The CPA MOMS Podcast

Every CPA has a story - we all have a journey we've taken to get us to where we are. Every entrepreneur also has a story and journey as well. This week I had the pleasure of interviewing Laurie Dunlop, CPA, about her first year as a CPA MOMS franchisee. Laurie is a single mom to two children. Laurie is an experienced Certified Public Accountant with 25+ years in auditing, finance, and accounting, which includes 18 years as a Chief Financial Officer and a broad managerial role with a private commercial lending company, where she remains a Limited Partner. You can read the highlights of our interview HERE

As both an accountant and a mom, let's be honest, we truly do have two full-time jobs. It's no wonder it can feel like there's never enough time or that we don't have control over our time. While it's completely normal to be struggling with time management, getting a better handle on it is crucial for success. With the combination of tight deadlines and complex projects at work, as well as the never-ending list of things that need to be done at home, it can be difficult to stay on top of everything. But here's the thing - effective time management isn't just about getting more done - it's about learning how to win your day. But what does it mean to win your day? This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss what it takes to win your day and some steps you can take. You can read the full show notes HERE

The issue when it comes to the productivity-driven work of accounting is that it doesn't take into account the person doing the producing. It doesn't question if you feel dread or stressed versus motivated and fulfilled when you're doing all that producing. Obviously, we all have to get things done at work and home, but isn't there an easier way? Isn't there a way to be productive without burning out in the process? I believe that's where peaceful productivity comes in. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss what peaceful productivity is and how you can achieve it. You can read the full show notes HERE

Have you ever set a goal or wanted to improve something in your life, but it got to be so challenging that you wanted to give up? Or have there been times when you were trying to make something better in your personal or professional life, and it felt too overwhelming? While many of us want more out of life, we want to achieve things, set goals, make resolutions, provide the best life we can for our families, and we're excited about possibilities, unfortunately, when we realize it's going to be hard, we want to give up. We hit our first few obstacles. and we want to postpone the journey. Thankfully, there is a way to have what we want and not give up before we get it. But first, we have to go through the River of Misery. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss what the River of Misery is and how you can use the concept for your journey. You can read the full show notes HERE

Corinne Crabree is a Master Certified Weight and Life Coach with a mission to help every woman break generational curses in order to improve their personal health and wealth. Corinne lost 100lbs 15 years ago and ever since, she has dedicated her life to teaching women how to do the same. Corinne Crabtree is one of the leading voices in the weightloss and business Industry. She's the host of the wildly successful podcast, Losing 100lbs with Corinne, which has been downloaded over 50 million times in 160 countries. Over 1 Million women have taken her free weightloss course and Corinne now serves over 14,000 paid members in the No BS Weightloss Program. To hear Corinne's tips for working moms to lose weight and improve their health, check out this week's episode. You can read the show note highlights HERE

If you stopped and asked any accountant how they're doing, the typical answer would be something like, "It's crazy busy right now," "I'm just so busy," or "You know it's busy season, right?" I'm going to bet you probably say something along those lines when someone asks how you're doing as if throwing the word busy into your reply tells them everything they need to know. To be honest, It's not our fault that we constantly describe ourselves as busy because the fact is we operate under tight deadlines with many deliverables at work. We have a lot we are responsible for producing in any given week, but especially during certain times of the year, like tax season. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss why we wear busy as a badge of honor and what to do when you're stuck feeling busy. You can read the full show notes HERE

When you hear the term "dream team," what comes up for you? Do you think of it in terms of people at work? Or do you think about it in regard to sports? Maybe you think about it in terms of managing your own life, like the supportive people who make it possible for you to be a working mom. Whether it's professionally or personally, without a well-managed team, it can be difficult to meet various goals. Each person on your team has the ability to bring their unique skills and talent to the table, but teamwork is required to truly take advantage of that. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss the roles of the 3 people on your time management Dream Team and how to best utilize them. You can read the full show notes HERE

As a female accountant, you have an impressive level of intelligence, whether you realize it or want to admit it. It doesn't matter how challenging school may have been for you; if you are in any area of accounting, you are a smart woman. Now be honest - how difficult is it to admit or say out loud that you are a smart woman? Does it feel wrong to admit it? Does it feel boastful? Does it feel like a lie? Do you ever feel like you have to "dumb it down"? Are you afraid of being judged for being smart? Unfortunately, there continue to be many biases toward smart women, creating many smart women problems. Hopefully, after listening to this podcast, you'll have a different perspective. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss some smart women problems and some solutions to those problems. You can read the full show notes HERE

In honor of Women's History Month, we interviewed a working mom who is changing the way women are taken care of before, during, and after their pregnancy. Meghan Doyle is the CEO & co-founder of Partum Health, a company offering families a combination of expert support that's right for you - from birth and postpartum doulas, mental health providers, lactation consultants, physical therapists, night nannies and more — all in one place, all designed around you. After her own issues with giving birth to her two children, she decided something needed to be done and she did it! This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss everything you need to know about partum health and how to get the help you deserve. You can read the show highlights HERE

If you struggle with better time management, feel like your to-do list is running your life, find yourself stressed and overwhelmed, or just want to regain control, a time audit can be an important first step. It can help you create more hours in your day, allow you to get more done in less time, and help you get some balance back in your life. An added bonus is that a time audit can improve your relationships, health, and finances. It can help you live a more purposeful, intentional life. A time audit can show you why you feel burned out and help you extinguish the fire. Since time is our most precious asset, a time audit can help you preserve that valuable asset. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss what a time audit is and how you can do one. You can read the show notes HERE As mentioned on the podcast - The Time Management Personality Quiz can be taken HERE

While I'm all for expressing more love in the world, I also want to empower you to become better at self-love. Why? Because it gives you all your power back. When you learn how to improve your self-love, February 14th is lovely, but it's just a single cherry on top of a beautiful cake that's been created over the previous 364 days of the year. The truth is that self-love makes life easier, more enjoyable, and more fulfilling. Self-love helps us make better choices - healthier choices. It allows us to set boundaries and manage our time better. Self-love makes it easier to stop people-pleasing and to go after goals. Self-love makes it easier to take action, to take chances, and to take on new opportunities. It makes it possible to write that book, ask for that raise, say no, and leave that job to go out on your own. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss what creates self-love and how you can improve yours. You can read the full show notes HERE

The Right Questions by NY Times bestselling author, Debbie Ford, explains, "Our ability to make choices implies certain rights and freedoms. If we can choose, then we can determine which decisions we will make about our bodies, our health, our relationships, our finances, our careers, our social lives, and our spiritual beliefs. Choice allows us to pick, to select, and to decide between paths. What makes each of us special and distinguishes us from all other forms of life is our capacity to weigh our options and make conscious, deliberate choices. Our today's are based on the choices we made yesterday, and the ones we made three days ago, three months ago, and three years ago. It's really quite simple: if we want our lives to be different, all we have to do is make different choices." This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss the 10 "Right Questions" and explore each one and its importance for all of us to consider as women and mothers. You can read the full show notes here -> https://cpamoms.com/asking-the-right-10-questions/

Think about the first week of school - your teachers typically made the rules of engagement in the classroom clear. There was the rule of raising your hand instead of blurting out, asking permission to go to the bathroom, keeping your hands to yourself, and being respectful of other people's things. These rules of engagement made it easier for the teacher to manage the students' various personalities and energy levels and made it simpler to provide redirection or consequences when someone broke the rules. These parameters made everyone feel safe and that there was a sense of control. The same thing goes for creating your personal rules of engagement. They can help you have a sense of control, especially when things might seem out of control. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss why personal rules of engagement are important and how to choose your own. You can read the full show notes HERE

Time is one of our most precious assets as a busy accountant and mom. As you are well aware, we have 24 hours in a day that are typically divided among working, taking care of our family, and trying to squeeze in some sleep. How many of you could benefit from looking at the impact of your choices when it comes to how you spend your time? How many of you feel like there's never enough time, that time is in short supply, and that there's nothing you can do about it? Whether you realize it or not, your calendar tells me a lot - some of it good, and some of it not so good. That's why it's important to understand not only what your calendar says about you but also what you can do to have much more control over your time. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss what your calendar tells me and how to use your calendar to better manage your time and your life You can read the full show notes HERE

As accountants, we're all about numbers and metrics. Accounting metrics and KPIs are critical components of business management, and a proper record of the cash flows, expenses, and gains is incredibly valuable to the companies we serve. Some metrics and KPIs we measure include Operating Cash Flow, Working Capital, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Gross Profit Margins, and Net Profit. These metrics help businesses decide what's working, what's not, and what needs to change. Unfortunately, as women we often use many metrics against ourselves without even realizing we're doing it professionally and personally. More often than not, there are mental metrics we use against ourselves. These mental metrics make it even more challenging to have a successful accounting career and the happy life we deserve. These metrics are sneaky, so stay tuned so you can gain some awareness and stop using metrics against yourself. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss why we use metrics against ourselves and what to do instead. You can read the full show notes HERE

How many of us are racing from one thing to the next, unknowingly speeding up time as we manage day after day? How often do we try to get from one deadline to another, from one holiday to another, or from one difficult situation to another? How many of us have ever learned how to pause? To take it easy? To stop what we're doing and what we're thinking and just be? To press the pause button on the video of our days and not do anything other than listen? To interrupt what we're about to do that might not be useful or helpful? It can be scary to slow down, especially for accountant moms. Many of us feel we have to prove ourselves, our value, and our worth at every turn. In this era of instantaneous communication, maximized efficiency, and constant reminders to "operate with a sense of urgency," taking a pause can seem like a problem, both professionally and personally. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss what it means to pause on purpose and offer suggestions on how to do it. You can read the full show notes HERE

Whether you are in public or private accounting, there's no denying that deadlines are a normal part of the accounting profession. But it's not just our accounting work that has deadlines - our personal life also has plenty of deadlines. For example, not only are there filing deadlines for work projects like tax returns or financial reports but there are also plenty of deadlines like bills that need to be paid or discounts we want to take advantage of before they expire. As far as deadlines go, being both an accountant and a mom typically comes with many deadlines throughout the year. It doesn't matter where you fall in the spectrum of your relationship with deadlines; this episode will be super helpful. The truth is that if you want to manage your time better, get more done in less time, and feel better about the work you do, you need to put some effort into improving your relationship with deadlines. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss how your relationship with deadlines is developed and how to improve it. You can read the full show notes HERE

Typically the start of the new year is when we take inventory of what's working, what's not, and what we'd like to do differently in the upcoming year. The 12 months ahead offer us a symbol of hope that we will have set and accomplished various goals by this same time next year. While it sounds so promising, how many of us find ourselves setting the same unmet goal year after year? How many of us, with all good intentions, have yet to break some bad habits and finally create better ones? If you think advice like doing something for 21 days will automatically create a new habit, think again. Happily, there has been an increase in grounded findings based on neuroscience that has helped clear up the process for breaking bad habits and creating better ones. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss why it's challenging to break bad habits and how to create better ones. You can read the full show notes HERE

As the end of the holiday season typically leads to thoughts about the new year, I thought it would be a great idea to do something different this year. Instead of sitting down and doing a family budget or setting personal goals, I thought it would be a great time to consider creating a family mission statement. If you think about it, as a mom, you and your children are not traveling this life alone. You are making your way through the world connected as part of a family. So why does that matter? Because it gives you the opportunity to not only know your own purpose - who you are and where you want to go - but to also determine the purpose of your family unit. Why does your family exist? What does it stand for? Where are you going together? What matters to you? Why this combination of personalities, likes, and dislikes? This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast, we discuss why you should consider creating a family mission statement and how to create one. You can read the full show notes HERE If you would like help with this topic, you can schedule a FREE 20-minute coaching session HERE

Have you heard about the term "quiet quitting"? It's believed to have started on TikTok but has gained popularity in all forms of social and mainstream media. Since so much has already been discussed on this topic, we weren't planning on doing an episode on it, but then realized we have a lot to talk about when it comes to the subject of quiet quitting, especially as it pertains to accountant moms. Even if you're tired of hearing about quiet quitting, I suggest you listen because I might surprise you with my perspective. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast, I discuss why the concept of quiet quitting is problematic for accountant moms and what you should be calling it instead. You can read the full show notes HERE If you would like help with this topic, you can schedule a FREE 20-minute coaching session HERE

While working moms have the herculean task of managing their careers and families throughout the year, the holidays can bring an added layer of pressure that makes even the most organized accountant mom want to hide. For this episode, we're not going to give you a bunch of tips and suggestions for navigating the holiday season. Instead, we're going to help you deal with the feeling of anxiety. If you've been listening to this podcast for a while, you already know how to say no, set boundaries, and better manage your time. This episode is about what to do when you're dreading or in the middle of feeling holiday anxiety. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss why we experience anxiety and what to do about it. You can read the full show notes HERE If you would like help with this topic, you can schedule a FREE 20-minute coaching session HERE

Whether it's a manager, supervisor, director, owner, or partner, it's unfortunate that many of us will have to deal with bad leadership at some point in our accounting career. Research shows that bad leaders are often promoted for their confidence but lack actual leadership competence. So what does that mean for you? It means there's an increased likelihood of having to work for a bad leader at some point in your career. While it might seem like you're either stuck dealing with bad leadership or that you'll have to find another place to work, that's not true. There are steps you can take to handle bad leadership that will give you back a sense of control. This week on The CPA MOMS podcast we discuss 3 types of bad leadership and specifically how to handle the most challenging type of bad leader. You can read the full show notes HERE

Do you find yourself unable to let go of small mistakes you made at work, believing you can't do anything right? If you're running late in the morning trying to get yourself and the kids out the door, do you question whether you've got the whole working mom thing down? Have you ever woken up to find a sink with dirty dishes and asked what's wrong with you that you can't do the simplest tasks to take care of your home? You're not alone if you've had similar versions of these scenarios. But you're also probably dealing with all-or-nothing thinking, which if left unaddressed, can lead to slipping into the all-or-nothing trap. This week on The CPA MOMS podcast we discuss what causes all-or-nothing thinking and how to stay out of the trap. You can read the full show notes HERE If you would like help with this topic, you can schedule a FREE 20-minute coaching session HERE

Whether you realize it or not, we all possess both feminine and masculine energy, whether you identify as a woman, man, or non-binary. To varying degrees, we all have the yin and the yang, and the balance of these energies is used in many different aspects of our lives. When it comes to being a female accountant in a male-dominated profession like accounting, it is easy to lean more toward masculine energy to fit in and get ahead. For years in business, masculine energy has typically been revered as being more powerful and effective, and the number-crunching, logical work that we do as accountants also lends itself towards masculine energy. But it's also important to understand that our feminine or yin energy includes a more collaborative, empathetic, creative, and receptive nature. If you think about it, these qualities lend themselves to much better leadership at work or home. This week on The CPA MOMS podcast we discuss the difference between masculine and feminine energy and how to balance the two as a female accountant. You can read the full show notes HERE If you would like help with this topic, you can schedule a FREE 20-minute coaching session HERE

I have yet to meet an accountant that isn't dealing with productivity issues in one form or another. I see it time and time again - accountants trying to tackle their never-ending to-do lists and working too many hours. The problem for most accountants is that we tend to have a love/hate relationship with time. We'd love to have more of it, especially when there's a deadline looming, but we hate how much time seems to be in control. If you want to improve your productivity and have more time for the people and things you love, what I'm going to share will be incredibly helpful. I promise you can improve your relationship with time by adopting my fool-proof time blocking process. This week on The CPA MOMS podcast we discuss the importance of time blocking and share the simple time blocking process for getting more done in less time. You can read the full show notes HERE If you would like help with time blocking, you can schedule a FREE 20-minute coaching session HERE

In this episode I'm actually going to help you use some of your perfectionist tendencies for good when it comes to managing your time. There are ways to leverage perfectionism when it comes to time management, and I want to help you see how. In other words, instead of completely fighting against your brain's tendency, I want to teach you how to work with it a little bit. I've noticed in my own time management that sometimes my perfectionist tendencies aren't always that bad, so I want to help you learn some ways to balance your brain so you can better manage your time. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss signs of perfectionism and some helpful time management tips for perfectionists. You can read the full show notes HERE If you would like help with time management as a perfectionist, you can schedule a FREE 20-minute coaching session HERE

The issue for many mompreneurs is that while their businesses grow, so does their mom guilt. As they tackle all the challenges of becoming an entrepreneur, they also tackle their angst about being a mompreneur. This episode is dedicated to all the accountant mompreneurs who struggle with having a business and being a mom. Not only should you not have to decide between having a career OR having a family, but you also shouldn't have to feel guilty when you decide you want to have your own business. The truth is that there is so much support available for you that you should never feel like you're alone. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss 9 reasons why being a business owner can make you a better mom. You can read the full show notes HERE If you would like help with being a mompreneur, you can schedule a FREE 20-minute coaching session HERE

While we typically interview accountants and moms for the podcast, this episode is slightly different. In this episode, we interviewed the spouse of a CPA and a mother of 3 with a baby on the way. Lara Johnson has developed a successful career over the last decade while marrying a busy CPA and raising her 3 (soon to be 4) kids. After seeing the unique challenges moms face while "juggling it all," she became a Certified Life Coach to help moms navigate the emotional, mental, and physical load they carry of their home and family. Hundreds of moms have used the skills and techniques she has developed to create success at home and with their families so they can thrive at work. In an effort to better serve the motherhood community, Ms. Johnson launched the "Mom on Purpose" podcast earlier this year. As a coach, podcast host, consultant, writer, and speaker, Ms. Johnson is an advocate and educator for moms that are ready to stop living reactively and start living on purpose. You can read the full show notes for this episode HERE If you would like help with learning how to stop yelling at your kids, you can schedule a FREE 20-minute coaching session HERE

The interesting thing about our desire to get things done is that we've become a society obsessed with productivity and efficiency, yet we all feel like we're hamsters on a wheel that aren't getting anywhere. We've become bogged down with ever-growing to-do lists that make it seem impossible to get anything done. We've got plenty of how-to books, TV shows, and classes to teach us, yet the irony is that we're still struggling more than ever actually to get things done. Even with all the information we have at our fingertips, we still haven't quite figured out how to make it simpler to get anything done. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss 3 pillars you need to address in order to get things done and the 3 simple steps to get anything done. You can read the full show notes HERE If you would like help with getting things done and with time management, you can schedule a FREE 20-minute coaching session HERE

We all have things we want that require someone to say yes. For example, if you're seeking a job, you need to interviewer to say yes, you've got the job; if you're a parent, you often need to advocate for your children in various ways; if you are a spouse, you probably need your partner to say yes to certain things. It doesn't matter how strong or independent you are; there are just certain things you need someone else's agreement on. Thankfully, you don't have to give up or become aggressive or manipulative to get what you want without a fight. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss the biggest mistake people make when trying to get what they want and how to turn it around so you get what you want without a fight. You can read the full show notes HERE If you would like help with getting what you want without a fight, you can schedule a FREE 20-minute coaching session HERE

What additional skills do you need to acquire to improve your odds of career success? Do you need to take an advanced Intuit course? Should you go for a Master's Degree in Taxation? Should you become a CPA? How do you make yourself more valuable? How do you gain a competitive advantage in a competitive field like accounting? What skills are valuable to the current marketplace? These are questions I hear from many accountants, not just accountant moms. Honestly, these are important questions to consider because, in essence, they truly are million-dollar questions. If you think about an average salary of, say, $100k per year over a 40-year career, that's at least 4 million dollars! This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss the 5 skills you should consider stacking so that you can add more value as an accountant. You can listen to this week's episode HERE If you would like help with building your skill stack, you can schedule a FREE 20-minute coaching session HERE

As busy, intelligent accountants and moms, we know all about doing what it takes to have a career and a family, but we're often told at an early age that our worth is tied to how much we can get done. We're rewarded by parents, teachers, and employers for all we can accomplish. We're also told that we must work harder if we want more money. If we want that promotion, we must show how good we are at getting more done than anyone else. To be good working moms, we must take on the herculean task of balancing a career and a family but not complain about how challenging it can be and how much there is to do. The funny thing is that we rarely talk about doing less. We tend to consider someone who does less lazy or incompetent. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss why it's important to do less, and I'm going to share some ways you can start subtracting instead of adding. You can read the full show notes HERE If you would like help with doing less without the guilt, you can schedule a FREE 20-minute coaching session HERE

Most accountants are familiar with the term S.A.L.Y. (same as last year). It's an indicator that this item doesn't necessarily need to be looked at because, at a minimum, it's the same as the previous year, if not for numerous prior years. For example, the cost basis of the common stock of an S Corporation would be marked as S.A.L.Y. after the year of inception forward unless there was some change. With a simple compilation, there would be no need to show the backup for the stock basis since that's typically in the permanent file and the current year's work papers show more of the current year's activity. If you think about it, those S.A.L.Y. amounts also make our accounting work a little easier because it's one less account that needs to be analyzed. It takes less effort because nothing has changed, sometimes for years and years. While that might be helpful in our accounting work, for many accountants, S.A.L.Y. is also how they live their lives. Day after day, year after year, they are in a rinse and repeat cycle with their professional careers and their personal lives. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss why S.A.L.Y. can be a problem and what you can do instead. You can read the full show notes HERE If you would like help with S.A.L.Y. in your career or in your personal life, you can schedule a FREE 20-minute coaching session HERE

In the competitive field of accounting, we have a lot of intelligent people doing very smart things. It's no surprise that the accounting profession often attracts the brightest and the best. The issue with all that intelligence is that it can be difficult to tell the difference between confidence and arrogance, whether within ourselves or others. While arrogance and confidence share similar characteristics, including assertiveness and a willingness to speak one's mind, confidence can also be misread as arrogance. The interesting thing about intelligent women is that often they can be considered arrogant when their behavior conflicts with stereotypes or the preconceived notions of others. For example, confidence can be assumed to be arrogance in groups of people stereotypically perceived as demure, such as women or young people. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss the difference between confidence and arrogance and how to build more confidence. You can read the full show notes HERE If you would like help with building confidence, you can schedule a FREE 20-minute coaching session HERE

As a mother, you've probably had to deal with your children's issues with transitions; I know I certainly did as my two children were growing up. It's actually quite common to see young children having meltdowns due to the fact that their day is filled with one transition after another, especially as a new school year starts. Think about it - they transition from sleeping to waking up, from wearing pajamas to having to put on clothes, from being home to school and back home again, from playtime to mealtime, from being quiet to being loud, and from one activity to another. It's exhausting just to think about all the transitions that these little humans must deal with on a daily basis. But the little humans aren't the only ones that struggle with transitions; the big humans have difficulty as well, especially us working moms. We've got the transition of waking up, going from alone time to everyone's uptime, from pajamas to clothes, from drop-off time to pick-up time, from work to home, from accountant to mom, and from kid time to grown-up time. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss why we have such difficulty dealing with transitions and how you can deal with them better. You can read the full show notes HERE

When was the last time you were frustrated with someone or something? Last week, yesterday, 10 minutes ago? Can you remember the last time you were disappointed or angry about something someone did or didn't do? At work, at home, or out in the world? When were you last hurt by something someone said? How often do you wish other people would behave differently so that you could feel better? I'm going to guess it's pretty often. The truth is that we all have a list of the people and things we wish were different so we could feel different. But to be honest, blaming others is typically a copout - it's easier to blame someone else than to take full responsibility for how you're feeling. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss the problem with blame and what to do instead. You can read the full show notes HERE

Whether you're aware of it or not, a sense of urgency is just hard-wired in us. As humans, our brain is programmed to act on a sense of urgency making it super uncomfortable to fight an urge to buy that infomercial product or eat those cookies that are sitting in the cabinet. The truth is that we will choose what our brain considers urgent even though it's low-value, and complete important tasks later. All because of the Mere Urgency Effect. This is important to understand, especially for accountants and time management. Unless you get a better understanding of how the urgency effect influences how you manage your time, you'll always struggle with better time management. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss the Mere Urgency Effect and how it influences your time management, as well as what to do about it. You can read the full show notes HERE

As accountants, we obviously know that meetings are necessary amongst ourselves, other professionals, and our clients, but if we're being completely honest, they aren't always as necessary as we make them out to be. With technology making it easier to have meetings with anyone, anywhere, we have become "meeting crazy," but unfortunately, this creates a lot of productivity and time management issues. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss the reasons why we schedule and attend too many meetings and how to handle meeting overload. You can read the full show notes HERE

John C. Maxwell, the #1 New York Times bestselling author, coach, and speaker, has sold more than thirty million books and has been identified as the #1 leader in business by the American Management Association and the world's most influential leadership expert by Business Insider and Inc. magazines. His message for leaders is as important for working mothers as it is for world leaders. If you think about it, we are all leaders in some capacity or another; whether you're an accounting employee and a mom or an accounting entrepreneur with a team, others look to you for guidance and support. John encourages us all to make 6 changes that I believe every accountant and mom should consider making sooner rather than later. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss the 6 changes you need to make soon, why they are so crucial for you as an accountant and as a mother, and some questions you can consider as you make these changes. You can read the full show notes HERE

Until someone creates a time machine or technology that allows us to slow down time, we all deal with having 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. The interesting thing about time is that it appears to be the great equalizer - it doesn't matter whether you make a billion dollars or live in a mud hut on a remote island; we all have the same amount of time to do what we do. The issue for most of us is that time never seems to be within our control. It seems you either have it or don't, and there's nothing you can do about it. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss what you can do to create a 26-hour day, typical time-wasters, and some time creators you will want to start implementing. You can read the full show notes HERE To find out more about The Balanced Accountant Program, book a call HERE

To celebrate the 200th episode of The CPA MOMS Podcast, we interviewed our very own CPA MOMS founder and CEO, Mayumi Young. It's been two years since we discussed the launch of the CPA MOMS franchise opportunity, and Mayumi is back to discuss why CPA MOMS matters, why she believes the franchise business model is the best option for accountant moms to have a firm and a family, and some exciting things that are happening. From a new e-book to the announcement of the 1st annual CPA MOMS Cares Conference, there are even more things in the works for the CPA MOMS Community. You can read the full show notes HERE You can get a copy of the new e-book HERE You can find out more about the annual CPA MOMS Cares Conference HERE

The issue when it comes to regret about a decision that's already been made is that it can often lead to feelings of shame, anger, and, frequently, depression. When this happens, there's typically the initial regret about the decision, but then there's the added layer of other negative emotions that can create a spiral of negativity. Unfortunately, most of us have not been taught how to deal with decision regret in a helpful way. As women, we tend to hide the shame of making a decision we regret, fearful of someone finding out or shining a light on it, making it incredibly uncomfortable even to admit a possible mistake or regret making a particular decision. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss 3 steps you can take before making a decision and what you can do if you've already made a decision you regret. You can read the full show notes HERE If you would like some help with decision regret, you can book a FREE mini-coaching session HERE

Time management is one of those topics that accountants often love to hate. They know time is incredibly important and wish there were more of it to get everything done and have a semblance of life afterward, but managing it can seem daunting, if not impossible. The issue is that you want to manage your time better, but the fear of failure and of once again not being able to do what you set out to do initially can keep you from being open to learning a new way to manage your time better. You can become so afraid of repeating past failures that you stop yourself from listening to a different way that could actually solve all your time management issues. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss the concept of escape fails versus worthy fails and how they relate to the best way to deal with time management failure. You can read the full show notes HERE

Do you find yourself having to justify buying new things that you really don't need? Or do you find yourself getting easily bored and needing something to grab your attention? Well, you're not alone in this tendency to be distracted by new things, but you've also probably got shiny object syndrome. Shiny object syndrome is the tendency to chase something new, be it a new idea, trend, goal, or anything else, rather than stay focused on what you're doing or already have. You've probably seen this with your children and animals, but don't be fooled - adults are struggling with shiny object syndrome more than ever. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss what causes shiny object syndrome and how to manage it better. You can read the full show notes HERE

Every CPA has a story - we all have a journey we've taken to get us to where we are. Every entrepreneur also has a story and journey as well. This week I had the pleasure of interviewing Nissa Savage, CPA. Nissa is a mom of two boys and lives in Alaska. She comes from a background in private medical practice, medical groups, attorneys, and real estate investment industries. Before becoming an accountant, Nissa was a professional mariner on vessels sailing in many regions of the world and is conversationally fluent in German. You can read the full show notes HERE

Since my coaching specialty is time management for accountants, one of the most significant issues I see for many of my time management coaching clients is overcommitting. This is especially common among accountant moms and is often one of the biggest obstacles to better time management. I see it time and time again where a coaching client doesn't recognize that the problem isn't time; the problem is what leads them to overcommit themselves and their time in the first place. They believe they just need a better time management system or process, and then everything will be able to be managed properly. The issue is that we often don't see the problem until we're being crushed by the weight of everything we committed to. Most accountants I coach have normalized their commitments and don't recognize that they're overcommitted until we start addressing their time management needs. You can read the full show notes to this episode HERE If you'd like some help with overcommitting, you can book a FREE 20 minute coaching session HERE

When someone is struggling with a challenge, what do we often say to them? Don't give up hope! It's important to have hope in our lives because otherwise we'd be living pretty dreary lives. But when it comes to time management, hope is not helpful. Hope is not a time management strategy that you want to use, especially if you're serious about learning how to manage your time so that you can create more time for the people and the things that you love. By all means be hopeful that the world becomes a peaceful place and that you and your family have healthy, happy lives; just don't use hope as a time management strategy, especially if you want to create more of it. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss the reason why hope is not a time management strategy and what to do instead. You can listen to this week's episode HERE If you'd like some help with a better time management strategy, you can book a FREE 20 minute coaching session HERE

As you probably know all too well, as accountants and moms we make a lot of decisions all day, every day. From how to handle our client's needs, to how much screen time our kids can have, to where to go to dinner on date night with our partner, there are a lot of big and small decisions that typically fall on our shoulders. The truth is that there's a domino effect that happens when you make certain wise decisions. It's as if that one domino decision is able to knock down so many of the others that were lined up behind it, just waiting to drain you with decision fatigue. If you haven't made the 3 decisions that I'm going to discuss, let me give you the advice my mentor gave - if you're not taking the time to make intentional, conscious decisions about your life, don't be surprised when your life isn't what you want it to be. If you're going to be in control of anything, let it be these 3 decisions. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss each of the 3 decisions you need to make wisely and why they matter. You can read the full show notes to this week's episode HERE If you'd like some help with these 3 decisions, you can book a FREE 20 minute coaching session HERE

Every CPA has a story - we all have a journey we've taken to get us to where we are. This week I had the pleasure of interviewing Chi Nguyen-George. Chi is a CPA, a working mom of 2, and a military spouse. After spending 5 years in public accounting she switched to government accounting and currently works as a government auditor. During this time she created a blog, sharing how she passed the CPA exam as a working mom, titled Organized CPA. She also provides resources for military spouse accountants. You can read the full show notes HERE

If you haven't already noticed, the accounting industry is struggling, big time. Unfortunately though, our profession also normalizes the struggles - stress, overwhelm, frustration, not enough time, too many demands, not being valued, overcommitting - I could go on but you get the drift. But here's the tricky thing that I've noticed with accountants - we have a hard time asking for help. It's as if we see our intelligence as a sign that we should be able to figure things out so there's no need to get support. The issue is that this "I'm smart - I've got this" attitude is actually not very smart and can lead to more problems than necessary. Our intelligence is both a gift and a curse because we have the tendency to make very intelligent excuses for why things are the way they are, or even worse, we normalize our problems because everyone else in the industry is experiencing them too. This week on The CPA MOMS Podcast we discuss what it means to be coachable so that you can deal with your struggles and have what you want in your career and your personal life You can read the full show for this week's episode HERE Are you ready to figure out if you're coachable or not? You can book a FREE 20 minute coaching session HERE