Xerocon. Part One!

Xerocon. You might have heard this thrown around quite a bit in the past few weeks or so, but what is it and why do we go?  

Well! Xerocon is an annual event held by our friends at Xero. It’s a massive conference that allows accountants from around Australia and the world to gather and talk...accounting stuff...while also having a bit of fun doing it.  

Guest speakers, app gurus and more gather in Sydney during this two-day event, allowing us to go along and bring back a plethora (wow that’s a big describing word marketing guy) of knowledge to you! So, here goes. We sent eight of our crew up to Sydney and this is what they came back with, part one!  

SO, WHAT SESSION OR SPEAKER LEFT THE GREATEST IMPRESSION ON US?

This could go on for far too long and nobody has time to read all of what we could put in here, but there were a few standouts for the team.

One being Kemi Nekvapil.

Firstly, the fact Kemi spoke for 45 minutes in front of 4000 odd accountants and bookkeepers alike without ANY NOTES AT ALL is absolutely mind-blowing right!  

Kemi is a coach, speaker and author and brought some very powerful words to us. She touched on thinking about where you are at now, and where you want to be in the future and coaching yourself to that. Coaching the difference to get you there was something that resonated with our team and something we hope we can pass on to you, our clients. Us coaching and helping you get to where you want to be in business.  

She also spoke on the Seven Principals of a Balance Life. These included body nourishment, self-care, creative expression, joy creation, elevating relationships and community, living into your passion and being purpose focused.  

Coming out of a pandemic, we found this session to be incredibly rewarding and valuable as everyone looks to settle back into business, which has now changed forever for many.

As was the session from Connor McLeod.

Vision impaired, Connor received money for Christmas when he was 12 years old however couldn’t determine how much it was as there was no discernible way of telling the difference. As a 12-year-old, Connor lobbied to the government for to see them create tactile notes for those with vision impairments.  

After being knocked back over the next three years, Connor’s resilience shone through and his lobbying now sees all Australian notes with tactile pieces, giving him and many others the ability to decipher the value of them. It made us think how we went about things when we were 12...we certainly weren't writing to the government that's for sure.

Connor's session really helped us remember, don’t let yourself be put into a box by others or told no. Do what you think is right and do it your way with the right support behind you and the sky is the limit. It was also evident through Connor’s keynote that the level of care in our society has really risen, as has the environmental impact many businesses are now conscious of and looking to improve upon.  

Adam Goodes was also a man with a story that resonated with the team.

It’s well documented what Adam faced towards the back end of his career and how that has shaped him, his culture and how he has embraced that and shared it.  

Goodes now runs a business himself, while also has become a father since his retirement from football and spoke on how that has changed his view on life.  

Resilience is hugely prevalent for him, as is failure. He touched on failure and football and learning to focus on what he could control. His teammates, the game plan etc, not the opposition or the weather. It’s the same in business. Focusing on what you can control and dealing with what you can’t when it comes and getting support when you need it.  

“Get angry, bring the change, make impact” was just one quote that sat with our team. It’s okay to be angry, but how you use that to create change and impact from it is the key.  

Our very own Andrew hit the stage also! 

He jumped up to speak on advising with purpose and encouraged the room to contemplate their own purposes, as well as the business owners they work with.  

In true Andrew fashion, he had the crowd experiencing every emotion along the way as they pondered their existence throughout the presentation. Leaving the room with the challenge that whilst they are at a tech conference, it’s also important to think about the questions we ask to help bring to life the purpose of the businesses we work with.

So there it is. Just a few of the speakers we had the pleasure of hearing from over the conference. Of course there were many more, but these really hit home with our crew. Stay tuned for part two, where the team share the new tech we think hit the mark for not only us, but you our clients! 

Take a peak at a few of the sessions we hit up too.