One21 Account-Ability is a bookkeeping and Profit First advisory firm run by Venus Michael, serving photographers, editors, designers, and other creative entrepreneurs. Her clients are talented, motivated, and often distraction-prone—which means spreadsheets, task lists, and manual financial workflows can quickly create overwhelm. Venus adopted Relay to simplify Profit First, eliminate manual money movement, and give clients a banking1 system they could actually use.
Relay is a financial technology company and is not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided by Thread Bank, Member FDIC. FDIC deposit insurance covers the failure of an insured bank. Certain conditions must be satisfied for pass-through deposit insurance coverage to apply.
Firm Outcomes
7 hours saved per week through automated percentage-based allocations
$50,000 in additional annual revenue capacity from regained time and reduced admin
65% increase in reported cash flow clarity after adopting Relay
Before Relay: Manual money movement, overwhelmed clients, and inconsistent systems
Venus Michael’s firm One21 Account-Ability specializes in helping creative entrepreneurs manage their finances using Profit First. It’s a cash-management method that uses separate bank accounts and percentage-based allocations to help business owners control spending and build profitability. However, before Relay, executing this system created friction for the firm’s clients.
Profit First requires regular, percentage-based allocations across multiple accounts—something most traditional banks cannot automate. That left Venus with two options: ask her clients to remember calendar tasks and spreadsheet updates, or do the transfers herself.
Both options were a problem.
“If I'm the one moving your money and something falls through, that's bad. It created friction and stress for me,” Venus says.
Many of her clients felt overwhelmed by the spreadsheets and multi-tool workflows required to manage Profit First manually. And because One21 Account-Ability also worked across a patchwork of banks, each with different interfaces and limitations, it was even more difficult to standardize client onboarding and advisory.
The manual load slowed growth. It introduced liability. And it prevented clients from building the healthy cash management habits Profit First is designed to create.
The Solution: Automated allocations and a simple, unified banking experience
Everything changed when Venus discovered Relay’s ability to automate percentage-based money movement, a feature that instantly removed one of her biggest operational bottlenecks.
“When I found out that Relay will move on a percentage amount, that’s when I was like, ‘Okay, I need to figure out what this is’,” she says.
Venus now sets each client’s Profit First percentage-based allocation schedule inside the platform. Relay handles the movement of money into various accounts1 earmarked for profit, payroll, taxes, and more on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly schedule. The best part? This happens without anyone having to remember a task, check a calendar, or touch a spreadsheet.
This solved three major pain points at once:
No more manual transfers, eliminating liability and freeing up Venus’ time
A clean, simple dashboard clients actually engage with
A standardized setup across all clients, giving One21 Account-Ability a consistent workflow
Clients log in to Relay and immediately understand their financial picture. The “big number” at the top of Relay’s interface helps them clearly see available versus allocated funds, which creates healthy behavior and accountability.
Even for complex or fast-changing client needs, updates are instant.
“If we decide in a meeting to change something, it is a quick login and it’s changed and going forward it'll do that for you,” says Venus.
The simplicity improved Venus’ own business development process, too. “It's actually made my sales calls a lot easier,” she says.
The Impact: More capacity, cleaner data, and clients who finally feel in control
Once One21 Account-Ability standardized clients on Relay’s platform, operational efficiency lifted across the board.
Increased capacity to scale without hiring
The firm reclaimed 7 hours per week with Relay's automation—time Venus has reinvested into advisory and client onboarding. The result: $50,000 in additional annual revenue capacity with no new hires and stronger margins.
Cleaner, more accurate financial data
With consistent multi-account structures and automated transfers, Venus saw visibility into client cash flow increase dramatically:
Her perception of her cash flow clarity increased from 6/10 to 10/10
Her confidence in the accuracy of her clients' financial data rose 30%
Her clients are more engaged and more consistent in following Profit First
The predictable structure also reduced errors and reconciliation issues, saving One21 Account-Ability additional time and money.
A better client experience, especially for distraction-prone creators
Relay’s visual simplicity resonates with Venus’ niche. Clients understand their numbers faster and stay engaged longer.
“You can’t give them spreadsheets. You can’t give them task lists. That’s not how they think and that’s not how they live,” Venus says.
Now, clients log in more often, track their progress, and build habits that were previously impossible with manual workflows.
Relay: The simplest way to standardize banking and streamline Profit First operations
One21 Account-Ability has tapped into the structure, automation, and consistency needed to deliver the Profit First experience at scale with Relay. Venus now uses this model to standardize onboarding, strengthen advisory, and grow efficiently.
Relay isn’t just powering smoother workflows, it’s giving Venus’ clients clarity, confidence, and a financial foundation they can grow on.
Disclosures
1Relay is a financial technology company and is not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided by Thread Bank, Member FDIC. FDIC deposit insurance covers the failure of an insured bank. Certain conditions must be satisfied for pass-through deposit insurance coverage to apply.
