Today we’d like to introduce you to Evvie Smith.
Hi Evvie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My journey has never been a straight line, but every season has prepared me for the next.
I started preparing taxes when I was 19 years old. My aunt, who prepared taxes for our entire family, taught me how to complete tax returns the old-fashioned way—on paper. I began helping friends with their taxes, never imagining it would one day become a successful business.
Years later, in 2017, my sister challenged me. She told me to stop doing taxes for “crumbs” and build a real business. That conversation changed everything. In 2018, I officially launched 3D Notary and Taxes. The name is deeply personal because all three of my biological children’s names begin with the letter “D.” I wanted my business to represent the legacy of my family while serving others with excellence.
Like many businesses, COVID-19 changed everything. Learning how to prepare taxes virtually expanded my reach and transformed the way I served clients. In 2020, I shared office space with a friend in a shopping center. Today, I’m grateful to have my own office and serve more than 200 clients with professional, reliable tax preparation, notary services, and business consulting. Building relationships and helping people create financial stability has become just as important to me as preparing their tax returns.
But my story isn’t just about business.
I’ve always believed in education and personal growth, so I made the decision to go back to school at the age of 49. That decision reminded me that it’s never too late to invest in yourself, learn something new, or pursue another dream.
The greatest challenge of my life came in August 2024 when my oldest son was tragically murdered. Losing a child is a pain that words cannot fully describe. There were moments when I questioned how I would move forward, but God had another plan.
Exactly one year later, in the very same month that once represented the deepest pain of my life, God established “The Disciple Center International”, the church He called me to pastor. Looking back, I can clearly see His strategy. He took the month that held my greatest heartbreak and transformed it into the month that carries one of my greatest purposes.
I’ve often said, “God needed the most painful month of my life to become the most purposeful month of my life because He knows that purpose has always outweighed my pain.” That truth has become the foundation of how I live, lead, and serve others.
Today, I wear many hats—business owner, pastor, consultant, life coach, nonprofit founder, and community advocate—but they are all connected by one mission: helping people move from where they are to where God has called them to be. Whether I’m helping someone maximize their tax refund, coaching a business owner, feeding the homeless, supporting survivors of domestic violence, or preaching the Gospel in the streets, my purpose remains the same: to use every experience, both painful and victorious, to help someone else find hope.
My journey is proof that setbacks don’t have the final say. With faith, perseverance, and a willingness to obey God’s direction, even life’s greatest pain can become the birthplace of purpose.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not. My journey has been filled with challenges, setbacks, and moments that could have easily made me quit.
Like many entrepreneurs, I started with more vision than resources. Building a business required long hours, sacrifice, and learning everything from marketing and operations to staying compliant with constantly changing tax laws. There were years when I questioned whether the investment of time, money, and energy would pay off. Every new level of business required me to become a different leader.
One of the biggest challenges came during COVID-19. While many businesses struggled, I had to quickly adapt to serving clients virtually. Instead of resisting the change, I embraced it. That season taught me that flexibility isn’t optional in business—it’s necessary.
The greatest struggle, however, had nothing to do with business.
In August 2024, my son was murdered. There is no handbook for losing a child. I had to learn how to grieve while still leading, serving clients, showing up for my family, and honoring the commitments God had entrusted to me. There were days when simply getting out of bed felt like a victory.
At the same time, I made the decision to return to college. Balancing school, running a growing business, leading a nonprofit, and eventually planting a church wasn’t easy. There were many late nights, early mornings, and moments when I wondered if I had taken on too much. But I’ve learned that growth often requires stretching beyond what feels comfortable.
Then, one year after losing my son, God called me to officially launch The Disciple Center International. What once represented the most painful month of my life became one of the most purposeful. Looking back, I realize God wasn’t asking me to ignore my pain—He was teaching me that purpose could exist alongside it.
If there’s one lesson I’ve learned, it’s this: challenges don’t mean you’re on the wrong path. Sometimes they’re preparing you for the very thing you’ve been called to do. My faith has been the anchor through every season, and it has taught me that perseverance isn’t about never falling—it’s about choosing to keep getting back up.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
At the core of everything I do is one mission: helping people build a better future.
Professionally, I’m the owner of 3D Notary and Taxes, where I specialize in professional tax preparation, ITIN services as an IRS-authorized Certified Acceptance Agent (CAA), notary services, and business consulting. I’ve been preparing taxes for more than 30 years, and today I have the privilege of serving more than 200 clients. Many of my clients have been with me for years because they know I genuinely care about helping them make informed financial decisions—not just during tax season, but throughout the year.
Outside of business, I’m the Founder and Senior Pastor of The Disciple Center International, where our mission is “Building People, Not Religion*. We are committed to meeting people where they are, extending God’s love without judgment, and helping them grow into who He created them to be. That mission has even expanded beyond the four walls of the church as we’ve taken ministry into the streets to reach the homeless, those struggling with addiction, and anyone who feels forgotten.
I’m also the founder of Keep Moving Ministries, a nonprofit organization that has served individuals experiencing homelessness and survivors of domestic violence since 2018. Whether it’s providing food, shelter, resources, or simply hope, I’ve always believed that faith should be demonstrated through action.
What I’m most proud of isn’t the number of clients I serve or the businesses I’ve built. It’s the lives that have been impacted along the way. Knowing that someone trusted me to help them start a business, get their finances in order, escape an abusive situation, strengthen their faith, or simply believe in themselves again means more to me than any award or recognition ever could.
I believe what sets me apart is that I don’t see people as transactions—I see them as individuals with purpose. Whether someone walks into my office needing tax services, calls for business advice, or comes seeking spiritual guidance, my goal is the same: to leave them better than I found them.
My life has taught me that success isn’t measured only by what you build for yourself, but by how many people are stronger because you were willing to serve them. That philosophy guides every business, ministry, and organization I’m blessed to lead.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me is my relationship with God, my family, and living a life of purpose.
My faith is the foundation of everything I do. It influences how I lead my businesses, how I pastor, how I serve my community, and how I treat people. I’ve learned that success means very little if I lose sight of the One who gave me the purpose to begin with.
My family is my greatest earthly blessing. Like many families, we’ve celebrated incredible joys and endured unimaginable heartbreak. Losing my son changed me forever, but it also deepened my understanding of God’s grace, compassion, and purpose. It reminded me that tomorrow isn’t promised, so the people we love should never have to question whether they were loved.
What also matters deeply to me is leaving a legacy that extends beyond my lifetime. I don’t want to simply be remembered as someone who owned a successful business or pastored a church. I want to be remembered as someone who helped people discover their God-given purpose, overcome obstacles, and believe that their past didn’t have to determine their future.
Whether I’m preparing a tax return, mentoring an entrepreneur, feeding someone experiencing homelessness, encouraging a survivor of domestic violence, or sharing the Gospel on a street corner, my prayer is always the same—that someone leaves our encounter with more hope than they had before.
At the end of my life, I don’t believe God will ask me how many businesses I owned or how many titles I held. I believe He’ll ask what I did with the people He entrusted to me. That’s what matters most, because people are eternal, and investing in their lives is the only legacy that will truly last.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://3dnotarytaxes.com
