I originally wanted to be a professional soccer player, but then injuries happened, so I had to start thinking about other options. I talked to my uncle, my cousin and a few other friends who were CPAs, and they helped steer me toward public accounting.
Be flexible. We have to learn to change with the industry and the times to continue to excel at what we do as a firm.
I enjoy working with companies where I have a great relationship with the CFO or Controller. One Controller I work with shares a lot of my same interests—we both coach our daughters’ soccer teams—so we’re always sharing ideas at work and outside of work.
When I began my career at the Big 4, I felt like a cog in the wheel. They could have gotten rid of me at any time, replaced me and never thought twice. At Armanino, because of our culture and our focus on entrepreneurship, I feel like I’m at a start-up company a lot of the time. Partners and managers are always willing to listen to good ideas. The door is never shut on you here.
I’d like to think that I’m very open minded and willing to listen to anyone. My philosophy is that I can learn just as much from a first year as they can learn from me. I think that everyone comes to the table with a different perspective, and I believe that the more perspectives I have, the more informed my decision will be.
Honestly, my wife. She’s my sounding board and my biggest fan. She also keeps me grounded. She’s always willing to share her opinions, and she’s had the most influence on my life. There were points where, in order to reach my goal, I needed to focus. She would keep me focused on my goal and do what I needed to do to reach that goal.
One of my supervisors at KPMG, a woman by the name of Laura. I left San Diego for an audit rotation in New York, and Laura was ever the New Yorker. She was very good at telling you what was on her mind, which was usually blatant criticism. At first, it shocked me, and I wasn’t sure how to handle it. One time, she basically told me my work was subpar—in not so nice of words—and I needed to go back and redo it. So, I did, and when I came back to her, she told me it was great. I learned to really trust and respect her opinion, and I always knew where I stood with her. I try to translate that into my own leadership style, because I like everyone to know where they stand with me. So, when I received the e-mail announcing I had made Partner, I forwarded it on to her to thank her for all that she had taught me professionally and personally.
