Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Vaught
Hi Tiffany, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was lucky, I’ve always known I wanted to be a CPA. I didn’t have to stress about what to major in, or what job to take, I always just knew this industry was for me. When I first graduated college, I went to work for Deloitte as an auditor. I quickly learned that the pace of auditing was not for me, and I switched to tax. I spent the next few years working for firms with clients of varying size until I found that I enjoyed working with small business owners the most. Being in my 20’s, working long hours sounded romantic, I used to tell all of my friends how much I worked like it was a badge of honor until at some point my body started to break down, my relationships were suffering and I realized that the way the accounting industry works wasn’t working for me. I loved the work, but the hours were too much…so I set out to build my own firm. This was back in 2010, and I was still pretty naive. I was in full survival mode as I started with ZERO clients, and I had to start going door to door with my business card to meet people. Over the next 8 years I grew the business quite well, but I ended up creating a firm that was exactly like the ones I left. We worked crazy hours, consumed far too much coffee and heat up burritos, and I was once again exhausted. While running my firm I had also decided to start up an artist agency with my friend, while pregnant with my first child and remodeling a home…dumb I know! I setup the infrastructure, ran the accounting department and managed the artist’s personal finances. I loved both companies, but something had to give, bringing a child into the world was a huge responsibility and I was burning the candle at both ends. Life then threw me a curveball when my daughter was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer at 18 months. I only made it through that time of my life and managed to keep all the plates spinning with the help of my family, friends, and team members, that period of time changed my life, my perspective, and my values. Over the last 6 years, my firm has reflected that change and we are a completely different company. One that I’m proud of and am excited to continue building.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No smooth roads here, I don’t think anyone really has it easy, but I can say the bumps have made me far more resilient than I ever thought I could be. Being a woman and a business owner has it’s challenges. I had fertility issues, so my only child came from IVF. I remember working late nights and doing all the injections in my office before the next client came…my hands sweating and shaking. The many doctors’ appointments during our “busy season” and drinking protein shakes in the car because that’s all I had time for. I didn’t get a maternity leave because I had her in December right before tax time. If I didn’t work, I didn’t get paid, so I remember leaving a month-old baby with our nanny and feeling like I had no choice. Then came the cancer diagnosis at 18 months with my daughter and flying all over the US to meet with the top oncologists to decide on treatment. Trying to be the mother I want to be and the business owner I want to be is a constant battle, one that I’ve matured into and have set and accepted my boundaries with. I’ve also had a lot of health issues over the last 6 years…I couldn’t walk much for almost 3 of them, and had to spend a lot of time seeking out professionals to help me, physical therapists, etc. People don’t realize it when they see me because I’m still young and I physically look healthy, but a lot goes into keeping my back in good repair and I still have a long way to go to improve it as I age.
As you know, we’re big fans of Encurio LLP. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We specialize in tax strategy and accounting advisory for 3 types of clients: C-suite executives with complex pay, real estate investors and small business owners grossing $20M and below. Accounting firms are wildly different in the types of services they offer and how they offer them. You are seeing a lot of random tax advice on social media now days, so I love that more people are starting to realize there are ways to save money and are seeking to actively work with professionals to help them. That’s what we do best, we are aggressively proactive at seeking out ways for our clients to save tax dollars, reduce audit exposure, AND reach their financial independence goals faster. We pride ourselves on being responsive and available to our clients, which means we don’t take on everyone. Capacity is really important to us because we don’t work accountant hours nor believe in the April 15th deadline. We make our client’s tax and accounting lives so stable it’s boring, that’s the goal. No surprises, no fire drills, everything strategized, planned out and executed like clockwork.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
My creativity drives me, I’m constantly experimenting with wording, visuals, service offerings, etc. I have a love for learning like my mom and am a voracious reader. Everything from business books to memoirs that I then apply to my life and business. Also, my dedication to my personal growth…I want to be the best leader I possibly can because I have a responsibility to the team I’ve built and the people we service. Lastly, maybe my tenacity…I just keep getting back up, it doesn’t matter what life’s thrown at me, I just keep getting up and dreaming bigger.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://encuriohq.com
- Instagram: @encuriohq
- Twitter: @encuriohq
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/encurio-long-beach?osq=encurio
