[00:00:00] Speaker A: Welcome to what's next. I'm Christine Conti and today we're exploring the mindset that transforms breakthroughs into lasting success. You're watching now Media Television. Hello and welcome to what's next. I'm Christine Conti. This is the show where we explore what happens after people break through the mental barriers that once held them back. The fears, the beliefs, the challenges and turning points that shape who they become and, and what they build next. Today we're looking at money, taxes, strategy and wealth through a very human lens. Because behind every financial decision is a person and behind every business story and behind every successful advisor is a journey that shaped the way they see risk, responsibility, opportunity and impact. My guest today is Maria Painter, CPA and pfs, an elite tax trust strategist and America's trusted tax ally and founder of the Ally Tax group and trusted tax ally. And she is also a business coach and recipient of the 2026 Global Recognition Award for top CPA in the country.
And she's been named best in Annapolis for the last six years, recognized as a top CPA firm in 2026 by the Financial Service Review.
Her perspective has been featured on Forbes, Business Insider, Yahoo. Finance, USA Today, the Associated Press, msn, Apple News and other leading national publications. She has more than 20 years experience advising business owners and executives and high net worth individuals on advanced tax planning, wealth protection and long term financial structure strategy. Today we're going to go beyond her resume though. I want to understand your experiences and your lessons and the turning points that shaped your approach to leadership, service, money and what it means to help people make that powerful decision for their future.
So, Marina, welcome to what's Next.
[00:02:06] Speaker B: Thank you so much. Such a pleasure and honor to be here. And if I guess you want to dive into how much time do we have for all of it? Because that's a, it's a very complex subject. So. But I have all the time in the world, so let's dive right in.
[00:02:23] Speaker A: So before we, we talk about all the strategy and whatnot, tell us a little bit about what you think, what, what next means to you in terms of your life journey.
[00:02:33] Speaker B: Oh gosh, you know, it's interesting. So it's, it's a good, it's a good question.
I always say when you look back at your life, you always have those moments, those defining, pivotal moments of your life when you just say, okay, well here's where I am right now.
What are my options?
What's next?
Right. Every single one of us will have to get to that point. Or will be at that point of life where it's going to be a, a question at stake. Right. What is my next chapter? What is it I need to do? How do I get from here to there? What are, what are my goals? And most importantly.
[00:03:17] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:03:18] Speaker B: How do I get there? Right. It's, it's, it's. I am a true believer. It doesn't matter on the surface. Sometimes people's lives seem to be very calm and it's all that wonderful and rosy. But there's no such life that I've experienced yet from anybody that you don't have those pivotal moments that will really define who you are, depending on what it is you're dealing with. Right. So I had plenty of those what's next moments.
And my life kind of started early on, younger than most people with a very personal story which I typically don't really share.
It's probably one of the few instances in my life that I've actually shared for people that, you know, with people that never met me before.
But my biggest what's next moment was I was, let's see, I was 28 years old, I was already in my career, so I, I've always known this is what I'm going to do. Tax planning, tax strategies, cpa. That's always been on my to do list since I was 17 years old. Come from a family of doctors.
So. And now I, I became this black people family that I said, right, this is what I want to do. I don't want to be a doctor. I love medicine to now, but I'm going to be cpa. But my biggest what's next moment was like I said, I was 28, one and a four year old child. I had two, two daughters. One was four, one was one.
And my husband at the time got diagnosed with cancer the age of 33 and lost his life to cancer. Here I am, so sorry. A single mother when one and a four year old and I tell myself, okay, God, what's next?
Because you know, I was working at a big CPA firm, very cushiony, very comfortable job. The only problem was that I could not, I couldn't be in the office 80 hour weeks until midnight. You know, all my staff that worked under me were about my age, but they had no responsibilities, let alone a cat or plants in their house. Right. So.
[00:05:40] Speaker A: Right.
[00:05:41] Speaker B: And I said, okay, well what is next? And that's when I said, okay, the only way to make my life happen and my girl's life happen is to go on my own. So now that Was that was something I aspired to, to be self employed. That was my always ultimate goal. It just came five years premature.
But again and without your partner and you have that what's next moment.
Yeah know I told myself, well I don't have a choice. This is what needs to happen.
And I went on my own. And it's. I still remember to this day driving off from the parking lot of my last employer's building which was again class A building. It was all marble and all beautiful glass. It was just, just a beautiful glossy office. And driving off and seeing my office, my corner glass office in a rear view mirror and telling myself, oh God, what did I just do? Because I have no income to fall on. I have not no, no plan B. Because at that point we exhausted the all life savings on medicine, you know, that center care could not and provide anymore. I'm like, okay, well guess what Marina, right now would be the time to either sink or swim. And those are the two decisions and the two things you have to decide for yourself how you're going to get it done right.
And that was my probably the biggest defining moment in my what's next moment.
So again early on in life I learned that real life happens and when the real life happens, you have to really decide for yourself who you are and where you're gonna go from this point to the next point. And what needs to happen for you to get to that next point.
You're the decision making.
[00:07:49] Speaker A: Thank you so much for sharing such a personal and meaningful story. I'm so sorry for your loss. I mean and the hardest part too is as you're grieving your life partner, you have these two beautiful children that you have to focus on and that must have been terrifying. And through that fear you like dug down deep and you were like, it sounds like it was almost like your children were your why you were like, I have to show up for you
[00:08:19] Speaker B: don't have a choice. Because everybody would always ask me, well how you so strong, you like the strongest person. And I would say, well what option do I have not to be.
What option do I have not get up in the morning and go to, you know, and do what I need to do? I don't have that option. Now fast forward. My oldest daughter is 20, so, so. And, and you're going to laugh because she's starting to be a tax attorney now too. So I'm like, well you poor kid. You've been watching me do this all your entire life and you still want to do it anyway.
So it's all the good things in life. Right? It's all the good things.
When you go through moments of life, defining moments of life, it really reinforces, you know, and it sounds interesting when I say that, but it makes you appreciate truly what you have in life.
You truly don't care about things that are not important, just truly not important. You, yes, you have your down moments, but from time to time, like anybody else. But at the same time, it doesn't matter. Tomorrow's another day. Tomorrow, you know, will be done. Whatever needs to be done. And it's okay. It's okay.
[00:09:40] Speaker A: So, you know, it's really.
You do. I can see why people tell you all the time, like, you're just an incredibly strong person, and you're just, you know, I love how you're just. You're like, you just got of. Put one foot in front of the other. You know what you have to do, and, you know, you just have. You don't give yourself a choice.
[00:09:58] Speaker B: Nope.
[00:09:59] Speaker A: Was that.
[00:09:59] Speaker B: And that's. And that's the thing, right? It's your decision.
You have to decide for yourself, are you a victim or Victor?
Right.
[00:10:10] Speaker A: You have to decide. I would say it's all about the perspective.
And sounds like you're born with that natural positive attitude and perspective where you're like, I'm not going to be a victim in this. Like, I'm. I'm young, but I'm smart and I'm capable, and I have to do this. I have no choice. And you step forward right into it.
[00:10:30] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:10:33] Speaker A: I bet a lot of people along the way were doubting you or saying, what are you doing? Stay here. You're safe. You have this cushy job.
[00:10:41] Speaker B: Well, so a lot of people that really, truly knew me as a person, they all supported me in my decision.
So they knew that that was the most logical decision that I had to make for you, myself and my family.
Now, my employer at the time really tried to keep me. And they would say, well, yeah, arrange however it works for you. You can work from home. And now this is almost 20. Almost 20 years ago. Right. And which it was unheard of, especially in the finance industry. People didn't work from home. There was not no such thing. It was a sweatshop during tax season. You work in the office till you, like, fall asleep at your desk, quite literally.
So.
So there was not a thing. And I said to him, you know, as much as I appreciate the offer, and I truly, truly do, because to me, it's a validation of my skill because I did work hard. I still do to this day.
It's, I said, you know, if I do that and I work from home and so what's really going to happen? Every day they have to leave at 5:00 on the dot. God forbid I'm five minutes late picking up my kids. Do you really think that my staff that's working under me, they're about my age, no responsibilities. Do you really think they're going to understand that I have to leave the office on the dots while they're still in the office, stuck till midnight, day in and day out? What it's going to do is create animosity. It's just a normal human reaction. Right? You don't know what you don't know. Since you don't, can't. Since you don't know, you can relate.
That's, that's what happens. So I said, you know, as much as appreciate it, I, I will just do everybody a favor. And yes, for me to leave, it's so, it's interesting because two years later I ran into him and he's like, hey, are you ready to come back? I'm like, absolutely not. I am good. I am so good.
[00:12:46] Speaker A: Yeah. Well, what I appreciate about this part of the conversation, it reminds us that expertise is one piece of the pie, but you're really, your perspective is one of the most important pieces of an individual's success and pushing them into that. What next? When we come back, we'll talk a little bit more about the mental barriers that keep business owners stuck in avoidance, fear and rejection.
We'll be right back with more inspiring stories and practical insights to help you discover what's next. Stay with us. And we're back. I'm Christine Conti and this is what's Next on NOW Media Television. Let's continue, continue the conversation.
Welcome back to what's Next. Stay connected to this show and every NOW Media TV favorite live or on demand, anytime you like. Download the free Now Media TV app on Roku or iOS and unlock non stop bilingual programming in English and Spanish. If you're on the move, catch the podcast version at www.nowmedia tv. From business and news to life, lifestyle, culture and beyond, NOW Media TV is streaming around the clock. Ready whenever you are. So welcome back to what's Next. I'm here with Marina Painter, cpa, pfs, tax strategist. And we just had a beautiful conversation about overcoming adversity and just, you know, that generous spirit. I really love Marina. How you, you know, you're like, I appreciate I know I'm hardworking. I know you want me to stay, but if I stay, it's not going to be good for the team. And it's also not really where I'm feeling what my next. What next is and finding, digging down deep and finding the courage to take that jump. When you don't have that safety net, many people, you know, they avoid that. You know, that's, they, they seek out that security. And so that's just such a courageous spirit that you have in all of this.
[00:15:01] Speaker B: So it's interesting. Let me add one thing, since you write on it, and I think it's very, very important to viewers to know this. In one of my offices, I have the saying on the wall that it says if it doesn't challenge you, it does not change you. That means you have step out of your comfort zone to grow as a person, right? As a leader, as the business owner, all of the above. But you have to step out of the comfort zone.
[00:15:30] Speaker A: Well, you're definitely an inspiration for that. And you know, when you, you work with, when your, your tax strategy and whatnot, you work with very smart, successful people, you know, you are the, you know, you just have that inborn spirit and perspective of, you know, like, I gotta push through the fear, which is beautiful.
How do you help inspire that? Or what do you see as like the biggest obstacle and fear that many of the people who come to you have to overcome?
[00:16:09] Speaker B: So you have to go back to the basics of psychology, your own psychology, any human psychology. We all have the same mindset in terms of we want to avoid fear, right? And we want to stay comfortable. That's our reptilian brain that tells us because anything that creates fear, it's the unknown. If we don't know something, it's the uncertainty. When it's the uncertainty settles in, we become fearful. We want to avoid that any. That's why a lot of people talk about, oh, I want to start a business, but only few can actually do it. Not only do it, stick with it, right? Because again, it's not. Not something that they've been trained to do it not, not something they were experienced or they were experienced.
[00:17:06] Speaker A: It comes with a lot of.
Exactly.
[00:17:10] Speaker B: In previous, you know, realm of whatever life they might have had the background. But you always have to remind everybody, right? When we are born, we got zero skills.
Everything that we have, every skill is acquired.
Every single one of them, right? It goes back to finance, it goes back. We might have some predispositions, but as far as the actual skill Proficiency that is acquired, that's something you learn as you go. The more you do it, the more you know. The more you know, the better you get for anything. Now again, can I be a professional athlete? No, I acknowledge that, but I know how to maybe figure out how to swim like a professional swimmer or something like that. I'll learn the technique. I'm just not going to be as good. But at the very least I'll know the skill. The same thing as tax strategies. It's a skill, right? It's, it's financial planning, it's a skill. It's very meticulous. It's, it's a very fine tuned and it, but at the same time, it's a skill. Now as far as leadership, there's a difference between being a leader and business owner. A lot of people, unfortunately, business owners, right, and leader and what's the difference? Right. The leadership is, is not just inspiring people, it's motivating people.
Meaning that you can explain your vision, you can present that vision to somebody else so that everybody else around you wants to follow that vision. They can see that vision clearly. They thrive on it. Like in my office, we were best of Annapolis for the just for last six years. And every time, you know, my staff always thrive and they're honored to be working in our office, be part of our team.
My clients, they always call me and they don't have to tell me how wonderful my staff is, but they go extra mile to tell me that or in the email or phone call to say such and such. Had an interaction, you know, with my whoever, what, whoever in the office and how wonderful they were. Again, they didn't have to say that, but they go the extra mile because they receiving the service that we as, as a company thrive on. Right. Make that experience different because we have to remember anything to do finance, finances or tax. It's scary to people.
It's scary to people.
And I like how you, not everybody lives, lives their life that's well designed and well planned out, right. Typically taxes something people think about after fact or at tax time, which also should not be happening by the way.
[00:20:10] Speaker A: I like how you differentiated between like not every business owner can be that leader.
And you certainly have demonstrated what a great leader you are. And you know, it doesn't surprise me that your team, you know, you lead by example. You know, you're like, I can't go home at 5 and expect my team to put in the hours until midnight or beyond. If I'm at home with my family.
That's not right. And so that trust that you build with your team, that's probably where that comes from. And that effort, you are so knowledgeable on the human character and whatnot, and that's so essential for a really good leader.
And it sounds like you, I imagine you kind of transfer that when you're working with someone. Do you ever find it challenging working with someone who maybe has that fear? And how do you help them, you know, kind of through that fear of all the numbers and all the terminology, you know, that has probably nothing to do with their, you know, what they're good at, you know, because you, you said, I can't. That's amazing that you wanted to be a CPA at 17 years old.
So all of these things, they're not scary to you. But how do you help someone who is like, oh, these are terms I don't know, you know, and how do you help them get comfortable in their own financial planning and success?
[00:21:47] Speaker B: So when you. So going back to your perception, right, Perception is your reality because what, you know, what your mind is conditioned to, that's the only thing you have a point of reference for. Meaning that if people around you are afraid of the IRS or they constantly talk about money is bad or, or successful people are typically not very honorable people, some people, those kind of things.
So your mindset will define you as a person, right? And, and your background and what you've been used to. So what I noticed, and by the way, I've been doing this for 25 years, quarter century I've been doing something. So I've had a lot of experience with thousands and thousands and thousands of people in. In quarter century. So what I noticed, it's kind of the same pattern. It's the same pattern.
[00:22:44] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:22:45] Speaker B: So it's people that come in, typically they're afraid because they don't know the outcome of the tax return. So what I need to reshuffle first is their mindset. Looking at taxes is not a scarcity kind of item. It's nothing to be afraid of. Use that as a tool in tax savings, savings for your future, building your wealth through tax code. When you readjust your mindset and start looking at taxes from that perspective, everything changes. And I'll give you a very good. Actually, I'm going to give you two examples because those are kind of highlights as to what really happens.
When I had this person just a couple of weeks ago and he makes about 300,000, that's not talking about some massive amounts, but it's comfortable living and he he has a business. His spouse works in the business. His kids work. Well, not indirectly. Indirectly, but, you know, the whole family works in the family business by default, whether they want to or not.
So. So by taking his numbers and just kind of. And that's how I look at tax return or tax example situation. It's just kind of pieces of a puzzle.
Once I see everything I'm dealing with, I know where all those pieces go. And that's what becomes that. That the whole process.
And it sounds silly when I say it, but to me, that's when it becomes exciting, truly. Because in this case, you know, we were not all. So if we left everything the way it was, the way it's been done for years, he was new to me then he would have paid about hundreds and 20,000 in tax based on everything we had.
So by.
By proposing a tax plan just for this year and next five years would have. So that would have saved him 126,000 in tax.
One year.
Just one year.
[00:24:54] Speaker A: Wow, that's amazing.
[00:24:56] Speaker B: Multiply that. If he sticks with this plan for next nine years, that's 10 years total. Right. So multiply it by 10 years. Add the compounded interest on top of it. What happens at that point is that when he's 50, he doesn't have to work a day in his life. How do you think he's feeling about taxes now?
He's happy about it. He wants to come.
He wants to talk about taxes because it's no longer scary. Because he knows that he pays the leg the least amount legally possible and retains all his money that he works so hard for. Right. And it's all legal.
You know what's interesting? So the commissioner of the IRS and a Supreme Court judge both said the same thing, that the code was not written in the way for you to overpay in tax. The code was written in a way that you would pay your fair share tax. But you need to know the code. It's a 20 who?
Right. And if you use. And that's where you come in, that's available to you.
That's what makes that magic happen for you and your family.
[00:26:05] Speaker A: Well, I love that this is just an important reminder about perspective and how that's just the beginning of changing, taking that next step to that financial freedom in this case and having the courage like you're saying, if he didn't make that change, if he remained fearful, he would be in a much different financial position
[00:26:28] Speaker B: and he would not even know.
[00:26:30] Speaker A: Yeah, and he wouldn't even know. So when we Talk back. We'll talk more about strategy. We'll be right back with more inspiring stories and practical insights to help you discover what's next. Stay with us. And we're back. I'm Christine Conti and this is what's next, next on NOW Media television. Let's continue the conversation.
Welcome back to what's next. And I'm going to continue my conversation with Marina, a nationally recognized tax strategist and trusted advisor. We've been talking about journey and perspective and how pushing through that fear can bring you to the next level.
Now I want to talk about what happens when the business owner moves from, from reaction to strategy. Because for many entrepreneurs, the next level is not just about working harder and earning more money. It's about learning how to think ahead, plan earlier and protect what they were building. And so as Marina had shared with us last time, she's helped people go from overpaying in taxes and staying within the code, very important.
And just learning not to be afraid of the taxes, but being excited about meeting with their tax planner and finding and getting a real tax strategy.
So what do you think? What is the biggest thing? What is the biggest change you see besides they enjoy coming to see you?
What is one of the biggest changes you see when you really get through to someone and get, you know, kind of lead them to get moving past their fear instead of reacting to something to, you know, being very strategic and how they spend their money and where they put their money?
[00:28:21] Speaker B: So the thing about reactive versus proactive, right? That same failure to plan is planning to fail. I remind that to my clients all the time. And it's for anything you do in life, truly. Right. That's what I tell my girls even to this day. If you like cherries and you plant an apple seed, what, what are you going to have in some years from now? Because tomorrow will come at some point, that future will be tomorrow, right? It will be here.
So what, what are you going to have? You're going to have apple trees, right? So if you like cherries, you should be planting cherry seeds, not apples.
And that goes back to your finances. So, you know, statistically, I just read this article on statistically 75% of US population, 75%, that's a big number. That's pre retirement age. I should ad has about 25,000 or less.
And that's scary.
Again, that's scary.
Things happen.
But you have to be your own advocate. Very much like health, very much like finance. You have to be your own advocate. That means that you have to have certain level of responsibility that means.
And you know, sometimes people say, like, I don't need a cpa, they charge too much. In my mind, everything has cost to benefits. Obviously you're not going to go to CPA and they're going to charge you nothing. Right. You also have to, it's a, it's a, it's an exchange of resources.
But at the end of the day, if it saves you more money than whatever you spend and gives you peace of mind, right, that's what you need to be looking. That's the standpoint you need to be looking from. That's the angle. So what I typically see for people going from reactive, because when you live in this reactive mind, this mindset, you constantly in this cortisol flushed brain, your body feels paralyzed, you out of breath, you're in that sympathetic system, meaning that you can't even find function normally, you cannot have normal sleep. You, are you exhausted? Right? It's, that's when the overwhelm settles in.
[00:30:53] Speaker A: I think you mentioned the reptilian brain, right? You're, you're in the amygdala, not in the prefrontal cortex.
[00:31:00] Speaker B: Exactly right. Exactly right. So. And that's, that's just again, just basic physiology of any human being walking this planet. That's just basic stuff. Right? So your goal is by having proper planning, known what's happening when it's happening, minus life happening, you know, from time to time. Life will always happen, as we discussed many times, but as long as you like tax return. If you're concerned about your tax outcome, and right now is December.
And you know, once December is over, there's nothing you can do. There's only certain things, maybe like a step contribution, maybe equipment depreciation, but all the tools are gone now you're just writing history. Not. Or more so documenting the history, not writing history, not making it anymore. So you're, you're.
[00:31:59] Speaker A: That's a great example.
[00:32:00] Speaker B: The business owner is proactive thinking, proactive planning. Having those lines of communication open with your tax practitioner or anybody that helps you with taxes. If it's you, it's fine too. But you need to know your numbers. My biggest thing that I see a lot in, in. Well, a lot of business owners, unfortunately, they're so good at what they do, but they just completely neglect the record keeping.
That's the business side that people just say, okay, well you know what? I don't have time now. I'll get to it next month.
And next month comes and they don't really p L. They don't have their numbers, they don't have their margins. So how can you plan anything? That's why, that's why they go into that frenzy, that scarcity, because that now they don't know what to expect. They can't plan ahead. They, they don't know. They, they need to buy a piece of equipment that costs 50,000, but they don't know if the 50,000 tax bill is going to come or not. So they can't plan.
So that means that if they can plan, they can live proactively. They're constantly stressed, they're constantly short with their family, and that's what it comes down to. So going from reactive to proactive, it frees up that mental capacity where they actually can balance out life mentally and physically. Right? Because if you do the work that needs to be done now, tomorrow you might have extra time to spend with your family and go to that soccer practice.
[00:33:33] Speaker A: It sounds like fear.
It's that fear that you were talking about, fear of hiring the cpa. Fear of, you know, fear too can be a form of avoidance, can be a form of that fear. Like you're, you're avoiding that, filling out that spreadsheet because you don't really want to see the numbers. What you can't see can't hurt you. And then you end up coming against the wall and then it's too late. And so that, that mindset shift, you are really.
Do you find it hard to like get people through? Because you know, with everything that you've gone through, like, like fear, you just like, fear is not a challenge for you. You're like pushing it aside. This is just what I have to do. I'm not taking advantage of people. I need to be smart. I need to face it head on.
But do you find that that's.
How do you help someone who is stuck in that to push through or do you find it frustrating sometimes when you're like, listen to me, if you just do this, then we can, then you can avoid all of that.
[00:34:47] Speaker B: So every time I have somebody new in front of me, I start a conversation. It's a two way street, right? Because I can't do what I need to do unless you're on board with me. That means everything we do that needs to be done, that means you listen when I give you a time frame that needs to be done. Because by missing out that opportunity, time, time is gone.
So.
And once I know what it is they're dealing with, like I see all the pieces of a puzzle again. Right. Once I see what's going on, typically it's very easy for me to put in a format that the person will understand and say, here are the things that need to be done. Like this week, non negotiable, non negotiable. That needs to be done.
[00:35:33] Speaker A: So you said that earlier, people don't know.
They fear what they don't know. And so you can, once you know what they want, then you tell them here this is you laid out for them. I love that, that you truly understand that human nature and that need to know to kind of see the future. It's like not that you have a crystal ball, but from your experience, this is probably what's going to happen. And once someone has that confidence, that change changes their perspective. You know, I love how reframing strategy and creating a form of empowerment gets you to get leaders to understand where they stand so they will stop reacting to the pat and take that step next step into building the future that they want. And like you were saying, having better relationships with their loved ones and enjoying life, they're going from surviving to thriving.
So when we return, we'll bring the conversation back to the heart of what's Next. What becomes possible after the fear breaks and the clarity comes and a person is ready to step into the next version of their life and business.
We'll be right back with more inspiring stories and practical insights to help you discover what's next. Stay with us. And we're back. Hi, I'm Christine Conti and this is what's Next on NOW Media Television. Let's continue the conversation.
Welcome back to what's next. Stay connected to this show and every NOW Media TV favorite live or on demand, anytime you like. Download the free Now Media TV app on Roku or iOS and unlock non stop bilingual programming in English and Spanish.
The move. You can catch the podcast
[email protected].
so from business and news to lifestyle culture and beyond, NOW Media TV is streaming around the clock, ready whenever you are. Well, welcome back to what's next. I'm here with Marina Painter, cpa, pfs. And in this final part of our conversation, we're going to bring everything back to the deeper question of, of the show. What comes next after someone breaks through that mental barrier? What comes after a business owner stops avoiding the numbers, stops carrying any kind of fear and starts making decisions from clarity?
For, you know, Maria's clients, this work is not only about taxes, it's about that buy in that she asks them that responsibility and commitment to meeting the goals that are set as a team.
So, Marina, when someone breaks through that financial fear, what.
What's that next? What next look like for most people?
[00:38:27] Speaker B: And everybody thinks that all of a sudden they're just so lucky and all the fortune just comes to them. And I'm just kidding that you know that from time to time, that's what people.
Because they don't know my story. And they're always like, oh, you must be so lucky. And I said, yep, you know, you know what I noticed in the years of doing this? The harder I work, the luckier I get.
It makes me laugh.
[00:38:54] Speaker A: Oh, I love that. Again, about that perspective. You know, it's not about luck exactly. It's that hard work.
[00:39:00] Speaker B: So when.
When you go from here right to power it, you are in charge of your life. You're in control of your life. You are no longer reactive. You live in a parasympathetic system. You. You, yeah, you operate at your highest self, aligned with who you are authentically designed to be. Right. When you no longer worry about minor things here and there, you can actually do projections ahead.
You're comfortable in your skin. You do all the things that your future self will thank you one day. But that day starts today.
So whatever needs to be done for whoever is watching this, and I really want to extend this to your viewers, is that today is the day to stop acting reactively and start living proactively. Take the extra couple days in. In a day, think ahead.
The bills will be there. It's okay. But tomorrow, whatever decisions you make today will change your tomorrow. So that needs to happen as soon as possible. It needs to happen yesterday. But I think if I heard you,
[00:40:24] Speaker A: that what's next is about confidence. Once you get past that fear, you know, then you start. You're confident, but you're making your. You're strategic, right? You're confident because you know that your plan is most likely, again, you know, crystal ball, but it's most likely to lead to that freedom, that calm that everyone is looking for. Because you said earlier, you know, we want to avoid anything that causes us to feel scared. And so when you have that plan and you can see that it's like laid out in front of you, then you start becoming more confident. So that's a great perspective. Leads to confidence, leads to.
It sounds like self trust and all the things that you've had to do, all those giant leaps, you had a. You trusted in your own abilities.
So would you say, what role?
[00:41:22] Speaker B: Just to add. And it didn't just stop There you will always have that thought in the back of your mind, well, is it really do I need. When I bought my second business, when I bought my third business and I thought to myself on the third one, I'm like, okay, how am I going to do that? But I know deep inside that this is what I need to do. Because logical side, the intuition, right was telling me and the numbers were telling me that I will figure it out. But I need to be there. This is where I need to be there. And that's what I see. A lot of people just get scared and they say, well, it's a great opportunity. But yeah, yeah, yeah, it's not me. It's not, you know, the worst would be women and I love women. But it's that self, negative self talk.
Just get it out of your mind. You can, anybody can. You just have to get it done, just move forward. Because at some point of your life, your future self will thank you.
[00:42:34] Speaker A: And so I work a lot with people on that, that living that mindful life and being aware of that negative self talk. So it sounds like when you're working with someone you start to hear that you're like bringing it to their awareness.
That talk is going to keep you stuck. If you want to be stuck, that's your choice. But if you want to live boldly and get to that next step, then you have to develop that self trust and that comes with. You cannot, you can't say those, you know, you wouldn't tolerate that from someone else. I always tell people you would never be friends with someone who puts you down like that. So you need to be your own friend first and never say talk to yourself internally if you wouldn't say it to someone else. You shouldn't allow those thoughts in your head. And so that, that I love how you're bringing that awareness to people. And that mindfulness of, hey, you can't develop confidence and self trust if you allow that negative tape recorder in your head.
[00:43:38] Speaker B: So Mark Twain said it best.
He said, I had a lot of big problems, really big problems in my life. And most of them never happened because our mind makes up all kinds of stories, right? We just need to know how to just pause those thoughts. Not discard them, but pause them and process them. Not just act on the emotion. There's such thing as, you know, thinking, feeling, loop. The more we feel something, the more we think, the more we think that, the more we feel.
So we just need to break out of that cycle. And how do we do that? By experiencing new Experiences by being exposed to new experiences, by learning new information. That's when you engage your prefrontal cortex. That's when you engage the new synopsis. That's when the. All in your. The growth hormone kicks in. And that's when your brain literally rearranges itself and you. And neuroplasticity happens. That's when you stop being yourself and start growing as a human being, as a leader, as a.
As a role model. Right. As a parent.
[00:44:54] Speaker A: Right.
[00:44:54] Speaker B: But you get to the higher level of being self.
[00:45:00] Speaker A: I love that Mark Twain quote where, you know, he's like, I've had a lot of problems, but they were all in my head. You know, a lot of times when I work with people. Yeah. It's the what if monsters. It's like, what if, what if? Well, guess what? You can also what if a happy ending just as easily as you can that tragic ending ending. And so it's that, like you said, that circle, that's that mind, that mindset shift.
[00:45:26] Speaker B: Right. A lot of people live by saying, life happens to me. How often do you hear when people say, I make life happen?
And that's the difference that separates you from you, being stuck from you, that takes charge and control in life and making that next possible move happen?
[00:45:51] Speaker A: Well, I think you also had a really good perspective earlier. You mentioned about that.
That intuition, that gut feeling people have that. But then they're like, no, no, that's not me. I can't do it. They're staying stuck in that box.
And so, you know, to get past that box is. Is to change that perspective and change that negative self talk.
What advice would you give to someone who is at that turning point, that part where their gut's saying one thing, but their mind is saying another, and so they know that they can no longer keep operating the same way? What would you say to that person at that point? You give them that Mark Twain quote.
[00:46:32] Speaker B: Yeah.
So I would say that obviously I'm not gonna just say do it because it might be the wrong decision to do. But you need to really take time, shut out all the noise and reconnect with your true self and see, is it serving you or is it not serving you? Are you happy where you are right this second? Because if you're not, everything you do know right now, as of right now, is everything that's gotten you to this point.
So there must be something else that you don't know yet or haven't done yet. So. And if that's where you are and you don't Feel that that's where you need to be as higher self, whether it's financially, where it's spiritually, whatever aspect of life you want. Right. But you are in charge of your life. That means that whatever speaks to to you and you say this is not me, I don't feel fulfilled.
You need to make that next step. And like I said before, right now is a good time because it, it will never be the perfect time. Life will always happen. You just have to take baby step one time. Even one, one baby step in the right direction is better than none. And what is that saying too? If you change trajectory of a flight by 1% instead of new York, they're going to end up in, in California. Not California, Florida.
[00:48:01] Speaker A: Oh y.
I have heard that.
[00:48:04] Speaker B: So that's what life is about. And sometimes you just never know by changing what you do and how you do it, you might meet people that connect you to the things that you need to be. Right. Life is all full of possibilities. You just need to get in control of it and take that first step.
[00:48:25] Speaker A: So if anyone wants to get in touch with you and learn more about your work, what is the best way that they can do that?
[00:48:32] Speaker B: Probably the easiest would be our website. It's www.allytaxgroup.com or trusted taxally.com. so the difference is one, the trusted tax allies, more strategies, more in depth, more advanced strategies. And the, the ally tax group is more of just a regular CPA firm that's specialized in tax prep and so on and so forth. So. But either way, either one will be a good for reaching out to me and connecting with me and I'll be more than happy to help anybody that's looking for the help. And, and really it doesn't need to be me. It's anybody that a CPA in my capacity. I just want to make sure that the, the viewers know that you don't know what you don't know till you make that first step to knowing and making sure that everything that's done in your life is to the best of
[00:49:30] Speaker A: your life and to face that fear and stop, like you said, stop listening to all of that negativity that's coming at you.
So to everyone watching that has the question of what do I owe, what do I earn and what do I need to fix?
Maybe the deeper question is what is the possibility when I face my fear and start making steps to be more strategic in how I live my life. I'm Christine Conti and this is what's next.
