Meet five US Xero partners who balance the books and their passions

After wrapping up another never-ending tax season, there’s plenty for accountants and bookkeepers to celebrate this year. The days of deadlines and late nights are behind us, so cheers to all of the accountants, CPAs, tax preparers and bookkeepers who have worked tirelessly throughout tax season! We hope you have time to recharge, recover and reflect.  

For many small business owners and entrepreneurs, tax season is likely the only time you communicate with an accountant, CPA, tax preparer, or bookkeeper on a regular basis. But these financial strategists are more than just their busy season. 

We worked with Insider Studios to spotlight 12 financial professionals to see how they balance their passions and the books all year long. We’re celebrating our Xero partners and ambassadors who have worked tirelessly throughout tax season and are excited to share their stories. 

The fashion designer

Paul McGowan chose a career in accounting because he knew it would be in demand. In his job he’s responsible for preparing taxes, issuing financial reports, reconciling bank accounts, forecasting, and more. He says one of the most satisfying parts of his job is “the joy of getting to that one correct answer when crunching numbers and helping clients with issues that are daunting to them.”

Photo credit: Insider Studios

The musician

This August, Paco de Leon can be found jamming with her band, Mister Fantasy, during her favorite time of year to play: summer. She also runs an agency called Hell Yeah, Bookkeeping, providing bookkeeping services for creative businesses after noticing a gap in the market for creative professionals who may lack analytical skills.

Photo credit: Insider Studios

The guitar player

Matthew Palermo’s song, ‘Audit Man’, a parody of Elton John’s “Rocket Man,” is an example of how he combines his financial knowledge and passion for music.

“I like that it uses a very creative side of the brain,” he says about songwriting. “My job uses a very analytical side of the brain. So, it’s this nice balance.”

Photo credit: Insider Studios

The athlete

Nikole Mackenzie is the founder and president of Momentum Accounting, where she runs the business and makes sure her team has the resources they need to prepare 1099s and W-2s, and get financials ready for tax accountants.

Photo credit: Insider Studios

The burlesque performer

As the founder of CV Ledger, an accounting firm advising small businesses, Claire Van Holland focuses on helping creatives build their business by analyzing the numbers for them. This year, aside from preparing for the busy season, Claire was also preparing for a virtual burlesque show, which went live in early April.

Photo credit: Insider Studios

Balancing the books and their passions

Accountants, CPAs, tax preparers, and bookkeepers may get the spotlight in the months leading up to April, but they’re more than just their busy season. They pursue different passions outside of work that give them fuel to help clients during their busiest time of the year.

Learn how Xero makes it easier to pursue your passion. Get started today.

These profiles first appeared in an article on Business Insider, produced by Insider Studios.