We have our first guest ever on the podcast: Caitlyn Grad, founder of Caitlyn Grad Marketing and the woman currently living on your For You Page thanks to her CT Hidden Gems content and her very serious hunt for Connecticut's best chocolate chip cookie.

We get into the pearl necklace that accidentally launched her career, the Lurker Theory (every client she's ever signed, never liked or commented on her posts, just watched), and how to tell when you're too close to your own brand to see it clearly anymore. We also talk about pricing, since creatives are wildly undercharging, what to look for when hiring a social media person for the first time, and the red flags that should make you run.

Plus our own chicken and egg debate: bookkeeping vs marketing, what do you outsource first. 

And yes, we settle whether Heirloom Market is still the reigning champion of CT chocolate chip cookies.

Follow Caitlyn, especially if you like cookies.

You can watch the video of this episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/I48YojW9dis

Get in Touch with Caitlyn Grad: 

Website: https://www.caitlyngradmarketing.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caitlyngradmarketing/

Want to start a podcast? 

Thriving Podcaster Program: https://www.fullandthrivingmedia.com/

For the chocolate chip cookie lovers local to CT: 

Heirloom Market Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heirloommarket/?hl=en

Harborview Market Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harborviewmarket/?hl=en

Send us a DM on Instagram of YOUR favorite CT chocolate chip cookie @ledgerleaf

Make a Copy of our *FREE* Profit and Loss Template: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJxVr62F99dHM6q89VZuo_fRpGoBAhTXawxqUTF2qhPKuvYg/viewform?usp=publish-editor

Website: https://www.ledgerleafbookkeeping.com/

Instagram: @ledgerleaf https://www.instagram.com/ledgerleaf

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Ledger-Leaf-Bookkeeping-LLC/61569063584691/

Book a Chat with me: https://calendly.com/brenna-ledgerleafbookkeeping/30min

Disclaimer: I am not an accountant, CPA, or legal professional. Nothing in this episode should be considered tax or legal advice. 

A lot of people come to me and say it like it's just a fact about themselves: I'm bad with money.

I don't really believe that's true, I think you haven't been TAUGHT anything about money. 

In this episode I'm talking about the DIY phase of business and why it actually matters, what your books need at a basic level, and how to know when it's time to get help. 

I also want to talk about what good help is supposed to feel like — because if you've ever worked with someone who made you feel like your questions were an inconvenience, that's not the standard.

Your numbers are yours. You deserve to actually understand them.

Make a Copy of our *FREE* Profit and Loss Template: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJxVr62F99dHM6q89VZuo_fRpGoBAhTXawxqUTF2qhPKuvYg/viewform?usp=publish-editor

Website: https://www.ledgerleafbookkeeping.com/

Instagram: @ledgerleaf https://www.instagram.com/ledgerleaf

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Ledger-Leaf-Bookkeeping-LLC/61569063584691/

Book a Chat with me: https://calendly.com/brenna-ledgerleafbookkeeping/30min

Disclaimer: I am not an accountant, CPA, or legal professional. Nothing in this episode should be considered tax or legal advice. 

Not every client is your client. And the sooner you believe that, the better your business gets.

In this episode I'm talking about something I do regularly that still surprises people every time: turning away clients before they start, and breaking up with ones I already have. I'll walk you through the red flags I watch for in a consultation, how to trust your gut when something feels off, and what it actually looks like to end a client relationship kindly but firmly.

If you've ever kept a client you knew wasn't right because you felt like you had to, this one's for you.

Make a Copy of our *FREE* Profit and Loss Template: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJxVr62F99dHM6q89VZuo_fRpGoBAhTXawxqUTF2qhPKuvYg/viewform?usp=publish-editor

Website: https://www.ledgerleafbookkeeping.com/

Instagram: @ledgerleaf https://www.instagram.com/ledgerleaf

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Ledger-Leaf-Bookkeeping-LLC/61569063584691/

Book a Chat with me: https://calendly.com/brenna-ledgerleafbookkeeping/30min

Disclaimer: I am not an accountant, CPA, or legal professional. Nothing in this episode should be considered tax or legal advice. 

You formed your LLC. You paid the fee. You feel official, you feel protected — but there is a lot nobody tells you about what actually keeps that protection intact.

In this episode, we are getting into the stuff I wish more business owners knew before they started mixing accounts, writing off everything in their Amazon cart, and arguing with their bookkeeper. Yes, we are talking about girl write offs. Yes, it gets honest. And yes, there is a Breaking Bad reference.

This one is educational, a little spicy, and genuinely important — whether you have been in business for years or you are just getting started.

Because when your books are right, your business is protected. And when your business is protected, you can focus on building it.

Make a Copy of our *FREE* Profit and Loss Template: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJxVr62F99dHM6q89VZuo_fRpGoBAhTXawxqUTF2qhPKuvYg/viewform?usp=publish-editor

Website: https://www.ledgerleafbookkeeping.com/

Instagram: @ledgerleaf https://www.instagram.com/ledgerleaf

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Ledger-Leaf-Bookkeeping-LLC/61569063584691/

Book a Chat with me: https://calendly.com/brenna-ledgerleafbookkeeping/30min

Disclaimer: I am not an accountant, CPA, or legal professional. Nothing in this episode should be considered tax or legal advice. 

Early in my business, I got on a networking call that I have never forgotten. Not because it broke me, but because it built something. It set a standard I carry into every single client interaction I have now.

In this Sell Me Softly episode, we are talking about the difference between identifying a pain point and weaponizing one. About what ethical selling actually looks like, and what it feels like to be on the wrong end of a sales conversation that uses your insecurities against you.

If you have ever walked away from a pitch feeling smaller than when you started, this one is for you.

And if you are building a business and figuring out how to sell... this one is for you too.

Have a similar story? DM on Instagram, I'd love to hear it! @ledgerleaf

Make a Copy of our *FREE* Profit and Loss Template: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJxVr62F99dHM6q89VZuo_fRpGoBAhTXawxqUTF2qhPKuvYg/viewform?usp=publish-editor

Website: https://www.ledgerleafbookkeeping.com/

Instagram: @ledgerleaf https://www.instagram.com/ledgerleaf

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Ledger-Leaf-Bookkeeping-LLC/61569063584691/

Book a Chat with me: https://calendly.com/brenna-ledgerleafbookkeeping/30min

Disclaimer: I am not an accountant, CPA, or legal professional. Nothing in this episode should be considered tax or legal advice. 

So you want to start a business, but you have nothing in the bank to do it with. No budget for courses, coaches, or branding packages. Just you, an idea, and a whole lot of uncertainty about where to begin.

In this first episode, I'm going back to the very beginning — my beginning — and walking you through the five steps that made the difference between building something real and just wishing I had. It starts in 2020, in the middle of a season of life I never saw coming, and it gets honest pretty quickly.

This isn't a shortcut episode. It's not about overnight success or aggressive growth strategies. It's about what it actually looks like to build with intention when the odds feel stacked against you — and why that might be exactly the foundation you need.

If you're at the start of something, or it feels like you're starting over, this episode was made for you.

Check out Laura Costello https://www.lauracostelloart.com/ 

Make a Copy of our *FREE* Profit and Loss Template: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJxVr62F99dHM6q89VZuo_fRpGoBAhTXawxqUTF2qhPKuvYg/viewform?usp=publish-editor

Website: https://www.ledgerleafbookkeeping.com/

Instagram: @ledgerleaf https://www.instagram.com/ledgerleaf

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Ledger-Leaf-Bookkeeping-LLC/61569063584691/

Book a Chat with me: https://calendly.com/brenna-ledgerleafbookkeeping/30min

Disclaimer: I am not an accountant, CPA, or legal professional. Nothing in this episode should be considered tax or legal advice.