The Dear Accountant podcast is the ultimate mentorship tool: advice, stories, and career introspections from executives, leaders, and idea makers in the accounting industry. Whether you like Crypto or not, it’s here, and we should educate ourselves on it. We are so honored to have Henri Arslanian this week on the Dear Accountant podcast! I had so much fun talking to him about all things career, fintech, crypto and the evolution of the financial services industry. His passion for his work is contagious.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
1. TODAY MARKS A PIVOTAL MOMENT IN A HISTORY OF FINANCE
The crypto market is at the front lines of the financial and accounting industries, says Henri. Whatever you do, keep an eye on this industry; opportunities and open doors are going to continue to come from Crypto. Unfortunately, many accounting programs do not include required crypto courses; a fact that Henri laments, given that the current generation of schooling is building the leaders that will make the most impact through Crypto. Equip yourself with the basics that everyone can learn (while Henri continues to hope for a massive upgrade to how the young accounting society is educated). Educating yourself on the basics of cryptocurrencies will be a useful tool for the accounting industry; Henri has a number of videos on his website that explains this further.
2. WE HAVE A MORAL DUTY TO REACH OUR FULL POTENTIAL
Henri believes that putting in the extra effort, gaining extra knowledge and competition, and upgrading yourself through your time is the best possible use of the potential you hold. Wasted potential is a terrible thing; if you are young, be humble, work hard, accept any luck, and be very appreciative for your work. Henri holds a mentality that he describes as “Paranoid Optimism”; that is, he sits on the edge of his seat, thinks about how he can be disrupted, and works actively to mitigate these distractions and ensure that he stays on the top of his game.
3. EXPECT TO BE DISRUPTED AT LEAST ONCE EVERY FIVE YEARS
When navigating your accounting journey, there may be more than a dozen careers that you’re interested in pursuing. Henri explains that he looks at life in specific increments of disruption; that is, when a specific position is no longer satisfying, he seeks methods of positive disruption to change this aspect of his life. For him, this meant going from being a lawyer to banker to a fin tech professional. The lesson here, he explains, is that there is always a need to be open minded when choosing where to work and for how long!
🎧 To learn more about crypto, the financial technologies industry, career journeys, or to find yourself a mentor in Cece, head to the Dear Accountant Podcast here.
🎙 “Dear Accountant” podcast is a uniquely insightful and entertaining podcast for aspiring young business professionals. Each episode is packed with actionable advice to help young finance professionals get ready for whatever challenge they may face next. Aside from all of the many cool things in accounting (technical topics and trends), we bring in industry experts and influential leaders to share their journey, insights and perspectives. We will also cover topics that were not taught in school - life essential skills such as personal finance, emotional intelligence, mentorship, networking, body language and human behaviors, and so much more!
💬 About our guest, Henri Arslanian: Henri Arslanian is the PwC Crypto Leader and Partner, the former Chairman of the FinTech Association of Hong Kong and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Hong Kong where he teaches the first FinTech university course in Asia. Henri advises many of the world’s leading crypto exchanges, investors, financial institutions and tech firms on their FinTech and crypto initiatives as well numerous governments, regulators and central banks on Fintech and crypto regulatory and policy matters. Henri was named by LinkedIn as one of the global Top Voices in Economy & Finance.
📖 Get the amazing advices from the 20 mentors in the “Dear Accountant” Book: The book offers a unique immersion into the lives and careers of 20 inspiring leaders in finance from different disciplines - their backstories, pivotal moments, career trajectories, and hiccups along the way.
🎧 Listen to Cece’s interviews about her passion and mission in writing this book and paying it forward to help young professionals to find meaning and fulfillment in their life and career:
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