10 Years of Illumin8

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ANDREW

The year was 2012, and I was younger, thinner and with no hair on my chin. Full of youth, hopes, dreams and potential yet to be fully realised.

Obsessed with the potential of the accounting industry, I started Illumin8 with a vision to provide accounting and bookkeeping services that went beyond compliance.
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After all, keeping our clients out of jail is the bare minimum. The real magic happens in problem-solving, leveraging technology to streamline operations, and connecting on a human level to help our clients kick goals with both feet.
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So just like that, a plucky former corporate dweller with a whole bunch of entrepreneurial spirit registered Illumin8 to operate in Australia.

That was ten years ago – did I think we would be where we are today back then?

Not a bloody chance!

If I'm honest, I had no idea where Illumin8 would be after ten years. I was just focused on trying to be more connected with our clients.

That vision has evolved over the years – we hit a goal and then think about what next might be. At one point, it was the number of people in our team or the number of clients we supported, the industries we focused on and more. Really – it's been an evolving mission that builds upon the hard work of our team in years passed.

Over the years, however, that understanding & vision has been confirmed  

Some highlights

• Farewelling founding partner Jason, a pivotal person in the DNA of Illumin8, whilst launching out from there
• Welcoming new team members from outside the accounting industry who now have made incredible careers within
• Supporting the Stellar Short Film Festival to launch & be an incredible event
• Purchasing, designing, fitting out & moving into our dream headquarters in Mornington
• Welcoming team members into equity – an important priority of mine for rewarding the impact our team has at Illumin8
• The awards we have won, ALL of them, have been a nice high five for our team

These days, the team numbers are almost 20 - a far stretch from the two that we started with (and further from the 12 that I thought our end numbers would be). Of course, everyone is a superstar when it comes to numbers, tax, finance, and all aspects of small business management. But that's not all Illumin8 is. We're all a bit different, slightly quirky, and bring a lot of personality to the office.
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One of the beautiful things about business with good people is that you get to live every moment, the ups & the downs & everything in between.

I'd love to personally thank everyone that has left their mark at Illumin8 over the years, but I'd still be writing this in weeks to come. There are a few that I will note: Thank you to everyone for trusting & believing in us.

To our clients – you're why Illumin8 began, to be more connected with you. Thanks for being open to that & allowing us to be ourselves in an industry that often would push back on authenticity. You inspire me to be the best advisor I can be.

Thanks to our team, both past & present – you rock. The fact that you have continually shown up every damn day, put your all in, and challenged the way we do things to be better has made this journey a blast!

To the tech-heads out there that create beautiful pieces of tech that empower our team to be the best they can – thank you & please don't stop pushing those boundaries. Thank you for also listening to us when we give feedback & working towards providing solutions that are the best going around!

Thanks to our advisory board, past & present, for holding me accountable over the years, for consoling me when things didn't go our way & for celebrating when they did. Corry, Jason, Joel, Sam & Shaye – you all bloody rock!

I also must give huge props to our leadership team, Amanda, Kate, Mick & Shane. Thanks for trusting me with the craziness I get up to, for leading your teams & caring for our clients in the unique way you do.  

And the last thank you goes to my family – Ivana, Liora & Rhea. Thanks for supporting & caring for me over the years. I have moments where I'm a pretty average person to live with – thank you for reminding me why I work hard. Maybe a future accountant or advisor is hiding inside of you, Liora & Rhea - that's your journey to uncover, and I look forward to witnessing it.

Ten years ago, as a bright-eyed 26-year-old entering my business journey, Did I think we would be where we are now? Not a chance!

Do I know where we will be in ten years? If I say I do, tell me I'm dreaming. The future is bright and full of the unknown. We do our best to find our path through it.  

I'd like to finish with this phrase - "You're not defined by what you go through, but how you go through it." This is something I've repeated time & time again.

I want to riff on that this time around

You're defined by how you go through it and who you go through it with – I'm blessed to have gone through the last ten years with some of the best humans you'll ever meet.

And hey – now we FINALLY have a whisky bar at the office; I'm sure the creative juices will be flowing even more regularly. The future is calling for some more epic Illumin8 activities, I'm sure of it!

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AMANDA

Firstly, a massive shout out to the ever-growing team of legends at Illumin8 and our fantastic clients and community for making my three years such a wonderful experience.

I sometimes forget just how young Illumin8 is. It feels as though we have known each other for decades. That's because of the quality of relationships we've built with each other and our clients.

I'm excited to see what the next ten years will bring for us, our clients and our community, not only businesses but as individuals.

To everyone who has supported us along the way and continued to make this an amazing place for myself and others to work and grow, thank you!

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MICK

Ten years!? YEEEEEW!  

I feel so proud to have been a part of this awesome team for five years now. The most incredible part of Illumin8 is its people. The whole team has the same drive and passion for supporting each other, our clients and their families. It's a great feeling to know that we all care about what we do and are passionate about doing it with pride. Thanks to all the legends that have contributed to the Illumin8 team; you all rock!  

The relationships we've built with our clients have been amazing. Huge thanks to everyone we've worked with over the journey; we wouldn't be here without you, and we look forward to sharing bigger and better things with you all in the next ten years and beyond.

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SHANE

Wait what? Ten years? Na you must be joking… That went so fast!

I am so bloody proud to be a part of the Illumin8 team to this day even after five years whizzing by. Somehow, someway, we have managed to pull together a team of individuals who just “get it”. Each day we all rock up and go above and beyond to look after our team, look after our clients, and tackle challenges big and small to make sure our clients can do what they do best.

A massive shoutout goes to our team, past and present. I know I wouldn’t be the person I am today without your help.

An ever bigger shoutout goes to our clients! You have been absolute champions to work with, and I can’t wait for what crazy schemes you throw at us next.

I am super excited for what the next 10 years brings, the people we will get to meet, the problems we will get to solve, and the opportunities they will provide.

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KATE

Kate is currently on maternity leave, our guess is that she's pretty stoked about ten years in between trying to get some rest. We'll keep you updated.