‘Have the confidence you can, and you will’: Accountant’s hot take on starting a business

Speaking on a recent Under the Hood podcast episode, Lennon said there needed to be more passionate accountants taking charge of their careers, rather than being bound by the traditional ways and prejudices of the corporate world.

When asked why young accountants often get funnelled into the big four or mid-tier firms where the “grind” was often normalised, Lennon simply said “they don’t know what they don’t know”.

“When you’re at university, all they talk about is the options you have in the big four when you leave, they don’t know about how good our accounting community is.”

“They don’t have any idea about these small firms and the amazing things they’re doing. So, it’s just natural to go to the big four and do all the big things. But I think it’s really important for them to think about what they actually want out of their career.”

Lennon noted that when starting her own business, she was focused on “building a firm for the future” and recommended that those thinking about taking the leap should build their business around their dream professional and personal lifestyle.

“You know what, it’s about not worrying about what anyone else thinks. Let’s just worry about what’s right for us and what’s right for our goals,” she said.

“If you want to be a sole practitioner so that you can just work a couple of days a week, take your kids to school, pick them up in the afternoon and have a good life – then just do it. I really do believe the stigma of that is gone.”

“It’s 2025. Let’s come with fresh ideas and new things, and let’s build a firm that’s different. A firm of the future.”

When Lennon was questioned whether this initiative and idea of “a firm of the future” was too ambitious or easier said than done, she agreed it could be a bit of both.

From her experience in leaving the corporate lifestyle and a traditional accounting firm, Lennon shared that when first starting a new business venture, it was normal to feel the pressure and get caught up in other people’s expectations of what a business should look like.

Lennon said those who had started their own accounting practice would all agree that it was the best decision they had ever made for their career, development, growth and personal life.

“If I could tell young Nat anything, I would tell her to leave the other accounting firm and start her own earlier. Have the confidence that you can, have the confidence that you will, and you will absolutely achieve anything that you want.”