We had the good fortune of connecting with J. Sebastian Casas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi J. Sebastian, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I am from Houston TX, born and raised. I am first generation American, my parents are both Mexican immigrants who started this business at 23-24 years old to meet a need. I grew up going to the office with them and taking care of my little sisters while they worked, and from a young age I was aware of the realities of money and what it takes to make it. So from a young age I knew that one of my mission’s in life was to provide for my parents, my sisters, and my extended family, and I didn’t care what that took. But business came to me naturally, I naturally inclined to selling candy at the office during tax season, I loved business suits, I loved New York City & Wall street, I took to those things naturally. So, from a young age, I knew I wanted to be in business, but I really liked investments. Then, when the time came at age 19 to start helping out the business while I was in school, I went at it. My family is what matter to me, aside from God. I work so that my parents can fulfill their true dream, so my sisters are cared for, so that my uncles & aunts & grandparents can break the cycle of poverty. My parents are immigrants who had no education for the business they have and turned it into a 20+ year business that has fed us and our extended family. I owe it them to take us to the next level.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
So we are Nuestra Gente or NG Tax & Insurance Services or simply NG, and what sets us apart I believe is the diversity of services we bring and our Integrity and work ethic. In the Houston area, there are a ton of Hispanic insurance agencies, but most of them do not take the time to educate their clients, and most of them like to take advantage of their own people (Latinos). There really is no place, at least no Hispanic business that does every type of tax preparation, insurance, accounting, notary, & business solutions/consulting. To clear up the timeline of our business. My parents started this business 2001 without going to college. They read some books and just started doing tax preparation, and then later on introduced insurance, and then with time & experience started offering notary, business formation, accounting, and consulting. Throughout my life I’ve “worked” for my parents getting copies, taking payments, and then around 18 I started selling insurance. The challenges I faced was being young, so people don’t take you serious, and not being confident in my Spanish. I overcame those challenges by just doing the work, and with doing the work came confidence in what I was saying, from a knowledge and linguistic standpoint. The lessons we have learned along the way is that the Latino people are tired of being used and lied to, they will respect your price if they see that you are earnest and integral in your work. We have stood the test of H&R block & Turbo Tax because our clients know and the referrals know that we work with integrity and we want to educate our clients and see them be better. We help our clients buy their first homes, open up bank accounts, send their kids to college, and more. Things that 15-20 years ago seemed far fetched in our community. We are more than just businessmen who want to make money off of the fact that we speak the same language, have the same skin color, or know more than you, we are businessmen that want to see the Hispanic people have security.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Well for me Houston is the place to be, but I guess I am biased. I would take them to an Astros game, at the beautiful downtown Minute Maid stadium. Take them the Houston Zoo or NASA, or go down to Galveston to Kemah or Pleasure Pier. Take them shopping at The Galleria or The Woodlands Mall, or the many outlets. For late night vibes I would take them to Agora coffee shop or Railway Heights Market for the many food options. For food the places to eat are Taste of Texas for steak, Texas de Brazil for classic Brazilian fine dining, or for hole in the wall spots, Taqueria Laredo for the best flour tacos, or Mico’s hot chicken for amazing spicy sandwiches. To breathe some fresh air and amazing city vibes, go to memorial park or Discovery green.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I believe that the people who have given the most support, mentorship, and encouragement is my parents, Pastors Juan Carlos & Marlene Casas. They spoke life into me since I was born, which being Latino, is not the most common or expected thing. Especially with the fact that my father grew up without one, and my mother’s father was there but not there. They made plenty of mistakes with me, especially with me being the first-born, but they have always given me the resources and push to achieve everything I have so far & what I will.

Website: ngtaxinsurance.com

Instagram: @jsebastian_casas

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juan-sebastian-casas/

Facebook: @ngtaxhouston

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/nuestra-gente-tax-and-insurance-houston

Other: nuestragentehouston.com (Location #1 website)

Image Credits
G2Nine Branding

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