The Successful Bookkeeper Podcast

"Your data is good to go. Customer comes into Hub Analytics and starts chatting with the chat bot to ask questions about the data, get visualized charts and graphs, and really have kind of this virtual CFO experience, which is cool." -Tommy Vincent Tommy Vincent, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer at Hub Analytics, returns to explain how AI is reshaping analytics, advisory, and the bookkeeper's role. He shares how data diagnostics improve pricing confidence, why early forecasting matters, and how AI tools give clients clearer financial insight without added complexity. In this interview, you'll learn: How AI checks bookkeeping work in seconds & catches errors early Why forward-looking analytics matter more than past reports How to deliver CFO-level insight without becoming a CFO To learn more about Hub Analytics, click here. Connect with Tommy on LinkedIn. Time Stamp 00:00 - How AI scans bookkeeping data & flags issues 02:13 - Why AI fits naturally into accounting & finance 05:01 - Using AI to validate work & reduce review time 06:22 - Moving from historical reports to forward-looking insight 08:37 - Why many bookkeepers don't want to deliver CFO services 09:13 - How the Hub Analytics partner program works 11:45 - Using data diagnostics to check & price new clients 14:22 - Catching errors & unknowns before onboarding 16:10 - Why small businesses need forecasting earlier 19:36 - Cash flow forecasting & scenario planning 20:34 - Using AI chat tools as a virtual CFO 22:32 - Turning insights into real business decisions 25:02 - How bookkeepers stay connected to advisory work 29:57 - Making CFO-level insight affordable for small businesses 32:14 - How to get started with Hub Analytics

" 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

"Ethics and integrity are a bookkeeper's superpower." -Heather Smith Kick off your new year with clarity and momentum in this special Year-In-Review episode! Host, Michael Palmer brings together an international panel of leaders to unpack the biggest wins, surprises, and lessons from 2025. This conversation gives you a grounded look at what actually changed in the bookkeeping world and what you can expect moving into 2026. You'll hear real stories from Canada, Australia, and the United States about technology shifts, economic pressures, client transformations, team challenges, and the rising demand for advisory. Our final episode of 2025 is packed with insights that you don't want to miss! Thank you so much for listening to our show and being a part of our community! Your support is the reason this podcast continues to grow. Wishing you a HAPPY and SUCCESSFUL 2026! To find out more about our guests, click below: Lisa Campbell Teresa Slack Heather Smith Christina Springstead Time Stamp 01:11 – Michael introduces the Year-In-Review panel 03:38 – Biggest surprises from 2025 04:51 – How bookkeepers embraced AI 05:12 – Personal breakthroughs & executing on training 07:04 – Economic pressures & global ripple effects 11:24 – Setbacks bookkeepers faced this year 16:41 – Capacity challenges & communication gaps 19:22 – Heartwarming client wins 23:05 – Helping clients understand their numbers 27:23 – The ripple effect bookkeepers create 30:03 – Why new bookkeepers matter 32:16 – Heartbreaks & financial vulnerability 34:06 – Ethics as a bookkeeper's superpower 39:26 – What worked well in 2025 40:10 – Hiring support to free up time 42:12 – Workflow systems paying off 46:11 – What didn't work & lessons learned 49:26 – Overwhelm from too much change at once 50:59 – Trends shaping 2026 54:58 – The rising need for human connection 1:02:37 – Personal focus areas for 2026 1:05:05 – Closing thoughts & New Year wishes

"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 learn, you read, you surround yourself with other people. Don't stay isolated behind your computer. You come to things like this. You join groups, you learn what other people are doing, and a lot of it is just understanding the value yourself." -Lisa Campbell Lisa Campbell, author of Beyond Bookkeeping and longtime bookkeeping mentor, joins host Michael Palmer for a special two-episode series recorded live at Accountex Canada 2025 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. She shares how a single "midnight moment" pushed her to rebuild her business, break free from burnout, and step confidently into advisory work. In this interview, you'll learn: What finally broke the cycle of burnout & overwork How systemizing business unlocked time, freedom & new opportunities Why shifting from compliance to advisory starts with mindset To learn more about Lisa, click here. Connect with her on LinkedIn. Order a copy of Beyond Bookkeeping. Time Stamp 01:16 – Lisa shares her "midnight moment" & the push to change everything 03:14 – The shift from having a job to building a business 06:16 – How burnout & overwork showed up in her daily life 07:03 – The mindset change that unlocked growth 08:12 – What "beyond bookkeeping" really means 09:17 – The moment she realized her systems were working 10:26 – How long it took to make the shift & why timing is different for everyone 11:46 – Breaking through time constraints & building structure 12:44 – How she stayed connected to her why during tough seasons 15:11 – How Profit First transformed her business & her clients' 16:20 – Why more clients doesn't equal more profit 18:10 – Moving from hourly work to value & subscription pricing 18:53 – The hidden gold bookkeepers give away for free 20:12 – Why learning, community & awareness help you charge your value 21:23 – Lisa's exercise to uncover value adds 24:12 – How she rewired her thinking & found new opportunities 25:16 – Shifting from compliance work to advisory 26:50 – Building an ecosystem for the entire client journey