Meet Rachel Ellis

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rachel Ellis a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Rachel , thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

My resilience comes from a combination of my faith, experience in corporate America and the challenges I embraced in starting your CPA firm in Hyattsville, MD. Years of working in high-stakes financial environments taught me to problem-solve under pressure, adapt quickly to changing regulations, and maintain professionalism through audits, reviews, and demanding deadlines. Transitioning from corporate life to entrepreneurship required even deeper reserves of perseverance: building Ellis CPA, LLC from the ground up meant navigating uncertainty, developing new business relationships, and continuously expanding my expertise across nonprofit, government contractor, and tech startup sectors.

My resilience is further fueled by my commitment to integrity and quality—principles reinforced by my CPA licensure and continuing education. Facing complex client engagements and regulatory compliance work, I developed not just technical skills but a steadfast confidence in my ability to deliver results and support my community. The support from professional networks, ongoing learning, and the satisfaction of watching my clients succeed all reinforce my resolve to overcome setbacks and push my firm forward.

Key Drivers of Resilience
Corporate America Foundation: Ten years in rigorous financial and accounting roles prepared me for challenges by instilling discipline, resourcefulness, and strategic thinking.

Entrepreneurial Growth: Building a CPA firm demanded adaptability and strength to handle setbacks, client demands, and strategic decisions about business direction.

Commitment to Excellence: CPA licensure, regular professional development, and holding high standards for myself and my firm drive me to excel even in difficult times.

Community Impact: The opportunity to help nonprofits, contractors, and startups thrive gives meaning to my work and fuels my motivation to overcome adversity.

Resilience, in my journey, is not just about weathering storms—it is about leveraging every challenge as a chance to learn, grow, and strengthen my impact as a trusted financial expert.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’m a CPA with over 11 years of number-crunching experience, but my entrepreneurial spirit has been buzzing since childhood! Picture this: a kid selling sweet, juicy watermelons on the streets of D.C. during hot summer days — that was me, learning the ropes of business the classic way. Today, I still keep that entrepreneurial vibe alive with my passion project, EllisHoneybee, a company crafting pure beeswax candles that bring natural warmth and coziness to any space.

But if you know me best, it’s as the proud owner of Ellis CPA, LLC, a full-service CPA firm rooted in Hyattsville, Maryland. While audit and accounting consultation are our bread and butter, we also love rolling up our sleeves to help small businesses with payroll, tax strategy, and everything in between.

What’s most exciting? Building strong relationships with clients and watching their businesses thrive while making accounting less daunting and more strategic. Plus, balancing the precision of numbers with the creativity of candle making keeps life interesting!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back, three things really stand out as game changers on my journey:

Confidence is everything. Life twists and turns in unpredictable ways, but your core qualities keep you steady and moving forward. Believing in myself has been the secret sauce to staying resilient through whatever comes my way. Your mindset is a powerhouse. What you believe truly shapes your success.

Face the tough stuff head-on. I’ve learned that mastering challenging skills like financial statement audits not only makes my work more rewarding but also puts me in high demand. Doing the things others shy away from gives me an edge and opens doors clients really value.

Your network is a treasure trove full of surprises. You never know when a college connection might turn into a business partner or collaborator. Investing time and care into relationships pays off in unexpected ways. Put your best foot forward and be there for others, that’s where real opportunities start.

For anyone early in their path, my advice is simple: believe in yourself, embrace the hard work that grows your skills, and nurture your connections , you’ll be amazed where it can take you!

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

The most impactful thing my parents did? They gave me a learning adventure that extended way beyond the classroom, they homeschooled me! At the time, I didn’t fully realize how special that was, but now I see it as a gift that shaped me profoundly. While my brother and I studied history and stories, we didn’t just read about them, we literally got to travel to the places we learned about!

For example, after reading In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez, which tells a powerful story about the Dominican Republic’s fight against dictatorship, my family and I visited. Seeing the places I had only imagined from pages was priceless and made history come alive like magic.

Being homeschooled also gave me the space to deeply explore my identity as a devout Christian Black woman in America. Understanding my heritage and the lessons from history turned into an ongoing source of strength. History has a way of coming full circle, and knowing where you come from helps you decide where you’re going.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.elliscpallc.com
• Instagram: elliscpallc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seymonellis/