July 2025 | Mike Vogel
My dad had a wholesale meat business in Havana in the 1950s. When I was 6, the revolution came about. I arrived in the U.S. in ’62 at the age of 9. I didn’t speak any of the language.
I had a brother (in Tampa) who was 19 years older. My brother saw that summer that he really couldn’t take care of me. So he handed me over to the Catholic Charities. They became my legal guardian up until the time my parents came in ’67.
I knew the importance of working since the age of 11. The first two summers that I was at the boarding school, they allowed my brother to take me to his house in the summer. I would just go one, two, three blocks and knock on the door. ‘Can I cut your lawn?’ It was $1 back then. There was a guy that moved from New York. I would pray that his grass would grow quicker than anyone because he would compensate me with $5.
When I went to high school, I worked to help my parents out. There was this place called Don Sherwood’s Village Inn Pancake House. Friday night, after baseball practice, I would work from 10 at night to 6 the next morning. Then I sleep in the morning, go to baseball practice or a game and by 6 o’clock or 7 I was there till 6 the next morning. It was a great experience.
I was a member of a state championship high school team. It’s just a great experience and learning how you win and how you lose. It’s a type of experience that helps you out later in life because in business, you’re not going to win every time.
Graduated (from FIU) in ’74. I worked 14 months. The managing partner calls me in. ‘You’re a wonderful human being, but I don’t think you’ll ever make it in public accounting.’ I get fired. I had already proposed to my wife. It was embarrassing to go tell her.
It was a nice kick in the rear end to get me off and running.
Married up. A crazy buddy (on the FIU baseball team) loved to have these crazy parties. I actually took a date. Some yo-yo jumps in the pool and does a cannonball naked, and my wife (Conchi) gets splashed. She went into John’s house in order to dry up and all. When she got out of the bathroom, I said, ‘Hi,’ in Spanish. We hit it off. The date that I brought, I felt sorry for. I left her there, and I left with my wife. I’ve been married almost 49 years.
When I took over the firm, we were maybe less than $6 million. We grew it to $150 million, and it became Florida’s largest ever (Florida)-based accounting firm. I dedicated my adult life to this. It was, like, seven days a week.
The time where I looked at myself as a Tampa guy living in Miami is long gone. Listen, I love Tampa because (choking up) they received me with open arms.
I did something worthwhile in this community thanks to the community, thanks to the people, the growth of this community, the business. I was able to speak two languages, and it gave me an advantage. As a lawnmower, grass king, I knew you had to go approach people.
Usually, I would focus on certain industries, and I would write letters and send them articles I read in the newspaper dealing with their business. That’s how I was able to capture a lunch with them, and then at the lunch I would sell myself.
I had to produce for the partners. If not, they’re going to think twice about their leadership. If you ran it like a profession — forget it right? Or like an accountant — because an accountant, the first thing they think of, is let’s cut expenses.
During COVID, $21 billion of taxable income, according to the IRS, moved into the Miami and South Florida area. There’s never been that kind of net worth to move into this town. I mean, this is a whole new town.
Our employees aren’t going to be able to live in Miami. You have people making half a million dollars that can’t live in the Gables. The prices of the homes are just really ridiculous. That is the reality of today. You’re going to need affordable housing.
I’m on the BDO board. I still continue to work.
I get excited every time the Miami boat show starts. I go out to check the boats, and then my accounting side takes over and says, no, no, that cost will be so much. I live my life like that, which is crazy — like I had just arrived from Cuba yesterday.