Recorded live at Scaling New Heights, Nayo Carter-Gray shares her hard-won wisdom on setting client boundaries, and her frustration in receiving a scathing one-star review that turned into a teaching moment. From effective communication skills, to tools such as using answering services and shared email inboxes, to crafting the perfect out-of-office message and managing client expectations through education… she reveals how clear strategies and proactive systems create better client relationships, not damaged ones. You'll learn why "no" is a complete sentence and discover practical tools to protect your time without the guilt.

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Forwardly - https://www.forwardly.com/shecounts
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• (00:00) - Introduction and Welcome
• (01:34) - First In-Person Podcast and Guest Introduction
• (02:03) - Episode Topic: The Beauty of Boundaries
• (03:29) - Nayo's One Star Review Story
• (07:02) - Setting Boundaries in Client Relationships
• (13:42) - Automation and Client Communication
• (25:16) - Effective Communication Strategies
• (28:19) - Team Communication and Client Management
• (29:12) - Shared Email Inboxes and Tools
• (30:10) - Setting Realistic Expectations
• (31:29) - Time Management Techniques
• (33:52) - Importance of Personal Time
• (35:58) - Proactive Communication and Boundaries
• (38:22) - Email Management Strategies
• (49:16) - Acknowledgements and Closing Remarks

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Nayo Carter-Gray - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nayocartergray/
• First Step Accounting - https://1ststepaccounting.com/about/
• Accounting Cornerstone Foundation - https://accountingcornerstone.org/
• Bridging the Gap conference - https://www.btgconference.com/
• The Net Gains - https://www.thenetgains.co/
• Scaling New Heights - https://www.woodard.com/scaling-new-heights-2026
• Hope Brown on LI - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hope-brown-msa-afsp-463a44239/
• Insightful Accountant - https://insightfulaccountant.com/
• The Proposal & Beyond: Designing an Effortless Client Onboarding Experience - Insightful Accountant w/ Questian Telka - https://hubs.li/Q03wDSSD0
• Out-of-Office Message Template:
  • Dear [Client's Name],
    From [start date] to [end date], I’ll be taking some much-needed time off.
    For urgent matters, please contact [Colleague’s Name].
    I value our partnership and assure you that all tasks will be handled with the same dedication and efficiency.

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