As I noted last month, the planning for Blazej Accounting began 20 years ago when my Director of Finance position was relocating to Florida and relocating our family was not an option for my family. The planning to begin Blazej started….
I remember when someone said, “Just think Cheryl, you are a CEO.” I remember laughing and thinking, I am the CEO of a one-person company, and I get to manage myself.
I thought, I know, I will hire a team over time, and I want a title that has a more “team” oriented title. I do not like the image of “boss” or “chief,” but I do like partnering with others. My friend’s title at her company was “Managing Partner” and I really liked that.
So, I said, yes, I am the “owner,” “CEO” but my official title is: Managing Partner.
4 Lessons from being a “Managing Partner”
Since I used a more emotional reason for calling myself the Managing Partner, I recently looked up the definition and duties of a Managing Partner on the HubSpot website.
“Being a managing partner isn’t just about having a leadership title — it means balancing ownership, strategy, and daily operations in a way that directly shapes the success of a business.”
20 years ago, deciding to be the “Managing Partner” of Blazej & Associates made me smile. I thought, I will “Partner” with my future team members, and I will “Partner” with my clients, vendors, and financial institutions. That has all been true, yet at each stage of the journey of Blazej Accounting, there has been a new challenge as Managing Partner.
Challenge #1 – As a Managing Partner: How do I Build and Retain a Strong Team?
Building and retaining a strong bookkeeping team has been a dynamic process for Blazej Accounting. Initially, when I was ready for my first team member, I sought help from friends, which led to a perfect match: a wonderful bookkeeper seeking part-time hours to accommodate her children’s school schedule. She was instrumental in building the team over 14 years until her retirement, and we remain close friends.
As the firm grew and client needs evolved, so did our ideal client profile and service offerings, which led to a new challenges for hiring.
We transitioned from basic bookkeeping to Client Accounting and Advisory Services, including budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis, serving businesses that have grown to over $1M in revenue and need support understanding “what’s next.” Oh, and did I mention I was still going “on-site” for these clients occasionally because most people still had the desktop version of their accounting software?
As the firm expanded, our hiring transitioned from only bookkeepers to professionals with advanced accounting backgrounds. This includes corporate-level accounting professionals, CPAs with audit backgrounds, and CFEs with corporate experience, reflecting our shift from a “bookkeeping firm” to a Client Accounting and Advisory Services firm. Referrals from CPAs, bankers, and clients drove growth, leading to the realization that I couldn’t keep up alone. The need for remote bookkeepers became clear, even before online accounting platforms were common.
For the past decade, we’ve moved to a 100% remote model, serving both local and out-of-state clients. This foresight positioned us well during COVID-19, as we were already remote and didn’t require a difficult transition. The post-COVID employee market has seen a greater demand for remote accounting positions, further validating our approach.
Over the years, we’ve focused on building a team of employees who are a wonderful fit for our clients and are considered the foundation of Blazej. Our remote team is structured into sub-teams, each with a Senior Manager and bookkeeping team. This structure facilitates small group training, provides support when a team member needs assistance, and allows for PTO without compromising client needs, ultimately fostering a high-performance team.
Challenge #2 – As a Managing Partner: How Do We Continue to Deliver Exceptional Service and Manage Client Relationships While We Grow?
From the outset, Blazej Accounting has prioritized exceptional client service. I’ve consistently drawn inspiration from brands renowned for their customer experience, such as Chick-fil-A, Nordstrom and even my local Honda dealership, and applied those values to our firm.
Delivering exceptional service is paramount as we’ve transitioned from basic bookkeeping to comprehensive Client Accounting and Advisory Services. While accurate bookkeeping remains foundational, our focus has shifted to providing proactive financial information that empowers clients to make informed, timely decisions.
Beyond technical accuracy, our service focuses on building “Know, Like, and Trust” relationships. We’re human partners, not robots, dedicated to our clients’ success. Recognizing each client’s unique needs, we customize our approach, from maintaining “clean books” to providing weekly financial updates, forecasts, and budget reviews.
This involves moving beyond historical data to understanding the “why” behind numbers and exploring “how” changes can be made. We partner with clients to develop budgets, analyze pricing, and refine accounting processes. Communication is key to understanding client needs. During onboarding, we identify their pain points and challenges. Some clients may be unsure where they struggle, while others provide a clear list of financial tasks they need help with. We proactively stay in close contact to address issues before they escalate.
A key advancement to providing this level of service has been the adoption of online accounting software. This allows for real-time collaboration with clients and their other advisors, such as CPAs and financial advisors.
Our senior team members consistently review financials with their teams, clients, and CPAs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We also maintain “Client Instructions,” which include checklists, backup data, notes, and timelines, ensuring our team can seamlessly support each other and our clients.
We partner with clients and their extended support teams, including CPAs, bankers, and business coaches. We value every client, fostering true relationships that have resulted in long-term retention—many clients have been with us for over 8 years, some even 15. Our team members genuinely care, as evidenced by a client who recently told me, “I feel I have a friend in your firm.” This is the highest compliment.
One of the reasons I look up to Truitt Cathey of Chick-Fil-A is the hard work he put into developing a company that serves many, that made customer service a pillar of his company. I often know when someone used to work at Chick-Fil-A, they say “My Pleasure” when completing a transaction or when you thank them for something. I have said that our clients need to feel and hear the “My Pleasure” that comes from our team. The client should feel that their accounting team cares about their success, that we appreciate their choice to work with us over others. Picking up the phone to discuss their business and what is new and following up via email when there are items that they need assistance with. As some of our partnerships have transitioned based on need, it has been a pleasure to see clients increase their revenues and margins and it is also amazing to see clients sell their business and transition to “retired” after years of hard work.
Challenge #3 – As a Managing Partner: How do we enable Efficient Processes & Procedures?
Going back to the beginning I just took random notes and kept information in my head. This was NOT the best process. I learned some valuable lessons that this was NOT the way to run a professional service firm, or any firm for that matter. I learned from others how they transitioned from “in my head” and on “sticky notes.”
Recognizing this was inefficient for a professional services firm, we committed to developing robust procedures. As we grew and expanded into Client Accounting and Advisory Services, the need for detailed, efficient processes became even more critical.
We enable these processes through an online platform that centralizes client instructions, workflows, reminders, and specialized information. This platform helps us document everything from new client onboarding and month-end closings to company-wide procedures and automation opportunities. We also strive for a consistent tech stack and conduct annual internal reviews to ensure compliance and identify areas for improvement. By prioritizing these efficient processes, we can better serve our clients.
Challenge #4 – As a Managing Partner: How do we Provide a Broad Range of Advisory Help to be a Trusted Partner for our Clients?
Clients generating $1M – $20M in revenue often need more support than basic bookkeeping but aren’t ready for a full-time CFO. Blazej Accounting fills this gap by offering comprehensive Client Accounting and Advisory services, including budgeting, payroll, and strategic planning. We act as a multi-faceted resource for their financial and operational needs. As a trusted advisor to our clients already, they started to look to us for help with other speciality areas. Now a key part of our advisory approach is knowing when to bring in other specialists. We regularly connect clients with trusted advisors for needs like taxes, HR, investments, and training. Our mission is to be a central resource, consistently expanding our expertise through training and conferences to meet evolving business demands.
To ensure diverse support, I built a team with varied corporate and advisory backgrounds across multiple industries. This breadth of experience, from Fortune 500 to small businesses, enables us to proactively support our clients and identify the right partners for any given situation.
Starting Blazej Accounting has been one of the best life decisions I have ever made. Making the initial decision on what my “title” would be was important to me as I always wanted Blazej to be a team. Each member of our team has a key role to play within our firm and for our clients. I continue to envision how I can become a better leader, how our firm can be a better firm, and how we, despite the size of the client, can help all our clients.