- Tom Maughan
Accountants, who are Thought Leaders đ. My personal Top Ten for 2018.
So, Iâve personally been âall inâ on LinkedIn for just over a year now and more recently, on Twitter, which Iâm still figuring outâŚ
As well as posting loads of weird stuff on social media, Iâve also done a fair amount of reading, watching, listening and learning.
So, as we bring 2018 to a close, here is my personal, top tips, on the Top Ten âAccountant Thought Leadersâ I âlike đâ and would highly recommend other accountants to frequently stalk, errrrr, I mean follow and exactly whyâŚ
So, first upâŚ
Mark Telford, Telfords Chartered Accountants:
The Tony Blair of the Accountancy world, next stop Prime Minister. Just like the fresh faced pre-elected Tony who everyone loved, Mark doesnât just address the crime, he looks for and addresses the âcauses of crimeâ. Thatâs whether heâs keyboard warrioring his âchallengerâ style comments on postsâŚorâŚwhen advising and helping clients to address the root cause of the pain, instead of the sticking plaster. Okay thatâs enough shite metaphors, check him out and youâll see what I mean. I sometimes find myself clapping his comments, for real. P.S. Mark is nothing like Tony.
Glenn Martin, Avery Martin Accountants & Business Advisors:
Now I donât know Glenn, weâve never actually spoken, well at least not in a normal way (as a human and millennial Iâve made a note to remind myself that a chat over LinkedIn post does not make Glenn my friend đđ). But he clearly knows what heâs talking about and heâs bloody funny. The humour jumps off the page in his posts and comments. Iâm a big believer in working hard, smart, but trying to have a craic as a much as possible, otherwise, whatâs the bloody point. âGlennâs Gemsâ as I now call them, which range from anecdotes about Turkeys, Greggs Pastyâs and a Rick Astley career comparator, are my favourite type of content. Sorry for calling you a Thought Leader Glenn, just embrace it âyou thought leader, leading people with your thoughts youâ đŹ.
Lucy Cohen, Mazuma GB Ltd:
I also donât know Lucy. I hasten to add at this point that I do know lots of peopleâŚactually đ. AnywayâŚLucy is like the BeyoncĂŠ of the accountancy world. As the Author of the Millennial Renaissance, Lucy shares very frank and ârealâ content about the journey she is currently on. I like the fact that talented people, with maybe a slight lack of confidence, will read her content, âtake controlâ and be inspired to leave their current job in The Empire, working for Darth Vader and go set up something for themselves with real meaning. I really imagine itâs given a few people the nudge they need. A must âfollowâ for all Darth Vaderâs in large Empires, that is, if you want to keep hold of your best Jediâs. In all seriousness, also for talented people in need of that very real and inspiring âWho Runs the Worldâ nudge to take control.
Paul Barnes, MAP.:
Paul is like General Maximus, the guy you want to be in charge if youâre going into battle. He has a knack for explaining things to people in a really calm, brilliantly simple and yet EPIC way. One of those people who when he speaks or posts, time stands still, and you think, âshit thatâs gooooooooooooodâ because itâs like chocolate. Sorry, that was a bit weird? What I meant was, delivered with such a convincing âHe Da Manâ type edge, but full of substance. Either heâs been hanging out with James Ashford too much or vice versa.
Marie Donaldson, Fresh Clarity:
Marieâs face will go bright red when she reads thisâŚyep, there you go Marieâs face has just gone red. Sorry Marie. Marie is one of the most natural consultants I have spoken to. She should post more, but the posts and comments she does are very ârealâ, full of empathy, they âget youâ in the â¤ď¸, but then there is real motivational action to them (but not in a âshiteâ way). Do you know what, Marie is just like that in real life (thatâs Zoom btw) as well, really understands people. Iâm a fan.
Will Farnell, Farnell Clarke:
Again, quite how Iâve never met Roadshow Will I will never know. Letâs face it, itâs not like heâs been hiding. But whenever Iâve asked him questions over this platform, he always responds nicely and with lots of value. His book, The Digital Firm, is brill for accountants who want to change up their business model and become truly digital. Rumour has it, he also has a University and PUB in his accountancy firm, so letâs face it, he must be good value.
Alex Falcon Heurta, Soaring Falcon Accountancy:
Effortlessly Soaring like a Falcon through the accountancy world, trailblazing the digital pathway for others to follow. She knew what a tech stack was before it was even a thing. In terms of knowledge, she puts the âAâ in App. I donât know what any of that means, but it just sounded good in my head. I suppose the âAâ could stand for Alex đ¤.
Alastair Barlow, Flinder:
The new poster boy for Accountants. Letâs face it, this guy is cool as f**k. His business is cool. Donât lie, I know you are all thinking it accountantsâŚIâve just had the balls to admit it. As well as being a kilt wearing cool dude, Alastair says some really intelligent and insightful stuff about data and MI, curiously in a way that doesnât make me want to drift away to the land of nod as a business ownerâŚwhich is always a big plus đ.
AimeĂŠ Hargreaves, Ultra Accountancy:
Now, again, I donât know AimeĂŠ at all, but I really do like her posts, I think she conveys value very well indeed. So, she appeals to the client in me. Because if I was her client, and AimeĂŠ explained how she had done something for me in âher wayâ I would either (a) buy it; or (b) value what had been done for me properly. I suddenly got all serious then đł.
Simon Kallu, GrowFactor:
The Tony Robbins of Accountancy, or as I call him, âThe Coachâ. This guy is killing video and packing an insane amount of value into his 1-5-minute takeaways. Rumour has it, this strong man launches his clients into being successful. Turns the average into champions. This is the guy you want as your corner man if you are about to do 12 rounds with Tyson. Heâs also a nice dude.
Now there is one final point Iâd like to make in conclusion.
I know sh*t loads of other accountants and clients of ours who offer just as much value as these ten. Many havenât been named because they are not âon hereâ as much, so Iâve not named them for that very reason.
Now if thatâs because their clients and potential clients donât hang out on here, then cool. But if thatâs not the case, please get on here in the New Year a bit more. Because the truth is, and this is the truth, every single accountant I have spoken to in this last year has offered me some value.
So, get on here, get out of your comfort zone. Like. Comment. Post your opinion. Have an opinion. Share your value.
Because actually, thatâs what accountants do best.
If you enjoyed this article, you might like to check out, âAn accountants guide to âeffinâ new accounting job titlesâ.