As well as being “Business Barbie” to her followers on instagram, Rachel Harris, is an award-winning content creator, author, speaker, business owner, and most importantly, an accountant extraordinaire. Named as one to watch on the 35 under 35 list and recently crowned as the First Intuition Apprenticeship Mentor of the Year for 2023, Rachel is a true breakout star in the accounting world.

Rachel's passion for empowering accountants and small business owners shines through in her remarkable journey. From building the thriving Accountant She community of over 25,000 people to becoming the youngest-ever director and trustee of AAT, Rachel has been a trailblazer at every step. She’s also making an impact, including with her innovative corporate bursary scheme, launched in January 2023, fully funds aspiring accountants in financial hardship, providing them with the mentoring and support they need to succeed.

In this episode, we dive deep into Rachel's entrepreneurial journey and the invaluable lessons she's learned along the way. We'll explore:

• The power of community-building and creating the support system you wish you had
• What founders do and don’t need to worry about when it comes to accounts
• The most efficient way to pay yourself as a founder
• The importance of setting an “internal charge out rate” to value your own time both in the company and out of it
• Approaches to valuing your company, and what Rachel looks for as an Angel Investor, and trains clients to prepare for in her mock “Dragons Den” investment readiness sessions

Links:

Rachel’s business StriveX:

• https://strivex.co.uk/

Accountant_She Website:

• https://www.accountantshe.co.uk/

Rachel’s Instagram:

• https://www.instagram.com/accountant_she/?hl=en

Ever wonder what it takes to transform from a passionate leader into a successful startup founder? In this episode, we'll uncover the secrets to building an innovative, AI-powered solution that's revolutionising the way managers drive team performance.

Joining us today is Sarah Touzani, the brilliant mind behind Waggle, an AI co-pilot empowering managers with the tools and insights to excel. Building on Sarah’s 15+ years experience in finance and tech, Waggle has already caught the attention of major players like Techstars and JP Morgan. Backed by a talented, diverse team, Sarah has navigated the challenges of fundraising, fostering culture, and forging strategic partnerships to position Waggle for exciting growth across the US and Europe.

In this candid, we'll dive into:

• Key lessons learned in the leap from leader to founder
• Strategies for assembling a powerhouse team and aligning them around your "why"
• Tips for securing funding and leveraging accelerators to catalyse growth
• Sarah’s approach to product development that attracts an eager customer base
• How Sarah maintained the vision while keeping operations running smoothly
• Advice Sarah wishes she had when first starting out

Links:

• Founder Catalyst: https://www.foundercatalyst.com/
• Waggle: https://www.usewaggle.ai/

Joining us in this episode is Charlie Rosier, a seasoned entrepreneur and fourth-time founder. Her latest venture, Babbu, disrupts the early childhood education space with an innovative online platform tailored for children aged 0-5. Driven by personal experience and insights gained during lockdown conversations with fellow parents, Charlie recognized the overwhelming pressure parents face—spending 37 hours weekly on childcare concerns alone. Determined to alleviate this stress, she birthed Babbu. Rooted in science but crafted by parents, Babbu reimagines the parenting journey, providing a supportive community and expert advice to empower parents in nurturing their children.

This episode we discuss:

• Lessons learned as a serial founder
• Grief that comes with failed businesses
• Why we have to value our time differently as founders
• Lessons in linkedin marketing
• Fundraising - what Charlie knows now but didn’t know when she started
• Balancing being a mother with being a startup founder and the guilt that comes with it

Links to Babbu’s website:

• https://babbu.co.uk/