Self-employed | Contract work

Empowering hospitality leaders with targeted, actionable strategies that drive immediate results. My focus is on accelerating career growth through practical tools in leadership mastery, team engagement, and strategic thinking.

Key Achievements:

✧ Fast-Tracked Career Development: Designed a career advancement framework that helped 50+ clients secure higher roles within 6 months.

✧ Leadership Mastery: Enabled managers to enhance confidence and effectiveness with a 25% increase in team productivity.

✧ Interview Success: Guided professionals in executive role preparation, achieving a 90% interview success rate.

✧ Team Engagement Strategies: Introduced team-building frameworks that increased employee retention by 20% across client teams.

Career Development Specialist

The Barrett Group

As an Executive Resume Writer at The Barrett Group, I crafted high-impact career documents that led to career advancements for hundreds of clients. 

My approach focused on capturing core strengths, aligning with client goals, and enhancing market relevance.

Key Achievements:

✧ Produced strategic resumes that directly led to increased interview rates for clients.

✧ Recognized for delivering high-quality, tailored career documents that positioned clients for leadership roles.

✧ Collaborated with consultants to integrate personal branding techniques, boosting clients' visibility on LinkedIn.

Executive Resume Writer

Goodwin Recruiting

Leveraged extensive hospitality expertise to navigate the complexities of talent acquisition during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on aligning top-tier talent with leadership roles to support client growth and team cohesion.

Key Achievements: 

✧ Adapted recruiting strategies to overcome pandemic-related challenges, resulting in successful placements that supported critical leadership needs. 

✧ Implemented targeted industry insights to maintain streamlined hiring practices, reducing the average hiring cycle despite widespread disruptions. 

✧ Enhanced client partnerships through transparent communication and creative candidate sourcing methods, fostering trust and long-term collaboration.

Recruiter- Hospitality Division | Remote

SUNY Adirondack

Partnering with a state university’s continuing education department, I helped create an interactive class designed to help staff improve the customer experience for the Lake George region of New York!

Curriculum Development- Contract Training

Without a master’s degree, but years of real-life leadership experience, I found it difficult to teach at the university level.

So, I did the next best thing and condensed what I had learned over the years of coaching, mentoring, and developing teams and managers, and created two courses.  

My love of teaching flourished as I helped other professionals improve their own leadership skills and increase internal and external customer engagement.

Continuing Education Instructor

Richbell Capital

Led the transition from hospitality to multifamily property management, successfully overseeing the growth of a Class A portfolio from one to five communities (800+ apartments) while improving resident experience.

Key Achievements:

✧ Established SOPs and management practices, increasing operational efficiency by 30%.

✧ Enhanced resident retention by 13% through quality service initiatives.

✧ Achieved 90% occupancy consistently, with a strong focus on resident satisfaction.

Director of Property Management | Partial Remote

Led the strategic direction and operations of a high-volume hotel, focusing on revenue growth and guest experience.

Key Achievements:

✧ Increased F&B revenue by 25% through unique menu expansions and event-driven promotions.

✧ Partnered with local businesses for cross-promotional opportunities, boosting occupancy during off-peak times.

✧ Achieved top ratings in guest satisfaction surveys by enhancing service quality and personalized experiences.

Hotel General Manager

✧ Developed and delivered curriculum for a non-credit hospitality field class

Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Oversaw comprehensive F&B operations, implementing strategies that led to measurable improvements in service scores and customer satisfaction.

Key Achievements:

✧ Raised F&B customer service scores by 15% through targeted staff training and SOP enhancements.

✧ Introduced themed F&B events that drove an 18% increase in guest satisfaction during key revenue periods.

✧ Maintained the highest LRA score in the division, establishing a benchmark for quality and consistency.

Food and Beverage Director

Having opened the property as part of the Corporate F & B Opening team training the staff on hotel directives and SOPs, I was thrilled at the opportunity of joining the team as an assistant director.

Working for a director that celebrated new ideas, we found creative ways to drive revenues:

✧A bloody Mary bar on New Year’s Day with Dr. Hangover.

✧Cocktails, chocolate beers, and desserts for Valentine’s Day.

✧Beer Pairings- after all, we were in Denver.

✧Dessert happy hours

✧ Incentive contests for managers to recognize their efforts in driving revenues, reducing costs, and improving the guest experience.

Assistant Food and Beverage Director

o   Assisted in the management of all food and beverage departments including five (5) outlets, retail coffee store, and banquet department - exceeding $18 million in annual revenue
o   Developed strategic hiring strategies to accommodate seasonal business demands
o   Implemented innovative training programs to improve customer satisfaction scores

o   Achieved an annual food revenue of $12 million
o   Maintained payroll and overtime costs based on revenues
o   Achieved a yearly customer satisfaction score of a 4.6 out of 5 for banquet service
o   Coordinated incentive contests designed to increase customer service scores and improve morale
o   Responsible for weekly schedules of 50-100 associates

Banquet Manager

o   Oversaw beverage operations for four (4) hotel restaurants, lobby bar, and all banquet functions
o   Achieved and maintained beverage cost of 19.1% in the hotel’s second year of operation
o   Marketed a unique customer experience while adhering to all division directives
o   Directly responsible for ordering all beverage related items for the resort

Beverage Manager

o   Managed a 47-seat restaurant and two (2) beverage carts at 18-hole golf clubhouse
o   Assisted in other aspects of food and beverage during peak times
o   Developed and marketed incentive contests to increase revenue

Restaurant Manager

o   Assisted in managing banquet functions, corporate meetings, and social events
o   Assisted in the supervision of room setups, coordinated services, and details of all banquet events
o   Demonstrated leadership ability maintaining department scheduling and payroll

Assistant Director of Banquets

o   Coordinated training solutions for union employees
o   Successfully organized and directed catered guest room events to ensure guest satisfaction
o   Developed strategies to maximize potential, new and current client base accounts
o   Exceeded food and beverage forecasts - revenue of $2.5 million

Director of Room Service

o   Successfully illustrated and implemented a children's menu
o   Assisted with planning for holiday brunch events
o   Motivated staff by strengthening the working relationship with the culinary team

Assistant Restaurant Manager

Empowering Professionals to Stand Out, Secure Leadership Roles, and Transform Teams

With over two decades in hospitality leadership, operations consulting, and executive career coaching, I bring practical experience to professionals ready to take the next step in their careers. I combine real-world leadership insights with a proven track record in resume writing and career development to deliver results that matter.

I’ve held roles ranging from Director of Food & Beverage at Hyatt Hotels to Hotel Operations Consultant, overseeing large teams and million-dollar operations. I know what hiring managers look for because I’ve been one—and I help my clients tell their stories to stand out!

What I Offer:

✔ Executive Resume Writing: As a former recruiter and consultant, I write resumes that highlight achievements, leadership impact, and unique strengths to position you as the ideal candidate.

✔ Career Coaching: From interview preparation to navigating career pivots, I help leaders step into their next role with confidence.

✔ Leadership Development: I guide managers and professionals in building high-performing teams through empathy, structure, and clear strategy.

✔ Hospitality Consulting: Practical solutions for leadership challenges, operational efficiency, and guest experience optimization.

Whether you’re a professional looking to rebrand, secure a leadership role, or grow as a leader, I’m here to provide the tools, strategies, and clarity you need.

Ready to elevate your career or leadership impact? Let’s connect and start the conversation.

Luke Duggan

I once worked with a manager whose resume said:
“Oversaw daily operations for a 200-room property.”

Accurate and dull.

We rewrote it to show the impact made:

“Led a cross-functional team through a full renovation while maintaining 94 % guest satisfaction.”

Same role. 
Different story.

Sometimes it’s not that your resume lacks experience; it just lacks emotion. 

The results, decisions, and pressure you carried tell the real story.

📍 What’s one resume line of yours that deserves a story behind it?

Luke Duggan 

Executive Resume Writer | Led Multimillion $ Teams, Now I Help You Land High-Visibility Roles

At some point, you stop learning from your job and start maintaining it.
That’s usually the moment you’re being prepared for what’s next.

The danger? 
Staying too long because it’s comfortable or convincing yourself you’re not ready.

Every promotion, pivot, or reinvention starts with a decision to tell a new story about yourself.
 
Your resume and profile should reflect where you’re going, not where you’ve been.

📍 Are you still describing yourself for the role you already mastered?

“Managed a team of ten.”

“Responsible for client satisfaction.”

“Oversaw daily operations.”

None of these are accomplishments; they’re job descriptions.

Accomplishments show change. Not what’s expected of you in your current role.

What got better because you were there?
What problem did you solve that others missed?

📍 If your resume lists what you did instead of what changed, you’re not showing impact. 

You’re listing only duties, and it makes you no different from every other applicant.

What’s one bullet you could rewrite to highlight the difference you made?

She’d led major projects, mentored teams, and delivered results quarter after quarter.

However, the silence that followed each application was deafening.

When we reviewed her resume, it read like a job description. 
 
No context. No leadership voice. No “why it mattered.”

We rebuilt her story around outcomes and ownership.

Within three weeks, she had multiple interviews, and more importantly, her confidence was back.

A resume isn’t a list of what you did; it’s evidence of how you think.

🧭 If your results aren’t getting noticed, the problem isn’t your work; it’s how it’s being told.
 
📍 Have you ever felt that your resume was accurate but not effective?

The job search doesn’t drain you because of rejection.
It drains you because of ambiguity.

Endless scrolling. 
Silence after applications. 
The feeling that you’re doing everything right but still invisible. 

The fix isn’t more effort. It’s clarity.

Clarity about your story, your strengths, and your target.

When every move aligns with where you’re headed, momentum returns.

📍 What’s one change that helped you make your job search less exhausting?

Too many great leaders stay invisible until it costs them opportunities.
 
I’ve worked with leaders who built strong cultures, solved problems quietly, and led teams with heart, only to get passed over because their impact wasn’t visible.
 
Visibility isn’t bragging. 

It’s about ensuring the right people understand your impact.

Your resume should reflect how you lead, not just what you did.
 
📍 What’s one way you make sure your leadership is seen?

It was one of those weekends every hotel leader remembers-

All outlets packed, the ballroom hosting a high-profile reception, and the kind of pace that makes the hours blur.

By Sunday night, everything had run flawlessly. 

Sure, we had hiccups, but guests were happy, service never broke stride, and the team pulled together beautifully. 

The old me would have assumed everyone saw the impact because results alone don’t speak for themselves. 

But I took no chances and spent additional time crafting an email that showcased the team's successes. That short email, which probably took an hour to write, recapped the weekend’s numbers, the challenges overcome, and the wins worth celebrating, and made sure senior leadership knew. 

Not to boast, but to make the invisible visible.

That lesson never left me. Visibility is leadership.
 
If you don’t tell the story, someone else will, and they might not tell it right.

It’s the same principle I bring to my work today: helping leaders articulate their impact clearly, so their results and their character don’t go unnoticed.

📍 Have you ever had your work overlooked because it wasn’t visible?

Not every leadership moment gets applause, but that doesn’t make it less meaningful.
 
Some of the most important work happens when no one’s watching:
 
✅ Backing up a struggling team member

✅ Fixing the prep line before guests arrive
 
✅ Rewriting a resume bullet at midnight so it lands the right way
 
Visibility doesn’t mean chasing credit. It means understanding which moments quietly define your story.
 
📍 What’s one “quiet win” from your week?

Some turning points arrive with fanfare. Others sneak in quietly.

Mine came in a moment that didn’t look important at all, a small project that forced me to rethink my leadership approach.
 
It wasn’t glamorous, but it exposed a gap I hadn’t noticed: I was leading for efficiency, not clarity.

That project changed how I approached group work, from how I communicated with teams to how I helped clients tell their own career stories.

Turning points rarely announce themselves, and they show up when you least expect them to. Disguised as another day’s work, and looking back, you realize those moments honed your style.

📍 What moment in your career seemed small at the time but ended up changing your direction?

Every success story has a moment where it almost fell apart.
The missed deadline.
The unexpected setback.
The voice in your head saying, “Maybe this isn’t going to work.”

But something pushes you through, a decision, a person, or plain stubbornness.

The wins that almost didn’t happen are the ones that teach you the most about what you’re made of.

📍 What’s one success you nearly gave up on, and what kept you going?

This year taught me a humbling lesson: 
doing more isn’t progress if it’s in the wrong direction.

I’m letting go of content that fills time but not purpose.
 
Of chasing ideas that look good but don’t move the business.
 
Of assuming consistency alone equals momentum.

Sometimes clarity starts with subtraction.

📍 What’s one thing you’re releasing before the new year to make space for what matters?

We often discuss what we’ve taught others.
However, growth often hides in what surprises us.

Maybe a conversation shifted your perspective.

Maybe a problem you thought was simple had layers.

Maybe someone on your team showed you a new angle.

Surprise has a way of revealing blind spots and sparking growth, if you take a moment to notice it.

📍 Anything surprise you this week?

Every meeting, decision, and shift contributes to your professional story. The only question is: are you shaping it, or letting others write it for you?
 
 
Leaders often think branding starts when they decide to update their resume.
 
Your reputation is built daily, in how you handle conflict, give feedback, show up under pressure, and lead when no one’s watching.
 
The resume merely captures what you’ve already made visible.

📍 What story is your daily leadership writing for you?

Keep it simple, human, and authentic.
 
This week, visibility was on my mind.

The moments that stuck weren’t flashy; they were the times someone showed up, set the tone, or made their impact felt without saying a word.

 📍 What stood out to you this week about how leadership shows up before it speaks?

“What impact did you make that no one asked you to make?”

Because the best leaders don’t wait for permission to improve things.

They notice what’s broken and fix it. 
They raise standards others stopped seeing.
They take initiative.

You can tell a lot about someone’s leadership by how they answer, not the words, but the reflection behind them.

📍 How would you answer that question?

Growth doesn’t always come from new ideas.

Sometimes it comes from small course corrections.

The way you open a conversation.
The pause before you reply.
The moment you decide to handle something better than last time.

Leadership is about awareness, not being perfect.

📍 What’s one thing you’re doing differently next week?

Working with clients, the best resume line isn’t always about the biggest metric.
It’s the one that reveals leadership character.

One client wrote:
“Led 12 direct reports.”

We changed it to:
“Built a team trusted to run operations in my absence.”

Same role. Different weight.

The second line shows ownership, trust, and leadership maturity, the qualities hiring managers value.

When you learn to write results through the lens of impact, not inventory, your resume stops blending in.

📍 What’s one quiet accomplishment that deserves more credit in your story?

Years ago, I worked under a GM who refused to lower standards, even on nights when everything went wrong.

The lobby was packed, the phones wouldn’t stop ringing, and the bar was short-staffed.

He did more than protect the service that night. He protected the trust our guests and staff came to expect.

Now, when I help leaders shape their resumes, I think about that lesson.
 
You’re not just listing what you did.
 
You’re defending what mattered and demonstrating you stood firm when it counted.

📍 Who taught you to protect the standard when it would’ve been easier to let it slide?

The moments I’m most thankful for weren’t the easiest ones.
 
They were the ones that shaped clarity:

The rejection that made me sharpen my story.
The client who pushed for a better version.
The leader who told me the truth, not what I wanted to hear.

Gratitude is more than reflection because every setback I’ve had became a blueprint for helping others position their worth.

📍 What moment challenged you most and later proved to be a gift?

Early this year, I almost said no to a client because the project seemed small.
It turned into one of my most fulfilling partnerships,  and a reminder that impact isn’t always visible upfront.

That “small” project ended with a client landing their dream role.
 
What I thought was routine became a story I still reference when coaching others.

The wins that matter most often start quietly,  when you choose to stay committed, even when the payoff isn’t obvious yet.

📍 What’s one quiet win that reminded you why you do what you do?

Chris Johnson, CPA, CCIFP

CJ CPAs

Chief Executive Officer

Generating Joy Co.

Pic2Print

Co-Founder

Slattery Perkins Ramirez P.C.

Audit Director

RSM US LLP

Supervisor

Padgett, Stratemann & Co., LLP

Supervising Senior

BKD CPAs & Advisors

Senior Associate

🌟CEO at CJ CPAs | Construction & 401k Auditor | Tech-Savvy Innovator 🌟

With over a decade of experience in the world of accounting, I'm dedicated to helping businesses in the construction industry and those requiring employee benefit plan audits navigate their compliance needs in the effective and efficientway possible. 

In my role at CJ CPAs, my focus is on providing exceptional client service, fostering strong relationships, and utilizing innovative technology to deliver outstanding results.

I'm passionate about staying up-to-date with industry trends and embracing new technologies to create more efficient and effective solutions for our clients.

Outside of crunching numbers and analyzing financial statements, I'm a husband to my amazing wife Kimberly, father to two beautiful children, a jiu-jitsu hobbyist, tech enthusiast, avid YouTube learner, and a proud Texan. 

I'm always eager to connect with fellow professionals and share insights and ideas, so feel free to reach out!

🚨 I'm giving away the most comprehensive Construction Accounting guide for QuickBooks Online ever created. For FREE. 🚨 (No catch. I don't want your email 😂)

https://lnkd.in/gzqPdFTN 

After years of working with contractors, I finally got fed up watching good companies struggle with bad books.

So I built the guide I wish existed.

Here's what's inside:

📊 53 files. 33,000+ lines. Everything you need.
This isn't a blog post. This is a complete system.

Core Construction Accounting: 
→ Job Costing setup that actually tracks profitability 
→ WIP Schedules (the ones your bank and surety actually want) 
→ Progress Billing with AIA G702/G703 walkthrough 
→ Retention tracking (both AR and AP - most guides miss half of this) 
→ Change Order management from identification to final billing 
→ Budget vs. Actual variance analysis with corrective actions
→ Contract Types:  T&M, Cost-Plus, GMP, Fixed,  Unit Price 
→ Cash Flow & Forecasting: → 13-week rolling cash flow model 
→ Why contractors go broke while showing profit 
→ The billing-to-collection gap that kills companies

Compliance & Audit Prep: 
→ Prevailing Wage & Certified Payroll (Davis-Bacon, WH-347) 
→ Sales & Use Tax for construction (state-by-state variations) 
→ Bonding requirements (what sureties actually evaluate) 
→ Audit preparation for CPA, surety, bank, and insurance audits 
→ 1099 compliance and subcontractor management

Operational Checklists: 
→ Daily routines 
→ Weekly reconciliations 
→ Month-end close (10-day calendar) 
→ Year-end close with 1099/W-2 processing

Plus: 
→ Ready-to-Use Templates
→ 60+ term glossary 
→ 22 common mistakes (and how to fix them) 
→ Troubleshooting FAQ with 50+ real problems solved 
→ GAAP principles explained in plain English (ASC 606, matching principle) → Migration guide from Desktop to QBO

Who this is for: 
✅ Contractors trying to understand their numbers 
✅ Bookkeepers new to construction 
✅ Office managers handling the books 
✅ CPAs serving construction clients 
✅ Anyone using QBO for a construction company

Who this is NOT for: 
❌ People looking for shortcuts 
❌ Anyone who thinks "close enough" is good enough

This guide explains the WHY behind every procedure. 
Not just which buttons to click - but the accounting principles and business reasons that drive every decision.

Link in comments.
 
100% free. No email required. No catch.

Share this with a contractor who needs it. 🏗️

#ConstructionAccounting #QuickBooksOnline #Contractors #JobCosting #SmallBusiness #Construction #Bookkeeping #CPA #CFO #WIPSchedule #ConstructionIndustry

🌟CEO at CJ CPAs | 401k Auditor | I'm "button-clicking" the whole dang thing 🌟

I'm going to start giving stuff away for free. And it's going to get nuts.
Starting with a resource for the construction folks:

The CJCPAs Ultimate Construction Accounting Database
is now live on GitHub and ready for action.

🔗  https://lnkd.in/gx26eGCr 

What is it?
A comprehensive, searchable knowledge base
covering everything GAAP construction accounting—
from fundamentals to advanced audit procedures.
30 detailed guides organized into 6 major sections.

What's inside:

📋 Construction Accounting Fundamentals
Revenue recognition (ASC 606), job costing,
WIP schedules, billing methods, equipment accounting

🏗️ Industry-Specific Topics
Bonding & insurance, contract types,
change orders, subcontractor accounting

📊 Financial Statement Audits
Full audit playbook—planning, internal controls,
substantive procedures, revenue/cost testing

📝 Financial Statement Reviews
SSARS framework, analytical procedures, inquiry guidance

📄 Financial Statement Compilations
Complete compilation procedures and reporting

🚩 Common Issues & Red Flags
Fraud risk factors, going concern indicators,
related party transactions, estimate manipulation detection

Why you'll love it:
Practical & actionable—real examples, calculations, checklists

Standards-based—ASC 606, SSARS, SAS all baked in

Construction-specific—bonding capacity calcs,
progress billing, WIP schedules, industry fraud schemes

Well-organized—numbered sections, easy navigation

This is just the beginning.
More free resources coming.

We're building in public.
And we're giving it away.
Everyone eats 

Let me know what you think. 🏗️

Open article: GitHub - CJCPAs/CJCPAs-Ultimate-Construction-Accounting-Database by github.com

Contribute to CJCPAs/CJCPAs-Ultimate-Construction-Accounting-Database development by creating an account on GitHub.

GitHub - CJCPAs/CJCPAs-Ultimate-Construction-Accounting-Database

My team and I are going to revolutionize the accounting industry. And if we get to the end of this thing sitting on top of big piles of money but looking back at divorces and children we don't know? We've lost.

We would have lost sight of what matters.

Yes, we'll revolutionize the accounting industry.

But we'll do it in the excess.
In the overflow.

Here's what that means:
I'm going to ask anyone that gets close to me in 
this journey to be great in all areas of life.

Not just at work.
In your marriage.
With your kids.
In your community.
In your health.
In your growth.
In your character.

This is my expectation:
This will be the hardest thing you'll ever do.
And if it isn't?

I see that as me having failed you.

Let me be clear:
This has nothing to do with hours at work.

It's about becoming the best versions of ourselves.
Building something revolutionary
while building lives worth living.

Winning at business AND winning at home.

Most leaders will tell you to sacrifice 
everything for the mission.

I'm telling you the opposite.
The mission fails if we sacrifice what matters.

Someone call Guinness. We just broke a world record 🏆
In the past 5 days, I've given away 195,429 lines of valuable accounting resources.

For free. 
Forever.

Here's why:
Because knowledge shouldn't be hoarded.
Because we stand on the shoulders of giants, and we want to lift others up.
Because the accounting profession has gatekept information for too long.
And because we're playing a different game.

What's now live on GitHub:
💼 Ultimate 401k Auditor Database 
📋 Ultimate SSARS Library 
📊 Ultimate FASB Guide 
🏗️ Ultimate Construction Accounting Database (for Auditors) 
📘 Construction Accounting QBO Mastery (for Clients/Bookkeepers) 
💰 Tax Strategy Database

A note on the tax repo, we're not even a tax firm. 
But we built it anyway. 
If tax pros find value in it, they can help make it incredible.

That's the beauty of open source.
Go explore. Use it. Build on it. Make it better.

All 6 links are in the comments 👇

***These are free,  living documents. They arent perfect. But dang they are good. You take responsibility for using them. If you catch an error, leave an "issue" and it gets better for the next person!!!*** 


#CPA #Audit #Accounting #Construction #401k #EBP #QBO #Tax

I did it! I just made 37,000 lines of AWESOME 401k Audit Guidance. And I'm giving it away for FREE. 

After years of conducting ERISA 103(a)(3)(C) audits, I got tired of piecing together guidance from 47 different sources. 

So I built what I wish existed when I started.

What's inside (37,000+ lines):
→ Complete 103(a)(3)(c) audit programs 
→ Ready-to-use engagement letters & rep letters 
→ Materiality, sampling & ADP/ACP calculation templates 
→ Fraud risk assessment framework (AU-C 240 compliant) 
→ 150+ term glossary 
→ 15 decision flowcharts 
→ 12 real-world case studies with solutions 
→ Quality control checklists 
→ State-specific guidance for all 50 states 
→ 2025 IRS limits & SECURE 2.0 provisions
AND my favorite
→ A MASSIVE library of Financial statement note disclosures and templates

Whether you're a first-year staff or a seasoned partner, it's all there.

Why free?
We gotta get with the times. 
We NEED to transition to an open source mentality in our industry. 

Every auditor deserves access to quality guidance
Not just large firms with proprietary resources.

If I win, everyone is going to win. 

Check the link👇
https://lnkd.in/gZEYnbQu 

#CPA #Audit #401k #ERISA #Accounting #AuditSeason #EBP #401kAudit

Open article: GitHub - CJCPAs/CJCPAs-Ultimate-401k-Understanding-Information-Database by github.com

Contribute to CJCPAs/CJCPAs-Ultimate-401k-Understanding-Information-Database development by creating an account on GitHub.

GitHub - CJCPAs/CJCPAs-Ultimate-401k-Understanding-Information-Database

Calling all tax folks. Roast my resource 🙏🙏
Giving this away for free but I don't know nothing about tax. 🤷

https://lnkd.in/g56rDS9m 

Shoutout to Henry Huie, CPA for the recommendation! 

I just built what might be the most comprehensive open-source tax strategy database on the internet (according to Claude 😅😅):

85+ strategies across 18 categories

All updated for 2025-2026 with effective dates and TCJA sunset planning.

Here's what's inside:

📋 Estate Planning - GRATs, SLATs, IDGTs, Dynasty Trusts, QPRTs, Portability Elections

🏢 Business - S-Corp Compensation, Section 754, Asset vs Stock Sales, NOL Planning

🏠 Real Estate - Cost Segregation, 1031 Exchanges, STR Loophole, Self-Rental Rules

💼 Exit Planning - QSBS, Section 338 Elections, Installment Sales

🌍 International - GILTI, Subpart F, Tax Treaties, FEIE

💰 Specialized - Crypto, Oil & Gas, Energy Credits, Split-Dollar Insurance

Each strategy includes:

Requirements & client fit criteria
Implementation steps
Case studies with actual calculations
IRC references
2026 sunset implications

Why am I giving this away?
Because I had a couple days off. 
And I wanted to see what i can give back to help others out. 

So... what did I miss? 
What did I mess up? 
What would you add?

#tax #cpa #taxplanning #estateplanning #accounting #tcja #wealthmanagement #taxstrategy

Open article: GitHub - CJCPAs/CJCPAs-Ultimate-Tax-Strategy-Database by github.com

GitHub - CJCPAs/CJCPAs-Ultimate-Tax-Strategy-Database

I'm giving away the most comprehensive SSARS resource I've ever built. For FREE. 

What is SSARS? 
Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services - the professional standards that govern how CPAs perform compilation and review engagements. If you prepare or report on financial statements without an audit, SSARS is your rulebook.

After days of intense work, the CJCPAs Ultimate SSARS Library is ready - and I'm making it available to every CPA who needs it.

What's inside:
📚 9 Complete Standards Guides (AR-C 60-120 + SSARS 26 & 27)
📋 11 Peer-Review Ready Workpaper Templates
🏥 Industry Guides for Healthcare, Nonprofit, Construction, Real Estate & Restaurants
📖 24 Real-World Case Studies
📝 150+ Term Glossary
⚠️ SSARS No. 26 Quality Management guidance (Dec 15, 2025 deadline is coming!)
⚠️ SSARS No. 27 plain paper financial statement guidance for 2026

Every section includes official AICPA language AND plain English explanations.

Why free?

Because good enough isn't good enough. 
Our profession deserves better resources.

Link: https://lnkd.in/gY88bmvA

MASSIVE shoutout to Charles B. Hall, CPA, CFE, MACC
He has lifted so many  people up with his dedication to our industry. 
This is massively inspired by what Charles has 
been doing for everyone for years. 

Drop a comment if this helps your practice. 
Share it with someone who needs it.

#CPA #Accounting #SSARS #CompilationAndReview #AccountingStandards #Assurance

Open article: GitHub - CJCPAs/CJCPAs-Ultimate-SSARS-Library by github.com

Contribute to CJCPAs/CJCPAs-Ultimate-SSARS-Library development by creating an account on GitHub.

GitHub - CJCPAs/CJCPAs-Ultimate-SSARS-Library

After years of digging through FASB codification, Big Four guides, and scattered resources... I built The Ultimate FASB Guide — and I'm making it completely FREE.

https://lnkd.in/gPgVA7jn 

What's inside:

📚 70+ comprehensive ASC guides covering the entire codification (100s-900s)

✅ Revenue Recognition (ASC 606) 
✅ Leases (ASC 842) 
✅ Credit Losses / CECL (ASC 326) 
✅ Business Combinations (ASC 805) 
✅ Fair Value (ASC 820) 
✅ Stock Compensation (ASC 718)
✅ And 60+ more...

Each guide includes: 
→ Plain English explanations (not just codification jargon) 
→ Practical journal entry examples 
→ Disclosure requirements 
→ Common audit issues 
→ Links to official FASB and Big Four resources

Built specifically for Private Company CPAs:

Goodwill amortization? 
Simplified hedge accounting? 
VIE exemptions? 

It's all there with practical examples 
and sample disclosure language.

This was all made with publicly available information. 
Just brought it into one place. 

Like this? 
Share it with your team.

Dont like it? 
Let me know why and we'll tweak it 👍

Open article: GitHub - CJCPAs/CJCPAs-Ultimate-FASB-Guide by github.com

Contribute to CJCPAs/CJCPAs-Ultimate-FASB-Guide development by creating an account on GitHub.

GitHub - CJCPAs/CJCPAs-Ultimate-FASB-Guide

Looking for a someone to send tax referrals to. 
Ive got one of the highest rated firms in San Antonio on Google....and I dont do tax 😅

Folks call us alot to ask for tax help. 
Looking for someone who'd be interested in getting those referrals. 

This referral would be for someone who wants to sift 
through the tire kickers to find their clients. 

I'd say it's great opportunity for someone with a newer firm that 
cares about customer service and wants to raise their floor on leads. 

I don't do referrals fees in or out so its free. 
My only ask is that you treat them great.

Please let me know if you're interested or tag a friend 

Logan Graf, CPA Henry Huie, CPA taggin y'all as I think you'd know a person or two that might be a good fit here 👍

Wooo I made something I've been wanting to make for over a year! 
It's silly. But I've been wanting to do it as a side project for a LONG time.

When I am done with a conversation with someone,
all I have to do is say, "Run It!", and within 3 minutes, I have 
a studio quality grade song about the interaction I just had 🤣🤣🤣

Fun little Friday night @n8n project!

What database do you want me to make? I figured soemthing out. And I can make a really solid database over anything FAST. 

Comment requests.
And I'll make a github repo. 
You tell me if its awesome or not.  

It can literally be anything.  
> GAAP Accounting 101
> Greatest Sports library 
> How to do....literally anything

Hit me with some suggestions.
Get your mindblown.
Redefine your perception of possible.

Man, how lucky am I to have these problems?

Every life has problems. 
And I'm lucky to have mine.

Don't get me wrong....mine still suck.
But I'm grateful. 

Because Ive been in those other places. 
I've had those worse problems. 
And these aren't those. 

So going to take some 
time to sit in gratitude🙏🙏🙏🙌🙌🙌

A good excuse is still an excuse. 
No more excuses.  Get out there and making amazing happen. 

Focus your thoughts.  
Pick one thing. 
Point all your brain juice at it. 
Be relentless.  
This is your life. 
What do you want at the end of it? 
Sitting on a mountain of what ifs and 
untapped potential?? 

Empty the tank. 
The way you empty the tank on a life
is by emptying the tank on a day. 

Give this day everything you got.
Go to bed tired. 

I want to see you do AMAZING things! 
Stop blocking yourself with that BS excuse. 
Let it go and go chase greatness 🔥🔥🔥

Yesterday was incredible. We hit a few wins. One of the coolest was gaining access to the API for our audit software.

We're able to reach into our audit software
and click buttons from outside of it.

We can now automate actions that used to
require manual clicking through the interface.

This pairs extremely well with 
our firm's risk pooling strategy.

We're able to risk pool jobs by similarities
and save an incredible amount of time.

Instead of treating every audit as a unique snowflake,
we group similar engagements and process them together.

We can build a front-end experience so tailored
for our firm and our needs that no external
vendor could ever beat.

We're not limited to their interface anymore.
We're not limited to their workflow.
We're not limited to their vision of 
how auditing should work.

We control the experience.
These are the kinds of wins that lay the 
groundwork for the automated audit firm.

Piece by piece.
Integration by integration.
API by API.
It's all coming together.

Shoutout to Caseware cloud for building out the groundwork with their api 👏👏👏

I am in such awe of our world and this experience.
It is something else.

If we sit back and look, the amazement 
surrounds us in everything we do.

> A microwave is incredible. Mind blowing.
> A radio is incredible.

> The fact that I can have a face to face conversation 
with my team in the Philippines and we can 
hit goals together is incredible.

There is so much more in the seemingly mundane.

As adults we posture to impress.
We pretend not to be excited about 
things we think we should already know.

We lean into this assumption of understanding. 
But behind closed doors admit we don't  actually know. 
(sometimes we blind ourselves so deeply we can't 
ever admit it 😥)

We lose joy and the ability to 
see how amazing this really is.

But it is. It is amazing. All of it.
A car. A light bulb. A car. A process.

I am sitting in deep gratitude for our 
world and for the doers and makers.

It has been a long journey, and 
I am excited to join the club. 

I'm going to leave this place better than I found it ♥️

Growth vs. Fixed Mindset: Carol Dweck's research on mindsets changed how I think about everything.
Here's the breakdown:

Fixed Mindset:
Believes abilities are static. You either have it or you don't.
  • "I'm not good at math"
  • "I'm just not a people person"
  • "Some people are born entrepreneurs"

When faced with challenges,
the fixed mindset sees failure as proof
they don't have what it takes.

So they avoid the challenge altogether.

Growth Mindset:
Believes abilities can be developed through effort and learning.
  • "I'm not good at math yet"
  • "I'm working on my people skills"
  • "I'm learning what it takes to build a business"

When faced with challenges,
the growth mindset sees opportunity
to learn and improve.

So they lean into the challenge.

Here's what I've learned:

The mindset you choose determines
what you're willing to attempt.

Fixed mindset says:
"I can't do that, so I won't try."

Growth mindset says:
"I can't do that yet, so let me figure it out."

That one word—"yet"—changes everything.

In my own life:
I'm not naturally fast at learning new concepts.
It takes me more time and more 
questions than most people.

Fixed mindset would say:
"I'm just slower, that's who I am."

Growth mindset says:
"It takes me longer, so I'll ask better questions
and build deeper understanding."

That shift turned what could have been
a limitation into my competitive advantage.

The pattern I see:
People with fixed mindsets
avoid looking incompetent,
so they stick to what they already know.

People with growth mindsets
embrace looking incompetent temporarily,
because that's where learning happens.

Which mindset are you operating from today?

It starts with just being in the room.
Want to be a billionaire? 
Sit in a room with a billionaire.

Want to be an incredible chef? 
Sit in a room with a master chef.

Want to be a world-class athlete?
Sit in a room with world-class athletes.

Want to change the world?
Come to the CJ CPAs office.

I've had the pleasure of working with entrepreneurs for 15 years now. And I've seen a common trait that I wanted to avoid in my own entrepreneurial journey: Bitterness.

It's common.
Super common.
And understandable.

For many years, from the outside looking in,
I watched people who had taken the risk,
bet on themselves, and were getting 
an amazing return.

But when you talked to them,
there was this underlying bitterness
towards people, towards the journey.

I never wanted to be that kind of entrepreneur.

But it's hard.

I've definitely gone to those bitter places.

Here's the reality:
The entrepreneurial journey is wild.
The human element is always the hardest part.

You'll get burned by people you trusted.
You'll go out of your way to help someone
and have it blow up in your face.

It happens.

But here's the choice:
Every single one of those instances
can make me bitter.

Or it can make me better.

It's a lesson.
Something to stack, grow, and learn from.

I choose better.

I will continue to do the right thing,
regardless of consequence.

My ego and my pride are still being worked on daily.

But I'm actively maintaining perspective
and gratitude on this journey.

Some days are harder than others.
There will be seasons where the gut punches land heavy.

But that won't be what defines this journey.

What defines it is the choice I make
every single day to keep perspective.

To learn from it.
To grow from it.
To stay grateful for the opportunity.

The bitter entrepreneur had every reason to be bitter.
I have every reason to be grateful.
Same journey. Different lens.

I've been recording myself since March 2023. I pointed AI at my conversations and told it to make a website about my story. Holy moly. 🤯

It created a living timeline of my journey.
My thoughts on entrepreneurship, 
family, and building something that matters.
The evolution of my ideas over nearly 2 years.

It pulled themes I didn't even know I had.
Connected dots I hadn't connected myself.
Turned thousands of hours of raw audio into my story.

Welcome to the future.

Not AI replacing humans.

AI helping us understand ourselves better.
AI preserving what matters.
AI making sense of the chaos.
_______________________________

I started recording for my kids
so they'd have a record of who their dad was,
what he believed, how he thought.

Digital immortality.

In the meantime, this level of detail can provide 
incredible benefit of having an AI analyze journey.

**The future is going to be wild.**

Do amazing things every day.

Check it out:

Open article: CHRIS JOHNSON by cjs-story.netlify.app

Laminar flow vs. turbulent flow. It's a fluid dynamics concept. And it perfectly explains what I'm doing with the automated audit.

**Laminar flow:**

When you control the initial conditions so perfectly
that water flows in smooth, parallel layers.

No turbulence.
No chaos.
Just perfect, predictable motion.

Think: those fancy fountains where the water 
looks like a glass rod flowing through the air.

That happens when you eliminate every source of disturbance.
Perfect nozzle design.
Steady pressure.
No vibrations.

The water just... flows perfectly.
_____________________________

**Turbulent flow:**

Chaotic.
Swirling.
Unpredictable eddies and vortices.
Energy wasted fighting itself.

This is what happens when initial conditions aren't controlled.
_____________________________

**Traditional audits = turbulent flow.**

Every engagement feels different.
Constant firefighting.
Manual processes creating chaos.
Team members colliding with problems.

You're fighting turbulence on every single audit.
_____________________________

**Automated audits = laminar flow.**

Control the initial conditions so perfectly
that the work just flows smoothly.

Standardized inputs.
Predictable processes.
Eliminated disturbances.
No manual friction.

The audit flows through the system
like water from those fountains
smooth, predictable, beautiful.

_____________________________

**Here's what most firms miss:**

They try to fix turbulence with more controls.
More oversight.
More processes.
More people. 

But that's like adding obstacles to turbulent water.
It just creates more chaos.
_____________________________

**The real solution?**

Engineer the initial conditions.

Perfect the inputs.
Eliminate the disturbances.
Remove the friction points.

Create conditions so perfect that laminar flow 
is the natural result.

_____________________________

We're not just automating audits.
We're engineering the conditions for laminar flow.
From chaos to perfect motion.

taplio

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Chris Johnson, CPA, CCIFP

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taplio

The Battle

Luke Duggan

Chris Johnson, CPA, CCIFP

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Luke Duggan's LinkedIn Performance

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