Kim’s journey to BELAY
Kim started out when she was eighteen doing bookkeeping for her Dad's company and much to her surprise, really enjoyed it. She had always thought accountants were boring! After her father passed away, she was given the opportunity to work for a CPA who took her under her wing and taught her more than she could have ever imagined. From there she went on to finish her Bachelor's Degree in Accounting (with a full-time job, a husband and two small kids) and transitioned into accounting management for a larger retail company.
When Kim moved from Florida to Georgia in 2014, she was blessed with the opportunity to continue with her company of 10 years by transitioning to working remotely from home. Kim continued working for them for 2 1/2 years until they needed to transition the position back in house. For the first time in 13 years she was looking for employment and the thought of going back to the office grind after having the flexibility of at-home employment was devastating! Kim says, “I prayed for God to guide me towards the perfect opportunity to continue virtual employment, and His will for me, and along came Belay!” “The joy of being able to be home to get my son off to school in the morning, pick him up in the afternoon and not have to stress about sick days and breaks is such a blessing!”
Clients as Family
Kim says she loves every aspect of this job, but what she loves most is the amazing people she is blessed to work with. “I am a part of several church teams that have taken me in as part of their church families. I am supported on the corporate level by strong Christian women and men who truly have my best interest at heart.” Kim says that after working her entire career in the corporate world, an every man/woman for themselves environment, it has been such a refreshing change.
How a BELAY Bookkeeper can help!
How does Kim feel she has helped her clients in their church finances? “I have had several clients come into their engagement with very messy books and a lack of understanding on how to make internal changes to maximize their understanding of their financial position. There is so much reward in working side by side with them to clean up their books, put budgets in place and provide them with good comprehensive financial reporting on a monthly basis - - I feel blessed to be that little piece of the puzzle they were missing.”
Virtual Work
“Working from home for two and a half years prior to my engagement with Belay helped me to establish the discipline you must have to be successful at a virtual job. The distractions of life can easily throw you off from your day.” Accounting is such a task/deadline based industry that Kim really didn't have any struggles making the adjustments. There are deadlines and expectations and you meet them, no getting around it, she says.
“I love my job, I love the people I work with, and I don't take one day for granted that I have the blessing of serving amazing clients in my yoga pants and slippers from the comfort of home.” Kim adds, “I am lucky that I have older children who understand and respect the fact that when I am working they need to interrupt as little as possible. Finding a quiet space in your house and a routine that you can stick with "most" of the time is the key to success!”