By Bridget Houser, Accounting Supervisor
We’re celebrating International Women’s Day all month long at Maestro Health, because one day just wasn’t enough. One of the ways we’ve been celebrating gender diversity in our workforce is through our “mCHATs” with some of the women at Maestro Health, where we discuss everything from careers, role models and overcoming obstacles. Next up is Bridget Houser, Accounting Supervisor.
How did you get to where you’re at now?
I studied Accounting and International Business at Indiana University. After graduation, I sat for the CPA exams and became a CPA. I started my career in public accounting at Ernst & Young and then spent two years working at Frontenac, a Private Equity firm in Chicago. I’ve now been with Maestro Health, where I’m an Accounting Supervisor, for three years.
Care to share some fun facts about yourself?
I worked at Cold Stone Creamery for 5 years and loved every minute of it!
What is the best career advice you’ve ever been given?
The best career advice that I’ve been given is that at the end of the day, work is about the relationships that you’re creating. It’s important to be learning and to be an efficient, productive employee, however, it’s also important to be building and nurturing relationships along the way.
Are there any books you’ve read lately that have inspired you?
I recently read Tribe of Mentors by Tim Ferriss. It’s a compilation of advice from various business leaders, celebrities, health gurus, etc. The people featured in the book share their personal success and failure stories and how they got to where they are today. My main take-away from the book is that everyone has their own path to success and ‘success’ looks different to different people. The things that work for some might not work for others and that’s okay. Reading about ‘successful’ people’s pathway to success and the failures/challenges that they’ve overcome was very inspirational.
How do you get involved around your community?
Outside of Maestro Health, I am a part of the Core Power Yoga community. I recently became certified as a yoga instructor through Core Power Yoga. Being a part of this community has given me a healthy hobby and a place to be surrounded by like-minded people who inspire me to be a better person. It has also helped to give me a work-life balance and a place to recharge outside of work. I am excited to give back to this community by teaching classes and helping other students gain what I’ve gained through yoga.
I also volunteer at Park Community Church in the kids care room so that parents can drop their kids while they attend service. I enjoy spending time with the kids and am happy to give hard-working parents an hour break in their week!
What do you like about Maestro Health?
I like that I’m surrounded by smart, hard-working people who also value a good work culture. I find that people at Maestro Health truly embody our core values: biz-love, fun, preparedness, teamwork, kindness, humility, urgency, bold thought and honesty.
Any advice you can give to a woman looking to advance in her career?
It’s important to set goals and to write them down. Though your career likely won’t progress in a straight line, it’s important to lay out a roadmap of where you think you want to go. Equally important is setting aside time to reevaluate these goals as they will likely evolve over time. Having a mentor, ideally outside of your place of work, is also important as you’ll receive professional/personal advice from someone who’s already been where you are.
