Unbalanced

by Candy Bellau, Sam Hallburn, Anchor

Entrepreneurship

Season 3

When success starts to feel like failure in firm ownership with Lynnette Oss Connell

Burnout is one of the most common experiences in firm ownership, yet it is rarely discussed openly. In this episode of Unbalanced, Lynnette Oss Connell shares her journey from building a CAS practice to becoming a burnout coach for women in accounting. She talks candidly about the pressure of trying to hold everything together while raising a family, managing illness at home, and running a firm. This conversation explores the mindset shifts that helped her redefine success and why so many firm owners struggle silently. If you’ve ever wondered whether the stress you’re carrying is normal, this episode will feel deeply familiar. Powered by Anchor.

Season 2

When work becomes a refuge from grief with Liz Farr

Liz Farr joins Unbalanced to talk about grief, forgiveness, and the quiet ways work can become a shield. After losing her brother during tax season, her parents in a sudden accident, and later her stepson to violence, Liz reflects on how deeply she had internalized the profession’s expectation to push through and keep producing. This conversation explores how accounting culture shapes the way leaders respond to hardship and what more humane, flexible leadership could look like inside today’s firms. Powered by Anchor.

Owning the room and your expertise with Emily Woods

Emily Woods of Woods Financial Services shares what it was like to step into a firm that started as a “mom and pop” tax shop and grow it into a practice offering tax, outsourced accounting, and wealth management. She talks candidly about joining the firm by accident, navigating legacy clients, and carrying the weight of imposter syndrome, especially without the CPA or CFP letters after her name. From being asked if she needed to “check with Brian” to the defining moment that helped her trust her own answers, Emily reflects on how confidence is built slowly, through validation, community, and experience. Powered by Anchor.

From accidental accountants to intentional partners with Kim Kelleher and Heather Deibele

What does it really look like to take two separate firms and build one shared company, culture, and team, without losing your mind in the process? In this episode of Unbalanced, Kim Kelleher and Heather Deibele (co-founders of Luma accounting) walk through the real story, from “we should grab coffee” to “we’re calling attorneys.” They share how they tested the waters by cross-supporting client work, what it was like to bring two teams into one rhythm, and why it took time for the magic to show up in leadership meetings. You will hear the behind-the-scenes details firm owners actually care about: partnership agreements, switching vendors when you realize the fit is wrong, merging systems, and how to keep making progress when you do not have a tiebreaker. Powered by Anchor.

The loneliness no one warns firm owners about with Tedd Drattell

Firm ownership is often lonelier than anyone admits, especially when you’re the one everyone depends on. In this episode of the Unbalanced Podcast, Tedd Drattell shares what it was really like to build a firm from the ground up, navigate years of quiet isolation, and lead through an unexpected health crisis. Together, we talk about the emotional toll of ownership, the importance of community and honest conversations, and why building a business that can function without you isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. Powered by Anchor.

Delegation, growth, and the work that pulls you back in with Marie Torossian

Starting a firm in the middle of uncertainty forces hard decisions, fast learning, and uncomfortable tradeoffs. In this episode, Marie Torossian shares what it was really like to build her firm beginning in 2020, including the challenges of delegation, charging for value, and getting pulled back into the work even after building a team. Sam, Candy, and Marie talk openly about giving away too much for free, learning buyer psychology the hard way, and how firm owners can reframe team turnover as growth rather than failure. The conversation explores the human side of leadership, the tension between scaling and staying connected to clients, and what it means to build a firm that can hold change without losing its core. Powered by Anchor.

Why “good people” still steal, and how to reduce the odds with Kelly Paxton

In this episode of the Unbalanced podcast, host Candy Bellau and co-host Sam Hallburn welcome Kelly Paxton, a fraud expert, to discuss the emotional toll of being a business owner, the importance of fraud awareness, and the human side of financial crime. Kelly shares her journey from finance to fraud examination, highlighting the prevalence of fraud in small businesses and the need for robust processes and documentation. The conversation delves into real-life fraud cases, the cultural impacts on organizations, and the significance of prevention and awareness in protecting businesses from financial crime.

Fluffy but hammer: comfort and strength in your financials with Sabrina Burke

Phishing attacks, password protection, and cyber insurance are not “IT topics” anymore, they’re firm owner responsibilities. In this episode, Sabrina Burke of Fluffy Hammer Bookkeeping explains why security education has to be proactive, not reactive, and how quickly new phishing tactics show up in the real world. She shares how quarterly training helps her spot current trends, why document protection matters just as much as passwords, and what’s at stake when you’re handling sensitive financial data for clients. The conversation also gets into the very real shame and embarrassment that can follow a security mistake, and why talking about it openly is part of preventing it. Powered by Anchor.

What happened when growth came too fast with Katie Helle

When growth hits before you feel ready, it can be both a win and a warning. In this episode of Unbalanced, Katie Helle of Scaled Accounting Solutions shares what it looked like to go out on her own and then get blindsided by how quickly tax work poured in once she told friends, family, and her network. Katie walks through the real tension of fast growth, building processes while serving clients, and realizing that what lives in your head has to live somewhere your team can use. She also digs into the shifts that helped her stay steady: planning tax season in advance, hiring early to protect her time, getting serious about SOPs, and learning to say no to work that did not fit the year-round relationships she actually wants. If you have ever felt like success arrived faster than your systems, this one will feel familiar. Powered by Anchor.

The underpricing hangover is real with Melissa Armstrong

Revenue came in. Then reality showed up. Sam Hallburn and Candy Bellau sit down with Melissa Armstrong of SteadyHand Accounting to talk about the “messy middle” of firm ownership, that year-one moment where you’re growing fast, underpricing, saying yes to everyone, and suddenly realizing your business can’t depend on only you. Melissa shares what it’s like to start over after losing a corporate job, build a real foundation (marketing, a VA, ops support, and eventually an accountant), and navigate the emotional weight of money, imposter syndrome, and personal finances getting messy while you’re still the one advising others. Powered by Anchor.

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