How Bookkeeping Helped Stephanie Kase Work in Her Zone of Genius (And Grow Her Biz!)

Ever feel too bogged down with backend work to focus on the things that light you up? You aren’t alone, friend. It’s something SO MANY business owners feel. 

Because there’s so much admin work to catch up on — payroll, taxes, responding to emails, and literally all the things in between — it may start to feel like there’s no room left to focus on your zone of genius. 

The things you LOVE doing. The things that breathe life into your business. The things that are often what got you into business in the first place!

That’s what happened to my friend and client, Stephanie Kase. That is… until she hired team MDB! With bookkeeping support, she was able to clear up hours of time, and finally start focusing on what she was passionate about again. 

Want to see what the transformation was like? Catch the video below to find out or scroll on to read the notes!

Meet Stephanie Kase

Stephanie is a wedding photographer turned business coach — and fun fact, she actually started her business right after high school with all of her savings from working at  Chick-fil-A. So cool!

She became obsessed with photography after taking an interest during her senior year, and over time that love of photography eventually led her to educate other photographers on how to do #AllTheThings involved with running a photography business.

Her biggest thing? 

“I want to help others live an intentional life, letting business flow into that. I believe in taking a holistic approach — building a business for your life, not centering your life around your business.”

I couldn’t agree more! Someone with values like that is right up the MDB alley, so I was super excited to work with her!

Let’s take a look at the bookkeeping magic we’ve been making together for the last three years.

P.S. — If you want to learn more about Stephanie Kase, you can check her out here, or stay up to date with her on the ‘gram!

When do you know the time is right for bookkeeping help? 

Obviously, making any new hire in your biz is a tough decision, even when you know that it would make a HUGE impact in your day-to-day and on your bottom line. 

Do you have the budget for it? Will that person know how to handle your clients with care? Will having an additional role change any of the most valuable parts of your business?

For Stephanie, it changed everything…in the best way possible!

“My accountant was my first ever hire. I had no idea how to do my taxes…the following year, I used 17 Hats. During those years, I began to see how much work was needed and realized it was a lot. 

It wasn’t so bad when I was only booking 10 clients. There was a point when I switched over to QuickBooks, and because the number of transactions was relatively low, it wasn’t too bad. 

But it was when I started going from 1:1 services to one-to-many, as my volume of sales increased with more transactions to track, I didn’t want to be responsible for everything being correct. 

I would rather have someone on my team do it versus trying to figure it out myself and hope I did it right. That was definitely the right decision!”

How bookkeeping can help beyond taxes

Did you know that bookkeeping can be helpful for things beyond taxes? It’s true! Because you free up time normally spent on those monthly budgets and spreadsheets, you have more time to work in your zone of genius. 

Numbers, and keeping a consistent tab on them, can help you determine the success of things like launches or changes to your current offer ladder.

There’s seriously SO much, but instead of listing them all out, I’ll let you hear what Stephanie had to say about it. 

“I am definitely more conservative in the sense that I always have a buffer, I have savings, especially around launch time. If I don’t save the money made from that launch, I don’t feel as prepared for the highs and lows that come from entrepreneurship. 

Knowing what I need to pay for and when is so helpful — and bookkeeping is a huge reason why. 

It also helped me realize that I need to space out my launches instead of doing them all in one quarter of the year, per se. 

Being more planned and intentional with these campaigns, and spacing them out, has helped me garner a steady revenue versus the feast and famine mentality. “

And aside from the logistics, like tracking numbers, here’s how Stephanie said bookkeeping helped her in her business and her life.

“I wanted to get away from everything being client-based. I pushed it out for a while, but now I’m able to get about 20 intentional hours each work in the office, working on my business. 

Knowing my numbers, and knowing where my money stands, helps me to be more intentional with my business. It helps me live a fuller life outside of my business, too”

If you’re considering hiring a bookkeeper…

As far as whether or not Stephanie has said bookkeeping is worth it or not…

“If bookkeeping is something you dread and constantly push out, then yes, do it! It’s so much better to have a good handle on your numbers instead of doing everything three months too late. 

It’s been transformational for me. You’ve helped me understand where everything is coming from and how to see if what I’m doing inside my business and with my offers is working. 

When you have so many transactions coming in, your time and effort can be better put into something in your business to help it grow. 

I can’t tell you how much time you’ve saved me. And having someone who is passionate about it helps. It helps me do what I need to do — not chained to my desk with busy work. 

If someone is considering working with you, it’s been such a great experience having you on my team. 

What makes you guys stand out is that you are so passionate about [bookkeeping] and it feels like you have a best friend in your corner. You’re so accessible and it’s easy to ask questions. 

It’s been a great decision and I don’t think I would have the handle I have on my numbers if I didn’t have you on my team. You’re just the best. You and Whitney both!”

D’awwwwwh. I’m blushing! 

Ready to free up time and focus on your zone of genius?

You’ve got things to do. You’ve got big ideas to bring to life. And you’re ready to get all of that bookkeeping pressure off of your shoulders. 

If that sounds like you, if you want the same level of bookkeeping support as Stephanie Kase, let’s chat! My team and I would love to be your go-to gals for all things bookkeeping.