Business By The Books with Danielle Hayden The Simple Weekly Habit That Transformed This CEO's Business – Ep. 250
What if one simple weekly habit could completely transform the way you manage your business? In this conversation, Danielle sits down with Cathi Nelson, CEO and founder of The Photo Managers, to talk about how she went from overwhelmed and unsure about her finances to confidently running a thriving business.
Cathi shares how a weekly review of her numbers, consistent support from her Kickstart Accounting money team, and small, sustainable financial habits helped her make smarter decisions. She went from saying, "I'm just not a numbers person," to hiring her first full-time employee and planning big investments for growth without having to "make it work" as she went along.
Key Takeaways:
-
Small, Consistent Habits Lead to Big Financial Confidence: By reviewing her numbers weekly, Cathi turned what used to feel overwhelming into a manageable, empowering routine.
-
Understanding Your Cash Flow Means Planning, Not Panicking: Cathi now knows her lean months in advance, sets aside funds, and avoids financial surprises.
-
Your Numbers Can Guide Smart Hiring Decisions & Retain Great Team Members: Using her reports, Cathi confidently brought on new team members and offered well-deserved raises without second-guessing if she could afford it.
-
A Simple Report Brings Big-Picture Clarity: Categorizing her income into four main revenue streams helped Cathi understand which parts of her business drive the most profit.
-
You Don't Need to be a "Numbers Person": Let go of the shame around financial knowledge! Being the CEO of your business doesn't mean doing it all; it means creating systems and support that let you shine in your zone of genius.
Topics Discussed:
(00:00) Intro: Cathi's Background and Her Business, The Photo Managers
(01:59) Why She Used to Feel "Lost" Looking at Her Financials—and What Changed
(03:35) How the Weekly Habit of Reviewing Her Numbers Helped Her Business
(06:39) The Power of Having a Consistent Bookkeeping Team Behind Her
(09:00) Promo Break: Kickstart Accounting's "Check Your Books" Service
(10:16) Simplified Reports That Give a High Level Overview & Not Being In Spreadsheets
(11:53) How Using Her Numbers Helped Her Hire and Give Raises with Confidence
(15:46) The Mindset Shift That Ended Her Imposter Syndrome Around Money
(19:13) Outro: Connect with Kickstart Accounting and Share Your Story on Business by The Books
About Our Guest:
Cathi Nelson is the founder and CEO of The Photo Managers, a growing global community of entrepreneurs who help families and businesses organize and preserve their photos, videos, and memories. She's a champion for small business owners who are building legacy-driven, profitable companies.
Connect with Cathi:
The Photo Manager | https://thephotomanagers.com/
Tell Your Story on Business by The Books | KickstartAccountingInc.com/BBB
Resources:
Check Your Books | kickstartaccountinginc.com/checkyourbooks
Book a Call with Kickstart Accounting, Inc.:
https://kickstartaccountinginc.com/book-a-call/
Connect with Kickstart Accounting, Inc.:
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/Kickstartaccounting