CPDStore

Rachel Harris is disrupting what it means to be an accountant, a business owner and an employer in 2024. She is a TEDx speaker, Forbes contributor, content creator, author, business owner and most importantly... an accountant! As the official accounting personality of the year 2023 & breakout star of the year 2023, Rachel adds value to her audience of 90,000 by creating completely free long and short form content delivering financial education! She is passionate about free financial education for everyone, she is the founder of @accountant_she, her £1m firm striveX accountants, striveX audit, striveX consulting and striveX mortgages.

Grace Hardy started her accounting practice 'Hardy Accounting' at 21 years old after gaining her qualification during her apprenticeship. She has grown her platform and scaled her business using organic social media marketing. She started the 'Unconventional Podcast' to help Gen Z learn accounting, marketing and how to start a business. Hardy now advocates for financial education and speaks about her journey to inspire other young people to start their own businesses.

Alan Sellers has been an accredited Executive Coach for 26 years, helping practices in the financial and legal sectors succeed. He is an established blockchain and digital asset influencer. Alan is the official blockchain and crypto specialist for the London Chamber of Commerce, and the only cryptocurrency and blockchain expert on the Institute of Directors Fintech and Finance Group. His TikTok account provides educational content about cryptocurrency and has over 3.7m views. As Founder of Your Crypto Coach Limited Alan’s vision is to educate as many people as possible about the exciting world of blockchain and crypto in a ‘sound, practical and safe’ way. “Blockchain is how the internet was 30 years ago. I’m not sure people realise what an enormous impact this amazing technology will have on all aspects of their lives. I’ve made it my mission to educate them in a safe and secure way”

Margaret began her career in hospitality management and operated in a number of hotels around the South of England before moving to the North East in her early 20’s. From there she moved into the field of recruitment where she worked with Manpower for 3 years covering a range of disciplines. A change of environment when Margaret took a post with a radio station selling advertising before a move into professional services where she spent 20 years as the marketing manager with a leading regional firm. Starting this role in 1998 was at a time when marketing in accounting firms was quite new and it presented a wonderful range of challenges and opportunities. Margaret developed the role, established & supported commercial relationships, introduced processes and made the department a key selling aspect of the firm by introducing a telemarketing function.

The department grew and this cascaded throughout the firm. An exciting marketing led culture was established and results were achieved through communication internally, service focus and putting in systems to track activity and outcomes.

Throughout her career, Margaret has been involved in relationship building, the development of processes, the joining of people and opportunities as well as passionately bringing a sense of focus towards customer service and the associated rewards.

In 2017, the button was born! Margaret set up her own business with a focus on marketing planning. The vision was to highlight the role of a marketing plan in a business so that business owners could access the very process required to make a difference. Now with an accredited training programme and award winning technology solution, Margaret and her team are striving forward and reaching out to new markets. On a personal note, Margaret enjoys music where she is a singer with a local band, loves time with her children, walking around North Yorkshire as well as a good chat over a cuppa with friends.

Kate Shepherd is a charismatic employment lawyer who specialises in online employment law training and HR consultancy. She trains and advises a diverse set of employers from small and medium sized enterprises to charities, public sector organisations and international companies, as well as taking board level director roles for clients. Prior to establishing her consultancy, Kate Shepherd Associates in 2005, Kate qualified as a solicitor, and practised employment law at a senior level with a leading firm in the Midlands.

Kate is an associate for leading organisations involved in learning and development including the CIPD, Pearson Business School and MBL Seminars and is a published author.

Nick Elston is one of the highest-profile and leading Inspirational Speakers on the Lived Experience of Mental Health.

In life, we can either let our adversities, our challenges, define us negatively for the rest of our lives…or…we can choose for it to forge something beautiful, something powerful – something that never would have existed without you going through your ‘stuff’ in the first place.

Described as a ‘BIG man, BIG heart, BIG story & BRUTAL honesty!’, ‘Utterly inspirational, absolutely engaging!’ and ’10/10 – a Speaking Masterclass!’ – Nick shares his experiences of Mental Illness, Mental Ill-Health & Breakdown worldwide – through his powerful, inspiring, engaging & emotional talks.

Most importantly, Nick shares his ‘Lived Experience’ through insights, tools, tips and techniques on how to manage Anxiety in Life, in Business – to implement immediately.