EDGE Career Development (as part of AICPA ENGAGE 2019)

This includes sessions from the conference: EDGE Career Development (as part of AICPA ENGAGE 2019)

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Association and CPA.com Startup Accelerator: Investing in Innovation

Identification: ENG19OV01

The Association (unified voice of AICPA & CIMA) and CPA.com launched a shark-tank style startup accelerator two years ago with a focus on FinTech and EdTech. Its purpose is to foster innovation in the profession and provide members, the Association, and CPA.com more visibility into disruptive trends and emerging technologies. In this session, you will hear from the 2019 cohort – 3 startup companies that have a leading role in client workspace solutions, cash flow management and accounting task automation.

During this session you will:

1. Discover trends in FinTech that are impacting the profession and your role.

2. Hear from the front lines of disruption.

3. Learn about the 3 startups that are members of the second cohort of the Association and CPA.com Startup Accelerator - https://www.aicpa-cima.com/accelerator.

4. Get inspired to rethink how you can leverage financial and educational technology.

• Mark S. Brooks, MBA, Associate Director, Innovation & Strategic Partnerships, Association of International Certified Professional Accountants
• Judie McCarthy, Co-founder, Client Hub
• Kacee Johnson, MBA, Strategic Advisor, CPA.com
• Jotham Ty, Founder and CEO, Gappify
• Blaine Bertsch, Co-Founder and CEO, Dryrun

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Are You Guiding Your Clients Towards a Bright Future? Position Yourself as a Valued Retirement Adviser

Identification: ENG19VCC2

Advising your clients on their plans for retirement is more than just setting aside money in an IRA. Find out how to guide them through the important conversations about retirement plans including unique ways to save on taxes, attracting and retaining quality talent, and meeting fiduciary requirements. As your business clients’ most trusted advisor, you are well positioned to help guide them toward a dignified retirement.

Join our session to uncover critical retirement strategies and opportunities to further assist your clients in achieving their financial goals.

1. Review current state of retirement readiness and the regulatory environment.
   
2. Compare features and options to maximize savings potential.        
   
3. Highlight the exclusive benefits provided by the AICPA to help you and your clients prepare for retirement security.

• Matthew Brock, Direct Sales Manager, Paychex

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Key Challenges and Solutions to Achieve Financial Wellness - Presented by Prudential

Identification: PFP19SS03

1. Expert insight into the financial challenges impacting American consumers today including student loan debt, retirement, insurance concerns, etc.
   
2. Understanding financial wellness and its impact.
   
3. Solutions to help address the most pressing financial challenges.

Objectives:

1. Understand the financial challenges individuals are facing today.
   
2. Learn about solutions that can help address the most pressing financial challenges facing American consumers.
   
3. Identify ways to help empower individuals to synthesize and reflect on one’s own financial profile and develop a personalized financial roadmap.

• Julie Brandon, VP, Head of Financial Wellness Distribution, Prudential

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Freedom to Fail

Identification: EDG1901

Would you believe that some professionals feel that if they make mistakes, it’ll be held against them? You probably do. Have you thought about what effect that has on the functioning of your team and your organization as a whole?

In this session, we explore the concept of failure and research behind the traits that contribute to the highest levels of team effectiveness. You'll walk away with ideas on how you can measure and create an environment that fosters peak team performance and healthy communication.

Learning Objectives:

1. Explore the concept of failure and how our current failure assumptions can reduce success.
   
2. Learn the key traits in team effectiveness.
   
3. Understand how to measure and build psychological safety, creating a Freedom to Fail environment.

• Kristen Rampe, CPA, Owner, Kristen Rampe Consulting

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Lose the Excuses, Reach the Results!

Identification: EDG1902

Do you ever find that you've lost sight of your goals? Maybe what you really want just seems so far out of reach? Does your to-do list seem way too overwhelming? It is easy for us to put off today what we can get done tomorrow, but if we just took those next little steps along the way, how much closer could we be to our goals or accomplishing those big projects. This session helps you learn to get past the excuses and learn to turn goals and projects into more manageable tasks. From eating the frog to brain dumping, we will discuss ways to guide you to achieving more.

Learning objectives:

1. Learning tools to turn goals or projects into more manageable tasks and
   
2. Discussing ways to guide you to achieving more.

• Kelly Ward, CPA, CGMA, CPA, Robinson & Ward, PC

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The Power of Focus

Identification: EDG1903

Sure, it feels great to be all things to all people, but is that the best way to really use your gifts and talents? Join Michael as he explores this topic and gives specific examples of wonderful success when he has chosen to specialize and tremendous failures when he has chosen to try to serve everyone in every way. This session will make a strong case for choosing to become a specialist in your firm, your hobbies and your life.

Learning Objective:

1. Understand the power of focus and what specializing can mean for you in your life and business.
   
2. Understand the process of beginning to focus in your life.

• Michael J. Elliott, CPA, Principal, DittrickCPA

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Courageous Authenticity

Identification: EDG1905

Courageous Authenticity is the practice of leadership that is transparent, vulnerable, and honest with those we lead. It checks our egos at the door and through acts of mutuality and community, we can learn, lead and grow from each other. Becoming a leader in the CPA profession involves making the proactive decision to redefine and reshape the profession and lead those who come after us. Being courageously authentic shapes how we lead in a collaborative fashion that values each other and the culture we develop as a result. By attending this session, you will gain insight on the practice of Courageous Authenticity, how to change how you lead and bring those concepts back to your firm or company.

Learning Objectives:

1. Be able to understand the concept of Courageous Authenticity as a leadership principle. 
   
2. Apply this concept in leading others.

• Joshua Lance, CPA, CGMA, Managing Director, Lance CPA Group

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Thanks for the Feedback - Lessons in Giving and Receiving Feedback

Identification: EDG1906

Whether we realize it or not, we are constantly both giving and receiving feedback. We know that feedback is essential to our personal development, but we so often dread and even dismiss it. Feedback can be ill timed, unfair and downright mean, but that doesn’t have to dictate our ability to use it for our own growth. Using lessons from the best-selling book, “Thanks for the Feedback” by Douglas Stone and Shelia Heen, learn the three types of feedback, the barriers to receiving good feedback and how we can be empowered to seek feedback for our own growth.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the three types of feedback and the degree to which you need each one.
   
2. Recognize the barriers and blind spots that can get in the way of receiving feedback well.
   
3. Create an action plan for getting the feedback you need.

• Rebekah Brown, CPA, Director of Development, Maryland Association of CPAs / The Business Learning Institute

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Finding Your Unique Leadership Voice

Identification: EDG1907

What type of leader do you aspire to be? Because all that you are and are not is best exemplified in your voice...but not your speaking style...the way you present yourself as a leader. Based on the book by Paul Larsen, attending this session will expose attendees to ways of developing their leadership voice, recognizing the voice that they already have and inspiring others to do the same.

Learning Objective:

1. Identify ways to develop and/or identify your unique leadership voice.
   
2. Find ways to help others develop their voice.
   
3. Determine when the voice needs to be adapted.

• Lori Liddell, CPA, ABV, Senior Manager, HORNE LLP

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Introduction to Well-Being

Identification: EDG1908

Well-being goes beyond happiness, engagement and physical wellness. Well-being makes up who we are and is our foundation for flourishing. Attend this session to be introduced to Martin Seligman’s Well-being theory and "PERMA” model. Learn how to measure your own well-being and discover its effects on your personal and professional life. You will not only learn strategies to increase your well-being, but you will also learn how to help those around you do the same.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will be exposed to an introduction to positivity psychology.
   
2. Participants will learn the “PERMA” model to assess their own well-being.
   
3. Participants will learn strategies to improve their own well-being and those around them.

• Rachael K. Smith, CPA, CPA, White Lodging