Meet H. Randy Hughes, III | CPA | Lead Instructor for the Well-Rounded Accountant Program

We had the good fortune of connecting with H. Randy Hughes, III and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi H. Randy, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I can remember being in college and wondering, “What in the world am I going to do for work, to support myself?!?” Shortly after finding my first “job”, I quickly learned three things,

1. I didn’t like long commutes,
2. I didn’t like long days,
3. I didn’t like corporate stress

I wanted to do something more within my control. I did (and still do) volunteer work to help my community, so I wanted to be able to devote more time to it and give back more. While thinking it through, I quickly realized that I wanted and needed to work for myself. I enjoyed the thought of part-time work, from home, for myself. I liked the idea of a 10 o’clock shower each morning, instead of a 6 o’clock one. I liked the idea of having a more material and tangible impact on those that I served. And so, primarily for these reasons, I started my own business.

What should our readers know about your business?
My business is a small boutique accounting firm that specializes in two unique areas.

1. We help entrepreneurs and business owners go from 7-figure poor™ to 7-figure rich™. Many times, these 7-figure earners are high profile persons that value privacy and confidentiality… and need a safe place to get sound direction and guidance away from their closer inner circle and away from their team or staff. We provide that. We guide them through the maze of finances, taxes, operations, and future planning, especially when kids, retirement, or an exit strategy is a consideration.

2. We run an educational program for accountants that want to become more well-rounded in their knowledge or practice. We help those with compliance businesses to more into advisory and we assist corporate accountants looking to more into starting their own accounting business. We accomplish this through our Well-Rounded Accountant Program, which provides up to 12 months of guidance mentorship, which combines virtual live classroom discussion, with real-life application so the student know how to apply the material learned in practical ways to earn revenue and free up more time for themselves and their families.

What I’m most proud of is building a business that allows me to do what I set out to do… work for myself, work part-time and work from home— while at the same time allowing me the freedom to continue in my volunteer work. This year marks my 15th year away from corporate while focused solely on my business. I have been debt-free for 13 of those 15 years, which has been a game-changer in how I feel from day-to-day and year-to-year.

This journey was not easy, but took a lot of hard work and sacrifice…. fewer movies on Netflix, and more recorded videos for my students… fewer dinners out, with more dinners at home. But the sacrifices have paid off and have been well worth it, not just now, but along the way as well.

Taking care of your team and taking care of your client cannot be over-emphasized. Accountants and business owners tend to think of Profit as an equation, where Profit=Sales-Costs. How much better it is, though, to think of Profit as a mindset, where profit is a consequence of doing the right thing. This, I believe, is the big takeaway from our firm. It’s what we practice, and it’s what we teach our students to be known for.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
So if my best friend came to town and I wanted to show him a great time, we would start with him flying in on a Thursday night. Friday afternoon, we are hitting the Georgia Aquarium and then heading to Louisiana Bistreaux Seafood Kitchen to eat. Friday night we leave open to decide in the moment! 🙂 Saturday, we head to the stadium for either a Falcons football playoff game or a Hawks NBA game (depending on the time of year). Afterward, we head to Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar. After sleeping in until about 11am, we head to Coaxum’s for Sunday brunch. Monday we chill at home or hotel and then in the evening head to The Mary Mac Tea Room for dinner. Tuesday afternoon, we visit the Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site or the Fox Theatre, depending on the time of year. We wrap up on Wednesday night at the Starlight Drive-In Theatre for their 11pm movie showing!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Hands down my family and my team! As the owner of an accounting firm that hosts educational programs for accountants and business owners, I owe my initial exposure and roots to my parents, Henry Hughes, Jr and Gerunda B Hughes. My father was a self-employed business owner as an insurance agent. My mother comes from a long list of teachers and she herself was a university professor (Howard University), specializing in math. As an accountant, I can resonate with both and watching their example while growing up shaped me into the man and business owner I am today.

Not to be overlooked, though, is my wife of 22 years, Renee. She, too, is a business owner and she provide great insight and feedback as needed to help steer me in the right direction and keep me on track. She truly is a partner, in more ways than one.

And no business owner makes it on his/her own. Without a dedicated and committed team, there is no growth, consistency, passion, or progress. My team provides these things each day they come to work. We truly are a unique and dedicated team.

Website: www.cpennies.com

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