We recently connected with Danielle Foxx and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Danielle with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
My work ethic is something that I saw exemplified in my home from a very young age. My father worked, sometimes multiple, jobs to provide for our family and so that my mother could be home with my sister and me when we were young. And when he wasn’t working for his employer, my dad was working around the house, working on our cars, or working at our church. Hard work was not something that was ever portrayed as a drudgery or a necessity. When I saw my dad working, I saw him doing something that not only gave him satisfaction, but for the most part joy. Even when the work was hard or an employment situation difficult, he gave it his all and never quit.
My mother taught my sister and me the value of working hard at our education. She was a teacher, by profession and at heart. She encouraged us and worked with us. As we grew older and could do the homework on our own, she was our cheerleader, but she never stopped encouraging us to work hard at learning.
I started my first job as soon as I was old enough to work, as a Page at the town library. And I worked around other school and church activities. I was probably only 12 or 13 at the time. It wasn’t always easy, but I loved that I could begin saving for things that I wanted to purchase on my own. By my junior year in high school I was employed after school and during the summer as an accounting assistant at a local company. I had my first job in the field that I wanted to pursue in my college education. And it’s been accounting for me ever since then!
Even now, I work remotely for my full-time employer as a Controller for two co-owned companies plus I serve private accounting clients through my own business. I have learned to view work as a gift. Fortunately I’m blessed to do something that I love – so I can wake up each day and say “I GET to go to work” or “I GET to serve a client”. And it is true.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Although I still work full-time, I love that I can be an entrepreneur at the same time. As founder of 4F Accounting Associates LLC, I have the opportunity to align professional accounting standards with faith-based values as I help other entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders manage their finances. I see my business as more than just a means to provide for my family, but also the means by which I live out the purpose I’ve been called to, which is impacting lives. One of the things that I love most about what I do is working with business owners to develop budgets that prepare them for both growth and generosity. When business owners have a heart of generosity, they can make a huge impact. My vision is to see for-profit organizations creating budgets and business plans that prepare them to do more than just grow, but to give intentionally. It might even look like becoming a monthly sponsor for a nonprofit that aligns with their own corporate values. I am excited to see how this vision will play out in my own business over the coming months and years.
I currently reside in South Carolina with my husband. I have a son and daughter in college, and my oldest son and his wife are both active duty in the Navy. When I’m not working, you’ll find me hanging out at the beach, in a coffee shop, or curled up reading a book.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Three qualities that have been most impactful in my journey have been: a strong work ethic (viewing work as a gift), a desire to never stop learning, and a heart to give back.
The ability to see work as a blessing or gift makes it a little bit easier (not always easy, I’ll admit, but easier) to get through those adversities that will come. There are times that someone else will get the promotion or the job we wanted or where the client/coworker is simply rude and condescending. The work itself may not always be easy, but having a strong work ethic will help you see past the “hard” because the opportunity to work is a gift to be taken advantage of.
A desire to never stop learning will keep you always ahead of the curve. Those who stop educating themselves when their formal education is over will not be able to keep up with the industry trends or changing regulations or even the ways that networking is done successfully, for example. Those who don’t keep that desire alive to learn more, develop personally and professionally, and continue growing lose the advantage held by those that do.
And finally, having a heart to give back. That may be financially to other individuals or organizations (like nonprofits). Or it may be by mentoring those who are coming along the career (or life) path behind you. Giving back is fulfilling. It benefits both the giver and the recipient. And in helping others, we may just find more blessing ourselves than we could imagine.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
One of the most impactful things my parents did for me was to live out their faith. We attended church as a family when I was growing up. My sister and I didn’t wonder where we would be on Sunday or even on Wednesday night when it was time for the youth program. My parents both served in various capacities in the church as well. But ultimately, what had the most impact, was that they lived out their faith in front of us. Church wasn’t someplace that we simply went as a routine. The teachings we heard there, we saw demonstrated again at home. This faith that they passed on to me, that they lived out in their own lives, became an important foundation for who I am today. It fuels my work ethic and is the source of my purpose as a person and my passion to impact lives through my business. I am grateful.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://4faccounting.net
- Instagram: @4f.accounting
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/4f-accounting-associates-llc
