Dawn W. Brolin, CPA – 2013 Most Powerful Women in Accounting

————————
Click here to see the other honorees
of the 2013 “Most Powerful Women
in Accounting” awards.
————————

Q&A:

What advice would you give to female college students about the opportunities for women in the accounting profession? 

There are so many opportunities in accounting and it isn’t always the traditional route.  I would say think out of the box and be aggressive.  The opportunities are endless.

What advice would you give accounting firms on things they could do to better retain and advance more qualified female staff?  

I am a firm believer that females have an innate ability to get the job done whatever it takes.  Give them the flexibility to grow and you will have yourself a devoted employee for life.

Do you think that there is still a glass ceiling in accounting firm senior management and partner levels, or that the profession has moved to a mostly gender neutral state? 

Not even possible at this point.  This profession has opened the door to women as they should.  Women have power and demand it.  Any good business owner or partner would recognize that, they will only become more successful because of it.

How have you managed to balance your professional and personal life obligations, whether that includes family, etc?

In all things, my family comes first.  But I am able to balance the importance of my family with the important responsibility that I have to my clients.  Time management has become more critical than ever before, the technology affords me the flexibility to take care of all aspects of both my career and my family.

How mobile are you regarding your work? How have mobile devices and apps impacted your productivity and work-life balance?

I have the ability to work from anywhere at any time.  Productivity is at a level that it has never been before.  Technology has allowed me to stay out of the office to accomplish administrative tasks while on the go and not rely on me to be sitting at my desk to do them.  This has changed my practice and my life.

What single piece of technology could you absolutely not live without, and why? 

I couldn’t live without my iPhone.  The applications allow me to clock in, clock out, get messages, respond to emails, access client data and documents, and manage workflow in one small device.  Three years ago, life was very different.

What is your favorite professional mobile app, and why?

My favorite app at this point, that is difficult.  I would say both SmartVault for secure document storage and TSheets for time tracking are the two.  But I think my favorite is SmartVault since I am able to look any document up at any time on my phone without having to wait to get back to my office.  Everything having to do with my clients can be stored securely, I love that.

What do you like to do when you actually have free time without any obligations to work or family?

I am so in love with my two amazing daughters that doing whatever they want to do is my number one priority.  I also love to golf with my husband and watch sports.  I really love being home and just knowing my family is a moment away.