Enterprenuer
Nathan Liao founded CMA Exam Academy, a premier exam review program for Certified Management Accountants.
Nathan Liao is a CMA, CMA coach, and mentor for accounting and finance professionals from over 80 countries.
He can help them earn their CMA certification within eight months.
His students have achieved remarkable success with the unique review system in CMA Exam Academy.
What is the story of CMA Exam Academy?
CMA Exam Academy was created because people wanted me to help them with the subject matter.
After passing the Certified Management Accountant exam, my blog started as a hobby.
It discussed the CMA exam and offered tips and strategies for giving it.
My audience grew and asked me to create an exam review program.
How do you stay productive?
“I get up at 6:30 am to prepare for the day and then start work around 7:30 am.
My most important tasks are planned out the previous day to make my days more productive.
I start my day in execution mode by having a plan for the day and all my priorities written out the previous day.
This allows me to tackle my tasks efficiently and ensures that my productivity is high throughout the day.
After work, I exercise, read, and spend time with my family or friends.
How do you bring ideas to life?
“I use an app to keep track of ideas that randomly come up in my head every day.
Each month I go through the list and choose one to test out.
My approach is to create a minimum viable product to test the idea.
If I get positive feedback from customers, I will invest in making it a complete product/service.
What’s your favorite trend?
“Artificial intelligence is exciting when applied in an online education setting.
AI will revolutionize how humans learn online and offline.
AI will be able to assess the strengths and weaknesses and design custom learning paths to accelerate learning and master new skills.
What habits make you productive?
“My planner routine. Every Sunday morning, I review the lessons and wins from the week and plan the most important tasks for next week.
Then, I assign a day to each job and execute it. Every weeknight, I go through my planner and make sure that the tasks for the next day are planned out.
If I had to distill it, planning is the only habit that keeps me productive.
What’s your advice for the Noob?
It takes time to do anything, so take your time and think long-term.
These are the best decisions you can make to have the most significant impact on your life.
What is one thing we can all agree on?
“Equality of opportunity is more important than the equality of outcomes.
This is what society should strive for.”
What do you recommend as an entrepreneur?
“Know your numbers. Not once or twice per year, review your financials monthly.
It will be easier to make the right decisions faster if you know how your company performs.
What’s your rich strategy?
“Putting a face on an otherwise ‘faceless industry.”
It is outdated to buy test prep programs from large corporations.
People prefer to do business with people they trust, like, and feel comfortable with.
My customers will know who I am by putting myself first.
Before they choose to enroll in my program, they get to know me and my business.
How do you overcome Failure?
“I started an online marketplace for college textbooks back in 2009.
I invested all of the money I had at the time, which was not much, but it was all I had.
After a year, the website crashed, and I decided that it was time to shut down.
It was my first MBA experience and helped me learn how to start an online business.
I was able to use the experience in my subsequent online ventures.
Can you share a business idea?
“I love coffee, and the idea of creating a coffee brand for accountants and finance professionals has always been a dream of mine.
Coffee would come from organic farms.
What’s your recent best buy?
“I bought an Amazon Kindle Paperwhite. It’s my first Kindle Paperwhite, and I cannot put it down.
I have always enjoyed reading, but I now love it. This device has been a gift to me that I will never forget.
What are your favorite Softwares or Apps?
Trello is my favorite. Their digital Kanban cards it’s straightforward to use.
Trello has my days, weeks, and months mapped out. Trello helps me and my team stay organized.”
Which book would you recommend?
Atomic Habits by James Clear is an excellent book about building habits positively.
This book has helped me increase my productivity tenfold.
It’s rewarding to develop habits that will last. This is both a personal and professional reward.
What’s your favorite quote?
“Be the change you want in the world” is my favorite quote.
It inspires me to do good in society and help others with my business or other ventures.
TL;DR by Nathan Liao
Take a long-term view when making decisions.
Your financials should be reviewed every month, not just once or twice per year.
Plan to make your day productive.
You can make your business more efficient by regularly knowing what is happening.
