September 22, 2025 • 23 mins
In this episode of the 'Keep More Money' podcast, Kimberly Tara, CPA CTC, discusses the challenges women business owners face with managing their finances and taxes. She emphasizes the importance of overcoming fear and embarrassment associated with financial management, sharing stories and insights from her experiences talking with hundreds of women business owners. Kimberly provides practical steps to help you take control of your tax situations, improve your financial strategies, and ensure you receive adequate support from your CPA.
Connect with Kimberly on Instagram: @kimberlytaracpa
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Welcome to Keep More Money, thepodcast for profitable women
business owners who are tired ofoverpaying in taxes and tired of
chasing down their CPA,deferring to someone else for
every financial decision andgetting hit with surprise tax
bills every April.
If you've ever felt like you'llnever truly get on top of your
business finances, this show isfor you.
(00:20):
I'm Kimberly Tara, CPA certifiedtax coach, multi-business owner,
and mom of four littles.
With over a decade of experienceand more than 15 million saved
for my clients, my mission is toeducate and empower women just
like you to keep more of theirmoney, reduce financial stress,
and create lasting wealth.
Taxes suck, but they don't haveto hold you back.
(00:40):
I'll show you how to make taxstrategies simple, fun and easy
to understand.
You've worked hard for yoursuccess and now it's time to
keep more of it.
Let's dive in.
I am so glad you're here with metoday because this conversation
that we are about to have isextremely important.
I actually pushed back theepisode I originally had planned
(01:05):
and recorded because of some ofthe things that I've been
hearing at events in my dms.
And after actually being inperson at our first ever live
sponsored event, I knew thatthis was a conversation I needed
to bring to you because this iswhere it all starts.
(01:30):
The ability and opportunity foryou to keep more money to make
smart.
Financial decisions to makemoney moves.
It all comes back to how youfeel around taxes.
(01:52):
And so what I mean by that issomething that I hear a lot is,
I'm embarrassed to admit this,or I didn't know that.
I was falling behind.
I didn't know that my CPA wasdoing X or was not doing Y and
(02:21):
it's just really sad that.
This is how you feel and thatyou don't have the support.
And so before we dive into toall of the things, I have four,
four points that I wanna sharewith you today to hopefully help
you no longer feel anyembarrassment, any fear, any
(02:46):
discomfort, any shame aroundtaxes and where you are in your
business.
It is my goal to.
Help you come up with somesolutions after this episode to
figure out how you can moveforward.
And so you're not alone.
You're not the problem.
I had someone tell me recentlyin the dms, when we were talking
(03:09):
about how we have a 72 hourguarantee response, time
response policy at the CP at theT paper.
She was like, wow.
And, and I, I think the contextthat I told it to her in was.
Well, it's sad that we have tomake this guarantee because so
(03:29):
many CPAs out there just don'trespond or take weeks or months
to respond.
And you know, we're typicallylike same day next day, the 72
hours is because we're human,because life happens, because
deadlines happen.
Right.
But it's just so sad.
And she told me, she was like,oh my gosh, I thought that it
(03:50):
was me.
I.
Like I had no idea that my CPAnot responding was really on
them and that there is anotheroption.
And so that's what I want you towalk away from today's episode
with, is that you're not alone.
If you feel some type of way, Ican 100% guarantee you, you are
not the only.
(04:11):
A woman, CEO to feel this way,the only business owner who
feels this way.
And it's not just you and it'sprobably not even something that
you are doing wrong.
So about a week ago, we weresponsoring our first in-person
event.
It was really cool.
I flew out to Dallas, weco-sponsored the VIP night, and
(04:33):
then we had a table.
During the next day for theactual event, I was on stage
twice.
We did a rapid fire Q and a.
I was on a panel, it wasamazing.
And I got to see Becca.
She drove up and she was helpingme kind of man the table and
chat with everyone who wascoming up to talk to us and.
(04:55):
That was really her firstexperience, I wanna say in the
wild, but it wasn't really inthe wild, but that was her first
experience being in anenvironment with other women,
business owners who were notcomfortable having these
conversations were money people,were finance people, were tax
people.
These conversations are prettynormal for us.
(05:17):
And so this was the first timethat.
She felt it in her heart whenshe told me.
She was like, these women,they're so scared to share with
me the truth, where they are,how things are going, and I hate
that for them.
I like, there is no judgment,but they're so embarrassed too.
(05:40):
Say, you know, if they're acouple of years behind in taxes
or they have a large tax balancedue, and I just, neither of us
want you to feel that way.
And so the truth unfortunatelyis that smart, successful women,
(06:02):
that's, you feel this way allthe time.
You are probably excellent atthe thing that you do, and I
would also venture to say thatyou didn't start your business
because you were really excitedto have more complex tax returns
to have, to make even morefinancial decisions than you
(06:22):
already do.
But the reality is, is that.
This is something that you haveto take the reins of.
We have, you have to get pastthis fear, this embarrassment,
and these mindsets because ifyou don't, you won't ever be
able to find the right personfor you make the right moves for
(06:42):
you and really have yourbusiness be something that can
catapult your success and.
Really help you strategicallyuse it to pay less in taxes.
So the first point that I wannashare with you is that your fear
and your embarrassment, they'reholding you back.
(07:04):
Okay?
And so what I mean by that iswhen you're silent you're
delaying something you'rerepressing it, you're pushing it
down.
And so the more that you stayquiet.
The less questions you ask theless nudges you give your tax
pro, right?
(07:25):
The more things get delayed andthen that becomes a compounding
problem.
And that compounding problem canbe you're a couple of years
behind in filing your taxreturns.
It could be you have a largebalance due.
It could mean that you're notpaying quarterly estimates.
(07:46):
It definitely means that you'renot implementing proactive
strategy.
And so instead of it, instead ofbeing just one year behind.
On your tax return or you owe$2,000, suddenly before you know
it, you look up and you send mea DM on Instagram saying, I
can't believe that I'm threeyears behind and I have to still
(08:07):
go back and file 2022.
Now, the good news is that I wasable to tell this person.
I told her, I was like, well, ifit makes you feel any better,
the most that I've ever had todo is nine.
Past tax year.
So we did 10 tax returns at atime.
'cause we had the current yearand then nine prior years.
And for businesses it's reallyimportant that we go in order.
(08:29):
So we had to do all of thosefirst.
And she was like, actually thatdoes make me feel better.
So if that makes you feelbetter, I want you to know I've
gone up to as much as nine yearsof past tax returns and done 10
years worth of tax returns atone time.
Okay?
So I promise.
I've seen it all.
I've seen clients with more thansix figures in IRS debt, just
(08:53):
IRS debt alone.
I don't want your fear andembarrassment to hold you back.
This is a safe space for you.
This is a space where you canask us any question.
There's no judgment.
There's just solutions.
There's just action steps.
There's just us partnering withyou.
So that your fear, yourembarrassment, are no longer
(09:17):
holding you back.
Okay?
Point number two that I wannamake is I, I've kind of already
alluded to this, but it'sreally, really important that
you hear me on this.
You are not alone, and you arenot the problem here.
Okay?
This system is broken.
Your CPA is unhelpful.
Your withholding tables are notset up correctly.
(09:41):
you're not bad with money, butyou do need to be aware of it.
And so while you are not theproblem, because I firmly
believe what y'all, I just, thestories that I hear of what CPAs
have done to clients, to you, Iam.
(10:02):
Floored, quite honestly, and I'membarrassed.
My embarrassment comes from thefact that my profession is
supposed to be held to one ofthe highest standards.
You know, I put us up there,CPAs, doctors, lawyers,
government officials, right?
Like we should be held to higherstandards, to higher ethics.
(10:24):
And so I just I, there are nowords.
For the experiences that you arehaving I wish that I could fix
it for you.
Unfortunately, I can't,unfortunately, those CPAs, those
accounting professionals,because many of them are not
even licensed, there's nothing Ican do to fix it.
(10:45):
They're the louder marketers.
All I can do is help clean up onthe back end and help you figure
things out and not make youfeel.
Feel bad about it, right?
I had someone reach out to me inthe dms and that's why I decided
to go ahead with this episode isbecause between the
conversations at Boss Vision Conand then the, just the amount of
dms I've had recently, youneeded to hear this too, right?
(11:08):
Because maybe you haven't workedup the courage yet to send me a
dm, but I need you to know thatit's okay if you do.
And that other women are.
And so it was a bookkeeperactually who was trying to help
a potential client who isworking with someone right now
that does both, does all of likethe bookkeeping, the payroll,
(11:29):
the tax prep, the quote unquotetax strategy, the CFO, one of
those one-stop shops that youknow I really don't care for.
And this is exactly the reason.
And so we got into a groupInstagram thread.
And I was like, okay tell me theperson's name because what this
person is doing is such a redflag and is not giving this
(11:52):
client access to their ownQuickBooks account, their own
Gusto account.
And you own.
Your software you own, right?
And so I always recommend ifyou're listening to this, that
you are the one who sets up yourQuickBooks Gusto Zero, right?
Like we will help our clientswalk through that, like that
(12:14):
Gusto setup if they need it.
Like maybe we're electing forthem to file as an S
corporation.
And so they need to run areasonable owner's compensation.
And we help them do that throughGusto, but they own it.
Right.
Like we're sharing the screen,they're setting it up.
It is, it is theirs.
We don't own it.
So that's a huge red flag.
If you work with someone who'slike, oh no, I'll own it, I'll
(12:35):
set it up.
Because then unfortunately, likethis person that I'm talking to
now, she's like, I can't evenaccess my stuff.
Like, what if they mess it up?
And so I was like, okay, wellthat's unethical.
And tell me their name.
Tell me what state.
Just tell me their name.
I'll I'm a private investigator.
I'll figure out what statethey're in and I will.
Figure out, do we have some legto stand on, maybe with the
(12:57):
state board of accountancy?
Nope.
This person has no credentials.
Right?
They're just allow marketer.
And so if you've experiencedthat, like I could go on and on
about the stories, and it'sreally important to me that I
don't only talk about thenegative things today.
Like I, I've thought about that.
I'm like, how do I share thatyou are not alone in what you're
(13:19):
experiencing.
And I don't wanna scare you,right?
And I don't wanna paint only anegative picture, but it is so
important to me that you know,that I've pretty much heard it
all in the last decade.
And there's pro, I mean, everynow and then I get surprised by
the way the behavior offinancial professionals,
especially those more in theonline world.
(13:41):
But there's nothing you can tellme.
That's gonna make me think thatit was your fault or you're the
problem probably unless youactually didn't do what you were
supposed to do.
But if you're listening to this,that's probably not you.
Okay.
So you're not alone and you'renot the problem.
Number three, small steps thatyou can take today.
What does that look like foryou?
(14:02):
step one is to figure out whatyears you haven't filed.
If that's the case, step two isto reach out to me, send me a DM
on Instagram.
I'm at Kimberly Terrace, cpa.
It is a tiny, tiny step.
It is not scary.
And tell me what's up and let'stalk about it because.
(14:23):
My clients will tell you, myfriends will tell you.
My family will tell you.
I'm honest, but I'm kind aboutit.
And most importantly, I'm gonnahave help you find a solution.
I'm gonna come up with actionsteps.
I would tell you that people whoI have assisted in the dms who
haven't even come to work withus, they're like, thank you so
(14:43):
much for just like taking thetime to respond to my message.
You responded, and I'm not evena client and I can't get my own
CPA to respond.
Like what?
That's crazy.
That's crazy.
Okay, so I'll help you figureout and I'll be honest with you,
if it's really bad I'll be likethis isn't the greatest.
But we tackle it one small stepat a time.
We come up with an action planand we move forward you would be
(15:06):
surprised how much those littlesmall steps, just knowing you
have a plan.
Oh my gosh.
It can take so much weight offof your shoulders because I know
that this is weighing you down.
I know that this is stressingyou out.
Okay.
I can hear it in your voice.
(15:27):
I can see it in your eyes whenyou talk to me.
Okay.
I know how hard this is for you,and I don't want it to be like
that anymore.
Figure out where you stand.
If you know you're behind onfiling taxes.
Work on figuring out which, whatwas the last year you filed?
Make sure your 2025 financialsare up to date.
(15:48):
We're in September right now, soyou know we're coming up on the
end of the year.
So if you don't have all ofthat, now's the time to start
looking into it.
And if you're behind, it's timeto find someone who can help
you.
Not be behind.
And if you think, okay, like I'mgood, I've filed everything, but
I'm definitely not getting theservice and the education and
(16:11):
the support and the strategythat I should be, now's the time
to find someone new.
Okay?
Not January or February.
All right?
And then the last point that Iwanna tell you is action.
I wanna give you some actionsteps, okay?
So that you can make a change.
I want you to feel empowered todetermine if you need to make a
(16:32):
change.
And if you determine that you doneed to make a change, I want
you to actually do it, okay?
Because now is the time.
So the first thing that you needto do is really reflect on the
type and level of support thatyou're currently getting.
Is it just once a year when youfile your tax returns, you drop
(16:55):
'em off, you upload them,whatever that looks like, they
prepare your taxes and send youa bill.
If you're a business owner, I'mhere to tell you that's not
enough.
It's not enough.
And if you are only meeting withyour CPA one time a year, or
your tax preparer, you'releaving money on the table.
So after you kind of thinkabout.
What your support looks like,and maybe jot this down like I'm
(17:17):
not a huge journaler, butsometimes like I need to write
my thoughts out.
And this is something that issuch a big deal that you should
absolutely be writing yourthoughts out.
So think about what your CPAdoes for you now.
How much do you pay them?
How often do you talk to them?
Do they reach out or do youreach out?
Do they respond within areasonable amount of time?
(17:37):
Second, I want you to decidewhat level of support you think
you need, and kind of like makea list, like in a dream world,
what support would you like tohave from your CPA?
Think about where your profitis.
Obviously, the more profitableyou are, the more support you
need.
But think about the kinds ofquestions that come up for you
(17:59):
during the year.
Make the list because whenyou're researching new tax
strategists, new CPAs know whatyou're looking for and you can
make sure that you're comparingapples to apples and you know
what your non-negotiables are.
And it helps you eliminatepeople that aren't gonna meet
(18:19):
those needs that you have.
And I always encourage you tohave at least three, two or
three people that you speak to,whether that's on a
qualification call, how we dowhether that's going to a
webinar that the person haschatting with them in the dms.
Do your due diligence.
(18:39):
I tell people all the time whenthey're like okay, well I'll get
back to you because I aminterviewing some other people.
I'm like, amazing, amazing.
And guess what?
Nine outta those 10 people, theyalways come back to us.
But you know what else?
Nine outta those nine people whocome back to us feel so
confident in their decisionbecause they know what else is
(19:00):
out there and it's not verygood.
those are the important thingsthat I want you to take away
from today's episode is numberone, that your fear and
embarrassment, they're holdingyou back and there's no reason.
I mean, maybe with the personthat you're currently working
with, you should have some fearand maybe they make you feel
embarrassed, but around here atthe Terra CPA firm, no, that's a
(19:23):
hard no.
Okay, we're here to lift you up.
We're here to help you getthrough it.
Number two is that you're notalone and you're not the
problem.
Okay?
I am overwhelmed by the amountof stories, by the amount of
women reaching out, asking forhelp.
I promise you, you're not alone.
I also know that based on yourstories, that you, for the most
(19:45):
part, you're not the problem.
I hate to say it.
I hate to be lumped in with thisindustry, but it's the reality
and I don't sugarcoat it here.
Number three is what small stepscan you take today, figure out.
The last tax return that youfiled.
Okay.
Figure out if your 2025financials are up to date.
Okay.
And then number four is, takesome action steps to make this
(20:06):
change so that you can movebeyond this and you can really
use your business strategically.
You can keep more money in yourpocket and you can build wealth
for the long term.
So think about maybe journal outwhat type, what your support
looks like right now from yourCPA.
Think about what level ofsupport you would like to have.
I'm not saying you can affordit, I'm not saying you'll
(20:28):
actually get that, but whatwould you like to have?
You need a starting place andthen figure out who you can talk
to.
And even if you're not ready toschedule a call, reach out in
the dms.
Right?
Maybe.
Maybe they have something freelike our Keep More Money
masterclass or our Keep MoreMoney challenged, right?
And so you're not committing toanything long term.
I want you to.
I think about this was somethingthat I can't remember where I
(20:52):
heard it, but it was a sayingand it really stuck with me
because while I don't have a lotof embarrassment around money
and finances, I have a lot ofembarrassment around some other
things.
And that's a whole episode for adifferent day that I do plan to
share with you.
I'm working on it, but somebodyonce told me Embarrassment
thrives in the dark.
(21:13):
But the second you name it, theembarrassment starts to
disappear.
And so what I wanna leave youwith today is that if this is
you, if this is how you've beenfeeling, whether you've felt
this way for one week, one yearor 10 years, you're not broken,
(21:37):
you're not behind, and you haveabsolutely nothing to be
embarrassed about.
By taking one small step today.
That's how the cycle ends, andyou are so strong, and you are
so powerful, and you are sowonderful in everything that you
do, that you are the one, youare the person that's going to
(22:02):
end the cycle today.
So you're not alone.
You're not the problem.
And you are so beautifullycapable of moving forward with
the right support.
So what I want to encourage youto do now is, if anything, if
anything at all resonated inthis episode for you, I want you
(22:27):
to send me a DM on Instagram.
I'm at Kimberly Terrace, cpa.
And I want you to tell me whatcame up for you or tell me what
your biggest challenge is oryour biggest fear, or the one
thing that you're embarrassedof, that you were like, I can't
believe I'm saying this outloud.
(22:49):
I want you to tell me because Iwill hold it for you.
I will lift you up.
I will encourage you and I willhelp you find a solution.
Okay?
We are in this together.
So I hope you enjoyed thisepisode.
I can't wait to see you againnext week with our regularly
scheduled episode, and I hopeyou have a fantastic week ahead.
(23:12):
Bye now.
Welcome to Keep More Money, thepodcast for profitable women
business owners who are tired ofoverpaying in taxes and tired of
chasing down their CPA,deferring to someone else for
every financial decision andgetting hit with surprise tax
bills every April.
If you've ever felt like you'llnever truly get on top of your
business finances, this show isfor you.
(00:20):
I'm Kimberly Tara, CPA certifiedtax coach, multi-business owner,
and mom of four littles.
With over a decade of experienceand more than 15 million saved
for my clients, my mission is toeducate and empower women just
like you to keep more of theirmoney, reduce financial stress,
and create lasting wealth.
Taxes suck, but they don't haveto hold you back.
(00:40):
I'll show you how to make taxstrategies simple, fun and easy
to understand.
You've worked hard for yoursuccess and now it's time to
keep more of it.
Let's dive in.
I am so glad you're here with metoday because this conversation
that we are about to have isextremely important.
I actually pushed back theepisode I originally had planned
(01:05):
and recorded because of some ofthe things that I've been
hearing at events in my dms.
And after actually being inperson at our first ever live
sponsored event, I knew thatthis was a conversation I needed
to bring to you because this iswhere it all starts.
(01:30):
The ability and opportunity foryou to keep more money to make
smart.
Financial decisions to makemoney moves.
It all comes back to how youfeel around taxes.
(01:52):
And so what I mean by that issomething that I hear a lot is,
I'm embarrassed to admit this,or I didn't know that.
I was falling behind.
I didn't know that my CPA wasdoing X or was not doing Y and
(02:21):
it's just really sad that.
This is how you feel and thatyou don't have the support.
And so before we dive into toall of the things, I have four,
four points that I wanna sharewith you today to hopefully help
you no longer feel anyembarrassment, any fear, any
(02:46):
discomfort, any shame aroundtaxes and where you are in your
business.
It is my goal to.
Help you come up with somesolutions after this episode to
figure out how you can moveforward.
And so you're not alone.
You're not the problem.
I had someone tell me recentlyin the dms, when we were talking
(03:09):
about how we have a 72 hourguarantee response, time
response policy at the CP at theT paper.
She was like, wow.
And, and I, I think the contextthat I told it to her in was.
Well, it's sad that we have tomake this guarantee because so
(03:29):
many CPAs out there just don'trespond or take weeks or months
to respond.
And you know, we're typicallylike same day next day, the 72
hours is because we're human,because life happens, because
deadlines happen.
Right.
But it's just so sad.
And she told me, she was like,oh my gosh, I thought that it
(03:50):
was me.
I.
Like I had no idea that my CPAnot responding was really on
them and that there is anotheroption.
And so that's what I want you towalk away from today's episode
with, is that you're not alone.
If you feel some type of way, Ican 100% guarantee you, you are
not the only.
(04:11):
A woman, CEO to feel this way,the only business owner who
feels this way.
And it's not just you and it'sprobably not even something that
you are doing wrong.
So about a week ago, we weresponsoring our first in-person
event.
It was really cool.
I flew out to Dallas, weco-sponsored the VIP night, and
(04:33):
then we had a table.
During the next day for theactual event, I was on stage
twice.
We did a rapid fire Q and a.
I was on a panel, it wasamazing.
And I got to see Becca.
She drove up and she was helpingme kind of man the table and
chat with everyone who wascoming up to talk to us and.
(04:55):
That was really her firstexperience, I wanna say in the
wild, but it wasn't really inthe wild, but that was her first
experience being in anenvironment with other women,
business owners who were notcomfortable having these
conversations were money people,were finance people, were tax
people.
These conversations are prettynormal for us.
(05:17):
And so this was the first timethat.
She felt it in her heart whenshe told me.
She was like, these women,they're so scared to share with
me the truth, where they are,how things are going, and I hate
that for them.
I like, there is no judgment,but they're so embarrassed too.
(05:40):
Say, you know, if they're acouple of years behind in taxes
or they have a large tax balancedue, and I just, neither of us
want you to feel that way.
And so the truth unfortunatelyis that smart, successful women,
(06:02):
that's, you feel this way allthe time.
You are probably excellent atthe thing that you do, and I
would also venture to say thatyou didn't start your business
because you were really excitedto have more complex tax returns
to have, to make even morefinancial decisions than you
(06:22):
already do.
But the reality is, is that.
This is something that you haveto take the reins of.
We have, you have to get pastthis fear, this embarrassment,
and these mindsets because ifyou don't, you won't ever be
able to find the right personfor you make the right moves for
(06:42):
you and really have yourbusiness be something that can
catapult your success and.
Really help you strategicallyuse it to pay less in taxes.
So the first point that I wannashare with you is that your fear
and your embarrassment, they'reholding you back.
(07:04):
Okay?
And so what I mean by that iswhen you're silent you're
delaying something you'rerepressing it, you're pushing it
down.
And so the more that you stayquiet.
The less questions you ask theless nudges you give your tax
pro, right?
(07:25):
The more things get delayed andthen that becomes a compounding
problem.
And that compounding problem canbe you're a couple of years
behind in filing your taxreturns.
It could be you have a largebalance due.
It could mean that you're notpaying quarterly estimates.
(07:46):
It definitely means that you'renot implementing proactive
strategy.
And so instead of it, instead ofbeing just one year behind.
On your tax return or you owe$2,000, suddenly before you know
it, you look up and you send mea DM on Instagram saying, I
can't believe that I'm threeyears behind and I have to still
(08:07):
go back and file 2022.
Now, the good news is that I wasable to tell this person.
I told her, I was like, well, ifit makes you feel any better,
the most that I've ever had todo is nine.
Past tax year.
So we did 10 tax returns at atime.
'cause we had the current yearand then nine prior years.
And for businesses it's reallyimportant that we go in order.
(08:29):
So we had to do all of thosefirst.
And she was like, actually thatdoes make me feel better.
So if that makes you feelbetter, I want you to know I've
gone up to as much as nine yearsof past tax returns and done 10
years worth of tax returns atone time.
Okay?
So I promise.
I've seen it all.
I've seen clients with more thansix figures in IRS debt, just
(08:53):
IRS debt alone.
I don't want your fear andembarrassment to hold you back.
This is a safe space for you.
This is a space where you canask us any question.
There's no judgment.
There's just solutions.
There's just action steps.
There's just us partnering withyou.
So that your fear, yourembarrassment, are no longer
(09:17):
holding you back.
Okay?
Point number two that I wannamake is I, I've kind of already
alluded to this, but it'sreally, really important that
you hear me on this.
You are not alone, and you arenot the problem here.
Okay?
This system is broken.
Your CPA is unhelpful.
Your withholding tables are notset up correctly.
(09:41):
you're not bad with money, butyou do need to be aware of it.
And so while you are not theproblem, because I firmly
believe what y'all, I just, thestories that I hear of what CPAs
have done to clients, to you, Iam.
(10:02):
Floored, quite honestly, and I'membarrassed.
My embarrassment comes from thefact that my profession is
supposed to be held to one ofthe highest standards.
You know, I put us up there,CPAs, doctors, lawyers,
government officials, right?
Like we should be held to higherstandards, to higher ethics.
(10:24):
And so I just I, there are nowords.
For the experiences that you arehaving I wish that I could fix
it for you.
Unfortunately, I can't,unfortunately, those CPAs, those
accounting professionals,because many of them are not
even licensed, there's nothing Ican do to fix it.
(10:45):
They're the louder marketers.
All I can do is help clean up onthe back end and help you figure
things out and not make youfeel.
Feel bad about it, right?
I had someone reach out to me inthe dms and that's why I decided
to go ahead with this episode isbecause between the
conversations at Boss Vision Conand then the, just the amount of
dms I've had recently, youneeded to hear this too, right?
(11:08):
Because maybe you haven't workedup the courage yet to send me a
dm, but I need you to know thatit's okay if you do.
And that other women are.
And so it was a bookkeeperactually who was trying to help
a potential client who isworking with someone right now
that does both, does all of likethe bookkeeping, the payroll,
(11:29):
the tax prep, the quote unquotetax strategy, the CFO, one of
those one-stop shops that youknow I really don't care for.
And this is exactly the reason.
And so we got into a groupInstagram thread.
And I was like, okay tell me theperson's name because what this
person is doing is such a redflag and is not giving this
(11:52):
client access to their ownQuickBooks account, their own
Gusto account.
And you own.
Your software you own, right?
And so I always recommend ifyou're listening to this, that
you are the one who sets up yourQuickBooks Gusto Zero, right?
Like we will help our clientswalk through that, like that
(12:14):
Gusto setup if they need it.
Like maybe we're electing forthem to file as an S
corporation.
And so they need to run areasonable owner's compensation.
And we help them do that throughGusto, but they own it.
Right.
Like we're sharing the screen,they're setting it up.
It is, it is theirs.
We don't own it.
So that's a huge red flag.
If you work with someone who'slike, oh no, I'll own it, I'll
(12:35):
set it up.
Because then unfortunately, likethis person that I'm talking to
now, she's like, I can't evenaccess my stuff.
Like, what if they mess it up?
And so I was like, okay, wellthat's unethical.
And tell me their name.
Tell me what state.
Just tell me their name.
I'll I'm a private investigator.
I'll figure out what statethey're in and I will.
Figure out, do we have some legto stand on, maybe with the
(12:57):
state board of accountancy?
Nope.
This person has no credentials.
Right?
They're just allow marketer.
And so if you've experiencedthat, like I could go on and on
about the stories, and it'sreally important to me that I
don't only talk about thenegative things today.
Like I, I've thought about that.
I'm like, how do I share thatyou are not alone in what you're
(13:19):
experiencing.
And I don't wanna scare you,right?
And I don't wanna paint only anegative picture, but it is so
important to me that you know,that I've pretty much heard it
all in the last decade.
And there's pro, I mean, everynow and then I get surprised by
the way the behavior offinancial professionals,
especially those more in theonline world.
(13:41):
But there's nothing you can tellme.
That's gonna make me think thatit was your fault or you're the
problem probably unless youactually didn't do what you were
supposed to do.
But if you're listening to this,that's probably not you.
Okay.
So you're not alone and you'renot the problem.
Number three, small steps thatyou can take today.
What does that look like foryou?
(14:02):
step one is to figure out whatyears you haven't filed.
If that's the case, step two isto reach out to me, send me a DM
on Instagram.
I'm at Kimberly Terrace, cpa.
It is a tiny, tiny step.
It is not scary.
And tell me what's up and let'stalk about it because.
(14:23):
My clients will tell you, myfriends will tell you.
My family will tell you.
I'm honest, but I'm kind aboutit.
And most importantly, I'm gonnahave help you find a solution.
I'm gonna come up with actionsteps.
I would tell you that people whoI have assisted in the dms who
haven't even come to work withus, they're like, thank you so
(14:43):
much for just like taking thetime to respond to my message.
You responded, and I'm not evena client and I can't get my own
CPA to respond.
Like what?
That's crazy.
That's crazy.
Okay, so I'll help you figureout and I'll be honest with you,
if it's really bad I'll be likethis isn't the greatest.
But we tackle it one small stepat a time.
We come up with an action planand we move forward you would be
(15:06):
surprised how much those littlesmall steps, just knowing you
have a plan.
Oh my gosh.
It can take so much weight offof your shoulders because I know
that this is weighing you down.
I know that this is stressingyou out.
Okay.
I can hear it in your voice.
(15:27):
I can see it in your eyes whenyou talk to me.
Okay.
I know how hard this is for you,and I don't want it to be like
that anymore.
Figure out where you stand.
If you know you're behind onfiling taxes.
Work on figuring out which, whatwas the last year you filed?
Make sure your 2025 financialsare up to date.
(15:48):
We're in September right now, soyou know we're coming up on the
end of the year.
So if you don't have all ofthat, now's the time to start
looking into it.
And if you're behind, it's timeto find someone who can help
you.
Not be behind.
And if you think, okay, like I'mgood, I've filed everything, but
I'm definitely not getting theservice and the education and
(16:11):
the support and the strategythat I should be, now's the time
to find someone new.
Okay?
Not January or February.
All right?
And then the last point that Iwanna tell you is action.
I wanna give you some actionsteps, okay?
So that you can make a change.
I want you to feel empowered todetermine if you need to make a
(16:32):
change.
And if you determine that you doneed to make a change, I want
you to actually do it, okay?
Because now is the time.
So the first thing that you needto do is really reflect on the
type and level of support thatyou're currently getting.
Is it just once a year when youfile your tax returns, you drop
(16:55):
'em off, you upload them,whatever that looks like, they
prepare your taxes and send youa bill.
If you're a business owner, I'mhere to tell you that's not
enough.
It's not enough.
And if you are only meeting withyour CPA one time a year, or
your tax preparer, you'releaving money on the table.
So after you kind of thinkabout.
What your support looks like,and maybe jot this down like I'm
(17:17):
not a huge journaler, butsometimes like I need to write
my thoughts out.
And this is something that issuch a big deal that you should
absolutely be writing yourthoughts out.
So think about what your CPAdoes for you now.
How much do you pay them?
How often do you talk to them?
Do they reach out or do youreach out?
Do they respond within areasonable amount of time?
(17:37):
Second, I want you to decidewhat level of support you think
you need, and kind of like makea list, like in a dream world,
what support would you like tohave from your CPA?
Think about where your profitis.
Obviously, the more profitableyou are, the more support you
need.
But think about the kinds ofquestions that come up for you
(17:59):
during the year.
Make the list because whenyou're researching new tax
strategists, new CPAs know whatyou're looking for and you can
make sure that you're comparingapples to apples and you know
what your non-negotiables are.
And it helps you eliminatepeople that aren't gonna meet
(18:19):
those needs that you have.
And I always encourage you tohave at least three, two or
three people that you speak to,whether that's on a
qualification call, how we dowhether that's going to a
webinar that the person haschatting with them in the dms.
Do your due diligence.
(18:39):
I tell people all the time whenthey're like okay, well I'll get
back to you because I aminterviewing some other people.
I'm like, amazing, amazing.
And guess what?
Nine outta those 10 people, theyalways come back to us.
But you know what else?
Nine outta those nine people whocome back to us feel so
confident in their decisionbecause they know what else is
(19:00):
out there and it's not verygood.
those are the important thingsthat I want you to take away
from today's episode is numberone, that your fear and
embarrassment, they're holdingyou back and there's no reason.
I mean, maybe with the personthat you're currently working
with, you should have some fearand maybe they make you feel
embarrassed, but around here atthe Terra CPA firm, no, that's a
(19:23):
hard no.
Okay, we're here to lift you up.
We're here to help you getthrough it.
Number two is that you're notalone and you're not the
problem.
Okay?
I am overwhelmed by the amountof stories, by the amount of
women reaching out, asking forhelp.
I promise you, you're not alone.
I also know that based on yourstories, that you, for the most
(19:45):
part, you're not the problem.
I hate to say it.
I hate to be lumped in with thisindustry, but it's the reality
and I don't sugarcoat it here.
Number three is what small stepscan you take today, figure out.
The last tax return that youfiled.
Okay.
Figure out if your 2025financials are up to date.
Okay.
And then number four is, takesome action steps to make this
(20:06):
change so that you can movebeyond this and you can really
use your business strategically.
You can keep more money in yourpocket and you can build wealth
for the long term.
So think about maybe journal outwhat type, what your support
looks like right now from yourCPA.
Think about what level ofsupport you would like to have.
I'm not saying you can affordit, I'm not saying you'll
(20:28):
actually get that, but whatwould you like to have?
You need a starting place andthen figure out who you can talk
to.
And even if you're not ready toschedule a call, reach out in
the dms.
Right?
Maybe.
Maybe they have something freelike our Keep More Money
masterclass or our Keep MoreMoney challenged, right?
And so you're not committing toanything long term.
I want you to.
I think about this was somethingthat I can't remember where I
(20:52):
heard it, but it was a sayingand it really stuck with me
because while I don't have a lotof embarrassment around money
and finances, I have a lot ofembarrassment around some other
things.
And that's a whole episode for adifferent day that I do plan to
share with you.
I'm working on it, but somebodyonce told me Embarrassment
thrives in the dark.
(21:13):
But the second you name it, theembarrassment starts to
disappear.
And so what I wanna leave youwith today is that if this is
you, if this is how you've beenfeeling, whether you've felt
this way for one week, one yearor 10 years, you're not broken,
(21:37):
you're not behind, and you haveabsolutely nothing to be
embarrassed about.
By taking one small step today.
That's how the cycle ends, andyou are so strong, and you are
so powerful, and you are sowonderful in everything that you
do, that you are the one, youare the person that's going to
(22:02):
end the cycle today.
So you're not alone.
You're not the problem.
And you are so beautifullycapable of moving forward with
the right support.
So what I want to encourage youto do now is, if anything, if
anything at all resonated inthis episode for you, I want you
(22:27):
to send me a DM on Instagram.
I'm at Kimberly Terrace, cpa.
And I want you to tell me whatcame up for you or tell me what
your biggest challenge is oryour biggest fear, or the one
thing that you're embarrassedof, that you were like, I can't
believe I'm saying this outloud.
(22:49):
I want you to tell me because Iwill hold it for you.
I will lift you up.
I will encourage you and I willhelp you find a solution.
Okay?
We are in this together.
So I hope you enjoyed thisepisode.
I can't wait to see you againnext week with our regularly
scheduled episode, and I hopeyou have a fantastic week ahead.
(23:12):
Bye now.
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