The Ambitious Bookkeeper Podcast

Jaksot

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  250 | X2Uno: The Chrome Extension for Xero with Mark Corum 16.09.2026 49min

  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 bac...
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  249 ⎸ [Q&A] Starting a Firm While Employed, Hiring Advice, and Employee Benefits 08.09.2026 51min

  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 ve...
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  248 | How to Be a Collaborative Professional with Emily Bowie 02.09.2026 35min

  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 shing...
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  247 | Tax + Bookkeeping; Should You Do Both? With Nick Cobos 26.08.2026 47min

  If you have ever had that passing thought of "should I add tax to my bookkeeping firm?" this is the episode you need to hear before you make a move. In this one, I'm sitting down with Nick Cobos of Saga Accounting Solutions. Nick has built a five-person firm that does both tax and bookkeeping. We get into the real pros and cons of running both under one roof, and I share why I went down this exact rabbit hole myself and decided against it. This is a practitioner-to-practitioner conversation f...
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  246 | Q&A - Transitioning to Advisory, Xero Integrations Disengaging with Clients, and More 19.08.2026 36min

  We're back from summer break with a live Q&A with SO much good stuff in this one. This was one of those episodes where the questions kept getting better and better, and I got to go deep on the things that trip us all up: running an advisory firm, getting your pricing right, Xero integrations, closing out clients the right way, and knowing when to make your first hire. If you've ever felt awkward quoting a higher fee or weren't sure how to structure your revenue side when a client's proces...
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  245 | Starting Your Firm from Scratch with Jaime Rodriguez 12.08.2026 34min

  This episode hit close to home for me because Jaime Rodriguez and I are basically living the same double life, and I loved getting to compare notes. Jaime is the CEO of Bookkeepers.com (you probably know them as Bookkeeper Launch), and his story is wild. He went to school for accounting chasing that "safe job" American dream, hated the corporate grind so much he Googled how to start a bookkeeping business, bought the very course he now owns, and burned the boats to go all in. Fast forward thr...
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  244 ⎸ The Summer Slump + Podcast Update 05.08.2026 11min

  Real talk: if your summer felt slow and you were low-key stressing about it, this episode is for you. This week's a short and sweet solo update where I walk you through what's coming up on the podcast over the next month, plus a little pep talk about the summer slump so many of us hit as bookkeepers. Slow season is normal, my friend, and it doesn't mean anything is wrong with your business. I'm sharing exactly what I do to keep moving the needle when discovery calls dry up, and how to set you...
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  243 | The Advisor Activation Series 29.07.2026 8min

  In this episode you’ll hear: A very short update about the audio series I just released & why you need to listen before it goes away!Resources mentioned in this episode: Listen to The Advisor Activation Audio Series → https://www.ambitiousbookkeeper.com/activateThanks 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 Bookke...
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  242 ⎸ 2026 Survey Results Breakdown w/ Alyssa Lang 01.07.2026 54min

  Alyssa and I are back, and this time we actually hit record (lesson learned from last year, ha). We just closed year two of the State of the Virtual Bookkeeping and Accounting Industry survey, and we sat down to dig into the data together in real time. This isn't a polished, buttoned-up report read. This is the two of us cross-referencing the numbers live, reacting to what surprised us, and pulling out the patterns that actually matter for your firm. We get into the real differences between s...
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  241 ⎸ The State of Virtual Bookkeeping Industry with Alyssa 01.06.2026 56min

  I'm joined in person by my biz bestie Alyssa Lang of Workflow Queen, and we are SO pumped to talk about the return of the Virtual Bookkeeper Industry Survey round two, baby! We're going bigger, better, and more intentional this time around, with a goal of 2,500 responses, a charity donation tied to Make-A-Wish Foundation, and a brand new interactive data bot that lets you dig into the results yourself. Oh, and we may have gone down a rabbit hole or two about AI, pricing, and what it actually ...
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  240 | [Q&A] 1st Thing to Automate, Building Rapport with Clients, & Intuit vs Gusto Payroll 20.05.2026 37min

  This episode is a replay of my April 2026 live Q&A, and we cover a ton of ground that I know so many of you are dealing with right now. Whether you're just starting out and trying to figure out where to even begin with automation, or you're in the thick of building a team and wondering why delegating feels harder than just doing it yourself, this one's for you. We also get into some juicy topics like QBO Payroll versus Gusto, how to handle S-Corp clients who are flying under the radar on ...
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  239 ⎸ How to Serve Real Estate Investor Clients & Market Your Bookkeeping Business as an Introvert with Max Emory 05.05.2026 58min

  This episode is a behind-the-scenes conversation with Max Emory. We get into the nitty gritty of what it actually takes to serve REI clients, how he built his team, the new community he's launching for bookkeepers who want to level up their marketing and sales game, and how he manages it all with two boys under two at home. In this episode you’ll hear: Why real estate investing is one of the most complex niches a bookkeeper can serveHow overcomplicated entity structures are hurting real estat...
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  Announcement: Closing Elevate 05.05.2026 5min

  Get all the info and join before Midnight Pacific Time on May 9, 2026: https://www.ambitiousbookkeeper.com/elevate/?coupon_code=REVAMP
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  238 ⎸ Transforming the Accounting Landscape: A Conversation with Joe Woodard 28.04.2026 35min

  In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Joe Woodard—founder of Scaling New Heights—and we’re diving into what’s really happening in the accounting industry right now. We talk about: Why the ‘AI hype vs denial’ debate is missing the pointWhat tasks you should actually be handing off to AIWhy moving off hourly pricing isn’t enough anymoreAnd how to position yourself so clients see you as indispensablehow to make sure your pricing model matches your vision and goalsResources mentioned in this ...
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  237 ⎸ [Q&A] Inbox Management, Tech Stack, and Practice Management Tips 22.04.2026 38min

  some links are affiliate links In this episode, I'm sharing our March live Q&A where I answered rapid-fire questions about running a bookkeeping firm. If you've ever wondered how to manage a shared team inbox without micromanaging, what to do with merchant clearing account balances at year end, or how to navigate a CPA non-compete, this one's for you. In this episode you’ll hear: How to manage a shared team inboxWhat to do with merchant clearing account balances at year endWhy building a ...
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  236 | Take back your time with Dubsado 3.0 15.04.2026 3min

  Stop letting your calendar run your life! In this episode, Serena dives into the brand-new Dubsado 3.0 (Beta) to show you how to protect your time and professionalize your client onboarding. Whether you’re a bookkeeper, accountant, or small business owner, learning how to automate the "back-and-forth" of scheduling is the fastest way to reclaim your sanity. In this episode, you’ll learn: The Power of the Scheduler: How to use the new 3.0 interface to set up custom meeting types with automatic...
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  235 ⎸ Why I only use Xero 08.04.2026 28min

  I've been getting this question for years, and since I'm now on YouTube and Xero keeps rolling out new features, it was time to give this topic a serious refresh. In this episode, I'm breaking down all the reasons why I am a hundred percent Xero firm and why I genuinely love this software. This is not sponsored (but yes, please use my affiliate link!). I'm just a bookkeeper who has seen what a mess the alternative can create, and I want you to understand what you could have instead. In this e...
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  234 | April Podcast Update 01.04.2026 4min

  This is a podcast update & what to expect here on the podcast for the month of April! Check out this week’s YouTube Video >> The New Xero Partner HubThanks 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:/...
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  233 ⎸ No More Arbitrary Price Increases [vlog] 25.03.2026 15min

  This one is a little different. One day in February I decided to vlog my day.. a sort of behind the scenes of my day. I wasn’t sure what I was going to use this footage for. And then… I was inspired a couple weeks ago (by the time this comes out) to write another BTS Newsletter. The two are **completely unrelated in topics—** combining the voice over of my Newsletter (unfiltered thoughts combined with a little education + provoking thoughts) with my random vlogging day. I hope you enjoy… make...
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  232 | Using AI in Bookkeeping 18.03.2026 21min

  AI is changing the bookkeeping game, but it's not replacing us anytime soon. In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on Xero's built-in AI feature, JAX (Just Ask Xero), and walking you through exactly how we're testing it inside our own firm before rolling it out to clients. From auto bank reconciliation to creating invoices via conversation, there are some genuinely cool time-saving features here, but there's still a lot you need to be doing yourself. In this episode you’ll hear: How J...