Episode 83: Stop Waiting for Referrals to Happen: Build an Intentional Network That Generates Consulting Clients Systematically

Season #1 February 19, 2026

Stop relying on hope and start building a referral system that generates consistent consulting leads—even during the lean months when you're ready to give up.

In this episode, host AJ Riedel talks to Nathan Stadler, founder of Books Balancer Bookkeeping. After starting as a truck driver who couldn't be there when his wife needed him, Nathan built a thriving bookkeeping practice serving solopreneurs and consultants—and created a sophisticated referral system that keeps his pipeline full.

Why You Should Listen to This Episode

If you're struggling with inconsistent income and an empty pipeline, this episode delivers exactly what you need: a practical blueprint for building a referral network that works systematically, not accidentally. Nathan shares how he transformed from manually tracking referrals in overwhelming spreadsheets to creating an automated system using a CRM and strategic landing page that captures, organizes, and activates referral opportunities. You'll discover why persistence matters more than perfection, how to make networking a natural part of every conversation, and the authentic sales techniques that help you build relationships instead of feeling pushy. Whether you're experiencing feast-or-famine cycles or simply want to create more predictable revenue, Nathan's journey from nearly quitting to building consistent client flow will show you the systems and mindset shifts that make sustainable consulting possible.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• [Building Referral Systems That Scale] How to transition from manual spreadsheet tracking to an automated CRM system that captures referral information through strategic landing pages and keeps your network organized and actionable

• [The Power of Persistence During Lean Times] Why staying available and answering the phone matters when you're ready to quit, and how unexpected calls from years-old connections can reignite your consulting practice at exactly the right moment

• [Strategic Networking Questions] The specific questions to ask that make referral matchmaking natural—including what people do, who they want to connect with, and how they prefer to communicate across different platforms

• [Consistent Follow-Up Practices] How reviewing your referral network once or twice monthly while thinking about connections during every conversation creates ongoing opportunities without feeling forced or salesy

• [Authentic Relationship-Building Techniques] How to have sales conversations that don't sound like sales by focusing on building genuine relationships first and letting prospects discover what you do naturally

• [Converting Coffee Meetings to Clients] The systematic approach to discovery meetings that moves beyond small talk to understand where prospects are, assess if they're ready for your services, and always schedule the next step with purpose

Listen to These Key Moments

[00:00:24] From Truck Driver to Bookkeeper - Nathan shares the pivotal moment when his wife's medical emergency made him realize he needed a business that kept him home and available for family

[00:04:18] Building a Sophisticated Referral System - How Nathan transformed overwhelming spreadsheets into an automated CRM workflow using ChatGPT, GoHighLevel, and strategic landing pages that capture the right information

[00:06:09] The Art of Referral Matchmaking - Nathan's systematic approach to reviewing his network monthly while constantly thinking about connection opportunities in every conversation with prospects and clients

[00:11:31] Navigating Initial Discovery Conversations - The questions Nathan asks in first meetings to understand what prospects do, who they serve, and how to naturally introduce his services without feeling pushy

[00:14:37] Creating Structure Around Coffee Meetings - Why Nathan brings specific questions to networking meetings and how he ensures there's always a clear next step that moves relationships forward with purpose

[00:17:07] The Five-Year Connection That Saved His Business - Nathan's powerful story about wanting to quit after ten years, only to receive a call from someone he'd talked to five years earlier who needed bookkeeping immediately

[00:24:22] Daniel Ruke's Game Changer Club - How learning authentic sales techniques that focus on relationship-building instead of manipulation transformed Nathan's approach to business development and client conversations

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

Daniel Ruke - Game Changer Club membership program for authentic sales training

About Nathan Stadler

Nathan Stadler is the founder of Books Balancer Bookkeeping, where he helps contractors, consultants, and service providers gain clarity in their finances through clean, accurate bookkeeping and custom solutions. After transitioning from truck driving to bookkeeping 15 years ago to be present for his wife during medical needs, Nathan taught himself the profession and has been running his practice for ten years. He specializes in serving solopreneurs and small businesses with 1099 income, typically with up to five employees. Nathan is known for his systematic approach to building referral networks and his commitment to authentic relationship-building over high-pressure sales tactics.

Connect with Nathan Stadler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-stadler-bookkeeping

Episode Transcript

NATHAN STADLER - FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT
Episode 81: How to Build a Referral System That Actually Fills Your Pipeline

Opening

AJ: Welcome to the Thriving Through Podcast. Today, my guest is Nathan Stadler. Nathan, welcome to the podcast.

Nathan: Well, thank you. I appreciate it.

AJ: So I have a question that I start this podcast out with the same question for all of my guests. Tell me about your path to self-employment.

The Path from Truck Driver to Self-Employed Bookkeeper

Nathan: My path to self-employment started about 15 years ago when I was a truck driver for an ice cream company that's no longer in business. I was out there in the middle of nowhere, and I got a phone call about my wife—she had to rush to the hospital. I couldn't be there because I was out there on the road.

My wife has a disability. She has a lot of things that she needs help with, and I need to be home for her. That was the moment that I realized I need a job that keeps me home and lets me be with my wife. That's one big reason why I started my business.

AJ: And what made you decide on bookkeeping?

Nathan: Well, that was more of a situation where I fell into it. My brother wanted to start a business in lawn and landscaping, and he didn't want to do all the book things, so he brought me on board. He threw it my way and said, figure this out.

I was straight out of computer college. I didn't know what to do, so I decided to pick up a book called "Bookkeeping Business for Dummies." We all know the dummy series. I read that back and forth, found all the things that I shouldn't do, and realized how important this was for businesses.

Afterwards, I decided to take an online school in bookkeeping called Business Launch. I've been running my business for ten years now. It's a very fun ride, and I just enjoy the details of the bookkeeping that I have found.

Overcoming Obstacles Through Persistence

AJ: Tell me a story or two about a challenge or an obstacle that you've had in this period and how you've overcome it.

Nathan: Persistence. Dedication, consistency. Honestly, over ten years, there's always been that moment in my life where I'm thinking, I can't do this anymore, I give up.

And out of the blue, I get a call from somebody I talked to probably about maybe two, five years ago. I didn't know who he was—he calls me up and says, "Hey, are you still doing bookkeeping?" So it's about being open to answer those phone calls and being there and being available.

AJ: It sounds like the universe helped you out when you got to that point where you thought "I can't do this anymore," then something came your way that renewed your commitment to being self-employed.

Nathan: Yeah, and it was still fresh in my mind because I wanted to be home for my wife. But it was just amazing that he just called me out of the blue and said, "I need bookkeeping." Ever since then, I've had more clients come in, and more clients come in. It's the joy that I have in doing their books, and every year I get these letters—thank you so much for doing my books.

Building a Sophisticated Referral System

AJ: I want to talk about something that we talked about in the pre-interview that's so fascinating. You have actually built a pretty sophisticated referral system.

Nathan: Yes.

AJ: Tell me why you did that and how you manage a referral system—how you made it more formal so that it really works.

Nathan: Well, first off, it came out of necessity. I had a spreadsheet like everybody else, and I'm really good at spreadsheets, but I realized that it started getting huge. I was going through every one of them and having to update every one of them. Something happened—they stopped the business—I had to go back and find them and get that updated. I thought, there's got to be a better way.

With my computer background, I went to ChatGPT and said, "Hey, there's got to be a better way for this because I'm not getting it." It gave me a workflow to put into my GoHighLevel, which is my CRM. I added the landing page, which I have people fill out. That takes the information that I have and puts it into my CRM.

It asks questions about who you are, what you do, who do you want to be connected with, and how do you like to communicate. That's the biggest thing because there are so many medium outlets out there—there's LinkedIn, there's Pinterest, there's texting, there's calling. It's just about understanding who people are.

Once those questions are answered, it gets sent straight to my CRM, and I don't have to do anything except go in there and tag them and say, "Hey, I know somebody I can connect you with."

AJ: And how often do you work that list where you go in and see who you could do a little matchmaking with?

Nathan: Probably about once or twice a month. But I'm always thinking about referral opportunities every time I'm talking to somebody. Instead of asking, "Well, how do you want me to refer?" I say, "Here's a questionnaire that'll help me know what you need." I'm always using that, but I always update it about once or twice a month to go back in and see if I forgot something.

The Strategic Landing Page Approach

AJ: What's on the landing page exactly? What are the questions that you ask people?

Nathan: I have it set out to four different sections. They can decide whether they want to be a referral partner, looking for goods and services, or just trying to connect. Once they click on that, it asks them, "Who are you? What do you do?" Once they put that in, it asks, "Who are you looking for? What kind of people are you looking for?"

The third question is, "How do you want to be contacted? Do you want email? Do you want texting? Do you want to be connected on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram?" So they can mark everything off that they feel comfortable with.

After they click "submit," I have an automation set up through GoHighLevel. Once they submit that, they're sent a message that says, "Thank you for submitting this. I'll be in touch very soon. While you wait, here's some value that I can give you."

It sends them to another landing page where they can check out some posts and videos and things to learn about me, so they can say, "Hey, this is a good person I can work with, and we can build something."

Organizing and Managing Referral Connections

AJ: So when someone comes through that process and you're going into the database once or twice a month, how are they organized? By what they do? By who they're looking for? How is it set up so you can figure out the matchmaking?

Nathan: It's set up by tags. I put them in the proper pipeline—I have a referral pipeline set up in GoHighLevel. I look at what they do and tag them. For instance, if somebody's a landscaper, I tag them "landscaper." If they offer landscaping services, I tag them "landscaping services."

When I'm looking through there, I can open up my tag and say, "Okay, this is what I'm looking for." Then I can search on there and find the person's information, what they do. I can say, "Hey, I'm talking to somebody who needs landscaping service. I want to connect you."

AJ: Can you tell the system, "Anybody who's tagged this way, send them to this person"? Or is it all manual?

Nathan: That's a great question. Right now it's manual, but that would be very much smart to do. I would probably have to build something in there to make sure that happens correctly. Because I don't want to just say, "Hey, I need a landscaper," send it off to all the landscapers on my list, and then I end up with thousands of people who want to come to it. That could be overwhelming for the person asking for a landscaper.

The Power of Intentional Networking Conversations

AJ: It sounds like your networking has become a lot more intentional because of this system.

Nathan: It has. When I'm going to a coffee meeting with somebody who wants to meet or catch up, I'm always asking them those questions now. It's just a part of my process. "Hey, how are you? What's going on in your life? What are you doing? What do you do? Who are you serving? Who can I help you with?" It's a conversation now instead of just small talk.

I like small talk, but it's good to come with a purpose because a lot of us don't have much time. We need to figure out, how can we move forward? How can I help you? How can I serve you? And going in there with those questions already in mind helps me have those kinds of conversations.

AJ: So you've got the landing page that people can complete on their own, and then when you're having conversations, are you actually capturing notes and putting them into your CRM?

Nathan: Yes. When I'm at a coffee meeting, I have notes that I already set up. They answer question one, question two, question three, question four. I have those notes, and once the meeting is done, I put those notes in GoHighLevel and send them an email that says, "Thank you so much for the conversation. Here are my notes. Let me know if I missed anything. In the meantime, if there's anything else you need, let me know."

Making Networking Natural and Systematic

AJ: It sounds like you've done a lot to make networking a natural part of your daily process. Are there any other things that you do that make networking feel more natural or systematic?

Nathan: One of the things I learned from Dan Ruke is having coffee meetings. When I go to a coffee meeting, I already have questions set up in my mind. "What are you working on? Tell me about yourself. How's your business going? What do you do? Who do you serve? How can I help you?" Those are questions I have every time.

If they give me an answer and say, "I'm doing this and this," I say, "Okay, that sounds interesting. Tell me more about that." I probe further to understand what their needs are. Because once I understand what their needs are, I can figure out how I can help them.

The biggest thing that I learned is not going into the conversation expecting to tell them about me. It's about finding out about them first. Once I find out who they are, what they do, what they need, then I can say, "Hey, I might have a resource for you." I wait for them to ask me what I do. Then the conversation feels more natural—it's a reciprocal relationship instead of me just pitching what I do.

AJ: Does that work? Are you generally able to kind of navigate it so that they end up asking you what you do?

Nathan: The majority of the time, yes, because people want to talk about themselves. When you give them that opportunity and make them feel heard, they naturally want to reciprocate. They'll say, "So what do you do?" That's when I can share my story and how I might be able to help them.

Converting Coffee Meetings into Discovery Sessions

AJ: In terms of these coffee meetings, how do you find opportunities to transition from the coffee meeting into some sort of discovery meeting or strategy session?

Nathan: I always make sure that at the end of every coffee meeting, I ask, "What's next? Where do you want to go from here?" I want to know where they're at. Do we need to look at the books? How are you doing? Are you in a position to bring on a bookkeeper?

I just want to make sure there's an appointment after this appointment made, so that way we have a plan and purpose and a goal in mind. Having that next step is important.

AJ: So that next step is a free consultation or a strategy session—something like that?

Nathan: Let's see what you have. See how it's working. See if we can make it better, see if we can improve things. That kind of approach.

Rapid-Fire Closing Questions

AJ: I have a couple last questions. I call them the rapid-fire closing questions. What's one book, podcast, or resource that's been invaluable to you in your consulting practice?

Nathan: Daniel Ruke. Daniel Ruke has been invaluable to me. I'm part of his Game Changer Club, and I've learned so much. I've learned how to approach people. I've learned sales techniques that don't sound like sales techniques—it's more authentic. His stuff has been invaluable to me.

AJ: Daniel Ruke, R-U-K-E?

Nathan: Yes, Daniel Ruke. He has a membership program. He comes from a telemarketing background, but he was really good at it. He knew how to talk to somebody to build that relationship instead of selling them. He helps you come out and let them know what you do without sounding like you're selling them something. That skill is so important.

AJ: Which is an important skill.

Nathan: It is.

Connecting with Nathan

AJ: And now, this is the last and most important question. How can listeners connect with you if they want to learn more about your work and you?

Nathan: I am really responsive to LinkedIn. You can send me a request, you can connect with me. You can text me, I will respond. You can connect with me via email, I respond. But I'll tell you, my favorite connection point is LinkedIn. A message or connection request is probably a great way to connect with me because I'm always on LinkedIn.

AJ: And I will put the URL for your LinkedIn profile into the show notes. But if somebody was searching for you, what should they search for?

Nathan: I make that as easy as I can. Nathan Stadler Bookkeeping. That is my profile—LinkedIn.com/in/nathanstadlerbookkeeping.

AJ: Nathan Stadler Bookkeeping. Fantastic. And you work with independent consultants and coaches and service providers?

Nathan: Anybody who has 1099s to work with. Anybody with probably up to five employees, but I love those solopreneurs. I love the ones that are running a business by themselves but need a hand.

AJ: Fantastic. Well, thank you so much for being a guest on the Thriving Through podcast today.

Nathan: I appreciate it, thank you.

AJ: And for all of you listening, until next time, keep thriving through.