I truly believe that three little things can help anyone live a happy and meaningful life, both personally and professionally: passion, simplicity, and humor.

This philosophy has enabled me to experience and accomplish a great deal in my 19-year career, and to have a great time doing it! I can vividly remember the first day of my Human Resources Management class in college. It was like being hit by lightning. I knew it was exactly what I wanted to do, and my passion has never wavered. To this day, I cannot imagine doing anything else! I am certain that my enthusiasm for all areas of human capital has sustained the energy and credibility I needed over the years to pull together the projects and groups of individuals that have ultimately achieved great things.

After college, as my career progressed, I noticed that the challenges I came across tended to appear more and more complicated. A disagreement couldn’t just be a disagreement; it became a “situation.” Then I realized that, in their need to understand and justify, many people overcomplicated what were really very basic issues. I also figured out that if I helped them cut through the complexities they had created, many people became open to simple solutions. Without my belief in, and practice of, keeping it simple, I could not have accomplished the things I have achieved in my past, nor would I be able to attain the goals I have set for myself in the future. If you don’t believe me, consider that there’s a reason why Real simple is such a successful publication!

Which leads me to the third thing that has helped me become successful. As a leader in the U.S. member firm of the world’s fifth largest accounting network, I am faced with some very serious demands. I won’t lie—it can be very stressful. I’ve found, however, that infusing a little humor into my everyday work is one of the best ways to manage that stress. Refusing to take myself too seriously has made me approachable by all levels of professionals, which ultimately enables me to keep a solid finger on the pulse of my organization. Plus, it’s fun to be silly sometimes! The result is that I have been asked to be take part in wonderful projects and opportunities that have positioned me for a great career in Human Capital.