The Road to CA Podcast

Alunga Madala

Many of us hope and believe that "it will end in CA(SA)". However, we forget that the destination is only the tip of the iceberg; and that the journey is an integral part of the dream. This journey is what differentiates us, it is what defines us, and it is what binds us. It is what transforms us into CAs(SA). But what lies on the trail to the summit of CA(SA)? Undoubtedly, inspiring stories, heartfelt passion, and trailblazing perspectives. There is still so much more to showcase and uncover... Hence, this is an exploration of the mountainous and arduous path towards CA(SA). This is The Road to CA.

  1. Sep 20

    How Big Four Articles Builds Your People Skills | Rudi Witkowsky

    In today’s episode, we are joined by Rudy Witkowski CA(SA), the Half-Week Accountant and fractional CFO. We chat about how your network and ability to meet and deal with other people is your greatest differentiator in your career and in your articles. We also chat about: How choosing a gap year after articles instead of a secondment led to backpacking through Asia and teaching English;Why qualifying as a CA is the starting point, not the destination;How external audit developed his people skills, credibility, communication, and resilience;Why positivity only matters when it is backed by competence, reliability, and consistency;The lessons he learned from competing on Tropica Island of Treasure, including teamwork, communication, mental toughness, and never taking your eyes off the prize;Why turning a passion into a full-time career can sometimes negatively change your relationship with it;How Rudy moved into fractional CFO work and developed the Half-Week Accountant model;Why CAs should focus on the value of their skill instead of simply counting hours;Why delivering work too early can reduce its perceived value and create more pressure;How saying “we” and presenting yourself as part of a team or entity builds trust and credibility;Why you should never say, “I’ve never done that before”; Enjoy! ____________________________________________________ Timestamps03:15 - How travel and a gap year after articles sparked the freedom bug 08:28 - Why CA is a starting point, not the end of the journey 09:20 - People skills, positivity, and credibility in audit 13:10 - Ethics, competence, and character in professional life 14:49 - The Tropica Island of Treasure experience 15:57 - Why you should never take your eyes off the prize 18:01 - Why your network is your strongest asset 20:55 - The pressure of turning a passion into a full-time career 23:16 - Why side passions can remain valuable outside your career 24:50 - Working smarter, not harder, in finance 28:47 - Why CAs should value skill over clock-watching 29:52 - Why you should never deliver early just to look fast 33:25 - The danger of getting overloaded with extra work 34:07 - Why saying “we” builds trust and credibility 38:33 - Never say, “I’ve never done that before” 39:48 - Learning HubSpot overnight and saying yes to opportunity ________________________________________ Connect with Rudi on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/rudiwitkowsky/ Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alunga-madala ________________________________________ Follow us on Instagram - @the_rdtoca Follow us on LinkedIn - The Road to CA Podcast Subscribe to our YouTube - @TheRoadtoCAPodcast

    How Big Four Articles Builds Your People Skills | Rudi Witkowsky
  2. Sep 6

    10 Lessons from Q2 of CA Advisory Articles

    We survived busy season and are finally back! Today, we discuss my top 10 lessons from Q2 for your knowledge, wisdom and application: Be patient, never passive (The Sign-off Stack and Optimal Asymmetry career strategies)To be the real deal: show, don't tell but don't show too much (On being brilliant enough, and no more)What's sweet is sweet but short and sweet is even sweeter (On networking with execs)Expectation control is career alchemy (Kant, Phenomenology, & Over-delivering through simply under-promising)You are not what you have, but what you give (On qualities & The Four Agreements)Wherever you are, there you are (On projecting the life you want to live)With people, always guess up, never guess down (On giving the benefit of the doubt in networking)Youth and a notebook is a charming thing (Sun Tzu's wisdom of why there are masters all around us)It's about what you know, who you know, who knows you and what they know you for (The Diary of A CEO's lesson on knowledge, skills, network, social proof, reputation & The Networking Equation)People who forget you seem to owe you (Robert Cialdini's Reciprocity x Dale Carnegie's Remembering names principles) And of course, we chat about more :) Enjoy! P.S. If you want the video version, head over to YouTube here ________________________________________ Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alunga-madala ________________________________________ Follow us on Instagram - @the_rdtoca Follow us on LinkedIn - The Road to CA Podcast Subscribe to our YouTube - @TheRoadtoCAPodcast

About

Many of us hope and believe that "it will end in CA(SA)". However, we forget that the destination is only the tip of the iceberg; and that the journey is an integral part of the dream. This journey is what differentiates us, it is what defines us, and it is what binds us. It is what transforms us into CAs(SA). But what lies on the trail to the summit of CA(SA)? Undoubtedly, inspiring stories, heartfelt passion, and trailblazing perspectives. There is still so much more to showcase and uncover... Hence, this is an exploration of the mountainous and arduous path towards CA(SA). This is The Road to CA.