My journey into business began in the most unglamorous of settings: my parents’ sheet metal equipment repair and sales shop. The place was always humming with the clang of metal, the smell of oil, and the steady rhythm of hard work. My dad poured everything he had into that business—arriving early, staying late, fixing machines, and helping customers. My most vivid memory is of my dad in his sweat-stained coveralls, working to fix a customer’s machine or track down a part. 

But like so many small business owners, he struggled with the business side. He was incredible with his hands – he could fix anything -  but not so much with the numbers. He’d discount fees for friends, undercharge for repair work, and only made modest 10-15% commissions on equipment sales. Money was always tight—we lived the real middle-class struggle. 

As a kid, I’d spend summers typing invoices on an old typewriter and posting accounts receivable cards. I knew a debit from a credit by the time I was in middle school. My mom taught me how to balance the bank accounts to the penny, and I saw firsthand how hard it was to keep a small business afloat, much less make money and save for the future. I saw the difference between reality and perception. People often think that business owners are raking in money and calling the shots. But what I saw was the opposite. My parents worked harder than anyone I knew, yet financial security was always just out of reach. That experience planted a seed in me. I became convinced that somewhere in those numbers, there must be a better way—a secret to making business less of a struggle.

Fueled by that curiosity, I built a career in bookkeeping and eventually joined a CPA firm. But I remember one quiet afternoon in that office, surrounded by tax files, when the truth landed hard: preparing tax returns and summarizing the past was important, but it didn’t actually help small business owners move forward. I wanted to do more—help them understand their finances, make smarter decisions, and change the trajectory of their businesses.

At the same time, I was navigating a rough period in my personal life, searching for a new sense of purpose and fulfillment. That’s when I decided, in 2013, to step out on my own and start KAC Consulting Inc, with the mission to truly support small business owners the way my parents once needed.

In the early days, I hoped my daughter would join me, but she was sure that bookkeeping and tax work weren’t for her. However, as the business grew, I needed help with data entry from time to time, and she stepped in. What began as reluctant assistance grew into remarkable talent—she developed an incredible knack for untangling complex bookkeeping puzzles and is now our go-to expert for clean-ups. Watching her find her confidence and shine in this work makes me incredibly proud. Working alongside my daughter, my son-in-law, and a close friend, we’ve become a true family business—one where every client is known by name and story.

Our client base was diverse at first, because the language of numbers is universal. But when the pandemic hit, it was our restaurant clients who most captured our hearts. We watched as they faced daunting challenges—closures, uncertainty, and an ever-changing landscape. Their resilience was inspiring. The owners and operators who could read their numbers, who saw the story in their books, pivoted quickly and survived. We were able to support them in their toughest moments as clean, accurate bookkeeping became their lifeline—allowing them to quickly apply for government programs, access critical relief, and most importantly, regain hope. Our mission came into focus: we wanted to do everything we could to help restaurants not just survive but thrive.

At KAC Consulting, numbers aren’t just something that happen to you—they’re the story you get to write. Our mission is to help business owners, especially in the restaurant and hospitality industry, find clarity and confidence, and build a future they are truly proud of. As a family, as teachers, and as partners, we’re here to help you turn your numbers into your next chapter—one filled with resilience, growth, and peace of mind.