We were lucky to catch up with Kristine Miguel recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kristine thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Years ago, I had a cushy, well-paying corporate job. The kind of job you’d get with a Bachelor of Commerce and a CPA, CA designation. I went to school, got the lucrative career… I did everything “right”.

… So why was I dreaming of a life outside of long office hours, tedious corporate work, and steady income?

Like many people, I had a vision of the “perfect” life and how it would all play out. I’d go to school, graduate, get my degree, find a secure job in my field, and perhaps stay there until retirement.

I did all of the above. Most importantly, I married the love of my life and gave birth to our amazing son. While I was fulfilled at home, I always felt like something was missing when it came to my career.

Did I really picture myself spending my life working long hours in an office, busy with work that didn’t seem impactful? When I looked around me, I knew – this ain’t it!

As a classic type-A-risk-averse accountant, it took me a long time to get over my fear of the uncomfortable and unknown.

In 2015, I started Caritas Company as a side hustle and in 2018, I finally took the leap! I dropped out of Corporate and dove into helping entrepreneurs and small biz owners feel that much more empowered with their finances.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?

I’m Kristine, the Founder & Chief Financial Hype Woman at Caritas Company. Caritas, in Latin, means LOVE. Love is what gives meaning to my work. Real connections, innovative collaborations and building community all give me life. Music is my love language so you’ll often hear me quoting song lyrics (Rap and R&B, in particular) and I’m always ready for a dance party.

Before starting Caritas Company, I spent four years in public practice working as an auditor and eight years as a financial reporting expert in a publicly-traded construction company. In between all of that, I spent two years teaching university-level accounting courses, which is when I realized how much I loved teaching and public speaking!

My mission with Caritas Company is to teach creative entrepreneurs to take control of their finances and improve their money mindset so they can build profitable businesses. Over the past two years, I’ve helped over 140+ business owners to be more confident and intentional with their money through my signature online course (Bookkeeping Bootcamp) and VIP coaching program.

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

For many people, the topic of money, bookkeeping and tax comes with the vision of a stuck-up accountant looking down at them, shaking their heads in disbelief, and a lecture about money. This only adds to their fear and shame.

I’m passionate about providing a safe space where you can come as you are, messy financial statements and all. Zero judgements. No shame. No guilt. No fear. My hope is that, by learning the basics of how money works and how to get organized, entrepreneurs can combat their fear of finances and be less stressed.

We’re not regular accountants, we’re cool, approachable, fun-loving accountants!

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Money is such a scary and serious topic so I’ve been on a mission to make it more approachable and light-hearted on social media. Our content is the perfect mix of education, funny and super relatable.

My advice for folks who are just starting is to be true to yourself and your brand – post content that you, yourself, would enjoy. Don’t worry too much about what everyone is doing or what the trends are – focus on your own content pillars and build an engaged audience (i.e. make friends, form communities, support others and have fun with it).

Contact Info:

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

Image Credits
Sarah Beau Photography