Jessica Minkus Redefines the Concept of ‘Having it All’

As organizations continue to pivot operations because of COVID-19, some regional businesses are thriving in the face of these challenges. Bookminders, the Mid-Atlantic’s premier outsourced bookkeeping company and a beacon for empowering women in the workforce, is one of those stellar companies. The continued growth and success of Bookminders since 2020 is largely due to the rapid and cohesive response of its senior leadership. Bookminders Chief Operating Officer, Jessica Minkus, led the entire company through a transition to virtual operations over a single weekend in March 2020, ensuring that employees wouldn’t miss a beat and clients continued to receive top-notch service.

"Successfully supporting our team fills me with the greatest sense of accomplishment."

Studies suggest that women demonstrate more effective leadership in times of crisis. Jessica, a shining example of empowerment of women in the workforce, maintained an innovative but steady course for the company as she maintained and expanded the elements behind Bookminders success pre-COVID. Drawing on Bookminders’ insightful and powerful blend of technology, flexibility, and collaboration, Jessica adds her personalized approach to success to inspire and encourage women into becoming great leaders of tomorrow.

"Throughout my career, I've always wondered why women focus on not 'having it all' because life is not a one-size-fits all concept," explains Jessica. "I have a strong work ethic and tailor my professional and personal life to my needs and those of my family and co-workers. It’s tremendously important for women to continually reshape and define what ‘having it all’ means to them and to feel honored by everything they accomplish.”

In addition to promoting flexibility at Bookminders, Jessica believes that everyone brings a different and valuable perspective. She maintains an open-door policy and continually seeks team feedback to improve client service and employee satisfaction.

“Our entire team of professionals, which are mostly women, have a deep trove of knowledge that allows us to improve our organization for our clients and our co-workers. When met with a challenge or change, I think every person sees the same problem but often a different solution. We want to take advantage of these varied perspectives to best serve our organization and clients,” Jessica explains.

During the pandemic, she asked staff to schedule individual 15-minute check-ins to ask questions, share personal experiences, or just chat about the stresses of navigating their home and professional lives. On a monthly basis, Bookminders provides their staff the opportunity to offer general feedback and, bi-annually, they issue an anonymous survey collecting comprehensive feedback from the team on all aspects of working at Bookminders. These policies result in the team feeling balanced, supported, and heard when organizational changes are implemented.

From its founding in 1991, Bookminders has followed a core philosophy to provide structured flexibility to degreed accounts on a part-time, work-from-home basis while serving non-profits and small to medium-sized businesses in an outsourced capacity. Starting as a staff accountant 15 years ago, Jessica was mentored by Bookminders’ Founder and CEO, Thomas Joseph. The company’s fundamental philosophy of flexibility is a core commitment and critical driver for Jessica and her team.

“A few times early in my career, employees walked into my office with resignation letters because they were struggling with personal issues and scheduling. I did not want to lose my co-workers because they needed greater flexibility. We worked together to figure out how they could satisfy their desire to remain professionally challenged while having enough time to manage their personal life successfully. Now when employees need an even more flexible arrangement, they come in with their plan to ‘have it all’,” Jessica says with a smile. “Successfully supporting our team fills me with the greatest sense of accomplishment. They know we are here to help them be successful and fulfilled.” IEWL