Rural Money Matters

For years doing everything myself was a strength but it turned out to be the very thing capping my business and burning me out. In this episode I share the honest, still-in-progress story of what actually happened when I stopped being the person who does everything and started being the person who leads instead.

In this episode:

• Why doing everything isn't just a habit, it's an identity, and why that makes letting go so hard
• The mindset traps that keep rural business owners holding on (fear of judgment, loss of control, feeling like you're not coping)
• The real question that changed everything for me: is my identity so tied up in doing that I'm blocking my business from growing?
• Why sometimes the best thing that can happen is a deadline (hello, baby deadlines)
• What I actually let go of, from bookkeeping delivery to operations and admin
• The "loose tight" approach: be loose on the process, tight on the outcome
• Why the business got better, not worse, when I stepped back
• The truth about trust: it's not a feeling you wait for, it's something you build

What is the one thing you're holding onto that you don't actually need to be holding? Not the vision or the strategy, just the recurring task that drains your time and that someone else could do with the right guidance.

If the thing you need to let go of first is your bookkeeping, that's exactly where we come in.

EJS Business Services helps rural business owners take the books off their plate properly, with the right systems, reporting and support.

We're also running a Xero webinar on Thursday 13th August 2026, perfect if your Xero isn't working the way it should or you're not sure it's set up right. Register at www.ejsbusinessservices.com.au/xero-webinar (if you're reading after the webinar has run, reach out and we may be able to share the recording). More at www.ejsbusinessservices.com.au

Do you feel like your business only runs because you're holding it together by sheer force of will? In this episode, I unpack why systems (not more grind) are what actually free you up - and how being just 1% better than yesterday quietly compounds into something powerful. No tech degree or six-figure budget required.

In this episode:

• Why working harder isn't the answer - and how the lack of systems (not weakness) leads to exhaustion
• What a "system" really is: a decision you make once so you don't have to keep making it
• The confronting question: if something happened to you tomorrow, could your business keep running?
• The 1% better mindset - small, consistent tweaks that compound over weeks and months
• Profit First as a system (not just a method) that removes decision fatigue from your cashflow
• Getting into a weekly rhythm to escape the quarterly BAS panic cycle - and blocking finance time in your calendar
• Why "knowing your numbers" is itself a system
• Delegation vs. abdication: building a team and actually letting them do the work
• SOPs made simple - using voice notes and AI tools to document how you do things
• Using your calendar as a system: "if it's not in the calendar, it doesn't exist"
• Life systems, because rural life and business are intertwined - and why the "how do you do it all?" question misses the point (spoiler: she doesn't do it all - she has systems and support)
• The compounding maths: one improvement a week = 52 things running better in a year

If something happened to you tomorrow, could someone step in and know exactly what to do? The answer tells you a lot about where you are right now.

Momentum isn't waiting for the perfect time or the full plan. Momentum is what happens when you start - and then you keep going.

Pick just one area of your business where the lack of a system is costing you time, energy or money - and make a 1% improvement this week.

If that area is your bookkeeping or finance systems, head to the link in the show notes to see how we work with rural businesses to get the books sorted, the systems in place, and the clarity you need. And if you want your Xero working the way it should, join our Xero webinar on the 13th of August — 90 minutes, just $44. Grab a spot here: https://ejsbusinessservices.com.au/xero-webinar

"I can have it all, but I just can't do it all."

In this episode, Emily unpacks a distinction that changed how she runs her life and business - and challenges the idea that overwhelm in rural business is a personal failing.

Drawing on her own experience juggling a farm office, a virtual bookkeeping team, two young kids (with another on the way), and community commitments, Emily makes the case that overwhelm is rarely a "you problem." It's almost always a systems and support problem - and both of those can be fixed.

In this episode:

• Why rural business overwhelm is different from regular business overwhelm - seasons don't stop, boundaries blur, and roles multiply
• The moment Emily hit near-burnout and realised she had to start letting go
• Why "figuring it out yourself" feels resourceful but carries a real financial cost
• How resilience can quietly become a trap that keeps you stuck
• Reframing asking for help as a leadership decision, not a weakness
• The three-step framework: awareness, acceptance, action
• A client story on why getting help is only step one - being willing to do things differently is the harder second step
• What actually changes when the right systems and support are in place

The question to sit with: Are you overwhelmed, or are you under-supported? They feel the same but have very different solutions.

Ready to take the next step?

• If your books are behind or BAS time sends you into a spin, reach out for a chat
• Xero webinar - 13 August: A practical, 90-minute session built specifically for rural business, packed with tools you can use straight away. Spots are limited and it's just $44. Book Here

Why Your Bookkeeping Feels Harder Than It Should - And What to Do About It

If your bookkeeping feels like it's always one step away from spiralling out of control, this episode is for you.

Emily gets real about why bookkeeping is genuinely hard - especially when you're running a rural business, juggling multiple enterprises, and doing absolutely everything yourself. Spoiler: it's not a you problem.

In this episode, Emily covers:

• Why bookkeeping isn't supposed to be easy (and why you can stop beating yourself up about it)
• The "I'll catch up later" trap - and why it keeps biting you
• How managing multiple enterprises and wearing all the hats makes everything more complicated
• Simple habits that take the chaos out of your weekly and monthly finances
• Getting past the confidence gap so you can actually trust your numbers
• Breaking the panic cycle that hits every time BAS or a cash flow crunch rolls around
• Why the right system is one you understand and actually use - not the fanciest one
• How outsourcing the right things can free up serious mental and time headspace

Whether you're drowning in receipts or just dreading opening your accounting software, this one's worth a listen.

Ready to make bookkeeping less painful? Book a call with Emily to find a solution that actually fits your business.

Many rural women are leading every single day without ever calling themselves leaders. They are managing teams, family businesses, farm operations, finances, and relationships all at once. But without a clear understanding of their own strengths, that leadership can feel exhausting, uncertain, and easy to underestimate.

In this episode, Emily is joined by Bec Martin of Everbold Ventures, a strengths-based leadership coach who works with women in male-dominated and complex environments, including agriculture, construction, and mining. Bec brings lived experience from 12 years in the construction industry and now works with rural and remote women to help them lead with clarity, confidence, and authenticity.

This is a practical, honest conversation about what leadership actually looks like in a rural business, and how to lead change without losing yourself in the process.

What you will hear in this episode:

• Why leadership is not about titles, and how most rural women are already leading without realising it
• How a strengths-based approach builds genuine confidence, not a performance of it
• Why navigating change in multi-generational family businesses starts with getting everyone at the table
• The difference between leading with the what and leading with the why, and why it changes everything
• Early warning signs that a team or family is out of alignment, and what to do about it
• How to stop overextending and start directing your attention to where you add the most value
  

Bec's one piece of advice for every rural business owner this year: sit down and work out your top five strengths. It is where everything else begins.

Connect with Bec Martin:

• Website: www.everboldventures.com.au
• Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook: search Everbold Ventures

One hundred episodes. It is a milestone worth stopping for.
In this special episode, Emily reflects on the biggest lessons learned across 100 episodes of Rural Money Matters - covering money, mindset, and what it really takes to run a thriving rural business.

From bookkeeping basics to Profit First breakthroughs. From the juggle of farm office life to the realities of running a rural family business. From the moments of doubt to the clarity that comes from strong systems.

This episode covers the mindset shifts that changed everything, why clarity matters more than complexity, the money habits that create real momentum, the biggest mistakes rural business owners make and how to avoid them, and the lessons clients, listeners, and her own team have taught Emily along the way.

Whether you have been here from the beginning or you are brand new, this episode will leave you with fresh perspective, more confidence in your numbers, and a clear sense of what is possible in the next season of your business.

Here is to the first 100 - and to the momentum ahead.

Ever feel like money disappears the moment it hits your account? In this episode, we’ll break down the hidden drains on your business finances and show you how to track and understand your spending in a way that actually makes sense. No jargon. No judgement. Just simple insights to help you see where your money is going - and make sure it’s going where it should.

👉 Learn more at www.ejsbusinessservices.com

📞 Call 1300 857 263
📲 Follow @ejsbusinessservices

In this week’s episode of Rural Money Matters, Emily shares her personal journey of rewriting her money story - and how discovering Profit First completely transformed the way she manages money, both in business and on the farm.

From feeling uncertain and reactive about finances to creating structure, clarity, and confidence, Emily explains why mindset is at the heart of every profitable rural business.

You’ll hear:
🌾 How your money mindset shapes your decisions and results
💰 Emily’s story of implementing Profit First and the impact it had
📈 Why she became a Certified Profit First Professional
🚜 How she’s now using Profit First on her family farm
🤍 The creation of the Rural Profit System to help others do the same

This episode is a mix of practical financial insight and personal reflection - perfect for anyone ready to take control of their money, reduce stress, and create lasting rural success.

🎧 Tune in now and start rewriting your money story.

👉 Learn more at www.ejsbusinessservices.com

📞 Call 1300 857 263
📲 Follow @ejsbusinessservices

This week on Rural Money Matters, Emily chats with Mel Kiel, a Yeoval-based farmer, businesswoman, and KLR mentor who knows that success in agriculture isn’t about working harder - it’s about working smarter.

Mel shares how building strong business systems, surrounding yourself with the right financial team, and approaching livestock trading strategically can transform your business performance and peace of mind.

From lessons learned through tough seasons to the mindset shifts behind profitable cattle trading, this conversation is packed with practical insights for every rural business owner who wants to farm with more clarity, confidence, and control.

🎧 Tune in to discover how better systems, smarter decisions, and stronger support can help you build a more profitable and balanced rural business.

https://au.linkedin.com/in/mel-kiel-a4b729277
https://klrmarketing.com.au/

👉 Find out more about how our team can support your business at www.ejsbusinessservices.com
or call 1300 857 263.
👉 Follow us on socials: @ejsbusinessservices

In the final episode of our Behind the Books series, we sit down with Stacey, the newest member of the EJS Business Services team.

Stacey joined us earlier this year, bringing with her over two decades of accounting experience - including as a chartered accountant. In this conversation, she shares her career journey, what’s kept her passionate about accounting for 20 years, and why she chose to step into a new chapter with us.

We also explore Stacey’s perspective on what sets successful businesses apart, the common mistakes she sees across clients, and the difference it makes when you have both a strong bookkeeper and an accountant on your side. Plus, Stacey gives us a glimpse into her life beyond the numbers, sharing the joys and lessons from her transition into this new role.

If you’ve been enjoying our team series, this is the perfect closing chapter - full of wisdom, experience, and fresh insights for rural business owners.

👉 Find out more about how our team can support your business at www.ejsbusinessservices.com
or call 1300 857 263.
👉 Follow us on socials: @ejsbusinessservices