The Holistic Accountant
A holistic accountant goes beyond tax returns, aiming to offer proactive advice to maximise clients' wealth after all taxes. Stuart Wemyss and Mena Abraham explore multifaceted considerations weekly, highlighting the need for a holistic approach. Each episode is succinct and to the point with no fluff or sales pitches. For further details, check out www.prosolution.com.au.
Episodes
178 episodes
Ep 178: Lifestyle creep is a capital allocation problem
Surplus cash flow is not the same as freedom; it is a decision point. And what a founder does with it reveals whether they are building income, lifestyle, or enterprise value. This episode frames lifestyle creep not as a personal failing but as...
Ep 177: Controls without bureaucracy- how to scale safely
Most businesses only take controls seriously after something goes wrong—and by then, the cost is already high.In this episode, Stuart and Mena explain why controls become essential as a business grows. In the early stages, trust and visi...
Ep 176: Div 7A liquidity without the tax blow-up
Most Division 7A problems don’t begin with strategy; they begin with behaviour.Money is taken out of the business without a clear plan, documentation falls behind, and by the time advice is sought, the structure is already under pressure...
Ep 175: Buy lease or finance: how to make the right call
“The tax deduction makes it worth it” is one of the most common and costly mistakes business owners make.In this episode, Stuart and Mena break down why taxes should never be the primary reason for acquiring an asset. A deduction can imp...
Ep 174: The delegation tax- saving money is costing you millions
Most business owners focus on hiring costs while completely missing what their own time costs the business.In this episode, Stuart and Mena unpack “The Delegation Tax,” the hidden cost of founders staying too involved in low-value work. ...
Ep 173: Most team problems are actually clarity problems
In this episode, Stuart and Mena challenge one of the most common assumptions in business: that underperformance is a people problem. Instead, he makes the case that most issues inside a team stem from a lack of clarity, unclear expectations, m...
Ep 172: Capital allocation policy: owner wage, buffers, reinvestment, investing, lifestyle
Random distributions create random wealth outcomes.In this episode, Stuart and Mena introduce the concept most business owners don’t have, but desperately need: a written capital allocation policy.They break down how surplus cash ...
Ep 171: The gross margin lie: your mark-up math is wrong
You think you’re making 40%. In reality, you might be making 15%.In this episode, Stuart and Mena expose the “mark-up illusion”, the common mistake of calculating margin on materials alone while ignoring direct labour, superannuation, pa...
Ep 170: Data room first: exit readiness starts 24 months early
You cannot scramble your way to a premium exit in 90 days.In this episode, Stuart and Mena explain why serious exit preparation begins at least two years before you plan to sell, and why buyers immediately discount businesses that look m...
Ep 169: Shadow Equity: Incentives without giving away shares
At some point, every growing business owner faces the same dilemma: how do you get owner-level thinking from key staff without handing over real equity?In this episode, Stuart and Mena unpack the concept of shadow equity incentive...
Ep 168: The key person discount & the sabbatical stress test: why your business is devaluing you
Here’s a confronting question: If you disappeared for 30 days, what actually breaks?In this episode, Stuart and Mena unpack the Key Person Discount, the invisible valuation penalty applied when a business is overly depend...
Ep 167: The Finance Function Evolution: bookkeeper → controller → virtual CFO
Many business owners feel stuck in the uncomfortable middle: too big for basic bookkeeping, but not ready or willing to pay for a full-time CFO. The result? Numbers that exist, but don’t drive decisions.In this episode, Stuart and Mena b...
Ep 166: Philanthropy at Scale: Private Ancillary Funds & Giving With Governance
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)<...
Ep 165: When choosing an accountant on price may quietly cost you more
Most business owners believe accounting is a commodity. The tax return gets lodged, the ATO is paid, and everything looks fine, so why pay more?In this episode, Stuart and Mena unpack why choosing an accountant purely on price can quietl...
Ep 164: Financial Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make in Their First Three Years
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...
Ep 163 : Best of 2025 - How to read financial statements like a CFO
Most business owners glance at their financial statements and move on. CFOs do the opposite; they use them as a decision-making tool to spot risks early, improve performance, and protect cash flow. In this episode, Stuart and Mena b...
Ep 162: Best of 2025- How to tax effectively get money out of a company
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 reta...
Ep 161: Best of 2025- Navigating the main residence 6-year rule CGT exemption
In this episode, Mena and Stuart unpack the ins and outs of Australia’s often misunderstood 6-year CGT exemption rule for main residences. They explore how this powerful tax concession can help homeowners maximise profits when selling a propert...
Ep 160: Best of 2025- Strategies to minimise CGT
In this episode, Stuart and Mena take a deep dive into one of the biggest and often most misunderstood taxes investors face, Capital Gains Tax (CGT). Whether you're dealing with property, shares, or business assets, they explain why the smartes...
Ep 159: Best of 2025- Tax changes for 2025-26 financial year
In this episode, Mena and Stuart unpack the latest tax updates for the 2025–26 financial year, helping listeners navigate changes that could impact their personal finances and business planning. They kick off with the Super Guarantee (SG) incre...
Ep 158 : 500+ of interviews, top 5 lessons: what every successful business owner must know
In this episode, Stuart and Mena unpack the five lessons that kept surfacing across 500+ founder interviews from The School of Hard Knocks, and translate them into actions for ambitious owners. First: persistence beats genius. Treat growth like...
Ep 157: The strategic shortcut- 5 questions that transform business growth
In this episode, Stuart and Mena unveil a strategic shortcut for time-poor founders: five questions that cut through noise and pinpoint the few moves that truly move the needle. They start with “Why frameworks matter,” showing how focusing on c...
Ep 156: 10 important business tips from Verne Harnish
In this episode, Stuart and Mena unpack ten punchy lessons from Verne Harnish’s Scaling Up, plus a sharp LinkedIn distillation by Jennifer Berkowitz, and translate them for Australian SMEs. They start with the big two: why speed wins (...
Ep 155: When to Rethink Your Advisors- Red Flags With Your Accountant or Advisor
In this candid episode, Stuart and Mena unpack the red flags that signal it’s time to rethink your accountant or business advisor, and what “great” should look like instead. They start with the biggest warning sign: a reactive advisor who only ...
Ep 154: Redefining success: What does it really mean in business?
In this thought-provoking episode of The Holistic Accountant, Stuart and Mena challenge the traditional metrics of success in business. While financial milestones like profit, revenue, and market share have long been the gold standard,...