From Check Registers to QuickBooks: How Childhood Sparked My Passion for Numbers
There’s something magical about seeing order in the midst of chaos. Some kids play house. Others draw superheroes. But me? I was solving math problems during Sunday church sermons while sitting beside my grandma. I didn’t know it then, but that small act—her scribbling arithmetic on scraps of paper—was the spark that ignited my lifelong love for numbers.
In this post, I want to take you back to where it all started and share how early life experiences planted the seeds for what eventually became Amber’s Accounting & Bookkeeping. And whether you’re a fellow numbers nerd or someone who can’t stand spreadsheets, I hope this story helps you understand that financial clarity isn’t about being perfect with numbers. It’s about having the right mindset, tools, and support from day one.
A Church Pew and a Scrap of Paper
I was the youngest of three daughters, growing up in a family that didn’t have a lot financially—but we had grit, faith, and a whole lot of creativity. My grandma owned a seamstress business in Milwaukee and would visit often. She’d bring her measuring tape, stories of customers, and her passion for problem-solving. She was my first teacher—without ever saying she was teaching me.
In church, she’d hand me folded paper with little math problems scrawled in pen. Addition. Subtraction. Simple enough for a kindergartner—but challenging enough to keep me focused. That moment didn’t just teach me how to add or subtract. It taught me that numbers had meaning. That they told stories.
The Check Register That Changed Everything
As I moved into grade school and my early teen years, the lessons evolved. My dad was a teacher by training and made it his mission to make sure we were financially literate—even before we understood what that word meant.
Each of us girls took turns sitting down with him and my mom to learn how to balance a checkbook. Back then, it was all paper: checks, registers, and stamps. But the idea was powerful. You don’t spend what you don’t have. You keep track of what goes in and what comes out. And more importantly—you pay attention.
Funny enough, that same check register concept still exists in QuickBooks today. Every bank account and credit card has a register. What I learned at 12 still applies at 40. And the discipline it taught me has never left.
College, Business, and the Unexpected Twist
When I went off to college, I majored in business. Not accounting—something I laugh about now. I loved my accounting classes and did well in them, but I didn’t yet see myself as someone who would make numbers a career.
What I did see myself as was a problem solver. That’s what led me to start a professional organizing company right out of college. In Chicago, my team and I helped clients organize kitchens, closets, garages—you name it. What started as a home service turned into something much more when clients started asking, “Can you help me organize my finances too?”
At first, I thought, “Wait, me?” But I had already been using QuickBooks for my own business. And I loved the challenge of making messy numbers clean and understandable. So, I said yes.
What is professional organzing: https://www.napo.net/
Meeting Daniel and the Automotive Repair Shop That Changed My Path
The real turning point came when I met Daniel—my now husband and the co-founder of our business. He was running an automotive repair shop and needed help cleaning up his books.
I rolled up my sleeves and jumped in. Years of messy cost of goods sold, invoices, and mismatched software that didn’t play nice with QuickBooks. It was a puzzle, and I couldn’t wait to solve it.
When we handed off the cleaned-up reports to his CPA, she said something I’ll never forget: “These are some of the cleanest books I’ve ever seen.”
That sentence gave me the confidence to think—maybe this is what I’m supposed to do. Maybe all those math problems and checkbook lessons weren’t just childhood memories. Maybe they were leading me somewhere.
QuickBooks Online: https://quickbooks.intuit.com/online/
Why This Story Matters for You
If you’re a business owner, you might be wondering what my personal journey has to do with your financial mess. Here’s the connection:
Just like I started small—learning to subtract numbers on church pews—you can start small too. You don’t have to master accounting to make better financial decisions. You just have to:
- Track what matters.
- Ask the right questions.
- Find the right support.
My job today isn’t just to balance books. It’s to give business owners confidence. Confidence that their reports are accurate. Confidence that they’re making decisions with real data. And confidence that they’re not alone.
From Passion to Profession
Since founding Amber’s Accounting & Bookkeeping, that childhood love for numbers has become something much deeper. It’s become a calling.
I get to help business owners go from feeling lost in their finances to leading with clarity and direction. I get to show them that numbers don’t have to be scary. They can be a source of power.
And that all started with a piece of paper in church.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re knee-deep in debt or just starting a business, know this: You don’t have to love numbers the way I do. You do want to learn how to respect them. Let them guide you. Let them tell the truth. And when you’re ready for help—We’re here.
Watch the story here: https://youtu.be/mgvOPJSibBA
Let’s take your story and give it the financial clarity it deserves.
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