Puzzles are the reason I’m in accounting today.

Let me explain.

Growing up in a small town in northwestern Minnesota, my dad and I spent long winter days puzzling together. It was great! Then, during my senior year of high school, my social studies teacher taught our class how to fill out a 1040EZ so we could do our own taxes. I realized how similar filing taxes is to solving jigsaw puzzles…and I was hooked.

I pursued my accounting degree at Concordia College. I became a proud Cobber while learning how involved tax preparation is. Taxes are complicated! Preparing taxes is like seeing a 10,000-piece puzzle through to completion. Did you know that the U.S. Tax Code is tens of thousands of pages long?! Certainly, not everyone has the time or ambition to read through that! Fortunately, my clients can rely on my knowledge of the code, so they don’t have to read it themselves.

Clients connect with me. I’m a good listener, and clients leave our meetings knowing that I really care about them. I enjoy helping my clients understand the ins and outs of their taxes. I also enjoy hosting “lunch and learns.” I use these sessions to foster a personal connection with my clients and educate them about changes in tax laws.

My husband and I have four kids and a dog, and we absolutely love our lives! He’s very supportive of me and my business, and I couldn’t do this without him. When I’m not working with my clients, I spend most of my time running my kids around to all their activities. During my free time, I enjoy cooking, baking, and traveling. I’ve come to enjoy running and sign up for races almost every month out of the year —5Ks to 10-milers. I also enjoy playing softball during the summer and fall months!