Joel Sandoval, the owner and founder of Sandoval Tax CPA, has invested a lot to get where he is today. He launched his tax firm about six years ago, but he had been planning for years before that. When Joel was a teenager, he was not sure what career path he would take after high school. With both parents as realtors during the 2008 financial crisis, Joel was fortunate to meet a CPA who conveyed to him the financial security she was experiencing during the real estate crash. While everyone around her seemed to have taken a hit, she was safe in her job regardless of the economy. This sparked an interest for Joel, who then looked into CPA and accounting work, where he saw the potential of a good salary and job security. After researching this matter further, he ended up quitting his job in real estate to attend the California State University of Bakersfield.
Even though Joel wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to do with his career, when he decided on accounting, it quickly became apparent that he made the right decision when he graduated from CSU Bakersfield with the highest honors (Suma Cum Laude). Immediately following school, he received several offers from top accounting firms in Bakersfield and dove into the deep end
of CPA work with tax returns. During Joel’s first CPA job, he worked days and nights, sitting at his desk for an average of 12 to 15 hours each day. Joel gained a large amount of experience, but he felt that he “had no life” and was ready for a positive change at the time.
This realization led Joel to look for his next job as a CPA where he was pleased to find an office with a more streamlined work/life balance. Once again, Joel gained a lot of valuable experience, but he was eager to gain more, so he took the leap to work for an oil & gas manufacturer. For Joel, this work experience was unique because he worked for a single company rather than servicing hundreds. Another way this company stood out for Joel was the business-side experience he was able to gain. He learned how to run a business, like sending financial statements and tracking commissions for sales representatives.
With this business experience, Joel realized his potential to level up, and would not be able to progress further at this company, so he began working for a real estate developer and got even more entrepreneurial experience. His job alongside real-estate development placed him right in the middle of intense negotiations, which was a whole other side of business experience that added vital tools to his belt. His experience in real estate as a young adult really highlights some of the funny, full-circle moments of life.
Another full-circle moment happened when his years of valuable business and accounting experience culminated in a conversation with his wife, where he realized he needed to start his own accounting firm. Yet again, here was Joel taking the leap into the unknown. He went from a six-figure salary to no salary overnight.
“As you might imagine, there were some bumps and bruises at the beginning,” Joel said. He wore many hats, even the hat of janitor at times as he navigated running his own business while also investing the time to grow it and lead those under him. Joel’s goal when he started the business was for it to be self-sustaining in five years. Five and a half years later, Joel has already achieved that goal, along with a seven-figure salary and the claim that his firm is one of the few CPA firms that employ bilingual CPAs who are fluent in both Spanish and English.
Looking back on his journey towards this point in his life, Joel learned how team-building and leadership are essential to the success of a business. The firm also holds game nights and spends time on non-work-related activities to strengthen team relationships. In Joel’s view, creating culture is just as important as running a business. Looking ahead, Joel strives to become the number one CPA firm in America. With COVID making online CPA (and therefore national connections) more accessible, the horizon looks very bright for Sandoval Tax CPAs, Inc.
