Profits + Prosecco: The Podcast

In this episode, I'm closing out The Next Step series by talking about what I believe is the biggest bottleneck for so many aspiring bookkeepers and business owners: belief. We've already talked about skills, systems, and scaling throughout this week, but today we're getting honest about the fears, perfectionism, and self-doubt that keep people stuck even when the opportunity is right in front of...

In this episode, I'm talking about the difference between imposter syndrome and a real skills gap, because so many people think they just need more confidence when really they need to close the skills gap. I share why confidence is built on competence, why bookkeeping is not a fake-it-til-you-make-it industry, and why fear and inaction often come from knowing there's probably something missing. Th...

In this episode, I'm breaking down the belief bottleneck and the six secrets to building a simple, scalable bookkeeping business, because so many people know what's possible for them but still feel stuck. I walk you through what's really getting in the way and how to move forward, whether that's building a rock-solid skill set, creating a scalable offer, or getting clear on the vision for your lif...

In day two of The Next Step Series, I'm breaking down the three bottlenecks that hold bookkeepers back from starting or scaling, because people can have similar opportunities and still have very different outcomes, and that is not random. In this episode, I walk through the belief bottleneck, the skill bottleneck, and the scalability bottleneck, and I help you identify which one may be standing in...

I'm going to be really honest with you in this episode. We're talking about what's possible with a bookkeeping business, but more specifically, what's possible when you build it in a scalable way. Because there's a difference between hearing that something is possible and actually seeing what it looks like in real life. I share how I went from corporate to building a virtual bookkeeping business t...

I'm going to be honest with you in this episode. We're talking about why you shouldn't even bother starting a bookkeeping business… psych, of course. But as I've been reading through your questions about starting a bookkeeping business or scaling one, I'm seeing a pretty consistent theme. It's not a lack of information or resources. It's fear, and instead of dancing around it, I'm going straight i...

I've been wanting to share a full breakdown of my bookkeeping business, and in this episode, I'm finally walking you through what 2025 actually looked like. The revenue, the expenses, the profit, how many clients we served, how many we gained, how many we lost, and why. In this episode, I'm breaking down what it really takes to run a $245K bookkeeping business. I talk about how we managed around 5...

It's a safe bet we all share one thing in common: a desire for both income and time freedom - and a bookkeeping business is calling as the vehicle to get us there. While we share that desire and vision, our starting points and circumstances are not the same. Regardless of your experience, education, family size, or current job - there IS a path to get you from where you are to where you want to be...

I built my bookkeeping business around one software, one service, and one type of client because I had babies at home and almost no extra time. I didn't have the capacity to say yes to everything, so I simplified everything from the very beginning. In this episode I'm breaking down exactly what "one type of client" means and why I built my business that way. I talk about what I learned from workin...

It's the night before I leave for a nine-night trip to Costa Rica with my three kids. During tax season. And I almost forgot it was tax season until I sat down to record this, which honestly says everything. In this episode, I'm sharing something I've never talked about publicly: a letter I wrote to myself in February of 2014 when I was a CPA working long days in corporate tax, doing the math on w...

Escaping corporate IS possible…but sometimes, you have to create your escape route while you're still in the trenches. For Molly, she knew she wanted out. But as a mom of three girls, she couldn't just up and leave. She needed something reliable under her feet first. So she built her bookkeeping business on the side. That's right–she built her own business while being a mom, a wife, and a corporat...

There are some things I wish I'd done differently when I was just starting out…but today, I want to talk about 11 things I did absolutely right. If I had to tear my business down completely and start over from scratch today, there are certainly some things I wouldn't do the same way. But there are a lot more things I did right the first time that I would want to duplicate the second time…and that...

This week, I'm thrilled to welcome a guest onto the podcast with me: Dorothy Grace, LIBBY and BABs alum and former corporate accountant! Dorothy came out of her first accounting class with a C…but that didn't stop her. She loved the challenge so much she kept going…first to earn her masters, then her CPA, then on to corporate accounting… Where she "lasted" for about one year before leaving. Not be...

"Do I have to offer CFO services in order to REALLY be successful as a bookkeeper?" No matter what your bar for "success" is here…the answer is no. Offering CFO packages can be lucrative, absolutely. And it can be tempting to gun for a few high-ticket clients rather than trying to sign 15+ to your roster just to hit the same amount of income. However…there are plenty of cons you need to take into...

It's the beginning of the year, which means—you guessed it—1099 season is back. 1099s aren't hard, necessarily–they're just annoying. And the most annoying thing about them? In most cases, they are actually completely avoidable. I know. It's not going to save you any headaches this year, but it's not too late for next year if you start right now. It requires educating and communicating with your c...

"I'm not a numbers person—can I still become a bookkeeper?" The answer is…it depends. When you say you're not a numbers person, is it just a way for you to say you're bad at math? And when you think of math, what are you picturing?  Trigonometry and calculus? Those aren't showing up in bookkeeping. I'll tell you that for free. In fact…90% of bookkeeping is just addition and subtraction. Maybe a li...

It is no secret how much I love ChatGPT. There are so many ways to use ChatGPT effectively in your bookkeeping business—ways that help free up even more of your time, energy, and mental capacity for the things that truly matter in your life. However, if not used carefully, ChatGPT can also cause some serious harm. When I started coming to ChatGPT to vent my frustrations and share my anxieties, it...

It's that time again… Time to say goodbye to this year and step into the new one. Time to look back on all we did…and all we didn't do. Time to decide what we loved about our lives in 2025…and what needs to change in 2026. Don't worry—I'm not going to sit you down and preach to you about why you need to make a hundred New Year's Resolutions in order to have a productive 2026. In fact, I fully unde...

When a bookkeeper decides to start their own bookkeeping business, their minds go to one place: getting clients. A lot of these bookkeepers naturally gravitate toward sorting out their CRM first. They want something concrete to work with so they know they're ready when a client finally signs with them… But it's putting the cart before the horse. Having your CRMs sorted out is important. But it's n...

"Do I need a degree to become a bookkeeper?" The short answer: no. Just about anyone can become a bookkeeper. The long answer? No–just about anyone can become a bookkeeper. BUT… Not everyone SHOULD become a bookkeeper. The truth is, you don't need much of anything in order to get hired as a bookkeeper. Clients won't ask. CPAs won't demand to see your degree or license. It's not likely to ever come...

It's easy to fall into the trap of believing your business skills are what will make or break your bookkeeping business. The marketing. The pricing. The website. The packages. The team. The clients. The sales calls. These are the things people always want to jump into right away when they begin pursuing this… But it's actually the opposite of what they should be doing. Picture your business as a p...

"Is bookkeeping still a viable business in 2025?" I could tell you the answer (which is ABSOLUTELY YES) and leave it at that… But if I'm being honest, there's a better question that gets to the heart of what you actually want to know… "Why is bookkeeping the right business for me?" The truth is, there is no better business to give you the time freedom, flexibility, and independence you're looking...

Welcome to Season 2 of Profits & Prosecco!  After a summer (plus a month or two!) of practicing what I preach, taking a step back, and honoring where my energy truly needed to be, I'm so thrilled to be bringing the podcast back. I missed it. You missed it. I knew it was time to bring it back…but I also knew something needed to shift. This podcast is over five years old. We've covered topics from p...

Big news! Finding Clients is back, but only through June 10th! If you're trying to get your bookkeeping business off the ground but feel stuck at the very first step - this is your moment. Finding Clients is my most requested, standalone module pulled straight from Life by the Books®. It gives you clear, proven strategies to start getting real clients without fluff, overwhelm, or the need to commi...

Another exciting announcement for all you bookkeeper hopefuls out there? You'd better believe it. For a while now, my life has been all about BABs—for a good reason. The revamp is officially LIVE, and I couldn't be more proud of it… But what about what comes after BABs? If you're a BABs grad or someone who already has the skill of bookkeeping and just needs some help turning it into a business, yo...