Brittney Luke-Winston Co. Journal Women Leaders Segment
Brittney Luke has been with The Taylor Group, Inc. for sixteen years and has worked her way up through several positions in the accounting department to Accounting Manager. She oversees accounts payable, accounts receivable, general ledger, and financial reporting aspects of all subsidiaries.
She was recently nominated for Mississippi Business Journal’s Top 50 Business Women in Mississippi and Top 50 Under 40. Brittney is married to Shawn Luke, who also works for the Taylor company, Sudden Service, Inc. as Direct Territory Manager. Brittney and Shawn have three children (Lauren/Trey Whitehead, Hunter/Harlie Luke, and Morgan Luke) and three grandchildren (Charleigh Jo, Olivia, and Cullum). They reside in the Nanih Waiya Community of Winston County and attend Coye Assembly of God. Brittney loves spending time with her family.
What is a typical day like for you?
I am one of two Accounting Managers for The Taylor Group of Companies. The Taylor Group is the parent and management company for eight other subsidiaries. We oversee all the financial records of a consolidated $550 million a year company, right here in Louisville, Mississippi. Most days are fast paced and some very stressful days, but I work with amazing people who strive to do good jobs. I also get the opportunity to help a lot of people and communicate with Taylor employees, customers, and vendors all over the United States.
How do you motivate yourself?
Striving to do a good job and being a part of the reason that the company succeeds is very important to me and motivates me each day. It has always been very important to both me and my husband to work hard and move up the ladder to instill good work ethic in our children as well. Taylor is our livelihood and therefore, it is very important to us to find new and better ways to make the company profitable.
Do women in your profession have a hard time getting promoted?
I think in today’s world; women have a lot more influence than they once did. I believe one reason for that is because they have been able to step up and tackle roles in the workplace, they did not historically approach. I think there are a lot of thriving women accountants, but maybe not as many in a managerial role. Historically, women have taken backseat in the corporate world to raise families since they typically brought in a lower salary than the males. Now, women can take advantage of paid leave time to have children, but then they can return to positions that render much greater salaries. I really feel that women can do anything they set their minds to.
As a female leader, what has been the most significant barrier in your career?
I believe there are several barriers for women, but I think the most significant for me is the tendency to undermine my efforts and contributions and I don’t always speak out as much as I probably should. Another barrier for women is that they are not viewed equally to men especially in generating revenue, which is not directly related to my profession.
Who inspired you and why?
My family is the biggest inspiration to me. I am the first in my immediate family to graduate high school as Valedictorian and go to college, finishing up my undergraduate degree with a 4.0 GPA. I later returned to obtain a Master of Science in Business Administration from Mississippi State University. Both of my grandfathers and my mother all worked at Taylor companies and now my husband, son, and myself all work at Taylor. My grandmother was a bookkeeper and she passed away when I was very young. As I got a little older, my family would tell me stories of how proud she was of me and how she always wanted me to get an education. As a teenager, I worked part-time for Mr. Charley McCool and his father, Mr. David McCool, was my grandmother’s boss and an accountant. I believe that was the point in my life where I decided that I too would become an accountant to further her dream. All throughout my life, my parents were very big supporters and pushed me to be my very best and never settle. After I married Shawn, he too was supportive of all my efforts, but his dad thought that I could do anything. Even though my expertise is not in taxation or wealth management, he always thought I knew the answers. All these things make me strive each day to do the best job possible and be my best self.
What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders? What is some of the advice you share with young women entering your profession?
First and foremost, for all young adults, always put God first in all your efforts and give Him all the glory. I advise all women to be their best self and never let anyone or anything stand in the way of your dreams. Women are strong and methodical thinkers and they can use those traits to accomplish any goal they set out to. Education is key, but confidence and knowing your self-worth is so important to upcoming women. Also, it is important for women to uplift and promote other women to succeed as well. Have the attitude that you don’t want to just exist in the corporate world, but you want to thrive in it.
When you began your career, did you imagine yourself in a leadership role?
Yes and no. I began at Taylor straight out of college with an undergraduate degree in accounting and started in Cost Accounting. I knew the fundamentals of accounting when I started my career, but I had so much to learn about business in general. Because of some very unfortunate events that took place with co-workers, I found myself learning a great deal of information about the company in a very short period. I advanced into a different position as a general “Accountant,” learning more of the financial accounting aspects of the business. It was at that time that I realized that in the Accounting Department, I would have to learn to manage people or I would be stuck in lateral type moves. It was not much longer until I was faced with that task and I quickly learned that managing people was one of the hardest things to do. As I get older and wiser, I understand some things more clearly, but I try to always treat people like I would want to be treated and never expect something of others that I wouldn’t do myself. There are still stressful challenges, but the relationships established, and the success are so rewarding.
What is the biggest lesson you have learned?
I think one of the biggest lessons that I have learned is the importance of surrounding yourself with a good group of people and the importance of lifting them up and showing appreciation to them. If you want to be successful, you must employ resources from others and always give credit where credit is due. In addition, a positive attitude will carry you far, whereas negativity will only drag you down.
