Story & Lesson Highlights with Marcy J Maslov of North Phoenix

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Marcy J Maslov. Check out our conversation below.

Hi Marcy J, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I bought season tickets to ASU Gammage Broadway theater with a group of my friends! I love theater, music and dance, and once a month I have this opportunity to spend time with my friends, see a great show, have dinner and just leave work behind. Plus, one of my nephews is a dancer, so every time I see a show I imagine him being one of the dancers on that stage!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a business coach, game inventor, national speaker on business ethics and an entrepreneur. I spent 25 years in Corporate America working my way up the accounting and finance chain and finally left when people started asking me to do illegal and unethical things. I started my own business coaching practice and got certified with The Coaches Training Institute. My initial mission was to help professional women navigate the corporate world, and today my mission is to work with business owners to understand the Positive Value of Ethics and the Power of Knowing Their Numbers. Much of what I do supports business owners and entrepreneurs recover from unethical or illegal activity dragging down their business and destroying their reputation.

I never intended to be an ethics guru – but someone tried to kill me for reporting theft, rape and murder and from this experience I realized that we do not teach people how to solve ethical dilemmas. We just assume or expect everyone knows what to do. So I invented a game that puts people into real life business situations and teaches them the steps to ethical problem solving in a safe space. This is what sets me apart from other executive coaches and trainers. Oh, and I have LOTS of stories.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
Wow, all of the questions are really good ones. I think the moment that really shaped how I see the world was when someone followed me home from my workplace and pointed a gun at my head. Staring down the wrong end of the barrel of a gun really forces clarity – and yes, my life did flash in front of my eyes for a brief moment until I made the conscious choice that I refused to die that way.

As a kid, I always thought hard work and a good attitude would get me recognized and keep me moving forward towards my dreams and goals. Staring down that gun barrel made me realize that there are some people would do anything for their own ends, even if it hurt others. And I learned that those I trusted knew all about the situation I was dealing with and deliberately withheld information.

This realization destroyed my ability to trust blindly ever again, and this is what breaks bonds between people, especially in business. A lack of honesty, trust and accountability creates an environment where we need to keep our ideas and thoughts to ourselves until we feel safe. These same qualities – honesty and accountability, plus integrity (delivering what you promise) help to restore bonds but rebuilding trust is the hardest bond to restore.

When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
When I was a kid whenever I had a fight with my mom my dad would come knocking and take us kids bowling to make us feel better, get us talking and make peace in the house. So standing up for myself and fighting for what I believed in was always difficult. I always lost those arguments.

This childhood experience subconsciously affected my ability to tell my story of almost getting killed for being honest and reporting unethical and illegal behavior. I thought nobody would believe me, or they would challenge the truth, and it brought up all the feelings of betrayal and anger that I felt at the time.

And then one day I told a colleague about what I had experienced. She suggested I tell my story for a big presentation I was making. I took this advice. It was hard, because I was really intimidated by the group of leaders I was speaking to, and I felt telling my story would make me vulnerable. The response I received was completely unexpected and totally shocked me. My story gave me credibility and instant acceptance. I released the pain and betrayal and realized I had a message to share that could help others.

Today my story inspires others to find the courage to do the right things. And it completely transformed my business and my relationships with my clients.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What important truth do very few people agree with you on?
I believe there is a positive value to ethics. Very few people see ethics the way I do. Ethics has a very negative connotation, primarily because of what’s broadcast in the news and what we see in every day life. Too many people “get away” with things they should not be “getting away” with. And nobody punishes wrong-doing because they are afraid of the consequences or the effort or the cost in dollars and sense.

And yet, for every negative there is a positive. That is balance. I hold up the mirror and show the positive side of ethics – the side that gives someone a great reputation, loyalty, and a big return on investment. It just takes a lot of courage to look at all angles of a situation, admit making a mistake, and actually listen to those around us with opposing views without imposing our own opinions or beliefs on others.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
Boy, a lot of great questions again. I’m going to answer a couple of them.

I’ve actually been thinking about this question of what would I do in retirement, which for me is 7-10 years away. So this is close to the question of what I would do if I only had 10 years left. I don’t have any great answers yet! I am still exploring possibilities!

I do not have many regrets – I’ve been able to travel for my career and see some really cool places. I’ve faced my fears as I already explained, and I’ve explored what my values really are and what I’m willing to fight for. I am grateful for all that I have been able to experience.

I have gotten a lot of what I wanted over the years – including reaching the top of the accounting chain, only to find that some of the people or positions I aspired to came with actions or requirements I could not live with. I never aspired to be an entrepreneur, but my corporate experience pushed me into being my own boss so I never again had to face the dilemma of dealing with requests I felt were illegal or unethical.

So if I only had 10 years left I would probably find a buyer for my ethics game and/or close my business. Or at the very least, reduce my client base to not more than 3 of my best clients. The ones who actually want to do the work! I would replace working with traveling, spending time with family and friends, and just having more fun. There are a lot of places in Phoenix I have not explored – I would start there. And grab some of my friends to share the journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.businessethicscoach.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcy-maslov-69118b/
• Twitter: Marcy_Maslov

Image Credits
For the two IMA25 photos, credit goes to Karianne Munstedt.