2025 – what a tough year! I’m glad to see the back of it.
I’m not talking about business. Despite all the predictions of economic gloom, Evan Bulmer and Associates kicked goals all year, as did our clients.
We completed all your compliance tasks ahead of schedule, built 24-month rolling forecasts for our Strategy to Cash clients, and helped you maximise your cashflow and profits.
In June, we welcomed Rachelle to the team. Since then, she and Tamara have engineered massive improvements in our back end. We’re doing exactly what I advise my clients to do: investing time and money to improve the efficiency of our business.
But while business has been looking up, 2025 was a dismal year for me and my family. Thankfully, the new year gives us all a chance to reset.
You know how much I love my footy. Last year, personality clashes ripped my club committee apart. We managed to piece things back together, but I went through several months of self-doubt before our AGM. Now the love is back, and I’m fired up for the coming season.
But football’s just a game. Nicole, my wife, spent the last few years looking after her ageing parents. This year, matters came to a head. Nicole and her siblings had to make some hard choices. Her parents are now in care, receiving the professional help they deserve. But it wasn’t easy for anyone, let alone Nicole.
Then, in October, my father’s life was upended when his partner of 20 years left him. I wrote about it last year. Nicole and my daughter Maddison were caught in the brutal crossfire. Dad just felt bewildered, like he’d been cast adrift.
The family rallied around, but the loss was more than Dad could deal with. On 24 November, he succumbed to a massive stroke. I didn’t see it coming. In hindsight it seems obvious, but at the time I felt blindsided.
Dad’s barber expressed it best. ‘He died of a broken heart.’
Somehow, I pulled myself together. Delivered the eulogy at Dad’s funeral. Started tying up the loose ends of Dad’s estate. I thought I was coping well.
Then in early December, I logged in to my online banking. A software update failed. I couldn’t locate my accounts. I’m sitting there clicking away with the mouse, trying to navigate the hellscape on my screen. Nothing worked. I went full bunta. Totally lost it. People walking along Grange Beach a block away would have heard me screaming.
That’s when I knew I needed a break. It wasn’t just the online banking fiasco. It was Nicole’s dramas with her parents, Maddison’s shock at losing her step-grandmother, and my grief at losing Dad. You take one hit, you pick yourself up. Take one too many, and you’re down for the count.
So I booked a New Year’s cruise with Nicole and Maddy. We’ll be travelling to Vanuatu, wrapped up in our own little bubble. A chance to regroup and recharge. Because I’m no good to anyone. To Nicole and Maddy, to Tamara and Rachelle, to all my clients, if I’m feeling frazzled.
Usually, my New Year’s resolution is to keep improving my business. This year, it’s to keep working on my mental health. And I suspect I’m not alone.
Happy New Year, Maria!!
It’s important to appreciate the people who add value to our lives. Each year I prepare individual tax returns for my clients and their families. It’s my way of thanking them for their support.
Maria is six months younger than my dad. I’ve been her son’s accountant for decades. After I complete Maria’s tax return, I pop around to her place so she can sign the form.
Maria’s Italian, so I don’t just ask her to sign the form and then skedaddle. We sit down, share a cup of coffee and a slice of cake, and chat. This year, she baked a blueberry cake for us. Delicious.
We talked for an hour. An intelligent, nuanced conversation. Maria’s an insightful matriarch, and her son dotes on her. He rings or visits every day.
Seeing such strong family ties reminded me of what really matters. People are the heart of our business. Maria can be proud of everything she’s accomplished in her life, and proud of her son’s success. Sharing time with her is an immense privilege.
So on behalf of the team at EBAA, I’d like to wish Maria, and all my other clients, a healthy and prosperous 2026!