 Most of us think of a career as a ladder, with only one way to go. "Making it Balance" proves a career is actually an ever-evolving journey; one that can move in any direction as you change and grow. Come along for the ride as Sobia, Leilani, and Da’Rell—three young adults on a mission to meet leaders who began their careers in audit or accounting and learn from them—travel across the country in search of what it looks like to pave your own career path. As you hear from inspiring leaders like Cathy Engelbert, WNBA commissioner and the first woman to lead a Big Four accounting firm in the US, and Bryan Ford, a former CPA who combined his business savvy and love of bread to become a baking consultant for bakeries around the world, you’ll see that careers are anything but static; you get to choose and define the path as you go.

Making it Balance

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 Picking a path opens up new ones

Most of us live in this world of limitation, and fear, and scarcity. And the thing is, when we live in that place, we live small. If there's one thing I'd be willing to bet money on, it's that 20 years from now, you'll probably not gonna be where you thought you were gonna be. &gt;&gt; We're all transitioning out of college, and we all have doubts and fears about what's coming next. Expectations that my parents had for me was to become a doctor. When I switched, I was terrified. He was like, how are you gonna make it? Especially for me being her first student, I really wanna make my parents proud. &gt;&gt; By the time I graduated high school, I had a plan of what I wanted to do, but life happens. So what can I do that gives me opportunity to grow and actually take care of our family? &gt;&gt; I'm originally from the island of Guam. The whole goal is to move my family out here. So the quickest way I can get a job, that's what I'm gonna do. &gt;&gt; We're so proud of you, Lei. &gt;&gt; My shoulders get so heavy, there's boulders on me. &gt;&gt; You have come a long way. &gt;&gt; Dad came a long way. &gt;&gt; You're getting there, honey. &gt;&gt; I don't know where there is yet. [MUSIC] When I tell people we're gonna be interviewing auditors, they think, why would you do that to yourself? But I'm actually really excited. &gt;&gt; 21 days across country in an RV. [LAUGH] &gt;&gt; Interviewing other accountants and auditors to see what it takes to become successful. &gt;&gt; We all are finally starting at Big Four accounting firms. &gt;&gt; My hopes for the road trip are that we'll walk away knowing that we picked the right thing, that we are on the right track. &gt;&gt; Answer a lot of questions that I have. Not even just accounting or auditing, but just life in general. &gt;&gt; The burnout and all the hard times and the hours and all that, I was wondering if there's any advice you can give. &gt;&gt; What we do in the audit profession and accounting, it's a lot of work, but their pockets of time. It's an exciting journey that it wasn't expected. &gt;&gt; I've never experienced this before in my life. [MUSIC] My parents are immigrants and they worked a lot of hours as well to make better life for us. How do you balance that with your children? &gt;&gt; People say, can you have it all? And this profession, the accounting and auditing profession really allowed me to do it all. &gt;&gt; So many different avenues you could take just from one degree. &gt;&gt; All of us were raised in some kind of minority, how did you maneuver that through your career? &gt;&gt; You don't let that obstacle be an impediment, you have to take your own action. You have to get your letters that provides you more flexibility in the marketplace and more choices. &gt;&gt; Everything that I wanna do, he's doing or has done. That was like a eureka moment for me. &gt;&gt; It's been really a life-changing experience for me. [MUSIC] &gt;&gt; When we come together, and we collaborate, and we tap into our whine what makes us up, we transform businesses, the country and the world, we have this ripple effect that's really powerful. [MUSIC] &gt;&gt; Open your mind to what your passion is, whatever it is, and you'll find it in accounting. [MUSIC] 

Making It Balance Trailer

trip with pretty much two strangers, interviewing auditors, why would you do that to yourself, but this trip with the Da'rell and Sobia. drive in interviewing elite professionals. quite an experience. out of college and fears about what's coming next. walk away knowing that we picked the right where you're never really ready for it, things that somebody could ever do. anymore at that point. them. I had a plan of what I wanted to do, you kind of adjust as you grow and mature. the Prairie View A&amp;M University. minutes outside of Houston. in sports marketing. know people to get into that. accounting for me it was a perfect fit, and having a family, 30, 40, 50 years, take care of a family is bigger than me. &gt;&gt; Yeah. told you I was gonna do? does that work for you? cute and he always smells good. a dad makes him think that his he wants to be my Superman. doesn't want one of those? me, is like a superpower. take over the world if I wanted to. that's set in front of me. I'm already gonna stand out anyway, so internship with one of the biggest four until like 10:30, 10:45 maybe, and hope answer a lot of questions that and auditing, but just life in general. blueprint that I can use to further me and What's up? &gt;&gt; [FOREIGN] starts in August sometime. auditors. other accountants and takes to become successful. to be going from Texas and my dad was pretty supportive but this dream for me to become a doctor. Get back home. &gt;&gt; [FOREIGN] out to our families. shared our emotions openly. actually had me cook because my should know how to cook, blah, blah, blah. really tired of the small town life. get out and explore the big city. pushing me to do medicine. I realized I'm failing. it was what I was good at. Tech with accounting and but had for me was to become a doctor. it's kind of a given. I knew I was going into corporate America. it is connected to our culture. progressed if they were pretty, if eyes, and my mom straight up told me that. especially for wanna make my parents proud, and least she did something good in her life. of proves that my career in auditing and &gt;&gt; Hello. &gt;&gt; Phone, phone, wallet, keys. &gt;&gt; So, have you thought about whether or season internship of KPMG? but also moreso excited. goal is to move the family out here. non accounting majors and &gt;&gt; They don't believe. &gt;&gt; 60, 70 hours, I'm like, a busy season [LAUGH]. getting ourselves into. public accounting forever? what made you like it? you can probably get a job right away. move my family out here so that's what I'm gonna do probably. I've only done one internship. &gt;&gt; But that's what I'm hoping this road the we try to call each other every day. I have a little sister back home. &gt;&gt; Where's mom and dad, only one university on the island, me to pursue. it'll be like you are there. five years, nothing's changed [LAUGH]. with you and see you grow, Mia. maybe high school. I'll have our house ready by then. you know that, right [LAUGH]? my shoulders get so had the time to step back and I even really wanna do with my life? &gt;&gt; You went above and beyond. honey, you know that. &gt;&gt; And we will do a 22 point turn to. &gt;&gt; How's it going? which I love them already, the team bonding moment. you're the person I've been talking to for now we're friends, now we're roommates. we got what, two weeks left? researching people and places. &gt;&gt; [LAUGH] I think we we'll get there. starting at Big Four accounting firms. misconceptions about being an auditor. a career to be proud of, it's a lonely cubicle lifestyle. that we're wanting to debunk &gt;&gt; So we're in Austin. &gt;&gt; Da'rell's flight got delayed once. you think he'll show up in a suit? when we get all mushy. &gt;&gt; It is essential to our career. that we interview what made them tick, this trip is to meet former auditors, been working at these big firms. they're a baker, three weeks. look up to as professionals. that I wanna commit the rest of my person of your kind in a room? professional I can be, but will really wanna know the answer to. about our very first interview? &gt;&gt; [LAUGH] turns at a short moment's notice. we get to talk to Sarah Elliott. principal of Intend2Lead. worked with a Big Four firm for 10 years. with a smaller regional firm. &gt;&gt; Hi. principle of our leadership developement called Intend2Lead. I am a CPA myself. chose to take that leap of faith to serve it's evolving quickly. of that by shaping the future about a year and a half before I left. have been time for me to buy in and is this what I wanna commit to? I was very happy where I was. this career I had built for 14 years. right, I'd finally gotten there. because there was something in me with people and really seeing in that and helping them cultivate that. you can give us that can hopefully not really think about the burnout and the hours and all that. it's going to be okay. I will tell you it is going to be okay. &gt;&gt; Don't answer that no. &gt;&gt; But that's just part of the journey, what does light me up. I thought well, it makes sense, I like the order. dream of being an accountant, have gotten to work with are super smart, you right, like find that. what drew me into accounting, much nicer. &gt;&gt; We're so cool, aren't we, &gt;&gt; At Intend2Lead depends on your capacity to love. that word people are like, why are we talking about love? &gt;&gt; Right? limitation and fear and scarcity. when we live in that place, we live small. hearts when we come together and what lights us up and our potential. right and the country and the world and pretty powerful when you think about it. in this profession? many possibilities out there, truly and I'd be willing to bet money on, you thought you were going to be. actually being some of the best parts is to give yourself that grace and to grow into it, to see what happens. tradition where we invite the leader leave a little nugget of advice. a little love for you guys. us applies to everybody. though you're not really knowing in yourself to take leaps. I think is really, really dope. out of love for love in the workplace. we have these set paths or figured out cuz we graduated but okay to not have all that. first person possible. now I'm not so much. we found a great swimming hole. our first real just have fun time. first time really bonding as a team and of talking about interviews and I kinda want to do that as well. I love the fish that you cook. through how to marinate it? half though? provide something more substantial for not something that I wanna do. here, so I'm gonna get dinner ready. my own food related business. now will benefit me, but there's something out there more for the house and my sister in it. a garden to play in. able to provide that dream for her. into the bowl however much you want. [CROSSTALK] yeah, straight up, that, that's perfect. about it in audit terms, all right? &gt;&gt; This is great. but I need you to be a little more. &gt;&gt; Okay. good, good, good, good. that's the last stop on the train. when I'm 40 I'll get into like pottery or like a hip hop album already. a professional soccer player. afford to get me up state at the camps. wow I guess that's it. about anything else. I failed it 13 times in a row, and then. &gt;&gt; Don't feel bad for laughing, you know, I was happy man, I felt good. I quit accounting for good. I was like, dude, I like to cook, I like to bake. that degree becomes so useful. do it from home, no overhead. just raw materials. man, let me make some [FOREIGN], a video of it, and it just like exploded. platform and turn it into a business. happy to open an Excel spreadsheet. &gt;&gt; Cuz it's like, this is my business now. help no matter which way you go, right? an entrepreneur is accounting. he said in his interview really stuck with definitely is the language of business. if you could recommend one thing for you can go do it, this, this, this, this. with all these other people that you could take just from one degree. that just feels so good. I was like, without eating beignets. I didn't even know what they looked like. warm, glowing, powdered sugar all over it. back to when I was like, eight, nine, &gt;&gt; [LAUGH] and goodbye from New Orleans. &gt;&gt; Yes. this solid team. and it is super woodsy. a first being from the city. beautiful on the wing. &gt;&gt; Mm-mm. I'm not gonna have fun here at all. I'm just staying in the RV. I'm glad I took that step. we held a meditation session. but I kind of channeled my instructor. to another thought, back to your focus point. trail was we meditated as a team. preoccupied with work and life, we don't take a time to just stop. being one of the first people of my into the higher education. on me to succeed. process of learning how to play. a mental health spell. outlets for me to destress. counseling at the time, and find outlets that bring me joy. always has been an outlet. year wasn't really, it was important, this year cuz I was really depressed. I didn't shower, I wasn't eating. my mentality was always, you're weak kind of thing. do if I'm not in my best shape. emotionally, physically, the whole nine. we get to speak to Michael Horsey. public accounting and experience in the industry. created Horsey, Buckner &amp; Heffler. as the chairman and CEO. butterflies in my stomach. he's doing or has done. and I fell in love with accounting, but accountants look like me out there. the only one of us in the room. career, having that mindset like, okay, be strong in your goal setting and that obstacle go be an impediment. I raised my hand, you know, wanted to get out of it. a pot in your hand asking for a couple dollars. in a class, that ain't no stress. my own little practice, if you will. adequate advice and counsel. infested crime and all that. they're dead now, guys I hung with. that to be the end result. you started creating this company? agent in our industry. a lot of folks. minds together, you have great solutions. haven't been able to eat at the table. particularly public accounting, you know, stuff gets hard. but you hang in there, a curriculum vitae that's strong, you more opportunities. the marketplace and more choices. let things fall into your lap. &gt;&gt; I ain't gonna tell &gt;&gt; You made that? [MUSIC] &gt;&gt; Mike, CPA. [MUSIC] that was like a eureka moment for me. level of CEO and they look like me. make fire for the first time. something than when you actually see it in in an industry where only &gt;&gt; Yeah, life-altering. try to make him your mentor? become the best of friends. other has been really helpful. just get stronger together as a team. about each other that we're like, common than we thought we did. Commissioner for WNBA. want my career path to be. every article I can find on this lady. she was bouncing from wall to wall, don't want her to ruin this moment because the best she could possibly be. I wanna meditate. sweating, breathe, breathe woman, breathe. &gt;&gt; Hi. &gt;&gt; Good to see you too. another person, it's just another person. great career with Deloitte after 33 years. as my CEO term was ending and the first ever WNBA Commissioner. college basketball and lacrosse. WNBA after a long career in accounting and basketball player back in the 1950s and the NBA Detroit Pistons. year at Deloitte, the CPA exam. to your parents as to what you'll was about, I'm gonna work really hard. eight children through college. make my father proud. kinda thing, but always round myself out. they came here to make a better life for with your children? can you have it all and can I do it all as defined by me? allowed me to do it all. different careers within Deloitte. from hundreds of companies. stability in my travel schedule. served a very large company in New Jersey. literally was two miles from my house. I could really balance it all. I found different roles in the firm. now you're in WNBA. never aspired to be WMBA commissioner. sportscaster by the way. to do, getting a little closer. bringing all my experience that I had kind of a new world. they're not that much different. Patterson quote where you're juggling find out the work ball when you drop it, it bounces back, you will recover. if you drop those balls. career you end up in, career or careers. level during a time when it was the highest platform you can go, crazy. just going for it. &gt;&gt; You're so caring, juggling the four balls of life. hold dear to my heart and jeopardizing the relationships that I can make it in a career. about 12 years now. something that I wanna do long a number at a big firm, so were evaluating whether you should even accounting wasn't on my radar. introductory class, and I did just that. I heard about this big four thing. the different firms and asking questions. then the next step is can the profession, the priorities that I have in my life. to me was interaction with people and like this where the stereotype is like you don't have time for your family. basically fresh out of school, profession is very demanding as far as &gt;&gt; Do you have any advice for bright colors and accounting, it's a lot of work. times of the year where it's just very of time, there are pockets of time. and the travel to this and to that. balance, I think as I've continued on, there are times when okay, I'm gonna have we're going to the playground on Saturday. work because that takes priority. can be an challenge. the adventure too, right? integrate that together. profession has allowed me to be true to many different things in so journey that, it wasn't expected. I thought this was gonna be long. boom, it's gone. pocket the whole time? texting, you can only do it so you're gonna meet all new people. it can be pretty mentally draining. of answers to my questions but I don't know, I feel like I'm something that shouldn't hold me back. you're leaving them to try and might not understand it until later on my mom finally gets it and called Powerful Accounting. fraud accounting. &gt;&gt; Hi. &gt;&gt; It's beautiful. forensic and tax was your niche? not to be exact or anything, right? &gt;&gt; Yeah, so I had done bookkeeping but wanted to do things different and attorney called me and said hey, what kind of case, and he's like I have because they're under a civil audit. an accountant and what I can do for because I get so pumped up. a little FBI situation going on. so that was like it for me. got my certified fraud examiner license a CPA And that's just all I wanna do. my parents were very disappointed. it makes you second guess yourself. trip was to figure out for myself, just shooting another dart at a board. that I am making the right choice that set me up for a good career. that way because I hope they understand keys, we're analyzing and thinking. thing that people don't realize. it's not just preparing tax returns, than just what people think accounting is. I look at them and I'm like, the computer does that for me. we can analyze. into words that most people can't. you'll find it in accounting. with small businesses lacking internal which is why there's so much fraud. the expert witness testifying in court. I'm gonna make myself an accounting cop. are not doing the right thing. it says accounting pathologist. am I just going to take someone out? to defend the public from bad people, like a bunch of animals, right? tax season because I wanted to have hard but I get to go to practice at 3. I had to do it my way. industry, you could be an engineer, it's unfortunate but it's just some human you down to build themselves up. at all because they love you and even with having a little sister and them and you want to make them proud. have to do what's best for you. saying, you've got to be open minded, the part where I'm struggling. parents because they kinda gave up on of that and it's just been super hard. if you didn't know that. &gt;&gt; Dawn is so passionate and open. the emotions, and throughout the entire back and just making me feel so welcome. even if others do not. before in my life from anyone. of dope people who debunked a lot many different turns. places this profession could take us. into big four is to understand that every is just as intimidated, right? managers, and partners to guide you. you will be successful. it was a lot of work, but it pays off. it's cool. auditing is cool in the way about different businesses. it's been a really dynamic, me to explore something else. not wearing makeup, that has changed my perspective. to let other people limit me. approval from is myself. but this trip taught me that I can without having to sacrifice my health. are bothering me right now. getting it out there, okay, be upset about or anxious about but because I do have that I'm gonna be gaining from it. my family as well. failure was not an option for me. comfortable being uncomfortable. felt uncomfortable I knew I was going to better at the end of it all. &gt;&gt; [LAUGH] That was awesome. house with the red shutters. 

Three young people follow their passion for problem-solving into the worlds of business, sports, finance, entertainment, and more.

Making It Balance

My name is Tim Ryan. I'm the Chairman and Senior Partner at PwC. And I have been in that role for the last three years. I'm blessed to lead 55,000 people which is what we have here in the US. And over my career, I've seen things I had never dreamed of. And I actually grew up here in Boston. Neither one of my parents went to college. I have a brother and two sisters. And we were taught three basic things when we grew up. We were taught to work really hard no matter what we're doing. We were taught to be honest, and we were taught respect. We did not really focus on grades. I don't have a childhood memory of do well in school, or doing homework, and in fact, I have to really challenge myself to even to recall doing homework. I graduated at the middle of my class, literary in the middle. And I was lucky enough to go to Babson College which is in the suburbs here at Boston. And Babson is a business college and I went there simply because I had the most financial aid. My parents could not afford to send me to college. And it was simply the lowest price tag. It was that simple. I didn't know much about it, but I just knew I could afford it. I had no interest in accounting. I want to be an entrepreneur. I want to own my own business. I thought of a sandwich shop. I thought of some mortgage-type businesses. And I was very fortunate to have a professor and his name was Richard Bruno. He since long passed, but Richard Bruno saw that accounting was about people. And he saw that I love people, and so he begged me to try an accounting internship. And I owe him everything because from the day I walked through the doors here at PwC in 1988, it's all been about people. It's been about teaming and people and great experiences. But I would have never found my way had he not said, just give it a try. And the work is secondary. To me, it's the dynamic nature of people, problems, opportunities that you solve in teams, and that's why I'm here today. 

Hear what Tim Ryan focused on instead of grades to get to where he is today, as a senior partner and leader at Big Four accounting firm PwC.

Experience

Support & Encouragement

Values

Why I Chose Accounting

Problem-solving, helping people, and often doing it with cutting-edge technology—auditing is way more interesting than pop culture would have you believe. That’s why this summer, fueled by the Center for Audit Quality’s “Discover Audit” initiative, Roadtrip Nation is sending three young adults interested in auditing and accounting on a road trip to see what the profession has to offer. They’ll meet with auditors working in a wide range of roles, as well as people who’ve applied the skills they gained from auditing to pursue other dreams, and hear the paths they’ve taken and the advice they have. Watch the journey unfold below, then stay tuned to watch the film when it premieres next year.


Accounting and Auditing Roadtrip

STOPS & INTERVIEWS

STOPS & INTERVIEWS

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