When Ashley Chamberlain, an accountant turned entrepreneurial force behind Chamberlain and Good Company, graced this podcast, she brought with her an incredible narrative of transformation. She embodies the very essence of work-life synergy, especially for mothers striving to carve out a career that respects family commitments. Our conversation meanders through Ashley's profound journey, sharing the secrets behind her virtual accounting firm's success, and how she's sculpting a space where moms can flourish professionally without sacrificing precious family moments. Her strategies for leveraging social media and free resources to organically grow her business, coupled with the candid recollections of the initial trust-building hurdles, offer an abundance of inspiration to anyone dreaming of crafting a life where personal aspirations and familial responsibilities exist in harmony.
This heartwarming dialogue serves as a potent reminder of the strength within all of us, underscoring the importance of fostering a mindset rooted in kindness and love, not just for ourselves but for everyone we encounter.
Ashley's Website:
https://www.chamberlainandgoodcompany.com/
Ashley’s Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/chamberlaingoodco/
Ashley’s Tiktok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@thefetchfinancepro
When Ashley Chamberlain, an accountant turned entrepreneurial force behind Chamberlain and Good Company, graced this podcast, she brought with her an incredible narrative of transformation. She embodies the very essence of work-life synergy, especially for mothers striving to carve out a career that respects family commitments. Our conversation meanders through Ashley's profound journey, sharing the secrets behind her virtual accounting firm's success, and how she's sculpting a space where moms can flourish professionally without sacrificing precious family moments. Her strategies for leveraging social media and free resources to organically grow her business, coupled with the candid recollections of the initial trust-building hurdles, offer an abundance of inspiration to anyone dreaming of crafting a life where personal aspirations and familial responsibilities exist in harmony.
This heartwarming dialogue serves as a potent reminder of the strength within all of us, underscoring the importance of fostering a mindset rooted in kindness and love, not just for ourselves but for everyone we encounter.
Ashley's Website:
https://www.chamberlainandgoodcompany.com/
Ashley’s Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/chamberlaingoodco/
Ashley’s Tiktok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@thefetchfinancepro
Hello my beautiful babies. I'm your host, tiana Thompson, and this is Affirmations of a Bad Bitch. We have a guest today that I'm really excited to talk to. Her name is Ashley Chamberlain. She is the founder of Chamberlain and Good Company. Welcome Ashley.
Speaker 2:I am so excited to be here. I've been here and growing all day long.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh. Well, go ahead and tell us a little bit about your story and what you do.
Speaker 2:Sure, so I am the owner of a bookkeeping and accounting services company, but I haven't always been. I started from very humble beginnings of I was a receptionist at a salon in Athens, georgia, a long time ago, and, through a lot of obstacles, worked my way up through what I feel like was an entire accounting department through different companies, moved around a lot to find jobs, do the things I need to do, and led myself and my family to Kentucky and opened up a virtual accounting firm where I could have the freedom of being the kind of mom I wanted to be and give that choice to other moms who wanted to mom the way they wanted and kind of do what they were good at and do it the way they wanted to. So here we are today.
Speaker 1:Awesome. So you kind of have that time, flexibility and freedom with that Exactly Perfect. So how did you get into this specific line of work?
Speaker 2:So you know, I always I kind of had a knack for math, which is so cliche, but was always just kind of good at it. But I didn't really know what to do with that. You know, you don't grow up thinking you're just going to be like a mathematician. It doesn't really seem like a job you go for. But what I really found I liked doing after trying a bunch of things.
Speaker 2:I worked in corporate America for a long time, public accounting, which was. The hours were just atrocious. Having a family working 50 to 60 hours wasn't really ideal. Never seeing your family wasn't really what I wanted to do. So throughout that journey I figured out okay, I like math, but I also really like working with people, I like small businesses. So I had to find a way to put those two together. And I don't know about you or anybody listening, but I think we're told as mom and women that we have to do it all 100%, like there's no give, and that's exhausting. And so I finally came to a point where I thought how can I give 50% to the things that are important? And that's what led me to starting my business.
Speaker 2:For me, showing up from my family, I never really wanted to be the what I call snack mom. I didn't really want to go to the PTA meetings. I'm not a great chef, I'm not a great baker. I don't really trust myself in making sure that I can make cupcakes that are gluten free, all the free things, all the peanut allergies, all the things. But I will go to all the programs and I will show up when needed. So I didn't know how to find that balance To me, having a kind of company that I have. It allows the moms myself, to be the kind of mom you want to be. If you want to go be the snack mom, more power to you. Everybody needs that. But if you want to send your kids a daycare and then work during the day, we can do that too.
Speaker 2:So that's kind of what led me to where I am.
Speaker 1:So when you first started, did you just start posting online, advocate your business or yourself, and just kind of grew it from there?
Speaker 2:Yeah, when I first started. So I was working at. I was working at a multi-million dollar construction company as a CFO. So I guess I was fortunate where I felt like I had the freedom freedom to take the risk of starting a business. I didn't put any investment, I just organically started posting on Facebook and Instagram. So I'm kind of an elder millennial, I will say so, when it comes to the social media. I just recently got Snapchat. I don't know where I've been. I had to have the kids explain to me what a bit Moji was. I didn't know what any of that stuff was. I was like give me Facebook, I'll talk to like grandmas on there. Like I can do that, that's fine.
Speaker 2:I just organically started posting and saying this is what I'm doing, this is what I can offer, but I did it consistently so much so I knew, okay, they might not understand what accounting and bookkeeping is yet, but at least I'm in their algorithm, so much they're like man, she is constantly at the top of my page. So I did it every single day, multiple times a day. And then I figured out, oh, you can schedule it. So then I was like it was forget about it. Like I can schedule it. Yeah, like I'm out of control. So I started organically posting. I didn't have an email list, but I did have a mailing list, wrote a bunch of letters and mailed those out, joined a couple of free networking groups that were local to me and they were all online because I had a full-time job so I couldn't just leave and say, hey, I'm going to go and talk about my business. So everything was just organic and free in the beginning.
Speaker 1:Well, that's awesome. It takes a lot of like determination and courage to put yourself in there like that, especially when you're working full-time. So good for you, that's really great. What would you say is the hardest part of running your business or what you do in general?
Speaker 2:Oh, honestly, it's so funny. You know you go through these, I think, stages. So in the beginning the hardest part was feeling like is this even going to work? Like, is it, am I going to get that first client? Like, what is this? I mean, it wasn't like I was reinventing the wheel, I didn't have a new idea, but I thought is anyone ever going to trust me, that first client? And then now, a couple of years later, I constantly ride the roller coaster.
Speaker 2:I am my own like I'm the worst employee of my business because my team is rock solid. Every single day, like, oh no, we know exactly what we're doing. They have the list, we have a project management software, we use ClickUp. They know exactly what they're doing. Every day I'm the hurricane that comes in. I'm like you know what? I think we should just change everything. Like, we should just like change it all. We should just rebrand today. So the hardest part of the business now is me and living with being content, you know, and trying to find the seasons, seeing like, okay, this is normal. You can see, in the past couple of years, this time of year is busy. Let's not try to rebrand during top season, because then everyone in your business will hate you, like it's trying to just settle versus, you know, trying to get crazy. So it's been, it's been good. It's been good finding contentedness, but I definitely have different struggles sitting still.
Speaker 1:If that makes sense, yeah like just kind of going with the flow and not feeling like. I'm doing more, I guess.
Speaker 2:Have to do it. Yeah, like trying to be big Yep.
Speaker 1:What would you say is the most rewarding part of your business?
Speaker 2:The most rewarding part has to be the flexibility in the beginning, and even you know the past two years there is. There is a part of business that you know for lack for full transparency, people generally don't start a business because they think they're going to get all this freedom. There is a grind to it. It's you have to be so determined to want it because nobody's going to want it more than you. But on the other hand, I can now say I'm the one that gets to take my kids to school and I didn't get to do that before.
Speaker 2:I always left the house first. Accountants usually rise with the sun, so I was always out of the house first. But now I'm the one that gets to brave the car rider line, which sounds crazy that sounds like a reward. But when you didn't get to do it before like I'm the last face that my kids see before they go to school, so that feels really special, being more involved in having that choice Like today. I don't want to. I don't want to, you know, be in front of a computer for eight hours. Today I want to go take my dogs for a walk. My dogs are very happy because they see me every day now versus once in a while. So having that freedom back a little bit is really nice.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm sure yeah. So how many people do you have working for you? Or are they all moms as well, or is it just kind of all moms?
Speaker 2:Yeah, they it's. I've been really, really fortunate when it comes to hiring because in the beginning I have a best friend who we met while we were working together. She's my accounting manager now. So right now we have a team of about five, and then all all of my team members are moms. They are all friends or family.
Speaker 2:I have not had to hire anyone that I don't know, and that's I'm very fortunate that I know that. I don't take it for credit, but they, they're all moms. Some of them work at night because there was a time not too long ago that they all were pregnant. So they all have very small. I know I was very, very time. I was like, okay, we got it, we got to take turns here, but they're all moms. Some of them work at night because they have smaller babies that are napping during the day or vice versa.
Speaker 2:So it's really nice because this kind of business you can be virtual, we don't work on Fridays. They kind of find the schedule that works best for them. For me, I work during the day because mine are a little older, but it also brings us all together. So we all have that that foundation of, yes, we all have kids, yes, we all can complain, but we also have a tell me something good moment in our meetings. So we started off with tell me something good, which is what are your kids doing? Did you, you know, did you take a first step? Are they eating baby food? Are they doing a play, like it's something that kind of brings us together. So it's really fun.
Speaker 1:That's really cute too. That's nice having you You're super close with, and it's nice that they have that flexibility to kind of work when they can or need to.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what advice do you have for anyone who might be wanting to start their own business?
Speaker 2:I always tell because I get a lot of like really fresh entrepreneurs that they want to do something but they don't know where to start and they think they need all these things. I definitely thought I have to have a website, I have to have business cards, I have to have all these things before and I always just tell them just do it. You have to hold the vision and that's the biggest job. Sometimes holding the vision is the biggest and hardest job of it all. You don't have to have business cards, you don't have to have a website. All you have to do is have a vision. All of that stuff comes later. It will come, but I always just say if you really believe in what you're doing, other people will feel it. Just go for it and you can start it organically. If that's how you need to in the beginning and it will work, just keep at it. So I hope everyone will just try to do whatever business they can do, because I love hearing about all these new businesses popping up all over the place.
Speaker 1:Especially just by people who are willing and want to do the work and make some good sales.
Speaker 2:I love it. Yeah, it's so fun to just watch people grind and be so passionate about things that some things I've never even heard of, and I just think it's so inspiring.
Speaker 1:And a lot of times those smaller businesses are better quality than the huge corporate business, oh yeah, 100% and most of the time.
Speaker 2:I have a client that makes these little jewelry, but they make it out of resin and they all make everything and it is the most beautiful jewelry and I can go anywhere and buy earrings, but you can tell they all make it. They write little notes to their clients, every single one, and I just think there's just something so personable about a small business like that and humans need other humans, so people want to buy from people. So just keep doing it, people will catch on and people want connection again. Like don't give up. Yes, you got to keep it pushing. Yep, 100%.
Speaker 1:Yeah back to you, said you worked as an accountant and the hours are crazy. My best friend right now is an accountant and she got to me we were talking the other day and she was like, yeah, I'm working until 11pm at night, all day, until late, and I'm like that should be illegal. It should be illegal.
Speaker 2:Yes, never stops. And even when I can remember, when I was young, early 20s, and I had a young, young child, it felt like it was part of the office norm to go in very early, starting at 7 o'clock and staying until 7 that night. And people would say I'll see you tomorrow. And I'm like whoa dude, what do you mean? See you tomorrow? Like I've been here for 12 hours. I thought this was it. But people would stay and I thought, man, no wonder these people's offices look so comfy, because they would have plants in like the most beautiful art and little shops in the corner.
Speaker 2:And I'm thinking, I don't want my office to feel like a home. I'll go home. I don't want this to feel the same. So it was wild. It's like they literally lived there. Yeah, yeah, and they just made their office feel comfortable enough to do that and that was just the normal part of it. And you don't hear a lot about that. You just hear, oh, corporate America, they're always busy. You don't hear the parts of. Well, sometimes they're literally sleeping in their office because it's more effort to go home and come back Like, no, that doesn't sound great to me.
Speaker 1:It's absolutely terrible, yeah, I don't like that.
Speaker 2:I'm a homebody Like. I want to be wearing sweatpants and hoodies and I can work from home. I want to have my dogs around me. I want to have all of my comfortable things, my good vibes. You know office, you know corporate things for me.
Speaker 1:Yes, come be close your kids. Good vibes. Yeah, yeah, that's it. Where do you think you got your drive? I think I got my drive. I got my drive. I got my drive to be able to accomplish starting your business.
Speaker 2:Well, I grew up my whole family are W2 employees, so there are no business owners on my side of the family. I am the Black Sheep. They think I am just wild, but my husband's family are all entrepreneurs. So my dad was very go to work, do your job, go home, that's how you have a good life. And for me I felt like, okay, if I can just do that, that's what success looks like. So once I started doing that and realizing yeah, something's wrong with me, because this feels awful, I started working for my husband's family and they owned a transportation business and when I started seeing life outside of a business owner's life, I thought, oh wow, this is kind of what it could look like.
Speaker 2:And my father-in-law is the one that really inspired me and said there are so much more to life than just going to work and coming home. If you have an idea, you can do it. So he's really a huge influence in my life. He's the one that has inspired me and pushed me even to this day. I mean he should be relaxing Every time I turn around. I have this really great idea and I think I'm gonna start a new business. I just feel every time I'm around him. We're about to start something new and it's just so exciting, so he is definitely someone that keeps me going.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. And it is really like you said. Your family was very go to work, go home. I feel like that's what most people know and they think that's what life is about, like we work to live. We don't live to work.
Speaker 2:Right, right, yeah, they just check the box. And why would you want to take risks? I think it's really hard for families that don't have entrepreneurs or anything outside the box. It's hard for them to understand, which means it's hard for them to support sometimes, so which can feel really lonely when you can feel close to your family, but if they're not supporting you or they don't understand it, it can be really hard to bring that together. So sometimes it can cause some tension, especially when they think why would you take all those risks when you had a good job? So it has taken a little bit of explaining and, I would say, a little bit of understanding to get past that, but it's better than it was. Yeah, it's getting better a little bit every day, yeah.
Speaker 1:Good, but just kind of saying to yourself I mean your goals and working towards that now awesome when it comes to running your own business, because now I feel like you have more freedom. At first, though, it was hard, right, oh yeah, yeah a lot of ground at first. Much more like hands on. And how did you stay like, because that is hard and you feel like, like you said, when am I going to get my first client? How did you manage to stay so into your goals and just keep working towards it?
Speaker 2:To be honest, in the beginning I would say every other week I would tell my husband I was going to burn it down. It's just not going to work. And then the next week I would be like I don't know though someone did respond to one of my posts, so maybe it's working. And then the next week I'd be like, never mind, I'm going to burn it down. So it was a roller coaster, but I just I really kept telling myself that you have nothing to lose. I mean, you have a skill, you can always go back and get a job. You can always there are always going to be jobs that you have nothing to lose. The only person that you're really going to let down is yourself. And and to me, just as someone that always felt like I had to keep seeing what was next, letting myself down was like the biggest letdown that there could be, and so I knew it has, it has to work, and whether that meant I'm posting every single day or okay, well, that didn't work. What are we doing next? You know I was.
Speaker 2:I was the board of directors that had to be impressed for my business. I was it. So I thought all right board. That didn't work. What's next? We have to try something else. This has to work. In my mind, after getting through busy season, after busy season out of busy job, I thought it has to get better than this. So we're going to keep trying things and keep going. And I remember when I got my first client and it was a very I greatly undercharged I mean it's like looking at she still is at the same rate that I started at, just because I felt like you trusted me.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, and I did know her. We went high school together and so I just remember the joy that I felt when I signed that first client. And so now, every time I sign a client, if I don't feel that joy, I think what am I doing? That can be different, like well, how can I get that joy back every single time to feel gratitude? Because I don't ever want to take for granted the grind that went into starting it. So I have to always remind myself you work really, really hard for that first client, don't let yourself down. So and I hope, if my team members listen, that they hear that because even though they think I'm like the firecracker, I'm always the one that tries to shake it up. I'm always trying to make sure that we are the one, I'm the one that's holding the vision and keeping it going. Because when it was just me.
Speaker 2:I was the one that was constantly thinking there will be one day where I'm going to have to change it up constantly to make sure that we're going to keep going. So it was hard. The hustling looks different then, but I will take hustling any day over stagnation Because I always want to keep growing. So I'm happy to happy to hustle however I can.
Speaker 1:I love that. I love your mindset. I'm feeling inspired right now.
Speaker 2:You had the most pleasing voice. That's why I said fangirling in the beginning, because every time I would listen to your podcast. Especially in city traffic, which is what I have to go through twice a day now, with the wonderful car writer line, it's the most pleasing voice.
Speaker 1:So much. It makes me laugh so much when people say that, because when I first started the podcast I was so insecure about my voice. I was like I hate listening to it. I think you want to crawl out of my skin.
Speaker 2:That's wild, that is a you problem, because no one else thinks that.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much and thank you for taking the time to come on this interview today. You guys, I will have all of you know websites, ashley's information linked in the show notes down below for you to check her out. And, ashley, if you will repeat after me, we will say our affirmations Love it, I am kind, I am kind, I am loved, I am loved. I forgot one I am strong and I send love, I send love. Awesome, thank you so much. Thank you so such a joy. Yes, and thank you guys for listening, sending love.