The Successful Bookkeeper Podcast

"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'...

"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 reall...

"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 technol...

"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...

"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 comfo...

"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 s...

"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....

"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 are...

"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 w...

"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...

"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 y...

"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, bu...

"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...

"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...

"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!...

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...

"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. Th...

"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 cl...

"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 imp...

"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...

"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 t...

"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 bo...

"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...

"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 boo...

"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 yo...