Jacqui Trumper on networking as an introvert and building a firm her way

In a recent episode of Between Two Ledgers, James Rose sat down with Jacqui Trumper, founder of Black Cat Accounting, to talk about building a firm with efficiency at its core. Jacqui’s approach is shaped by experience in firms where change was constantly discussed but rarely implemented, leading her to design her own systems from day one. 

The conversation covers everything from choosing best-in-class tools to networking as an introvert, but the common thread is a focus on doing things in a way that actually works in practice. In this post, we’ve pulled out the most useful ideas from that discussion, especially for anyone thinking about starting or refining their own firm.

Frustration as the starting point

Before starting Black Cat Accounting, Jacqui Trumper worked in a firm that knew it needed to improve but never actually changed. According to her, there were ongoing conversations about better systems and software, but never any real action. That mismatch between awareness and execution became the trigger. After attending an industry meetup and seeing how other firms operated, she started to picture a different way of working:

“I was just sick of being in a firm that had no imagination around software and processes. I wanted to see what other people were doing.”

Within months, Jacqui made the move to start her own firm, this time with a clear idea of how things should run.

Building around efficiency from day one

Jacqui didn’t treat efficiency as something to fix later - it shaped her decisions from the beginning, particularly when choosing tools and setting up workflows. Instead of layering processes on top of outdated systems, she focused on removing unnecessary steps entirely. 

That showed up early in a bookkeeping role where she replaced manual, spreadsheet-heavy work with integrated tools:

“The previous person was doing everything correctly, just extremely inefficiently. There were spreadsheets on top of spreadsheets, and everything was being copied multiple times.”

Once those steps were removed, the same work took a fraction of the time and required far less effort to maintain.

Best-in-class tools and learning from others

A key part of Jacqui’s approach is avoiding all-in-one systems in favor of tools that each do one job well and integrate together. That structure gives her flexibility: if something better comes along, it can be swapped out without affecting everything else. More importantly, it allows her to build a system based on what actually works, not what one platform happens to offer.

Much of this approach came from other accountants. Through events, conversations, and online groups, she paid attention to what people were using and why:

“A lot of my app stack is basically stealing other people’s ideas. If it’s working for them, why reinvent the wheel?”

Jaqui believes that mindset removes a lot of trial and error and helps fast-track better decisions early on.

Networking, confidence, and getting started

Even as an introvert, Jacqui made a deliberate effort to attend events and be part of the accounting community. At first, it was uncomfortable, but over time it became easier as she built relationships and started recognizing familiar faces. Those interactions weren’t just social as they created opportunities to learn, ask questions, and gradually build a network that led to referrals and support.

At the same time, one of the biggest internal challenges was simply deciding to start. Despite having 10+ years of experience, Jacqui still questioned whether she was ready. What ultimately changed was how she looked at the risk. If things didn’t work out, she could always return to employment - that made the decision much simpler. 

Jacqui says that the hesitation is normal for anyone in a similar position, but she adds that it doesn’t have to be a stopping point:

“Just back yourself and go for it. What’s the worst that can happen?”