March 28, 2024

Thrive Insider

Exclusive stories of successful entrepreneurs

Tatiana Tsoir – Entrepreneur, Life Coach, and Author

Who are you and what business did you start?

I am Tatiana Tsoir and I started 3 businesses: 1) Linza Advisors – a boutique tax and advisory concierge CPA firm helping small business owners be profitable while proactively lowering their taxes. We provide concierge service to those who value their time above all. – Started in 2005! 2) Business is Personal – is my author & speaker business. My book “Dream Bold, Start Smart: Be Your Own Boss & Make Money Doing What You Love” released on March 16, 2021 and is a plain-English roadmap for a woman to start a business and do it smart. I believe that women-owned businesses are more passionate and change the world, and that’s why I am committed to supporting women in the entrepreneurial endeavor. – Started in 2019. 3) Tatiana Tsoir Inc. – I am a life+business coach for women (and a course creator, of course – it’s part of being a coach) who are burnt out at or dispassionate about their 9-5. I help them build a strong foundation to be their own boss but do that without risking their financial stability. – started in 2019.

The most recent ones- author & coach – I launched to be able to transform the lives (and businesses) of more people than I can do working one-on-one at Linza Advisors.

What’s your backstory and how did you come up with the idea?

I actually wanted to be a lawyer for as long as I can remember. I came to the US at 19, alone, got into an abusive relationship (I didn’t know until I got in), got out a year later. Went to school to finish my bachelor’s and was forced to pick a major (I did 2 years out of 5 of law school in Russia). When thinking about my major I was deciding between Economics & Accounting. I picked accounting because I thought “Well, that major includes economics classes, and will take me longer to graduate, however, it will give me a skill – to support myself financially.” So I picked that!

In College, our Accounting Department professors always “brainwashed” us by saying “If you’re majoring in Accounting, you might as well sit for the CPA exam” and I thought “Hm! Maybe I should”. As I worked with small businesses back then (as a bookkeeper) I somehow fell in love with accounting, numbers, taxes. And sort of abandoned the law school dream (I still want to do it, but after I turn 40 and after one of the Ivy League schools offers a part-time or executive version!) and have been transforming clients’ and students’ lives since.

After working with small business owners for 15+ years I realized how transformational for their lives and businesses working with me has been and decided to write a book to have an even bigger impact and help many more people. Through my book, membership program, coaching programs and courses, I help women get out of their own way and build businesses that change lives.

Describe the process of launching the business.

I started just like many: by just offering services and finding “gigs”. I’ve been a bookkeeper for 6 years before I added taxes (and already had my CPA by then) to the offering, but I struggled with pricing – I wanted to stay competitive. Little did I know then that I was shooting myself in the foot by being cheap and taking every client! In 2019 I went through several coaching programs and am a completely different person, CPA and business owner than I’ve ever been.

Since launch, what has worked to attract and retain customers?

There is nothing more contagious than your commitment to serving people. And that’s exactly what I’ve been doing to attract and retain customers and students. I run a podcast where I share content for someone get started, I interview successful self-made entrepreneurs on it to bring you stories and hope. I have a “Side Hustle to Business” checklist available on my website that is absolutely free. And I talk about why it’s not good to “Fake it till you make it” when it comes to money numbers and taxes in your business and life.

How are you doing today and what does the future look like?

I love what I do. I’ve always loved everything I’ve done. It changed over time but I love accounting/taxes/geeky stuff, and I love coaching clients to become the CEO’s they never dreamed to be and build the life they always wanted. The future? My future has a lot of learning and development and growth – I never stop improving so that I can help others grow.

Through starting the business, have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous?

Absolutely. It’s SUPER-important to pay attention to numbers- don’t keep throwing money at ads if you’re not seeing the results!

What platform/tools do you use for your business?

A ton! I am present on all social, but prefer Instagram. In terms of tools I use a CRM for clients, I use Kajabi for course, Circle.so for memberships and coaching, and Basecamp for not going crazy managing 3 businesses 🙂

What have been the most influential books, podcasts, or other resources?

Book “The Road Less Stupid” by Keith Cunningham, Book “Traction” by Gino Wickman, and book “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill. And many more books! 🙂

Advice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?

Don’t fake it till you make it when it comes to money numbers and taxes. Face it and face it early! Also, make sure your business model is solid before you throw money at your business/idea.

Where can we go to learn more?

www.tatianatsoir.com