Background
My first business venture began when I was about 10, and involved door-to-door selling in my local neighbourhood. Unfortunately the realities of business meant the venture wasn’t as glowing a success as I had hoped, but it did teach me much.
My childhood venture did encourage me to start learning as much as I could about business as I could. I started with Rich Dad, Poor Dad and Cashflow Quadrant both by Robert Kiyosaki on my dad’s reccomendation. They are easy to read books and tell a wonderful story as well as providing a foundation for understanding money and, possibly more importantly, people. Since then I have moved on through many other books, of which I can reccomend anything written by Michael E. Gerber or Dolf De Roos.
After high school and whilst deciding what to study at university I was talking with a friend who suggested accounting as an area to study. I had previously contemplated accounting in high school during a careers program however knowing little about the subject I dismissed accounting as glorified bookkeeping and simply filing tax returns. But with a couple more years under my belt, I decided that accounting could have possibilities and opportunities beyond what I initially saw.
That idea didn’t really sink in until half way through the second year of my course when we really started specialising. The accounting door was opened to me and I saw the world completely differently than I had before. I started thinking like an accountant and the options that accounting offers made themselves apparent. At a similar time the CPA launched an advertising campaign highlighting where a CPA can take you which also helped with broadening my perceptions.
Having now completed my degree, I am taking my first steps into the accounting/finance workforce with the hopes of making a successful career and learning as much as I can, so that one day I can start a successful business of my own.
