The Launch Box Life with Naila Esquivel

At The Launch Box, we are entrepreneurs serving entrepreneurs, but we took very different journeys to get here. In this series, readers will learn more about how we each live #thelaunchboxlife every day.

Naila spent the last five years in public accounting. Her experience in both tax and audit helped pave the way to understanding an overall view of financial structures within several industries. She enjoys providing insight into intercompany relationships, cost-benefit analytics, and strategic relationships with financial and business leaders.

Explain your career path—how did you become a Portfolio Analyst?

My initial thought going into college was that I would be an attorney because I knew I wanted to help others while continuously learning and asking questions. After taking my first accounting course I found a knack for numbers and figured I would put two and two together. I found the finance and accounting world to be challenging and ever-changing.

I started my first internship working at a Big 4 accounting firm in tax but soon found that I wanted to be part of a smaller organization where I could get more in-depth and grow my skills faster. In my next role in a smaller firm, I was able to get involved with high-level clients from the start. Preparing returns, learning new tax laws, finding resources, and standardizing spreadsheets were at the top of my to-do list.

However, I soon realized how much I enjoyed working with people and began recruiting and training new employees, organizing team training, and even helping establish procedures during an acquisition transition period. The connections I made with the team and my clients during those experiences were my favorite part. So although I liked tax, I knew I wanted to have a front-facing role and made the switch to audit.

Auditing exposed me to different industries, complex company organizations, and a new realm of analytics, and allowed me to work with people of all levels. It wasn’t until Lauren Darby reached out and I was offered an opportunity to work for The Launch Box that I left public accounting. Being a portfolio analyst here involves my favorite parts of my career and has really helped round out my experience!

Can you describe your personal self?

I would describe myself as a passionate person. Whether that’s with my family, friends, or work life. I feel that I’ve always brought a level of passion to the people and things I care about most. 

What are your top personal values and how do you apply those to your work?

As I’ve described myself as a passionate person, this is one of my top values. Holding a level of care, desire, and determination to fix issues and create solutions I’ve found leads to better results.

I also value integrity in leadership. There are many learning and teaching moments in my work and finance can come with grey areas. It’s important to have respectful leaders that hold a strong set of morals not only for yourself but also for those that you will lead in the future.

Why did you choose to come to The Launch Box?

When interviewing for this role, Bill Poston asked me what it would take to leave my current position. The question had nothing to do with compensation but more to do with lifestyle.

I chose The Launch Box for the opportunity to learn and work with different successful leaders, own my own role in an autonomous environment, and to use the skillset I had built up over the years. This role was unlike anything I had ever done but was everything I had been working for. Since accepting, it has offered me those opportunities and opened much more!  

What is a common misconception you hear about accountants?

If you’ve ever seen an H&R Block commercial during tax season, then you have a good idea of how accountants are typically viewed – not very social and a bit nerdy with a “Type A” personality.

I’m constantly being told that I don’t “seem” like an accountant but having a social personality has only perpetuated my growth. It could be easy to hide behind a computer and follow numbers on a screen, but having a social dynamic with others has built meaningful relationships whose value can’t be calculated.

What is the most fulfilling part of your role at TLB?

I love being able to help others understand different parts of accounting and finance and how they relate to one another. Sometimes it can seem like a different language, but being able to break it down and seeing how others take that understanding into decision-making is truly rewarding.

What about the future of TLB are you most excited about?

I’m personally excited to begin learning more from Matt Priest and working more with the founders at all our client firms to help them reach their goals. Each client is unique, and I can’t wait to see what they will do!