Life Beyond The Numbers

"A professional summary and professional summaries, in general, tend to be these sort of really abstract statements." "There's no sort of connection to the human being. It could be anybody. I'm like, well, let's try to find a way where we can actually write these professional summaries that relate to the human being on this piece of paper." Megan Haupt. Megan Haupt started career storytelling as an exercise to help people write their professional summaries. We talk about how working takes up a third of your life and many career paths are not linear but to do something significant with that time people benefit from being able to articulate how various strands connect. We talk about how she uses storytelling to get insights that clients have said to her after: 'I have never been able to think of myself in these terms'. We also chat about how having clarity around your story, is really helpful to apply specific interviewing techniques land different forms of behavioural interviewing. Megan and I also talk about her upcoming workshop Bad Boss Exorcism that uses a horror genre to help let go of bad experiences at work - as she says "everyone has a horror story to tell you about work". Megan Haupt has over a decade of career coaching experience, working with clients at all stages of their careers. Her 25-year professional background spans from the performing arts to higher education, non-profits, and corporate business, and she has successfully navigated several industry changes throughout her career. In addition to her coaching work, she is a serial entrepreneur, public speaker, and business consultant. A long-time practitioner of meditation, Megan brings a practical approach of mindfulness to her work with clients. To learn more about Megan’s professional background, visit her LinkedIn profile. Connect with Megan: On LinkedIn https://www.briocareer.com/ http://www.hungryeducation.com/ Facebook: Brio Career Resources: How to Future by Scott Smith with Madeline Ashby - https://changeist.com/ Deem - https://www.deemjournal.com/ Whetstone - https://www.whetstonemagazine.com/ Podcast on Future Self: https://extraordinarybusinessbooks.com/episode-247-speaking-to-the-future/ The Business Value of Autonomous Mobile Robots Report

"We are, the first international mentoring scheme for public finance, the first, scheme to be totally virtual for public financial by management." "I see public finance by women as being a powerful network to try and influence the status quo and change the status quo." Gillian Fawcett. Throughout her career, Gillian has focused on making public services more efficient and more effective on a local, national and international level. We discuss the impact she wants to have on the world and the impetus for starting Public Finance by Women. The organisation has two key objectives (1) to support women in their career development (2) to advance gender equality in public financial management. She explains that the organisation is international and inclusive - as although the focus is on women men are also involved. Globally out of 188 ministries of finance only 39 have women ministers of finance so there's a real need to promote gender equality and change the status quo. We discuss mentoring, skills development versus career development and the role of finance professionals in public finance. Gillian shares a fantastic example about snow and the impact of gender budgeting in Sweden as well as some other stories from Vietnam, Philippines and Belize. Gillian Fawcett is a co-founder of Public Finance by Women (PFW), an international non-profit organisation focused upon supporting women working in public finance to fulfil their career potential by providing mentoring and other support, as well as promoting the advancement of gender equality. Previously, she was head of international at the Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy (CIPFA), head of public sector at ACCA Global, a senior fellow at the Office for Public Management (OPM), head of policy at the Audit Commission and head of finance at the Scrutiny Unit in the House of Commons. In January 2019 she was appointed as a member for the Cifas local government anti-fraud and corruption advisory board and joined the board of Friends of the Earth Charitable Trust in February 2019. Connect with Gillian: on LinkedIn Website: https://www.publicfinancebywomen.org/ Twitter https://twitter.com/publicfinanceb1 Resources: Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado-Perez Time to Think by Nancy Kline

In this episode, I've pulled together some insights from guests on 'work-life balance' - what is work-life balance, how do you know you have it, does it exist and more. I introduce the episode with an overview of 'body-budgeting' - a phrase coined by neuroscientist and psychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett. She is the author of 'How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of The Brain'. This episode includes: John Hayns (#14) on attuning to your body and work-life magic Kim Bowden (#17) on a work-life balance 'aha' moment Gary Cox (#4 & #5) on the need for a time machine and more sleep Andrew Codd (#8) on is there any such thing as work-life balance Helen Joy (#6) on boundaries Jerry Harris (#9) on appropriate selfishness (my new favourite phrase!) Michelle Heer (#3) on her daughter's approach to her work-life balance Dave Greenaway (#2) on being able to say 'no' Sue Rosen (#1) on finding joy Steve Haines (#10) on the power of movement - internal as well as external What does work-life balance mean to you? If you have a favourite strategy you'd like to share I would love to know. Please tag Life Beyond The Numbers and tell us where you are listening from.

This week's episode includes a selection of insights from seven of the first 21 episodes. We start off with stories of how we can compromise ourselves at work from Mags de Valois (#13) and Mark Samowitz (#21). Then a story from Helen Joy (#6) about how your personal life influences your work life but also how you can learn from good and bad experiences. Marcus Thompson (#15) tells us the secret to flourishing at work. Sue Rosen (#1) talks about how her head was full of the shoulds, the importance of reflection and how leadership is changing. Having a culture where people feel protected, psychologically safe and able to speak is what Kim Bowden (#17) talks about. Finally, Aoife O'Brien (#20) shares with us the importance of being happy at work. If you enjoyed listening to any guest in particular, or all of them, check out their full-length episodes. Also, there are plenty more episodes with amazing insights to choose from.

"And if you don't understand the language and the financial impacts of the words being used in that language you're completely in the dark, right? No wonder people are dead scared and have this fear. So we want to remove the fear of the language and empower people to speak finance confidently." Mark Samowitz. We chat about the fear non-finance people often experience when it comes to working with accounting and finance teams or when they deal with numbers. Although non-finance people can be completely intimidated, threatened or scared by financial jargon they might 'nod and smile'. Mark tells us about his unique, gamified, interactive discovery-learning methodology and approach to teach accounting and finance to non-finance people. Participants acquire the language of finance and accounting so they can tell the story of their numbers, interpret that story and be empowered to have better financial conversations. Mark Samowitz is the CEO and founder of Accounting Made Easy. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant in (SA) in 2004. He then pursued a music career in New York where he lived as a musician/entertainer for three and a half years. Accounting Made Easy combines Mark's love for entertaining with his passion for making accounting come alive. It is a perfect marriage of Mark's accounting knowledge and his ability to connect with people, empower and transform them. Connect with Mark: On LinkedIn www.accountingmadeeasy.co Email: [email protected]

"I have been in situations in the workplace where it was just a toxic environment. How do we protect workers from entering into that type of scenario? How do we help companies to make better decisions when it comes to hiring to help them to retain staff, to create a better and more collaborative environment. But also how do we match?" "How do you find that match between a person and an organisation?" Aoife O'Brien Are you happy at work? In this week's episode Aoife and I explore the concept of happiness at work - globally only about 15% of people claim to be fully engaged at work. We talk about the shift that is going on in workplaces towards the knowledge that you can actually do something that you really enjoy and feel the sense of contribution to the world as well. We discuss the importance of understanding your values. We talk about bullying, toxic workplaces, imposter syndrome and psychological safety. Aoife shares many stories from her own career. She also talks about her recent dissertation on workplace fit and in particular we discuss the concepts of autonomy, relatedness and competency. Aoife O’Brien has 20+ years of identifying and solving business problems in a global context. She helps companies to drive productivity and profitability through people analytics. Aoife believes that everyone deserves to be happier at work and that this can be done by increasing overall 'fit' in the workplace - understanding work culture and hiring for that culture. She is based in Dublin, Ireland, and works online with people all over the world. Connect with Aoife: On LinkedIn, on Twitter and Instagram www.happieratwork.ie Podcast: Happier at Work Resources: https://www.gallup.com/home.aspx The Chimp Paradox: The Mind Management Programme to Help You Achieve Success, Confidence and Happiness, Prof Steve Peters

"If we can understand other people's culture, whether it's racial culture or national or organisational we are then in a better place to start making those bridges and making sure that we can work together effectively and actually benefiting from other people's cultures and understanding." John Cammack. John began his career in International Development with the job title Disasters Accountant and his latest book, Cross-Cultural Organizational and Financial Training, is where anthropology meets accounting. He shares the differences when communicating with 'high-context' to 'low-context' cultures. We talk about the importance of building trust, saving face and the variation between online training versus face to face. John explains how motivating it was for him to realise that accounting is not just about the figures and numbers but about human beings - their health care or that they're being fed or whatever it is in an emergency. It is about having an impact on the program and that good budgeting means good development - get the budgeting right you'll get better development. We also talk about Accounting for International Development as a way to get first-hand experience. John Cammack is a highly experienced advisor, consultant and trainer for the international not-for-profit/NGO sector. He was head of international finance at Oxfam GB and senior lecturer in accounting and financial management at Oxford Brookes University. He has worked with a wide range of agencies in over 60 countries. John was named as Global Business Insight Awards NGO Consulting firm of the year 2019. Connect with John https://www.johncammack.net/ On LinkedIn and Twitter Resources https://www.johncammack.net/publications/ Time to Think, Nancy Kline Accounting for International Development https://www.afid.org.uk/

"I realised, okay, so I've done all this left-brain clever stuff, you know, like accounting, finance, languages, strategy, marketing, dah, dah, dah. I feel suicidal. So clearly I am missing something. My father was in sales, my brother is in sales and I realised there were people who were far less academic than me who were leading much happier lives and were not trying to kill themselves." John Purkiss. John finds himself drawn to anything that helps change the world in a positive way including in business, photography and writing books. Working as a headhunter John uses his training in banking and finance every day and shares the value of going beyond that to be far more effective. We talk about being present, the power of letting go and how letting go does not mean giving up but helps you become more powerful. Work-life balance John believes is a misnomer - how can you balance one thing that is part of the other? John Purkiss studied economics at Cambridge University and has an MBA from INSEAD. He began his career with The First National Bank of Chicago, Mercury Asset Management and OC&C Strategy Consultants. John then co-founded a software company and worked in sales and marketing, in the UK, Belgium and France. He joined Heidrick & Struggles, where he set up and ran the CFO Practice in the London office and was promoted to partner. John is now a partner with August Leadership. He is the author of How To Be Headhunted, Brand You and The Power of Letting Go. www.johnpurkiss.com Connect with John LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram Resources: http://www.johnpurkiss.com/books/ http://nithyananda.org A Rich Man's Secret: An Amazing Story For Success, Ken Roberts The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, Eckhart Tolle https://www.headspace.com/ - Meditation and Sleep Made Simple

"...one of the days the security guard said to me, "why weren't you in on Sunday?" It was like, Oh God, I know I haven't got this right." "...the last couple of months have shown us that spending time, doing things with people you love and being able to take time to read books and go for walks ..... makes you more productive at work." Kim Bowden. Kim got into accountancy by accident and has gained considerable experience in both the commercial and non-profit world despite saying she still doesn't know what she wants to do when she grows up! She talks about psychological safety in the workplace, her specialism in counter-fraud, dream jobs (and job titles) as well as the difference between working in an organisation where you think change will happen and one where you know it won't so you need to go. She shares openly that being in a senior leadership position doesn't mean you'll always get it right but you are stronger when you work together. Kim Bowden works as Director of Finance and Operations at Friends of the Earth. Her career spans over 40 years in commercial and non-profit finance. She has a CIPFA qualification and has recently completed a counter-fraud accreditation. She lives in London, loves animals and is a keen runner. Connect with Kim on LinkedIn

"And it's a real skill to be able to distill your thoughts and message: what is it that I want to say, what structure is best to put around this and then how you say it. And it's one of those things in life that can be easier said than done." Elaine Lynch. If you are curious about how you can improve your communication skills this episode is for you. Elaine and I talk about Toastmasters International - the organisation where leaders are made. She explains how joining a club is a supportive, enjoyable and affordable way to develop communication and leadership skills. We chat about the hands-on learning environment as well as the structured educational programs, the format of the meetings and the unique identity of each club. We also talk about other aspects like mentoring and networking. Toastmasters International is a global organisation with over 360,000 members across 145 countries - there is probably one near you. Elaine Lynch is a Corporate Treasury Services Manager based in London. Elaine qualified as a Chartered Accountant in Ireland and relocated to London in 2014. She is also President of a London based Toastmasters Club, City Limit Speakers. Connect with Elaine on LinkedIn Resources: Toastmasters International https://www.toastmasters.org/ City Limits Speakers https://www.meetup.com/City-Limits-Speakers/

"Listen, question your assumptions and start with thinking the best of people." Marcus Thompson. Marcus worked with Oxfam in many roles including emergency and humanitarian response. Marcus speaks about deploying to Cambodia in 1979 and being in Ethiopia in 1984. We discuss the individual traits best suited to those who respond to emergencies as well as the need for accountants on emergency response teams. Marcus shares his view on what is needed to connect with people, whatever the context, and what good management looks like. He also fondly recalls his time in India, at 18, as a VSO volunteer. Marcus Thompson had a career spanning over 40 years with Oxfam. He worked in many countries in Asia and Africa as well as in Oxford. He received an MBE for his work in Ethiopia in 1984. He retired in 2010 but continued to volunteer with OXFAM for a number of years. He was a Trustee at Asylum Welcome for 10 years and Chair September 2020. He has now fully retired to his allotment. Resources: The Coaching Manual, Julie Starr The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey

"How can I create a checklist on being kind? How can I ask in each situation I find myself in, how can I be magic in this situation?" "How can I apply the magic formula? How can I be magic in this situation?" John Hayns. John and I talk about how important influencing skills are as a magician and in life. He explains his philosophy of kindness as a choice. Magic, for example, is not about trying to put one over on people, but about lifting people up and trying to make their lives better. It is all done by kindness and that transforms into business. We talk through his MAGIC formula - how to be kind by MAGIC. We also chat about personality types, Sufi Mystics, taking yourself on a date, baked beans and practical insights for creating work-life magic. John Hayns is a Speaker, Writer and Entertainer. Having graduated with a Masters from Oxford University in the early ’90s, John sold web and database solutions to the legal and insurance sectors of the City of London. He is now Managing Director of two companies and the Chair of a leading trade association. He is also Chair of The Magic Circle, the premier magic society in the world, and an acknowledged expert in the fields of persuasion and direction of attention. Connect with John: https://www.work-life-magic.com/ Resources: https://themagiccircle.co.uk/ The Artist's Way, Julie Cameron To Sell is Human, Dan Pink https://michaelhyatt.com/ https://miraclemorning.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TMM-Journal-Sample.pdf https://thisismyera.com/products/thisismyera-planner?variant=45373602568

"As you go through your career you learn what you're good at. And one of the things I've been very lucky to have been able to do is to choose the things that I'm good at and leave behind the things that I'm not so good at and have the confidence to say, do you know what actually that's not really my bag". Margaret de Valois. Mags and I talk about how sometimes we don't make choices in life but just do what's put in front of us. But how much more rewarding it is to make active choices and really consider what it is that you want to do not what is easy to do. We talk about how she felt as if she was in "a controlling relationship with the City" and her relocation to Cornwall. We also talk about her love of communication, music and pensions. Margaret de Valois is an award-winning seasoned City professional now living in Cornwall. She qualified as an Actuary and works as a Business Coach who helps businesses generate great ideas and plan practical strategies to guarantee business growth. And she is a co-host of the TV show Thinking Women. Connect with Margaret: https://margaretdevalois.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thinkingwomentv/ Resources: https://www.gov.uk/check-state-pension

"Everyone seems to have some negativity, some frustration, some disappointment, even at times, anger towards recruiters. And when you repeatedly hear that, pretty much every conversation, you have to take a step back, which I did a few years ago..." "And that's where I've made the decision over the last 12, 18 months to research plan and then bring to market something that I hope will bring some humanity back within an industry where I feel it is lacking". Javed Bobat. Javed and I discuss his three-part ethical recruitment model for finance and accounting professionals that benefits the candidate, team and business with a focus on employee well-being, engagement and retention. Javed is also a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Instructor and he talks about his own mental health. We discuss the recent Pulse Report he produced on the impact of remote working and the stress of lockdown and how extremely relatable people felt it was. And we chat about 'Written For You, By You' - encouraging finance and accounting professionals to write about their work-life. Javed Bobat is based in Leeds and has spent his career in finance/accounting recruitment. He launched Fide Careers late last year. He is on a mission to prioritise people over profit and Fide is purpose-driven and socially motivated as they take a percentage of every single recruitment fee and reinvest it directly back into the team, candidate and business they recruit for. He has also set up a community interest company F=@#! Mental Health for mental health and well-being of the industry. Connect with Javed: https://fide.careers/ https://fmentalhealth.org/ LinkedIn: Javed Bobat Twitter & Instagram: @fidecareers

"...whether it's your job, your business, your relationships, your personal finances....the decisions you make right now - what's the impact on people, planet and economy? And that's effectively what sustainability is." Sarah Whale. Sarah Whale founder of Profit Impact, and voice of reason, talks about sustainability in plain English. She shines a light on 5 Pillars for an organisation: Finance & Governance, Communities, Environment, Employees and Customers. She talks about 'Sarah's Sustainability Snapshot' and why her mantra is 'Simplify, Measure & Strengthen'. We also discuss B Corp and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Sarah Whale is an experienced finance leader within SME businesses. Her path has not followed a traditional finance career and she has a broad range of experiences across sectors and sizes. She has supported both thriving and struggling businesses but a common thread has been decision making based on short-term financial objectives. She established Profit Impact with a clear mission - to support SMEs to strengthen their business' financial position through sustainability. Connect with Sarah: https://www.profit-impact.co.uk/ LinkedIn: Sarah Whale Twitter: @profit_impact and Instagram: @profitimpact Resources: https://bcorporation.net/ https://sdgs.un.org/goals

“Feelings aren't a beacon of eternal truth. They're a negotiation. They're always real because they are a perception inside of you, but it doesn't mean that they are accurate, useful, or true they're things that need to be negotiated. We can reframe them and construct them differently.” Steve Haines Steve Haines takes us in-depth on the transformative power of learning to connect with our bodies with the use of some great metaphors. He explains that the biggest decision we're making in a moment is “Am I safe or not?” Steve explains that everybody gets triggered but we can learn how to reframe our feelings. We discuss how of the biggest predictors to a happy and healthy life is movement and the good news is “the best exercise, is exercise you're going to do”. Steve Haines has been a bodyworker for over 20 years, runs regular clinics in London and Geneva and teaches all over the world. He is the author of the award winning ‘Anxiety Is Really Strange’, part of a series of graphic books that include ‘Pain Is Really Strange’ and ‘Trauma Is Really Strange’. Understanding the science of pain and trauma has transformed his approach to healing. He has studied Yoga, Shiatsu, Craniosacral Therapy, and Trauma Releasing Exercises TRE®. Connect with Steve: https://bodycollege.net/ + https://www.facebook.com/bodycollege/ + Twitter @stevehaines66

“I think that phrase is probably the tipping point where I was saying to myself, ok, I am not going to just keep the score I'm gonna make the numbers happen.” Jerry Harris Jerry began his career with KPMG and tells us about various roles as an FD, a FD-COO hybrid, a commercial director and as a Non-Exec. He explains the importance of the human touch in recruitment and managing first impressions when you are interviewing. He shares his thoughts on three types of finance people and how accounting is a fantastic way to formulate a career. He also introduces me to the phrase 'appropriate selfishness'. Jerry Harris is an experienced professional service business leader and adviser. He is currently working as a Non-Exec Director at various professional service and other types of businesses. Connect with Jerry: LinkedIn @ Jerry Harris

“We put a lot of pressure ourselves to always be right and feel like we need to know the answer. And actually sometimes it's okay not to know the answer. And I think that's a sign of strength as well as to put your hand up say “I don't know” but I I'll go find out or I'll ask someone to help; that’s strength.” Andrew Codd. Andrew tells us of an amazing gift he received early in his career and how his mission is to share it with others. One of the motivators to starting the podcast #SITN Show, that now has an audience in 160 countries, is that he didn't have all the answers but he knew people who probably did and says how easy it is to ask for help on behalf of other people. Andrew’s love of asking questions comes across as he keeps me on my toes when it comes to discussing work-life balance, but he concludes that there's ‘no such thing as a lack of resource just a lack of resourcefulness and you only spot that when you're out of balance’. If you are looking for a mentor know what you're looking for to some degree and think of up to 3 things someone can help you with. And if someone asks you to be a mentor to them remember that mentoring really helps you as well as the other person. Andrew Codd is an Accountant, author and commercial finance entrepreneur. He is the host of #SITN podcast. Each week he speaks with leaders in finance and business, and deconstructs with them their real stories, insights & hard won lessons, not found in any textbooks, into practical advice on the key strengths and qualities needed as well as steps listeners can take to elevate the impact they make and to have a fun, successful & rewarding career in accounting & finance. Connect with Andrew: LinkedIn @ Andrew Codd + #SITN Show https://sitnshow.com/ Resources: Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill How to have a good day - Caroline Webb Peter Drucker / Harvard Business Review #Strength in the Numbers Show (#SITN Show) https://sitnshow.com/

“Every human needs to have some form of connection, a deep connection with someone, whether that's your family, whether that's friends, we all need that kind of connection”. Clay Moffat. Clay tells us about being a delinquent in school and his early career. And then an incident cost him a promotion and got him kicked out of his division. He began to reflect on what he contributed to that situation, and others, and there was only one common denominator. He went on to explore different methodologies on how to communicate with people but hypnosis taught him how to connect with people. We talk about connecting with people, and how asking for help makes you human and is the fastest way to get growth when you connect with the right person. Clay Moffat is a performance hacker, a mental conditioning specialist, a mind freak, professional tearjerker and full time joker. He has a proven track record when it comes to removing anxiety, imposter syndrome, and self-sabotage, resulting in clients becoming centred, clear and confident. Clay works with Founder's, Millionaires, Pro Athletes, Nurse’s and anyone that’s a fit for his criteria and methods. Connect with Clay: LinkedIn: Clay Moffat + https://claymoffat.com/ + Instagram: @clay.moffat Resources: Matthew McConaughey future self strategy https://www.fastcompany.com/90519396/the-science-backed-future-self-strategy-can-pave-the-way-to-greater-success

“Give your people, the opportunity to do what they're best at, do it to the best of their abilities and the responsibility to get on and direct. And the trust to make that happen. They will bring you so much back.” Helen Joy. Helen tells us about how in her first management role she was awful as she was afraid of being seen to be weak so she changed into this person she thought she should and for six years she was deeply unhappy in that role because it clashed with her values. When she was given the freedom, autonomy and responsibility she knew that was her chance to do it right and be the person that she was inside. One of her bug bears is promoting people for their technical ability with absolutely no concern, focus or support given around the people side because it is setting people up for failure. She reveals the #1 topic she gets asked about when delivering training to aspiring new managers. And we talk about how the workplace is changing and how understanding yourself can make you a great leader. Helen Joy’s passion is Leadership and Management Development, particularly aspiring and new managers. She led and developed teams within operational and support environments to achieve results through coaching and formal training. Connect with Helen: LinkedIn @ Helen Joy + https://people-spark.co.uk/ Resources: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni The Chimp Paradox: The Mind Management Programme for Confidence, Success and Happiness by Prof Steve Peters The Book of Leadership: How to Get Yourself, Your Team and Your Organisation Further Than You Ever Thought Possible by Anthony Gell

“I've just finished a book actually”. "I called it a Ginger Haired Underdog’s Comical Journey to the Top, although I don't know where they actually got to the top, but I've got quite near the top. I wanted summit that reflected my personality, but also had a serious message.” Gary Cox. Gary went from being a fork-lift driver in a company to a member of the finance team. Building from his CIMA qualification he went on to work in IT, Marketing and as a Director of Business Insights. He talks about his career ladder and the importance of being able to simplify the technical side of finance and of being self-aware. Connect with Gary: LinkedIn @ Gary Cox His website

“But what I think we've got to remember is. You’re never the finished model of anything, you know, you, you're always the sort of prototype of yourself.” “Well, people used to say that you're only good as your last job, but that sounds so negative like that. You know, you're always a prototype of yourself”. Gary Cox. In Part II Gary and I continue our discussion on feedback and talk about managing stress and excitement. We talk about continuous learning and how the world is your oyster with a finance qualification. Gary explains his approach to work-life balance and tells us what he is up to now. Connect with Gary: LinkedIn @ Gary Cox His Website

“It's always been people and numbers if I'm honest because it's very isolating to just sit and do numbers.” “Otherwise what's the point? No, one's gonna look at them if they're not for people to review and understand and take action on them.” Michelle Heer. Michelle tells us why she is proud to be an Accountant and about the view through the window to a business. She describes her transition from FD to MD and how making impactful decisions is quite liberating. She provides 3 pieces of advice to an FD supporting an MD in a crisis situation and shares insights on isolation, collaboration and the perspective of others. We also discuss the power of mentoring to bring up the next generation of accountants. Michelle Heer is a Certified Accountant and founder of Klarity Finance - offering tailored accountancy support to help SME's grow. Prior to that she worked as General Manager and Finance Director for a Swiss engineering company. She was made redundant at the end of March 2020, after almost 10 years, due to a company restructure, nothing to do with covid! Connect with Michelle: LinkedIn @ Michelle Heer https://klarityfinance.com/

“We all have the power to change everything. Even if circumstances are forced upon us, you still have the power to change and move forward and get where you want to go.” David Greenaway. David Greenaway dispels the salesperson stereotype and explains the importance of the finance and sales team having a good marriage. He reveals the most daunting aspects of running his own business as well as how terrifying the failure of his business was ("I could barely breathe") and how he bounced back. We also discuss boundaries, the importance of open and honest conversations, no matter how uncomfortable, and making and communicating decisions. David Greenaway is a Sales Coach an Investor who has been building companies for over 20 years with lots of success and lots of failures along the way. If you're a leader he has got your back. If you're successful and you're ready for the next level of success, he has got your back. I Sometimes he is a coach, sometimes an expert and sometimes a trusted advisor but beneath all of that... he has got your back. Connect with Dave: LinkedIn @ David Greenaway Through his website

“We think it's just going to happen or that we have to accept what is already there rather than crafting and creating what it is we want.” Sue Rosen. Sue Rosen shares her motivation to becoming an accountant and how different strands of interest from childhood influence what she does today. She explains the importance of knowing what you want, not only having a head full of "the shoulds" but being open to taking a step into the unknown. We talk about the traits, strength and flexibility required to be a leader today and some practices to cultivate joy and fulfilment. Sue Rosen is an Executive Coach with a background as a Chartered Accountant with over 25 years in corporate and financial services managing finance functions and is passionate about helping finance professionals to find freedom and fulfilment in their lives. Connect with Sue: LinkedIn: Sue Rosen www.suerosen.com.au