Michele L. Ostrowski: Owner of Tholborn & Ostrowski Accounting
“Accounting and paying taxes aren’t exactly known for being interesting tasks, but somehow they are to me, because of the people I am helping.”
– Michele I. Ostrowski
Twenty-two years ago, Michele Ostrowski, owner of Tholborn & Ostrowski Tax and Consulting Services, found her way into the profession when she answered an ad in the Stockton Record for an office manager/receptionist position in the office of Howard Crane, CPA. She immediately excelled in handling the responsibilities and soon discovered an inherent talent for managing the numbers and details of the bookkeeping department.
Recognizing her unusual aptitude, Howard urged her to go to school and become formally educated in the business. In addition to attending classes Michele continued seeing to the bookkeeping, managing the front desk and fielding questions from clients about various aspects of their finances. She began to notice a pattern. “I saw how terrified people were to go see their accountants. I found I was adept at explaining things to people and helping them feel better,” she recalled. It’s an aspect of her career that still brings Michele fulfillment and satisfaction.
With a master’s degree in accounting and finance, Michele regularly consults with companies, helping them to make plans and decisions as a CEO or CFO would. “Smaller businesses can’t afford a $200,000 per year CEO, but they can afford to consult with someone who has that same ability,” she explained. Michele also helps people set up businesses, guiding them and ensuring they avoid pitfalls. “Ninety-five percent of the time an LLC isn’t what people assume it is,” she cautioned. “Wherever a government filing is required, that’s what we do.”
In fact, the services at Tholborn & Ostrowski are so diverse and sophisticated that a visit to the company website is advised. She’s not one to gatekeep useful information, so the FAQs provide important answers to a vast number of questions. Said Michele, “I believe in my clients, their ideas and their goals. My clients can trust me with whatever they are going through. If you lose a family member, we are here, like a life preserver, and we will help you navigate those hard times. We will get through it together.”
Michele recalled a woman whose story is just a small-scale example of how she helps people overcome financial stress and overwhelm. “This woman’s husband had died and she desperately needed help settling his estate. She had been to a tax preparer whose calculations resulted in a huge tax consequence of over $100,000. A friend then put her in touch with me. Once I reviewed the numbers and organized them properly, it solved the problem and resulted in a substantial tax refund. She has been a client ever since.”
Howard Crane always knew that when he retired, his protegee, Michele, would be the perfect person to take care of his long-term clients. “In 2014, after ten years of working together, knowing these clients one on one and overseeing every aspect of their tax and financial needs, I took over the business and that transition went very smoothly,” she shared. Michele makes a point to speak to women’s groups about finance, business and taxes because she knows all too well that this male-dominated field has not always made room for women.
Michelle is warm and caring with a down-to-earth demeanor, and her calling involves much more than numbers, tax law and business building. She tells her clients, “I’m great at what I do and I want to free you up to go do what you’re great at. It’s more of a partnership instead of just a business relationship. When my clients can stop worrying about taxes and finances and get back to doing what they love, that’s when I know I’ve done my job.”
4525 Quail Lakes Dr., Suite B, Stockton, CA 95207 · (209)478-9616 · mloaccounting.com
