The trait that I attribute to my success is persistence. In order to get things done when you're as young as I am you have to show a drive and passion for your work.

People assume that the role of an Intern involves only coffee runs and making copies when in fact most of us are doing full time Tax Preparation.

My passion outside of work is my Motorcycle. I ride a 2020 Harley Davidson Lowrider S. If the weather is good and I am not at work you can expect to find me on my bike.

"All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you."-Gandalf

I am relational. I love building relationships with clients and learning about their business and goals on a more intimate level. A client’s financials are extremely personal and in order for them to turn over their business books to me, they have to trust me.

People’s first assumption about me is that I love numbers; I do not. I love puzzles and I truly believe that tax planning is simply a massive puzzle begging to be solved.

Cooking and entertaining family and friends, showing dogs, exploring the outdoors with my hubby, horseback riding, reading, and yoga.

Too many to mention! I love instrumental jazz and any song sung by Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, or Nat King Cole.

I would say the personality trait I most attribute to my success is dependability. Even when I was very young, I could work without supervision as I tend to work evenly at a project until it is done.

The biggest misconception people have about my position is that the more experienced an accountant is, the more they talk in incomprehensible numbers. I have found that we accountants tend to start learning incomprehensible numbers right away, then spend the rest of our lives learning to translate those numbers into human speech. The more experienced the accountant, the better he or she should be at understanding and explaining.

Outside of work, I am energized by gardening. I love growing mainly plants that produce food, such as vegetables and berries, though there are some flowers I like too. I even enjoy weeding.

“Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.” – Edgar Allan Poe

My willingness to jump in head first. I always like a new challenge and it has allowed me the opportunity to learn a number of skills that have allowed me to succeed in my career.

That once a shareholder you have more time to do “fun stuff”. Not so! The responsibility to Staff and my clients is still there and more so. But I wouldn’t change it.

Get a project done and spending time with my family.

“You just keep thinkin’ Butch. That’s what you’re good at.” – From Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Focus is what makes me successful. If I know what it is that I want to accomplish I focus on all of the ways that make it possible, and spend no time on the reasons it could fail. I believe in the concept of self fulfilling prophecy.

Everyday is different... there is not a day that I come into work and my day goes exactly as planned, I love it! I think most would think that operations is not very exciting, especially at an accounting firm. But it is just the opposite. There are so many moving parts and with our growth and expansion we have exciting things going on all of the time.

I love sports particularly football. I watch high school, college and professional football and run a youth football organization. I love the life lessons football teaches.

"You can't always get what you want" by the Rolling Stones because we can't always get what we want, so what. Keep working!

My work habit. I believe I developed a great work habit from watching my dad provide for our family growing up. This gave me a fantastic example of how to work hard and do a good job while doing it.

I think people believe all accountant’s are math geniuses but really we are good at using calculators and spreadsheets.

Spending time with my family and traveling with my family.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for he Lord our God is with you wherever you go.

Tenacity, because it drives me to find answers and solutions. I don’t like to give up on anything.

That I “must be good at math”. I feel like bookkeeping is more about solving puzzles than doing math. I’m not bad at math, but I enjoy solving the mysteries bookkeeping presents. My husband is a freaky genius when it comes to math, but I can’t see him having the patience to solve a complicated bank reconciliation.

Getting out in nature recharges me. I also thrive on spending time at home with my husband and our cats.

My favorite song is Wolves in Wolves Clothing by NOFX

I have a fairly outgoing personality (thanks to Tyson Pruett) and I like helping people save money if at all possible.

Biggest misconception is people think that tax only involves preparing the return when it also involves planning, strategizing, and a lot more then just doing the return and getting it out the door. It is helping people minimize their tax burden and letting them know what is in front of them.

Playing golf helps to energize me as well as hunting and fishing.

Favorite song is Suite Sister Mary by Queensryche. It's a ten minute song that was very well put together and takes you on a roller coaster ride as it is part of Queensryche’s concept album “Operation Mindcrime”.

I am a go-getter, if you give me a task you can be assured that it will get done.

That I just answer phones. While that is a large part of an admin job, there are many other hats we wear.

I love cooking and entertaining family and friends.

“The Pessimist Sees Difficulty In Every Opportunity. The Optimist Sees Opportunity In Every Difficulty.” – Winston Churchill

I pride myself on looking at situations impartially with a sincere desire to solve a client’s issue, whatever it may be. We are here to help solve client’s problems and I never lose sight of that.

None. Everything you’ve heard is true.

Spending time with my wife and kids. If further time allows, I try to play tennis or catch up on world news.

“Yeah, well, that’s just, like, your opinion, man.” – The Dude

Creative problem-solving. Sometimes it looks like I’m thinking outside the box when I’m simply exploring the existing boundaries more fully than others.

Many think our job is math. However, it’s really about communication; we just happen to use numbers in our deliverables.

God, family, friends, and food.

“We’re on a mission from God.” Elwood Blues, from The Blues Brothers (greatest movie ever made).

My sense of curiosity. Whether in school or personal life, it has helped keep an open mind in terms of learning new things. When I find a topic of interest, I ask countless questions to try to learn more about it, just ask my mentor!

Internships are not all about coffee runs and photocopies. You actually get a chance to apply knowledge you learned in class in a real-life setting.

Definitely my friends. Whether outdoor activities, concerts, or just gathering around a bonfire, they are always willing to go on an adventure.

I like learning new things. It’s fun to get into the details and really understand a topic. Then be able to apply it and share this information with others (collogues and clients).

Some people think accounting is boring but it is ever-changing. The past several years have been exceptional with the sweeping tax changes under the current and previous presidents.

Nothing’s better than spending time with family and friends and enjoying the outdoors whether it’s hiking, skiing, or relaxing in one of our many favorite places.

“Enjoy the little things in life because one day you’ll look back and realize they were the big things.” Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

I have great interest in analyzing scenarios available when preparing a tax return. Ensuring that the return is not only correct, but that any alternative preparation positions are considered, allowing the most beneficial position to be chosen for the taxpayer.

I don’t know what misconceptions others have...

Travel and spending time with family.

Amarillo by Morning

All my life I have had a desire to learn. This desire has driven me to gain a technical knowledge about our tax system that has allowed me to help my clients navigate the complexities of the tax system while they make their business a success.

The biggest misconception of our job is that we just prepare tax returns. The tax return is a small part of what we do. The biggest benefit that we bring to our client is the ability to consult and discuss business activities with our client and advise them on how these activities both benefit them personally and optimize their tax obligations. We strive to be proactive in our approach with our clients and help them be aware of the tax implications of their activities.

Outside of work, I enjoy participating in scouting activities with my two sons and daughter. Particularly we enjoy being in the outdoors and camping.

One popular phrase that I use in scouting is improvise, adapt and overcome. I do my best to apply this to all aspects of my personal and professional life.

My curiosity and desire for learning. It has pushed me to explore new areas of my life and career, to the benefit of both.

That I’ve moved on from putting the right numbers in the right boxes to making sure others have put the right numbers in the right boxes. While that is certainly part of my job, my main responsibility is to make sure our clients needs are being met by facilitating the appropriate solutions. While tax returns are part of that, it could also be lending needs, or coordinating with other professionals.

What, three kids aren’t enough? Outside of work and family, I really enjoy driving. Over the course of the summer I’ll do 5-10 track events.

"The truth is incontrovertible. Panic may resent it, ignorance may deride it, malice may distort it, but there it is." -Winston Churchill

I can never consider myself perfect and this makes me always to do my best and learn more.

People think I might be able to solve an algebraic equation without any tool but the reality is for summing up two single digits I use a calculator.

Writing short stories and working with my family on the ranch.

Come Waltz With Me from Demis Rouses

I endeavor to persevere. Regardless of a challenge on the job or hardship in life, I have found a way to take it on and succeed.

Assuming I am at all tech-savvy.

High-intensity cardio. There’s something about routinely getting your heart rate in the 160s for a spin or elliptical session that always makes me feel good.

Reply to Philip II: “If.”-The Spartans

I am a very determined person and like to think outside the box. If you give me a difficult task/problem, I will strive to figure out a solution.

A lot of people may think my job is mostly traditional clerical work. But a lot of times you will not find me sitting at my desk. My primary duties involve me being on my feet printing out tax returns once they are ready to be delivered to clients . With my variety of duties/responsibilities that I have acquired over the years, I never know what I will be doing each day.

I am a LEGO enthusiast. In my spare time, I build the advanced LEGO sets and have a little city in my living room. I also love crafts, especially with my Cricut machine.

“When life gives you lemons, make orange juice and leave the world wondering how you did it.”

Tenacity, I never give up on anything I set my mind to do.

Spending time with my family and friends, scuba diving, camping, and learning new things.

“When you say, "I can't do it!" - You never will. But, if you say, "I'll give it a try," eventually you will succeed.” ― Anthony T.Hincks

Teachability. I believe that the key to IT is not what you know, but how well you can learn and find out new information.

That IT is a waste of money, when people properly embrace new technologies it can empower their business, provide data to help make better business decisions, and create opportunities for businesses to grow.

Helping friends and family, it doesn’t matter what the project is, I just enjoy making other people’s lives easier.

“Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” - Unknown

I believe that my sense of humor and empathy has got me where I am. I am a people person at heart and strive to make my daily interactions with folks meaningful and joyful. I think people need this more than they think!

That admins are boring and lack people skills. ... Wrong!

Working on art and photography.

“I’d rather be fooled than not to believe.” – Mark Nepo

Bubbly and outgoing. A true extrovert! I love meeting people and appreciate authenticity in working together to create something amazing.

A big misconception is that marketing=advertising. In reality, there is a wide variety of functional areas of marketing. Lead generation, SEO (search engine optimization), networking, email and social media, just to name a few.

Music, my son Max, and my family

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.”

Futuristic. Throughout my life, I would constantly be dreaming about my future. I would use these dreams to take immediate action steps that would help me get to where I wanted to go. I would put in the hard work early on because I knew it would help me attain my dream.

Many people think I am some sort of math wizard. Yes, you need to know basic math skills, but accounting is more about solving puzzles. It's figuring out all the different pieces to make the puzzle work. I just happen to use a 10-key to help me get there.

Hiking energizes me. I am an avid hiker and am known to go on multiple hikes every weekend. I enjoy a tough climb up a mountain because the view is so worth it. It's such a cool way to explore the world!

Any type of country music!

Self – Discipline. Without it I would have never been able to finish my Master’s online and get my CPA license.

That I am a number cruncher. Most are unaware that being a CPA is way more than data entry. It allows you to wear different hats: •The Communicator (Taking complex financial data and tax law and being able to communicate it to clients) •The Business Consultant (Taking the financial data and being able tell a story. Helping clients understand the financial health of their business and implement a plan for them to follow to reach their goals) •The Friend (Being able to build a long-term relationship with our clients and gain their trust)

Cross-Fit and family. I love working out and being able to spend time with my loved ones.

“The road to success is long and uphill all the way” – John C. Maxwell

I care for my clients. I like to get to know them, listen to their challenges and help come up with solutions.

We do not just fill in boxes on a tax return. We like to build a relationship with our clients to become part of their team of trusted advisors for business and personal.

I have two adult children who I love spending time with. I also love our furry family, a chocolate lab and 3 cats. I enjoy spending time with friends and family and always look forward to sunny weather.

“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” -Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride

Very optimistic and motivated by opportunities to gain knowledge to show my expertise and produce quality work.

The field of accounting is full of boring people who love nothing better than a spreadsheet.

Going on hikes!

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” -Maya Angelou

Goal Oriented - I see success as a direct result of focusing on my goals. For me, setting clear short-term/long-term goals helps me to stay focused while completing daily tasks. Goals allow me to track my progress, which keeps me motivated as the results often fuel my drive.

The biggest misconception people often have is that I am a CPA or an Accountant. This is often assumed by people when they learn I work at a CPA firm or prepare taxes. While I am an LTP rather than a CPA and majored in Business Management rather than Accounting, that is not something easily determined by my position title. The title was chosen as it is broad and open-ended, which is fitting given by background in administrative support, operations and tax preparation.

Something that energizes me outside of work is spending time with friends and family. It can be as simple as seeing a movie or getting a group together for game night. I love long weekends at the dunes riding while camping on the sand with friends. Time to myself is also very important. I enjoy reading or get pampered with a massage, manicure or pedicure.

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

I am friendly, timely, and truly care for my clients. I lead by being proactive and positive.

Being a CPA is not just all about numbers, we wear many hats!

All animals make me very happy. My Sugar Gliders and my kitty especially. I also enjoy scuba diving on vacation.

I see the positives in every situation. Positive thoughts make me courageous in overcoming any obstacle.

Accountants are boring.

I love to workout, read, watch sports. and view tranquil areas.

If you’re resilient, you’ll get what you’re looking for. If you’re consistent, you’ll keep it, but if you’re grateful, whatever you want will increase.

Consistency and punctuality.

That it’s all paperwork and data entry. The majority of any given day is really customer service and problem solving.

Working with my hands: Knitting, cross-stitch and sewing.

“We are not history yet. We are happening Now. How miraculous is that?” – Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor (WTNV)

Confidence, I’m willing to take risks and not fear failure. I’m confident in my abilities and know I can get the job done.

That the work that interns do isn’t very important. Interns are given projects that are crucial to the firm that also provide a great learning experience.

Something that energizes me outside of work is going to the gym and playing pickup basketball.

“When life gets hard, don’t say why me? Say try me.”

I am analytical, curious, and relational. These traits allow me to search out information, know how to use the information, and communicate in a way that shows I’m listening. I want to seek out answers and help people along the way.

People think I got into accounting because I enjoy doing math all day. In reality, software does most the math for me, but on a separate note, I enjoy math puzzles.

Long walks, going to the coast, and spending time with my wife and two daughters. My biggest hobby is songwriting.

My favorite song is Skinny Love by Bon Iver. The whole album is incredible, and I have listened to it an innumerable number of times.

I believe my diverse life experience allows me to connect with people really well. I’ve served in the military, and worked in the retail, restaurant, and agriculture industries before I found my passion for accounting.

We are not just about making things, “count” (you know, accounting, but we truly can make a big difference in peoples’ lives. I love being able to step in and see if we can financially help a client, either in their business or personal life.

I love to hang out with my friends, work with my horse and travel.

A quote from the movie Pursuit of Happyness, “Don’t ever let anyone tell you you can’t do something. If you want something, go get it. Period.”

I enjoy cooking, reading, knitting and antiquing.

​Being detail-oriented. It helps me stick with the task until it's just the way I want it.

It's boring.

Looking at houses for remodeling ideas or flipping.

Mine happens to be both—"Be careful what you wish for 'cause you just might get it all"

I am a really organized person in all areas of my life. In my job this has allowed me to take in high amounts of information and instead of being overwhelmed, I love to, piece by piece and sort it all out.

Some people might think bookkeepers are adverse to people, but in the work I do I love helping people do something they either don’t enjoy doing!

Exercising, time with friends and family, a clean house and some down time to enjoy a good book energize me.

Micah 6:8 – “…and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.”

I love challenges. The bigger the puzzle the more excited I get about tackling it!

That it is boring. I love to see numbers come together so you can see the whole picture!

Traveling to warm tropical climates, reading, and my dog!

Do or do not. There is no try. - Yoda

A calm focused approach. Our company and our clients value good communication and appreciate that my style is low-key and respectful. I try to listen well and then follow through. I enjoy helping to make our firm and our clients financially successful.

When I am not at work, I'm a crafty homebody. I love to hang out with my husband, three children and our dog Scrappy.

“Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass; it's about learning to dance in the rain” (Vivian Greene, 2006)

In the Office Manager/HR role I wear many hats and use a wide variety of personality traits, training, and skill (optimism, problem-solving, accessibility, dedication, flexible, accountable, cheerleader, hard work, empathy and the ability to admit weaknesses).

That you have be the smartest person on the team. A good manager builds a team of intelligent people who poses strengths beyond hers and takes advantage of the skills and talents of everyone on the team. By utilizing the team’s talents to the fullest everyone benefits; that is a win-win!

People doing good things, spending time with family & friends, and spending time with mother nature (Oregon: mountain, ocean, desert; camping, hiking, crabbing, fishing, driving back roads, and snorkeling in Hawaii).

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never ends.” -1 Corinthians 13:4–8a

My competitive nature. I want to be the best at whatever I do. So the best company, the best tax return, the best financials, it all is about doing our best.

People think we must like math. Math is great, but it's more about liking to problem solve. How do we help a business grow? How do we reduce taxes? How do we help you achieve your goals? That’s what we really like!

Faith, family and friends are what energize me. Spending time with good people, building memories and helping others. It's hard to go wrong with any of these things.

“Anyone may arrange his affairs so that his taxes shall be as low as possible; he is not bound to choose that pattern which best pays the treasury. There is not even a patriotic duty to increase one’s taxes. Over and over again the Courts have said that there is nothing sinister in so arranging affairs as to keep taxes as low as possible. Everyone does it, rich and poor alike and all do right, for nobody owes any public duty to pay more than the law demands.” – Judge Learned Hand

My willingness to learn and perfect my craft. I love knowing a little about everything and this has helped me expand the background knowledge I have on a variety of topics.

When I tell people I work on taxes they think that it’s one of the most boring jobs to be a part of. Taxes has a lot to do with problem solving and puzzles which are thing I love and keep me engaged.

The gym! I love having a healthy outlet and doing something that keeps me active.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Ambitious, the only way I have been able to succeed is to convince myself that I have the ability to achieve greatness. Whether it is doubters, education, or rolling with the punches, ambition allows you to get back up again.

The word "Intern".

Spending time with my wife, family, and friends. Outside of people, I love snowboarding, mountain biking, playing pick up basketball, and so much more.

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." - C. S. Lewis

I enjoy solving puzzles and putting pieces together. This helps me with work because accounting is all about looking at the pieces that you have and figuring out how to put them together in a way that makes sense for the client.

People often think that accounting has a lot to do with math but for accountant's today all of the math is either done on a 10 key or a spreadsheet.

I enjoy my spending time with my wife and our cats and getting outside for hikes or disc golf.

Heath McNease Be Clean Again