About Me - My Biography

This year I turned 41… I think this affected me more than turning 40.. when you turn 40 there is an element of euphoria attached and it is a milestone… but 41… that is just in your forties, and a little bit daunting… So, I reflected on what this meant for me, it allowed me to think about all the different experiences I have had over the years… the highs of the birth of each of my three beautiful children, the purchase of each of the houses I have called home, the success and evolution of my business and the businesses of my clients. With these highs were also the lows and overcoming of obstacles such fighting for my life in an induced coma from a undiagnosed septic staph infection and the recovery and ongoing health conditions, a bitter divorce and 7 year family law court proceedings and over $250,000 spent in legal fees. But that is life… we all have a story… and I am who I am because these experiences.

I have also reflected on my professional journey. This year marks 20 years in the Accounting profession, and boy have I changed from 20 years ago! For those that don’t know me as well, I am now the founder and director of my own Accounting practice – Dream Accounting + Business Advisory which has been operating for 8 years. My intention has always been strong and seemingly I have been seen to be a ‘disrupter’ in the industry. I consistently strive to break the mould of traditional accountants to bring authenticity and relatable humans (myself and my team) to the table that work as a team with our clients and let their own personalities and strengths shine through. For me it has always been about creating the best experience for our clients and the wonderful people that work with me, and that lights me up :)

This scenario is starkly different to the accountant I was 20 years ago… I was taught, whether deliberately or not, to hold my cards close to my chest, no one even thought to try and empower clients to do things for themselves, it was more about encouraging them not to do it so that the firm could make more money! I was taught to project an air of arrogance and ego and to always portray that I had the answer even if I did not… emails, phone calls and client interactions were very clinical and I spent most of my work days second guessing myself, anxious and so far from my authentic self, and I didn’t know any different! I still see this happening in other firms and every time I am grateful of my awareness and ability to break away and create the complete opposite to this.

There is another element of my evolution that is tough to admit and makes me feel vulnerable. It is my journey as a business owner… It is a tough gig… managing staff, cashflow, outstanding invoices, ATO obligations and personal commitments just to name a few!…. Until I experienced this for myself, I realised although I might have tried there is no way that I could have related to my clients on the same level that I do now… we don’t know what we don’t know! Furthermore.. here comes the vulnerable bit… I struggle with the ‘imposter syndrome’ of being an accountant and still having the same struggles as many other business owners… I am supposed to get it right and have all the answers yeah!? I don’t… I struggle to have the cashflow to pay the wages some weeks… I am not always able to pay the ATO when I should… I am still learning when it comes to marketing and as for managing human resources… what a ride!

I have thought deeply about how to improve this and why this is the case… I have come to the conclusion that one of the major factors is, that I am not driven by money, for the sake of money. My core values are Positivity, Ambition and Respect and I believe that these at times can be barriers to getting the money in the bank! It is for this reason that I am working on changing my mindset… it doesn’t have to be either or… it can be both! I now focus on creating abundance… for all of us… my clients, my staff, my business, my family and therefore me!

I am unapologetically passionate about what I do, and how I do it… If you made it all the way to here… thanks for reading xxx