The Successful Bookkeeper Podcast

“ We've adopted pretty bad behaviors since the pandemic of over meeting and not caring about time and not setting our own boundaries, and we have this toxic productivity where we always have to be on. There's a sense of constant urgency that's manufactured, and there's also a lot of learned helplessness where you go in and just like, I'm just burned out and I'm gonna quiet quit. Instead of deciding, ‘Okay, how am I gonna play a role in my own wellbeing?’” -Jennifer Moss Award-winning journalist and workplace happiness expert, Jennifer Moss talks about how small business owners can build more resilient, engaged teams—even during times of stress and uncertainty. In this interview, you’ll learn… The 4-part framework that drives workplace happiness Why certain personality types are more prone to burnout Simple, low-cost strategies to boost morale & team cohesion To learn more about Jennifer, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Time Stamp 01:00 - Building workplace happiness 02:00 - Jennifer shares the personal story that sparked her research 03:30 - How personality traits are amplified in crisis 05:30 - The four-part framework for a healthy workplace 07:30 - Why most people don’t learn psychological fitness 09:00 - Traits that increase stress risk 11:30 - How personality types need different support to thrive 13:30 - Why self-awareness is critical for leaders 15:30 - How to recognize signs of burnout 18:30 - Managers often mistake stress for underperformance 21:30 - Why empathy & human connection are essential skills 24:30 - Return-to-office mandates often reduce productivity 27:30 - Actionable tips 29:30 - Preview of Part 2 This episode is brought to you by our great friends at Succession Security! What if you couldn’t work tomorrow?  Who would step in to manage your clients and keep your income flowing? That’s where Succession Security comes in. Think of it as ‘insurance’ that pays out in labor.  If an unexpected emergency strikes—whether it’s an illness, accident, or even a family crisis—Succession Security ensures your business keeps running. They step in to manage operations, communicate with clients, and protect everything you’ve built. Learn more and start your business continuity plan today at successionsecurity.com.

“ I could take my time. That's a really big one because so many times, when we're in a crunch, you really wanna hire before you get to that. Because what happens is, when you hire, when you're in a crunch, you may end up settling or you may not pick the best fit.” -Nacondra Moran In part 2 of this great conversation, Nacondra Moran, founder of Exceptional Tax Services shares how she transformed her business by embracing intentional growth, setting boundaries, and investing in community and clarity. In this interview, you’ll learn… How to package your bookkeeping services with clarity & confidence The importance of hiring proactively, not reactively Why clarity of vision is essential when growing your firm and team To learn more about Nacondra, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Listen to her podcast here. Time Stamp: 01:00 – Evolving from underpricing to a structured, value-based model 03:30 – Avoiding scope creep with clear packaging & engagement terms 06:30 – Learning from industry peers & mentorship 08:00 – Hiring progression: contractors to full-time team members 10:30 – Hiring tips: clarity, culture fit & job roles 13:00 – Lessons from hiring missteps & finding the right fit 16:30 – Aligning business growth with personal values 19:00 – Starting her podcast & sharing her journey 21:00 – Using podcasting to build trust & attract clients 24:00 – Power of content & visibility in building authority 27:00 – Helping clients navigate money fears with transparency 30:00 – Where to connect with Nacondra & follow her work This episode is brought to you by our great friends at Sage! Drowning in paperwork? AutoEntry lets you snap, scan, and sync receipts, invoices, and statements—so you can ditch manual entry, reduce errors, and get back to what really matters: growing your practice and delighting your clients. Learn more about AutoEntry or get started for free at Sage.com.

“ I had a lot more of mindset issues than the actual execution because I felt like I could provide good services. I had a certain level of confidence. But it doesn't matter really how much confidence, if you do also lack that critical mindset piece to really help you move forward.” -Nacondra Moran In part 1 of thie great 2-part series, Nacondra Moran, founder of Exceptional Tax Services, shares the mindset shifts, fears, and learning curves she faced after leaving her job at the IRS. From struggling with perfectionism to embracing entrepreneurship, she opens up about the messy middle of building a firm that works on her terms. In this interview, you’ll learn: What mindset shifts helped Nacondra transition from employee to entrepreneur Pricing mistakes, hiring lessons & boundaries What it means to design a boutique, high-touch bookkeeping firm To learn more about Nacondra, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Listen to her podcast, The House of CEO, here. You can also subscribe to her substack at this link. Time Stamp 00:01:00 – Introduction to Nacondra & her IRS background 00:05:00 – The mindset challenges of leaving a “safe” job 00:08:00 – Overcoming perfectionism & finally launching 00:11:00 – Freelancing, finding clients & learning on the fly 00:17:00 – Building systems, refining offers & setting boundaries 00:20:00 – Dealing with legacy clients & the “messy middle” 00:22:00 – The value of a waitlist & staying boutique 00:27:00 – Mistakes in pricing, hiring & client management 00:30:00 – Preview of part 2: burnout, alignment & content strategy This episode is brought to you by our great friends at Sage! Drowning in paperwork?  AutoEntry lets you snap, scan, and sync receipts, invoices, and statements—so you can ditch manual entry, reduce errors, and get back to what really matters: growing your practice and delighting your clients. Learn more about AutoEntry or get started for free at Sage.com.

“As a business owner, you have to pick up everything. So right now, it's not my goal to hire at that capacity, but definitely to hire more of an assistant for myself to make sure that I am getting the support that I need as I'm building this business, rather than bringing someone in to run this business.” -Christina Springstead Christina Springstead, founder of Springstead Solutions, shares her journey about hiring, finding her niche and much more! In this interview, you’ll also learn… How cleanups & rescue jobs became her niche & passion How to price cleanups & rescue jobs The power of paid diagnostic reviews for pricing & client fit To learn more about Christina, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Time Stamp 02:55 – Hiring & losing a key operations manager 05:32 – Shifting focus to build the business around personal goals 10:33 – Defining & niching into cleanup & oversight services 14:23 – Nonprofits, trades & in-house training as a niche 20:04 – How Christina prices cleanup vs. rescue jobs 23:04 – Why charge for diagnostic reviews & what’s to include 28:10 – Where best leads come from 30:31 – Converting cleanup clients into monthly engagements 36:51 – How systems like Pure Bookkeeping improve cleanup work 38:29 – What A2A gave her: safe space & smarter growth 45:01 – Where to connect with Christina This episode is brought to you by our great friends at Sage! Drowning in paperwork?  AutoEntry lets you snap, scan, and sync receipts, invoices, and statements—so you can ditch manual entry, reduce errors, and get back to what really matters: growing your practice and delighting your clients. Learn more about AutoEntry or get started for free at Sage.com.

“Think about what you want. Be intentional on why you're growing your business. Are you growing it for a money goal? Are you growing it so you have more time and flexibility? And then create those boundaries around giving yourself what your why is. Build a business that feels like your own fairy tale.” -Cindy Schroeder Cindy Schroeder, owner of Bright Bookkeeping and founder of Bookkeeping Buds, shares how she went from job-hopping in unfulfilling roles to building a remote bookkeeping business for painting contractors, creating a supportive community for women bookkeepers, and designing a life she loves. In this interview, you’ll learn… Simple networking tactics to grow your bookkeeping business The benefits of niching into one industry Why designing your business around joy can lead to lasting success To learn more about Cindy, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Time Stamp 00:29 - Cindy’s background and why she left corporate accounting 03:58 - Overcoming introversion through small networking goals 08:30 - Designing a remote business 13:15 - How niching into painting contractors changed everything 16:49 - Partnering with a coach to streamline client growth 19:07 - Building a team and creating repeatable systems 19:20 - Founding Bookkeeping Buds to support women bookkeepers 22:49 - Advice for new bookkeepers: Start with your “Why” This episode is brought to you by our amazing friends at Hub Analytics! Imagine having all your financial data in one place, with real-time analytics and customized reports at your fingertips. Hub Analytics is a financial platform that streamlines bookkeeping operations, so you can focus on what really matters—delivering high-quality results for your clients. With Hub's easy-to-use tools, you’ll save time, reduce errors, and gain deeper insights into your clients' financials! Ready to take your bookkeeping to the next level? Book a demo to learn more and start your FREE trial TODAY!

“Speaking requires feedback. We have to listen to ourselves. We have to listen to each other and give feedback in order to get better. Speaking is social.” -Ruth Milligan Ruth Milligan, founder of Articulation and curator of TEDxColumbus, dives into how better communication leads to better business — especially for bookkeepers and business owners who want to be more clear, confident, and effective. In this episode, you’ll learn… The hidden cost of unclear communication How to fix filler words, jargon & “shaded habits” How to explain complex topics without dumbing them down To learn more about Ruth, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Time Stamp 02:14 – Helping people own their voice & ideas 02:53 – From speechwriter to TEDx coach to business owner 05:47 – What’s a “threshold concept” in speaking? 07:30 – Speaking is social: your audience decides the meaning 09:30 – Why technical experts lose audiences 14:35 – Bookkeepers: Your audience isn’t in your field 15:15 – The pain (and power) of watching yourself speak 17:43 – The power of feedback & self-awareness 20:30 – Emails that confuse vs. emails that get results 23:00 – Declarative vs. procedural knowledge 25:00 – Training clients: Why reschedules are your problem 34:18 – Using AI for voice notes & speech prep 37:28 – The risks of AI hallucinations with real content 41:23 – A direct takeaway for introverts: Watch your “shaded habits” 43:07 – What you don’t know can hurt your influence 45:48 – Breath: the simple fix for filler word 55:29 – Valuing yourself & your time This episode is brought to you by our great friends at Hub Analytics! Imagine having all your financial data in one place, with real-time analytics and customized reports at your fingertips. Hub Analytics is a financial platform that streamlines bookkeeping operations, so you can focus on what really matters—delivering high-quality results for your clients. With Hub's easy-to-use tools, you’ll save time, reduce errors, and gain deeper insights into your clients' financials! Ready to take your bookkeeping to the next level? Book a demo to learn more and start your FREE trial TODAY!

“Practice is what gives the consistent and reliable delivery of whatever you're mastering. So for me, I remind myself that I'm not faking, I'm becoming, I'm working on it until I become it.” -Michelle Quiñonez Michelle Quiñonez, CEO and partner at Financial Stories Inc, shares how childhood play led to a lifelong love for administration and business building. She opens up about her journey from stay-at-home mom to entrepreneur, and how her passion for structure and growth fueled the launch of a full-service accounting firm alongside her CPA co-founder. In this episode, you’ll learn… Why keeping your word to yourself matters The impact of joining a CEO peer group Simple time-blocking that actually works To learn more about Michelle, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Time Stamp 00:53 - Michelle’s early influences: childhood office play & college mentorship 02:11 - MBA shift & why she chose the accounting field 04:04 - Founding her first solo business as a stay-at-home mom 05:01 - Pain points with external tax firms & why she co-founded Financial Stories 06:50 - Merging systems, hiring, remote tech stack & onboarding 08:19 - Surprises: how hard it is to find good people & differences in accounting roles 09:51 - Personal transformation, CEO roundtable, imposter syndrome reframed 12:00 - Time management 14:18 - Why business growth is about daily consistency & reps 16:35 - How Lisa Campbell & A2A influenced Michelle’s mindset & systems 19:45 - Setting clear intentions to stay present with her family 22:39 - Keeping your word—to yourself & how that shifted everything 25:47 - Visualizing success, parenting parallels & trusting your own word 31:33 - Her experience with Profit First & how it supports delegation 34:48 - Where to connect with Michelle This episode is brought to you by our great friends at Hub Analytics! Imagine having all your financial data in one place, with real-time analytics and customized reports at your fingertips. Hub Analytics is a financial platform that streamlines bookkeeping operations, so you can focus on what really matters—delivering high-quality results for your clients. With Hub's easy-to-use tools, you’ll save time, reduce errors, and gain deeper insights into your clients' financials! Ready to take your bookkeeping to the next level? Book a demo to learn more and start your FREE trial TODAY!

“Just start small. Just start doing it. It'll take a while, most likely to kind of build. So start even before you feel like a hundred percent ready. Just start. It's a lot of it the first year or so, it's just like kind of practice too.” -Morgan Law Morgan Law, founder of Fine Points Bookkeeping and a popular YouTuber, shares how she transitioned from corporate life and copy editing to part-time bookkeeping, and eventually into full-time content creation. Morgan's story is packed with actionable advice for anyone starting or growing a bookkeeping business. During this interview, you'll learn... How to build a thriving YouTube channel Why confidence, clarity & community are key for new bookkeepers How free certifications like the QuickBooks ProAdvisor program can jumpstart your journey Click here to learn more about Morgan. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Check out her YouTube channel at this link. Time Stamp 00:27 - Morgan’s Journey to Bookkeeping 01:49 - Early Hurdles in Starting a Business 02:37 - Starting on YouTube 03:54 - First Breakthrough Video 04:44 - Challenges with Growth 05:45 - YouTube vs Bookkeeping Today 06:36 - Common Struggles for Bookkeepers 08:32 - Content That Resonates 10:04 - Should Bookkeepers Start a Channel? 11:29 - Getting Started on YouTube 12:53 - Growth Timeline & Milestones 14:02 - Bookkeeping Today vs 10 Years Ago 18:53 - Favorite Tools & AI Experiments 20:14 - Resources for Listeners 22:02 - Value of Facebook groups & online communities This episode is brought to you by our friends at Dext! Dext handles transaction capture, keeps your data accurate, and even simplifies e-commerce reconciliation, all in one place.  Join thousands of bookkeepers and accountants who’ve already made the switch. If you're ready to save time, reduce errors, and make bookkeeping more efficient, Dext is for you! Go to thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com/dext to book a demo TODAY and see how it can transform the way you work!

“By offering corporate services, compliance services, payroll and sales tax registration services to their clients, they're actually not only enhancing their trusted advisory services, but they're also scaling their revenues, increasing their revenues. More importantly, they are keeping that client with them long term because they're becoming a one-stop shop.” -Nellie Akalp Nellie Akalp, CEO of CorpNet.com, shares how bookkeepers and accounting professionals can elevate their advisory role, boost retention, and increase revenue—all by helping clients with business formations, payroll tax registration, BOI filings, and more. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why compliance services are a natural extension of bookkeeping Flexible ways to earn (referral, reseller, or hybrid) What bookkeepers get wrong about forming LLCs and S-corps To learn more about Nellie, click here.  Connect with her on LinkedIn. Time Stamp 2:36 – Nellie’s Background 05:43 – Why Compliance Services Matter 09:02 – Practical Compliance Support 13:21 – The Revenue Potential of Compliance 18:06 – Bookkeepers as Strategic Partners 22:41 – Getting Started with Compliance 27:51 – Embracing Compliance as a Growth Area This episode is brought to you by our friends at Dext! Dext handles transaction capture, keeps your data accurate, and even simplifies e-commerce reconciliation, all in one place.  Join thousands of bookkeepers and accountants who’ve already made the switch. If you're ready to save time, reduce errors, and make bookkeeping more efficient, Dext is for you! Go to thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com/dext to book a demo TODAY and see how it can transform the way you work!

“Go out, stick your hand out, say hello and start talking. It's not easy, but over time it becomes easier and it's definitely worthwhile just creating the relationships either virtually or physically in the community.” -Holly Corcoran Holly Corcoran, owner and CEO of Corcoran Business Advisory Services, shares her journey from running a traditional CPA firm to launching a virtual, advisory-focused business that specializes in veterinary practices. She explains why she chose this niche, the value of niching down, and the importance of collaboration between bookkeepers and accountants. In this episode, you’ll also learn… Why collaboration between bookkeepers & CPAs leads to better client outcomes What bookkeepers can do to build strong, lasting partnerships with accounting firms The benefits of focusing on a specific niche like veterinary practices To learn more about Holly, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Time Stamp 00:22 – Holly‘s transition from traditional CPA to advisory work 01:41 – How Holly got into veterinary advisory 03:41 – Benefits of niching & the unique needs of veterinary clients 06:10 – Developing branding, virtual practice setup & publishing her book 07:16 – Role of bookkeepers in Holly’s advisory model & collaborative opportunities 09:02 – Key qualities of a good bookkeeping partner & working relationship dynamics 11:30 – Red flags bookkeepers should watch for when partnering with CPAs 13:42 – Virtual firm structure & plans for national exposure in the veterinary space 16:07 – Holly’s strategy for outreach & educational webinars 17:56 – Perceptions and misconceptions between CPAs & bookkeepers 20:42 – The value of outsourcing, avoiding DIY traps & preventing fraud 24:44 – Encouragement for bookkeepers to connect with CPAs & overcome intimidation 27:20 – Final thoughts on consistency, outreach & building strategic relationships This episode is brought to you by our friends at Dext! Dext handles transaction capture, keeps your data accurate, and even simplifies e-commerce reconciliation, all in one place.  Join thousands of bookkeepers and accountants who’ve already made the switch. If you're ready to save time, reduce errors, and make bookkeeping more efficient, Dext is for you! Go to thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com/dext to book a demo TODAY and see how it can transform the way you work!