Emerging Professionals

In the thick of tax season, it's easy to focus only on deadlines, pressure, and what still needs to get done. But I think there's value in pausing to journal the wins too.

One of mine came on a day I expected to be nearly a wash from a work standpoint because I had a funeral and a doctor's appointment. I went in thinking I'd get very little done, and instead found something in a return that got our clients an additional $20K back. Not a bad reminder that even "low-capacity" days can still produce meaningful results.

We've also made a few operational changes this season that have felt like real wins. Our office is now closed on Saturdays, so the whole team works remotely and no one has to come in physically. That shift alone has been a huge morale booster. We also adjusted our phones to start ringing 30 minutes after we physically open and stop 30 minutes before we physically close. That has helped our team protect the start and end of the day a lot better, and the payoff in morale has been noticeable.

So I'm curious: what have been your tax season wins so far?

What changes have you made that are actually paying off?
Any technical updates that have felt like a win?
Any client wins where you solved a problem and created meaningful tax savings?

And maybe the bigger question: are we talking enough about the systems and boundaries that make busy season more sustainable?

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Dalton Sweaney
Partner/Owner
Gray, Salt & Associates, LLP
Claremont CA
909-626-6462
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This is a great topic to reflect on @Dalton Sweaney!

While I don't sit in client service anymore, I can say that I've been really trying to invest time into looking into emerging technologies to help automate my workday and identify ways that I can be more productive through the use of AI. I've found that using simple software like Doodle Poll and Microsoft Suite products like the bookings tool, copilot, and the "to do" checklist integration with my email have been really helpful from an administrative standpoint.

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Lexi Weber
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Thanks for starting this conversation, Dalton! 

One of my biggest wins this year has been setting stronger personal boundaries around client communication and when I'm available to respond. In the past, I would jump into my inbox between returns to put out fires, but it ultimately broke my focus and made it harder to get through complex technical work efficiently or support my team when they needed help problem-solving. This season, I've calendared dedicated response time (an hour after lunch and another at the end of the day) and it's been a game changer. I'm getting more meaningful work done in focused blocks, and clients are learning to be a bit more independent without any real drop in service. 

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Hailey Gomillion
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