Meet Kristi Bradley! She's Tablespoon's Senior Accounting Services Manager. September marks a year since joining the Tablespoon team! We are excited to celebrate this milestone with Kristi and tell you more about her and why she loves working at Tablespoon.
I'm from Louisville, Kentucky. Though I was born in California, Louisville is home to me. My family and my husband's family have a long history of growing up in Kentucky, and most of our extended family still lives here.
I'm a Senior Accounting Services Manager, which to me means that I have the honor of getting to lead and help shape our Managed Accounting Services (MAS) team. This includes welcomed challenges like standardizing processes, implementing new systems, leading point on new client engagements, and building rapport with staff and clients. It also brings welcomed learning and growth as we navigate expanding our team, our client base, and our services.
I worked in public accounting in a CAS practice for the first 12 years of my career. I started as a staff accountant out of college, focusing on the day-to-day accounting, eventually learning new skills and concepts that allowed me to progress to manager, with the opportunity to guide a team of 25+ staff accountants, senior accountants, and supervisors, all focused on provided quality accounting services for our clients. In that role, I was able to hone my skills in Sage Intacct as the administrator and implementation specialist, which has proven very useful in my career. I also had the pleasure of working with restaurant clients for a large portion of that time, which became a passion for me. Upon finding Tablespoon last year, and reading about the firm's values, goals, and hearing about the desire for growth and focusing on helping restaurant operators better understand the numbers behind their businesses, I knew this was something I wanted to be a part of. I met Andy and Carrie during the interview process, and I knew this is what I wanted to be a part of, if they would have me! And now, it's been a year that has flown by!
Having worked in restaurants growing up and being part of a family that owned a few restaurant locations during my youth, I feel I have some perspective on the fast-paced and ever-evolving nature of the business. From being part of the "neighborhood kids" who walked many streets to put up door hangers for local advertising, to answering phones to take orders (when that was the only way to order pizza delivery), to stuffing envelopes with invoices to local schools who ordered on the account so they could pay, there were many experiences that I reflect upon that have drastically changed, but that was essential to helping the business grow and thrive in those times. Fast forward many years, and now, having worked with managers and operator-owners during my accounting career, I've gained another perspective into what matters operationally from the finances and how to focus attention better on those metrics.
I love getting to know many others with a passion for their work and the clients they serve. It's an amazing feeling to work with people who are passionate about what they do. I also believe it builds a strong team centered around a common goal. And our team is genuinely funny and kind! Great people with many great experiences and expertise to share!
Must I pick?? If I'm looking for a casual dining experience, I'll take a trip to LongHorn Steakhouse and grab their 7-pepper Sirloin Salad and a side of their Brussell Sprouts (the only place I'll eat Brussel sprouts!). If I need a quick meal, you might see me with Chick-fil-A I can't beat that drive-thru service (and not to mention my obsession with their frosted lemonade).