener, but I love catching up on YouTube videos about finance, running, triathlons and traveling.
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