Why Coaching?

the journey to licensure is emotional

YOU NEED MORE THAN TECHNICAL ACUMEN

Failing the CPA Exam is expensive both in terms of actual costs and a significant investment in time. But perhaps more insidious: it can take an emotional toll on candidates. You probably know that you’re capable of passing the CPA exam, but you may be experiencing trouble passing or feel overwhelmed and unsure where to start when it comes to preparing.

When you invest in professional coaching, you’re creating the focus, energy, and time needed to accomplish this milestone in your career.

During the two-month coaching experience, you will implement new behaviors, experience successes, and setbacks, and fine-tune your plan as you go. This intimate group setting provides support from others who are going through similar challenges and holds you accountable along the way. Your coach will help you to pass the exam once and for all—and encourage you to become the best version of yourself in the workplace and beyond.

If you are a participant who is unsure if this program is right for you, Coach Monika Smith is excited to discuss any details and answer any questions you have.
Contact Monika at: monika@conscious.cpa or 443-880-5094.

“My coach made me feel comfortable, welcome, and safe. She encouraged me and always expressed her belief in me. She made the conversations and activities feel like a normal conversation between two friends, no judgments, and no ill feelings. I would highly recommend the Initiation program. My coach was AMAZING!”

“My coach was one of us. She knew what it was like to fail the CPA exam, and she could easily relate to the stresses of it.”

“My coach made me feel comfortable enough to be vulnerable and express my emotions.”

“After 2+ years of studying and constantly failing, I was approached with the idea of coaching and how it could help guide me through the exam. At first I was a bit hesitant but I decided to give it a try. After a few months of coaching, I passed 3 of my remaining exams. To this day, I believe my coach is one of the main reasons why I was able to complete the exam.”

“My coach helped me to stay on track by checking in my study progress on a weekly basis. I passed three sections of the CPA on my first try. My coach also helped me to sharpen my skills of time-management and how to manage stress, both of which are very important skills for any profession.”

“This approach included building a personalized and realistic schedule while also identifying and attacking the root issue for me – time management.  She started as a CPA coach and quickly became a life coach for me, encouraging me to fine tune my daily routine to help enhance the quality of my life.”

What is Professional Coaching?

The International Coach Federation defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.

The coach’s responsibility is to:

Discover, clarify and align with what the coachee wants to achieve
Encourage self-discovery
Elicit solutions and strategies designed by the coachee
Hold the coachee responsible and accountable

A well-designed coaching experience helps one to improve their outlook on work and life while improving their leadership skills and unlocking their potential.

How is Coaching Different?

This approach is much different than accountancy, where clients hire competent experts that tell them what to do. In contrast, professional coaches assume the coachee is the expert on their life. This makes sense. Afterall, you know your aspirations, challenges, and relationships better than anyone else.

There are enough people telling you who to become. This program creates the space for you to explore matters of the heart and eliminate any obstacles that come in the way of you performing at your best- whether that be on the job or at the testing center.

Learn more about how coaching supports CPA exam success in this article authored by Amber Setter. If you’ve been struggling to pass the exam since the pandemic began, listen to this past podcast interview on studying for the exam during a crisis.

Moving beyond competency to support the whole human

Our Profession Has a Problem … And It’s a Big One

The number of unique CPA candidates–an indicator of pipeline strength—hit an all-time low in 2021, while the AICPA estimates 75% of their membership is eligible to retire. COVID only amplified our pipeline issues when candidates were forced to put exams on hold and tend to increased levels of responsibility- on the job and at home. The 2021 AICPA Trends report revealed that CPA candidates who passed their fourth section hit all-time lows in 2021 and 2020 respectively.

While the profession continues to make positive strides toward exam relevancy, we are faltering to support the whole human on the path to licensure.

ENROLL NOW

Decoding the Decline, a CPA pipeline report that explored the barriers to becoming a CPA, found that:

Workload time commitment was by far the top reason for not completing the CPA exam (63% percent of those who started the process but did not complete it)
Fear of failure was cited as a notable challenge (51% percent of student respondents)
Lack of employer support was a top reason for not pursuing the CPA credential (28 %percent of individuals who do not plan to become CPAs)

We must move beyond competency and we better move fast. Please join us on this mission to profoundly alter the path to CPA licensure, while developing key leadership behaviors along the way.