Behind The Hustle: Ryan Hoover
It was in business school that I first heard the term “early adoption”. Generally, it refers to a class of people who are the first to buy a product/service/technology in the marketplace.
I wonder if we accounting types are generally NOT early adopters with most things in life?
We buy a house in the established neighborhood instead of jumping into the newly gentrifying neighborhood.
We didn’t put down that deposit for those first Teslas models (and missed out on that free charging for life on those first Model S cars).
How high was Bitcoin before the first one of us bought any? Because it was just $13 in 2014 and now it is $80,000.
We stick with that desktop software like we’re living in 2004, bless our hearts.
We worry about making the wrong choice. Isn’t it much more reasonable to let someone else test things out first?
But where there is less risk, there is usually less reward. The entire capitalist philosophy is built on that very principle.
So what if this is the year that you were an early-adopter of something. Possibly for the first time in your life?
I’d love to know what “crazy” thing comes to mind. Where have you been thinking “To heck with it! I’m just going to do it!” Jump in the comments here on Substack and share your adrenaline rush. Tell us where you see that potential high payoff in your decision.
And if you don’t have any ideas… I’ll propose one for you.
Check out our sponsor for this edition.
Clean Books.
It is a new bookkeeping software that is launching on June 1.
Clean Books was started by a 30-year accounting veteran with a computer science background. Seth David is also a well-known community builder in our industry. He built Clean Books inside his community of bookkeepers and accountants who kept saying the same darn thing about their current software… “Something has to change!”
So they built it.
Here is what he said about Clean Books…
“Database first. AI-native, not AI-bolted-on. A clean interface that doesn’t make you click eight times to find a report. Drill-down that ties to the penny. Statements you can hand to a client without a cleanup pass.”
Click here to see what that interface looks like. And to get on the waitlist and jump in with fellow early-adopters.
💰 Puzzle is offering anyone who books a demo a $100 Amazon gift card.
💰 Serena Shoup’s Elevate Program is still on sale for $200. She is revamping the program this summer and that release will come with a price increase. If you are an Ambitious Bookkeeper fan, jump on it now.
💰 XeroCon Tickets are 20% off. Find a friend and split the hotel. Get in the room.
Please always send me any news of deals that you hear of that others might benefit from.
Items with a “+” are hosted by me. All these events can be viewed and registered for in the DESCRIPTIONS of each event on the Bookkeeping Side Hustle Calendar.
📅 May 13, 28, and June 3: Three-part webinar series covering durable AI-skills, firm-wide adoption strategy, and hands on GPT-training
May 13 | Upskilling AI: durable skills for an evolving profession
May 28 | From testing to standard practice: AI adoption for firm leaders
June 3 | Building your first custom GPT: a hands-on training session
📅+May 20: Behind The Hustle: Katrina Torres. Subscribe to the YouTube channel so you don’t miss it.
📅 May 21: Bookkeeping Buds Magic Hour. Feeling Stressed & Stuck? You’re Not Alone. Register here for this free event where you can find support and community.
📅+May 21: Digits Demo with 2026 Updates. Digits will be sharing new updates and giving us a live demo.
📅 June 3, 9, and 11: Building a Modern Accounting Practice with Xero. Y’all, Xero is having 3 FREE gatherings this summer. Get yourself to one! (This is different that XeroCon, that I mentioned above in the Deals section)
June 3 | New York City
June 9 | Denver
June 11 | Dallas
Subscribe to the YouTube Channel
🌶️ So, almost everyone agreed with my claim that a bookkeeper needed to understand the accounting equation graphic I shared. Only one person disagreed, and I said we would simply have to agree to disagree like civilized human beings. 🤝 She did not convince me to convert to her position. This picture is the minimum standard of accounting knowledge for everyone reading this newsletter, y’all.
I hope that some of you look at it and say “yep, I at least know this much about accounting fundamentals. I really could start to earn a living on my own terms with my knowledge of the Debits & Credits. Of course, you don’t have to write the essay, but I wonder if you tried to do it if it would be a turning point for you. You would know you had the accounting Double-Entry Accounting super power and be more confident in getting clients.
And I also hope that I cause some of you to pause taking on those clients if you can’t articulate this basic level of understanding. Keep studying. I can point you to resources. Many of them are free!
💪 Here are the steps to find out if Puzzle is the bookkeeping general ledger tool for you:
Make a list of specific questions you have for them about your ideal clients and workflows.
Sign up for your demo with this link they gave which gives you a $100 gift card. (not a referral link, fyi)
When you log in for your personalized demo, don’t hold back. Put those demo guys in the hot seat and make them show you what Puzzle has to offer. Push them hard during your demo.
💪 Former Coast Guard sailor Ryan Hoover told us all about building his firm in the latest Behind The Hustle. All while having a 4 year old and 8 month old twins in the house! 👶👶 No excuses!
And so many of you readers always tell me you have the same problem…you are struggling to get clients. I loved Ryan’s advice about that. “Talk. Talk. Talk.” If you are not willing to tell people you have a bookkeeping business, then go get a bookkeeping job. Which is ok, too! Seriously, I share job info every single edition of this newsletter.
💪 It is that time of year again! QBO Recertification time.
This YouTube Video by Akadian Accounting is the only video I’ve found by the time of this publication that is talking about tips and tricks for the 2026 QBO Recertification*.
As more educators come out with more resources, I’ll update things here on Substack and in the Bookkeeping Side Hustle Community on Facebook.
💪 Who will be at Scaling New Heights? The Accounting Cornerstone Foundation is partnering with Scaling New Heights this year. I will be spending most of my free time manning the booth that Scaling New Heights donated to us. Come see me and help me spread the word about these scholarships we are giving so more of you can attend your very first accounting conference. Get your ticket to SNH here.
💼 Be sure to check the Job Guide to see what jobs were posted in the Facebook group.
Don’t forget the standing opps on my Find A Freelance Job article. 1099 and W-2 opps.
🎪 Nothing new in this section this weekend! Sorry! I have a middle school softball playoff game I’m coaching this morning and have to go warm up my girls.
But if you like my little vignettes, you can read the entire archive here! This section of the newsletter goes back to January 2024!
🎢 Many of y’all have followed along as I have shared all about figuring out hiring help in my firm.
Well, my new Digital Operations Assistant is not so new anymore. We just had her 3-month review. Here is the template of the document that she and I both completed to help facilitate the conversation. I felt like it went pretty well overall! One of her suggestions in the collaboration section was a monthly lunch or walking meeting so we could get to know more about each other’s personal lives (3 cheers for a local, hybrid hiring plan!). And we made an appointment for a 6-month review in August, so all of that feels very hopeful.
⚡If you were discouraged by that comment above about how I really do think you need to be able to write an essay about that Accounting Equation graphic, well, let me offer you some encouragement. Yes, you do have lots of studying to do. But you can learn this!
One year ago I interviewed a community member about how she formed her own virtual study group to get the Intuit Academy Bookkeeping Certification (which teaches the Debits & Credits, not QBO). Follow her example! Find just a couple of other committed, hard-working friends and hold each other accountable!
✉️Michelle responded on Substack (you should too!):
I have been following you for a year! Your behind the scenes gave me such a realistic view of more of what to expect while on my journey! It helped manage expectations to work hard for what I wanted. Your charts and course sheet was huge in deciding on what path to take. I love your straight forward nature. Being real and making sure I knew I was going to have to put on real work to get where I want to go. And having the Facebook group to follow and even ask questions in has been invaluable.
Keep hustling!
Kate
-Chief Hustler-
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I am down right rabid about transparency and full disclosure. If a link, including Amazon Links, has a * beside it, it means it is either an affiliate link where I might receive compensation if you make a purchase, at no additional charge to you. Or it could be a tracking link that another business provided me to see how many readers click on that link.
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