Samantha (Strategic Bookkeeper & Fractional CFO for Creatives)
Fractional CFO and strategic bookkeeper for creatives; shares budgeting, cash flow, month-end process, and systems/tooling tips for SMB finance.
Excited for Devil Wears Prada 2 and Godzilla Showdown
Devil Wears Prada 2 is officially happening and I need to talk about it. The original is one of my all time favorites. In high school I did a drama class project based on the transition scene with all her outfits and it was the most fun I ever had in a presentation. Also Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla hits theaters on the 26th because Toho is re-releasing classic Godzilla films and we are absolutely going. What movie sequel are you most excited about right now?
First Price Rarely Best—Always Compare for Savings
My husband and I just got Fi collars for our dogs and I have to tell you about my price comparison journey because it's so on brand. Fi's website: $189.99 with a subscription. Amazon: 6-month membership. Then I checked Costco on...
Finding Freedom in Trusting Divine Timing
I've been sitting in this deep sense of peace lately and I think it's worth sharing. Even when my brain wants to rush things or stress about more clients or more money, there's this quiet knowing that God is working on...
Seeing the Full Picture Reveals Need for Support
I chatted with a creative this week who sells bookish products on Shopify and has a physical location. She wanted to do her own books so I walked her through what that looks like. Daily sales entries, recording Shopify payouts correctly...
Visual Roadmaps Turn Client Goals Into Concrete Plans
When your client asks for a visual to see where she can go and you deliver a dang VISUAL plus more. You show her how many more retainer clients she needs to hit it and how that breaks down month over...
Use Cash Flow Forecasts, Not Past P&L, for Future Decisions
Here's the question I want you to ask about your financials. Can you actually make next month's decisions from them? Your P&L and statement of cash flows both look backward by design. They tell you what already happened last period. For next...
From Bookkeeper to Business Strategist: My Evolution
I stopped calling myself a bookkeeper last year. Here's why. Bookkeeping is the input. Data entry and reconciliation. It matters, but it's maybe 10% of what actually moves a business forward. The other 90% is what I get excited about. Looking at...
Fix Your Financial Setup: Get Clear, Timely Reports
3 things your monthly financials should actually be doing for you: 1 . Giving you plain-English commentary on what moved and why. Where revenue dipped, what expense spiked, what to watch next month. 2. Using a chart of accounts actually tailored to...
Misclassifying Sales Tax Inflates Revenue and Distorts Margins
Want to let you in on one of the first things I check when I take over someone's books. Sales tax sitting on the P&L. It's one of the most common setup mistakes I see, and I get why it happens. ...
Monthly Bookkeeping Eliminates April Tax Panic
If Tax Day caught you scrambling this year, I see you. You're not alone, and it's fixable. Here's what I want you to know for next year. The folks who handed their CPA clean files back in February? Someone touched those...
Weekly Cash Flow Visibility Uncovers Hidden Spending
One of my clients just had the biggest aha moment during our cash flow review. We track her spending weekly and she was like "Whoa... that's way more than I thought." That's the moment I live for. She wasn't doing anything wrong. She...
Stop Buying Supplies Blindly—Track Profitability First
Something I see creatives doing all the time is overspending on supplies without knowing if they're actually making money. They keep buying new stuff but never check if their product or service is profitable. That's not me judging because if I...
Both Bookkeeper and Fractional CFO Needed for Full Insight
A bookkeeper and a fractional CFO aren't the same thing — but you need both. Your bookkeeper keeps your records clean and your past accounted for. Your fractional CFO takes that data and coaches you on where to go next. One without...
CEO Prioritizes Personal Bookkeeping Before Clients
CEO day ritual: I do my own bookkeeping first. Every week I review my books, categorize everything, and make sure my numbers actually reflect what's going on. Then I open YNAB and check the budget — business AND personal. Both have...
Peace of Mind Comes From Knowing Your Numbers
Closing out a week where you actually know your numbers? That feeling is everything. You know your buffer is there. You know what's coming out next week — the subscriptions, the payroll, all of it. Already accounted for. Nothing sneaking up...
Never Put Clients in Debt, Prioritize Financial Health
"The borrower is slave to the lender." That verse lives in my head — and it shapes everything about how I work with clients. I will never let someone go into debt to work with me. Period. If the numbers don't support...
Clear Numbers Drive Double Revenue and Confident Hiring
@happygirlmarketingco came to me not seeing her numbers clearly. One year later: revenue up 101%. She hired 2 employees with confidence. Started paying herself consistently. Said budgeting finally gave her peace. That's not luck. That's what happens when strategy meets...
Faith Drives My Business Decisions and Everyday Kindness
Something I don't always talk about openly but want to start — my faith is genuinely behind everything I do in this business. I pray over my clients. I pray over the decisions I make. I pray for guidance and peace...
Bookkeeper Shows Past, CFO Forecasts Future
Here's the simplest way I can explain the difference between a bookkeeper and a fractional CFO. A bookkeeper is looking at what happened. A fractional CFO is looking at what could happen. Same numbers, completely different lens. One tells you where you've...
Detective Accounting: Uncovering Business Truths in Client Books
When I open a new client's books for the first time my brain immediately goes into detective mode. Where are they categorizing things? Are they mixing personal and business? What does their chart of accounts look like — is there anything...
Lies of P Delivers Korean Souls‑Like Redemption
Okay current video game obsession: Lies of P. It's a souls-like so if you've played Dark Souls or Elden Ring you know what you're getting into. It's from a Korean studio which makes me love it even more considering we're heading...
Bookkeepers See Only, Can't Spend Your Money
Something I wish more people knew before working with a bookkeeper — when I connect to your bank account, I get view-only access. That means I can see statements and activity but I genuinely cannot transfer money, pay anyone, or...
Couple’s Movie Night: Simple Ritual for Real Weekend Disconnect
Every weekend my husband and I do movie night where we each pick two movies the other hasn't seen. Phones down, fully present, just us and four movies we get to experience together for the first time. It sounds simple but honestly...
Messy Books? No Shame—Let's Sort Them Together
The thing I get apologized to for most when someone first comes to me is how messy their books are. Please stop. Genuinely. Almost everyone who comes to me has a messy backlog. It's not a reflection of who you are,...
Clients Discover They're Financially Better Off Than Expected
One of the quickest things that becomes obvious when I start working with someone new is that they're almost always doing better than they thought. They come to me convinced they can't afford to pay themselves or that things just aren't...
Fear of Numbers Stops Creatives From Hiring Bookkeepers
The number one reason creative business owners give for not hiring a bookkeeper is "I'm not sure I can afford it." But the reason they don't know if they can afford it is usually because they don't know their numbers. The...
Popular Frameworks Aren’t One‑size‑fits‑all; Ditch What Stresses You
Honest confession — I tried Profit First when I first started my business because everyone swore by it. Five accounts, constantly moving money around, paying bank fees I didn't need to be paying. It genuinely stressed me out more than it...