Matt Cash, CCIFP, CPA, a Director from BKD in Springfield, Missouri and recent 40 Under 40 Honoree, sat down with CFMA and shared with us some fun facts about himself:

Q: What time did you wake up this morning?

A: I woke up at 5:25 a.m. this morning.

Q: Where did you grow up?

A: I grew up in the small town of Nevada, Missouri, home of the Tigers and the best place to get a cheeseburger and suzies in the world thanks to the White Grill.

Q: When did you become a CFMA member?

A: I became a CFMA member in 2014.

Q: Do you have children? Are you married?

A: My wife, Allison, and I have two children. Our son, Mason, will turn five in July and loves LEGOs and math. Our daughter, Lyla, will turn one in May and just started walking.

Q: What is your favorite movie?

A: My favorite movie is “Die Hard.” “Welcome to the party, pal!” “Yippee-Ki-Yay…”

Q: What’s your favorite holiday to celebrate?

A: My favorite holiday to celebrate is Christmas. With two little kids, Christmas is pretty epic.

Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

A: The best piece of advice I’ve ever received is the simple and biblical wisdom of, “Waste not, want not,” from my grandmother. Gram was the embodiment of making the most of what you have.

Q: What was your first job?

A: My first job was working in my dad’s electrical contracting business throughout high school. I started doing grunt work like cleaning the shop, getting supplies and pulling wire. By the time I left for college, I could wire a house and take care of most residential service calls. I worked mostly residential projects, because things got pretty expensive when I attempted to bend conduit.

Q: What do you do to unwind from work?

A: To unwind from work, I enjoy time with my wife and kids, or time on the golf course with good friends. It’s easy to forget about stress at work when you are watching an 11-month-old take her first steps or watching a four-year-old boy figure out a challenging LEGO set.

Q: How did you get into accounting?

A: No one is more responsible for me entering the accounting profession than Coach John McNeley. Coach Mac taught accounting and other business classes at Nevada High School while leading a winning boy’s basketball program. His passion for his students and the subject matter were unmatched. My enjoyment of my high school accounting courses led me to major in accounting in college and ultimately become a CPA.