My love as a child for this book "I Can Do It Myself" is one of the oldest jokes in my family. I am notoriously independent and stubborn, aspects of my personality that have softened greatly over the years. I've made lots more room for collaboration, team-building, and open-mindedness.
But I'm still a builder.
When I was 6 years old and listened to stories on tape, I recorded my own.
When I was 11 years old and saw the internet for the first time, I built my own website. (Angelfire, anyone?) As a teenager, I started an online "zine" with advice, embarrassing moments, and "ask a guy" section.
When I was 18 years old, I sold website packages on eBay - Junebug Web Design.
When I was 30 years old, I attended startup events in Austin and blogged & tweeted about it (abbyjune.com), offering contract bookkeeping services while I worked full-time and went to school.
When I was 38 years old and wanted to do fractional CFO work in emerging CPG, I quit my job to start my own firm.
In the years between 18 and 38, I got my education - both formal and otherwise. I attended college at night and online while I worked, and finished my accounting classes 3 months before my first child was born. I took the exams and did contract work while he was a baby, keeping him home as long as I could.
I considered going to work for a smaller CPA firm after I finished my exams, because the larger firms were intimidating. I wasn't sure I could succeed. But I knew that I wanted to get the kind of work education that would allow me to make a greater impact and reach my full potential, so I became an auditor for RSM, then moved into ERP implementation, and eventually, outsourced accounting. I have an insatiable curiosity and can go from learning to teaching quickly, so I became a go-to person for technology I had no formal training in. I enjoy teaching, and being someone people can count on. It was incredibly difficult to say "see you later" to those treasured colleagues.
Earlier this year, I wanted to move into advisory from pure accounting and technology, but there was no option to do this for emerging CPG at my firm. I also considered getting a position with another firm, but I felt like Goldilocks - nothing was a fit in values, education-upside, benefits to my family, and impact. I finally said, "I Can Do It Myself."
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