In this ‘We Have Cool Friends’ guest special episode, we’re joined by the brilliant Phil Hobden, Head of New Customer Advocacy at Sage 💚 A familiar face in the accounting tech world and a true champion of the community.Phil brings a unique journey to the table, from running a film production company, to navigating financial services, multiple redundancies, and ultimately finding his home in the accounting tech space. Over the last decade, he’s become one of the most connected voices in the industry, known for building bridges across vendors, championing collaboration, and helping shape the future of fintech.We dive into:* Phil’s unconventional career path (including martial arts films and sales stories)* What really surprised him about the accounting industry (hint: it’s more rock ‘n’ roll than you think)* The truth about vendor “rivalries”, myth or reality?* How LinkedIn became his secret weapon for building influence and community* Why Sage is evolving faster than ever - from AI to embedded finance and beyond* And what his mission is to reshape perception and advocacy across the industryPlus… biscuits are rated, dad jokes are delivered, and we find out why he’ll never give anything a 10/10.Join us for more fun episodes:https://linktr.ee/asktheaccountant #accountant #podcast #business #sage #fintech #accountingtech #ai