122: Diversity, Inclusion, & Being True To Yourself – Jina Etienne, CPA

Jina Etienne joined us for this episode of Life In Accounting, a podcast production of Where Accountants Go.  Jina has had a tremendous career.  From building her own accounting practice, to serving our profession through working at both AICPA and NABA, to now joining Grant Thornton in the role of Director of Diversity & Inclusion!  Jina very openly shared her wisdom and insights with us on this episode, and we were fortunate to have her on the program.

Is It Always This Easy?

Jina started her career in accounting because the initial accounting course that she had to take as a business major ended up being a relatively easy subject for her.  After realizing she had natural ability in the accounting, and then hearing that it was a very stable career path, she decided to choose accounting as her career.  She started an internship with Touche Ross, and the rest is history.

Opportunities Open Up

After a few short years in public accounting, Jina decided to start her own practice.  She operated her firm for about 17 years in total and was very successful.  It was through her quest to continue to grow her practice in a way that suited her lifestyle that she came across the opportunity to join AICPA.  Jina figured that she could have a positive influence on far more people through working at AICPA than she could being self-employed, so she took advantage of the opportunity and went to work with the national association.

Several years later she also had the opportunity to serve as CEO for NABA, the National Association of Black Accountants, which was also a position that she thoroughly enjoyed.  You’ll hear it in the audio interview, but having the opportunity for public speaking on topics she is passionate about is something that energizes Jina.  Both the AICPA and NABA positions provided her those opportunities.

Diversity & Inclusion

Jina currently is the Director of Diversity and Inclusion for the national accounting firm Grant Thornton.  One of the most educational portions of this podcast episode is the discussion of the difference between diversity and inclusion, as well as the strides we have made as a profession and the challenges that we still face.  Jina is definitely a subject matter expert in the area, and I appreciated the frank discussion we were able to have regarding D&I; in our accounting profession.  This interview definitely is more than just a career story – it’s an educational opportunity!

Books that Jina mentions in this interview that can help you with your own career include:   “The E-Myth” and “Rich Dad Poor Dad”

Other episodes that may interest you include:  Lisa Ong and Sheila Enriquez

To listen in on this interview with Jina Etienne, please click on the player below: