Brenda Mizgorski, CPA, is the proud owner of two popular websites, both of which strive to be great resources for prospective CPAs. We took some time to get to know Brenda and she shared her story and offered some great advice!
You currently run one of the most highly used CPA Exam websites, tell us how you got there in a nutshell.
Well thank you! I am humbled. I started CPAnet 17 years ago. It was back in the day when America Online (AOL) had just started accepting charter members and there were only 25 search results returned on the term CPA. Crazy huh? With my passion for this new way to communicate and the need to start curating and indexing accounting related resources, CPA Links and later CPAnet was born. In 2009 CPAnets sister site CPA Exam Club was created, a niche community solely for the exam candidate. And heres a little fun fact: Roger Philipp was my very first member to sign up at CPA Exam Club! The site was still in development until he found it with his super search skills. CPA Exam Club has been thriving ever since and its been nice to help such a great community of candidates and review partners.
What were your initial goals when creating these websites?
My initial goal when I created CPA Exam Club was to create a social network for CPA Exam candidates. Social media outlets are great, but when you are working toward the goal of passing the CPA exam, traditional social media can be very distracting. CPA Exam Club is a place where you can immerse yourself with the exam to help you pass. Everyone needs a little break here and there from studying and CPA Exam Club is the perfect place to go blow off a little steam and share support with fellow exam candidates.
What, do you believe, are the top three benefits of attaining your CPA?
There are so many reasons to pursue a CPA, but I believe the top three are
- It provides an amazing foundation for work and career/financial stability
- Its a great springboard to enter into other fields/capacities
- You can truly take your knowledge and expertise to follow your passions and carve out your own career path (mine was to be an entrepreneur!)
How has passing the CPA Exam impacted your personal and professional life?
For me, passing the CPA Exam was and still is a big, big highlight in my personal and professional life. To work so hard on a goal, to sacrifice and to pass feels amazing! My husband (boyfriend at the time) went through the exam process together at the same time and we were competing to see who would become a CPA first. Funny enough, my license # was one digit before his so it was a very close call! On a more serious note, being from a family that always worried about money and finances, I knew my CPA designation was an important part of my personal goal to always be financially stable and independent.
Best part about taking the CPA Exam?
You guessed it! PASSING!!
Worst part?
The worst part about taking the exam was the wait. Its grueling to work so hard toward a goal and have to wait so long to find out if you hit your mark.
Words of advice for those studying for the CPA exam?
Here are my words of advice: take time, learn well and have patience. Don’t expect to pass if you cant garner enough study time and when you find that time, it must be quality time and productive time. As you know, the CPA Exam is no joke and you must commit the time. And when you commit the time, make sure you spend the time to learn well by truly understanding the subject matter. I’m not against cramming for rote memorization, I think there’s a good deal (and points!) that can come out of the focus and drive in last minute preparations for your exam. Passing the exam will come in time, you keep at it and you will pass!
Would you recommend CPA Candidates to use Roger CPA Review for their CPA Review?
Yes I would. Every candidate has different study styles so its important to read up on the available programs. There’s always good member discussions at CPA Exam Club to help you pick the right program. I receive great feedback from those who use Rogers program and I think his energetic and engaging style is infectious.
Favorite quote?
I have many favorite quotes, but one funnily resonates with me. It sums up my feelings when I need to keep at something and not let it or life get me down: Swimming, just keep swimming – Dory, from Finding Nemo.
Thanks for reading and happy studying!
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