CPA Trendlines Podcasts

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Episodes

Blumer CPAs: Move Leaders Out of Client Service
Mar 7 2024
Blumer CPAs: Move Leaders Out of Client Service
Intentionality can bring freedom and joy.The DisruptorsWith Liz FarrWhen Jason Blumer and Julie Shipp joined forces to build Blumer CPAs more than a decade ago, they eschewed the traditional partnership structure, where decision-making power depends on ownership percentage. Instead, Blumer said, “We figured out the ownership is a legal reflection of the companies, but they do not reflect anything we do together in our roles.”  10 MORE TAKEAWAYS: Blumer CPAs show notes here MORE: Disruptors MORE CPA TRENDLINES PODCASTS and VIDEOS:  James Graham: Drop the Billable Hour and You'll Bill More | Karen Reyburn: Fix Your Marketing and Fix Your Business | Giles Pearson: Fix the Staffing Crisis by Swapping Experience for Education | Jina Etienne: Practice Fearless Inclusion | Bill Penczak: Stop Forcing Smart People to Do Stupid Work | Jason Deshayes: What We're Doing Isn't Working | Heather Satterley: You've Got To Meet People Where They Are | Bill Penczak: Stop Forcing Smart People to Do Stupid Work Together, they also formed Thriveal, a support community for accounting firm owners. Blumer is the CEO and visionary for the firm and Shipp is the COO and integrator. This separation of ownership from roles allows them to both to be, as Shipp said, “100% in my role and have 100% the authority of my role.”  In their first year of working together, Shipp said, “We were crossing in and out of each other's lanes,” as visionary and integrator, which, she explained, “diluted the work we could do together.” They found that becoming clear on their roles allows them both to leverage their best gifts and abilities.
Scharrell Jackson: Lead with Diversity of Thought
Mar 5 2024
Scharrell Jackson: Lead with Diversity of Thought
Transformation TalksWith Donny ShimamotoCenter for Accounting TransformationIn the latest episode of Transformation Talks, renowned international speaker, leadership coach, and business consultant Scharrell Jackson emphasizes the pivotal role of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in ensuring the sustainability of businesses across diverse industries. Jackson delves into the profound benefits of DEI, extending beyond business culture to impact recruiting and the overall bottom line. MORE: Scharrell Jackson show notes here MORE CPA TRENDLINES PODCASTS and VIDEOS: Harper & Company CPAs: The Perspective of a Non-Accountant is Imperative | Jason Deshayes: What We're Doing Isn't Working | Heather Satterley: You've Got To Meet People Where They Are | Bill Penczak: Stop Forcing Smart People to Do Stupid Work | Sandra Wiley: Staffing Problem? Check Your Culture | Scott Scarano: First, Grow People. Then Firm Growth Can Follow | Jody Padar: Build a Practice that Works for You, Not Vice-Versa | Ira Rosenbloom: With M&A, Nobody Wants a Fixer-Upper | Peter Margaritis: The Power Skills Every Accountant Needs | Joe Montgomery: Find the Sweet Spot of the Right Clients, Right Services and Right Prices | Marie Green: Your Bad Apples Are Ruining You | Megan Genest Tarnow: Hire for Curiosity Rather Than Compliance | Clayton Oates: One Way to Keep Clients for Life | Randy Crabtree: Follow These Three Rules to Keep Employees Happy | Erik Solbakken: Yes, You Can Work Less and Make More | Donny Shimamoto: Future Firm Growth Requires a Mindshift "It's the living experience of what works and what doesn't, and also understanding the broad positive impact that it can have on businesses that choose to get comfortable being uncomfortable," Jackson explains.
Amber Setter: Coaching Helps Resolve the Tension Between Safety and Purpose
Feb 29 2024
Amber Setter: Coaching Helps Resolve the Tension Between Safety and Purpose
Safety's knowing you can pay the bills. Purpose is knowing there's something more.The DisruptorsWith Liz FarrAmber Setter, the chief enlightenment officer for Conscious Public Accountants, started out as a Type A overachiever CPA, but after a few busy seasons, she realized that she "didn’t want to be an accountant anymore.”Today she’s an executive leadership coach for accountants, helping them transform their lives and careers. 11 MORE TAKEAWAYS: Amber Setter show notes here MORE: Disruptors MORE CPA TRENDLINES PODCASTS and VIDEOS:  Blumer CPAs: Move Leaders Out of Client Service | James Graham: Drop the Billable Hour and You'll Bill More | Karen Reyburn: Fix Your Marketing and Fix Your Business | Giles Pearson: Fix the Staffing Crisis by Swapping Experience for Education | Jina Etienne: Practice Fearless Inclusion | Bill Penczak: Stop Forcing Smart People to Do Stupid Work | Jason Deshayes: What We're Doing Isn't Working | Heather Satterley: You've Got To Meet People Where They Are |  The premise behind Setter's coaching is that the coachee, whether it’s an individual, a team or an organization, is the expert in their domain.“The work of the coach is to pull that wisdom outside of them” Setter said, adding that next steps include reflection and talking about goals and challenges. Setter explained that coaches don’t tell people what to do, but instead ask open-ended questions to create a space for personal exploration of issues many are not giving thought to.
James Graham: Doubling the Firm with CFO Services
Nov 2 2023
James Graham: Doubling the Firm with CFO Services
Where there are unmet needs, there are opportunities.The DisruptorsWith Liz FarrJames Graham’s firm, Richtr Financial Studio, gave up the billable hour 10 or 15 years ago, and points to that choice as something that made the biggest difference in his firm.  10 MORE TAKEAWAYS: James Graham show notes here MORE: Disruptors MORE CPA TRENDLINES PODCASTS and VIDEOS:  Karen Reyburn: Fix Your Marketing and Fix Your Business | Giles Pearson: Fix the Staffing Crisis by Swapping Experience for Education | Jina Etienne: Practice Fearless Inclusion | Bill Penczak: Stop Forcing Smart People to Do Stupid Work | Jason Deshayes: What We're Doing Isn't Working | Heather Satterley: You've Got To Meet People Where They Are | Bill Penczak: Stop Forcing Smart People to Do Stupid Work | Sandra Wiley: Staffing Problem? Check Your Culture | He said it's because “it really changes the nature of your relationship with the client” when the client is no longer looking at the clock with “that dollar per hour at the moment, always hanging over any interaction.” By removing the focus on time, “it allows everyone to move forward better because the focus is on running the business.”His firm, which specializes in outsourced accounting and fractional CFO services for innovation companies, is in the process of growing from 26 to 50 team members. “One of the things that I really like about growth is it creates opportunity for our team,” Graham explained. These opportunities include moving to a higher position or becoming a specialist. He also notes that firms that don’t offer growth opportunities risk losing people.
Is This When Accountants Start Taking Freshbooks Seriously?
Oct 19 2023
Is This When Accountants Start Taking Freshbooks Seriously?
Twyla Verhelst explains 'collaborative accounting.'With Seth FinebergAt Large for CPA TrendlinesFreshBooks is taking another step to evolve from being a cloud-based invoicing solution for gig workers to being more strongly considered a true accounting solution that accountants could use to collaborate with clients as their business needs evolve. MORE FINEBERG: Your Classic Business Model Won’t Allow Growth |  Accounting Tech Decisions You Need to Make Today | You’re Doing Email Wrong | When Live Events Fail | Who’s in Control? You? Or Your Clients? | Time Management Rule #1 for Accountants MORE TECH: Major Websites Blocking Content from AI Crawlers | AI and the Future of Advisory | How Much a Data Breach Will Cost You – Directly and Indirectly | Strengthen Client Ties with Workflow Tools | The Art of Prompt Engineering for A.I. Accountants MORE VERHELST: Twyla Verhelst on How Firms Are Getting Creative to Compete  “We are definitely in this flow of evolving the platform to support accountants better," Twyla Verhelst, head of FreshBooks’ accountant channel, tells CPA Trendlines' Seth Fineberg. "We now have an accountant hub, which we will continue to add to and a robust roadmap, one in which we’re building from a place of [asking] accounting partners what do you need?” More show notes here: https://cpatrendlines.com/2023/10/18/twyla-verhelst-freshbooks-collaborative-accounting-will-freshbooks-finally-be-embraced-by-more-accountants/
Harper & Company CPAs: You help clients build their ideal business. Why can’t you do it for yourself?
Oct 16 2023
Harper & Company CPAs: You help clients build their ideal business. Why can’t you do it for yourself?
Transformation TalksWith Donny ShimamotoCenter for Accounting Transformation Glen Harper, CPA, says businesses should be willing to reinvent themselves and that diverse perspectives can be a valuable asset. The owner of Harper & Company CPAs should know: He's had to embrace both philosophies to become successful. MORE: Harper & Company CPAs show notes here MORE CPA TRENDLINES PODCASTS and VIDEOS:  Jason Deshayes: What We're Doing Isn't Working | Heather Satterley: You've Got To Meet People Where They Are | Bill Penczak: Stop Forcing Smart People to Do Stupid Work | Sandra Wiley: Staffing Problem? Check Your Culture | Scott Scarano: First, Grow People. Then Firm Growth Can Follow | Jody Padar: Build a Practice that Works for You, Not Vice-Versa | Ira Rosenbloom: With M&A, Nobody Wants a Fixer-Upper | Peter Margaritis: The Power Skills Every Accountant Needs | Joe Montgomery: Find the Sweet Spot of the Right Clients, Right Services and Right Prices | Marie Green: Your Bad Apples Are Ruining You | Megan Genest Tarnow: Hire for Curiosity Rather Than Compliance | Clayton Oates: One Way to Keep Clients for Life | Randy Crabtree: Follow These Three Rules to Keep Employees Happy | Erik Solbakken: Yes, You Can Work Less and Make More | Donny Shimamoto: Future Firm Growth Requires a Mindshift In a recent episode of Transformation Talks, Harper tells host Donny Shimamoto, CPA, CITP, CGMA, who is also the founder and managing director of Intraprise TechKnowlogies LLC, that a good advisor can help you see your business from a different perspective and identify opportunities that you may have missed. He said after some self-reflection, he needed what his successful clients already had--a CEO.Enter Julie Smith.
Jina Etienne: Practice Fearless Inclusion
Oct 6 2023
Jina Etienne: Practice Fearless Inclusion
The DisruptorsWith Liz FarrJina Etienne wants accountants to stop hiding behind our green eyeshades and all the stereotypes we share as CPAs. She practices “fearless inclusion,” which is the freedom to be yourself and to create the space for others to do the same.     MORE: Jina Etienne show notes here MORE: Disruptors MORE CPA TRENDLINES PODCASTS and VIDEOS:  Heather Satterley: You've Got To Meet People Where They Are | Bill Penczak: Stop Forcing Smart People to Do Stupid Work | Sandra Wiley: Staffing Problem? Check Your Culture | Scott Scarano: First, Grow People. Then Firm Growth Can Follow | Jody Padar: Build a Practice that Works for You, Not Vice-Versa | Ira Rosenbloom: With M&A, Nobody Wants a Fixer-Upper | Peter Margaritis: The Power Skills Every Accountant Needs | Joe Montgomery: Find the Sweet Spot of the Right Clients, Right Services and Right Prices | Marie Green: Your Bad Apples Are Ruining You | Megan Genest Tarnow: Hire for Curiosity Rather Than Compliance | Clayton Oates: One Way to Keep Clients for Life | Randy Crabtree: Follow These Three Rules to Keep Employees Happy | Erik Solbakken: Yes, You Can Work Less and Make More | Donny Shimamoto: Future Firm Growth Requires a Mindshift | Jennifer Wilson: Empower Young Workers to Build the Firm Everyone Loves | Mike Whitmire: Re-Think Your Hiring and Training Practices “Inclusion happens because of how I show up and the space I make for others,” Etienne said. She added that the fearless part means we must be brave and bold while interacting with others thoughtfully. When we show our personalities and our humanity, “That fixes a lot of things, actually,” she explained.
Chris Vanover: Question the Why, or Stay with the Status Quo
Oct 5 2023
Chris Vanover: Question the Why, or Stay with the Status Quo
The DisruptorsWith Liz FarrChris Vanover is on a mission “to make accounting and auditing better.”Initially, AuditClub helped firms mainly with quality control, but over time, that grew into offering fractional support on a subscription basis to audit firms that can’t find the talent they need.  MORE: Chris Vanover show notes here MORE: Disruptors MORE CPA TRENDLINES PODCASTS and VIDEOS:  Jason Deshayes: What We're Doing Isn't Working | Heather Satterley: You've Got To Meet People Where They Are | Bill Penczak: Stop Forcing Smart People to Do Stupid Work | Sandra Wiley: Staffing Problem? Check Your Culture | Scott Scarano: First, Grow People. Then Firm Growth Can Follow | Jody Padar: Build a Practice that Works for You, Not Vice-Versa | Ira Rosenbloom: With M&A, Nobody Wants a Fixer-Upper | Peter Margaritis: The Power Skills Every Accountant Needs | Joe Montgomery: Find the Sweet Spot of the Right Clients, Right Services and Right Prices | Marie Green: Your Bad Apples Are Ruining You | Megan Genest Tarnow: Hire for Curiosity Rather Than Compliance | Clayton Oates: One Way to Keep Clients for Life | Randy Crabtree: Follow These Three Rules to Keep Employees Happy | Erik Solbakken: Yes, You Can Work Less and Make More | Donny Shimamoto: Future Firm Growth Requires a Mindshift | Jennifer Wilson: Empower Young Workers to Build the Firm Everyone Loves Audit firms are challenged to plan a year or even a month out, so AuditClub offers members weekly access. This weekly flexibility allows AuditClub to take a concierge approach to help their member firms out a week at a time. Plus, Vanover may have the secret sauce to getting employees to perform at their optimum levels daily.
Jason Deshayes: What We're Doing Isn't Working
Sep 11 2023
Jason Deshayes: What We're Doing Isn't Working
The DisruptorsWith Liz FarrBy age 35, Jason Deshayes, CPA/PFS, CFP, CKA, was already co-owner of a CPA firm in Albuquerque. He “hit the magic Shangri La that we’re all working for.” But it wasn’t right for him. He was bored with the long hours and felt he wasn’t growing. He wasn’t able to think about his firm the way he wanted to. So he and his partner sold their firm.   MORE: Jason Deshayes show notes here MORE: Disruptors MORE CPA TRENDLINES PODCASTS and VIDEOS: Heather Satterley: You've Got to Meet People Where They Are | Bill Penczak: Stop Forcing Smart People to Do Stupid Work | Sandra Wiley: Staffing Problem? Check Your Culture | Scott Scarano: First, Grow People. Then Firm Growth Can Follow | Jody Padar: Build a Practice that Works for You, Not Vice-Versa | Ira Rosenbloom: With M&A, Nobody Wants a Fixer-Upper | Peter Margaritis: The Power Skills Every Accountant Needs | Joe Montgomery: Find the Sweet Spot of the Right Clients, Right Services and Right Prices | Marie Green: Your Bad Apples Are Ruining You | Megan Genest Tarnow: Hire for Curiosity Rather Than Compliance | Clayton Oates: One Way to Keep Clients for Life | Randy Crabtree: Follow These Three Rules to Keep Employees Happy | Erik Solbakken: Yes, You Can Work Less and Make More | Donny Shimamoto: Future Firm Growth Requires a Mindshift | Jennifer Wilson: Empower Young Workers to Build the Firm Everyone Loves | Mike Whitmire: Re-Think Your Hiring and Training Practices Today, he’s COO at Cook Wealth, a hybrid wealth management and tax firm. Providing both types of services means that they don’t deal with “this weird thing, where the client’s in the middle, and they have to be the conduit for information going both ways.” He says that getting his CFP has “been so enriching. I love what I do, and it’s because I was willing to drop stuff so other people could learn the stuff I learned and so I could do fun stuff.”
Heather Satterley: You've Got to Meet People Where They Are
Sep 4 2023
Heather Satterley: You've Got to Meet People Where They Are
The DisruptorsWith Liz FarrHeather Satterley is well-known for being an accounting tech expert. But tech isn’t the only skill accountants need today and for the future. “You can have great technology skills, but if you don't have people skills and those softer skills, that's going to be a problem,” she said.    MORE: Heather Satterley show notes here MORE: Disruptors MORE CPA TRENDLINES PODCASTS and VIDEOS: Bill Penczak: Stop Forcing Smart People to Do Stupid Work | Sandra Wiley: Staffing Problem? Check Your Culture | Scott Scarano: First, Grow People. Then Firm Growth Can Follow | Jody Padar: Build a Practice that Works for You, Not Vice-Versa | Ira Rosenbloom: With M&A, Nobody Wants a Fixer-Upper | Peter Margaritis: The Power Skills Every Accountant Needs | Joe Montgomery: Find the Sweet Spot of the Right Clients, Right Services and Right Prices | Marie Green: Your Bad Apples Are Ruining You | Megan Genest Tarnow: Hire for Curiosity Rather Than Compliance | Clayton Oates: One Way to Keep Clients for Life | Randy Crabtree: Follow These Three Rules to Keep Employees Happy | Erik Solbakken: Yes, You Can Work Less and Make More | Donny Shimamoto: Future Firm Growth Requires a Mindshift | Jennifer Wilson: Empower Young Workers to Build the Firm Everyone Loves | Mike Whitmire: Re-Think Your Hiring and Training Practices One of those softer skills that will be a key skill for the future is problem-solving, which requires keeping an open mind to “look at not just facts and figures, but look at tools, resources, people and pull them all together," she explained. No one can be an expert at everything, so having “a wide network of really awesome professionals” is vital for filling in any gaps “to get the job done.”
Bill Penczak: Stop Forcing Smart People to Do Stupid Work
Aug 28 2023
Bill Penczak: Stop Forcing Smart People to Do Stupid Work
The DisruptorsWith Liz FarrToo many accounting firms have “smart people doing stupid work,” according to Bill Penczak, a veteran sales and marketing professional. Think about the effort it takes to get an accounting degree and get your CPA, and contrast that with the years of mindless work that many new hires are required to do, especially if they go into audit, he said.  MORE: Bill Penczak here MORE CPA TRENDLINES PODCASTS and VIDEOS: Sandra Wiley: Staffing Problem? Check Your Culture | Scott Scarano: First, Grow People. Then Firm Growth Can Follow | Jody Padar: Build a Practice that Works for You, Not Vice-Versa | Ira Rosenbloom: With M&A, Nobody Wants a Fixer-Upper | Peter Margaritis: The Power Skills Every Accountant Needs | Joe Montgomery: Find the Sweet Spot of the Right Clients, Right Services and Right Prices | Marie Green: Your Bad Apples Are Ruining You | Megan Genest Tarnow: Hire for Curiosity Rather Than Compliance | Clayton Oates: One Way to Keep Clients for Life | Randy Crabtree: Follow These Three Rules to Keep Employees Happy | Erik Solbakken: Yes, You Can Work Less and Make More | Donny Shimamoto: Future Firm Growth Requires a Mindshift | Jennifer Wilson: Empower Young Workers to Build the Firm Everyone Loves | Mike Whitmire: Re-Think Your Hiring and Training Practices | Hector Garcia: Success Strategies of a Quickbooks YouTube Superstar | “One of the reasons why there’s such a talent shortage is because the market has figured this out,” and no one wants to do that stupid work, Penczak says.
Sandra Wiley: If you have the right culture, you'll find the right people.
Aug 21 2023
Sandra Wiley: If you have the right culture, you'll find the right people.
The DisruptorsWith Liz FarrSandra Wiley has been speaking with firm owners and leaders for nearly three decades and clearly sees the need for change in the profession. MORE: Sandra Wiley here MORE CPA TRENDLINES PODCASTS and VIDEOS:  Peter Margaritis: The Power Skills Every Accountant Needs | Joe Montgomery: Find the Sweet Spot of the Right Clients, Right Services and Right Prices | Marie Green: Your Bad Apples Are Ruining You | Megan Genest Tarnow: Hire for Curiosity Rather Than Compliance | Clayton Oates: One Way to Keep Clients for Life | Randy Crabtree: Follow These Three Rules to Keep Employees Happy | Erik Solbakken: Yes, You Can Work Less and Make More | Donny Shimamoto: Future Firm Growth Requires a Mindshift | Jennifer Wilson: Empower Young Workers to Build the Firm Everyone Loves | Mike Whitmire: Re-Think Your Hiring and Training Practices | Hector Garcia: Success Strategies of a Quickbooks YouTube Superstar | Blake Oliver: Why Tax Work Yearns To Be Free| Private Equity Explodes in U.K. | Brannon Poe: The Status Quo Must Go  | Accounting Nerds, Unlock Your Super Powers  | Disruptor: Jason Statts Shakes Up the Status Quo | Think Small to Think Big with Matt Wilkinson | When Financial Statements Go Extinct with Corey Schmidt | Can Geraldine Carter Save Accountants from Themselves? | Re-Inventing Accounting with Tyler Anderson “The business model that was built before cannot be the business model that you have going forward. It simply doesn't work,” Wiley says. “Now, we're still living in the old business model,” and we have to get out of it.
Getting Real: Accounting Tech Decisions You Need to Make Today
Aug 8 2023
Getting Real: Accounting Tech Decisions You Need to Make Today
What to Start Doing Today to Be Fully Prepared for Next Tax Season... and Beyond. A CPA Trendlines Flash BriefingHosted by Seth Fineberg of AccountantsForward for CPA Trendlines TOP TAKEAWAYSArtificial intelligence.Work smarter, not harder.Managing tech expenses.The fast track to rapid adoption.Choosing the right tech for your firm's needs today and tomorrow.YOUR PANEL OF EXPERTSChad Davis, CPA, CMA, Owner, LiveCAChad Davis is a CPA and a co-founder of LiveCA LLP in Canada. He co-hosted the AutomationTown podcast and has a weekly newsletter sharing solutions to common tech issues for accountants. He's also in his sixth year travelling full-time with his family in their RV across Canada and the USA. Kellie Parks, CPB, Cloud Accounting Process and Automation Builder, CalmwatersParks is a Certified Professional Bookkeeper and Founder of Calmwaters Cloud Accounting. She is passionate about all things online accounting and apps that create a robust cloud accounting ecosystem. Parks is an innovator, adopting cloud financial technology for her own business in 2009, and in 2012, as soon as it came to Canada, Parks adopted QBO and has not looked back. She is QBO Advanced Pro Certified, Freshbooks Certified, Dext Certified, WagePoint Certified, QBTime Certified, a Hubdoc Advanced Partner, Plooto Partner, Ignition Partner, 17Hats Partner, Karbon Partner, PandaDoc Partner, Zoom Partner, Reply Partner, and an Acuity Partner. Kenji Kuramoto, CEO, Founder, AcuityKuramoto is the Founder and CEO of Acuitywhich builds and maintains financial functions for innovative entrepreneurs. Through Acuity, he’s provided thousands of companies with a full range of financial solutions, from high-level strategic financial counsel through its fractional CFO practice, all the way to virtualized bookkeeping and tax services. Prior to Acuity, Kuramoto was the CFO of an Inc. 5000 tech company and worked in the assurance practice at Arthur Andersen.YOUR MODERATORSeth Fineberg, Accountants Forward, CPA Trendlines Editor At LargeFineberg has been an editor and journalist for over 30 years, the vast majority of which has been spent serving the accounting profession. He has been the editor-in-chief at AccountingWeb and at Accounting Technology. He was also the technology editor at Accounting Today. His work has appeared in AdAge, The New York Times, Reuters, AiMarketing News, Fortune, CNN, B2B Magazine, Media Magazine, Revolution Magazine, Electronic Media, and Video Business. Today, as an accounting and business-focused editorial manager and content strategist, he is one of the profession's leading analysts on the technology, trends, and winning growth and profitability strategies of tax and accounting firms and the technology companies that serve them.