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“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!

“It seems slightly daunting, but at the end of the day, it is pretty straightforward, and man can bookkeepers add a lot of value to a manufacturing business.” -Shawn Coultice   Have you ever considered a manufacturing bookkeeping niche for your business? Some bookkeepers focus on dentists or lawyers, but why not manufacturing companies? In this episode, our host, Louie Prosperi will explore further with the Head of Channel Partnerships at Katana, Shawn Coultice. Katana is an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software that helps manufacturers track their inventory, manage their sales plus much more.   It is a daunting task to constantly manage the ever-shifting nature of inventory, manufacturing, and labor, but many manufacturing businesses are in desperate need of bookkeepers who can not only keep pace with their finances but offer invaluable advice and support by identifying where money is being wasted.   Like many bookkeepers, you may have steered clear of the manufacturing sector for a long time, but with the advent of new and more integrated software solutions, it might be time to consider stepping into an industry desperate for support and advice from bookkeepers capable of helping them solve issues in real-time. During this interview, you'll learn... Why you shouldn’t be afraid of the manufacturing sector How to add value beyond financial services The importance of integrating the right software for the right client  To find out more about Shawn, click here. To book a call with Katana, visit here. To start your free Katana demo, click this link. To join the Katana partner program, check this out. Time Stamps 01:58 - Shawn talks about his career journey 03:42 - Getting to grips with human kinetics 05:14 - The processes of manufacturing 06:57 - Adding value as a bookkeeper 09:45 - Overcoming the obstacles of industry 12:10 - Integrating from the source 18:42 - Finding solutions beyond the financial 22:08 - Supporting clients remotely 23:42 - Stories of successful 25:49 - Bringing your clients into the future 28:25 - Getting in touch with Shawn or Katana

You don’t know what you didn’t know. And everything that’s living in your head, we’ve got to get it out of there! -Melissa Morris It is often easy to feel like no one can do what we can do and yet, we rely on hastily written to-do lists or checklists quickly passed off to our employees. If things in your bookkeeping business aren’t running smoothly, it is unlikely to be because of employees being underqualified and intentionally doing things wrong. It is far more likely that we haven’t explained to them or trained them in how things need to be done. Getting everything out of your head and down on paper in a way that is understandable takes a skill set a lot of us haven’t trained for. There is no shame in hiring someone to help you translate the workflow systems as they exist in your head into a document that anyone could follow and achieve the same results as you.  Melissa Morris, owner of Agency Authority (a project management and operations consultancy), is this episode’s featured guest. She has spent her career using a wealth of knowledge and experience to help businesses maximize their teams, increase productivity and grow their profits.  If you are feeling overwhelmed and burnout, haphazardly chasing apps in the hope they can fix your issues, or getting too hands-on, micromanaging employees, then this is the episode to help you get the right help to get the gold in your head onto paper so that your business can not only run effectively and efficiently but be easily scalable to new heights! During this interview, you'll learn... The value of effective & efficient workflows The key components of a successful project  The importance of finding your zone of genius  To find out more about Melissa, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Click this link to book a time to chat with her. Time Stamps 01:50 - Melissa talks about her career journey  03:48 - Finding our zone of genius 05:08 - Overcoming the obstacles of business  08:09 - Preventing overwhelm & burnout  11:27 - Effective & efficient workflow  16:20 - The key components of a successful project  18:40 - Melissa talks about the power of transformation  21:27 - Learning from our struggles  24:21 - Making the big mistakes work for you 29:58 - Getting connected with Melissa  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!

“If you’re going to work with someone and they’re going to give you access to their client base, they’re really going to have to trust you.” -Jeff Jacobs Trust is fundamental to any relationship and yet so many of us struggle to build long-lasting and trusting relationships. Expectation plays a key role in how trust is formed. When someone lets us down or fails to deliver on a promise, it shakes our faith in them. But more deeply, it shakes our faith in ourselves. After all, we put our faith and trust in that person or organization to deliver. When they don’t, we question our ability to make the right decisions going forward. This becomes a never-ending cycle of self-doubt and inconsistent trust-building activity. Jeff Jacobs, Director of Development at Wilkins Miller LLC, is this episode’s featured guest. His approach is a personal one that focuses on the team rather than the individual as the key to success. Building caring and trusting relationships with employees and clients, not just to leverage them later, but to learn how he might best help them reach their dreams. If you are struggling to build trust, consider how much of your intention is on what you want to get out of a client rather than on how you can improve their lives. When clients don’t feel valued, they are less likely to trust you to manage more of their needs. When was the last time you checked in on a client just to see how they are feeling or to ask them what you could be doing better? During this interview, you'll learn... The value of trust in long-lasting connections How to create strong business relationships The importance of keeping people in the loop  Click here to find out more about Jeff. Connect with him on LinkedIn. Time Stamps 02:09 - Jeff talks about his career journey  08:52 - Why building trust matters  10:50 - Creating centers of influence  13:54 - Overcoming the obstacles of industry  16:02 - Find the way that works for you 20:29 - Keeping people in the loop 22:06 - Delivering a quality offering  24:22 - Building strong business relationships 33:28 - How to get in touch with Jeff  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 really need to identify your target audience. If you don’t know what market you’re in and who your ideal client is then how can you even begin marketing?” -Amy Anderson Marketing ourselves isn’t easy and in the bookkeeping industry especially, where we tend to be more introverted, it can be hard to build an exciting and outgoing profile. Fortunately, marketing ourselves doesn’t have to be all or nothing. There is room for us to find ways of doing it that play to our strengths. It's easy to get discouraged when you spent a lot of time on a marketing strategy that had few returns. This doesn’t mean you are a failure. It just means you need to try something else. Perhaps that is hiring someone to help you market your bookkeeping business or to find passive and slow marketing tools that can be working for you in the background. Amy Anderson, co-founder of Wild Coffee Marketing, is this episode's featured guest. She has spent 25 years helping businesses market themselves to the right kind of clients. Her expertise and holistic marketing approach have helped countless businesses find the right clients, build consistent and engaging profiles and feel more at home in their niches.  If you are struggling with marketing, unsure about what to do next or how to grow your bookkeeping business beyond the "I must take every client I can get" mindset, this is the episode for you! During this interview, you'll learn... The value of finding the best methods for the type of person you are How to manage referrals to find your ideal clients The importance of leveling up your client list To find out more about Amy, click here . Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter. Time Stamps 01:50 - Amy talks about her career journey  04:21 - Navigating the hurdles of business  06:21 - The common marketing mistakes 07:18 - Defining who you are & what you offer 10:53 - Mastering referrals & finding the ideal client  13:36 - Levelling up your client list to avoid bad clients  16:28 - Finding the best marketing method for you 24:08 - Accepting the need to adapt  27:04 - Balancing your professional & personal life 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!

“They depend on us to relate to them important information on how to minimize tax, how to reach their financial goals. If we do it in a more structured way, our clients are going to see the value in that expertise.” -Nadia Rodriguez    Expanding your bookkeeping business to include advisory capacity is scary for many. We are our own worst enemies when it comes to self-belief and self-confidence. But consider this... how many times have you been talking with a client, answering all of their questions in a fun and relaxed way only to realize later that it took you years of training and trial and error to get to the result?   Nadia Rodriguez, a Senior Tax Analyst Programmer at Intuit, is this spotlight episode's special guest. She speaks to the way bookkeepers are sitting on a huge wealth of knowledge they aren’t pricing for, how to communicate your value to your clients and the importance of building networks that keep you on the cutting edge of bookkeeping best practice.   If you are finding yourself giving everything away for free, charging by the hour or feeling trapped patching sinking ships in the minefield that is compliance work then this episode will help you start to leverage your knowledge and skills to assist your clients in avoiding those troubled waters and chart a better course to achieving their financial dreams.   During this interview, you'll learn... The value of pricing for your worth, not just your time How to create the capacity to grow your business The importance of building strong bookkeeping networks Click here to find out more about Nadia.   Visit this link if you want to gain access to Intuit’s vast resource bank.   Time Stamps         01:37 - Nadia talks about her career journey 05:23 - Getting to grips with advisory services 09:22 - Separating the solution 11:27 - Creating the capacity to grow 13:52 - Growing your network 15:46 - Tax strategies for bookkeepers 23:25 - Finding a suitable billing model 26:35 - Bookkeeping in real-time

“I would say, if you are never really wrong, you are never really right either, you need to put things down (on paper) to get clarity, to move work forward and make things happen.” -Adrienne Bellehumeur   Getting good at effective documentation isn’t easy. Whether because we find it hard to take notes while actively listening or we are afraid of losing face in a room full of people who aren’t taking notes. So much valuable information is lost, miscommunicated or inaccessible as it exists only in one person's head.   So much of our value is tied to the things we think we do best. It is hard to let go of that mentality and create documents that allow for excellent reperformance. For as long as your bookkeeping business is only successful because you are doing everything, you will never be able to leverage your knowledge to scale your business to new heights.   This episode's featured guest is Adrienne Bellehumeur who is the director of Risk Oversight, a documentation and productivity expert and author of The 24-Hour Rule. She has spent her career developing a system of dynamic documentation that helps people overcome their optimism bias (the belief we will remember every detail of every meeting) to take effective documentation that allows for near-perfect reperformance of their work.   If you are worried that you won’t be as valuable if everyone has a playbook of your best skills or embarrassed to take notes for fear of looking ‘less than’ your colleagues then this is the episode to completely change your point of view on the importance of effective documentation and the powerful role it can play in the success of your bookkeeping business. So, grab a pen or get your laptop ready to type because it's time to take some notes!   During this interview, you'll learn... The value of organization & information management in successful businesses How to solve problems with effective documentation The importance of overcoming our optimism bias  Click here to find out more about Adrienne.   Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter.   Click this link to learn more about Risk Oversight.   Visit here to buy her new book, The 24 Hour Rule.   Time Stamps      1:37 - Adrienne talks about her career journey 3:31 - Discovering the hidden power of documentation 6:13 - Overcoming optimism bias 7:56 - Simple practices for effective outcomes 12:55 - The most efficient ways to document 15:05 - Problem-solving with documentation 18:50 - The challenges in effective documentation 23:08 - Information management and organization 26:56 - Writing The 24 Hour Rule 30:43 - Acting on information before the value is lost 33:40 - Connecting with Adrienne  

“That’s the beauty of this industry, you can be as big or as little as you want to be, it’s so scalable.”  -Kim Wolfe   This is the question that has paralyzed more than a few good people when it comes to wanting to start their own bookkeeping business. It can be difficult to trust ourselves, and not judge ourselves too harshly for previous failures. Often, it is the expectation more than the outcome that hurts or makes us feel uncomfortable when things haven’t gone the way we hoped. What would happen if instead, you focused on being okay where you are and building a different reality out from more stable ground? Kim Wolfe, former aerospace engineer and current owner of KAW Solutions, is this episode's featured guest. After a dramatic career shift, she leaned into her desire to help people fix their problems, first in bookkeeping and then for those trying to grow their businesses. Kim’s approach is process-focused, delegating tasks to free up time, skilfully navigate obstacles and creating successful teams. If you are struggling to build the business you want because things aren’t going the way you thought they would, this episode is a great one to help you create a stable foundation from which to achieve your bookkeeping dreams.  During this interview, you'll learn... The value of networking to avoid the pitfalls of building a successful business How to effectively manage your time The importance of working smarter, not harder  To find out more about Kim, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Go to incomeformom.com to get her Top 10 Time Hacks pdf. Time Stamps   01:28 - Kim talks about her career journey  08:45 - Growing the business  12:01 - Exploring opportunities 13:22 - Getting smarter in the face of challenges  15:02 - What the business looks like today 19:38 - Navigating the effects of the pandemic  21:03 - The big challenge of today 24:30 - Getting to grips with pricing  26:15 - Effectively managing your time  42:08 - Everything has its place  46:11 - Getting in touch with Kim

“No one can do it the way you are doing it, but it doesn’t necessarily mean your way is the best way or the only way.” -Jamie Van Cuyk Hiring the right candidate is challenging, often we are better suited to, or skilled at other areas of our business. Sometimes we may even think putting out a job advertisement is a piece of cake and yet are baffled when we don’t get suitable applicants or worse, hire someone that just doesn’t fit well with the business.  We can’t hire the right people into our business until we fully understand what the right person looks like. Skills can be taught, but values are more deeply ingrained. If you aren’t sure what you value, how can you build a team of like-minded people? Jamie Van Cuyk, owner of Growing Your Team and host of the Growing Your Team podcast, is this episode’s returning guest. She is a master of the hiring and firing cycle. She has helped countless small businesses find employees that are more than bodies in a seat, but dedicated, retainable and aligned members of the team who love what they do. If you are struggling to hire the right people or to even begin identifying who the right person may be before you begin the hiring process, this episode will give you all the tips you need to not only make hiring a breeze, but make sure you are finding people that really care about what they do.  During this interview, you'll learn... The value of aligning employees with your business goals  How to hire the ideal candidate for your bookkeeping business  The importance of understanding what motivates your employees  Learn more about Jamie about this link. You can find the Growing Your Team podcast here.  Check out her socials: LinkedIn Facebook Instagram Pinterest  Time Stamps 01:37 - Reflecting on the last year 05:28 - Looking to the future 07:00 - The difficulties of hiring the right people 11:14 - The secrets to effective hiring  17:04 - How to retain quality employees  22:04 - The hiring and firing cycle 28:45 - Getting to grips with delegation  32:38 - How to get in touch with Jamie

“The first thing to becoming successful is defining who you want to work with, who is your ideal client?” -Jennie Moore Welcome back to another Successful Bookkeeper Spotlight session with your host, Louie Prosperi. Our lives revolve around conversation, we hope that all of our interactions will be good, but often, this is not the case. Differences of opinion, expectation, and understanding can lead to some really uncomfortable conversations.  Not wanting conflict can often paralyze us, freezing us into doing work or continuing to do work we never agreed to do. Scope creep is going to happen, but what is important is how we deal with it. Allowing our clients to change the scope on a whim is going to cost you thousands of dollars a year, not to mention leave you feeling potentially resentful and burnt out. Jennie Moore, owner of Moore Details, and partnership manager at Ignition is this spotlight episode’s featured guest. She has spent her career helping people have awkward conversations, set boundaries, and learn to articulate their worth. She speaks powerfully about finding the fun in your bookkeeping business, embracing mistakes, and communicating value.  If you are struggling to set the scope at the beginning of your client relationships, feeling unable to express your worth despite helping your clients become more profitable, or would just like to learn how to speak about yourself with more confidence and courage, then this is the episode to shift unhelpful and negative mindsets into positive and courageous ones.  During this interview, you'll learn... The value of owning the awkward conversation to articulate your worth How to embrace a digital mindset in your bookkeeping business The importance of being clear about the scope of your services  Click here to find out more about Jennie. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter. SPECIAL OFFER for Successful Bookkeeper listeners - Get 50% off Ignition Pro or Scale for 3 months! Find out more HERE!
 Time Stamps   01:47 - Jennie talks about her career journey  03:05 - Balancing the personal and professional  05:48 - Influencing product by following our passions  08:28 - Being a part of something you love  10:06 - Learning from our mistakes to create success  15:01 - Out-of-scope work is a profit killer  22:12 - Setting your standards from the start  24:48 - Embracing the digital mindset  29:10 - Finding the right automatized services for your bookkeeping business  35:28 - Owning the awkward conversation 

“This also means diversity of thought, because even if you have a demographically diverse team, but everyone went to the same college and thinks the same way, that’s still not going to be able to leverage and maximize the benefits of diversity.” -Dr. Ella F. Washington Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is more than just taking a course or hiring from particular demographics. It’s about how we want to feel at work and in society, and how we make others feel. Intention is everything and yet many people find themselves afraid of saying the wrong thing, this paralysis then also prevents us from saying the right things. When you are open to the possibilities in other people’s lived experiences, you are far more likely to be able to have the conversations you perhaps didn’t even know you needed to have.  Dr. Ella F. Washington, founder and CEO of Ellavate Solutions, organizational psychologist, author, and DEI culture expert is this episode’s featured guest. Ella speaks about the need for workplaces and workplace cultures to let everyone be their authentic self at work. If everyone isn’t thriving at work, feeling valued, respected, and happy, there is something wrong.  Whether you are an individual, a small bookkeeping business, or a big one, it is inspiring to listen to Ella’s vision for what workplace culture could be. If you want to have these complex conversations but aren’t sure where to start, this is the episode to get you comfortable with what you don’t know. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of building a utopia of inclusion, diversity & equity at work How to understand & challenge biases The importance of intention in building a healthy workplace culture Click here to find out more about Ella. Connect with Ella on LinkedIn and Twitter.  Click here to get your copy of Ella’s new book, The Necessary Journey. Time Stamps   01:36 - Ella talks about her career journey  03:38 - The core of diversity, equity & inclusion  08:39 - Thinking about & challenging our biases  10:52 - Creating great working environments  14:33 - Building a workplace utopia 17:30 - The power of intention in workplace culture  19:14 - The Necessary Journey, stories of client success 23:08 - Considering your whole sphere of influence 26:42 - Ella talks about her book 

“If you’re forcing yourself to do those tasks you don’t enjoy doing and you’re not good at, please start delegating!” -Kristy Yoder  Happy New Year and welcome to the first episode of 2023! Running a bookkeeping business can be overwhelming, especially at this time of year, so much needs to get done and it can often feel like we are the only ones capable of doing it right. Problems start to arise in our businesses when everything that needs our attention, only gets a portion of our effort. Delegation is key in business. What tasks can you source to other people, so you have more time to focus on your passion? Remember, clients don’t stay with your service just because you do their books, they stay because they recognize a passion in you for something they struggle to do. Maybe it’s time to start recognizing those passions in others, and how they might help you to build and scale your bookkeeping business to new heights. Our first guest of the year is the founder and CEO of Smart Virtual Assistants, and host of the Master Delegator podcast, Kristy Yoder. She found her passion in helping people learn to delegate the things they aren’t good at, so they can focus on the things they are. This episode is a masterclass full of useful tips to find and train the right people for you. If you are having trouble letting go of the need to do everything, aren’t sure of how to train a VA, or are afraid you’ll be stuck with employees that don’t make your life easier, this is the episode to help you overcome those fears! During this interview, you'll learn... The value of building strong & trusting relationships with your virtual assistant How to hire a great VA The importance of delegating tasks to focus on your passions  Click here to find out more about Kristy. Connect with her on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook. Click here to listen to the Master Delegator Podcast. Time Stamps   01:39 - Kristy talks about her career journey  04:35 - The importance of delegating work  07:22 - Barriers to proper delegation  11:15 - Common mistakes when hiring a VA 16:45 - Great operating procedures empower great businesses 18:22 - Learning to love the tasks clients hate 21:02 - Tips to help you hire a great VA for your bookkeeping business 25:50 - How Smart Virtual Assistants can help you 28:55 - The best way to end bad relationships  31:26 - The Master Delegator Podcast

“We all are really good at one or two things, but we can all do maybe 20-100 things, and sometimes as entrepreneurs, I think we get caught up in the ‘I have to do it all.’” -Nikki Rausch Pressure is a great motivator, but too much can damage the quality of our work and cause us to burn out. When we hold onto the belief that we are the only person that can achieve the right results for our clients, we end up with much less time to actually focus on the key things they hired us for in the first place. Clients want to work with experts, but that expert doesn’t have to be you. It is okay to share clients with your team, not because they aren’t as worthy of your attention, but because you have trained and trusted your team to deliver the best possible outcome for your clients and your business.   Nikki Rausch, who is the CEO of Sales Maven, a podcaster and author, is this episode’s featured guest. Nikki is a firm believer that none of us achieve success alone, and that our genius and skills are diluted when we spread ourselves too thinly. That is why we must hire people to do the things we can’t, we must build teams of people that complement and make each other stronger.  If you are struggling to scale your bookkeeping business, feeling too thinly spread, or struggling to prioritize the best outcomes for your clients, then this is the episode to get you thinking more clearly about what building your dream team could really do for your business. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of building a skilled team in your bookkeeping business How to stop underselling yourself to clients The importance of understanding what kind of relationship your clients want Click this link to find out more about Nikki. Connect with her on LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook. Click here to listen to Nikki's past Successful Bookkeeper podcast appearance. Check out this Sales Maven podcast episode regarding how to sell clients on working with your team. Get Nikki’s free download for TSBK listeners. Time Stamps   01:24 - Nikki talks about her experiences since her last guest appearance 02:21 - The importance of having a team in your business   04:58 - Selling clients on working with your team 10:14 - How to stop underselling yourself  18:21 - Building the right relationship with your clients 24:44 - Dealing with & adapting to crisis & change  30:10 - Telling the story of your business  34:00 - Motivating your team  36:01 - Connecting with Nikki  This episode is sponsored by our good friends at BILL! BILL helps automate finances for hundreds of thousands of small to midsize businesses so they can easily and quickly pay bills, collect payments, and manage employee expenses. With BILL, your clients—and you—will get greater visibility and control and more time to spend on the important stuff.  To learn more and get 10% off for your clients visit Bill.com/successfulbookkeeper.

“If you can answer the questions that are being asked to people that don’t even know what their questions are to begin with, then you have created a name. People will say you’ve gotta come and see what he’s doing for us.” -Michael Alliman    In part 2 of the interview with Michael, he digs into the importance, power, and potential that can be unlocked when businesses find and focus on their niche.   All too often, we think that in order to be successful we have to do as much business as possible with anyone that will have us. But this spread-out and scatter gunned approach keeps us only being good at surface-level skills.   When you find your niche, you’ll move away from the surface and create a depth of experience that will see new clients seeking you out. Letting go of the short-term earning potential of taking every client is scary, but you’ll never have the kind of business that is scalable and successful, if you can't offer niched skills and services, rather than generic ones that are available everywhere.   Michael speaks from experience that the demand for quality skills will enable you to command quality prices. And when you have your niche, you’ll be able to help your clients build their dreams, not just balance last month's books.   During this interview, you'll learn... The value of finding your niche How to effectively sell your expertise, so clients seek you out The importance of building the kind of company you would want to work for To find out more about Michael, click here.    Connect with him on LinkedIn.  Time Stamps        01:37 - Helping others to understand your value 10:30 - When you niche clients, they will find you 14:30 - Figuring out niche trends 16:50 - Selling your experience & enjoying it 18:44 - Custom building narrative reports 23:18 - Building the kind of company you’d like to work for 25:30 - How to get in touch with Michael

“I’m not the expert in real estate, that's why I hire you. It doesn’t make any sense for me to learn it just to buy one house, as it doesn’t make any sense for you to learn accounting just to get your own numbers in order.” -Michael Alliman   Creating, owning, and running our own business is really challenging. So many things need our attention that it can often feel overwhelming, like we can’t get our heads above the water. The desire becomes to keep throwing ourselves at problems, rather than take a deep breath, dive beneath the surface, and find a place of calm and wider perspective to help us resolve them.   In this first part of a two-part interview, Michael Alliman, owner of Alliman Business Group and Reconcile bookkeeping, talks about overcoming the things you think are holding you back to find your own rhythm of success.   Michael speaks inspirationally about the way he has taken his ADHD diagnosis and turned it into a hyper-focused superpower that enables him to dial into detail in a way that has become a great selling point to clients. He also speaks about the need to stop setting unrealistic goals and punishing ourselves when we can’t meet them.   If you are facing difficulties in your life or business and are struggling to change your mindset from one of fearing your complexity to one that embraces it, this is the episode for you!   During this interview, you'll learn... The value of embracing what your differences bring to the world How to shift your mindset away from fear & toward success The importance of getting focused on what it is you do well To find out more about Michael, click here.   Connect with him on LinkedIn. Time Stamps   01:42 - Michael talks about his career journey 06:25 - Creating a company you’d like to work for 09:19 - Overcoming the challenges of business 14:04 - Learning to recognize what difficulties have to teach us 18:40 - Embracing the value of difference

“You need to surround yourself from an inclusion standpoint, with people who fill in the gaps and complement the skills you don’t have so that you don’t have those blind spots.” -Carice Anderson   Building a business is never easy, and yet we often make it so much harder for ourselves by believing we can’t be truly successful unless we are the ones doing everything. This kind of thinking only leaves us with skill and knowledge gaps we didn’t even know we had.   Being intelligent alone isn't enough. There will always be things we are drawn to and things we don’t like doing. What matters is the ability to recognize when we have gaps and fill them with people who complement the skills we lack.   Carice Anderson, a workplace diversity and inclusion expert and author, is this episode’s featured guest. She has spent her career working to understand why even after achieving so much academically, there were still so many gaps that could only be filled by the experiences of others.   She speaks powerfully about the need to build connections between people. To work on your relationships with others, not just in them. To think in the long term about people, not just in the short term to meet a deadline or push a product.   If you are trying to go it alone and finding that maybe you don’t even know what questions you should be asking, this is the episode to get you thinking about how a mindset shift might open up a world of possibility.   During this interview, you'll learn... The value of taking ownership of your client’s problems How to work on your relationships, not just in them The importance of creating a support network for success To find out more about Carice, click here.   Connect with her on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook   You can buy Carice’s book here.   Time Stamps       01:42 - Carice talks about her career journey 03:52 - Learning to adapt when things don’t go your way 08:10 - Overcoming personal obstacles 11:13 - Carice talks about her book 15:28 - Working on your relationships, not in them 18:55 - Tips for building healthy relationships 25:40 - Introversion vs extraversion; creating connections in a different way 28:20 - Ownership, taking responsibility & initiative 33:35 - No one becomes a success alone, it takes a community 36:40 - Learning more about Carice

“With Anchor, you work and then you get paid by default and your client needs to actively do something in order for you not to get paid.” - Omry Man  It’s well-known that comfort and convenience rule everything we do. People and especially clients are always looking for simpler and more effective ways to handle their business. We have all had clients that aren’t good at paying us on time, not because they are bad people, but because their priorities and attention are directed elsewhere. Omry Man, co-founder of Anchor, is this episode’s featured guest. He recognized a gap in the market, a gap created by the friction between bookkeepers and their clients. Anchor is an autonomous billing solution that sets out payment relationships from the get-go, and automates the entire process. So, you never have to wait on a bill again. If you are struggling to get clients to pay on time, are feeling strained around repeatedly asking for payment, or are even too scared to push for the money you are owed for fear of losing a client, this is the episode for you.  During this interview, you'll learn... The value of being consistent with your clients How automation reduces friction in relationships The importance of streamlining your services to focus on your bookkeeping business  Click here to find out more about Anchor. BLACK FRIDAY SALE OFFER: Anyone signing up or booking an Anchor demo during November, who bills over 50 monthly invoices, is eligible for $500 in Anchor credits to use in their first 3 months in Anchor. Visit this link for more details! Connect with Omry and Anchor on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Time Stamps 01:48 - Omry talks about his career journey  03:55 - Overcoming bad experiences with clients  09:10 - The real reason your clients aren’t paying on time 13:20 - Using automation to reduce friction   17:20 - How Anchor works for you & your client 20:14 - The right metrics to measure  26:20 - Getting connected with Anchor