The venue practically is a mini Hawaii. The location is very tropical, and the weather is sunny here in California. The conference has a coastal feel as it is very spacious and easy to walk around. There are so many familiar faces, but the refreshing part of this new conference is new faces to get to know.
So many people from Australia and Canada are here.
The atmosphere is intimate with a small gathering of people. They are people who actually know and understand this industry that we all love, which makes it so easy to jump right into conversations and make new connections.
The atmosphere is an intimate small gathering. Instead of doing that thing where you have to spend time explaining the industry, this group already is established, which makes it easy to jump into a conversation.
Main Stage
The keynote speaker for Tuesday’s Main Stage presentation was Jina Etienne from Etienne Consulting, and the title was "Authenticity Sells: Who You Are Can Change Your Business." Her presentation was very insightful and offered great resources.
She offered a great resource, a book called "The Trusted Advisor," which I now have in my Amazon cart. It is a reference for learning how to be a good advisor rather than offering good advice.
As accountants, we get to hear how the business operates. We are trusted to offer advice and shouldn't be free. Our industry sees intimate details of the companies we help. Here is a LINK to the trust equation.
She pointed out that we have five strengths as an authentic advisory leaders:
- Strength
- Unique
- Personality
- Energy (signature strength, your impression)
- Story (part of your brand)
So the question that follows is: What is your story? Example: ("I'm an accountant as a professional, but that is only part of what I do"). It is vital that we stay consistent in those strengths and who we are.
Accountants are the last mile
One of my favorite quotes of today is from Liz Mason, "The accountants are the last mile." She presented on behalf of Xero during the main stage opening. She shared her experience as a new accountant utilizing technology to better the ROI on the work performed for the firm.
For example, a lactation robot would not be a personal experience for a new mother. People need humans to interact with and share thoughts, concerns, and even victories. The same is true for accounting and bookkeeping firms. Our clients need a compassionate person to deliver, interpret data and listen to clients.
Overall, this experience has been a blast. Stay tuned for more updates and juicy information from AccountingWeb’s first-ever Live Summit, including next year's plans for AccountingWeb.
Liz Scott is a multi-business entrepreneur working to bring together technology and accountants through her business, Liz Scott Consulting. A member of Intuit Trainer/Writer Network, she authored and taught Master level courses, including Advisory Guides and Consulting Tools for Accountants. In addition to Liz Scott Consulting, she also owns Accounting Lifeline, a firm to serve small businesses with their financial needs. Liz is a co-host of the "Appy Hour," which helps other accountants learn about the different tools and apps for small business needs. Holding a high passion for real estate investment, she owns properties throughout Oklahoma.
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