We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Brittney B a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Brittney, so great to have you with us today. There are so many topics we want to ask you about, but perhaps the one we can start with is burnout. How have you overcome or avoided burnout?
Burnout is a big problem for business owners. We usually start a business because we love what we do. As the business grows, we pour more and more time into it. But too much of a good thing can cause burnout. After a few years in business I realized I needed some hobbies other than work because I was getting burned out. I set a work schedule (quitting by 4pm every day) and started doing something fun in the evenings to get my mind on something else. So if you’re feeling burned out, go find something fun to do for a short time every week. Whether it’s doing puzzles, reading, or going to an exercise class. Do something different.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am the founder and owner of Silver Leaf Office. I am an accountant providing monthly bookkeeping services to small business owners. I specialize in photographers, but work with a variety of service-based businesses. I love Jesus, family, cats, and pasta (in that order) and can often be found listening to an audiobook while crunching numbers for my clients. My favorite part of being an accountant is watching my clients have breakthroughs – like paying themselves consistently and not being stressed at tax time.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1. Find a group of people to be your “coworkers.” For me, it’s a group of fellow bookkeepers/accountants who are at a similar place in their business. We meet monthly to cowork and ask questions. They can become your cheerleaders and help when you encounter a problem you don’t know how to solve. It takes time to build, so be patient, but don’t give up.
2. Keep learning! Choose a few people to learn from. At the beginning I was learning constantly and it got overwhelming. I had a list of so many things I should do. Instead I have learned to pick a few people and learn from them. Sometimes I’ll switch up who I learn from but I don’t let it get overwhelming with “should” like I did at the beginning.
3. Be patient with yourself. There is no such thing as overnight success. It takes time to build a business but it’s so worth it!
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
Profit First by Mike Michalowicz. It will change the way you manage your business finances. One of the takeaways I always share with business owners is to open a savings account and put a certain percentage of your income in there each month. That way when it’s time to pay estimated taxes or your tax billing in April you’ll be prepared instead of panicking!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.silverleafoffice.com
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