Deetra Watson has been a member of the firm since 2005 and currently leads the assurance department. Get to know more about her below!
What makes Blackman & Sloop a great place for women to work? Blackman & Sloop provides an atmosphere for all people, especially women, to thrive. The firm’s employee first focus allows for women to pursue their professional goals – whether that’s upward mobility, developing expertise in a specific subject matter, or longevity, while balancing or incorporating personal and family goals such as starting/raising a family, pursuing hobbies, or working on that bucket list. Whoever said women can’t have it all surely did not know of Blackman & Sloop!
What stood out to you about the firm when you first decided to work there? I am on the assurance side and expected the other audit staff and partners to be nice and friendly. What I didn’t expect was to be greeted with such warmth and friendliness from everyone else within the firm. Why did they care that I was the new girl in audit? I wouldn’t be working with them (at least not directly). But it was nothing of the sort. Everyone stopped by my office to introduce themselves and just to welcome me to the team. They truly made me feel welcomed as a part of the Blackman & Sloop family.
What is your favorite thing about working at the firm? Hands down, the PEOPLE! Public accounting is demanding, yet a very rewarding career. It seems like you can find a public accounting firm on every corner but for me the big difference is the people. This is my extended family. No matter what I am going through professionally or personally, I know I can always count on the people at 1414 Raleigh Road! They have been with me through the ups and downs, good and bad, and not once did they or do they ever flinch! You definitely can’t find a “B&S” just anywhere. This place is special!
Who would you love to have dinner with, dead or alive? This is a hard question for me to nail down to just one person. So, I am going to pick 3 people, and fortunately they all loved each other so they wouldn’t mind all of us having dinner together.
The first person is my grandmother on my father’s side. She was killed by a drunk driver the year before I was born. Her birthday is one day after mine and from all the stories I hear, a lot of my characteristics and personality mirrors her.
The second person is my grandmother on my mother’s side. I spent so many summers, weekends, and family vacations with my grandmother. She was definitely a big part of my life, and I miss her dearly.
And last, but definitely not least, my mother. She passed away almost 4 years ago. She was my rock!
I would love to have the opportunity to have dinner with all 3 of these lovely women, to catch them up on my life (oh how so much has happened!), get their great wisdom and advice, and just to be able to hug them. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Women’s History month than to celebrate and uplift the women who forged such great paths and poured their love into me to make me who I am today.
