Long Island CPA Keeps It All in Focus

By Marietta E. Gentles

As a senior tax consultant for BDO Seidman, LLP, the sixth-largest public accounting and consulting firm in the United States, you might think Randy A. Schwartzman is pressed for time. Well, he is. But in the course of his 15 years in public accounting, he’s learned there’s a big difference between working hard and working smart.

By working smart, doing simple things like taking work home to spend more time with his kids, Schwartzman has excelled in his career as a CPA without compromising his family or personal life.

Schwartzman plays a key role in BDO’s Melville, N.Y., office. His responsibilities include managing 15 employees, tax planning, tax compliance, and tax consulting for many of the firm’s Long Island clients, as well as developing new business.

In 2002, colleagues nominated and Long Island Business News named Schwartzman one of the “40 Rising Stars Under 40” for, among other things, his volunteer efforts with an organization that contributes to the development of the Long Island business community.

Schwartzman also volunteers his time as chair of the New York State Society of CPAs’ Mergers and Acquisitions Committee. He sits on the Society’s Closely Held and S Corporations Committee, too, and is a member of the NYSSCPA Nassau Chapter and its Federal Tax Committee.

Though he appears to have mastered the art of time management, Schwartzman admits there was time when he was uncertain as to whether he could juggle everything in his life. After making some slight adjustments to accommodate his busy schedule, such as forgoing certain weeknight basketball pickup games to be with his family more, and learning to work “shorter, more productive hours,” Schwartzman still is able to do the things he loves and, perhaps most importantly, make them count.

“You never get a second chance at being a good father or a good person. You can never say, ‘I’ll get to that later,’” said Schwartzman, who believes that personal activities should be treated like any other important scheduled task. “You have to make time for the things that are important to you. I don’t watch television. I find time to work out, to coach, to be with my wife, and to have one-on-one time with my kids.”

Following his own advice, Schwartzman starts his day at 5 a.m. to catch up on his technical reading and go for a run, so that he can dedicate the rest of his morning to getting his two sons off to school. Through this “focused” approach, Schwartzman also gets to enjoy one of his true passions—sports. He regularly works out at the gym, plays basketball on BDO’s corporate league and coaches soccer and basketball for two Long Island teams.

Though others might feel overwhelmed by a schedule like Schwartzman’s, the CPA seems to revel in it. “I’m very happy. Between my wife, my kids, loving what I do, and loving my family, I’m very happy,” he said.