We recently connected with Sherrika Sanders and have shared our conversation below.

Sherrika, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

My organization is called ‘Transform the GAAP’. I have a background in corporate accounting. ‘GAAP’ is a widely known accounting term meaning: Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. In my decision to leave corporate America, I wanted a company name that spoke to transformation, but also gave a nod to my corporate accounting career. Hence the name: Transform the GAAP. However, because I work with professionals on career development, career fulfillment, and goal attanment, for me, GAAP means: Goals Assigned Achieving Purpose.

My primary client is the accoutant. So, they see my company name and can immediately resonate with it and know that I am their person.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have over 15 years of experience in corporate Accounting, leading teams through successful transitions of Mergers, Acquisitions, Reverse Mergers, Divestitures, and IPOs. I have a demonstrated ability to deliver value to diverse businesses in various industries.​ I spent several years in accounting being overworked, under-resourced, and struggling to meet deadlines. While I excelled in my career, I felt there was no support from upper management. They recognized my value but noticed I didn’t. Consequently, they exploited the situation. Following multiple personal challenges involving my family, mental well-being, and physical health, I decided enough was enough and took deliberate steps to change my situation. I started to use my voice to get what I needed (and wanted) from my peers and upper management, all while continuing to advance in my career.

I founded Transform the GAAP to boost high-performing accountants, helping them assert themselves, secure promotions, and thrive professionally. Drawing on my extensive expertise, I offer tailored mentoring for accounting teams and individuals aimed at sharpening their skills and competencies. I am dedicated to empowering accountants to utilize the necessary tools – that they already have – providing support and guidance to navigate the challenges and changes within the corporate landscape and advance in their careers.
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I aim to help those in accounting who may be struggling to find or use their voice. I help accounting professionals who have advanced professionally, but lack career fulfillment, reclaim joy in their professional lives. My passion is to empower accounting teams and high-potential yet often under-recognized accountants by equipping them with the essential skills to succeed and move from career stagnation to strategic growth.

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I started Transform the GAAP for the accountants who are feeling the burden of a profession they love that no longer loves them back. I started Transform the GAAP to be for someone else what I needed when I was in corporate America.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Deciding to become and stay an entrepreneur is resilience in itself. I started to see a decline in revenue towards the end of my first year in business. Par for the course, right? I knew that God called me to this entrepreneurial space, so I expected God to continue to provide. Not only was I not seeing the provision, but I was also diagnosed with an early stage of breast cancer. Everything stopped. I was no longer focusing on gaining new clients, but now blocking my calendar for an upcoming surgery, subsequent rest period, and daily radiation. I went through the process and I am now cancer-free. But what about my business? It was hard to maintain the social media posts and I had not been doing any networking. It was like starting from scratch! But I knew that God had a plan for my life and that He did not bring me this far to leave me. So, I started on the journey to restart my business. This time, I learned that I did not have to do all the things by myself. I reached out for help. Help with my social media. Help manage my calendar. This was not all paid help. I utilized family and friends as resources. What I realized during my “sickness” was that I was too busy trying to do it all alone. While I am a solopreneur, this journey isn’t wasn’t meant for me to take it alone.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

You hear all these stories about how entrepreneurship is so hard and running a business takes so much discipline, and all of your time. And it does, to an extent. But it is your job as the business owner to establish those boundaries in the beginning. I made the mistake of bringing my ‘work until everything is done’ mentality into my business. One: we know that all things are never all done. Two: I had to remember that I only reported to me (and God of course). It was hard, but I had to set some boundaries with my time. 1) I could not be in the office or at my computer working after 11 PM (this time was later changed to 10 PM). 2) Schedule time for lunch. I had to give my body and mind the opportunity to refresh. Step away from the computer. Take a walk. Eat some food. Watch an episode of my favorite show. Anything except work. 3) Establish my calendar as that of a CEO, not an employee. I had to stop filling my day with task after task and start to include things for me that I cared about, like exercising (if I wanted to), or making dinner for my family (also if I wanted to). All that to say, I had to learn to: Give it to God and go to sleep.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.transformthegaap.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sherrikaaccountantsmentor/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/transformthegaap
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherrikasandersaccountantsmentor/
• Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@sherrika_accountantsmentor