Our Story & The Folks Behind It

We've been helping creative professionals untangle their finances since 2012, and honestly? We're just getting started.

Our team at work

Who We Really Are

Look, we get it - most accounting firms feel like walking into a stuffy law library where everyone's speaking a different language. That's not us. We started Dreadlithoria because creative entrepreneurs were getting absolutely terrible advice from folks who didn't understand their industry.

Back in 2012, our founder was working with a struggling design agency that was profitable on paper but couldn't make payroll. Traditional accountants kept saying "the numbers look fine" - but they weren't fine at all. That's when we realized the creative sector needed accountants who actually got it.

Now we work with musicians, designers, filmmakers, artists, and all kinds of creative businesses across Toronto and beyond. We've seen it all - from grants that nobody told you about to expense categories that'll actually save you money (legally, of course).

What We Actually Stand For

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Happy Clients

And yeah, we've actually asked them

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Million in Tax Savings

That's real money back in pockets

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Years of Experience

Learning something new every day

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Client Retention Rate

Once you're in, you're family

How We Got Here

2012
The Beginning

Started in a tiny Bay Street office with three clients and way too much coffee. Our first client was a documentary filmmaker who hadn't filed taxes in three years - we fixed that mess.

2015
Growing Pains

Hit 50 clients and realized we needed actual systems. Hired our first full-time bookkeeper and moved to a bigger space. Started specializing in music industry accounting.

2018
Going Digital

Went completely cloud-based because our clients were everywhere. Launched our first online tax workshop for creatives - 200 people showed up. We were onto something.

2021
Pandemic Pivot

Helped over 100 creative businesses navigate CERB, CEWS, and all those pandemic programs. Late nights, tons of stress, but we got everyone through it.

2025
Today & Tomorrow

Now we're a team of 15 working with creative businesses across Canada. We've expanded into full CFO services and honestly, we're just getting warmed up.

Scroll horizontally to see our journey

Meet The Team

Sarah Chen
Sarah Chen, CPA

Founder & Lead Strategist

Former music industry accountant who got tired of seeing artists get ripped off. Now she makes sure creatives keep what they earn.

Marcus Thompson
Marcus Thompson, CPA

Tax Specialist

Tax code nerd who actually enjoys reading CRA updates. Yeah, he's that guy. But he'll save you a fortune, so we keep him around.

Priya Sharma
Priya Sharma

Senior Bookkeeper

Can spot a misclassified expense from a mile away. Former gallery accountant who knows exactly how art sales work (it's complicated).

David Kowalski
David Kowalski, CPA, CA

CFO Services Director

Spent 15 years in corporate finance before realizing small businesses needed help way more. Now he's our go-to for growth strategy stuff.

Elena Rodriguez
Elena Rodriguez

Payroll Manager

Makes sure everyone gets paid on time, every time. Also speaks fluent HR-ese and handles all the employment stuff nobody wants to deal with.

James Liu
James Liu, CPA

Advisory Consultant

Film industry specialist who understands production accounting better than most producers. Saved a production company $180K last year alone.

Why Creative Businesses Choose Us

Here's the thing - regular accountants don't get your world. They'll tell you to "just get a salary job" when cashflow's tight, or they won't understand why you need to expense that weird piece of equipment for a project.

We've worked with filmmakers who need production accounting, musicians dealing with international royalties, designers managing contractor payments, and artists navigating gallery consignment sales. We actually know this stuff.

Plus, we're not gonna judge you for forgetting receipts or filing things late. We'll help you set up systems so it doesn't happen again, but we get it - you're busy actually creating stuff.

Let's Chat About Your Situation
Our approach

Ready to Work Together?

Let's figure out if we're a good fit. First consultation's on us - we'll look at your situation and tell you honestly if we can help.

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