Up first, we asked two accountants what skills they learned from their families and how they apply them to their accounting career to allow them to continue their families’ legacy.
What are skills that your family taught you and how do you apply them to your accounting career that allows you to continue your family’s legacy?
👩🏾Name:
Sydney L.
💼 Title:
Plante Moran International Tax Staff ( What does this mean? They help organizations and companies manage their global tax affairs, while ensuring business goals are reached.)
📍Location:
Detroit, Michigan
I came from a family that struggled growing up. My mom always made sure I had what I needed, but it wasn’t always easy for us. Seeing my mom and other family members lead with such independence and grit instilled within me the skill of perseverance, that I apply to my accounting career. One prime example of this is my CPA journey. Less than 5% of CPAs are black, and Black women make up an even smaller percentage. Reading about these statistics in college made me anxious and made me question if public accounting was for me.
I have failed two of my CPA exams and it caused me to consider giving up, but then I see what adversities my mom and family faced, and it gives me strength to persevere. This is a goal that I’ve set for myself, and I’ve developed the grit to continue. I want to continue my family’s legacy of fighting and pushing to accomplish dreams no matter how hard or out of reach they seem to be. It’s a rewarding feeling knowing that your hard work and determination will pay off, and hopefully sharing my story will inspire the next generation to continue breaking stigmas and setting new records. That is the reminder I continue to tell myself every day as I surround myself with people who share those same beliefs!
🧔🏾Name:
Andom B., CPA
💼 Title:
PwC Trust Solutions Senior Manager ( What does this mean? They help maintain assurance and transparency across different accounting subspecialities.)
📍Location:
New York, New York
Having strong morals and acting with integrity are two very important values that my family instilled in me. These qualities have gone a long way in establishing trust and building strong relationships with clients and colleagues, who need to know that you’ve got their back and will be able to advocate for their best interest. Having this foundation has given me all the tools to work hard and create a career with no limitations, which is the legacy that I want to share with the next generation.
Family heirlooms that survive generations aren’t just jewelry and handwoven blankets, they are the skills, character traits, and philosophies that we carry into everything we do. We hope you see that the skills that matter the most in accounting aren’t doing math calculations on the fly or creating spreadsheets by the snap of their fingers, but things like dedication and strength. You have everything you need to pave the future you want and build a legacy that you can be proud of. Now you just have to activate it. And we'll help you do just that…
