We recently connected with Houston Reasonover and have shared our conversation below.

Houston, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Please tell us about starting your own firm and if you’d do anything different knowing what you know now.

I began the thought experiment is starting my own accounting firm in 2022. The job I was working seemed to face the same recurring issues and challenges and there did not seem to be a sense of urgency to find solutions. It had always been a good place to work and I always talked myself into just toughing it out. However, after a while, it couldn’t be denied that the stress of the job, especially during tax season, was taking it’s toll on my family.

In 2023 my family experienced some struggles that really put a lot of things into perspective. It was a that point everything in our lives was reassessed and a commitment was made to focusing on the things that were the most important. Leaving the job I was at and starting my own firm allowed me to have the schedule flexibility to put my family first and make work an important, but secondary, priority.

There were several challenges, but the most obvious was the financial aspect of leaving a good paying job and stepping out on my own. Like every other person who has started their own business, I had many sleepless night asking myself “What if I don’t find any clients?”. Prior to the decision to leave my job, I worked diligently for a couple years to make sure we had zero debt and were financially in a position to have a reduced income for a couple years.

If I could to anything differently, I would have made the change sooner. Being my own boss has improved the life of my family immensely. I would encourage everyone to take the leap of faith and start their own business if they have the ability to do so.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Houston Reasonover and I am a Nashville, TN native. I grew up in the Old Hickory area, graduated from McGavock High School and went to college at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, TN.

I am definitely a right-brain person and like structure. Numbers have always made sense to me so I studied accounting in college and graduated in 2011. I wasn’t sure what type of accounting I wanted to focus on, but I was offered a job out of college at a tax firm. This was a good fit and tax preparation and planning made sense to me. I was licensed as an Enrolled Agent in 2013 and the rest is history.

Officially my primary service is tax preparation and planning, but I’ve learned that what I am really providing for clients is convenience and peace of mind. Taxes are a huge stressor for everyone, myself included, and I help to alleviate that anxiety for clients.

It used to be that there were “easy” tax returns and “hard” tax returns. The easy tax returns were when a client had a couple W2’s and that was it. Most people could, often and would, file these tax returns themselves on TurboTax and call it a day. The “hard” tax returns were when the client had the W2’s but also a rental property, lived in multiple states, had self-employment or investment income, or had some new tax credits they typically didn’t qualify for. These were the people that would seek out a tax professional to file their taxes for them. In today’s world the “easy” tax returns are few and far between. Now, most people have some component of their tax return they can’t handle themselves: an Airbnb property, side business, trading account such as E-Trade or Robinhood account, etc.

One of the things I am most proud of is the reputation I’ve earned for being honest and treating every client’s tax return with the same level of care as if it was my own tax return. It is a very humbling and flattering experience when clients tell you they trust you completely with their money and their taxes.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I believe my reputation has been built on being accessible and treating every client like they’re the only client. I make it a priority to give each tax return the care and attention to detail it deserves, making sure everything is accounted for, and making sure that clients feel they are valued and supported throughout the process. This personalized approach builds trust but also sets the foundation for long-term relationships, which is the heart of my business.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Client referrals have been the best source of new clients. I’m fortunate to have built strong, trusting relationships with clients, and their word-of-mouth recommendations have been invaluable. It’s always rewarding to see how satisfied clients are willing to share their positive experiences with their friends and family. Referrals also help me connect with people who value the same personalized service and reliability I pride my business on.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.clarkaddisonaccounting.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clark.addison.accounting
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clark.addison.accounting