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

Alright, Monika thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When you were first starting out, did you join a firm or start your own?

When I first started out, I worked for a company and that’s where I was introduced to the world of taxes. What surprised me most was how much I genuinely enjoyed the work. I loved helping people understand their finances and witnessing the real impact it could have on their lives.
What I didn’t love was the office.
Over time, I realized what I truly wanted was time freedom. When my son was born, everything clicked. My priorities shifted, and I knew I wanted to build a life where I could provide for my family and be present for the moments that mattered most.
So I made the decision to start my own tax office. The beginning wasn’t easy but I believed in the vision. I wanted to work from home, control my schedule, and build something meaningful for my community. Looking back, it was absolutely the right choice. It gave me the freedom I was searching for and helped me grow not just as a professional, but as an entrepreneur.
That same entrepreneurial mindset eventually opened the door to something new. Today, I’m proud to be building DM Global Gateways , a travel agency I’m co-creating alongside my husband. After years of helping clients achieve financial stability and business success, I wanted to help people experience the rewards of that hard work. To explore the world. To celebrate milestones. To make memories that last.
Both ventures come from the same place: a desire to help people move forward whether that’s financially, or through the experiences that remind us why we work so hard in the first place.
Those early years taught me that entrepreneurship isn’t just about building a business. It’s about building a life that reflects your values, your vision, and your willingness to bet on yourself.

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 Monika Reyes a tax professional, franchise owner, entrepreneur, coach, and community builder. But before any of those titles, I’m someone who made a decision to bet on herself, and never looked back.
My introduction to taxes came through corporate America. I was working for a company, learning the industry from the inside, and what surprised me most was how much I genuinely loved the work. Not the paperwork the people. Sitting across from someone who had no idea what their finances were doing and watching the moment it all clicked for them? That never got old. What did get old was the office. The rigid schedule. The feeling that I was building someone else’s dream while quietly dreaming of my own.
When my son was born, something shifted in me permanently. I didn’t just want success I wanted presence. I wanted to be available for the moments that don’t show up on a calendar. So I made the decision that changed everything: I started my own tax business. It wasn’t seamless. The early years required faith, consistency, and more late nights than I care to count. But I believed in the vision and that vision grew into something bigger than I even imagined.
Today, I’m proud to own and operate two tax offices in my city as a franchise owner. Through Dedicated Tax Pros, we provide tax preparation, tax planning, and bookkeeping services but what we really do is help individuals and business owners take control of their financial story. So many of my clients come to me overwhelmed, undertaxed, overpaying, or simply unaware of what they’re entitled to. My job is to bring clarity where there was confusion, and strategy where there was guesswork. I don’t just file returns I help people understand what their numbers mean and how to use that knowledge to build real wealth.
Beyond the technical work, I’m deeply passionate about education and mentorship. I work with aspiring entrepreneurs who want to start businesses, create additional income streams, and develop the financial literacy to sustain what they’re building. I’ve created digital tools including a business audit workbook designed to help entrepreneurs honestly assess where they are and get intentional about where they’re going. Because financial empowerment isn’t just about tax season. It’s a year-round practice.
What sets me apart? I teach from the inside out. I’m not a consultant who studied entrepreneurship from a textbook I lived the pivot. I know what it feels like to leave stability for a vision, to build while raising a family, to grow from one office to two, and to show up for your clients through all of it. That lived experience is woven into everything I do, and my clients feel the difference.
Most recently, my husband and I launched DM Global Gateways, a travel agency rooted in the same philosophy: helping people enjoy the rewards of the lives they’re working so hard to build. After years of helping clients create financial stability, I wanted to create a space where they could also celebrate that stability through destination travel, milestone trips, and experiences that make life richer. It’s also a business opportunity for those who want to earn income doing something they love.
I’m also the founder of The Impact Community a growing community of entrepreneurs and creatives who gather for elevated, intentional experiences designed to inspire connection, growth, and breakthroughs. Through dinner events, curated conversations, and live experiences, I create spaces where people don’t just network they transform.
What am I most proud of? The impact. Not the accolades or the growth metrics the messages from clients who filed taxes for the first time and felt seen. The entrepreneurs who started their businesses because someone finally explained it in a way that made sense. The women who sat at one of my tables and left with a clarity they didn’t walk in with.
If you’re considering working with me, here’s what I want you to know: I’m not here to just check a box for you. I’m here to help you build something real financially, professionally, and personally. Whether that’s through your taxes, your business, or your next trip around the world, I show up fully, every time.
This is more than a brand. It’s a mission.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

One of the biggest pivots in my journey was stepping back into corporate while already having a successful business and then making the decision to walk away again.

At the time, it felt like the “safe” move. I wanted structure, stability, and a sense of control. But even though I was performing well, something didn’t feel aligned. I found myself building someone else’s vision during the day while knowing deep down that I had already created something of my own that had real potential.

Walking away the second time was different. It wasn’t about escaping it was about choosing myself fully. And honestly, it was uncomfortable. I had to rebuild my routine, trust my discipline, and quiet the fear that comes with not having a guaranteed paycheck.

But that pivot reminded me of something powerful: just because something is secure doesn’t mean it’s where you’re meant to stay.

Now, I’ve expanded not only my tax business but also stepped into new opportunities like launching a travel agency with my husband and growing my coaching platform. That pivot pushed me to think bigger, move differently, and build a life that actually aligns with my vision.

If there’s one lesson I took from that experience, it’s this: growth will require you to outgrow versions of yourself that once felt “safe.” And when you trust that, everything starts to shift.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Honestly? Showing up consistently and actually caring and I think people can tell the difference between the two.
When I first started, I didn’t have a massive following or a big marketing budget. What I had was a genuine commitment to doing right by every single person who trusted me with their finances. In this industry, trust is everything. People aren’t just handing you paperwork they’re handing you their livelihood, their stress, their hope that someone is finally going to help them get it together. I never took that lightly.
A few things specifically helped me build my reputation:
Word of mouth was my first marketing strategy. When you do good work and treat people well, they talk. My earliest clients sent me their family members, their friends, their coworkers. That organic referral network became the foundation of everything. You can’t buy that kind of trust you have to earn it, one client at a time.
I made education part of my brand. I never wanted to be the tax person people only heard from in January. I made it a point to share financial knowledge, break down confusing concepts, and help people understand not just what I was doing but why. That positioned me as a resource, not just a service. And resources become go-to people.
I invested in my community. Being present not just online but in real life mattered enormously. Through The Impact Community, I created spaces where entrepreneurs and driven individuals could gather, grow, and connect. Those events built relationships that extended far beyond the dinner table. People saw that I wasn’t just about business. I was about people.
I grew without losing the personal touch. Going from one office to two could have made things feel less intimate but I was intentional about making sure it didn’t. My clients still feel seen. They still feel like they matter. That consistency, even through growth, built a level of loyalty that I’m incredibly proud of.
And I was willing to be visible about my own journey. Sharing the real parts of entrepreneurship the pivots, the hard seasons, the lessons created an authenticity that resonated with people who were in similar places. When potential clients see that you’ve walked through something and come out stronger, they trust that you can help them do the same.
At the end of the day, reputation isn’t built in a moment. It’s built in every email you answer, every return you file with care, every event you pour yourself into, and every person you treat like they matter because they do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.dedicatedtaxpros.com
• Instagram: DedicatedWithMonika
• Other: Travel ig : dmglobalgetaways
  Events : impact table ig : theimpactcommunity

Image Credits

Ig @bmellophoto