Creativity in Numbers: Meet AMOA Financial

Dehvon Davies is the Founder and CEO of AMOA Financial. As a small business owner and creative, Davies has no shortage of vision. She sees and desires growth and possibilities within herself, her own company as well as the companies she serves.

She also feels and notices a movement - within our society and our world. The pandemic has brought changes in work and life, excluding no one from seeking new ways of being and living. But, Davies recognizes this shift as an invitation, an opportunity to look closely at how and where the Holy is present. She calls it a revolution, an awakening.

“People are starting to focus on matters of faith and spirituality in a new deeper way, we are almost being forced to,” says Davies. “And I believe this is the most important thing we as humans can do right now. This is the direction we need to be going, and I’m so grateful my work allows me to help cultivate this awareness in some ways.”

Davies and her business partner Kimberly Williams, who is chief financial officer of AMOA, recently partnered with Retreat House Spirituality Center. As Retreat House continues to expand it’s reach through virtual offerings as well as exploration of sacred story through blog posts and the House of book series. I recently sat virtually connected to Dehvon to learn more about her personal and professional path and to celebrate and learn about the gifts she’s bringing to Retreat House.

How did you initially connect with Retreat House?

Morgan Clayton is a Retreat House board member, and she was aware RH was needing someone to help with bookkeeping and financials, especially as RH expands and begins applying for grants, etc. Morgan is a friend and also a client of AMOA. She asked Kimberly and I a few months back if we had capacity for a new client like RH, because she knew it would be a great fit. So she linked us up with Lil Smith.

After our first meetup with Lil to discuss the potential of working together, we just jived. Do people use that word anymore?! Let’s just say there were good vibes, and Kimberly and I thought - this is the kind of energy we want to work in. We have a real spiritual energy at AMOA, and knowing that this is the heart of RH, we had a gut feeling that taking on RH as a new client would work well and continue in the direction we want to go as a business.

I love to hear that spirituality is centric to AMOA. Will you tell me more about your professional and personal mission and how that aligns with Retreat House?

I really believe that spirituality and faith and God is kind of the point of everything. Spiritual freedom and connection to what some people call Source Energy is ultimately God. It is something accessed within and it is where, in a sense, I believe we need to head as humans on a large scale.

I believe there’s a movement happening. We see externally a lot of movements - political and cultural, but this spiritual movement I’m seeing is not necessarily televised or seen through social media, it is happening in relationships.

I agree. I see this happening as well. I’m noticing that many people are looking within - looking at their relationship with themselves, and God and others.

Yes, absolutely. We (AMOA) see an invitation to bring faith into our business relationships - this is what we are drawn, too. And, we are so grateful for the work Retreat House is doing. This is exactly the type of work we want to align ourselves with. It is such important work! It IS sacred work. And, when you start to align yourselves with others who desire to lead with the Spirit and love, the smalls things add up to be big things - and then you start to see the Kingdom of God.

I feel the same way! When one’s professional work aligns with one’s internal self and faith - it is such a gift! So, what is the origin story of AMOA? How and when did you get started?

I worked in corporate accounting for years. I started in 2002 or 2003. I did the whole typical accounting thing - working in tiny boxes with minimal sunlight - all of that. But God had me there for wonderful reasons and a purpose. And, I enjoy accounting. After working for several different companies, I was serving in the role of controller for Urban Acres. As Urban was in the process of being purchased, I noticed that my salary was a drain to the company. I said, what if I step out as an independent and you all hire me as you need me. This was the turning point to me stepping out and having my own business. Once I took that step, doors started opening and connections naturally were made with clients. I got busy really, really fast and quickly realized I needed help. I actually remember praying a very specific prayer: “God, I need someone who is like me but not exactly like me.” And within a month, I was introduced to Kimberly.

Yes! Tell me about Kimberly and her role with AMOA.

I’m an artist and a creative. So, here I am this artist/accountant hybrid, so I needed someone who was business savvy but not afraid to think outside of the box and roll with creative ideas. And, I knew I needed a CPA. I am a degreed accountant and MBA, but I knew the CPA path was not for me. So, I needed a CPA who is fun and open-minded. One of my friends who works in ecstatic dance knew that I was looking for someone to join my team. She messaged me soon after learning of my need - introducing me to Kimberly. When the two of us met, it was almost like we didn’t need to communicate with words. We just got each other! She saved the day and allowed me to do the things I do well, while she does the things she does well. It is a blessed partnership.

It is a beautiful thing when two people can co-create and bring their gifts together to make the whole. I’m so intrigued by your gifting - being good with numbers and identifying as a creative. What type of art do you create?

I do all kinds of art. I am in the middle of writing a science fiction book. I paint. I write. I’ve done some professional acting on television and movies, though that was a long time ago. I’m just an all-around creative person. And this is part of the movement I was talking about — part of this spiritual awakening, I believe, is to find work and relationships that do not stifle one’s creativity, but instead create more of a flow of it, which in turn can make the whole so much brighter and better. When we are in the flow, God brings the right people together.

Absolutely. I have witnessed this type of creativity and cultivation connect people and sacred stories here at Retreat House, and now AMOA financial is another wonderful addition to the RH community.

It’s so amazing. As we are sitting here talking, my eyes are being opened to the reality of us being connected - there are so many ways AMOA might be able to serve RH in addition to this formal partnership through the financial services we’ll provide. I would love to be able to serve in some capacity - perhaps through teaching yoga. Kimberly is a dancer, and an amazing jazz singer. I have a sense this is going to be a creative partnership in so many ways.

One of the main intentions of our work here at AMOA is to help small businesses or nonprofits like RH. We want to offer peace of mind through management of the task side of things. Small business owners give so much of themselves. It is a day in and day out thing. You are your own boss, yes. And sometimes the perception is that you can do whatever you want. The reality is, as a small business owner, you are “on” all of the time. Small business owners are many times highly creative people - and many times that might not even realize it! And just like RH, many business owners or nonprofit leaders are creative just in the fact that they have a vision and work hard to manifest it. We want to give them the opportunity to continue in their creativity but managing things like bookkeeping, and numbers - those tasks that can kill creativity. This is integral to our mission.

Dehvon Davies, founder and CEO of AMOA Financial. Read more about Dehvon and AMOA here.

You can also learn more about Dehvon and her professional and spiritual path here on this edition of Story Seeds: Creativity in Numbers. (video coming)

This article was written by Emily Turner, writer and trained spiritual director. She would love to hear from you.