Growing up in Venice, Louisiana William Taylor always knew he would have a career in accounting. He set his sights on opening his own firm in high school. He had a plan to begin working at a firm after college, learn as much as he could, and, eventually, open his own firm. His plan proved to be paying off when he came to Columbus and ended up starting his own firm, Taylor CPA & Associates. Though he faced obstacles with the beginning of his establishment, Taylor did not allow that to stop him from reaching his goal, “A big obstacle was getting people to trust in the firm. The goal was not to be just a stereotypical black firm. The goal was to operate as a firm that just happened to be owned by someone who is black,” said Taylor.  Having been open for over 20 years, Taylor wants to continue to grow and expand his offices.