SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Hi Allie.

SPEAKER_04: 0:01

Yes, Andrew.

SPEAKER_00: 0:04

Why does an accountant bring a calculator to bed? No, I don't To make sure everyone's getting a fair return on investment.

SPEAKER_04: 0:23

I was expecting it to be much dirtier, but I was too. It's a very clean start to the season.

unknown: 0:30

Oh.

SPEAKER_04: 0:32

But we all like return on investment.

SPEAKER_00: 0:35

We all like return on investment, as well as making sure in the bedroom that there is a solid return on investment.

SPEAKER_04: 0:43

We're going to go to bedrooms in the Accounting community in the Valentine's Day vibes. Is this where we're going?

SPEAKER_00: 0:48

We could definitely go there. Obviously, this is our like traditional year kickoff Valentine's Day, we love you kind of podcast as vibes. So we might hit the theme tunes and we'll come back in a moment and introduce our co-hosts for this wonderful episode. Alright, Ali. Well, hey, it's good. I love you, mate, and I really do appreciate chatting with you. But you know what's better than chatting with you?

SPEAKER_04: 1:26

Chatting with our co-hosts.

SPEAKER_00: 1:28

Chatting with Amy and Will. Hello. Our amazing bookfriends from the Deck Edition 2, so that means it's a big Forsome going on here.

SPEAKER_05: 1:37

It's a love fan. It's a lot of love, a lot of love language.

SPEAKER_02: 1:40

I feel like started in the gutter.

SPEAKER_03: 1:45

Well, did we I don't know. When we were preparing for this episode, there were some other options for jokes that um that Ali found one but refused to say because we didn't want to tarn didn't want to tarnish her reputation.

SPEAKER_02: 1:59

That is correct.

SPEAKER_04: 2:00

So if you listen to the very, very back end of this episode, you might get a little Easter egg for your for your efforts.

SPEAKER_01: 2:06

Is that a commitment, Ali? Are you going to let it rip? I am ripped at the hard commitment there.

SPEAKER_00: 2:14

Anyway, so this is obviously like our classic. We've done this for, I think this is like the third year or the fourth year in a row. Obviously, that this initiated when Amy uh and Clarity Street did a Valentine's Day sesh in Melbourne that we kind of jumped on and we went, you know what? This is a bloody great idea to kind of catch up and talk about the world of accounting and love and appreciation for all. And so we're on to whatever number edition this one is. But I figured. Yeah, yeah, this is the tenth version of this is season 10 for us.

SPEAKER_03: 2:41

Season 10, but I think it's the third Valentine's one.

SPEAKER_00: 2:44

Third Valentine's?

SPEAKER_03: 2:45

Yeah, I think it's the same.

SPEAKER_01: 2:46

Yeah, I was I was there. That was the first time I came across one of your in-person events. So thank you for holding that in-person. But it was inspired by you.

SPEAKER_04: 2:55

We were testing you out. It was! It was inspired by you, Will.

SPEAKER_00: 2:59

That's right.

SPEAKER_04: 3:01

Oh my gosh, this is like a round circle moment.

SPEAKER_00: 3:04

Now I'm remembering that. Like you did your thing at ZeroConwell, like that's real good. Let's do this. And Amy's like, we'll get that. And I'm like, hey Will, do you want to rock up it in the chat? And you're like, sure, last minute. I'm pretty sure I hit you up the day before.

SPEAKER_01: 3:15

Yeah, but I got nothing better going on. This is good. Oh, well, look at it. It's just a full circle.

SPEAKER_03: 3:21

See, the love has continued to just pay it forward. Excellent.

SPEAKER_01: 3:27

Can we do this in person next year?

SPEAKER_00: 3:29

Oh yeah, I'm sure. That's definitely possible. Um let me let me let me keep back to you on that.

SPEAKER_05: 3:38

And I was like, absolutely yes.

SPEAKER_04: 3:39

Yeah, I'm like, yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 3:41

I just don't know what's gonna happen next year, mate.

SPEAKER_04: 3:43

I just commit to your co-host, Andrew. Oh, he can't do it. I can't even get him to do it on his anyway.

SPEAKER_00: 3:54

Do you know what the third anniversary gift is, though? This is the third anniversary of the Valentine's Day. Do you know what it is?

SPEAKER_03: 4:00

No. Is it paper?

SPEAKER_00: 4:01

No, that's one.

SPEAKER_03: 4:03

I'm not married. Why would I know this?

SPEAKER_00: 4:05

There's a traditional gift or there's a modern alternative.

SPEAKER_03: 4:08

Okay. What's the traditional?

SPEAKER_00: 4:10

Bit of leather.

SPEAKER_03: 4:12

Wow.

SPEAKER_00: 4:12

Bit of leather.

SPEAKER_03: 4:13

Are you actually serious?

SPEAKER_00: 4:15

Yep. Now it says leather, but like obviously, depending where you're at, you're gonna be like, yeah, I'm gonna give mum my girl a bit of leather.

SPEAKER_05: 4:21

Let's get a bit of that.

SPEAKER_00: 4:24

The modern one is being pleased. Is crystalslash glass.

SPEAKER_04: 4:29

Okay. Alright, fine. Neither of those are any good. No.

SPEAKER_00: 4:34

Crystal wine glasses. Leather, a wallet. It's not you're not supposed to get someone a buddy ten thousand dollar diamond ring every anniversary. Come on now. You are. I mean, it it was a step up from the second anniversary, which was cotton.

SPEAKER_03: 4:47

Is that pretty good?

SPEAKER_00: 4:48

And the first paper paper, cotton, leather.

SPEAKER_01: 4:50

When does wood come in? Is that free? Wood. Wood is five.

SPEAKER_00: 4:55

After f next year is flu fruit or flowers.

SPEAKER_04: 4:58

I'll have both. Oh.

SPEAKER_00: 5:01

Fruit and flowers. Fruity flowers.

SPEAKER_04: 5:03

Fruity flowers. When we have our in-person event, we can bring each other fruit and flowers.

SPEAKER_00: 5:09

We can have a gigantic fruit flower theme.

SPEAKER_04: 5:12

Yes.

SPEAKER_01: 5:13

Well, you should just do a catch-up for the for the ten years and just get one of everything.

SPEAKER_00: 5:18

Ten years is tin and out tin aluminium, and I know that because I got my wife a custom number plate for our ten-year anniversary.

SPEAKER_04: 5:24

That's pretty cute, actually.

SPEAKER_00: 5:26

Yep. Yep. I am pretty cute. That's right. What was on the uh so her initials, Ivana Vanderby, so I V D B, but you can get it with like a love heart. So it's I love heart VDB. Which is which, if you read that slightly wrong instead of V D B and you read it as V B D, you get a really wrong phrase in your head. I V B. And Amy knows exactly what it says straight away. Anyway, um, we're here for Valentine's Day, we're here for the accounting industry, and we're here to not keep our minds in the gutter. Uh, what I what I thought would be a fun conversation route for the four of us, where are you at in your relationship with the accounting industry, right? Like, are you are you head over heels, falling in love, this is the greatest thing ever? Are you are you like you know, rounding third base and seeing what it looks like? Are you are you in a long-term committal? Are you looking to get out of this thing? Are you thinking like maybe maybe this isn't for me? Like, where are you at in your relationship when it comes to the accounting industry? And let's use this as a healthy space to have some relationship counselling around you and your very clearly most important love accounting. If you're not in love with it, I don't want to hear about it. Discuss.

SPEAKER_03: 6:37

Yeah, kinda. Oh, I'm I'll start. I'll start. Uh I am deeply in love with the accounting industry. I don't know why. For my sins, I am deeply in love with the accounting industry. Okay. They bring me lengthy amounts of joy on the daily. They bring me some heart a heartache as well at times. They bring me some, oh my god, I'm pulling my freaking hair out moments as well. But, you know, we have a at times a bit of a love-hate relationship, but equally saying that as a generalized statement, I wouldn't do this if I didn't love the accountants in terms of what I do at Clarity Street and all the other bits and pieces and all the other pies that I have my fingers in. Like, I wouldn't do it if I didn't love them. There's just you just are such good, amazing human beings. And not being one helps me recognise that. So yeah, I'm I'm I'm very in love with the accounting industry. Don't know what else I do. I mean, possibly possibly build furniture at IKEA because I quite like a jigsaw puzzle like that. Anyway, but um apart from that, I think that yeah, I I don't know what else I would do. I love this industry.

SPEAKER_01: 7:42

You know what? You don't have to worry about anything else to think about doing because you love doing what you're doing. So don't even worry about the alternatives. There you go. Just push on. Thanks. Love it.

unknown: 7:53

Love it.

SPEAKER_01: 7:54

What's a plan B for when you've got such a good plan A?

SPEAKER_03: 7:57

Exactly right. It's fair.

SPEAKER_00: 8:00

Just the fact you said plan B on a love story, I don't know if that was intentional. Uh but it was very good from you. You can stay.

SPEAKER_01: 8:08

Andrew, you're uh teetering on the edge here with a couple of innuendos that I feel like he started off.

SPEAKER_04: 8:15

You said it.

SPEAKER_00: 8:16

I just picked it up. I'm just picking up what you're putting down, buddy. Um okay, good. So head over heels in love. So we've got like like have you have you like let's talk whole like so we'll get to you in a second, Allie. Um but I want to I want to zoom in on our co-host friends.

SPEAKER_02: 8:32

Yep.

SPEAKER_00: 8:33

If you look at the last 12 months, your relationship with the accounting industry. Still in the would you say has it been consistent? Has it been never failing? Have has the accounting industry turned up for you day after fucking day? Have you been there making baked eggs in the morning and serving it up? Or have you gone through moments of like trials and tribulations? Have you gone through points where you wonder whether it's all worth the pain and the effort?

SPEAKER_03: 8:56

Definitely. Definitely, but could I be bold and say that it's probably not with the accountants and probably with some of the affiliated um industries with the accounting industry, which has probably pulled my hair out a little bit.

SPEAKER_00: 9:09

Like the salespeople and the tech people around the around the fringes of the industry, you're thinking?

SPEAKER_03: 9:13

No, uh I would say there's been some of the other, like I really value the services that bookkeepers actually provide to a lot of you know small businesses and to accountants out there. Love them. But from a client perspective, sometimes they are maybe a little bit more challenging than we anticipated. They have different needs than what the accountants do, and you know, maybe they have deeper, more like uh deeper requirements of um services that need to be provided, basically.

SPEAKER_00: 9:43

So that's what you're saying is you know, your relationship with the industry with bookkeepers, they have tested, they have trial, you know, they've stretched your commands, but you are better for it.

SPEAKER_03: 9:52

Yes, so much better for it. Good.

SPEAKER_00: 9:55

I like that positive one. Shout out to my my bookkeeper friends over there. I have a wonderful team of bookkeepers here at Illuminate that I I actually fucking love.

SPEAKER_03: 10:04

Yeah, as humans, I love them. But anyway, I will dig myself no longer further into a hole. They're looking at things from a different place. Yeah, they are, definitely.

SPEAKER_00: 10:14

All right. What about you, Will? What's your last have you been like head over heels, falling in love? Are you going on hot dates every every weekend kind of thing, or are you are you having to diorize like, you know, once a month, let's have intimate time with your accounting industry?

SPEAKER_01: 10:27

Sorry, what was that last question?

SPEAKER_00: 10:29

Like, has it become bland? Are you putting the once a month reminder that we've got to do something to show each other we care? Like, where are you? What's that year been like for you?

SPEAKER_01: 10:37

I I love it. It's I am wholeheartedly invested in the emotional roller coaster that comes with being in public practice. Sometimes you have good days, sometimes you find yourself overinvesting emotionally in some client relationships and going on the journey with them, and sometimes you feel the heartache and struggles that they go through, and then you've got to pick yourself up and shift mode and go and do something completely different for a different client. Sometimes you've got talent management challenges in the firm. Um, so there's just all these it's a mixed bag of situations and and problems that present themselves all day, every day. Um, and I I love the fact that that is a big part of getting the most out of this profession is can continuing to find a way to push through some of the challenging moments, continue to put yourself out there, learn as much as you can, do the best job that you can, and keep moving forward and getting better and better. So, yeah, it's definitely not always smooth sailing.

SPEAKER_00: 11:37

Um I mean, for you to some extent, yours is somewhat of a bit of a rekindled romance. If not, maybe you had that side partner of yours that you were like cheating on the industry with in like, you know, the tech and the the you know the servicing industry, not delivery. So you were kind of like in a bit of a cheeky relationship and you finally went, you know what, I can't stop pretending anymore. I'm I've got to get back in the bed with the accounting industry. Yeah, yeah. Right to the coal front. No more cheating on you anymore.

SPEAKER_01: 12:03

Not to go back to like the the plan B thing, but I kind of I guess I lacked the self-confidence and conviction to actually do what you and Ali have both done, which is build a really successful firm on your terms with your own brand, do it your way. I I never backed myself in the way that you both did. Um, and so I'm glad that I've had the opportunity to see the journeys that people like yourselves have gone on, and that has actually given me the confidence to then a little bit later on take the experiences that have that I've had and then course correct back to plan A, because this is exactly what I always wanted to do. I just probably didn't have the the kahunas to to go and do it like you both did. So um yeah, I'm I'm glad and I'm loving the fact that I finally decided to um rip the band-aid off and and go into practice land again.

SPEAKER_03: 12:52

Grow some kahunas. Well, let it get the Valentine's Day episode.

SPEAKER_01: 12:57

Aren't we throwing these out there?

SPEAKER_04: 12:59

Well, you and Andrew are.

SPEAKER_00: 13:02

I guess we are. Well, you know what? That's probably a really good spot for us to pause, reflect on the sharing. Allie, I'm gonna come back and probe you shortly, and then I've got a bit of a story to tell. Probe. But uh we're gonna shoot. We're going to sponsors. Shut up, everybody. Sponsors, please save us. I love software that continues to innovate over years and years of time. And BGL is one that stands out above the rest, if you ask me, Allie.

SPEAKER_04: 13:27

100%. But they do so much as well. Corporate compliance, self-managed super funds, BGL ID verification, and Simple Invest 360. Honestly, there's so much in there.

SPEAKER_00: 13:37

It's so good. It means that there's a bunch of stuff within your firm you need to do, and you only have to go to one place to be able to do that, which is fantastic. No mucking about with different things. Just get in, get it done, and make it happen.

SPEAKER_04: 13:47

Absolutely. BGL.

SPEAKER_00: 13:51

As you all know, marketing, branding, and identity is something that's extremely important to me personally as well as my business illuminate. Ali, I know it is for you as well.

SPEAKER_04: 14:00

Important to us too. And you know what? Practice and pixels, they are the best for digital marketing, website design, and brands for accountants.

SPEAKER_00: 14:06

They absolutely are. And they look after our brand here. Yeah, they do. So you have a great experience. So good. But what I love about them is they take the time to truly understand what makes your firm different within the industry so they can accelerate your growth through fantastic marketing, connecting your clients, your team, and your community for good prosperity going forward.

SPEAKER_04: 14:23

Absolutely. Get on to the branding practice and pixels, my friends. Yo!

SPEAKER_00: 14:29

Alright, it's getting a little bit out of control here. Everyone is thinking about their red hot Valentine's Day date. Uh Amy's been eating too much seafood, I believe, or whatever it is there.

SPEAKER_05: 14:38

And um The recording later.

SPEAKER_00: 14:40

We're recording later in the day, which means we're we're a bit we're a bit wild and wacky. But Allie, Allie, what's what's your love life with in terms of accounting? Like like are you guys, are you are you getting hot and heavy there, or is it like is it a bit stale and crusty? Where are you at?

SPEAKER_04: 14:55

I know we're hot and heavy.

SPEAKER_00: 14:57

Hot and heavy?

SPEAKER_04: 14:58

Do you know I think if I if the question is how has it been in the last 12 months? I was ripped out of my business for personal matters, and that devastated me. And I missed my business, and so and I missed my team and I missed the accounting community. So I've plugged back in this year and I've got this reawakening, this new love, this new appreciation, this new value for what we do and what we give to our clients, and how wonderful my team is and how wonderful the accounting community is. And I've always been a lover of the accounting community because it has afforded me so much in my life, and for that I will be forever grateful that there are people in this community there are people in this community who have gone above and beyond me and shown great care and love and kindness, and they didn't need to do that, and I think that when you find people that you just align with and just click with and deal with, and they are kind in times of pain, um you just you appreciate it so much more. And I've always loved accounting, I've always loved my clients, I've always loved my team, and I've always loved the community. But in a time where I have needed them, they have stepped up, and so that for me has reignited that passion.

SPEAKER_00: 16:23

It's that lovely reminder, right? How good is that? Like it's it's the whole like the industry went, okay, you you go you need to do your thing, we'll give you some space, but we're here whenever you're ready, we're ready for you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Love that for you, Ali.

SPEAKER_04: 16:35

Me too. Yeah, thank you. So it's been a really beautiful start back into my um business and um back into the accounting community. What about you, Andrew?

SPEAKER_00: 16:45

Yeah, I was hoping we might have run out of time to get to meet because I look, I don't really know how to define it. I would I'm definitely like like this head over heels in love thing is not changed. Like I still love the industry, I still want no love what we're about. But I I think like I've been I think I'm in that stage of like looking to like redefine boundaries and and make sure that like it's can it's continuing to be a healthy relationship and not one that can be challenging for me, I think. So uh and that's been you know a handful of things, right? I I've been off the tools for like four years now. So like I don't I don't do the accounting stuff, and so like I I constantly feel like I'm going it's like I'm going into that room going, all right, how do we do this again? Um and working and collaborating with team members and community and making sure that there's an element of relevance there in that kind of space. So I think for me that's kind of where where I'm like that whole like redefining and making sure it's relevant and making sure that I'm not just taking it for granted of going, this is what I've always done, so like I can just keep doing it right. Um what I what I what I have definitely what I have definitely appreciated and learned is there is a lot of people out there who need love from the industry when I'm talking about business owners, and that whole like it's a constant place of like safety and security when done well. And so I I think for me that's kind of where I'm where I'm at, redefining what that looks like, um, uh setting appropriate boundaries in that space, not having unfair expectations of the industry for me. So, like, hey, like this is a two-way street, I can't expect expect expect it to give to me all the time and me not give back to it. Um, but also recognising that, like, you know, by by collaborating, working together, that that is a love that other people can benefit from as well. If you think about you think about those couples out there that you know, and you're like, fuck, they're just so good together. They want they make me want to be that a little bit better. Like, I can think of like various different people, whether it was like family members or friends, whatever, and you just kind of see how they operate together and it makes you want to be better. I feel like that's kind of what I want my relationship with the industry to continue to be. It's like one where like we're working on it and we're doing good, but like one that other people can say, Oh great, that's like an opportunity to be better. How can I have a love like that? How can I have a relationship like that? Was that was that answered well, Ellie?

SPEAKER_04: 18:55

It was answered very well, and what I really like that you brought up, and it's a topic I actually want to touch on just briefly, the boundaries. Oh, yeah, the protecting of yourself and your time. Because we can have another big year of change with the amount, the female stuff comes through. And there are people I've seen who are saying, I want to get out of this industry now. It is too much, I can't do this, especially the small guys. And so there is more change coming in our industry, and so this is where leaning on each other, leaning into the community, leaning into the people who can help us with these types of changes, um, and finding the love for the accounting and the business and our clients and our community will help you to get through this. So do not do it.

SPEAKER_03: 19:36

Yeah, agreed. And the community is massive. I um over the Christmas break, I did a little road trip from Melbourne up to Queensland, and I stopped and said hello to a number of industry people. Like, as in I saw more industry friends than like people that I'd met outside of the industry, and that in itself is like like to the point where I'm now gonna immigrate up to Queensland, if they'll have me. I need to put my paperwork in. It's official, yeah, official. I'm gonna immigrate towards the end of the year. But the point is, is that I feel so safe and secure, completely leaving my home city, my family, my friends, that kind of thing, because there are so many amazing people that I know from Kingscliffe all the way up to the sunny coast, basically, and and beyond. Don't get me wrong, but like so many people in that community that I'm like, ah, this is freaking gold. So I agree with that. It's time to lean on them when we need to. There's so many amazing people out there in this industry, and we're all here to help. We're all ready and willing to help. You've just got to ask.

SPEAKER_00: 20:35

Yes. Indeed. Indeed. Beautiful. Now we're gonna start to wrap up, but um, you might recall a certain love story that I shared a year ago. Uh I think when we did the we did this a year ago, and we used with the help of ChapTBT, we we had this love at first leisure story. Funnily enough, there's another chapter to the story that is this.

SPEAKER_03: 20:59

Oh my gosh, here we go.

SPEAKER_00: 21:01

So in the schoolyard, the great grandkids they told the story like it was half a fairy tale and half of business case study. Once upon a time, said Amy the third, I think it was Amy who said Amy the Third, our great great grandpa Jack, was drowning in paperwork and had bad decisions. And then, added Oliver, our great great grandma Amy showed up with a calculator and saved the whole thing. They acted it out, Jack collapsing under pretending voices, Amy rescuing with a perfectly balanced ledger, but then the story kept going because legends always do. After that, Mia said, They built a business, raised a family, and taught everyone that numbers can change lives. And now, Oliver said, proudly, pointing to their lemonade stand, we're running the next chapter. The stand had price lists, stock trading, and a very serious sign that read no sales without a tax expensive. Invoice. Someone even had added a page at the front of the notebook said inspired by Jack and Amy. A younger kid looked up. So what's the love part? Oliver grilled grinned. Love is caring enough to do it properly and sharing it so that others can do it better. And just like that, the story grew. One generation, one good decision, and one beautifully balanced book at a time.

SPEAKER_04: 22:27

Beautiful, beautiful conclusion there. For the love of balanced books. For the love balance books. Look what happened to Amy and Jack. Jack left it.

SPEAKER_00: 22:37

Well is that the first one. Maybe we cursed it. Maybe we need maybe maybe I needed next year needs to be that there's a will that enters the 4A, maybe, who knows. But what I liked about the story. But that last bit where it said love is caring enough to do it properly and sharing it so others can do better. I'm like, I feel like in the accounting industry, that's a thing as well. Like I love this enough that I'm gonna do it properly and I'm not gonna fuck about. I'm not gonna like cut corners and do things dodging. But at the same time, I'm gonna be open and I'm gonna share it with others so they can do it better as well. That whole community element to accounting as well. So um I love you all. You're all amazing, as well as people on the line, the millions and millions and millions of listeners well.

SPEAKER_03: 23:16

Thanks, listeners, and our sponsors. We love our sponsors too.

SPEAKER_00: 23:19

The sponsors and our families and all the people.

SPEAKER_04: 23:21

Yes, and we do have a new season coming up with Andrew and I, and also the tech season. So listen on in as we drop those episodes.

SPEAKER_00: 23:28

Some funky stuff. I'm looking forward to hearing from uh what are we calling it? Willa, A Will, Abel?

SPEAKER_05: 23:34

Uh, Wang Wang.

SPEAKER_00: 23:38

Oh, wow, as Aaron. Yeah, Wang. Very good. I look forward to hearing that. Um but I but I do believe before we go, Allie, I think you had you had one more thing you wanted to say, right?

SPEAKER_04: 23:50

I did. I have an accounting pickup line that um somebody might want to try. Maybe an accounting event potentially. So I would give it a shot. Hit me up. Go ahead. All right. So who am I saying it to? Am I saying it to you, Andrew?

SPEAKER_00: 24:02

If you want.

SPEAKER_04: 24:03

Are you a journal entry?

unknown: 24:06

Maybe.

SPEAKER_00: 24:06

Because I want to double tap you.

SPEAKER_04: 24:13

And it's filthy. And end where we started.

SPEAKER_00: 24:17

I am glad that I'm not at home and my wife's listening into this going, who the hell are you talking to, Andrew? I know, I know. Very well. Well, I'm gonna go into a dark room and hang out by myself for a bit. Um, that's wonderful. Um very good. We're gonna do something. Double entry accounting. Love you all. Wasn't that a fun adventure, my friends? Thank you so much! So incredibly much for hanging out with us today. Allie, you've been amazing. Andrew, you've been alright. How good is it to be able to have adventures together?

SPEAKER_05: 24:54

It so is, and you know what? Keep following us. We are all over the socials at accounting adventures. Check us out on the website and give us a bit of a like. You know how much we love that stuff.

SPEAKER_00: 25:06

The best thing about the adventure is the people that we do it with. So thank you so much for listening. Thank you so much for hanging out with us, and please bring all the ideas, keep them recoming. We can't wait to share more cool adventures with you.

SPEAKER_05: 25:18

We love you guys.