Serving up advice for those working towards a career as a CPA.
March 2024
Julia Grubbs, CPA
Brewery Consultant
Small Batch Standard
KyCPA member
Why did you decide to become a CPA? If there was a defining moment, tell us about it.
It was always the recommended path throughout my major, but I knew if I was going to pursue dance for a while and then get an accounting job, I wanted something that would put me ahead of other candidates and show that I could do the job, even if I didn’t have as much work experience as someone else. I began studying full-time the day after I graduated, and ended up taking my final exam in St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands in port while I had a contract performing on Norwegian Cruise Line, just about 6 months after passing my first exam. You have a lot of time to study on a cruise ship! I had tremendous pride that I had a certification that came with so much respect and value, and I wanted to prove to myself I could do it.
What is your favorite thing about your current position?
I get to work in a really cool industry and have specialized knowledge you don’t necessarily get at a general firm. I’ve learned so much about how beer is made and get to work with people who are really passionate about what they’re doing. We’re adding clients in the craft cider industry as well, so I have gotten to take on a similar, but also very different learning experience from that.
What is your day-to-day like in your current position?
I work remotely for a firm that specializes in craft breweries, and my day-to-day varies depending on the time of the month. I have some breweries I still do the accounting for, so I work on closing their books, and filing excise and sales taxes. I also work on different consulting projects for a number of clients, including benchmarking, margin analysis, and overall financial analysis, helping them grow their profits. I speak on financial topics across a few state brewery conferences throughout the year as well.
What was your educational path and why?
I went to college to pursue my dream of dance, but always knew I would double major. I thought I was going to do broadcast journalism as my second major to dance, but something clicked, and I wanted something a bit more stable and math-oriented, as I loved Calc and everything math in high school. My university didn’t have a Math program, and I didn’t know how I would use it, so I was deciding between Economics and Finance and the Accounting degree, and the Accounting program was much more developed. I decided that’s what I would have my second major in, took my first accounting class online from a community college as I already had a full load my second semester of freshman year, and fully jumped in! It fit my personality so well. Because of my double major and transferring in AP credits from high school, I had well over the 150 credits when I graduated undergrad.
What’s a fun fact about you that would be fun to share?
Because I work remotely and have flexibility, I am living in New York City still pursuing my dream of dancing on Broadway!