It's almost the end of 2023 and wow, do we have a fun episode for you! In our Year-In-Review show, Michael talks to a panel of amazing guests about the ups and downs of the bookkeeping industry this past year. Our returning Year in Review panelists are Debbie Roberts, co-founder of Pure Bookkeeping, Jessica Fox, owner of Florida Virtual Bookkeeper, Teresa Slack, co-founder of Financly, and Katrina Aarsman, CEO of Pure Bookkeeping Australia. Our guests reflect on their biggest surprises of 2023, share their biggest wins and what they look forward to in 2024 plus more! There are some great chunks of wisdom in this episode, so sit back, relax and enjoy! We are grateful to all of our wonderful listeners who have joined us this year. YOU make this show possible. Thank you and HAPPY NEW YEAR! To find out more about our guests, click below. Debbie Roberts Katrina Aarsman Jessica Fox  Teresa Slack This episode is brought to you by our great friends at Gusto! Gusto’s payroll and HR services can make your life a little easier.  Automatically calculating paychecks, filing payroll taxes and much more! Gusto does it all.  The best part? Because you’re a listener, you get THREE MONTHS TOTALLY FREE! Just go to gusto.com/thesuccessfulbookkeeper to sign up TODAY!

“Things like that, I get to show up and be excited about things again because I know everything else is taken care of.” -Ashley Chamberlain In the pursuit of success, there comes a transformative moment when we ask ourselves, "What am I spending my time doing that someone else could excel at?" This realization is often weighed down by our belief that we can only be successful if we are doing it all by ourselves. But, when we embrace the power of delegation, it becomes a powerful catalyst for change, a journey towards freeing up precious time and rediscovering joy in both professional and personal lives.  In the second of a two-part series, Ashley Chamberlain, owner of Chamberlain and Good Company, examines the ways outsourcing has changed her life. Ashley and Michael dive into how to delegate to experts, hire the right people for you and reignite passion for the things that truly matter.  If you feel like you are spending too much time working in your business, and not enough time working on your business, then this is the episode to help you reclaim your time and find your true passions in life! During this interview, you'll learn... The value of planting seeds now for future success How to let go of the need to be all things to all people The importance of hiring the right people To find out more about Ashley, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Time Stamps     01:27 - Learning to delegate  10:01 - Attracting the right people  15:30 - Living our life’s passion  18:12 - Getting our time back  20:32 - Showing up for ourselves  25:05 - Learning more about Ashley   26:54 - 3000 hours of service This episode is brought to you by our great friends at Gusto! Gusto’s payroll and HR services can make your life a little easier.  Automatically calculating paychecks, filing payroll taxes and much more! Gusto does it all.  The best part? Because you’re a listener, you get THREE MONTHS TOTALLY FREE! Just go to gusto.com/thesuccessfulbookkeeper to sign up TODAY!

“We want to identify those moments that matter, that help us center around connection… going back to the employees and saying, 'what does this look like to you?'” -Jennifer Johnston There are so many different points of view when it comes to remote, office and hybrid working, that it can be hard to know what is best for us, our employees, and businesses. Remote workers increase the pool of skilled talent you might hire, but in-house employees create culture and connection with no extra effort.  What would happen if you identified those crucial workplace moments that truly matter for your team, and structured your approach around the answers of the people working for you? Jennifer Johnston, Vice President of Human Resources at Payworks, is here to help you answer that very question. In this episode, Jennifer and Louie Prosperi navigate the complexities of the different working environments and what you can achieve when you identify the moments that matter and offer valuable insights into the strategies you can employ to thrive anywhere.  If you are struggling with all the talk around where and how you should be working, then this is the episode to cut the noise and get you thinking about what will work for you, your employees, and your clients! During this interview, you'll learn... The value of managing stress & well-being How to identify what matters to you The importance of connecting with purpose   To find out more about Jennifer, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Time Stamps 01:27 - Jennifer discusses her career journey  03:41 - Adapting to challenging environments  07:41 - Employee engagement & experience  09:58 - How to use a net promoter score  13:48 - Managing stress & wellbeing  18:33 - Creating a proactive space  21:42 - The hybrid environment  26:33 - Getting intentional about connection 33:44 - The benefits of remote work 37:06 - Learning more about Payworks This episode is brought to you by our great friends at Payworks! If you're looking for a reliable and affordable payroll platform for your business, look no further! To learn more, visit Payworks.ca TODAY!

“I had to think, what am I going to do if I stay in this position forever? Is this going to be fulfilling?” -Ashley Chamberlain Leaps of faith are never easy, we can often be left feeling like it is better to remain in a situation that makes us miserable, than take a risk on something new and different. It comes down to what we want from life. Do we want to be working our lives away to build someone else’s dreams, or do we want to put that effort into growing something of our own? In the first of a two-part series, Ashley Chamberlain, Owner of Chamberlain and Good Company, reflects on the challenges of stepping into an entrepreneurial journey, outgrowing past experiences, and how the personal approach can make all the difference. Her journey is a testament to the power of taking that leap of faith and pursuing what truly fulfils us. She has spent her career seeking out challenges and overcoming them one by one, and now she shares her success secrets with others.  If you are struggling with self-doubt, aren’t sure how to put yourself out there, or want to take a leap of faith into something new, this is the episode to get you started cultivating your own seeds of success! During this interview, you'll learn... The value of a more personal approach How to network for success The importance of consistent efforts toward growth To find out more about Ashley, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Time Stamps 01:41 - Ashely discusses her career journey  05:15 - Making a leap of faith 10:16 - Networking for success  13:47 - Taking a more personal approach  17:32 - Meeting clients where they are  24:20 - Shifting your mindset 28:53 - Finding the joy in what you do  This episode is brought to you by our great friends at Dext! Do you chase after your clients’ receipts, enter data manually and lose information? Dext Prepare is a bookkeeping automation software that removes unnecessary tasks from your workflow. Giving you and your clients more time to focus on what matters. To learn more, visit Dext.com today!

“If you charge a bit more, and you’re in that sweet spot, you will just naturally get more clients, who can appreciate, or want to pay those extra dollars per hour.” -Andrew Seguin There will always be more clients. It is hard to shake a scarcity mindset, but the truth is, if you are good at what you do, there will always be people willing to pay a premium to have you do it for them. We have to apply our passion and love for what we do, not only in how we price our clients but how we pay our employees. In your bookkeeping business, you get to decide what you say yes to, and critically, what you say no to.  Getting something done cheaply, doesn’t often guarantee a successful and long-lasting outcome. But neither does overcharging for skills and services we don’t possess. We have to find the sweet spot, the place where our skill and the price for it align. When you find that spot for your business and own your value, you’ll find people are magnetically drawn to want to work with you. In the second part of this two-part series, Andrew Seguin shares insights into how to build a thriving bookkeeping business, what a strong workplace culture looks like and why it is important you charge what you are worth. If you are struggling to find the right path for you, not sure how to hire the right people, or price for the value of your skills, then this is the episode for you! During this interview, you'll learn... How to charge what you are truly worth How to hire the right people for your business The importance of bonding with your team  To find out more about Andrew, click here.  Connect with him on LinkedIn. Andrew is also speaking at The Successful Bookkeeper Virtual Summit. Learn more and REGISTER at this link! Time Stamps     01:30 - Hiring the right people for your business  06:02 - Bonding with your team   10:24 - How to price by value 16:52 - Why are you charging so little?  20:57 - Owning your value  27:28 - Getting passionate about what you do 30:44 - Building your dream business This episode is brought to you by our great friends at Payworks! If you're looking for a reliable and affordable payroll platform for you business, look no further! To learn more, visit Payworks.ca TODAY!

“Our industry is in such a huge demand, and no matter what, we can have a whole conversation about AI, but bookkeepers in general that can really understand a client’s businesses financial health, will never go away.” -Andrew Seguin Many of us have the desire to build our own businesses. To become masters of our own destiny. Yet we also often feel crippling self-doubt, like we are imposters, pretenders in a sea of people far more talented than we are. The truth is, no one knows what will happen when we start a business. Planning matters, effective systems, and processes matter, but what matters the most is a willingness to try even though we may fail. In this first of a two-part series, Andrew Seguin, Founder of Seguin Financial, dives into what it means to overcome our fears, build community, leave the safe harbour, and forge our own path. Andrew has spent his career helping businesses reach their potential, by streamlining their finances to free up more time to work on their business. Whether you are just starting out or want to shift your mindset to one of confidence in your offering, this is the episode that will get you thinking differently about the paths and directions your life could take. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of establishing your processes early  How success begins at the edge of our comfort zone The importance of overcoming our limiting beliefs & fears To find out more about Andrew, click here.  Connect with him on LinkedIn. Andrew is also speaking at The Successful Bookkeeper Virtual Summit. Learn more and REGISTER at this link! Time Stamps 02:27 - Andrew discusses his career journey  06:47 - Believing in ourselves  08:09 - Setting our own path 10:06 - Making the right moves  17:08 - Building community connections 21:14 - Switching to a confidence mindset 25:25 - Asking for support  This episode is brought to you by our great friends at Payworks! If you're looking for a reliable and affordable payroll platform for you business, look no further! To learn more, visit Payworks.ca TODAY!

“Culture always defaults to the worst behavior that we allow. And I think that is true of our leadership as well.” -Zach Montroy All of us have had experiences of toxic or unhealthy workplace cultures. While a healthy culture is everyone’s responsibility to co-create and maintain, office power dynamics are normally structured from the top down. It is the leaders who have to set the tone and make sure everyone has what they need to show up motivated, knowing they will be supported in their work. It is easy to identify what makes us feel good, but just because we have positive success in one area doesn’t mean there aren’t areas for improvement. If we want our businesses to truly thrive, we have to practice the hard conversations and be in a positive state of leadership, leaning away from command and control and being open to hearing some tough truths. Zach Montroy, founder and CEO at the Intention Collective, is this episode’s featured guest. He speaks to the power of values, especially courage in building a brave workplace. He has spent his career helping businesses put direction, courage and vision into their strategies, identifying the destination and helping set the course to make it possible. If you are feeling listless in your bookkeeping business, not really sure which direction to go, or how to have the hard conversations, this episode will give you the courage to take an authentic look at what needs to change. During this interview, you'll learn... Why embedding values into our culture matters How to identify & understand workplace culture The importance of self-awareness & principles in leadership  To find out more about Zach, click here.  Connect with him on LinkedIn. Time Stamps 01:31 - Zach discusses his career journey  03:12 - Understanding the problem  08:14 - Leadership starts with the self  12:00 - Confronting a toxic culture  14:38 - Daring to lead  17:18 - Creating the best place to work  22:56 - The work of the Intention Collective  26:33 - Resources to support your business This episode is brought to you by our great friends at Dext! Do you chase after your clients’ receipts, enter data manually and lose information? Dext Prepare is a bookkeeping automation software that removes unnecessary tasks from your workflow. Giving you and your clients more time to focus on what matters. To learn more, visit Dext.com today!

“Going those first few years on that solopreneur route can be very lonely at times and finding people that you can talk to and collaborate with and learn and grow from is huge.” -Danielle Hendon   Building a business is all about bridging gaps and creating connections. Between yourself and your clients, your team, and your network. But before we can build anything successful, we have to be confident and sure in our own abilities.    If we can’t articulate what it is we can bring to clients that no one else can, how can we expect them to choose us, or have faith in our abilities?    When you know what it is you love to do, it makes it much easier to create links with others that can fill the gaps in your ability. If you love spending time doing the numbers, but find all of your time taken by marketing or client contact, are you really any better off doing it alone than you would be hiring someone to do those things for you?   Danielle Hendon, owner of 4 Corners CFO, is this episode’s featured guest. She will provide advice on how small businesses can pay themselves what they are worth, by arming them with the understanding they need to make continued profits.   If you are thinking of starting a bookkeeping business, aren’t sure how to spend more time doing the things you love or are afraid of investing time in potential relationships, then this is the episode to get you thinking differently about yourself.   During this interview, you'll learn... The value of letting go of the little things How to know when the time is right for growth & change The importance of figuring out what you have to offer  To find out more about Danielle, click here.   Connect with her on LinkedIn.   Time Stamps   01:38 - Danielle discusses her career journey 05:14 - The cornerstones of business 06:01 - Taking the leap 08:20 - Figuring out what you have to offer 09:54 - Letting go of the little things  16:20 - How to know the time is right 22:50 - The challenges of new hires  24:31 - Empowering our clients  28:15 - Sticking to the right path 31:00 - Learning more about Danielle

“I’m all about making money, but at the same time, we are taught our whole life that money is the answer to everything, and it’s really not. Because at the end of your life, you don’t think about your wallet.” -Bridget Hilton Life is short. We know this all too well, and yet rarely make changes to ensure we are living a life without regret. Research shows that we feel the loss and regret of the thing not done, far more than the things we did, but got wrong. Not only that, but our biggest mistakes often prove to be the greatest factors in our growth. Teaching us and pushing us beyond what we thought it was possible to endure, allowing us to expand in emotional and intellectual intelligence and problem-solving.  Our choices ripple out into the world around us, when we think about what it means to live a life without regret, consider your legacy, your ripples, and whether they left the world better or worse. At the end of our lives, we don’t regret making enough money. But we do regret all the time we lost to the grind. Bridget Hilton, author and keynote speaker at Experiential Billionaire, is this episode’s featured guest. She speaks powerfully about what it means to live a life with no regrets, how new experiences empower us to be bolder, and how your life can transform when you give back. If you find yourself putting your dreams off, or worse, not even daring to dream them, then this is the episode to get you thinking about today, not someday! During this interview, you'll learn... The value of new experiences How to live a life with no regrets The importance of giving back  To find out more about Bridget, click here.  Connect with Bridget on LinkedIn and Twitter. Time Stamps 01:43 - Bridget discusses her career journey 05:32 - Building LSTN 07:42 - The gift of hearing  10:15 - Experiential Billionaires  15:10 - The power of new experiences  16:46 - Writing the Experiential Billionaire  19:29 - The most valuable parts of your life  28:08 - Embracing the future  30:29 - Using our lives in the best possible way

“If you want to turn your customers into superfans, being good is not going to cut it, you have got to be super!” -Brittany Hodak We’d all like for our potential clients to pick us over the competition, yet we often struggle to communicate our experience and value in a way that speaks to the heart of the customers we want to work with. Awareness of your business isn’t the issue; it is apathy that kills revenue. If you can’t clearly communicate why potential clients should care about what you do, how can you expect them to care? Once you communicate your value and it reasonates with people then do great work for them, you can create superfans who recommend you to everyone they know. If we can delight clients with every aspect of their experience with us, they will always come back. But more importantly, they become brand ambassadors, which will add more value than any paid marketing. Brittany Hodak, a Customer Experience expert and author of Creating Superfans: How To Turn Your Customers Into Lifelong Advocates, is this episode’s featured guest. She shares the five points of her Super Model plan, giving you the tools to create the best possible customer experience and long-lasting customer loyalty. If you are living in a service mindset and are unsure how to create an environment in which clients want to choose you, this is the episode to start your mindset shift into the experience economy.  During this interview, you'll learn... The value of creating business superfans How to exceed your client’s expectations The importance of an experience-focused mindset  To find out more about Brittany, click here. Buy her book at this link! Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter. Time Stamps 03:30 - Brittany discusses her career journey 07:54 - Creating superfans for your business  10:54 - Overpowering apathy  16:42 - The Super Model 20:38 - Understanding your customer’s story 24:28 - Getting personal  32:00 - Exceeding expectations  35:19 - Repeat for your reputation

“I have been a small business owner, and I know when you are short of cash, that three or four days of time, if you could get that money early, that could be a game-changing event for your life.” -Nick Chandi The world is constantly changing, and the pace of that change has never been quicker. Despite this, North America is lagging behind Asia in its adoption of instantaneous payment technologies. We may have digital transactions and payments that seem instant, but even these rely on an old system of checks and balances within our banks to resolve. Nick Chandi, CEO and co-founder of Forwardly is this spotlight session's special guest. He helped create the first real-time payment solution for small businesses in the United States. Creating a platform that can automatically reconcile transactions for a more seamless and modern payment workflow.  The old ways are comfortable, but we live in an on-demand economy, we want faster and more convenient services. Services that will become the norm in no time at all. While adapting to change can be stressful, there are people like Nick who make it their mission to make these changes as easy and comfortable as possible. If you aren’t sure which direction the future of payments will take, or how it will apply to you, this is the episode for you to hear how your bookkeeping business could change for the better. During this interview, you'll learn... The value & benefits of instant payments How better access to cash flow is better for business The importance of keeping up with the times To learn more about Nick, find him on LinkedIn and Twitter. Time Stamps 01:27 - Nick discusses his experiences founding Forwardly 02:35 - Revolutionizing transactions 05:33 - This bank is always open!  08:16 - The value of access to better cashflow 12:28 - The benefits of instant payments  21:38 - No risk, full rewards  23:46 - The results so far  26:07 - Features for the future This episode is brought to you by our great friends at Forwardly! Join the first real-time payments solution for small businesses in the United States. Start receiving funds three days earlier than ACH and for up to 80% fewer fees than cards! Visit Forwardly.com for more information!

“A good manager is not anymore managing people, but also managing tools…if you give the right instructions, you can manage an army of robots…combining that with your team, and combining that with your robot team, then you can be a great manager.” -Nicolas Boucher Artificial intelligence is here to stay, like all great technological revolutions, it can feel scary to have our foundations shaken. That is why it has never been more important to be able to adapt and go with the flow. To ride the wave of AI to new heights in your bookkeeping business, rather than hope it passes you by. It is important to remember that what we think of as AI, isn’t a truly sentient lifeform. It is an incredibly complex program for sifting through the collected knowledge of mankind, faster than any one human could do alone. But it is still us, when it generates answers, it takes that knowledge from everyone who has faced that issue and posited an answer online. Nicolas Boucher is a German keynote speaker and expert in leveraging ChatGPT for finance teams. In this episode, he masterfully unpacks our fears around AI, while giving tangible examples of how your business can be dramatically enhanced with the application of AI tools.  If you are struggling to get along with AI tech, Nicolas also offers his top tips for getting started with ChatGPT. Helping us to understand the possibilities rather than fear the results. AI will only replace us if we aren’t applying our creativity and experience to our work. As long as you love what you do, a computer will never do it better.  During this interview, you'll learn... The value of combining people & AI tools  How AI can revolutionize our teams The importance of understanding the source of our collected knowledge To find out more about Nicolas, click here. Connect with him on LinkedIn and Twitter. Time Stamps     01:58 - Nicolas discusses his career journey 06:35 - Transform work with AI 10:16 - Understanding the source of AI 14:14 - Incorporating AI into your life  19:00 - Knowing the limits  24:45 - 5 tips for getting started with ChatGPT 28:52 - Getting creative with AI 33:00 - Learning more about Nicolas This episode is brought to you by our great friends at Practice Protect! With Practice Protect, you can access all your cloud apps from a single dashboard with just one click – no more passwords to remember. It also integrates seamlessly with over 6000 cloud apps and platforms, including Quickbooks Online. Take control of your data security. Head to PracticeProtect.com to book a demo TODAY.  

“Having a community to support me, it just was instrumental. It's something you can't talk to your friends and family about. They just don’t get it.” -Paige Papaioannou Not everything is as easy as the internet makes it seem. But thanks to the internet, there is a wealth of information and possibilities for connection with people on a similar journey to you. By being in a community of like-minded people, you can learn from the mistakes of others and support one another. Paige Papaioannou, owner of Books By Paige, is this episode’s featured guest. She has spent her career helping businesses thrive through her expert accounting and advisory services. In her conversation with Michael, they explore what it's like to build a business that works for you, not one you are left trapped working in. By creating systems and processes that make the work that you and your team easy to replicate, you’ll create a bookkeeping business that can run without you, that won’t shut down if you lose any staff, and can be easily scaled to accommodate increases in growth. If you are struggling and want to move from people-driven to system-driven processes, this is the episode to get you thinking differently about the future of your bookkeeping business. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of connecting with a supportive community How to build a bookkeeping business that works for you, not one you work for The importance of building client relationships in your own way To find out more about Paige, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Time Stamps 01:47 - Paige talks about her career journey 07:22 - Juggling work/home life balance  09:52 - Building a business that works for you 13:35 - Trusting the process  17:04 - Do-it-yourself marketing 20:35 - Getting clients in your own way 27:08 - Looking to the future This episode is brought to you by our great friends at Forwardly! Join the first real-time payments solution for small businesses in the United States. Start receiving funds three days earlier than ACH and for up to 80% fewer fees than cards! Visit Forwardly.com for more information!

“By having the opportunity to work with, and work beside, and learn next to, and learn with people who have a different vantage point on whatever the problem is… when we get to be with that other person, our ability to understand the complexity actually increases, and that’s where we are able to innovate more impressive solutions.” -Deb Mashek The better we are at collaborating, the more likely it is that people will want to work with us. Yet so many of us struggle to work effectively with others. What happens when we sit and ask ourselves what collaboration really means? Are we only happy when we are getting our own way? What does it really feel like and mean to co-create something with other people? These are big questions, but they matter if we are to get to the heart of why it is we need to work with other people. Balance is critical, as is a mutual respect for our skills and the skills of others. If we are able to set effective expectations through a lens of respect, we are far more likely to find success in our collaborations. Deb Mashek, founder of Myco Consulting and author of the new book Collabor(h)ate, is this episode’s featured guest. She has spent her career helping people recognize different viewpoints and creating the space for understanding to flourish between seemingly disagreeable people. If you struggle to vocalize your opinion, aren’t sure how to speak with someone about viewpoints you disagree with or are finding it difficult to communicate your worth and effort, then this is the episode to take you from CollaborHate to CollaborGreat. :) During this interview, you'll learn... The value of setting healthy expectations How viewpoint diversity can shape your business for the better The importance of building a communal mindset  To find out more about Deb, click here. Connect with Deb on LinkedIn. Buy her new book, Collabor(h)ate at this link. For the 10 kickoff questions mentioned in this episode, visit here. Time Stamps 01:50 - Deb discusses her career journey   04:45 - Understanding viewpoint diversity      06:38 - Getting to the heart of collaboration 09:35 - Collaboration through the lens of small business  16:40 - Keeping ourselves community-minded 22:29 - Communicating more effectively  27:04 - Deb talks about her new book

“One of the biggest barriers I experience is my own distractibility, my own attention and how I am focusing it.”  -Natalie Ruskin What we show others on the outside, is often not aligned with how we feel on the inside. There is real pressure to present a certain way to be considered successful in business. But the reality is, we all have different ways of working and being and we all need help from time-to-time to understand what it is that really matters to us. This is a challenge when negative beliefs can be so addictive. We sabotage ourselves so others don’t, or just to make the pressure of doing things we don’t love, stop. We will never feel at peace until our outer projection aligns with our inner one. We have to stop seeking to show people we are successful, and live being successful. When we bring awareness to each moment in a non-judgmental way, we can see more clearly the things that truly matter to us.  Natalie Ruskin, coach and host of the A Success Of Our Own podcast, is this episode’s featured guest. She has spent her career helping purpose-driven people thrive in their work and well-being. She speaks to the power of finding and connecting with our sense of why. How to measure what matters to us, and how simple and consistent changes to your mindset will change your outer world for the better.  If you are struggling with your purpose, or are unsure how to measure it, this is the episode to open your mind to the power of your why. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of connecting with your 'why’ How to build a success mindset The importance of understanding our internal success metrics  To find out more about Natalie, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Listen to her podcast here. Time Stamps 01:54 - Natalie discusses her career journey  09:36 - Creating internal metrics for success 15:50 - Building the habits that will change your life 25:44 - Figuring out your why 31:27 - Holding ourselves accountable  33:25 - She talks about her new podcast

“When you like somebody and they do good work, you’re going to refer them. I want my friends to win, I want everybody that I like to win, for their businesses to succeed and for them to enjoy it.” -Cara Steinmann Networking is tough. We have all received an email or LinkedIn DM, selling us hard on a person’s skills. On their unique ability to fix problems we (because we aren’t them) are unable to solve. The people using these methods must have some success, or they wouldn’t be so prolific, but for most of us, this way of doing things gives us the immediate YUCK.  What would your network look like if instead of thinking about how you could sell your skills to others, you focused on what you could learn instead? If you connect with people who inspire and motivate you, not to sell them your skills but to develop them further. Cara Steinmann, founder of The Ravel Collective & host of the Ravel Radio podcast, is this episode's featured guest. She has spent her career building a space for women to be themselves, share their wins and connect more deeply with other women in business.  In this episode, Cara speaks to the power of supportive communities, leaning into the joy of referring, and the need to understand our core values, so we can connect more authentically with others, and create businesses that focus on bringing the right people together.  If you are struggling with networking, or just want to understand how much more successful you could be when aligned with your values, then this is the episode to get you thinking about the impact true networking could have on your life.  During this interview, you'll learn... The value of supportive community networks How to find people that share your values The importance of understanding core values  To find out more about Cara, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Time Stamps01:55 - Cara discusses her career journey  06:20 - Finding the right people for you 11:55 - The power of supportive communities  15:18 - Facing our networking fears  23:24 - Figuring out temperament mismatches  31:04 - Leaning into the joy of referring  38:16 - Uncovering our core values  46:15 - Finding the people who share your values  53:54 - Connecting authentically  58:59 - Where you can network successfully

“I think that the future of bookkeeping really lies in the advisory portion of bookkeeping. I think that we are at the point in technology where we no longer necessarily need a person to do the data entry.” -Jennifer Hume It is hard to know our own value. We often undervalue ourselves while overvaluing the skills and abilities of others. Shifting our mindset to one that balances these opposing points of view is the first step in building the kind of future in our businesses that we often covet in others. Technology is progressing ever faster, and it can make us feel like we can’t keep up and that our skills aren’t as valuable in the face of AI. But AI is sourced from us, and while it may be the future of our systems and processes, we are a very long way away from it being able to convert all that information into truly nuanced and helpful advice. Jennifer Hume, owner of Coronation Bookkeeping & Tax Services, is this episode’s featured guest. She has spent her career helping businesses manage their finances and taxes effectively. In this episode, she speaks powerfully about the power of mindset in business success, what the world looks like when we get out of our way, and how our human experience and advice will always trump AI.  If you are struggling in your bookkeeping business, not sure how to move up, feeling lost and alone, then this episode will get you thinking about the future differently. One that sets technology to work for you, so you can do more of the work you love.  During this interview, you'll learn... The value of planning for the future you want How to get out of our own way The importance of our experience in advisory work To find out more about Jennifer, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Time Stamps 01:42 - Jennifer discusses her career journey  03:34 - Getting out of our own heads 06:44 - The power of the Accelerate 2 Advisor program 08:44 - Blood, Sweat & Tears 19:55 - Planning for the future you want  23:28 - How AI will change bookkeeping  26:41 - Thinking differently about challenges

“It was like I’m on a boat and I’m either working on my navigation charts, or I’m bailing, bailing, bailing…and what I didn’t do was look up at the horizon to see, hey wait a minute, we have drifted off course and I really needed to be holding the rudder.” -Nancy Gwynne-Vaughan Running a business is hard at the best of times, let alone when we are struck by the unexpected. Despite this, we feel a need to conceal the damage and its effect on us. We throw ourselves into even more work, in the hope that if we just keep doing everything all the time, we will find our way out. But if we don’t stop to take stock of where we actually are and where we want to be, we will keep blindly spinning in circles until there is nothing left. Taking a pause might seem like the end of the world, it can feel embarrassing to explain to clients that you aren’t the right fit right now, that you need time to get things in order so you can go further in the future. Nancy Gwynne-Vaughan, President of Graham Consulting & Training, is this episode’s featured guest. She has spent her career helping lawyers build profitable firms but isn’t afraid to explain the real-world impact of giving too much of yourself to others. She talks candidly about what it is to lose ourselves in work, and how to find our way back to a place of strength and peace. If you are struggling within your bookkeeping business, taking on more and more work but not really feeling like any forward or upward motion is happening, then this is the episode to get you back to basics, looking more honestly at where you are in your business, and how to chart a course back to success. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of getting back to basics How to create an effective checklist The importance of building an adaptable mindset To find out more about Nancy, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Time Stamps 02:02 - Nancy discusses her career journey  03:30 - Facing the challenges of the unexpected  12:42 - Building an adaptable mindset  16:30 - Creating an effective checklist  18:25 - Getting back to basics 27:30 - Embracing the unknown

“I am just obsessed with helping people get results, because otherwise why are we reaching out to the community?” -Andrea Driessen The first port of call when looking for a business to support our needs is often a quick Google search. The words, pictures and videos on that business website influence our decisions long before we ever meet the person behind the site. Despite this, many of us don’t put much stock in how we are talking about ourselves and what we do online, or in person. Andrea Driessen, a TEDx speaker and award-winning author, is this episode’s featured guest. She has spent her career challenging people to think differently about the ways they engage with others. Taking businesses from being all about the individual to all about the services they can provide to their clients. If you are struggling to write about yourself, create videos about what you do, or find it hard to talk to people in a concise and engaging way, then this is the episode to get you thinking differently about how to communicate the why of your business. During this interview, you'll learn... Top tips for speaking success How to elevate the spoken word in your business The importance of helping others reduce pain points To find out more about Andrea, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter. Time Stamps 01:35 - Andrea discusses her career journey 05:55 - Helping others get results  07:30 - Weathering the storm  09:19 - Standing up on the TEDx stage 13:27 - Elevating the spoken word 19:51 - Changing the world with your words 23:44 - Tips for speaking success  31:27 - Learning more from Andrea  33:42 - AI & the future of business

“It really is a service that you’re selling. And I think separating that from yourself is massive, because if you tie it to yourself and people keep saying no, it’s going to take a hit to your confidence. There's a lot of mindset that goes into it.” -Brittany Dixon   Productivity is more than filling a calendar with as many events and clients as possible. To be truly productive, we have to be moving towards our ideal of business success. Whether that is scaling the business, freeing up time or earning more money.    Often, we overestimate how quickly we can get things done; we also underestimate how much work we actually have to do. When was the last time you blocked off time in your calendar for your admin, rather than tackling it at any and all hours of the day and night?   Brittany Dixon, CEO of Brittany & Co Consulting, is this episode's featured guest. She has spent her career helping people shift their mindsets away from being busy for the sake of it, to a mindset that is focused on consistency and the true value of your work.    If you are struggling to get organized, unsure about what productivity looks like in your bookkeeping business, or want to start your journey to consistent success, this is the episode for you to get thinking about your future in a different way.   During this interview, you'll learn... The value of planning in successful businesses How to set consistent goals The importance of learning to pivot  To find out more about Brittany, click here.    Connect with her on LinkedIn and Instagram.   Time Stamps   01:57 - Brittany discusses her career journey 03:44 - Learning to pivot  05:12 - Shifting to a value-based mindset  08:20 - Embracing the spirit of adventure  12:42 - Planning & building a business to fuel your freedom  14:05 - Setting attainable goals  17:35 - Building consistency in your business  20:24 - Getting good at planning  26:15 - Blocking your time  29:53 - How Brittany can help you  

“We’ve got to invest in ourselves, and if we’re too busy working on the wrong things, as a leader, we’ve got to invest in the future and be looking forward.” -Carla Caldwell How busy we are has a direct link to how successful and useful we feel. The problem with this comes from busying ourselves with monotonous and repetitive, easy-to-do tasks that take our attention and time away from the things only we can do.  Delegating tasks isn’t easy, maybe we haven’t given effective training or set the necessary expectations, or maybe we are micromanaging and giving ourselves twice the work. Delegation is a balance, one in which you must trust your leadership skills to have the things that can be done by anyone organized for you, freeing up your time, energy and intention towards the things only you can do. Carla Caldwell, founder of Caldwell Consulting & Training, is this episode’s featured guest. She has spent her career helping accounting teams to modernize and grow beyond what they thought was possible. She dives into what it takes to create confidence as a leader, how to master delegation and what can happen in your business when you’re open to learning from others. If you are struggling with reclaiming your time or aren’t sure how to lead your team to success, then this episode will get you thinking about what the right kind of busyness looks like.  During this interview, you'll learn... How to find confidence as a leader What it means to have a modern accounting practice The importance of mastering delegation  To find out more about Carla, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Time Stamps 01:34 - Carla discusses her career journey  04:06 - Finding the confidence to be a leader  07:11 - The must-reads for small business owners  09:55 - What it means to have a modern accounting practice  16:33 - The right kind of busy  19:11 - Freeing up your calendar  22:41 - Mastering delegation  28:58 - Taking your firm to the next level 30:24 - Leveraging AI

“We’re not going to go back to the way it used to be. We have to accept where we are and explore how to move forward from here.” -Erin Daiber What makes a great leader? This isn’t a question with only one answer. That is why good leadership is so rare. Being successful in the moment is no good if it makes us unwilling to adapt to change, in the same way being scared of the flow of the future limits us from making confident and decisive choices for our businesses. Leadership though, has never been about what we tell people to do. It is how we work and grow with our teams and clients. How we adapt to changes and stressors, the way we treat people under pressure and how we value and care for ourselves and others. Erin Daiber, CEO of Well Balanced Accountants, is this episode’s featured guest. She speaks to the need for a growth mindset in good leadership, one that champions adaptability, self-care, and communication, to create those skills that will lead your business to a brighter future. If you are struggling to engage with your team or clients, finding it hard to accept or adapt to the rapid pace of change, or just want to manage everything without feeling so on edge or burnt out, then this is the episode to get you thinking about what the future could look like and how to get there in one piece. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of communication in healthy leadership How to shift your mindset to the growth edge The importance of finding the right people for your team To find out more about Erin, click here.  Connect with her on LinkedIn. Time Stamps     01:42 - Erin discusses her recent experiences  03:18 - Tackling the challenges of the moment 06:22 - Finding our growth edge 08:15 - Shifting our mindset  11:51 - The ingredients of a great leader  15:24 - Building virtual teams  21:44 - The right person for the right role  28:01 - Making AI work for us 31:45 - Getting connected with Erin

“If you don’t have the right bookkeeper, your business is not going to be around very long!” -Joey Coleman Building a business is often a process of trial and error. We adapt to crises as they happen, rather than planning and preparing to avoid them in the first place. This is true not only in how we take on clients, (clients that prove to be more work than we thought) but also in how we hire new employees. Hiring anyone to just fill a seat then wondering why they aren’t performing is a common issue among new businesses. We forget it is us who must teach our employees, on top of all the other demands of business.  When you systematize your processes and prioritize employee engagement and client satisfaction, you’ll create a business that not only retains clients and employees for longer but creates a blueprint for anyone to slip into and create success for you. Joey Coleman, a speaker and author, is this episode's featured guest. He has spent his career designing creative ways to help businesses engage their customers and employees. By focusing on building connections, creating effective processes and systems, and trusting your employees, your business can’t be anything other than successful. If you are wondering why your client relationships are sour, or why that new hire isn’t just magically fixing all of your problems, this is the episode to teach you everything you need to know about keeping your clients and employees for the long term. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of building healthy & open connections How to retain your employees & clients for the long run The importance of systems & processes in business success To find out more about Joey, click here. Connect with him on LinkedIn. Time Stamps 02:12 - Joey discusses his career journey 05:57 - Two sides of the same coin 07:28 - Finding our focus  09:52 - Never losing an employee again 23:34 - Pay for it now, or pay for it later 27:40 - Giving our employees their time back 35:10 - Creating mentoring success  38:40 - What works for us?

“Storage isn’t what’s attacked, it's access. People steal access, they steal credentials, usernames and passwords from users, and access data illegally from anywhere, it's not about the location.” -Jamie Beresford As the tools that help make running our business evolve, so too are the tools scammers and fraudsters apply against us. Keeping our businesses and clients safe from data theft is not easy. Most of us are bookkeepers, not cyber security specialists. In this latest spotlight episode, Jamie Beresford, the CEO of Practice Protect, discusses what it takes to control access to client data, manage and mitigate risks and keep ourselves safe online.  Jamie’s company works exclusively with bookkeepers to keep us protected from the bad actors online who use AI and other technology to gain access to our data. While ransomware and denial of service attacks can cause us grief, newer technology is allowing fraudsters to slip in unnoticed and redirect information at will. Meaning it can be months before you realize the numbers just aren’t adding up properly. If you are concerned about the implications of new tech on your business, this is the episode to get you looking in the right direction to protect your firm from any attacks. During this interview, you'll learn... How to navigate evolving technologies How to protect access to your data The importance of securely backing up your data To find out more about Jamie, click here. To learn more about Practice Protect to see if it's a fit for your business, visit this link. Time Stamps     01:21 - Jamie talks about his career journey 02:34 - Navigating the complexities of evolving technology  04:38 - How to protect access to your data  07:37 - Getting to grips with secure data transfer  12:39 - Securing your accounts 14:29 - Safeguarding guidelines for finance companies 18:48 - Protecting client data  20:48 - Securely backing up your data 23:01 - Getting help from Practice Protect

“When we know the why, we’ll figure out the how!” -Amanda McKinney We all aspire to be confident. To have faith in our skills and conviction of trust in our knowledge that any challenge can be overcome. The problem is confidence is built through trial and error. Is it any wonder so many of us are paralyzed into inaction when we want the confidence to act, but lack it because we haven’t done the very thing that creates it. It is okay to be scared and to lack confidence. What matters most is connecting to your true reason for creating your business. If you know for sure what your why is, you will keep moving toward it no matter the obstacles and unforeseen challenges put in your way.  Amanda McKinney, host of The Unapologetic Entrepreneur Podcast and author, is this episode's featured guest. She has spent her career following her passion to help business owners define their own success and create businesses that build into your life, not overtake it. If you are struggling to get a true bearing for your life, feeling twisted and tumbled by ever uncertainty, then this is the episode to get you focused on what really matters and give you the courage to chase your dream, no matter the challenges. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of finding your true why How to get comfortable talking about the bumps in the road The importance of courage in building confidence  To find out more about Amanda, click here. Listen to her podcast at this link. Buy her book, Why Not You? here. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Instagram. Time Stamps   01:43 - Amanda talks about her career journey  04:32 - Getting comfortable talking about the bumps in our journey 09:45 - Figuring it out, one step at a time 13:55 - What are other people going to think and why do we care 14:52 - Searching for your true why 16:45 - Amanda talks about her book, Why Not You? 26:48 - Uncovering your confidence  34:30 - Finding your people 36:15 - Amanda shares her top tips for Successful Bookkeeper listeners 38:35 - The Unapologetic Entrepreneur Podcast 

“I wanted to show people the path that I took, avoiding all the mistakes that I made. And just do the direct line from A to B.” -Lisa Campbell Our businesses often begin from the intersection of our desire for financial security with something we are good at. But in creating a business we often fail to ask ourselves a basic but important question… Why? Why are we doing this? Is it just for the money, a desire to help people, wanting to feel or be seen as successful? How will you ever get to an ‘end’ result for your business if you don’t know why you are doing it beyond earning money and if the goal is just to earn money, what would happen if you looked deeper at your plans for your money?  Lisa Campbell, founder of Accelerate 2 Advisor, is this episode's featured guest. She has spent her career helping people find the proven path to success. By starting with finding your why and following tried and tested methods for reaching it, she gives her clients the tools to level up beyond what they thought was possible. If you are struggling to figure out why you are doing what you’re doing and are looking for a like-minded community to learn from then this is the episode for you! During this interview, you'll learn... The value of finding your why How to follow the proven paths to success The importance of community in building a better future  To find out more about Lisa, click here. To learn about Accelerate 2 Advisor, visit this link. Connect with Lisa on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Time Stamps 01:52 - Lisa discusses her experiences since she last appeared on this podcast 03:18 - Taking a chance on a better future  05:13 - The power of Pure Bookkeeping 08:20 - The next big shift  10:45 - Everybody has a why 12:01 - Creating the mastermind class  17:20 - What the future holds  23:51 - Bringing you the content you want 27:44 - Building a brighter future  This episode is brought to you by The Accelerator Method Masterclass Series. Learn how to provide high-value advisory work to ALL of your clients plus much more! REGISTER NOW :)

“People don’t realize that they always think ‘I eat as a reflex to being stressed’, but you can reverse engineer it and choose foods that shut down your stress response.” -Julie Daniluk   For many of us, the goal of building a successful business is centred around the hopes that we have to provide security and freedom for ourselves and our families. Unfortunately, the drive to create this success is often the thing that causes us to fall back on unhealthy ways of living.   Stress causes a vast number of chronic health conditions that ultimately end up restricting our ability to live happily, coupled with a poor diet from spending all our time working and spending large chunks of the day immobile at our desks. A pattern of poor health begins to emerge that can have serious consequences on our long-term health.   Julie Daniluk is a nutritionist, best-selling author and coach at Daniluk Consulting Inc. In this episode, she breaks down the impact of stress on our long-term health and explores the right foods and snacks to help us live longer and happier.   If you have found yourself feeling sluggish, irritable or struggling to get moving after so long behind a screen, then this episode will give you the keys to unlocking a long and healthy life.    During this interview, you'll learn... The long-term benefits of good longevity How to make better choices when you feel stressed The importance of finding the right foods & snacks for you To find out more about Julie, click here.   Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter.   Time Stamps   01:35 - Julie discusses her career journey 05:48 - Confronting the challenges of a changing world  08:55 - Making better food choices for stress 16:04 - Finding the right snack for you 21:40 - Getting portion sizes right  30:34 - The long-term benefits of good longevity  34:33 - Getting connected with Julie

“When you’re faced with decisions, don’t necessarily jump on what will be the next logical step of growth, always come back to, ‘Why did you start your business and what do you want to get out of it?’”  -Jessica Fox What is right for you?  There is enormous value in community connection, in group thinking to solve complex issues and create spaces for the sharing of best practices. But when trying to overcome limiting beliefs, too much time spent in the crowd can add pressure we don’t need to be successful. Your definition of success matters, if you only ever set out to build a business that would support your needs, of course, you are going to feel stressed and pressured by the people around you with different or ‘bigger’ dreams.  In this second part of a two-part interview with Jessica Fox, owner of Florida Virtual Bookkeeper, she explores what it means to value yourself and so much more! During this interview, you'll also learn... The value of standing out from the crowd How to overcome our paralyzing fears The importance of working to build community  To find out more about Jessica, click here.   Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter.   Here's her company website. Time Stamps 02:01 - Working to build community   07:17 - Standing out from the crowd  13:20 - Overcoming the fear that paralyzes us 19:10 - Finding the right price for you     23:04 - Building a business that brings you joy This episode is brought to you by The Accelerator Method Masterclass Series. Learn how to provide high-value advisory work to ALL of your clients plus much more! REGISTER NOW :)

“I need the community to be able to bounce ideas for, to be inspired by, and I find it’s also very rewarding to pay it forward, helping someone else charges my battery. I ride this high the rest of the day because I helped make someone else’s journey better.” -Jessica Fox   We have all experienced limiting beliefs, whether in our personal or professional lives. We whisper to ourselves. “I’m not good enough”, “I can’t do this” or “Everyone else is so much better at this than me.”    The way we talk to and about ourselves becomes who we are. Negative self-talk becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, trapping us into existing in constant doubt and insecurity. Despite all of us knowing how uncomfortable these feelings are, we often never stop to realize, it is us who have willed them into being with our own beliefs.   But, if it is possible for us to feel that badly, then it is also possible for us to feel good about ourselves too.   In this first of a two-part interview, Jessica Fox, owner of Florida Virtual Bookkeeper, talks about the power of belief in overcoming limiting mindsets. She has spent her career not only supporting businesses to build their dreams but also in supporting other bookkeepers to find their self-belief and change their limiting mindset.   If you are having doubts about your business, lacking direction, focus or motivation to create your dream business, then this is the episode to help you begin a shift in your mindset that will help unlock your full potential.   During this interview, you'll learn... The value of belief in achieving your goals How overcoming limiting mindsets can unlock your potential The importance of finding your community  To find out more about Jessica, click here.   Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter.   Here's her company website.   Time Stamps   02:27 - Jessica discusses her career journey  06:34 - Overcoming a limited mindset  10:14 - Finding your community  12:18 - The journey to Pure Bookkeeping  17:23 - Getting out of our own heads 21:25 - Pure commitment  26:50 - Why not me? 30:10 - The seven secrets to growing your business This episode is brought to you by The Accelerator Method Masterclass Series. On July 10th at 4pm Eastern, learn how to provide high-value advisory work to ALL of your clients plus much more! REGISTER NOW before it's too late!

“Nobody is immune from the curse of knowledge. The curse of knowledge is when we become so familiar with something that we, all of a sudden, do not know what it's like to not know.” -Jeffrey Klubeck If knowledge is power, then wisdom might be considered the right application of knowledge. Too often the curse of knowledge boxes us into ways of thinking and being that become inescapable. That prevents innovation, connection, and creativity from blooming with anyone who doesn’t think or act the same as we do. We expect accountability and responsibility from others but don’t often stop to consider how responsible we are, and how open we are to being held to account by others. When so many of the ways we view responsibility are based on judgement, holding ourselves and others to account, can feel like an attack on our very nature. Jeffrey Klubeck (who is an author, speaker, mentor and coach) is this episode’s featured guest. He has spent his career helping people break down the barriers of their encoded thoughts, to be open to new and different ways of doing things.  If you are struggling to communicate with people of different experiences or to break free of the idea that your individual view of accountability is the only valid one, then this is the episode to get you thinking about what your life and business could look like if you broke the curse of knowledge. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of the right strategies, tactics & resources How to overcome the curse of knowledge The importance of accountability & motivation in leadership Click here to connect with Jeffrey on LinkedIn and Twitter. Time Stamps 01:36 - Jeffrey discusses his career journey  05:31 - Understanding the impacts of change  10:20 - The curse of knowledge  15:50 - The three pillars of leadership 20:08 - Strategies, tactics and resources  24:07 - Becoming responsible for our own behavior  30:37 - Getting positive about accountability  36:10 - The Integrity Game  This episode is brought to you by our great friends at Katana! To learn how it can help you serve, attract and retain clients, click here.

“If we don’t have that follow through, then maybe we just dampen something, but don’t actually make a substantive change.” -Carol Bowser   Everyone has different expectations on how things should be done, and how we should be recognized for doing them. Conflict arises when our differing expectations on workplace culture, autonomy and deliverables aren’t met.   While fights in the office might seem like the height of drama, it is the same every day, trainable and avoidable issues that lead to toxic workplaces. If not fixed, this death by a thousand cuts will see everything you loved about your business drain away.   Which asks the big often unasked question, who is responsible for conflict?    Not just in the sense of who is causing it, but who should be the one to fix it?   This is where Carol Bowser, President of Conflict Management Strategies, shines. She has spent more than twenty years helping business owners not only settle the conflicting issues in their workplaces, but also has great success at removing, training, and changing conflict triggers before they have a chance to take hold.   If you are experiencing conflict in the workplace, or afraid that conflict may arise in the future, Carol’s tried and tested approach can help you resolve issues before they arise.    During this interview, you'll learn... The conflict challenges facing small businesses How to manage conflict before it begins The importance of setting healthy & balanced boundaries  To find out more about Carol, click here.    Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter.   Time Stamps   01:34 - Carol talks about her career journey  03:30 - Twenty years of conflict management  07:49 - Managing the conflict before it begins  11:21 - The challenges for small businesses   20:43 - Setting healthy & balanced ranges of autonomy  24:52 - Working in or working on your business  26:50 - Guidance for tackling complex conflict  32:30 - Getting connected with Carol  This episode is brought to you by The Successful Bookkeeper's newest online event. Introducing the Technology Showcase! If you're looking for the best apps and solutions for your bookkeeping business needs then this one-of-a-kind experience is for you!   It happens on June 22nd at 9am Eastern. To find out more, click here and REGISTER NOW before it's too late!

“I did a lot of things wrong, but I still got here. You’re going to make mistakes, and you’re going to do, quote ‘the wrong thing’ and being able to learn from that and correct moving forward is how you’re going to build a business.”  -Beth Blaney Goal setting isn’t easy when starting a business. Far too often when starting out, we set random (often unattainable) goals. Goals that make us feel like failures if we don’t reach them, even if we have had amazing successes in other ways. Rather than setting an ambiguous goal, what would it look like to decide what you wanted your future to look like and work back from there? It is rare for anyone to get everything right from the get-go. That is why community and mentorship matter. The sooner we surround ourselves with the people who have walked this path before, the fewer mistakes we will make following their example.  Beth Blaney, the CEO of BBA Bookkeeping, is this episode’s featured guest. She has spent her career helping people achieve their goals by working authentically with the right people, rather than taking anyone and hoping they fit, or setting random goals and hoping they are achievable. If you are struggling to create healthy client and employee relationships or are confused about goal setting in your bookkeeping business, then this is the episode to let you in on a few secrets that will get you thinking about your firm in a whole new way.  During this interview, you'll learn... The value of embracing ‘the wrong thing’ How to set the right goals for your bookkeeping business The importance of seeing more than just the numbers  To find out more about Beth, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. Time Stamps      01:59 - Beth talks about her career journey  04:40 - The million-dollar goal 07:50 - Embracing the ‘wrong thing’ 11:09 - Secrets to successful client acquisition  18:31 - Setting the right goals 22:30 - The highs & lows of the hiring process  27:22 - Seeing more than the numbers  31:38 - Building unique relationships  36:15 - Getting in contact with Beth  This episode is brought to you by The Successful Bookkeeper's newest online event. Introducing the Technology Showcase! If you're looking for the best apps and solutions for your bookkeeping business needs then this one-of-a-kind experience is for you!   It happens on June 22nd at 9am Eastern. To find out more, click here and REGISTER NOW before it's too late!

“Everybody ultimately wants to be the surgeon. Ultimately, you want to do the part of bookkeeping, that had you become a bookkeeper and had you open a bookkeeping business.” -Gina Cotner Taking on an assistant can sometimes feel like a burden. When we are already overwhelmed, the last thing we need is a new person in the mix, one we have to train, oversee and constantly course correct to get things done the way we want them to be. Not to mention the additional cost of a new hire. But hiring an assistant doesn't have to be like this. A small shift in mindset can have a dramatic impact on your bookkeeping business. Rather than thinking about the cost and time spent hiring and training an assistant. Imagine how much more profitable your business would be if you spent the time you are currently using on repetitive and monotonous tasks, doing the high-level work in your business.  Gina Cotner, CEO and founder of Athena Executive Services, is this episode’s featured guest. She has spent her career training and connecting the right people with the right businesses. Her approach focuses on finding people to fill your gaps so you can do more of the things you love in your business. Delegating is a skill that takes practice. If you are spending too much time in the minutia of your business and want to get back to the tasks that you love, the tasks you created your business to do, then this is the episode to start a shift in your mindset toward what your business could look like with the right help. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of delegating tasks to free up your time How to let go of the tasks that aren’t the best use of your time The importance of finding the right VA for you To find out more about Gina, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Time Stamps 01:41 - Gina talks about her career journey 10:25 - The challenges of hiring a virtual assistant 13:41 - Letting go of the tasks that eat up too much of your time 19:10 - How to delegate effectively  21:07 - Finding the right VA for you 27:33 - What to look out for & what to avoid 32:28 - Building a healthy relationship with your VA  37:14 - Getting connected with Athena Executive Services This episode is brought to you by The Successful Bookkeeper's newest online event. Introducing the Technology Showcase! If you're looking for the best apps and solutions for your bookkeeping business needs then this one-of-a-kind experience is for you!   It happens on June 22nd at 9am Eastern. To find out more, click here and REGISTER NOW before it's too late!

“We’re testing these same services in my business, seeing what’s working, what’s not. And then going out to the marketplace and saying, ‘We know you have this problem, would you be interested in letting us help you?’”  -Mark Kappleman   When getting started in business there is often a pressure to be a generalist, to try and learn and do everything for any possible client. But, there is nothing wrong with combining your skills and experience with all those clients and your own passions to specialize in the niche that perfectly suits you.   Letting go of clients is hard. It is tough to shake the scarcity mindset. Imagine, however, all of the people who could be served by your unique knowledge, not to mention the relief found when you’re not dealing with twenty different problems in one day. Instead, applying your expertise in ONE area to twenty different clients.   Mark Kappleman, co-founder of RealEstateAccounting.co, is this episode’s featured guest. He has spent his career, seeking out the niche within the niche, creating and building market opportunities to help clients achieve their dreams.   There has never been a better time to leverage your skills and experience to solve the problems your clients don’t even know they have. If you have been struggling to identify your niche, this is the episode to get you to follow your passion!   During this interview, you'll learn... The value of specializing in your niche How to manage the unspoken & unknown problems The importance of following your passions  To find out more about Mark, click here.   Connect with him on LinkedIn and Twitter.   Time Stamps   01:31 - Mark talks about his career journey  06:04 - Following your passion  09:18 - Getting to the root of the problem 13:44 - Focusing your niche  17:14 - Becoming a generalist or a specialist  19:23 - Sometimes the niche finds you 22:04 - Managing the unspoken & unknown problems  27:05 - The future of business  30:55 - Learning more about Mark  This episode is brought to you by The Successful Bookkeeper's newest online event. Introducing the Technology Showcase! If you're looking for the best apps and solutions for your bookkeeping business needs then this one-of-a-kind experience is for you!   It happens on June 22nd at 9am Eastern. To find out more, click here and REGISTER NOW before it's too late!   

“You’re juggling balls in the air, and some are rubber, and some are glass. If you’re going to let a ball drop, don’t let it be a glass one.”  -Jessica Lackey It is unfortunate, but we often have to suffer to learn what it is we truly value. It is okay to make mistakes, but if we get to a point where mistakes are our dominant choices, it is time to reach out for help. There are many different measures of success. To some it is financial security at any cost, taking on as many clients as possible, even if the quality of the work begins to slip. To others, helping clients improve their businesses is the mark of success. In any case, what we choose to do, and what we choose to get help with has a dramatic impact on our business’ viability. Especially the way in which we outsource tasks to others. Throwing tasks at people because we are too overwhelmed only doubles the workload in chasing and checking the work to see if it has been done right. Jessica Lackey is a strategy and operations consultant who has made it her life’s work to help purpose-driven entrepreneurs build sustainable and well-rooted businesses. Her approach is a human-centric one focused on creating the right feeling in our businesses, by being intentional in our decision-making. If you are feeling overwhelmed, are struggling to know what to focus on, or what to outsource, this is the episode to get you thinking about the choices you are making in a whole new way. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of supportive outsourcing How to set effective and healthy goals The importance of making thoughtful decisions To find out more about Jessica, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. You can take her free Radical and Rooted Business Lifecycle Assessment and learn about her services, including the next steps by visiting this link. Time Stamps          01:33 - Jessica talks about her career journey 03:40 - Answering the journey's call 09:35 - Making your vision come to life 13:00 - Outsourcing: helpful or hindering 16:57 - Avoiding mistakes with thoughtful decision-making 20:50 - How our decisions affect our well-being 23:56 - Finding the right co-pilot 25:44 - Letting go of the numbers 27:54 - Learning more about Jessica This episode is brought to you by The Successful Bookkeeper's newest online event. Introducing the Technology Showcase! If you're looking for the best apps and solutions for your bookkeeping business needs then this one-of-a-kind experience is for you!   It happens on June 22nd at 9am Eastern. To find out more, click here and REGISTER NOW before it's too late! 

“What story are we telling ourselves about why they don’t get it? Then, finding a way around that and asking the question…what unites us?” -Sally Helgesen Communication is the cornerstone of business. Yet despite this many of us struggle to communicate with people different from ourselves. Not only that, but we also find it uncomfortable to effectively communicate our value and worth to others too. So many of our issues arise out of a need to ‘prove’ our point of view. We are so busy trying to tell other people they are wrong; we stop living right. We withdraw from people different from ourselves or become just like them in our disregard for their opinion or their right to it.  What would happen if instead of trying to tell people what to think, we focused inward, on removing our own internal barriers, and went out into the world open to different people and points of view? Focus not only on what we hope to get from others but what we could do to help them too. Instead of saying older people can’t do this, or younger people don’t understand that, what would happen if we were open to lessons everyone of a different background has to teach?  Sally Helgesen, who is an international bestselling author, speaker and leadership coach, is this episode’s featured guest. She has spent her career helping people create more inclusive businesses and networks, by focusing on what unites us, what is real, and what moves us forward, rather than the distracting influence of other media. If you are struggling to communicate open-heartedly, this is the episode to get you ready to embrace who you are, and how you can be of service to others. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of overcoming our own self-narratives How to express your value without arrogance The importance of being open with people different from you To find out more about Sally, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter. To buy her book, Rising Together: How We Can Bridge Divides and Create a More Inclusive Workplace, visit this link. Time Stamps      01:40 - Getting inspired to write a new book 04:10 - Identifying the things that get in the way 08:28 - Understanding generational miscommunication  12:52 - Bridging the communication divide  20:32 - The 8 common triggers undermining us 27:36 - Connecting your value with your paycheck  30:10 - Building an inclusive network   35:40 - Learning more about Sally  This episode is brought to you by The Successful Bookkeeper's newest online event. Introducing the Technology Showcase! If you're looking for the best apps and solutions for your bookkeeping business needs then this one-of-a-kind experience is for you!   It happens on June 22nd at 9am Eastern. To find out more, click here and REGISTER NOW before it's too late!  

“You’ve got to do the work in yourself first, otherwise we can’t do the work in our practices.”  -Christina Foxwell All too often we are consumed by the idea of competition, that to be successful means constantly proving ourselves in every room we enter. While a certain amount of competition can be a driving force for growth, too much makes us a nervous wreck, so concerned with how we are showing up, we have no space or energy to learn anything new. By changing our mindsets from one that constantly feels the need to prove ourselves, to one that seeks peace and calm understanding, we are better able to show up for ourselves, our clients, and our businesses. Being mindful of the reasons behind our behaviors and choices is a great way to reframe and refocus on what is truly important, and whether our current mindset is serving us well, or just a habit we have come to rely on. A habit that is more damaging than good. Christina Foxwell, CEO and founder of Ignite Purpose, is this episode’s featured guest. She has spent her career helping organizations to engage their people, rebuild their cultures and create places where people are better working together.  If you are feeling burnt out, struggling with feeling like an imposter in your own bookkeeping business, or want to build relationships and connections of substance, this is the episode to help you shift your mindset, from trying to prove who you are, to living as you are. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of going with the flow to find your purpose How to show up in peace rather than trying to prove yourself The importance of being present & engaged in the moment To find out more about Christina, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter. Time Stamps 01:42 - Christina talks about her career journey  03:37 - Overcoming the obstacles of business  09:30 - Finding a new flow  16:13 - Learning to be present in the moment  20:40 - Building community; finding your tribe  27:30 - Transforming workplace cultures  31:10 - Bringing your peace to others 36:50 - Learning more from Christina  This episode is brought to you by our good friends at Pure Bookkeeping! If you want to grow your bookkeeping business, get back your time, be more efficient and have confidence that your work is best practice, you need proven systems, processes and standard operating procedures. That’s what Pure Bookkeeping offers. To find out more, visit PureBookkeeping.com TODAY!

“I like the idea of considering the workplace to become a source of well-being, rather than a source of distress.” -Dr. Karen Doll As bookkeepers, we understand the finite nature of available resources. We find the balance in our clients’ books. And yet when it comes to ourselves, we often don’t consider the nature of our own available resources. This could be our emotional capacity, our time or our energy. We work flat out, not stopping to consider the long-term impact on our physical, mental and emotional well-being. Taking time to evaluate of our needs and allocate the necessary resources to keep us happy and healthy isn’t selfish. The selfish act is burning ourselves out and putting our clients’ resources or our employees’ jobs at risk by overpromising and under-delivering due to burnout. Dr. Karen Doll, a consulting psychologist with over 25 years of experience, is this episode's featured guest. She has spent her career helping people build psychological fitness. Her approach champions the need for whole-person development in the workplace, by creating conditions at work that support people in their well-being. Being honest and open isn’t easy. We know our clients and employees depend on us for certainty. But struggling people can’t help with the struggles of others. If you are struggling to manage your mental health and aren’t sure of what to do about it, this is the episode to get you thinking about your psychological fitness and self-compassion. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of managing our mental & physical health How to attune to your well-being needs The importance of cultivating psychological fitness  To find out more about Karen, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Instagram. Visit this link to get her book. Time Stamps     01:30 - Karen talks about her career journey  03:53 - Facing the post-pandemic world  06:12 - Avoiding common mistakes in workplace mental health 10:25 - Managing our own mental health  12:40 - Karen talks about the value of her book 16:18 - The impact of good physical & mental health  20:47 - Practices to keep you in tune with your health  29:40 - Getting in touch with Karen  This episode is brought to you by our good friends at Pure Workflow! It’s a simple, easy-to-use workflow practice management solution which will help you manage your clients, deadlines, workflow and team with ease. The BEST PART? It's specifically made FOR BOOKKEEPERS! For more information, visit PureWorkflow.com!

“It’s like following a leader off of a cliff… just because they said jump, you jump. You want to be able to have that freedom to be able to push back and disagree and think about it.”  -Stephan Wiedner It isn’t easy to speak up in the workplace. A lack of psychological safety often prevents us from being as honest and open as we might be with others. This kind of disingenuous polite agreement stifles innovation, costs you money, and affects your employees' and clients' sense of engagement with your business. As with all things worth getting right, balance is required. To navigate safely between creating dictatorial workplaces where only the leader’s thought matters, or free-for-alls where so many points, thoughts and ideas are put forward, finding direction becomes impossible.  Stephan Wiedner, psychological safety expert and CEO of Noomii.com and Zarango.com, is this episode's featured guest. He has spent his career educating people on the value of understanding and creating psychologically safe environments in the workplace.  If you are struggling to speak freely to your employees, clients, or managers and want to create the kind of workplace that celebrates open dialogue while maintaining respect and regard for the feelings of everyone involved, this is the episode for you! During this interview, you'll learn... The value of measuring psychological safety How to fail like a pro The importance of encouraging open dialogue To find out more about Stephan, check out his LinkedIn profile. Click here to get your free psychological safety assessment. Time Stamps      01:32 - Stephan talks about his career journey  04:42 - What is psychological safety?  09:45 - Encouraging dialogue in a safe and non-offensive way  12:15 - Building a better place to work  15:18 - The mistakes leading to a psychologically unsafe workplace  19:35 - Demonstrating that you understand and appreciate others  25:55 - Failing like a pro! 29:01 - Noticing the things and people that keep you quiet 34:50 - Providing critical feedback  37:08 - Learning more about psychological safety This episode is brought to you by our good friends at Pure Bookkeeping! If you want to grow your bookkeeping business, get back your time, be more efficient and have confidence that your work is best practice, you need proven systems, processes and standard operating procedures. That’s what Pure Bookkeeping offers. To find out more, visit PureBookkeeping.com TODAY!

“You’ve got to take time out to take care of yourself or there will be no business.” -Crystalynn Shelton Bookkeepers at our core, desire to help people. We love to take the parts of business others struggle with and make it simple for them. But this desire to help can sometimes lead us into uncomfortable and unfair relationships with our clients. Working for someone, doesn’t mean you have to do everything they say, the moment they say it. While it can be a struggle to stand up for ourselves, especially when just starting out, setting boundaries and being clear about expectations are two of the best things you can do for your personal health and well-being, and the success of your bookkeeping business. Crystalynn Shelton, teacher, author and owner of her own consulting business is this episode’s featured guest. She has spent her career helping businesses achieve success they couldn’t have dreamed of before. She has made it her mission to help business owners overcome their fears to get to grips with all aspects of their business, even bookkeeping.  If you are feeling burnout, struggling to find the right clients or are looking for some top tips to ensure success from an industry pro then this episode is perfect for you! During this interview, you'll learn... The value of learning to get marketing right How to set expectations & boundaries with clients 7 ways to help clients become more successful To find out more about Crystalynn, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter. You can order her new book at this link. Click here to access gifts for Successful Bookkeeper listeners. Time Stamps 01:45 - Crystalynn shares her career journey   04:15 - The highs & lows of building business  08:15 - Setting expectations & boundaries  11:02 - Managing client relationships   15:05 - The value of learning to get marketing right 20:18 - The 7 ways to help clients become more successful 28:54 - Financial fear factor  31:25 - Crystalynn talks about her book Mastering QuickBooks  34:41 - Focusing on the future  This episode is brought to you by our good friends at Pure Bookkeeping! If you want to grow your bookkeeping business, get back your time, be more efficient and have confidence that your work is best practice, you need proven systems, processes and standard operating procedures. That’s what Pure Bookkeeping offers. To find out more, visit PureBookkeeping.com TODAY!

“We aim to truly be seen and act like partners in their business and we’re right there along with them.” -Alex Frolek We will never be successful if we look at our client’s success as separate from our own. Of course, there is nothing wrong with just doing the books. But over years of bookkeeping, our accumulated knowledge and experience are invaluable when applied to the success of others. When getting started as a bookkeeper, or in any business, the temptation is to go at it alone and focus only on what will make your business stable. You might take on a huge number of clients priced by the hour, only to find a year later, you might lose more than half your business by switching to a value-based pricing structure. Getting connected with like-minded people can help you avoid the pitfalls of business while engaging you with a community of people who love helping others. This drive to help is often the reason we became bookkeepers in the first place. Alex Frolek, co-founder of Stelex Solutions, is this episode's featured guest. She has spent her career helping businesses succeed, by focusing on how she can help clients achieve their goals and visions, not as a vendor who just does the books, but as a partner that can use her vast experience to ensure her clients’ success. If you are just starting out, unsure of where to begin, this is the episode to get you thinking about what your life might look like in a year, if you started laying the groundwork today.  During this interview, you'll learn...     •    The value of learning from every experience     •    How to become more than "just" a bookkeeper     •    The importance of building the right solutions for your clients  To find out more about Alex, click here. Connect with Alex on LinkedIn. Time Stamps      01:36 - Alex discusses her career journey  04:03 - Deciding to start your own business  05:55 - Working & living with your partner  10:36 - The power of learning from every experience  13:18 - Becoming more than ‘just’ a bookkeeper 19:32 - Finding the right clients for you 23:05 - The parts we love & the parts we don’t  29:20 - Alex shares her top tips for your business  31:19 - The best ways to get connected with Alex

“The numbers don’t lie, but they don’t tell the whole story.”  -Adrienne Barrett Planning is something we have all struggled with, most of us find it hard to plan for the worst, afraid of willing those scenarios into existence. Even fewer of us plan for success. Plan for what it might look like should all of our hard work pay off and our business grows beyond our ability to manage it alone. This plan paralysis puts us into a state of reaction, putting out fires after they have started, rather than looking at the data and relationships around us and removing the potentially flammable elements. Effective planning isn’t just about how we run our business, it plays a critical role in who we hire to help us run it. It can be hard to look at ourselves through an honest lens without inducing more plan panic, but needing help, the kind that fills in our gaps and frees our time and energy for the things we love, isn’t the mark of failure. It’s the mark of success. Adrienne Barrett is this spotlight session’s featured guest. A senior manager at Intuit, she has spent her career helping businesses get on top of their plans, systems, processes and relationships. If you are struggling to make contingency plans, unsure of your gaps or running outdated systems that are preventing you from growing your bookkeeping business then this is the episode to get you thinking about the power of your own plan.  During this interview, you'll learn... The value of planning for bad & good times How to build the right team for your bookkeeping business The importance of taking care of yourself so you can take care of your clients Connect with Adrienne on LinkedIn. Time Stamps 01:41 - Adrienne talks about her career journey  05:20 - Understanding business & contingency plans  12:08 - The power of leaning on your plan 15:30 - Team building in bookkeeping services  19:02 - Systemizing your way to success  27:03 - Investing in financial well-being

“The mission of my business is building a business that serves my family, instead of my family serving a business.”  -Becky Daniels Being good at a certain thing doesn’t always mean you will be good at running it as a business too. There is an ever-expanding demand for bookkeeping advisory services, as more businesses become aware they are missing out on a wealth of benefits while they try to focus on delivering their product or service. There is so much demand that it can feel like you have to take every client that comes your way. But if you find your niche and excel in it, clients will be beating down your door, not to mention paying a premium for your knowledge and experience. Building a scalable bookkeeping business isn’t easy, especially when all the processes live in your head. When you have well-documented processes, it makes it easy to help others get the same results you are.  Becky Daniels, owner of Daniels Business Solutions, is this episode's featured guest. She has spent her career helping businesses grow and become more profitable by doing what she does best so that her clients can focus on what they do best. If you are struggling to build connections, feel like you are serving your business rather than your business serving you or are worried about niching too early, then this is the episode to get you thinking about what the future of your business could look like. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of a consultative sales approach How to share your value in an advisory capacity The importance of building a business that serves you To find out more about Becky, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Time Stamps      01:31 - Becky talks about her career journey  07:02 - Building businesses that serve you 08:44 - Getting to know what matters to your clients  11:30 - Building value into your relationships 14:58 - Knowing who you want to work with 20:34 - Taking the time to get your processes right  23:08 - The power of Pure Bookkeeping  28:44 - Moving into an advisory role This episode is brought to you by our good friends at Pure Bookkeeping! If you want to grow your bookkeeping business, get back your time, be more efficient and have confidence that your work is best practice, you need proven systems, processes and standard operating procedures. That’s what Pure Bookkeeping offers. To find out more, visit PureBookkeeping.com TODAY!

“It is really important for people to feel like, ‘I’m in touch with people I trust.'" –Karen Wickre  Building meaningful connections isn’t easy, especially online. We have all felt an internal cringe at connecting with someone on LinkedIn only to be hard-sold their product or service. Some of us may even be a little guilty of doing that too! But networking is about more than having the confidence to make demands of strangers. Building a network is about connecting with people you share similar interests with, people you not only think may help you, but people you know you can help.  Jobs and clients have never been more fluid than they are right now, those who spend time on their networks are more equipped to go with the flow and trust that their good service will be repaid in kind. Karen Wickre, a veteran connector, editor, communicator and author, has spent her extensive career, with postings at Google and Twitter, developing the stories of these powerhouse businesses. She is often introduced as someone who ‘knows everybody’ and this well-deserved reputation has made her one of the best networkers around. There is no one right way to network, but if you are struggling to connect, reconnect or offer your services, advice, or opinion to others, this is the episode to help shift your mindset and get you ready to connect with anyone or maybe even reconnect with some old friends. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of cultivating healthy working relationships How to connect with people beyond your own needs The importance of your digital presence  To find out more about Karen, click here.  Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter. Visit this link to order her new book, Taking the Work Out of Networking: Your Guide to Making and Keeping Great Connections. Time Stamps     01:48 - Karen talks about her career journey  05:39 - Following your passion where it leads you 09:45 - Cultivating healthy working relationships  13:30 - The big mistakes in networking  21:45 - Tending to your own garden 27:01 - Your digital presence- Karen talks about her book 31:20 - Reaching out for things beyond your needs 40:00 - Karen talks about how to get in touch This episode is brought to you by our friends at Katana!   If you have clients using outdated and inefficient manufacturing software, Katana offers real-time data syncing for production, inventory, and accounting data, manufacturers get complete visibility over every inch of their business and their numbers stay up-to-date even as orders come in.   If you sign up for the Partner Program and refer clients before April 30th, you will get 30% off the first 3 months of your Katana subscription.   You’ll also earn a 20% revenue share for every client you invite.   Head to thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com/katana to learn more.

“But the problem was, I was the one who knew how to do everything, and I didn’t get it out to my staff very well.”  -Heidi Adams      Stepping out on your own can be scary, but if you have a real love for what you do, you’ll never really work a day in your life. Sometimes our own successes can overwhelm us. Afraid we will never get a referral again, we take on as many as we can. Many of us run this way for years, unable to shift our mindset toward a more sustainable way of doing business. The toll a business takes on our time and energy is massive, so much so we hardly even have time to notice or fix the cracks. But cracks are never miraculously fixed and always end up leaving huge gaps. Be that in time to finally fix them, or money to repair them. Heidi Adams, owner of HLA Bookkeeping, is this episode’s featured guest. She has spent her career helping businesses maximize their potential by streamlining systems and processes that free up time and energy while maintaining profitability. Her approach focuses on getting relationships right so that your good work can speak for itself. If you are struggling to systemize, feel like you are patching cracks slower than they are forming, or just looking for some advice on building healthy business relationships, this is the episode for you.  During this interview, you'll learn... The value of workflow software in streamlining your bookkeeping business How to stop leaking time & energy The importance of being clear about what your services cost To find out more about Heidi, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Time Stamps      01:30 - Heidi talks about her career journey  06:10 - Overcoming the obstacles of business  09:19 - Building connections to beat overwhelm  11:39 - Effectively implementing systems & processes  16:51 - Streamlining your engagement strategy 20:15 - The power of learning from our mistakes  23:15 - Automating client payments  27:11 - Getting your charges & mindset right  29:48 - Good work is its own marketing  32:50 - Heidi shares her top tips for building your bookkeeping business  This episode is brought to you by our good friends at Pure Workflow! It’s a simple, easy-to-use workflow practice management solution which will help you manage your clients, deadlines, workflow and team with ease. The BEST PART? It's specifically made FOR BOOKKEEPERS! For more information, visit PureWorkflow.com!

“I love the accounting ability to be able to fix problems for people and make things better. But, I also have to learn there is a certain point where I need to be doing them for me, so my systems are in place.”  -Shannon Lavender     Too often we design our businesses solely on the people we wish to emulate. The ones we call successful. We get stuck in habits and patterns of trying to live a life that is not authentic, of trying to create a business that doesn’t align with our true dreams. But it doesn’t have to be this way, there is space to learn from others while holding true to what it is that makes you happy.  Shannon Lavender, small business owner, QuickBooks Pro Advisor and Pure Bookkeeping licensee, is this episode’s featured guest. She has spent 20+ years helping people build their dreams, by finding, building and using the right systems for them.  If you are struggling, unsure which direction to move to chase down your dream then this is the episode to get you thinking about what truly makes you happy, and how (with a little help), you might reach your goal.  During this interview, you'll learn...     •   The value of systemizing your bookkeeping business      •    How to decide what success looks like to you     •    The importance of setting healthy boundaries Connect with Shannon on LinkedIn. Time Stamps 01:33 - Shannon talks about her career journey  03:58 - Overcoming the obstacles of taking over existing businesses  05:21 - Adapting to unforeseen changes  06:12 - Setting healthy boundaries with your clients  07:30 - Finding the way that works for you to find clients  09:53 - The Pure Bookkeeping journey  12:05 - Implementing the right systems 19:10 - Getting your time back  23:04 - Dreaming big: the future of Shannon's business  29:00 - Designing the business you want  This episode is brought to you by our friends at Katana!   If you have clients using outdated and inefficient manufacturing software, Katana offers real-time data syncing for production, inventory, and accounting data, manufacturers get complete visibility over every inch of their business and their numbers stay up-to-date even as orders come in.   If you sign up for the Partner Program and refer clients before April 30th, you will get 30% off the first 3 months of your Katana subscription.   You’ll also earn a 20% revenue share for every client you invite.   Head to thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com/katana to learn more.

“I wrote this book for people who want to learn how to build and run a business, and hopefully not make the same mistakes I made.” -Sandeep Chennakeshu Starting a new business isn’t easy. It requires us to get very good at a lot of different things. Once we get used to wearing so many different hats, it can be hard to let go and trust in others to help scale our businesses to new heights.  It is comfortable to complain about the issues in our business, but much harder to focus on and be attentive to solutions instead. What would happen to your bookkeeping business if you empowered yourself and your employees to transform complaints into requests? To say I need help with this, rather than I hate doing this by myself.  Sandeep Chennakeshu, former CTO of Eriksson, business transformation expert and author, is this episode’s featured guest. He has spent his career helping people transform the way their businesses run, by building a framework that helps others create their dream businesses without suffering the same common setbacks. His meticulous approach to management and diagnostics has helped elevate hundreds of businesses to new heights. If you are trying to build your own castle, this is the episode to hear from a master business builder and learn what it takes to build walls that will not crumble under pressure.  During this interview, you'll learn... The value of transforming complaints into requests How to manage & measure your business effectively The importance of getting structure & discipline into your business  Connect with Sandeep on LinkedIn. Time Stamps      01:58 - Sandeep talks about his career journey  05:15 - Overcoming the big obstacles 08:54 - The principles of building & running a business  12:10 - Staying effective in the face of challenges  17:20 - Using the right tools for maximum efficiency  19:50 - How to transform a complaint into a request  25:12 - The ups & downs of business 30:20 - Transitioning & training for success  33:55 - Sandeep explains how his book can help you This episode is brought to you by our friends at Katana!   If you have clients using outdated and inefficient manufacturing software, Katana offers real-time data syncing for production, inventory, and accounting data, manufacturers get complete visibility over every inch of their business and their numbers stay up-to-date even as orders come in.   If you sign up for the Partner Program and refer clients before April 30th, you will get 30% off the first 3 months of your Katana subscription.   You’ll also earn a 20% revenue share for every client you invite.   Head to thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com/katana to learn more.

“If you can say your 30-second commercial while you’re holding marbles and a glass of water, you can say it at a networking event much more easily.”  -Mindy Morrison It can sometimes feel like we have a never-ending checklist of things to do before we can even begin to start our business or follow our dreams. We build an idea in our head of what success is, not realizing we are often creating unnecessary barriers instead, ones that block us from just taking the leap and doing the work that really matters. Self-made obstacles and the belief that we have to do it on our own, are two of the biggest business killers. When you start to look at what other people in the industry are doing and reach out to build connections, you will find so many like-minded individuals jumping at the chance to help you avoid the mistakes they made. Mindy Morrison, owner of Back Office People, is this episode's featured guest. She has spent her career helping small businesses and entrepreneurs take back their weekends, by getting them focused on what they do well and helping them in their areas of struggle.  If you are having a tough time getting your bookkeeping business off the ground, not sure how much to price or who to connect with for help, this is the episode to get you networking for success. During this interview, you'll learn... Why you don’t have to do everything alone How to overcome the obstacles that prevent successful businesses The importance of networking & building connections  To find out more about Mindy, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Time Stamps      01:30 - Mindy talks about her career journey  04:37 - Overcoming the challenges of starting your own business  09:00 - Finding clients that fit your business  13:29 - Learning from the mistakes of the past  17:30 - Secrets to networking success 21:50 - The value of Pure Bookkeeping 26:05 - Mindy shares her tips for business success  28:00 - Preparing for the future  This episode is brought to you by our good friends at Pure Bookkeeping! If you want to grow your bookkeeping business, get back your time, be more efficient and have confidence that your work is best practice, you need proven systems, processes and standard operating procedures. That’s what Pure Bookkeeping offers. To find out more, visit PureBookkeeping.com TODAY!