Meet Serena!

Episode Summary

In this episode of Protea Conversations, Zane sits down with Serena Shoup, CPA, founder of Of Course Financial and The Ambitious Bookkeeper®. Serena shares her journey from a small-town girl in New Mexico to building a thriving accounting firm and launching a mentorship and education platform for bookkeepers worldwide. She opens up about entrepreneurship, balancing two businesses, parenting, creativity, and why embracing imperfection has been her greatest lesson.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

- How Serena transitioned from corporate accounting to launching her own virtual firm.

- The story behind The Ambitious Bookkeeper®

— from a simple blog to a thriving community, coaching program, and podcast.

- Why choosing a niche and aligning technology (like Xero) with client needs has been key to her firm’s success.

- Serena’s approach to balancing her firm, mentorship, family, and creative passions like music.

- Honest reflections on using (and pulling back from) AI in content creation and the importance of keeping things authentic.

- The mantra that changed her entrepreneurial journey: “Done is better than perfect.”

Connect with Serena

Personal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/serenashoup/

The Ambitious Bookkeeper® - https://www.ambitiousbookkeeper.com/