Episodes: Listen Now to The Successful Bookkeeper Podcast — The Successful Bookkeeper

EP512: Sharrin Fuller - Scaling Smarter: Why Systems Matter More Than Headcount

Written by Michael Palmer | Jan 13, 2026 2:00:00 PM

" We need to do things that the other people aren't doing because that's how you make ways, that's how you revolutionize, that's how you pave a new path for the other people that think like you, but maybe don't have the strength at this point yet to pave the way.”
- Sharrin Fuller

In this episode, Sharrin Fuller, strategic advisor and founder of Glass Wallet Ventures, shares why she believes the future of bookkeeping is client-facing, relationship-driven, and systemized. She breaks down how she scaled smarter, reduced her team, embraced technology, and rebuilt her firm to run smoothly with less effort. Sharrin also shares the thinking behind her book, Unfollow The Rules: The Messy Truth About Burnout, Bad Decisions And Building Until It Worked and why challenging traditional models matters more than ever for firm owners.

In this interview, you’ll learn:

  • Why scaling smarter beats hiring more staff
  • How technology replaces tasks but not relationships
  • What bookkeepers must do to stay relevant as AI advances

To learn more about Sharrin, click here.

Connect with her on LinkedIn.

Buy her book, Unfollow The Rules, at this link.

Time Stamp

00:00 – Why only client-facing roles matter in the future
01:03 – Sharrin’s career journey & building multiple firms
03:47 – What inspired her book Unfollow The Rules
11:23 – Scaling smarter without adding people
12:23 – Reducing a team from 12 to 2 without losing clients
14:45 – Challenging traditional business models
19:53 – How to decide what to outsource or automate
24:08 – The downside of fast-changing technology
27:56 – What Sharrin is building next & where to find her 

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