We were lucky to catch up with Sam Mabry recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Sam thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Who is your hero and why? What lessons have you learned from them and how have they influenced your journey?

My hero is my dad. He is my hero because he and my mom decided to adopt me from zero days old. He didn’t think twice or even allow me to feel unloved. I watched him endure the pain of losing my adoptive mom and becoming a single parent with two kids. Move us across the country to the east coast, not having time to grieve and return to serving our country in the US Army. He later remarried, and our family expanded. He didn’t stop loving any of us or ensuring we were okay. He had gone to college, fought in wars, became a Command Sergent Major in the Army, built a business and led his family. My dad pushed through every adversity he could face, and I watched him do it without a complaint. About eight years ago, he was diagnosed with cancer that had spread, and he told me like just another hurdle to get through. I remember watching him get up daily, pick up my youngest son from school, travel, and fix things like he didn’t have cancer. They told us he wouldn’t live long, and my dad moved around like cancer didn’t even enter his world. He passed away in 2020 not from cancer but COVID-19. This life journey with him influenced how I handled every challenge I faced as a business owner. He taught me unconditional love, resilience, focus, and discipline. I learned from him terrible news was good news because you can make the best out of every situation. These virtues he taught me helped me fail several times in business and get back up. I have a no-quit attitude because he taught me never to quit. Every day I open my firm door with my father’s name on it, I am reminded not to stop fighting for my clients and helping them build profitable practices.

Sam, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

HI, I’M TAXGURUSAM (SAM MABRY). I experienced a layoff in 2018, got fired in 2019, and was laid off again in 2020. These repeated financial blows made me fall into homelessness, food stamps, and uncertainty for my children. Our dog, Roscoe, lost his excellent food. The dog felt it too.
Before my dad passed away in 2020, he came to me in 2018 and encouraged me to open my firm since Corporate was changing. He wanted me to create stability for myself and my children.
When COVID-19 happened, returning to Corporate would take longer than the usual 30 to 90 days. I realized waiting on COVID-19 to pass wasn’t an option, and I was looking at 2022 coming for me. I knew I had to do something. So I started Mabry Tax Advisory.

I got into the industry of taxes and business in High School. I learned to do taxes and was a member of FBLA. I did them on the side; however, my dad pushed me into the industry. I loved accounting and tax after completing my M.B.A. in Accounting at Saint Leo University.

I provide tax resolution, tax preparation, and business advisory services (including bookkeeping and payroll) for licensed solo healthcare providers ranging from women’s health to certified life coaches.

What sets me apart from other firms is our specialization in understanding medical billing and insurance. My staff and I have an extensive medical and insurance background. We also have a unique approach to every client’s situation. We call it S.E.E., which means Search for answers, Explain how you got the answer, and then Execute what you found to resolve the problem. We do not just provide calculation work; we listen to our clients and find the best solutions for their practice. We also offer everything in-house to help grow profitability.

I am most proud of how we have helped high-level earners go from paying $11,000 in taxes to getting refunds from the I.R.S. in the access of $5,000. We discovered tax savings that at-home software didn’t pick up, and for the past three years, this client has now been able to invest in rental properties alongside their daily profession. I am also proud of how we set up practices and assisted Doula in being able to bill medical insurance for her services. We go far beyond the standard norms and investigate tax law for solutions.

The one thought I want people to know about my brand is that I believe in never quitting and finding solutions that work for the client. We care for the clients as they care for their patients. You won’t have a bad headache and no answers working with my team and me.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Oh wow, the time I had to pivot in business. Well, here goes. I started just doing taxes. I thought all we would ever do was taxes and tax resolution. I had bookkeeping services through another company for my clients. A client caused me to pivot. The client came to me for tax and asked for fractional CFO Services, which we provided. The client was displeased with their bookkeeper, whom I partnered with, and begged us to help her with her books. The client’s stress over the matter caused me to pivot. The relationship with the bookkeeper ended due to this client. Praise God for the pivot! I had to hire an Accountant within two weeks to assist. I Did! Now my firm offers bookkeeping services in-house, thanks to this client. I leaped, and I am glad I did. The client showed me the direction we needed to move toward, which was becoming a full-service place for solo medical providers. The stress for them finding help with each area can be too much.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I love to learn. Books are my escape to becoming a better leader and Tax Accountant. Well, before I give you the list of books I recommend anyone starting a practice should read, allow me to give thanks to of the best coaches in the industry, Leslie Liondas and Dr. Cozette White. I invested in coaches who are mentors. Leslie helped me overcome my mindset and elevate in pricing structures, and Dr. Cozette taught me how to build a scalable business. I have had marketing coaches, sales coaches, etc., who are amazing. However, getting a coach in your specific industry causes rapid growth. Now, the books I recommend reading are as follows: Business Secrets of the Bible by Daniel Lapin
You Are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero
Profit First by Mike Michalowicz
Uncloned Marketing by Aundria Richmond
HR is Sexy! by Delmar Johnson
Believe Bigger by Marshawn Evans Daniels
The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks
Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman
Master of One by Jordan Raynor

I have read thousands of books, but those are my favorites.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.taxgurusam.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/taxgurusam
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/taxgurusam1
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/taxgurusam

Image Credits
Aaron Mervin (Head Shots Studio)