Meet FELICA ALFORD-BOOKER | TAXEPRENEUR & BUSINESS COACH

We had the good fortune of connecting with FELICA ALFORD-BOOKER and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi FELICA, can you share the most important lesson you’ve learned over the course of your career?
In my work as an Accountant and Tax Specialist I meet a lot of new business owners, longtime business owners and others in all fields.. The one lesson I always share is don’t ever give up on YOUR passion.. Whatever that is….
I was in the corporate for years finding my way job to job but I knew I had a passion to help people and when taxes was introduced to me over 20 years ago I felt this was my PASSION career. I’ve learned an enormous amount from the process of building, launching and growing my business. But I always tell myself and others keep going even when it doesn’t seem POPULAR your business PASSION is not going to be the PASSION for others!

What should our readers know about your business?
In my business I offer bookkeeping, tax preparation, notary service, life insurance and I do one-one-business coaching sessions. In the beginning, I was a little timid about running my business. I was scared to raise my prices, to hold my clients accountable for a written contract, and to essentially respect myself as a business owner. For that reason, I “let things slide” at times and spent a lot of time doing extra requests for clients (for free), even if it wasn’t part of our original project. Like many entrepreneurs, I didn’t know how to start a “money” conversation effectively. Now, I realize that I was doing a disservice to myself and to my clients. If you want to succeed as a business owner, you must first respect yourself as a business owner. This means respecting your time, value, and expertise. Don’t waiver on the things that are important to you.
Was it easy, NO! I had to buckle down and accepted that I couldn’t do everything in my business, let my guard down to trust people (in this profession its not always easy) and number one my TIME is just as valuable as the CPA, Attorney or any other business doing the same service that I perform for my clients.
I pride myself that I am honest, and dependable and I want share your information and if you are involved in that situation I have helped so many who have fell under scrupulous tax preparers!

I attended a great business workshop last year and one thing I have learned from the entire process is that “I AM MY BRAND” I want to thank my Success Coach Carmea Bass for helping me understand those valuable lessons in business. My story is my story and my brand is my brand. I don’t tackle business like other companies. I offer FREE tax classes for the community and Seniors, I also volunteer at high schools in local churches to offer FREE FAFSA classes to help parents who don’t understand how to process the paperwork for college, I have managed and worked for others like H&R Block, Liberty Tax, etc.. but having your own identity is far greater. When you leave my chair and our offices you will have a better understanding of your tax situation, how to budget better for next year and business advice all in one session for FREE!

I am also apart of a few organizations that help to impact others in the community and in business. I have my own non-profit Victory for Life Foundation where we help with domestic violence throughout DFW and East Texas, W.A.P. Women And Power where we help to impact women in business and in the community, FW Black Chamber, NATP, ABTP Association of Black tax Professionals, I sit on Advisory Boards for some other non-profits, and volunteer whenever my assistance in needed throughout DFW..

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When my friends come to town they know that “I WORK” so they know that if one place for sure we are going to start off the week will be our local church at Christ Cathedral in Fort Worth, TX then for dinner to Pappadeaux in Arlington by the Texas Stadium. Monday will start the week with a great cup of coffee at our local Black Coffee in Fort Worth off Rosedale, then catching some lunch at the Red Claw Crab Shack in Arlington where I love their crab legs! That evening we head for some laughs at the Arlington Improv to eat and drink, then see some sites Downtown in our Stockyards and walk and tour the Art Museum off University! Then to catch a great breakfast at Our Place in Burleson, TX and dinner at Babe’s Chicken in Burleson and walk around downtown to catch some shopping in the shops that evening. We have to do some shopping where we start off by grabbing a Frappe and Starbucks off Hulen and then to the Hulen Mall. If we don’t find everything we can always go to Grand Prairie Outlet or take a drive North Fort Worth and visit the Tanger Outlets and grab a sandwich, snacks, drinks and souvenirs at Buccees (our favorite)! Top the last night out with some hanging at our famous 7th Street check out a show at Scat Jazz Lounge, our visit restaurants where we can take our pick at Brunch at the Social House, dinner at Eddie V’s, or gets drinks and appetizers at Boomerjacks of of all else fails we can end the week with cooking in my own Kitchen where we love to cook for family and friends!!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First I want to thank GOD and my parents for pushing me and motivating me to pursue my business and learning a business ethic form both of them growing up! Next, I want to Thank my husband, Christopher Booker, who pushed to leave my corporate job an pursue my passion full-time and stayed up listening to me through all my adversity in being in business.. My children are definitely my 3 God sent Motivators (along with starting their businesses) whenever I needed a shoulder to cry on, to work for me when I didn’t have help or just to listen to me vent during a rough tax season and always said “Mom you got this” are my children Ke’Ebonie, Kaliph, and Matthew! To my mentor, Alice Allen, my church family who always supports me at Christ Cathedral Church in Fort Worth, Tx and my pastor Bishop Sherman Allen & First Lady Otonya make sure that when I need a prayer and I can call them through it all my church family always supports my business.. I could not have made it all these years without their support, motivation and prayers!

Website: https://felica-associates-financial-services.square.site

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/felicafinance247

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/felica-booker-b3366632

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/felicafinance247

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/felica-and-associates-financial-services-fort-worth

Image Credits
Ke’Ebonie Alford- “We Win Organization” (Interview over Domestic Violence October) Christopher Booker- (my husband) Gospel On the Lawn for Victory for Life Foundation