CEO Numbers Network with Danielle Hayden

Kickstart Accounting, Inc.
  • 4.9 (32)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Making money and understanding your finances are two very different things. CEO Numbers Network is here to close that gap. Hosted by Danielle Hayden, former corporate CFO and CEO of Kickstart Accounting, Inc., every episode breaks down the financial strategy that most business owners never had access to. Profit, cash flow, real decision-making. The kind of thinking that actually moves a business forward.

  1. 4d ago

    Can AI Actually Replace Your Bookkeeper?

    I ran our own business financials through AI three different ways and got three completely different answers. What that revealed about trusting AI with your numbers might change how you use it in your own business. I share what happened when I fed our real financials into AI and changed only the tone of my prompt, from neutral to positive to negative, and watched the same numbers produce three completely different financial narratives. I talk about why AI won't push back on you unless you ask it to, and what that means if you're using it to make real financial decisions. I also share a story about an AI-run bookkeeping firm that undercut our pricing by two dollars, and why that pushed me to think about what business owners are actually paying for when they choose a financial partner. I close with two questions I think every business owner should ask before trusting anyone, human or AI, with their numbers. In this episode of CEO Numbers Network, I run an experiment on my own business and get honest about what it revealed. You will learn why a prompt is never neutral, what to watch for if you use AI on your own financials, and two questions to ask before trusting any financial partner with your numbers. If you have ever wondered whether the financial advice you're getting from AI is actually accurate, or just telling you what you want to hear, this episode will change how you think about it.   👉 Discover how our bookkeeping team can give your numbers the human judgment AI can't: here   Key Takeaways 00:36 Running an AI financial experiment 02:36 A positive prompt skews AI's read 03:02 A negative prompt flips the story 04:19 AI mirrors your mood, not reality 06:10 The $2 AI bookkeeping ad 11:46 Two questions before you hire    Resources 📥 Download our free mid-year tax check-in checklist: here 📈 Book a strategy call with Danielle's team at Kickstart: here    👉 Check your books here  👉 Visit the Kickstart website 👉 Follow us on Instagram   👉 Why Your Tax Bill Keeps Growing (Even When You Pay On Time)  👉 The S Corp Move to Stop Overpaying the IRS

  2. Aug 11

    The S Corp Move to Stop Overpaying the IRS

    You've built a profitable business, and you're still handing more of it to the IRS than you need to. The real reason usually traces back to your structure. In this episode of CEO Numbers Network, I'm continuing our mid-year tax check-in series with a deep dive into business structure. Profitable business owners often keep paying self-employment tax long after their structure has stopped making sense. I break down the three signs that tell you you're ready for an S corp and the reasonable compensation rule the IRS requires once you make that switch. I also share a client story about what it actually took to get her ready, because the profit number alone wasn't enough. You will learn the three signs that tell you you're ready for an S corp, plus the reasonable compensation rule the IRS enforces once you make the switch. If you have ever wondered why your CPA never brought up an S corp, or worried you might be underpaying yourself the wrong way, this episode shows you exactly where to look.   👉 Discover how our tax team can help you know if you're ready for an S corp: here   Key Takeaways 00:00 The cost of delaying decisions 1:54 Why self-employment tax costs more 3:19 How S Corp changes taxes 5:02 The $75,000 net profit benchmark 6:40 Why finances must stay separate 7:53 The reasonable compensation rule    Resources 📥 Download our free mid-year tax check-in checklist: here 📈 Book a strategy call with Danielle's team at Kickstart: here    👉 Check your books here  👉 Visit the Kickstart website 👉 Follow us on Instagram   Listen Next 👉 Why Your Tax Bill Keeps Growing (Even When You Pay On Time) 👉 Your CPA Did Everything Right, and It's Still Costing You

  3. Aug 4

    Why Your Tax Bill Keeps Growing (Even When You Pay On Time)

    Safe harbor protects you from an IRS penalty, but it doesn't protect you from a bigger tax bill when your business grows. This episode of CEO Numbers Network explains the difference, and what to do about it before next April. I explain safe harbor, the IRS rule that protects business owners from an underpayment penalty, and why it's often mistaken for a complete tax plan. I walk through the exact math the IRS uses to calculate what you owe throughout the year, and I share two real client stories, one who paid faithfully and still got a surprise bill, and one who had never paid estimated taxes at all. I also break down the tax reserve, a separate number based on this year's income that safe harbor alone doesn't cover, and I give you three concrete steps to close that gap before your next tax season. You will learn what safe harbor actually protects you from and how the tax reserve closes the gap it leaves behind. If you have ever paid every estimated tax payment on time and still gotten a bill you didn't expect, this episode will show you exactly why, and what to do differently before next April. 👉 Discover how our tax team can build your tax reserve alongside your safe harbor payments: here.   Key Takeaways 00:00 Why paying on time still bites 02:18 What Safe Harbor covers 04:28 Growing faster than your tax plan 05:18 The Safe Harbor floor mistake 05:29 Two client stories on the gap 07:24 The tax reserve formula 10:29 The CEO question to ask 11:44 Three steps to close the gap   Resources 📥 Download our free mid-year tax check-in checklist: here 📈 Book a strategy call with Danielle's team at Kickstart: here    👉 Check your books here  👉 Visit the Kickstart website 👉 Follow us on Instagram   Listen Next 👉 Your CPA Did Everything Right, and It's Still Costing You 👉 The CEO Strategy For Building A Full Money Team

  4. Jul 28

    Your CPA Did Everything Right, and It's Still Costing You

    Your CPA can file a perfectly accurate return every year and still never once ask you the question that actually changes what you owe. That's how the entire accounting industry built the job, and I think it's the wrong way to run a business. I've spent my career watching business owners treat tax filing and tax planning as the same job. They're not, and that confusion is exactly why I built an entire second practice, KSA Tax Partners, around the difference. In this episode, I walk through the six-area mid-year check-in we run with every client there, business structure, benefits, retirement contributions, tax projections, estimated payments, and deductions, plus a real client story where three of those areas were missed entirely because no one was looking forward on their behalf. In this episode of CEO Numbers Network, I make the case for a standard I think every business owner should hold their advisors to, one that goes beyond filing and into real planning. You will learn exactly what that standard looks like in practice, and how to tell whether your current advisor is meeting it. If you have ever sensed that your CPA is doing everything right and something is still missing, this is the conversation that closes that gap before the year runs out. 👉 Discover how our tax support can help you plan ahead, not just file on time, start here! Key Takeaways: 00:00 The CPA Question Nobody Asks 1:21 Filing vs Planning 2:37 Why Fall, Not April 3:04 The Six-Part Tax Snapshot 5:39 Three Missed Tax Moves 7:03 The Boardroom Standard Resources: 📥 Download our free mid-year tax check-in checklist: here 📈 Book a strategy call with Danielle's team at Kickstart: here    👉 Check your books here  👉 Visit the Kickstart website 👉 Follow us on Instagram Listen Next: 👉 Maximizing Tax Deductions: The Smart Owner's Guide to Business Expenses – Ep. 214 👉 Avoid THESE Costly Mistakes from Mixing Business & Personal Expenses – Episode 196

  5. Jul 21

    The CEO Strategy For Building A Full Money Team

    You have your financial statements. But do you actually know what to do with them? Most of us were taught to check our numbers after the month is already over. That's the moment I want to change for you. In this episode, I walk through the four ways business owners make decisions and why most of us default to reacting instead of planning. I share the three shifts I use in my own business. Two of them are about your numbers: using them instead of just knowing them, and looking ahead instead of only looking back. The third is about your role, moving from expert to CEO. I also break down the four roles every money team needs and share what happened when one of our clients built her ten year vision and finally felt confident enough to hire. In this episode of CEO Numbers Network, I break down why your budget alone isn't enough to guide your decisions. You will learn the four decision making styles I see most often, plus the three shifts that move you from reactive to strategic. I also walk through the four roles you need on your money team. If you have ever made a big decision off pure gut instinct or panicked after one bad month, this episode will help you build a process you can actually trust.   👉 Discover how our Tteam can help you build a budget you actually use, start here!   Key Takeaways 00:00 Four decision-making styles for CEOs 02:38 Bookkeeping and budget drive decisions 04:11 Financial whiplash kills business confidence 07:46 Build your 10-year vision first 10:26 Growing past $800K by hiring 13:32 Building a strong money team   Resources 📈 Book a strategy call with Danielle's team at Kickstart: here    👉 Check your books here  👉 Visit the Kickstart website 👉 Follow us on Instagram   Listen Next 👉 What Outgrowing Your Business Actually Looks Like 👉 The Reforecast Mistake Costing You the Rest of the Year

  6. Jul 14

    What Outgrowing Your Business Actually Looks Like

    After eleven years, we admitted the business we had on paper wasn't the business we had actually built. This episode is what outgrowing your own business actually looks like, from the inside. We rebranded Kickstart Accounting into three divisions, Kickstart Bookkeeping, Nvision CFO, and KSA Tax Partners, and in this episode I explain why, starting with the one thing I want to clear up immediately: we did not sell the business. Our VP of Operations Victoria joins me to talk through how we knew it was time to rebrand, the three financial phases every business owner moves through on the way to building real value, and why bookkeeping still has to be the foundation of every other financial decision. We also get into what a done-with-you model looks like compared to done-for-you, and why building something that can survive without you matters more than staying profitable alone. In this episode of CEO Numbers Network, Victoria and I walk through the real story behind our rebrand and what building a valuable business actually requires. You will learn the three financial phases every business owner moves through and why bookkeeping still has to be the foundation before you can build real value. If you have ever felt like your business outgrew the brand you built it under, this episode will show you what it actually takes to build something that can run without you.   👉 Discover how our CFO services can help you plan your next 10 years, not just last month: start here!   Key Takeaways 00:00 No Sale, No New Ownership 04:00 The Designer Note Behind the Rebrand 06:00 No Budget Without Bookkeeping 08:00 Envision CFO's 1, 3, and 10-Year Plans 10:00 A 10-Year Recommitment to Kickstart 11:00 Building a Business That Could Be Sold 13:00 Confirming the Same Leadership Team 15:00 Kickstart Kit and the Done-With-You Model   Resources 📈 Book a strategy call with Danielle's team at Kickstart: here    👉 Check your books here  👉 Visit the Kickstart website 👉 Follow us on Instagram   Listen next 👉 How to Audit Business Expenses Like a CFO (5-Step Method) 👉 The Reforecast Mistake Costing You the Rest of the Year

  7. Jul 7

    The Reforecast Mistake Costing You the Rest of the Year

    You made a plan back in January. By July, your business probably looks nothing like it. In this episode, I walk through mid-year financial reforecasting for small business owners, including a 3-step process for updating a budget using year-to-date data. I share the boardroom accountability standard, three questions I use to evaluate what happened, why it happened, and what to do next. I also share two real client examples, one who adjusted her plan after a team member left and one who had to build new infrastructure after hitting her revenue goal early. I explain why revising your budget mid-year is normal and does not mean you failed. In this episode of CEO Numbers Network, I break down the reforecasting tool I've used every year since my corporate CFO days to lead the back half of the year with confidence. You will learn the three-question boardroom standard, the signs that mean it's time to update your budget, and the three-step process for reforecasting your numbers. If you have ever felt like your original budget doesn't match your business anymore, this episode gives you the tool to update it without feeling like you failed.   👉 Need help re-forecasting? Discover how our CFO services can help your business for the back half of the year: here ✅ Download the Mid-Year Checklist   Key Takeaways 01:00 Why Every CEO Reforecasts 02:22 What Reforecasting Really Means 03:43 The Boardroom Accountability Standard 05:47 5 Signs To Reforecast 08:42 The 3-Step Reforecast Process 11:50 Real Client Success Stories    Resources 📈 Book a strategy call with Danielle's team at Kickstart: here    👉 Check your books here  👉 Visit the Kickstart website 👉 Follow us on Instagram   Listen Next 👉 How to Audit Business Expenses Like a CFO (5-Step Method) 👉 The Mid-Year Reset Your Business Is Begging For

  8. Jun 30

    How to Audit Business Expenses Like a CFO (5-Step Method)

    You can't grow a business you can't defend. Every line item on your P&L deserves a real answer when someone asks why it's there. For years as a corporate CFO, I learned a framework for reviewing business expenses that I now use with every Kickstart Accounting client. It is a step-by-step method for small business owners who feel like their profit is leaking somewhere but cannot see exactly where. I walk through how to pull every vendor in your business, grade each one against your actual operations, and create an action plan you can defend. By the end you will know exactly how to bring boardroom-level accountability to your business spending. In this episode of CEO Numbers Network, I break down the expense grading framework into 5 steps any business owner can execute this week. You will learn how to audit every vendor in your business and apply the A/B/C grading system that CFOs use in boardroom reviews. If you have ever felt overwhelmed looking at your P&L or signed up for subscriptions you can no longer defend, this episode gives you the framework to take ownership back.   👉 Discover how our CFO services can help you audit every expense in your business: here ✅ Download the Mid-Year Checklist: kickstartaccountinginc.com/checklist   Key Takeaways: 00:00 The CFO Boardroom Standard for Business Expenses 04:18 Step 1: Pull Every Vendor From the Last 12 Months 05:02 Step 2: The A/B/C Grading System Every CEO Needs 06:55 Step 3: Defend Every Expense Like You're Presenting to a Board 08:20 Step 4: Keep, Consider, or Cut Every Vendor 09:25 Why High Profit Margins Can Signal a Problem   Resources:  ✨Download The Ultimate Dashboard for Business Owners for FREE here 📈 Book a strategy call with Danielle's team at Kickstart: here    👉 Check your books here  👉 Visit the Kickstart website 👉 Follow us on Instagram   Listen next 👉 The Mid-Year Reset Your Business Is Begging For 👉 Balance Sheet Mistakes Draining Your Business

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Making money and understanding your finances are two very different things. CEO Numbers Network is here to close that gap. Hosted by Danielle Hayden, former corporate CFO and CEO of Kickstart Accounting, Inc., every episode breaks down the financial strategy that most business owners never had access to. Profit, cash flow, real decision-making. The kind of thinking that actually moves a business forward.

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