S. Brooks has been dubbed as both “Ms. Business 101” and the “Tax Expert” because of her extensive knowledge in accounting and finance. Brooks provides tax information and tips through social media and graced the Investfest BET stage to provide information on the How to Prepare for a Recession panel.
What makes you a tax expert?
Well, first, I’m the queen of the tax code and have over 12 years of experience. So, I worked in corporate for six and a half years, and then I went on to start my own tax and accounting company, Brooks Alliance. So, I know all things numbers and I take it seriously. I’m a numbers girl. I do what I have to for education. I like to tell my clients that I do the work that they don’t want to do. Nobody wants to read the tax code. No one cares about it, but I’m geeky about it and I love it.
How did your journey lead you to own your own tax business?
I always wanted to own a business because my dad has a business. So, I grew up in that and had been working since I was six years old to help him in his businesses. I went to school for accounting and it was a decision between that and finance. I decided to do accounting because I felt like it really helped me understand the business side of things. That was really my inspiration for it. In terms of my journey, I was very determined to become a CPA, because only 4 percent of CPAs are African American, and only about 1 percent are African American females. So, that was my push.
What would you tell your younger self?
Just do any and everything that you want to do. I feel like sometimes we’re so compelled to stay on a specific and particular path, but the reality is you just need to do it. If you don’t like it, change it. You have one life, so bet on yourself.
