Merging Therapy and Accounting with Jennie Schottmiller

On this episode of Thinking Solo, host Ryan Derousseau, CFP®, EA, sits down with Jennie Schottmiller, CPA, LMFT, founder and owner of Simple Profit. Jennie uniquely combines her experience as a CPA and a licensed therapist (LMFT) to help small business owners (particularly therapists) understand their finances, run their businesses confidently, and create stability in both life and work.Jennie shares how she initially pursued accounting, then later therapy, and how her own journey inspired her to create Simple Profit. She discusses how the business began as an educational resource for therapists, evolved into a flexible, accessible platform for small business owners, and continues to grow through a combination of free content, low-cost memberships, and now traditional tax and bookkeeping services.In this episode, you’ll learn:• How Jennie merged her accounting and therapy skills to serve small business owners• Why so many therapists and small business owners lack formal business education• The concept of “income smoothing” and why it matters for self-employed owners• How to provide yourself paid time off even as a solo business owner• Why starting a business can feel scary, but is achievable with the right support• How Simple Profit grew organically through education, community, and free resources• Lessons learned from scaling services, managing staff, and navigating marketing hurdles• Why the business side of running a company is “straightforward” once understood• How focusing on helping clients can bring fulfillment to work that otherwise feels tedious• Advice for new business owners: “you can do it,” and asking for help is a strength, not a weaknessThis episode offers a practical, empowering perspective for solo and small business owners who want to understand their finances, build confidence, and run their businesses more effectively.—-Connect with Jennie Schottmiller, CPA, LMFT:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simpleprofit/Website: https://www.simpleprofit.com/pages/about-usConnect with Ryan Derousseau, CFPEmail: [email protected]: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanderousseau/ Website: https://thinkingcapfinancial.com/