As Mark Nuernberger (@auditorlife) sees it, daily life is not all that different from an audit. While businesses may not always enjoy the presence of an auditor, it is often a necessary task to provide an independent opinion of a company’s controls or financials. The goal of an audit is not to find fault, but rather to verify what is truly being presented. It may be uncomfortable, but until we audit ourselves, how can we expect to know who we truly are and what brings us happiness. The work of an auditor may be full of numbers, controls, and spreadsheets; however, Mark believes that auditing is a necessary skill we should all possess (personally, if not professionally). This belief system has enabled him to approach his photography work with a unique discipline and perspective.
Having worked in teams throughout his entire career, Mark has seen the depth of value in auditing one’s self, growing relationships, and being one’s own style of leader. His pictures and posts have been an extended reach for personal and professional connections, and he hopes they provide others with encouragement to honestly audit themselves, accept their own individual strengths, and follow their happiness.
“Opportunities and the clarity to act, opened up for me the moment I audited myself, recognized my strengths, understood what made me happy, accepted myself for who I was/am, and realized I did not need to be in a ‘C-level’ position to be a leader,” Mark says.
Currently based out of Denver, Mark documents his daily life as a husband, auditor, Midwesterner, cyclist, and coffee enthusiast (“aren’t we all,” he says). His pictures are the platform for his posts, as he captures his experiences and provides his perspective/encouragement to his followers. Influenced by the likes of Gary Vaynerchuk and Simon Sinek, Mark has fully embraced the values of “self-awareness” and “leadership as a choice, rather than a rank.” His happiness and direction (fittingly) started with an audit of himself. The decisions and actions thereafter have been binary. “Does this align with who I am and my happiness or not?”
While Mark may never be able to take the fear or frustration out of an audit, he hopes to provide the encouragement and support to others to undertake the difficult task in order to unlock and open up a world of opportunities and happiness.