“Speaking requires feedback. We have to listen to ourselves. We have to listen to each other and give feedback in order to get better. Speaking is social.”
-Ruth Milligan

Ruth Milligan, founder of Articulation and curator of TEDxColumbus, dives into how better communication leads to better business — especially for bookkeepers and business owners who want to be more clear, confident, and effective.

In this episode, you’ll learn…

• The hidden cost of unclear communication
• How to fix filler words, jargon & “shaded habits”
• How to explain complex topics without dumbing them down

To learn more about Ruth, click here.

Connect with her on LinkedIn.

Time Stamp

02:14 – Helping people own their voice & ideas
02:53 – From speechwriter to TEDx coach to business owner
05:47 – What’s a “threshold concept” in speaking?
07:30 – Speaking is social: your audience decides the meaning
09:30 – Why technical experts lose audiences
14:35 – Bookkeepers: Your audience isn’t in your field
15:15 – The pain (and power) of watching yourself speak
17:43 – The power of feedback & self-awareness
20:30 – Emails that confuse vs. emails that get results
23:00 – Declarative vs. procedural knowledge
25:00 – Training clients: Why reschedules are your problem
34:18 – Using AI for voice notes & speech prep
37:28 – The risks of AI hallucinations with real content
41:23 – A direct takeaway for introverts: Watch your “shaded habits”
43:07 – What you don’t know can hurt your influence
45:48 – Breath: the simple fix for filler word
55:29 – Valuing yourself & your time

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

Imagine having all your financial data in one place, with real-time analytics and customized reports at your fingertips.

Hub Analytics is a financial platform that streamlines bookkeeping operations, so you can focus on what really matters—delivering high-quality results for your clients. With Hub's easy-to-use tools, you’ll save time, reduce errors, and gain deeper insights into your clients' financials!

Ready to take your bookkeeping to the next level?

Book a demo to learn more and start your FREE trial TODAY!

“Practice is what gives the consistent and reliable delivery of whatever you're mastering. So for me, I remind myself that I'm not faking, I'm becoming, I'm working on it until I become it.”
-Michelle Quiñonez

Michelle Quiñonez, CEO and partner at Financial Stories Inc, shares how childhood play led to a lifelong love for administration and business building. She opens up about her journey from stay-at-home mom to entrepreneur, and how her passion for structure and growth fueled the launch of a full-service accounting firm alongside her CPA co-founder.

In this episode, you’ll learn…

• Why keeping your word to yourself matters
• The impact of joining a CEO peer group
• Simple time-blocking that actually works

To learn more about Michelle, click here.

Connect with her on LinkedIn.

Time Stamp

00:53 - Michelle’s early influences: childhood office play & college mentorship
02:11 - MBA shift & why she chose the accounting field
04:04 - Founding her first solo business as a stay-at-home mom
05:01 - Pain points with external tax firms & why she co-founded Financial Stories
06:50 - Merging systems, hiring, remote tech stack & onboarding
08:19 - Surprises: how hard it is to find good people & differences in accounting roles
09:51 - Personal transformation, CEO roundtable, imposter syndrome reframed
12:00 - Time management
14:18 - Why business growth is about daily consistency & reps
16:35 - How Lisa Campbell & A2A influenced Michelle’s mindset & systems
19:45 - Setting clear intentions to stay present with her family
22:39 - Keeping your word—to yourself & how that shifted everything
25:47 - Visualizing success, parenting parallels & trusting your own word
31:33 - Her experience with Profit First & how it supports delegation
34:48 - Where to connect with Michelle

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

Imagine having all your financial data in one place, with real-time analytics and customized reports at your fingertips.

Hub Analytics is a financial platform that streamlines bookkeeping operations, so you can focus on what really matters—delivering high-quality results for your clients. With Hub's easy-to-use tools, you’ll save time, reduce errors, and gain deeper insights into your clients' financials!

Ready to take your bookkeeping to the next level?

Book a demo to learn more and start your FREE trial TODAY!

“Just start small. Just start doing it. It'll take a while, most likely to kind of build. So start even before you feel like a hundred percent ready. Just start. It's a lot of it the first year or so, it's just like kind of practice too.”
-Morgan Law

Morgan Law, founder of Fine Points Bookkeeping and a popular YouTuber, shares how she transitioned from corporate life and copy editing to part-time bookkeeping, and eventually into full-time content creation. Morgan's story is packed with actionable advice for anyone starting or growing a bookkeeping business.

During this interview, you'll learn...

• How to build a thriving YouTube channel
• Why confidence, clarity & community are key for new bookkeepers
• How free certifications like the QuickBooks ProAdvisor program can jumpstart your journey

Click here to learn more about Morgan.

Connect with her on LinkedIn.

Check out her YouTube channel at this link.

Time Stamp

00:27 - Morgan’s Journey to Bookkeeping
01:49 - Early Hurdles in Starting a Business
02:37 - Starting on YouTube
03:54 - First Breakthrough Video
04:44 - Challenges with Growth
05:45 - YouTube vs Bookkeeping Today
06:36 - Common Struggles for Bookkeepers
08:32 - Content That Resonates
10:04 - Should Bookkeepers Start a Channel?
11:29 - Getting Started on YouTube
12:53 - Growth Timeline & Milestones
14:02 - Bookkeeping Today vs 10 Years Ago
18:53 - Favorite Tools & AI Experiments
20:14 - Resources for Listeners
22:02 - Value of Facebook groups & online communities

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Dext!

Dext handles transaction capture, keeps your data accurate, and even simplifies e-commerce reconciliation, all in one place.

Join thousands of bookkeepers and accountants who’ve already made the switch.

If you're ready to save time, reduce errors, and make bookkeeping more efficient, Dext is for you!

Go to thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com/dext to book a demo TODAY and see how it can transform the way you work!

“By offering corporate services, compliance services, payroll and sales tax registration services to their clients, they're actually not only enhancing their trusted advisory services, but they're also scaling their revenues, increasing their revenues. More importantly, they are keeping that client with them long term because they're becoming a one-stop shop.”
-Nellie Akalp

Nellie Akalp, CEO of CorpNet.com, shares how bookkeepers and accounting professionals can elevate their advisory role, boost retention, and increase revenue—all by helping clients with business formations, payroll tax registration, BOI filings, and more.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why compliance services are a natural extension of bookkeeping
• Flexible ways to earn (referral, reseller, or hybrid)
• What bookkeepers get wrong about forming LLCs and S-corps

To learn more about Nellie, click here.

Connect with her on LinkedIn.

Time Stamp

2:36 – Nellie’s Background
05:43 – Why Compliance Services Matter
09:02 – Practical Compliance Support
13:21 – The Revenue Potential of Compliance
18:06 – Bookkeepers as Strategic Partners
22:41 – Getting Started with Compliance
27:51 – Embracing Compliance as a Growth Area

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Dext!

Dext handles transaction capture, keeps your data accurate, and even simplifies e-commerce reconciliation, all in one place.

Join thousands of bookkeepers and accountants who’ve already made the switch.

If you're ready to save time, reduce errors, and make bookkeeping more efficient, Dext is for you!

Go to thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com/dext to book a demo TODAY and see how it can transform the way you work!

“Go out, stick your hand out, say hello and start talking. It's not easy, but over time it becomes easier and it's definitely worthwhile just creating the relationships either virtually or physically in the community.”
-Holly Corcoran

Holly Corcoran, owner and CEO of Corcoran Business Advisory Services, shares her journey from running a traditional CPA firm to launching a virtual, advisory-focused business that specializes in veterinary practices. She explains why she chose this niche, the value of niching down, and the importance of collaboration between bookkeepers and accountants.

In this episode, you’ll also learn…

• Why collaboration between bookkeepers & CPAs leads to better client outcomes
• What bookkeepers can do to build strong, lasting partnerships with accounting firms
• The benefits of focusing on a specific niche like veterinary practices

To learn more about Holly, click here.

Connect with her on LinkedIn.

Time Stamp

00:22 – Holly‘s transition from traditional CPA to advisory work
01:41 – How Holly got into veterinary advisory
03:41 – Benefits of niching & the unique needs of veterinary clients
06:10 – Developing branding, virtual practice setup & publishing her book
07:16 – Role of bookkeepers in Holly’s advisory model & collaborative opportunities
09:02 – Key qualities of a good bookkeeping partner & working relationship dynamics
11:30 – Red flags bookkeepers should watch for when partnering with CPAs
13:42 – Virtual firm structure & plans for national exposure in the veterinary space
16:07 – Holly’s strategy for outreach & educational webinars
17:56 – Perceptions and misconceptions between CPAs & bookkeepers
20:42 – The value of outsourcing, avoiding DIY traps & preventing fraud
24:44 – Encouragement for bookkeepers to connect with CPAs & overcome intimidation
27:20 – Final thoughts on consistency, outreach & building strategic relationships

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Dext!

Dext handles transaction capture, keeps your data accurate, and even simplifies e-commerce reconciliation, all in one place.

Join thousands of bookkeepers and accountants who’ve already made the switch.

If you're ready to save time, reduce errors, and make bookkeeping more efficient, Dext is for you!

Go to thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com/dext to book a demo TODAY and see how it can transform the way you work!

“If you think about the most common mistake that most small and mid-sized business owners make when it comes to cybersecurity, it's this assumption that ‘I'm not very big. It's not going to happen to me’. And so they're not doing any security or they're doing minimal security measures in place.”
-Nick Mullen

Cybersecurity expert, Nick Mullen, founder and CEO of Entoo Security, shares the rising threats facing bookkeepers and accounting professionals. He provides real-world examples, common vulnerabilities, and how bookkeepers can protect themselves and their clients using the FTC Safeguards Rule as a blueprint for compliance.

In this interview, you'll learn:

• The 3 major cyber threats facing bookkeepers
• How social engineering tricks users into handing over sensitive info
• Why small firms are easier targets— and how criminals exploit that

To learn more about Nick and his services, click here.

Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Time Stamp

02:13 – Nick’s Mullen’s background
04:05 – The biggest threat today: Ransomware
06:42 – Real-World Scam Examples
09:13 – How to Protect Your Money
12:11 – A $400K Real-Life Loss
14:36 – The most common mistake business owners make
17:18 – Social Engineering Tactics
20:11 – How criminals insert themselves into real email conversations to redirect payments.
23:27 – What is Ransomware?
27:25 – Risk Assessment
31:43 – Compliance Checklist
33:28 – Regulatory Fines
35:32 – How Entoo Security Helps
38:09 – Why cybersecurity is as essential as bookkeeping

This episode is brought to you by our friends at BILL!

BILL is the smarter way to create and pay bills, send invoices, manage expenses and control budgets, and access the credit your business needs to grow — all on one platform and they’re designed to help bookkeepers succeed and grow, whether you have your own bookkeeping firm or you’re a bookkeeper at an accounting firm.

To find out more, check out BILL.com/successfulbookkeeper TODAY!

“Define your customer first. I only want to work with people who understand that accounting is important to their business.”
-Debra Kilsheimer

Debra Kilsheimer, owner of Behind the Scenes Financial Services, shares her journey from growing up in an accounting household to running a modern, client-focused bookkeeping business. She discusses the power of flat-rate pricing, building strong client relationships and how embracing technology can transform your business plus much more!

Connect with her on LinkedIn and Facebook.

To listen to The Bookkeepers on Fire podcast, click here.

Check out her YouTube channel at this link.

Time Stamp

01:05 - Debra’s journey into accounting
04:31 - Early career struggles & leaving CPA firms
08:51 - Building a thriving firm with a focus on forward-looking financial strategies
12:06 - Becoming a QuickBooks Pro Advisor
19:31 - Defining the ideal client & pricing strategies
25:46 - Embracing technology & efficiency
30:05 - Work-Life balance & boundaries
42:00 - Where to find Debra

This episode is brought to you by our friends at BILL!

BILL is the smarter way to create and pay bills, send invoices, manage expenses and control budgets, and access the credit your business needs to grow — all on one platform and they’re designed to help bookkeepers succeed and grow, whether you have your own bookkeeping firm or you’re a bookkeeper at an accounting firm.

To find out more, check out BILL.com/successfulbookkeeper TODAY!

“As I was building all these processes in my mind, if I had been documenting them, I would have not had to spend that two years documenting everything after the fact when the team started to come. If you're good at what you do, your accountants are going to find you and they're going to start referring business to you. So just to have those processes documented and you're ready for when they come, that's gonna be a huge time saver.”
-Rae Gagnon

In this episode, Rae Gagnon, founder of Blue Jean Business Solutions, discusses the challenges of fast growth, the importance of documenting processes, and how systemizing allowed her to take a 10-week break without disruptions.

In this episode, you’ll also learn...

• How niching in real estate bookkeeping accelerated growth
• The power of referrals & partnerships in scaling a firm
• Moving beyond bookkeeping with advisory & financial coaching

To learn more about Rae, click here.

Connect with her on LinkedIn.

Time Stamp

02:06 – Rae’s journey into bookkeeping
04:10 – Finding a niche in real estate
08:18 – Rapid business growth
10:38 – Managing growth & personal life challenges
11:59 – Hiring & scaling the business
14:28 – Implementing systems & processes
16:15 – Strengths & weaknesses as a business owner
18:06 – Industry changes in real estate
20:38 – Advice for bookkeepers starting their business
22:31 – Implementing Pure Bookkeeping System
24:28 – The impact of systemization
28:08 – Transitioning to advisory services
30:25 – Expanding offerings beyond bookkeeping
33:42 – What’s next?
34:39 – Final thoughts

This episode is brought to you by our friends at BILL!

BILL is the smarter way to create and pay bills, send invoices, manage expenses and control budgets, and access the credit your business needs to grow — all on one platform and they’re designed to help bookkeepers succeed and grow, whether you have your own bookkeeping firm or you’re a bookkeeper at an accounting firm.

To find out more, check out BILL.com/successfulbookkeeper TODAY!