Sunday, September 6, 2009

Bob Berntson interview - Berntson Porter CPA

Director RJ McHatton with Bob Bernston

Director RJ McHatton with Bob Berntson

I first met Bob Berntson a few years ago when I interviewed him and his partner Greg Porter for the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce “Eastside Business Awards.” Today I was interviewing Bob for the video we are making for the Puget Sound Business Journal on the “Best Workplaces in Washington.” Bob is a great person to interview because he has a subtle sense of humor. He reminds me of Harrison Ford because when I interviewed Harrison Ford he always did subtle jokes about himself, and Bob does the same thing. Bob talked about the unique culture they had at Berntson Porter CPA and the many ways they try to nurture that culture. He said that Values are extremely important and that his team had terrific character. He said that they have a “Fireside Chat” several times a year to help keep everyone in the team on the same page about where the firm was going and how they were going to get there. Bob said that he is very lucky because he has some terrific mentors who have helped him over the years. Bob said he loves his company and all the people on his team. Bob said that he felt like a very lucky man. He said that one of the key foundations of their focus is on community involvement and that his team really loves helping others. I really enjoyed my interview with Bob and feel I learned a lot.

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