In this episode we are playing a panel interview I held with a couple of Accelerator students from a previous cohort. I thought it would be fun to take a little trip down memory lane as we kick off 2023 to inspire you whether you’re in the dreaming stage of starting your business or you have a full roster and you’re thinking of ways to grow and shift your business to serve you better.
I’ll be interviewing Bahiya Thompson and Penny Rose.
In this episode you’ll hear:
We’d like to invite you to join BBA VIP today - we have Live Q&A Calls on the first Wednesday of each month, hot seat calls on the second Wednesday, and coworking sessions on 3rd Wednesday's. Join HERE>
Thanks for listening. If this episode inspired you in some way, take a screenshot of you listening on your device and post it to your Instagram stories and tag me, @ambitiousbookkeeper
For more information about the Ambitious Bookkeeper Podcast or interest in our programs or mentoring visit our resources below:
Visit our website: ambitiousbookkeeper.com
Follow the Blog: ambitiousbookkeeper.com/blog
Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/ambitiousbookkeeper
Connect on LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/SerenaShoup
Connect on Facebook: Facebook.com/serenashoupcpa
Follow on Twitter: twitter.com/serenashoupcpa
Thank you for your support of our show. If you haven’t left a review yet it’s super simple. Please go to: https://www.ambitiousbookkeeper.com/podcast and leave your review.
Podcast Publishing Tools we use:
Click here to get the free First 100 Leads Training with James Wedmore >>
In this episode we are playing a panel interview I held with a couple of Accelerator students from a previous cohort. I thought it would be fun to take a little trip down memory lane as we kick off 2023 to inspire you whether you’re in the dreaming stage of starting your business or you have a full roster and you’re thinking of ways to grow and shift your business to serve you better.
I’ll be interviewing Bahiya Thompson and Penny Rose.
In this episode you’ll hear:
We’d like to invite you to join BBA VIP today - we have Live Q&A Calls on the first Wednesday of each month, hot seat calls on the second Wednesday, and coworking sessions on 3rd Wednesday's. Join HERE>
Thanks for listening. If this episode inspired you in some way, take a screenshot of you listening on your device and post it to your Instagram stories and tag me, @ambitiousbookkeeper
For more information about the Ambitious Bookkeeper Podcast or interest in our programs or mentoring visit our resources below:
Visit our website: ambitiousbookkeeper.com
Follow the Blog: ambitiousbookkeeper.com/blog
Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/ambitiousbookkeeper
Connect on LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/SerenaShoup
Connect on Facebook: Facebook.com/serenashoupcpa
Follow on Twitter: twitter.com/serenashoupcpa
Thank you for your support of our show. If you haven’t left a review yet it’s super simple. Please go to: https://www.ambitiousbookkeeper.com/podcast and leave your review.
Podcast Publishing Tools we use:
Click here to get the free First 100 Leads Training with James Wedmore >>
81 - BBA Alumni Panel
[00:00:00] Bahiya: One day I was on Instagram and there was a fellow bookkeeper on there, and she put up a poll.
She said, Hey, you know, if you're interested in podcasts, follow this, you know, this podcast. And it was a BBA podcast. So I said, you know what? Okay, so every day at work I will listen to. An episode of the podcast. So I just like binge listened to all the podcasts and I was like, oh my gosh, this is exactly what I've been needing.
This is exactly what I've been wanting. Like, does Serena know me? Like, is Serena my friend somewhere?
[00:01:03] Serena: Welcome back to the ambitious bookkeeper podcast. This is the first episode of 2023. So if you're here with us today, listening for the first time, this year, welcome. I am actually playing a panel interview that I held last year with a couple of accelerator students from a previous cohort. And I thought I would be really fun to take a little trip down memory lane. As we kick off 2023 to inspire you, whether you're in the dreaming stage of starting your business, or you have a full roster, and you're thinking of ways to grow and shift your business to serve you and your clients better.
I will be interviewing two lovely ladies, Bahiya Thompson and penny rose. And in this episode, You're going to hear a bit of their journeys, biggest takeaways from BBA, their favorite part of the bookkeeping business accelerator and their advice to anyone thinking of joining BBA. And I would like to invite you to join BBA VIP today.
We have live Q and a calls on the first Wednesday of each month. Hot seat calls on the second, Wednesday and coworking sessions on the third Wednesdays, you can join an ambitious bookkeeper.com/v I P. Without further ado let's jump into this panel interview Hello and welcome everyone. welcome to. Our student spotlights for bba. It's kind of a panel. We have a couple of our previous BBA students, here with us today, Penny and Bahiya, who have, who were both in the same cohort together last time. Correct. Awesome. Okay, so I'm going to, so I've kind of already introduced you to, I will let you kind of give a background.
What your business, is today, and then kind of what it was before bba. And then I'll just kind of ask some casual questions and we'll just have a little conversation so who wants to go first and give a background of what your business is today, who you serve, and all that good stuff?
[00:03:16] Bahiya: well, I'll go first. Hi. Hi everyone. My name is Bahiya. the name of my business is Sincerity Bookkeeping. The client base that I serve, Is, healthcare service providers like, nurse practitioners, med spas, aestheticians, just, professional service based, solopreneurs.
When I started out with bba, I was so super lost. Like I knew how to work in my business. I just didn't know how to work on my business. and going through, bba. Definitely has given me all the tools that I need to build and create a successful business. It allowed me to be able to focus more on what it is that I want to do, as well as what I do not want to do, and be okay with the choices that I'm making.
Awesome.
[00:04:05] Serena: Thank you. I love getting to hear kind of what people like their thought process behind, like how they consumed the program and went through it. So it's really awesome to hear that. And also that you are honing in on a niche and that's lovely. So people take notes. . Awesome. How about you?
[00:04:29] Penny: So I, I'm Petty Rose, I'm as cpa, and I serve, course creators, content creators and coaches. And prior to joining bba, I had just onboarded my second and third client, and as of today, I onboard. I just got assigned contract for my eighth client, and I started out doing bookkeeping and tax, and I'm moving, towards doing tax planning right now.
So I'm, I'm very excited about this change because I'm, I. I'm so niched in and the majority of the questions that people in my niche ask about are tax planning questions. So it, it totally seems like the right direction to be going
[00:05:25] Serena: in. That's awesome. I love that. Now I know now I have some more resources to send people to when they , cuz we serve basically the same niche , so.
Awesome. All right, so, What were some of the big reasons why you decided to go ahead and join bba? Cuz both of you guys were already in business and and humming along. So what was kind of the big reason for joining?
[00:05:56] Bahiya: Okay, I'll go again. One day I was on Instagram and there was a fellow bookkeeper on there, and she put up a poll.
She said, Hey, you know, if you're interested in podcasts, follow this, you know, this podcast. And it was a BBA podcast. So I said, you know what? Okay, so every day at work I will listen to. An episode of the podcast. So I just like binge listened to all the podcasts and I was like, oh my gosh, this is exactly what I've been needing.
This is exactly what I've been wanting. Like, does Serena know me? Like, is Serena my friend somewhere? And that's just the way that I felt not only was the message delivered, well, just like the tone of your voice, the way that, the way that you was able to break things down to help us to understand. , Hey, I've been there too, and this is what I've come up with.
However, I would like to assist you so you don't have to be there. Where I was, coming into my community, and for me that was a no-brainer. Mm-hmm. , you know, just to have a community, a place to just say, I don't know. Can you help me?
[00:07:06] Serena: Yeah. Yeah. Awesome. What about you, penny?
[00:07:10] Penny: So I learned about you from Alyssa and a friend of mine who introduced me to virtual bookkeeping went through Alyssa's class and, and, and recommended it.
So I went through it and I knew that you're good friends with Alyssa. And so once I knew that BBA existed, Said I have to get in. And then for the particular cohort that I'm in, it included the extra, the budgeting, forecasting and advising for growth. And that was really the icing on the cake for me.
It was like, it, it was something I couldn't pass
[00:07:52] Serena: up. Awesome. Wonderful . So was there anything specific that you were looking for BBA to help you accomplish or breakthrough
[00:08:08] Penny: So I needed the tech. A hundred percent. I mean, once I, once I did the workshops and I started hearing more about what was in there, I, um, it, it, it your, I'm sorry. Your template fall. That's what I meant is I, you know, I really needed to have those resources. I knew how to do the work. I just needed something extra to help me figure out how to get a, a system set up to onboard people.
And, and the, the vault made a big difference for me.
[00:08:44] Serena: Awesome. Yeah, those templates years and years of just things that I've needed and had to create. And it's like, I've gotta share these . Everyone else is gonna need them too. Yeah. What about you Bahiya?
[00:09:01] Bahiya: Anything? Um, for me it was the legality. Of our business.
Um, you know, as I stated, you know, before, like we, most of us know how to work in our business. We're just not sure how to work on our business. And we're so, focused on, you know, keeping our clients information together and correct and, safe that I think sometimes we don't think about keeping our stuff together and.
Um, whereas for me, I was aware of, like the engagement letters or the contracts, but I just wasn't aware of, in depth awareness of the legality of it, um, until I've taken the bba, which I'm so thankful for because it's actually a contract, you know? Mm-hmm. and it needs to be drafted to protect you as well as your client.
Regardless of what aspect that you're going, you know, to be, performing your business. So that was a big plus for me.
[00:09:59] Serena: Yeah. Awesome. So how would you say your lives have changed since you've taken BBA or the quality of maybe how you are in your business, how you interact with other business owners? Is there anything that kind of stands out in your mind?
[00:10:17] Bahiya: For me, what stands out in my mind is, this is my business. I don't have to, if I don't wanna and going through bba. I was able to understand that not every client is gonna be the perfect client. Hence that's where you come up with your perfect client. So that's been a ultimate goal of mine, is to make sure that all of my clients are perfect fit clients when it comes to not only their business, but them personally as well.
When I think about the things that I wanna see and the people that I'm working. That's what I think about. Yeah.
[00:10:51] Penny: So I was very nervous. I knew that I could do the job once I, once I onboarded somebody, but I, I, you know, Going into bba, I was so worried about like how I'm actually going to, to do the engagement letter and, and, and pricing and stuff like that. And I know pricing is, you know, we're always gonna be working on our pricing, but, I so post bba, I was like, I, I'm good.
I like, I am confident. I am, yeah. I'm not a, I was never afraid to talk to people, but I was afraid to, I was hesitant to go through the process of, of, you know, from when somebody contacted me till I actually onboarded them. And, um, going through bba it's like, I know exactly what I'm gonna do. I, you know, I can change things along the way, but, it seems so much more smooth to me.
Mm-hmm. , popes, BPA than before.
[00:11:54] Bahiya: Yeah. Just having that confidence. As well as those materials to go back and look up, and refresh as well.
[00:12:02] Penny: Yeah.
[00:12:03] Serena: Yeah. I love, I love that . I love it. Yeah. And what you said about, we're constantly like kind of fine tuning it anyways. That is, I feel like that's a big piece, like a big piece of the permission that I give people of like, it's not.
Come out of the gate perfect , it likely will never be perfect. You will always be like updating and changing things. And once you get okay with that, things tend to just kind of, it feels less stressful because you're like, okay, it's supposed to be like this. Mm-hmm. . There's nothing wrong with me, . I'm supposed to be continuing to improve things and learning along the way.
So, yeah. What would you say. To anyone who is thinking about joining bba
[00:12:52] Penny: I, I have a great answer on that. That I, I'd love to share it with people. Your ideal clients for BBA are people that are leaving corporate or leaving their regular job and going out on their own. And the best way to do that is to start with a side hustle. And BBA gives you all the tools and resources you need to start the side hustle. And the side hustle is, is really gonna be what sets you free. Mm-hmm. .
[00:13:19] Bahiya: Yeah. To piggyback on what she was saying, that's what I was gonna state, that if you're looking for tools and no, it's okay if you're looking for tools and support, to get started or to just give you that reassurance that you are headed in the right direction or you might not be in the right direction.
You just need a U-turn. But BBA is a program that will help you get to where you need to.
[00:13:45] Serena: Oh, thank you. What are your favorite, what was your favorite part of going through BBA or the program or the format? Anything? Anything as on the table
[00:13:59] Bahiya: I would say for me, my favorite part were the hot seat calls. Because it was more of an open forum, you know, with just, you know, fellow classmates and everyone was coming with real life issues, you know, whatever they had on their mind, it was able to be, talked about, spoke about, brainstorm and a conclusion was able to be able to.
Be given, you know, before the end of the call. So I really, really enjoyed that because it would help from, not only from yourself, but it was help from other students as well, helping each other. Yeah.
[00:14:37] Penny: And, and again, I can piggyback on that totally. I mean, there, there was. A hot seat call where Apple and Tanya were on it, and Apple was mentioning that she had an influencer client who, was, had been notified by irs that she was gonna be audited and Tanya was on the call.
She provided a ton of value. Mm-hmm. , and at the time of that call, I was preparing for a presentation at podcast. And I was able to incorporate that, that information I got from like a real live, you know, bookkeeper who had a client who was going to get audited and Tanya you know, said, okay, hey, this is what you need to know.
You know that this is what IRS is looking for right now. And in addition to my presentation at podcast, I was able to incorporate that into a podcast interview. And so, The high quality people, in BBA and, you know, the, the, the real life experiences, made a huge difference for, it gave me material for my presentations, but it, but it, it, it gave me an idea of, you know, what it's gonna be like in the trenches.
[00:15:54] Serena: Yeah. Yeah. That's the beauty of the hot seats in the group format, because someone might be watching this and being like, well, what if I'm not as high caliber as the rest of the people that are gonna be in bba, but. Just being in the room with people that are facing certain scenarios like that or introducing to you to the possibilities of what you could come across with clients, and then now you know how to handle it.
So that's something you're not gonna get when you are struggling through things on your own. That's absolutely true. And being in the world, I wasn't.
[00:16:31] Penny: Yeah, right. I wasn't of the caliber I, but I needed that. I needed to be the fly on the wall while that
[00:16:39] Serena: happened. Yeah. But now you have so much more confidence going into these scenarios and let me, Let me just remind people that when Penny introduced herself, she said she's a cpa, and she even was like, I don't know if I have the confidence for that.
This is a, a common issue with us. Like just because you have that license doesn't mean that you're not gonna be nervous, but having the group around you and your peers, whether they are a higher caliber, I don't think that's the truth, but I think it's like we're all. Causing each other to level up by being in the room with each other, presenting these problems, and everyone coming together and offering solutions.
Not just my solutions, but everyone in the room. And I constantly learn from all of you too. Because you have different clients than I do and different scenarios come up, but we all can kind of problem solve together and it's so powerful to be able to have that community and be able to do that and know that the support and the information you're getting is high quality because, you guys are all brilliant people.
whether you have the confidence or not.
Yeah. In previous spotlights, we've had people dive more into like how they get clients now, where they find their clients and things like that.how do you handle a client who is concerned with taxes?You can't have accurate taxes if you're not doing your bookkeeping. So,Yeah, yeah. It's, it's a definite, like, you don't, you're not gonna know if your taxes are accurate.
If you don't have accurate bookkeeping, and I would say the number one issue with that accuracy of bookkeeping is probably separating their finances.
[00:18:29] Penny: a hundred percent.
[00:18:30] Bahiya: Your business impersonal.
[00:18:32] Serena: Yeah. . Yeah. Which seems so basic to us as an accountant and I used to just like be like, oh my gosh, every single bookkeeper I know is talking about this, but it's, it's needed
Yeah. Like we have to kind of be a squeaky wheel about that because especially the newer business owners don't understand how important that is.
[00:18:54] Bahiya: And it's okay, you know, an accident here, there, you know, maybe one or two, but not. Months of commingle transactions with business and personal.
[00:19:04] Serena: Yeah, absolutely.
do either of you ladies have any other words of wisdom to impart on our current round of workshops? So I believe both of you came through the workshops, and maybe you can remember back to how you were feeling in the workshops and what your next steps were. Do you have any words of wisdom for, for all these people who are beginning their business or at the beginning stages?
[00:19:34] Penny: It's okay to be messy and action is better than spending too much time learning and not enough doing, cuz you'll learn so much more if you take action and it's totally fine if it's messy. Mm-hmm.
[00:19:51] Bahiya: as you say, it doesn't have to be perfect. Just start.
[00:19:55] Serena: Yeah, absolutely . Well, thank you guys so much for coming on here and sharing with our group, and if anyone has further questions that they would like me to send along to these ladies after today, just let me know.
Awesome. Alrighty, well I will let everyone get back to their afternoon slash evening and thank you so much for sharing with us today and , we will hopefully if you join the next BBA cohort, you will be interacting with Bahiya and Penny Rose hopefully, because once a VIP always a VIP . Yes, I'm hoping to see you two on the upcoming.
Yes.
[00:20:35] Penny: Yep. Alrighty. Thank you so
[00:20:37] Bahiya: much for having us out. Thank you. Enjoy. All right. Bye-bye. Bye-Bye, byebye.