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The Connected Accountant

The Connected Accountant

Written by: Wayne Findlay Talila Kroy Ian Aldridge
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 The Connected Accountant is the essential podcast for accounting firm partners, directors, and business managers who want to grow their practice, increase profitability, and achieve freedom through strategic partnerships. Featuring three industry experts – Talila Kroy (partnerships and business growth specialist), Wayne Findlay (offshoring pioneer and chartered accountant), and Ian Aldridge (progressive lawyer working alongside accountants) – each episode explores how accountants can transform their practices through embedded partnerships. What makes this podcast different: Unlike other accounting podcasts that focus solely on technical skills or technology, The Connected Accountant addresses the fundamental shift happening in professional services: the move from transactional compliance work to becoming true trusted advisors through strategic collaboration. You'll hear from experts who have built successful businesses and helped hundreds of firms do the same. What you'll discover: • How to build a structured partnership ecosystem with 7-8 strategic partners who deliver consistent referrals • The three freedoms framework: achieving wealth, time, and stress-free living • Breaking down traditional barriers between accountants, lawyers, and other professionals • Creating seamless client experiences that strengthen relationships and increase retention • Practical strategies for scaling your practice without burnout • Real stories and proven systems from professionals who've done it themselves • How to solve capacity issues through smart partnerships and offshoring • Becoming the trusted advisor your clients need. About the expert panellists: Talila Kroy is the founder of emple and a partnerships expert who has built her career on the power of strategic alliances. After overcoming tremendous personal challenges, she discovered that what you can't achieve alone, you can accomplish with aligned partners. Through Emple's Partner Suitcase program, she helps accounting and advisory firms build partner ecosystems that deliver ideal clients consistently. Wayne Findlay is CEO and co-founder of The Back Room, a chartered accountant who built a successful practice in New Zealand with his brother Scott before pioneering an offshoring model. As an early partner of Xero and cloud technology, Wayne understands firsthand the power of partnerships and also the pressures accountants face. Today, The Back Room helps 150+ accounting firms across Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and the US achieve the "three freedoms" - wealth, time, and stress-free living. Ian Aldridge is Principal and Founder of Progressive Legal, a NewLaw firm that has advised over 5,000 businesses in the last 10 years. After 20 years practising law in Australia and the UK, Ian became disillusioned with how legal services were being delivered to small businesses - either wrong, too expensive, or both. He founded Progressive Legal to work alongside accountants rather than against them, creating seamless experiences for clients through collaboration. Episode format: Each 30-minute episode features panel discussions, real-world case studies, and actionable strategies you can implement immediately in your practice. Co-hosted by Anthony Perl, the conversations are practical, insightful, and focused on helping you build a thriving practice. Release schedule: New episodes every two weeks. A Partner Alchemy Podcast for Thought Leaders, produced through a joint venture between emple and Podcasts Done For You, bringing partnership thinking to life. Produced by: https://podcastsdoneforyou.com.au and co-hosted by Anthony PerlA Partner Alchemy Podcast for Thought Leaders, produced through a joint venture between emple and Podcasts Done For You, bringing partnership thinking to life. Economics Education Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Being Intentional with Partnerships: From Random Networking to Systemised Partnership Plans

    Being Intentional with Partnerships: From Random Networking to Systemised Partnership Plans
    May 1 2026
    Most accountants have been told to build partnerships. Almost none of them know what to actually do on a Monday morning.The advice is everywhere — partnerships are your big rock, partnerships are the growth lever, go and build some partnerships. But when the room empties and the week starts, what does that actually look like? Talila Kroy, Wayne Findlay, and Ian Aldridge have all built their businesses through intentional, systemised partnerships — and the gap between what they're doing and what most accountants are doing is significant.There's a reason referral clients convert at 80% while cold leads sit at 20%. There's a reason some firms attract clients who pay on time, respect their staff, and act on advice — while others are stuck managing difficult relationships that drain morale and headspace. It starts with one thing, and it's not networking harder.The panel also gets into two new tools that are about to remove every excuse accountants have ever had for not doing this properly — and why, as AI takes over the transactional work, the one thing it still can't do may be the most valuable thing an accountant has left.KEY LEARNINGSThe Monday morning problem — why every business coach says "build partnerships" but almost no-one tells you what that actually means when the week startsThe 80/20 reality — the conversion rate gap between referral clients and cold leads is not a small difference, and Ian's experience reveals why it existsThe Partner Suitcase — Talila's systemised approach takes partnerships from vague intention to a structured process, but the starting point isn't what most people expectJerry — Wayne's new white-label software tool is designed to be offered through accounting partnerships, and the reason it could change how accountants position themselves is worth understandingInPartner — Talila's platform is being described as the HubSpot for partnerships, and what it does to the bottlenecks most firms quietly struggle with is worth a closer lookThe accountant-lawyer problem — Ian explains why 200 years of friction between accountants and lawyers has been doing real damage to clients, and what it takes to actually change itWhat AI still can't do — the lateral thinking and proactive relationship-building that distinguishes great accountants from replaceable ones isn't a soft skill anymoreKEY QUOTES"Almost every business coach I've ever met has on their thing, 'You should build partnerships.' But what do you actually do on a Monday morning? How do you do that?" — Talila Kroy"The clients that came from referral partners were just so much higher quality — easier to work with, pay our bills on time, respectful to our staff, listen to our advice, take our advice, and act on it. The conversion rate was sort of 80% as we worked out instead of 20%." — Ian AldridgeRoundtable EventsInformation, including registration details, for Roundtable events for Accountants: https://thebackroomop.com/thepartnershipeffect Panelist Information:Talila Kroy - EmpleWebsite: emple.com.au LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/talila-kroy Specialisation: Building partner ecosystems for fast-growing businessesWayne Findlay - The Back RoomWebsite: thebackroomop.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/waynenz Specialisation: Offshoring solutions for accounting firmsIan Aldridge - Progressive LegalWebsite: progressivelegal.com.au LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ianaldridge1 Specialisation: NewLaw firm for growing Australian businessesProduction:Co-host - Anthony Perl - Podcasts Done For YouWebsite: podcastsdoneforyou.com.au LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/adperl/
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    27 mins
  • Has the client changed? Have you?

    Has the client changed? Have you?
    Apr 16 2026
    Episode Summary:In this episode, we tackle the fundamental shift in client expectations and whether accounting professionals are evolving quickly enough to meet them. I am joined by our regular panel, Talila Kroy from Emple, Wayne Findlay from The Back Room, and Ian Aldridge from Progressive Legal, to explore the intersection of technology, relationship management, and strategic partnerships.We examine how the rise of AI tools like Claude and their integration into platforms like Xero are creating new opportunities for accountants to move from compliance to proactive advisory. The discussion highlights the danger of relying on passive communication, such as newsletters, and emphasises the need for a structured rhythm in client and partner outreach. We also look at the power of visualising business structures to build trust and clarity for clients who are often overwhelmed by complexity.What You'll Learn:Why a monthly newsletter is failing as a relationship tool?How AI integration in Xero is opening doors for added value?Why visual diagrams are the secret weapon for client trust?How one introduction can add millions to a client's business sale?Why you need to categorise your partners into tiers?How to free yourself from admin to focus on strategic growth?What is the 80/20 rule of referral partnerships?How to move from accidental networking to a strategic system?Key Takeaways:1. Technology as a Lever. Utilising AI tools allows accountants to automate compliance and focus on high-value advisory work that clients actually want.2. Proactive Relationship Management. Real relationships require a consistent rhythm of contact and genuine care, moving beyond automated emails to personal check-ins.3. The Power of the Ecosystem. No accountant can be an expert in everything, so building a trusted network of tier one partners is essential for delivering total solutions.4. Visual Clarity. Using diagrammatic representations helps clients understand their own business structures, which significantly enhances the advisor's perceived value.5. Strategic Partnership Systems. Treating partnerships as a formal process with clear value propositions and regular reviews ensures a consistent flow of high-quality referrals.Notable Quotes:Most people say they are relationship driven, but how? How are you relationship driven by sending a newsletter every month? That is not a relationship. - Ian AldridgeYou can't do everything yourself. And so the power of giving clients more when the clients change is actually being able to introduce the right people at the right time. - Talila KroyIf you could position yourself, especially as an accountant, that you're an AI expert, or you know the tools you can help your client and showcase what you can do, there's a lot of opportunities. - Wayne FindlayPartnerships are never still, they're either going backwards or they're moving forwards. Like everything in life, they're like a plant. - Talila KroyGuest Information:Talila Kroy - Emple (emple.com.au, linkedin.com/in/talila-kroy)Wayne Findlay - The Back Room (thebackroomop.com, linkedin.com/in/waynenz)Ian Aldridge - Progressive Legal (progressivelegal.com.au, linkedin.com/in/ianaldridge1)Roundtable Events: https://thebackroomop.com/thepartnershipeffect EMPB EP5Production: Co-host - Anthony Perl - Podcasts Done For You (podcastsdoneforyou.com.au) This is a Partner Alchemy Podcast for Thought Leaders, a joint venture between Emple and Podcasts Done For You.Roundtable EventsInformation, including registration details, for Roundtable events for Accountants: https://thebackroomop.com/thepartnershipeffect Panelist Information:Talila Kroy - EmpleWebsite: emple.com.au LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/talila-kroy Specialisation: Building partner ecosystems for fast-growing businessesWayne Findlay - The Back RoomWebsite: thebackroomop.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/waynenz Specialisation: Offshoring solutions for accounting firmsIan Aldridge - Progressive LegalWebsite: progressivelegal.com.au LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ianaldridge1 Specialisation: NewLaw firm for growing Australian businessesProduction:Co-host - Anthony Perl - Podcasts Done For YouWebsite: podcastsdoneforyou.com.au LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/adperl/
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    31 mins
  • Overcoming the Profit Squeeze: How Partnerships Help Accountants Deliver More Value for Less Effort

    Overcoming the Profit Squeeze: How Partnerships Help Accountants Deliver More Value for Less Effort
    Jan 22 2026
    Episode Summary:In this episode, Talila Kroy, Wayne Findlay, and Ian Aldridge tackle the profit squeeze facing accounting firms head-on. Since COVID, professional services have seen a relentless race to the bottom, with clients shopping purely on price. Discover how strategic partnerships offer accountants a path to escape price competition, attract better clients, and future-proof their practices against AI disruption.What You'll Learn:Why the last five years have seen a race to the bottom in professional services and how to escape itWhy price-shopping clients are your worst clients and how to avoid attracting themHow to use partnership marketing through workshops, events, and shared databasesWhy clients referred by partners are far less likely to haggle over feesHow AI will create another race to the bottom and why partnerships protect youHow offshoring creates capacity for senior staff to focus on high-value advisory workWhy personal partnerships are essential for surviving the next 5-10 years of disruptionKey Takeaways:Clients referred by trusted partners are far less likely to negotiate fees because trust has been transferredPartnership marketing through workshops and events gives you access to thousands of targeted prospects at minimal costAI will create another wave of price competition, making personal partnerships even more critical for protectionOffshoring lower-level work creates capacity for senior accountants to focus on high-value advisory servicesHaving 20-50 businesses continually referring work provides stability that marketing alone cannot deliverNotable Quotes:"The more personal partnerships we can create, the more we've got a chance of not just surviving the next five to 10 years, but also thriving." - Ian Aldridge"If you're an accountant and you want to stand out, have a workshop and use your partners to promote that workshop on your behalf." - Wayne Findlay"Our job is to be the very best, to provide the very highest quality of service and to showcase that to our partners so that they're so delighted with the results that we get their clients, that they just keep giving us clients." - Talila Kroy"The clients that we've found that have come through from referral partners are far less likely to haggle over fees. They've been told by their accountant, 'Hey, you need to go and see Ian and get this stuff done,' and they just go ahead and do it." - Ian Aldridge"If you're getting referrals because you're the lowest price, then you need to talk to the people that are referring to you and say, 'Don't send me those people.'" - Wayne FindlayResources Mentioned:The Back Room Growth Calculator (thebackroomop.com) - helps firms design their future based on compliance versus advisory mixBook: "Someone Has to Be The Most Expensive. Why Shouldn't It Be You?" by Andrew GriffithsPartner Suitcase Program (emple.com.au) - sales enablement for partnership marketingRoundtable EventsInformation, including registration details, for Roundtable events for Accountants: https://thebackroomop.com/thepartnershipeffect Panelist Information:Talila Kroy - EmpleWebsite: emple.com.au LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/talila-kroy Specialisation: Building partner ecosystems for fast-growing businessesWayne Findlay - The Back RoomWebsite: thebackroomop.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/waynenz Specialisation: Offshoring solutions for accounting firmsIan Aldridge - Progressive LegalWebsite: progressivelegal.com.au LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ianaldridge1 Specialisation: NewLaw firm for growing Australian businessesProduction:Co-host - Anthony Perl - Podcasts Done For YouWebsite: podcastsdoneforyou.com.au LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/adperl/
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    29 mins
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