Prison Professors

Abstract

In today’s MasterClass, we’re joined by Casey, who shares his journey from growing up in a rural, agricultural community to becoming a successful business owner and trusted advisor to fellow entrepreneurs. Raised in a large family that valued hard work over academics, Casey quickly realized that achieving excellence required more than just determination—it demanded earning credentials, building trust within his community and professional network, and gaining extensive experience. With decades of dedication to his craft, Casey has found a true passion for his work. Even as he commits several hours each day to his profession, he loves it so much that it never feels like work. He leads the life he diligently prepared to build, savoring every moment to its fullest.

Detailed Narrative

Casey grew up in a small farming community in California’s Central Valley as one of seven children. From an early age, he understood the value of hard work and contributing to his family’s livelihood. Their farm, home to chickens and cows, shaped his childhood. Mornings began early, spent gathering eggs, milking cows, and tackling whatever tasks were needed to keep the family going. Even as a child, the work gave him a deep sense of purpose and productivity.

With seven children to care for, Casey's mother dedicated her time to managing the household, while his father juggled blue-collar trades as a contractor and ran a small cabinet-making business. Education wasn’t a primary focus in their busy household, but the lessons Casey learned about responsibility and resilience left a lasting impact.

Understanding our roots and early influences is essential to shaping the mindset necessary for growth, especially in challenging environments like prison. Knowing where we come from—the struggles, values, and lessons passed down—helps us uncover the foundation of our character and the origins of our resilience.

Many people who master their craft, like Casey, develop passion, diligence, and commitment from their early lessons. These experiences, whether cultivating discipline through hard work or observing the perseverance of a role model, plant seeds that accelerate a pathway to success. While working through our courses, it's important to introspect, and understand how our earlier decisions led to what we've become, and where we are today. This awareness reminds us that every step comes with an opportunity cost. We can take steps as Casey did, that lead to success, or we can choose to blame our background, influences, or environment for the challenges we face. Growth comes from the decisions we make, as we learned from Casey's story.

“I grew up in a very caring household. We didn’t have much, but we took pride in earning everything we had,” Casey explained.

Once he began attending school, he applied himself with 100 percent commitment. For as long as he could remember, he earned straight-As in class, and became a student leader. As a result of his tenacity and commitment, teachers rewarded him with additional responsibilities. Those early experiences pushed Casey to apply himself. He was self-directed, thinking about ways he could develop skills to ease some of his family's burdens.

By the time he reached his early teens, he'd developed sufficient math and reasoning skills that he could assist his father with bookkeeping tasks. He trained himself how to use ledgers to balance accounts, saving his father time. He began keeping the financial records for his father, and through high school, he enrolled in accounting courses to develop his skills further. When his father met with his accountant to go over records, Casey came along and quickly became the go-to person for the accountant to understand the family's financial records.

After earning his high school diploma, Casey enrolled in a local university to pursue a bachelor's degree in business accounting. To ensure he wouldn't become a burden on his family, he earned his keep, working 30 hours a week all through college. Not only did he balance the financial records for his father's business, he also took other jobs to ensure that he earned an income through college.

A slowing economy led to the family's cabinet business closing when Casey was 20. By then, he'd developed more knowledge of accounting, and a small accounting practice offered him a job. After several months, the accountant that had worked with his father's firm offered Casey a position to join his firm. He knew Casey to be honest and ambitious, and brought him on board.

Despite gaining depth and breadth of knowledge of both accounting and experience in running a business, Casey did not stop his formal education after earning his bachelor's degree. He enrolled in a graduate program, earning a master's degree in business, with a special emphasis on taxation. Then, he continued his studies to gain further credentials that would certify him as an expert in business valuations. This enhanced his qualifications, allowing other professionals to recognize him as an expert witness for testimony in legal cases.

Besides earning advanced academic credentials, Casey studied to pass board exams to earn credentials as a Certified Public Accountant. Yet he understood that he did not want to devote his career working for others.

From an early age, he understood he wanted to become an owner. By the time he had five years on the job in an accounting firm, he had built trust with many clients who turned to him for guidance. Casey leveraged those relationships to negotiate an opportunity to become an equity partner in the accounting firm. He remained a partner for several years, helping the business grow, and building more relationships.

After more than two decades of working in the profession, Casey realized he wanted to take another step on his professional journey. The time had come for him to become an entrepreneur. Along with two colleagues, Casey chose to open an independent firm. To succeed, he put together a plan, writing out all that he would need to get off the ground. He rented office space, equipment, furniture, purchased the necessary computers and software. All in, he invested more than $200,000 to get the firm off the ground. That investment proved to be a great use of resource, because he grew the firm to employ 14 people, and it currently generates more than $2 million in annual revenues.

In addition to helping business owners maintain accurate accounting records, Casey has built a strong reputation and steady revenue stream as a trusted business advisor. Whether someone is launching a startup or looking to scale their business to new heights, Casey’s guidance is invaluable. He consistently emphasizes the critical role of record-keeping, starting with clear plans, an understanding of organizational structure, capital requirements, and a well-defined path to success.

By dedicating time to thoughtful preparation and strategic planning, entrepreneurs can lay the foundation for a thriving business—and ultimately, a smooth and successful exit. Meticulous financial records not only support better decision-making, but also become a valuable asset when it comes to selling. These records enhance the business's appeal to potential buyers, simplify valuation and increase its attractiveness as an acquisition.

Casey's story offers us many lessons that can help anyone work toward lasting success, and brings to life the same lessons we've taught in our earlier courses, including the Straight-A Guide. We'll go over those validations as the lesson continues, but consider the broad strokes:

Start with a Strong Foundation: Whether in accounting or another field, develop skills incrementally over time.
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Plan with the End in Mind: Casey emphasized thinking long-term from day one. For instance, he advises small business owners to consider how they will eventually scale or sell their businesses.
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Invest in Systems: Keeping “pristine records” such as the original business plans, customer history, and financial statements helps to build confidence. It also leads to trust and credibility with others.
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Foster Relationships and Networking: Casey’s resounding success stems from maintaining reliable client relationships. He continually expanded his professional network by providing consistent value.
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Evolve with the Journey: Casey proved success is a process, not a one-time achievement. Step by step, he built a thriving career, and a lucrative practice that contributes to his community. He enjoys training others, and serves as an ambassador of his profession. He lives a great example that overnight success is 20 years in the making.

Vocabulary Development

Retention – The ability to keep clients or employees over a period.
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Entrepreneurial – Related to starting and managing a business venture.
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Liability – Legal responsibility for debts or actions.
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Infrastructure – The basic organizational structures needed for a business.
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Sustainability – Capability to maintain business or personal practices over time.
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Proprietorship – A business owned and operated by a single individual.
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Valuation – The process of determining the economic value of an entity.
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Compliance – Adhering to guidelines, laws, or regulations.
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Scalability – A business's ability to grow without being hindered by limited resources.
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Credibility – The quality of being trusted and believable.

Self-Directed Reflection Questions

How can you define success for yourself as it applies to your current situation?
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What long-term goals can you set to align with your vision of success?
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What traits of Casey’s work ethic inspire you, and how can you apply them in your daily life?
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Reflect on a time you faced a challenge. What actionable steps did you take to overcome it?
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How can building and documenting systems help you achieve consistency and growth in any future endeavor?
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How can collaboration contribute to your personal and professional growth?
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What financial goals can you set today that improve your future opportunities?
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How does accountability affect your ability to sustain progress in personal growth?
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What habits or tools can you use to improve organization and track your daily progress?
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How can learning from mentors like Casey influence your ability to achieve your aspirations?

Recommended Books

The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber

This book emphasizes the importance of systems in business growth, mirroring Casey’s focus on organized processes. A key takeaway is, "Systems run businesses, and people run systems." This book reveals the entrepreneurial dilemma, challenging the myth that businesses are built solely on an owner's technical skills. Gerber introduces the concept of working on your business rather than solely in it, encouraging readers to transition from a technician to a strategist, as Casey did. The book emphasizes the need for clearly defined systems, arguing that success stems from repeatable processes, not sheer effort.

Casey exemplifies the power of systems in achieving both efficiency and scalability. Since he has built a great business, he can rely upon his team members to create more value. One level of the team will perform accounting tasks, another level of the team will review the work, and then a senior member of the team will go over the work to ensure the client gets the best outcome. This process has empowered Casey to grow, allowing him to spend the vast majority of his time responding to business owners who seek his expertise, rather than filling out forms as he did earlier in his career.

When working through this lesson, or enhancing your knowledge with supplemental reading, think about the ways that the decisions you make today influence your prospects for success tomorrow.

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Clear breaks down the science behind habit formation and offers practical strategies for creating positive habits that lead to long-term success. This ties in with Casey's emphasis on consistency and daily progress towards goals. Over time, incremental progress or commitment to personal development influences prospects for success.

The core philosophy of Atomic Habits revolves around the idea that success is a product of daily habits, rather than dramatic, one-time actions. Clear introduces the concept of the "compound effect" where consistent, positive behaviors accumulate to drive success. For instance, improving by just 1% each day may seem negligible, but over the course of time, it can result in transformative growth.

This directly ties to the lesson at hand—building consistency and focusing on daily decision-making. Casey's emphasis on keeping accurate records to measure each step of every business decisions shows the power of consistency. No matter how small the effort may seem, treat it as an investment and relate it to progress. Such a commitment will make the business more valuable in the long run, and more credible to those who must assess its value.

Good to Great by Jim Collins

This book explores how businesses sustain long-term success, which ties directly to Casey’s philosophy of building value. A pivotal quote is, “Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice and discipline.”

Thinking of Casey's journey reminded me of the "flywheel" analogy Collins used in his book. It described the relevance of cumulative momentum. Collins describes the flywheel as a massive, heavy wheel that takes tremendous effort to push at first. However, with consistent effort, the wheel begins to spin faster and faster, eventually gaining incredible momentum to the point where its motion feels nearly self-sustaining.

This idea encapsulates the power of steady, intentional actions that compound over time to create breakthrough success. There is no singular, dramatic push that sets the flywheel spinning. Instead, it is a relentless commitment to consistent progress.

Casey began spinning his flywheel while working on the farm as a child. He understood the importance of daily activity. Other children may have resented the work. But Casey always saw that he was building, learning, developing credentials. In time, he built so much trust that his practice grew to include thousands of customers who operated businesses in more than 30 states. All those customers come from referrals, and he has an exceptional retention rate.

Recap of Straight-A Guide Lessons

Define Success – Casey knew early what success meant for him, guiding his choices. If you can figure out what success looks like for you, as Casey did, you can move forward with clear goals that will accelerate your pathway to success.
Set Clear Goals – His plan to own a business aligned with his definition of excellence. He set clear goals of earning academic degrees and business certifications. Those assets put him on the pathway for success.
Attitude – Casey maintained a positive mindset even during challenges. His primary focus was to bring more value to his community. He enjoyed training others, and devoted several hours each month to serve as an ambassador for his profession, teaching people how accurate record keeping influences prospects for higher levels of success.
Aspiration – He aimed high, never settling, continuously growing his practice. Casey always saw himself as a business owner. He lived with the CEO mindset from a young age, and put himself on a path to lead.
Action – Small, disciplined steps built his expansive business from scratch. Those action steps began from his childhood, but they continue to this day, after decades of service.
Accountability – Metrics and deliberate planning ensured his consistent success. He helped others learn and understand how good record keeping accelerates prospects to grow a business, and to create value in the business.
Awareness – Casey always kept his head in the game, looking for opportunities to create more value. The more skills he developed, the more others became aware of him as a resource. Professionals sought out his advice. Those relationships led to further growth, keeping the flywheel spinning with its own momentum.
Authenticity – His business philosophy highlights transparent, value-driven practices. Those who watch the video interview that accompanies this lesson see a true master, dedicated to helping others learn.
Achievement – Acknowledging milestones fueled inspiration for continued growth. He became an exceptional student, then enrolled in college. After earning a degree in accounting, he developed further expertise by working and simultaneously studied to advance his credentials, developing certifications in taxation and business evaluations.
Appreciation – Casey’s gratitude was evident in his mentoring efforts. He graciously volunteered time to share his inspiring story, and also to work closely with me in drafting this lesson plan.

Sample Response

Question: What long-term goals can you set to align with your vision of success?

Response:

I'm drafting this response as an example, showing what I would've learned from Casey's story if I had heard it while serving my 45-year sentence. It would have inspired me to work more methodically on the long-term goals I set. Consider this a sample response. Focus on the responses you will write to his questions. Develop your responses with the understanding that there isn't a right answer or a wrong answer. Show what you learned. Publish your responses on your profile at PrisonProfessorsTalent to start memorializing your journey. It will become an asset for you later.

Casey's story exemplifies the transformative power of setting and pursuing long-term goals. He didn’t begin his career as a successful business leader. Instead, his journey started with a clear vision to make a meaningful contribution to his family’s business. Early on, Casey identified an opportunity to improve financial record-keeping for his father’s company, a task that not only added value, but also ignited his passion for accounting. This initial experience inspired him to pursue formal education in the field. Through unwavering dedication and hard work, Casey earned the credentials necessary to achieve his ultimate goal of becoming a financial professional.

Casey’s journey inspired me to continue pushing ahead with a forward-thinking perspective, even when circumstances seem daunting. He never saw his preparation as a burden. For him, every effort represented a purposeful step toward success, as he defined it. That powerful, self-directed mindset brought to mind a familiar story about two bricklayers. Both performed the same task—laying bricks—but they viewed their work differently. One bricklayer saw the work as a tedious, monotonous routine, while the other envisioned himself as a vital contributor to building a magnificent cathedral.

This contrast underscores how our perspective shapes the way we approach our work, infusing it with greater meaning and purpose.

Casey’s journey and the bricklayer analogy serve as powerful reminders that success isn’t just about reaching the destination—it’s about the mindset and vision we bring to each step along the way, or about the contribution we're making to the greater good.

We all have the power to choose how we view our work and what significance we attach to it. We can either see it as a mundane task or an opportunity to make a positive impact on the world. This is true regardless of our job title, industry, or level of experience.

Whether we are a CEO, entry-level employee, or stay-at-home parent, every role has value and potential to make a difference. It's up to us to recognize this potential and harness it for the betterment of ourselves and those around us.

While I'm in prison, I may not be able to get out into the world and build a business. But as Casey did, I can document every step I'm taking here. It can become part of my long-term goal of succeeding when I get out. I'll publish the ways I've prepared, and they will become a record that anyone can see. By visiting the profile I create on PrisonProfessorsTalent, others will see that I didn't waste my time in prison. Instead, I spent every day working to develop skills that would make me more valuable in the workforce. Like Casey, I'll become the CEO of my life, preparing every day for the business I will build.

Challenge

Develop your personal profile on Prison Professors Talent. Use it to showcase accountability, progress, and dedication to self-improvement. Share every step—completed courses, written reflections, and actionable progress—demonstrating why you are uniquely prepared for opportunities upon release.

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MasterClass with Casey