Counting at the Car Wash and Crispy Pickles

by | Jun 7, 2016 | Blog, Life, Nichols LIfe

Cody Corbridge

Cody Corbridge, Nichols CPA

Staff Spotlight on Cody Corbridge

By: Jennifer Deroin

Cody Corbridge joined the Firm as a CPA in 2014.  I sat down with him recently to learn more about this reserved reconciler.   As is often the case, I’m often surprised at what I find when this “over-talker” sits quiet to listen.

The following is an excerpt from our conversation:

JD:  Tell me about your history.  Where did you grow up?

CC:  I grew up in Aberdeen, Idaho, a small town of about 1200 people.  I went to high school there and worked at our family’s gas station from the age of 12.  I started counting the quarters from the car wash and taking them to the bank, and by the time I was in high school, I closed the daily books and counted the inventory.

JD:  It’s easy to see how you chose this career path – your “penny counting” started way back!

CC:  Pretty much!  When I started my education, I actually planned on becoming an engineer but then later switched to accounting.  I attended Idaho State University for one year and then went to BYU Idaho for my undergrad, graduating with my accounting degree.  I did an internship and then went back to Boise State University (BSU) to obtain my masters.

JD:  Why did you switch from engineering to accounting?

CC:  I didn’t want to take chemistry or the advanced calculus classes.

JD:  We’re glad you switched.  What mentors influenced you along the way?

CC:  I had a couple of professors that helped.  Professor Packard at BYU Idaho really led me to public accounting.  He told me to go into public accounting versus private because it’s a simpler transition if you decide to transition later in life.  I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do then.  I’ve ended up in public accounting and I like it.

JD:  Who was your other mentor?

After finishing my Masters, Mark helped me determine that a small firm was the right fit for me.

CC:  Mark Cowan at BSU helped me prepare to find a job.  He was someone I could go to with questions about school and advised me on what to look for in a job.  He offered guidance on where I should apply, based upon what the best fit was for me.

JD:  Speaking of “best fit”, before coming to Nichols, you worked at another small firm.  You must have determined early on, that was the best path for you.

CC: I actually did an internship at a large firm initially.  They had 500 employees in just the office I was at.  After finishing my Masters, Mark helped me determine that a smaller firm was a better fit for me.

 JD:  Why do you think that is, and how has your experience been?

CC:  At a small firm, you have more interaction with the Principals and clients.  You have a variety of work, versus focusing in one area.  I feel like you’re valued more.  Here, I feel like the Principals take an interest in me and my ability to learn and grow, versus being put into a cubicle.

JD:  Has anything surprised you about the small firm experience?

CC:  Probably the size of the clients.  I assumed that the bigger clients were only at bigger firms.

JD:  That’s an interesting perspective!  So you started your career in New Mexico – what led you back to Idaho?

Hiking

Cody and Erin Hiking at Zion National Park

CC:  Erin and I got married in 2008 and moved to Hobbs, New Mexico in 2010 – it’s the Southeast corner, bordering Texas.  They had three offices and there were 35 people in the office I worked in, but we didn’t interact much with the other offices, so it feels about the same as it does here.  After graduating in 2010, we tried to stay in the Boise area, but due to the economy that didn’t work out and I took a position out of state.  We really enjoyed the year that we lived in Boise while completing my graduate degree.  We agreed that if an opportunity came along to move back, that we would take it.  I contacted Mark in 2014, and that led me to Nichols Accounting.

JD:  We’ve been talking a lot lately about work-life balance, but I like to approach it more from a personal and professional satisfaction approach.  In my opinion, to do that you need to have a clear picture of your value hierarchy…what matters to you.  What’s your value hierarchy?

CC:  Family, Church and then work.

JD:  If someone were to audit your life, what would they find that illustrates how you honor that?

CC:  I try to spend as much time with my family as I can.  During tax season it’s certainly harder, but we don’t work on Sundays during that time, so that allows me to ensure that time is dedicated to my family and Church.  During the rest of the year, we spend a lot of time outside; at the park, taking family trips, and going camping.  The Firm enables me to support my values too because they’re flexible about giving me the time off that’s needed.  I can go to school programs and other important appointments.

JD:  That’s great to hear.  That will continue to be really important as your family grows.  How old are your two girls now?

CC:  Everly is 5 and Anneliese is 2.

JD:  They are absolutely adorable.

CC:  I would agree!

JD:  What do you do when you’re not “accounting”?

CC: I enjoy outdoor activities like hunting and fishing, and backpacking and hiking….but no heights!  I also like wood working and I do a lot of gardening, cooking and canning.

JD:  Stop it…you can?  Who taught you that?  What do you can?

canning

Displaying His Hard Work

CC:  Well, last year we did peaches thanks to Doug.  We did quite a few pickles, salsa, and dilly beans.

JD:  Dilly beans?

CC:  They’re a pickled green bean.

JD: Are your pickles crispy?  I can’t get mine to be crispy.

CC:  The secret is two additional steps.  Use pickle crisp – you can buy it at most places, and do a low temperature water bath.  You start the water at about 120°,  then raise it to 180°.  Once it gets to 180° you process for 40 minutes.  It’s important to watch the temperature though so it doesn’t get above 185°, this can also make the pickles soft.  It kills the bad stuff, but keeps the pickles crisp.

JD:  No kidding!  I’ll give it a try…thanks for the tip!

With kids

Cody with Everly and Anneliese