About Us

Welcome To Zitronen Consulting

Zitronen is German for lemons. And yes, that is my last name.

Hi, I am Matt Lemons, Founder of Zitronen Consulting.

I started on my current path at 18, when I was hired at a VW dealership. I did not plan a career. I just needed work. But I got good at it. Really good. Eventually, I was one of the top parts people in the area, and along the way, I learned how a shop actually runs, how techs think, how service advisors operate, and what happens when the numbers do not add up at the end of the month.

At some point, I got tired of the hours and the ceiling. So I started taking classes at community college after my shifts ended, working toward something bigger. When I got accepted to Texas State University, I moved over to a VW independent shop and kept working while I finished my BBA in Accounting. Still putting in Saturdays at the dealership. Still in the shop world while building my way out of it.

From 18 years old to today, the automotive world has been part of my life for over 20 years. The difference is that now I bring the finances with me.

I graduated and spent the next twelve years in corporate finance. Staff accountant to financial analyst to controller to VP of Finance and HR, and now Assistant Finance Director at a large national organization. Government contracting, SaaS, hospitality, commodities. Real organizations with real complexity and real stakes.

I have seen financial chaos and financial clarity from both sides. And the difference between them almost always comes down to whether someone is actually paying attention to the numbers and telling the truth about what they see.

But I never forgot where I started.

The shop world is full of owners who are working incredibly hard and flying completely blind when it comes to their finances. They have a bookkeeper who sends reports they do not understand, or a cousin doing the books who means well but does not know what they do not know, or nobody at all. And they make decisions every day without the financial clarity they deserve.

That is why Zitronen Consulting exists.

Not to just do the books. To help shop owners actually understand what their numbers are saying and make better decisions because of it. I am not your vendor. I am your partner. And the chat bubble in our logo is not random. It represents exactly what we believe, that an honest conversation about your finances is the foundation of everything.

At Zitronen Consulting, day-to-day bookkeeping is handled by a skilled team while I personally review, advise, and stand behind every number we deliver. You get the efficiency of a dedicated team with direct access to me.

I know this world because I came from it. And I know finance because I spent 12 years building that expertise from the ground up. That combination is rare. And if you are ready for a partner who will tell you the truth about your numbers, let’s talk.