The Successful Bookkeeper Podcast

"There will always be chaos. There will always be change. You will always be dealing with fires in your life, and it's really about how you respond to the chaos that will determine your success or failure." -Elisa Schmitz The way we think becomes the way we act. If our thoughts are riddled with self-doubt and fear, we are never going to get to the place of success we dream about. Life is full of change and chaos, and there will always be another fire to put out. What separates successful people and businesses from the unsuccessful, is how they learn to adapt and respond to the chaos. Often our lack of self-belief comes from doing things differently from other people in our industry. Yet it is those very differences that allow us to offer unique strengths and perspectives no one but us could. Elisa Schmitz, founder and CEO of 30seconds.com, and author of the new book, Become The Fire, is this episode's featured guest. Elisa has spent her career helping people embrace failure as a tool for learning and teaching them to shift their mindsets from ones based on fear to abundance and growth. If you feel like you are pushing against the tide, unsure where to start or how to let go of the fears that have long protected you then this is the episode to pull you into the fire and so you can start to truly realize your personal and professional dreams. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of practicing resilience in your personal & professional lives How to transfer your mindset from fear to abundance The importance of embracing chaos & change To find out more about Elisa, click this link. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter. Click here to learn more about her new book. Time Stamps 02:07 - Elisa talks about her career journey 04:44 - The birth of 30Seconds.com 07:52 - Riding the business owner rollercoaster 09:33 - Learning to embrace the chaos 12:27 - Seizing your moment when it comes 15:25 - Practicing a resilience mindset 22:42 - Elisa's strategies for success 27:48 - Making friends with your fear of change 32:34 - Where to find Elisa's new book

"If you have the belief, you can't get off that rat wheel…you're not going to reach out for something to build the skills to help you." -Sharon Francisco The wheel keeps turning and if we are not careful, we can end up trapped chasing the same things that aren't working for us. Belief is a key component in the mindset of successful people. Very rarely do people master a skill on the first attempt. They become masters by believing that with every practice attempt, their abilities will improve. If your environment and the people in it aren't serving to help lift you up to new heights, it might be time to consider a change of metaphorical scenery. To seek out a better space and people who can teach you the valuable skills you feel you are missing. Sharon Francisco, an Australian bookkeeping business mentor, is this episode's featured guest. She speaks about the need for belief and confidence when building a business and explores the key assets that will set the firms of the future apart. Her approach to mentorship sees bookkeepers overcome their barriers and limited beliefs, by getting hands-on with the aspects of business that have previously scared them. Whether you are struggling with pricing, or which niche to focus on, or how to hire the right people, you will only get better with practice. If you need that push, that injection of courage to get off the wheel and start moving in the direction of true success, this is the episode for you! During this interview, you'll learn... The value of developing your niche skills to charge premium prices What the future of business is going to look like The importance of building a positive environment for your bookkeeping business Click here to find out more about Sharon or connect with her on LinkedIn. Time Stamps 01:38 - Michael & Sharon catch up 03:20 - Overcoming the barriers to success 07:38 - Building a positive environment 11:43 - Working on your business, not just in it 19:18 - Firms of the future: the ingredients of success 26:50 - Building positive relationships & good impressions 31:42 - The nine projects - a road map to the future

"Leadership is something you do with people, not to people." -Dr. Elizabeth Moran We have all found ourselves at one time or another having to react to an unexpected change. Often those of us that go into business for ourselves do so to have more freedom and control over the decisions that will affect the long-term viability of our businesses. Problems start to occur when we become so avoidant of change that we fail to address the concerns our employees or clients have in the choices and changes we make. But we do not have to fear change or be reactive and defensive to its presence in our lives. Dr. Elizabeth Moran, an experienced leader, consultant, and coach is this episode's featured guest. Dr. Moran has spent her career helping teams and organizations navigate and evolve through complex changes. She speaks powerfully to the need for curiosity when addressing change, the value of allowing yourself and your teams to explore and play with what the changes may mean, and how to take the time to reconnect with why you wanted to do what you do in the first place. If you are struggling to adapt to change or find it challenging to evolve at the same pace as your teams, leaders, or other organizations, this is the episode to help you take a pause, dig into where you are placing your energy and intention, and get curious about what changes could really mean. During this interview, you'll learn... The value in taking time to reflect on the impacts of change How to overcome resistance to change The importance of reconnecting with your why Click here to find out more about Elizabeth. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Click here to pre-order Elizabeth's new book, "Forward: Leading Your Team Through Change." Time Stamps 01:51 - Elizabeth talks about her career journey 04:52 - The peaks & valleys of starting your own business 11:08 - Common mistakes facing leaders 16:42 - Understanding why we resist change 22:17 - Embracing the chaos of change 26:01 - The networks of our brain & how to engage them 29:41 - Taking a pause to truly reflect on what leadership means 33:38 - What it means to be a change maker 40:40 - Adapting, evolving, and overcoming 45:14 - What does change mean for me & why? 50:14 - Elizabeth talks about her new book SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Don't miss your LAST chance to get your free ticket to The Successful Bookkeeper Summit! Click here for more information!

"The minute you move into a leadership role, it's no longer about you." –Shelli Warren Being a great individual contributor doesn't always make for the best leadership material. We all know someone who is great at what they do but struggles to scale those skills when put into a leadership position. When filling leadership roles too often we are looking for someone to fill a gap, when we should be looking for someone who will grow and fulfill the future needs of the business. Stepping up can be a real challenge. It takes courage to seek out people that can help us on our journeys to becoming effective leaders and the will to take an honest account of our current skills and get focused on self-development. Shelli Warren, a team and leadership coach with Biz Chix and host of the Stacking Your Team podcast, returns to The Successful Bookkeeper podcast this week. (Catch her previous episode here.) Shelli has spent her career developing people into leaders. Questioning, encouraging, and helping people from a range of industry backgrounds to understand what it really means to be a leader. If you are struggling to break into a leadership role, or are currently in one, but don't know why things just aren't working the way you had hoped, this is the episode for you. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of hiring for the future, not for a crisis How to upgrade your leadership skills The importance of understanding team dynamics Click here to learn more about Shelli and Biz Chix. Listen to the Stacking your Team Podcast here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Time Stamps 02:04 - Shelli talks about her career journey 04:02 - Shouldering responsibilities with grace 06:38 - The key skills of a good leader 13:32 - Good business leadership: a personal inventory 23:22 - Hiring for the future 27:28 - Why leadership skills are so rare 30:13 - Figuring out how to upgrade your leadership skills 39:14 - How to promote a team member into a leader: TSBK Summit sneak peek 42:20 - The perfect time to grow 45:46 - Where to find Shelli SPECIAL ANNOUCEMENT: Don't miss a chance to get your free ticket to The Successful Bookkeeper Summit coming up on November 9th! Click here for more information!

"LiveFlow gives the ability to create these very tailored dashboards. What's really good about that, is that it allows the bookkeepers to increase the fees for their services." -Lasse Kalkar Bookkeeping is not what it used to be. Clients are less willing to spend large sums of money on people to keep accounts when they can be easily kept by automated technology. The role of bookkeepers is changing, and those that are willing to embrace new technologies will be the ones that thrive in the bookkeeping advisory economy. Lasse Kalkar, founder and CEO of LiveFlow, is this episode's featured guest. He has spent his life filling the gaps for what the market needs, and his latest invention, LiveFlow revolutionizes the real-time ability of clients and bookkeepers to see their data in Google sheets and Microsoft Excel. If you are tired of wasting hours manually inputting data and sending reports to your clients, this is the episode to get you thinking about what the future of your bookkeeping business could look like. Not only in how you share information with clients, but how through templates and sharing you could get immediate access to the best practice of some of the most skilled bookkeepers. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of automating systems to save time How to offer better value & advice to your clients The importance of believing in yourself & being persistent Click here to find out more about Lasse. Connect with Lasse on LinkedIn. Click here to find out more about LiveFlow. Time Stamps 02:18 - Lasse talks about his career journey 03:54 - Overcoming the obstacles of entrepreneurship 09:47 - Understanding LiveFlow 12:51 - The value in automated systems 20:34 - Getting to grips with formulas 27:25 - Live Flow and team building SPECIAL ANNOUCEMENT: Don't miss a chance to get your FREE ticket to our upcoming Successful Bookkeeper Summit! Click here for more information!

"It's marketing. Just saying bookkeeping is not as enticing as saying, 'I'm going to change your life!'" - Andrea MacKenzie Sometimes success can take us by surprise. We can very quickly become overwhelmed by everything we have to get done. So much so, that when looking to scale our bookkeeping business, we are so desperate for help, we take the first person available. Having help though is never as useful or valuable as taking the time to find good help. Andrea MacKenzie, founder of Lead with Harmony, is this episode's featured guest. She is dedicated to assisting small business owners hire, develop, and lead great teams. Her approach is one of building a conscious leadership mindset, to help you create the right conditions to find, train and trust the right people in your business. Energy attracts, and if you are hiring from a place of desperation, it's likely you'll only attract desperate people. Andrea speaks passionately about the need for getting your people processes right from the ground up, taking the time to really figure out who you are and what you need in others that supports business growth, not conflict and resentment. If you are struggling to scale your bookkeeping business, butting heads with that quick hire you thought would be an answered prayer, or looking to develop your additional services but aren't sure who to hire, this is the episode to help you get on the path to great, effective, and conscious leadership. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of effective assessment in hiring employees How to identify the root causes of conflict & burnout The importance of overcoming limiting & negative mindsets Click here to find out more about Andrea. Connect with Andrea on LinkedIn and Twitter SPECIAL OFFER for The Successful Bookkeeper Podcast listeners: FREE Delegation Visualization Guided Audio to help you unlock what's possible when you stop managing and start delegating! Use this guided audio and the companion worksheets to tap into your desire to let go, get back your time, and grow... through delegation! FREE with Special Code! (Regular Price: $37) Special Offer Code: SUCCESSFULBOOKKEEPER Click here for a FREE Job Advertisement Checklist. Time Stamps 01:35 - Andrea talks about her career journey 06:00 - The power in how you think 10:44 - The challenges of hiring the right people 15:20 - Overcoming fear & limiting mindsets 18:21 - Identifying the root causes of conflict & burnout 22:52 - Assessing people effectively 31:12 - Conscious leadership 34:08 - Working with Andrea SPECIAL ANNOUCEMENT: Don't miss your chance to get a FREE ticket to our upcoming Successful Bookkeeper Summit! Click here for more information!

"I want to do this, but I don't really know how to do it, so you talk to people who have been there before that can help you on the way." -Karla Dembik Pennies become dollars far faster than most of us realize. Businesses (on balance) don't fail because of a dramatic catastrophe; they suffer death from a thousand cuts. We often agree to all kinds of service and business fees, because we don't know any better. But there are people out there who can help reduce costs and increase revenue without increasing your prices. Karla Dembik, ex-army intelligence officer, helicopter pilot, and now the owner of Phoenix Payment Processing is this episode's featured guest. Karla's curious and inquisitive approach has helped her flourish in any of her chosen careers, and now she gives back to people that need a little extra help building their own road maps to success. If you are struggling to know what to do with your bookkeeping business, if you're drowning in additional costs and add-ons that are bleeding you dry every month, then this is the episode to help you create your own path to success. One that will let you draw on the knowledge of all those that have faced the same challenges, so you can focus on the heart of your business. Serving the people you want to help. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of learning to ask the right questions How to increase revenue without increasing prices The importance of being open to change Click here to find out more about Karla. Connect with her on LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook. Time Stamps 02:42 - Karla discusses her career journey 06:55 - Working as an army intelligence officer 09:32 - Learning to ask the right questions 13:35 - Building the road map to success 17:10 - The rise of a phoenix 19:25 - The trigger points of change 22:02 - Navigating starting your own business 25:20 - Embracing Aha moments 29:28 - Increasing revenue without increasing prices In other news... Don't miss a chance to get your free ticket to The Successful Bookkeeper Summit! Click here for more information!

"Being passive or being a people pleaser in business is not a great way to get results." -Erin Daiber Running a bookkeeping business isn't easy. There are enough external challenges to contend with, without piling on internal ones of our own making. Too many of us aspire to be all things to all people. But this strategy only ever leads one way… to overextension and burnout. There is a huge difference between being polite and being passive. You do not have to agree to every demand a client makes, nor should you. You will never be able to please everyone. It is far better to set healthy and effective boundaries instead. Ones that let you make and maintain polite and consistent connections while being firm and accurate about what is and what isn't within your capacity to deliver. Erin Daiber, CEO of Well Balanced Accountants is this episode's featured guest. She is no stranger to the fears that come with running your own business, with the desire to people please everyone. In this episode, she speaks powerfully to the need for self-development work, and the need to find people who can help us avoid the same pitfalls and traps common in our industry. If you are struggling to determine your purpose, overpromising and underdelivering, and failing to set healthy boundaries, this is the episode to help you break the scarcity mindset so you can create a bookkeeping business that delivers expertly on its promises. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of coaching & learning in your personal development journey How to live with the fear of the unknown The importance of setting healthy boundaries Click here to find out more about Erin. Connect with her on LinkedIn or Twitter Don't miss a chance to get your free ticket to The Successful Bookkeeper Summit. Click here for more information! Time Stamps 01:25 - Erin talks about her career journey 04:15 - Overcoming the challenges of business 11:01 - Setting healthy boundaries 15:42 - Learning to live with the unknown 19:49 - Making peace with your inner child 22:21 - Encouraging your clients to explore themselves 26:27 - The value of finding the right coach for you 28:41 - Erin gives a sneak peek of her talk at the upcoming Successful Bookkeeper Summit

"It's no longer enough just to provide services, you've got to really help the customer transform from where they are to where they want to be." -Ron Baker Welcome back to another spotlight session with your host Louie Prosperi, the third in our three-part series on subscription models for bookkeeping and accounting businesses. In order to get the most out of our businesses, we need to be really clear about what it is we want our customers to pay for. A service, the value of our knowledge and expertise in handling their needs, or access and transformative collaboration. It can feel uncomfortable to challenge the scarcity mindset, to step out of the math of the moment and look at the client's lifetime value, but when you do, you'll unlock a world of potential to work with clients, not just for them. This episode's featured guests are Ron Baker and Ed Kless, co-hosts of The Soul of Enterprise podcast. Together, they will discuss the power of tying your wealth and revenue not to a service, but to access to that service, to innovation and transformation that takes customers from where they are to where they want to be. As well as the need to find the right model to best serve your needs and relationships. Finding the right model to suit your business can be a challenge. If you are struggling to figure out who you are, and how and who you want to service, this is the episode to get you focused in on the best outcomes for your bookkeeping business. During this interview, you'll learn... The value in offering transformation to clients, not just services How to find the right model for your bookkeeping business The importance of centering your relationships with clients Visit this link to find out more about Ron. Connect with Ron on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Click here to pre-order his new book. Go to this link to find out more about Ed. Email Ed directly at [email protected]. Connect with Ed on LinkedIn and Twitter. Connect with our new spotlight host Louie on LinkedIn. Don't miss a chance to get your free ticket to The Successful Bookkeeper Summit. Click here for more information! Time Stamps 01:40 - Introducing Ron Baker & Ed Kless 03:44 - Subscription modeling for knowledge-based firms 06:40 - Putting the relationship first 08:55 - Consistently adding value to your offering 13:14 - Tying your revenue to access to services 17:23 - Understanding value in the subscription model 28:19 - Scaling up subscriptions 33:10 - Building a collaboration mindset 38:02 - Strategically plan the model you want 44:14 - Innovation in the subscription model 50:08 - Personalizing your relationships 55:33 - Connecting with Ron & Ed

"There are plenty of fish in the sea, and by helping the people in my community, that's going to raise the tide, which is going to rise all ships." -Andrew Wall Adapting to change is never easy. What we plan for versus what actually happens are often wildly different and can leave us feeling like we don't really understand what we're doing at all. Making plans and business building become much better when we shift our thinking from a mindset of having to be right about everything, to being open to learning anything. Automated services may be slowly replacing traditional bookkeeping functions, but this isn't anything to fear. When you figure out what value you are able to bring to the table, your business will no longer be about compliance and meeting deadlines, but a business that lets you forecast the future to keep your clients on the cutting edge. Time spent worrying about whether you'll have clients or not is wasted in the face of recognizing only you can do what you can do. When you're passionate and love what you do, there is no other end result than learning, growing and becoming an expert in your field or niche. Our featured guest checks those boxes. Andrew Wall is the Managing Partner of CPA4IT, an accounting thought leader, and Friday Night Live with Accountants podcast host. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of proper communication in healthy relationships How to evolve with ever-changing systems, processes & technologies The importance of being open to continuous learning Click here to find out more about Andrew's business. Connect with him on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter Listen to Friday Night Live with Accountants at this link. Don't miss a chance to get your free ticket to The Successful Bookkeeper Summit that begins on November 9th, 2022! Click here for more information! Time Stamps 02:21 - Andrew discusses his career journey 08:05 - Adapting to change to create the right conditions for growth 13:28 - The great accounting shift 18:21 - The future is bright 23:47 - Leveling up your learning 32:15 - Andrews shares his vision for the future 40:07 - Managing client expectations

"I've heard people get to 5-6 staff, and they're making basically the exact same money they were at 2 staff. And that doesn't make any sense!" -Louie Prosperi All of us know what it feels like to learn from our mistakes. But we don't often pause to think about just how much faster we could have realized them if we spent more time engaged with those in our industry that have walked our path before. Of course, everyone has a different business experience. But that doesn't mean you have to struggle along by yourself. There is a wealth of knowledge and experience out there, just waiting to be discovered. Louie Prosperi, founder of Strategic Clarity and our new Spotlight session host, is this episode's featured guest. Michael and Louie get to grips with the benefits of the right business model for the right business, the advantages of learning from others, and upcoming Successful Bookkeeper events. If you are struggling and spending too much time working IN your business and not enough time working ON your business, be sure to follow the link below to sign up for free to join us for The Successful Bookkeeper Summit in November. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of connecting with new communities How to get involved with The Successful Bookkeeper Summit in November The importance of crowdsourcing knowledge to build your bookkeeping business Click here to find out more about Louie. Connect with Louie on LinkedIn and Twitter. Click here to know more about upcoming Successful Bookkeeper events. Don't miss a chance to get your free ticket to The Successful Bookkeeper Summit on November 9, 2022! Click here for more information. Time Stamps 01:38 - Louie talks about his career journey 03:43 - Michael & Louie talk about the new TSBK Spotlight sessions 06:55 - Preparing for The Successful Bookkeeper Summit 13:14 - The power of digital connection 21:14 - The future of The Successful Bookkeeper 26:23 - Discussion regarding the 2023 Tech Showcase

"Far too many professionals want to feel good about themselves and demonstrate their expertise, but what they do is, they jump in and talk about how they are going to solve the problem before they have an understanding as to the value to the customer." -Ed Kless Welcome back to another spotlight session with your host, Louie Prosperi, the second in our three-part series on subscription models for bookkeeping and accounting businesses. When trying to sell ourselves to clients, we often believe we have to offer the best and most rapid solution to their problem, in order to beat the competition. But is this way of connecting with clients hurting your bookkeeping business? This episode's featured guest is Ed Kless, Senior Director of Sage Accounting Solutions and co-host of The Soul of Enterprise podcast. Ed speaks to the need to avoid being a solutionist, to avoid jumping the gun to secure a client before you can fully explore the true value of what they need. The best way to express your expertise isn't to fix problems for free or to undercut yourself, it is to ask the right questions. To replace advice with curiosity. Only when you know what a client values can you put the right price to it. Once you know what clients value, you'll know where they fit in a subscription model and know how to structure different subscription levels, for clients with similar needs. If you are someone that wants to unlock the potential of subscription modeling but is afraid of giving up too much too soon, this episode will change the way you think about your relationship with your clients. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of asking the right questions to prevent undercutting yourself How to integrate value pricing into a subscription model The importance of tailoring your pricing to customer needs Click here to find out more about Ed. Email him directly at [email protected]. Connect with Ed on LinkedIn or Twitter. Click here to listen to The Soul of Enterprise. Go to this link to pre-order Ron Baker's new book, Time's Up! Both Ron and Ed will be speaking at The Successful Bookkeeper Summit which begins November 9, 2022. Click here to get your FREE ticket! Time Stamps 02:33 - The subscription model for accounting firms 04:40 - Integrate values priced pricing with a subscription model 06:30 - Don't give away the farm by overselling too quickly 10:40 - Replacing advice with curiosity 17:00 - Pricing the portfolio & the relationships 20:01 - Tailoring your pricing to your customer's needs 23:25 - Adding value & innovation to your offering 29:35 - Asking the right questions to build the right relationships 32:25 - The difference between reoccurring & recurring revenue 35:33 - Valuation in the subscription model 38:24 - The Soul of Enterprise

"My tribe helped me realize I don't need to compete with anyone, and I can use everyone as a resource and sounding board." -Coreen Wright There is a tendency among small business owners and start-ups, to feel like they are in constant competition with others from within their industries. The same fear is true among bookkeepers. But when you let go of the idea that asking for help equates to weakness, you'll begin to find like-minded people, all with a desire to help one another out. Your inner imposter may be screaming at you, that you don't belong until you are a master of your craft, but imagine how much quicker you could achieve your goals if you connect to and learn from people that have already made all the same mistakes you have. Coreen Wright, President and Owner of Faith Accounting and Consulting Services, is this episode's featured guest. She has spent years building an incredible business designed to help her clients with their accounting. Her approach is one of working to overcome limiting mindsets to leverage your skills and connections to create the perfect business for you. If you are finding yourself, competing with other people, struggling to learn new things, or connecting with people in your industry, this episode will be the one to give your self-esteem a boost and help shift your mindset. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of setting boundaries & valuing your energy & time How to let go of the need to do everything in order to focus on what brings you the most joy The importance of finding supportive people & communities Click here to find out more about Coreen. Contact her directly at [email protected]. Follow Coreen on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. Time Stamps 01:33 - Coreen talks about her career journey 04:55 - Pulling the trigger on a new life 06:04 - Overcoming the challenges of starting a business 09:44 - Learning to embrace our mistakes 13:48 - The value of Pure Bookkeeping 18:45 - Finding the right clients for you 21:56 - Solving pricing issues 23:20 - The benefits of Accelerate 2 Advisor program 27:30 - Visions of the future This episode is sponsored by our friends at Ignition! They have a special promotion happening for our Successful Bookkeeper Community. Right now you can take advantage of 50% off Ignition for 3 months and see how it can help you WIN CLIENTS and GET PAID, EVERY TIME. Book a demo TODAY by clicking THIS LINK and learn how to transform your bookkeeping business. You won't regret it!

"Probably 20% of your clients are causing 80% of the problems." -Natalie Eckdahl Finding your bookkeeping niche is hard. But not as hard as finding the number of clients needed to make a low-price business successful. Low pricing may seem like the way to gain many clients fast. But in reality, this kind of business model is working against you. When you find your niche, it will be because it is something you are passionate about, something you can become an expert in, because you care about it. It is time to stop charging for a basic general service, and start charging for what your knowledge, expertise and experience are truly worth. In part two, Natalie Eckdahl, founder of BizChix, host of the longest-running female entrepreneur podcast and voted one of the top women in business to listen to, speaks to the need to let go of mindsets and clients that are holding you back, finding your niche, and her upcoming virtual talk at The Successful Bookkeeper Summit. If you are struggling, as an aimless generalist, taking every client you can for fear of losing business, this is the episode to get you headed in the right direction! During this interview, you'll learn... The value of finding your own niche How to let go of clients that are holding you back The importance of connecting with the right clients To find out more about Natalie, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Click here to listen to the BizChix podcast. Natalie will be one of our great virtual speakers at The Successful Bookkeeper Summit that begins on November 9th 2022. Don't miss her presentation by getting your FREE ticket TODAY! Click here for more information. Time Stamps 2:30 - The value of finding your niche 9:31 - Building an enduring business 11:19 - Finding the best ways to connect to clients 12:40 - Learning to let go to build a better future 18:45 - The Successful Bookkeeper Summit 22:12 - Ways to connect with Natalie

"One of the biggest challenges I see is that women do not have enough profit coming out of their business, and the base behind that is they are not charging high enough prices." -Natalie Eckdahl Overcoming the struggles of building a business is tough enough, and yet for a lot of women, there are considerable added pressures. Not just in terms of feeling like an imposter in the workplace, but being scared to price at equal value, or paying themselves less to not upset male colleagues or partners. Women on average price themselves 28% lower than their male peers. In the first part of a two-part series, Natalie Eckdahl, founder of BizChix who is the host of the longest-running female entrepreneur podcast and voted one of the top women in business to listen to, talks about shattering glass ceilings, empowering women in business and how to create the life of your dreams. If you are building a successful bookkeeping business but are struggling to overcome limiting beliefs, this two-part episode series is the one for you. Natalie Eckdahl has years of experience helping women get past their negative and limiting mindsets to achieve their personal and professional goals. Her three-pillar approach to creating an enjoyable, profitable, and sustainable business, could be just what you are looking for to build your confidence and take your bookkeeping business to the next level. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of finding & doing work that fulfills you How to change your mindset to one of growth and value, not scarcity The importance of overcoming self-made barriers to success Click here to find out more about Natalie. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Go to this link to listen to the BizChix podcast. Don't miss a chance to get your free ticket to The Successful Bookkeeper Summit on November 9th 2022! Natalie will be speaking there, so click here for more information. Time Stamps 2:44 - Natalie talks about her career journey 8:10 - Getting used to changing direction 12:20 - Valuing your family, the true V.I.P's 15:30 - The barriers to enduring business 18:30 - Shattering glass ceilings 24:02 - Changing the numbers by changing our mindset 27:30 - The difficulties of finding your niche

"If we want premium pricing, we have to go to the market with an uncommon offering." -Ron Baker Welcome to a new episode of our Spotlight series, now hosted by a great friend of The Successful Bookkeeper and world-class business strategist, Louie Prosperi. This is part 1 of a 3-part Spotlight series about subscription models for accounting and bookkeeping firms. You see, many bookkeepers struggle with the idea of changing from time-based pricing to value-based pricing. Let alone changing it up even more by adopting a subscription pricing model. Ron Baker, author, and radio talk show host is this episode's featured guest. He makes a powerful argument for the future of bookkeeping businesses that can offer pricing based on relationships, access, convenience, and peace of mind, rather than just stacking services on services, and calling that value. Ron speaks to the need to offer specific and uncommon offerings in order to command uncommon prices. To change up the way your clients relate to you, so that you can offer them the transformation they are seeking, not just services that keep them ticking over. It can feel scary to make changes to your business model, there is great comfort in our habits. But when you put the value of your relationship at the heart of your business model, you'll stop limiting your value to only monetizing transactions and time. You only have to think about your favorite services or those with the greatest valuations to realize they are all subscription based. What is stopping you from achieving the same success? It is time to stop asking how much we want our customers to pay us, and start asking, what do we want our customers to pay us for? During this interview, you'll learn... The value of the subscription economy How to price relationships not services The importance of your niche & providing uncommon offerings Click here to find out more about Ron. Connect with him on LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook. Go to this link to pre-order his new book, Time's Up! Connect with our new Spotlight host, Louie on LinkedIn. Don't miss a chance to get your free ticket to The Successful Bookkeeper Summit on November 9, 2022. Click here for more details! Time Stamps 01:32 - Introducing our new Spotlight host 02:08 - Louie introduces this episode's guest 04:00 - The subscription economy 10:19 - What makes this model better? 14:02 - Reinventing customer experience 18:25 - Consistently adding value to your offering 20:32 - Structuring the subscription model 24:34 - Pricing personalized transformation 31:24 - Overcoming limiting mindsets 36:34 - Measuring your success against new KPIs 41:00 - The value of predictability 45:30 - Ron's new book, Time's Up!

"You will never have the time, and you have to make the time, so make it in small chunks. Schedule fifteen minutes a day to work on that, because as long as you are moving forward, you aren't standing still or moving backward." -Tanya Hilts Finding your own path is not easy. Textbooks say one thing, but real life says another. Your story isn't written by anyone but you. So, you won't know how successful you could be until you try. No matter your educational background. If you have a willingness to learn, to start from the ground up and build your dream career, because you cannot see yourself doing anything else, then you will always be successful. It is your knowledge and desire to serve, not your certificates that set the standard of who you are. Tanya Hilts, founder of Cloud Business Services, board member of CPB Canada and operator of Tanya's Bookkeeping Bootcamp is this episode's featured guest. Her approach speaks to a need to practice continuous learning, to build your confidence to face the many challenges of the bookkeeping industry. She believes when you have the right work ethic, nothing can get in your way. If self-doubt, confidence issues or concerns you aren't on the right path are bothering you, this is the episode for you. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of continuously learning & building mentor relationships How to build & follow your own path to success The importance of facing challenges with confidence Connect with Tanya on LinkeIn, Twitter or Facebook. Click here to find out more about Cloud Business Services. Time Stamps 01:50 - Tanya talks about her career journey 05:05 - Following your own path to success 07:28 - Finding programs & mentors to further your learning 10:34 - Facing challenges with confidence 15:12 - Saying goodbye to clients who aren't serving you 22:45 - Finding your ideal client 31:40 - Perfecting personal service 36:20 - Tanya's Bootcamps & training services This episode is brought to you by our friends at Accountex Canada. It's Canada's newest in-person conference and trade show for accountants, bookkeepers and finance professionals that takes place in Toronto on November 30th and December 1st. Take advantage of the $40 super-early bird registration that ends September 30th. REGISTER HERE!

"They don't come to you because you can do numbers, they come because they enjoy talking to you." -Michael Eckstein Starting a business is never easy, and while we can all theorize about potential outcomes, there is no substitution for trying and seeing what works. No one ever learned to run a business in any other way than just running one. The advice of others is key in this process, but it isn't the be all and end all. You have to find your own way, plot your own course through the business world to create the best possible outcome for you. What you are doing should be fun! People should want to work with you for your passion and because you are fun to work with, not because you have something to sell them. When you find your own personal brand, your own niche, and way of connecting with clients, you are far more likely to succeed. Michael Eckstein 'LinkedIn's Cutest Accountant' is this episode's featured guest. He speaks to the need to embrace yourself and be authentic about who you are. How to find your niche and understand the patterns that exist within it to serve clients you are truly interested in helping. And how to seek out the right audience by building real connections and friendships. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of understanding the patterns of your niche How to find your audience where they are The importance of building lasting honest relationships Find out more about Eckstein Tax Services here. Learn more about Resting Business Face at this link. Connect with Michael on LinkedIn. Time Stamps 1:28 - Michael talks about his career journey 2:44 - Finding the flow in your business 6:28 - The story behind LinkedIn's Cutest Accountant 8:11 - Finding your niche 14:00 - Understanding your niche's fact pattern 16:25 - Finding your audience where they are 21:15 - Three base rules for content creation 26:00 - Building lasting relationships

"Once you realize what you love to do, you get really good at it, and you can charge a lot more money for it." -Dawn Brolin Finding the path to success is never easy. Even 'overnight' successes don't happen overnight. It can be easy to feel like the only way to double your profit is by doubling your clients. But more work isn't the answer. One of the biggest challenges is finding out what we really want to do and dialing into that then accepting we don't have to do everything. We have to find the things that spark joy in us. That makes us the kind of people clients are desperate to work with. When you connect with the elements of your bookkeeping business that you truly love, you'll begin to understand that dollars don't drive success, confidence does. If you feel stuck in your pricing, stuck working more hours than you'd like, handling elements of the business that aren't exciting to you. It's time to dial into the things that truly bring you joy. And to do them with such confidence clients will have no trouble meeting your prices. Dawn Brolin, CEO of Powerful Accounting and arguably one of the most influential and powerful women in the industry today, is this episode's featured guest. Her approach to business is one of confidence, understanding and continuous learning. If you are feeling unsure about your place in the bookkeeping industry, let her words in this episode offer you the motivation you need to become the best possible version of yourself. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of getting out there & getting connected How to break the belief barrier to charge what you are truly worth The importance of establishing value from the beginning of relationships Click here to connect with Dawn. Learn more about her on LinkedIn and Twitter. To check out her book, The Designated Motivator for Accounting Professionals, go here. To listen to the DM Disruption Podcast with Dawn Brolin, explore this link. Visit here to learn more about Powerful Accounting. Time Stamps 2:02 - Dawn talks about her career journey 4:11 - The drivers of change 7:41 - Showing business owners the value of bookkeeping 12:01 - Dawn's Aha! moments 15:14 - Overcoming our mistakes 20:11 - Becoming the designated motivator 29:01 - The challenges of limiting beliefs 37:50 - Offering the best value to your clients 43:10 - Where to get Dawn's book for free

"You can never become the master of one thing. There is always someone out there that knows a little bit of something you don't have an area of knowledge in." -Lyla Smith Technology is great, but it can sometimes limit and trap us into ways of processing information that fail when the software does. Getting back to basics, can help you grow by giving you a greater understanding of what the technology is doing, and what could be done to improve it. Our knowledge base becomes bigger and deeper when we understand what is going on in the background. When you start to prize discipline and accountability as core tenets of your bookkeeping business, it enables you to come to communities with a hunger to learn new things, and the humility to share what you know and accept what you're being taught. Lyla Smith, owner of Mutch More Accounting and Bookkeeping Inc, is this episode's featured guest. Her approach sees knowledge as something to be learned and shared freely among the community. Rather than guarding what we know, sharing it to lift others when they need help, so that they might lift us in our time of need. She believes when we show clients our humanity, they are far more likely to trust us with their money. If you are struggling to disengage from difficult or disrespectful clients, this is also the episode for you. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of knowing your worth to engage with the right clients How to work with communities to help lift others up The importance of committing to lifelong learning The best way to contact Lyla is directly by email at [email protected]. You can also learn more about her on LinkedIn. Time Stamps 1:29 - Lyla talks about her career journey 3:08 - Changing with the times 5:20 - Committing to lifelong learning 10:06 - The benefits of the basics 13:45 - Collective mastery 18:45 - Opportunities are what you make of them 22:30 - Lyla talks about her experience with Pure Bookkeeping 30:04 - Disengaging from negative clients 35:38 - The value of honesty and accountability 38:37 - How to boundary your personal and professional life

"Once you get going, you get more and more productive." -Amanda Hamilton Our bookkeeping businesses are our babies. We put the work in with the hope they'll grow healthy and strong. But sometimes this desire can overwhelm our ability to step back, and to delegate tasks that leave us more time to focus on the areas we really love to work in. Don't wait until you are burnt out to start planning what to delegate, start small and simple and build on it from there. If your business life is task-heavy, it is not going to feel fulfilling. Letting go of the need to handle everything yourself is challenging, but when you start with the smaller tasks, it gets easier to layer on more complicated ones as your faith in those you have delegated to begins to grow. Amanda Hamilton, Founder of Hamilton Raye, is this episode's featured guest. She specializes in connecting the right people based on experience and personality, to free up valuable time and energy. By creating a list of your intended priorities and focusing on your pain points, you too can figure out the best tasks to delegate and where your true passion in your business lies. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of being intentional about how & what you delegate How to gain access to experienced talent without the added cost The importance of delegating & outsourcing tasks Click here to learn more about Hamilton Raye. Connect with Hamilton Raye on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn. Time Stamps 1:42 - Amanda talks about her career journey 5:05 - Gaining access to people with experience 9:02 - Delegating with intention 12:22 - The signs that show you need help 14:52 - Picking the easiest tasks to delegate 17:35 - Dealing with a lack of standardization 20:10 - Hamilton Raye's onboarding process 25:30 - The five keys of outsourcing SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: This episode is sponsored by LiveFlow. It's a software that connects to all of your clients' QuickBooks accounts and imports their financial reports from QuickBooks into Google Sheets in no time! To learn more about it and how you can save 20% off your first three months, click this link - liveflow.io/partnerships/successfulbookkeeper - then claim your discount with the promo code SUCCESS.

"I suppose I didn't get quite as many things done, but the things I got done, I did a lot better." -Minda Zetlin Too many of us feel like if we aren't working all the time, we aren't doing a good job. We don't expect an immediate response to emails, but when we get one, we feel a need to reply immediately. Setting expectations and boundaries is challenging. But without them, we'll never feel comfortable enough to take the time we need to rest and recover. We spend so much time chasing our work, that it can begin to feel like we live inside it. When we start to carve out time for ourselves, the quality of our work improves as we are able to decompress and gain some much-needed objectivity and perspective. When your communication is objective, you don't have to fear how your clients might behave, only trust that you have already done everything in your power to get the best possible outcome. Stressing or trying to take the burden on yourself will only burn you out faster. Minda Zetlin, author of Career Self-Care and writer at Inc.com is this week's featured guest. Minda is all about self-care. Teaching you how to combine your work and personal lives, to build a career you love, without being miserable. Her approach puts the human first, to help you set expectations, that'll keep you sane and happy. If you are struggling to care for yourself, or to figure out what deserves your time and attention, then this episode is not to be missed! During this interview, you'll learn... The value of clear communication in setting goals & boundaries How to create a healthy work-life balance The importance of taking time out to rest & get some perspective Check out Minda's website at this link. Get her new book here. Connect with Minda on LinkedIn and Twitter. Time Stamps 1:58 - Minda talks about her career journey 4:48 - Cultivating a healthy work-life balance 9:18 - Focusing our attention in the right directions 13:11 - The world won't stop if you do 17:50 - Setting goals & deliverables 21:07 - Getting communication right 22:22 - How to self-care in the workplace 26:40 - Thinking differently about our interactions 30:20 - The importance of unplugging

"If you're not uncomfortable in what you're doing, you're not growing." -Lora Lonesberry Habits are hard to break. Though we may feel safe, set in our ways, being too unwilling to learn new things, can only hurt the long-term viability of your bookkeeping business. When you learn to embrace and adapt to new insights and technologies, you'll keep yourself a step ahead of those that can only stand still. Recognizing what it is you love about your career, will give you the perfect starting line. There will always be aspects of the job that aren't as glamorous, but when you are open to learning new things, a world of automation and systemization opens up to you. There is a wealth of training and technology that can be utilized and tailored to get things running in the background. Leaving you all the more time to focus your attention on the areas of your business that bring you the most purpose and joy. Lora Lonesberry, owner of Positive Statements, understands all of this. In part two of her conversation with Michael, she provides insight on these topics... How to modify your bookkeeping business to run more effectively & efficiently The value of recognizing where your passion truly lies The importance of adapting to continuous industry changes Connect with Lora on LinkedIn and Twitter. Learn more about Positive Statements here and on LinkedIn. Time Stamps 1:30 - The freedom of committing to choices 5:30 - The keys to your future 10:10 - Scaling your bookkeeping business 13:04 - Fulfilling your passion 18:30 - Adapting to continuous changes 23:30 - Investing in yourself 28:14 - Overcoming burnout to live more freely

"It's like walking down the street naked. You can tell me whatever you like, but the numbers are going to tell the truth of what the story of your business is." -Lora Lonesberry Running your own business is challenging. It can be easy to get caught up in the idea that you are competing against everyone else for a slice of the profit. But really the only person you have to compete with is yourself. Our struggles and mistakes offer us perspective and learning opportunities. Chances to figure out what we are doing wrong, so we can start getting it right. Rather than struggling and suffering over and over again, why not connect with like-minded people and learn from their mistakes as well as your own. Not to be better than them, but to better yourself. To find your niche and add value to your clients in the way only you can. Lora Lonesberry, owner of Positive Statements, is our featured guest for this two-part special. Today in Part 1, she talks about the value of immersing yourself in your industry, finding the right mentors to unlock your potential and diversifying your business to minimize risks. Her approach focuses on paying attention to the details and using the right tools to build meaningful and long-lasting relationships with clients. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of getting connected to your clients How to embrace technology & learning opportunities The importance of immersing yourself fully in your industry Learn more about Positive Statements here and on LinkedIn. Connect with Lora on LinkedIn and Twitter. Time Stamps 1:32 - Lora talks about her career journey 4:24 - Immersing yourself in your industry 8:09 - Seizing the moment 15:45 - Showing your clients your value 18:04 - The numbers don't lie 26:14 - Taking interest in your clients 30:51 - Pricing on your Value 32:02 - Why you should consider becoming a Pure Bookkeeping licensee

"I think we oftentimes can look at what we are going through and assume, we are the only one who potentially has these problems." — Christina Springstead It can be really challenging to invest in ourselves. To put time, money, energy, and effort into creating the kind of people we aspire to be. Fear of the unknown often holds us back and keeps us pent up in patterns and cycles of behavior that aren't truly serving our purpose. Taking the leap can be hard, but it is much easier when you surround yourself with people that have already done it. We can often feel like connecting with like-minded people is a betrayal of our self-sufficiency. But it is the reverse, when we see it done, we believe more strongly than ever that we can do it too. When we see and feel people struggling up the same hills as us, we feel a sense of power in our collective connection. Christina Springstead, owner of Springstead Solutions and Accelerate 2 Advisor Program super ambassador, talks about the power of transformation, in having faith in yourself to overcome your inner critic and taking the leap into your dream future. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of connecting with your intuition and burning life desires How to transform your life by connecting with like-minded people The importance of firm boundaries to manage time and energy Learn more about Christina at this link. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter. Time Stamp 1:33 - Christina talks about her career journey 3:33 - Taking a leap of faith 4:35 - Dealing with your inner critic 5:45 - Overcoming challenges and obstacles 7:40 - Embracing Bookkeeping 10:55 - After the leap 13:33 - Christina talks about her biggest A-ha moment 17:35 - Transforming yourself, so you can transform others 22:00 - Finding your tribe 23:28 - The future of Christina's business

"If the data exists digitally, the user should be able to control that information, and use it in any way they want." -Martin Chee How automated are your bookkeeping processes? It can be a real challenge to keep pace with all the apps, programs, and interfaces, marketed as making a bookkeeper's life easier. This can create reluctance to engage with automated processes. But, how much time are you wasting, manually inputting data, that could be organized with the click of a button? If you're afraid of jumping into the automated pool, this is the episode to ease you in. Martin Chee, CFO, and Co-founder of Amaka, talks today about the role of automation and integration in creating more efficient businesses. There is more data out there than anyone could manage by themselves. The more effectively this data is processed, the greater the insights available. Martin's approach is one of valuing the work as much as your time, to reduce friction points, letting you do far more work, without the equal time drain of doing it manually, creating time savings you can also pass onto your clients. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of caring for your time, resources & productivity How to collect & manage data to the best use of your clients The importance of automation in creating better services Learn more about Amaka here. Connect with Martin on LinkedIn. Time Stamps 1:23 - Martin talks about his career journey 6:14 - Evolving with your product 9:20 - Knowing when to pivot 11:22 - The value of automation 21:25 - Finding the right tools for your business 25:17 - Getting your time back 33:20 - Learning more about Amaka

"You're offering a career, not a J-O-B and we want people to come and join your team because they see the value in having a career, alongside you." -Shelli Warren Finding the right people to build your dream team can be exhausting. It is often so overwhelming a process that we let desperation take hold. Seeking to grab anyone we can to help us, rather than taking the time to really find people who are the best fit. It is the goal of every business owner to eventually get out of the day-to-day, to better focus on business development, but we can't do that without a trusted team, and without belief in ourselves as the leaders of our own businesses. But if you are constantly dragging people behind you, they aren't adding positive value to your business. You need from the moment you post the interview, all the way through to the way your business practices, to paint a picture of the future, that the right people can connect to and feel at home in. Walking in step with you towards your goals, not holding you back from them. Shelli Warren, a team and leadership coach with Biz Chix and host of the Stacking Your Team podcast, is this week's featured guest. She discusses the importance of effective leadership, learning from your clients and building a business pointed firmly at the future, not dragging the past behind you. During this interview, you'll learn... How to paint a story of your business that makes others want to be a part of it The importance of building your team around the future, not the past The value of learning every lesson life has to teach you Learn more about Shelli and Biz Chix at this link. Listen to the Stacking your Team Podcast here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Time Stamps 1:35 - Shelli talks about her career journey 5:15 - Getting to know Biz Chix 7:14 - Building your dream team 10:00 - What we can learn from our clients 12:15 - The key to stacking your team 17:05 - How do you know if new employees will be a good fit? 20:32 - Overcoming limiting beliefs 24:50 - Dealing with a bad hire 29:56 - Being honest about your offering 33:00 - Creating impactful meetings

"What can I do in the last part of the day that makes tomorrow morning better?" -Donna McGeorge Finding balance in our lives is never easy. There can be a strong compulsion to equate working harder with being more successful. Pouring all our time, energy, and attention into work, and leaving very little for our personal lives or for more spontaneous client connections. If you are throwing all of your effort into your business and getting the results you want, keep doing what you are doing. But if you are struggling to manage your time, and feel constantly overwhelmed, there is no harm or shame in looking at ways to better manage your time and energy to positively boost your productivity. What can I do now that my future self will thank me for? That is the question posed by today's featured guest, Australian productivity expert and author, Donna McGeorge, whose approach to productivity will see you retraining your brain, protecting your time, preventing you from getting overwhelmed and leave you more energized for the day ahead. During this interview, you'll learn… The value routine & discipline play in protecting your time How to stop over-committing your time and resources The importance of working consistently Learn more about Donna here. Get Donna's latest book, The 1 Day Refund at this link. Connect with Donna: LinkedIn Twitter Time Stamps 1:53 - Donna talks about her career journey 3:12 - Lessons from her upbringing 7:11 - Is what you're doing working? 9:27 - Using our time wisely 11:58 - Where do we start? 15:30 - The hour of power 20:35 - Clean space, clean mind 25:01 - Reclaiming our time 33:35 - How to stop overcommitting 37:31 - Days down, Dollars up!

"You're not going to attract talent that way, they aren't interested in mindless data entry work, they want to have a meaningful impact on the world around them and if we don't create those opportunities someone else will." -Jasen Stine It is easy to get set in our ways. To let fear of the future, change and innovation, keep us locked into the same patterns. That at one time may have served us, but now only serves to limit our growth. Understanding the value of your own expertise will make it easier to move away from compliance bookkeeping. Utilize your skills as an advisor to offer far better value to your clients. When you connect with other bookkeepers and thought leaders, you will be better positioned and informed on the cutting edge of industry innovations. Learning from others, to offer more impactful services. Jasen Stine, a Tax and Account Education Leader at Intuit and AccounTrends podcast host, and Jim Buffington, an Advisory Services Leader at Intuit Accountants, are the featured guests of a special Spotlight episode! During this interview, you'll learn... The value of recognizing the potential of your own expertise How to switch from a compliance to an advisory mindset The importance of building relationships with like-minded people & thought leaders Learn more about Intuit here. Check out the Intuit Accountants' Tax Pro Center at this link. Listen to the AccounTrends Podcast here. Connect with Jasen on LinkedIn. Connect with Jim on Twitter & LinkedIn. Time Stamps 1:40 - Jasen & Jim discuss their career journeys 4:40 - Overcoming the big challenges 9:40 - The needs of accountants 17:10 - Getting your focus right 22:00 - Building connections to cultivate expertise 29:49 - Helpful resources for listeners 34:10 - Connecting thought leaders

"Self-teaching costs 73% more than taking formal training because it takes you so much longer to figure it out by yourself." -Alicia Katz Pollock Sometimes, we might think working harder will eventually make the work feel less hard. But it never does. The only way to make work not feel like work is to pursue your true passions. To know where it is you really want to be. It is not an easy question to answer, but when you do figure out your purpose and start living it, work won't feel like work anymore. It's scary to take the leap away from work or clients that feel too much like hard work but are necessary for financial stability. That's why surrounding yourself with like-minded and supportive people is key, when you can see it done, it makes it easier to do it yourself. Alicia Katz Pollock, co-founder of Royalwise, talks about the value of continuous learning, how to adapt to an ever-changing environment, and the importance of connecting with supportive communities. Her approach not only advocates learning from everyone you can but speaks to the value of teaching your clients how to manage some of the tools of your trade themselves, to reduce overall costs for them and you. During this interview, you'll learn… The value of tailoring content to different needs How to embrace change & make it work for you The importance of connecting with supportive communities Learn more about Royalwise here. To jump straight to on-demand Learning Solutions, click this link. Connect with Alicia on LinkedIn. Time Stamps 1:30 - Alicia talks about her career journey 7:36 - Finding the right path for you 9:30 - Facing the challenge 14:00 - Adapting to an ever-changing landscape 17:01 - Same content, different needs 22:02 - Training clients to use the right tools for them 28:50 - Keeping up with the latest news

"Yeah, there's a risk, but if I don't try, then I will never achieve any of the things that I want to achieve." -Dr. Sue Haywood The fear of failure can be debilitating. It can sap our confidence and force us to remain in situations of discomfort for far longer than is healthy. But more often than not, this is a self-imposed form of torture. The worst thing that can happen to us, is so much worse in our imaginations, than in our real and true abilities to meet difficulties head-on and resolve them. When we are only judging ourselves or others on one aspect of life, from one perspective, it can be easy to feel that we are failing again and again. But burnout is not borne from an individual lack of effort, but a lack of support and understanding around every part of ourselves, not just who we are when we are at work. Dr. Sue Haywood, a retention and workforce productivity expert and head people officer at Business Sherpa Group, talks about reframing failure, redefining workplace culture and creating successful dialogue in the virtual world. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of prioritizing feelings to save on finances How to create engagement in a virtual world The importance of recognizing failure as an opportunity for growth Learn more about Business Sherpa here. Connect with Sue on: LinkedIn Twitter Time Stamps 1:40 - Sue talks about her career journey 4:10 - Learning the lessons life has to teach 5:45 - Overcoming failure 10:30 - Recognizing what matters to us 16:10 - Redefining workplace culture 19:30 - How to support mental health & prevent burnout 24:48 - The whole package 28:40 - Focusing on feeling then finance 32:00 - Engagement in a virtual world

"Figure out exactly what your needs are and then figure out the right software choices based on those specific needs." -Amber Mac For Episode 300, a special guest has arrived! But, before we get into that, we could not be more grateful to all of our incredible guests, and all the wonderful people that make this show a reality. But most of all to our listeners, THANK YOU for your continued support! We appreciate you! This episode features Amber Mac, a popular and well respected tech expert, speaker, best-selling author and award-winning entrepreneur who has appeared on various media outlets including CNN, Bloomberg and CBS to name a few. She has keynoted more than 400 events around the world and has moderated sessions with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, business coach Tony Robbins and famed astronaut Chris Hadfield to name a few. She is also the host/moderator of this year's QuickBooks Connect Canada virtual event. During our 300th episode, you'll learn… How to select the right apps and/or software for your bookkeeping business Why having range can make you more successful The importance of having a team so you can focus on scaling your firm To register for the FREE QuickBooks Connect Canada virtual event, click here. Learn more about Amber at this link. Connect with her on social media: Facebook Instagram Twitter LinkedIn Time Stamps 2:02 - Discusses her career start in San Francisco 4:30 - The importance of having range in your business 6:09 - Why it's crucial to hire people to help you on your entrepreneurial journey 7:44 - Mentions her father's impact as her business advisor 8:33 - Describes how she finds unofficial mentors 11:27 - How to create the right technology choices for your business 13:10 - When choosing software, think about "How can my business grow alongside this software?" 14:05 - Describes her involvement with the Quickbooks Connect Canada virtual event 16:10 - Explains the importance of constant learning & what to expect at the QB Connect event 19:55 - Details how many small business owners don't have proper accounting systems 24:14 - Entrepreneurs should consider "How is your time well spent?"

Access the bonus interview with Russell in the Successful Bookkeeper Community Portal. "I was led by great leaders and not-so-great leaders. I learned just as much from the good leaders as the bad ones. See what you want to emulate and what you don't." –Russell Munz Is your bookkeeping business struggling to feel like a little more than a job? Are you trying to offer multiple services but failing to deliver on many of them? It can be hard to know what to do. Overcoming negative issues and focusing on a niche offering can be scary. That is why systemization is so important. If you can clearly picture where you want your bookkeeping business to go, it then becomes a matter of creating and building the right systems to make it happen. Life is short, and there will never be a right moment to take your shot. It all comes down to your perception of the future. Is trying, failing, but learning from the experience, worse than waking up after 25 years of working a job that you never enjoyed? Russell Munz, retired Army Captain and owner of Community Financials, talks today about what it means to put a WOW factor into your services. From where we choose to learn, how we limit ourselves and variable ways to measure your success. If you are struggling to connect with clients, to learn from difficult times and invest in service, this is the episode for you. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of learning from every experience, good & bad How to create a personal & engaging service The importance of systemizing your operations Learn more about Russell at this link. Connect with him on LinkedIn. Explore Community Financials here. You can check out Community Financials on Facebook. Time Stamps 1:30 - Getting connected 4:10 - Russell talks about his career journey 7:30 - Learning the right lessons 14:40 - Russell's military service 19:44 - People + Systems = Results 21:30 - Tips to improve your business 24:10 - Delivering a WOW experience 29:21 - Connecting with Russell

"The more you try to force yourself to do something you hate, the less successful you will be at it." -Dr. Arin Reeves Burnout is more than just feeling tired. It is a taking of energy from you, that is not replenished in equal measure. We have all had experiences of spending an hour with a person or client that drains us, and with people or clients that leave us feeling fired up and motivated. The hour is the same, but the way we feel about it and carry that through our day is very different. It is scary to consider losing clients. But if your clients are leaving you burnt-out, you will always be left feeling like you have to force yourself into situations that aren't good for your health. In the second of a two-part series our guest, Dr Arin Reeves, author, advisor, president and manager at Nextions, talks about managing difficult clients, understanding burnout and knowing your true value. She prompts a way of being that stops you from giving away so many of your life hours to people that don't value them or leave you feeling fulfilled. Some things are just not meant to be, you can't force them, and it doesn't make you a failure if you stop throwing away your time and energy on clients that don't value it. When you are honest with yourself and commit to what you are good at, success can be the only possible outcome. During this interview, you'll learn… Why being honest & knowing your value matters How to recognize burnout and take steps to prevent it The importance of innovating rather than imitating To get Dr. Reeves' book go here. Find out what Nextions can do for you at this link. Learn more about Dr. Reeves here. Connect with her socials: LinkedIn Twitter Time Stamps 1:15 - Your life hours 3:17 - Different senses of feeling 8:10 - If it feels like hard work, it won't lead to success 11:00 - Knowing your own value 13:40 - Women & energy management 16:10 - Dealing with burnout 25:00 - Having the courage to move away from bad clients

"I can't care about all of these other people, and I can't care about what I care about in this world if I'm not okay to contribute." -Dr. Arin Reeves We have all dealt with bad clients, most of us probably still are. Losing clients can make us feel unsuccessful, like it is our fault for not being 'good' enough to fulfill their needs. But this way of thinking is incredibly damaging. Sometimes a client just isn't the right fit. Learning to be okay with that is the first step in building a business filled with clients you really care for. If you are struggling to measure your success, find a sense of belonging in what you do, and set boundaries on your time and energy, then this is the episode for you. In the first of a two-part series, our guest Dr. Arin Reeves, author, advisor, president, and manager at Nextions, talks about the different ways to grow your network and business, what the value of caring about your clients and yourself can bring and how to make those tough choices that will free you to work with those that truly matter. During this interview, you'll learn... • The value of caring for yourself, so you can care for others • How to make tough choices to free up your time & energy • The importance of surrounding yourself with people that help you feel like you belong Find out what Nextions can do for you here. Learn more about Dr. Reeves at this link. Connect with her socials: LinkedIn Twitter Time Stamps 1:45 - Getting to know Dr. Reeves 5:20 - What it means to belong 7:10 - How women grow their business 12:25 - The value of caring 21:20 - Tough choices create new spaces 26:30 - Different kinds of success

"When you surround yourself with people that are either on their way to where you want to go, or are at where you want to go, you're going to get there because they've done it." –Lisa Campbell We all make excuses. When life gets overwhelming, it's convenient to shift the pressure and blame away from ourselves. But in doing this, we make it easy to avoid taking difficult but necessary action to improve our lives. Believing in yourself and being ready to level up can be scary. It involves a lot of time, money, and effort, for an outcome that isn't guaranteed. But what is guaranteed, is the growth and development of character if you have the courage to stop making excuses and start taking positive action. When you refuse to make excuses and apply all your effort into learning and surrounding yourself with the right people, you'll go beyond what you thought was possible. Lisa Campbell, founder of Accelerate 2 Advisor, entrepreneur coach and author of Beyond Bookkeeping, talks today about the importance of taking responsibility for the future of your business, and having the bravery to act when your moment comes. During this interview, you'll learn… • The value of surrounding yourself with like-minded people • How to free yourself from an excuse mindset • The importance of knowing your value & worth Learn more about Lisa here. Explore Accelerate 2 Advisor at this link. Connect to the Accelerate 2 Advisor Community Group by clicking here. Connect with her on social media: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Time Stamps 2:05 - Lisa talks about her recent experiences 4:00 - Investing in transformation 7:10 - Taking the right action to transform your life 11:00 - Taking action vs making excuses 17:25 - Breaking the excuse mindset 23:15 - The rewards of committing to yourself 28:10 - More than 'just' a bookkeeper 30:00 - Her masterclass 32:30 - Building a better future

"My work enables my clients to do the things, only they can do." -Bonnie Low-Kramen Great bookkeepers have a service heart. Their desire to serve others drives them. They are not interested in being in front of the camera, but they are comfortable being behind the scenes and making things happen. The best bookkeepers are proactive and they see around corners and they anticipate and understand the context of their client's work. When you connect to the idea that you are a subject matter expert that can add unique value to your clients, you will be empowered to price by this value, rather than just by hours 'worked'. We all have natural talents, but there is nothing stopping us from chasing our dreams by learning new skills that help us better connect with people. If we look at clients only in terms of the money they will pay us, we will never be successful. People remember kindness and will pay for the value real connections bring. Bonnie Low-Kramen, workplace expert, speaker, and author with 25 years of experience as a personal assistant talks about the importance of having the heart for service and how to use your innate and learned skills to create value for your clients that enables them the time, space, and freedom to do the things only they can do. During this interview, you'll learn… The value of conquering our irrational fears How to price on the value of your service What to do in order to have a harmonious work environment Learn more about Bonnie: Here Connect with her on social media: Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Twitter YouTube Watch Bonnie's TED X Talk here. Time Stamps 1:40 - Bonnie discusses her career journey 4:50 - Understanding the role of a PA 8:00 - Adding value to your clients lives 11:50 - Mastering innate & learned skills 16:50 - Creating a harmonious work environment 25:00 - Bonnie talks about women in industry 32:30 - Conquering your fears 38:20 - Bonnie's talks & workshops

"You shouldn't be afraid to ask your question, just go out and ask, because people really want to help each other." -Anita Koimur Adapting early to innovation can be a challenge. It can be easy to get comfortable with the way we do things. To take our time and wait and see if the benefits are truly as good as people are saying, before taking the leap ourselves. There is nothing wrong with taking time for careful consideration. But when you are open to sharing, to talking with others in our industry, to put yourself on the cutting edge of all the latest advances, you reap the benefits collectively. In this first episode of our Spotlight series that focuses on people who are positively impacting the bookkeeping industry, Anita Koimur, founder of LiveFlow, discusses the value of talking to people, understanding their needs, and relieving their pain points as efficiently as possible. Efficiency that comes from being right at the heart of new developments as they happen. To create the best possible value for yourself and the client. During this interview, you'll learn… The value of sharing with a group to resolve pain points How to get comfortable on the cutting edge of industry innovations The importance of asking what is needed & truly listening to the answers Learn more about LiveFlow here. Connect with Anita: LinkedIn Twitter Want to attend the FREE How to Automate Reporting & Become a Trusted Advisor webinar on April 26th mentioned in this episode? SIGN UP HERE! LiveFlow is also offering an incredible deal of 20% off for 3 months for new users. Find out more at this link! Time Stamps 1:40 - Anita talks about her career journey 5:40 - Learning & innovating from customer needs 8:40 - Finding the right service tools for you 9:25 - Overcoming the challenges of a new business 11:50 - Changes in the automation of bookkeeping 15:00 - Getting on the positive side of new trends 18:20 - The value of sharing within the community 20:45 - Best practices in automation 26:50 - Anita talks about LiveFlow 31:20 - Information about the upcoming webinar

"It's been a great partnership and it's allowed us to grow in a lot of different ways." -Lynda Artesani Partnerships can be really challenging. That's why it is so important to find people that can match your passion. Skills can always be taught, but finding someone that wants to work as hard as you do, can lead to incredibly fulfilling working partnerships and that can only be a bonus for your bookkeeping business. When you find your niche, you're better able to serve those clients with passionate interest, using your unique knowledge and abilities to bring those clients peace of mind. When you find partners that share those interests too, you can really start to scale your business. Lynda Artesani and Sarah Prevost of Artesani Accounting Services talk to Michael about the value of teamwork, the power of respect and communication in building health partnerships and client relationships. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of respectful & communicative collaboration How to market yourself correctly to the right people The importance of staying healthy on the job Learn more about Artesani Accounting Services at this link. Connect with Lynda: LinkedIn Twitter Connect with Sarah: LinkedIn Want to join the Accountant's Law Lab? Click here. Time Stamps 1:30 - Lynda & Sarah talk about their career journeys 3:50 - Embracing teamwork 5:00 - The challenges of partnership 7:50 - Finding your niche 14:00 - Securing new clients 18:50 - Learning how to price 21:30 - Adapting to innovation 27:00 - Looking to the future 32:30 - Keeping healthy on the job

"Don't look at what's the bare minimum you should be doing, look at what's the furthest you can push yourself." -Daniel Breez Starting a new bookkeeping business or growing an existing one can be a real challenge. Too many businesses try to be all things to all people. Working more hours but having less to show for it rather than connecting passionately to who it is you really want to help. It can be tempting to blame other people, to question a lack of success as the fault of someone other than ourselves. When we take responsibility for our own success, we are more likely to push ourselves to greater heights of achievement, rather than doing the bare minimum and blaming others for our lack of conviction. Once you know who it is you want to serve, and are passionate about them, the clients will come. If you only focus on building systems and processes that serve what you want, the workload will never get any lighter or any easier. When you find your niche, you make it possible to create a business that won't feel like work. Daniel Breez, owner of Measured Growth CPA and a Pure Bookkeeping licensee, talks today about the value of personal responsibility, finding your niche and learning how to leverage your strengths. During this interview, you'll learn… The value of finding a niche you are passionate about How to hire the best & most capable people for the job The importance of personal responsibility Learn more about Measured Growth CPA here. Check out Daniel's socials: LinkedIn Instagram Time Stamps 1:50 - Daniel talks about his business journey 4:15 - Finding the right mindset 10:00 - Knowing the right niche for you 14:40 - Getting yourself in the right rooms 17:00 - How Pure Bookkeeping elevated Daniel's business 20:50 - The right approach to hiring 27:30 - Looking to the future

"My goal is to never be so proud that I think that I can stop learning." -Paige Hulse Having the knowledge and knowing what to do with it are two very different things. Whether you are just starting out or have been in business for a while. Navigating the legal complexities of business can be tricky! To become successful requires more than just a vision. Whether self-employed or starting a new bookkeeping business, we often have to wear many hats until the business gets off the ground. If you can surround yourself with a network of like-minded people and mentors, you are far more likely to learn time and profit saving techniques to help your business thrive! Paige Hulse, owner of Paige Hulse Law, talks today about the value of continuous learning, knowing your worth, and offers some great tips on protecting yourself and your bookkeeping business from potential disasters. A little effort to protect your business now, will go a long way towards securing it into the future. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of separating your personal & business finances Some key legal advice that can help protect your bookkeeping business The importance in finding clients you are passionate to work with Learn more about Paige here. Looking for contract support? Visit this link. Check out her socials here: Facebook Instagram Pinterest Time Stamps 1:40 - Paige talks about her career journey 7:30 - The lightning bolt moment 12:46 - Overcoming obstacles 16:30 - The value of consistent learning 18:10 - Knowing the value of your worth 23:08 - Paige talks about finding the right bookkeeper 28:00 - Piercing the corporate veil 31:00 - Paige offers her legal perspective 39:35 - The importance of confidentiality

"If I can't find it myself, I guess I'll just create it!" -Jessica Hearsey Logging in online or heading to an office everyday where you don't feel valued can be very demoralizing. It is tough to get energized to do a job that lacks vision, clarity, or a sense of purpose. If you don't know how valuable you are, how can you communicate it to your clients? Building a business is never easy, but if you feel passionately about committing to your goals and creating something you truly believe in, the clients will come. When you take the time to understand and truly know your value, people will listen. Jessica Hearsey, owner of Altitude Accounting, talks this week about the differences between working a job and building a business. By finding the courage to stick to your convictions, you can create the life you dream of. One where people come to you because they believe in what you are doing, not just because they need something done. During this interview, you'll learn… The value of creating your own vision rather than waiting for someone else's How to tear down mental barriers & act with conviction The difference between working a job and building a business Learn more about Altitude Accounting here. Connect with Jessica on LinkedIn. Time Stamps 1:42 - Jessica talks about her career journey 8:16 - Being your own mentor 9:40 - The hurdles of a new business 11:30 - Building a business not a job 16:33 - Committing to your goals 19:25 - Adapting to an ever-changing market 23:18 - Knowing your value 27:50 - Finding your conviction 32:10 - Tearing down mental barriers 34:10 - The challenges of the future

"If you put five bookkeepers in a room, and give them the same set of books, you're going to come out with five different ways of doing things." -Jenn Green Life isn't always smooth sailing. We will all face unforeseen challenges that can rock the foundations of our careers and lives. How well we bounce back is entirely dependent on our willingness to keep trying. To take time to learn new skills, attend seminars, workshops and training that make you a better bookkeeper. If you find yourself in a lull, unsure about how to proceed then this is the episode for you. When you connect with your purpose, you'll better understand what value you bring to your clients, and so, be able to price accordingly. Rather than reacting, you'll be able to take a proactive approach driven by value and quality, not an hourly rate. How can you expect your clients to value you if you don't value yourself? Jenn Green, owner of Bookminders Full-Service Bookkeeping, talks today about bouncing back after difficult and challenging times, the value of a strong, learning focused mindset, and how to set your prices based on the value you add, not the hours you work. During this interview, you'll also learn… How to build a successful business with the right pricing How to identify the ideal learning tools for you The importance of effective communication Learn more about Jenn at this link. Contact her directly at [email protected]. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Time Stamps 1:15 - Jenn talks about her career journey 2:40 - Navigating peaks & valleys 8:55 - Bringing the right people in 11:00 - Jenn talks about the impact of effective processes 15:15 - Recovering from Covid losses 17:25 - Marketing yourself confidently 22:20 - Setting your price 25:15 - Finding the right programs for you 29:10 - Changing our mindset 34:10 - Creating exponential growth

"Uncommon services command uncommon prices." –Ron Baker Building relationships with our clients can be complicated. It can be really tempting to measure success by the number of clients or billable hours we manage to cram into a month. And yet, so many of us are left feeling overwhelmed, overworked, underpaid, and not living up to our true potential and purpose. Shifting from an hourly rate to a value-based pricing structure is a big move. Even bigger is recognizing your worth in relation to the subscription economy and pricing based on your relationship with your client. When you connect with the idea that you can charge a premium for giving a few select clients consistent peace of mind. It will wash away the belief that success is a client roster so full, no single client ever gets the best of you. Ron Baker is an author, speaker, and entrepreneur, with a passion for values-based pricing. On today's episode Ron talks about creating lifetime customer value and the importance of pricing based on achieving customers needs, not billable hours. During this interview, you'll learn… How to price on your relationship with your clients The value of tailoring your services to a niche market The importance of purpose & position driven pricing Learn more about Ron here. Follow him on Twitter and connect with him on LinkedIn. On March 22nd, you can watch him speak at the Convert with Value workshop series. You can register for this free event at this link. Time Stamps 2:00 - Ron talks about the subscription economy 6:20 - Adapting to innovation 9:12 - Pricing the customer, not the work 11:24 - Transforming your clients on a deeper level 18:35 - Overcoming the mental hurdles of subscription pricing 22:15 - Setting your price by relationship 28:55 - Putting a price on peace of mind 31:05 - The value of an uncommon offering 36:04 - Tailoring your services to a niche 37:55 - Convert with Value workshop 39:00 - Crafting your options for pricing 42:25 - Getting in touch with Ron

"It's like a garden. You're planting a lot of different seeds, and they're all going to grow at different rates. Don't forget to water!" -Kerri Thompson All too often we let the fear of losing our paycheck keep us stuck in the same jobs and the same patterns. Making changes to our situation can be difficult, but it becomes immeasurably easier when we realize we don't have to do it alone. Everyone that has ever achieved any kind of success, did so with the help and support of friends and mentors. Why should you suffer alone? When you surround yourself with the right people, people that support and motivate you, it becomes far easier to identify and follow the threads that will weave the tapestry of a successful career! Kerri Thompson, owner of Simpler Transitions, talks about the importance of Mental Fitness. How adjusting our negative thought patterns and behaviors leads to greater success. Highlighting the need to help people rather than just try to sell to them. When you can pause your negative thinking, it gives you the chance to lay a new path, a better and more successful one. One that will let you build a successful bookkeeping business with ease. During this interview, you'll learn… How mental fitness can shape your road map to success How to identify & overcome self-sabotaging thoughts The importance of finding the right support network Learn more about Kerri here. Contact her directly at [email protected]. Follow Kerri on LinkedIn. You can sign up for her 8-week mindset course at this link. Also, if you sign up for our Successful Bookkeeper Community portal (click here) then unlock our Successful Bookkeeper Summit recordings, you can access a chat with Kerri Thompson and Connie Kadansky about building your ideal business with positivity. Click this link to find the conversation. Time Stamps 1:50 - Kerri talks about her career journey 6:30 - Discovering our own unique ways of selling 10:00 - Planting the seed of connection 13:40 - Overcoming limitations 19:08 - Unlocking our potential 24:30 - Experimenting with mental fitness 37:25 - Developing Positive Intelligence One of our partners for this week's episode is Synder. It's a software solution that can save you from doing manual data entry from multiple sales channels, and automatically generate an accurate P&L report, balance sheet, and inventory management for your bookkeeping business needs. Use coupon code EASY BOOKS for up to 40% off. Learn more here.

"Are we putting something into motion that we wouldn't want to sit through?" –Scott Allen Tired of feeling like you aren't winning the best bookkeeping clients? It's time to take an honest inventory on the kind of impression you are presenting to them. Attention spans have never been shorter, and expectations have never been higher. You have to know what you want the audience to feel and do, and then communicate that message in a way that keeps it stuck in their minds. Scott Allen, an associate professor at John Carroll University who is also a communications coach, author, and entrepreneur. And Maria Soriano Young, a communications manager for the Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute at Cleveland Clinic, are this week's featured guests! Together they talk about the importance of planning for the right outcomes. How to design your first impressions, to win clients and leave your audience wanting more. If you are struggling to design attention grabbing presentations that keep people interested, this is the episode for you! During this interview, you'll learn… How to plan for the right outcomes by curating your client's experience How to ensure your message lives on in your client's mind The importance of a good first impression & how to make it last You can buy their book here. You can also read their blog and listen to their podcast. Check out Scott's socials: Twitter LinkedIn Maria's socials: LinkedIn Twitter Captovation's socials: LinkedIn Twitter Time Stamps 1:45 - Maria & Scott talk about their career journey 4:44 - What makes a good presentation 10:11 - Discussing the pitfalls of poor presentations 14:30 - Curating & presenting the right self-image 16:00 - Creating a background that speaks to your clients 23:00 - Audience centered design 28:40 - The keys to getting your message across 31:50 - Nurturing your relationships from start to finish 36:40 - Resources that can help you! One of our partners for this week's episode is Synder. It's a software solution that can save you from doing manual data entry from multiple sales channels, and automatically generate an accurate P&L report, balance sheet, and inventory management for your bookkeeping business needs. Use coupon code EASY BOOKS for up to 40% off. Learn more here.

"You can succeed in any economy if you have the right business model and the drive to make it work." -Bruce Gerstenfeld Making changes to your life is scary. But facing your fears and taking a chance has to be better than spending your life making money for other people, never really having time for yourself or your loved ones. It is never too late to make a positive change! Our failures are only failures if we don't act on and grow from the lessons they have to teach us. Take charge of your dreams by finding your passion. That self-motivating driving force that will propel you towards success. Bruce Gerstenfeld is a CPA and partner in Gerstenfeld and Company. On this week's episode, he talks about the importance of finding the story behind the numbers, and helping clients get command of their time, energy and intention to chase their dreams. During this interview, you'll also learn… How to turn your bookkeeping dreams into a reality How to manage career transitions, innovations & challenges The importance of taking command of your calendar Learn more about Bruce here. Email Gerstenfeld & Company at [email protected]. Check out Bruce's socials: LinkedIn Facebook Time Stamps 1:40 - Bruce talks about his career move into bookkeeping 3:40 - Making the most of your time 9:00 - Finding your driving force 12:18 - Learning from our mistakes 15:40 - Managing career transitions 17:58 - Finding your passion 19:00 - Learning to command your calendar 24:30 - Facing the challenges of innovation 29:00 - Bruce talks about the value of Accelerate 2 Advisor 35:00 - Bruce talks about his love for Xero 42:50 - Investing in the right programs for you One of our partners for this week's episode is Synder. It's a software solution that can save you from doing manual data entry from multiple sales channels, and automatically generate an accurate P&L report, balance sheet, and inventory management for your bookkeeping business needs. Use coupon code EASY BOOKS for up to 40% off. Learn more here.

"You cannot cut your way to greatness." -Mark Wickersham Knowing your worth and setting prices that reflect that can be extremely challenging. Every new client you take on at the wrong price will make your life harder. If you are tired of working crazy long hours and still feeling like your financial security needs aren't being met, this is the episode for you. When we shift our mindset away from hourly rates and into value building, it can dramatically alter your business' profitably and future. Focusing only on what we can cut to make savings, is a limited approach in comparison to the potential for unlimited growth when we know what value we bring to our clients and price accordingly. Mark Wickersham, a chartered accountant, author and public speaker, discusses the importance of investing in ourselves to create value and opportunities by shifting our mindset to one of growth and possibility. Once you get focused on the best end result for your clients, you'll wonder why you were ever charging hourly in the first place. During this interview, you'll learn… How to increase sales rather than rely on cutting costs How to change your mindset from focusing on cost to a focusing on value The importance of getting your pricing right Learn more about Mark here. Use coupon code LAST25 to get 25% off your ticket for Mark's Profitable Bookkeeping Conference that begins on February 22nd. Visit this website for more details. Check out Mark's Socials: LinkedIn Facebook YouTube Twitter Instagram Time Stamps 1:47 - What drives profit 6:00 - The entrepreneurial mindset 11:00 - Investing in the right tools and training 15:40 - Pricing on value 21:25 - How do I grow my top line? 25:40 - The power of the price lever 28:50 - Overcoming the 'cost' mentality 32:10 - Building value for ourselves builds it for others 33:06 - The Profitable Bookkeeping Conference

"I don't have to take this client. I get to choose who I want to work with. And who is going to be a good fit for my business." -Beth Blaney We all want to build a better life for ourselves, one that gives us the freedom and flexibility to live the way we want to. When you live authentically, you generate authenticity in others. So much time is wasted chasing clients that aren't the right fit or trying to change ourselves to fit molds we weren't made for. If you are tired of feeling guilty about balancing your obligations, this is the episode for you. Beth Blaney, owner of BBA Bookkeeping, talks about her experiences breaking the mold, escaping traditional ideas of what a bookkeeper looks and sounds like, to create an incredibly successful business. Her message is one of empowerment, of being authentically you, and chasing your dreams. During this interview, you'll learn… How the right support systems can make or break your business How to empower yourself to find the right niche & clients for you The importance of liking what you do & putting the work in Learn more about Beth here. To book your FREE spot for the Accelerator Method Masterclass Series beginning on February 11th at 4pm Eastern, visit this website. Check out Beth's Socials: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Pinterest Twitter Time Stamps 2:25 - Beth reflects on her bookkeeping journey 9:10 - Recognizing when it's time to grow 11:10 - Finding the right niche 15:20 - The struggles & breakthroughs 20:15 - Making the most of your natural talents 25:45 - Overcoming areas of challenge 27:15 - The journey to Accelerate 2 Advisor 33:30 - The benefits of Pure Bookkeeping 36:30 - Balancing work & personal responsibilities 43:00 - Manifesting destiny!

"These systems allow us to be better for our clients. Let's do it different, let's do it better!" -Emily Tarney Innovation can be challenging in the short term, but so worth it when you start to see results. When you are able to apply the right systems and processes, they free you up to focus on doing what you do best! Finding like minded people will help you learn and grow in a more supportive environment. Every bookkeeper has unique talents that are better applied to some clients over others. Making and retaining client relationships is about far more than a need for their business. It's about building connections that truly help serve your clients' purpose. Emily Tarney, creator, and head of Competitive Edge Business Solutions, talks about her vast experience in the bookkeeping industry and the importance of embracing change and challenging ourselves to do things differently. Her approach focuses on working passionately and purposefully to be more than just a bookkeeper. To be a champion of your clients' vision. During this interview, you'll learn… How to get comfortable doing things a different way by embracing innovation How to create a mindset focused on abundance, not scarcity and competition The importance of finding the right fit between bookkeeper & client Learn more about Emily here. To book your FREE spot for the Accelerator Method Masterclass Series beginning on February 11th at 4pm Eastern, visit this website. Check out Emily's socials: LinkedIn Twitter Time Stamps 1:33 - Emily talks about her career journey 3:50 - The obstacles of being an entrepreneur 4:30 - Emily reflects on her career milestones 7:30 - Accelerate 2 Advisor & Pure Bookkeeping 14:50 - Emily's advice for people questioning their business 19:24 - Planning our lives before others plan them for us 21:25 - Emily discusses her vision for the future 26:10 - How to engage with prospective clients positively! 31:10 - Finding the courage to keep going