Daniel Garigen

Daniel Garigen is a highly accomplished Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and esteemed partner at Dansa D’Arata Soucia LLP. With a passion for finance and a solid academic background, Garigen earned a dual BS/MS degree in Professional Accountancy from Daemen College in 2010.
Throughout his career, Garigen has amassed a wealth of experience in the finance industry, demonstrating his expertise in various areas. As a partner at Dansa D’Arata, he has successfully overseen audits for both companies and non-profit organizations with financial scales ranging from $1 million to $100 million. Notably, Garigen skillfully facilitated the structuring of qualified replacement property acquisitions, effectively deferring over $20 million in gains from real estate condemnation.
Garigen has also made significant contributions to the realm of corporate sales. His pivotal role in the sale of a software company to a public entity, culminating in a remarkable $55 million deal, stands as a testament to his exceptional negotiating skills and strategic acumen.
Furthermore, Garigen has excelled as an auditor, conducting audits for federal award recipients in accordance with OMB Circular A-133 guidelines. Additionally, he takes great pride in his ability to secure substantial investments for his clients, successfully facilitating investments totaling $60 million. By conducting comprehensive due diligence, preparing long-term cash flow projections, and carefully evaluating associated risks, Garigen ensures that his clients make informed investment decisions.
With an unwavering commitment to excellence and an impressive track record, Daniel Garigen is recognized as a trusted financial professional who consistently delivers outstanding results for his clients and contributes to the growth and success of the organizations he serves.

What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?

As a finance professional, my mornings always kick off with meeting up with my colleagues to discuss the day ahead. These brainstorming sessions have become essential in optimizing our workflow and maximizing productivity. After the meetings, I am eager to dive into whatever task sits on my desk. More often than not, I team up with my coworkers to carry out audits for our clients. It is a demanding and detail-oriented job, but I find it gratifying to help our clients with their financial affairs. Every day comes with its unique challenges, but I take pride in sharing my experiences with my team and forging ahead with our collective goal in mind.

How do you bring ideas to life?

Collaboration is key when it comes to bringing ideas to life. One person can only do so much, but when you put a group of individuals together, the possibilities are endless. That’s why I always make sure to brainstorm with my colleagues before embarking on any new project. We bounce ideas off of each other, identify potential challenges, and find creative solutions. Once we have a solid plan in place, I get to work structuring the project and putting all the necessary pieces in place. By working with my team, we’re able to create something that not only makes sense but also has the potential to exceed our initial expectations.

What’s one trend that excites you?

The world is moving at an incredibly fast pace, and nothing seems to be changing our society more rapidly than artificial intelligence (AI). The potential for generative AI alone is positively explosive, and the ways it can affect our financial industry are nearly limitless. As someone in the finance industry, I’m excited to see what the future holds. I can’t wait to see how AI’s efficiency and insight will revolutionize the way we handle our finances and conduct business in the years ahead. It truly feels like we’re living in the future, and anticipating the impact of AI is one of the most exciting things about it.

What is one habit that helps you be productive?

Staying productive can be a challenge, especially when you are surrounded by distractions. For me, the key to keeping productivity high is to steer clear of any roadblocks that could take me off course. Social media and pointless meetings are two of the biggest culprits that can eat up valuable time, so I do my best to avoid them whenever possible. It’s amazing how much more I’m able to get done when I’m not constantly being pulled away from my work. Trust me – if you can cut out those distractions and stay focused on your goals, you’ll be amazed at how much you can achieve!

What advice would you give your younger self?

I would advise my younger self to take chances. When you are young, you have the leeway to fail and still bounce back up. The best part is that, all of what you go through when trying out things in your youth becomes experience. As you get older, this experience becomes the bedrock on which to build on. You know what works for you, how to handle risks that arise from different circumstances. Essentially, by being bold enough to take risks in your youth, the sky becomes the limit as you grow older. This is the kind of advice I wish all young people would listen to and implement.

Tell us something you believe that almost nobody agrees with you on?

I believe AI will take humanity to a level of comfort never experienced or imagined in human history. A lot of the people I know tend to see the gloomy side of AI, like the potential redundancy of white-collar job, like the way automation did to blue collar jobs. However, I have a different take. First, I believe AI will find cures for some of the worst incurable diseases known to man today. Also, I believe a new economic system where humanity lives in surplus material goods and services produced by AI driven robots, eliminates poverty as we know it today.

What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?

I am always looking for ways to increase my productivity. This means I am always seeking out the latest tech related to finance. I am also constantly on the lookout for process improvement techniques that get more done in any given time frame. I would recommend everyone to try this because not only do you get more done, but you also avoid the risk of becoming redundant. As you know, in life, things are always changing, and unless you keep up, chances are you will be left behind.

When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?

Whenever, I feel overwhelmed and losing focus, I take a 20-minute break. In that period, I try and distract myself with things I love, sometimes something as simple as watching a short documentary on anything from oceans to space. This kinda takes the pressure off me, and I am able to get back to working, and giving my best shot at whatever task I have at hand.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?

I would attribute my career growth to my desire for continuous learning. This means I always in the know on the latest events in my industry. The result is that I am competitive, and always in demand. For anyone seeking out a strategy to grow in their career, this is one that has worked perfectly for me.

What is one failure in your career,  how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?

Honestly, I don’t have a specific failure that I would say has defined my career. I have made many mistakes, and I always overcome them by seeking ways to resolve the problem. In cases where such a resolution is not possible, I simply move one. My biggest lesson I have learned from my mistakes is to never let them waste my time for too long. Rather than tormenting myself with the past, I simply use that as a lesson to do better the next time.

What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?

I wish I has one ready-made business idea to give away. Unfortunately, business is all about identifying a problem and solving it This for the most part is something the entrepreneur has to do for themselves.

What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?

I use Microsoft Excel a lot. It is a piece of software that is easy to use for the most part, and gets the job done perfectly for financial applications. I would recommend it to anyone in finance.

What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?

I enjoyed the movie Shawshank Redemption. Besides the entertainment value of it, this movie shows the importance of resilience, and sticking to a goal no matter what.