We recently connected with Kayla Shurson and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kayla, thanks for joining us today. Looking back at the decisions you made early in your career, particularly whether to join a firm or start your own, do you feel you made the right choice for that stage of your career?

I never thought I would own a business. When I was asked the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” – I didn’t know the exact answer, but I totally pictured myself in the corporate world. Long story short, I began working for a local bank when I was in college. I absolutely loved it; the culture, the people, being able to travel – each day was different. It was a great job for a college student. After three years of that, I asked to Intern in their Accounting Department. When there isn’t a job opening – don’t be afraid to ask ;) During this time, I learned the bank was being sold, and everyone in our department would need to find new jobs. Previous to learning this, I had just had a conversation with Diane Lund, who owned a local tax and accounting firm called Lund Tax & Accounting. While I had no interest in anything tax related, I now was looking at other options. I got a job offer at a large, local business, but something about it didn’t feel quite right. I took a chance on going to work for Diane, being the first full-time employee she hired in October 2014. Early on, she was open about wanting to slow down and phase in to retirement. She inquired to other local firms about selling, but never found the right fit. Then, conversations began between the two of us. It was a lot of meetings and planning, but we continued to move forward with the decision. Fast forward five years, and I bought the business from her in January 2020.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I knew I pictured myself doing something in business, and I knew I liked math, so that naturally led me down the road to an Accounting Degree in college. By Junior year, I was wondering what decision I had made – ha! I’m not one to back down from a challenge, so I passed my classes and earned that diploma. For the accounting side of our business, we fill a unique need for many small businesses. They all need payroll ran for employees, bookkeeping done routinely, and financial statements by the end of the year for their tax returns. It doesn’t make sense for most to hire this internally, so they outsource this piece to us.
For the tax side, we file income tax returns, with the majority of them prepared by April 15th every year. What makes us unique is that we aren’t a seasonal office, and we remain open all year long. This allows time for extensions, quarterly tax planning, and bigger projects for those who may need to get caught up and on the right track.
When people think of a professional, authentic, and knowledgeable accounting firm, I want them to think of Shurson Group. We communicate, we keep up with the ever-changing tax laws, and we keep things fun + straightforward. Your peace of mind is our focus.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Keeping high retention and word-of-mouth referrals! This business started back in 2006. Getting clients then compared to now looks very different. We have loyal clients who have worked with us for many years, and referred their friends and family to us too. We love referrals from our current clients! They can share their experiences with others. If we keep doing our job, it’s easier for our clients to genuinely share the recommendation with others. Do your job well, and you can expect others to inquire! Aside from this, we also put a focus on educating our clients via our email list. We also provide information on our website and social accounts for clients + non-clients to learn from.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

One thing I consistently invest in is my team and my own knowledge as a business owner. Here’s a little of what that looks like:

Flourish Consulting – team development using Clifton Strengths. We do quarterly team sessions to dig deeper into understanding our own and our teammate’s Strengths. This has been instrumental in everyone working together in a way that’s easier to understand them.

Pinnacle Consulting – leadership team. We break down the Traction Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) every quarter with Scott Gullickson. This helps us determine what our focus should be for the year, and then how to break it down into quarterly goals. Our leadership team meets weekly to discuss and share what we’ve accomplished towards our overall goals.

Business Coaching – Gretta Scholten and Kris Plachy. I did 1:1 coaching with Gretta for 3.5 years before I finally felt I could fly on my own. She was so impactful in helping me learn to delegate and manage my time better. I’ve worked with Kris for almost 3 years now and she’s taught me almost everything I know when it comes to the “CEO” part of owning a business. I’ve also been able to learn alongside other female business owners in this space. Both have helped stretch what I thought was possible. This work takes time, discipline, and consistency to see the results!

Books: Traction by Gino Wickman, Leadershift by John Maxwell, Trust & Inspire by Stephen Covey. I highly recommend all of these!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shursongroup.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shursongroup/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shursongroup
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shursongroup
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-9W_cS67Aj96La4YlFCAUw
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/shurson-group-rochester

Image Credits
Twelve Ten Photography https://www.1210.photography/