We were lucky to catch up with Sandria Rush recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Sandria thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positive (or negatively) so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively.

Both of my parents are entrepreneurs. They have always instilled in me to be “My Own Boss”. My mother has operated her dance ministry and dance school, Higher Praise Dance Academy, for over 20+ years. As well as my father owns his own custom t-shirt business, Arrowest Custom T-shirts. This provided me with hands-on experience to see how much work it takes to run and keep a business running–the awards and the pitfalls.

Sandria, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Elite Accounting and Advising (Elite A2) was founded in 2019. My love for accounting was inspired by my late grandfather, Jesse Hawthorne; who was an Accountant and Entrepreneur until he was 80 years old. Elite A2 was created to honor my grandfather’s legacy. I am a third-generation accountant as well. It was my grandfather, now my aunt, and myself.

It all started off with my sophomore year of high school at Cass Technical High School in Detroit, MI, where I found my love and passion for numbers. In my first accounting class, we had a mock business where we had to figure out every aspect of the accounting cycle. Figuring out why I was a penny or two off intrigued me. I know many people cringe when I say that, but I did. It’s not like that in real life, it’s considered immaterial, but nonetheless, that’s where the excitement started to brew. I then earned my bachelor’s in Accounting from Bowling Green State University and later on, received my MBA from Walsh College. I currently have ten years of experience in professional accounting with a focus on not-for-profits and small businesses.

Elite A2’s mission is to help individuals and businesses grow in financial prosperity; by providing them with accurate data to see their financial position within their business or personal wealth, while advising them with the best accounting principles most advantageous to their overall growth and sustainability.

The main services we provide are:
– Consultation
– Financial Planning
– Budgeting
– Bookkeeping
– Financial Reporting
– Tax Preparation
– Audit Planning and Preparation
– LLC Filings

This year I have also expanded my portfolio by doing some Public Speaking at various schools because representation really does matter.

I’m committed to educating black and brown communities, most importantly youth on financial literacy. It’s such a pivotal part of everyday life and the community lacks teaching.

I like to ask my clients what is their personal relationship with their finances. If you are unaware, let Elite A2 help you out today.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

I always knew that I wanted to be in business for myself one day. However, I didn’t think it would evolve the way it did. I was let go from a job back in 2018 and of course, I was distraught. Nonetheless, I didn’t let that defeat me. I took that as an opportunity to really building my brand. My very first accounting client was my personal trainer. I literally walked into his gym the next day I was fired and told him that I was going to help him get his books together. This was unplanned and unexpected for him, for me too actually. I came with my notebook and sat down as we formalized a strategy right on the spot. I was helping him, but he was really more so helping me. Five years later, he and his wife’s company is one of my largest clients as we continue to grow our businesses together with each other’s encouragement and support.

One of the first things people ask me is if I do taxes. I would wince, because even though I knew how to do them I didn’t really want to. Most people associate an Accountant with doing taxes, but that is a whole separate sector. Close friends and family eventually started to reach out asking me to file their taxes, to the point where I felt inclined to expand my knowledge to effectively service my clients. The extra money on the side was a nice incentive too. I did eventually start back working a 9-to-5 job, however, I know it’s not going to always be this way. I am declaring and decreeing that I will be a full-time entrepreneur. Between years two and three, I grew my clientele three times over and have seen continuous growth year-over-year.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

My character, honesty, and reliability are the foundation of my reputation. You want your accountant to be someone that you can trust and depend on. I registered my business back in 2019, but I didn’t publicize it until 2022. All of my advertising was by word-of-mouth. Once I did, that was the main sentiment I kept receiving from different people. “Finally, someone who won’t lead me in the wrong direction”. We depend on professionals to give you valuable and correct information, and at times clients can be taken advantage of or misled. I pride myself on educating my clients and providing them with the best customer service that I can, without sugarcoating anything at the same time.

I also have a fantastic mentor. For the past ten years, of establishing myself as an Accountant; rather that was working for a not-for-profit, at church, or building my business, she was there to lead me and guide me every step of the way. I am genuinely thankful for our relationship and the doors she’s opened for me throughout these years. Having a reputable person to instill, teach, and motivate me has also catapulted me into this industry.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.elitea2.com
• Facebook: Elite Accounting and Advising
• Email: [email protected]

Image Credits
Professional Pictures taken by Shawn Rochelle linktr.ee/shawnrochelle