Episode Transcript
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Speaker (00:01):
This is the
Fredericksburg Neighbors
Podcast, the place where localbusinesses and neighbors come
together.
Here's your host, Dori Stewart.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Welcome back to the
FXBG Neighbors Podcast, where we
share the stories of ourfavorite local brands.
I'm excited to introduce you tomy guest today.
We have Katelyn Duron withDuroSec LLC.
Katelyn, welcome to thepodcast.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Awesome.
Thank you.
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
And I think I
pronounced your business name
wrong.
It's DuroSec, right?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
DuroSec, yeah.
It's only on my last name, sono worries.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Okay, good.
I'm glad we got it.
I'm glad we got it right.
So let's start by telling us alittle bit about your business.
I'm excited to learn more.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Yeah, awesome.
Thank you.
So DuroSec is a managementconsulting, management
accounting, and bookkeeping firmthat I started with my business
partner, Jessica Flores.
We started it because werealized that there was a really
big need in the small businesscommunity for that management
accounting services.
So what we do at DuroSec is alittle bit more than just your
(01:12):
day-to-day bookkeeping and yourreceipt keeping.
We really strive to teach ourbusiness owners about their
business, about their finances,and kind of how they can grow
their business or how kind ofjust how they're doing in
general.
So we we have a really strongpassion for the small business
community and helping them wherethat resource typically isn't
available.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Amazing.
I love that so much.
And so do you find that most ofyour clients are newer
businesses?
Because I feel like what youare offering is so needed for a
business that is getting off theground.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Yeah, yeah.
So a lot of our businesses arenew businesses.
Um there are people who havebeen doing their own books or
they have their books in anExcel sheet.
They're not using somethinglike QuickBooks or a software,
um, or they're using some sortof CRM system that, you know, is
giving them kind of that highlevel, but you know, it's not
really preparing them for whatthat next step in finance is or
(02:10):
in business is, which is growthor strategy or pricing changes
and things like that.
So we love our small business,our new businesses, but um we
also have a lot of smallbusinesses that have had
bookkeepers that, you know,maybe aren't providing them what
they need, or they just don'treally know what they're getting
out of what they're payingmonthly for the for the service.
So um, you know, at DuralSide,we really strive to make sure
(02:32):
every single month you'regetting kind of like a financial
review and you're getting areally good understanding of how
are you performing, what areyou doing, things like that.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
So that's awesome.
That's awesome.
I love that you're taking it astep further because it's one
thing to just deliver the books,but then to have that
discussion of okay, what doesthis all mean?
Yes, which a lot of businessesdon't think about that, and then
how you can use that data tohelp your business grow.
So I love what you're doing.
(03:02):
Awesome.
So tell me, um Yeah, yeah.
So I'd love to learn a littlebit about your backstory and
tell us how you got into this.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Yeah, so I started in
banking when I turned 18.
Um, funny enough, I literallywas just looking for a job that
wasn't gonna make me workweekends.
And um I had a friend at thetime who was like, aren't banks
closed on the weekends?
Go work at the bank.
Um, and so I started as ateller at a local branch uh in
Woodbridge, and um I worked myway through becoming like a
(03:35):
senior relationship banker anddoing kind of the business
relationships and working withsmall businesses on the lending
side.
Um and you know, I got I got areally big passion for helping
them build credit, for helpingthem get lending, um, get
started, kind of like thosestarter funds.
Um, I did a lot of the PPPloans during COVID, um, helping
people kind of get through thatprocess.
And um, I was given anopportunity to start working for
(03:59):
a small fractional accountingfirm that we did fractional
controller and CFO services,which was a totally different
world than what I was used to,but it kind of gave me the
ability to have that other anglethat I didn't typically have in
the banking side.
I was usually the person at thebank that you come into, you
just give all your stuff to, andthen I go try to get you a
loan.
Whereas I was getting theopportunity to help people
(04:21):
prepare their documentation sothen when they go sit in front
of their bankers, they're ableto do that kind of thing.
Um, and so that drove the thepassion and you know, and I I
love community.
I love, I grew up in theWoodbridge area, which is also a
very tight-knit community.
Um, you know, and so I I reallydrove a passion for just
helping people and connectingpeople with with what they need.
And so um I started working forthe fractional consulting firm
(04:44):
and you know, it was it hadgrown into a pretty big
conglomerate and it was lookingto, you know, grow and go after
the bigger businesses.
And um I started to realize inmy business partner Jessica, we
were working together there, andwe realized that there's not
anybody for the small businessesanymore because once you grow
out of that, um, you know, smallbusinesses aren't looking to
(05:05):
hire somebody full-time to dotheir accounting or even for two
or three hundred dollars anhour to do, you know, that
higher level, you know, yourforecasting, your budgeting, and
um things like that.
And so I really wanted to startDurosec to bring that to the
small businesses because I dohave a background as being the
chief financial officer.
Um, Jessica and I both havebackgrounds in doing financial
(05:26):
analysis and degrees inaccounting.
And so um it just gives us thatability to, you know, really
help that small business sidewithout having the huge cost
that comes with typicallyaccounting services.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
That's amazing.
What great experience you bringto what you're offering now
with small businesses.
I love that.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
So, do you find that
there are any misconceptions
when it comes to either yourbusiness or the industry?
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Yeah, I think cost is
a big misconception.
I think people hear a lot ofthose higher terms, like, you
know, your financial analysis,your forecasting, your, you
know, or just that, you know, Iam a chief financial officer and
they're like, oh my gosh, Ican't afford your services, or I
don't know what you're gonnacost.
And I think um, you know,that's where I really um
struggle as a business owner tokind of make sure people
(06:15):
understand like my goal is tohelp small businesses.
My goal, I wouldn't besuccessful if I was bankrupting
my clients.
And so, you know, I want tomake sure that people
understand, you know, you can'tafford these services.
And, you know, we're we're hereto help you.
Um, we're not here to cost youa bunch of money for something
that, you know, it's it's toughto create an an ROI, a return on
investment when it comes toaccounting.
(06:36):
Um, there's not reallysomething tangible, right?
So we're not selling somethingyou can physically hold in your
hand.
Uh, we're selling the abilityto grow your business and the
ability to really understandyour numbers.
And so that's where I think umthat's a really big
misconception, I think, that Ideal with pretty regularly.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Yeah, that makes
sense.
So working with new businesses,you um you meet new
entrepreneurs all the time.
So if someone came to you andasked you for some advice, they
were thinking about starting anew business.
What advice would you givethem?
Speaker 2 (07:11):
I would give them the
advice to take advice.
So I think um it's really scarywhen starting a new business.
And you know, you don't knowwhat you don't know.
Um, and I think everybodystarts a business for a
different why, right?
Like we all have our why of whywe do what we do.
And um, there are going to bepeople who have resources or
(07:32):
experience in the businessindustry, whether they're
entrepreneurs themselves orthey're working for small
business or they just have a lotof years in the industry
they're in.
Um, and so my advice would beto take their advice and you
know, to use your resources.
There's so many resources,especially in the Fredericksburg
area, like the FredericksburgNeighbors Podcast, to go on and
talk about, you know, whatyou're doing and really connect
(07:53):
with people.
And I think that would be mybiggest, my biggest advice would
be just always be open-mindedto taking help and advice and
use your resources.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
Yeah, yeah, that's
really great advice.
And you are uh practicing whatyou preach and you are very
involved with the chamber.
And I saw recently that you arein the new uh Leadership
Fredericksburg class.
So congratulations on that.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
Thank you.
I appreciate it.
I'm very excited about theprogram.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Yeah, so I know this
might be throwing you off guard
a little bit.
Uh, it didn't prepare you forthis question, but tell us how
that experience will help you inyour business.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Yeah, I um I am very
fortunate.
I was thrown into leadershipvery young in my career.
Um, I got a lot ofopportunities right off the bat
to be a chief financial officer,to manage an accounting team.
Um, and I think I was reallycapable of developing some
things on the fly and learningsome things.
And I've learned a lot in mycareer experience, but I don't
(08:52):
think I've ever had any reallysolid leadership training uh,
you know, as a person or as abusiness owner.
And so what I'm really lookingforward to about the leadership
class of 2026 that I'm in isbeing able to really develop
those skills and learn fromother business owners.
There are so many people in myclass that are, you know, career
military or have had businessesfor 20 plus years, and they a
(09:15):
lot of them are there becausethey have taken those leadership
trainings I haven't gotten.
And so as a young entrepreneur,I'm I'm really, really excited
to be surrounded by people whoare just so driven towards
leadership, so driven towardsbettering themselves.
Um, and so that's what I thinkI I hope to take the most out of
it.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
Yeah, what an amazing
opportunity.
I'm really looking forward tofollowing your journey through
that.
And I'll have to have you backon the podcast when you have
graduated from the program so wecan learn all about your
experiences.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Yeah, I would love
that.
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
Awesome.
So tell me, what is somethingthat you wish the listeners knew
about your business?
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Um, I wish this is a
funny one.
It's probably not the answeryou expect.
Um, what I wish people knew isthat I am not a CBA.
So I find the hardest part ofwhat I do is explaining to
people the difference betweenthe work that we do here at
Durosec versus being a CBA.
Um, Durosec is really genuinelymeant to help business owners
(10:20):
on a personal relationshipbasis.
Um, when you get into being aCBA, you know, it becomes very
transactional.
You lose a lot of the umunderstanding, it's really just
there's a purpose behind thework that the CBAs do, and it's
a very important purpose.
Um, but that being said, I havea lot of trouble sometimes with
that because when you use theword accounting, most people
(10:40):
think CPA right immediately.
And um, and I we don't, we arenot CBAs and we don't do that.
We basically get you preparedto the point of being ready for
your CBA.
So um again, creating the valuein that is difficult.
And I think that that'ssomething that I really strive
to teach people about is youknow, having somebody on board
all year round versus juststressing yourself out at tax
(11:02):
time and trying to meet thedeadlines really can save you a
lot of time, money, energy, andhonestly help you grow your
business rather than stressingabout those things.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Yeah, yeah, that
makes sense.
Thank you for clearing that upfor us.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
So if the listeners
want to connect with you or
learn more from you, where canthey find you?
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Yeah, so I we have a
website.
Um it's www.durosec.com.
Um, you can also always emailme at kderon at durosec.com.
Um, I'm also involved in thechamber quite a bit.
So you can pretty much Googlemy name and you'll pop, I'll pop
up somewhere for you in theFredericksburg Chamber of
Commerce.
Um I'm also on social media.
(11:43):
I have Instagram, Twitter, uh,or I guess it's X now, um, and
uh Facebook as well.
So we're we can connect anyway,anytime.
Um, a lot of people connectthrough other people who know
me, so feel free to reach out toDory and ask, and she can
connect you with me as well.
But um, any way that you canfind me, we're happy to help.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
Amazing.
Katelyn, thank you so much forjoining me on the podcast today
and sharing Durosec with us.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Absolutely.
Thank you so much for havingme.
I'm super excited.
Thank you.
Speaker (12:14):
You're welcome.
Thank you for listening to theFredericksburg Neighbors
Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go to FXBGNeighborsPodcast.com.