Mackey McNeill has made a study of money.  The result is a popular book, regular lecture apperances and a unique perspective on the balance between wealth and everything else.

Her view on philanthropy is holistic.  "My giving philosophy isn't a lot different from my living philosophy," she said.  "I think there's a part in each of us that wants to give."

McNeill runs the Advisory Team, a full-spectrum financial services firm she founded and built into one of the area's largest woman-owned CPA firms.  Working with both corporate and individual clients she found that money is, for most of us, one of life's most vexing issues.

"We work more than any other society in the world," said McNeill, "and we do it for money. So I think it's worthwhile to analyze what we exchange that for."

Her analysis resulted in "The Intersection of Joy and Money." Named "Most Life Changing book of 2003" by Independent Publishers Online, it has been a steady seller since publication.

McNeill's book urges mindfulness in money matters.  True to her training, she emphasizes goal-setting and financial responsibility.

Breaking ranks with her peers, however, she also exhorts readers grapple with financial fantasies and identify self-limiting attitudes, as well as behaviors.  These personal conditionings, she suggests, are the true barriers to prosperity.

In her giving, McNeill seeks oppurtunities that align closely with her values.

"It's a whole lot more interesting if there's an emotional connection," she said.

"Life Was Meant to Be Good," a show on public radio was particularly evocative for McNeill.

"I love that program," she said.  "It teaches me new ways of thinking, which is my core message."  Her company became a primary sponsor.

"Every dollar we get helps to keep us on the air, but this sponsorship supports a program that listeners really care about," said Jim King, WVXU's director of broadcasting.

True to her own advice, McNeill makes philanthropy a regular part of her financial decision making.

"My husband and I tithe, but not necessarily to a church.  At least once a month we talk about what we want to do, about what organization or person has given our lives a gift," she said.  "I love the consciousness of that.  And then we write a check."

Reprinted from: The Business Courier, Kathleen Norris, 12/10/2004