"Now when we pitch to investors, we have financials that are clear, reliable, and easy to verify…That gives us a lot of credibility as a small brand."
— Caroline Howard, Co-Founder, Head of Strategy and Operations
The Challenge
Walker Brothers Kombucha had grown from a small-batch craft beverage brand into a multi-million dollar operation, earning shelf space at major retailers like Whole Foods, Fresh Market, and Sprouts and expanding distribution through UNFI and KEHE. But as the company scaled past $2 million in annual revenue, its financial infrastructure hadn't kept pace.
Their previous accounting provider lacked the specialized knowledge required for a consumer packaged goods business. The chart of accounts wasn't structured to reflect industry standards, and critical line items like deductions and cost of goods sold weren't being handled correctly. The result was financial reporting that was inaccurate, hard to interpret, and disconnected from how the business actually operated.
"Our chart of accounts was set up by our previous provider. It really wasn't set up to conform with CPG standards, and they weren't able to account for deductions and things like that."
Caroline Howard, co-founder and Head of Strategy and Operations, bore the burden directly. "I was spending hours every month reviewing the books, flagging errors, and managing long email threads just to correct categorization issues," she explained. As the company's footprint grew, so did the urgency for a partner with real CPG expertise.
The Solution
Referred by a trusted advisor, Walker Brothers turned to Accountfully — a BELAY company with deep expertise in the consumer packaged goods industry and a reputation for delivering clean, clear, and accurate financials. The impact was immediate.
"Switching to Accountfully was one of the best decisions we ever made. We immediately saw a shift in the usefulness of our P&L. Suddenly, our reports actually made sense for how we operate."
Accountfully took a structured, strategic approach to rebuilding Walker Brothers' financial foundation. They restructured the chart of accounts to align with CPG norms and cost structures, ensured accurate reporting including proper handling of deductions and COGS, and significantly reduced the manual oversight Caroline had been shouldering. The team also built investor-ready reports that were clean, supportable, and verifiable.
To support ongoing performance tracking, Accountfully introduced tools like Fathom, giving the Walker Brothers leadership team clearer strategic visibility into the business. The end result was a financial system that finally reflected how the company operated — and one built to scale alongside it.
"Reviewing our books took up quite a bit of my time, and now I can really just trust the work that's done because I've developed the trust in the team and know that they know our business, and they don't need my oversight."
— Caroline Howard, Co-Founder, Head of Strategy and OperationsThe Impact
The most immediate result was one Caroline felt right away: she got her time back. With Accountfully managing the books accurately and consistently, the hours she had spent each month chasing errors and coordinating corrections were freed up for strategy and growth.
"Reviewing our books took up quite a bit of my time, and now I can really just trust the work that's done because I've developed the trust in the team and know that they know our business, and they don't need my oversight."
Beyond time savings, Walker Brothers gained something equally valuable: credibility. With clean, investor-ready financials in hand, the team could approach funding conversations from a position of confidence rather than uncertainty.
"Now when we pitch to investors, we have financials that are clear, reliable, and easy to verify…That gives us a lot of credibility as a small brand."
For Caroline, the experience underscored a key lesson she now shares with other CPG founders navigating growth: "Changing accounting providers is a big lift. Choose wisely — find a partner you can grow with from the start."