Messy Books to Clear Strategy: Bookkeeping Insights with Miriam Molina

Clean books aren’t just about taxes—they’re about clarity, confidence, and better business decisions.

In this episode of Connections That Matter, Andrew Johnson sits down with Miriam Molina of Molina Bookkeeping to talk about why organized financials are one of the most powerful tools a business owner can have. Miriam shares how she helps small business owners get their books organized, prepare for tax season, and gain real insight into how their business is performing.

Miriam also shares her journey from growing up in Nicaragua to studying agronomy in Honduras, earning a graduate degree in Illinois, and ultimately building a bookkeeping business serving entrepreneurs across Northern Colorado. Along the way, she discovered that bookkeeping wasn’t just a skill—it was something that genuinely clicked for her.

They also discuss the value of networking, why accountants are often a key referral partner for bookkeepers, and how her bilingual services allow her to serve and support the Spanish-speaking business community.

Takeaways from this episode:
🔹 Why separating personal and business finances is step one for every entrepreneur.
 🔹 What a professional bookkeeper actually does (and why it matters).
 🔹 The hidden mistakes that messy books can create.
 🔹 How clean financial reports help owners make smarter decisions.
 🔹 Why networking has been the primary growth driver of Miriam’s business.
 🔹 Serving the Spanish-speaking business community through bilingual bookkeeping.

Why You Should Listen:
🔹 If you’re a small business owner doing your own books and wondering if you’re doing it right.
 🔹 If you want to understand how clean financials can help you scale your business.
 🔹 If tax season always feels stressful or confusing.
 🔹 If you’re curious how networking can help grow a professional services business.
 🔹 If you want to hear the entrepreneurial journey of a Northern Colorado business owner.

How to Contact Miriam Molina:

Website: https://molinabooks.com
Free consultation available through the website.

Miriam works with small business owners across the United States and offers services in both English and Spanish.

Timestamps

0:00 Why business owners should focus on growth instead of bookkeeping
 0:12 Introduction to Miriam Molina and Molina Bookkeeping
 0:55 What a professional bookkeeper actually does
 1:53 What it’s like working with a professional bookkeeper
 3:05 Why every business has unique bookkeeping needs
 4:34 Advice for new business owners starting their financial systems
 5:51 Working on your business vs. working in your business
 6:32 Why Miriam hires someone to review her own books
 7:10 Common mistakes business owners make in their books
 9:10 Serving the Spanish-speaking business community
 10:18 Networking with bilingual professionals
 10:57 Teaching bookkeeping through the Latino Chamber and SBDC
 11:42 Miriam’s networking strategy for growing her business
 13:38 Miriam’s journey from Nicaragua to Northern Colorado
 15:41 Why messy books don’t scare professional bookkeepers
 17:03 Miriam’s goals for growing her business in 2026
 17:44 How to connect with Miriam Molina

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

So might as well spend your time doing something that is gonna help you grow it, getting more clients, or you know.

SPEAKER_00 0:12

All right, everybody, welcome to another episode of Connections That Matter, where I have amazing conversations with Northern Colorado's best networkers, and we find out about the connections that they've made that have led to their success. Today I have an amazing guest, Miriam, on the show from Molina Bookkeeping. Welcome.

SPEAKER_01 0:30

Well, thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_00 0:32

Miriam, I will tell you uh we are in Q1 of 2026 at the time of this filming, and there are people who haven't really thought about their books uh until until now, taxes and stuff. Uh so they may need a referral to a bookkeeper. But uh, real quick, uh whether they need a referral or not, I'm sure your clients have really great books. Tell us a little bit more about what you do.

SPEAKER_01 0:54

Yeah, so um I help small businesses uh mostly in northern Colorado, but you know, I can help them remotely from everywhere in the States. Um and what I do for them is organize their books. So basically I help them get everything related to their finances ready for their accountant, especially this time of year where um they need to start thinking about um, you know, that time of year. Yeah. Yeah. So that's what I do. I um help them find clarity in uh their finances with reports, you know, helping them understand a little bit more about um what's going on in their business.

SPEAKER_00 1:38

What is it like to work with a professional bookkeeper? Like maybe you're a solopreneur, you're doing the bookkeeping, or you have a spouse that's doing it, even though they're not trained to be a bookkeeper, but they're figuring it out. If you actually hire a professional bookkeeper like yourself, what's the process like?

SPEAKER_01 1:53

So for the process, I think the first thing that I would recommend to anyone thinking about getting a bookkeeper is talking to some bookkeepers. And um, I mean, I think it's one of the most important things. You have to have a good relationship with your bookkeeper. Um, good communication is really important, making sure that you can click. Like I feel like as a bookkeeper, I need to understand exactly what's going on in your business because there might be some things that you, as the business owner that have no experience in this, can kind of overlook. So um, when you have a bookkeeper, they're gonna go and they're going to, you know, think about your business from all the revenue streams, all the liabilities you have, and how can you reflect that in your reports in a way that makes sense to you? And it's helpful. And it's helpful for your business.

SPEAKER_00 2:46

Is it I mean, is it similar business to business? Or I mean, uh, I would imagine people's books are in different states, um, whether you have inventory or uh the the scale of how do you put on your bookkeeping for business A hat and then you go to bookkeeping for business B? How do you how do you keep it all school?

SPEAKER_01 3:05

I think that's part of the fun.

SPEAKER_00 3:06

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 3:07

Because every business is different. So I feel like every business, when I try to help them, um I think sometimes I try to communicate that one thing might not fix all their problems. So when it comes to business that they have inventory and whatever inventory tracking system might not be whatever they're using, it might not be the best for their financials. Or, you know, if you have a um good POS system, like that might not be the best um system for your um accounting. So I think it's kind of like understanding every business is really important to help them kind of find those tools for each one of their problems. Sure. And like sometimes it's not me, obviously, or a bookkeeper, but I feel like I have that kind of like perspective when I go and I talk to you about your business. I can give you an, you know, like an idea of something that maybe you didn't think about that could help organize it.

SPEAKER_00 4:10

Well, I think as a bookkeeper, you have a unique perspective into different people's businesses. You understand their winning formulas at a deeper level than somebody who might just be in a networking room and they're like, you see their books, you see what's working. Um what advice would you give to somebody uh who's starting a small business or starting their small business is getting bigger? What advice would you give them to scale?

SPEAKER_01 4:34

So I think one of the things that well, those are kind of like two different things. One, my first advice for small businesses that are starting is uh always uh make sure you're splitting up your expenses. Like that's the basic. Really basic number one, you're want a business, get a you know, uh don't just put it on your personal credit card. Get a business account and separate everything. And I tell people once you do that, the next step is gonna be way easier. So that's when you're trying to start. Um, and then once you start it, you started and you have your small business, you think you're doing great, you have your QuickBooks and you manage it yourself. The next step when you want to scale, I think it's also um it kind of like um it's a great opportunity to hire a bookkeeper because there are certain details that you don't know, certain things that they're gonna be able to catch that you didn't. You it and when you're scaling, you have a lot of things going on. So might as well spend your time doing something that is gonna help you grow it, getting more clients, or you know, something a little bit more strategic than the data entry that sometimes um bookkeeping can, you know, uh represent. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:51

Sure. Well, I love talking with people who are in the business services because you are helping uh your clients help them grow their business, help them stay more organized. But you are a business owner yourself who's trying to grow your business and and scale. Um what what how do you how do you separate the the the two between working on the business and working in the business?

SPEAKER_01 6:13

It is difficult. Um I think one of the things that uh everyone forgets sometimes is to go and look at your own company when you're trying to sell something to someone else. Sure. So I think something that helped me is to get help for my own books. And I have someone that helps me with my books.

SPEAKER_00 6:32

Interesting. Okay.

unknown 6:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:34

It's like the landscaper who doesn't like to mow his own lawn, right?

SPEAKER_01 6:38

I I like having extra eyes on my numbers.

SPEAKER_00 6:41

That's interesting.

SPEAKER_01 6:42

Because you, like me as the person that makes all the purchases or um, you know, use the credit card, buy things. Um I think that you kind of can get a little bit um like you think you got it and you don't pay as much attention as you should. So when someone from outside is looking at it, I think it just brings a lot of um just accuracy to your having somebody who can view your blind spots are is a powerful thing in business.

SPEAKER_00 7:14

I think that's really insightful for you that even though you are a professional bookkeeper to bring in somebody to see your blind spots, but uh for your clients, do you see anything that's consistently people overlook or might be a missing, or do you see specific things that you're fixing or dialing in?

SPEAKER_01 7:30

Yeah, I think that um there's always certain things that uh bookkeepers uh probably every bookkeeper finds. Yeah. And I think that uh some of the things that uh are more important in kind of like the um organization of your books, it's kind of like really important. You need to make sure that you have everything in there. And I'm gonna give you an example of something that happened to one of my clients. Um, I start working with them, and we're trying to, you know, um review everything they have. That is like the first step. When you get a bookkeeper, they're probably gonna do that. Um and we start talking about their liabilities or you know, like the debt. And when we were looking at, I was trying to get that information that was not on QuickBooks. And I'm trying to record that, and I asked her for more information about that uh loan. And when she gave me the information and I review everything, I found a huge mistake. Oh wow. So it is so complicated because then this person realized that she signed a document saying that she was gonna pay a lot more money than what the terms of the contract had. So I feel like it that is one of the examples of the importance of having a professional look at your things. Um, you could have just said, I have this debt, and this is how much money I pay every month, and not think about it and paid six or nine months extra.

unknown 8:57

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 8:58

So yeah, that's a good example. I think that knowing how to enter the information, knowing exactly what you have in there, that it makes sense and that it's accurate.

SPEAKER_00 9:08

And you're fully bilingual?

SPEAKER_01 9:10

I'm fully bilingual. I grew up in Nicaragua, actually. Very cool. Yeah, some of my clients are Latins and I love working with the Latin community.

SPEAKER_00 9:18

Well, I would imagine if if you're Spanish speaking or something, um, you would want a Spanish-speaking bookkeeper. Um, how has it really helped your business to be bilingual?

SPEAKER_01 9:29

It's great. I feel like it helps my business, but I feel like I can reach out to people that will value the option of working with someone in their native language. And I think that is that is um that is that makes you feel way more comfortable with either like financials, it's like a very personal topic. I feel like sometimes people have uh a hard time talking about it, and I feel like it helps me to share the culture with other people to open up and um talk to me about something that is kind of a sensitive topic.

SPEAKER_00 10:18

For sure. And then when you're networking, are you seeking out other people who are bilingual professionals to collaborate with?

SPEAKER_01 10:24

Yeah, yeah, definitely. I love working with bilingual professionals. I'm um actually going to be um teaching a class, a bookkeeping class with the Northern Colorado um Chamber of Commerce, the Latino Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with them and the Small Business Development Center. Um in Spanish, bookkeeping, free for all small business owners that are having questions and are trying to, you know, get out there.

SPEAKER_00 10:57

So cool. Well, we'll definitely link that information in the show notes. Uh, but I'm super curious, how do you how do you get a gig like that? How do um you know that is it through networking? Is it through strategic conversations?

SPEAKER_01 11:09

It was through networking. Like honestly, I've been trying to get out there and find those group of business owners and that speak Spanish. And in one meeting, I, you know, I went there and I talked to everyone and I said I speak Spanish. And the people from the Small Business Developers Center were so excited. They were like, oh my God, someone that speaks Spanish on a specific topic that we can do a class. So yeah, that's kind of how it all started. I'm so excited to, you know, be kind of like that um resource for the community.

SPEAKER_00 11:41

Yeah. Well, tell me about your approach to networking. How has how have you been using it for your success? What results have you been able to achieve?

SPEAKER_01 11:50

Networking. I started networking this year. I feel like my business is basically um it grew from my network. Everything that I have uh built is just from people that I know from my personal life. I've known from college. Um, I have a client that is so weird. Like I have a client that I went to college with in Honduras, you know, 20 years ago, and he didn't know that I was doing this. And he just reached out and he was like, wait, you're not doing agronomy anymore? Yeah. So um, and that that's you know, kind of like how I how I get my clients. I talk to people, I let them know what I'm doing. Um, and I like to help them see, like I that's the person that I am. I go and talk to people. What are you doing? What what are you being up to? And I think that's kind of like how I've been able to reach out to people.

SPEAKER_00 12:57

Well, who are some of your best referral partners, people that you collaborate or tend to collaborate really well with?

SPEAKER_01 13:04

Um definitely accountants. Um, most of my referrals come from accountants that um, you know, uh their own clients need bookkeepers. Um I do that a lot. I'm in a networking group and like an NIA that I love and it's been great. Um I also go to the, you know, wherever I find an event with the chambers or um yeah, I just like to go and see what's going on in the community and meet meet business owners.

SPEAKER_00 13:36

Right on. Um so Miriam, talk to me about your journey, like how you got from Nicaragua to Honduras to agronomy to bookkeeping. Um bring it all home. How did you get to where you are now?

SPEAKER_01 13:50

Yeah, so um I grew up in Nicaragua. Um, and then, you know, I went to uh college in Honduras, did I get agronomy-related um studies, then I ended up in Illinois doing a master's degree, and that's where I found my husband, um, that he's originally from here, from Colorado. So um life brought me back here.

SPEAKER_00 14:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:19

I met my husband, and he has a lot of family here, and I came here and um natural resources to bookkeeping, it was kind of like a natural transition in the sense that I didn't do it looking for a business to do. I reached out to my accountant mother-in-law, and I told her that I needed help with my personal finances, and she kind of like made fun of me because I was very detail-oriented. So she was like, you know what? I'll just uh gift you QuickBooks and you need to learn how to do this, and everything's gonna make sense in your head. And then when I got that, it was like, oh my god, this is all I want. Yeah, so it kind of like grew like that. Like I got one small client, then another one, and then another one, and then just threw referrals and to people that um just were needing that help that I feel like I started giving um to this particular business owner that was too small to get an accountant firm and didn't want to pay, you know, sixteen hundred dollars a month. But they were trying to grow and were or getting confused or spending too much time doing their own books.

SPEAKER_00 15:41

Well, I love that. I love when people find what they're meant to do. Uh and you know that that gift that you found and everything just clicks. I will tell you, Miriam, there's a lot of people where booking me just doesn't click for it, right? Which is why you need to to hire somebody. But I I I was thinking about that is um a lot of people are maybe even ashamed at the state of their books, right? Like they know they need help, but they don't really want you to look for fear of judgment or uh embarrassment of some kind. But I'm I would guess you've probably seen it all.

SPEAKER_01 16:14

Look, I see it as look, and my favorite hobby probably is making like putting together jigsaw puzzles. So when I see books that are really messy, that's kind of one my head goes to. It goes to let's organize it, let's put it together. Like, how does this work? What piece goes where? There's something missing here, something should go here. And so I think that's probably how why I don't find it annoying.

SPEAKER_00 16:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:45

I like it.

SPEAKER_00 16:46

And a business owner who finally gets real clarity on their books and their numbers can make a more strategic business decision or uh an investment decision of what they're gonna do.

SPEAKER_01 16:56

Yeah, I mean, I think that's the value that I hope all business owners recognize.

SPEAKER_00 17:03

Yeah. Well, what's your what's some of your goals for 2026? Uh, you know, what is your um vision for your networking efforts and what are you hoping to what kind of connections are you hoping to achieve this year?

SPEAKER_01 17:14

So I think this year my goal is gonna be to increase my clientele. Um and I'm going to keep trying to focus on the Spanish speaking community. I think that um I think that they can really benefit from more what I'm offering, and I'm going to put a lot of effort in trying to find those business owners.

SPEAKER_00 17:44

All right, Miriam. So there's there's people who are watching this and they're like, I need I need some professional help. I need some people or at least a second set of eyes, or maybe they're working with somebody who's not talking to them in their native tongue. Um maybe they want to network with a bookkeeper. Well, what's some of the ways that people can get a hold of you?

SPEAKER_01 18:03

Well, if anyone is interested in connecting with me, I would be more than happy to talk and help them. Obviously, um I can do a no-cost consultation. Anyone can find me in Molinabooks.com. All my contact information is there. And if they can email me, call me, text me.

SPEAKER_00 18:24

Right on. Well, we will put all that in the show notes, but I'm sure we'll have some people uh reaching out to you to want to set up some one-to-ones or get that free consultation.

SPEAKER_01 18:35

Awesome. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 18:36

Well, Miriam, uh, thank you for who you are. It's been awesome networking with you and seeing and watching your growth, uh, being able to do speaking opportunities and teaching opportunities, and and also all the support that you've done for the network and helping them with their bookkeeping. But we will uh we'll see you around Northern Colorado.

SPEAKER_01 18:56

Awesome. Thank you so much, Andrew. Great to be here.

SPEAKER_00 18:59

Hey all, thanks for watching. I love networking and building relationships with other Northern Colorado business leaders. So if you want to come meet some of these podcast guests, meet me, or meet some other amazing entrepreneurs in Northern Colorado, I would love to have you attend one of our next events. Uh, go in the podcast description. There's the ways that you can see our upcoming schedule. And maybe you could be a future podcast guest as well. Thanks.