Her Story
About Dawn
I've been in the payroll field for about 10 years, currently serving as a payroll manager for a year and a half. My career path was unconventional - I spent 22 years in retail store management working for major companies like PetSmart, Bed Bath & Beyond, Borders, Barnes & Noble, and Home Depot. When retail changed dramatically with the internet, I realized it was time to transition. The HR aspect of my retail job was always my favorite part, so I got my SHRM certification and took a position in HR/payroll. That's when I discovered my passion for payroll. What I love most is bringing systems up to their max capacity and creating standard operating procedures. My motto is 'the less clicks, the better' - I'm always looking for ways to save time and energy. I've worked with companies of all sizes, handling payroll for anywhere from 3,000 to 53,000 employees across all 50 states. I've helped companies prepare for going public by ensuring compliance with federal regulations, and I've saved organizations significant money by identifying and fixing issues - in one case, about $600,000 in a single year. I'm passionate about training and cross-training teams, and I've designed payroll best practices tutorials that I deliver to managers across company locations. I believe everyone in the field needs to understand that payroll isn't just pushing a button - there's a lot to it. Beyond the technical work, I'm most proud of developing talent. I love mentoring people and helping them reach their potential.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Dawn
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my parents, who instilled a very, very deep work ethic in me. They taught me that work is work, and you have to make sure that you're doing it right. If you're going to do something, do it right. They emphasized not letting anybody down, and if you make a mistake, own up to it. Those values that my parents gave me have been the foundation of everything I've accomplished in my career.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received was to make my private life private. Keep your professional life professional and your personal life personal, because familiarity breeds contempt. It's a saying for a reason. Maintaining those boundaries and keeping work separate from personal matters has been invaluable throughout my career.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering this industry is to learn how to say no, especially at the beginning when you're feeling overwhelmed. When you're a really good employee, they tend to pile a lot more on you because they know you're going to take the responsibility. Sometimes that can lead to being overwhelmed or doing a job not as good as you should have. So know your worth, but also know your boundaries. It's important to set those limits early in your career.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge in my field right now is finding young people with work ethic. There's not a whole lot of them out there. They don't put themselves into their work like my generation does. When we're trying to hire for positions, especially in retail, you have kids with no work ethic and no sense of responsibility because so many things have just been handed to them. They just don't understand that's not how life works. They don't have any ambition or drive. It's so different now compared to when I was young and had big plans and goals for the future.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are work ethic, punctuality, and having a positive attitude. You have to have a work ethic - if you don't have a work ethic, then you're really just lost and just kind of floating. Punctuality is crucial because if you're on time, you're late. You have to make sure that you're there on time because that shows that you're serious about what you're doing. And you need to have a positive attitude, because attitudes are contagious. These values guide everything I do, both professionally and personally.
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