We are Intuit. We laugh, we work hard, we come together, we prosper. No matter who we are, what our role is, where we reside — we are able to bring our whole self to work and be valued every single day.
From all across the world and across all disciplines, Intuit employees inspire and encourage each other to build products that power prosperity for our customers. Each month, we’ll be sharing why our employees love working at Intuit and what makes them who they are.
We’re kicking off our Bring Your Whole Self to Work series with Lisa Greene-Lewis, TurboTax Tax Expert and CPA.
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When Lisa was 5 years old, wherever she went, a trail of little pieces of paper followed her. These papers were covered in math problems. Lisa was born to be a CPA – but her journey was not what you would expect.
Intuit: What made you decide to pursue accounting?
Lisa: I’ve always loved numbers. After high school, I learned how to do taxes myself. This was before TurboTax, so I had to do them on paper during my college break! I then began helping out with some of my family members’ taxes. Accounting has always made sense to me; I like the challenge of figuring out new problems logically and determining where things could go.
Intuit: What was your early career like?
Lisa: During my sophomore year of college, I started working at an accounting job. Once they told me that I needed to finish out my degree to get promoted I immediately went back to college, finished with a degree in Business/Accounting and got my CPA license while working at a CPA firm that focused heavy on tax. I then worked as a controller for Suddath International until I wanted a change after having my third child.
I became self-employed had my own tax clients and also got my real estate license to help people with their real estate loans. I really enjoyed being able to advise people on how to improve their credits to get a better loan and help people clear their credit.
Intuit: You joined TurboTax as a blog manager in 2011. What are you doing today?
Lisa:
While helping with the first TurboTax blog redesign, I also wrote and managed content for the TurboTax blog. I really enjoyed this aspect of my job because it had more of a creative side to it, which was so refreshing!
Today, I am driving the PR strategy, I am the blog editor, and a tax expert and spokesperson for TurboTax. As a TurboTax spokesperson, I talk to reporters daily and breakdown tax laws and shape conversations, as well as share what’s new with TurboTax.
Intuit: What advice would you give to someone starting out in your field?
Lisa: Don’t be afraid to think out of the box and do something creative related to your field. I never thought I would be a spokesperson appearing on broadcasts, shaping conversations, and breaking down tax laws into digestible terms for our blog readers, but I went for a position where I can still share my expertise and be creative at the same time.
Everything is kind of full circle for me. When I was in middle school I wanted to be a newscaster but changed my mind. Now I’m living a part of that life and sharing my expertise. Another important piece of advice I would give is to do what makes you happy and never be afraid to reinvent yourself.
Intuit: Where did you get the confidence to make such career leaps ?
Lisa: Definitely from my upbringing. My parents, who are in their 80’s, are still taking chances and always thinking out of the box. My dad’s parents wanted him to be a dentist like his father. Instead, he followed his heart and started a company with my mom out of our garage that ended up being a very successful custom lighting business. He had the start-up mentality in the 1950’s and wasn’t afraid to take the leap he took despite being an African American in those times.
Intuit: What is your experience working at Intuit and how does your team promote diversity every day?
Lisa: My experiences working across Intuit have been very different from some of my previous employment. Everyone is open to your opinions and ideas no matter what your background is or your area of focus. This creates amazing teams with a diverse mix of skill sets. Leadership encourages you to go beyond your role and do the best work of your life. In my first year on my team, I drove a project which led to a patent; something I thought I would never do.
I fell in love with the people, the atmosphere, and your ability to progress at Intuit. Leaders lean on you and ask your opinion. They ask for input and are able to give ideas on innovation and on constructive team changes.
Intuit: What does prosperity mean to you?
Lisa: For me, prosperity means growing professionally and reaching my owns goals because doing that allows me to help the business prosper. Also, doing what makes me happy.