Today we’d like to introduce you to Hubert Young.
Hi Hubert, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My childhood dream was to become a professional race car driver.
I have loved cars for as long as I can remember. One of my earliest memories, probably when I was three years old, was pushing toy cars around the house along an imaginary race track for hours at a time.
I was always fascinated by how things worked. It drove my dad absolutely crazy when I took apart the IBM computer he bought me. Fortunately, my dad had a friend who was both a car enthusiast and a computer genius, and he taught me how to tinker with cars and computers to make them faster and better. That curiosity planted the seeds that shaped the person I am today.
My early influences shaped my passion for racing and technology. Eventually, that passion turned into an obsession with racing games on computers. I probably learned the fundamentals of driving and racing through computer games long before I ever got behind the wheel of a real car. The technology back then was primitive compared to what we have today, but to me it felt revolutionary.
Looking back, I think cars, computers, and technology all fueled the same curiosity in me, a desire to understand how things worked, how systems connected together, and how small adjustments could completely change performance and outcomes.
At the time, it seemed natural for me to pursue becoming a computer engineer. But to my disappointment, my grades were not good enough to get into the science-related studies necessary to follow that path. And the dream of becoming a professional race car driver was nearly impossible to pursue in a place like Hong Kong.
That was one of my earliest disappointments in life, and I felt somewhat lost about what I was going to do when I grew up.
Then, through a stroke of luck, my high school introduced economics and accounting classes. To my surprise, I became genuinely interested in both subjects and started excelling in them. Looking back, I realize my curiosity about how systems work simply found a different outlet. Accounting and economics are really tools for understanding how businesses, money, and the economy function beneath the surface.
Naturally, I leaned into the subjects where I found both interest and success, and that path eventually led me to become a CPA.
Another turning point came when my parents immigrated to the United States. The American education system suited me much better, and I was able to get into the business school at University of California, Berkeley. That was one of the proudest moments of my life.
I wasted no time and passed the CPA exam in one shot right after graduation and started my career in public accounting.
In public accounting, you work with a wide range of clients, from businesses and nonprofits to individuals, helping them with taxes, audits, and financial reporting. The long hours were tough, but the intensity and breadth of experience laid a strong foundation for the rest of my career.
Like many professionals during the dot-com bubble, I was attracted by the opportunity, compensation, and prestige of the corporate world, which eventually led me to leave public accounting.
Around that same time, my passion for racing resurfaced. Motorsports in the United States was far more accessible than it had been in Hong Kong. I bought myself a proper race car, started honing my driving skills on the streets of San Francisco, and eventually participated in many local racing events. In 2003, I was selected as one of eight American drivers to compete against Japanese drivers when the U.S. hosted one of the first international drifting competitions. For those unfamiliar, drifting is a form of motorsports where drivers are judged not by lap times, but by precision, car control, and style while driving sideways. That opportunity helped launch my motorsports career as a driver. I competed professionally for about seven to eight years while simultaneously working full-time as an accountant.
As fate would have it, I met my wife at a drifting event. It was love at first sight. At the time, I felt like I was the luckiest guy in the world. More than two decades later, I still feel exactly the same way.
Meeting her changed the trajectory of my life in ways I could never have imagined. She has been my biggest source of support, perspective, and inspiration through every stage of my journey, from racing to corporate life to building my own practice. Looking back, many of the best parts of my personal life and career would not have happened without her by my side.
During the time I was racing professionally, holding down a full-time corporate job, and building a life with the love of my life, it felt like I was on top of the world. But eventually, life happened. Racing began to feel more and more like a selfish pursuit. The financial burden and enormous time commitment became increasingly difficult to balance with my home life and professional career.
I knew I had to make a choice or risk not being successful in any of my pursuits. So I decided to step away from racing and focus more heavily on my professional career. Even though it was painful, my passion for motorsports never left me.
Next, I doubled down on my career and returned to school to earn my MBA from the University of Southern California.
Over the next two decades, I worked my way into senior finance leadership positions at Fortune 500 companies such as Disney, Nestlé, and Paramount Pictures, eventually becoming the CFO’s right-hand person at Ticketmaster.
But despite my career successes, I felt something was missing.
In large corporations, it often felt like we were all doing variations of the same work every day while operating inside a bubble disconnected from the real world. Over time, I started feeling like just a small cog in a very large machine, where my contributions rarely felt tangible or personal. I realized that, despite the prestige and stability, my work was losing its sense of meaning. It began to feel like I was simply working to earn a paycheck.
Then came the 2020 pandemic.
The financial future of Ticketmaster, a ticket sales company, became highly uncertain when all the live events and concerts around the world were canceled. Before long, my position was also “canceled”.
Like many others, losing my job during that time was incredibly difficult. But looking back, it turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to my career. It forced me to step away from the corporate world and gave me an opportunity to regroup and rethink what truly fulfilled me professionally.
My friends and family had always sought my help with financial and tax advice and tax filings, and with their encouragement I decided to start my own practice because, in many ways, I had already been helping them for years.
In fact, I developed much of my tax and real estate knowledge by helping my father-in-law manage his investment properties and handle his tax filings. Over time, that work naturally extended into his broader network within Boston’s Chinatown community and the nonprofit organizations he was involved with.
One memorable experience made me realize just how important my bicultural background could be in helping immigrant families navigate and understand the U.S. tax and financial system. Oftentimes, cultural and language barriers made it difficult for them to trust anyone. Driven by fear and uncertainty, some came to believe that avoiding taxes altogether was the only way to survive, not realizing that failing to file taxes could prevent them from qualifying for loans, Medicare, or Social Security benefits in the future.
I remember one particular family that had immigrated to the United States several years earlier. They came to me for help with their taxes and guidance through the loan application process to purchase their first home. It was one of the most rewarding and emotional moments of my career when they later called me to tell me they had just received the keys to their first house in America.
Another experience made me realize just how important my curiosity to understand how things work, and my desire to constantly improve and fine-tune things, truly are. The same curiosity that drove me to tinker with computers and cars also drives me to help clients improve their financial situations by learning how tax systems and regulations actually work.
Far too often, I see business owners working with tax professionals who fail to stay current with changing tax laws and strategies, which ends up costing clients dearly through missed deductions, overlooked tax credits, and poor planning.
One restaurant owner came to me for help when he was drowning in tax bills and struggling just to make payroll for his employees. After reviewing his situation, I discovered that his previous accountant had overlooked more than $100,000 in tax deductions and credits. I was able to amend the returns and secure significant tax refunds that not only enabled the business to stay afloat, but also planted the seeds for future growth. Since then, the business has expanded to three locations.
Experiences like these gave me a tremendous sense of purpose and fulfillment. They reminded me why I felt so at home returning to public accounting and reinforced that the most meaningful part of this profession is the ability to make a real difference in people’s lives.
Today, through H Financial Solutions, I work directly with business owners, entrepreneurs, and individuals to help them navigate financial challenges, reduce taxes, improve cash flow, and build stronger financial futures. Unlike the corporate world, I can now clearly see the direct impact of my work on real people and their families.
There is no better feeling than helping someone purchase their first home, start a business, or finally gain clarity and confidence about their future. That is what motivates me to give my best every single day.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Has it been a smooth road? Yes and no.
I’m grateful to say that both my early life and my professional career, spanning nearly three decades, have been relatively successful and stable overall. But there were definitely rough patches and difficult decisions along the way that shaped who I am today.
When I realized at a young age that I was probably not going to become either an engineer or a professional race car driver, I was devastated and felt lost. Fortunately, I was introduced to economics and accounting, where I discovered a new passion for understanding how the world works. I was able to redirect my curiosity into a different outlet. My passion for technology never faded either. I continued learning about computers and software throughout my career, and that curiosity became an incredible asset as a CPA. It allowed me to integrate technology, automation, and systems thinking into financial workflows long before it became common in the industry.
One of the biggest lessons I learned over time was realizing how important purpose and impact are to me professionally. Earlier in my career, I stepped away from public accounting and pursued opportunities in the corporate world because I was attracted to the prestige, stability, and compensation. But deep down, I ignored an inner voice telling me that I wanted more meaningful and direct impact in my work. It took me many years to fully understand that about myself. At the same time, those corporate experiences were incredibly valuable and helped me develop at a very high level professionally. In many ways, I would not be the CPA and advisor I am today without that background.
Another major challenge was balancing passion with practicality. Cars and racing had always been a huge part of my life, and for a period of time I seriously pursued motorsports professionally. I dreamed about taking it to the next level. But racing is incredibly demanding financially, mentally, and personally. Eventually, the costs, time commitment, and uncertainty forced me to step away and refocus on building a future with my better half and advancing my career.
At the time, it felt like I was giving up on a dream. Looking back now, however, I realize racing taught me many lessons that still influence how I approach life and work today. The discipline, focus, preparation, risk management, and the understanding that small adjustments and consistency can completely change performance and outcomes. That racer mentality has served me incredibly well as a CPA and continues to shape how I approach my clients’ financial matters.
Then came another major turning point during the pandemic. Losing my position when the live entertainment industry shut down was extremely difficult and uncertain at the time. But looking back now, that experience pushed me to step away from the corporate world and return to public accounting with a completely different mindset and appreciation for the profession.
So while the road was not always smooth, I can honestly say I’m grateful things unfolded the way they did. Many of the setbacks and disappointments that once felt negative ultimately redirected me toward a career and purpose that fit me far better than the path I originally imagined.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about H Financial Solutions?
H Financial Solutions is a CPA-led tax, accounting, and advisory firm built for business owners and individuals who want more than basic tax preparation. We help clients understand their numbers, reduce tax surprises, improve cash flow, and make better financial decisions throughout the year. We specialize in auto mechanic shops, real estate and restaurants.
Our services include tax preparation, proactive tax planning, bookkeeping, accounting, and fractional CFO (Chief Financial Officer) advisory services. What makes us different is that we do not just focus on checking boxes for compliance by preparing accurate tax returns and financial reports. We go above and beyond to help our clients plan ahead. We want to help them answer questions like: Am I paying more tax than I need to? Is my business actually profitable? Where is my cash going? Can I afford to grow? What should I be doing now to improve my financial future?
I have close to three decades of experience in accounting, finance, tax, audit, financial reporting, and business advisory work. That experience allows me to bring a CFO mindset to small and mid-sized businesses that may not need or be ready for a full-time CFO. I like to describe it as giving clients access to CPA-level technical knowledge combined with practical, real-world business guidance.
H Financial Solutions is built around trust, clarity, and strategy. Many people feel intimidated by taxes and financial decisions. We strive to make taxes and accounting easier to understand so clients can focus on growing their businesses and building their future with confidence.
A characteristic of H Financial Solutions stems from my passion for motorsports. I instinctively see a strong connection between racing and financial strategy. In racing, performance depends on preparation, precision, and making the right adjustments at the right time. A race car can have all the horsepower in the world, but if the suspension, tire pressure, alignment, or balance is off even slightly, the car will not perform at its full potential. The same is true in business and personal finance. Sometimes small adjustments in tax strategy, cash flow management, debt structure, or financial planning can dramatically improve a client’s overall financial performance and stability. We help clients fine-tune their financial picture so they can perform better, avoid costly mistakes, and move toward their goals with confidence.
At the end of the day, I want readers to know that H Financial Solutions is here to be a long-term financial partner. We are not just someone who files a tax return once a year. We help clients keep more of their hard-earned money, make smarter decisions, and build a stronger financial future.
How do you think about happiness?
At this stage of my life, what makes me happiest are the things that give me a sense of purpose, connection, and presence.
Naturally, you would think my profession is very cut-and-dry and only involves numbers. But believe it or not, there is a tremendous amount of human emotion involved in what I do. In many ways, I sometimes feel like a therapist for financial stress. Money problems can create fear, anxiety, uncertainty, and even conflict within families and businesses. Clients are often emotionally overwhelmed when they come to me during difficult financial situations.
Being able to help someone stay calm, create clarity, and navigate through financial turmoil gives me a level of satisfaction that my corporate career never could. I love what I do because I can directly see the positive impact my work has on people’s lives. Helping a business owner finally feel financially stable again, helping someone reduce stress around taxes, or helping a family build a better future, those moments are incredibly fulfilling to me.
Personally, animal rescue is another major source of happiness in my life. My wife and I have been involved in rescuing dogs for more than two decades. To us, they are not “just dogs.” They are family, companions, and in many ways, spiritual teachers. Caring for rescued animals teaches patience, compassion, empathy, and unconditional love in a way that is difficult to fully explain unless you have experienced it yourself.
Some of these dogs came from very difficult situations, yet they still have the ability to trust, love, and live fully in the present moment. I think there is something deeply beautiful and humbling about that. They remind us to slow down, appreciate life, and become better human beings.
Ultimately, helping people, caring for animals, and spending time with the people I love are what truly keep my happiness meter full. And of course, it always puts a smile on my face to drive a race car in that state of pure presentness, where nothing else matters.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hfinancialsolutions.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hyoungcpa/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@HFinancialSolutions
