“I had no niche. I didn't know what I wanted to do. I knew the clients I really didn't like to work with. But they were also talking about, ‘You got to find your niche.’ And I'm like, ‘How do you find a niche?’”
-Leslee Hickerson

Leslee Hickerson shares her inspiring journey from a small Ontario town to becoming a successful bookkeeper and consultant specializing in law firms. She reflects on her challenges during the pandemic, her transformative decision to join the Pure Bookkeeping community, and the importance of finding clarity and direction through a niche focus in her business.

In this interview, you'll learn:

• The benefits of specializing in a niche for business success
• The value of certification in elevating your bookkeeping career
• Tips for conquering imposter syndrome & embracing growth opportunities

Connect with Leslee on LinkedIn.

Time Stamp:

00:53 - Leslee's Journey into Bookkeeping
05:58 - Navigating Challenges During COVID
11:56 - Finding Community & Support
17:59 - Narrowing Down to a Niche
24:00 - Transitioning to Advisory Services
29:52 - Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
36:05 - The Importance of Certification & Education

“You think that you're competing against other accountants, but for people who are just starting, you're competing against ‘free’. As far as they're concerned, ‘I've been doing my bookkeeping and I was doing fine and it didn't cost me anything, so why should I pay you?’”
-Keila Hill-Trawick

In this episode, Kyla Hill Treywick, founder and CEO of Little Fish Accounting, shares her journey into accounting and the lessons learned while building a thriving firm. She highlights the value of client relationships, effective team building, and maintaining a strong company culture to drive success.

In this episode, you’ll learn…

• How to overcome challenges in starting & scaling a business with a quality-first approach
• Building a strong team & company culture
• Embracing industry trends focused on collaboration & connection

To learn more about Keila, connect with her on LinkedIn.

Check out her company website here.

Time Stamp

01:37 - Keila’s career shift from corporate roles to launching an accounting firm
04:02 - Starting a business & refining services
07:44 - Overcoming challenges
12:20 - Evolving sales process
18:17 - Importance of diagnostics & addressing client needs up front
23:21 - Transitioning to relationship-focused services
26:28 - Prioritizing sustainable growth & intentional scaling
29:44 - Growing a remote team, managing turnover & fostering a strong company culture
34:27 - Embracing trends like collaboration, niching & human connection in accounting

“As a business owner, as an entrepreneur, I feel like there are 50 million things that I want and need to do all the time. So I find it very easy to get distracted. So I think about what are the top things that I need to put my attention towards, what are the biggest things that I want.  I've got this little sign on my wall up there, ‘Where your attention goes, the energy flows.’ And that has really helped keep me sort of focused. ”
-Stephanie Skryzowski

In this episode, Stephanie Skryzowski, founder and CEO of 100 Degrees Consulting, shares her inspirational journey from aspiring lawyer to leading a global consulting firm for nonprofits. Stephanie discusses how her passion for finance and impactful causes led her to create a thriving business, her innovative strategies for scaling her team, and the lessons she learned from challenges along the way.

In this episode, you’ll learn...

• Overcoming scope creep & setting boundaries for growth
• Scaling a remote team while maintaining a mission-driven focus
• Key lessons in building a niche business with robust systems
  

To learn more about Stephanie, click here.

Connect with her on LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Listen to the Prosperous Nonprofit Podcast here.

Time Stamp

01:03 - Stephanie’s nonprofit finance journey
02:01 - Career pivot from corporate law to nonprofit financial management
07:01 - Importance of accurate bookkeeping for nonprofit growth
10:31 - Landing first clients through targeted outreach
14:01 - Scaling challenges: scope creep, pricing & team growth
27:31 - Team structure changes & effective delegation
32:01 - Lessons from selling a business segment & niche focus
37:01 - Book recommendations, reflections & advice for business owners

Kick off your new year with inspiration and actionable insights in this special year-end episode!

Host, Michael Palmer welcomes an exceptional panel of industry leaders for an engaging conversation reflecting on the trends, triumphs, and challenges of 2024!

From unexpected industry shifts to personal stories of resilience and powerful client success transformations, this episode dives deep into the strategies that have shaped bookkeeping businesses globally.

Packed with valuable takeaways, this discussion sets the stage for a productive and impactful 2025!

A heartfelt thank you to all of our amazing listeners for being part of our journey this year.

YOU are the reason this show exists, and we’re so grateful for your support.

We wish you a joyful and prosperous New Year!

To find out more about our guests, click below:

Lisa Campbell

Katrina Aarsman

Jessica Fox

Teresa Slack

To explore Pure Bookkeeping, visit this link.

Time Stamp

02:10 - Biggest Surprises of 2024

06:30 - Setbacks in 2024

12:40 - Heartwarming Client Success Stories

18:50 - Key Strategies for Success in 2024

27:10 - Trends in 2024 and Predictions for 2025

40:25 - Focus and Vision for 2025

54:50 - What’s Ahead

This episode is brought to you by our great friends at Succession Security!

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“If somebody else can't operate your business and you can't transfer the value that you currently have in your business to that other person and allow them to operate it, your business is not ready. And so succession planning should be something that every business owner does every day because if they don't do it every day, you're not ready. You're going to miss something along the way.”
-Doreen Binkiewicz

Doreen Binkiewicz, owner of DGL Business Solutions, shares her journey of growing a thriving bookkeeping business while balancing the demands of family life. She delves into the power of systems, effective hiring strategies, and succession planning to build a business that is both scalable and transferable.

In this interview, you’ll learn:

• Strategies for building a client base through referrals
• The critical role of succession planning in ensuring business continuity
• The importance of implementing systems to enhance business value and readiness for transition

To learn more about Doreen and DGL Bookkeeping Solutions, click here.

Connect with her on LinkedIn.

To explore Pure Bookkeeping, visit this link.

Time Stamp

01:09 - Doreen’s introduction to ProfitCon and her journey
02:48 - Building a family-focused bookkeeping business with time-blocking
04:50 - Adopting Pure Bookkeeping and Profit First systems
07:28 - Enhancing hiring practices and recovering post-COVID
09:16 - Gaining clients through referrals and building a strong team
13:32 - Diving into succession planning and business transitions
15:40 - The four pillars of effective succession planning
20:44 - Importance of early succession planning for sustainability
28:31 - Transitioning business segments through succession planning
35:20 - Expanding into advisory services alongside bookkeeping

“Like, suddenly it’s, ‘Uh, yeah, I agreed to do your payroll, and now you’re asking me to get all this paperwork filled out for the employee.’ Or, ‘Oh, you do my payroll, can you handle the workers’ comp?’ Or, ‘Hey, you said you do payroll, can you track what job every single employee works on at any given moment?’ And that creep of scope is tough, especially because I’m a bit of a people pleaser. I had real trouble just saying, ‘No, you didn’t pay for that.’”
-Rhamy Alejeal

Rhamy Alejeal discusses how financial professionals can support businesses in navigating HR challenges. He shares insights on scaling HR operations, mitigating risk, and enhancing efficiency through partnerships and specialization.

In this interview, you'll learn:

• How HR services reduce risk and increase return on labor
• The crucial role of financial professionals in addressing compliance
• How partnerships enhance services while avoiding risk and scope creep

Connect with Rhamy on LinkedIn and YouTube.

Click here to learn more about People Processes.

Time Stamp:

05:57 - Challenges in Scaling HR Operations
11:53 - Navigating Client Needs and Referrals
17:52 - Partnership Opportunities for Bookkeepers
23:53 - Broadening Discovery for Client Needs
29:55 - Conclusion and Resources

“I think being ready to change your processes or adapt to processes, finding new efficiencies—that is a constant growth. Even if you're happy with the level that you're at, the revenue level that you're at, and you're not looking to grow or expand, things will still change and evolve with your processes and with technology. So I think it's really important to be open and accepting of that.”
-Kimme Lafayette

Kimme Lafayette, owner of Beyond Bookkeeping Business Services, reveals her journey from accounting student to business owner, sharing the lessons she learned about overcoming challenges like pricing and client relationships. With a focus on value pricing, mentorship, and community, she offers actionable advice to help bookkeepers grow and succeed in their own businesses.

During this interview, you'll learn:

• Tips for adapting & thriving in a changing industry
• How value pricing can elevate your bookkeeping business
• The secrets to fostering strong client relationships

To learn more about Kimme, click here.

Connect with her on LinkedIn.

Time Stamp:

02:21 - Journey to Bookkeeping
06:13 - Starting a Business by Accident
10:41 - Overcoming Initial Barriers
14:44 - Transitioning to Value Pricing
19:23 - Facing Fear & Taking Action
21:48 - Advice for New Bookkeepers
25:34 - The Importance of Community
29:31 - Adaptability in Business
32:35 - Conclusion & Future Directions

“One of the things we kept running into was we would look at brands, we would look at firms, look at what they're doing and go, ‘Wow, this just isn't different. This is very copycat.’ It's very similar to what everyone else is doing.”
-Mike Jones

Mike Jones, CEO and managing partner of ReSound, highlights the critical role of branding and differentiation in the professional services sector, with a focus on accounting and bookkeeping. Drawing from the Remarca Brand Index, he shares key insights on avoiding common branding pitfalls, embracing authenticity, and taking practical steps to stand out in a competitive market.

During this interview, you'll learn:

• How branding goes beyond visuals to focus on strategy & messaging
• Why differentiation is essential for success in a competitive market
• The impact of small, thoughtful changes on brand perception

To learn more about ReSound, click here.

Connect with Mike on LinkedIn.

Time Stamp:

01:45 - Introduction to Branding & Marketing Strategies
06:13 - The Remarca Brand Index: Insights & Data Collection
11:47 - Leveraging the Remarca Brand Index for Improvement
18:00 - The Role of Authenticity in Branding
23:47 - Conclusion & Resources for Further Learning

This episode is brought to you by our great friends at Sage!

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