Stefanie Ricchio CPA

02/23/2025

The inaugural 5:15 is ready for your listening pleasure.

Every week I am going to talk about 5 points in 15 minutes (or so!) that I think are relevant, relating to the news, my work, and possibly to you.

This weeks agenda:

🔹 Canada & The US
🔹 Tough Conversations
🔹 My Week as a Mom
🔹 Finance Tips for Debt and Making Change
🔹 Key Tax Dates for Canadians

Only accessible by downloading my FREE Empowering Value in the Apple Store

11/08/2024

Keeping the momentum going during Financial Literacy month and sharing some tips with Intuit QuickBooks 💰✨

08/01/2024

Do You.

The next time someone tells you to "just do you", listen.

Take the energy you want to give to others and turn it back onto yourself and watch what unfolds. Pure magic.

Can't wait to share how I learned to do this, it wasn't easy but was what I needed and created a series of successful moments✨

03/26/2024

Canadian friends! I’m hosting a tax session tomorrow with TurboTax and Liv.Rent! Answering your burning tax questions, still time to join! 🇨🇦

Join liv.rent and TurboTax on March 26th, at 11am EST, 2pm PST for an overview of tax filing in Canada, plus tips for landlords and renters.

03/12/2024

Great chat with The Globe and Mail on one of the bigger changes this tax season, the elimination of the flat-rate work from home expenses deduction.

That fancy ergonomic chair and curved monitor, no luck there.

Internet and post-its? Absolutely.

Happy reading.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/personal-finance/taxes/article-does-your-boss-demand-three-days-a-week-in-the-office-you-wont-get/

Nearly four years since the start of ubiquitous hybrid employment, the Canada Revenue Agency has rejigged rules for claiming work-from-home expenses

03/12/2024

Looking forward to co-hosting this tax tips webinar with Liv Rent and TurboTax Canada!

Register now!

Maximize your refund with expert tips from Liv Rent & TurboTax Canada.💰

Gain expert insights into optimizing your tax return!

🎟️Secure your FREE ticket now via the link here: https://link.liv.rent/2ly

02/27/2024

Great chat with Narcity Canada on common mistakes Canadians make on their taxes 💸

Start getting organized early, give yourself time to do things right ✅

Enjoy the read.

If you're getting ready to file your Canada taxes this year, there are quite a few tax mistakes you can make, according to an expert. You might not even know you're making these errors on your tax return and it could cost you money!

02/06/2024

I work with companies of all sizes to create efficiency and scale.

I do this by analyzing their processes and technology.

And people. People playing the largest role in the success of any company.

I review everyone, leadership included. As a leader your job includes ensuring that you aren't inhibiting your teams from doing their jobs well. Achievable by being transparent, reasonable, compassionate and a willing teacher.

At times my recommendations include a change in leadership, it is not a job fit for everyone. Especially those who are bosses and not leaders. There is a very important distinction between the two. When you want to scale and go far, the people at the helm need to be the best fit from TOP to bottom of your org chart.

My latest article for Forbes inspired by an exec who called me "so PC" because I wouldn't verbally accost someone who was struggling with a change we were implementing.

As a leader, are you doing the best you can to support your team?

If being a stronger and more connected leader in 2024 is on your vision board, take the time to reflect on how you might adopt a positive, thoughtful leadership style.

11/10/2023

Happy International Accounting Day to all who celebrate! 🎉

Not in accounting? No problem, send your co-workers some kudos!

Every year that passes, I continue to be so grateful for the choice I made in Grade 11 to pursue a career in accounting. It felt safe, and at that time safety is what I needed to feel.

Every day I get to play in a sandbox that is rich in experience and allows me to continue to develop new skills, sharpen my existing ones, and build a strong network to faciliate much of which I hope to accomplish.

My engagements are all diverse, but always rooted at the intersection of accounting and technology.

I have been working on the development of SOC compliance prcedures and protocols for a few clients.

I continue to implement incredible tools to support automation and digital transformation that allow companies to grow and scale, and as many put it "we couldn't do this right without the oversight of a CPA".

I continue to work on financial literacy initiatives to support my fellow Canadians, particuarly so during one of the most challenging times in modern economic history and dispell the silly notion that women rationalize finance through the lense of "girlmath".

Not all engagements feel good though. The past few months I have had to support 2 clients in offshoring and restructuring projects, ensuring that as I aggregate the information needed for knowledge transfers and systems re-design, that I do so with the grace and courtesy affected team members deserve.

This week I was offered a COO job which was incredibly flattering, but I politely declined.

I don't feel just yet that my work in the arena is done and feel strongly that I can help many from where I sit today.

Happy Friday to all, espcially everyone still closing month-end! (if you are in need of advice on shortening closes, let me know...I have great suggestions for that!)

07/28/2023

Confidence is built. Not given. 💫

I often get asked how I manage to find myself on the receiving end of exciting opportunities.

I am candid when I say there is no luck and there have been no hand-outs and there were plenty of "No's" before the "Yes".

Is it easy to keep trying when you hear a no? Not always.

I have found as I built on those learning opportunities by digging deep and re-assessing myself that my confidence became quieter and naturally manifested into humble self-assurance, active listening, and the ability to gracefully navigate uncertainty. The track record also naturally followed suit.

If you do the work and if you believe in your ideas and more importantly yourself, you will find you have a natural momentum to keep moving forwards despite the minor setbacks.

One of my greatest fears in life is the thought of going backwards. The only way through, for me, is always through the good and the bad and learning the lessons along the way.

I have been contacted by some incredible companies over the past few weeks to work together on some incredible projects, 5 years ago I would have panicked and said no I wasn't ready.

Today, I am all in without more than a second to think about it.

That thing you are scared to say, do or ask for.....do it anyway. It is a gateway to learning.