Thanksgiving Reflection — “The Test I Failed but Now Teach Every Day”

Have you ever studied so hard for a test — you knew the material — but when the paper landed on your desk, your mind went blank?

Thanksgiving Reflection — “The Test I Failed but Now Teach Every Day”

That is me. I was never good at passing tests

In college, my most dreaded class was Cost of Goods Sold.

Just hearing those words made me cringe. I barely passed, and I promised myself I’d never touch that topic again. I even said, “I’ll do any kind of accounting—just not that!”

But here’s the funny part about life: never say never.

Today, about 99% of my bookkeeping clients rely on Cost of Goods Sold every single month. It’s one of the most vital parts of small business accounting.

For those who don’t know — Cost of Goods Sold (often called COGS) simply means the direct costs it takes to create or provide what you sell — things like materials, supplies, or subcontractor labor. It’s what turns raw effort into real income.

And now, that same topic I once feared? It’s one of my favorites to teach. I love showing business owners how understanding COGS can reveal whether their prices are right, whether their profits are real, and where money might be slipping away.

Looking back, I’m thankful for that test I barely passed — because it didn’t define me. Tests on paper aren’t the final grade of your life. God keeps teaching and shaping us long after the classroom ends.

So this Thanksgiving, I’m thankful that what once felt like failure became the very thing I now help others succeed in.

 At Kuznetsov Bookkeeping, I help small business owners understand their numbers — from Cost of Goods Sold to net profit — so they can make confident, informed decisions every month.