Heart of the Bookkeeper

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 came pretty early in life, but as life has a habit of doing, things went in different directions for many years, before a return of the spark of doing the Books reappeared and changed everything. It was to be out of some dark times however, that the flicker of what she could achieve as a Bookkeeper was to come to life and the rest as they say, is history. And what a history it has become. Named Professional Bookkeeper of the Year - Sole Trader 2025 at the Australian ICB Luca Awards held in October of 2025, is testament to how Tash is shaking things up and finding ways to lead the professions she so loves, into a new era and with amazing energy. And then there is the Zoo, the Crocodile and Perky Penny. Now those things alone are worth the listen. We are certain you will enjoy and be inspired listening to the story of Natasha Stadnikoff.

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 now lives and marches to a slightly different beat these days. Lessons learned while in the military and how the toughness and challenges of that choice of life can bring, come through in this episode. This includes how receiving a letter from her Dad (a veteran of the Korean War) gave her a strength and focus when all seemed too hard. The importance of logical thinking and how that may take your thinking in a certain direction at a certain point, only for that same logical thinking process to lead you to recognise that a pivot is needed to allow for the outcome that you are seeking, is a powerful aspect of what you will hear. A freshly cooked Lamb Roast and why Mums and Nana's are so special, get examined in depth, as well as of course why Andrea now can connect and reconcile all of these things in her life to her current passion and love for Bookkeeping. Based out of Brisbane and owner of Bookkeeping practice, Relief Bookkeeping, Andrea gives us a wonderful episode from a wonderful lady and an amazing Bookkeeper.

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 episode delves into the power of conversations that can change a persons thinking and can change an outlook and perspective in a powerful way. The 'pearls of wisdom" aspect of this episode, will not possibly come in the ways that you may think they might. This is a delightfully surprising and insightful story, including how to divorce and still hold hands, what is the golden thread as well as how to discover the importance of understanding your own finances, especially for women. This is but merely a snippet of whats in store in this fabulous episode of Heart of the Bookkeeper.

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 led to a richer experience for her and experiences now that she can share to benefit others. Heather's eager and willing approach to adopting Tech and Apps across many years and often again, well ahead of when much of this was a consideration for most, comes through strongly in this episode and will get you thinking and perhaps reconsidering your current approaches around this. In fact, this whole episode will possibly get you rethinking many aspects of what you do and how you do it. Great insights, wonderful reflections are all part of this episode. Heathers "Accounting Apps Podcast" has been a refreshing approach to helping so many Bookkeepers, Accountants and Business Owners, tap into how to consider so many different ways to look through the lens of compliance, business analysis and business building. Heather discusses her passion for this and how she unpacks this in her Podcast. A great listen, from a experienced and well credentialed Bookkeeper here in Australia.

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 confidence in all that she does. And yet, this episode will reveal the true heart of this Bookkeeper and how she has had to take steps to get to where she desires to be. Michelle Hume from Coolum Beach in Queensland is a wonderful guest in this episode. Purchasing a Bookkeeping business and how that played out, her passion to grow in her business not just increase the size of her business necessarily and what retirement may one day look like for her, are all examined in this episode. Michelle speaks openly about some challenges that she has faced along the way, that many will associate with. Enjoy listening to this delightful interview.

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 to deal with those traumatic early years. Reaching a point in her career where retirement from the Bookkeeping profession may be viewed as very close, Marie outlines why she believes you don't have to pull up stumps fully, just because you are of a certain age. Her telling of this will be quite inspirational for many. Marie's wisdom through a long journey of Bookkeeping shines brightly in this episode as well as some enlightening insights into her life outside Bookkeeping, which includes Mount Everest and the Kakoda Track. This amazing lady will delight and surprise in this episode.

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 nation. Roslyn has come through an era of Bookkeeping that in some cases, the elements of which still exist today, where "being taken seriously" as a Bookkeeper and dealing with negative comments about it being a job that women do because they don't want to do "real work", is examined in this episode. Roslyn's insights into how she dealt with such biases and negativity, are worth the listen alone. Best practice processes, lessons learned along the way and why Bookkeeping keeps continuing to evolve and how to evolve with it, are all covered in this episode and much, much more. Sit back and soak up the fabulous sharing that Roslyn brings to this episode.

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 Vann, the owner of TSM Bookkeeping out of Yeppoon in Queensland, is our guest today in this episode. As a younger Bookkeeper in Australia right now, Tanya explains why she so enjoys the journey of Bookkeeping and her at times unique approach to maintain that joy and reason to keep going in what can be a very challenging profession at times. Navigating motherhood and parenting whilst working, changing towns at a time of uncertainty, working alongside others in a community and how she navigated Covid to build her business as well as her relationship with a very special fellow Bookkeeper, are all found in this episode. And then there is the "Ace in the Pack" story. Please sit back and enjoy the joy, in this episode.