The Successful Bookkeeper Podcast

“Does it need to be done right or does it need to be done by you?” -Jamie Van Cuyk Imagine what you might be able to accomplish if you surrounded yourself with the right people. Learning to let go of our desire to do everything ourselves, can unlock an organization’s true potential. So many businesses struggle to find the right employees because their focus has become too narrow. Shaking the bonds of our set ways can be tough, but if we don’t, we’ll always be doing more than we need to. Jamie Van Cuyk, a small business consultant who owns Growing Your Team, talks about overcoming the challenges of hiring the right help, at the right time. Her approach enables businesses to let go of the idea that only they can maintain their processes effectively. Helping them instead to find the right people, which saves time, services more customers and increases profitability. During this interview, you'll learn... How to build processes you can trust while being open to innovation The importance of good training & trusting your employees to get it done How to let go, so your business can grow! Learn more about Jamie here. You can listen to her Growing Your Team Podcast at this link. Check out her socials: LinkedIn Facebook Instagram Pinterest Time Stamps 1:14 - Jamie’s Journey 3:40 - The struggles of hiring 4:55 - The difficulties of growing your team 7:10 - Learning to let go & trust your processes 12:33 - Getting out of our own way 13:40 - The Stair-Step approach 18:50 - Humility in the face of innovation 23:30 - Knowing the right time to hire 27:30 - Jamie answers the important questions 30:35 - Knowing the right person for you 33:00 - The pros & cons of personality tests 35:40 - The focus of Grow Your Team

“We are their shields and protectors.” - Janet Mercredi By putting the right systems in place, financial security, fun and freedom are natural results. When you connect with others and learn to be open to guidance and support, successful business planning becomes much easier. Putting in the work is critical, but so is having a plan that sets systems working for you. Janet Mercredi, certified Profit First professional and business coach, talks about the action steps she put in place to overcome her insecurities, create a thriving bookkeeping business, and go on to coach others to achieve their dreams. During this interview, you'll learn... How to navigate the ups & downs of creating a successful bookkeeping enterprise How to design your own winning ticket for success The importance of surrounding yourself with the right people and resources Learn more about Janet here. To book a call with her, click this link. To send an email, contact her at janet@jkmstrategies.com. Check out her socials: Facebook LinkedIn Time Stamps 2:00 - Janet’s career journey 4:00 - A change in direction 7:11 - The search for a better way 9:18 - Janet talks about the positive shifts in her business 12:14 - Creating our own success 14:00 - Accelerate to advisor 17:51 - The up’s and the down’s 20:30 - Janet talks about the importance of connection 23:00 - From bookkeeping to coaching 29:20 - The entrepreneurial myth 33:00 - Janet talks about the rewards of her journey

Networking and sales. For any introverted bookkeeper, those two things can sound daunting and terrifying. This week’s guest understands that because he’s an introvert too, but he didn’t let that stop him from achieving his greatness. Matthew Pollard, who is the founder and CEO of Rapid Growth LLC and the author of The Introvert’s Edge To Networking, discovered that being an introvert didn’t make him a second class citizen. He realized he had advantages over extroverts which ultimately made him a success. During this interview, you'll learn... The importance of having a sales system How having a niche & storytelling can help make selling easier Why bookkeepers should stop believing they need to be an extrovert to be good at networking & sales Connect with Matthew on LinkedIn. To learn more about him, visit his website.  To get the first chapter of The Introvert’s Edge To Networking for free, click here.  Time Stamps 1:17 - About Matthew’s career & his discovery that he could be an introvert & successful salesperson 14:01 - How introverts can survive in sales despite the belief that it’s an extrovert arena 17:03 - The importance of having a networking and sales system 21:00 - Why you should differentiate yourself 21:48 - The power of storytelling when selling 34:46 - Don’t make excuses, find a mentor & start learning

Welcome to 2022! We hope you had a great holiday season. This week we are revisiting our awesome panel of bookkeepers for part two of our Year-In-Review! We are joined by a terrific bookkeeping panel who will share what they have learned in 2021. They talk about what strategies worked, what strategies failed and what they will carry into the new year as they plan for the future. Our panel includes: Debbie Roberts - Co-Founder of Pure Bookkeeping & Co-Author of E-Myth Bookkeeper  Julie Watson - Director of Bookkeeping Relief Business Services & Australian Pure Bookkeeping licensee Jessica Fox -  Founder of Florida Virtual Bookkeeper & American Pure Bookkeeping licensee Teresa Slack - Co-Founder of Financly & Canadian Pure Bookkeeping licensee Katrina Aarsman - CEO of Pure Bookkeeping Australia During this interview, you'll learn... The best strategies & industry trends of 2021 What they have learned from failure & what they will bring into the new year Their envisioned plans for their businesses in 2022  Listen to The Successful Bookkeeper Year-In-Review Show! Part 1 here.   Time Stamps 1:45 - Strategies that led to great results in 2021 5:54 - Failed approaches & what to do better in the year ahead 19:45 - Biggest industry trends 31:01 - Plans for their businesses in 2022

With 2022 right around the corner, it is time to reflect on what we have learned this year and plan for the year ahead. We are joined by an amazing bookkeeping panel who recount their biggest surprises, greatest setbacks and most heartwarming stories of the year.  Our panel includes: Debbie Roberts - Co-Founder of Pure Bookkeeping & Co-Author of E-Myth Bookkeeper  Julie Watson - Director of Bookkeeping Relief Business Services & Australian Pure Bookkeeping licensee Jessica Fox -  Founder of Florida Virtual Bookkeeper & American Pure Bookkeeping licensee Teresa Slack - Co-Founder of Financly & Canadian Pure Bookkeeping licensee Katrina Aarsman - CEO of Pure Bookkeeping Australia During this interview, you'll learn... The biggest surprises of 2021 How our panel dealt with the stress of working during the pandemic The important role the bookkeeping community played in enabling resilience & preventing isolation Don’t miss next week’s Year-In-Review episode, Part 2,  where our panel will discuss what strategies led to great results in 2021!   Time Stamps 3:20 - The biggest surprise of 2021 16:34 - Setbacks of this year 19:14 - Heartwarming stories of the year 26:18 - Heartbreaks of 2021

What makes a great leader? Yes, there are many traits including when someone desires and is committed to making a positive impact in her organization. Our guest knows something about this. Jean Latting is the president of Leading Consciously, an organization that provides clients practical, sustainable solutions to flourish in diverse, multicultural settings and help leaders identify their strengths and weaknesses to maximize their potential.  She joins us this week to talk about how bookkeepers can establish better community-building practices and gives advice on how to empower leaders with patience and resilience to improve communication and enable inclusion. During this interview, you'll learn... What it means to be a change leader How to empower people to inspire real impact Why patience is important in communication Connect with Jean on LinkedIn. Learn more about Leading Consciously & the Pathfinders Program on their website and Facebook page. Time Stamps 1:30 - Jean’s career journey 8:17 - Empowering people to become leaders of change 25:30 - Why having support networks can help you be more patient & less reactive 28:52 - Working with multicultural communities

The power of realizing that you are enough. That mindset shift is profoundly powerful & can enable incredible growth in your business. Leveraging the support of coaches or mentors can help you begin to break down mindset barriers & develop a clearer business trajectory.  Kristy Fairbairn, founder of The Business Oasis & Pure Bookkeeping licensee, joins us this week to talk about her journey becoming a bookkeeping business owner. She shares her experience working with mentors & coaches and how it has helped grow her business.  During this interview, you'll learn... The difference between a mentor & a coach  Why it’s important to invest in yourself as a business owner How changing your mindset can help develop your business Connect with Kristy on LinkedIn. Learn more about The Business Oasis on their website and Facebook page.   Time Stamps 1:41 - Kristy’s career journey 10:15 - Getting the support of mentors & coaches and how that has contributed to her personal & professional development 23:39 - The mindset shift that changed her bookkeeping business

Most bookkeeping business owners have very busy schedules. But what if that busyness is costing you business?  Our guest this week breaks down the dangers of busyness and how it can impact our creativity & ability to do deep work.  We are joined by Juliet Funt, CEO of the Juliet Funt Group, a training and consulting firm that helps organizations, their leaders and employees flip the norms of business in order to reclaim their creativity, productivity, and engagement. She is also the author of “A Minute to Think: Reclaim Creativity, Conquer Busyness and Do Your Best Work”. She explains the benefits of a Results-Only work environment & shares with us valuable tips on how business owners can start to regain control of their time. During this interview, you'll learn... The importance of time sketching & ensuring you have time between meetings How to move toward a zero notification lifestyle  Why you should consider an interval schedule for checking your e-mail Connect with Juliet on LinkedIn. Learn more about Juliet Funt Group here. Buy her book, A Minute to Think here.   Time Stamps  1:51 - Juliet’s career journey 6:05 - How busy-ness can cost you business 11:17 - Why we are not living in a 9 to 5 world anymore 13:09 - How Juliet created a results-only work environment 18:46 - Coaching demonstration - becoming the architect of your own time

Inspiration & resilience. These are two essential ingredients that enable entrepreneurs to adapt & thrive in the face of adversity. Our guest this week knows that going through difficult times can be profoundly transformational. Stephanie Kelcey, owner of Capture Bookkeeping Inc, joins us this week to share her journey as a bookkeeping business owner and to talk about how a critical illness changed her life & her business.  During this interview, you'll learn... Stephanie’s journey as a business owner The mindset shift every new entrepreneur needs to make  How she found inspiration in her darkest moments Connect with Stephanie on LinkedIn. Learn more about Capture Bookkeeping Inc on their website. Check out Lisa Campbell’s Accelerate 2 Advisor program here. A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT for Successful Bookkeeper podcast listeners!! Join us December 2nd, 2021 at The Successful Bookkeeper Summit - a two-day free virtual event featuring inspiring speakers from the bookkeeping, accounting and business worlds!  To save your free spot, CLICK HERE.   Time Stamps 2:57 - Stephanie’s career journey  7:46 - Shifting from a mindset of an employee to the mindset of an owner 13:54 - Making the decision to keep running her business while battling cancer 18:39 - How critical illness inspired her to improve her business 31:30 - Taking Lisa Campbell’s Accelerate 2 Advisor program & how it changed her business

The hesitation to initiate with potential clients. Many business owners and entrepreneurs struggle with this self-imposed barrier. It is a fear preventing otherwise talented salespeople from recognizing and promoting their value to prospective buyers. Our guest this week is a recognized sales expert who is focused on tackling sales call reluctance. For the last 25 years, she has trained and coached thousands of sales professionals in hundreds of companies, large & small. A noted authority on sales productivity, Connie Kadansky joins us this week to talk about how to break free from mental habits that conspire to keep us from being successful.  During this interview, you'll learn... How to identify sales call reluctance  The 4-step system to overcome it Ways to shift your mindset & leverage your strengths to grow your business Connect with Connie on LinkedIn. Learn more about Exceptional Sales Performance on their website. Take the sales call reluctance assessment here. A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT for Successful Bookkeeper podcast listeners!! Join us December 2nd, 2021 at The Successful Bookkeeper Summit - a two-day free virtual event featuring inspiring speakers from the bookkeeping, accounting and business worlds!  To save your free spot, CLICK HERE. Time Stamps 1:52 - Connie’s career journey 3:56 - Shifting your mindset to overcome sales call reluctance 12:28 - Four steps to grow your business: Step 1 - Bringing awareness to your strengths & measuring your costs 15:22 - Step 2 - Assessing your call reluctance 20:26 - Step 3 - Admitting your vulnerability 26:27 - Step 4 - Apply proven techniques