Christian Onyemem is the owner of Cocpa, a dynamic consulting firm that specializes in business management, auditing, and comprehensive accounting services.
Many years ago, Onyemem’s father, who is Nigerian, met his mother (a native of Pensacola, Florida), and the two relocated to Houston, Texas.
“Houston is a good place to raise a family,” says Onyemem, a Texan through and through.
“Myself and my CPA firm embody those timeless Texas ethics, where we do things the right way, and treat people with that revered Southern hospitality.”
After high school, Onyemem enrolled at Stephen F. Austin for his undergrad, before later finishing his master’s degree at Prairie View A & M.
All those years in a classroom taught Onyemem something, just not much about actual business.
“Truthfully, I didn’t learn that much about this industry in school. I learned so much more from my father and brother, who are both entrepreneurs,” says Onyemem, whose father and brother run a mental health facility that works directly with the government and insurance companies to offer care to patients.
Upon graduating from college, Onyemem didn’t immediately immerse himself in entrepreneurship.
To learn the nuances of the accounting world, he spent time at three different firms, and once he acquired enough experience to feel comfortable venturing out on his own, he pivoted and founded Cocpa.
“I believe going to school was a way to gain entry into those firms,” Onyemem reveals.
“That stretch at other companies was ultimately essential for allowing me to take the next steps and start my own firm.”
For context, starting your own CPA firm is no easy endeavor.
Most CPAs prefer to settle into the predictable grind of working for someone else, earning a living in an industry where there is never a shortage of individuals and businesses who are looking to navigate the complexities of the tax code.
But Onyemem wanted to do things differently.
He didn’t like the environments that were fostered at bigger firms, and the prospect of earning more money than he otherwise would as a W-2 was more than enough incentive to lure him into the sea of entrepreneurship.
“I didn’t like the culture of the big tax firms, and so when I started my firm, I told my team two things,” Onyemem says.
“One: I want to get you out of the office and back home to your family quicker, and two: I want to pay you as much money as I possibly can.”
In the upper echelons of the tax world, the typical compensation structure of a six-figure salary, health insurance, and investment opportunities is enough to keep even the most ambitious tax professional satisfied.
At the same time, it’s not uncommon for those working for established companies to become burnt out, the demands of clients, particularly in tax season, often the source for an abundance of stress.
Looking to differentiate Cocpa from the rest of its contemporaries, Onyemem opted to pursue a different setup, one where employees wouldn’t be pushed to the brink, and where they didn’t need to sacrifice their outside life in order to earn a comfortable salary.
“Working less hours and earning more money is typically considered impossible, but I have always wanted to attract talent that works efficiently and values their time,” explains Onyemem, who isn’t trying to rewrite the way the tax industry operates, but rather foster an environment that prioritizes consistency and intentionality over ruthless intensity.
“The biggest reason I want to do that is because if that is the mentality that my team operates by, then they’re going to take that same approach with our clients.”
Eight years after starting Cocpa, Onyemem may be onto something, but at its core his company continues to thrive not only by doing the right thing, but also by ensuring that their clientele continues to receive value year over year.
“We keep growing because we follow a core set of principles that are designed around delivering as much actionable information to our clients as possible,” the former Stephen F. Austin grad proclaims.
Much of what Onyemem is discussing revolves around not just simply filing taxes for his clients, but also thoroughly examining the numbers and sitting down with clients to try to find ways to reallocate their money instead of simply writing a big check to the government.
Since many of his clients are small business owners who work in contracting, real estate, and oil/gas, any money that Onyemem and his team can save their clients by taking the extra step could result in exponential growth for their clients.
“We actually give a damn,” Onyemem bluntly states when asked what makes his firm unique.
“Unlike at other places, we’re not just going to tell our client that they owe the government $40,000. Instead, we’re going to meet with them and show them why they owe that much money, and then from there we can consult them on different ways to reallocate that capital and ultimately save money on taxes.”
In essence, where other firms are content to file and move on, Onyemem wants to take a more proactive approach.
“Again, a lot of companies will just file and tell their client how much money they owe. Truthfully, I’ve thought about doing that because it saves time, but then I quickly realize that that’s not in the best interest of my clients,” Onyemem openly shares.
“But that’s also why our firm is so insistent upon taking that extra time to meet with the client, because you just never know how you can save someone money simply from having a conversation.”
Adds Onyemem, the spirit of what he does on full display:
“We work with American business owners. That $40,000 that they are looking at owing on taxes is a big deal. That money can be used to hire another employee, and that new hire could generate hundreds of thousands of dollars more revenue for their bottom line. So yes, to some firms they look at that $40,000 and don’t feel compelled to work with their clients any further because they think they have done their job, but that money, to me, can be used so much better, and that’s the type of value I know our clients will benefit from receiving.”
And it’s not like current and prospective clients need to pay a premium to get exceptional service from Onyemem and the team at Cocpa.
In the Houston market, their fees are considered to be on par with that of their competitors.
“If a potential client tells me that our price is too high, I often direct them to Google, and it will soon become apparent that we’re right there with everyone else on price,” Onyemem says.
“Now, some of our clients who are grossing more than $1 million in revenue end up paying higher fees, simply because their returns are more comprehensive, but for that individual or business owner who is doing less than $1 million, we’re going to give them an excellent service at a fair price.”
With eight employees already mirroring the same philosophies Onyemem has spent nearly a decade fortifying, Cocpa appears primed to grow, both in terms of talent acquisition and development.
“We’re always encouraging our staff to earn more accreditations and licenses because that will help them serve our clients better, and I can then pay them more money because they become more qualified,” says Onyemem, who in the coming years wants to increase revenue, without hedging on the key tenets of his operation.
“We want to expand our staff and our clients, but we’re not looking for just anyone who can boost our bottom line. We want the right people coming into our culture, and we want the right clients too.”
Adds Onyemem:
“The culture that I’ve cultivated over the last eight years won’t be sustainable if I’m just growing for the sake of growing. Therefore, I want to be very specific and diligent with how we evolve.” QS
**
Today’s post is sponsored by Tiffany Daly of WIIN Insurance Agency!
On the personal side, Tiffany writes policies for home, auto, and umbrella insurance.
For commercial insurance, WIIN writes policies for general liability, worker’s comp, commercial auto, umbrella, and cybersecurity.
Tiffany and WIIN are currently licensed in six states, including: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Florida, Arizona, North Dakota, and Oklahoma.
To receive your free insurance estimate, call Tiffany today at (612)505-3329!
quentinsuper.com 
Leave a comment