The Successful Bookkeeper Podcast

See what the team at The Successful Bookkeeper has on right now → Ashley Jocic started Florida Keys Bookkeeping at one of the most turbulent moments imaginable: a separation, COVID shutdowns, and a career pivot — all at once. What followed was five years of growing a fully virtual bookkeeping firm while navigating a new marriage, a daughter, an international move to Serbia, and twins. This episode is a masterclass in building something real when life refuses to slow down. Chapters [00:00] Life chaos that sparked the business [04:18] Early career and Bookkeeper Launch [07:04] Finding the first clients [10:40] Newborn, new marriage, slow growth [13:28] Twins force a systemization sprint [18:35] Running a US firm from Serbia [25:11] Building referral relationships [32:10] Plans for intentional growth [40:55] Protecting your work time Starting From a Real Moment Ashley's path into bookkeeping started with her dad. She'd been handling his books and noticed something: "I remember seeing the relief on his face when he knew his bookkeeping and his bills were handled." That moment made her realize bookkeeping is more than data entry — it lifts a genuine mental burden from business owners. Combined with a background in government accounting and a timely refresh through the Bookkeeper Launch course, she had what she needed to start. Growing Slowly — On Purpose Ashley's early client growth was deliberate and unhurried, mostly driven by a professional website and a referral from her father's network. "If someone called me and wanted a bookkeeper, I ended up doing their bookkeeping," she says. There was no aggressive outreach strategy at first — and that was fine. Her constraints as a new stay-at-home mom meant slow, steady growth was the only kind that fit. She and her husband aimed for 20 hours of work per week. Sometimes she hit it. Sometimes she didn't. A Hard Deadline Forces the Right Decisions When Ashley found out she was pregnant with twins, she faced a clear choice: systemize fast or shut down. She chose to systemize. She leaned heavily on Pure Bookkeeping to document and standardize her processes, hired a team member in Serbia she could train before going on leave, and brought on a second person to review that work while she was away. "I did a lot of things a lot quicker than I would have normally because of that constraint, because of that timeline." The firm didn't just survive her maternity leave — it ran smoothly. Virtual-Only as a Filter, Not a Limitation Living in Serbia with a six-hour time difference from the US East Coast might sound like a recipe for client friction. Ashley sees it differently. Being unable to visit offices or meet for coffee filters out clients who aren't ready for fully virtual work — and those tend to be the wrong clients anyway. The right clients, she's found, don't need her physically present. They need her reliable. A CPA who works with one of her clients has since referred additional business to her, which she considers a strong signal: "He liked my work enough to refer me to someone else he was doing taxes for." Protecting Your Work Time Looking back, the one thing Ashley wishes she'd done sooner is treat her work hours as non-negotiable. "I would too easily say, 'Well, okay, I'll work later,'" she reflects. "I had to treat it like a business and not just something that fits in the in-between moments." That mindset shift — from flexible freelancer to firm owner — is something she says took time but made a real difference in how the business runs today. Now, with systems in place and a small team, she's turning her attention to intentional growth: more cleanups that convert to monthly clients, and deeper relationships with accountants who can send referrals. Links mentioned Florida Keys Bookkeeping Pure Bookkeeping The Successful Bookkeeper About the guest Ashley Jocic is the owner of Florida Keys Bookkeeping, a fully virtual firm she launched during the COVID shutdowns. With a background in government accounting and a passion for helping small business owners feel confident in their finances, she now runs her practice remotely from Serbia while raising three young children. She specializes in bookkeeping cleanups and monthly services for service-based businesses across the United States. About the hostMichael PalmerMichael Palmer is the host of The Successful Bookkeeper podcast and co-founder of Pure Bookkeeping and The Successful Bookkeeper. He started this work because of his father — a brilliant electrical contractor who worked twice as hard as he should have had to, because nobody on the financial side was in his corner. That gap is what The Successful Bookkeeper exists to close. His view: bookkeepers are the most undervalued force in small business — and every bookkeeper who builds a real business changes two families: theirs, and their clients'.

"You can have all the great checklists and all the great systems for quality bookkeeping and you can hire all the right people, but if you don't know how to price your services, you are going to fail. You will not be profitable."–Teresa Slack In part three of this four-part series, Teresa Slack, co-founder of Financly Bookkeeping Solutions, shares the phase where momentum finally began to build. After resetting the firm, she and her sister shifted their focus to working on the business, not just surviving inside it, and made real progress through uncomfortable pricing conversations, focused implementation time, and disciplined investment in systems and training. In this episode, you'll learn: Why systems alone are not enough without proper pricing The difference between fixed pricing & true value pricing How Teresa increased prices & discovered clients were willing to pay To learn more about Teresa, click here and email her at teresa.slack@teresaslack.ca. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Learn more about Pure Bookkeeping. Subscribe to the Value Pricing Academy YouTube channel. Join VIP list for free training from Mark Wickersham here. Get your free copy of How to Price Bookkeeping eBook (the tool she used to turn her business around). Click here to join the VPA on Skool platform free training and support. Time Stamps 00:54 – Entering the phase where momentum begins to build 02:29 – Why poor pricing guarantees failure, even with great systems 03:29 – Fixed pricing versus value pricing explained 04:22 – Presenting higher prices & hearing clients say yes 05:47 – Making large investments without feeling ready 06:40 – Closing Fridays to work on the business 08:17 – Turning training into real results through implementation 09:35 – Fixing pricing mistakes & rebuilding confidence 12:02 – Hiring experienced bookkeepers using structured systems 13:56 – Why skills alone are not enough without the right mindset 18:09 – Building a training process that sets staff up for success 20:16 – Repricing existing clients & facing the fear 22:09 – Increasing revenue by 45 percent in six weeks 23:27 – Losing the wrong clients & moving forward stronger 24:16 – What's coming in the final episode Your expertise has more value than you think, so Own Your Authority at The Successful Bookkeeper Summit 2026! It's a high-energy two-day virtual experience for bookkeepers ready to lead with confidence and elevate their impact. Join inspiring leaders on November 4th–5th to gain actionable strategies, powerful tools, and the clarity to shape the work you want, not just keep up with it. Don't miss this incredible opportunity! REGISTER TODAY!

"The mission was always to build a million dollar bookkeeping firm. Our goal was to grow a large bookkeeping firm with clients and staff across Canada. That's what we wanted to do. And that's kind of what we are now." –Teresa Slack In part one of this special four-part series, Teresa Slack, co-founder of Financly Bookkeeping Solutions, shares the honest story of launching a virtual bookkeeping firm in 2014 with big goals, low pricing, and no clear path to profit. She shares how her business grew fast and looked successful on paper, but behind the scenes the pressure was intense as underpricing, early hiring, and years without owner pay slowly drained the firm and took a personal toll. In this episode, you'll learn: Why rapid client growth exposed serious pricing & margin issues What really happens when you hire staff before fixing your business model How fear, stress & lack mindset show up when owners stop paying themselves To learn more about Teresa, click here & email her at teresa.slack@teresaslack.ca. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Learn more about Pure Bookkeeping. Subscribe to the Value Pricing Academy YouTube channel. Join VIP list for free training from Mark Wickersham here. Get your free copy of How to Price Bookkeeping eBook (the tool Teresa used to turn her business around). Click here to join the VPA on Skool platform free training & support. Time Stamps 01:14 – Launching a virtual bookkeeping firm in 2014 03:15 – Using cloud tools & early adoption of QuickBooks Online 03:35 – Running free financial literacy seminars to attract clients 04:01 – Growing from five clients to dozens across bookkeeping, tax & consulting 04:21 – Feeling overwhelmed & deciding to hire staff 05:09 – Charging hourly rates that left no room for profit 06:06 – Paying staff & overhead while taking no income 07:03 – Driving hours to Toronto to build a client base 08:25 – Why the numbers looked good but the business wasn't healthy 08:44 – The original vision to build a million-dollar firm 09:50 – Not getting paid & questioning personal success 10:34 – Realizing they needed help but feeling unable to afford it 11:16 – Fear, lack mindset & pulling from savings to make payroll 12:39 – The emotional strain of running a business with a sibling 13:18 – Creating "business hat" conversations to manage conflict 14:20 – Keeping communication open during stressful seasons 14:43 – What's coming next in part two Your expertise has more value than you think, so Own Your Authority at The Successful Bookkeeper Summit 2026! It's a high-energy two-day virtual experience for bookkeepers ready to lead with confidence and elevate their impact. Join inspiring leaders on November 4th–5th to gain actionable strategies, powerful tools, and the clarity to shape the work you want, not just keep up with it. Don't miss this incredible opportunity! REGISTER TODAY!

"Slow down. I think we move so fast and we're trying to go in straight to the solution and there could be multiple things that the customer needs and we miss opportunities when we move too fast." -Syvonia Brown In this Spotlight episode, Syvonia Brown, Director of Sales at Sage 50 US, talks about emotional intelligence and why it matters more than most bookkeepers realize. She shares practical ways to handle tough client conversations, slow down reactive thinking, and build trust without taking on unnecessary stress. In this interview, you'll learn: How active listening changes difficult client conversations Why silence can be a powerful communication tool How to show empathy without absorbing client emotion To learn more about Syvonia, click here. Explore Sage at this link. Time Stamp 01:20 – What emotional intelligence really means in client work 02:10 – Checking in with yourself before client conversations 02:55 – Why jumping to solutions causes problems 04:25 – Using silence to help clients feel heard 05:17 – Simple techniques to avoid filling the silence 06:46 – Phone, video, or email how & tone changes everything 10:42 – Empathy without taking issues personally 12:21 – Why apologizing can make things worse 14:06 – De-escalating upset clients without matching their tone 16:14 – Taking accountability when mistakes happen 18:30 – Handling issues when you don't know the full story 20:01 – Embedding emotional intelligence into firm culture 21:22 – Training teams to lead with empathy 23:21 – How emotional intelligence drives loyalty & referrals 25:29 – Practical habits bookkeepers can apply immediately Your expertise has more value than you think, so Own Your Authority at The Successful Bookkeeper Summit 2026! It's a high-energy two-day virtual experience for bookkeepers ready to lead with confidence and elevate their impact. Join inspiring leaders on November 4th–5th to gain actionable strategies, powerful tools, and the clarity to shape the work you want, not just keep up with it. Don't miss this incredible opportunity! REGISTER TODAY!

" We need to do things that the other people aren't doing because that's how you make ways, that's how you revolutionize, that's how you pave a new path for the other people that think like you, but maybe don't have the strength at this point yet to pave the way." -Sharrin Fuller In this episode, Sharrin Fuller, strategic advisor and founder of Glass Wallet Ventures, shares why she believes the future of bookkeeping is client-facing, relationship-driven, and systemized. She breaks down how she scaled smarter, reduced her team, embraced technology, and rebuilt her firm to run smoothly with less effort. Sharrin also shares the thinking behind her book, Unfollow The Rules: The Messy Truth About Burnout, Bad Decisions And Building Until It Worked and why challenging traditional models matters more than ever for firm owners. In this interview, you'll learn: Why scaling smarter beats hiring more staff How technology replaces tasks but not relationships What bookkeepers must do to stay relevant as AI advances To learn more about Sharrin, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Buy her book, Unfollow The Rules, at this link. Time Stamp 00:00 – Why only client-facing roles matter in the future 01:03 – Sharrin's career journey & building multiple firms 03:47 – What inspired her book Unfollow The Rules 11:23 – Scaling smarter without adding people 12:23 – Reducing a team from 12 to 2 without losing clients 14:45 – Challenging traditional business models 19:53 – How to decide what to outsource or automate 24:08 – The downside of fast-changing technology 27:56 – What Sharrin is building next & where to find her Your expertise has more value than you think, so Own Your Authority at The Successful Bookkeeper Summit 2026! It's a high-energy two-day virtual experience for bookkeepers ready to lead with confidence and elevate their impact. Join inspiring leaders on November 4th–5th to gain actionable strategies, powerful tools, and the clarity to shape the work you want, not just keep up with it. Don't miss this incredible opportunity! REGISTER TODAY!

" I'm not gonna say people can't change. What I will say is that it is hard work to change attitude. Changing skills, super simple. Attitude, it's a losing battle for the vast majority of business leaders." -Mark Murphy Welcome to 2026 and the 10th anniversary year of our podcast! In this episode, Mark Murphy, founder of Leadership IQ, shares how to hire better and build teams that actually work. He explains why most hiring problems come down to attitude and outlines the five roles every strong team needs. In this interview, you'll learn: •The five roles every winning team needs • How to ask interview questions that reveal real behaviour • Why attitude—not skills—is behind most failed hires To learn more about Mark and Leadership IQ, click here. Connect with him on LinkedIn. Time Stamp 00:00 Mark shares why attitude makes or breaks new hires 04:10 The real reasons nearly half of new hires fail 08:30 How to ask interview questions that reveal the truth 14:30 Why managers ignore red flags & how to stop 20:20 The five roles every winning team needs 29:30 How business owners can stop trying to be "everything" 33:40 Adaptive hierarchy & better decision-making 37:50 Leading remote teams with clearer roles 44:10 Where to learn more about Mark Murphy & Leadership IQ

"You get to a place little by little of just working with these wonderful people that really appreciate what you're doing. They're paying top dollar and you love what you're doing." -Lisa Campbell Lisa Campbell, author of Beyond Bookkeeping and bookkeeping mentor, joins host Michael Palmer for part two of this special live series recorded at Accountex Canada 2025 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. She shares how to filter ideal clients, step into advisory with confidence, and build a business that supports your life—not drains it. In this interview, you'll learn: Why most bookkeepers already are doing advisory without realizing it One simple step you can take this month to start leading clients How boundaries create freedom and stronger client relationships To learn more about Lisa, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Order a copy of Beyond Bookkeeping. Time Stamp 01:09 – The biggest myths bookkeepers believe about advisory 02:25 – Why you're more qualified than you think 03:08 – The one conversation that can start your advisory journey 04:40 – How honesty builds trust & opens deeper client relationships 06:32 – Systematization as the path to freedom 07:36 – The emotional toll of staying stuck & overwhelmed 08:13 – Why boundaries matter & how to set them 09:36 – Stopping late-night messages, constant emergencies & scope creep 11:02 – Charging premiums for urgent work 11:50 – Seeing yourself as a leader, not a laborer 12:47 – The mindset shift that unlocks real advisory 13:39 – Why losing the wrong clients makes space for the right ones 15:24 – How ideal clients show up when you raise your standards 20:19 – Building your business mindset through learning and curiosity 22:01 – Differentiating yourself from low-cost competition 24:17 – How niching creates authority & demand 25:08 – The future of bookkeeping and the rise of AI-supported advisory

" You do not want a business that is entirely dependent on you. You want an independent running business." -Ron Bester Ron Bester, VP of Client Experience at Successful Bookkeeper Global, breaks down why so many bookkeepers feel buried in day-to-day work and how the SODA framework helps you reclaim time, reduce stress, and build a business that doesn't rely on you to survive. In this episode, you'll learn… How to spot where your time is leaking & fix it Build simple systems that remove bottlenecks Use automation to cut repetitive tasks & free up hours Connect with Ron on LinkedIn. Time Stamp 00:00 – Why running a business is different from doing work you enjoy 03:00 – The common pitfalls small business owners face 07:00 – Why every business needs a plan, systems & an exit strategy 10:00 – Introduction to the SODA framework 12:00 – Systemize: building processes that create consistency 15:00 – Outsource: letting experts handle non-core work 17:00 – Delegate: breaking the "only I can do it" mindset 20:00 – Automate: using tech to remove repetitive tasks 23:00 – The biggest transformation bookkeepers experience with SODA 26:00 – Early wins & what shifts first 28:00 – Why most owners don't realize they are the bottleneck 30:00 – One small action you can take today 31:00 – How the SODA pre-checklist and intensive work 33:00 – Building a business that runs independently of you