A Conversation With Don Strom
Don Strom wakes up early every morning, brews a strong cup of coffee, and scans the day’s headlines at his kitchen table. His wife Cindy and daughter Megan often round up the morning’s table-talk, and then he’s off to the land of Maize and Blue. Driving west from his suburban home to the Strom CPA, P.C. firm in Ann Arbor has been a constant for over twenty years.
With Don’s ability to stay on top of the ever-changing world of tax law, industry best-practices, and exacting attention to detail, the firm is known for its service-driven philosophy, integrity, and commitment to engage and listen to its clients. Rising early, staying late when needed, and working more Saturdays than he cares to admit come naturally. Here is a man who is sincere when he extends a firm handshake and seals the promise of work done on time and on budget. This is the foundation on which Strom’s business and enduring success is built on.
Congenial and reserved, he pauses and thinks when pressed about what triggers his drive and motivation. Eyes moving past me, he shifts to a vivid, distant point in his past. He reflects and shares that his dad passed away when he was sixteen—old enough to have learned the value of his father’s work ethic and dedication to family, but far too young to have reached adulthood and professional maturity. Among the lasting legacies that helped mold the man Don became are discipline, a drive for education, and doing more than you are paid to do. He notes that his parents met at Temple Baptist Church in Detroit after his father served in the Army during WW II and Korea and achieved the rank of Sergeant.
Don remarks how years later his son Brandon, a somewhat rebellious youth, charted his own path from community college to a business degree from the University of Michigan and a prestigious Ph.D. from Northwestern University in Chicago. Don shakes his head and smiles with fatherly pride, softly remarking, “I would have never guessed. My Dad also desired higher education and to become a professional, but out of necessity he had to work as a laborer.”
Don’s approach to accounting and his full-service C.P.A. practice is low key, with the manner and compassion of those old-time doctors who make house calls—which he occasional does, meeting at a client’s home or place of business. Among those are medical and dental practices, where he fulfills the unique accounting needs of those professions. He explains that one of his firm’s most critical tasks is to ensure proper insurance billings and collections, allocated profits, and tax compliance.
A firm believer in the merits of continuous education and commitment to giving back to the community, he is a Dave Ramsey Endorsed Local Provider, counseling clients on the practice of sound financial management, saving for the future and achieving the goal of living debt-free. (Ramsey is a bestselling author, nationally syndicated talk show host and founder of Financial Peace University.) Doing some writing himself, Don has republished The Richest Man in Babylon, the classic best-selling book on personal financial growth, which he gladly gives to clients in a ‘pay-it-forward’ model. Always committed to service and mentoring, Don is also a past president of the Detroit Chapter of National Association of Accountants and has held leadership roles in several industry associations throughout his career.
Although the firm has clients as far away as New York and Florida, the focus of his business remains local, and face-to-face. The clients I referenced all speak highly of his integrity, traditional values, professionalism, and adaptability in the increasingly complicated world of public accounting and tax law. The most repeated comment from his clients was, He listens and returns calls promptly. Without prodding, four of the five I spoke with readily commented that they are paying less taxes and making more money since switching to Don’s firm.
His long-term staff learns from his leadership and take their cue from his philosophy that every person must be treated like family. As I observed him talking with several clients on the phone, I noticed that he recognizes each by their voice and knows their name. He’s on top of other small details, including a newly acquired habit of sending birthday messages—a pleasant reminder about the value of relationships.
When asked about growth, change, and plans for the future, Don explains that his practice fills a significant void for those who do not want or need the services of mega firms with multi-tiered staffs and account reps—or the other extreme—franchised tax services, which, similar to home-edition tax software programs, may work for students or people with simple returns. Strom has rejected lucrative buy-out offers by larger companies due to his strong philosophical and professional convictions. Occasionally he buys out smaller firms whose owners are retiring, are run by competently but are too small or don’t have the management skills necessary to run an office efficiently.
As another full day comes to its end and the staff disperses, Strom previews the next day’s projects, organizes his desktop and stands for an extended stretch before heading out. Then, as he always does, he gets an hour’s workout in at a strategically located gym he passes on his drive home. You know where he’ll be tomorrow.
Donald W. Strom can be reached at donald@stromcpa.com or 734.973.0420 for a complimentary initial consultation by appointment and a free copy of The Richest Man in Babylon. If you’re in need of a detailed professional second opinion on a previous year’s tax filings, Don is an invaluable advisor.