As 2025 winds down, I’ve been reflecting on the insights I’ve gained from three main sources:
- Over 60 accountants I’ve interviewed for the Accountants’ Success Secrets podcast
- Dozens of conversations with members of my online Sole Practice Club
- Hundreds of accountants I’ve spoken with over the years — including many I’ve mentored 1-2-1
Here are 25 things I now know for sure — the kind of truths that keep showing up time and again:
- Most accountants only reach out after months (or years) of quietly struggling. Better late than never.
- The ones who want instant impact? Who think I can wave a magic wand to change things for them? They never become the right kind of mentoring client
- The best mentoring clients don’t just talk — they reflect, try things out, and take action.
- Growth isn’t the real goal for most. What they really want is clarity, confidence and calm.
- Letting go of the wrong clients creates more freedom than winning new ones ever will.
- People-pleasing has a hidden cost — and most accountants underestimate it
- The quietest accountants often make the biggest shifts, once they get going.
- Many don’t realise how good they are… until someone neutral tells them.
- A lot of brilliant accountants struggle to explain their value — until we work on it together.
- Some say they want bigger clients… despite their website screaming “we love start-ups!”
- The most useful mentoring sessions often have no agenda — just space to talk.
- Accountants love the idea of structure, but often prefer freestyle sessions in practice.
- The most common regret I hear? “I wish I’d come to you sooner.”
- The biggest truth some avoid? You can’t be everything to everyone. And you don’t have to be.
- Younger accountants tend to be more willing to ask for help than older ones.
- Practical steps beat vague goals. Every time.
- The best clients take action between calls. The rest explain why they couldn’t.
- I never mind when a client asks for a quick call between sessions. But they rarely do.
- The biggest reward? Seeing accountants become more confident, more selective — and more themselves.
- Some feel stuck because they’ve built a practice they never actually wanted.
- Others don’t realise how much their mindset is holding them back — until they shift it.
- Many think they need a marketing plan. What they actually need is a positioning reset.
- Confidence doesn’t come from having all the answers. It comes from backing yourself anyway.
- The most powerful change starts with being honest — with yourself.
- Sometimes, just one supportive conversation can make all the difference.
Here’s a message I received last week from an accountant I worked with for a few weeks at the start of 2025:
“You are an inspiration, and thanks to you, I rebuilt my confidence.
I listened to your podcasts with tears in my eyes, and I can only imagine others feel the same.
What you created is exceptional, and I would love to come back to you in the new year for a few more sessions.
Have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year! As I know and feel, you will have an amazing time. You have a big, good heart, and that’s what matters most.”
It really made my day. My month in fact!
If you’ve been thinking about asking for help for a while…
This might be your sign to stop waiting.
I’m here when you’re ready.
