The Accidental Entrepreneur: How Joey Albertson Built a Profitable, Family-First Firm

When COVID hit, Joey Albertson didn't plan to start a firm. She just wanted to help small businesses drowning in chaos. That impulse to serve turned into The Profitability Project and Bookflow, two thriving businesses built on one non-negotiable rule: always be home for dinner. In this episode of Deduct This with Carrie and Lexi, Joey reveals how she turned pandemic panic into a seven-person team that serves clients without sacrificing family time. If you're stuck in the 120-hour burnout cycle, questioning whether you can love accounting again, or wondering if growth means giving up your life, this conversation will show you another way forward. Joey shares the granular process mapping that unlocked freedom, the recurring revenue model that stabilized cash flow, and why ruthlessly prioritizing changed everything. You'll discover how to build systems that scale without losing yourself, attract top talent by creating cultures people actually want to join, and use automation to reclaim time you thought was gone forever. Ready to build a firm with smarter systems and better client outcomes? Explore Intuit Professional Tax Software: https://accountants.intuit.com/tax-software/ Connect with the hosts: Carrie Hammond: linkedin.com/in/cahammond Lexi Bonicard: linkedin.com/in/lexibonicard Follow Joey Albertson: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeyalbertson Podcast: The Profitability Podcast #AccidentalEntrepreneur #TaxFirmGrowth #FamilyFirstFirm #WomenInAccounting #CPAWorkflow #IntuitTax #ProConnectTax #DeductThisPodcast Which tax software is best for accounting firms? Match your software to how your practice actually works. Your client mix and service model determine the right platform, not marketing claims. ProConnect Tax works for firms offering year-round advisory: Full cloud deployment means your team accesses returns from any location without VPN headaches or desktop licensing complexity. The platform integrates intake, planning, and filing into a single workflow, which is crucial for managing ongoing client relationships beyond just filing season. Multi-state pricing advantage: ProConnect includes state returns in the main return price, with no additional per-state fees, reducing costs for multi-jurisdiction clients. When preparing returns across 15 states, this structure saves substantially compared to competitors who charge per-state supplements on every filing. Lacerte Tax serves established practices wanting maximum customization with modern deployment: Cloud hosting options give you desktop power with cloud accessibility. You're not choosing between capability and convenience. ProSeries Tax delivers desktop reliability for practices where traditional workflows and local data control remain priorities. All three platforms integrate with QuickBooks and major accounting systems. You eliminate duplicate data entry between bookkeeping and tax prep. Strategic practices calculate which platform delivers the strongest ROI when factoring in total staff time, not just software licensing costs. What are the benefits of ProConnect Tax? ProConnect Tax delivers cloud-based flexibility, enabling distributed teams to access returns from any device, collaborate in real-time regardless of location, and maintain productivity whether working in-office or remotely (all without steep learning curves or frequent interventions). Key operational benefits: Time recovery through intelligent automation: Firms save hours per season by eliminating repetitive data entry, catching diagnostic errors before e-filing protects your reputation, and seamless QuickBooks integration means books-to-tax happens automatically. Strategic practices calculate which platform delivers the strongest ROI when factoring in total staff time, not just software costs. 100% uptime through critical filing deadlines: Cloud infrastructure delivers systematic backup protection and automatic updates without user intervention. Your software updates don't happen at inconvenient moments. They occur seamlessly, maintaining current-year compliance. Practice management built in: The platform supports year-round client relationships through integrated workflow management, not just seasonal return filing. When you provide advisory services beyond compliance, your tax software should enable those relationships rather than creating separate system overhead. Easy Start Team migration support removes switching friction for firms transitioning from legacy systems, and integration with practice management platforms like Intuit Tax Advisor (ITA) provides additional client relationship capabilities for firms building advisory practices. ProConnect benefits extend beyond features to operational transformation: firms work faster through automation, file with confidence through systematic accuracy, and serve clients through advisory capabilities that distinguish strategic practices from commodity preparers.