Accountant, Serial Entrepreneur, Amazon Best-Selling Author & Straight-Talking Advisor to the Accountancy Profession.
Simon Chaplin ‘took the leap’ and bought his first accountancy practice in 2002. Since then, he’s extracted himself from the day-to-day running of that practice and, since 2012, created The Accountants’ Mastermind community.
It has not always been easygoing! Simon has dyslexia and has never been academically gifted. He’s spent 000’s of hours developing himself and his businesses. He’s discovered (through an awful lot of trial and error!) the framework to build, grow and scale accountancy businesses.
Now, he spends his time Inspiring, Challenging and Supporting other accountants to do what he’s done – to escape the treadmill and get and keep all the customers you want.
Simon Chaplin, ths is your life..
Born in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
My Dad was a policeman (and part-time farmer)
I went to Primary school in Leverington (small village)
I was diagnosed with dyslexia when I was seven and spent many nights in a farmyard caravan with Mrs Basham learning spellings.
The weekly trips to “the caravan” continued.
Hated school and left with hardly any qualifications.
I started work at my Grandad’s garage and could drive when I was 10.
(I passed my driving test two weeks after my 17th birthday)
I also wanted to be a fighter pilot, mechanic, or carpenter.
My first job was at Hull Matthewson Chartered Accountants (the only job I could get at the time) and found I had a knack for accountancy.
Moved to Whiting and Partners Chartered Accountants.
I qualified as an accountant aged 22.
Failed CTA (the first time I’d failed an accountancy exam) but passed at the next attempt.
Moved to GreenStones in 1997.
I was the third youngest qualified accountant and CTA in the country.
Ran my first marathon aged 28 (the same year as I bought GreenStones) and then didn’t run again for 14 years!
Bought GreenStones at 28 (the deal was done when I was 27!)
I cycled 963 miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats
We bought two more accountancy practices.
We grew the GreenStones practice, and then I extracted myself from it, so I no longer had customers to look after. (Banish The Bottleneck is all about how I did this)
GreenStones won numerous national accountancy awards.
I nearly burnt myself out doing it!
I walked on hot coals for the first time, which was the start of my personal development journey.
My mum died at 58 of pancreatic cancer.
I became a beekeeper, qualified as a hypnotherapist and NLP Practitioner.
I got married, and my two children were born.
I launched The Accountants’ Mastermind (It was called Pull Your Socks Up Simon back then) in 2012.
I became an Angel Investor for a short period.
I ran my second marathon as I’d forgotten what the first one was like!
I spent loads of time with Ben and Aimie as they grew up (I never missed a play or a sports day)
The Accountants’ Mastermind grew from half a dozen people in a room to over 1000 accountants and bookkeepers in a community.
I now have two team members. (soon to be three!)
I still own GreenStones along with GreenStones Financial Services.
50+
Started in 2024!
Got Big Plans! You Watch!
