Exploring Life & Business with Alisha Thomas of Wait. What? Consulting

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alisha Thomas.

Hi Alisha, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m Alisha Thomas, the owner of Wait. What. Consulting, we do bookkeeping for creatives. I live in Wilmington, NC, with my husband and our son, Lew. 

Sewing and art have always been my main focus. I went to college for art and started a leather accessories business called Ruby Assata. For most of my life, I avoided the numbers side of business until Freaker USA. A few of my friends were starting a business in 2011 when I volunteered to helped them for the summer. I quickly quit sewing and started working full-time for Freaker. I eventually became a co-owner of the business. In the beginning, someone had to figure out the bookkeeping and operations, so I just did. I had magical CPAs teach me QuickBooks on weekends. The founder went on Shark Tank, which skyrocketed the business. We went on to sell our products in 1,000s of retailers, Target, Walmart, and Bed Bath and Beyond. (Raleigh’s own Edge of Urge being the first store to Carry Freakers.) 

After six-ish long years, I needed a break and left the company. I swore I would never do accounting again. My friend Drewe asked if I could help her friend, Kate, with QuickBooks. I said yes, but don’t tell anyone I know how to do this. I just kept finding more cool, creative people that needed help with bookkeeping and QuickBooks, so I officially started Wait. What? in 2019. Now we have two other bookkeepers, Erin and Elizabeth, who help me help others. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
What’s funny is that Wait. What? has actually a smooth road. I mean, Covid and then having a baby in 2022 made growing as a business harder, but death and taxes, you know? It’s one of those things that people always need. ALSO – I feel like I had all my growing pains at Freaker, so it made my next venture much smoother. 

As you know, we’re big fans of Wait. What? Consulting. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
We do bookkeeping and consulting for creatives! We offer outsourced bookkeeping, consulting, and QuickBooks courses for artists, designers, copywriters, and makers. 

The first thing that sets us apart is, well, our branding (by Drewe and Kate Branding Co); it’s unlike any other accounting agency around – it’s pink, it’s silly, and it’s pretty. We live for a photoshoot and a Pinterest board. 

The two real reasons are that I understand what is like to have a creative brain. I’ve been there. The second – I have been a part of a really successful product-based business. Most bookkeepers and CPAs can’t say that. For this reason, we love working with creatives who are just starting out and giving them the confidence to grow their business. 

What are your plans for the future?
Are big new thing is an online QuickBooks course that we will be offering soon! We have tailored it just for creatives. QuickBooks can be so overwhelming at first, and QuickBooks trainings are so hard to follow. We really tried to give just the basics so you can get started quickly. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://waitwhatconsulting.com/
• Instagram: @waitwhatconsulting

Image Credits
Drewe and Kate Branding Co.