Today I’m speaking with Alex Ghiculescu, co-founder of both Tanda and Workforce.com. Alex is known for blogging and has a Substack newsletter where he shares stories from his 10+ years of building Tanda. Additionally, through Keen Strategies, Alex invests in B2B SaaS companies offering early-stage investments alongside technical and operational experience. In 2012 he received a distinction Bachelor of Business and Information Technology, Software Engineering from QUT (Queensland University of Te...
Oct 04, 2023•52 min•Season 4Ep. 180
Today I’m sharing a panel discussion from the Weel CFO Summit ‘23. This discussion covered key considerations for finance technology procurement strategies, including expense management solutions, revenue collection processes, and spreadsheet vs reporting apps. The panellists provided advice on touching multiple solutions, negotiating pricing, and engaging stakeholders to understand pain points and maximise existing tools. The topic was Finance Technology ROI 2023: Where to invest? The panel par...
Sep 27, 2023•45 min•Season 4Ep. 179
In this episode, I’m sharing a talk I gave on Content Creation for Building your Brand at the Tropical Innovation Festival in Cairns on May 23. I talk about: Robot vs human-led content. How to leverage ChatGPT and other tools in your content creation process. Questions are a gift, how to leverage them in your content. Recycle, Reuse and Repurpose content Being clear on the brand and image you want to present to the world. It’s also brimming with practical examples. Tools mentioned in the talk in...
Sep 20, 2023•29 min•Season 4Ep. 178
Today I’m speaking with Sabby Gill, CEO of Dext. In this episode, we talk about . . . Sabby discussed his first 10 months as CEO of Dext and the changes he has implemented Sabby has been getting out to see accountants, bookkeepers and attending trade shows and regional shows. He has been listening to user feedback to better understand partners' needs. He wants to really focus on what partners are asking for. He has prioritised requested features like “Multi-account management” which allows you t...
Sep 13, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 177
Today I am sharing with you the audio from a recent webinar I hosted on behalf of Xero and Approval Max . The topic was "Tightening Your Internal Financial Controls: How to Develop and Enforce for Maximum Effectiveness" the experts joining the session were Simon Foster GM Product - eInvoicing @ Xero and Cassandra Scott Director Laurus Bookkeeping, and Head of Bookkeeping - APAC ApprovalMax How to Develop and Enforce for Maximum Effectiveness Are you aware of businesses that have suffered from fr...
Jun 28, 2023•48 min•Season 4Ep. 176
AI is such a hot topic at the moment! It was great to have a conversation with some experts, to identify some practical applications and dispel some myths. Some of the highlights from this conversion were : 🤖 AI is here to stay in finance. 💡 Productivity gains are at the fingertips of everyone. 🌍 AI is accessible to all. 🔑 Why businesses should be open to implementing AI. 💼 Why businesses need to embrace AI. 💰There are huge opportunities and productivity gains for finance teams. ⚙️ How to ...
Jun 21, 2023•48 min•Season 4Ep. 175
Joining me today is Darren Glanville Country Manager - UK & EMEA @ Fathom. Darren is no stranger to the accounting profession and has more than twenty years experience helping accounting practices develop digital strategies and processes to drive efficiencies and profitability. Having worked for some of the biggest software providers including Sage, CCH, and Xero, Darren now heads up the EMEA region for Fathom and is passionate about leveraging technology to drive better business outcomes. D...
Jun 14, 2023•54 min•Season 4Ep. 174
Joining me today is Andrey Kustarnikov, the CEO, Founder and visionary behind G-Accon . Andrey and G-Accon have been a strategic partner for many years, and they flew into Atlanta to meet me, and we spent several days together. Andret and his wife and co-founder Maria very kindly took me on a tour of Atlanta, in their Tesla - how lucky am I!! Let me tell you about G-Accon . G-Accon is an effective tool that connects Xero, QuickBooks, Freshbooks, Sage and Work Flow Max to Google Sheets. Andrey br...
Jun 07, 2023•20 min•Season 4Ep. 173
Interview with Paul Dunn Chief Story-Teller at CLARITY, and Co-Founder of B1G1. 💻 Technology is an enabler of more human things. 🎓 Edutainment, as education. 😬 Getting nervous when speaking. 👥 The way to connect is to be more focused on them than on you. 📜 The storyteller sets the vision and the agenda for an entire generation. 💪 The importance of having a strong presence. 🌍 The storyteller is the most powerful person in the world. 🔌 Tech is not about the inputs. 📖 The importance of tel...
May 31, 2023•51 min•Season 4Ep. 172
Interview with Graeme Tennick , Chief Impact Officer of Tennick Accountants 📋🏆 The process of applying for the Xero UK awards. 🎖️🚀 Accountants Bootcamp is all about pushing boundaries. 👍🏆 Every stage of entering an award is worthy. 👨💼 Aussies pushing boundaries in the accounting profession. 🥇💪 Competition in the North of England. 🗺️ What the northeast is like in the UK. 📣📈 Self-promotion and marketing. 🔍🤔 Exploring your greatest passion? 🔄💻 Transitioning from a manual to a clou...
May 24, 2023•37 min•Season 4Ep. 171
In this episode I speak with Paul Miller, Managing Director of Cornish Accounting Solutions. 🏙️👨💼 The impact of the 2014 Sydney Xerocon. 🤝📈 It’s your business, you make the decisions. 💪 The importance of staying true to one's beliefs. 📅🔙 The early days of Xero. 🤝🤝 The return to traditional values and relationships. 🤝👥 The importance of meeting clients in person. 💻🛠️ What are some of the things you have in your tech stack? Xero, Dext Prepare, Dext Precision, and Ignition. 🏆 Winner...
May 17, 2023•21 min•Season 4Ep. 170
In this episode I speak with Gareth Burton Founder of Assure UK and Progress Accountants. 🤝 Why Gareth Burton decided to start two firms. 💯💡 100 1% improvements in 100 days. 💼 Why Gareth decided to start his own accountancy firm. 📈 The 100 1% improvement. 💻 Technology used in that business: Xero, Dext, Microsoft, BreatheHR, MyWorkPapers. 🌎 How Microsoft’s change to Teams has changed the landscape of the industry. 🎯 Finding a niche within a niche. 🔄 The transition from commodity to servi...
May 10, 2023•21 min•Season 4Ep. 169
In this episode I’m speaking with Mel Kettle author of Fully Connected. Everybody should strive for a meaningful and purposeful life. And if you don't know what gives you purpose over your whole life, that's completely fine. But find a reason to get out of bed tomorrow. And one of the things that I love recommending to people is go to bed thinking about something that you're going to do tomorrow. That is going to bring you joy, something that you're going to do tomorrow that is going to make you...
May 03, 2023•48 min•Season 4Ep. 168
Inspired by James Clear's book Atomic Habits, this session unpacks the impact and power of habits on our business and our client's business. *What are Atomic Habits, and why have we heard so much about this book by James Clear?! *How do Atomic Habits Work? How Can They Help You Achieve Your Goals? *How do you develop good habits and break bad ones? *Practical examples of habits that help achieve business success. *Apps we use to help us build and track good habits Speakers Moderator: Heather Smi...
Apr 26, 2023•50 min•Season 4Ep. 167
Join Heather Smith and Nick Sinclair Founder - Humanverse Group (TOA Global & AB² Institute) as they discuss the following trends and how they impact accountants and bookkeepers. Chat GPT Embracing innovation: Automation, AI & Technology Oversupply of clients Undersupply of staff Diversified skill sets and micro learning Inflation Practice Transformation (and whatever that means to you) Cyber Security and Data Protection The year of No Increased interest in data analysis and business adv...
Apr 19, 2023•27 min•Season 4Ep. 166
Xero have announced that they have decided to retire WorkflowMax (WFM) on 26 June 2024. This episode includes an interview with Cassandra Scott Queen of WorkFlowMax, moderator of the Bookkeepers in Practice Facebook group, and Founder of Laurus Bookkeeping and Matthew Peng Founder of Business Continuum Cloud Integrators and Independant Solution Advisors, sharing their perspectives on the sunsetting of WFM, and recommendations for next steps. A little trip down history lane. WorkFlowMax is a proj...
Apr 10, 2023•50 min•Season 4Ep. 165
Today I am joined by Peter Lalor, the CEO and Managing Director of Blue Rock - Xero Platinum Partner, and Cloud Integrator. Peter is an experienced Director with a demonstrated history of working with entrepreneurial business owners. With a passion for technology and thinking differently, he’s a Chartered Accountant and has started and scaled multiple businesses. Blue Rock describes itself as ‘We're more than an entrepreneurial advisory firm helping businesses grow and succeed - we're a communit...
Apr 05, 2023•20 min•Season 4Ep. 164
It’s quite exciting that a conference brand running in multiple overseas countries, UK, Spain and Canada has brought a conference to Australia. I hope one day to attend Spain’s Accountex conference - we all know accounting is an International language, an accounting conference in a foreign language sounds like it would really push me out of my comfort zone! I delivered three sessions at Accountex. Ethan Cooney of Ignition said the most popular session at the conference was the panel discussion o...
Apr 05, 2023•58 min•Season 4Ep. 164
Today I bring to you some huge news from the Xero ecosystem that I and many people have been waiting to hear for over 8 years. So I shall share with you two short interviews, Sara Goepel, Chief Product Officer at Karbon, and then Jared Baker , Managing Director APAC at Karbon and afterwards I’ll read extracts of the press release. These interviews were recorded at Sydney Accountex, and for those who attended, there was a signage at their stand about this announcement. Who spotted that??? Karbon,...
Mar 27, 2023•22 min•Season 4Ep. 162
Last week was busy in Australia with two overlapping conferences; the Accounting and Business Expo in Melbourne and Accountex in Sydney. In the beginning, when we realised there would be overlapping conferences, I contacted both conference organisers, letting them know my focus was on providing the best outcomes for the accounting industry. I joined the Content or Advisory Crew of both conferences. Close to 4000 people attended ABExpo. The first session of the day, a fireside chat with the longe...
Mar 27, 2023•54 min•Season 4Ep. 161
On today's episode I’m bringing you the energy and excitement of interviews from the Xero Brisbane Roadshow. Here’s the order of who I’m talking to. I do try to introduce them at the start of each segment, but sometimes things don't go as planned. Kylie Wing CMO at Approval Max a tool for getting your bills and expenses approved and paid on time; Evan Barker General Manager at Synnch a tool for assisting with your R&D Tax Incentive; Tony Harcourt Co-Founder at WorkGuru.io a comprehensive job...
Feb 28, 2023•59 min•Season 4Ep. 160
In this episode, Digital Nomad Alex Falcon Huerta flew in from Bali to attend the Australian Newcastle Xero Roadshow Feb 23 and together we chatted with some familiar and some new Apps. We learnt about their offering, and new features and functionalities that have come out in the last year. We also asked the representative their thoughts on the insights surfaced in Xero’s State of the Industry report. Enjoy the energy of the conference, plus as a special bonus Alex unpacks a few UK flavoured tid...
Feb 17, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Season 4Ep. 159
In this episode, Tony Harcourt talks about his journey from the early days of the Xero ecosystem through to leading a Cloud Integration business where he recognised a gap in the market for a job-costing solution. Without undertaking proper job costing, businesses do not have a clear idea if they are making money on certain projects and are unable to make informed decisions. This led him to establish WorkGuru.io . We also discuss: The journey to selling The Rype Group. The philosophy Product is k...
Dec 21, 2022•37 min•Season 4Ep. 158
Today I’m speaking with Bryan Williams , Founder of Hockey Stick Advisory . In this episode, we talk about all aspects of “Partnership” and how through his new business Bryan Williams is enabling tech companies to reach their ambitions faster: by unlocking the benefits of partnership ecosystems so they don’t have to grow alone, whilst delighting their customers every step of the way. The concept of partnerships? The benefits of partnering? How have partnerships evolved over time? The pitfalls of...
Dec 14, 2022•36 min•Season 4Ep. 157
Today I’m speaking with Sabby Gill, CEO of Dext Sabby Gill was appointed as Chief Executive at Dext in October 2022. He has more than 35 years’ experience in the technology sector, spanning sales, operations, development, support and customer service. He has spent his career supporting businesses of all sizes with technology that looks to unlock their potential—both at home and in international markets, including working in the Netherlands and Dubai. Prior to joining Dext, Sabby was CEO of Thoma...
Dec 07, 2022•26 min•Season 4Ep. 156
Today I’m speaking with Will Buckley, Country Manager at Xero Australia. Will was appointed Country Manager, Australia in 2022 following other leadership roles at Xero including three years as Country Manager for Canada. As Country Manager, he is responsible for supporting the small business economy in Australia and for Xero’s relationships with the Australian government, financial institutions, and advisor community. Will joined Xero in 2015 working in the Australian business, before being appo...
Nov 29, 2022•57 min•Season 4Ep. 155
Kelly Gonsalves Founder of Totally Booked and many more companies joined me today and we had an in depth discussion about all things eCommerce What first interested Kelly about specialising in eCommerce? What changes have Kelly has seen in the eCommerce space in the last five years? What are some tech solutions Kelly likes working with in the eCommerce space? What are some myths out there about eCommerce that need to be debunked? What has Kelly learnt from running her Etsy store called “Leading ...
Nov 02, 2022•56 min•Season 4Ep. 154
Due to a series of unexpected, serendipitous events, I attended all three Xerocons. As soon as my adventure commenced, people were weirdly obsessed with which #Xerocon was the best. I was asked the same questions repeatedly, with many asking me to report back to them to let them know. It was never my intent to review and compare the three Xerocons, but there’s been so much interest in it I felt I should do something. So here it is. Who won global #TourDeXerocon? Clearly, without a doubt, the win...
Oct 27, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Season 4Ep. 153
Today I’m speaking with Cassandra Scott , the Director of Laurus Bookkeeping Based in Brisbane Cassandra is a Registered BAS Agent, Xero Certified Advisor, Xero Platinum Partner, mentor and Director of the Australian Bookkeepers Association. She recently gave a heart warming speech about the importance of the accounting and bookkeeping community at the Brisbane Roadshow, so initially I am going to share that with you. Then after her talk, I go straight into our interview, where we talk about tec...
Jul 06, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 4Ep. 152
I'm Heather Smith and welcome to Cloud Stories, a podcast exploring the Accounting and Business Apps community. Stay up-to-date with the curated content I'm sharing by signing up for the Accounting Apps newsletter, available at https://HeatherSmithAU.COM As you will be aware, I strategically partner with a number of Accounting Apps in the community and one of them is Fathom . Geoff Baker , Global Head of Customer at Fathom joined me today. Geoff has a unique and diverse background, with leadersh...
Jun 22, 2022•37 min•Season 3Ep. 151
