Kimberly is a new NINJA CPA Blogger.

Intros always seem to be the hardest part. What do I write about myself… well for one thing I am not your average accountant. I graduated high school and went to art school for photography.

I finished my associates in 2004 and opened my own freelance photography business in Denver, Colorado. I worked 32-40 hours a week at a steady job and spent my weekends photographing concerts and events all over Denver.

About 3 months out of art school I decided my analytical side needed to be met as well and began business school at Metro. It wasn’t exactly what I bargained for but I enjoyed the atmosphere and the professors.

I graduated with my bachelors in business management and a certificate in international business in 2009.

Coincidently the digital camera explosion, which made your average Joe decide he wanted to be a photographer, and the economy crashing seemed to hit my last semester of business school. These new “professional” photographers decided that to get their foot in the door they would work for free.

I lost a lot of photography jobs and to top it off I also lost my full time job due to budget cuts. I applied for unemployment and became a federally sponsored snowboarder. If you’re from Colorado, you know what I mean. It was awesome! I rode 30+ days that year.

After graduating I was not finding a lot of opportunity or jobs that weren’t flipping burgers. I felt burned by the photography world and decided to live on the road for a bit. I spent a winter in Arizona in a crazy little town called Black Canyon City doing landscaping and visiting my mom who lives in Phoenix.

I moved back to my hometown in SW Colorado after the landscaping was over and began window cleaning with my dad. My dad has been window cleaning for over 20 years. He is 6’9” so he barely needs a ladder; I am 6’ so I make a good side kick. I loved working outdoors and all my dad’s clients were so nice, but I was really missing my own path.

That summer I had the opportunity to go live in Alaska. I took it! Who wouldn’t? I worked painting houses, hard smelly work but it was worth it. On the weekends we would go explore.

Alaska is like Colorado on steroids. I really loved it. I’ll go into more details in future blogs, but right now you are probably wondering how I became an accountant and why I am taking the CPA.

When I came home from Alaska I had a serious sit down with myself, I loved adventuring but I had a mountain of debt from student loans. I did some research about steady jobs that people enjoyed.

I found accounting… okay… my first accounting class literally was the most boring class. All of us business major kids were the first out the door every day. I don’t think I absorbed an ounce of that class.

At this point I was a little older and decided I had to do something because pay check to pay check living was not for me. I met with an advisor at my local college and was sold. He set me up to finish my accounting degree in one year.

I took intermediate and advanced accounting at the same time as tax 1. I think you know how hard that is… I never took my nose out of a book. I did great though and oddly enough I loved accounting. Who would have thought…?

So here I am. I graduated last May with my bachelors in accounting. I work as an internal accountant at a natural grocery store. I love it, but currently there is no room for growth and my boss wants me to consider being a future GM. I do not want to be a GM, too much stress.

I decided at the New Year I would sit for my CPA this year. Jeff had helped me get on track to become an accountant. So after careful consideration of other review materials I have chosen the NINJA CPA Review.

I am not going to lie, I am a bit overwhelmed with the material and I am having some doubts. I am beginning with FAR and it’s crazy how much you forget in a few months out of school. I am going on a climbing trip this next week and then I buckle down and begin the hardcore studying.

Already I have been playing with the NINJA Flashcards on down time, they are great! I have accounting changes down and am working on IFRS now. As fun as the flashcards are, I know I am studying for the biggest test of my life.