1. What are the most challenging and rewarding aspects of your job?
Being out of public accounting, I find it more difficult to keep up on changes in accounting standards. The information is out there, but finding the time to read it is challenging. I have to balance my responsibilities as controller with taking a few minutes each day to read up on current trends.
It’s a different dynamic than public accounting, where obtaining CPE was such a large part of the job that the firm would set aside time for you to complete it. Along those lines, I find it more difficult to attend networking events. There is plenty of day-to-day work to be done, but I have to remind myself that it’s also important to step away and network with others.
The most rewarding part of my job is being able to expand my responsibilities outside the scope of accounting and into office administration and human resources. The HR side of my job is both challenging and rewarding. We are a small office with a wide range of personalities, ages, etc. This makes for a dynamic culture, but it also presents certain challenges in ensuring we have a cohesive and efficient work environment for everyone. I truly feel your company and work are only as good as the people you have working for you and with you, so I work hard to find a balance between the needs of the company and the needs of our people.
2. Who do you look up to or admire in business?
It’s so hard to name just one person here. I’ve had many different experiences in my career, and I think each of them has connected me with someone who has taught me something that I’m able to utilize in my current role. One person who stands out as influencing me early on in my career at Grant Thornton would be Bill Schultz. Bill was a partner with the firm, and I got to know him well while working with him on one of our larger audit clients. I always admired the way he balanced the needs of the client with the needs of his audit team.
Public accounting can be a stressful, complicated job at times, and working for someone like Bill, who went out of his way to show his appreciation to his team, was always refreshing. And it sure made the job a bit easier. Working for someone like Bill always made me want to go above and beyond what was expected, as I knew he’d recognize and acknowledge the hard work. I’d like to think that I take that same approach to the people I work with and supervise today.
3. What has been the high point of your career so far?
One of the most life-changing moments of both my personal and professional life was the time I spent working in Australia. Beginning in the summer of 2008, I began a four-month secondment in Perth to assist its Grant Thornton-affiliated office during the Australian busy season. Taking that opportunity was something that pushed me outside of my comfort zone.
I had to apply and interview for the position, and only a few of us from the States were able to go. I was one of four secondees in the Perth office from all over the U.S. After the project was completed, I was able to do some traveling along the country’s east coast and visit Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney. My time in Australia not only taught me about international business and accounting, it also opened my eyes to a new culture — one that not very many Americans have the opportunity to experience firsthand.
I consider myself very lucky to have had the support of my family and co-workers at the Madison Grant Thornton office to allow me that experience. I have gained friendships that I cannot imagine not having — friendships that I wouldn’t have had had I not been able to go.
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4. Thinking back on your career, what advice would you give your 21-year-old self?
In the beginning of my college and professional career, I was a bit timid and shy — more concerned about what others might think of me than I was about experiencing the things I wanted to and being who I wanted to be. Looking back, I’d tell myself not to worry so much — stop wasting my energy on all that worry and self-doubt and use it to get involved as much as possible, to take in new experiences and meet new people.
I’ve never been sorry for pushing myself outside my comfort zone. Each time I’ve done something that seemed a bit intimidating at the time, I’ve been so fulfilled and happy I did it. Now if I could only go back to high school, being the more confident person I am today!
5. Do you have any guilty pleasures?
I’m ashamed (and proud?) to admit that I am a reality TV junkie. I just can’t get enough of The Bachelor, The Voice, House Hunters … I could go on and on! Luckily for me, there never seems to be a shortage of these types of shows on television. And luckily for my husband, we have more than one television in the house! There is nothing better than relaxing on a Sunday afternoon with a cup of coffee and the DIY network, dreaming of all of the things I could do to our home if I had an endless amount of money and time.
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