Today we’d like to introduce you to Pam Balentine.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Pam. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
First let’s start by saying, I was that nerdy kid (cool… but nerdy) who liked math, played school with my sister and did algebra problems at home. I even used to play with checkbooks and balanced them for my grandmother. This stuff was fun for me!!
So, I took my very first accounting class in high school. We had to do the books for a fictitious company. I was the only person in the class who actually understood and enjoyed the work; so my teacher and I starting looking into careers in accounting. Once I saw the opportunities were endless, I decided that would be my major once I got to Michigan State University. I’ve worked in accounting throughout college (both undergrad and grad school) and once I graduated, I started my career as an auditor at one of the Big 4 accounting firms. After that job, I worked in internal audit at two Fortune 500 companies where I really learned all aspects of how businesses ran. After corporate layoffs, I never wanted a company to have that much control over my life, so I decided to take what I had learned in my career, and apply it to small businesses; where our economy really thrives! So now, I take my knowledge and share it with business owners to help them understand their numbers, profit strategies, growth plan, and taxes.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has never been a smooth road. There’s a saying: “each level requires a new devil” and there was no exception for me. Starting from childhood, growing up in an under-served area (Flint, MI) I was at a disadvantage. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world! My hometown gave me both book and street smarts to be successful… but entering college was a huge culture shock. Only 2% of CPAs are made up of people of color, so just imagine what my collegiate career looked like. That then carried over into my career. The industries I serviced were comprised of old white men… I was the youngest, the only woman, and the only person of color at many important meetings. And just imagine, as an auditor, I had to be the person saying what the business was doing wrong. At first, it was not received very well. However, pushing through and showcasing my knowledge and personality allowed me to gain credibility and respect among my peers and superiors.
Then, there’s the struggle of the CPA exam. Being the high school valedictorian and doing pretty well in college, I had never failed anything in my life… until I attempted the CPA exam. If you don’t pass within 18 months, you start losing parts and have to take those part all over again. Several years, attempts, and thousands of dollars went down the drain trying to complete this major milestone in my career. That was pretty devastating and had me questioning if I took the right path in life; was I actually cut out for the challenge.
However, my mentors told me that this exam is meant to test your tenacity, not your knowledge. Even though I learned that the hard way, it allowed me to focus, put my head down and gain the discipline I needed to finally get it done!
Lastly, there’s entrepreneurship. This is not for the weak at heart! Starting my business in Atlanta after only living here for a short period of time was a challenge. Not only was I doubting my ability to run my own company, but I also didn’t know anyone! As an introvert, networking, fostering relationships, and following up was a challenge that often created anxiety. However, those were the things required for me to build my business.
Viking CPA Group – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am the owner of Viking CPA Group. We help small to mid-sized businesses understand their numbers, grow their profit, and scale their business. We do this through tax, accounting, and consulting services both locally and virtually; so we have the ability to work with clients throughout the country. I set myself apart by deeming myself the “CPA with Personality”. When people think about a CPA or accountant, they assume older, boring, no personality, pocket protectors (lol), and no sense of people skills. I’m the total opposite! I love building relationships with my clients and being a valued and trusted partner in their business. I like to take a proactive approach, plan ahead, and provide strategies; versus just typing in numbers, handing over a report, and only seeing clients at tax time.
I am proud of the value and service my company brings. Accounting is the language of business. Most entrepreneurs start their business out of love and passion for their product or service, but they don’t necessarily understand the accounting aspect of it. EVERY decision in business has an accounting impact. I like to be able to provide my clients with the numbers and information they need so they can make an informed decision on the direction their business will go.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I love to give back. Without mentors pouring into me, I have no idea where I would be. The proudest moment of my career is being an adjunct professor and teaching students an introduction to accounting. These students were young freshman and sophomores, non-accounting majors, and had never taken a business class. Seeing the light-bulbs click and the pieces come together about accounting and business as a whole was very rewarding. I even had two students change their majors to accounting because of my class. They said my passion for the industry, the real-life examples, and the career opportunities I presented were key in helping them come to this decision. We keep in touch to this day and I know they have a great future and career ahead of them.
It makes me smile just thinking about it.
And I know that if I can teach college students who couldn’t care less about accounting, I have the ability to educate my clients so they can use it to make key decisions for the growth of their business.
Contact Info:
- Website: www,vikingcpagroup.com
- Phone: 4048500326
- Email: pam@vikingcpagroup.com
- Instagram: pamthecpa
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/vikingcpagroup.com
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