Humanise The Numbers - for ambitious accountants in practice

It's a unique experience to have someone who is in the digital space in a deep way coming on the podcast to talk about humanising the numbers. Getting Dan Cockerton onto the Humanise the Numbers podcast has been an ambition of mine for the last 12 months or so – and we've finally managed to make it work. And it was a bit of a relief that, when challenged about digital first versus human first, Dan chose human first. On the podcast, he unpacks and shares his insights of working with the profession, with individual firms, and with his own experience of starting up a new event space, one which had 600 people at the first event and has just had more than 5,000 attendees at the fifth. It shows you what's possible when you put your mind to it. If you want to get deep and meaningful and personal, Dan shares something very personal within this podcast, something that shows how important goal setting is to the success of an individual and to the success of a business. I really appreciated Dan being so open and candid about this because it was as human as it gets. So please go to humanisethenumbers.online or to your favourite podcast platform and check out the Dan Cockerton edition of Humanise the Numbers. Please scroll down the podcast's episode page for the contact information for Dan and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

It was exciting to welcome Roger Knecht, the president of Universal Accounting, onto the Humanise the Numbers podcast. And I wasn't expecting to have what essentially turned into a 45-minutes sales training session with Roger. That ultimately is where the value in this podcast actually lies. Roger is so open, so structured, in running through how to construct a sales meeting, a client meeting, with the paymaster general of your firm, your clients – and with your prospects. Roger has a way of cutting through to a really simple structure, unpacking the motivators that he's discovered from working with firms all over the USA, as he is from across the pond. I hope you can join us on this interesting conversation with Roger, because of the practical, valuable and powerful insights on how to run better client meetings. You'll also gain a more global perspective of the profession, one that is just as relevant to your firm, whether you're in Stoke-on-Trent or Halifax or Canterbury – it matters not. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Simply go to HumaniseTheNumbers.online or go to your favourite podcast platform, seek out Humanise the Numbers and check out this podcast with Roger Knecht. Please scroll down the podcast's episode page for the contact information for Roger and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

When you come across an accountant who happens to have 900 clients – business clients – and who has a page on his website called The Human Accountant, you can understand why we at the Humanise the Numbers podcast would be interested in having a bit of a chat.It was our great pleasure and privilege to welcome Stephen Paul on this podcast discussion, where we unpacked what really matters to Stephen – running the sort of firm that enables him to live the life that he wants and to earn the living that he wants to earn and to create a business that he can feel proud of. On this podcast, we dive into the technology that they brilliantly use as a team – because how else can you look after 900 clients with just 16 team members? That's the technology piece, but there's also the purpose piece. Why is he in business? Why is purpose important to his clients and his team?  We also spend a bit – but an important bit – of time on the core values of the business and whether those values have teeth or not. We encourage you to have a listen to this podcast with Stephen Paul, of the accountancy firm Valued. We're sure you'll find it useful.You'll find it on your favourite podcast platforms, including iTunes and Spotify. You can also find it at humanisethenumbers.online. Please scroll down this podcast's episode page for the contact information for Stephen and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

It's such a privilege when you get the chance to speak to a couple of business leaders who founded a firm with nothing just a few years ago – in fact, set the business up during lockdown – and then have grown rapidly since then. Last year, the business grew by 6%, and the year before by 25%. This year, they're looking to grow in excess of 25-30% again, possibly more. It was a terrific opportunity to spend some time with Vicky and Russ from Byrd & Link – an audit specialist, as it happens – to discover the insights, the lessons, the strategies, that they've been applying to their business to fully engage with their team and, at the same time, build an offer that's meaningful and valuable to their client base, which include accountants, not just business leaders in need of an audit. I hope you find real value and insight looking at an audit specialist and seeing how their lessons can be applied to your own firm. I hope you enjoy this podcast as much as I did. You can find it at HumaniseTheNumbers.online, or go to your favourite podcast platform, check out Humanise the Numbers and look up Vicky and Russ from Byrd & Link. I look forward to seeing you there. Please scroll down the podcast's episode page for the contact information for Vicky and Russ and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

When you're fortunate enough to spend an hour or so in a deep discussion with two members of the leadership team of a 600-person firm, a team that have profoundly and consistently improved their firm's performance over the years, it's definitely something worth taking seriously. And that's the case with this podcast discussion with Richard Spofforth and Jenn Williamson from Kreston Reeves. As you would expect, we unpacked deep and powerful insights in and around technology, but also deep insights around customer and client care and how you make that come alive so that you deliver higher value to your clients. But perhaps more importantly, we also discussed the seriousness with which Kreston Reeves considers what matters to their team. One example is the quarterly review with each team member. Irrespective of the size and age of your firm, there's something to be valued in this discussion with Jenn and Richard. So I hope you take the time to go to your favourite podcast platform, including iTunes, Spotify and others, or go to humanisethenumbers.online and join myself, Jenn and Richard in what I thought was a profoundly valuable conversation.Please scroll down the podcast's episode page for the contact information for Jenn and Richard and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

It's a rare privilege to sit down with the leader of a top 20, global firm and chew the fat about the way the industry, the profession, is changing. So it's worthwhile listening to this discussion with Rhys Madoc, CEO of UHY International, and hear his views and insights – from across the globe – that are relevant to your firm, in your locality, as much as they are to the global profession. We talk about selling, about how we have to get closer to understanding what's going on in our client's journey, their broader experience – other than just the services of audit or tax or accountancy or any other technical service you happen to be providing – and how that insight delivers the trusted advisor relationship that maintains client loyalty and builds their experience in such a way that they want to recommend you more, want to buy more services from you and are willing to pay higher fees. So why not check out this podcast discussion with Rhys Madoc of UHY International? You can find it at HumaniseTheNumbers.online or go to your favourite podcast platform, look up Humanise The Numbers and check out the insights from Rhys Madoc. I look forward to seeing you there. Please scroll down the podcast's episode page for the contact information for Rhys and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

It's just brilliant to have a chance to speak to an accountant who has worked in practice – right at the centre of adopting technology – who then moves on to being a provider to the accountancy profession. But rather than being a provider of software services, Billie Mcloughlin is part of the 20:20 Innovation team. She's working with a large number of leaders and managers across many firms and uncovering how they're adapting to the changes that are hitting the profession. It's great to have an opportunity to tap into Billie's insights around the fact that it's a growing firm that creates opportunities for your key people – and that's a challenge. The technology, AI in particular, is coming at us like a train, and that is a challenge too. And then there is the challenge of demonstrating value to clients, because it's not just about 'Ooh, we saved you some tax' – it's about much more than that. I hope you enjoy and find value in this conversation with Billie. You can go to HumaniseTheNumbers.online or, if you prefer, go to your favourite podcast platform and look up the Humanise the Numbers podcast and Billie Mcloughlin. Please scroll down the podcast's episode page for the contact information for Billie and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

In business, one thing that's absolutely certain is that a client's perception of your firm is connected to their expectation of what you'll deliver to them, for them, with them. In this podcast discussion with the two Richards, Richard Brewin and Richard Bertin, of All In Place, you'll be exposed to some really powerful insights.  Yes, in accountancy, you have to deliver compliance services, and most, if not all, of your clients, expect you to do that.  But not all of your clients expect you to talk about their business lives in the round, and certainly many of your clients don't expect you to have a conversation about their personal lives. And yet, if you're going to be a deep and meaningful trusted advisor, then you are going to have those business life and personal life conversations. And what the two Richards do brilliantly in this podcast discussion is unpack what you need to consider in a real, practical way, so that the perception of your clients of your firm – of you and your team – is at a much higher level, taking you away from being simply a transactional accountant providing services that could be delivered purely by technology at some point in the very near future. So why not dive into this podcast discussion with the two Richards and unpack how you can improve the expectations your clients have of your firm, as well as how you can influence the way you communicate with your clients so that you deliver higher value. I'm sure you'll find it powerful. Click here to access this podcast and scroll down the podcast's episode page for the contact information for Richard and Richard and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

Dive into this fascinating episode where we explore how listening serves as a cornerstone in transforming client relationships within the accounting field. Our discussion highlights the extensive barriers created by ego and preconceived notions that prevent accountants from truly connecting with their clients. We introduce the concept of 'holding space,' a practice that necessitates genuine attention and empathy during client interactions, allowing for deeper insights beyond mere numbers.Throughout the episode, we consider the unique strengths of introverts and how they may apply them effectively in advising clients. The narrative encourages a shift in perspective, asking listeners to understand the emotional and human elements intertwined with financial discussions. This conversation is a compelling reminder that humanising the numbers is about fostering valuable relationships built on trust and effective communication.As we reflect on these themes, we provide practical advice for accountants to cultivate their listening skills and embrace the art of questioning, leading to more productive and empowering client dialogues. By keeping empathy at the forefront of client interactions, accountants can elevate their advisory roles and ultimately enhance the value they provide to clients.Join us in this eye-opening episode, and let's humanise the numbers together! Don't forget to subscribe and share your feedback with us. What has been your most significant learning in building client relationships?

It's clear that, if you want to grow your accountancy firm, you need to master the art (or indeed science) of marketing and communications. On this Humanise the Numbers podcast discussion with Hayley Plimley, Marketing and Communications Director at DGH, Hayley's been party to a journey from one office with a team of 60 people to 10 offices with a team of 568 people, in just four years. You can imagine the communication and marketing challenges associated with that! In our discussion, we unpick what's helped Hayley do a cracking job of marketing and communications in such a high-functioning, high-performing, high-growth business.You can find the Humanise the Numbers podcast with Hayley on your favourite podcast platform, or go to humanisethenumbers.online. Please scroll down the podcast's episode page for the contact information for Hayley and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

If you - as a leader of your team, your department, your firm, even - want to build a profoundly successful business, you'll want data at your fingertips. You'll want the data that enables you to make the best decisions and that will enable you to grow the business that you've got in your mind's eye. As well as the data, you'll want to better appreciate how to grow and develop the knowledge, skills and habits of your team so that they bring a client focus in a way that ensures that your clients believe they're in the best hands, that they're working with the best possible firm for them. Data, team, clients - these are the three topics of the discussion I was fortunate enough to have with Dawn Marriott, ex-CEO of Azets. Dawn is currently working with the funder HG Capital and with their rising stars across the 50 companies in which HG Capital invest.If you want to hear more of what Dawn's got to say about some of the key aspects of growing a highly successful firm, go to your favourite podcast platform or, if you prefer, go to humanisethenumbers.online. Please scroll down the podcast's episode page for contact information for Dawn and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

Stop thinking that return on investment is what drives the financial performance of your business, and start thinking that return on humanity is the ultimate starting point, the foundation of the success of your accounting firm. This is the subject of Philippa White's book, Return on Humanity. In this podcast discussion, Philippa dives into the practical, tangible skills necessary to build a more human firm, and she's profoundly shifted my thinking around a number of things. First, the importance of building flexibility into your working model – the way you as an individual work, as well as the way your firm works – plus the need for and power of vulnerability. Also, simply being curious, perhaps coming from a place of doubt, can establish a greater degree of connectedness between you and your team and you and your clients. So why not go to the podcast discussion with Philippa White at humanisethenumbers.online. You'll also find it on Spotify, iTunes and other podcast platforms. Please scroll down the podcast's episode page for the contact information for Philippa and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

It's sometimes easy to become distracted with the bells and whistles, the proactivity and the value-add of the way you serve and work with your clients and, as a consequence, you can lose the need, the essential need, of delivering brilliantly at the basics. This podcast with Jolawn Victor, Chief Growth Officer of Go Cardless, got me thinking (and will likely do the same for you) about the basics around helping clients collect cash. She shares insights to help you and your firm become better at collecting cash, as it is one of the fundamental basics of running a healthy business – it's the oxygen of the business. As everyone says, cash is king. If you want to learn more and dive deeper into the insights shared by Jolawn, go to humanisethenumbers.online or go to your favourite podcast platform, including Spotify and iTunes and seek out the podcast discussion with Jolawn Victor.Please scroll down the podcast's episode page for the contact information for Jolawn and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

I recently had the great privilege to spend an hour with a business leader who had sold their business just a few days before, after 22 years. That business started in their bedroom, and they built it up over time to just short of a million-pound turnover – a modest-sized business, but what an insight into client care and how you create a business that works brilliantly with three grades of client, establishing enough capital value to enable it to be sold for a substantial sum. I hope you'll take time out to listen to this deep and meaningful, highly valuable conversation with Tracy Irwin. She signposts specifics that you and your firm can employ to build that value equation in your clients' minds, allow you to better look after your team so that they deliver exceptionally for your clients and then to ‘live happily ever after', as the saying goes. I thoroughly enjoyed and found the discussion with Tracy profoundly insightful. Go to your favourite podcast platform or to www.humanisethenumbers.online and please scroll down the podcast's episode page for the contact information for Tracy and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

What must it feel like to leave a promising, high-flying career with a leading firm and start up your own firm – to hand your notice in and, six months later, kick-start your accountancy firm with one client?Well, that's exactly what Kat Wellum-Kent has done. She set up Fractional Finance and has grown that to a business with a fairly clear vision of building a £5 million turnover business in just five years. She already has clients paying her, yes, £400 a month, but also clients paying her £7500 a month. On this podcast, you'll hear Kat share her insights around fairness for the team and the vision based around how this will play out for her clients and the capital value that she's going to help them grow. She shares the importance of building a vision board and having good reasons for why you're doing what you're doing, so that in those moments where it gets tough, you can have a quick check-in on your vision board and say, yeah, I'm on the right path. Why not go to this podcast discussion with Kat Wellum-Kent to hear those deep insights and see how they might apply to your established firm, or your startup firm, or the firm that you've got in your mind's eye that you're looking to set up in the not-too-distant future. I'm certain you'll get great value and enjoy the discussion we have together. Go to www.humanisethenumbers.online or to your favourite podcast platform and you'll find Kat Wellum-Kent sharing her deep, meaningful insights.Please scroll down the podcast's episode page for the contact information for Kat and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

There's something very remarkable about the work accountants can do to transform the lives of their business owner clients, transform the results of their business, and feel a sense of pride, satisfaction and passion for the work they do. On this podcast discussion with Andrew Botham – accountant, business owner, guide, consultant, whatever label you want to give him – Andrew tells a handful of stories about how, with two or three numbers – not numbers that show up in the balance sheet or the P&L, but a handful of numbers – you can help business owners see sense and make decisions that turn a business that's generating £300k worth of profit per annum into a business that's generating £927k in net profit every month. This is because, as accountants, they help the business owner zero in on a handful of KPIs, ask a handful of questions and encourage the business owner to make a handful of key decisions. I've worked with Andrew in the past, and it was a delight to have him on the podcast to unpack his simple, effective ways and means of running client discussions, helping business owners transform their results. You can access the full podcast at Spotify, iTunes or your favourite podcast platform, or you can find it at www.humanisethenumbers.online. Please scroll down the episode page for this podcast for the contact information for Andrew and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

When your clients feel at home, they tend to want to stay at home. That's a statement by James Butterworth, a tech and advisory specialist from the VIP team at Croner-i.In this podcast discussion, I was surprised by how this conversation moved to a place where we discussed how a better understanding of the client and what they want, as well as tax law and the way you manage your clients' tax affairs, is what ultimately humanises the numbers. This is a fascinating conversation with James which essentially confirms that the better you are at being curious about what's in the best interests of your clients, you build stronger relationships that ensure that clients are more likely to stay with you. If it's a prospect, they are more likely to join your firm because you take a proactive approach to your clients' tax affairs using the support of a specialist. This is far from a sales pitch from James – it's more a ‘what can you do in general practice to make more of tax when working with your clients?' It was an unexpected, enjoyable and valuable conversation with James. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. You can get access to the full podcast discussion on your favourite podcast platform or go to www.humanisethenumbers.online.Please scroll down the podcast's episode page for the contact information for James and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in this podcast.

When you dive into a deep conversation with a person who has worked in a village accountancy practice, someone who has also been part of a national firm and who has worked within an organisation to establish a new office, improving the fees by £100k per month, you know you're likely to have a decent podcast discussion.In this conversation with Stuart Hurst of Cloud 10, a business in startup phase, we start unpacking what a startup does to not only build revenue, but also to build capital value by installing good structure and process. Stuart's got a real eye on scaling the business without putting undue stress on him as a business leader. Don't get me wrong – any startup has its own challenges, and significant opportunities as well, and Stuart shares some of those on this podcast. When you've got a podcast called Humanise The Numbers, it's great to have a deep, meaningful, personal conversation to tie the numbers to the humanity of what's going on in an accounting firm. I hope you enjoy this podcast and find it as valuable, insightful and practical as both Stuart and I tried to make it. If you want to hear more, please go to www.humanisethenumbers.online or to your favourite podcast platform. Please scroll down the episode page for this podcast for the contact information for Stuart and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

It's not every day you get the opportunity to interview the Global Chief Technology Officer of one of the landmark suppliers to the accounting profession.  In this podcast discussion with Aaron Harris from Sage, we explored a few issues around using AI in the accounting profession. We, perhaps surprisingly, opened up a very human conversation on this topic, exploring the idea that the success of your firm in using AI to support your clients and work better with your team is founded on trust.  There is much scepticism around the use of AI in the accountancy profession, but it is important to work out how to build a high-trust environment within which AI can work. Bearing in mind that Bill Gates recently said that the use of AI is profoundly more impactful than any other single thing in the history of Microsoft, it's something we have to take seriously. It's not something that we need to be fearful of, but it is something that requires a foundation of trust.  So why not check out this profoundly valuable podcast discussion with Aaron Harris.  All you need to do is go to your favourite podcast platform and hunt out Aaron Harris, or go to www.humanisethenumbers.online. 

It's not often you get the chance to chew the fat with someone who's worked with Ford, with Tata, with Levi's, as well as with numerous other high-end, well-known, well-recognised international brands, and be able to talk to them about what ‘brand' and accountants have to do with each other. And what Philippa does brilliantly on this podcast is to unpack two or three deep, key insights that can help you and your firm connect with the messaging around your firm's brand, to underpin the future success of your marketing, of your client loyalty and, arguably, the loyalty of your team. So why not go to www.humanisethenumbers.online and look for the podcast with Philippa Haynes or go to your favourite podcast platform. I hope you take some real value from this podcast, which is principally about marketing, but which also encompasses a discussion around ‘brand promise'. Please scroll down the episode page for this podcast for the contact information for Philippa and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

When you listen in to a conversation with a leader of an accounting business with over 100 people, and you hear how seriously they take investment in their team now so that it delivers a return in 12, 18, 24 or even 36 months, it's well worth considering what's being said. So, when Rebecca Mihalic of the Australian firm businessDEPOT talks about taking team members along to client meetings, not as a piece of furniture (to use her language), but as active participants in the meeting, using the tools of the meeting to enable them to contribute in a valuable, meaningful way, you can see how Rebecca is growing her team to deliver a result for her personally. She can cascade client relationship work to others, work that otherwise might not happen. It's a valuable discussion. There's a phrase towards the end of the discussion where Rebecca talks about creating a safe space to fail and a safe space to win as being one of the fundamental concepts that she uses when leading and managing her team. You'll find many helpful insights in this discussion with Rebecca. I hope you'll go to your favourite podcast platform, whether it be iTunes or Spotify or another platform, or join us at humanisethenumbers.online and look for this podcast discussion with Rebecca Milahic. Please scroll down the episode page for this podcast for the contact information for Rebecca and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

It's simply brilliant when you can spend some time with a chartered accountant, one who spent 17 years with EY down in Australia before becoming an owner-managed business buying accountancy services. Craig believes that an accountant does a brilliant job, a better job, if they're 80% human and 20% accountant when working with their owner-managed business clients. This podcast discussion is with Craig McKell, from our very good friend AdvanceTrack. Craig is working in the profession again and is now the General Manager of Asia Pacific for AdvanceTrack. He's amazed at the challenges the profession faces from a talent-shortage perspective. He shares a brilliant insight around the fact that you don't have to fall far from the corporate world of accountancy to make a real difference with real people – owner-managed businesses. It's worth going to this podcast to understand what you do, for example, with three names. What could you do with three names so that you're more human than you are an accountant (80% human, 20% accountant)? You'll find great value in this podcast as we discuss the 80/20 rule according to Craig McKell. I hope you enjoy this practical, passionate podcast with Craig McKell of AdvanceTrack. All you need to do is go to your favourite podcast platform or join us at humanisethenumbers.online and seek out the podcast with Craig McKell.Please scroll down the podcast's episode page for the contact information for Craig and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in this podcast.

It's not every day you get to interview an accountant who's also a retailer and a podcaster, and in this discussion with Andrew Van De Beek from Australia – Andrew runs a twenty-person accountancy business in Victoria – the discussion turns almost into a philosophical debate, but with real, practical outcomes.Andrew is committed to the concept of the business of relationships, with a core focus, a core purpose, around building businesses and helping owner-managed business leaders build organisations that stand the test of time. We spent time talking about process and people. We spent a bit of time talking about purpose and profitability as well. But it was the depth of the conversation, the detail of the insight, that stood out for me. I thoroughly enjoyed speaking to Andrew. I hope you enjoy this podcast as much as I did. Go to your favourite podcast platform or go to humanisethenumbers.online and seek out the podcast with Andrew Van de Beek.Please scroll down the podcast's episode page for the contact information for Andrew and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

When someone says to me that the numbers are the outputs, and it's the team, it's the humans, that are the inputs, you can imagine I'm all ears. In this podcast discussion with Nicky Clough of Insight Training, you'll hear Nicky unpack and expand on those thoughts. Yes, accountants are obsessed with the numbers, quite rightly so, because that's their area of expertise, but maybe we should also be obsessed with the humans in our firms, the people, and what we do to build their knowledge and skills. Nicky talks about the importance of building self-awareness as, when there's a higher degree of self-awareness, there's the willingness, the motivation, the ability, even, to build knowledge and skill.I hope you get something of real value from this discussion with Nicky Clough – I certainly did. And you can get the full podcast at humanisethenumbers.online or you can go to your favourite podcast platform and seek out Humanise The Numbers and Nicky Clough.Please scroll down this episode page for the contact information for Nicky and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in this podcast.

If your firm is making good use of technology, and embracing new technology as well, if you are building the knowledge and skill of your team and building deeper relationships with your clients, you'll know that you're on track for the ambitious future you have in mind for your firm, your team and your clients. In this podcast with Nicki Savill of Moore Kingston Smith, Nicki spends a good deal of time talking about how to build deeper relationships with clients and how to build a stronger sense of human connection across the team as, ultimately, it is the team's knowledge and skills that deliver for your clients. It's a powerful discussion. Nicki's very open and candid about what they do and how they do it, as well as about the metrics they use around face-to-face meetings, face-to-face interactions with the team – these are far more human than when using Teams or Zoom.You'll hear Nicki describe how important, how impactful, those handshake, face-to-face discussions are with both team and clients. I hope you enjoy this discussion with Nicki as much as I did. The time absolutely flew by and I think you'll get something of significant value from the insights that Nicki shares. You can get the full podcast at humanisethenumbers.online, or you can go to your favourite podcast platform and seek out Humanise The Numbers and Nicki Savill.Please scroll down this episode page for the contact information for Nicki and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in this podcast.

Sometimes the work we do is a real privilege, especially when we are able to have a deep discussion about what it means to humanise the numbers with someone who's qualified as a chartered accountant, has loved his time in practice, put his hands up for everything he could possibly put his hand up for, but who moved on (because he didn't like the geography) into Sage to do a tech support role, then into sales with Wolters Kluwer, ending up as Managing Director of UK and Ireland.That person is Neil Parsons.In this podcast, we discuss the relevance of the right numbers for the right person in the context of the strategic key results of the business. And building those bridges and ensuring that there's a metronomic cadence to communicating the right numbers to the right people in the right way is as relevant to clients as it is to team members. And that's what struck me in this podcast – everything we talked about was as relevant to clients as it was to team members. I hope you find this podcast discussion with Neil as valuable, informative and insightful as I did. Please scroll down the episode page for this humanise the numbers podcast for the contact information for Neil and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

You'd probably agree that, if you get to a place where you have a strong collaborative relationship with a client and you're doing what you can to educate them and to protect the best interests of their business, you're going to be building a deep relationship, a loyal, long-standing relationship, with that particular client.And it was those three factors – collaboration, education and protection – that stood out as the valuable elements of this discussion with Mike Dean of Whisper Claims, as he talks about R&D Tax, something I wasn't expecting would show up on the Humanise the Numbers podcast. But Mike talks a lot of sense with regard to collaboration, protection and education in the R&D Tax space, a sector in which there is a high degree of uncertainty and, maybe, a sense of wariness, because of what's taken place in recent times. If you've got clients who are wondering about or who are interested in R&D Tax, but you're nervous about it, why not check out this humanisethenumbers.online podcast.Go to your favourite podcast platform and seek out Humanise The Numbers and Mike Dean, and I'm sure you'll get some valuable insights from the discussion. Please scroll down this episode page for the contact information for Mike and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in this podcast.

Have you ever wondered how you can build greater capacity into your firm so that you free up your people to do more of the higher-value work? In this podcast discussion with Dave and Andy from FD Intelligence, we unpack the value, the power, the simplicity, arguably, of introducing robot process automation into your firm in a deeper way. If you're not already working with it, you should take this deadly seriously. I think this is a profoundly valuable discussion with both Dave and Andy because of the time freedom that it can potentially bring to every accountancy firm – time freedom that enables people to think, enables people to deliver greater customer care and, as a result, builds a greater, more valuable firm. I hope you enjoy and value this discussion as much as I did. Please go to www.humanisethenumbers.online or go to your favourite podcast platform and look out for the podcast with Dave Clough and Andy Guy. Scroll down this podcast's episode page for the contact information for Dave and Andy and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in this podcast.

Do you know that feeling you get when you meet someone who's excited about, and who clearly loves, what they're doing, someone who is completely engaged as a leader in running their accounting firm? That joy and enthusiasm is infectious! In this podcast discussion with Jessica Pillow of Pillow May Accountancy, you'll hopefully experience what I did when talking with Jessica – a sense that she loves what she's doing and loves how her firm works, delivering exactly what she wants from leading and running an accountancy business. Now don't get me wrong – Jessica shares some really powerful insights around KPIs, around core purpose and around how that core purpose works for her clients, her team and herself in a deep way. There's something of real value in this podcast discussion. But as much as anything, I hope you get what I got, which was a sense of joy and excitement in talking with someone who loves what they're doing, on a daily basis. I hope you enjoy this podcast as much as I certainly did. You can find it at humanisethenumbers.online, or you can go to your favourite podcast platform and look out for Jessica Pillow. Please scroll down this episode page for the contact information for Jessica and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in this podcast.

How do you take the customer's viewpoint of your accounting firm's service offering from a 'would-like' to a 'must-have' perspective, as when you get to 'must-have' they're more likely to buy more and to pay more because the perceived value is potentially higher? We welcome on this podcast discussion Vangelis Kyriazis, the co-founder and CEO of Syft, builders of a KPI reporting product, now with 150,000 business customers worldwide and working through 3,000 accountancy firms. Vangelis is a chartered accountant who's unpacked what it takes to hold essentially two conversations, the operational conversation about the operations of your client's business and the financial services conversation. Not operations OR finance, but both, because when you do, you build a deeper relationship. Build a deeper relationship and your clients stay loyal for longer, they buy more from you, they recommend you more and are probably more open to higher prices as well. Please join me on this podcast discussion at humanisethenumbers.online or at your favourite podcast platform and see how Vangelis can influence your thinking the way he's influenced mine when it comes to deep operational conversations and financial conversations that build those deeper relationships. Please scroll down this episode page for the contact information for Vangelis and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in this podcast.

The key question – how do you and your firm make a difference? – makes a difference in the conversations you have with your current team members when it comes to connecting them up with the real meaning behind what you're doing. Making a difference and communicating that will also help you connect with potential future employees so that they're more likely to join your firm rather than another, ultimately making a difference to the business owner clients that you currently work with, as well as to future prospective clients. If these future prospective clients are able to see that you can really make a difference to them and their business, they're more likely, obviously, to want to work with you and your firm. In this podcast with Mark Walker of VFD Pro, Mark unpacks his experience as a senior financial professional, including his time as a board-level finance officer at Carnival Cruises and his work with The Co-Op, as well as with a number of SMEs.  He has built a product, a tool, that's shown him, his client accountancy firms and their clients how they can make a difference by better connecting. Yes, there is a conversation around the future of their business, and yes, around the finances, but also around the whole business, so that there's a stronger relationship. That's why I think this podcast discussion is so important. I hope you'll take time out to go to humanisethenumbers.online or to your favourite podcast platform to find this podcast with Mark Walker. I'm sure you'll find it really valuable. Please scroll down this episode page for the contact information for Mark and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in this podcast.

If you or a loved one is unfortunate enough to need a medical or surgical procedure, chances are you'd prefer, for example, to have a kidney transplant specialist, if you needed a kidney transplant, rather than consulting with a general practitioner or even a general surgeon. On this podcast, Reza Hooda talks about the fact that your business clients would prefer to work with a specialist in their field, their market, their sector, rather than with a generalist. But Reza also makes the point that, ultimately, your business owner clients would much prefer to work with someone who knows them personally in a deep way. The marketers would call it Segment Size One – there's only one person, one business owner, in that segment. As Reza points out, your job as an accountant in a meeting with your clients is to help them see their business in a light that removes some of their concerns, worries and fears about its future, which is why I think this wide-ranging discussion with Reza is such a valuable podcast. I hope you'll take time out to go to humanisethenumbers.online or to your favourite podcast platform and check out this discussion with Reza Hooda. Please scroll down this episode page for the contact information for Reza and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in this podcast.

As we approached our 100th edition of the Humanise The Numbers podcast, we found choosing someone to invite as the guest a bit challenging. But then we thought, what if we could make a global impact by having the right standard of guest, one that could inspire you, your firm, your team, your clients, maybe, to transform the numbers that really matter in your firm and across your clients' businesses? And that's why we brought in Mr. Steve Pipe, with whom I had the great privilege of working during the first five years of my career supporting ambitious accountants. Steve speaks in a deep and meaningful way about core purpose and values, about engaging your team, about making a difference on a level that is inspiring, but also challenging, and in a way that's quite practical. I hope you'll take time out to hear the message that Steve shares and that you'll take some action off the back of it – this will benefit your team and the commercial results of your firm and it could have a profound and positive impact on your clients as well. And that work could then go on to have a global impact. So please go to www.humanisethenumbers.online to find the podcast with Mr. Steve Pipe, Chartered Accountant, or go to your favourite podcast platform. I hope you find this conversation as stimulating and valuable as my team and I have.Scroll down this episode page for the contact information for Steve and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in this podcast.

It's easy for us to assume you want a more successful firm. You also probably want a more enjoyable place to work. I guess the big question is, which comes first – a more enjoyable firm or a more successful, more profitable firm? On this Humanise The Numbers podcast with the Managing Partner of UHY Hacker Young in London and Nottingham, Subarna Banerjee, you'll hear Subarna dive deep into his team-first approach – an approach that's led to the commercial results that they've enjoyed in recent times. You'll also hear about his deep commitment to a core purpose and a set of values that aren't just corporate wall art, aren't just corporate BS, but real, alive and making a difference for his team and, at the same time, informing their decisions around their customers. If you're seeking out ways and means of building a more successful firm, consider checking out what Subarna has to say about a team-first approach, as opposed to one that is commercial-first, and see how, if you do that in an authentic way, you can build a more successful firm. Please go to www.humanisethenumbers.online or go to your favourite podcast platform and seek out the Humanise the Numbers podcast with Subarna Banerjee. I look forward to seeing you there. Scroll down this episode page for the contact information for Subarna and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in this podcast.

When you start to unpack the value and the importance of your team being connected with the vision and the future goals of your business, you know you're in a position to acquire some insight and to deliver actions and decisions that will support the future success of your firm. On this podcast discussion with Ashley Leeds, a man with 16 years' experience in working with accounting firms – from QuickBooks to Digita and in other organisations – as well as from the perspective of his work in coaching, we unpack exactly that. How do we better connect our team to the goals and vision of the business? How do we better connect our team to what matters to them as well, their personal goals? And what do we do to better tap into deeper and stronger levels of motivation, drive and enthusiasm, giving our team members the responsibility to help us develop the business as well? Please go to www.humanisethenumbers.online or go to your favourite podcast platform and seek out Ashley Leeds on the Humanise The Numbers podcast. I look forward to seeing you there. Scroll down this episode page for the contact information for Ashley and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in this podcast.

What happens when you put two business leaders, both of whom serve the leadership and management teams of accounting firms, into a podcast discussion? Well, you end up with a bit of a fireside chat, a very candid fireside chat, that unpacks a number of key issues influencing the success of accountancy firms. In this Humanise The Numbers podcast discussion with Paul Richmond of theGrogroup, you'll hear Paul and I chewing the fat, but also diving deep into topics such as client grading, exiting clients, KPIs and building a leadership team that really drives the future of an accountancy firm forward. If you're interested in seeing two competitors – I don't necessarily see us that way, and I don't think Paul does either – not bashing heads, really, but sharing thoughts and ideas on how to transform the results of accounting firms, please go to www.humanisethenumbers online, or go to your favourite podcast platform. I look forward to seeing you there.Scroll down this podcast's episode page for the contact information for Paul and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in this podcast.

It's not surprising that I'd be so excited about welcoming two of the leaders of the fastest growing tech company in the UK and, according to Deloitte's, the third fastest growing tech company of all time, Allica Bank. On this Humanise the Numbers podcast, we welcome Conrad Ford and Sophie Hossack, who share powerful insights, valuable ideas and principles around growth – and they should know, given the rate of growth they're experiencing at the moment. If you want to hear Sophie and Conrad unpack some of the principles behind their rapid growth and how it connects and is relevant to you and your accounting firm, then please go to www.humanisethenumbers.online or go to your favourite podcast platform. I hope you enjoy this podcast as much as I have, and I hope you'll take one or two of the insights and turn them into decision-making and action across your firm. I look forward to seeing you there.Scroll down this podcast's episode page for the contact information for Conrad and Sophie and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in this podcast.

One of the deepest, most valuable, conversations you can have with your business owner/business leader clients is in regard to the future of the business without them. It's about exit planning and succession, about preparing the business for their exit, whether it's an internal or external sale, and about whether the management team will continue in their footsteps. But how do you have those conversations? What questions do you ask? On what topics do you want to zero in and focus so that your clients get real value from that conversation? On this humanisethenumbers.online podcast discussion with Christine Nicholson, she unpacks her 30 years of experience, allowing you to take away a number of key insights that will stimulate great conversations with your clients, as well as within your own firm, so that you can prepare your accountancy firm for a better future without you as a manager and leader. Scroll down this episode page for the contact information for Christine and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in this podcast.

It's stating the blatantly obvious that, when you and your team build the knowledge, the skills and the habits that result in a deeper, more trusting, more valuable relationship with your clients, you'll end up with a more successful firm. That success comes because deeper relationships with clients mean that they'll stay with you longer, they'll be more loyal, they'll buy more services from you, they'll be more willing to pay higher fees, and yes, they'll recommend you to their friends in business as well. On this Humanise The Numbers podcast with Darren Glanville, the country manager for Fathom, you'll hear Darren unpack and share his insights on how, when you and your team drop into learning mode, you will end up building stronger, deeper, more trusting, more valuable relationships with your clients. Learning mode's about being curious, and what I loved about the conversation with Darren was this blend of questions, conversations and curiosity about the past, present and future, and how this leads to stronger, better, deeper, more trusting conversations and better, deeper relationships with clients. By checking out this podcast with Darren, you'll tap into his experience of working with accountants over many years. But you'll also be signposted to the knowledge, the skills and the habits needed to enhance the quality of the relationships you and your team have with your clients. So why not go to www.humanisethnumbers.online or to your favourite podcast platform for this Humanise The Numbers podcast with Darren Glanville.Scroll down the podcast episode page for the contact information for Darren and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in this podcast.

If you've led a six-person accounting firm with a turnover of £250,000 and built it over the years into a £1.5-million firm with 22 people, you'd rightly feel a sense of pride and satisfaction in what you'd achieved. You might, though, be running out of energy, passion and ambition for your people, your clients and the business. Well, that's not the case with Simon Chaplin of Greenstones. Listen to this podcast discussion with Simon and you won't be able to help yourself in terms of buying into the passion he has for his team, his clients and the core purpose of his firm. There are huge lessons to be found within this discussion with Simon. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. It's easy for me to say that because I've known Simon for a long time, but it's the sheer commitment to the humanity within his firm that I enjoy so much in our discussion. I hope you do too. Go to www.humanisethenumbers.online or to your favourite podcast platform and look out for this podcast discussion with Simon Chaplin.Please scroll down this episode page for the contact information for Simon and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in this podcast.

If you are brilliant or remarkable or just getting better at leading and managing your team, personalising and humanising how you work with them, and you're brilliant or remarkable or getting better at working with your clients, then you're going to have a more successful firm. It's stating the blatantly obvious. Also, if you are leading and managing change in your firm – because change is inevitable, the speed of change is increasing and a key skill is adapting and adopting the changes that are hitting the profession – then improve your leading and managing change skills and you will build a stronger, better, more resilient and highly thriving accountancy firm. I've just described three key themes that show up in a podcast discussion with Daniel Hood, who is the editor-in-chief of Accounting Today from the USA. This podcast gives us a USA perspective, an overview, on the accounting profession abroad. What Dan does brilliantly is unpack how important personalising things are for your team and your clients, how leading and managing change is a key skill in which to invest time, effort and energy and, generally, how humanising things pays off big for accounting firms. There's lots to take from Dan's insights. I hope you enjoy this discussion as much as I did with Dan, so please go to www.humanisethenumbers.online or go to your favourite podcast platform and seek out the Humanise The Numbers podcast. Once on this episode page, please scroll down for the contact information for Daniel and the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in this podcast.

When a business leader that has 3000 team members and works across several countries, several continents, even, shares their insights on what's working within the accountancy profession and how to make their business more successful, I'm all ears.It was a great privilege and a great honour to have Elona Mortimer-Zhika, CEO of Iris, join me on the Humanise the Numbers podcast to share her insights on how important, how valuable, humanising the numbers is from her perspective. Dive into this podcast discussion and you may realise that you're already doing certain things well. You may also realise and appreciate the ways and means of improving one or two things that you're already doing. You'll almost certainly go, ‘mmmmm, not even kickstarted that one – let's get into that because it can have a big impact on our team, our clients and the success of the firm.'So I hope you'll join me and Elona on this podcast at www.humanisethenumbers.online or go to your favourite podcast platform and you'll find the Humanise The Numbers podcast series there. Please scroll down this episode page for the contact information for Elona and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in this podcast.

It can't be easy to transform an accountancy firm from one that's charging clients about £200 a month to one that's charging clients in excess of £1000 pounds a month. It can't be easy to grow from scratch an offshoring team out in the Philippines – from zero to ten in just twelve months. And it can't be easy to approach every one of your 30 team members across two locations and ensure that every one of them gets what they want out of working in your practice, on a really personal level. That's what Robert Fiford of djca accountants has done and, in this Humanise The Numbers podcast, he shares how he's done it. I found this discussion wide-ranging, only because Robert has so many insights to share. I hope you enjoy this discussion as much as I did and I hope you can take away one, two, three, or possibly even six or seven, high-value elements of this podcast.  Please go to www.humanisethenumbers.online or to your favourite podcast platform. I'll see you there.Scroll down this episode page for the contact information for Robert and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in this podcast.

Don't you agree that it would be profoundly useful if you could get a sideways view of what's going on in the accounting profession, a sideways view from a fellow financial professional, but through a different lens? On this Humanise the Numbers podcast discussion with Claire Evans, you'll get the perspective of someone from the financial services industry. Claire's worked in that industry for a long time. She has trained a lot of financial services people and is training accountants now on both personal and business cash flow and how to bolt the two together. And she talks profoundly, deeply, about the need, the value, of a long-lasting, meaningful relationship with a real future focus. You'll hear Claire unpack her five-stage framework for running a brilliant client meeting, as well as many other powerful insights.I hope you enjoy this discussion with Claire as much as I did. Please scroll down this episode page for the contact information for Claire and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in this podcast.

I found it profoundly, remarkably, valuable to enter into a podcast discussion with someone who has a really broad perspective across the profession – someone who spent 15 years in practice, someone who has worked at technology companies such as Xero and Dext and who works now with literally hundreds of leaders and managers of accounting firms, someone who can signpost what the best firms are doing compared with the other firms in the industry when it comes to brilliantly connecting with their team to get the best from them, brilliantly connecting with their clients so that they can make a big difference, feel pride in their work and generate great profits for the firm. But also doing something special around – and Katie uses a phrase on this podcast discussion about ‘choosing your ending', which I thought was brilliant – connecting with vision and goals. What are the goals and vision of your people, of each individual within your firm? She talks about personalisation as well, connecting with the ending in mind, the vision of your clients, having a conversation with them about the future of their business and, actually, about the future of the firm as a whole. I'm sure you'll find this podcast both entertaining and valuable, listening in to what Katie's got to say about the accountancy profession and how it can have a positive and meaningful impact on you and your firm. So please go to www.humanisethenumbers online or to your favourite podcast platform and look out for Katie Hawking. Scroll down when on this episode page for the contact information for Katie and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in this podcast.

It can't be easy, can it, to grow a firm from one person to 18 in just three years and to take your client numbers from 50 to 700 within the same time frame? Well, that's exactly what Rachel Harris of the accountancy firm striveX has achieved. And one of the reasons for the success of that journey is down to Rachel's 'team first' approach. Even though she's gone from 50 to 700 clients, the focus is 'team first'. And she unpacks on this Humanise the Numbers podcast the five strategies, the five processes, that make her firm, striveX, a ‘team first' business that's delivered the growth, the results, that she's now experiencing.I hope you enjoy this conversation with arguably one of the most vocal people on social media, Rachel Harris. You will see the depth in the way she manages and leads her business around her team. Please go to www.humanisethenumbers.online or to your favourite podcast platform. I'll see you there.Scroll down on this episode page for the contact information for Rachel and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in this podcast.

What does it take to grow an accounting business from its initial two founders to 40 people in five years? Great question.What does it take to grow an accounting business which generates average fees per client of £30,000? Another great question. What does it take to grow an accountancy business where its people absolutely love working and where the clients respect and love the work that the firm's doing for them? I had the great privilege of spending an hour on a podcast discussion with Alastair Barlow, co-founder of flinder. Alastair unpacked many things, but he talked specifically about the determination to systematise the business so that it's not reliant on Alastair and it's not reliant on his co-founder, Luke. And standards – the power and the importance of standards and expectations show up big time in this discussion. Last but not least, the determination to uphold those standards across the firm comes through really strongly. I hope you take time out to listen to this profoundly valuable conversation with Alastair and that you enjoy it as much as I did. Please join me on this Humanise The Numbers podcast or you can go to your favourite podcast platform. I look forward to seeing you there.When on the episode page, please scroll down to the bottom to see Alastair's contact information and to access the additional resources mentioned in the podcast. 

Nearly every time I ask the question ‘what matters most to clients?' –  technical work, the speed with which the work's done or the relationship work – and whether I'm with an individual accountant, a leadership team within an accountancy firm or presenting to an audience of accountants, the answer that almost always comes back is that it's the relationship work that the clients value the most.In a profession that leans more towards introversion than extroversion, it makes sense to dive into what is it accountants could and should do to build stronger relationships with their clients.It was great to have Amanda C. Watts on the podcast to unpack her experiences and to share her understanding as a self-confessed introvert on how and what accountants can do to build stronger relationships through asking better questions and listening more, as well as the deeper, practical skills of making that come to life. If you can see that relationship building is a primary source of value for your clients, and that improving the knowledge and skills in that space would pay off for you, your team and your firm, why not join Amanda and me on this podcast.I hope you enjoy this Humanise The Numbers podcast as much as I did, please scroll down the episode page page for the contact information for Amanda and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in this podcast.Remarkable Practice Strategic Business Advice For Accountants That Want To Humanise The Numbers Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

It's not every day that you get to have a deep and valuable conversation with someone who's deliberately, consciously, ambitiously looking to shift the profession towards the place it used to hold in the hearts and minds of its clients. And that's why I felt so excited, so privileged, to be able to spend some time with Will Farnell on the Humanise The Numbers podcast, talking with Will about the insights he has captured in his book, The Human Firm.Will is very open, very keen to be clear regarding his first book, The Digital Firm, which was about his experiences around how he got his firm to a place where they were the first 100% cloud-based accounting firm, and how those insights have driven him to realise that it's more about the humanity within the firm, around your clients and your team, that matters. This is why I was so enamoured and so up for a conversation with Will, where he shares deep and meaningful insights about his progression from an offline to a completely cloud-based firm by 2009, and how those experiences have continued to influence his progression towards being a firm (of 75 people) that's committed to the humanity of what's going on in his business, from his team's perspective and from his clients' perspective. I hope you'll join Will and I on this humanise the numbers podcast. You can go to Spotify or Apple or your favourite podcast platform if you wish, but please take time out and have a listen to Will Farnell. I'm sure you'll get some real value from it.When on the podcast page, please scroll to the bottom to see Will's contact information and to access the additional resources mentioned in the podcast.  

When you get the opportunity to meet a leader, one that's been at the forefront of influencing and managing change across the whole profession because of his involvement in Xero, you grab it with both hands. It's a great honour to have welcomed Gary Turner, ex-UK lead at Xero, onto the Humanise The Numbers podcast to discuss growth, leading and managing change, the successful implementation of technology and how the balance between the importance of the team and the importance of clients plays out in every business, not just in accountancy firms. I'm absolutely certain you'll get something of deep and meaningful value from this discussion with Gary. I look forward to seeing you at the humanisenumbers.online podcast. Or if you prefer, go to your favourite podcast platform. I'll see you there.Please scroll down on this episode page for the contact information for Gary and the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in this podcast.

How good are you and your leadership team, and your managers generally, at holding people to account for their behaviour and their results? It's one of the sticky, challenging, thorny aspects of leading and managing people, leading and managing accountancy firms. In this podcast discussion with Des O'Neill of the CPD Store, you'll hear Des and I unpack the detail behind determining the boundaries you should put in place and how you do that, as well as what standards you set, minimum and aspirational, in order to make expectations clearer, so that accountability is easier? And that's only one of many subjects Des and I touch on in and around the ‘humanise the numbers' topic – humanising for the team, humanising for your clients – so that you are certain to get something of real value that you can directly apply to your firm, with your team and with your clients. I hope you enjoy this humanise the numbers podcast discussion with Des O'Neill as much as I did. Please scroll down the episode page for the contact information for Des and additional, downloadable resources mentioned in this podcast.