When Christian values are at the forefront of all you do, it brings blessings. GLO CPAs, LLLP is a certified public accounting firm that has witnessed the miracle of God’s work, and they attribute it all to their commitment to running a Christian business.

Begun 40 years ago, GLO CPAs initially served health care professionals, helping to protect their assets against malpractice suits, high taxes, and divorce costs. They then expanded to working with business owners having similar issues, teaching them Avant Garde strategies for wealth retainment.

Those strategies require constant education. Founder and managing partner W. Carl Glaw, Jr., CPA, CGMA, says, “Tax laws and investment opportunities change every day, and we have a thirst for staying on top of these things. We diligently pursue educational opportunities so we can develop additional skills and expertise to meet our clients’ unique needs.”

One of the firm’s tenets is that you can make a big difference in your finances and your lifestyle by proactive planning when it comes to taxes, retirement, estate planning, and asset protection. “GLO’s value comes from helping clients recognize that they can sculpt their financial affairs to maximize their net worth and financial security,” says Glaw. “Our Christian values along with that underlying principle create a combination most people don’t get from other accounting firms.”

Photo Credit: Alexander’s Fine Portrait Design

“Christian values” isn’t just something GLO states – it’s something that forms the basis of all GLO does.

While the staff’s education and expertise draw big-name clients with high-net-worth portfolios, Glaw says that many of the firm’s clients come through charity work and volunteerism that gets them out in the community meeting needs.

“One of our clients is Dr. Sloan, president of Houston Christian College (formerly Houston Baptist). Our partners here saw a need for an engineering college, and we worked with him to build the entire engineering program. Our relationships with our clients go much deeper than working with them on their financial portfolios – we serve on boards, we cross paths with others doing charitable work, and as a result, we’ve seen blessing after blessing.”

GLO respects the value of community and spends as much time in service as it does in learning and growing. Glaw is founding chairman of the board for Beta Academy, a charter school near Hobby Airport that in the 8 years Glaw has been involved, has become an award-winning, A-rated school. “Going into a community that had struggled and watching kids learn how to healthily resolve conflict and develop good work habits – it’s truly miraculous to see God at work,” says Glaw.

As the company has grown, GLO took some time to consciously migrate to a Biblically based culture, adopting 10 principles that the entire staff adheres to. “This changed everything for us,” says Glaw. “It was like pouring jet fuel on our business. We constantly pray for and with our clients, and it emanates from our name and from how we present ourselves to others.”

Each principle was developed from group input, including what it looks like when put into action. For example, the principle of Family First means that yes, you should attend your daughter’s dance recital, but yes, you should also make up your lost work time on another day.  The principle of Truth, Nothing But the Truth means that as a group, the team does not exaggerate or make excuses. They own their mistakes and are truthful and transparent in their actions. Then they move on.

“Our values are non-negotiable and no matter what, we commit to them,” says Glaw. “If we say we’re going to do it, we do it. And you know what? That kind of integrity has brought us a string of incredible blessings.”

Dr. Dennis Adams, Chief Operating Officer and Head of IT, concurs. “We succeed together through teamwork, assisting each other, doing good work for our clients, and employing specialists who share their expertise with one another and with our clients.”

And that way of working has developed GLO into much more than an accounting firm. “We are our clients’ trusted advisor,” says Adams. “They can faithfully share what’s going on in their lives – taxes or otherwise – and know that we are a trusted partner. We are not a plug and chug tax place. We want to be part of the good you’re doing in your life.”