#99: How We Saved 6 Figures on Taxes | An Interview With Tax Strategist, Barbara Schreihans

Summary

Podcast Summary: Win With Paid Ads – Ep. 99

Episode Title: How We Saved 6 Figures on Taxes | An Interview With Tax Strategist, Barbara Schreihans
Host: Ashley Brock
Guest: Barbara Schreihans
Date: December 18, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode features a candid and tactical conversation between host Ashley Brock and renowned tax strategist Barbara Schreihans. They explore how Barbara’s firm helped Ashley save six figures in taxes and the broader principles, strategies, and mindset shifts that propelled both of their businesses into rapid growth. Together, they break down the practical steps any entrepreneur can use to make smarter money moves, master paid ads, invest in tax-savvy ways, and build wealth while giving back—without burning out.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Finding the Right Tax Strategist

• Ashley’s Journey:

  • Found Barbara through word of mouth and Instagram, seeking a trusted expert as her business scaled quickly.
  • Immediate trust and proactive decision to work with Barbara's team.
  • “Since then, now you've saved what, six figures on taxes at minimum so far?” (00:59)

• Barbara’s Team Philosophy:

  • Team genuinely celebrates client tax savings as their own wins.
    • "My whole team…do they care about their clients saving money as if it was their own? Yeah, and they really all do." (01:37)

2. Mindset for Rapid Growth

• Coachable Attitude:

  • Both agree being open to learning accelerates progress.
    • “It's in our core values of, like, always a white belt. So, like, you always can be learning.” (02:11)
  • The danger of being “uncoachable.”

• Community & Environment:

  • Room selection (masterminds, groups) is crucial.
  • Both have spent significant amounts investing in learning from others; Barbara says over $1m in masterminds (05:42).

3. Paid Ads & Profitability (From a Tax Strategist’s Perspective)

• Barbara’s Initial Skepticism:

  • Distrust in online “gurus” boasting about revenue without sharing profit figures.
    • "So many people have a hard time with profitability when their ads are not working. And so that's all I saw…until you came around…"(02:54)
  • Shifted after seeing Ashley's “math mathing.”

• Process:

  • Trialing ads with a mirror of their organic launch to measure true ROI.
    • “We did the exact same launch…just happen to throw fuel on the fire.” (03:35)
  • Emphasis: every launch is a learning opportunity, iterate and improve each round.

• Measuring Success:

  • Not all leads are equal—optimize for high value, not just cheap cost per lead.
  • Spend as much time as possible in your “zone of genius”; outsource the rest.

4. How Tax Strategy Differs from Accounting

• Ashley’s Realization:
  • CPA ≠ Tax Strategist. Realized urgent need after a massive tax bill forecast.
    • “If I hadn't had someone…tell me, you need a tax strategist, I wouldn't have known… I just thought my CPA who filed my taxes was my tax strategist.” (08:51)
  • The importance of proactive planning, not just filing.

5. Real Estate as a Tax Strategy

• Ashley’s A-ha at a Live Event:

  • Inspired by Barbara’s own real estate holdings (600+ doors!).
    • "How many did she just say?" (11:28)
    • "Over 600." (11:28)
  • Realized real estate could provide immediate, not just long-term, tax savings.

• Barbara’s Simplified Explanation:

  • Depreciation as a “fake expense”—an IRS reward for improving the economy.
    • “It's kind of like the IRS says, thank you for investing in the economy. I'm going to give you this gift of, like, a fake expense…” (14:09)
  • Cost segregation and bonus depreciation allow significant deductions up front (“your ROI is not 10% right now, it’s 87% right now—and you have growth potential in the future” (14:01)).

• Ashley’s Real-World Example:

  • From “no way that’s possible” to three properties under contract within a year (14:59).
  • The power of seeing others do it first: “You just have to see someone do it first just to like, prove to your brain that it is possible.” (15:32)

6. Value and Caution in Masterminds

• Barbara’s Approach:
  • Get clear about your goals for the group—learning, community, clients, or experiences (15:52).
  • “Sometimes you walk into the wrong mastermind…just make sure you're gonna vibe well with the leader and that they are who they say they are.” (16:35)

7. Capacity, Growth, and Celebrating Wins

• Scaling Teams and Events:

  • Both reflect on building large teams (Ashley: growing from 3 to 12 in a year; Barbara: a team of 33).
  • Holding space for growth and celebrating these rapid milestones.
    • “You have to hold so much space for yourself and your business and, like, the vision of something, whether it's an event or, like, just launching a course or hosting a retreat.” (17:29)

• Slowing Down to Celebrate:

  • "Sometimes we forget, like, you. We should be so proud of what it took…” (18:57)
  • Barbara’s wish: “I wish I would have just stood on stage before I said anything and just, like, took everything in.” (19:02)

8. Investing in Yourself—Even Without the Money

• Ashley’s $50k Leap:
  • Pushed by external validation, faith, and clear commitment, took out credit to join a high-level group, leading to exponential business breakthroughs.
    • “I did not have the money. It was $50,000 and I didn't have it. And I went to Kyle and I was like, if we have to sell the house…are we going to be okay?…But that was like my first domino.” (21:43)

9. Growth through Self-Development and Boundaries

• Barbara:

  • Entrepreneurship as deep personal growth: “Just being so clear on who you truly are…good people making good money do good things.” (24:11)
  • Proudly donating multiple six figures to charity (24:51).
  • The importance of boundaries; learned the hard way after burnout and health scares.
    • "I only take meetings on these days…learned that every time I say no, it leaves room for yeses.” (30:41)

• Ashley:

  • Motivation to create financial freedom for her own family and break generational patterns (31:26).
  • Now prioritizing self-care and setting boundaries for 2026.

10. Year-End Tax Moves & Trends

• Health & Wellness Write-offs:
  • New laws allow medical expense reimbursement for owners, not just employees.
    • “Now we can write off gym memberships, and so, like, we just bought a biocharger…” (26:30)
  • Real estate especially attractive this year due to 100% bonus depreciation (27:45).
  • Growth in donor-advised funds: structuring charitable giving for immediate tax benefits (28:04).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Team Wins:
  “No one sees it, but, like, we all celebrate in Slack the amount of money that people are saving.” — Barbara (01:37)

• Business Growth via Learning:
  “I've probably spent over $1 million in mastermind groups.” — Barbara (05:42)

• About Real Estate Strategy:
  “It's kind of like the IRS says, thank you for investing in the economy. I'm going to give you this gift of, like, a fake expense.” — Barbara (14:09)

• On Rapid Change:
  “It is crazy what can happen in a year.” — Ashley (11:01)

• On Giving Back:
  “When you grew up with nothing and like on food stamps—and then to be able to like drop 50k or 100k to a charity…that is really cool.” — Barbara (24:57)

• Ashley on taking risks:
  “I have faith with my words, but not my money…you can say you have faith, but, like, doing it and like, demonstrating that is what faith is.” (22:18)

• Best Paid Ads Advice:
  “Them or someone on their team can do it…you need to be findable on multiple platforms. That's like my core conviction.” — Ashley (32:00)

• The Boundary Lesson:
  “Every time I say no, it leaves, like, room for yeses as well. So you have to have boundaries.” — Barbara (30:46)

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Important Timestamps

• Finding a Tax Strategist & Initial Savings: 00:34 – 02:31
• Mindset & Coachability: 02:11 – 02:31
• Ads Skepticism to Success: 02:54 – 04:30
• Growth through Community (Masterminds): 05:42 – 06:29
• Ashley’s Tax Wakeup Call: 08:35 – 10:13
• Real Estate for Immediate Tax Savings: 11:08 – 15:10
• Explanation of Depreciation: 14:09 – 14:47
• Ashley’s Real Estate Progress: 14:53 – 15:10
• Mastermind Selection: 15:52 – 16:35
• Celebrating Wins & Avoiding Burnout: 17:29 – 19:46
• Taking Big Investment Risks: 20:04 – 22:43
• Giving Back & Charitable Moves: 24:51 – 29:13
• Health & Wellness Write-Offs: 26:30 – 28:05
• Boundaries & Burnout Lessons: 29:47 – 31:06
• Final Advice on Paid Ads: 32:00 – 32:27

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Final Takeaways

• Get proactive with tax strategy and don’t assume your accountant is optimizing your business.
• Don’t underestimate the compounding power of mastermind environments and learning from others.
• Real estate is a powerful, immediate tax-saving vehicle when structured well.
• True growth (and happiness) comes from mastery of your craft, solid team culture, healthy boundaries, and giving back.
• Celebrate your success along the way, not just the finish line.

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Resource Mentioned:
Barbara’s year-end tax savings checklist – [linked in the episode description] (32:56).

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Authenticity, actionable wisdom, and real numbers—this episode is a must for business owners who want to play bigger, keep more of what they earn, and build impact-driven wealth.

Transcript

[A]

Welcome to the Win with Paid Ads podcast for small business owners, entrepreneurs, and really anyone who has anything you want more people to find. Whether you're starting from ground zero or scaling an eight figure business, you are exactly who this podcast was created for. Because you being the best kept secret helps no one.

[B]

Right?

[A]

That's why in every episode, I'll show you how you can use paid ads to hit your goals 10 times sooner. It's time you finally learn how to win with paid ads. You or someone on your team can do this. I'll show you how to score and be known by more. Let's get started.

[B]

Today on the Win with Paid Ads podcast, you're getting to meet someone who has actually changed my life. And so now we're in a place where we're both getting to help each other with our expertise and it's really cool. So you're about to get to meet Barbara. I'm gonna let her do a quick introduction. So let's get started. So I will admit I. I did find Barbara, like, naturally, like, I would say organically. This is a word of mouth thing. I went on Instagram and I typed in tax strategy because I knew I needed it. I was like, oh my gosh, the business has grown so quickly and that immediately I'm like, I just want to find someone that I trust that is very, very smart. And immediately, like, the trust factor was there. And I, I went down on a loop and just learned so much. I was so excited to work with you. So I feel like I was one of those people. Like, I immediately was like, all right, how do I work with her? Went to the link, started the process, and since then, now you've saved what, six figures on taxes at minimum so far?

[C]

So, yeah, you're like star student.

[B]

I, I follow the directions. And Stephanie specifically has been so great. Like, she, I feel like she actually cares about saving us money. And she does more, I think, than you even realize, like, to support us. It's been so good.

[C]

Oh, yeah, my whole team, like, that's the one thing that I really care about is like, do they care about their clients saving money as if it was their own? Yeah, and they really all do. Like, we all celebrate. No one sees it, but, like, we all celebrate in slack the amount of money that people are saving.

[B]

I love that we have a team WINS channel too, because people care. They're like, hey, I'm seeing Barbara's ads. How are they doing this? Look, this one looks so great. And they'll screenshot it and put it in there. And I'm like, I know, like, you and I both, we take action very quickly and we take direction very well too.

[C]

I think it's really important with, like, entrepreneurship. It's in our core values of, like, always a white belt. So, like, you always can be learning. And I think we both have that, which is why we've both been able to grow our businesses so fast. Yeah. The people that are, like, uncoachable, you're not going to get any better because you don't think that you can get better.

[B]

I agree. Yeah. I know. You said earlier, like, you even though you are so coachable, you are the person that wants to learn for a little while. You were a little resistant to ads. So tell me, like, what were you, what were you thinking? What were your thoughts about ads before you decided your team, like, having this skill would be something you want to do?

[C]

Okay. If I was being honest.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

I would like, see these, like Internet gurus. And I think it's because I see everyone's financials behind the scenes where like all these people online would be like, six figure launch, seven figure launch. You know, I've made seven figures with this course. And I'm like, yes, but what you're not telling people is like, what's your profit? And so many people have a hard time with profitability when their ads are not working. And so that's all I saw in my business until you came around and then I saw your finances and I was like, maybe it works. You're like, I see that some math.

[B]

Seems to be mathing.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And you had a similar model.

[C]

Yes. Yeah, for sure. So I was like, okay, as long as my team can learn through your course and like implement it, then we can try it. Like, what's the worst thing that can happen? Yeah. So for our first launch that we did with ads, we did the exact same launch that we would do without ads. Like, did nothing different there. Because I was like, if anything, at least we have our organic launches that we know work every time.

[B]

Totally.

[C]

We just happen to throw fuel on the fire.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

With the ads. And they did work. They did.

[B]

And then I feel like you've. I feel like it's kind of like testing the waters. Like, I feel like you got comfortable with that first batch. And I feel like our, the second launch, I feel like overall it went better. Just like learning. Just like we talked about today, some of the lead growth stuff, like, it just sped up getting more people on the email list and the whole thing works together. And your Team is so great at the emails too. It just all kind of added up.

[C]

Well, every time you launch something, I think you learn something and you can tweak. Like, we were even talking downstairs. We're at Ashley's retreat right now in Florida, which is why you can see beautiful 30A. I love it behind us. But, like, all of us were talking about the little tweaks that we do in our own launches, and someone would be like, what about this? Or putting the checkbox here or adding this to the form. And we're all like, there's so many things we could do.

[B]

So many things. You know, I hadn't thought about it until you said it a second ago, but your immediate. When you were thinking about, like, advertising in general, your immediate first thing was profit.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Because, like, that is actually at the core of everything that it is. Like, once you have the profit, then that's what you know you're getting taxed on. So it's just so funny. Your default is like. Is the math. Math thing. Because you're a numbers expert. Yeah. Yeah, always. So with where you're at in your business, both of us have had the similarity that we have grown a large team. The business has grown, on average, quicker than most people. I feel like how you believe about what's possible for you and how you've invested in yourself, not just with this, but with so many things has, like. Like being in a room of other environments and learning has, like, sped up where you're at. Do you agree? Like, yeah.

[C]

I would not be where I am today had I not invested into the right rooms. Yeah. Like, I've probably spent over $1 million in mastermind groups.

[B]

Wow.

[C]

But it's to be around the people like that you want to be. Yeah. And how do you, like, step into that identity if you haven't seen someone do it before? Like, I didn't have the role models growing up. I didn't have anyone in my family that had been an entrepreneur. Like, I have no idea. I had no one in my family that even invested like 5k into a program or 10k.

[B]

Totally.

[C]

And so just getting in the rooms to see what's possible. Yeah. And same for you. Like, you've, it seems like, hasn't have not hesitated being in those rooms. Yeah.

[B]

I feel like I just absolutely know beyond a shadow of a doubt other people are smarter than me. Like, even last night watching you, you drew this, like, quadrant on the. On the board because something so simple to me, like, something so confusing to me, like, she simplified so well, and like, I just, I think you probably think this about money things and I think this about odd things. We think, of course people know this. Like, of course. This is so simple. Yeah. And like, even when we were talking about the cost per lead, like Barbara and I were talking about how not every lead should be treated the same. So there are, there's people that optimize towards a cost per lead and there's people that optimize towards the person that will pay the most, like a target return. And like, of course that makes sense. And you heard it and you're like, yes, but it's so crazy how we both have our, like, buckets of knowledge that we know we're good at, but we also are like, what other buckets of knowledge do we need to like, speed up our results so quickly?

[C]

Well, and if we are so good at exactly what we do, if we spend any time like, outside of that of like our zone of genius, we're just wasting money. Like water is spilling out of the bucket and you are wasting profits and wasting growth. So, like, spend all the time you can on your expertise and revenue generating activities and outsource as much as you can to other things which as you've grown, like, you've learned to do that as well.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And like, I love. Because you're maybe like a year or two behind from starting your business. When I started mine and I remember being at the 12 person team.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

And we were like sitting around being like, where are we going to be next year? And everyone's like 25. And I was like, no way, guys. Like, you guys are crazy. And then next year we'll be at 25. So I hope you're ready.

[B]

Oh my gosh. I'm manifesting it. I want it. Like, I even. We were, the team and I were talking like this time last year in this house, there were three of us. And now there's 11 total. There's 12 that starts on Monday. But it's like the exponential growth. Yes. Ads. But it's crazy. Every single thing that we've learned by being in the other rooms is the reason that I have like, even like who I hired and why I hired, the investments that I've made. It's all from surrounding myself with other people who just think differently.

[C]

How did you know right away that you needed a tax strategist? I feel like a lot of entrepreneurs fumble for a couple years with like, regular accountants. They get a huge, surprising tax bill.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[C]

But you were just immediately like, I need a tax strategist.

[B]

So if you think about, like, where people are at on their journey, like, there's people completely unaware of the fact that they need tax strategy. There's people that are like, I have a problem. I've been recently informed that I'm going to owe a lot of money in taxes. I was there, I was like, I was problem with. I don't know, I was there and I was like, I need a solution. And my financial advisor paid Hannah. She was like, you need a tax strategist. And she's actually the person that referred me to you, which is like this whole like full circle thing, which I think is so special. But she was the one, because I didn't know. She's like, you need tax strategy. You don't just need what you have. And I didn't know, like, if I hadn't had someone who was a money advisor to tell me, you need a tax strategist, I wouldn't have known because I just thought my CPA who filed my taxes was my tax strategist. I just didn't know. Yeah. And so I'm over here like, hey, how much are we going to owe? And it's forecasted. And it was like hundreds of thousands of dollars. I was like, oh, no. Like, to the gut, like, I'm going to pay all that. Like, it's just all going to go. I said, what things can we do? And they were like, well, there's many things that you could do, but like, here's a few of the top recommendations. And I was like, they just sent me an email with four bullet points. I'm like, I have no clue what any of those things mean. So that's when I went to Hannah and she was like, no, you need someone who specializes in how to use different strategies that are legal to, like, reduce. Like. And then I found you and I immediately, like, saw the form and I was like, okay, I already knew, like, I'd already sold myself that it was already going to be a tax write off to work with you. And so now everything I think of, I'm like, well, it is going to reduce the. It's just how my brain works.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

But I just knew. And I knew that I wanted the best. And so I felt like I had found it. And I'm very quick to make a decision once I know. I'm like, this person seems like a good person. I loved the success and credibility that you had. I thought there was one video that you had and it taught me something kind of like that whiteboard Moment. Like every time you get near a whiteboard, I'm like, I'm like leaned in. Like, you had this one organic post. I was like, yeah, she's drawing.

[C]

You do.

[B]

Because it. I just. I'm such a person. That is a visual. Like, I have to see it. And then I'm like, got it done. Now I can make the decision. And you had a piece of content. And I was like, well, I'm sold. Before I got on the call.

[C]

Yeah, that's so good. And you were up minted last year.

[B]

I was.

[C]

We're about to be up minted this year. I know.

[B]

And now I get to play a small, little teeny bit.

[C]

She's gonna be on stage.

[B]

I'm gonna be on the panel.

[C]

It's gonna be great. That is still on stage.

[B]

I know. I'm so honored. But it is. It's crazy what can happen in a year.

[C]

What was something you took away from last year's event?

[B]

Oh, my gosh. All the real estate stuff that I thought was ex like too. I thought it was too complicated. Like, I knew in my brain, I said, one, one day I will have real estate. And then I heard you just so simply, like, I think you said like the number of like doors or properties you have. And I. And I looked at Kyle, I was like, how many did she just say?

[C]

Over 600. Yeah.

[B]

I was like, what did she just say? And I was like that. I was like, that is impossible. So for a moment I was like, God, yeah, I'm definitely not ready for that. But then I. Throughout the day, like, I got to hear from the panel, I got to hear from you. And I love the open Q and A that you did. And I started to realize, I'm like, wait, this is possible. And I didn't realize how the math, math, because I just have to. I'm such a numbers person. And I wanted to see how even investing something that's like a long term gain because you have to think about it. My brain is kind of instant gratification trained because when I put $1 in, I know that I can get five out. So I was telling myself, this is not instant gratification. I'm supposed to put this money in and like expect it to work like five years from now. That's. My brain was struggling because I told myself, I'll just spend more on ads. And Kyle's like, no, we need to.

[C]

Have diversify, but it will save you now.

[B]

That's right. And I didn't realize that as clearly.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Even more so last night.

[C]

So you will get the tax savings this year. You don't have to.

[B]

Wait, let's talk about that a little bit. Like, for people that are listening and they're like, wait, I relate to what Ashley's saying. How does it save her immediately?

[C]

Yes. So I look at real estate in four different ways. But in general, you're going to put a down payment on a property. Let's say you're going to put $1 million down on a $4 million property or group of properties. Just for easy math, some of you might be like, I'm not buying $4.

[B]

Million worth of property, but pretend it's 400,000 and 100.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So if you put a million dollars down, you instantly grew your net worth by $4 million because you just purchased something for 4 million, but all you had to do was pay a million for it. So already you're up. Then you get tax savings from it through depreciation, as long as you set it up correctly. This is like the part people get wrong.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And where their tax person doesn't advise them correctly, but you're setting it up correctly. So let's say we did a cost segregation study on the property, which just means you get to accelerate your expenses. So on $4 million of property, you're going to get anywhere from 800,000 to 1.5 million in expenses. And let's just average that. So your million dollar down payment just got you a million in deductions.

[B]

Right.

[C]

So you do get the immediate right deduction now and someone else is paying your mortgage and you get appreciation of the property. So when we did the math last night, it's like your ROI is not 10% right now, it's 87% right now. And you have growth potential in the future.

[B]

So can you explain to me like a third grader what depreciation really means?

[C]

Yeah, it's kind of like the IRS says, thank you for investing in the economy. I'm going to give you this gift of like a fake expense. So they say on every $100,000 property, you could take 25 or $30,000 as, like a bonus check. The IRS is like, we're going to give you an extra 30,000 in deductions just because you were nice enough that we don't have to have government housing. You're going to provide the housing for someone, and so we're going to give you 30,000 back.

[B]

Interesting.

[C]

Okay, so every 100k is anywhere from like 25 to 30. Yeah.

[B]

And then the cost segregation the way that I've understood it, because we're about to do, I think three with you in the next. Oh, yeah, by the way.

[C]

So she learned about all the real estate last year. She's like, no way, that's impossible. And then currently I'm under contract, so.

[B]

We have one short term rental and two under contract. So about three in a year, which is a big deal. And it's. It's a couple million, which is exciting.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. Anything is possible. You just have to see the person do it.

[B]

Yes, that's it.

[C]

It's like the four minute mile analogy that everyone talks about. You know, like in the Olympics, that person tried. Well, in the Olympics, people tried to beat the four minute mile for hundreds of years. And then someone did it in the 20s and the very next Olympic, four people beat the four minute mile because they saw someone finally do it. So you just have to see someone.

[B]

Do it first just to like, prove to your brain that it is possible.

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

That's why we love masterminds so much.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I saw one of the episodes on your podcast, it was recent. Was like, about a mastermind experience you had. Have you. So you've had like some good and some challenging experiences. Tell me, tell me more about like your overall thought about masterminds in general. Okay.

[C]

I think that everyone should be in a mastermind.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

But sometimes you walk into the wrong mastermind. So it's like, still be very clear on what you want from the group. Is it a specific topic like yours? On ads, it's like, all I want to do is learn ads.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

All the other stuff we get is like cherry on top. Love it. It's amazing. But I was like, very clear. Like, that's what I wanted. Or is it for community? Or is it. Are these people your ideal clients? Like, sometimes I've joined masterminds not because I really even cared about the leader. I just knew everyone in there were my ideal clients. Or is it for really cool trips? Sometimes it's like, hey, I know they're doing cool stuff this year.

[B]

Totally.

[C]

We're gonna do that. So, like, people have many different reasons to walk in the room. So be clear on that. And then also just make sure you're gonna vibe well with the leader and that they are who they say they are. Cause not everyone is.

[B]

Yeah. I feel like you are.

[C]

And you are.

[B]

I've got even just our walk on the beach this morning. I'm like, you're such a good person. And like, I. It really matters to me if I Love paying money for value, but especially when I'm like, there's value and there's, like, a heart. Human. They're like, I want to support, you know?

[C]

Yeah, I feel the same for you, too.

[B]

Good. I'm glad. Yeah. So it was so funny last night. We were talking about a bunch of different things, but everybody. It's crazy. We were talking about, like, you, like, minted. We were talking about Barbara's excited about her event because she sold it out. It was like, a big deal. It's like a. What is it? A 100% increase year over year to 200. That's a. That's a big deal. How do you feel, by the way?

[C]

I feel really good. I don't think I've sat down to really, like. To really, like, feel it. I've, like, been like, oh, that's really cool, but I need to, like. I don't know that everyone realizes, like, you have to hold so much space for yourself and your business and, like, the vision of something, whether it's an event or, like, just launching a course or hosting a retreat like that, like, you have to hold the vision for so long to be like, is this going to work? Are people going to come? Like, is it going to be successful? And then when, like, the first thing happens where it's like, yes, we sold out, and the next step is we have to have the event, but it's like, the capacity for your goals.

[B]

I feel like one thing I struggled with in my business was. And I'm working on it, I even had a moment today where I, like, practice what I said I wanted to do. We're going so fast. We're going and growing so fast. We're managing so many responsibilities and team. Your team is how large now?

[C]

33.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

That's a lot of responsibility and weight. And you want to deliver so good at this event to everybody that comes. And sometimes I say, like, we. We don't take time to, like, smell the roses for a second or, like, hear the ocean. And so I've really been working on that. It's like the photographer actually looked at me. We were down there sitting on the balcony, and I'm sure you're gonna have this moment at Minted. But she looked at me and she's like, you should be so proud of yourself. And I just looked around, and it's like, sometimes we forget, like, you. We should be so proud of what it took to get, like, the sea glass.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

That we talked about. Like, there's so much that goes on that people don't see.

[C]

That was my one thing. When the team. We were having, like, a team meeting after Minted last year was like, what was one thing you would change? And I said, I wish I would have just stood on stage before I said anything and just, like, took everything in.

[B]

Yeah. Because I do.

[C]

Because I wanted to, but I was like, don't cry on stage.

[B]

I know.

[C]

So I didn't. But I think this year will be crazy to see it that big.

[B]

Yeah. It's just not a lot of what you and I have worked so hard to accomplish. It's. It's like your brain needs. I read that in order to keep going, your brain needs the dopamine hit or the satisfaction that says, like, you've done the thing. Like, it has a reward center, and sometimes we, like, overlap it.

[C]

We're like, okay, good job.

[B]

That was really exciting. Yeah. And then we go to the next thing. It's like, the brain actually needs a moment to be like, reward. You did the thing.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So I'm working on that too.

[C]

How, when you started your business, were you okay with investing into such big things so quickly?

[B]

I honestly. Oh, my gosh. I was so insecure for a minute. But, like, did I tell you about the moment that, like, someone, like, looked at me on the zoom call?

[C]

I don't heard this.

[B]

Oh, gosh. So I was on it. I was on a, like, a master class, and you got to ask a question, and the girls had made millions of, like, a couple million dollars. And I just knew. Like, I watched them. I'm like, I'm so hard working, and I know that I have, like, the skill. Like, I just knew it. Like, I was sold that I had the brain. I just didn't know how to get people to trust me that I could really help them. And so we were on this Zoom call, and you had to ask a question. I raised my hand and I told them my pricing, and they looked at me, and they were like, do you even value, like, your expertise at all? Oh. And I. I had to turn the camera off mute because no one had asked that because they were like. Because I just want you to know, like, we see the value, and we feel like you're charging a fraction. And they were like, we wouldn't pay for that because we wouldn't assume it would be valuable. And you know that you can help people like us, but we don't believe it because of your pricing. And I just remember I was like, someone that I respect that would not lie, looked at me and Just said, I believe in you. And that one thing was what I needed. Because I think Kyle could say it, I could say it, my mom could say it, but, like, I needed someone I respected to be like, no, no, you. You can do this. And it's just this one thing. So then I was like, well, I don't have any money. Called Chase bank, got two credit cards, like, sold. The lady on the phone, I. I did not have the money. It was $50,000 and I didn't have it. And I went to Kyle and I was like, if we have to sell the house, if we have to move in our, like, worst case scenario, I spend the 50,000 and we. We don't make a dollar back. Like, are we going to be okay? And he was like, we can go back to apartment. It's going to be fine. But that was like my first domino.

[C]

A lot of partners would say that. I know.

[B]

Yeah. Well, his initial reaction was like a trauma response a little bit. Like, he was like, what happened today? They said, what? And I was like, well, this is what happened. And then I went into my closet and I felt like God said, I have faith with my words, but not my money. And I feel like you can say you have faith, but, like, doing it and like, demonstrating that is what faith is. And so I just had this. I truly believed that God said, I have it all figured out for you have to, like, have this obedience. And so I told Kyle that. He was like, well, I'm more scared if God really spoke to you. If we don't do it, I'm like, what's he going to do? We didn't know. And he was like, we're going to be okay. He's like, I. Like, at the end of the day, he trusted me. And then that one little demonstration of trust being so fruitful led to a six figure investment, another six figure investment. And then the moment I saw you, I was like, I was just ready because I trusted you. It's like a trust thing for me. Like, I have this discernment. It's like, do I trust this person?

[C]

Which is so good to have because there are a lot of business owners that unfortunately get taken advantage of from. Not so good.

[B]

Totally.

[C]

People. Yeah.

[B]

Out there.

[C]

And then that's why some people out there have a hard time investing in masterminds and in experts like us, because they've been burned in the past. But it's like you were talking about this yesterday, I think, where it's like, you can't make future decisions based on Past experiences.

[B]

But that's our default. We're like, oh, I can't do this thing right now that could help my future because of my past experience. Like, what if you just let that go? And you said, I'm going to make a decision based on who I want to be right now and not. And it's hard because people are like, no, your past totally influences your decisions. I'm like, right. And could you hold the fact that there could be a world in which you don't have to make a decision solely based on that? Yeah. So, okay, I have a question for you.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So I am just so impressed by how you have grown this team and just done it with such authenticity. Even as you've grown. How have you been able to become the person that you are today? Because who you were, let's say five years ago, 10 years from now, is likely a completely different person. Is that true?

[C]

Yeah, kind of. I think it's really. I always say, like, entrepreneurship is just a self development journey, so how far are you willing to go? Yeah. And there's just layers of like, you have to be really clear on who you are right now and who you want to be.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And it's like, am I there yet? And if I'm not, what do I need to change or what do I need to do? Whether it's like therapy or it's just learning something new, hopping on a masterclass, it doesn't matter what it is or just being a healthier, like, person.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

There's so many different facets of, of it, but I think it's just being so clear on who you truly are and like, and I say, like, good people making good money do good things. Money is just an amplifier. So, like, if you are a bad person, money is just gonna make you the worst person.

[B]

What's something that you're really proud that you've done with some of the money that you've made?

[C]

We've donated multiple six figures.

[B]

Yeah?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

How did that feel?

[C]

Yeah, it's awesome. You're gonna make me cry if I, like, really think about it. No, it was, I mean, when you grew up with nothing and like on food stamps and then to be able to like drop 50k or 100k to a charity that you know is gonna really, like, save people's lives and it doesn't impact your day to day life, it's like, that is really cool. It is like, not only are we helping other people's families with like, tax savings, but then we get to take some of that money and also give it to other people doing good. And I also think that when you give back, it comes back to you tenfold. So it's not that we give to get it back tenfold, but, like, I have, like, actual evidence. Every single time that I donate something, it's like some weird thing happens where it's like, oh, I didn't see that coming.

[B]

You did something good.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And it can't. I. I've experienced that too. There's a. Even with some of the investments I made or decisions, like, there was one client I let go, and I was like, I am letting go of a lot of revenue. I was like, but it is the right thing to do. And out of nowhere, someone messaged me a couple days later that I had really wanted to work with. And I was like, oh, my gosh. Like, that was perfect.

[C]

Yeah. You had to make room.

[B]

You had to make room. So good. Do you have any other, like, of everything that you've done in 2025, what's one money or tax strategy thing that you feel like something you've taken advantage of or that you've recommended to more people? It's different from maybe before.

[C]

We have invested a lot more this year into, like, health and wellness things. So the tax law changed in July, where now you can have medical expense expense reimbursement plans a lot easier for business owners to take advantage of. Like, we could always offer them to our employees, and we got the deduction as the business owner, but as the owner, you couldn't really take advantage of it. But then in July, with the tax bill changes, now we can write off gym memberships. And so, like, we just bought a biocharger. I don't know if you, like, have seen those. I have not. They're. These are really cool lasers. And, like, I don't know how to explain it. It's not red light therapy. It's some kind of, like, laser thing. And it looks like a rocket ship and you, like, sit around it in a circle and it's supposed to, like, save lives. This thing is like 20 grand. But I'm like, whatever. It's a tax write off. And you can do it for, like, add things. You can do it for gut health, you could do it for cancer tumors. Like, it has all these settings on it. It's really cool. So just like, investing more into, like, health and wellness, because why not? That's more fun. I mean, every year we invest in real estate.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And this year's a great year to invest because of 100% bonus depreciation. Last year it was only 60% and it was supposed to only be 40% this year, but it's 100. So a lot more real estate. And what else is different? This year a lot of our clients are setting up donor advised funds for. For charities.

[B]

So we're working on that.

[C]

Great. Yep.

[B]

That's another thing we actually gave.

[C]

This was the first year.

[B]

You talk about like life changing money all the time. Yeah, I. Kyle and I gave. So his therapist, he like works with Dr. Phil. We gave to. We were the.

[C]

Not like the Dr. Phil.

[B]

Not the Dr. Phil, even though we call him Dr. Phil, but everybody's like the Dr. Phil. And I'm like, no, but Dr. Phil, they have an organization where they help people that can't afford to have like quality and counseling. And so we were the presenting sponsors. It's actually an event that they're hosting tomorrow anyway, but it was really, really cool. And we did like a matching thing to encourage other people to match. And it was so cool. And so now we're going to set more aside in the donor advised fund because it allows a tax write off for this year.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

See, I'm learning. I know when you, when you speak ads and I speak taxes, I'm like, this is so fun.

[C]

Look at us.

[B]

But I was really proud. I'm like, okay, we're gonna set that aside. And that was like, Kyle is so like, even when you were talking last night about just things that you care about and want to support, and I'm like, that is a thing that Kyle struggled with. And now we get to help other people be able to just get what he got and what we've gotten in our relationship from it. It's so cool.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

It's really about paying it forward. Like, you can have all the cool things, all the nice things, bougie stuff, but when you get to like help others too.

[B]

Yeah. I have one last question for you.

[C]

Me too.

[B]

Okay. Okay. So one thing I've noticed about you that I don't know, I've realized as much until we got to spend some time together is you actually have very good boundaries with like people in your life and you take care of yourself. Like you. I feel like you've gotten some guard rails established. Did you always have that? Were you always good at that?

[C]

I was not always good at that.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

But as the company was growing and like more and more team members and more and more commitments that I had and speaking engagements and travel and all the things it's Like, I burnt out. I think most entrepreneurs go through that cycle of, like, we all get warned. Right. We all get told, like, do all these things to create boundaries and say no to things. And I know. But we don't listen until we get burnt out. And I had had melanoma before, and it came back, and that's when I was like, okay, I'm, like, stressing my body out way too much. Wow. And so then that's really when I was like, okay. I have a really strict schedule. I only take meetings on these days during these times. If it's outside of that, we're going to ask the person, can they adjust their schedule for it or it's a no.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And I've learned that every time I say no, it's. It leaves, like, room for yeses.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

As well. So you have to have boundaries. Yeah.

[B]

I've slowly learned because I did burn a good bit. And then I was like, I can't keep going like this. Like, I'm changing my approach for 2026, like, with my calendar and how we're scheduling it out. Like, it. It's gonna leave loom. Leave room for opportunity. But I want it to be like, a heck, yes. Opportunity.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Versus a. There's, like, this desperation of fear that the money is going to go away. You know what I mean? I'm like, I want to pad the lead so much, and so I'm like, I just want to make sure because I care. And I just. I talked to my mom about this. It has to do about money. But, like, every single time when my parents were divorced, like, every week we drove to get the check for my dad, and he paid every time. But every time we were just going to do this, and everything was all about money. We can't do that. We should do that because it's money, money, money obsessed. And I'm like, I just want to be able to not have to ever have that for my kids, where all they constantly think about as kids is money every single day. And so I've just been obsessed with trying to pad the lead. But then I got to realize, like, my own self right now. Also, like, is worth something too. Yeah.

[C]

Yeah. If you wanted people to know one thing about ads, what would you want them to know.

[B]

That them or someone on their team can do it? And it's more. It's not as foreign. And, like, tax strategy, like, it needs to be diversified. Like, any tax strategist that says, here's the. Here's the one thing. I just like that's the wrong thing. It's like you get multiple pieces of real estate for a reason. You have multiple tax strategies for a reason, and you need to be findable on multiple platforms. That's like my core conviction.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

I am so thankful for you that I've gotten to, like, learn from you and thank you for saving me a bunch of money. So we joke. I'm like, thank you for saving me money.

[C]

I just want thank you for making me money.

[B]

I'm working on it. Yeah. So we're both helping each other. So as you can tell, Barbara is so smart, so kind, and I love that she's also saved me just so much money on my taxes and I have loved working with her team. So if you do not have somewhere, if you have profit and you don't want to pay it to the government, I have the perfect person for you. So I'm going to link below this video she actually had. You said you have something cool. What is it?

[C]

Yeah, we have a year end tax savings checklist. So if you're like listening and you're like, oh my gosh, I need to save money now before the end of the year, don't worry, I got you like 10 different things you can do right now so that you don't have to overpay the irs.

[B]

I love it. So click the link below, below this video to get that and I'm gonna go. Just keep on learning from Barbara on tax strategies and I hope you do too. And I can't wait to see you on the next episode.