STAFF HIGHLIGHT | DANIEL PARISH, ACCOUNTANT

Staff Highlight Daniel Parish Trak Accountants

Daniel is one of our full-time Accountants at Trak.  He’s been with us since we started over two and a half years ago when there were just two staff members alongside myself and Gail.

Initially part-time, Daniel has taken on more and more responsibility as the business has grown and he’s now fully immersed in everything accounting from individual tax returns to financials for companies and trusts and all the services we offer in-between.

Daniel really suits our Practice as he’s very down-to-earth.  He’s had a diverse career background and now has young family that has also been growing in leaps and bounds.

Dan initially wanted to be a carpenter when he left school but the lack of apprenticeships led him to Ag College, as he’d grown up on the land with his family in Nana Glen, a country town 30 minutes out of Coffs Harbour.  After applying for a few jobs he landed his first job as a Jackaroo in Cunnamulla, Western Queensland and later became a Landscaper/Grounds Foreman.

His journey changed course one day when he decided he’s had enough of the outdoor work…. in particular the intense heat of our great outdoors.  He then decided to commence full-time study at Southern Cross University to pursue an Accounting career.  Yes a bit of a change from riding horses, chasing sheep and cattle and cutting grass but as he had a love of facts and figures and all things maths, he was looking forward to something more challenging in a much more temperate environment.

After graduating Southern Cross Uni with a Bachelor of Business majoring in accounting and minoring in finance, Daniel worked in a couple of different accounting firms on the Gold Coast before taking a year off to be ‘Daddy Day-Care’ for 12 months.  Daniel and his wife, Belinda, now have three energetic little tykes – Jacub 5, Isabelle 3 and Madelyn whose 10 months old.  Of all the jobs he’s had Dan recons that being Daddy Day-Care was the most challenging!  After Isabelle was old enough to go to day-care Dan took up his position with Trak Accountants – initially part-time, becoming full-time six months ago.

Dan says “working at Trak has been a great experience as I’ve been able to grow as the company has grown.  Initially my work involved general accounting, the same as I’d carried out in previous positions, but as the business has grown and Mark has built more strategic services, I’ve been more involved in business strategic planning.  This is a special part of the business that Mark has driven to add value for our business clients with strategic advice and support to grow their businesses.  It’s really interesting and has been a huge learning curve for me.  I love the diversity of clients we work with and I’ve learnt more here in two years than I’d learnt over the past six years with other accounting firms!”

With a young family Dan and Belinda don’t get a lot of time to themselves; their spare time is focused around their children.  On the weekends they like to get the kids out of the house to kid-friendly, local waterholes and parks.  Dan’s counting the days till Jacub is old enough to play golf with him as he loves golf and hasn’t managed to fit a game in over the last two years!  We will have to see what we can do about that!

This year is going to be a big one for them as they are designing and preparing a house build on a block in Banora Point.  Dan’s hoping to have it ready for construction before this Christmas!  Jacub is also starting Kindy and Isabelle, their middle child is biting at the bit to go to school as well, but at she’s only three she has a couple of years to go – “3 going on 13” Dan says.  Both of his girls are looking to be very outspoken little ladies with lots of get up and go.  Dan and Belinda have certainly got their hands full.

Pop in and say hi to Dan next time you’re around Varsity Lakes.  He’s very approachable and loves catching up with our clients.

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