We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sultana Sams a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sultana, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I came up with the idea of starting a Tax Business because I have an Accountant degree and have worked in big CPA firms for 7 years of my life. I learned so much and I use to help others prepare their taxes a lot. Therefore, I decided to turn it into a business.
As for my career as an Author, I’ve been an avid reader ever since I was a little girl. Once I read all the kid books, I turned to my sister, who was older, and read some of her maturer books. I’ve always thought about writing but was always too busy and didn’t know where to start. One day, over 8 years ago, I decided to just start writing. Finally, I put the book out for everyone to read. Now today, I have 13 published books and a new one on the way really soon!

Sultana, 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?

As far as the Accounting industry, that’s where I have my degree. That’s my learned skill. As a child, I’ve always been good with numbers and budgeting. I used to save my allowance money until I had a sum big enough to buy whatever my goal was at the time. Even back then, I understood that you had to save your money to be able to buy the things that you wanted. Taxes aren’t easy to tackle but I take the time to make sure everything is correct and legal because the IRS doesn’t play. I’ve had some of my tax clients since 2008 and I really appreciate them as well as my new clients who trust me. I don’t just do taxes. I learn taxes. I take refresher classes to see what’s going on with the tax code in the current year because it changes every year.

As far as being an Author, my business is mostly fictional books. As a child, reading took me to another place. It took me away from whatever my reality was at the moment. It was an escape. Many people enjoy reading and escaping from the reality of the world. Though it is fiction, it is relatable. Many of the characters are like people you may know in real life. It feels good when readers let me know that they enjoyed my book and could relate to the characters.

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

Yes. The writing journey isn’t always easy. It is hard to get people interested in reading new authors. My first book didn’t get much sales. It was disheartening. I felt unsupported by some friends and family and my city. Once I networked with other authors and learned about reading groups, book fairs, and other ways to connect with my audience, things got better. I learned the people you know aren’t always your target business. Expand your network and meet new people doing similar things as you. Once I learned that, I gained readers all over the world. I have readers in different cities contact me about how they love my books and many have sold internationally. It makes me proud that people know me by my books in so many different places.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

For my tax business and my book business, finding money to market and get all the things needed wasn’t easy. I continue to work a regular job and use that money to fund my business. I didn’t want to get loans and have to owe for what I spent, so all the money put in my business comes from me personally. As business starts to grow, I’m making a budget for different aspects of my business, like marketing, equipment, book covers, and other things needed. Sometimes I fall short, but I maximize my resources to the fullest.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sultanasams.com
• Instagram: @authorsultanasams
• Facebook: Authoress Sultana
• Twitter: @mssams1981
• Youtube: Sultana Sams (@sultanasams9457)
• Other: Tik Tok: @sultanatheauthor