She Counts Podcast By Questian Telka EA & Nancy McClelland CPA cover art

She Counts

She Counts

By: Questian Telka EA & Nancy McClelland CPA
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She Counts brings together respected educators Nancy McClelland, CPA, and Questian Telka, EA, for candid conversations about what it’s really like to be a woman in accounting. Whether you’re in corporate, at a firm, or running your own show, this podcast offers a space to feel seen, heard, and understood. From taboo topics to everyday challenges, She Counts is more than a podcast—it’s a community where women in accounting, tax, and bookkeeping can come together and get real.© 2026 Questian Telka, EA & Nancy McClelland, CPA Career Success Economics
Episodes
  • Ta-Da! Celebrate the Little Things (They’re Actually Big)

    Ta-Da! Celebrate the Little Things (They’re Actually Big)
    Apr 8 2026
    Questian and Nancy close out Season Two with Valerie Heckman, Accountant Community Manager at OnPay, and a deceptively simple idea: the “Ta-Da!” list. Instead of measuring your day by what’s left undone, what if you kept track of what you actually did? Valerie shares how this practice helped her interrupt burnout, why women in accounting are especially prone to dismissing their own wins, and how sharing those moments with others can change the culture of your firm. Although a Ta-Da list isn’t a cure-all, it is an effective tool that can shift how you end your day, how you see your work, and how you show up for each other. Because the little things? They're actually the big things.SponsorsForwardly - https://www.forwardly.com/shecountsRelay- https://relayfi.com/shecountsClient Hub - https://www.clienthub.app/lp/shecounts(00:00) - Welcome to She Counts (01:11) - Season Finale Setup (01:42) - Valerie Joins the Show (02:33) - Diploma Text Story (06:11) - What Is a TODA List (08:33) - Try Your Own TODA (12:07) - Sharing Small Wins (14:50) - Beyond To Do Lists (17:56) - Burnout and Measuring Days (21:23) - Why We Skip Self Credit (27:29) - Making Wins a Habit (29:04) - Spreading TODA to Others (31:13) - Start Meetings With Wins (32:13) - How The Practice Changed Me (33:07) - Spotting Missing Priorities (36:50) - Less To Dos More Ta Das (39:46) - Eliminate Automate Delegate (43:00) - Track And Share Progress (49:38) - Gold Stars For Grownups (53:16) - Takeaways For Overwhelm (58:20) - Homework And Community Challenge (01:00:15) - Closing Quote And Sign OffResourcesConnect with Valerie on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerieheckman/OnPay - https://onpay.com/about-us/author/valerie-heckman/Gretchen Rubin “Happier” podcast - https://gretchenrubin.com/podcasts/Lynnette Oss Connell on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynnette-oss-connell-cpa/Valerie Heckman at Scaling New Heights 2024 - https://report.woodard.com/articles/scaling-new-heights-2024-day-2-recap-snhwrKatie Helle on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mkatiehelle/Nancy Jacobson on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyjacobsoncpa/DuoLingo accounting friends - https://www.duolingo.com/profile/KristenKea6https://www.duolingo.com/profile/000752.beemH9GFhttps://www.duolingo.com/profile/NayoCarterGrayGold star chart for adults - https://www.etsy.com/listing/4310943720/adult-star-chart-printable-habit-tracker“The Art of Blessing the Day” © 1999 by Marge Piercy - https://www.randomhouse.com/knopf/authors/piercy/poem.htmlSome scientific studies on how the Ta-Da list can be helpful for mental health:“Gratitude Enhances Health, Brings Happiness — and May Even Lengthen Lives,” Harvard Health - https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/gratitude-enhances-health-brings-happiness-and-may-even-lengthen-lives-202409113071Savoring in Positive Psychology: 21 Tools to Appreciate Life - https://positivepsychology.com/savoring/Contemporary self-reflective practices: A large-scale survey - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691822002839PERMA model of psychological well-being - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PERMA_modelSPONSORS: [Forwardly, Relay, Client Hub] Join Our LinkedIn Page!https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-counts-podcastSubscribe on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/@SheCountsPodcastFollow She Counts on IGhttps://www.instagram.com/shecounts.show/Connect with Nancyhttps://www.thedancingaccountant.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-mcclelland-cpaConnect with Questianhttps://www.reqoncilefinancials.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/questian-telka-ea-78383666Earn CPE for Listening to This Podcasthttps://www.earmark.app/This podcast is a production of Earmark Media
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • Tell Me You’re A Woman In Accounting

    Tell Me You’re A Woman In Accounting
    Mar 25 2026
    It's Questian's birthday, and your hosts are celebrating with the most creative gift they could think of: a crowdsourced collection of "You know you're a woman in accounting when..." moments from their community. From conference survival strategies to scheduling babies around busy season, the hosts laugh, vent, and commiserate over the absurdities of life in this profession. Plus, a bonus visit from Nancy's best friend Shawn Simmons, who joins Nancy and Questian to share her sabbatical project using graphic design and fiber arts to build community around women's menopause journeys.SponsorsForwardly - https://www.forwardly.com/shecountsRelay- https://relayfi.com/shecountsClient Hub - https://www.clienthub.app/lp/shecounts(00:00) - Welcome and Sponsors(02:29) - Why We Needed Laughs(03:20) - Community Shoutouts and Messages(05:00) - Turning 44 Past Your Prime(08:25) - Conference Packing and Swag(12:10) - Costumes and Hotel Room Chaos(23:07) - Planning Life Around Busy Season(26:22) - Pregnant in a Blizzard Work Story(27:31) - January Tears and Quitting Thoughts(28:48) - January Time Warp(30:32) - Hormones And Hot Flashes(31:52) - Menopause Community Mission(34:02) - Meet Shawn Simmons(34:57) - Sabbatical Research Deep Dive(39:22) - Survey And How To Help(43:52) - Woman In Accounting When(47:28) - Funny And Painful Truths(53:39) - Flash Mob Accountant Story(58:27) - Birthday Wishes And Wrap UpResourcesMenopause Resources 5-min Survey - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeLXGxG-pYYJNS63ppsPC34o1-GVJtnsLkbLmTSvskxa_xiOg/viewformShawn Simmons on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-simmons-6783208/Bookkeeping Buds - https://www.bookkeepingbuds.com/Theatre of Public Speaking - https://publicspeaking.mistymegia.com/?ref=857055Aileen Gilpin on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/aileengilpin/Candy Bellau on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicejohnsonkramerica/Lynda Artesani on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynda-artesani/Melissa Miller Furgeson on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissamillerfurgeson/Vanessa Vasquez on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/quickbooksenespanol/Mindy Leubke on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mindyluebke/Ellen Oliver on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellen-oliver/Dr. Jackie Meyer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjackiecpa/Robina Bennion on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robina-bennion/Jean Zick on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanzick/Jennifer Weed on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferweed/Dr. Sam Graber on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/drsamgraber/Dawn Slokan on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawnslokan/Terry Saracino on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/terry-saracino-098644187/Stephanie Steinke on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-steinke/Olivia Henley on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivia-henley-756b468/Gail Perry on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gailperrycpa/Misty Schachtell Megia on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/misty-schachtell-3a634a2/Theatre of Public Speaking on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/theatreofpublicspeakingCindy Schroeder on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brightbooks/Bookkeeping Buds on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/bookkeeping-budsSPONSORS: [Forwardly, Relay, Client Hub] Join Our LinkedIn Page!https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-counts-podcastSubscribe on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/@SheCountsPodcastFollow She Counts on IGhttps://www.instagram.com/shecounts.show/Connect with Nancyhttps://www.thedancingaccountant.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-mcclelland-cpaConnect with Questianhttps://www.reqoncilefinancials.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/questian-telka-ea-78383666Earn CPE for Listening to This Podcasthttps://www.earmark.app/This podcast is a production of Earmark Media
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Credit Where Due: The Hidden Cost of “Borrowed” Ideas

    Credit Where Due: The Hidden Cost of “Borrowed” Ideas
    Mar 11 2026

    After one of Nancy's slide decks recently turned up in someone else's presentation without her name or her invitation, she and Questian decided to dig into the many forms plagiarism takes in professional life. From blatant reuse of materials to the murkier territory of borrowed ideas, they explore why credit tends to drift toward higher-status voices; what the research says about how this affects women differently; and why speaking up — for yourself and for each other — is the most important thing you can do about it.

    Sponsors
    Forwardly - https://www.forwardly.com/shecounts
    Relay- https://relayfi.com/shecounts
    Client Hub - https://www.clienthub.app/lp/shecounts


    • (00:00) - Welcome to She Counts
    • (02:48) - Slides Reused Story
    • (06:00) - Calling It Out Live
    • (09:34) - Email Response Process Failure
    • (12:06) - Why Credit Matters
    • (18:20) - Matilda Effect Explained
    • (23:38) - Status and Authority Bias
    • (30:16) - Coop Conference Credit Theft
    • (42:26) - Social Sanctioning Fear
    • (48:51) - Plagiarism Gray Areasp
    • (57:17) - Convergent Evolution Explained
    • (01:07:29) - Source Confusion Science
    • (01:13:25) - Allyship and Amplification
    • (01:14:22) - Reflective Questions Wrap
    • (01:15:14) - Final Call and Quote

    ResourcesStudies and articles cited:
    • Nature, 2022 - Women are credited less in science than men - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9352587
    • Research Policy, 2024 - Gender homophily - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048733323001798
      articles by women receive fewer forward citations from men
    • Nature, 2025 - Smaller attendance in female talks highlights an imbalanced visibility in academia - https://www.nature.com/articles/s44185-025-00100-x
    • Psychology of Women Quaterly, 2024 - On the Perception of Men and Women Researchers in Gender Stereotype-Inconsistent Domains - https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/03616843241236397
    • Psychological Bulletin, 2023 - Exploring Gender Bias in Six Key Domains of Academic Science: An Adversarial Collaboration - https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/15291006231163179

    SPONSORS: [Forwardly, Relay, Client Hub]


    Join Our LinkedIn Page!

    https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-counts-podcast


    Subscribe on YouTube

    https://www.youtube.com/@SheCountsPodcast


    Follow She Counts on IG

    https://www.instagram.com/shecounts.show/


    Connect with Nancy

    https://www.thedancingaccountant.com/

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-mcclelland-cpa


    Connect with Questian

    https://www.reqoncilefinancials.com/

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/questian-telka-ea-78383666


    Earn CPE for Listening to This Podcast

    https://www.earmark.app/


    This podcast is a production of Earmark Media
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 17 mins
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