5 Lessons From My Decades in Accounting

This week, ACAP kicks off at Bentley University, hosted by NABA INC Boston Chapter.

I’ve been reflecting on my journey—and the things I wish someone had told me when I was just starting out.
Because I remember being young and ambitious—with no map.

I didn’t grow up around CPAs or spreadsheets. I grew up in Haiti, in a house full of love but not accountants. My parents worked miracles with limited means and invested everything in our education. That was my first lesson in finance.

I moved a lot—Haiti, Canada, France, Grand Cayman, the U.S. Every time, I had to start over.

Here are five lessons I’ve learned from that journey:

Lesson 1: Resilience is earned.
Not gifted. I built mine through failed exams, missed promotions, and every hard “no.”
Resilience is the quiet decision to get back up when no one is watching.
✨ ACAP action item: Write down a moment when you thought you failed—and what it taught you. That’s your strength.

Lesson 2: Your peers can save your life.
Some of the people who helped me most were sitting next to me in class or at work. I had to build my community many times and each time, I did it with vulnerability.
Friendship isn’t just social—it’s survival.
✨ ACAP action item: Text someone in your group. Say thank you. Relationships grow with intention.

Lesson 3: You don’t always know what rooms you’re missing.
I wasn’t just an impostor—I was invisible.
I asked the dumb questions. Took the jobs nobody wanted. Worked after hours.
Eventually, I got in the room. And made space for others.
✨ ACAP action item: Ask one question today—not to impress, but to learn.

Lesson 4: You won’t always see the next step.
Take it anyway.
Clarity doesn’t always come first. Action does.
✨ ACAP action item: Pick one thing you're curious about. Listen to a podcast or read an article. Keep learning.

Lesson 5: Be who you needed.
That’s why I show up for ACAP.
Because I wish someone had told me what equity was. What a CFO does. How to get in the room.
✨ ACAP action item: Share one thing you’ve learned with someone one step behind you.

To the ACAP students: You belong. Even if it feels new. Even if you’re unsure. You are not here by accident.

And to those of us who made it in: Don’t forget where you started. Someone is watching. Let’s give them something real to hold on to.

hashtag#TheBalancedSheets hashtag#ACAPBoston hashtag#RepresentationMatters hashtag#AccountingLife hashtag#Resilience hashtag#CareerLessons hashtag#FromHaitiToHere hashtag#PeersNotLadders hashtag#LeaveTheDoorOpen