Stop overpaying in taxes and start keeping more of the money your business works hard to earn.
Your business works hard for its money, you should keep more of it. We handle the numbers and build smart tax strategies so you can focus on scaling profit, not fighting tax chaos.
About Us
Paragon began with one person—our founder, John—who was fed up with how corporate firms treated small business owners. After dealing with enough assembly-line service and one-size-fits-all advice, he made a decision:
“I can do this better.” And he did.
Starting small, John built Paragon one relationship at a time, committed to offering business owners the kind of proactive, personalized guidance he never got. Over time, the team grew, the talent sharpened, and so did the mission:
Help small businesses Owners become wealthy.
We’re not here to play by the old rules. We’re here to help small business owners take BACK what’s theirs—more wealth, more freedom. With fully competent transparency and a ruthless mission to fight back against the broken system. We team up with you to not only grow and protect your wealth but also your time.
Merino & Associates, LLC
How It Works
Here’s how it works:
We talk goals. What’s keeping you up at night? Where do you want your business to go?
We make sure we’re a match. We’ll confirm if we’ve got the services (and the team) to get you there.
We build you a custom quote. No cookie-cutter nonsense—just exactly what your business needs.
We wrap it up. If it’s a fit, we’ll get started.
If not, no hard feelings.
We exclusively work with businesses bringing in $250K+ in annual revenue or More—because our Robust strategies are built to create serious impact!
Business Transformation
Once You’re In, We Don’t Waste Time- We Roll Up Our Sleeves And Get To Work:
We dive deep. We tear through your financials, tax returns, and everything in between to uncover what’s working and what’s wrecking your cash flow.
We clean it up. Backwork? Yep, we handle it. We’ll rebuild your financials so you finally have numbers you can trust.
We deliver fresh financials. No more mystery math. You’ll get clear, updated reports that make actual sense.
We sit down and show you what we found. The good, the bad, and the ugly. We don’t sugarcoat it; we just give you the game plan to fix it.
Transformation time Depends on CLIENT cooperation and the state of business records.
Guidance
We’ve cleaned up the chaos, we don’t disappear—we stick with you to keep the momentum going.
Bottom Line: You get a partner who’s as invested in your success as you are—and who isn’t afraid to push you further.
What We Offers
What Clients Say
Meet the Team
Latest Articles
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John is the brains behind the beast—founder of Paragon and the guy who makes financial strategy feel like both a superpower and a contact sport. He’s part spreadsheet wizard, part Pathfinder master, and fully obsessed with helping business owners not just survive, but build something they can brag about.
When he’s not leading the team or mapping out tax-saving battle plans, you’ll find him hanging with his wife and two daughters, cheering from the sidelines at dance and chorus events, or letting his Great Pyrenees, Beau, run the house with indoor zoomies. His guilty pleasures? Pop-Tarts, bourbon cream in coffee, and aggressively reorganizing his iTunes by genre (yes, it absolutely matters).
Stephen knows how to land a tax strategy hit—and we’re not just saying that because he boxes in his free time. When he’s not building smart, profitable solutions for clients, you’ll find him hiking or grilling with his family, collecting vinyl records, or throwing jabs in the boxing gym. He’s a proud dog dad to Skylar and loves taking annual fishing trips to Canada with his family. Stephen is straightforward, sharp, and doesn’t sugarcoat a thing—but he’ll still have you laughing while he slices through financial chaos like it’s brisket.
Determined, crafty, and always ready to learn, Katelyn loves trying out new projects—especially crochet—and spending time with her dog. A lifelong Dolly Parton fan and Friends binge-watcher, she can’t resist good French fries and an ice-cold Dr. Pepper. Fun fact: she spent years in competitive cheerleading growing up! Her dream trip? Santorini, Greece. At work, Katelyn brings diverse tax experience and is excited to keep building her bookkeeping skills to better support clients.
Kenyon brings both brains and creativity to the team—balancing sharp strategy with a love for all things sci-fi, storytelling, and the occasional chaotic dice roll. When he’s not working his accounting magic, you’ll find him deep in a Dungeons & Dragons campaign, watching horror flicks with friends, or adding to his Lego Star Wars collection (yes, it’s impressive). A proud dog dad to Karma the pitbull and Max the rottweiler. Kenyon blends precision, imagination, and just the right amount of attention to detail to help our clients thrive.
