The Holistic Accountant

Send us Fan Mail Most business owners have at least one hiring regret, and most can trace it back to a decision that felt right at the time. The problem is rarely a lack of effort in the interview. It is a lack of structure before and during it. Gut feel tends to reward confidence, charm, and the ability to perform well in a conversation, none of which reliably predict how someone will actually perform in the role. This episode introduces a structured, scorecard-based hiring process designed ...

Send us Fan Mail Philanthropy changes when wealth reaches a certain scale. It stops being about one-off generosity and starts becoming a question of structure, intent, and legacy. In this episode, Stuart and Mena explore Private Ancillary Funds (PAFs) and why they are increasingly used by high-net-worth families who want to give back in a deliberate, governed, and sustainable way. They unpack what a PAF actually is, how it works, and why it’s best understood as part of a broader wealth archit...

Send us Fan Mail In the early years of running a business, most financial mistakes aren’t dramatic; they’re subtle, common, and quietly destructive. And by the time many entrepreneurs realise something is wrong, the damage is already done. In this episode, Stuart and Mena break down the most common financial mistakes entrepreneurs make in their first three years and, more importantly, how a CFO would approach them differently. We cover why mixing personal and business money creates blind spot...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Stuart and Mena explore one of the most common and misunderstood questions business owners face: how to tax-effectively get money into and out of a company. Whether you’re starting a business, investing in one, or managing retained profits, understanding the right structure from the outset can save you from costly mistakes later on. They walk through the key ways to fund a company, either by loaning money in or contributing share capital, and explain when eac...