Dear Accountant

*Earn free CPE credit for listening to this episode! Visit EarmarkCPE.com to sign up for free! Tom Golden has a national reputation in forensic accounting and fraud investigation. He has been quoted in major world-wide publications including Journal of Accountancy, USA Today, The Financial Times, Business Week, Chicago Tribune, and The Age (Melbourne, Australia). He has extensive testifying experience and is a frequent presenter having conducted numerous fraud investigation training seminars for both U.S. and foreign corporations, and the Federal Government including the FBI and IRS. Tom was the lead author of the award-winning John Wiley & Sons book A Guide to Forensic Accounting Investigation, now in its 2nd Edition. He is a CPA and Certified Fraud Examiner, former chairman of the Board of Regents for the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) and has been given this organization’s highest honor being name Regent Emeritus, and former Chairman of the Better Government Association, a citizen watch-dog group operating in Chicago since 1922. Tom was also an adjunct professor at DePaul University, Chicago after he developed and taught the school’s first Forensic Accounting graduate course in 2002. Tom’s presentation style is indeed unique and can be tailored to each specific audience. Whether he speaks from a podium or freely moves around an open stage he delivers simple techniques which auditors and financial executives can use to spot and avoid fraud. Visit: http://www.tomgoldenbooks.com Previous episode with Tom Golden - S2 E1: Numbers can tell very exciting stories: https://dearaccountant.libsyn.com/numbers-can-tell-very-exciting-stories ABOUT CECE LEUNG, CPA Cecilia "Cece" Leung is a finance executive and CFO advisor to growing businesses who are ready to scale up financially and get ready for next-level opportunities. Cece is the founding partner of The Entrepreneur CFO, a global professional advisory firm helping growing companies with strategic decision making as they become financially and operationally ready for their next big thing. With fluency in Mandarin, Cantonese and English, paired with two decades of international financial services experience in New York, London, Switzerland, Hong Kong and China, Cece has worked with prominent firms including JP Morgan, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Ernst & Young, offering the best in-class solutions to Fortune 500 and growing companies worldwide. Cece is the author of the book Dear Accountant: Stories, Advice and Explorations, which offers up-and-coming professionals valuable insights and perspectives about the many career paths and opportunities under the accounting and finance umbrella. Personal Website: www.ceceleung.com Book Website: www.dearaccountantbook.com The Entrepreneur CFO website: www.ecfopro.com Financial Planning: https://www.ecfopro.com/financial-planning-advisory/ Coaching, Training and Workshop: https://www.ecfopro.com/training-and-coaching/ PR, Media and Collab: https://www.ceceleung.com/media Podcast Blog: https://www.ceceleung.com/blog Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceceleung/

*Earn free CPE credit for listening to this episode! Visit EarmarkCPE.com to sign up for free! Mentorship has been our core theme of this podcast, and ever since the pilot episodes, we kept getting endless questions about this topic. I’m excited to invite my mentor, Catherine Flax, to come back to have this coffee chat, while we rebroadcast the original episode so you can earn your CPE credit! As most of you know, Catherine is a strong champion for diversity and mentorship. You already know her story from my book, and even after knowing for over a decade, I continue to learn so much from her leadership, wisdom, empathy, and everything in life and work really. Let's see what she’s up to since the last time we chatted over a year ago on this podcast. ABOUT OUR GUEST, CATHERINE FLAX Catherine Flax has a distinguished multi-decade career across diverse industries and positions and has served in executive leadership roles in financial services, FinTech, and commodities. Her global endeavors alongside accomplished worldwide C-suite executives are certainly impressive, but what makes her unique is her deep sense of humanity and empathy, and her genuine interest in connecting with others. Catherine is the President of Private Markets at X Machina Capital Strategies. She brings decades of experience in building successful businesses in commodities, financial services, technology, and professional services. She sits on the board of ISO-New England, Abaxx Technologies (ABXX.NE), Astor Perkins, BASE Carbon and Amperon. Most recently, Catherine served as CEO of Pefin, the world’s first artificial intelligence financial advisor. Earlier, she worked at BNP Paribas, where she served as CEO, commodities, foreign exchange, and emerging markets. Catherine also worked at J.P. Morgan, serving as both CMO globally, as well as CEO, commodities EMEA. Catherine was named the “Most Influential Women in European Financial Markets”. She also is a board member at Cristo Rey Brooklyn Highschool, CareerSpring, Aggies on Wall Street Program at Texas A&M University, as well as a trustee at the Holy Family Church in New York City. CONNECT WITH CATHERINE: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherineflax/' ABOUT X Machina Capital Strategies: https://www.xmcstrategies.com ABOUT CECE LEUNG, CPA Cecilia "Cece" Leung is a finance executive and CFO advisor to growing businesses who are ready to scale up financially and get ready for next-level opportunities. Cece is the founding partner of The Entrepreneur CFO, a global professional advisory firm helping growing companies with strategic decision making as they become financially and operationally ready for their next big thing. With fluency in Mandarin, Cantonese and English, paired with two decades of international financial services experience in New York, London, Switzerland, Hong Kong and China, Cece has worked with prominent firms including JP Morgan, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Ernst & Young, offering the best in-class solutions to Fortune 500 and growing companies worldwide. Cece is the author of the book Dear Accountant: Stories, Advice and Explorations, which offers up-and-coming professionals valuable insights and perspectives about the many career paths and opportunities under the accounting and finance umbrella. Personal Website: www.ceceleung.com Book Website: www.dearaccountantbook.com The Entrepreneur CFO website: www.ecfopro.com Financial Planning: https://www.ecfopro.com/financial-planning-advisory/ Coaching, Training and Workshop: https://www.ecfopro.com/training-and-coaching/ PR, Media and Collab: https://www.ceceleung.com/media Podcast Blog: https://www.ceceleung.com/blog Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceceleung/

*Earn free CPE credit for listening to this episode! Visit EarmarkCPE.com to sign up for free! I am so excited to invite my friend, one of the few Asian thought leaders, educators and influencers in accounting, Donny Shimamoto, to talk about all things accounting, technology, small businesses and… Asian Representation!!! Well, you are probably very familiar with him because he’s everywhere, speaking and consulting about all things IT risk mgmt, business transformation, organizational development and AI! And as you know, I am always curious and have a million questions, I love talking to brilliant minds and bouncing off thoughts on some very tough questions, and this time is no exception. ABOUT OUR GUEST, DONNY SHIMAMOTO, CPA, CITP, CGMA Donny is the founder and managing director of IntrapriseTechKnowlogies, an advisory-focused CPA firm specialized in innovation acceleration and organizational development for small businesses, middle market organizations, and nonprofits. He is dedicated to help accountants and organizations strategically leverage technology while proactively managing their business and technical risk. CONNECT WITH DONNY SHIMAMOTO: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnyitk/ About IntrapriseTechKnowlogies: www.intraprise.us GET INVOLVED IN THIS MEANINGFUL JOURNEY: Center for Accounting Transformation: www.improvetheworld.net. ABOUT CECE LEUNG, CPA Cecilia "Cece" Leung is a finance executive and CFO advisor to growing businesses who are ready to scale up financially and get ready for next-level opportunities. Cece is the founding partner of The Entrepreneur CFO, a global professional advisory firm helping growing companies with strategic decision making as they become financially and operationally ready for their next big thing. With fluency in Mandarin, Cantonese and English, paired with two decades of international financial services experience in New York, London, Switzerland, Hong Kong and China, Cece has worked with prominent firms including JP Morgan, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Ernst & Young, offering the best in-class solutions to Fortune 500 and growing companies worldwide. Cece is the author of the book Dear Accountant: Stories, Advice and Explorations, which offers up-and-coming professionals valuable insights and perspectives about the many career paths and opportunities under the accounting and finance umbrella. Personal Website: www.ceceleung.com Book Website: www.dearaccountantbook.com The Entrepreneur CFO website: www.ecfopro.com Financial Planning: https://www.ecfopro.com/financial-planning-advisory/ Coaching, Training and Workshop: https://www.ecfopro.com/training-and-coaching/ PR, Media and Collab: MEDIA | Cece Leung Podcast Blog: https://www.ceceleung.com/blog Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceceleung/

*Earn free CPE credit for listening to this episode! Visit EarmarkCPE.com to sign up for free! S5 E4. Your Favorite Mentor series with Chuck Burch: Updates + *Rebroadcast* How to embrace masculinity and vulnerability One of the most downloaded episodes has been season 3, episode 6 with Chuck where we talked about masculinity, vulnerability and insecurity of men. I decided to bring back your favorite mentor for a short coffee chat while we rebroadcast his episode because he always has interesting perspectives to share and I always learn so much from talking to him. As most of you know from reading his story in my book, he grew up in the inner city in a single parent household, but his determination and focus has helped him get through so many unexpected twists and turns in his life - ultimately started his entrepreneurial journey and built a very successful business. Let's see what he’s up to! CONNECT WITH CHUCK BURCH: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-burch-cpa-pfs-cfp%C2%AE-b0569a22/ Company Website: http://www.chuckburchcfp.com/ Chuck Burch Scholarship Fund: https://www.chuckburchscholarshipfund.org/ The Evolution of Skating: Live, Love, Sk8 to Tell It (The Evolution of Skating Series) https://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Skating-Live-Love-Tell-ebook/dp/B08WPCCB5P ABOUT CECE LEUNG, CPA Cecilia "Cece" Leung is a finance executive and CFO advisor to growing businesses who are ready to scale up financially and get ready for next-level opportunities. Cece is the founding partner of The Entrepreneur CFO, a global professional advisory firm helping growing companies with strategic decision making as they become financially and operationally ready for their next big thing. With fluency in Mandarin, Cantonese and English, paired with two decades of international financial services experience in New York, London, Switzerland, Hong Kong and China, Cece has worked with prominent firms including JP Morgan, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Ernst & Young, offering the best in-class solutions to Fortune 500 and growing companies worldwide. Cece is the author of the book Dear Accountant: Stories, Advice and Explorations, which offers up-and-coming professionals valuable insights and perspectives about the many career paths and opportunities under the accounting and finance umbrella. Personal Website: www.ceceleung.com Book Website: www.dearaccountantbook.com The Entrepreneur CFO website: www.ecfopro.com Coaching, Training and Workshop: https://www.ecfopro.com/training-and-coaching/ PR, Media and Collab: https://www.ceceleung.com/media Podcast Blog: https://www.ceceleung.com/blog Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceceleung/

*Earn free CPE credit for listening to this episode! Visit EarmarkCPE.com to sign up for free! I am so excited to invite my mentor, Penney Ooi, to chat about how to build an impactful business as an Asian female leader in the wealth management space! She is recognized as the first woman to achieve the highest field advancement level within World Financial Group, which is part of Transamerica, a fortune 500 company. She is a rare combination of visionary and master builder. Penney is a strong advocate for financial education and financial literacy - Through her career, she not only helped and impacted so many lives, she has also nurtured many successful leaders to become millionaires who are now proud business owners who enjoy true financial freedom. In this episode, we chatted with Penney about her journey over the past 28 years, from moving to the US as an international student from Malaysia, got rejected by the top firms, to ultimately building her successful business empire Dream builder financial to serve the masses. CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST, PENNEY OOI Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/penneyooi/?hl=en Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/penneyooi/ About Penney: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/penney-ooi-becomes-first-woman-to-achieve-highest-field-advancement-level-with-world-financial-group-301382047.html Dream Builder Financials: https://dreambuilderfs.com/penney ABOUT CECE LEUNG, CPA Cecilia "Cece" Leung is a finance executive and CFO advisor to growing businesses who are ready to scale up financially and get ready for next-level opportunities. Cece is the author of the book Dear Accountant: Stories, Advice and Explorations, which offers up-and-coming professionals valuable insights and perspectives about the many career paths and opportunities under the accounting and finance umbrella. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceceleung/ Personal Website: www.ceceleung.com Book Website: www.dearaccountantbook.com The Entrepreneur CFO website: www.ecfopro.com PR, Media and Collab: https://www.ceceleung.com/media Podcast Blog: https://www.ceceleung.com/blog GET FREE CPE CREDIT at EARMARKCPE.COM This show is brought to you by Earmark CPE, your source for podcast-based continuing education for accounting and tax professionals. You can earn CPE for listening to the episodes on this podcast, and more! Sign up for the mobile app to earn free CPE whenever you want, wherever you go. Learn more at EarmarkCPE.com.

*Earn free CPE credit for listening to this episode! Visit EarmarkCPE.com to sign up for free! What does Diversity Equity and Inclusion truly mean? Over 20 years ago, The KPMG Foundation, which invests in business education and volunteering, started a national program called The PhD Project, with the mission to increase the diversity of business school faculty. In this episode, I had the pleasure to speak with Blane Ruschak, President of PhD Project; and Dr. Marinilka Kimbro about their work with the PhD Project. I truly believe that The PhD Project is the best kept secret in corporate America - keep listening and find out more! CONNECT WITH OUR GUESTS and THE PhD PROJECT: LINKEDIN: Blane: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blane-ruschak/ Dr. Kimbro: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marinilka-kimbro-58b1b/ THE PhD PROJECT: Main Website - www.phdproject.org Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/thephdproject/info/ Twitter – https://twitter.com/thephdproject LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/thephdproject Instagram - The PhD Project (@thephdproject) • Instagram photos and videos Conference Info - Annual Conference - The PhD Project ABOUT CECE LEUNG, CPA Cecilia "Cece" Leung is a finance executive and CFO advisor to growing businesses who are ready to scale up financially and get ready for next-level opportunities. Cece is the author of the book Dear Accountant: Stories, Advice and Explorations, which offers up-and-coming professionals valuable insights and perspectives about the many career paths and opportunities under the accounting and finance umbrella. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceceleung/ Personal Website: www.ceceleung.com Book Website: www.dearaccountantbook.com The Entrepreneur CFO website: www.ecfopro.com PR, Media and Collab: https://www.ceceleung.com/media Podcast Blog: https://www.ceceleung.com/blog GET FREE CPE CREDIT at EARMARKCPE.COM This show is brought to you by Earmark CPE, your source for podcast-based continuing education for accounting and tax professionals. You can earn CPE for listening to the episodes on this podcast, and more! Sign up for the mobile app to earn free CPE whenever you want, wherever you go. Learn more at EarmarkCPE.com.

*Earn free CPE credit for listening to this episode! Visit EarmarkCPE.com to sign up for free! What are some of the things that rich people know and most of us may not know? Yes, tax strategy is definitely one of the biggest ones. In this episode, I invited my strategic tax coach, James Rainwater, to come on the show to share some tax tips and loopholes only the rich know! James not only is a CPA and tax strategist, he is also a very successful entrepreneur, investor, and advisor. Enjoy the episode! CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST, JAMES RAINWATER, CPA Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jrainwater/ Tax Planning: https://www.rainwatercpa.com/ Schedule time for your FREE TAX ASSESSMENT now and see how much money James could save you! http://freetaxassessment.rainwatercpa.com/ ABOUT CECE LEUNG, CPA Cecilia "Cece" Leung is a finance executive and CFO advisor to growing businesses who are ready to scale up financially and get ready for next-level opportunities. Cece is the author of the book Dear Accountant: Stories, Advice and Explorations, which offers up-and-coming professionals valuable insights and perspectives about the many career paths and opportunities under the accounting and finance umbrella. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceceleung/ Personal Website: www.ceceleung.com Book Website: www.dearaccountantbook.com The Entrepreneur CFO website: www.ecfopro.com PR, Media and Collab: https://www.ceceleung.com/media Podcast Blog: https://www.ceceleung.com/blog GET FREE CPE CREDIT at EARMARKCPE.COM This show is brought to you by Earmark CPE, your source for podcast-based continuing education for accounting and tax professionals. You can earn CPE for listening to the episodes on this podcast, and more! Sign up for the mobile app to earn free CPE whenever you want, wherever you go. Learn more at EarmarkCPE.com.

This week’s podcast guest has more celebrated achievements that's worth listing; Jessica McClain’s leadership and innovation continually spur our industry forward, and I’m excited to share our conversation with all of you. In this episode, we talk about what it takes to succeed as a woman in business, how to effectively manage a mentorship relationship, and so much more. I hope you enjoy our conversation! Episode and Blog: https://www.dearaccountantbook.com/post/women-in-accounting-and-finance CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST, JESSICA MCCLAIN https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-e-mcclain ABOUT CECE LEUNG, CPA Cecilia "Cece" Leung is a finance executive and CFO advisor to growing businesses who are ready to scale up financially and get ready for next-level opportunities. Cece is the author of the book Dear Accountant: Stories, Advice and Explorations, which offers up-and-coming professionals valuable insights and perspectives about the many career paths and opportunities under the accounting and finance umbrella. Personal Website: www.ceceleung.com Book Website: www.dearaccountantbook.com The Entrepreneur CFO website: www.ecfopro.com Coaching, Training and Workshop: https://www.ecfopro.com/training-and-coaching/ PR, Media and Collab: https://www.ceceleung.com/media Podcast Blog: https://www.ceceleung.com/blog Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceceleung/

I’m so excited to share this week’s episode with Danny Bader. Danny is an incredible public speaker, motivational instructor, author, provider, and more. After a near-death experience, Danny connected with the process and feeling of being alive in a whole new way. He advocates and helps others create joy, purpose, and fulfillment. In this episode, we dive deeply into the best ways to create with integrity and authenticity, to connect with others, and to be the best version of yourself. His career and passion shines through the episode, and there are tons of tidbits of great advice and strategies for living your best life. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did! BLOG: https://www.dearaccountantbook.com/post/how-to-create-joy-purpose CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST, DANNY BADER: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannybader/ LEARN MORE DANNY AND HIS WORK: https://www.dannybader.com/ ABOUT CECE LEUNG, CPA Cecilia "Cece" Leung is a finance executive and CFO advisor to growing businesses who are ready to scale up financially and get ready for next-level opportunities. Cece is the author of the book Dear Accountant: Stories, Advice and Explorations, which offers up-and-coming professionals valuable insights and perspectives about the many career paths and opportunities under the accounting and finance umbrella. Personal Website: www.ceceleung.com Book Website: www.dearaccountantbook.com The Entrepreneur CFO website: www.ecfopro.com Coaching, Training and Workshop: https://www.ecfopro.com/training-and-coaching/ PR, Media and Collab: https://www.ceceleung.com/media Podcast Blog: https://www.ceceleung.com/blog Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceceleung/

CPA licensing can open a lot of doors but opportunity cost matters; the field needs to consider shifts in its current approach in order to attract top talent, and this is an incredibly exciting time for the profession! I’m so excited to chat with Liz Kolar - her life resume encompasses all walks of experience, from public accounting at PwC to college professor; from CPA instructor to a leader in the educational technology space, Liz thrives on providing and encouraging young accountants. I speak with Liz about her career journey, her understanding of the changing CPA, and advice on how we can bring in the best talent to become CPAs and excel as accountants in the field. Enjoy! BLOG: https://www.dearaccountantbook.com/post/how-to-prepare-students-now-for-the-new-cpa-evolution-2024-1 CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST, LIZ KOLAR: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizkolar/ LEARN MORE ABOUT LIZ AND SURGENT ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL EDUCATION: https://www.surgent.com https://www.surgentcpareview.com/why-surgent/expert-instructors/ ABOUT CECE LEUNG, CPA Cecilia "Cece" Leung is a finance executive and CFO advisor to growing businesses who are ready to scale up financially and get ready for next-level opportunities. Cece is the author of the book Dear Accountant: Stories, Advice and Explorations, which offers up-and-coming professionals valuable insights and perspectives about the many career paths and opportunities under the accounting and finance umbrella. Personal Website: www.ceceleung.com Book Website: www.dearaccountantbook.com The Entrepreneur CFO website: www.ecfopro.com Coaching, Training and Workshop: https://www.ecfopro.com/training-and-coaching/ PR, Media and Collab: https://www.ceceleung.com/media Podcast Blog: https://www.ceceleung.com/blog Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceceleung/

I am so excited to have Paul Posoli, the founder and president of CareerSpring to talk about his inspiration, mission and vision for this social impact platform that help so many students and graduates with limited economic resources; and how he combined his two decades of executive leadership in global businesses, and leadership in education to build CareerSpring. CONNECT WITH PAUL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-posoli-b566791aa/ CHECK OUT CAREERSPRING: https://careerspring.org/ GET INVOLVED! If you are interested in becoming an advisor, or gain access as an advisee, sign up on the website. If you are a non-profit or organization, and would like to partner with CareerSpring - email admin@careerspring.org for more info. ABOUT CECE LEUNG, CPA Cece is the founding partner of The Entrepreneur CFO, a global professional advisory firm helping growing companies with strategic decision making as they become financially and operationally ready for their next big thing. With fluency in Mandarin, Cantonese and English, paired with two decades of international financial services experience in New York, London, Switzerland, Hong Kong and China, Cece has worked with prominent firms including JP Morgan, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Ernst & Young, offering the best in-class solutions to Fortune 500 and growing companies worldwide. Cece is the author of the book Dear Accountant: Stories, Advice and Explorations, which offers up-and-coming professionals valuable insights and perspectives about the many career paths and opportunities under the accounting and finance umbrella. Personal Website: www.ceceleung.com Book Website: www.dearaccountantbook.com The Entrepreneur CFO website: www.ecfopro.com Coaching, Training and Workshop: https://www.ecfopro.com/training-and-coaching/ PR, Media and Collab: https://www.ceceleung.com/media Podcast Blog: https://www.ceceleung.com/blog Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceceleung/

The topic of Diversity in Accounting is not new. I have been hearing about it even before I entered into the profession almost two decades ago! Yet, the accounting profession is still not where it should be in terms of diversity goals. Any studies or statistics would show you that the representation of minorities in the accounting profession is low, specifically as the professionals continue to rise up the rank. In the past years, we also heard about the pipeline problem - some of the young talents just don’t find accounting an attractive career option, which is such a shame because I personally love accounting, and how my accounting background and experiences has opened up so many opportunities and helped me to continue to build my entrepreneurial career. Usually, when people look at me, they would never think I am an accountant - but I am a super proud accountant, and I am also a lot of things - I am a published author, podcast host, speaker, business owner, endurance athlete, pianist, and yes, I also built an online skin care company and sold it many years ago! And honestly, when you get to know more of us in accounting, you will know how fascinating our stories are - there are comedians, FBI agents and children book authors - you name it! So I say we as accountants need to break this stereotype, change our narrative and branding, most importantly, share our stories so people know exactly what we do and the impact of our work. ABOUT DR. KECIA WILLIAMS SMITH, PhD, CPA, Director, Center for Accounting Diversity Kecia is a CPA, and currently serves as the Director of the Master of Accountancy Program in the Department of Accounting and Finance at North Carolina A&T State University. She spent her early careers at one of the big 4 for almost a decade, then, she pivoted to join the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) where she created and led the Inspections Training Office that served over 400 inspection personnel. Yes, if you remember, the PCAOB is a dedicated regulatory agency that was created by the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002 to audit the auditors. Then, after spending almost another decade there, she went back to school to get her PhD - and post-PhD, she taught at Virginia Tech for a few years, and eventually returned to her alma mater in academia, bringing all her experiences together to the classroom. Cece’s note: Kecia’s passion is contagious. I’d say it’s obvious that helping pave the way to quality education to the younger generations is not only her vocation, but her calling in life. Thank you, Kecia! Connect with Kecia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kecia-williams-smith-ph-d-cpa-6053b11/ GET ON THE MAILING LIST The Center for Accounting Diversity will be officially launching in Feb 2022 -- so exciting!! Stay up to date with this important initiative - send an email to thecenter@ncat.edu to be added to the mailing list. ABOUT CECE LEUNG, CPA Cecilia "Cece" Leung is a finance executive and CFO advisor to growing businesses who are ready to scale up financially and get ready for next-level opportunities. Cece is the founding partner of The Entrepreneur CFO, a global professional advisory firm helping growing companies with strategic decision making as they become financially and operationally ready for their next big thing. With fluency in Mandarin, Cantonese and English, paired with two decades of international financial services experience in New York, London, Switzerland, Hong Kong and China, Cece has worked with prominent firms including JP Morgan, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Ernst & Young, offering the best in-class solutions to Fortune 500 and growing companies worldwide. Cece is the author of the book Dear Accountant: Stories, Advice and Explorations, which offers up-and-coming professionals valuable insights and perspectives about the many career paths and opportunities under the accounting and finance umbrella. Personal Website: www.ceceleung.com Book Website:...

Hey friends, welcome to the Dear Accountant podcast season 3 finale. I know it feels like it’s been forever, right? Thank you so much for all your notes saying hello and checking up on me - yes I am still here. So this episode is just going to be me talking to you - so I titled this episode Dear Cece’s friends, which is YOU! What better way to wrap up season 3 right? For all of you that are listening, I may not know who you are, yet; but I am very thankful that you are here sharing this moment with me. No matter where you are in the world, what journey you are on, I wish you the very best, good health with a lot of love and joy. I wish to meet you someday in person - in my workshop, group coaching or speaking events! Or hey maybe just in the coffee shop or bookstore! Happy holidays to you and your family and loved ones - I will see you back here on the Dear Accountant podcast in the new year 2022 kicking off Season 4! Until then, take care of yourself - rest up and get ready to kick ass in the new year!! Cece ———- ABOUT CECE LEUNG, CPA Cecilia "Cece" Leung is a finance executive and CFO advisor to growing businesses who are ready to scale up financially and get ready for next-level opportunities. Cece is the founding partner of The Entrepreneur CFO, a global professional advisory firm helping growing companies with strategic decision making as they become financially and operationally ready for their next big thing. With fluency in Mandarin, Cantonese and English, paired with two decades of international financial services experience in New York, London, Switzerland, Hong Kong and China, Cece has worked with prominent firms including JP Morgan, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Ernst & Young, offering the best in-class solutions to Fortune 500 and growing companies worldwide. Cece is the author of the book Dear Accountant: Stories, Advice and Explorations, which offers up-and-coming professionals valuable insights and perspectives about the many career paths and opportunities under the accounting and finance umbrella. Personal Website: www.ceceleung.com Book Website: www.dearaccountantbook.com The Entrepreneur CFO website: www.ecfopro.com Coaching, Training and Workshop: https://www.ecfopro.com/training-and-coaching/ PR, Media and Collab: https://www.ceceleung.com/media Podcast Blog: https://www.ceceleung.com/blog Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceceleung/

I wanna rebroadcast this conversation I have had with one of my favorite Asian female leaders, Karen Coyne. Karen is a CFP, certified financial planner - she is not only a financial wizard, but a charming and engaging podcast host! Check out her podcast called fresh off the vine - the Podcast about money sometimes about wine and always about getting better with time. Yep it sounds so cool right - I totally just took that tagline from her podcast :) I really had so much time talking to her in this episode called “breaking the stereotype of the typical accountant” - in fact that really has been my mission and purpose of writing my book, my coaching and speaking. As you know, Accounting plays a critical role in every business, and it doesn’t have to be boring! I am passionate about this field not only because I am a CPA, it’s because I want you to know that if you can master this very powerful skill called accounting, a career in accounting and finance can be so fun and so dynamic that it would lead you to so many different professional pathways beyond your imagination!! I cannot believe we have recorded 29 episodes and there’s only one episode left for season 3. I wanna thank you so much for your support and all your kind notes - that’s the reason why despite my ridiculous schedule, I still wanna come hang out with you guys! And if I can ask you for a huge favor to please leave me a rating or review for my book and my podcast, it would mean so much to me and really help spread the word! Until next time, take care of yourself! Enjoy this conversation! Review my book on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Accountant-Stories-Advice-Explorations/dp/1544521138/ Review my podcast on Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/fj/podcast/dear-accountant/id1560234052 CONNECT WITH KAREN Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karencoyne/ Fresh off the Vine Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ewO5N1cqUdgWOjIOTvMzQ ABOUT KAREN COYNE, CFP® Karen Coyne, CFP® is the founder of Clarity Planning, an independent financial planning practice at Raymond James. She is a financial advisor to entrepreneurial physicians and professionals who value their time, wellness, and relationships as much as any other asset. She serves as a guide and sounding board for her clients, helping them make sense of how their money will best serve their vision and values. Karen is also a financial author and writer, with articles published by Medical Economics, Physician’s Practice, and DentistryIQ.com. She is the podcast host of FRESH OFF THE VINE™, and loves to explore the myriad of ways that finances intersect with so many other aspects of our lives. The benefits of basic financial planning were made quite clear to Karen with the tragic loss of her father when he was just 40 years old. Because her parents had taken steps to help prepare for the unexpected, her family was able to avoid compounding an already painful situation. Karen is impassioned about being actionable and making decisions when you have options, before life makes your decisions for you. Karen has attained the prestigious CFP® certification, one of the most respected financial planning credentials among consumers and a recognized standard of excellence in personal financial planning. CFP® professionals complete a rigorous and comprehensive program, which covers the financial planning process, tax planning, employee benefits and retirement planning, estate planning, investment management and insurance. Karen also holds the securities licenses Series 7, 24 and 63, life and health insurance licenses, and is a Registered Principal and Investment Management Consultant (IMC).* She earned a bachelor’s degree in art history from the American University of Paris, France. She brings experience, but also generous doses of humor and perspective. She “deals in the real” and is the antidote to shaming and “shoulding.” Karen serves on the board of the Community Foundation of Washington...

Whenever we talk about the younger generations, or the term millennial, what comes to mind is usually nothing good, right? But honestly, you and I were young once, when I was a teenager or in my 20s, it's always full of drama, agony, worries, insecurities - so when you think about it, most generations start off with a bad reputation. The younger generation rarely delights the older generations. I don’t think this is anything new. The post-World War II generation complained about the baby boomers. Then the baby boomers complained about Gen X - It’s human nature to think you know more than those who come after you, that your way is the best way, and that “these kids” are really just that - well, they are kids. So millennials are considered entitled, selfish, and impatient, lazy and disloyal... there's probably some truth to that, or else people wouldn't say that... but my argument is that there's some level of truth to that for every generation when they are in their 20s to early 30s. Of course there may have been some slightly different aspects of what their weaker and stronger points were... but for all generations, there was some immaturity and self centeredness at that age. I work with a lot of young kids, specifically with underprivileged and immigrant kids, first generation students, and they always reminded me of my younger self - full of untapped strengths and hope inside that I didn't even know I had! So how do we crack their code and figure out their motivation and engage them in life and at work? This week I invited our youngest guest Sammy Warrayat on the show. He's the podcast host of "Successful Millennials Podcast", geared towards proactive and driven millennial born from 1990 to 1997 trying to find motivation as well as improve tactics to achieve success in the 5 major categories he defined - Happiness, Money, Health, Career, and Relationship - fully capture the impact of the rise of technology and social media being in the formative years instead of in adulthood. ABOUT OUR GUEST, SAMMY WARRAYAT Sammy is a fitness enthusiast, avid traveler, financial coach, money expert and so much more! After having a data analytics career throughout his 20s, he left Corporate America with a vision of helping others achieve financial independence and a successful overall life in health, relationships, and purpose through discipline and grit rather than just motivation and inspiration through his podcast and consulting services. Check out Sammy’s podcast - The Successful Millennials Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/successful-millennials-podcast/id1559215368 Get coached by Sammy - work with him on your personal finance: https://financezilla.net Connect with Sammy: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/financezilla/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammywarrayat/ ABOUT CECE LEUNG, CPA Cecilia "Cece" Leung is a finance executive and CFO advisor to growing businesses who are ready to scale up financially and get ready for next-level opportunities. Cece is the founding partner of The Entrepreneur CFO, a global professional advisory firm helping growing companies with strategic decision making as they become financially and operationally ready for their next big thing. With fluency in Mandarin, Cantonese and English, paired with two decades of international financial services experience in New York, London, Switzerland, Hong Kong and China, Cece has worked with prominent firms including JP Morgan, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Ernst & Young, offering the best in-class solutions to Fortune 500 and growing companies worldwide. Cece is the author of the book Dear Accountant: Stories, Advice and Explorations, which offers up-and-coming professionals valuable insights and perspectives about the many career paths and opportunities under the accounting and finance umbrella. Personal Website: www.ceceleung.com Book Website: www.dearaccountantbook.com The Entrepreneur CFO website:...

As you know, I am an accountant by training and spent my career in capital markets and investment funds for the past 2 decades. As an Asian female, my career journey has definitely been a roller coaster journey to say the least. I am sure you have heard it all, or maybe even experienced it yourself - being treated like an outsider. Feeling like you have to prove yourself all the time. Struggling to make your voice heard. Whether it’s overt discrimination or more subtle forms of bias, male-dominated industries like engineering and banking can pose huge challenges for women. But I gotta say, despite all the obstacles, I also got a lot of guidance and support from women and men, and eventually found my place. I am so honored to have Florence Hudson to be on the show this week to talk about the topic on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Accounting and Math) ahead with resilience! I love her energy, and her backstory is fascinating - I am impressed and seriously do not know how she does it all! She’s a proven success that no matter what life throws at her, she continues to keep moving forward and rise above challenges. ABOUT OUR GUEST, FLORENCE HUDSON: Florence is the Founder & CEO of FDHint, LLC, https://www.fdhint.com/ a consulting firm focused on advanced technologies, diversity and inclusion. She’s an aerospace and mechanical engineer by training, was a Former Chief Technology Officer at IBM, a Chief Innovation Officer, and an aerospace engineer at Grumman and NASA. She is Executive Director for the NSF funded Northeast Big Data Innovation Hub at Columbia University, and formerly Special Advisor for TrustedCI – the NSF Cybersecurity Center of Excellence at Indiana University. She serves on Boards at her alma mater Princeton, as well as Cal Poly, and Stony Brook Universities, Blockchain in Healthcare, and the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Standards Committee (EMB-SC). Connect with Florence on social media: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/florencehudson/ Twitter handles: @flo4princeton (personal) @fdhint (consulting) @tippss4iot (ieee and security/privacy crowd). Florence's speaking engagements: https://fdhint.com/speaking ABOUT CECE LEUNG: CPA Cecilia "Cece" Leung is a finance executive and CFO advisor to growing businesses who are ready to scale up financially and get ready for next-level opportunities. Cece is the founding partner of The Entrepreneur CFO, a global professional advisory firm helping growing companies with strategic decision making as they become financially and operationally ready for their next big thing. With fluency in Mandarin, Cantonese and English, paired with two decades of international financial services experience in New York, London, Switzerland, Hong Kong and China, Cece has worked with prominent firms including JP Morgan, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Ernst & Young, offering the best in-class solutions to Fortune 500 and growing companies worldwide. Cece is the author of the book Dear Accountant: Stories, Advice and Explorations, which offers up-and-coming professionals valuable insights and perspectives about the many career paths and opportunities under the accounting and finance umbrella. Personal Website: www.ceceleung.com Book Website: www.dearaccountantbook.com The Entrepreneur CFO website: www.ecfopro.com Coaching, Training and Workshop: https://www.ecfopro.com/training-and-coaching/ PR, Media and Collab: https://www.ceceleung.com/media Podcast Blog: https://www.ceceleung.com/blog Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceceleung/

Hi everyone, this is Cece, thanks for tuning in. I cannot believe there's only 2 months left so I want to finish this year strong! Things have been great and I have been traveling a lot so I am exhausted! Aside from the 3 remaining episodes for this season, I have so many bonus episodes I'd like to share! Recently I got a lot of questions about pay and compensation, so I thought I’d re-broadcast this chat I had with David Weaver earlier this year during the lockdown. David is the award-winning author and podcast host called Pay Matters. Compensation is such a sensitive topic and most of us do not feel comfortable talking about it. We all want to get paid fairly and competitively for what we do. How much are you worth? Compensation is never just about money. What matters to people at different stages of life should be taken into account. But I do think people care about company culture and values, flexibility, community and contributions, and the sense of belonging, feeling that they are part of something greater than themselves. We all want to have a truly fulfilling personal and professional life. Enjoy the episode! About David Weaver: David is the President of Compensation and HR group. He's also the award-winning author of Pay Matters: The Art and Science of Employee Compensation. He's an influential and highly skilled Compensation Consultant with extensive experience working with senior leaders in Human Resources to design and implement compensation programs seamlessly. He has strong background in compensation program design, salary surveys, base pay, incentive plans, executive compensation, total rewards, sales incentives, performance management, job evaluation, global compensation, FLSA reviews and employee engagement surveys. Connect with David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidkweaver His company website: https://chrg.compensationhr.com/ Pay Matters Book: paymattersbook.com/ Pay Matters Podcast: https://paymattersbook.com/podcast/ ABOUT CECE LEUNG, CPA Cecilia "Cece" Leung is a finance executive and CFO advisor to growing businesses who are ready to scale up financially and get ready for next-level opportunities. Cece is the founding partner of The Entrepreneur CFO, a global professional advisory firm helping growing companies with strategic decision making as they become financially and operationally ready for their next big thing. With fluency in Mandarin, Cantonese and English, paired with two decades of international financial services experience in New York, London, Switzerland, Hong Kong and China, Cece has worked with prominent firms including JP Morgan, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Ernst & Young, offering the best in-class solutions to Fortune 500 and growing companies worldwide. Cece is the author of the book Dear Accountant: Stories, Advice and Explorations, which offers up-and-coming professionals valuable insights and perspectives about the many career paths and opportunities under the accounting and finance umbrella. Personal Website: www.ceceleung.com Book Website: www.dearaccountantbook.com The Entrepreneur CFO website: www.ecfopro.com Coaching, Training and Workshop: https://www.ecfopro.com/training-and-coaching/ PR, Media and Collab: https://www.ceceleung.com/media Podcast Blog: https://www.ceceleung.com/blog Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceceleung/

When I was young growing up in Hong Kong, I was fascinated by the glamour of wall street and all the professionals dressing up in suits - I never imagined myself making it to New York City!! So when I graduated with my business degree in finance and economics, I also got my CPA - who would have thought having accounting and finance skills under my belt can be so powerful to open up my world in financial capital markets globally, and allowed me to continue to evolve and become an entrepreneur. I love this industry and I continued to be amazed by all the growth and opportunities. The financial markets basically exist to bring people together so money flows to where it is needed most. So often people think all the people who are crushing it out there in the financial world are the finance guys - but hey there are actually a lot of us cool bean counters not only counting beans but growing them for businesses to flourish. I am so excited to have David Sarfas as our guest this week to talk about his international career journey, the financial capital markets and so much more! For those of you who are interested in exploring the many career options in financial services - this conversation will provide a lot more colors, insights and perspectives! ABOUT OUR GUEST, DAVID SARFAS David is the Managing Director and Head of Private Capital at Intertrust Group. He has three decades of experience serving the alternative asset industry. He’s worked at the big 4 accounting firm, global investment bank, fund administration services in different capacities. His experience covers a wide range of business issues and processes which includes financial and accounting due diligence, structuring and valuing transactions and investment banking services for alternative asset management industry participants. David's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarfas/ ABOUT CECE LEUNG, CPA Cecilia "Cece" Leung is a finance executive and CFO advisor to growing businesses who are ready to scale up financially and get ready for next-level opportunities. Cece is the founding partner of The Entrepreneur CFO, a global professional advisory firm helping growing companies with strategic decision making as they become financially and operationally ready for their next big thing. With fluency in Mandarin, Cantonese and English, paired with two decades of international financial services experience in New York, London, Switzerland, Hong Kong and China, Cece has worked with prominent firms including JP Morgan, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Ernst & Young, offering the best in-class solutions to Fortune 500 and growing companies worldwide. Cece is the author of the book Dear Accountant: Stories, Advice and Explorations, which offers up-and-coming professionals valuable insights and perspectives about the many career paths and opportunities under the accounting and finance umbrella. Personal Website: www.ceceleung.com Book Website: www.dearaccountantbook.com The Entrepreneur CFO website: www.ecfopro.com Coaching, Training and Workshop: https://www.ecfopro.com/training-and-coaching/ PR, Media and Collab: https://www.ceceleung.com/media Podcast Blog: https://www.ceceleung.com/blog Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceceleung/

Welcome to the Dear Accountant podcast bonus episode! I have been traveling this week so I am a bit behind in production - but I’d like to re-broadcast and share this amazing conversation I had with Mark Goldman in his podcast, called Where accountants go! We talked about my career journey and my book and all things accounting. You probably know Mark already - he is a CPA and runs his executive recruiting firm, helps connect businesses and talents - and, he has done 240+ podcast episodes featuring all the cool accountants in our space - such as an FBI agent and all the accounting superheroes you can possibly think of! I applaud all his effort because first of all there’s nothing like it out there in accounting; also, it takes a lot of tremendous effort to write and produce a well-thought-out podcast so thank you, Mark. You are fantastic, and You inspired me. And for all of you listening, I will share all the links in the show notes - so be sure to check out Mark’s podcast. Enjoy our conversation! ABOUT MARK GOLDMAN Connect with Mark on Linkedin Mark Goldman’s podcast “Where Accountants Go” My episode #228 on Mark’s podcast Mark’s MANY amazing books on accounting and recruiting ABOUT CECE LEUNG, CPA Cecilia "Cece" Leung is a finance executive and CFO advisor to growing businesses who are ready to scale up financially and get ready for next-level opportunities. Cece is the founding partner of The Entrepreneur CFO, a global professional advisory firm helping growing companies with strategic decision making as they become financially and operationally ready for their next big thing. With fluency in Mandarin, Cantonese and English, paired with two decades of international financial services experience in New York, London, Switzerland, Hong Kong and China, Cece has worked with prominent firms including JP Morgan, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Ernst & Young, offering the best in-class solutions to Fortune 500 and growing companies worldwide. Cece is the author of the book Dear Accountant: Stories, Advice and Explorations, which offers up-and-coming professionals valuable insights and perspectives about the many career paths and opportunities under the accounting and finance umbrella. Personal Website: www.ceceleung.com Book Website: www.dearaccountantbook.com The Entrepreneur CFO website: www.ecfopro.com Coaching, Training and Workshop: https://www.ecfopro.com/training-and-coaching/ PR, Media and Collab: https://www.ceceleung.com/media Podcast Blog: https://www.ceceleung.com/blog Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceceleung/

Recently I have read some alarming statistics that men are being affected the most in the global mental health crisis. I never think it’s easy to be men, I think we just don’t hear enough about what they have to go through. I have empathy for everyone because I honestly think no matter what gender, each has its own unique and different set of challenges and circumstances! Men often grow up thinking that talking openly isn’t very ‘manly’. The concept of masculinity and vulnerability can vary depending on the world and environment they grew up in, their parents' values, role models, the type of advice and support they get. The ultimate question no matter to men or women would be - how vulnerable do we allow ourselves to be? I am so excited to bring on one of the featured mentors from my book, Chuck Burch. Chuck is a proud alumnus of North Carolina A&T State University. You probably have read about his story about growing up in the inner city in a single-parent household, nevertheless, he was focused and he was determined. His journey is definitely full of twists and turns but he navigated through it - let it be in the corporate environment, or getting laid off twice, went on to do manual labor just to make ends meet; but that period of time ultimately led him to start and build a very successful business and begin his entrepreneurial journey. But he’s here today not only to share with us his career or his interest in skating, but something deeper - to talk about vulnerability, mental health, insecurity and masculinity and how that may affect young men and what they can do. CONNECT WITH CHUCK BURCH: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-burch-cpa-pfs-cfp%C2%AE-b0569a22/ Company Website: http://www.chuckburchcfp.com/ Chuck Burch Scholarship Fund: https://www.chuckburchscholarshipfund.org/ Best Selling Book: The Evolution of Skating: Live, Love, Sk8 to Tell It (The Evolution of Skating Series) https://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Skating-Live-Love-Tell-ebook/dp/B08WPCCB5P ABOUT CECE LEUNG, CPA Cecilia "Cece" Leung is a finance executive and CFO advisor to growing businesses who are ready to scale up financially and get ready for next-level opportunities. Cece is the founding partner of The Entrepreneur CFO, a global professional advisory firm helping growing companies with strategic decision making as they become financially and operationally ready for their next big thing. With fluency in Mandarin, Cantonese and English, paired with two decades of international financial services experience in New York, London, Switzerland, Hong Kong and China, Cece has worked with prominent firms including JP Morgan, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Ernst & Young, offering the best in-class solutions to Fortune 500 and growing companies worldwide. Cece is the author of the book Dear Accountant: Stories, Advice and Explorations, which offers up-and-coming professionals valuable insights and perspectives about the many career paths and opportunities under the accounting and finance umbrella. Personal Website: www.ceceleung.com Book Website: www.dearaccountantbook.com The Entrepreneur CFO website: www.ecfopro.com Coaching, Training and Workshop: https://www.ecfopro.com/training-and-coaching/ PR, Media and Collab: https://www.ceceleung.com/media Podcast Blog: https://www.ceceleung.com/blog Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceceleung/