We had the good fortune of connecting with Alex Austin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alex, what are you inspired by?
What inspires me are people who choose to take the less conventional path in life. Our corporation dominated world is also forged by people who also chose the unconventional path. The unconventional path often takes the form of betting on oneself as opposed to the comfort of a regular paycheck. I have been fortunate growing up in San Diego, around several entrepreneurs who struck out to find success and were able to do so. I have also learned from their shared experiences when things did not work as the business owners had envisioned and they came back smarter and stronger and more aggressive on the next try and the next until it worked. These examples were what inspired me to leave the Big Four Public Accounting setting in search of an independent fulfilling career.

The businesses I work with and the people who own them have taught me how to be a part of the success processes for the business owners I work with. My firm is able to help demystify and support the fiscal settings many of my clients find themselves in order to help business owners leverage their talents toward growing and running their business.
Which in turn I find very inspiring to me. To continually see and work with people who chose to find their best for themselves, despite the challenges and risks associated.
So, while I remember the examples that inspired me in the past, my work and the individuals that I work with are now what inspire me most.

What should our readers know about your business?
Alex Austin, CPA strives to be a part of the success and support of our clients. From relieving business owners from their routine bookkeeping, to filing quarterly/annual / and sometimes monthly tax returns, to providing fiscal and tax and business advice my firm is able to support business owners with all of their fiscal needs. The ability to help a small business owner with everything from bookkeeping to business taxes to their personal taxes is an exciting thing to be able to offer a busy owner and by working with the business and the person or family ultimately responsible for the success or improvement we can achieve the best result.

By forming close working relationships with clients, we are able to benefit from more current and constructive conversations as opposed to some accountants who are primarily retrospective. This is how we provide more value to our clients.

Building Alex Austin, CPA has been a lot of work but like all things, something worth having is worth working for. We have faced changing regulatory standards, transitioning to be completely remote due to COVID, PPP loans, employment retention credit, and its many changes, and reporting requirement changes, and how to best serve our clients. However, it has been through this adversity, that we have been able to differentiate the firm in terms of the relationships and services we provide to the firm’s clients.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend was visiting, the first thing we would do is get Fish Tacos from Oscars in Pacific Beach, and eat the Taco overlooking the water. If it is their first time visiting San Diego, they will need to understand the importance of Mexican food at the beach. Following some Mexican food and some good views I would take my friend to explore an evening in Little Italy and enjoy the people, the restaurants, the closed off streets, the stores, the architecture.

The following day I would take them to hike Cowles Mountain so they could see a full view of San Diego County, and then we would head to where I grew up in East County for a burger and a beer at Hooley’s in Rancho San Diego.

Of course, no trip to San Diego would be complete without some surfing so I would teach them to surf where I learned when I was a little Gromit at La Jolla Shores. After pushing my friend on to a couple good rides we would of course need to replenish with… more Mexican food. But this time we are heading to Don Carlos in La Jolla for what I deem are the best potato rolled tacos in town. If there was more sunlight in the day, or perhaps the following day, we would head to La Jolla cove so I could show off our fearless state fish…. The Garibaldi.

As a lifelong San Diego sports fan, I would need to take my friend to a Padre Game at Petco Park. To experience some San Diego sports success while splitting some of the padre’s signature garlic fries.

With enough time I would additionally take my visiting friend to experience Tijuana for a day or two of real street tacos and trying to speak Spanish.

There are so many things to do in San Diego, it seems very easy to fill a week experiencing its highlights.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Much, if not all, of my success in life as well as business has been a result of the love and support, I have received from my mother and sister. After my father passed in 2018, these two strong women have been the example of courage, strength, dedication, and love. They have helped give me the courage to leave the safety of Big Four practice and embark on my own to achieve a destiny that was most fulfilling to me. And continue to do so I have inevitably encountered some of the hurdles all small businesses will have. So, I must dedicate my shout out to my biggest fans and closed allies – Mom and Marilyn.

Website: www.AlexAustinCPA.com

Instagram: AlexAustinCPA

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-austin-cpa-391a6768/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlexAustinCPA/

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