We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Carolina Piedrahita a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Carolina, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
When you thirst for more and somehow doing what you have been doing for over two decades is just not enough. My passion in life has always been to help others, it brings a joy I cannot describe. Doing Accounting, does not necessary fulfill this part of who I truly am. Three months ago, I started thinking about what I can do to help bring that part of me into the accounting world. A light bulb went off; I will become an outsource CFO. This will ensure business can stay not only at float but beyond the red. Hopefully my services will assist many business owners and their families become profitable. Any small contribution goes a long way.

Carolina, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Thank you for taking the time to read this. My name is Carolina Piedrahita and I own along with my twin sister Kathy Piedrahita a Bookkeeping firm. I have over 28 years’ experience in the field. I hold no degree, but I have worked with famous Chef’s, and very upscale companies that have made it possible for me to learn beyond the classroom, after all, there is nothing like life experience. I have contributed my sucess to hard work and dedication. Nothing has come easy, and it just makes me appreciate this journey even more. I would say that what sets us apart is the way we analyze financials in a way that is easy for any owner to understand. I go beyond reports and use interactive dashboards I have created to view data in a way that makes sense. I am consistent, dedicated and I take no shortcuts when it comes to my work and my clients. I am always seeking the next best thing to offer my clients the very best services possible,

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?
I was working at a restaurant in Miami Florida in 2016 when I decided to take a side job doing the books for one of my friends who owes a few successful businesses. I really enjoyed working on this project and thought to myself, what if could do this Full Time and leave my job? Working for myself is something I always dreamt about. Right after that, I left that job and decided to focus on my career. For me it was extremely exciting learning new industries as my Niche has always been Hospitality. My family was very concern as I was working 17-hour days for 3 years, Monday through Saturday, but that ambition kept me going. I for one never doubted that I could do this, it was just a matter of time. Honestly It has not always been easy, but the journey so rewarding, my biggest challenge was finding the right staff, I am very grateful to have found so far two amazing women with whom I trust completely, and I know my clients are in the best hands. I would like to take a moment to thank Apple Ramirez & Chary Banan for their hard work and dedication. My advice to anyone looking to have their own business. Dedication, ambition is key. Set small goals and find the right people to grow your business with. Expect hurtles but never doubt yourself and whatever you do, do not give up at the first sign of trouble, that’s when you have to stay the strongest.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
I have been very blessed to not have to do any marketing so far in terms of acquiring any new clientele. My business has grown by 80% by referrals alone and the rest google search. I am extremely fair when it comes to pricing, and I do the very best to make my clients happy. If you have a good product or service, it can sure sell itself, but if you go the extra mile and offer outstanding customer services, are reliable and gain the trust of your clients, that’s priceless. That’s how you get clients to not only stay with you but refer you.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thebottom-line.com