Team Member Spotlight: Connie Brown

At Walsh Accounting, our people are what make the difference. Each quarter, we profile a Walsh Accounting team member, sharing a little bit about what they do, how they got here and what matters to them outside the world of accounting, bookkeeping and payroll. In this installment, we sit down with director of client operations, Connie Brown.

Thanks for taking the time to chat, Connie – and for being our first team member spotlight participant! Let’s dig right into your story. How’d you find your way to Walsh Accounting?

Happy to do it! The short answer is that Chris and I are neighbors. As she was getting the company off the ground, it quickly became a situation where she couldn’t do it all. Of course, that’s a good problem to have. She was sharing this with a friend on our block who more or less said, “You should talk to Connie. She’s great with numbers.”

Thirteen years later, here we are. 

That’s a great backstory. Before that serendipitous moment, what did your career path look like? 

I was an actuarial science major at Temple. [Editor’s Note: Actuarial Science is the discipline that applies mathematical and statistical methods to the systematic observation of natural events to assess the risk of events occurring and help formulate policies that minimize this risk and its financial impact on companies and clients.] I then changed it to business management. All the while I was working in retail to pay for college. That turned into retail management roles. I kept getting promoted and subsequently put the college path on hold. 

In 2000, I stepped away from work to start a family. But as a mom who knows numbers, I had my share of volunteer jobs that usually involved some sort of treasury function. I served that role for our Home and School Association and countless sports teams and leagues. The whole “Oh, Connie’s great with numbers!” thing has stuck with me my whole life.

A blessing and a curse, right? 

Exactly. 

So you’re on board with Chris. What has your time with Walsh been like? 

Candidly, it’s been incredible. We’ve built a culture here that prioritizes great work and balance equally. Case in point, I always regretted putting my college career on hold. Five or six years ago, I went to Chris and said, “I want to finish this.” I had her full support. After testing out of a fair share of courses, I had my accounting degree. 

That’s not always possible at a workplace. 

No it’s not, but I think we share that love of learning. All of us here. Even in our work. I love learning about a new client, their business, how they make money, their ideal customer, how they have (or haven’t) been doing their books. And I love digging into new accounting technology and assessing which clients of ours it can help. 

Lots of Walsh clients stick around for a long time. Why is that?

I think it’s a few things. One, even as we grow, we still invest in each client relationship. We’re an extension of all of these businesses – and an important one, at that. Two, we’ve been able to maintain that boutique feel.  And the third reason: we do really, really good work. When you’re a business that has an accounting partner that delivers not just accurate numbers but business value, why would you switch?

What does the future of Walsh Accounting look like? 

Oh, that’s a loaded question. But all joking aside, I think it’s smart, steady growth. We really prioritize working with people and companies we like. It’s a luxury. 

Indeed it is. Well, Connie, the Q&A is over. You’re free! 

Thanks! It was a lot of fun.