How could bartending teach you the essentials of sales and connecting with people?

Glenn and Julie sit down with Neil Rogers, owner and VP of Sales and Marketing at Rogers Marketing—a leading promotional marketing firm in New England.

From overcoming self-doubt to thriving as a connector, Neil’s journey is all about embracing process, adapting, and helping others succeed. If you’re ready to grow your business—and yourself—this episode is for you!

Neil is not just a marketing powerhouse; he’s also the bestselling author of “Bar Tips: Everything I Needed to Know in Sales I Learned from Behind the Bar,” and co-founder of Positive Activity, a program dedicated to helping people achieve their goals one step at a time.

In this lively and candid conversation, Neil takes us back to his roots growing up in Melrose, Massachusetts, sharing stories of large family life, early struggles with self-esteem, and how discovering his people skills behind the bar set him on a lifelong journey of sales and entrepreneurship.

Neil opens up about his path to building a business, the importance of positivity and process, why being coachable made all the difference, and how his “make it happen” mindset has led to decades of success—not just in business, but in life.

Here are three key takeaways that resonated with us:

Start Every Day With Positivity: Neil emphasized the importance of beginning each day with a growth mindset. Approaching problems with a solution-oriented, positive attitude leads to more productivity and greater creative thinking.

Be Coachable and Embrace Mentorship: One of Neil’s major turning points was becoming open to feedback and guidance. Being receptive to mentorship allowed him to accelerate both personal and professional growth—an essential mindset shift for any entrepreneur.

Process Drives Progress: Whether behind the bar or running a business, Neil credits consistent processes and paying attention to the little things as the foundation for his long-term success. Show up, engage, refine, and keep moving forward—success is built one step at a time.

This episode is brought to you by PureTax, LLC. Tax preparation services without the pressure. When all you need is to get your tax return done, take the stress out of tax season by working with a firm that has simplified the process and the pricing. Find out more about how we started.

Moments

00:00 "Growth-Driven Marketing Insights with Neil Rogers"

06:04 Discovering a Passion for Bartending

06:43 "Rejecting Hospitality Career"

10:03 Lifelong Love for Entertainment

13:56 "Make It Happen Team"

16:48 "We're in the Hospitality Business"

22:29 Creativity Boosts Productivity and Solutions

25:33 "Independent Logo Franchise Owner"

27:13 Creative Roles: Focal, Augmenter, Connector, Expander

30:11 Positive Activity: Info & Insights

Running a business doesn’t have to run your life.

Without a business partner who holds you accountable, it’s easy to be so busy ‘doing’ business that you don’t have the right strategy to grow your business.

Stop letting your business run you. At Harper & Co CPA Plus, we know that you want to be empowered to build the lifestyle you envision. In order to do that you need a clear path to follow for success

Our clients enjoy a proactive partnership with us. Schedule a consultation with us today.

Download our free guide - Entrepreneurial Success Formula: How to Avoid Managing Your Business From Your Bank Account.

Glenn Harper, CPA, is the Owner and Managing Partner of Harper & Company CPAs Plus, a top 10 Managing Partner in the country (Accounting Today's 2022 MP Elite). His firm won the 2021 Luca Award for Firm of the Year.

An entrepreneur and speaker, Glenn transformed his firm into an advisory-focused practice, doubling revenue and profit in two years. He teaches entrepreneurs to build financial and operational excellence, speaks nationwide to CPA firm owners about running their businesses like entrepreneurs, and consults with firms across the country. Glenn enjoys golfing, fishing, hiking, cooking, and spending time with his family.

Julie Smith, MBA, is a serial entrepreneur in the public accounting space. She is the Founder of EmpowerCPA™, Founder of PureTax, LLC, COO for Harper & Company CPAs Plus, and Co-host of the Empowering Entrepreneurs podcast.

Named CPA.com's 2021 Innovative Practitioner of Year, Julie led Harper & Company's transition to an advisory-focused firm, doubling revenue and profit in two years. She now empowers other CPA firm owners nationwide through consulting and speaking, teaching them how to run their businesses like entrepreneurs. Julie lives in Columbus, OH with her family and enjoys travel, coaching basketball, sporting events, and the occasional shopping spree.

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/

Copyright 2025 Glenn Harper