It’s hard to believe, but after a little over 5 years and 240+ episodes, we are going to be shutting down the podcast… at least for now. The journey of starting from zero and building the collection of interviews one-by-one over this 5 year time period has been incredibly fun and humbling.  I’ve been so grateful for all the guests that said ‘yes’ to being on the program.  And I’ve been even more grateful for you, the listeners, who continue to show up and download the shows every week.  It truly has been an amazing experience. I think we have proven our purpose – that you truly can do practically anything when you start with a background in accounting, and so I’m comfortable that we can discontinue the show for now. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if we can be of any assistance to you with your own career journey going forward though.  We are always happy to help in any way that we can. Thank you for listening!  🙂

It’s hard to believe, but after a little over 5 years and 240+ episodes, we are going to be shutting down the podcast… at least for now. The journey of starting from zero and building the collection of interviews one-by-one over this 5 year time period has been incredibly fun and humbling.  I’ve been so grateful for all the guests that said ‘yes’ to being on the program.  And I’ve been even more grateful for you, the listeners, who continue to show up and download the shows every week.  It truly has been an amazing experience. I think we have proven our purpose – that you truly can do practically anything when you start with a background in accounting, and so I’m comfortable that we can discontinue the show for now. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if we can be of any assistance to you with your own career journey going forward though.  We are always happy to help in any way that we can. Thank you for listening!  🙂

244:  The Finale

Mansour Farhat

Professor Mansour Farhat, a previous guest on our show, came back for this episode of Where Accountants Go to tell us about a new offering he has helped make available for accounting students. If you weren’t already aware of Mansour from his 1900+ Youtube videos on accounting topics, you definitely should go back in our archives to episode 107 where we delve even more in-depth into how he got started in the Youtube world (107: Mansour Farhat – Saving Accounting Students One YouTube Video At A Time | MGR Accounting Recruiters (mgrar.com)). Professor Farhat started producing accounting educational videos simply because he was very busy teaching classes at two different schools at one point.  He started his Youtube channel as a way to be more efficient with his time, and it ended up being a resource that is now used by accounting students all over the globe.  After a friend called his attention to how popular the channel had become, he decided to greatly expand it and make it even more searchable.  Fast forward a little bit, and Mansour now has over 1900 videos online, and produces supplemental material to be used in conjunction with popular CPA review courses as well! The new offering we talk about in this episode though is that of helping students that need to meet the 150 hour credit requirement for the CPA exam get those credits in a more economical and efficient manner.  Mansour co-founded an organization called CPACredits.com that allows students to take courses online, in about half the time, and at a very economical rate in order to get the ten to thirty extra credits they may need to sit for the CPA exam.  While this would benefit just about anyone looking to meet that requirement, I believe that it will be a game-changer for those individuals that didn’t get the hours earlier in life, and now feel that they can’t due to complications with returning to school.  For those people already several years into their careers and family lives, this could be the solution that allows them to get certified. For more information on CPACredits.com or Mansour’s other video offerings, please click on the links in the text above. To listen to this interview with Mansour Farhat, please use the player below:

Professor Mansour Farhat, a previous guest on our show, came back for this episode of Where Accountants Go to tell us about a new offering he has helped make available for accounting students. If you weren’t already aware of Mansour from his 1900+ Youtube videos on accounting topics, you definitely should go back in our archives to episode 107 where we delve even more in-depth into how he got started in the Youtube world (<a href="https://mgrar.com/107-mansour-farhat-saving-accounting-students-one-youtube-video-at-a-time/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">107: Mansour Farhat – Saving Accounting Students One YouTube Video At A Time | MGR Accounting Recruiters (mgrar.com)</a>). <a href="https://farhatlectures.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Professor Farhat</a> started producing accounting educational videos simply because he was very busy teaching classes at two different schools at one point.  He started his Youtube channel as a way to be more efficient with his time, and it ended up being a resource that is now used by accounting students all over the globe.  After a friend called his attention to how popular the channel had become, he decided to greatly expand it and make it even more searchable.  Fast forward a little bit, and Mansour now has over 1900 videos online, and produces supplemental material to be used in conjunction with popular CPA review courses as well! The new offering we talk about in this episode though is that of helping students that need to meet the 150 hour credit requirement for the CPA exam get those credits in a more economical and efficient manner.  Mansour co-founded an organization called <a href="https://cpacredits.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CPACredits.com</a> that allows students to take courses online, in about half the time, and at a very economical rate in order to get the ten to thirty extra credits they may need to sit for the CPA exam.  While this would benefit just about anyone looking to meet that requirement, I believe that it will be a game-changer for those individuals that didn’t get the hours earlier in life, and now feel that they can’t due to complications with returning to school.  For those people already several years into their careers and family lives, this could be the solution that allows them to get certified. For more information on <a href="http://CPACredits.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CPACredits.com</a> or Mansour’s other video offerings, please click on the links in the text above. To listen to this interview with Mansour Farhat, please use the player below:

243:  Mansour Farhat – Continuing To Make Life Easier for Accounting Students

Hitendra Patil

Hitendra Patil of AccountantsWorld, who also frequently appears on the list of the Top 100 Most Influential People In Accounting, joined us for this episode of Where Accountants Go, the Accounting Careers Podcast. We like to cover a variety of career topics for accounting professionals on this show, and entrepreneurship-done-well is definitely one of them.  In this episode, Hitendra discusses the concept of how to become an “Accountaneur”.  This particular term, which Hitendra has trademarked, encompasses the idea of not just being a self-employed accountant, but being successful in the endeavor from both the earnings standpoint and the desired lifestyle perspective.  You will need to listen to the audio interview for a complete definition, but a large part of what Hitendra discusses is how to evolve past simply being a client’s chosen accountant, and going further to learn their business and the nuances of how they become successful.  This allows the Accountaneur to become more of the trusted advisor that we all aspire to be.  It really is a good discussion we have in this approximate 1-hour episode. For other episodes you may enjoy, check out:  John Garrett and Lindsay Stevenson To listen to this episode with Hitendra Patil, please use the player below:

Hitendra Patil of AccountantsWorld, who also frequently appears on the list of the Top 100 Most Influential People In Accounting, joined us for this episode of Where Accountants Go, the Accounting Careers Podcast. We like to cover a variety of career topics for accounting professionals on this show, and entrepreneurship-done-well is definitely one of them.  In this episode, Hitendra discusses the concept of how to become an “Accountaneur”.  This particular term, which Hitendra has trademarked, encompasses the idea of not just being a self-employed accountant, but being successful in the endeavor from both the earnings standpoint and the desired lifestyle perspective.  You will need to listen to the audio interview for a complete definition, but a large part of what Hitendra discusses is how to evolve past simply being a client’s chosen accountant, and going further to learn their business and the nuances of how they become successful.  This allows the Accountaneur to become more of the trusted advisor that we all aspire to be.  It really is a good discussion we have in this approximate 1-hour episode. For other episodes you may enjoy, check out:  <a href="https://mgrar.com/094-the-recovering-cpa-an-interview-with-john-garrett/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">John Garrett</a> and <a href="https://mgrar.com/124-perseverance-determination-building-a-dream-lindsay-stevenson-cpa/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lindsay Stevenson</a> To listen to this episode with Hitendra Patil, please use the player below:

242:  Hitendra Patil – Becoming An Accountaneur ™

Lee Frederiksen

Lee Frederiksen of Hinge joined us for this week’s episode of Where Accountants Go, the Accounting Careers Podcast. Lee’s team approached us with this topic, and we were very excited to have the discussion.  “The Great Resignation” is a phenomenon affecting the entire labor market, and the accounting profession is no exception.  The market was already tight in terms of the number of accountants available versus the number of job opportunities, but with opportunities increasing and some individuals choosing to exit the labor market by choice, the number of open jobs within our field has skyrocketed.  It’s a peculiar situation, and although it has its advantages, there are also some dangers as well. In this episode, we will discuss the situation from both the employer’s perspective and the job seeker’s perspective, because there are opportunities and dangers on both sides.  It’s rare that we get to interview a behavioral psychologist on our program, so this was a real treat.  And the topic we discussed is definitely on the cutting edge of current events. For other episodes you may enjoy, check out:  Carl Peterson and Terrell Turner To listen to this episode with Lee Frederiksen of Hinge, please use the player below:

Lee Frederiksen of Hinge joined us for this week’s episode of Where Accountants Go, the Accounting Careers Podcast. Lee’s team approached us with this topic, and we were very excited to have the discussion.  “The Great Resignation” is a phenomenon affecting the entire labor market, and the accounting profession is no exception.  The market was already tight in terms of the number of accountants available versus the number of job opportunities, but with opportunities increasing and some individuals choosing to exit the labor market by choice, the number of open jobs within our field has skyrocketed.  It’s a peculiar situation, and although it has its advantages, there are also some dangers as well. In this episode, we will discuss the situation from both the employer’s perspective and the job seeker’s perspective, because there are opportunities and dangers on both sides.  It’s rare that we get to interview a behavioral psychologist on our program, so this was a real treat.  And the topic we discussed is definitely on the cutting edge of current events. For other episodes you may enjoy, check out:  <a href="https://mgrar.com/210-carl-peterson-career-insights-the-small-firm-lifestyle/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Carl Peterson</a> and <a href="https://mgrar.com/193-terrell-turner-cpa-using-big-business-skills-to-serve-the-small-business-community/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Terrell Turner</a> To listen to this episode with Lee Frederiksen of <a href="https://hingemarketing.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hinge</a>, please use the player below:

241:  Lee Frederiksen – Discussing The Great Resignation

Jennifer Todling

Jennifer Todling, Partner with EY, joined us for this episode of Where Accountants Go, the Accounting Careers Podcast. When we scheduled this episode, we knew it was going to be a story of a successful, progressive accounting career as Jennifer had been with EY approaching 18 years and is a partner with the firm.  However, we didn’t realize all the additional value that this interview would bring! In addition to discussing her progression to partner over the years, we also discuss a few other pleasant surprises in her journey.  One additional item of value was the discussion of her short departure from EY to pursue a Fellow position with the SEC.  Jennifer spent about 3 years on the regulatory side, which was both an enjoyable experience and something that helped build her skill-set for when she later returned to EY. We also discuss how she had to go remote for personal reasons very early in her career.  That may not seem like a big deal now, but this was prior to Zoom, Teams, and all the other tools we use now to do remote work.  The process was much more paper intensive, so she wasn’t sure it was even possible in the beginning.  However, due to the support from a few leaders at the firm, they were able to make it work and her progression with EY continued.  It really is an interesting part of the interview.  Make sure you listen to this one all the way through. For other episodes you may enjoy, check out:  How To Advance to Partner, and Samantha Bowling’s interview. To listen in on this interview with Jennifer Todling, please use the player below:

Jennifer Todling, Partner with EY, joined us for this episode of Where Accountants Go, the Accounting Careers Podcast. When we scheduled this episode, we knew it was going to be a story of a successful, progressive accounting career as Jennifer had been with EY approaching 18 years and is a partner with the firm.  However, we didn’t realize all the additional value that this interview would bring! In addition to discussing her progression to partner over the years, we also discuss a few other pleasant surprises in her journey.  One additional item of value was the discussion of her short departure from EY to pursue a Fellow position with the SEC.  Jennifer spent about 3 years on the regulatory side, which was both an enjoyable experience and something that helped build her skill-set for when she later returned to EY. We also discuss how she had to go remote for personal reasons very early in her career.  That may not seem like a big deal now, but this was prior to Zoom, Teams, and all the other tools we use now to do remote work.  The process was much more paper intensive, so she wasn’t sure it was even possible in the beginning.  However, due to the support from a few leaders at the firm, they were able to make it work and her progression with EY continued.  It really is an interesting part of the interview.  Make sure you listen to this one all the way through. For other episodes you may enjoy, check out:  <a href="https://mgrar.com/209-how-to-advance-to-partner/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How To Advance to Partner</a>, and <a href="https://mgrar.com/114-from-entry-level-to-partner-with-pink-hair-samantha-bowling-cpa/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Samantha Bowling’s interview.</a> To listen in on this interview with Jennifer Todling, please use the player below:

240:  Jennifer Todling – “You Can Be Whatever Kind Of Partner You Want To Be”

Tom Golden

Tom Golden, a retired forensics partner from PwC (PriceWaterhouseCoopers), who also has authored two forensics thrillers, joined us for this episode of Where Accountants Go, the Accounting Careers Podcast. If you have ever wondered about the realities of investigating major frauds, then this is the episode for you.  Tom very accidentally got into the forensics area when he discovered anomalies on one of his first client assignments at PwC, and that ended up turning into a major fraud investigation that lasted over a year.  After that experience, he realized that investigating fraud was something that he very much enjoyed, so he convinced the firm to let him start the forensics department, and ended up building that into a career for himself in the 26 years that he was with PwC. Another important item to note about Tom’s career was that it wasn’t all behind a computer and a desk.  His investigations took he and his team across the globe and into some very dangerous situations.  Make sure you listen to the audio interview to hear Tom tell some of those stories.  They definitely are much more suspenseful than you would expect. For details on two of the investigations Tom was involved in, check out his two thriller novels:  Sunday Night Fears and One Honest Soul. Other related podcasts you will enjoy:  Kelly Richmond Pope and Mindy Mejia To listen to this interview with Tom Golden, please use the player below:

Tom Golden, a retired forensics partner from PwC (PriceWaterhouseCoopers), who also has authored two forensics thrillers, joined us for this episode of Where Accountants Go, the Accounting Careers Podcast. If you have ever wondered about the realities of investigating major frauds, then this is the episode for you.  Tom very accidentally got into the forensics area when he discovered anomalies on one of his first client assignments at PwC, and that ended up turning into a major fraud investigation that lasted over a year.  After that experience, he realized that investigating fraud was something that he very much enjoyed, so he convinced the firm to let him start the forensics department, and ended up building that into a career for himself in the 26 years that he was with PwC. Another important item to note about Tom’s career was that it wasn’t all behind a computer and a desk.  His investigations took he and his team across the globe and into some very dangerous situations.  Make sure you listen to the audio interview to hear Tom tell some of those stories.  They definitely are much more suspenseful than you would expect. For details on two of the investigations Tom was involved in, check out his two thriller novels:  <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CNGPXBS/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?psc=1&amp;pd_rd_i=B07CNGPXBS&amp;pd_rd_w=42ujf&amp;pf_rd_p=9fd3ea7c-b77c-42ac-b43b-c872d3f37c38&amp;pd_rd_wg=2I8vq&amp;pf_rd_r=AQ2ABEXPJB7H0Q645JGY&amp;pd_rd_r=750b80d8-1772-4885-89f2-b3ab9178e0d9&amp;spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyQlpPRTVNU05TTzcmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTAyNDQ3ODIyS0RJTURLTENFQjBGJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA5MjM2NTM5Q0M5QlBPU1dHQ1Imd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWwmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sunday Night Fears</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/One-Honest-Soul-Halloran-Thriller/dp/0999436341/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=tom+golden&amp;qid=1632235093&amp;sr=8-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">One Honest Soul.</a> Other related podcasts you will enjoy:  <a href="https://mgrar.com/143-forensics-education-and-making-movies-an-interview-with-kelly-richmond-pope/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kelly Richmond Pope</a> and <a href="https://mgrar.com/182-mindy-mejia-becoming-a-full-time-author-and-cpa-at-the-same-time/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mindy Mejia</a> To listen to this interview with Tom Golden, please use the player below:

239:  Tom Golden – Retired Forensics Partner and Author of Sunday Night Fears

Jason Parr

Peisner Johnson

Jason Parr, the President of Peisner Johnson, a state and local tax consulting company, joined us this week for Where Accountants Go, the Accounting Careers Podcast. In this episode, we discuss the road less traveled so-to-speak with respect to careers… that of staying at the same company and continuing to build your career at that one organization.  For Jason, that meant starting as an assistant in accounting prior to earning his degree, and ending up as President after a couple decades of diligent effort and personal growth.  Jason tells the story better than we could in a simple show notes summary, so make sure you listen to the full interview using the player below, or by using your favorite podcast app. If you ultimately want to work your way into executive management, this is definitely an episode you will want to hear.  Jason was very open about his path, even about some of his doubts and learning opportunities along the way.  This was a great interview. If you enjoy this episode, please also check out:  Paula Gold-Williams and Anoop Mehta To listen to this interview with Jason Parr of Peisner Johnson, please use the player below:

Jason Parr, the President of <a href="https://peisnerjohnson.com/whats-next/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Peisner Johnson</a>, a state and local tax consulting company, joined us this week for Where Accountants Go, the Accounting Careers Podcast. In this episode, we discuss the road less traveled so-to-speak with respect to careers… that of staying at the same company and continuing to build your career at that one organization.  For Jason, that meant starting as an assistant in accounting prior to earning his degree, and ending up as President after a couple decades of diligent effort and personal growth.  Jason tells the story better than we could in a simple show notes summary, so make sure you listen to the full interview using the player below, or by using your favorite podcast app. If you ultimately want to work your way into executive management, this is definitely an episode you will want to hear.  Jason was very open about his path, even about some of his doubts and learning opportunities along the way.  This was a great interview. If you enjoy this episode, please also check out:  <a href="https://mgrar.com/052-paula-gold-williams-from-staff-accountant-to-ceo/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Paula Gold-Williams</a> and <a href="https://mgrar.com/148-from-intern-to-president-anoop-mehta-cpa/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Anoop Mehta</a> To listen to this interview with Jason Parr of Peisner Johnson, please use the player below:

238:  Jason Parr of Peisner Johnson – From Assistant to President!

Alicia Maples

Alicia Maples, a professional business coach that I personally have worked with for many years, joined us for this episode of Where Accountants Go, The Accounting Careers Podcast.  In this special edition episode, we have a very direct and practical conversation about managing the client base in a public accounting firm.  If you are in business already, or just starting to think about starting your own firm, this episode will be beneficial to you. The main topic we discuss is how to let go of clients that don’t fit your desired end goals, but we also discuss how keeping bad clients can affect not just your lifestyle, but that of your team as well! If you would like to find out more about Alicia, or take her 5 Day Credibility Challenge, make sure you visit www.brilliantsmb.com To listen in on this interview with Alicia Maples, please use the player below:

Alicia Maples, a professional business coach that I personally have worked with for many years, joined us for this episode of Where Accountants Go, The Accounting Careers Podcast.  In this special edition episode, we have a very direct and practical conversation about managing the client base in a public accounting firm.  If you are in business already, or just starting to think about starting your own firm, this episode will be beneficial to you. The main topic we discuss is how to let go of clients that don’t fit your desired end goals, but we also discuss how keeping bad clients can affect not just your lifestyle, but that of your team as well! If you would like to find out more about Alicia, or take her <a href="https://brilliantsmb.com/creating-online-credibility-that-converts/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">5 Day Credibility Challenge</a>, make sure you visit <a href="http://www.brilliantsmb.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.brilliantsmb.com</a> To listen in on this interview with Alicia Maples, please use the player below:

237:  Alicia Maples – Build Your Wealth By Firing Your Clients

Andrew Jordan

Andrew Jordan, CPA and COO of FinancePal, joined us for this episode of Where Accountants Go, the Accounting Careers Podcast.  We touch on many topics in this particular show, from finding the right career fit for your own needs, all the way to starting and merging a firm.  And we even cover a story of fraud in the middle of the interview!  Many, many lessons in this episode. Andrew’s career journey started as many do… he worked hard to do well in college and was hired by one of the national firms right out of school.  He passed the CPA exam early, and was on his way to have the ‘dream career’ in large public accounting.  What he didn’t realize at the time was that it was typical for the firm to over-hire, and then make adjustments after busy season.  Unfortunately this meant he was left without a job even after passing the CPA exam.  However, this ended up being a blessing as it launched him on a new path of joining a smaller firm and continuing his career progression there. Not too many years later, he was recruited by a client tech company for their CFO role.  It was a tremendous opportunity.  He learned quite a bit, but unfortunately part of that was about the fraud that was occurring within the company.  He survived that tumultuous time though and helped the company recover.  Later on, due to decisions made by the private equity owners, the company closed down and Andrew decided to start his own practice. For the story of how he started and grew his practice, and eventually merged it into FinancePal, make sure to listen to the full audio interview.  Andrew was very open and transparent with the story of his journey – something we always really appreciate. For other episodes you may enjoy, listen to these prior shows:  Kelly Richmond-Pope and Ryan Lazanis To listen in on this interview with Andrew Jordan, please use the player below:

Andrew Jordan, CPA and COO of FinancePal, joined us for this episode of Where Accountants Go, the Accounting Careers Podcast.  We touch on many topics in this particular show, from finding the right career fit for your own needs, all the way to starting and merging a firm.  And we even cover a story of fraud in the middle of the interview!  Many, many lessons in this episode. Andrew’s career journey started as many do… he worked hard to do well in college and was hired by one of the national firms right out of school.  He passed the CPA exam early, and was on his way to have the ‘dream career’ in large public accounting.  What he didn’t realize at the time was that it was typical for the firm to over-hire, and then make adjustments after busy season.  Unfortunately this meant he was left without a job even after passing the CPA exam.  However, this ended up being a blessing as it launched him on a new path of joining a smaller firm and continuing his career progression there. Not too many years later, he was recruited by a client tech company for their CFO role.  It was a tremendous opportunity.  He learned quite a bit, but unfortunately part of that was about the fraud that was occurring within the company.  He survived that tumultuous time though and helped the company recover.  Later on, due to decisions made by the private equity owners, the company closed down and Andrew decided to start his own practice. For the story of how he started and grew his practice, and eventually merged it into <a href="https://www.financepal.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">FinancePal</a>, make sure to listen to the full audio interview.  Andrew was very open and transparent with the story of his journey – something we always really appreciate. For other episodes you may enjoy, listen to these prior shows:  <a href="https://mgrar.com/143-forensics-education-and-making-movies-an-interview-with-kelly-richmond-pope/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kelly Richmond-Pope</a> and <a href="https://mgrar.com/224-ryan-lazanis-of-future-firm-creating-a-modern-scalable-practice/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ryan Lazanis</a> To listen in on this interview with Andrew Jordan, please use the player below:

236:  Andrew Jordan – COO of FinancePal

Loreal Jiles

Loreal Jiles, the new VP of Research &amp; Thought Leadership with the Institute of Management Accountants, joins us for this very interesting episode of Where Accountants Go, the Accounting Careers Podcast. In this episode, we discuss the technological transformation that has happened, is happening, and will continue to happen within the accounting profession.  Loreal has spent many years working in this space, both in her current role with the IMA as well as with the large multi-national organization BP.  However, in addition to the technological discussion, we also take significant time during this interview to delve deeply into Loreal’s very successful 14 years with BP.  It’s rare we see individuals move up that quickly and over such an extended period of time as Loreal, so that part of the interview has several gems of advice as well. If you are looking to build your career with a large organization, or have an interest in technology and how it will continue to transform our profession, this is an ideal episode for you. Other episodes that will interest you are:  Jody Padar and Stewart Goodson For more information on the IMA, visit IMAnet.org To listen in on this discussion with Loreal Jiles, please use the player below:

Loreal Jiles, the new VP of Research &amp; Thought Leadership with the Institute of Management Accountants, joins us for this very interesting episode of Where Accountants Go, the Accounting Careers Podcast. In this episode, we discuss the technological transformation that has happened, is happening, and will continue to happen within the accounting profession.  Loreal has spent many years working in this space, both in her current role with the IMA as well as with the large multi-national organization BP.  However, in addition to the technological discussion, we also take significant time during this interview to delve deeply into Loreal’s very successful 14 years with BP.  It’s rare we see individuals move up that quickly and over such an extended period of time as Loreal, so that part of the interview has several gems of advice as well. If you are looking to build your career with a large organization, or have an interest in technology and how it will continue to transform our profession, this is an ideal episode for you. Other episodes that will interest you are:  <a href="https://mgrar.com/129-the-radical-cpa-an-interview-with-jody-padar/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jody Padar</a> and <a href="https://mgrar.com/066-stewart-goodson-how-robotics-are-changing-the-accounting-field/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stewart Goodson</a> For more information on the IMA, visit <a href="https://www.imanet.org/?ssopc=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">IMAnet.org</a> To listen in on this discussion with Loreal Jiles, please use the player below:

235:  Loreal Jiles with the IMA – Building a Career in Digital Technology & Finance Transformation

These podcasts have been so great on my journey thus far in my undergraduate for accounting. Inspiring and educational. I highly recommend!!

Awesome podcast for undergraduate student!

I love this podcast. I get to hear about so many different jobs in the world of accounting from all kinds of interesting guests. What I love is that it’s not the host just giving his opinion or story every single episode, but rather I get to hear from lots of different people (and they are the ones speaking most of the podcast).

So Helpful as an Undergraduate Student

Where Accountants Go - The Accounting Careers Podcast

Rubik Yeriazarian

Rubik Yeriazarian, Principal with Briggs &amp; Veselka in the area of Forensic Accounting &amp; Litigation Support, joined us for this episode of Life In Accounting, a podcast production of Where Accountants Go.Targeted the area early on…In the beginning of this episode, Rubik recounts the story of how he came to work in forensic accounting in the first place. He came from a family of accountants, and knew he was interested in “tracking money” early on in life.  He considered math as a possible interest initially, but then realized he didn’t enjoy that quite as much as he thought.  However, he had done well in UIL accounting competitions in school so he decided to choose the accounting career path instead.  As he neared the end of college, he had an internship at KPMG where he met some of the individuals in the forensic area and ended up getting the opportunity for a rotation in forensics.  It was there that his career got started in forensic accounting, and obviously it has worked out well for Rubik.Goldilocks careerRubik uses the term “Goldilocks career” when describing the path he took. He first worked at KPMG, and while the experience was beneficial, it was “too big” for him personally.  He then moved on to more of a boutique firm that had 6-8 employees, finding that that organization was “too small” for his preference after a few years.  It was then that he found the opportunity that was “just right”, which is his current role at Briggs &amp; Veselka there in Houston.Skills you needGiven his specialty and the length of time he has worked in it, I wanted to make sure we dedicated some time to getting Rubik’s professional opinion on the skills and characteristics that are vital to preparing for a career in this area. Some of the items that he listed as being necessary for success are: 	Need to be a self-starter 	Ability to dig in to the data 	Ability to communicate with non-accounting professionals (this is key!) 	And of course, strong skills in ExcelOther systems skills such as Python and SQL are helpful, but if you have the items listed above, that makes for a strong start in the forensics and litigation support specialties.Please make sure you listen to the audio file as well below. Rubik shares much, much more than we could ever possibly cover in this short summary.Other episodes you may enjoy include: Episode 038 with Billy Petty, and Episode 082 with Fred Olivares

Rubik Yeriazarian, Principal with Briggs &amp; Veselka in the area of Forensic Accounting &amp; Litigation Support, joined us for this episode of Life In Accounting, a podcast production of Where Accountants Go. Targeted the area early on… In the beginning of this episode, Rubik recounts the story of how he came to work in forensic accounting in the first place. He came from a family of accountants, and knew he was interested in “tracking money” early on in life.  He considered math as a possible interest initially, but then realized he didn’t enjoy that quite as much as he thought.  However, he had done well in UIL accounting competitions in school so he decided to choose the accounting career path instead.  As he neared the end of college, he had an internship at KPMG where he met some of the individuals in the forensic area and ended up getting the opportunity for a rotation in forensics.  It was there that his career got started in forensic accounting, and obviously it has worked out well for Rubik. Goldilocks career Rubik uses the term “Goldilocks career” when describing the path he took. He first worked at KPMG, and while the experience was beneficial, it was “too big” for him personally.  He then moved on to more of a boutique firm that had 6-8 employees, finding that that organization was “too small” for his preference after a few years.  It was then that he found the opportunity that was “just right”, which is his current role at Briggs &amp; Veselka there in Houston. Skills you need Given his specialty and the length of time he has worked in it, I wanted to make sure we dedicated some time to getting Rubik’s professional opinion on the skills and characteristics that are vital to preparing for a career in this area. Some of the items that he listed as being necessary for success are: 	Need to be a self-starter 	Ability to dig in to the data 	Ability to communicate with non-accounting professionals (this is key!) 	And of course, strong skills in Excel Other systems skills such as Python and SQL are helpful, but if you have the items listed above, that makes for a strong start in the forensics and litigation support specialties. Please make sure you listen to the audio file as well below. Rubik shares much, much more than we could ever possibly cover in this short summary. Other episodes you may enjoy include: Episode 038 with Billy Petty, and Episode 082 with Fred Olivares

113:  Forensic Accounting, Litigation Support, & Data Analytics – Rubik Yeriazarian, CPA, CFE, CFF

Michele Heyman

Michele Heyman, owner of Heyman &amp; Associates in Austin – an accounting firm that specializes in forensic accounting, business appraisal, &amp; fraud prevention, joined us for this episode of Life In Accounting: The Where Accountants Go podcast!It started in high school…Michele first contemplated pursuing accounting as a profession when her high school accounting class was visited by an audit partner that talked to the class about his career path. The way he described auditing work appealed to her, and it sounded like accounting could give the successful individual a comfortable lifestyle, so she decided to pursue it. She attended the Rochester Institute of Technology, and took the public accounting route and became a CPA.Becoming self-employedAlthough it was audit that first attracted her to the profession, she initially worked in tax. Over the years she worked off-and-on in audit while doing tax work as well, until she eventually decided to start her own practice in 2011. Starting with only 2 clients, she’s grown the firm to over 300 clients today.Forensic accountingWe cover quite a bit of ground in the area of forensic accounting on this podcast. Michele explains that the majority of their work is in the area of investigating employee theft, but also mentions that some of the engagements involve partner/shareholder disputes and divorce cases. If you have an interest in the investigation side of audit, this episode will give you a great overview of the forensic accounting field. Michele definitely enjoys the practice, particularly the client-service aspect of forensics.If you enjoy this interview, make sure you stay tuned for our next episode as well where we interview one of the experts on Michele’s team, prior law enforcement officer Billy Petty.See you next week! There’s more to come…Mark Goldman CPAPresident – Where Accountants Gowww.WhereAccountantsGo.comIf you found this episode beneficial and haven’t subscribed yet, please visit https://whereaccountantsgo.com/blog/ and click on the orange “Subscribe” button in the upper right hand corner to be notified every time we post new content. Thank you!

Michele Heyman, owner of Heyman &amp; Associates in Austin – an accounting firm that specializes in forensic accounting, business appraisal, &amp; fraud prevention, joined us for this episode of Life In Accounting: The Where Accountants Go podcast! It started in high school… Michele first contemplated pursuing accounting as a profession when her high school accounting class was visited by an audit partner that talked to the class about his career path. The way he described auditing work appealed to her, and it sounded like accounting could give the successful individual a comfortable lifestyle, so she decided to pursue it. She attended the Rochester Institute of Technology, and took the public accounting route and became a CPA. Becoming self-employed Although it was audit that first attracted her to the profession, she initially worked in tax. Over the years she worked off-and-on in audit while doing tax work as well, until she eventually decided to start her own practice in 2011. Starting with only 2 clients, she’s grown the firm to over 300 clients today. Forensic accounting We cover quite a bit of ground in the area of forensic accounting on this podcast. Michele explains that the majority of their work is in the area of investigating employee theft, but also mentions that some of the engagements involve partner/shareholder disputes and divorce cases. If you have an interest in the investigation side of audit, this episode will give you a great overview of the forensic accounting field. Michele definitely enjoys the practice, particularly the client-service aspect of forensics. If you enjoy this interview, make sure you stay tuned for our next episode as well where we interview one of the experts on Michele’s team, prior law enforcement officer Billy Petty. See you next week! There’s more to come… Mark Goldman CPA President – Where Accountants Go <a href="http://www.WhereAccountantsGo.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.WhereAccountantsGo.com</a> If you found this episode beneficial and haven’t subscribed yet, please visit <a href="https://whereaccountantsgo.com/blog/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://whereaccountantsgo.com/blog/</a> and click on the orange “Subscribe” button in the upper right hand corner to be notified every time we post new content. Thank you!

037: Michele Heyman, CPA – Building a Forensic Accounting Practice

Bob Alonzo

In this episode of Life In Accounting: The Where Accountants Go podcast,  we speak with Bob Alonzo, a former analyst with the FBI and a white collar crimes adjunct professor.Joining the FBIBob began his accounting career in public accounting, and he has been a professor and a soccer store owner as well. Right before he joined the FBI, Bob worked for the Department of Defense where he enjoyed working in many positions such as Inventory Manager, Systems Accountant, and Accounting Auditor and Manager. When Bob decided to join the FBI (it took eleven months to get hired), he began as a Financial Analyst in the San Antonio office. He held many assignments including Administrative Supervisor, Field Intelligence Supervisor – Foreign Language Program Coordinator, and he was on the white collar crime squad team.Transferable SkillsBob learned that many of his accounting skills not only transferred well to the Bureau, but that they were also the skills the Bureau valued highly in their new team members. When you join the FBI as an accountant, you are the finance expert!For example, working as part of the foreign counter-intelligence squad allowed him to use his skills of organizing and presenting information in a way the squad would understand. Accountants are talented at knowing how to analyze, organize, and present information in a concise, professional, and highly impactful manner.While the skills you use are consistent, the cases change, which provides you with variety. As a member of the evidence response team, Bob never knew what kind of case he would be assigned, but he did know that he would be doing the investigative audit. He was expected to analyze the evidence and proceed as he determined was best. It was always an exciting challenge.We hope you enjoy this interview with Bob Alonzo as much as we did recording it!Other podcasts mentioned: Solving Crimes and Other CPA Superhero Topics with Fred Olivares, CPATo listen in on this interview with Bob Alonzo, please use the player below:

In this episode of Life In Accounting: The Where Accountants Go podcast, we speak with Bob Alonzo, a former analyst with the FBI and a white collar crimes adjunct professor. Joining the FBI Bob began his accounting career in public accounting, and he has been a professor and a soccer store owner as well. Right before he joined the FBI, Bob worked for the Department of Defense where he enjoyed working in many positions such as Inventory Manager, Systems Accountant, and Accounting Auditor and Manager. When Bob decided to join the FBI (it took eleven months to get hired), he began as a Financial Analyst in the San Antonio office. He held many assignments including Administrative Supervisor, Field Intelligence Supervisor – Foreign Language Program Coordinator, and he was on the white collar crime squad team. Transferable Skills Bob learned that many of his accounting skills not only transferred well to the Bureau, but that they were also the skills the Bureau valued highly in their new team members. When you join the FBI as an accountant, you are the finance expert! For example, working as part of the foreign counter-intelligence squad allowed him to use his skills of organizing and presenting information in a way the squad would understand. Accountants are talented at knowing how to analyze, organize, and present information in a concise, professional, and highly impactful manner. While the skills you use are consistent, the cases change, which provides you with variety. As a member of the evidence response team, Bob never knew what kind of case he would be assigned, but he did know that he would be doing the investigative audit. He was expected to analyze the evidence and proceed as he determined was best. It was always an exciting challenge. We hope you enjoy this interview with Bob Alonzo as much as we did recording it! Other podcasts mentioned: Solving Crimes and Other CPA Superhero Topics with Fred Olivares, CPA To listen in on this interview with Bob Alonzo, please use the player below:

089: Accounting, the Most Versatile Skill Set – Bob Alonzo, former Analyst with the FBI

Matt Malcom

Matt Malcom, Owner of Malcom Accounting Services LLC, joined us for this episode of Life In Accounting: The Where Accountants Go podcast.Mom Lied to Me!One of the most humorous parts of this interview comes in the very first few minutes. As is our tradition I started with asking about how Matt came to decide to pursue accounting as a career, and the direct quote from Matt was, “It came from a lie from my mother!” Obviously he said this in jest, but it made for a great start to the show. I don’t want to give away the punchline of course, so you’ll need to listen in to hear the full story. It’s definitely original!Regional / national firm experienceMatt also shares how he started his career with the predecessor firm to Cohen Reznick, and built up his knowledge base and experience over a 15 year period with that firm. It’s experience that continues to benefit him today, and although he had left full-time employment with the firm, he continues to work with them on contract projects and has for years.Self-employmentAfter many years with the national firm though, Matt decided it was time to look into other options and decided to take some time off to consider what may be a good next step. To his surprise, he ended up having several opportunities to continue to work on projects on a contract basis both with his previous firm and with new referral clients, so he decided to setup his own practice – Malcom Accounting Services. As you will hear in the interview, it’s a decision he’s been very happy with. While he admits to working weekends occasionally and I suspect a few other off-hours, he appreciates the schedule freedom that self-employment has afforded him. It works very well with his family life.I hope you enjoy this episode. As you will hear, Matt is a very straight-forward and transparent individual. He was a pleasure to interview.Have a great week! There’s more to come…Mark Goldman CPAPresident – Where Accountants Gowww.WhereAccountantsGo.comIf you found this episode beneficial and haven’t subscribed yet, please visit https://whereaccountantsgo.com/blog/ and click on the orange “Subscribe” button in the upper right hand corner to be notified every time we post new content. Thank you!

Matt Malcom, Owner of Malcom Accounting Services LLC, joined us for this episode of Life In Accounting: The Where Accountants Go podcast. Mom Lied to Me! One of the most humorous parts of this interview comes in the very first few minutes. As is our tradition I started with asking about how Matt came to decide to pursue accounting as a career, and the direct quote from Matt was, “It came from a lie from my mother!” Obviously he said this in jest, but it made for a great start to the show. I don’t want to give away the punchline of course, so you’ll need to listen in to hear the full story. It’s definitely original! Regional / national firm experience Matt also shares how he started his career with the predecessor firm to Cohen Reznick, and built up his knowledge base and experience over a 15 year period with that firm. It’s experience that continues to benefit him today, and although he had left full-time employment with the firm, he continues to work with them on contract projects and has for years. Self-employment After many years with the national firm though, Matt decided it was time to look into other options and decided to take some time off to consider what may be a good next step. To his surprise, he ended up having several opportunities to continue to work on projects on a contract basis both with his previous firm and with new referral clients, so he decided to setup his own practice – Malcom Accounting Services. As you will hear in the interview, it’s a decision he’s been very happy with. While he admits to working weekends occasionally and I suspect a few other off-hours, he appreciates the schedule freedom that self-employment has afforded him. It works very well with his family life. I hope you enjoy this episode. As you will hear, Matt is a very straight-forward and transparent individual. He was a pleasure to interview. Have a great week! There’s more to come… Mark Goldman CPA President – Where Accountants Go <a href="http://www.WhereAccountantsGo.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.WhereAccountantsGo.com</a> If you found this episode beneficial and haven’t subscribed yet, please visit <a href="https://whereaccountantsgo.com/blog/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://whereaccountantsgo.com/blog/</a> and click on the orange “Subscribe” button in the upper right hand corner to be notified every time we post new content. Thank you!

030: Matt Malcom: Career Growth In Both a Large Firm & a Sole Proprietorship

Liz Mason

Liz Mason, CPA and founder of High Rock Accounting, joined us for this episode of Life In Accounting, the Where Accountants Go podcast.Family of AccountantsLiz comes from literally a family full of accountants.  She has several family members that chose accounting as a career; however, her career as an accountant started out much differently than you may think.  Liz is a self-described rebel, and tried a few of the other majors before settling on accounting.  As it turned out though, due to the early influences in her life, accounting was just something that came naturally for her.  She easily passed her classes and subsequently easily passed the CPA exam as well.Created an early ‘bot’We frequently talk about ‘bots’ in the accounting profession now, but 10 years ago taking a process that was manual and making it automated was a very cutting-edge endeavor.  In Liz’s early years with Grant Thornton while she was still an entry-level staff person, she created an automation that cut down a process that typically took close to a day down to only two hours.  She didn’t realize at the time how valuable it would be for the firm, but it ended up getting her a promotion to work at the national office for Grant Thornton.  She also realized how much interest she had in innovation in accounting, and completed a Masters in Information Management shortly thereafter.High Rock, plus, plus…Liz now runs High Rock Accounting, an accounting firm focused on serving clients better through the use of the latest technology.  I say “plus, plus” because she also has recently launched Rebel Rock, Tackle, and has yet another business set to launch in about a year.  She’s focused, as she says, on “…changing the face of accounting.”  She’s determined to make it a better place for young professionals to not only be able to grow their careers, but also to fit within the rest of their personal and family needs as well.Salsa…After you listen to the podcast, make sure you check out the “Hot Accounts” show on Youtube.  In this video series that Liz and her team put out, they interview interesting individuals with a story to tell, and eat progressively hotter salsa as the show goes on.  Don’t worry though if you don’t have too much time, the shows aren’t all that long.  You can only eat so much hot sauce in one sitting.  😊Liz was a great guest for the show, and I’m sure you will get tremendous value out of this episode.For other episodes that may interest you, check out:  Byron Patrick and Sarah ElliottTo listen in on our interview with Liz Mason of High Rock Accounting, please click on the player below:

Liz Mason, CPA and founder of High Rock Accounting, joined us for this episode of Life In Accounting, the Where Accountants Go podcast. Family of Accountants Liz comes from literally a family full of accountants.  She has several family members that chose accounting as a career; however, her career as an accountant started out much differently than you may think.  Liz is a self-described rebel, and tried a few of the other majors before settling on accounting.  As it turned out though, due to the early influences in her life, accounting was just something that came naturally for her.  She easily passed her classes and subsequently easily passed the CPA exam as well. Created an early ‘bot’ We frequently talk about ‘bots’ in the accounting profession now, but 10 years ago taking a process that was manual and making it automated was a very cutting-edge endeavor.  In Liz’s early years with Grant Thornton while she was still an entry-level staff person, she created an automation that cut down a process that typically took close to a day down to only two hours.  She didn’t realize at the time how valuable it would be for the firm, but it ended up getting her a promotion to work at the national office for Grant Thornton.  She also realized how much interest she had in innovation in accounting, and completed a Masters in Information Management shortly thereafter. High Rock, plus, plus… Liz now runs High Rock Accounting, an accounting firm focused on serving clients better through the use of the latest technology.  I say “plus, plus” because she also has recently launched Rebel Rock, Tackle, and has yet another business set to launch in about a year.  She’s focused, as she says, on “…changing the face of accounting.”  She’s determined to make it a better place for young professionals to not only be able to grow their careers, but also to fit within the rest of their personal and family needs as well. Salsa… After you listen to the podcast, make sure you check out the “Hot Accounts” show on Youtube.  In this video series that Liz and her team put out, they interview interesting individuals with a story to tell, and eat progressively hotter salsa as the show goes on.  Don’t worry though if you don’t have too much time, the shows aren’t all that long.  You can only eat so much hot sauce in one sitting.  😊 Liz was a great guest for the show, and I’m sure you will get tremendous value out of this episode. For other episodes that may interest you, check out:  Byron Patrick and Sarah Elliott To listen in on our interview with Liz Mason of High Rock Accounting, please click on the player below:

142:  Changing the Face of Accounting – Liz Mason of High Rock

Elena Levario

Elena Levario, a CPA with years of experience in the banking world, joined us for this episode of the Where Accountants Go podcast.We originally heard about Elena’s inspiring story while attending a state CPA event, but we didn’t know quite how inspirational it was until we had her join us for the program.Elena originally migrated to the United States from Mexico with her family at the age of 4.  She and her sister were the first in their family to graduate from high school, which was an accomplishment that was highly supported by their mother.Initially Elena actually wanted to be a nurse, and in fact has a degree in nursing.  However, she had to work while in college and during that time realized that she enjoyed business.  She remained at the bank where she worked while continuing her education for a second degree, this time in accounting.  That accounting degree ended up launching her into the career she has today, as an Assistant Controller with a well-respected bank in the Midland / Odessa area.If you have ever felt like you had a few life situations working against you, or that it was “too late” to pursue your dream, you need to listen to Elena’s story.  You will find inspiration in the tale of how Elena’s career has ended up unfolding.If you enjoy this episode, make sure you check out these others as well:  Amanda Aguillard and Shanikwa DavisTo listen in on this interview with Elena Levario, please use the player below:

Elena Levario, a CPA with years of experience in the banking world, joined us for this episode of the Where Accountants Go podcast. We originally heard about Elena’s inspiring story while attending a state CPA event, but we didn’t know quite how inspirational it was until we had her join us for the program. Elena originally migrated to the United States from Mexico with her family at the age of 4.  She and her sister were the first in their family to graduate from high school, which was an accomplishment that was highly supported by their mother. Initially Elena actually wanted to be a nurse, and in fact has a degree in nursing.  However, she had to work while in college and during that time realized that she enjoyed business.  She remained at the bank where she worked while continuing her education for a second degree, this time in accounting.  That accounting degree ended up launching her into the career she has today, as an Assistant Controller with a well-respected bank in the Midland / Odessa area. If you have ever felt like you had a few life situations working against you, or that it was “too late” to pursue your dream, you need to listen to Elena’s story.  You will find inspiration in the tale of how Elena’s career has ended up unfolding. If you enjoy this episode, make sure you check out these others as well:  Amanda Aguillard and Shanikwa Davis To listen in on this interview with Elena Levario, please use the player below:

169:  Elena Levario – A Story of Hard Work, Perseverance, & Great Mentors

Hector Hernandez

Welcome Hector Hernandez to Life In Accounting, the Where Accountants Go podcast.Hector was an excellent guest to interview. He shared career-related insight that has contributed to his own success in the many facets of his professional life, but also some general life philosophy that has served him well also over the years.Hector’s career started in industry – in fact in cost accounting – then took him into public accounting with Arthur Andersen. After that firm disbanded he faced a decision – what did he want to do with his career going forward?Join us for this episode of Life in Accounting where Hector shares his decision to go into financial planning and his career leading up to that, as well as a few words of wisdom about the power of ‘saying yes.’To reach Hector Hernandez directly, you may email hhernandez@moneyconcepts.com or call 210-325-0717.Stay tuned for another interview podcast shortly… there’s more to come!To listen to this interview, please use the player below or Youtube.

Welcome Hector Hernandez to Life In Accounting, the Where Accountants Go podcast. Hector was an excellent guest to interview. He shared career-related insight that has contributed to his own success in the many facets of his professional life, but also some general life philosophy that has served him well also over the years. Hector’s career started in industry – in fact in cost accounting – then took him into public accounting with Arthur Andersen. After that firm disbanded he faced a decision – what did he want to do with his career going forward? Join us for this episode of Life in Accounting where Hector shares his decision to go into financial planning and his career leading up to that, as well as a few words of wisdom about the power of ‘saying yes.’ To reach Hector Hernandez directly, you may email hhernandez@moneyconcepts.com or call 210-325-0717. Stay tuned for another interview podcast shortly… there’s more to come! To listen to this interview, please use the player below or Youtube.

003:  An interview with Hector Hernandez – From Accountant to Financial Advisor

Dennis Elam

Our guest for this episode was none other than Professor Dennis Elam of Texas A&amp;M’s San Antonio campus.Professor Elam is well-known amongst accounting professionals in San Antonio, and was hired to teach the first accounting courses that were taught at this particular A&amp;M campus.Dennis has a very interesting story that spans several facets of accounting, as many careers do, and is a big believer in certifications as well – a feeling we both share.I hope you get some insight into your own career and possibly future choices as you listen to this episode, and if you would like to know more about Professor Elam feel free to contact him at dennis.elam@att.net or visit his blog at: http://professorelam.typepad.comThank you for joining us for this episode of Life In Accounting, the Where Accountants Go podcast.Please check us out on Youtube, or you can listen to the podcast through the player below:

Our guest for this episode was none other than Professor Dennis Elam of Texas A&amp;M’s San Antonio campus. Professor Elam is well-known amongst accounting professionals in San Antonio, and was hired to teach the first accounting courses that were taught at this particular A&amp;M campus. Dennis has a very interesting story that spans several facets of accounting, as many careers do, and is a big believer in certifications as well – a feeling we both share. I hope you get some insight into your own career and possibly future choices as you listen to this episode, and if you would like to know more about Professor Elam feel free to contact him at dennis.elam@att.net or visit his blog at: <a href="http://professorelam.typepad.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://professorelam.typepad.com</a> Thank you for joining us for this episode of Life In Accounting, the Where Accountants Go podcast. Please check us out on Youtube, or you can listen to the podcast through the player below:

Episode 002:  Interview with Professor Dennis Elam of Texas A & M University San Antonio

Paula Gold-Williams, a CPA and the CEO for CPS Energy, joined us for this week’s episode of Life In Accounting: The Where Accountants Go podcast.From accountant to CEOFor those not in south Texas, in order for you to have some perspective on the interview CPS Energy is the electric utility that serves San Antonio and the surrounding area.  The annual budget for 2017 is in excess of $2½ billion.  So naturally, with a CPA being the CEO of such an important organization we had to request an interview.Paula started along a fairly traditional path.  She was influenced to try accounting by her bookkeeping teacher in high school – Mr. Ramirez.  From there she went through school and ended up starting in an audit position with Ernst &amp; Whinney, or EY as it is known today.  Over the years through her diligent effort and by following the philosophy that saying “yes” to opportunities even when there is some ambiguity involved, she has worked her way through the ranks to controller, then CFO, and now CEO at CPS Energy.Evaluate opportunities holisticallyPaula makes a few comments in the interview regarding moving laterally, or even taking an occasional step back career-wise.  I asked her about how she made those particular decisions, or how she knew it was the right thing to do so-to-speak.  She shares with us in the interview that she’s always felt that it’s important to evaluate job opportunities not just on the title, but more holistically in regards to what the job encompasses and what it may lead to.  I believe the exact quote was, “there are opportunities everywhere.”Don’t let your mistakes paralyze youMake sure you listen all the way to the end where Paula shares the advice of not letting mistakes paralyze you, as well as the details of one of her biggest mistakes.  She passes on to our listeners everything she learned by going through that unfortunate mistake.  It not only benefited her personally to learn that lesson from the long-term standpoint, but continues to benefit others such as ourselves through her transparency and willingness to share the story.I hope you enjoy this episode.  I was very honored that Paula made time for us to record it.Stay tuned for next week’s episode!  There’s more to come…Mark Goldman CPAPresident – Where Accountants Gowww.WhereAccountantsGo.comEnjoyed the episode but haven’t subscribed?  Click the orange ‘subscribe’ button – https://whereaccountantsgo.com/blog/ – to be notified first of new Life In Accounting content!

Paula Gold-Williams, a CPA and the CEO for CPS Energy, joined us for this week’s episode of Life In Accounting: The Where Accountants Go podcast. From accountant to CEO For those not in south Texas, in order for you to have some perspective on the interview CPS Energy is the electric utility that serves San Antonio and the surrounding area.  The annual budget for 2017 is in excess of $2½ billion.  So naturally, with a CPA being the CEO of such an important organization we had to request an interview. Paula started along a fairly traditional path.  She was influenced to try accounting by her bookkeeping teacher in high school – Mr. Ramirez.  From there she went through school and ended up starting in an audit position with Ernst &amp; Whinney, or EY as it is known today.  Over the years through her diligent effort and by following the philosophy that saying “yes” to opportunities even when there is some ambiguity involved, she has worked her way through the ranks to controller, then CFO, and now CEO at CPS Energy. Evaluate opportunities holistically Paula makes a few comments in the interview regarding moving laterally, or even taking an occasional step back career-wise.  I asked her about how she made those particular decisions, or how she knew it was the right thing to do so-to-speak.  She shares with us in the interview that she’s always felt that it’s important to evaluate job opportunities not just on the title, but more holistically in regards to what the job encompasses and what it may lead to.  I believe the exact quote was, “there are opportunities everywhere.” Don’t let your mistakes paralyze you Make sure you listen all the way to the end where Paula shares the advice of not letting mistakes paralyze you, as well as the details of one of her biggest mistakes.  She passes on to our listeners everything she learned by going through that unfortunate mistake.  It not only benefited her personally to learn that lesson from the long-term standpoint, but continues to benefit others such as ourselves through her transparency and willingness to share the story. I hope you enjoy this episode.  I was very honored that Paula made time for us to record it. Stay tuned for next week’s episode!  There’s more to come… Mark Goldman CPA President – Where Accountants Go <a href="http://www.WhereAccountantsGo.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.WhereAccountantsGo.com</a> Enjoyed the episode but haven’t subscribed?  Click the orange ‘subscribe’ button – <a href="https://whereaccountantsgo.com/blog/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://whereaccountantsgo.com/blog/</a> – to be notified first of new Life In Accounting content!

052: Paula Gold-Williams:  From Staff Accountant to CEO

Roger Philipp

Roger CPA Review

Roger Philipp CPA, the founder of Roger CPA Review, joined us for this week’s episode of Life In Accounting, a podcast production of WhereAccountantsGo.com.From CPA to InstructorJust as with all episodes, we start at the beginning of the story and actually the beginning of Roger’s career sounds very similar to that of a CPA firm owner! Roger started out as an entrepreneur in 4th grade selling candy to his fellow students, and from there realized that he thoroughly enjoyed business.  And with accounting being the language of business, it just made sense to take that direction in college.However, after a few years in accounting he decided that it was time to do something different. It was at that point that he decided to take his previous college professor up on the offer to become a CPA review instructor, and a new career was born.From the Ashes Rises a LeaderAfter many years of being an instructor in his former professor’s CPA review businesses, the review course industry had become much more competitive and unfortunately his employer was not able to continue to make payroll. It was at this point that Roger had a choice to make… continue doing what he loved or go find something new.  Depending on how you look at it, he really did both!  He decided to take what he knew from his many years of instructing experience and form Roger CPA Review in 2001.  With the moral support of his former employer, he was able to scrape together the materials and found that there was definitely still a good market in his area.  Jump forward many years later now, and Roger has what many describe as one of the most entertaining CPA review courses around, thereby making it much easier to remember the materials for those looking for critical assistance with passing the exam.Interested in Roger’s thoughts on best practices, or maybe more details on his own story of success? Make sure to listen in on this interview using the player below:

Roger Philipp CPA, the founder of Roger CPA Review, joined us for this week’s episode of Life In Accounting, a podcast production of <a href="http://WhereAccountantsGo.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">WhereAccountantsGo.com</a>. From CPA to Instructor Just as with all episodes, we start at the beginning of the story and actually the beginning of Roger’s career sounds very similar to that of a CPA firm owner! Roger started out as an entrepreneur in 4th grade selling candy to his fellow students, and from there realized that he thoroughly enjoyed business.  And with accounting being the language of business, it just made sense to take that direction in college. However, after a few years in accounting he decided that it was time to do something different. It was at that point that he decided to take his previous college professor up on the offer to become a CPA review instructor, and a new career was born. From the Ashes Rises a Leader After many years of being an instructor in his former professor’s CPA review businesses, the review course industry had become much more competitive and unfortunately his employer was not able to continue to make payroll. It was at this point that Roger had a choice to make… continue doing what he loved or go find something new.  Depending on how you look at it, he really did both!  He decided to take what he knew from his many years of instructing experience and form Roger CPA Review in 2001.  With the moral support of his former employer, he was able to scrape together the materials and found that there was definitely still a good market in his area.  Jump forward many years later now, and Roger has what many describe as one of the most entertaining CPA review courses around, thereby making it much easier to remember the materials for those looking for critical assistance with passing the exam. Interested in Roger’s thoughts on best practices, or maybe more details on his own story of success? Make sure to listen in on this interview using the player below:

096:  Roger Philipp CPA – Yes, Roger from Roger CPA Review!

A panel of recently certified CPAs joined us this week for a special episode of Life In Accounting: The Where Accountants Go podcast to explore a variety of popular CPA examination review courses.Thinking of pursuing the CPA exam? You definitely will want to listen to the insights that our panel shares on several of the popular review programs available in the market.Meet the PanelBryan Morgan, CPA with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Austin will be sharing his thoughts on the Becker CPA Review.  (Note: Make sure to check out Mark’s first interview with Bryan here: Where Accountants Go podcast archives.)Josefina Castillo, CPA will share her thoughts on the Wiley CPA review course.Michelle Herring, CPA, will share her thoughts on the Rogers CPA Review.Claude Nchanji, CPA, with USAA in San Antonio will share his thoughts on the GLEIM CPA Accounting Review program.PreparationAs an added bonus, all of the panelists share their strategies on how best to prepare for the exam as well. Some of the items discussed are the proper amount of time to prepare, registration strategy, and even how to fit the preparation time into an already-busy schedule.  We won’t tell you it is easy – but our guests go into great depth on how they were able to achieve passing the exam.There is also a short discussion of which part was the most difficult.  You’ll have to listen to the audio for the final answers – but suffice it to say it was NOT unanimous!Certifications in generalCertification can make a big difference in your career trajectory. If you are looking into possibly pursuing the CPA exam, or any accounting certification exam for that matter, please visit our Groups &amp; Certifications page on the WhereAccountantsGo.com site as well for links to all the accounting related certifications available in today’s market.We hope you have a great week!  There’s more to come…

A panel of recently certified CPAs joined us this week for a special episode of Life In Accounting: The Where Accountants Go podcast to explore a variety of popular CPA examination review courses. Thinking of pursuing the CPA exam? You definitely will want to listen to the insights that our panel shares on several of the popular review programs available in the market. Meet the Panel Bryan Morgan, CPA with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Austin will be sharing his thoughts on the Becker CPA Review.  (Note: Make sure to check out Mark’s first interview with Bryan here: Where Accountants Go podcast archives.) Josefina Castillo, CPA will share her thoughts on the Wiley CPA review course. Michelle Herring, CPA, will share her thoughts on the Rogers CPA Review. Claude Nchanji, CPA, with USAA in San Antonio will share his thoughts on the GLEIM CPA Accounting Review program. Preparation As an added bonus, all of the panelists share their strategies on how best to prepare for the exam as well. Some of the items discussed are the proper amount of time to prepare, registration strategy, and even how to fit the preparation time into an already-busy schedule.  We won’t tell you it is easy – but our guests go into great depth on how they were able to achieve passing the exam. There is also a short discussion of which part was the most difficult.  You’ll have to listen to the audio for the final answers – but suffice it to say it was NOT unanimous! Certifications in general Certification can make a big difference in your career trajectory. If you are looking into possibly pursuing the CPA exam, or any accounting certification exam for that matter, please visit our Groups &amp; Certifications page on the <a href="http://WhereAccountantsGo.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">WhereAccountantsGo.com</a> site as well for links to all the accounting related certifications available in today’s market. We hope you have a great week!  There’s more to come…

060 – Insights on CPA Review Courses from our Panel of CPAs

Kelly Noe

Kelly Noe, a PhD CPA &amp; CGMA that is currently serving as the Interim Director for the School of Accountancy at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas, joined us this week for Life In Accounting: The Where Accountants Go podcast.“I’ve been a lucky person”In this episode, Kelly recounts the story of how she decided to become an accountant in the first place – a process that started with the influence of her grandmother. At 11 years old, she was paid $5/hour to help in her grandmother’s firm with basic bookkeeping related tasks. And 5 years later when she got a job working as a cashier in a grocery store, she realized that she was going to be making less than she did at the age of 11… so maybe accounting was a good career to consider! It was at that point that her direction was set.Why don’t you come teach?After working several years in the profession, including in a CFO position for a hospice, she made the choice to stay home and raise her family. She decided after a while though that perhaps a part-time position was in order so she applied at Stephen F. Austin University for a role in their accounting department. While speaking with the individual on the phone however, they convinced her to apply for a different position that was also open – the position of part-time faculty for the accounting program. She so much enjoyed teaching that she took some time off to obtain her doctorate degree in accounting and then returned to the university for a tenured position later on.Much more to the story…There’s much more to all the details of Kelly’s journey than we can possibly cover in this written post, so please make sure to listen to the audio version for all the nuances. Kelly also goes into her involvement with the East Texas Chapter of TSCPA, several insights for accounting majors and potential accounting majors, and even a very interesting mistake she made in one of her first jobs. She’s very open in the interview.Another item Kelly highlights towards the end is her involvement with the Humane Society, a cause very near-and-dear to her heart. In fact, the local office is having a golf tournament coming up on June 16th if you would like to participate in order to support the organization. Details are at: http://www.angelinacountyhumanesociety.org/dog-days-of-summer-golf.htmlI know you will enjoy this interview. It was a pleasure to record.Have a great week!Mark Goldman CPAPresident – Where Accountants Gowww.WhereAccountantsGo.comIf you found this episode beneficial and haven’t subscribed yet, please visit https://whereaccountantsgo.com/blog/ and click on the orange “Subscribe” button in the upper right hand corner to be notified every time we post new content. Thank you!

Kelly Noe, a PhD CPA &amp; CGMA that is currently serving as the Interim Director for the School of Accountancy at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas, joined us this week for Life In Accounting: The Where Accountants Go podcast. “I’ve been a lucky person” In this episode, Kelly recounts the story of how she decided to become an accountant in the first place – a process that started with the influence of her grandmother. At 11 years old, she was paid $5/hour to help in her grandmother’s firm with basic bookkeeping related tasks. And 5 years later when she got a job working as a cashier in a grocery store, she realized that she was going to be making less than she did at the age of 11… so maybe accounting was a good career to consider! It was at that point that her direction was set. Why don’t you come teach? After working several years in the profession, including in a CFO position for a hospice, she made the choice to stay home and raise her family. She decided after a while though that perhaps a part-time position was in order so she applied at Stephen F. Austin University for a role in their accounting department. While speaking with the individual on the phone however, they convinced her to apply for a different position that was also open – the position of part-time faculty for the accounting program. She so much enjoyed teaching that she took some time off to obtain her doctorate degree in accounting and then returned to the university for a tenured position later on. Much more to the story… There’s much more to all the details of Kelly’s journey than we can possibly cover in this written post, so please make sure to listen to the audio version for all the nuances. Kelly also goes into her involvement with the East Texas Chapter of TSCPA, several insights for accounting majors and potential accounting majors, and even a very interesting mistake she made in one of her first jobs. She’s very open in the interview. Another item Kelly highlights towards the end is her involvement with the Humane Society, a cause very near-and-dear to her heart. In fact, the local office is having a golf tournament coming up on June 16th if you would like to participate in order to support the organization. Details are at: <a href="http://www.angelinacountyhumanesociety.org/dog-days-of-summer-golf.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.angelinacountyhumanesociety.org/dog-days-of-summer-golf.html</a> I know you will enjoy this interview. It was a pleasure to record. Have a great week! Mark Goldman CPA President – Where Accountants Go <a href="http://www.WhereAccountantsGo.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.WhereAccountantsGo.com</a> If you found this episode beneficial and haven’t subscribed yet, please visit <a href="https://whereaccountantsgo.com/blog/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://whereaccountantsgo.com/blog/</a> and click on the orange “Subscribe” button in the upper right hand corner to be notified every time we post new content. Thank you!

034:  Kelly Noe, PhD CPA CGMA – Don’t Second Guess It, Just Go For It

Marcus Dillon

Marcus Dillon of Dillon CPAs in Katy, Texas, was our guest for this week’s episode of Life In Accounting, a podcast production of Where Accountants Go.Building a FirmFor the record… the implication in the title of this podcast is 100% solely something I wrote – not a quote from Marcus. I suspect Marcus would feel like that statement is a little egotistical, which is why it’s not something you would hear him say.   As you will be able to tell from the audio interview, Marcus is a very humble individual.  However, you will also notice from the audio interview that he and his team believe in growing a firm that meets the needs of the specific clients they wish to serve as well as the internal employees.  It’s not a firm that values growth simply for the sake if growing.  Purpose is much more important to Marcus than growth.Analysis To Find The Right FirmAnother aspect of this interview that you may find interesting is that although Marcus looked for a firm to acquire by signing up for broker newsletters and other announcements, ultimately he ended up going through his own analysis to locate potential merger targets. And it was successful!  He ended up starting his practice by locating the perfect merger partner and working out an arrangement that worked well for both of them.  Sometimes you simply have to take charge of the process yourself to get the best results.PeaceThe last thing I wanted to highlight about this episode is simply the peaceful, calm attitude that Marcus had during the recording. I mentioned this to him after the interview (offline), but I wanted to note it here as well.  I was extremely impressed about how well they have managed the growth of their firm, and how they have directed that growth.  They’ve done it in such a way as not to let it overwhelm them.  I’m sure they have some very busy times just like all firms, but they don’t seem to be overly stressed by the growth of their firm.  They truly seem to have a sense of peace, which is very refreshing.Other episodes you may enjoy: 030 with Matt Malcom, or 092 with JAG CPAsTo listen in on the audio interview with Marcus Dillon, please click on the player below:

Marcus Dillon of Dillon CPAs in Katy, Texas, was our guest for this week’s episode of Life In Accounting, a podcast production of Where Accountants Go. Building a Firm For the record… the implication in the title of this podcast is 100% solely something I wrote – not a quote from Marcus. I suspect Marcus would feel like that statement is a little egotistical, which is why it’s not something you would hear him say.   As you will be able to tell from the audio interview, Marcus is a very humble individual.  However, you will also notice from the audio interview that he and his team believe in growing a firm that meets the needs of the specific clients they wish to serve as well as the internal employees.  It’s not a firm that values growth simply for the sake if growing.  Purpose is much more important to Marcus than growth. Analysis To Find The Right Firm Another aspect of this interview that you may find interesting is that although Marcus looked for a firm to acquire by signing up for broker newsletters and other announcements, ultimately he ended up going through his own analysis to locate potential merger targets. And it was successful!  He ended up starting his practice by locating the perfect merger partner and working out an arrangement that worked well for both of them.  Sometimes you simply have to take charge of the process yourself to get the best results. Peace The last thing I wanted to highlight about this episode is simply the peaceful, calm attitude that Marcus had during the recording. I mentioned this to him after the interview (offline), but I wanted to note it here as well.  I was extremely impressed about how well they have managed the growth of their firm, and how they have directed that growth.  They’ve done it in such a way as not to let it overwhelm them.  I’m sure they have some very busy times just like all firms, but they don’t seem to be overly stressed by the growth of their firm.  They truly seem to have a sense of peace, which is very refreshing. Other episodes you may enjoy: 030 with Matt Malcom, or 092 with JAG CPAs To listen in on the audio interview with Marcus Dillon, please click on the player below:

105: Building a CPA Firm The Right Way – A Discussion with Marcus Dillon CPA

Steve Dawson

If forensic accounting is an area that interests you, make sure you listen to this episode in its entirety! Steve Dawson, a CPA in the Lubbock area, shares his 30+ years of experience in the forensic accounting area with us on this episode of Life In Accounting, a podcast production of Where Accountants Go.Finding Your PassionThe theme of finding your passion comes up numerous times in this episode. Steve initially happened on accounting as a possible career almost by accident.  He started out as a Math major, but realized that wasn’t for him so he changed to a General Business major for a while.  As Steve puts in, he was in the “introductory to introductory accounting” class when he realized that accounting was the right direction to go.  Therefore he quickly changed his major to accounting and the rest is history.Also, as he continued to work in the audit field with Bolinger, Segars, Gilbert &amp; Moss, he realized that it was the forensic accounting area that he most enjoyed. In fact, it was the realization that he wanted to do forensics full-time that eventually led him to take the plunge and start his own firm (Dawson Forensic Group), even though he had attained the position of partner at BSGM by that point.Certified Concealed Carry…One of the areas of discussion that surprised me the most was the danger that can be involved in this type of work. I knew we would be discussing criminal activity, but I thought it would be primarily following a paper trail and involve testifying in court.  As it turns out, Steve’s firm is frequently contracted by law enforcement organizations at all levels, and the perpetrators they are investigating aren’t always the mild-mannered bookkeeper.  Steve’s firm does work that lands them in precarious situations sometimes, leading to the need for the concealed carry certification.  This definitely isn’t your typical accounting job!If forensic accounting is something you’ve considered for your own career, make sure you listen to this interview with Steve Dawson, a true forensic accounting expert.To listen in on this interview, please click on the player below:

If forensic accounting is an area that interests you, make sure you listen to this episode in its entirety! Steve Dawson, a CPA in the Lubbock area, shares his 30+ years of experience in the forensic accounting area with us on this episode of Life In Accounting, a podcast production of Where Accountants Go. Finding Your Passion The theme of finding your passion comes up numerous times in this episode. Steve initially happened on accounting as a possible career almost by accident.  He started out as a Math major, but realized that wasn’t for him so he changed to a General Business major for a while.  As Steve puts in, he was in the “introductory to introductory accounting” class when he realized that accounting was the right direction to go.  Therefore he quickly changed his major to accounting and the rest is history. Also, as he continued to work in the audit field with Bolinger, Segars, Gilbert &amp; Moss, he realized that it was the forensic accounting area that he most enjoyed. In fact, it was the realization that he wanted to do forensics full-time that eventually led him to take the plunge and start his own firm (Dawson Forensic Group), even though he had attained the position of partner at BSGM by that point. Certified Concealed Carry… One of the areas of discussion that surprised me the most was the danger that can be involved in this type of work. I knew we would be discussing criminal activity, but I thought it would be primarily following a paper trail and involve testifying in court.  As it turns out, Steve’s firm is frequently contracted by law enforcement organizations at all levels, and the perpetrators they are investigating aren’t always the mild-mannered bookkeeper.  Steve’s firm does work that lands them in precarious situations sometimes, leading to the need for the concealed carry certification.  This definitely isn’t your typical accounting job! If forensic accounting is something you’ve considered for your own career, make sure you listen to this interview with Steve Dawson, a true forensic accounting expert. To listen in on this interview, please click on the player below:

101:  Forensic Accounting Expert – Steve Dawson

Joseph Rugger

Remote

Joseph Rugger, a CPA that has been able to structure his work life to be 100% remote, joined us for this episode of Life In Accounting, a podcast production of Where Accountants Go.Getting StartedWe start this interview in the same manner as most, with the story of Joseph’s early career.  Joseph started in public accounting, but only stayed for a few years.  As he states, the issue was “99% me, 1% public accounting.”  It just wasn’t the right fit for him.  He was fortunate though in that a friend’s family business needed an accountant, and through that connection he was able to make the move into industry.Predictable, Baby StepsAfter a few years with the prosthetics business, he decided to approach them about venturing into other interests while still ensuring his job got done.  It started with teaching a couple days at the local university, but then later moved into working remotely a couple days a week.  One of the keys to making the situation work for Joseph was that he outlined how he envisioned getting the job done with this employer, and did so in baby steps.  He did not attempt to go 100% remote all in one move.  It was a long and careful transition to get where he is today.Doing Payroll From The Grand CanyonAs you’ll hear in the story, Joseph basically does the same typical accounting tasks that we all would normally do from the office, but he does them from his laptop in remote parts of the world.  This may mean while on a mission trip, or from the bottom floor of the Grand Canyon.  Sometimes (usually) it takes some flexibility and advanced planning to get the internet connection he needs, but that is just part of the advanced preparation.  Other than that, the work is pretty similar to any other accounting role.  One interesting fact that Joseph points out though is that it’s not 100% vacation like many people think it is.  When you are remote, you basically have to be plugged in all the time, so while you have location freedom, it’s that much more important for you to be accessible.  It’s something to think about if you decide to travel the world – that vital conference call could literally be in the middle of the night depending on your time zone.  Even such freedom has a few small trade-offs.This was a wonderful interview with Joseph, and I appreciate that he made the time for it.  When you are 100% remote, practically everything is done through advanced scheduling, so for him to make the time for this interview truly was a gift to our listeners.Other episodes you may enjoy:  Matt Malcolm, and John Garrett.To listen in on this interview, please click the player below:

Joseph Rugger, a CPA that has been able to structure his work life to be 100% remote, joined us for this episode of Life In Accounting, a podcast production of Where Accountants Go. Getting Started We start this interview in the same manner as most, with the story of Joseph’s early career.  Joseph started in public accounting, but only stayed for a few years.  As he states, the issue was “99% me, 1% public accounting.”  It just wasn’t the right fit for him.  He was fortunate though in that a friend’s family business needed an accountant, and through that connection he was able to make the move into industry. Predictable, Baby Steps After a few years with the prosthetics business, he decided to approach them about venturing into other interests while still ensuring his job got done.  It started with teaching a couple days at the local university, but then later moved into working remotely a couple days a week.  One of the keys to making the situation work for Joseph was that he outlined how he envisioned getting the job done with this employer, and did so in baby steps.  He did not attempt to go 100% remote all in one move.  It was a long and careful transition to get where he is today. Doing Payroll From The Grand Canyon As you’ll hear in the story, Joseph basically does the same typical accounting tasks that we all would normally do from the office, but he does them from his laptop in remote parts of the world.  This may mean while on a mission trip, or from the bottom floor of the Grand Canyon.  Sometimes (usually) it takes some flexibility and advanced planning to get the internet connection he needs, but that is just part of the advanced preparation.  Other than that, the work is pretty similar to any other accounting role.  One interesting fact that Joseph points out though is that it’s not 100% vacation like many people think it is.  When you are remote, you basically have to be plugged in all the time, so while you have location freedom, it’s that much more important for you to be accessible.  It’s something to think about if you decide to travel the world – that vital conference call could literally be in the middle of the night depending on your time zone.  Even such freedom has a few small trade-offs. This was a wonderful interview with Joseph, and I appreciate that he made the time for it.  When you are 100% remote, practically everything is done through advanced scheduling, so for him to make the time for this interview truly was a gift to our listeners. Other episodes you may enjoy:  Matt Malcolm, and John Garrett. To listen in on this interview, please click the player below:

127:  Structuring the Totally Remote Career – Joseph Rugger CPA

Lisa Trefger

Lisa Trefger, CPA and recently the Director of Business Analytics for Nustar, joined us for this week’s episode of Life In Accounting: The Where Accountants Go podcast.“Where all the fun happens”I invited Lisa on the show for several reasons, one of which was to discuss the field of business analytics in the accounting profession. I think the quote above from Lisa says it all… business analytics is a certainly a technical field, but also a very interesting field in that the numbers tell you a story of what the true drivers are for an organization. It’s a field that Lisa really enjoys and feels blessed to work in.QualificationsAlthough we discuss many aspects of Lisa’s career on the podcast naturally, I definitely wanted to get into how one may be able to prepare to move into analytics for those that may want to direct their career that way. According to Lisa there are obviously many good paths that can get you there, but a role where you get to see the ‘big picture’ such as in public accounting is very beneficial, as well as becoming a power-user of Excel. Given that the roles are focused on data analysis, getting an MBA can also go a long way to prepare an individual from an educational standpoint.Community InvolvementI knew going into the interview that Lisa donated some of her time to helping the nonprofit community, but I had no idea how involved she was. She credits Nustar with giving her that flexibility to be able to spend time in the community, but obviously she has been proactive about getting involved. Some of the organizations she mentions are 	Dress for Success &amp; Career Gear – https://sanantonio.dressforsuccess.org/ 	Women’s Energy Network – https://www.womensenergynetwork.org/ 	100 Women Who CareShe also makes a book recommendation towards the end – “The Go Giver” by Bob Burg.I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did when recording it. Lisa really was a pleasure to interview.Have a great week! There’s more to come…Mark Goldman CPAPresident – Where Accountants Gowww.WhereAccountantsGo.comEnjoyed the episode but haven’t subscribed? Click the orange ‘subscribe’ button – https://whereaccountantsgo.com/blog/ – to be notified first of new Life In Accounting content!

Lisa Trefger, CPA and recently the Director of Business Analytics for Nustar, joined us for this week’s episode of Life In Accounting: The Where Accountants Go podcast. “Where all the fun happens” I invited Lisa on the show for several reasons, one of which was to discuss the field of business analytics in the accounting profession. I think the quote above from Lisa says it all… business analytics is a certainly a technical field, but also a very interesting field in that the numbers tell you a story of what the true drivers are for an organization. It’s a field that Lisa really enjoys and feels blessed to work in. Qualifications Although we discuss many aspects of Lisa’s career on the podcast naturally, I definitely wanted to get into how one may be able to prepare to move into analytics for those that may want to direct their career that way. According to Lisa there are obviously many good paths that can get you there, but a role where you get to see the ‘big picture’ such as in public accounting is very beneficial, as well as becoming a power-user of Excel. Given that the roles are focused on data analysis, getting an MBA can also go a long way to prepare an individual from an educational standpoint. Community Involvement I knew going into the interview that Lisa donated some of her time to helping the nonprofit community, but I had no idea how involved she was. She credits Nustar with giving her that flexibility to be able to spend time in the community, but obviously she has been proactive about getting involved. Some of the organizations she mentions are 	Dress for Success &amp; Career Gear – <a href="https://sanantonio.dressforsuccess.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://sanantonio.dressforsuccess.org/</a> 	Women’s Energy Network – <a href="https://www.womensenergynetwork.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.womensenergynetwork.org/</a> 	100 Women Who Care She also makes a book recommendation towards the end – “The Go Giver” by Bob Burg. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did when recording it. Lisa really was a pleasure to interview. Have a great week! There’s more to come… Mark Goldman CPA President – Where Accountants Go <a href="http://www.WhereAccountantsGo.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.WhereAccountantsGo.com</a> Enjoyed the episode but haven’t subscribed? Click the orange ‘subscribe’ button – <a href="https://whereaccountantsgo.com/blog/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://whereaccountantsgo.com/blog/</a> – to be notified first of new Life In Accounting content!

047: Lisa Trefger, CPA – Analytics: Where All The Fun Happens!

Believe it or not, recession creates opportunity.In this CareerTalk mini-episode, we briefly discuss the fact that recessions really can create opportunity, even in the employment market.We all know that while some industries have difficult times, others see even more business during crisis periods.  (Boy, what I would do to have an extra toilet paper factory ready to go!)However, we don't often think about it from the standpoint of the longer-term affects on retirement plans.  In this mini-show, I propose that while this recession (possibly short-term) may delay some retirements, it also is likely to make those individuals that were on the fence about retiring become even more resolute to actually retire, albeit perhaps slightly later.  And that's another item I discuss... I don't think it will be much later than they may have originally planned.So what does this mean to you as an upwardly-mobile accounting professional?  It means that those promotion opportunities are likely to be even more solidified as a little time moves forward.Please listen in on my line of thought by using the player below.And as always, please reach out if we can help with your own career!

Believe it or not, recession creates opportunity. In this CareerTalk mini-episode, we briefly discuss the fact that recessions really can create opportunity, even in the employment market. We all know that while some industries have difficult times, others see even more business during crisis periods.  (Boy, what I would do to have an extra toilet paper factory ready to go!) However, we don't often think about it from the standpoint of the longer-term affects on retirement plans.  In this mini-show, I propose that while this recession (possibly short-term) may delay some retirements, it also is likely to make those individuals that were on the fence about retiring become even more resolute to actually retire, albeit perhaps slightly later.  And that's another item I discuss... I don't think it will be much later than they may have originally planned. So what does this mean to you as an upwardly-mobile accounting professional?  It means that those promotion opportunities are likely to be even more solidified as a little time moves forward. Please listen in on my line of thought by using the player below. And as always, please reach out if we can help with your own career!

171.1:  CareerTalk – Recession Creates Opportunity

Dena Jansen

In this episode of Life In Accounting: The Where Accountants Go podcast,  we speak with Dena Jansen, CPA who candidly shares from her heart what she has learned as she has grown throughout her career from her first internship with Arthur Anderson to beginning her own business, which allows her to follow her dream of encouraging and inspiring others, igniting their curiosity, and arming them with confidence.Things Worth Looking ForDena started her career while still in college – she’s always worked. She graduated college and began working with a local firm who she connected with by way of one of her professors, Dr. Robert Freeman, with whom she worked as a graduate assistant. She enjoyed the government accounting and it was flexible enough to allow her to study for the CPA exam. When they left Lubbock, Dena joined Deloitte and she continued to grow. An interesting thing that she learned was that she really loves and enjoys people. She also learned that you need to find a niche early in your career, along with the importance of finding out who the other experts are. Dena will tell you that she was very fortunate to be surrounded by accomplished and supportive women who demonstrated positive ways to balance work and home life.The Partner LifeDena left Deloitte and joined Maxwell, Locke, &amp; Ritter (MLR) because she was ready for something new and different. She began serving not-for-profit clients quickly after joining the firm. She agreed to become a partner after three years and loved every minute of it. She did some soul searching before accepting the role. She talked to people and she asked many questions. She felt safe and supported by the other partners in the group and so she felt it was the right move.At MLR they believe that you should do what you are best at, so one partner’s day may look completely different from another partner’s day. Accounting is built on trust so we need to have the technical competencies established, but we must always honor that it truly is a people business. We should spend time building people and managing relationships with our teams, our clients, and new prospects.Networking for IntrovertsBuild your network one by one. Go in with a goal and meet one person. Make one quality connection at a time, and your network will grow.To connect with Dena, visit www.DenaJansen.comTo listen in on this interview with Dena Jansen, please use the player below:

In this episode of Life In Accounting: The Where Accountants Go podcast, we speak with Dena Jansen, CPA who candidly shares from her heart what she has learned as she has grown throughout her career from her first internship with Arthur Anderson to beginning her own business, which allows her to follow her dream of encouraging and inspiring others, igniting their curiosity, and arming them with confidence. Things Worth Looking For Dena started her career while still in college – she’s always worked. She graduated college and began working with a local firm who she connected with by way of one of her professors, Dr. Robert Freeman, with whom she worked as a graduate assistant. She enjoyed the government accounting and it was flexible enough to allow her to study for the CPA exam. When they left Lubbock, Dena joined Deloitte and she continued to grow. An interesting thing that she learned was that she really loves and enjoys people. She also learned that you need to find a niche early in your career, along with the importance of finding out who the other experts are. Dena will tell you that she was very fortunate to be surrounded by accomplished and supportive women who demonstrated positive ways to balance work and home life. The Partner Life Dena left Deloitte and joined Maxwell, Locke, &amp; Ritter (MLR) because she was ready for something new and different. She began serving not-for-profit clients quickly after joining the firm. She agreed to become a partner after three years and loved every minute of it. She did some soul searching before accepting the role. She talked to people and she asked many questions. She felt safe and supported by the other partners in the group and so she felt it was the right move. At MLR they believe that you should do what you are best at, so one partner’s day may look completely different from another partner’s day. Accounting is built on trust so we need to have the technical competencies established, but we must always honor that it truly is a people business. We should spend time building people and managing relationships with our teams, our clients, and new prospects. Networking for Introverts Build your network one by one. Go in with a goal and meet one person. Make one quality connection at a time, and your network will grow. To connect with Dena, visit <a href="http://www.DenaJansen.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.DenaJansen.com</a> To listen in on this interview with Dena Jansen, please use the player below:

075: Dena Jansen – It’s All About People

Fred Olivares

In this episode of Life In Accounting: The Where Accountants Go podcast,  Fred Olivares, CPA started his career in a rather traditional way. He began his career in Internal Auditing, and in Fred’s case, he was employed by a bank. After hearing an FBI Agent speak though, Fred began some career-based soul searching. Was there more to his career than auditing?? Maybe….Special Agent – Special RequirementsFred decided to apply with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the FBI. That sounded exciting and he met all the eligibility qualifications. 	College degree from an accredited university 	United States citizen 	Three years of work experience 	No history of drug use 	Be able to obtain Top Secret Clearance – this clearance is extensive. Your neighbors, friends, and family will all be interviewed.Once you meet those, you must: 	Pass the written examination 	Pass the panel interviewThe total process can take up to approximately one year.FBI Work – TV WorthyBecause Fred was a CPA, he was assigned to the white-collar squad. The FBI has several different squads, and CPAs may work on many different investigations. For example, the bombings that took place in Austin in early 2018 – all agents worked on that case.Fred started in bank fraud with the FBI. This taught him how cases flow through the system. It also taught him how to interview people. He then worked on high-profile and other public corruption cases in San Diego. In McAllen, he worked border corruption and health care fraud. In San Antonio, he worked public corruption cases as well.For Fred, the challenges were new every morning and it allowed him to develop many friendships.Want to hear about some of Fred’s true crime cases? Please listen in on this week’s audio interview with Fred Olivares.To listen in on this interview with Fred Olivares, please use the player below:

In this episode of Life In Accounting: The Where Accountants Go podcast,  Fred Olivares, CPA started his career in a rather traditional way. He began his career in Internal Auditing, and in Fred’s case, he was employed by a bank. After hearing an FBI Agent speak though, Fred began some career-based soul searching. Was there more to his career than auditing?? Maybe…. Special Agent – Special Requirements Fred decided to apply with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the FBI. That sounded exciting and he met all the eligibility qualifications. 	College degree from an accredited university 	United States citizen 	Three years of work experience 	No history of drug use 	Be able to obtain Top Secret Clearance – this clearance is extensive. Your neighbors, friends, and family will all be interviewed. Once you meet those, you must: 	Pass the written examination 	Pass the panel interview The total process can take up to approximately one year. FBI Work – TV Worthy Because Fred was a CPA, he was assigned to the white-collar squad. The FBI has several different squads, and CPAs may work on many different investigations. For example, the bombings that took place in Austin in early 2018 – all agents worked on that case. Fred started in bank fraud with the FBI. This taught him how cases flow through the system. It also taught him how to interview people. He then worked on high-profile and other public corruption cases in San Diego. In McAllen, he worked border corruption and health care fraud. In San Antonio, he worked public corruption cases as well. For Fred, the challenges were new every morning and it allowed him to develop many friendships. Want to hear about some of Fred’s true crime cases? Please listen in on this week’s audio interview with Fred Olivares. To listen in on this interview with Fred Olivares, please use the player below:

082: Solving Crimes and Other CPA Superhero Topics with Fred Olivares, CPA

Brian Kush and Amber Setter of Intend2Lead joined us to discuss strategies for passing the CPA exam on this episode of Life In Accounting, the Where Accountants Go podcast.It’s more than just the basic goal…While goal setting is an important part of any passing strategy, our experts Brian and Amber discuss with us the right way to set a goal specific to passing the exam.  Many exam takers will set deadlines and timelines for studying, but it’s important to recognize that every individual’s situation is unique.  What works for one examinee won’t necessarily work for another.  When setting your own personal goals, you need to do more than simply follow a prescribed amount of study time.  You need to take into account what is effective for you personally, and your specific strengths and weaknesses with regards to topics.VisualizationAnother topic that we get into deeply is the strategy of visualizing what success will look like once you pass.  For many of us, we may have visualized seeing the passing results, but it’s important to go deeper with your visualization.  How will you celebrate passing?   Whom will you tell first?  What will the next day be like for you at work?   Who do you think will be the most happy that you passed?  The more specific you can be in your visualizations of success, the more driven and refreshed you will be as you move towards the goal.Self-careEveryone knows what they need to “give up” or “sacrifice” in order to pass.  We know that there will be trade-offs with respect to how we spend our time.  However, while it’s important to say “no” to many things in order to have the time to prepare, it’s also vital to say “yes” to critical activities as well.  Those activities that are not study related but are still just as critical are those activities that help you feel good about the process and keep you invigorated for the journey.  For some people that may be some family time, or for others it could be physical activity such as going to the gym.  Whatever that item is for you that keeps your thoughts clear and allows you to regain focus, that is just as necessary as following a study regiment.  Yes, you will need to sacrifice some social activities, but don’t cut out so much that your actual study time isn’t effective.I think you will get a tremendous amount of value out of this discussion with Amber and Brian.  They were very generous to spend this much time with us, and I know that it will help many that are pursuing passing the CPA exam.Other episodes you may enjoy include:  Amber Setter and Brian Kush.For the publication mentioned in this episode, click hereTo find the article by Brian Kush that is mentioned in this episode on the Intend2Lead website, click here

Brian Kush and Amber Setter of Intend2Lead joined us to discuss strategies for passing the CPA exam on this episode of Life In Accounting, the Where Accountants Go podcast. It’s more than just the basic goal… While goal setting is an important part of any passing strategy, our experts Brian and Amber discuss with us the right way to set a goal specific to passing the exam.  Many exam takers will set deadlines and timelines for studying, but it’s important to recognize that every individual’s situation is unique.  What works for one examinee won’t necessarily work for another.  When setting your own personal goals, you need to do more than simply follow a prescribed amount of study time.  You need to take into account what is effective for you personally, and your specific strengths and weaknesses with regards to topics. Visualization Another topic that we get into deeply is the strategy of visualizing what success will look like once you pass.  For many of us, we may have visualized seeing the passing results, but it’s important to go deeper with your visualization.  How will you celebrate passing?   Whom will you tell first?  What will the next day be like for you at work?   Who do you think will be the most happy that you passed?  The more specific you can be in your visualizations of success, the more driven and refreshed you will be as you move towards the goal. Self-care Everyone knows what they need to “give up” or “sacrifice” in order to pass.  We know that there will be trade-offs with respect to how we spend our time.  However, while it’s important to say “no” to many things in order to have the time to prepare, it’s also vital to say “yes” to critical activities as well.  Those activities that are not study related but are still just as critical are those activities that help you feel good about the process and keep you invigorated for the journey.  For some people that may be some family time, or for others it could be physical activity such as going to the gym.  Whatever that item is for you that keeps your thoughts clear and allows you to regain focus, that is just as necessary as following a study regiment.  Yes, you will need to sacrifice some social activities, but don’t cut out so much that your actual study time isn’t effective. I think you will get a tremendous amount of value out of this discussion with Amber and Brian.  They were very generous to spend this much time with us, and I know that it will help many that are pursuing passing the CPA exam. Other episodes you may enjoy include:  Amber Setter and Brian Kush. For the publication mentioned in this episode, click here To find the article by Brian Kush that is mentioned in this episode on the Intend2Lead website, click here

150:  Strategies for Passing the CPA Exam – A Discussion With The Experts At Intend2Lead

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