Connect
To Top

Life and Work with Kelly Watson

Avatar photo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Watson.

Kelly, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?

My Dad is a CPA, so there’s a large contingent that thinks this was always the plan, but really this wasn’t ever where I expected to end up. Up until my Senior year of High School, I thought I’d go into teaching. I’d always loved kids, and thought that was the natural answer. I took a class in early childhood education my Senior year and realized that it wasn’t really the path I wanted to be on. I had already been accepted to the CU school of Arts & Sciences, so I had to reach out to CU to get changed to the business school. I ended up really liking accounting. I liked the logic and analytical nature of it.

I started my career at Hein & Associates in downtown Denver. I loved the people I worked with and really enjoyed my time there. After a few years, I decided to make the switch to my Dad’s firm. There’s a significant difference in the type of work you do in a large firm vs. a small one. It was a challenging adjustment, but one that I’m really glad I made. While I loved my work at Hein, most of my clients were large and fairly sophisticated, so my work was primarily technical and compliance in nature. At a smaller firm, many of my clients wear multiple hats and rely on us to help on different fronts. I really love how much I’m able to contribute to my clients and the variety of problems I’m able to work through. As a small business owner, I get the variety that keeps my job interesting. Some days I’m HR, others I’m marketing, and every day is different.

Has it been a smooth road?
My road has definitely not been a smooth one, but I imagine there aren’t a lot of roads that are. I’ve faced many challenges, some personal, some professional. Switching to a smaller firm was a challenging transition. I came in feeling like I knew everything and ready to prove myself. I look back on that period and am glad I didn’t alienate some of the relationships with my team that I now value most. Learning that nobody expects you to know everything was a hard but valuable lesson. The sooner you get to the point where you can admit to your faults/weaknesses, the quicker you’ll grow. I still would argue that one of the first signs that your staff is ‘getting it’ is their ability to admit they don’t know the answer to something.

As a working Mom of five, I face the added challenge of juggling personal and professional obligations on a daily basis. What I’ve learned is that most people like people that are sincerely human. I do my best to make sure my family and my clients are always well taken care of, but when I’m faced with a scheduling conflict or something I can’t easily resolve, I’ve learned that honest communication generally solves the issue. So often I find that many people assume what others will think, without simply asking them. In most cases, perceived problems vanish if you’re willing to discuss the issue. I’ve been very fortunate to have extremely good and talented people on my team and an incredible family.

As for women just starting their journey, be honest, don’t assume you know what other people will think and do your best to be sincere. I think that particular quality has taken me far in life. I pride myself on being reliable and meaning what I say. Also, be kind. I refuse to accept any school of thought that thinks this is a weakness. Treating people well is essential in having a happy and successful life.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Watson Coon Ryan – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I am extremely proud of the firm we’ve built. In the professional service industry, we are only good as our team, and I am surrounded by an incredible one. We have focused a great deal on our culture, specifically on being a firm that really respects and takes care of its people. In 2018, we were on the Denver Business Journal’s best places to work. We do our best to put our people first, in a way that is very unique for the industry. We do beer Fridays, workout Mondays, have unlimited PTO, and flexible schedules. All of which are designed to really demonstrate how much we value and respect our employees.

From a client perspective, the biggest thing we’ve changed is the billable hour methodology used by most CPA firms. We do not track our time, and we do not bill by the hour. This model has helped to encourage us to work as a team. In a typical firm, a Partner would have such a high billing rate that using them has to be done in moderation to keep a job within budget. Under our model, we are able to rely on the best person for the job, regardless of their billing rate. Additionally, our new model encourages more client communication. We want to hear from our clients, we are able to provide far more value if our clients know they can reach out to us without fear of incurring additional unexpected cost. This added emphasis on communication allows us to be much more proactive on our approach and gives us time to come up with the best solutions to the problems our clients encounter.

One critical thing we have focused on is creating a workplace that people enjoy. We put our people ahead of our bottom line, largely because we understand that money should not be the driver of all our decisions. Having a workplace you enjoy is invaluable. You hear a lot about work-life balance, and then there’s a school of thought that it’s less of a balance and more of a compromise. We’ve tried hard to make sure our employees enjoy where they work and are given the time and resources to enjoy the rest of their life as well. I think we’ve achieved a pretty solid compromise between the two.

Do you think there are structural or other barriers impeding the emergence of more female leaders?
I’m fortunate to be in an industry with many remarkable women leaders. There are lots of women in the industry, and a significant number are moving up the ranks into leadership roles. We have many women in our firm in a leadership role. I am sure this is not the case across the board, but I haven’t felt limited in my career as a result of my gender. I’m probably a little naïve on this front because I know there are barriers that make it a challenge. You’ll catch little instances of it on occasion, general references to how you should dress or act, or the occasional condescending nickname. I’ve never given those instances much thought. I’m confident in what I do, and those incidents have never held me back.

I have, on occasion, faced women that seemingly aim to keep other women down. It’s the mean girl complex, but on an adult level. We try hard at our firm to really build each other up.

The biggest struggle for me was in choosing to start a family. There are some inherent limitations in terms of time you have to take off, and that was definitely a challenge. I could see how, in a different setting, this would be an insurmountable challenge in certain industries. Beyond the logistical challenges, there’s a constant pressure you feel in making this decision. The questions on whether you’re really making the best decision for your kids, and when you get past that, whether you’re really doing both jobs well. I don’t know that I’ve figured out the answer to this. I’ve watched many incredible Mom’s question whether they’re failing on all fronts, and of course they’re not at all, but I understand where they’re at. Overcoming the self-doubt is sometimes a constant battle. The working Mom’s I know are some of the strongest people I’ve ever met, and I do my best to remind them of how incredible they are as often as I can.

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Beau Barkley, Tyler B Photography

Suggest a story: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.

Related Items

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in