Throughout June, we are celebrating Pride Month at DHG! Our PRIDE+ Common Interest Group (CIG) planned a robust and exciting month of activities, including a My LGBTQ+ Experience session to share the authentic and real perspectives of DHG teammates, both Allies and members of the LGBTQ+ community, to help us connect and learn together. Alanna Carvalho, a consultant in our Healthcare Consulting Practice, joins the Life at DHG Podcast to discuss a very important and, often, sensitive topic – using personal pronouns correctly to respect gender identity. By definition, pronouns are words that we use to refer to someone in the third person, such as he, she or them. In the sense of gender identity, pronouns are a testament that people make about who they are and their authentic selves. Alanna helps answer some frequently asked questions to help us better use and understand personal pronouns: How do I know what pronouns to use? The best way is to make it a habit to introduce yourself with pronouns. This gives someone the space to share without directly asking or singling someone out. Everyone has a pronoun so the more we normalize this practice, the better. What do I do if I use the wrong pronoun? As this is something fairly new to many people and can be tricky, start by understanding at some point you will use the wrong pronoun. When you make a mistake, it is good to recognize the mistake, understand the harm that comes from this and correct yourself. Try to not make it a big deal but the effort to correct yourself and apologize will show your good intent. What else is language gendered beyond pronouns? People are frequently misgendered due the nature of our language – many things are naturally gendered without bad intent. It takes effort to recognize everyday expressions and words that are gendered, such as businessman or waitress. Do you have any tips to help our Allies? Start by stating your pronouns when you introduce yourself. Allies are really important advocates and help to normalize these situations. Incorporate genderless language into your daily vernacular. Use “they” for hypothetical situations and avoid using gendered words, such as sir and ma’am. Be proactive with your own research and education. Educating yourself on these topics is a personal journey and it should not be the responsibility of the LGBTQ+ community to educate everyone. I really encourage the site MyPronouns.org as a resource. The site explains what pronouns are, what to do when you make mistakes and more. 

Celebrating Pride Month: The Importance of Using Personal Pronouns

Joining the Life at DHG Podcast is one of our very own social media stars – Nathan Clark.  Nathan is a partner in our Tax practice and is constantly researching and providing thought leadership to not only the firm, but to our clients and the broader accounting industry. He was recently recognized by Forbes as one of the top 100 accounting Twitter accounts to follow. Nathan shares how he started using Twitter to build his external brand presence and three tips for others interested in growing their personal brand:   Find a way to add value: Look for opportunities to add value to a conversation. He notes that as a professional it is important to be known for something – it could be something technical or industry specific. This reinforces the skills that you bring to the firm and clients. Be active on the platform: Take the time to be active on the platform and consistently post and engage in conversations with like-minded people – this is how you can start to build relationships with other professionals. It might sound like a heavy time lift but Nathan says he can plan his content and engage on Twitter in less than 15 minutes! Focus on something that interests you: If you are not interested in a topic, posting will become a chore. Find something that you are passionate about and it will help your content feel more authentic. 

Building Your External Brand Presence with Nathan Clark

Joining the Life at DHG Podcast is one of our very own social media stars – Nathan Clark.  Nathan is a partner in our Tax practice and is constantly researching and providing thought leadership to not only the firm, but to our clients and the broader accounting industry. He was recently recognized by Forbes as one of the top 100 accounting Twitter accounts to follow. Nathan shares how he started using Twitter to build his external brand presence and three tips for others interested in growing their personal brand:   Find a way to add value: Look for opportunities to add value to a conversation. He notes that as a professional it is important to be known for something – it could be something technical or industry specific. This reinforces the skills that you bring to the firm and clients. Be active on the platform: Take the time to be active on the platform and consistently post and engage in conversations with like-minded people – this is how you can start to build relationships with other professionals. It might sound like a heavy time lift but Nathan says he can plan his content and engage on Twitter in about 15 minutes a day! Focus on something that interests you: If you are not interested in a topic, posting will become a chore. Find something that you are passionate about and it will help your content feel more authentic.

DHG Heroes are making an impact at the firm and in our greater communities. To celebrate Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we are highlighting extraordinary members of our Asian Pacific-Islander Network (APIN), who are creating change and inspiring others.   Rachel Feng, a Tax Senior Associate in the Metro D.C. office, moved to the U.S. from China without knowing anyone. She attended Wake Forest University in Winston Salem, North Carolina and joins the Life at DHG podcast to share how she navigated life in a new country on her own. To Rachel, celebrating Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month all goes back to the spirit of ONE DHG.  It gives her the opportunity to share the story of who she is with friends and coworkers and to celebrate where she came from. Listen to the Life at DHG podcast to learn more about the importance of API Heritage Month and how Rachel will be celebrating, which includes watching one her favorite movies, Joy Luck Club. Thank you for sharing your story, Rachel!

Heroes at DHG: Rachel Feng

During the month of May, we are celebrating our first ever Alumni Appreciation Week. As part of this celebration, we are telling the stories of our alumni and also calling out the fact that some of our people are boomerangs who returned to work at DHG after a period of time away from us.  Lindsay Lehman is a Tax Manager in Charlotte who shares why she returned to work at DHG, what she missed about DHG while she was away and how DHG has helped her build a valuable career. She explains more about her coming “home” to DHG experience to achieve a better-balanced career and broaden her skillets. 

Boomerang Lindsay Lehman Tells Her Return to DHG Story

DHG Heroes are making an impact at the firm and in our greater communities. To celebrate Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we are highlighting extraordinary members of our Asian Pacific-Islander Network (APIN), who are creating change and inspiring others.   DHG Hero Lola Lu, a Senior Consultant in our International Transfer Pricing practice in Metro D.C., joins the Life at DHG podcast to discuss the importance of celebrating API Heritage Month. Throughout the month, she hopes to bring awareness to the community’s rich history and culture, and inspire others to join the network. Lola also shares the hardest part of moving to the U.S. from China without knowing anyone, how we can all be more inclusive with our actions and the one thing she wishes everyone knew about the API community. Thank you for sharing your story, Lola!

Heroes at DHG: Lola Lu

In our podcast series, Heroes at DHG, we are spotlighting DHG people making an impact at the firm and in our greater communities. In honor of World Autism Awareness Day, Cheryl Greer and Debbie Anderson, founding members of Parents of Atypical Children (PAC) - a chapter within our Professional Parents Network, join the Life at DHG podcast. Cheryl is Tax Leader in our Talent Alignment Group and the mother of two boys ages 11 and 8. Her 8-year-old was diagnosed with autism when he was five. Debbie is Manager in State and Local Tax group and the mother of two boys ages 8 and 5, both diagnosed with autism. Through conversations at work, the founding PAC members realized they had a commonality of having atypical children and immediately hopped on a call to establish PAC as a support and resource group – many members saying they wished they had a resource group available when they were going through the diagnosis process. Both Debbie and Cheryl acknowledged that connecting with other parents who are on the same journey is extremely valuable. Although a newly formed group, PAC has quite a few upcoming initiatives including virtual walks to support autism awareness, creating resources for sensory friendly activities, driving awareness for National Disability Month in October and tools for financial planning. Listen to the latest Life at DHG podcast to hear Cheryl and Debbie share their experiences raising children with autism, how they advocate for their children and myths they want to dispel about autism. Thank you for sharing your stories – you are both remarkable and making an incredible impact!

Honoring World Autism Day with DHG Heroes Cheryl Greer and Debbie Anderson

DHG Heroes are making an impact at the firm and in our greater communities. To celebrate Women’s History Month, we are highlighting extraordinary women and allies who are creating change and inspiring others.   As we conclude Women’s History Month, we are grateful to the many team members who help us progress gender equity and inclusion at DHG and beyond. One of these heroes and advocates is Vladi Dimov, an Assurance Senior Manager. Vladi joins the Life at DHG podcast to share an interesting perspective – not only is she a working mother, she has also been a virtual employee prior to the pandemic.    Despite the challenges of being a working mother, Vladi credits flexibility, lots of to-do lists and creative multitasking to help her get it all done. She is extremely passionate about advocating for women juggling both family and work responsibilities and is a true believer that when you have your goals in order – both personally and professionally – it helps keep you on track to make progress every day.   In the latest Life at DHG podcast episode, Vladi shares what is most surprising to her as a female in public accounting, how she juggles family and work responsibilities, and her motivation to be a hero for her daughter. Thank you for sharing your story, Vladi! You are a hero and source of inspiration at DHG.

Heroes at DHG: Vladi Dimov

  DHG Heroes are making an impact at the firm and in our greater communities. To celebrate Women’s History Month, we are highlighting extraordinary women and allies who are creating change and inspiring others. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we also celebrate the many men at DHG who advocate for gender equity at the firm and beyond.  Joining the Life at DHG Podcast is one of these advocates for equity, Will Neeriemer.  Will is a Professional Practice Partner for the DHG Financial Services group, where he is a resource on complex accounting and auditing matters for all the financial services group engagement teams. Like all the Heroes in the Heroes at DHG podcast series, Will was nominated by a teammate who noted Will is “accessible, willing to listen, and not instruct, but rather guide,” which makes him a great mentor and advocate. In the latest episode of the Life at DHG podcast, Will shares his advice to be a better advocate: make yourself available to be a mentor or coach, and listen. He explains, “I can’t be an advocate or mentor until I truly understand what motivates someone.” Will also discusses what he is #ChoosingToChallenge this year, which is to make a pointed effort to help our leadership teams – at all levels – be more reflective of our entire workforce.   Thank you so much for sharing your story, Will. We are inspired by your heroic actions!

Heroes at DHG: Will Neeriemer

DHG Heroes are making an impact at the firm and in our greater communities. To celebrate Women’s History Month, we are highlighting extraordinary women and allies who are creating change and inspiring others. Anastasia Khalikov, Manager on the Assurance Innovation & Methodology Team, is a founding member of our Parents Professional Network (PPN). As she reflects on her career path, she recognizes how fortunate she has been to be surrounded by successful career women who are also dedicated mothers.  After noticing turnover in women faced with the challenging decision of re-entering the workforce after children, she founded PPN to make sure everyone felt they had a safe and welcoming space to ask for advice, support and resources. During the pandemic, the PPN provided instrumental and influential feedback to help improve our caregiving benefits.   Anastasia discusses the impact of the pandemic on women and the importance of women supporting women on the Listen to the Life at DHG podcast. Thank you for sharing your story, Anastasia! Your passion is contagious.

Heroes at DHG: Anastasia Khalikov

DHG Heroes are making an impact at the firm and in our greater communities. To celebrate Women’s History Month, we are highlighting extraordinary women and allies who are creating change and inspiring others. It would be amiss to celebrate Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day without highlighting Nikki Yarborough, Tax Partner in Raleigh, NC. Nikki has been instrumental in championing women and inclusivity at DHG. She founded our Common Interest Group, Women Forward, and has served on the firm’s Inclusion & Diversity Council. Listen to the latest Life at DHG podcast to hear Nikki discuss what she #ChoosestoChallenge this year, overcoming gender bias and the inclusion progress she’s seen throughout her career. Nikki, thank you so much for all you have done to advance I&D at DHG. We are celebrating Nikki and other trailblazers this International Women’s Day.

Heroes at DHG: Nikki Yarborough

DHG Heroes are making an impact at the firm and in our greater communities. To celebrate Women’s History Month, we are highlighting extraordinary women and allies who are creating change and inspiring others. At DHG, we use a recognition tool called RAVE to show our gratitude to our teammates and is a way to celebrate the small successes. You can earn points from being RAVED and cash them in for great prizes.  Bethanne Chapman, a Manager on our Assurance Innovation and Methodology team (AIM), was the most RAVED person at DHG for 2020. She received 126 RAVES throughout the year! Bethanne joins the Life at DHG podcast and shares why her passion for learning and trying new things helps her go above and beyond.  She also shares her experience transitioning from a client-serving role at DHG to the AIM team, the silver linings of working from home with her young son and how her managers have advocated for her career development.

Heroes at DHG: Bethanne Chapman

In our new podcast series, Heroes at DHG, we are spotlighting DHG people making an impact at the firm and in our greater communities. To kick off the series, we’re celebrating some extraordinary Black team members during Black History Month. Sabrina Ghrimay, a Risk Advisory consultant in our Richmond, VA office, joins the Life at DHG podcast to discuss her organization Good Enough. – an aspiring non-profit committed to providing support, education, and advocacy in the areas of mental and physical health. Sabrina first had the idea to start a mental health organization while in college. She recognized there were limited mental and physical health resources accessible without barriers, specifically for the Black community. The mental health impact of the pandemic led Sabrina and her co-founder to say, “why not” and start their organization to share wellness learnings and resources with others. Throughout the pandemic, Good Enough. hosted free virtual workout classes and events to create a supportive community focused on focused creating better mental health habits. In this episode, Sabrina shares her vision for the organization, how focusing on gratitude helps her see the “glass half full,” and why Madam C.J. Walker is her hero. Sabrina, thank you for sharing your story. You are such an inspiration and hero!

Heroes at DHG: Sabrina Ghirmay

In our new podcast series, Heroes at DHG, we are spotlighting DHG people making an impact at the firm and in our greater communities. To kick off the series, we’re celebrating some extraordinary Black team members during Black History Month. Horace Jenkins, a Manager in the Healthcare Consulting Practice in Atlanta, GA, joins the Life at DHG podcast to share his experience as a founding member of our African American network (AAN) – one of the firm’s first Common Interest Groups (CIGs) that paved the way for many additional groups. Horace and a few colleagues started the group in Atlanta when they noticed the high turnover of Black employees. The group now has a strong firmwide presence with local office chapters across the firm’s footprint and plays an important role in the firm’s Inclusion & Diversity strategy, specifically focused on ways to educate teammates on the challenges Black Americans face daily. In this episode, Horace, the AAN’s current Chair, shares how his AAN leadership position has helped progress his career and opened doors to new opportunities that pushed him outside of his comfort zone – in a good way! Horace, you are brave, bold and inspiring. Thank you for sharing your story. We are proud to call you a DHG hero!

Heroes at DHG: Horace Jenkins

Kyerra Moody, Diversity Campus Recruiting Manager, joins the Life at DHG Podcast to discuss DHG Futures – a new learning and development program to recruit, develop and retain undergraduate students from underrepresented groups and provide them with valuable career skills and opportunities. The paid program is designed for participants to start their freshman or sophomore year to attend a Diversity Leadership Summit followed by additional internships throughout their participation in the program to offer career development opportunities, mentorship and networking and better prepare future accountants for skills that will enhance their career performance. Kyerra has been integral in the development and execution of the Futures program. In this episode, learn more about Futures, why you should apply and what part of the program Kyerra is most excited about! The Futures application process is now open through March 8. To apply for the 2021 Futures Program, click here.

Introducing DHG Futures

From interviews with DHG’s CEO to dynamic conversations with associates, this podcast reveals a glimpse of day-to-day life at a US top 20 accounting firm.

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