Today we’d like to introduce you to Monica Lijewski.
Hi Monica , we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
There is a brilliant cartoon from The New Yorker magazine which depicts an accountant behind a desk and whose caption reads something like, “I was in the middle of a successful acting career when i was bitten by the accounting bug.” That about sums me up.
I was an actor from the age of 17 in the Baltimore and DC environs, who “day-lighted” as first a bank teller, then as a series of jobs until I ended up at a small CPA firm—as an administrative assistant. That first role in the accounting field eventually led to my becoming a bookkeeper and later a Staff Accountant .
Both the acting and the accounting careers came to a screeching halt, however, when a catastrophic fall during a rehearsal of a show left me paralyzed and no longer able to sing well. There were four months of recovery and rehab at UM Shock Trauma and National Rehab Hospital, then eight months in a nursing home
Life as I knew it had completely changed but it wasn’t over.
A couple of private bookkeeping clients stuck with me. I re-trained myself to type. I moved back to Baltimore County from Northern Virginia and I started a small bookkeeping business in Cockeysville. What twists and turns my life has seen, but so far so good
Alright, 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?
Learning to type as a quadriplegic isn’t the easiest thing in the world, but for me it was possible.
Funnily enough, prospective clients have never seemed ruffled by my being a wheelchair user, although many prospective employers have been, I think.
Transportation is sometimes an issue, although I do drive with electronic hand controls. That’s its own story. Thank goodness for remote work!
We’ve been impressed with Better Books by Design, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I’m a Certified Public Bookkeeper, Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor and Xero Certified Advisor who specializes in helping small businesses. I am remote-only, with limited exceptions. I’m diligent and enjoy bringing order to chaos, such as cleaning up messy books.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Right now I spend most of my day logged in to QuickBooks Online and poring over GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) guides and internet research. Excel is a huge tool, of course. I also use T-Value occasionally.
I follow a lot of CPAs and bookkeeping business owners on LinkedIn and read their blogs. I also subscribe to a bunch of internet newsletters like “Insightful Accountant” and print newsletters like “The General Ledger” from the AICPA.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Betterbooksbydesign.com
