Welcome to Episode 94 of the Green Apple Podcast where each Wednesday, I interview a professional known for a hobby or a passion making them standout like a green apple in a red apple world. And when I tell you to imagine an apple, I’m sure for most of you, it’s red because in school, A is for apple.

Remember that picture? Always that red apple because that’s the stereotype. An interesting thing is that all apples actually start out as green when they’re growing and then slowly over time, they turn red turning into the stereotype. But deep down inside all of us is this passion for something other than your job. And that’s what I love to shine a light on each week, the green apple inside each of us.

And thanks so much to everyone for subscribing and leaving ratings and comments on iTunes and other android apps. I’ve never thought of doing that before but this is how the algorithm works to suggest the show to new listeners. So thank you for taking just 20 seconds to click five stars. It really, really helps get the message out there even if you have to hit pause. I totally understand.

Okay. So now it’s time to introduce you to this week’s guest, Meg Vito. She is a senior associate at Elements LLP in Toronto and a really, really cool person. So this is going to be such a fun episode. Meg, I’m so excited to have you with me today on the Green Apple Podcast.

Meg: Yeah. Hi, John. Thanks for having me. Excited to be a part of it.

John: Oh, I’m excited. I mean I remember hanging out about a year ago in Miami at the Rainmaker’s SuperConference, and having some really good laughs. So I appreciated you taking time to — yeah, to be on the show. I’m excited to share your story and ideas and plus Elements. I mean that firm, I don’t know how everyone doesn’t work for Elements to be honest with you.

Meg: Well, we’d run out of room but we’d be happy to have you. I mean it is a great firm and yeah, I mean it’s crazy that over a year later, we are still taking the wisdom of your show at the Rainmaker Academy, the Green Apple, the message really stuck with us and we use it every day in our office and we were doing it before we met you probably but having an actual phrase to put on it, it’s really emboldened everyone to be the best version of themselves and bring their after works off to work. So it’s been really cool.

John: That’s awesome, yeah. And I was able to visit just about a month or so ago and you guys have a bowl on your reception desk with the red ones and the one green apple. And when I came in, what is it? The director of first impressions?

Meg: First impressions, yeah.

John: Yes. And she was like, “Oh, you’re the apple guy.” And I was like well, let’s slow down. I mean like I’m just John, really.

Meg: Feeling a bit like a celebrity, eh?

John: Yeah, a little bit but I dialed it down. But no, that was so cool. Honestly it means so much. I can’t even put into words. It teaches me that I need to watch what I say.

Meg: Yeah, people are listening.

John: I know.

Meg: And we love it. I mean it’s the first thing you see when you walk into our office and just put everyone’s mind to these. They are not real apples. They are fake but they look real. Yeah, and it’s a conversation starter. A lot of people kind of say, what’s with the apples and you know, it got people talking and then we can talk a little bit about our culture. Often clients ask about it. You know, “What’s the deal with the bowl there?” And then they learn a little bit about what’s important to us which is our people.

John: Yeah. That’s so awesome. That’s so cool. And the other days you were like, “Oh, John again. This guy’s still here.”

Meg: Been talking about that green apple one more time.

John: Tell me about it.

Meg: No. We love it. We love it.

John: No. That’s so cool. That’s so cool. But yeah, but one thing that I love to ask everyone when they’re on the show is just how did you get into accounting? Because I mean I’ve met you, hung out, and clearly not the stereotype if you will. So what made you get into accounting?

Meg: Well first of all, I appreciate the compliment. I love it when everyone tells me that I’m not a stereotypical accountant which probably most accountants love to hear. And how did I get into accounting? It’s a little bit of a roundabout story. I mean I would love to say that I just knew from a young age but that wouldn’t be true. I didn’t have a destiny, then it wasn’t public accounting.

But no, I always had a knack for, you know, the analytical side of things, the debits and credits and numbers, if you will, not that I knew it but in high school, I ended up working at a — I was a bank teller and actually kind of really liked the conceptual understanding of accounting which I thought was very odd for me because I wasn’t really focused in business. So I checked out on accounting course and then I went to university and I bounced around a lot and I actually ended up doing a degree in Philosophy which I loved.

John: Oh, wow.

Meg: And was nearly going to stay in and do my masters and then business kind of popped up again and I had the opportunity to go to a great business school in London, Ontario. Ivey for anyone out there who knows our Northern Canadian schools. And I loved it. The business program there is unlike most programs and you don’t really specialize in accounting or financing, it’s pretty general, pretty broad based focused. But yeah, I loved it. I did a couple of years of that after my arts degree and then accounting just kind of happened the way life does. I was kind of checking out some recruiting events and I was seated beside at a dinner, a very charismatic non-stereotypical accountant.

And he kind of won me over and we got to talking and he basically said you’re the type of person we are looking and hiring accountants is not really about looking for technical accountants. It’s about people with interpersonal skills, good client relations, leadership. So come check us out. And then one thing led to another and I started my internship with EY in Toronto, had a great few years there and then realized I wanted to get out of big public company audit and then I moved to Elements about three years ago. And we’re a small public accounting firm. We do a lot of owner managed, entrepreneurial, like family owned businesses and I like that personal touch. So it’s kind of my windy road to where I am now.

John: That’s awesome. Yeah, I mean that’s so cool. I mean you know, very rarely is it a straight shot and those people make me super nervous.

Meg: Yeah, like how did you know?

John: Right. Either you’re settling or you’re just like a wizard like how did that happen?

Meg: Yes, yes.

John: Yeah. But no, that’s so cool. And so do you find that the arts degree comes into play some?

Meg: I do. I mean I think when people first learn that about me is a bit of a curve ball and maybe a little bit of a novelty like, “Oh, how odd like an accountant who studied Philosophy.” But in all honesty, I think a lot of the critical thinking skills, I developed in my undergrad was and continuous to be really beneficial in my job and just analyzing relationships and a lot of the soft skills development.

And also, it’s just something that I love and something that I have been able to make use of in a personal and professional setting and even just with meeting other people who have arts interest and humanities interest who also work in this field, in the business field like yeah, I found this really went well to developing relationships. And oftentimes, when you do a little digging, people are usually more complex than they appear. Most accountants and business people that you meet aren’t just that which I think is kind of your message, right?

John: That’s exactly it. That’s exactly it.

Meg: And you get chatting and they have histories and stories and most of them also have windy path. So no, it definitely benefited me for sure.

John: Yeah, no. That’s awesome. That’s very, very cool, very cool. And so when you do have some free time on your nights and weekends, what kind of hobbies and passions does Meg Vito like to do?

Meg: Oh, the list is so long. I would —

John: The next 17 episodes everyone are going to Meg Vito all in a row.

Meg: Yeah. You guys should sit down and hold on tight. No, I would say probably it could be encapsulated with I really just like exploring the great outdoors and as choosy as it sounds, I’m a big hiker, backcountry camper. I love canoeing and portaging. I love to explore. I’m pretty into animal advocacy and environmentalism. But yeah, I would just say getting outside. I’m kind of weekend warrior. As soon as Friday hits, like 5:00, I’m putting the hiking shoes on and I’m going somewhere. So that’s kind of the thing that gets me excited.

John: That’s great. Yeah, yeah. No. That’s awesome. And is this something that you’ve always been into since you were young or is it more of a recent thing?

Meg: I definitely was always adventurous and outdoorsy. And I grew up with a family who loves to travel. So we did a lot of traveling when I was younger. And my father and mother, we go on very long, you know, months longs, two months, three months long trips across countries. I have an entrepreneurial family that really prioritizes travel and exploration and becoming broad before you become narrow in something.

So yeah, I grew up traveling a ton. And then more recently, living in downtown Toronto, I’m sure most people can relate that live in large urban areas. You kind of want to get out. And see something different than the city core. So I started really yearning for that green space and that outdoorsy feel because I didn’t grow up in a big city. And then I got a dog and that big bear of a dog who’s pretty athletic.

So we started kind of exploring and then yeah, in the last few years, it’s really evolved and then my partner and I have been together for the last couple of years. And as I mentioned to you, John, he is a landscape photographer and he is very nomadic, loves to travel. So between him and I and the dog, the goal is like get out on a Friday and maximize every minute of the weekend and just seeing something new just roaming around.

John: Yeah, no. That’s great. And the pictures that you sent in that everyone can see at greenapplepodcast.com are fantastic. I mean they’re out of a catalog. It’s like, “Woah! All right.”

Meg: Yeah. Well, that’s the benefit of having a photographer in your life. He’s behind the lens and so it’s usually me in a landscape. So I’m very lucky.

John: Yeah, yeah. No. That’s really cool, really cool. So do you have a destination or a story that sticks out as one of your favorites?

Meg: Yeah, I mean there’s so many. I can tell you a little bit about my most recent trip which are the photos that I sent and they’re from Ecuador. I was in Ecuador for three or four weeks just this past May after tax season ended and I just had the most fantastic time. Like I mentioned to you before, would really recommend it for anyone who is outdoorsy or wants to explore. I didn’t really stay too much in the city that we focused on really getting out and about. One very memorable experience was that we hiked the Cotopaxi Volcano. And we hiked up yeah, like 16,000 feet, altitude sickness the whole thing.

It was beautiful snowcaps like so breathtaking. And just being in Cotopaxi National Park and that whole region, everywhere you look, it’s like you’re on another planet and I remember hiking, and Nick and I looked over because we heard some rumbling. And suddenly, all these wild horses just ran passed us. And it was like oh, my God. And then they stopped at the stream like right near where we were to drink from it and we looked closer and we noticed that in their tangle wild Maines, there was like all these wildflowers attached. And it was like something out of a dream. It was like nothing I’ve ever seen before and it’s one of those moments that you remember for the rest of your life so that was a real highlight.

John: Yeah, yeah. Wow, that’s awesome.

Meg: Yeah. And we did so much there. We hiked volcanic craters and there’s all these wild dogs everywhere and they just take you on the adventure with them usually like hiking around this crazy crater in this crazy landscape and then these dogs just appear. And they’re trotting along like, “Come on, come on this adventure with us.”

John: We live here. We’re here all the time. Let us show you cool stuff.

Meg: Yeah. They have the best view, the best morning view. So that was really, really stunning and yeah, the wildlife, the plant life and the scenery are just amazing and some really challenging rewarding hiking and adventuring. So yeah. It just blew me away.

John: That’s awesome. That’s very cool. The country of Ecuador should get a cut of everyone who goes and visits.

Meg: I know, right?

John: The way you just sold it was wow. I mean, yeah, that’s really neat. That’s really neat. So would you say that all these adventures and these travels help you in your daily nine to five, if you will, when you’re doing the work with Elements?

Meg: Yeah, definitely. I mean that’s kind of hard to make a direct link to but I would definitely say that I have developed skills around it and that do really help me at work. I definitely, with every passing year, no matter what trip I’m going on, I feel that I have a heightened sense of adventure and I’m less afraid to take risks and I feel that really translates when I’d come back to work. I feel a sense of confident and self-reliance like you can really do anything you put your mind to.

If you said to me ten years ago that I would be hiking in Ecuador taking a helicopter to a glacier in Alaska and you know, riding with sled dogs like I think that you were crazy and I would be scared to do a lot of those things. A lot of the crazy physical things that I’ve done and you know, by taking them slow and trying one thing at a time, you suddenly look back and you have this whole history behind you and you’re like man, I am kind of adventurous and I can do these things and I do feel that now I push myself more at work, you know, with new opportunities and also just traveling and exploring. It makes you have great interpersonal skills like I love meeting people. I love sharing stories and I definitely bring that back to work.

And also, yeah, a sense of teamwork. A lot of the times, I get myself into a sticky situation. I recently tried rock climbing in a location that I maybe shouldn’t have a little over above my head and it was a team of really great people who I have met that helped me and you know, that sense of teamwork too, you know, I really bring back to work. So no, definitely a lot of transferable skills there, yeah.

John: That’s fantastic, yeah. Because it is amazing how our brain works where we just put in our own self-limiting factors for no reason really. And then once you do it, you’re like, “Well, that was silly. I mean that was actually really easy. I should have been doing this all along” sort of a thing. But then you have that new-found confidence and self-reliance and yeah, that’s really neat that you’re able to recognize that and then also harness it to feel you during the week. Yeah, that’s perfect. That’s so perfect. So clearly, this is something that you talk about at work. I mean everyone in the office knows.

Meg: I’m the crazy outdoors lady that comes in on Monday morning with leaves in her hair. Yes, I definitely talk about it at work, yeah.

John: A poison ivy up and down your leg or whatever.

Meg: Yeah, bug bite sore. I just came back from a trip from a park up here in Ontario, and I was covered in bug bites. It was borderline embarrassing.

John: Oh, that’s funny.

Meg: And I had to go to a client site. But it was really great because I saw the client and it was my first and I knew that I had known this client from previous years. And he looks at me and he goes, “What happened to you?” And then he rolls up his shirt sleeve and he goes, “The same thing that happened to me.” And it was like that’s an amazing encounter.

John: Oh, that’s unbelievable.

Meg: We have both been outside all weekend and got eaten alive by the same bugs kind of in the same area and yeah, we ended up chatting for you know, like half an hour about these great experiences we had over the weekend and it was a real bonding experience and I already knew the client but then I didn’t know that that’s what he liked to do in his spare time. And once we have crossed that threshold, I felt like our relationship was even stronger, right? You know, you really feel so comfortable with them and yeah, it was just this wonderful serendipitous like, I was there too.” So yeah, it was really cool. So yes, I talk about it a lot at work.

John: Right, right, right. No, but that’s fantastic because I mean clearly, you know, you have good relationships with your clients but with that one in particular, I mean to the nth degree where you were also in this area, you also got eaten up by these same bugs, you know, like I mean that’s like a whole new level of friendship sort of a thing. That is really, really cool. Yeah, and it’s one of those things that you wonder like what’ve we been talking about all the years that I’ve known you?

Meg: Accounting.

John: Right, exactly.

Meg: Yeah, no. I know. It’s so true.

John: Yeah, in 10-15 years from now when that his name comes up or when you think about him, you’re going to think about the bug bites on his arms. And you know, and vice versa. So that’s a really cool thing that you know, no one’s teaching us in university or in CPE class.

Meg: No.

John: Or anything like that. But that’s great. I mean that’s really such a perfect example of that. And so I guess when you were at prior firms or did you talk about traveling and the adventures then as well?

Meg: Yeah, yes and no. I mean I did but I worked in a large public accounting firm and it was so busy all the time. There were a few people who I was close with that I shared my experiences with. But I wouldn’t say that it was a huge part of our culture. It was really definitely more of a work and a good culture. Nothing bad to say just not really as invested in getting to know people outside of the 9:00 to 5:00 I would say or you know, 9:00 to midnight depending on what time of year it was.

John: Right, yeah. Sometimes, yeah.

Meg: So yeah, I didn’t get that as much and partially because it was just such a large firm. You’re always working with different people. You’re moving around a lot. You don’t really get t to develop those relationships and that was something as someone who is really extroverted and enjoys interpersonal relationships like I miss that and that was part of the reason to join Elements. I knew about their culture and that it was a small firm. I mean we’re only 20 people. In the past three years working here, like if you quizzed me on any one of my 19 colleagues, I would be able to tell you what they like to do on the weekends, their kids’ names, what excites them outside of accounting? And that is such a wonderful thing, you know. And I’m sure that they would be able to tell you about what I like. We’re very good at sharing here so that’s really valuable.

John: Yeah. It totally is and I guess some people think that it’s hard to — that they’re concerned about the sharing because it makes them feel vulnerable. Maybe someone could use that against them or something like that. Do you get that sense? Or is it because of the culture there at Elements you feel safe and secure?

Meg: Yeah, I definitely don’t have that feeling at all. I feel very comfortable to be my quirky self here and I think everybody else does too and that’s a real benefit and then I know that I’m lucky because it isn’t like that everywhere. I mean I know that for some people, probably they feel that they’d be unprofessional if they talked about the things they did after work. And even sometimes if you go to — you know, my firm is so open in sharing but maybe we go to a new client and maybe they’re a little stiff and you know, they don’t know us that well and we don’t know them that well and, you know, they’ve got this real big professional barrier.

I find that I don’t really generally leave that as status quo. I’ll probe a little bit and I generally find that it’s worth it because no matter — the accounting is important definitely and that’s definitely going to be a big part of why you’re out there and how you’re servicing them. But I do find, when you can combine that with something that interests them, I mean maybe they don’t share my passion for the great outdoors. Maybe the idea of sleeping in a tent somewhere in the middle of nowhere is like you know, horrible to them. But I’m sure there is something that excites them outside of their day job and I look for that.

And because when I can make that connection, it makes working together so much better and I think it really fosters like a long term working relationship and I think it fosters trust. I think it’s really important because when people open up to you, it means they have a sense of trust and a feeling of comfort. And as advisers to our client, I think they all think trust is one of the most important things we can do so it’s definitely a focus for me. And for anyone who’s nervous to do it, I would say try and crack that exterior layer. Everyone is human inside and everybody has things outside of work that excite them. It’s just finding it, right?

John: Right, yeah. That’s exactly it. That’s exactly it. I guess there at Elements, is there something specific that you guys do? Maybe if someone’s new or to get to know each other or does it just sort of come out over time?

Meg: I don’t think it’s too formal. I mean we definitely have a lot of after work events and socials. And because we’re such a tight-knit team like we really make use of that and we see each other after hours, and what I mean we have book clubs and go-kart days and you know, days where we take a half day off work and go do something that interests all of us. So we’re really good at developing that.

In terms of formal, we’re pretty informal like I work as a mentor with a lot of the new people coming into the firm. So I’m kind of the first step in getting to know people professionally and personally. So and we definitely bring it out that way. Also, because we’re so small, even like our lunch room, if you come in any time between noon and 2:00, it’s packed and people are chatting and sharing magazine articles they read or doing crossword puzzles together or talking about their weekend. So it’s very natural. And I would say a big part of bonding with your coworkers I would say get around a meal together. Whether that’s lunch or dinner.

And take a step away from your computer because at my old job, that was something we never did and it’s a lot harder to form that bond when you’re in the accounting setting and it’s hard to have a conversation not about work when you’re sitting in front of your laptop. So just taking that time to grab coffee with a coworker or sit and just take a lunch break with them. It’s invaluable because I think it really engenders yeah, teamwork and trust and then especially when you’re mentoring new people, when they feel comfortable with you, I find that they’re you know, going to work hard to contribute to the team. I think it’s a bit backwards to think taking time to socialize is a bad thing for productivity. I’ve found the opposite. I think it’s very positive for productivity because when you feel part of a team, you want to work hard to get what needs to be done done and you’d do it happily because you like the people you work with.

John: Yeah, no. I mean that’s so perfect like this is amazing. No, but I mean it’s so great to hear.

Meg: I told you we’re green apple converts, right? Like we’ve got a whole calling up here in Canada.

John: Oh, totally. Yeah. Oh, definitely. It’s so exactly right. I mean because the problem is I think accounting is always measured output by time as in billable hours as opposed to actual content created or work done. And yeah, if you take a little bit of time to invest in your people and care and be genuinely interested in them, then their output per hour is going to be higher. I mean it’s that simple but when firms only look at billable hours and chargeability rates then yeah, it’s not going to be there.

That’s the thing that frustrates me because the survey out there that — a research survey, people can see at the website again, greenapplepodcast.com. But yeah, it’s literally 60 seconds and it’s do you have a hobby, do you talk about it at work and whatever. And it’s been fascinating to see that almost 91% of people have something but not all of them are talking about it at work because there isn’t a charge code for this or we don’t get paid to socialize or stuff like that that I’ll read the comments and then you know, what kind of North Korean death camp are you working? Like what the heck? You know, I mean that’s crazy.

Meg: Yeah, I know. And it’s crazy because I’m so far removed from that that I forget that that culture still exists.

John: Yeah, yeah. No. So you hit the lottery there that’s for sure. And they’re lucky to have you as well. So that’s awesome. I guess one last thing that I like to kick around in my mind is just how much do you think it’s on the organization to create that culture where it’s safe for people to share and encourage that versus maybe when you’re at the bigger firm where it’s on your own and you create your own little small circle.

Meg: Yeah. I think that’s a great question. And I mean definitely it’s on both parties but I would say it comes from the top. Speaking from personal experience, I mean the founding partners in our firm are so culture-focused and right from the get-go, really create an atmosphere of my door is open. You know, we are not a hierarchy here. We call each other all colleagues. There is no boss, superior, junior. We’re all just colleagues. We don’t just say that in words. We feel that every day.

And so when you have the founding partners of your firm checking in on you like, “Hey, how’s it going? What did you do this weekend? What’s exciting you? What are you not getting enough of? What do you want and need from us to be happy in your job?” When you get that from them, you feel open. And so they create a culture of sharing that makes everybody else feel comfortable. And then I think you know, the flipside of that is like okay, they opened the door. You should step in. Jump and share and don’t be afraid to and I mean I’m sure people thought I would be a little unprofessional when I’m wearing my hiking shoes that I love so dearly too from golf day because I don’t have golf shoes, you know.

Yeah, that’s a little embarrassing, right? I’m running around the green in my Teva sandals. But they love that. And I show up and I wiggle my toes and they’re like, that’s Meg. That’s great that she’s part of our team. So I think it’s stepping over that threshold and being like yeah, I’m a weird and wonderful person too. Let’s do a good job at work together and get to know each other.

John: That’s awesome. That’s so funny. And I love how you guys call each other colleagues. And I love your book club idea that I mean other firms — I mean there’s a whole shelf of where the firm buys like ten books of books that they love.

Meg: Oh, yeah. That’s great.

John: And you know, management books and leadership books and self-help books and just take one. And then you guys talk about them in small groups and that’s such a great idea.

Meg: Yeah. We have wine and cheese nights after work, and we chat about the book. We do our euchre tournament. We are very competitive. We do lots of stuff. So yeah, and we know each other’s spouses and families. You know, we make sure to do firm events that bring them into. So yeah, we’re definitely very interconnected. We like to think of each other as a family.

John: Yeah, that’s really neat. That’s really, really neat. Yeah, this has been so awesome, Meg. And before I come out there and hang out and I’m a euchre guy myself. So I didn’t realize that you guys did that. So we might have to fire that up the next time in Toronto.

Meg: Oh, really?

John: But before I fly up there, I do have my 17 rapid fire questions that I’d like to run everybody through just to make sure that we can hangout and it’s all good. So let me fire this machine up here.

Meg: Okay, I’m ready.

John: You’re going to kill it. I could feel it. You’re going to do so well.

Meg: Feeling good.

John: All right, all right, all right. So here we go. First one, are you more oceans or mountains?

Meg: So hard but mountains.

John: Mountains, okay. How about when it comes to financials? More balance sheet or income statement?

Meg: Balance sheet all the way.

John: Balance sheet, there you go. And since you’re a Philosophy major, do you have a favorite philosopher?

Meg: Oh, very hard. I would probably say — ugh, this is so hard to decide. I mean Aristotle is a classic, and then probably I’m really liking the German continentalist for all these other philosophers out there who may be listening to the Green Apple Podcast, probably Friedrich Nietzsche. Yeah, for sure.

John: Okay, okay. Yeah, I’ve heard of them. So that’s good. That counts. Are you more Star Wars or Star Trek?

Meg: Neither. Not a trek-y.

John: Okay, all right. How about a movie trilogy of any sort or movie series?

Meg: Oh, I like so many of them. I mean I like Lord of the Rings. It’s an epic. That’s a good one, yeah.

John: Lord of the Rings. Lord of the Rings counts. Absolutely, absolutely. I guess more pens or pencils?

Meg: Oh, pencils.

John: Pencils, interesting. How about Sudoku or crossword puzzle?

Meg: Sudoku.

John: Yeah, absolutely. How about do you have a favorite color?

Meg: Green. And I’m not sucking up because this is the Green Apple Podcast. I do love green.

John: Yeah. How about a least favorite color?

Meg: Oh, I don’t have. All the colors are wonderful.

John: How about when it comes to computers? Are you more PC or Mac?

Meg: Mac for sure but I am forced to work on a PC.

John: Right, right. Okay. Do you have a favorite ice cream flavor?

Meg: Probably I’m a sorbet gal. Raspberry. So raspberry sorbet.

John: No, no. That’s fancy. That’s all fancy and stuff. All right. Do you have a favorite Disney character?

Meg: Oh, can I say a couple? Jasmine and Aladdin. I like their adventurous spirit and that they have a tiger. I’m really into that.

John: Yeah. Just because they have a tiger. That’s funny. How about more heels or flats?

Meg: Oh, flats. Practical lady so I could go on a spontaneous hike at any time.

John: Right, yeah. For sure. How about a favorite number?

Meg: Oh, 3.

John: 3, and why is that?

Meg: I don’t know. Nice and simple. And I feel like good things come in 3’s.

John: Yeah, that’s good. How about a favorite actor or actress?

Meg: Probably actors. I would probably have to say Daniel Day-Lewis/Leonardo DiCaprio.

John: Okay. Nice. All right. Are you more of an early bird or a night owl?

Meg: Early bird because the world can come out of sleep.

John: Right. Two more. Do you have a favorite band or a musician?

Meg: Oh, yes. My favorite band is Canadian, and it’s Arcade Fire.

John: Oh, yeah. Absolutely, absolutely. Last one. The favorite thing you own or the favorite thing you have?

Meg: Oh, favorite thing I own. I will go a little outdoorsy nerdy and say my headlamp because it’s so awesome and it takes me on some crazy adventures.

John: That’s awesome. That’s so cool. Is it a special brand?

Meg: You know what? I don’t think it is. It’s pretty old, pretty beat up but I cherish it because we’ve had some times together.

John: That’s the beauty of it is that it doesn’t have to have a name and that’s so perfect, so perfect. Well, thank you, Meg. This was really, really incredible. Thank you so much for being with me on the Green Apple Podcast.

Meg: Yeah. Thank you, John. This was so great. Thanks for having me.

John: Wow! That was so great. I loved how Meg said, oftentimes when you do a little digging, people are more complex than they appear. And that’s so true for each and every one of us. It just takes a little time not talking about work to do this digging and find the really cool things about the people around you. If you’d like to see some amazing pictures of Meg in Ecuador or connect with her on social media, please go to greenapplepodcast.com.

And while you’re on the page, please click that big green button and do the anonymous research survey about firm culture. And thanks again for the five-star ratings on iTunes or whatever app you use and for sharing this with your friends so they get the message that we’re all trying to spread which is to go out and be a green apple.