We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Neda Eckhardt. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Neda below.

Neda, appreciate you joining us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

My offerings include so much more than your typical once a year tax filing most taxpayers are used to. I motivate my clients and hold them accountable all year long. I encourage my clients to ask all their questions and stay curious. We discuss their financial money blocks and empower them to look at their finances with confidence. Timeliness is a major concern when talking to new clients. To combat the narrative that accountants take so long to respond, I am open and honest about my availability. Money is emotional and I understand the urgency felt when there is a financial concern. I respond quickly to my clients needs and make it a priority for them to feel comfortable discussing their needs. I am a tax pro and have more than 15 years of experience in small business accounting. A select few of my clients utilize monthly bookkeeping services along with consulting and tax filing services. A majority of my clients partner with me to learn how to manage their bookkeeping on their own while getting hands on tax filing and consulting services year round.

My work experience prior to starting my business was at a small business accounting, payroll, and tax firm. I worked long hours and was required to wear a suit (preferably a suit with a skirt), cover my tattoos, appear happy at all times, and put my job before everything else in my life. When I started my business I followed these practices. With ten years of “this is what a professional woman looks like” and the hustle mentality drilled in me, it took some time to get to where I am now. I slowly started wearing clothes that I felt good in. After a couple years, I stopped hiding my tattoos, my personality, and my ethnicity. And now, my goal is to be as authentic and true to myself while doing what I love most. Teaching, guiding, and helping business owners run successful businesses has been my passion since entering the accounting and tax industry. I am now leading by example. What is most correct for me in this present moment is working ten to thirty hours a week maximum. It allows me to nourish my mind, body, and spirit in a way that didn’t seem possible when I did my very best to be exactly what my bosses wanted. I can now nourish my desire to better myself, learn new things, spend time with friends, my three kids, and my supportive husband.

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

I am a Persian-American born and raised in Rockville, Maryland. As an Enrolled Agent, I am licensed to represent taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service. EA’s are the only federally licensed tax practitioners who specialize in taxation and also have unlimited rights to represent taxpayers before the IRS. My licensure also allows me to prepare taxes for anyone in the US. I specialize in tax preparation, bookkeeping, and tax planning. I have over fifteen years of experience in small business bookkeeping, financial planning, payroll, and tax preparation.

While my service offerings may sound similar to other firms, what is different is my approach, my transparency, and the holistic approach I take when guiding my clients. Wellness started to become a vital part of my life around the time my oldest daughter was born. I encourage my clients to take into account all aspects of their wellness when setting intentions. I focus on financial wellness and tax strategy while keeping in mind that this can only be achieved by creating balance in our lives.

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

Most of my clients are referrals by word of mouth or through social media. This provides a great benefit from a financial advising perspective because I am able to provide industry specific advice based on actual data. I have a greater pool of information on what works and doesn’t work in the wellness industry because of this.

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

My biggest pivot was the transitioning from the service industry to a 9-5 job. My sister worked at the firm I ended up staying with for a decade before starting my own practice. I was hired for a temporary job to manage the office while the staff went on a ski trip. I liked it so much that I asked to work there on a permanent basis. I started off part-time and worked full-time at my favorite restaurant, Houston’s. Within a couple months, I was offered a full-time position and left the service industry. I had five years of experience working as a hostess and server at a couple notable restaurants in town and it was a big transition leaving a job where I made six figures. It turned out to be a good decision because I loved learning how to help others with their financial decisions. I started off at a low paying entry level position and climbed the ladder every year. My position before my time was up at that firm was Accounting Manager. I studied and passed my EA exams while employed there. My job initially entailed sales, doing inventory, running errands, issuing payroll, and assisting with business bookkeeping. I worked my way up to helping in the hiring process, training staff, managing the office, financial planning, and tax preparation. I had learned a ton of the skills that helped me run my own business. My dad has been a business owner since before I was born which motivated me to transition from employee to business owner in the summer of 2018. I’ve since learned entrepreneurship is in my human design. I highly recommend checking out your human design if you’re curious about it.

The year I registered my business is the year I got pregnant with my youngest. I registered my business the week I also conceived my son. The irony. Most of my clientele are women and a majority are mothers so my experience juggling these things has helped me guide my clients but in the moment I was overwhelmed and felt like my plans had been shattered. I’d spent the last two pregnancies working up until I gave birth and only took six weeks to stay home with my babies. When I say my job was a priority, I wasn’t kidding. I knew if I had another kiddo that I would do it differently. I wanted to experience all the firsts in-person so I decided to place my business on the backburner and only take on tax clients by request. My son was due on April 12th. Yes, my due date was days away from the tax deadline which was also very stressful. At that time, finances were a concern. My husband was able to support us despite being a two-person household for over a decade. I am a firm believer that things work out as they should and they did. Both my husband and I have our foot in the financial industry. Our financial background definitely helped us continue to be successful during this time. We both understand budgeting, strategic planning, and how the financial system works. I took about two years doing minimal career driven work and cared for my kiddos. While operating my business as a side hustle, I learned so many lessons. Doing this helped me shed a lot of judgement I had for others but especially myself. I always had so much empathy for mamas who went back to full-time careers after having kids but after my third pregnancy I also gained a new perspective. I now also have so much respect for mamas who feel called to leave their careers for their families and I don’t think anyone can truly understand it without actually walking that path. After a couple years of making my family the priority, it was clear that I wanted a little bit more time with my business and still have the time with my family which is why my business name is now ‘Find Your Balance’.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://msnedaeckhardt.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/findyourbalancewithneda/

Image Credits
Nicole Hennessy Photography https://nicolehennessyphotography.com/ https://www.instagram.com/nicolehennessyphotography/