Join Heather Smith and Tyler Caskey as they share global insights from Xerocon, SuiteWorld, and beyond. Discover the latest in accounting tech—new features, strategic shifts, and practical tools to boost your practice.  Here are the many reasons you should listen in! 🔹 Get Ahead with the Latest Accounting Tech: Key updates from Xerocon, SuiteWorld, and other global events to keep your practice at the cutting edge. 🔹 Learn from Industry Insights: Heather and Tyler share real-world...

Gain insights from an experienced leader who has successfully scaled multiple professional services and technology companies. Learn strategies for driving innovation, improving operational efficiency, and providing real-time visibility for consulting firms.  Understand how to leverage patents and intellectual property to differentiate your business. Get advice on effective leadership approaches, including the power of being a proactive listener.  Today I’m speaking with Mark Orttung, CEO of...

Today's episode is part of a series of six interviews recorded at the Oracle CloudWorld and SuiteWorld conferences which were held in Las Vegas, September 2024. I encourage you to subscribe and add them all to your playlist! In this episode, I speak with Brian Chess, SVP Technology and AI, of Oracle NetSuite.  Brian oversees the development and operations of NetSuite’s technology stack, platform, and AI-driven functionality. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering as well as more than a...

Today's episode is part of a series of six interviews recorded at the Oracle CloudWorld and SuiteWorld conferences which were held in Las Vegas, September 2024. I encourage you to subscribe and add them all to your playlist! In this episode, I speak with Matt Lowry, Chief Revenue Officer | GTM Leader at ApprovalMax.  Matt is a commercially-minded and proactive revenue leader with SaaS scale-up experience. Particular areas of expertise include GTM strategy, revenue operations, sales, special...

Today's episode is part of a series of six interviews recorded at the Oracle CloudWorld and SuiteWorld conferences which were held in Las Vegas, September 2024. I encourage you to subscribe and add them all to your playlist! In this episode, I speak with James Chisham, Vice President Product Management at Oracle NetSuite. James has been instrumental in advancing NetSuite's international product offerings, particularly within the EMEA region. His leadership has helped shape NetSuite’s ERP and...

Today's episode is part of a series of six interviews recorded at the Oracle CloudWorld and SuiteWorld conferences which were held in Las Vegas, September 2024. I encourage you to subscribe and add them all to your playlist! In this episode, I speak with Bruce Fitzgerald, CEO, Extel Technologies, a NetSuite customer. Bruce is keenly focused on systematising processes, implementing technology, and developing people, now to meet the growing demands of competitive manufacturing. We discuss: ...

Today's episode is part of a series of six interviews recorded at the Oracle CloudWorld and SuiteWorld conferences which were held in Las Vegas, September 2024. I encourage you to subscribe and add them all to your playlist! In this episode, I speak with Meredith Rowan, Group Vice President ANZ + ASEAN, Applications, Oracle.  Meredith leads the strategic direction and execution of Oracle’s cloud application solutions across the region. With over 20 years of experience in the technology...

Today's episode is part of a series of six interviews recorded at the Oracle CloudWorld and SuiteWorld conferences which were held in Las Vegas, September 2024. I encourage you to subscribe and add them all to your playlist!   In today’s episode, I speak with Scott Wiltshire, Vice President & GM, Oracle NetSuite ANZ. Scott is keen to help customers and employees identify and solve business challenges that deliver real value.  I interviewed Scott Wiltshire last year, I’ll pop a link in...

Join me as I recount my journey through the vibrant Nashville Xerocon, where country spirit and tech innovation collided.  In this episode, I cover: My personal takeaways from the conference Insights from the Nashville Xerocon and key product announcements Innovation from the exhibitor floor Behind the scenes of speaking at my first International Xerocon. Connecting with industry peers at events and activities around Xerocon. There are lots of links in the show notes to...

Today I’m speaking with Val Steed, Director Accountants, Zoho Corporation  In this episode, we talk about . . . Zoho Corporation's journey in the accounting technology industry, from its founding in 1996 to its current position as a leading provider of integrated business solutions The company's focus on privacy, security, and long-term vision, with a family-like culture and commitment to employee retention Zoho's conservative management approach and profitability since day one, even...

Heather Smith and Tyler Caskey, Partner at The Bean Counters discuss features, functionalities and updates in the Accounting Apps from June July 2024. Highlights from this episode include: A discussion around the importance of Apps offering training, ongoing training and training to meet different learning styles. Zohos expansion plans into Australia, and its vast platform offerings. Employment Hero's Smart Match system which checks candidate interest levels for your new jobs and...

Today I’m sharing with you a recording of a keynote entitled "Developing and Keeping a Competitive Advantage," given by Philip Fierlinger, co-founder of Upstock and co-founder of Xero.   Philip Fierlinger discusses his experiences and insights on developing and maintaining a competitive advantage in the technology and accounting sectors. He shares his journey from working on the first smartphone at General Magic to co-founding Xero and Upstock. The talk focuses on the importance of creating...

Marc Orchard and Heather Smith discussed the importance of accountants and bookkeepers in high growth tech companies, highlighting the challenges of serving early stage companies with complex needs. They emphasised the need for upskilling and capability building, as well as the importance of building relationships in the startup ecosystem. Marc Orchard added to the conversation by discussing the integration of accounting and finance with technology, and the potential for Chartered Accountants...

Join us for insightful discussion on how startups can effectively build their profiles through media.  I’m sharing with you a recording of a panel session entitled “Building Your Startup's Profile with Media” This was recorded at the 2024 Tropical Innovation Festival that is held in Cairns in June. Here are the top five takeaways from our expert speakers: Understand the Media Landscape: Modern media is diverse and accessible, ranging from traditional outlets like TV and radio to digital...

Today I’m speaking with Michael King: Michael is the CEO of KFE Solutions, which is the top rated Fractional CFO firm in Dallas, Texas. He’s also the creator of The CFO Accelerator, where he helps Accountants and fractional CFOs start, scale, and optimise their advisory services. He is also the host of, The CFO Report, where he shares tips, tricks, and hacks he discovered over the past 7 + years building his fractional CFO firm. https://www.linkedin.com/in/iammichaelking/ In this episode, we...

AI will increase software productivity and enable users to create their own apps, multiplying software abundance I’m sharing with you the audio from a session I hosted as part of the Australian CFO Summit 2024 produced by Weel. It’s called:  “Scale your business on Xero without needing a dozen other Apps and Add-ons” The presenter is Michael Wood, the Founder and CEO of Translucent. - Michael Wood discusses the exponential growth of software in businesses from the desktop era to the cloud...

Financial controls enable accountable growth by distributing responsibility across teams… Today I’m speaking with: Meena Berry, Senior Partnership Manager, Xero  Cassandra Scott, Head of Bookkeeping, ApprovalMax Brendan Lucas, Head of Accounting, ApprovalMax In this episode, we discuss: - ApprovalMax & Xero survey results revealing many businesses lack key financial controls - Stories of businesses defrauded due to inadequate internal verification processes - How financial...

Today I’m speaking with Damien Greathead Head of Marketing - Accountant & Advisor Group, Intuit Australia Our guest is a dynamic sales and marketing leader who excels in helping venture-funded software companies build robust sales and marketing functions. With a specialised focus on the accounting and fintech verticals, he has a proven track record of establishing brands and expanding customer bases across North America, EMEA, and Asia Pacific regions. He has successfully collaborated...

Today, I’ve something exciting to share with you. You know how you get excited when a lost Beatle or Nirvana track is found, well the extraordinary Alexi Boyd uncovered the audio of a panel discussion from Sydney Xerocon PreXerocon 2023. I honestly thought I’d never hear it again, and then mid March she sent me a copy - making me a very happy podcaster cause I get to share it with you. The panel discussion was held at the beautiful Hinchcliff House at Circular Quay. Unfortunately the room was...

Heather Smith and Tyler Caskey discuss feature and functionality releases, new integrations, pricing adjustments, and acquisitions in the Accounting Apps space during March, April, May ‘24. Today I’m speaking with Tyler Caskey Partner at The Bean Counters. In this episode, we talk about . . . News and updates from Xero, QuickBooks & MYOB were discussed, including new features, integrations, pricing changes, and acquisitions Stories from the Inventory management space, including pain...

Today I’m speaking with Adam Riches, CEO & Co-Founder of Netgain In this episode, we talk about . . . - Adam Riches discusses the new lease accounting standards IFRS 16 and ASC 842, and how Netgain helps clients navigate the complexities - Riches shares how Netgain automates lease data extraction from contracts using AI to save accountants time - The challenges of managing cash flow visibility and bank reconciliations for businesses are highlighted - How Netgain's tools like its...

Today I’m speaking with Sarah Lawrance, Founder & CEO of Hot Toast. In this episode, we talk about . . . - Sarah Lawrance shares her journey from childhood fascination with business to becoming a Certified Practicing Accountant (CPA) and founding her firm Hot Toast - Lawrance discusses her formative career experiences in Australia, London and fast-growth startups, and the inspiration for starting her own business - Sarah describes her role as a CFO for rapidly growing businesses,...

- Heather Smith moderates a debate between accounting software pioneer Michael Wood and tech strategist John Toon on the pros and cons of Excel vs Software - Michael argues that while Excel excels for individual tasks, software is better suited for collaboration and building efficient workflows for businesses - John counters that users, not the tools, are often to blame for Excel's downfalls, and that Excel can effectively replace basic accounting tasks for some clients  - The debate...

Today I’m debating Samuel Green, UK Partnership Account Executive of Employment Hero on AI vs the human touch in accounting at the Festival of Accountants and Bookkeepers - Smith argues the human touch is crucial for customer service and empathy while Greene emphasises AI's potential for efficiency and insights   - Both agree AI can streamline repetitive tasks but human oversight is still needed - Attendees question how AI will evolve and what to consider when choosing software - Smith...