Hello Reader

It's nice to see you (again?). It's been a minute. You may have signed up for this over on Substack. If that's you, welcome. And if you've not been on my Substack before, that's okay. Don't go sign up there, too - I won't be writing there.

I came to Kit because it connects and plays nicely with MemberVault. (Hint: click on Categories the top left to see things made for Tax Firm Owners or for Business Owners).

But this isn't strictly why I'm landing in your inbox today. Today, I'm here to revive some storytelling and invitations and marketing. Today, I'm here to build a muscle.

In 2024 I lost my confidence. Again. For the second time in as many years.

Yes, I said again. It's not the first time I lost my confidence. It's also not the best way to start out an email to you - with a bit of brutal truth and honesty.

But, a dose of that brutal truth and honesty is what I've always tried to bring to these efforts. So here we are. Come with me on this journey?

The first time I lost my confidence during my self-employment journey was in the middle of 2022. I was approaching the end of my second year out on my own. And things weren't as good as the first year.

My first year had gone swimmingly well. My net income was more than acceptable, though still only 2/3 of what I had made while employed (my salary when employed was sub $100k, so don't let your imagination run too wild here). I had the freedom to explore and participate in community in ways that hadn't been available to me as an employee. I was in the driver's seat. I had referral partners and was providing the kind of support I'm best at providing - US tax and accounting with a healthy dose of empathy and encouragement.

I still made mistakes. The mistakes were small. They weren't new or unique to me - if you own a tax/accounting/advisory firm, you've likely made some or all of these at some point along the way as well:

• I took on new advisory work while old compliance work was getting stale;
• I didn't price that advisory work well;
• Despite an attempt to stretch into more than compliance, the right kind of advisory wasn't finding its way to me.

At the end of the year, I had to have a good hard talk with myself. I admitted where I went wrong, what I could work on, and put some better tools and processes in place to solve those problems. I focused on clearer, more specific communication with and to my clients. I set up a framework for tax returns and extension and extension calculations that I thought would work for me.

I put boundaries into place.

I also adopted a tool - a new portal - built to walk clients through tax returns and other projects, one step after another.

These efforts worked to some degree. In 2023, I learned and studied and implemented changes. I started digging into some new and different ideas. I continued into 2024. I shook off what wasn't working.

And then something that was working - that should have worked - didn't. I shut down. Clearly, I had just proven what I could offer - what I was willing and prepared and ready to offer - wasn't worthwhile. That I wasn't worthwhile. Couple that with an inability to sleep normally and, well, it's been quite a recovery process.

Unlike in 2022, some honesty with myself and a few actions didn't do the trick. 2025 is rapidly approaching the end of the year, I have plenty of tax returns to work on/complete/deliver, and the 10/15 deadline is rapidly approaching.

I'm done with doing nothing though. I'm done with idly working on a tax return wishing I was writing this (which is what I spent a good part of this week doing) and not because I, "should," prioritize the tax returns.

What's next? With a little bit of fairy dust and luck, another email next week. Likely less rambly.

Since you've stuck around this long, tell me, which would you rather see more of:

Until next time.

Megan