“I believe your business should support your life. Not constantly pull you further away from it.”
My path into this work did not begin with a polished plan. It began with firsthand experience, building businesses, learning through mistakes, adapting through different seasons of life.
Over time, that experience grew into something deeper. Through my own ventures, years of systems work, and my role inside a CPA firm, I kept seeing the same pattern: hardworking business owners doing their best, but still operating without the clarity they needed from their numbers. That is what shaped Crafty Books & Budgets, and the work I do today.
Behind The Build
How Ready For Growth™ Took Shape
2001–2004
What My First Business Taught Me
In 2001, I opened my first business, On The Ball Services, Inc., as a legal secretary trying to build a different kind of life outside the NYC rat race. It was a virtual assistant business before that kind of work was widely understood, and I was not prepared for what it actually took to start and run it well. I was advised to form a corporation right away, which created more complexity than I was ready for.
2004–2006
I learned that avoiding the financial side does not make it go away
Over time, the corporation fell behind. Tax returns went unfiled, annual reports were missed, and eventually the IRS caught up with me. By 2006, I dissolved the corporation, but not before learning how quickly small business problems grow when the financial side is ignored.
2006–2011
The Business Dream Never Really Went Away
After dissolving the corporation, I continued working full-time as a legal secretary, but I never fully let go of the dream of building something of my own. I kept taking on side jobs whenever I could, because owning a business was always something I wanted for myself. This season was not marked by a major business breakthrough, but it did shape something important in me: work ethic. I learned how to show up, work hard, stay dependable, and keep going even when the bigger vision had not come together yet.
2011–2014
Family life changed everything — and made flexibility matter more
When I left my full-time job in 2011 after having my twins, self-employment took on a new role in my life. It became a meaningful way to help support our household while staying home and raising my family. That season taught me something I still carry into my work today: a business should support your life, not constantly pull you further away from it. But while I was earning, caring for my family, and figuring things out as I went, the tax side, debt, and financial pressure quietly built in the background.
2014–2018
This was the season that tested everything
As the world shifted and offshoring drove transcription pricing down to a point that was no longer sustainable, this became the hardest season of my self-employment journey. I had to adapt quickly, take on whatever work I could find, and keep going even when the pressure felt overwhelming. From sales calls and administrative support to building out processes and systems for businesses across different industries, this was the season that pushed me to survive, stretch, and keep showing up. It tested my resilience in a way nothing else had before — and it taught me how to keep building, even when the path forward was not clear.
2018–2020
This Season Brought Structure, Purpose, And A Sudden Shift
During this season, I began working with a CPA firm as a 1099 administrative assistant. What started as support work gradually grew into something much bigger and eventually led to full-time W-2 income. At the same time, I was also building a purpose-driven side business. After creating custom bracelets for nonprofits to use in fundraising, I formed Tagged4Hope and spent a year developing the concept into something more meaningful and community-based. But just as it was getting ready to launch, COVID hit. A business built around human connection and passing something from one person to another fell apart almost overnight.
2020–Today
This is where the mission became clear
As my role inside the CPA firm grew, so did my work in building systems, processes, workflows, and stronger operational structure. That experience reinforced something I had already lived for myself: lasting growth needs a strong foundation. I knew what it felt like to keep going through self-employment without enough clarity underneath the work, and this is where my direction became more defined. I wanted to help self-employed business owners create the structure and understanding that makes growth feel possible.
Ready for More Clarity?
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