Women's History Month: Paula Mashburn

In celebration of Women’s History Month and the incredible women in leadership roles at HHM CPAs, we are proud to highlight Paula Mashburn, a partner at HHM CPAs in the Pensacola office.

Paula's advice to other women is to find work that you enjoy, know it well, share your knowledge generously and strive to bring value to all that you do.  If you do those things, leadership will find you. See below for a 60-second interview with Paula.

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What is your role at the firm and areas of focus? 

My role with HHM is now partner in the new Pensacola office. I have had the opportunity several times in my career to work with newly formed or merged teams; this is something I enjoy so the opportunity gives me refreshed energy.

Can you tell us about your journey to becoming a partner at our firm? 

If there’s a traditional path to becoming a partner, I’m certain mine was not it..  I came to the firm from the automotive industry and was brought in for that expertise.  I was able to quickly be involved with clients and have a positive impact.  My goal every day is to bring value to the client and to the firm; I remind myself of that almost daily. The things I’ve done such as becoming a CPA and learning more about tax, audit, and assurance services simply follow that goal of adding value for clients and the firm.

What challenges have you faced as a woman in the accounting industry, and how did you overcome them?

Prior to joining the firm, I worked many years in a male dominated industry. There have certainly been times when I’ve felt like I’ve had to prove more because I am a woman.  However, that’s never been a focus for me. As an accountant, I personally rarely notice challenges that I attribute to being female.  I’m aware that statistics can say otherwise but I usually choose to ignore statistics if they say I can’t or shouldn’t do something.

Can you share a significant achievement or project that you are proud of?

If you know me, then you know success and achievement questions won’t be my favorite. I am highly driven and passionate above excellence in all that I do. I have had several opportunities to lead or chair events that have required large numbers of volunteers and months to plan; seeing those events come together and run smoothly give me satisfaction. I equally cherish one-on-one encounters when I can share something helpful.

What area of the firm have you made an impact?

We all impact the firm by the attitude and willingness that we bring every day.  This shouldn’t be underestimated because one person can lift up or bring down many. It’s important to me to lift up; there’s huge power in synergy! The specific area where my impact has been most noticed the past few years is the dealership services department. This is shared impact; I believe that having industry experts is important when you have a large niche.

Have you had any female mentors?

I have had great mentors but have not had the opportunity to have female mentors in my field for most of my career.  I have female mentors recently and can’t say enough about how impactful they have been!  I have a mentor now that is older than I am and also from a highly male dominated industry.  She has quietly and with elegance made such a strong impact to her profession that she is noticed for her overwhelming ability even though she did have to fight in a time that was undeniably more difficult because of her gender.  Let’s not forget, we’ve come a long way.  I hope we are now in or approaching a time where ability is noticed more than gender or race.

What advice would you give to other women aspiring to leadership roles in the accounting field?

My first advice to other women would be to find work that you enjoy, know it well, share your knowledge generously and strive to bring value to all that you do.  If you do those things, leadership will find you.  Second, my advice would be to establish your priorities and keep them in order.  Knowing your priorities doesn’t mean that priority three on the list gets no attention while priority one gets everything. The balance is delicate and if you’re passionate you may spend a lifetime trying to get it right, but keeping first things first is worth the effort. Third, appreciate differences; true appreciation may not come naturally, study the topic if you need to. Diversification for its own sake has little value; but there is great value in appreciating that diversity brings perspective, ideas and talents.

What impact do you hope to have on the next generation of female accountants?

The first impact I’d like to have on the next generation of female accountants is simply to not give space in your own thoughts that being female is an obstacle. Next, my hope is the same for all. I hope to be an example that our industry is one of integrity and service. Being an accountant has so many options that those who excel in accounting can have a career that’s all you want it to be.