Bryan Kesler, CPA – 2021 20 Under 40 Top Influencer

Entrepreneurial Journey:

• 2010 – PwC Assurance
• 2013 – CitiMortgage Financial Analyst 3) 2013 – Started Blog & CPA Exam Guide Podcast sharing my journey from failing multiple times and losing my first job, to passing the CPA and jump-starting my career.
• 2014 – Retired at the age of 30 from the corporate accounting world to start helping CPA candidates succeed full-time.
• 2015 – Created the world’s first virtual CPA exam mentorship program, Ultimate CPA Exam Guide, to help smart accountants succeed faster.
• 2019-2021 – Ultimate CPA Exam Guide became the official mentorship program of Wiley CPAexcel, UWorld Roger, Yaeger, Universal & Gleim CPA Review.

My mission is to change the world one CPA at a time by providing CPA candidates at firms and universities with personalized CPA exam mentorship, accountability, community, study tutorials, and tutoring.

Favorite books/websites/podcasts/speakers/bloggers that you find influential:

• The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Adversity to Advantage by Ryan Holiday
• “The obstacle in the path (example: passing the CPA exam) becomes the path. Never forget, within every obstacle is an opportunity to improve our condition.”
• Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight (Billionaire, PwC Alum, CPA, and, just like me, met his wife at a zoo)
• “Don’t settle for a profession or even a career. Seek a calling. If you’re following your calling, the fatigue will be easier to bear, the disappointments will be fuel, and the highs will be like nothing you’ve ever felt.”

See all of the 2021 “40 Under 40” honorees.