The Audit Podcast: Holiday Giveaway from The Audit Podcast 2025

Host: Trent Russell
Release Date: December 23, 2025

Episode Overview

In this special “Holiday Giveaway” episode, host Trent Russell takes the mic solo to offer listeners a seasonal gift—a chance to win a copy of Navin Pashrika’s acclaimed book Getting Ready to Roar: Chief Auditor's Guide, Audit Room to Boardroom. Trent reflects on the need for practical resources tailored to Chief Audit Executives (CAEs), shares why this particular book stands out, and details how listeners can enter the raffle. The tone is conversational, candid, and generous, reflecting both the holiday spirit and the host’s mission to uplift the internal audit profession.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Motivation Behind the Podcast and the Giveaway

• Scarcity of CAE-Specific Resources:
  • Trent underscores that while there are abundant books for CEOs, CMOs, CFOs, and other C-level roles, practical guides for CAEs are sorely lacking.
    • “Go to Amazon and type in CEO book, CFO book, whatever, type in CAE book. Not a lot of good stuff out there. And that was the case until somewhat recently…” (01:00)
• Inspiration to ‘Talk Not Write’:
  • Trent humorously recalls trying to write his own book before deciding that podcasting was more his style.
    • “I tried to write a book and spent five minutes on it and then went, I would rather just talk in front of a microphone instead of having to do this. So book writing is not for me.” (01:45)

2. Spotlight on Navin Pashrika’s Book

• Why This Book Stands Out:
  • Trent eagerly recommends Getting Ready to Roar for its unique focus on what it means to be a CAE—information previously only gleaned through experience or scattered resources.
    • “This is the one that I've been looking for and what we've tried to create through the podcast...” (01:15)
• Endorsements from Key Thought Leaders:
  • The book comes highly praised by Hal Garon, respected for both his inclusion on Richard Chambers’ ‘Top Thought Leaders in Internal Audit’ list and his voracious reading habits.
    • “Hal reads a lot of books and posts about it very consistently… I came across this post from Hal a month ago where he basically said the same thing… on ‘Getting Ready to Roar’ and said, it's really great.” (02:43)
  • Trent recommends pairing Pashrika’s book with resources by Norman Marks and Richard Chambers for a well-rounded knowledge base.

3. How to Enter the Book Giveaway

• Comment on LinkedIn Post:
  • Find the official podcast’s LinkedIn or Trent's personal profile, engage with the giveaway post, and leave a comment.
    • “You can go to either the audit podcast and find it from there, or you can go to Trent Russell, my LinkedIn profile… add some kind of comment.” (03:35)
• Leave a Podcast Review:
  • Submit a written review on iTunes or Spotify and rate the show; send Trent a screenshot for an additional entry.
    • “If you go to either iTunes or Spotify and leave a review… we'll throw you in there for an additional entry. We're going to go based on the honor system…” (04:10)
• Entry Logistics:
  • Listeners can email screenshots to Trent (trent@gsanalytics.com) or message him on LinkedIn. The drawing will take place during the holiday break, and the winner will be announced and shipped the book after.

4. Guidance for Non-Winners

• Strong Book Recommendation:
  • Regardless of the giveaway outcome, Trent encourages everyone in the audit profession—especially aspiring or current CAEs—to get the book from Amazon.
    • “If you aren't the winner, I would still highly recommend going to Amazon and checking the book out.” (04:54)

5. Looking Ahead: What’s Coming in 2026

• Next Episode Teaser:
  • The first 2026 episode will feature Pat Niemann from EY, focusing on the key risks to track in the new year.
    • “Our first episode in 2026 is from our friend Pat Niemann over EY who's going to talk about 2026 risks to keep an eye out on.” (05:15)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “One of the reasons that I started this podcast was because there is no book on how to be a CAE.” — Trent Russell (00:45)
• “Go to Amazon and type in CEO book, CFO book, whatever, type in CAE book. Not a lot of good stuff out there.” — Trent Russell (01:00)
• “Hal Garon… he reads like a book a week or a book a day. It's kind of hard to keep up, honestly.” — Trent Russell (02:20)
• “With all of this said, what we are doing is we are going to give away one copy of the book and how we're going to do it is somewhat raffle style.” — Trent Russell (03:45)
• “Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, all the good stuff. We will see you all in 2026.” — Trent Russell (05:20)

Important Timestamps

• 00:00–02:00: Opening reflections, the lack of CAE resources, podcast origin story
• 02:00–03:45: Spotlight on Getting Ready to Roar, Hal Garon’s endorsement, other notable audit books
• 03:45–05:00: Giveaway rules and logistics
• 05:00–05:20: Holiday well-wishes, preview of first 2026 episode

Tone & Style

Trent keeps the episode lighthearted with moments of humor, candid personal anecdotes, clear practical advice, and a genuine spirit of giving. He’s direct, relatable, and focused on empowering his audience—making clear why resources like Pashrika’s book are so needed in the profession.

Summary Takeaway

For auditors and especially those eyeing a move into CAE roles, this episode delivers both a practical holiday giveaway and valuable guidance. Trent’s key message: there’s finally a book that captures the essence of being a great CAE, and you could win a copy—or, better yet, pick one up yourself.