getting your finances together for 2026 (pt1)
rachel harris shares five tips to make 2026 your calmest, most financially confident year yet
at tbh irl, rachel harris (accountant, creator + founder of a multi-million-pound firm striveX) taught creator money in the way it should be taught - clearly and with zero fluff. here are the core lessons from her panel.
who rachel is (and why you should listen to her)
she’s both:
a creator with around 300k followers across platforms, making free, accessible content to deconstruct finance…. and
the founder of a multi-million pound accounting firm, working with everyone from village beekeepers and bake off winners to love islanders and onlyfans creators.
her mission?
to take money out of the “stale pale male” boardroom and put it back into language new-age business owners actually understand.
so when she talks about creator finances, we listen.
creators often feel at the mercy of brands, overwhelmed by tax, and unsure how to plan long term. rachel’s message was simple:
“you didn’t become self-employed to be scared of money.
you became self-employed for freedom.”
here’s how to build that freedom in 2026.
rachel’s biggest lessons - condensed
1. not planning for tax is the #1 mistake
going self-employed means you get paid in lump sums, not neat monthly payroll.
rachel’s advice: have a weekly 30-minute “money date”, and move your tax aside immediately. future you will thank you.
2. track “days to pay” - it matters more than you think
late-paying brands can completely derail your cashflow.
rachel recommends actually tracking how long each brand takes to pay - and prioritising the ones who pay reliably.
3. do a quality-of-life audit before you set income goals
don’t jump from “i made 100k” to “i want 200k”.
ask: what did that income cost me?
did i lose hobbies? joy? balance?
sometimes the smarter goal is keeping income the same while improving life by 20%.
4. reinvest where it moves the needle
for rachel, the biggest shift was hiring support: a pa, an editor, a content lead.
her creator business (team of 4) is now more profitable than her accounting firm (team of 22).
reinvesting is often just:
buy back your time → increase your capacity → increase your income.
5. sole trader vs limited company - get personalised advice
older rules said “switch at £35–40k profit”, but reporting requirements have changed.
limited companies now offer clearer structure, flexibility and protection for many creators.
the point: don’t guess. structure your business intentionally.
here are our tips 💸
set a weekly money ritual - even 15 minutes helps.
track how long brands take to pay you.
let your quality of life guide your income goals.
reinvest in support before you reinvest in stuff.
speak to an accountant who understands creators - it will save you stress, money and time.
our take 🤝
rachel’s entire philosophy can be summed up like this:
clarity creates confidence. confidence creates freedom.
2026 is the year you stop panicking about money and start planning with intention - grounded, calm and completely creator-led.
next we have oz’s top tips on how to make 2026 your best financial year yet. Oz is co-founder of the creator accountant - a firm that understands the unique challenges faced by online creators… he is also our tbh “man in finance” 🤍
verity x
rachel’s links 💌
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