As I sit here on this Thanksgiving evening, I can hardly believe it's been almost a year since I took the biggest leap of faith. Twelve years. That's how long I stayed in my full-time job making good money, comfortable and secure, before I finally listened to that persistent tug in my heart and decided to work 100% for myself, building Books on the Go CPA Firm and Refund on the Run from the ground up.

Tonight, I find myself overwhelmed with gratitude, humbled by the progress I've made, and honestly a little amazed at how God has worked in my life this past year. While I still have so many goals to reach and dreams to chase, I am nowhere near where I started from, and I want to pause and reflect on this incredible journey.

First, All Glory to My Lord and Savior

Before I thank anyone else, I need to give all the glory and gratitude to my Lord and Savior. If you had told me 19 years ago that I'd be running my own accounting firm, and actually loving it, I would have laughed. I never wanted to be an accountant. In fact, I honestly struggled with accounting in college. The numbers didn't make sense, the concepts felt foreign, and I wondered if I'd picked the wrong path entirely.

But God has a funny way of taking our struggles and turning them into our strengths. He has a way of preparing us for purposes we can't even imagine. What once felt like my biggest weakness has become my greatest passion. What used to stress me out now energizes me. That's not my doing; that's God equipping me with everything I need to succeed on the path He's laid out for me.

I've learned that when God has a plan for you, He doesn't just send you out empty-handed. He prepares you; He strengthens you, and He places the right people in your path at exactly the right time and man am I grateful for them. This whole journey has been a testament to His faithfulness and perfect timing.

To My Family: My Foundation

I could not do this without my family, and I want them to know how deeply grateful I am for their unwavering support. When I told them I was leaving the security of my full-time job to chase this dream, they didn't question my sanity (well, not out loud anyway). Instead, they filled me with encouragement, practical help, and endless patience.

The sacrifices they've made haven't gone unnoticed. The dinners that weren't cooked because I was working with a client. The weekends when I was buried in tax returns instead of being fully present. The after hour and weekend phone calls that took away from our time. The financial uncertainty when those guaranteed checks stopped coming.

My family has been my safety net, my cheerleading squad, and my reality check all rolled into one. They've celebrated every small win with me and helped me learn from every setback. When I doubted myself, they reminded me why I started. When I got overwhelmed, they helped me break things down into manageable pieces. I am so blessed to have a family that believes in dreams and is willing to sacrifice for them.

To My Clients: You Are My "Why"

To every single client who took a chance on me and Books on the Go CPA Firm: thank you from the bottom of my heart. In those early days when I had more passion than portfolio, you believed in me anyway. You trusted me with your business finances, your tax preparations, your financial futures. That trust wasn't something I took lightly then, and it's not something I take lightly now.

But here's what you might not know: you give me as much as I give you, maybe more. The joy I get from helping you understand your financial picture, from watching your business grow, from solving problems that have been keeping you up at night: that's what gets me excited to start each day. It's that self-actualization, that sense of purpose that comes from truly serving others, that motivates me to keep pushing forward, keep learning, keep improving.

Every time you tell me that our work together has helped you make a better business decision, or saved you money, or just gave you peace of mind, you're reminding me why I left that comfortable job in the first place. You're not just clients: you're partners in this journey, and your success is my success.

To My Team: The Dream Supporters

I want to thank my incredible team for their hard work and dedication. Building a business isn't a solo act, and I've been blessed with people who share my vision and work ethic. You've taken on challenges with grace, learned new systems without complaining, and maintained the level of service our clients deserve even when things got crazy.

I see the late nights you put in during tax season. I notice the extra effort you make to ensure every detail is perfect. I appreciate how you've embraced the Books on the Go culture and made it your own. Your dedication doesn't go unnoticed, and I see nothing but success ahead for all of us.

Together, we're not just processing numbers: we're helping dreams come true. We're giving business owners the financial clarity they need to make smart decisions. We're taking the stress of tax compliance off their plates so they can focus on what they do best. That's meaningful work, and I'm grateful to do it alongside people who care as much as I do.

To Myself: For Not Giving Up

This might sound a little strange, but I want to thank myself too: for listening to that tug in my heart and not giving up on it. For twelve years, I felt that pull toward something different, something that was mine to build. Some days that feeling was whisper-quiet, and other days it was so loud I couldn't ignore it. But I kept pushing it down, telling myself I should be grateful for what I had, that taking risks was selfish or foolish.

But that tug wasn't going away because it wasn't just my own ambition: it was God calling me to something bigger. And when I finally had the courage to follow it, everything started falling into place in ways I never could have planned.

I'm proud of myself for taking the leap even when I had no idea where I would land. I'm grateful that I didn't let fear win. I'm thankful that I trusted the process even when the process felt messy and uncertain.

The Beautiful Irony of Purpose

The biggest surprise in all of this has been discovering that my purpose was hiding in plain sight all along. Accounting: the subject I struggled with, the career I never really wanted: has become the vehicle through which I serve others and build something meaningful.

I think that's how God works sometimes. He takes the things we think are our weaknesses and reveals them as our strengths. He takes the paths we think we don't want and shows us they lead exactly where we need to go. What I once saw as a struggle was actually preparation. What I once saw as settling was actually positioning.

Now, when I look at financial statements, I don't just see numbers: I see stories. I see hard work and dreams and families depending on smart decisions. I see opportunities to help and problems to solve. I see purpose in every column and every calculation.

Looking Forward with Gratitude

As I look ahead to year two of this journey, I'm filled with excitement and anticipation. I know there will be new challenges, bigger goals, and probably some moments of doubt along the way. But I also know that the same God who got me this far isn't going to abandon me now. The same family who supported me through year one will be cheering me on through year two. The same clients who trusted me as a startup will hopefully continue to trust me as we grow together.

This Thanksgiving, I'm not just grateful for what I have: I'm grateful for what's possible. I'm grateful for the reminder that it's never too late to follow your calling, never too late to build something meaningful, never too late to discover that your purpose might be different from what you imagined.

To anyone reading this who has a tug in their heart, who wonders if they should take a leap of faith, who questions whether their dreams are worth the risk: I want you to know that God has equipped you with everything you need. The path might not look like what you expected, but trust the process. Trust the timing. Trust that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it.

Thank you for being part of my journey. Thank you for allowing me to be part of yours. And thank you, God, for turning my struggle into my strength and my career into my calling.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends. Here's to year two of self-employment and all the possibilities ahead.