Garrett Wasny, MA, CMC, CITPGarrett Wasny, MA, CMC (Certified Management Consultant), CITP (Certified International Trade Professional) is a web productivity consultant.
Garrett advises CPAs, CAs, CGAs, CMAs and other financial professionals on Internet discovery, social media, Google* productivity tools and accountancy education.
With so much of our professional and personal lives spent online, this knowledge is beyond relevant -- it is the absolute core of how we gather information, make decisions and live our lives in today's digital age.
* Garrett Wasny is an independent Certified Management Consultant and not affiliated with or endorsed by Google Inc.
Testimonials
Garrett consistently receives rave reviews, high marks and repeat business from the most highly trained, trusted and discerning knowledge professionals today -- Chartered Accountants (CAs) and Certified Public Accountants (CPAs).
February 2011 testimonials from Chartered Accountants from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Saskatchewan:
- “I was surprised and impressed by the amount of material that was covered - Garrett really knows his stuff.”
- “Awesome presentation. Reminded me a lot of Ted Nugent. Full of energy and enthusiasim for the subject. A wealth of knowledge.”
- “Garrett was extremely knowledgeable and very passionate about the subject.”
- “Garrett was an excellent instructor, high energy and very entertaining.”
- “Overall, this course was excellent and would recommend to others.”
- "Garrett is an excellent presenter. He made things interesting with examples and I really enjoyed his presentation and found it easy to pay attention throughout.”
- “The course will be immediately useful and save me research time - the binder information is written in a way that will make it easy to apply what was taught.”
- “Garrett keeps up to date on new developments and is updating course accordingly.”
- “Lots of excellent practical solutions.”
- “The course was very interesting and informative.”
- “How current the information was.”
- “Identification of a lot of very useful internet tools!”
- “Found the material very interesting - different tools for google, setting up alerts, having the information come to me instead of searching for it.”
- “Presentation was awesome.”
- “A lot of useful, practical material was provided.”
- “Garrett was funny and the material was useful.”
- “Garrett made the subject very interesting and very lively.”
- “Tons of ideas and data presented. Excellent course.”
- “Very good tips and techniques were provided.”
- “Garrett was engaging and entertaining.”
- “Suggestions on where to find good resources on the web. Learning about the many tools that Google has to offer to save time.”
- “Very thorough course materials.”
- “Lots of practical tips for everyday use.”
January 2011 testimonials from Chartered Accountants from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta:
- "This is the best class I've had in years."
- "Best course I have attended in years."
- "Garrett is the most enthusiatic and captivating instructor I have ever encountered."
- "Garrett is my favorite instructor."
- “This was long overdue … research is (or should be) a big part of an accountant’s life.”
- “This material could have been very dry and irrelevant ...but Garrett used many real-life examples to demonstrate how important this really is.”
- “Highlighted amazing ways to obtain information efficiently.”
- “Garrett has a crazy knowledge of Internet tools.”
- “Truly fabulous, entertaining useful course.”
- “I would highly recommend this to anyone.”
- “Far surpassed expectations.”
- “5+++”
- “Wow!”
- “Garrett was the best.”
- “Phenomenal content.”
- “All instructors should be this engaging.”
- “Improved my web efficiency.”
- “Superb resource materials and course handout.”
- “Binder will be on my desk and very handy.”
- “Highly entertaining and informative.”
- “Garrett has a great sense of humour.”
- “Very useful for work and non-work life.”
- “Covers a lot in a short time.”
- “Absolutely amazing!”
- “Fun and relevant.”
- “Very practical.”
- “Love all the quick tips.”
- “Caught me up with latest available tools for online research.”
- “Fast paced.”
- “Covered both macro and micro aspects of search.”
- “Cute Internet song at beginning!”
- “Outstanding presenter and course.”
December 2010 testimonials from Chartered Accountants from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario:
- “Garrett is the most interesting, engaging and entertaining speaker that I’ve ever had!”
- “Best course I’ve take in years! Excellent!”
- “An exciting presentation! Garrett’s passion for technology made this a great course.”
- “Garrett very knowledgeable, passionate about subject area – would recommend this to anyone.”
- “Thanks, Garrett! I’m blown away by this stuff.”
- “The number and variety of research tools is amazing, I had no idea of the capabilities of Google.”
- “Fantastic overview from an expert.”
- “Tonnes of new sources of info and insight into internet search.”
- “Garrett’s dynamism kept me involved all day.”
- “Clear and concise, enjoyed every moment.”
- “Very engaging, well spoken, funny, interesting.”
- “Very relevant information.”
- “It went quickly, my brain is hurting – there is so much information.”
- “Very well done session, one of the better ICAO sessions conducted.”
- “Very educational and entertaining.”
- “Far more than I expected, thank you.”
- “Very applicable to our work and practice developments.”
- “Extremely comprehensive.”
- “Deep knowledge on the part of the instructor.”
- “Garrett is a very enthusiastic presenter.”
- “Opened a new window for me.”
- “Excellent seminar and reference material!”
- “Lots of ideas to follow up.”
- “All of it, very interesting.”
- “Examples extensively used.”
- “Use of real life examples on how you can use it for accounting business.”
- “Very visual presentation.”
- “Garrett, great delivery and knowledge.”
- “Excellent presentation style.”
- “Tempo and pace were excellent.”
- “Garrett not boring, very knowledgeable.”
- “Really good overview of an emerging technology – with both what’s good and what’s not so good.”
- “Excellent take home resource.”
- “Excellent resource manual.”
- “Very passionate presentation.”
- “Most informative.”
- “Very engaging presenter.”
- “I loved that lots of content was covered in such a short amount of time.”
November 2010 testimonials from Chartered Accountants from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Manitoba:
- “Garrett was fabulous. Really knew his stuff and was an excellent teacher that had enthusiasm."
- “Please bring Garrett back anytime. I will sign up for ANY course he does. He is that good! What a great guy and great instructor for us accountants."
- “Using the Internet and Google are things that we should know how to do really well but no one (except Garrett) teaches. Truly an excellent learning tool."
- “Garrett makes you understand, brings you up to date on current happenings (as much as you can with the Internet) and makes it applicable to your life."
- “Crucial to have Garrett as instructor. Fabulous.”
- "Great ideas that I have not heard of that have real value."
- “Everything about the course was great."
- “Garrett’s 'color' added real value."
- “Learned new search techniques."
- “Vast amount of information in short period of time.”
- “Dynamic presenter.”
- “Lots of reference material.”
Clients
Garrett's clients are the leading accounting, legal and engineering organizations in North America. These include Thomson Reuters Audit Watch, CPE Link, CPE Credit, Avant Resources, Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Manitoba, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Saskatchewan, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario, Certified General Accountants of British Columbia, Certified General Accountants of Alberta, Davis LLP, and EPIC Educational Innovation Program (for professional engineers).
Benefits
Right or wrong, the perception is growing that success and advancement in today's digital age requires being plugged-in at all times. Garrett explains how to manage these new expectations and responsibilities ... and how to take control of this cyber tsunami before it overwhelms you (if it hasn't already).
You'll learn practical lessons that can immediately applied and generate proven results -- like time savings ... reduced costs .... efficiency gains ... more relevant search results ... deeper and broader web coverage ... improved online focus ... fewer cyber distractions ... reduced spam ... faster updates ... superior web collaboration ... less frustration ... better work-life balance ... and ultimately greater peace of mind and comfort.
You'll discover how to super empower yourself using a new and expanding generation of web tools ... tools you can leverage to be online your "eyes and ears" and "virtual radar." These applications will save you countless hours when searching ... uncover untold intelligence you could never ever find on your own ... and allow you to be more connected and extract increased value from the web in less time with minimal effort.
From web alerts to value-added filters to online dashboards, you'll find out how to tap the full power of Google, social media and other online services.
You'll gain new cyber-powers ... like how to search the web not just by text but by voice, image and bar code ... how to search the web in your sleep (no joke!) ... and how to automatically monitor your favourite web properties from one place. You'll find out how to use "Google Yoga" techniques to increase relevancy ... how to zero-in on specific filetypes, domains and phrases ... and how to search and communicate in languages you can't speak. You'll learn how to use mobile devices as a purchasing "lens" for in-store research, discounts and price comparisons ... how to generate more precise and accurate results ... and so much more.
You'll walk away with a solid cyber gameplan and the know-how to amp-up your personal web performance ... in both your professional and personal life ... and all with a few simple clicks.
If you want to survive and thrive in today's world of multiple gadgets, twitchy immediacy and exploding real-time information (and who doesn't?), you need to learn Garrett's ultimate secret: the best searchers don't search -- they get the information to come to them.
Advisory Services
Garrett offers the following consulting and advisory services:
- Advanced Internet Research Techniques for Accountants. When you search the Internet, do you type a word or two into Google, hit enter and hope for the best? You don't what you're missing! Actually, you're missing 99% of the web and tapping only a tiny fraction of Google. In today's digital age and hyper-competitive business environment, online discovery is an absolutely essential skill. Discover how to instantly improve your online search capabilities, increase your web productivity, and transform how you use the web in your accounting practice, career and personal life. No matter how web savvy you think you are, you're guaranteed to learn new mission-critical (but super simple) search applications and strategies that will take you to the next level of online intelligence gathering. You'll see immediate and measurable results -- every time you go online -- and learn powerful web discovery skills and tools necessary to compete and succeed in modern life.
- Social Media for Accountants. Social media is an exploding phenomenon that's transforming popular culture and business operations in unpredictable ways all over the world. The session cuts through all the hype and takes you on a high-level tour of the social media landscape. You'll learn the leading social media applications, their key benefits and drawbacks, how accounting operations from the Big 4 to single practitioners are leveraging these tools, and how you can tap this space to boost your own accounting practice and career. Discover how to use tools and platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, RSS, blogs, Flickr, Yelp, wikis, document sharing, social bookmarking, social commerce, augmented reality, crowdsourcing, geolocation services, social accountancy, social education, social manufacturing, niche social networks, podcasting, social gaming, social mashups and more in your accounting operations. You'll walk away with an increased awareness of the social media environment, and a head spinning with ideas on how you can tap this space to build your practice, network and career.
- Google Productivity Tools for Accountants. Google is much more than search! Discover scores of underrated Google tools for business, messaging and collaboration that are not only free but superior to Microsoft Office in many respects, Learn the basics of Gmail, Google Calendar, Tasks, Contacts, Docs, Apps Marketplace, Profiles, Places, AdWords, Moderator, Blogger, Sites, Groups, Fusion Tables, Adsense, Checkout, Voice, Mobile, Latitude, Analytics, Insight and many other applications. Find out how these web tools can be instantly applied in your accounting practice to save time, cut costs and boost your online efficiency and reach.
- YouTube for Accountants. Did you know that more people search YouTube than Yahoo or Bing? Believe it or not, YouTube has become a leading online discovery tool and serious business channel for accountants, but you have to know where to look. Discover how Big 4 and single-practitioner accounting professionals are using YouTube for everything from annual video reports to internal audit briefings to staff information sessions. Learn how to leverage YouTube to improve internal and external communications, open doors to new business opportunities, slash training costs, and even create your own branded video channel -- all at no cost.
- Twitter for Accountants. Twitter is a real-time information network and micro-blogging service that's revolutionizing business communications. Learn why it's the easiest on-ramp to the Internet and how accountants all over the world are using it to accelerate strategy, personalize news, follow thought leaders, and connect with influential people. Discover how to use Twitter in your own accounting practice to conduct research, monitor the competition, communicate in real-time, get special deals and discounts, and use it as a free focus group to track what customers are saying about products and services (perhaps yours!).
- Facebook for Accountants. With nearly 600 million members, Facebook is an Internet juggernaut and a leading portal for online communications . But does it offer anything to accountants? Absolutely! Learn how Big 4 and single-practitioner accounting professionals around the world are using the social network to connect with people, manage relationships, share information, promote their brands, recruit staff, retain employees and much more. Discover how to sign-up for a Facebook account, control your privacy settings, create a Fan Page for your business, connect Facebook to your mobile device, hook up Facebook to other social media platforms plus dozens more social networking tips. This is a concise and balanced introduction that gives you the essential information and skills you need to leverage Facebook with confidence in your professional and personal life.