Denise Probert, CPA, CGMA

Denise Probert, CPA, CGMA · 2025-06-17T14:46:30.148Z

In recent years, shortly before he passed, I had a simple conversation with my dad that stopped me in my tracks. We were talking about food—specifically the health benefits of limiting acidic foods. Out of nowhere, he said, “That makes sense to me since stomach acid has a pH level around x.” And he cited an exact number. I think it was 1.83. I stared at him. “How do you know that?” He replied matter-of-factly, “I learned it in school.”, with an implied "Didn't you?". Now, let me give you some context. My dad, at the time of this conversation was in his 80s. He attended a rural one-room schoolhouse through 8th grade, then a small high school in a town of 200 people. The nation was just beginning to recover from the Great Depression. There was no internet. No search engines. No AI assistant whispering answers. He retained what he learned. Not for a test. Not to impress anyone. But because, in his time, knowledge was something sacred. A tool. A ticket upward. A sign of effort and discipline. What you knew couldn't be taken from you or lost. So what happened to learning? Good or bad, today, we live in a world where answers are accessible in seconds. With AI, we can retrieve information without necessarily retaining it or even understanding it. We ask systems to summarize, define, even think for us. But here’s the thing: retrieval isn't understanding. Access isn’t wisdom. And information at our fingertips doesn't mean we’re engaging our minds. My dad didn’t study to make money or to outperform others. He studied because knowledge was valued. He paid attention. He worked at it. He remembered. Because learning and knowledge were forms of self-respect. What does this mean for us now—especially those of us in professional spaces, leading others, making strategic decisions, serving clients, shaping the next generation? It means we need to pause and ask ourselves: ▪️ Are we consuming content or understanding it? ▪️ Are we outsourcing thinking or developing it? ▪️ Are we honoring knowledge—or just accessing it? AI is a powerful tool. But it doesn't make us smarter. We do. ▪️ By choosing to stay curious. ▪️ By practicing attention. ▪️ By respecting knowledge—not just using it. So today, I challenge you: don’t just ask ChatGPT for the answer. Ask yourself what you know. And if you don’t know it, learn it with intention. Let’s revive the kind of learning my dad practiced, not because we have to, but because it makes us better leaders, thinkers, and people. It is up to us to not let AI and other technologies make us dumb. Here is a practical example: When setting up a financial model to improve efficiency, run tests to ensure the model's accuracy. And develop a keen idea for what you would expect the answer to be so you recognize an error in output. Personally, I love automation and AI. But being able to solve problems and think critically without AI is gold. Your thoughts? #AIandLearning #StrategicThinking #GrowthMindset #HumanIntelligence

Denver, Colorado, United States
13K followers 500+ connections

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University of Colorado Boulder - Leeds School of Business

The University of South Dakota

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💎My Why!
To help others confidently use accounting and financial information, setting…

Courses by Denise

Accounting Foundations: Understanding the GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles)

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Accounting Foundations: Understanding the GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles)

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Reading Corporate Financial Statements

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Reading Corporate Financial Statements

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University of Colorado Boulder - Leeds School of Business
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LinkedIn User

“Denise has a wealth of knowledge and I was lucky enough to study her lecture videos via GLEIM which helped me pass my FAR exam for the CPA license. She really does have a gift in being able to make complicated topics easier to understand and I am grateful for her efforts in these lectures. Very motivating, inspiring, and compassionate.”
Guy Pinguino, CPA

“I took the FAR section about a month ago now and I was so thankful for Denise's guided video lessons on Gleim's review materials. I went into the test feeling very confident, and I left the exam feeling (cautiously) optimistic of how I did and am hopefully one step closer to becoming a CPA! Thanks again to Denise for making such complicated topics feel so easy to tackle confidently. I would definitely recommend her for any of your studying needs as she instills her mastery in accounting and belief in you to become proficient and handle arduous topics with ease!”

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Denise Probert, CPA, CGMA

Denver, Colorado, United States 13K followers 500+ connections

About

Courses by Denise

Accounting Foundations: Understanding the GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles)

By: Denise Probert

Reading Corporate Financial Statements

By: Denise Probert

Articles by Denise

Accounting Isn’t Just for Accountants

Finance Isn’t Just Counting the Cuts—It’s Leading Through Them

Reflecting on My LinkedIn Journey—and What's Ahead

The Strategy Behind the Numbers: What Subscription Revenue Recognition Means for Planning

Facing Uncertainty with Strength, Not Panic

Why Financial Acumen Is a Must-Have Skill for Every Business Leader

Navigating Economic Uncertainty: The Impact on Financial Forecasting

True: A Controller is Not an Investment Banker.

The Impact of AI on Financial Auditing: How Automation is Transforming the Audit Process

Revenue Recognition: Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Activity

Experience

University of Colorado Boulder - Leeds School of Business

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Education

The University of South Dakota

Licenses & Certifications

CGMA

AICPA

CPA (Certified Public Accountant)

AICPA

Recommendations received

LinkedIn User

Guy Pinguino, CPA

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