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Julie Herwitt

Owner
Julie Herwitt CPA
Forest Park, IL

 

At 17, Julie Herwitt knew exactly what she wanted. “I had already finished a year of college by going to night school,” she says. “I wanted to go to New York to study fashion design. In the meantime I stayed in Chicago, working at a clothing store and doing some of their bookkeeping.”

That’s when plans changed. “That’s what got me interested in accounting, so I began taking classes at Northwestern University,” she says. She went on to get her accounting degree, taking a job with a major international accounting firm in Chicago. After that, she ran the tax department for a real estate firm.

Even as she racked up experience, Julie still had an interest in art and fashion. Eventually she left her job at the real estate company to attend classes at the Art Institute of Chicago, and received a degree in painting in 2004.

As a result, Julie was able to redirect her career to fit her personal interests. Not only does she have an active art career, she runs her own CPA firm catering to the needs of small businesses and the self-employed – including a lot of artists and musicians. “I also guest lecture at art schools and arts organizations about financial and tax issues that affect artists,” she says.

So if you’re thinking about leaving behind your personal interests for the sake of your career, think twice. As a CPA, you can have the flexibility to do both at once.

Got questions of your own? Ask a CPA.