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Accountants EXPOSED
Michael Edelstein
49 episodes
8 hours ago
Creating lightbulb moments - unravelling the secrets to success of top performers in the accounting space, in Australia and beyond. We speak to some of the best practitioners, aspiring young partners and service providers to the industry to discover what it takes to become a partner, how to successfully run a practice, what keeps partners awake at night and some of the latest trends, tips and tricks in the industry.
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All content for Accountants EXPOSED is the property of Michael Edelstein and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Creating lightbulb moments - unravelling the secrets to success of top performers in the accounting space, in Australia and beyond. We speak to some of the best practitioners, aspiring young partners and service providers to the industry to discover what it takes to become a partner, how to successfully run a practice, what keeps partners awake at night and some of the latest trends, tips and tricks in the industry.
Show more...
Entrepreneurship
Business
Episodes (20/49)
Accountants EXPOSED
Win the War for Talent: the Monetary & Non-Monetary Ways

At this year's Accounting Business Expo in Melbourne, I presented on the ever important topic of talent but with a focus on non-monetary benefits as a retention tool (well, because they’re kind of free and accountants keep asking me, Michael - how can I compete with the big firms that have way more resources to throw around):

Below is a short snippet talking about some of the non-monetary benefits you can incorporate into your firm. 

As a recruitment professional and an accountant myself I wanted to present everyone with facts that would aid the remarkable accountants in this industry not just in servicing our clients but also in making sure they can attract the right talent and improve their employee retention,, which in the long run would help us build a much better practice.

For the full speech please go to our Youtube channel. 

Title: Win the War for Talent: the Monetary & Non-Monetary Ways

  1. What are the current issues and trends in the marketplace?

  1. Why are some firms doing so much better than others when it comes to recruitment and retention – monetary and non-monetary?

  1. What changes can you make to improve your recruitment and retention strategies?

Speech by:

Michael Edelstein of Accountants Exposed Podcast and Recruitment Expert

𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥: https://lnkd.in/g7_QZzE

#AccountingBusinessExpo2024 #ABE #AccountingConference #AccountingExpo

#AccountantsExposed

#RecruitmentExpert


Show more...
1 year ago
30 minutes 45 seconds

Accountants EXPOSED
Robotic Process Automation and Digital Transformation: What the Future of Accounting looks like! (Most Viewed Recap)

In this day and age of technology, what does the future hold for the accounting industry? ⁠John Waterworth⁠ - the managing director of ⁠Valenta Australia⁠ sits down with us to help us understand more about what robotics for Accounting Firms especially during a time of critical staff shortage.

Join us as you won’t want to miss this episode where John tells all about the backbone of robotic process automation (RPA), and how you can implement in your practice to save costs, find efficiencies and improve client service! We discussed topics such as:

  • Getting into robotics in the accounting industry and his journey in automation
  • Challenges with automation
  • How RPA (Robotic Process Automation) is different from AI and what digital transformation is all about
  • Using RPA and how it compares to other software processes
  • Cost of building a new process and who benefits the most from it
  • Backlash against against robots vs the reality
  • Where AI and natural language technologies started and the future of RPA


"One of the biggest hurdles I guess is just freeing up people from being chained to the computer, doing those repetitive tasks.”


Show Notes

  • ⁠Xerox ⁠
  • ⁠MYOB⁠
  • ⁠APS⁠
  • ⁠Zybra⁠

⁠John Waterworth⁠, with 25 years of experience in leadership, digital transformation and cyber security is an expert when it comes to all things automation. He is focused on helping businesses adopt RPA (Robotic Process Automation) and Artificial Intelligence to achieve sustainable profitability. His goal: to drive growth and profitability using the emerging technology!


Quick facts:

  • Serial Entrepreneur
  • Speaker at the Accounting Business Expo 2022


Contact Info

To find out more about how RPA can benefit your firm you can contact John directly at ⁠john.waterworth@valenta.io⁠ or on his mobile 0403 035 656.

⁠Michael Edelstein⁠: ⁠michael@recruitmentexpert.com.au⁠

Mobile: 0421 892 145

Show more...
1 year ago
1 hour 1 minute 26 seconds

Accountants EXPOSED
Matthew Addison - The Future of Bookkeeping and Why It Will Continue to Survive and Thrive ( Most Viewed Recap )

You don't want to miss this, listen to one of our most clicked and viewed podcast episode right now.

Bookkeeping, just like any other profession, has come a long way. From manual records to all the fancy AI software available nowadays, how will bookkeepers keep up? Is the digital era really a threat to the bookkeeping space or is it an opportunity? Our guest, ⁠Matthew Addison⁠ from the⁠ Institute of Certified Bookkeepers⁠ will give us the answer to all these questions.

Join us as Matthew shares why he chose to be a bookkeeping advocate and its importance to the accounting industry. Some more of the topics we discussed include:

  • Being a partner in his own accounting/bookkeeping firm whilst being an advocate for the bookkeeping industry
  • The ideal accounting and bookkeeping model
  • Classic bookkeeping vs modern bookkeeping
  • Bookkeeping practice and regulation and the differences with other countries
  • Digital bookkeeping and automation and the impact its had on the industry and clients
  • Why bookkeeping survived and thrived amidst the rise of automation software
  • Biggest threats and opportunities for bookkeeper
  • Thoughts on offshoring in the space

"A practical challenge in the bookkeeping space at the moment is narrowing your scope- Becoming an expert in a few, not trying to be an expert in everything available to you.”

Show Notes

  • ⁠Kylie Baxter podcast⁠
  • ⁠Paul Dunn podcast⁠
  • ⁠Bookkeeping for dummies by Veechi Curtis⁠

⁠Matthew Addison⁠ started his accounting journey in a Big 4 firm which he deems as his ‘breeding ground’ but later on chose to be a passionate advocate for the bookkeeping space back in 1990. He’s an all around expert in the industry with years of experience in accounting, tax, payroll, business advisory and software accounting solutions. He aims to bring modern solutions to modern problems and let people know that bookkeeping is here to stay and that Bookkeeping is not a pathway to becoming an accountant, Bookkeeping is a profession of its own.

Quick facts:

  • The chair and co-founder of the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers in Australia, a professional association for Bookkeepers
  • Has been recently appointed as a Director of COSBOA (Council of Small Business Organisations Australia)
  • Involved in the development of: Business Accounting Software, Software Company Partner Programs and the Tax Agent Services Act 2009 (recognition of Bookkeepers as Registered BAS Agents).
  • Co-Chair of the ATO Tax Practitioner Stewardship Group (2018-2021), member of the ATO BAS Agents Advisory Group and the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) Consultative Forum.
Show more...
2 years ago
1 hour 6 minutes 20 seconds

Accountants EXPOSED
Sonia Gibson - When Is The Right Time To Start Your Own Accounting Firm & How To Go About It? (Most Viewed Recap)

A recap of one of our most viewed episode so far:

What a way to start 2023 with our first guest of the year - ⁠Sonia Gibson⁠. She is a visionary accounting professional and the Founder of ⁠Accounting Heart⁠ - which is proudly an all female firm. We get a sneak peek of her accounting journey, her business acumen and her passion for finances and helping smaller businesses achieve their financial goals.


Listen in and to learn more about Sonia and some of the struggles she faced following her path as an accountant and how her commitment to the industry and her clients has helped her build a solid foundation of success.


Some of the topics we talked about are:

  • Her inspiration and initial interest in accounting - how does one start?
  • Commerce vs Public Practice - going back and forth and her early dream of becoming a Partner
  • What would she have done differently and how much experience do you actually need to start your own practice?
  • The things you learn as a partner and why she decided to go solo
  • Do corporate values actually mean anything?
  • Assessing client fees on a macro level and the struggles of charging fees effectively
  • Benchmarking salaries and increases - how to make the numbers make sense.
  • Reaching firm maturity, how long does it actually take?
  • Comparison between solo practice and a multi-partner established firm
  • Strategise and Build. The secret to a stable team and how improving staff relationships will help you in the long run
  • Networking - Build build build!
  • Importance of a good administrator/practice manager and a competent team
  • Software talk - the beauty of automation
  • Utilising people's values, making better decisions, and highlighting femininity
  • Coaching - tips on how to find the right business coach for you and the great thing about reaching out


Contact Info

You can find out more about ⁠Sonia Gibson⁠ and her firm Accounting Heart from their website: ⁠https://www.accountingheart.com.au/⁠

⁠Michael Edelstein⁠: ⁠michael@recruitmentexpert.com.au⁠

Mobile: 0421 892 145



Show more...
2 years ago
1 hour 30 minutes 28 seconds

Accountants EXPOSED
Alistair Marshall - Attracting & Retaining Talent through Business Development

I was at the Accountants Business Expo this year and I happened to encounter this remarkable guy, who talked about ‘How to use Business Development for Staff Retention’, and I immediately knew I had to bring him on as a guest. Alistair Marshall, Director of Professional Services BD is here to teach us proven and effective Business Development strategies in Professional Services to grow a practice - from a client and staff perspective. 

Here are some of the topics we discussed during this episode:

  • Staff retention and it’s connection to marketing

  • Business development and how smaller firms utilizes it

  • The current struggle of firms when it comes to hiring new employees and keeping them.

  • The world of the digitally empowered buyers and the strength in client service

  • Intersection of Accounting and Law - diving into the similarities and cultural differences between the two professions

  • Negative aspects of the ‘one stop shop accounting firm’ model

  • Biggest issues the typical SMEs come up against

  • Growing your practice with proven & effective business development strategies

  • Client Business Reviews sit downs and Fixed Fees

  • Why you need a mentor, and the need to start something

  • Marketing and how to get young people on board

"You don't learn anything by talking.”

Show Notes

  • Salesforce

  • Allan Fitzgerald

  • Professional Services BD

  • 10 Immediate Actions that Generate Revenue and Cash

  • Zane Carm? (You both mentioned you follow him)

  • Vidyard

  • David Meister Books

Profile

Alistair Marshall has a 30 year experience in helping law, engineering, accounting, and other professionals attract clients and is a trusted expert when it comes to Management, Business Development, Marketing and Public Speaking. Being a business consultant for years now, his main goal is to help more professional service firms maximise their growth and has successfully helped more than thousands of professionals and hundreds of firms to build their practice, and achieve their revenue goals. His aim? To transform your business culture.

Some quick facts:

  • He has worked in national business development roles for multinational corporations, with responsibility for budgets in excess of A$100m.

  • Past National Board member of the Australasian Legal Practice Management Association.

  • Keynote speaker for Law & Accounting events

Contact Info

You can find out more about Alistair Marshall  and his firm Professional Services BD from their website: https://www.professionalservicesbd.com.au/

Michael Edelstein: michael@recruitmentexpert.com.au

Mobile: 0421 892 145


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2 years ago
1 hour 5 minutes 9 seconds

Accountants EXPOSED
Peter Lalor - Building a $1 Billion Dollar Accounting Brand whilst sharing the wealth with your staff! (Most Viewed Recap)

A recap of one of our most viewed episode so far:

First of all - you have to check out Blue Rock’s website - it’s out of this world (click on the link below)! This ‘picture’ will paint a thousand words about our guest ⁠Peter Lalor⁠ from ⁠Blue Rock⁠ who shares his incredible vision and the journey towards materialising it.

Join us in this episode as Peter shares his insights into leadership and what it takes to build a distinctive brand from nothing to a billion dollar firm, and many more things:

  • How a creative person like him thought of joining the accounting industry
  • Why he decided to pursue a multidisciplinary accounting form model
  • The first year journey of BlueRock and it's temporary setbacks
  • Which tools have had the biggest impact on the firm
  • Advice on what makes a firm successful, how to add value for your customers and the pillars of growth
  • How to set a clear version for your business, and his BlueRock 3030 Vision
  • Getting the right people on board
  • Designing a successful grad program
  • Balance a fast growing business, family and hobbies and his take on working long hours
  • Future of technology in the accounting industry

“I'd rather build a legacy where people feel like they've come in well, and they've left well.”

“If you build it they will come. And it's all about building a great ecosystem to excel and the rest will sort itself out.”

Profile

⁠Peter Lalor⁠ is an experienced Company Director with a demonstrated history of working with entrepreneurial business owners since his 20’s. He is passionate about thinking differently and about technology in the Accounting industry. His keenness for growth and opportunity to help entrepreneurs and develop a strong client community and his value and purpose are admirable. His vision - to work with smart people to break the rules!

Show Notes

  • ⁠Blue Rock⁠
  • ⁠Asana⁠
  • ⁠My prosperity⁠
  • ⁠Xero⁠
  • ⁠APS⁠
  • ⁠XPM - Xero Practice Manager⁠
  • ⁠Managing the Professional Service Firm by David Maister⁠
  • ⁠One Thing You Need to Know: About Great Managing, Great Leading, and Sustained Individual Success by Marcus Buckingham⁠
  • ⁠The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon by Brad Stone⁠
  • ⁠Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl⁠
Show more...
2 years ago
1 hour 44 minutes 30 seconds

Accountants EXPOSED
Kyelie Baxter - Modern Day Accounting: How to Stand Out and Achieve Utmost Efficiency (Most Viewed Recap)

A recap of one of our most viewed episode so far:

Our fantastic guest this week - ⁠Kyelie Baxter⁠ - an award winning accounting professional from ⁠IQ Accountants⁠ who became a partner at a younger age than most - is finally here! In this episode, she passes on her knowledge, experience, and the secrets to standing out in this competitive industry. She also provides useful advice on how we can cope with the overwhelming changes in the industry and more importantly, how to embrace technology.

Join us and take this opportunity to learn more about Kyelie and some of the innovating things she is doing through her commitment to the industry, her firm and her clients. We discussed topics such as:

  • What her path was like as an award winning accounting professional
  • Standing out in the accounting industry and building a unique process
  • Programs that helped improve efficiency and getting into bookkeeping
  • Achieving exceptional client growth
  • What she loves about accounting
  • Being a mother and a practitioner and how to achieve work life balance and why it's important
  • Finding the right people - challenges and processes
  • Their workflow, client services and her take on automation
  • Maintaining culture in a hybrid work set up and rules for engagement
  • Increasing fees and letting go of clients
  • Her thoughts about offshoring
  • Modern era accounting - the biggest changes and the downsides of it
  • Timesaving and the 'Zero Email' work habit

"We're not married to anything, we embrace change”

“If you're going to back anyone, back yourself”

Show Notes

  • ⁠MYOB⁠
  • ⁠Slack⁠
  • ⁠Kyber⁠
  • ⁠Intuit⁠
  • ⁠Dext⁠
  • ⁠How I work podcast by Amantha Imber⁠
  • ⁠ReMarkable⁠
  • ⁠Lynda Steffens ⁠

⁠Kyelie Baxter⁠, packing 20 years of experience in public practice (who actually wanted to work in retail!) is a no nonsense accountant. She is driven and passionate about what she does and has successfully built her own amazing team for all types of business. She specialises in taxation, and has been dedicated to the industry. Her goal - to be able to simplify the accounting process for clients!


Quick facts:

  • Back to back winner of Australian Accounting Awards in 2020 and 2019 Partner of the Year (Boutique Firm), MYOB 2019 Certified Consultant of the Year and 2018 MYOB Accountant of the Year and a past Telstra Business Women's Awards finalist


Show more...
2 years ago
1 hour 44 minutes 30 seconds

Accountants EXPOSED
Rob Nixon - Growing your firm to $1m profit per Partner while working less than 500 hours (Most Viewed Recap)

A recap of our most viewed episode so far!


On this episode, we talk about all the things accountants could be doing better and where they're going wrong.  Mistakes that are costing them huge potential increases in revenue, profits and lifestyle. 

Now, Rob Nixon is not an accountant. Yet he has forged a niche to be one of the world’s foremost authorities on how accounting firms can achieve peak performance and his clients on average see profit increases of 98.4% from revenue increases of only 20.8% while working fewer hours with simple tweaks in workflow and technology. 

He is an entrepreneur who has been running successful businesses since 1986. Since 1994 he has been running businesses that specialise in helping Accountants run better, more profitable businesses.

Accountants intrigue Rob and over the years he has trained them, consulted to them, coached them, researched them and visited thousands of them. All in the pursuit of what works and what does not work. He believes accountants are the natural trusted advisor to business and can help their client’s build amazing businesses. He also believes accountants don't earn enough for how smart they are, the value they add and the risks they take. 

His speaking work has taken him around the world where he has spoken to in excess of 170,000 accountants. Currently, his products and strategies are used by accountants in over 30 countries. His landmark ideas and strategies are adopted by thousands of large and small firms all over the world.

In 2005 he created the revolutionary coaching model called Coachingclub. The Coachingclub model enabled firms to be accountable, to consistently learn and to share ideas amongst their peers. So far over 800 accounting firms have graduated from his Coachingclub program. The vast majority of firms have doubled or tripled profits because of the program.

He has personally coached over 500 firms and helped them add more nearly $1 Billion of new profit.

He is the author of 4 bestselling books Accounting Practices Don’t Add Up, Remaining Relevant, The Perfect Firm and his most recent book The Wealthy Accountant. All have received rave reviews from Accountants and industry professionals from around the world.

Rob is a keen golfer, adventurer and cyclist. He is ticket holder no. 293 to go into space on Virgin Galactic and he lives in sunny Brisbane, Australia with his lovely wife Natalie and 3 children.


You can find out more about Rob Nixon on his website: ⁠www.robnixon.com⁠

To find out more about RecruitmentExpert please go to ⁠www.recruitmentexpert.com.au⁠ or email 

Michael Edelstein: ⁠michael@recruitmentexpert.com.au

Show more...
2 years ago
46 minutes

Accountants EXPOSED
Attracting and Retaining Talent - ABE Melbourne 2023

Aside from meeting and listening to some of the most amazing speakers, I also had the pleasure to present my own speech at the Accounting Business Expo in Melbourne this year. 


Some of the topics that I discussed included:


1) What are the commonalities between those that have too many accountants knocking on their door and those that hear crickets!

2) Why do some firms seem to have Remarkable Retention and others have Atrocious Attrition?

3) What changes can you make in your firm to improve your recruiting and retention strategies?

4) Future of the accounting industry when it comes to talent! 


𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤? 


As a recruitment professional and an accountant myself - I wanted to present everyone with numbers, evidence and questions that would aid us in becoming remarkable industry leaders not just in servicing our clients but in making sure that employee engagement and retention is top notch, which in the long run would help us build a much better practice.


For more videos and interviews please go to our Youtube channel or Linkedin page.


Speech by:

Michael Edelstein

Accountants Exposed Podcast

Recruitment Expert


𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHgSr19ZA8CTPoQlCbaopJA


𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭:

Rita Nehme


#AccountingBusinessExpo2023 #ABE #AccountingConference #AccountingExpo

#AccountantsExposed

#RecruitmentExpert

Show more...
2 years ago
28 minutes 28 seconds

Accountants EXPOSED
Brett Kelly - Part 1 - How to get motivated and stay motivated in Business, Life And Family (Most Viewed Recap)

A recap of one of our most viewed episode so far. No matter how many times you listen to these episodes, you will surely learn something new every time- don't forget to watch part 2!

Brett Kelly is the Partner of one of the largest accounting firms in Australia , they are BRW Top 25 largest accounting firms in Australia with over 40 Directors and over 200 staff. Brett Kelly has more than twenty years commercial and professional accountancy experience. He specialises in assisting individuals and families who own private businesses. Brett founded Kelly+Partners Chartered Accountants in 2006 and over the past 14 years has grown the business to become the largest private business specialist accounting network in the Greater Sydney area. In June 2017, Kelly+Partners Group Holdings Limited listed on the ASX.

Contact Info You can find out more about Brett Kelly and his firm Kelly+Partners from their website: www.kellypartners.com.au

To find out more about Recruitment Expert please go to www.recruitmentexpert.com.au or email Michael Edelstein: michael@recruitmentexpert.com.au



Show more...
2 years ago
38 minutes 38 seconds

Accountants EXPOSED
Sonia Gibson - When Is The Right Time To Start Your Own Accounting Firm & How To Go About It?

What a way to start 2023 with our first guest of the year - Sonia Gibson. She is a visionary accounting professional and the Founder of Accounting Heart - which is proudly an all female firm. We get a sneak peek of her accounting journey, her business acumen and her passion for finances and helping smaller businesses achieve their financial goals.

Listen in and to learn more about Sonia and some of the struggles she faced following her path as an accountant and how her commitment to the industry and her clients has helped her build a solid foundation of success.

Some of the topics we talked about are:

  • Her inspiration and initial interest in accounting - how does one start?
  • Commerce vs Public Practice - going back and forth and her early dream of becoming a Partner
  • What would she have done differently and how much experience do you actually need to start your own practice?
  • The things you learn as a partner and why she decided to go solo
  • Do corporate values actually mean anything?
  • Assessing client fees on a macro level and the struggles of charging fees effectively
  • Benchmarking salaries and increases - how to make the numbers make sense.
  • Reaching firm maturity, how long does it actually take?
  • Comparison between solo practice and a multi-partner established firm
  • Strategise and Build. The secret to a stable team and how improving staff relationships will help you in the long run
  • Networking - Build build build!
  • Importance of a good administrator/practice manager and a competent team
  • Software talk - the beauty of automation
  • Utilising people's values, making better decisions, and highlighting femininity
  • Coaching - tips on how to find the right business coach for you and the great thing about reaching out

Contact Info

You can find out more about Sonia Gibson and her firm Accounting Heart from their website: https://www.accountingheart.com.au/

Michael Edelstein: michael@recruitmentexpert.com.au

Mobile: 0421 892 145

Show more...
2 years ago
1 hour 30 minutes 28 seconds

Accountants EXPOSED
Designing Your Firm for Balance: Dealing with Overwhelm & Loving what You Do

Our fantastic guest this week - Amanda Gascoigne with her own coaching business Amanda Gascoigne Consulting is a highly recommended consultant and is currently considered as one of the best practitioners who turned coach - and has many accolades to back it up! In this episode, she shares her knowledge, experience, and the struggles of balancing family life and the demands of public practice especially as a female in the male dominated accounting world.

Join us and do not miss this episode where Amanda tells us where, why and how she started her journey and her shift to consulting. We also discussed topics such as:

  • Changes in the accounting world, from being a male dominant industry to having more female accountants
  • Reasons for shifting from the traditional career path
  • Leaving a firm amicably and building your own
  • What made her sell her practice five years ago at a fairly young age and pursue coaching
  • The time she knew she wanted to do something different and how to keep up with a changing industry
  • Her overwhelm point and the key to proper discipline
  • How to run a business with a family member
  • Things she does not recommend in a multi partner firm and the ideal model you should use
  • The impact of accounting technology
  • Finding the right people for your accounting firm
  • What will happen next in the accounting industry with more remote workers and offshoring and what to watch out for

"I want people to actually love what they do”

Show Notes

  • MYOB
  • Ignition
  • Xero
  • Quickbooks
  • Orange IQ
  • The Balance Firm Community
  • Any Ordinary Day: What Happens After the Worst Day of Your Life? by Leigh Sales
  • Untapped: Break through the fear & grow your revenue from existing clients

Amanda Gascoigner started her career in public practice with one of the top firms in NSW and went on to open and sell her own successful practice. She is driven and passionate about what she does, and is a huge advocate of embracing changes and following your dreams no matter where you are in life. She is dedicated to helping small and solo accounting practice owners achieve their goals and help them reach financial freedom. Her motto - Own your journey NOW!

Quick facts:

  • Founder of her former practice Gascoigne Consulting Pty Ltd back in 1999
  • Voted Top 50 Women in Accounting multiple times
  • Currently an Advisor, Advocate and Consultant for Accounting Practices & Small Business with CAANZ & ATO


Show more...
2 years ago
1 hour 44 minutes 48 seconds

Accountants EXPOSED
Why you can't find good staff and what to do about it - Michael Edelstein at the 2022 ABE

Aside from having the chance to interview some of the most amazing speakers during the 2-day conference, I also had the opportunity to speak at the Accounting Business Expo.  


Here is a little snippet of my session, titled:  𝑾𝒉𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏'𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒇𝒇 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒐 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒕.  


Some of the topics I touched on include:   

1) What are the commonalities between those that have too many accountants knocking on their door and those that hear crickets!  

2) Why do some firms seem to have Remarkable Retention and others have Atrocious Attrition?  

3) What changes can you make in your firm to improve your recruiting and retention strategies?  

4) Future of the accounting industry when it comes to talent!   


𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤?   As a recruitment professional and an accountant myself - I wanted to present everyone with numbers, evidence and questions that would aid us in becoming remarkable industry leaders not just in servicing our clients but in making sure that employee engagement and retention is top notch, which in the long run would help us build a much better practice.  


For more videos and interviews please go to our Youtube channel or Linkedin page.  


𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐛𝐲: Michael Edelstein Accountants Exposed Podcast Recruitment Expert  


𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭: 

- Rita Nehme 

- Mausumi Barooah  


#AccountingBusinessExpo2022 #ABE #AccountingConference #AccountingExpo #AccountantsExposed #RecruitmentExpert

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2 years ago
27 minutes 6 seconds

Accountants EXPOSED
The Future of Bookkeeping and Why It Will Continue to Survive and Thrive

Bookkeeping, just like any other profession, has come a long way. From manual records to all the fancy AI software available nowadays, how will bookkeepers keep up? Is the digital era really a threat to the bookkeeping space or is it an opportunity? Our guest, Matthew Addison from the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers will give us the answer to all these questions.

Join us as Matthew shares why he chose to be a bookkeeping advocate and its importance to the accounting industry. Some more of the topics we discussed include:

  • Being a partner in his own accounting/bookkeeping firm whilst being an advocate for the bookkeeping industry
  • The ideal accounting and bookkeeping model
  • Classic bookkeeping vs modern bookkeeping
  • Bookkeeping practice and regulation and the differences with other countries
  • Digital bookkeeping and automation and the impact its had on the industry and clients
  • Why bookkeeping survived and thrived amidst the rise of automation software
  • Biggest threats and opportunities for bookkeeper
  • Thoughts on offshoring in the space

"A practical challenge in the bookkeeping space at the moment is narrowing your scope- Becoming an expert in a few, not trying to be an expert in everything available to you.”

Show Notes

  • Kylie Baxter podcast
  • Paul Dunn podcast
  • Bookkeeping for dummies by Veechi Curtis

Matthew Addison started his accounting journey in a Big 4 firm which he deems as his ‘breeding ground’ but later on chose to be a passionate advocate for the bookkeeping space back in 1990. He’s an all around expert in the industry with years of experience in accounting, tax, payroll, business advisory and software accounting solutions. He aims to bring modern solutions to modern problems and let people know that bookkeeping is here to stay and that Bookkeeping is not a pathway to becoming an accountant, Bookkeeping is a profession of its own.

Quick facts:

  • The chair and co-founder of the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers in Australia, a professional association for Bookkeepers
  • Has been recently appointed as a Director of COSBOA (Council of Small Business Organisations Australia)
  • Involved in the development of: Business Accounting Software, Software Company Partner Programs and the Tax Agent Services Act 2009 (recognition of Bookkeepers as Registered BAS Agents).
  • Co-Chair of the ATO Tax Practitioner Stewardship Group (2018-2021), member of the ATO BAS Agents Advisory Group and the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) Consultative Forum.


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3 years ago
1 hour 6 minutes 20 seconds

Accountants EXPOSED
Modern Day Accounting: How to Stand Out and Achieve Utmost Efficiency

Our fantastic guest this week - Kyelie Baxter - an award winning accounting professional from IQ Accountants who became a partner at a younger age than most - is finally here! In this episode, she passes on her knowledge, experience, and the secrets to standing out in this competitive industry. She also provides useful advice on how we can cope with the overwhelming changes in the industry and more importantly, how to embrace technology.

Join us and take this opportunity to learn more about Kyelie and some of the innovating things she is doing through her commitment to the industry, her firm and her clients. We discussed topics such as:

  • What her path was like as an award winning accounting professional
  • Standing out in the accounting industry and building a unique process
  • Programs that helped improve efficiency and getting into bookkeeping
  • Achieving exceptional client growth
  • What she loves about accounting
  • Being a mother and a practitioner and how to achieve work life balance and why it's important
  • Finding the right people - challenges and processes
  • Their workflow, client services and her take on automation
  • Maintaining culture in a hybrid work set up and rules for engagement
  • Increasing fees and letting go of clients
  • Her thoughts about offshoring
  • Modern era accounting - the biggest changes and the downsides of it
  • Timesaving and the 'Zero Email' work habit

"We're not married to anything, we embrace change”

“If you're going to back anyone, back yourself”

Show Notes

  • MYOB
  • Slack
  • Kyber
  • Intuit
  • Dext
  • How I work podcast by Amantha Imber
  • ReMarkable
  • Lynda Steffens 

Kyelie Baxter, packing 20 years of experience in public practice (who actually wanted to work in retail!) is a no nonsense accountant. She is driven and passionate about what she does and has successfully built her own amazing team for all types of business. She specialises in taxation, and has been dedicated to the industry. Her goal - to be able to simplify the accounting process for clients!


Quick facts:

  • Back to back winner of Australian Accounting Awards in 2020 and 2019 Partner of the Year (Boutique Firm), MYOB 2019 Certified Consultant of the Year and 2018 MYOB Accountant of the Year and a past Telstra Business Women's Awards finalist


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3 years ago
1 hour 45 minutes 49 seconds

Accountants EXPOSED
Crypto for Accountants

According to analysis, 1 out of 4 Australians hold crypto assets and it's going to increase exponentially in the next few years and currently, not many of us in the accounting industry are knowledgeable about the booming digital asset world- we are getting overwhelmed! But as it's becoming a more popular source of wealth/income for all kinds of people nowadays, it's something that we need to delve into to give proper advice to our clients in need. How do we account for crypto? Is it taxable? Today, we will try to bridge the gap and ensure that accountants walk away knowing what they should be looking for.

This webinar is here to unpack what crypto is all about (not just for criminals or a fad – blockchain is here to stay) – something accountants need to get a handle on as many of their clients will be holding it, but with little guidance and a lot of confusion.

Our expert panel members today are: Danny Talwar of Koinly, Michael Bacina from Piper Alderman and Greg Valles of Valles Accountants

Here are the topics covered on this webinar:

  • How our 3 guests got involved in cryptocurrency
  • Why we should be paying attention to crypto now
  • Common misconceptions when it comes to crypto and blockchain
  • The concept of staking, coin wrapping and doxxing
  • Scams and criminalities - the problem with anonymity
  • Lay of the land when it comes to crypto & tax
  • Taxing digital assets (crypto coins, NFT, staking etc…) - income vs capital, CGT issues etc…
  • State of regulation right now, ATO Guidance & Board of Taxation Review
  • Tax Controversy and protecting your clients
  • Issues for Consumers, Accountants, Lawyers/Companies
  • What are the issues at the moment – volatility, not fit for purposes, people being stung twice by staking – what are the alternatives?
  • What are the various global approaches and how do they compare to Australia?
  • What do accountants actually need to know?
  • DAO’s
    • NFT’s, DAO's, DEFI and all the other acronyms you see 

Show Notes:

  • Cryptocurrency Investing For Dummies


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3 years ago
1 hour 26 minutes 1 second

Accountants EXPOSED
Robotic Process Automation and Digital Transformation: What the Future of Accounting looks like!

In this day and age of technology, what does the future hold for the accounting industry? John Waterworth - the managing director of Valenta Australia sits down with us to help us understand more about what robotics for Accounting Firms especially during a time of critical staff shortage.

Join us as you won’t want to miss this episode where John tells all about the backbone of robotic process automation (RPA), and how you can implement in your practice to save costs, find efficiencies and improve client service! We discussed topics such as:

  • Getting into robotics in the accounting industry and his journey in automation
  • Challenges with automation
  • How RPA (Robotic Process Automation) is different from AI and what digital transformation is all about
  • Using RPA and how it compares to other software processes
  • Cost of building a new process and who benefits the most from it
  • Backlash against against robots vs the reality
  • Where AI and natural language technologies started and the future of RPA


"One of the biggest hurdles I guess is just freeing up people from being chained to the computer, doing those repetitive tasks.”


Show Notes

  • Xerox 
  • MYOB
  • APS
  • Zybra

John Waterworth, with 25 years of experience in leadership, digital transformation and cyber security is an expert when it comes to all things automation. He is focused on helping businesses adopt RPA (Robotic Process Automation) and Artificial Intelligence to achieve sustainable profitability. His goal: to drive growth and profitability using the emerging technology!


Quick facts:

  • Serial Entrepreneur
  • Speaker at the Accounting Business Expo 2022


Contact Info

To find out more about how RPA can benefit your firm you can contact John directly at john.waterworth@valenta.io or on his mobile 0403 035 656.

Michael Edelstein: michael@recruitmentexpert.com.au

Mobile: 0421 892 145

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3 years ago
1 hour 1 minute 26 seconds

Accountants EXPOSED
Business Advisory: What You Think Is Advisory, Isn’t What Your Clients Want!

Struggling to figure out how to add more value to your clients? Retain your staff better? Increase profitability? Our guest today Lynda Steffens from The Small Business Project might just have the solution for you. No it’s not tax returns or cash flows or any kind of fancy dashboards you usually expect when you hear advisory - but a revolutionary way of approaching and implementing advisory as a service in your business.

If that’s got you curious, join us as Lynda uses her experience from practice and coaching methodologies to explain the core of advisory and how you can successfully and systematically implement it in your practice. Some of the topics we discussed include:

  • Why advisory won't increase the value of your firm
  • The right approach to advisory and moving your firm forward
  • The prep work, process and timeframe of offering advisory
  • ROI and other benefits of doing advisory
  • The struggles with attracting and retaining young accountants
  • Falling out of love with the technical aspect of accounting
  • Emotional IQ leadership, the four pillars of framework and coaching methodology
  • What she would have done differently throughout her career

"Essentially at its core, advisory is anything you don't have to do.”

Show Notes

  • The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth Hardcover by Amy Edmonson
  • The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen Covey
  • The E Myth: Why Most Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber

Lynda Steffens fell in love with accounting when she was 14, which is earlier than most people we know. And now with 25 years of experience, she is still passionate in assisting clients achieve their goals and just in general enjoys helping fellow accountants especially the next-generation to do things differently and expand their skill set. Her motto: to always make a difference and embrace progress!

Quick facts:

  • Used to have her own firm, LS Accountants which she sold
  • The Director of Intuitive Practice alongside with her founded company The Small Business Project
  • Author of the book “Accounting Revolution” and wrote the article “Embrace Change Now or Risk Losing Everything”
  • A qualified SMJ Speaker


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3 years ago
59 minutes 58 seconds

Accountants EXPOSED
Part 2: Making Accounting Firms Great Again - A Talk About Leadership And Collaboration

Brett Kelly, CEO of one of the fastest growing accounting firms in Australia, is back by popular demand, rated as one of the top podcasts we recorded, we’re glad to have him back for a meaningful conversation that will have you hooked and wanting more.

Sit back and watch as we present our first ever video podcast where Brett opens up about his plans, ideas and worthwhile sentiments about the accounting industry.

  • His Covid response and what has been happening for the past 2 years in the industry and how Kelly Partners has proven that his business is recession and pandemic proof
  • How to take care of your people with and without a pandemic
  • The secret to good teamwork and great leadership
  • His take on discrimination - ageism, sexism and homophobia
  • Flexibility vs. keeping it status quo
  • Prediction for the next 12 months
  • Secret sauce to Kelly Partners fast growth - their firm structure and how they compare to the rest of the industry
  • Bottom up vs. top down leadership
  • Organic growth of firms and acquisitions
  • Managing multiple partners and equity
  • What you need to do when you take over a firm
  • His new 10-year plan

"I said to investors, "I genuinely believe this is a recession proof business", it's very well structured and I took the pandemic as an opportunity to prove the strength and fitness of the business and our people, and prove the business was pandemic proof."


Contact Info

You can find out more about Brett Kelly and his firm Kelly+Partners from their website: www.kellypartners.com.au

To find out more about Recruitment Expert please go to www.recruitmentexpert.com.au or email

Michael Edelstein: michael@recruitmentexpert.com.au

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3 years ago
1 hour 26 minutes 38 seconds

Accountants EXPOSED
Steve Meyn - Leadership & Longevity - Lessons Learned Over 30 Years

We’ve heard many stories and advice about leadership, but our guest Steve Meyn - a 30+ year partner of PKF Lawler, helps us uncover what it really takes to get to partnership and what it takes to stay there and lead from the front in this ever changing industry.

Listen in as Steve opens up about his passion, loyalty, hardships and many more topics and plenty of invaluable advice for accountants young and old:

  • Finding accounting work exciting and how it has changed over the years
  • What it takes to become a partner in a modern firm and how to fast track it
  • Impact of tech, automation on client relationships and profitability
  • The ecosystem approach to practice management and workflow and his strategic initiatives
  • Inter-generational wealth transition and the human aspect of it
  • What exactly is succession planning and how to do it well
  • What it's like staying in one firm long term and why
  • Collaborative leadership and what makes a great leader
  • Lawler Partners' journey becoming PKF and how accounting firms shuffle and brand themselves


"You don't have to have all the answers but what you got to do is have the people around you that can help you get the answers”


Show Notes

  • PKF
  • Tableau
  • The Castle
  • Life As I Know It by Michelle Payne

Steve Meyn is an experienced accountant and leader with over 30 years of experience in the industry. He is passionate about improving businesses and helping the owners. He became a partner at a young age and boasts waking up everyday and loving what he does!


Quick facts:

  • Has been with PKF since 1989 and Managing Director for most of that time
  • PKF Australia Chair since March 2022


Contact Info

You can find out more about Steve Meyn and his firm PKF from their website: https://www.pkf.com.au/

Michael Edelstein: michael@recruitmentexpert.com.au

Mobile: 0421 892 145


“Connect and profit at Australia’s biggest exhibition and conference for the fast-changing World of Accounting, Business, Finance and Money!

Accounting Business Expo is back and set to take place in-person on 28 & 29 April at the ICC in Sydney.  The market is evolving continually at a rapid pace with new solutions, product developments, and trends designed to enhance the way you do business. Don't miss your chance to get up to speed and join Australia’s largest, most comprehensive, and ground-breaking event for savvy, forward thinking accounting and finance.

Visit www.accountingbusiness.com.au to book your FREE spot!”

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3 years ago
2 hours 6 seconds

Accountants EXPOSED
Creating lightbulb moments - unravelling the secrets to success of top performers in the accounting space, in Australia and beyond. We speak to some of the best practitioners, aspiring young partners and service providers to the industry to discover what it takes to become a partner, how to successfully run a practice, what keeps partners awake at night and some of the latest trends, tips and tricks in the industry.