Q&A: How Sharon Hewitt builds client relationships

Sharon Hewitt performed well at school. Smart and confident, she became a school captain in year 10 and excelled in many subjects.

Despite this, she decided that finishing year 12 and attending university wouldn’t be her path.

“I left school in year 10. I didn’t have any aspirations to go to university. I don’t really know why, and I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I just felt like nothing was pulling me towards uni,” says Hewitt.

Soon after finishing year 10, Hewitt began working as an accounts clerk in a small business. From there, she pursued accounting roles in other practices, before undertaking a bridging course and obtaining her practising certificate.

In 1996, Sharon joined Robert Bates & Co Accountants, and she is still there today as a Partner. Robert passed away last year, leaving Sharon as the sole owner, and she continues to embed many of his values and traits in the practice.

Q: Let’s start with a challenge: Can you give us the elevator pitch of almost 30 years’ career growth?

I started working with Robert as a junior accountant in 1996, and worked my way up through the practice. I bought into half of the partnership in 2010 and then the remaining half in 2018. His values have always been instilled in the practice and in me.

Doing the right thing by our clients was so important to Robert. He would talk to people about their families, their hobbies and their problems for half an hour, and then do 10 minutes of accounting. He genuinely cared and connected deeply with people.

There were so many people that he touched – people who still come to our practice because of his impact. Even though Robert isn’t here anymore, his values are still very much in our practice.

Q: How do you bring that care and compassion to your clients?

People tell you everything. They really confide in you. It’s not just about accounting. You’re often a sounding board and a pseudo-counsellor to them because they trust you and value your opinion.

It’s really nice to be there for people, and they’ve also been there for me. I recently went through a divorce, we were in the middle of COVID and then Robert died. It has been a very troubling few years. My team and my clients have been like my second family. They’ve supported me through a lot.

Time heals, and everything is so much clearer now. I wouldn’t be where I am today had I not gone through that. I wouldn't wish a divorce on anyone but I do think it’s taught me a lot.

Q: Let’s talk more about what the experience has taught you. How have the loss of Robert and your divorce changed the way you approach your work?

I was really bogged down in my day-to-day tasks before all of this. I was on a constant treadmill. Now I look around and appreciate everything so much more.

I’ve also realised how important it is to have a backup plan because nothing is certain in life. I’ve had friends and family members go through divorce and many of them weren’t in a strong financial position. I was fortunate in that I owned my own home and I have my own practice, but it still hasn’t been easy financially. I felt motivated to help other women who might not be financially independent and often haven’t thought ahead to what life can throw at them.

I came across two women who started a business called Money Girl. They provide financial literacy courses to new immigrants and to people who might not have much knowledge about business or finance. I reached out to them and asked how I could help. I now provide accounting assistance at a reduced rate. It brings me a lot of joy to help other people. It’s a nice way of paying it forward since so many people have helped me.

Q: Robert’s values and your own are clearly not far apart. Who else has left a strong impression on you or helped you in your career?

When I was an employee in the company in 2010, I was thinking about buying in but was really scared to do so. I had a conversation with a client about it, and told him I found the idea very daunting, even though it was something I wanted.

He simply said to me, “You can do this”. He said it so matter-of-factly, as if there was no doubt that I could be successful as a partner. Just having that one person believe in me was amazing.

He’s a long-standing client who has also become a very good friend. He’s a kind soul and does a lot of things to help others. I’m really grateful he gave me that nudge in the right direction.