Success stories often begin long before a business is launched.
For Sheena, founder of Booked and Balanced in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the journey to entrepreneurship was shaped by years of service, personal challenges, professional growth, and an unwavering commitment to building a better future for herself, her family, and her community.
Today, Sheena is known throughout the Bowling Green business community as the owner of Booked and Balanced, a bookkeeping and advisory firm that helps businesses gain clarity and confidence in their financial operations. But the story behind the business is about far more than accounting.
It’s a story of resilience.
Building a Foundation
Born and raised in Bowling Green, Sheena credits her upbringing with instilling the values that continue to guide her today: faith, hard work, service, and perseverance.
At just 20 years old, she became a mother to her son, Izayah. Determined to create opportunities for both of them, she began building a career in accounting and finance while balancing the responsibilities of raising a child.
Over the next several years, Sheena continued investing in herself. While working full-time and raising her son, she earned a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, and a graduate certificate—laying the educational and professional foundation that would later support her entrepreneurial journey.
Choosing to Serve
In January 2020, at the age of 33, Sheena made a decision that would push her far beyond her comfort zone.
She enlisted in the Kentucky Army National Guard.
Just weeks later, she departed for Basic Combat Training as the world entered the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. After returning home, she immediately began Officer Candidate School, balancing military training, work, and family responsibilities.
In August 2021, she achieved another major milestone when she was commissioned as an officer in the Kentucky Army National Guard.
Anyone familiar with military leadership understands the significance of that accomplishment. Becoming an officer requires dedication, discipline, and a willingness to accept responsibility for leading others.
Those qualities continue to shape how Sheena approaches both business and life today.
Overcoming Life’s Hardest Moments
Like many entrepreneurs, Sheena’s journey has not been without adversity.
She experienced the loss of her father in 2017, a moment she describes as one of the most difficult periods of her life. Years later, she would face another devastating loss when her younger brother died by suicide just one month before her overseas deployment.
Despite carrying that grief, Sheena deployed to Poland in 2023, serving overseas for nearly a year before returning home in 2024.
The transition back to civilian life brought its own challenges. Like many veterans, she struggled to find her footing after returning home and openly acknowledges facing depression during that period.
Yet even through those struggles, she continued moving forward.
Betting on Herself
In July 2025, Sheena found herself at a crossroads.
Her employer presented her with two options: enter a Performance Improvement Plan or accept a severance package.
Rather than allowing the moment to define her future, she used it as an opportunity to reimagine it.
After spending time praying, reflecting, and considering her next steps, Sheena chose the severance package and made a decision that would change her life.
She decided to bet on herself.
On July 28, 2025, Booked and Balanced was officially born.
Drawing from nearly two decades of accounting and finance experience, Sheena launched her business with a mission to help entrepreneurs and business owners better understand and manage their finances while building stronger, more sustainable organizations.
Building More Than a Business
Since launching Booked and Balanced, Sheena has become a familiar face throughout the Bowling Green business community.
She has actively invested in organizations including the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce, Bowling Green Young Professionals, BNI, United Way of Southern Kentucky, Kids on the Block, and several other nonprofit and community-focused initiatives.
Her commitment to community involvement reflects a belief that business success and community impact go hand in hand.
Today, she is recognized as one of the few African American female business owners & partners within the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce, helping represent and inspire the next generation of business leaders in South Central Kentucky.
The Ribbon Cutting That Meant More
One of the most memorable moments in Sheena’s entrepreneurial journey came on April 28, 2026, when she held the official ribbon cutting for Booked and Balanced.
What made the event unique was its timing.
Rather than hosting a ribbon cutting immediately after launching her business, Sheena intentionally waited nine months.
The reason was deeply personal.
She compared the process of building her company to a pregnancy.
For nine months, she nurtured the business, developed its foundation, built relationships, and prepared it for long-term success before formally introducing it to the community.
As a mother, entrepreneur, and leader, the symbolism resonated with many who attended.
The business wasn’t simply launched.
It was grown.
Looking Ahead
As Booked and Balanced celebrates its first anniversary, Sheena continues building momentum.
Her son has successfully completed his first year of college. She is preparing for promotion to Captain in the Kentucky Army National Guard. And she continues serving local businesses while remaining actively involved in the community she calls home.
Her journey serves as a reminder that entrepreneurship isn’t always about having the perfect plan.
Sometimes it’s about having the courage to move forward despite uncertainty.
For Sheena, that courage has helped transform life’s challenges into opportunities for growth, service, and impact.
And in many ways, her story is just getting started.
Know Someone We Should Feature?
Indie Spark is always looking for inspiring individuals, businesses, creators, and community leaders whose stories deserve to be told.
If you know someone making a positive impact in their community, we’d love to hear about them.
