Closing the GAAP — Women in Accounting What do you enjoy doing outside of work? Pretty much anything that doesn’t require me to look at a computer screen. My first love is spending time with my family, which usually involves chasing them from activity to activity. My time spent watching soccer games and dance recitals should make me an expert in all things soccer and dance. I’ve learned to enjoy the moments spent driving kids to and from activities, a chore I used to try to pawn off on anyone in ear shot. We are also avid Real Salt Lake fans and you can find us at most home games cheering on the team. Outside of the responsibilities of being a busy mom, I love being outdoors. My favorite activities are hiking, running and skiing. Running keeps me sane, and I love that I can enjoy that hobby no matter where I am. I spend most of my summers hiking in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming. My family spends a week every year at Snowbird during the summer and we have checked off nearly every hike in Little and Big Cottonwood canyons. I also spend a lot of time near the Tetons in the summer and have climbed the three main peaks. Every summer I tell myself I’m going to golf more — looks like I’ll have to remind myself of that again next summer. What advice would you give other female professionals? Surround yourself with people who are supportive and who you can trust. Be yourself, be confident and don’t be afraid to show people what you can do and what you know. What path did your career take in order for you to hold the position you are in today? Starting my career at a firm that was small allowed me to understand the importance of team work, building strong relationships with people and self motivation. I was fortunate to have a boss who gave me the freedom to learn new things, pushed me to take on that challenging new client and give me direct and sometimes painful feedback. Learning in this environment helped me see the big picture rather than focus on tasks. As the firm grew, more opportunities presented themselves. Do you know any accounting jokes? Accountants Best Defense: We’re not boring people. We just get excited over boring things. What advantage do you have as a professional woman in the accounting profession? I don’t know that being a woman gives me any advantages, but I've heard that
women are better listeners, apparently I listened, right? I think having the ability to actively listen to others, understand situations, remain calm and make good rational decisions has helped me. What advice would you have for male professionals as they interact with female professionals? Not to be too cliché, but if you find the subject of sports to dominate every casual conversation during meetings try a new topic every now and then. This is somewhat true, and I have been in meetings where I have nothing valuable to add to the conversation and it’s frustrating. I would also say be inclusive and mindful of everyone around you. You never know when and where that relationship will be beneficial. Do you have a mentor? How have mentors helped you in your career? I have had many mentors over the course of my career. Starting with the person who recruited me at KPMG to people who have been my bosses and now to people whom I no longer work directly with but still seek out for advice. For me, a mentor has helped me understand things around me that are new or foreign, has been someone to bounce ideas off of and get objective advice, and has introduced me to people or ideas. I have been very fortunate to have several mentors who have made a meaningful impact on me and my career. They are the first people I can turn to when faced with a challenge to get an objective strategic perspective. What advice do you live by? “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: It goes on.” — Robert Frost. When you’re young, it seems to drag on, when you get older you wonder where it went. In the end, I go by the words in one of my favorite James Taylor songs: "The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time." ■
Cathie Hurst, CPA, earned her Bachelors and Masters Degrees from WSU. After working in public accounting for over 16 years at Ulrich & Assoc., Cathie recently made the move to an accounting position at Academica West, working in Charter School management.
the journal entry | October 2016
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