I took a basic bookkeeping class in college and something clicked. Debits, credits―everything just made sense. When I started working, tax interested me because it’s such a dynamic field. It is constantly being influenced by Congress and big businesses, and there are always new laws coming out and new things to learn.
It’s an entrepreneurial firm with great growth potential. I’ve always wanted to be a partner and achieve the highest level of success in the profession, and I saw that opportunity at Armanino. I also knew that the firm was ranked as one of the nation’s best accounting firms and one of the Bay Area’s best places to work.
Real estate has come storming back from the recession, and I think the industry will be stable and continue to grow. Bay Area housing prices and rents will stay strong, and developers will continue to buy land and put up new properties. On the mortgage side, I think the Fed may raise interest rates in the near term, but the increases will be small and won’t have much impact.
There is one long-time real estate client that I particularly enjoy working with. We have an ongoing dialogue, and we’re able to service them in many ways―not just filing tax returns, but also doing consulting and taking more of a strategic role. They communicate very honestly with us, and vice versa. Their firm has grown along with ours, and it’s been a great relationship.
I’m fast-paced but detail-oriented, and I’m extremely responsive to my clients. I answer the phone when they call, and if they email me, they’ll get a reply within minutes. Internally, I love to work with staff and give them feedback to help them grow and succeed in their careers.
My mother. My parents divorced when I was very young, and the rest of our family is back East, so it was just my mom and me here in California. She raised me and taught me to be the person that I am today.
