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Welcome to the Real People Real Business Show.
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My name is Stephanie Hayes, and I'm a business strategist who helps experienced business owners design asset-based business models that set them up for growth and exit.
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I love to speak with like-minded entrepreneurs to share their real stories and the great details on how they've navigated their own way through.
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On this show, you won't hear about the glamorized entrepreneurship journeys that you see online.
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You won't be told how to make six figures in six weeks.
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Instead, you can expect to hear real vulnerable and inspiring stories that you can relate to that have helped create the foundation for each of our guests businesses today, I'm so excited to welcome Crystalynn Shelton.
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Crystalynn is a licensed CPA and QuickBooks top 100 ProAdvisor, helping startups, small businesses, and million dollar companies alike, take control of their finances through accounting, software, training and consulting.
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Crytalynn's number crunching interest was sparked after taking a high school bookkeeping course, how you even got into the High School Bookkeeping course.
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I wanna hear that story where she was determined to become A C P A for the last 20 years.
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She's done just that leading accounting departments for Fortune 500 companies like Intuit, Texaco, and Paramount Pictures.
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In 2010, Crystalynn went on to found her own consulting business.
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Since then, she's gone on to publish mastering QuickBooks.
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A three-time Amazon bestseller now in its fourth edition.
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Coached more than a hundred clients all while serving as an adjunct instructor at the University of California Los Angeles for the last 13 years, teaching bookkeeping and QuickBooks courses.
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Welcome to the show, Crystalynn, and thanks so much for taking the time to share your story today.
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Thank you so much, Stephanie.
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I am thrilled to be here, so I want to know.
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Tell me the story.
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So how, first of all, how did you as a teenager, even decide you wanted to take a an accounting course?
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Okay, great question.
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You know, I had an aunt who I went to visit the previous summer, and she.
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I actually had some accounting books laying around and was talking about possibly going back to school to major in accounting.
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She was a nurse at the time and I think she was kind of getting burnt out.
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And so when I went back to school for my junior, my junior year in high school I found this bookkeeping class, that class that was being offered as an elective, and so I just decided what they heck, I'm gonna check it out.
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And so the class was taught by a gentleman who owned his own c p a firm at the time.
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And I just loved everything that he basically had to say about owning his own firm.
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And then when we got into learning more about bookkeeping and accounting, I really just fell in love with numbers in that class, you know?
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And mind you prior to that, I hated math.
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I was terrible in, you know, calculus and geometry and the math, you know, that we had back in school.
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And so I would always make an A in everything.
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And then you would get down to math and it would be a B every time.
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But when I got to this class, I think what was really great is it, It wasn't like the pre-calculus and the trigonometry type math, right.
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It was your basic addition and subtraction and it was just, it was different math and I gravitated to it.
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And so yeah, that's really, I mean, that's the story.
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And when I've completed that course, I decided I wanted to be a C P A.
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And I pursued my accounting degree about that.
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And then two years after I graduated from college, I obtained my certification as a cpa.
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So, yeah.
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Yeah.
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And I would say like, There's a real difference in, you know, we have this sort of perception, especially, you know, as girls growing up, that math is hard.
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Mm-hmm.
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And yeah, I know, I, I definitely don't know.
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That was not where I excelled for sure.
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Mm-hmm.
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And I actually had a really hard time with it when I went to do my master's degree in business.
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Yeah.
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And you had to do like, Rudimentary math and I just couldn't get it.
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Yeah.
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And as soon as I started doing the same math in the context of like economics and mm-hmm.
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Accounting, I was like, yeah, this is fine.
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I like, I totally get it in context, but I, right.
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Was the thing I learned about myself is I can't think in the abstract, like I don't think about.
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I have a hard time with abstract concepts.
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Like I wanna know what does this mean and how does this, right.
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How is this rooted in something practical?
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Exactly.
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And bookkeeping.
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I actually really like accounting.
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Like I, to me it was kind of fun.
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Mm-hmm.
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Exactly.
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And the like, the way that the numbers, the way that it's almost like art.
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Right.
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There's, mm-hmm.
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You think it's cut and dried, but actually once you really get into accounting, it's actually very creative thinking.
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Yeah, it totally is.
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Yeah, I would definitely agree with that.
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So you became a cpa.
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Mm-hmm.
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And you, I assume were working for other companies for a while.
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Tell me about the transition to building your own business.
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Yeah, so I worked in corporate for a while.
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And I would say during that time period I probably averaged between 60 to 70 hour work weeks about eight.
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Years in, actually, I would say 10 years in to the corporate world, I started feeling like I was going to burn out and so I started just looking for other opportunities.
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And in that I also had to take on this new project at work.
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We were converting from our existing accounting software to a new one.
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And in doing that, I was tasked with training my staff on how to use the new accounting software.
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So what was cool is I created training materials.
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I delivered the training to my staff over a number of weeks.
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And at the end of that, I had fallen in love with teaching and training and I was like, this is what I want to do.
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And so I decided it would be best for me to leave corporate and do it on a smaller scale with small business owners.
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You know, I felt like that was kind of gonna be a good niche to pursue.
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So I did some research, found out QuickBooks.
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You know, it was like the number one software for small business owners.
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So I got certified.
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I led at my first teaching position at ucla.
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I had never taught anything other than the training at my job, but I was like, oh, they needed.
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An instructor for QuickBooks.
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Yeah, I can do that.
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Yeah.
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Newly certified in everything.
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I was just like, yeah, I'm gonna do that.
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And so, you know, 13 years later I'm still teaching for them.
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And as you mentioned, I have my own business where I teach and train small business owners on how to manage their bookkeeping, you know, but like many small business owners, this started as a side hustle.
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Because I still needed that paycheck to pay my bills.
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And also it helped to fund my small business, right?
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Because you start incurring expenses and you don't necessarily have that income to match it in the beginning.
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And so my paycheck part of it went to helping me, you know, fund my business until I got to a point where I felt like I had enough clients to actually you know, go full-time with it and leave my job.
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So, yeah.
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Amazing.
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And so tell me a little bit about how you went about finding clients.
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So I actually was fortunate in that many of the clients that I had came from the classroom.
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They had come to take my course at U C L A and needed some one-on-one consulting with their specific businesses.
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And then also at the time I was a consultant for the small business development center.
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And so lots of clients coming through there wanted to work with me as well.
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And so getting clients was easy back then because I was.
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In a position where I was always meeting small business owners, you know, either in at UCLA or with the small business development center.
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So it was fairly easy.
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I love that it's a strategy that a lot of Kind of small business owners or people sort of starting out don't really think about that.
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You know, I, I'm often sort of raising for them that is the, the partnership route, right?
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Mm-hmm.
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So how, how can you attach yourself to another organization or another person who is also serving your customers in a different way or somewhere else on the life cycle?
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That you know, is gonna be able to recommend you or refer you, or you work in collaboration with them and you have sort of this mutually beneficial, it's honestly one of the fastest ways to grow your business, right?
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Yeah, absolutely.
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Yep.
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Yeah, for sure.
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I love that.
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And how much do you think that your credibility from teaching helped.
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Oh, a great deal.
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I would say actually the first thing that helped is being certified in QuickBooks.
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That certification helped.
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And then also the teaching as well, just you know, increased my credibility because once people see that, you know, what you're talking about, you know, if they're sitting in the classroom, you know, they're pretty much sold, especially if.
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You know, you're, you know, you're good at what you do.
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And I can say that I am like, that is my superpower.
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Teaching people how to get complex, how to understand complex topics.
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I can do that in writing and I do that in my books as well as, Face to face when I'm teaching people.
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And that's, I've been told that over and over for my clients, and so now I'm like, yeah, you know what?
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You guys are right.
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Plus I enjoy it.
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Right.
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It doesn't feel like work.
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And that's what, you know, my favorite part about it is that it's, it's something that I don't dread.
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I look forward to meeting with clients or spending time writing a chapter or what have you.
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Yeah.
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How did the book come about?
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So the book that was like out of left field.
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I mean, seriously, it was a DM in LinkedIn that I got from the publisher, and you know how it is when you get a DM from someone, you're like a little bit suspicious.
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Is this legitimate?
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You know?
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Yeah.
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And so I did my research.
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Found out that publishing company actually existed.
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And then I dug a little bit further to see, okay, let me see if there are any authors that actually published a QuickBooks book.
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And there was.
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So I reached out to that author and she was gracious enough to meet with me over Zoom for 30 minutes and answered Oh wow.
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All my questions.
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Wow.
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Sold because she was like, I wrote one book for them and she was like, I'm telling you the credibility.
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She said that it gave me, catapulted, my business where she said, I didn't even have time to write another book.
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She said, I've been too busy ever since.
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So she said, you absolutely have to do it.
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So it was just amazing.
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It kind of fell in my lap.
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I mean, seriously, it, it just fell in my lap.
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So how did you choose, like, this is, this is kind of always going over in my head cuz one day I think I'd like to write a book too, but mm-hmm.
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How did you, how did you arrive at the topic, at what you were gonna focus on?
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So they actually wanted, they told me what they wanted me to write about Uhhuh and so that made it easy.
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They had done some research on me over, you know, social media and looked over my bio and my background and they were like, seems like you're very you know, well, Versed in QuickBooks and we have a, a book on desktop.
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We'd love you to write the online book.
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And so they asked me to put an outline together of if I were gonna write a book, what would I want to include in it.
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That was the easy part.
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Because I teach all the time.
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And so it's like, yeah, I know exactly what I would put in my book.
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And so I write, wrote the outline and Wrote the book and it was just crazy how the first three editions were Amazon best sellers, like within six to eight weeks of the books being published they were at the top of the list in that category of like accounting and bookkeeping books.
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On Amazon, which is amazing.
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And so the fourth edition has been out for a few months now, and it's tracking to be number one as well.
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So I'm really, really excited.
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I'm not surprised.
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It's sort of, again, it's one of the big realizations that I've made over the years working in business and helping owners, is that the focus that you can have is, Always gonna be an asset for you.
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I think a lot of people kind of get scared and they're like, I have to, I have to like throw my cast my nets wide and I have to be able to, you know, do all the things for all the people who are like, and, and catch everybody.
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Right.
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But actually it works to their, their detriment.
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Right, right.
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Yeah, it does.
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I always tell my kids like, focus first.
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Right?
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Yeah.
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Start with something exactly focused and then maybe you could build it from there and find new opportunities.
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But I think, you know, that's, that's.
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If I had to guess, I would say that's probably one of the things that's really worked well for you is being able to be sort of really focused and build a brand around something very specific.
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Mm-hmm.
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Yeah, absolutely.
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I mean, I have the book, I have my consulting sessions that I do, and then more recently I've published an online course.
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And so it's all centered around helping small business owners manage their books.
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And for me it's about just being able to scale since there's only so many people I can meet with in a day or in a week, and I really want to reach.
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As many small business owners as I can.
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Right now, I've met with hundreds.
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I want to meet, I want to be able to help thousands, and the only way to do that, of course, is to have a course where anyone in the world can go online, take my course, and learn how to use QuickBooks and have access to me through that channel as well.
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Yeah, absolutely.
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And I, I imagine you started out as a service provider.
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Mm-hmm.
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Yeah.
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Absolutely.
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Yeah.
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When did you, when did you make that change from.
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There's the service provider, like the one doing the work to.
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And did you at any time think about building an agency or mm-hmm.
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You know, what was the transition like to moving, to being something a little bit more scalable?
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I mean, I'm still in the service provider arena, I would say.
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I still have clients that I meet with weekly, and so I'm just now making that transition.
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Like my course is maybe just a few weeks old, so I'm in the process of making that transition.
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I don't think I'll ever move a hundred percent away from it because I actually enjoy this work, but I'll just be more What's the word I wanna use?
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Selective.
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Selective.
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I'm selective, but I probably have to be more selective.
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More so selective in terms of just the type of clients that I want to work with and how much of my time that I want to spend doing that.
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But one of the things that I have started to do is to go and attend like conferences.
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So, for example, last week I was at a conference that I spoke at at the end of next month I'm scheduled to speak at another conference.
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So I think that's another way to Expose myself to other people and to just sort of reach out further and cast my net further, if you will, than I have been.
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So, I'm excited.
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It's it's fun to do those Yeah.
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Those type of events cuz you, you meet all types of people and just, you know, people I never would've met if I just stay here at my little office and meet with one on one with my clients.
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Yeah.
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It's, it's sort of the ever, the ever existing.
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Challenge that I think a lot of, like business owners face, especially women mm-hmm.
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Is how to get that sort of like in marketing, we have to have, you know, both sides.
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We have to have the, the visibility side where we're actually finding new audiences and we're finding new people to.
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Find us and then once they kind of find you, then we need to nurture 'em and you know, have something for them to identify with.
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Exactly.
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But it's the visibility side that a lot of people struggle with and don't wanna do.
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Mm-hmm.
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Right.
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You know, I think it sounds like you have found some channels that really work for you.
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Yeah, I have because you know, one of the things that I'll share in 2010, I did leave corporate to start this business, but guess what, in 2013, I went back to corporate.
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Mm-hmm.
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And I would just say the main reason why I did that was because I spent too much time working in my business and you know, I had the referrals at the time, which were easy and were coming through.
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But eventually, you know, those dried up.
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And then I hadn't done anything in terms of marketing or networking to sort of keep that cycle going where I had new clients coming in.
00:17:01.336 --> 00:17:04.185
And so it was a hard lesson to learn.
00:17:04.526 --> 00:17:07.165
I avoided marketing and networking because I didn't like it.
00:17:08.006 --> 00:17:12.056
And you know, for whatever reason, thought if I just avoided it, it would go away.
00:17:12.115 --> 00:17:22.435
It didn't, you know, it's kinda like my clients that come to me and they're like, yeah, I'm just gonna let that bookkeeper do what they do and I don't need to know what they're doing.
00:17:22.461 --> 00:17:23.681
That's not gonna work.
00:17:24.260 --> 00:17:26.661
That's not a long-term solution, you know?
00:17:26.661 --> 00:17:32.701
And so it's the same thing, except my issue is I'm not the marketer, you know, but but yeah, it was a hard lesson to learn.
00:17:32.705 --> 00:17:34.471
So this time around I know better.
00:17:35.971 --> 00:17:37.111
So, so what have you done differently?
00:17:37.115 --> 00:17:43.111
But it doesn't sound like you're, you know, you're hating the, the visibility work that you're doing.
00:17:43.290 --> 00:17:46.381
I mean, I don't know, maybe you are, but it sounds like you're pretty comfortable with it.
00:17:47.381 --> 00:18:00.611
You know I'm comfortable with it in terms of just, I have a positive attitude about it, and I don't necessarily like the rigor involved with getting prepared to go and speak at a conference.
00:18:01.040 --> 00:18:10.060
But once I get there, the interaction with people, the networking, the learning that takes place is like, that's my happy place.
00:18:10.631 --> 00:18:12.971
And so I know what the end result will be.
00:18:12.976 --> 00:18:16.721
So I do the things I don't like to do to get to that end result.
00:18:17.181 --> 00:18:25.381
But what I've also done and a lot of small business owners, you know, it takes 'em a while to get this as I've hired some help for that marketing piece, right.
00:18:26.310 --> 00:18:29.010
Because I'm not the social media girl.
00:18:29.010 --> 00:18:33.270
I'm not, you know, that I, I'm not that versed in it.
00:18:33.840 --> 00:18:36.151
And so I have a marketing assistant.
00:18:36.780 --> 00:18:46.040
She does a fantastic job of you know, managing the content, coming up with great ideas, and I participate in that.
00:18:46.431 --> 00:18:49.550
So we, we, we meet weekly and talk about.
00:18:50.226 --> 00:18:51.935
What we're going to be sharing out.
00:18:51.996 --> 00:19:00.756
You know, maybe there's a theme for a particular month, and then what are we going to be sharing out in that month to our subscribers and to get new subscribers.
00:19:00.756 --> 00:19:05.435
And so I participate in the process, but I don't have to do that work.
00:19:05.435 --> 00:19:05.496
Yeah.
00:19:05.766 --> 00:19:09.635
And so that's what I like and had to realize you need help.
00:19:09.846 --> 00:19:13.326
And so as soon as I was able to afford to get help, I did.
00:19:14.306 --> 00:19:15.405
And that's what I commend.
00:19:15.625 --> 00:19:16.685
I'm glad that you say that.
00:19:16.905 --> 00:19:18.915
You know, I used to sort of.
00:19:19.576 --> 00:19:22.695
Operationally run a, a VA company.
00:19:23.086 --> 00:19:23.205
Mm-hmm.
00:19:23.445 --> 00:19:32.096
And I think a lot of the objection that came from potential, you know, customers for the VAs was, I don't know what to ask them to do.
00:19:32.665 --> 00:19:34.885
And I don't know how to onboard somebody.
00:19:34.885 --> 00:19:38.786
And I feel like I have to have everything perfect before I, you know, hire anyone.
00:19:38.786 --> 00:19:39.715
And it sounds like Yeah.
00:19:39.925 --> 00:19:43.556
Kind of went, I, I identify the place where I have some pain.
00:19:44.455 --> 00:19:44.816
Yes.
00:19:45.205 --> 00:19:46.615
It doesn't come naturally.
00:19:46.675 --> 00:19:48.175
Did you find that?
00:19:48.641 --> 00:19:53.740
You know, you hired somebody and they kind of ran with it, or did you have to give 'em a lot of instruction?
00:19:53.740 --> 00:19:54.730
Like how did that go for you?
00:19:55.871 --> 00:19:57.730
Yeah, so that's a great question.
00:19:57.830 --> 00:20:13.490
I actually had been reading this book last summer with my sister, and that book actually helped me get to the point where I realized I needed to hire someone and I actually hired a virtual assistant and a marketing assistant at the same time.
00:20:14.300 --> 00:20:22.580
And one of, one of the exercises that it says to go through is to write down everything you would have that person do.
00:20:23.405 --> 00:20:23.766
Right.
00:20:23.770 --> 00:20:28.175
And that sort of feeds the actual job description that you come up with, right?
00:20:28.746 --> 00:20:38.226
And so just doing that process or going through that process, Was so, it was like a huge stress reliever.
00:20:38.526 --> 00:20:45.066
It was like I had already delegated all these duties to someone else who I hadn't even hired yet.
00:20:45.070 --> 00:21:00.846
But just putting it down on paper was amazing cuz it's like step one, put it down on paper and then you're like, okay, yes, I can actually hire someone to do all these things, which, you know, frees up how much of my time so I can do the things that need to be done to grow the business.
00:21:01.125 --> 00:21:01.425
Yeah.
00:21:01.576 --> 00:21:02.445
Oh my goodness.
00:21:02.445 --> 00:21:04.455
That process was very freeing.
00:21:04.905 --> 00:21:13.861
So the virtual assistant position, you know the first person I hired, she was amazing, but she only lasted three months.
00:21:14.520 --> 00:21:24.171
She was a teacher, and then she got called back and she, you know, had some personal issues and actually needed benefits, which I couldn't really afford at the time.
00:21:25.181 --> 00:21:28.721
Best hire ever, but she didn't last long.
00:21:29.020 --> 00:21:30.340
Then I hired someone else.
00:21:30.401 --> 00:21:31.780
She lasted three months.
00:21:32.201 --> 00:21:33.611
She had some personal issues.
00:21:34.730 --> 00:21:39.381
And so then I just decided, okay, the virtual assistant position will let it go for now.
00:21:39.560 --> 00:21:41.901
Marketing assistant, first person I hired.
00:21:42.996 --> 00:21:43.625
Amazing.
00:21:44.266 --> 00:21:45.855
She's been fantastic.
00:21:45.855 --> 00:21:51.915
We are just on the same page, but I think you just have to, number one, set expectations.
00:21:51.965 --> 00:21:53.736
Very type A personality.
00:21:53.855 --> 00:22:02.226
So I know what I want in a person, I know what my expectations are, and I have no problem communicating that to people.
00:22:02.465 --> 00:22:02.675
Right.
00:22:02.955 --> 00:22:06.105
And then we have a regular weekly meeting.
00:22:06.641 --> 00:22:13.111
Which I think is good because that's the only way to stay connected with people because she's virtual.
00:22:13.530 --> 00:22:22.411
And so it's good for us to meet weekly so that we understand or are on the same page about what needs to happen that particular week.
00:22:22.951 --> 00:22:27.060
And also, you know, to give guidance or to answer any questions that person has.
00:22:27.060 --> 00:22:31.260
Yeah, email's great, but it's always great to have a, a one-on-one as well.
00:22:31.590 --> 00:22:33.391
And I've learned that from being in corporate.
00:22:33.391 --> 00:22:35.191
I always had a one-on-one with my boss.
00:22:35.580 --> 00:22:42.810
And I loved that time because it was a time for me to, you know, express any concerns or ask any questions.
00:22:43.141 --> 00:22:45.601
And so I found that that's worked really well.
00:22:46.020 --> 00:22:48.240
And so I just think, you know, it's gonna be hit or miss.
00:22:48.240 --> 00:22:49.590
It's never gonna be perfect.
00:22:50.040 --> 00:22:55.500
I've gone through, you know, the two virtual assistants just decided, okay, we'll, we'll circle back to that position.
00:22:55.770 --> 00:22:58.506
In the meantime, this marketing assistant is, Fantastic.
00:23:00.096 --> 00:23:01.506
Yeah, and I think that's ok.
00:23:01.506 --> 00:23:11.675
Like that's a huge lesson is that you can go through that process and it's, it's like the old ash right in, in corporate as you, you know.
00:23:13.125 --> 00:23:15.976
Hire slow, like fire fast, right?
00:23:16.185 --> 00:23:16.635
Yes.
00:23:16.635 --> 00:23:20.776
If you, you know, do put the time and effort into finding the right person.
00:23:21.105 --> 00:23:21.405
Yeah.
00:23:21.405 --> 00:23:26.355
And, and don't make it based on cost because you will always get misaligned.
00:23:26.776 --> 00:23:27.586
Exactly.
00:23:28.115 --> 00:23:32.086
You know, I have an amazing, like, help with mm-hmm.
00:23:32.326 --> 00:23:33.766
This podcast for example.
00:23:34.445 --> 00:23:42.625
And you know, there's, and I know she'll be listening to this when she's so, hi Shannon, but she, you know, she and I have had this conversation before as well, like mm-hmm.
00:23:43.046 --> 00:23:55.286
She's my dream person and I, that I can use her in lots of different ways, but I think a lot of people have it in their heads that they need to hire a VA and it'll cost them $5 an hour.
00:23:55.286 --> 00:23:58.655
And I'm like, You're gonna get $5 an hour.
00:23:58.746 --> 00:23:58.986
Right.
00:23:59.435 --> 00:24:00.546
Half of quality.
00:24:00.546 --> 00:24:00.905
Right.
00:24:01.145 --> 00:24:06.816
And there is a, there is a place for people who are just kind of banging out, wrote.
00:24:07.280 --> 00:24:08.451
Work, right.
00:24:08.570 --> 00:24:12.171
That you know you can pay $5 an hour for and it's, yeah.
00:24:12.800 --> 00:24:18.050
It's sort of like there, it doesn't require a lot of like strategic thought or anything like that.
00:24:18.050 --> 00:24:18.381
Right.
00:24:18.651 --> 00:24:26.300
But, you know, invest the time and the, the resources in hire in finding the right person for you and it's gonna be worth every penny you pay.
00:24:26.780 --> 00:24:30.891
It is stuck in this idea of like cheap resources.
00:24:31.101 --> 00:24:31.611
Right.
00:24:31.611 --> 00:24:31.701
Right.
00:24:32.006 --> 00:24:32.365
Right.
00:24:32.726 --> 00:24:42.205
And the other thing I would say too is when you do find the right person, or when you do hire someone, you've got to invest the time to train them properly.
00:24:42.895 --> 00:24:42.925
Mm.
00:24:42.925 --> 00:24:51.506
Don't just, I mean, some things they can figure out on their own, but you've gotta take some of your time as a business owner and meet with them.
00:24:51.996 --> 00:24:53.915
I just recently hired an accounting intern.
00:24:54.770 --> 00:25:09.651
And I am meeting with her probably every other day because I am bringing her up to speed on how to interact with clients and my expectation when it comes to communicating with clients or.
00:25:09.971 --> 00:25:11.351
Managing client work.
00:25:11.861 --> 00:25:22.480
And so that that's the only way they're going to get up to speed quickly and to do things the way you want them to do is you're gonna have to invest some of your time to, to bring them up there.
00:25:22.486 --> 00:25:24.830
But then once you do, it's so worth it.
00:25:25.711 --> 00:25:26.851
Yeah, absolutely.
00:25:26.855 --> 00:25:26.951
Mm-hmm.
00:25:27.030 --> 00:25:27.671
And like mm-hmm.
00:25:27.931 --> 00:25:30.361
Put that time as actually budget that time.
00:25:30.601 --> 00:25:31.050
Yes.
00:25:31.141 --> 00:25:39.211
What ends up happening is we don't, and we don't treat it like it's actually a project and an investment in our business, and then we are frustrated because mm-hmm.
00:25:39.691 --> 00:25:41.461
Oh, I have to spend all this time, this isn't worth it.
00:25:41.490 --> 00:25:43.141
No, you're gonna have to spend the time, right.
00:25:43.141 --> 00:25:48.730
You're gonna have to you know, make some time and effort and, and like answer questions and think through.
00:25:48.730 --> 00:25:50.651
And it's okay if the first little bit.
00:25:51.355 --> 00:25:52.705
Is just messy.
00:25:53.155 --> 00:25:53.336
Mm-hmm.
00:25:53.816 --> 00:26:04.105
It's gonna be messy, but at the end of the day, if you don't take the time front, That you're gonna spend time correcting that person's mistakes later on because you didn't take the time upfront.
00:26:04.246 --> 00:26:09.266
I mean, right, and the open communication of the, like the, the permission to ask questions.
00:26:09.266 --> 00:26:12.865
I mean, when Shannon started working with me, I'm like, look, here's all the stuff.
00:26:13.286 --> 00:26:14.066
Here's all the stuff.
00:26:14.066 --> 00:26:18.655
Here's, I don't know, I think my process was actually pretty good and like pretty well documented.
00:26:18.655 --> 00:26:21.145
But, you know, she came into it and she was like, okay.
00:26:21.395 --> 00:26:23.105
And I said, look, do your best.
00:26:23.111 --> 00:26:23.266
Right?
00:26:23.270 --> 00:26:23.465
Right.
00:26:23.465 --> 00:26:24.726
Do your best with this.
00:26:24.726 --> 00:26:25.865
Make it your own.
00:26:25.925 --> 00:26:27.365
Ask me questions.
00:26:27.695 --> 00:26:30.605
The first few, like you're setting that expectation up front.
00:26:30.635 --> 00:26:40.236
The first few episodes, it's gonna take a while, and we're, we're like gonna have questions and there's gonna be things, but as long as you're open to receiving the feedback, it's not emotional.
00:26:40.240 --> 00:26:44.786
It's not a value judgment, it's just like, Hey, just remember this.
00:26:44.786 --> 00:26:45.236
Remember that.
00:26:45.236 --> 00:26:47.695
Or I have some weird little quirk about this and, and that sort.
00:26:47.695 --> 00:26:47.846
Right.
00:26:47.935 --> 00:26:51.685
And then eventually now, like I don't even, sadly, I don't hear from her that much.
00:26:51.685 --> 00:27:02.635
Cause she just, I love her and I would love to hear from her more, but she didn't talked to me, you know, like she just got it so dialed and she owned it.
00:27:02.635 --> 00:27:04.976
And that's what you're looking for is someone who can own their process.
00:27:04.976 --> 00:27:09.445
Someone who, who, and you're setting it up for them to have the permission to be able to do that.
00:27:09.451 --> 00:27:11.096
And that's gonna pay off in spades for sure.
00:27:11.500 --> 00:27:11.891
Yeah.
00:27:11.951 --> 00:27:12.820
Absolutely.
00:27:12.820 --> 00:27:22.310
And I think something that you said is key is just providing that feedback and them being able to receive that feedback and take the emotion out of it.
00:27:22.520 --> 00:27:24.651
Yeah, because feedback works two ways.
00:27:25.131 --> 00:27:30.861
I actually, you know, I want someone who's able to receive feedback, but I am also able to receive it as well.
00:27:30.861 --> 00:27:30.921
Yeah.
00:27:31.161 --> 00:27:44.135
If there's something that I'm doing that's, Not working for you or, you know, please, I tell my folks, speak freely because this isn't going to work if you don't feel like you can speak freely.
00:27:44.135 --> 00:27:45.905
And I don't feel like I can speak freely.
00:27:45.965 --> 00:27:46.355
Right.
00:27:46.655 --> 00:27:50.826
And I just, I always make sure that the folks that work for me, they know.
00:27:51.006 --> 00:27:52.175
You can be honest with me.
00:27:52.506 --> 00:27:59.175
Now, I imagine that it's, you know, there's been a point at which you have thought about at least building out an agency.
00:27:59.766 --> 00:28:00.185
Mm-hmm.
00:28:01.411 --> 00:28:03.330
And where have you sort of landed?
00:28:03.336 --> 00:28:05.971
Like what is, what does growth sort of mean to you?
00:28:08.891 --> 00:28:22.520
I'm still defining that, you know, I have thought about building out an agency, but I worry about being able to duplicate.
00:28:23.361 --> 00:28:32.691
You know, what I'm able to accomplish with my clients, duplicate that method that I utilize to teach and train my clients.
00:28:33.211 --> 00:28:42.240
I've thought about having a certification program where I bring folks in, you know, they go through some training and then, you know, they're off to the races.
00:28:43.260 --> 00:28:46.951
It's still something that I think about occasionally.
00:28:47.050 --> 00:28:53.711
And so I'm just not sure if I wanna go that route, just to be honest with you.
00:28:53.780 --> 00:28:56.780
Managing a lot of different people was a lot of work.
00:28:57.181 --> 00:29:12.340
I did it in corporate for years and years and years, and so I, I just, I just have to be mindful that if I go that route, I'm probably gonna have to hire someone to manage that team because that's something that doesn't excite me.
00:29:12.750 --> 00:29:16.530
In terms of having to do it on a day-to-day, does that make sense?
00:29:16.770 --> 00:29:17.461
Hundred percent.
00:29:17.730 --> 00:29:22.320
And what I really love is that you're being very honest with yourself about what you do and do not want.
00:29:22.320 --> 00:29:22.530
Right.
00:29:22.530 --> 00:29:25.681
I think a lot of people fall into this trap of mm-hmm.
00:29:26.101 --> 00:29:27.721
Seeing other people do it.
00:29:28.050 --> 00:29:28.290
Yeah.
00:29:28.290 --> 00:29:30.451
And thinking, oh, well I have a service-based industry.
00:29:30.451 --> 00:29:35.340
I should just, the only way to scale or grow is to hire a bunch of people to do this work for me.
00:29:35.701 --> 00:29:37.800
And that doesn't always have to be the answer.
00:29:38.201 --> 00:29:38.651
Right.
00:29:39.040 --> 00:29:40.330
Yeah, absolutely.
00:29:40.691 --> 00:29:40.990
Yeah.
00:29:40.990 --> 00:29:41.980
I, I totally agree.
00:29:41.980 --> 00:29:44.891
So I'm still, you know, we're, I'm still thinking about it.
00:29:45.911 --> 00:29:46.451
Yeah.
00:29:46.451 --> 00:29:51.431
And, and so what, what's the future plans for the course and the, like, the digital products?
00:29:51.530 --> 00:30:02.240
Yeah, so I've released the first course and the plan is to also probably release future courses that are more challenging.
00:30:02.240 --> 00:30:09.111
So this is sort of like the basic training course and then a plan to do, you know, multiple levels of courses.
00:30:09.750 --> 00:30:10.500
And so that's.
00:30:10.891 --> 00:30:12.570
That's kind of where I'm at right now.
00:30:12.570 --> 00:30:14.101
I enjoy that work.
00:30:14.131 --> 00:30:16.770
Producing the course is like so much fun.
00:30:17.201 --> 00:30:18.490
I really, really enjoyed it.
00:30:18.490 --> 00:30:22.661
It's a lot of work, but the end result is just amazing.
00:30:23.050 --> 00:30:31.121
And so my goal really is to just to get the course out there to the small business owners as well as to people who are looking to.
00:30:31.816 --> 00:30:34.816
You know, enter the bookkeeping and accounting industry.
00:30:35.246 --> 00:30:38.516
You know, 90% of small business owners use QuickBooks.
00:30:39.145 --> 00:30:42.655
And so I know my course can help folks get up to speed.
00:30:42.655 --> 00:30:47.905
If they just wanna get a job doing bookkeeping for someone, this course will prepare them for that.
00:30:47.935 --> 00:30:53.346
And so for me, just getting in front of the right audience that actually could get this course out.
00:30:53.756 --> 00:30:58.135
Two people who are looking to change careers or looking to get into this field.
00:30:58.556 --> 00:31:04.766
And so I love being a mentor, so I'm also, you know, playing around with opportunities for doing that as well.
00:31:05.631 --> 00:31:08.840
Well, I love that you've got some diversity in your customer groups, right?
00:31:08.846 --> 00:31:08.971
Mm-hmm.
00:31:09.050 --> 00:31:09.491
So you have, mm-hmm.
00:31:10.280 --> 00:31:21.111
You have the actual service clients, and then you've got this whole other group of people who are like, Hmm, maybe this is the potential, you know, career for me, a career choice.
00:31:21.351 --> 00:31:21.560
Yes.
00:31:21.566 --> 00:31:26.611
And how can you support them and keep going with building out your support for that group.
00:31:27.141 --> 00:31:28.550
Yeah, absolutely.
00:31:28.550 --> 00:31:28.760
Yeah.
00:31:28.760 --> 00:31:29.721
I love that part.
00:31:29.721 --> 00:31:39.020
I actually just started partnering with my alma mater, which is just 20 minutes away and starting to hire accounting students who want to intern.
00:31:39.451 --> 00:31:47.550
I just, I really enjoy sharing my knowledge of working in the field and the opportunities that are available.
00:31:47.921 --> 00:31:48.371
When I.
00:31:48.411 --> 00:31:59.901
First started out, I did have an accounting intern back in 2010 that I hired, and she worked with me for two years before she graduated, and it was amazing.
00:31:59.931 --> 00:32:06.776
She wrote me this really sweet letter when she graduated and sent me this gift to thank me just for solidifying her.
00:32:06.935 --> 00:32:13.596
Decision to be an accountant and so we still keep in touch on social media to this day.
00:32:13.596 --> 00:32:17.826
She always keeps me up to date on which, where she is and what she's doing, so I'm just like, oh my gosh.
00:32:17.830 --> 00:32:18.425
I love that.
00:32:19.685 --> 00:32:29.135
Well, when you know, when I see somebody having that much passion about that kind of part of their business, that sounds to me like a great place to focus on your future growth.
00:32:29.945 --> 00:32:31.635
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
00:32:32.286 --> 00:32:34.236
There's one question I ask everybody.
00:32:34.236 --> 00:32:35.435
This show is about.
00:32:35.451 --> 00:32:37.800
Sort of the real side of business and not the mm-hmm.
00:32:37.911 --> 00:32:43.101
You know, the celebrity stories that are unachievable and inaccessible.
00:32:43.590 --> 00:32:51.090
What's the difference between what we hear out there in the business world, in the online business world, and what's real about being, being a business owner?
00:32:51.090 --> 00:32:52.230
What's that difference?
00:32:54.570 --> 00:33:02.500
You know, a lot of people talk about, Having a balance, right, of personal and work.
00:33:03.280 --> 00:33:11.320
And unfortunately, I would've to say in the beginning, it's just, it's impossible.
00:33:11.580 --> 00:33:13.510
I mean, that's how I feel.
00:33:14.020 --> 00:33:18.701
I feel like it's sounds nice, but it's just not reality.
00:33:19.330 --> 00:33:30.836
I, you know, I just remember, you know, when you're a small business owner, because you're wearing so many hats, It's impossible to put yourself on a clock, right on an eight hour clock.
00:33:30.865 --> 00:33:33.056
Oh, I'm going to work eight hours.
00:33:33.115 --> 00:33:35.276
I'm going to work from this time to this time.
00:33:35.816 --> 00:33:38.066
That is just not realistic.
00:33:38.496 --> 00:33:39.965
It, it wasn't my experience.
00:33:39.965 --> 00:33:41.705
It hasn't been my experience.
00:33:42.046 --> 00:33:47.566
Even today, I tried to at least turn off my computer no later than six o'clock.
00:33:48.496 --> 00:33:53.385
Because usually that's the time my husband has dinner ready for us, and I try not to come back to my computer.
00:33:53.385 --> 00:33:58.066
But hey, there are those evenings where I get an email and it's like, yep.
00:33:58.066 --> 00:33:59.266
Know what I gotta get back on.
00:33:59.836 --> 00:34:02.405
So I just think and it's okay, right?
00:34:02.411 --> 00:34:05.945
Because you know what I look at it is it's not gonna be forever, right?
00:34:06.395 --> 00:34:10.715
I have to do what I have to do to get this business to where I want to be.
00:34:10.715 --> 00:34:13.715
And then eventually I'll get to a point where I.
00:34:14.300 --> 00:34:23.545
I can have a balance, you know, that doesn't mean I'm not taking care of myself, but it's just, you know, I do things for self-care that are very important.
00:34:23.545 --> 00:34:31.465
But just don't put the pressure on yourself that you have to just work in your business these eight hours or.
00:34:31.856 --> 00:34:34.315
Five hours or whatever other people say they do.
00:34:34.746 --> 00:34:42.365
Because, you know, it doesn't make sense if, if you have a big goal for your business, the only way you're gonna reach it is you're gonna have to put the work in.
00:34:42.485 --> 00:34:44.255
It's not gonna happen unless you make it happen.
00:34:46.115 --> 00:34:46.445
Yeah.
00:34:46.445 --> 00:34:54.025
And I think it's kind of like It's kind of like the, you know, becoming a parent and the Pinterest moms and mm-hmm.
00:34:54.416 --> 00:35:00.596
We have a national pastime about making, you know, women and moms feel inadequate no matter what they do.
00:35:01.541 --> 00:35:06.175
And I think, you know, there's, there's all this talk and all of this, you know.
00:35:07.106 --> 00:35:13.255
Ultimate thing you're sort of supposed to be striving towards with this inner peace and this balance.
00:35:13.255 --> 00:35:14.936
And I'm like, you're, you're absolutely right.
00:35:14.936 --> 00:35:17.965
The first couple of years in business are just a mess, right?
00:35:18.295 --> 00:35:18.416
Yeah.
00:35:18.416 --> 00:35:22.135
And you know, you, I, I don't advocate for burning yourself out.
00:35:22.135 --> 00:35:23.306
I don't advocate for, right?
00:35:23.635 --> 00:35:27.536
Like, no one's gonna die if you don't, you know, do this thing today.
00:35:27.641 --> 00:35:27.731
Right.
00:35:27.971 --> 00:35:33.221
But it's gonna be messy and it's okay that it's messy and you're figuring things out and it's not always gonna be perfect.
00:35:33.221 --> 00:35:41.710
And you, and like the, the more we try to fit into these sort of picture perfect impressions of someone else's business, the harder it gets for us.
00:35:41.710 --> 00:35:42.010
Right?
00:35:42.010 --> 00:35:42.070
Yeah.
00:35:42.076 --> 00:35:44.650
So you never really arrive Exactly.
00:35:45.251 --> 00:35:47.501
You, you're just in constant motion and that's okay.
00:35:47.951 --> 00:35:48.400
Mm-hmm.
00:35:48.581 --> 00:35:48.800
Yep.
00:35:49.201 --> 00:35:49.601
Absolutely.
00:35:50.001 --> 00:35:50.320
Alright.
00:35:50.670 --> 00:35:51.161
Awesome.
00:35:51.701 --> 00:35:53.860
Can you, we're coming up to the end of the show.
00:35:53.860 --> 00:35:57.101
Can you tell the listeners where they can find you?
00:35:58.315 --> 00:35:58.885
Yes.
00:35:58.885 --> 00:36:02.815
So I actually have a couple of gifts for your audience today.
00:36:03.266 --> 00:36:11.695
Oh, if they go to Crystalynn shelton.com/podcast, there are two checklists that they can download for free.
00:36:12.126 --> 00:36:15.210
The first one is your first seven days in QuickBooks.
00:36:15.891 --> 00:36:24.860
So it's a checklist that actually coincides with my book Master in QuickBooks 2023 to sort of help guide you on what to do.
00:36:24.891 --> 00:36:28.431
That first week you're in the QuickBooks software.
00:36:29.181 --> 00:36:41.161
And then the other checklist is for your seasoned listeners who maybe they have QuickBooks or they have another accounting software that's working great for them but it's called your closing the books checklist.
00:36:41.610 --> 00:36:43.530
So all the things that you should consider.
00:36:43.530 --> 00:36:50.945
Sitter and make sure are done before you hand your books over to your tax preparer so they can prepare your tax return.
00:36:51.695 --> 00:37:04.936
And so yeah, both of those are available on that page for download for free as well as I offer a free 20 minute consult for anyone who needs some guidance on what to do or they're not sure.
00:37:05.391 --> 00:37:07.490
What software they could use for their business.
00:37:07.490 --> 00:37:16.041
So my specialty is QuickBooks, but I do work with other software products, especially if it, QuickBooks is just not the right fit for a small business.
00:37:16.041 --> 00:37:17.391
So, and sometimes it's not.
00:37:17.391 --> 00:37:17.570
Right.
00:37:17.570 --> 00:37:19.130
I think a lot of people Absolutely.
00:37:19.221 --> 00:37:21.981
You know, little personal brands and they're like, I need an accounting software.
00:37:21.981 --> 00:37:23.210
I'm like, maybe you don't, right?
00:37:23.210 --> 00:37:23.300
Mm-hmm.
00:37:23.990 --> 00:37:26.550
Maybe what I really need is invoicing or something like that.
00:37:27.141 --> 00:37:27.630
Exactly.
00:37:28.070 --> 00:37:28.880
Exactly.
00:37:28.880 --> 00:37:29.121
Yeah.
00:37:29.121 --> 00:37:38.541
So that conversation really helps me to figure out, What they really need, where the pain points really are so that we can create the right path for them for sure.
00:37:38.570 --> 00:37:45.561
And I think it's a huge relief for them to hear that too, that they don't need to take on like a huge exercise or maybe it's gonna be okay.
00:37:45.565 --> 00:37:45.871
You know?
00:37:46.420 --> 00:37:47.471
Yeah, absolutely.
00:37:48.061 --> 00:37:49.161
Well, thank you so much.
00:37:49.166 --> 00:37:50.541
I think that's so generous of you.
00:37:50.541 --> 00:37:54.291
And we'll put all of the links inside the show notes so that everybody can find.
00:37:54.590 --> 00:38:08.420
Your free gift and find you and you know, reach out cuz I know this is a point of pain for quite a number of people and they get kind of like, ah, numbers and it's not as scary as it as it sounds.
00:38:08.420 --> 00:38:09.141
And that's right.
00:38:09.141 --> 00:38:11.690
Crystalynn is here to kind of walk you through it.
00:38:11.690 --> 00:38:13.670
So thank you so much for that.
00:38:14.181 --> 00:38:15.141
We're gonna wrap up.
00:38:15.411 --> 00:38:23.960
I'm so happy that we had the opportunity to chat with Crystalynn today to hear more about how her business came to be, her experiences along the way, and what the future of the business entails.
00:38:24.320 --> 00:38:31.010
And thanks again for tuning into this episode of The Real People Real Business Show, where we get the real entrepreneurial stories and journeys that you can relate to.
00:38:31.291 --> 00:38:35.940
The show notes, resources, and links from this episode are available on my website and social media platforms.
00:38:36.240 --> 00:38:43.920
And if you've enjoyed today's content, I would love for you to give us a review on whatever platform you're on to help us share these genuine stories with an even bigger audience.
00:38:44.190 --> 00:38:45.690
Until next time, keep building.
00:38:45.690 --> 00:38:47.431
Keep dreaming and keep being real.
00:00:00.049 --> 00:00:01.939
Welcome to the Real People Real Business Show.
00:00:01.969 --> 00:00:09.169
My name is Stephanie Hayes, and I'm a business strategist who helps experienced business owners design asset-based business models that set them up for growth and exit.
00:00:09.528 --> 00:00:15.648
I love to speak with like-minded entrepreneurs to share their real stories and the great details on how they've navigated their own way through.
00:00:16.068 --> 00:00:19.818
On this show, you won't hear about the glamorized entrepreneurship journeys that you see online.
00:00:20.283 --> 00:00:22.653
You won't be told how to make six figures in six weeks.
00:00:22.835 --> 00:00:34.145
Instead, you can expect to hear real vulnerable and inspiring stories that you can relate to that have helped create the foundation for each of our guests businesses today, I'm so excited to welcome Crystalynn Shelton.
00:00:34.494 --> 00:00:44.759
Crystalynn is a licensed CPA and QuickBooks top 100 ProAdvisor, helping startups, small businesses, and million dollar companies alike, take control of their finances through accounting, software, training and consulting.
00:00:45.380 --> 00:00:52.104
Crytalynn's number crunching interest was sparked after taking a high school bookkeeping course, how you even got into the High School Bookkeeping course.
00:00:52.225 --> 00:00:57.984
I wanna hear that story where she was determined to become A C P A for the last 20 years.
00:00:57.984 --> 00:01:04.344
She's done just that leading accounting departments for Fortune 500 companies like Intuit, Texaco, and Paramount Pictures.
00:01:04.659 --> 00:01:08.079
In 2010, Crystalynn went on to found her own consulting business.
00:01:08.170 --> 00:01:10.780
Since then, she's gone on to publish mastering QuickBooks.
00:01:10.780 --> 00:01:13.539
A three-time Amazon bestseller now in its fourth edition.
00:01:13.810 --> 00:01:22.840
Coached more than a hundred clients all while serving as an adjunct instructor at the University of California Los Angeles for the last 13 years, teaching bookkeeping and QuickBooks courses.
00:01:23.198 --> 00:01:26.620
Welcome to the show, Crystalynn, and thanks so much for taking the time to share your story today.
00:01:27.879 --> 00:01:29.079
Thank you so much, Stephanie.
00:01:29.079 --> 00:01:33.400
I am thrilled to be here, so I want to know.
00:01:34.185 --> 00:01:34.995
Tell me the story.
00:01:34.995 --> 00:01:41.384
So how, first of all, how did you as a teenager, even decide you wanted to take a an accounting course?
00:01:41.450 --> 00:01:43.010
Okay, great question.
00:01:43.340 --> 00:01:49.691
You know, I had an aunt who I went to visit the previous summer, and she.
00:01:50.561 --> 00:01:57.820
I actually had some accounting books laying around and was talking about possibly going back to school to major in accounting.
00:01:57.820 --> 00:02:00.881
She was a nurse at the time and I think she was kind of getting burnt out.
00:02:01.600 --> 00:02:15.075
And so when I went back to school for my junior, my junior year in high school I found this bookkeeping class, that class that was being offered as an elective, and so I just decided what they heck, I'm gonna check it out.
00:02:16.695 --> 00:02:21.855
And so the class was taught by a gentleman who owned his own c p a firm at the time.
00:02:22.545 --> 00:02:29.161
And I just loved everything that he basically had to say about owning his own firm.
00:02:29.580 --> 00:02:38.191
And then when we got into learning more about bookkeeping and accounting, I really just fell in love with numbers in that class, you know?
00:02:38.191 --> 00:02:41.980
And mind you prior to that, I hated math.
00:02:42.600 --> 00:02:49.651
I was terrible in, you know, calculus and geometry and the math, you know, that we had back in school.
00:02:50.040 --> 00:02:52.800
And so I would always make an A in everything.
00:02:52.800 --> 00:02:56.100
And then you would get down to math and it would be a B every time.
00:02:57.570 --> 00:03:05.385
But when I got to this class, I think what was really great is it, It wasn't like the pre-calculus and the trigonometry type math, right.
00:03:05.385 --> 00:03:11.776
It was your basic addition and subtraction and it was just, it was different math and I gravitated to it.
00:03:12.105 --> 00:03:15.195
And so yeah, that's really, I mean, that's the story.
00:03:15.200 --> 00:03:19.637
And when I've completed that course, I decided I wanted to be a C P A.
00:03:20.086 --> 00:03:23.145
And I pursued my accounting degree about that.
00:03:23.445 --> 00:03:30.306
And then two years after I graduated from college, I obtained my certification as a cpa.
00:03:30.306 --> 00:03:31.415
So, yeah.
00:03:33.906 --> 00:03:34.265
Yeah.
00:03:34.270 --> 00:03:43.026
And I would say like, There's a real difference in, you know, we have this sort of perception, especially, you know, as girls growing up, that math is hard.
00:03:43.026 --> 00:03:43.116
Mm-hmm.
00:03:43.656 --> 00:03:46.955
And yeah, I know, I, I definitely don't know.
00:03:46.961 --> 00:03:49.265
That was not where I excelled for sure.
00:03:49.656 --> 00:03:49.806
Mm-hmm.
00:03:50.225 --> 00:03:54.725
And I actually had a really hard time with it when I went to do my master's degree in business.
00:03:54.816 --> 00:03:54.906
Yeah.
00:03:54.906 --> 00:03:59.825
And you had to do like, Rudimentary math and I just couldn't get it.
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Yeah.
00:04:00.605 --> 00:04:07.056
And as soon as I started doing the same math in the context of like economics and mm-hmm.
00:04:07.105 --> 00:04:08.735
Accounting, I was like, yeah, this is fine.
00:04:08.866 --> 00:04:11.545
I like, I totally get it in context, but I, right.
00:04:11.825 --> 00:04:15.626
Was the thing I learned about myself is I can't think in the abstract, like I don't think about.
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I have a hard time with abstract concepts.
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Like I wanna know what does this mean and how does this, right.
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How is this rooted in something practical?
00:04:23.146 --> 00:04:23.656
Exactly.
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And bookkeeping.
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I actually really like accounting.
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Like I, to me it was kind of fun.
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Mm-hmm.
00:04:29.745 --> 00:04:30.235
Exactly.
00:04:30.615 --> 00:04:34.485
And the like, the way that the numbers, the way that it's almost like art.
00:04:34.850 --> 00:04:35.180
Right.
00:04:35.180 --> 00:04:35.630
There's, mm-hmm.
00:04:36.230 --> 00:04:41.031
You think it's cut and dried, but actually once you really get into accounting, it's actually very creative thinking.
00:04:41.391 --> 00:04:42.740
Yeah, it totally is.
00:04:42.831 --> 00:04:44.240
Yeah, I would definitely agree with that.
00:04:44.690 --> 00:04:46.071
So you became a cpa.
00:04:46.610 --> 00:04:46.761
Mm-hmm.
00:04:47.091 --> 00:04:50.870
And you, I assume were working for other companies for a while.
00:04:50.870 --> 00:04:54.380
Tell me about the transition to building your own business.
00:04:55.190 --> 00:04:59.240
Yeah, so I worked in corporate for a while.
00:04:59.550 --> 00:05:08.860
And I would say during that time period I probably averaged between 60 to 70 hour work weeks about eight.
00:05:09.235 --> 00:05:19.886
Years in, actually, I would say 10 years in to the corporate world, I started feeling like I was going to burn out and so I started just looking for other opportunities.
00:05:20.255 --> 00:05:24.636
And in that I also had to take on this new project at work.
00:05:24.875 --> 00:05:28.776
We were converting from our existing accounting software to a new one.
00:05:29.406 --> 00:05:36.396
And in doing that, I was tasked with training my staff on how to use the new accounting software.
00:05:37.026 --> 00:05:42.125
So what was cool is I created training materials.
00:05:42.125 --> 00:05:45.836
I delivered the training to my staff over a number of weeks.
00:05:45.896 --> 00:05:53.290
And at the end of that, I had fallen in love with teaching and training and I was like, this is what I want to do.
00:05:54.860 --> 00:06:04.216
And so I decided it would be best for me to leave corporate and do it on a smaller scale with small business owners.
00:06:04.276 --> 00:06:08.355
You know, I felt like that was kind of gonna be a good niche to pursue.
00:06:08.875 --> 00:06:11.125
So I did some research, found out QuickBooks.
00:06:11.141 --> 00:06:14.141
You know, it was like the number one software for small business owners.
00:06:14.141 --> 00:06:15.461
So I got certified.
00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:19.725
I led at my first teaching position at ucla.
00:06:19.725 --> 00:06:26.117
I had never taught anything other than the training at my job, but I was like, oh, they needed.
00:06:26.716 --> 00:06:27.735
An instructor for QuickBooks.
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Yeah, I can do that.
00:06:29.326 --> 00:06:29.475
Yeah.
00:06:29.475 --> 00:06:31.485
Newly certified in everything.
00:06:31.846 --> 00:06:33.555
I was just like, yeah, I'm gonna do that.
00:06:33.586 --> 00:06:37.665
And so, you know, 13 years later I'm still teaching for them.
00:06:38.206 --> 00:06:48.735
And as you mentioned, I have my own business where I teach and train small business owners on how to manage their bookkeeping, you know, but like many small business owners, this started as a side hustle.
00:06:49.315 --> 00:06:52.685
Because I still needed that paycheck to pay my bills.
00:06:52.896 --> 00:06:56.735
And also it helped to fund my small business, right?
00:06:56.735 --> 00:07:02.495
Because you start incurring expenses and you don't necessarily have that income to match it in the beginning.
00:07:03.065 --> 00:07:14.656
And so my paycheck part of it went to helping me, you know, fund my business until I got to a point where I felt like I had enough clients to actually you know, go full-time with it and leave my job.
00:07:14.716 --> 00:07:15.915
So, yeah.
00:07:16.880 --> 00:07:17.420
Amazing.
00:07:17.721 --> 00:07:20.690
And so tell me a little bit about how you went about finding clients.
00:07:22.380 --> 00:07:31.831
So I actually was fortunate in that many of the clients that I had came from the classroom.
00:07:32.206 --> 00:07:39.706
They had come to take my course at U C L A and needed some one-on-one consulting with their specific businesses.
00:07:40.136 --> 00:07:45.235
And then also at the time I was a consultant for the small business development center.
00:07:45.685 --> 00:07:51.096
And so lots of clients coming through there wanted to work with me as well.
00:07:51.096 --> 00:07:55.456
And so getting clients was easy back then because I was.
00:07:55.625 --> 00:08:04.596
In a position where I was always meeting small business owners, you know, either in at UCLA or with the small business development center.
00:08:04.865 --> 00:08:06.096
So it was fairly easy.
00:08:07.266 --> 00:08:13.375
I love that it's a strategy that a lot of Kind of small business owners or people sort of starting out don't really think about that.
00:08:13.615 --> 00:08:18.086
You know, I, I'm often sort of raising for them that is the, the partnership route, right?
00:08:18.446 --> 00:08:18.536
Mm-hmm.
00:08:18.865 --> 00:08:29.576
So how, how can you attach yourself to another organization or another person who is also serving your customers in a different way or somewhere else on the life cycle?
00:08:29.850 --> 00:08:40.650
That you know, is gonna be able to recommend you or refer you, or you work in collaboration with them and you have sort of this mutually beneficial, it's honestly one of the fastest ways to grow your business, right?
00:08:40.711 --> 00:08:41.801
Yeah, absolutely.
00:08:42.100 --> 00:08:42.321
Yep.
00:08:42.811 --> 00:08:43.291
Yeah, for sure.
00:08:44.431 --> 00:08:45.030
I love that.
00:08:45.030 --> 00:08:48.780
And how much do you think that your credibility from teaching helped.
00:08:49.900 --> 00:08:51.010
Oh, a great deal.
00:08:51.400 --> 00:08:55.331
I would say actually the first thing that helped is being certified in QuickBooks.
00:08:56.510 --> 00:08:57.951
That certification helped.
00:08:58.370 --> 00:09:12.630
And then also the teaching as well, just you know, increased my credibility because once people see that, you know, what you're talking about, you know, if they're sitting in the classroom, you know, they're pretty much sold, especially if.
00:09:13.000 --> 00:09:15.490
You know, you're, you know, you're good at what you do.
00:09:15.640 --> 00:09:19.600
And I can say that I am like, that is my superpower.
00:09:19.660 --> 00:09:24.650
Teaching people how to get complex, how to understand complex topics.
00:09:25.081 --> 00:09:31.716
I can do that in writing and I do that in my books as well as, Face to face when I'm teaching people.
00:09:31.716 --> 00:09:36.546
And that's, I've been told that over and over for my clients, and so now I'm like, yeah, you know what?
00:09:36.605 --> 00:09:37.206
You guys are right.
00:09:38.796 --> 00:09:39.905
Plus I enjoy it.
00:09:39.966 --> 00:09:40.206
Right.
00:09:40.211 --> 00:09:41.586
It doesn't feel like work.
00:09:41.946 --> 00:09:46.416
And that's what, you know, my favorite part about it is that it's, it's something that I don't dread.
00:09:46.416 --> 00:09:52.995
I look forward to meeting with clients or spending time writing a chapter or what have you.
00:09:53.176 --> 00:09:53.566
Yeah.
00:09:54.015 --> 00:09:55.306
How did the book come about?
00:09:55.355 --> 00:09:58.556
So the book that was like out of left field.
00:10:00.206 --> 00:10:11.785
I mean, seriously, it was a DM in LinkedIn that I got from the publisher, and you know how it is when you get a DM from someone, you're like a little bit suspicious.
00:10:11.875 --> 00:10:13.375
Is this legitimate?
00:10:13.466 --> 00:10:13.946
You know?
00:10:13.951 --> 00:10:14.015
Yeah.
00:10:14.605 --> 00:10:16.676
And so I did my research.
00:10:17.365 --> 00:10:19.826
Found out that publishing company actually existed.
00:10:21.466 --> 00:10:27.745
And then I dug a little bit further to see, okay, let me see if there are any authors that actually published a QuickBooks book.
00:10:28.375 --> 00:10:29.245
And there was.
00:10:29.245 --> 00:10:35.005
So I reached out to that author and she was gracious enough to meet with me over Zoom for 30 minutes and answered Oh wow.
00:10:35.005 --> 00:10:35.966
All my questions.
00:10:37.066 --> 00:10:37.285
Wow.
00:10:39.010 --> 00:10:44.801
Sold because she was like, I wrote one book for them and she was like, I'm telling you the credibility.
00:10:44.831 --> 00:10:51.071
She said that it gave me, catapulted, my business where she said, I didn't even have time to write another book.
00:10:51.341 --> 00:10:53.770
She said, I've been too busy ever since.
00:10:53.770 --> 00:10:55.541
So she said, you absolutely have to do it.
00:10:57.811 --> 00:10:59.110
So it was just amazing.
00:10:59.110 --> 00:11:00.370
It kind of fell in my lap.
00:11:00.370 --> 00:11:02.441
I mean, seriously, it, it just fell in my lap.
00:11:02.951 --> 00:11:09.350
So how did you choose, like, this is, this is kind of always going over in my head cuz one day I think I'd like to write a book too, but mm-hmm.
00:11:09.431 --> 00:11:13.900
How did you, how did you arrive at the topic, at what you were gonna focus on?
00:11:14.831 --> 00:11:21.280
So they actually wanted, they told me what they wanted me to write about Uhhuh and so that made it easy.
00:11:21.280 --> 00:11:34.831
They had done some research on me over, you know, social media and looked over my bio and my background and they were like, seems like you're very you know, well, Versed in QuickBooks and we have a, a book on desktop.
00:11:34.831 --> 00:11:36.931
We'd love you to write the online book.
00:11:37.410 --> 00:11:42.721
And so they asked me to put an outline together of if I were gonna write a book, what would I want to include in it.
00:11:43.140 --> 00:11:44.400
That was the easy part.
00:11:44.451 --> 00:11:45.681
Because I teach all the time.
00:11:45.681 --> 00:11:48.471
And so it's like, yeah, I know exactly what I would put in my book.
00:11:48.980 --> 00:12:09.490
And so I write, wrote the outline and Wrote the book and it was just crazy how the first three editions were Amazon best sellers, like within six to eight weeks of the books being published they were at the top of the list in that category of like accounting and bookkeeping books.
00:12:09.985 --> 00:12:11.816
On Amazon, which is amazing.
00:12:12.655 --> 00:12:18.716
And so the fourth edition has been out for a few months now, and it's tracking to be number one as well.
00:12:18.716 --> 00:12:20.395
So I'm really, really excited.
00:12:20.456 --> 00:12:21.745
I'm not surprised.
00:12:21.796 --> 00:12:35.211
It's sort of, again, it's one of the big realizations that I've made over the years working in business and helping owners, is that the focus that you can have is, Always gonna be an asset for you.
00:12:35.211 --> 00:12:47.571
I think a lot of people kind of get scared and they're like, I have to, I have to like throw my cast my nets wide and I have to be able to, you know, do all the things for all the people who are like, and, and catch everybody.
00:12:47.576 --> 00:12:47.660
Right.
00:12:47.931 --> 00:12:50.721
But actually it works to their, their detriment.
00:12:50.725 --> 00:12:51.260
Right, right.
00:12:51.441 --> 00:12:52.311
Yeah, it does.
00:12:52.380 --> 00:12:54.770
I always tell my kids like, focus first.
00:12:54.831 --> 00:12:55.191
Right?
00:12:55.191 --> 00:12:55.250
Yeah.
00:12:55.250 --> 00:13:00.051
Start with something exactly focused and then maybe you could build it from there and find new opportunities.
00:13:00.051 --> 00:13:02.030
But I think, you know, that's, that's.
00:13:02.400 --> 00:13:10.410
If I had to guess, I would say that's probably one of the things that's really worked well for you is being able to be sort of really focused and build a brand around something very specific.
00:13:10.740 --> 00:13:10.831
Mm-hmm.
00:13:11.311 --> 00:13:12.480
Yeah, absolutely.
00:13:12.480 --> 00:13:21.926
I mean, I have the book, I have my consulting sessions that I do, and then more recently I've published an online course.
00:13:22.571 --> 00:13:28.421
And so it's all centered around helping small business owners manage their books.
00:13:28.780 --> 00:13:38.171
And for me it's about just being able to scale since there's only so many people I can meet with in a day or in a week, and I really want to reach.
00:13:38.336 --> 00:13:40.645
As many small business owners as I can.
00:13:41.035 --> 00:13:42.655
Right now, I've met with hundreds.
00:13:42.655 --> 00:13:57.655
I want to meet, I want to be able to help thousands, and the only way to do that, of course, is to have a course where anyone in the world can go online, take my course, and learn how to use QuickBooks and have access to me through that channel as well.
00:13:58.615 --> 00:13:59.785
Yeah, absolutely.
00:13:59.785 --> 00:14:02.605
And I, I imagine you started out as a service provider.
00:14:03.086 --> 00:14:03.265
Mm-hmm.
00:14:03.510 --> 00:14:03.716
Yeah.
00:14:04.155 --> 00:14:04.475
Absolutely.
00:14:04.796 --> 00:14:05.005
Yeah.
00:14:05.010 --> 00:14:07.946
When did you, when did you make that change from.
00:14:08.620 --> 00:14:11.980
There's the service provider, like the one doing the work to.
00:14:11.980 --> 00:14:16.510
And did you at any time think about building an agency or mm-hmm.
00:14:16.931 --> 00:14:21.041
You know, what was the transition like to moving, to being something a little bit more scalable?
00:14:21.091 --> 00:14:24.961
I mean, I'm still in the service provider arena, I would say.
00:14:25.010 --> 00:14:32.030
I still have clients that I meet with weekly, and so I'm just now making that transition.
00:14:32.030 --> 00:14:39.020
Like my course is maybe just a few weeks old, so I'm in the process of making that transition.
00:14:39.380 --> 00:14:48.211
I don't think I'll ever move a hundred percent away from it because I actually enjoy this work, but I'll just be more What's the word I wanna use?
00:14:48.510 --> 00:14:48.630
Selective.
00:14:49.671 --> 00:14:49.870
Selective.
00:14:51.890 --> 00:14:55.020
I'm selective, but I probably have to be more selective.
00:14:55.510 --> 00:15:04.150
More so selective in terms of just the type of clients that I want to work with and how much of my time that I want to spend doing that.
00:15:04.551 --> 00:15:10.591
But one of the things that I have started to do is to go and attend like conferences.
00:15:11.265 --> 00:15:18.416
So, for example, last week I was at a conference that I spoke at at the end of next month I'm scheduled to speak at another conference.
00:15:18.416 --> 00:15:29.076
So I think that's another way to Expose myself to other people and to just sort of reach out further and cast my net further, if you will, than I have been.
00:15:29.076 --> 00:15:30.605
So, I'm excited.
00:15:30.605 --> 00:15:32.426
It's it's fun to do those Yeah.
00:15:32.485 --> 00:15:41.785
Those type of events cuz you, you meet all types of people and just, you know, people I never would've met if I just stay here at my little office and meet with one on one with my clients.
00:15:42.385 --> 00:15:42.686
Yeah.
00:15:42.686 --> 00:15:45.535
It's, it's sort of the ever, the ever existing.
00:15:46.120 --> 00:15:51.400
Challenge that I think a lot of, like business owners face, especially women mm-hmm.
00:15:51.640 --> 00:15:58.211
Is how to get that sort of like in marketing, we have to have, you know, both sides.
00:15:58.211 --> 00:16:03.971
We have to have the, the visibility side where we're actually finding new audiences and we're finding new people to.
00:16:04.500 --> 00:16:12.181
Find us and then once they kind of find you, then we need to nurture 'em and you know, have something for them to identify with.
00:16:12.181 --> 00:16:12.421
Exactly.
00:16:12.571 --> 00:16:16.980
But it's the visibility side that a lot of people struggle with and don't wanna do.
00:16:16.985 --> 00:16:17.201
Mm-hmm.
00:16:17.730 --> 00:16:18.091
Right.
00:16:18.181 --> 00:16:21.841
You know, I think it sounds like you have found some channels that really work for you.
00:16:22.735 --> 00:16:35.426
Yeah, I have because you know, one of the things that I'll share in 2010, I did leave corporate to start this business, but guess what, in 2013, I went back to corporate.
00:16:36.265 --> 00:16:36.355
Mm-hmm.
00:16:36.576 --> 00:16:48.546
And I would just say the main reason why I did that was because I spent too much time working in my business and you know, I had the referrals at the time, which were easy and were coming through.
00:16:48.796 --> 00:16:51.285
But eventually, you know, those dried up.
00:16:51.346 --> 00:17:00.765
And then I hadn't done anything in terms of marketing or networking to sort of keep that cycle going where I had new clients coming in.
00:17:01.336 --> 00:17:04.185
And so it was a hard lesson to learn.
00:17:04.526 --> 00:17:07.165
I avoided marketing and networking because I didn't like it.
00:17:08.006 --> 00:17:12.056
And you know, for whatever reason, thought if I just avoided it, it would go away.
00:17:12.115 --> 00:17:22.435
It didn't, you know, it's kinda like my clients that come to me and they're like, yeah, I'm just gonna let that bookkeeper do what they do and I don't need to know what they're doing.
00:17:22.461 --> 00:17:23.681
That's not gonna work.
00:17:24.260 --> 00:17:26.661
That's not a long-term solution, you know?
00:17:26.661 --> 00:17:32.701
And so it's the same thing, except my issue is I'm not the marketer, you know, but but yeah, it was a hard lesson to learn.
00:17:32.705 --> 00:17:34.471
So this time around I know better.
00:17:35.971 --> 00:17:37.111
So, so what have you done differently?
00:17:37.115 --> 00:17:43.111
But it doesn't sound like you're, you know, you're hating the, the visibility work that you're doing.
00:17:43.290 --> 00:17:46.381
I mean, I don't know, maybe you are, but it sounds like you're pretty comfortable with it.
00:17:47.381 --> 00:18:00.611
You know I'm comfortable with it in terms of just, I have a positive attitude about it, and I don't necessarily like the rigor involved with getting prepared to go and speak at a conference.
00:18:01.040 --> 00:18:10.060
But once I get there, the interaction with people, the networking, the learning that takes place is like, that's my happy place.
00:18:10.631 --> 00:18:12.971
And so I know what the end result will be.
00:18:12.976 --> 00:18:16.721
So I do the things I don't like to do to get to that end result.
00:18:17.181 --> 00:18:25.381
But what I've also done and a lot of small business owners, you know, it takes 'em a while to get this as I've hired some help for that marketing piece, right.
00:18:26.310 --> 00:18:29.010
Because I'm not the social media girl.
00:18:29.010 --> 00:18:33.270
I'm not, you know, that I, I'm not that versed in it.
00:18:33.840 --> 00:18:36.151
And so I have a marketing assistant.
00:18:36.780 --> 00:18:46.040
She does a fantastic job of you know, managing the content, coming up with great ideas, and I participate in that.
00:18:46.431 --> 00:18:49.550
So we, we, we meet weekly and talk about.
00:18:50.226 --> 00:18:51.935
What we're going to be sharing out.
00:18:51.996 --> 00:19:00.756
You know, maybe there's a theme for a particular month, and then what are we going to be sharing out in that month to our subscribers and to get new subscribers.
00:19:00.756 --> 00:19:05.435
And so I participate in the process, but I don't have to do that work.
00:19:05.435 --> 00:19:05.496
Yeah.
00:19:05.766 --> 00:19:09.635
And so that's what I like and had to realize you need help.
00:19:09.846 --> 00:19:13.326
And so as soon as I was able to afford to get help, I did.
00:19:14.306 --> 00:19:15.405
And that's what I commend.
00:19:15.625 --> 00:19:16.685
I'm glad that you say that.
00:19:16.905 --> 00:19:18.915
You know, I used to sort of.
00:19:19.576 --> 00:19:22.695
Operationally run a, a VA company.
00:19:23.086 --> 00:19:23.205
Mm-hmm.
00:19:23.445 --> 00:19:32.096
And I think a lot of the objection that came from potential, you know, customers for the VAs was, I don't know what to ask them to do.
00:19:32.665 --> 00:19:34.885
And I don't know how to onboard somebody.
00:19:34.885 --> 00:19:38.786
And I feel like I have to have everything perfect before I, you know, hire anyone.
00:19:38.786 --> 00:19:39.715
And it sounds like Yeah.
00:19:39.925 --> 00:19:43.556
Kind of went, I, I identify the place where I have some pain.
00:19:44.455 --> 00:19:44.816
Yes.
00:19:45.205 --> 00:19:46.615
It doesn't come naturally.
00:19:46.675 --> 00:19:48.175
Did you find that?
00:19:48.641 --> 00:19:53.740
You know, you hired somebody and they kind of ran with it, or did you have to give 'em a lot of instruction?
00:19:53.740 --> 00:19:54.730
Like how did that go for you?
00:19:55.871 --> 00:19:57.730
Yeah, so that's a great question.
00:19:57.830 --> 00:20:13.490
I actually had been reading this book last summer with my sister, and that book actually helped me get to the point where I realized I needed to hire someone and I actually hired a virtual assistant and a marketing assistant at the same time.
00:20:14.300 --> 00:20:22.580
And one of, one of the exercises that it says to go through is to write down everything you would have that person do.
00:20:23.405 --> 00:20:23.766
Right.
00:20:23.770 --> 00:20:28.175
And that sort of feeds the actual job description that you come up with, right?
00:20:28.746 --> 00:20:38.226
And so just doing that process or going through that process, Was so, it was like a huge stress reliever.
00:20:38.526 --> 00:20:45.066
It was like I had already delegated all these duties to someone else who I hadn't even hired yet.
00:20:45.070 --> 00:21:00.846
But just putting it down on paper was amazing cuz it's like step one, put it down on paper and then you're like, okay, yes, I can actually hire someone to do all these things, which, you know, frees up how much of my time so I can do the things that need to be done to grow the business.
00:21:01.125 --> 00:21:01.425
Yeah.
00:21:01.576 --> 00:21:02.445
Oh my goodness.
00:21:02.445 --> 00:21:04.455
That process was very freeing.
00:21:04.905 --> 00:21:13.861
So the virtual assistant position, you know the first person I hired, she was amazing, but she only lasted three months.
00:21:14.520 --> 00:21:24.171
She was a teacher, and then she got called back and she, you know, had some personal issues and actually needed benefits, which I couldn't really afford at the time.
00:21:25.181 --> 00:21:28.721
Best hire ever, but she didn't last long.
00:21:29.020 --> 00:21:30.340
Then I hired someone else.
00:21:30.401 --> 00:21:31.780
She lasted three months.
00:21:32.201 --> 00:21:33.611
She had some personal issues.
00:21:34.730 --> 00:21:39.381
And so then I just decided, okay, the virtual assistant position will let it go for now.
00:21:39.560 --> 00:21:41.901
Marketing assistant, first person I hired.
00:21:42.996 --> 00:21:43.625
Amazing.
00:21:44.266 --> 00:21:45.855
She's been fantastic.
00:21:45.855 --> 00:21:51.915
We are just on the same page, but I think you just have to, number one, set expectations.
00:21:51.965 --> 00:21:53.736
Very type A personality.
00:21:53.855 --> 00:22:02.226
So I know what I want in a person, I know what my expectations are, and I have no problem communicating that to people.
00:22:02.465 --> 00:22:02.675
Right.
00:22:02.955 --> 00:22:06.105
And then we have a regular weekly meeting.
00:22:06.641 --> 00:22:13.111
Which I think is good because that's the only way to stay connected with people because she's virtual.
00:22:13.530 --> 00:22:22.411
And so it's good for us to meet weekly so that we understand or are on the same page about what needs to happen that particular week.
00:22:22.951 --> 00:22:27.060
And also, you know, to give guidance or to answer any questions that person has.
00:22:27.060 --> 00:22:31.260
Yeah, email's great, but it's always great to have a, a one-on-one as well.
00:22:31.590 --> 00:22:33.391
And I've learned that from being in corporate.
00:22:33.391 --> 00:22:35.191
I always had a one-on-one with my boss.
00:22:35.580 --> 00:22:42.810
And I loved that time because it was a time for me to, you know, express any concerns or ask any questions.
00:22:43.141 --> 00:22:45.601
And so I found that that's worked really well.
00:22:46.020 --> 00:22:48.240
And so I just think, you know, it's gonna be hit or miss.
00:22:48.240 --> 00:22:49.590
It's never gonna be perfect.
00:22:50.040 --> 00:22:55.500
I've gone through, you know, the two virtual assistants just decided, okay, we'll, we'll circle back to that position.
00:22:55.770 --> 00:22:58.506
In the meantime, this marketing assistant is, Fantastic.
00:23:00.096 --> 00:23:01.506
Yeah, and I think that's ok.
00:23:01.506 --> 00:23:11.675
Like that's a huge lesson is that you can go through that process and it's, it's like the old ash right in, in corporate as you, you know.
00:23:13.125 --> 00:23:15.976
Hire slow, like fire fast, right?
00:23:16.185 --> 00:23:16.635
Yes.
00:23:16.635 --> 00:23:20.776
If you, you know, do put the time and effort into finding the right person.
00:23:21.105 --> 00:23:21.405
Yeah.
00:23:21.405 --> 00:23:26.355
And, and don't make it based on cost because you will always get misaligned.
00:23:26.776 --> 00:23:27.586
Exactly.
00:23:28.115 --> 00:23:32.086
You know, I have an amazing, like, help with mm-hmm.
00:23:32.326 --> 00:23:33.766
This podcast for example.
00:23:34.445 --> 00:23:42.625
And you know, there's, and I know she'll be listening to this when she's so, hi Shannon, but she, you know, she and I have had this conversation before as well, like mm-hmm.
00:23:43.046 --> 00:23:55.286
She's my dream person and I, that I can use her in lots of different ways, but I think a lot of people have it in their heads that they need to hire a VA and it'll cost them $5 an hour.
00:23:55.286 --> 00:23:58.655
And I'm like, You're gonna get $5 an hour.
00:23:58.746 --> 00:23:58.986
Right.
00:23:59.435 --> 00:24:00.546
Half of quality.
00:24:00.546 --> 00:24:00.905
Right.
00:24:01.145 --> 00:24:06.816
And there is a, there is a place for people who are just kind of banging out, wrote.
00:24:07.280 --> 00:24:08.451
Work, right.
00:24:08.570 --> 00:24:12.171
That you know you can pay $5 an hour for and it's, yeah.
00:24:12.800 --> 00:24:18.050
It's sort of like there, it doesn't require a lot of like strategic thought or anything like that.
00:24:18.050 --> 00:24:18.381
Right.
00:24:18.651 --> 00:24:26.300
But, you know, invest the time and the, the resources in hire in finding the right person for you and it's gonna be worth every penny you pay.
00:24:26.780 --> 00:24:30.891
It is stuck in this idea of like cheap resources.
00:24:31.101 --> 00:24:31.611
Right.
00:24:31.611 --> 00:24:31.701
Right.
00:24:32.006 --> 00:24:32.365
Right.
00:24:32.726 --> 00:24:42.205
And the other thing I would say too is when you do find the right person, or when you do hire someone, you've got to invest the time to train them properly.
00:24:42.895 --> 00:24:42.925
Mm.
00:24:42.925 --> 00:24:51.506
Don't just, I mean, some things they can figure out on their own, but you've gotta take some of your time as a business owner and meet with them.
00:24:51.996 --> 00:24:53.915
I just recently hired an accounting intern.
00:24:54.770 --> 00:25:09.651
And I am meeting with her probably every other day because I am bringing her up to speed on how to interact with clients and my expectation when it comes to communicating with clients or.
00:25:09.971 --> 00:25:11.351
Managing client work.
00:25:11.861 --> 00:25:22.480
And so that that's the only way they're going to get up to speed quickly and to do things the way you want them to do is you're gonna have to invest some of your time to, to bring them up there.
00:25:22.486 --> 00:25:24.830
But then once you do, it's so worth it.
00:25:25.711 --> 00:25:26.851
Yeah, absolutely.
00:25:26.855 --> 00:25:26.951
Mm-hmm.
00:25:27.030 --> 00:25:27.671
And like mm-hmm.
00:25:27.931 --> 00:25:30.361
Put that time as actually budget that time.
00:25:30.601 --> 00:25:31.050
Yes.
00:25:31.141 --> 00:25:39.211
What ends up happening is we don't, and we don't treat it like it's actually a project and an investment in our business, and then we are frustrated because mm-hmm.
00:25:39.691 --> 00:25:41.461
Oh, I have to spend all this time, this isn't worth it.
00:25:41.490 --> 00:25:43.141
No, you're gonna have to spend the time, right.
00:25:43.141 --> 00:25:48.730
You're gonna have to you know, make some time and effort and, and like answer questions and think through.
00:25:48.730 --> 00:25:50.651
And it's okay if the first little bit.
00:25:51.355 --> 00:25:52.705
Is just messy.
00:25:53.155 --> 00:25:53.336
Mm-hmm.
00:25:53.816 --> 00:26:04.105
It's gonna be messy, but at the end of the day, if you don't take the time front, That you're gonna spend time correcting that person's mistakes later on because you didn't take the time upfront.
00:26:04.246 --> 00:26:09.266
I mean, right, and the open communication of the, like the, the permission to ask questions.
00:26:09.266 --> 00:26:12.865
I mean, when Shannon started working with me, I'm like, look, here's all the stuff.
00:26:13.286 --> 00:26:14.066
Here's all the stuff.
00:26:14.066 --> 00:26:18.655
Here's, I don't know, I think my process was actually pretty good and like pretty well documented.
00:26:18.655 --> 00:26:21.145
But, you know, she came into it and she was like, okay.
00:26:21.395 --> 00:26:23.105
And I said, look, do your best.
00:26:23.111 --> 00:26:23.266
Right?
00:26:23.270 --> 00:26:23.465
Right.
00:26:23.465 --> 00:26:24.726
Do your best with this.
00:26:24.726 --> 00:26:25.865
Make it your own.
00:26:25.925 --> 00:26:27.365
Ask me questions.
00:26:27.695 --> 00:26:30.605
The first few, like you're setting that expectation up front.
00:26:30.635 --> 00:26:40.236
The first few episodes, it's gonna take a while, and we're, we're like gonna have questions and there's gonna be things, but as long as you're open to receiving the feedback, it's not emotional.
00:26:40.240 --> 00:26:44.786
It's not a value judgment, it's just like, Hey, just remember this.
00:26:44.786 --> 00:26:45.236
Remember that.
00:26:45.236 --> 00:26:47.695
Or I have some weird little quirk about this and, and that sort.
00:26:47.695 --> 00:26:47.846
Right.
00:26:47.935 --> 00:26:51.685
And then eventually now, like I don't even, sadly, I don't hear from her that much.
00:26:51.685 --> 00:27:02.635
Cause she just, I love her and I would love to hear from her more, but she didn't talked to me, you know, like she just got it so dialed and she owned it.
00:27:02.635 --> 00:27:04.976
And that's what you're looking for is someone who can own their process.
00:27:04.976 --> 00:27:09.445
Someone who, who, and you're setting it up for them to have the permission to be able to do that.
00:27:09.451 --> 00:27:11.096
And that's gonna pay off in spades for sure.
00:27:11.500 --> 00:27:11.891
Yeah.
00:27:11.951 --> 00:27:12.820
Absolutely.
00:27:12.820 --> 00:27:22.310
And I think something that you said is key is just providing that feedback and them being able to receive that feedback and take the emotion out of it.
00:27:22.520 --> 00:27:24.651
Yeah, because feedback works two ways.
00:27:25.131 --> 00:27:30.861
I actually, you know, I want someone who's able to receive feedback, but I am also able to receive it as well.
00:27:30.861 --> 00:27:30.921
Yeah.
00:27:31.161 --> 00:27:44.135
If there's something that I'm doing that's, Not working for you or, you know, please, I tell my folks, speak freely because this isn't going to work if you don't feel like you can speak freely.
00:27:44.135 --> 00:27:45.905
And I don't feel like I can speak freely.
00:27:45.965 --> 00:27:46.355
Right.
00:27:46.655 --> 00:27:50.826
And I just, I always make sure that the folks that work for me, they know.
00:27:51.006 --> 00:27:52.175
You can be honest with me.
00:27:52.506 --> 00:27:59.175
Now, I imagine that it's, you know, there's been a point at which you have thought about at least building out an agency.
00:27:59.766 --> 00:28:00.185
Mm-hmm.
00:28:01.411 --> 00:28:03.330
And where have you sort of landed?
00:28:03.336 --> 00:28:05.971
Like what is, what does growth sort of mean to you?
00:28:08.891 --> 00:28:22.520
I'm still defining that, you know, I have thought about building out an agency, but I worry about being able to duplicate.
00:28:23.361 --> 00:28:32.691
You know, what I'm able to accomplish with my clients, duplicate that method that I utilize to teach and train my clients.
00:28:33.211 --> 00:28:42.240
I've thought about having a certification program where I bring folks in, you know, they go through some training and then, you know, they're off to the races.
00:28:43.260 --> 00:28:46.951
It's still something that I think about occasionally.
00:28:47.050 --> 00:28:53.711
And so I'm just not sure if I wanna go that route, just to be honest with you.
00:28:53.780 --> 00:28:56.780
Managing a lot of different people was a lot of work.
00:28:57.181 --> 00:29:12.340
I did it in corporate for years and years and years, and so I, I just, I just have to be mindful that if I go that route, I'm probably gonna have to hire someone to manage that team because that's something that doesn't excite me.
00:29:12.750 --> 00:29:16.530
In terms of having to do it on a day-to-day, does that make sense?
00:29:16.770 --> 00:29:17.461
Hundred percent.
00:29:17.730 --> 00:29:22.320
And what I really love is that you're being very honest with yourself about what you do and do not want.
00:29:22.320 --> 00:29:22.530
Right.
00:29:22.530 --> 00:29:25.681
I think a lot of people fall into this trap of mm-hmm.
00:29:26.101 --> 00:29:27.721
Seeing other people do it.
00:29:28.050 --> 00:29:28.290
Yeah.
00:29:28.290 --> 00:29:30.451
And thinking, oh, well I have a service-based industry.
00:29:30.451 --> 00:29:35.340
I should just, the only way to scale or grow is to hire a bunch of people to do this work for me.
00:29:35.701 --> 00:29:37.800
And that doesn't always have to be the answer.
00:29:38.201 --> 00:29:38.651
Right.
00:29:39.040 --> 00:29:40.330
Yeah, absolutely.
00:29:40.691 --> 00:29:40.990
Yeah.
00:29:40.990 --> 00:29:41.980
I, I totally agree.
00:29:41.980 --> 00:29:44.891
So I'm still, you know, we're, I'm still thinking about it.
00:29:45.911 --> 00:29:46.451
Yeah.
00:29:46.451 --> 00:29:51.431
And, and so what, what's the future plans for the course and the, like, the digital products?
00:29:51.530 --> 00:30:02.240
Yeah, so I've released the first course and the plan is to also probably release future courses that are more challenging.
00:30:02.240 --> 00:30:09.111
So this is sort of like the basic training course and then a plan to do, you know, multiple levels of courses.
00:30:09.750 --> 00:30:10.500
And so that's.
00:30:10.891 --> 00:30:12.570
That's kind of where I'm at right now.
00:30:12.570 --> 00:30:14.101
I enjoy that work.
00:30:14.131 --> 00:30:16.770
Producing the course is like so much fun.
00:30:17.201 --> 00:30:18.490
I really, really enjoyed it.
00:30:18.490 --> 00:30:22.661
It's a lot of work, but the end result is just amazing.
00:30:23.050 --> 00:30:31.121
And so my goal really is to just to get the course out there to the small business owners as well as to people who are looking to.
00:30:31.816 --> 00:30:34.816
You know, enter the bookkeeping and accounting industry.
00:30:35.246 --> 00:30:38.516
You know, 90% of small business owners use QuickBooks.
00:30:39.145 --> 00:30:42.655
And so I know my course can help folks get up to speed.
00:30:42.655 --> 00:30:47.905
If they just wanna get a job doing bookkeeping for someone, this course will prepare them for that.
00:30:47.935 --> 00:30:53.346
And so for me, just getting in front of the right audience that actually could get this course out.
00:30:53.756 --> 00:30:58.135
Two people who are looking to change careers or looking to get into this field.
00:30:58.556 --> 00:31:04.766
And so I love being a mentor, so I'm also, you know, playing around with opportunities for doing that as well.
00:31:05.631 --> 00:31:08.840
Well, I love that you've got some diversity in your customer groups, right?
00:31:08.846 --> 00:31:08.971
Mm-hmm.
00:31:09.050 --> 00:31:09.491
So you have, mm-hmm.
00:31:10.280 --> 00:31:21.111
You have the actual service clients, and then you've got this whole other group of people who are like, Hmm, maybe this is the potential, you know, career for me, a career choice.
00:31:21.351 --> 00:31:21.560
Yes.
00:31:21.566 --> 00:31:26.611
And how can you support them and keep going with building out your support for that group.
00:31:27.141 --> 00:31:28.550
Yeah, absolutely.
00:31:28.550 --> 00:31:28.760
Yeah.
00:31:28.760 --> 00:31:29.721
I love that part.
00:31:29.721 --> 00:31:39.020
I actually just started partnering with my alma mater, which is just 20 minutes away and starting to hire accounting students who want to intern.
00:31:39.451 --> 00:31:47.550
I just, I really enjoy sharing my knowledge of working in the field and the opportunities that are available.
00:31:47.921 --> 00:31:48.371
When I.
00:31:48.411 --> 00:31:59.901
First started out, I did have an accounting intern back in 2010 that I hired, and she worked with me for two years before she graduated, and it was amazing.
00:31:59.931 --> 00:32:06.776
She wrote me this really sweet letter when she graduated and sent me this gift to thank me just for solidifying her.
00:32:06.935 --> 00:32:13.596
Decision to be an accountant and so we still keep in touch on social media to this day.
00:32:13.596 --> 00:32:17.826
She always keeps me up to date on which, where she is and what she's doing, so I'm just like, oh my gosh.
00:32:17.830 --> 00:32:18.425
I love that.
00:32:19.685 --> 00:32:29.135
Well, when you know, when I see somebody having that much passion about that kind of part of their business, that sounds to me like a great place to focus on your future growth.
00:32:29.945 --> 00:32:31.635
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
00:32:32.286 --> 00:32:34.236
There's one question I ask everybody.
00:32:34.236 --> 00:32:35.435
This show is about.
00:32:35.451 --> 00:32:37.800
Sort of the real side of business and not the mm-hmm.
00:32:37.911 --> 00:32:43.101
You know, the celebrity stories that are unachievable and inaccessible.
00:32:43.590 --> 00:32:51.090
What's the difference between what we hear out there in the business world, in the online business world, and what's real about being, being a business owner?
00:32:51.090 --> 00:32:52.230
What's that difference?
00:32:54.570 --> 00:33:02.500
You know, a lot of people talk about, Having a balance, right, of personal and work.
00:33:03.280 --> 00:33:11.320
And unfortunately, I would've to say in the beginning, it's just, it's impossible.
00:33:11.580 --> 00:33:13.510
I mean, that's how I feel.
00:33:14.020 --> 00:33:18.701
I feel like it's sounds nice, but it's just not reality.
00:33:19.330 --> 00:33:30.836
I, you know, I just remember, you know, when you're a small business owner, because you're wearing so many hats, It's impossible to put yourself on a clock, right on an eight hour clock.
00:33:30.865 --> 00:33:33.056
Oh, I'm going to work eight hours.
00:33:33.115 --> 00:33:35.276
I'm going to work from this time to this time.
00:33:35.816 --> 00:33:38.066
That is just not realistic.
00:33:38.496 --> 00:33:39.965
It, it wasn't my experience.
00:33:39.965 --> 00:33:41.705
It hasn't been my experience.
00:33:42.046 --> 00:33:47.566
Even today, I tried to at least turn off my computer no later than six o'clock.
00:33:48.496 --> 00:33:53.385
Because usually that's the time my husband has dinner ready for us, and I try not to come back to my computer.
00:33:53.385 --> 00:33:58.066
But hey, there are those evenings where I get an email and it's like, yep.
00:33:58.066 --> 00:33:59.266
Know what I gotta get back on.
00:33:59.836 --> 00:34:02.405
So I just think and it's okay, right?
00:34:02.411 --> 00:34:05.945
Because you know what I look at it is it's not gonna be forever, right?
00:34:06.395 --> 00:34:10.715
I have to do what I have to do to get this business to where I want to be.
00:34:10.715 --> 00:34:13.715
And then eventually I'll get to a point where I.
00:34:14.300 --> 00:34:23.545
I can have a balance, you know, that doesn't mean I'm not taking care of myself, but it's just, you know, I do things for self-care that are very important.
00:34:23.545 --> 00:34:31.465
But just don't put the pressure on yourself that you have to just work in your business these eight hours or.
00:34:31.856 --> 00:34:34.315
Five hours or whatever other people say they do.
00:34:34.746 --> 00:34:42.365
Because, you know, it doesn't make sense if, if you have a big goal for your business, the only way you're gonna reach it is you're gonna have to put the work in.
00:34:42.485 --> 00:34:44.255
It's not gonna happen unless you make it happen.
00:34:46.115 --> 00:34:46.445
Yeah.
00:34:46.445 --> 00:34:54.025
And I think it's kind of like It's kind of like the, you know, becoming a parent and the Pinterest moms and mm-hmm.
00:34:54.416 --> 00:35:00.596
We have a national pastime about making, you know, women and moms feel inadequate no matter what they do.
00:35:01.541 --> 00:35:06.175
And I think, you know, there's, there's all this talk and all of this, you know.
00:35:07.106 --> 00:35:13.255
Ultimate thing you're sort of supposed to be striving towards with this inner peace and this balance.
00:35:13.255 --> 00:35:14.936
And I'm like, you're, you're absolutely right.
00:35:14.936 --> 00:35:17.965
The first couple of years in business are just a mess, right?
00:35:18.295 --> 00:35:18.416
Yeah.
00:35:18.416 --> 00:35:22.135
And you know, you, I, I don't advocate for burning yourself out.
00:35:22.135 --> 00:35:23.306
I don't advocate for, right?
00:35:23.635 --> 00:35:27.536
Like, no one's gonna die if you don't, you know, do this thing today.
00:35:27.641 --> 00:35:27.731
Right.
00:35:27.971 --> 00:35:33.221
But it's gonna be messy and it's okay that it's messy and you're figuring things out and it's not always gonna be perfect.
00:35:33.221 --> 00:35:41.710
And you, and like the, the more we try to fit into these sort of picture perfect impressions of someone else's business, the harder it gets for us.
00:35:41.710 --> 00:35:42.010
Right?
00:35:42.010 --> 00:35:42.070
Yeah.
00:35:42.076 --> 00:35:44.650
So you never really arrive Exactly.
00:35:45.251 --> 00:35:47.501
You, you're just in constant motion and that's okay.
00:35:47.951 --> 00:35:48.400
Mm-hmm.
00:35:48.581 --> 00:35:48.800
Yep.
00:35:49.201 --> 00:35:49.601
Absolutely.
00:35:50.001 --> 00:35:50.320
Alright.
00:35:50.670 --> 00:35:51.161
Awesome.
00:35:51.701 --> 00:35:53.860
Can you, we're coming up to the end of the show.
00:35:53.860 --> 00:35:57.101
Can you tell the listeners where they can find you?
00:35:58.315 --> 00:35:58.885
Yes.
00:35:58.885 --> 00:36:02.815
So I actually have a couple of gifts for your audience today.
00:36:03.266 --> 00:36:11.695
Oh, if they go to Crystalynn shelton.com/podcast, there are two checklists that they can download for free.
00:36:12.126 --> 00:36:15.210
The first one is your first seven days in QuickBooks.
00:36:15.891 --> 00:36:24.860
So it's a checklist that actually coincides with my book Master in QuickBooks 2023 to sort of help guide you on what to do.
00:36:24.891 --> 00:36:28.431
That first week you're in the QuickBooks software.
00:36:29.181 --> 00:36:41.161
And then the other checklist is for your seasoned listeners who maybe they have QuickBooks or they have another accounting software that's working great for them but it's called your closing the books checklist.
00:36:41.610 --> 00:36:43.530
So all the things that you should consider.
00:36:43.530 --> 00:36:50.945
Sitter and make sure are done before you hand your books over to your tax preparer so they can prepare your tax return.
00:36:51.695 --> 00:37:04.936
And so yeah, both of those are available on that page for download for free as well as I offer a free 20 minute consult for anyone who needs some guidance on what to do or they're not sure.
00:37:05.391 --> 00:37:07.490
What software they could use for their business.
00:37:07.490 --> 00:37:16.041
So my specialty is QuickBooks, but I do work with other software products, especially if it, QuickBooks is just not the right fit for a small business.
00:37:16.041 --> 00:37:17.391
So, and sometimes it's not.
00:37:17.391 --> 00:37:17.570
Right.
00:37:17.570 --> 00:37:19.130
I think a lot of people Absolutely.
00:37:19.221 --> 00:37:21.981
You know, little personal brands and they're like, I need an accounting software.
00:37:21.981 --> 00:37:23.210
I'm like, maybe you don't, right?
00:37:23.210 --> 00:37:23.300
Mm-hmm.
00:37:23.990 --> 00:37:26.550
Maybe what I really need is invoicing or something like that.
00:37:27.141 --> 00:37:27.630
Exactly.
00:37:28.070 --> 00:37:28.880
Exactly.
00:37:28.880 --> 00:37:29.121
Yeah.
00:37:29.121 --> 00:37:38.541
So that conversation really helps me to figure out, What they really need, where the pain points really are so that we can create the right path for them for sure.
00:37:38.570 --> 00:37:45.561
And I think it's a huge relief for them to hear that too, that they don't need to take on like a huge exercise or maybe it's gonna be okay.
00:37:45.565 --> 00:37:45.871
You know?
00:37:46.420 --> 00:37:47.471
Yeah, absolutely.
00:37:48.061 --> 00:37:49.161
Well, thank you so much.
00:37:49.166 --> 00:37:50.541
I think that's so generous of you.
00:37:50.541 --> 00:37:54.291
And we'll put all of the links inside the show notes so that everybody can find.
00:37:54.590 --> 00:38:08.420
Your free gift and find you and you know, reach out cuz I know this is a point of pain for quite a number of people and they get kind of like, ah, numbers and it's not as scary as it as it sounds.
00:38:08.420 --> 00:38:09.141
And that's right.
00:38:09.141 --> 00:38:11.690
Crystalynn is here to kind of walk you through it.
00:38:11.690 --> 00:38:13.670
So thank you so much for that.
00:38:14.181 --> 00:38:15.141
We're gonna wrap up.
00:38:15.411 --> 00:38:23.960
I'm so happy that we had the opportunity to chat with Crystalynn today to hear more about how her business came to be, her experiences along the way, and what the future of the business entails.
00:38:24.320 --> 00:38:31.010
And thanks again for tuning into this episode of The Real People Real Business Show, where we get the real entrepreneurial stories and journeys that you can relate to.
00:38:31.291 --> 00:38:35.940
The show notes, resources, and links from this episode are available on my website and social media platforms.
00:38:36.240 --> 00:38:43.920
And if you've enjoyed today's content, I would love for you to give us a review on whatever platform you're on to help us share these genuine stories with an even bigger audience.
00:38:44.190 --> 00:38:45.690
Until next time, keep building.
00:38:45.690 --> 00:38:47.431
Keep dreaming and keep being real.
