Hidden Gems: Meet Camea Franklin of Tax Divas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Camea Franklin.  

Hi Camea, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started my adult life looking forward to graduating from college and getting a good job. I thought that all my problems would just be over if I could just “get my degree.” It’s as if everything magically would come into order along with the picket fence, the husband, and 2 1⁄2 children. My life didn’t quite end up like that. By the time I was 21, I was a single mother with an infant child and bills such as a new mortgage, insurance, car payment, and no help. Within five years, I had to learn how to persevere after being laid off three different times during the dot-com bubble of the late ’90s and early 2000s. My greatest fear was that I would not be able to provide for my child and become homeless. 

While unemployed, I was introduced to entrepreneurship. To me, the idea of being a successful entrepreneur gave me hope for the future and the freedom to control my destiny, time, and finances. Entrepreneurship also allowed me the freedom to continue to be able to be a mother to my child at the same time- something a 9-5 job can sometimes interfere with. My first business venture entailed the investment in a tax franchise. My background was in business and accounting, so I felt I was a good fit for it. In that experience, it gave me the confidence I needed to believe in myself. I gained invaluable business acumen and management lessons, but it wasn’t without its challenges. Due to the loan balances that I owed the franchiser, I ended up having to close the business. I was forced to close my business and start over. I had to get a job to stabilize myself and rebuild my financial position. But I didn’t give up. I started over, yet again, taking a job that I was able to do in the interim. Thankfully, it was in my field – accounting. I was able to leverage that position and use it as a way to fund my next business. I now operate my own independent accounting and tax firm. I will not stop and use my challenges as ways to learn and grow every day 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely has not been easy. I have had to file bankruptcy twice, forced to move and face the scrutiny of family and external entities. 

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Tax Divas is a minority and woman-owned business located in Detroit, MI. We offer tax compliance – tax preparation, bookkeeping as well as tax resolution, business formation services, and educational offerings. We currently specialize in business and tax matters for those that are in the media, music, and creative industries. I am most proud of the fact that we are one of the most trusted advisors in the area- maybe even the US. We also offer free services to senior citizens over the age of 62 that need to file their rent and heat credits. We are now focusing more on the educational aspect of tax and business. There is a gap in financial education, especially in the African American population, that keeps us marginalized in ways such as generational wealth, home ownership, and general tax matters. We just plain don’t understand how things work. We teach single mothers and others how to start their own businesses in areas such as tax and how that will help save them in tax and set them up for success in the future. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Throughout the years, I have learned to listen to my intuition or “god’s voice” when making decisions. I have always done things based on that, and it has worked for me. 

Pricing:

• Tax Preparation starts at $149
• Business Tax Prep starts at $700
• Senior Citizen credits – FREE (over 62)
• Consultations- Free
• Tax Resolution – Consultation required

Contact Info:

• Website: thetaxdivas.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/taxdivas
• Facebook: Facebook.com/taxdivas
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameafranklinmba/