Modern Marketing for Today's Accountants: Recent Episodes

Lee Reams II from CountingWorks PRO

Hosted by CountingWorks PRO, the Modern Marketing for Today's Accountants podcast is centered around both old school and modern accountants wanting to modernize their practices and hone in their digital marketing skills. Decades of trial and error has led us to start this podcast and share stories, tips, best practices and MORE.

Time Saved Is Only the Starting Point

Artificial intelligence can draft an email in seconds, summarize a meeting, organize client information and reduce the time required to complete routine work.

But does that mean the firm’s AI investment is succeeding?

Not necessarily.

The AI conversation in tax and accounting is increasingly divided between two competing visions. Silicon Valley sees the opportunity to rebuild firms around AI-native systems and autonomous agents. Professionals working inside real firms see clients, deadlines, compliance obligations, established workflows and decades of processes that cannot simply be removed overnight.

The future will likely exist somewhere between those two extremes.

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams explains why AI success should not be measured by software demonstrations, licenses purchased or minutes theoretically saved. The more important question is whether professionals trust the technology enough to use it and whether that adoption makes the firm more capable.

Lee breaks down four practical measures tax and accounting firms can use to evaluate AI ROI:

Adoption and professional trust
Usable capacity and consistency
Client intelligence and action
Business and human outcomes

The episode also explores the difference between traditional workflows that track where work stands and AI workflows that help firms understand what the work requires. Lee explains why professional caution is often rational, why adoption must be included in the ROI calculation and why a powerful AI system that employees avoid may create less value than a simpler system they use every day.

Ultimately, AI should not remove professional judgment. It should reduce the preparation, administrative work and fragmented information that keep professionals from exercising that judgment.

The goal is not AI for the sake of AI.

The goal is a more intelligent, proactive and scalable firm.

See where your firm is ready — and where growth may be leaking.

For decades, referrals were the most dependable growth engine in tax and accounting.

A client told a friend, “You should call my CPA.” An attorney made an introduction. A financial advisor recommended someone they trusted. And in many cases, that recommendation led directly to a phone call.

That is no longer how the process works.

The referral may still begin with a person, but before the prospect contacts your firm, they validate the recommendation. They search your name, visit your website, read your reviews, and increasingly ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, or Google AI questions such as:

Does this firm really understand my situation? Do they specialize in my industry?Are they the best fit? Who else should I consider?

AI is now standing between the referral and the phone call.

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams and Rebekah Barton explain how the referral pipeline has evolved through three distinct generations:

Referral 1.0: The word-of-mouth era, when trust in the person making the recommendation was often enough.

Referral 2.0: The Google era, when prospects began validating firms through websites, reviews, local search results, and online reputation.

Referral 3.0: The AI recommendation era, where AI does not merely help prospects find firms. It interprets the available evidence, compares options, and helps prospects decide which firm appears to be the best match.

That distinction matters.

A firm may have decades of experience, strong client relationships, and deep knowledge. But if that expertise is not visible through its website, content, reviews, FAQs, videos, and other digital evidence, AI may not understand when or why the firm should be recommended.

Lee and Rebekah also introduce the idea of invisible referral leakage: referrals that firms never know they received because the prospect researched the firm, found insufficient evidence of relevant expertise, and chose someone else before making contact.

The phone never rings. The lead never enters the CRM. The firm never knows the opportunity existed.

The solution is not to chase every new marketing trend or become an online influencer. It is to make the expertise your firm already possesses easier to find, understand, and trust.

The referral still begins with a person. But AI has become the gatekeeper.

Ready to See Whether AI Understands Your Firm?

Open ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, or Google AI and ask the same questions your ideal clients might ask.

Does your firm appear?

Does AI understand what you specialize in?

Does it find enough evidence to validate your experience?

Which competitors are being recommended instead?

That is exactly why CountingWorks PRO created the Free Digital Blueprint Assessment. We evaluate your firm’s digital authority, reputation, content footprint, positioning, and visibility across today’s AI-driven referral landscape.

Then we provide a customized roadmap showing where your firm is strong, where it may be invisible, and what you can do to improve.

Because today, it is not enough to earn the referral.

You also have to get past the gatekeeper.

Start your Free Digital Blueprint Assessment:
CountingWorksPRO.com/start

AI is already changing tax and accounting firms, but not in the simplistic way the headlines suggest.

On one side, the hype machine says AI will replace accountants, eliminate compliance, and automate the profession overnight. On the other side, some professionals are still acting like nothing meaningful is going to change.

The truth is more practical and more important.

AI is beginning to remove real production drag from tax and accounting firms.

Document review. Client follow-up. Meeting notes. First drafts. Research support. Workflow reminders. Repetitive explanations. Client education. Internal training.

That creates a bigger question for firm owners:

If AI gives your firm 10%, 20%, or even 30% of its time back, what will you do with it?

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams and Rebekah Barton have a more mature conversation about the future of tax and accounting. They cut through the extremes, challenge the idea that every firm must become a fractional CFO practice, and explain why the real opportunity for many firms may be practical advisory, or what we call soft advisory.

Soft advisory is the advice that already lives inside compliance work.

Entity reviews. Tax planning conversations. Student loan planning. Retirement questions. Social Security planning. Bookkeeping issues. Payroll problems. Cash flow concerns. Business transitions. IRS notices. Life events. Client decisions that have financial, tax, or operational consequences.

Many firms are already giving this advice, but they are often doing it inconsistently, reactively, or without billing for the value being delivered.

Lee and Rebekah discuss how AI can help firms surface these opportunities earlier, prepare client conversations faster, and create a better system for delivering advisory value without forcing every accountant into a CFO advisory model.

They also address the biggest strategic issue for firms in the AI era: protecting the moat.

The relationship is still the moat, but only if firms actively use it. If clients only hear from their accountant once a year, that relationship may not be as strong as the firm thinks. AI will make generic compliance work easier to compare, easier to shop, and easier to replace.

The future-ready firm will use AI differently.

It will automate the drag, then reinvest the time into communication, planning, education, client experience, and proactive advice.

The real AI opportunity is not replacing the accountant.

It is helping firms become the advisor clients thought they already had.

Ready to See How Future-Ready Your Firm Is?

The future of accounting is not just about automation.

It is about what your firm does with the capacity automation gives back.

If you want to understand where your firm may be losing time, where advisory opportunities may be hiding, and how your digital presence, client experience, and technology stack compare to where the profession is headed, start with a free Future-Ready Firm Assessment from CountingWorks PRO.

We’ll show you what’s working, what may be holding you back, and what practical steps can help your firm become more proactive, more visible, and more valuable to clients.

Start your free assessment:
https://www.countingworkspro.com/start

Most tax and accounting firms are not invisible because they lack expertise.

They are invisible because the market cannot clearly understand what makes them different.

For years, tax and accounting firms focused on ranking on Google for searches like “CPA near me,” “tax preparer near me,” “bookkeeper near me,” “small business accountant near me,” or “tax advisor near me.”

That still matters.

But the way prospects search is changing.

Today, people are asking ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google’s AI-powered search results much more specific questions:

“Who is the best accountant for a dental practice near me?”

“Can you recommend a CPA who understands construction businesses?”

“Who can help me with equity compensation and stock options?”

“What kind of accountant do I need if I own multiple rental properties?”

“Who can help my small business with tax planning and bookkeeping?”

And here is the uncomfortable truth:

AI cannot recommend what it cannot understand.

In this long-form edition of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams and Rebekah Barton go beyond theory and into the mechanics of AI visibility for tax and accounting firms.

This is not another “AI search is coming” conversation.

This episode is a practical playbook for firm owners who want to understand what needs to be fixed across their website, reviews, content, service pages, local presence, FAQs, positioning, and digital footprint so prospects, search engines, and AI tools can better understand who they serve, what they solve, and why they should be recommended.

The firms most at risk are not bad firms.

They are good firms that look generic online.

Lee and Rebekah break down why generic websites, vague service pages, thin review profiles, weak niche signals, and unclear positioning make it harder for tax and accounting firms to be discovered and recommended in an AI-driven search environment.

They also walk through a practical three-pillar framework firms can use to evaluate their current visibility:

Identity and positioning.
Who do you serve, what problems do you solve, where do you serve clients, and why should your firm be understood as the right fit?

Data and context clues.
Do your service pages, FAQs, articles, internal links, technical structure, and niche content give AI enough useful information to interpret your expertise?

Trust and local signals.
Do your reviews, Google Business Profile, proof points, credentials, case examples, local presence, and client outcomes reinforce the story your firm wants to be known for?

The big takeaway: the future of visibility is not just ranking.

It is relevance.

The firms that win in AI search will not always be the biggest firms. They will often be the clearest firms.

Ready to See How Your Firm Looks Today?

The future of search is not just about being found.

It is about being understood.

If you want to know how your firm appears today — and where your website, reviews, service pages, content, and client experience may be creating visibility gaps — start with a free Future-Ready Firm Assessment from CountingWorks PRO.

We’ll show you what’s working, what may be holding you back, and what practical steps can help make your firm more future-ready.

Start your free assessment:
https://www.countingworkspro.com/start

Most firms think they have a responsiveness problem.

Clients don’t send documents. They miss reminders. They go quiet. They wait until the last minute.

But what if the real issue isn’t responsiveness?

What if it’s uncertainty?

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton talk about why the client experience is not the same thing as your internal task list. Your workflow may be organized. Your process may be efficient. Your team may know exactly where every return, report, or project stands.

But your client may still be wondering:

Did you receive my documents?
Am I missing something?
Are you working on it?
What happens next?
When will I hear from you again?

That uncertainty creates anxiety. And anxiety creates silence.

Lee and Rebekah break down what it means to build a future-ready client experience, one where clients feel informed, remembered, guided, and confident throughout the relationship.

They also explore the five layers of client confidence: visibility, expectations, personalization, proactive guidance, and predictive relationships.

The big takeaway: your task list is not your client experience.

Clients don’t remember your workflow. They remember how easy, clear, and confident you made them feel.

At CountingWorks PRO, this is exactly what we’re building toward with MAX: technology that runs the task list, surfaces opportunities, creates visibility, and helps firms deliver a more personal client experience at scale.

Because clients don’t hire accountants to receive reminders.

They hire accountants to gain confidence.

Story Beats Sameness in the AI Era

Most accounting firms don't struggle because they lack expertise.

They struggle because prospects can't quickly understand why they should choose them.

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams and Rebekah Barton explore why so many talented firms become invisible online—not because they're bad at what they do, but because they sound exactly like everyone else.

As AI tools, online referrals, Google, and platforms like ChatGPT increasingly shape how prospects discover and evaluate firms, generic messaging has become more than a branding issue. It's now a visibility issue, a trust issue, and a conversion issue.

Lee and Rebekah discuss why service-based messaging no longer creates differentiation, how prospects actually make buying decisions, and why firms that communicate a clear story are more likely to earn trust, generate referrals, and stand out in both traditional and AI-powered search.

They also introduce a practical framework firms can use immediately to uncover their story, improve their messaging, and build a more future-ready firm.

Get your free future-ready firm blueprint via https://www.countingworkspro.com/free-firm-growth-breakdown

Why can a Rolex cost exponentially more than a $50 watch when both tell time?

Why can Ferrari, Hermès, Apple, and Ryan Serhant create such strong demand, trust, and pricing power?

And what can tax and accounting firms learn from them?

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton unpack what premium brands understand about value that most accounting firms often overlook.

The big idea: clients don’t buy expertise the way accountants think they do.

Most prospects cannot evaluate technical ability before they hire a firm. Instead, they look for signals. Your positioning. Your reviews. Your website. Your content. Your visibility. Your client experience. The confidence you create before the first meeting ever happens.

In an AI-driven world where basic information is becoming abundant, trust is becoming more valuable. The firms that win will not necessarily be the cheapest firms or even the most technically credentialed firms. They will be the firms that become the obvious choice.

Lee and Rebekah break down how premium brands create value through trust, positioning, scarcity, visibility, simplicity, and experience — and why those same principles now matter more than ever for tax and accounting firms.

If you’re looking to position your firm more clearly, tell a stronger story, attract better-fit clients, and build a more premium brand, CountingWorks PRO can help.

Take our free firm assessment and discover where your firm stands across positioning, visibility, client experience, and AI readiness.

Start your free assessment today:
https://www.countingworkspro.com/free-firm-growth-breakdown

Google’s latest AI Search updates may represent the biggest shift in online visibility since local search.

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton break down what Google’s AI Search evolution means for tax and accounting firms — and why the future of visibility is moving from rankings to recommendations.

They discuss Generative Engine Optimization, or GEO, why generic websites and template-style content may become less effective, how reviews and authority signals help Google understand your expertise, and why firms need a clear narrative to stand out in an AI-powered search world.

The big question is no longer just, “How do I rank?”

It is: “Will Google recommend my firm?”

If your firm wants to stay visible, trusted, and future-ready, this episode is a must-listen.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

What Google’s AI Search updates mean for accounting firm visibility
Why AI Search is changing traditional SEO
What GEO means and why it matters
Why specialization and clarity are becoming more important
How reviews, TaxBuzz, content, and consistent positioning strengthen your digital reputation
What firms should focus on over the next 90 days

Cookie Cutter Is Dead. Narrative Wins.

Want to see where your firm stands today?

Get your free Future-Ready Firm Blueprint here:
https://www.countingworkspro.com/free-firm-growth-breakdown

Everyone is talking about AI prompts, ChatGPT, agents, automations, and saving time.

But what if the real transformation happening in tax and accounting has very little to do with prompts at all?

In this cornerstone episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams explores why the future of successful firms will not be defined by who adopts the most AI tools — but by who builds the strongest operational intelligence.

Lee breaks down:

Why operational friction is the real bottleneck inside firms
The hidden dangers of disconnected AI stacks
Why “faster chaos” is still chaos
The growing gap between AI hype and operational reality
What “human middleware” means inside accounting firms
Why context, workflows, and institutional memory matter more than prompts
How AI is reshaping the operating model of the profession itself

This episode is designed to cut through the noise surrounding AI and give tax and accounting professionals a more grounded, strategic perspective on where the industry is actually heading.

Because the firms that win the AI era won’t necessarily be the firms with the most tools.

They’ll be the firms with the clearest operational intelligence.

Most tax and accounting firms aren’t running out of talent.

They’re running out of capacity.

In this solo episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams shares a candid perspective on where the profession is heading — and why the firms that thrive over the next decade may not be the firms with the biggest teams, but the firms that learn how to create bigger outcomes with the team they already have.

Lee breaks down:

why operational drag is quietly limiting firm growth
how AI is being misunderstood across the industry
why human expertise becomes more valuable in the AI era
how connected systems create operational leverage
why cookie-cutter firms are becoming easier to ignore
how narrative, visibility, and responsiveness are reshaping modern firm growth
what the “future firm” actually looks like

This episode is a thought leadership conversation for firm owners who feel caught between old workflows and rising client expectations — and want to modernize intentionally without losing the human side of their business.

Because the future firm isn’t necessarily bigger.

It’s smarter.
More connected.
More proactive.
More human where it matters most.

👉 Get Your Free Firm Growth Breakdown:
https://www.countingworkspro.com/free-firm-growth-breakdown

Thanks for listening to The Growth Minded Accountant.

Most tax and accounting firms still market themselves the same way they did a decade ago.

Generic messaging.
Generic positioning.
Generic websites.

The problem?

AI-powered search is changing how clients discover and choose accounting firms — and sameness is becoming invisible.

In this special presentation episode, Lee Reams II (CEO of CountingWorks) and Rebekah Barton (Chief Visibility Officer) break down why modern firms must rethink visibility, authority, trust, and positioning in the AI-search era.

You’ll learn:
• Why AI compresses generic firms into the same result
• How accounting firms accidentally commoditize themselves
• The narrative formula behind firms clients actually remember
• Why your website is now a trust system — not a brochure
• The new visibility signals AI search tools are rewarding
• How “Future Firms” are separating themselves from the market

🎯 Free Future Firm Assessment:
https://www.countingworkspro.com/free-firm-growth-breakdown

🎓 1 Hour of NASBA-Accredited CPE Available:
https://taxcpe.litmos.com/self-signup/

Use Code: STANDOUT

Hosted by:
Lee Reams II — CEO, CountingWorks
Rebekah Barton — Chief Visibility Officer, CountingWorks

Most tax and accounting firms think growth comes from more clients.

More referrals.
More SEO.
More tax returns.
More volume.

But what if the biggest growth opportunity is already sitting inside the clients you already serve?

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams and Rebekah Barton break down why the future of accounting firms is shifting from reactive tax preparation toward proactive tax advisory, year-round strategy, and deeper client relationships.

Using a powerful “dentist office” analogy, they explore why most firms never build the “second room” — the space where strategic conversations, tax planning, advisory services, and higher-value relationships actually happen.

This episode covers:

The difference between tax preparation and tax advisory
How firms can unlock 2–5X more revenue from existing clients
Why most firms miss advisory opportunities already inside their database
The advisory signals accountants should be watching for
How to talk about advisory without sounding salesy
Why client nurture changes retention and profitability
The role of AI and automation in scaling advisory services
How modern firms are becoming more proactive and less reactive

If you’ve ever felt like your firm is working harder every year just to maintain growth, this episode will completely reframe how you think about revenue, relationships, and the future of accounting.

Because the firms that win won’t just process returns faster.

They’ll build the second room.

Request a free Growth & Advisory Assessment to see where hidden opportunities may already exist inside your client base.

👉 Link: ttps://www.countingworkspro.com/free-firm-growth-breakdown

Most accounting firms aren’t stuck because they’re not working hard enough.

They’re stuck because their model hasn’t caught up to the opportunity.

In this episode, Lee Reams breaks down why the traditional compliance-first approach is limiting growth—and how firms can start unlocking more value from the clients they already have.

Lee walks through a real-world example, explain why advisory services often go underpriced, and share how better systems, communication, and AI can help firms shift from reactive work to proactive strategy.

If you’ve ever felt like your firm should be further ahead than it is… this episode will hit home.

Are you ready to change your firm trajectory?

Take our free firm assessment that includes a personalized firm roadmap for a future you.

Link: https://www.countingworkspro.com/free-firm-growth-breakdown

The tax and accounting industry doesn’t have an AI problem.

It has a hiring problem.

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton unpack one of the biggest shifts happening in firms right now:

AI isn’t just a tool—it’s a role.

With fewer accountants entering the profession and client demand continuing to rise, the traditional growth model—hire more people—just isn’t working anymore.

So what replaces it?

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why most firms are using AI wrong (and why it’s not scaling)
The real downside of stacking multiple AI tools
How to think about AI as a team member, not a prompt
The hidden security risks firms are overlooking
What AI-driven search means for your firm’s visibility
Why “saving time” isn’t the goal—building capacity is
A simple way to identify your first AI hire

This episode is a mindset shift.

Because the firms that win over the next few years won’t be the ones using the most tools…

They’ll be the ones building the smartest systems—where work gets done before they even log in.

Final thought:

Don’t ask, “What AI tool should I use?”

Ask:
👉 “What role do I need next in my firm… and can AI do it first?”

Tax season is over.
Now comes the real question:

What would you change before next year?

Most firms think the answer is more staff, higher prices, or fewer clients.

But in this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams and Rebekah Barton break down a different—and often overlooked—lever for growth:

Your firm’s first impression.

Because before a prospect ever speaks to you…
Before they understand your services…

They’ve already decided:

If they trust you
If you’re worth your fees
If they want to move forward

In this episode, you’ll learn:

The psychology behind how clients form instant judgments
Why positioning—not skill—drives pricing power
How first impressions impact conversion, referrals, and advisory growth
Real-world revenue scenarios tied to perception and trust
The 5-part “First Contact Stack” to improve how your firm shows up

If you’re looking to attract better clients, increase fees, and build a more scalable firm—this is one of the highest-leverage places to start.

Because the firms that win aren’t just better at tax.

They’re better at trust.

The week after April 15 is a trap. You’re exhausted. Your team is checked out. And every instinct you have is telling you to just move on and forget the chaos. But here’s the cold, hard truth: If you don’t capture the data while the pain is fresh, you are choosing to repeat it next year.

In this episode of the Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton sit down for a "post-game" strategy session that every firm owner needs to hear before they head out on vacation.

We’re walking you through a live, 5-step "Pain Audit" designed to help you stop being the bottleneck, identify the advisory revenue you’re currently giving away for free, and fix the one thing that will save you hundreds of hours next season.

In this episode, we discuss:

The Industry Burnout Reality: Why 99% of accountants are feeling it, and why it's not a "you" problem—it's a system problem.
The Live Reset Exercise: A guided walkthrough to identify what broke, what repeated, and where you need to draw the line.
The Bottleneck Truth: A candid look at where your firm’s growth is actually being slowed down by your own desk.
Identifying "Hidden" Revenue: How to spot the advisory moments you missed in the heat of tax season.
Positioning for Less Friction: Why your "best" clients aren't random, and how to find more of them.

Don't let the exhaustion erase the lessons. Give us 20 minutes to help you ensure that the version of tax season you just finished is the hardest one you ever have to do again.

Every tax season, your clients tell you exactly what they need.

They mention hiring plans.
They’re thinking about selling assets.
They say things like, “I wish I had known that sooner…”

And in the moment, you recognize it:

👉 That’s important.
👉 We should come back to that.

But then the next client starts.
The next return.
The next fire to put out.

And just like that… it’s gone.

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton break down one of the biggest missed opportunities inside modern firms:

It’s not that you lack advisory insight.
It’s that you’re not capturing it.

What You’ll Take Away:

Why valuable advisory opportunities disappear every tax season
What to actually listen for in client conversations
How to surface more opportunities without extending meetings
A simple framework to capture insights in seconds
How those insights turn into real revenue after tax season

The Simple Rule:

One sentence.
One place.
One tag.

No new systems.
No extra time.
Just a better habit.

Rebekah Barton also shares how these same client conversations aren’t just advisory opportunities—they’re your most valuable source of:

Marketing messaging
Content ideas
Niche positioning
Growth strategy

Because when you capture the language your clients actually use…
you stop guessing—and start connecting.

The Bigger Shift:

You’re not creating more work during tax season.

You’re capturing future revenue.
Future impact.
Future advisory relationships.

Because advisory doesn’t start after tax season…

It starts in the conversations you’re having right now.

If you don’t capture it now, it won’t feel important later.
And if it’s not important… it won’t happen.

Connect with CountingWorks PRO:

Learn how firms are turning everyday client conversations into scalable advisory systems with AI-powered tools like MAX.

Tax season has a way of revealing the truth about your firm.

The long hours, the constant client follow-ups, the repeated questions—it all starts to surface the same thought:

“There has to be a better way to do this.”

In this solo episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams breaks down why tax season isn’t the time to fix everything—it’s the time to see what’s actually broken.

Because under pressure, your systems don’t hide.
They fail.
And when they fail, they show you exactly where the opportunity is.

Lee walks through:

Why tax season is your most honest operational stress test
The biggest inefficiencies holding firms back (and how to spot them)
Where AI is delivering real value today—and where it falls short
Why AI should be viewed as labor, not a decision-maker
How small firms can scale output without adding headcount

You’ll also get a practical framework to evaluate your firm across four critical areas:

• Client onboarding
• Data handling
• Communication
• Research

If you’re feeling the pressure of tax season, this episode will help you turn that pressure into a roadmap for smarter growth.

Key insight:
AI isn’t here to replace your expertise—
it’s here to remove the work that doesn’t require it.

One of the most common complaints clients have about accounting firms isn’t about mistakes or pricing.

It’s responsiveness.

In this episode of Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams and Rebekah Barton explore why communication breakdowns happen in many tax and accounting firms—and how growth-minded firms design systems that allow them to stay responsive without burning out.

Most accountants want to be responsive, but when every email, message, and request depends on the accountant personally responding, communication quickly becomes overwhelming—especially during tax season.

Lee and Rebekah discuss how modern firms are solving this challenge by setting clear expectations, improving client communication, and implementing systems that make responsiveness scalable.

In this episode, they cover:

• Why communication is one of the top reasons clients leave their accountant
• The difference between responsiveness and constant availability
• How engagement letters, proposals, and onboarding shape client expectations
• Why acknowledgment messages dramatically improve client experience
• How technology and client portals reduce communication friction
• How better systems help prevent scope creep

When firms clearly communicate their process and build systems around client communication, responsiveness improves—and the firm gains back time and focus.

The goal isn’t simply to respond faster.

It’s to build a firm where responsiveness scales.

Growth Minded Accountant is a podcast for tax and accounting professionals who want to build smarter firms, stronger client relationships, and scalable practices.

Hosted by Lee Reams and Rebekah Barton, each episode explores practical strategies, modern systems, and mindset shifts shaping the future of the profession.

Bridge loans, SBA 504 financing, and alternative lending solutions are becoming essential tools for small business owners who can't access traditional bank financing.

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams sits down with Dave Manser, President & Chief Lending Officer at Business Loan Capital (BLC) to discuss how business owners are filling the growing capital gap and how advisors can help clients access financing faster.

Traditional banks are approving fewer small business loans than ever before. Many entrepreneurs face long underwriting timelines, strict lending standards, or outright denials when trying to finance growth opportunities.

Dave explains how bridge loans, SBA 504 financing, and hybrid lending structures can provide flexible solutions when timing, liquidity, or opportunity doesn't align with traditional bank processes.

For tax and accounting professionals, this episode highlights the important role advisors can play in identifying financing opportunities and helping clients access capital at the right time.

Lee and Dave discuss practical scenarios where accountants may recognize signals that a client could benefit from alternative financing, including property acquisitions, refinancing opportunities, and situations where equity is tied up in real estate.

In This Episode

• Why traditional bank lending for small businesses has tightened
• What bank-alternative lending means and why it exists
• How bridge loans help business owners act quickly on opportunities
• When SBA 504 financing makes sense for commercial property purchases
• Real-world examples where bridge financing saved deals
• Financial signals accountants should watch for in client financials
• How advisors can expand into capital advisory services

About Dave Manser

Dave Manser is President and Chief Lending Officer at Business Loan Capital (BLC), a direct lender providing flexible financing solutions for business owners and commercial real estate borrowers.

BLC specializes in:

• Short-term bridge loans
• SBA 504 financing
• Conventional commercial loans
• Hybrid capital structures

Their lending model focuses on speed, transparency, and flexible deal structures, often helping borrowers move forward when traditional financing options fall short.

Learn more:
https://www.countingworkspro.com/partner-marketplace

About the Show

The Growth Minded Accountant explores the strategies, technologies, and advisory opportunities helping tax and accounting professionals grow their firms and deliver more value to clients.

Hosted by Lee Reams, CEO of CountingWorks PRO.

Tax season isn’t just the busiest time of year for accountants.
It’s also one of the most revealing.

In this micro-episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams and Rebekah Barton break down the three signals that show up repeatedly in client conversations during tax season—and what those signals reveal about the future growth of your firm.

They call them the SUC Signals:

Surprise – “I wish I had known that earlier.”
Urgency – “I need this done by Friday.”
Confusion – “Why do I owe so much?”

These phrases aren’t just client frustrations. They’re signals about how your firm is positioned, how your systems operate, and where your next growth opportunity may be hiding.

In this short episode, you’ll learn:

• Why tax season feedback is one of the best diagnostic tools for your firm
• How “surprise” reveals missed tax planning opportunities
• Why urgency often signals a positioning problem
• How confusion points to gaps in client education and communication
• Simple changes firms can make to reduce tax season chaos and grow advisory services

Growth minded firms don’t just push through tax season.

They listen to it.

Because the conversations you’re having right now are telling you exactly where your firm can grow next.

Tax season doesn’t excuse bad preparation.

In this solo micro-episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams shares a practical 5-minute AI workflow to help you walk into every client interview informed, confident, and positioned as an advisor — even during your busiest stretch of tax season.

Most accountants don’t feel underprepared because they don’t care.
They feel underprepared because they’re overloaded.

Back-to-back meetings.
No time to reread prior returns.
No mental space to spot planning opportunities.

In this episode, Lee explains:

• Why “directional awareness” matters more than perfect prep
• How to use AI as a thinking partner — not a replacement
• A simple prompt you can use to summarize prior-year returns and financials
• How to generate thoughtful client questions in minutes
• Why better prep leads to better positioning as an advisor

This isn’t about outsourcing tax advice to AI.

It’s about using technology to show up sharper, ask better questions, and elevate the client experience.

Five minutes of prep can change the tone of the entire meeting.

Advisors don’t memorize clients.
They prepare for them.

—

Host: Lee Reams
Podcast: The Growth Minded Accountant
Topic: AI for accountants, tax season efficiency, client interview preparation

There’s a moment at the end of every tax interview that most firms rush through.

And it’s quietly costing them six figures a year.

In this episode of The Growth-Minded Accountant, Lee Reams shares a simple but powerful framework — the Post-Tax Bridge — that helps tax and accounting firms turn compliance conversations into advisory opportunities without selling, pitching, or slowing down tax season.

You’ll learn:

• Why most firms unintentionally close advisory doors in March
• The exact question to ask that creates continuity instead of closure
• How to sequence the conversation so the proposal comes after tax season
• The psychology behind pre-seeding advisory through your marketing
• How small behavioral shifts during tax interviews compound into meaningful revenue

This episode is for firm owners who want to grow beyond compliance — not by adding pressure, but by building systems.

Tax season isn’t just filing season.

It’s pipeline season.

If you’re building an advisory-forward accounting firm, this is a conversation you’ll want your entire team to hear.

Most firms treat the tax interview like data collection.

The smartest firms treat it like positioning.

In this micro episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee breaks down a simple shift that can fundamentally change how clients see you. Not after tax season. Not when you launch a new advisory package. But in the first few minutes of your tax interview.

Clients decide what you are very quickly. If the conversation starts with forms, documents, and checklists, you are framed as a processor. If it starts with context, change, and forward-looking questions, you are framed as an advisor.

Same tax return. Completely different perceived value.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why the opening minutes of the tax interview matter more than you think
• The subtle mistake that keeps firms stuck in compliance positioning
• The simple three-minute shift that elevates the entire client relationship
• How consistent messaging through blogs, newsletters, and social reinforces your advisory role

Advisory is not a service you sell after April 15.

It is a narrative you repeat everywhere.

If you want to move from compliance to advisory, this is where it starts.

The Growth Minded Accountant is for firm owners who want to build firms that scale smarter, position stronger, and evolve beyond compliance.

Subscribe for weekly conversations on growth, advisory strategy, positioning, and building a firm that runs differently.

Capital decisions are some of the most important—and irreversible—choices a business owner will ever make. Yet many tax and accounting professionals don’t get pulled into the conversation until after the deal is already done.

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, we break down how small and mid-sized businesses actually access capital today—and why accountants are uniquely positioned to guide these decisions before funding is locked in.

Host Lee Reams is joined by Sven Nelson, Founder & Owner of Aevi Business Capital, who brings over 20 years of experience in commercial finance. Sven shares how small business lending has evolved, why traditional banks leave so many healthy businesses behind, and where brokers fit into the modern capital landscape.

You’ll learn:

Why “I need a loan” means very different things today
The real differences between term loans, lines of credit, SBA loans, and alternative funding
When higher-cost capital can make sense—and when it creates long-term risk
Common mistakes business owners make before applying for funding
Why payment structure often matters more than interest rate
Where accountants fit into capital advisory without becoming lenders
How early involvement helps protect cash flow, tax efficiency, and exit options

This episode is designed for growth minded accountants, advisory-focused firms, and business owners who want a clearer understanding of capital—without the hype or confusion.

🔗 Resources Mentioned

Become an Aevi Business Capital Partner
https://www.countingworkspro.com/part
...
Take a Tour of the Capital Advisory Playbook
https://www.countingworkspro.com/demo

If capital conversations are already happening with your clients—or happening without you—this episode will help you understand where you belong in the process and how to add meaningful advisory value.

🎙️ Thanks for listening to The Growth Minded Accountant.

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams II is joined by Rebekah Barton, Chief Visibility Officer, for a timely conversation on what actually drives firm growth in 2026—and why positioning alone is no longer enough.

Most tax and accounting firms understand positioning. They’ve defined their services, clarified who they serve, and invested in looking professional. But in a market crowded with competent options and shaped by AI-driven discovery, clarity alone doesn’t convert.

Once a prospect knows a firm might be for them, the real decision begins:
Do I trust these people?
Do I like how they think?
Would I confidently refer them?

This episode explores why relatability has become the missing layer—the factor that turns relevance into selection and good clients into consistent referrals.

Lee and Rebekah break down how buying decisions now happen long before a first conversation, why safe and neutral messaging often leads to being forgettable, and how firms that feel human, easy to describe, and aligned with their clients’ mindset stand out in a crowded market.

They also clarify a common misconception: relatability isn’t oversharing or personal branding fluff. It’s a deliberate system—built into messaging, content, reviews, and client experience—that helps the right people feel confident choosing and recommending your firm.

This conversation is especially relevant for small and mid-sized tax and accounting firms that rely on referrals, want better-fit clients, and are navigating how marketing, trust, and AI intersect in today’s buying environment.

As the profession becomes more automated, this episode makes one thing clear: being unmistakably human isn’t a risk—it’s an advantage.

Most tax and accounting firms don’t actually have a pricing problem.

They have a pricing system problem.

In this episode of Growth Minded Accountant, we break down why traditional pricing models — hourly billing, fixed fees, even “value pricing” — keep breaking as firms grow, adopt AI, and move toward advisory services.

👉 Download the Pricing System Playbook (Free PDF):
https://tinyurl.com/CWPwhitepaper

You’ll learn:

Why hourly billing collapses as efficiency increases
The hidden costs of broken pricing systems, including partner bottlenecks, advisory burnout, and revenue without leverage
Why pricing without clear positioning creates resistance
How narrative, education, and content prepare clients to expect higher-value pricing
The difference between pricing models and pricing architecture
How modern firms price outcomes instead of effort

This episode is for small to mid-sized tax and accounting firms that want to:

Move beyond hourly billing
Offer tax advisory or CFO advisory services
Scale without burning out partners
Attract better-fit clients who understand their value

If your firm feels busy but not scalable, this episode explains why — and what to do next.

Pricing isn’t a rate card. It’s an architecture.

🔗 RESOURCES

The Pricing System Playbook (Free PDF):
https://tinyurl.com/CWPwhitepaper

📌 WHO SHOULD LISTEN

CPA firms
Enrolled Agents & Tax professionals
Accounting & Bookkeeping firm owners
Advisory-focused firms

If you’re interested in building a pricing system that actually scales with your firm, this episode lays the foundation.

Overtime deductions became one of the most misunderstood tax topics coming out of the last election cycle—and that confusion is heading straight into tax season.

In this episode, Lee Reams II and Lee Reams Sr. break down what actually qualifies as deductible overtime, why state overtime rules don’t automatically apply for federal tax purposes, and why the 2025 tax season will be far more labor-intensive for firms than most people expect.

This isn’t about complicated tax law.

It’s about time, communication, and preparation.

What we cover:

• Why not all overtime qualifies for the federal deduction
• State overtime rules vs. FLSA rules—and why the difference matters
• Why weekly overtime analysis creates major prep bottlenecks
• A real-world example where “earned OT” still results in no deduction
• The hidden trap with time-and-a-half vs. double-time pay
• Why 2025 puts the burden on firms—not employers
• How structured worksheets and standardized intake save hours per return
• The curveball many firms miss: tipped occupations
• The advisory opportunity hiding inside a compliance headache

The big takeaway:
Firms that educate clients early, collect cleaner data, and use smarter systems will avoid chaos—and have better advisory conversations with better outcomes.

This episode is a must-listen for tax and accounting professionals who want fewer surprises, better client experiences, and stronger margins heading into the 2025 tax season.

Download the overtime worksheets:

PDF:
https://images.client-sites.com/WS-OvertimeDeduction.pdf

Google / Excel:
https://images.client-sites.com/Overtime_Deduction_Worksheet.xlsx

Learn more about tech-enabled firm growth at CountingWorks PRO:

https://www.countingworkspro.com/

Thanks for listening—and for doing the work to build a smarter, more proactive firm.

It’s 2026—and most accounting firms are still trying to grow advisory revenue by chasing new clients.

More leads.
More traffic.
More strangers.

But the most profitable advisory opportunity most firms have isn’t out there.

It’s already inside their client list.

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton explain why existing clients are your biggest advisory advantage—and why firms that understand this grow faster, charge more confidently, and build advisory practices that actually scale.

You’ll learn:

Why current clients are 3–5x more likely to buy advisory services
The real difference between compliance and advisory, and why it changes how you sell
Why most advisory proposals fail—even with trusted clients
How education “foams the runway” before advisory conversations
Why advisory works best as a portfolio of client moments, not a single offering
How systems and playbooks make advisory predictable instead of effort-based

If advisory feels harder to sell than it should, this episode will help you understand why—and what to do differently in 2026.

Your best advisory revenue isn’t in future leads.
It’s already in your relationships.

In 2026, most tax and accounting firms don’t have a software problem.

They have an experience problem.

In this solo episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams II explains why stacking “good tools” has quietly become the biggest source of friction inside modern firms—and why AI-first firms are already pulling away.

You’ll hear why:

Most firms only use 20–30% of the software they pay for
Training doesn’t compound—it resets
Clients aren’t difficult—they’re overwhelmed
Staff has become the invisible integration layer
Traditional software is becoming the bottleneck
AI-first thinking simplifies everything clients touch

This episode isn’t about replacing your tax software or chasing the latest tool.

It’s about rethinking the experience your clients and staff live inside every day—and asking what no longer needs to exist in 2026.

If your firm only works because you know how to navigate the mess, that’s not scale.

That’s risk.

🎧 The Growth Minded Accountant explores what it really takes to build a modern, scalable firm—covering AI, client experience, growth strategy, and the systems that separate firms pulling ahead from those stuck maintaining complexity.

Subscribe for weekly episodes.

Most tax and accounting firms are not broken.
They are incomplete.

In this episode of The Growth-Minded Accountant, Lee Reams and Rebekah Barton introduce a simple but powerful framework that explains why so many firms feel harder to run than they should.

Every firm has three layers.

The Work Layer handles compliance and deliverables.

The Team Layer organizes people, tasks, and workflow.

The third layer, the Client Experience Layer, is where most firms struggle, not because they are doing something wrong, but because no one ever taught them to build it.

This is the layer where onboarding happens, communication lives, proposals are signed, payments flow, and clients understand what comes next. It is also the layer clients actually experience.

When this layer is missing, firms become reactive. Bottlenecks feel normal. Advisory gets pushed off. Stress becomes part of the job.

When it is in place, everything changes.

As the accounting profession moves into the AI and advisory age, the firms that invest in the Client Experience Layer are not just reducing friction. They are the firms positioned to lead, with clearer narratives, stronger trust, and more scalable client relationships.

This episode is a foundational conversation for firm owners who want a modern, predictable, and lower-stress practice heading into 2026 and beyond.

🎙️ The Growth-Minded Accountant
Hosted by Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton

As we close out the year, this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant is a little different.

No guest.
No hype.
Just an honest look at what’s coming next for tax and accounting firms.

In this year-end solo episode, Lee Reams II shares his 2026 predictions—not based on headlines or fear-driven narratives, but on patterns he’s seen repeat over the last decade.

The short version:

By 2026, AI will be the standard.
What will separate winning firms from everyone else won’t be technology—it will be relationships.

In this episode, Lee covers:

Why not using AI will be a problem—but using AI won’t be impressive
What happens when knowledge and answers become cheap
Why trust, context, and communication become the real differentiators
How advisory is moving downmarket, not just upmarket
Where platform pressure and automation show up first
Why adoption will be slower than the headlines suggest—and why that’s an opportunity

Lee also reflects on a Forbes article he wrote in 2016 about artificial intelligence and cloud accounting—and why many of those predictions played out almost exactly as expected.

🧠 Read the Forbes article referenced in this episode:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesfinancecouncil/2016/10/11/will-artificial-intelligence-and-cloud-accounting-replace-the-accountants-of-tomorrow/

This episode isn’t about replacing accountants.
It’s about building firms that use automation to free up time—and reinvest it into better relationships.

If you’re thinking about how to position your firm heading into 2026, this conversation is for you.

Happy New Year—and welcome to what’s next.

AI-powered search is fundamentally changing how people discover tax and accounting professionals — and the 2026 tax law reset is about to separate firms that are prepared from those that aren’t.

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams and Rebekah Barton unpack two major forces converging at the same time:

• Why AI search tools are reducing visibility for generic tax and accounting websites
• How discovery now works when search engines synthesize answers instead of ranking pages
• What the 2026 tax reset means for client expectations, planning demand, and advisory opportunities
• Why narrative, authority, and clarity matter more than templates and keywords
• How firms can transition from compliance-heavy work to higher-value advisory without increasing headcount

This conversation isn’t about chasing trends or fear-based marketing. It’s about understanding how visibility, trust, and firm growth now work — and how growth-minded tax and accounting professionals can position themselves to win heading into 2026.

If you’re a CPA, EA, or tax professional thinking about the future of your firm, this episode will challenge how you think about discovery, positioning, and advisory growth.

Most accountants say the same thing:
“I’m already too busy… why would I need marketing?”

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, hosts Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton break down the real reason fast-growing firms keep winning—while others unknowingly fall behind:

👉 Being busy today doesn’t keep you remembered tomorrow.
👉 Visibility—not workload—is what protects your firm.
👉 Top of Mind is the moat every accounting firm needs in 2025 and beyond.

Lee and Rebekah explore why so many firm owners misunderstand marketing, the three layers every modern firm runs on, and why the client experience layer now determines trust, retention, and referrals.

They also unpack one of the most overlooked growth levers in the profession:
your custom narrative.

Your positioning, tone, personality, and story don’t just help humans recognize you — they help AI understand you, match you with the right clients, and elevate your visibility across search engines and AI assistants. In today’s world, your narrative is no longer optional branding. It’s infrastructure.

In This Episode:

Why “I’m too busy” is a dangerous myth
The three layers of every accounting firm
What Top of Mind actually means (and what it doesn’t)
Why referrals come from memory, not talent
How AI tools decide who to recommend
Why your custom narrative fuels the AI layer
What consistency looks like in real firms
How CountingWorks PRO helps firms stay top of mind automatically

Key Insight:

Firms don’t grow because they shout louder.
They grow because they show up consistently.

Visibility is the moat.
Narrative is the differentiator.
Top of Mind is the advantage.

Stop billing by the hour. Start communicating your value. Step into advisory with confidence.

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams II sits down with Linda Hunt, founder of SUM Solutions and creator of The Perfect Pricing Formula, to unpack the shift every bookkeeper and accounting professional is facing right now: moving from task-based work to outcome-based advisory — all while navigating the rise of AI.

Together, Lee and Linda dive into:

Why hourly billing caps your income and erodes your confidence
How AI tools can become your “unfair advantage” rather than a threat
What the Minimum Aligned Price is — and why most firms are charging below it
How to build simple, profitable packages that clients actually understand
The mindset blocks that sabotage pricing conversations
How to set boundaries, avoid scope creep, and keep client relationships healthy
Why positioning and niches matter more than ever in the AI era
How to use analytics, KPIs, and AI-generated insights to move into advisory — even if you don’t “feel” like an advisor yet

Linda and Lee also break down the emotional side of pricing: the nervous system response, the discomfort, the instinct to over-explain or discount, and how to shift from “task doer” to true strategic partner.

If you're a bookkeeper, accountant, or fractional CFO looking to raise prices, package services, or step confidently into advisory, this conversation delivers practical takeaways you can implement immediately.

Learn More About Linda Hunt & SUM Solutions

Want support with pricing, packaging, or advisory?
👉 Visit: https://www.sumsolutions.com/

Book a Financial Clarity Consult to explore how Linda can help your firm grow.

About The Growth Minded Accountant

Hosted by Lee Reams II, this podcast helps modern accounting firms scale through better pricing, better communication, and better use of AI — without losing the human layer that clients value most.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, rate, and review the show. It helps others in the profession find us.

In this episode, Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton break down the impact of Intuit’s new $100M partnership with OpenAI and what it means for the future of the profession. Clients are no longer starting with Google or referrals. They’re starting with AI — and they trust the answer.

We cover:

Why the compliance-first model is getting compressed
How AI has become the new referral source
Why advisory is not just for high-net-worth clients
The human moat: what AI can’t replace
The Four Pillars of Trust in the AI era
How narrative, positioning, and visibility determine who AI recommends

This is not the end of the profession — it’s the end of the old profession.
Advisory-first firms will become the obvious choice. Here’s how to thrive.

AI and automation are changing everything — including how accountants grow.

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams II talks with Adam Lean, CEO of The CFO Project, about how technology is helping tax and accounting pros finally scale beyond compliance work and step into lucrative CFO advisory roles.

Adam shares how The CFO Project’s advisors average nearly $2,000 per month per client with 87% retention, using a repeatable system that helps business owners generate positive cash flow — and gives accountants a way to stop trading time for money.

You’ll learn:

How to productize and scale CFO services
What separates a true advisor from a fractional CFO
Why your soft skills (not just technical ones) drive retention
The simple, nine-step system for delivering consistent results
And why AI is actually empowering, not replacing, accountants

If you’ve ever wanted to break free from commodity pricing, upsell your best clients, and build recurring advisory revenue — this is your roadmap.

👉 Explore more at thecfoproject.com

AI isn’t killing accounting. It’s reorganizing it.

In this episode, Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton dig into how automation is reshaping the profession... compressing the repetitive, low-value work at the bottom and expanding opportunities at the top where strategy, storytelling, and human relationships live.

This isn’t about fear. It’s about leverage. The smartest firms are using AI to scale faster, deepen client connections, and free up time for higher-value work.

You’ll also hear how CountingWorks PRO is leading the shift with AI-driven systems that personalize client experiences, automate proposals, and help five-person firms perform like twenty.

What You’ll Learn:

Why the traditional accounting pyramid is flipping and what’s next
What tasks AI can handle today and where humans still need to lead
How to “trust but verify” your AI workflows
The four biggest risks firms need to manage
Why the next two years are for scale, not survival
How AI is changing the path for young professionals

Favorite Quotes:

“AI isn’t replacing people... it’s replacing inefficiency.”
“AI doesn’t make you less human... it gives you time to be more human.”
“The real disruption won’t come from AI... it’ll come from the firms who learn how to lead with it.”

Listen if you want to:

Understand what’s really happening with AI in accounting
Combine automation and expertise for smarter growth
Build a modern firm that thrives on change

👉 Learn more: CountingWorks PRO

📩 Subscribe: The Growth Minded Accountant on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

AIAccounting #FutureOfWork #AccountingFirms #Automation #Advisory #TaxProfession #CountingWorksPRO #LeeReams #GrowthMindedAccountant

If you’ve ever caught yourself saying “yes” to one more client favor — knowing it won’t make it to the invoice — this episode is for you.

Host Lee Reams II, founder of CountingWorks PRO, and co-host Rebekah Barton break down one of the most common profit leaks in accounting and advisory firms: service creep.

They’ll walk you through:

What service creep actually looks like (and why it’s so easy to miss)
Why even seasoned pros struggle to say no
How to set better boundaries with clear engagement letters and proposals
Polite, ready-to-use scripts for out-of-scope client requests
Simple automation tools that protect your time and margins

You’ll also learn how modern firms are using digital proposals, client intake, and automated engagement renewals to turn scope creep into structured, billable work — without awkward client conversations.

💡 Key takeaway: Saying “no” isn’t the goal — saying “yes” the right way is.

Quotes & Data Mentioned:

89% of firms have avoided scope conversations (Ignition Scope Creep Survey)
Firms lose roughly $85,000 a year in unbilled work (Libeo Survey)
Up to 20% of revenue disappears through service creep (ScopeKeeper Advisory Report)

If you’re ready to protect your profit, empower your team, and create a firm that values your expertise — this episode is a must-listen.

🎙️ The Growth Minded Accountant — helping accounting and advisory professionals grow smarter, stronger, and more profitable.

Referrals have always powered accounting firm growth — but what happens when word-of-mouth goes digital?

In this episode, hosts Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton unpack how AI is quietly reshaping visibility, referrals, and client acquisition for accountants. From ChatGPT’s recommendations to Google’s new AI-driven search, algorithms are already deciding which firms get found — and which disappear.

You’ll learn:

Why AI is the new middleman between you and your next client
How algorithms interpret trust, authority, and authenticity
The three moves every accountant should make now to stay visible
Why “cookie cutter” firms are being erased — and how narrative wins

It’s not science fiction — it’s the next referral revolution.
Tune in to learn how to make sure AI knows your story before your competitors do.

Funnels are dead. And in this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams II and guest Rebekah Barton explain why the old lead-generation playbook no longer works—and what accountants must do instead.

For years, firms were told to rely on funnels: fill the top with ads and PDFs, nurture with email, and push leads down until they buy. But in Fall 2025, that’s not how clients make decisions.

Clients now:

Google you, check Yelp, scroll LinkedIn, and DM a friend.
Ask ChatGPT who the best advisor is (and trust the recommendation).
Get their answers directly from Google’s AI Overviews, often without ever clicking a website.

The result? Funnels don’t just leak—they’re broken.

In their place comes the Narrative Ecosystem: a consistent story told across every touchpoint—your website, Google profile, proposals, onboarding, and even your newsletters. It’s the only way to win in a world where AI is deciding what people see and who they trust.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why traditional funnels no longer match today’s discovery process.
How Google’s AI-first SERPs and ChatGPT’s dominance are reshaping trust.
What a Narrative Ecosystem looks like in practice for accountants and advisory firms.
How AI can amplify your narrative across every client interaction.
Practical steps to move from funnel-thinking to ecosystem growth.

👉 Funnels are relics. Narrative ecosystems are the future. And with CountingWorks PRO powered by MAX, tax pros and accountants can finally scale smarter and faster—without more headcount or cookie-cutter marketing.

Subscribe to The Growth Minded Accountant wherever you listen to podcasts—and discover how to build a modern, visible, and advisory-first firm in the AI era.

Welcome to another episode of The Growth-Minded Accountant Podcast, hosted by Lee Reams and Rebekah Barton. This week we’re tackling one of the most urgent challenges facing accounting firms in 2025: the hidden cost of delaying AI adoption.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

The invisible tax of doing nothing: why waiting on AI is costing you revenue, hours, and growth.
AI search visibility: how platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity are changing client discovery — and what happens if your firm isn’t included.
Productivity gaps: real-world examples of firms reclaiming hundreds of hours with AI for proposals, engagement letters, tax research, and client communications.
Talent and retention: why Gen Z expects AI-ready firms, and how delaying adoption leads to burnout and turnover.
Lessons from AI missteps: what we can learn from Bench and ScaleFactor’s collapse, and how to adopt AI responsibly.
Where to start today: practical, low-lift AI applications to unlock ROI immediately.

Key Takeaways

“AI doesn’t replace people — it protects them from burnout.”
“If you’re not in AI search, you don’t exist.”
“The most expensive option isn’t adopting AI. It’s waiting.”

👉 Ready to stop paying the hidden cost of delay? Explore how CountingWorks PRO, powered by MAX, helps accountants start small, scale fast, and win with AI.

🎧 Listen now and subscribe to The Growth-Minded Accountant for weekly insights into the tools, strategies, and narratives shaping the future of accounting.

Most accountants think growth = more leads. More ads. More SEO. More hustle.

But if you’re losing 15 out of every 100 clients each year? You’re not growing—you’re standing still.

Retention is your moat. It’s what protects your firm when AI search punishes cookie-cutter sites, when clients tune out generic newsletters, and when compliance-only firms get commoditized.

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton (Chief Visibility Officer at CountingWorks PRO) dig into why retention marketing is your highest ROI play in 2025 and beyond:

Retention is 5× cheaper than acquisition (Harvard Business Review)
A 5% lift in retention boosts profits by 25–95% (DemandSage)
75% of clients want more advisory services—not just tax prep (Thomson Reuters)
The real math of churn: how many new clients you need just to break even
Practical strategies: client health scoring, quarterly check-ins, segmented newsletters, win-back campaigns, dashboards, loyalty tiers, and more

👉 If you’re ready to stop running on the client treadmill and start compounding growth, this episode is for you.

Retention isn’t just about keeping clients—it’s about growing with them, multiplying their lifetime value, and turning them into your biggest referral engine.

Hit play and learn how to protect your moat.

Accounting #RetentionMarketing #AI #Advisory

Referrals aren’t what they used to be. Clients don’t just ask a friend anymore—they ask ChatGPT. And if your firm doesn’t show up with credibility, reviews, and content that AI can cite… you’re invisible.

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams II and guest Rebekah Barton share the Modern SEO + GEO Playbook for Accountants. You’ll discover how to build a digital presence that passes the AI visibility test, converts digital referrals, and proves your authority before prospects ever call.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

How AI tools like ChatGPT, Google SGE, and Perplexity decide which firms to cite
Why FAQ schema and local blogs are must-haves for visibility
The role reviews play in building trust with AI (and humans)
A real example of how consumers use ChatGPT to research referrals
The checklist for a “fully optimized” firm in 2025 and beyond

Don’t get left behind as search goes conversational. Tune in and future-proof your firm’s discoverability.

Every tax season, accountants hit the same wall: too many clients, not enough hours. The knee-jerk reaction? Cut clients, cut stress, cut back.

But here’s the problem: you can’t cut your way to growth. And you sure can’t cut your way to a 7-figure exit.

In this episode of The Growth-Minded Accountant, Lee Reams II (Founder of CountingWorks) reveals why the most successful firms aren’t trimming — they’re transforming. With AI and modern workflows, firms can cut hours instead of revenue, scale advisory without adding staff, and build practices worth premium multiples at exit.

You’ll discover:

Why cutting clients doesn’t reduce client demands
How to raise prices the right way (without lipstick-on-a-pig processes)
The hidden cost of “doing nothing” year after year
How AI and automation unlock 5–10 hours per engagement
Why tech-enabled firms sell for nearly double the multiples of traditional firms

The Big Four are pouring billions into AI. Independent firms don’t have to lose — but they do have to adapt.

If you’re ready to stop surviving tax season and start scaling a future-proof firm, this episode is your playbook. Learn more via https://www.countingworkspro.com/.

AI has changed everything for tax and accounting firms. Referrals and Google rankings are no longer enough—clients now turn to AI tools for answers, and only the most trusted firms get recommended. In this episode, Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton unpack what this shift means, why compliance-only models are at risk, and how firms can pivot to advisory, leverage AI to scale, and protect their client base from competitors.

Think tax planning is only for billionaires? Think again. In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, we break down why middle-income, dual-earner families often see the biggest savings — and how accountants can turn complexity into opportunity.

You’ll hear how a $150K household (one spouse W-2, one spouse 1099) can unlock $10K–$20K in annual savings through smart strategies like entity optimization, retirement planning, health benefits, and quarterly tax alignment. More importantly, we’ll show you how to position tax concierge services that pay for themselves many times over.

👉 If you’re ready to move beyond cookie-cutter and start delivering agency-level value to your clients, this episode is your wake-up call.

Most tax professionals and accountants are still guessing at their prices — and it’s costing them thousands. In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, hosts Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton break down the three big pricing models in the profession:

⚖️ Published Price Guides: Transparent and simple — but often leave money on the table.
💰 Value Pricing: Aligns with client outcomes — but hard to scale and defend.
🤖 Dynamic Pricing with MAX: AI-powered proposals that adapt to client demographics, service complexity, and real-time market data.

You’ll learn why static pricing is holding firms back, how dynamic pricing bridges transparency with profitability, and how MAX’s Proposal Playbook is giving firms confidence to charge smarter, win more clients, and future-proof their practices.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Am I undercharging?” — this episode will give you the data-driven answers you’ve been missing.

Unlock the power of bonus depreciation in today’s tax landscape with this expert-curated nano CPE course, Bonus Depreciation in 2025 and Beyond: Strategic Tax Insights for Businesses. In under 20 minutes, you’ll learn how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) permanently reinstated 100% bonus depreciation — and what that means for your business clients.

From the history and evolution of bonus depreciation to the groundbreaking introduction of Qualified Production Property for U.S.-based manufacturing, this AI-narrated episode breaks down complex tax law into clear, actionable insights. You’ll also explore key planning considerations, including Section 179 vs. bonus depreciation, the interaction with the Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction, and long-term recapture rules.

This course was developed by tax experts and delivered via innovative AI audio presentation to give you a fast, focused, and convenient way to earn CPE credit.

Course Details:

CPE Credit: 0.2 (Taxes)
Delivery Method: QAS Self-Study (Nano Learning)
Program Level: Basic
Prerequisites: None
Advanced Preparation: None

Enroll & Claim Credit:

Listen now and claim your 0.2 CPE credit, visit https://taxcpe.litmos.com/self-signup/.

For CPAs seeking free CPE credit, use Pass Code: BONUSDEP

Includes a full transcript and a knowledge check for CPAs to earn 0.2 hours of NASBA CPE credit.

This NASBA-compliant nano course delivers expert tax insight in a fresh, podcast-style format. Carefully curated by our team of seasoned tax professionals and presented by advanced AI for the best possible learning experience, this course makes complex tax law easy to understand and engaging to follow.

In just 12 minutes, discover how the new above-the-line deduction for tip income (2025–2028) works, who qualifies, the $25,000 cap and AGI phase-out, and how the expanded FICA tip credit benefits employers.

Includes a full transcript, downloadable course material, and a knowledge check for CPAs to earn 0.2 hours of NASBA CPE credit.

For CPAs seeking free CPE credit, visit https://taxcpe.litmos.com/self-signup/.

Use Pass Code: TIPS

This episode of The Growth Minded Accountant hosted by Lee Reams II, focuses on building a "Referral Growth Engine That Runs Itself." It emphasizes that referrals are the most profitable lead source and can be generated through a repeatable process using existing tools like an inbox and calendar, without needing ads or AI.
The podcast outlines a 4-part "Referral Blueprint Framework":

Trigger the Ask: Identify optimal times to ask for referrals, such as after a client signs their return, experiences a financial win, during quarterly reviews, upon onboarding completion, or after providing positive feedback. A "Trigger Tracker" (e.g., a shared Google Sheet) can help teams identify these moments.
Make Referrals Easy: Create a simple referral page or form (e.g., Google Forms, Calendly) and provide clients with easy-to-share copy for emails or texts.
Say Thank You: Acknowledge every referral with a personal email, small gift (e.g., eGift card), handwritten note, or public recognition.
Track and Repeat: Use a simple Google Sheet to track referrers, referral names, dates, outcomes, and rewards sent.

The episode also highlights getting the team involved by training them to recognize referral triggers and making it fun with shout-outs, internal bonuses, and leaderboards. The host provides a 5-day checklist to launch this system.

This isn’t your average tax update. In this MAXCast™, we fed the full text of our analysis of the newly signed One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) into MAX — our AI-powered assistant — to extract, summarize, and analyze the biggest tax reform in years. What did MAX find? Refundable credits. Big retirement shifts. Small biz perks. And more than a few surprises hidden in the fine print.

This episode is a fast-paced walkthrough of how smart firms use AI to cut through complexity, surface insights, and stay ahead of the curve. Whether you're a tax pro, firm leader, or just want to know what the OBBBA means for you, this episode delivers clarity without the jargon.

🎙️ AI meets tax law.
💡 Real-time insights from the full bill text.
🧠 1 Hour of CPA NASBA-Accredited CPE Available — Enroll to Claim

Use Code: MAXBILL

The SEO game has changed—and most tax and accounting firms haven’t caught up.

In the age of ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI-powered results, only a few sources get cited. The rest? Ignored.

In this episode, Lee and Rebekah reveal how to become the firm that AI search engines trust and reference.

🔎 You’ll learn:

Why AI search isn’t about keywords—it’s about relevance
The content patterns AI is trained to recognize and cite
What makes your blog, podcast, or voice “reference-worthy”
How to write answers to real client questions
Why MAX helps you show up without hiring a content team

🎯 If you want your firm to get found, get trusted, and grow without shouting—this is your playbook.

📲 Learn more at CountingWorksPRO.com

President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) into law on July 4th—and while most people were watching fireworks, tax pros just got handed a golden opportunity.

In this episode, Lee breaks down how to turn this 1,000-page bill into your next revenue stream with a productized offer he calls the Big Beautiful Tax Planning Appointment. You’ll learn how to price it, who to target, and how to use MAX to generate marketing campaigns instantly—without hiring a copywriter or writing from scratch.

Inside:
• What to include in your $349–$750 planning session
• Real prompt sequences you can use in MAX today
• Ready-to-run campaigns for families, seniors, freelancers, and business owners
• A step-by-step plan to turn tax law into client growth

This episode is your playbook for turning policy into profit—and scaling your firm with smart, proactive tax planning.

Your voicemail. Your phone tree. Your email signature. They seem like small details—but they’re quietly shaping how prospects and clients feel about your firm.

In this episode of The Growth-Minded Accountant, Lee Reams and Rebekah Barton uncover one of the most overlooked growth killers in accounting practices: poor first impressions.

You’ll learn:

What your voicemail is really saying about your firm
Why complicated phone trees cause prospects to hang up
The email red flags that signal “amateur hour”
How to tighten your communication touchpoints for instant trust

These fixes are quick. They’re free. And they send the message that you run a professional, high-value firm—before you even return the call.

🎧 Tune in to hear

✅ The 4-part communication audit every accounting pro should do this week
✅ Simple scripts and best practices you can use immediately
✅ Why client experience starts before the relationship begins

Your homepage might be the reason high-quality clients aren’t reaching out. Not because they don’t need your help—but because they don’t get what you do.

In this episode, Lee Reams and Rebekah Barton walk through the 4-Part Homepage Formula that every accounting firm needs to implement—whether you're solo or scaling fast.

🔥 What you’ll learn:

How to pass the “stranger test” with a clear, specific headline
What makes “Accounting Services” sound as vague as “Food Services”
The trust-killing mistake 90% of firms are still making
The difference between a cold CTA and a human invitation
Why “Above the Fold” might be costing you conversions
Mobile-first design tips that keep clients from bouncing

Plus: Want a visual before/after of a homepage done wrong vs. done right? Just email us and we’ll send it to you.

Because your homepage isn’t just your front door—it’s your first impression. Let’s make sure it opens to the right clients.

💻 Learn more: www.countingworkspro.com

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams II is joined by Lee Reams Sr. to unpack the latest updates on tax reform from both the Senate and the House.

We break down:

What’s actually in the “Big, Beautiful Bill” (so far)
Key differences between House and Senate versions
Which clients could be impacted—and how
How to turn reform uncertainty into billable planning services
Real-world pricing, positioning, and upsell ideas for tax pros

This isn’t just policy talk—it’s a playbook for turning headlines into new advisory revenue.

👀 Want the full campaign kit to offer Tax Reform Readiness Plans?
Email us at help@countingworkspro.com

In a world where AI can generate endless content, your voice is the one thing it can’t replicate—unless you train it to.

In this episode of The Growth-Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams is joined by Rebekah Barton, Chief Visibility Officer at CountingWorks PRO, to explore how tax and accounting firms can grow faster by sounding more human.

💡 Inside the episode:
• Why a generic voice kills trust (and growth)
• How to define a brand tone that builds connection and converts
• Simple exercises to make your messaging feel like you
• Client segmentation strategies that unlock $30K–$60K in upsells
• How to train your AI to reflect your values, tone, and style

From $350K firms to multi-partner practices, this episode shows you how to humanize your content, personalize your automation, and speak with a voice that actually moves people.

Because in 2025, sameness is the enemy—and your voice is your moat.

Subscribe and leave a review if this helped shift your perspective on what real growth sounds like.

🎧 Need help defining your brand voice? Visit https://www.countingworkspro.com/choose-your-journey/product-deep-dive.

Accounting #TaxAdvisory #BrandVoice #FirmGrowth #AIForFirms #MAXAI #GrowthMindedAccountant

Learn how to become the architect—not the bottleneck—of your tax and accounting firm. Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton share six key systems—from client comms to advisory—that reclaim your time while driving growth. Perfect for growth-minded tax & accounting owners ready to work less and earn more. Book your free narrative consult at CountingWorksPRO.com.

Google’s AI-powered search is here—and it’s already changing how your future clients find (or don’t find) your firm.

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams II and guest Rebekah Barton unpack how AI tools like Google SGE, ChatGPT, and Perplexity are reshaping online visibility for tax and accounting professionals.

What you’ll learn:
• Why “ranking on Google” no longer guarantees traffic
• How to get your firm’s content cited by AI (instead of your competitors’)
• Sample prompts and strategies to future-proof your SEO
• Why this shift is a massive opportunity for firms that move now

🎯 If your website is generic or outdated, you’re invisible.
Let’s fix that—fast.

Discover the top business segments every accountant should target this year. Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton reveal where the real profits are, how to segment smarter, and how to use advisory services and relationship-building to grow your firm—no matter your size.

Not all 1040s are created equal. In this episode, Lee Reams II reveals how to break free from low-margin tax prep by identifying the right individual clients—and offering the strategic services they’re already looking for.

You’ll discover:

The 3 highest-value individual segments (and how to speak to their pain points)
What they’re really buying when they hire you (hint: it’s not a return)
How to deliver year-round advisory with systems and AI that scale with you

If you’re ready to shift from once-a-year prep to relationship-driven planning, this episode is your roadmap. No hype. No salesy scripts. Just smarter segmentation—and the firm you actually want to build.

Thinking of starting your own firm? In this episode, Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton share a step-by-step guide to go from W-2 to CEO — covering naming, pricing, tech, first clients, and how to launch without burning out.

You’ve crossed the $1M mark — now what? In this episode of The Growth-Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams is joined by Rebekah Barton to break down what it really takes to grow from $1M to $3M+ without adding more chaos to your firm.

They unpack:

Why traditional firm structures fall apart past $1M
How to use pod-based teams and AI to scale smarter
The key KPIs and workflows that drive growth and client satisfaction
What roles you actually need to unlock the next level

If you want to grow your firm without working 70 hours a week or hiring your way into a management nightmare — this is your blueprint.

Download the Next Million Starter Kit >

CPAs looking for CPE?

Watch the podcast and then complete the course final exam and lessons.

Earn 1 hour CPE.

Link: https://taxcpe.litmos.com/self-signup/

Code: SCALE

Solo or small firm owner?

This episode is your roadmap to hitting $1M in revenue—without burning out.

Host Lee Reams is joined by Rebekah Barton, Chief Visibility Officer at CountingWorks PRO, to break down the exact steps to scale smarter: packaging your services, tightening your brand, automating the busywork, and saying no to bad-fit clients.

📥 Grab the free Million-Dollar Practice Playbook

CPAs!
Earn one hour of CPE credit after listening to the podcast via this link: https://taxcpe.litmos.com/self-signup/

Code: Firm

Think your client newsletter is just another chore? Think again. In this episode, Lee Reams II and guest Rebekah Barton reveal why newsletters are one of the most underrated tools for growing revenue, boosting referrals, and deepening client relationships. Learn the simple changes you can make today to turn your newsletter into your firm’s secret growth engine.

In this compelling episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams and guest Rebekah Barton dive deep into the innovative world of multi-generational family tax planning and accounting. Discover how tailored family packages—ranging from Basic to Premium—do more than just manage annual tax prep; they create a strategic roadmap for long-term financial success. Lee and Rebekah unpack how integrating concepts like compounding interest and the time value of money can transform immediate tax savings into enduring wealth. With practical examples, dynamic discussion on building trust, and insights into proactive tax strategies, this episode offers a fresh perspective on turning tax services into a lasting, multi-generational legacy.

In this final episode of the demographic marketing series, host Lee Reams (Founder & CEO) and guest Rebekah Barton (Chief Visibility Officer at CountingWorks) explore how tax and accounting professionals can effectively connect with Gen Z. The discussion centers on understanding Gen Z’s unique mindset, motivations, and how their digital-first lifestyle is reshaping traditional financial services.

Join us on the Growth Minded Accountants Podcast as we explore how millennials have redefined the world of tax and accounting. In this episode, CountingWorks CEO Lee Reams and our chief visibility officer, Rebekah Barton, uncover the secrets behind authentic storytelling, digital-first strategies, and transparent communication that resonate with today’s millennial clients. Discover actionable insights—from embracing mobile-friendly tools and personalized content to integrating purpose-driven branding—that will help your firm stay ahead in a rapidly evolving landscape. Tune in and learn how to transform numbers into a narrative that truly connects.

Dive into this episode of the Gen X Growth-Minded Accountant Podcast where host Lee Reams and Chief Visibility Officer Rebekah Barton reveal why Gen X—those born between 1965 and 1980—is a multi-trillion-dollar opportunity for tax and accounting pros. Discover actionable insights on targeted messaging, effective engagement, and building lasting client relationships with a generation controlling 40% of household wealth. Tune in and unlock the potential of Gen X for your firm!

Welcome to The Growth Minded Accountant! In this episode, Lee Reams (Founder & CEO of CountingWorks) and Rebekah Barton (Chief Visibility Officer at CountingWorks) explore the lucrative Baby Boomer demographic. Discover why Boomers, who hold the majority of the nation’s wealth, are so critical for your tax or accounting practice, and learn proven strategies to reach them effectively—online and offline. From building trust and credibility to highlighting key services like retirement and estate planning, we cover everything you need to tailor your firm’s messaging. Don’t miss this conversation on tapping into the Boomer goldmine—and get ready for future episodes on Gen X, Millennials, and more!

In this eye-opening episode of The Growth-Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams is joined by Rebekah Barton, Chief Visibility Officer at CountingWorks Pro, to tackle a topic that often flies under the radar: your address. Why is it so critical? Because if your address isn’t consistent across platforms—or if Google spots discrepancies in your firm’s location details—you could be disappearing from Google Maps searches and missing out on highly qualified local leads. Tune in as Lee and Rebekah share expert insights on auditing your address for consistency, verifying and optimizing your Google Business Profile, and maximizing local SEO strategies. If you’re ready to boost your visibility and attract clients right in your backyard, this is the episode for you.

Join us on the Growth-Minded Accountant podcast as we talk with Rebekah Barton—author of “Ready to Outrun Generalist Tax Firms? Find Your Niche and Pick a Lane.” Discover how choosing a niche can sharpen your expertise, attract better clients, and fuel long-term growth. We’ll cover common pitfalls, share tips for standing out from the competition, and explore lucrative niches like e-commerce, crypto, real estate, and more. Tune in to learn how to pick a lane, become the go-to expert in your specialty, and build a thriving accounting practice!

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant Podcast, host Lee Reams and marketing expert Rebekah Barton reveal why consistency is the ultimate game-changer for tax and accounting pros. Discover how automation, testimonials, and strategic content help you stand out in a crowded market—before prospects even pick up the phone. Ready to be consistently effortless? Reach out to CountingWorks PRO for a free marketing audit and start attracting your ideal clients today!

Schedule a free strategy call via https://www.countingworkspro.com/demo

It’s no longer enough to optimize for Google alone. Clients are searching for tax and accounting pros across social platforms, AI-driven tools, and more. In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams chats with marketing strategist Rebekah Barton about the era of “Search Everywhere Optimization.” Learn how to build a cohesive, multi-channel presence that meets clients wherever they search, why reviews and social proof matter more than ever, and how to future-proof your marketing as search evolves. Tune in and discover how to attract higher-quality clients and elevate your practice in an increasingly diverse digital landscape.

What if you could add hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue—without spending a dime on ads?

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton uncover the incredible, often-overlooked value sitting in your email database. Whether it's past clients, current clients, or prospects who didn’t convert, your list holds the key to growth through referrals, upsells, and lifelong relationships.

🎙️ What you'll learn:

How upselling just 10 business clients and 30 tax clients could add $360,000 annually.
Why email campaigns are the most cost-effective way to grow your practice.
Tips for transforming one-time tax prep clients into year-round advisory clients.
How to use your email list to fuel lookalike social media marketing and drive even more leads.

If you’re ready to unlock the potential sitting right in your inbox, this episode is your roadmap.

Subscribe to The Growth Minded Accountant today and start building the practice of your dreams, one email at a time.

📩 Your next big growth opportunity is already in your database. Tune in now!

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, hosts Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton take on one of the most debated topics in the tax industry: artificial intelligence.

Is AI coming for your job, or is it the key to unlocking your firm's full potential? We debunk common myths—like "AI is too expensive" or "AI will replace tax professionals"—and dive into the realities of how AI can enhance your practice, from automating tedious tasks to improving client relationships.

Tune in to discover practical strategies for overcoming resistance to AI, real-world success stories, and tips for starting small without disrupting your workflow. Don’t let fear of the unknown hold you back—learn how to turn AI into your biggest ally.

🎧 Ready to future-proof your tax practice? Let’s get started!

Tax reform is on the horizon, bringing both challenges and opportunities for tax professionals. In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams II is joined by tax expert Lee Reams Sr. to discuss how tax pros can turn potential policy changes into actionable growth strategies.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

Why tax reform is a unique opportunity for tax professionals.
Key planning areas like SALT deductions, business expenses, and estate planning.
How to identify and target high-value client segments.
Marketing tactics to position yourself as a trusted advisor.
How technology can simplify tax planning and boost your efficiency.

Don’t miss this chance to prepare your practice and your clients for what’s ahead.

🎧 Listen now and discover how to thrive during tax reform.

Landing pages are the unsung heroes of digital marketing, especially for tax and accounting firms looking to grow their practices. In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams II teams up with Chief Visibility Officer Rebekah Barton to explore why landing pages are essential for capturing leads, driving conversions, and scaling your business.

🎧 In this episode, we cover:

What makes a landing page different from a website—and why it’s crucial.
Key elements of a high-converting landing page, like clear CTAs, social proof, and mobile optimization.
Strategies for driving traffic to your landing pages using social media, email, and SEO.
Best practices for creating niche landing pages for real estate investors, gig workers, small business owners, and more.
How to measure success through metrics like conversion rates and A/B testing.

Packed with actionable tips and real-world examples, this episode will equip you with everything you need to start optimizing your landing pages today.

💡 Did You Know?

Businesses with 30+ landing pages generate 7x more leads than those with fewer than 10.
Adding video to a landing page can boost conversions by 86%.

Whether you’re a solo practitioner or managing a larger firm, you’ll leave this episode ready to create landing pages that attract the clients you want and grow your practice.

Subscribe now to The Growth Minded Accountant for more insights on marketing, client engagement, and practice growth!

TaxPros #AccountingGrowth #DigitalMarketing #LandingPages #PracticeGrowth

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton from CountingWorks PRO discuss why audio is a game-changer for tax and accounting firms. Discover how turning blogs into audio can help you connect with clients on the go, meet generational media preferences, and even improve your SEO. Tune in for tips on making your content more engaging and accessible!

Listen to audio blog samples and learn more at https://www.countingworkspro.com/blog/why-audio-is-the-next-big-thing-in-tax-accounting-content.

Attention tax professionals! Are you eager to enhance your expertise in tax-loss harvesting and offer smarter, year-round strategies to your clients? In our latest episode of the Growth Minded Accountant, we had an insightful conversation with fintech expert David Lin, CEO of Linvest21, about the revolutionary impact of AI on tax strategies and how it's making tax harvesting more effective than ever.
In this episode, we dive into:

Tax Harvesting 101: Discover why tax-loss harvesting is essential for optimizing after-tax returns.
Continuous Harvesting for Greater Results: Learn how year-round harvesting can maximize the time value of money.
AI in Tax Advisory: Explore how AI can automate calculations, provide real-time insights, and elevate your practice.
Strengthening RIA Partnerships: Gain tips on collaborating with RIAs to deliver more value to your clients.

Plus, hear a detailed description of Tax Alpha in action, showcasing how this tool can seamlessly enhance your tax-harvesting strategies. For those interested in seeing Tax Alpha live, head over to our YouTube channel for a visual demonstration.

🚀 Ready to discover how tax professionals can leverage AI? Tune in to the episode now and join us in elevating the industry!

In this episode of "The Growth Minded Accountant," hosts Lee Reams and Rebekah Barton explore how AI can transform small accounting practices, enabling them to operate like large EA and CPA firms without a big budget. Discover the power of delegating seven essential tasks to AI, your tireless assistant that delivers flawless, up-to-date work around the clock.

Learn how AI can boost your earnings on a micro-budget by saving you time and automating client workflows. From real-time tax research to handling client inquiries, AI enhances efficiency and client satisfaction. Streamline client onboarding, create impressive tax strategies, and generate cash flow reports in minutes—all with AI.

AI also transforms your marketing efforts and client meetings, allowing you to focus on growing your practice and delivering top-notch service. Embrace AI as your secret workforce and position your firm as a forward-thinking, responsive powerhouse. Ready to elevate your practice? Tune in to discover how AI can help you reclaim hours and enhance your bottom line.

In this engaging 30-minute episode of the Growth Minded Accountant podcast, hosts Rebekah Barton and Lee Reams II explore strategies to convert seasonal tax preparation clients into year-round tax planning partners. They discuss how offering personalized tax advisory services can enhance your revenue while delivering continuous value to clients.

Key Highlights:

Pricing Packages: Discover how to create pricing packages that cater to various client budgets, ensuring transparency and value.

Target Audience Identification: Learn effective segmentation techniques to pinpoint clients who would benefit most from comprehensive tax planning.

Upsell Campaigns: Delve into multi-channel upsell strategies, including customized email sequences and educational content, to highlight the advantages of your services.

Lead Conversion: Leverage AI agents to automate client engagement, intake, and tax plan creation, allowing you to efficiently serve more clients.

Scaling with AI: Explore how AI tools like CountingWorks PRO can streamline operations, enabling practice expansion without increasing workload.

Join us to discover how AI can craft personalized plans swiftly, helping you scale your tax advisory services and foster enduring client relationships. Don't miss this chance to elevate your service offerings and expand your business! To learn how CountingWorks PRO's agency-level campaigns can enhance your upsell pipeline, schedule a free strategy call.

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams II is joined by digital marketing expert Rebekah Barton to explore how tax professionals can leverage digital marketing to attract more clients during tax season.

We dive into key strategies like optimizing your website for tax season keywords, running targeted paid ads, and using social media to engage potential clients. Plus, we share tips on email marketing, creating high-value content, and even how influencer partnerships can help tax pros expand their reach.

Stay tuned as we also discuss how to generate more referrals from existing clients, driving growth through effective, modern marketing techniques. Whether you’re just starting or looking to enhance your current efforts, this episode offers valuable insights to help you stay competitive this tax season.

Welcome to another insightful episode of "The Growth Minded Accountant," where we explore the transformative power of AI in the accounting world. Hosted by Lee Reams, CEO and Founder of CountingWorks and TaxBuzz, this episode dives into how AI can revolutionize your tax season operations.

Episode Highlights:

Understanding AI in Accounting: Discover what AI is and why it's essential for modern tax practices. Learn how AI differs from traditional tools and its unique advantages.
Security and Compliance: Explore the importance of data security and regulatory compliance when integrating AI into your practice.
AI's Capabilities and Limitations: Understand where AI excels, such as in client communication and research, and where human expertise remains crucial.
Practical Applications: Identify tasks that can be automated with AI, like engagement letters and proposals, and learn how to write effective prompts for AI tools.
Customizing AI for Your Firm: Learn strategies for personalizing AI outputs to reflect your firm's style and maintain brand consistency.

Join Lee and special guest Rebekah Barton, Chief Visibility Officer, as they share insights on leveraging AI to enhance client service and streamline operations. Whether you're looking to save time, improve client communication, or ensure compliance, this episode is packed with valuable tips and strategies.

🔔 Subscribe to 'The Growth Minded Accountant' for more episodes on leveraging technology in accounting. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review and share your thoughts!

👉 Connect with Us:

Lee Reams: LinkedIn
Rebekah Barton: LinkedIn

Thank you for listening, and stay tuned for more episodes on how to grow and innovate in your accounting practice!

In this episode of "The Growth Minded Accountant," host Lee Reams II and co-host Rebekah Barton explore how digital platforms have transformed tax and accounting referrals. Discover the impact of online reviews, strategies for building a strong referral network, and innovative ideas to keep your pipeline full. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, learn how to leverage referrals to grow your practice.

Learn more about CountingWorks PRO.

In this episode of the Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton explore "The Client Lifecycle Playbook: Strategies You Can't Afford to Miss." Discover how mastering the five key stages—Discover, Convert, Engage, Advocate, and Return—can transform your practice. Learn to attract and convert clients effectively, keep them engaged, and turn them into advocates, all while ensuring they return for more. These strategies not only enhance client satisfaction but also set your practice apart, driving sustainable growth and long-term success. Tune in to elevate your client relationships and grow your accounting practice with a client-centered approach.

Join the Growth Minded Accountant Podcast for "SEO Mastery for Tax and Accounting Pros: Building Trust and Boosting Visibility." Host Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton explore SEO strategies to enhance your online presence and increase fees. Learn about E-E-A-T principles, insights from the Google algorithm leak, and how to optimize for AI search. Transform your practice with actionable tips to build trust and improve search rankings. Tune in now!

In the latest episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams welcomes Rebekah Barton, Chief Visibility Officer at CountingWorks, to discuss "Social Media Mastery for Tax and Accounting Firms." This insightful conversation explores the critical role of social media in the modern digital landscape for tax and accounting professionals. Rebekah shares her expertise on leveraging social media to attract new clients, engage with existing ones, and build a trusted brand presence. The episode covers essential topics such as creating engaging content, utilizing video, setting up a social media posting calendar, and the strategic use of hashtags and keywords. Rebekah also provides valuable advice on collaborating with influencers, monitoring analytics, and avoiding common social media pitfalls. Whether you're looking to enhance your firm's visibility or refine your social media strategy, this episode offers practical tips and strategies to transform your approach and establish your firm as a leader in the financial community.

Welcome to another insightful episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, where your hosts Rebekah and Lee Reams dive into the transformative power of niching deep for tax and accounting firms. Inspired by a compelling blog article, this episode explores why being a generalist can be a painful experience and why simply niching down isn't enough.

The Pain of Being a Generalist Rebekah shares firsthand experiences of the overwhelming workload, lack of specialization, and client dissatisfaction that come with trying to be a generalist. We discuss why many firms fall into this trap, driven by the fear of missing out and misconceptions about broader audiences.

Why Niching Down Isn't Enough We delve into the limitations of niching down and how it often leads to broad, generic categories that fail to resonate with clients. Rebekah and Lee Reams provide vivid examples contrasting niche down approaches with niche deep strategies, illustrating how focusing on specific client needs and pain points can lead to more effective messaging and greater client satisfaction.

An example of a niche down approach versus a niche deep approach?

Niche Down: Women who want to plan for retirement.

Niche Deep: Women ages 35-55 who are the primary breadwinners, struggling with raising kids and managing their careers, seeking flexible tax and financial plans to keep their retirement goals on track without losing time with family.

Example: Create content that addresses the unique challenges faced by these women, such as balancing work and family life, and offer solutions like flexible retirement plans and time-saving financial strategies.

Tune in to discover how niching deep can help you create targeted content, develop specialized services, and ultimately transform your tax and accounting firm into a powerhouse of expertise and client trust.

Don't miss this episode if you're ready to move beyond generic services and start making a real impact in your niche!

Listen now and transform your approach to niching!

Dive into the future of tax and accounting with "Human in the Loop: AI and the Role of Advisors in Tax & Accounting," a groundbreaking podcast episode brought to you by the Growth Minded Accountant. Join Rebekah Barton, Chief Visibility Officer at CountingWorks and TaxBuzz.com, alongside Lee Reams II, the visionary founder and CEO, as they unravel the transformative power of Human in the Loop (HITL) in the tax and accounting sector.

This episode is a deep dive into the symbiotic relationship between human expertise and artificial intelligence, exploring how this blend is upending the industry. Discover how HITL leverages AI's unparalleled computational abilities with the nuanced understanding and ethical judgment of professionals to navigate the complex landscape of tax and accounting. From enhancing efficiency in data entry and anomaly detection to enriching strategic decision-making and compliance, HITL is setting a new standard for personalized client services.

Rebekah and Lee illuminate the practical applications of HITL, showcasing its impact on transaction categorization, financial audits, and tax planning. They highlight how this technology not only streamlines operations but also ensures accuracy and personalization that AI alone cannot achieve. This episode is an essential listen for tax and accounting professionals seeking to stay at the forefront of technological advancement and client satisfaction.

Tune in to "Human in the Loop: AI and the Role of Advisors in Tax & Accounting" for insightful discussions on the latest trends and technologies shaping the future of the industry. Whether you're a seasoned professional or new to the field, this episode offers valuable perspectives on leveraging HITL to enhance your practice and client relationships.

Welcome to another edition of the Growth Minded Accountant.

My name is Lee Reams, Founder and CEO of CountingWorks and our AI-powered community site, TaxBuzz.com. I will be your host today as we discuss Developing a Referral Business Around the U.S. Tax Code, niching down, and other strategies to help your practice thrive.

Our esteemed guest today is Randy Crabtree, a renowned CPA with a wealth of experience and insights to share.

Since 2019, Randy has hosted the bi-weekly "The Unique CPA" podcast, which ranks among the world's 5% most popular programs. You can find articles from Randy in Accounting Today's Voices column and the AICPA Tax Adviser and CPA. He regularly presents at conferences and virtual training events hosted by CPA associations, state CPA societies, and the top 400 CPA firms nationwide.

Today, we explore why being a generalist will destroy your work-life balance and limit your growth opportunities.

Discover how the strategic move of niching down can establish you as an expert in your field and significantly enhance your ability to attract high-paying clients.
What thought leadership looks like, including hosting podcasts and webinars and developing other educational material for your audiences.
Uncover practical tips on identifying the right niche for your practice, even if it might not be what you initially thought.
How to use automation and processes to transform your workflow and give you your weekends back.

Breaking Down the Role of Automation and AI in the Accounting Space
Welcome to the latest episode of the Growth Minded Accountant! I'm Lee Reams, Founder and CEO of CountingWorksPRO and TaxBuzz.com, and I'm excited to be your host today. In this episode, we delve into the transformative impact of automation and AI within the accounting industry. Joining us are Jesse Rubenfeld, Founder and CEO of FinOptimal, and Tom Zehentner, Director of Growth at FinOptimal.

Jesse and Tom are at the forefront of innovation in accounting, leveraging their expertise to develop tools that empower accountants and business leaders to overcome challenges and drive growth. As we explore the evolving landscape of accounting, we address pressing questions and discuss actionable insights for professionals in the field.

Key Discussion Points:

Recognizing Opportunities: Are accountants fully embracing the potential of AI to optimize their practices?
Talent Shortage and Adoption: How will the shortage of accounting talent influence the adoption of automation and AI?
Evolution of Accountant Roles: What shifts are occurring in the responsibilities of accountants, and what trends can we expect in the future?
Streamlining Financial Processes: Discover how finance automation enhances efficiency and time savings for accounting professionals.
Practical Impact of Automation: Learn how automation can eliminate manual tasks and drive efficiency, unlocking growth potential.
Importance for Startups: Why is prioritizing accounting essential for startups, and how can AI enhance financial management practices from inception?
Navigating API Challenges: Addressing limitations with native APIs in accounting tools and strategies for effective navigation.
Flaws in QuickBooks Integrations: Understanding potential pitfalls in QuickBooks integrations and ensuring seamless value addition.
Contributions to Industry Revolution: Explore examples of innovative practices and technologies reshaping the traditionally undisrupted accounting industry.
Dispelling Misconceptions: Addressing common misconceptions surrounding automation and AI adoption in accounting.
FinOptimal's Impact: Discover how FinOptimal enriches the lives of small business owners and accountants through innovative solutions.
Connect with FinOptimal: For those eager to learn more, find out how to connect with Jesse, Tom, and the FinOptimal team.

Join us as we unravel the complexities of automation and AI in accounting, offering valuable insights and practical guidance for professionals navigating this transformative landscape. Don't miss out on this enlightening conversation!

In this episode we explore strategies to improve your tax practice’s local presence , from community engagement to forming partnerships with local businesses. Below are some effective local marketing strategies, paving the way for enhanced visibility, increased client trust, and sustained growth.

If you have SEO questions or want to improve your firm's visibility in 2024, reach out to us here.

In this insightful episode, Rick shares his unique journey—from building a firm with only $20 in savings to managing a staggering half a billion dollars in his current RIA. His book delves into 30 essential lessons for professional service business owners, covering topics from branding to increasing referrals through professional networks.

Here's a glimpse of the engaging topics we explore with Rick:

Topic 1: Company Culture and Business Growth

Defining "company culture" in the context of building a professional firm.

How a strong company culture contributes to firm growth and success.

Topic 2: Trust Compression and Edification

Understanding "Trust Compression" and its significance in business relationships.

The role of "edification" in growing both a company and professional networks.

Topic 3: Challenges to Growth for Professional Advice Firms

Common challenges that professional advice firms face in achieving growth.

Strategies to overcome challenges for sustainable and meaningful growth.

Topic 4: Good Growth vs. Bad Growth

Distinguishing good growth from bad growth in professional firms.

Advice for navigating the complexities of growth for service business owners.

Topic 5: The National Referral Network

Unique aspects of the National Referral Network and its benefits for professionals.

How professionals can leverage participation in such a network.

Buy The Book

The National Referral Network

Subscribe now and join the Growth Minded Accountant community!

None

Your website serves as your virtual storefront – and, in the case of fully remote firms, your only storefront –welcoming potential clients into your world of expertise and trustworthiness. It's a platform where you have the opportunity to connect on a personal level, making a lasting impression that can lead to fruitful professional relationships.

In this episode, Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton talk about the best practices for an accounting or tax website.

Have questions? Visit our website at www.countingworkspro.com or call us at
(800) 442-2477.

In this episode, Lee Reams and Rebekah Barton discuss the best strategies you can use to develop an effective and complete marketing strategy for your firm.

Have questions? Visit our website at www.countingworkspro.com.

Request a demo from our team here.

In this day and age, a website is essential for nearly every kind of business. Tax and accounting firms are no exception. Yet, even the most seasoned tax and accounting professionals can find themselves ensnared in the web of common mistakes that can sabotage their online success – the world of digital media is very different than the “old school” tax and accounting industry many of these experts are used to, and it can be confusing and overwhelming.

In this episode- join us as we discuss common pitfalls and how to avoid them.

Have questions? Visit countingworkspro.com, or give us a call at (800) 442-2477.

In this episode, Lee Reams II, Founder/CEO of CountingWorks PRO, is joined by Paul William Davis, and they discuss how todiscover your life purpose.

About our guest:
Paul is an experienced Personal & Business Growth Specialist with a passion for helping individuals and businesses realize their true potential and achieve outstanding results.

Check out Paul on Instagram, LinkedIn, and his website.

In this episode, Lee Reams II, Founder/CEO of CountingWorks PRO, is joined by Manuj Aggarwal, a speaker, author of two best-selling books, and host of the podcast Bootstrapping Your Dreams. This episode discusses AI and how it will reshape the future of many professions, specifically the tax and accounting space.

About Our Guest:
Manuj Aggarwal is a thought leader in Artificial Intelligence and has spoken alongside a Nobel Prize Winner at the United Nations.

Check out Manuj on Twitter, LinkedIn, and his website.

Today Lee Reams II, Founder/CEO of CountingWorks PRO, is joined by Rebekah Barton, Chief Visibility Officer of CountingWorks PRO. In this episode, they discuss how you can double your tax and accounting practice revenue this off-season.

Today Lee Reams II, Founder/CEO of CountingWorks PRO, is joined by Rebekah Barton, Chief Visibility Officer of CountingWorks PRO. The Growth Minded Accountant offers unique insights to help CPAs, EAs, and other tax professionals succeed in today’s business climate. In this episode, discover how thought leadership can transform how your firm operates.

In this episode, Lee Reams II, Founder/CEO of CountingWorks PRO, is joined by Scott Bywater, a sought-after speaker and copywriter. In this episode, Lee and Scott discuss how to use the written word to drive more revenue for your practice.

About Our Guest:
Scott Bywater is based in Australia and has spoken at many important digital marketing events, as well as facilitated countless workshops.
Check out Scott on Twitter, LinkedIn, and his website.

In this episode, Lee Reams II, Founder/CEO of CountingWorks PRO, is joined by Rudy Zabran, from Consolidated Analytics, a CountingWorks partner for on demand tax and accounting staffing. This episode discusses the profession wide labor shortage, and whether offshoring might be a good option for your firm.

If you are currently understaffed and need help, see our program details here.

About Our Guest:
Rudy Zabran is Chief Revenue Officer at Consolidated Analytics, a leading provider of end-to-end mortgage services including residential valuation, fulfillment, due diligence, component services, consulting and advisory.

Check out Rudy on Twitter, LinkedIn, and his company website.

In this episode, Lee Reams II, Founder/CEO of CountingWorks PRO, is joined by Mark Willis, a Certified Financial Planner™. This episode discusses how you and your business can be better equipped to handle the current economic and financial situation.

About Our Guest:
Mark Willis is a three-time #1 Best Selling Author, co-host of the Not Your Average Financial Podcast, and the owner of Lake Growth Financial Services.
Check out Mark on Twitter, LinkedIn, and his website.

Lee Reams II is joined by Anna Runyan, the brains behind the 90-Day planner, a career strategy that helps you have the practice you love and supports the life you want. Anna is the Founder & CEO of ClassyCareerGirl.com, a Forbes Top 35 Most Influential Career Site.

In this episode, they discuss the value of content creation for tax and accounting professionals. This episode also covers the benefits of utilizing a 90 day planner in order to change habits, make goals, and run the practice you love.

Lee Reams II is joined by Drs. Todd & Kim Saxton, award-winning professors at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business who have made it their mission to help startup founders and investors navigate the “icebergs” that so often sink startups in their early stages. They are co-authors of the Titanic Effect, a book covering what makes startups successful. Instead of telling startups what to do, like most startup books, they share what startups should avoid. www.titaniceffect.com

Together, they discuss the stages of startup development, avoiding sources of startup failure, best product development approaches, and more.

Have you ever wondered how you can launch and grow a payroll speciality practice? In this episode, Lee Reams II, Founder and CEO of CountingWorks PRO, is joined by Charles Read to discuss how you can scale a payroll business from scratch.

About Our Guest:
Charles is a CPA and Founder of Custom Payroll Associates, Inc. and GetPayroll.
www.getpayroll.com

In this episode, Lee Reams II, Founder/CEO of CountingWorks PRO, is joined by Nicky Billou, an expert in helping service professionals become branded thought leaders. This episode covers the topic of helping service professionals build a comprehensive personal brand and evergreen thought leadership position.

About Our Guest:
Nicky Billou is the host of the Thought Leader Revolution podcast and President/CEO of eCircle.
www.ecircleacademy.com

In this podcast episode, Lee Reams II, Founder and CEO of CountingWorks PRO, is joined by Daniel Alfon, a seasoned marketing and LinkedIn expert. This episode covers the ways that LinkedIn can create opportunities and conversations that lead to new business.

Daniel takes pride in helping business owners leverage their LinkedIn presence to get leads. He is also the author of the book "Build a LinkedIn Profile for Business Success". www.danielalfon.com

In this episode, Lee Reams, Founder/CEO of CountingWorks PRO is joined by Jay Baron, CEO of Elevate Demand, to discuss digitizing the client experience. They touch on the importance of establishing your digital footprint, digitizing each client touchpoint, and how the digital front office has changed.

Welcome to Season 2 of the Growth Minded Accountant! In this episode, Lee Reams, Founder/CEO of CountingWorks PRO, and Jay Baron, CEO of Elevate Demand, talk about a variety of changes occurring in the tax and accounting space. This episode is quite informative! Listen closely, as they touch on the benefits of a positioned firm, being a generalist vs a specialist, the importance of having a strong digital presence, building authority and trust, and much more.

Changes in the tax code and our population's demographics have made reverse mortgages more appealing than ever before. In this episode Lee Reams II, founder and CEO of CountingWorks PRO, is joined by David Gittelson of Finance of America as they discuss the best strategies for tax planning with reverse mortgages.

Are you a tax pro interested in learning more? Check out our free webinar, Enhancing Retirement Through a Reverse Mortgage - 1 Hour CPE.

With so much turmoil in the staffing space for tax and accounting practices, our newest podcast covers how tax and accounting practices are surviving the great resignation. This podcast is hosted by Lee Reams II, Founder and CEO of CountingWorks, Inc., with special guest Lucero Smith, the founder and CEO of Your-Coo.com, an Operations + Human Resources Consulting Firm based in Irvine, California.

Building trust and rapport are the top traits you can use to sell your tax/accounting services to any prospect.Join CountingWorks PRO CEO/Founder, Lee Reams II and Jamie Noriega, ADP VP Channel Sales, to hear more about the importance of building relationships in regards to selling skills— whether these sales happen in-person or remotely.

Imagine for a moment...

That your firm only said “yes” to the clients you really enjoyed working with.AND
That those clients happened to be the highest paying clients.

Dream scenario, right?

When you’re just starting out, anyone willing to pay you to help them is a “good fit.” Everyone has to pay their dues.

But too often as you grow, you add additional industries and services to the roster to appease new clients, and before you know it, you’re doing everything for everyone.

Welcome to the first in our Marketing First Framework Series. In this podcast, Lee Reams II, Founder and CEO of CountingWorks PRO, and CountingWorks PRO Design Associate, Janice Hostager, cover what’s wrong with a referral-only firm, stress the importance of positioning your firm to find your dream clients and HOW to position your firm.

If you’ve just decided to start your own tax and accounting practice, you’re probably feeling a lot of things: excitement, apprehension, and maybe overwhelm to name a few.

Perhaps the biggest of them all, though, is uncertainty. What’s important is to focus on one of the initial hurdles of opening a new practice: finding your first clients. In this podcast, we’ll break down twelve ways the most successful new tax and accounting practices start building up their client base. From your online presence to utilizing personal connections to knowing where to scour for leads, we’ve got you covered.

Things have changed. The world moved online and the pandemic only accelerated this move. But many tax and accounting pros are still stuck on their old paper-based ways. In this podcast, we will cover how your client experience has changed forever — from the way prospects find you and choose to work with you.

Join Lee Reams II, CountingWorks PRO CEO/Founder, and Stacey Rolland, SVP Emerging Technologies and Data Policy (and Tax), Forbes Tate Partners, as they dive into emerging technologies, reimagining the way CPAs and auditors work, utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) as a service differentiator, and much more.

Growing up, we were all taught the misconception that a traditional career path is the most effective way to make money. We all know now that this is not true.

Because our time is a limited resource, there is a ceiling to the amount of profit you can make if you exchange your time for money.

Time is the most precious commodity we have. Therefore, learning to charge for your expertise, rather than your time, is essential to success. In this podcast, the marketing experts at CountingWorks PRO will teach you how.

If you've been talking to a prospect for longer than 20 minutes and they aren't ready to engage you or you don't think they're a good fit, something is wrong with your approach. CountingWorks PRO staff, CEO/Founder, Lee Reams II , and Chief Customer Officer, Katie Smith, dive into how to start qualifying your prospects and tips for filling your calendar with high-paying clients who want to listen to you and follow your advice.

CountingWorks PRO CEO/Founder Lee Reams II and Kelly Phillips Erb, known across the web universe as TaxGirl, dive into the state of the industry, the effects of COVID-19 on the tax profession, tax law, writing, branding, education, the future, and MORE.

Join us to hear CountingWorks PRO CEO/Founder Lee Reams II and industry influencer Eva Rosenberg, EA, MBA, otherwise known as TaxMama® and dean of www.IRSExams.school, dive into the accountant practice marketing "wheel". They will share their background and experiences, common mistakes made by professionals and how to avoid them, the state of the industry, work-life balance for professionals, and much more.

Having your accounting or tax website rank on the first page of Google is crucial if you want to grow your practice. It might not seem like a huge difference to come in (rank) at #11 vs. #9, but it drastically hurts your chances of earning those coveted clicks from high intent prospects. And if you really want to guarantee clicks vs. your competitors, you need to aim for ranking #1.

This can seem overwhelming, especially if you don’t know much about Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Not to fear: in this podcast, we’ll walk you through 12 secrets to getting your accountant website to rank high on Google. Learn more here.

Podcast hosted by Lee Reams II and Alex Taylor with special guest Sara Lepisova, SEO Manager at CountingWorks PRO.

Join us as CountingWorks PRO Founder/CEO Lee Reams II and Patrick Shelley with Herowood dive into R&D Tax Credits and Patrick's background in the industry. The Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit remains to be one of the best opportunities for businesses to substantially reduce their tax liability which is why in this episode emphasize why CPAs, EAs, and tax professionals should care about the R & D tax credit and more.

Get in touch with R & D experts and learn more here.

It is more important now than ever to focus on the client experience. Tax and accounting practices are realizing that a client’s experience, both online and offline, determines how much they will spend with you and what they will share about you online. Join us for episode 2 to learn more about churn/retention, reasons you may lose a client and how to prevent them, and 8 traits of our most successful practices who excel at client retention.

Join us for an introduction to CountingWorks PRO and our CEO/Founder Lee Reams II! Accountant Marketing is our favorite topic and after decades in the digital marketing world, we are ready to share best practices, tips, stories, and MORE in our new podcast space.