We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Erin Pohan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Erin below.

Hi Erin, thanks for joining us today. Alright, let’s jump into one of the most exciting parts of starting a new firm – how did you get your first client who was not a friend or family?

I remember being terrified thirty seconds before my first discovery call started. A prospect had found my profile on a popular freelance website and the way I presented myself resonated with exactly what they were looking for. Still, I never had to sell my services working for previous firms. When the virtual meeting started, I was face-to-face with a business owner who was simply a human in need. I was able to look past a lot of my limiting beliefs in that moment and know that I held expertise that could truly help them. The client accepted my proposal and I helped their business scale to over one million in revenue annually during the length of our engagement.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Erin Pohan is the owner and co-visionary behind Upkeeping, LLC. After 15 years in the public, private, non-profit, and educational accounting spheres, Erin found her heart in using her accounting expertise to empower small business owners. Through full-cycle accounting and consulting services, Erin and her team support new entrepreneurs and already-established small business owners by helping them truly understand accounting. Upkeeping is paving the way to take the stuffiness out of accounting and create authentic and relevant conversations with entrepreneurs so they can continue chasing their dreams.

When she’s not trying to make accounting more “fun”, Erin loves traveling to new countries, watching football (Go Browns! – yes, seriously), playing the violin, and spending time with her family in Seattle, WA.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

There is a strong need for relational accounting in the small business world. Entrepreneurs want to know that they can count on someone to be on their team. For too long accountants have had this stuffy, standoffish, non-communicative rep that typically results in entrepreneurs avoiding most financial conversations until the dreaded tax season. We strive to retrain the entrepreneurial mind into, dare-we-say, being excited about their financials. We have monthly financial check-ins devoted to educating, informing, and empowering our clients to make great financial decisions within their business.

Our brand loyalty is not our business name. It’s the quick email response back to our client who had a quick payroll question. It’s the time devoted to thoroughly researching and explaining which accounting methods or processes our clients might benefit from. It’s being invited to virtual holiday parties as an extended part of our client’s team. Our brand loyalty is the result of continuous support of our clients.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Almost one year into starting Upkeeping, I broke my dominant arm. I went for a quick run in-between client meetings, tripped, flipped, and landed directly on my elbow and concrete. I’ll never forget when the surgeon nonchalantly stated, “you’re going to probably want to give up your accounting clients for the next few months.” They did not get it. As entrepreneurs, we aren’t given the luxury to step away from our work often and especially when its unanticipated. I remember feeling this inexplicable determination inside of me at that moment. I would find a way to deal with unimaginable pain, have surgery, recover, and make sure my clients’ needs were met. I spent the rest of that month in bed discovering that I could do a majority of client work from my phone with my left hand. My gracious clients also understood that with sound accounting processes in place and clear communication, there really shouldn’t be any emergencies in accounting anyway.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.upkeeping.co
• Instagram: @upkeeping.co
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/upkeeping.co
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/upkeeping-llc/

Image Credits
Black Lantern Marketing Susan Pacek