The Most Undervalued Skill in Accounting:

It’s not Excel shortcuts or tax law updates that make or break your career. It’s confidence. And for women in accounting, that confidence is often the hardest thing to hold onto.

 

The accounting profession wasn’t built for women. It was designed by and for men over 100 years ago—and much of the structure hasn’t changed. This disconnect often leaves women feeling like they’re not measuring up, even when they’re excelling.

Add to that the internalized pressure to be a “perfect woman”—a composite of every Disney princess, mother, and boss we’ve ever admired—and you’ve got a recipe for chronic comparison and self-doubt. 

This lack of confidence often shows up in practical ways, like not charging what we’re worth. 

It’s a reminder that confidence isn’t a destination. It’s a practice.

So what does true confidence look like? It’s grounded, rooted in self-awareness, and deeply authentic. It doesn’t come from accolades or titles. It comes from knowing who you are, what you bring to the table, and being willing to keep showing up.

There is a powerful distinction between confidence and arrogance: one is magnetic, the other is repelling. The key difference? Confidence leaves space for others to shine too.

If you’re a CPA, you didn’t get there by accident. You’ve already overcome obstacles, figured things out, and proven your capability. You just need to remember it. Do an inventory of your wins. Use those as evidence to reinforce your belief in yourself.

Just the presence of the desire is evidence of your ability to fulfill it.

Create the Perfect Facebook Business Page to Promote Your Small Business

To create a Facebook Business Page, log in with your personal Facebook account and go to https://www.facebook.com/pages/creation/

Once there, see two options:

Business or Brand and Community, or

Public Figure

Click Get Started under Business or Brand.

Fill out your basic business info.

After you select Business or Brand, you’ll be asked for a page name and category. Keep in mind that you can change your category later on, but your page name is forever.

The category you choose will determine what other fields you’ll need to fill in. For example, if you select Restaurant, you’ll fill in the address and phone numbers for your location(s) along with your business hours.

Add a profile photo and cover photo.

Social media image size standards are important — if you use the wrong size, you could end up with awkward cropping or pixelated images, so keep these recommended image sizes handy.

Facebook profile image size: 170 x 170 pixels

Facebook cover photo image size: 820 x 462 pixels

Your profile picture will appear as your icon every time your page’s content shows up in the Facebook News Feed and when you comment on other posts. Ideally, this will be your company logo. Square dimensions are best, but Facebook will crop the photo into a circle for ads and posts, so leave empty space around the edges. When you upload the image, you can preview the crop and make adjustments.

Your Facebook cover photo appears across the top of your page and is a great opportunity to deliver a visual element that supports your branding, draws attention, or elicits emotion from your visitors.

According to Facebook, your cover photo is displayed at different sizes on desktops and smartphones — 820 pixels wide by 312 pixels tall on desktops and 640 pixels wide by 360 pixels tall on smartphones. In our experience, 820 pixels wide by 462 pixels tall seems to work best for both mobile and desktop. But make sure you keep important text and design elements in the center of the image and preview how the image will appear on mobile and desktop.

If you don’t have a designer on staff to help out with images, free tools such as Canva have pre-made templates that you can customize, or you can simply enter in the custom dimensions and create your own image. You can even upload a cover video or feature a slideshow of images.

Fill out your page information completely

Google indexes Facebook Business Pages, so the text you include on your profile can help you rank in global and local search engine results. When you create a Facebook Business Page, you’ll see tips that guide you through filling out all your page information. If you need to go back to make changes, go to your page’s About tab and click Edit Page Info.

Here are the fields to fill out:

Username — Adding a username makes your page easier to find because the name appears in your URL (Facebook.com/YourUserName) instead of a string of randomly generated numbers.

Description – Let people know what your page is about in 255 characters.

Categories – Categories can help people find your page. Choose up to three categories.

Contact information – If you have a business phone number, website, and email address, add them here.

Location – If you have a physical store, share your address here. You can also include a service area.

Hours – If you are only open during selected hours, state them here.

More – Here you can add a list of your products, price range, and a link to your privacy policy.

All of these details will appear in the About section of your Facebook Page, where you can add even more information, such as your business’ story, awards, menu, etc.

Add collaborators to your page.

If you plan on sharing your Facebook marketing duties with a team, you’ll want to grant access and assign roles to various folks. To add collaborators, go to your page settings and the Page Roles section. You can type in the name of any Facebook friend or person who has liked your page. Alternately, you can type in an email address associated with a Facebook account. Either way, you must be Facebook friends with anyone you add as a collaborator.

Role options include:

Admin – Complete and total access to everything.

Editor – Can edit the page, send messages, and post as the page, create Facebook Ads, see which admin created a post or comment, and view insights.

Moderator – Can respond to and delete comments on the page, send messages as the page, see which admin created a post or comment, create ads, and view insights.

Advertiser – Can see which admin created a post or comment, create ads, and view insights.

Analyst – Can see which admin created a post or comment and view insights.

Optimize your Facebook Business Page

Once you fill out the basics, you can further optimize your page with customization options. While on your page, click on the More drop-down menu and select Edit Tabs. From there, you can select templates that cater to different types of businesses such as Nonprofit, Shopping, Services, Restaurants & Cafes, etc.

Each template has a default call to action (CTA) button and tabs that you can preview by clicking on the template. For example, the Restaurants & Cafes template changes your primary CTA button to Get Directions and includes tabs for your menu, offers, reviews, and photos. Once you select a template, you can customize your tabs by either removing the ones you don’t need or rearranging them to list the most important ones first.

Schedule a baseline of Facebook posts before promoting your page

While it’s tempting to share your professional Facebook page the second you finish creating it, we recommend you get some content ready before you start inviting all your friends to Like the page.

Before you promote your page, publish three to five posts and have at least another week’s worth of content planned out and scheduled. Experiment with different types of social media content such as video, images, short text posts, long text posts, links, Facebook Lives, Facebook Stories, etc.

When your page is promotion-ready, link to it on other social media networks and your website, and then invite friends to Like the page. If you have page collaborators, they can send invites to their friends as well.

How often you should post on every social media platform

Consistency is king, regular posting means 5x more engagement.

• Facebook: 1–2 posts/day
• Instagram: 3–5 posts/week
• TikTok: 2–5 posts/week
• Twitter (now X): 3–4 posts/day
• LinkedIn: 2–5 posts/week
• Pinterest: 15–25 pins/day
• YouTube: 1 video/week
• YouTube Shorts: 1–3 videos/week

“I’m not replaceable”

Tired of hearing people confidently declare that they’re “not replaceable.”

That kind of confidence sounds strong, but in this market, it can actually be reckless.

Because if the last few years, or even months, have taught us anything, it’s that uncertainty is real. AI is accelerating. Automation is improving. Clients are under pressure. Decision cycles are tighter. Budgets are scrutinized. And loyalty is no longer assumed.

So when someone casually says, “I’m not replaceable,” my first question is: according to whom?

If your expertise lives mostly in private conversations…
If your best thinking is never articulated publicly…
If your process is invisible…
If your positioning sounds similar to everyone else in your niche…

Then, I’m sorry, but your clients and the broader market has no reason to see you as irreplaceable.

And that’s the part most people don’t want to face.

It’s time to take your hands off your eyes and ears. Here are 3 truths you need to look at. 

1. Being skilled is not the same thing as being positioned.
2. Being experienced is not the same thing as being differentiated.
3. Caring deeply about your clients does not automatically translate into perceived value.

Value today must be demonstrated, not assumed.

If your clients cannot clearly articulate why you are different, if they cannot point to your perspective, your method, your proof, then you are competing on relationship and convenience. And relationship and convenience can always be disrupted.

This is not about fear for the sake of fear. It’s about clarity.

You don’t become unreplaceable by repeating it. You become unreplaceable by building a visible point of view that challenges how your market thinks, by making your process tangible so people understand how you win, and by stacking proof in a way that compounds authority over time.

That is what creates insulation.

That is what creates leverage.

That is what shifts you from “one of many” to “the standard.”

Remember, in a market this uncertain, confidence alone isn’t protection.

Positioning is!!

The entire purpose is to find savings.

We're going to tell you something your CPA won't.

They don't make money by saving you money.

Think about it.

They charge you to prepare your return.

Whether you owe $10,000 or $100,000, their fee stays the same.

There's zero financial incentive for them to dig deeper.

To find that extra deduction.

To implement a strategy that saves you $25,000+.

In fact, specialized tax incentives take more time.

Why would they do more work for the same fee?

So they don't.

They file what you give them and move on to the next client.

I'm not saying your CPA is a bad person.

The business model is broken.

Stryde flips the model.

Our entire purpose is to find savings. That's it. Keep your CPA, we'll send the documents for him to file!

When cash flow is tight and expenses feel out of control, Stryde is the partner that finds what others miss. We go beyond surface-level savings to dig deep—uncovering hidden tax credits, eliminating unnecessary fees, optimizing benefit programs, and streamlining employer costs.

Every dollar we recover goes straight back to your bottom line.

More revenue isn’t the same as more profit.

Fast growth without discipline leads to hidden losses.

Scaling multiplies whatever’s already happening.

If you’re disorganized at 6 figures, you’ll be overwhelmed at 7.

Growth doesn’t care about your feelings.

It exposes every weakness in your leadership and your systems.

The most dangerous lies are the ones you tell yourself.

“We’ll fix that later” is how chaos gets baked into the foundation.

Many businesses break at 7 figures!

Profit is made in the process, not the sale.

If your backend can’t handle volume, scaling is a liability.

A confused team will always cost you.

Ambiguity drains energy and delays decisions. Clarity wins.

Firefighting looks like hustle but smells like poor planning.

If you’re always reacting, you’re not leading. You’re surviving.

The tighter the business, the faster the execution.

Precision and simplicity make room for real growth.

Quote - "I'm satisfied with my CPA."

When's the last time they proactively called you with a tax-saving idea? "Never."

Do you know exactly how much they saved you last year? "Not really."

Satisfaction isn't the same as optimization.

You can be delighted with a CPA who's costing you $40,000 a year in missed opportunities.

Because you don't know what you don't know.

Your CPA files your return. It gets accepted. No audit letters.

Everything seems fine.

But "fine" isn't the goal.

Paying the least amount of tax legally possible — that's the goal.

And most CPAs aren't equipped to get you there.

They're trained to report on the past, not strategize for the future.

Want to find out if your CPA is costing you thousands?

Just takes 60-seconds in the privacy of your office.

8 CTAs for Cold Email and When and Why To Use Them.

 

1. “Feel free to forward this along to [Direct Report’s Name]”

When to use it:

When you're emailing someone senior who likely isn’t the day-to-day owner.

Why it works:

Removes pressure Gives them an easy “out” Turns the email into internal validation instead of a sales pitch

This works especially well with:

Execs IT leaders Ops leaders Finance leaders

You’re not asking them to act, just to route the email.

2. “Would you be the best person to speak to this about? Or should I get in touch with [Direct Report’s Name]?”

When to use it:

When selling into an ICP where the main point of contact is not clear.

Why it works:

Binary choice = easier reply Shows you’ve done some homework without overdoing it

This is one of the highest reply-rate CTAs we use. Especially in mid-market accounts.

3. “I know you’ve got a million other priorities, mind if I check in from time to time?”

When to use it:

When selling a product where most people already have a solution, and they’re only going to consider it during renewal season (e.g. CMS tools, CRM tools, etc.).

Why it works:

Acknowledges reality De-escalates the sale Easy to say yes to

This is a long-game CTA when nothing else is working.

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4. “Can I send over a 1-minute video I made for you?”

When to use it:

When the value is easier to show than explain. Especially when you sell a complex product with many features and functionalities.

Why it works:

Feels personal without being heavy Plays into their curiosity

One rule of thumb for the video is always:

First 20 seconds: Explain why you reached out to them Second 30 seconds: Show the highest impact part of your product/service Last 10 seconds: Ask for a meeting

5. “If this is relevant, would you like more information?”

When to use it:

When you want the lowest-friction response possible.

Why it works:

Non-pushy Non-assumptive Easy to answer quickly

When to use this CTA,  focus the rest of the email on the pain point and give very little away about your solution or value prop.

You want them to resonate with the problem and be curious enough about the solution that they’ll say yes.

6. Offer-Based CTAs (Good Default)

Examples:

“Want me to send over the checklist we use?” “I can share a short breakdown if helpful.” “Happy to send the framework if you want it.”

When to use it:

When you have a GOOD free offer. Like a free trial, resource, event invite, or an “audit” of some kind.

Why it works:

Cold outbound converts best when:

The CTA actually delivers value The prospect stays in control

If you don’t have a concrete offer, then this CTA won’t work.

7. Time-Based CTAs (Seasonality Matters)

Example:

“Would you be open to reconnecting at the end of January once the new-year craziness settles down?”

When to use it:

End of year Beginning of year Quarter transitions Budget cycles Holidays

Why it works:

Respects timing Feels human, not automated

8. “Do you already have a solution for [process]?”

When to use it:

As a final follow-up.

Why it works:

Low-effort reply Often leads to real context Invites closure instead of chasing

Use this one when you're selling into a highly competitive market where you just want insight on why the message isn’t converting, rather than to book a meeting right away.

Every year, the same thing happens.

Business owners wait until April to think about taxes.

By then, it's too late.

The return is filed. The check is written. The overpayment is locked in.

Then they say, "Next year, I'll plan ahead."

But next year comes, and the cycle repeats.

January turns into February. 

February turns into March. 

March turns into panic.

And suddenly you're back on the phone with your CPA, asking how much you owe.

Here's the truth - the business owners who pay the least in taxes aren't doing anything complicated.

They're just using the free 60-second online app to locate specialized tax incentives, some of which can be taken year after year..

They're projecting income. 

They're implementing strategies throughout the year.

The Stryde app helps you break the cycle.

It identifies savings through specialized tax incentives, financial audits, and employer strategies—helping businesses reclaim lost cash flow from multiple overlooked areas.

2026 doesn't have to be another year of overpaying.

Start planning now, you've still got 7 months!!

Think You Should Have It Figured Out?

Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “I should have this figured out by now”?

It’s such a quiet pressure we carry, especially as business owners. We’re used to being the ones with the answers. The planners. The problem-solvers. The ones everyone relies on.

But the truth is, even when we have a plan, life doesn’t always follow it.

And that doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong.

Today, you’re allowed to figure it out as you go.

Whether you’re building a firm, navigating a busy season, or simply trying to be present in the middle of everything on your plate, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking you need more confidence, more clarity, or more certainty before taking the next step.

But what if that’s not how it works?

What if confidence isn’t something you wait for, but something you build?

Not all at once, but in small, courageous decisions. In choosing to trust yourself, even when things feel uncertain.

So if things feel messy right now, or not quite how you expected, take a breath.

You’re not behind. You’re in the middle of becoming.

And that’s exactly where you’re supposed to be.

Step into this new season feeling strong!

When that calendar flipped, it was easy to feel pressure to “start strong,” to set big goals, and to suddenly become a brand-new version of ourselves overnight. But I want to offer a gentler invitation: start with compassion and clarity. Because so often, what holds us back isn’t a lack of capability—it’s a quiet belief we’ve been carrying for a long time.

Limiting beliefs can be sneaky. They don’t always sound dramatic. Sometimes they sound practical:

“It’s not the right time.” “I’m not ready.” “I’m too behind.” “This is just how it is.”

And if we’re not paying attention, those thoughts can start to shape what we reach for, what we avoid, and what we decide is “possible” for us.

Here’s the truth I want you to hear as we for the rest of the year: you are allowed to question the story.

You are allowed to notice the pattern and choose a new direction—without needing proof first, without needing permission, without needing to have it all figured out.

If you’ve felt stuck, my encouragement is simple: don’t try to bulldoze your way forward. Instead, get curious. Pay attention to the words you say to yourself when you’re overwhelmed or discouraged. Notice where you shrink or postpone or dismiss what you want. And then—just for today—practice a different thought that creates space:

“What if this is possible for me?”

“What would I do if I trusted myself?”

“What’s one small step I can take next?”

This year doesn’t have to be built on hustle. It can be built on alignment. On faith. On steady, courageous steps taken by anyone who is learning to believe themselves again.

Loneliness gets louder the more you grow.

The weight of being the one who "has it all together" builds slowly until you either drop it or drown in it.

Most people don’t need more success.

They need to feel safe again. Grounded. Connected to something real.

Everyone shows the win. Almost no one shows the cost.

That disconnect creates fake pressure. Stop comparing your reality to someone else's image.

Clarity kills confusion.

When you're feeling stuck, get clear on what actually matters. Not what looks good. What feels right.

Pressure doesn’t mean failure.

It usually means you're growing past what used to be comfortable.

Your story helps more people than your silence.

Say the hard thing. You’re not the only one thinking it.

The right environment keeps you grounded.

This is why I stay connected with guys who are real, not just rich.

Most breakdowns start with burnout.

Burnout starts when you're living out of alignment. Not just overworking.

 

Three Challenges for You TODAY

1. Write down the 3 things that still matter to you when no one’s looking.

That’s your compass.

2. Text or call someone today.

Don’t wait until you're at your limit. Reach out now. You’re not alone.

3.Create one non-business win this week.

Something just for you. Not for money. Not for content. Just for your soul

"Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get." – Dale Carnegie

You’re not the only one feeling this way.

You’re just one of the few strong enough to admit it.

Stay grounded. Keep showing up.

That’s what separates the real ones.

A Truth Behind the Smile

 

We all hit walls. I’ve hit plenty. But you wouldn’t know it unless I told you. That’s part of the problem.

So many entrepreneurs live behind a highlight reel. Big wins. Big numbers. Big pressure. But behind the scenes, they’re one phone call away from walking away.

I know the feeling. I’ve been there more than once.

If you’re in that space now, you’re not broken. You’re just being tested.

30-day blueprint

 

Week 1: Pick your skill. What do you know that someone would pay for? Marketing? Bookkeeping? Video editing? AI prompting? Project management? Specialized tax incentives? You don’t need to be an expert. You need to be better than someone who knows nothing.

Week 2: Build your proof. Create three samples. Fake client work is fine. Clean up a messy spreadsheet for an imaginary coffee shop. Edit a video for a small creator. Build an AI workflow demo. Run the 60-second app for a business owner. You need a portfolio.

Week 3: Set up shop. Create profiles on Upwork and Fiverr and other social sites. Price low to start, you’re buying testimonials, not yachts. Yet.

Week 4: Hustle for your first client. Bid on 10 jobs a day. Message small businesses to offer free audits. Your first client won’t find you. You find them. Week 5: Hustle for your first client by showing possible commissions.

How to get a prospect interested in your product/service

 

There isn’t one “trick,” but a reliable process that works across industries:

1. Earn attention with relevance (not persuasion)

   • Open with what’s true for them: their role, their constraints, and the specific problem they’re likely facing.
   • Avoid generic intros like “We help businesses…”—instead anchor to a scenario.

2. Diagnose first, then show value

   • Ask 3–5 high-signal questions (time, cost, risk, current workflow, buying process).
   • Mirror back what you heard in one sentence: “So the real issue is X, which is costing you Y and making Z hard.”

3. Create a concrete “before → after”

   • Prospects get interested when they can see the result.
   • Share a clear transformation: what changes, how fast, and what measurable outcome improves.

4. Make proof easy

   • Use one strong proof asset per stage:
     • early stage: short case study / quantified outcome
     • mid stage: demo + ROI model
     • late stage: implementation plan + references
   • If you can’t quantify, use credible proxy metrics (cycle time, error rate, adoption rate).

5. Reduce perceived risk

   • Offer a low-commitment first step: paid pilot, limited rollout, “proof of workflow,” or a fixed-scope engagement.
   • Risk reduction is often what turns “interested” into “yes.”

6. Use urgency correctly

   • Not fake scarcity—real triggers:
     • upcoming renewal
     • compliance deadlines
     • budget windows
     • internal leadership goals / headcount changes

7. Close with a specific next step

   • “If we can confirm A and B, can we schedule a 30-min technical fit call next Tuesday?”
   • Vague closes (“Let’s talk more”) kill momentum.

Reflect On These!!

1. Wealth is built in silence.

You don’t need to announce your wins. You need to protect them.

2. Complexity is not a strategy.

If it sounds too fancy, it’s probably too fragile.

3. Control is the real flex.

Money is fuel. Control is the vehicle.

4. Fast moves are only smart when backed by strong fundamentals.

Otherwise, they’re just a gamble dressed up in urgency.

You only need to get rich once.

1. Yes, you only need to get rich once.

But most people lose it trying to “do more” after the first win.

2. Leverage isn’t evil. But it’s not your savior either.

Use it to grow, not to compensate for a weak foundation.

3. Liquidity buys peace of mind.

You don’t need to be fully invested at all times. You need to be ready.

4. Relationships outlast returns.

Your network will either stabilize you or sink you. Choose wisely