Episode 322: Breast Feeding and Tax Returns

In this episode of The Bookkeepers' Podcast, Jo Wood and Zoe Whitman go behind the scenes of building bookkeeping businesses as new mums, sharing honest reflections on parenting, burnout, and self-employment. Recorded live at the Festival of Accounting and Bookkeeping, this TMI-style episode peels back the curtain on juggling VAT returns while breastfeeding, feelings of imposter syndrome despite having qualifications, and the emotional and physical toll of trying to “do it all”. Jo shares the early days of her career, including attending accountancy college around full time work, setting up her business, and losing her confidence after a difficult personal loss. Zoe talks about starting out without experience in practice and how lack of confidence led her to re-take qualifications she already had. This heartwarming, sometimes hilarious, and deeply relatable episode shows the reality of running a business around family life—and why prioritising yourself can lead to better outcomes for everyone. What Listeners Will Learn: The real challenges of growing a business while parenting young children How imposter syndrome shows up, even with multiple qualifications Why confidence is critical to marketing, pricing, and growth The benefits of subcontracting early on in your bookkeeping career How sharing your story and being honest can build deeper connections The importance of building a business around your values and ideal clients Signs of burnout and why putting yourself first helps everyone else too ----------------------------------------------- About us We're Jo and Zoe and we help bookkeepers find clients, make more money and build profitable businesses they love. Find out about working with us in The Bookkeepers' Collective, at: 6figurebookkeeper.com/collective ----------------------------------------------- About our Sponsor This episode of The Bookkeepers' Podcast is sponsored by Xero. Get 90% off your first 6 months by visiting: https://xero5440.partnerlinks.io/6figurebookkeeper ----------------------------------------------- Promotion This video contains paid promotion. ----------------------------------------------- Disclaimer The information contained in The Bookkeepers' Podcast is provided for information purposes only. The contents of The Bookkeepers' Podcast is not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of the Bookkeepers' Podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of the Bookkeepers' Podcast. The 6 Figure Bookkeeper Ltd disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of the Bookkeepers' Podcast.