…And it has less to do with technical skills than firms expect.
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Accounting ARC – Student-Led Conversations
With Arpan Grewal and Harshita Multani
Center for Accounting Transformation
As the accounting profession continues to grapple with talent shortages, shifting expectations, and generational change, one podcast is addressing those challenges from a rarely centered perspective: students themselves.
In an end-of-year episode of Student-Led Conversations, hosts Arpan Grewal and Harshita Multani reflect on a year of interviews alongside Donny Shimamoto, CPA.CITP, CGMA, founder and inspiration architect of the Center for Accounting Transformation. The episode serves as both a retrospective and a case study of what happens when students are entrusted with real platforms and real responsibility.
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The idea for Student-Led Conversations emerged after Grewal appeared on an episode of Accounting ARC, where she interviewed seasoned professionals about their careers. What surprised her most was not the technical content, but the personal stories.
“I realized accounting isn’t just about numbers,” Grewal says during the episode. “It’s about people.”
That realization became the foundation for a student-hosted series that explores career paths, mental health, failure, advocacy, and professional identity — topics often absent from traditional recruiting or classroom discussions.
Multani joined the podcast after seeing a social media post about the opportunity. With limited accounting knowledge but strong curiosity, she leaned into the learning curve.
“I didn’t know much,” she says. “But I was willing to learn.”
That willingness becomes a recurring theme throughout the episode. Both hosts describe early nerves, imposter syndrome, and the pressure of interviewing well-known professionals — including Byron Patrick, Liz Mason, Ron Baker, and others — while still in high school.
Why the Model Works
Shimamoto explains that the success of the podcast lies in its inversion of traditional power dynamics.
“Instead of professionals telling students what they need to know,” he says, “students are asking what they want to know.”
That shift, he argues, produces more honest conversations. Guests openly discuss failures, career detours, mental health struggles, and uncertainty — realities that resonate with younger audiences navigating similar pressures.
Normalizing Failure and Growth
Several episodes stand out for their emotional impact, including discussions on mental health and women’s leadership. Grewal recalls interviewing Kelly Mann during Women’s History Month, an episode that became unexpectedly personal.
“Hearing about real challenges — not just success — changes how students see their own futures,” she says.
Shimamoto notes that transparency is especially important for Gen Z, a generation often exposed to curated success through social media.
“Even top professionals struggle,” he says. “What matters is how you work through it.”
Accounting as a Connector Profession
Throughout the conversation, Shimamoto reframes accounting as a collaborative, inclusive profession — one that connects disciplines rather than operating in isolation.
“We’re the underpinning of business,” he says. “That makes accounting universally applicable.”
Both hosts echo that sentiment, emphasizing that the lessons from the podcast extend beyond accounting majors. Skills like critical thinking, communication, resilience, and advocacy apply across careers.
Advice for Future Hosts — and Future Professionals
As the episode closes, Grewal and Multani offer advice to other students considering similar opportunities.
“Just do it,” Grewal says. “You don’t know what you’re capable of until you try.”
Multani adds that mistakes are part of the process. “The most authentic moments come when you stop trying to be perfect.”
Shimamoto pushes back gently on the idea of “fake it till you make it,” reframing their success as preparation, openness, and adaptability — qualities the profession increasingly values.
With plans for a second season, Student-Led Conversations continues to position student voices as essential to the future of accounting.
As Grewal summarizes, “Transformation starts with curiosity.”
6 Key Takeaways
- Student-led platforms change how the profession listens and learns.
- Authentic conversations resonate more than polished narratives.
- Accounting skills apply far beyond traditional accounting roles.
- Failure and mental health deserve open discussion.
- Trust and mentorship matter more than micromanagement.
- Curiosity and adaptability are career-defining skills.