23 years… when I stop to think what that actually represents, it’s shocking: 276 months, 1,196 weeks, 8,395 days, and, considering an average 50 hours per week dedicated to my career, 59,800 hours.

Hhhmmm….

My first deep introspection about it is “thankfully, I have spent this time doing something I love doing… something that inspires me, and something that provides an avenue for me to have a positive impact on so many people’s lives and businesses.” My second? “Dang, that means I am old!!!” (For those of you who personally know me, you know I just laughed out loud for a good ten seconds because I am the first to say, “I am not OLD, I still think and feel like I am 25!”) 25 happens to have been my age when I stumbled upon the glorious world of tax debt resolution.

I’ll never forget the day I interviewed for a position within the industry. Tax debt resolution??? My sheltered world had never been exposed to the notion. I called my Dad, a Lt. Colonel in the Army Reserves and a Engineering Psychologist with the Department of Defense and said “Dad, I just interviewed with this company that sounds really intriguing, but have you ever heard of people not paying their taxes???” I could hear him physically shaking his head on the other end of the phone before he sighed deeply and said, “Oh daughter, you have so much to learn.” Needless to say, when I told him about the opportunity, he encouraged me to try it. If it didn’t work out, I could always find something else to do. That started it… my foray into tax debt resolution began. And from Day One, I felt at home: numbers, problem solving, legal matters, and helping individuals and small businesses.

Waaayyy back then, we didn’t have access to technology like we do today. We had word processing computers for typing letters, completed IRS and state forms by hand, and lugged around big 8-section legal folders that contained each client’s world. We didn’t have any formal training other than a once-per-week training conducted by an Attorney who had been in the industry for a while and could tell us the theories behind working with the IRS. One subject per week to try to train people all about the Collection Division of the IRS and State collection practices when you are elbows-deep in trying to help 100 clients from the moment you had a desk assigned to you? That was some rough stuff!

Once I started figuring out the connection between financial statements, resolution options, Revenue Officers respond better to honey than vinegar, and the fact that negotiating an Offer in Compromise is a llloooonnnngggg process, I really started to feel my feet belonged in the tax debt resolution space. The industry is survival of the fittest, strongest, and most dedicated to figuring things out on their own. I figured out how to do it… and I did it well!

The best thing I did during the early years of my career was I dug DEEP into my client’s situations. What made them start this business? How does their business work? I talked to them about their bank statements and why they spent money in the manner with which they did. I invested myself into their individual, unique worlds and it helped me create a passion to help them any way I possibly could.

Then came the fun of figuring out how their financial condition and goals would qualify them for the various resolution options the IRS and/or State would consider. I always thought of this as my “Rubik’s Cube” time of the case. Mentally breaking down all of the components of a long and confusing algebraic equation to arrive at the bell-ringing best result. No matter the client situation, I ALWAYS found a solution.

When I spoke with the IRS or State about a client, I was respectful and friendly, but always asked for what I wanted for the client, pulling on support from the Internal Revenue Manual or State policies. If they said “no”, I would simply ask “well, why not?” I found that by dedicating time to the pursuit of the best resolution I could identify for the client, and really dedicating time in my attempts to convince the Revenue Officer on the other end of the line that it was the best solution for all parties, I was successful. I never took “no” for an answer until I knew I had exhausted all possible options.

As I grew over the years, I found myself in a place to mentor the assistants that were assigned to my team. As my career progressed, my skills with handling each of their unique personalities, strengths, and weaknesses improved. I learned how to better handle conflict, quickly recognize strengths to apply to client cases in the most advantageous ways possible, and compensate for weaknesses by balancing those tasks to other team members who thrived in those areas. I have been blessed enough to have mentored many of my former assistants as they grew to becoming Associates and Enrolled Agents, helping their own assignment of 130 clients at a time.

For my next phase in this long career, I developed and created Golden Lion Tax Solutions. I did so with a passionate desire to lead my team to employ the same tactics and dedication to helping our clients with the same fervor that I have been so successful with. And through the ongoing developments with technology, the systems we have integrated into our processes allow us to be even more efficient as we work toward the resolutions goals for our clients.

When I reflect back over this wonderful career, I am blessed to claim that I have been able to help thousands of clients. I am so dang proud to be able to say “I gave each and every one of them my absolute best and, through those efforts, I positively impacted them, their lives, their families, and their businesses.” Here’s to the years and decades to come!!!!

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Trust. Protection. Wisdom.

Your future and your family deserve the right protection. Golden Lion Tax Solutions will be your advisor and confidant throughout the entire journey. We guarantee to offer you or your business best-case solutions for your tax debt. We are by your side every step of the way. Start now and get your life back.

For help with your tax debts, email contactus@goldenliontaxsolutions.com or call 833-LION-TAX (833-546-6829)

Disclaimer: There are requirements that must be satisfied in order to qualify for some of the tax solutions we discuss on our website. Not all of our services will be suitable for every client. Golden Lion Tax Solutions is here to help you find the most appropriate solution to fit your situation.