While working for an accounting firm or a business is a normal part of a CPA’s career, the experience they gain can also easily be transferred towards starting one’s own business and building a successful career independent of a firm. Brian Leyde, author of “Flip-Flop Millionaire: Your 9 to 5 Freedom Guide” is a fantastic example, having made the jump from CPA to business owner, and making millions in the process.
Leyde started his career in public accounting. He dreamed of one day opening his own CPA firm and worked for 12 years in the service of that dream. Instead of growing frustrated, Leyde embraced a concept he calls “Dream Big. Pray Dangerously (DBPD).” It inspired him to take a leap of faith and begin selling private products over Amazon. Within a year, Leyde had sold over $1 million worth of products and has since made his fortune selling on Amazon and Ebay.
Leyde’s book is his way of giving back. In some ways, it is biographical, sharing some of his own difficult journey from CPA to e-commerce master. However, it is not just an inspiring story. Leyde shares concrete tips and steps towards finding success as an entrepreneur and how to use the skills he learned as a CPA to do it. He walks through how to shift mindset towards a DBPD based lifestyle and move from being an employee to an entrepreneur.
Drawing heavily from his personal experience, Leyde does not guarantee success. However, he does talk about a handful of traits that he believes are important for any measure of success in the business world. Leyde’s book is not necessarily important for its content or his advice. Instead, it shows its value by helping someone in the accounting field to see diverse and interesting ways their experience can be put to work.
