¶ Love at First Ledger
hey , ellie yes , andrew knock knock who's there ? I saw .
I saw who .
I saw does love you a lot that's like super dead joky . I know and taking into tradition , and I'm when I say tradition , this is the second year in a row we've done it , so now effectively we've made it tradition .
It is totes tradition .
We are taking the plunge into opening our season , our content extraordinaire , with a love episode .
Oh , I love that . We're just going to say love a lot , I think , today .
And what better than doing a love episode , than bringing two people that we love onto the episode ?
like we had last year as well .
Yes , our amazing friends . The co-hosts of the tech edition maybe holdsworth and jack deal .
Thank you welcome round of applause amazing , great to be here um , uh , thank you guys .
Now you're here , we're gonna go to the theme tune and we'll be back in a second and I have a story to tell you all .
Oh , I'm looking forward to that one .
Okay , go .
So , Andrew , you said you've got a story . I love your stories . Do you want to share and care in this loving environment that we're just about to build ?
I do .
Okay , here we go .
Before I say the story , I do have to say Say the story , say the story . The first thing I say is that I've had a few beverages you have not at all , you haven't . I had two glasses of water .
I know Well , andrew , who are you ? Normally , you're a few bevvies in by now .
I mean it's 3.44 , so you're probably about right . Yeah , absolutely , we don't have any beer here . That's why .
That's so true . I have no alcohol here whatsoever . For those , listening .
I have jumped on a plane and I've headed to Adelaide the great state of .
South Australia .
Adelaide and Ali and I are hanging out today . For the next couple of days I think we're going to the Barossa Valley . Maybe do some mini golf .
Yes , yes , with Handorf . Handorf , that's right , jack , you know what I mean . I'm taking him to all the spots and we're going to Fugazi tonight for dinner .
And Jack , who's also in Adelaide , but I think as of tomorrow he's not in Adelaide , so Jack and I will like be boats in the night .
Oh , ships in the night , and Amy's literally . Did you do that purposefully , jack ?
I didn't .
Oh , you should have just said you did .
But yeah , and Amy's literally like in where I grew up , in Frankston right now physically , which is hilarious because , like I would have driven like five , ten minutes and been past you , so you're down there , which is hello . We're all kind of crossing each other's ships in the night story .
So the reason I'm saying why that's a thing yeah because I'm at ali's house recording yes and for those of you who have religiously listened to this podcast for the last three , four , five years .
I did actually meet somebody this week that that has , so that's , that's a good thing .
Was it your ?
dad . No Shout out to Morgan , who I met this week , who's absolutely delightful . Thank you very much . A fan of the podcast .
Big shout out . But yes , because I'm at Ali's house recording right now and , as you know , Ali , her drink of preference is sparkling water .
Absolutely .
That means the drinks on offer here are slim . She could have . Could have made me a pepsi max with a little with my soda stream .
But that is pretty much .
It needless to say , I strategically have booked accommodation at a hotel over the weekend and it's . It's not that I didn't want to intrude on ali and her family it was more that I just wanted to ensure that there was beverages available .
But might I say ? We're heading to the barossa tomorrow . There There'll be lots of bevies on hand then I'm just prepping you for tomorrow . So you have a big one and I'm designated driver . That's the bonus of me not being a drinker , so beneficial .
I think when you're always the designated driver .
You don't not call the designated driver , you just call the driver .
True , that is so true , and that's what I just call myself all the time . Anyway , I have a story , I have a story yes , please share this .
That's the end of the episode two glasses of water .
So far I don't have any water on me , so I might get dry here .
But oh , do you want some of mine ? There's a chat . No , that's disgusting what I don't share glasses .
You don't share glasses with my wife . You don't share glasses . I'm not even with my family .
Not even with your wife . No , okay , let's unpack this a little . What do you mean ? You're like you kiss her , so surely you're exchanging you have three children . There's been fluids exchanged , hang on what , Jack , I don't share glasses either Is this a boy thing .
Preach boy , boy , preach boy , but like I feel , like I'm pretty like I'm nonchalant about this stuff usually , but now that I'm I'm aware of this moment , it's a strange , but can I just say you don't share toothbrushes , but you can share a drink oh , you can , just I don't you can , but you could also choose not to get your own freaking drink this isn't just
it could also be like the macca's chip theology of like , hey , do you want something to eat ?
no , I'm fine , and you get out and they're in your chips . You're like stuff .
You , mate , get your own damn chips so we respect that you have your own glass of water and we say we will get it right . But you should know to get the other pack of chips or to get the large ones . You should know that , that's just unwritten .
That's an unwritten law .
The average order has gone up , you're like Joey in Friends , Like I don't share food .
I just don't share drinks , I don't know . There's just something about like mouth bits that then just like float around in a glass of water . And as you go to drink it , you're looking at it .
I can understand that if I was a one-year-old child , that was backwashing , but I'm not . Anyway , it sounds like .
Anyway , sorry , where's the story Andrew ?
Yeah , story Andrew Gosh .
So this is supported by ChatGPT . For those of you out there who utilize AI tools , of which I very rarely do , I probably should do more . I just asked ChatGPT to give me a story , a romance story . Here is the story I did give it a few more prompts around particular things .
Here we go , here we go .
It's called Love at First Ledger .
Oh , accounting post . I read it right off the bat .
Love it . Jack slumped over his desk , drowning in invoices , tax deadlines and a cash flow forecast that looked more like a horror movie script . His cafe was thriving , but his books a mess . He needed help fast . Enter Amy the accountant .
She strolled in with a laptop , a coffee , black , no sugar , just like his profits , and a confidence that made Jack question if she secretly was a superhero . Jack , have you ever reconciled your bank account , she asked ? Jack blinked I once reconciled with an ex . It didn't end well . Sophie sighed Okay , let's start small .
Sophie , amy , sorry , amy side , let's start small do you know ? what a pnl statement is . I assume it stands for pain and loss , jack over the next few months .
Amy worked her magic .
Cash flow stabilized , tax time became stress-free and even jack understood his profit margins . His cafe ran smoother than his best espresso shot . One morning Jack stood on the counter and shouted I love my accountant . Customers cheered . Amy sipping her coffee , smirked Careful Jack , if this gets serious I'll have to start charging you .
By the hour Jack grinned worth every cent . And with that he knew this was the best kind of love .
You need to publish that . That is beautiful , that was a one prompt story .
What was the prompt that you put in out of ?
curiosity Provide me a sexy counting love story .
We'll get there in a second . But how do you feel about the story ? Like I look at that , and it's the journey of , like , the business owner who's drowning Like I feel like things are good , but I don't know if they're good , so it's a love story .
It could be a love story .
It's a love story , but it's also , I think , a story of a business owner who , like , was just a bit cheeky and didn't take things seriously enough until their accountant came along and said , hey , these things are actually kind of important . Maybe pay attention your butthead yeah , so you know , jack .
Jack said you know what's a penile statement that stands for pain and loss , right yeah , that's a good pun , I really . It stands for pain and loss , right yeah ? Come on , mate , just mature up a bit , but that's a good pun .
I really like that .
I might actually start to use that with my clients moving forward , to be honest , because that's how they feel sometimes it is , but yes , so the prompt that I threw in there was hey , chat , gpt , can you please write me a 200-word short story ? It story whereby a business owner falls in love with their accountant .
However , the love is not physical or an emotional one , more a love for how the accountant helps them to run a great business . You're a very good prompter . Please start the story with a business owner that is overwhelmed , and end the story with a business owner that is in love with their accountant and wants to tell the world about them .
Please add a joke or two in . That can be slightly inappropriate , but please no swearing . That's what I thought . Hey , what a great prompter .
I tell you what ? We're going to turn this into a ChatGPT prompt session , but I really like the theory behind this Right .
Right . So this is what I want to unpack with the three of you , four of us is the story of the business owner falling in love with what it is that we as an industry do .
¶ Building Relationships in Accounting
There often can be jokes about it where you kind of you know pain and loss or whatever . There can be people you know just avoiding it altogether and the stress and that kind of thing . There can be stereotypes that are thrown out . Then we all know my opinion and that kind of stuff .
But like the journey from not loving accounting or your or your accountant , to then loving them and what actually happens through that process , yeah and look , the first thing that kind of jumps to my in my mind is that relationship , right , trying to build that relationship , giving them help , giving them value , letting them fall in love with their business letting
them understand , like the love languages of their business , so that they know what to give their business , so that the business responds in a way that they need . Um , that's kind of my first response , but I always go back to your clients are going to love their business and love what you do .
If you love it like , it has to come from authentically from you . First , and going back in my story , I did fall in love with accounting , you know , 30 plus years ago and I still love it to this day .
And I think my clients come to me because they see that , because they see how much love I have for the industry , how much love I have for their business , and then that kind of folds into how they feel . I think that's true true and correct .
For most accountants , though , that actually love what they do as in , like if they love being an accountant , they typically therefore love their clients , and it's reciprocated in kind . Yeah , completely .
All the decent accountants that I know out there , I mean , you're all decent oh thank you so much you ever get uh invited to the weddings of your clients yes , yes I
think that's a good sign right it's .
It actually is that strange . When I went to an engagement party of a client , uh , mid last year and uh , it was like client and his mother as well was there and and I , I really get along with his mom . Her partner passed away a couple years ago .
We've , we've supported , looked after and she's an absolute gem of a woman , um , and it was just this beautiful , like they were like oh , this is andrew , um , he's our accountant and he's helped us through all these kind of things , and it was like it was . It was almost like they were trying to like pitch like people at the engagement party .
I'm like yo yo yo chill , yo yo chill .
Like I'm actually here to have a couple of babies and celebrate you guys , you don't have to like I appreciate it , but like it is , and vice versa .
I've invited clients to my wedding or to my children's christenings , and some clients that I've had for a very long time , especially some of them , treat me like I'm their daughter , yeah , and like they're like my dad , and so I think you know that's a really beautiful thing about the relationship component of being an accountant because I can't imagine the same
amount of that would be happening with your broker or your lawyer or your engineer .
Yeah , it's a unique relationship because it is because it's annuity .
It's an annuity business right . They come to us day in , day out . They need us a lot .
But also I've always thought this They've become so vulnerable that they share some information with you that they don't share to the external world , or you know things about them that others don't , and so it's kind of like every single skeleton in their closet in some ways .
But there's a real vulnerability in opening up about your business , because a lot of ego is attached to that as well . So it truly is actually a relationship , yeah I think I mean it's interesting .
Jackie said , like you know brokers and lawyers and those things . It's funny because , like those you know , brokers are like the . I mean I I like I've got a couple great brokers in my world . I love working with them .
They get great , they get great results for clients , but they are like the hit of like oh you got me the thing , and then they disappear for a bit .
And then you got me .
So sometimes people might love their broker more than their accountant , because sometimes the accountant is the one who's saying no , whereas a broker usually is only ever saying yes and then simply just telling them , like , how much money they have to spend , and not necessarily telling them whether they should or should not .
And so , if you look at that from a two-way love relationship and brokers if you're listening to this , I'm not suggesting you guys are nasty , please but the love that an accountant has for a client means that they are bold enough to tell them no and bold enough to give them advice that maybe they don't want to have , because they know that it's the best thing
for them , instead of simply just telling them what they want to hear .
I really like that point that it's the best thing for them . You actually have their best interests at heart .
If I love you , I want the best for you . I don't just want you to have this thing .
The thing about a relationship , though , is that you have to . You can't just all be bad news . It just can't just all be bad news . It just can't all be no , and we have to manage that as well , like we're often giving them hey , you've got this much tax to pay , tax to pay .
Nobody ever likes to hear that , but we have to message that , and we have to have enough communication and care around that , so we do have to develop quite a deep relationship in order to have some of these really hard conversations . Amy .
You're not an accountant ? No , I'm not . You have an accountant .
I definitely have an accountant .
Now this could be an awkward question . Yes , you love your accountant .
I love the service that he provides . Definitely , okay , that's good . Was that diplomatically worded ?
Yes , we were not saying do you actually love them ?
I'm not in love with him , no , but . I do really like them a lot .
Yeah , they do a great job . They do a great job . You love the relationship , the professional , service-based relationship that you have with them . What do you love about that ?
we , I . So this is an interesting one . I knew my accountant . I actually , back in my ignition days I used to share an office with , uh , one of these accountants , and then he moved on from this particular accounting practice to another one and then I kind of followed him . So I knew him from a bit of a personal level as well . He's a straight shooter .
He's one of those people that he's like oh yeah , you could do this , oh , you could do that . But sometimes I'm like what is in my best interest ? Sometimes I really hate accountants who can't actually provide an answer and just go .
You need to be doing this , yeah , like they kind of sugar like as in they they try and cover their asses so much they don't actually give you an answer .
Yeah , and I understand why that happens , but sometimes , as a client who's not an accountant , I'm like I'm coming to you for advice yeah , just tell me just just tell me what I need to know , right , and that's something that I love . The other thing that I really like about him is , uh , he's just a good guy .
You know , we have good conversations about our travel . We really both enjoy travel and that kind of stuff and it's we you know , we talk about apps and bits and pieces as well , obviously , from my perspective , and it's just , it's just a good mutually . You know , it's a good mutual relationship .
I get a good service and I hope that I'm a mostly half-decent client .
Next week on Ellie and Andrew's All of the Accounting Conventions . We talk with Amy's accountant to see if she's a shit-ass client .
But I really love what you said there , amy , because I actually think it's a really critical point that we can get into this scenario of just information giving and not actually saying , hey , this is what I would recommend .
Knowing all of these things about you , knowing all of the industry that I sit in , all the information I know is looking at what other clients are doing , what would I do ?
I think it's actually really important to provide a point of view , not to enforce that point of view , but to at least provide it , um , as a sticking point , um of conversation , because there are some clients that don't want that , but most do here are your options .
This is what I would probably do , but here are your options . You need to make this decision . Here are the reasons pros , cons , blah blah blah , yeah , yeah , a fully informed decision I do find that is a very challenging thing for a lot of accountants to do .
I would I challenging thing for a lot of accountants to do I would , I would probably say , the majority of accountants to do , because there's there's a couple of reasons behind it . One they go . I'm here to deliver accounting advice and , theoretically , what you're asking me for is business advice , not accounting advice .
Hang on , but I thought you were business advisors .
Yeah , well , hey , some people don't call themselves that but the second thing is as well as they go , well they go . I don't want to be held responsible for even though I might not be making it so you don't want to be accountable , even though you're an accountant .
I don't want to be accountable for the advice greatest irony of the industry in case I know but no , we have to be careful not to
be , acting .
we have to be careful not to be acting in like quasi-director roles right , like I get that . We're not manipulating , that's right . There's this difference between making every single decision in that person's business versus providing advice on particular parts and giving an opinion . I think that that's the difference there .
Yeah .
Yeah .
Yeah , okay , jack , you are an accountant .
Barely . Do you do your own accounting , still um my own accounting for my house . Yeah , yeah , do you look after ? Yeah , I do my taxes and I do my own budgeting and all that kind of stuff I'll get the atr .
Do you love your accountant , jack ? Actually no , we can't talk about that . This like that goes beyond adult writing .
Sorry , there's a point I just want to go back to when we were talking with Amy . Please back it up . I've listened to a few podcasts recently where business owners have consulted ChatGPT for accounting advice and say it's actually pretty good .
And look , the advisory advice that ChatGPT gives is actually pretty good , and so that's why I think it's going to be more important as we move forward to actually have an opinion , to actually give that human element because they might be able to get it from elsewhere so what's why ? why would they get it from you rather than chat chippity ?
But I've also had a few scenarios where clients have gone and tried to get tax advice from chat chippity and it's been wildly wrong and confidently wrong .
Um , and so if you're delivering the advice , they're going to seek it elsewhere . It's more likely now in a modern environment they'll go . It's not going to cost me anything . Go to chat gpt . I'm going to trust that it's right .
So either one of a few things happens they get really shitty , incorrect advice action on it and you're left cleaning up the damage and looking like the bad person because oh , it was wrong or whatever , and costing them a lot of money , or they're just stopping to talk to you and they simply look at you as a transaction , not as an ongoing relation .
And that I mean you know the story behind illuminate . We're built to be relational , not transactional if we remove those conversations .
The questions you ask , the environment you put yourself in and the conversations you have , you just are a transaction and it comes at a price point and the danger in the current environment , with the technology where it is and where it potentially can go , there is .
That's where there might be issues with you may be replaceable ellie , how often do you go to chat with gpt to ask its opinion on tax , complex things like , like technical
¶ Nurturing Love in Accounting Culture
things ?
on tax complex . It's crap .
So no , I don't you don't ever ask it for , like oh hey , if I got a client asking a question about how to improve their marketing thing , what , what do you think would you do that ?
oh yeah , I would put some stuff in there , but I would always prompt it with particular things like I know this , do this , I know this client blah blah , blah frame it in this way . So I would definitely prompt with more information .
But if I'm completely stuck on something or I'm unsure , if I even want a sounding board , I use chat gpt as a sounding board and I also like to ask it things like throw me out of the box ideas and opinions . How might somebody else perceive this so ? that I'm actually looking at it and a really round convince me why I'm wrong .
Yeah , convince me why I'm wrong . Well , how would somebody else perceive this ? Can you make it stronger ? Have I thought of ?
you know everybody's divert , you know diversity in this question , and I do that quite often well , thinking of sounding boards and we're going to take a beat and we're going to hear , for some of our amazing soundboards , our I don't know how good am I at these transitions ?
you're so good at the transition amazing sponsors .
We're gonna head to them and we'll be back in a moment and guess what ? There's part two to the story Surprise .
Well , that's a good surprise . Part two Look at you go .
Love that first audit .
Audit . Oh gosh , this is new for me .
Jack's cafe flourished Under Amy's financial wizardry Taxes handled . Profits , sorry , stress , replaced by an oddly thrilling appreciation for well-balanced ledgers . But something else was brewing , something beyond numbers , one late night , as Amy explained , appreciation over wine . Jack swore it was foreplay at this point .
He blurted out marry me ?
Amy raised an eyebrow Are you proposing because I optimise your tax structure ? Maybe she laughed . At least you know how to invest wisely . A year later they said I do , sealing their vows with a binding prenuptial spreadsheet .
Sorry , Ash .
Carry on Soon . They welcomed twins , oh oh Twins , Andrew and Ali who , unlike normal children obsessed with cartoons , preferred balancing their toy cash register .
That does actually sound more like me One day little Ellie asked .
Daddy what's EBITDA oh ?
yes .
Jack wiped away a proud tear . Sweetheart , it's the most romantic thing your mother ever told you . By the time , the kids were running their own lemonade stand , complete with profit analysis and tax deductions for lemons , jack stood on the cafe counter . Once more , I love my accountant . He declared and Amy smirked Careful , jack , I'm still charging .
This time Jack didn't mind . True love , and a tax deduction was worth it .
Do you ? Know Amy in one of our last episodes , you kind of put out into the world that you know you wanted to get married and have kitties .
And .
I'm like well .
Chachalite must have been hearing that . Look at you , we've married you off next episode .
Mine doesn't help when Andrew's pumped , but that's okay .
Sure , you've got to get rid of your current wife , jack , but you know , these things happen .
I should disclose this is not a true and factual environment of Amy , jack , andrew or Ali in one way , shape or form , but what I wanted to touch on with this . So , firstly , we talked about what makes you fall in love and that stuff . This is about a love story that has blossomed and continued and passed on .
So how do we ensure that love is something that doesn't die and how do we ensure it's something that we can pass on to the next generation after us ? Because there are accountants coming up and there are business owners coming up that are faced with things like AI technology , where they will go elsewhere for it .
There are people who look at the industry and go . I'm not sure this is something that I want to do . I don't see joy and appreciation in that . I know we've talked a lot on our podcast around those kind of things , but I thought I'd throw it out to the three of you slash four of us . How the hell do we make sure that the love doesn't die ?
How do we keep it rich and warm ? And then we have beautiful little accounting business babies who appreciate the numbers and balance the tax and shit that we do .
¶ Navigating Authenticity and Celebrating Relationships
I think we have to be authentic , be who we are , be loud and proud in some ways , and actually show our personality .
What if everyone thinks your authenticity is shit and they're like oh great , not everybody will .
The odds are that some people will like it . You know there are different spokes for different folks . I know that I'm not going to be liked by everybody and I don't want to be , you know . I want to stand true and proud in who I am and people are some people so is that the blanket just be authentic and she'll be right no , not at all .
I actually think we need to conscious , I think we need to consciously choose to put our personalities out there . Yep , to hide behind the numbers , to not hide behind no opinions , to actually be really forthright and say you know , this is who I am . I love accounting .
This is what we do , like actually being really loud and proud about it , and yeah , I think it's a celebration too , Like if I think of and I'm going to keep rolling with like love themes and terminologies . I think of anniversaries and I think of people doing their wedding vows again .
Those moments are celebrations of love and if I think about our industry and how do we maintain the love , we need to be finding ways to be celebrating that . So when we have a great result for clients , are we celebrating that ? When team members do good things , are we celebrating that ? When our peers hit certain milestones ?
Are we celebrating that when team members do good things ? Are we celebrating that when our peers hit certain milestones ? Are we celebrating that and are we using this as a way to celebrate and build positivity and a great , healthy environment around us ? Or are we always thinking about the bad stuff ?
And if you think about anyone that's gone through relationships that haven't gone well , more often than not you might start thinking about negative things more often than positive things . And maybe it was a relationship that could have been saved , or maybe it was a piece of shit , one you should have burned years ago .
But the more we think positive about things , more than likely the more positive it will be right .
And here's a question Do you think accountants are more negative or more positive ?
I'm going to ask Amy and Jack . That's really tough .
I feel like because what do I see ? I see yourselves , I see the accountants that I worked with and the various firms I worked with , and I see the accountants that I see at events and conferences and things like that .
And I think the good portion of those have been really positive experiences and really positive people who love what they do , the impact they make for their clients . But I do get a bit of a negative energy from everything that I see online . I don't know why that is . I mean , I guess it's probably representative .
No , we've spoken about this .
It's broader than accounting . It's like everyone gets a bit negative online , but that's kind of you know maybe where you see some of the truth .
Do you think that's a true representation ?
No .
I don't at all .
I don't think it is either , but I think there's a lot of accountants out there that are actually scared and or overwhelmed by the sheer volume of either clients and or client work that they have no-transcript . Yeah , I agree . So back to Ali's point around the you know we need to be authentic .
His point around that you know we need to be authentic , I think we also . I think accountants out there need to remember why they got into business and also what type of business they wanted to have . I think there's a lot of keeping up with the Joneses and designing businesses that they think are profitable or that they think is .
You know , this is what the expectation is of what sort of a business I should have , as opposed to what kind of a business I actually do want and therefore the number of clients , the type of clients . Do I have capacity to actually love my clients more ?
Because the bulk of the clients that I speak to these days , or the accountants that I speak to that are our clients . They don't have capacity , they are overworked , they don't have enough staff , there's all of those kinds of things . Now , yes , they are coming to me because they have problems .
I get that , but they want to be better , they want to do better , and I look at their businesses sometimes I'm like just get rid of a quarter of your client base and that's going to solve your problem . But that's because they no . I know that , I know it is .
And literally based on . There goes my profit . No , no , no , no .
but there could be the coffee clients that aren't giving you their profit .
This is the problem .
There's volume and the pain in the butts and you can't get rid of people are scared to break up with people .
I think the yeah , exactly what you were just going to say , ali , is , I think , the issue is that they don breakup conversations because they've spent all this time developing the relationship .
I'm going to start a business where um , I'm going to , I'll be , I'll just break up with your clients .
I don't have a problem with it . Yeah , you don't have a problem with it either .
Yeah , it's a great idea yeah , like I'm , I'm happy to do it on behalf of everybody else , just come to me , pay me for it to break up with them .
I'll go in there .
Tell them which ones they need to break up with , and I'll do it . It's not that hard .
You could also flip that as well is .
You could also be the matchmaker where , like I'm going , to go in there and I'm going to tell the client how much they're going to pay and why .
I'll be like the Tinder of accounting and you can pay me a percentage of the increase in fee that you would have got , versus you have got Yep 50% of what extra you're getting this year .
I reckon I could teach people how to do it . It really isn't that hard , it isn't . It's actually a tried and true formula .
I think , though , andrew , you and I were having a conversation earlier today just around the ability to emotionally detach sometimes , and I think that that's a really challenging thing to do . When you have spent all of that time building a relationship with a client , it's really hard to then go go .
I'm going to emotionally detach from this and I'm going to basically say thank you so much , but this is no longer working for us and this goes back to one of my principles that I live with um , you know , um , fail cheaply , fail quickly , right , cut and run .
why are you investing yeah , money , time , resources , resources , care , emotion into something that is going nowhere ? You are banging your head up against a brick wall and the only person bleeding is you . They will not care . Somebody else will take them on , don't worry about it , and not everybody is the right fit for you .
We have to let go of this FOMO of you know . Oh , what do you ? What do you ? Well , no , they're not working . Go .
Like it's , it's . I think I can . I can obviously appreciate someone who's in the scenario where they're like I'd love to cut them , but I I feel like I can't . I need the , the little money that I'm getting I feel like I'm losing on anyway . But but you know , we always talk about cut 20% or cut 25% . Cut one , cut two .
Like you can just cut the worst one and start there .
You know the ones that you literally every time you think of it gives you stress , or you're like I cannot . I cannot respond to that email , I cannot take that phone call . Get rid of them like . Best thing I ever did was cleanse my client base , best thing .
And sometimes it's an easy price rise , right , oh , price rise , oh I'm so sad you have to go oh that's devastating . I've really enjoyed being your accountant . I'm really hope and you know I sign off to the new accountant good luck that could be taken anyway .
You know what , though , ali ? That's even . Another point , though , is transparency around pricing .
There's a real fear around being transparent around pricing , because there is this fear that , you know , if I tell them how much it is before we do the work , then the client's going to question the service , and maybe they won't want me to do their work , and maybe they won't like me for that , and then maybe they'll .
It's like , oh my god , stop just stop .
What other industry does that , though ? Like tell me another industry that's worried about what they're paying none oh no , there definitely is very few very few marketing professionals definitely . All empaths and creative right . Yeah , I'd say like .
But then you look at it , you go to an industry like the medical industry . It's like it's $200 .
And lawyers same deal it's $200 . My clients go to lawyers and they're like I'm so glad that you know they're like oh , you guys are so cheap in comparison to lawyers . I'm like Yep , Like , own your value . And this comes back to do we value what we do , Mm-hmm .
And back to that . Jack , do you love yourself as your own accountant ?
Just out of curiosity . My accountant sucks , but .
I think as a buyer , I hate the idea of buying things on hourly rates .
I hate that .
Me too , because I have no idea what I'm going to be paying .
Lock it in , like giving advice and like saying this is my opinion , put it out there . Yeah , just do it yep , you know it's .
I use it as a coaching experience , but it's like but it is like a muscle , right .
It's like at the moment , if you don't do that , you don't even know you've got the muscle . And as soon as you start doing it , yeah , it feels a bit so oh gosh . And then all of a sudden , when you do it consistently , time and time and time again , it's a powerful muscle and you're like I'm so proud of this , like , look at me doing this .
We had that same experience internally . Amanda was talking with one of our Amanda is from my team , she was talking with one of them and then you know , like I'd have a conversation , how'd you feel it was ? Okay , yeah , quick number there , here or there , whatever , tell me , if you did that same meeting again right now , would you do it better ?
Yeah , yeah , okay , if you did that same meeting 10 times over .
Would you be better at it ?
yeah , yeah , I would great do that . Do that I have . I have 10 more years experience than you . I have done those meetings a thousand times more than you that's why I'm better at it than you because it's what I've been doing for 10 years . You will get better just as good , if not better , than me , as long as you keep trying .
Keep putting yourself out there . If you are looking for love , keep putting yourself out there , you know .
Yes , amy , if you're looking for a good account .
If you're looking for a good client , keep , keep putting yourself up there . But we are going to wrap this up . I do have the final chapter of the love story .
Gosh , this is just the gift that just keeps on giving .
Are we getting divorced ? Are we getting divorced , Jack ? Oh my God , oh Lord no .
Love and we'll finish with this Love at first balance sheet , the final chapter . Jack and Amy sat on their porch watching their grandchildren argue over a game of store where toy cash registers beeped , fake receipts piled up and the phrase that's not how depreciation works echoed across the yard . Jack leaned back in his chair , grinning .
Remember when I thought P&L stood for pain and loss . Amy chuckled sipping her tea . And now you dream in spreadsheets my greatest achievement . Their eldest grandchild , mia , ran up clutching a notebook . Grandma , Grandpa , I need your help . Jack raised an eyebrow . A school problem ? No , mia said .
Seriously , Andrew isn't applying FIFO to the snack inventory and it's throwing off our margins . Jack's heart swelled with pride . Ah , music to my ears . Amy pulled Mia onto her lap . Listen , sweetheart . Numbers tell stories . A great accountant helps people to turn those stories into success . Mia's eyes sparkled .
So accounting is kind of magical , jack nodded , exactly , and also incredibly sexy . Amy rolled her eyes , jack , please . He smirked . What Numbers got me the love of my life ? And as their grandchildren balanced their tiny books , jack and Amy knew their legacy was in great that's so beautiful .
Gabby the tissues .
Honestly , that bit when it was like what was the part ?
So accounting's kind of magical , no the bit before Sweetheart .
numbers tell stories and a great accountant helps people to turn those stories into success .
That's it , that's it .
That's my tag Illuminate . We turn numbers into stories , into success .
Done I love it , my heart is swelling .
I love you all . Yes , I love you too , I love you .
Amy and Jack Thank you , the three of you , the four of us , for being amazing , loving , and thank you for the thousands , millions , I believe , potentially trillions , by now Trillions . You are not barred in the US from you listening to us . Anywhere around the world can do things , so I love you all . Thank you for the three of you .
Hopefully you enjoy your Valentine's Day , wherever it might be . Amy it might be in Frankston at the deck , who knows , we'll find out . Jack , I think you're going to be interstate overseas South Africa .
Oh , so jealous Jack .
Yeah , and then Ali and I . Who knows what we'll be up to .
Who knows it's top secret ?
Yeah , of course I believe there's actually a bunch of mates of mine that have gone . Oh , let's go to the golf driving range and everyone's gone . Hold on , that's the 14th of Feb .
Yeah , some boys . There might be some partners at the back end of that saying no , thank you .
But anyway , thank you , thank you everybody , yes , and here's to another season
¶ Adventure and Appreciation in Accounting
. We've got some interesting stuff coming . Al and I do , as do Jack , and I Love our listeners , so listen in everyone .
Keep on listening . Love our listeners , love you all , love our sponsors . So much love feeling the love .
See you later , everyone , bye , bye , bye wasn't that a fun adventure , my friends , thank you so much , so incredibly much , for hanging out with us today . Ellie , you've been amazing . Andrew , you've been alright . How good is it to be able to have adventures together it so is , and you know what .
Keep following us . We are all over the socials at Accounting Adventures . Check us out on the website . Give us a bit of a like . You know how much we love that stuff .
The best thing about the adventure is the people that we do it with . So thank you so much for listening . Thank you so much for hanging out with us and much for listening . Thank you so much for hanging out with us , and please bring all the ideas . Keep rick heman becoming . We can't wait to share more cool adventures with you . We love you guys .