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Michael Hietter

Proprietor
Michael Val Hietter, CPA
Atlanta, GA

 

Michael Hietter has worked hard for years to earn his title – “Third-Funniest Accountant in Florida.”

Whether he’s doing stand-up comedy (check out his picture from the 2008 South's Funniest Accountant contest), playing rugby or racing his Honda S2000 in weekend autocrosses, Michael basically makes a joke out of the traditional numbers-guy stereotype. And while people in the audience are thinking, “CPAs just don’t do stuff like that,” to Michael it all makes perfect sense.

His life philosophy is based on “learning as many new things as you can,” and Michael’s CPA credentials come in mighty handy. “I often do not know what will come to my desk each day. I could be helping a business with its balance sheet in the morning, when a lawsuit over a patent could come my way in the afternoon. That’s when I start calculating how much profit someone may have lost because someone else stole their idea.

Or he might find himself assessing a claim over a collapsed warehouse, helping decide on whether the property owners deserve the $14 million they’re asking for. It’s no walk in the park, but it sure isn’t boring.

How does Michael keep a light attitude when dealing with such heavy issues? A little humor always helps. And a rich assortment of extracurricular activities certainly helps keep things in perspective.

“Success is what you make of it. Don't have a picture in your mind of what life should be like. Like they say, ‘Life is what happens while you are making other plans.’” Pretty deep for a funny guy.

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