More Than Accounting

For many people, the phrase “More Than Teeth” does not immediately bring much to mind. This could be due to an intense fear that represses all memories associated with your dentist, but most likely it is because you have not had the pleasure of meeting my dentist. Various members of my family have been practicing dentistry for over 50 years, and that phrase is one of my father’s favorite ways to describe his vision for service.

These words help to clearly articulate the importance of not merely viewing service as a mundane part of our job, but as a foundation of a healthy life. So whether it was performing the best root canal in town or mentoring young men and women on the soccer field, my father demonstrated that serving means more than just addressing their oral health needs.

While I did not follow in the professional footsteps of my father and grandfathers, I have had the opportunity to receive and give great service through my time at HORNE. During my initial job interview, I had the opportunity to speak with a tax partner about my personal and professional goals. I was astonished by the way in which this team member patiently listened to my story and shared valuable insight applicable to me. It soon became apparent that this view of service was not confined to a few partners, but was a vision for the firm as a whole. I quickly decided that I had to be a part of an organization that would clearly communicate and demonstrate the importance of good service.

I am regularly asked by friends and family members if I am happy with my job in public accounting. For many people, work within accounting and financial services can appear to be a cold and tiresome profession, and doing the work can be like pulling teeth. I decided to work at HORNE not because of my devout love of number-crunching, but because I believe that HORNE is focused on empowering its team members to better serve others. My time here has helped me to better understand the building blocks of We & Service, which are foundational parts of building the Wise Firm. If we fail to incorporate the act of service into our work, we can quickly become just another unimaginative accounting firm. However, if we pursue a firm that is “More Than Accounting,” then we will create invaluable service for our clients and lead careers that are full of purpose.

About the Author 

Walker Martin is on a mission to change public accounting stereotypes. He is actively building the Wise Firm to create invaluable service for our clients and lead careers that are full of purpose as team members.