ClearVue Strategies

02/14/2026

I’m going to tell you something you may not expect a CPA to say.
 
I don’t do this work just because I love math and numbers.
 
I mean, sure, I’m good with numbers and creating killer spreadsheets. 30-plus years of good. But that’s not what gets me up in the morning.
 
I found out that accepting my own humanness is what allows me to bring real empathy and compassion to yours.

I realized that the person sitting across from me wasn’t just handing me a stack of financial documents.

They were handing me their worry. They were sharing deeply personal information. They were brimming with questions and perhaps even fears. They were holding expectations like “I should know this by now but I don’t.”
 
And I wondered if anyone had ever talked to them like a human about it.
 
So that’s what I decided to be. A human. A CPA who actually listens. Who explains things in a way that makes sense. Who doesn’t vanish after April 15th.
 
My name is Paul Gorman. I run ClearVue Strategies, a CPA and financial coaching firm in Huntington Beach. And if you’ve ever wished your CPA cared about your life as much as your tax return...
 
That’s me. Nice to meet you.

12/07/2025

Time's running out, don't let the IRS catch you out!

11/29/2025

Nikki is on the leading edge of creativity with her Reiki infused art. I think it’s very much worth a few clicks and your time to get related to how her beautiful art is created.

1,337 Followers, 1,908 Following, 1,108 Posts

11/10/2025

Financial Statements - Let them be your guide! 📊

Your financial statements tell the story of your business … but only if they’re accurate and timely.

Struggling to make sense of your numbers?

Wondering if you’re really profitable or just busy?

Let us help you create financial statements that actually guide your business decisions instead of collecting dust in a folder.

Clear numbers = Clear direction = Confident decisions

Ready to see what your numbers are really telling you?

Let’s talk.

89 likes, 2 comments. “Accounting is part of the language of business, it is said to be an art. A Financial Statement is a financial report that tells the story of the business’s financial position, results of operations, and cash flow. The balance sheet is like a snapshot of a business as of a ...

10/30/2025

🎃 Happy Halloween from your friendly neighborhood CPA!

We know small business finances can be scarier than any horror movie. Unbalanced books? Mysterious expenses? Tax season terrors?

This Halloween, we’re offering FREE financial health checks to help you banish those business nightmares for good.

Comment ‘TREAT’ below or DM us to schedule yours!

10/27/2025

A client sat across from me last week, hands folded tight.

“I don’t even know what I’m working toward anymore.”

Her income fluctuates. Her partner just changed careers. The kids’ needs keep shifting. Aging parents need more support.

“How am I supposed to make good financial decisions when I don’t even know what next month looks like?”

I get it.

Here’s what I’ve learned as a CPA and coach:
The clarity doesn’t come first. The conversation does.

When we mirror back what we actually hear “So the uncertainty itself feels paralyzing?”, something shifts.

You don’t need to see the whole staircase to take the first step.

We can work with today’s reality without pretending we know what life looks like in five years.

The present is foggy?

Okay. Let’s talk about what you DO know.

What’s one thing that feels true about your money right now, even in the uncertainty?

10/27/2025

The $3,000 Lesson My ’69 El Camino Taught Me About Knowing Your Limits:

She was silver, black landau top, sitting on polished aluminum wheels with a blueprinted 327 engine, headers, and a 4-on-the-floor that could make your heart race. And a killer Panasonic 8 Track Cassette AM FM sound system.

My 1969 Chevy El Camino was every teenage dream wrapped in chrome and horsepower.

There was just one problem: I wasn’t a mechanic.

After we replaced the bearings, I was cruising down the street when I heard a terrible sound. My driveshaft had fallen out. Right there. Middle of the road.

That hot rod was more car than I knew what to do with. Sure, I had fun with it, but I was in over my head.

So I made a decision that changed how I think about major commitments: I sold it and bought a VW Westfalia Camper Van instead.

Here’s what that El Camino taught me about money:

Sometimes the shiniest opportunity isn’t the right fit for where you are in life.

That El Camino was beautiful, powerful, and completely beyond my skill set to maintain.

Sound familiar?

Many people buy financial products, investment vehicles, or business opportunities that look amazing but don’t match their knowledge, capacity, or life stage:

- The franchise opportunity when you’ve never run a business
- The complex investment strategy you don’t understand
- The side business venture outside your expertise
- The luxury item with maintenance costs you can’t handle

Financial coaches who combine emotional insight with practical tools are helping clients make decisions that actually fit their lives, not just their aspirations.

The Westfalia? That was my speed.

Simple, reliable, took me on adventures I could actually handle. Sometimes the “less impressive” choice is the smartest move you’ll ever make.

What “El Camino moment” made you realize you needed to match your choices to your capabilities?



Ready to find your financial “right fit”? Let’s talk about matching your money moves to your actual life.

10/25/2025

“How am I supposed to plan when everything keeps changing?”

This is what I hear from clients all the time.
Income fluctuates.

Partners switch careers.
Kids’ needs shift.
Parents need more care.

The advice says: Set clear goals. Make a plan.

But life isn’t cooperating.

Here’s the truth:
You don’t need to see the whole path.
Just the next step.

When we slow down and really listen, mirror back what’s actually happening, clarity starts to emerge.

Not perfect clarity.

Just enough.

What’s one thing you know is true about your money right now?

Which style feels most like you?

10/25/2025

A Fire of Another Kind

As a teenager we were out for an evening of adventure, or more likely misadventure.

Found this random fire extinguisher that could be refilled with water.

We were driving around having fun spraying things when we got a little too bold and sprayed a car next to us.

Big mistake, it was a sports car and they immediately gave chase!

We panicked and turned down what we thought was an escape route, only to find ourselves trapped on a dead end street.

But the driver of our beat-up car had one last trick, he gunned it right over a two foot fence into the park next door, and we escaped through the grass back onto another street.

We were terrified but laughing our heads off.

That whole experience taught me something I use in financial coaching today.

Sometimes when you’re backed into a corner financially, the solution isn’t obvious.

Maybe it’s selling stuff you thought you’d never part with, taking on a side hustle that scares you, or having that tough conversation about money with your spouse.

Just like we couldn’t have planned that park escape, your financial breakthrough might come from somewhere completely unexpected.

That’s why I love this work. Every client’s situation is unique, and sometimes the solution is as simple as filling your fire extinguisher with water instead of chemicals.

What dead end street are you facing with your money right now?

Maybe it’s time to drive over the fence.

coaching mindset

Ready to jump that fence?

Send me a message.

10/23/2025

“I can’t get ahead! It’s hopeless” Here are a few options to shift your financial situation.

10/23/2025

I knew better, but I jumped anyway!?!?

The 5 AM Decision That Changed How I Think About Risk

It was still dark when Jeff, a friend, and I made our way down to the Huntington Beach pier after my night shift.

Young, invincible, and not thinking clearly, we decided to jump off.

The jump itself? We were fine. Walked away without a scratch.

What happened next was the real wake-up call.

Huntington Beach Police were waiting for us on the beach.

Instead of just writing us tickets, one officer said something I've never forgotten:

"You guys have no idea how lucky you are. We've had trained lifeguards, professionals who know what they're doing, jump off that pier and break their backs. You could have been paralyzed or killed."

In that moment, I realized: We hadn't taken a calculated risk. We'd just been reckless.

Here's what that pier taught me about business and life:

The most dangerous decisions aren't the ones where you see the risk and take it anyway.

They're the ones where you don't even know what you don't know.

Those lifeguards had training, experience, and still got hurt.

We had none of that and somehow walked away.

That's not courage or success. That's just dumb luck.

Now, at ClearVue Strategies P.C., I help business owners and individuals see the financial risks they might be missing.

The ones that seem fine on the surface but could break everything underneath.

Because the best time to assess risk isn't after you've already jumped.

It's while you're still standing on the pier.

Did this bring to mind a story and lesson you learned the hard way that changed how you approach risk?

10/23/2025

“I can’t do anything right, why should I try?”

Here’s an uncomfortable truth about a lot of accounting and financial services:

They’re built on negativity.

“You’re not saving enough.”

“You should have started earlier.”

“That expense was a mistake.”

“You owe more than you thought.”

What if we approached your finances from a place of zero negativity instead?

Not toxic positivity.

Not ignoring reality.

But starting from: You’re here. You’re trying.

Let’s build from where you are, not shame where you’ve been.

Imago Dialogue teaches that judgment closes doors. Curiosity opens them.

Your financial story isn’t wrong. It just might be ready for a new chapter.

Experience shame-free money coaching.

Reply with “READY” or schedule your first session at clearvuestrategies.net.

Let’s rewrite your money story together.

CPA Huntington Beach - At ClearVue Strategies P.C., doing business as ClearVue Strategies, we offer 40 years of expertise in accounting services,