Your Cents’ Worth is a monthly series that explores inspiring stories of accounting and bookkeeping firm owners who are building their dream firms and a life they love.

In the rigorous and deadline-driven world of accounting, the pursuit of work-life balance is a frequent topic of conversation. Accountants, who are well-known for their accuracy and devotion to deadlines, frequently encounter periods of substantial work, particularly at the end of the financial year or during tax season.

The recurrent pattern of these peak periods can result in long hours and tremendous stress, making work-life balance somewhat challenging to sustain.

Stacey Feldman is a CPA and Partner/COO at FullSend Finance, where she combines her accounting expertise with her entrepreneurial experiences, focusing on early-stage and VC-backed startups.

Financial Cents recently spoke with her about how she stays nourished and energized throughout the day despite her busy schedule. She highlighted some rules that she lives by and offered tips on how accountants can try to achieve a work-life balance, too, especially when it comes to staying healthy.

A Day in The Life

Stacey’s days are meticulously planned to balance her professional responsibilities and personal well-being. “I wake up between five and 5:30 AM, have coffee, and head to the gym. I love working out; I prefer weight training and weightlifting. So that’s my preference, but all sorts of different types of workouts in the mornings,” she explains. This early start sets the tone for a productive day.

After her workout, Stacey has a nutritious breakfast. “I’ve been eating the same breakfast for probably two to three years. Sweet potatoes, broccoli, and scrambled eggs have been my staples,” she describes. This consistency helps her maintain her energy levels throughout the day.

Stacey Feldman's picture

Once she arrives at the office, her day is filled with meetings and consultations. “We work with companies typically in the zero to twenty million revenue range, helping with anything from bookkeeping through outsourced CFO level services,” Stacey explains. Despite the busy schedule, she stays hydrated and has healthy snacks available.

Also, to manage the demands that come with work, she uses a workflow management software to keep tasks on track.

Financial Cents is our firm's centralized platform for managing client work. It provides a wholistic view of all project statuses, streamlines communication with our clients, and allows every team member to know what needs to be done by when. Taking out the manual reminders and reducing reliance on memory is one of my favorite benefits of FC"

Stacey values spending time with her family in the evenings and unwinding from the day’s stresses. “My husband is incredibly supportive; he helps with meal prepping and reminds me to take breaks and eat,” she says. They often tag team for meal prep, depending on who feels more motivated each week. “Sometimes, if we’re traveling or busy on Sunday, we’ll meal prep on Monday evening,” she explains.

Factors that Made Stacey Prioritize Wellness

Reflecting on the circumstances that led to her fixation on eating healthy meals, Stacey revealed,

It's all-encompassing: nutrition, health, work, performance, mental clarity. You know, everyone has their passions outside of work. A piece of it for me is health and wellness. I prioritize that much like a hobby. And people are a product of their environment. So, our gym environment, outdoor adventure environment, and the people we're engaging with typically also value health, wellness, and nutrition. Another piece of it for me is that my husband is a type one diabetic. So that requires that he monitor how much carbs he's putting into his body."

Stacey likes to maintain an active lifestyle when she isn’t at work.  “I love working out. I’ve been an athlete my whole life. So I need to have that outlet. Mountain biking is also a big part of my time after work,” she disclosed.

Strategies for Staying Fueled

On how she manages to stay on track, Stacey emphasized the importance of planning, organization, and consistency in all her activities. “I will say that my life during the workweek is very structured. I’m a very structured person, and I love processes and habits. Weekends are usually structured as well: structured fun, structured home, building in personal goals, things we want to do to improve the personal side of things,” she remarked.

Buying groceries in bulk and meal prepping is Stacey’s main strategy for ensuring she eats healthy meals throughout the week. “It’s mostly Sundays. I go food shopping. I’m getting the same staples. I know how many zucchini I get, how many broccoli I get, and the potatoes I buy. I know every week I’m buying these core things. And I can always mix and match and make meals from those meats and vegetables,” she revealed.

In addition, Stacey and her husband spend at least three to four hours every Sunday evening meal prepping for the week ahead as

It eliminates the thought that I need to put into work. Where's the time I have to make breakfast? What am I going to make for breakfast? I know consistently that what I will eat will fuel me for the rest of the morning"

Since she knew little about nutrition before she met her husband, Stacey admitted using a macronutrient app, RS Strength, to get a handle on things. The app typically monitors an individual’s intake of carbohydrates, fat, and protein and can help them set dietary goals like maintaining their weight, gaining or losing weight, and getting more information about the foods they consume.

Stacey highlighted the importance of using macronutrient apps to guide your food consumption. According to her, “If you don’t know where you are or what you’re eating, you can’t make any changes. You don’t know what you need or are deficient in.”

“We weigh and measure our foods. So we know in the morning we’re having 150 grams of potatoes, 200 grams of rice for lunch, and over time, many years, we’ve been doing this,” she revealed. When asked if she could eat the same meal daily, Stacey emphatically said no, expressing her love for flavorful meals and her willingness to try new recipes whenever she finds something appealing. Recognizing that sticking to a meal plan can become monotonous, Stacey enjoys indulging in delightful evening meals. “After work, I’m eating dinner, having some steak or a glass of wine,” she shared.

Regarding how she manages to unwind despite the demanding schedules typical of accountants, Stacey explained,

For us specifically, we don't yet do tax work, so we don't have those specific deadlines. That helps us have a bit more flexibility"

Impact on Productivity and Team Culture

Stacey believes that proper nutrition directly impacts her work performance. “I know the days at work when I’m not fueled, my focus isn’t there, I can’t think as clearly,” she says. This awareness drives her to maintain her meal prep routine, even if it means dedicating part of her Sunday to it.

Additionally, Stacey’s commitment to health and wellness influences part of the culture at FullSend Finance. “We want our team members to be relatively stress-free; we want our teammates to feel supported,” she explains. By fostering a supportive environment, she ensures her team can perform at its best without compromising its well-being.

Challenges Other Professionals can Relate to

As with all great models, the system is bound to have a few quirks. Stacey revealed that

By no means is it perfect. So, I mean by that some days, I get to my lunch, and I'm like, there's no way I'm getting that. I know I prepared it. I spent Sunday doing that, but I just can't do it. At the end of the day, you're still at that 80/20 rule where you're eating well 80% of the time. Maybe that 20%, you'll pick up Chipotle or something else that is easier. Or you have a team lunch outing."

Stacey also admitted how challenging, and sometimes tiring meal prepping can be on a weekend. “I had this Sunday; we had some extra work. I took Friday afternoon off and shifted some of my work to Sunday instead. I worked in the morning, and then, I dreaded getting up,” she recalled. However, “Like a task you have at work that needs to get done. We have a task in our personal life that we need to accomplish, even if it’s painful.” 

Advice for Those Facing Similar Challenges

Although washing and cutting a large number of ingredients might seem a bit tedious to some people, Stacey commented on the usefulness of meal prepping and cited instances when she returns home from the gym and has to attend meetings immediately, “I put my food in the microwave for two minutes, and I have my meal for the day.”

“I think there are other ways to be successful too. Maybe it’s a meal delivery service, maybe you’re only making yourself a lunch once a week, or maybe you’re only preparing potatoes, so you have something easier to grab and have that’s a little bit healthier than some alternatives. It’s going to be different for everyone and their lifestyle. But I think what’s important is having consistency so that you’re not always grabbing for something that isn’t as healthy of an option,” she added.

I think what's important is having consistency so that you're not always grabbing for something that isn't as healthy of an option"

Stacey Feldman

Bottom Line

Creating time for activities outside of work, such as maintaining a healthy diet, can be particularly challenging if you often face long hours and high stress. Yet, prioritizing your health is crucial. As Stacey Feldman puts it, “There’s a need to prioritize your health because you can’t pour from an empty cup. You just have to be at your best self to be able to work.”

Imagine coming home after a long day filled with meetings and client calls. Instead of scrambling to make dinner or resorting to unhealthy takeout, you can simply reach into your fridge for a pre-prepared, balanced meal. This routine can be a game-changer, providing consistent energy and mental clarity throughout the week.

So, take a page from Stacey’s book. Embrace meal prepping, use technology to guide your nutrition choices, and watch how these practices can transform your energy levels, focus, and overall quality of life. Remember, taking care of yourself isn’t just beneficial – it’s essential for sustained success in both your career and personal endeavors.

There’s a need to prioritize your health because you can’t pour from an empty cup. You just have to be at your best self to be able to work."

Stacey Feldman