ASLI GoingPro 2023.
As I am sure some of you would have seen, with pictures and from the ASLI socials, I was incredibly honoured to have been asked to present 4 sessions talking all things tax. I have presented pre-prepared webinars for interpreters within specific subject before, quite a few times for almost all of the ASLI regions in the UK, but this was a different animal all together. This was the first time I had presented to interpreters face to face. Not only that, it was, believe it or not, the first time I had presented live, with an interpreter! Luckily, I got an absolute tonne of tips from my interpreter wife beforehand, so hopefully it went off without a hitch. Speaking of having interpreters whilst speaking, in a roundabout way of the universe showing me just how small the world is, especially the interpreting world, the first interpreter that I had for the first two session was actually one of my wife’s favourite lecturers from when she did her undergrad and Wolverhampton. So that was just wonderful. Regarding the sessions, I spent a while pre-planning the subjects that I was going to talk about. The process of registering for self-assessment etc. But when I got there and started talking to people, It really hit home something I think all tax advisers know, and that is that tax is never a one size fits all. Sure, there are a lot of linear rules and regulations that one must follow, but ultimately, tax is such an individual thing. Not everyone’s situations are the same, but on the other side of the coin, there are a lot of similarities. I figured after a quick introduction; I would ask for questions. That did not disappoint. I had some amazing and thought-provoking questions from newly self-employed people to veterans of the self-assessment and limited company directors alike. One of the best things I found about ASLI GoingPro was that there were a lot of new interpreters there, and possibly some that were very nervous to ask any questions, in the big keynote speeches and the smaller sessions like the ones I took, the more experienced interpreters seemed to realise this, and took it upon themselves to get the ball rolling and asking questions. The whole experience felt unlike anything I have ever done before. The inclusivity, the comradery among professionals and the thirst for knowledge. I will be the first to admit that I felt really out of my depth when I got there. In a room full of people that knew each other, even the other round table speakers were all interpreters. I couldn’t have felt more welcome, especially by one certain person there who was incredibly kind. The whole situation has made me realise that I am glad to be marketing myself as an interpreter specialist accountant, and they are exactly the type of client I always saw myself working for. I hope that this is just the first in a long line of conferences that I get to attend for the interpreters. I am always looking to give back in some way, shape or form to the profession. Going from 0 to almost 10% of the UK’s interpreters purely by word of mouth shows just how much my ‘terp clients look after me, so it is my hope that for now and onwards, I get to do the same for them.
