Meet Tanishia Warren Ashade | Tax Strategist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tanishia Warren Ashade and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tanishia, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My drive to start my own business was twofold. 1) I have an opportunity to serve others by delivering value to my customers, with the freedom to pivot where necessary while keeping our customers at the forefront of those decisions. 2) Creating a sustainable business that provides for my family and helps my team achieve similar objectives for their families over time.

I gained my initial foothold in the industry while in college, performing bookkeeping work for a non-profit (Pregnancy Restoration Center) focused on providing resources for pregnant teens as they embark on their journey. Once I graduated in 2005, my attention shifted to seeking a second income stream to pay off accumulating debt post-graduation (credit cards, personal loans, student loans, car note, etc.). Thus, my decision to start a tax service business aligned with my skill set, strengths, and my passion in personal finances to accomplish my own goals.

My initial customers were friends and family whom I assisted with tax services. However, I started to get the urge to do more but felt I needed to expand my knowledge base first. I then decided to pursue my MPA (Master’s in Public Administration) at LSU, specializing in Budgeting and Financial Management. Post-graduation, I expanded my expertise and service offerings to helping small businesses with bookkeeping, tax advisory & strategy. It has been a true joy to be able to help others.

What should our readers know about your business?
We are a boutique firm that helps real estate investors and service-based companies maximize their tax-deductible opportunities and build wealth by leveraging our legal tax strategies and accounting services.
What we believe sets us apart is that we are a personable firm made up of trusted professionals working side by side with our clients throughout the year, which allows us to be intimately involved in their journey and understand their unique needs. This results in the ability to provide highly dependable service, supported by our high customer satisfaction and testimonials with clients conveying they find us joyful to work with each year.

It has definitely not been a smooth road. If it was easy, everyone would be an entrepreneur- Right!? I have faced my fair share of challenges along the way. There are two that I thought would be good to share.

1) When I initially launched, my focus was mainly on bringing in clients and covering the cost, and since I was the sole proprietor performing all the duties, my main focus was quality of service. However, as I transitioned to expanding the business, I had to take on additional responsibilities such as marketing, operations, etc., which forced me to quickly learn new skills to take the business to the next level.

2) A byproduct of scaling the business was the need to build a team, which resulted in the need to identify the right talent to bring in and be comfortable delegating and mentoring the team while inspiring them on their growth journey.

Some key lessons I learned along the way were

1) Your brand and mission will evolve as your company grows.

2) Learn to be vulnerable enough to seek help via coaching, networking, mentorship, accountability groups, etc. 3) Your business will hit a plateau if you are not continuously growing. Therefore, self-invest via coaching, understand how to market to your customers, and truly immerse yourself in the process of building the right team.

A quantifiable result of these lessons that I am most proud of is the large number of people I have been able to positively impact over the years (approximately $15M of incremental value delivered over the last five years).

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Let’s see. Whenever my family and friends would visit Atlanta… I would purchase the Atlanta City pass that provides you with many options to check out Atlanta’s downtown attractions. My favorite places are the Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola, Atlanta, and the Atlanta Civil Rights Museum. I am a bit of a homebody, so I’m not really sure about the nightlife. But, as far as food, one of my favorite places to eat is Poor Calvin’s in Atlanta, and they offer Asian inspired cuisine with a southern twist. Check them out!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First, I would like to shout out to my mother, who instilled a strong work ethic in me and the drive to create a legacy for my family.
My father, who is my No 1 cheerleader, no matter what goals I set.

Linda Fils-Aime (Pearl), CEO of A Lady Named Pearl Foundation, Inc, whose entrepreneurial spirit is infectious.

Lastly, I would like to thank my husband, who has been instrumental over the last five years of the business. We have faced many challenges and roadblocks, yet he always finds the right words/advice to help me move forward, including being instrumental in the most recent rebranding of the company.

Website: www.ashadeandassociates.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/tanishia.ashade

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanishia-ashade/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warren.ashade

Image Credits
Photo Credits: Marie Thomas, in Atlanta, Georgia