Viviane , looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
From a very young age, I learned very quickly that hard work is necessary for success. I am an immigrant from Lebanon and things over there were very different than America. School was very strict. I attended a private school where we took 7 classes a day from 8:00am until 4:00pm. After school, we had to study very hard. There were very strict standards and passing was no easy feat. It was expected that we learned 3 languages before 5th grade and a 4th language was added after.
On top of all of that, I grew up during the civil war of Lebanon. At the age of 12 I needed to worry about basic human needs. I was worried I’d lose my dad or brother while they went out to bring my family bread. School would be on and off so when we were able to attend, it was double, triple the work to try to make up for lost time. I’d study while hearing bombs go off and it was pretty traumatic.
However, with all these hardships, there’s always a bright side. I learned to be resilient and work hard. When my family and I immigrated to America – Los Angeles to be exact – I was nearly done with high school. School itself was much easier than I was used to, but I faced other challenges like learning English, adapting to the culture, fitting in, and making friends.
Of course, my parents had no funds for me to go to college as we had to leave everything behind in Lebanon. I was always grateful that we were able to safely escape. When college became a subject after high school, I worked day and night to pay my tuition and excel in my courses.
Work ethic can definitely come from within, but I have to admit the environment I grew up in shaped me to be who I am today. Materialistic things simply don’t matter, and money comes and goes. The most important thing is to never give up, always work hard, and look ahead to the many opportunities that await.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am an accountant, mother, wife, and avid non-profit volunteer. I founded my accounting firm called V&R Associates before I had my first-born daughter. The firm was originally created to give me the flexibility I needed to have and nurture my family.
At V&R Associates, we specialize in bookkeeping and taxes but take an overarching approach to ensure each business we work with is able to flourish to their full extent. We are known for our personalized touch as many of our clients see us beyond simply being their accountant. We genuinely care about the people we work with and their successes.
We help various company sizes and industries. Thanks to my youngest daughter, Thalia, we are expanding our firm further. We are hiring new team members and taking in new clientele.
In my limited free time, I always find ways to give back to my community and care deeply for various charitable organizations. I believe that monetary donations are impactful, but being present and donating time is an important element that isn’t stressed enough with the busy hustle everyone lives.
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?
Persistence, non-giving up, and self-improvement.
You must keep at it and always try harder. Failure should not be an option; it’s only an opportunity to learn. Lastly, keep learning and self-improving. Staying up to date with relevant rules and regulations can be very important for your industry.
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
Our ideal client would be a business owner that genuinely needs help with their books and financial statements (to ultimately be ready for yearly tax preparation). This individual may feel overwhelmed with their crazy life and seeking someone they can trust who will keep them on track and help them make strategic financial decisions. This person would be driven and seeking more time dedicated to growing their business. Working with them would relief them of stress and allow them to gain peace of mind that they no longer need to worry about the nitty gritty accounting; they’d have a support system to lean on.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.vandraccounting.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vandraccounting/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/v-r-associates-san-diego-accounting
- Other: Google page: https://g.page/r/CZYS8Fki_aedEBE/
Image Credits
Thalia Hagopian
