My Business Story

You may be surprised to hear this, but I never thought I’d be self-employed.  I actually specifically said at a young age that I would NEVER own my own business.  We all know what happens when we say never, right?  

Here’s the backstory - for as long as I can remember, my dad worked in the family business which my grandfather started.  He worked so hard to help his father grow the business, putting in those long days and weekends to build something for his family.  Once my grandfather passed away, my dad became responsible for the business and kept putting in those long hours and there was definitely more STRESS.  That’s what I remember - all I saw was how much HARD WORK it was to own and run a business.  

My siblings and I were lucky enough to work at the business every time we were on school break.  As we watched our dad, we saw first hand what life looked like at work and at home for a small business owner.  Looking back, I’m so grateful for that experience and all it taught me, but I still thought it would be better to go to work for someone and not shoulder the responsibility that comes with owning a business.  

So at first I did just that - I ended up going to school and majoring in business accounting and then going to work for an accounting firm.  Talk about LONG hours and STRESS haha - there was a ton of that, but I also learned SO much and got to meet so many amazing people and see the backend operations of a lot of amazing businesses.  After working in public accounting, I moved into working with nonprofits and government for a while, but I kept thinking about working with small businesses and finding a way to do that in a sustainable way (get to see my family sometimes and not burnout).  How could I use my experience and knowledge to help small business owners while also still being able to build a life I loved (+family - burnout)?  That’s when I decided to start Lis Lee Accounting.  

Some days I still cannot believe I get to do this.  Yes, owning your own business is certainly hard at times.  Yes, there are days when you wish you could punch a clock for someone else and call it a day.  But there are so many rewarding moments like the absolute joy of helping business owners achieve their goals, or when I am able to be flexible in my personal life in a way I never could have imagined when I worked for someone else.  The satisfaction that comes from knowing you are using your skills and gifts in a way that is aligned with your values is unmatched.  

Thank you for taking the time to read my business story in brief.  I would love to hear more about you and your business.  If we haven’t already, let’s connect and get to know each other.