6 MAR 2021 · Let’s throw perfection to the wayside and talk about this mom struggle. When you need to cook but you gotta clean the kitchen first then you ask the kids to clean and they do it halfway so you end up doing it anyway. By then you’ve loaded the dishwasher, cleaned out the refrigerator, wiped everything down, swept and mopped the floor and you’re exhausted - and not 1 pot is on the stove. This is just 1 of the many WTF moments we deal with as moms. I’m making dishwater and wiping the counters down but had to stop and have a living room conversation with my fellow moms. There’s so much to do. Even figuring out what to do before you make ONE move is exhausting. It doesn’t have to be. For all the craziness of our daily lives, pencil in things on your calendar that you love - mine is cleaning. That is not a typo - 1 of my favorite things to do is clean. Turning on music, putting in my rubber gloves, and setting my Apple Watch to Mixed Cardio is a great time in my book. I know I won’t be interrupted because nobody in my house is volunteering to help me clean the kitchen (or any other room 🤦🏽‍♀️) so I also consider it “me time.” It takes A LOT to be a responsible for other little humans and as much as I love being a mom, we need to have more cathartic conversations like this and share experiences and learnings that can help other moms. We may not know each other but Moms all have a common understanding and empathy for each other that we can laugh and cry about. What’s your #momlife like? Tune in to this episode of The WERKin’ Mommas podcast! #werkinmommas #honestmotherhood #moms #thestruggleisreal #millennialmom #workingmom #busymom #momconcierge #podcast #mompodcast #worklifebalance #momlifebelike #cleaning #entrepreneurship #homebody #laundry #millennials #momcommunity #busymomlife #mompreneur #girlmom #boymom #momblogger #blackgirlswhoblog #momproblems #momboss #mommy #momlifeisthebestlife #momstyle #mompodcasters #wocpodcast #cleaningmotivation 

3 DEC 2020 · All of the business owners, entrepreneurs, girl bosses, startups, boutiques, course creators, freelancers, and gig workers with LLCs - this episode is for you. Treat 👏🏽 your 👏🏽 business 👏🏽 like 👏🏽 a 👏🏽 business. Too many entrepreneurs form businesses without fully understanding the implications of selecting an LLC. You chose an LLC because you saw somebody else do it but have you considered the tax impact of that? What about if you want to sell and be acquired later? Did you know that you can STILL be sued even if you have an LLC? Listen to this episode for how to check if you can be sued and what to do about it. Key takeaways from this episode: 1. Even if you have an LLC, you can STILL be sued 2. Be careful about who you take financial advice from 3. Operate your business like a business It’s cool to be poppin’ on social media. Make sure your business is poppin’ in real life too. ~Nikki

13 NOV 2020 · I’m going through a transition as a mother. I’m in this torn space of giving my kids the space to grow, develop, and learn, but I’m still looking at them like the 2-year-olds I chased after to make sure they didn’t fall or play with the sockets. In my transition as a mom, I’m in a delicate space where I’m trying to make sure the teaching is there for my kids. I say that because I want them to be in tune with their feelings and being comfortable openly expressing how they feel, and feeling like they can sit me down and talk to me about anything whether it’s good or bad. The struggle with me is that I didn’t grow up like that - talking back, having an opinion, all that is against the black parent’s law and as long as you lived under your parents’ roof you didn’t have an opinion, you not paying no bills. So there were things I had to learn and think about it like what I want my relationships with my kids to look like as they get older and how do I instill things in them without it being shoved down their throats. So, just as my kids are growing and developing, I am too. I’m unlearning mom guilt. Feeling like I’m not enough, I haven’t done enough, like I’ve failed my kids on things that bother me but they’re not even thinking about let alone tripping about. I feel like that goes back to the desire of some parents who want to live vicariously through their kids. And that also goes back to other people’s opinions - whether it’s the dad or grandparents or friends who want to tell you your kids. So much to unpack in this episode - tune in! What are some things you’ve had to learn and unlearn as a mother? ~N

12 NOV 2020 · Broadcasting live from Midtown Atlanta. It’s such a vibe today - beautiful, sunny 75 degree day. Not too many people, I just had lunch and finished writing a blog and I wanna talk about the J O B. Let’s talk about work. Let’s talk about when you ready to chuck up the deuces and quit your job to that job that’s no longer serving you - or maybe it never served you to begin with. Whatever the reason is for wanting to quit your job, make sure you do it gracefully no matter the situation. Employees don’t quit companies - they quit people, bad managers or toxic environments created by toxic people. There’s also those employees who realize their professional aspirations are out of reach with the current company. Growth is a beautiful thing, no love lost. It can be emotional when you quit your job if it’s a great company and you’ve come to form deep relationships with colleagues. It’s also emotional if it’s not the most amicable professional breakup. Either way, resign from your job with the same energy you had on your first day with these tips. 1. Discuss with your immediate manager. I’ve said AD NAUSEUM that you should be having ongoing conversations with your direct manager, especially when you quit your job. Discuss your workload, your career aspirations, and other things your manager needs to be aware of. When you have this resignation discussion let your manager know that you’re resigning and any relevant information your manager needs to know about. Your manager, not your coworkers or water-cooler friends, should be the first to know that you’re leaving. 2. Follow up with a written resignation letter. After your discussion, send your manager and HR a letter confirming your departure. Include your last working day if nothing else. Reasons and extra words are unnecessary here - many people feel the need to use resignation letters as long drawn out explanations as to why they’re leaving. Your letter can be as succinct as: “I’m resigning from X position with ABC Company, my last day is September 12, 2021.” 3. Clean up, literally. Schedule time with your manager and team to discuss transition plans of work, open projects, and wrap up as much as you can. Use your last few weeks to set your successor up the right way. You ever start a job and see the dusty remnants of your predecessor? The desk hasn’t been cleaned, their condiment packets are still on the drawers, documents with their name is still laying around? It doesn’t feel good. Clean up the desk, leave some notes or guidance documents, send introductory emails that you’re leaving and who your interim point of contact is. Make the transition as seamless as possible for both sides. You always want to leave amicably, regardless of circumstances surrounding your departure. Even if you’re in a position where you’re leaving on less than ideal terms, keep that in mind. 4. Decompress. If you’re going to another company, enjoy some downtime to fully remove yourself from your prior environment. Take a vacation, take a STAYCATION, spend time researching your new company or role. Start fresh and leave any concerns from your old employer in the past. 5. Stay connected. Departures don’t have to be adversarial. Connect with your old colleagues on LinkedIn or by other means if y’all had great relationships. Catch up over an occasional lunch or phone call. When you quit your job and leave the company that doesn’t mean you have to abandon your valuable relationships. The world is smaller than we think and you might be the person to connect former colleagues to new opportunities and vice versa. Check out more #CareerConvos on my blog here. ~N

27 OCT 2020 · Hey y’all, I’m Nikki Winston, and welcome to The WERKin’ Mommas podcast. I’m a mompreneur, CPA, and award-winning writer with my career advice featured in your favorite magazines. I’m sharing the accounting tips entrepreneurs need to know, CPA exam study tips, and career advice that millennials need to win in these corporate streets. You’ll also hear the frolics and frustrations of a mother to 2 growing kids. Let your network know that you’re listening to this episode by using the hashtag #WERKinMommas and tag me, @NikkWinstonCPA, on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. It doesn’t matter who I ask: moms, CPA candidates, entrepreneurs, we all have some long-winded reason for not doing things as we think they should be done. Moms know we need to work out and we’ll go 2 weeks strong then fall off. Candidates know they need to be studying and they do good for a few days before all motivation is gone. Business owners need to hire an accountant but only do it when it’s too late. How long are you doing to be consistently doing things inconsistently?! As crazy as it sounds - it’s a struggle too many of us can relate to. We do things - the right things - consistent for a few days, then we fall off, get back up, and keep going on this cycle. Then you wonder why you’re not where you should be. In this time of uncertainty and wondering what the next move is gonna be, listen to this bonus episode of The WERKin’ Mommas podcast to (1) hear my personal goal of being more consistent and (2) how to create your own plan so that you’re not doing so much that you’re not really doing anything. ~N

19 OCT 2020 · Hey y’all, I’m Nikki Winston, and welcome to The WERKin’ Mommas podcast. I’m a mompreneur, CPA, and award-winning blogger with my career advice featured in your favorite magazines. I’m sharing the accounting tips that business owners need to know, proven methods to make CPA exam studying less stressful, and the career advice and life skills you need to win. You’ll also hear the frolics and frustrations of a mother to 2 growing kids. My guests and I speak the unfiltered, unedited truth, and have real conversations about what it really means to DO THE WORK. Grab your water, your whiskey, or your coffee and tune in! Let your network know that you’re listening to this episode by using the hashtag #WERKinMommas and tag me, @NikkWinstonCPA, on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Regardless of your industry or pay grade, it’s important to pursue the job opportunities that you enjoy and align with your career aspirations. Most have yet to find that perfect dream job, but you can get close by asking the right questions. Listen to this episode for 3 important questions to ask in the job interview for the clarity you need to make the right career decision.

17 SEP 2020 · CPA EXAM COACHING PROGRAMS Launched the CPA exam coaching programs. There’s a lot of the nontechnical and more long-term strategies that I share in my CPA exam programs because those aspects are lacking. Sadly, we as black professionals are a part of the non-elite 1% of black CPAs - we’re actually less than 1%, more like 0.7%. My goal with launching my CPA exam coaching programs is to increase that number by providing the strategies and experiences that black CPA candidates particularly need.  Everyday on LinkedIn I get messages from future CPAs about exam strategies and how to pass the exam. This past score release I got a message on LinkedIn from a follower that engages with my content on a regular basis and he said, “I failed FAR again, what am I doing wrong?” My CPA exam coaching programs are designed to go beyond the content and answer those questions that course materials can’t; to provide you with support and guidance from someone who’s been where you are - having taken the computerized exam 13 times over. All the way down to what to do in the days leading up to your exam, what do eat the night before, my zen preparation on the day of. I thoroughly enjoy helping the future CPAs pass the exam. There are free tutorials on bonds, break-even analysis, and cash-to-accrual conversion on my website, NikkWinstonCPA.com. In other news. . . REFINING VS. PERFECTING I’ve gotten to the point where I’ve stopped beating myself up when things don’t go as planned. There’s a ton of things I have learned to distinguish between REFINING vs. PERFECTING something.  Refining is enhancing something that you’ve created for whatever reason. Maybe you have a course and you added some bonus content that increases the value of the course - that’s refining. Perfecting on the other hand is constant iteration with no end goal in sight - you’re consumed with this feeling of, using the course example again, you feel like the course isn’t good enough so you keep changing things and delaying publishing the course, you’re anxious about people’s feedback and you continue in this cycle until the course gets to your definition of perfection, which most likely is a point you’ll never reach. Because perfection is undefined and it’s subjective. You might think the course is trash and you publish it and everybody loves it. Reaching for perfection will leave you sitting on a lot of unpublished content or services that somebody, at least 1 person, finds value in.  MOMMY MELTDOWN I’m going through a transition as a mom. My son is definitely growing - he’s almost taller than me, he eats all the food, and he’s outgrown all of his clothes. I was going to do my usual and run to the mall and grab him some outfits - the usual basketball shorts, tees, and a couple “school” outfits. Because he’s growing, I wasn’t sure what size he wore so I decided to bring him with me. Much to my surprise, the years of sweatpants and Jordans have come to an end! Instead of his usual student athlete attire, my son went for the jeans that he told me for years he hated, the button-ups that he could only deal with on picture day. No Jordan, LeBron, or Kobe shoes - VANS?! We all know what this means when a pre-teen boy starts paying more attention to his looks. He’s obviously feeling himself and some little girl probably is too. My baby is not a baby anymore! Y’all - I’m NOT ready. 

23 AUG 2020 · The WERKin' Mommas podcast is the business plan for entrepreneurs, the how-to & WTF guide for busy moms and the coat-tail pulling career advice millennials need to win in the corporate world. Nikki Winston is a mom, CPA, and career development expert who put all the "what-ifs" aside and launched her podcast. Her career advice is featured in Forbes, the Ellevate Network, Reader’s Digest and many other publications. Connect with Nikki: Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter | Website | Podcast Welcome to Season 2 of The WERKin’ Mommas podcast! The best career advice I ever got didn't "hit" me until years later. I was so stuck on the delivery that I missed the message but once I got it, it set the bar high for my entire career. This episode is a reminder that there's no escaping or shortcut to doing the work. Regardless of your industry, years of experience, or job title, you have an opportunity to accomplish all that you set out to do. Listen to this episode if you are: wondering how to move up in your careercurious about the unwritten corporate rules you need to knowlacking the confidence you need to ask questionsstruggling with bringing your authentic self to work **This episode is a jarring reminder that there's no shortcut or skating around doing the work.

1 AUG 2020 · The WERKin' Mommas podcast is the business plan for entrepreneurs, the how-to & WTF guide for busy moms and the coat-tail pulling career advice millennials need to win in the corporate world. Nikki Winston is a mom, CPA, and career development expert who put all the "what-ifs" aside and launched her podcast. Her career advice is featured in Forbes, the Ellevate Network, Reader’s Digest and many other publications. Connect with Nikki: Instagram|LinkedIn|Twitter|Website|Podcast Welcome to Season 2 of The WERKin’ Mommas podcast! This quarantine has had everybody in their feelings and in their bag. Have you launched or new business or are you more focused on chilling? Whatever your thing is, it's totally OK! On this episode we're talking about: finding the space and grace you need to be in your feelingshow saying NO is a great thingfocusing on your own goals and leaving behind other people's expectations It's a good one, if I do say so myself. Listen and tag me @NikkWinstonCPA as you share this podcast on social media.

10 JUN 2020 · The WERKin' Mommas podcast is the business plan for entrepreneurs, the how-to & WTF guide for busy moms and the coat-tail pulling career advice millennials need to win in the corporate world. Nikki Winston is a mom, CPA, and career development expert who put all the "what-ifs" aside and launched her podcast. Her career advice is featured in Forbes, the Ellevate Network, Reader’s Digest and many other publications. Connect with Nikki: Instagram|LinkedIn|Twitter|Website|Podcast Welcome to Season 2 of The WERKin’ Mommas podcast! I find myself constantly having this discussion about mechanics vs. concepts. - so much that I wrote about it years ago in Reader's Digest and have countless conversations with professionals about using your brain and not being afraid to do the job. You understand HOW to do something but do you understand the WHY? In accounting and in real life, this is a blurred line. Just because you know how to download the report and copy/paste into specific cells of an Excel file doesn't mean you understand the financial, operational, and/or global impact of what you at your job everyday. Are you really adding value? Improving processes? Or are you doing things exactly the way your predecessor showed you before they left? Is your lack of knowing complicating the process? This was a freestyle episode as this topic has been on my mind as I see how even in the pandemic, many people are transitioning into new roles and careers. As you step into this new role, are you going to carry your predecessor's torch or are you going to put on full display all the things you talked about in the interview? Whether you're a CPA candidate, millennial professional, or business owner, listen to this episode for a different approach to upgrading your skillset.