Episode 110
The Free Trial That Nearly Buried a GoHighLevel SaaS | Heidi Ryder, Keepful
110 - The Free Trial That Nearly Buried a GoHighLevel SaaS | Heidi Ryder, Keepful
What does it take to turn HighLevel into software that a cautious, price-conscious industry will actually use?
In this episode, host Vit Muller sits down with Heidi Ryder, owner of Keepful, a SaaS built on HighLevel for bookkeepers, accountants and tax professionals.
Heidi started her own bookkeeping firm, Healthy Books, in 2017. She joined Keepful in 2022 to run operations and bought the business in 2025. Today Keepful serves more than 200 SaaS customers with a lean team, and HighLevel has featured it as an $800K SaaS.
You'll hear the honest story behind a six-month free trial that took Keepful from 118 members to 1,000 in six weeks and nearly sank the support desk. Heidi explains what she changed, how she packages and prices for firms at different stages, and why one early win beats a tour of every feature.
Vit and Heidi also get into AI fulfilment tools, the HighLevel updates announced at LevelUp, and what Heidi would do first if she had to start a new SaaS from scratch.
Key talking points
- Speak your niche's language. Lead with the problems they already recognise (messy onboarding, missed follow-ups, fear of marketing), not features they don't understand yet.
- One core snapshot, small layers on top. Keepful runs a single base system and adds modules for services like diagnostic reviews, tax and CFO work.
- Price support so it lasts. Why unlimited access and custom build-outs became hard to sustain.
- Free trials need to be earned. What happened when 118 members became 1,000 in six weeks, and why the trial now sits behind education.
- Follow-up is a service, not nagging. If you believe you can help, reminding people is part of the job.
- Retention comes from quick wins. A five-step setup, running yourself through as a test contact, then one useful campaign at a time.
- Problem first, tool second. How Heidi chooses AI tools for a tech-shy niche that handles sensitive financial data.
- Grow through partners. Work with the educators and businesses your ideal customers already trust.
About the six-month trial: it is an earned trial for bookkeepers.com students who reach set course milestones. It is not a public offer. Contact Keepful to ask what is currently available.
Links mentioned
- Keepful: https://keepful.com
- Realwave, the AI fulfilment tool Vit talks about (affiliate link): https://realwave.com/?via=vit-aa4f7f
- Viktor, the AI coworker Heidi and Vit both use (affiliate link): https://app.viktor.com/signin?ref=Cp9qwTpT8FQX5xBceMN29r
Connect with Heidi
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiaryder/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heidiaryder/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heidi.jarratt.5
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heidiryder2041
If this one helped, share it with another agency owner who is picking a niche, fixing their pricing or trying to get customers to actually log in.
About Heidi Ryder
Heidi Ryder is the owner of Keepful, a SaaS built on HighLevel for bookkeepers, accountants and tax professionals. She also owns Healthy Books, the bookkeeping firm she started in 2017, so she still works in the industry she sells to. After running Keepful's operations from 2022, she bought the company in 2025. Her guiding belief: automation should help people feel more cared for.
Highlights 🔥
Key points we talked about in this pilot episode!
- 00:00 Episode highlights
- 01:03 Meet Heidi Ryder of Keepful
- 03:21 Why Heidi bought Keepful
- 05:21 Selling software to bookkeepers and accountants
- 07:26 What Keepful's setup and customisation include
- 13:01 AI, bookkeeping and financial data security
- 17:02 One core snapshot, optional layers and pricing
- 20:53 The six-month free trial mistake and what changed
- 29:34 Follow-up as helping, not nagging
- 39:24 Choosing AI tools without chasing shiny things
- 44:03 Side quest: what HighLevel announced at LevelUp
- 53:01 Keeping HighLevel simple so customers adopt it
- 1:00:25 Starting again: strategic partnerships first
- 1:05:21 Where to find Heidi
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More info about this episode:
- Type: Audio (Explicit )
- Link: https://podcast.highlevelexperience.com/episode/the-free-trial-that-nearly-buried-a-gohighlevel-saas-heidi-ryder-keepful
- Authors: Vit Muller
- Copyright 2024 vitmuller.com | highlevelexperience.com
Transcript
Youtube- Ep 110 - Heidi Ryder | HighLevel Experience Podcast
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