Heart of the Bookkeeper

Heart of the Bookkeeper – Episode 50 (Milestone Edition) Celebrate a major milestone with the 50th episode of Heart of the Bookkeeper ! In this special release, we go global as we welcome Ami Copeland, CEO of ICB UK , to the show. As ICB Australia marks its 20-year journey and the UK has its own major milestone to enjoy, Ami takes us back to where it all began—sharing her inspiring path into bookk...

In this inspiring episode, host Rob Marshall sits down with Melbourne-based rising star Grace Occleshaw—who, at just 29, is already making serious waves in the world of Bookkeeping. Starting her current journey at only 18, Grace shares how her deep love of science and mathematics has helped shape her unique approach to financial services, giving her (some could argue) an analytical edge that sets...

NSW-based bookkeeper Darren McMahon is a rare voice in the Australian bookkeeping landscape—one of the few men in an industry where they make up just 10 percent of the community. Yet Darren isn’t just different in that respect; he’s a recognised thought leader whose journey, insights, and lived experience shine throughout this episode. Now at a stage where he’s focused on mentoring, supervising an...

On our first Heart of the Bookkeeper for 2026, we hear from a both inspired and inspirational Bookkeeper from South Australia - Robyn Kelly. Robyn's journey of fighting through her early years of establishing her Bookkeeping practice and overall approach to Bookkeeping, is enlightening and full of some great examples of why surrounding yourself with others who can assist you gainfully with somethi...

South East Queensland / Luca Award winning Bookkeeper, Natasha Stadnikoff is our guest in this episode of Heart of the Bookkeeper. An innovative and now celebrated member of the Australian Bookkeeping community, Natasha (or Tash as she prefers), outlines why she is so passionate about what she does on a daily basis and how that all came about. And for Tash, the spark and interest in Bookkeeping ca...

Andrea Robb is someone who has served her Country in arguably the ultimate way anyone could possibly do. A very early revelation that serving in the Military was something she felt very passionate to want to do, Andrea's journey through this is a fascinating listen as to how that then morphed into her next alliteration of service ... that being to the small business communities around where she no...

Sharon Francisco is a dynamic individual with a very unique approach to Bookkeeping and in fact, life in general. Sharons journey from the "back of Bourke" to the bright lights of some of the World's biggest cities and how she sees life through a positive lens, despite many setbacks and challenges along the way, is inspirational but more importantly instructional and full of lessons learned. This...

This is a remarkable episode of Heart of the Bookkeeper. In the space of two years between 2016 and 2017, todays guest on the Podcast, Hobart based Bookkeeper, Gabrielle Osborne was diagnosed with a melanoma, struggled with severe depression and GAD and then had a daughter hospitalised for mental health reasons. Gabrielle then fractured her spine in 2017 and discovered she suffered from a form of...

Somebody once said - "The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience". This quote well and truly sums up our guest today on Heart of the Bookkeeper. Heather Smith, Bookkeeper and Podcast host based out of Brisbane in Queensland has had countless moments in her Bookkeeping Journey to date, that have indeed...

Being a confident Bookkeeper. If everybody who has ever been a Bookkeeper or is currently on that journey is brutally honest, most would agree that finding the confidence to do so much of what a Bookkeeper is expected of and needs to do, is not as easy as some make it out to be. Our guest today on the Heart of the Bookkeeper is brutally honest of the struggle for her to reach the point of confiden...

Episode 40 of Heart of the Bookkeeper allows us to tap into one of the most experienced and respected Bookkeepers in Australia - Marie Whitson from Mybiz Connexion in Adelaide, South Australia. Marie explains how a violent and abusive upbringing, transposed itself into an amazing and fruitful journey through later life including her discovery of a love for Bookkeeping and how that has helped her t...

We kick off 2025 with a bang with our first guest of the New Year - Roslyn Van Welie of Curly Girl Numbers, based out of Perth in Western Australia. Roslyn is a very experienced Bookkeeper and has encountered much of what Bookkeeping can throw at anyone in various situations across an extensive and diverse journey, that has taken her to multiple locations and business environments across the natio...

Do you remember why you first fell in love with Bookkeeping and being so passionate about becoming a Bookkeeper. Or perhaps you are new to Bookkeeping and need some inspiration. This episode of Heart of the Bookkeeper may well just remind many of you of why Bookkeeping can be full of joy and excitement and why you can still jump out of bed each day proclaiming - I love being a Bookkeeper. Tanya Va...

Dianne Green from Green Bookkeeping Solutions in Melbourne is the guest in this episode of Heart of the Bookkeeper. Dianne (despite her last name being a different colour) sees bookkeeping in Black & White, two colours that have also been important in her life in moments outside of her Bookkeeping journey. Dianne believes that bookkeeping data entry should only be a very small part of the joy...

Cassandra Scott has been a constant in the Australian Bookkeeping scene for over 20 years and is now recognised as a leading voice when it comes to so many things impacting on the Bookkeeping Industry in Australia. Cassandra has in many ways, had to fight her natural instincts to shy away and just go along quietly over the years and yet, her vast experiences and intensive views on how important Bo...

Most Bookkeepers face challenges on a daily basis and it is the resilience of Bookkeepers that shines through regularly across Australia, whether that be in the large cities or towns, or way out in the bush. Our guest in this episode, Krystal Merrett, is one of those Bookkeepers who's challenges each day can vary in so many ways, mostly due to the extreme remoteness of her location. Imagine having...

Professional Bookkeeper Nicole Sweeny from regional South Australia, and owner of Revolution Consulting, is our guest in this episode of Heart of the Bookkeeper. Gaining an appreciation for Small Business at a very young age, assisting her Grandpa amongst the dirt and grease of a mechanics shop, Nicole almost from the start knew that her calling would come eventually in her own time to Small Busin...

Often, for those in business, finding self value and worth can be a great challenge, one that can lead down a number of pathways. This episode explores the learnings of someone who has confronted those challenges in business (and in life more generally) and has learned to believe in themselves along the way and to forgive what they don't know. Jo Tindale is the owner of In Control Bookkeeping, bas...

It would be safe to say that a large percentage of Australia (and the Worlds) population, do not dream of becoming a Bookkeeper as an occupation. Renae Petersen originally from Taranaki in New Zealand and now based in Melbourne Australia, is not one of those people. In fact, Renae was thinking Bookkeeping from a lot younger age than most and made sure that at every turn over the past few decades,...

Highly experienced and well respected Bookkeeper, Elizabeth Haverfield from Bookkeeping and Consulting firm, Lime Results in Melbourne Victoria, is our guest today on Heart of the Bookkeeper. Having been and around the Bookkeeping Industry for over 25 years and still going strong, Elizabeth brings a wealth of insights and revelations to this episode that will have you reaching for the notebook and...

How do you know if Bookkeeping is something that you could learn to love and want to do and be a part of, in your every day? Well, this episode is one that you will want to listen to and discover the answer to that question. Ness Hartge from regional NSW is our guest on this episode of Heart of the Bookkeeper and is the owner of "In Order Business Solutions". The journey of Ness is one of somewhat...

Pam Taylor has seen both ends of the spectrum as a Bookkeeper. After being described as a "Trailblazer" by colleagues when she first entered the world of Bookkeeping at a very young age, suddenly thrust into a very male dominated environment and practice, Pam soon discovered challenges and adversity that led to her requiring a "starting again" phase and a season of rebuilding. Pam currently is the...

"Women can do anything" is a motto often used by Sandies Menzies, Gold Coast Bookkeeper and co-owner of Australian Bookkeeping franchise success story, Shoebox Bookkeeping and Tax. And it is in this episode that you will come to understand why Sandie uses that statement with such confidence these days, because this episode is one of undeniable and intense adversity that required strength and resol...

Debbie Roberts is a Bookkeeper, an author, an entrepreneur and in many peoples eyes, simply an inspiration in the Bookkeeping Community of Australia. Debbie has ridden the high points and the low points of Bookkeeping for more than 3 decades and in this episode, we get to hear that journey with so many lessons learned and takeaways. The inspiration of Debbies Mum shines through, who almost single...

"Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I'll show you someone who has overcome adversity." This is the quote of someone who clearly understood our guest in this episode of Heart of the Bookkeeper, Natalie Drazil, owner of NJD Bookkeeping based in Adelaide, South Australia. Natalie has had to do things often "the hard way" as she has balanced challenges in her life whilst trying to...