At Bay Property Management Group, we are Baltimore property management professionals focused on customer service. Furthermore, our goal is to make property ownership both a pleasurable and profitable experience for our clients. We know that our success is due to our awesome team members and how they each contribute something special to our property management company.
Therefore, we are initiating our Employee Spotlight to help you learn more about our talented employees and how their unique backgrounds and expertise help us stay a “cut above the rest.” Today, we proudly introduce John Paul Porras, BMG’s staff accountant. Read on to discover all about John, his professional background, and what he enjoys most about working here at Bay Property Management Group.
Meet John Paul Porras, Baltimore Staff Accountant
Meet John Paul Porras, Baltimore Staff AccountantJohn Paul Porras is a staff accountant for our Baltimore office, and started working at Bay Property Management Group nearly three years ago, in December 2021, and has worked in the real estate industry since 2019.
He graduated from Ateneo de Davao University with a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy. He passed the boards in 2016 and has been a CPA by profession for the past 8 years.
John’s career started in 2016 as a Financial Analyst for Coca-Cola Beverages in the Philippines, handling accounting and finance responsibilities for both the manufacturing and sales sites in Davao City. He worked there for three years before transitioning as a SAP Business Solutions consultant for a telecommunications provider in the Philippines.
John previously worked smaller remote jobs as an accountant/bookkeeper, but when the pandemic hit, he started doing it full-time.
Throughout his career, John has gotten his CPA license and obtained certifications as a QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor, Xero Advisor, and SAP Business Objects Intelligence Platform.
A Day in the Life of John Porras
According to John, his day starts early, around 6:30 am EST, with a cold shower. He logs in for work, checking his email for anything urgent, and plans his day around that. Usually, his day varies depending on the week’s schedule. He says,
“If it’s owner payouts or payroll week, then I’m more on “game-face mode” since I wouldn’t want to miss any entries or have any material error, especially when it pertains to money.”
However, on a more relaxed day, John starts his day by checking his calendar, emails, and workload in Asana. He keeps an eye out for team meetings, especially if it’s with his bosses. He makes sure to take short breaks away from his computer screen and typically takes his lunch around 12 pm to 1 pm. Then, he completes his remaining tasks in the afternoon. Before calling it a day, he checks emails and his workload for the next day, so he’s at peace knowing no urgent issues are left unresolved.
More About John’s Role at BMG
John is responsible for ensuring the BMG Baltimore office books are accurate, updated, and follow company and industry standards. He says,
“Daily catchup bookkeeping is a no-brainer for any accountant, but what challenges me is the handling of intercompany transactions for shared department expenses. Baltimore office also houses 90+ employees, both offshore and US-based, so payroll is a bit tedious during paydays.”
He also handles inquiries related to corporate accounting, payroll concerns, company credit cards, and 401k processing. Payment to vendors or suppliers, recording of revenues and other income, and other tasks like management reports and spreadsheets take up most of his time each day.
According to John, his favorite part of his job is that other people can rely on him. He feels valued because he adds value to the team.
One thing that’s surprised him about working in this industry is that most people aren’t fond of colorful spreadsheets–it’s best to keep it plain and simple. With that, one thing he wished more people knew about his job is that it’s not all about numbers.
“Aside from having the brain, you need heart, compassion, morals, and a great amount of conscience as an accountant.”
Why Does John Love Bay Property Management Group?
Bay Property Management Group is truly a special place to work. John has worked in the industry for a while, but he likes that BMG sets the bar high when it comes to customer service and employee care. He says,
“They take care of us, and that is what’s most important to me.”
His best piece of advice for anyone considering this field or in the industry already includes the following.
“This field is not for the weak. Everything can be trained, but you need to be fast and efficient. Have the best attitude towards work, upskill, and expand your capabilities.”
Getting to Know John Paul Porras Outside of the Office
- When you’re not in the office, what do you like to do? – “I am really a homebody, so I usually spend my vacant time at home watching movies and funny shows. If there’s a party and an invite, then I’ll go.”
- If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you want to meet and why? – “I would want to meet the real-life Jack Dawson from the movie Titanic. I want to ask him why he didn’t just get off the raft and survive with Rose.”
- What is the best book you have ever read? – “I don’t really read books/novels. The only one I had was when I did a book report for “The Little Prince” back in college.”
- If you could dis-invent one thing, what would it be? – “Guns. Wars now are for cowards. I want to bring back the time when wars are battled through hand-to-hand combats.”
- What are three words to describe yourself? – “Silly, cunning, capable.”
Bay Property Management Group is a full-service property management company here to help you with all your residential and multi-family property needs. Our business is strictly property management, so our specialization enables us to serve you better. Contact BMG today to learn more about our rental property management services and speak to one of our fantastic employees like John Paul Porras.
