Mama Minisode 01 With Serena Shoup

Episode Transcript

[00:00:00] Melyssa: Hi welcome. I am so super excited for this episode. I decided that I wanted to introduce bonus episodes that are going to be called mama minisodes. I wanted to introduce you to women, moms who are out there doing this online business gig. And I wanted you to hear directly from them the impact that it has on their family and what advice that they would give someone who is in the newer phases of their business. 

[00:00:30] Melyssa: I am really honored that my first guest for these mama minisodes is Serena Shoup. She’s a CPA. And one of the really interesting things about her is she has two sides to her business, her and her team, they are accountants who help online business owners with their bookkeeping and accounting needs. And she also has another side of her business where she teaches aspiring, bookkeepers and accountants, how to start and grow [00:01:00] their online businesses. I think that shows that you could have those different streams of income coming in with a really complimentary type of business. 

[00:01:09] Melyssa: Serena is someone that I met actually on Facebook, in a moms group of all places. We were both responding to someone who was looking for an online type of business, and then I connected with her outside of that group was like, Hey, I’m doing something similar. Would love to have like a business friend. So we kept that friendship up. Never actually met in person because COVID happened and just life and kids. And then we have the opportunity to go to a bougie business retreat in our states with the lovely Heather Sager. And when you, are in this industry, you start to gravitate towards certain people and, you kinda like the same people and work with the same people. So that’s how we both were following the same speaking coach. Anyhow, it was amazing to meet her in person, she was just as sweet as I [00:02:00] imagined. And I asked her if she would be my first guest on here and she said, sure. And so without further ado, here’s Serena. 

[00:02:09] Serena: Hey there, I am Serena Shoup. I am a corporate cpa, turned bookkeeping business, CEO, at my accounting firm, Of Course Bookkeeping. And I’m a mentor for other bookkeepers and accountants through the ambitious bookkeeper brand. I have a preschooler, an elementary age child and a high schooler, and I built my business as a side hustle to motherhood when I left corporate to have my second daughter.

[00:02:31] Serena: I’m passionate about helping business owners become CEOs and take control of their money. And when I’m not doing accounting stuff, you can find me paddleboarding if it’s summer, snowboarding in the winter, or playing music any old time of year. So Melyssa asked me to answer a couple questions, and the first question is, what advice would I give to moms just starting out or in the newer phase of their online business journey?

[00:02:56] Serena: We all started where you’re at. Be intentional [00:03:00] with how you spend your time, but also be open to opportunities that you weren’t really expecting. Make real human connections because those will be the ones that pay off the most. And some of the best results in my business have come from collaborations that I’ve had with without ever really expecting a return on them. And they’ve also developed into, into some of the closest friendships I’ve ever experienced. 

[00:03:23] Serena: And the question number two is, what has your online business meant for you and your family? I’ve been able to continue my career growth in a way that I never imagined. Impacting small businesses with the knowledge that I gained in corporate, and I’m making more than what I made in corporate with less than half the hours I put in.

[00:03:41] Serena: Now, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it. It did take a few years to get to this point as I built, and I grew my business slowly and intentionally, but it’s allowed me to create a life where I’m able to take life a little slower and focus on relationships and hobbies. Plus, I get to show my kids what exactly is possible.[00:04:00] 

[00:04:00] Serena: So thank you, Melyssa, for having me on your podcast. I hope this has resonated and helped one of you out in the audience. Talk to you soon.

[00:04:09] Melyssa: Thank you so much, Serena. Oh my gosh. The advice to be intentional with your time and to really pay attention to those connections, those are spot on. I am going to link to all of the places where you can find and connect with Serena. On Instagram she is at ambitiousbookkeeper and ofcoursebookkeeping. I’m going to put all of these in the show notes and on the website. And I’m also going to link to some of her freebies. Be sure to connect with Serena and show her some love. 

[00:04:42] Melyssa: That’s all I have for today’s minisode, I hope you enjoyed hearing from Serena and I’ll catch you in the next episode.