...and sometimes that means water slides.
The past few weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind! I’ve spoken at Accountex, attended SXSW, been up to my ears in testing ICB's new tech stack, and even thrown myself down a water slide or two. Somewhere in the middle of all that, I started thinking more seriously about how to balance excitement about what's next with staying grounded in what's happening now.
Of course that’s exactly what we’ll be doing at the Bookkeepers Summit on 17 November. This year’s event is about supporting bookkeepers to feel confident, inspired and future-ready, and we’re now officially open for speaker submissions. Whether you’re a tech whizz, a people-first team, or someone quietly changing the game in your own corner of the world, we’d love to hear from you.
When I went to SXSW earlier this week, with its 900+ speakers and unique conference-in-a-festival feel, it was partly to keep an eye on what’s coming next. Agentic AI and the like, we're not talking future trends, this is happening. But I love that it's given us all another reason to shout about the value of human connection, insight and care, because that’s where bookkeepers shine.
At Accountex, I spent most of my sessions encouraging accountants to work with bookkeepers instead of around them. When accountants and bookkeepers work together with mutual respect and clearly defined roles, clients win. The message is simple: you need to work with bookkeepers or work like bookkeepers to handle MTD IT. Digital bookkeeping is no longer a game-changing luxury for the enlightened few, it's a legal imperative for all MTD-mandated taxpayers. Someone asked me what role bookkeepers play in an increasingly tech-driven future, and I said (something along the lines of....):
“Bookkeepers do more than keep the books - they keep businesses on track. Their care for clients and attention to detail are exactly what’s needed to ensure businesses thrive and technology delivers today and tomorrow. And frankly, if anyone can wield the tech wisely and keep AI bots and agents in line, it’s the experts already keeping businesses and their most important data in line.”
The future may seem like it's rushing towards us (how is it already June!?) but as the Buddhists say, 'There is only now.' This is something I think we know intuitively but it's easy to forget when we hang on to the past and over-plan the future. I feel it most when I take a step back from the busy work and close my laptop for long enough to actually be somewhere.
And over half term, that somewhere was with my kids. No email. No Teams. No homework. Just water slides, late breakfasts, a visit to the London Zoo, and some spomtaneous dancing sessions in the kitchen. It was much-needed and luscious.
So here’s my message for June:
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The future belongs to bookkeepers but it's what you do right now that matters most.
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Don't let trying to be perfect get in the way of being present.
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If you’re thinking about putting yourself forward to speak at the Summit, don’t overthink it. This is your moment!
Here's to shaping the future of bookkeeping together, starting right now.
