Meet the Reach CPA Team - Carolyn

Even though our main office is located in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Reach CPA is a virtual firm with staff offering cloud-based accounting to clients situated across BC.

It can be hard to meet everyone and get to know them, so we decided to have each team member answer a few questions to give people an idea of just who is on the other side of that email or phone call.

Carolyn Barber

How long have you been working at Reach CPA?

I started working at Reach in October of 2022, so I’m the newest team member.

What does your role entail?

I’m the Office Manager - I handle all the administrative tasks. I answer the phone and communicate with clients, taking payments and helping them get answers to any questions they may have.

I am also the marketing assistant, so I handle the creation and posting of content for our website and social media accounts (Twitter, Instagram and Linked in).

What is your favourite thing about living in the Comox Valley?

I love how friendly and easy-going people in the Valley are. I’m originally from Ontario, and my family’s lifestyle would raise a lot of eyebrows back home-we hunt, fish, raise a lot of our food and homeschool our kids. Here, if people don’t do those things themselves, they at least think it’s cool that we do, they don’t think it’s weird at all.

What do you enjoy most about working at Reach CPA?

Reach doesn’t just say that they value family - they prove it.

One afternoon in my first week of working here, my husband called and told me my son had hit his head and, though he was fine, he probably needed stitches. When I told (my boss) Fabien he said one word: “GO”. The next day, I discovered my daughter’s cat had died. Again, Fabien was wholly understanding and encouraged me to take the rest of the day off to go be with my family. I felt uneasy leaving work early twice in a row so soon after starting a new job, but the only thing anyone else on the team was concerned about was how my children were doing.

The team at Reach is a great group of people that have been welcoming and always willing to help or answer any questions I have. The clients that I have dealt with so far have all been fantastic as well. I felt comfortable starting a new role in a different career field.

Do you have any hidden talents?

Other than sarcasm, which I'm not sure is really a talent. I’d have to say that I’m surprisingly strong. I grew up working on a horse farm and I love physical labour. I think that because I'm a pretty small person, it surprises people when I’m able to lift a lot and spend all day happily digging holes.

Thanks for sharing Carolyn!

To learn more about the rest of our team check out their interviews here: Fabien, Naomi, Glenn, Joanna, Paul.