An emotional email from a client ended with the words, “I owe you a big hug.” It wasn’t polished or professional but it was honest. And it reminded me why I do what I do. This story is about how Excel - yes, just Excel - helped one accountant reclaim her calm, her control, and her confidence.

I hit “refresh” on my one-click Excel-based month-end system… and the numbers disappeared. Not an error - data absence. Here's what broke, what I learned, and why I always teach fixable, transparent systems accountants can trust.