Ten Terrific Years at Joy Accounting: A Profile of Adrienne Kaylor, Client Whisperer
“I think that Joy Accounting embodies the idea that our jobs and businesses should help us have a better life and be better humans. ”
At Joy Accounting, we recently crossed a huge milestone: 10 years of small business success. In our blog post highlighting this feat, we discussed some of the lessons we have learned along the way. The first lesson listed is “The small business world is for you if you need to remember how much you enjoy people.”
And that is a perfect segue into our topic today, because shortly after we crossed the threshold of 10 years as a business, Adrienne achieved her own personal milestone – 10 years at Joy Accounting. During those 10 years, anytime either Terra or I need to remember to take our own advice on “remembering how much we enjoy people”, there is nothing that gets us to that state faster than a quick conversation with Adrienne.
Adrienne is honest, creative, consistent, fun, and full of integrity, which just so happens to align with Joy Accounting’s core values (honesty, integrity, creativity, consistency, and adventure). While I’m sure that Terra and I had these values in mind from the beginning, having Adrienne embody them through the early years was essential to crafting every part of our small business.
Adrienne is the quintessential team player, and no matter what challenges we are facing, she is always 100% willing to get her hands dirty and help tackle whatever puzzle needs solving. Quite frankly, and without being too cheesy, having Adrienne as an integral part of our team has made small business ownership a “Joy”.
But don’t just take our word for it; Adrienne’s clients adore her. Invariably when we speak with a client they will wax poetically about how much they appreciate Adrienne. With all the peaks and valleys that the world has experienced in the last 10 years, small business ownership – and particularly the accounting aspects – can be quite stressful. Our clients appreciate her calm presence and ‘can-do’ attitude.
Terra and I recently made Adrienne a partner in our business because she is such a core part of our DNA. Doing this was a no-brainer for Terra and me as it reflects a truth for us – Joy Accounting would not be what it is today without Adrienne.
Recently I sat down with Adrienne to talk about what 10 years at Joy Accounting means to her. I’ve transcribed just a few highlights from our conversation below. I sincerely hope that every small business owner who is reading finds their own Adrienne.
10 Years with Joy Accounting: A Reflection
Nate: What was it like for you to be a part of a small and growing business from basically the very beginning of Joy Accounting?
Adrienne: It was awesome. I realized at the start what a lucky situation I was in with you guys. But, of course, it was also overwhelming. Each of us were getting used to our communication styles. The work was coming fast and furious, and there was quite a large data dump as much of this was new to me.
I felt lucky, especially because you and Terra’s outlook was that you wanted the job to work for my life. You clearly believed that our jobs should make our lives better, not more stressed. This took me a while to get used to, because it was not at all what I’d experienced previously. For example, if Terra messaged me at the end of the day, she didn’t expect me to drop everything and answer right away. There was (and is) respect for personal space and priorities.
Nate: What was it like going from working with one or two clients to several simultaneously once we started getting busier?
Adrienne: I found out quickly that I enjoyed the interaction a lot with the clients. Getting to know them on a deeper level over the years has been a pleasure. I also really enjoyed getting into a monthly routine. I really enjoy having the details dialed in for our clients so that they don’t have to over-think things.
Nate: I’ve noticed that all the clients adore you. What does Adrienne bring to the table that is special? What is your secret sauce?
Adrienne: Hmmm, that’s a great question. I like to think that when a client calls me, I’m talking to them firstly as a human being. This is something AI can’t replace. When they call me and they need help, I reassure them that I can handle it. And once I handle these situations repeatedly this builds a lot of trust as well as a sense of relief from them that they have somebody to call. I like to be that person that can solve the problem and take it off their plate so they have relief.
Nate: In 2020, many small businesses were jolted by the Covid pandemic. What was your experience like through this time as we navigated this new and scary world?
Adrienne: At the beginning, I was worried as most people were. Would I have to get another part-time job? I was just ready to dig in and do whatever was needed to help keep Joy Accounting going. I was pleasantly surprised when we were able to weather the storm without any major issues and continue being a rock for our clients.
I was also going through a lot of turmoil on a personal level because people who I had known for years were saying things that horrified me. This made me turn inward and clarify what my core values were. I wanted to make sure I was treating other humans in a way that aligned with my faith in all walks of life, including at Joy Accounting.
Nate: Yeah, I understand. Considering everything the world has thrown at us in the last decade, what do you think that we at Joy Accounting do right?
Adrienne: I think that we do right by telling our clients that their businesses need to help them align with their values, goals, and dreams. That’s what owning a small business should be about. But as a culture we really get this backwards. We work to the bone and sacrifice our relationships to get more money, and I have always hated that. I think that Joy Accounting embodies the idea that our jobs and businesses should help us have a better life and be better humans. That is what I’ve always loved about this company and has really helped me to reject the mindset that more is better just for the sake of it.
Nate: You recently decided to go to school to get your Accounting degree. What has that been like for you? What led to your decision to do this now?
Adrienne: Yeah, it’s always been in the back of my mind. When I first started at Joy Accounting, Terra mentioned that she’d like it if I could get my degree at some point. But there has never been any pressure placed on me to pursue it. I was waiting for the time when it felt like a fun idea, but for many years I simply didn’t have the capacity to add school in with everything else.
The world has started to go a bit crazy again in the past year. The news has not been pleasant. Late last summer I picked up a nugget from a podcast I was listening to. The individual challenged the audience to think of doing something tangible to keep from circling the drain of despair amidst the chaos. She specifically said to get strong and get educated.
The concept of “getting educated” resonated with me as this is a form of resistance for women in a world where misogyny seems to be making a comeback. At that moment, going to school started to sound fun. And so now I’ve started my third quarter. It is challenging, but it is also fun. It’s fulfilling in a way I wasn’t expecting. I’m using my brain more and I’m enjoying the process as well.
Nate: How long does the program last?
Adrienne: Our local community college (Everett Community College) is offering bachelor’s degrees, and I’m taking advantage of this. Most of it is online with only a few times that I’m required to go in person to take exams.
Nate: We’re so proud of you for taking on that challenge. It will be interesting to see how your experience is given that you’ve already learned a lot of concepts and put them into practice for the last 10 years! So now that we as a company have crossed the 10-year mark, what do you see in the future for us as a company and for you individually?
Adrienne: That’s a great question! For starters, I see us all together for another 10 or 20 years – for however long Joy Accounting continues.
I think in the coming months and years that guiding our clients through the AI revolution will be very important. Some people who think that AI can ‘do it all’ will probably be disappointed. They will get to a point where they need help navigating how to utilize AI in a way that’s helpful, and we can be here for that.
Nate: What do you think the most important value is for our company moving forward?
Adrienne: I think ‘integrity’, because there is a lack of it right now in our world.
Nate: As we wind down this discussion, let’s turn our attention to a fun fact. What is something that most people don’t know about you that you’d be comfortable sharing with the world?
Adrienne: I was born in Iceland! Keflavik, Iceland, to be precise.
Nate: WOW!!! I did not know that.