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Teri Williams Ashworth

Director of Tax
Sonic
Oklahoma City, OK

 

It’s all about pay versus play. Just ask Teri Ashworth. She says that when it comes to choosing a career path. “You have to figure out how much pay you need to play the way you want,” she says. “The equation will probably change over time, but being a CPA helps you adjust when, where and how you work to support the way you want to live your life.”

Teri has first-hand experience in figuring out the best way to handle what life throws at you. After high school, she says, “I went to college. Then I took a break and worked for a while. As soon as I could, I went back to school.” While in college at Oklahoma State University, she went the extra mile in a job at Stillwater National Bank – by the time she graduated, she was already the Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

But after becoming the director of marketing for an accounting firm, she decided she really wanted to be an accountant. She passed the CPA exam on her first try and the rest is history. Today Teri is the director of tax for Sonic, the national chain of drive-in restaurants.

In addition to her pay/play rule for careers, Teri has another easy-to-remember piece of advice for anyone in high school – one that comes directly from her experiences in college and in various careers. “If you’re unhappy with your situation,” she says, “you’re the only one who can do something to change it. So do something.”

Any questions?

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