Backstage Pass: EDGE Experience

Often times, in-person conferences are the best time to get updates on industry news and to learn new things. The EDGE Experience, the premier career development event for young CPAs, focuses on building young professionals not only technically, but with soft skills as well.

Yesterday, Stacie Saunders, Senior Manager of Social Business at the AICPA, sat down with three CPAs to talk about how they began a professional strategy on social media. Saunders began the conversation by saying “most of us started on social media for personal reasons, but as you start to use it you can see how the benefits can cross over into a professional space.” So, how does one begin to use social media professionally?

As a special treat for AICPA Insights readers, we listened in and pulled tips and tricks for some of the most common questions surrounding social media.

Do You Remember a Mentor’s Best Advice?

Have you ever approached a crossroads in your career and weren’t sure which path to take next? Or maybe you were struggling—with no luck—to gain more confidence and visibility in your job. If you were fortunate enough to have a mentor at these critical junctures, there’s a good chance you gained valuable insights into the best solutions and smartest next steps. In fact, 75% of executives in a poll by the Association for Talent Development said that a mentor had been critical in helping them ascend to their current position.

Mentoring includes imparting wisdom that the mentor has gained through a lifetime of business and personal experience. We reached out to members on LinkedIn and asked them to share some of the best advice they’d received from mentors throughout their careers. Here’s what they had to say:

5 Steps to Transform Leadership Theory into Practice

Most of us have read numerous books on leadership development theory, because they are excellent resources that offer valuable insights. However, you need to do more than just read and understand these books for them to have any real value. You need to be personally inspired and motivated to get the most out of such personal success literature. Basically, you have to walk the walk. Embody the teachings found in these books and demonstrate positive leadership behavior every single day. The question is: how?

As everyone knows, old habits die hard. Changing behavior is frustratingly challenging, even if the habits you are trying to adopt are positive. That’s why it’s extremely useful to have a roadmap. Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”

Here are five steps that can guide you in successfully adopting positive leadership behaviors to transform yourself into an authentic leader.

One Man’s Journey From Poverty and Neglect to CPA and Inspirational Speaker

A conversation with Frank Thomas, keynote speaker at the 2016 AICPA Accounting Scholars Leadership Workshop

On May 18–20, about 100 minority accounting students will assemble in Durham, N.C., for the AICPA Accounting Scholars Leadership Workshop. The annual event draws accounting, finance and tax majors from across the country for an immersion into leadership development, CPA Exam preparation and the infinite benefits of earning the CPA credential.

Frank Thomas, a renowned inspirational speaker, author of RISE: Even Death Can’t Stop Me and previously a practicing CPA, is this year’s keynote speaker. Insights recently spoke with Thomas about his journey to becoming a CPA, overcoming profound childhood obstacles and observations on the future leaders of the profession.

Insights: What memories stand out to you on your path to becoming a CPA?

Thomas: Becoming a CPA is not the easiest thing in the world. Take the CPA Exam for instance, it’s one of the most rigorous exams in the world. It’s a difficult exam to prepare for, and it’s a difficult career path. I just remember how incredibly challenging it was.

I say that as someone who grew up in a home environment that was not ideal. My brother and I were raised by a single mother who gave her best but faced demons of her own. Drugs, alcohol, you name it. We were forced to raise ourselves. So I always knew it was up to me to face challenges and that I had to work twice as hard to make something of myself.

Becoming a CPA was the road I took.

The One Career Move That Changed My Life

Q&A With David Oransky, CPA/PFS

Pilot … sailor … entrepreneur … CPA financial planner. David Oransky, CPA/PFS, is open for an adventure in both his personal and professional life. Embodying the ‘can-do’ spirit and desire for ownership that defines the millennial generation, David left public accounting to begin a career in financial planning and now serves as principal and founder of Laminar Wealth. In order to help other young CPAs understand the career possibilities in financial planning I sat down with David to learn how one career-defining move changed his life.

 

Sarah Bradley: What is the one career move that changed your life?

David Oransky: It would have to be when I made the decision to leave my job and join a wealth management firm. I felt I was doing well in my role there, but realized my natural curiosity was in personal, not corporate, finance. When I gave my notice, partners and colleagues expressed concern about my decision. Looking back, I’m glad I listened to my heart. Today, I get out of bed every morning excited that I get to not only do work I find interesting, but also get to make a direct and positive impact on the lives of my clients.