The Reality of a Lone Introvert in Accounting - Why Success Requires Stepping into Discomfort?

“In my previous job, they would talk to me about, maybe marketing, and I wanted nothing to do with it. It scared me terribly. Because I really didn’t have a choice, I had to build this business. And so slowly but surely, sort of peeling the layers of the onion of what I thought was all this behavior that was protecting me.” Says Veronica Wasek, an introvert accounting firm owner, who turned into a global coach and influencer. 

Veronica’s story is a little different. She wasn’t a born entrepreneur, not someone who was ready to take the world by storm. Yet what makes her story truly inspirational is that she broke out of her comfort zone, started something new, traveled a path that was unexplored for her, and finally, succeeded. 

When we talk about the word “entrepreneur” or “firm owner”, we tend to imagine someone who is always “on”. Veronica challenges the stereotypes. An introvert, who was fired from an important role during the Great recession, who feared draining her energy when connecting with people, built a thriving bookkeeping firm, sold it, and has been helping accountants across the world. Her story is a powerful reminder – introverts don’t need to change who they are to succeed, they just need to step into discomfort with intention. 

Redefining the introvert characteristics in business

For a large part of her early career, Veronica never pictured herself as a business owner. Just like many of us, she had an image of entrepreneurs that features bold extroverts who thrived on networking and selling. She, still today, prefers the quiet focus and doing great work behind the scenes. A nice evening for her would involve watching TV or talking with her husband, or having a nice dinner with a small group of people. While that remains the same, she still protects her quiet. When Veronica lost her job in 2008, she knew she had to carve her own path.

She started offering bookkeeping services on her own as a survival tactic, but that slowly turned into a business. What she soon realized was that technical skills, which she had in abundance, were not enough to keep the business afloat. 

“The hardest part for me was putting myself out there – networking, talking to strangers, asking for business. As an introvert, none of that came naturally.”

She didn’t try to become someone she wasn’t – she leaned on her strengths as an introvert. Some of the edges she had in business included: 

• Deep listening: Clients felt heard and understood because Veronica gave them space to share the challenges.
• Thoughtful solutions: Rather than rushing, Veronica took time to design processes and systems that the clients needed. 
• Empathy-driven services: By focusing on the human side of business, she was able to build trust and loyalty

Veronica redefined what it meant to be an entrepreneur. Her method of business was not about the loudest voice in the room, but about being the most dependable. Introversion – what many would have thought to be a barrier- Veronica used it as her strength.

Why does entrepreneurship demand uncomfortable growth?

Being a firm owner is often demanding. Entrepreneurship is about leaning into the areas that stretch you. Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, growth hides behind discomfort. Progress happens when you step into situations that stretch your skills and confidence – whether it’s selling, leading, or just showing up.

Instead of avoiding discomfort, it’s important to see it as a tool necessary for growth. Some actionable ways to practice this include:

• Say yes to one thing that scares you each month – a speaking gig, networking event, or new type of client project.
• Reframe mistakes as experiments – each “failure” gives you data to improve.
• Delegate before you’re ready – trusting others is uncomfortable, but it creates space for real leadership. 
• Track growth milestones – Write down moments where discomfort led to progress, so you build evidence that it works. 

Building systems that work for introverts

For introverted accounting firm owners, technical work is never a hindrance. The challenge is constantly switching between tasks, decisions, and people. Veronica realized early that without systems, she would always feel overwhelmed and chained to her business. For sustainable growth, she needed processes that allowed her to focus on what energized her while creating a structure for everything else. 

So how can introverted business owners build systems that work: 

1. Standardize your client base – Decide who you work best with and focus on those niches. This reduces conversations that drain your energy and helps you prevent gaps in expectations. 
2. Document repeatable processes – Create checklists or SOPs for recurring tasks so that you are not constantly stuck reinventing the wheel. You don’t have to end up repeating the same things over and over again, which, in turn, helps prevent unnecessary back and forth. 
3. Leverage tech to your advantage – Workflow automation, project management, and communication tools – with technology, you can easily cut down on things that require additional time, energy, and bandwidth. 
4. Outsource and offshore strategically – It is almost impossible to have expertise in multiple areas of business. Any task that falls outside your zone of genius, whether it is taxation, admin, or marketing, will help you free up time for meaningful work. 
5. Protect time for deep work: Block distraction-free time on your calendar for focused work and set boundaries around meetings to preserve energy. 
6. Build a team that you can trust with important work: Whether it is an in-house or an offshore team, don’t forget to surround yourself with people who can run the daily tasks without having you involved. This prevents you from feeling overwhelmed. 

When Veronica leaned into systems and people, her business shifted from being a solo job to a sustainable business. For introverts or anyone, for that matter, a successful business is not about doing everything, but about designing a system that allows you to thrive without burning out. 

The change that Veronica has undergone from being uncertain about what the future holds to being a confident content creator and influencer, helping hundreds of people, is commendable. 

“I think the main thing is that you have to develop a passion for helping others because it’s very easy as an introvert. And maybe, because we are kind of alone in our thoughts a lot, we have negative thoughts. So you have to develop a passion for helping others and then be willing to make yourself uncomfortable to help those people reach their goals.”

This is the mantra that has been helping Veronica make the smaller changes in her outlook towards the profession. Today, Veronica has started her own coaching business where she inspires hundreds of accountants and accounting leaders. Watch the complete conversation here: https://youtu.be/_8Eek0NPkGQ?si=xxkqzl1GUHAPiZqb

If you want to know how offshoring can help in your journey, book a free consultation: https://finsmartaccounting.com/contact/