We were lucky to catch up with Monika Heaton recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Monika, thanks for joining us today. What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry? Any stories or anecdotes that illustrate why this matters?

What Corporate America gets wrong in my industry is it puts all taxpayers in the same box. They don’t take the time to sit down with each taxpayer individually to review their situation and determine the best tax strategy for them. Like in all industries, we are given guidelines to follow, but it is up to us to determine which guidelines fits our client better and which is to their advantage.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

When I graduated high school, I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up. I knew that I would be responsible for putting myself through college, so I needed to be sure and be sure fast. I started working as a secretary for a local CPA firm and when their bookkeeper/tax preparer quit, I asked if I could try. They agreed and I was hooked. I asked if I could go to school two days a week and work the remaining three, and the firm allowed me to do so. In time, I graduated with a BA in Business Management with an emphasis in Accounting. Once I graduated I decided to go work in Corporate America, to be a well-rounded accountant. I worked for companies such as SPL World Group Consulting, an international firm, Brobeck, Phleger and Harrison, a law firm, and Oracle Corporation, before finding myself working for a start-up company. While there, I became pregnant and went out on maternity leave, but the start-up company closed it doors soon after and my personal relationship went south. Finding myself a single mother without a job, I decided to fall back on my degree and in 2001, I opened up my own practice. In 2004 I earned my Enrolled Agent license and I have been practicing every since!

I consider my business a boutique tax firm. We offer bookkeeping, payroll, and tax preparation for individuals, businesses, estates, trusts, and nonprofits. We focus heavily on tax planning and tax strategy, because we believe this is an integral part of tax preparation to help our clients save money.

What sets me apart from others is I truly care about my clients. They are not just numbers and checkboxes to me. I take the time to meet with them, learn about their businesses, and ask a ton of questions. After that meeting, I design a plan that will help them save money on their taxes and allow them the freedom to work for their business, not be lost in the numbers and books of their business.

I am most proud of starting this practice while being a single mother. The many late nights spent on starting this firm were well worth the ability to be there when my daughter needed me, and I am so very grateful for that.

We really do care for the success of our clients and we want to be a part of it every step of the way.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

In 2009, my daughter needed to have her tonsils and adenoids removed. Of course this surgery was scheduled the first week in April (2 weeks before my tax deadline). The surgery went well but my daughter ended up getting a terrible flu and ended up in Children’s Hospital. I remember taking my laptop and a box of my clients tax papers to the hospital with me, so I could be with my girl while she went through tests and procedures, then at night, while she was sleeping, I would work on taxes. I did this for 3 days straight. On the fourth day, I got on my knees and prayed. I asked God to help me and my daughter, that I would do anything for her to get better. I must have been praying for hours until I heard that I needed to be there for her 100% and I had to trust that my clients would understand. The next day, I asked a family friend to call all my clients and tell them what was happening and they would need to go on extension. And they all understood and agreed. I relied on faith and was rewarded. From that point forward, faith is what has kept me going.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

This one was a tough one for me. Something I really struggled with and had to learn as my business grew. We deal with the IRS and constant deadlines, so it can be quite stressful. I know my limitations and weaknesses, and unfortunately, managing people is one of those. Through a lot of hard knocks, I realized the importance of open communication. You need to have your team’s voice matter, but also listen to what is not being said. And you definitely need to hire people who can help you manage your team.

Last year, I started having weekly staff meetings. These meetings allowed me to let everyone know what was going on in the company and allow them to explain how things were for them. It acts as a safe place to discuss their needs to successfully do their job. On my staff’s birthdays or anniversaries with the company, we have a cake and take a moment to celebrate them. During truly hectic times, I bring in lunch to reward their efforts. I also promoted two people in my company to managers to help me maintain stability and keep us on track. Last year, my company had its first Christmas party. I invited my staff and their significant others out to dinner and drinks. It was so great to see everyone together and interact outside of the office. This year, I plan on having more outside events with their family so we can all build that comradery beyond our working hours.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.decisionfinancial.com/
• Instagram: decisionfinancialservices
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/decisionfinancial
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monika-heaton-a5303a1/