Creating Culture: Joel Sandoval Turns Diversity and Inclusion Into Profits

Joel Sandoval, CPA, has been running his own CPA firm for over five years. On one hand, that is half a decade that feels like it has flown by for Joel, running his own business. On the other hand, Joel has invested countless hours of training, education, and effort to get to where he is today. Joel Sandoval, CPA, stands apart for more than just his dedication. Joel has ensured that his employees work in a diverse environment and that they are able to foster a sense of community and truly value the people they work with.

One of the ways Joel does this is through leading by example. When Joel first gave up his six-figure salary to start his own CPA firm, he wore many hats, including being the janitor to ensure that his business could run smoothly. Joel also came into his own business with years of experience on all sides of the accounting spectrum, including management experience where he gained critical knowledge on the business and entrepreneurial side of accounting.

Now that Joel is running his own CPA firm, he has not stopped investing in the value of leadership experience. Joel makes it his personal mission to train and empower the supervisors that he leads – he has weekly meetings with all of his managers. He is engaged with teaching them how to become better managers and further their own path in life. In his words, a vital aspect of running a healthy business lies in “creating culture.”

Part of the culture that Joel believes in at Sandoval Tax CPAs, is creating a welcoming environment where people feel safe and happy to be a part of the accounting family there. Joel implements regular game nights and times where work is off the table to foster a sense of community and keep people’s humanity at the forefront of their work. In these meetings, Joel likes to include a pep talk, where the team is able to center, together, around the vision and mission that they work towards every day at Sandoval Tax CPAs.

Part of Joel’s vision for his CPA firm is to bring diversity and inclusion into accounting where it previously has not always been possible. Joel Sandoval, CPA holds the title of being one of very few firms to be Bilingual, in Spanish and English. Joel shared that there are very few Spanish-speaking CPAs, and they have multiple working at their firm alone. This means that Joel and his CPA firm can reach the greater area of Bakersfield as well as an even larger community as they work to expand beyond the state of California.

In his plans for the future, Joel revealed that their mission is to become a national firm and the top CPA firm of choice. In his words, his vision is that “every private business in America knows who we are.” And with the accessibility that COVID has fostered, this goal is not far off. Helping small business owners save money on their taxes has always been Joel’s mission, but when the pandemic hit, they had to adapt to a new frontier for accounting. In-person meetings were no longer an option, which initially seemed like a problem for their business. However, Joel quickly realized that the accessibility of virtual meetings actually opened up the potential for their business to expand nationally. Without the pandemic, they might never have learned this advantage.

Joel is grateful for all the experiences he has had along the way that has brought him to where he is today. Investing in his employees is of utmost importance to him as he knows that when you build the culture, you are also building your business. As Joel looks to the future, he is excited to continue investing in the diversity of his firm and bringing this never-before-seen level of accessibility to America at large.