The firm Megan McFarland joined in 1996 later combined with Moss Adams in 2017. Since then, Megan has managed her many roles at Moss Adams, including assurance partner, partner in charge of the Dallas office, and national practice leader for Oil & Gas, along with her roles of wife and mother of two. This year’s Women’s History Month celebration is focused on self-care, and Megan speaks about her experience creating boundaries at work so she can successfully balance her responsibilities to the firm and her loved ones.
What does Women’s History Month mean to you?
Women’s history is pushing through the door whether it’s been cracked open or not. That strength is where we come from, and I get a sense of pride and accomplishment from that.
Early in my career and shortly after childbirth, I was approached to consider a career move as an internal firm accountant. At the time, the path of a working mother was not well defined. I really wanted to maintain my collaboration with clients, so it took strength to decline and stick to my path, but I did it. I’m glad I pushed through those barriers.
Can you speak to how you embody good leadership in your role at the firm?
I feel privileged to have lived a fulfilled life while also working full time, so I want that opportunity for the people coming up behind me at the firm. I want to make things easier for them than it was for me, and I know that will translate out to others they work with.
Personally, I don’t believe in work-life balance as most people discuss it because I think something will always be out of balance. We always prioritize something in the moment, but I think we flip those priorities over time. Sometimes that’s work, or family, or our pets, or our hobbies. My goal is rotating the balance so that, when all is said and done, everything was equally prioritized at the end.