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

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

In this interview, you’ll learn:

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

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

Connect with her on LinkedIn.

To explore Pure Bookkeeping, visit this link.

Time Stamp

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

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

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

In this interview, you'll learn:

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

Connect with Rhamy on LinkedIn and YouTube.

Click here to learn more about People Processes.

Time Stamp:

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

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

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

During this interview, you'll learn:

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

To learn more about Kimme, click here.

Connect with her on LinkedIn.

Time Stamp:

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

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

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

During this interview, you'll learn:

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

To learn more about ReSound, click here.

Connect with Mike on LinkedIn.

Time Stamp:

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

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

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“And to my framework that I offer folks is, what is that? How do we always find a path forward? What do we do when these things hit? How do we keep moving forward when we just feel like, ‘I just can't flippin do this anymore. It is just too much.’”
-Nina Sossamon-Pogue

Nina Sossamon-Pogue, a former USA gymnast turned Emmy-winning news anchor and tech executive, shares her powerful story of resilience and transformation. She explores pivotal moments in her career, from overcoming gymnastics injuries to transitioning between vastly different industries, offering strategies to navigate change with purpose. Nina introduces her 'this' concept for categorizing challenges and emphasizes the importance of self-awareness in managing stress and thriving through adversity.

In this interview, you’ll learn:

• How to turn adversity into growth opportunities
• Practical strategies for handling life & career transitions
• The 'this' concept for breaking down & managing challenges

Tune in to discover actionable tools for transforming challenges into stepping stones and confidently embracing life's uncertainties.

To learn more about Nina, click here.

Connect with her on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram.

TimeStamp:

01:40 - Nina's Journey: From Gymnastics to Tech
10:49 - Resilience Through Adversity
14:28 - Helping Others Navigate Change
25:10 - Understanding 'This': The Challenges We Face
29:41 - Finding Your Path Forward

“Set your rules, stick to your rules, and only take clients that play by the rules. We call it rules of engagement.“
-Dida Clifton

Dida Clifton, a former US Air Force veteran and founder of The Office Squad, shares her inspiring journey from military operations to running a successful bookkeeping business. She opens up about tackling challenges like pricing, hiring, and networking while revealing how her military background shaped her leadership style and company culture.

In this interview, you’ll discover:

• Proven pricing strategies to reflect your true value
• Smart hiring & training practices to build a strong, aligned team
• How outsourcing can help you scale without sacrificing quality

Tune in to learn actionable strategies to overcome challenges, build your dream team, and create a flexible, scalable business model for long-term success.

To find out more about Dida click here.

Time Stamps

00:40 - From Military to Business: Dida's Journey
02:45 - Building the Office Squad: Strategies & Growth
06:45 - Pricing Strategies: Lessons Learned
09:15 - Networking: The Key to Business Growth
12:51 - Peer Groups: Support & Growth
14:49 - Military Influence: Leadership & Culture
19:58 - Systems & Processes: The Military Way
22:15 - Hiring & Culture: Finding the Right Fit
24:39 - Outsourcing: A Different Approach
27:53 - The Future of Bookkeeping: A Hybrid Model

“What I now do is I change the word 'problem' to the word 'situation' and when I change that one word, it just flips something in my brain where I can now work on it and it turns it into something objective and something almost like, ‘okay, I can do something about this now’.”
-Bernadette McClelland

Sales coach and consultant, Bernadette McClelland shares her powerful journey from corporate sales to entrepreneurship, revealing the hard-earned lessons learned from overcoming bankruptcy and self-doubt.

During this interview, you'll also learn…

• Actionable insights on building resilience, reframing challenges & viewing disruption as an opportunity for growth
• Shift from selling to serving
• Ways to build a strong support network & commit to continuous improvement

Tune in to this inspiring episode to discover how to turn setbacks into stepping stones and transform your approach to business and life!

To find out more about Bernadette, click here.

Connect with her on LinkedIn.

Time Stamps

02:57 - Journey Through Corporate to Consultancy
05:56 - Lessons from Bankruptcy
09:11 - Reframing Problems as Situations
11:53 - The Power of Disruption
15:00 - Embracing Anti-Fragility
18:04 - The Evolution of Business Mindset
26:40 - Embracing the Present & Future Mindset
30:58 - The Importance of Mental Downtime
39:03 - Transforming Sales into Service

"The fear of speaking isn't a random thing, but rather it's pointing to experiences in our past that led us to believe it's not safe."
-Linda Ugelow

In this episode, we’re joined by Linda Ugelow, a speaking empowerment coach and author of Delight In The Limelight, who turned her own fear of public speaking into a mission to help others find their voice. Linda shares the key mindset shifts that build confidence, showing how confronting past experiences and silencing negative self-talk can unlock powerful communication skills.

In this interview, you'll learn how to...

• Conquer public speaking fears through self-reflection
• Replace negative self-talk for better communication
• Improve speaking with better posture, voice & delivery

Whether you want to feel more at ease in front of an audience or in daily conversations, her insights are invaluable for anyone looking to speak with greater confidence and clarity.

To find out more about Linda, click here.

Connect with her on LinkedIn.

Time Stamps

00:20 - The Importance of public speaking
03:13 - Linda's journey & the root causes of fear
08:55 - Clearing past experiences & healing the inner critic
16:32 - Enhancing communication skills: posture, voice & delivery
23:43 - The impact of effective communication on personal & business relationships
29:16 - Linda's book & podcast