5 Great TED Talks for Tax Pros and Accountants

It’s summer, which is a great time to go to trade shows, catch up on CPE and ensure you’re up to date on tax reform. While all of that is important, sometimes it’s nice to learn and get inspired for a few minutes from the comfort of your home or office – free! With that in mind, I found a few TED Talks that may help you learn something about the future of business or accounting, or may inspire you to approach something in your practice a little differently. Enjoy!

Know your worth, and then ask for it – Casey Brown

Your boss probably isn’t paying you what you’re worth — instead, they’re paying you what they think you’re worth. Take the time to learn how to shape their thinking. Pricing consultant Casey Brown shares helpful stories and learnings that can help you better communicate your value and get paid for your excellence.

The wonderful and terrifying implications of computers that can learn – Jeremy Howard

What happens when we teach a computer how to learn? Technologist Jeremy Howard shares some surprising new developments in the fast-moving field of deep learning, a technique that can give computers the ability to learn Chinese, recognize objects in photos or help think through a medical diagnosis. (One deep learning tool, after watching hours of YouTube, taught itself the concept of “cats.”) Get caught up on a field that will change the way the computers around you behave … sooner than you probably think.

How the blockchain is changing money and business – Dan Tapscott

What is the blockchain? If you don’t know, you should; if you do, chances are you still need some clarification on how it actually works. Don Tapscott is here to help, demystifying this world-changing, trust-building technology which, he says, represents nothing less than the second generation of the internet and holds the potential to transform money, business, government and society.

Everyday cybercrime — and what you can do about it – James Lyne

How do you pick up a malicious online virus, the kind of malware that snoops on your data and taps your bank account? Often, it’s through simple things you do each day without thinking twice. James Lyne reminds us that it’s not only the NSA that’s watching us, but ever-more-sophisticated cybercriminals who exploit both weak code and trusting human nature.

How great leaders inspire action – Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek has a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership — starting with a golden circle and the question “Why?” His examples include Apple, Martin Luther King and the Wright brothers.

What are some of your favorite TED Talks? Share a comment below!