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

Jackie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

By nature, accounting, especially taxes, are complex and technical, which is why so many small business owners seek outside guidance in this area. There is (what I believe) to be a misconception in the financial industry that in order to be successful (and remain credible) you should look and act a certain way. This includes luxurious office spaces, fancy suits and overly professional emails. I completely disagree. I truly believe that for a person to find true value and success in the financial side of their business, they need to feel completely comfortable, not intimidated. Sharing numbers with a professional can put business owners in a very vulnerable position because, as the old adage goes, numbers don’t lie. I strive to provide my clients with a safe place to share their finances with me; one free of judgement and shame because all too often I hear words like “embarassing,” “self-consicious,” or “mortified” when potential clients share their financial woos with me. By braking down industry norms, I hope to empower more small business owners with financial confidence to grow their business because their numbers no longer scare them.

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?

After receiving my bachelors in finance and my master’s in accounting, I spent years in public accounting, primarily focused on small business taxes. Once I got pregnant with my first son, I quickly realized that the standard, tax-season life was not for me. Now, I work with online business owners, providing them with not only tax support, but also ongoing support. I wholeheartedly believe that numbers tell a story and can the most powerful tool in your business. I work alongside my clients to not just maintain ‘clean books’, but to also teach them how to understand the story that their numbers are telling them in hopes to empower them with knowledge and confidence to grow their business, worry-free! As a mother of three young boys, it has been very important to me to build a business that supports my family’s lifestyle, which can mean unconventional hours and time off for field trips. I desperately want to give my clients the tools that they need to grow their business to support their lifestyle, whatever that may be!

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Referrals, referrals, referrals. Happy clients talk and hands down, that is where the majority of my leads come in from. It is so empowering to understand your numbers and feel confident in the financial side of your business! It’s no wonder that my clients want every small business owner that they know to feel the same way!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Showing up authentically. I believe that by being myself, I have created a safe space for my clients to land where they feel comfortable showing up as themselves. My life isn’t perfect, nobody’s life is. By showing the imperfections and not just the standard ‘highlight reel,’ I have become humanized to my audience and people feel less intimidated to reach out. People want to work with someone relatable, and what better way to be relatable than to be yourself?!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.easterdaygroup.com
• Instagram: @jackie.easterday.cpa

Image Credits
Ellen Renee Photography