From Burnout to Balance: Redefining Entrepreneurial Success Through Break-Even Analysis with Delanie Fischer of Self-Helpless Podcast – Ep. 222
Business By The Books with Danielle Hayden
Release Date: 05/13/2025
The Hidden Mistakes That Keep Your LLC Small (and How to Grow Into an S Corp) – Ep. 249
Business By The Books with Danielle Hayden
You’ve set up your LLC, you’re running an established business, and things are moving along, but are your financial habits actually helping you grow and is your LLC protecting you the way you think it is? In this episode, Danielle Hayden, reformed corporate CFO and CEO of Kickstart Accounting, Inc., breaks down the five hidden mistakes that hold LLC owners back and shows you how to build the right habits to protect your business, pay yourself confidently, and prepare to scale into an S Corp when the time is right. Key Takeaways: Separate Your Business and Personal...
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How to Know If Your Contractor Should Be an Employee: The 3-Part Test That Could Save You Thousands – Ep. 248
Business By The Books with Danielle Hayden
What if misclassifying your team could cost you thousands in back taxes, penalties, and missed benefits? Most business owners don’t realize how risky it can be to pay someone as a contractor when they really should be an employee. In this episode, Danielle Hayden, reformed corporate CFO and CEO of Kickstart Accounting, Inc., simplifies the IRS classification rules into a 3-step framework that helps you confidently decide whether your next hire or current team should be a contractor or employee, and when it might be time to make a change. Key Takeaways: Know the 3 Keys of...
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What I Would Say If I Wasn't Afraid to Hurt Your Feelings – Ep. 247
Business By The Books with Danielle Hayden
In this episode of Business by The Books, reformed corporate CFO and founder of Kickstart Accounting, Inc.’s Danielle Hayden gets honest about a tough but essential topic: Are you building a business that’s truly healthy, or one that’s just trying to pay as little as possible in taxes? Danielle breaks down the real costs of trying to make every expense a “business expense.” From dinners and vacations to board meetings and the Augusta Rule, she shares the financial habits that could be holding you back from long-term success and how to fix them. Key Takeaways: Showing Zero...
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The Confidence That Comes with Financial Clarity: A Journey from Stressed to Scaling with Nico Misleh – Ep. 246
Business By The Books with Danielle Hayden
Do you ever feel like you’re drowning in decisions but flying blind when it comes to your finances? You are not alone! In this episode of Business by The Books, Danielle sits down with returning guest and longtime client , a nurse practitioner and the founder of and , who went from overwhelmed and unsure to confidently hiring, scaling, and even launching a second business. Together, Danielle and Nico explore how understanding your numbers doesn’t just change your strategy, it changes your mindset. Key Takeaways: Financial Clarity Creates Emotional Freedom: When Nico...
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Bonuses Made Simple: A 6-Step Framework for Rewarding Your Team – Ep. 245
Business By The Books with Danielle Hayden
It’s the season of gift giving, evaluating team performance, and bonuses, and for many business owners, that can bring up hard questions. Can I afford to give out bonuses this year? What if it’s not as much as last year? How much is fair? And how do I reward my team without draining my cash or putting my business at risk? In this episode, reformed corporate CFO and founder of Kickstart Accounting, Inc.’s Danielle Hayden walks you through a simple, repeatable framework to help you decide if, when, and how much to give your team in bonuses that’s fair, financially sound, and aligned with...
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The Tax Strategies Business Owners Need to Prep Before the New Year – Ep. 244
Business By The Books with Danielle Hayden
Heading into tax season unprepared can be costly—missed deductions, lost paperwork, and sometimes, a surprise check to the IRS. But it doesn’t have to be that way! In this episode, Danielle Hayden, reformed corporate CFO and founder of Kickstart Accounting, Inc., shares the ultimate year-end checklist every business owner needs to save on taxes, protect their business, and walk confidently into tax season. From organizing your paperwork to making smart tax moves and maximizing personal financial strategies, Danielle gives you practical steps you can take before December 31st that can make...
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The 4 Seasons of Business Explained and Healthy Spending Strategies for Each Stage – Ep. 243
Business By The Books with Danielle Hayden
Are you constantly wondering if you’re spending too much or maybe not enough in your business? Here’s the truth: not every season of business is meant to be profitable. And if your spending isn’t aligned with the season you’re in, you could risk stunting your growth or draining cash you can’t afford to lose. In this episode, Danielle Hayden, reformed corporate CFO and founder of Kickstart Accounting, Inc., walks you through the four seasons of business—developmental, growth, optimization, and stability—and shows you what healthy spending looks like in each one and their...
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The 3 Stages of Business Growth: Entrepreneur, Small Business Owner, and CEO Explained – Ep. 242
Business By The Books with Danielle Hayden
In this week’s episode of Business by The Books, Danielle Hayden, reformed corporate CFO and founder of Kickstart Accounting, Inc., breaks down the real journey from entrepreneur to small business owner to finally stepping into the role of CEO. This isn’t about chasing flashy titles or hitting arbitrary revenue goals. It’s about clarity, confidence, and understanding your numbers so you can actually lead your business instead of letting it run you. Key Takeaways: Entrepreneur Stage – Building with Instinct: Many entrepreneurs start with passion and creativity but rely...
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How to Use Financial Goal Setting as the Foundation for Your Business Budget – Ep. 241
Business By The Books with Danielle Hayden
Ever sat down to build your budget, only to realize you don’t even know what you’re building it for? A budget without a goal is like a map without a destination. In this episode, Danielle Hayden, reformed corporate CFO and founder of Kickstart Accounting, Inc., is pulling back the curtain on the exact step-by-step framework she and her team use with CFO clients to set financial goals first, and then create a budget that actually gets them there. Key Takeaways: Celebrate the Wins (and Lessons) First: Before setting new goals, reflect on what you achieved last year and the hard...
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The Confidence Formula: Balancing Intuition + Data in Your Business Numbers with Serena Waller of The Dande Agency – Ep. 240
Business By The Books with Danielle Hayden
Ever heard the phrase “know your numbers” and thought, okay…but what does that actually mean? In this episode, Danielle sits down with client and entrepreneur Serena Waller, founder of , to talk about how truly understanding her numbers transformed the way she runs her business. Serena gets real about the ups, downs, and unexpected turns of entrepreneurship—like losing a corporate job at seven months pregnant, launching her own agency, and growing it over the past ten years into a thriving business that now supports a full team. Key Takeaways: Clarity Creates Confidence:...
info_outlineIn this spirited and honest episode of Business by the Books, Danielle Hayden sits down with multi-talented entrepreneur, comedian, host of the popular podcast Self-Helpless, and author of MockTales, Delanie Fischer, for a candid conversation about what sustainable creative entrepreneurship really looks like, and why knowing your break-even point may be the most powerful financial move you can make for your mindset.
Whether you're scaling back, starting over, or simply craving more core value alignment in your business, this conversation offers you permission to slow down, get clear on your enough number, and redefine success on your terms by letting go of traditional success metrics.
Key Takeaways:
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Redefining Entrepreneurial Success: Why Delanie made a conscious choice to step away from the ups and downs of fully self-employed income and instead build a business model that supports her core values and long-term vision.
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Seasonality & Self-Awareness: How embracing "sprint" periods and knowing when to pivot has helped Delanie sustain her creativity and entrepreneurial spirit.
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Financial Partnership in Marriage: Delanie opens up about the evolution of her financial relationship with her husband, from keeping money completely separate to managing a joint account with aligned goals.
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Letting Go of Control: Insights on building a money team that includes a financial advisor, CPA, and bookkeeper, and how accepting support and letting experts do what they do best has been a game changer.
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Break-Even Point Clarity – From Metrics to Meaning: Why Delanie no longer chases financial benchmarks for the sake of growth and instead focuses on a break-even number that allows for creativity, her lifestyle, core values, and purpose-driven work.
Topics Discussed:
Delanie’s Entrepreneurial Journey (00:29 – 06:14)
How Delanie Manages the Ups and Downs of Entrepreneurship (06:14 – 11:49)
Building a Business Model That Suits Your Lifestyle & Values (11:49 – 15:38)
Please Rate & Review Break (15:39 - 15:56)
Redefining Success in Entrepreneurship & Life (15:56 - 19:00)
How Entrepreneurship Affects Delanie’s Personal Life (18:33 - 22:18)
Working with a Financial Advisor and Building a Money Team (22:18 - 26:37)
The Power of Break-Even Analysis (26:37 – 30:48)
In Today’s Episode:
Delanie’s Book: MockTales: 50+ Literary Mocktails Inspired by Classic Works, Banned Books, and More by Lindsey Smith & Delanie Fischer | https://www.delaniefischer.com/
Delanie’s Podcast: Self-Helpless | https://www.selfhelplesspodcast.com/
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