The Ambitious Bookkeeper Podcast

some links are affiliate links This live Q&A started with tactical bookkeeping questions and ended with me on my soapbox about AI. We covered capital loans, payroll, pricing, statement of cash flows, and how I balance running two businesses with my family. Then someone asked how I’m using AI in my practice, and I gave the honest answer: Real talk, I hope I don’t get canceled for this one. In t...

some links are affiliate links If you have between 10 and 20 clients and you’ve been eyeing a new workflow software, hear me out before you hit “start free trial.” In this episode, I answer a question from my Ask Me Anything series: Stephanie is a solo bookkeeper with about 20 clients, trying to decide between staying on Financial Cents or switching to Double. Instead of naming a winner, I turn th...

some links are affiliate links Advisory doesn’t have to be complicated. In this episode, I’m breaking down the simplest way to start offering advisory services inside your bookkeeping packages. I call it “advisory lite,” and it’s included in every service tier we offer, even the lowest one. If you’ve been wanting to dip your toe into advisory but don’t know where to start, this is your starting po...

You don’t need to add budgeting and forecasting to your menu to start delivering advisory-level value. In this episode, I sit down with Anne Napolitano, a former Hermès controller turned private chef turned owner of a 10-person restaurant-focused accounting firm. We get into the small shifts in your services and your marketing that change how clients see your value, plus how Anne went from doing e...

In this September live Q&A, we covered a lot of ground. We talked about whether to convert a client from QBO to Xero or start fresh, how to realistically land more clients heading into 2026, and how I handle clients who won't send receipts no matter how many times you ask. We also got into Shopify bookkeeping, paying contractors, what to do when a credit union is making your life miserabl...

Katie Ferro is back for part two, and we picked up right where we left off with Katie's line that stuck with me all week: if you don't have a stance, it's because you're not in the room enough. The same goes for advisory. You won't feel confident until you put yourself in the room, and you can't get in the room until you build some confidence. So we talked about how t...

I've been connected with Katie Ferro since the very beginning of my business. I literally found her on a podcast while I was on maternity leave dreaming about starting a bookkeeping business, and I probably reached out to her like a weirdo on Instagram. We reconnected recently, had a conversation that was way too good to keep to ourselves, and decided to hit record. This one is a true coffee...

What if the tool you've been waiting for, the one that finally makes Xero as efficient as QuickBooks with Right Tool, already exists, and it's being built by a former bookkeeper who accidentally fell into coding? In this episode, Serena sits down with Mark Corum, the developer behind X2Uno and Right Tool, to talk about building Chrome extensions for accounting software, the surprising pa...

This round of Live Q&A we got into some really good stuff: how to navigate starting your firm while you're still employed, why book to tax differences are completely normal and not something to lose sleep over, and how I approach the "can I afford to hire" conversation with clients (spoiler: it's rarely just about the numbers). I also pulled back the curtain on my monthly c...

I got to reconnect with Emily Bowie, a partner at Thorne Advisors, and someone I actually met years ago in a tiny mastermind back when she was doing something completely different in her business. We talked about what actually makes a partnership work (and what makes it collapse), why staying in your lane protects your reputation, how bookkeepers can collaborate with tax pros instead of competing...

If you have ever had that passing thought of "should I add tax to my bookkeeping firm?" this is the episode you need to hear before you make a move. In this one, I'm sitting down with Nick Cobos of Saga Accounting Solutions. Nick has built a five-person firm that does both tax and bookkeeping. We get into the real pros and cons of running both under one roof, and I share why I went...

We're back from summer break with a live Q&A with SO much good stuff in this one. This was one of those episodes where the questions kept getting better and better, and I got to go deep on the things that trip us all up: running an advisory firm, getting your pricing right, Xero integrations, closing out clients the right way, and knowing when to make your first hire. If you've ever...

This episode hit close to home for me because Jaime Rodriguez and I are basically living the same double life, and I loved getting to compare notes. Jaime is the CEO of Bookkeepers.com (you probably know them as Bookkeeper Launch), and his story is wild. He went to school for accounting chasing that "safe job" American dream, hated the corporate grind so much he Googled how to start a bo...

Real talk: if your summer felt slow and you were low-key stressing about it, this episode is for you. This week's a short and sweet solo update where I walk you through what's coming up on the podcast over the next month, plus a little pep talk about the summer slump so many of us hit as bookkeepers. Slow season is normal, my friend, and it doesn't mean anything is wrong with your b...

In this episode you’ll hear: A very short update about the audio series I just released & why you need to listen before it goes away! Resources mentioned in this episode: Listen to The Advisor Activation Audio Series → https://www.ambitiousbookkeeper.com/activate Thanks for listening. If this episode inspired you in some way, take a screenshot of you listening on your device and post it to you...

Alyssa and I are back, and this time we actually hit record (lesson learned from last year, ha). We just closed year two of the State of the Virtual Bookkeeping and Accounting Industry survey, and we sat down to dig into the data together in real time. This isn't a polished, buttoned-up report read. This is the two of us cross-referencing the numbers live, reacting to what surprised us, and p...

I'm joined in person by my biz bestie Alyssa Lang of Workflow Queen, and we are SO pumped to talk about the return of the Virtual Bookkeeper Industry Survey round two, baby! We're going bigger, better, and more intentional this time around, with a goal of 2,500 responses, a charity donation tied to Make-A-Wish Foundation, and a brand new interactive data bot that lets you dig into the re...

This episode is a replay of my April 2026 live Q&A, and we cover a ton of ground that I know so many of you are dealing with right now. Whether you're just starting out and trying to figure out where to even begin with automation, or you're in the thick of building a team and wondering why delegating feels harder than just doing it yourself, this one's for you. We also get into...

This episode is a behind-the-scenes conversation with Max Emory. We get into the nitty gritty of what it actually takes to serve REI clients, how he built his team, the new community he's launching for bookkeepers who want to level up their marketing and sales game, and how he manages it all with two boys under two at home. In this episode you’ll hear: Why real estate investing is one of the...

Get all the info and join before Midnight Pacific Time on May 9, 2026: https://www.ambitiousbookkeeper.com/elevate/?coupon_code=REVAMP

In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Joe Woodard—founder of Scaling New Heights—and we’re diving into what’s really happening in the accounting industry right now. We talk about: Why the ‘AI hype vs denial’ debate is missing the point What tasks you should actually be handing off to AI Why moving off hourly pricing isn’t enough anymore And how to position yourself so clients see you as indisp...

some links are affiliate links In this episode, I'm sharing our March live Q&A where I answered rapid-fire questions about running a bookkeeping firm. If you've ever wondered how to manage a shared team inbox without micromanaging, what to do with merchant clearing account balances at year end, or how to navigate a CPA non-compete, this one's for you. In this episode you’ll hear...

Stop letting your calendar run your life! In this episode, Serena dives into the brand-new Dubsado 3.0 (Beta) to show you how to protect your time and professionalize your client onboarding. Whether you’re a bookkeeper, accountant, or small business owner, learning how to automate the "back-and-forth" of scheduling is the fastest way to reclaim your sanity. In this episode, you’ll learn:...

I've been getting this question for years, and since I'm now on YouTube and Xero keeps rolling out new features, it was time to give this topic a serious refresh. In this episode, I'm breaking down all the reasons why I am a hundred percent Xero firm and why I genuinely love this software. This is not sponsored (but yes, please use my affiliate link!). I'm just a bookkeeper who...

This is a podcast update & what to expect here on the podcast for the month of April! Check out this week’s YouTube Video >> The New Xero Partner Hub Thanks for listening. If this episode inspired you in some way, take a screenshot of you listening on your device and post it to your Instagram stories and tag me @ambitiousbookkeeper For more information about the Ambitious Bookkeeper Podc...