Who is Tonisha M. Pinckney, CFE, CFFA, MSCJ? I am who I am, not who I was, and rapidly becoming who I was predestined to be. This is the continuation of my discussion of the book “Black Faces in White Places: 10 Game-Changing Strategies to Achieve Success and Find Greatness” by Dr. Randal Pinkett and Dr. Jeffrey Robinson. There have been so many defining moments in my life I had to write a second book about it. Here I will discuss the two which connect directly to Drs. Pinkett and Robinson’s book. I will also tell you about my education and road to greatness through excellence.
Defining Moment
My first defining moment was when I, much like the authors, was moved by my mother from a black community (Irvington, NJ/Newark, NJ) to a predominately white community in Plainsboro, NJ. Predominately black is really an understatement. I had to learn the rules when it came to black-white interaction. I was not accepted initially. But my mother, again much like the parents of the authors, stressed upon me the need to be prideful about my race, my history, and my future. She did not allow me to forget that I was a beautiful black girl whose future was tied to God’s hands and not to anyone else. The may not have liked or accepted me, but if I worked hard and delivered quality assignments, they would have to respect me. I learned early what it meant to be a “black face in a white place”. It meant I had to work harder, be better, and live cleaner. It meant I would need to know my greatness and the power of faith.
How I used education, excellence, intelligence, and God-given talent to “Change the game”:
My next defining moment came when I much older. Spending a few years in Plainsboro when I was younger prepared me for corporate America. I did not experience “culture shock”. I could thrive. After interviewing with an accounting firm which I will call TGG, I was hired as a junior level accountant. I was excited about the position even though I felt I was over-experienced and over-qualified for my title. Accepting a lower position was a strategic move for my family and my career. For my family, I needed a job. But, for my career, I needed more public accounting firm experience. I knew I was ‘MORE’ than my title. I believed they would soon see the value add to their clients. I had a secret – I knew I had a knack for finding missing money, fraud, tax savings, and other nuggets most accountants missed. I was a forensic accountant. I did not label myself as such because I was not credentialed. I changed that! I would soon change the game! I was once again a “black face in a white place”.
“Excel with excellence!” That was my personal motto when I joined the team at TGG, an accounting firm which serviced primarily horse racing, sports, and entertainment clientele. The clientele who did not fall within those categories were extremely high net worth. I was hired as a junior level accountant. I felt I was over-experienced and over-qualified for the title. I noticed quickly, other accountants, of all levels, had meetings with clients and spoke with clients on the phone. I did not have that pleasure-until I insisted. This decision was small, but important. It set me apart as assertive and eager to assist the clients assigned to me. Being a woman and especially an African-American woman created a few speed bumps along the way with clients who were hesitant about entrusting their futures to me. This forced the highest level decision-makers to defend and promote me to clients as a TRUSTED asset.
I would both strategically and positively take advantage of that trust, carving a niche for myself at the firm. TGG, as with any firm, has a definite hierarchy. For my life and as an emerging leader at the firm, I had to make a strategic non-programmed decision. I had never been in a position where I felt as though I had to market myself for promotion. As for the firm, they did not market themselves as having expertise in forensic accounting, nor were there any precedence for a staff accountant wanting to start a sought after segment. While there were organizational policies and procedures in place, there were none that were applicable for this particular situation. For the purposes of this decision and all decisions while at TGG, the hierarchy in place made my decision making simpler. I did not have to plan for who I should approach; I just had to make sure I followed the order. I had to make sure my strategy included pieces which appealed to each upper tier decision-maker individually. I had to position my work product to be seen more so than my race.
An associate accountant one level above me left the firm. I asked to move to her area “because it [had] more storage access”. Once I moved, they began giving her client and work load to me. Admittedly, this was sometimes out of habit. They were used to her sitting there for years and would walk over to her desk forgetting she was not there. Once at MY desk, they would give me the work. The strategy was not to ask for her position, but to embody it. I did just that. Within three months, I was promoted to Staff Accountant (no more junior level for me). The firm had a tradition of having a pre-tax season one-day retreat every few years. In 2008, my first retreat with the firm, they announced a retreat. The primary purpose was to increase firm-wide knowledge of tax codes and tip. Secondarily, the retreat was meant to “bond” the various levels of support staff and management. Teams would need to identify a leader and why that person was chosen. Seeing an opportunity which fit perfectly within my advancement strategy for the firm and personally, I took the challenge home and studied. Ironically, it was a complex decision strategy problem. At our first team meeting it was obvious that I had all the answers and all the questions. So, I was elected the leader. The greatest benefit: the managing partner was the first to suggest me as team leader.
The firm was very adamant about rewarding the staff for hard work and having an entrepreneurial spirit. I, as well as all other associates, relied heavily on the reward system when analyzing the risks of our decisions. Three months after the retreat and in the midst of tax season, I was promoted to and compensated as Senior Staff Accountant. The decision came from voicing my suggestion that all accountants at the firm choose a niche within our already exclusive niche – horse racing. The firm itself was specialized; I suggested further specialization within the firm. It would be understood that individual specialization would not create silos which separated the already cohesive team. Everyone would continue to work as a single unit, helping one another with projects, and overlap between and within departments even if it meant crossing lines created by hierarchy. This suggestion and subsequent implementation would expedite the future steps in the execution of my strategy.
At the meeting, I announced my desired niche as bi-fold – forensic accounting and sports and entertainment. The next leg of the strategy was flowing nicely. I was not without opposition. I began to further research what it would take to have a specialized area for forensic accounting at the firm. My data included (but not limited to): The cost of losing me as a full-time tax accountant –vs.– the benefit of having me as a forensic accountant, the value add to the clients, me becoming more of an asset to the audit team, the costs associated with starting the segment, a plan for implementation, marketing through instructing fraud related CLE and CPE courses internally and for attorneys. I presented the full plan and time line along with the education I would need. The key was to the utilization of attribute framing. The risks were immediately evident to all parties, I had to reveal all data and planning in a positive light. The entire plan was approved-but I would have to report every detail of my progress.
I could continue as planned; so, I found which credentials I would need and could obtain quickly. The first credential was approved. I got my CFE (Certified Fraud Examiner) with the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. This made me a forensic accountant when combined with my education, skills, training, and expertise. The firm issued my next promotion to Senior Accountant. I approached the decision makers again. This time I focused more so on the need of starting a forensic accounting segment at the firm which would be headed up by me. I explained that I understood I would need to be an expert in the field and required more credentials and training. I also pointed out the firms in the area which had thriving forensic accounting segments. This was a risk, but a calculated risk.
They agreed to fly me to Chicago and Baltimore for a one week plus at each location for extensive and intense training from the NACVA (National Association of Certified Value Analyst). I chose this organization, not only for the certification, but because one of the partners was also a member. I felt this would add to the support when presenting my plan. It did just that. The expensive credential was approved. It took six months, but I received my CFFA (Certified Forensic Financial Analyst) certification. (Certificate #225 – so only 224 people in the world had the certificate before me!) I took additional training and exams which netted me a Certificate of Specialized Educational Achievement in Forensic Accounting and Investigative Methodology. My goal was to be the firm’s expert. What does an expert do? They give expert witness testimony. So, I got training in that.
The new Forensic Accounting Segment was placed on the front page of the website. I had a page dedicated solely to my skills and billed me as the firm’s expert. I was promoted again, this time to Senior Forensic Accountant. Even though I was able to choose and train other accountants, was an expert, had given seminars, obtained client interest, and began billing hours immediately, the firm SAID the title Senior Forensic Accountant was the highest I could go since I was only with the firm for two years. But, I was given the ability to hand pick three lower level accountants to work under my direct supervision and training.
The firm acknowledged that I had far exceeded their expectations and grown more than any accountant in such a short time. But, they were not willing to pay me what they acknowledged I was worth. Any other title, they admitted, would me more money and greater benefits. Yet, they would bill clients what I was worth. My billing rate went up immediately. Hmmmm, interesting! I began getting comments like “you’re not Obama!” A few months later I was released for the same reason I was applauded for. I was too expensive to pay and they needed me to be a tax accountant. HUH? I never stopped servicing my tax clients, in fact, I took on more. With that they would require more hours from me or my title would be stripped and I would face a drastic reduction in salary. They changed the rules of the game! Why? I cannot answer the question as to why. I did have a weapon. I did not reveal my entire plan! I left the firm gracefully, upset, but graceful and with dignity. At the time, I had a child who was ill. So, I utilized the firms telecommuting option for my hours over the base 40. But, so did ALL other parents at the firm. Education had cost my job security. The firm continued to promote the segment I start for over a year after I left. The segments implementation was a success. Had I, as a black face, reached a point which actually put me back hundreds of years rather than propelled me forward? Had I reached a point where being black plus thirsting for education was once again a sign of wanting "freedom"? These are question I cannot answer.
READ the final installment of my reaction to “Black Faces in White Places: 10 Game-Changing Strategies to Achieve Success and Find Greatness” by Dr. Randal Pinkett and Dr. Jeffrey Robinson. I will discuss my reaction to the dismissal. What was my answer to what I deemed as a call to action?
