#CareerConvos™️ with Nikki: Off the Record

Nikki Winston, CPA

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For corporate professionals who know they want more from their career and are ready for honest + actionable guidance on job interviews, being seen at work, negotiating their value, and navigating the streets of corporate America. Hear lived-in experiences of working in corporate Accounting as a Black, female, millennial CPA. careerconvos.substack.com

Oct 13

What Your Manager is Saying About You

You’re tuned in to #CareerConvos™️with Nikki: unfiltered conversations about what it takes to build a career you actually want in corporate America. If you’re an accountant, analyst, finance manager, controller, or just trying to figure out what’s next in your career… you’re in the right place. We talk about navigating layoffs, dealing with microaggressions, managing up, and advocating for yourself in rooms where no one looks like you. Grab your coffee, an old fashioned, or some lemon mint water and let's get into this conversation. If you haven't already, join thousands of corporate employees who seek out my career advice to navigate the things they deal with at work everyday with #CareerConvos™️365 Days of Career Development. Each week I'm giving you a new piece of career advice plus career development resources you can use right now. And of course as a Black CPA, I must address the accounting pipeline issues, the fear future CPAs feel about the CPA exam, and how my proven CPA exam review and coaching programs have helped CPA candidates finally pass those exams they keep failing. CPA candidates tell me my CPA exam coaching program helps them easily understand difficult accounting concepts and they appreciate my way of CPA exam review that's less boring. You'll come across special edition episodes of #CareerConvos™️with Nikki as I'll occassionally pause (like you should at work) and talk about wellness, money, kids, entrepreneurship and more. I'm glad that you found the #CareerConvos™️with Nikki podcast and excited for you to come along for the ride. Make sure we're connected - I hang out on Threads (@nikkwinstoncpa), LinkedIn, and on YouTube. There’s nobody clockin’ all of this for you. People may be paying close attention to your fails and missteps, but who’s documenting your accomplishments? It’s Q4, and while accountants are getting ready for year-end close, you also need to get ready for your performance review. In this episode of #CareerConvos, I talk about recapping your year in a way that tells the story of your impact, having ongoing conversations with your manager, and building what I call your corporate rap sheet. I also get into getting out of your feelings at work, asking for feedback, establishing your own professional identity, and requesting an investment in your development. We also need to talk about using AI to write your performance review. Whether you’re preparing for your review, pursuing a leadership role, or already know it’s time to leave your company, you need to be able to articulate who you are as a corporate professional. You want your name in the hat when promotions, raises, and leadership opportunities come up. Topics Covered Prepare for year-end close and holiday absencesDocument accomplishments before you have to recap 12 months from memoryExplain the value you brought beyond your job Put ongoing career conversations with your manager on the calendarAsk for feedback and acknowledge developmental areasBuild your corporate rap sheet for future roles and interviewsEstablish your professional identity and step out of your predecessor’s shadowRequest support for conferences, courses, and professional developmentKeep your own voice and critical thinking in your performance reviewUse Q4 to prepare for a career move in the new yearContinue the Conversation Book an intro career coaching session at NikkWinstonCPA.com. We’ll talk about your career goals, my coaching style, and whether working together is the right fit. Performance review preparation and planning your next career move are both on the table. Share this episode with a coworker or friend who needs to amplify their voice at work. Let’s keep the conversation going at nikkwinstoncpa.com/career If this episode reflects what you’re living through at work, book time on my calendar for career coaching. We’ll talk through the realities of your current job, what’s shifting around you, and how to position yourself for the job you love - and loves you back. CPA exam coaching sessions are available on my CPA Exam page. I've also shared CPA exam coaching session replays, exam tutorials, and the exact steps I took to pass the CPA exam over there. Make sure we're connected - I hang out on Threads (@nikkwinstoncpa), LinkedIn, and on YouTube. ★ Support this podcast ★ Get full access to #CareerConvos™️: Accounting Career Advisor | CPA Exam Coach at careerconvos.substack.com/subscribe
Oct 1

Voice Note: Everybody Can’t Be The Boss

You wanna be the boss. Do you want everything that comes with it? Ask your career questions. Click the “Message me” button below to submit your questions. You show up to work everyday doing all the things like you’re supposed to. Leadership comes to you first with their questions. The people in other departments speak highly of you. Your work product is on point. Then that voice in your head says: “If I’m doing all this. I might as well be runnin’ the show.” I get it. Understand that being excellent at the work and being prepared to lead the people doing it require different skills. Before you decide you wanna be the boss, you gotta understand what comes with being the person who signs the checks, hires and fires people, and gets called down to the carpet to be questioned by management. Career Advice for Corporate Employees I recorded this voice note voice as a candid conversation about ownership, leadership, and having enough self-awareness to be honest about where you thrive, and where you still have work to do. It’s also a reminder for you to be real with yourself about what you CAN do vs. what you’re WILLING to do in your professional life. Play your position without feeling like you’re being played. I’d be remiss if I didn’t address the leadership side of this. People managers have a responsibility to coach and guide employees and empowering them to pursue excellence. #CareerConvos™️ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts focused on career advancement and corporate life in accounting, come along for the ride and subscribe below. Leadership for the Accounting and Finance Teams For my accounting and finance people: be curious about where your work goes when it leaves your desk - and how it got there. As the Controller, I bring my team together after month end close to review the P&L. They deserve to see what their work looked like after it left their desks, understand the questions stakeholders would ask, and learn to tell the financial story themselves. I recorded this on the go w hands-free because (1) it was on my mind and (2) because somebody needs to hear it. Listen to my 19-minutes of lived-in perspective on acknowledging that everybody can’t be the boss. What are your thoughts? Be a part of the conversation. Leave a comment below. Also: Here’s the career development article I wrote for Forbes called Do You Have What It Takes To Be The Boss? Click here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ellevate/2019/02/26/do-you-have-what-it-takes-to-be-the-boss/ Get full access to #CareerConvos™️: Accounting Career Advisor | CPA Exam Coach at careerconvos.substack.com/subscribe
Aug 31

Will AI Replace Accountants? The Work Technology Cannot Own

You’re tuned in to #CareerConvos™️with Nikki: unfiltered conversations about what it takes to build a career you actually want in corporate America. If you’re an accountant, analyst, finance manager, controller, or just trying to figure out what’s next in your career… you’re in the right place. We talk about navigating layoffs, dealing with microaggressions, managing up, and advocating for yourself in rooms where no one looks like you. Grab your coffee, an old fashioned, or some lemon mint water and let's get into this conversation. If you haven't already, join thousands of corporate employees who seek out my career advice to navigate the things they deal with at work everyday with #CareerConvos™️365 Days of Career Development. Each week I'm giving you a new piece of career advice plus career development resources you can use right now. And of course as a Black CPA, I must address the accounting pipeline issues, the fear future CPAs feel about the CPA exam, and how my proven CPA exam review and coaching programs have helped CPA candidates finally pass those exams they keep failing. CPA candidates tell me my CPA exam coaching program helps them easily understand difficult accounting concepts and they appreciate my way of CPA exam review that's less boring. You'll come across special edition episodes of #CareerConvos™️with Nikki as I'll occassionally pause (like you should at work) and talk about wellness, money, kids, entrepreneurship and more. I'm glad that you found the #CareerConvos™️with Nikki podcast and excited for you to come along for the ride. Make sure we're connected - I hang out on Threads (@nikkwinstoncpa), LinkedIn, and on YouTube. The question “Will AI replace accountants?” is showing up in accounting classrooms, conference sessions, CPE programs, firms, and finance departments. Nikki Winston, CPA, has a direct answer: AI will not replace accountants. AI in Accounting can support transactional work, generate draft journal entries, assist with research, help users locate information inside ERP systems, organize data, and supplement an analysis. The distinction is that Accounting work extends far beyond task completion. Accountants interpret what happened, explain why it happened, advise stakeholders, protect confidential information, verify the evidence, and take responsibility for the work. Those obligations require organizational context, professional judgment, relationships, and human accountability. In this episode, Nikki discusses supplemental AI versus generative AI, the risk of accepting the first output, the consequences of weak prompts, client confidentiality inside CPA firms, and the danger of allowing technology to replace critical thinking. She also speaks directly to accounting students and new professionals who are evaluating whether the profession still offers a viable future. The Accounting profession is changing. The work that survives will demand deeper thinking, stronger communication, sound judgment, and the ability to use technology without surrendering the brain behind the work. Learn about Accounting, tax, and NIL & Taxes services from The Winston CPA Group at WinstonCPAGroup.com. Explore CPA exam coaching, accounting career coaching, leadership development, and speaking programs from Nikki Winston CPA at NikkWinstonCPA.com. Let’s keep the conversation going at nikkwinstoncpa.com/career If this episode reflects what you’re living through at work, book time on my calendar for career coaching. We’ll talk through the realities of your current job, what’s shifting around you, and how to position yourself for the job you love - and loves you back. CPA exam coaching sessions are available on my CPA Exam page. I've also shared CPA exam coaching session replays, exam tutorials, and the exact steps I took to pass the CPA exam over there. Make sure we're connected - I hang out on Threads (@nikkwinstoncpa), LinkedIn, and on YouTube. ★ Support this podcast ★ Get full access to #CareerConvos™️: Accounting Career Advisor | CPA Exam Coach at careerconvos.substack.com/subscribe
May 16

I Said NO to my Manager | #CareerConvos™️

You’re tuned in to #CareerConvos™️with Nikki: unfiltered conversations about what it takes to build a career you actually want in corporate America. If you’re an accountant, analyst, finance manager, controller, or just trying to figure out what’s next in your career… you’re in the right place. We talk about navigating layoffs, dealing with microaggressions, managing up, and advocating for yourself in rooms where no one looks like you. Grab your coffee, an old fashioned, or some lemon mint water and let's get into this conversation. If you haven't already, join thousands of corporate employees who seek out my career advice to navigate the things they deal with at work everyday with #CareerConvos™️365 Days of Career Development. Each week I'm giving you a new piece of career advice plus career development resources you can use right now. And of course as a Black CPA, I must address the accounting pipeline issues, the fear future CPAs feel about the CPA exam, and how my proven CPA exam review and coaching programs have helped CPA candidates finally pass those exams they keep failing. CPA candidates tell me my CPA exam coaching program helps them easily understand difficult accounting concepts and they appreciate my way of CPA exam review that's less boring. You'll come across special edition episodes of #CareerConvos™️with Nikki as I'll occassionally pause (like you should at work) and talk about wellness, money, kids, entrepreneurship and more. I'm glad that you found the #CareerConvos™️with Nikki podcast and excited for you to come along for the ride. Make sure we're connected - I hang out on Threads (@nikkwinstoncpa), LinkedIn, and on YouTube. In this episode of #CareerConvos™️, I’m sharing a true story from earlier in my corporate accounting career when I was the youngest and least tenured person in the department, applied for an internal role anyway, and created a one pager to help me stand out in the interview. I didn’t get the job, but I did get powerful feedback from the hiring manager. Then my manager asked me to share the one pager with her, and I said NO. This conversation is about managing your manager, workplace boundaries, internal interviews, corporate politics, protecting your work, and having the audacity to go after opportunities even when the odds look stacked against you. In this episode, I talk about: Why I applied for the role even though my colleagues had more tenure and more experience. How I used a one pager to walk through my experience, accomplishments, and value proposition. Why I didn’t let the outcome of the interview define the value of the experience. What happened after my manager asked me to share the one pager with her. Why professionals need to stop feeling guilty for protecting the things they created. Why conversations with your manager matter when it comes to raises, promotions, visibility, and career growth. How to think about difficult managers, workplace dynamics, and professional boundaries. A few career lessons from this episode: You cannot disqualify yourself before leadership ever gets the chance to evaluate you. Years and impact are not always the same thing. Some people are comfortable with your ambition as long as it feels non threatening. You need to know what your manager is saying about you in rooms you are not in. Your career belongs to you, even when your manager has influence over the path. Resources mentioned: Read the full conversation on #CareerConvos™️ on Substack Download the Conversation Starter With Your Manager template Book a one on one career coaching sessionThis episode is for corporate employees navigating difficult managers, workplace politics, internal interviews, burnout, microaggressions, promotion conversations, workplace visibility, and the emotional side of advancing in corporate America. Let’s keep the conversation going at nikkwinstoncpa.com/career If this episode reflects what you’re living through at work, book time on my calendar for career coaching. We’ll talk through the realities of your current job, what’s shifting around you, and how to position yourself for the job you love - and loves you back. CPA exam coaching sessions are available on my CPA Exam page. I've also shared CPA exam coaching session replays, exam tutorials, and the exact steps I took to pass the CPA exam over there. Make sure we're connected - I hang out on Threads (@nikkwinstoncpa), LinkedIn, and on YouTube. ★ Support this podcast ★ Get full access to #CareerConvos™️: Accounting Career Advisor | CPA Exam Coach at careerconvos.substack.com/subscribe
Jan 10

Hiring Managers Are Looking at Your LinkedIn Profile More Than Your Resume

You’re tuned in to #CareerConvos™️with Nikki: unfiltered conversations about what it takes to build a career you actually want in corporate America. If you’re an accountant, analyst, finance manager, controller, or just trying to figure out what’s next in your career… you’re in the right place. We talk about navigating layoffs, dealing with microaggressions, managing up, and advocating for yourself in rooms where no one looks like you. Grab your coffee, an old fashioned, or some lemon mint water and let's get into this conversation. If you haven't already, join thousands of corporate employees who seek out my career advice to navigate the things they deal with at work everyday with #CareerConvos™️365 Days of Career Development. Each week I'm giving you a new piece of career advice plus career development resources you can use right now. And of course as a Black CPA, I must address the accounting pipeline issues, the fear future CPAs feel about the CPA exam, and how my proven CPA exam review and coaching programs have helped CPA candidates finally pass those exams they keep failing. CPA candidates tell me my CPA exam coaching program helps them easily understand difficult accounting concepts and they appreciate my way of CPA exam review that's less boring. You'll come across special edition episodes of #CareerConvos™️with Nikki as I'll occassionally pause (like you should at work) and talk about wellness, money, kids, entrepreneurship and more. I'm glad that you found the #CareerConvos™️with Nikki podcast and excited for you to come along for the ride. Make sure we're connected - I hang out on Threads (@nikkwinstoncpa), LinkedIn, and on YouTube. Join thousands of corporate employees who are getting the career advice they need to navigate the dynamics, politics, and microaggressions at work from #CareerConvos™️365 Day of Career Development. Hiring managers are paying closer attention to your LinkedIn profile than your resume, and many candidates do not realize how much weight it carries in hiring decisions. In this episode, I break down how hiring managers and recruiters actually evaluate candidates, why LinkedIn has become a primary screening tool, and what professionals need to understand about how their profile is being interpreted before an interview ever happens. We talk about the differences between resumes and LinkedIn profiles, how hiring managers use LinkedIn to assess credibility and fit, and the common mistakes professionals make when their LinkedIn profile does not align with their experience. This conversation is especially relevant for professionals navigating corporate roles, accounting and finance careers, and anyone preparing for a job search or career transition. Let’s keep the conversation going at nikkwinstoncpa.com/career If this episode reflects what you’re living through at work, book time on my calendar for career coaching. We’ll talk through the realities of your current job, what’s shifting around you, and how to position yourself for the job you love - and loves you back. CPA exam coaching sessions are available on my CPA Exam page. I've also shared CPA exam coaching session replays, exam tutorials, and the exact steps I took to pass the CPA exam over there. Make sure we're connected - I hang out on Threads (@nikkwinstoncpa), LinkedIn, and on YouTube. ★ Support this podcast ★ Get full access to #CareerConvos™️: Accounting Career Advisor | CPA Exam Coach at careerconvos.substack.com/subscribe
10/28/2025

CPA EXAM SERIES: Pushing Past Excuses

You’re tuned in to #CareerConvos™️with Nikki: unfiltered conversations about what it takes to build a career you actually want in corporate America. If you’re an accountant, analyst, finance manager, controller, or just trying to figure out what’s next in your career… you’re in the right place. We talk about navigating layoffs, dealing with microaggressions, managing up, and advocating for yourself in rooms where no one looks like you. Grab your coffee, an old fashioned, or some lemon mint water and let's get into this conversation. If you haven't already, join thousands of corporate employees who seek out my career advice to navigate the things they deal with at work everyday with #CareerConvos™️365 Days of Career Development. Each week I'm giving you a new piece of career advice plus career development resources you can use right now. And of course as a Black CPA, I must address the accounting pipeline issues, the fear future CPAs feel about the CPA exam, and how my proven CPA exam review and coaching programs have helped CPA candidates finally pass those exams they keep failing. CPA candidates tell me my CPA exam coaching program helps them easily understand difficult accounting concepts and they appreciate my way of CPA exam review that's less boring. You'll come across special edition episodes of #CareerConvos™️with Nikki as I'll occassionally pause (like you should at work) and talk about wellness, money, kids, entrepreneurship and more. I'm glad that you found the #CareerConvos™️with Nikki podcast and excited for you to come along for the ride. Make sure we're connected - I hang out on Threads (@nikkwinstoncpa), LinkedIn, and on YouTube. In this episode of Career Convos™ with Nikki, I’m taking it back to the beginning of my CPA exam journey. I share what life looked like right after graduating from Thee Ohio State University with my accounting degree, when the CPA exam had just gone from paper to computerized and the profession was changing fast after Enron and Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX). I talk about why I started my career in industry instead of public accounting and what those first few years taught me about the real world of accounting. I moved around a lot early in my career, but each job taught me something different: from manufacturing cost accounting to joint ventures, intercompany reconciliations, and managing financial close processes. Within a few years, I went from financial analyst to accounting manager, leading a team and learning the technical and nontechnical lessons that shape how I coach accountants today. I also share what it looked like to balance all of that with becoming a mom, starting The Winston Accounting Group (now The Winston CPA Group) before I had my CPA license, and figuring out how to grow a business while still working full time. And then there’s the moment that changed everything - a conversation with a fellow board member who challenged every excuse I had for not taking the CPA exam. That conversation lit the fire that pushed me to finally start. In this episode, you’ll hear about the early years that set the foundation for everything I’ve built since. It’s the start of my CPA exam story, told the way it organically happened. Let’s keep the conversation going at nikkwinstoncpa.com/career If this episode reflects what you’re living through at work, book time on my calendar for career coaching. We’ll talk through the realities of your current job, what’s shifting around you, and how to position yourself for the job you love - and loves you back. CPA exam coaching sessions are available on my CPA Exam page. I've also shared CPA exam coaching session replays, exam tutorials, and the exact steps I took to pass the CPA exam over there. Make sure we're connected - I hang out on Threads (@nikkwinstoncpa), LinkedIn, and on YouTube. ★ Support this podcast ★ Get full access to #CareerConvos™️: Accounting Career Advisor | CPA Exam Coach at careerconvos.substack.com/subscribe
08/17/2025

CPA EXAM SERIES: After the CPA Exam: Planning Your Career Move

Get full access to #CareerConvos™️: Accounting Career Advisor | CPA Exam Coach at careerconvos.substack.com/subscribe
04/24/2025

Lost Your Job But Found Yourself: Navigating Layoffs and Career Transition

You’re tuned in to #CareerConvos™️with Nikki: unfiltered conversations about what it takes to build a career you actually want in corporate America. If you’re an accountant, analyst, finance manager, controller, or just trying to figure out what’s next in your career… you’re in the right place. We talk about navigating layoffs, dealing with microaggressions, managing up, and advocating for yourself in rooms where no one looks like you. Grab your coffee, an old fashioned, or some lemon mint water and let's get into this conversation. If you haven't already, join thousands of corporate employees who seek out my career advice to navigate the things they deal with at work everyday with #CareerConvos™️365 Days of Career Development. Each week I'm giving you a new piece of career advice plus career development resources you can use right now. And of course as a Black CPA, I must address the accounting pipeline issues, the fear future CPAs feel about the CPA exam, and how my proven CPA exam review and coaching programs have helped CPA candidates finally pass those exams they keep failing. CPA candidates tell me my CPA exam coaching program helps them easily understand difficult accounting concepts and they appreciate my way of CPA exam review that's less boring. You'll come across special edition episodes of #CareerConvos™️with Nikki as I'll occassionally pause (like you should at work) and talk about wellness, money, kids, entrepreneurship and more. I'm glad that you found the #CareerConvos™️with Nikki podcast and excited for you to come along for the ride. Make sure we're connected - I hang out on Threads (@nikkwinstoncpa), LinkedIn, and on YouTube. What happens when your job disappears, but your bills and ambition Don’t? In this raw and powerful episode of Career Convos™️ with Nikki, I talk candidly about what it really feels like to be laid off, and how to navigate the messy middle between endings and new beginnings. From that gut-punch calendar invite from your boss and HR that changes everything to the silence that follows, this episode is your voice of reason and reminder: you may have lost your job, but you haven’t lost yourself. We get into: How to emotionally and strategically handle being laid off, let go, or impacted by a RIFWhy pausing before jumping into the next job matters more than everThe art of rediscovering your value, purpose, and voice post-employmentHow to prep for interviews with clarity and without bitternessWhat “other duties as assigned” really means, and why it’s your career goldmineHow to use rejection as redirection and avoid the resume black holeA word on manifesting better, not just working harderIf you're navigating career transition or feeling stuck after a job loss, let this episode walk with you. Additional Resources: The Self-Exploration Exercise - start yours for free. Book 1:1 Career Coaching on NikkWinstonCPA.com Let’s Connect: Website: nikkwinstoncpa.com/career Substack: Supercharged Self-Care Threads: @NikkWinstonCPA Share this episode with someone you know who's between jobs, rebuilding their confidence, or needs to be reminded that they are still that person - with or without the title. Let’s keep the conversation going at nikkwinstoncpa.com/career If this episode reflects what you’re living through at work, book time on my calendar for career coaching. We’ll talk through the realities of your current job, what’s shifting around you, and how to position yourself for the job you love - and loves you back. CPA exam coaching sessions are available on my CPA Exam page. I've also shared CPA exam coaching session replays, exam tutorials, and the exact steps I took to pass the CPA exam over there. Make sure we're connected - I hang out on Threads (@nikkwinstoncpa), LinkedIn, and on YouTube. ★ Support this podcast ★ Get full access to #CareerConvos™️: Accounting Career Advisor | CPA Exam Coach at careerconvos.substack.com/subscribe

For corporate professionals who know they want more from their career and are ready for honest + actionable guidance on job interviews, being seen at work, negotiating their value, and navigating the streets of corporate America. Hear lived-in experiences of working in corporate Accounting as a Black, female, millennial CPA. careerconvos.substack.com

Creator

Nikki Winston, CPA
Years Active

2026
Episodes

59
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© Nicole Winston
Show Website

#CareerConvos™️ with Nikki: Off the Record