Katie Van Hughes, Senior Bookkeeper, Owner

I started my career teaching math, a subject I’ve always loved for its structure and logic. My transition into small business management came out of a personal need to help my parents with their small deli in Seattle, WA. What started as a temporary arrangement turned into 12 years of working in various small businesses across the Pacific Northwest, experiencing both the highs of success and the lows of struggle & failure.

In early 2020, as the pandemic shuttered businesses and disrupted lives, I found myself out of work and reflecting deeply. I thought about my education in Mathematics, my life experiences in small business, and the struggles I was witnessing all around me. I decided to go back to school for an Accounting degree and began using my skills to help small businesses manage their finances through QuickBooks Online. But that was only part of the story.

It was during this time that I also began my journey of being diagnosed with ADHD and Autism, discoveries that profoundly shaped how I understood my own struggles and successes. Looking back, I saw how often my neurodivergence both helped me excel—finding patterns, solving problems, thinking creatively—and made some traditional systems feel like insurmountable hurdles. I have resisted starting my own business for years, not because I lacked the skills, but because I feared my struggles with executive functioning would hold me back.

This journey has transformed my understanding of the challenges small business owners face. Small businesses are the backbone of our communities. They create jobs, boost local economies, encourage innovation, and contribute to a shared sense of identity. But they’re often run by people, like me, who face personal and systemic challenges that make tasks like managing finances daunting—especially when those challenges include neurodivergence.

I started GSD Bookkeeping Services LLC to do more than manage numbers. I created it to help small business owners who feel overwhelmed or held back by systems that weren’t built for them. I’ve developed approaches and integrated systems that work for people who think differently, because I understand what it means to navigate those challenges myself.

I’m here to share my passion, skills, and experience so you can focus on what you love doing. Together, we can build the financial clarity and confidence you need to thrive in your business.

I can help you get to work. Let’s Get Sh*t Done.