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Protea Conversations: Jeremy Little

Protea Conversations: Jeremy Little

Protea Financial was founded in 2014 to provide high-quality outsourced accounting at an affordable price. Given Protea’s flexible work environment, the Company especially appealed to accountants who wanted to re-enter the workforce after taking time off to start a family. This allowed Protea to attract extremely talented individuals who were previously overlooked.  Protea strives to represent people from all backgrounds and provide an environment for them to grow and succeed in a setting that provides the flexibility and acceptance of who they are as people.

We selected the name Protea because is the national flower of South Africa and is a symbol of our connection. The Protea flower has become an ornamental flower because of this striking beauty and is included in arrangements and bouquets as a symbol of courage or daring to be better or a sign of positive transformation.

Protea Conversations in 2023 will focus on positive transformation and representation from all backgrounds. We are broadening our Conversations with the hope that these conversations will continue to create a forum to discuss the experiences, opportunities, and challenges leaders face, and how we can build a more diverse, inclusive, and successful environment for everyone.

In March 2023 we spend time with Jeremy Little Partner at CMPR Attorneys. Jeremy practices in the firm’s Food and Alcoholic Beverage Group with an emphasis on business formation, business growth, the purchase and sale of companies, and alcoholic beverage compliance.  In his work, he counsels various companies, including many in the food, beer, wine, cider, and spirits sector.  He assists in developing plans for growth, re-organization, and purchase and acquisition of other businesses or land.  Jeremy has helped both start-ups and seasoned companies raise capital to start operations or increase production and sales as well as navigate the regulations imposed by the ABC and TTB.

Prior to joining CMPR, Jeremy practiced law in Sonoma County for 3 years, and before pursuing his career in law, taught high school for eight years.  He also taught sea kayaking, leading guided tours in Southern Maine.  As an amateur winemaker and brewer, Jeremy has a keen awareness of the happenings in the alcoholic beverage industry, and of all processes involved.

Tell us a little more about your decision to become an attorney and your journey to become partner a CMPR?

Being an attorney was always a possibility coming out of college. Still, I decided to follow a different path – and became a teacher. After 10 years as an educator in various settings, I decided to make a switch and started law school. I enjoyed teaching and coaching, but staying in that world was challenging for the long haul.

The journey to partnership took just as long and, in many ways, was more challenging. Breaking into the local business community for someone not from California – let alone the North Bay – took significant time and energy. It takes a concerted effort for the decision makers to know, like, and trust you.

Protea Financial Protea Conversation Jeremy Little Bay Area Advisor

What has been the biggest challenge you have experienced in reaching your current success (personally and professionally)?

Time. Work/life balance. Entering the legal profession at the same time my two sons were born was a strain. I fully jumped into both roles and didn’t reduce time in one area to the detriment of the other. To ensure a balance is like juggling chainsaws. I found a way to be intentional with both my time for my children and my investment in creating a viable book of business professionally.

Professionally – our community is fantastic, and people from here rarely leave, so you have generations and people that have grown up here and already have a network and strong relationships. The challenge for me was the time needed to be known as a reliable, sophisticated, practical business advisor.

What are your short-term goals of your career and yourself?

CMPR has opened two offices in the last 3 months. Therefore, my main goal is to maintain the success and great culture of CMPR while integrating and successfully transitioning these new offices and 7 new employees. We stand for excellence, teamwork, and caring – ensuring our culture stays intact across our distributed workforce.

My sons are now in high school and very competitive athletically and academically. I continue to support and cheer them on and be there with them through graduation.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received that has helped you in your success?

I am trying to remember ever receiving advice. I’ve gleaned different pieces from mentors and others I’ve admired as I’ve worked professionally for the last 30 years. One important element is to see the tree AND the forest. Every little detail matters and is important, but you must maintain sight of the end goal. While I am working on an M&A deal, it is always with the intent to close successfully. You have to care for and attend to thousands of small and extremely important details to do so. Every tiny detail is a step toward a successful closing. Likewise, every client has important needs, and one is not more significant than another as I built a book of business.

What is the piece of advice that you wished you had gotten when you were starting out?

Initially, the focus is on learning as much as possible about the legal profession and the nuances of different businesses – to become a partner (an owner of a firm). Rarely do people discuss the business of running your business – the focus is more on the business of your clients. The two are very different, and understanding the differences is an essential distinction for those moving through their law career.

What advice you give to others to help them be better leaders?

Listen. Participate. Engage.  Be thoughtful about all of it. Most people can see right through fake sincerity.  To be a good leader, you need to be authentic and provide opportunities for everyone to succeed.

Protea Financial Protea Conversation Jeremy Little Loves Boston Sports

Can you share something interesting about yourself that will provide insight into who you are outside of the professional space?

I took a circuitous route to where I am now. I was raised in Maine – my parents are still there, and I return every summer. Maine (and its culture) is a big part of who I am and how people know me. Part of my educational journey led me to live in the woods of North Carolina for 2 ½ years with at-risk youth. It was one of those “toughest jobs that you’ll ever love” kind of experience. It was very intense and very rewarding. Last – is my love (obsession) for Boston sports teams. I raised my sons correctly, and they continue ardently support the Celtics, Bruins, Patriots, and Red Sox!

This is a question about the foundation of someone’s success. We are influenced by early learning, and we all have something that sticks with us and helps us define who we are and what we want out of our careers.

As a thank you to our interview and Protea’s commitment to more diverse and inclusive leaders, Protea will donate to Canine Companions (https://canine.org/). Canine Companions is leading the service dog industry so their clients and their dogs can live with greater independence. They provide service dogs to adults, children and veterans with disabilities and facility dogs to professionals working in healthcare, criminal justice and educational settings. Since our founding in 1975, our dogs and all follow-up services are provided at no cost to our clients.

Independence shouldn’t be limited to those who look or live a certain way. Disability reaches all races, classes and backgrounds, and Canine Companions will too. Clients come to Canine Companions because of our reputation, the quality of our dogs, the experience of our training staff and the desire to lead life with greater independence. We are committed to providing services to all qualified clients. 

Protea Conversations Shares Advice from Within Our Network

Join the Protea Financial network. Contact us now and let’s see how we can partner together and help each other!

Protea Conversations: The Protea Family

Protea Conversations: The Protea Family

Protea Financial was founded in 2014 to provide high-quality outsourced accounting at an affordable price. Given Protea’s flexible work environment, the Company especially appealed to accountants who wanted to re-enter the workforce after taking time off to start a family. This allowed Protea to attract extremely talented individuals who were previously overlooked.  Protea strives to represent people from all backgrounds and provide an environment for them to grow and succeed in a setting that provides the flexibility and acceptance of who they are as people.

We selected the name Protea because is the national flower of South Africa and is a symbol of our connection. The Protea flower has become an ornamental flower because of this striking beauty and is included in arrangements and bouquets as a symbol of courage or daring to be better or a sign of positive transformation.

Protea Conversations in 2023 will focus on positive transformation and representation from all backgrounds. We are broadening our Conversations with the hope that these conversations will continue to create a forum to discuss the experiences, opportunities, and challenges leaders face, and how we can build a more diverse, inclusive, and successful environment for everyone.

In February 2023 we reached out to members of The Protea Family, specifically the Account Managers at Protea Financial, to get their feedback on one of the most important leadership questions we ask.

The spotlight question for this month is “What is the best piece of advice you have ever received that has helped you in your success?

This is a question about the foundation of someone’s success. We are influenced by early learning, and we all have something that sticks with us and helps us define who we are and what we want out of our careers.

Some Members of The Protea Family

Ashley Kniffin

Ashley Kniffin

“The work will still be there tomorrow.” I was new to the work-from-home gig and was so focused on getting through everything on my plate each day and was stressing about it if I didn’t. So, learning when to ‘put the pencil down’ has molded me to become the most efficient worker during the day and focused on family time in the evenings. Resting and returning to give your best tends to produce the best results.

Candice Stevens

No good deed goes unpunished.

This might sound negative, and yes it is a sardonic commentary that focus on how kindness can back fire, but strip it away from that and understand that your time is precious. Being more deliberate with your time and focusing your key tasks where you can add value is way more important to your growth and the growth of those around you. Learn to delegate. Learn to say no. Learn to set boundaries.

Putting value on your own time will set you up for success.

Candice Stevens
Megan Nelms

Megan Nelms

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” – Colin Powell

Being prepared and working hard has set me up for success. Putting the effort and working wisely will always lead to good things.

Brendan Lane

The best advice I’ve received is that there is no substitute for hard work and putting in the time to get better at anything you do. It related to my career in basketball and has translated to everything else in life.

Hard work has allowed me to continue to be successful in my post basketball career.

Brendan Lane
Jennifer Sahouria-Pangle

Jennifer Sahouria

Don’t look at a mistake as a downfall, look at it as growth, no one grows from easy.

Everyone is going to make mistakes, but true strength is shown by the way you react to these mistakes. Bounce back stronger than before and your career will move on the upwards trajectory you are hoping for.

Jose Portillo

The best advice I received was to be honest with yourself. This piece of advice is good advice for all aspects of your life. I find if I am coming up short on certain task, the only way for me to improve is firstly admitting that this is a short fall. Once you admit the truth to yourself you can then work on a plan to improve and set out a process to progress. It can be tough to tell yourself you need to be better, but once you do it, you are providing yourself with permission to be better.

Jose Portillo
Wylie Warner

Wylie Warner

The best advice I received was from my dad.  Whenever things were going particularly poorly in life or work, dad would say ‘World one, Wylie zero’.  I don’t know what he thought it meant, but to me, I was reminded the short-term problem was not the end, but just the current score.  With that I could refocus on the future rather than the present which seemed unfair, a problem, or failure.  It seemed to lessen the present difficulty knowing it would not be this way forever.  A strange thing, I don’t even know if it was intended to be advice but it helps me keep moving forward and keep improving.

As a thank you to our interview and Protea’s commitment to more diverse and inclusive leaders, Protea will donate to Canine Companions (https://canine.org/). Canine Companions is leading the service dog industry so their clients and their dogs can live with greater independence. They provide service dogs to adults, children and veterans with disabilities and facility dogs to professionals working in healthcare, criminal justice and educational settings. Since our founding in 1975, our dogs and all follow-up services are provided at no cost to our clients.

Independence shouldn’t be limited to those who look or live a certain way. Disability reaches all races, classes and backgrounds, and Canine Companions will too. Clients come to Canine Companions because of our reputation, the quality of our dogs, the experience of our training staff and the desire to lead life with greater independence. We are committed to providing services to all qualified clients. 

Protea Conversations Brings The Protea Family to You

Reach out to The Protea Family for questions, guidance, or just help with the financials of your business. Our experts are here to help!

Protea Conversations: Theresa Wray

Protea Conversations: Theresa Wray

Protea Financial was founded in 2014 to provide high-quality outsourced accounting at an affordable price.  Given Protea’s flexible work environment, the Company especially appealed to accountants who wanted to re-enter the workforce after taking time off to start a family. This allowed Protea to attract extremely talented individuals who were previously overlooked.  Protea strives to represent people from all backgrounds and provide an environment for them to grow and succeed in a setting that provides the flexibility and acceptance of who they are as people.

We selected the name Protea because is the national flower of South Africa and is a symbol of our connection. The Protea flower has become an ornamental flower because of this striking beauty and is included in arrangements and bouquets as a symbol of courage or daring to be better or a sign of positive transformation.

Protea Conversations in 2023 will focus on positive transformation and representation from all backgrounds. We are broadening our Conversations with the hope that these conversations will continue to create a forum to discuss the experiences, opportunities, and challenges leaders face, and how we can build a more diverse, inclusive, and successful environment for everyone.

In January 2023 we spend time with Theresa Wray owner of Clarity & Co.

Theresa’s career in the wine industry spans 17 years, helping wineries, importers and distributors turn their marketing challenges into successes. Her corporate experience includes 13 years with Maisons Marques & Domaines, leading marketing operations for the renowned luxury portfolio of brands.

She started Clarity & Co in 2020 to continue this work with a more custom approach. Clarity & Co specializes in marketing and US market consulting for wine & spirits, and partners with both domestic and imported brands. Theresa graduated from Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo on California’s Central Coast, and holds the WSET III Advanced wine certification. Learn more at www.clarityandco.com.

Tell us a little more about your decision to focus on marketing and how you specifically got involved in the wine industry? What made you decide to start your own business?

I graduated from Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo on California’s Central Coast with a major in Business/Finance and a minor in Spanish. Early on, I did short stints at investment and insurance companies, peppering in some travel. These positions didn’t quite feel like the right fit, so after a little soul-searching, I decided to pursue work at a Communications agency servicing many industries. I later moved to a marketing & communications role at a fantastic wine importer. Working with a portfolio of international wineries is where I felt at home and thrived on the challenges it presented.

Launching my own business was a goal I had considered for a while, but I didn’t act on it until 2020. This decision was driven by wanting more control over my schedule (something especially important for parents in 2020!) and wanting to help clients with a more custom approach. After many years in corporate positions, it was a challenge that I was ready to take on.

Protea Financial Wine Marketing

What has been the biggest challenge you have experienced in reaching your current success (personally and professionally)?

I always strive to find the right mix of family time and professional endeavors.

There is never a perfect mix, so the challenge is to manage it well. I believe strongly in making time for exercise and continuous education, so I’m also always looking to carve out time for those things.

What are your short-term goals for your career and yourself?

I’m continually trying to identify specific challenges that small to mid-sized wineries face related to marketing and operations in the US market.

Pin-pointing those challenges and offering specific solutions is the short-term goal. I enjoy connecting with other like-minded professionals about this!

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received that has helped you in your success?

Sometimes you have to step back to see the big picture, and you can only sometimes see the answer when you are laser-focused and moving too fast. Give yourself space to reflect and be true to yourself.

What is the piece of advice that you wished you had gotten when you were starting out?

It’s OK to make mistakes. Early on, I was a bit timid and worried about asking the wrong thing. It’s true for any industry or challenge: It’s smart to observe first, but don’t be too shy. Try new things. Reach out and ask questions.

What advice do you give to others to help them be better leaders?

First, talk to your team to see how you can help them be more effective. Next, talk to people outside your discipline and your industry; you will always walk away with a new perspective.

Protea Financial Theresa Wray

Can you share something interesting about yourself that will provide insight into who you are outside of the professional space?

Growing up, I spent a lot of time on the basketball court and soccer field. Now I find myself doing the same, but this time it’s for my 2 daughters. My husband and I laugh at ourselves often, showing up with everything – chairs, water bottles, snacks, you name it!

As a thank you to our interview and Protea’s commitment to more diverse and inclusive leaders, Protea will donate to Canine Companions (https://canine.org/). Canine Companions is leading the service dog industry so their clients and their dogs can live with greater independence. They provide service dogs to adults, children and veterans with disabilities and facility dogs to professionals working in healthcare, criminal justice and educational settings. Since our founding in 1975, our dogs and all follow-up services are provided at no cost to our clients.

Independence shouldn’t be limited to those who look or live a certain way. Disability reaches all races, classes and backgrounds, and Canine Companions will too. Clients come to Canine Companions because of our reputation, the quality of our dogs, the experience of our training staff and the desire to lead life with greater independence. We are committed to providing services to all qualified clients. 

Protea Conversations Let You Expand Your Network

Connect with industry leaders and expand your network. Our goal here at Protea Financial is to work with people from every industry possible. Reach your goals with the help of people who care. 

Protea Financial was founded in 2014 to provide high-quality outsourced accounting at an affordable price.  Given Protea’s flexible work environment, the Company especially appealed to accountants who wanted to re-enter the workforce after taking time off to start a family. This allowed Protea to attract extremely talented individuals who were previously overlooked.  Protea strives to represent people from all backgrounds and provide an environment for them to grow and succeed in a setting that provides the flexibility and acceptance of who they are as people.

We selected the name Protea because is the national flower of South Africa and is a symbol of our connection. The Protea flower has become an ornamental flower because of this striking beauty and is included in arrangements and bouquets as a symbol of courage or daring to be better or a sign of positive transformation.

Protea Conversations in 2023 will focus on positive transformation and representation from all backgrounds. We are broadening our Conversations with the hope that these conversations will continue to create a forum to discuss the experiences, opportunities, and challenges leaders face, and how we can build a more diverse, inclusive, and successful environment for everyone.

In January 2023 we spend time with Theresa Wray owner of Clarity & Co.

Theresa’s career in the wine industry spans 17 years, helping wineries, importers and distributors turn their marketing challenges into successes. Her corporate experience includes 13 years with Maisons Marques & Domaines, leading marketing operations for the renowned luxury portfolio of brands.

She started Clarity & Co in 2020 to continue this work with a more custom approach. Clarity & Co specializes in marketing and US market consulting for wine & spirits, and partners with both domestic and imported brands. Theresa graduated from Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo on California’s Central Coast, and holds the WSET III Advanced wine certification. Learn more at www.clarityandco.com.

Tell us a little more about your decision to focus on marketing and how you specifically got involved in the wine industry? What made you decide to start your own business?

I graduated from Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo on California’s Central Coast with a major in Business/Finance and a minor in Spanish. Early on, I did short stints at investment and insurance companies, peppering in some travel. These positions didn’t quite feel like the right fit, so after a little soul-searching, I decided to pursue work at a Communications agency servicing many industries. I later moved to a marketing & communications role at a fantastic wine importer. Working with a portfolio of international wineries is where I felt at home and thrived on the challenges it presented.

Launching my own business was a goal I had considered for a while, but I didn’t act on it until 2020. This decision was driven by wanting more control over my schedule (something especially important for parents in 2020!) and wanting to help clients with a more custom approach. After many years in corporate positions, it was a challenge that I was ready to take on.

Protea Financial Wine Marketing

What has been the biggest challenge you have experienced in reaching your current success (personally and professionally)?

I always strive to find the right mix of family time and professional endeavors.

There is never a perfect mix, so the challenge is to manage it well. I believe strongly in making time for exercise and continuous education, so I’m also always looking to carve out time for those things.

What are your short-term goals for your career and yourself?

I’m continually trying to identify specific challenges that small to mid-sized wineries face related to marketing and operations in the US market.

Pin-pointing those challenges and offering specific solutions is the short-term goal. I enjoy connecting with other like-minded professionals about this!

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received that has helped you in your success?

Sometimes you have to step back to see the big picture, and you can only sometimes see the answer when you are laser-focused and moving too fast. Give yourself space to reflect and be true to yourself.

What is the piece of advice that you wished you had gotten when you were starting out?

It’s OK to make mistakes. Early on, I was a bit timid and worried about asking the wrong thing. It’s true for any industry or challenge: It’s smart to observe first, but don’t be too shy. Try new things. Reach out and ask questions.

What advice do you give to others to help them be better leaders?

First, talk to your team to see how you can help them be more effective. Next, talk to people outside your discipline and your industry; you will always walk away with a new perspective.

Protea Financial Theresa Wray

Can you share something interesting about yourself that will provide insight into who you are outside of the professional space?

Growing up, I spent a lot of time on the basketball court and soccer field. Now I find myself doing the same, but this time it’s for my 2 daughters. My husband and I laugh at ourselves often, showing up with everything – chairs, water bottles, snacks, you name it!

As a thank you to our interview and Protea’s commitment to more diverse and inclusive leaders, Protea will donate to Canine Companions (https://canine.org/). Canine Companions is leading the service dog industry so their clients and their dogs can live with greater independence. They provide service dogs to adults, children and veterans with disabilities and facility dogs to professionals working in healthcare, criminal justice and educational settings. Since our founding in 1975, our dogs and all follow-up services are provided at no cost to our clients.

Independence shouldn’t be limited to those who look or live a certain way. Disability reaches all races, classes and backgrounds, and Canine Companions will too. Clients come to Canine Companions because of our reputation, the quality of our dogs, the experience of our training staff and the desire to lead life with greater independence. We are committed to providing services to all qualified clients. 

Protea Conversations Let You Expand Your Network

Connect with industry leaders and expand your network. Our goal here at Protea Financial is to work with people from every industry possible. Reach your goals with the help of people who care. 

Protea Conversations: Zane Stevens

Protea Conversations: Zane Stevens

Protea Financial was founded in 2014 to provide high-quality outsourced accounting at an affordable price.  Given Protea’s flexible work environment, the Company especially appealed to accountants who wanted to re-enter the workforce after taking time off to start a family. This allowed Protea to attract extremely talented individuals who were previously overlooked.  Protea strives to represent people from all backgrounds and provide an environment for them to grow and succeed in a setting that provides the flexibility and acceptance of who they are as people.

We selected the name Protea because is the national flower of South Africa and is a symbol of our connection. The Protea flower has become an ornamental flower because of this striking beauty and is included in arrangements and bouquets as a symbol of courage or daring to be better or a sign of positive transformation.

Protea Conversations in 2022 will focus on positive transformation and representation from all backgrounds. We are broadening our Conversations with the hope that these conversations will continue to create a forum to discuss the experiences, opportunities, and challenges leaders face, and how we can build a more diverse, inclusive, and successful environment for everyone.

In December 2022 we spend time with our founder, Zane Stevens.

Prior to founding Protea, Zane was Financial Manager at Syntell, and subsidiaries, in Cape Town, South Africa. Syntell is a leading blue-chip company with revenue in excess of $38m that provides cutting edge technology-based services for Road Safety, Traffic Management, and Revenue Collection. Before joining Syntell, Zane was a supervisor at KPMG in Port Elizabeth and Cape Town, South Africa, where he led audit and financial and information technology advisory engagements.

Working with a broad host of clients, from owner-managed entities to large listed multinational companies, Zane obtained extensive experience in various sectors including automotive; public sector; food, drink, and consumer products; retail; healthcare and agriculture.

Zane is registered as a Chartered Accountant (South Africa) with the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants. He received an Honors Degree in Accounting from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, where he also completed his undergraduate degree in Accounting.

Zane has found success managing a team of highly skilled accountants to provide the best outsourced bookkeeping and accounting services to the wine industry. Zane is seen an expert in the field and continues to share his knowledge and thoughts with the greater accounting community.

Tell us a little more about your decision to become an accountant and how the idea of starting Protea was formed?

I was seen as a smart kid at school that showed ability in mathematics and performed well in my accounting classes. Though I wanted to become a teacher I, was encourage by councilors, teachers, and parents to rather pursue an accounting qualification as it would open up more opportunities and still allow me to teach if I wanted to.

Though I was not that excited about this, it turned out to be a great decision.

After spending time at KPMG and a listed company subsidiary, my wife, Candice, was offered a CFO job in California. After a very brief conversation we decided to make the move.

Once in the US, I spent time being a househusband before starting to work at the same company as an analyst (and later an accountant). My main role was that of performing long term forecasting to see how projects would perform overtime and what the exit number would be. After a few months, we quickly realized we needed to hire someone to manage the books of these investments we were penciling out.

With this idea in mind, we hired our first part-time in person in South Africa, and like they say, the rest is history. We are currently a team of 39 helping over 140 clients to try being successful by providing them with high quality financial records.

Protea Financial Protea Conversations with Zane Stevens

What has been the biggest challenge you have experienced in reaching your current success (personally and professionally)?

Relationships have always been the toughest for me. I am not always the easiest to get a long with and generally not been that good at maintaining long term friendships. I generally need very little people interactions and I can survive by myself.

As it turns out, this is not a good set of traits for an accountant and definitely not good for an entrepreneur.

I have had to learn to be more approachable and focus on being as kind as possible to every person I meet.

I must work hard to develop my management skills, networking skills, and develop ways to connect with people so that I am memorable and can have the opportunity to show what value we as a team are able to add.

What are your short-term goals of your career and yourself?

All my goals and ambitious are focused on the success of Protea. My focus is on stability of the team, continued strengthening of our systems, and helping as many people as possible.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received that has helped you in your success?

Be yourself! Remember there is only one of you and you should be proud of who you are. Be consistent and let every person you meet, meet the same version of you.

Protea Financial Accounting and Bookkeeping

What is the piece of advice that you wished you had gotten when you were starting out?

Everyone talks about balance, but honestly there is no such thing as balance. Balance really is finding time to do things that are important to you. So, identify what that is for you. For me, this is work, my family, working out, and sport. I find time for the most important, my family, every day, and find time for working out and sport within the week. I make sure I find time for everything important to me each week and understand there is going to be days and weeks where different concepts of my life will need more time than others. But I always find time for each area. This is the way to feel in control and minimize burn out.

What advice you give to others to help them be better leaders?

Be consistent with your actions and behavior. Consistency builds trust. Trust builds confidence. And leaders who have confidence of their team will go further. Because remember “if you want to go fast go alone. If you want to go far go together.”

Can you share something interesting about yourself that will provide insight into who you are outside of the professional space?

I am fairly boring, but do have a wonderful wife, 2 amazing young boys, 4 loving cats, and actively involved in the local soccer association where I will be taking on the VP of Recreation Soccer position starting in the 2023 season.

*****

As a thank you to our interview and Protea’s commitment to more diverse and inclusive leaders, Protea will donate to Positive Images (https://www.posimages.org/). Positive Images is a grassroots nonprofit organization serving Sonoma County since 1990. Their LGBTQIA+ Community Center hosts multiple weekly support groups, a youth leadership development program, mentorship opportunities, an LGBTQIA+ Library, resource and referral station, and a Transformation Station. They proudly offer a warm, welcoming, and affirming environment for young people to explore their individual identities, develop leadership skills, and contribute to our collective community. Positive Images staff lead LGBTQIA+ Cultural Competency Trainings and presentations that educate the greater community focusing on human connection, compassion, and inclusion. Their goal is a community where all LGBTQIA+ people are valued, compassionate community members, creating a just society.

Protea Conversations Let You Expand Your Network

Connect with industry leaders and expand your network. Our goal here at Protea Financial is to work with people from every industry possible. Reach your goals with the help of people who care. Contact Protea Financial today!

Protea Conversations: Tony Wilson

Protea Conversations: Tony Wilson

Protea Financial was founded in 2014 to provide high-quality outsourced accounting at an affordable price.  Given Protea’s flexible work environment, the Company especially appealed to accountants who wanted to re-enter the workforce after taking time off to start a family. This allowed Protea to attract extremely talented individuals who were previously overlooked.  Protea strives to represent people from all backgrounds and provide an environment for them to grow and succeed in a setting that provides the flexibility and acceptance of who they are as people.

We selected the name Protea because is the national flower of South Africa and is a symbol of our connection. The Protea flower has become an ornamental flower because of this striking beauty and is included in arrangements and bouquets as a symbol of courage or daring to be better or a sign of positive transformation.

Protea Conversations in 2022 will focus on positive transformation and representation from all backgrounds. We are broadening our Conversations with the hope that these conversations will continue to create a forum to discuss the experiences, opportunities, and challenges leaders face, and how we can build a more diverse, inclusive, and successful environment for everyone.

In October 2022 we spend time with Tony Wilson of Accquip. Small business and entrepreneurship has been a passion of Tony’s ever since 2010, when his brother and I launched a photography & design business. While helping his brother with the back-end helped Tony discover this passion for supporting visionaries. He loved the electricity that comes with working in a small business. Finishing this to pursue his first career out of college, he knew his dream job would involve him owning his own practice, helping others.

From 2014 through 2021, Tony gained experience in the accounting industry, becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in 2015, working for both public and private companies. Tony loved the learning and the practice in Corporate America, but his dream job still awaited.

Tony joined the masses in “The Great Resignation” of 2021 to create this brand. He left an incredible company with amazing benefits, not because he was upset, but because he knew that it’s never the “right time” to quit your job to pursue your dream. So here he is living the dream!

In all he does, Tony brings his passion for teaching and his excitement for life!

Tony’s personal mission is:

Lead others to a more abundant life, illuminating that path through education and inspiring action with creativity and joy. with creativity and joy.

Tell us a little more about your decision to start a career in accounting and how this aligns with your passion for teaching and thus starting Accquip?

My journey into accounting was largely driven by my mom’s encouragement to do so! As a learning & development professional, she was able to see certain skills and propensities in me and my brothers. Funny enough, she said that because I like math, I would be great at accounting…

I firmly believe that anyone can get into accounting. It’s really not as difficult as it’s made out to be. The way I see it, we’re just in the business of writing financial stories.

One thing I loved about my first job out of college was the learning opportunities AND the expectation of ongoing education. As a CPA (and now CMA), I need to keep my credentials active with continuing education. There’s something about needing to stay accountable to having demonstrable learning that really excites me. I never want to go stale in my career!

Along with my love for learning, I love taking what I’ve learned, simplifying it, and helping others to learn as well. All throughout my career, I’ve gravitated towards teaching and learning how to teach in a way where others experience real and lasting change.

My vision in starting Accquip was to bring much-needed education to the most underserved entrepreneurial market: <$1M in annual revenues. The problem they face is that the finance professionals most capable of helping them are priced out of the market. I saw a huge opportunity to build a brand that could connect with those entrepreneurs and empower them to do the work themselves (at least long enough to be able to afford a finance pro).

Protea Financial Tony Wilson Accounting

What has been the biggest challenge you have experienced in reaching your current success (personally and professionally)?

I think the greatest challenge has been in finding my voice (and trusting my own intuition). I was always an “A+” student and was always a great test-taker, but until I entered the workforce, I was never required to think critically or challenge assumptions.

As a professional, I eventually came to realize that it’s not about finding the “right answer.” It’s about standing on your own two feet and thinking deeply and critically about the work you do. When I was early-on in my career, I didn’t know how to take a stand on a topic or an approach.

Eventually, I learned to trust that, while I don’t have all the answers, my opinions and perspectives are valuable. I’ve worked with a lot of very hard-nosed people who believe it’s “my way or the highway.” If you’re not careful, you can assume you have nothing to contribute.

The biggest challenge I’ve overcome is to combat that feeling by acknowledging that some people have a fixed mindset and cannot see things from a different perspective. It doesn’t mean that I’m wrong. It just means that they might not be the right type of people for me to work for.

What are your short-term goals for your career and yourself?

Right now, my biggest short-term goal is to grow my new business to a place where it can be sustainable without having to go back to taking full-time employment elsewhere. I’ve got about 6 months to make this thing fly!

Protea Financial Accounting Career Goals

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received that has helped you in your success?

Hands-down, the BEST advice I’ve ever received was from one of my managers in audit. He said “Tony, don’t come to me and ask what the answer should be. I want you to come to me with your answers and you ask me for my opinion on the answers you’re providing.”

It changed the trajectory of my career!

Don’t just identify the problem.

Come up with a solution to the problem first, and then ask for feedback on the solution.

It helps you learn and grow so fast in the industry. But it’s also an immense blessing to your manager when you approach problems like this.

What is the piece of advice that you wished you had gotten when you were starting out?

Personally, I wish I would’ve started my business earlier. There is this thought in the back of my head that said “I need XX years in order to be qualified enough to start my own business.” The reality is that there is a lot of experience in large, corporate companies that does not translate to being an entrepreneur or serving smaller businesses as an accountant. The best experience to get in your dream job is just doing the dream work!

What advice would you give to others to help them be better leaders?

Resist the urge to jump in and “save the day.” If you spend all your time doing the work for your staff, you will never be able to get out of the weeds. Empower your team by holding them accountable to delivering a specific end result.

Along the same lines, just because your staff asks you “what do you think?” does not mean you should give a direct answer. 9 times out of 10, that question is often your staff subconsciously asking for permission to share their thoughts. Flip the question on its head and ask your staff “I’m so glad you asked, but I’d really love to hear your thoughts first.”

Get really good at challenging your team to learn and grow and prove to themselves that they are brilliant!

Can you share something interesting about yourself that will provide insight into who you are outside of the professional space?

I’ve got an 18-month old and 2-month old twins at home right now… they’re all girls – it’s absolutely nuts, and also amazing! It’s easily one of the biggest pros about working 100% remote: being able to spend time with them every day!

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As a thank you to our interview and Protea’s commitment to more diverse and inclusive leaders, Protea will donate to Positive Images (https://www.posimages.org/). Positive Images is a grassroots nonprofit organization serving Sonoma County since 1990. Their LGBTQIA+ Community Center hosts multiple weekly support groups, a youth leadership development program, mentorship opportunities, an LGBTQIA+ Library, resource and referral station, and a Transformation Station. They proudly offer a warm, welcoming, and affirming environment for young people to explore their individual identities, develop leadership skills, and contribute to our collective community. Positive Images staff lead LGBTQIA+ Cultural Competency Trainings and presentations that educate the greater community focusing on human connection, compassion, and inclusion. Their goal is a community where all LGBTQIA+ people are valued, compassionate community members, creating a just society.

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