Shows
Well This Wasn't The Plan!18. Homeschool, Holidays, and Why This Year Feels DifferentSend us a textWe unpack why we chose homeschool over private school, how we juggle work with learning, and what actually changed in our home life. From winter routines to Outschool wins and cutting December chaos, we share what’s working, what isn’t, and what we’re adding next.• letting go of pressure during holidays and keeping daily reading• handling family reactions and setting screen boundaries with cousins• adapting routines for cold, windy weather and morning focus• accelerating math while protecting foundations and confidence• adding family-style history and science on Fridays•...
2025-12-0126 minWell This Wasn't The Plan!17. Leaving Public School the Million Little Reasons Why (Replay)Send us a textEPISODE RERUN FOR THANKSGIVING BREAK!We walk through the million little reasons we left public school to homeschool three kids while running a business, trading rushed mornings and rigid schedules for slower starts, focused learning, and family time. Nothing against teachers; this is about fit, values, and the lives we want to build.Support the showFollow us on IG Find Our Free PDFs! The reading app we LOVE! The
2025-11-2452 minWell This Wasn't The Plan!16. Life Skills We're Working On: Part 2!Send us a textWe share how better sleep, steady routines, and clear expectations made our homeschool days calmer and our evenings useful. Then we dive into kid goal setting, phone etiquette that starts with us, and everyday choices about cleaning products and food that keep balance and sanity intact.• shifting bedtimes to protect 10–12 hours of sleep• using mornings with purpose and avoiding late-night creep• turning big goals into small daily actions• letting kids’ interests drive effort, not parents’ pressure• modeling phone etiquette and delaying smartphones• using a kid watch for safety without...
2025-11-1741 min
What Your CPA Wants You to Know111. Tax Updates: Gambling Income, Marketplace Insurance, & Homeschool CreditsSend us a textWe unpack how gambling wins turn into taxable income even when you net a loss, why Oklahoma’s rules are especially harsh, and how marketplace health credits can trigger surprise paybacks. We close with a Texas update on tax-related credits for nonpublic education.Email us at Carson@sandsco.netSupport the showCreate a STAN Store - Click here to try it out!Here's where you can find us! Shop our business guides!...
2025-11-1219 minWell This Wasn't The Plan!15. Life Skills We're Teaching Our Kids - Part 1Send us a textWe share the life skills that we get to teach now that we homeschool! Wins, stumbles, templates, and the small habits that build real responsibility.• moving to a new city and practicing friend-making on purpose• weekly meal planning with kid choices and a shared grocery list• kids cooking and cleaning entire meals to see consequences• balanced nutrition using a simple protein carb fat chart• kids packing their own bags with personalized checklists• family cleaning day with roles, sequencing and teamwork• assigned laundry days with start-to-finish ownership...
2025-11-1059 minWell This Wasn't The Plan!14. Our Public School Betrayal ListSend us a textWe faced these issues head-on after years in public school with our three kids. Two full-time working parents, zero plans to homeschool, and a growing list of friction points pushed us to try something different. The result surprised us: calmer days, happier learners, and more time for the life skills we thought we’d lost.We unpack the exact moments that tipped the scale: recess cut to minutes and sometimes used as punishment, lunch rushed to the point of waste, and classrooms leaning on candy rewards instead of movement and choice re...
2025-11-0346 minWhat Your CPA Wants You to Know110. Ten Year-End Tax Moves to Cut Your 2025 Tax Bill for Business OwnersSend us a textWe share ten year-end tax moves that actually save money when done before December 31, from bonus depreciation and retirement setup to the Augusta rule, income timing, and a no-drama plan to clean up your books. The focus stays on practical steps, clear timing, and spending only where it helps growth.• sending client gifts within deductibility limits to strengthen loyalty• timing equipment and vehicle purchases for 100 percent bonus depreciation• using year-end bonuses with clear metrics and expectations• setting up employer retirement plans before year-end even if funding later• applying t...
2025-10-2921 minWell This Wasn't The Plan!13. Your Questions Answered!Send us a textWe talk through trading public school for homeschool while traveling Costa Rica, turning delays and detours into life lessons. From family pushback to new friends, movement tech to money talks, we share what’s working and what’s still hard.• why we left public school and what changed• travel setbacks as practice for patience and problem-solving• the Spartan race mixups and what we learned• ziplines, waterfalls, volcano hikes as hands-on learning• low screen, high movement tools that actually help• how we were raised versus how we parent now•...
2025-10-2736 minWell This Wasn't The Plan!12. Hello from Costa Rica! Homeschool On The RoadSend us a textWe make homeschool work while both of us work full time, even from Costa Rica before a Spartan race. We answer rapid-fire listener questions on hours, schedules, curriculum, reading breakthroughs, travel schooling, routines, and why we quit a co-op.• why a focused two-hour block four days works• how shift work can support homeschool• three-day and weekend-only schooling options• curriculum we use and why it travels well• early reading gains with daily micro-lessons• making writing bearable for creative kids• priming trips with research projects• simple rules that keep...
2025-10-2033 minWhat Your CPA Wants You to Know109. All about the Backdoor Roth IRASend us a textWe break down how high earners can legally fund a Roth IRA using the backdoor method, why it matters for business owners with variable income, and where people go wrong. We share the exact steps, the pro rata trap, and the one IRS form you must not miss.• difference between Roth and traditional IRA and why Roth can be better for many• who needs a backdoor Roth due to income thresholds and phaseouts• step-by-step process to contribute and convert quickly• role of advisors and importance of coordinating with a CPA
2025-10-1514 minWell This Wasn't The Plan!11. Keeping the Kids Busy While You Work! Our Tips!Send us a textWe share the simple routine that lets two full-time parents homeschool three kids without chaos, and we get honest about the social tradeoffs and timing that make it possible. Expect practical rhythms, age-specific advice, and tools that keep kids learning all day without living on screens.• why the switch worked during a busy work week• curriculum fit and keeping lessons short and focused• the role of age in independence and responsibility• morning checklist, rotating breakfasts, and light chores• outdoor-first routine and stocking the yard for play• replacing ta...
2025-10-1339 minWell This Wasn't The Plan!10. Thinking About Homeschooling? Here's What You Should Know!Send us a textWe share two months of homeschooling as two full-time working parents, the choices that made it doable, and the mindset shifts that dissolved our fear. From co-ops and Outschool to reading habits and life skills, we explain how short, focused days create more learning and happier kids.• why two hours of focused homeschool beats eight hours of school• large co-ops vs small groups for real socialization• being first in the family to homeschool and winning support• reading strategy: audiobooks, graphic novels, assigned levels• curriculum control and skipping busywork
2025-10-0633 minWhat Your CPA Wants You to Know108. Think Like a Customer & Take a Profit-Driven Look at Your BusinessSend us a textAs two accountants, we are always critiquing businesses and seeing what their books look like. We do this even while on vacation. So, today we bring you our thoughts and how you can apply those to your business to drive PROFIT!• designing operations from the customer’s point of view• spotting bottlenecks in off-peak demand• capturing high-margin moments at the bar• simplifying menus for speed and throughput• stocking convenience retail that actually sells• low-cost experience wins that drive reviews• hiring, leases and expansion viewed through ROI• linkin...
2025-10-0126 minWell This Wasn't The Plan!9. Yes, You Can Homeschool in 2 Hours!Send us a text"Two hours a day? Impossible!" That was my first reaction when someone suggested we could homeschool our three children in such a short time. After all, traditional schools keep kids for 7-8 hours daily, so surely homeschooling requires the same commitment, right? Wrong.After unexpectedly becoming homeschoolers while maintaining our full-time careers, we've discovered the surprising math behind educational efficiency. In a classroom of 20-30 students, each child receives only 1-2 minutes of The results have been remarkable. Our six-year-old has transformed from a reluctant pre-reader to an enthusiastic b...
2025-09-2938 minWhat Your CPA Wants You to Know107. How We Invest for Retirement as Accountants: Step-by-Step from CarsonSend us a textWe walk through our sequence for retirement contributions! Here's how we invest our money as accountants!• Start with any employer matching funds available - it's free money and an immediate 100% return• Max out a Roth IRA if eligible ($7,000 limit for 2025, $8,000 if over 50)• Aim to save 15% of income for retirement (12-20% range is generally recommended)• Business owners should consider a Solo 401(k) rather than SEP IRA when operating as an S-corp• Solo 401(k)s allow both employee contributions (up to $23-24k) and employer contributions (25% of salary)• Once all tax...
2025-09-1722 minWell This Wasn't The Plan!8. ADHD and Homeschooling: Our 10-Year-Old's PerspectiveSend us a textCurious what homeschooling really looks like through a child's eyes? This special episode features our 10-year-old daughter, the inspiration behind our family's decision to leave public school and embark on this unexpected homeschooling journey.Saylor shares why she begged us to homeschool her for years before we finally took the plunge. Her perspective is uniquely valuable - after completing four years in public school plus pre-K, she understands both worlds. When asked if she'd ever go back to traditional school, her answer is immediate and emphatic: "No, not at all. 100%, definitely...
2025-09-1541 minWell This Wasn't The Plan!7. Choosing Our Hard: New Co-op, New Curriculum, and a Lot of Change!Send us a textFour weeks into an unexpected homeschooling adventure, we've discovered something surprising: time flies! The morning madness of rushing children out the door has been replaced with meaningful connections and personalized learning that actually work for our family.That's not to say everything's perfect. Our first co-op day brought a mixture of excitement and frustration as our kids navigated unfamiliar classes with varying levels of excitement.The transition to our new curriculum, "The Good and Beautiful," has presented its own challenges. And when our daughter with ADHD needs extra time...
2025-09-0846 minWell This Wasn't The Plan!6. Changing Our Curriculum + Week 3 Update!Send us a textWe're discovering that homeschooling our three kids is surprisingly less stressful than sending them to traditional school, even while balancing our work as full-time accountants.• Comparing the stress of traditional back-to-school chaos with our current homeschool rhythm• Finding time to homeschool while working full-time (4 hours of work, 7 days a week)• Exploring co-op opportunities that offer community with minimal commitment• Discussing our curriculum switch from Me Academy to The Good and the Beautiful• Preferring physical workbooks over computer-based learning for younger children• Using placement tests to find the right ac...
2025-09-0144 minWell This Wasn't The Plan!5. Hot Topics: Socialization + SportsSend us a textTwo weeks into our unexpected homeschool journey, we're tackling the biggest questions we've received: "But what about socialization?" and "Can your kids still play sports?"Our children are actually socializing more intentionally now—through homeschool co-ops, park meetups, classes, and neighborhood connections—without it consuming their entire day. This intentional approach to social interaction leaves room for something we rarely had before: genuine family time and activities aligned with our core values.We're also reexamining our relationship with youth sports. After years of rushing between six weekly practices and thre...
2025-08-2536 minWell This Wasn't The Plan!4. We Survived Our First Week Homeschooling + Working! Here's How it Went!Send us a textWe survived our first week of homeschooling while working full-time jobs, and despite some bumps along the way, it feels right – like it was meant to be.• Children seem happier and more energetic compared to when they attended public school• Figuring out curriculum has been challenging – Mi Academy has pros and cons• Customizing education to each child's needs is incredibly rewarding• Oldest daughter's ADHD presents differently than teachers described, allowing us to adapt our approach• Setting up a consistent schedule is crucial for success• Finding balance between structur...
2025-08-181h 18Well This Wasn't The Plan!1. Why We Decided to Try Homeschooling -- The Million Little ReasonsSend us a textHomeschooling wasn't the original plan. As two full-time working parents with three kids thriving in an excellent public school, homeschooling never crossed our minds. Yet here we are, embarking on this unexpected journey.For us, it wasn't one dramatic event but countless small moments that gradually revealed the system wasn't serving our children. We realized we were fighting to maintain a schedule that made everyone miserable while simultaneously delegating more and more of our parenting responsibilities to a school whose values didn't always align with o...
2025-08-1153 minWell This Wasn't The Plan!2. Bring On The Kids!!! Here's What the Kids Think About HomeschoolSend us a textWhat happens when three kids convince their full-time working parents to homeschool them? Our family is about to find out.When our 10-year-old daughter first suggested homeschooling over a year ago, we responded with an emphatic "No way!" As two parents juggling demanding careers, taking on the role of teachers seemed completely unfeasible. But as we listened to our children's experiences in public school, something shifted in our perspective.Their excitement about learning beyond worksheets—about sleeping in rather than rushing through chaotic mornings—convinced us to take...
2025-08-1137 minWell This Wasn't The Plan!3. Working Full-Time + Homeschooling... Are We Crazy?Send us a textWe've decided to homeschool our three kids while maintaining our full-time careers as CPAs. How exactly are we planning to pull this off? This episode dives deep into our strategy for working and homeschooling!The surprising truth we discovered? Most homeschool families complete their core curriculum in just two hours daily—far less time than traditional schools require for the same material.Beyond reading, writing, and arithmetic, we're passionate about teaching practical skills traditional education often overlooks. Our curriculum includes cooking real meals, managing household responsibilities, understanding personal finance, an...
2025-08-1145 min