You’re tuned in to Career Convos with Nikki: real, unfiltered conversations about what it takes to build a career you actually want in corporate America. If you’re an accountant, analyst, finance manager, controller, or just trying to figure out what’s next in your career… you’re in the right place.

We talk about navigating layoffs, dealing with microaggressions, managing up, and advocating for yourself in rooms where no one looks like you. Grab your coffee, an old fashioned, or some lemon mint water and let's get into this conversation.

Let's keep this conversation going in the #CareerConvos™️Community where we meet at the roundtable and go deeper into these conversations. You can also access the learning library for coaching sessions and tutorials for career guidance, templates you can copy and use, and learn how to negotiate like a boss. Choose the transferable skills learning track or the technical accounting skills track in the #CareerConvos™️Community.

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In this episode of Career Convos™ with Nikki, I’m taking it back to the beginning of my CPA exam journey. I share what life looked like right after graduating from Thee Ohio State University with my accounting degree, when the CPA exam had just gone from paper to computerized and the profession was changing fast after Enron and Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX).

I talk about why I started my career in industry instead of public accounting and what those first few years taught me about the real world of accounting. I moved around a lot early in my career, but each job taught me something different: from manufacturing cost accounting to joint ventures, intercompany reconciliations, and managing financial close processes. Within a few years, I went from financial analyst to accounting manager, leading a team and learning the technical and nontechnical lessons that shape how I coach accountants today.

I also share what it looked like to balance all of that with becoming a mom, starting The Winston Accounting Group (now The Winston CPA Group) before I had my CPA license, and figuring out how to grow a business while still working full time. And then there’s the moment that changed everything - a conversation with a fellow board member who challenged every excuse I had for not taking the CPA exam. That conversation lit the fire that pushed me to finally start.

In this episode, you’ll hear about the early years that set the foundation for everything I’ve built since. It’s the start of my CPA exam story, told the way it organically happened.

Let’s keep the conversation going at nikkwinstoncpa.com/career
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If this episode reflects what you’re living through at work, book time on my calendar for career coaching.
We’ll talk through the realities of your role, what’s shifting around you, and how to position yourself for what’s next.