🎙️ In this episode of The Jane Anderson Show, I speak with Keri Whitelaw about building a successful specialist practice, turning expertise into thought leadership, and finding new ways to create value for clients.

Keri shared how her journey with Sort Your Books evolved from a bookkeeping practice into a broader business support and advisory service. We explored how developing her intellectual property helped her move beyond writing regular articles and blogs to publishing her first book, Accelerate – The Fast Track to Sort Your Books, Sort Your Business, Sort Your Life. What began as a goal to communicate her expertise more consistently became an opportunity to turn years of practical knowledge into a lasting business asset.

We also discussed how Keri uses her content across multiple formats, from blogs and social media to workshops, client resources and books. Her approach to AI is particularly practical: she uses it to simplify, summarise and adapt her own material while keeping her original thinking and expertise at the centre. We also explored the importance of understanding clients' challenges, packaging services around value rather than hourly rates, and helping business owners make more confident financial decisions.

What stood out to me was Keri's realisation that she knew more than she thought she did. By taking the time to document her knowledge and develop it into intellectual property, she created opportunities she hadn't initially planned for, including becoming an author. Her story is a reminder that the expertise already sitting within your business may have far more potential than you realise.

Meet Keri Whitelaw

Keri Whitelaw is the founder of Sort Your Books, a bookkeeping, BAS, payroll and business support practice that has been helping small business owners understand their numbers and build stronger businesses since 1999. With more than 25 years of experience, Keri began her business during the introduction of the GST while pregnant with her first son. What started as an opportunity to help a handful of business owners has grown into a successful practice supported by a skilled team.

A Registered BAS Agent with an Advanced Diploma in Accounting, Keri is passionate about helping business owners feel less overwhelmed by their numbers and more in control of their financial position. Her work helps clients understand cash flow, profit, break-even points and the systems they need to make clearer decisions and build sustainable businesses.

Keri is also the author of Accelerate – The Fast Track to Sort Your Books, Sort Your Business, Sort Your Life, a practical guide designed to help business owners better understand their finances, software and business systems. Her journey into authorship began when she attended a writing retreat with the intention of developing articles and blogs. Through the process, she discovered how much knowledge she had already accumulated and how it could be developed into a book.

Since then, Keri has used her intellectual property across multiple formats, including workshops, social media, client resources, and her published work. She believes in the principle of “create once, use often”, building assets that can be repurposed to reach different audiences and support her business in different ways.

Today, Keri works as an active director of Sort Your Books, advises business owners and delivers workshops. Her experience offers valuable lessons for consultants, thought leaders and professional service providers looking to communicate their expertise, strengthen their positioning and build a more sustainable practice.

Key Takeaways

1. Recognise the value of what you already know

You don't always need to start with a completely new idea. Keri discovered that years of experience, client conversations and practical knowledge could become the foundation for articles, workshops and a book. Taking the time to document what you know can reveal opportunities you may not have considered.

2. Create once, use often

Thought leadership doesn't have to mean constantly creating something new. A well-developed idea can become a blog, newsletter, social media post, workshop, or book chapter. Building your intellectual property first allows you to repurpose your expertise across different channels without starting from scratch each time.

3. Use AI to support your thinking, not replace it

Keri uses AI to shorten, simplify, and summarise material she has already developed. By keeping her original ideas, voice and expertise at the centre, she can adapt her content for different audiences while maintaining ownership of the thinking behind it.

4. Build trust by making your expertise understandable

Technical knowledge alone isn't always enough. Keri's approach centres on understanding a client's problem and explaining it in a way they can understand and act on. When clients feel understood and can see how your expertise applies to their situation, you build stronger relationships and create more meaningful value.

5. Package your services around value, not just time

Keri shared how developing service packages and fixed-fee proposals helped her move beyond hourly pricing. By listening to clients, understanding their needs, and clearly defining what a service includes, expert businesses can communicate their value more effectively and build offers that better reflect the outcomes they provide.

6. Don't underestimate the opportunities your intellectual property can create

Keri initially attended a writing retreat to develop articles and blogs, not to write a book. Yet that work became the foundation for Accelerate, workshops and other resources. Her experience shows how documenting your expertise can create opportunities beyond your original intention and give your business assets that continue to serve clients over time.