The Authentic Advisor

Kirsty Bullen, a director at Campbell Tyson, discusses how she has been accelerating internal referrals and greater advisory success in the firm. Around for over 100 years, Campbell Tyson is based in Pukekohe, New Zealand and has a varied client base, including the agricultural, commercial, and investment sectors. Mindshop tools have been used in the firm to bring consistency to the advisory services with a focus on workshops and business health checks to provide value to their clients. In this podcast Kirsty talks about how they cultivate referral relationships and focus on storytelling to deliver services.  Chapters 00:10 Introduction and Background of the Firm 06:35 Getting Others to Refer the Firm 13:05 Cultivating Super Referrers Takeaways Internal referrals and word-of-mouth are key for business growth. Using Mindshop tools brings consistency to advisory services. Workshops and business health checks provide value to clients. Cultivating referral relationships and storytelling are effective strategies for accelerating referrals.

Neal Morrison, partner at McInerney Saunders in Dublin, Ireland, shares insights on successfully selling an accounting firm. He discusses the background of his firm and the factors that led to their decision to sell. Neal emphasises the importance of culture, succession planning and alignment when choosing a buyer and highlights the benefits of partnering with a private equity firm. He also advises practitioners to get their own house in order before considering a sale and to ensure that key team members are incentivised. Neal concludes by offering his tips for others considering selling.  Takeaways  Culture and alignment are crucial when choosing a buyer for your accounting firm.  Partnering with a private equity firm can provide opportunities for growth and a second exit.  Get your own house in order before considering a sale, including working capital management and debtors.  Ensure that key team members are incentivised and motivated to stay after the sale.  Consider the long-term vision for your firm and whether remaining independent or selling is the best path forward.  Chapters  00:20 Introduction and Background  09:20 Choosing a Buyer: Culture and Alignment  13:39 Preparing for the Sale: Getting Your House in Order  27:42 Final Tips for Selling Your Accounting Firm 

In this episode of the Authentic Advisor, James Mason interviews Tony Szczepaniak, the global CEO of LEA Global, about the pathway to partner in accounting firms. They discuss the challenges faced by firms, the attributes of high-performing leaders, programs for developing future partners, building business advisory skills, and tips for building a strong pathway to partnership.    Takeaways  The biggest challenge for firms is attracting, developing, and retaining talent.  High-performing leaders focus on culture, visualization, and execution.  Firms should have clear career paths and development programs for employees.  Building business advisory skills is crucial for future partners.  A people-first culture and clear alignment with organizational goals are essential for a strong pathway to partnership.    Chapters  01:00 Introduction and Background  04:54 Challenges Faced by Firms  11:38 Attributes of High-Performing Leaders  13:07 Programs for Pathway to Partner  22:28 Building Business Advisory Skills  24:33 Tips for Building a Strong Pathway to Partnership 

In this episode of the Authentic Advisor, James Mason interviews Peter Lucas from Kestrel Solutions about turning around underperforming businesses. They discuss the challenges faced by business owners and managers, the early warning signs of a troubled business, and the use of technology for early identification. Peter shares his approach to starting the turnaround process, including conducting waste audits and involving the team. He also shares a case study of a successful turnaround in the timber windows and doors industry. The episode concludes with Peter offering final tips for advisors seeking to help their clients in similar situations.  Takeaways  Cash flow is the number one factor to focus on in turning around a business.  Advisors should have knowledge of insolvency laws and directors' duties.  Implementing waste audits and involving the team can help identify areas of improvement.  Constant involvement and evolution, along with constructive guidance, can prevent businesses from slipping back into bad habits.  Advisors should consider requesting upfront payment and avoiding time-based billing to maintain trust and accessibility. Chapters  01:10 Introduction and Background  03:20 Challenges for Business Owners and Managers  05:45 Early Warning Signs of a Troubled Business  10:22 Using Technology for Early Identification  12:23 Starting the Turnaround Process  16:00 Waste Audits and Involving the Team  21:01 Case Study  22:43 Constant Involvement and Evolution  25:58 Final Tips for Advisors 

Business Health Checks are a great foot-in-the-door business advisory offering for professional service firms wanting to add client value and bridge the gap between 'the numbers' and more intensive advisory services such as strategic planning workshops & implementation.     But where do you start? Sharing her playbook, Lisa Wilson talks about how professional service firm Morrows design, price, deliver, promote and resource business health checks and why using Mindshop diagnostics, the Now-Where-How methodology and one page plans are integral to their success. Touching on how to generate internal referrals, Lisa also talks about capacity issues, reveals the power of 'BAMFAM' and shares ideas on how to use business health checks as a springboard into further advisory work.      Time Codes  00:00:51 Lisa's background and business advisory journey  00:02:40 Morrow's business advisory service range  00:03:41 Maturity of client base wanting business advisory services  00:04:47 Who's delivering business advisory services at Morrows?  00:05:38 Types of Business Health Checks  00:06:15 Pricing Business Health Checks   00:08:13 Weaving in financial insights  00:09:27 Internal referrals & marketing  00:12:22 Getting further advisory work  00:15:38 Managing capacity  00:16:33 Emerging demand for advisory services  00:18:47 Final tips & thoughts 

Can a business get away with operational deficiencies if they're run by a passionate group of people? Jason Langford-Brown shares his experience as a senior business advisor and coach as to whether culture is a bigger contributor to success than a winning strategy (as the well-known aphorism suggests).  Do most organisations have an accidental culture? How is it businesses with seemingly toxic cultures still succeed?  Jason and James Mason discuss what problems arise if a business holds onto staff that don't align with core values and how culture can be fit for purpose, ultimately posing the question, 'can culture be too perfect?'     Time Codes  00:00:42 Jason's background and business advisory journey.  00:02:27 Is culture a bigger contributor to success than a winning strategy?  00:04:54 Can you succeed with an amazing culture but poor strategy?  00:06:17 Can having a deep passion for what you do compensate for a lack of execution?  00:07:24 What are the keys to a high performing culture?  00:10:26 Is culture the fashionable silver bullet?  00:12:13 Poor performance v bad behaviour.  00:13:22 What are the first steps an advisor should take with a client when addressing culture and strategy?  00:19:17 Aligning core values throughout an organisation.  00:20:32 Can a culture be too perfect?  00:23:22 Does culture eat strategy for breakfast? 

Should a business seek growth at any cost, or has there been a greater shift towards profitability and purpose in recent years? Independent advisor Rod Willers and Mindshop's James Mason debate the assumption that growth means more revenue, and profit. Talking about growth strategy from a business advisor's perspective, they discuss the impact of purpose, business values and economic sustainability on client growth strategies. What's the difference between high and low growth organisations? Is it okay to follow a strategy of consolidation? How does one balance operational efficiency with strategic evolution? And importantly, What tips does Rod have for advisors when helping clients sustain a passion for growth and change?  

How did a firm of 500+ staff go about identifying £1.5m of potential savings by finding opportunities to increase productivity and reduce waste? Lynsey Light of Kreston Reeves takes James Mason on a step-by-step journey through a far-reaching efficiency project using Mindshop tools & resources combined with business advisory know-how. Resulting in not only process efficiency, but also building credibility, skills and confidence to roll waste reduction services to clients over time. With Lynsey's top tips on communication, getting senior buy-in and staff ownership and engagement. 

Why have a community purpose? What difference does it make to the culture, operations and success of a firm?  Jack Edmonds, Crowe UK talks to James Mason about the power of having pervasive values fully embraced from the managing partner to the newest recruit. How a clear community purpose benefits the firm, clients, and the staff personally along with knock-on effects to wider society. Jack shares his tips on how to structure programs, communicate values, where to start and the importance of authenticity. An uplifting and positive podcast for those looking to make a real difference.  

What does it take to drive continuous improvement in an organisation? James Mason talks to Quinton Whitehead, Manager – Business Improvement about using Mindshop tools and processes at AG Coombs, Australia's leading specialist provider of building services.  There are numerous challenges for an organisation with over 1000 employees to successfully drive change. Quinton reveals what tools, processes and approaches he has taken to create a company-wide, consistent approach, overcoming change fatigue and creating a culture that embraces continuous improvement.  Listen in for insights on successful blended learning ideas, shifts in change management from AI, and how to coach and facilitate successfully for quality improvement and change success. 

Owning and operating a successful accounting / business advisory firm is challenging enough on its own. How does Matt Sharwood, Director, Advise Accountants find the time to pursue his entrepreneurial aspirations whilst still maintaining excellent client outcomes?   Matt discusses with James Mason the insights, benefits, technology and planning approaches he uses to successfully juggle running a high performing firm while growing a diverse number of businesses in areas like Kitchen manufacturing, Tiling and Property development. Matt shares how he identifies each business opportunity and his tips to ensure each are successful. Finally he touches on the two strategies he embraces for greater work / life balance. A great podcast to listen to for advisors and accountants who want to take the next a step into investing in diverse opportunities. 

Why are Mindshop diagnostics so effective uncovering deep client insights and saving business advisor's time? Simon Drum, Managing Director of PSVC Advisory talks to James Mason about how diagnostics are a cornerstone of his business advisory model, in workshops, for process performance and due diligence activities and as a key part of his sales cycle.      Simon talks at a granular level about how he uses Mindshop diagnostics, gathering comparison data prior to workshops from a broad set of respondents to supplement qualitative interviews to test if the ‘words and music' match. Discussing how diagnostics allow advance incubation of ideas for richer discussions in the workshop, Simon talks about the benefits of understanding key issues rather than ‘going in blind' so time is spent more effectively, with better client outcomes.   Listen in as Simon reveals how he goes beyond simple lead generation questionnaires to move prospects rapidly through the sales cycle, delivering immediate value to clients with diagnostics that address key questions relevant to the business advisory services offered. 

With vast amounts of content available through abundant channels it's easy to become overwhelmed when building capability. What's the best way to select, access and apply learning and development resources to meet your own current and future needs? If you're a business advisor or coach, how do you meet the changing learning needs of your clients? JoAnn Labbie, Chief People Officer, Allinial Global and James Mason talk about shifts occurring in learning and development, the importance of creating a career success plan, and how to maximise time available for skill development in a busy schedule. In this podcast, JoAnn shares her opinion on the future of learning, and the importance of 'soft' skills such as critical thinking, emotional intelligence and listening. Don't miss JoAnn's tips on how advisors can effectively upskill clients in the current unpredictable environment.

What are the latest shifts in leadership and culture? Nikita Tomlinson, Director at Sudburys Ltd, Northland, New Zealand talks to James Mason, Mindshop about what's working for successful clients, and the top challenges they currently face. Exploring the key elements essential to building a high-performing culture and the impact on leadership strategies as businesses shift their focus back to profitability by streamlining operations. A must-listen for independent advisors and firms looking to get cutting edge insights on today's leadership and culture consulting. Join Nikita and James as they reinforce the importance of developing a solid strategy in this area to help clients succeed.

Are you a business advisor looking to take equity stakes in businesses? Tune in to the latest episode of our podcast where Cameron McMillan, Principal, Right Hand Advisors, sits down with James Mason, Managing Director at Mindshop. Cameron shares his journey of getting more heavily involved in the ownership of other businesses while retaining his advisory business. He reveals how he determined which businesses to invest in and how his strategic planning and implementation advisory skills were vital during the process. Listen in to discover the practical ways Cameron manages to juggle the roles of advisor and investor, and learn about the barriers he had to overcome. Cameron also shares his top three tips for advisors looking to go down this path. Don't miss out on this invaluable episode!

Join James Mason as he interviews Dennis Lee, a Partner at RSM Singapore's business consulting division, on practical ways advisors can implement environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies for their clients and in their own firms. Increasingly, leaders are eager to learn and educate themselves, not just for environmental reasons but also to positively impact their business and people. Clients seek advice on how to take meaningful action, often requiring a major strategy rethink and radical change beyond simply changing the light bulbs. Don't miss this episode on how advisors can make a significant difference in helping implement ESG strategies for a brighter future.

While at face value, many business owners seems to have it all figured out, in reality many have relationship, health and personal issues with a layer of business worries on top. That's why Mario Vicari's mantra as a business advisor to privately-held companies is: 'if I do my job well, I make your life better'. In this podcast, Mario, director at the largest independently owned Philadelphia-based accounting firm with 250+ staff, shares his approach to complex problem solving through facilitation and how he avoids competitive bidding situations by being 'advisory led'. Mario looks to future consequences of managing remote workforces, talking about his adaptive approach and shares the importance of building a solid personal balance sheet so clients have options when it's time to exit the business. There's a wealth of fantastic, wide ranging insights in this episode for every business advisor.

What relevance does the Buddhist metaphor of the second arrow have for business advisors? Nick Mayhew has a profound, optimistic message for business advisors; that a client's emotional wellbeing (and their own for that matter) can be continuously improved through the application of ten key principles. After a tidal wave of disruption and years of choppy seas, we are all overdue some calmer waters. Nick shares how improving leaders' personal emotional regulation can have positive effects that ripple through teams, businesses and to a wider circle of relationships. In this thoughtful, timely podcast, Nick and James Mason contemplate vision, purpose, rugby and the pleasure of breaking rocks. A perfect opening podcast for a new start.

With over 35 years under his belt as a successful business advisor, Al Ramos has been there and done that. Sharing his insights and experiences in a candid conversation with James Mason, Al shares his top three tips for others on their journey to delivering business advice. Honouring your values, understanding that there is an opportunity cost to every decision you make and the importance of going to a 'mental gym' are just some of Al's 'must do's'. Al shares his experience with cancer to highlight the importance of health and wellness to bring your best to all relationships both business and personal. After serving on a number of boards and taking equity shares in 'businesses with potential' Al shares how to balance directorship and being a paid for your advisory skill set fairly. Listen in to hear how Al's passion for business advisory has developed throughout all phases of his career. Whether you're just starting out in an accounting firm, moving from a corporate role to become an independent advisor or an established business advisor looking to take equity in their clients' business, there is something for everyone in this episode.

When Jacqueline Watson's not running the London marathon, she's guiding Henderson Loggie's marketing and business development activities. Learn how Henderson Loggie are dominating targeted markets with laser-focused communications, personal brand-building and storytelling built on community purpose and business vision. Hear about what's working, what's not, shifts in tone of voice, plus the social media platforms delivering cut through recruitment and go-to-market campaigns. If you want to know how your accounting or advisory firm can to tap into the 'rise of the individual' and stand out in saturated markets this is the podcast for you!

George Virtue, former Managing Partner of Avail CPA, Southern Alberta's largest independently owned business advisory and accounting firm has spent 40 years providing business advisory services to clients. In this power-packed podcast he shares his key strategies for success with James Mason, Mindshop's Managing Director. George answers key questions: How did Avail add $40k of advisory work on top of $10k of compliance fees on some client engagements? How did Avail make the shift to advisory? How does Avail price their services? George suggests solutions to the perennial 'capacity' problem and reveals why he's scared going into client meetings! Listen in to hear how this firm has succeeded by becoming advisory-led.

With the right systems and processes accounting firms have an opportunity to deliver rich, data-driven insights to clients, a foundation for other business advisory revenue opportunities such as problem-solving discussions, strategy & implementation. But firms face a myriad of disparate data sources combined with a lack of capacity and technical knowledge. Amanda Kenafake CEO of Power Tynan addressed these challenges in her own firm five years ago and is now helping other firms on the same journey. Listen in as Amanda shares her tips on how firms can harness data and analytics to go beyond the numbers with clients and drive greater advisory revenue.

Dr Chris Mason coaches hundreds of senior people around the world. Listen in for his practical tips on addressing the hot issues he's encountering at the moment from addressing client fragility and staff engagement issues to the perennial question of how to free up time. What's the secret sauce to being an elite coach? Many look good on paper and have done all the courses but lack that certain something. Chris talks through the six traits he believes you need to lead from the front. How can you overcome self sabotaging behaviours in yourself and others? Chris talks about how he's using New York Times bestselling book Positive Intelligence (PQ) by Stanford Lecturer Shirzad Chamine to change negative to positive responses to challenges in real life situations. A podcast jam-packed full of useful insights.

If I only knew then what I know now. Mulling over past business advisory experiences, Angela Grogan and James Mason discuss the challenges ahead for up-and-coming business advisors, offering some top 'pitfall-avoiding' tips. What's their consensus on virtual advisory, is it here to stay? And finally why do some seemingly successful advisors stagnate? Could it be they are 'accidental' energy vampires? Listen in to find out!

Typically in this podcast series, we've taken a deep dive into one key area but this episode is a bit different. Instead James Mason and Russell Cummings wrangle with a number of topics. Starting with whether LinkedIn is becoming more like Facebook and if so, what impact does this have on businesses using the platform as a marketing tool? Moving on, they talk about whether newer, more complex tools are more effective when problem solving with clients than old favourites. Finally discussing if procrastination is more prevalent than ever before and if so, why? What can advisors do to help themselves and others make decisions and execute plans? Listen in as these two seasoned professionals chew the fat.

As President and CEO of the 2nd largest association of independent accounting firms across the globe, Mark Koziel is in a unique position to provide insights into future trends and opportunities for accounting firms. In this wide-ranging discussion with James Mason, Mark shares his thoughts on how firms can address increasing client demands, strategies for growth in the face of capacity issues, and his thoughts on the 'compliance is dead' narrative. Touching on the keys to a successful merger, blockchain, and even the future of hybrid events, this is not to be missed podcast from someone with a worldwide view in touch with hundreds of industry leaders.

Helen's story is an unusual one and what sets her apart from other accountancy practice leaders is her background of more than 30 years in Human Resources. With a belief that culture is what sets apart great professional service firms she's gone about guiding WR Partners through a time of intense change. Generously sharing her approach to driving strategy implementation across the business, Helen talks about how to tap into discretionary effort to boost business and personal performance and tips on how to tackle 'cave dwellers'. A not to be missed episode for senior leaders looking for a playbook on how to drive firmwide performance.

What's the secret to creating leverage in an advisory business? Mindshop's James Mason talks to Sean Martyn about the approach he's taking with Business by Design, taking a 'done for you' approach based on great systems and processes, why systemisation 'kills waste' and the importance of not 'winging it' when selling. Listen in to hear a wealth of insights from somebody with 25 years' experience.

As an established business owner and entrepreneur, Adrian Romero has been on a rapid growth trajectory, now employing over 500 employees across a range of businesses. In this episode of the Authentic Advisor, James Mason sits down with Adrian to discuss the secrets to his growth success and how a focus on return on time is crucial to allowing him to stay productive and juggle his many commitments. A must listen for advisors wanting to get an entrepreneur's perspective on achieving business success and helping clients.

Attracting great staff is more challenging than ever and employers are finding they're no longer in the box seat. With less people in the market expecting more money, plus work from home flexibility, wellbeing support, career progression and great social activities, how can employers hope to get it right? James Mason talks to Suzanne Whitmarsh, Managing Director at 1st Executive about the importance of 'getting your house in order' before starting the recruitment process and why just writing up a position description is no longer going to cut it. Listen in to learn about employee expectations in today's market, workforce planning for a robust business and why people really leave a role.

Often for the head of a family business, work is intrinsic to their sense of self, the foundation of their relationships, status and position in the community and the question of succession planning is one that's avoided until too late. Harry Kras has been facilitating in the challenging but rewarding family business niche for over 25 years and he shares his story, approach and insights with Mindshop's James Mason in this fascinating podcast. Listen to Harry's thoughts on what it takes to be a great family business facilitator, why trust and communication are key and what a great opportunity advisors have to make a difference in this space.

Attraction and retention of good staff is already a challenge. Then add an alleged post-pandemic 'great resignation' and it's looking insurmountable. One firm going against the tide is US firm Herbein + Co, Inc enjoying low turnover rates and high levels of unsolicited employment applications in contrast to many in the accounting world. In this podcast, Herbein's Managing Partner David Stonesifer shares the strategies and culture making a difference in their firm with Mindshop Founder and Chairman Dr Chris Mason. Dave talks about the importance of mutual respect, having an understanding that sometimes life gets in the way and why being a 'destination employer' is about giving employees a voice, getting professional accountants to do the talking and maybe handing out a swag or two.

For Neil Sinclair and the team at WK Advisors and Accountants based in New Zealand's South Island, the concept of community purpose is more than 'ticking a box' as part of their strategic plan, it's part of who they are and is in the firm's DNA. Talking to Mindshop's Managing Director, James Mason, Neil shares how the 'WK Effect' evolved from a genuine desire to help the local community to becoming a lighthouse guiding everything they do, and every decision they make. Neil talks about the unexpected (but not unwelcome) side benefits of this philosophy, from building awareness and attracting quality staff, to prospects announcing that they 'want to be like the clients in the video'. WK has used advisory services as a vehicle for staff to help local sporting clubs and charities for which they have a passion. The result is not only rewarding careers through connection with the local community but a real chance to make the region a better place to live, work and play.

Paul Hopwood hasn't had a face to face meeting in 18 months and that's the way he (and his clients) like it. Mindshop Expert, chartered accountant, and independent advisor of over 20 years, Paul talks to Mindshop's James Mason about the lack of downsides to working virtually, (apart from the toll on your eyesight). Working with over 60 retainer-based clients, Paul reveals how he has increased his productivity 400% and suggests virtual training and coaching are actually better than face to face. Learn what technology, tools and processes Paul uses and what he's going to revert to (or not) when we get back to 'normality' in this thought-provoking podcast.

Business advisory conversations come naturally to some. But bringing a wider accounting team with differing levels of interest and aptitude on an advisory journey requires structure, tenacity and planning to successfully turn informal chats into commercialised services. Wendy Davies, Director Business Advisory at Nexia Perth, Australia talks to Mindshop's Managing Director about busy accountants, why 'taking your own medicine' is key to confidence and how to enthuse and educate your team. Sharing tips on building problem solving skills, Wendy talks about blending advisory into compliance delivery at the individual level to accelerate referrals, ensure authenticity and engage with clients on a deeper level.

This compelling episode charts Angela Grogan's successful journey from taking shorthand as a receptionist to becoming partner of an accounting firm and then making a leap of faith to go out on her own as an independent business advisor. Angela reveals how having a great mindset helped her overcome challenges of juggling family and the risks of setting up on her own to achieve her goal of becoming an integral part of her clients' businesses. Touching on practical ways advisors can overcome typical mindset barriers of being 'too busy' and 'lacking capacity' so they can break the habits holding them back, Angela talks about the importance of energy, overcoming the 'imposter syndrome' and how to surround yourself with the 'right' people for success. A great listen for anyone wanting to be inspired by some entrepreneurial spirit.

Over the past decades, Dr Chris Mason has guided the success of thousands of senior advisors and business leaders from major corporates to micro businesses. In this latest ‘Authentic Advisor' podcast from Mindshop he shares his experiences with Mindshop's Managing Director, James Mason on how he's currently delivering significant value by coaching over 140 senior leaders from around the world. In this master class in coaching leaders, Chris touches on how he is tackling the current reoccurring challenges faced by leaders whilst ensuring he is fully leveraged and efficient. He discusses how to avoid common pitfalls, the importance of building a positive mindset in your clients and the overarching foundation of trust that must be the basis of any client / coach relationship. This podcast is full of insights on how to balance problem solving issues respectfully whilst challenging clients to think outside the box. A must listen for any advisor coaching clients.

How do you go about pricing and packaging your high value advisory services? Should you offer monthly retainer pricing, project or hourly rates? Independent business advisor and Mindshop Expert, Russell Cummings based on the Gold Coast, Australia shares his experiences on this hot topic gathered over the past 35 years with Mindshop's Managing Director, James Mason in the latest ‘Authentic Advisor' podcast. Delving into the pros and cons of advisory pricing approaches and discussing why he favours value pricing to give the advisor flexibility whilst getting the best outcome for the client, Russell lifts the lid on exactly what he includes in his advisory solutions, why it's so important to ask questions and talk about pricing while you are in front of the client and what to do if your client goes pale when you tell them how much you are proposing to charge! If you want to avoid common mistakes when building and pricing an advisory service solution for clients this podcast is full of tips and specifics to help you succeed.

In episode 8 of ‘The Authentic Advisor' podcast, James Mason Managing Director of Mindshop is joined by David Smith, Managing Partner of MHA Henderson Loggie, Chartered Accountants, Tax and Business Advisors a 110 year old firm with four offices across Scotland. David shares his journey in growing MHA Henderson Loggie's advisory businesses, exploring how the development of four Growth Hubs supported by one to one coaching became a conduit for further advisory work and firm-wide referrals. David outlines the internal development activities that have underpinned the success of building advisory capabilities, not only within the dedicated advisory team, but across all departments and seniority levels, from school leavers through to partners and the executive management team. Use of smart technology has also been a foundation of how David and his team have scaled up advisory work especially through the pandemic, from offering online coaching and training to pivoting to online workshops. He talks about overcoming early challenges and shares what he would have done differently to avoid mistakes made in implementing advisory services. If you or your firm are looking to create or scale up your business advisory offering then this is the podcast for you!

Michael Burke is an independent advisor who works with business leaders to develop and implement high performing strategies, through strategy development, implementation coaching and executive problem solving. In this episode Mike and James Mason, Managing Director of Mindshop take a deep dive into the evolution of delivering strategic planning support services as an advisor to align with the changing times. Packed with information, Mike talks about how to apply agile tactics to strategy development with clients, encouraging incubation of ideas and using the agile concepts of minimum viable product, pivot or persevere and contrarian thinking. Mike talks about how creativity in strategic planning is essential, but on the flipside that strategies should not take eons, creating volumes of plans only to collect dust on the shelf. Within a rapidly changing world, the need for a strategic plan to be a guide rather than set in concrete is discussed. As Dwight Eisenhower said, 'planning is everything, the plan is nothing'. Mike shares his key tips for helping clients implement plans successfully, looking at risk, using forward thinking tools like strategic SWOT and how to help clients prepare for 'black swan' events. He shares his ideas on how to get the best out of a client's strategic planning session, setting pre-work, how to navigate planning session pitfalls and the importance of avoiding the 'cookie cutter' approach. A 'must listen' podcast for any advisor offering strategic planning services to keep ahead of the pack.

Mike Boyle, Mindshop's resident sales scientist from Sales Shift Australia joins James Mason, Mindshop's Managing Director to talk all things sales for advisors. With a long career in direct sales, sales management and consulting, Mike helps clients boost their sales performance through training, coaching and leadership strategy development. Discussing what selling advisory actually means in the current environment and how the market has changed over recent years, Mike touches on the critical shift advisors need to make from 'being right', with a focus on technical capabilities to being a facilitator with the attributes needed to problem solve for clients, all summed up in the mantra 'fall in love with customers' problems not your solutions'. Mike talks about the power of asking questions to connect the dots based on data and insights and the continuing importance of building the fundamentals - sales processes, strong referrals and demonstrating proof of capability whilst being authentic to yourself.

There are a multitude of business and personal profiling tools out there, with 25 years' experience in the market, Susannah Brade-Waring, Managing Director of Aspirin Business Solutions, UK talks to Mindshop's Managing Director James Mason about why she selects particular profiling tools over others, the benefits they provide and how best to integrate them as part of a wider advisory business model. Discussion moves to the fundamentals of profiling, the different uses for personality profiling tools versus Motivational Maps® and how to align them with to Mindshop's five phases of business advisory. Susannah talks about how profiling can assist in gathering data and insights, start problem-solving conversations and engage people to co-create, build trust and ultimately successfully implement strategies, revealing some of the hidden traps for advisors contemplating including profiling tools in their advisory offerings with some invaluable tips for success.

Psychologist, coach, author and speaker Dr Darryl Cross joins Mindshop's Managing Director James Mason to discuss how advisors and their clients can build resilience to succeed in both their personal and professional lives. Dr Cross is a clinical and organisational psychologist with a career spanning government and academic roles, he subsequently established a private practise to deliver management consulting to help leaders, individuals and family businesses. In an uncertain, volatile world full of stresses, now compounded by a global pandemic, resilience has never been so vital. Dr Cross discusses how adapting well in the face of adversity, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress can give the mental toughness to see through bad times and provide energy to others. Leaders especially need resilience to show teams they are coping in the face of adversity and can lead the way. In turn, advisors need to build resilience to deliver energy and practical advice to these leaders, becoming a trusted 'sidekick' in tough times. Dr Cross provides three essential tips to address attributes that could be holding you back, to build resilience levels and be a better leader or advisor.

In this 'must listen' podcast for those in accounting firms who want to provide exceptional advisory services through the effective use of technology, James Mason is joined by Dixie McCurley, Co-Founder and President of Trusted CFO Solutions based in Atlanta, USA. Dixie shares her decade long experience in the provision of virtual CFO services and reveals the key elements to her success. Starting in corporate accounting Dixie moved to CPA firms where her specialty was setting up accounting systems for SME's. After co-founding Trusted CFO Solutions over a decade ago she reveals her secrets to becoming the heart beat of a client's business as a trusted advisor using real time numbers coupled with expert analysis to remotely deliver advisory and CFO services. Dixie covers how to successfully shift from traditional to digital services including the importance of using real time metrics combined with advisory tools (such as Gap Analysis and One Page Plans) to dig deeper into issues and formulate strategies. Revealing the key applications she uses to be an essential and embedded part of the team from collaboration tools to payroll and ERP systems whilst still working remotely, this podcast is also full of tips on avoiding implementation pitfalls (such as the client self-service and cookie-cutter dashboard traps), as well as ideas on how to price client engagements to be remunerated appropriately for value delivered.

In the second episode of 'The Authentic Advisor' podcast series, Mindshop's Managing Director, James Mason interviews Craig Stanmore, CEO of Enspira Financial, an advisory and accounting firm based in Sydney, Australia. James and Craig discuss the different ways business advisors can improve efficiency and capacity and how using various technologies can assist in 'unlocking the numbers' to problem solve for clients. The conversation then turns to how creating capacity through leverage does not necessarily bring automatic business advisory success, as capability, business acumen and experience are mandatory to build trusted client/advisor relationships.

In the inaugural episode of 'The Authentic Advisor' Mindshop's Managing Director, James Mason interviews James Atkins, Director of Vantage Strategy, who shares his experience and ideas on marketing insights to create cut through in a cluttered business advisory market. James works with boards as an advisor and director, he is Chairman of Big 4 Holiday Parks and Greening Australia, is a non-executive director of the .au Domain Administration, the Connective Group and Circus Oz.