The Successful Bookkeeper Podcast

“If you have the belief, you can’t get off that rat wheel…you’re not going to reach out for something to build the skills to help you.” -Sharon Francisco The wheel keeps turning and if we are not careful, we can end up trapped chasing the same things that aren’t working for us. Belief is a key component in the mindset of successful people. Very rarely do people master a skill on the first attempt. They become masters by believing that with every practice attempt, their abilities will improve.   If your environment and the people in it aren't serving to help lift you up to new heights, it might be time to consider a change of metaphorical scenery. To seek out a better space and people who can teach you the valuable skills you feel you are missing.   Sharon Francisco, an Australian bookkeeping business mentor, is this episode’s featured guest. She speaks about the need for belief and confidence when building a business and explores the key assets that will set the firms of the future apart. Her approach to mentorship sees bookkeepers overcome their barriers and limited beliefs, by getting hands-on with the aspects of business that have previously scared them.   Whether you are struggling with pricing, or which niche to focus on, or how to hire the right people, you will only get better with practice. If you need that push, that injection of courage to get off the wheel and start moving in the direction of true success, this is the episode for you!   During this interview, you'll learn... The value of developing your niche skills to charge premium prices What the future of business is going to look like The importance of building a positive environment for your bookkeeping business   Click here to find out more about Sharon or connect with her on LinkedIn.   Time Stamps        01:38 - Michael & Sharon catch up 03:20 - Overcoming the barriers to success 07:38 - Building a positive environment   11:43 - Working on your business, not just in it 19:18 - Firms of the future: the ingredients of success 26:50 - Building positive relationships & good impressions 31:42 - The nine projects - a road map to the future

“Leadership is something you do with people, not to people.” -Dr. Elizabeth Moran      We have all found ourselves at one time or another having to react to an unexpected change. Often those of us that go into business for ourselves do so to have more freedom and control over the decisions that will affect the long-term viability of our businesses.   Problems start to occur when we become so avoidant of change that we fail to address the concerns our employees or clients have in the choices and changes we make. But we do not have to fear change or be reactive and defensive to its presence in our lives.   Dr. Elizabeth Moran, an experienced leader, consultant, and coach is this episode’s featured guest. Dr. Moran has spent her career helping teams and organizations navigate and evolve through complex changes. She speaks powerfully to the need for curiosity when addressing change, the value of allowing yourself and your teams to explore and play with what the changes may mean, and how to take the time to reconnect with why you wanted to do what you do in the first place.   If you are struggling to adapt to change or find it challenging to evolve at the same pace as your teams, leaders, or other organizations, this is the episode to help you take a pause, dig into where you are placing your energy and intention, and get curious about what changes could really mean.   During this interview, you'll learn... The value in taking time to reflect on the impacts of change How to overcome resistance to change The importance of reconnecting with your why  Click here to find out more about Elizabeth.   Connect with her on LinkedIn.    Click here to pre-order Elizabeth’s new book, "Forward: Leading Your Team Through Change."   Time Stamps         01:51 - Elizabeth talks about her career journey 04:52 - The peaks & valleys of starting your own business 11:08 - Common mistakes facing leaders 16:42 - Understanding why we resist change 22:17 - Embracing the chaos of change 26:01 - The networks of our brain & how to engage them 29:41 - Taking a pause to truly reflect on what leadership means 33:38 - What it means to be a change maker 40:40 - Adapting, evolving, and overcoming 45:14 - What does change mean for me & why? 50:14 - Elizabeth talks about her new book  SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Don’t miss your LAST chance to get your free ticket to The Successful Bookkeeper Summit! Click here for more information!

“The minute you move into a leadership role, it's no longer about you.” –Shelli Warren   Being a great individual contributor doesn’t always make for the best leadership material. We all know someone who is great at what they do but struggles to scale those skills when put into a leadership position. When filling leadership roles too often we are looking for someone to fill a gap, when we should be looking for someone who will grow and fulfill the future needs of the business.   Stepping up can be a real challenge. It takes courage to seek out people that can help us on our journeys to becoming effective leaders and the will to take an honest account of our current skills and get focused on self-development.   Shelli Warren, a team and leadership coach with Biz Chix and host of the Stacking Your Team podcast, returns to The Successful Bookkeeper podcast this week. (Catch her previous episode here.) Shelli has spent her career developing people into leaders. Questioning, encouraging, and helping people from a range of industry backgrounds to understand what it really means to be a leader.   If you are struggling to break into a leadership role, or are currently in one, but don’t know why things just aren’t working the way you had hoped, this is the episode for you.   During this interview, you'll learn... The value of hiring for the future, not for a crisis How to upgrade your leadership skills The importance of understanding team dynamics Click here to learn more about Shelli and Biz Chix. Listen to the Stacking your Team Podcast here. Connect with her on LinkedIn.   Time Stamps   02:04 - Shelli talks about her career journey 04:02 - Shouldering responsibilities with grace 06:38 - The key skills of a good leader 13:32 - Good business leadership: a personal inventory 23:22 - Hiring for the future 27:28 - Why leadership skills are so rare 30:13 - Figuring out how to upgrade your leadership skills 39:14 - How to promote a team member into a leader: TSBK Summit sneak peek 42:20 - The perfect time to grow 45:46 - Where to find Shelli SPECIAL ANNOUCEMENT: Don’t miss a chance to get your free ticket to The Successful Bookkeeper Summit coming up on November 9th! Click here for more information!  

“LiveFlow gives the ability to create these very tailored dashboards. What's really good about that, is that it allows the bookkeepers to increase the fees for their services.” -Lasse Kalkar    Bookkeeping is not what it used to be. Clients are less willing to spend large sums of money on people to keep accounts when they can be easily kept by automated technology. The role of bookkeepers is changing, and those that are willing to embrace new technologies will be the ones that thrive in the bookkeeping advisory economy.   Lasse Kalkar, founder and CEO of LiveFlow, is this episode’s featured guest. He has spent his life filling the gaps for what the market needs, and his latest invention, LiveFlow revolutionizes the real-time ability of clients and bookkeepers to see their data in Google sheets and Microsoft Excel.   If you are tired of wasting hours manually inputting data and sending reports to your clients, this is the episode to get you thinking about what the future of your bookkeeping business could look like. Not only in how you share information with clients, but how through templates and sharing you could get immediate access to the best practice of some of the most skilled bookkeepers.   During this interview, you'll learn... The value of automating systems to save time How to offer better value & advice to your clients  The importance of believing in yourself & being persistent   Click here to find out more about Lasse.   Connect with Lasse on LinkedIn.   Click here to find out more about LiveFlow.   Time Stamps      02:18  - Lasse talks about his career journey 03:54 - Overcoming the obstacles of entrepreneurship 09:47 - Understanding LiveFlow 12:51 - The value in automated systems 20:34 - Getting to grips with formulas 27:25 - Live Flow and team building SPECIAL ANNOUCEMENT: Don’t miss a chance to get your FREE ticket to our upcoming Successful Bookkeeper Summit! Click here for more information!

“It’s marketing. Just saying bookkeeping is not as enticing as saying,  'I’m going to change your life!'" - Andrea MacKenzie   Sometimes success can take us by surprise. We can very quickly become overwhelmed by everything we have to get done. So much so, that when looking to scale our bookkeeping business, we are so desperate for help, we take the first person available. Having help though is never as useful or valuable as taking the time to find good help.   Andrea MacKenzie, founder of Lead with Harmony, is this episode’s featured guest. She is dedicated to assisting small business owners hire, develop, and lead great teams. Her approach is one of building a conscious leadership mindset, to help you create the right conditions to find, train and trust the right people in your business.   Energy attracts, and if you are hiring from a place of desperation, it’s likely you’ll only attract desperate people. Andrea speaks passionately about the need for getting your people processes right from the ground up, taking the time to really figure out who you are and what you need in others that supports business growth, not conflict and resentment.   If you are struggling to scale your bookkeeping business, butting heads with that quick hire you thought would be an answered prayer, or looking to develop your additional services but aren’t sure who to hire, this is the episode to help you get on the path to great, effective, and conscious leadership.   During this interview, you'll learn... The value of effective assessment in hiring employees How to identify the root causes of conflict & burnout The importance of overcoming limiting & negative mindsets Click here to find out more about Andrea.   Connect with Andrea on LinkedIn and Twitter   SPECIAL OFFER for The Successful Bookkeeper Podcast listeners: FREE Delegation Visualization Guided Audio to help you unlock what’s possible when you stop managing and start delegating!  Use this guided audio and the companion worksheets to tap into your desire to let go, get back your time, and grow... through delegation!  FREE with Special Code! (Regular Price: $37) Special Offer Code: SUCCESSFULBOOKKEEPER   Click here for a FREE Job Advertisement Checklist. Time Stamps 01:35 - Andrea talks about her career journey 06:00 - The power in how you think 10:44 - The challenges of hiring the right people 15:20 - Overcoming fear & limiting mindsets 18:21 - Identifying the root causes of conflict & burnout 22:52 - Assessing people effectively 31:12 - Conscious leadership 34:08 - Working with Andrea SPECIAL ANNOUCEMENT: Don’t miss your chance to get a FREE ticket to our upcoming Successful Bookkeeper Summit! Click here for more information!

“I want to do this, but I don’t really know how to do it, so you talk to people who have been there before that can help you on the way.” -Karla Dembik     Pennies become dollars far faster than most of us realize. Businesses (on balance) don’t fail because of a dramatic catastrophe; they suffer death from a thousand cuts. We often agree to all kinds of service and business fees, because we don’t know any better. But there are people out there who can help reduce costs and increase revenue without increasing your prices.   Karla Dembik, ex-army intelligence officer, helicopter pilot, and now the owner of Phoenix Payment Processing is this episode’s featured guest. Karla’s curious and inquisitive approach has helped her flourish in any of her chosen careers, and now she gives back to people that need a little extra help building their own road maps to success.   If you are struggling to know what to do with your bookkeeping business, if you’re drowning in additional costs and add-ons that are bleeding you dry every month, then this is the episode to help you create your own path to success. One that will let you draw on the knowledge of all those that have faced the same challenges, so you can focus on the heart of your business. Serving the people you want to help.   During this interview, you'll learn... The value of learning to ask the right questions How to increase revenue without increasing prices The importance of being open to change Click here to find out more about Karla.   Connect with her on LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook. Time Stamps        02:42 - Karla discusses her career journey 06:55 - Working as an army intelligence officer 09:32 - Learning to ask the right questions 13:35 - Building the road map to success 17:10 - The rise of a phoenix 19:25 - The trigger points of change 22:02 - Navigating starting your own business 25:20 - Embracing Aha moments 29:28 - Increasing revenue without increasing prices In other news... Don’t miss a chance to get your free ticket to The Successful Bookkeeper Summit! Click here for more information!

"Being passive or being a people pleaser in business is not a great way to get results." -Erin Daiber   Running a bookkeeping business isn’t easy. There are enough external challenges to contend with, without piling on internal ones of our own making. Too many of us aspire to be all things to all people. But this strategy only ever leads one way… to overextension and burnout.   There is a huge difference between being polite and being passive. You do not have to agree to every demand a client makes, nor should you. You will never be able to please everyone. It is far better to set healthy and effective boundaries instead. Ones that let you make and maintain polite and consistent connections while being firm and accurate about what is and what isn’t within your capacity to deliver.   Erin Daiber, CEO of Well Balanced Accountants is this episode’s featured guest. She is no stranger to the fears that come with running your own business, with the desire to people please everyone. In this episode, she speaks powerfully to the need for self-development work, and the need to find people who can help us avoid the same pitfalls and traps common in our industry.   If you are struggling to determine your purpose, overpromising and underdelivering, and failing to set healthy boundaries, this is the episode to help you break the scarcity mindset so you can create a bookkeeping business that delivers expertly on its promises.   During this interview, you'll learn... The value of coaching & learning in your personal development journey How to live with the fear of the unknown The importance of setting healthy boundaries Click here to find out more about Erin.   Connect with her on LinkedIn or Twitter   Don’t miss a chance to get your free ticket to The Successful Bookkeeper Summit. Click here for more information!   Time Stamps       01:25 - Erin talks about her career journey 04:15 - Overcoming the challenges of business 11:01 - Setting healthy boundaries 15:42 - Learning to live with the unknown 19:49 - Making peace with your inner child 22:21 - Encouraging your clients to explore themselves 26:27 - The value of finding the right coach for you 28:41 - Erin gives a sneak peek of her talk at the upcoming Successful Bookkeeper Summit

"It’s no longer enough just to provide services, you’ve got to really help the customer transform from where they are to where they want to be." -Ron Baker Welcome back to another spotlight session with your host Louie Prosperi, the third in our three-part series on subscription models for bookkeeping and accounting businesses. In order to get the most out of our businesses, we need to be really clear about what it is we want our customers to pay for. A service, the value of our knowledge and expertise in handling their needs, or access and transformative collaboration. It can feel uncomfortable to challenge the scarcity mindset, to step out of the math of the moment and look at the client’s lifetime value, but when you do, you’ll unlock a world of potential to work with clients, not just for them.  This episode’s featured guests are Ron Baker and Ed Kless, co-hosts of The Soul of Enterprise podcast. Together, they will discuss the power of tying your wealth and revenue not to a service, but to access to that service, to innovation and transformation that takes customers from where they are to where they want to be. As well as the need to find the right model to best serve your needs and relationships. Finding the right model to suit your business can be a challenge. If you are struggling to figure out who you are, and how and who you want to service, this is the episode to get you focused in on the best outcomes for your bookkeeping business.  During this interview, you'll learn... The value in offering transformation to clients, not just services How to find the right model for your bookkeeping business The importance of centering your relationships with clients  Visit this link to find out more about Ron. Connect with Ron on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Click here to pre-order his new book. Go to this link to find out more about Ed. Email Ed directly at ed.kless@sage.com. Connect with Ed on LinkedIn and Twitter. Connect with our new spotlight host Louie on LinkedIn. Don’t miss a chance to get your free ticket to The Successful Bookkeeper Summit. Click here for more information! Time Stamps   01:40 - Introducing Ron Baker & Ed Kless 03:44 - Subscription modeling for knowledge-based firms 06:40 - Putting the relationship first  08:55 - Consistently adding value to your offering  13:14 - Tying your revenue to access to services  17:23 - Understanding value in the subscription model  28:19 - Scaling up subscriptions  33:10 - Building a collaboration mindset  38:02 - Strategically plan the model you want  44:14 - Innovation in the subscription model  50:08 - Personalizing your relationships  55:33 - Connecting with Ron & Ed 

“There are plenty of fish in the sea, and by helping the people in my community, that’s going to raise the tide, which is going to rise all ships.” -Andrew Wall   Adapting to change is never easy. What we plan for versus what actually happens are often wildly different and can leave us feeling like we don’t really understand what we’re doing at all. Making plans and business building become much better when we shift our thinking from a mindset of having to be right about everything, to being open to learning anything.   Automated services may be slowly replacing traditional bookkeeping functions, but this isn’t anything to fear. When you figure out what value you are able to bring to the table, your business will no longer be about compliance and meeting deadlines, but a business that lets you forecast the future to keep your clients on the cutting edge.   Time spent worrying about whether you’ll have clients or not is wasted in the face of recognizing only you can do what you can do. When you’re passionate and love what you do, there is no other end result than learning, growing and becoming an expert in your field or niche. Our featured guest checks those boxes. Andrew Wall is the Managing Partner of CPA4IT, an accounting thought leader, and Friday Night Live with Accountants podcast host.   During this interview, you'll learn... The value of proper communication in healthy relationships How to evolve with ever-changing systems, processes & technologies The importance of being open to continuous learning Click here to find out more about Andrew’s business.   Connect with him on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter   Listen to Friday Night Live with Accountants at this link.   Don’t miss a chance to get your free ticket to The Successful Bookkeeper Summit that begins on November 9th, 2022! Click here for more information!   Time Stamps         02:21 - Andrew discusses his career journey 08:05 - Adapting to change to create the right conditions for growth 13:28 - The great accounting shift 18:21 - The future is bright 23:47 - Leveling up your learning 32:15 - Andrews shares his vision for the future 40:07 - Managing client expectations

“I’ve heard people get to 5-6 staff, and they’re making basically the exact same money they were at 2 staff. And that doesn’t make any sense!” -Louie Prosperi   All of us know what it feels like to learn from our mistakes. But we don’t often pause to think about just how much faster we could have realized them if we spent more time engaged with those in our industry that have walked our path before.   Of course, everyone has a different business experience. But that doesn’t mean you have to struggle along by yourself. There is a wealth of knowledge and experience out there, just waiting to be discovered.   Louie Prosperi, founder of Strategic Clarity and our new Spotlight session host, is this episode’s featured guest. Michael and Louie get to grips with the benefits of the right business model for the right business, the advantages of learning from others, and upcoming Successful Bookkeeper events.   If you are struggling and spending too much time working IN your business and not enough time working ON your business, be sure to follow the link below to sign up for free to join us for The Successful Bookkeeper Summit in November.   During this interview, you'll learn... The value of connecting with new communities How to get involved with The Successful Bookkeeper Summit in November The importance of crowdsourcing knowledge to build your bookkeeping business Click here to find out more about Louie.   Connect with Louie on LinkedIn and Twitter.   Click here to know more about upcoming Successful Bookkeeper events.   Don’t miss a chance to get your free ticket to The Successful Bookkeeper Summit on November 9, 2022! Click here for more information.   Time Stamps   01:38 - Louie talks about his career journey 03:43 - Michael & Louie talk about the new TSBK Spotlight sessions 06:55 - Preparing for The Successful Bookkeeper Summit 13:14 - The power of digital connection 21:14 - The future of The Successful Bookkeeper 26:23 - Discussion regarding the 2023 Tech Showcase