Putting the balance back in balance sheets

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By Janet Berry-Johnson | writer

Most accountants and bookkeepers are trained to track dollars and cents. But what if we were also comfortable tracking alignment, purpose and peace of mind?

Alana Heim, CPA/PFS, CFP and founder of Prosperity Alignment, believes accountants have a unique opportunity to help clients do more than save on taxes or grow revenue. In an interview with The Net Gains, Heim shared how professionals can expand their role to help clients (and themselves) live in greater alignment with their values. Spoiler: it starts with heart, not spreadsheets.

You help clients align their finances with their values and purpose—how can accountants and bookkeepers begin to have those deeper conversations without feeling like they’re stepping outside their lane?

Accountants are humans with big hearts! Move beyond the numbers and allow your clients to feel your deep, caring heart. 

You may think, "What? How do I do that?" But it’s easy to begin a conversation by sharing your own values, what excites and inspires you and why you serve in your role. Ask your clients questions about their dreams. Speak with them just like you would a dear friend. Open yourself to be curious during your conversation. When you share from your heart, showing how much you care, your clients will lean in and feel more comfortable to do the same. Remember, you’re still in your lane—while expanding it to include the whole person behind the financial decisions, creating a more meaningful client relationship.

Many accountants focus on helping clients grow revenue or save on taxes. How can we expand that definition of prosperity to include fulfillment, freedom and intentional choices?

Clients love to experience the results of more revenue and lower taxes, but why? Is it so they can brag to friends about how you helped them? Or is it what they’re able to create in their lives with those savings? Be eager to help clients measure prosperity not just in dollars, but in how aligned their spending is with their values, how present they are with loved ones and how their financial acumen supports their wellbeing. By connecting money to meaning, you transform accounting from transaction management to a method for creating happy clients who feel rich in all aspects of life.

For professionals who feel burned out or misaligned in their own practice, what are some first steps they can take to bring more purpose and clarity to their work?

If you feel like you’re in the grind, it’s time to pause, reflect and be honest with yourself. What do you love about your work and clients? What currently energizes you versus drains you? Sometimes it’s not just the mundane tasks that deplete us; it can be certain types of clients or projects. Reconnect with your own "why" for entering this profession. If something has shifted, align your heart and passion to the value you enjoy creating now. It’s important to apply the same holistic perspective to your own financial decisions that you share with clients.

What do you see as the future role of accountants in a world where money management is increasingly automated, but values-based guidance is more important than ever?

How wonderful that technology will support accountants with the mundane tasks! They’ll be more efficient and have more time to create meaningful relationships with clients. Imagine sitting with a client, digging deeper into the human elements influencing their life and finances. As AI handles calculations, you'll interpret what numbers reveal about a client's alignment with their deeper purpose. You'll become skilled at translating financial choices into life impact, creating safe spaces for authentic money conversations.

Your greatest value will be in helping clients see beyond financial concerns to create coherence between their resources and their values—work that no algorithm can replicate because it requires your human presence, intuition and heart.

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