Controlling your narrative with Joni Johnson-Powe

In this episode of the SALTovation podcast, we speak with Joni Johnson-Powe, from DuCharme, McMillen & Associates, and our very own Judy Vorndran.

Joni is the Vice President of DMA’s tax technology consulting division and is also a multi-degreed lawyer, a CPA and an IT specialist. She talks about owning her own businesses and what were the biggest lessons she learned from her first company. She also discusses how she feels her roles as a mom, a leader and a business owner has helped her control her narrative in the workforce.

Questions asked and answered in this Episode:

How did Joni’s educational background influence her career choices and specialties?
Why did she pursue a law as a CPA?
How does Joni feel about being a mom, a leader and a business owner has impacted her?

What You Will Discover:

[00:59] How Joni utilized her education
[06:15] Why she went to law school as a CPA
[10:01] The evolution of software and technology for tax use
[16:58] Why she started her own business
[22:16] How her family life helps pivot her career path
[29:53] How Joni’s many hats helped her control the narrative and how things haven’t changed much in public accounting
[40:32] How Joni thinks working from home due to COVID-19 pandemic has benefitted parents
[46:06] Michelle’s last takeaway
[52:46] Outro

Quotables:

“When you're an accountant, it’s A+B=C. When you’re a lawyer, it’s like A+B=CDEFG.” - Joni Johnson-Powe [02:04]

“Business is not set it and forget it.” - Judy Vorndran [13:20]

“It was just a lot of things that you don’t know. You’re starry eyed. You’re ambitious. You want to go out, but you don’t realize all the sacrifices that you really have to make as a business owner. - Joni Johnson-Powe [24:59]

“There aren’t people like us, so we have to connect with one another to support each other, because we’re going through similar things as business owners, as women, as mothers, as wives, as friends.” - Judy Vorndran [33:44]