One of the missions of International Women’s Day, celebrated March 8, 2022, is to forge inclusive work cultures where women's careers thrive and their achievements are celebrated. Weaver’s Empower Impact team caught up with women in leadership roles at the firm to learn more about how they have built successful careers and overcome challenges. These inspiring women had great insights and advice for professionals at every stage in their career.
Alyssa G. Martin, CPA, National Strategy Leader, Large Market and Public Entities, Partner, Risk Advisory Services
Alyssa leads strategic, multi-disciplinary solutions for Weaver’s public company and large clients nationwide.
What advice would you give your 25-year-old self?
Make an intentional effort to stay in contact with people you enjoy. I regret having lost contact with people I knew early in my career who were interesting then and have gone on to lead fascinating lives. It is easy to get absorbed in what you need to do now and forget why you had a connection in the first place. Maintaining contact with people who have shared your interests and life experiences from early on begins to matter more as the years go on.
What life lesson would you share with aspiring professionals?
You have to prioritize. When you start a week, you always have things to do, and as you accumulate responsibilities, you often find that you do not control the timing of most things. I take a FIFO (first in first out) approach: as things come to me, I work to execute and move them out. In order to do that I have to prioritize the people who are waiting on me.
What are some ways you take care of your health and wellbeing?
Sleep is very important for rejuvenation and mental health. I have a hard time shutting off, but I have developed techniques that help. I know that if I have left things lingering it is hard to shut off. At the beginning of every week, I make a list of what I need to accomplish that week. I also keep a list of what needs to be finished every day before I go to bed. Once I have done the things on that list, it is easier for me to shut off and get the sleep I need.
What empowers you?
Growing up, I was a figure skater and a dancer performing live to large groups starting at age eight, both activities that require a lot of self-confidence. This also required a great deal of discipline and self-awareness. It takes confidence in your own ability to drive performance in others. It takes discipline to stay focused on the goal. I research, I build a team, and I accomplish goals by working through others.
Laura Roman, CPA, Partner-in-Charge, South Region Tax Services
Laura has 25 years of experience serving clients in the oil and gas industry. She currently leads tax services for the South Region of Texas, as well as learning and development for tax professionals firm-wide.
Why did you choose this profession?
As an undergraduate at Baylor, I started out as a math major. I had to take a business math elective so I chose accounting. I loved it and got an A even though everyone said it was hard. It made sense to me. When I got out of school and went into public accounting I found my path. For me, the blend of relationship skills and analytic abilities was the perfect fit. The first partner I worked with was very relationship-driven, and that was very appealing to me.
What do you find challenging in your role?
In all honesty, the challenge for me is staying present. I really try to stay focused on who I'm with and what I'm doing. But when we all have so many things going on, I am one that can easily get distracted and lose focus on what's happening right in front of me. During the pandemic, I’ve noticed that it's gotten even easier to be hidden or distracted. That's not the kind of person I want to be. If I am in a situation where I need to be attentive, I try to schedule it so that I can give it all of my focus during that time.
How do you face your fears?
If I internalize my fears, they are ten times worse than when I talk to people about them. I have trusted people in my life to whom I can express my fears, challenges, and struggles. Rather than letting thoughts fester, I think it’s important to be able to communicate about them with the people you trust.
What one habit would you attribute to your success?
I learned early on not to avoid conflict. Getting used to conflict and being comfortable having civil conversations with people, even when it is uncomfortable or there is disagreement, is a habit everyone should get used to as early in their careers as possible.
