July 24, 2025 • 30 mins
If your team disappeared tomorrow, would your business survive?
Most founders build fast, but not to last. Sharrin Fuller, founder of Glass Wallet Ventures, joins CFO Chronicles to share why even successful businesses stall (or collapse) when leadership ignores the endgame.
Inside this episode:
• How Sharrin rebuilt everything after firing 10+ team members
• Why documentation, not hustle, determines whether you scale
• Her method for “cloning” your role so you can finally step back
• The project management mistake that could kill your momentum
• Real talk on fractional leadership, remote ops, and founder blind spots
💡 Plus: Sharrin’s funniest career pivots (yes, they include Costco and nail salons)
📬 Want to connect with Sharrin?
Visit glasswalletventures.com her courses, templates, and contact details are all there.
🎙 Hit play. Then fix what’s breaking behind the scenes before it breaks you.
This episode is brought to you by Bill.com
- Ready to take your finances to the next level? See how BILL Spend & Expense can power up your business—and get that free grill—at bill.com/cfochronicles
Terms and conditions apply.
Ready to turn your firm into a lead-generating, profit-driving machine?
We help Bookkeepers, Accountants & Fractional CFOs generate consistent local leads, book perfect-fit appointments, and close premium clients, without cold outreach or ad guesswork.
Let’s map out your growth plan together → Book your free strategy call
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello everyone, welcome back to another episode
of CFO Chronicles the secretsbehind success, where we sit
down with leaders who arerethinking what it means to run
a sharp, scalable andfinancially smart business.
I'm your host, james Donovan,and today's episode is a special
one because I got to meettoday's guest face-to-face
recently at GrowCon.
We had a great time hanging out, from casino night to catching
(00:22):
the hockey playoffs at the bar.
The energy was fun, but theconversations were deep and I
walked away thinking this issomeone I have to bring on the
show before we dive in.
Big thanks to our sponsor,billcom.
If you're still doing payablesmanually or drowning in email
approvals, it's time to upgrade.
Billcom helps automate your approcess so that you can focus on
(00:44):
higher value strategy and youcan grab an exclusive offer at
billcom slash promo 500.
Now let me introduce today'sguest.
Sharon Fuller is the founder andCEO of Glass Wallet Ventures.
Her firm helps businesses scalesmarter by stepping in with
fractional leadership, givingfounders and teams the executive
(01:06):
clarity they need without thefull-time overhead.
She's all about visibility,systems that work and financial
leadership that actually movesthe needle.
We're going to dig into herstory, her wins and what she
sees on the horizon for thefuture of finance and fractional
models.
Let's get into it, sharon.
Let's rewind a bit.
(01:26):
What were you doing beforelaunching Glass Wallet Ventures?
Speaker 2 (01:32):
I had a different company.
I had an accounting firm that Istarted in 2006 because I was
an operations manager at a coldstorage facility and I somehow
ended up doing everything forthem.
And then he said hey, I'm goingto sell this company.
I was like what am I going todo?
And we had a bunch of tenantsthat leased space in our
(01:53):
building and they said I wish Icould hire you, but I only need
you for like five hours a week.
I'm like, oh, there's likeeight to 10 of you, that's a
full-time job.
So my first company was asimple office solution and I was
your mobile office manager.
So I did office management andbookkeeping.
I live in San Diego.
On Monday I drive office tooffice and pick up there.
I honestly have them put like ashoe box out, because that's
(02:14):
the level of everybody was.
I'd grab their folder, theirshoe box, take it back home,
scan it, file it, do their books, go back in, prep the checks on
that next Monday, send outcheck signs on now and take it
back with me.
So I think I I feel like Ireally kind of helped pioneer
the start of the um lazyaccounting work from home.
I am not going to work in adesk nine to five, monday
(02:36):
through Friday.
I wanted to work at a bar onthe beach.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
Yes, well, we've had the pleasure of being able to
share a couple of drinks at abar and watch hockey.
That is correct.
Yeah, was there a moment thatpushed you to take the leap and
build something of your own?
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Yeah, oh man, I tell you, I've always.
I've been working since I waslike 10.
We all have paper outs.
I want my own money.
The worst thing is when yourparents are like, if you do this
, I'll give you a dollar.
I'm like, no, I'm going to godo this, and then you can't tell
me what to do with it, right?
So I always had a paper routeor a nanny.
And then I was in sales.
I did timeshares, kirby vacuums, you name it Um, printer ink or
printer consumables.
And then I worked for Costcoand I opened Costco's and I was
(03:22):
in marketing.
And then then I left.
I left Costco and I went to bea paralegal.
And when I um, when I was goingto be a paralegal, I was like I
hate that, I can't do this.
This is I can't do school thisis just awful.
I can't do this anymore.
Um, I even tried to do collegeduring high school.
I was like this is paid call,this is paid high school.
Well, I also have my manicuristlicense in three states.
(03:43):
A lot of people don't know thatabout me, so I can license to
do your nails in three states.
So during my paralegal, I'mlike I got to the business
section.
I'm like I'm just going to gobuy a business.
This is dumb.
So I bought the salon that Iwas doing nails in.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
No way.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
And then from there I was like I can't work for
anybody anymore.
I can't.
Every time I work for somebody.
I can't handle corporate, Ican't handle the.
You know, watch what you say.
You have to be at this deskfrom nine to five because if
you're not, you're not working.
And I mean it's just I couldn'tdo it.
I was like this is the mostinefficient, this is ridiculous.
(04:20):
So I decided, as my friend SeanDuncan always says, I am just
unemployable.
Um, so I just decided I alwaysneed to work for myself.
So I'm like I better findsomething I'm really good at and
that works.
Otherwise I'm just gonna be abum did, I did.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
I hear you correctly say you worked at costco yeah,
oh yeah, I, I worked at costcoyears ago as well.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Yeah, when what year?
Speaker 1 (04:44):
um, when was it?
I probably 2009.
I would have been graduating.
I think it was the summer I wasgetting ready to graduate high
school, or the year before maybeI would.
I was packing groceries likeafter, or packing the cart after
school and then would stock theshelves or like push the carts
(05:04):
in.
So that's I.
Actually.
I really enjoyed it, like theyalways paid really well, it's a
good after school job I started.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
I opened the st george utah one in 2000 and I
was in membership and marketingbecause I'm such a people person
, obviously.
And then I would travel withcostco and open all the new
locations, like I opened the umaustin texas one and I opened
the one in the they transferreddowntown, or in Henderson they
moved locations.
I opened that one but I reallydidn't like it because again, it
(05:32):
was just a.
It wasn't whether or not you'regood at your job or anything,
it was how long have you beenwith a company Seniority.
So I'm like, okay, so this dumb, dumb here who can't do
anything, it just gets promotedbecause they've been here five
years longer.
And it was just so.
I was like this I can't do this, I just can't.
And I was cross trained in every.
I work everywhere I could do.
I loved it.
(05:53):
Anytime there was crosstraining open.
I'd like train me, train me tocourt all of it.
I could.
I could make you all that stuffright now.
I could fold the clothes.
I could do sales.
I was in the tire station forlike a few months.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
And I love that was my favorite.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
But I eventually left .
When I was, it was just so manychiefs and not enough Indians.
And and then the ones that havebeen there longer would get so
mad at me because they're likeyou've only been in the company
for two years and you're crosstrained more than I am.
I'm like I want to.
(06:33):
Did you apply for it?
I don't know what to tell you,so I just couldn't.
Carpet's not for me, not for me.
Fair, um, interesting that weshare that.
Costco, costco employment.
Um, they only paid like 10bucks an hour.
You started in 2009 when theywere probably like a 15 16, so
10 bucks was amazing, and stgeorge in 2000, it was it was
canadian, though, so it probablywas equivalent to yeah, yes
four dollars and 25 cents yeah,yeah, I gotta ask you um, where
did the name glass wallet comefrom it?
Speaker 1 (06:51):
it's such a unique visual I am unique.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Um, so when I first started glass wallets after I
sold my firm, I thought I wantto buy people's firms or invest
in their firms, build them up,take equity and then let them
grow or sell.
So the whole thing wastransparency glass wallet, I'm
gonna buy a bunch.
It was going to be more of likean investment venture type
thing, and then, of course, Iended up just starting more
(07:16):
firms because, I am a gluttonfor punishment, uh, and I'm I'm
into crazy S&M.
I just like to be beat upbecause I didn't learn my lesson
the first time, so it wasreally just about transparency
more than anything.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Yeah, still is.
That's awesome I'm overlytransparent.
No, I love it.
That's so cool.
What was the vision for thebusiness when you started and
how has it evolved since?
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Okay, yeah, so the vision was really just.
I thought I really just want tohelp.
I want to help people do what Idid because I just went through
it and I see so many people, um, I'm gonna take these off cause
they're glaring Um, I see somany people who, um, start their
company and they're just a messand they're and I'd been there
right Like I started it before.
I think the first projectmanagement software was Todoist
and it was just, there was likenothing.
I think Asana was just comingout, but in 2006, there was
(08:11):
nothing and I just was seeingall these people trying to
adjust after COVID, but I wasalready way ahead of the curve
because this is how we alreadydid it.
We were fully remote fromnumber from the beginning.
So I just wanted to help thosepeople and I wanted to educate
and I don't know, just advise.
And, like I said, I somehow gotroped in not roped in, Building
(08:34):
accounting firms was justsomething I was good at and I
could do, and so I just I did itagain and now I don't know if
you saw, but I'm selling myfirst.
So I bought out my first,selling it and going back to
glass wall and back to myoriginal vision, which is again
advising accounting firm owners.
And I'm also doing someadvisory for some FinTech
(08:55):
startups because they're tryingto get into the accounting world
and I keep telling them you'vegot it, you've got money, you
got brains, but you're missing agap in the market and you're
trying to build something that'salready built.
Shift and build this.
So I'm trying to help them dothat so they don't blow other
people's money.
But you know, whatever Um what?
Speaker 1 (09:17):
what makes your approach different from
traditional advisory for or forother accounting firms?
Speaker 2 (09:26):
well, traditional is a yeah right, a loose term so
I'm not corporate, of course,and I've worked for companies
that are just that.
I've worked the 90 hours a weekand and I, I just don't I
really I feel like I relate topeople better and I always
remember what it felt like beingthat super motivated number one
employee that just got crappedon all the time because I didn't
(09:48):
have a CPA behind my name orbecause they knew they could
take advantage of me because Icared Right, and I also know how
I've done all of it.
I failed, I failed, I failed, Isucceeded.
I failed again, I failed, Isucceeded.
So, and then I've done it onboth sides I've been the
employee, I've been the employer, I've been the owner.
So I'm taking the approach oftrying to really relate to
(10:10):
people on a personal level andletting them know that business
is business.
Yes, but when it's yourbusiness and it's your team,
this is personal and people needto give themselves the grace
and kind of understand wherethey want to be, because I may
have this way to do things, butit needs to fit into what your
vision is of your business.
So, really, just, I'm just, I'mjust super transparent.
(10:31):
I'm not going to sell somethingthat doesn't work for you.
I'm not going to try to pushyou to do something you're not.
I'm not going to waste my time,I'm not going to waste your
money.
Um, and that's really kind ofthe way I do it.
I don't know if I would be likea coach, I will be the one that
will not be letting you say it.
I'm like get up.
I will light a fire under you.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
People need that, though.
That's.
That's awesome.
You bring the accountability.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
I am.
I do bring the accountability,but you got to do it differently
because I have never been ableto have a like a fitness coach,
like a personal trainer.
I hate being told what to do,and if you try to tell me what
to do or tell me, no, I am justgoing to be like doing the
opposite.
So I am not good like that.
I can't do tony robbins, Ican't do any of that.
But a lot of people need thatand you just really got to find
(11:21):
out how to get to them not getto them, but how to work with
them, because my way doesn'twork for everybody.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
A lot of men don't like it.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
Some do.
Um, women are usually harder toread.
Men are easy.
They're like knock it off whenwe're like I have it off.
Women are like that's the one Ihave to be careful with.
Even though I am a woman, I'veworked with so many men
especially.
A lot of my clients were VCbacked startups in the software
industry.
So a lot of men and a lot ofengineers, and you get into that
(11:50):
world and it's a differentworld of sitting at a board
table with those people thanwhere I sit at a board table
with the AFWA, the AccountingFinance Women's Alliance.
Different world and I'm alwayslike tone it down, sharon, tone
it down, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
But I have to say it nicely.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
Hello everybody this sucks.
You're all amazing.
This sucks, let's fix it.
Whereas before I'd be like oh,but yeah, what's a?
What's?
One thing founders usuallydon't realize they need until
you show up Um, uh, in game theyjust most of the founders, most
(12:31):
people started start somethingcause they've been somewhere,
they're good at the process,they're good at the product and
the service and they just cannot.
They're going to do it betterthan where they're at and
they're great at product andservice.
But they didn't think aboutwhat happens when I need more
people.
Who am I going to add?
What do I want to do with thisin three years?
What happens if I need to takea vacation?
They don't have any of thatvision planned.
I didn't.
I just knew I needed to makemoney.
(12:52):
I needed and I wasn't going togo back to work for someone.
And usually by the time theyreally get into it and realize
what they need to do, they're ata, they're in a hole.
Um, they, they can't scalebecause they can't, they don't
have the time to stop, theycan't, they can't exit because
nothing said, they'd get novaluation for their company.
It's nothing, will nothing,will transfer.
Um, you know it really justthat that in game.
(13:15):
What?
Where are they going?
What's the roadmap?
Okay, awesome you have toidentify that before you
identify anything, cause if youdon't know where you're going,
you can't get in your car anddrive.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
Yep, that's so true.
And then you're just, you'rejust driving blind.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Essentially, I'm going to trademark that thing.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
So it sounded great.
Um, are you able to share arecent client win that really
illustrates what you do best, orone that just gets you like
super fired up?
Speaker 2 (13:44):
absolutely.
I mean always.
So we have.
I mean so I have my, my firm,where I have core, and then I
also have my, my advisory.
I do advisory, for I dofractional cfo work for some of
my clients as well.
One of them is just, they'rejust a huge company and when I
first came in, of course they'relike, well, we don't really
need you.
And so every time I just kindof sat in the background quietly
(14:07):
.
But now and it's for men, whichI'm not a man hater in any way,
but just me when I come in,they're usually like I'm not
listening to this one.
So just when they reach out tome and they say, hey, sharon, we
need you to rebuild this for us, or hey, sharon, we're about to
go do this, and then theyentrust me with it, I just know
(14:27):
that I'm doing something right,especially when I come into the
room and they don't want to hearme.
They want me to sit down, theywant me to be quiet, they don't
care what I have to say, andsomehow being able to build that
trust, build that relationshipum stand my ground with, while
staying in my lane, which is areally hard one for me because
I'm a dominant, assertive person, but you can't be that way with
(14:48):
everybody.
Some of you have to.
So really kind of knowing howto get in to prove that I am
anyhow.
So, yeah, so it was.
I was really kind of excitedwith the other day when they
actually called me up and saidwe need your help on this
project.
We don't know where else to go.
Actually, we went to you firstand I have a feeling you're
gonna get it figured out and Ijust, of course, dropped
everything I did because Iwanted to be like yep, here you
(15:08):
go.
So it makes me feel good when Isee the transition from to
please don't leave.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
That's so cool.
All right, random question foryou For, I guess, the people who
aren't watching, just thelisteners what's the
significance of the guitarbehind?
Speaker 2 (15:28):
you.
Everybody asks me that ArtAlexakis from Everclear should
really give me royalties.
I am a Everclear.
You're too young for this.
You probably only know one songEverclear, which is lead singer
, RL exactus.
I'm their number one fan.
I've been to their concertslike 20 times.
So, during COVID was my 40thbirthday and I already had he's
(15:53):
like a, not a, has been.
You know it's, it's, it'salternative rock, so he plays,
you know.
You know country fairs thingslike that.
So he um, it was like he had anoffering for only five people
that entire year that he wouldcome to your house cook for you
and 10 friends and play like anhour concert.
So I bought it for my 40th, Ireally.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
And then that's so cool and they canceled it.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
So he sent me a fender strat autographed.
I don't know if you can seeanyhow yeah um yeah, and then
gave me a little birthdaymessage.
It was really cool.
I was really excited about itso yeah if there was a fire, I'd
grab that my dog, I'd take myhusband.
He'd wake up that's so cool.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
I'm sorry to hear that you weren't able to have
the in-person.
You know, not a bad ms.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
So now he's not doing that anymore, but I still see
him every time he's comingaround.
I think in like a, a month orsomething, I'll go see him again
well, good consolation prize tohave it in the shadow box,
really cool yeah, and I've methim so many times that it's like
, hey, art, what's up?
Speaker 1 (16:51):
that's cool.
Um all right, I got anotherquestion for you, so we all hit
walls at some point, what's?
Speaker 2 (16:59):
one hard lesson you've learned on the
entrepreneurial path that hashelped shape you for who you are
now or hand things off when you, if you're running everything,
if you're not running everything, as if my whole entire team
(17:19):
wins the lottery tomorrow nobodycomes in, what can I pick it up
?
You're in trouble, you have to,and I've done it three times
now.
I teach it but I wasn't doingit.
So I actually just went throughit again last October, got rid
of almost my entire team butlike two people and I had like
12, and stepped in and justdocumented and templated
(17:39):
everything and I'm like this wasso easy, why didn't I do it?
But if you don't have that,everything goes, goes down the
gutter because nobody.
How do you scale?
How do you bring on anothermember to your team If nobody,
if it's not written on how to dothings right, just cannot scale
without the the documentation.
So that will stop you in everysingle way that's such a
(18:00):
sobering thought of.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
If your team all wins the lottery and they decide to
leave the next day, do you have?
I used to say hit by a bus, butI was told that's morbid yeah,
I don't know it, just it hitsdifferent the way you worded
that of like, if they they winthe lotto and they hey, they
love you, but they're not comingback, what do you do?
Speaker 3 (18:18):
And that's.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
That's a scary thing, so that's.
Hopefully some people listeningalso resonate with that and
they're like all right, I got todocument some more stuff.
I know I do listening to that.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
So I'm actually releasing a course today.
I have the clone and conquermethod I just trademarked and
it's how to clone what you doand so you can work less in your
business and more on it, likeit's all about getting
everything out there so it canbe replicated over and over and
you do it once and you don'thave to do it again, and it's.
It's really amazing to me.
(18:49):
It's such an easy thing to me,but I forget that it's not to
everybody and it feels like it'sthe end of the world.
So I'm teaching my methods.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Nice, that's so cool.
Is that is that a little teaserof what clients would get
working with you as well.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
Yes, I, we actually just launched my community.
We're calling it the hub, theclone and conquer hub, um, and
it's really for those that don'treally want one-on-one have
time for one-on-one, but theywant to be part of the
conversation.
If they're in my hub, they getall of my courses that I'm doing
and they also get templates andall that thing.
And then the one-on-one isreally more strategic, based on
(19:23):
what your needs are, becauseeverybody's going to have
different needs.
So I have like a differentlevel, like what are we going
after?
First, because what I think asa priority isn't going to be
someone else's priority, yeah,and if they don't know, then
sure we'll start in the way Iwant to do it.
But some people really have.
This is what I want right nowand you just got to help them
get through that first.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Yeah, that's awesome.
That's really cool.
What's one tool or system orritual that keeps people from
operating at such a high level?
Speaker 2 (19:52):
They don't have a decent project management tool
that keeps you operating at ahigh level.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
They don't have a decent project management tool,
or sorry that keeps youoperating at a high level, or I
guess we can go either way.
I'm getting my questions mixedup.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Your project management tool is everything.
Everybody needs to be on thesame system.
You need to be able tocommunicate, you need to be able
to have that process in placethe handoff, the templates.
Everybody needs to be workingthe same on your team and
everybody needs to havevisibility Because, like I said,
you have to be able to know.
(20:21):
You never know when something'sgoing to come up and if you can
see every single task in yourproject manager till across your
team, you don't necessarilyhave to micromanage, because you
can open it up, see where it is, see if there's an issue, be
proactive.
I honestly don't know howpeople operate when they're in
Excel or when they're onsomething else.
I'm always telling them justget on something, just something
that you control.
(20:41):
Don't let people keep it ontheir own desktops.
It scares me.
Project management tools,everything.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Yeah, I'm curious to hear your answer on this.
I chime in after, but do youhave a project management tool
that you recommend?
Speaker 2 (20:59):
I do so.
If you have a, if you're clientfacing and you're handling a
lot of clients, I love ClientHub.
It has come a long way since itfirst came out.
I love it me personally forGlass Wallet, since I don't need
people.
So Client Hub is great becausewe have all of our clients in
there.
We're communicating with them,documents, client tasks.
(21:19):
Me personally, I have ADHD, ifyou haven't noticed.
I use motion.
It's got a whole.
I put my task in there, theimportance, when it's due, the
time and it auto schedules me.
So I know when I hang up withyou, I need, there's a call, I
need to schedule and I need towork on a budget and it's got a
hard deadline.
I have to have it done before 5PM so I can cause.
Otherwise it's easy to look atall my things and be like
(21:41):
everything's due or nothing'sdue, but now it tells me what I
have to do and I.
It has honestly changed my life, if you're.
But I don't think it works.
If you're managing client work,I think it's mainly for a team
and internal work.
Okay, cool In my opinion motionmight kill me, but I, I don't, I
wouldn't, I wouldn't recommendit as an accounting firm.
(22:03):
Project management.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
Okay, I was going to add things.
I always hear this um fromother mentors of mine and they
always just say the best projectmanagement tool is the one
you'll use.
People can get so hung up on,you know, like picking the color
of the logo and picking this,and it's like that's just busy
work.
Pick the one that will work foryou, I agree.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
And I disagree with that, because nothing's a time
stuff to your company thanchoosing the wrong tool.
You get it.
The project manager tool iseverything.
It should be your number onething for your entire company.
Everything sits there at yourhub.
If you get something based on,oh I just need to get something,
you're going to have to move tosomething else because it's not
going to scale.
So you really need to thinkthrough what you need.
What your needs are, how you'regoing to utilize it.
(22:45):
What else are you plugging intoit?
I have this whole tech stackthing that tells you what should
read into what and if itdoesn't work, you got to find
something that does Otherwise.
To lift your company off of aproject management tool and set
it up in another one will takeyou a month, two months, and you
could drop so many balls.
So while I agree to get intosomething, I also agree that
(23:06):
they need to think about it alittle bit more.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
That's fair.
That's fair.
I'll take the challenge on that.
No, I mean, I just thinksometimes people can get so hung
up.
It's like Monday or a sauna,it's like okay.
Well, a lot of them are prettysimilar for the most part.
If you don't, if you, I thinkyou're so experienced in all of
them, so maybe you're seeing it.
You're seeing it through adifferent lens, but I think, if
(23:32):
someone isn't really sure whereto start, yeah, most, most of
them are apples and apples right.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
I tell them to knock out that seven day trial and to
bop around and for me, if I can,if it's pretty intuitive and
you know the UI is, it's userfriendly, I will stick with it.
If I can hop in, and I'm andI'm pretty tech, tech savvy.
So if I hop in and I'm likewhat is happening or I don't
like this, I'm out, I don't care, like it's no.
(24:00):
So I always tell people jumparound and see which one you
like the best, like they allhave the same features, great.
Now jump in and be like Ooh,this one is purple and I love
purple and I'm.
This one makes me happy andthis one looks like DOS and I
don't like that.
Speaker 1 (24:17):
So I always think the user experience is a really um
is is a big thing okay, perfect,some, some helpful stuff there
for either either side of thefence people can decide which
which direction they want to goum, I got two more questions for
you.
Okay.
Any book, podcast or mentorthat shaped how you lead?
Speaker 2 (24:37):
So I she's going to hate I say this.
I do really look up to DawnBrolin.
She was kind of one of thefirst awesome county county
friends I made.
We were on the ADP boardtogether in 2017 and I had never
been to anything accounting,not conference, nothing and I
was sitting in a bar my first.
I knew nobody.
I'm in New York and this crazylady in and we're just sitting
(24:57):
down being crazy together andI'm like I love her and and we
just became friends ever sincethen.
So I really I trust her.
I, you know, we on a grow con.
I think I told you she leftearly to me and then I took a
different flight where we canboth hang out in the Delta
lounge for four hours before shecaught her flight and I went
(25:19):
over to grow con.
But, um, I love her.
I just I look up to her.
She's been through a lot.
I love that.
She's very open about her, herfailures, um, open about her
wins and she cares about people.
But she's fun and you know, andshe's real and I've honestly
always just really looked up toher.
She's going to hate me forsaying that.
She's going to hate it, butit's true.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
Awesome.
And then what's the best pieceof advice that you've ever
received?
Speaker 2 (25:47):
Oh man.
Um, so I'm going to think thatthere is something that my dad I
don't even like quoting my dad,cause he's no longer with us,
but he was kind of a douche thelast seven years of his life he
always told me loose lips, sinkships, and you are the company
or guilty by association.
And I never understood it whenI was a kid.
(26:08):
And as I got older I'm like, oh, shut your mouth, sharon.
And that's where I reallylearned, like if you tell it,
it's going to get out there,right.
And I, every time I saysomething I'm like I shouldn't
have said that.
It always comes back to bite me, and so I'm always very careful
for the words that come out ofmy mouth.
I stand by.
And then guilty by associationwas when I didn't understand,
until I was older, and I'm like,oh, I hate that, but it's true,
(26:30):
right?
So now it's like you hang outwith a bunch of drug dealers.
You're a drug dealer, it's justhow it is.
And and take any of that you'restealing cars.
Well, wouldn't it be amazing ifyou became a car salesman?
(26:57):
You know all about cars.
Let's go get you a car salesmanjob and you'll make a gazillion
dollars and you won't go tojail.
But they want to be a car, theywant to steal cars, right?
So I'm that.
I'm always that person tries tosave them and I can't.
I have to.
So those things kind of helpkeep me in place a little bit.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
I love it.
That's so good.
Um, thank you so much for forcoming on, Sharon, and sharing
all of your wisdom and havingthis conversation.
It's so awesome getting to meetyou at grow con and hang out at
casino night and hang out atthe bar after and watch um the
hockey game.
I forget.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
I know Vegas is playing at the time, or the
Oilers are on it Vegas and theOilers, and we lost that round.
And then it's okay, the Oilersjust lost and that made me happy
.
Speaker 1 (27:37):
Yeah, I just lost last night.
So, yeah, no, it was honestly apleasure, and I can't wait to
see you again at your event inArizona.
So thanks again for coming on.
This was awesome, and how canpeople get in touch with you if
they want to hear a little bitmore or continue the
conversation?
Speaker 2 (27:54):
My website, for sure glasswalletventurescom.
Everything's on there about mein every single way LinkedIn,
email contact, all the things,my podcast, my advisory, all of
it Awesome.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
Perfect.
We'll put that link in the shownotes so everyone can get in
touch.
Again, Sharon, thank you somuch.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
Thanks for tuning in to this episode of CFO
Chronicles the secrets behindsuccess.
I hope you found value intoday's conversation.
As we wrap up, I'd love for youto do two things.
First, make sure to subscribeto this podcast so you don't
miss any future episodes.
If you enjoyed today'sdiscussion, please rate and
review the show.
It helps others discover theinsights we share here.
Second, if you're ready to takeyour business to the next level
(28:39):
and attract the high endclients you deserve, head over
to accountingleadsnowcom orclick the link in the show notes
to book your strategy.
Call it's time to positionyourself as the advisor your
clients need.
And don't forget you canconnect with me on LinkedIn to
stay up to date on what'shappening in the world of
accounting and financial growth.
We've got exciting topicscoming up, so stay tuned for the
(29:01):
next episode of CFO Chronicles.
Until then, keep pushingforward.
Your growth is just onestrategic move away.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
Thanks for listening to CFO Chronicles the secrets
behind success.
We hope today's episodeprovided valuable strategies to
help you attract more highpaying clients.
Be sure to subscribe, followand share with fellow
professionals.
Connect with us on LinkedIn andleave a review or comment to
join the conversation.
Your feedback helps us bringyou the best insights in finance
(29:30):
and marketing.
Until next time, keep strivingfor success and unlocking your
business's potential.
Hello everyone, welcome back to another episode
of CFO Chronicles the secretsbehind success, where we sit
down with leaders who arerethinking what it means to run
a sharp, scalable andfinancially smart business.
I'm your host, james Donovan,and today's episode is a special
one because I got to meettoday's guest face-to-face
recently at GrowCon.
We had a great time hanging out, from casino night to catching
(00:22):
the hockey playoffs at the bar.
The energy was fun, but theconversations were deep and I
walked away thinking this issomeone I have to bring on the
show before we dive in.
Big thanks to our sponsor,billcom.
If you're still doing payablesmanually or drowning in email
approvals, it's time to upgrade.
Billcom helps automate your approcess so that you can focus on
(00:44):
higher value strategy and youcan grab an exclusive offer at
billcom slash promo 500.
Now let me introduce today'sguest.
Sharon Fuller is the founder andCEO of Glass Wallet Ventures.
Her firm helps businesses scalesmarter by stepping in with
fractional leadership, givingfounders and teams the executive
(01:06):
clarity they need without thefull-time overhead.
She's all about visibility,systems that work and financial
leadership that actually movesthe needle.
We're going to dig into herstory, her wins and what she
sees on the horizon for thefuture of finance and fractional
models.
Let's get into it, sharon.
Let's rewind a bit.
(01:26):
What were you doing beforelaunching Glass Wallet Ventures?
Speaker 2 (01:32):
I had a different company.
I had an accounting firm that Istarted in 2006 because I was
an operations manager at a coldstorage facility and I somehow
ended up doing everything forthem.
And then he said hey, I'm goingto sell this company.
I was like what am I going todo?
And we had a bunch of tenantsthat leased space in our
(01:53):
building and they said I wish Icould hire you, but I only need
you for like five hours a week.
I'm like, oh, there's likeeight to 10 of you, that's a
full-time job.
So my first company was asimple office solution and I was
your mobile office manager.
So I did office management andbookkeeping.
I live in San Diego.
On Monday I drive office tooffice and pick up there.
I honestly have them put like ashoe box out, because that's
(02:14):
the level of everybody was.
I'd grab their folder, theirshoe box, take it back home,
scan it, file it, do their books, go back in, prep the checks on
that next Monday, send outcheck signs on now and take it
back with me.
So I think I I feel like Ireally kind of helped pioneer
the start of the um lazyaccounting work from home.
I am not going to work in adesk nine to five, monday
(02:36):
through Friday.
I wanted to work at a bar onthe beach.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
Yes, well, we've had the pleasure of being able to
share a couple of drinks at abar and watch hockey.
That is correct.
Yeah, was there a moment thatpushed you to take the leap and
build something of your own?
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Yeah, oh man, I tell you, I've always.
I've been working since I waslike 10.
We all have paper outs.
I want my own money.
The worst thing is when yourparents are like, if you do this
, I'll give you a dollar.
I'm like, no, I'm going to godo this, and then you can't tell
me what to do with it, right?
So I always had a paper routeor a nanny.
And then I was in sales.
I did timeshares, kirby vacuums, you name it Um, printer ink or
printer consumables.
And then I worked for Costcoand I opened Costco's and I was
(03:22):
in marketing.
And then then I left.
I left Costco and I went to bea paralegal.
And when I um, when I was goingto be a paralegal, I was like I
hate that, I can't do this.
This is I can't do school thisis just awful.
I can't do this anymore.
Um, I even tried to do collegeduring high school.
I was like this is paid call,this is paid high school.
Well, I also have my manicuristlicense in three states.
(03:43):
A lot of people don't know thatabout me, so I can license to
do your nails in three states.
So during my paralegal, I'mlike I got to the business
section.
I'm like I'm just going to gobuy a business.
This is dumb.
So I bought the salon that Iwas doing nails in.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
No way.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
And then from there I was like I can't work for
anybody anymore.
I can't.
Every time I work for somebody.
I can't handle corporate, Ican't handle the.
You know, watch what you say.
You have to be at this deskfrom nine to five because if
you're not, you're not working.
And I mean it's just I couldn'tdo it.
I was like this is the mostinefficient, this is ridiculous.
(04:20):
So I decided, as my friend SeanDuncan always says, I am just
unemployable.
Um, so I just decided I alwaysneed to work for myself.
So I'm like I better findsomething I'm really good at and
that works.
Otherwise I'm just gonna be abum did, I did.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
I hear you correctly say you worked at costco yeah,
oh yeah, I, I worked at costcoyears ago as well.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Yeah, when what year?
Speaker 1 (04:44):
um, when was it?
I probably 2009.
I would have been graduating.
I think it was the summer I wasgetting ready to graduate high
school, or the year before maybeI would.
I was packing groceries likeafter, or packing the cart after
school and then would stock theshelves or like push the carts
(05:04):
in.
So that's I.
Actually.
I really enjoyed it, like theyalways paid really well, it's a
good after school job I started.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
I opened the st george utah one in 2000 and I
was in membership and marketingbecause I'm such a people person
, obviously.
And then I would travel withcostco and open all the new
locations, like I opened the umaustin texas one and I opened
the one in the they transferreddowntown, or in Henderson they
moved locations.
I opened that one but I reallydidn't like it because again, it
(05:32):
was just a.
It wasn't whether or not you'regood at your job or anything,
it was how long have you beenwith a company Seniority.
So I'm like, okay, so this dumb, dumb here who can't do
anything, it just gets promotedbecause they've been here five
years longer.
And it was just so.
I was like this I can't do this, I just can't.
And I was cross trained in every.
I work everywhere I could do.
I loved it.
(05:53):
Anytime there was crosstraining open.
I'd like train me, train me tocourt all of it.
I could.
I could make you all that stuffright now.
I could fold the clothes.
I could do sales.
I was in the tire station forlike a few months.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
And I love that was my favorite.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
But I eventually left .
When I was, it was just so manychiefs and not enough Indians.
And and then the ones that havebeen there longer would get so
mad at me because they're likeyou've only been in the company
for two years and you're crosstrained more than I am.
I'm like I want to.
(06:33):
Did you apply for it?
I don't know what to tell you,so I just couldn't.
Carpet's not for me, not for me.
Fair, um, interesting that weshare that.
Costco, costco employment.
Um, they only paid like 10bucks an hour.
You started in 2009 when theywere probably like a 15 16, so
10 bucks was amazing, and stgeorge in 2000, it was it was
canadian, though, so it probablywas equivalent to yeah, yes
four dollars and 25 cents yeah,yeah, I gotta ask you um, where
did the name glass wallet comefrom it?
Speaker 1 (06:51):
it's such a unique visual I am unique.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Um, so when I first started glass wallets after I
sold my firm, I thought I wantto buy people's firms or invest
in their firms, build them up,take equity and then let them
grow or sell.
So the whole thing wastransparency glass wallet, I'm
gonna buy a bunch.
It was going to be more of likean investment venture type
thing, and then, of course, Iended up just starting more
(07:16):
firms because, I am a gluttonfor punishment, uh, and I'm I'm
into crazy S&M.
I just like to be beat upbecause I didn't learn my lesson
the first time, so it wasreally just about transparency
more than anything.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Yeah, still is.
That's awesome I'm overlytransparent.
No, I love it.
That's so cool.
What was the vision for thebusiness when you started and
how has it evolved since?
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Okay, yeah, so the vision was really just.
I thought I really just want tohelp.
I want to help people do what Idid because I just went through
it and I see so many people, um, I'm gonna take these off cause
they're glaring Um, I see somany people who, um, start their
company and they're just a messand they're and I'd been there
right Like I started it before.
I think the first projectmanagement software was Todoist
and it was just, there was likenothing.
I think Asana was just comingout, but in 2006, there was
(08:11):
nothing and I just was seeingall these people trying to
adjust after COVID, but I wasalready way ahead of the curve
because this is how we alreadydid it.
We were fully remote fromnumber from the beginning.
So I just wanted to help thosepeople and I wanted to educate
and I don't know, just advise.
And, like I said, I somehow gotroped in not roped in, Building
(08:34):
accounting firms was justsomething I was good at and I
could do, and so I just I did itagain and now I don't know if
you saw, but I'm selling myfirst.
So I bought out my first,selling it and going back to
glass wall and back to myoriginal vision, which is again
advising accounting firm owners.
And I'm also doing someadvisory for some FinTech
(08:55):
startups because they're tryingto get into the accounting world
and I keep telling them you'vegot it, you've got money, you
got brains, but you're missing agap in the market and you're
trying to build something that'salready built.
Shift and build this.
So I'm trying to help them dothat so they don't blow other
people's money.
But you know, whatever Um what?
Speaker 1 (09:17):
what makes your approach different from
traditional advisory for or forother accounting firms?
Speaker 2 (09:26):
well, traditional is a yeah right, a loose term so
I'm not corporate, of course,and I've worked for companies
that are just that.
I've worked the 90 hours a weekand and I, I just don't I
really I feel like I relate topeople better and I always
remember what it felt like beingthat super motivated number one
employee that just got crappedon all the time because I didn't
(09:48):
have a CPA behind my name orbecause they knew they could
take advantage of me because Icared Right, and I also know how
I've done all of it.
I failed, I failed, I failed, Isucceeded.
I failed again, I failed, Isucceeded.
So, and then I've done it onboth sides I've been the
employee, I've been the employer, I've been the owner.
So I'm taking the approach oftrying to really relate to
(10:10):
people on a personal level andletting them know that business
is business.
Yes, but when it's yourbusiness and it's your team,
this is personal and people needto give themselves the grace
and kind of understand wherethey want to be, because I may
have this way to do things, butit needs to fit into what your
vision is of your business.
So, really, just, I'm just, I'mjust super transparent.
(10:31):
I'm not going to sell somethingthat doesn't work for you.
I'm not going to try to pushyou to do something you're not.
I'm not going to waste my time,I'm not going to waste your
money.
Um, and that's really kind ofthe way I do it.
I don't know if I would be likea coach, I will be the one that
will not be letting you say it.
I'm like get up.
I will light a fire under you.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
People need that, though.
That's.
That's awesome.
You bring the accountability.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
I am.
I do bring the accountability,but you got to do it differently
because I have never been ableto have a like a fitness coach,
like a personal trainer.
I hate being told what to do,and if you try to tell me what
to do or tell me, no, I am justgoing to be like doing the
opposite.
So I am not good like that.
I can't do tony robbins, Ican't do any of that.
But a lot of people need thatand you just really got to find
(11:21):
out how to get to them not getto them, but how to work with
them, because my way doesn'twork for everybody.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
A lot of men don't like it.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
Some do.
Um, women are usually harder toread.
Men are easy.
They're like knock it off whenwe're like I have it off.
Women are like that's the one Ihave to be careful with.
Even though I am a woman, I'veworked with so many men
especially.
A lot of my clients were VCbacked startups in the software
industry.
So a lot of men and a lot ofengineers, and you get into that
(11:50):
world and it's a differentworld of sitting at a board
table with those people thanwhere I sit at a board table
with the AFWA, the AccountingFinance Women's Alliance.
Different world and I'm alwayslike tone it down, sharon, tone
it down, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
But I have to say it nicely.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
Hello everybody this sucks.
You're all amazing.
This sucks, let's fix it.
Whereas before I'd be like oh,but yeah, what's a?
What's?
One thing founders usuallydon't realize they need until
you show up Um, uh, in game theyjust most of the founders, most
(12:31):
people started start somethingcause they've been somewhere,
they're good at the process,they're good at the product and
the service and they just cannot.
They're going to do it betterthan where they're at and
they're great at product andservice.
But they didn't think aboutwhat happens when I need more
people.
Who am I going to add?
What do I want to do with thisin three years?
What happens if I need to takea vacation?
They don't have any of thatvision planned.
I didn't.
I just knew I needed to makemoney.
(12:52):
I needed and I wasn't going togo back to work for someone.
And usually by the time theyreally get into it and realize
what they need to do, they're ata, they're in a hole.
Um, they, they can't scalebecause they can't, they don't
have the time to stop, theycan't, they can't exit because
nothing said, they'd get novaluation for their company.
It's nothing, will nothing,will transfer.
Um, you know it really justthat that in game.
(13:15):
What?
Where are they going?
What's the roadmap?
Okay, awesome you have toidentify that before you
identify anything, cause if youdon't know where you're going,
you can't get in your car anddrive.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
Yep, that's so true.
And then you're just, you'rejust driving blind.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Essentially, I'm going to trademark that thing.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
So it sounded great.
Um, are you able to share arecent client win that really
illustrates what you do best, orone that just gets you like
super fired up?
Speaker 2 (13:44):
absolutely.
I mean always.
So we have.
I mean so I have my, my firm,where I have core, and then I
also have my, my advisory.
I do advisory, for I dofractional cfo work for some of
my clients as well.
One of them is just, they'rejust a huge company and when I
first came in, of course they'relike, well, we don't really
need you.
And so every time I just kindof sat in the background quietly
(14:07):
.
But now and it's for men, whichI'm not a man hater in any way,
but just me when I come in,they're usually like I'm not
listening to this one.
So just when they reach out tome and they say, hey, sharon, we
need you to rebuild this for us, or hey, sharon, we're about to
go do this, and then theyentrust me with it, I just know
(14:27):
that I'm doing something right,especially when I come into the
room and they don't want to hearme.
They want me to sit down, theywant me to be quiet, they don't
care what I have to say, andsomehow being able to build that
trust, build that relationshipum stand my ground with, while
staying in my lane, which is areally hard one for me because
I'm a dominant, assertive person, but you can't be that way with
(14:48):
everybody.
Some of you have to.
So really kind of knowing howto get in to prove that I am
anyhow.
So, yeah, so it was.
I was really kind of excitedwith the other day when they
actually called me up and saidwe need your help on this
project.
We don't know where else to go.
Actually, we went to you firstand I have a feeling you're
gonna get it figured out and Ijust, of course, dropped
everything I did because Iwanted to be like yep, here you
(15:08):
go.
So it makes me feel good when Isee the transition from to
please don't leave.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
That's so cool.
All right, random question foryou For, I guess, the people who
aren't watching, just thelisteners what's the
significance of the guitarbehind?
Speaker 2 (15:28):
you.
Everybody asks me that ArtAlexakis from Everclear should
really give me royalties.
I am a Everclear.
You're too young for this.
You probably only know one songEverclear, which is lead singer
, RL exactus.
I'm their number one fan.
I've been to their concertslike 20 times.
So, during COVID was my 40thbirthday and I already had he's
(15:53):
like a, not a, has been.
You know it's, it's, it'salternative rock, so he plays,
you know.
You know country fairs thingslike that.
So he um, it was like he had anoffering for only five people
that entire year that he wouldcome to your house cook for you
and 10 friends and play like anhour concert.
So I bought it for my 40th, Ireally.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
And then that's so cool and they canceled it.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
So he sent me a fender strat autographed.
I don't know if you can seeanyhow yeah um yeah, and then
gave me a little birthdaymessage.
It was really cool.
I was really excited about itso yeah if there was a fire, I'd
grab that my dog, I'd take myhusband.
He'd wake up that's so cool.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
I'm sorry to hear that you weren't able to have
the in-person.
You know, not a bad ms.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
So now he's not doing that anymore, but I still see
him every time he's comingaround.
I think in like a, a month orsomething, I'll go see him again
well, good consolation prize tohave it in the shadow box,
really cool yeah, and I've methim so many times that it's like
, hey, art, what's up?
Speaker 1 (16:51):
that's cool.
Um all right, I got anotherquestion for you, so we all hit
walls at some point, what's?
Speaker 2 (16:59):
one hard lesson you've learned on the
entrepreneurial path that hashelped shape you for who you are
now or hand things off when you, if you're running everything,
if you're not running everything, as if my whole entire team
(17:19):
wins the lottery tomorrow nobodycomes in, what can I pick it up
?
You're in trouble, you have to,and I've done it three times
now.
I teach it but I wasn't doingit.
So I actually just went throughit again last October, got rid
of almost my entire team butlike two people and I had like
12, and stepped in and justdocumented and templated
(17:39):
everything and I'm like this wasso easy, why didn't I do it?
But if you don't have that,everything goes, goes down the
gutter because nobody.
How do you scale?
How do you bring on anothermember to your team If nobody,
if it's not written on how to dothings right, just cannot scale
without the the documentation.
So that will stop you in everysingle way that's such a
(18:00):
sobering thought of.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
If your team all wins the lottery and they decide to
leave the next day, do you have?
I used to say hit by a bus, butI was told that's morbid yeah,
I don't know it, just it hitsdifferent the way you worded
that of like, if they they winthe lotto and they hey, they
love you, but they're not comingback, what do you do?
Speaker 3 (18:18):
And that's.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
That's a scary thing, so that's.
Hopefully some people listeningalso resonate with that and
they're like all right, I got todocument some more stuff.
I know I do listening to that.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
So I'm actually releasing a course today.
I have the clone and conquermethod I just trademarked and
it's how to clone what you doand so you can work less in your
business and more on it, likeit's all about getting
everything out there so it canbe replicated over and over and
you do it once and you don'thave to do it again, and it's.
It's really amazing to me.
(18:49):
It's such an easy thing to me,but I forget that it's not to
everybody and it feels like it'sthe end of the world.
So I'm teaching my methods.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Nice, that's so cool.
Is that is that a little teaserof what clients would get
working with you as well.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
Yes, I, we actually just launched my community.
We're calling it the hub, theclone and conquer hub, um, and
it's really for those that don'treally want one-on-one have
time for one-on-one, but theywant to be part of the
conversation.
If they're in my hub, they getall of my courses that I'm doing
and they also get templates andall that thing.
And then the one-on-one isreally more strategic, based on
(19:23):
what your needs are, becauseeverybody's going to have
different needs.
So I have like a differentlevel, like what are we going
after?
First, because what I think asa priority isn't going to be
someone else's priority, yeah,and if they don't know, then
sure we'll start in the way Iwant to do it.
But some people really have.
This is what I want right nowand you just got to help them
get through that first.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Yeah, that's awesome.
That's really cool.
What's one tool or system orritual that keeps people from
operating at such a high level?
Speaker 2 (19:52):
They don't have a decent project management tool
that keeps you operating at ahigh level.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
They don't have a decent project management tool,
or sorry that keeps youoperating at a high level, or I
guess we can go either way.
I'm getting my questions mixedup.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Your project management tool is everything.
Everybody needs to be on thesame system.
You need to be able tocommunicate, you need to be able
to have that process in placethe handoff, the templates.
Everybody needs to be workingthe same on your team and
everybody needs to havevisibility Because, like I said,
you have to be able to know.
(20:21):
You never know when something'sgoing to come up and if you can
see every single task in yourproject manager till across your
team, you don't necessarilyhave to micromanage, because you
can open it up, see where it is, see if there's an issue, be
proactive.
I honestly don't know howpeople operate when they're in
Excel or when they're onsomething else.
I'm always telling them justget on something, just something
that you control.
(20:41):
Don't let people keep it ontheir own desktops.
It scares me.
Project management tools,everything.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Yeah, I'm curious to hear your answer on this.
I chime in after, but do youhave a project management tool
that you recommend?
Speaker 2 (20:59):
I do so.
If you have a, if you're clientfacing and you're handling a
lot of clients, I love ClientHub.
It has come a long way since itfirst came out.
I love it me personally forGlass Wallet, since I don't need
people.
So Client Hub is great becausewe have all of our clients in
there.
We're communicating with them,documents, client tasks.
(21:19):
Me personally, I have ADHD, ifyou haven't noticed.
I use motion.
It's got a whole.
I put my task in there, theimportance, when it's due, the
time and it auto schedules me.
So I know when I hang up withyou, I need, there's a call, I
need to schedule and I need towork on a budget and it's got a
hard deadline.
I have to have it done before 5PM so I can cause.
Otherwise it's easy to look atall my things and be like
(21:41):
everything's due or nothing'sdue, but now it tells me what I
have to do and I.
It has honestly changed my life, if you're.
But I don't think it works.
If you're managing client work,I think it's mainly for a team
and internal work.
Okay, cool In my opinion motionmight kill me, but I, I don't, I
wouldn't, I wouldn't recommendit as an accounting firm.
(22:03):
Project management.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
Okay, I was going to add things.
I always hear this um fromother mentors of mine and they
always just say the best projectmanagement tool is the one
you'll use.
People can get so hung up on,you know, like picking the color
of the logo and picking this,and it's like that's just busy
work.
Pick the one that will work foryou, I agree.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
And I disagree with that, because nothing's a time
stuff to your company thanchoosing the wrong tool.
You get it.
The project manager tool iseverything.
It should be your number onething for your entire company.
Everything sits there at yourhub.
If you get something based on,oh I just need to get something,
you're going to have to move tosomething else because it's not
going to scale.
So you really need to thinkthrough what you need.
What your needs are, how you'regoing to utilize it.
(22:45):
What else are you plugging intoit?
I have this whole tech stackthing that tells you what should
read into what and if itdoesn't work, you got to find
something that does Otherwise.
To lift your company off of aproject management tool and set
it up in another one will takeyou a month, two months, and you
could drop so many balls.
So while I agree to get intosomething, I also agree that
(23:06):
they need to think about it alittle bit more.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
That's fair.
That's fair.
I'll take the challenge on that.
No, I mean, I just thinksometimes people can get so hung
up.
It's like Monday or a sauna,it's like okay.
Well, a lot of them are prettysimilar for the most part.
If you don't, if you, I thinkyou're so experienced in all of
them, so maybe you're seeing it.
You're seeing it through adifferent lens, but I think, if
(23:32):
someone isn't really sure whereto start, yeah, most, most of
them are apples and apples right.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
I tell them to knock out that seven day trial and to
bop around and for me, if I can,if it's pretty intuitive and
you know the UI is, it's userfriendly, I will stick with it.
If I can hop in, and I'm andI'm pretty tech, tech savvy.
So if I hop in and I'm likewhat is happening or I don't
like this, I'm out, I don't care, like it's no.
(24:00):
So I always tell people jumparound and see which one you
like the best, like they allhave the same features, great.
Now jump in and be like Ooh,this one is purple and I love
purple and I'm.
This one makes me happy andthis one looks like DOS and I
don't like that.
Speaker 1 (24:17):
So I always think the user experience is a really um
is is a big thing okay, perfect,some, some helpful stuff there
for either either side of thefence people can decide which
which direction they want to goum, I got two more questions for
you.
Okay.
Any book, podcast or mentorthat shaped how you lead?
Speaker 2 (24:37):
So I she's going to hate I say this.
I do really look up to DawnBrolin.
She was kind of one of thefirst awesome county county
friends I made.
We were on the ADP boardtogether in 2017 and I had never
been to anything accounting,not conference, nothing and I
was sitting in a bar my first.
I knew nobody.
I'm in New York and this crazylady in and we're just sitting
(24:57):
down being crazy together andI'm like I love her and and we
just became friends ever sincethen.
So I really I trust her.
I, you know, we on a grow con.
I think I told you she leftearly to me and then I took a
different flight where we canboth hang out in the Delta
lounge for four hours before shecaught her flight and I went
(25:19):
over to grow con.
But, um, I love her.
I just I look up to her.
She's been through a lot.
I love that.
She's very open about her, herfailures, um, open about her
wins and she cares about people.
But she's fun and you know, andshe's real and I've honestly
always just really looked up toher.
She's going to hate me forsaying that.
She's going to hate it, butit's true.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
Awesome.
And then what's the best pieceof advice that you've ever
received?
Speaker 2 (25:47):
Oh man.
Um, so I'm going to think thatthere is something that my dad I
don't even like quoting my dad,cause he's no longer with us,
but he was kind of a douche thelast seven years of his life he
always told me loose lips, sinkships, and you are the company
or guilty by association.
And I never understood it whenI was a kid.
(26:08):
And as I got older I'm like, oh, shut your mouth, sharon.
And that's where I reallylearned, like if you tell it,
it's going to get out there,right.
And I, every time I saysomething I'm like I shouldn't
have said that.
It always comes back to bite me, and so I'm always very careful
for the words that come out ofmy mouth.
I stand by.
And then guilty by associationwas when I didn't understand,
until I was older, and I'm like,oh, I hate that, but it's true,
(26:30):
right?
So now it's like you hang outwith a bunch of drug dealers.
You're a drug dealer, it's justhow it is.
And and take any of that you'restealing cars.
Well, wouldn't it be amazing ifyou became a car salesman?
(26:57):
You know all about cars.
Let's go get you a car salesmanjob and you'll make a gazillion
dollars and you won't go tojail.
But they want to be a car, theywant to steal cars, right?
So I'm that.
I'm always that person tries tosave them and I can't.
I have to.
So those things kind of helpkeep me in place a little bit.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
I love it.
That's so good.
Um, thank you so much for forcoming on, Sharon, and sharing
all of your wisdom and havingthis conversation.
It's so awesome getting to meetyou at grow con and hang out at
casino night and hang out atthe bar after and watch um the
hockey game.
I forget.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
I know Vegas is playing at the time, or the
Oilers are on it Vegas and theOilers, and we lost that round.
And then it's okay, the Oilersjust lost and that made me happy
.
Speaker 1 (27:37):
Yeah, I just lost last night.
So, yeah, no, it was honestly apleasure, and I can't wait to
see you again at your event inArizona.
So thanks again for coming on.
This was awesome, and how canpeople get in touch with you if
they want to hear a little bitmore or continue the
conversation?
Speaker 2 (27:54):
My website, for sure glasswalletventurescom.
Everything's on there about mein every single way LinkedIn,
email contact, all the things,my podcast, my advisory, all of
it Awesome.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
Perfect.
We'll put that link in the shownotes so everyone can get in
touch.
Again, Sharon, thank you somuch.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
Thanks for tuning in to this episode of CFO
Chronicles the secrets behindsuccess.
I hope you found value intoday's conversation.
As we wrap up, I'd love for youto do two things.
First, make sure to subscribeto this podcast so you don't
miss any future episodes.
If you enjoyed today'sdiscussion, please rate and
review the show.
It helps others discover theinsights we share here.
Second, if you're ready to takeyour business to the next level
(28:39):
and attract the high endclients you deserve, head over
to accountingleadsnowcom orclick the link in the show notes
to book your strategy.
Call it's time to positionyourself as the advisor your
clients need.
And don't forget you canconnect with me on LinkedIn to
stay up to date on what'shappening in the world of
accounting and financial growth.
We've got exciting topicscoming up, so stay tuned for the
(29:01):
next episode of CFO Chronicles.
Until then, keep pushingforward.
Your growth is just onestrategic move away.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
Thanks for listening to CFO Chronicles the secrets
behind success.
We hope today's episodeprovided valuable strategies to
help you attract more highpaying clients.
Be sure to subscribe, followand share with fellow
professionals.
Connect with us on LinkedIn andleave a review or comment to
join the conversation.
Your feedback helps us bringyou the best insights in finance
(29:30):
and marketing.
Until next time, keep strivingfor success and unlocking your
business's potential.
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.