MISSION

For as long as I can remember, I have loved numbers. I have a knack for seeing patterns in numbers and for remembering dates, such as when you closed on your house, or your nephew's birthday, or that day you had a dentist appointment. In theory, that's super cool. But in college, I was surrounded by creative and artistic friends, so I often felt like something was wrong with me since you know, I'm a "numbers girl" not an artsy one. It wasn't until a few years following graduation that I realized loving numbers AND being good at managing them is actually a strength, not something to be ashamed of.

While working an 8-5 job, I dreamt of finding a role that provided flexibility as well as an avenue to work with numbers. When my husband and I found out we were expecting our first child, I knew I needed a mom-friendly job too. To be honest, my greatest desire is to be a stay-at-home mom, but also, I simply enjoy working! The want to be home with our son each day matched the nudge to continue working. This led me to bookkeeping. Bookkeeping is all about organizing the financial data of a business effectively to allow business owners to focus on running their actual business; a perfect behind-the-scenes role for an outgoing, yet introverted nerd like me!

I want to use my career to support entrepreneurs and business owners so they can focus on prioritizing the growth and success of their business without the fear of falling behind in financial organization. I want to serve other small-business owners by providing them the opportunity to be the business owner they want to be without sacrificing being present with their loved ones.

Bells serve many purposes. Church bells traditionally ring to indicate that it is time to gather. Wedding bells symbolize a joyful celebration of marriage. You ding a concierge bell to call for help. Ship bells are rung to account for timing of shifts or to sound for rescue. But my personal favorite purpose of bells is the chiming of bells on a clock tower to indicate what time it is.

One of my favorite memories of being a college student on UT's campus is walking past the tower each day on my route to and from classes. The tower is located at the north end of the South Lawn, with a direct view of the Texas State Capitol. The bells in the tower chime every quarter hour to signal that time is passing; we are approaching the end of the hour with 15 minutes here, 15 minutes there, hour after hour. Similarly, the fiscal calendar year is broken up into four quarters, thus one could argue that financial tracking keeps pace with the rhythm of a clock tower with 3 months here, 3 months there, year after year. And so, Bell Books is born!

(Also, bell is the second half of my last name; how convenient.)

Thank you for visiting my nerdy, little corner here in the world of small business and for taking the time to get to know me and my heart for behind-the-scenes support. If nothing else, I hope my story encourages you to celebrate how you're wired. Sometimes the very thing that makes you different is the very thing this world needs more of.