Design Your Life—Then Build Your Business

Small business bookkeeping for Therapists, Counselors, and Service Providers

‍Kim is the founder of BreezePoint. This is her story—proof that anything and everything is possible for you and your small business.

▶️ Watch the video on YouTube »

The Concept

• Design lifestyle first, then build the business to match
• Building something meaningful counts
• What efficiency can do for you (freedom follows systems)
• Your starting point isn’t your ceiling—even with no funding

Design Your Life First

If you can define it, you can build it.

Building a business isn’t just about numbers—if that’s all it is, burnout follows. Your business should facilitate the life you want to live. That’s why personal growth is so intertwined with entrepreneurship.

My journey—from 21 years in corporate, to a ski-town startup, to building an award-winning firm—isn’t just about me. It’s proof that all things are possible for all of us.

“I built my dream by helping other owners build theirs—at the same time.”

Build the Business to Match the Life

I spent 21 years in the corporate world: global travel, great experience—and a deeper need for freedom. I wanted to live in the mountains, in my favorite ski town. In resort communities, good-paying jobs are scarce, so many of us create our own.

I launched a small bookkeeping service built around my passions. I loved mountain biking, so I served local bike shops, builders, nonprofits, and other small businesses. We hustled, grew fast, and became the go-to firm for nearly everyone who touched a bike. More importantly, I was building around the lifestyle I wanted—time (and money) for skiing, biking, travel, and adventure.

Freedom Follows Systems

To reach that lifestyle, I defined what freedom looked like for me:

• No weekly standing appointments
• No driving all over town
• Work from home—or anywhere
• 100% online delivery

I built the firm around two pillars:

1. Online systems so all work could be performed remotely
2. “Deliver-by” dates instead of set appointments (e.g., books delivered by the 5th each month)

This wasn’t small. Most people still used desktop accounting software and avoided online banking. So I got creative: I whiteboarded every workflow—service delivery, invoicing, bill pay—and refined them every day and every week.

Then QuickBooks went Online. I stopped what I was doing, took the certification exam, and passed within about 30 minutes. I’m pretty sure I was the second person ever certified in QuickBooks Online.

Everything changed. We started serving clients in other states and eventually other countries. We trained clients on QBO, set up secure online banking access, handled work remotely, and swapped invoicing for autopays. It gave us reach, scale, and momentum—and clients loved it:

• No more getting booted off their computers for a bookkeeping session
• Vendor online bill pays & customer autopays
• Banking on demand, delivered on a predictable schedule

Growing Beyond Solo

As the firm and team grew, so did my knowledge. I read IRS publications at night and on weekends. I learned from early LinkedIn forums and Facebook groups, connecting with industry leaders. I went deep on payroll, became our in-house expert, and expanded into tax compliance, strategy, and advisory. We became S-Corp specialists, supporting owners from formation and officer payroll to tax-reduction planning.

Recognition & Proof

Modernization led to a major milestone: our little ski-town firm in the Rocky Mountains was recognized by Intuit (makers of QuickBooks Online) as one of 19 global Firms of the Future (in the award’s second year). That brought podcast invitations, industry panels, and a video series.

From ski-town startup to global recognition—proof we were on the right track. And proof that you can do it, too.

I started with no funding and no clients. My first client came from a newspaper ad and word of mouth—three shoeboxes of faded receipts that smelled like stale cigarettes. Local accountants, bookkeepers, and even friends told me I was out of my mind—that I couldn’t do what I was trying to do and it would never make money.

They were wrong.

The Exit

Eventually, I sold the business. Creating an asset valuable enough for someone else to buy was validation of the work—and a capstone on that chapter.

What’s Next—and What’s Possible for You

From 21 years in corporate to a mountain lifestyle, to pioneering online accounting, to an award-winning firm, to a successful exit—each step gave me more freedom and the confidence to ask: What’s next?

For me, it’s a return to the small business owner—wearing all the hats. That’s why I built BreezePoint.

Your turn:
What’s your story? What lifestyle do you want? You don’t have to follow a traditional path. Don’t listen to the voices saying you can’t. You can build a business around your lifestyle, passions, talents, strengths, and vision for freedom—if you’re willing to start, commit, sometimes pivot, always learn, and keep moving forward.

Chart your own course—not someone else’s.

Key Takeaways for SMB Owners

• Lifestyle first → Business will follow your lead
• Use a creative approach
• Systematize everything that you can (and iterate weekly)
• Start small—momentum beats perfection

Watch the Video

Watch “My Story” on YouTube »

About BreezePoint

BreezePoint provides done-for-you bookkeeping for Therapists, Counselors and Mental Health Care Providers —clean books, clear reports, zero jargon. Grow confidence, contact Kim now

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