The View from the Top: Panel at UNC-W Business Week

Speaking at Cameron School of Business at UNC Wilmington’s Business Week, "The View from the Top," brought back a lot of memories — especially from the early days of my career.

When I graduated, we were in a full-on recession. To finish college more quickly, I loaded up on credit hours and pushed through summer classes just to land a role as quickly as possible. I thought if I worked hard enough, everything would fall into place. But like many others in public accounting, I hit that moment where I wasn’t sure I’d made the right call. I didn’t ask questions. I was overwhelmed. I felt like I was falling behind, didn’t know who to trust, and didn't know what was next. 

That’s exactly why opportunities like Business Week matter — they give space to talk honestly about the parts of the profession we don’t always highlight.

Here’s what I shared with the students:

 🔹 Career paths aren’t linear — they’re shaped by how you respond when things don’t go as planned.

 🔹 Growth doesn’t just come from performance — it comes from raising your hand before you're ready.

 🔹 The right culture isn’t a luxury — it’s what makes the hard parts of this profession sustainable.

Big thanks to the faculty and students at UNCW’s Cameron School of Business for hosting such a meaningful conversation. The future of the profession is in good hands.

#LeadershipDevelopment #CareerReflection #UNCW