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I’m not gonna lie - I'm super happy right now.
After close to 18 months of conversations, legal documents, dealing with banks and late night conversations with spouses, I am stoked to announce that Mick and Shane have officially joined the ownership team here at Illumin8 – that’s me.
Allowing our team to invest in Illumin8 has always been something we’ve openly talked about here. This business needs far more than myself, and why would I hold back the rewards from those working hard for and on the business?
But talking about it, and actually doing it are two very different things. Very, very different.
Illumin8 isn’t your average accounting business… although it is at the same time. We do the same shit that every other accountant does.
We don’t do crazy financial modelling using AI from a hot air balloon whilst writing our 3rd book on how to make more money whilst being a wanker… but we do:
- Keep people out of jail (lodge tax returns accurately and on time)
- Create story tellers (by looking after clients bookwork so they can read books to their kids at night)
- Provide holidays (by carefully advising on cloud software to give time back to the businesses)
- Make people happier (By understanding what is truly important to them and guiding their business to achieve it)
It’s just the language we use, and the team that uses that language that makes Illumin8 different.
Over the course of the business there have been three good-bad decisions that I have made. When I say good-bad, I mean in my mind it was the right thing to do. Many, Many others disagreed. Be it too risky, not enough experience, not a big enough potential return, a lack in skill set or anything else.
These are the three.
When I was 26 when I made my first good-bad decision. To step out of employment and co-found an accounting business (Illumin8) with only 5k of fees.
Three and a half years later, good-bad decision #2 was to buy out Illumin8’s co-founder - and an all round great guy - from the business. This was made in an afternoon, and followed up with a one night camping trip (and a bottle of whisky).
And now #3. Why on earth would you reduce your equity in a business that is humming along nicely?
Why? Because without good people Illumin8 is nothing. It’s just some noisy bloke in a beard – again, me. I’ve always maintained that Illumin8 is not my business, I’m just the caretaker for the time being whilst the future owners are getting ready. I’m stoked to have the amazing team that we do at Illumin8. It still astounds me that they believe in the vision of where we are going, so much so that they would invest in it for their future.
I consider both Mick and Shane mates, and people that I trust immensely. They are both unique in their own way (good luck seeing Mick jump on any kind of social media), and have made huge impacts on how we serve our clients as well as interact with one another internally.
So - here is cheers to Mick and Shane. Thank you for believing in me over the last few years. For challenging and pushing me at the right moments.
I can’t wait to see where we go from here - I know one thing is for sure. We’ll be working hard, together, to ensure our clients are running businesses that give them joy and freedom.
Peace out!
