Humanise The Numbers - for ambitious accountants in practice

Hosted by Paul Shrimpling

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Episodes

169

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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EN-GB

About the show

Welcome to the 'Humanise The Numbers' podcast series. Here you'll find a whole series of interviews with the leaders of accounting firms who are building (or have already built) a firm of the future now! You'll hear key insights, key skills and key habits that underpin the success of these firms. Insights, skills and habits that can underpin your firm's future success too. It seems that when an accountancy firm connects their team and their clients to the numbers that really matter to them they transform the results for everyone. This is accelerated when the humanity of the way they work shines through too. That's why we're talking about ambitious accountants humanising the numbers.Here's what a director of a multi-partner multi-national firm said recently ."What I like about your podcasts is that they are real. They are not scripted and I appreciate the fact that your interviewees admit they don’t have all the answers but are willing to let you put that fact out on a podcast. It is what is going on at the front lines of great small accounting practices. I have now listened to about half of them, I intend listening to them all as each one just has a nugget that I am writing down to see if I can use in our practice at some stage."

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 9, 202653 min

Elaine Godley of The DISCPlus Academy

Can you begin to imagine what it's like to have been given a Stage 4 cancer diagnosis, then to beat that diagnosis, not just once, but twice, through an awareness of the link between behaviour and health? In our latest podcast, Elaine Godley of The DISCPlus Academy shares the insights and knowledge acquired from over 40 years of experience in professional services, including accountancy and legal. More recently, Elaine has been exploring behavioural analysis and the impact of behaviour on our health. And let me tell you, it's an inspiring tale. We cover a range of topics in this podcast, including what it's like to work in professional services, the stresses and strains that it causes on our health, and the ability to self-manage, improving our outlook and being our authentic selves at work. Please go to humanisethenumbers.online or to your favourite podcast platform to listen to this fascinating conversation.Scroll down the podcast’s episode page for Elaine’s contact information and for the additional downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

June 9, 202654 min

Nathasha Frangos of HaysMac

It's rare to find a firm with 650 people and just two offices that is still privately owned – the sort of firm that private equity firms would give their right arm for. It was therefore a great privilege to welcome Natasha Frangos of HaysMac onto the podcast. Natasha shares what's behind their 65% organic growth in the last four years, their sector-specific strategies, their commitment to and progression of their team, and their level of team engagement. So why not go and dive into the podcast discussion with Natasha from HaysMac at your favourite podcast platform or at HumaniseTheNumbers.online.Please scroll down the podcast’s episode page for the contact information for Natasha and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

May 25, 20261 hr 15 min

Amy Spillard and John Toon from HLB Global

In a world where technology, and AI in particular, is becoming ever more dominant, it makes sense to investigate and delve into how the interrelation between the adoption of technology and how it works for your team and for your clients is relevant to you and your firm. In this podcast with John Toon and Amy Spillard from HLB, the global accounting network, we discussed the importance of understanding that anything to do with innovation around technology becomes a process of leading and managing change. Amy, John, and I unpack their experiences of working with different fintech companies, and with different technologies, and how they've made it work across HLB and the other firms that they had previously worked for. If you're interested in working out how to implement better, faster, deeper technology innovation in your firm, check out this podcast at HumaniseTheNumbers.online, or go to your favourite podcast platform and seek out the podcast with Amy and John from HLB. Please scroll down the podcast’s episode page for the contact information for Amy and John and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

May 25, 20261 hr 9 min

Stacey Barr of PUMP Academy

As a leader or manager interested in achieving sustainable long-term success, you undoubtedly need to take KPI performance – Key Predictive or Key Performance Indicators – seriously, so that you can achieve what you want to achieve. In this podcast discussion with Stacey Barr of Pump Academy, Stacey unpacks some simple – but key – practical ways of improving your ability to identify and measure the right KPIs in such a way that you’ll be able to attain great team buy-in. This is crucial as, if the team haven’t bought in, it doesn't matter what KPIs you've put in place, it isn’t going to work well. I would heartily recommend that any accountant, leader or manager in an accountancy firm who wants to achieve sustainable success for their team, their firm, and their clients, because the KPI conversation is absolutely a numbers conversation your clients would appreciate – check out this podcast discussion with Stacey Barr of Pump Academy. The podcast is available at humanisethenumbers.online, or you can go to your favourite podcast platform and seek out the Humanise the Numbers podcast with Stacey Barr.Please scroll down the podcast’s episode page for the contact information for Stacey and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

May 6, 20261 hr 14 min

Georgi Rollings, Co-CEO & Founder at Starfish Accounting

No doubt you want to feel a sense of pride about the way you and your team work – a sense of satisfaction that the work you do generates the results you want financially for the firm and for yourself, as well as delivering brilliantly for your clients. What's clear in this podcast discussion with Georgi Rollings of Starfish Accounting is Georgi's pride in the firm she and her co-owner have created – but there’s also sense of humility around how there's more to learn going forward. When you achieve fees per FTE that Georgi and the team have managed there – which are healthy, but with room improvement, for sure – you can see that there's a commercial, practical edge to what Georgi and her team are doing. And you can see the humanity around how she and the team make it work so that they feel a sense of pride, they feel it's an enjoyable place to work – and it delivers the results. If you'd like to dive into this podcast with Georgi Rollings, simply go to HumaniseTheNumbers.online or to your favourite podcast platform. Please scroll down the podcast’s episode page for the contact information for Georgi and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

May 6, 20261 hr 12 min

Neil Campbell of Pure Path Advisory

I suspect that every one of your business clients seeks to work with you and your firm because you bring a dose of good business sense to everything you do with them. Yes, there's accounts. Yes, there's tax. Yes, there’s audit and other accountancy services that you provide but, ultimately, their reason for working with you is connected with more than just the services. It's connected with the way you help them feel that they've got a better, safer future – for themselves and their business, their families, their team, and their clients. In my discussion with Neil Campbell about sustainability, I was able to see, all of a sudden, how important that subject is, because it makes good business sense. If you want one or two very simple, very practical frameworks around which to form a sustainability conversation with every one of your clients, a conversation that's got a practical edge to it, that raises the bar in the way they trust you, then seek out this Humanise The Numbers podcast with Neil Campbell. Please scroll down the podcast’s episode page for the contact information for Neil and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

April 8, 20261 hr 10 min

Dominic Ashley-Timms, Speaker, CEO and Author of The Answer is a Question

One of the most influential and, I think, most important books I've read in recent times is The Answer is a Question, by Dominic Ashley-Timms. It’s important because it lays out a clear pathway to transforming the quality of conversations across your team.Arguably, it influences how you're going to raise the bar in terms of the conversations with your clients as well. If you listen in to this podcast discussion with Dominic, you're likely to walk away with insights and ideas that could save you and everyone who is in a management role in your firm a time saving of somewhere between 20% and 40%, which is, by the way, what Dominic suggests is more than likely. So, please seek out this Remarkable Practice: Humanise the Numbers podcast at HumaniseTheNumbers.online, and scroll down the podcast’s episode page for the contact information for Dominic and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

March 27, 202655 min

Martin Wardle of TH Ward

What persuaded Martin Wardle to give up a partnership in one of the fastest growing firms in the Northeast to start his own business, not in general accountancy, but as a specialist tax boutique focusing only on tax returns. What were the triggers for that event happening? In the course of this podcast with Martin Wardle of TH WARD, we cover a lot of ground, including the pace of technology and where Martin sees the future of accountancy going. He also tells some great stories about the significant impacts he's had on clients that he's worked with over the years, and he shares a lot about what he's learned, both about himself and about the profession. This is one not to miss. If you can, join us at HumaniseTheNumbers.online or wherever you get your podcasts. Please scroll down the podcast’s episode page for the contact information for Martin and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

March 20, 202656 min

Derek Granger of Aris Growth

Given the current pace of technology, how can you know how it will impact your firm?Well, you obviously can't know for sure, but isn't it good to get an insider's viewpoint on how technology will change things? In this podcast with Derek Granger of Aris Growth, Derek talks about where he works and how he sees the changes coming through into today’s firms, changes that will have a significant impact, not only on recruitment and training, but also on fundamental work practices. To hear more about technology and to listen in to a wide-ranging conversation where we discussed private equity and the importance of soft skills in accountancy, go to HumaniseTheNumbers.online or wherever you get your podcasts.Please scroll down the podcast’s episode page for the contact information for Derek and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

February 27, 202654 min

Luke Farren of The Modern Firm

When we discuss technology in relation to accounting, it seems that there has been a rapid pace of change with technology for years now, and it's only accelerating. And with the advancements in artificial intelligence, perhaps the speed of change will accelerate even more. When I interviewed Luke Farren of The Modern Firm recently on the podcast, I felt that Luke's comments about why accounting needs shaking up are certainly worth a listen. To hear more, join me and Luke at HumaniseTheNumbers.online or wherever you get your podcasts. Please scroll down the podcast’s episode page for the contact information for Luke and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.