Risk. Reward. Reality.
The podcast that lifts the curtain on everything it takes to be a successful business owner- we talk to investors, accountants, bookkeepers and founders themselves as we uncover the lessons, stories and wisdom on running UK businesses.
From Homeless at 15 to Building Her Own Accountancy Firm | Em Manchee
At 15, Em Manchee left home with no real qualifications and was homeless for a period of time. She went out to work and, almost by accident, kept finding herself drawn towards the numbers — whether she was working in a clothing store or a nightclub, she somehow ended up cashing up or in the finance office. That eventually became a career in bookkeeping and accountancy, and the beginning of Jems Bookkeeping & Accountancy.
In this episode of *When It Matters*, Mark Costello sits down with Em to talk about the journey from those early years to building an accountancy firm of her own, the clients who encouraged her to move from bookkeeping into accounts, and why, after more than two decades in the profession, she still sees bookkeeping and close client relationships as fundamental to what she does.
They also get into how technology has changed the profession, why Em doesn't believe everything should be automated, the importance of actually understanding a client's business rather than simply processing their numbers, and why she's deliberately building Gems around personal service rather than growth for growth's sake.
Em also talks candidly about the challenges facing small businesses, the increasing consolidation of the accountancy profession, developing younger people, and why she believes there is still enormous value in being able to pick up the phone and speak to someone who genuinely knows your business.
23 Sept 2026
Why Accountants are Irreplaceable Even When Technology does the Work | Dayle Rodriguez
Technology is making accounting faster, more visible and increasingly automated. But if clients can see more of the work being done — and technology can do more of it — what are they actually paying their accountant for?
In this episode of *When It Matters*, Mark Costello and Ryan Pearcy are joined by Dayle Rodriguez to talk about how technology is changing the value proposition of an accounting firm, and why accountants need to get much better at communicating what they really bring to the table, because in truth, they are irreplaceable.
They explore why clients increasingly question the cost of traditional accounting services, why sales and commercial skills haven't historically been a big enough part of an accountant's training, and what it means to move from being seen as the person who “does the tax” to becoming a genuine financial partner to the business.
A must-watch for any future-facing accountants 🎧
9 Sept 2026
AI Won’t Just Change Accounting. It Will Change the Accounting Firm
Bringing you a VERY special episode of When It Matters - Elle is joined by a wonderful co-host and returning guest, Ryan Pearcy of the Digital Transformers for a special trio of episodes all about AI, tech and the future of accounting.
For episode 1, we had the wonderful Jordan Vickery and Chloe Britnell on. We went deep into whether we need to move from simply being “AI curious” to actively planning for how AI will change their business model, from team structures and training to pricing, service delivery and the work clients will continue to value.
Jordan shares why he thinks accounting firms could increasingly recruit people from outside the profession as relationships become an even bigger part of the value they provide, while Chloe explains how that is already happening at PJCO, having started her own accounting career with no previous accounting experience after working as a kitchen designer at B&Q.
They also get into the realities of experimenting with AI, the tension between innovation and guardrails, whether firms will start building more of their own technology, the importance of trust in new products, and why expecting AI to be 100% accurate may be missing the point. We loved this one - hope you enjoy!
Who has been a guest on When It Matters
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Aaron Patrick
Ben Stocken
Accountants
Della Hudson FCA
Stephanie Marshall
Reach and audience
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Spotify
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 1 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
2
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
0
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Guest appearances
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Questions about When It Matters
Who hosts When It Matters?
Elle Noble and Derek Granger and Mark Costello host the show. Published by Meshed.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes weekly, based on its RSS feed.
Does When It Matters take guests?
The show does not typically feature guests, based on episode analyses.
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