What it's like to work with me!

I was asked recently, at a team day with one of my charity clients, to write a statement about who I am and how I appreciate being treated. It got me thinking — this is actually something worth sharing more widely. If you're considering working with RockSalt, or you're already a client, here's an honest picture of what you can expect from me and what works best in return.

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Keep me in the loop. I'm for you — but I'm not psychic. I can't head off issues or help your ideas, projects and strategies land in the best way if I don't know about them. And when I do know about them, expect me to ask questions and provide challenge — not to obstruct, but because I need to fully understand and anticipate issues. When it comes to the financial implications of a decision, I'll be expected by your board to have the answers, show how it affects the bigger picture, and forecast the effects into the future. That's only possible if I'm in the conversation early.

I bring more than the numbers. I'm a qualified accountant, but my experience goes well beyond that — charity setup and governance, finance and tech systems, policy writing, employment law, website development, and grant applications are all things I've worked on extensively. I'm also unashamedly techy and geeky, and I lean into that. Integrity is at the core of everything I do — financial legislation and controls exist to keep your organisation and the people within it safe, so please don't ask me to bend the rules. I won't.

I value straight talking. Honest, direct communication matters to me — I'd rather have a difficult conversation than not have it, as long as it's handled respectfully and professionally. On that note — financial literacy matters too. There are no stupid questions and I'm genuinely happy to train and explain. Understanding your finances shouldn't feel intimidating, and helping you get there is part of what I do.

One thing to know about how I work: I can be transactional and dispense with niceties when I'm pushing to meet a deadline — it's never personal, just focus. My busiest times are the first week of every month and mid-January to mid-February, so if I seem brief during those periods, please don't read anything into it.

Above all — I genuinely love using my skills to help non-profits shine and to release the people within them to do what they do best.

If that sounds like the kind of working relationship you're looking for, I'd love to hear from you.