The Successful Bookkeeper Podcast

"It really is a service that you're selling. And I think separating that from yourself is massive, because if you tie it to yourself and people keep saying no, it's going to take a hit to your confidence. There's a lot of mindset that goes into it." -Brittany Dixon Productivity is more than filling a calendar with as many events and clients as possible. To be truly productive, we have to be moving towards our ideal of business success. Whether that is scaling the business, freeing up time or earning more money. Often, we overestimate how quickly we can get things done; we also underestimate how much work we actually have to do. When was the last time you blocked off time in your calendar for your admin, rather than tackling it at any and all hours of the day and night? Brittany Dixon, CEO of Brittany & Co Consulting, is this episode's featured guest. She has spent her career helping people shift their mindsets away from being busy for the sake of it, to a mindset that is focused on consistency and the true value of your work. If you are struggling to get organized, unsure about what productivity looks like in your bookkeeping business, or want to start your journey to consistent success, this is the episode for you to get thinking about your future in a different way. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of planning in successful businesses How to set consistent goals The importance of learning to pivot To find out more about Brittany, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Instagram. Time Stamps 01:57 - Brittany discusses her career journey 03:44 - Learning to pivot 05:12 - Shifting to a value-based mindset 08:20 - Embracing the spirit of adventure 12:42 - Planning & building a business to fuel your freedom 14:05 - Setting attainable goals 17:35 - Building consistency in your business 20:24 - Getting good at planning 26:15 - Blocking your time 29:53 - How Brittany can help you

"We've got to invest in ourselves, and if we're too busy working on the wrong things, as a leader, we've got to invest in the future and be looking forward." -Carla Caldwell How busy we are has a direct link to how successful and useful we feel. The problem with this comes from busying ourselves with monotonous and repetitive, easy-to-do tasks that take our attention and time away from the things only we can do. Delegating tasks isn't easy, maybe we haven't given effective training or set the necessary expectations, or maybe we are micromanaging and giving ourselves twice the work. Delegation is a balance, one in which you must trust your leadership skills to have the things that can be done by anyone organized for you, freeing up your time, energy and intention towards the things only you can do. Carla Caldwell, founder of Caldwell Consulting & Training, is this episode's featured guest. She has spent her career helping accounting teams to modernize and grow beyond what they thought was possible. She dives into what it takes to create confidence as a leader, how to master delegation and what can happen in your business when you're open to learning from others. If you are struggling with reclaiming your time or aren't sure how to lead your team to success, then this episode will get you thinking about what the right kind of busyness looks like. During this interview, you'll learn... How to find confidence as a leader What it means to have a modern accounting practice The importance of mastering delegation To find out more about Carla, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Time Stamps 01:34 - Carla discusses her career journey 04:06 - Finding the confidence to be a leader 07:11 - The must-reads for small business owners 09:55 - What it means to have a modern accounting practice 16:33 - The right kind of busy 19:11 - Freeing up your calendar 22:41 - Mastering delegation 28:58 - Taking your firm to the next level 30:24 - Leveraging AI

"We're not going to go back to the way it used to be. We have to accept where we are and explore how to move forward from here." -Erin Daiber What makes a great leader? This isn't a question with only one answer. That is why good leadership is so rare. Being successful in the moment is no good if it makes us unwilling to adapt to change, in the same way being scared of the flow of the future limits us from making confident and decisive choices for our businesses. Leadership though, has never been about what we tell people to do. It is how we work and grow with our teams and clients. How we adapt to changes and stressors, the way we treat people under pressure and how we value and care for ourselves and others. Erin Daiber, CEO of Well Balanced Accountants, is this episode's featured guest. She speaks to the need for a growth mindset in good leadership, one that champions adaptability, self-care, and communication, to create those skills that will lead your business to a brighter future. If you are struggling to engage with your team or clients, finding it hard to accept or adapt to the rapid pace of change, or just want to manage everything without feeling so on edge or burnt out, then this is the episode to get you thinking about what the future could look like and how to get there in one piece. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of communication in healthy leadership How to shift your mindset to the growth edge The importance of finding the right people for your team To find out more about Erin, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Time Stamps 01:42 - Erin discusses her recent experiences 03:18 - Tackling the challenges of the moment 06:22 - Finding our growth edge 08:15 - Shifting our mindset 11:51 - The ingredients of a great leader 15:24 - Building virtual teams 21:44 - The right person for the right role 28:01 - Making AI work for us 31:45 - Getting connected with Erin

"If you don't have the right bookkeeper, your business is not going to be around very long!" -Joey Coleman Building a business is often a process of trial and error. We adapt to crises as they happen, rather than planning and preparing to avoid them in the first place. This is true not only in how we take on clients, (clients that prove to be more work than we thought) but also in how we hire new employees. Hiring anyone to just fill a seat then wondering why they aren't performing is a common issue among new businesses. We forget it is us who must teach our employees, on top of all the other demands of business. When you systematize your processes and prioritize employee engagement and client satisfaction, you'll create a business that not only retains clients and employees for longer but creates a blueprint for anyone to slip into and create success for you. Joey Coleman, a speaker and author, is this episode's featured guest. He has spent his career designing creative ways to help businesses engage their customers and employees. By focusing on building connections, creating effective processes and systems, and trusting your employees, your business can't be anything other than successful. If you are wondering why your client relationships are sour, or why that new hire isn't just magically fixing all of your problems, this is the episode to teach you everything you need to know about keeping your clients and employees for the long term. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of building healthy & open connections How to retain your employees & clients for the long run The importance of systems & processes in business success To find out more about Joey, click here. Connect with him on LinkedIn. Time Stamps 02:12 - Joey discusses his career journey 05:57 - Two sides of the same coin 07:28 - Finding our focus 09:52 - Never losing an employee again 23:34 - Pay for it now, or pay for it later 27:40 - Giving our employees their time back 35:10 - Creating mentoring success 38:40 - What works for us?

"Storage isn't what's attacked, it's access. People steal access, they steal credentials, usernames and passwords from users, and access data illegally from anywhere, it's not about the location." -Jamie Beresford As the tools that help make running our business evolve, so too are the tools scammers and fraudsters apply against us. Keeping our businesses and clients safe from data theft is not easy. Most of us are bookkeepers, not cyber security specialists. In this latest spotlight episode, Jamie Beresford, the CEO of Practice Protect, discusses what it takes to control access to client data, manage and mitigate risks and keep ourselves safe online. Jamie's company works exclusively with bookkeepers to keep us protected from the bad actors online who use AI and other technology to gain access to our data. While ransomware and denial of service attacks can cause us grief, newer technology is allowing fraudsters to slip in unnoticed and redirect information at will. Meaning it can be months before you realize the numbers just aren't adding up properly. If you are concerned about the implications of new tech on your business, this is the episode to get you looking in the right direction to protect your firm from any attacks. During this interview, you'll learn... How to navigate evolving technologies How to protect access to your data The importance of securely backing up your data To find out more about Jamie, click here. To learn more about Practice Protect to see if it's a fit for your business, visit this link. Time Stamps 01:21 - Jamie talks about his career journey 02:34 - Navigating the complexities of evolving technology 04:38 - How to protect access to your data 07:37 - Getting to grips with secure data transfer 12:39 - Securing your accounts 14:29 - Safeguarding guidelines for finance companies 18:48 - Protecting client data 20:48 - Securely backing up your data 23:01 - Getting help from Practice Protect

"When we know the why, we'll figure out the how!" -Amanda McKinney We all aspire to be confident. To have faith in our skills and conviction of trust in our knowledge that any challenge can be overcome. The problem is confidence is built through trial and error. Is it any wonder so many of us are paralyzed into inaction when we want the confidence to act, but lack it because we haven't done the very thing that creates it. It is okay to be scared and to lack confidence. What matters most is connecting to your true reason for creating your business. If you know for sure what your why is, you will keep moving toward it no matter the obstacles and unforeseen challenges put in your way. Amanda McKinney, host of The Unapologetic Entrepreneur Podcast and author, is this episode's featured guest. She has spent her career following her passion to help business owners define their own success and create businesses that build into your life, not overtake it. If you are struggling to get a true bearing for your life, feeling twisted and tumbled by ever uncertainty, then this is the episode to get you focused on what really matters and give you the courage to chase your dream, no matter the challenges. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of finding your true why How to get comfortable talking about the bumps in the road The importance of courage in building confidence To find out more about Amanda, click here. Listen to her podcast at this link. Buy her book, Why Not You? here. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Instagram. Time Stamps 01:43 - Amanda talks about her career journey 04:32 - Getting comfortable talking about the bumps in our journey 09:45 - Figuring it out, one step at a time 13:55 - What are other people going to think and why do we care 14:52 - Searching for your true why 16:45 - Amanda talks about her book, Why Not You? 26:48 - Uncovering your confidence 34:30 - Finding your people 36:15 - Amanda shares her top tips for Successful Bookkeeper listeners 38:35 - The Unapologetic Entrepreneur Podcast

"I wanted to show people the path that I took, avoiding all the mistakes that I made. And just do the direct line from A to B." -Lisa Campbell Our businesses often begin from the intersection of our desire for financial security with something we are good at. But in creating a business we often fail to ask ourselves a basic but important question… Why? Why are we doing this? Is it just for the money, a desire to help people, wanting to feel or be seen as successful? How will you ever get to an 'end' result for your business if you don't know why you are doing it beyond earning money and if the goal is just to earn money, what would happen if you looked deeper at your plans for your money? Lisa Campbell, founder of Accelerate 2 Advisor, is this episode's featured guest. She has spent her career helping people find the proven path to success. By starting with finding your why and following tried and tested methods for reaching it, she gives her clients the tools to level up beyond what they thought was possible. If you are struggling to figure out why you are doing what you're doing and are looking for a like-minded community to learn from then this is the episode for you! During this interview, you'll learn... The value of finding your why How to follow the proven paths to success The importance of community in building a better future To find out more about Lisa, click here. To learn about Accelerate 2 Advisor, visit this link. Connect with Lisa on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Time Stamps 01:52 - Lisa discusses her experiences since she last appeared on this podcast 03:18 - Taking a chance on a better future 05:13 - The power of Pure Bookkeeping 08:20 - The next big shift 10:45 - Everybody has a why 12:01 - Creating the mastermind class 17:20 - What the future holds 23:51 - Bringing you the content you want 27:44 - Building a brighter future This episode is brought to you by The Accelerator Method Masterclass Series. Learn how to provide high-value advisory work to ALL of your clients plus much more! REGISTER NOW :)

"People don't realize that they always think 'I eat as a reflex to being stressed', but you can reverse engineer it and choose foods that shut down your stress response." -Julie Daniluk For many of us, the goal of building a successful business is centred around the hopes that we have to provide security and freedom for ourselves and our families. Unfortunately, the drive to create this success is often the thing that causes us to fall back on unhealthy ways of living. Stress causes a vast number of chronic health conditions that ultimately end up restricting our ability to live happily, coupled with a poor diet from spending all our time working and spending large chunks of the day immobile at our desks. A pattern of poor health begins to emerge that can have serious consequences on our long-term health. Julie Daniluk is a nutritionist, best-selling author and coach at Daniluk Consulting Inc. In this episode, she breaks down the impact of stress on our long-term health and explores the right foods and snacks to help us live longer and happier. If you have found yourself feeling sluggish, irritable or struggling to get moving after so long behind a screen, then this episode will give you the keys to unlocking a long and healthy life. During this interview, you'll learn... The long-term benefits of good longevity How to make better choices when you feel stressed The importance of finding the right foods & snacks for you To find out more about Julie, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter. Time Stamps 01:35 - Julie discusses her career journey 05:48 - Confronting the challenges of a changing world 08:55 - Making better food choices for stress 16:04 - Finding the right snack for you 21:40 - Getting portion sizes right 30:34 - The long-term benefits of good longevity 34:33 - Getting connected with Julie

"When you're faced with decisions, don't necessarily jump on what will be the next logical step of growth, always come back to, 'Why did you start your business and what do you want to get out of it?'" -Jessica Fox What is right for you? There is enormous value in community connection, in group thinking to solve complex issues and create spaces for the sharing of best practices. But when trying to overcome limiting beliefs, too much time spent in the crowd can add pressure we don't need to be successful. Your definition of success matters, if you only ever set out to build a business that would support your needs, of course, you are going to feel stressed and pressured by the people around you with different or 'bigger' dreams. In this second part of a two-part interview with Jessica Fox, owner of Florida Virtual Bookkeeper, she explores what it means to value yourself and so much more! During this interview, you'll also learn... The value of standing out from the crowd How to overcome our paralyzing fears The importance of working to build community To find out more about Jessica, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter. Here's her company website. Time Stamps 02:01 - Working to build community 07:17 - Standing out from the crowd 13:20 - Overcoming the fear that paralyzes us 19:10 - Finding the right price for you 23:04 - Building a business that brings you joy This episode is brought to you by The Accelerator Method Masterclass Series. Learn how to provide high-value advisory work to ALL of your clients plus much more! REGISTER NOW :)

"I need the community to be able to bounce ideas for, to be inspired by, and I find it's also very rewarding to pay it forward, helping someone else charges my battery. I ride this high the rest of the day because I helped make someone else's journey better." -Jessica Fox We have all experienced limiting beliefs, whether in our personal or professional lives. We whisper to ourselves. "I'm not good enough", "I can't do this" or "Everyone else is so much better at this than me." The way we talk to and about ourselves becomes who we are. Negative self-talk becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, trapping us into existing in constant doubt and insecurity. Despite all of us knowing how uncomfortable these feelings are, we often never stop to realize, it is us who have willed them into being with our own beliefs. But, if it is possible for us to feel that badly, then it is also possible for us to feel good about ourselves too. In this first of a two-part interview, Jessica Fox, owner of Florida Virtual Bookkeeper, talks about the power of belief in overcoming limiting mindsets. She has spent her career not only supporting businesses to build their dreams but also in supporting other bookkeepers to find their self-belief and change their limiting mindset. If you are having doubts about your business, lacking direction, focus or motivation to create your dream business, then this is the episode to help you begin a shift in your mindset that will help unlock your full potential. During this interview, you'll learn... The value of belief in achieving your goals How overcoming limiting mindsets can unlock your potential The importance of finding your community To find out more about Jessica, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter. Here's her company website. Time Stamps 02:27 - Jessica discusses her career journey 06:34 - Overcoming a limited mindset 10:14 - Finding your community 12:18 - The journey to Pure Bookkeeping 17:23 - Getting out of our own heads 21:25 - Pure commitment 26:50 - Why not me? 30:10 - The seven secrets to growing your business This episode is brought to you by The Accelerator Method Masterclass Series. On July 10th at 4pm Eastern, learn how to provide high-value advisory work to ALL of your clients plus much more! REGISTER NOW before it's too late!