A seasoned entrepreneur whose passion for business started at a young age. He grew up working in his family's small businesses, which included managing a hot dog wagon, performing construction tasks for his uncle, and handling bookkeeping for his father's accounting practice.As a student at Duke University, James started a DJ company. He re-launched the Hip Hop department at WXDU-Durham, where he hosted his radio show that became known throughout the city. The early ventures led to Take-Two Entertainment, a music promotion company founded in 1995. He held accounts with several record labels and, in 1999, Madd Waxx Records 1999, a vinyl record store and record label.To effectively manage his companies, James developed a strong proficiency in QuickBooks, which piqued his interest in the financial management of running a small business. After a discussion with his family, he obtained a CPA license to develop a firm to help small business owners learn financial management and avoid the obstacles he faced.In 2004, the process of obtaining the license began. James closed his businesses, returned to school to acquire the credits necessary to qualify for the four parts of the CPA exam, and went to work for a local CPA firm to gain experience while studying. In 2007, James moved to corporate accounting for a different experience. In October 2008, he received notice that he had passed all four exam parts. While working in corporate accounting, James continued his entrepreneurial activity by re-launching the SMES Music Summit, a music industry conference he co-founded in 2000. During this period, he continued working in public accounting through A-OH Business Services, his father's firm, serving non-profits, daycare centers, construction firms, and individual clients.On July 1, 2010, he began Heyward CPA. Growing up in an entrepreneurial environment and working on bookkeeping since age 13 has given James a wealth of experience. He has had the fortune to work with businesses in various industries like law, consulting, entertainment, daycare, health, and real estate. He has gained an understanding of how these industries work.In 2015, the firm became Heyward CPA PLLC and, in 2018, absorbed A-OH Business Services into the operation. The firm has grown, and now James is responsible for a staff of 10 and focuses on developing our team to meet our purpose to empower small business owners by teaching them how to effectively utilize accounting data to make informed business decisions, improve operations, and drive sustainable growth.