From bookkeeper to AI builder: what the profession needs to know with Jan Haugo

Jan Haugo spent 40 hours a week for over 18 months learning, building, and breaking AI tools outside the accounting industry because she felt what was available inside it wasn't enough. What she came back with wasn't a collection of tips for writing better emails. It was a system: general ledger error detection, 1099 audit checking, brand voice training, and over 80 operations built to match how accounting firms actually work. In this conversation, Jan walks through how she thinks about AI tool selection, why anonymizing client data matters more than avoiding AI altogether, and what it means to get 100 hours of production out of a 40-hour week. She also talks honestly about imposter syndrome, the validation that finally gave her confidence to teach, and why the accounting profession tends to sit quietly while the world changes around it. Unbalanced is brought to you by Anchor. We help accounting and professional services firms send agreements, collect payments, and manage billing in one simple system. Join the thousands of accounting firms who have made the switch: https://bit.ly/4vzGaxX --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Anchor: Website - https://www.sayanchor.com/ LinkedIn -   / say-anchor   Twitter - https://x.com/Say_anchor_ Facebook -   / sayanchor   Instagram -   / say_anchor