In this episode, James Mason interviews Kim Marshall from WK Advisors and Accountants in Christchurch, New Zealand, about her insights on cutting through with business advisory services in a regional market. Kim shares her background and journey to becoming an advisor, including her experience managing a sheep and beef farm while doing advisory work. She discusses the challenges and opportunities in regional areas, such as poor vintage and droughts, and how she helps clients focus on customer needs to improve their businesses. Kim also talks about the importance of being authentic, investing in oneself, and having a growth mindset. 

Key Take Aways

Chapters

00:10 Introduction and Background 

03:34 Challenges and Opportunities in Regional Areas 

08:02 High Cadence Sprints: Addressing Immediate Challenges 

10:11 Collaboration and Idea Sharing in Workshops 

13:57 Investing in Oneself: The Key to Advisory Success 

Peter Longhurst, a long-time Mindshop advisor, shares his wisdom on the keys to happiness and success in business and life with Mindshop’s James Mason. He discusses his journey from accounting to advisory, the impact of his book 'A Simple Thank You,' and the importance of core values and client-centricity. He emphasises the power of listening, simplicity, and the concept of 'value to others' in business.

Takeaways

Chapters

00:00 The Keys to Happiness and Success in Business and Life

03:04 The Journey from Accounting to Advisory

08:13 The Impact of Core Values and Client-Centricity

14:44 The Role of Core Values in Business Success

25:12 Final Tips for Advisors

Chris Black, a Director of Advisory Business, Purpa, shares insights on mental health challenges and leadership. He discusses the impact of mental health on business, the role of leaders in addressing mental health, and practical strategies for mitigating negative impacts. The conversation emphasises the importance of vulnerability, empathy, and creating a safe space for conversations around mental health.

Takeaways

• Mental health challenges have a direct impact on business performance, including absenteeism and presenteeism.

• Leaders play a crucial role in creating a safe space for conversations around mental health and promoting a culture of empathy and vulnerability.

• Practical strategies for mitigating negative impacts of mental health challenges include building emotional intelligence, setting boundaries, and creating a third space for mental well-being.

• Investing in mental health awareness and well-being programs within organisations can have a positive return on investment, both financially and socially.

Chapters

00:45 The Journey of Purpa and Understanding Mental Health Challenges

03:45 The Impact of Mental Health on Business Performance

06:31 Drivers of Mental Health Challenges and Accelerating Factors

09:19 The Role of Leaders in Addressing Mental Health Challenges

11:45 Practical Strategies for Mitigating Negative Impacts of Mental Health Challenges

23:06 Future Outlook: Mental Health Challenges in usiness Leadership

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

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 

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 

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 

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?