Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jacqueline Marrano. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jacqueline, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about how you got your first non-friend, non-family client. Paint the picture for us so we can feel the same excitement you felt on that day.

Here is my story on how I got my first client for two different solutions I provide.

My first client for tax law solutions was back in 2008.
I had a mutual friend give me the referral. They were a person who had a similar background to me and they had been getting estimates from other preparers that were not accurate. Once I helped that person she literally told everyone in the city we resided in at the moment about me. From there I continued to provide the same solutions and expanded them while also getting referrals from happy clients.

My first client that I obtained for accounting solutions was back in 2015.
I had graduated college and started my first job in the corporate world. I soon realized I didn’t like sitting from 9-5 M-F in a desk and going in when it was dark and leaving when it was dark. I also started out of college only making $35k and living in Atlanta that was not going to cut it and I knew there had to be more. So I began listening for eight hours a day to some inspirational entrepreneurs. I started networking and using social media platforms to connect to small businesses. The next thing I knew I was getting direct messages on LinkedIn. My first accounting client was an international brand that was based in Italy. The CEO reached out to me for my solutions for the US part of the business. The business was in the MMA apparel industry. As a fan of the MMA sport and me being able to communicate in Italian it was an immediate decision for both of us to work together.

Jacqueline, 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?

A little bit about me, is that I am a tax law advisor and accountant for several industries. Our industry is considered to be Financial technology aka FinTech. Most of my portfolio is in the entertainment industry as Atlanta has been a hub for many recent years. I also work with my other industries for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

I got into working in accounting/tax law due to a few things. I took career tests in high school that said I need to go into sales or accounting. I had already been in sales for 10 years and wasn’t sure if sales for another person’s business for my whole life is what I wanted to do. I also knew some pretty well off accountants growing up that had their own businesses and kind of wanted some of the lifestyle I saw. The deciding factor though, was the need I soon realized for start-up entrepreneurs when it came to education and solutions for accounting and tax.

Currently my team and I provide all things accounting and tax law related. My team is made up of CPA’s that used to run their own firms, young aspiring CPA’s, and current enrolled agents. What I think sets us a part is that we have changed the view on what accountants should look and act like. We don’t fit in boxes and our clients do not either. Our clients are not only clients but also friends and family. We get to know each one on a one-on-one basis to be able to provide the ultimate experience. We also each have our own specialization per industry to be able to help our clients succeed the most.

I am so proud of the work that has been accomplished and how the business it growing. In 2018 my business was in the Forbes Under 30 list making and we have been featured in several big named articles. When the pandemic happened very few CPA firms had technology in place to provide solutions. We already had that in place right along with the big accounting/tax firms. So many smaller CPA firms sent us referrals and we ended up also acquiring those firms with the owner’s now being a part of the team. Many clients didn’t want to go to the smaller firms offices or go out of the house in general. There also were so many changed in the tax law which also provided us an advantage since we were already in the loop with the recent changes.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

The most effective strategy for growing my clientele has to be social media! When I first started off my business my first clients came from referrals but also LinkedIn. My mentors always would get me to do things that they did to reach new clients and of course those methods still can work but my success was founded off of social platforms. For me I believe if you find something that works for you, take it and skillfully learn it and use it. Always adjust as technology is ever changing but know your strengths and weaknesses.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Biggest lesson I had to unlearn was that what my parents and school taught me about school and the system most of us live in isn’t what is meant for everyone. The tradition of going to grade school to learn how to be an adult in the real work, the going to college to get a white collar 9-5, stick your money in a 401k, ect. all that is great for some but not everyone is meant to do that. For me, yes I went to college and got that corporate job, but I also knew it wasn’t for me. I did it because that is what I saw and heard for so many years. I flourished when I got to be my true self and act on my passion for helping others.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ur1cpa.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ur1cpa/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ur1cpa/