A day in the life of a CPA: Celeste Ames Duncan

We asked Celeste Ames Duncan to give us a glimpse into a typical day as a CPA as she weaves together work and life, blending service to clients with priorities to family, health, and self.

6:30 AM – 8 AM: Morning Routine
I start my morning with a cup of coffee and a mindful yoga practice, ending with reflection time on things I’m grateful for. I’ve decorated my yoga space with some meaningful pictures from my childhood. Several images feature my parents and me in front of a small plane they would fly us in to visit their business customers. My parents had an advertising agency, and them owning their own business inspired me to one day have a practice of my own. After yoga, I prepare breakfast: Scottish oatmeal with various toppings.

8 AM –  10 AM: Navigate Tax Changes with Client
I start my day in my home office, answering emails and addressing a few business to-dos, including registering for an upcoming tax webcast. Then I start the day’s meetings with a scheduled phone call with a client. She started a service business two years ago and experienced a quick increase in revenues and net taxable income. We pick up our discussion on organizing an S corporation. With the relatively recent changes in how the City of Portland deals with service businesses who operate both within and outside the City, we spend several minutes discussing how to track the revenues for an optimum result.

10 AM – 12 PM: Partnership Client Meeting Prep
After the client call, I prepare a meeting agenda for later this week with a multi-partner real estate client in California. We plan to discuss the estimated current and long-term tax savings by implementing a cost segregation study for a large residential rental property owned in California, as well as discuss the planning steps for a potential 1031 exchange from Oregon to Nevada for a commercial property.

12 PM – 1:30 PM: Lunch and Mini Commute
Most days, I enjoy creating a fresh salad with a mix of veggies, grilled chicken, and farro, tossed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. While I make lunch, I listen to AICPA podcasts to stay up to date on tax planning and tax law changes. After lunch, I drive 10 minutes to my external office, which I have been decorating with several plants (a “budding” hobby of mine). I like to Zoom with clients from my external office and do other very focused projects there to reduce the distractions. As a bonus, I’ve made several business contacts at the office space, which is a fun and valuable experience.

1:30 PM – 3 PM: Advising New Clients

My favorite part of having my own business is getting to spend one-on-one time getting to know clients and their goals.

This afternoon I hop on a Zoom with a couple with young children. Our discussion goes beyond taxes: I ask them to consider how they want their day-to-day life to look like with their two young children, what matters to them, and how they want to reflect on this time in the future. [Fun note: This couple wrote me an email a year after this meeting and shared with me that it was one of the most pivotal conversations of their lives! The husband has an improved job prospects, a better quality of life without a long commute, and the family took trips together and lots of home time together.]

3 PM – 4 PM: Family Connection
After the Zoom, I answer an impromptu phone call from my daughter, a junior at OSU. She asks for my advice on a fall term scheduling decision. My son is a senior at OSU. The three of us are very close and I have “TBD” time blocked off on my calendar each day so that when I receive a call from either of my kids (almost daily) I can give them my full attention. I love that they call me as often as they do!

4 PM – 5:30 PM: CPA Network Email Conversation
I email with a group of CPA colleagues from the prior firm we all worked at together. We have each branched out and started our own practices, so we check in with each other for technical matters. One of the CPAs in the group emails us with an unusual multi-state apportionment tax matter. We brainstorm solutions, and then I head home. One of my CPA colleagues also is going to introduce me to a younger CPA who is interested in talking with me about career advice.

Mentoring is one of my ways of giving back to the CPA community.

As I wrap up at the office, I take some time to start scheduling the rest of the week’s projects.
 

6:30 PM – 10 PM: Dinner and Family Time 
My husband grills chicken and I enjoy making (more!) salad and a side dish. After dinner, I tend to my plants at home, and then my husband and I like to unwind by reading books to each other, our preference to screen time. Tonight we read “Ready Player One” and then turn in for the night.