Practice Management Intuit® Tax Council Profile: Louise Cochrane Read the Article Open Share Drawer Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) Written by Scott Cytron Modified Jul 31, 2023 2 min read Welcome to another profile in an ongoing series of Intuit® Tax Council member profiles. I sat down with Louise Cochrane, CPA, owner of LF. Cochrane & Associates in Alameda, CA, to learn more about her practice and her commitment to the Tax Council. Scott Cytron: Tell our readers about your practice. Louise Cochrane: I have been a tax-focused CPA for the past 11 years, and seven years prior to that, I had experience in internal audit, audit, and general accounting. I also offer tax advisory services to women who own businesses. SC: How has advisory benefitted your practice? LC: I have greater control of my schedule. The year is more consistent now than when I was strictly offering tax compliance. SC: Your firm’s tagline is “CPA for Women Business Owners.” How did you come to create a practice like this? What was your inspiration? LC: One of the phrases I hate the most is, “A woman needs to have a job like she doesn’t have a family, and have a family like she doesn’t have a job.” This just isn’t true. I am a mom of three and I own a business. There isn’t an exact balance, but I have found ways to make sure when there is a lot of hustle and little chill. I know there will be time very soon when I will have a lot of chill and little-to-no hustle. SC: Why is the the Tax Council important to the profession? LC: Tax Council allows me to be a sounding board, contributor, and collaborator to support my peers and my clients. Intuit ProConnect™ Tax, Lacerte® Tax, and QuickBooks® Online are very powerful tools. I have been using Lacerte since I was 8 years old! SC: What kind of Intuit software do you use right now? LC: ProConnect Tax and QuickBooks Online. SC: What was your very first job? LC: Pre-college, in my dad’s tax practice and HVAC company. My father is a serialpreneur; I learned a lot about running a business ever since I was 8 years old. During college, I had an internship at AIG doing internal audit right when Sarbanes-Oxley was enacted, then after college, I held an auditor position with a firm that specialized in unions, employee benefit plans, and not-for-profits. SC: How can tax professionals keep up with all the changes in tax laws and regulations? LC: Masterminds are amazing. I also lean on the California Society of CPAs and CPE providers to provide education and networking events to keep up to date. SC: f you were stranded on a desert island with access to just one kind of technology, what would it be, and why would you want it? LC: A movie streaming service. I love movies, so as long as I have a favorite beverage and a movie in hand, I am content! Previous Post Intuit® ProConnect™ fuels large firm’s growth Next Post Transitioning our firm to cloud-based tax software Written by Scott Cytron Scott H. Cytron, ABC, is editor of several Intuit blogs, including the Firm of the Future, the QuickBooks blog, and the Tax Pro Center. He is president of Cytron and Company, known for helping companies and organizations improve their bottom line through strategic public relations, communications, marketing programs and top-notch client service. An accredited consultant, Scott works with companies, organizations and individuals in professional services (medical, legal, accounting, engineering), high-tech and B2B/B2C product/service sales. More from Scott Cytron Comments are closed. Browse Related Articles Advisory Services Women’s Small Biz Month: Louise Cochrane Practice Management Offshoring tax and accounting services Practice Management Tax practice resolutions for 2024 Practice Management Intuit® Tax Council member profile: Kristen Keats, CPA Intuit® Accountants News Applications open for 2022 Intuit® Tax Council Intuit® Accountants News Intuit® Tax Council Member Profile: Jamie E. O’K… Intuit® Accountants News Nominations open for 2021 Intuit® Tax Council Advisory Services How do you promote your niche? Intuit® Accountants News ProConnect™ Tax Customer Council Member Profile: Andr… Intuit® Accountants News ProConnect™ Tax Customer Council Member Profile: Chri…