Send us a text In this episode, I'm tackling a listener question about document retention in our digital age. You know how we used to worry about keeping physical files for 3, 5, or 7 years? Well, now that everything's digital and stored in the cloud, does that change our retention strategy? Spoiler alert: it's way more complex than I initially thought! I'm breaking down both IRS guidelines for small businesses AND AICPA guidelines for accounting firms, plus sharing exactly what we do in our own...
Jun 25, 2025•17 min•Ep. 204
Send us a text In this episode, I'm answering an audience question about whether the nonprofit sector is a viable niche for a new bookkeeping firm. I dive deep into the pros and cons of specializing in nonprofits and share actionable strategies for making this niche work. What You Can Expect to Hear How to overcome the common challenge of nonprofits expecting discounted pricing through value-based pricing strategies Specific scalability tactics including productizing services, choosing specializ...
Jun 18, 2025•15 min•Ep. 203
Send us a text In this eye-opening episode, Serena sits down with Meenadchi, an ancestral healing practitioner, to explore how intergenerational trauma impacts our relationship with money. This isn't your typical business conversation - we're diving deep into the personal stuff that affects how you run your business and serve your clients … and get a little woo! In this episode you’ll hear: How trauma from your ancestors (even great-grandparents) lives in your body and affects your money decisio...
Jun 11, 2025•35 min•Ep. 202
Send us a text In this May Q&A episode, Serena dives deep into the practical side of building a bookkeeping business, covering everything from software partnerships and pricing strategies to finding your niche and standing out from the competition. She shares real-world advice on working with Xero and Gusto, addresses common struggles with client onboarding, and provides actionable tips for bookkeepers at every stage of their journey. In this episode you’ll hear: How to handle software costs...
Jun 04, 2025•42 min•Ep. 201
Send us a text It’s the 200th episode of The Ambitious Bookkeeper Podcast and Serena pulls back the curtain on her bookkeeping firm's 2024 performance, sharing both the wins and challenges. She gets real about client churn, revenue growth, personal struggles with mold toxicity, and the hard lessons learned about communicating with clients who aren't taking crucial financial advice. In this episode you’ll hear: Client management reality check - How one client's bankruptcy and fraud issues led to ...
May 28, 2025•54 min•Ep. 200
Send us a text This episode comes from April’s Live Q&A session, where Serena answered various questions from bookkeepers about pricing strategies, software recommendations, financial statement presentation, and business growth challenges. In this episode you’ll hear: Learn how to confidently set your prices for bookkeeping setups and avoid undercharging Discover effective ways to present financial statements that truly benefit your clients Find out how to balance multiple professional ident...
May 14, 2025•37 min•Ep. 199
Send us a text In this episode of the Ambitious Bookkeeper Podcast, Serena chats with Maggie Lord, a powerhouse entrepreneur who sold her media company to David's Bridal and now helps female founders do the same. Maggie shares her journey from starting a wedding blog in 2008 to selling her company 12 years later, and reveals insider knowledge about business valuations, exit strategies, and how bookkeepers play a crucial role in preparing businesses for sale. In this episode you’ll hear: Why Magg...
May 07, 2025•37 min•Ep. 198
Send us a text Are you dreaming of starting your own bookkeeping business but feeling overwhelmed by all the decisions you need to make? You're not alone. As someone who's built a successful bookkeeping practice from scratch, I know firsthand that figuring out what services to offer, how to price them, where to find clients, and what technology you need can feel like navigating a maze. In this episode you’ll hear: Advice on determining pricing strategies for bookkeeping services Practical method...
Apr 30, 2025•39 min•Ep. 197
Send us a text In this powerful episode of The Ambitious Bookkeeper Podcast, Serena Shoup chats with Cletus Coffey, former pro athlete, single dad, and founder of Torch Training. Cletus shares his remarkable journey from professional sports to entrepreneurial failures to finding his authentic purpose through personal transformation. In this episode you’ll hear: Cletus's journey from pro athlete to struggling entrepreneur to finding true alignment Practical frameworks for balancing ambition, fami...
Apr 23, 2025•41 min•Ep. 196
Send us a text In this mini-episode, Serena shares her research on the Fair Tax Act and what it could mean for bookkeepers. She explains how this potential legislation would eliminate income tax and the IRS, replacing them with a national sales tax. Serena offers practical advice for bookkeepers to prepare for this potential shift and future-proof their businesses. In this episode you’ll hear: A breakdown of what the Fair Tax Act actually means (goodbye income tax, hello 23-30% national sales ta...
Apr 16, 2025•14 min•Ep. 195
Send us a text Running a bookkeeping or accounting firm means juggling multiple clients, deadlines, and deliverables - often leading to that feeling of "I'm drowning in work!" As someone who's built a successful practice while working 20 hours or less per week, I've discovered that how you organize and manage your workflow makes all the difference between constant overwhelm and smooth operations. Whether you're flying solo or leading a small team, these three actionable strategies will help you ...
Apr 09, 2025•7 min•Ep. 194
Send us a text Serena dives deep into marketing strategies for bookkeepers and small business owners who are skeptical or overwhelmed by social media, sharing practical tips for building connections and growing your business. What You’ll Learn: Marketing isn't just about social media: Discover a multi-pronged approach including offline networking, online presence, and website strategy Build your "circle of influence" by connecting with complementary professionals like insurance agents, bankers, ...
Apr 02, 2025•16 min•Ep. 193
Send us a text In this episode I’m tackling a listener ‘struggle’: Imposter Syndrome. This is also a MINI episode, which means you can view the video on YouTube ! While you’re there, make sure to subscribe! Resources mentioned in this episode: The Bookkeeping Biz Workshops My FREE Training Thanks for listening. If this episode inspired you in some way, take a screenshot of you listening on your device and post it to your Instagram stories and tag me @ambitiousbookkeeper For more information abou...
Mar 26, 2025•10 min•Ep. 192
Send us a text In today's bite-sized episode, we're diving into the nitty-gritty of setting up TaxJar for eCommerce businesses. Whether you're a bookkeeper with some eCommerce clients or an online seller yourself, stick around. Serena's got some super helpful insights coming your way, complete with screen sharing over on YouTube if you're up for it. Resources mentioned: TaxJar Avalara Shopify Square Learn more about sales tax in the sales tax workshop: http://ambitiousbookkeeper.com/salestax For...
Mar 19, 2025•11 min•Ep. 191
Send us a text In this episode, we're diving into a wonderful conversation between Serena Shoup and Megan Tobler. Megan shares her inspiring journey from corporate sales to building a vibrant business community for moms in entrepreneurship. In this episode you’ll hear: The reality of juggling motherhood and building a business from the ground up. How Megan leveraged her natural talents from sales to start her own podcast, create a community, and ultimately leave the corporate world behind. Megan...
Mar 12, 2025•34 min•Ep. 190
Send us a text Our MINI episodes are also YouTube videos - and may be better viewed on YouTube. Click here to watch! https://youtu.be/7zH54q8eR6I In this episode you’ll hear me answer a listener submitted question about the opportunities available in accounting & bookkeeping and how to find the right one for you! Resources mentioned in this episode: The Ultimate Guide to a Profitable Bookkeeping Business: https://ambitiousbookkeeper.com/training Leave your questions for me HERE: https://spea...
Mar 05, 2025•10 min•Ep. 189
Send us a text In this episode, Alyssa Lang, my biz bestie & The Workflow Queen dives into what it truly means to be a great leader, focusing on how to move beyond everyday tasks and really lead your firm. She breaks down five key pillars of leadership that will help you build a scalable, profitable, and well-aligned business. Alyssa shares her personal journey, explaining how shifting your mindset, setting the right offers, creating smooth systems, building a strong company culture, and rem...
Feb 24, 2025•52 min•Ep. 188
Send us a text Hey there, welcome back to The Ambitious Bookkeeper Podcast! Today, I'm chatting with Brian Greer from TaxConnex about all things sales tax. Whether you're a sales tax newbie or just looking for a way to outsource, we've got you covered. So grab your favorite drink, get comfy, and let's dive into making sales tax a bit less daunting. In this episode you’ll hear: Meet Brian Greer Discover what "nexus" really means in sales tax Learn about the Wayfair decision Learn about TaxConnex ...
Feb 19, 2025•31 min•Ep. 187
Send us a text Hey there! Welcome back to another episode of The Ambitious Bookkeeper Podcast. This week, join me as I dive into a treasure trove of archived Q&A content. We’re talking year-end tips, the ins and outs of e-commerce, using that CFO title wisely, and loads more. So grab your favorite drink, get comfy, and let's dive right in. Enjoy! In this episode you’ll hear: Get the lowdown on stepping into the wild world of e-commerce bookkeeping and why it might not be the best first clien...
Feb 12, 2025•28 min•Ep. 186
Send us a text In this video I’m demonstrating how to adjust bank balances when you’re cleaning up a Xero bank reconciliation. We’ll cover: spend money transactions receive money transactions manually reconciling transactions conversion balances (adjusting the beginning balance) Learn how to start your bookkeeping business (for experienced bookkeepers & accountants): https://www.ambitiousbookkeeper.com/bba Become a Bookkeeper using Xero: https://www.katieferro.com/a/38894/2PQNgtvv (affiliate...
Feb 03, 2025•8 min
Send us a text We use OpenPhone instead of Google voice for 2FA codes and for client communication. I'll go over that in this video and show you our setup. Here's how to work around needing to pay for multiple users as your team grows: Make sure you have a central email inbox setup (like [email protected] or [email protected] ) Give your entire team access to this (we save the login info in 1Password) Use this to create your account on OpenPhone Have everyone download the Desktop and/or p...
Jan 31, 2025•8 min
Send us a text In this interview episode, we're diving into the world of micro reporting and weekly client updates with Shea Keats and Michelle Röse from Breakaway Advising. If you've ever been curious about adding a personal touch to your client advisory, this one's for you! In this episode you’ll hear: what micro reporting is all about how the concept of joy and compassion can revolutionize client relationships and business success tips on picking the right clients and services to match your b...
Jan 29, 2025•43 min•Ep. 184
Send us a text In this interview episode, I chat with Ryan Lazanis from FutureFirm about growth strategies and pricing tips to help streamline your firm. Whether you're just getting started or looking to scale, Ryan shares some golden nuggets on navigating the world of accounting business with ease and purpose. In this episode you’ll hear: Ryan’s journey from starting Zen Accounting to selling it and then launching FutureFirm cool ways to get clients how to communicate pricing increases without ...
Jan 22, 2025•37 min•Ep. 183
Send us a text In this interview episode we've got the incredible Erin Pohan joining us to talk all about her journey in accounting, and to share some exciting news about WAVE, the must-attend event for women in accounting this year! In this episode you’ll hear: Erin’s incredible journey from having just one side client to now running her very own bookkeeping firm all the exciting details about the upcoming WAVE conference in Seattle strategies for making lasting connections at events Resources ...
Jan 15, 2025•42 min•Ep. 182
Send us a text Welcome to 1099 Season! If this is your first 1099 season, buckle up, I’m here to help! Tune in today to hear an overview of what to know about 1099s so you’re armed with the confidence to take this on, and improve your processes for next year! In this episode you’ll hear: All the types of 1099s Reporting requirements, deadlines & thresholds International vendors And lots of tips and insights along the way! Resources mentioned in this episode: Confident Compliance Bundle IRS P...
Jan 08, 2025•30 min•Ep. 181
Send us a text In this solo episode, we’re diving into some killer strategies to boost your profits in the new year. We’ll chat about updating your systems, tracking those important numbers, and all the behind-the-scenes moves that can make 2025 your most successful year yet! In this episode you’ll hear: secrets on tracking your profitability and why it's a game-changer the lowdown on updating engagement letters, adding clauses, and managing scope changes how to handle clients mixing business wi...
Jan 01, 2025•15 min•Ep. 180
Send us a text In this interview episode, we've got Emily Leahy sharing her incredible insights on managing energy in business, especially for us ambitious women out there. Forget the hustle; it's all about syncing with your personal cycles and making life work for you. You won't want to miss these gems! In this episode you’ll hear: optimizing energy cycles, especially for women, and viewing performance through a feminine lens how women are often perceived as more emotional at work why it's impo...
Dec 18, 2024•39 min•Ep. 179
Send us a text In this interview episode, we've got the amazing Liz Wilcox joining us to spill her secrets on turning email followers into friends, and eventually, loyal clients. In this episode you’ll hear: secrets on capturing leads through strategic social media moves and savvy website setups Discover the "email staircase" and turn your followers into pals, then clients how Liz strategically places lead magnets all over a website the power of building a solid referral network and collaboratin...
Dec 04, 2024•38 min•Ep. 178
Send us a text By popular request, we’ve decided to air a summit presentation I did with Josie Parr, at her Profitable Lifestyle Firm Summit. I’m talking about crafting deliverables that matter for your clients. If you’d like to see the presentation slides, head over to my YouTube Channel ! In this episode you’ll hear how to: Maximize your value Shift your positioning Add value Resources mentioned in this episode: Elevate Get on the waitlist for the next Profitable LifeStyle Firm Summit Meet Jos...
Nov 27, 2024•28 min•Ep. 177
Send us a text In this interview episode, I’m hanging out with marketing whiz Madelyn Furlong. We’re diving into how to turn your clients into mega-fans that'll rave about your business. From personal touches to killer marketing strategies, we've got you covered. In this episode you’ll hear: how having all your marketing needs handled by one team can save you tons of stress and time stories and tips on how adding a human touch can set your business apart how to keep things ultra-organized to res...
Nov 20, 2024•36 min•Ep. 176
