Meet Trailblazer Amanda “Jo” Erven

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda “Jo” Erven.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My story may have begun a lot further back than this, but there is one event that sent me on the trajectory I am on today…

In 2015, I found myself staring at a piece of paper that said I had a 45% chance of ovarian cancer and an 86% chance of breast cancer in my lifetime. And for a brief moment, I thought that was my fate. It sadly was the fate of my Grandmother and my only Aunt on my Father’s side of the family, who both passed away at a very young age.
But quickly I determined that I had two choices. To wallow in the “what may be” or to take proactive steps to change my so-called fate.

I chose the latter. A full hysterectomy and a double mastectomy later, the piece of paper that said…

RESULT: POSITIVE
CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT MUTATION IDENTIFIED
GENE: BRCA1 MUTATION
INTERPRETATION: HIGH CANCER RISK

…was put away in the drawer, where it still remains today.

During this time, however, (6 surgeries over 22 months), I began to notice a difference in myself and in my career. I had a newfound passion for life – a newfound goal of making sure that every minute counted. And while I was working in a field that I loved (more about that in just a bit), I realized I wasn’t making the difference I knew I could.

And on both a side-personal and professional note – I was also not surrounded by people that shared the same values that I did. And it was time to change that.

So in 2018, I decided to make the necessary changes and start my own professional services firm, Audit. Consulting. Education. LLC (or as I call it “ACE” for short – although my son asks me why I named my company after a hardware store – HAHA!)

My firm specializes in providing progressive internal audit strategies and management process/control consulting, as well as continuing education trainings for licensed professionals, such as Certified Public Accountants (CPAs).

Being a CPA, a Certified Internal Auditor, and a Certified Fraud examiner myself, I have sat through many-a-boring continuing education training in my day, and my goal was to bring new life to somewhat boring topics. And get this… my favorite topic to teach: ETHICS!

At this same time, I also became an accounting/business professor at two Denver-area colleges, and have greatly enjoyed teaching at the higher education level.

Since I left my corporate career, I have also found the time to publish two books (that both have accompanying workbooks), which is the basis of many of my trainings and keynote presentations.

Total Quality Auditing (the title of the first book and workbook) is based on my unique approach to Internal Auditing, which was formally trademarked by the United States Patent and Trademark Office in July of 2019. It explains how I believe auditors should be less reactive, reviewing past events at their organizations, and should focus more on proactive, value-add contributions. They should be getting in front of the things we are seeing in the headlines – privacy and security breaches, poor corporate cultures, unethical/fraudulent behavior, to name a few.

The second book, Our Choices on the Road of Life, goes through six topics for which I think we all have more power to make different (better) choices in life. Choices around how we face and embrace adversity, how we choose to focus on self-development, how we choose and build our own ethical character, how we can “own” our life by having an owner’s mindset, how we can choose to be a genuine leader, and lastly, how we can build our habits around the life identity we truly WANT.

While consulting with organizations on strategies, processes, controls, ethics and culture is a large part of my business model, the training and speaking I do on the above two books/topics is by far my favorite part of my “work.” I put “work” in quotes because as many have said before me – it doesn’t feel like work at all when it is something you are passionate about. Being able to influence people’s lives, making them realize they don’t have to sit back and let work or life “happen” – that they can proactively take charge of their careers and personal lives – is what motivates me.

Hence why my motto is “Good things happen to those who wait… but don’t. You deserve better than good.”

And just to reiterate that point, my company mission on my website is this: “My mission is to change the perception of change – to inspire you to stop waiting for the right time. My mission is to show you the importance of being proactive, lean, ethical, and gritty, and for you to walk out of the room with more confidence than ever before. Whether it is through my professional education training or through more personal keynotes on surviving and thriving through change, you will leave wanting to take action.”

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I have definitely had my share of struggles.

I’ve had the personal kind, like health issues: the one previously mentioned and others…. relationship issues: surviving a mentally and physically abusive relationship… and parenting issues: being a single mom for many years while trying to build a successful career. I have moved 29 times and have lived in 7 different states. I am only 38 years old. The road is not always simple, trust me, I know.

I have also had professional struggles, like being turned down for jobs, overlooked for promotions, or failing certification exams. I’ve been degraded in meetings to the point of tears and I’ve worked for someone that was more worried about the brand of their shoes than about the state of the organization. (And that is being kind.) The thing about professional struggles is, they have the ability to affect our personal lives too… as we think we are “stuck” in our current career/job. But hopefully, if you keep reading you will see that is just not the case…

I teach about “blind spots” in my ethics trainings, which essentially points out that we can all be blinded by things like money, group think, or authority figures in our lives. It is where we have all been caught rationalizing that we have to act/behave in a certain way to keep a job or to fit in with a group. But it is just simply not true. We can all make a different choice. We need to stop letting these “blind spots” in our lives determine our path! We have to open our eyes, and proactively change things when needed.

Regardless of the struggle you are facing, my advice will always be that YOU can always change something about the situation you are in. Don’t ever sit and wallow in the “why is this happening to me.” Start proactively saying “I can’t wait to write about how I got through this later!” Okay, maybe not everyone writes like me – but everyone shares. Be proud to share your struggles as much as you are proud to share your accomplishments.

If you are unhappy in your career… if you are unhappy in your relationships (professional or personal)… especially if you are at the beginning of your journey, make the choice to change. The quicker you do, the better. And I promise, once you make the choice to change something, you’ve gotten through the hardest part.

What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
I am definitely most known for my work around ethics. My ethics presentation is called, “Say something… Even if.” … even if it only costs $2, even if you will lose your job, even if you lose a friend. Even if it is hard.

The bottom line about ethics is this… none of us are as ethical as we think we are. (Pause, for reaction).

Sadly, it is true. If you read the headlines or listen to the news, you can see the unethical behavior in society everywhere. We all have work to do to become what I call “the everyday ethicist.”

It is important to me to ensure my firm stands out not just from a general professional standpoint, but from an ethical standpoint. We have several mottos:

“Silence is not golden.”

“Speak the truth, even if your voice shakes.”

“Live so that you wouldn’t be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip.” (My personal favorite.)

I really do think that everyone “thinks” they are ethical, and that we do all have the best of intentions. I just like to remind everyone of those “blind spots” and how important it is to have a personal set of values that you live and work by every day.

As you can tell, I am pretty passionate about this topic, hence why my next book (in the works now) is called “The Everyday Ethicist.”

What’s the most important piece of advice you could give to a young woman just starting her career?
SPEAK UP!

Yes, I teach this in regards to ethics, but it applies so much to everything in our lives (especially as women).

My personal achievement coaching includes an entire lesson on “self-promotion” and includes the tools and techniques to get better at it. I have watched so many women get passed over in their careers simply because the men around them are busy patting themselves on the back, while the women are sitting back, waiting to get recognized.

It may not be ideal, but we have to speak up for ourselves, a lot. We have to make sure we are seen for the value we bring – both at home and at work. Doing something fantastic? Tell everyone about it! Don’t think you can do it? I’ll show you how you easily can without seeming egotistical or self-centered.

Being “pro-self” – my equation for being “PROactive” and “SELFish” – could be a game-changer for you early on. Start now!

Pricing:

• Personal Achievement Coaching – $135/hour, multi-hour packages available as well
• Internal Audit Strategy/Management Consulting – Pricing varies by client need
• Ethics/Personal Keynote Presentations – Starting at $1500
• Our Choices on the Road of Life & Total Quality Auditing – Books – $24.99 – Book & Workbook bundle discounts available at www.AuditConsultingEducation.com
• Our Choices on the Road of Life & Total Quality Auditing – All-day Trainings – Pricing varies by location
• Certified Total Quality Auditor (cTQA) on-line certification course – available in 2020 for $997

Contact Info:

• Website: www.AuditConsultingEducation.com
• Phone: 970-439-4665
• Email: Jo@AuditConsultingEducation.com
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-jo-erven-ace/

Image Credit:
Elissa Woog, Don Consolver

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