There’s no other way to start this story: I grew up on a cattle farm in east Texas until I was 16. I’ve spent more years of my life living on the farm than not. But from 16-21 my story was pretty much the same as anyone else’s who wanted to attend college. I studied hard and got good grades, to the detriment of every other aspect of life.

After I graduated with a BA in Psychology in 2011, I couldn’t get hired to save my life. I moved back in with my parents in a small town in east Texas and I was desperate for work. My aunt recommended an English school in rural China that she had contacts with. I ended up getting accepted to teach English at the school and taught there for 6 months. After that I started getting noticed more when submitting resumes. I moved around during that time looking for work: Dallas, Austin, Miami. I was making a little money, saving a little more, and gaining incredibly useful business skills, namely bookkeeping, office management, and web development.

Eventually, in 2015 I found myself stagnant at my job, and financially stable enough to quit. I hadn’t planned on self-employment but got a big push in that direction when my former boss called and wanted to hire me on as an SEO contractor. I appreciate that to this day because it encouraged me to create my own value and bet on myself. That was the start of my freelancing business.

So in my self-employment as a bookkeeping services professional, I have continued learning and experimenting with new business skills. I’m currently pursuing my CPA at a local college. I’ve been reading up on entrepreneurialism, accounting, self-promotion and working to incorporate those skills into my life.

I anticipate growing my skills base and passing the CPA exam in next couple of years and I am looking forward with bated breath. I hope to work with new clients, read more novels, and continue the self-education and travel that has brought me precisely where I am.

Thanks for reading!

Agatha Venters