Brian Dela Cruz, CPA

Co-Owner & Visionary — Take Flight Business Solutions LLC

MBA, Thunderbird School of Global Management

· CPA (MA) · CMA · CTP 

Brian Dela Cruz is the founder, licensed CPA, and client-facing authority behind Take Flight Business Solutions. He built the firm around a simple conviction: small business owners deserve the same quality of tax strategy and financial clarity that larger companies take for granted—delivered by a credentialed professional who actually knows their numbers, not a production team that hands off their file after data entry.

Brian holds a Master's Degree in Business, Massachusetts CPA license (#30866), a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) designation, and a Certified Tax Professional (CTP) credential. Every advisory engagement, every tax strategy conversation, and every planning recommendation comes directly from Brian—not delegated, not routed to staff. When you engage Take Flight for advisory services, you’re working with the CPA who signed your return.

What Brian Does

Client Advisory & Business & Tax Planning.

Brian personally owns every advisory and planning engagement at the firm. No advisory services are delegated to production staff or contractors. When you need guidance on estimated tax payments, safe harbor strategy, quarterly timing, entity structure, or forward-looking tax planning, that conversation happens directly with Brian. That’s not a policy—it’s the standard.

Tax Review & Blueprint Engagements.

Brian leads structured Tax Review and Blueprint engagements designed to give business owners a complete picture of their tax position and a clear path forward. These engagements cover estimated payment strategy, safe harbor planning, and the specific decisions that reduce tax liability without introducing compliance risk.

Firm Oversight & Final Authority.

Brian maintains final authority over all billing decisions, engagement scope, fee structures, and professional standards across the firm. He sets the quality bar every specialist, contractor, and coordinator is held to—and he backstops every return that leaves the firm under his license.

Technology & Systems Administration.

Brian oversees all technology and software infrastructure—BizPayO, Drake, Canopy Tax, OneDrive, Google Drive, and the firm’s practice management tools—ensuring client data is secure, organized, and accessible only to authorized team members.

Brand, Content & Business Development.

Brian leads all sales and high-level networking for the firm. He designs and manages the firm’s SEO strategy, advertising, and brand content, authors the firm’s blog, and maintains the website in coordination with Olive Street Design. He also represents Take Flight at business networking events, professional conferences, and community events throughout the Pensacola area and beyond.

License & Credential Maintenance. Brian actively maintains his Massachusetts CPA license, CMA designation, CTP credential, and all required state business licenses—ensuring the firm’s professional standing and your continued protection under the firm’s E&O coverage.

Why It Matters for You

• Every advisory conversation is with the licensed CPA—not a coordinator, not a contractor. Your strategy comes from the person with the credentials and the accountability to back it up.
• All advisory engagements are exclusive to Brian by firm policy. There is no ambiguity about who is responsible for the guidance you receive.
• Your engagement is backed by the firm’s Professional Liability (E&O) coverage, giving you recourse if something goes wrong—something most solo practitioners and bookkeeping services cannot offer.
• Brian’s multi-credential background—Massachusetts CPA, CMA, CTP—means your tax strategy, management accounting decisions, and planning conversations are informed by a practitioner trained across all three disciplines.

Serving Clients Locally & Nationwide

Take Flight Business Solutions is headquartered in Cantonment, Florida, serving business owners in the Pensacola metro area and clients across the country. Whether you’re down the road or in another time zone, Brian and the team deliver a consistent, organized experience through Canopy Tax, BizPayo, and Encyro—secure from the first document to the final signature.

The Team Brian Leads

• Joetta Vargo — Co-Owner & Strategic Director. Internal operations oversight and long-term business strategy.
• Michael Le — Tax Director. Final forensic review and technical sign-off on all tax returns under Brian’s oversight.
• Whitney Hood — Client Services Coordinator. Client onboarding, billing, scheduling, signature coordination, and day-to-day administrative operations.
• Mariah Davis — Tax Accounting & Sales Tax Assistant. Production, document management, and day-to-day client correspondence.
• Jenalyn Aquinde — Senior Bookkeeper. Month-end reconciliations, clean trial balances, and bookkeeping quality control.

Bottom line: Take Flight exists because Brian believes that every business owner who wants to do well—deserves a credentialed, accountable CPA in their corner who understands their numbers and helps them make better decisions with them. That’s the standard. That’s the promise.