Sons of CPAs: Recent Episodes
Scott Scarano
The premier practice management podcast for tax and accounting firms. Join us for some fun and oftentimes colorful conversations about the accounting and tax industry. We are all the sons (and daughters) of CPAs, questioning the current state of the accounting and tax industry with the next generation of professionals leading this space.
Episode 227
FACULTY: Mike Meilinger, CPA
CLASS: #Shoperations
In this episode, join us as we dive into an inspiring conversation with Mike Meilinger, a seasoned CPA and business coach who has transformed not only his accounting firm but also his health. Mike shares his incredible physical transformation and adopting extreme fitness regimes like 75 Hard. Gain valuable insights on balancing business success with personal health, the importance of emotional well-being, and why investing in discomfort can lead to growth in all aspects of life.
📣 Shout Outs: Gary Breka Health Routine, Bridging the Gap, Deloitte, Insignia, Strategic Coach, Buy Back Your Time, Dan Martell, Dan Sullivan, Geno Wickman, Quickbooks, Thomson Reuters, Certified Tax Coach, Dominique Molina, Rick Solomon, Monday, ClickUp, Citrix, UltraTax, Rightworks, Xero, Bill.com, Rootworks, Jason Staats, Summit CPA, Gusto, Jody Grunden, Eddie Priscilla’s Live Hard Program, Pinnacle Coaching, Gordon Caudle, Enlightened Business Advisors, Peter Attia, Brant Hansen
📚 Books Referenced 📚
Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell
Unoffendable by Brant Hansen
Outlived by Peter Attia
Chapters:
00:00 Teaser
02:52 Mike's Journey to Accounting
04:49 Starting and Growing the Firm
06:10 Strategic Coach and Business Principles
13:51 Technology and Outsourcing
24:00 Learning from the Best: Coaches and Systems
24:34 Pricing and Engagement Lessons
26:28 Sales and Hiring Strategies
27:54 Journey to Health and Fitness
31:10 The Importance of Self-Investment
44:23 Emotional Health and Forgiveness
46:54 Final Thoughts
🔗 Connect With Us On LinkedIn! 🔗
Mike Meilinger
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemeilinger/
📎 https://www.meilinger.us/
Scotty OKR Scarano
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottscarano/
Accounting High
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-high/
📎 https://www.accountinghigh.com/
Tags: Shoperations, Accounting High, Accounting, Podcast, Shop Class, Firm Operations, Systems And Processes, firm growth, CPA success, business coaching, strategic coach, healthy lifestyle, bodybuilding, accounting firm, discomfort budget, tax planning, outsourcing, client relationships, Pinnacle coaching, fitness journey, health principles, entrepreneur tips, delegation strategies, emotional health, personal trainer, business systems, professional development
Episode 226
FACULTY: Dominic Piscopo, CPA
In this episode, Scotty chats with Domini Piscopo, the founder of Big4Transparency.com. Domini shares his journey from being a tax analyst at Deloitte to becoming an entrepreneur. He talks about the importance of transparency in the accounting profession, how his platform helps accountants understand salary expectations, and his future plans for Big4Transparency.
📣 Shout Outs: Big4Transparency, Bridging the Gap, Deloitte Canada, Rewind, Lil Dicky, Dave Byrd, Reddit, Robert Half, Fishbowl, Blind, Brandon Hall, Twitter/X, Tim Petrey
⬇️ Videos Referenced ⬇️
_$7.5M Small Town Big Fish Swimming with PE Sharks (feat. Tim Petrey, CPA)_
(https://youtu.be/yqekz3qv7oQ)
_Guide to Ground your Growth with Gratitude (feat. Tim Petrey, CPA)_
(https://youtu.be/g-OTO-3YWnI)
Chapters:
00:00 Teaser
02:46 Dominic's Journey into Accounting
09:29 Transition to Entrepreneurship
23:46 Business and Data Sharing
25:04 Demographics and User Engagement
25:28 Branding and Revenue Generation
28:39 Big Breakthroughs and Validation
31:12 Current Offerings and Future Plans
40:18 Podcasting and Networking
41:55 Final Thoughts and Advice
🔗 _Connect With Us On Linkedin!_ 🔗
Dominic Piscopo, CPA
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/dopiscopo/
Big4Transparency.com
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/big4transparency-com/
📎 https://www.big4transparency.com/
Scotty OKR Scarano
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottscarano/
Accounting High
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-high/
📎 https://www.accountinghigh.com/
Tags: Accounting High, Accounting, Industry, Practice, Podcast, Guidance, Vision, Firm Owners, Advice, Compensation Database, Accountants, Dominic Piscopo, Big Four, Transparency, CPA, Salary Data, Accounting Industry, Public Accounting, Accounting Firms, Career Advice, Entrepreneurship, Accounting Careers, Financial Planning, Audit, Tax, FP&A, Reddit, Networking, Business Development
Episode 225
FACULTY: Terrell Turner, CPA
CLASS: #SocialStudies
In this Social Studies episode of Accounting High, Scotty and Terrell Turner discuss the evolution of marketing in the age of AI and how firms can adapt to the changes brought by large language models like ChatGPT. Learn strategies to ensure your brand shows up in AI-driven searches. Terrell shares his practical experiences, including integrating high-value content, leveraging different social media platforms, and personalizing marketing approaches.
📣 Shout Outs: YouTube, Tik-Tok, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pintrest, Zoom, Streamyard, Riverside, Samuel L Jackson, Bridging the Gap, Oprah, Logitech, ChatGPT, Kanye West, Tim Petrey, Logan Graf, State Farm, Geico, Procter & Gamble
⬇️Videos Referenced⬇️
Guide to Ground your Growth with Gratitude | Tim Petrey, CPA
(https://youtu.be/g-OTO-3YWnI)
Chapters:
00:00 Teaser
01:44 Introduction
02:21 Evolution of Marketing in Accounting
03:07 Leveraging AI for Brand Visibility
04:14 Historical Marketing Methods
06:03 Adapting to AI and Large Language Models
36:27 Using Memes and Social Media
40:05 Terrel's Golden Age Model
43:54 Conclusion
🔗 Connect With Us On Linkedin! 🔗
Terrell A Turner, CPA
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/terrellturner/
TLTurner Group
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/tlturnergroup/
📎 http://www.tlturnergroup.com
Business Talk Library
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/1goldenage/
📎 http://www.bizprofitsecrets.com
Scotty OKR Scarano
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottscarano/
Accounting High
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-high/
📎 https://www.accountinghigh.com/
Tags: Social Studies, Accounting High, Accounting, Podcast, Marketing, Social Media, AI Marketing, Branding Strategies, Content Marketing, CPA Insights, ChatGPT, Digital Presence, Firm Visibility, Social Media Strategy, SEO Techniques, Marketing Evolution, High-Quality Content, Marketing Trends, Online Branding, Business Growth, Marketing Tips, Firm Marketing, AI Tools, Marketing Innovation, Marketing Strategy, Client Acquisition
Episode 224
Botkeeper Presents AI UNCHAINED
On October 8-10 2024, in Santa Rosa California
LINK BELOW SAVES YOU $290, GET YOUR TICKET FOR $509 (REG PRICE $799)
https://app.hubspot.com/payments/purchase/hscs_r07FYxQ5lcH36SD4YjS9gOMpmt9QnN8uODZWT2AydCTH75jxtFfhmYO2SNRbtzxc
FACULTY: Tim Petrey, CPA
CLASS: #TheGuide
In this episode of the podcast, Scotty interviews Tim Petrey, CPA about his approach to firm growth with gratitude. Tim shares his journey from washing semi trucks to building a successful CPA firm and several other ventures. Tim emphasizes paying it forward, work-life balance, and the necessity of hiring great people. He also offers valuable advice to Accounting High students.
📣 Shout Outs: Lauren Baptiste, David Bergstein, Chase Birky, CPA, Nick Boscia, CPA, Rafael Casas, Travis Cherry, Nina Chmura, Korey Cournoyer, CEO Gale Crosley, CPA, CGMA, Deneen Dias, Sharrin Fuller, Chris Gallo, Matthew Geary, Angie Grissom, Calvin Harris Jr., CPA, Will Hill, W. Michael Hsu, Kenji Kuramoto, Mike Maksymiw, APRIO Blake Meester, Gaynor Meilke, Patrick Morrell, Enrico Palmerino, Tim Petrey, Megan Ricketts, Scotty "OKR" Scarano, Scott Soucy, Rachael Smith, Nishanth Vimalesh, Shannon Vincent, Lee Walker, Dustin Wheeler, Geni Whitehouse, BotKeeper, Ascend, The Penguin Collective, NIL Collective, Youngstown State University, HD Growth Partners
⬇️Videos Referenced⬇️
$7.5M Small Town Big Fish Swimming with PE Sharks | Tim Petrey, CPA
(https://youtu.be/yqekz3qv7oQ)
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:39 AI Unchained
02:58 Introducing Tim
03:01 Building a Successful Firm
06:08 Supporting Community
11:54 Growth and Overcoming Challenges
13:28 Navigating Acquisitions
18:15 Balancing Firm Growth and Employee Goals
18:57 Creating a Supportive Work Environment
21:31 AI Unchained
23:04 Quality of Life
27:52 Advice from Tim
31:20 The Power of Saying No
33:32 More AI Unchained
🔗 Connect With Us On LinkedIn! 🔗
Tim Petrey
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/petreycpa/
HD Growth Partners
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/hdgrowthpartners/
📎 http://www.hdgrowthpartners.com
White Glove Payroll
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/white-glove-payroll/
📎 https://whiteglovepayroll.com/
Scotty OKR Scarano
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottscarano/
Accounting High
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-high/
📎 https://www.accountinghigh.com/
Tags: The Guide, Accounting High, Accounting, Podcast, Guidance, Vision, Firm Owners, Advice, growth, gratitude, accounting firm, entrepreneurship, business growth, firm acquisitions, employee retention, work-life balance, community support, burnout, leadership, service-based business, career advice, quality of life
Episode 223
Botkeeper Presents AI UNCHAINED
On October 8-10 2024, in Santa Rosa California
LINK BELOW SAVES YOU $290, GET YOUR TICKET FOR $509 (REG PRICE $799)
https://app.hubspot.com/payments/purchase/hscs_r07FYxQ5lcH36SD4YjS9gOMpmt9QnN8uODZWT2AydCTH75jxtFfhmYO2SNRbtzxc
FACULTY: Tim Petrey, CPA
CLASS: #Shoperations
In this episode of Accounting High, Tim Petrey, CPA, shares his inspiring journey from a small CPA firm to becoming an innovative player in the accounting industry. Through exciting strategies, community involvement, and leveraging the power of Ascend's private equity model, Tim has transformed his firm into a $7.5 million revenue business with 75 employees. The discussion covers leadership, firm growth, internship programs, pricing strategies, and the impact of merging with Ascend. Join us as we delve into the tactics and mindset that have driven Timothy's incredible success.
📣 Shout Outs: Karbon, Chik-fil-a, Brennan Hall, Chase Berkey, Ascend, The Penguin Collective, Youngstown State University, HD Growth Partners
Chapters:
00:00 Teaser
03:12 Introduction
04:15 Intro
09:43 Time Tracking
10:16 Deliverable Compensation Plans
12:05 Level Up Program, Gamification
16:46 Acquisitions & Pricing
20:02 Client Experience & NPS
22:21 Hybrid Office Environment
26:54 AI Unchained
28:44 Niches
30:40 Interns
36:57 Benefits of Working with Ascend
40:01 AI Unchained
42:53 Next Week on Accounting High
🔗 Connect With Us On LinkedIn! 🔗
Tim Petrey
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/petreycpa/
HD Growth Partners
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/hdgrowthpartners/
📎 http://www.hdgrowthpartners.com
White Glove Payroll
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/white-glove-payroll/
📎 https://whiteglovepayroll.com/
Scotty OKR Scarano
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottscarano/
Accounting High
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-high/
📎 https://www.accountinghigh.com/
Tags: Shoperations, Accounting High, Accounting, Podcast, Shop Class, Firm Operations, Systems And Processes, CPA, tax, partnership, acquisitions, private equity, HD Growth Partners, Ascend, Youngstown, internships, career pathway, service agreements, remote work, hybrid offices, professional development, client service, pricing strategy, community engagement, operational efficiency, staff advisory council
Episode 222
Sign up for Workflow Queen's Breakthrough for Bookkeepers & Accountants for $1,000 OFF Sale dates: August 23rd - August 30th
https://www.breakthroughwithsystems.com/join-live
FACULTY: Chris Hervochon, CPA aka 'The Herv'
CLASS: #Shoperations
In this episode of Shoperations at Accounting High, Chris Hervochon, CPA aka "The Herv" shares his journey from high school accounting to founding A Better Way CPA. Chris delves into his strategies for using automation and advisory services to grow his firm. He also discusses his experiences with Leadership Academy, the importance of networking, and the role of Herve AI in enhancing accounting processes. Whether you're new to the accounting world or looking to break through business ceilings, this episode is packed with insights and practical advice to help you streamline operations and scale your firm.
📣 Shout Outs: Shannon Weinstein, Zapier, Make, AICPA, Barry Melancon, Gary Wood, Zendesk, Karbon, Keeper, Scrutinize, Verify IQ, Ignition, Herve.ai, Better Way CPA
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
04:17 High School and College Journey
07:16 Transition to Accounting and CPA Journey
07:38 Starting a Side Hustle
10:42 Building a Firm and Finding a Niche
13:02 Automation and Technological Innovations
23:51 Overcoming Rejection and Finding Success
24:49 Taking the Leap: Quitting the Job
25:46 The Importance of Networking
26:56 Defining and Delivering Advisory Services
30:26 Sales and Discovery Process
34:46 Marketing Strategies and Client Acquisition
36:36 Innovating with Herv AI
42:16 Future Aspirations and Final Advice
🔗 Connect With Us On LinkedIn! 🔗
Chris Hervochon, CPA
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrishervochon/
Better Way CPA
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/betterwaycpa/
📎 http://betterwaycpa.com
Herv.ai
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/herv-ai/
📎 https://www.herv.ai/
Scotty OKR Scarano
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottscarano/
Accounting High
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-high/
📎 https://www.accountinghigh.com/
Tags:
Shoperations, Accounting High, Accounting, Podcast, Shop Class, Firm Operations, Systems And Processes, Coaching Vs Consulting, CFO Lite, Chris Hervochon, Financial Automation, Business Advisory Services, Workflow Optimization, Accounting And Bookkeeping, Monthly Financial Reviews, Zapier Integration, Make Integration, Small Business Advisory, Professional Services Automation, AI In Accounting, Herv.AI, CPA Journey, Accounting High Podcast, BNI for Accountants, Tech In Accounting, EOS Implementation, Soft Skills For Accountants, Scaling Accounting Firms
Episode 221
FACULTY: Zane Stevens, CA
CLASS: #Shoperations
In this episode of Accounting High, Scotty is in shop class with Zane Stevens, founder of Protea Financials. Zane takes us through his journey from South Africa to California, where he set up a thriving accounting firm specializing in the wine industry. They chat about the importance of good communication, finding your career niche, and using professional networks to grow. Zane also points out the cool perks of having a team spread across South Africa. Join in for some solid advice on career growth, managing a remote team, and tips for budding accountants trying to carve out their path.
💛 Sign up for Workflow Queen's FREE The POWER to Breakthrough Bootcamp:
https://learn.workflowqueen.com/power-bootcamp
- Bootcamp dates: August 19th - August 23rd
📣 Shout Outs:
Nikole Mackenzie, ProVisors, Karbon, Slack, WhatsApp, Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams
Chapters:
0:00 221 Teaser
02:25 Introduction
04:51 Journey into Accounting
05:51 Starting Protea Financial
09:03 Expanding Beyond Wineries
15:02 Building a Team in South Africa
29:25 Internal Communication Tools
32:19 Relocating to the U.S.
33:56 Business Development and Marketing
37:03 The Power of LinkedIn
39:40 Starting Podcasts
42:46 Protea Conversations Podcast
53:06 Final Thoughts and Advice
🔗 Connect With Us! 🔗
Zane Stevens, CA
📎https://www.linkedin.com/in/zane-stevens/
Protea Financials
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/protea-financial/
📎 https://proteafinancial.com/
Protea Weekly Podcast
📎 https://open.spotify.com/show/1ys5AIAIqd1Sgl01uczbRK
📎 https://www.youtube.com/@proteaacademy1703
Scotty OKR Scarano
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottscarano/
Accounting High
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-high/
📎 https://www.accountinghigh.com/
Tags: Shoperations, Accounting High, Accounting, Podcast, Shop Class, Firm Operations, Systems And Processes, communication tips, accounting niche, wine industry, accounting services, word of mouth, business growth, podcasting, U.S. immigration, work-life balance, remote teams, South Africa, mentorship, Protea Financial, client relationships, workflow optimization, business development, scaling business, professional networking, bookkeeping services, financial compliance
Episode 220
💛 Sign up Workflow Queen's FREE The POWER to Breakthrough Bootcamp:
https://learn.workflowqueen.com/power-bootcamp
- Bootcamp dates: August 19th - August 23rd 2024
FACULTY: Alyssa Lang aka The Workflow Queen
CLASS: #TheGuide
In this episode, hang out in the guidance counsel office with Alyssa Lang as she spills the beans on her journey from bartending on the side to reigning as the Workflow Queen. She tells how her side hustle became a successful million-dollar business. Learn how Alyssa navigated her career and personal obstacles to emerge as a pioneer in the accounting and bookkeeping community.
📣 Shout Outs:
Drake Tax Software, QuickBooks Online, Xero, Ben Robinson’s Bookkeeper Launch, Asana, Serena Shoup, Karbon, Alex Beaton, Ariel Schiffer’s Dreampro Courses
Chapters:
0:00 Teaser
03:58 Introducing Alyssa
04:31 College Days and Career Shifts
05:49 The Start of the Tax Hustle
10:48 Transition to Bookkeeping
13:20 The Birth of Workflow Queen
17:21 Challenges and Growth
22:01 Joining Together We Launch
22:40 Overcoming Initial Rejections
23:15 Learning the Art of Launching
24:01 First Successful Launch
25:50 Dealing with Money Mindset Issues
28:54 Gaining Recognition and Expanding Influence
32:48 Creating the Breakthrough Program
34:59 Launching and Refining Breakthrough
41:47 Reflections and Conclusion
🔗 Connect With Us! 🔗
Alyssa Lang
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssa-lang-wq/
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssa-lang-mb/
Workflow Queen
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/workflow-queen/
📎 https://www.workflowqueen.com/
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/workflow-queen/
Magnetic Bookkeeping
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/magnetic-bookkeeping/
📎 https://www.magneticbookkeeping.com/
📎 https://www.instagram.com/magneticprofits/
Scotty OKR Scarano
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottscarano/
Accounting High
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-high/
📎 https://www.accountinghigh.com/
Tags: The Guide, Accounting High, Accounting, Podcast, Guidance, Vision, Firm Owners, Advice, entrepreneurship, Workflow Queen, Alyssa Lang, business growth, success strategies, breakthrough, marketing coach, bookkeeping, tax business, mindset development, workflow management, coaching success, business systems, team hiring, productivity, Asana setup, tax practice, online courses, business automation, Alyssa Lang podcast
Episode 219
Sign up for Workflow Queen's FREE The POWER to Breakthrough Bootcamp: https://learn.workflowqueen.com/power-bootcamp
*Bootcamp dates: August 19th - August 23rd, 2024
FACULTY: Questian Telka, EA
CLASS: #TheGuide
Join us as Questian Telka, an experienced accountant with a passion for nonprofit work, discusses her journey, challenges, and successes in the field. Learn about her unique approach to nonprofit accounting, particularly within disability advocacy, and her dedication to helping these organizations thrive. Discover her tips on scaling a business, finding a niche, and trusting one's instincts. Tune in to see how she balances her professional aspirations with her personal mission.
📣 Shout Outs:
Deloitte, Misty Schachtell, Theatre of Public Speaking, Megan Tarnow, Fast Fund, Xero, QuickBooks, Google Suite, Gusto, Anchor, Keeper, Dext, Keeper Receipts, Ben Stein, Appy Camp, Jason Staats, Karbon, Right Tool, UnCat, Tara Kelley
Chapters:
00:00 Teaser
02:39 Introduction
03:13 The Origin of the Name 'Questian'
04:01 Journey into Accounting
04:42 Nonprofit Experience and QuickBooks Mastery
07:10 Transition to Entrepreneurship
13:30 Personal Connection to Disability Advocacy
19:23 Teaching and Public Speaking
23:27 Navigating Nonprofit Accounting
23:53 Marketing Strategies for Niches
24:13 Client Acquisition and Referrals
25:11 Leveraging YouTube and LinkedIn
25:38 Starting a Podcast
26:28 Future Aspirations and Nonprofit Vision
27:32 Balancing Work and Passion
29:33 Client Selection and Best Practices
32:03 Software and Tools for Nonprofits
🔗 Connect With Us On Linkedin! 🔗
Questian Telka
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/questian-telka-ea-78383666/
ReQoncile Financials
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/reqoncile-financials/
📎 https://www.reqoncilefinancials.com/
Scotty OKR Scarano
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottscarano/
Accounting High
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-high/
📎 https://www.accountinghigh.com/
Tags: #TheGuide #AccountingHigh #Accounting #Podcast #Guidance #Vision #FirmOwners #Advice #NonprofitAccounting #DisabilityAdvocacy #AccountingScaling #QuickBooksNonprofits #EASpecialist #NonprofitBookkeeping #FinancialHealthNonprofits #AccountingNiche #GovernmentGrants #RestrictedAssets #QuickBooksClasses #EffectiveBookkeeping #NonprofitBranding #WorkflowQueen #AccountingBootcamp #QuestianTelka #Mission-DrivenAccounting #AccountingHigh #AccountingFlexibility #NonprofitTaxation
Episode 218
FACULTY: Lukas Sundahl, CMA
CLASS: #Shoperations
In this episode, Lukas Sundahl, the Founder of Accounting Couture, discusses the opportunities in accounting and explains the differences between CMA and CPA. Discover insights into offering Fractional CFO services, implementing EOS, and valuable advice for aspiring accountants considering different certifications. Plus, he talks about how he turned his interest in accounting into a successful personal brand.
📣 Shout Outs:
Backbone CFO, Michael King, The CFO Accelerator, QBO, Business Central, Microsoft, Gary Vaynerchuk, Dan Martell, Gino Wickman
📚 Book Recommendations 📚
Crushing It by Gary Vaynerchuk
Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell
Traction by Gino Wickman
⬇️Episodes Referenced⬇️
Episode 170 - Accelerating Impact by Thinking Differently (feat. Michael King, CFO)
https://open.spotify.com/episode/55ejcvgcbi21ZzgD1ID6jx?si=5HkgamdcQSmhAb6l8sTZ_Q
Chapters:
0:00 Teaser
02:20 Lucas Sundahl's Journey
03:05 Transition to Accounting
04:36 Career Progression in Accounting
06:01 Choosing the CMA Over the CPA
09:10 Starting Accounting Couture
10:51 Building a Brand on TikTok
16:49 Networking and Opportunities
18:05 Offering CFO Services
23:24 Joining a Fractional CFO Firm
25:24 Introduction to Backbone CFO
25:35 The Role of a Fractional CFO
27:13 Systematizing with EOS
28:22 Building Backbone's Offerings with EOS
29:50 Team Structure and Growth
30:54 Focusing on High-Value Work
38:53 Promoting Accounting Couture
43:09 Buy Back Your Time
45:46 Parting Advice and Mentorship
🔗 Connect With Us On LinkedIn! 🔗
Lukas Sundahl
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukasnsundahl/
Scotty OKR Scarano
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottscarano/
Accounting High
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-high/
📎 https://www.accountinghigh.com/
Tags:
Shoperations #AccountingHigh #Accounting #Podcast #ShopClass #FirmOperations #SystemsAndProcesses #FractionalCFO #AccountingServices #CMAvsCPA #EOSImplementation #LukasSundahl #AccountingCareer #TikTokMarketing #CPAExam #CMAExam #CFOServices #BusinessStrategy #ERPSystems #AccountingCouture #AccountingCreativity #ManagementAccounting #FinanceDegree #EntrepreneurialOperatingSystem #StrategicPlanning #ManufacturingAccounting #FinancialForecasting
Episode 217
FACULTY: Chayton Farlee
CLASS: #TheGuide
Join us in this enlightening episode where young accounting professional Chayton Farlee shares his journey of discovering the vibrant side of accounting beyond the classroom. Tune in to hear his insightful conversation on breaking free from the traditional 'Big Four' mindset, the importance of real-world experience, and his passion for making accounting both fun and impactful.
📣 Shout Outs:
Blake Oliver, David Leary, Cloud Accounting Podcast, Logan Graff, Jason Staats, Ryan Lazanis, Liz Mason, XeroCon, Scaling New Heights, Randy Crabtree, The Unique CPA, EY, Xero, QuickBooks, TaxDome, Karbon, Ramp, Ignition, Relay
Chapters:
0:00 Teaser
1:54 Meet Chayton Farlee
2:19 Discovering a New Path in Accounting
4:00 Choosing Between Big Four and Small Firm
4:40 The Importance of Family and Work-Life Balance
14:05 Chayton's Podcast: Networking and Learning
19:07 Applying Knowledge to Internship
23:53 Real Life Accounting vs The Classroom
26:41 The Future of Accounting
28:56 Breaking Free from the Big Four
29:44 The Pipeline Problem
36:41 The Importance of Soft Skills
37:55 Diverse Client Portfolios and Services
38:48 Exploring the Tech Stack
44:22 Xero, XeroCon, and the Xero Rap
51:17 Advice for Aspiring Accountants
🔗 Connect With Us On Linkedin! 🔗
Chayton Farlee
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/chaytonfarlee/
The Accounting Conversations Podcast
📎 https://open.spotify.com/show/5J7B7qft08XDn975BvE8Qo?si=b64ee72daf274ee5
Scotty OKR Scarano
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottscarano/
Accounting High
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-high/
📎 https://www.accountinghigh.com/
Tags:
The Guide, Accounting High, Accounting, Podcast, Guidance, Vision, Firm Owners, Advice, Accounting Journey, Chayton Farlee, Internship Experience, Big Four vs Small Firm, Accounting Podcasts, Remote Firm, CAAS Firms, Accounting Education, Work-Life Balance, Family Priorities, Career Paths, Young Professionals, Accounting Innovation, Networking Tips, Real World Accounting, Tech Stack, XeroCon, TaxDome Implementation, Bookkeeping, Small Business Advisory
Episode 216
FACULTY: Alyssa J. Dillon
CLASS: #SocialStudies
In this episode, we explore the inspiring journey of Alyssa J. Dillon from an unwilling accounting student to a successful entrepreneur and profit strategist. Learn how Alyssa built her brand, established herself as a marketing expert, and how she now mentors accountants on leveraging social media and marketing strategies to grow their firms. This episode is packed with insights on overcoming imposter syndrome, harnessing the power of social media, scaling businesses, and much more. Tune in to discover the keys to taking your accounting practice to the next level!
📣 Shout Outs: Randy Crabtree, Jody Grunden
Chapters:
0:00 Teaser
01:29 Introduction
01:42 Discovering Accounting High
02:33 Alyssa's Journey into Accounting
04:37 From College to CFO
06:10 Starting a Fractional CFO Company
07:40 Building an Online Presence
09:45 Creating a Unique Value Proposition
13:33 Transition to Teaching Accountants
24:20 Marketing for Accountants: Beyond the CPA License
26:11 Overcoming Visibility Challenges in Marketing
26:58 Leveraging Social Media for Business Growth
30:17 Building a Team and Transferring Authority
34:12 Scaling Your Business: Mindset and Strategies
40:01 Final Advice for Aspiring CEOs
🔗 Connect With Us On Linkedin! 🔗
Alyssa J. Dillon
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssa-dillon/
📎 https://alyssajdillon.com/
Scotty OKR Scarano
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottscarano/
Accounting High
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-high/
📎 https://www.accountinghigh.com/
Tags:
SocialStudies, AccountingHigh, Accounting, Podcast, Marketing, SocialMedia, Market Grow, Teach Lead, Account High, Business Strategy, Profit Mindset, Entrepreneur, Marketing Tactics, Fractional CFO, Online Presence, Finance Tips, Business Coaching, Accounting Strategy, Digital Marketing, Social Network Marketing, Growth Mindset, Business Development, Marketing Tips, Financial Strategy
Episode 215
FACULTY: Samantha Musser, CPA
CLASS: #TheGuide
In this episode of Accounting High, we sit down in the guidance counselor’s office with Samantha Musser, CPA also known as 'The Happy Accountant'. Samantha shares her journey from studying fashion merchandising to becoming a CPA and starting her own accounting firm. She discusses the key to happiness in the accounting profession. Learn about Samantha's unique approach to creating a happy and efficient accounting practice, her strategies for maintaining work-life balance, and her upcoming venture to help other accountants build their own successful practices.
📣 Shout Outs:
Monday.com
Chapters:
0:00 Teaser
01:49 Introduction
03:26 Samantha's Journey into Accounting
05:52 Building a Happy Accounting Firm
14:54 Being a Happy Accountant
23:17 Finding Happiness in Business
23:46 The Happy Accountant Persona
24:58 Client Relationships and Challenges
27:19 Core Values and Firm Name
33:02 Saying No and Specialization
36:59 Future Goals and Community Building
🔗 Connect With Us On Linkedin! 🔗
Samantha Musser
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthamussercpa/
📎 https://www.instagram.com/samanthamussercpa/
Chime CPA
📎 https://www.chime.cpa/
Scotty OKR Scarano
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottscarano/
Accounting High
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-high/
📎 https://www.accountinghigh.com/
Tags:
Accounting, Happiness, CPA, Firm, Outsourcing, Efficiency, Business, Processes, Clients, Workflow, Marketing, LinkedIn, Remote, Growth, Innovation, Community, Consulting, Tax-free, Work-life balance, Course
Episode 214FACULTY: Yuri Kapilovich, CPACLASS: #ShoperationsIn this episode of Accounting High, Scott interviews Yuri Kapilovich, the 'Fun CPA,' to discuss his non-traditional approach to running a CPA practice. They explore Yuri's career journey from numerous CPA firms to his own practice, emphasizing his pursuit of individual tax over corporate tax and his strategy for maintaining a balanced and enjoyable work life. Scott and Yuri discuss the challenges of scaling his firm while preserving his lifestyle, and the unique value he offers to clients and potential hires.📣 Shout Out: EYChapters:0:00 Teaser02:54 Yuri's Journey to Becoming a CPA07:30 Challenges in Public Accounting13:28 Decision to Go Independent18:31 Starting the Fun CPA Brand26:48 Lifestyle Changes28:10 Firm Hard Numbers28:56 Deciding on Future Growth29:31 To Scale or Not to Scale, That is the Question39:47 Marketing and Client Acquisition Options45:42 Final Thoughts and Future Plans🔗 Connect With Us On Linkedin! 🔗Yuri Kapilovich📎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/Kapilovich & Associates, LLC📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/ykallc/📎 https://www.thefuncpa.co/Scotty OKR Scarano📎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottscarano/Accounting High📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-high/📎 https://www.accountinghigh.com/Tags:Tax Practice, CPA Career, Accounting Career, Business Growth, Tax Season, CPA Journey, Accounting Firm, Business Owner, CPA Advice, Small Business, Financial Planning, Tax Strategy, Accounting High, CPA Lifestyle, Business Scaling, Accountant's Life, Tax Preparation, Accounting Tips, CPA Success, Public Accounting, Shoperations, AccountingHigh, Accounting, Podcast, ShopClass, FirmOperations, SystemsAndProcesses--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 213
FACULTY: Naomi Granger, CPA
CLASS: #TheGuide
In this episode of Accounting High, Scotty interviews Naomi Granger, CPA, founder of The National Association of Cannabis Accounting and Tax Professionals (NACAT) and the historic co-founder of Dope CFO. Naomi shares her journey from traditional corporate accounting to the niche field of cannabis accounting, highlighting the industry's growth, challenges, and complexities. They discuss regulatory issues, the importance of niche expertise, social equity programs, and the broader implications of recent changes in cannabis scheduling.
Chapters:
0:00 Teaser
03:33 Discovering the Cannabis Industry
12:24 The Legal Landscape of Cannabis
14:00 Intoxicating Hemp
16:45 The Future of Cannabis Regulation
18:30 Building the Cannabis Accountants Association
20:55 Impact of Schedule 3 on Cannabis Businesses
23:51 Banking Challenges for Cannabis Businesses
31:11 Hope for the Future
32:08 Social Equity in the Cannabis Industry
36:03 Certified Cannabis Seed Counters
40:50 Conclusion and Contact Information
🔗 Connect With Us On Linkedin! 🔗
Naomi Granger
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomigranger/
National Association of Cannabis Accounting and Tax Professionals
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/nacatpros/
📎 https://nacatpros.org/
Scotty OKR Scarano
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottscarano/
Accounting High
📎 https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-high/
📎 https://www.accountinghigh.com/
Tags:
TheGuide, AccountingHigh, Accounting, Podcast, Guidance, Vision, FirmOwners, Advice, Cannabis, Accounting, Compliance, Cannabis Accounting, Cannabis Tax, Cannabis Regulation, Social Equity, Cannabis Business, Cannabis Industry, Schedule 3, 280E Tax, Cannabis Compliance, CPA, Cannabis Finance, Cannabis Legal, Hemp, Marijuana Tax, Cannabis Banking, Cannabis Legalization, Marijuana Industry
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 212
FACULTY: Reza Hooda, FCA
CLASS: #Shoperations
In this podcast episode, Scotty interviews Reza Hooda, FCA, founder of Capture Accounting and mentor at The Profitable Accountants Community. They dive deep into innovative accounting practices, focusing on results over timesheets. Reza shares his journey from implementing traditional timesheets to focusing on value pricing and the principles of a results-only work environment. They discuss the evolution of his practice, the importance of positioning in the marketplace, and the future potential of a new pricing and proposal software. Reza also offers actionable advice on managing change, increasing efficiency, and leveraging marketing and sales strategies to scale an accounting firm.
Shout Outs:
Ed Mendlowitz, Ron Baker, Mark Wickersham, Jody Thompson, Kali Resler, Karen Rayburn, Simon Sinek, James Ashford, GoProposal, Ignition, Notion, Excel, Loom, Sage
📚 Books Mentioned 📚
Work Sucks and How to Fix It by Jody Thompson and Kali Resler
Lies, Damn Lies, and Cost Accounting by Dr. Reginald Lee
⬇️ Videos Referenced ⬇️
The Timesheet Debate https://youtu.be/BP1Yq8oa_es
Karen Rayburn https://youtu.be/fmSwS3kYP6M
🏫 More RZA On Accounting High 🏫
164 - Build a Practice that gives you more Money, Time, and Freedom https://open.spotify.com/episode/3FXYNpnNYHSpN4PZHCmC8B?si=60c5a5b36db44885
097 - Stop the Scroll https://open.spotify.com/episode/3U5vM5fkSM3MdwV4R0YNz9?si=add709c712ff4be4
Chapters:
0:00 Teaser
01:37 Introduction
03:00 Reza's Firm Hard Numbers
04:01 Journey of Implementing and Removing Timesheets
07:05 Transition to Results-Only Work Environment
20:45 Efficiency Through Knowledge Sharing
23:04 Implementing New Systems and Overcoming Pushback
26:42 Leadership and Team Structure
30:21 Sales and Marketing Strategies
34:17 Developing Pricing and Proposal Software
41:53 Final Thoughts and Encouragement
Connect With Us On Linkedin!
Reza Hooda, FCA CTA
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rezahooda/
Capture Accounting
https://www.linkedin.com/company/capture-accounting/
https://www.captureaccounting.com/
Coaching and Mentorship: The Profitable Accountants Community
https://www.linkedin.com/company/profitable-accountants-community/
https://www.rezahooda.com/
Scotty OKR Scarano
https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottscarano/
Accounting High
https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-high/
https://www.accountinghigh.com/
Tags:
Shoperations, Accounting High, Accounting, Podcast, ShopClass, FirmOperations, SystemsAndProcesses, Pricing, Knowledge, Firm, Clients, Profits, Timeless, Marketing, Psychology, Sales, Work, Cloud, Efficiency, Capital, Sharing, Management, Upskilling, Growth, pricing strategies, accounting firm, client management, profit margins, pricing psychology, value pricing, sales psychology, work environment, cloud software, team efficiency, intellectual capital, client relations, business growth
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 211
FACULTY: Andrew Lassise
CLASS: #TechTime
In this podcast episode, Scotty interviews Andrew Lassise, the founder of Tech 4 Accountants, now integrated with Rightworks. Andrew shares his journey through the tech industry, focusing on IT solutions for accountants and the integration of AI in business operations. Andrew discusses his personal transformation from battling addiction to building a successful tech company that was recently acquired by Rightworks. He delves into the significance of cybersecurity for accounting firms, the evolution of AI, especially ChatGPT, and its applications in enhancing business efficiency. Andrew emphasizes the importance of embracing AI to stay ahead in the tech landscape.
Shout Outs:
Rightworks, ProSeries, Drake, TechGuru, UltraTax, Zapier, ChatGPT, Excel, TurboTax, QuickBooks Online, LiveFlow, Practice Protect, Randy Johnston, Mike Rosedale, Randy Crabtree, Scaling New Heights, Bridging the Gap, Blake Oliver
Chapters:
0:00 Teaser
01:41 Introduction
02:44 Getting into Tech
07:30 Focusing on Accountants
13:20 WISP
16:59 Being Acquired by Rightworks
18:50 The Podcast for Marketing
23:46 Using AI for Answering the same Questions
28:55 Ways to Use AI
35:47 Replacing Yourself with AI On Purpose
47:24 AI and Parodies
53:18 Conclusion
Connect With Us On Linkedin!
Andrew Lassise
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-lassise/
Rightworks
https://www.linkedin.com/company/rightworks/
https://www.rightworks.com/
Scotty OKR Scarano
https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottscarano/
Accounting High
https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-high/
https://www.accountinghigh.com/
Tags:
AI Tech, Accountancy AI, Andrew Lassise, AI Jobs, Tech Accountants, Cybersecurity, AI Integration, AI Marketing, Automation, WISP, ChatGPT, Human Workforce, AI Cybersecurity, Tech Startups, Customer Support, Enhanced Productivity, SMEs AI, Knowledge Management, AI Tools, Tech Companies
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 210
FACULTY: Steven Hoffman, CEO
CLASS: #Shoperations
In this podcast episode, Scotty interviews Steven Hoffman, CEO of OnPoint Tax Accounting, They discuss leveraging an uncredentialed C-Suite and moving away from the traditional partner model. The conversation covers OnPointe's mergers and acquisitions, the role of private equity in the industry, and the structural organization of Ascend and OnPointe. Steven shares insights from his journey implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) and the challenges of being a CEO of multiple tax firms.
Shout Outs: Dan Gertrudes at the Growth Lab
Chapters:
00:00 Teaser
01:38 Introduction
07:19 Getting Uncredentialed C-Suite for Growth and Ditching the Partner Model
10:56 OnPointe Tax and Accounting - Merging and Acquisition
16:25 Private Equity Firms in the Industry
19:45 The Structure of Ascend and OnPointe
22:05 The EOS Journey
24:38 Being a CEO of Multiple Tax Firms
28:37 Billing by the Hour
31:29 Adding CAS
37:09 Who are the Clients
42:17 Advice to Small Firms
Connect With Us On Linkedin!
Steven Hoffman
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thinkstevethink/
Onpointe Advisors
https://www.linkedin.com/company/onpointe-tax-accounting/
https://onpointefirm.com/
Scotty OKR Scarano
https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottscarano/
Accounting High
https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-high/
https://www.accountinghigh.com/
Tags:
Shoperations, Accounting High, Accounting, Podcast, Shop Class, Firm Operations, Systems And Processes, Private Equity, Accounting, Client Accounting Advisory Services, Firm Growth, Leadership, Operational Strategy, Professional Networking, Client-Focused Approaches
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 209
FACULTY: Geraldine Carter
CLASS: #TheGuide
In this episode, Scott interviews Geraldine Carter, author of "Down to 40 Hours: A Roadmap for CPAs to Permanently End Overworking." Join us in the guidance counselor’s office for a book report exploring the philosophy of working less. We’re talking changing mindsets within the accounting industry, value pricing, and what happens when you combine value and systems. Reflect with us on how CPAs can achieve a balanced work life.
Shout Outs: Edward Mendlowitz, Ron Baker, Jason Ackerman
Purchase Geraldine’s Book on Amazon!
https://www.amazon.com/Down-40-Hours-Roadmap-Overworking/dp/B0CYY1PGT2
⬇️Videos Referenced⬇️
More of Geraldine Carter on Accounting High, Episode 131: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1m2BgirP4jQQRkOsry6gD8?si=b6a97b81f6264388
The Time Sheet Debate: https://youtu.be/BP1Yq8oa_es
Chapters:
00:00 Teaser
01:32 Introduction
03:09 Writing the Book
10:09 The Philosophy of Working Less
16:56 Changing Mindset
23:55 Looking Outside the industry
25:02 Understanding Value Pricing
27:53 The Third Option Besides Value or Systems
31:22 What is Growth? It's About the Money till it's not
37:34 Meditation and Quiet Time
43:02 Find Your Tribe
45:38 Conclusion
Connect With Us On Linkedin!
Geraldine Carter
https://www.linkedin.com/in/geraldine-carter/
Scotty OKR Scarano
https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottscarano/
Accounting High
https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-high/
https://www.accountinghigh.com/
Tags: TheGuide, AccountingHigh, Accounting, Podcast, Guidance, Vision, FirmOwners, Advice, EndOverworking, WorkLifeBalance, DownTo40Hours, CPALife, ValuePricing, TimeManagement, ProductivityHacks, SelfPublishingSuccess, BelieveToAchieve, MindsetShifts, EfficiencyInAccounting, WorkSmarterNotHarder, FinancialFreedom, EntrepreneurialJourney, GrowthMindset
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 208
the Sons of CPAs are back baby!!!
FACULTY: Jason Ackerman, CPA
CLASS: #Shoperations
In this episode, Scotty brings back his Sons of CPAs founding co-host, the Accounting High Lunch Lady, and CPA at BNA CPAs & Advisors, Jason Ackerman. They discuss the state of Jason’s firm and what the operations look like. They also discuss building a CAS practice, implementing EOS and getting rid of timesheets. It’s time for Shoperations at Accounting High!
Shout Outs:
Ed Mendlowitz, Ron Baker, Nikole MacKenzie, Zachary Call, Tate Henshaw, Kenji and Matt at Acuity
Chapters:
0:00 Teaser
04:15 Ackerman's Firm Overview
07:51 Training and the Pipeline Issue
15:54 Concierge Services
17:52 CAAS Practice
24:17 Time Spent at Firm
26:04 Management Structure at the Firm
28:27 EOS and Systems
34:33 Clients
36:52 Removing Himself from the Firm
41:44 Building an App
47:35 How The Firm Services Clients
49:11 Advice from and Aging CPA
Connect With Us On Linkedin!
Jason Ackerman
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonlackerman/
Scotty OKR Scarano
https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottscarano/
Accounting High
https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-high/
https://www.accountinghigh.com/
Tags:
ClientService, Technology, Services, CPA, AccountingFirm, Strategies, BookkeepingAutomation, ProfessionalServiceFirms, CustomerFocus, Operations, Shoperations, AccountingHigh, EOS, CAS, CASPractice, Timesheets, BillableHour, Profitability
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 207
FACULTY: Shannon Weinstein, CPA
CLASS: #SocialStudies
In this episode, Scott interviews Shannon Weinstein, CPA, the Host of the Keep What You Earn podcast. Shannon shares her journey of starting her own practice, leveraging Instagram as a brand-building tool, early growth experiences, transitioning from an order taker to a menu creator, marketing strategies, developing values from challenging clients, attracting ideal clients, core truths, leveraging the podcast for business growth, and tips for social media and potential podcasters.
Shout Outs:
Paul Seaton, Jess Glazer, Michael King, Mel Abraham, Keep What You Earn, Conserva Lo Que Ganas
Chapters:
00:00 Teaser
07:14 Starting Her Practice
10:42 Instagram as a Brand Builder
12:51 Early Growth
15:33 From Order Taker to Menu Creator
19:28 Marketing to Your Ideal Client
20:59 Developing Your Values from The Worst Clients
24:29 How to Attract the Ideal Clients
26:46 Core Truths
31:16 The Firm Stats
32:44 The Podcast
39:22 Leveraging the Podcast
44:31 Client Intake Process
45:39 Saying No to Leads
47:26 Tips for Social Media and Potential Podcasters
50:04 Conclusion
Connect With Us On Linkedin!
Shannon Weinstein
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonkeane/
Keep What You Earn Co.
https://www.fitnancialsolutions.com/
Keep What You Earn Podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/keep-what-you-earn/id1580071347
Scotty OKR Scarano
https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottscarano/
Accounting High
https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-high/
https://www.accountinghigh.com/
Tags:
accountant origin, Costa Rica, intentional business, core values, core truths, values alignment, attract clients, repel marketing, accounting firm, revenue goals, ideal client, client intake, referral fees, podcast host, podcast guesting, business podcast, fractional CFO, long-form content, content, Spanish, accounting, origin, Costa Rica, business, values, alignment, clients, marketing, firm, revenue, ideal, intake, referral, podcast, guesting, content, CFO, long-form
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 206
FACULTY: Steven Zelin, the Singing CPA
CLASS: #Shoperations
In this episode, Scott interviews Steven Zelin, CPA, also known as The Singing CPA. Steven shares his journey, from becoming a CPA to pursuing his passion for singing, starting his own firm, client acquisition and niche development, peer review, the Steve Zelin Singing CPA brand, firm statistics, and working in-office versus remote.
Shout Outs:
AICPA Engage, Edward Medlowitz, Nancy McClelland, Sammy Katz, Barry Melancon
Chapters:
0:00 Teaser
01:39 Introduction
02:31 Becoming a CPA
04:20 Becoming a Singer
04:42 Early Years
07:39 Steven Starts His Own Firm
14:23 Clients and Niche
16:12 Acquisitions
20:00 Peer Review
20:51 The Steve Zelin Singing CPA Brand
27:00 Firm Stats
33:39 In Office vs Remote
38:35 Another Acquisition
Connect With Us On Linkedin!
Steven Zelin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesingingcpa/
Scotty OKR Scarano
https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottscarano/
Accounting High
https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-high/
https://www.accountinghigh.com/
Tags:
singing, CPA, New York, accounting, entrepreneur, musician, career, small firm growth, branding, peer review, firm acquisitions, niche, nonprofit, remote, accounting firm, culture, passion, community, humor, challenges, marketing, differentiation, collaboration, shoperations
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 205
FACULTY: Kelly Rohrs, CPA the Tax Slayer
CLASS: #SocialStudies
In this episode, Scott interviews Kelly Rohrs, CPA, also known as Tax Slayer and co-host of the Zero to Millions Podcast. Kelly shares her journey, from her first accounting job to starting her own brand. The conversation covers topics such as balancing motherhood with being an accountant, leveraging LinkedIn, her accounting firm, changing traditional practices, the Zero to Millions Podcast, and insights on the current state of tax and accounting.
Shout Outs:
Katie Thomas, Bilal Mehanna, Blake Oliver, TaxDome, Lacerte, Ignition
Chapters:
01:34 Introduction
02:06 Kelly's Story
05:41 First Accounting Job
09:02 Starting Her Brand
12:04 Being a Mom and an Accountant
15:45 Cultivating Linkedin
19:03 Kelly's Firm
24:05 Changing the Old Ways
28:56 From Zero to Millions Podcast
32:09 The State of Tax and Accounting
36:52 Parting Advice
Connect With Us On Linkedin!
Kelly Rohrs
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyrohrs/
Scotty OKR Scarano
https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottscarano/
Accounting High
https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-high/
https://www.accountinghigh.com/
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 204
FACULTY: Mike Manalac, CPA
CLASS: #TheGuide
In this episode, Scott interviews Mike Manalac, CPA, Accounting Manager at Google. Mike shares his journey from working at Walmart.com to his current role at Google, highlighting experiences and lessons learned along the way. The conversation delves into topics such as work-life balance, the transition from public accounting to industry, creating resources for professionals in similar transitions, and making accounting more engaging and appealing to a broader audience.
Shout Outs: Eminem, Greg Kyte
Chapters:
01:26 Introducing Mike
07:12 Working at Walmart.com
10:50 Working at Google
13:50 Learning How to Balance Fun
15:56 A Long Commute
18:18 Making Resources for Going from Public to Industry
29:59 Mike's Content
31:43 The Uprising
39:52 Making Accounting Cool
41:55 Getting Accountants out of their Shells
49:40 Final Thoughts
Connect With Us On Linkedin!
Mike Manalac
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemanalac/
Scotty OKR Scarano
https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottscarano/
Accounting High
https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-high/
https://www.accountinghigh.com/
Tags:
accounting profession, CPA exam, industry jobs, public accounting, overworked accountants, underpaid accountants, accounting stereotypes, next generation accountants, accounting uprising, AICPA, 150-hour rule, higher education, Big Four, remote work, accounting skills, competitive advantage, dream job, Google, LinkedIn content, creative accountants
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 203
FACULTY: Andrea MacDonald, CPA
CLASS: #Shoperations
In this podcast episode, Scott interviews Andrea MacDonald, CPA, and CEO of Pro Tax & Accounting LLC. Andrea shares insights into her journey of starting and growing her accounting practice, highlighting key milestones, challenges, and successes along the way. From the inception of her practice to firm acquisitions and mergers, Andrea discusses her experiences in building and managing a successful accounting firm. The conversation also touches upon topics such as growth goals, hiring strategies, leveraging technology and community, cultivating positive habits, overcoming challenges, and future plans.
Shout Outs: Micheal Ly, Sharron at Pro Tax & Accounting LLC, QuickBooks, FreshBooks
Chapters:
01:23 Introducing Andrea
04:52 Starting Her Practice
07:42 Firm Stats in the Early Years
11:11 Firm Acquisition
12:20 Growth Goals
14:52 Handling a 1 Million Dollar Firm
16:59 Hiring Her Son
20:13 The Big Merger
23:48 Apps and Community
30:16 Positive Habits
32:36 Hard Times
35:04 What's Next for Andrea?
36:26 Parting Advice
37:11 Andrea Getting Out of the Way
Connect With Us On Linkedin!
Andrea MacDonald
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-macdonald-cpa-ctc-4704042b/
Scotty OKR Scarano
https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottscarano/
Accounting High
https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-high/
https://www.accountinghigh.com/
Tags:
accounting career, firm growth, million-dollar practice, accounting acquisition, firm merger, accounting franchise, service-based businesses, profitability challenges, eos implementation, virtual team, bookkeeping management, family employees, accounting partnerships, app community, accounting conferences, public speaking, positive mindset, business pivots, vision planning, client delegation
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 202
FACULTY: David Bergstein, CPA
CLASS: #TheGuide
In this episode, Scott interviews David Bergstein, a CPA, covering various aspects of David's journey in accounting and his insights into the profession from his decades of experience. They discuss topics such as the relevance of becoming a CPA for young people, marketing strategies for accounting firms, the future of the accounting profession including automation and remote firms, strategies for firm growth, and the bright future ahead.
Shout Outs: Ed Mendlowitz, Roman Kevchak, Randy Johnson, Randy Crabtree, BotKeeper Conference, Prime Global Conference, BKR Conference, QBO, Xero, Sage, Zoho
Chapters:
02:53 How Dave got into Accounting
06:40 What Dave Does Now
08:38 Pickleball
09:01 Introducing Accounting in the Classroom
11:38 Should Young People Become CPAs?
15:53 Marketing and Positioning
18:34 The Future of Accounting
20:37 Do You Need to Hire A CPA or Not?
22:26 Automation
23:44 Remote Firms
28:58 Firm Growth
31:57 The Future is Bright
36:41 Dave's Future Plans
39:19 Choosing Software
42:20 Conclusion
Connect With Us On Linkedin!
David Bergstein
https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbergstein/
Scotty OKR Scarano
https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottscarano/
Accounting High
https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-high/
https://www.accountinghigh.com/
Tags:
fiscal doctor, accounting advisor, marketing positioning, millennial mindset, hiring CPAs, remote firms, accounting automation, firm growth, pickleball enthusiast, continuing education, FBI aspirations, IRS agent, choosing software, accounting future, accounting publications, professional services, accounting deadlines, accounting professor, career advice, accounting excitement
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 201
FACULTY: Karen Reyburn, CPA
CLASS: #SocialStudies
In this podcast episode, Scott interviews Karen Reyburn, CPA, and owner of We are PF. Karen talks about building her brand and business, highlighting the importance of authenticity, creativity, and adaptation in the evolving landscape of accounting and business consulting. From the origins of her brand colors to her approach to social media marketing, Karen provides valuable lessons and experiences that resonate with entrepreneurs and professionals alike.
Shout Outs:
We are PF
Chapters:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:06:51 Being Unique by Being Yourself
00:09:26 Origin of the Brand Colors
00:20:49 Social Media Creativity
00:30:39 Makeup of the Business
00:32:08 Karen's Author Journey
00:48:23 The Second Book
00:50:36 Pivoting with Clients and then Losing Them
Connect With Us On Linkedin!
Karen Reyburn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenlreyburn/
We are PF
https://wearepf.com/
Scotty OKR Scarano
https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottscarano/
Accounting High
https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-high/
https://www.accountinghigh.com/
Tags:
accountant marketing, building accounting brand, branding for accountants, creative accountants, marketing coaching, Scottish accountants, CPA creativity, accounting firm culture, accounting niches, ideal clients, business growth, author insights, self-publishing books, accounting industry, audience focus, brand colors, brand identity, marketing strategy, entrepreneurial mindset, business pivots
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 200
FACULTY: Amber Setter
CLASS: #TheGuide
TITLE: My Ayahuasca Journey: From High Performing Zombie to New Mental Clarity
In this special episode, Accounting High Guidance Counselor Amber Setter, returns to interview our school janitor Scotty ‘OKR’ about his recent Ayahuasca retreat. Listen to find out what new insights and clarity of mind Scotty brought back to share.
Shout Outs:
Andre 3000, Travis Scott, Scott Zarret, Evan Eneman
Chapters:
00:01:16 Introduction
00:02:44 Who is Amber?
00:03:15 Scott Growing Up
00:04:02 Mental Health and Drugs
00:06:43 What is Ayahuasca?
00:08:02 What Brought Scott to Ayahuasca?
00:14:11 The Dieta
00:19:00 Finding The Right Setting
00:21:23 What's Unique about Ayahuasca
00:24:43 Scott's Journey
00:28:47 Clarity and a Download
00:35:26 The Second Night
00:38:13 Sananga
00:39:00 Second Trip
00:44:33 Importance of a Guide
00:47:23 Night 3
00:50:08 What Has Scott Done Since the Trip?
Tags:
ayahuasca, journey, amber setter, scotty scarano, mental health, ADHD, prescription drugs, plant medicine, psychedelic retreat, costa rica, ceremony experience, spiritual download, dark trip, insights, lifestyle changes, healing, clarity, purpose, integration, transformation, courage
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
EPISODE 199
FACULTY: Katherine Studley
CLASS: #SocialStudies
In this episode Scotty interviews Katherine Studley, the Co-founder of Prisma Tax Group and the Founder/CEO of The Only Consultant. The episode takes the audience through Katherine's unique journey, from public accounting to becoming the go-to accountant for spicy content creators in the adult industry. The discussion unfolds the challenges and successes of building a firm with extraordinary growth, navigating a buyout, and overcoming marketing challenges in a specialized niche.
Shout Outs:
Zoho
Chapters:
00:02:12 Introduction
00:04:09 Finding OnlyFans
00:06:39 Becoming the Accountant for Hot Girls
00:07:42 Building a Firm without doing the Taxes
00:11:10 Crazy Growth
00:16:16 Scott's Only "Only" Client
00:17:07 Social Media Marketing Challenges
00:19:24 Leaving a Partner
00:22:21 The Very Specific Needs of the Niche
00:26:34 Different Types of Clients
00:27:38 Sugar Baby Taxes
00:36:55 Katherine's Parents
00:38:21 The Team
00:40:30 Biggest Mistakes
00:41:44 Client Boundaries in the Niche
00:45:21 Current State of the Firm
00:50:22 Marketing to the Niche
00:51:47 Social Media Platforms
Connect With Us On Linkedin!
Katherine Studley
https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-studley/
The Only Consultant
https://www.theonlyconsultant.com/
Prisma Tax Group
https://www.prismatax.com/
Scotty OKR Scarano
https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottscarano/
Accounting High
https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-high/
https://www.accountinghigh.com/
Tags:
sex work, only fans, sugar baby, stripper, adult industry, content creator, tax tips, sex workers, judgment-free, tax help, friendly, accountants, prisma tax, the only consultant, katherine studley, accounting, bookkeeping, tax deductions, accounting firm
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
EPISODE 198
FACULTY: Ed Mendlowitz & Ron Baker
CLASS: #TheGuide
In this episode, we have a debate on the highly contested topic of timesheets with the accounting profession's heavyweights Ed Mendlowitz and Ron Baker. Listen to find out if timesheets are still essential to running a practice, or if they are the cancer of the profession.
Chapters:
00:04:51 Introductions
00:06:24 Setting the Stage
00:07:50 Opening Remarks: Ed Mendlowitz
00:09:34 Ron's Rebuttal
00:12:53 Counter Argument by Ed
00:14:38 Timesheets Create an Artificial Ceiling
00:15:26 The Problem with Cost + Pricing
00:17:00 You Can't Manage People
00:18:49 Other Professions Who Bill by the Hour
00:21:22 Can Ed Go Without Timesheets?
00:23:24 Ron Argues that Timesheets aren't Necessary for Management
00:29:19 The Future of Accounting is Being Different
00:34:12 Inspiring your Employees
00:37:17 Inspiring the Next Generation
Shout Outs:
Jody Grunden, Jody Padar, Jody Thompson, Jason Blumer
Tags:
timesheets, time tracking, value pricing, subscription model, accounting firm management, CPA firm leadership, mentorship, managing people, client relationships, advisory services, specialization, talent retention, systems, processes, fixed fees, automation, AI, ChatGPT, organic growth, professional development, mindset shift, inspiring employees
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
2024 Accountant Bracket Challenge
nominate the top 5 things in your accounting life
for a chance to win an Apple Vision Pro
nomination period closes March 9th
enroll today at abc.accountinghigh.com
EPISODE 197
FACULTY: Alicyn McLeod, CPA
CLASS: #Shoperations
In this podcast episode, Scott engages in a conversation with Alicyn McLeod, founder of Atlanta Tax. The episode navigates through Alicyn's journey into the world of accounting, highlighting the impact of significant events like the recession, the rise of smartphones, and the emergence of cloud technology. Alicyn shares insights into her decision to start her own firm, the role of social networks in her professional growth, and the initiation of her podcast, Underwithheld. The discussion delves into the dynamics of building and managing a team, forming partnerships, addressing operational challenges, and leveraging tools and technology to enhance firm operations.
Shout Outs:
Trevor McCandless, Drake Tax Software, Adam Markowitz, Jason Statham of Realize
Chapters:
00:05:43 Introducing the Mother of Tax Twitter
00:07:29 Alicyn's Journey to Accounting
00:14:56 The Recession, Rise of the SmartPhone and the Cloud
00:20:52 Starting Her Own Firm
00:25:07 Impact of Social Networks
00:31:42 Starting a Podcast
00:35:01 Starting Up a Team
00:38:07 Partnership with Sarah
00:41:23 The Secret to a Good Partnership
00:43:51 Operational Difficulties
00:46:26 Tools and Technology
00:49:54 Partner Roles and Systems
00:54:18 New Firm Name Origin
00:58:37 No Emergencies in Accounting
01:02:03 Conclusion
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
EPISODE 196
FACULTY: Paul Seaton, CPA a.k.a. Rev. Swaggy P
CLASS: #SocialStudies
In this engaging podcast episode, Scott dives into a conversation with Rev. Swaggy P, also known as Paul Seaton, CPA, and the Founder of Agency CFO. The episode unfolds the intriguing journey of Rev. Swaggy P, from his role as an almost Catholic Priest to becoming a Cloud CPA and CFO.
Shout Outs:
Marcel Petitpas, Parakeeto, Ron Baker, Jody Grunden, Summit CPA Group, Brian Soloentrop, @SoleyBusiness, Jason Staats, Roman Villard
Chapters:
00:09:01 Introducing Rev. Swaggy P
00:11:12 From REV to CPA
00:15:05 Becoming a Cloud CPA
00:18:45 Working at Summit CPA Group
00:22:13 The Summit CPA Group Client Meeting Structure
00:28:13 Leaving Summit to Build a Firm
00:31:27 Paul Going Viral on Tax Twitter
00:40:36 Early Years of the Firm
00:42:41 Marketing and Hiring Intentionally
00:51:43 Lessons Learned from Too Many Meetings
00:56:12 Swaggy P
00:59:02 Bridging the Gap Between CFO and Tax Accountants
Tags:
marketing, social media, Twitter, LinkedIn, branding, niche, vertical, pricing, value, positioning, hiring, team building, leadership, delegation, systems, processes, consulting, advisory, profitability, growth
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
The 2024 Accountant Bracket Challenge
ABC Tournament Nomination period closes March 9, 2024
Enroll today at ABC.accountinghigh.com
Episode 195
FACULTY: Meghan Blair
CLASS: #TheGuide
In this episode, Scott engages in a conversation with Meghan Blair, the former owner of Fogged In Bookkeeping. The episode covers Meghan's journey in the accounting world, her early adoption of remote work, the impact of COVID on her business, the decision to sell the firm, her experience with GrowthLab, and the unique perspective of neurodivergence in leadership.
Shout Outs:
GrowthLab, Karbon
Chapters:
00:00:00 Intro
00:13:30 Introduction
00:19:09 Why Meghan Does Accounting
00:24:22 Being Remote Before Everyone Else
00:27:49 Working Remotely in the 2010s
00:30:11 When COVID Hit
00:39:13 Selling the Firm
00:40:23 Growth Lab
00:45:52 Neorodivergencey and Leadership
00:50:23 Post-Sale Sabbatical
00:57:15 Going Back to School
00:59:59 Neurodivergence
01:07:10 Visionary not Integrator and Compatibility
01:14:31 Harvard and Parting Advice
Tags:
Burnout, Neurodivergence, Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Accounting Industry, Bookkeeping, Business Exit, Work-Life Balance, Self-Care, Career Change, Career Journey, Business Growth, Business Operations, Remote Work, Working Mothers, Diversity & Inclusion, Higher Education, Mental Health, Self-Worth, Personal Growth
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 194
FACULTY: Teddy Sullivan, CPA
CLASS: Shoperations
In this engaging podcast episode, Scotty welcomes back Teddy Sullivan, CPA, for a discussion spanning various topics crucial for firm growth and success. From firm acquisition to transitioning to the cloud, Teddy shares insights into fixing systems, pricing strategies, and fostering a culture of gratitude for financial freedom.
Shout Outs:
Chad Davis, Ryan Lazanis, Dave Emmerman, Xero, Chris Farrell, Liscio,
00:03:02 Introduction
00:05:43 Firm Acquisition
00:09:01 Buying Another Firm
00:12:18 Transitioning from Desktop to Cloud
00:17:47 Fixing Systems and Pricing before Automation
00:24:04 Financial Freedom
00:25:30 Freedom Through Gratitude
00:28:48 Helping the Team
00:30:21 The Inspiration to Work
00:37:51 Teddy's Growth Plans
00:39:41 The Team Structure
00:42:36 Offshore Outsourcing Discussion
00:49:21 Goals for the Firm
00:53:52 Words of Wisdom from Teddy
00:55:23 Conclusion
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 193
FACULTY: Alicia Katz Pollock
CLASS: #TechTime
TITLE: QuickBooks and Beyond: Adventures in Accounting
In this podcast, Scott interviews Alicia Katz Pollock, a seasoned technology trainer at Royalwise Solutions Inc. They discuss Alicia's experiences in training, bookkeeping, being on the Intuit Roadshow, and mind opening experiences with traditional medicines.
- On the Road with Intuit's Roadshow
- Mac Trainer
- The Origin of Royalwise
- The Quickbooks Community
- Being On Stage at Quickbooks Connect
- Learning Management System
- Bookkeeping at Royalwise
- Challenges in Training Bookkeepers
- A Pioneer of Zoom
- Opening the Mind
- Future Visions
- The Team
- Opening the Mind
- Teaching as a Creative Outlet
- Words of Wisdom
Shout Outs:
Laura Redmond, Michelle Long, Alison Ball, Aaron Walsh Dyer, Liz Scott, Bryce Forney, Stacey Kildall, Heather Satterly, Jennifer Dymond, Jeff Black, the Royalwise team, Cypher Learning, Quickbooks Trainer Writer Network
[00:02:09] On the Road with Intuit's Roadshow
[00:04:03] Mac Trainer
[00:06:57] The Origin of Royalwise
[00:08:07] The Quickbooks Community
[00:12:27] Being On Stage at Quickbooks Connect
[00:16:42] Learning Management System
[00:19:36] Bookkeeping at Royalwise
[00:22:19] Challenges in Training Bookkeepers
[00:23:58] A Pioneer of Zoom
[00:27:18] Opening the Mind
[00:30:49] Future Visions
[00:35:48] The Team
[00:38:36] Opening the Mind
[00:41:59] Teaching as a Creative Outlet
[00:43:12] Words of Wisdom
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 192
FACULTY: Nancy McClelland, CPA
CLASS: #TheGuide
TITLE: Teaching Bookkeepers and Tax Preparers to Communicate Better
In this podcast episode, Scott interviews Nancy McClelland, CPA, Owner of Nancy McClelland LLC, also known as The Dancing Accountant. The conversation covers the origin story of The Dancing Accountant, all the way to tax season in Mexico. They discuss the rivalry between bookkeepers and tax preparers, biases in the accounting profession, and dispelling perceptions versus the reality of being a professional.
- Origin of the DancingAccountant
- How Nancy became an Accountant
- The Bookkeeper and Tax Preparer Rivalry
- Challenges of Becoming a CPA
- Biases in the Profession
- Banding Together to Help Small Businesses
- Perception vs Reality: Not Being a Unicorn
- Compassion
- Tax Season in Mexico
Shout Outs:
Blake Oliver, Gaynor, Nayo Carter-Gray, John Garrett, Randy Crabtree, Twyla Verhelst, FreshPAC, DigitalCPA, Quickbooks Connect, SleeterCon, Bridging the Gap, NATP
[00:02:09] Origin of the DancingAccountant
[00:08:04] How Nancy became an Accountant
[00:14:47] The Bookkeeper and Tax Preparer Rivalry
[00:17:05] Challenges of Becoming a CPA
[00:21:25] Biases in the Profession
[00:25:32] Banding Together to Help Small Businesses
[00:27:30] Perception vs Reality: Not Being a Unicorn
[00:43:56] Compassion
[00:56:26] Tax Season in Mexico
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 191
FACULTY: Bilal Mehanna, CPA
CLASS: #SocialStudies
TITLE: Position Your Firm with Confidence and Patience
In this podcast episode, Scotty interviews Bilal Mehanna CPA, President of Mehanna Advisors, and Co-Host of the podcast "From Zero to Millions." The interview consists of insights into finding a niche, pricing, scalability considerations, challenges encountered during growth phases, strategies for talent acquisition overseas, and much more.
- Introducing Bilal
- Becoming an Accountant
- Finding a Niche
- Pricing
- Scalability
- Ignition is a Decentralized Organization
- Growing Pains
- The Firm
- Finding Talent Overseas
- Benefits of Being an Accountant
- Patience
- Screening Clients
- BOI Reporting
- Accounting Podcasts
- Final Thoughts
Shout Outs: Kelly Rohrs, Brandon Hall, Xero
[00:02:09] Introducing Bilal
[00:06:24] Becoming an Accountant
[00:10:13] Finding a Niche
[00:17:07] Pricing
[00:18:30] Scalability
[00:20:49] Ignition is a Decentralized Organization
[00:24:37] Growing Pains
[00:26:33] The Firm
[00:30:49] Finding Talent Overseas
[00:33:11] Benefits of Being an Accountant
[00:37:12] Patience
[00:39:21] Screening Clients
[00:41:09] BOI Reporting
[00:47:23] Accounting Podcasts
[00:53:24] Final Thoughts
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 190
FACULTY: Ed Mendlowitz
CLASS: #Shoperations
TITLE: From CEO to Chairman of the Board
In this episode, we flip the script and Ed Mendlowitz interviews Scotty "OKR,". Explore Scotty's journey, from initial inspirations to firm growth, unveiling key strategies for client connections, niche development, and innovative billing approaches. Gain valuable insights into client engagement, consultancy services, and OKR’s.
- Reminiscing
- Scott's Firm
- What got Teddy into all of this?
- How is Scott Organized?
- Keeping in touch with clients
- Growth of the Firm and the Podcast
- Passing Along Knowledge
- Developing a Niche from a General Practice
- Being a Xero Homer
- Engage
- What's in the future?
- Consult
- What to Do with Time Sheets instead of Billing
- Ron Baker's OKR's
- Key Takeaways
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 189
FACULTY: Seth Fineberg
CLASS: #TechTime
TITLE: Earning Trust with Accountants in America
Scotty engages in a podcast discussion with Seth Fineberg, the Founder of Accountants Forward, where they discuss his journey into journalism in the accounting space, the withdrawal of Accounting Web, AI, and how Tech Companies should sell to accountants.
- Introducing Seth
- How Seth got into Accounting
- Getting into Accounting Web
- Taking on Accounting Web
- The Realities of the Automated Practice
- Advisory and CAS
- The Fall of Accounting Web
- Seth's Next Move
- AI is not Replacing People
- Seth's Takeaways
- Client Advisory Services
Shout Outs:
Matthew May, Kenji Kuramoto, Shirrell Williams, Nayo Carter-Gray, Clayton Oates, Randy Johnston, Randy Crabtree, Acuity, Xero, Bridging the Gap, Jirav, Botkeeper
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 188
FACULTY: JJ Littrell
CLASS: #SocialStudies
TITLE: Creating Accounting Client Avatars
In this podcast episode, Scott interviews JJ Littrell, CFO at Tuatara. The conversation spans JJ's unconventional entry into accounting through the FBI, experiences with Elliot Davis and Starmount, insights into balancing parenting and business growth, the genesis of Tuatara, managing multiple agencies under one practice, establishing an institute, similarities between accountants and dentists, considerations about partnerships, and the importance of identifying client avatars.
- JJ Got into Accounting through the FBI
- Elliot Davis and Starmount
- Parenting versus Growing a Business
- The Origins of Tuatara
- Two Agencies, One Practice
- Building an Institute
- Creating A Community Platform with Value
- Similarities between Accountants and Dentists
- Partnerships
- Dealing with Conflict in Partnerships
- Advice for Generalist Dentists
- Finding your Client Avatar
Shout Outs:
Thinkific, Ryan Reynolds
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 187
FACULTY: Ashley Francis, Byron Patrick, Korey Cournoyer, Keila Hill-Trawick
CLASS: #TechTime
TITLE: AI Horror Stories: Shining a Light on the Dark Side of AI
In this podcast episode, Scotty hosts a panel featuring Ashley Francis, Byron Patrick, Korey Cournoyer, and Keila Hill-Trawick. They discuss the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the accounting industry. The conversation touches on various facets of AI implementation, its impact on different firms, practical applications, concerns regarding security, as well as the question of whether AI will replace human accountants.
- Introduction
- What is Accounting High
- AI the Monster - At Keila's Firm
- AI at Korey's Firm
- How Byron Uses AI
- How Ashley Uses AI at Her Firm and Microsoft Copilot
- Is AI Going to Replace Us?
- Practical Uses of AI
- Security Concerns and AI Hygiene
- Training the Model
- ChatGPT Plugins
- Unique CPA Rap
Shout Outs:
Jason Staats, Randy Crabtree, Bridging the Gap Conference, Microsoft Copilot, Appstream, The Growth Lab, Otter AI, Firefly AI, ChatGPT, MailChimp, Zapier, Make
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 186
FACULTY: Greg & Jessica Daley
CLASS: The Guide
TITLE: A Parable about Winning and Learning
Join us for a conversation with Greg and Jess Daley, the founders of Parable. The discussion delves into their unique journey as a couple in business, the origins of their firm, swing dancing, the integration of work and personal life, and the guiding principles shaping their company's future.
- Introduction
- Couple Business Pairs
- How Swing Dancing Brought Them Together
- Roles in the Firm
- Parable
- Early North Star
- Roles and Coaches in the Early Days
- Work Life Integration
- EOS and Dance
- Rock Step
- Training an Integrator
- Times of Chaos and Peace, The Frying Pan and Crockpot
- Hard Numbers
- The Future and Giving
- Running a firm without Ego
- Italy Expensify
- Conclusion
Shout Outs:
Traction by Gino Wickman, Profit First by Mike Michalowicz, Simple Numbers by Randy Crabtree, Expensify
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 185
FACULTY: Roman Villard
CLASS: #Shoperations
TITLE: Go Full Send and Build Epic Sh!t
In this podcast episode, Scott interviews Roman Villard, the founder of Full Send Finance. Roman shares his entrepreneurial journey, discussing the backstory behind his firm, its community-building aspect, and the values that drive its growth. The conversation delves into Roman's departure from his previous job, the origins of the Full Send brand, and his vision for the future of the company.
- Introduction
- The Backstory
- The Firm
- Why Public Accounting?
- Long Hair
- Building a Community
- Origin of Full Send Brand
- How Roman Left His Old Job
- The First Client
- Hard Numbers
- Partnership and Community
- Impact vs Greed
- Growth Numbers
- Tech Stack
- The Future of Full Send
Shout Outs:
Matthew, Kenji, Acuity, Drink While You Think, Warren Buffet, Karbon, Financial Sense, Xero, Quickbooks, Gusto
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 184
FACULTY: Enrico Palmerino, Elizabeth Manso, Michael Hso, and Marianne Fischer
CLASS: #TheGuide
TITLE: How to Say No
In this podcast episode, Scott interviews a diverse group of accounting professionals: Enrico Palmerino, Elizabeth Manso, Michael Hso, and Marianne Fischer. The discussion revolves around their individual visions, experiences, and insights as business leaders. They share their journeys, the importance of helping others, and most importantly, how to say no.
- Introducing, Elizabeth, Enrico, Michael
- Vision
- Enrique's Vision
- Michael's North Star
- Introducing Marianne the Speaker
- Regretting saying Yes
- Enrico on Regret
- Michael's Road to 9 Figures
- Selfishly Help Others
- Finding a Partner
- How To Say No
Shout Outs:
Josh Jeffries, Vivid Vision by Cameron Herrold
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 183
FACULTY: Paul Hamann
CLASS: #TechTime
TITLE: What is Reasonable Compensation?
In this podcast episode, Scott interviews Paul Hamann of RCR Reports. The episode dives into the complex topic of reasonable compensation and the challenges surrounding it, presents his innovative solution, and highlights the multiple use cases for RC Reports.
- What is Reasonable Compensation?
- Is 2/3 Reasonable?
- The Compensation Issue
- Paul's Solution
- Reasons to use RC Reports
- More Use Cases for RC Reports
- Why It May Be Better to not be a CEO
- More Use Cases
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 182
GUEST FACULTY: Davis Bell
CLASS: #TechTime
TITLE: A.I. is a Calculator for Words
In this podcast episode, Scott interviews Davis Bell, the CEO of Canopy. The episode explores the fascinating world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its applications, ranging from accounting to creative endeavors. It discusses the potential benefits and challenges associated with the integration of AI into our lives.
- Introduction
- Intro to A.I.
- The Calculator for the Other Side of Your Brain
- Where's Our Robot Dogs?
- A.I. in Accounting
- What Problems A.I. Might Solve
- Using A.I. to Write Raps
- Drawbacks and Growing Pains
- Conclusion
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 181
FACULTY: Evan Eneman and Amber Setter
CLASS: #AccountingHighGuide
TITLE: AH D.A.R.E. Psychadelic After School Special
In this special D.A.R.E.-themed podcast episode, Scott interviews Evan Eneman, Founder of Sands Lane Capital, and Amber Setter, CEO of Conscious Public Accountants. The episode begins with a candid discussion between Scott and Amber Setter on the topic of the growing interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelics and healing in the accounting industry. Then Scott and Evan Eneman, Founder of Sands Lane Capital and Fiorello, talk about Snoop Dog and engaging, drug education, the lifestyle niche, the legal landscape of substances and how to open conversations at work around psychedelics.
- Scott and Amber on Drugs
- Psychedelics Getting FDA approval
- Finding What's Best for You as an Individual
- People in Need of Healing in the Accounting Industry
- What is a drug?
- Introducing Evan
- Working with Snoop Dog
- Talking about Drugs
- Reasons that People Use Substances
- Importance of Education
- The Business of Drugs
- The Lifestyle Niche and How it Connects to Drugs
- The Legal Landscape
- It's Always Personal, not Just Business
- How to get educated and start conversations
- Conclusion
Shout Outs:
How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan, Forbes, Zynga, Marijuana Moment
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 180
FACULTY: Eileen Adao
CLASS: #VarsityTips
TITLE: Hiring Leaders that Inspire: The ility's of Leadership
In this podcast episode, Scott interviews “Coach” Eileen Adao, Vice President of Strategy & Partnerships at Glean AI. The conversation revolves around leadership and the crucial attributes that define effective leaders. The episode delves into practical questions to ask during interviews and how to prepare to be interviewed.
- Eileen’s story
- Eileen's list of important qualities for hiring and creating leaders
- Identifying skills and characteristics that define leaders
- Practical questions to ask during interviews to assess leadership qualities
- Tips for preparing to be interviewed
- Attributes of a good leader are outlined, including passion, self-awareness, and problem-solving skills.
- The importance of likeability and relatability for effective leadership.
- The hunger to learn and the role of emotional intelligence in leadership
- Authenticity and vulnerability
- The episode concludes with a review of the key points discussed
Shout Outs:
Xero, Glean AI, Dave Olsen, Asana, Quickbooks, Ed Mendelowitz
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 179
FACULTY: Jody Padar
CLASS: #TheGuide
TITLE: The Art of Radical Conversations
In this podcast episode, Scott interviews Jody Padar, also known as "The Radical CPA," who currently serves as the VP of Tax Strategy & Evangelism. The episode delves into Jody's journey from high school accounting competitions and Tax Twitter to taking over her father’s firm.
- Introducing Jody Padar
- Jody in High School
- Early Tax Twitter Peer Group
- Forward Thinking
- Taking Over Her Father's Firm
- Changing Pricing
- Being a Mother and an Entrepreneur
- How Jody's Dad Helped Her
- Passion for Accounting
- The Art of Conversation
- Will the AICPA Stick around?
- CPA vs EA
- Next Things for Jody
Shout Outs:
Jason Ackerman’s Dad, Nayo Carter-Gray, Jason Blummer, Jason Staats, Ron Baker, Mark Koziel, Tom Hood, Shana Chapman, Michael Hsu, Chris Farmand, Drew Carrick, Anderson Consulting, Engage, Botkeeper, Zappos, Sage, Xero, April, Monday, AICPA
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 178FACULTY: Jackie Meyer, CPACLASS: #TheGuideTITLE: Recognizing Patterns of Fear in AccountingIn this podcast episode, Scott interviews Jackie Meyer, CPA, the Founder of TaxPlanIQ.com, TaxPlanningMasterclass.com, and Certified Concierge Accountant mastermind classes. Jackie shares her path to becoming an accountant and her involvement with the Intuit Tax Council. The episode delves into the dynamics of visionaries and integrators, along with the distinctions between being a coach and a counselor. Introducing Jackie How Jackie Became an Accountant Exposure to poor leadership in the accounting field Jackie's journey from starting a CPA practice to selling it The establishment of TaxPlanIQ The ROI Tax Planning Method Jackie's involvement with the Intuit Tax Council and her interest in tech and software The dynamics of visionaries and integrators Distinctions between being a coach and a counselor Jackie's goals for coaching accountants and her experiences with TaxPlanIQ The challenges of training an integrator and the struggle with being a people pleaser Jackie reflects on managing work, life, and creativity, including her role as a parent. Gender Representation Controversies and Writing Books ConclusionShout Outs:Chuck, Jim Buffington, Stephanie Friswell, Brad Smith, Brene Brown, Tatiana Sawyer, Ed Kless, Ron Baker, Scaling New Heights, ProConnect Tax Online, Intuit Tax Council, Xero
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 177
FACULTY: Amber Setter
CLASS: #AccountingHighGuide
TITLE: Self-Transformational Accounting Leadership
In this enlightening episode, Scott sits down with Amber Setter, a transformative figure in the accounting industry, to discuss the intricacies of transformational leadership. Amber, known for her role as the Chief Enlightenment Officer at Conscious Public Accountants, shares her journey from her challenging high school years to her work in coaching high-level leaders in accounting firms and her advocacy for a holistic approach to leadership. The episode delves into a variety of thought-provoking topics like mindset, leadership styles, and burnout.
- Introducing Amber
- High School Experiences and the Love of Learning
- Choosing the Right Career Path
- Reflecting on Amber's Ideal Audience
- New World Leadership vs Old Mindset
- The Importance of Original Ideas and Adult Development theory
- The Self-Transforming Mind
- Continued Self Transformation
- Recruiting and the Job Market
- Licenses as the Gold Medallion
- The AICPA
Shout Outs:
Robert Keegan, Lisa Leahy, Dissolution of the Ego by Ray Dalio, How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan, Leadership on the Line by Martin Linsky and Ronald Heifetz
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 176
FACULTY: Richard Roppa-Roberts and Dave Kersting
CLASS: #AccountingHighGuide
TITLE: Respecting Diversity and Inclusion in Accounting, and Learning about Equity
In this podcast episode, Scott interviews Richard Roppa-Roberts and Dave Kersting from Quasar Cowboy & Roundtable Labs. They discuss various topics, including the dynamics of partnerships and co-firming, the importance of diversity and inclusion, and creating safe spaces for authentic interactions.
- Introducing Richard and Dave
- Richard the outside eye
- The Start of Roundtable
- How Dave met Richard
- Roundtable as a Vendor Free Zone
- Partnerships, Co-Firming, Dating and Marriage
- Diversity and Inclusion in Roundtable
- Biases Against The Gay Community
- Coming Out as a Rapper
- Roundtable Gives a Place to be Yourself
- A Discussion on Equity
- Creating Safe Spaces
- Summary
Shout Outs:
Thrival, Xero, Quickbooks, Intuit, Jonathan Bellow, Kenji Kuramoto, Matthew May, Tanya Schulte, Scaling New Heights, Quickbooks Connect, Tax Twitter, Liz Scott, Stacey Killwell, Gusto, Fresh Books, Nayo Carter-Gray, Liz Mason
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 175
FACULTY: Randy Johnston
CLASS: #TechTime
TITLE: Slow Down and Let Your Mind Rewind
In this podcast episode, Scott interviews Randy Johnston, a well-known programmer and Co-Founder of K2 Enterprises. Randy shares insights into the evolution of technology, from twenty pound portable computers to A.I. search engines as well as their impact on the accounting and creative spheres.
- Randy Johnston, Co-Founder of K2 Enterprises, is introduced
- His early involvement with accountants and technology
- The evolution of technology, twenty pound portable computers to A.I. search engines
- The origin of the name "K2 Enterprises"
- A.I. and creativity, highlighting its potential applications.
- Use of A.I. to automate mundane tasks and improve efficiency
- The power of global collaboration and working together around the world
- Randy recommends books
- The interconnectedness of software and its implications for the industry
- Enabling and hindering factors of cloud software in accounting are discussed.
- The importance of learning from past mistakes and the impact of technology on outsourced work
- Randy leaves the listeners with parting advice
Shout Outs:
Adrian Burgess, Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker, The Metaverse: And How It Will Revolutionize Everything by Matthew Ball, What to Eat and When by Michael Croupagne, Xero, Lucert, ProConnect, ProSystemTex, Access Tax, QuickBooks
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Episode 174
FACULTY: Trevor McCandless, CPA
CLASS: #Shoperations
TITLE: The Accountrepreneur's Dilemma
In this podcast episode, Scott interviews Trevor McCandless, also known as "Coach Sweet Tea," the owner of Fusion CPA. The episode begins with an introduction to Coach McCandless and his background as a serial entrepreneur founding multiple businesses. He shares the story behind the inception of Fusion CPA and discusses the challenges and growth pains the firm experienced.
- Introducing Coach McCandless
- Founding Businesses
- Trevor’s background as a serial entrepreneur and founding of various businesses
- The Origin of "Fusion"
- Starting Fusion CPA
- The challenges and growing pains faced by Fusion CPA
- NetSuite
- The role of NetSuite in the firm's evolution and the process of rebranding and niching for NetSuite services
- Trevor and Scott talk about the challenges of stepping away to allow the firm to grow and thrive
- Balancing Company and Employee Visions
- Why is the Firm in Puerto Rico?
- EO Bobbleheads
- Words of wisdom from Scott and Trevor
Shout Outs:
David Leary, Kenji, McKinsey, Accounting Salon, NetSuite, Xero, QuickBooks, Microsoft Dynamics
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 5 Episode 1
FACULTY: Jody Grunden
CLASS: #GuidePosts
TITLE: Growing a Profitable Remote CFO Accounting Firm (feat. Jody Grunden, CPA)
In this podcast episode, Scott interviews Jody Grunden, CPA, co-founder of Summit CPA Group and author of two books, to discuss various topics related to running an accounting practice and building virtual CFO services, dressing "professionally", and niching down.
- Introduction and an update on recent developments since the last interview.
- The origin story of Jody’s Hawaiian shirts
- Scott shares his similar wardrobe story
- Discussing the evolution of “professional attire” in the accounting profession
- Exploring the benefits and challenges of running a remote accounting firm
- The importance of finding a niche and specializing in the industry
- Creating CFOs from accountants within the firm and the training and development process
- Utilizing retreats and building a strong company community
- Addressing the resistance to change in the accounting industry and the need for adaptation
- Insights into the day-to-day operations and growth goals at Summit CPA Group
- Scott and Jody discuss the acquisition of cloud firms, venture capital, and private equity
Shout Outs:
Tommy Bahama, Accounting Salon, Kenji Kuramoto, AICPA, Karbon, Dave Barrett, Matthew May, Acuity
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 100
Accounting High is supported by our Booster Club
Thank you G-ACCON - Check em out, 14 day free trial, go to accon.services
FACULTY: Hector Garcia, CPA
CLASS: #SocialStudies
TITLE: The Trusted Cheese of Accounting
In this podcast episode, Scott interviews Hector Garcia, a CPA and QuickBooks Trainer for Quick Bookkeeping & Accounting LLC. They talk about "Best Buy Cheese" and Hector’s journey from working in retail to transitioning into banking and eventually becoming a CPA and YouTuber.
- Hector introduced
- An amusing anecdote about "Best Buy Cheese"
- Hector's career journey is discussed, starting from retail and transitioning into banking.
- How Hector and his wife started a bookkeeping business
- The start of Hector's YouTube career
- How Hector gathers new ideas for YouTube content and uses the platform to attract clients
- How Hector split up his businesses and handles advisory services
- The two discuss building a personal brand
- The episode concludes with the story of how Scott and Hector first met
Shout Outs:
Jason Staats, Ron Baker, QuickBooks, ADP, Anchor, Ignition, Content Hub
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 99
FACULTY: Amy Walker
CLASS: #PeerReview
TITLE: The Fearless Unicorn of Accounting Firm Mergers
Accounting High is supported by our Booster Club
Thank you LiveFlow! LiveFlow - Advanced financial reporting on autopilot. LiveFlow turns your spreadsheet into a scalable, real-time FP&A platform, check them out:
https://www.liveflow.io/partnerships/accounting-high
Get 20% off for 3 months with promo code HIGH
In this podcast episode, Scott interviews Amy Walker, Co-Founder, and Director of CAS at Walker and Glantz PLLC. She shares insights into her journey from working at a Big Six Firm to being on the Intuit Advisory Council and also … Buc-ee's.
- Amy is introduced and we hear a message from her firm partner, Paul Glantz
- Amy's journey into accounting is explored, highlighting her background as the daughter of a CPA and her experience at a Big Six Firm.
- The podcast offers a sneak peek into Dan Luthi's Shop Class
- Origin of the title: Fearless Unicorn in Accounting
- Amy's involvement on the Intuit Advisory Council is explored
- The decision to merge her firm and the dynamics of the partnership with Paul Glantz
- Strategies for getting out of no man's land and managing email communication
- Firm hard numbers of Amy’s firm
- Talks about the Accounting High Drill Team
- Amy shares her experiences of working from home
- Scott’s Buc-ee's Story
- The Latest Accounting Rap
Shout Outs:
Paul Glantz, Gusto, Dan Luthi, Intuit, Xero, Julie Sharp, Jason Blummer, Karbon, Akilah, Logan, Miguel, Wade, Randy, The Unique CPA, Scaling New Heights, Buc-ee's
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 98
Accounting High is supported by our Booster Club
Thank you G-ACCON - Check em out, 14 day free trial, go to accon.services
FACULTY: Michael King
CLASS: #BoosterClub
TITLE: Accelerating Impact by Thinking Differently
In this podcast episode, Scott interviews Michael King, the founder of the CFO Accelerator. They discuss why and how firms should add fractional CFO services. Michael addresses common fears about adding CFO services and how to offer perspectives, challenges, and unconventional thinking to clients.
- Michael's firm specializes in accelerating impact and providing fractional CFO services
- How Michael addresses specific industry verticals
- Michael shares the impetus behind starting the CFO Accelerator and how it relates to empowering employees and launching new projects
- Problems faced by the firm are discussed, leading to the discovery of G-ACCON as a viable solution
- Discussion of G-ACCON and tech stack advice
- CFO services and the unique value they bring to businesses
- Marketing strategies and teamwork considerations
- The importance of hiring a front-facing CFO
- Michael's firm industry verticals
- Common fears about adding CFO services
- The distinctions between CFOs and bookkeepers are discussed to understand their respective roles
- Being a Cheerleader, Teacher, Challenger, and the Disagreer for Clients
- Advice on the stages to stand on for professional growth and social media presence
Shout Outs:
G-ACCON, Upwork, Karbon, Ignition, Xero, Corvee
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 97
FACULTY: Dave Olsen
CLASS: #VarsityTips
TITLE: People Experience Pt 5 (PX5) Continuity: Creating a Company Operating System
In the final episode of our People Experience Series on VarsityTips, Scott interviews “Coach” Dave Olsen from Nimbl, focusing on optimizing continuity and company operations to enhance the overall people experience. The episode covers various aspects of building a strong team, including sourcing talent, defining the tech stack, and streamlining meetings for maximum productivity.
- Introduction
- Explaining continuity as the catch-all category to enhance people experience
- Explaining the Company Operating System for smoother operations.
- Leveraging asynchronicity for increased focus and flexibility.
- Defining the tech stack as a hierarchy of urgency for efficient workflow.
- Making meetings more useful by defining their purpose and structure.
- Emphasizing the importance of clear documentation for better collaboration.
- Sourcing talent from within the organization to build a strong team.
- Proactively reaching out to potential hires to expand the talent pool.
- Developing scalable recruiting systems to manage the hiring process effectively.
- Defining the recruiting demographic and screening potential candidates.
- Involving the entire team in the interview process before skills assessment.
- Summarizing the episode and providing additional resources.
- How to reach Dave
Shout Outs:
Slack, Zoom, Front, Karbon, Asana, Confluence, Shane at Nimbl, Radical Candor, what you do is who you are by Ben Horowitz, A World Without Email by Cal Newport
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 96
Accounting High is supported by our Booster Club
Thank you G-ACCON - sign up for your 14 day free trial, go to accon.services
FACULTY: Chris Macksey
CLASS: #PeerReview
TITLE: Be Our Guest, Find Your Niche
In this podcast episode, Scott interviews Chris Macksey, CEO of Prix Fixe Accounting, and explores various aspects of running an accounting firm, finding a niche, and how his firm adapted to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Introduction to Chris Macksey and Prix Fixe Accounting
- Finding a niche in serving the restaurant industry
- Chris's journey into the accounting field
- Transitioning to focus on the restaurant niche and its impact on legacy clients
- Chris's role as CEO
- Exploring new business models for running accounting practices
- The importance of setting the right tone for clients
- Navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and bouncing back
- Valuable advice from Chris for other accounting professionals
Shout Outs:
Xero, QuickBooks, Lucy Pavlok, Carolyn Jones, Sarah at Prix Fixe Accounting
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 95
FACULTY: Liz Wilke, PhD
CLASS: #Economics
TITLE: Accountants in the Seams of Technology
In this podcast episode, Scott interviews Dr. Liz Wilke, the Principal Economist at Gusto. They discuss a wide range of topics related to the economy, labor market, hiring practices, and the impact of artificial intelligence on the workforce. Liz provides valuable insights into consumer spending metrics and also offers advice for accountants. The episode concludes with a discussion about the advantages of offering 401k's.
- Introducing Liz Wilke, PhD
- Data available to Gusto and its significance for accountants and small businesses
- Discussion of "Economy Explained"
- A look at the current state of the economy
- Discussion of the current labor market, its dynamics, and challenges
- Scott and Dr. Wilke discuss international hiring strategies
- Liz explains dissecting jobs as a way to adapt to changing economic conditions
- The impact of Artificial Intelligence on jobs and the workforce
- Scott and Dr. Wilke delve into various industries' struggle to find qualified employees
- Changes in tipping practices and their economic implications are explored
- Metrics on consumer spending are presented
- Liz offers valuable advice for accountants on what to look out for in the current economic landscape
- Finally, the advantages of offering 401k's are discussed, emphasizing their significance for businesses and employees alike
Shout Outs:
Gusto, Zapier, Scaling New Heights, Karbon, Square, Toast
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 94
FACULTY: Dave Olsen
CLASS: #VarsityTips
TITLE: People Experience Pt 4 (PX4) Competency: Creating Performance
In this podcast episode, Scott interviews “Coach” Dave Olsen from Nimbl for the fourth episode of the People Experience VarsityTips series. The episode covers strategies for reviewing employee performance, effective employee training methods, and approaches to fair and competitive employee compensation, including variable pay and benefits.
- Introduction
- Implementing performance agreements before hiring to align expectations and goals.
- Regular check-ins to assess employee well-being and provide support as needed.
- The role of leaders as multipliers in empowering and developing their teams.
- Discussion of Radical Candor by Kim Scott
- Strategies for reviewing employee performance, including constructive feedback and goal setting.
- Effective employee training methods to enhance skills and knowledge.
- Approaches to fair and competitive employee compensation, including variable pay based on performance.
- The significance of providing employee benefits to attract and retain top talent.
- Balancing work and lifestyle considerations to promote a healthy work-life integration.
- Summarizing the key takeaways for creating an exceptional people experience within organizations.
Shout Outs:
Kenji, Matthew, Niks, GitLab, Gusto, Acuity, Radical Candor by Kim Scott
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 93
Accounting High is supported by our Booster Club
Thank you LiveFlow! LiveFlow - Advanced financial reporting on autopilot. LiveFlow turns your spreadsheet into a scalable, real-time FP&A platform, check them out:
https://www.liveflow.io/partnerships/accounting-high
Get 20% off for 3 months with promo code HIGH
FACULTY: Sabrina Cook
CLASS: #SocialStudies
TITLE: Arrested Development Accountant (feat. Sabrina Cook, CPA)
In this podcast episode, Scott interviews Sabrina Cook aka “Ira Gilligan”, a CPA, Tax Adviser, and Fractional CFO from North Carolina. They delve into Sabrina's journey and discuss her experience working with small businesses, transitioning to a new firm, and her online presence on Tax Twitter and her alter ego.
- Introducing Sabrina
- Sabrina's high school years.
- Exploring Sabrina's college education
- How Sabrina found her way into public accounting and began working with small businesses.
- Scott and Sabrina discuss their personal journeys with ADHD
- Tax Twitter and Sabrina's persona as Ira Gilligan.
- How Sabrina navigated finding her first clients and the expansion into serving remote clients.
- Developing processes and strategies for growth as the firm expands.
- Sharing favorite online educators
- Mindset shifts related to purpose, intention, and the delegation of tasks.
- The importance of being open and authentic
Shout Outs:
Ryan Lazanis, Jason Staats, Will Hamilton, SmartPath, Nicole Davis, Lorilyn Wilson
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 92
Accounting High is supported by our Booster Club
Thank you G-ACCON - Check em out, 14 day free trial, go to accon.services
FACULTY: Reza Hooda
CLASS: #GuidePosts
TITLE: Build a Practice that gives you more Money, Time, and Freedom
In this episode, Scott interviews Reza Hooda, founder of Capture Accounting and the Profitable Accounting Community. They discuss Reza's book, "The Four Pillars," the journey of writing and publishing it, the parallels between Scott's and Reza's entrepreneurial journeys, the importance of intentionality and prioritizing health and routine, self-development, and much more.
Check out Reza's new book "The Four Pillars"
- Scott introduces Reza aka The RZA
- Discussion of Reza's book, "The Four Pillars," and the process of writing and publishing it.
- Discussion of parallels between Scott's and Reza's entrepreneurial journeys and the challenges they have faced.
- Exploring the journey of bringing Reza's book to the world and reaching a wider audience.
- A typical day in Reza's life and his routines.
- Discussion of the importance of intentionality, prioritizing health, and establishing effective routines.
- Discussion about self-development.
- Reza shares strategies for motivating and inspiring knowledge workers.
- Reza talks about failures, difficulties, and roadblocks on his entrepreneurial journey.
- Discussion on benefits of niche-ing down and how Reza has implemented it in his own businesses
- The Turkish Barber story
- Final thoughts and takeaways.
Shout Outs:
Drive by Dan Pink, Work Sucks by Kylie Resler, Atomic Habits by Simon Sinek, Ron Baker, Mark Wickersham, Patrick Langeoni, Victor Antonio, Tiagio Forte, Xero, Notion
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 91
FACULTY: Dave Olsen
CLASS: #VarsityTips
TITLE: People Experience Pt 3 (PX3) Coaching: Creating Leaders
As an owner, you get to choose your role in the business and build an organizational structure around that. In this podcast episode, Scott interviews “Coach” Dave Olsen from Nimbl for the third episode of the People Experience #VarsityTips series. They delve into the concept of coaching as a part of RAP (Running an Accounting Practice) versus MAP (Managing an Accounting Practice).
- Introduction
- Exploring the challenges faced during the transition from growth to scaling.
- Differentiating between MAP and RAP
- Understanding the corporate model and its implications for the organization's culture.
- How to initiate the process of building a new model that prioritizes people experience.
- The significance of accountability charts in clarifying roles and responsibilities within the organization.
- The role of a coach in supporting the team and facilitating their growth and development.
- Giving individualized attention to team members and understanding their unique needs and aspirations.
- Managing the individual careers of team members to ensure their professional growth and satisfaction.
- How to measure success and find fulfillment in both professional and personal aspects of life.
Shout Outs:
Nimbl, Accounting Salon, How Will You Measure Your Life Clayton Christianson, The E-Myth by Michael Gerber
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 90
Accounting High is supported by our Booster Club
Thank you LiveFlow! LiveFlow - Advanced financial reporting on autopilot. LiveFlow turns your spreadsheet into a scalable, real-time FP&A platform, check them out:
https://www.liveflow.io/partnerships/accounting-high
Get 20% off for 3 months with promo code HIGH
FACULTY: Terrell Turner
CLASS: #How2RAP
TITLE: How to Run an Accounting Practice (RAP) Pt 1: Introducing the Book
In this podcast episode, Scott interviews Terrell Turner, the Accounting High Librarian, for the first episode of "How to RAP." The episode explores the parallels between rap music and the accounting profession, discussing the need for accountants in the face of new technology and the importance of adopting a client-centric approach.
- An introduction to the book and its relevance to the accounting profession.
- The reveal of the book's title, which sets the stage for the discussion.
- Drawing parallels between rap music and the accounting profession, highlighting the importance of storytelling and creativity.
- Exploring the evolving role of accountants in the face of technological advancements and automation.
- Bridging the gap between traditional management accounting and the new era of advisory services.
- Strategies for helping clients and providing value-added advisory services.
- The concept of looking at things differently to break free from the traditional "hamster wheel" of accounting, including the implementation of the Profit First model.
- Reflecting on the initial proposal of value pricing and its impact on the accounting industry.
- Terrell's personal experiences living in Germany and the birth of Cartoon Network, highlighting the effects of changing technology on various industries.
- Examining the influence of TurboTax and other factors that have disrupted traditional accounting practices.
- Exploring the connection between rap and accounting, emphasizing the importance of accountants who can speak to and resonate with their clients.
- Learning from other "rappers" in the industry, drawing inspiration from their approaches and experiences.
Shout Outs:
Mike Michalowicz, Geni Whitehouse, Acuity
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 89
FACULTY: Dave Olsen
CLASS: #VarsityTips
TITLE: People Experience Pt 2 (PX2) Culture: Creating Core Virtues
In this podcast episode, Scott interviews Dave Olsen from Nimble for the second episode of the People Experience Varsity Tips series. This episode provides valuable insights into the importance of company culture, how it can be intentionally shaped, and the role of values, communication, and leadership in creating a positive and impactful work environment.
- The understanding that every company has a culture, whether intentional or not.
- Exploring the factors that influence company culture and how it manifests within an organization.
- The question of where company culture starts and the role of leadership in shaping it.
- The significance of defining and aligning mission, vision, and values to create a strong foundation for culture.
- The process of gaining clarity on company culture and ensuring it is well-defined.
- Exploring core values that contribute to a thriving company culture, such as integrity, workability, accountability, creating the future, positivity, commitment, and leading with impact.
- Dave's personal journey in shaping his own values and how they have influenced his company's culture.
- Differentiating between intentional and accidental cultures and the impact they have on the organization.
- The importance of effective communication in fostering a positive company culture.
- Strategies for connecting the team to the company's values and ensuring alignment.
- The significance of time zone meeting culture in global teams and promoting effective communication.
- Creating opportunities to consistently communicate and reinforce the company's vision.
Shout Outs:
Joe Woodard, Brandon Craig, Clay Christensen, Chris Janssen, How Will You Measure Your Life
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 88
Accounting High is supported by our Booster Club
Thank you LiveFlow!
LiveFlow - Advanced financial reporting on autopilot.
LiveFlow turns your spreadsheet into a scalable, real-time FP&A platform, check them out:
https://www.liveflow.io/partnerships/accounting-high
Get 20% off for 3 months with promo code HIGH
FACULTY: Lorilyn Wilson
CLASS: #SocialStudies
TITLE: Real Brand Authenticity
In this podcast episode, at the CPA Engage Earmark Mobile recording Studio, Scott interviews Lorilyn Wilson, of Mad Woman Media, and discusses the importance of authenticity in branding, navigating criticism and negativity, the role of colors in branding, the concept of Heater Media, drawing inspiration from Taylor Swift, the significance of creativity, embracing pivoting, and the value of personal connection in social media engagement.
- Lorilyn Wilson, founder of Mad Woman Media, is introduced.
- The discussion revolves around the significance of authenticity and the blending of personal and professional aspects.
- Dealing with criticism and haters while staying true to oneself.
- Exploring the role of colors in branding and creating a memorable identity.
- Introducing the concept of Heater Media and its impact on marketing strategies.
- Drawing inspiration from Taylor Swift and her song "Mad Woman" as a source of creative influence.
- Emphasizing the need for dedicated time to foster creativity.
- Discussing the process of pivoting and the challenges of the pivot stage in business.
- Advocating for authenticity in social media posts and not hiding behind a brand.
- Recognizing that people are at the core of branding, and the importance of social media engagement and avoiding outsourcing pitfalls.
- Highlighting that the person behind the brand is the true essence of branding.
- Encouraging individuals to embrace their authentic selves and be genuine in their endeavors.
Shout Outs:
FreshBooks, Tyra Banks, Kenji Kuramoto, Blake Oliver, David Leary, CPA Engage, Earmark, QuickFee
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 87
Accounting High is supported by our Booster Club
Thank you G-ACCON
Check em out, 14 day free trial, go to accon.services
FACULTY: David Leary
CLASS: #GuidePosts
TITLE: The Cluetrain Manifesto Accounting Podcast Conversation
In this podcast episode, at the CPA Engage Earmark Mobile recording Studio, Scott interviews David Leary of the Cloud Accounting Podcast and delves into the Clue Train Manifesto, the power of decentralized education and communication, and the desire for human connection over corporate entities.
- Exploring the Clue Train Manifesto and its significance in the digital landscape.
- Reflecting on the early days of the internet and the emergence of the manifesto.
- Recognizing the transformative power of the internet in facilitating decentralized education and communication.
- Discussing how online communities and platforms like YouTube have enabled individuals to bypass traditional corporate channels.
- Emphasizing the human connection aspect, where people prefer interacting with individuals rather than faceless companies.
- Highlighting the fear companies have in engaging with the market and the importance of building communities to address concerns.
- Learning from the failure of Southwest Airlines as an example of the consequences of not adapting to market demands.
- Stressing the need for accountants to engage in meaningful conversations with their clients.
- Acknowledging that without embracing change, others will seize the market opportunity.
- Encouraging individuals to wake up, take action, and not wait for opportunities to come their way.
Shout Outs:
George Constanza, Blake Oliver, Cluetrain Manifesto, Xero, Intuit, Lean Startup, AICPA Engage, Earmark, QuickFee
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 86
FACULTY: Dave Olsen
CLASS:#VarsityTips
TITLE: People Experience Pt 1 (PX1) Course Curriculum: Creating a High Performance Virtuous Loop
In this podcast episode, Scott interviews Dave Olsen from Nimble for the first episode of the People Experience Varsity Tips series. This episode offers valuable insights into Dave's business journey, the offshore model, the significance of team and culture, and the key elements that contribute to a successful people experience within an organization.
- Dave introduces the topics he will cover in the interview.
- Dave's personal journey in building his business and the lessons he learned along the way.
- The offshore model and how it can be a game-changer for businesses.
- Shifting perspective to view workflow as a business and the transformative impact it had on Dave.
- The realization that building a business can lead to the life one desires.
- The importance of prioritizing the team over customers and building strong partnerships.
- The formation of a partnership with a CAS (Client Accounting Services) firm.
- Statistical insights into Dave's company, Nimble.
- The purpose of the course and the milestones set to achieve success.
- The significance of tracking outcomes and measuring progress.
- Defining leadership and the role it plays in creating a vision for the future.
- Having faith in oneself and embracing principles from books like "Think Like a Monk"
- The importance of designing company culture and aligning it with employees.
- The role of tools and training in supporting employees' growth and success.
- Defining performance and how it contributes to employee satisfaction and motivation.
- Employee compensation and the opportunities provided for learning and personal development.
- A preview of the upcoming episodes in the People Experience series.
Shout Outs:
Brandon Craig, Clay Christensen, Nimble, Expensify, Jay Shetty
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 85
Accounting High is supported by our Booster Club Thank you G-ACCON Check em out, 14 day free trial
go to accon.services
CLASS: #PeerReview FACULTY: John Nevel, CPA & Jason Ackerman, CPA SPONSOR: G-ACCON TITLE: Teaching Accounting Soft Skills: From CAS to ASS
About this episode: In this episode of Accounting High, Scott and Jason interview John Nevel, co-founder and CEO of Compass East. a Nashville-based accounting firm. John shares his journey to Nashville, how he founded his firm, and the challenges he faced while growing it. He also talks about the importance of bridging the GAAP and the services provided by his firm. John goes into detail about his firm's pricing strategy and how they decide on fees, including tips for raising fees. He shares what he would have done differently if he could go back in time and how he spends time training his employees. The discussion also covers topics such as vetting clients, dealing with different personality types, and managing a virtual workspace. John shares his excitement for the future of his company and offers valuable advice for firm owners. Don't miss this informative episode!
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 84
FACULTY: Joe Woodard
CLASS: #GuidePosts
TITLE: Let Your Vision Guide Your Mission on Purpose
In this podcast episode, Scott interviews Joe Woodard of Scaling New Heights, CEO of Woodard. The episode covers valuable insights into the accounting industry's evolution, the significance of industry events, the importance of differentiation and branding, and Joe Woodard's experiences and perspectives throughout his career.
- Joe shares his personal story of how he entered the accounting field.
- The early days of cloud technology and Joe's experience in starting a consulting practice.
- Origin stories and development of QuickBooks Connect and Scaling New Heights conferences.
- Joe's role as a certified professional for Intuit and his contributions to the industry.
- The purpose and significance of Scaling New Heights as an event for accounting professionals.
- The dynamics and competition between Xero and Intuit in the accounting software market.
- Comparing the approaches of AICPA Engage and Scaling New Heights.
- Reflection on the relevance and necessity of the CPA license in the modern accounting landscape.
- The importance of differentiation in building a successful accounting practice.
- Defining and aligning purpose and vision to drive growth and success.
- The role of personal branding and using one's name as a business identity.
- Parting wisdom from Joe, emphasizing the importance of not wasting time with non-ideal clients or situations.
Shout Outs:
Dave Barrett, Expensify, Doug Slater, Scaling New Heights, SleeterCon, QuickBooks Connect, Intuit, Xero, Rod Drury, AccountX, Engage, Simon Sinek, Jack Sergeant
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 83
Accounting High is supported by our Booster Club
Thank you LiveFlow!
LiveFlow - Advanced financial reporting on autopilot.
LiveFlow turns your spreadsheet into a scalable, real-time FP&A platform, check them out:
https://www.liveflow.io/partnerships/accounting-high
Get 20% off for 3 months with promo code HIGH
FACULTY: Geni Whitehouse
CLASS: #CoolKids
TITLE: High Impact through Comedy, Technology, & Advisory (feat. Geni Whitehouse, CPA)
In this podcast episode, Scott interviews Geni Whitehouse, the founder of The Impactful Advisor. The episode delves into Geni's journey in the accounting profession, her experiences in the industry, and her fusion of comedy and accounting, the importance of finding one's passion and purpose, and niche expertise.
- Geni shares her early experiences in high school and the challenges she faced.
- The story of how Scott and Geni first met and connected.
- Geni's move to California and her introduction to accounting and the cloud.
- Her college years and her exploration of programming.
- Working at Deloitte and gaining valuable experience in the industry.
- Geni's decision to leave Deloitte and pursue a new job in Atlanta.
- Joining Sage and discovering her comedic talents and how to incorporate them into her work.
- Exploring the world of accounting comedians and finding inspiration.
- How comedy opened up a whole new world for Geni and influenced her approach to her niche.
- Designing her own life by aligning her passion and purpose.
- The "basset hound" analogy for living one's best life and finding personal fulfillment.
- Geni's authenticity and leveraging her strengths to make a difference.
- Scott's journey in embracing his inner "basset hound."
- The story behind Scott writing the new rap before going to Vegas.
- A discussion about the new rap and the process of recording a music video in Vegas.
Shout Outs:
Deloitte, Avalara, Sage, Peachtree, PeopleSoft, Division Software, Jason Staats, Greg Kyte, Ron Baker, Craig Underhill, Joe Woodard, MentorPlus
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 82
Accounting High is supported by our Booster Club
Thank you G-ACCON
Check em out, 14 day free trial, go to accon.services
CLASS: #PeerReview
FACULTY: James Heyward, CPA & Jason Ackerman, CPA
TITLE: Stop Disrespecting the Accounting Game
In this episode of Accounting High, hosts Scott and Jason interview James E Heyward CPA, CGMA. James shares his story of how he got into accounting, the advantages of not studying accounting in college, and his journey in starting his own firm. He also gives advice on scalability, hiring employees, adopting the cloud, and transitioning to higher profitability. Additionally, James discusses the importance of diversity in accounting and shares his own podcasts. This episode is packed with insights and valuable advice for both accounting professionals and firm owners.
Interview:
- James shares how he got into accounting and his background
- Scott raps
- James talks about his left turn back into accounting, getting his CPA license, and starting his firm
- Discussion on mixing passion with purpose and the advantages of not studying accounting in college
- Tips on scalability and hiring employees, including adopting the cloud and using Xero
- Discussion on the fear and overconfidence of some accountants and the importance of paying them what they're worth
- Advice for firm owners, including transitioning to higher profitability and promoting diversity in accounting
- James also talks about his own podcast
Shoutouts:
- Xero, Jetpack
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 81
Accounting High is supported by our Booster Club
Thank you LiveFlow!
LiveFlow - Advanced financial reporting on autopilot.
LiveFlow turns your spreadsheet into a scalable, real-time FP&A platform, check them out:
https://www.liveflow.io/partnerships/accounting-high
Get 20% off for 3 months with promo code HIGH
FACULTY: Ashley Leeds
CLASS: #SocialStudies
TITLE: Leading with LinkedIn and Loving It
In this podcast episode, Scott interviews Ashley Leeds, a LinkedIn coach, who shares valuable insights and tips for leveraging LinkedIn effectively. The episode covers various aspects of LinkedIn, including audience targeting, engagement strategies, real-life networking, and the benefits of using the platform.
- Ashley recalls his journey to LinkedIn when traditional training options were unavailable.
- They go over the reasons why LinkedIn is a valuable platform for professionals.
- They discuss the importance of narrowing down your audience on LinkedIn
- They talk about strategies for increasing engagement on LinkedIn and building meaningful connections.
- They discuss the role of in-person meetings and real-life networking in complementing online LinkedIn interactions.
- They look at the statistics of content creation on LinkedIn.
- They explore engagement statistics and the impact of active participation on LinkedIn.
- Ashley shares his insights on personal branding and the use of colors to create a memorable presence on the platform.
- Ashley gives tips for optimizing your LinkedIn profile
- Ashley talks about being a LinkedIn trainer
- Ashley and Scott discuss strategies for scheduling LinkedIn activities, tracking habits, and creating positive dopamine hits.
- Ashley shares a LinkedIn habit for the audience to start today
Shout Outs:
Linkedin, Quickbooks
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 80
Accounting High is supported by our Booster Club
Thank you LiveFlow!
LiveFlow - Advanced financial reporting on autopilot.
LiveFlow turns your spreadsheet into a scalable, real-time FP&A platform, check them out:
https://www.liveflow.io/partnerships/accounting-high
Get 20% off for 3 months with promo code HIGH
FACULTY: Catherine Tindall
CLASS: #PeerReview
SPONSOR: LiveFlow
TITLE: How to Run a Practice Differently than the Traditional CPA Firm
In this episode of Accounting High, Scott and Jason Ackerman interview Catherine Tindall, CPA, who shares her insights on the importance of aligned values in a firm, and how her experiences working with her parents and husband have shaped her approach to collaboration and partnership. She also discusses her firm's focus on personality types for hiring and working with clients, and the challenges and benefits of niche-ing in compliance. Tune in to this episode for valuable advice on firm ownership and building connections through social media.
- Catherine shares her journey to becoming an accountant and the influence of her parents' accounting practice.
- The hosts and Catherine discuss the importance of personalities in hiring and working with clients.
- They also talk about the dynamics of partnerships and the benefits of having aligned values.
- Catherine shares her experience of starting her own firm and provides advice for firm owners.
-
The conversation ends with a discussion on the role of social media in connecting with clients.
-
Scott and Jason wrap up the podcast with Catherine’s advice to firm owner and her socials.
Shoutouts:
- Dominion Enterprise Services
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 79
Accounting High is supported by our Booster Club
Thank you G-ACCON
Check em out, 14 day free trial
go to accon.services
FACULTY: Ryan Lazanis, CPA
CLASS: #GuidePosts
TITLE: Systematize your Firm to Gain Perspective on Purpose
In this podcast episode, Scott interviews Ryan Lazanis, founder of Future Firm. Scott and Ryan offer valuable insights and strategies for accountants and entrepreneurs looking to find balance, purpose, and success in their professional lives, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing happiness, leveraging time and resources effectively, and embracing progress and innovation to thrive in the accounting industry.
- Reviewing the ABC Tournament and its impact on productivity and focus.
- The importance of taking an email detox to reduce distractions and improve mental well-being.
- Finding a healthy balance between work and home life to prioritize happiness and fulfillment.
- Identifying the point, purpose, perspective, and prize in one's professional and personal pursuits.
- Exploring the relationship between time, money, and happiness, and determining the ideal balance.
- The role of accountability in setting and achieving goals, both personally and professionally.
- Leveraging higher leverage tasks to maximize productivity and impact.
- Understanding the two states of an entrepreneur: operating as a solo practitioner or scaling the business.
- The significance of systematizing your firm to improve efficiency and streamline operations.
- Repricing strategies and the power of email marketing in attracting and retaining clients.
- Capacity planning and effectively managing workload to avoid burnout and maintain quality service.
- Developing a plan of action to transition out of the firm and step into a visionary role.
- Ryan's personal journey in finding his purpose and being driven by frustration with the accounting profession.
Shout Outs:
Jason Staats, Blake Oliver, Brandon Poe, Tim Ferris, Enrico Palmerino, Joe Woodard, BotKeeper, Future Firm, Xen Accounting, Thrival
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 78
Accounting High is supported by our Booster Club
Thank you G-ACCON
Check em out, 14 day free trial
go to accon.services
FACULTY: Michelle Weinstein “The Pitch Queen”
CLASS: #VarsityTips
TITLE: How to Make Varsity Part 5: Coach's Game Theory
In this final part of How to Make Varsity, Scott welcomes back substitute PE Coach, Michelle Weinstein, aka the Pitch Queen aka Coach Queen, for part 5 where they discuss the importance of management of skill inventory as game theory in sales.
- They discuss the value of not giving away knowledge for free and distinguishing between providing tips to individuals versus a larger audience.
- Emphasizing the importance of offering transformation instead of merely sharing information.
- Scott freestyles a rap on transformation.
- Michelle discusses homework assignments for clients prior to consultations.
- Strategies for setting appropriate consultation prices are shared.
- Michelle's Breakthrough Sessions are explained,
- The importance of working with clients who demonstrate due diligence
- Michelle explains why you should send invitations rather than proposals
- Scott talks about GoProposal as a valuable tool for creating invitations
- Michelle directs the audience to Abundant Bookkeeping for clients seeking transformation
- The episode concludes with a summary of the Varsity Tips series.
Shout Outs:
QuickBooks, Phil Jackson, John Wooten, James Ashford, GoProposal
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 77
Accounting High is supported by our Booster Club Members
Thank you AppStream! Powered by the GrowthLab
Music Video for Simple Tasks!
FACULTY: Luke Templin, CPA
CLASS: #PeerReview
TITLE: CAS = Solving Problems
In this episode of Accounting High, Scott interviews Luke Templin, the founder of A Squared Advisors. Luke shares his journey of how he got into accounting and became a CPA, his experience in the CAS world, and what inspired him to start his own business. He also talks about his unique approach to pricing and scope, and the freedom that comes with working for yourself. Scott even surprises us with his rap, Simple Tasks. This is a great episode for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, accounting, and business growth.
Shoutouts:
- Chad Davis, Ron Baker, Gusto, QuickBooks, GrowthLab, AppStream, FinDaily, Sage Intacct, Zapier
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 76
Accounting High is supported by our Booster Club
Thank you LiveFlow!
LiveFlow - Advanced financial reporting on autopilot.
LiveFlow turns your spreadsheet into a scalable, real-time FP&A platform, check them out:
https://www.liveflow.io/partnerships/accounting-high
Get 20% off for 3 months with promo code HIGH
FACULTY: Ron Baker
CLASS: #GuidePosts
TITLE: Age Marks Milestones: A Book Report on “Strength to Strength” by Albert C. Brooks in the Principal’s Office with Principal Ron Baker | #GuidePosts
In this episode, Scott finds himself in Principal Baker’s office again to review the book "Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life" by Arthur C. Brooks. They deep dive into the key themes and ideas presented in the book, offering insights and perspectives on finding success, happiness, and purpose in the second half of life.
- Scott and Ron share their initial reactions and thoughts after reading the book.
- The concept of the striver's curse and the inevitable mental decline that comes with age is explored.
- They discuss how different fields and innovations experience declines at different rates.
- The idea of using knowledge to pivot and pursue new paths for personal growth is examined.
- Scott reads Jasper’s A.I. book review
- They challenge the notion that having goals is always beneficial for humans.
- Strategies and approaches to counter the striver's curse are discussed.
- They delve into the importance of acquiring crystalized knowledge and its application in different fields, including accounting.
- Ron shares his perspective on writing books later in life compared to when he started.
- The Sisyphean Curse and the dangers of growth for the sake of growth are discussed.
- The awareness of death and finding purpose while engaging in business activities is examined.
- They talk about applying ancient wisdom to everyday life and finding meaning in what we do.
- Age is seen as mile markers in life and opportunities for growth and reflection.
- The role of ancient wisdom and spiritual guides in navigating the second half of life is explored.
- The significance of playing to one's strengths is highlighted.
- The concept of Liminal Thinking is briefly discussed.
- They conclude the episode with a discussion and debut of Scott’s newest rap
Shout Outs:
Rick Rubin, Arthur C. Brooks, Elon Musk, Billy Joel, Raymond Cattell, Jason Ackerman, Malcom Forbes, Paul Dunn, Paul Johnson, Terrell Turner, Heather Smith, Edward Abbey, Edwin Land, Dave Barrett, Don Brolin, Xero, Ribbi Daniel Lapin, LiveFlow, QuickBooks Connects, Anita from LiveFlow
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 75
Accounting High is supported by our Booster Club
Thank you LiveFlow!
LiveFlow - Advanced financial reporting on autopilot.
LiveFlow turns your spreadsheet into a scalable, real-time FP&A platform, check them out:
https://www.liveflow.io/partnerships/accounting-high
Get 20% off for 3 months with promo code HIGH
CLASS: #CoolKids
FACULTY: Charles J Kelly, CPA
The CPA Crypto Craze: Bitcoin is Better Than Gold?
In this episode of Accounting High, host Scott interviews Charles J Kelly, CPA, the expert in cryptocurrency. They discuss various topics related to crypto including decentralization, legitimacy, and climate change. Charles shares his insights on why he believes in Bitcoin and how it can contribute to a purpose-driven lifestyle. They also touch on how he runs his business and salsa dancing. The conversation is full of interesting insights for anyone interested in the world of cryptocurrency and the opportunities it presents.
Shoutouts:
- The Starfish and The Spider
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 74
CLASS: #VarsityTips
FACULTY: Michelle Weinstein “The Pitch Queen”
TITLE: How to Make Varsity Part 4: Assessing Your Game
In this episode, Scott welcomes back substitute PE Coach, Michelle Weinstein, aka the Pitch Queen aka Coach Queen, for part 4 of their discussion. They delve into the topic of collecting information for sales and how it can be used strategically to understand clients' needs and provide value. Here's a summary of the episode:
- Michelle introduces the concept of collecting information as a crucial aspect of sales.
- Scott shares some of his unique and unconventional ideas for gathering information.
- They discuss the importance of asking strategic questions
- They engage in a roleplay to demonstrate good questions
- They discuss the value of asking deeper questions to uncover the clients' underlying motivations and needs
- The focus shifts from selling to solving problems for clients, showcasing the value of the services and expertise
- They emphasize the importance of practice and continuous improvement in mastering the art of information collection for sales.
- The episode concludes with a teaser hinting at the upcoming fifth varsity tip episode
Shout Outs:
UnCat, Quickbooks
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 73
CLASS: #TechLabs
FACULTY: Korey Cournoyer
Guest Faculty: G-ACCON
TITLE: Secure Automated Easy 2-Way Sync
Accounting High is supported by our Booster Club
Thank you G-ACCON
Check em out, 14 day free trial, go to accon.services
In this podcast episode, Scott talks with Korey from the Growth Lab and Yelena from G-ACCON for a tech lab. Scott and Korey sit in on a class with AH’s adjunct professor to learn about using G-ACCON taking notes and raising their hands.
- Yelena introduces us to G-ACCON
- The class dives into G-ACCON: Quickbooks versus Xero
- Yelena demonstrates template customizations
- The group discusses the benefits of templates
- Yelena explains sharing templates
- Yelena shows how to append data
- The group learns about automating with G-ACCON
- Yelena explains data refreshing
- Corey asks about usage of G-ACCON with bank feeds
- Yelena explains time and schedule triggers
- The group talks about API
- Scott asks about G-ACCON pricing
- Scott asks about AWS
- Corey asks what G-ACCON is used for most?
- Call to action
Shout Outs:
GrothLab, Appstream, LiveFlow, Xero, QBO, QuickBooks, Google Sheets, Sage, FreshBooks, Stripe, Shopify
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 71
FACULTY: Sharrin Fuller
CLASS: #CoolKids
TITLE: Planning Your Exit
In this episode, Scott interviews Sharrin Fuller, CEO of Glass Wallet Ventures and Managing Partner at Blueprint Financial Service and Fit CFO. They delve into various topics related to entrance and exit strategies, as well as Sharrin's experiences in the tech startup and venture-backed startup world. Here's a summary of the episode:
- Sharrin discusses her decision to exit the industry and her journey into tech startups and venture-backed startups.
- Sharrin explains the factors that influenced her decision to exit and how she determined the right time to leave.
- Sharrin and Scott explore the importance of evaluating financial numbers and setting exit goals.
- The conversation touches on the challenges of hiring and the impact of personal choices, such as having children, on career decisions.
- Sharrin reflects on the opportunity to sell a business and provides advice she wishes she had taken during that process.
- The emotional aspects and traps involved in selling a business are discussed, along with the ultimate satisfaction of the decision.
- They talk about what happened when Sharrin realized she wasn't ready for retirement after the sale and her transition into a new firm.
- The structure of the companies Sharrin is involved in is discussed
- They touch on the makeup of Sharrin's clientele and the importance of building trust with clients.
- Sharrin and Scott discuss the importance of separating personal and business aspects.
- Scott considers the question of whether he should exit and sell his own business.
- They briefly discuss Scott's most recent raps and their musical tastes.
- Sharrin offers parting advice for Scott
Shout Outs:
Fit CFO, Blueprint Financial Services, Simple Office Solutions, Sean Duncan, Niks Mackenzie, Mastermind, Anchor, Glass Wallet
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 71
CLASS: #VarsityTips
FACULTY: Michelle Weinstein “The Pitch Queen”
TITLE: How to Make Varsity Part 3: Setting Up Communication to Win
In this episode, Scott and Michelle Weinstein continue their discussion on how to make and stay on the Accounting High Varsity team. They discuss the importance of building rapport with clients and creating strong relationships through a number of example cases.
- Scott and Michelle review the previous tips
- Michelle explains why you need to set up communication to win
- Michelle defines “rapport”
- Michelle explains that clients buy the relationship and don't want to feel like a commodity
- Michelle goes over keywords to remember for building rapport
- Scott and Michelle give an example of how to build common ground with a client
- Scott and Michelle discuss learning styles
- Michelle tries to figure out Scott's learning style
- Michelle gives example questions to learn learning styles
- Michelle stresses the importance of keeping it personal to build rapport and to be unique
- Scott and Michelle discuss problems in the industry surrounding rapport
- They wrap up and give a teaser for part 4
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 70
CLASS: #GuidePosts
FACULTY: Dr. Sabine Charles
TITLE: Who Are You? Cracking Your Code with the CPA Doctor
In this episode, Scott interviews Dr. Sabine Charles, CEO of Charles Financial Strategies LLC and TAPA Institute, a global audit executive, instructor, author with a background in consulting, a certified hypnotist. Sabine shares her journey from being a language major to becoming a doctor in emotional intelligence and running her own firm. Sabine discusses her work in hypnotherapy, leadership training, meditation, and how to deal with a job that doesn’t resonate with your passion.
- Sabine Charles talks about beings language major and her PHD in emotional intelligence
- Sabine talks about starting TAPA Institute
- Sabine discusses her work as a certified hypnotist
- Scott and Sabine discuss colors
- She talks about here Cracking the Code program and how to get unstuck
- Sabine shares her experiences with meditation
- Sabine explains the process of her hypnotherapy sessions
- She talks about her weight loss journey, self-sabotage, travel and climate awareness
- The episode concludes without Sabine hypnotizing Scott and advice for listeners about outsourcing
Shout Outs:
Brene Brown, Dave Barrett, Ron Baker, Simon Sinek, Expensify
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 69
CLASS: #CoolKids
FACULTY: Cecilia “Cece” Leung, CPA
TITLE: Accounting Soup for the Soul
In this episode, Scott interviews Cece Leung, author of Dear Accountant and host of the Dear Accountant Podcast. Cece shares her journey from Hong Kong to Canada and back again, how she got into accounting, and her experience with different cultures. They also discuss her book, Dear Accountant, and how she hopes to show people who accountants are and can be.
- Cece tells her story from Hong Kong to Canada
- She explains how she is a blend of both cultures
- Scott and Cece discuss education and creativity
- Cece explains how she got into accounting
- Cece recalls her time in corporate
- Cece talks about going back to Hong Kong
- They talk about toxic work culture
- Cece and Scott discuss topics of her book
- They ask who are accountants, really?
- Cece talks about showing the industry in a book
- Scott asks about COVID's impact on Cece and her book
- They talk about the next generation of accountants
- Cece talks about her upcoming plans and bringing creativity to the accounting industry
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 68
CLASS: #VarsityTips
FACULTY: Michelle Weinstein “The Pitch Queen”
TITLE: How to Make Varsity Part 2: The Picky Paradox is Provoking Passion when Playing the Potential Prospect Game
In this episode, Scott welcomes back Niks’ substitute PE Coach, Michelle Weinstein, aka the Pitch Queen aka Coach Queen. They discuss various topics related to finding out which clients qualify to be on the varsity team. Throughout the episode, Michelle emphasizes the importance of working with clients who are a good fit for your business goals and expertise and how niching down can help you find those clients. They discuss the criteria for vetting clients and share their own experiences.
- Michelle and Scott introduce the idea of varsity clients
- Michelle gives examples of taking on bad clients
- Michelle goes over the criteria for varsity
- Scott and Michelle talk about their vetting processes
- Michelle explains why you should niche down
- Scott and Michelle discuss “edge cases” and the unlock of niching
- They also discuss the importance of communication and setting expectations with clients
- Michelle explains how her tips eliminate bad clients and turn others into premium clients
- Michelle and Scott summarize and tease the topic of the next Varsity Tips episode
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 67
CLASS: #PeerReview
FACULTY: Jimmy Capparelli, CPA
TITLE: Price it High or Say Goodbye: Transforming Tax Season
In this episode of Accounting High, Scott and Jason are joined by Jim Capparelli, Co-founder of Hiline. They discuss how Hiline is changing the tax season and what the tax roadmap looks like. They also touch on pricing, verticals, and the automation of simple tasks. Additionally, they delve into the topics of burnout, therapy for business owners, and school mascots. Finally, they wrap up the conversation with some golf talk. Tune in to this insightful and engaging conversation on Accounting High.
Interview:
- Hiline's tax roadmap and how they are changing prices and clients.
- Verticles in the industry and how Hiline navigates taxable events, state taxes, and additional fees.
- The profitability of Squad pods and failures in scaling VCFO services.
- The importance of therapy for business owners and automation of simple tasks.
- Branding squads and the automation of data from Karbon and other products.
- How Hiline is managing burnout and what else is happening at the firm.
- Jim shares advice for accounting firms and discusses his love for golf, school mascots, and introvert/extrovert personalities
Shoutouts:
- Hiline, Peter Wen, Spencer Christeck, Salesforce, PandaDoc, Karbon, Dialpad
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 66
recorded live in front of a YouTube audience
CLASS: #TechLabs
FACULTY: Byron Patrick, Jason Staats, Brandon Bruce, Jared Smith
TITLE: 2023 ABC Tournament Rap-Up Recap
In this episode, Scott and Byron host the final battle between Jason Staats and Brandon and Jared from Uncat for the Accountant Bracket Challenge, ABC Tournament, aka March Appness. The contestants discuss their journey to the finals. Scott and Byron recall the making of the tournament and announce the winners of the Hawaii trip and the ABC tournament. Hear about Scott’s exclusive Victory Rap Parody, the leaked Lazanis and Uncat files, while Brandon tells the story of the famous Felonious Slinky Paws picture in this exciting finish to the first-ever ABC March Appness Tournament!
- Scott Introduces the final contestants
- Scott and Byron recall how Uncat was the "Undercat"
- Jared shares his opinions on upcoming Excel features
- Jason Staats retells his journey to the finals and his interactions with Uncat before the tournament
- Scott and Byron talk about what the winner gets and how it was decided
- Jason recalls the nomination phase
- Jason talks about being a firm owner and content creator
- Jared lectures about cryptographically secure random numbers
- Hawaii Trip winner announced
- Other prize winners announced
- Winner of the ABC tournament announced
- Scott performs the Uncat Rap
- Scott talks about the making of the Uncat Rap
- Jason talks about the leaked Lezanus and Uncat files
- Brandon tells the story of the famous Felonious Slinky Paws picture
- Everyone gives final thoughts
Shout Outs:
Adam Slack, Ryan Lazanis, Blake, David, Cloud Accounting Podcast, Fin Daily, FreshBooks, Twyla Verhelst, Felonius Slinky Paws
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 65
CLASS: #GuidePosts
FACULTY: Jason Blumer, CPA
TITLE: Thriving Through Collaboration: The Benefits of Group Play
In this podcast episode, Scott interviews Jason Blumer, an entrepreneur and accountant who founded his own firm and co-founded the Thriveal community. Throughout the episode, Jason shares his experiences and insights on entrepreneurship, community building, and overcoming failures. He talks about how he started his own accounting firm and his motivations for growing it, as well as the challenges he faced in building the Thriveal community.
- Jason tells his story of becoming an accountant and his passion for music
- Jason recalls the early days in business with his father
- Jason explains what motivated him to grow his business
- Jason talks about the founding and early days of Thriveal
- Scott and Jason discuss failure and bouncing back from it
- They also talk about getting out of your own way and letting people help you
- Scott and Jason compare running two companies to growing multiple crops
- Jason is asked to become Accounting High faculty
Shout Outs:
Jason Statham, Jason Bateman, Jason Ackerman, Jason Staats, Jason Presley, Jason Lee Sudakis, Julie Ship, Greg Kite, Ron Baker, Verisage, Doug Sleeter, Darren Root, RootWorks, Simon Sinek, Ian Basin, Karbon
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 64
Faculty: Michelle Weinstein “The Pitch Queen”
Class: #VarsityTips
In this episode, Scott interviews Michelle Weinstein, aka The Pitch Queen, aka The Abundant Accountant, aka Niks’ substitute teacher, on the truth about sales and beliefs about sales. Michelle shares her story of how she became The Pitch Queen and how to get on the varsity team at your firm by describing the mindset shifts you will need to run the mile.
- Michelle shares her Three P's
- She tells how she got into the accounting niche
- She addresses common objections to raising fees
- Michelle and Scott discuss the mindset shift needed to price right
- Michelle tells of her time working at Fitsy Foods and the birth of The Pitch Queen
- She explains her Abundant Millionaire Mastermind Program
- Scott realizes the similarities between Michelle and Niks
- Michelle encourages listeners to check their sales beliefs and break limiting beliefs
- Michelle and Scott talk about how selling is being a guide
- Michelle gives steps to being the head coach at your firm.
- She explains “Be, Do, Have”
- Scott explains how to correctly fake it till you make it
- The two talk about how “sales is not about you”
Shoutouts:
Abundant Millionaire Mastermind Program, Justin from Justin's peanut butter, John Lee Dumas, Shark Tank, Amy Vetter, James Ashford
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 63
Faculty: Dan Luthi & Dan Gertrudes
Class: #TechLabs
Accounting High is supported by our Booster Club Members
Thank you AppStream!
Music Video for Simple Tasks!
In this podcast episode, Scott interviews Dan Luthi, Partner at Ignite Spot Accounting Services and Dan Gertrudes, CEO & Co-Founder of GrowthLab. They discuss the benefits of workflow automation and how AppStream can help businesses save time and money. They also talk about the origin of the company's name and the story behind the AppStream rap music video.
- simple tasks!
- Gertrudes talks about the idea of selling workflow automations as a subscription
- Scott and Gertrudes recount using Scott’s firm as a sandbox for AppStream
- Gertrudes talks about what led to the creation of AppStream
- Gertrudes tells the origin story of AppStream’s name
- The story of the AppStream rap and Luthi’s hand in the filming of the music video
- Luthi explains how his firm managed automation before AppStream
- The group discusses how humans slow the process due to simple tasks
- Scott and Luthi recall the AppStream solutions to their firms’ simple task issues
- Gertrudes explains why they focus on the pain point of onboarding
- Luthi lists the added benefits of working with AppStream
- The group discusses where to start automations
- The Group talk about Chat GPT and why tech and automation won't replace human interaction
- Luthi talks about the ROI of using AppStream
- Luthi talks about app fatigue
- Simple Tasks Rap Music Video
- Gertrudes explains the AppStream pricing model
Shoutouts:
Steven Byler, Heather Satterly, Accounting Avengers, Todd Robinson, Zapier, Korey Cournoyer, Johnny Uzola,Karbon, Ignition, Xero, QuickBooks, HubSpot, Dialpad, Google Phone, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Stripe
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 62
In this episode of Accounting High, host Scott interviews Sean Duncan, CPA, founder of a successful advisory-only firm. They discuss Sean's journey from a quarter-life crisis to starting his own firm, turning down the FBI, and getting comfortable with value pricing. Sean also shares insights on his hiring process, sticking to core values, and letting go of clients.
Interview:
- Sean discusses his quarter-life crisis and how he ended up in accounting.
- The interview focuses on Sean's firm and its transition to an advisory-only practice.
- They also discuss the firm's focus on bookkeeping clients, real estate, and wealth management.
- Sean emphasizes the importance of core values and sticking to them, as well as the hiring process and getting comfortable with value pricing.
- They talk about letting go of clients and the challenges of finding the right staff to do the work.
Shoutouts:
- SMD Consulting & Accounting, QuickBooks
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 61 | In this episode of Accounting High, host Scott interviews Ms Smiles aka Alex Miles, a social media marketer and former employee of T-Sheets. Alex talks about her journey from high school pranks to her passion for social media marketing, and how she used her skills to connect with others and brighten their days. She also shares insights into the power of community, the importance of being authentic on social media, and the value of in-person meetups. Alex's infectious energy and positive attitude make this episode a must-listen for anyone looking to find their own passion and connect with others in the accounting industry.Interview:Alex shares the story behind her "Smiles" monikerShe talks about the power of community building and the role social media plays in itAlex discusses her time at T-Sheets, including her involvement in the ABC Tournament and the T-Sheets raffleShe also talks about meeting David Barrett and connecting with the Intuit communityAlex shares her philosophy on social media, which includes being authentic and not judging othersShe also discusses her passion for comedy and making people laughFinally, Alex talks about the importance of in-person meetups and getting help from and giving help to othersClosing:Alex performs a rapAlex wraps us up by discussing the power of community and the importance of being yourself on social media.Shoutouts:FreshBooks, Hubdoc, Xero, MailChimp, QuickBooks, TSheets, Expensify, David Barrett, TurboTax, John Garrett, Misty Megia, Twyla Verhelst, CPA, Laura L. Lynn Ed D, MBA, MS, CFE, EA, Sherrell T. Martin, Slack, Ron Baker, Jason Staats, CPA, Terrell A Turner, CPA, Nikole Mackenzie, --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 60
In this episode of Accounting High, host Scott interviews Jamie O'Kane, a CPA and Certified Tax Coach. Jamie shares her journey from high school to starting her own firm, discussing her experiences with clients, niche industries, firm hard numbers, scope and pricing, and more. She also shares valuable insights on outsourcing and unlocking time, as well as advice for accountants looking to grow their business and take care of their team. Overall, this episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the accounting industry and how to build a successful accounting firm.
Interview:
- Early career: high school, tax years, consulting
- Moving to family office, helping clients, being a Doula
- Starting a firm, family and employees, no niche yet
- Cash break-even, trying things out, modeling good practices
- Firm hard numbers, scope and pricing, speaking events
- Keeping up with niche industry, using other consultants
- Accountability and coaches, rebranding, letting clients go
- Being stuck in the business, difficulty in finding accountants
- Helping people, taking care of the team
- Determining clients to keep, software, outsourcing, unlocking time
Closing:
- Advice for biggest unlock
Shoutouts:
- Randy Crabtree, Intuit’s Tax Advisor Summit, Nicole Glasson, Travis Baird, Ignition, QuickBooks, Karbon, Cognito Forms, Canopy, TaxDome
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 59
Accounting High is supported by our Booster Club
Thank you LiveFlow!
https://www.liveflow.io/partnerships/accounting-high
Get 20% off for 3 months with promo code HIGH
In today’s episode of Accounting High, Scott interviews Chase Birky, CPA, about his journey from working at Deloitte to starting his own firm, Dark Horse CPAs. Chase talks about the impetus for pivoting his business, getting away from client work, and focusing on scalability. He shares his inspiration for the structure of his firm, the challenges of specializing and niching, and his big goals for the future. The episode also features a rap by Chase and a discussion on what it means to be a dark horse in the industry.
Interview:
- Chase talks about realizing that audit wasn't the right fit for him and starting up his own firm.
- He discusses pivoting the firm, staffing, and getting funding for marketing and scalability.
- Chase talks about becoming CEO and the inspiration for the structure of the firm.
- He discusses the challenges and goals of Dark Horse and its niche in public accounting.
- Chase talks about the fear of external factors that could affect niches and the origin of the Dark Horse name.
- He wraps up with words of wisdom.
Closing:
- The episode concludes with Chase discussing the importance of being a dark horse and black sheep in the industry.
Shoutouts:
- QuickBooks, Xero
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 58
In this episode of Accounting High, Scotty and Ackerman interview Geraldine Carter, a seasoned business consultant who has lived and worked in over 50 countries and now lives in Idaho. They discuss her background and the transformative power of travel, as well as her insights on the common mistakes CPAs make and the importance of value pricing and sales in accounting. Geraldine emphasizes the need for guidance rather than instruction for clients and the benefits of niching by vertical. She also shares her thoughts on spending versus waste and recommends a book. Tune in to learn more!
Interview:
- Geraldine discusses her experiences traveling around the world and how they changed her perspective on life and business.
- She shares her decision to leave her first company and start her own business as a business strategist.
- Geraldine highlights three things CPAs are doing wrong, including not using value pricing, not seeing sales as necessary, and telling clients what to do instead of guiding them.
- She explains how niching by vertical can help CPAs differentiate themselves and attract ideal clients.
- Geraldine emphasizes the importance of having hard numbers and plans and distinguishing between spending and waste.
Shoutouts:
- Jay Shetty, Climate Ride, Ron Baker
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 3 Episode 57 | Recorded August 29, 2022
Introduction:
- In this episode of Accounting High, Scott sits downs with Liz Scott, a consultant and entrepreneur who shares her journey of starting her own business and the importance of staying up to date with technology and cybersecurity. Liz talks about her passion for training others with apps and creating courses and the impact of Covid on her work. She also discusses the importance of cybersecurity and offers practical tips on staying safe from cyber threats. If you're interested in entrepreneurship, technology, and cybersecurity, this episode is definitely worth a listen!
Interview:
- Liz discusses her experience starting her own business and pivoting to cloud-based services.
- She talks about her love for training and creating courses
- Liz shares firm hard numbers and the goals of her lab, as well as the origins and purpose of the Appy hour camp.
- The discussion also includes cybersecurity issues such as data leaks, security tips, and the importance of being prepared for a hack.
Closing:
- The episode concludes with Liz offering advice on preparing for cybersecurity threats and emphasizing the need to be smart, not fearful.
Shoutouts:
- Stacy Kildal, Slack, Rob Smith, Microsoft, Zapier, William Murphy, Dawn W. Brolin, CPA, CFE, Andrew Wall, CPA, CMA,
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 56
Today’s guest is Madeline Reeves, Coach, Creative Consultant, and the Founder & CEO of Fearless Foundry, a creative consultancy built for founders who believe their work in this world is to rebuild it for the better.
Hosted by Scott Scarano, What is Conscious Consumption? How can we apply it in our lives and how can it affect us? Today’s episode is not for the conservatives, or is it? Our FEARLESS host and guest tackle politics, religion, sexuality, technology & substance addiction, and more uneasy topics that most of us won’t discuss publicly. Why, you ask? Because they aren’t afraid to get personal.
- It’s a hard time to be a human in America right now
- I could grow my business so much more if I didn’t have to think about this stuff
- How can I use that power and privilege to support other people?
- One of my first responses to all of this Supreme Court stuff was I’m exploring dual citizenship
- There is no incentive to change until an external factor comes in and makes it difficult for them
- A woman that isn’t afraid of getting too political, too personal
- You can live an entirely sheltered life in this country and have an opposite experience than your neighbor because of what you surround yourself with
- Our phones are making us lose our connection
- This is an addiction we’ve created as a culture
- Conscious Consumption: a level of conscious awareness around what are the intakes I’m putting in
- I like real-life interactions better… I get the privilege because I have a podcast where I get people to come and I get to have a real conversation
- Conscious consumption of anything in your life makes your life intentional
- I love working with accountants because you all have the propensity to touch, influence, and advise businesses of all shapes and sizes
All the Shoutouts:
Madhappy, Xero, QuickBooks, Boris Johnson, Bernie Sanders, Dave Chappell, ALOK, R Kelly, Finding Fearless, Hillary Elman
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 55 | Recorded January 30, 2023
Accounting High is supported by our Booster Club Members
Thank you AppStream! Powered by the GrowthLab
Music Video for Simple Tasks!
In this episode of Accounting High, Scott interviews Keila Hill-Trawick, a CPA who is doing things differently in her own firm called Little Fish Accounting. Keila shares how she got into accounting and the story behind the unique name of her firm. She also discusses her team, niche, priorities, and the apps they use to improve productivity. With a focus on community, Keila shares some great insights on how to stay motivated and continue to grow in the profession. This is an episode you won't want to miss!
Interview:
- Keila talks about her journey into accounting and starting her own firm
- They discuss the importance of doing things differently and why she chose to focus on smaller clients
- Keila shares the hard numbers of her firm and her role in it
- They discuss the importance of having a strong team and niche
- Keila talks about her priorities, communication tools, and the apps she uses to increase efficiency and capacity
- They touch on the importance of community and how March Appness can help choose the right tools
- Keila also talks about the books that inspire her and the importance of embracing failure and taking breaks
Closing:
- The Simple Tasks rap
- Scott and Keila wrap up the episode
Shoutouts:
ClickUp, Slack, Karbon, Keeper, Drake, Tallyfor, Zapier, Fathom, QuickBooks, TaxDome, Thriveal, David Barrett, Expensify
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 54
Tune in to Accounting High TV, coming soon to a YouTube channel near you
https://www.youtube.com/@accountinghigh
thank you to Fearless Foundry for our rebrand
check em out, they're so dope
To answer the question on the title, yes, Accounting High is just a podcast for now (and ), but it's going to be so much more...stay tuned
here's the Manifesto that Madeline wrote, it's pretty dope... I feel like she took the words out of my mouth - scotty
We are Accounting High.
We are a platform that pushes accountants to think differently about practice development.
We believe that our industry deserves content education that is actually entertaining.
We know that radical transparency is the key to opening up insightful conversations.
We ask unscripted questions to engage our industry in exploring new and unexpected ideas.
We believe that humor and play are vital ways for us to learn from our peers in the profession.
We strive to be a source of guidance that doesn’t pretend we’ve got all the answers.
We listen to our audience because we see their experiences as essential to enacting change.
We aim to pave the way for practice leaders to envision and achieve their full potential.
We know that accountants are ready to reinvent to find financial freedom and fulfillment in their work.
We believe it is time to bring the personal into the profession to inspire innovation.
We are Accounting High.
And we are here to continue to evolve the accounting industry.
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 54 | Recorded March 1, 2023
Introduction:
- In this episode of Accounting High, host Scott interviews Ed Kless, a meta-consultant and business iconoclast. Together, they explore the art of asking effective questions, the value of strengths and weaknesses, and the importance of breaking the rules. Ed shares his insights on connecting music to superabundance and the accounting business, confronting our freedom, and confronting the challenges of the profession, including the cancerous timesheet. This thought-provoking episode challenges listeners to think differently about their work and the industry as a whole.
Interview:
- what makes a good question?
- Bringing gifts and identifying strengths and weaknesses
- Ed shares how he met Ron Baker and how they became friends.
- The importance of reading and becoming a Guide
- Ed shares his love for musical theater and raps You Got Trouble.
- The connection between music, super abundance, and the accounting profession
- Breaking rules and The Chesterton Fence
- The negative impact of timesheets on the accounting profession, alternative value-based pricing methods
- The importance of managing the work, not the people
- The value of questioning the present and confronting our freedom
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 52 | Recorded November 18, 2022
In this episode, Scott talks to Serena Shoup, CPA about her journey from college to becoming a CPA and eventually starting her own business. They also discuss motherhood, work-life balance, personal branding, and the importance of being intentional with social media. Tune in to learn more about Serena's story and insights on building a successful career while still prioritizing family and personal growth.
- Who is Serena?
- Ambitious side hustles to motherhood
- Building the business so that there was more family time
- Business development and helping others
- Music and creativity
- The employees
- What is work? Family burnout, little sacrifices
- Delegation
- Wanting to throw in the towel
- Personal brand issues
- Rebrand
- Ego, teams, soft skills
- Being relatable
- Self-confidence and age
- The future, the burnout bridge, social media
- You are the product
- Social detox
- Social media manager
- Being intentional
- Wrapping up
All the Shoutouts:
ADP, Microsoft Dynamics, Upwork
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 51 | Recorded August 1, 2022
In this episode of Accounting High, Scott hosts Amber Gray-Fenner and Mary McDonald to discuss various topics related to accounting and art. Amber shares her childhood and move to New Mexico, her experience in Albuquerque, and her insights on changes in the accounting industry. Mary discusses her origin story, the size of her firm, and how tax and accounting can be like a puzzle. They also talk about accounting as an art, the importance of authenticity, and finding creative outlets. The guests wrap up the discussion by emphasizing the importance of tax therapy and thanking Scott for his time and insights.
Interview:
- Amber's childhood, moving to New Mexico, and experience in Albuquerque
- Changes in the accounting industry over the last 10 years and why she chose to take on accounting
- Getting an EA versus a CPA
- Tax with "nano-business," pricing, and writing and creative outlets
- Tax therapy and not just focusing on the numbers
- Dealing with good and bad clients, referring out and making mistakes, and retiring from employees
- Automation and workflow management, working with paper, and waiting on clients
- Mary's origin story, the size of her firm, and being a teacher
- Tax and accounting as a puzzle, accounting as art, and getting connected to artists
- Tiara squad, kids, and mother vibes
- Being authentic and salty, sassy, and savory
Closing:
- Wrapping up the discussion on accounting and art
- Emphasizing the importance of authenticity and finding a creative outlet.
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 50 | Recorded November 8, 2022
Introduction:
- In this episode, we talk with Nick Pasquarosa, the CEO and founder of Bookkeeper360, about building a technology team at your accounting firm.
Interview:
- Nick shares about his background and how he started Bookkeeper360.
- He discusses how he found Xero and integrated it into his business.
- The conversation touches on the importance of technology and people in building a successful accounting firm.
- Nick also talks about building a management team and the role of a board of directors.
- The conversation delves into the difficulties of articulating a vision and bridging the imagination gap.
- Nick shares his experiences of going remote and being disruptive in the industry.
- He also talks about his goals and visions for the future, including subscription and value pricing.
- The interview concludes with Nick sharing about his mindset and work-life balance.
Closing:
- Thank you for listening to this episode.
- Don't forget to tune in next time for more insightful #PeerReview conversations.
- As a bonus, Nick shares a story about go-karting drama with Zachary Call.
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 3 Episode 49 | Recorded July 14, 2022
Enrico Palmerino, CEO of Botkeeper is an automated accounting platform that uses human-assisted machine learning and AI to deliver the fastest, most accurate, and lowest cost bookkeeping available to accounting firms. He is also an investor and advisor to several business venture funds and sits on the Technology Advisory Committee & Board of Corporators at Fidelity Bank. We discuss how regretful situations can blossom into blessings from the ground up. This episode is not short of inspiration and snippets in the life Enrico and how he went from making lighting more efficient and cost-friendly to innovating in the accounting space.
4 - What do you think of Accounting High?
5 - Botkeeper: The cool kids of the Accounting Space
7 - A way to make meetings cool? Have it in the pool!
8 - I’m like my best self and that’s myself I’m putting out there, unapologetically, unfiltered
9 - We can all evolve. We're still us at our core, we're never gonna really change who we
12 - Go out, you know, take risks, make changes, make mistakes, just learn from them, but never regret the life
Shoutout to Daniel Pink’s The Power of Regret
13 - Enrico’s lose-a-car, gain-a-family story
14 - The difference on our hosts’ need for speed
Shoutout to Dawn Brolin, CPA, CFE, ThinkLite
15 - ThinkLite: Enrico’s college business turned into a multi-million dollar company
19 - Botkeeper: the back office for accounting firms
Shoutout to Byron Patrick, CPA.CITP, CGMA
22 - I was like bored, stiff, and like couldn't sit still. And then was also just feeling like I lost my identity
24 - Think like a lot of entrepreneurs: Your next game is to tackle the problem you had at the prior business
27 - So more businesses demanding accounting, fewer accountants to do it. So I'm like, aha! Light bulb moment
28 - It wasn't to be like we're replacing accountants in the accounting industry. It was that if you make one accountant, do the work of three
35 - It’s way easier to sell advisory to the existing clients you have and upsell them than it is to go and find new clients and convince them
Shoutout to James Ashford’s Untapped
37 - Unknowns are very scary for a lot of us accountants
38 - AI Unchained: Hands-on, sleeves up, get sh*t done conference. This 9/25 - 9/27 in Boston
Shoutout to Karbon, Thriveal
42 - If we make firms highly efficient, standardized, next-level cloud, and they're not a Botkeeper user today, they become the best and easiest, like potential users for Botkeeper
44 - We don't necessarily know how to be good owners, managers, CEOs, people
Shoutout to Hap Klopp, Brad D. Smith Dark Horse CPAs, AICPA Engage, Joyner Lucas
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 48 | Recorded July 28, 2022
Join Scott and Clayton Oates in this episode as they discuss how Clayton got his start in accounting, the challenges of starting his own business, and how to transition from the finite game to the infinite game. You'll hear about the benefits of partnerships and the importance of choosing partners who share your values. Along the way, Clayton shares insights from his extensive reading list and offers practical advice for bettering yourself and others. This is a must-listen for anyone who wants to become a better leader and make a positive impact in their community. So what are you waiting for? Hit that play button and let's get started!
- Clayton’s start in accounting
- Leaving a big firm
- Starting a business and being an “intra-preneur”
- Trapped in the day to day
- What does freedom mean?
- The finite and infinite game
- Life is easier when everyone is a friend
- The second mountain, life happens for you, not to you
- Partnerships
- From the finite to the infinite
- List of books
- Ancient wisdom and new generations
- Infinite players dealing with finite players
- The big vendors and differences with them
- Conference addiction and finding purpose
- How to vet partners for finite or infinite
- Being stuck in contracts
- The “Best”
- Tech and Tax, Vendor or Partner? Who works for who or with who?
- App raps, giving back, and accidents
- Meeting Tim Ferris
- Eminem’s new album… just for Scott
- Time meets Jeff Bezos
- Go with the flow and control your reactions
- Accepting and giving back
- Project positivity
- Energizing events
- Playing off other’s energy
- Don’t set your goals with things you can’t control
- Better yourself to better others
- We mindset versus me mindset
- Conferences to find Clayton at
- Stage fright and imposter syndrome
- Amanda Aguilar
- Speaking Truth
- Leading the infinite game
- Wrapping up and rapping up
All the Shoutouts:
Simon Sinek, Ron Baker, Brian Irwin, Tim O’Reilly, David Brooks, Liz Mason, Tony Robbins, Michael Gerber, James Carse, Marc Andreessen, Andreessen Horowitz, Netscape, Adam Grant, James Clear, Tim Ferris, Ryan Holiday, Marcus Seneca, Wayne Schmidt, Blake Oliver, CPA, Jeff Bezos, Douglas Sleeter, Amanda Aguillard CPA CISD
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 46 | Recorded October 3, 2022
Accounting High is supported by our Booster Club
Thank you LiveFlow!
https://www.liveflow.io/partnerships/accounting-high
Get 20% off for 3 months with promo code HIGH
In this episode of Accounting High, Scott speaks with Paul Barnhurst about his career in finance and FP&A. They discuss the differences between accounting and FP&A, the marketability of financial planning applications, and the influence of cloud technology. Paul shares insights on pricing, company success, and getting followers on LinkedIn. They also talk about branding and competition in the industry. Listen in to hear Paul's perspective on FP&A and his journey as a full-time finance influencer.
- Paul’s number and the start with numbers
- Getting started on LinkedIn
- Starting his business and becoming a full-time Kim Kardashian of FPanda
- The podcast content and audience
- Accounting vs FP&A
- What do FP&A do vs Sales
- Influence without power?
- All the applications and who are they selling to?
- Excel hell and the marketability of these apps
- Pricing the right tool
- Why hasn’t Microsoft made a tool?
- Google?
- The market and the cloud’s influence
- Company founder success
- VC Money
- Hard numbers for Paul’s business
- Who helps accounting
- More about why LinkedIn
- How did Paul get followers
- Posting habits
- What does a work week look like?
- Branding, name origin
- Competition?
- A rap for Paul
- LinkedIn stats
- Wrapping up
All the Shoutouts:
Jirav, Finmark, Clockwork, Anaplan, Salesforce, SheetRocks, Inc., Oracle, SAP, Xero, QuickBooks, Sage
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 45 | Recorded February 13, 2023
In today’s episode, Scott talks to Katie Thomas, CPA to discuss the highs and lows of her journey in the accounting world. From getting into accounting to starting businesses, Katie shares her experiences and insights on content creation, team building, and attracting clients. She also gives tips on building confidence as a content creator and shares her personal journey in setting goals, aspirations, and failures. Tune in to this episode to gain valuable advice and inspiration from a successful CPA and content creator.
- Katie’s start
- Collage, getting into accounting
- Unicorns of accounting
- The breaking point
- Getting into LinkedIn
- Content creation, just press post
- Content of the early content
- Getting more personal on the socials
- Starting a business
- Hard numbers, free time
- The team, contractors vs employees
- Dealing with ambitious employees
- Is it work or for or fun work?
- How does Scott decide content?
- Getting clients and attracting talent
- Being a content creator and building confidence
- Getting better and just releasing content
- What phase is Katie in?
- Goals, Aspirations, and Failures
- Dark social
- Choosing a platform
- Who does Katie follow
- Books suggestions
- Being rebellious
- Wrapping up
All the Shoutouts:
James Ashford, GoProposal, Ron Baker, David Barrett, Jason Staats, CPA, Anita Koimur, LiveFlow, Alex Hormozi, Grant Cardone, Gary Vaynerchuk, Rick Rubin, Mike Michalowicz
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 44 | Recorded January 23, 2023
Accounting High is supported by our Booster Club Members
Thank you AppStream! Powered by the GrowthLab
Music Video for Simple Tasks!
In this episode of Accounting High, Scott chats with Jeff Rudner, co-founder and COO of Proseer. Jeff shares his journey into cloud accounting, his experience with fractional CFO services, and the birth of Proseer. They talk about consolidating and partnering, and conversion to a C-corp. Other things covered are tech stack, pricing and services, and the importance of team structure. Join in as Jeff shares his insights on tech adoption and the future of accounting, and Scott treats us with a rap to wrap up the conversation. Don't miss out on this informative and entertaining episode!
- Getting started
- Getting into cloud accounting
- Left the startup and getting into fractional CFO services
- Consolidating, partnering, and the birth of Proseer
- Origin of the name Proseer
- Numbers at the merge
- Types of clients
- Tech Stack
- Pricing and service
- Getting another partner/investor
- Converting to a C-corp
- Structure and Firm hard numbers
- The team
- Equity
- Xero and Quickbooks
- Tech adoption
- Mac and PC
- Inputs, outputs, notifications
- Rap
- Wrapping up
All the Shoutouts:
Jason M. Blumer, CPA, QuickBooks, Sage, Ron Baker, Bill, Laurence Bernstein, CPA, Expensify, Ramp, David Barrett, Patrick Osborn, UltraTax, Karbon, AppStream, Dext, Ignition, Dialpad
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 43 | Recorded July 18, 2022
In this episode, Scott and Jason sit down with Will Baker and Ford baker, CPA to discuss the world of accounting and software development.
The conversation covers a range of topics, from the challenges of tax season to making changes at a firm, including adopting a Me First mindset and cutting down staff. They also delve into the world of accounting automation, exploring the Once software and its unique features. As the conversation progresses, they touch on rebranding a business and the challenges of compatibility issues and outsourcing in the post-pandemic world. They also share insights on how to sell Once and differentiate it from other solutions in the market. Whether you're an accountant or simply interested in software development, this episode provides an inside look into the world of accounting automation and the challenges facing the industry today.
- Ford & Will Baker
- Texas A&M
- Ford’s loss
- Blaming tax season
- Seeing improvements
- Making changes at a firm and getting rid of 1040 clients
- Me First mindset
- Other partners and firm size
- Cutting down staff
- Once accounting automation
- Why build the software?
- We used to have it figured out on paper
- What makes their software different
- Changing categories in the software
- Setting standards for your firm
- Other differences… Patent police
- Who’e idea was this?
- Name change/Rebranding
- Accounting High rebrand and other rebranding
- Funko pop and magnets
- Other solutions with Once
- The competition
- Access to data
- Compatibility issues of competing softwares
- What went wrong and solutions to these problems
- Post pandemic issues
- The outsourcing problem
- How to sell Once
- Rapping and Wrapping up
- Tax Twitter
- Rap and real music
All the Shoutouts:
Sage, AICPA’s Engage, Nick Saban, Once Accounting, Intuit QuickBooks, Microsoft Nav, Xero, UltraTax, Wolters Kluwer, Go Systems, Thomson Reuters, AccountingWEB, Will’s Twitter, Ford’s Twitter
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 42 | Recorded Februrary 21, 2023
Scotty’s back in the Office with our Principal, Ron Baker, and he has a copy of "The Creative Act: A Way of Being" by Rick Rubin. In this book report, they cover a wide range of topics, including creativity in art and accounting, the quest for efficiency, the role of humor in art, and the importance of paying attention to your surroundings. The conversation also touches on the challenges of being an entrepreneur and artist, the subjective nature of value, and the evolution of an artist's work. This engaging and thought-provoking discussion is a must-listen for anyone interested in creativity, art, or entrepreneurship. Tune in to hear more from Scott and Ron on "The Creative Act" and its many insights.
- Entering the principal’s office… Rick Rubin
- Comparing Ron to Rick
- Ron’s first thoughts - Anyone can be creative
- Spirituality and Art
- Output in art and accounting and the efficiency quest
- Jasper Report
- AI usage
- Humor and Art are confrontational
- The quest for efficiency
- Childlike wonder and awe
- Repackaging old ideas with new insight
- Patience versus Efficiency
- Unique art alienates and divides
- Purpose being debatable
- Race and color tweets and being offendable
- Alienating yourself and following your intuition
- Paying attention to your surroundings
- Seeing the signs around you
- R.A.A.P. Book
- MAAP
- Being a conduit for inspiration
- Everyone does things their own way
- Entrepreneur and Artist
- Sharing versus Scarcity
- A few quotes
- How the book was written and what makes it special
- The new rap name and new rap
- Writing the rap
- Profitability and Cash Flow
- Habits to get things done
- Value is subjective
- You’ll never make it
- Evolution of an artist
- Our own filters and unique voices
- We like different takes
- Artist vs Entrepreneurs
- The suffering artist
- Superintendents, boards, field trips
- ABC tournament and the Anti-Conference
- Book Reports on going
- Summary of the book
- How to read a book
- Writing How to RAAP
- On the Crux: A challenge about value
- Wrapping up
All the Shoutouts:
Greg Kyte, CPA, Rick Rubin, Broken Record, Jason Ackerman, CPA, CFP®, CGMA, Times up, Jasper, Conversations with Tyler, South Park, Arthur Schopenhauer, John Wooten, James Clear, Simon Sinek, Tim Williams, Nikole Mackenzie, David C. Baker, Caddyshack, Dave Chappelle, Terrell A Turner, CPA, Kenji Kuramoto, James Ashford, Michelle Weinstein, Tim Ferriss, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Eminem, Paul McCartney, Beatles, Elvis Presley, Sage, Thriveal, The Crux, Momentum Accounting, Inc, Mortimer J. Adler
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 40 | Recorded January 24, 2023
Accounting High is supported by our Booster Club Members
Thank you AppStream powered by the GrowthLab https://www.growthlabfinancial.com/automations-for-accountants?ah
Music Video for Simple Tasks!
In this episode, Scott gets a one-on-one with Amy Vetter, who shares her insights on various topics related to business and personal growth. The conversation covers everything from the foundations of accounting and setting boundaries, to finding joy and happiness in life and work. Amy also discusses her own journey from one business to another, and her approach to writing books. This engaging and inspiring discussion is essential for anyone looking to grow personally or professionally.
- The B3-GINNINGS
- Scott’s parallels
- Being a speaker and teacher
- The foundation of audit and saying yes and no
- The setting of boundaries
- AV accounting and QuickBooks, Finding, Consulting
- Moving in another direction
- Finding yourself and leaving one business for another
- Think like a monk
- Joy and Happiness
- Raps for books
- Empathy vs Pity
- Emotional Intelligence in the younger generation
- Being a business mother
- From app to app to app
- Writing books
- Feeling about pivoting and working with intuit
- Colors
- Wrapping up
All the Shoutouts:
KPMG, Douglas Sleeter, Intuit, Damien Martin, Simply Tax, Jay Shetty, Sage, Xero, Wiley
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 39 | Recorded July 25, 2022
Accounting High is supported by our Booster Club
Thank you LiveFlow!
https://www.liveflow.io/partnerships/accounting-high
Get 20% off for 3 months with promo code HIGH
Today we have Scott and Kelly Gonsalves on the show. Together, they explore the exciting and evolving world of accounting, delving into how the industry is growing and changing. They also take a closer look at the impact of shifting client bases and the challenges that accounting firms/businesses face in the age of remote work. Throughout the episode, they touch on a variety of engaging topics, from the latest trends in high school music to the role of color in our lives, they even chat about sports!
Whether you're an accounting firm owner looking to stay ahead of the curve, a business owner trying to navigate a rapidly-changing landscape, or simply someone interested in the fascinating world of accounting and finance, this episode has something for you
- Colors
- Tattoos and soundwaves
- Who is Kelly and Creativity
- Childhood and school
- Growing up and not growing up
- Old Internet
- Old phones
- High school music back in the day versus today
- Totally the story
- Growing the community and Twitter
- Types of clients at the beginning
- Shifting the client base
- What does Totally SEO do?
- Clients and tech-forwardness
- In-person versus online
- The other Kelly Gonsalves
- Twitter and the Socials
- The generational characteristics and different personas
- Pink and Blue
- Sports
- The different audiences, clients versus colleagues, and imposter syndrome
- Kelly’s style and Clippy
- Worries and post-covid, and getting rid of the unnecessary stress
- Learning to say no
- Not shifting to new apps for clients
- Say no to opportunity?
- Money and what you want and generational differences
- Rapping and Xerocon parties
- Xero and Quickbooks changing lives
- Firm Hard Numbers
- Leading Ladies
- Child break
- Back to leading ladies
- How they do their thing and AH March
- Fanny packs
- Creative outlets and business
- Stage fright
- Notifications
- What’s next for Kelly?
- Appy Camp
- Intuit bubble
- Colors in the hair
- Looking younger, being fun, and being taken seriously pros and cons
- Wrapping up
All the Shoutouts:
Totally Booked, Totally SEO, Megan Genest Tarnow, Sherrell T. Martin, Greg Kyte, CPA
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 38 | Recorded September 29, 2022
Accounting High is supported by our Booster Club
Thank you LiveFlow!
https://www.liveflow.io/partnerships/accounting-high
Get 20% off for 3 months with promo code HIGH
In this episode with Scott, we have Garrett Alexander, CPA, talk about his journey in the accounting industry, branding, managing people, and running a firm. They discuss the advantages of starting your own firm and offer advice on how to protect good employees and deal with bad clients. They also delve into topics like finding purpose, having confidence, and learning from failures. Tune in for an entertaining and insightful conversation between two experts in the field. Don't miss out!
- Growing up
- The whole story in a nutshell
- Getting into accounting
- Working with your significant other
- Branding and how the firm works
- What made him leave the precious firm and advantages with a smaller firm
- Bad apples
- When to start your own firm
- Managing people, running a firm
- Bad clients, bad employees, protecting the good ones
- Keeping good employees
- Finding purpose and enjoying work
- Getting older, staying youthful
- Collaborative competition
- Having confidence
- Ambiverts, Introverts
- Dealing with bad clients
- Being empathetic toward the staff
- The new rap, Saying no
- Making real decisions
- Failures
- Firm Hard Numbers
- Advice from Scott to Garrett
- Being on the show, having fun, wrapping up
- Scott Dips
All the Shoutouts:
Greg Kyte, Notion
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 36 | Recorded March 15, 2023
Accounting High supported by our Booster Club members
Thank you LiveFlow
https://www.liveflow.io/partnerships/accounting-high
Get 20% off for 3 months with promo code HIGH
In this podcast episode, Scott and Terrell interview Anita Koimur, founder of LiveFlow, a software solution for accounting firms. They discuss LiveFlow's unique features, how it bridges the gap between accounting firms and clients, and the feedback from the accounting community. The group talks about marketing, language differences, and other accounting software solutions. They also touch on pricing and effectively communicate costs to clients, with Terrell sharing his experience using LiveFlow.
- LiveFlow so Dope
- About Anita
- How did she get started?
- The start of LiveFlow
- The accounting community and their feedback
- How LiveFlow bridges
- Shifting marketing targets
- The influence of accountants over the product
- Language and Lingo differences and March Madness
- Is this still early stage for LiveFlow?
- Merge or Note? Xero vs QuickBooks?
- Pricing and passing it to the client
- Talking with the clients and passing the price to the clients
- Terrell's opinion on giving the cost to the client
- Terrell is a case study on LiveFlow usage
- Selling the product to the clients and customers
- OKR’s and OKR
- KPI vs OKR
- North Star Metric
- Closing statements and advice
- Terrell’s words of wisdom
All the Shoutouts:
Revolut, Lasse Kalkar, QuickBooks, Google, Gusto, Xero, ADP
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 36 | Recorded October 31, 2022
Thank you to our AH Boosters!
Tallyfor - Book to tax in minutes, not hours - check em out at tallyfor.com
In this podcast episode, Scott and Jason talk to Roger Knecht PB, PGE, VB, President of Universal Accounting. Our hosts and Roger provide valuable insights into building a successful accounting practice, from branding and coaching to pricing and profitability. Whether you're an accountant looking to grow your business or simply interested in the accounting industry, this episode is definitely worth a listen. So, tune in and hear from Roger, Scott, and Jason on how to Build a Profitable Premiere Accounting Practice.
- How did Roger get into the space
- Branding and Logos
- Becoming the third president of Universal Accounting
- When do companies need Universal?
- How to implement the help with coaching versus advisory
- Athletics analogy
- Teaching accountants to be coaches
- Issues people have learning to coach
- What are accountants scared of?
- CFO service margins in sole versus firm
- Different business structures, services, and profitability
- Bookkeeping versus Accounting
- Accounting is the language of business
- Pricing Accounting and CFO
- Mentor, Advisor, Consultant, and Coach semantics
- CPAs
- What does Universal call different roles?
- CEO model or Partnerships?
- Different business structures
- A success story
- Doing the work the right way
- The accountant’s accountant: The business coach
- Single line items and bad bookkeeping
- Advertising lines
- Being the CEO and President of a family business
- “I fired my wife”
- It’s not personal, it’s business
- Back to Universal logos
- Where to find Roger & wrapping up
All the Shoutouts:
Universal Accounting, Netflix, Harry Potter, Exxon
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 35 | Recorded LIVE on March 26, 2023
featuring very special guests Alison Ball, Blake Oliver, and Terrell Turner
join us as we discuss the results of round 3 of the ABC Tournament
Round 3 Results (to follow along while listening)
ROUND 3 RESULTS Show
4:30 Opening, introduce hosts and their platforms (10min)
4:40 Prize Draw #1 (5min)
4:45 BREAKFAST BRACKET REVEAL (10min)
4:55 Prize Draw #2 (5min)
5:00 ROUND 3 RESULTS (25min)
5:25 Prize Draw #3 (5min)
5:30 TAX BRACKET RESULTS (10min)
5:40 Prize Draw #4 (5min)
5:45 ROUND 4 MATCHUP PREVIEW (15min)
Round 3 prizes
1 PRE BREAKFAST BRACKET PREVIEW
Tallyfor - Peter Wen (1X) - 159834
Swag Packs (Hat, Chocolate Coffee beans, hacky sacks) - 1 each live show
Liscio - Alison Ball 110987
a cool swag pack (backpack, hoodie and socks)
2 PRE ROUND 3 APPLICATION RESULTS
Unique CPA - Randy Crabtree - 154321
Ticket to the unique cpa conference ($649 value)
RoundTable Labs - Richard Roppa 143789
3mo free membership to RTLabs (new members only) + $50 gift card (1 each live show)
3 PRE ROUND 3 EDUCATION RESULTS
Earmark - Blake Oliver - 124567
1 year Earmark subscription (new subscribers only) (1 each live show)
Future Firm - Ryan Lazanis - 150000
2 months free to future firm accelerate. (new members only) (1 each live show)
4 PRE ROUND 3 PREDICTIONS
FreshBooks - Twyla Verhelst & Alex Miles (2X) - 107632, 159086
FB Waterbottle and a FreshBook (2x each live show)
Intuit QBO - Jessica McCracken - 133777
QB Swag Pack (1x each live show)
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 34 | Recorded October 17, 2022
Join Scott for an exciting episode as we sit down with the Queen of the cloud, Heather Smith, as she shares her journey from the birth of her blog to becoming an author.
We explore the concept of "glocal" and how Heather's visionary perspective has led her to connect with people from all over the world. Heather also shares her experiences with Xero and the ripple effect that this software has had on other accounting communities. We delve into her travels and experiences at Xerocons.
Throughout the episode, we explore the world of accounting and discuss monetization, hard numbers, and strategic partners, while also delving into the power of branding. We explore a range of topics, including the benefits of microlearning, the importance of in-person events, and the value of storytelling. So join us for a fun and informative episode that is sure to leave you feeling inspired and motivated to take your business to the next level.
- The story of the Queen of the cloud
- Birth of the Blog and Books
- “Glocal”
- The visionary seeing above
- Rod Drury and Xero
- The different softwares rippling from Xero
- Communities from these softwares
- Traveling and interconnection with people
- Xerocons, weather, and other things
- 2020 and Heather’s Response
- The look
- Rapping and Creatives
- The socials and using them to educate and write a book
- Speaking, social influence, and promoting events
- Heater’s podcast and how to use one
- Different platform styles
- YouTube
- TikTok
- In-person events
- The numbers and relevant conversations to platforms
- Omnipresence on the socials
- The Accounting niche
- So what about AH?
- Scott’s response, active listening
- The experience of the audience
- The guests on the podcast
- Monetization and hard numbers
- Strategic partners
- Bridging apps and accountants
- Colors
- Branding
- Who to get on the podcast
- Microlearning
- Getting information from apps
- Travel stories
All the Shoutouts:
Xero, Amazon, Apple, dummies, #NiksTips, Rod Drury, Jared Armstrong, MinuteDock, Richard Francis, Tom Wallace, Re-Leased, Timely, Vaughan Fergusson, Vend, Fathom, Blake Oliver, CPA, Hector Garcia, CPA.CITP, David Leary, Intuit, David Barrett, Kellie Parks CPB, Canva, Scott Scharf, Acuity Accounting, Microkeeper, Divvy, Wayne Schmidt, Kenji Kuramoto, Chris O'Neill, Aynsley Damery, Karbon, FreshBooks
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 33 | Recorded October 6, 2022
In today’s episode, Scott talks to Dan Luthi, of Ignite Spot Accounting Services. Dan shares his story, from his younger days to how he got into accounting. He talks about how his Mormon faith has influenced his desire to help people. Dan also shares his insights on how to avoid issues in business, building good client relationships, and thriving in the industry. He discusses the firm’s hard numbers, equity, and they also talk about cloud accounting. Dan advises on how to hire and work with CFOs, build a management team, and be cognizant of diversity in the workplace. Another episode that’s sure to bring great value to all firm owners.
- The intro and the radio from hell
- Young Dan
- Building doors
- When he switched to accounting
- A little about Dan and his family
- Being a Mormon and helping people
- Helping people and accounting
- Time and hourly contributions
- Dealing with issues and not pointing the finger
- Having good clients
- Scope seep and scope creep
- Thrival
- Ignite Spot Firm and Hard numbers
- Equity at the firm
- Commitment to the organization
- App stack
- Cloud accounting and tax law
- Bookkeeping, CAAS, tax first, etc.
- Getting out of tax
- Leading with Tax and Bookkeeping differences
- Shifts in the industry
- CFO services
- Sales
- Personnel capacity
- Forecasting services and tools
- How to hire CFOs and margins
- Paying CFOs and working with them
- Management Team
- The CEO role
- Diversity and being cognizant
- The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Accounting Podcast
All the Shoutouts:
Ignite Spot Accounting Services, Ron Baker, Jason Ackerman, CPA, CFP®, CGMA, Jason M. Blumer, CPA, Karbon X, Judah Kosky, Ryan Lazanis, CPA, Xero, Intuit QuickBooks, BILL, Gusto, ADP, Rippling, Dext, Avalara, Ignition, Drake, Kanye, Canopy, Thomson Reuters, Envoy, Divvy, Nikole Mackenzie, Lorilyn Wilson, CPA
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 32 | Recorded March 19, 2023
Accounting High presents the Accountant Bracket Challengewhere 72 different platforms in the accounting profession compete for the title of ABC Champion tune in to see which platforms made it into the tournamentwhose gonna win it all??? enroll now and vote at abc.accountinghigh.com
LIVE SHOW RAFFLE DRAWINGS
1 PRE ROUND 1 RESULTS
Bookkeeping Side Hustle - KJJ - TICKET # 126543
I can give away my T-account mousepad.
Workflow Wateringhole - Kellie Parks - TICKET #134567
a template of their choice https://cloudaccountingtemplates.com/templates-by-category
2 POST ROUND 1 RESULTS
FreshBooks - Twyla Verhelst & Alex Miles (2X) - TICKET #117891, TICKET #143256
FB Waterbottle and a FreshBook (2x each live show)
Once Accounting - Ford & Will Baker - TICKET #121212
We would love to be able to offer some "firm care package" or lunch for busy season.
We'd want to cap it at a couple hundred dollars
3 POST ROUND 2 REVIEW
Tanya’s Bookkeeper Bootcamp - Tanya Hilts - TICKET #138888
We would like to offer a full year scholarship to our next bootcamp session as a prize. The value is $4050 and this would be for the upcoming April Session starting in a month.
Tallyfor - Peter Wen (2X) - TICKET #105678, TICKET #129876
Swag Packs (Hat, Chocolate Coffee beans, hacky sacks) - 2 each live show
4 POST ROUND 2 RESULTS
Unique CPA - Randy Crabtree - TICKET #132465
Tickets to the Unique CPA Conference (1 each live show)
RoundTable Labs - Richard Roppa - TICKET #144444
3mo free membership to RTLabs + $50 gift card (new members only) (1 each live show)
5 POST ROUND 3 REVIEW
Earmark - Blake Oliver - TICKET #127890
1 year Earmark subscription (new subscribers only) (1 each live show)
Future Firm - Ryan Lazanis - TICKET #137845
2 months free to future firm accelerate. (new members only) (1 each live show)
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 31 | Recorded January 25, 2023
Automate your Simple Tasks! AppStream powered by The GrowthLab
Simple Tasks! Music Video
Scott and Logan Graf, CPA are back to have another laid-back chat talking about everything from accounting to making music videos. As they catch up, they reminisce about how Scott once saved Logan's life. This conversation is about delegation, treating everyone with respect, and the potential for AI and automation in the profession.
- Scott saved Logan’s life
- Updates at Accounting High
- Getting older
- Race to 10k
- Firm Hard Numbers
- How did Scott do it?
- Outsourcing
- The unlock: an integrator
- Tracking personal productivity
- You need to measure to improve
- Limiting app usage
- Spending time with family
- Giving props to the wives
- Learning more on Twitter
- Graf paper in Staats class
- Complementary duo
- Loud on Twitter, quiet in real life
- OKR, OK Rapper
- Graf Paper & Chat GPT
- Tech in the olden days
- Learning tax return
- Accounting High on Youtube
- Accountants making content
- What’s all this for?
- How to be happy and grow
- Inspiration
- Accounting High, public and private
- ABC March Appness
- Delegation is Trust
- Treat everyone like your dad or grandma
- AI and execution
- AppStream
All the Shoutouts:
Xero, QuickBooks, Ron Baker, Chad Davis, Karbon, Jasper, Blake Oliver, CPA, Jason Staats, CPA, Expensify, Relay, FreshBooks, LiveFlow, Byron Patrick, CPA.CITP I CGMA, Botkeeper, Nikole Mackenzie, Daniel Gertrudes, GrowthLab, AppStream, Dropbox, Slack, Gusto, ADP, Digits, Earmark, Paul Glantz, CPA
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 30 | Recorded LIVE March 12, 2023
follow along with the full brackets here
After receiving thousands of nominations for the Accountant Bracket Challenge "ABC March Appness" aka ABC Tournament, we compiled all the results and split everyone up into 2 major categories, Accountant Applications and Accountant Education. From there, we continued to categorize the top nominated platforms into 4 Regions, 8 Brackets with 8 teams all competing for best in class in their respective brackets to advance to the Sweet Sixteen, plus a bonus 8 team Tax Bracket
Here's a list of all the categories, regions, and brackets!!
Accounting Applications
Business Money
Plooto, Expensify, Bill, Divvy, Gusto, Dext, Rippling, Relay
Business Bridge
Liveflow, Slack, Tallyfor, Once Accounting, Appstream, Zapier, G-Accon, Reach Reporting
Accounting Practice
Ignition, Rewind, Liscio, TOA, Karbon, TaxDome, Financial Cents, Practice Protect
Accounting Books
Keeper, Saasant, Intuit QuickBooks, FreshBooks, RightTool, Uncat, Xero, Excel
BONUS Tax Bracket
Avalara, Intuit TurboTax, UltraTax, CCH, Intuit Proconnect, Drake, SafeSend, SmartVault
Accounting Education
Learning School
Earmark, CPA Academy, Rock the Books, Taking Your Firm Virtual, The Grove, Bookkeeper Launch, Tanya's Bookkeeper Bootcamp, AICPA Town Halls
Learning Community
FutureFirm, Bookkeeping Buds, Roundtable Labs, Workflow Wateringhole, Accounting Salon, Dark Horse CPAs, Realize, #TaxTwitter
Media Podcasts
Cloud Accounting Podcast, Drink While You Think, FAAS Evolution, Ambitious Bookkeeper, Accounting High, Oh My Fraud, Unique CPA, AutomationTown
Media Influential
Roman Villard, Heather Smith, Jason Staats, Ron Baker, Tax TeleGraf, Radical CPA, Bookkeeping Side Hustle, Appy Hour
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 29 | Recorded February 22, 2023
VarsityTips flows with LiveFlow
https://www.liveflow.io/partnerships/accounting-high
Get 20% off for 3 months with promo code HIGH
Simple Tasks! AppStream powered by The GrowthLab
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ohc1CMP8G8U&feature=youtu.be&themeRefresh=1
In this episode of the podcast, Scott and Niks take us on a journey of personal and professional growth, exploring the importance of people and interaction, the difference between evolution and change, and the value of having fun while pursuing goals. As they catch up on updates, they discuss growing the student body and YouTube channels, with Niks sharing insights on how to engage their audience. They also delve into the world of high-leverage work and how to identify and leverage individual strengths and weaknesses, while also complementing others to form a cohesive team. As the episode winds down, they wrap up with a rap and further discussion on the topic of people and cats.
- People are the Purpose
- Evolution VS Change
- Having fun and goals
- Growing the student body and YouTube updates
- FGTV and LTTV
- Simple Tasks!
- People and interaction reaction
- Scheduling time
- CFO Accelerator and high-leverage work
- Productizing high-leverage work
- Bookkeeping as a commodity
- Moving to interpreting numbers
- People reaction 2
- Scott’s advice to Niks
- What do you do with your strengths and weaknesses? And complementing others
- Reaction 3
All the Shoutouts:
David Barrett, Ron Baker, Michael King
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 28 | Recorded December 4, 2022
Thank you to FreshBooks for making all of this possible, we love you.
In today’s episode, Scott sat down with Brian Streig, CPA for a lively conversation about his backstory and how he got into the accounting space. They talk about the super firms and navigated the peculiarities of Texas laws and discussed the differences between bookkeepers, accountants, and CPAs. They also discussed bleeding-edge tech, focusing on employees over clients, and how to "wow" clients with a great client experience. They also dove into the world of Tax Twitter and the shifting demographics of the industry. Lastly, Brian shared some valuable advice for firm owners and, to cap it all off, Scott even drops a rap so be sure not to miss this one.
- Brian gets into the accounting mess
- Brian’s Backstory
- Condensing the Super Firms
- Austin during the great recession
- Bleeding edge tech
- Texas laws and peculiarities; Bookkeeper VS Accountant VS CPA
- All tax, all day, everyday
- Firm hard numbers
- BDO alliance
- The insurance niche
- Structure of the firm
- Vision and goals
- Focusing on employees rather than clients
- Tax Twitter: The decentralized water cooler
- Being popular on #TaxTwitter
- Big egos
- Being gay in the industry
- Shifting diversity and demographics in the industry
- Outsourcing
- Tax Software
- FreshBooks and change
- FreshBooks is so fresh, so easy
- FreshBooks is for small businesses
- Complexity in business nowadays
- Most important aspects of running a firm
- It’s the people
- AI Tax
- Client experience in the firm
- Wow-ing the client
- Shoutout to the listeners and advice to firm owners
- FreshBooks rap
All the Shoutouts:
The Digital CPA conference, FreshBooks Partner Meetups, PwC, Chase, Indeed, BDO Alliance, Jody Padar, Byron Patrick, CPA.CITP I CGMA, CCH Axcess, UltraTax, Ghost Systems, Trello, Notion, Blake Oliver, CPA, Eakmark, Xero, QuickBooks, Twyla Verhelst, CPA, Sage, TurboTax
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 27 | Recorded May 25, 2022
Thank you to our AH Boosters!
Tallyfor - Book to tax in minutes, not hours - check em out at tallyfor.com
In this episode, Scott & Nikole chat with Nick Sinclair, the founder of Humanverse Group. Nick talks about his journey, where he's been, and the challenges he's faced. They delve into the nuances of outsourcing and the talent shortage in the industry, sharing their thoughts on training and retention. Nick explains how his firm focuses on making jobs and helping people.
They also discuss the importance of a team culture, and how it's shaped by the types of clients and people you work with. Nick shares his insights on the hustle entrepreneurs must put in to succeed and they wrap up with a discussion on what's next for Nick's plans for the future.
- About Nick
- Where has Nick been
- Numbers and US/Canada vs Australia/New Zealand
- Knowing thousands of employees
- Accounting: The universal language
- Not replacing. Making jobs and helping people
- COVID Protocols
- Mindset shifts on outsourcing
- Talent shortage
- Less shortages in other countries
- Their employee stats
- Training and retention
- Looking at the economics
- What makes a house a home?
- Footy and injuries
- Team culture and processes
- Balancing two cultures
- Types of client businesses and people focus
- 4-hour, 4-day work week
- Books and podcasts
- Entrepreneurs must do the work
- Making the hustle work
- What’s next for Nick/Accounting U?
- Account tests
- Night shift and work-life balance
- Work from home, government laws, and the effect on the economy
- Hybrid and getting the in person “hit”
- Workers outside the Philippines
- Wrapping up
All the Shoutouts:
Hubspot, James Ashford, Ryan Holiday’s Ego is the Enemy, Gary Vaynerchuk
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 26 | Recorded March 2, 2023Nominate your TOP 5 Accounting Platforms today! text "ABC" to 33339 or go to abc.accountinghigh.com
Greetings Accounting High! Welcome to your weekly installment of AH Times, where every Friday, Scotty and Byron will be bringing you the latest news and updates from Accounting High. First up is our coverage of the ABC March Appness event, enroll today at bracket.accountinghigh.com. We’re going to spend some time in Attention Detention, AH AI Agenda, and AH’s Article of the Week. And as always, sit back, relax, and open your mind, it’s time for Accounting High Times.
This week's Agenda
ABC March Appness Update
- Prizes!!
- Hawaii for 2 or Disney Institute Leadership Excellence Course?
AH Weekly Roundup
-
VarsityParty Vol. 2 | Partners 102
- Open Your Mind with the Cerebral CPA (feat. Chet Buchman, CPA)
- Sociology Major with an Accounting Minor (feat. Andrew Wall, CPA, CMA)
AH Ai Agenda
- The Daily: The Online Search Wars Got Scary. Fast.
AH Attention Detention
- Environment
AH Accounting Article of the Week
- 2022 VSCPA Compensation & Benefits Survey | Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants
- https://www.vscpa.com/2022-comp-survey
- 84 firms, 17 sole practitioners, 133 corp, 48 gov
- Reflects overall increases in all sectors
AH Coming Soon
-
VarsityTips Vol. 6 | People are the Purpose
- Conscious Consumption (feat. Maddy Reeves)
-
ChatTeleGraf | Using Graf Paper in Staats Class (feat. Logan Graf, CPA)
- Optimum Outsourced People Performance (feat. Nick Sinclaire, CEO)
-
FreshBooksMeetups Vol. 3 | Friendly Neighborhood #TaxTwitter CPA (feat. Brian Streig, CPA)
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 25 | Recorded November 30, 2022
Thank you to our Booster Partner, FreshBooks
In this episode, Scott talks to Andrew Wall, CPA, CMA who shares his journey of going off on his own to pursue his vision. They discuss Andrew's background, including his experience studying sociology and technical college and his dad's vision for an accounting app. Andrew also talks about the early days of cloud technology and why accounting has been slow to adopt new tech. They also delve into building small communities and how companies should listen to their customers to improve their services. They wrap up the podcast by talking about the importance of connective tissue and how it plays a vital role in building a community.
- Caught in Canadian customs
- The art of chaos and Andrews
- Andrew in High school
- Sociology in College
- Technical College
- Dad’s vision for an Accounting app
- The app hit a roadblock
- Going off on his own for the vision
- Taking over dad’s firm
- Was accounting in the back of your mind?
- Back to school
- New technology
- Early days of cloud
- Why is accounting late to the tech game?
- Sports
- Being who you are
- Where is Andrew right now?
- Scott away from his firm
- ISO Cerftification
- Andrew’s numbers
- Work ethics
- Andrew’s media presence
- Vanity numbers and engagement
- Walking contradiction & Ambiverts & Coonferences
- Growing community and FreshBooks
- Companies listening to customers
- Flooded with apps and building small communities
- Connective tissue
- Wrapping up
All the Shoutouts:
FreshBooks, Accountex, Kellie Parks CPB, Xero, Intuit QuickBooks, Mike McDerment, Hubdoc, Relay, Shopify, Twyla Verhelst, CPA, Sage, Sandy Johns
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 24 | Recorded July 11, 2022
Scott Scarano and Jason Ackerman, CPA, CFP®, CGMA spend time with Chet Buchman, CPA, CVA, CEPA, CGMA, CNC, who shares his experiences on maintaining work-life balance while running a successful accounting firm. They discuss forming client relationships, KPIs, and utilizing data for better employee performance. Chet also talks about nontraditional hiring practices, being a role model, and fixing busy season. They wrap up with book recommendations and Chet's advice for other CPA firm owners.
- Getting into Accounting
- The firm in the past
- The Cerebral CPA
- Changes in the firm for work-life balance and systems theory
- Forming relationships with clients
- Timesheets
- How the changes have been made
- Tracking data and using it to help employees
- Chet’s management style
- KPIs and how people re-utilize extra time
- Tracking things that aren’t time
- CBDs (Career Best Days)
- Chet and Scott’s Atomic Habits
- The higher and lower performers
- Family
- The best thing about the firm
- Working from home during COVID and hybrid
- Going paperless or not
- Data analysts, Tableau
- New things in the future of the firm
- Nontraditional hires and hiring practice
- Accounting in High School
- Being a role model
- Helping others and giving time and space
- Work-life balance, integration, etc
- Fixing busy season
- To work or not to work
- Golf
- Advice for other CPA firm owners
- Wrapping up
- Book recommendations
All the Shoutouts:
Ron Baker, James Clear, SafeSend, Tableau, Zapier, Patrick Lencioni, Cal Newport, Jay Shetty, Ryan Holiday, Chuck Klosterman, Darren Hardy
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 23 | Recorded February 14, 2023
VarsityTips is brought to you by LiveFlow
https://www.liveflow.io/partnerships/accounting-high
Get 20% off for 3 months with promo code HIGH
Simple Tasks! AppStream powered by The GrowthLab
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ohc1CMP8G8U&feature=youtu.be&themeRefresh=1
Put your party pants on because it's time for a #VarsityParty with the Queen and Kings of party FOMO. Your favorite Accounting High trio is back and this episode is sure to give you a good laugh. So turn up the volume, fill up your cup and enjoy this #VarsityParty here at Accounting High.
We’re talking about Partnerships… buckle up, this is a fun one
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Recorded February 23, 2023Nominate your TOP 5 Accounting Platforms today! text "ABC" to 33339 or go to bracket.accountinghigh.com
Greetings Accounting High! Welcome to your weekly installment of AH Times, where every Friday, Scotty and Byron will be bringing you the latest news and updates from Accounting High. First up is our coverage of the ABC March Appness event, enroll today at bracket.accountinghigh.com. We’re going to spend some time in Attention Detention, AH AI Agenda, and AH’s Article of the Week. And as always, sit back, relax, and open your mind, it’s time for Accounting High Times.
This week's Agenda
ABC March Appness Update
- Approaching 300 students!
AH Weekly Roundup
- Ideas having S3X in the principal’s office
- VarsityTips Vol. 5 | Profitability 102
- How to RAAP
- Faculty Update, welcome Korey, Zachary, Dan (and Greg & Ed, they just don’t know it yet)
- Courses aka “Trilogies”
- Lorilyn & Coley - Social Studies (applying TikTok & TaxTwitter)
- Zachary and Kyte - The Angel & Devil on your Shoulders (Ethics)
- Ackerman & Luthi - Shop Class (CAS & Tax Experts)
- Liz & Blake - The Gazette, application of history and current events
- Kenji & Niks - VarsityParty (having fun running a firm in weird ways)
- Ed Kless & Ron Baker - The AH Guides (book reports and philosophy)
- Korey & Byron - Tech Labs (product demos and tutorials)
- Twyla & Keats - ?? TBD
AH Ai Agenda
- Mira Murati, Creator of ChatGPT, Thinks AI Should Be Regulated | Time
- https://time.com/6252404/mira-murati-chatgpt-openai-interview/
- I made my first digital image
AH Attention Detention
- Emotions
AH Accounting Article of the Week
- IRS: Taxpayers Can Now Upload Documents for These 9 Notices - CPA Practice Advisor
- https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2023/02/21/irs-taxpayers-can-now-upload-documents-for-these-9-notices/76959/
- 2023 Best Accounting Firms to Work For applications being accepted | Accounting Today
- https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/2023-best-accounting-firms-to-work-for-applications-being-accepted
AH Coming Soon
- Varsity Party Vol. 2 | Partners 102
- FBPM Toronto feat. Andrew Wall
- Interview with Nick Sinclaire (feat. Niks, from May 2022)
- Simple Tasks! Music video on AHTV
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 21 | Recorded December 30, 2022
Thank you to our Booster Partners!
AppStream powered by the GrowthLab Automate your firm. Save time. Add value. https://www.growthlabfinancial.com/automations-for-accountants
Greetings Accounting High! Scotty’s in the principal’s office, and while he was in there he had an epic 3-hour conversation with Mr. Ron Baker. This conversation was broken up into two episodes for your listening enjoyment. In the 2nd part of our Principal's Office series, After a delightful performance from our rapping custodian to break up the conversation, we go deeper into the mind of Principal Baker. Scott and Ron take us on a journey through a range of topics that challenge the traditional view of education in accounting. They both reflect on how podcasting has transformed their lives and inspire you to find your own voice. They also discuss how rule-breakers are changing the future of the industry. Throughout the episode, they share their insights and lessons learned to help you become better accounting professionals. And as always, sit back, relax, and open your mind, because we’re in the principal's office with Ron Baker.
- Previously in the Principal’s Office
- Simple Tasks
- Giving up firms
- Licensing and Certifications
- Rule breakers
- Accounting High concept and Scott’s pivot
- High school never ends
- Podcasting transforms the host
- Types of podcasting
- Podcast length
- Podcast updates
- Book reports
- Muppets in Moscow
- Villians heroes and art
- Authors, Rappers, and Lil Dicky
- Earmark and AH Faculty
- Helping others and Influence of Illegal Enterprises
- Helping the whole faculty with Earmark
- Getting others on the show
- CPE issues and alternatives
- Ron’s podcast
- Disney Pixar, “I was wrong”, Changing your mind
- It’s not all about Money
- Walking and getting inspiration
- Publishing
- Dr. House and music
- Philosopher by other names and positioning
All the Shoutouts:
Ron Baker’s Times Up, Russ Roberts, Earmark, David Barrett, FreshBooks, Twyla Verhelst, CPA, Brené Brown, Intuit, The Soul of Enterprise, Mike Michalowicz
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 20 | Recorded February 7, 2023
VarsityTips is brought to you by LiveFlow
https://www.liveflow.io/partnerships/accounting-high
Get 20% off for 3 months with promo code HIGH
And another special thank you to our Booster Partner AppStream powered by The GrowthLab
In this episode, Scott and Niks explore the concept of profitability in their respective firms, drawing on their own experiences and anecdotes. They delve into various topics, such as outsourcing, hourly billing, and employee percentages, and discuss ways to improve your profitability, such as upselling, fixed pricing, and consulting. Along the way, they share fun stories, including encounters with a shady shirt vendor. They also share practical tips for increasing profitability, including investing in marketing, automation, and niching, as well as the importance of building relationships with other companies and providing excellent customer service. This podcast is a must-listen for anyone looking to improve their firm's bottom line.
- What to expect from this episode
- Your firm is your firm
- Simple Tasks! interrupts
- Start of the review
- Scott has learned nothing
- Working at home and outsourcing
- Stats on what people are doing in the office
- Revisiting hourly billing
- Scott’s outsourcing update
- When you aren’t being profitable
- The Ps
- Niks Profits
- Jedi Mindset Shift to abundance
- Goals
- Makeup of client profitability
- The cost of profitability
- Percentages for employees
- Sharing the owner’s salary
- Raising prices and clients
- What’s the key to profitability?
- Working hard or hardly working?
- Ways to increase profitability
- Pricing
- Rushing into new clients
- Making cuts and Price increases
- Jasper’s answer to profitability
- Upselling
- Caring about the customer and fixed pricing
- Making big changes for the clients by consulting
- Scott’s epiphany to help accountants
- Getting and giving referrals
- Investing in marketing?
- Automation
- Offer competitive pricing
- Niching
- Take on contracting work
- Bracket Challenge
- Expand relationships with other companies for leads
- Animals and Mascots
All the Shoutouts:
Ashley Carroll, Reza Hooda FCA CTA, The Abundant Accountant, Michelle Weinstein, David C. Baker, Karbon, Jasper, Ron Baker
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Accounting High Times Vol. 4 | February 17, 2023
Nominate your TOP 5 Accounting Platforms today! text "ABC" to 33339 or go to bracket.accountinghigh.com
Greetings Accounting High! Welcome to your weekly installment of AH Times, Every Friday, Scotty and Byron will be bringing you the latest news and updates from accounting high, as well as a few highlights from our blog The AH Guide. First up is our coverage of the ABC March Appness event, enroll today at bracket.accountinghigh.com. We've also got the latest scoop on the AH weekly roundup, as well as a lesson from Accounting High’s AP AI Class. And as always, sit back, relax, and open your mind, it’s time for Accounting High Times.
This week's Agenda
ABC March Appness Update
- 200 different accounting things nominated!
AH Weekly Roundup
- Firm Hard Numbers
- Guiding Transformations from the Principals Office
- VarsityTips Vol 4
AH Ai Agenda
- Importance of clear communication
- Can scan code for errors, improved efficiency & security vulenrabilities
- Bing integration is nice
AH Attention Detention
- Energy and Sleep
AH Accounting Article of the Week
- How Can We Make Accounting Cool? - WSJ
- https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-can-we-make-accounting-cool-11675973909?st=tilzyzg90gk6k9m
AH Coming Soon
- How to RAAP
- VT5 Profitability 102
- Ideas having S3X
- FBPM PDX Tori McKee & Sarah Prevost
- Chet Buchman
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 18 | Recorded January 9, 2023
Thank you to our AH Boosters!
Tallyfor - Book to tax in minutes, not hours - check em out at tallyfor.com
Greetings Accounting High! The Sons of CPAs are back! Scott Scarano and Jason Ackerman are here to share their Firm’s hard numbers and go deep, as they discuss their accomplishments and concerns about sustainability and the future of their firms. We also touch on professional passions and purpose, and Scott's interest in turning this rap thing into a legit business and they reveal the show’s Hard Numbers and growth. Of course, this ain’t complete without a little therapy, so be sure to stick around until the end as Ackerman shares his OnlyFans story. As always, sit back, relax, and open your mind, because this is Firm Hard Numbers with the Sons of CPAs at Accounting High.
- Ackerman’s firm is zagging
- Getting Ackerman’s dad and Ron on the podcast
- Growth of the podcast
- AH faculty
- Compliments from Ackerman
- The listeners
- Time spent last year
- Getting out of the firm
- The future of the firm
- What Scott does at the firm
- Scott’s concerns with the firm
- Addressing the concern
- Last year’s numbers
- Staffing
- What clients does the firm take?
- I'm bored - making a rapping business
- Living the dream - how to run Scott’s firm
- Accomplished goals
- Is it sustainable?
- Scott’s savings
- Podcast numbers
- Passion
- Pivoting to more hard numbers
- Ackerman’s last year
- Ackerman’s hard numbers
- Old clients and raising prices
- If you have to ask, you can’t afford it
- Ron Baker’s subscription model
- More of Ackerman’s numbers
- Ackerman’s story about OnlyFans
All the Shoutouts:
Ron Baker, The Back Room Outsourced Professionals, Netflix, OnlyFans
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 17 | Recorded December 30, 2022
Thank you to our Booster Partners!
AppStream powered by the GrowthLab Automate your firm. Save time. Add value. https://www.growthlabfinancial.com/automations-for-accountants
Greetings Accounting High! Scotty’s in the principal’s office, and while he was in there he had an epic 3-hour conversation with Mr. Ron Baker. This conversation was broken up into two episodes for your listening enjoyment. During our first session, after putting on his Tweed jacket and formally accepting the role of Principal at Accounting High, Scott and Ron discuss the evolution of accounting, fitness goals, accounting communities, infinite games, storytelling, comedy, and the future of the profession. And a delightful performance from our rapping custodian to break up the conversation, we go deeper into the mind of Principal Baker. And as always, sit back, relax, and open your mind, because we’re in the principal's office with Ron Baker.
- Making changes in the industry
- After action reviews
- What is the future of Accounting?
- Professionals shouldn’t be too busy
- Amazon and Apple
- Subscription Model and Customer relationships
- Scope of service
- Focus and Niche
- Finite and infinite games versus Ron
- Disney stories
- Rebranding Sons of CPAs and finding faculty for Accounting High
- Value Billing
- Pancakes of waffles? Pizza or calzone?
- Accounting communities
- Blake’s stories
- Competition, niche, and generations
- Leaders and dreams
- Standing on the shoulder of giants
- Defending Ron’s ideas
- Change is coming
- A big change in Scott’s firm
- Big leap
- Time and rapping flow
- Ron’s dream for a film
- Podcast and comedy
- Applications
- Audience and delivery
- Writing
- Greg Kyte's story and parodies
- Simple Tasks!
All the Shoutouts:
Ron Baker’s Times Up, Amazon, Simon Sinek, Twyla Verhelst, CPA, Jason Ackerman, CPA, CFP®, CGMA, Edward Mendlowitz, Lorilyn Wilson, CPA, Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA, Hulu, Netflix, Blake Oliver, CPA, James Ashford, Jason Staats, CPA, MBA, Jason M. Blumer, CPA, Paul Dunn, Richard Payne, Ryan Lazanis, CPA, Ed Kless, Tim Williams, Greg Kyte, CPA,
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 16 | Recorded February 1, 2023
VarsityTips is brought to you by LiveFlow
Don't be tardy to the Coach Mackenzie party with Scott and Nikole, where they sit down and discuss a hot topic to get Niks’ hot takes and tips. So lace up your sneaks and stretch out because of VarsityTips is now in session.
- Hitting the Charts
- OKR and The Tax Accountant's Anthem
- Tax Organizers and Typeforms and Tax Returns
- Asynchronicity
- ABC March Appness Update, Sponsers, and Raffle Prizes
- LiveFlow
- Accounting Salon
- AH Gazette
- Hubspot
- Chat GPT, write an SOP
- FinDaily
- Terrell Turner and YouTube
- Niks' YouTube Idea
- Spreading Your Wings
- If Scott had unlimited money…
- Managing Ambitious Employees
- More Chat GPT to get out of things
- Linkedin & GoProposal
- Podcast Therapy
- What's Next for Niks' Business
- Scott's Consulting
- CEO Value
- To Show up or to not show up
- Back to Liveflow
- Wrapping Up with RZA and Pushin P
All the shoutouts:
Nicholas Pasquarosa, Adam Markowitz, Logan Graf, Paul Glantz, CPA, Jason Ackerman, Calendly, Shane Sullivan, Twyla Verhelst, CPA, Ignition, Tallyfor, Spencer Christeck, David Barrett, Anita Koimur, Terrell Turner, LiveFlow, Keila Hill-Trawick, Drip, MailChimp, Karbon, ServiceHub, Hiver, Blake Oliver, CPA, Earmark, GoogleSheets, AppStream powered by GrowthLab Finance-as-a-Service, Jason Staats, Luke Templin, FinDaily, Xero, QuickBooks, Ashley Carroll, Expensify, Dan Gertrudes, Byron Patrick, GoProposal, Reza Hooda, Gusto
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Nominate your TOP 5 Accounting Platforms today! text "ABC" to 33339 or go to bracket.accountinghigh.com
Greetings Accounting High! Welcome to your weekly installment of AH Times, Every Friday, Scotty and Byron will be bringing you the latest news and updates from accounting high, as well as a few highlights from our blog The AH Guide. First up is our coverage of the ABC March Appness event, enroll today! We've also got the latest scoop on the AH weekly roundup, as well as a lesson from Accounting High’s AP AI Class. And as always, sit back, relax, and open your mind, it’s time for Accounting High Times.
This week's Agenda
ABC March Appness Update
- Over 5200 raffle tickets
- Ignition & Relay sponsors, we will confirm the prizes soon!
- CAP still tied with Gusto at 20 nods
- Strong showing from Plooto & Unique CPA
- New Rule, you can’t vote for the same thing multiple times
AH Weekly Roundup
- VarsityTips | Storytellers Guide Through a Time Capsule of Travel
- TaxTwitter “Founder” @StephanieSoong started using it regularly in 2016
- TaxTwitter First Usage Ever; Martha @marfarfarquhar Feb 2, 2010
- you see what is happening here? Twitter and wine are not helping me do my work#taxtwitter
AH AI Agenda
- Google Bard and New Bing
- Notes from Mom: ChatGPT is currently free to use. It’s a great tool for gathering ideas and writing almost anything using simple prompts. The prompts are the key. The more specific, the better the output. Jasper uses a different approach. It includes tools like templates, recipes and a chat prompt. This may be better for someone who needs more guidance in formulating content. Personally, I feel like I’m cheating by using these tools. It rehashes what’s already written. On the plus side, it produces content instantly and eliminates writer’s block.
AH Attention Detention
- Access Economy/Information Economy → Attention Economy
- How are we “spending” our attention? How do we make active attention choices?
- Personal Attention Management Class: Attention Detention
AH Accounting Article of the Week
- Accountants are among the most sought after workers in 2023
- https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2023/02/09/accountants-are-in-the-hiring-plans-of-many-u-s-companies-in-early-2023/76677/
AH Coming Soon
- Guiding Transformations from the Principal’s Office
- Firm Hard Numbers Vol. 3 | Going Deep (feat. The Sons of CPAs)
- Ideas having S3X in the Principal’s Office
- VarsityTips | GPT your SOPs
- AH Guide
- AH Gazette
- AH TV
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 14 | Recorded January 24, 2023
Sponsored by AppStream powered by The GrowthLab
Don't be tardy to the Coach Mackenzie party. That's right. You're listening to VarsityTips formerly known as NiksTips with Scott and Nikole, where they sit down and discuss a hot topic to get Nik's hot takes and tips. So lace up your sneaks and stretch out because of VarsityTips is now in session.
- ABC Appness
- Storytelling
- Colonoscopy and Spicy Foods
- Escapades and being away from the office
- GPAC, Park City, Denver, Being with friends
- Business people in Accounting
- Snowmobiles and sledding and music video
- Simple. Tasks. Rule. Everything. Around. Me.
- The CAS Angels
- Don’t expect me to help
- Ambivert Scott
- Accepting help from others and Ops people
- Partnership in Scott’s business
- Getting woke up by Niks
- Ideal partners and packing
- Improv class
- GPAC
- Amenities at Gusto
- Small businesses
- The Philippines
- Back to the Gusto Office
- Telling stories
- Grading the trips
- AppS.T.R.E.A.M. Rap
All the shoutouts:
Blake Oliver, CPA, Zachary Call, CPA, Ashley Carroll, Gusto, Roman Villard, CPA, Chris Williams, Marissa Jones, Marie Greene, CPA, Earmark, Kenji Kuramoto, Dan Luthi, Jacob Schroeder, CPA, Nicholas Pasquarosa, GrowthLab Finance-as-a-Service, Karbon, Matthew May, Twyla Verhelst, CPA, Greg Kyte, CPA, Paul Glantz, CPA, Christopher Leon, Byron Patrick, CPA.CITP I CGMA, Alex Miles, Ignition, The Back Room Outsourced Professionals, Leah Brite, Nayo Carter-Gray, EA MBA, Zapier, Amy Vetter, Michael Ly
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Accounting High Times Vol. 2 | recorded on February 2, 2023
Nominate your TOP 5 Accounting Platforms today! text "ABC" to 33339 or go to bracket.accountinghigh.com
Greetings Accounting High! Welcome to your weekly installment of AH Times, Every Friday, Scotty and Byron will be bringing you the latest news and updates from accounting high, as well as a few highlights from our blog The AH Guide. First up is our coverage of the ABC March Appness event, enroll today at bracket.accountinghigh.com. We've also got the latest scoop on the AH weekly roundup, as well as a lesson from Accounting High’s AP AI Class. And as always, sit back, relax, and open your mind, it’s time for Accounting High Times.
This week's Agenda
ABC March Appness
- Over 100 Students Enrolled
- Over 125 different Accounting Channels nominated
- Lots of wonderful testimonials
- Word Cloud of nominations for those that have submitted their 5
- As we get closer to selection Sunday we will post the unofficial rankings
- Upcoming ABC Sponsors
AH Weekly Roundup
- Byron’s got some news to share
- Rock the Books like a Rockstar (feat. Sherrell Martin)
- Stop the Scroll (feat. Reza Hoda)
AH Accounting Article of the Week
- Going concern Friday Footnotes
- Armanino Announces record Partner Class - 26 New Partners!!
- Competition for talent is leading to higher salaries
AH Ai Agenda
- A ChatGPT chat
AH Coming Soon
- AH Guide - Blog
- AH TV - YT
- “Simple Tasks!” Music Video
- Episodes On Deck - Ron Baker, FirmHardNumbers, VarsityTips, FBPM Tori & Sarah
- Recordings - Amy Vetter, Keila Hill-Trawick, ChatTeleGraf,
- Raps on the way - Tax Acct Anthem, LiveFlow
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 12 | Recorded July 4, 2022
Thank you to our AH Boosters!
Tallyfor - Book to tax in minutes, not hours
check em out at tallyfor.com
AppStream powered by the GrowthLab Automate your firm. Save time. Add value.
check em out at - https://www.growthlabfinancial.com/automations-for-accountants
Go on a journey filled with self-discovery, ambition, and entrepreneurial spirit, Reza Hooda FCA CTA has charted a path that takes us from the halls of high school to the accounting world. Join Scott and Reza as they go from learning French to delving into the world of numbers, taking on new challenges, including starting his own accounting, coaching and mentoring businesses, and working with like-minded individuals.
- Stop the Scroll
- Independence day
- High school
- College and first job
- French and other languages
- Back to the Numbers
- Mindset shifts
- Reading books
- Rapping
- Starting Accounting
- Trying to and starting a business
- And another business
- Growing the business
- The numbers
- Working geniuses
- Working on Scott’s business
- The accounting coaching and mentoring business
- Time, Money, and Freedom
- The four pillars
- Marketing and sales
- Niche-ing
- LinkedIn and more marketing
- Storytelling
- Writing the book
- Things to stay organized and productivity
- Getting connected to Reza
- More on the book and rap coaches
All the Shoutouts:
Jay Shetty, Mark Wickersham, Patrick Lencioni, James Clear
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 11 | Recorded November 3, 2022
The Accountant Bracket Challenge aka ABC March Appness - nominate your top 5 accounting platforms today - text “ABC” to 33339 or enroll at bracket.accountinghigh.com
Shoutout to, FreshBooks
Greetings Accounting High! FreshBooks recently hit the road to meet up with some amazing people in the accounting industry at 4 awesome locations. At each location, Accounting High's rapping custodian got to sit down and chat a little with some really cool people. First up in Atlanta, Georgia, our host does a live recording with Sherrell T. Martin, Founder & CEO of Nitram Financial Solutions. In this episode, they discuss colors, branding, social media, running a firm, and all the software apps they play with in our space and how some of these appbs have been game-changing factors in the future of accounting. Sherrell also shares how she got into accounting and what drove her to start her own practice. So sit back, relax and open your mind because class is in session… on the road.
2 - Sherrell and Scott at the FreshBooks Partner Meetup in Atlanta
4 - Getting into accounting, the language of business
9 - They say people know all the languages when they're born
12 - Pros of starting out from a small firm
14 - Colors
Shoutout to Michael Ly, Madeline Reeves, Fearless Foundry
19 - It wasn't enough and I got tired of working like that
Shoutout to David Barrett
23 - 10 lessons in 10 years
Shoutout to Xero, Intuit QuickBooks, FreshBooks
28 - What color kool-aid are you drinking?
31 - What app drew you in first?
37 - Introverts & Extroverts
Shoutout to Nicole Davis, CPA, Kenji Kuramoto
43 - Apps & more Colors
Shoutout to Twyla Verhelst, CPA, Hubdoc, Gusto, LastPass, Teamwork, Airtable
48 - Sherrell’s hard numbers
50 - Rock the Books Online
56 - Rapping it up
61 - Bloopers
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Accounting High Times Vol. 1 | recorded on January 27, 2023
Agenda
ABC March Appness
- Nomination period - March 10th
- Voting will start March 13th, first 2 rounds
- Lots of Prizes
- To Be Announced
- Text ABC to 33339
- https://bracket.accountinghigh.com
Jasper’s 5 trends in the accounting profession
- AI & Automation
- Outsourcing & Remote Work
- Data Security & Cloud Computing
- Digital Transformation & Cybersecurity
- Social Media Preference
ChatGPT’s Top 5 Trends in the accounting profession
- AI
- Cloud Computing
- Regulatory Compliance
- Cyber Security
- Remote Work
Friday Footnotes brought to you by GoingConcern.com
- The PCAOB is getting sued
- https://www.goingconcern.com/friday-footnotes-ey-cant-hire-tech-john-doe-sues-the-pcaob-auditors-cant-find-torpedoes-and-missiles-1-20-03/
AH Episode Roundup
- 2022 Year-In-Review
- VarsityTips with Scotty & Niks
- VarsityParty (feat. Kenji Kuramoto)
- AH Debates CPA vs EA
- Featuring Jeremy Wells, Brian Streig, Terrell Turner, Lusundra Everette, Adam Markowitz
- 2 Conversations
- Alex Falcon-Huerta - outsourcing and soaring
- Damien Martin - notifications, attention, intention, ADHD
- VarsityTips - Staffing, Outsourcing, Social Media, ChatGPT
Coming Soon
- AH Gazette - Email
- AH Guide - Blog
- AH TV - YT
- FBPM Episode with Sherrell Martin
- VarsityTips on Trips
- The Principal’s Office with Ron Baker
- Firm Hard Numbers with Sons of CPAs
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 9 | Recorded January 6, 2023
Sponsored by AppStream powered by The GrowthLab
The new Expensify Fragrance: "Consequences" by Expensify
Don't be tardy to the Coach Mackenzie party. That's right. You're listening to VarsityTips formerly known as NiksTips with Scott and Nikole, where they sit down and discuss a hot topic to get Nik's hot takes and tips. It's the same show you've grown to know and love. We're calling it something new to fit the curriculum at Accounting High. So lace up your sneaks and stretch out because VarsityTips is now in session.
- Talking to Expensify
- Expensify Tattoo
- Accountant Bracket Challenge “March Appness”
- Automation in Firms
- Writing of the AppS.T.R.E.A.M. Rap
- AppStream Staffing and Social Media Losing Money on Paper
- Getting Back in the Grind
- Hiring in the US and Philippines
- Cultural Differences and Business Meetings
- Big Swings
- ChatGPT and Accounting Forms of Communication
- Firm owners doing their own accounting
- Quickbooks and Xero
- Expensify
- Accounting High GuidePosts
- What to do about staffing?
- Staff Poaching Socials as a Way to attract employees
- Testing Employees?
- Contractor to Employee
- Trial Employee Socials and Showcasing Your Company
- We Figured out this podcast thing
- The Ambitious Bookkeeper
- Sound Editor Spotlight
- Bloopers
- AppS.T.R.E.A.M. Rap
All the shoutouts: Expensify, Clayton Oats, Amy Vetter, Kenji, Nick Pasquarosa, Blake Oliver, David Leary, Byron Patrick, GoCardless, Randy Crabtree, Ryan Lazanis, Jason Staats, AppStream, GrowthLab, Christopher Leon, Matthew Meyer, Ashley Carroll, HubSpot, Ignition, Xero, Karbon, DialPad, ChatGPT, Paul Seaton, Zapier, Chad Davis, James Ashford, Bo Burnham, Serena Shoup
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 8 | Recorded May 30, 2022
This episode’s sponsor: Tallyfor - Book to tax in minutes, not hours! check em out at tallyfor.com
Our Guest: Damien Martin
Greetings accounting high! Did you go to school and study for your credentials? Well according to Scott, he was born with his unique credentials and in this episode, he shares with Damien what those credentials are. Join us for a fun conversation with Damien Martin as he shares a bit about his non-traditional way of getting into tax through going to school for music, and how time is both precious and fast which is why it is so important to be intentional with the people in your life. And we all know how much Scott despises emails and notifications so in honor of the discussion today, sit back, relax, put your phone away and open your mind because class is in session.
1 - What brings Damien to AICPA ENGAGE
Shoutout to Ron Baker
6 - College: from music to accounting
Shoutout to Blake Oliver, CPA
10 - Time is Weird
16 - Sometimes we get so focused on the meat that we don't focus on the fundamentals
Shoutout to Karbon
20 - Bringing the FUN to FUNdamentals
24 - Disconnecting from tech
Shoutout to Cal Newport’s Digital Minimalism
30 - If I had the phone in my hand, than I'm not really present
33 - Medications & ADHD
38 - There are limitations. You can work with limitations
44 - Covid and talent shortages
Shoutout to Rita Keller, Botkeeper
47 - The only way to find out if the pool is really cold is to jump in
53 - Make the time work
58 - The beauty and the curse of our devices
63 - the TaxDad
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 7 | Recorded May 26, 2022
In this episode, our host Scott is joined by an ACCA International Assembly Member, Xero's MVP, Speaker, APPG Advisor & Founder of Soaring Falcon Accountancy, Alex Falcon Huerta FCCA. Alex shares her story with us and her personal drive to create a working setup that would complement the lifestyle that she’s always wanted. Listen in to learn how she’s able to maintain an accounting firm and an outsourcing company while traveling all over the world.
2 - Alex’s Accounting Why
4 - What drove your independence?
10 - How do you determine if you're a mature adult?
14 - Starting the Soaring Falcon
Shoutout to Xero, Rod Drury
21 - Early stages of Soaring Falcon
24 - Outsourcing in Sri Lanka
31 - Going Back to Bali
Shoutout to M F Naja Mohamed and Hassan
33 - I went there for 10 days for a break and I got stuck out there until mid-February
35 - Meditation: It's something that I knew that I needed to continue to do, to help me get through the days
38 - Alex’s Firm stats
42 - Cost comparison for outsourcing your workload
48 - B*tches In Practice and Scarano on the Rocks
53 - More on Accounting High branding
56 - Sex… and Gender… in Accounting
62 - IRL vs the digital space
67 - We all can learn from each other
73 - Alex’s parting wisdom
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 6 | Recorded October 28, 2022
This episode highlights the differences between the EA brand and the CPA brand. Never heard of an EA? Hop in and listen to our teams discuss what their designations really do for them, and what it means to be a CPA and an EA.
The debate lineup:
Moderator:
Jeremy Wells, PhD, CPA, EA
Team EA:
LuSundra Everett, EA, NTPIF
Adam Markowitz, EA
Team CPA:
Brian Streig, CPA
Terrell A Turner, CPA
Emcee/Custodian:
Scott Scarano, EA
2 - Teams EA & CPA intros
6 - LuSundra’s EA journey
10 - What is an EA?
12 - Brian’s CPA journey
13 - CPA license. What it actually lets you do?
15 - CPA is state-based while EA is federal-based
20 - Not all CPAs do tax but all EAs do
23 - Branding issues for EAs
30 - I think all of us in this profession do a miserable job with the names of our businesses
35 - Education matters
38 - Tax is too broad of a field
44 - Organizational differences and no unification
48 - Scott’s two cents
52 - Results coming in!
53 - Wrapping it up
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
VarsityParty | Use Your FOMO for Good | 2022 Review Part 2 of 2 | #AppS.T.R.E.A.M.
Season 4 Episode 6 | Recorded January 6, 2023
Put your party pants on because it's time for a #VarsityParty with the Queen and Kings of party FOMO. Your favorite Accounting High trio is back and reviewing the last half of their 2022. Kenji Nikole and Scott are here to ChatGPT all about their lessons learned throughout their busiest year of travel to date. From airports to conferences to the reason you probably shouldn't ever let Scotty order spicy food at a restaurant, this episode is sure to give you a good laugh. Join us for the party to find out what Kenji's favorite moment of the year was and why 2022 was Scott's best year of his life. So turn up the volume, fill up your cup and enjoy this #VarsityParty here at Accounting High.
- Kenji loves Part 1, go back and listen if you haven’t yet
- Scott’s Hard Numbers
- TriMerit’s Unique CPA Live Podcast in Chicago
- Kenji+
- New Orleans, XeroCon2022
- FreshPAC in Toronto
- From FreshPAC to AcuityCon
- AppyCamp
- Deeper Weekend
- GustoNext
- Scotty Peaked
- FreshBooks Partner Meetup Atlanta
- FreshBooks Partner Meetup Portland
- Xero Roadshows
- ChatGPT
- Accountex Toronto
- What makes a good event?
- Platinum Sponsorship Subscriptions
- Vegas Baby
- Worrying, Delegation, and Trust
- AppS.T.R.E.A.M. (powered by the GrowthLab)
Shoutouts
James Ashford, Alan Colton, Randy Crabtree, Blake Oliver, Dawn Brolin, Josh Lance, Matthew May, Ashley Carroll, Expensify, Alex Miles, Twyla Verhelst, Mike McDermott, Misty Megia, Dan Gertrudes, AppStream, GrowthLab, Heather Satterly, Liz Scott, Intuit, Keeper, Ben Stein, Kenny Song, Dan Luthi, Byron Patrick, Jason Blumer, Thrieval, Nicole Davis, Will Lopez, Lorilyn Wilson, Kristen Keats, Sherrell Martin, Sarah Prevost, Tori McKee, Andrew Wall, Viviana Borz, Peter Wen, Tallyfor, Brian Streig, Paul Glantz
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 4 | Recorded December 27, 2022
Don't be tardy to the Coach Mackenzie party! That's right, you're listening to VarsityTips, formerly known as #NiksTips with Scott and Nikole, where they sit down and discuss a hot topic to get Nik's hot takes and tips. It's the same show you've grown to know and love, we're just calling it something new to fit the curriculum here at Accounting High. So lace up your sneaks and stretch out because VarsityTips is now in session.
- What happened last year? Trips
- Blessed to get away in January
- Ron Baker Marathon Preview
- Niks shifted away from CFO services
- Learning from failures
- Vices
- FreshPAC and other Trips
- The birth of Accounting High
- Pivotal Moments
- Vegas, Baby!
- Mexico
- Niks and her sports
- Moving to new positions
- Fast and slow lanes
- Outreach
- Learning from others
- Stay tuned for part 2…
- Scott Scarano Stories (S3X)
- More Teasers
- Accounting High Times with Byron
- Moving up and getting better
- Thank you to the audience
Shoutouts
Gusto, Will Lopez, David Leary, QBConnect, FreshBooks, Jason Staats, Blake Oliver, David Emmerman, Byron Patrick, Genie Whitehouse, Sarah Prevost, Dan Luthi, Keeper, James Ashford, Karbon, Ashley Carrol, Liz Mason, Paul Seaton, Jody Grunden, Summit CPA Group, Xero, AppyCamp, Deeper Weekend, Ron Baker, David Barrett
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
enjoy this little bonus snack from Accounting High
featuring Michael Ly, CEO of Reconciled
Sponsored by BooksTime
check em out at bookstime.com/accountants
it's surprising how little positive affirmations we give each other in general as human beings, but to receive that from the owner or CEO of a company, that really goes a long way, way farther than we realized, and that we care to admit....
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 3 | Recorded September 2, 2022
Our Accounting High listener survey is right here https://bit.ly/3NRSAfD
An episode that’s surely worth capping off 2022. Jason Staats, CPA, MBA and Scott (Lil Toddler) Scarano gives us another great talk about everything big and small, and I mean EVERYTHING! Career? Business? Family? Purpose? Contents? Hobbies? You name it. This lengthy episode is no short of topics that’ll make you ponder on the things that you’ve done, how far you’ve reached, and how much more you can accomplish. From all of us here at Accounting High, Wishing y’all a happy new year!
0 - Previously on #StaatSnacks
4 - The Accounting Celebs
Shoutout to Jody Grunden, CPA, Ron Baker, Blake Oliver, CPA, David Barrett
11 - Getting into Vlogs
Shoutout to Xero’s XeroCon
16 - Attention from others
23 - How do I leave the space for doing all the things I wanna do with them (my kids)?
26 - Our different universes
31 - Get yourself out of the little bubble
38 - Shilling season with Jason
Shoutout to Simon Sinek’s Infinite Game, Ryan Lazanis, CPA
44 - The old & new context of rivals
47 - It takes a level of confidence to be able to be vulnerable
53 - Jason goes podcasting
Shoutout to Gusto, Chad Davis
60 - Storytelling
Shoutout to Edward Mendlowitz
64 - It’s not because I want to compete, I just want to have a bigger impact
Shoutout to Earmark
71 - Rapping and Podcasting
Shoutout to Drew Carrick, Twyla Verhelst, CPA
77 - Fears
Shoutout to Jason Ackerman, CPA, CFP®, CGMA
82 - Kids love routine, but they don’t like authority
Shoutout to Joshua Lance, CPA, CGMA
88 - You can only grow one thing effectively at a time
92 - Building a creative empire
97 - Money = Time + Freedom
103 - Accounting High’s freshman year
Shoutout to Madeline Reeves
107 - I'm bridging all of these different parts of my life into one thing that I could enjoy doing
110 - Wrapping and Rapping up
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 2 | Recorded May 18, 2022
Let’s join Scott and Niks in this great conversation with James Ashford, Bestselling Author and Founder of GoProposal. This episode goes deep on positive mindset shifts and how being intentional with everything in your life can really shape who you are. James also shares some of the secrets to his success at GoProposal and how having the right team can propel your business forward.
2 - I always wanted to run a business. I don't know where that came from since my parents aren’t business owners, they’re the opposite. They worked for big companies
Shoutout to Tony Robbins, Brad Martineau
5 - He says “You couldn't be getting this anymore wrong” I say “I'm not going to buy into any of that and I'm going to go and help him”
8 - GoProposal: I manifested that this business was built to sell from day one
Shoutout to John Warrillow
14 - How did you know when it was time to sell? “We always had a number, my wife and I, that we were heading towards”
20 - Accountants have this double burden, not only the burden that all humans have but the fact they're looking for what's wrong as well
24 - GoProposal’s Kill the King
Shoutout to Heather Elkington
27 - One of James’ BIG marketing secret
36 - We don't see the world as it is. We see the world as we are
41 - I'm very, I say blessed, but it is very intentional to surround myself with good people
46 - This was a massive storm. We weren't ready for it. But you should have been prepared for a storm
51 - You're helping people to reach up, grab a hand and pull themselves forward, but also inviting people to throw their hand back down and to drag people up as well
64 - You can't help everybody, but you can help everybody within your reach
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 4 Episode 1 | Recorded October 8, 2022
Thank you to this episode’s sponsor, FreshBooks
Another Fresh Book Report by Scott and Twyla and today they’re doing Simon Sinek’s Infinite Game. They break down their own understanding of the book. What is this Infinite Game? How do we win? Or do we even need to win? This episode bridges the book’s concepts and our hosts’ personal experiences and their own Infinite Games.
0 - Class is now in session!
3 - Why Infinite Game?
Shoutout to Greg McKeown’s Effortless
8 - You didn't get stuck on the 10th page because it was boring. You got stuck cuz you were inspired and it triggers so many ideas
Shoutout to FreshBooks’ FreshPAC and all our friends there
12 - The profit and losses of a business are not necessarily what defines the win or loss of that infinite game
Shoutout to David Barrett
16 - What does it look like if your clients want you rather than need you?
Shoutout to Acuity Accounting, Karbon
22 - Competing with everybody versus learning from everybody
25 - We're on this journey to build a partner program and then a product that people want to explore using versus they're forced to because there's no other alternative
31 - Build a trusting team
Shoutout to Alex Miles
37 - Whether we look to one another as competitors, we look to one another as colleagues, or we look to one another for inspiration, it's happening inside this profession where people are seeking the knowledge of what others have
Shoutout to Chad Davis, Nicole Davis, CPA, Nayo Carter-Gray, EA MBA
40 - Accounting High is gonna be a community, a platform
Shoutout to Jason M. Blumer, CPA, Jason Staats, CPA, MBA, Ryan Lazanis, CPA, Clayton Oates
46 - They changed the game through their will to further their cause
53 - Give it up for Lil Toddler’s Infinite Sinek (A parody of ‘Infinite’ by Eminem)
57 - Twyla and Scott’s final thoughts on the review and the book itself
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 3 Episode 30 | Recorded May 20, 2022
We would so appreciate it if you took our listener survey linked here:
https://bit.ly/3NRSAfD
The Accounting High Booster Club would like to thank GoProposal for the support!
GoProposal https://goproposal.com
Scott, Jason, and Teddy Sullivan, CPA talk about purchasing an accounting firm, making changes, cloud or desktop, and everything in between. They also talk about sales, acquisitions, tools, and more. If you’re ever thinking of purchasing your own accounting firm or just looking to expand your current one, you wouldn’t want to miss this episode.
5 - The not-so-usual track: Teddy’s journey into owning an accounting firm
Shoutout to Xero
7 - What got me into accounting? I didn’t want to sell printers
11 - Teddy’s thought process when it comes to purchasing a firm
17 - Thinking of purchasing a firm? Go remote or go local?
21 - Transitioning ownership
24 - Cash or card? The dilemma of collecting our clients’ payments
30 - The pain of change is greater than the pain of the present
38 - Xero or Quickbooks?
Shoutout to Intuit Quickbooks, Ben Richmond CA
41 - You gotta bring somebody there and let them see it.
43 - What are your next steps?
45 - Scott’s sales process
Shoutout to Timothy Donohue
49 - Capacity planning differences from our firm owners
54 - Teddy’s advice to firm buyers and owners that are looking to expand
Shoutout to James Ashford
66 - The Oprah of Accounting Podcasts
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 3 Episode 29 | Recorded May 16, 2022
We would so appreciate it if you took our listener survey linked here:
https://bit.ly/3NRSAfD
Today’s episode is sponsored by Justworks - visit justworks.com/partners
In this episode, we find out what Scott Scarano was like as an employee. Jason Ackerman’s usual drill in drilling out guests. Damon Yudichak, PFP, MBA, CPA’s journey from serving in the army to being an accountant and how he was able to keep his firm up despite doing it solo. He is another testament to the Profit First philosophy so be sure to keep your notes on how he was taking home the same amount of money as a 1.5M firm despite grossing just a fifth of that.
1 - What was Scott like as an employee?
3 - Damon’s journey toward accounting
6 - I think one of the great things about the accounting business is you've got this recurring revenue stream that you can build
12 - No employees even after running the firm for more than 10 years
17 - Selling my clients to get new ones
Shoutout to Mike Michalowicz, John Briggs
22 - A lot of people are good at making money, the challenge is keeping it
23 - 80% of your revenue will come from 20% of your customers: The Pareto Principle
31 - Damon’s tech tools for his practice
35 - Damon’s numbers, exposed
42 - Best advice to firm owners from Damon
46 - To all real estate agents out there, be sure to check out Damon’s Profit First for Real Estate Agents
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 3 Episode 28 | Recorded October 31, 2022
We're on a mission to set our own traditions here at Accounting High, and we need your help and feedback to do it. If you have a few minutes to spare, we would so appreciate it if you took our listener survey linked here:
https://bit.ly/3NRSAfD
hank you to Tallyfor for the support, from The Accounting High Booster Club
https://www.tallyfor.com/
This Episode includes appearances by:
Nikole Mackenzie, CPA “Coach Mack”
Scott Scarano, EA
Peter Wen (Tallyfor)
Shane Mason, CPA
Megan Justice, EA, LTC
and for those of you that know and love our NiksTips series, you’ll be pleased to know it’s not going anywhere, it’s now “VarsityTips with Coach Mack”
Topics discussed today include:
Accrual Based Accounting
Saving Time with Tallyfor
Heros
Scalability
Switching to the Cloud
Having Fun
Limitations and the Future of Tallyfor
FreshBooks
Journal Entries
Closing Statements
Debut of “So Fresh, So Easy”
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 3 Episode 27 | Recorded May 23, 2022
We're on a mission to set our own traditions here at Accounting High, and we need your help and feedback to do it. If you have a few minutes to spare, we would so appreciate it if you took our listener survey linked here:
https://bit.ly/3NRSAfD
The Accounting High Booster Club: thank you GoProposal for the support!
GoProposal https://goproposal.com
Today’s episode is a laidback chat between Scott and Tax TeleGraf, Logan Graf, CPA. They give us an insight into how today’s social media platforms have been tools to reach out not just to the accounting community but to potential clients as well. These tools are double-edged swords but if played correctly, they can be used as a way of attracting clients that are inclined toward the same culture. Interested in building your own following? Be sure to keep your ears open as you wouldn’t want to miss the tips that got Logan his 11.2K followers on Twitter.
3 - Why Accounting of all things?
6 - Kids don’t really want to be accountants when they grow up
10 - The best accounting firm owners didn’t take the traditional accounting route
14 - I’m not afraid of going against the grain
25 - Why did you get into Twitter?
29 - The race to 10K: Staats vs Graf
35 - I just want to make people smarter when it comes to taxes
42 - You can only grow and nurture one thing at a time
46 - The pains of plannings out your goals
50 - Where do you find fulfillment?
54 - Talking about an accountant's body
58 - The Accounting Multiverse
72 - Working from home has been a blessing
74 - Posting and Boasting
78 - The Logan process for filtering potential clients
90 - How can I grow my following on Twitter?
92 - The best posts are the ones that people can relate to
94 - The search for Daily Tax Memes. Who are you?
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 3 Episode 26 | Recorded January 14, 2022
Welcome to Part 3 of our Accounting Club Collection
This is an episode about changing the accounting profession, one firm at a time.
Starring Zunie Nguyen, CPA - Founder & CEO of Yogi CPA
Today’s episode is sponsored by Justworks - visit justworks.com/partners
Our first-ever, annual listeners survey; we’d love it if you took a moment to fill this out so we can continue to improve our show!
https://bit.ly/3NRSAfD
Song Credits
H.E.R. - Changes
Lana Del Rey - Change
Taylor Swift - Change
Sheryl Crow - A Change Would Do You Good
Tupac - Changes
Justin Bieber - Changes
Black Sabbath - Changes
Deftones - Change (In the House of Flies)
David Bowie - Changes
Otis Redding - A Change Is Gonna Come
Blind Melon - Change
Fleetwood Mac - Landslide
Eric Clapton - Change the World
J. Cole - Change
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 3 Episode 25 | Recorded May 9, 2022
The Accounting High Booster Club, thank you GoProposal for the support!
GoProposal https://goproposal.com
Today we have Scott and Kellie Parks CPB chatting during their time in Paradise Point San Diego. Hop on a conversation that revolves around change and why there is no stopping the Big Shift that our industry is currently on. Kellie shares how change has been a very fun experience for her and how she embraced these changes over time. Aren’t you tired of the current practices that you’re doing in your firm? Or are you content with everything right now that these changes seem more like a chore? Tune in as Scott and Kellie dissect these changes and how they continue to cope with what’s hot
0 - The SaaSy Accounting Coach
3 - Scott and Kellie in Paradise Point San Diego
6 - I do lots of accounting but I’m not an accountant
10 - How Kellie found her love for accounting
13 - I do one personal tax return a year and every single year that client does not pay me and complains about the job that I did
Shoutout to Ryan Lazanis, CPA, Chad Davis, Brian Clare, Rachel Fisch, CPB
Shoutout to our sponsors GoProposal
20 - “Change is hard. Not changing will be harder” - Kellie Parks
25 - People who have trouble with change have not experienced the fun of it
28 - The fun factor in implementing tech is waaaaay underrated
Shoutout to Zapier, 17Hats, Acuity Scheduling, Acuity Accounting, Matthew May
37 - We control numbers and then we try to control everything else around us
Shoutout to Blake Oliver, CPA, Kyle Turriff
41 - Coms: from COMpetitors to COMmunity
Shoutout to Jason Staats, CPA, MBA
47 - Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference
53 - Go get the things you need to get, don’t have them shipped to you
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 3 Episode 24 | Recorded February 11, 2022
We're on a mission to set our own traditions here at Accounting High, and we need your help and feedback to do it. If you have a few minutes to spare, we would so appreciate it if you took our listener survey!
https://bit.ly/3NRSAfD
Scott’s Accounting Firm is hiring, if you’re an accountant and you think you might want to work for Scott, we will all pray for you, and you can send your resume to jobs@padgettnc.com
The Accounting High Booster Club wants to share a big thanks to Botkeeper for their continued support.
Botkeeper - visit https://www.botkeeper.com/ for more information
In today’s episode, Scott discusses the importance and Impact of Culture in our firms/businesses with Jacob Schroeder, CPA and Marissa Jones. Our host and guests share their own experiences and find out among themselves what components of their businesses made up their companies’ culture. Why is it so important that it should even be considered when we pick our clients? Does having a culture that resonates with our team really affect output? How does it help? Find out in this episode how culture has been a proven essential to thrive in the entrepreneurial world
5 - What is Culture? What are we after when we’re building culture?
9 - Considering the company culture when hiring
12 - Defining your company’s culture
15 - It's important for us to build cultures that compensate and offset our extremes…
17 - You want things to reflect reality, not aspiration
Shoutout to Logistis for Designers, Karbon
19 - Is there a way to test the cultural fit of a client before taking them on?
21 - We should have a greater filter level on clients coming in the door than we do on staff
25 - How much does the environment we create reflect our culture?
26 - People at different stages in life are going to interact better with certain cultures
28 - Key components of Culture
31 - The different kinds of cultural frameworks
37 - Key “C words” of Culture
Shoutout to Kenji Kuramoto, ClickUp
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 3 Episode 23 | Recorded April 18, 2022
It's our long overdue listeners' survey! please fill it out, there will be prizes!
https://bit.ly/3NRSAfD
FreshBooks MeetUps - check us out in the PDX at Ecliptic Brewery on November 10, 2022!
register here: https://t.co/6RaUdSHuAa
The Accounting High Booster Club: thank you for the support!
GoProposal https://goproposal.com/
and
Justworks http://justworks.com/partners
Joining Scott and Jason today, we have Mike Michalowicz. Find out how the man who wanted to be a garbage man when he was young went out to be the man whose mission is to eradicate Entrepreneurial Poverty through his books and other outlets. What is this Profit First Methodology? And how do we begin applying it in our firms/businesses? Tune in so you can get first-hand information from Mike himself as he shares his stories and how he has helped others to be more profitable.
7 - The name game
5 - Why did you pick the accounting vertical for Profit First?
11 - I wanted to be a garbage man when I grow up
17 - I'm just taking ideas that worked in the past, packaging in a slightly new way. But I'm a regular Joe and it worked for me, I hope it serves others
18 - The Pratfall Effect
20 - A backup job for me would have been a standup comedian
22 - How the Grow My Accounting Practice Podcast came to life
24 - Profit is a discipline. It's not something that's like a flip of the switch, like one night it just magically appears. It's gotta be baked into your business
32 - Mike’s one piece of advice? Schedule a four-week vacation a year or two from today
35 - How do we apply Profit First?
Shoutout to Relay
37 - Buying up other firms
Shoutout to David Emmerman, Michael Ly
46 - “Purpose OR Profit” or “Purpose AND Profit”
Shoutout to Simon Sinek
47 - The philosophy of finding your why is not necessarily just a philosophy, but it's a way of life
Shoutout to James Clear
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 3 Episode 22 | Recorded January 14, 2022 Today’s episode is sponsored by Justworks - visit justworks.com/partners Our first-ever, annual listeners survey; we’d love it if you took a moment to fill this out so we can continue to improve our show! https://padgettnc.typeform.com/to/BSKZbvWk FreshBooks MeetUps - check us out if you’re in the PDX area, at Ecliptic Brewery on November 10, 2022! sign-ups here: https://bit.ly/3E3VkUc Andy Smith and Joshua Lance, CPA, CGMA Scott, Andy, and Josh share a quick chat about the accounting community and how it became a place where we can collaborate, improve our craft, and a place where we can open up about our struggles and strengths as firm owners to inspire all of those around us. 2 - Discovering a community Shoutout to Thriveal Jason M. Blumer, CPA, Julie Shipp, Greg Kyte, Marie (Phillips) Greene, CPA 8 - Just having a place where you can share those ideas and get feedback from others, I think is critical 12 - The community shows you the reality of running a firm Shoutout to Kenji Kuramoto 16 - You're not really competing with anybody for clients This episode is brought to you by the letter C Comrades confidence communities critical confidence comradery context crazy case studies connection communities, comparisons changes, case of coors competition collaboration cloud accounting current craft brewery chow conversation
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 3 Episode 21 | Recorded April 15, 2022
Our first-ever, annual listeners survey; we’d love it if you took a moment to fill this out so we can continue to improve our show!
https://padgettnc.typeform.com/to/BSKZbvWk
FreshBooks MeetUps aka "The Lil Toddler '22 Tour"- check us out if you’re in the PDX area, at Ecliptic Brewery on November 10, 2022!
register for the event here: https://bit.ly/3VHJ5mM
Our Guest: Terrell Turner, CPA
Scott gets a one-on-one with the content master, Terrel Turner. We get to know the man behind Business Talk Library and how a high school football varsity got into accounting, content-making and being awarded a 40 Under 40 award. This episode ain’t just for the content conscious out there but also for those who’re planning to start scaling their businesses. Terrell doesn’t shy away from giving out tips and how you can focus on your role to make sure your business drives the way you need it.
2 - My wife handles our taxes so I can focus on the client stuff
Shoutout to Jason Ackerman, CPA, CFP®, CGMA
4 - Terrell’s early days and the way he got into Accounting
10 - The Business Talk Library
15 - How Terrell used the pandemic to prepare and build his business
20 - Growing the network and finding our guests
23 - What were some of your inspirations to start in a lot of this stuff?
Shoutout to Gary Vaynerchuk
27 - Learning from Oprah and Larry King
Shoutout to Oprah Winfrey, Larry King, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Falon
31 - Getting into the nitty-gritty of content making - the editing process
36 - On the way to becoming the content master
Shoutout to StreamYard
37 - Terrell’s firm structure
Shoutout to Lola Turner, CPA
43 - Inside the firm: Tools that we use
Shoutout to LiveFlow
48 - From finding anybody to do business with to finding the ones we can create processes for. Finding your Niche
53 - When you have three older brothers, no matter what you do, you will never be the best at it for a very long time
57 - Focus on the wins that you do have and build from there
67 - 40 Under 40
71 - Something to get excited for? Terrell’s Pitch Analysis
76 - If you're doing a little bit of everything, you'll never be able to really scale it because you're doing so much
Shoutout to Adam Hale, CPA and Chad Davis
79 - Taking notes from #NiksTips and the ones ahead of me
82 - Terrell goes to Europe
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 3 Episode 20 | Recorded July 19, 2022 for more on Justworks check out justworks.com/partners
NiksTips on PE
A fitter you is a better you! Scott and Niks share their tips on Physical activities and exercises to help us be fit and stay fit. Is there even time to workout on our busy days? And how can you workout when there isn’t even enough hours in a day? Listen in as our hosts share their secrets on how they were able to keep fitness in check despite their busy schedules. 1 - Ready for our PE class? Shoutout to James Ashford, Peloton 3 - The challenge in the real world: Do we have time left for exercise? 6 - Niks’s efforts to workout while working 11 - Scott’s style and teaching PE Shoutout to Glen Cordoza and Kelly Starrett’s Becoming a Supple Leopard 14 - The secrets to fitting fitness into your life Shoutout to Twyla Verhelst, CPA 18 - Tracking physical activities at the office and having a fitness stipend Shoutout to PeopleKeep 21 - Home workout tips and essentials Shoutout to Les Mills International 26 - Learning from Youtube and Sex Ed 30 - Mastering portion control and eating right 36 - Drinking? Be sure it doesn’t inhibit you 37 - Sleeping right is the key 44 - Don’t leave your workouts when traveling Shoutout to Kenji Kuramoto 47 - Start ‘em young: Teaching our kids to be fit
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 3 Episode 19 | Recorded April 11, 2022
Register for FreshBooks Partner Meet Ups and admission to the Lil Toddler World Tour 2022
Come hang out with us to enjoy food, drinks, and free swag. And an opportunity to earn some extra credit with the possibility of being featured on a fresh recording of Accounting High. Spots are limited so act now!
November 3, 2022 - Atlanta
November 10, 2022 - Portland
November 29, 2022 - Toronto
December 4, 2022 - Austin
Register for FreshBooks Partner Meet Ups and admission to the Lil Toddler World Tour 2022
Scott is joined by Sandy Johns of Revolution Financial Solutions. A laid-back chat about tax, the accounting space, the pandemic, Apple, subscriptions, and relationships. A real refresher of what has been happening in our world over the past years. Sandy shares her experience of growing up in a conservative household and how their shared grace made up the uniqueness of her family. Surely, our diversity brings us all together to continue learning from each other in making this space a great place to evolve and revolutionize.
2 - Tax season in 2022: Cushions from the past two years are gone now
Shoutout to Jason Ackerman, CPA, CFP®, CGMA
6 - Sandy’s Unique family
10 - It's important that we approach things looking for an opportunity to find common ground with others
13- the importance of bringing diverse points of view and life experiences to the profession so that we can learn from each other
17 - Outsourcing Tax
Shoutout to SurePrep LLC, Thomson Reuters’ UltraTax, Donna Bordeaux
22 - The more touch points you have with the client, the easier everything else is
26 - If you look at this relationship as purely transactional, you're probably not the right fit for us
29 - Doing sales gives us the ability to filter and get the kind of clients that we want
Shoutout to Ryan Lazanis, CPA
32 - How the Pandemic changed us
35 - The unintended bonuses (and consequences) that came with the changes we do to our firm
Shoutout to Karbon
41 - Connecting the community is a service to the profession
Shoutout to Xero, James Clear’s Atomic Habits
46 - 100 Days of No Code
Shoutout to Jason Staats, CPA, MBA, Airtable, Apple
49 - The Apple Empire Supremacy
Shoutout to Scott Galloway, Disney, Amazon
57 - One of Apple’s brilliance: Backing the right horse
59 - We don’t need to be afraid of pricing because pricing attracts the right clients
63 - a poor man and a rich man
65 - What Crypto brings to the Accounting space
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 3 Episode 18 | Recorded May 27, 2022
A Fresh Book Report @ Accounting High
with Scotty Scarano and Twyla Verhelst, CPA
Today's Book Report is on Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday
Ever felt like you’re the king of the world? Or like you’re carrying the world on your shoulders? When was the last time you felt like you won? Or the last time you felt like you lost? What and who got you there? Our Ego, if left unchecked, clouds our vision and prevents us from reaching greater heights. It affects us not just in moments of success but in our failures as well. Do you have too much pride to ask for help? Look in the mirror and gauge yourself. Listen in as Scott and Twyla attempt to defeat their greatest enemies, themselves.
4 - Your biggest enemy is yourself and you’re more likely to be what gets in the way than anything else
7 - The three components: Aspire, Success, and Failure
Shoutout to Atomic Habits by James Clear, The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek
8 - Aspire: losing touch with reality and letting your pride block what’s in front of you
Shoutout to Frank Shamrock
10 - Find your Plus, Minus, and Equals in life and in business
Shoutout to Catherine Graham, Angela Merkel
15 - You get confidence, but if you’re not careful, it takes you too far
17 - Once you taste that success and you feel like you know it all… That’s gonna lead to failure
20 - Beware of the disease of me
Shoutout to Pat Riley, Steve Jobs, Kanye West
22 - A lot of awareness and intention is required to keep us from becoming our own barriers
25 - A monk is separate from all and in harmony with all
27 - Failure: being defined by your success that you can’t even define yourself when you fail
36 - Was it them? Was it me? Or is it the circumstances that got us here?
37 - Every step of the way, Ego is the Enemy
39 - We may think that we're never equipped to get there, but there are definitely people like you that have gotten there and even past that
Shoutout to Kenji Kuramoto, Nikole Mackenzie, CPA
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Season 3 Episode 17 | Recorded October 6, 2022
Guest: David Barrett
Hosts: Nikole Mackenzie and Scott Scarano
Scott and Nikole get to chat with Expensify’s David Barrett. Unfiltered, uncaged, unmasked talk with the SuperApp founder. For real, no summary would be enough to describe just how dope David is. Are you ready to be shaken from your core beliefs? Go past your limit and be limitless just like how David and his team ushered their company to continuously evolve with the times. Familiar with Expensify? Think you know what they really are? Guess you’ll be dumbfounded to know where they’re really headed. This is definitely an episode you wouldn’t want to miss as David shares his experiences and imparts his way of thinking that’ll make you say “Guess it’s time to let the alien in me take control”
"The story we tell ourselves about who we are, that story can change. The ink should never dry on the novel you're writing about yourself. You should reinterpret your history."
2 - Who inspires David?... the fictional Mr. Darcy
5 - Tell me something you fucked up, “Confident I do the best I can with the info I have” and “I’ve made some very expensive mistakes”
6 - What is the root of all evil? Altruism
9 - The secret to happiness and success is purpose. Do you believe that your actions are advancing you to some sort of long-term personal purpose? “Real change happens with a business model - that's the only way to save the world”
16 - Expensify’s structure? It is like a garden, a magical, mysterious garden where everyone, every day is planting seeds that we've never seen before “Live rich have fun and save the world - Every day should be awesome - Work-life balance is almost toxic”
19 - A comp model determined by your peers? Do you worry about unconfirmed biases?
26 - It was never built to be an expense reporting product… We just happen to start with expense management because it has a number of great features to it “Perfection is unachievable. - I never want to leave my company - Be bizarre, be different”
32 - What are the limits of Expensify as a superApp? Or are there limits?
34 - Change is not intrinsically good. We don’t do anything without defining the problem we’re trying to solve
39 - There are no rules. Only CONSEQUENCES: If I think it's gonna drive the business and help us leverage, have fun, save the world, we're gonna do it
41 - Self-doubt got burned out of David throughout his career
47 - How to make your company an environment for creativity?
62 - We haven’t even launched yet, in my mind. It’s just that our prototype is so valuable
69 - We’re alien in many respects, not because we seek to appear alien. It’s just that we don’t see the same constraints that others do
70 - Failing to mind the imagination gap was my biggest fuck up
71 - I am limited by what I can convince people to do
72 - Grappling with notions of identity. Don't look into your self-identity The ink should never dry on the novel of your life.
73 - A creative mother fuckin force Everything bad is good for you - link to this book
74 - Evolution of books, radio, tv, and internet - the screen time battle
75 - Negative patterns. Experts are only experts in historical events
76 - The business model of social networks. Expensify as a social network? It’s for people who wanna get shit done
82 - Scott RAPS UP the episode
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/accountinghigh/message
Accounting High (aka Sons of CPAs)
Season 3 Episode 16 | Recorded April 11, 2022
Guest: John Briggs
Hosts: Jason Ackerman & Scott Scarano
John Briggs, the man who created an accounting firm where accountants make more money and work less cause traditional firms suck. Scott and Jason got great insights on how John manages his firm and you can too! This is an episode that firm owners wouldn’t want to miss. Not a firm owner? No problem cause you never know what you’ll get here until you listen to John’s stories and how his team is getting the best out of their professional lives
2 - Too many accountants seem like they end up working for the government instead of their clients
7 - 100K belt buckle?! Aggressively writing off your expenses for your business
10 - Focusing on taxes, is it the opposite way now?
Shoutout to Intuit TurboTax
14 - In-depth discussion of CFO work/advising services
18 - Ever heard of the PITA box of clients?
20 - Incite Tax’s take on pricing their services
25 - I think to save the industry, we have to be aware as firm owners of the burden we're putting on our team
29 - John’s secrets to efficiency
Shoutout to Insightly, Canopy
38 - Incite Tax’s management structure: Breaking away from the norm
47 - All of our audience understand that revenue is not the same as profit. Right? Right?
Shoutout to Padgett Business Services, Dark Horse CPAs, Breakaway Bookkeeping & Advising, High Rock Accounting
52 - The challenges that come with Incite Tax’s structure setup for it’s licensees
57 - Too much more to learn but too little time with John.
58 - Interested in becoming a licensee of Incite Tax? Reach out to John at john@incitetax.com
Shoutout to Greg Kyte, CPA, Reach Reporting, Justin Hatch
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Accounting High (aka Sons of CPAs)
Season 3 Episode 15 | Recorded July 12, 2022
Purpose - the reason for which something is done or created.
What is your reason for doing or creating something? In this episode, Niks and Scott share their own purposes and give us an insight into how we can find ours. Our passion defines us but our purpose defines who, what, and where we want to be. Listen in and get a better look into yourself like our hosts did and you might be surprised at what your true purposes are.
1 - A lot of things I do are by accident, but accidentally on purpose
2 - Be sure to check out liveflow.io/sons
6 - How do moments in our lives fit into our purpose
8 - Figuring things out as they come along. Does that work out?
Shout out to Jason Ackerman, CPA, CFP®, CGMA, Blake Oliver, CPA
10 - The moment we realize it’s always about money until it’s not
Shout out to Dave Olsen, Jay Shetty, Madeline Reeves
14 - Living in your Dharma is a certain route to fulfillment
Shoutout to Liz Mason
16 - Purpose. What is it really? How do we know what ours is?
19 - Quadrants of potential
24 - Niks goes through an exercise about finding her Dharma
Shoutout to Ashley Carroll
25 - The 4 types of people: Creators, Makers, Guides, and Leaders
27 - Creators are always on the move. Work hard, play hard
32 - My passion where I really want to help people is to learn from my mistakes and that’s doing this podcast
36 - Makers work hard but always maintain balance. The best right hand
Shoutout to Christopher Leon
38 - Guides use their knowledge to help people find their purpose
Shoutout to Ryan Lazanis, CPA, Kenji Kuramoto
39 - Leaders govern, inspire, and engage others
Shoutout to Ron Baker
45 - Most of the reason we're so serious is that we're so worried about what somebody else will think if we do different
Shoutout to Zachary Call, CPA
49 - Helping others is a lot easier when we’re comfortable in our own shoes
Shoutout to Mary Delaney, Karbon
54 - Nobody’s going to tell you what your purpose is. You gotta figure that out
56 - Our purpose can change. It evolves with us
Shoutout to Chet Buchman, CPA, CVA, CEPA, CGMA, CNC
60 - Your passion is for you. Your purpose is for others. Your passion becomes a purpose when you use it to serve others
74 - Everybody has something that they are great at and that's part of their purpose
75 - This podcast became a platform for Scott to find purpose
77 - Making the accounting world a better place one ear at a time. Thank you!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Accounting High aka Sons of CPAs Podcast
Season 3 Episode 14 | Recorded April 4, 2022
Guest: Ryan Lazanis, CPA
Hosts: Jason Ackerman and Scott Scarano
Let’s bring our focus on the Accounting Messiah, the Righteous Lazarus aka Ryan Lazanis, and how he started impacting the accounting space. Ryan shares his internal process on how he started his accounting firm, so far ahead of the curve he practically created the curve. What is your end goal? Why not start with that end goal in mind? As for us, we aim to keep you informed, entertained, and educated until the last minute of this episode so be sure to make space for all the insights that Ryan, Scott, and Jason share.
2 - Accounting is the language of business
3 - Accounting, you’re going to need it no matter what profession you go into
6 - Ryan’s path to starting up his own accounting firm
8 - The Accounting Messiah from Montreal
13 - Xen Accounting’s early days
14 - Growth and Scale difference
Shoutout to Xero, ReceiptBank (now Dext)
18 - To scale professional services, it really starts at the offering level
21 - Creating a factory that could replicate it without you there
24 - How selling his accounting firm came about
27 - My purpose was really about helping advancing the accounting profession. Modernize the profession in some way, shape, or form
31 - An accounting trip to the tax havens
33 - Future Firm provides coaching, training, education, and community to modern accountants that want to create a scalable systematic firm that improves their lifestyle
36 - Biggest mistake traditional firms make? The firm’s structure
40 - What’s hotter than a million-dollar cloud firm with low churn
43 - What is a healthy profit margin? No lower than 30%
Shoutout to Jeff Phillips, Padgett Business Services, Dark Horse CPAs, Chase Birky, CPA, Marie (Phillips) Greene, CPA
47 - Ryan’s take on the changes coming to the accounting world
50 - Bringing the relationship back to accounting while scaling your firm
57 - Want Ryan’s tips and tricks directly in your inbox? Checkout futurefirm.co/newsletter
58 - Ryan’s advice for firm owners? Start with the end in mind
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Accounting High (aka Sons of CPAs Podcast)
Season 3 Bonus Ep | Recorded July 26, 2022
this is our reaction episode to one of the latest Expensify emails...
Okay. So if you are on Expensify's email list. You probably get emails from David Barrett all the time. He's known for sending really long opinionated irreverent emails... and we got an email directly from David with an invite to ExpensiCon.
now, now granted his emails come from David Barrett. It's got his picture on there in my Gmail, it always looks like a very personal email...
here's the email
It can be hard to look past the grim headlines that seem to pummel us daily, but beneath the bad news are some good trends. The worst of the pandemic is behind us, the markets have stabilized and are recovering. Good days are on the horizon, and as we all scramble to stay afloat, it's easy to overlook the slow tectonic shift happening in the accounting industry around us: the Age of the Preaccounting Superapp is dawning. And just like we did at previous moments of transformation, we're heralding this dawn by hosting our third ExpensiCon - and you're invited!
In May 2023, 100 accounting titans will gather in the pristine Puglian countryside at Borgo Egnazia to experience the finest in Italian food and wine - by the pool and around the table - while swapping stories, sharing best practices, and planning the future of our industry. If you haven't been to ExpensiCon before, here's a quick glimpse of what it'll be like:
...
We don't host ExpensiCon every year; we only do it when there is something important to discuss. Join that discussion at ExpensiCon.com.
-david
Founder and CEO of Expensify
Questions? Ask me on Twitter! @dbarrett
PS: Remember that Tesla contest for Approved! Accountants? We have a winner! Learn how Casey from AirCFO won a shiny new Tesla just by helping her clients adopt Expensify!
PPS: Are you an Approved! Accounting firm (or would you like to be)? Reply to this email to learn how to get significantly discounted client pricing, a dedicated account manager, and live onboarding for your clients by chat and video!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Accounting High (aka Sons of CPAs podcast) Season 3 Episode 14 | Recorded March 28, 2022 Guest: Drew Carrick aka The Rapping CPA aka Petty Ca$h Hosts: Blake Oliver and Scott Scarano Sponsor: Jirav - head over to jirav.com/sons PBC. If you don’t know what that means, it’s not for you. Or, go ahead, and watch the show made by accountants for accountants. Scott, Blake, and Drew dive deep into the accounting revolution that we’re currently in and bridge the connection between accounting and mainstream media. How, when, and where did this start? Where are we headed? How do we keep up with all this? Find out and listen.
4 - Petty Ca$h’s hardcore self-introduction, give it up for The Rapping CPA Shoutout to Mike Whitmire, CPA, FloQast 6 - Scott as The Rapping EA… What chu think huh? 10 - PBC: The Office, but it’s hyper-focused on the accounting department Shoutout to The Office, Kate Flannery, Creed Braton, Michael Gallagher 12 - Get insights of some upcoming projects for the accounting demograpics from Drew 15 - Accoutant Drew vs Entertainer Drew 22 - You create your own luck by going into the business world and making the connections Shoutout to Earmark 25 - How Blake got into accounting? He didn’t want to be a starving musician 29 - The Accounting Revolution 33 - If you could change one thing about accounting, what would it be? 36 - Accounting: deemed the most difficult of the school of business majors Shoutout to Jay-Z, NAS, Jason Ackerman, CPA, CFP®, CGMA 40 - Public Accounting Anthem’s purpose 43 - Drew’s taste of fame Shoutout to Lil Dicky aka David Burd 45 - The multiverse of Drew Carrick Shoutout to Marissa Jones, Logic, EMINƎM, Weird AL Yankovic 51 - The goal is not to make money off of this. It’s to make something that the accounting demographic can relate to Shoutout to Phil Mickelson, KPMG 56 - PBC Season 2? Shoutout to Josh Sims, Joshua Glassman 61 - I haven't really felt like it's over my head cause like I said, I think I've been preparing my whole life for this specific job 65 - Can I have your attention, please? 71 - My entire life is built on this notion of balance… it’s been this balancing act Shoutout to Joe Rogan, Jamie Fox 77 - Nobody could ever come close to being you, so always stay true to you
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Accounting High (aka Sons of CPAs) Hard Numbers Vol. 2 Scott and Jason dive deep and reveal all of their hard numbers for their respective accounting firms... this is full disclosure of their revenues and margins for the period of Jan-July 2022
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Accounting High (aka Sons of CPAs Podcast)
Season 3 Episode 11 | Recorded March 21, 2022
Guest: Adam Markowitz, EA
Hosts: Jason Ackerman and Scott Scarano
Sponsor: Karbon - Karbon firms are connected firms - check em out at https://karbonhq.com/
Join Scott, Jason, and Adam as they talk about tax, branding, software apps, social issues, #TaxTwitter, finding your purpose, and everything in between. Find out how Adam, a Bachelor of Arts who majored in Music and History ended up in the Tax/Accounting space and why he’s here to stay. It’s about keeping in mind what’s really important to each of us, and finding our purpose. What’s yours? For Adam, it’s to help out his local community and really help out those who need it the most.
3 - Dad started the business back in 1993
5 - The best thing that ever happened to me was telling me they couldn't give me an extra buck and 50 an hour.
7 - I was into sports gambling and it was a miserable, miserable crutch for a college kid who thought he knew much more about sports than he did
Shoutout to Mike Rose
8 - You're not paying me because I'm dressed in a suit. You're paying me because I've got a good brain on my shoulders
11 - A writer disguised as an accountant
13 - Having done maybe 20 returns and probably f*cked up half of them, that’s when Adam decided he’s buying into the family business
17 - I'll promise you, the name Markowitz, it ain't going to be in there anywhere. I want this business to be a lot bigger than me and I want this business to live on a lot longer
Shoutout to AJ Campo
21 - How the f*ck do we think we're going to help these people when we don't offer them any help?
Shoutout to Netflix, Adam Project, WeCrashed, Adam Newman, TV+
25 - Does any accountant or tax preparer love themselves on March 21st?
Shoutout to Karbon
28 - Why is Adam using Karbon? It keeps his team on task and its automators are absolutely the secret sauce
29 - Adam and his dad’s only argument in the 15 years they’ve been working together was overpaying him
Shoutout to Jim Costello
32 - #TaxTwitter
Shoutout to Kelly Phillips Erb aka @taxgirl, Jason Staats aka @jstaatscpa, Andrea @andreacpa0, Ed Zollars aka @edzollars, Glen Birnbaum
38 - So what really is an EA?
Shoutout to Drake Software, KanyeTax, EasyACCT
42 - Adam’s horrible confession re: general ledger
Shoutout to Intuit QuickBooks, Xero
44 - By doing the actual manual entry, even though it took more time, I have a lot better understanding about what the client has going on in their business
49 - 2020 was about helping everyone, 2021 was about survival, and 2022 is about the last push of growth
53 - We’re headed to a firm that is going to be less about me and more about the community
57 - What is your purpose?
60 - Adam’s advice? treat the person on the other side of the table like they’re your grandmother
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Accounting High (aka Sons of CPAs Podcast)
Season 3 Episode 10 | Recorded March 14, 2022 (π day)
Guest: Lindsay Stevenson, CPA, CGMA
Hosts: Jason Ackerman and Scott Scarano
Join Jason and Scott in getting to know more about Lindsay, BPM LLP’s Chief Transformation Officer. What does that role do? We weren’t too sure ourselves until Lindsay gave us a glimpse of what she does. Listen to how she started out as a staff accountant until becoming an integral part of a large firm and how she was able to go through a midlife crisis in identifying what she really wanted to do with her career. Lindsay also shares her experience on how these big innovative changes happen at a large firm and how being a CPA makes you a “hot thang” that most businesses all over the country would want to work with.
0 Accounting can be sexy to young people
3 Chief Transformation Officer - the strategy behind being innovative, forward-thinking, and actually moving the needle so that we can get traction on all the cool ideas that our team has
4 Lindsays journey from a public accountant to Chief Transformation Officer
Shoutout to Sarah Elliot, CPA, PCC, Brian Kush, PCC, CPA
8 What would a job look like for you?... And he said, let’s do it! Let’s do it at BPM
Shoutout to Dan Griffiths
10 I was overwhelmed to think that there was just sort of this written rule about CPAs. You come into the profession, you put your head down, and you do your work. Then you keep doing that until you make partner. It just felt I wasn’t that
14 If your foundation is built on time and that billing structure, you can't just build something else on top of that. It's a shaky foundation
16 The real magic in my role is it’s really fun to think about the big things
Shoutout to Apple
19 What you should care about the most is every client interaction and how to make that better
23 Lindsay’s and Jason’s POV on how small and large firms adapt and innovate their processes
Shoutout to Thompson Reuters, CCH, Workday
27 When you become the big fish in the pond, there is less motivation to innovate
30 Is this due to the general mindset shift of the digital age or people being more open to sharing?
Shoutout to Squadcast
34 Niche Accounting, the next big shift for the accounting space. Or have we already shifted into it?
Shoutout to Tate Henshaw, CFP
39 What are some of the things that Lindsay’s looking forward to changing with her new role?
40 Accounting can be sexy
42 If you were to sell the CPA firm or the CPA profession to your kids, how would you do it?
Shoutout to Dave Emmerman
43 You come out of school and you say, I'm a CPA. Near every business in this country would be like, come work for me because I need somebody that understands finances
47 Be brave and be bold. There are ways to take risks and be bold and be brave in very small ways that carry very little risk
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
FreshBookReports @ Accounting High (the miniseries)
Recorded May 22, 2022
Still, with us today is Twyla Verhelst, CPA. Twyla is the distinguished director of the Accountant Channel and the FreshBooks Accounting Partner Program Leader. She supports and empowers other accounting professionals as they help small businesses flourish.
Thank you to our sponsor, Freshbooks!
Part 3 of 3
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear. Scott and Twlya conclude this mini-series by giving us their final take on the book. What are our key takeaways? How can we get back our lost identities or gain new ones? Finding that delicate balance as we muddle through everything. Come ride along as we finish this ride and get prepared for what else might come
0 - Don’t judge a book by its cover, or should we?
3 - Our genes (genetics) are related to our habits
5 - Identify yourself and know what’ll work for you
7 - CBE: Career Best Efforts, the real little things that compound over time
10 - When you can’t win by being better, you can win by being different
Shoutout to Scott Adams, Zachary Call, CPA, Mike Michalowicz
13 - Measure what matters and improve on that
14 - Peak motivation: How do we get there?
17 - Finding the balance in getting there and not losing yourself
Shoutout to Ron Baker
18 - Who knew sparkling water gives you variable rewards?
21 - We got your accounting and we’re not gonna judge, Accounting Vice!
Shoutout to David Leary
22 - The downside of creating good habits
25 - Autopilot: not being as mindful or aware of your habits and how it becomes boredom
26 - Advantages of having an accountability buddy
30 - There’s always light at the end of the tunnel
Shoutout to Nikole Mackenzie, CPA
32 - Why this book is being reread and how it’s been an instrument to reset or to check-in
35 - Success is not a goal to reach or a finish line to cross
36 - Lack of self-awareness is poison
39 - Self-control is difficult because it’s not satisfying
41 - Being curious is better than being smart
42 - Your actions reveal how badly you want something
45 - We can only be rational and logical after we have been emotional
48 - Capping of this mini-series, we hear what are Scott and Twyla’s final thoughts on it.
Shoutout to Kenji Kuramoto
52 - We’ll grow into AccountingLife
55 - Be careful with control
57 - Is Atomic Habits worth a 5-star rating?
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Season 3 BONUS | Recorded March 22, 2022
Welcome to the resurrection of the #5minLy
We’re back for another chat and your regular dose of quick-and-easy information. Today, our hosts go through the 7 micro habits to be a better leader. Although short compared to our usual episodes, this ain’t short on helpful tips on how we can better mange our firm and our employees. Listen in for more…
5minLy is co-hosted by Michael Ly, an accounting and fintech entrepreneur whose exposure to the startup accounting ecosystems has given him insights into the opportunities around the data sitting in accounting systems
7 micro habits that’ll help you become a better leader at your firm
- Champion your employees’ professional development
- Be present in the moment
- Create a periodic performance review, and follow it up
- Be a coach
- Be a human
- Be honest
- Share the praise and encourage others to do the same
Shoutout to Twyla Verhelst, CPA Karbon Earmark Xero Nikole Mackenzie, CPA Chewy
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Accounting High (aka Sons of CPAs Podcast)
Season 3 Episode 8 | Recorded 02-28-2022
Guest: Edward Mendlowitz, CPA
Hosts: Jason Ackerman, CPA and Scott Scarano, EA
Sponsor: Dark Horse CPAs - visit abetterway.cpa to learn more
Hosted by Scott and Jason, Ed shares the story of his accounting life. Not familiar with who Edward Mendlowitz is? He’s an accountant who has been in practice since 1974 and is now a Partner at Withum. This episode is a collection of stories about his practice and how he was able to adapt, innovate, and take on the challenges of the accounting space. Not a minute goes to waste as he shares his personal tips and tricks in running his business so be sure to give your 101% attention or you might miss the greatest tip you’ll ever need.
2 A lot of wisdom with Ed, none with Jason, and a little with Scott
Shoutout to CPA Journal
4 Ed, a legit Sons of CPA: I wanted to be a CPA like my father
5 It seemed to me that my father was a very powerful person because he had all these people who couldn't make decisions without getting his advice
7 Ed has been fixed price billing even before it was the hype
14 You gotta just look for the cracks
16 I have to charge you for what I did and it's pretty high
17 I love accounting, believe me. I love it, but it's not a hobby, it's a business and I gotta make money from it
19 Any client that paid me a fee was a good client… the fact whether I liked them or didn't like them was not relevant. I did a great job for them, they appreciated it, and they paid me my fees
24 You don't wanna put your fortune, your life at risk by dealing with people that are dishonest or out there breaking the law. That’s stupid
Shoutout to Ron Saharyan, Profit First Professionals
25 HOT STUFF!: How Ed made a big company not pay taxes for 7-8 years
30 Ed’s first partnership: Siegel Mendlowitz & Rich, PC
Shoutout to Seymour G. Siegel, The Wall Street Journal
32 On to the next ones: Mendlowitz Weitsen LLP and Withum Smith + Brown, PC
Shoutout to Peter Weitsen, Frank Boutillette, Withum, Paul Rich
35 You wanna grow, you gotta build infrastructure, you gotta do it right
37 If I could hold onto what I got, I'm never gonna do bad. I may not do great, but I'm never gonna do bad
40 You gotta give the salary that the people are worth. Not what they were worth when you hired them, but their worth after you made your investment in them. They now own that value
45 What has changed is the things that haven’t changed. What hasn’t changed is the attitude towards staff
49 Ed’s favorite part of accounting? Every single thing he’s done, Everything!
51 Ed’s advice on starting a firm? Get a client where you could get a check every month, get that annuity business
Shoutout to AICPA, Sidney Kess, Bill Hagaman
55 Ed’s parting tip for this episode? You gotta raise the fee every year. Your expenses go up every year. When you raise the fee, you're not increasing the fee, you're passing on your increased costs
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
shout out to all my CPAliens, you know who you are...
[Verse 1]
It’s the accounting firm owner, podcaster, amateur rapper
first time on the mic so listen close and hold your laughter
so, what’s hotter than a million-dollar cloud firm,
with low churn, there i go again, talking about myself, and
track, indicators, to perform on this platform
And now you ‘bout to see a southern EA reborn
I said i’m not a public certified accountant
and they say it’s not the tax you pay but what bracket you in
You got mail? send electric or post-dated to the I-R Service
Cause if we file a return that’s late, they all get nervous
So go get your Panda signed docs, and listen close bitches
the riches, come when you’re deeply penetrating niches
scar-a-no got taxed but i’m here and still alive
a felony for selling cocaine in two thousand five
and now i thrive, took a nosedive, but didn’t go to prison
i’ve said this all before, but i don’t think ya’ll even listen
[Hook]
Now toss your hands in the air
And wave 'em like you’re in despair
if your tax staff quits and you’re sick of this shit
Then everybody let me hear you say No Fa-ir
[Verse 2]
fixed asset depreciation or study cost segregation
For the property owner, and not the loaner
let me know when it’s time for print toner
If not I'll wait, because the future of the profession is gone
If the children of CPAs gon' be a daughter or son
Or are they the smartest regardless the platform they on?
I feel that if we take a break, it might just start to be fun
Or will they run out of funds and grab a p-p-p loan?
They wanna consult us on leadership, and finding your Why
Like Simon Sinek when you find it that’s a natural high
Land of Ron Baker or an acre of a cloud in my sky
Now banker, banker no more can I get Relay-Fi?
[Verse 3]
Foolish is how i act, but you know i ain’t no fool
Thinking about how a Podcast about accounting can be cool?
Like A-J to the E-S, cause we adjust the journal entries and
Homie, i think i made it, but i’m not automated,
finally ended client engagements that we tolerated
And now I'm rapping on a track that OutKast created
is it a Debit or a Credit?
are balance sheet numbers killing you softly?
intro the C-P-Aliens, and debit inventory
So Sorry, as I trade Scarano to Earmark
Found how to dismantle my anchor, and then depart
Then turned the page, now everybody's trying to find their spark?
A-R clerks stay serious even when they fart
a facade of being hilarious Shakespeare with no fear
protect vulnerable PCs but Macs are in the clear, okay?
I wasn’t locked away, i got a longer rep in this endeavor,
not low on ambition so I'm ready explore and get paid!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Accounting High (aka Sons of CPAs Podcast)
Season 3 Episode 7 | Recorded March 7, 2022
Guest: Rachel Fisch
Hosts: Jason Ackerman, CPA & Scott Scarano, EA
Sponsor: Dark Horse CPAs - visit abetterway.cpa to learn more
Welcome! Our guest today is the one, only and always Rachel Fisch. Rachel has over 20 years of experience in bookkeeping and accounting, with a number of those years running her own practice. She previously served as National Bookkeeping Lead for Deloitte and most recently was the Accountants Group Leader for Sage. She is also a dynamic speaker, and accounting vanguard, and presents at prestigious international conferences.
3 How Rachel got into accounting? Not intentionally ...?
Shout out to Liz Mason and High Rock Accounting
5 The accounting trajectory
Shout out to Winnipeg, Fisch Financial and FischBooks, AND FreshBooks
8 On NOT being lazy
Shout out to John Garrett and Green Apple Slices
11 Best part of connecting with other accountants?
Shout out to Accounting Salon
12 Mother Stories – Raising Adolescents
14 Rachel knows EV-ER-Y-BOD-Y!
Shout out to Sage, QB, and Xero
16 The role at High Rock and in accounting – moving people forward
17 What challenges?
19 The Holy Grails of accounting
Shout out to Hubdoc and Relay
21 Tax accounting in Canada
Shout out to TaxCycle, Canada Revenue Agency
24 The implosion of a firm
Shout out to the QuickBooks Training, QuickBooks Desktop, Peachtree, and Sage 50, Deloitte
30 Big Four bookkeeping foibles and mindset adjustments
Shout out to MNP
34 Some woulda-coulda-shouldas when you’re being bought out
37 Spiraling up (and down) at Sage and landing at High Rock
Shout out to Jay Kimmelman and Digital CPA, and Megan Tarnow, and Mobius
42 From both sides now ... balancing user feedback and product dev
45 Build, buy or partner?
46 High points of High Rocking
49 Scott Unchaperoned – What Sesame Street character would you be?
Shout out to Grover, Big Bird, and The Count
51 What chess piece are you? (Rachel = Knight)
54 On being remembered ...
Shout out to Liz Mason, Megan Tarnow, Chris Geno, and anyone who doesn’t know #TaxTwitter
62 Hackathon Talk
Shout out to Earmark Accounting Podcast, Blake Oliver, David Leary, Peter Wen
64 Visions of a successful year
Shout out to Rebel Rock Accounting
Connect with Rachel:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelfisch/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Fischbooks
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
To set the stage for our first cage match our first Friday Night Fight...
Accounting High presents... QuickBooks Online versus Xero, the cage match. Round one
nobody paid us for this product comparison
it was recorded on January 19, 2022
In the Xero Corner, we have
Zachary Call, CPA Partner & CPA at Weaver Call & House LC
In the QuickBooks Online Corner, we have
Michael Ly Fintech Entrepreneur | Cloud Accounting Executive | Online Bookkeeping | Speaker | Coach | Advisor
and
Paul Glantz, CPA Co-Founder and Director of Tax at Walker Glantz PLLC
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
FreshBookReports @ Accounting High (the miniseries)
Recorded March 4, 2022
Back with us today is Twyla Verhelst, CPA. Twyla is the distinguished director and leader of the FreshBooks Accounting Partner Program. She supports and empowers other accounting professionals as they help small businesses flourish.
Thank you to our sponsor of this miniseries, Freshbooks!
Atomic Habits for Accountants Part 2 of 3
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear. Whether you’ve read the book or you haven’t, this series of episodes will definitely open you up as to why it has been a favorite among our peers. Scott and Twyla give us an in depth look at what the four laws of behavioral change are and how we can use these laws to make or break our habits. Let’s hear how they applied these laws in their professional and personal affairs.
Shoutout Dhruv & Vimal (vic) Bava, CPA
4 It's a great book, an easy read. It’s something that changes based on your perspective and worldview at the time
Shoutout James Clear
8 1st law of behavioral change: Make It Obvious (Make It Invisible)
9 Scott shares a personal shift that he did in breaking a bad habit
12 Travel season: How can we keep up with our habits as we move away from our usual spaces
14 2nd law of behavioral change: Make it Attractive (Make It Unattractive)
15 Good habits can be very difficult to keep up with in the short-term
16 Ensuring that you do the things that are working towards your future self and where you’re going
18 Making “rewards” work towards our habit building
Shoutout to LuluLemon & MeetUp
21 3rd law of behavioral change: Make It Easy (Make It Difficult)
23 When a habit get easy and it gets automatic, that’s when it gets Atomic
27 It’s finding the time for that action and making that action easier and automated
31 Make the bad habits difficult
34 4th law of behavioral change: Make It Satisfying (Make It Unsatisfying)
35 What is rewarded is repeated
36 Habit tracking is part of the rewards. It’s obvious, attractive, and satisfying.
39 What should we track? Scott gives us an example of how tracking habits became beneficial to his accounting firm
42 It’s better to do less than you hoped than to do nothing at all
44 Scott and Twyla wrap up the 2nd part of this series with the 4 laws of behavioral change, building good habits and breaking bad habits as follows:
- Building Good; make it obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying
- Breaking Bad; making it invisible, unattractive, difficult, and unsatisfying
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
This is Poetry 101 brought to you by Accounting High (aka Sons of CPAs)
Sponsored by LiveFlow, be sure to give this episode a go, they can help you grow, check them out at liveflow.io
get 20% off for 3 months with promo code SONS at checkout, go to liveflow.io/sons
Your Hosts, Emcees, Poets
Nikole Mackenzie, CPA aka Niks
Scott Scarano aka Lil Toddler aka Slim Scotty aka Esquired (S²) aka OKR (OK Rapper)
Let’s give it up for this presentation
Your hosts share their poetic creations
Sick verses brought out by their imagination
What they do is entertain and impart education
Purpose? Connect the individuals in this profession
4 Nikole shares her personal use cases for LiveFlow. Automation with an exclamation (point)!
Go to liveflow.io/sons
6 cooler than a polar bear's toenails
Shoutout to OutKast, Andre 3000, Big Boi, Lil Wayne
8 an accounting firm owner, podcaster, and rapper spits them bars!
12 A tribute to OutKast, Scott’s writing this rap, but not so fast
Shoutout to Andre Nickatina, Simon Sinek, Ron Baker
15 I ain’t no fool thinking about how a podcast about accounting can be cool
Shoutout to John Garret, Ignition
18 ready to explore and get paid
Shoutout to Jason Ackerman, CPA, CFP, CGMA, Kenji Kuramoto
21 give it up for Niks as she throws down her sick licks
Shoutout to Chewy, Greg Kyte, Earmark, Cloud Accounting Podcast, Reach Reporting
24 #CPAliens we’re doing things that are foreign to the industry as a whole
Shoutout to Handwrytten, Ian Vacin, Karbon
29 This was written before I wrote it
Shoutout to Blake Oliver, CPA, Lorilyn Wilson
31 The evolution of getting CPEs in the present
Shoutout to Fathom, Jimmie Allen
35 People are the purpose and I purposefully work hard to stay ethically connected to the individuals in this profession
Shoutout to Dave Matthews Band
38 Educate and entertain authentically… That’s what we’re trying to do
Shoutout to Chase Birky, CPA, Justin Kürn, Dark Horse CPAs, Katy Perry
45 Does Scott need to change his profile photo in LinkedIn? Let us know!
Shoutout to Liz Mason, Digits
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Accounting High (aka Sons of CPAs Podcast)
Season 3 Episode 4 | Recorded February 22, 2022
Guest: Chris Williams, CEO of System Six
Hosts: Nikole Mackenzie, CPA & Scott Scarano, EA
Sponsor: Karbon - visit karbonhq.com to learn more
Today, Scott and Niks are joined by Chris Williams, Owner/CEO of System Six, a 100%-remote outsourced accounting services firm. Before System Six, Chris served as an advisor to and investor in medium-large sized businesses. He’s worked for several fast growing companies, and holds a business degree from Stanford.
2 - Chris = Cool (surprise engagements, running the media circuit, hitting the links ...)
Shout out to DWYT, Kenji Kuramoto
7 - How Chris’s finance background led to acquiring System Six
Shoutout to Jeremy Allen
11 - Numbers talk – revenue, and cashflow, and EBITDA, oh my!
15 - Why cloud accounting is so hot right now
17 - The System Six biz model
18 - Opportunity in operations issues
22 - Why it’s okay to lose clients
24 - Chris is living his best life and he's wearing 10 different hats!
26 - Learning curves inside System Six
29 - Talking profit share, work/life balance, and staff shuffling
32 - Cash v. Accrual v. Tax – the pain-point discussion
Shoutout to Tallyfor, Peter Wen and Michael Ly
37 - Should you switch to Karbon?
Shoutout to Karbon
41 - All about cybersecurity – email, system backups, passwords, insurance, etc.
Shout out to AWS, QBO, Azure
47 - Client conversions – should you, or shouldn’t you?
Shoutout to Xero, Gusto, and Google
49 - Tech Tool Talk
51 - Grading clients – the red flags
53 - Chris’s parting words of wisdom
Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review!
Connect with Chris:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-williams-68057029/
System Six: https://systemsix.com/
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Accounting High (aka Sons of CPAs Podcast)
Season 3 Episode 3 | Recorded May 31, 2022
In this episode, your hosts Scott and Niks discuss repricing hows, whats, whens, and whys. Curious how other firms do it? Is your repricing strategy working? What value-added services do you think your clients would love? Come join us as we find out more about how we can reprice our services and make the whole process easier for your firm and your clients
Thank you to our wonderful sponsor, LiveFlow... get 20% off for 3 months with promo code SONS at checkout, go to liveflow.io/sons
2 - Once you price, your job has just started
Shoutout to OnPay, Katelyn Hockmeyer
3 - Pricing: the switch from hourly to fixed-fee billing
4 - (re)Pricing our fees to our clients as their business grows (and our firms too)
Shoutout to Brandon Hall, Jason Staats, CPA, MBA
6 - Niks shares how her firm handles repricing
Shoutout to Ashley Carroll
11 - How can we identify our clients and customize our service to their needs
Shoutout to James Ashford
15 - Keeping things slow, steady, and natural
Shoutout to Christopher Leon
17 - Repricing woes with our clients
18 - Even if you’re not charging more, you should still be adding more value over time
Shoutout to Karbon, Ron Baker, Blake Oliver, CPA
22 - Will time tracking be a thing of the past due to Subscription-based billing?
26 - So either they're worried that they made too much or that they didn't make enough and they're shy. It's never just “here's my fucking numbers”
28 - It’s easier to sell to your existing clients than it is to get new clients
31 - If they could manage the relationship and they can manage the no's and yes's, and they understand the value that they’re bringing, that’s not chaotic at all
Shoutout to Jeff Phillips, Shane Mason, and AJ
36 - Scott and Niks discuss pricing your clients based on a percentage of their revenue. Scaling with your clients as they grow
Shoutout to Ferrari, TheraNest, TherapyNotes, Xero, QuickBooks
38 - The influence of influencers
Shoutout to Jody Grunden
43 - How do you pick your niche?
Shoutout to Growbots, Madeline Reeves, Fearless Foundry
46 - You always know you’re going to get taken care of whenever you use a client’s services
49 - Niks and Scott share their firm's MRR... and their one-off compliance work is just icing on the cake
Shoutout to Anisha Harjani, Kenji Kuramoto
54 - Stay tuned for more AccountingHigh content. Peace out!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Season 03 Episode 02 | Recorded February 21, 2022
Guest: Randall J. Crabtree, CPA (as per his CPA Certificate, but we're still not sure if "Jack" is spelled out, or if they just have the J)
Hosts: Scott Scarano and Jason Ackerman, CPA, CFP, CGMA
With us today is the Co-Founder and Partner of Tri-Merit, Randy Crabtree, who specializes in R&D Tax Credits, Cost Segregation, 179D, and 45LR. Also, host at The Unique CPA, a show where they go beyond compliance into forging new pathways of delivering value to clients, diversifying your revenue streams, and leading-edge management techniques and styles
Today we get to hear about how going into niches and specialties make your firm better, or does it? Find out more as you listen and you’ll surely pick up a thing or two on how to best play on your strengths whether it’s on your personality or your skills.
2 Riches in R&D Niches: Randy shares how they started going deep into the niches they specialize in
Shoutout to Andrew Lane
5 Don’t try to make yourself something you’re not
6 Ti-Merit’s transition from percentage-fees to fixed-fees but value-based
8 Holy cow! There's a big opportunity for taxpayers to save money with this, or put money back into businesses
10 Did you tweet your Waze drives? Cause Scott did, unintentionally... yikes!
Shoutout to Waze, Twitter
11 #TaxTwitter
13 Having too much fun to realize if you’re working too much or too little
16 I wouldn't be surprised when $17MM is $35MM in just a couple of years
Shoutout to Nicholas Pantaleo, CPA
19 Back at it again to the numbers game with Randy
20 Does your wife call you Randall? Do your parents call you Randall?
22 Randy on selling R&D study and Cost Seg: I never sell anything so I don't have a pitch. What I do is educate
23 Going deep into the R&D tax credit
30 Randy’s path into living the best life
Shoutout to John Garret, Earmark
36 The Unique CPA podcast: How it started
39 Oh how the tables have turned: Jason on the numbers game this time!
40 Jumping from the generalist to the specialist
44 Randy’s best piece of advice? Don’t force a square peg into a round hole
Shoutout to Joshua Lance, CPA, CGMA
46 Token Tax wink wink
49 Reaching for the stars
Shoutout to Ron Baker
50 Aaaaaaaand that’s a wrap! Make sure you’re subscribed to this garde art piece of a podcast, Sons of CPAs/Accounting High
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
FreshBookReports @ Accounting High (the miniseries) - Episode 1 | Recorded March 4, 2022
Sponsored by Freshbooks
Please welcome our newest faculty member at Accounting High, Twyla Verhelst, CPA
Twyla is the distinguished director of the Accountant Channel and leader of the FreshBooks Accounting Partner Program. She supports and empowers other accounting professionals as they help small businesses flourish.
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear. Whether you’ve read the book or you haven’t, this series of episodes will definitely open you up as to why it has been a favorite among our peers. Hosted by Scott Scarano, we get to hear from him and Twyla about how it impacted them in their practice and life, in general.
Atomic Habits for Accountants Part 1 of 3
2 This is a fresh take on a fresh book
Shoutout Freshbooks
3 The accounting profession is full of people who are constantly looking for opportunities to improve and we’re no different
Shoutout James Clear
6 I believe that you get what you need from a book at the time you read it, and some books are worthy of reading multiple times, for those books you are often rewarded in different ways each time you’re readying them.
8 Scott's dilemma, he's either all in on something or I'm all out of it, never in the middle
12 Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become
13 Systems and goals: If you’re focusing on the systems and processes then you’re more likely to achieve your goals.
16 You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems
21 When habits become automatic you may start to see some BIG shifts in your life, but it’s a buildup of A LOT of the LITTLE things
Shoutout Eminem & Michael Jordan
23 Automatic and Automation: How they impact your profitability
26 Habits reduce cognitive load and free up mental capacity by making the fundamentals of life easier, you can create the mental space needed for free thinking and creativity
29 If you don't have to make a choice, you have a much better time with all of the other things, especially the big things
31 Self-talk: How it can help you become the person you want to be
34 When everybody becomes your friend, then you learn so much more
37 Becoming the person that you want to be, starts with changing the person that you are
38 Let’s hear how the Feedback Loop worked for Scott and his firm
40 Twyla talks about her Video Per Day Experiment #vpdexperiment
42 Scott and Twyla wrap up the first part of this miniseries, stay tuned for the next episode!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
NiksTips on Promotions, as in when do you promote your employees? and the systems around that...
Thank you to our wonderful sponsor, LiveFlow... get 20% off for 3 months with promo code SONS at checkout, go to liveflow.io/sons
Co-Host; Nikole Mackenzie, CPA.
Niks helps agency owners save money, increase revenue, stay compliant, save time, eliminate stress, and ultimately give them the freedom to scale their recurring revenue businesses to a multimillion $ exit.
What makes a good manager? What can and should you do if you want to be promoted? What are business owners factoring in when considering a promotion? Today, Scott and Niks give us a peek at how, as firm owners, they go through the process of promoting staff.
6 Let’s hear from Niks the use cases of LiveFlow at her firm and how it has helped them automate their work processes
Big shoutout to LiveFlow
9 Sons of CPAs are like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get
Shoutout to numbers grrrrrl
10 Start small but start big at the same time. Niks explains what this is about and how she goes about applying this in her firm
Shoutout to 15Five
12 It’s really important for team members to know where they stand and to know where they need to go
15 Scott and Niks share their views on sharing your (financial) numbers (as a business) with your team
Shoutout to Ashley Carroll
17 Scott and Niks question if salary should be based on employee location and how this is changing/adapting as more companies embrace remote work
19 Promotions based on tenure?
24 We discuss how business owners view promotions. What should we consider when promoting our staff?
27 Bring in people that are better than you
29 Promotions: Is it about the money or the title?
32 Scott shares insights on how staff accountability is handled at his firm
Shoutout to Chris Leon, Matthew Meyer, Karbon
37 Net profit sharing vs Gross profit sharing
Shoutout to Nick Sinclair, TOA Global
39 Salary being state-normalized to world-normalized
Shoutout to Chad Davis
44 Communication, transparency, and metrics. What’s being factored in a promotion?
47 The nice part about having these salary ranges or just one salary for this position is you don't have to make those emotional decisions
50 The grass is always going to be greener on the other side
51 Did you know you can earn CPEs by listening to this podcast? check out Earmark
Shoutout to Earmark
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Season 2 Episode 24 | Recorded February 18, 2022
Today, we’ve got Eminem x 2 ... no, wait, M&Ms...and we’re going to let Matthew translate all things crypto, the Kenji plague, and his journey from employee to Tech CPA.
Matthew May, CPA joined Acuity to translate accounting for entrepreneurs. He does this by helping navigate tax and accounting rules and speaking entrepreneur, not an accountant; now, most people want to chat him up about cryptocurrency and blockchain. Matthew also likes to volunteer in the Georgia technology community and serves on the board of the Atlanta Technology Angels. He’s also got a seat on the Venture Atlanta Advisory Board.
Marcus Mire, our honorable repeat co-host, is an entrepreneurial CPA helping clients become more efficient using cloud accounting and proactive tax planning at his firm, MireGroup CPAs.
1 Eminem envy?
3 Matthew’s Before
Shoutout Arthur Andersen, EY, Austin, Atlanta, and Kenji Kuramoto
5 Kenji and Matthew take over the world
Shoutout Acuity, stupid multiples, and the Baylor Bears
7 Old v. New – which way works better in accounting?
9 On being the Fall Guy
Shoutout KPMG, Deloitte, and EisnerAmper
11 Building the product that serves the underserved
13 Best part of escaping the Big Four
15 Building the change-management muscle
Shoutout Tupac, Black Sabbath, Bowie, and anyone else who sings about change
17 Talking equity, profit sharing, and employee ownership models
Shoutout Catching Clouds, Patti and Scott Scharf, and Lisa Gilreath, Acuity’s COO
21 80 years of marriage, the rules of drinking, and abstinence?
24 A tropical token story ...
Shoutout BBI, St. Thomas, Ethereum, Bitcoin, Ivy Rose, and Blue Ivy
27 From the sidelines – Matthew’s crypto expertise, and why he doesn’t play
Shoutout AICPA Engage, Xerocon San Diego, and Consensus
33 NFTs – what are they, really?
Shoutout Budweiser, Drink While You Think, and Andy Warhol
38 Matthew’s killer stablecoin idea
Shoutout U.S. Treasury, Tether
40 Name your price – what would entice Matthew to sell Acuity?
Shoutout VerifyIQ, Super Bowl ads, and angel investing
43 Tech + CPA + Entrepreneur
Shoutout Cherry Bekaert, Entrepreneurs' Organization
46 AAAlliteration
Shoutout all the A-words, Ackerman (the Jason variety), and acronyms
48 Eggs, kegs, dope-ass tailgating, and bonding
Shoutout Coley and JW
52 One is the loneliest number in entrepreneurism
Shoutout EMINƎM, Proof, Matthew Meyer, AccountingWEB San Diego, XPAC (the Xero Partners Advisory Council), Scott’s imaginary publicist, the very real Gaynor Hardy, and Drip Blue Dream
Matthew May, Founder, VP Sales and Marketing, Acuity
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thetechcpa/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thetechcpa
Website: https://acuity.co/
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/drink-while-you-think/id1593236213
Marcus Mire, CPA
Website: https://mire.group/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MireCpa
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/make-it-count-with-marcus-mire-cpa/id1561004984
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
here's a BONUS chat with Chad Davis... and a preview of what to expect from Accounting High (School)
Welcome to Accounting High! In this episode, we get to know more about the whats and whys of Podcasting from Scott and Chad. They share and scrutinize the ideas of how their episodes of AutomationTown and Sons of CPAs (Accounting High) come to life. Hear how authenticity reflects on the product and why talking to people that are smarter than you is the smart thing to do
1 We all have to graduate middle school sometime, and the Sons are evolving. Evolution is what Accounting High is all about, the evolution of the accounting profession and making room for the next generation. Accounting High is the new school High School, but our listeners know that it's also a nod to getting high. I think in four years we'll be a bit more grown-up/mature and graduate... then we’ll change the name to "Accounting U"
Shoutout to Yeti, Shure, Jason Staats
2 Let’s hear from Chad what was the driving force behind starting their podcast (AutomationTown)
Shoutout to Paul O’Mara
4 You gotta be comfortable with doing some shitty stuff at first
Shoutout to Zapier, Make (formerly Integromat)
6 Authenticity is hard to come by but it shows on what you’re producing
Shoutout to Blake Oliver
9 This is for fun and something you can throw on while you’re at a barbeque
Shoutout to Ignition
13 Chad hopes to reach people in positions that kind of hate the monotomous part of their jobs and they can take some inspiration from the actions that occur
17 People don’t agree with the way Chad sells accounting services, but he has a great relationship with the clients that come on board
Shoutout to Xero
22 Podcasts: How can we market them to mainstream operations people?
Shoutout to Expensify
24 Let’s find out what goes through Scott’s mind as he thinks about the future of Podcasting
Shoutout to Nikole Mackenzie, Michael Ly, Jason Ackerman, Ron Baker, Peloton
29 What will differentiate Accounting High from Sons of CPAs
Shoutout to Relay
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Season 2 Episode 23 | Recorded February 7, 2022
Guest: Chad Davis, CPA the Co-Founder of LiveCA and Co-Host of AutomationTown
Hosts: Zachary Call and Scott Scarano
Sponsor: Dark Horse CPAs - abetterway.cpa
Listen in as we pick Chad’s brain, as there's no shortage of great information up there. How to be intentional and naturally solve problems. Manage a team of over 100ppl. Chad lives in an RV w/ his wife and two kids, down by the river. + what the hell is NO-CODE!?
3 Chad shares how he co-founded LiveCA with Josh Zweig back in 2013.
Shoutout Josh Zweig, Xero, Will Lopez, and Freshbooks
5 Tech & Tax: Chad is the Tech as Josh is the Tax
Shoutout Johnny McEvoy, Bill Kimball, Herschel Co., Peter Wen, Ryan Lazanis, and Jason Staats
9 How Xero has been a bridge that connected all of us in this community.
Shoutout Maria Phillips, Slack, Dave MacPherson, Donut app
13 Chad opens up about how the firm evolves as they add more team members
Shoutout Baalkis Hassan, Tyler Bradley
19 How a 6-week trip turned into 4-years(and counting) on the road
Shoutout Scout’s Barbershop, Kenji Kuramoto
23 Try traveling with your toilet, it’s insane! It’s so good!
Shoutout outschool.com
29 Hiring process: Giving people a chance to test us out is more important than us testing them out
Shoutout Teach:able, Videoask by Typeform, Trakstar, CloudAccountingJobs.com, Belay
38 Zachary asks Chad if they give potential clients the “try before you buy” experience
Shoutout Bubble, Emily Spanik
44 NO-CODE and how Chad and Co were able to create their own tools
Shoutout Twilio, Make (formerly Integromat), Stripe, Realize, Alex Oxford and TaxValet
52 Changing the way we think about employee compensation
53 Being in the New Mexico Desert in an RV... we're getting a Breaking Bad vibe
Shoutout Ignition, Relay, Fiverr
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
PTO stands for Paid Time Off
this is #NiksTips Bonus, Scott Scarano & Nikole Mackenzie take on choice topics (that start with the letter P) as it relates to running their professional accounting firms. Today's topic is PTO, where we discuss PTO and policies at our accounting firm.
I don't know if it's cheating that we're doing an acronym for today's topic, just using the letter P as the P-word, but I guess now we're opening up the door to P-acronyms...
We both have Unlimited PTO at our accounting firms. What's your PTO policy?
But, for now, let's scope back out, Why this topic? Why PTO?
Niks selected this topic today because recently she's been getting back into doing client work and she hasn't done client work in a long time. And so she's starting to feel the burn of what the team feels when they take any time off. Niks went on vacation for just one day and started to get text messages from clients and realized, "oh gosh, we don't have a system for when someone takes time off, I'm sure that when our team goes on vacation, they're getting text messages from clients, we're always so embedded in our client's business, and there's always payroll that needs to be run and invoicing and cashflow issues, how hard it must be for everyone to go on vacation or checkout. It's really challenging."
So how do we structure a healthy PTO policy for our teams that doesn't disrupt the day-to-day needs and challenges of the business? What technology do we use? What are our processes so that we can actually allow our team to go on vacation, so we have this unlimited PTO policy, and we're trying to encourage people to go on vacation, but they're not going on vacation... how do we solve this?
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Season 2 Episode 22 | Recorded February 7, 2022
Marie Phillips was named the Top 50 Women in Accounting by Ignition and is a cloud accounting industry leader. With over a decade of experience in accounting services, she provides process efficiency consultation for her clients to automate their businesses and personal lives better.
She started Connected Accounting to be able to help more entrepreneurs, business owners, and individuals. Currently, her practice services:
• Professional service firms (legal, wealth management, marketing, etc.)
• Consumer product brands (manufacturing, e-Commerce)
• Real estate management companies (commercial, multi-family units)
• Franchises (hospitality, fitness)
Additionally, she supports early-stage entrepreneurs in building the foundation of their businesses while offering an accountability partner throughout their growth. Through this work, she helped multiple clients transform their businesses from zero income to profitability.
Marie’s entrepreneurship mindset came from launching Gursey Schneider LLP’s client accounting services’ (CAS) practice where she helped increase CAS revenue by minimum 40% each year and develop a team of 5. With her team, she serviced professional service firms, real estate, film production, family offices and high-net worth clients.
Before her accounting consultant work, Marie was a financial analyst managing the profit and loss statements for two global brands: Forever 21, Inc. and PepsiCo. At Forever 21, she managed the consolidation of profit and loss statements of 550 stores worldwide. At PepsiCo, she led the national consolidation of the profit and loss statement and analysis of product lines.
Marie's passion is rooted in her commitment to helping people reach their personal and professional goals — particularly within financial and accounting empowerment. Through this passion, she coaches people using accountability and strategic, organizational routines to help them visualize and plan their path to consistent success. She leverages technology and her organizational methods to help others save time by streamlining accounting processes and other time-consuming tasks.
An avid learner and self-development enthusiast, Marie attends several conferences annually: Unleash the Power Within by Tony Robbins, DFK International Conferences on how to be a better leader (based on Patrick Lencioni’s books), meditation retreats, and of course accounting conferences — including her favorite, Xerocon.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Hello, and welcome to our special bonus #CAShCrew series on Sons of CPAs with your host, Scott Scarano Today we're talking about creating flexible infrastructures in your accounting firm, with a very special guest Marie Phillips, CPA of Connected Accounting ... gotta have some buoyancy in your accounting firms
The Ca$hCrew is connected with community, comradery, collaboration, and culture.... today's episode is brought to you by the letter C
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Another special BONUS featuring some of our great friends at THE GrowthLab FaaS
Today we're pleased to be joined by Heather Satterly, CPA and Steven Byler.
Heather is the newly appointed CIO (Chief Innovation Officer) of The GrowthLab and co-host of the Appy Hour; Heather is also the Founder of Satterley Training & Consulting LLC, a firm dedicated to helping accounting professionals gain the skills and confidence to explore and adopt new accounting technology. Also the founder of Satterley Accounting Services, a bookkeeping, and tax firm located in Rhode Island, providing clients order, simplicity, and clarity in their financials. As well as the Co-Host of The 'Appy Hour with Liz and Heather, a bi-monthly webinar series dedicated to educating accounting professionals about the latest trends in accounting technology and automation techniques.
Steven Byler is the President & Co-Founder of The GrowthLab, a Finance-as-a-Service (FaaS) company that serves Founders and Management Teams with Financial Planning, Accounting, and CFO support. GrowthLab specializes in helping startups, emerging growth companies, and companies in turnaround mode by providing leadership and execution with their financial management, accounting, and strategic planning functions.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Season 2 Episode 21 | Recorded January 31, 2022 Today we're pleased to present you Mr. Tate Henshaw, CFP, who has run point on projects for Grammy winners, TV personalities, and NBA All-Stars. He's even been named as one of the top 40 accountants under 40 in the nation and one of the top 50 cloud accountants in North America. While he's enjoyed bringing confidence and consistency to his clients, his true passions lie in three areas: faith, family and music.
We learn how Tate went from employee (team) to employer (coach), and talk about the hardest, most difficult, but best decision Tate’s made so far and where he and Arc Business Management go from here.
1 All about Tate, mostly since the middle of the pandemic, anyway ...
Shout out to Xero
2 Going straight for the steak – Tate’s firm’s pricing and biz models – specializing in serving music, entertainment, and professional sports
7 The communication non-gap
10 The model client for Tate’s firm
12 Why the athletes, influencers, and stars need financial assistance of the accounting kind
15 Relationship building by extracting deers from lakes ...
19 The Four Qs – gross revenue, employee count, gross margin, and year-end analysis
22 How did Tate make the jump?
Shout out to Lorne Clark, and Polay, Clark, and Co.
24 Rooms with elephants
26 The hardest, most difficult, best decision Tate made
29 Woulda-coulda-shouldas and other learning from starting a firm
Shout out to Liz Mason
32 From coworker to boss – how it changes a relationship
35 Marketing Etiquette 101 – Permissions
Shout out to Blake Griffin, XPAC, Edward Norton, Eric Church, Zach Galifianakis, Chris Farley
38 ARC’s big picture view
Shout out to Richard Branson, Venus Williams, Paris Hilton
41 All about the best swag and the deductibility of breast implants
Shout out to Chesty Love
44 Tate’s parting advice – bet on yourself, and keep your employees happy
Find Tate here:
Website: ARCmgmt.co
Twitter: https://twitter.com/arcbusinessmgmt
Tate’s personal Twitter: https://twitter.com/str8t814
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tatehenshaw/
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Accounting Conference Season 2022 is in full force, and our hosts are certainly well qualified in that arena, as of early June our hosts have been to a combined total of 18 different accounting conferences... aka partying
Thank you to our wonderful sponsor, LiveFlow, and get 20% off for 3 months with promo code SONS
Check em out at liveflow.io/sons
Life is just one big party, if you approach it with style and grace… Today we’re pleased to participate in this podcast with our pal Kenji Kuramoto in another plus version of NiksTips
Shout out to Ryan Lazanis and Heather Smith
There’s a silent majority of people out there that don’t particularly like conferences and we’re here to shine some light on the benefits of going to some of these events, especially with XeroCon 2022 on the horizon in NOLA
Shout out to Earmark and Blake Oliver
Shout out to Shelly Lingor, Will Lopez, Jamie Shulman and Jamie McDonald
Shout out to Amanda Aguillard and Dave Emmerman
NiksTips
When you sign up for a conference create a “burner” email
Shout out to Josh Lance at Ignition and Twyla Verhelst at FreshBooks
Shout out to Justin Hatch at Reach Reporting and Will Lopez at Gusto and Scott Scharf and Patti Scharf, Keri Gohman, Steve Vamos, Matthew May, Nicole Davis, Jason Ackerman, Greg Kyte
Check out AccountingConferences.com shout out to David Leary
Thank you listeners for making it this far. We appreciate you.
Please leave us a review Apple Podcasts because 60% of you are listening on Apple.
So please go on there and write something. And I promise you, I will read it. if you want Nikole to read it, she will, or if you want Kenji to read it, he'll come on another “Plus” one.
Yeah, definitely make sure to add in the comment who you want to read this, putting the comment who you want to read this out loud, and you can say any single thing you want. We will say it on air.
(Only if you leave a five star, if you leave a four star review we’re going to leave a few words off)
Thank you listeners we love you. And tap 5 stars if you’re on Spotify!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Season 2 Episode 20 | Recorded January 24, 2022
thank you to our supporters this week! Amaka.com
On today’s episode, Scott and Zach tackle the tough subjects, such as staying sober, dressing up, touching knees, Mormon mentioning, subtle jabs, and more with the very special self-proclaimed cartoonist, MC, CPE presenter, standup comedian, comptroller, podcast host, fry-sauce connoisseur, and master of all thing CPE comedy Greg Kyte.
*A little tongue-twisting talk on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, choirs, and context
*On being the son of a wool-monger and grandson of a Boeing financial forecaster, and Greg’s angelic childhood demeanor
*How Greg made it from middle-school math teacher to CPA by way of a summer job and standup
*Resolving Scott’s need for attention... without chopsticks
*About Greg’s work ethic, and integrity and what really drives him – the fear of failure
*Living life as an ambivert
*The art of cartooning
*Greg’s history of podcasting
*Pricing shaming
*Investment strategy turned life plan: 85% security, 15% crapshoots
*Barbells, Speedos, and tigers – oh my!
*Freedom and Free CPE with Oh My Fraud! (Now with 11 episodes to hear!)
*Fry sauce matters – two parts mayo, one part ketchup, catsup, or however you spell it where you live ...
Check out Greg’s toons: https://www.instagram.com/exposuredrafts/
Listen to Oh My Fraud: https://ohmyfraud.com/
Talk to Greg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkyte/
Get your UT Fry Sauce merch here: https://utfrysauce.com/
A Thrivecast discussion on perfecting niches: https://thriveal.com/resources/podcast-episode/niches-bring-stitches-and-an-interview-with-jason-blumer/
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable https://amzn.to/3NnMcf6
Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder https://amzn.to/3MfBGoV
Shout out to that church with all the words, that choir that got renamed, that place that makes The Dude’s cardigan, Pendleton, The Journal of Accountancy, monkey bars, Oprah, Men at Work, The Police, all the children of the ‘80s, Gusto, teleprompters, Oh My Fraud!, Venn diagrams, Gary Larson, Scott Adams, Dilbert, Caleb Newquist, The Far Side, Going Concern, Rubik Yeriazarian and RuBook Creative, EY, Divvy, the law of attraction, Jason Blumer, Thrivecast, Tom Hood, Accounting Today, Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Sam's No. 3
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
thank you to our supporters this week, Amaka, the gold standard in accounting automation and integrations, visit amaka.com
Do you take on projects at your accounting firm? most accounting firms i talk to nowadays don't really want to take on projects...
tbh, we're kind of scared of projects. Sometimes I'm so scared to price them. I'm scared that they're going to be the wrong project and take too much time. And then it's all everybody's talking about at the firm is this client with this big project and we're still not done with it, and it's been seven months...
So let's define a project. when I say people don't want to take on projects, what am I referring to?
I think of a project as something that is not going to be recurring or unlikely to be recurring....
So for example, someone comes to you and they want to sell their business and they need three or five years of financials recreate it and then possibly help them through due diligence. And then they're gone so huge spike in work, but potentially if you price it right, you can make a lot of money...
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Season 2 Episode 19 | Recorded January 24, 2022
In this episode, Jason and Scott are joined by Shane Mason, CPA/PFS, CFP®, CPWA® to talk about mustaches, method acting, and the mastery of the myriad letters behind his name.
-
The obsession with credentials
-
Shane’s accounting adventure – from education to letter collecting
-
Nish? Neetch? Nitching? Niched? (We still aren’t sure)
-
Moving from PwC to NY via sailboat
-
Racing towards a self-sustaining business
-
On being necessary
-
Why investment advising intimidates
-
Behavior = ROI
-
Sampling workflows – what worked, what didn’t
-
Pricing – how Brooklyn FI makes it work (hint: no tracking time)
-
Navigating the market crapshoot
-
One time on a podcast ... Shane met AJ
-
Why firing sucks but why it can be a necessity
-
On using LinkedIn Recruiter
-
Why Brooklyn FI fired clients
-
Scott says lead with your knees, no ... Niche!
-
The hard question – defining FI
-
Circling around the “Net” question
-
Tooth Fairy economics
-
Evaluating and managing PITA margins
-
Brooklyn FI’s build of equity compensation analysis software
-
Looking ahead
-
Shane’s advice – partner power
Visit Shane here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanemasoncpacfp
Check out The Liquidity Event podcast a listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-liquidity-event/id1576748996
Shout outs: Ole Miss, Clemson, Mississippi, faceless porn stars, Brooklyn FI, PwC Austin, Mason Tax, Jetpack Workflow, TaxDome, Karbon, Jason+, Ackerman+, Apple, Tate Henshaw, Palantir, Moneysplained, Lacerte, Charlotte, The Outsourced Accountant, Ignition, Traction, XY Planning Network, Ryan Lazanis, Future Firm, and all you other fabulous people we failed to mention!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
thank you LiveFlow, visit liveflow.io/sons and get 20% off for 3 months with promo code SONS
Niks breaks down perfectionism in an accounting firm...
Perfectionism is often defined as the need to be or appear to be perfect, even to believe that it's possible to achieve perfection. It is typically viewed as a positive trait rather than a flaw. People may use the term healthy perfectionism to describe or justify perfectionist behavior.
if you're a perfectionist, I don't think that you should run a business
when I think of perfectionism, I also think of delegation because people who are perfectionists can't delegate, but I see you as the ultimate delegator because you basically have somebody else running your business
I wouldn't call myself a perfectionist, but I'd like things done, right. If I know. If it doesn't get done, right. It's going to create problems later. I'm a big fan of a one-way workflow
know your weaknesses, know your strengths. but then also, you know, while you're doing something always know that there's room for improvement and that you don't already have something that is perfect.
Expect your systems to always need to be improved upon. this way you leave room for margin of error and for improvement
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Season 2 Episode 18 | Recorded January 21, 2022
Today, we’re talking about the Artist Formerly Known as π (PI) … Guy Pearson, CEO of Ignition, about all the personal and professional goings-on in his world – marriage, funding rounds, rebranding, moving, and achieving a puppy, and what's ahead for Ignition.
Visit Ignition: https://www.ignitionapp.com/
Connect with Guy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guypearson1/?originalSubdomain=au
What's on the menu:
- Haircuts – or the lack thereof
- Why the rebranding?
- Anatomy of a firm – Karbon is the skeleton; Ignition is the heart; the blood is Xero and Gusto; the fingers are Digits; the eyes are LivePlan...
- How Ignition helps firms move toward advisory
- No more “P” swag ...
- Ignition – The professional-services Airbnb
- The Canadian component
- Integrations – Xero, Gusto, Karbon, and more
- GoProposal v. Ignition = More Feature Updates?
- On being an extroverted introvert, and extroverted entrepreneur
- Guy’s growing pains * No Fyre Festivals here!
- All about the Series C, other funding rounds, and cleaning house
- Uniforms of choice – Shorts, T-shirts, and Hawaiian shirts
- The real reason for Ignition – People
- Round pegs, square holes, and staying true
- Annihilating scope creep and sticker shock
- What Guy misses about running a firm
Reading: The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations https://amzn.to/39MfsNC
Shout out to Ignition, Michael Ly, Josh Lance, Blake Oliver, Talbot Sayer, John Lennon, Eddie Vedder, Ignition’s design and marketing teams, Gusto, Thomson Reuters, Intuit, Xero, Zapier, James Ashford, Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos, Tiger Global, EVP, LivePlan, Jirav and all who we appreciate but may have failed to mention here!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
BONUS to Season 2 Episode 17
Thanks to our sponsor, BooksTime! Visit bookstime.com/accountants
We’ve got a bonus ep today – Happy One-Year-iversary to Sons of CPAs! Today, we’re going to review our firms to see what went right, wrong, or other, and what we’re going to change.
this is the first solo "Scott + Ackerman" episode since Season 1 Episode 1 ... get ready for some time shits
-
Defining our firms’ successes
-
Hard numbers for Scarano
-
Scott’s fear of decisions and making them
-
Stepping away from the day-to-day
-
Being an artist trapped in an accountant’s body
-
When to prune the growth mindset
-
Jason is hesitantly happy with where his firm is at
-
The main focus is client service/satisfaction
-
Factoring opportunity costs – mundane tasks v. upping services
-
Hard numbers for Ackerman
-
The cadence of meetings
-
The aftermath of COVID on firm culture
-
How BNA is encouraging non-mandatory team building
-
Jason’s personal goal is delegation
-
Processes for consistency rather than efficiency
-
Can people be managed?
-
Scott’s goal – Let it go
Don’t forget to check out Earmark CPE (earmarkcpe.com) to get free CPE credit for listening to podcasts like this one!
Shout Outs: Chris Leon, Matthew Meyer, and the rest of Scott's Padgett team, Jason’s Dad, Lorin, and the rest of Ackerman's BNA team, Xero, Ron Baker, Timeshits, LivePlan and anyone else we mentioned but forgot to mention here!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Season 2 Episode 17 | Recorded January 17, 2022
this episode is sponsored by Xero. beautiful business.
The Sons are honored and privileged to have THE Ron Baker on our podcast today. Scott can now drop his mic and slowly back away. Getting into the “spirit” of things, Ron talks about the real soul of enterprise, the spiritual v. physical, why timesheets are not useful, how Ron found his footing in the CPA world, and his grand unifying theory of everything.
-
The four defenses of timesheets – except for “The Lord doesn’t want me to throw them out ...”
-
CPAs are just historians with really shitty memories.
-
Better measures – turnaround time, keeping promises, HSDs, the NPS and value gaps
-
The three KPIs of every major airline in the world, except North Korea’s
-
Why Ron thinks airlines have gone too far with their nickel-and-diming
-
The awesomeness of being first in line
-
How CPA firms can be better pricers
-
How to replace timesheets
-
Flipping the script – measure the customer
-
Relationships aren’t efficient – they either grow or die
-
To be innovative is the antithesis of efficiency
-
The sin of running a firm at full capacity
-
The birth of fixed pricing c. 1989
-
Scientism (not related to Scientology ...)
-
Why are futurists charlatans?
-
Refining your client-selection criteria
-
Riches are in the nitches, bitches!
-
Satisficing – the art of doing “good enough”
-
Next time – subscriptions!
Check out Ron’s latest tome: Implementing Value Pricing: A Radical Business Model for Professional Firms https://amzn.to/39Pfe8y
Listen to The Soul of Enterprise - https://www.thesoulofenterprise.com/
Shoutouts – Thomas Sowell, George Gilder, and “The Spirit of Enterprise,” Joshua Bell, Benjamin Franklin, Toyota, Frederick Winslow Taylor, Coincident indicators, FedEx, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Reginald Heber Smith, Google stuff, all of it, Kabuki, McDonald’s uniforms, Hydras, Socrates, Columbo, Paul Kennedy, and O'Byrne and Kennedy, Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Pisenti & Brinker, Sparky, Ed Kless, Harvard Business Review, all the non-Zuckerberg, non-Bezos, and non-Branson types, Jody Padar, and everyone else we forgot to mention!
Time Shits - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8RSBwSGlp8
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
BONUS - Rebroadcast of Episode 65 of The Unique CPA ...and it is “pure vaporware”
Randy and Scott have a great time talking about everything under the sun, from beer and other methods of “relaxation,” to one of the key tenets of The Unique CPA: The changing face of public accounting, which also happens to be a heavy focus of this show.
Check out The Unique CPA Podcast at https://tri-merit.com/podcasts/
About the Guest Scott Scarano is the Owner and President of Padgett Business Services of Raleigh-Durham. He founded the Sons of CPAs podcast in 2021.
Scott’s “Why” is empowering all growth-minded entrepreneurs in his reach to thrive and prosper by approaching problems from a different perspective and analyzing solutions.
Scott earned his B.B.A. in Accounting from Campbell University, graduating Summa Cum Laude. Upon graduation, he spent several years working as a staff accountant at local CPA firms in Durham, NC, when Scott discovered his passion for working with small businesses. He is a licensed Enrolled Agent and a certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor.
Meet the Host Randy Crabtree, CPA co-founder and partner of Tri-Merit Specialty Tax Professionals, is a widely followed author, lecturer and podcast host for the accounting profession. Schaumberg, Illinois-based Tri-Merit is a niche professional services firm that specializes in helping CPAs and their clients benefit from R&D tax credits, cost segregation, the energy efficient commercial buildings deduction (179D), the energy efficient home credit (45L) and the employee retention credit (ERC). Prior to joining Tri-Merit, Crabtree was managing partner of a CPA firm in the greater Chicago area. He has more than 30 years of public accounting and tax consulting experience in a wide variety of industries, and has worked closely with top executives to help them optimize their tax planning strategies. all the shout outs
Randy Crabtree, Nikole Mackenzie, John Garrett, Josh Lance, Kristen Keats, Terrell Turner, Blake Oliver, Jason Ackerman, Xero, Liz Mason, High Rock, Lil Wayne, GKUA, Byron Patrick, Botkeeper, Padgett, Jeff Phillips, Amanda Aguillard, Ignition, GoProposal, James Ashford, Ron Baker, Mike Michalowicz, Jody Grunden, Acuity, Matthew May, Kenji Kuramoto, Scott Scharf, Patti Scharf
Important Links Sons of CPAs on Apple and Spotify
Scott Scarano on Twitter
Scott Scarano on LinkedIn
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
liveflow.io/sons get 20% off for 3 months with promo code SONS welcome to the first of many in our Product series… this isn’t an ad, maybe you can call it an infomercial… but we call it #NiksTips on Products shout out to all our AVPs (app vendor partners)
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
You bring the snacks; Jason’s got the Staats ... and the experience to talk about creativity, community, and life in the CPA world. Over the past some years, In addition to YouTube stardom, Jason has been a staff accountant, tax preparer, principal at Brenner & Company LLP, and is a member of the Gusto Partner Advisory Council.
... there's a post-easter egg at the 45min mark #CPAliens
In today’s ep, we’re talking:
*#TaxTwitter – what it is, and why it’s a hit (hint: community) – and Jason’s takeaway: you’ll always have more to gain by sharing your knowledge than by sitting on it.
*The History of Jason – from one-man garage accountant to finding his people and growing a community that blows the doors off the old ‘what’s mine is mine’ mindset.
*Jason’s creative process behind his Jason.CPA YouTube magic. Does he really want to move beyond his own little corner of the accounting world?
*On book writings – Jason’s focused on writing what he knows. Working title:
A Field Manual to Navigating Legacy Accountants.
*scott scarano, ea 🥶😈 search for the real meaning of “Why,” and his platform. Maybe it’s rap? He’s got the title – #CPAliens.
*Jason’s words of wisdom on the socials:
-
Define what you want to get out of it
-
Find your community by adding value to other peoples’ conversations
*Firm Goals
-
Reduce the number of clients
-
Maintain profitability with fewer clients by raising prices
-
Step away from the partner-led model
-
Team-first approach
Building the Bench Accounting* partnership. Why Bench over other options? Short answer: Long-haul reliability
Jason throws tools – Scribe, Airtable* v. Excel?
All the shout outs: Earmark, Blake Oliver, CPA #TaxTwitter, Intuit, Intuit Mailchimp, Drew Carrick FloQast Zapier, Sandwich, Adam Lisagor, ElectroNeek, Donna Bordeaux, Pilot.com, ❤️🖤💚Nayo Carter-Gray, EA MBA Sandy Johns #100DaysOfNoCode, Xero, Relay Financial, PandaDoc, Simon Sinek
Realize Accountant Community http://rlz.io
YouTube Channel https://go.rlz.io/yt
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Season 2 Episode 16 | Recorded January 10, 2022
Today we’ll learn about Jody Grunden’s CPA journey and how his firm went from $0 in 2002 to $9 million plus in 2022. By taking the non-traditional route in accounting – combining vision and integration to form a biz model that really, really works - Summit CPA Group is a shining example what TO do!
shout out to our sponsors this week; Xero and Gusto's People Advisory Accelerator, go to gusto.com/training and type in the code sons100 for $349 off
Meet Jody: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodygrunden/
Jody is not the son of a CPA, but he’s the first person in his family to go to college.
Why Summit CPA Group is different:
- Dress code
- Killing overtime for the entire team
- eradicating the hourly billing model
Figuring out what the clients want
Why forecasting is key – go forward, not back
Defining the why and when of meetings – forecasting, pipeline, rev-rec, and the floater
How the fixed-fee model nearly tanked Summit
Why Summit CPA Group has no accounts receivable
Form and function – explaining the Summit “pods” and their processes
The Wow factor – not charging more for unexpected issues, such as PPP
Setting, managing, and exceeding expectations – just do it!
The Summit CPA niche – creative agencies over $1m in revenue
What’s the next step in the evolution?
The 2FA (or 3) of scaling pricing – revenue, employee count, and industry
Giving clients the Carvana experience
Why soft skills matter at Summit
Talking compensation
What did Jody learn while he was growing the practice?
Figuring out your pricing model is the #1 priority
Making the Summit model the new normal
Check out Summit’s free CPE webinars here: https://www.summitcpa.net/cpe-webinars or get the Virtual CFO Playbook here: https://www.summitcpa.net/vcfo-playbook
Why Summit used cartoons to set themselves apart
Shout-out to Indiana University, Darren Root, and Rootworks, Crowe, BKD, Summit CPA Group, Adam Hale, Netflix, The Summit City (Fort Wayne, IN), DCPA
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
shout out to EMINƎM https://youtu.be/_kQBVneC30o
One of Niks Core Values at Momentum is GSD, Get Shit Done.
Core Values defined, are a set of fundamental beliefs, ideals or practices that inform how you conduct your life, both personally and professionally. Businesses can also have and maintain core values. These can help an organization determine how to allocate resources, make important decisions and grow.
sometimes you're so involved in to what you do on a day-to-day basis that you don't realize that over the years you've actually created pretty good systems
we encourage you and your team to meet your clients once a month and you can reduce the amount of email clutter back and forth, force them to have meetings with you
“Forced to Face your Finances on Focus Fridays”
Productivity Tip, in client meetings always notes, and always have action items
shout out to Loom, get comfortable with video and asynchronously sending information via video vs sending emails… there is more context and it’s more efficient and effective form of communication … shout out to Earmark, Blake and Zach Frank
NiksTips #1 Asynchronous Communication Tools that we use; Google Calendar, Google Docs, Loom, HubSpot, Karbon, DialPad, Slack, 15five, TypeForm, Calendly, Notion
NiksTips #2 Manage External Communication and get your clients to meet you “where you’re at” and use the same tools that your firm is using and EVERYONE will be more productive
NiksTips #3 “Avoid learning while you’re working” have a core app stack so you don’t have to always learn something new with each client - find contractors or specialists for complex work
NiksTips #4 “Find Repeatable Shortcuts” such as making rules in Xero, email templates for common answers, and using folders in your google chrome browser
NiksTips #5 “leverage resources and push down work” like using VA and interns. Find an intern to pull your bank statements, if you could pay someone $15 an hour and it takes them 10 hours, like $150 a month… might be cheaper than that RPA you’re trying to build
NiksTips #6 “meeting and meeting cadence and agenda”
NiksTips #7 “manage your energy” niks is a really good napper, she can take great 12min naps…
and a great way to be productive is just don’t answer your phone, don’t even work with your phone in the same room
shout out to Zuni and Michael Ly
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Season 2 Episode 15 | Recorded January 3, 2022
Dawn Brolin, a self-proclaimed number-splatter expert, has a heart of gold, but she’s also the hammer. She’s about providing the most effective service possible. If clients won’t hold up their end of the bargain, she’s not afraid to fire them.
• Dawn's penned two books, The Designated Motivator and The Designated Motivator for Accountants
• What’s nice v. kind?
• Shout out to all you New Englanders! We love you! We really do! We will not F*&% with you!
• What’s the difference between an accountant and a sex worker on TikTok? Go ahead, guess ..!
• Future goals – succession planning. Dawn’s planning on nine more years, and her tech stack is the key to her exit!
• Why firms should definitely have a PIA fee
• Competition v. Collaboration What’s most important is the way clients treat her, and her staff.
You can use your established processes to A) get the information you need, but also B) to figure out which clients have their shit together.
Pricing – what works best for you and your firm? Dawn, Scott and Jason talk about the pain points, and best practices for pricing your services.
Also, we’ll talk about how Dawn took some negative assessments of herself and used them to fuel her talent and even appearance. What do you do when someone tells you that you won’t ever be able to do something? You do it! What do you do when someone hands you personal “feedback”? First of all, be YOU. Then, take what’s useful from that feedback, and make it your own! The most amazing things happen when you take off the reins and run!
Dawn also shares how babysitting staff annihilates her soul and who you need to find to make everything run smoothly. You need runners – the people who are going to keep up with you, the people who want to learn, and the people who aren’t afraid to help you!
Measuring success, to Dawn, is about getting the work done. It means having the time to live a real-life, and not be tied to that to work 24/7.
She follows a lot of the principles from Mike Michalowicz’s book, “Profit First” and shares a bit of useful information on your own money methodology.
App and other special shout outs: Ignition, Ron Saharyan, Profit First Professionals- It's your business. Shouldn't your profit come first? Anderson Brolin & Coba CPAs, LLC Lacerte Software Corporation, 🚀 Liz Mason, Dawn’s website – dawnbrolin.com, Gaynor Hardy (Meilke), MS, CBC, CTC Charisma Ink, abuser-friendly Intuit QuickBooks, Ron Baker, Relay Financial, Joseph Scarano, FloQast Studios, Bill Burnett and Dave Evans CLO bullet-proof vests, Hazmat suits, body bags, Rick and Morty, Lil Wayne, Sandra Bullock, Gwyneth Paltrow, Katherine Heigl, Knocked Up, and Waze
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Productization definition from Investopedia: The process of developing or altering a process idea, skill or service to make it marketable for sale to the public. Productized services can also be packaged and offered as subscription-based services.
shout out to our sponsor this week, Gusto
to learn more about Productizing Advisory, check out Gusto’s people advisory training and get certified at gusto.com/training and type in the code SONS100 at checkout to receive $349 off your training!!
the Acronym we’re using to Productize Advisory today is CPA
C for Cadence
P for Process
A for Agenda
the steps to productize your services:
Step #1, find a recurring problem or need that you're constantly seeing from your customers.
Step #2 develop a solution to the problem
Step #3 create a system that is repeatable and can be taught to others
Step #4 train others on the system
Step #5 deliver the services, get feedback, and continue to improve.
Fixed fee pricing and how that's now becoming more normal for our industry has forced us to productize our services when someone's paying for something, you have to deliver a set of services each month.
Cadence is one of the most important parts of productization, and there's gotta be an agenda, and there has to be a system and an approval process that can be taught
shout out to GrowthLab, Dan Gertrudes, Steven Bylar, Heather Satterly, Korey
shout out to LivePlan for productizing the delivery of forecasting
shout out to all the Excel Jockey’s and Peter Wen and TallyFor
shout out to Niks, Kenji, Josh Lance, and Michael Ly, and of course your teacher Jacklyn Anku
shout out to EO and Scaling Up and Verne Harnish and EOS and Traction and Geno Wickman
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Season 2 Episode 14 | Recorded January 3, 2022
Shout out to our sponsors; Clockwork.ai and Botkeeper
Alright, alright, alright ... This week, we’re talking to the Matthew McConaughey of Accounting, it's Byron Patrick, CPA.
- Byron’s career started with a cool-ass high-school accounting teacher
- shout out to HeimLantz CPA, F. Carter Heim and Thomas J. Lantz
- Byron has branded himself, literally, with a CPA tattoo
- You can’t talk about the Maryland Association of CPAs without talking about Tom Hood, and the AICPA, and Kimberly Ellison-Taylor and Anoop N. Mehta, CPA, CGMA
- Shout out to all of our listeners in Washington, VA ... we love you.
- Hiring TIP – It’s not the question; it’s the person answering it!
- The benefits of hanging out in the hallway (or being an industry rat)
- Simplified Innovations was the Citrix partner of the year; as Byron puts it, a Great f&%king company, but bad biz partner decision
- Woulda, shoulda, coulda – the things Byron would do differently with a second chance... and The Botkeeper experience, Shout out to Jody Padar, and Enrico Palmerino!
- and all the rest of the apps and people shout outs; Scott Scharf, Spark Hire, CCH ProSystem, Lacerte, QuickBooks, Right Networks, Brannon Poe, Liz Mason, Xero, Relay, Pilot, Bill.com, Expensify, FloQast Studios, PBC, Twyla Verhelst, Ed Mendlowitz, Gusto, FieldGuide, Jin Chang, and Marc Montpas
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
shout out to our sponsors this week:
Xero ... the Sons of CPAs love Xero, if you couldn't tell
Gusto’s People Advisory Training… go to gusto.com/training and enter Code Sons100 at checkout and you’ll get $349 off and some CPE!
in this episode, we talk about positioning yourself and your accounting firm in the market
NiksTips for a good Positioning Statement
- identifying who you want to work with, who do you help?
- what makes you different,
- how you can help those clients,
- what pain points you’re solving,
- what is the emotional payoff for the customer
shout outs:
EarmarkCPE, cloud accounting podcast, Blake Oliver and David Leary, BNACPA.com, Jason Ackerman, Padgettnc.com/team, Rlz.io, Jason Staats
... and stay tuned for some #StaatSnacks and #CPAliens
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Season 2 Episode 13 | Recorded December 31, 2021
shout out to our sponsors
Botkeeper is giving away a free year of bookkeeping, up to $20k, enter for a chance to win here! https://www.botkeeper.com/win
Clockwork.ai … check it out for a shot at $100
this week we have on the power couple, Nicole Davis, CPA and J W Davis ... founders of Butler-Davis Tax & Accounting, LLC based out of Atlanta, GA
In this episode we talk about:
• the dynamics and logistics of successfully living and working with your spouse
• balancing a digital presence with 5 kids
• the hard numbers
• different ways to approach growth at your accounting firm
• chess
Advice for Spouses working together from J W Davis "my suggestion would be to define your roles. So that way there is no confusion on who does what...and don't sweat the small stuff...you know, we're around each other all the time...you gotta just have fun, play with each other. We joke a lot... you just got to enjoy each other's company."
shout out to NABA INC.
shout out to Andrew Argue, CPA
shout out to Scott Scharf and Patti Scharf
shout out to Accounting Salon
shout out to 🔥 Michael Ly
shout out to Gusto, ADP, QuickBooks Company
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
shout out to our newest sponsor LiveFlow, get 20% off your first 3 months with code SONS at LiveFlow.io/sons
Botkeeper is giving away a free year of bookkeeping, up to $20k, enter for a chance to win here! https://www.botkeeper.com/win
5minLy where Michael Ly and Scott Scarano discuss running their modern accounting firms with some some choice topics from Karbon Magazine
this week's article
https://karbonhq.com/resources/not-to-do-list-accounting-firm-efficiency/
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Recorded on 2.22.22 …Happy TwosDay!
Today we’re talking about Tech Partners…
“I'm just pleased to participate in this podcast production pertaining to particular peculiarities of partnership.” Kenji
people shout outs: Kenji, Niks, Scott, Joel Lacayo, Pat Perez, Michael Ly, Rod Drury, Matthew,
tech partner shout outs: Xero, Relay, QuickBooks, CollBox, Gusto, ADP, Digits, Drizly
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Sons of CPAs Podcast
Season 2 Episode 12 | Recorded December 27, 2021
Botkeeper is giving away a free year of bookkeeping, up to $20k, enter for a chance to win here! https://www.botkeeper.com/win
shout out to our newest sponsor LiveFlow, LiveFlow.io/sons
let’s count all the pop culture references in this episode that's really about the business of running an accounting firm:
Drew Carrick aka The Rapping CPA aka The Character, Snoop Dogg, Suge Knight, Death Row Records, Puff Daddy, Andre 3000 and OutKast , Lil Baby, Game of Thrones and the Dothraki, Marvel, J. Cole, Michael Jackson, The Weeknd, Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, Jay-Z, R. Kelly, Big Boi, Drake, Nas, Tupac
shout out to N. Carter aka Nayo Carter, “Nayo’s a Superstar”
from humble beginnings to CPA to prisons to CEO with almost a million-dollar mindset
shout out to Ian Vacin
south’s got something to say, put some south in your mouth
represent Southeast Asia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Louisana, and Mississippi
what do Warren Buffet, Charlie Munger, Jay-Z, James Prince, TI all have in common? they’re all having lunch with Jeff Wilson one day…
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Sons of CPAs Podcast Bonus Drop, #NiksTips+ on Partners Pt 1
Botkeeper is giving away a free year of bookkeeping, up to $20k, enter for a chance to win here! https://www.botkeeper.com/win
The Valentines Threesome feat. Nikole Mackenzie, CPA, scott scarano, ea 🥶😈 & Kenji Kuramoto
“the best partnerships are when both sides feel like they got the better end of the deal” - K²
Kenji Kuramoto, CEO of Acuity CFO Online Bookkeeping Accounting and Business Tax talks to us about running a $11M Firm with a partner, and running it like a true company
Kenji’s words of wisdom on partners:
as an entrepreneur you have to ask yourself, do you work better alone or with others? are you a team player or the solitary leader?
when you’re going into business with friends, find someone that complements your weaknesses and reinforces your strengths
titles are external facing, we run things as a team, but titles are important for those that are outside of the organization and how they perceive our roles than they do to us
accounting is a profession that lends itself to money-making opportunities
you’ve gotta include more long-term planning to make sure all partners are in alignment and on the same page
then we go into how SalesForce, AirTable and Process Street are all being integrated into Acuity with their newly formed partnership/alliance with Catching Clouds, Patti Scharf and Scott Scharf
shout out to Spanx and Sara Blakely … the youngest self-made female Billionaire… that’s just baller
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Season 2 Episode 11 | Recorded December 20, 2021
LinkedIn’s Cutest Accountant (feat. Michael Eckstein, EA)
subscribe to Michael's newsletter here: https://restingbusinessface.com/
shout out to our sponsors this week:
Clockwork and Xero
Zachary Call, CPA’s only takeaways this episode:
“some things just stick”
“roll with it”
scott scarano, ea 🥶😈’s takeaways this episode:
“when you’re a one-person-show you have to pick and choose what you are doing very carefully”
“don’t take on tax work that you know you can’t do”
“a 1041 tax return should be 3x the amount you charge for a 1040”
“let’s fight some people over reasonable S corp comp”
Michael’s takeaways this episode:
“live your dreams”
“don’t commit tax fraud”
“have a good christmas”
“don’t wait for Jewish Hell”
“late fees don’t fix cashflow”
and Michael’s religious rant at the hour mark… Jews figured out to make drinking a good deed and we don’t have hell, and everyone else screwed that up for us
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
…Proposal Softwares to be more specific
Sons of CPAs Bonus episodes where Nikole “Niks” Mackenzie and Scott Scarano share a small but useful piece of practical advice as it relates to running their professional accounting firms.
This episode is brought to you by the letter P…
today we’re going to discuss delivering Proposals for your accounting firm and the Proposal Platforms that we’re both on, Ignition and GoProposal
here are the 5 Things that we look for in proposal software:
Pricing
Packages
Processes
Payments
People
shout out to James Ashford and the team at Ignition
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Jason's a big boy now, he recorded and edited this episode all by himself while Scott was out having some fun with his fellow CPAs at the Digital CPA in Nashville.
... but Jason didn't leave us any show notes, so you'll have to listen to the actual episode to hear more about Mr. Justin Hatch, the Queen's Scout!
Shout out to our sponsors this week:
Clockwork and Xero
Seeya next week
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Season 2 Episode 9 Bonus
Sons of CPAs Bonus episodes where Nikole “Niks” Mackenzie and Scott Scarano share a small but useful piece of practical advice as it relates to running their professional accounting firms. This episode is brought to you by the letter P… these bonus episodes are deep dives into topics that start with the letter P, and it’s a little different than our regular episodes
Pods are how you structure your team in terms of how you deliver your services to your clients.
Shout out to Niks … and her regular guest Episode on Sons of CPAs podcast
https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/episodes/Beyond-Building-Momentum-feat--Nikole-Mackenzie--CPA-e15v293
shout out to Josh Lance at Lance CPA Group who introduced me to the pod concept years ago
shout out to Ron Baker and the Soul of Enterprise podcast… efficiency is the enemy of effectiveness
shout out to Shane Mason at BrooklynFI and the Liquidity Event podcast… and for not tracking time!
shout out to Jody Grunden and the Modern CPA Success Show podcast… we've had some great episodes with pretty large firms that are doing this successfully, $10 million firms that have pod structure that are, very successful at it. And they're adding data analysts, and different people to a pod structure to enhance it and to make it stronger and to make the client relationship stronger and also increased profitability.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Sons of CPAs Podcast
Season 2 Episode 9 | Recorded November 22, 2021
Real Life in the Accounting Profession (feat. Rita Keller)
Shout out to our sponsors this week:
Xero and Gusto
Some of Rita's Wonderful Quotes:
“I blog about CPA firm management, I've blogged every business day for nearly 17 years. The content out there is, and then I've got it, you know, by category.”
“our partners, I think did it the right way. They let us manage the firm. And they took care of clients.”
“I think that's right too many cooks in the kitchen, I always say. if you're going to have a managing partner, give him some power, and that's basically how we grew.”
“We opened an office cold, which I do not recommend, never opened an office cold, cause it takes a long time to build up your visibility and your reputation.”
“I don't know how many headaches I see with billing and collection, which to me that's a foundational issue that shouldn't be, nobody should be worrying about that.”
“I think smaller firms like yours, what I've seen over the years are much more progressive than the larger firms”
“you have to build that brand is what I tell my clients that on the college campus and in the community, you know, you want that brand to attract clients and who attracts employees.”
“you should show your clients by example, how to run a good business. When it comes to billing collection, all that sort of stuff. They look to you to set the example and to tell them, but a lot of CPAs don't clearly define the expectation for clients. They just want to keep them happy.”
shout out to:
Gary Shamin, Mark Rosenberg, Chris Frederiksen, August Aquila, Allan Koltin, Gary Adamson, Jody Padar, and Shayna Chapman
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
2day is Twosday 2.22.22 happy 2sday, brought to you by the number 2 ... we present 2 you, part 2 of #NiksTips on Podcasts
Sons of CPAs Podcast bonus episode drop feat. Nikole Mackenzie, CPA and scott scarano, ea 🥶😈
shout out to all the co-hosts Jason Ackerman, CPA, CFP®, CGMA 🔥 Michael Ly and Zachary Call, CPA
mini show notes:
2 if you want to see the Pop! Cover Art that corresponds to the episode you’re listening to, check it out on Spotify Podcasts
3 Sons of CPAs title explained again…
4 finding balance in all our lives with a little bit of weed
6 Atomic Habits and The Bible both come highly recommended by Scott's clients and prospects
7 stay tuned for CPAliens
9 language isn’t always a barrier with people
10 a how-to-guide on podcasts… at least a start
11 a list of filler words that Descript will search for… “but you know” “hm” “I guess” “I mean” “I suppose” “kind of” “like” “mmm” “or something” “right” “so” “sort of” “uh” “um” “well” “you know” “you know what i mean” “you see” and repeated words
13 the difference between kind and nice
15 don’t lie to people ...podcasts are truth serums
16 Podcasts to check out Make it Count w/ Marcus A. Mire, CPA and Summit CPA Group of 3 podcasts w/ Jody Grunden, CPA
18 Scott's not high enough to indulge in the metaverse talk today
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Season 2 Episode 8 | Recorded November 15, 2021
A Balanced Futurist (feat. Donnamaree Ryder, CEO)
tania.ai
"everyone can look back, but the actual Magic is when you're able to look forward and start to forecast what things might look like in your business" Donnamaree Ryder
And a very special thank you to our Sponsors this week:
Gusto & Xero
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Sons of CPAs Bonus episodes where Nikole “Niks” Mackenzie and Scott Scarano share a small but useful piece of practical advice as it relates to running their professional accounting firms. This episode is brought to you by the letter P
this one's a 2 parter... on Podcasts
3 shout out to AICPA Engage, best conference of the year 2021
5 Marcus Mire, Make it Count Podcast
9 Ryan Lazanis, Future Firm Podcast
11 Xero’s What Led You Here w/ Steve Vamos Podcast
12 how has the podcast enabled you to move the industry forward?
13 David Barrett, Expensify big ass Table Podcast
15 Gusto’s Caleb Newquist and Greg Kyte’s Oh My Fraud! Podcast
18 the Process to Producing this Podcast
19 Cloud Accounting Podcast, David Leary & Blake Oliver
20 The Scallion Pancake, Jason Ackerman’s food Podcast
22 Cover Art explained, shout out to Scarano, Ackerman, Niks, LySki and Zachary
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Sons of CPAs Podcast | Season 2 Episode 7 | &… Why’s Asymptote (feat. John Garrett)
Author of What’s Your And | whatsyourand.com | Recorded November 8, 2021
Shout out to our sponsors this week:
Xero and Gusto
Zachary’s Takeaways
- Water cooler talk is not enough.
- You must go deeper with your team.
- Your people are far more important than your clients.
- Harness the energy within everyone and bring it into the organization and allow it to cultivate.
- People, clients, and staff love honesty.
- 85% of what makes up a person's life, we pretend is not there.
- We remember people by their “And”
- We do all of these things. We talk about our Ands to build connections and help us feel good about life and experience satisfaction and joy.
- Don't be a micromanager.
- We are all grown adults.
- Breathe in happy.
Scott’s Takeaways
- 8% of people don’t have hobbies
- apparently your "And" and your "Why" can’t intersect
- Ben’s “And” is Jerry or ice cream?
- there are a lot of accountants that are really good at accounting but not great at running a business
- the No. 1 indicator of your success is your people
- you gotta be honest with yourself before you can bring out honesty in others
- all we really want in life is human connections
- the only people who care what phone you have are people
shout outs:
Simon Sinek “search your soul and find your why”
Jay Leno “makes you feel like you’re part of the group”
Mark Winburn “breath in happy”
Rebecca Berneck “breaking motorcycle land speed records”
Matthew Heggem “the dance of business”
Tony Nitti “mountain backing and extreme skiing and surfing”
Rumba Bwerinofa-Petrozello “karaoke in Berlin”
Dawn Brolin “NCAA champion in softball”
Lorilyn Wilson “NCAA champion in softball”
Ben Westbrook “a degree in opera”
Steven Pressfield “The War of Art”
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Sons of CPAs Bonus episodes where Nikole “Niks” Mackenzie and Scott Scarano share a small but useful piece of practical advice as it relates to running their professional accounting firms. This episode is brought to you by the letter P
we do not rise to the level of our goals.
we fall to the level of our systems and processes.
NiksTips on Processes
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Season 2 Episode 6 | The Evolution of Finance…as a Service (feat. Dan Gertrudes, CEO) | Co-Founder of GrowthLab FaaS | growthlabfinancial.com | Recorded November 8, 2021
Shout out to our sponsors this week:
Gusto's People Advisory and Karbon
“I didn’t fail out of the school of hard knocks, I’m still getting schooled in that school, it’s a hard knock life that we live…that’s the moral of this story”
0-10min
Figuring shit out at the ripe age of 38
Attributing equal parts luck and intention to our situations
What’s your tolerance to risk when investing in yourself
We as Americans have to keep up with ourselves and everyone around us as we fill the holes in our souls with more stuff…in the Economy built on Credit
Dan’s higher education journey of 3 schools to obtain 1 diploma
10-20min
Finance as a Function.
“[Dan] If I were you, I would probably never take on another bookkeeping business [at GrowthLab] unless they were an FP&A customer” - Ian @ Karbon
The hardest thing to sell to small businesses is Planning… it’s intangible, it’s hard to put a bookend on it
This notion of billable hours is nonsense, my challenge is how do we productize FP&A?
We need to stop having this ‘backward v forwards’ thinking conversation… planning is so back in vogue right now
“If accountants, CPAs, accounting firms can figure out this FP and a function, just like we all did 20 years ago with the cloud accounting. We're just going to become more of that trusted advisor. Like everybody talks about being the trusted advisor, but you're not a trusted advisor. If you're not on a cadence like if you're only talking to your customer once or twice a year, that's not a trusted advisor.” DG
“… and then I came across guys like Michael Ly, also not a CPA… and one of the first people I met that looked and felt a little bit more like us” DG
20-30min
“there are only two ways to make money, you leverage capital or you leverage people…we’re in the business of leveraging people” DG
Step 1 Technology and Leveraging our FP&A Function… shout out to Jirav
Step 2 Cadence and Implementing our FP&A Function… shout out to Karbon
Step 3 People and Executing our FP&A Function… shout out to our people at GrowthLab
“one thing that has kept me real is knowing that [people] leave Friday afternoon and you just don’t know if they’re coming back on Monday” DG
30-40min
“There needs to be continuity between each of the value streams…you need to replicate bookkeeping, accounting and FP&A…there needs to be a flow of information from left to right”
“my number one job as a people manager is to de-risk the people factor in what we do, which sounds totally counter-intuitive to everything we probably just talked to prior to this” DG
“I think you could argue that what you've done is you've created the processes first, before the pillar of people.” S²
The 3 Pillars of GrowthLab: Cadence, Rigor, and Team
40-50min
“if your margins aren’t great it’s either a pricing problem or a cost problem… or you’re just paying your people too much” DG
“The hourly billable model puts the onus on managing your gross margins on the customer. Fixed price, the onus is back on you as the vendor. And that's the challenge and it's very uncomfortable. It's an uncomfortable place for business owners or managers of accounting firms” DG
“We have to get uncomfortable sometimes to grow, right? A lot of growth comes from being uncomfortable and, for us to grow as an industry …we're all the change agents [in an industry fraught with money and inertia]” S²
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Sons of CPAs bonus episode where Niks and Scott share a small, but useful piece of practical advice as it relates to running their professional accounting firms.
Today we're talking about Payroll with, Ms. Nikole Mackenzie of Momentum Accounting.
let's talk about payroll...
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Sons of CPAs Podcast
S02E05 | Shameless Edutainment (feat. Michael Kravshik, CPA and CA) | Co-Founder of LumiQ | lumiqlearn.com | Recorded November 1, 2021
Shout out to our sponsors this week:
Botkeeper and Reach Reporting
Some Notes:
- the amalgamation of CA CMA and CGA in Canada (sup Brian Clare)
- impressive vs. weird vs. unique
- CPAs, Jews, doctors, lawyers, and auditors
- financial auditors and tax auditors
“you need financial statements to be free of material misstatement” MK
- a cow and a bag of onions as a recurring expense for a uranium mine
- the word versatile was tattooed on Scott’s arm (was)
- a Master’s Degree in counter-terrorism, not Japanese History (sup Peter Wen)
- Japan vs NYC cultures - equally great with food, not so much with manners
“history is the only thing that actually happened” MK
“only fools learn from their own mistakes, the wise learn from the mistakes of others” OVB
- electromyography as it relates to the ŌURA Ring and its “BS technology” per Dr MK
- the impetus to LumiQ (sup Adam Bercovici)
- is Luminary a worthy word to get tattooed on your arm?
“people don’t actively look for work until they’re extremely miserable in their job” MK
- lessons learned through all of the early iterations of LumiQ that eventually led to CPE and CPD for accountants through podcasting and an easy to use mobile platform
- do you remember when HQ Trivia game was all the rage 3 years ago?
- the importance of pivoting and emotionally letting go of sunk costs after dedicating a lot of time and money towards an idea that ultimately doesn’t pan out
- having a vision and seeing a path towards something much more meaningful in the midst of chaos
“i hope that we have created a slightly better world for accountants” MK
“a lot of times school can ruin learning and i felt like we can make learning fun and interesting…when we launched our tagline was enjoy CPE” MK
two key components to LumiQ
- Ease of Use: an entire app ecosystem (Android, iOS, Web) with builtin quizzing, docs, and content
- Edutainment: content that is actually entertaining and educational
“what’s in-between the ears of very successful professionals is a lot more valuable than what’s in-between the covers of textbooks” MK
shout out to some guests that have been featured on LumiQ
- Allen Shim, CFA | CFO of Slack
- Russ Jones | former CFO of Shopify
- Ken Goldman | former CFO Yahoo!
- Rob Krolik | former CFO Yelp
- William Tunstall-Pedoe | the creator of Amazon Alexa
- Jim Balsille | co-founder of RIM, Blackberry
"the creative constraints that Ethics courses pose...a lot of times the way ethics is taught is very black and white, but what’s really interesting about Ethics are the gray areas, that’s what makes it a compelling and difficult and challenging topic" MK
- if you listen to a one-hour course at 2x speed, do you get half an hour of CPE or an hour?
- is Blake Oliver of EarmarkCPE your Arch-Rival?
- is there anyone else that does what you guys do?
- Edutainment: media designed to educate through entertainment.
- if you could tattoo one word on your arm, what would it be?
“Shamelessness is the key to running a startup, you just gotta forget what other people are telling you... and make waves. how do you get guests on a podcast? how do you make an impression on people? it’s by doing things that other people won’t do” MK
“Welcome to Winnipeg, we were born here, what’s your excuse?” The Simpsons
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
NiksTips on Priorities…
Sons of CPAs Bonus episodes where Nikole “Niks” Mackenzie and Scott Scarano share a small but useful piece of practical advice as it relates to running their professional accounting firms. This episode is brought to you by the letter P
Maslow’s Hierarchy of an Accounting Firm
shout out to Mike Michalowicz and his book Fix This Next
- Physiological Needs = Sales & Cashflow
- Safety & Security = Delivery Products/Services & People
- Love & Belonging = Systems & Processes
- Self-Esteem = Client Impact & Focus
- Self-Actualization = Brand & Legacy
to get really existential the number one priority is us as owners
put your mask on first then tend to others
so it’s the owner, the team, then the clients
the importance of peers and colleagues and communities
putting a priority on positive socialization
we see technology companies lose their perspective and forget about their core product by prioritizing new features over strengthening their core product
work on your core!
eat right, sleep right, and work on your core
the number one priority is taking care of yourself
eat. move. sleep.
the fundamentals. that’s what matters most in a business. because when all else fails, at least you can fall back on that… and you won’t actually fall if you’ve tied your shoelaces
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Sons of CPAs Podcast | Season 2 Episode 4
The Intersection of a Tax Tech Transformation (feat. Peter Wen, CEO)
Peter Wen, CEO | Tallyfor
Shout out to our sponsors this week:
Relay Financial and TaxBandits
in some ways #accounting is a past-oriented field, and #finance is the cousin looking towards the future...
"I look to the past to learn and I look to the future to earn"
What does it mean to be a change agent?
When are we going to get a really good cloud tax product?
What do you think was the biggest mistake that Xero made in the time you were there?
What was the impetus to leave Xero and start Tallyfor?
What are some of the biggest hesitation to going to a Tallyfor product?
mention of #hackathons and #KiwiIncubators
more shout outs to
Xero, Gusto, Eileen Adao, Ian Vacin, Michael Masilunas
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
NiksTips on Planning…
Sons of CPAs Bonus episodes where Nikole “Niks” Mackenzie and Scott Scarano share a small but useful piece of practical advice as it relates to running their professional accounting firms.
This episode is brought to you by the letter P
planning, properly, piece, practical, professional, put, power, problem, per, part, projected, pipeline, projection, processes, particular, project, portfolio, payroll, probably, personality, pleasant, paperwork, planner, process, putting, psychiatrist, plastic, psychiatry, practice, poster, picking, perfect, poking, passion, proceeded, piece, procedure, people, practical, paper, progress, perfectly, picked, poor, phrase, partner, pretty, person, plus
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Sons of CPAs Podcast Season 2 Episode 3
The Savior is Synonymous with Finance and Operations (feat. Fady Hawatmeh, CEO)
Clockwork.ai
Shout out to our sponsors this week:
TaxBandits and Reach Reporting
5 having that entrepreneurial spirit at the ripe age of 12
6 what did you learn working for Boeing that you can take to the smaller business market? what KPIs was Boeing interested in?
8 how did you decide you wanted to start an outsourced CFO firm?
9 the rewards and results of being the only finance person in a room full of entrepreneurs
17 id you create a financial plan for yourself at your 8 person firm?
18 don’t be the bottleneck at your firm
21 how did you exit the firm that you built to start an app?
22 you can never focus on and grow two companies at once
24 our business is like a watch, all the gears have to be in sync and properly functioning.
24 one of the most important parts of any business survival is cashflow projections
25 we all have ideas to create a mobile app, and you actually did it...how did you go about making Clockwork?
26 on working with Intuit and ensuring Clockwork was baked 100% through before launching the company
27 what's the best advice someone gave you over the past three years?
32 what do you tell firms that want to start providing advisory services?
shout out to Edward Mendlowitz and Withum
35 on employee buy-in and understanding the difference between finance and accounting and a FP&A products vs other Forecasting and Reporting tools
37 what's the size of the client that is an ideal fit for FP&A services?
40 what's the next step for Clockwork?
shout out to HubSpot
42 SHOTS FIRED!!!
shout out to Jirav
47 it's not as hard as you think it is to sell advisory and scale your practice - from Fady's Wisdom Corner
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Sons of CPAs Bonus episodes where Nikole “Niks” Mackenzie and Scott Scarano share a small but useful piece of practical advice as it relates to running their professional accounting firms. Using words that start with the letter P. I don’t know why the letter P, but that’s what today’s episode is brought to you by…
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Sons of CPAs Podcast Season 2 Episode 2: Verticals 2.0... is it Neesh or Nitch? (feat. Marissa Jones founder of Logistis and Logistis for Designers aka the Queen of Vertical Domination)
link in the comments | Recorded October 11, 2021
Shout out to our sponsors this week:
TaxBandits and Relay Financial
in this episode, Marissa Jones and Scott Scarano 🥶 talk about...
running modern accounting firms
industry verticals
influencers for #accountants
prioritizing #sleeping, #eating, and #exercising... over #work
mental health breaks and finding time for self-healing
being #unplugged and social media
Scott Scarano 🥶 complaining about email
“in a service-based firm you balance your desires with the needs of clients and the team”
niches or verticals for interior designers
fetty
“verticals should be something you’re interested in too”
an appreciation for the arts
the crypto rabbit hole… and the second vertical
what about logistis for creatives?
periodic seat swaps
communities for accountants shout out to #TaxTwitter and Karbon Community
doing drugs and Big Sur, shout out to the #RedHotChiliPeppers
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
NiksTips on Profitability
S02E01 Bonus
NiksTips defined: Sons of CPAs bonus episode, where Nikole "Niks" Mackenzie and Scott Scarano share a small but useful piece of practical advice as it relates to running their professional accounting firms
on topics that start with the letter P
today's session includes a discussion on the following...
physical office v remote
outsourcing
pricing
automation
shout out to Pilot.com
engineers
data analysts
shout out to Reach Reporting
APIs
tracking time
office hours
kids v cats
investing in your business
EOS, shout out to Gino Wickman
owner’s freedom
@scott’s actual profit %
core problems
money's most intrinsic value is that it gives us the ability to have control over our time - Morgan Housel The Psychology of Money
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
PPP2: Processes, Profitability, and People (feat. Scott Scharf, CTO)
Episode #34 | Recorded October 6, 2021
Shout out to our sponsors this week: TaxBandits and Reach Reporting
it was announced on August, 4th 2021 that Catching Clouds would be merging with Acuity ...shout out to Kenji Kuramoto, Matthew May, and Lisa Gilreath
5 the journey of Catching Clouds and Patti Scharf's BlackBerry
shout out to Douglas Sleeter
6 Catching Clouds first client was an Amazon Seller, shout out to A2X
7 Scott Scharf's Steps to Success
• pick your niche
• pick your tech stack & focus your marketing
• get your systems in place
• determine the value props and value discussion
• determine your pricing models
• find your integrator (or visionary, depending on what you are)
• focusing and going where your clients are
10 The fundamental lesson learned is being able to say no
11 Scaling up and growing, year 1: only two hires, year 2: hiring 9 people!
shout out to Jeff Phillips and Accountingfly
19 take an extended vacation to find out where your business isn’t resilient, how will it run without you?
21 The structure of Catching Clouds
24 Letting smart humans to smart human things and giving them room to do that
30 At what point did you decide to start only taking on clients that were more than $1M in revenues?
37 Business owners need people with an accountant mindset to provide some structure, standardization, and systems
46 On RPAs… and what’s going to be automated at Acuity in the future
49 Do you have a favorite book?
52 Zachary Call, CPA key takeaways from this episode
• walls will always be hit, but there are always options
• there’s riches in the niches
• say no so that you can say yes
• be a place where talent wants to works
• fire quicker to make your business healthier
• take time off to see what’s wrong with your business
• getting processes right will lead to long-term success
• the humans are here to validate, ensure accuracy and translate the figures
• accounting is a dirty job, recession-proof, and it’s not sexy
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
NiksTips on Pricing
Bonus to Episode #33
The who, what, where, when, and how of Pricing
Scott: In the sales process who are you selling to?
Niks: we need to be clear on who is your audience when pricing…
Scott: Are we pricing the services or are we pricing the customer?
Niks: we need to know what services we’re providing, we need to have a scope/baseline of the services provided and prices associated with services so we’re not negotiating price with the client but negotiating service offerings
Scott: if you’re pricing products to be profitable then you’re not pricing the client, be firm on your price and make sure your prices are profitable.
Niks: value pricing can be very subjective…if we're really busy and our pipelines really hot, our prices go up…
Scott: should we do free trials or they should give them a free month so they can figure out the best way to price it?
Niks: clients don't usually balk at the onboarding fee because they know it's a one-time thing.
Scott: I think that you can agree that we are not pricing commodities…but, customers come to us thinking it's a product that they can get anywhere… do we have to change their mindset on the products we’re selling?
Niks: I think there are some firms that are commodity and they priced that way and that's their business model. They just want to acquire as many customers as possible at a low price, but they also don't do very much.
Scott: the best prospects that come to us are at that inflection point where they're in pain, when you work at a hospital and somebody is in pain, that's your patient right there…
Niks: the hardest part is when you get a new business owner that doesn't know what they don't know yet, and you're trying to describe the value of what we do.
Scott: how can you set yourself apart to make that price seem more palatable?
The Momentum Sales Process:
we spend an hour with the client just asking them all the questions. And then we asked for financial data, either access to their QuickBooks or Xero and then after that, we have another conversation with them, or we go through the scope, which is basically our diagnosis of what we think that they need. Based on everything we talked about. And then we can talk about things in the financials, which to your point about saving them money or pointing out things that they could do better.
Scott: I think that they made up their mind when they found your firm more or less.
Niks: I'm going to disagree with you on that…
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Great KPIs…Time, Money, and Happiness (feat. Brannon Poe, CPA)
Episode #033
Brannon Poe, CPA | Founder Poe Group Advisors
Charleston, SC
2 working with toxic fathers and sons
shout out to our sponsor TaxBandits
7 how did you get started selling CPA practices
shout out to Howard Holmes
10 Scott philosophizes on being his own boss and letting go…
11 starting a business vs scaling a business
12 do you really want to let go of the work? there’s no shame in doing highly specialized quality work… basically, before you go changing everything, ask yourself do you want to scale or not?
13 a firm owner’s systematic approach to scaling
14 abdicating vs delegating
15 setting up a process for hiring
16 email management and breaking down a process to delegate emails
18 the steps to making a great process at the firm
19 what are the potential buyers looking for when purchasing an Accounting Firm?
20 what does freedom mean to you?
21 from finding and pricing really good clients to finding and keeping really good teams
22 fighting perfection in your firm and not holding yourself back
25 being buoyant and prepared to make another mistake and fighting our perfectionistic tendencies
26 the market is HOT for cloud based firms… cloud up!
27 in an industry fraught with money and inertia
29 explain how a CPA firm is valued
31 if you wanna buy a CPA firm SBA has some great 10-year acquisition loans
32 if you’re going to sell your practice in 3 years, what are the things you should do to increase the value of your firm?
34 small firms get focused, look at your service lines and profit margins… let’s all stop chasing top line only
35 the importance of getting the pricing figured out in your practice
shout out to our sponsor Relay Financial
39 so why did you start Accounting Practice Academy?
shout out to accountingpracticeacademy.com
40 how I wrote this: Accountant’s Flight Plan https://www.amazon.com/Accountants-Flight-Plan-Practices-Todays/dp/061538935X
43 launching Accounting Practice Academy at the height of the pandemic
shout out to Ian Brennan
45 we should be teaching our teams the bigger picture on how to run an accounting practice
46 you’ve given us a lot of advice here, sum it all up into one thing…
47 the Poe Prophesy… a diamond shaped firm
48 teaching Ackerman how to value his work and price it appropriately
shout out to EO
50 I don’t think we realize how many of our clients are operating in the dark… we need to spend more time helping them understand their numbers, more conversations with clients, and more client interaction… and charging appropriately for this highly valued work!
51 Brannon has a free book called The Unplugged Vacation go to www/accountingpracticeacademy.com/resources
…and shout out to the accountant's flight plan podcast… I don’t know why we didn’t talk about this once, on our podcast… maybe next time we have Brannon on
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
NiksTips | The Future of CPE (feat. Blake Oliver, CPA)
Bonus to Episode #32
5 it is a buyers market for traditional firms for sure… imagine owning a firm and doing 1,400 individual tax returns and only charging $300 each… the question for a future episodes is, how do you raise your prices?
6 let’s face it, it’s not as easy to delegate sales as it is to delegate the work…
7 half the sales process is just making sure there’s a good chemistry between you and the client…
11 What are all the reasons clients actually need good clean financials? file tax return, manage the business, investors, the bank, line of credit…and I want to sell my business
14 I think we all need to find Peace…financially… so it’s a lot easier to adjust your living expenses to fit your budget than to try and make more money
15 being an accountant is safe, don’t ya think?
16 it’s like time right… work expands to fill the time… if you have a lot of money, your expenses expand to fill that money
17 So Earmark app we can listen to podcasts and get CPE…
shout out to Earmark and LumiQ
20 This new world of CPE is exciting…
21 The Earmark Goal is the fix CPE, because CPE is broken
23 Blake’s Kids .org
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Sons of CPAs… Powered by Relay (feat. Yoseph West)
Recorded October 4, 2021
Episode #32
Yoseph West | CEO and Co-Founder of Relay Financial
Toronto, CA
shout out to our sponsor TaxBandits
4 Some cool things about Toronto besides it’s a hub for accounting tech
5 how did you get into the accounting space?
7 learning how critical the back office function of a business truly is
9 what’s the biggest thing you learned when growing your first startup to 70,000 users and selling to Wave?
10 lessons on bonds and friendships and leaving Wave on the path to working for HubDoc
12 the cloud ghost town of 2014… and early HubDoc days
shout out to Deborah
15 some light RPA talk… but not really
17 being at HubDoc right before their acquisition by Xero
shout out to the Jamie Shulman and Jamie McDonald aka the Jamies
19 the Genesis of… Relay Financial, let’s be the bank
shout out to Evernote and Notion
20 the challenges of small business banking and how the big banks really struggle with software
24 starting with the customer, and controlling the banking process from top to bottom
25 on the need for a FinTech banking charter
shout out to Stripe, Square, and Evolve Bank and Trust
26 what problems does Relay solve?
28 Accountants love that Relay has partner portals, a direct reliable bank feed, and sending across rich transition data
shout out to QBO, Xero, Plaid, Yodlee
29 that all sounds great, but how do I sell that to my clients? We need to focus the conversation on solving the clients pain points, not on switching banks
31 fun fact: most small businesses have 2.63 banking relationships
shout out to Nikole Mackenzie aka Niks
shout out to our sponsor Relay Financial
37 SMB lending relationships with banks
40 whose the Rick and whose the Morty on this podcast?
41 accounting firms aren’t spending enough time on security in their playbook…
shout out to Rewind and Practice Protect
43 where do you see Relay going in the next 5 years?
44 in what space would a Relay acquisition make sense?
shout out to Sasan Goodarzi
46 what are some of the team culture ideas that you’ve learned along the way that you want to implement at Relay?
shout out to the Relay Team
47 some lessons to learn from the HubDoc days and values to share were empathy, integrity, transparency, and just having a fun culture
48 as a CEO what are you doing to make sure that culture is embodied by your team at Relay?
51 the future of work is a Hybrid model and flexibility
55 it’s the snacks and little things that people really love about an office
56 going from 3 employees at Relay to 50 to 100 by end of next year!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
PadgettChiefs | Capacity and Creating a Cadence for Communication (feat. Jeff & Amanda)
Bonus to Episode #29
Recorded on November 17, 2021 at the Padgett Tax Conference … it’s Scott’s Birthday 🥳
2 one thing that I'm hearing consistently is we are too busy and we can't hire enough help. When the owner is the primary producer, the owner can't really run the business or work in the business. And so. How do we build capacity?
4 technology creates more capacity for us.
5 some people try to build their firms or build themselves up for somebody else or what they think they should be doing. At the core, it starts with, what do I want?
6 can a small, independent firm that does a lot of tax returns have capacity and a life?
8 setting priorities and letting the little stuff slide
9 to create more capacity you have to first delegate and create processes, set priorities, have patience, and proper planning
10 start with one thing, the lowest hanging fruit
13 find somebody that's done it already to help guide you through that process because anything that you're going to go through, somebody else's already gone through
14 how do you create more capacity for your team? You can’t just keep throwing more people at problems…
15 office hours, time blocking, and the hyperactive hive mind… we need to structure our internal processes and communications
20 Jeff’s secret sauce… outsourcing his email processing! the benefits of having a virtual executive assistant (aka a secretary)
25 removing the sense of urgency in your life requires deliberation and a cadence for communication
26 in hindsight, there are never any real surprises in a business… surface level problems appear to be surprising in the moment, but looking back we all saw them coming from a mile away
27 there are things we can delete from our lives that will create capacity for the things that really matter… remove the pacifiers for our minds, take a look at the things you do to escape
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Pricing Psychology 101: The Value Menu (feat. Mark Wickersham)
Episode #29
Recorded September 27, 2021
Mark Wickersham | Most Sought After Profit Improvement Expert, Value Pricing Expert, Professional Speaker, and Author
2 Portugal’s non-habitual resident's rules (NHR) scheme allowed Mark to save on 10 years of taxation
4 the COVID mindset shift that we may (or may not) have gone through
6 from one accident to another, Mark’s accidental entry into the accounting profession
14 what were the things you swore you wouldn’t do when you started your own accounting firm?
16 tell us about your pivot from running an accounting firm to consulting accounting firms?
shout out to Steve Pipe, Paul Dunn, and Ron Baker
21 what were the biggest mistakes you made when you first started your accounting firm?
23 from pricing mistakes to hiring mistakes, to being obsessed with top-line over profit
25 when you compete on price you win poor quality clients
25 if you don’t give the price upfront then you can’t get paid upfront
29 before we go further with value pricing, how do you go about changing your firm to a fixed pricing model? if I change the price for my existing clients, will I lose them all?
30 the Pareto Principle and 20%
39 Value Pricing 2.0
40 the pricing journey and taking things one step at a time…
41 fixed pricing is all about having a process for assessing the scope
42 the things we do to add more value are often the easiest things to deliver
46 tell us about Effective Pricing
47 one of the most powerful principles of pricing psychology is anchoring
50 what’s the idea timeframe between an initial call and the pricing call?
52 What’s one piece of advice you would give to accountants today that are starting this pricing journey?
#accounting #mindset
Mark's Social Media Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markwickersham1/
LinkedIn Author Page: https://www.linkedin.com/today/author/markwickersham1
Twitter https://twitter.com/wickersonabike
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Pricing4Accountants
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markwickershamfca
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mark_wickersham/
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
#NiksTips | The Future of Banking (feat. 👂 Blake Oliver, CPA, CPA and Nikole Mackenzie, CPA)
Sons of CPAs Bonus to Episode #28
5 the difference between Relay Financial and Wells Fargo is Relay Financial lets you create as many checking accounts as you want, Wells Fargo opens them up without your consent
6 the pains and perceived costs of moving bank accounts is so high that we don’t do anything
shout out to Caleb Newquist and Greg Kyte, CPA of the Oh My Fraud Podcast
9 for businesses that need to spin out different accounts really easily, that’s where the killer app is for Relay
shout out to Mike Michalowicz and Profit First Professionals- It's your business. Shouldn't your profit come first?
11 if you worked with a small sub-set of contractors, or co-hosts, you could setup Relay accounts for them
shout out to Jason Ackerman, CPA, CFP®, CGMA and TaxBandits
14 Business owners like rewards, how can Relay get them rewards?
15 Nikole Mackenzie, CPA’s Relay Wish List
18 a Simpsons and Twilight Zone break…
19 Niches and implementing new platforms at your firm…
shout out to Xero
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Episode #28 Sam McCraw, CPA, MAC | Tax Director - CFO Timonier, Wealth Beyond Financial™ | Winston-Salem, NC Recorded
August 30, 2021
3 tell us about your dad, who retired at 48 years old…
4 tell us about being in the security forces for the US air force…
7 why did you go into accounting after leaving the air force?
14 tell us about the billing, marketing and service offerings at Timonier
shout out to our sponsor this week, Practice Ignition
22 tell us about working as a tax analyst for Intuit…
30 the Xero v Intuit QuickBooks debate continues… but, not really
34 what would you say to a firm that’s thinking about adding wealth management?
35 it’s like adding a passive revenue stream to your accounting practice…
shout out to our sponsor this week, Reach Reporting
39 when you started at Timonier, Wealth Beyond Financial™, what were the first things you changed?
40 A lesson on #ChangeManagement done right, from a fellow #ChangeAgent
42 how do you prioritize doing 230 tax returns, by yourself?
44 after the tech stack, what’s the next thing that you know you need to change?
46 getting a lot of self-actualization by maintaining a stand-alone CPA firm on the side, with the entrepreneurial spirit… so why not go out completely on your own?
47 as a sole tax practitioner, how do you get your training and do you have a support network?
49 what’s something you miss from being at Scott Scarano 🥶’s firm?
50 and another argument for tracking time at an accounting firm…
51 you’ve worked in all these different industries, give our listeners some advice if they’re going to go out on their own…
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Please subscribe to the Sons of CPAs on your favorite podcast player, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
AccountingEvolutions | Future Change is Always Present (feat. Ian Vacin)
BONUS to episode #27
Recorded Tuesday, November 16 @ Padgett FOCUS 2021 in Atlanta, GA - the epicenter of the tax epidemic
Hello and welcome, we are all the Sons of CPAs, join us this week from the epicenter of the tax epidemic, with another special guest Ian Vacin
recorded in person in Atlanta, Georgia on Tuesday, November 16, 2021
... today we're talking about the evolution of accounting, and it gets deep… here are some quotes from the episode
how do we look introspectively and figure out how we're going to do things differently going forward?
why would we impose change on ourselves or on our firm?
California seems to have a lot of the change. Well, the change curve kind of starts there when it comes to tech and other things. How about tax?
a lot of conversations I'm having start with, “I want to sell my practice”, OR “I want to buy books of business”
the reason why we got where we were two years ago to where we are today was because of the backs of the accounting profession. Helping support psychologically, financially, all different efforts to be able to create the programs, to get people the support they needed.
So we got to experience how much we, as accountants, have a lot more strength to withstand anything that could be thrown at us because we have a stoic mindset, we know that it could be worse. So my current present, I can choose and I have more power over the decisions.
there's a lot out there that are looking to buy. So I think the frequency of buyers has increased because it's like a gold rush, they see the value...
I think that the buyer's market can be a smaller firm and you can also play in that market. But if you do it, you better have gotten your house in order and the foundation needs to be there. You have to increase your margins. The problem has been consistent for the last 20 years. It's very hard to get talent. You're dealing with a situation where the talent growth has 0.4% - 0.6%. increased growth year over year on talent.
I've noticed that too with my conversations are a lot different these days. it's a different, level of understanding on both parties. I've always had my head in the clouds, so to speak and that's been hard to relate. A lot of people have gone through another level of maturity, even at an older age, with different level of understanding and empathy.
and people still let their egos get in the way…but that’s a story for another day, Cheers.
Please subscribe to the Sons of CPAs on your favorite podcast player, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
The Fresh Princess…in the Cloud since 2003 (feat. Twyla Verhelst, CPA)
Episode #27
Twyla Verhelst, CPA | Founder of Helm and Head of Accounting Community at FreshBooks
and the founder of the Women in Accounting Hub - www.womeninaccounting.online
Calgary, Alberta Canada
Recorded September 7, 2021
shout out to our sponsor Tallyfor
shout out to our sponsor Practice Ignition
2 outlets through COVID
shout out to Acuity CFO Online Bookkeeping Accounting and Business Tax and Drink While You Think
6 USA vs Canada, the North American race to STOP using checks
9 Where Accounting and Technology collide…
11 Becoming a Software Entrepreneur Accountant…
shout out to our sponsor Tallyfor
17 Twyla’s first Ethics/Integrity TEST
18 Starting, growing, and selling businesses…
19 The Birth of Helm | Cash Flow App…
20 The Birth of the Fresh Princess aka Head of Accounting Relationships at FreshBooks
25 Twyla, what’s your North Star?
27 Ackerman’s FreshBooks story
shout out to Mike McDerment
shout out to our sponsor Practice Ignition
33 FreshBooks was ahead of it’s time… in the cloud since 2003
35 There’s room for a 3rd player in the Cloud Accounting GL space…
41 Creating a client experience that your client can’t live without
46 Setting our clients up for success
48 Staying in your lane and widening the shoulders…
50 Why is there so much accounting tech coming straight outta Canada?
53 Stepping away from your firm and going deeper in the software biz to become closer to the Accounting Community
59 Give us one piece of advice to share with accounting firm owners…
shout out to Kenji Kuramoto
shout out to all women in accounting
www.freshbooks.com/accountants
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
The Sons of CPAs Thanksgiving Special 2021
Thank You…Jason Ackerman
Thank You…Liz Mason
Thank You…Michael Ly
Thank You…Zachary Call
Thank You…Will Lopez
Thank You…Jason Staats
Thank You…Joshua Lance
Thank You…Jeff Phillips
Thank You…Marcus Mire
Thank You…Donna Bordeaux
Thank You…Nikole Mackenzie
Thank You…Kenji Kuramoto
Thank You…Dave Emmerman
Thank You…Stephanie Holt
Thank You…Blake Oliver
Thank You…Lorilyn Wilson
Thank You…Amanda Aguillard
Thank You…Kathy Gregory
Thank You…Kristen Keats
Thank You…Ian Vacin
Thank You…Brian Clare
Thank You…Guy Pearson
Thank You…Roger Harris
Thank You…Chris Farrell
Thank You…Dave Olsen
Thank You…Nayo Carter-Gray
Thank You…Twyla Verhelst
Thank You…Samuel McCraw
Thank You…Mark Wickersham
Thank You…Yoseph West
Thank You…Brannon Poe
Thank You…Scott Scharf
Thank You…Marissa Jones
Thank You…Fady Hawatmeh
Thank You…Peter Wen
Thank You…Michael Kravshik
Thank You…Daniel Gertrudes
Thank You…John Garrett
Thank You…Donnamarie Ryder
Thank You…Rita Keller
Thank You…Justin Hatch
Thank You…Byron Patrick
Thank You…Michael Eckstein
Thank You…Dawn Brolin
Thank You…Jody Grunden
Thank You…Shane Mason
Thank You…Greg Kyte
Thank You…Tate Henshaw
Thank You…Marie Phillips
Thank You…Caleb Newquist
Thank You… to all our sponsors and to all our listeners!!!!
(Subscribe and leave us a review on Podcast…should you feel so inspired)
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Hello and welcome, we are all the Sons of CPAs, join us this week with another special co-host, Marcus Mire, CPA
recorded in person in Lafayette, Louisana on Friday, November 19, 2021
... today we're talking about Change Management in an accounting firm, here are some takeaways:
- the pain of the present needs to be more powerful than the pain of change.
- you have to be continually reminded of that big picture
- reverting back to the comfort of what's familiar
- don't make any changes in a cavalier way
- what is your intended outcome of the change and be very clear on that...is it time? Is it money? Is it freedom? Is it growth?
- you might have to backpedal, you might have to start back at square one
- sunk costs are the enemy in a world where our minds change over time
- to make change happen, you got to champion it
- accept the reality of change and move on
Things are going to change around you and you've got no control over that. That's where you got to pivot your current mindset and shift. And th that's another story for another day...Cheers
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
The Elephant in the Room (feat. Nayo Carter-Gray, EA)
Episode #26
❤️🖤💚Nayo Carter-Gray, EA MBA | Founder of 1st Step Accounting
Baltimore, MD
Recorded August 30, 2021
6 Does the CPA matter to clients anymore?
9 from the summer job in high school to filing your own taxes and getting refunds
#SideHustleStories…
Nayo - High School doing friends 1040-EZ in high school for $25 a pop
Scott - High School selling CDs for $25 a pop
Scott - Middle School doing friends book reports for $10 a pop
Nayo - MaryKay to Slumber Parties, adult toys and lingerie for ladies…
12 getting an MBA in IT and passions for cyber security
shout out to LastPass and Cashapp
14 Internship at a black accounting firm in Baltimore during college
15 Healthcare accounting for 10 years
shout out to Shoeboxed and Square
15 Paperless from the jump
16 A Side Hustle is A Side Effect of growing up, not too rich…
17 multilevel marketing aka mini-franchises
21 the strategies of selling sex toys and making $750 an hour
22 to run a successful business you need to make sure you have scalable processes…
shout out to 1st Step Accounting: We make Accounting a little less Taxing for Small Business Owners
23 breaking down complex topics into simplified processes and formulas
24 Do you have any employees at 1st Step Accounting?
shout out to InboxDone.com
24 Outsourcing Email
25 How do you keep all the multiple hats of running a business on your head?
shout out to the Passion Planner and Nifty and the Pomodo Technique
26 TimeBlock and STOP trying to multitask, because it doesn’t work
shout out to our sponsor Reach Reporting
27 What Makes your firm different from other firms?
shout out to Cognito Forms
28 Where do you feel you’re at with 1st Step in your journey?
38 tell us a little bit about Steps to Success…
shout out to Intuit QuickBooks and Xero
shout out to Amanda Aguillard CPA CISD and Cathy Iconis, CPA
41 QuickBooks vs Xero is also Blue vs Green… speaking of colors…let’s talk diversity in accounting…
44 The first Intuit Black Accountants Meetup of 2019
45 It Starts with a Voice then you become The Hero
47 Unfortunately, it might take a generation “melting away” before we see some real change…
48 Take an internal bias test… once you understand who you are and what makes you tick, then you can really understand how you show up in the world
54 What are some of the barriers for black accountants to become licensed CPAs?
56 working hard and putting yourself through college as a teen mom
59 what’s the biggest piece of advice you can give other accountants?
shout out to our sponsor Practice Ignition
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Episode #25 Determined. Agile. Vision. Evolve. (feat. Dave Olsen, CPA) recorded 8/23/2021 Dave Olsen, CPA | CEO Nimbl & Nimbl Staffing South Jordan, UT
2 from Brigham Young University accounting to information systems to programming to EY 5 the CFO of a 5 person startup isn’t a full-time job 7 Are you a multitasker or an entrepreneur? 9 from India to the Philippines in 2012… shout out to Cathy Tio at Nimbl Staffing 10 Putting your business pants on in 2017… shout out to Patti Scharf, CPA 13 The birth of Tanalytics… the death of Tanalytics… shout out to Jason Staats, CPA, MBA 15 Where did the name Nimbl come from? 18 Your brand should be a reflection of you…according to Scott Scarano 🥶 shout out to our sponsor Practice Ignition 21 What brings you the most joy? 23 Reverse engineering, kinda like our friends at Acuity CFO Online Bookkeeping Accounting and Business Tax? shout out to Matthew May & Kenji Kuramoto 24 To Scale by leveraging your own experiences through your team Get your Nimbl Staffing on today at Nimblstaffing.com 25 Rebranding, a worthy $10k investment! shout out to Reed Hill 27 Let’s hear about your app-stack… shout out to Intuit QuickBooks, Xero, Gusto, Bill.com, Asana, Front 29 Let’s talk about A World Without Email, and our buddy Cal Newport… 30 Let’s teach our clients how to work with us…from the start 31 Two hour response times… YIKES!! shout out to Jason Fried at Basecamp 36 Is your tech-stack scalable? Will it still work if you double or triple in size? shout out to our sponsor Reach Reporting 39 So Dave, what does the future hold for Dave Olsen and Nimbl? 40 CFO work and building financials models in Google Sheets vs any platforms… 42 Dave’s current focus: Growth and Scaling and Team Training shout out to Kenji Kuramoto & Matthew May, again shout out to Scott’s mom, he’s trying not to curse now 46 Zachary’s philosophy: Hire with your gut, fire quickly. 47 Let’s talk about the Book of Mormon… and the great outdoors of Utah 51 Living and working through COVID shout out to Amanda Aguillard CPA CISD & ▪David Leary▪ shout out to Bronco Mendenhall
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Hello and welcome. We are all the Sons of CPAs. Join us with this week's #20minLy or Sons of CPAs Bonus episodes where Michael Ly and Scott Scarano discuss some choice topics on running their respective modern accounting firms. Today's Topic: Losing key employees that your team loves, and techniques or ways of planning for and grieving for lost employees in general...
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Looking Back to the Future (feat. Chris Farrell, CPA/CEO) recorded 8/16/2021 Chris Farrell, CPA | CEO Liscio.me San Francisco, CA 1 Tell us about how you got started in the accounting industry… 3 Tell us about your dad’s embezzlement scandals… 5 Tell us about the coolest thing that happened at USC Santa Barbara… shout out to our sponsor Reach Reporting 12 Tell us about transitioning from accounting to tech… shout out to Oracle & Stratacomm 13 Tell us about the first jump, when you left Arthur Andersen… 16 Tell us about Liscio… 23 How did your accounting background help you with a startup? shout out to René Lacerte shout out to Bill.com, Paycycle & Lacerte 24 Tell us about not having a CPA for the first couple years… 27 Tell us about some times that you regret not having a good advisor early on… 31 Accountants can be the bridge between the past and the future shout out to our sponsor Practice Ignition 37 Who is at the table with the entrepreneur? 39 Give us the Liscio sales pitch… 45 Where do you see Liscio in 5 years? 47 Ackerman’s screen is frozen… 52 To the next phase of consolidation with our apps… Please leave us a review and subscribe, that would be super dope!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
#5minL² | Experimentation w/ Notification Depreciation
Episode 01
LEADERSHIP LESSONS | INDUSTRY TRENDS | CLIENT EXPERIENCE
Hello and welcome. We are all the Sons of CPAs. Join us with this week's #5minL² with your hosts Chris Farrell and Scott Scarano.
5minL² defined:
-
derived from our #5minLy bonus episodes BUT with another sub-co-host this time on Leadership Lessons or L²
-
Sons of CPAs Bonus episodes where Chris Farrell and Scott Scarano discuss some choice articles from Liscio Newsletter
https://liscio.me/leadership-lessons-take-care-of-ourselves/
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Episode #23
HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2021
PPP: A President’s Personal Priorities (feat. Roger Harris, EA)
recorded 8/2/2021
Roger Harris, EA | President of Padgett Business Services
Athens, GA
shout out to our 1st PAID sponsor Reach Reporting
5 I will not play golf if I don’t need a cooler to keep the beer cold
6 After you’ve found your career, did you really need your CPA?
10 Don’t question Mr. Padgett, or he will fire you!
12 The principles of marketing to clients haven’t changed in 50 years
13 How did you go from the paperboy to running Padgett?
15 What’s the biggest change from when you started 40 years ago?
16 Has it been a struggle to get a lot of the older Padgett offices to change their mindset?
17 We have to stop getting paid for what we do, and start getting paid for what we know.
18 Our value is not looking backward, but looking forward
21 It’s easier to keep you out of trouble than to get you out of trouble
24 Serving on the IRS Advisory Council for 4 years
25 The IRS is one of the biggest Social Welfare programs in the world
shout out to Charles O. Rossotti
29 The IRS might get worse before it gets better.
30 Roger, at what point are you going to roll up your sleeves and fix the IRS?
shout out to our 2nd PAID sponsor Tallyfor
35 How many real IRS audits have any of you been through?
36 Intent and ignorance have the same effect on the tax system
41 At the end of the day every checker player can become a king
43 The biggest mistake we make as professionals is we don’t set priorities
46 Do not spend $5 of my money looking for $1 of someone else’s
47 Everything has to be judged on the priorities you set and materiality
48 What do you look for in a new Padgett Franchisee?
49 Tell us some old client stories
52 Set family and personal priorities and stick to them
shout out to Jeff Phillips
shout out to Amanda Aguillard
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Sons of CPAs Episode 22 Bonus
10.26.2021
#5minLy | The Color Yellow
Episode 11
LEADERSHIP | RECRUITING
5minLy defined:
Sons of CPAs Bonus episodes where Michael Ly and Scott Scarano discuss some choice topics from Karbon Magazine about running their modern accounting firms.
https://karbonhq.com/resources/30-interview-questions-to-help-you-identify-the-best-candidate/
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Episode #22
π’s Logic Accounting Brain (feat. Guy Pearson, CEO)
recorded 8/2/2021
Guy Pearson, CEO | Chief Ignitioneer | Head Janitor
Practice Ignition | Sydney, Australia
2 Trading Places and the Crescendo of Agricultural Economics
3 Being older than your father ever was
6 Aussie Rules IPA, Institute of Public Accountants
8 Do you want $20 in the bank or $20,000 at the end of the year?
shout out to Xero, Skype, Google Suite, Dropbox
shout out to Receipt Bank, Fathom, and Spotlight
11 An online ledger with an API, Bank Feeds, Single Ledger… god bless Xero
13 If you’ve traveled around the world, you probably bumped into an Australian
18 THE BIRTH OF… Interactive Accounting P/L
21 THE BIRTH OF… My Financial Solutions
22 THE BIRTH OF… My PIR (Property Investment Report)
26 Not doing any day-to-day work in your firm after 3 years!
shout out to Josh Lance
28 Firm Ignition, Group Ignition, and Practice Ignition
30 THE BIRTH OF… Practice Ignition
shout out to Stuart McLeod
shout out to Matt Allen
35 When will everyone see the logic of running monthly retainers?
shout out to Steph Hinds, Head Ninja @ Growthwize
shout out to Rod Drury
37 The 3 F’s
39 A Global Mindset from Day One
shout out to Brendan Allen
shout out to Tom Maxwell
shout out to Don Miller
shout out to Tiger Global
shout out to Relay, Xero, Dext, Hubdoc, QuickBooks
shout out to Karbon
SPECIAL shout out to the Practice Ignition Team
49 Smarter Together, Better Together
50 It’s the End of the Beginning…
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Blueprint 2: The Amalgamation (feat. Brian Clare, CPA)
recorded 8/2/2021
Brian Clare, CPA, CMA | Blueprint Accounting
Entrepreneur | Cloud Technologist | Automation Specialist
shout out to Chrisio at Liscio
shout out to Ian at Karbon
shout out to Ackerman at BNA
shout out to Oracle, SAP, NetSuite, QBO, Xero, and Freshbooks
3 there’s gotta be another cloud accounting GL platform to compete w/ Xero and QB…
I guess…shout out to Sage
shout out to Michael LySki
7 Partnership breakups, makeups, mergers, acquisitions, and amalgamations!
8 CA = Chartered Accountant, similar to CPA in the US
8 CMA = Certified Management Accountant
8 CGA = Certified General Accountant
shout out to Scott Armstrong
shout out to Richard Aprio Kopelman, CPA/CEO
shout out to Jay-Z
10 What’s in a name?
11 What’s your firm's primary focus?
12 What’s your philosophy on time?
16 How many employees do you have?
shout out to Scott Scharf, CTO
17 What are your revenue goals?
shout out to Christopher Leon, EA
19 Do you still do sales at your firm?
23 What happens when pricing services come up with your bookkeepers or accountants?
23 Why do we accept that a client will get mad about the price?
26 What’s your current philosophy on Change Management?
shout out to Accounting Salon
shout out to Amanda Aguillard, CPA
shout out to Kenji Kuramoto, CEO at Acuity
shout out to Liz Mason, CPA at High Rock
28 A world buried by email
29 Time Blocking
30 How do we find time to do the things we used to before firms and families?
32 What did we do before iPhones and Social Media?
34 How do you do your SOPs or Standard Operating Procedures?
shout out to Loom and Scribe
shout out to Microsoft Teams
36 How do you guys handle digital security?
shout out to Webroot
39 Do you have an email philosophy?
shout out to Liscio
shout out to Nayo Carter-Gray, EA, and takingyourfirmvirtual.heysummit.com
46 Let’s talk about the Accounting Automations Workflows podcast!
shout out to Heather Satterley, CPA
shout out to Jay-Z
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Sons of CPAs Episode 20 Bonus
HAPPY TAX EXTENSION DEADLINE 2021!!!
10.15.2021
#5minLy | Shiny Happy Hybrid Teams
Episode 10
LEADERSHIP | DISTRIBUTED TEAMS | WORKING REMOTELY
5minLy defined:
Sons of CPAs Bonus episodes where Michael Ly and Scott Scarano discuss some choice topics from Karbon Magainze about running their modern accounting firms.
https://karbonhq.com/resources/3-infrastructure-pillars-to-run-a-remote-or-hybrid-accounting-team/
Bonus Music Video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYOKMUTTDdA
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Episode #20
Prioritizing Work, Relationships, and Finance in your Accounting Firm (feat. Ian Vacin, CCO)
recorded 7/19/2021
Ian Vacin, CCO | ian@karbonhq.com
Chief Bottle Washer, Chief Janitorial Service, and Chief Customer Officer
Karbonhq.com
3 The three Karbon KPIs are Sales, NPS, and Net Dollar Retention (NDR) plus two others, Platform and Innovation
shout out to Tim Donohoue
7 THE BIRTH OF… Triage
12 THE BIRTH OF… Ian Vacin
shout out to Stuart McLeod
shout out to John Freeman
16 THE BIRTH OF… Karbon
18 The bridge between Billing and Time for larger firms
20 Accountant’s Stool is made up of 3 Pillars: Work, Relationships, and Finance
26 Why Ian is worried about the future of the profession…
30 COVID could have been the shock to the system that we needed, for better or worse…
34 Stuart the Optimist, Ian the Realist, and John the Pessimist
shout out to Rod Drury
shout out to Ali Grigg
shout out to Ross Jenkins
shout out to Jeff Phillips
shout out to Amanda Aguillard
shout out to Roger Harris
41 Karbon as good stewards for the Accounting Community
shout out to Chris Farrell
45 Ian’s realization on how Karbon is such a game-changer in his own life…
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Episode #19 Fantastic Ms. Fox (feat. Kristen & Kelsey Keats, CPA) recorded 7/12/2021 Kristen Keats, CPA | @kristenkeatscpa Sherwood, OR breakawayba.com | cadencia.io Hello and welcome. We are the Sons of CPAs. Join us as we question the current state of the accounting and tax industry with the next generation of professionals leading this space, we are the change agents in an industry fraught with money and inertia. Let's begin The Sons of CPAs with your hosts, Zachary Call and Scott Scarano. shout out to Kelsey shout out to Shea shout out to Martin shout out to Twyla shout out to LySki
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Sons of CPAs Episode 18 Bonus
#5minLy | Customer Service is Where We Win
Episode 09
PERFORMANCE | SERVICE
5minLy defined:
Sons of CPAs Bonus episodes where Michael Ly and Scott Scarano discuss some choice topics about running their modern accounting firms.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Episode #18
Monetizing Advisory as a Product (feat. Kathy Gregory)
recorded 7/6/2021
Kathy Gregory | @KathyGregory1 | liveplan.com
Eugene, OR
Hello and welcome. We are the Sons of CPAs. Join us as we question the current state of the accounting and tax industry with the next generation of professionals leading this space, we are the change agents in an industry fraught with money and inertia. Let's begin The Sons of CPAs with your hosts, Jason Ackerman and Scott Scarano.
4 The kismet of Kathy finding Palo Alto Software
shout out to Tim Berry
9 Define Management Accounting
10 How do I monetize advisory?
14 Kathy, we have a lawsuit…
18 Time should not be tracked to set prices…
19 What do you think accounting firms are doing wrong?
22 How do we service our clients the best?
27 What do small businesses want from an Advisor?
shout out to Sabrina Parsons
shout out to Mark Wickersham
shout out to Ron Baker
shout out to Ian Vacin
shout out to David Cristello
32 Kathy, what’s your relationship with your accountant?
36 Selling predictability
39 Monetizing opportunities
40 Selling without selling
45 Give a firm or an accountant one piece of advice they can take away from this…
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Sons of CPAs Episode 17 Bonus
#5minLy | HR Services or People Advisory?
Episode 08
BENEFITS | CONSULTING | ADVISORY
Hello and welcome. We are all the Sons of CPAs. Join us with this week's #5minLy with your hosts Michael Ly and Scott Scarano.
5minLy defined:
Sons of CPAs Bonus episodes where Michael Ly and Scott Scarano discuss some choice articles from #LizMasonContent.
https://www.accountingweb.com/practice/practice-excellence/why-should-an-accountant-offer-human-resources
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Episode #17
Our Fairy CPAmother (feat. Amanda Aguillard, CPA)
recorded 6/28/2021
Amanda Aguillard, CPA | @AguillardAcct
Aguillard Accounting | Elefant Training | Accounting Salon | Padgett’s COO | Xero: A Comprehensive Guide
Hello and welcome. We are the Sons of CPAs. Join us as we question the current state of the accounting and tax industry with the next generation of professionals leading this space, we are the change agents in an industry fraught with money and inertia. Let's begin The Sons of CPAs with your hosts, Jason Ackerman and Scott Scarano.
12 THE BIRTH OF…Aguillard Accounting
shout out to Monica
14 THE BIRTH OF…Elefant Training
22 THE BIRTH OF… Padgett’s COO
shout out to Roger Harris
26 THE BIRTH OF… The Xero Book
shout out to Gretchen Rubin
shout out to Rod Drury
33 THE BIRTH OF… Accounting Salon
shout out to Doug Sleeter
shout out to Clayton Oates
shout out to Rachel Fisch
shout out to David Leary
shout out to Heather Satterley
shout out to Jay Kimelman
shout out to Liz Mason
shout out to Jim Jones
shout out to Blake
41 THE BIRTH OF… SalonV
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Sons of CPAs Episode 16 Bonus
#5minLy | The Uniqueness of Subscriptions
Episode 07
PERFORMANCE | PRICING
Hello and welcome. We are all the Sons of CPAs. Join us with this week's #5minLy with your hosts Michael Ly and Scott Scarano.
5minLy defined:
Sons of CPAs Bonus episodes where Michael Ly and Scott Scarano discuss some choice articles from Saasable Content.
https://www.getsaasable.com/how-to-choose-which-subscription-model-is-right-for-your-product
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Episode #16
Big Dick Energy (feat. Lorilyn Wilson)
recorded 6/21/2021
Lorilyn Wilson, CPA | @Lorilynwilson
https://highrock.co/nucleus/
Hello and welcome. We are the Sons of CPAs. Join us as we question the current state of the accounting and tax industry with the next generation of professionals leading this space, we are the change agents in an industry fraught with money and inertia.
12 Oluko = enterprise asynchronous learning platform
17 Advisors, CFOs, CPAs unite
19 Look Ahead…
22 Are you living your best life?
25 Stress triggers
27 Seasonal depression is a real thing
29 You have to take time for yourself
31 An outgoing introvert
35 Can we talk about digital assets?
37 What's a bot?
41 Build a lifestyle firm to realize your own dreams
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
#5minLy | Client Success Teams
Episode 06
GROWTH | EFFICIENCY
Hello and welcome. We are all the Sons of CPAs. Join us with this weeks #5minLy with your hosts Michael Ly and Scott Scarano.
5minLy defined:
-
A period of time equal to about a twelfth of an hour, sometimes an eighth...
-
Sons of CPAs Bonus episodes where Michael Ly and Scott Scarano discuss some choice articles from Karbon Magazine
https://karbonhq.com/resources/if-you-standardize-one-process-this-year-make-it-this-one/
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Episode #15
The Podfather (feat. Blake Oliver, CPA)
recorded 6/14/2021
Blake Oliver, Founder of The Cloud Accounting Podcast
Hello and welcome. We are the Sons of CPAs. Join us as we question the current state of the accounting and tax industry with the next generation of professionals leading this space, we are the change agents in an industry fraught with money and inertia. Let's begin The Sons of CPAs with your hosts, Jason Ackerman and Scott Scarano.
2 the Cello and Money and growing up in a Gentile bubble
36 larger CPA firms are giant pyramid schemes
38 what’s a product marketer?
40 ExpensiCon 3.0 on Mars
41 an almost fully automated engagement for $1k/mo
42 software companies are so weird
46 Dude SCOTT! for the love of God, let him SPEAK!
47 the next generation of firm owners
50 tips for better podcasting
1.0 ok Blake, did you track TIME?
1.3 will tax software ever be on the cloud?
1.4 will HubDoc ever be inside of Xero?
1.5 Blake’s side project, EarMark!
1.8 CPAs creating their own CPE courses for podcasts!
1.11 the best stuff in our profession is professionals talking to professionals
1.13 shout out to Rod Drury for creating Blake, a Greek God
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Sons of CPAs Episode 14 Bonus
#5minLy | Back on Slack
Episode 05
WORK-LIFE | WORKING REMOTELY
Hello and welcome. We are all the Sons of CPAs. Join us with this week's #5minLy with your hosts Michael Ly and Scott Scarano.
https://karbonhq.com/resources/how-to-solve-the-5-main-communication-challenges-of-working-remotely/
5minLy defined:
-
A period of time equal to about a twelfth of an hour, sometimes an eighth...
-
This week Michael Ly and Scott Scarano discuss a choice article from Karbon Magazine
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Episode #14
Kicking PITAs and Taking Names (feat. Stephanie Holt)
recorded 6/14/2021
Stephanie Holt, Head Guru
Cloud Accounting & Consulting
1 Ackerman’s hoity-toity food blog https://scallionpancake.com/blog/catbirdseat
2 why’d you go the bookkeeper route and not the tax route?
3 people helping people
5 working in the deep south with good ol boys is exhausting
6 marginalized change agents
8 finding losses in the gains
10 transparency and accountability
11 the key to breaking bad habits
14 getting snowballed by some ex’s
18 break to pay the kids tutor
19 how do you go about firing a client?
21 do you rate your clients and give out PITA factors?
shout out to Ed at Tax 1099
23 not firing clients…raising prices
26 working with the Steady Eddies
28 setting expectations and the roadmap to success
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Episode #13
recorded on May 24, 2021
“FOMO Dave” Emmerman, EA
Hello and welcome. We are the Sons of CPAs. Join us as we question the current state of the accounting and tax industry with the next generation of professionals leading this space, we are the change agents in an industry fraught with money and inertia. Let's begin The Sons of CPAs with your hosts, Jason Ackerman and Scott Scarano.
4 Both Dave’s parents had practices!
5 should out to the year-old Newfoundland puppy, Sophie!
8 The challenges with buying 14 practices in 9 years!
9 topping out at 1,000 returns per partner! That’s insane…
13 providing value through conversations
15 underpricing individual tax returns = undercutting ourselves as an industry
19 Dave’s Doc Brown Moment!
24 The art of getting Team buy-in
25 flying from NY to SF, Dave's first visit to the Xero office
shout out to Frankie
27 Finding Your Vertical
30 from 80/20 Tax/Accounting to a 50/50 split!
33 An industry that is ripe for change and making an impact as an ambassador for change
shout out to Ben Richmond
35 leaving the rat race to actualize your real potential
36 selling off your practice
37 commanding a higher valuation by being tech-forward
41 what do you think is holding Xero back in the US?
shout out to Xero (here’s another free one)
44 brand recognition
48 propagating problems
52 don’t sell benefits to accountants
53 the US market is now the #1 focus for the Xero product team
54 working at Xero and Dave’s favorite tax season
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
#5minLy | The Voice of the Heroes + the Coach
Episode 04
GROWTH | STRATEGY | PERFORMANCE
Hello and welcome. We are all the Sons of CPAs. Join us with this week's #5minLy with Michael Ly where we feature an article of our choice from Karbon Magazine with your hosts Michael Ly and Scott Scarano.
https://karbonhq.com/resources/how-to-optimize-visibility-across-your-firm-to-uncover-growth-opportunities/
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Episode #12
Reverse Engineering your Firm (feat. Kenji Kuramoto, CEO)
recorded 5/17/2021
Kenji+ Kuramoto, CPA
https://acuity.co/
Hello and welcome. We are all the Sons of CPAs. Join us as we question the current state of the accounting and tax industry with the next generation of professionals leading this space, we are all the change agents in an industry fraught with money and inertia. Let's begin The Sons of CPAs with your hosts, Jason Ackerman and Scott Scarano.
1 big time CEO here, holy triple digits!
2 Arthur Anderson
4 Big public accounting experience
8 You have to want to play that game to get to Partner
10 backing into things as an entrepreneur
13 people hire you because they like you?
14 are you smart or are you nice?
shout out to Josh Lance
17 CRYPTO
18 it’s fun to find some Niches
shout out to Will Lopez
25 CFO World vs Tax World
27 billing Time and Hours
shout out to Liz Mason
35 Working in the pricing matrix
36 how do you tell a client they’re not a good fit?
39 what’s one mistake you made at Acuity?
40 Growing fast and losing money
41 Customer Success and Customer Retention
shout out to Delighted https://delighted.com/
shout out to SalesForce salesforce.com
45 going after the ScaleFactor team, post bust
47 shout out to the 18 official Acuity TechStack Partners
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
#5minLy | Work-life Harmony
Episode 03
-
A period of time equal to about a twelfth of an hour, sometimes an eighth...
-
Michael Ly and Scott Scarano discuss a choice article from Karbon Magazine
https://karbonhq.com/resources/how-to-break-the-always-on-cycle-and-boost-productivity/
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Episode #11
Beyond Building Momentum (feat. Nikole Mackenzie, CPA)
recorded 5/10/2021
Nikole Mackenzie, CPA
https://momentumaccounting.com/
Hello and welcome. We are the Sons of CPAs. Join us as we question the current state of the accounting and tax industry with the next generation of professionals leading this space, we are the change agents in an industry fraught with money and inertia. Let's begin The Sons of CPAs with your hosts, Jason Ackerman and Scott Scarano.
0 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harem
2 the parallels of sports and business
3 shout out to Tammy
4 as a woman, tackling another woman
5 picking up golf during COVID
7 working with an NFL player who was paying $400k in accounting fees!
NOT sponsor slot (kidding, Bill.com)
NOT sponsor slot (kidding, Go Proposal?)
11 working with no scope
20 shout out to the Momentum Team
25 what’s the ultimate goal for Momentum?
27 shout out to Will Lopez
29 why do you think it’s important that the team has excess capacity?
32 what do you use to measure scope?
NOT sponsor slot (what’s up, Practice Ignition?)
34 TIME
37 remember Xero’s payroll module?
39 when does a client need to hire Momentum?
41 Momentum’s ideal client!
NOT sponsor slot (shout out to QuickBooks Desktop, JUST KIDDING)
42 leverage technology to automate what we do
43 the problems with the family business
44 shout out to Marcus
45 do you get an ROI on the time spent on LinkedIn?
46 ProVisors
50 what piece of technology is missing in the accounting space?
52 creating recurring revenue through automation
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
#5minLy | The Cult of Personality
Episode 02
https://karbonhq.com/resources/building-a-strong-accounting-firm-culture/
"#5minLy defined"
-
A period of time equal to about a twelfth of an hour, sometimes an eighth...
-
Michael Ly and Scott Scarano discuss a choice article from Karbon Magazine
https://karbonhq.com/resources/building-a-strong-accounting-firm-culture/
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Episode #10
Paperless since 1999 - The Oracle, Queen, Wizard, and Trailblazer (feat. Donna Bordeaux, CPA)
recorded 5/5/2021
Donna Bordeaux, CPA
https://calculatedmoves.com/
Hello and welcome. We are the Sons of CPAs. Join us as we question the current state of the accounting and tax industry with the next generation of professionals leading this space, we are the change agents in an industry fraught with money and inertia. Let's begin The Sons of CPAs with your hosts, Jason Ackerman and Scott Scarano. We could have called this, the children of CPAs, but that kind of sounds like a horror movie.
3 sponsor slot (sup? Xero)
4 paperless in 1999
6 outsourcing in 2005
8 develop or document a process
9 clients want results
10 falling into a Niche market Pottery Studios
12 Niche #2 Campgrounds!
18 Pricing your Niche clients
18 Marketing your Niche clients
20 using client’s Tax Waste to justify your Prices
21 Advisory clients vs DIY clients
24 focused 100% on MRR
25 the future, Automation of routine tasks
28 automating the sales process
30 TAX
31 sponsor slot (sup? LivePlan)
32 Cash registers and Calculators
33 Numbers and Technology
35 a business you can work ON not IN
37 don’t work with anyone you can’t provide value to
39 World Domination
42 Changing your Firm Name
44 The Trailblazers
45 shout out to Marjorie in Texas
48 being the Queen in the Chess of Life
50 King and Queen CPA firms
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
#5minLy | The Onboarding Passport
Episode 01
https://karbonhq.com/resources/get-new-hires-up-to-speed-quickly-and-painlessly-by-mastering-staff-onboarding/
"5minLy defined"
noun
a period of time equal to about a twelfth of an hour -
https://karbonhq.com/resources/get-new-hires-up-to-speed-quickly-and-painlessly-by-mastering-staff-onboarding/
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Episode #9
Total Control Accounting (feat. Marcus Mire, CPA)
recorded April 14, 2021
Marcus Mire, CPA
https://mire.group/
5 shout out to Stephanie Mire
5 shout out to Tyler Warner
14 sponsor slot (just kidding, Practice Ignition)
19 sponsor slot (just kidding, Practice Ignition)
21 shout out to Quentin, John, and Stephanie
26 shout out to Niks
26 shout out to Acuity
30 shout out to Zachary Call
39 shout out to Cal Newport
40 Ackerman thinks he figured out the cause of COVID-19
43 TIME
50 the birth of Total Control Accounting, shout out to Tyler
55 shout out to Stephanie
55 sponsor slot (just kidding, Gusto)
55 sponsor slot (just kidding, Xero)
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Episode #8
FlyAccounting and Padgett (feat. Jeff Phillips, CEO)
recorded April 7, 2021
Twitter @jeffphillips_
https://www.accountingfly.com/
twitter @accountingfly
1 son of an EA
3 Baylor’s 2021 National Champion
5 shout out to Bruce Phillips (no relation)
6 grinding it out with AccountingFly
8 the biggest challenges for firms today
9 product-market fit
11 leadership during a crisis
13 managing people remotely
14 obsessed with systems and systems of systems
17 sponsor slot (just kidding, AccountingFly)
20 I’m going to hire someone that’s going to live in an RV for a month
22 Padgett: making the franchise model in accounting work
27 what’s your vision for Padgett?
28 how do you get Baby Boomers to modernize?
30 the partnership model in accounting today
32 we do talk about TIME a lot
34 tracking time as a leading indicator
36 the problem with working at the big 4
38 owning Going Concern
42 if you’re making tons of money, why do you need to change?
45 generational talent suppression
48 $150 tax returns!?
50 sponsor slot (just kidding, AICPA)
50 sponsor slot (just kidding, Thompson Reuters)
52 the current technology stack
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Joshua Lance, CPA - recorded on March 24, 2021 (honorary son of a CPA)
Founder of https://lancecpa.com/ and Table HR https://tablehr.co/
Head of Accounting at https://www.practiceignition.com/
Adjunct Faculty at https://www.northwestern.edu/ & https://www.uvm.edu/
twitter @lancejd1
josh@lancecpa.com
Joshlance.com
1 a firm, a group, and a practice
2 introverts and jerks
5 do the opposite - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rag0Z1nTJOc
9 your firm vertical or niche or niché
10 creating a client community
13 standardizing processes
15 restructuring your 18 person firm
20 stop giving away free advice
21 identifying advisory accountants and compliance tax preparers
24 team titles
25 introverted visionaries and extroverted integrators
26 community, clients, consultants, and careers
27 sponsor slot (just kidding, practice ignition)
30 getting your processes in order
32 put your money where your mouth is
34 TIME
35 tracking time as a leading indicator
36 time as a capacity planning metric
41 getting rid of time and bringing it back
45 how to make an Ackerman quit your firm
47 time is a crutch
49 lab rats and the rat race and employees
51 sponsor slot (just kidding, Xero)
52 sponsor slot (just kidding, Karbon)
53 Lotus + Accelo + Trello = Karbon
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Brenner CPA - https://www.brennercpa.com/
Realize - https://rlz.io/
Jason Staats, CPA - https://twitter.com/jstaatscpa
Sons of CPAs -
sonsofcpas@gmail.com
(845) 535-1099
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Happy 4th of July!!
sonsofcpas@gmail.com
(845) 535-1099
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
The Titular Episode and The Third Son |Zachary Call, CPA of Call, Weaver, & House CPAs | Since 1969, WCH has been helping businesses and families in Salt Lake City and around the United States fulfill their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. Website https://wch-cpa.com/
-
Meet the Sons of CPAs
-
Jason Ackerman, CPA bnacpa.com/about/our-team
-
Scott Scarano, EA padgettnc.com/padgett-business-services-team
- contact info:
Sons of CPAs | 9708 Dayton Ct. | Raleigh, NC 27617
- thank you to D.J.S. 11:11 for the beautiful intro music; https://soundcloud.com/djs1111
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
The Michael Ly - Reconciled - getreconciled.co/merge-with-reconciled/
-
2018 USA Firm of the Future - www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qPjDrMkGBY
-
Palm Pilots - www.ebay.com/b/Palm-Pilot-PDAs/38331/bn_36843074
-
Predictable Revenue - https://predictablerevenue.com/author/aaronross
- Meet the Sons of CPAs
-
Jason Ackerman, CPA bnacpa.com/about/our-team
-
Scott Scarano, EA padgettnc.com/padgett-business-services-team
- contact info: Sons of CPAs | 9708 Dayton Ct. | Raleigh, NC 27617
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
Meet Our Teams!
-
Liz Mason, CPA highrock.co/team
-
Jason Ackerman, CPA bnacpa.com/about/our-team
-
Scott Scarano, EA padgettnc.com/padgett-business-services-team
- contact info: Sons of CPAs | 9708 Dayton Ct. | Raleigh, NC 27617
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message
OUR TEAMS:
Jason Ackerman, CPA BNAcpa.com/about/our-team/
Scott Scarano, EA PadgettNC.com/padgett-business-services-team
thank you to D.J.S. 11:11 for the intro music; https://soundcloud.com/djs1111
contact info:
Sons of CPAs
9708 Dayton Ct
Raleigh, NC 27617
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sonsofcpas/message