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On Friday 21 September at Hi-Sense Arena, Melbourne in front of a crowd of my some of my closest friends and colleagues, I was honoured, humbled and totally overwhelmed to be announced as MYOB Certified Consultants of the Year for 2018 along with my dear friend Debra Anderson from Anderson Tax & Consulting.

Firstly, I need to make mention of 3 very special people in my life who have been by my side every step of my business journey, my gorgeous daughter Brodie and my wonderful parents Anne-Marie and Frank Osborne; without your unwavering love and support over the last 20 or so years this award would not be possible.

Today, Sunday 30 September 2018, would have been my husband Ian’s 60th birthday, so I feel its only fitting that I dedicate this award to his memory and our love and to Brodie, Mum and Dad, no words can ever adequately say thank you and a paragraph in a blog post seems insufficient for everything you have done and continue to do for me.  I love you to the moon and beyond xx.

To all the staff both current and past at MYOB, who have supported me in supporting my clients and all my crazy ideas, thank you from the bottom of my heart.  You know who you are and trying to name you all would inevitably lead me to miss someone important!!

When my name was announced, my mind drained of any coherent thought and I was totally lost for words (which is very unusual for me) and very emotional (which isn’t!) and for the last week or so I have been trying to organise my thoughts to be able to acknowledge just what this very special recognition means to me.  I’m still having a lot of trouble articulating how I feel and what this means, so I thought perhaps my response to the first question of the nomination submission would give some insight into what this award and more broadly the impact of my partnership with this outstanding technology company MYOB has had and continues to have on my life.

What does being an MYOB Certified Consultant mean to you, and to your clients?

Being an MYOB Certified Consultant means I have the influence to make a difference. I’ve been able to make a difference in my and my family’s quality of life; a difference in my clients’ lives, solving their problems; a difference in my industry with my time, skills, education, advocacy and experience; and a difference in my community, getting involved. I can do work that changes how people feel and live – work that makes a difference.

For my clients, me being an MYOB Certified Consultant means I’m a trusted partner in their business. I have the skills and expertise to deliver results; I have the solutions to maximise impact and minimise burdens. For them, it means a recognised national brand delivered by a local specialist. Partnering with MYOB provides me with software, solutions, support, education and resources to ensure I have the knowledge and skills to deliver first-class results to meet their needs. It means I’m a member of a community of professionals who collaborate and provide support, assistance and friendship to their peers, as well as quality client referrals.

MYOB is a powerful platform on which to build and market my business. It gives me opportunities to learn, to self-educate, to collaborate and add value to not only my clients but also the bookkeeping industry. I’ve had access to beta testing and feedback which provides me with early access to GTM features. I’ve then been able to identify clients that will suit these features, who will become more effective and efficient in their own businesses. I’ve had learning opportunities with many other software partners, such as Addon solutions, providing an entire ecosystem of solutions that benefit my clients.

To me, being an MYOB Certified Consultant also means friendship. I have made some long-lasting and beautiful friendships with other consultants who have supported me through some very difficult times. In turn, I have been there for others who are also going through their own troubles. Being an MYOB Certified Consultant nurtures my passion for helping small business owners realise their dreams and goals. It fuels my drive to ensure the bookkeeping industry remains vibrant and relevant. It supports the core values of my business. My focus is and always will be on providing the most appropriate solution for my clients based on their needs, and MYOB enables me to do that every day.