Meet Riz
I’ve been with Inspire for over 5 years and started as a Junior Accountant in a small team. I am now a Senior Accountant and have the privilege of mentoring the talented Juniors we have.
What I’m truly passionate about is bringing a new perspective of possibilities for clients and showing them the unexplored opportunities of what they can do in their business. Solving complex problems that make clients ‘bury their head in the sand’ is my modus operandi and continually brings a new perspective to the table.
I am consistently turning the impossible into reality for my clients and there’s nothing more blissful than the peace of mind that someone’s looking after them; that is what I provide for my clients.
Outside of Inspire
I am newly wed to my beautiful partner, Fiona, and we have a budding family of three with our precious little 2 year old Dachshund.
I enjoy good stand up comedy – Trevor Noah is always a good listen for me. On the occasional weekend getaway, you can count on finding me with a rod and beer in hand. We love enjoying delectable food and a gentle sea breeze. I stand by the controversial opinion: “fishing is all luck”.
How did you get interested in accounting?
Funnily enough, in school I was quite average in accounting class but found that I had a knack for problem solving. I’ve found my talents in navigating problems unconventionally and looking at it from outside so much so that it has become second nature to me. Solving problems is the most integral part of being a world-class accountant and accounting felt like a perfect fit to me.
What is your favourite thing about working at inspire?
I can wholeheartedly say that the culture at Inspire is my favourite thing about working here bar none. We have such a tight-knit support network, both personally and professionally, that we can always count on. That level of trust and reliability I’ve only ever found working here. It’s amazing.
What is one of the biggest impacts you’ve made?
The biggest impact I’ve made in my career is revolutionising Inspire’s processes and employee development. Resultantly, I’ve been able to garner the untapped potential of people’s abilities and talents which ultimately allowed the firm to flourish.The influence and impact I’ve put forth transcends any accolade or sales milestone of mine.
What are some podcasts you recommend?
Hamish and Andy (comedy) and Casefile (true crime)
Which Sustainable Development Goal(s) do you choose and why?
My sustainable development goals of choice are 4 and 5. I personally feel that quality education and gender equality are the cornerstones for sustained quality of life.
Meet Angela
I’ve been with inspire for 2 years as a Client Services Coordinator. Being in this role has been truly life changing for me. My internal dialogue when I started was “I’ve finally found a place where I feel like I belong”. It’s also the first time in my career that I’ve felt like I’ve actually grown.
I’m grateful to have the opportunity to help the people around me, and being able to offer pro-active support to make their lives easier is so gratifying. Being able to be a pillar of support and assistance for the team is everything to me.
Outside of Inspire
Outside of Inspire, my life has revolved around my precious 3 kids. I have 2 boys, Nick and Mitchell, and my beautiful daughter, Emily. Last but definitely not least of our family is our little baby Maltese Shitzu, Gizmo. Our family is everything to me.
Every opportunity we get, we love to go camping and spend quality time with each other. During warmer months, we are crazy about the beach and long for spontaneous day trips.
What is your favourite thing about working at Inspire?
I’d have to say the culture. The fact that the culture is so accepting of everyone is wondrous. Everyone can be themselves, feel confident in their own skin, and appreciated for the effort we put in. We’re here to help people and have fun while doing it – I think it’s perfect.
How did you get interested in client services?
I had entered the industry by chance. Initially I didn’t like it, given the huge change of scenery, and I had always felt like it was menial work and I wasn’t going anywhere. Only at Inspire have I felt fulfilled in the work that I do.
At the time I was at another accounting firm and spontaneously got referred to the position by one of our Senior Accountants that I’d previously worked with and fell in love with Inspire.
What is one of the biggest impacts you’ve made?
The biggest impact I feel is the difference I’ve created with the administration side of things. I’ve been able to get organisational systems implemented that resulted in productivity and improved client experiences which has lessened the load for our Accountants.
What are some books, audio books, podcasts you recommend?
In all honesty, I don’t have a favourite book but I can happily say that I’m currently taking on trying to rediscover my passion for reading.
Which Sustainable Development Goal(s) do you choose and why?
Peace, Justice and strong institutions. I guess justice has always been a big thing for me having seen so much injustice in modern day systems. It would also be really pleasant if true peace could be a reality.
Meet Reggie
I’ve been with Inspire for 5 years and it has been an extraordinary experience. I honestly can’t see myself working somewhere else because the atmosphere is so unique. My work colleagues are the closest thing I have to family in terms of mindset as well as how you’re allowed to be yourself and you’re able to express yourself without limitation.
I have a number of friends that are business owners and I can see how much they struggle sometimes. Internally, I can feel super close to business owners, I feel empathetic for them in terms of how difficult it can be to not have someone there to support you and I understand how daunting it can be to have that wavering uncertainty above your head. This is a huge motivator for me to make a meaningful difference in others’ livelihoods.
Outside of Inspire
You can find me dancing salsa 6 days a week as I am an instructor. I picked up Salsa because It has a strong connection with Latin-American culture and I grew up listening to my dad playing salsa music. For me, it’s a way of staying connected to my family and my heritage.
You can also find me doing countless activities; I indulge in books, going to the movies and playing a variety of sports, my favourite being futsal.
Lately, I love to try my hand at playing musical instruments; Latin-American instruments to be precise. I enjoy playing the conga and bongo drums, and I’m currently learning how to play the saxophone – whenever I have the time to.
How did you get interested in accounting?
I studied accounting when I was in high school and learnt the basics. Accounting came quite easily to me – I got good grades as a student and never really struggled. I asked my mum for her opinion and she suggested accounting to me for my choice of tertiary study, and here I am today.
What is your favourite thing about working at inspire?
The culture and the people I work with. Ben is amazing, probably the best boss I’ve ever had. I also like that we are very proactive and stay up to date with technology, systems, and we’re always open to change. It’s a great environment that facilitates fast learning and we all support each other with each other’s growth. You never feel alone at any point as there’s always someone who’s eager to offer their hand.
What is one of the biggest impacts you’ve made?
I had a major contribution in the systems that we’ve adopted here at Inspire. Our main systems that we use has a huge influence on our productivity and being able to be more efficient, have more control, and a better overview of what we have in our hands. My impact, I feel, had a direct correlation with Inspire’s output as well as rate of growth.
What are some books or movies you recommend?
I’m currently enjoying a book called ‘Sapiens’ by Yuval Noah Harari. I’d also recommend ‘The Shadow of the Wind’ by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. A must watch Netflix series I’ve recently binged is ‘The Queen’s Gambit’.
Which Sustainable Development Goal(s) do you choose and why?
I’d have to choose climate action and quality education. Earth is home and we only have 1, so we shouldn’t take it for granted. Given the statistics, it’s something that we need to take immediate action towards. As for quality education, knowledge is the most important resource that a human being can have with enough knowledge, comes freedom.
Meet Austin
Outside of Inspire
What is your favourite thing about working at Inspire?
How did you get interested in accounting?
What is one of the biggest impacts you’ve made?
What are some books you recommend?
Which Sustainable Development Goal(s) do you choose and why?
Meet Arpit
I’ve been at Inspire for just a short while and the experience has been extremely enjoyable thus far. I’ve found myself to be quite busy and I’ve really appreciated the routine I’ve introduced into my day. The journey has been eye opening and is what I’m looking forward to most.
The seniors and managers here are so approachable and that has greatly assisted me with my personal self-development and resultantly that has made every aspect of technical training a breeze for me and tenfold more enjoyable than what I had anticipated.
I find the most fulfilment in doing real work that helps businesses beyond compliance. If a client has a question that they need advice on, assisting them in a timely manner helps them make informed choices and drives value for them and myself.
Outside of Inspire
Outside of Inspire, I love hanging out with friends. I’ve recently just begun bouldering, a style of indoor climbing, and it’s been such a joy to experience with friends. It’s definitely exhausting, but so far, I love it. I’d also say that I’m a big fan of going to the cinemas to watch a movie from time to time.
I tend to find myself in a lot of deep and meaningful conversations with my closest friends. We sit down, talk for extended hours and occasionally arrive at existential crises’, but I still love it. My family also has a Pomeranian, called Candy, whom I don’t see often but can’t get enough of.
What is your favourite thing about working at Inspire?
The people. There is a sincere feeling of care amongst the whole Inspire family. We are highly goal driven but that doesn’t stop us from enjoying our time at work and in life. I can also see how our team’s energy extends to our clients as I’ve seen my colleagues talk and interact with clients the same way they would each other.
It’s an incredibly warm feeling to witness my team having a genuine drive to do by our clients and produce the best work for them.
How did you get interested in accounting?
I’ve always taken an interest in business. I recognised that solutions to a lot of problems start in accounting. Usually, it’s the first actionable step when diagnosing problems and If you do it properly, you can forecast a lot. I also like that it’s factual in nature. Dad had a bookshop since I was young. I would help around and be exposed to a lot more aspects of business as I grew up.
What is one of the biggest impacts you’ve made?
The biggest impact I’ve made is freeing up a lot of my senior accountants’ time so that they can focus more on execution. Taking more off their plate has allowed them to deliver more informed client-related advice and they now have noticeably more capacity to fulfil client requirements which increases our business’ overall output.
What are some books you recommend?
I highly recommend ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ by Stephen Covey, ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad’ by Robert Kiyosaki and ‘Talking to Strangers’ by Malcolm Gladwell. I’ve adopted a lot of the philosophies in these books within business and life.
Which Sustainable Development Goal(s) do you choose and why?
I would have to choose Quality education, and Reduced Inequalities. Quality Education can solve everything. I feel that in time, the other development goals will vanish, once educated. Reduced Inequalities, I feel, is an umbrella goal for a lot of human rights associated development goals and shouldn’t be a problem by default.
Meet Rhody
I’ve just begun with Journey with Inspire and so far, it’s been an awe-inspiring experience. In inspire, I love the atmosphere, everyone is really friendly and approachable, and even the diversity of my colleagues is eye-opening considering everyone has different origins.
The best part of my role would be helping out Angela and Sequoia. Knowing that I have helped them lessen their workloads and resultantly they’re able to focus more on things and inevitably make a greater impact on the wider team is an incredible feeling. It makes me feel a part of something bigger.
On a personal note, I really like aesthetic things and am drawn to minimalist designs. I aim to be a very neat and organised person which i think is necessary and helpful in my work. Though i may appear shy at first, I’m actually an extrovert at heart.
Outside of Inspire
I spend a lot of my time outside of inspire with my boyfriend, Danny. For pass times, we like to watch Netflix series and watch volleyball games, he is an avid fan and I’m starting to become one too as I’ve begun to play social volleyball. Both my parents work abroad, so I cherish every moment I get to speak with them.
My amazing friends continuously check up on me and have random chats talking about memes to get me out of my bubble.
Once in a while i visit my Lola (grandmother), who lives miles away from the city to taste her home made food and keep her company. I love the ‘Pork Pochero’ that she cooks.
How did you get interested in client services?
I got interested in client services & virtual assistance because I always felt a sense of accomplishment when I know I have supported someone even in the simplest of ways, such as giving advice or providing a helping hand. It gives me confidence and makes me remember that i am worthy of something, in a certain way.
I realised I also wanted to help people and always want to find the most efficient way to help them out and provide them value.
What is your favourite thing about working at inspire?
It is definitely the working environment and the culture. Everyone is so warm, positive and the atmosphere is extremely family-like. Even though we’ve only engaged through screens & zoom thus far, everyone feels very familiar. I like that everyone is accommodating, friendly and very approachable.
I really love working here.
What is one of the biggest impacts you’ve made?
I feel like one of the biggest impacts that Keiffer and I have made is that we’ve been able to lessen the workload of our managers, Angela and Sequoia. As a result of our work, they can do a lot more work that they otherwise couldn’t have fulfilled with their given capacity. Keiffer and I are very much looking forward to learn more from our managers/mentors.
I really respect their advice and really take their words to heart. It makes me happy that they appreciate my work as well.
What are some books you recommend?
I would recommend ‘Game of thrones’. I am a huge GOT fan and Daenerys is my favourite character. It was recommended to me by my college friends and I loved it except the last season, which was quite a bummer.
Which Sustainable Development Goal(s) do you choose and why?
I would choose Quality Education and No Poverty. I feel that these goals have the most direct relationship with each other. If you live in poverty, you’ll struggle to get an education. In the Philippines, I’ve seen the situation many times both through my eyes and screens. Helping families in poverty will have a greater impact globally.
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