Accountful Advising

Accounting operations can be confusing and time-consuming for a new business owner, but don’t let an opaque view of your finances stall your business growth. You need an experienced accountant on your side to take the stress out of accounting.

Founder, Financial Accountant

NeuroLeadership Institute

Senior Accountant

Analyze and report on $30M+ annual revenue. Clearly communicate advice on revenue treatment to
streamline financial operations resulting in 3x reduction in reporting turnaround and greater cross-department alignment.

• Forecast $30M+ in annual revenue with keen accuracy by persistently staying  in clear communication with project management team leads.
• Prepare end of month reconciliations of profit and loss and balance sheet accounts including journal preparations; ruthlessly prioritize to lessen EOM closing times by the following business days:
           - Total EOM closing: from 15 to 7
           - Accrual: from 3 to 1.5
           - Deferred: from 1.5 to .5
• Prepare and analyze weekly cash flow reports to ensure healthy cash flow.
• Create new processes and procedures resulting in quicker reconciliations and  more efficient communication across teams.
• Perform complex analysis of financial data with extreme care and detail orientation to quickly produce accurate revenue forecasts for leadership.
• Complete routine calculations to produce analyses and reports as requested.
• Plan for new infrastructure investment and build new procedures within it to simplify and optimize processes.

Staff Accountant

Business Relationship Management Institute

Directly support strategic planning efforts by providing accurate reports, budget projections, cash flow statements, and financial analysis for executive leadership.

• Perform cash flow and variance analysis to determine data-driven decisions and implement new processes for solutions to deter further anomalies compared to plan
• Compose monthly, quarterly and annual financial statements resulting in timely, accurate reports
• Create and manage $1.5M in company budgets regularly keeping sheets up to date
• Balance and monitor five company bank and credit card accounts reconciling on a monthly basis
• Maintain and audit accounts receivable and payable on a continuous basis
• Assist in preparing and filing of appropriate tax forms by being the first point of contact with the outsourced tax team by researching and providing all necessary information for the forms
• Research lead for all things related to finance, researching and troubleshooting to find solutions in budget planning, on boarding, maintenance, reporting, taxes and any other accounting issues

Financial Accountant

Lake City Bank

Served as the first point of contact for bank customers seeking assistance with account transactions, loan payments, cash advances and other bank service questions in order to ensure a pleasant banking experience for the customer.

• Consistently delivered quality client experience by completing customer requests quickly, accurately and while always protecting the security of the customer
• Maintained very strong business relationships focusing on deepening client relationships and cross-selling of products and services
• Responsible for running a teller drawer, processing financial transactions and actively managed the on boarding of new clients
• Stayed informed and up to date on all bank products, processes and procedures; especially those that were most complex and maintained all operational and risk management standards

North-Central Regional Teller

I make it easy to understand your business' financial health // Accounting for B2B service businesses // Founder @ Accountful Advising

👋 Hi, I'm Kayla.

If I know one thing about business it's this: good decisions are backed by data.

I learned this lesson early in my career when I watched a promising business nearly self-destruct when an event drained their finances and they scrambled to make payroll. That experience burned into my memory the power of financial reporting & forecasting — and the cost of neglecting it. 

The truth is, financial headwinds are inevitable for growing businesses. But with clear, accurate financial data, those headwinds become manageable challenges, not insurmountable obstacles.

That's why I founded 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠. I'm passionate about giving small and medium-sized business owners the same financial clarity that Fortune 500 CEOs rely on to steer massive enterprises with confidence.

𝐖𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬. We're your financial co-pilots, providing:

𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: Crystal-clear reports that cut through the noise and show you what matters most.
𝐑𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐝 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: Real-time insights into your financial future, so you can plan proactively and make informed decisions.
𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: We don't just give you numbers; we give you strategies to improve your bottom line and fuel your growth.

Our mission is to empower consulting business owners to make smarter decisions, scale faster, and achieve their ambitions. 𝐋𝐞𝐭'𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐭.

Kayla Peña

Two duplicate bills. Two payments sent.
But only one was charged.

Want to know where the other one ended up?

A new client of mine recently had this happen:

🔁 Two duplicate bills were entered into their AP system.
Both were approved and paid (by their previous accountant). 

One payment was charged by the vendor.
The other sat on a virtual card… never charged… never refunded.

That money was now in limbo. 🫠

Here’s the difference a great firm makes:

✅ Flags duplicate bills before payment is sent
✅ Tracks pending payments to make sure the money lands where it should
✅ Follows up and escalates when something goes missing
✅ Actually recovers your cash

A not-so-great firm:

🚩 Misses duplicates altogether
🚩 Doesn’t reconcile payments to charges
🚩 Has no follow-up system and no idea the funds never returned
🚩 Quietly costs your business thousands

This client got lucky because now they have someone (hi, that's me! 👋) keeping a close eye on their cash.

This is what strong finance operations are supposed to do:

👉 Avoid preventable errors
👉 Recover lost funds
👉 Protect your cash

A missed refund isn’t a small mistake. It’s money off the table.

And for small businesses, that's a big deal. 

You deserve a partner who treats it that way.


#accounting #finance #smallbusiness

Need accounting? I deliver crystal-clear financial insights for service businesses & nonprofits ➡️ Make decisions with confidence

One of the hardest parts of growing a service business in the early years is figuring out how to talk about what you do.

Not just what you deliver—what your clients actually get.

I’ve been in business for 3.5 years, and the crazy thing is…
My services haven’t changed.

But the way I describe them?
That’s evolved over and over (and over) again.

And I think I’ve finally landed on it 👇

What my clients get when they work with me is this:

No surprises. 

No surprise cash shortfalls.
No surprise missed payments.
No surprise “Oh no, we can’t afford this hire after all.”

The truth is, most accounting firms don’t connect the dots.
They either miss things in the history—or fail to help you see what’s ahead.

But we do both:

✅ Accounting that’s fully reconciled every month—so you know what happened, down to the penny.

✅ Finance that delivers visibility—so you always know what’s coming next.

→ Is cash trending in the wrong direction? You’ll know.
→ Want to hire? You’ll know if it’s affordable.
→ Forecasting runway? Already done.

No surprises. Just clarity.

That’s what I deliver.

To my network, I want your help—

Does this messaging resonate with you? Tell me your thoughts below👇


#entrepreneurship #accounting #finance

Growth isn’t linear. Even when you expect setbacks, they still hit hard. 

I’ve had a lot of wins since starting my business.

I landed a great contract early on with high hours and a great rate. It gave me the runway I needed to get going.

But it still took me 6 months to land my first acquisition client.

Then I had to figure out:

▪️ Who I was really selling to
▪️ What I was actually selling
▪️ And what I needed to charge to grow sustainably

During this period I took on some not-ideal clients that made growing profit hard. 

All the while, that original contract? It was shrinking.

Then I lost my first major client. They were struggling financially and chose to find a cheaper option. 

The week they told me, I was onboarding my first employee...

More recently, I hit a stride and found some amazing ideal clients that I love working with at a rate that actually supports business growth. 

But then I took on a client outside of my ICP—a friend, no less. I completely underpriced the work, and now I’m feeling it. 😰


This is what building a business really looks like.

There are ups, downs, and gut punches in between.

But here’s what’s saved me every single time:


Forecasting.


Not just knowing my numbers. Having a living, breathing plan for:

✅ How much I can realistically pay myself
✅ How much debt I might need to carry short-term
✅ How to catch up on tax savings
✅ What to focus on next to get back on track

Because when the hits come—and they will—you need more than hope to get through them.

You need a plan.

And if you’re bootstrapping a service business, that plan is your lifeline.


#accounting #finance #entrepreneurship

Hiring is one of the biggest (and riskiest) decisions for service-based businesses.

But it doesn’t have to feel like a gamble.

A client of mine recently came to me while in growth mode—they were considering a new sales hire and wanted to understand the impact on their financials.

Here’s what we did:

✅ Opened their existing 12-month forecast which is updated monthly
✅ Refreshed it with the most recent revenue and expense data
✅ Layered in the projected cost of the new hire
✅ Compared profit and cash runway with and without the hire 

The result?

A crystal-clear picture of how this hire would affect their cash flow and profitability over time.

And when we spoke, they said:

“That forecasting helped a lot to be able to make that decision.
It was like, oh, great—we’ve got these four extra clients onboarding, here’s the rate…
it should outpace the cost for the new hire pretty easily.”

They made the hire.
Quickly. Confidently. Strategically.

That’s the power of finance ops that support growth.

📊 The bookkeeping gives you accuracy
📈 The forecasting gives you insight
💡 The combo gives you clarity to make smart moves

If you're thinking about a big hire—or already feeling the pressure of growth—this is how smart businesses grow with confidence.


#accounting #finance #smallbusiness

VET S.O.S.

Providing a lifeline to veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses through the sharing of information and resources about veteran support organizations and key personnel in the veteran support community who are helping our community succeed.

CEO, Co-Founder & Co-Host

Operation Barnabas

Serves directly under the Chairman and assists in all duties that may be required of him or her. In the absence of the Chairman the Vice Chairman shall preside over the Board of Directors meetings. The Vice Chairmen shall also supervise the formal assessments of the Board of Directors at least annually.

Vice Chair Board of Directors

- Duty of Care: Take care of the nonprofit by ensuring prudent use of all assets, including facility, people, and good will;
- Duty of Loyalty: Ensure that the nonprofit's activities and transactions are, first and foremost, advancing its mission; Recognize and disclose conflicts of interest; Make decisions that are in the best interest of the nonprofit corporation; not in the best interest of the individual board member (or any other individual or for-profit entity).
- Duty of Obedience: Ensure that the nonprofit obeys applicable laws and regulations; follows its own bylaws; and that the nonprofit adheres to its stated corporate purposes/mission.
- Provide guidance to organization by contributing to the organization’s culture, strategic focus, effectiveness, and financial sustainability, as well as serving as ambassadors and advocates.

Board Member

The Haskell Company

Leads project safety & health program in direct coordination with the project superintendent and assigned Regional Safety Supervisor.   Maintains a safe project environment to ensure the protection of all who engage the property including Haskell, contract partner, client and the general public personnel. Coordinates project activities to comply with rules, regulations, and policies applicable to project safety. 
- Actively participates in all site safety orientation efforts, daily/weekly team/subcontractor 
meetings, scope preconstruction meetings, and daily/weekly craft safety meetings. 
- Provides both monitoring and coaching related to the required daily Safe Work Plans. 
- Participates in project safety audits and communication of findings to the project team on a frequent 
basis to foster hazard recognition training.
- Maintains all project safety related documentation including Safety Data Sheets (SDS), trade safety 
programs, project postings, competent person /training data as required.  
- Actively participates in accident/incident investigations and assists project superintendent in the 
prompt reporting.  
- Administers and maintains all work permit programs in cooperation with Project Superintendent 
- Coordinates and/or conducts safety training as required on the project 
- Actively promotes and enforces the Haskell Code of Safe Practices and related safety policies 
- Accompanies any site visitors or authorized persons in project visits as coordinated with the Project 
Superintendent. 
- Supports the Project Superintendent in safety preplanning efforts prior to commencing work activities.  
- Should hazards classified as imminent danger or serious be identified, immediately take action to stop work and protect others from the hazard. 
- Maintains frequent communications with Regional Safety Supervisor regarding project safety issues, 
concerns and upcoming activities.   
- Maintain competency in the safety field through annual continuing education.

Project Safety Coordinator

Haskell Emergency Response Team is designed to respond quickly to an incident location to provide consultation and expertise in order to accomplish three specific tasks:
i.	Recommend specific actions to render safe the incident site
ii.	Assess site damage utilizing Business Resiliency (BRS) data and tools
iii.	Provide recovery recommendation plan to customer

Responsible for Boots on Ground Response program development and implementation. 
- Responsible for developing deployment, operation, and recovery plans 
- Developing and conducting training for team member 
- Coordination of response efforts
- Manage program budget

Emergency Response Project Manager

Member of the Business Resiliency Services Team.  Responsible for development of deployment operations plan.

Hiring Our Heroes Fellowship

Maxwell Leadership

Certified Coach, Speaker, and Trainer

Maxwell Leadership Certified Team

Veterati

Veterati is an innovative mentorship platform that makes being a mentor and finding mentors effortless. Connecting job-seekers to mentors at scale is phase 1 of Veterati’s greater mission: to transform job search from a painful experience into an inspiring journey.

My Veterati Mento Profile:  https://go.veterati.com/WxMrsn

Volunteer Mentor

The Association of Continuity Professionals

Secretary to the Board

BUZZ TV - IWANTABUZZ.COM

Conduct 5-7 minute interviews with veterans in the Jacksonville area.  Highlighting the great work that veterans are doing in and around Jacksonville, FL.

https://iwantabuzz.com/category/veterans/5-minutes-salute/

Host - 5 Minute Salute

US Army

•	Manage, track, and process security clearance paperwork for 600+ personnel within organization.
•	Responsible for onboarding new personnel.  Implemented lean processes to improve onboarding process increasing efficiency and decreases amount of time between onboarding and reporting to work.
•	Execute security inspection for 5 different organizations.  Ensures organizations are implementing proper security processes and following local laws and regulations.
•	Provide professional mentorship to 30 personnel within organization.  Lending years of experience in military to assisting others grow within and plan out their careers.

Battalion S2 (Intelligence) Noncommissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC)

Intelligence Analyst

•	Responsible for overall well-being of 90 personnel and their families.  Managed daily training, scheduling, travel, pay and benefits, and daily production for 90 personnel.
•	Responsible for planning and executing logistical operations to include movement of six vehicles, 90 personnel, and multiple equipment containers.  Successfully managed this process five times in one year without loss or damage.
•	Supervised over $5 million in military assets and equipment.  Ensured proper tracking of property and scheduled maintenance.  
•	Redistributed and updated enlisted manning in the G2 resulting in improved efficiency in the OPS section and higher morale
•	Developed and streamlined a division-wide intelligence manning tracker increasing command visibility on critical shortfalls

G2 (Intelligence) Analysis Control Element (ACE) NCOIC

•	Senior advisor for operations.  Managed ten person section responsible for all operations within a 300+ person organization.
•	Supervised the planning, resourcing, and execution of intelligence and logistical operations for 300+ person organization.  Operations included coordination with and support to multiple outside organization across the Korean Peninsula.
•	Responsible for overall well-being of 10 personnel and their families.  Managed daily training, scheduling, travel, pay and benefits, and production.
•	Devised planning tools to assist battalion operations and training in identifying potential problems for resolution prior to execution
•	Established an effective and efficient S3 team of cross-trained personnel capable of executing the most complex of tasks

Battalion S3 (Operations) NCOIC

•	Planned and managed over 500 hours of training to 100+ personnel.  Training focused on personal growth, financial awareness, educational importance, and military tactics. 
•	Responsible for overall well-being of 100+ personnel and their families.  Managed training, scheduling, travel, pay and benefits, and production.
•	Coordinated equal opportunity and sexual harassment training for organization.  Serves as advisor to organizations leaders for all matters pertaining to equal opportunity and sexual harassment.
•	Developed strong team cohesion through realistic training opportunities, resiliency training, team building events, and organization family-oriented field days.
•	Increased medical readiness to 90% by holding NCOs accountable for readiness; improving medical readiness by 5%

First Sergeant

•	Planned and managed over 500 hours of training to 75+ personnel.  Training focused on personal growth, financial awareness, educational importance, and military tactics. 
•	Responsible for overall well-being of 75+ personnel and their families.  Managed training, scheduling, travel, pay and benefits, and production.
•	Coordinated equal opportunity and sexual harassment training for organization.  Serves as advisor to organizations leaders for all matters pertaining to equal opportunity and sexual harassment.
•	Developed strong team cohesion through realistic training opportunities, resiliency training, team building events, and organization family-oriented field days.
•	Established a monthly junior enlisted mentorship program; mentored 19 Soldiers in career development
•	Mentored 23 NCOs through monthly professional development program and morale building events; promoted a learning environment and help boosted high morale
•	Developed the Detachments troop to task tracker from scratch; helped visualize HHD's personnel during high demand tasking's
•	Created and led a seven man ADVON team during four BN EDREs; ensured preparation for the BN TAC deployment
•	Helped restructure the BN TAC; resulted in the realignment of personnel by MTOE positions and improved the vehicle load plan

Detachment Sergeant

•	Senior advisor for operations.  Managed ten person section responsible for all operations within a 300+ person organization.
•	Supervised the planning, resourcing, and execution of intelligence and logistical operations for 300+ person organization.  Operations included coordination with and support to multiple outside organization across the Korean Peninsula.
•	Responsible for overall well-being of 10 personnel and their families.  Managed daily training, scheduling, travel, pay and benefits, and production.
•	Implemented AtHoc in BN S3 Operations; resulted in a commendable rating during 8th Army's no notice EDRE
•	Developed BN Command Post layout; identified challenges and implemented solutions which enabled mission success
•	Tactfully proposed troop to task recommendation to the brigade S3 staff which resulted in a 25% decrease in garrison taskings
•	Devised planning tools to assist battalion operations and training in identifying potential problems for resolution prior to execution
•	Established an effective and efficient S3 team of cross-trained personnel capable of executing the most complex of tasks

•	Responsible for planning and executing plans pertaining to the consolidation of resources (personnel and equipment) across the Korean Peninsula.
•	Successfully planned and managed over 25 community operations and events involving multiple agencies and hundreds of personnel.  Agencies included (emergency services, recreation, public works, and safety).
•	Managed essential community services and facilities for over 24,000 military community in Republic of Korea.

Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobility, and Security (DPTMS) (Operations) NCOIC

DPTMS Installation Security Officer

Task Force 51 G2 (Intelligence) Officer

ARNORTH G2 (Intelligence) Watch NCOIC

Battalion S2 (Intelligence) NCOIC

Intelligence Sergeant

I help veterans, transitioning service members, and veteran/military spouses learn about the 40,000+ veteran support organizations available to assist with military and life transitions.  My mission is to support and empower the veteran and military community through education, advocacy, and mentorship.  I co-founded VET S.O.S. Podcast to help fill this void.  My co-host and I bring on organizations to talk about what they do for our community and how you can reach out to them to get the assistance and training you want and need.

Website: https://vetsospodcast.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@vetsospodcast

Podcast Platforms: https://rss.com/podcasts/vetsos/

Contact Us: https://linktr.ee/vet_s.o.s._podcast

Shawn Welsh, RBLP-T, ABCP

🎙️ Continuing to Serve: A Mission of Education and Giving Back
When one chapter closes, another begins. 📘
In this week’s VET S.O.S. Podcast, we spotlight a veteran who thought retirement meant the end of service — but instead, found a new mission through education and community support.
The incredible team at FedEx S.O.S. continues to serve by teaching, giving back, and helping others transition successfully. 💪
This is what it means to serve — with purpose, passion, and heart. ❤️
🎧 Watch now at 👉 https://vetsospodcast.com/
#VETSOS #VeteransHelpingVeterans #MilitaryTransition #Education #CommunityImpact #GivingBack #VeteranStories #VeteranPodcast #LifelongService

Shawn Welsh

Empowering Veterans, Service Members, & MILSpouses Through Life’s Transitions | Co-Founder VET S.O.S. Podcast | Army Veteran

taplio

The Battle

Kayla Peña

Shawn Welsh, RBLP-T, ABCP

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreKayla Peña's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreShawn Welsh, RBLP-T, ABCP's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Kayla Peña

Shawn Welsh, RBLP-T, ABCP

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Kayla Peña's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreShawn Welsh, RBLP-T, ABCP's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreKayla Peña's LinkedIn Performance