CPA Exam Success

Dawn Edelstein, CPA

👩🏻‍💻I help CPA Exam Candidates 📚PASS the CPA Exam with Ease 💵Get Promoted & Earn More 🆓 Resources 🔗 in Show Notes

  1. 1d ago

    44. How to Recover from a Failing CPA Exam Score

    🎙How to Recover from a Failing CPA Exam Score Episode Summary A failing CPA Exam score can bring deep sadness, disappointment, and discouragement. You studied, you hoped, and you wanted this score to be 75 or higher. Now you are left with the question of what to do next and all of the feelings that come along with not getting a passing score. The score is disappointing, but what it begins to mean can hurt even more. This episode is about separating you from your score, taking some of the weight off the score, and beginning to see your CPA Exam score differently. Your score matters, but it does not get to define you. 🎯 What You’ll Learn in This Episode → How to separate your identity, value, and worth from one CPA Exam attempt → How to review what led to the score without reliving the experience or judging yourself harshly → How to compare what you planned to do with what actually happened and understand the gap between the score you received and the score you need → How to evaluate what happened, extract the learning, and experiment with one or two intentional changes Key Takeaway Your score is not your identity. It is not proof that you cannot pass. It is just information from one exam attempt, and you can use that information to choose your next step toward your CPA Exam Success. Your Next Step: 👉 Click HERE to sign up for my introductory strategy chat and we’ll look at what is currently happening in your CPA Exam prep, identify how you can study better, and help you enjoy this process so much more. Your score is not the whole story. Your CPA Exam Success is in process. Yes, you can pass the CPA Exam! 👉 Get Coached to transform your CPA Exam prep and your life so that this process becomes simple, doable, and enjoyable. 💬 Let's Chat to get unstuck, ditch the stress and overwhelm, and know exactly what to do next to pass the CPA Exam. ($27 one-time offer) 🗓️ Join my 30-Day Study Challenge to stop the start-stop study cycle and finally start making real progress. ($67) 📲 Join my FREE Facebook Group and get real time support in my Monthly Masterclasses. (Free) 📩 Have a question or want to share your breakthrough? Send me a message—I’d love to hear from you! 🎧 Follow & Leave a Review if you found this episode helpful. Your support helps other CPA Exam candidates find this podcast! ©MIAMI COACH CONNECTION, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Miami Coach Connection, Inc. accepts no liability for the content of this podcast, nor for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Individual Results Vary.

  2. Jul 14

    43. Resetting for CPA Exam Success: Your Mid-Year Review

    🎙Resetting for CPA Exam Success: Your Mid-Year Review Episode Summary You now have actual CPA Exam prep experience from the first half of 2026 to learn from, and you still have time to make meaningful progress before year end. This episode is your invitation to pause, look honestly at what has happened so far in 2026, and decide how you want to re-engage with your CPA Exam Success for the rest of the year. Not with pressure or self-criticism, but with curiosity, honesty, and belief in what is still possible for you in 2026. Let this be your reset point, not a restart. Resetting is stopping long enough to honestly evaluate what has happened in the first part of 2026. 🎯 What You’ll Learn in This Episode → How to reevaluate what worked, what did not work, where your time went, and what you want to do differently → How to recommit to your goals, your dreams and desires, and this process without perfection or trying to catch up → How to re-engage and study differently, plan differently, think differently, and show up differently → How to use what has already happened as information that gives you a better next step Key Takeaway Reset means three things: reevaluate, recommit, and re-engage. Resetting does not mean starting over. If you reset, you are no longer behind. You are right on time because you are starting fresh today. Your Next Step: 👉 Click HERE to sign up for my introductory strategy chat and we'll look at what is currently happening in your CPA Exam prep and identify how you can study better and enjoy this process so much more. Your 2026 CPA Exam Success is still possible. Reset now to finish 2026 strong. Yes, you can pass the CPA Exam. 👉 Get Coached to transform your CPA Exam prep and your life so that this process becomes simple, doable, and enjoyable. 💬 Let's Chat to get unstuck, ditch the stress and overwhelm, and know exactly what to do next to pass the CPA Exam. ($27 one-time offer) 🗓️ Join my 30-Day Study Challenge to stop the start-stop study cycle and finally start making real progress. ($67) 📲 Join my FREE Facebook Group and get real time support in my Monthly Masterclasses. (Free) 📩 Have a question or want to share your breakthrough? Send me a message—I’d love to hear from you! 🎧 Follow & Leave a Review if you found this episode helpful. Your support helps other CPA Exam candidates find this podcast! ©MIAMI COACH CONNECTION, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Miami Coach Connection, Inc. accepts no liability for the content of this podcast, nor for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Individual Results Vary.

  3. Jul 7

    42. The Five Practices That Keep Your Study Time Protected Over Time: Boundaries Part 4

    🎙The Five Practices That Keep Your Study Time Protected Over Time: Boundaries Part 4 Episode Summary The best study plan still needs protected space in your life, and that is where boundaries come in. You planned to study, you missed the session, and now the thoughts begin. Maybe this is not working. Maybe I cannot keep this boundary. But one imperfect day does not erase the practice. This episode is all about how to keep your study time protected. 🎯 What You’ll Learn in This Episode → How to use the boundary more than once until it starts to feel natural and easy for you → How each honored boundary creates evidence that you can honor your study time → How to return after imperfect days because returning matters more than perfection → How to review and adjust what worked, what did not work, and what you will change next time Key Takeaway Boundaries become powerful through practice, not perfection. Review the boundary, return to the boundary, and repeat the boundary over and over and over again. A boundary begins with a decision, a decision becomes a practice, a practice builds self-trust, and self-trust is what supports your CPA Exam Success. Your Next Step: 👉 Click HERE to start preparing to pass the CPA Exam with a clear study system that helps you get your time, energy, and confidence back. Your CPA Exam study time matters. Protect it. Yes, you can pass the CPA Exam. 👉 Get Coached to transform your CPA Exam prep and your life so that this process becomes simple, doable, and enjoyable. 💬 Let's Chat to get unstuck, ditch the stress and overwhelm, and know exactly what to do next to pass the CPA Exam. ($27 one-time offer) 🗓️ Join my 30-Day Study Challenge to stop the start-stop study cycle and finally start making real progress. ($67) 📲 Join my FREE Facebook Group and get real time support in my Monthly Masterclasses. (Free) 📩 Have a question or want to share your breakthrough? Send me a message—I’d love to hear from you! 🎧 Follow & Leave a Review if you found this episode helpful. Your support helps other CPA Exam candidates find this podcast! ©MIAMI COACH CONNECTION, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Miami Coach Connection, Inc. accepts no liability for the content of this podcast, nor for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Individual Results Vary.

  4. Jun 30

    41. What to Expect When Boundaries Feel Uncomfortable: Boundaries Part 3

    🎙What to Expect When Boundaries Feel Uncomfortable: Boundaries Part 3 Episode Summary Boundaries can still feel hard, even if they're the best thing you can do to protect your study time. You protect your study time, you say no, you say not right now, and you choose the study session instead of the other person or the interruption. But then the guilt shows up. A boundary can be right for you, good for you, good to protect your study time, and still feel uncomfortable. This episode is all about what to expect when boundaries feel uncomfortable. 🎯 What You’ll Learn in This Episode → How a boundary can make sense and still feel uncomfortable → Why discomfort does not get to make the decision → How every choice has an opportunity cost and how to decide which discomfort supports CPA Exam Success → Why other people may have reactions and why their reaction does not determine your priority Key Takeaway Discomfort does not cancel the boundary. Discomfort does not mean you don't set the boundary. It doesn't mean you have to change the boundary. When you start to set boundaries, discomfort tends to show up. Your Next Step: 👉 Click HERE to start preparing to pass the CPA Exam with a clear study system that helps you get your time, energy, and confidence back. Your CPA Exam study time matters. Protect it. Yes, you can pass the CPA Exam. 👉 Get Coached to transform your CPA Exam prep and your life so that this process becomes simple, doable, and enjoyable. 💬 Let's Chat to get unstuck, ditch the stress and overwhelm, and know exactly what to do next to pass the CPA Exam. ($27 one-time offer) 🗓️ Join my 30-Day Study Challenge to stop the start-stop study cycle and finally start making real progress. ($67) 📲 Join my FREE Facebook Group and get real time support in my Monthly Masterclasses. (Free) 📩 Have a question or want to share your breakthrough? Send me a message—I’d love to hear from you! 🎧 Follow & Leave a Review if you found this episode helpful. Your support helps other CPA Exam candidates find this podcast! ©MIAMI COACH CONNECTION, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Miami Coach Connection, Inc. accepts no liability for the content of this podcast, nor for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Individual Results Vary.

  5. Jun 23

    40. Setting Boundaries in the Life You Actually Have: Boundaries Part 2

    🎙Setting Boundaries in the Life You Actually Have: Boundaries Part 2 Episode Summary CPA Exam prep does not happen in a vacuum. It happens right alongside everything else that's going on. It's time to study, but the kitchen is messy, your phone is lighting up with messages and calls, you feel tired, and there are emails to answer. Everything feels negotiable, everything feels urgent, and everything will compete with studying. The more decisions you make in the moment, the harder follow through becomes. This episode is about setting boundaries in the life you actually have. 🎯 What You’ll Learn in This Episode → How to create boundaries that work in real CPA Exam prep situations and protect your study time → How to identify recurring situations and stop being surprised when the same challenges keep showing up → How to decide your response ahead of time before the interruption, competing priority, emotion, or resistance → How to set boundaries with yourself and others using “when blank happens, I do blank” Key Takeaway Boundaries work best when the decision is made before the moment arrives. A boundary closes a decision that keeps getting reopened. That makes follow through easier and helps protect the time you've set aside to study. Your Next Step: 👉 Click HERE to start preparing to pass the CPA Exam with a clear study system that helps you get your time, energy, and confidence back. Your CPA Exam study time matters. Protect it. Yes, you can pass the CPA Exam. 👉 Get Coached to transform your CPA Exam prep and your life so that this process becomes simple, doable, and enjoyable. 💬 Let's Chat to get unstuck, ditch the stress and overwhelm, and know exactly what to do next to pass the CPA Exam. ($27 one-time offer) 🗓️ Join my 30-Day Study Challenge to stop the start-stop study cycle and finally start making real progress. ($67) 📲 Join my FREE Facebook Group and get real time support in my Monthly Masterclasses. (Free) 📩 Have a question or want to share your breakthrough? Send me a message—I’d love to hear from you! 🎧 Follow & Leave a Review if you found this episode helpful. Your support helps other CPA Exam candidates find this podcast! ©MIAMI COACH CONNECTION, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Miami Coach Connection, Inc. accepts no liability for the content of this podcast, nor for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Individual Results Vary.

  6. Jun 16

    39. How to Protect Your CPA Exam Study Time: Boundaries Part 1

    🎙How to Protect Your CPA Exam Study Time: Boundaries Part 1 Episode Summary CPA Exam prep does not happen in perfect conditions. It happens inside real life — with work, family, interruptions, responsibilities, noise, distractions, and all the things that can quietly take over your study time. In this episode, Dawn introduces a practical way to think about boundaries for CPA Exam prep. Boundaries are not about controlling other people or waiting for life to calm down. They are about deciding what you will do when real life happens around you. This episode will help you see boundaries as a way to protect what matters most, reduce constant decision-making, and create clearer responses when your study time is challenged. 🎯 What You’ll Learn in This Episode Why CPA Exam study time needs protectionWhat boundaries are — and what they are notWhy boundaries are decisions, not demandsHow boundaries bring you back to your own choicesWhy clear boundaries reduce constant negotiationHow to start practicing one small boundary this weekKey Takeaway Your study time does not need perfect conditions. It needs protection. When you decide ahead of time how you will respond to interruptions, distractions, and competing responsibilities, it becomes easier to honor the study time you said mattered. One boundary. One clear decision. One study session at a time. That is how you keep moving toward CPA Exam Success. Your Next Step: 👉 Click HERE to learn more about CPA Exam Success Mastery and how Dawn can support you as you prepare to pass your first CPA Exam section — and then the rest. Thanks for listening to today’s episode of the CPA Exam Success Podcast. Your CPA Exam study time matters. Protect it. And yes, you can pass the CPA Exam. 👉 Get Coached to transform your CPA Exam prep and your life so that this process becomes simple, doable, and enjoyable. 💬 Let's Chat to get unstuck, ditch the stress and overwhelm, and know exactly what to do next to pass the CPA Exam. ($27 one-time offer) 🗓️ Join my 30-Day Study Challenge to stop the start-stop study cycle and finally start making real progress. ($67) 📲 Join my FREE Facebook Group and get real time support in my Monthly Masterclasses. (Free) 📩 Have a question or want to share your breakthrough? Send me a message—I’d love to hear from you! 🎧 Follow & Leave a Review if you found this episode helpful. Your support helps other CPA Exam candidates find this podcast! ©MIAMI COACH CONNECTION, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Miami Coach Connection, Inc. accepts no liability for the content of this podcast, nor for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Individual Results Vary.

  7. Jun 9

    38. Every Action Shapes the CPA You Are Becoming

    🎙 Becoming the Person Who Passes the CPA Exam (Part 3 of 3)Every Action Shapes the CPA You Are Becoming Episode SummaryIn this episode, Dawn brings her 3-part series on becoming the person who passes the CPA Exam to a powerful close — and this final piece is where everything comes together. In Part 1, we looked at how a non-passing score can quietly create a failure identity — and how to return to the truth that you are already a success. In Part 2, we explored the pattern of putting everyone else first — and how including yourself changes everything about how you show up to study. Now in Part 3, Dawn takes it one step further. Because once you have your success identity and you've made yourself a priority, the next question is: who are you being while you take action? This episode is about studying not from a place of proving yourself or fixing yourself — but from the identity of someone who already knows they are capable of success. That shift changes the energy behind every study session, every follow-through, and every return after getting off track. Dawn introduces the idea of your future CPA self — not as something to pretend, but as a way to live into the person you are already becoming. And she shows you how every time you sit down to study, you are not just learning material. You are building evidence. You are shaping your identity. You are becoming the person who passes. This episode is for CPA Exam candidates who are ready to stop waiting to feel confident and start taking action from a place of knowing they are already a success. 🎯 What You'll Learn in This Episode1. Why a Study Plan Alone Is Never Enough A plan matters. Strategies matter. But if you're studying from a failure identity or from the bottom of your own priority list, even the best plan won't hold. Dawn explains why identity is the missing piece. 2. What It Means to Take Action from a New Identity Instead of studying to prove yourself or fix yourself, you begin taking action from the identity of someone who already knows they are capable. Dawn explains how this shift changes the energy behind everything you do. 3. Your Future CPA Self Dawn introduces the concept of your future CPA self — the version of you who has already passed, looking back. This isn't pretending. It's a powerful way to motivate yourself forward from where you already are. 4. Why You Don't Have to Wait to See Yourself Differently You don't have to wait for a passing score to start showing up like someone who succeeds. Dawn shows you how to begin living into that identity now — today — before the result arrives. 5. How Every Study Session Becomes Evidence When you study from a success identity, your sessions stop being just about hours logged. They become evidence that you follow through, that you keep commitments, that setbacks don't define you, and that your goals matter. 6. Why Consistency Matters More Than Intensity Becoming the person who passes isn't built through one perfect week. It's built through repeated follow-through over time — one session, one return after getting off track, one decision to keep going. 7. How Your Identity Keeps Evolving With Every Action You Take Becoming the person who passes doesn't happen all at once. Every time you sit down to study, return after getting off track, and protect the time you said mattered, you stop waiting to someday become that person — and you start living into that version of yourself now. Key TakeawayConfidence doesn't come before action. It comes after. Every time you sit down to study, every time you return after getting off track, every time you protect the time you said mattered — you are reinforcing a new identity. Not a failure identity. Not an identity where everyone else comes first. But the identity of someone who already knows they are a success, someone who keeps going, someone who follows through, someone who finishes. That's who you are. And that's who you are becoming. 🎙️ Referenced Episodes🎧 Episode 36: Becoming the Person Who Passes the CPA Exam (Part 1 of 3) 🎧 Episode 37: Becoming the Person Who Passes the CPA Exam (Part 2 of 3) Your Next Steps:👉 Click HERE to get your FREE Ultimate CPA Exam Success Checklist download and custom GPT. 👉 Click HERE to join my next Masterclass Thanks for listening to today's episode of the CPA Exam Success Podcast. You are already the person who passes. Now go show up like it. And that's what gets you all the way to the CPA Exam finish line 🏁 👉 Get Coached to transform your CPA Exam prep and your life so that this process becomes simple, doable, and enjoyable. 💬 Let's Chat to get unstuck, ditch the stress and overwhelm, and know exactly what to do next to pass the CPA Exam. ($27 one-time offer) 🗓️ Join my 30-Day Study Challenge to stop the start-stop study cycle and finally start making real progress. ($67) 📲 Join my FREE Facebook Group and get real time support in my Monthly Masterclasses. (Free) 📩 Have a question or want to share your breakthrough? Send me a message—I’d love to hear from you! 🎧 Follow & Leave a Review if you found this episode helpful. Your support helps other CPA Exam candidates find this podcast! ©MIAMI COACH CONNECTION, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Miami Coach Connection, Inc. accepts no liability for the content of this podcast, nor for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Individual Results Vary.

  8. Jun 2

    37. From Putting Others First to Prioritizing Yourself Also

    🎙 Becoming the Person Who Passes the CPA Exam (Part 2 of 3)From Putting Others First to Prioritizing Yourself Also Why Your Study Plan Isn't the Problem — and What Actually Is Episode SummaryIn this episode, Dawn continues her 3-part series on becoming the person who passes the CPA Exam with a shift that many candidates never see coming — the pattern of putting others first and leaving yourself out of the equation entirely. Most CPA Exam candidates already know what they need to do. They have a study plan. They're capable. They're responsible. But following through consistently? That's where things fall apart. In this episode, Dawn reveals why — and it has nothing to do with your study plan. The real challenge is that for many candidates, everything external comes first. Work. Other people. Other responsibilities. And by the time all of that is handled, there's nothing left for the CPA Exam. Not because you don't care — but because you were never on your own priority list to begin with. This episode walks you through three patterns that make following through harder than it needs to be, and introduces one simple but powerful shift: putting yourself also. This episode is for CPA Exam candidates who are responsible, dependable, and great at showing up for everyone else — but struggle to show up consistently for themselves. 🎯 What You'll Learn in This Episode1. Why Knowing What to Do Isn't Enough Most candidates don't have a knowledge problem — they have a follow-through problem. Dawn explains why mindset, not strategy, is what gets in the way of consistent studying. 2. The First Pattern: You're Used to Putting Others First If you're highly responsible and dependable for everyone around you, you already have the skill of consistency. You're just applying it everywhere except your CPA Exam prep. 3. The Second Pattern: External Responsibilities Always Come First Work, people, obligations — these take priority. And studying for the CPA Exam gets whatever time is left. Dawn explains why this structure makes consistent studying nearly impossible. 4. The Third Pattern: You're Not Including Yourself If your priorities are all external, you are not part of your own priority list. Your goals come last. Your study time gets pushed aside. And even the best study plan can't survive that. 5. How to Tell What Your Real Priorities Are Your priorities aren't what you think they are — they're what you actually show up for. Dawn walks you through a simple honest look at where you really are on your own list. 6. The Shift: Put Yourself Also This isn't about putting yourself first or doing less for others. It's about including yourself. Dawn introduces the idea of "put yourself also" — and why that one small shift changes everything about how you show up to study. 7. What Changes When You're Part of the Plan When your study time actually has a place in your day, following through becomes possible. Dawn shows you what that looks like in real life and why your plan finally gets a chance to work. Key TakeawayStudying for the CPA Exam is a personal commitment — and personal commitments are the easiest ones to push aside. This isn't about doing more. It's about including yourself. When you become one of your own top priorities, your study plan stops competing with everything else and starts becoming part of your day. That's when consistency becomes possible. And that's when passing becomes possible. 🎙️Referenced Episodes🎧 Episode 36: Becoming the Person Who Passes the CPA Exam (Part 1 of 3) Your Next Steps:👉 Click HERE to get your FREE Ultimate CPA Exam Success Checklist download and custom GPT. 👉 Click HERE to join my next Masterclass Thanks for listening to today's episode of the CPA Exam Success Podcast. You are already a priority. It's time to start acting like it. And that's what gets you all the way to the CPA Exam finish line 🏁 👉 Get Coached to transform your CPA Exam prep and your life so that this process becomes simple, doable, and enjoyable. 💬 Let's Chat to get unstuck, ditch the stress and overwhelm, and know exactly what to do next to pass the CPA Exam. ($27 one-time offer) 🗓️ Join my 30-Day Study Challenge to stop the start-stop study cycle and finally start making real progress. ($67) 📲 Join my FREE Facebook Group and get real time support in my Monthly Masterclasses. (Free) 📩 Have a question or want to share your breakthrough? Send me a message—I’d love to hear from you! 🎧 Follow & Leave a Review if you found this episode helpful. Your support helps other CPA Exam candidates find this podcast! ©MIAMI COACH CONNECTION, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Miami Coach Connection, Inc. accepts no liability for the content of this podcast, nor for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Individual Results Vary.

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👩🏻‍💻I help CPA Exam Candidates 📚PASS the CPA Exam with Ease 💵Get Promoted & Earn More 🆓 Resources 🔗 in Show Notes

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