Welcome to the first post in a series where we interview members of the team working together here at Trade Guardian.
We are publishing this series as a quick and fun way for you to get to know our wonderful crew, with a personal touch.
In the hot seat for the first time, we interview our humble but strong Canberra bookkeeping business leader, Kristin Miller!
The formal stuff…
What do you love about being the business leader of Canberra’s most recognised bookkeeping firm, Trade Guardian?
I really love helping our clients. It is very satisfying to see how much pressure we can take off them and the confidence that gives them to concentrate on what they do best in their own businesses.
What do clients love about the bookkeeping services you deliver for them?
The extra time and confidence it gives them.
What are your professional qualifications and where did you achieve them?
Bachelor of Administration and MBA from the University of Canberra,
Masters of Professional Accounting from Deakin University.
I am just about to complete the qualification to become a CPA.
What three words would you use to describe your role?
Commitment, Leadership, Future-Focussed.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Catch up with staff, meeting with a client, talking with other accountants…. (lots of talking…)
What is your favourite achievement to date, either personal or professional?
Professionally: building the great team we have here at Trade Guardian. They all have a lot to offer, are all smart and positive and all keen to help each other out. It is a pleasure to spend time with them.
Personally (and most importantly): my family.
What professional skills are you most proud of? i.e. what do you best?
Communication.
If you could choose anyone, who would you pick as your mentor?
I was lucky many years ago to work for a really amazing woman: Jenny Kitchin, Executive Manager, Anglicare. Jenny was a great leader, could get the best out of people, could recognise the skills of those around her, was flexible and treated all as responsible adults. She created a very respectful environment to work in. She was a great mentor at the time and I often think back to the impact she had on me and try to put the same principles into practice. I believe I would still choose her.
In another context, I would love to learn about leading high-performing teams from Joel Selwood, Captain of the Geelong Cats Australian Football club. Joel is great at bringing a team together and keeping people motivated.
The fun stuff…
What gets you out of bed in the morning?
Truthfully, my hubby still has to give me a little push to get up each morning. But once I’m up, I am happy with what I am doing.
What’s your most memorable face-palm moment?
Taking off my skis in 6 feet of powder snow, at the bottom of a gully half way down a ski run. I had to hike about 100 metres back up the hill to be able to get moving again. Each step felt like I was sinking in quick sand. It took me 20 minutes to get up, meanwhile, my family were having a good laugh watching me trudge through it.
When was the last time you laughed so hard you almost cried, and why?
When tobogganing with the family in Lech, Austria. So much crazy fun. I almost slid off the side of the mountain into a ravine!
What is your motto or personal mantra?
Say yes and then figure out how to do it.
What’s your favourite blog or social media site?
Don’t really have one, but I am loving podcasts. My current favourite podcast is Note to Self.
What’s the most recent app you’ve downloaded but are yet to use?
Some health or exercise app. Have not even opened it yet though (and probably won’t).
Given a chance, who would you like to be for a day?
Someone really rich who had very little to do but maybe go to a day spa.
What’s your favourite line from a film?
“This is going straight to the pool room!“, Darryl Kerrigan, The Castle.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Chocolate.
At which store would you like to max-out your credit card?
Not just one store, I want to say a whole place – such as Oxford Street or Chapel Street. Go big!
What is something funny/quirky/interesting about you that most people wouldn’t expect?
I once adopted a cat, well, actually, she adopted me. I lived with that cat for around 10 years. In that whole time, I never gave it a name. Just referred to her as ‘puss’ or ‘cat’. In my defense, I was actually very sad when she passed away – I did love her.