Compass Claim Solutions — The Public Adjuster Who Advocates For You! 

Lindsay, Shawn, Luke & Kasey Thompson. (Photos provided by Shawn Thompson) 

Wesley Chapel resident Shawn Thompson says that, in general, most people don’t know that people like him even exist. 

Shawn is a licensed public adjuster and the owner of Compass Claim Solutions. 

As a public adjuster, he says his job is to advocate for home and business owners who have suffered a loss that is covered by the insurance company. 

When disaster strikes — whether it’s a fire, water damage, or even a storm or other natural disaster — most people pick up the phone and call the insurance company directly. On the other end of the line is someone who represents what’s in that insurance company’s best interest, not theirs. 

Since the insurance company wants to settle the claim for as little as possible, it makes sense that a homeowner or business owner would want to have someone looking out for their best interest, too. 

That’s why Shawn recommends you pick up the phone and call him first. 

“Hopefully, this is the first and only time you’re ever going to suffer a loss like this,” Shawn explains. “But, I’ve been through this process thousands of times with my clients.” 

Shawn has been a licensed public adjuster since 2015. He started the process of becoming licensed in 2012, by passing a course and working as an apprentice for a year. Prior to that, he spent 10 years in management at CVS pharmacies after his graduation from St. Leo University near Dade City in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Business Management. 

At that time, he says he was ready to make a change to leave CVS, and he had already learned a lot about his brother-in-law’s job as a licensed public adjuster in southeast Florida. Shawn found out that being a public adjuster was something he would be good at and would enjoy. He ended up working for his brother-in-law for several years before starting his own business in 2022. 

In his extensive experience, Shawn says he’s never once looked at a valuation and told the insured party that their insurance company paid them everything they deserved. 

“There’s always something left on the table,” he says. “But, is it $500, $5,000 or even $50,000?” 

That’s what Compass Claim Solutions can figure out for you so you can be confident you’re not missing out. 

Shawn says the best time to call him is as soon as you have to make a claim. In that best-case scenario, he can ensure the entire process is managed properly from start to finish. 

But many times, the way people find out about his services is after the insurance company has considered their claim to be closed and they haven’t received the funds they need to make all of the necessary repairs. He says that’s when they go to the internet to search, “What can I do?” 

Even at that point, Shawn says he is able to step in and make sure the insurance company pays what the homeowner or business owner is entitled to, based on their policy. 

Whether your home has been damaged by flood (above) or fire (below), Compass Claim Solutions can help you get the most money from your insurance company & help if you’ve been told that your loss isn’t covered. 

He says that, just recently, he met with a homeowner who suffered a loss during Hurricane Ian in Sept. 2022 to give them a final payment from their insurance company. Originally, they had only been paid $11,800, but Shawn was able to get the homeowner an additional $128,000. 

In another case, Shawn says one of his happiest customers was a woman whose insurance company valued her roof damage claim at $1,012. After her $1,000 deductible, the check she received was for $12. Shawn was able to get her $13,000, which paid for an entire new roof. 

“Stories like that are the norm in my business,” he says. “My normal recovery if someone calls me supplementally is somewhere between five and 20 times what the insurance company originally paid.” 

He explains that public adjusters in Florida are paid on contingency, meaning they get paid based on what they recover for clients as a percentage of the settlement. While that charge is capped at 20 percent of the payments to the insured, Shawn emphasized that it’s a negotiable fee. 

In fact, he says, if someone finds out about him from the Neighborhood News, he’s happy to provide a discount. He also offers discounts to those who are referred to him by their family and friends. 

His fee is negotiated at the time he is first called out for a completely free, no-obligation consultation. He provides his expert opinion on what he feels the claim is worth, and then the homeowner or business owner can decide whether or not to hire him. 

Compass Claim Solutions client Peggy D’Alessandro experienced flooding from water leaks in both her home and a rental property she owns. Both times, she called Shawn to help her through the process. 

“He was able to identify things that I didn’t know would be a problem,” she says, “like the potential for mold. He was able to look at it from a structural standpoint and tell me that, realistically, if I want this to be back to its original condition, I have to be concerned about drywall, molding, paint and a lot of other things besides just the floors.” 

She says she was worried about whether or not the insurance company would pay all that she needed to make her home whole, so it was a relief to work with a professional who could relate to the insurance company on their terms. “He made the process painless and smooth,” Peggy says, “and I felt like I had someone who had my best interest at heart.” 

Peggy adds that making a claim also is a very time-consuming process. As a busy person, she says knowing Shawn was communicating with the insurance company, filling out the paperwork and handling the negotiation took all of the anxiety out of the situation. 

“Most people who go through something like that have never been through it before,” she says, “plus they’re dealing with the anxiety of their home being in disarray and not knowing when or how they will get paid and if it that payment will cover all of the damage. I would absolutely recommend anyone who has a disaster in their home to work with Shawn. It’s the best decision I could have made.” 

Shawn adds, “No matter how long I work for people, whether it’s two weeks or two years, if I don’t put money in their pocket, I don’t get paid.” 

Shawn and his wife Lindsay have lived in Wesley Chapel since 2010. They have two children, Kasey and Luke, and a dog named Wrigley. 

While he’s local to our area, Shawn is licensed for the entire state of Florida and handles claims as far away as the panhandle. When a storm hits, he often travels to where the damage is so that he can most effectively help the people who need him the most. 

For the past year, Shawn’s brother Travis has been working as an apprentice under him. Travis recently became fully licensed and is now able to handle clients on his own. 

Now that Travis is fully licensed, Shawn is bringing on a new apprentice, Frank Markim. 

Shawn says that if you hire his company, you won’t see any contractors or have any part of the process outsourced. If he starts your claim, he’ll see it through to the end. 

“We have a standard of how we do business and it’s important for us to handle claims from start to finish,” Shawn says. “There’s too much to lose to skip any steps. If you miss one picture, you could miss tens of thousands of dollars.” 

Contact Shawn Thompson at Compass Claim Solutions by calling or texting his cell phone at (352) 502-5928. For more information, visit CompassClaimSolutions.com.

Taylor Gardner Gutters Can Help You Save Your Home’s Foundation! 

Taylor Gardner grew up around gutters, learning his dad Ed’s business. 

One thing he’s learned is that adding gutters is about the least expensive thing homeowners can do to protect the value of their homes, ensuring that Florida’s famous summer downpours don’t destroy their foundations or any aesthetic upgrades. 

“Protecting the foundation of your home is the main purpose of gutters,” Taylor says, “but they also protect your paint and will help your grass and sod last longer. Gutters protect anything on the outside of your house to help it stay in great shape for as long as possible.” 

Without gutters, Taylor says, water is much more likely to settle at the base of your home’s foundation. With that saturation, the water can cause erosion to the side of your home, leading to cracks in the stucco and window ledges, and form unsightly trenches. Water under the home also can cause wood floors in the home to pucker or pop. 

That’s why Taylor Gardner Gutters on Land O’Lakes Blvd. installs and repairs gutters, soffits and fascias, and offers gutter cleaning, which keeps the gutters working properly and in good repair. 

It’s now been about four years since Taylor took over Ed’s company, which was then known as Gardner Gutters. 

Taylor Gardner is proud that his Taylor Gardner Gutters on Land O’Lakes Blvd. is carrying on the legacy of outstanding installation and repairs of gutters, soffits and fascias started by his father Ed and his brother Brandon, both of whom lost battles with cancer. Taylor and his outstanding crew guarantee quality workmanship on installations and repairs (All photos provided by Taylor Gardner) 

Taylor came on board to help his dad after serving in the Marine Corps for nine years, including a tour of duty in Iraq. He had used his experience and his Business Administration (B.A.) degree from Liberty University (in Lynchburg, VA) to start a different career, but came home when his dad needed him. 

The company quickly became Taylor’s responsibility when Ed passed away following a long battle against cancer in 2020. Taylor’s older brother, Brandon, who had decades of experience as an installer, came on board to help. Unfortunately, Brandon was then also diagnosed with cancer and passed away only eight months later. 

So now, Taylor continues the legacies of both his dad and his older brother, and he does it surrounded by a team that would make them both proud. 

“When I started, my dad had 35 years of experience and my brother had more than 20,” says Taylor. “I had some, but not what they did. It’s been hard to lose both of them, but things here have been amazing because I’ve got really great employees.” 

That starts, he says, with Mike Caisco, the company’s field operations manager, who has 40 years of experience in the business and personally inspects every job Taylor Gardner Gutters does once it’s complete. 

“Our installers are great, and we have several who have been with the company more than 15 years,” Taylor explains. “They know exactly what they’re doing.” 

Then, Mike comes to inspect to be sure everything is done the way it’s supposed to be, which means the installers are held accountable to ensure that there’s never any corners cut on any job. 

That’s important to Taylor because his company offers a lifetime warranty on its installations. He says this is something that sets Taylor Gardner Gutters apart from others. 

The company’s policy is that any customer who experiences a warranty issue will have the problem inspected within 24 hours and fixed as soon as possible — no matter how many years it’s been since the gutters were originally installed. 

“I’m confident you’re not going to have a problem,” Taylor says, “but in the event you do, we’re going to show up and take care of it.” 

In addition to the installers and field team, he mentions the fantastic office staff — Allison and Kammie — and great salespeople — Mike and Kenny, who are involved in the community and incredibly knowledgeable. 

Over the last few years, with Taylor running the business, it’s grown to five gutter trucks and four soffit trucks. In addition to helping homeowners, Taylor Gardner Gutters also installs, repairs and cleans gutters for business owners with commercial buildings. The company also works with several homebuilders to install gutters on newly built homes, including many new GL Homes neighborhoods in Wesley Chapel, such as The Ridge, Winding Ridge and Valencia Ridge, and David Weekley Homes throughout the local area. 

Jim Akins just bought a brand new home in Lutz from a builder that did not include gutters. “We knew we needed them before the summer started,” says Jim, a long-time Florida homeowner who is familiar with the problems summer storms can wreak on a home’s foundation. 

“Taylor personally came out and gave us an estimate,” Jim explains. “I asked him all of my questions and found him to be very knowledgeable, professional and courteous. The price was right, so we were very happy with that.” 

Jim says he hired Taylor Gardner Gutters right away and couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome. 

He says the installation crew was focused and meticulous, explaining that they re-measured the whole house before they started, even though Taylor already had measured it as part of the estimate. 

“I highly recommend them,” says Jim. “It was an easy choice.” 

Taylor says that he is proud to continue the legacies of his father and brother by offering top-quality work that makes customers like Jim happy. 

“There are so many days I just wish I could pick up the phone and tell my dad and my brother about what’s happened (with the company),” Taylor says. 

But, since he can’t do that, he’ll continue to run the family business in a way that would make them both proud, and to leave a legacy for his own son — five-year-old Jacob — just like his dad did for him. 

Taylor Gardner Gutters is located at 6202 Land O’Lakes Blvd. (U.S. Hwy. 41) in Land O’Lakes. Its hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, visit TaylorGardnerGutters.com or call (813) 515-0844. 

SETS Brings Successful New Jersey Fitness Concept To New Tampa 

SETS New Tampa Hybrid Training owner Phil Diaz (right) will be working with his clients at his new fitness facility, which is expected to celebrate its Grand Opening in the Pebble Creek Collection on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in New Tampa on Saturday, April 27. (Photos by Charmaine George) 

The only Florida location of SETS Hybrid Training gyms is set to open and host fitness classes by the end of this month. 

Located in the Pebble Creek Collection, less than two miles south of the Pasco/Hillsborough county line on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd.), SETS New Tampa is bringing a successful New Jersey-based fitness concept to New Tampa. 

Owner and New Jersey native Phil Diaz has worked with SETS for the last four years. Phil believes in the concept so much that he left everything behind in his home state to introduce SETS to Florida. 

SETS currently has 12 locations, including three corporate locations in Jersey. All of the other locations are franchises, including seven in the Garden State, one in Murfreesboro, TN, and the new one in New Tampa. 

“It’s a growing company that has only been around since about 2015,” says Diaz. “It’s super successful.” 

He says that with a caveat, though. SETS isn’t growing quite as fast as some other franchises and he says that’s because all franchise owners also are required to be on-site managers. 

That means owners, including Phil, have to be in the gym ensuring that members get what they need, and the facility is more than just a moneymaker for some off-site investor. 

That fits with the SETS philosophy, which emphasizes relationships among those who work out together. 

“The biggest thing we do that is different is that we’re very big into community,” says Phil. 

That’s why SETS New Tampa will be hosting a happy hour every month for members, an annual Christmas party and organize teams to participate in local events, such as Spartan (obstacle course)races. 

“It’s super competitive,” Phil says of SETS and its members, “but it’s fun as well. It’s more than just working out.” 

The community is bigger than just the gym members, too. Phil says public servants, such as those who work for fire and police departments, in health care, education, and active duty and military veterans receive discounts on membership. 

Of his decision to move to our area, Phil says, “It was the greatest decision of my life. I love this place. It’s amazing.” 

In scoping out Florida locations to grow SETS, he considered many options, including Clearwater and St. Petersburg. 

“New Tampa was the choice because we fell in love,” he says. “Looking at the demographics, we see the growth in this area and love how everything in (nearby) Wesley Chapel is new.” 

While he recognizes the New Tampa location isn’t convenient for many Wesley Chapel residents, he hopes to open a total of three locations in the first three years he’s here, so people in our reading area who don’t feel they live close enough to the New Tampa SETS may end up with a location closer to them in the near future. 

Fitness For Everyone 
Owner Phil Diaz says he is confident that SETS Hybrid Training will be as popular with New Tampa and Wesley Chapel residents as it was with those who worked out with him at SETS in New Jersey.

SETS offers its group fitness classes several times a day. Each class is completely different, so you’ll never be bored. Free weights and machines are used in the group fitness setting. 

“Many people get intimidated because they think it’s just for a certain type of athlete or for fitness gurus,” Phil explains. “But, we’re literally for everyone. Some of our members are college athletes, others just got out of surgery or are in their 60s and haven’t been in a gym before.” 

To be able to accommodate people at every level, Phil and other coaches are always happy to demonstrate modifications for every exercise or movement. There’s always an advanced way for serious athletes to perform each exercise, Phil says, and a safer way for beginners and those who are rehabbing an injury. 

“Some people always get nervous trying it out,” Phil explains of SETS, “but I want them to feel relief because we are always happy to scale it down so they can feel comfortable.” 

Once you join SETS, classes are booked through the SETSBuilt app. Each class lasts 50-55 minutes, and Phil promises that the sessions “sell themselves.” 

“Every day is totally different,” he explains. “We change the movement up so it’s never the same. It could be leg day, full body day, or chest day, but it’s always a good mix of strength and cardio.” 

Many Membership Options 

SETS New Tampa offers a number of different types of memberships, but Phil says most members choose the unlimited classes option. He says the majority of members will take three to five classes each week, while some work out every day and others only take one or two classes a week. 

“You come whenever you’re available,” Phil says. “All you have to do is go on the app and save yourself a spot.” 

Phil wants you to come in and try it out, so he offers specials for those who just want to give it a try. Give him a call or stop in at the location to learn more about free trial classes. 

One major perk of SETS New Tampa is that there are no long-term contracts. Each membership is paid on a monthly basis and only a 30-day notice is required if you decide you need to cancel. 

The SETS New Tampa Grand Opening will be held on Saturday, April 27, featuring a number of vendors, classes and a ribbon cutting ceremony. 

Since it hadn’t opened yet when this issue went to press, no members of the New Tampa SETS were ready to tell us about their experience yet. However, there are SETS members in New Jersey who miss Phil and hope that people in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area will take advantage of the opportunity to join SETS and work out with him. 

Brianna Schoeneberg is a SETS member in Barnegat, NJ. She says she first met Phil a couple years ago when he started working at the SETS gym where she trains. 

“I’ve been working out for about 10 years now,” she says, “and he’s been one of the best. The energy is always high and any type of modification you need, he has it. And he’s literally one of the friendliest guys ever.” 

Brianna says that when she travels, she visits lots of different gyms but she always prefers to come back to her home gym. 

“It’s more about community and your personal goals,” Brianna says. “Every coach is positive and high energy, and the classes are never the same.” 

Brianna says she loves the hybrid training format and that it works for all fitness levels. Club members are a strong community, but include a wide variety of ages and abilities. 

Brianna thinks Phil will be able to bring the same positivity, energy, and focus on community to SETS New Tampa. 

“Everyone here loved him but we’re super happy for him on the journey’s he’s taking,” Brianna says. “It’s a big thing to move from Jersey to Florida to start something new, but it’s pretty cool that he’s taking it to Tampa. I feel like everyone there is lucky to have him, because we miss him here in Jersey.” 

Phil is excited to be able to offer pre-opening members of SETS New Tampa a “Founder’s Rate” of just $129 per month for unlimited classes, with no enrollment fee, and free classes until the end of April. 

He notes that the Founder’s Rate is for unlimited classes, although SETS New Tampa also does offer other membership levels for those who don’t necessarily want or need unlimited sessions. 

SETS New Tampa Hybrid Training is located at 19651 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Suite E-6, in the Pebble Creek Collection. For more information, visit SETSBuilt.com, @sets_newtampa on Instagram, “SETS NEW TAMPA” on Facebook.

Get Beautiful Smiles & Skin At Sana Dental Studio + Med Spa 

Dr. Sana Yusuf (in blue) has always wanted her Sana Dental Studio + Med Spa off Old Pasco Rd. in the Promenade at Lexington Oaks plaza to offer a fun, relaxing, more-spa-like atmosphere than the average dental office. (Photos courtesy of Sana Dental Studio + Med Spa)

Sana Yusuf, D.M.D., is the first to admit that everyone — including her — hates going to the dentist. 

Even though she has worked her whole life to become a dentist — starting with her first job in a dental office at age 16 — Dr. Sana, as most everyone calls her, says even she gets a little squirmy in the dentist’s chair. 

So, when she became a dentist herself, while dreaming about opening her own practice, she instead wanted it to be a place everyone loves to go — like a spa. 

That’s why Sana Dental Studio + Med Spa, located in the Promenade at Lexington Oaks plaza (just off Wesley Chapel Blvd. at Old Pasco Rd.), feels much more like a spa from the moment you walk in. 

“My goal is to make more people more comfortable at the dentist,” Dr. Sana says. “People walk in and say they don’t feel like they are in a dental office, and that’s always been my goal.” 

While she says it was never her intention to open an actual spa, the whole atmosphere of her dental office is so spa-like, that patients kept asking her to provide spa treatments. She decided to roll with it, becoming the first dental office in the Tampa Bay area that also is an aesthetic med spa. 

And, while she originally opened that Wesley Chapel office just two years ago (in March 2022), it already has undergone a major expansion, with the med spa part of the business growing — and moving — into its own adjacent space in the same plaza last fall. Today, Sana Dental Studio + Med Spa’s dental and aesthetic patients each have their own entrance, while the offices remain connected inside. 

This boutique dental studio offers everything you would expect at a general dentist’s office — cleanings, X-rays, exams, fillings, crowns, as well as cosmetic dentistry services such as teeth whitening and veneers. Dr. Sana also can straighten your teeth using Invisalign® aligners. 

She says her office’s unique emphasis bridges the gap between cosmetic dentistry and facial aesthetics, offering “smile makeovers” for the most beautiful teeth and skin. 

“People today have concerns that traditionally would have required cosmetic surgery,” she says. “But now, we have nonsurgical ways to address those concerns and naturally enhance each person’s beauty.” 

Dr. Sana’s approach to cosmetic dentistry is similar to her philosophy for aesthetic procedures. 

“I don’t want anyone to know you had crowns or veneers done,” she says. “We can make your teeth brighter and whiter, if that’s what you want, but it should still look natural.” 

Dr. Sana graduated Summa Cum Laude — in only three years and at the age of 20 — with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Biology from the University of Detroit Mercy (MI). She earned her Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.) degree four years later from Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine in Downers Grove, IL. 

After earning her D.M.D. degree, Dr. Yusuf joined the U.S. Army as an Active Duty Captain and worked as a general dentist. She is an honored recipient of the Army Commendation Medal. 

She, her husband, and three children live in Wesley Chapel. Dr. Sana is invested in her community, where she has served as the president of the Board of Directors at Sunrise of Pasco County, a center for victims of domestic and sexual abuse. 

Dr. Sana says she wants to bring back the concept of a family dentist. 

“Growing up, everyone went to the same dentist,” she says. “The dentist knew everything about your family, your kids and grandkids. I want you to bring your whole family here.” 

Dr. Sana sees patients of all ages, including babies as young as six months. She says as soon as babies get their first tooth, you should bring them to the dentist. At that age, she checks to make sure development is appropriate and focuses on educating parents on how to care for their children’s teeth. 

Glenda Torres was one of Sana Dental Studio’s first patients and now brings her entire family to the practice. She, her husband and their two kids, plus her brother and his wife see Dr. Sana. Glenda says she’s referred friends to the practice, as well. 

“Everything is amazing,” she says. “It’s beautiful. I love the aesthetics, like the chandeliers, and the women there are phenomenal. They know me by name and ask about my family. It’s so nice to have a familiar feel when you walk in.” 

Glenda says the friendliness extends outside the doors of the dental office, as well.“I see Dr. Sana and her family out and about,” Glenda says. “They’re people from the neighborhood.” 

Sana Dental Studio + Med Spa is unlike any other dentist office Glenda has been to, she says. She looks forward to her appointments and enjoys going to special events at the office. “I missed the ‘Galentine’s Day’ event, but I went to ‘Friendsgiving,’” Glenda says. “It’s like girl time, hangout time. They have cocktails and mocktails, plus representatives there to talk with you about what your next skin care treatment might be, so it’s a great way to get information.” 

Med Spa Services 
If you have pigmentation, freckles, uneven skin tone or rosacea, try the Lumecca IPL treatments at Sana Dental Studio + Med Spa.

Dr. Sana says she keeps adding to the array of aesthetic services on the office’s aesthetic side, which now offers Botox®, fillers, microneedling, hydrafacials, laser skin resurfacing and laser hair removal, all provided by aesthetic nurse practitioners under Dr. Sana’s guidance. Facials are performed by licensed aestheticians. 

For those who want ongoing care for their skin, the med spa recently began offering unique “Sana Squad” memberships, with discounts for members. For a low monthly membership fee (or, you may pay in advance for 11 months and get one month free), members receive special access to discounted rates, first priority to new services and perks such as entries into giveaways. 

Whether you’re looking for a dentist, an aesthetician, or both, Dr. Sana says her small business offers an educated staff that is dedicated to giving their patients a high-quality experience. She is proud that her business is veteran-owned, woman-owned, and minority-owned. 

Dr. Sana says while her décor is very spa-like and relaxing (photo above), her personality is not. She likes to have fun and hopes you’ll enjoy the experience at her dental studio, too. 

“People don’t like the dentist,” she says, “but if you like me as a person, maybe that can help overcome your fear of going to the dentist.” 

Dr. Sana also has appeared on the “Bloom” and “Daytime” shows on WFLA-TV News Channel 8. 

Sana Dental Studio + Spa (5728 Post Oak Blvd.) is open Mon.-Thur., 9 a.m.-5 p.m., for general dentistry. Additional hours are available for aesthetic services by appointment. Upcoming events include a Mother’s Day event in May and a “Moms’ Night Out” in July or August. For more info & reservations, call (813) 694-2278, visit SanaDentalStudio.com. 

David Cruz Marks Two Decades Of Serving Clients With His DC Accounting 

With tax season in full swing, David Cruz invites you to find out more about his DC Accounting Services, P.A., located off U.S. Hwy. 41 in Lutz. (Photo by Charmaine George) 

David Cruz says that when he was a little boy in Puerto Rico, he always liked math. While other kids wanted to be firefighters, he says his dream was to become an accountant. 

When David was 17, he joined the U.S. Army and served more than 20 years before retiring in 2000 from Fort Knox in Kentucky as a master sergeant. 

Wanting to live somewhere warm that reminded him of Puerto Rico, he moved to the Tampa Bay area and, at 38 years old, he was ready to start a new career. 

That’s when he first started working to make his childhood dream come true. 

David finished the last couple of classes he needed for a Bachelor’s degree at Hillsborough Community College, then went on to complete his Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree at Nova Southeastern University, based in Ft. Lauderdale. Then, he decided to complete two more Master’s degrees — a Master of Accounting (MACC) and then a Master of Taxation (MTAX), both also from Nova Southeastern. 

While going to school, David worked at AutoZone and took a side job working in accounting to learn the trade. After a couple of years, he began to pick up his own clients. 

In 2003, he decided to open DC Accounting, P.A., as a full-time career, leaving his other jobs and focusing full time on his own clients. 

Today, he’s been serving his community in accounting, taxation, and budgeting for more than two decades. 

As an enrolled agent of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), David holds the highest credential awarded by the IRS. He says he didn’t pursue becoming a certified public accountant (CPA), because his education more than qualifies him to work with local individuals and small businesses. CPAs are generally required to have a four-year degree and an additional two years of accounting experience, but David has surpassed those qualifications. In addition, David says CPAs can sign off on financial statements for large publicly traded companies, but that’s not something he needs to do in his practice. 

“I even do taxes for some CPAs,” David says. “Like lawyers, they have their own concentrations, such as forensic, corporate, accounts payable or accounts receivable. They don’t do everything I do.” 

David says he focuses on small businesses and their needs — in areas such as bookkeeping, income taxes, audits, sales tax and workers’ compensation. He even helps businesses with licenses and zoning, including when site plans and surveys are needed. That includes representing his clients before the county when zoning and licensing hearings are held. 

In addition, he handles personal taxes for small business owners and individuals. 

“I don’t tell people, ‘I don’t do that,’” he says. “If I don’t know how to do something, I go and learn it and make it happen for my clients.” 

He often represents clients who are faced with an IRS audit or if they owe money. He says he has even gone to court for his clients. “I’ll do anything for my clients,” he says, “anything that’s legal.” 

Back in the early days — 20 years ago — David was newly divorced and working out of his home. He said his staff worked in spare bedrooms upstairs. His living room served as his reception area and his clients were welcome to help themselves to water from his kitchen. 

In 2008, he opened an office in Lutz, where he practiced for nearly 15 years. 

In 2022, he purchased a larger building on Crystal Grove Blvd., renovated it and moved in. He says the office has room to grow, and he shares the space with the other business he and his wife Cindy co-own, the popular restaurants Rice N Beans Puerto Rico and Rice N Beans Express. 

David and Cindy were married in 2017, blending their families. David has three adult children from a previous marriage, while Cindy has two who are now 16 and 19. The couple also has adopted a child, who is now 10. 

When they married, Cindy owned two food trucks. David says she would get up every day at 3 a.m. and work until 9 p.m., seven days a week. They sold the trucks and opened Rice N Beans Puerto Rico (which is now located on Wesley Chapel Blvd. in Wesley Chapel), and the newer Rice N Beans Express on S.R. 54 in Lutz. 

“Cindy handles all of the operations,” David explains. “She runs Rice N Beans, manages the people, comes up with ideas, does the marketing. I handle the books, do the budget, the forecasting — all of the money.” 

The building they share has offices for Cindy and for her assistant to run the restaurants, while DC Accounting has offices for David and his staff, which includes an office manager, bookkeeping manager, two bookkeepers and a receptionist. 

“My staff is a great staff,” David says. “They all do their jobs very well.” 

He says the staff works together to ensure that every client’s problems are dealt with in a timely manner. David says the company’s policy is that every question is answered within 24 hours. 

“I’m available for my clients 24/7,” he says. “They can call my cell phone and if they have issues or questions after five p.m. or on the weekend, they can reach me.” 

He says his favorite part of the job is the challenges that arise. “When I’m dealing with clients’ problems, their problems become my problems,” he says, “and I have to solve those problems.” 

Carmen Vazquez from Lights & More in Carrollwood says her business has been working with David for about six years. The family-owned business hired DC Accounting to handle all of its company accounting and the owners’ personal accounting, as well. 

“They take care of everything that is required for the federal and state level,” says Carmen. “David takes a very personal approach. He’s always available, always makes us feel welcome when we come in to his office, and always returns our calls.” 

She says the most important thing to her is knowing that David and his staff’s personal values align with her own. 

“The key word is trust,” she says. “We’re giving all this personal and business information to another person, so the trust has to be solid. We only want to work with someone who thinks about ethics as a priority, and that’s David.” 

DC Accounting (219 Crystal Grove Blvd., Lutz), is open Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.- 5 p.m., and after hours by appointment. For more info, call (813) 345-8503, visit DCAccountingPA.com. Be sure to mention the ad or this story for a 10% discount on personal tax preparation for 2023.