When It Matters

From Pregnant at 15 to 7-Figure Business Owner

Andrea Richards became pregnant at 15 and was told her future was over. Instead, she became a qualified accountant by 23, built a thriving accountancy practice, survived burnout, scaled a team, and launched a second business helping firms grow. This episode is about resilience, ambition, motherhood, money, and refusing to let your circumstances define you. Andrea shares: 👶 What it was really like becoming a mother at 15 📚 Working full-time while studying at night 🚀 Building a business after redundancy 🔥 Burning out from 18-hour workdays 🏢 Growing Accounts Navigator and launching her latest venture, Eccoux 🧠 The mindset that carried her through it all One of the most inspiring conversations we’ve had on the podcast.

What Business Owners Actually Want From Their Accountant 👆

In this episode, Keeley Walker from Brisan joins Mark Costello to discuss how accounting is evolving beyond compliance — and why clients now expect far more. They cover culture, pricing, advisory services, and the growing gap between traditional firms and modern practices. A must-listen for accountants and business owners looking to understand where the industry is heading.

Grace Hardy and Yvette Fitzhenry on Building Multi Award-Winning Accountancy Firms 🌟

In this episode of When It Matters, Grace Hardy and Yvette Fitzhenry sit down with Mark Costello and Derek Granger to talk about what really happens when you go out on your own. No clients. No audience. No roadmap. Just a decision to start 🚀 They break down:  * What it feels like on day one of self-employment * How to get your first clients from zero * Why social media is changing the game for accountants * The reality of pressure when you lose your salary Building a business that actually supports your life — not the other way around This is a raw, honest look at modern firm building — and why the next generation of accountants are doing things very differently 🙌

Inside the UK’s Most Successful Female-Founded Accountancy Firm

What if everything you think is a “big problem”… isn’t? In this episode, Emma Crawford shares the brutal leadership lessons she learned serving in Afghanistan — and how they shaped her journey to becoming Chief Revenue Officer at one of the UK’s most successful female-founded accountancy firms, Mazuma 💜 From leading under fire to making tough decisions in the boardroom, this is a masterclass in resilience, accountability, and what it really takes to scale a business. 🚀 You’ll learn: * 🧠 Why leadership is NOT about control or authority * 🔥 The mindset shift that changes how you handle pressure * ⚖️ How to make hard decisions (especially with people) * 📈 What scaling actually feels like behind the scenes * ⚡ Why “perfect” doesn’t exist in tech or business This episode is raw, honest, and packed with insights most leaders never talk about. If you’re building, leading, or scaling — this will change how you think.

Bookkeepers Are the Integrators: Ami Copeland on Tech, Trust & the Future of Finance

In this special International Women’s Day episode, we’re joined by Ami Copeland, CEO of the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB). 🎙️ Ami shares her journey from growing up inside a family-founded organisation to leading a global professional body supporting over 150,000 members worldwide — many of them women building flexible, powerful businesses of their own. We talk about: – Why bookkeepers are more than intermediaries — they’re integrators – The power of community in an industry that can feel isolating 🤝 – Tech, AI and why the future of bookkeeping has never looked brighter – Psychological safety, leadership and returning to work with confidence This is an honest, optimistic and forward-looking conversation about respect, credibility and the evolution of the profession. If you’ve ever wondered whether now is the time to step into bookkeeping — this episode might just answer that. 🚀