An Accountant Who's Seen What Bad Books Cost
Three years in audit, more in financial due diligence, now spent helping small business owners in the Valley avoid the same mistakes.
Most accountants find out something's wrong after the damage is already done. Edmond spent his career watching problems form in the deal room, before they became disasters, and built Athena to catch them for small business owners early instead.
He Watched Deals Die Over Books Nobody Was Watching
8 years in accounting taught Edmond what happens when nobody catches a problem early enough to fix it.
Edmond spent close to three years in audit at a top-15 regional accounting firm, then moved into financial due diligence and M&A transaction advisory. That work put him in the room when deals were being decided, for real estate, construction, and fashion clients, including a stint on the Alo Yoga account before it moved to a Big Four firm.
He saw the moment a deal fell apart because the numbers didn't hold up. Two million dollars in receivables that had quietly gone uncollected, discovered too late to fix before the buyer walked. Nobody had been watching closely enough to catch it in time.
He'd already seen a version of this from the other side, closer to home. His brother-in-law's business missed LLC fee deadlines and estimated tax payments, the kind of thing an accountant is supposed to catch before it becomes a problem. Every business owner Edmond has talked to personally has the same complaint about their accountant: too busy, too slow to respond, too many clients to pay real attention to any one of them.
That's the gap Athena is built to close. Not a bigger firm with a fancier deal room. A smaller one that answers the phone.
What You Can Count On
Six Things We Hold Ourselves To
Not a wall plaque. A description of how we work every single month.
Responsiveness
Every message gets a same-day reply. We don't let people wonder if we got it.
Proactivity
We flag the LLC fee, the estimated payment, the S-Corp decision, before it becomes urgent, not after.
Clarity
We explain what the numbers mean, not just what they say. Nobody should need a translator for their own business.
Follow-Through
Once something's in motion, it gets finished. Nothing sits half-done waiting to become a problem.
Consistency
The relationship runs all twelve months, not just the six weeks around a deadline.
Honesty
We say what we can do today, not what we're hoping to become.
What Makes This Different
Not a Bigger Firm, a More Available One
That complaint isn't about one bad accountant, it's close to universal. Overloaded firms take on more clients than they can properly serve, then become too stretched to say no to any of them. Athena is built to be the exception.
Year-Round, Not Just Tax Season
We're here every month of the year, not just the six weeks before a deadline.
Built on Real Deal-Room Experience
8 years in audit and financial due diligence means Edmond has seen firsthand what happens when the books aren’t ready, for a loan, a sale, or the IRS.
One Relationship, Not Three Vendors
Bookkeeping, tax preparation, and tax planning all run together under one roof, so nothing gets lost in the handoff.