Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Balancing the Future Ep. 27 - Empowering Communities Through Accounting and Leadership with Shakor J. Jukes
150 Plays12 hours ago
Shakor J. Jukes, honored as an “Outstanding 40 Under 40” CPA, joins host Chris Mitchell to demonstrate how accounting goes far beyond spreadsheets. He recounts growing up in Newark’s inner-city, discovering accounting in high school, and pushing through repeated CPA-exam setbacks. Now a champion of financial literacy, Jukes details the essentials that turn paychecks into generational wealth. Join us for his important message of how mastering the language of money and giving it back to your community can make the CPA designation a tool for lasting social change.
Earn CPE by listening to this podcast through a Becker Prime CPE subscription.
Listen to this episode through your Becker LMS platform to complete practice questions, pass the final exam, and earn CPE credit.
Already a Becker Prime CPE customer? Login here.
Have access to Becker CPE through your employer? Earn CPE credit for this podcast however you consume Becker CPE, either through your company’s LMS or via the Becker platform. Not sure where to log in? Check with your CPE admin.
Learn more about CPE Podcasts from Becker: https://www.becker.com/cpe/becker-podcasts
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to Podcast and Guest
00:00:09
Speaker
My name is Chris Mitchell and welcome to another episode of Balancing the Future. I'm excited today to be talking to Shakur Jukes. Shakur, we're going to talk about lot of good stuff. Because I know that you're CPA and I mean, I have and in the back of my mind, always think about our profession and kind of where we're headed.
Shakur's Background and Influences
00:00:28
Speaker
um But before we get to going into depth about CPA and what that means to you, tell the audience something about yourself. It doesn't have to be. I don't know. I can go through your whole background, but what do you like? What do you enjoy? And you know what do you want them to know about you?
00:00:43
Speaker
Yeah, appreciate it Chris, and looking forward to our conversation today. ah My name is Shakur Jukes, as you mentioned. And besides being an accountant and a CPA, um i think the things that make me who I am is kind of where I grew up from. I would say I'm from Newark, New Jersey.
00:00:59
Speaker
I'm born and raised and still live in a local area. And I feel like that's the foundation of who I am, just the understanding the inner city and upbringing, overcoming obstacles that that that truly defines like the foundationally of who I am. But outside of that, like, you know, ah i I'm a big sports guy, um love playing sports, basketball, football. Those are like some of my interests outside of work. And so it continues, you know, at this age to continue to get out there and play with everyone. so sports is big. um
00:01:32
Speaker
I just love just working with numbers, giving back to people is um something as well, too. That's just a really ah key aspect of who I am. Traveling, love to travel. it's Just recently, I'm traveling to Dubai and um Sierra Leone, so West Africa. And so always going back to those places give you, um especially like West Africa, just give you a different appreciation of life and seeing different things. And so the culture and so um a lot of my friends are from African descent. And so.
00:02:04
Speaker
It's always good to be exposed to their culture. i grew up in the U.S. and my family's mainly from the U.S. s And so um just gave me a different perspective life. But those things really kind of set up the foundation, I feel like, of who I am and what the things that interest me. And obviously family as well, too, is big for me. Don't have any kids, not married yet.
00:02:24
Speaker
um But ah my immediate family, my siblings, my mom, um those are really the pride and joy. And I love just engaging with them on a day-to-day basis. So thank you. Awesome. Awesome.
00:02:35
Speaker
You want to think about the title of CPA and why people want to be a
Journey into Accounting
00:02:39
Speaker
CPA. And I think about the gravity of where it's going and the shortage in the profession. But you chose to be a CPA.
00:02:46
Speaker
Why did you do it? I'll tell you what what I did when i and I'll back up a little bit when I was going through school and I was trying to figure out. ah What made sense for me professionally. And I knew for a fact I didn't want to work outside because my dad worked outside quite a bit in construction. And I'm like, OK, what jobs inside?
00:03:05
Speaker
And I had someone present to me in the fifth grade and they were an accountant. And I said, you know what, I think I'm going to down that path. And that's really how it happened. And I just kind of stuck with it. And then voila, I never became a CPA. But, you know, I've got an undergrad account and a master's in IT and all kinds of other stuff. But that was my choice. And it was very, didn't make sense to lot of folks nowadays, but it made sense to me.
00:03:27
Speaker
So why did you pick the profession? ah I like to say that the profession chose me. Similar to you in that nature um is that, you know, going to school, um I started my accounting journey in high school.
00:03:40
Speaker
um So I went to Voltech kind of trade school. And so my elective was accounting. I always knew I liked numbers, um money. engaging in that different manner, but I never knew the opportunities that it can unlock for me in my future.
00:03:53
Speaker
um So yeah, I started accounting in high school, took it all the way through college. And was just one of those that I started learning it, stuck to it. And I just, I'm a person when I start something, I got to see it through. And so there's obviously opportunities that come along the way where you're like, maybe do I want to do finance? um Do I want to do economics? All these other majors. But I think Accounting was really that foundational building block for me. And there's opportunities within my career where I can expand to those areas as well, too.
00:04:24
Speaker
um But ah yeah, I like to say accounting chose me even just starting um in different roles um like ah my first career. opportunity full-time professionally was at a small audit shop in New Jersey. And so they did strictly audit governmental.
00:04:42
Speaker
And so it wasn't like I got a chance to do tax or I got a chance to do any other, um, disciplines within accounting is really audit. Then from there, I just can continue to matriculate within that. But I had some great mentors along the way, too, that really kind of pushed me to get involved in organizations within accounting as well, too.
Professional Achievements and Recognition
00:05:03
Speaker
Because to to be honest, I went to college. um i I was a walk-on and a track team. And so full-time I was always doing athletic things and so I didn't really have the chance to go get internships and things like that. I really didn't have the time um and capacity to take on that stuff and so I really didn't start interning to afterwards. I really never knew what a career in accounting looks like. No one in my family is accountant.
00:05:29
Speaker
um I really, other than like I said, a mentor that pushed me to say, hey get involved with these programs, um and um organizations to learn more. ah really never knew what I would be doing in accounting. I just knew, hey, accounting, I had a group of friends. We all kind of took accounting courses together. And then over time, i started to see it kind of just all come together.
00:05:51
Speaker
um so yeah, would say accounting chose me. I didn't really choose accounting. In middle school, if I look at my yearbook, um What I said I wanted to be was the president. um And Barack Obama took my dream first black president. But we we appreciate that. um But I don't think that was that wasn't my destiny. um I would say, like I said, so I'm fortunate for the accounting professions as a lot, a lot of um opportunities for me in my career. And so I'm always appreciative and I'm glad it chose me.
00:06:22
Speaker
You know, when I think about the profession and the opportunities that exist, we think we need to start with a large firm. OK, we think we need the exposure to the Fortune 100s and so forth and so on in order to be successful in the profession.
00:06:34
Speaker
It's not true. You just need to start. And that's what I learned for for myself. But I started with a bank financial institution and I just kind of morphed from there. But it's good to hear your story.
00:06:45
Speaker
Yeah. Go ahead. and And no, I was going to say you're exactly right. Like I started at some small, like I said, a small firm in New Jersey. um Even from there, I went into more of the private side, um worked at a small retail company in New York City. And so those smaller places, you really develop those true core skills. But I'll say, you know,
00:07:07
Speaker
Even from a college perspective, I went to a small university, Fairleigh Dickinson University, um and it's a small private college in New Jersey. And I appreciate that kind of more tight knit community um before kind of launching myself into some of these bigger organizations. I feel like it just set me up and prepared me a lot more with the skill sets as well, too. And so um I always tell people, you know, you just got to get your foot in the door. And from there, um it your you control your own destiny.
00:07:35
Speaker
It's a profession with a lot of opportunities, I feel like. But nowadays, like you said, kind of with that shortage. And I would say a lot of students don't know the opportunities that do exist and the possibilities that they can have with their career. It's not the sexiest profession that you see on TV and things like that. Don't tell people, it is.
00:07:55
Speaker
It's sexy on the back end. Trust me, you get a exposure to a lot of good things and get to, you know, see companies from a different perspective. And so um I always appreciate it that way. But yeah, like you said, just getting the opportunity is the start piece. um And obviously for um minorities, it's all, you know, sometimes a challenge. But I think it's always um once you get your foot in is is from there is your own destiny and your own path and your own journey.
00:08:23
Speaker
You know, when I think and congratulations on being named 40 under 40 outstanding CPAs. What does mean to you to be recognized that way? ah For me, it's just an acknowledgement that, you know, what I'm doing within a profession, I'm on the right path. um And all all the opportunities where i've been able to give back and serve the profession in different aspects and not just I don't look at accounting just as like my job. I look at it as something I truly enjoy on a day to day basis, something that truly embodies of who I am.
00:08:54
Speaker
um And so for me, that that recognition just highlights that, you know, I'm on the right path. um People start to see the value that I bring not only to companies, but the value that i bring to the overall profession.
00:09:07
Speaker
um And being that looked at as that future leader, um it gives me it gives me hope that people like me can also be recognized um and people to come after me. I'm setting that foundation. i Keep Sam Foundation alive. I think for me, that's truly important.
00:09:21
Speaker
um But the recognition, it's always ah exciting to have that. And I'm not a person that always kind of just, you know, ah celebrate, but it's opportunity to just, you know, focus on, hey, I'm on the right path. I'm doing right things. People are recognizing the work that I do.
00:09:39
Speaker
um And it's just as the first step into many more recognition to come, would say. You know, i've seen your bio and it's impressive. And the reason I say it's impressive is because of your give back to the community.
00:09:51
Speaker
How important is that?
Community Engagement and Financial Literacy
00:09:53
Speaker
That we give back, that we be invested in the community. Yeah, um it's very important. And I'll say especially for the economic times that we're in right now and just also just the social things that are going on. There's a lot of when I think about information spreading, there's a lot of ah negative information, a lot of information that people don't really understand the power of it um and how to leverage information. And so for me right now, giving back to the community to, you know,
00:10:26
Speaker
So looking at what we want the future of this world, the society that we live in, those are those people that come after us and those people who are in the community and on the ground floor, really doing the hard work and a labor um and going through the different struggles is important to them to give them hope. um and and And that's for me, um just to give them some level of guidance, um some level of exposure and opportunity, um because, you know, the companies that we work at, um they are rooted by the communities where those companies located. And so um the opportunity to demonstrate to the community that, you know, we value their input.
00:11:08
Speaker
um But there there is um there is a way that we can continue to engage them and that they're visible, that they're empowered and want to be impacted. And so I would say for me, just community is all we got, whether it's community um and a workforce, um you want to be able to relate to people.
00:11:33
Speaker
um And um I think for me, um community also builds me. and And when we started this conversation, right, one of the things you mentioned like who I am. And I said, you know, from Newark, New Jersey, right? That's my community.
00:11:46
Speaker
That's who built the foundation of who I am, built those core values of who I am. And for me, ah feel like I owe some type of um acknowledgement and give back to that community to be able to uplift as we climb into these different areas and bring people along that journey with me. Right.
00:12:06
Speaker
I didn't get here by myself. um Obviously, I have a great family as well, too. But like I said, there's other people along my journey that has touched me. And I feel like that community ah really holds a true um value to me as well.
00:12:19
Speaker
You know, I've seen you bought your bio and you are focused on financial literacy. What does that mean to you? When I say, because I think that's incredibly important and I have my own reasons for believing that.
00:12:33
Speaker
But what is your reason for focusing on that? Yeah. so my reason is it really comes down to even my own personal upbringing. um just and I've been fortunate to go through my career and learn accounting, study these disciplines within finance.
00:12:49
Speaker
But what I understand is that not everybody's gone to not everybody is interested in accounting. Some people are going go into media, psychology, nursing, engineering. um But at the root of it, we all need to know the basic principles of financial literacy. We all got bills to pay. We all...
00:13:05
Speaker
um you know, strive to save money and attain different assets along the way. And for me, growing up, you never really talked about finance within a household. and and And that for me is why I look to get back. And from a financial literacy standpoint, one, I want to educate people with the learnings that I've learned along my career, because like I said, I know everyone is not going to take that journey um into some of these disciplines.
00:13:31
Speaker
But two, um I want to better the conversation and and make it take the negative connotation away from discussing finance within the workplace, within your family. i think there are core principles within financial literacy that all people should be aware of and be able to apply in their day to day learnings.
00:13:50
Speaker
um And so when kind of tying back to the family aspect, um my mom growing up worked multiple jobs. I'm i'm one of four siblings. I'm the oldest. um And growing up in a single family or single parent household, um you just never understood, you know, what it takes to get those Christmas gifts. Right. Or, you know, um the hours that's being put in the labor that your parents are putting in. you know, as a kid, you just want one new things. You go to the store, hey, want this. And you never understood, you know, what it takes to get put that food on a table. Right. And so for me, um it's just an opportunity where i want ah want people to understand the importance of financial literacy, the mistakes you know that you you might make along the way um throughout your career. But there's opportunity to reverse and engineer those things. But
00:14:42
Speaker
Setting that foundation with and part of what the work I'm trying to do within communities is set the foundation within kids, build those healthy practices early on um so they understand how it impacts them later. They might not understand, you know, a fifth fight ah fifth grader might not understand what a credit card is or mortgage or things like that.
00:15:03
Speaker
But at some point, they're going to need to understand how it operates, right, or how to save your money if you work in summer jobs and things like that. Right. And so um those basic principles go along with you throughout the rest of your life. And I think establishing those healthy practices in the early so phases um makes kids more interested and understanding education.
00:15:26
Speaker
you know, the importance and understanding your family, but also investing. Right. We're we're in a time where people are becoming entrepreneurs, um want to try new things and but they need to understand how to manage their funds or, you know, where the money is coming from, where the money is going to.
00:15:42
Speaker
And so just understanding the at the foundation, you know, why finance is important and being financial literate, um I think is something that I want to establish in children, but in a very more engaging manner.
00:15:59
Speaker
Accounting, like we said, is might not be sexy, but it's sexy benefits to it. But there also the learning aspect of it is transferable throughout your life. And I think, like I said, having that core of core skill sets of knowledge um will help someone long term. And then hopefully my goal is if I get the students excited about it, the children, um they'll bring it back to the household and then it increases that dialogue within the family.
00:16:27
Speaker
um And then with the family, there's a level of trust. I remember um me, but the first time i invested in my, my, I was fortunate in my aunt gave me a couple hundred bucks and I was like, I'm going to invest this money in Apple.
00:16:41
Speaker
Um, and then it helped our relationship and conversation as well too. Cause then she'll ask me, oh, like, you know, what is Apple at now? You know, how much, uh, gain has it. And then over time it just continued to build. Right. And so it gets me excited to see money grow.
00:16:56
Speaker
Um, and you know, starts from a little investment and just starts from just a, uh, someone, you know, your parent taking a risk and, you know, not all parents, like I said, coming from the inner city, you don't have money to just be giving away and wasting. um Every dollar is important, but there is a level of trust um and due to the knowledge I obtained over time. And so that one level of trust has, you know, grown into something bigger. And that's why I see like financial literacy as like, hey, we can establish this core practice within the children. They'll take it back to the family.
00:17:29
Speaker
They'll increase the morale around financing and it makes for a better level of transparency. You know, when I think about financial literacy and I think about the programs that exist and you help me understand what that ideal program and I say ideal, it could be different given the the audience that you're in front of But when I think about a program, I think about five steps, five things I need to know in order to be successful with money.
00:17:55
Speaker
I'm going to to put one out there and I think it's a budget. People understand how important a budget is. You can't do anything but if you don't understand where the money
Generational Wealth and Mentorship
00:18:03
Speaker
is going. Exactly. But add to that, what do you think are some of the other steps that important that we need to know?
00:18:10
Speaker
Yeah. So budgeting, um understanding the risk, um what the money that you're taking, you know, what ah what a good financial risk um to take on um return on investment as well to just understanding ah You know, if I put my money into this, you know, what's the opportunity for the girl understanding the risk of, hey, is this um something that, you know, can fail um in a fast manner? am I and but am I making smart decisions? And I think that's the one thing i want people to be able to take away from learning different disciplines within financial literacy literacy is how.
00:18:48
Speaker
how can I make good, smart decisions? um And it might not be, the ah you know, it might not turn into value today, but how can it turn to value next year or, you know, a month from now?
00:19:01
Speaker
And so those those things are um what I see as important, just, you know, return on investment, budgeting, as you mentioned, is always a key practice, understanding um the right type of investments, the right type of accounts, um understanding, um just just understanding at the core, what is financial literacy? What it does it mean to you as well, too? Just understanding what what you're looking to do, what are your goals and how can you match your goals up against your budgeting? um
00:19:34
Speaker
Like you said, money in, money out. how How does that tie to what you're trying to achieve ah within your personal life? You know, one thing that was presented to me, and I know we haven't talked about this, but going to put that this out there.
00:19:47
Speaker
We talk about generational wealth. And a lot of people don't understand what generational wealth really means. And that's the goal that we have when I think about how we invest and how we manage our monies.
00:19:58
Speaker
It's not what I'm doing for today for me. It's for my family, you know, 20 years out, 30 years out. And there is a formula for that. So when I say generational wealth, what does that mean to you?
00:20:10
Speaker
Yeah, generational wealth means to me you know, as I kind of tie back is, you know, what are those decisions I can make today that will increase the value for my family in the future? Mm-hmm.
00:20:23
Speaker
ah I'm not selfishly looking at not being selfish is also an aspect of that generational wealth. um I see as well, too, is understanding that the decisions you make today not only ah impacts you, but it impacts your family. If you have children, if you have ah significant others, or if you don't, you might potentially in the future want, you know, i want those opportunities.
00:20:45
Speaker
um those family members. And so therefore, how do you make the right decisions today that will set you up for success in the long term? um But also how, you know, you know, when is our time? How can we hand something off to our family and start them off from a ah Not the negative, the positive. absolutely um I think that's where that generation general general generational wealth come into play is that you want to start your family off um on a right foot um on a gas going forward, not going in reverse. Right. And so. A lot of times, especially as a minority, um we're we're already 10 steps behind. Right. And so what can I do to just get my family to the starting point? Right. Or beyond that, actually beyond that starting point. Right. How can I set them up to say, hey,
00:21:35
Speaker
We're beyond a starting point now. Slow and steady kind of wins the race. We're not, you know, looking to rush and become millionaires and, you know, instantly. But how can we continue to build this that someone else that come after you has a starting point and they're not starting from behind their peers?
00:21:53
Speaker
You know, you had mentioned, you know, mentor, coach, because I think a mentor or coach, however want to look, sponsors are incredibly important throughout your career.
00:22:05
Speaker
How do what do you when I say that, what does that mean to you? What's important about having a mentor that's really helped you? And I know you probably have someone that you turn to today that inspires you, that helps you through those difficult times.
00:22:18
Speaker
So when I say that, what does that mean to you? ah Guidance and someone that can look at you objectively and give you the real feedback, that be real transparent, honest with you. And I think that's the important piece of having that mentor is someone that understands what you're dealing with.
00:22:37
Speaker
and can be transparent with you, ah you know call you out on your wrongs and uplift you when you're right as well too. And I think having that level of guidance of someone that's independent of you know your family, your friends, but someone who is invested in you as a person and seeing you develop. And and that's where that kind of sponsorship comes into play within the workplaces. You know, those people that are behind, you know, in the rooms where you're not there, but uplifting your name, speaking about you and being that advocate for you as well, too. And so they're, you know, direct directional guidance. um
00:23:16
Speaker
personally, but also someone who can advocate on your behalf when you're not in the rooms and get you those opportunities to get you to that next phase in your career. And for me, um i have had those along the way. And my mentors ah look different depending on um where I am in my career. um Early in my career, I just needed that guidance of, you know, how do I just get started?
00:23:39
Speaker
And then as I get into the workplace, you have, you know, internal mentors that can give you the ropes of the companies that you work for. But you always still need that, you know, external people. And I think one of the terms that people talk about a lot or having is that board of directors, right? And so there's different people in your life for different reasons, um but they're all there to collectively help you get to that next phase and along your journey. And so me having a mentor, um,
00:24:07
Speaker
I don't really have a specific situation. i Like I said, I had a really good mentor that helped me just break into the accounting profession. I'm a person who don't really need much hands-on from a mentorship standpoint, but someone that can say, hey, you need to just do this. Actually, actually that mentor paid for my membership. And and that's something that a couple hundred bucks has built this professional that you're seeing today on camera and so are and having this conversation. Right.
00:24:38
Speaker
And so that small investment from that person who just met me, um you know, within a few years of my academic career, my academic journey in college.
00:24:48
Speaker
And they said, hey, I see a future in this person, that person. took their own personal money and say, hey, get this membership. And from there, I always continue to value that. And the return on that investment has of tying back to that financial literacy piece um is absorbent a significant amount at this point. And so I'm always grateful for that. And today within my profession, um within my career, I still have those ah people I can speak with and just bounce off ideas, information, just give me that level of understanding of, you know, I on the right track? um
00:25:23
Speaker
You know, what are those things that should, you know, kind of looking around the corner for you? What are those things I should be aware to come? And so they're just that sounding board for me to continue to just develop into the person who I want to be.
00:25:37
Speaker
You know, earlier we we talked about trajectory and your career and kind of where you are small firm, larger firm, different industries. And we talked a little bit about being an entrepreneur.
00:25:48
Speaker
Where are you now? Are you right on that path being entrepreneur? And what do you think about
Entrepreneurial Ventures and Personal Advice
00:25:53
Speaker
that? Because people think about entrepreneurship and think it's easy. Mm-hmm. I personally believe that you need to work somewhere before you start working and doing your own thing. Yeah.
00:26:03
Speaker
Because you need to learn a lot of different things. You just run a business, which is completely different. But where are you on that path? Yeah, for me personally, i've have a couple um initiatives that I'm working on. So obviously we've been talking about the nonprofit um type work that I'm engaged with. And um that that is something that just birthed from personal experience and working on that project is kind of the idea. just a feel good piece of it and just my opportunity to give back.
00:26:31
Speaker
um And then outside of that, um I would say i've started to work on my own smaller firm. And for me, it's all about giving back. um Just throughout my career, I've engaged with different friends, family, colleagues,
00:26:45
Speaker
um that's just not interested or don't have much knowledge about finance or accounting, taxes, bookkeeping, all that. um And for me, ah it really ties back to the educational piece.
00:26:57
Speaker
um I want to be able to be there um to help them understand the numbers, right? And I understand not everybody is going to be good with numbers or interested in it, but I want to be able to At least give them that foundational knowledge, especially professionals.
00:27:12
Speaker
You'll be surprised how much people don't know today. And that kind of ties into that financial literacy piece of of why I'm trying to start at an early age to build it up over time. But even today, just working with other businesses and clients, um you i'm I'm doing it to help educate them.
00:27:30
Speaker
understand the numbers that they're working with, why it's important, how it impacts the decisions that they make. And so for me, ah along my entrepreneurial journey, um that that is what birthed the idea of me starting my own kind of engaging smaller firm. It's just an opportunity to give back to my community. um Obviously, it does come with some level of profit as well, too.
00:27:53
Speaker
And for the services that you provide, but it's a level of trust that I see for my clients as well, too. um There are clients that look like me and they're able to trust me and understand that I see the best for them. I'm looking out in their best interest and they can trust me to know that what I'm educating or telling them is truthful and not um and is rooted from a good place.
00:28:17
Speaker
You know, what's, and I got this question. This is, you know, for me, I think it's very revealing. What's the best advice you've ever received? um The best advice I receive is...
00:28:30
Speaker
um just go your own pace. um There are so many times you are influenced by your environment, your influence, what you see on TV.
00:28:40
Speaker
um And sometimes you're also influenced by a dollar figure. Right. And so at some point you have to, you know, create your own journey, go at your own pace um and live for yourself. um that that That's important as well, too. um As I mentioned, some so much, there's so much that's going on that impacts you on a daily basis.
00:29:01
Speaker
And sometimes you don't really just stop to, um, and I would say this, probably the other piece of advice I receive is, you know, stop and acknowledge the small wins that you have made over your, uh, the life, your lifetime and your journey.
00:29:15
Speaker
Um, not a lot of times I don't do that. Um, I see like all the accomplished accomplishments I made as just, hey, I just tried something, I did it and I'm moving on to the next thing.
00:29:27
Speaker
But there's so many people when I share my journey, they're like, wow, you're able to do this, you're able to do that. um And to me, it's like, Wow. and I never stopped to reflect on, hey, I am doing a lot um of really good things. Not a lot of people get those opportunities. And so I need to start and appreciate myself more. um But at the same time, I'm not following someone else's journey. I'm creating my own path and I'm going at my own pace. And and that It gives me that joy of waking up tomorrow, knowing that I'm creating something for me and that's going to impact everyone around me. And I'm not following someone else's path for me.
00:30:07
Speaker
So on the flip side of that, what's the best advice you've given? Yeah, given, um I say it still ties into that same mantra. um I try to pass it along as well, too, especially when I talk to students going through the CPA exam, um that, that, that,
00:30:26
Speaker
journey in my life was probably the most eye-opening for me um because I learned a lot about myself going through the CPA exam. It's the first time i felt like I studied the most in and my own college library.
00:30:39
Speaker
um i used to go back to my school and just study in a library um after work as well, too. And so um I learned a lot about just sacrifice. There's times where I had to tell my friends, hey, I can't hang out. I need to study. I need to you know get through these exams, get through these modules of learning. And so I learned a lot about myself from a sacrifice, um the opportunity to be disciplined as well, too.
00:31:05
Speaker
And just being able to focus and to achieve something, start something. I felt along the that way. I have a bunch of failing stories that can always share about, you know,
00:31:16
Speaker
I was down to, passed three exams. I was down to my last exam, had to travel an hour away to take the exam. Actually, and know it was at the point where I think it's like the 18 mark before you lose credit for the first one.
00:31:31
Speaker
And I failed my last exam, um which was a fourth part, by like a couple points. And so not only had to retake that one, but I had to retake the first one that I passed. So I went from being three exams, three exams and to down now too.
00:31:48
Speaker
And so it, at that point, I could have just said, you know, I give up, I quit. i don't want to do this anymore. But it was something inside me that said, no, keep pushing on. This is passable.
00:31:59
Speaker
And so for me, i had friends who passed, like ah one of my close friends, he passed all four in the first, ah the first attempt. And so I could have looked at as like, you know, why can't I be like him? Or why can't I pass these exams at the pace he did? But I had to create I had to understand at the end of the day, when I passed these exams, no matter how long it took me, we're both CPAs. And so that kind of just ties back to the advice that have for people is, you know, um,
00:32:27
Speaker
Own your own journey. Everyone's journey is going to be different. But at the end of the day, the end results are going to be the same. You're going to be a CPA. And no matter how long it took you, you have those same credentials as someone else um that is a CPA as well, too. um And so that I would say those are the advice that I continue to kind of pass on to people.
00:32:48
Speaker
It's just to own your journey. um And at the end of the day, the results will be there as you put in the work. You know, this is my last question for you. And I think it's really important just given the shortage in the profession of individuals that look like you and
Promoting the CPA Career
00:33:02
Speaker
me. And just, you know, the talent pool is just really shrinking.
00:33:06
Speaker
So, sell being a CPA. Sell how important it is. I mean, just look into the camera or do it. Look at me, however you want to do it. But sale being a CPA, because I think there's a sense of urgency behind it.
00:33:19
Speaker
And we all need to step up and we need to share all of the good, some of the bad or whatever. But I want folks interested in being a CPA. Yeah. And I'll look in the camera for this one.
00:33:31
Speaker
Being a CPA um is the backbone of the finance profession. um We drive ah the foundation, the budgets, the numbers.
00:33:41
Speaker
um But being a CPA, there are so many opportunities and that you can have within this profession, whether it's forensics, whether it's governmental entertainment, all of these different disciplines need a CPA. They need an accountant. They need someone who can articulate financial statements and dollars.
00:34:01
Speaker
At the end of day, a lot of these companies run off of financial figures, but having someone who can articulate to make business decisions off those figures are important. And so, um,
00:34:12
Speaker
The finance or the accounting profession being a CPA, there is a financial benefit to it as well. i've so Not a lot of people um are aware that, you know, you can make some good money as a CPA as well, too.
00:34:26
Speaker
um We talked about entrepreneurship. You can create your own firm as you do different learnings. And so there's so much flexibility within this profession if you want to work on a technology. side, if you want to work in healthcare, care there are so many different paths that you can create for yourself.
00:34:42
Speaker
By starting out as a CPA, you can flex into other disciplines as well, too. And I i think that's the one unique thing about our profession is that you don't have to stay an accountant. You can work in finance. You can work in economics.
00:34:56
Speaker
But at the end of the day, we have that strong foundational skill sets. Where are the Accounting is the language of business. And so if you can speak that language of business, you can talk with any person, with any CEO, CFO or any person. You can have a real transparent conversation about dollars.
00:35:15
Speaker
um And then if you can speak money, I think you'll make a lot of money as well. too so It's been an absolute pleasure,
Conclusion and Reflections
00:35:23
Speaker
Shakur. i mean, you are very insightful. I mean, the breadth of information that you have to share for this audience and this show willingness to be a part of this. I really do appreciate it.
00:35:33
Speaker
Yeah, I appreciate it as well, too, Chris. This is amazing. um I hope the audience takes a lot of good knowledge from this. um I think um conversations like this is important and I'm glad to be able to have this conversation with you today. Awesome. Awesome.
00:35:47
Speaker
you as I look into the camera, my one takeaway is don't be don't waste time just working. Waste time on the community. Spend time in the community. Give back.
00:35:58
Speaker
Share whatever you know, because there's someone that's willing and needs to know this information. So I encourage you to step up and step out and just be invested as much as you can on the give back front.
00:36:11
Speaker
I'm Christopher Mitchell. I enjoyed this conversation as usual. We're balancing the future, and I look forward to where we're going as we continue this journey.