We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Edriena Gee. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Edriena below.

Alright, Edriena thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you tell us a story about a time you failed?

If you would have asked me this question a few years back, I might have shied away from providing you with an honest answer. But, someone once told me there is strength in vulnerability and power in transparency. So, here goes.

As a young college student, I felt as though I could conquer anything and everything, and I did. Unlike many students, I was fortunate to receive a full-ride scholarship to the University of Houston (thanks to the Terry Foundation). The availability of this scholarship meant that I could prioritize my education without having to ponder about my next meal, rent, textbooks, or the many financial burdens that encompass being a college student; I could create the future I knew I deserved. Thence, I did just that. I was very studious and made straight A’s every semester, I attended networking events to develop a strong network, joined numerous clubs and organizations to learn and build my leadership abilities, and I managed to graduate with a 4.0 GPA, Summa Cum Laude, with a full-time job lined up for me at one of the Big 4 Accounting Firms. Everything seemed perfectly lined up until it wasn’t.

See, no one tells you that when you’re in college/university, the blueprint for the next 3-5 years of your life has already been laid out, and seldom do students have to create their own academic path from scratch. Unknowingly, being the creature of habit that I am, I thought if the blueprint worked throughout my college career then it was bound to work in the real world. And boy was I wrong. I soon realized that my accolades, educational background, and lived experiences were not going to be enough for me to navigate this new environment of Corporate America.

Within a month of working my corporate job, I discovered another blueprint, “I’ve cracked the code”, I exclaimed. I sought after a mentor and a coach (because I was told you needed both), I volunteered for the complex projects that no one wanted, I worked long hours and neglected what little social life I had left, and worst of all, I kept my head down and did whatever I was told in order to climb the “corporate ladder.”

I did everything that was asked of me, both directly and indirectly. But to be sure, again being the creature of habit that I am, I downloaded every company policy, wrote down all the necessary competencies that I needed to learn and master, and made sure to cross-reference my deliverables with my peers to ensure that mine was always of company standard or better. Yet still, I was often treated with bias and disrespect, overlooked for promotions, and seldom acknowledged for my creativity, while I stood by and watched my peers and managers getting recognized for my deliverables. I eventually grew reluctant to the idea that there was nothing else to do but brazen it out.

I failed myself.

I failed by keeping my head down and not challenging the status quo. I failed by quantifying my worth by the number of overtime hours I had amassed weekly. I failed by not affirming my values and subjecting myself to unwarranted disrespect from my managers and supervisors.

While I struggled to accept the idea that I had failed myself personally and professionally, I appreciate that I was able to recognize my failure and take corrective actions. I would not have evolved into the person and professional that I am today if I never failed. Failure allowed me to search deeper within myself and determine what I wanted for the next phase of my career. Failure allowed me to speak out against those individuals whose actions were not aligned with company policies. Most importantly, It allowed me to recognize that blind compliance should not be the blueprint for success and that there is no one-size-fits-all blueprint for success.

So as a 4.0, Summa Cum Laude graduate, I am empowered to share that failure was the best lesson that I’ve ever learned. I challenge others to search within themselves for areas where they’ve begun to deviate from who they initially set out to be and take the necessary actions to rediscover their “Why”.

Edriena , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Tax Tips With A CPA is a blog that provides tax tips and business coaching. My goal is to help small businesses understand their taxes by implementing tax planning strategies to maximize their bottom-line profits. I am known for the valuable content and tax tips I provide through my blog and social media pages. What sets me apart from others is the authenticity that I provide through my blog post and the content that I create for my subscribers. As a CPA, having the public interest is a top priority. Therefore, I am most proud of the valuable and accurate content I can provide to individuals and business owners. What I want readers to know about my brand is that I am very goal-oriented and I take pleasure in giving back to my community.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

It’s often said that as people, our reputation precedes us, this could not be more true as a CPA and a blogger/content creator. As a subject matter expert, I am expected to know and understand the numerous complexities of the tax code. While that intrinsically presents its own challenges, speaking and writing about those changes presents an additional challenge. I’ve built my reputation through my blog posts and social media content by always being true to myself and never deviating from the tax code. With many creators providing inaccurate tax information and implementation strategies, I strive continuously to provide my readers and followers with the most updated tax practices.

How did you build your audience on social media?

My one and only advice would be to stay true to yourself. When I started out in blogging and content creation, I was afraid that my CPA knowledge would not be in high demand because I couldn’t find a way to make my videos look aesthetically pleasing. I shortly learned that Tax is not meant to be pretty. Once I overcame this fear, I discovered that my subscribers and followers were more concerned with the knowledge and value that I was adding to them rather than the format or template I was using to deliver it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://taxtipswithacpa.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/taxtips_cpa?utm_medium=copy_link
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taxtipswithacpa/about/?ref=page_internal
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_34COnF28Oct205U16bqqQ
• Other: Tiktok: https://www.facebook.com/taxtipswithacpa/about/?ref=page_internal

Image Credits
Albert, Cooper (Coophotography)