We were lucky to catch up with An Tran recently and have shared our conversation below.
An, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Is your team able to work remotely? If so, how have you made it work? What, if any, have been the pitfalls? What have been the non-obvious benefits?
Working remotely has many benefits, one of which is the ability to travel and work from any location. This has allowed me to visit 12 states in the past year and experience different cultures and ways of life. It has also allowed me to invest in an Airbnb cabin, which has been a rewarding experience both financially and personally.
In the upcoming year, I plan to take my remote work to the next level by spending three months in Asia. This will not only allow me to learn about different cultures and try new foods, but it will also broaden my horizon and help me gain a new perspective on the world. I believe that this experience will be valuable both personally and professionally, as it will help me to become more adaptable and open-minded.
Overall, working remotely has given me the freedom and flexibility to live a more fulfilling and adventurous life. It has allowed me to travel, invest in new opportunities, and learn about different cultures, all while continuing to pursue my career.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
INTRODUCTION:
Hi, my name is An Tran and I am a Asian-American Women who wears many hats. I am the owner of a financial consulting firm, where I use my expertise in accounting and finance to help clients achieve their business goals. I am also a food blogger known as @Chubbycheekeats, where I share my passion for food and cooking with my followers. In addition to these pursuits, I am also a real estate investor and an Airbnb host for a beautiful cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains. My professional journey began at KPMG in the audit department, and I have since gained valuable experience working at other large international accounting firms and smaller regional firms. With my diverse skill set and driven personality, I am always striving to learn and grow in new areas, whether that’s through consulting work, blogging, or investing in real estate.
There are many things that set me apart in my professional career and make me proud of my accomplishments. One of the most significant achievements has been my ability to build a stable client base within a year as a freelancer. My expertise and strong relationship building skills have allowed me to win longer-term contracts with clients, even those with multi-million dollar revenues.
In addition to building a solid client base, I have also increased my team to 2-3 people in my own business. This has helped drive success for my clients and meet strict time targets. The increase in team members has also contributed to my own success, as I have been able to replace my previous full-time salary with a 6-figure income and double my income from all sources in the previous year. All while going to grad school full-time to learn a new skill set in data analytics.
Another accomplishment that I am proud of is creating an audit department team for a client who had never had one before. I was able to train and mentor a team of brand new staff and create new processes and procedures for the audit department. I have also been able to resolve IRS and D.C. tax compliance issues for my clients’ businesses.
In addition to my professional achievements, I have also built meaningful connections with real estate investors locally and throughout the U.S. and have shared my knowledge on cost segregation and other tax-saving tips with others in the community. These connections and knowledge sharing have helped me to further develop my skills and expertise and contribute to the success of others.
Overall, I am proud of the hard work and dedication I have put into my career/businesses, and I am confident that my skills and experiences set me apart and position me for continued success in the future.
Have you ever had to pivot?
The year 2020 was a time of great uncertainty and change for many people, including myself. Like many others, I had to pivot in my business and career in response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to the pandemic, I was working full-time as a CPA in a regional public accounting firm and also traveling to various sites for work. However, when the pandemic hit, I had to pause my travels and shift to working entirely remotely. At first, this was a difficult adjustment as I was used to working with a team in an office setting.
But despite the challenges, I was able to turn this pivot into an opportunity. Thanks to a college friend’s referral, I was able to land my first consulting gig even though I had never advertised my services. My first client was an owner of three nail salons in Washington D.C., and despite being a small business owner, he had been able to turn around these businesses and generate profits of over $1 million in revenue per year for each salon.
I started helping my client with bookkeeping, tax compliance, and tax returns, and eventually took on payroll responsibilities as well. Through this experience, I learned a lot about how businesses operate and what needs to be done to comply with IRS and local tax laws. I also gained valuable insights into the challenges and rewards of being a small business owner.
This experience helped me to realize that I had a passion for consulting and working with small businesses, and it eventually led me to quit my full-time job to become an independent consultant and business owner. I have since partnered with recruiters in the field and attended many networking meetings, which have helped me to build up my client base and find new friends and opportunities.
This pivot in my business and career taught me the importance of adaptability and the value of seizing opportunities when they present themselves. It has been a challenging but rewarding journey, and I am grateful for the experiences and insights I have gained along the way.
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
Throughout my professional career, I have had many key milestones that have helped shape my path and set me on the path to success. One of the most significant milestones was the decision to pivot from my full-time job and become an independent consultant and business owner.
It all began with my first consulting client, an owner of three nail salons in Washington D.C. Through my work with this client, I gained valuable insights into how small businesses operate and the steps that need to be taken to comply with tax laws. I also learned the importance of referral marketing – as my client’s business continued to grow, he referred me to more clients who were his employees or business owners in the area.
After more than a year of doing part-time consulting work, I decided it was time to take the leap and become an independent consultant and business owner. It was a risky move, but I knew it was the right choice for me. I slowly built up my client base, partnering with recruiters in the field and attending networking meetings to connect with potential clients and partners. One of my favorite resources for networking has been the Lunchclub app, which has helped me to connect with people all over the world, especially during the pandemic. Through this app, I have found not only new clients, but also my business attorney and even new friends.
Being an independent consultant and business owner has given me the freedom to select the projects I want to work on and pursue my own career development. It has also allowed me to earn a rate of return that aligns with my skills and experience. Overall, becoming an independent consultant and business owner has been a key milestone in my professional career and has set me on the path to success.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/611452578008940220?source_impression_id=p3_1671311639_zy2jJ64M0K6vywHi
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/an-tran-cpa-1729b939
Image Credits
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