Today we’d like to introduce you to Nahla Billie.
Hi Nahla, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Mom, Accountant to Software developer
I didn’t start in entrepreneurship. I started in the mortgage industry.
As an underwriter, loan processor, and credit analyst, my job was to examine financials with precision — especially tax returns for business owners seeking loan approval. Day after day, I reviewed profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and complex self-employed tax filings.
And somewhere along the way, I fell in love with accounting.
At the time, I was single and without children, fully immersed in my career. But everything shifted when I became a mother at 35. My daughter, Nyla, changed the trajectory of my life in ways no professional promotion ever could.
For the first time, I understood the true meaning of work-life balance — and how fragile it is for single mothers. In a society that often expects women to “figure it out,” I experienced firsthand what it meant to choose between being present for a sick child and keeping a job. When my daughter contracted hand, foot, and mouth disease and other childhood illnesses, taking time off wasn’t seen as responsible motherhood — it was seen as unreliability.
I was laid off. I was let go. I was forced to choose.
And I decided I would never be in that position again.
Rebellion Turned Redirection
My entrepreneurial journey didn’t begin with a business plan.
It began with frustration.
I became passionate about advocating for work-from-home opportunities for mothers — not as a luxury, but as a legitimate, sustainable way to build a life. I knew my strengths were in financial analysis, tax returns, and understanding how business owners qualified for loans. So while still working in the mortgage industry, I quietly began building my accounting business on the side.
When I was eventually laid off from the mortgage world, I made a decision: no more half-in. I went full-time into bookkeeping and tax accounting.
I sharpened my skills.
I went back to school.
I earned certifications.
I committed to mastery.
That’s when Prospective Bookkeeping and Taxes was born.
I discovered a special passion for self-employment taxes — helping business owners not just file returns, but understand their numbers, become loan-ready, and truly build wealth.
When Health Forces You to Pause
Success came. Growth came. Clients came.
But so did health challenges.
There was a season when I had to slow down and step away. It was humbling. It was difficult. But it was also clarifying. When I returned, I didn’t just come back to work — I came back with a vision.
That vision became Self-Employed Lab — a full-scale support ecosystem for entrepreneurs starting from ground zero. From LLC formation to bookkeeping systems, tax strategy, and loan readiness, I’ve had the opportunity to work with hundreds of small businesses and watch them grow into stable, thriving operations.
And then we built something bigger.
Building Tools for the Self-Employed
We launched Bumblebee Books, an accounting software designed specifically for self-employed entrepreneurs. Because most software is built for corporations — not for the independent contractor, the single-member LLC, or the mom building her business at the kitchen table.
In parallel, I expanded into mortgage brokerage through Point of Financial Services, bridging the gap between clean books and loan approval. Because accounting isn’t just about taxes — it’s about access. Access to capital. Access to opportunity. Access to ownership.
When clients come to me, they’re not just preparing for April 15th. They’re preparing for homes, investments, growth, and legacy.
The Real Beginning
If I’m honest, my journey didn’t begin in finance.
It began in rebellion.
I was tired of choosing between motherhood and stability.
Tired of layoffs.
Tired of systems that weren’t built for women like me.
So I built my own system.
Today, I’m not just an accountant or mortgage broker. I’m a financial strategist for the self-employed. I’m a builder of systems. I’m a mother of two who refused to shrink her ambition to fit someone else’s structure.
And every day, I’m grateful that what started as survival turned into service.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Omg yes, I say when I’m winning in business I’m failing in motherhood and when I am winning in motherhood I’m falling in business. Finding symmetry is work. Struggle is very real in entrepreneurship, and it’s something people don’t talk about enough. Being self-employed is often glamorized as complete freedom and autonomy, but the reality is far more demanding. You don’t just build a business — you carry it every day.
As a single mother raising two children while also committing to homeschooling, entrepreneurship compounded quickly for me. The responsibility doesn’t turn off at the end of the day. When you work for someone else, you can go home and disconnect. When you’re self-employed, the phone still rings at night, messages come in on weekends, and clients rely on you during moments when you’re also trying to be present for your family.
Working in finance adds another layer because people depend on you during stressful and important moments in their lives. I’m deeply passionate about helping others, and sometimes that meant sacrificing time for myself or struggling to maintain balance at home. Learning how to serve clients without losing presence with my family has been one of my greatest ongoing challenges.
Entrepreneurship is rewarding, but it is not for the faint of heart. You chase opportunities, then learn the even harder lesson of sustaining them. There are long nights, chasing invoices, solving problems, and constantly adapting.
I often tell my clients: roll up your sleeves — building a business is meaningful work, but it requires resilience, sacrifice, and showing up every single day.
We’ve been impressed with The Self Employed Lab , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Self-Employed Lab was built from real experience — not theory. After years of working closely with business owners, entrepreneurs, and self-employed professionals, I saw the same challenge over and over again: people were incredible at what they did, but the systems meant to support them were complicated, expensive, and often designed for large corporations instead of everyday business owners.
The Self-Employed Lab is an ecosystem created to bridge that gap.
We specialize in helping entrepreneurs transition from employee to business owner, grow sustainably, and understand their numbers through simplicity. Our mission is to remove the overwhelm that comes with starting and running a business — especially the “sticker shock” many experience when moving from a W-2 job into self-employment.
Over the past few years, I’ve built an integrated platform of tools and services designed to support business owners at every stage, including:
Bumblebee Books — a simplified accounting software built specifically for solopreneurs, freelancers, and small businesses who need clarity without the complexity of traditional accounting systems.
Incorporated Pro — business formation and compliance support that helps entrepreneurs build correctly from day one.
ContractorProConnect and related service platforms — connecting businesses with resources, workflows, and opportunities to grow and hire confidently.
Together, these platforms create a one-stop ecosystem where business owners can manage finances, compliance, growth, and operations in one place — without needing multiple disconnected systems.
What sets The Self-Employed Lab apart is that everything we build starts with real business problems. My background in underwriting and compliance gave me a deep understanding of risk, structure, and financial accuracy, while my day-to-day work with entrepreneurs showed me the human side of business ownership — the hustle, uncertainty, and resilience required every single day.
Somewhere within the chaos of entrepreneurship, business owners need simplicity. That is the foundation of everything we do.
Brand-wise, what I am most proud of is that this ecosystem doesn’t just provide software — it creates opportunity. We’ve helped business owners gain confidence in their numbers, make smarter decisions, and move forward with clarity. At the same time, we’ve created new job opportunities and collaborative pathways for professionals supporting the small-business economy.
I want readers to know that The Self-Employed Lab is built for the real entrepreneur — the freelancer, the side-hustler, the growing business owner trying to figure things out while still showing up every day. Our goal is to become the trusted partner business owners turn to when they want to build smarter, grow sustainably, and finally feel in control of their business journey.
At its core, The Self-Employed Lab exists to help business owners move forward — with confidence, simplicity, and the right tools behind them.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I don’t necessarily describe my journey as luck — I see it as divine intervention and the impact of people God placed in my life at the right moments. I grew up in poverty and was the first in my path to navigate opportunities like college at the University of Iowa, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without mentors and people who invested in me and showed me new ways of thinking and living.
One person who deeply shaped me business was Dick DeAngelis, a mentor and father figure I met in college. He became an incredible guide in both life and business, and his influence still carries with me today. My parents were hardworking people — my father a veteran — who taught resilience even though entrepreneurship wasn’t part of our background.
I also credit my clients and customers, many of whom have become like family. I believe success comes from pouring into others and receiving that same support in return. More than luck, my life has been shaped by faith, hard work, and the people who chose to be a positive light along the way.
Pricing:
- Accounting Software Bumblebee Books $19 per month
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.selfemployedlab.com
- Other: https://www.trybumblebeebooks.com
