Today we’d like to introduce you to Karisten Carpenter.
Hi Karisten , we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a tax preparer, bookkeeper, payroll accountant, notary, and more. I am two months out from receiving my Enrolled Agent certification to be the highest form of tax preparer. I’m a mother of four and married to my husband for 13 years, together for 17 years. All of my children are on the autism spectrum but my two oldest are profound and nonverbal. Hunter (12), Walker (10), Ryder (7), and Ember (5). Hunter has a feeding tube, heart condition, and shares a rare genetic duplication with Walker of 2Q34. Walker has a colostomy, immunodeficiency, as well as the genetic duplication. They require round the clock care. I grew up everywhere as we moved nearly every year for my dad’s job – he ran call centers. When I was 14, I was in a traumatic car accident that killed two of my friends and landed me in the hospital for months. I almost died. The trauma and survivors guilt lead me to a suicide attempt. From there, I managed to find God. I married my husband and best friend, and we started our family eventually. Each pregnancy was really difficult and I had four c-sections; but the last with my daughter ended me with a wound vac (opened side to side) and an emergency hysterectomy. From there, my mom got diagnosed with stage four gastric cancer and we lost her within four months. Moving forward, I got diagnosed with a rare blood disease and dealt with a serious gastric condition that ended me in the hospital for weeks and a nasal feeding tube. After surgery and recovery, I ended up losing 200lbs that I has gained after the pregnancies and my mom’s death. I decided that I wanted to do something with my life and started walking every day. My husband lost his job when I was sick, and we decided that he should go back to school for his master’s degree. I decided to get a job as a tax preparer and from there, decided to open my own business. Now I am here and ready for a fresh start and a sturdy beginning.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not. Health, financial difficulties, getting no help from family members, not being able to depend on anyone – but doing it anyway.
As you know, we’re big fans of Carpenter Guided Finance. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We are an accounting, bookkeeping, and payroll firm in the suburbs of Minneapolis. I partner with Fairlie Tax Advising for tax preparation and advisement. I offer business startup and development, notary services, and more. We are a client focused business that works WITH you and not FOR you. My only job is to contribute to your success.
Pricing:
- $50.00 per hour for consultation
- Everything else is custom tailored
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.carpenterguidedfinance.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61589373145754
