Every CPA has a story – we all have a journey we’ve taken to get us to where we are. Every entrepreneur also has a story and journey as well.
This week I had the pleasure of interviewing Jessica Buskirk, CPA, about her first year as a CPA MOMS franchisee. Jessica is a CPA with over 14 years of finance and accounting experience. She has worked with a variety of industries, such as healthcare, real estate, construction, nonprofits, and government. Jessica has a passion for helping clients meet their financial goals. She believes in building strong relationships with her clients and working hard to find practical solutions for their specific financial needs. In her free time, Jessica loves cooking, running, and spending time with her family. She is a mother of two and currently lives in sunny South Florida.
During the interview, we discuss:
- When she was in college, she had initially chosen to study to become a teacher
- After meeting with teachers and hearing how unhappy they were at their jobs, she decided to study accounting
- She finished school but didn’t get her CPA right away because she felt intimidated.
- She got some on-the-job experience as an auditor but didn’t think she could pass the CPA exam
- She had struggled with a learning disability from the time she was young and lacked the confidence that she could study and pass the exam.
- She worked under a CPA who actually discouraged everyone underneath him, telling them that they wouldn’t become CPAs because they lacked the work ethic and the knowledge.
- She eventually did pass all 4 parts of the exam at the same time while working and being a mom.
- She also decided to get her Master’s Degree and finished in 7 months.
- She began to build so much confidence that she decided she could start her own business.
- She discovered CPA MOMS and the podcast, learning that there was help out there for accountant moms.
- She knew she wanted more; she wanted her own business.
- Covid showed her that she could work from home and start her own virtual firm.
- The CPA MOMS franchise opportunity offered her everything she was looking for – the camaraderie, the group of women, the guidance, and the toolkit.
- She realized now that if she had started her firm without CPA MOMS, it would have taken her years to get where she is right now.
- She’s learned how to run a business, how to be a CEO of a business, building systems and routines.
- She loves getting to meet clients and supporting their journeys.
- She likes the fact that she’s independent but not alone as a franchisee.
- She has found it invaluable to have the sisterhood of the other franchisees.
- The thing that surprised her the most in her first year was how much money she made, far surpassing her expectations, and how quickly she would need to hire team members.
- She is looking forward to continuing to grow her firm so that she can begin working more on her firm rather than in her firm.
To learn more about how CPA MOMS can help you start your own practice, CLICK HERE!