Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kelly Watson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Kelly thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you take vacations? Why or why not?

Absolutely. The impact of allowing your brain/body to refresh and recharge has been proven repeatedly. While it can feel very counterintuitive, often getting nothing done for a stretch is the best way to get lots done in the long term. A body can only do so much, and when you’re overworked, you function at a much lower capacity level. Beyond that, why work if you can’t have the time to also enjoy the life you’re working so hard to create? I feel like running on empty is a very quick way to burn out, which is far worse for the end goals than taking a few days off to relax.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am first and foremost a Mom of 5. I adore being a Mom, though that’s not to say it doesn’t have its struggles. I am extremely proud of the firm that we have built. My Partners Jeremy and Troy have been incredible partners in building a firm where we respect our employees, prioritize taking care of our clients and our team, and creating an environment that we can happily go to on a daily basis.

I am a second generation CPA, and was fortunate to have an incredible Dad who taught me the value of questioning the status quo and being ok with approaching things differently. I have been in public accounting since 2007 working in a variety of industries.

Currently, our firm works with a variety of closely held businesses, non-profit organizations, governmental entities and retirement plans. We share a common goal of really helping our clients. This is our driving mission and something we take very seriously. We eliminated time tracking and allow our team the flexibility to determine what work structure works best for them (hours, location, etc.). This allows our team to be at their best, which enables us to better serve our clients.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I am both a cancer and stroke survivor. Each of these events dramatically changed my life and the way I look at the world. I think both also gave me a sense of comfort in knowing that I’m able to handle exceptionally difficult things in my life, and has allowed me a sense of confidence that I can handle even the extremely unexpected. They also gave me a perspective on life that allows me to not get too caught up on the little things that really don’t matter in the long run.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

There are a few key values that I think are critical to who I am and my reputation in the industry. I strive to always be sincere, responsive, and kind. I tell my team (and kids) that it’s critical to admit the things you don’t know. I think this is really important to your reputation as pretending otherwise gives of an air of insincerity and could undermine your position as an expert if you turn out to be wrong. I think focusing on being kind and doing my best to be helpful is a big part of how I’m viewed within the industry and helps to both build our business as well as our reputation as a firm. In accounting we talk about “Tone at the Top” which is the concept that the habits and attitudes of management directly impact the type of workplace you will have, we work hard to focus on this as a firm.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.wcrcpa..com

Image Credits
TylerB Photography