Based in Congers, New York, Jerry Alavena serves as senior accountant with the Intercos Group and has experience in complex financial areas such as audit red flags and taxes, deductions, and take-home pay. Ethical and results-oriented, he has been a senior accountant with the Intercos Group since 2019. Jerry Alavena manages the full range of financial statements and monthly journal entries, with a focus on tabulating and reporting accruals and allocation of expenses.
Jerry Alavena’s background includes a past role as a staff accountant with the Avis Budget Group. He handled the preparation, reconciliation, and analysis of balance sheet accounts. He also maintained and exerted improvements in the trends reporting package. Communicating with senior management, he oversaw tracking and reporting of functions such as current forecast, domestic revenue, and reporting variances vis-à-vis the previous year.
Jerry Alavena has also held accounting positions with the Rutgers University Athletic Department, Inventive Health, LLC, and the Siemens Corporation. He has assisted clients in understanding topics such as taxes, deductions, and take-home pay as part of financial planning. He has expertise in scaling businesses in ways that minimize one’s financial burden.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
I start by getting clear on priorities. Not a massive to-do list—just the top 3 things that matter. I front-load the hardest or most important task while energy is high. Momentum early = confidence all day.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I bring ideas to life by moving them out of my head and into action—fast. Here is my process: clarify the core, shrink the idea, test before perfecting, build momentum, refine and scale. At the end of the day, ideas don’t come to life through thinking—they come alive through movement.
What’s one trend that excites you?
One trend that really excites me is the rise of the creator-led, knowledge economy. People are turning what they know into real businesses: consulting, digital products, niche newsletters, online courses, micro-communities. You no longer need a huge company or massive capital—just expertise, credibility, and consistency.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
One habit that helps me stay productive is starting every day with a clear top priority. Before anything else, I decide the one task that will make the day a win if it gets done. Not 10 things—just one. That focus cuts through distractions and prevents busywork from taking over.
What advice would you give your younger self?
I’d tell my younger self this:
Be patient—but move boldly. You don’t need to have everything figured out. Start anyway. Clarity comes from action, not waiting.
Tell us something you believe that almost nobody agrees with you on.
Working harder is usually not the answer—working clearer is.
A lot of people believe success comes from long hours, constant hustle, and saying yes to everything. I don’t. I think most burnout comes from unclear goals, not lack of effort.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
The one thing I repeatedly do—and recommend everyone else do—is regularly step back and review. I pause to ask:
• What’s working?
• What’s wasting time or energy?
• What should I stop, start, or improve?
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
When I feel overwhelmed or unfocused, I slow things down on purpose.
First, I pause and reset—deep breath, short walk, or a quick step away. That break creates space instead of pressure.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
One strategy that has consistently helped me grow and advance is becoming known for reliability and clarity.
I focused on doing a few things extremely well and communicating them clearly. When people knew they could count on me—to deliver on time, explain things simply, and solve problems without drama—opportunities followed naturally.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
One failure in my career was saying yes to too much, too early.
I took on projects and responsibilities without clear boundaries, thinking it would accelerate growth. Instead, it led to stress, diluted focus, and work that didn’t reflect my best ability.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Micro-Consulting for Specialized Tax or Accounting Niches.
The concept:
Many small businesses, freelancers, and independent professionals struggle with niche tax or accounting issues—like digital products, international payments, or cryptocurrency. Instead of hiring a full-time accountant, they want fast, affordable, expert guidance for one specific problem.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
One piece of software that really boosts my productivity is Notion.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
The best $100 I recently spent was on a short online course about advanced Excel and financial modeling.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
Yes! One of my favorite books is “Deep Work” by Cal Newport, and one of my favorite podcasts is “The Tim Ferriss Show.” Why “Deep Work” is valuable: it taught me the power of focused, uninterrupted work in a world full of distractions.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
A movie I recently enjoyed was “The Big Short.” Here’s why: it turns complex finance and economics into a story that’s surprisingly entertaining and clear.
Key learnings
- Clarity over busyness drives productivity.
- Action turns ideas into results.
- Consistency and reliability build trust.
- Strategic reflection prevents overwhelm.
- Investing in skills and systems pays off.