Behind the Stamp: The Wait, The Work, and the Why
Growth isn’t always pretty — but it’s worth every moment.
When I started DBH Professional, I knew it wouldn’t be easy building something from the ground up. Running a business while wearing every hat — marketer, accountant, notary, tax preparer, and sometimes even therapist — takes grit. But what they don’t tell you is how much waiting comes with the grind.
For months, I worked behind the scenes getting everything ready for my EFIN (Electronic Filing Identification Number) — the final approval needed to officially e-file taxes and serve my clients the way I envisioned. The process felt endless: paperwork, compliance checks, fingerprinting, and updates that seemed to move slower than molasses. Every day I checked my inbox hoping for that one message that would change everything.
And finally, it came.
Approved.
That single word felt like the door I’d been pounding on finally opened. But here’s the thing — the approval wasn’t the finish line. It was just the beginning.
Now came the real challenge: building trust and client relationships while expanding services beyond notary work into tax preparation and bookkeeping. Starting over in a new lane meant introducing myself all over again — this time not just as “Dawn the Notary,” but as Dawn the Accountant, the Tax Professional, the Woman Behind DBH Professional.
The truth? Some days, it’s discouraging. You can post, promote, and prepare, and still feel like the phone isn’t ringing fast enough. But every slow day is a reminder that foundation comes before growth. Every delay, every obstacle, is shaping the business I’m building — not just what it does, but how it serves.
Waiting for that EFIN taught me patience and perseverance. It reminded me that nothing worth having comes easy. Every entrepreneur hits those walls — the moments when you wonder if you’re doing enough, if you’re seen, if it’s even working.
But here’s what I’ve learned:
Growth is quiet before it’s loud.
The calls will come. The clients will find you. The work you’re doing behind the scenes — the late nights balancing numbers, the posts no one sees, the systems you’re building — it all matters.
So if you’re in your own waiting season, let it make you sharper, not bitter. Keep building. Keep showing up. Keep believing that your “approved” moment is on its way too.
Because when it comes, you’ll realize — the wait wasn’t holding you back.
It was preparing you.
– Dawn Higgins
Founder, DBH Professional
“Doing Business Honorably”
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