some links are affiliate links

Advisory doesn’t have to be complicated.

In this episode, I’m breaking down the simplest way to start offering advisory services inside your bookkeeping packages. I call it “advisory lite,” and it’s included in every service tier we offer, even the lowest one. If you’ve been wanting to dip your toe into advisory but don’t know where to start, this is your starting point. And if enough of us start doing this, we can change how people see bookkeepers altogether.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• Why even really good bookkeepers miss this one simple step that sets you apart
• The 5 key reports I deliver to every client every month
• How to templatize your monthly client email
• Why you need to be priced right before you add advisory

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Free KPI Guide: https://www.ambitiousbookkeeper.com/kpi
• Elevate Program: https://www.ambitiousbookkeeper.com/elevate
• Xero**: https://xeroamericas.partnerlinks.io/79afz10exu7d

For experienced bookkeepers & accountants:

Learn how to start your bookkeeping business in The Bookkeeping Business Accelerator®

Grab my FREE Start your Bookkeeping Biz Checklist

Grab my FREE New Client Onboarding Templates

For new bookkeepers:

Learn the fundamental accounting skills in Katie Ferro's Become a Bookkeeper**

For creators:

Become a client at my firm, Of Course Financial >> https://hello.dubsado.com/public/form/view/69b0bd05819ab2af03e9b73f

For more information about the Ambitious Bookkeeper Podcast or interest in our programs or mentoring visit our resources below:

• Visit my website: https://www.ambitiousbookkeeper.com
• Subscribe to my Newsletter https://www.ambitiousbookkeeper.com/blog
• Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ambitiousbookkeeper
• Connect on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@ambitiousbookkeeper

Podcast Publishing Tools we use:

• Podcast Editing: Sabr Media LLC
• Descript**
• Buzzsprout**

AFFILIATE DISCLAIMER

We participate in affiliate marketing programs, which means we may earn a commission from purchases made through the links above. However, our recommendations are based on our own research and expertise, and your trust is our priority.

You don’t need to add budgeting and forecasting to your menu to start delivering advisory-level value.

In this episode, I sit down with Anne Napolitano, a former Hermès controller turned private chef turned owner of a 10-person restaurant-focused accounting firm. We get into the small shifts in your services and your marketing that change how clients see your value, plus how Anne went from doing everything herself to leading a team that has stuck with her for years.

Grab a notebook, my friend. This one is packed.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• Why your first hire should be a bookkeeper (not an admin)
• How Anne built a remote team with real longevity
• Advisory services you can start offering right now
• How niching down and advisory keeps you AI-proof

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Scaling New Heights
• Woodard Summit
• XeroCon

Meet Anne Napolitano

Anne Napolitano is the Founder and CEO of Anne Napolitano Consulting Inc., a Strategic Accounting & Advisory Firm. Before launching ANC in 2016, Anne served as Controller for the U.S. operations of Hermès and later worked as a personal chef, giving her a unique perspective that combines high-level finance with hands-on business operations. Today, she leads a team of accountants helping business owners gain clarity around cash flow, profitability, and growth while building a firm that moves beyond compliance and into meaningful advisory.

Connect with Anne

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annenapolitano/

Website: https://www.napolitanoaccounting.com/

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: https://www.ambitiousbookkeeper.com
• Follow the Blog: https://www.ambitiousbookkeeper.com/blog
• Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ambitiousbookkeeper
• Connect on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@ambitiousbookkeeper
• Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.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 ambitiousbookkeeper.com/podcast and leave your review.

Podcast Publishing Tools we use:

• Editing → Sabr Media LLC: https://www.iangilliam.com/sabr-media-llc
• Descript: https://get.descript.com/u7lubkx09073 (affiliate link)
• Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1753696 (affiliate link)

In this September live Q&A, we covered a lot of ground. We talked about whether to convert a client from QBO to Xero or start fresh, how to realistically land more clients heading into 2026, and how I handle clients who won't send receipts no matter how many times you ask.

We also got into Shopify bookkeeping, paying contractors, what to do when a credit union is making your life miserable, and the moment I know it's time to walk away from a client. Plus, I spill the tea on why creating a course is way less passive than running a bookkeeping firm.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• My process for QBO to Xero conversions
• How to get more clients without burning yourself out
• How to keep month-end moving
• Shopify deposits and bills
• Contractors on Gusto
• Credit unions with no bank feeds
• How to know when a client has outgrown your firm.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Elevate: https://www.ambitiousbookkeeper.com/elevate
• Bookkeeping Business Accelerator (BBA): https://www.ambitiousbookkeeper.com/bba
• Confident Compliance Bundle: https://www.ambitiousbookkeeper.com/offers/tgPgMBJ7
• Bookkeeping Client Closer mini course: https://www.ambitiousbookkeeper.com/closer
• 228| Increasing Your Sales with Hunter Rademacher: https://youtu.be/aKQMePlI8UM

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: https://www.ambitiousbookkeeper.com
• Follow me on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ambitiousbookkeeper
• Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ambitiousbookkeeper
• Connect on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@ambitiousbookkeeper
• Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.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 ambitiousbookkeeper.com/podcast and leave your review.

Podcast Publishing Tools we use:

• Editing → Sabr Media LLC: https://www.iangilliam.com/sabr-media-llc
• Descript: https://get.descript.com/u7lubkx09073 (affiliate link)
• Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1753696 (affiliate link)

What if the tool you've been waiting for, the one that finally makes Xero as efficient as QuickBooks with Right Tool, already exists, and it's being built by a former bookkeeper who accidentally fell into coding? In this episode, Serena sits down with Mark Corum, the developer behind X2Uno and Right Tool, to talk about building Chrome extensions for accounting software, the surprising parallels between bookkeeping and programming, and why the tech world's pricing model might be completely backwards. Whether you're a Xero loyalist, a QuickBooks refugee, or just curious about what happens when an accountant teaches themselves to code, then this conversation has something for you.

In this episode you’ll hear about:

• X2Uno - What it is, how it differs from Right Tool, and why Mark felt a moral obligation to build something for Xero users
• Right Tool & Monkbee
• How Chrome extensions actually work
• Xero vs. QuickBooks
• The cost of switching platforms
• AI and the future of accounting
• Programming, bookkeeping, and music
• Cleanup work as a niche
• X2Uno availability — How to get it now (free beta on the Chrome Web Store), the MailChimp discount path, and the Facebook community for feature requests

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• X2Uno → sign up for beta her: https://mailchi.mp/x2uno/ambitious

Meet Mark Corum

I am Mark Corum. I went to college for accounting and decided to make my own bookkeeping company in my Junior year. Realized I like accounting, but I am not an accountant and transitioned out of it and stumbled into programming in late 2019 - vowing never to touch QuickBooks again.

2021 comes around and I am working on a chrome extension for QuickBooks called "MonkBe" that is discovered by Hector Garcia and remade into RightTool. Now that is used by about 50,000 people and I want the additional fun of working on Xero!

Connect with Mark

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markcorum/

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: https://www.ambitiousbookkeeper.com
• Follow the Blog: https://www.ambitiousbookkeeper.com/blog
• Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ambitiousbookkeeper
• Connect on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@ambitiousbookkeeper
• Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.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 ambitiousbookkeeper.com/podcast and leave your review.

Podcast Publishing Tools we use:

• Editing → Sabr Media LLC: https://www.iangilliam.com/sabr-media-llc
• Descript: https://get.descript.com/u7lubkx09073 (affiliate link)
• Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1753696 (affiliate link)

This round of Live Q&A we got into some really good stuff: how to navigate starting your firm while you're still employed, why book to tax differences are completely normal and not something to lose sleep over, and how I approach the "can I afford to hire" conversation with clients (spoiler: it's rarely just about the numbers). I also pulled back the curtain on my monthly client newsletter, walked through my PTO and benefits setup for a part-time team, and gave a real update on the new version of Elevate that's dripping out in early September.

Grab a notebook and your favorite drink and let's go.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• How to approach telling your current employer you're starting a firm
• My take on where clients really come from and what to focus on first when you're trying to grow.
• A full walkthrough of my client newsletter strategy
• And how I do my part-time team's employee benefits

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Elevate https://www.ambitiousbookkeeper.com/elevate
• Bookkeeping Business Accelerator (BBA): https://www.ambitiousbookkeeper.com/bba
• Take Command (medical expense reimbursement program for the team)
• Xero: https://xeroamericas.partnerlinks.io/79afz10exu7d
• QuickBooks Online: https://www.referquickbooks.com/s/Serena4
• Squarespace: https://squarespace.syuh.net/AgROVN
• GoCardless: https://manage.gocardless.com/refer/us/serena/ygvg9o-amz
• Gusto : https://gusto.com/partners/i/serena591
• Liz Wilcox's Email Marketing Membership: https://serenashoup--lizwilcox.thrivecart.com/list-building-live/
• Alyssa Lang / Workflow Queen's Breakthrough: https://serenashoup.krtra.com/t/IKUxtNZoz7lF
• Kajabi: https://app.kajabi.com/r/SLFEMUL4/t/uiptq7nu
• Max Emery / GoPro Bookkeeping: https://www.skool.com/go-pro-bookkeeping/about?ref=216fd17bf3b64591bbd1f284f72ae8b7

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: https://www.ambitiousbookkeeper.com
• Follow me on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ambitiousbookkeeper
• Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ambitiousbookkeeper
• Connect on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@ambitiousbookkeeper
• Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.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 ambitiousbookkeeper.com/podcast and leave your review.

Podcast Publishing Tools we use:

• Editing → Sabr Media LLC: https://www.iangilliam.com/sabr-media-llc
• Descript: https://get.descript.com/u7lubkx09073 (affiliate link)
• Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1753696 (affiliate link)

I got to reconnect with Emily Bowie, a partner at Thorne Advisors, and someone I actually met years ago in a tiny mastermind back when she was doing something completely different in her business.

We talked about what actually makes a partnership work (and what makes it collapse), why staying in your lane protects your reputation, how bookkeepers can collaborate with tax pros instead of competing with them, and why quality standards matter so much in an industry where anybody can hang a shingle. We also went deep on personal finance, debt, and the soft skills that separate a good advisor from a great one.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• What keeps a partnership from turning into a horror story
• How to collaborate with tax preparers and other CFO professionals the right way
• Why "just because you can, doesn't mean you should" applies to adding services to your firm
• Why checking in on a client's personal finances pays dividends for the work you do on the business side

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Thorne Advisors: https://www.thorneadvisors.com/
• Elevate 2.0 → learn the skills to become an advisor https://www.ambitiousbookkeeper.com/elevate
• 5 Cash Leaks & 5 Missed Tax Deductions - https://www.thorneadvisors.com/cashleaks

Meet Emily

Emily Bowie is a Cash Flow Strategist with 15+ years of experience, including her time as an audit manager in Big Four accounting. She’s known for bringing calm, clarity, and structure to financial conversations that often feel stressful or avoided. Outside of Thorne Advisors, Emily leads her church’s financial ministry, is a mom to three young kids, and enjoys a good DIY project almost as much as a well-organized set of financials.

Co-led by founder Andrea Mason and CFO Emily Bowie, both CPAs, Thorne Advisors helps women protect what they earn while building sustainable wealth that actually supports their lives. They deliver a true 360-degree view of finances, spotlighting cash leaks, tightening income strategy, and creating tax plans that align with real goals, not just compliance checklists.

Connect with Emily

📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thorneadvisors/

🌐 Website: https://www.emilyvbowie.com/

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: https://www.ambitiousbookkeeper.com
• Follow the Blog: https://www.ambitiousbookkeeper.com/blog
• Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ambitiousbookkeeper
• Connect on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@ambitiousbookkeeper
• Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.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 ambitiousbookkeeper.com/podcast and leave your review.

Podcast Publishing Tools we use:

• Editing → Sabr Media LLC: https://www.iangilliam.com/sabr-media-llc
• Descript: https://get.descript.com/u7lubkx09073 (affiliate link)
• Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1753696 (affiliate link)

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