Firm Nexus

CEO + Founder

KP9 Interactive

KP9 believes everyone should have access to create powerful augmented reality experiences. Through the Worldcast creative studios, individuals and brands can place their ideas onto reality. No code. No App.

Fractional CFO 

Gyroscope Accounting *Firm Acquired*

• An online CPA accounting firm that provides the best tools and support to small businesses in Canada, by focusing on automation, efficiency, and strategy.
• Developed a distinct approach with no traditional hourly fee structure, an outstanding service, and one where the CPA is a partner in the core business strategy

Managing Partner

IDENT OIL & GAS SIGNAGE

• In addition to Financial Controller duties (see below), responsible for all operations and for managing the custom printing production team 
• Assessed and managed all training and cross-training in a recession environment
• Developed and implemented company-wide tracking mechanisms for operational utilization and efficiency
• Increased efficiency for labour intensive processes by implementing streamlined systems, challenging orthodoxy, and encouraging experimentation
• As part of the management team, achieved a 30% decrease in overhead costs

Operations & Financial Controller

• Responsible for the day-to-day operation of the accounting department, including all month-end processes, coordinating internal control review and implementation, and leading complicated accounting matters (i.e. acquisitions, etc.)
• Worked closely with external auditors in completion of corporate reviews
• Drove department efficiency through training and leveraging ERP (Netsuite) as well as other initiatives
• Oversight of all risk management, treasury/cash, corporate reporting, and tax compliance
• Developed and maintained annual budgets and forecasts, with a focus on cost savings
• Worked closely with shareholders to drive shareholder value

Financial Controller

• Assisted clients with strategic acquisitions in various industries
• Clients were headquartered in Canada and the United States with operations all over the globe
• Worked with national and international EY team members to leverage industry and local expertise
• Performed financial due diligence including:
     (1) Deconstruction and analysis of cashflow projections
     (2) Analysis of quality of earnings and profitability models
     (3) Analysis of quality of net assets, net working capital, as well as debt and debt like item
• Complied reports detailing the results of performed analysis, highlighting negotiation points to mitigate risk and understand the business value

Senior Associate, Transaction Advisory

• Audited large Canadian public and private companies in various industries
• Performed financial statement audits in accordance with IFRS and ASPE, and assisted with tax provision audits
• Clients included oil and gas, telecommunications, entertainment, and beverage, as well as private equity
• Led and supervised small groups between two seven people, acting as liaison with client’s management and other external parties during the audit
• Completed a term in the human capital group, preparing personal tax returns for expatriates residing in Canada and the United States

Senior Staff Accountant, Assurance

Helping Accountants Take Home $250K+ A Year🚀 | Firm Nexus | Fractional CFO

Mark Stovel, CPA

Ambitious Bookkeeper

Dedicated to elevating the Bookkeeping profession through mentoring, education, and inspiration. Listen to The Ambitious Bookkeeper Podcast for weekly free content.

Founder

Of Course Bookkeeping

We serve online experts and course creators

Owner

Progenity, Inc.

Progenity is a CLIA-licensed laboratory and is accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP). We operate throughout the US.  We provide highly complex molecular and specialized testing services to physicians and their patients.

While at Progenity, I played a crucial role in building the accounting team and streamlining processes in a fast paced growing company, also adhering to GAAP standards. Some responsibilities include:
-managed the hiring, mentoring, goal setting and annual review process of accounting team: AP, GL, Payroll
-developed procedures for and oversaw Accounts Payable Function
-developed month end close process and provided oversight, management and review of the GL team
-managed communication with outside audit and tax firm and delegation of tasks associated with both
-assisted with integration of multiple acquisitions, providing daily support to the acquired company's accounting team

Controller

Senior Accountant - Accounting Manager

Henry Schein - Dental Specialties & Emergency Compliance Products Groups

For Dental Specialties Group:
•	Month-end close process
•	Balance sheet account reconciliations
•	SOX
•	Footnotes
•	Sales tax compliance for multiple states 
•	Complex reserve calculations
•	Various other projects and support for accounting managers
•	Compiled Policies & Procedures for the Staff Accountant role

For six months I oversaw  this role while providing interim finance and accounting support to the Emergency Compliance Products Group as the team transitioned to a new Controller:

•	Reviewed balance sheet reconciliations
•	Made internal control recommendations
•	Process oversight and improvement - related to A/P, A/R and General Ledger integrity, month-end close
•	Provided team management, cohesiveness, and direction

Staff Accountant

Calvert & Ivester, PLLC

•	Prepared Income Tax Basis Financial Compilations and related bookkeeping for monthly, quarterly and annual engagements in accordance with standards of reporting for OCBOA
•	Performed monthly bank reconciliations at client locations
•	Prepared monthly sales tax and quarterly and annual payroll and other (1099s) reports for clients
•	Prepared tax returns for Individuals (including Schedule C), Partnerships, S-Corporations, and C-Corporations

Silver City Food Co-op

•	Maintained all accounting records and payroll files, oversaw the cash receipts, cash disbursements, and payroll process, and implemented appropriate internal controls
•	Maintained sufficient audit trail, reconciled all bank accounts, monitored cash flow, and performed fixed assets tracking
•	Prepared and filed all monthly, quarterly and annual state and federal payroll and sales tax reports
•	Coordinated, calculated and reconciled quarterly physical inventories
•	Monitored all employee benefits (including SIMPLE IRAs, Medical Reimbursement, and Paid Vacation)
•	Maintained all personnel files, ensuring that they were complete, accurate, and secure at all times
•	Assisted independent auditing firm during annual audits

Finance Manager

🧐 Most bookkeepers: will categorize your transactions, maybe have a couple questions, and then send you an email that says “your bookkeeping is done!”
 🤩 My team and I: put together key financial reports and snazzy overview video with visuals each month, pointing out key changes and numbers you need to pay attention to, so you can actually make decisions and understand what’s happening in your business! 


Of Course Bookkeeping is an accounting firm for online entrepreneurs and course creators who are passionate about making an impact. We believe that when entrepreneurs understand their numbers, they can grow their numbers and have massive impact. 

We set you up with easy to use tools and automation through apps like Xero, Hubdoc, Google Drive and Gusto. We guide you so you can see your finances more clearly in real time anywhere--and understand what it all means. 

I’m also passionate about helping others in my field. On the Ambitious Bookkeeper® podcast I share insights and tools that have helped me grow my business, so other bookkeepers and accountants can make the move to a virtual bookkeeping side hustle or business, too!

Serena Shoup, CPA

I quit my job the day they denied my time off to see my daughter's preschool performance. Best decision I ever made.

Here's what nobody tells you about starting a bookkeeping business: the hardest part isn't the accounting. 

It's believing you're allowed to want more than your current circumstances.

For YEARS, I sat on a business idea because I was terrified of:
❌ Not knowing enough
❌ Having to network as an introvert
❌ Actually selling my services
❌ Balancing business with kids

But here's the facts: I had over a decade of accounting experience and STILL felt like I didn't have what it takes. That's not a knowledge problem. That's an imposter syndrome problem.

And if you're sitting here thinking "the market is too saturated" or "AI is going to take all the jobs," hear me out: There are 33 million small businesses in the US alone. Many business owners are still resistant to even moving to cloud software, let alone AI.

Technology replaces tasks, not trust. And your ability to CARE about your clients' success? AI will never have that.

You don't need another certification.

You don't need to know everything. 

You need to believe you can do this and take the first step.

Who's ready to stop stalling and start building? 

#ambitious #bookkeeper #accountant #BookkeepingBusiness #AmbitiousBookkeeper #AccountingCareer #RemoteBookkeeper #SideHustle #WomenInBusiness #AIBookkeeping

🧮 Accountant for Course Creators |🎙 Host of The Ambitious Bookkeeper® Podcast | Mentor for Bookkeepers

"Meals and Entertainment" needs to DIE as a category in your chart of accounts.

Why? Because the IRS treats these COMPLETELY differently:
→ Meals = 50% deductible
→ Entertainment = 0% deductible (since 2018!)

When you lump them together, you're either:

1. Deducting entertainment (audit red flag 🚩)
2. Missing deductions on meals you're entitled to

Here's what I do instead:

Create separate accounts:

- "Meals - Business" (for the 50% deduction)
- "Entertainment" (so you know it's not deductible)

This takes 2 minutes to set up and could save you THOUSANDS in proper deductions.

And if your bookkeeper is still using "Meals & Entertainment"? Send them this post.

Your CPA will love you for this at tax time

#ambitious #bookkeeper #accountant #taxes #auditproof #taxaudit #xero #bookkeepingbusiness #xerobookkeeping #xerosoftware

Over the next week or so, I’m airing The Bookkeeping Biz Workshops (normally a paid series) on the podcast & Youtube channel. 

This is a LIMITED time series so make sure you’re subscribed to catch it before it gets taken down Dec 1. 

🔗 links in comments!!

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NEVER use Intuit Payroll 💀

I don't care if it seems convenient because you're already in QBO.

I don't care if the client insists.

I have a client who owes $50k in back taxes to the IRS because Intuit Payroll recorded the payment as if it went through... but it never actually made it to the IRS.

$50,000.

And she's not alone. I've seen this happen multiple times - payments that clients THOUGHT were being sent automatically just... disappearing into the void.

Here's what I recommend instead: Gusto (my favorite), Paychex, or ADP for larger companies.

Gusto is easy for clients to use, integrates beautifully with your accounting software, and - here's the key - the payments actually make it to the taxing authorities.

The peace of mind alone is worth switching. You don't want that liability hanging over your head or your client's business.

#ambitious #bookkeeper #accountant #payroll #payrollsoftware #gusto #adp #paychex #intuitpayroll #accountingtechstack #accountingsoftware #bookkeepingbusiness

Stop clicking through MONTHS of bank transactions one by one

Let’s talk Cash Coding.

Here's why you need to know about it:
Instead of reconciling that same coffee shop charge 47 times, you can select ALL of them at once, categorize them together, and boom - done in 30 seconds.

Your future self will thank you for learning this NOW instead of after manually coding 500+ transactions

What's your least favorite part of bookkeeping? Let me know in the comments!

#ambitious #bookkeeper #accountant #cashcoding #xero #xeroaccounting #xerosoftware #bookkeepingtips #timesaving #bookkeepingbusiness #tutorial

Every technological leap in accounting has sparked the same fear:

Will this replace us?

And every time, the answer has been 

No.

Let's have a history lesson, because we need some perspective on this whole AI panic:

📊 1950s: Electric calculators made manual tabulation obsolete. Accountants who resisted got outpaced. Those who adapted thrived.

💾 1979: VisiCalc (first spreadsheet) let accountants run hundreds of calculations in seconds. The fear? "What's left for us to do?" The reality? We became more valuable.

☁️ Early 2000s: Cloud accounting emerged. The fear? "If clients can see their books in real time, will they even need us?" The reality? We became faster, more collaborative, and MORE essential.

🤖 Today: AI can categorize transactions and draft reports. The fear? "What is left for us?" 

The answer? 

THE SAME AS IT'S ALWAYS BEEN.

Technology replaces tasks, not trust.
AI needs oversight. 

Clients need human connection. 

And honestly? Even if AI does most of the bookkeeping eventually, there's going to be SO MANY MESSES for us to clean up, review, verify, and analyze.

Those who adapt don't just survive – they thrive.

So here's my advice: Get familiar with the AI tools built into your accounting software. Understand what they can and can't do. 

Position yourself as the expert who WORKS WITH AI to deliver better results faster.

Don't give up. Don't dig your heels in. Adapt.

Are you embracing AI or resisting it? Let's talk about it 👇

#ambitious #bookkeeper #accountant #AIandAccounting #FutureOfBookkeeping #AccountingTechnology #BookkeeperLife #AdaptOrDie #TechSavvyBookkeeper

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The Battle

Mark Stovel, CPA

Serena Shoup, CPA

Followers

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taplio

The Battle

Mark Stovel, CPA

Serena Shoup, CPA

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);}Serena Shoup, CPA's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreSerena Shoup, CPA's LinkedIn Performance