Emma Devin:
“How I went from being
numbers avoidant
to working at a Bookkeeping Firm”
My early years of sitting at the kitchen table with sweaty palms — nervously trying to figure out “How many strawberries did Susie bring home, if she had 13 and then sold 4 at the market?” — cemented me as a numbers-avoidant person. Then, through years of starting and running my own businesses (most recently, Brood) I was forced to come face to face with my avoidance of all things bookkeeping, and ditch the ever-present sweaty palms once and for all.
“I was the classic small business owner — making uninformed business decisions.”
Maybe you’ve been there, too. I was the classic small business owner — dodging the CRA's calls, stressing over my tax payments, and using an accountant who didn't guide me (and instead merely requested my janky self-made QuickBooks reports!), and overall — making uninformed business decisions.
When we founded Brood, I knew my habits had to change and through a lot of hand-holding, help-asking, and more mistakes — I slowly grew more confident.
When Brood connected with Courtney for some bookkeeping support, I immediately felt drawn to what I call her healing "Financial Doula" work style. Courtney supported me and the rest of our team in understanding not only the the basics of bookkeeping, but also in how to unpack — and plan for — our financial future. Her firm and loving style was just the right formula to help me get out of my own way and lean into the fact that I did know a little bit after all!
Courtney started with the basics, and we built from there — and soon through the support of systems, and my shame and fear dissipating — realizations came.
I do indeed need to snap that receipt before I leave the coffeeshop's door (and yes, it must be itemized), MileIQ is a lifeline, calling the CRA doesn't stop the world from turning, and lastly, when money comes out or in... it’s HUGELY helpful to know how. Who. Knew!?
“I was feeling more certain, confident, and dare I say — joyful about bookkeeping!”
Flash forward a few years, and I was looking to branch out from Brood and find a Project Management role at an organization that would allow me to apply my past experience in care. I began by tapping into my community, and soon was in talks with Courtney about a new role in Client Care support. Having felt Courtney’s support myself, I knew I wanted to be a part of her team.
“Knowing that I might be able to offer a touch of the relief, dot-connecting, and emotional release Courtney gave me — is exactly why I'm so excited to be a caring and compassionate link to the world of Bookkeeping for CCE!”
While the Emma who once nervously fretted over the number of strawberries Susie brought home from the market would be SHOCKED to know that they were later going to join the roster at a bookkeeping firm - I truly can’t wait to connect with the community of folks working with CCE.
Here’s to seeing in you in your inbox soon!
And finally, for good measure, I’ll leave you with a reflection on my hard-learned (ouch) lessons about the value of a good bookkeeper!
If I knew then what I know now…
If I’d understood (and invested in) the impact of a bookkeeper, I could have avoided:
→ Thousands of dollars in late filing fees (an,d the interest, oh the interest!).
→ Continued CRA-fearing stomach aches, sweating spells, and overall intense fear.
→ Hours spent in slog-y and patched-together payroll processes (including re-doing lots of work!).
→ Piles of receipts… everywhere.
→ Having a David-forward (c/o Schitt's Creek) understanding of “write-offs”
→ Confused and last-minute tax filings — where I answered (to the best of my knowledge) many accountant questions, but let’s be real, I was out of my depths!
→ Hiring team members without being financially ready.
→Outdated invoicing systems, that you guessed it, caused hours of extra work.
