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James Imel

Chief Executive Officer
Entertainment Investment Producers, LLC
Oklahoma City, OK

 

Is it possible to be a CPA while pursuing other interests at the same time? Ask James Imel. He combines client work with personal development not only in the same career, but often in the same day.

Here’s his standard schedule: One hour of nonprofit or personal side business development. An hour of administrative work. The rest of the day, usually between six and ten hours, goes to the clients.

So what kind of extra stuff does James work on in that hour of personal time? He might be developing a sketch or a song for the live family/musical show he executive produces. “Fabulous Friday Night Follies Featuring the Lost Episodes of Okra Oklahoma” opened in July of 2009. Getting the show up and running drew on everything he knows as a CPA, business major and writer.

It must feel good to see all your skills put to good use, especially when it results in something nobody’s ever seen before. James loves that feeling, and he gets it just as frequently helping clients find venture capital and stay ahead of regulations as he does with audiences.

“When I’m asked to attend a meeting as a CPA, what I contribute is usually critical,” he says. “And there’s no one else in the room that can do it.”

Got questions of your own? Ask a CPA.