CPA Trendlines Podcasts

Trust remains the profession's currency, even in an automated future.Accounting VoicesWith Rob BrownArtificial intelligence is transforming accounting at breakneck speed. It writes reports, summarizes research, drafts client communications, and accelerates analysis. But when AI gets it wrong, it does not whisper. It declares falsehoods with confidence.That is the warning at the center of a new episode of Accounting Voices, which pulls back the curtain on real-world AI failures that have already shaken the profession — and explains why no firm can afford to treat AI as a neutral back-office tool. MORE Accounting Influencers with Rob Brown This is not about hypothetical risk. It is about documented failures, public apologies, reputational damage, and a hard truth every leader must confront: Technology does not absolve responsibility.

The question is: Do you know what it's doing?It's Not Just the NumbersWith Penny Breslin and Damien GreatheadFor CPA TrendlinesArtificial intelligence has arrived in accounting, but not in the way many expected. It's not a single app or a single process. It's everywhere, embedded in workflows, changing how firms scope engagements, price cleanup work, and train their people.  MORE Penny Breslin and Damien Greathead MORE Advisory & Consulting BUY "It's Not Just the Numbers" In the latest episode of It's Not Just the Numbers, co-hosts Damien Greathead and Penny Breslin explore how AI reshapes the day-to-day work of accounting firms. Their conversation moves beyond theory to real-world examples of how AI is being used in client engagements, what it means for team development, and why critical thinking, not coding, is the skill every firm must cultivate next. 

Here's what it takes to grow a CPA firm from zero to the Top 100—without losing your soul.Gear Up for GrowthWith Jean CaragherFor CPA TrendlinesWhen Lou Grassi started his firm at age 24, he couldn't afford to pay himself. There was no client base, no safety net, and no guarantee it would work.More than four decades later, Grassi is the 56th largest accounting firm in the U.S., with $146.5 million in revenue, seven offices, 58 partners, and more than 560 employees. And yet, as Grassi tells host Jean Caragher on Gear Up for Growth, the most important lessons from that journey have very little to do with size.They have everything to do with intention. More Jean Caragher here | Get her best-selling handbook, The 90-Day Marketing Plan for CPA Firms, here | More Gear Up for Growth More CPA Trendlines videos and podcasts here In this conversation, Grassi reflects on what it takes to build a firm that grows sustainably, treats people like owners, and stays independent in a profession reshaped by private equity, talent shortages, and rapid change.

...And it has less to do with technical skills than firms expect.Accounting ARC - Student-Led ConversationsWith Arpan Grewal and Harshita MultaniCenter for Accounting TransformationAs the accounting profession continues to grapple with talent shortages, shifting expectations, and generational change, one podcast is addressing those challenges from a rarely centered perspective: students themselves.In an end-of-year episode of Student-Led Conversations, hosts Arpan Grewal and Harshita Multani reflect on a year of interviews alongside Donny Shimamoto, CPA.CITP, CGMA, founder and inspiration architect of the Center for Accounting Transformation. The episode serves as both a retrospective and a case study of what happens when students are entrusted with real platforms and real responsibility. MORE Accounting ARC: Downgraded: What the DOE Said About Accounting | Savage: Using Your License as a Megaphone |  Baker: Interpreting Pricing Psychology | Don't Get Fired by Your Own Automation | What Amazon Doesn't Tell You | Royalties, Residuals, and Reality Checks | ARC-SLC | Free Speech Is a Right; Respect Is a Responsibility | Cash Bags, Casinos & Audits: How First Jobs Shape Us | Gen Z Redefines Careers | Bootleggers, Baptitsts & CPAs: Rethinking Licensure The idea for Student-Led Conversations emerged after Grewal appeared on an episode of Accounting ARC, where she interviewed seasoned professionals about their careers. What surprised her most was not the technical content, but the personal stories.“I realized accounting isn't just about numbers,” Grewal says during the episode. “It's about people.”That realization became the foundation for a student-hosted series that explores career paths, mental health, failure, advocacy, and professional identity — topics often absent from traditional recruiting or classroom discussions.

Real employee stories, not polished slogans, are winning the war for talent.MOVE Like ThisWith Bonnie Buol RuszczykFor CPA TrendlinesIn this episode of MOVE Like This, host Bonnie Ruszczyk sits down with Rob Brown, founder and host of the Accounting Voices podcast, to talk about what's really driving change in the accounting profession. Speaking from the UK with deep experience across the U.S. and global markets, Brown shares what he's seeing in firms of all sizes: pressure from talent shortages, shifting expectations from younger professionals, and the growing importance of a strong employer brand rooted in real stories, not slogans.  MORE MOVE Brown starts by outlining three major workplace trends. 

Firms built on heroics instead of systems eventually crack.The DisruptorsWith Liz FarrAshley Carroll thinks burnout is a design flaw, not a personal failing. “I'm a big believer that burnout is a business model flaw,” she says. In response, Carroll created Operations House to help founders reduce burnout and “step out of that role as the provider, the doer, the practitioner, and into an ownership level role.”  MORE STREAMING: Rampe: Build a Roadmap Even When the Road's Not There | Chang: Killing SALY, One Agent at a Time | Vanover: 5-Star Firms Don't Bill by the Hour | Kless: Profit Is a Result. Flourishing Is the Purpose | Whitman: Build Culture on 'Progress,' Not Change | Shein: No PE? No M&A? No Problem | Hood and Weber: Time to RISE | Proctor: Turn Dumb Ideas into Brilliant Solutions | Carter-Gray: How 1 Poor Review Strengthened the Firm | Hartman: Upwork to “40 Under 40” in 3 Years According to Carroll, burnout stems not only from long hours but also from processes that lack four key qualities: reliability, efficiency, integration with existing systems, and psychological safety.

Firms that prioritize, listen, and align position themselves for better long-term outcomes. By Rory Henry CFP®, BFA™For CPA TrendlinesPhil Whitman, President and CEO of Whitman Advisory, works with hundreds of CPA firms and more than 230 strategic investors across private equity, family offices, wealth management aggregators, and publicly traded consolidators. He sees a profession undergoing unprecedented transformation, and Whitman has a front-row seat. In this episode of Holistic Guide to Wealth Management, Whitman shares his observations with me from his unique vantage point.   MORE Rory Henry and The Holistic Guide to Wealth Management BUY the Holistic Guide to Wealth Management Whitman points to 2021 as the inflection point for the profession's transition. That's when EisnerAmper became the first major CPA firm to accept private equity (PE) investment, followed shortly by Citrin and Cherry Bekaert. Those deals opened the gates for capital providers and ignited a wave of consolidation across firms of all sizes. The profession hasn't looked back since. Transaction activity has since accelerated, creating unprecedented competition for deals and pushing accounting firm valuations into territory the profession has never seen before.

AI's already in the workflow. The question is: Do you know what it's doing?It's Not Just the NumbersWith Penny Breslin and Damien GreatheadFor CPA TrendlinesArtificial intelligence has arrived in accounting, but not in the way many expected. It's not a single app or a single process. It's everywhere, embedded in workflows, changing how firms scope engagements, price cleanup work, and train their people.  MORE Penny Breslin and Damien Greathead MORE Advisory & Consulting BUY "It's Not Just the Numbers" In the latest episode of It's Not Just the Numbers, co-hosts Damien Greathead and Penny Breslin explore how AI reshapes the day-to-day work of accounting firms. Their conversation moves beyond theory to real-world examples of how AI is being used in client engagements, what it means for team development, and why critical thinking, not coding, is the skill every firm must cultivate next. 

Influence is becoming career insurance for professionals.Accounting VoicesWith Rob BrownThe accounting profession does not suffer from a lack of technical expertise. What it faces instead is a growing relevance gap. MORE Accounting Influencers with Rob Brown That tension sits at the center of Accounting Voices, the newly launched show formerly known as Accounting Influencers. Episode 1 opens a new season with a sharper focus and a clearer message: competence is assumed, but influence is what now protects careers.This is not a podcast about tax codes, audit standards, or software features. It is a show about the forces reshaping accounting and finance—and what professionals must do to stay ahead as those forces accelerate.

Here's how to label, package, and price the value you already provideGear Up for GrowthWith Jean CaragherFor CPA Trendlines“With AI, we finally have the tools to free up time for advisory, and clients are asking for it,” says Megan Leesley, director of tax at Dark Horse CPAs, during her appearance on Gear Up for Growth, hosted by Jean Caragher of Capstone Marketing. “They want more than a tax return. They want strategic guidance, and they're willing to pay for it.”  More Jean Caragher here | Get her best-selling handbook, The 90-Day Marketing Plan for CPA Firms, here | More Gear Up for Growth | More CPA Trendlines videos and podcasts here Leesley, a member of the Intuit Tax Council, recently presented at DCPA25 on transitioning from compliance to advisory, sharing practical steps to transform a traditional tax practice while increasing revenue, improving client relationships, and enhancing work-life balance. Leesley shares how she intentionally reduced her client base and tripled fees to focus exclusively on advisory work. “I reduced my book of business from $350K ARR with a plan to bring it down to $50K,” she explains. “I raised prices significantly, required advisory as part of all engagements, and still ended up at over $100K ARR, double my target, even after losing more clients than expected.” 

A new definition of “professional degree” limits loan access for accounting students and raises fresh alarms about equity, access, and pipeline. Accounting ARCWith Liz Mason, Byron Patrick, and Donny ShimamotoCenter for Accounting TransformationWhen the U.S. Department of Education released its negotiated language for implementing the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act's graduate loan reforms, most accountants probably did not expect to see their field at the center of a political storm. But in draft rules tied to the law, accounting master's programs are not classified as “professional degree” programs for purposes of federal student loan caps.   MORE Accounting ARC: Savage: Using Your License as a Megaphone |  Baker: Interpreting Pricing Psychology | Don't Get Fired by Your Own Automation | What Amazon Doesn't Tell You | Royalties, Residuals, and Reality Checks | ARC-SLC | Free Speech Is a Right; Respect Is a Responsibility | Cash Bags, Casinos & Audits: How First Jobs Shape Us | Gen Z Redefines Careers | Bootleggers, Baptitsts & CPAs: Rethinking Licensure | CPA Firm Ownership Under Fire | Walking Violation: When Showing Your CPA Gets You in Trouble |That classification matters. Under the new structure, beginning in July 2026, graduate students may borrow up to $20,500 per year, with a $100,000 lifetime cap, while “professional students” are allowed up to $50,000 annually and $200,000 total. Medicine and law make the professional list. Accounting does not. Neither do nursing, education, architecture, social work, nor several other fields that traditionally are seen as high-skill professions. In this episode of Accounting ARC, co-hosts Liz Mason, CPA; Byron Patrick, CPA.CITP; and Donny Shimamoto, CPA.CITP, CGMA, unpack what that reclassification could mean for the accounting pipeline—and for how the profession sees itself. 

The number one complaint isn't pricing, it's confusion..Big 4 TransparencyBy Dominic Piscopo, CPAFor CPA TrendlinesFor many business owners, finding the right accountant feels like an impossible task. You're trusting someone with your finances, your future, and sometimes even your peace of mind. But in an industry dominated by word-of-mouth and vague Google listings, Sam's List has emerged as a game-changing alternative: a review-based directory for CPAs, bookkeepers, fractional CFOs, and financial advisors, designed to make trust and transparency easier for everyone.  MORE Dominic Piscopo | MORE Private Equity | MORE Pay & Compensation In this episode of Big 4 Transparency, host Dominic Piscopo speaks with co-founder Kimi Green, who shares the wild story of how the viral idea from entrepreneur Sam Parr (of My First Million) turned into a thriving lead-generation platform - and how she found herself leading it with no prior experience in accounting. “I despised accounting,” Green laughs. “I didn't even ask follow-up questions when someone told me they were a CPA.” 

Only disciplined planning, accountability, and open communication will cut through the industry's rapidly thickening fog.The DisruptorsWith Liz FarrMatt Rampe sees the accounting industry as one “under a lot of pressure to change, and it's changing very quickly.” The combination of a staffing crisis, retiring baby boomers, AI, private equity, and tax law is creating “the fog,” a period in which the path forward isn't just unclear; it's fundamentally unknowable. To address “the fog,” his new book, CPA Firm Strategic Planning: Your Roadmap for Long-Term Success, lays out a framework grounded in decades of consulting experience with Rosenberg Associates, combined with research on organizational change, leadership psychology, and what drives team performance. “Strategic planning, in my mind, is the venue by which you analyze and think through those issues, put them up, not just out of reactivity,” Rampe explains. It means “really stepping back and looking at the big picture of the industry and your firm and your situation, and then making choices that you're aligned with.”  MORE STREAMING: Chang: Killing SALY, One Agent at a Time | Vanover: 5-Star Firms Don't Bill by the Hour | Kless: Profit Is a Result. Flourishing Is the Purpose | Whitman: Build Culture on 'Progress,' Not Change | Shein: No PE? No M&A? No Problem | Hood and Weber: Time to RISE | Proctor: Turn Dumb Ideas into Brilliant Solutions | Carter-Gray: How 1 Poor Review Strengthened the Firm | Hartman: Upwork to “40 Under 40” in 3 Years |According to Rampe's research, strategic planning fails most often at the execution stage. Nearly two-thirds of respondents reported that “execution fails after the planning meeting.” Firms gather, generate good ideas, identify priorities, and then get pulled into their day-to-day work, and nothing happens. Or they put off strategic planning altogether until some imaginary day when they might have time.  “One of the insights is you need to spend time working on the business, not just in the business, because the in the business is going to drown you,” Rampe explains. The way you solve that is "not working harder in the business. It's working, prioritizing, working on the business.” Rampe's book outlines his Five I framework, which helps firms work through strategic planning and implement those plans by developing accountability throughout the firm. Each of the I's has a main question attached to it, designed to invite curiosity.  

Understand the legal tax hack the IRS actually wants you to use.The Concierge CPAWith Jackie MeyerFor CPA TrendlinesIn a recent edition of the Concierge CPA podcast, host Dr. Jackie Meyer and guest Acen Hansen delivered a detailed, no-nonsense exploration of using the Backdoor Roth IRA and the Mega Backdoor Roth to harness tax-free growth — particularly for high-income earners and those focused on legacy planning. More Jackie Meyer Catch Jackie Meyer and other thought leaders on Dec. 10 at Tax Season Readiness: Practical Steps for a Smoother Busy Season |1.5 CPE  A Backdoor Roth IRA isn't a special new account — it's a workaround. As Dr. Meyer, founder of TaxPlanIQ, and Hansen, a wealth advisor for Legacy Wealth Management, explain, it allows people who earn too much to contribute directly to a Roth IRA to still access the benefits of a Roth by first contributing to a traditional IRA (on a non-deductible basis) and then converting it to a Roth IRA.Once the funds are inside a Roth IRA, they grow tax-free and — assuming account and timing requirements are met — distributions in retirement are tax-free.For high earners with incomes above IRS thresholds for direct Roth contributions — which, for 2025, prohibit single filers with MAGI above roughly $165,000 and married couples filing jointly above about $246,000 — the Backdoor Roth remains a viable path.“It's kind of surprising how many people don't know about the ability to do a backdoor Roth,” Hansen says. “Most of the time, it's, ‘Oh, I don't qualify for Roths so I've got to figure something else out.'"

“If you don't have accountability, you can never reach your ambition.” It's Not Just the NumbersWith Penny Breslin and Damien GreatheadFor CPA TrendlinesIf there's one topic that never gets old in accounting, it's technology. New apps promise smoother workflows, faster reconciliations, and smarter insights every year. Yet, despite all the innovation, many firms still struggle with the same problem: too many tools, too little strategy.  MORE Penny Breslin and Damien Greathead MORE Advisory & Consulting BUY "It's Not Just the Numbers" In the latest episode of It's Not Just the Numbers, hosts Penny Breslin and Damien Greathead revisit a metaphor that's as timeless as it is practical, the “little black dress” of technology. The conversation digs into what every firm owner should understand about building a tech stack that actually fits their ambition, not just their app wish list. 

Turn networking, sessions, and follow-up into measurable outcomes—not just time out of the office.Accounting InfluencersWith Rob BrownSeventy-six percent of professionals believe in-person conferences offer better networking opportunities than virtual events. But while accountants spend millions each year on registration fees, hotel rooms, and travel, only a fraction walk away with meaningful ROI. According to Rob Brown on Accounting Influencers, the problem isn't the events—it's the strategy. MORE Accounting Influencers with Rob Brown “People go to conferences and just float,” Brown says. “They wander the expo hall, catch a few sessions, grab the swag—and then wonder why nothing changes.” With conferences back at full strength and offering multi-sensory experiences, deeper technical sessions, and richer networking formats, Brown says firms should treat them as strategic business opportunities, not passive learning days.

Stop “playing small ball,” and reimagine client experiences.Gear Up for GrowthWith Jean CaragherFor CPA Trendlines“A business model describes how you earn revenue when services are given away for free,” said Ron Baker, co-founder of THRESHOLD: A Revelation for the Transformation Economy, during his appearance on Gear Up for Growth, hosted by Jean Caragher of Capstone Marketing. “That terrifies people, but it's where the economy is going.”  More Jean Caragher here | Get her best-selling handbook, The 90-Day Marketing Plan for CPA Firms, here | More Gear Up for Growth More CPA Trendlines videos and podcasts here Sponsored by Tax Season Readiness: Practical Steps for a Smoother Busy Season  | Is your firm truly ready for tax season—or just hoping to survive it? Join this 90-minute webinar featuring an Accounting ARC Live panel with thought leaders who know what it takes to optimize performance under pressure. | Dec. 10, 2 p.m. ET | 1.5 CPE Baker discusses the profession's next major evolution: the transformation economy, where firms no longer compete on services, scope, or efficiency, but on their ability to change lives.He argues that CPAs are uniquely positioned to guide clients through lasting financial and personal transformation. CPA value will shift from work performed to life and business outcomes: healthier, wealthier, wiser clients living with meaning.  

A CPA credential amplifies your ability to question systems and push for fairness.Accounting ARC - Student-Led ConversationsWith Arpan GrewalCenter for Accounting TransformationAdvocacy often appears on television as protest marches, campaign rallies, or contentious debates. But in a recent Accounting ARC – Student-Led Conversations episode, host Arpan Grewal and guest ZeNai Savage, CPA, recast advocacy as something more grounded and accessible: a series of everyday decisions about when to speak up, who to invite in, and how to use professional skills for public good. Sponsored by Tax Season Readiness: Practical Steps for a Smoother Busy Season | Dec. 10, 2 pm ET  | Is your firm truly ready for tax season—or just hoping to survive it? Join this 90-minute webinar featuring an Accounting ARC Live panel with thought leaders who know what it takes to optimize performance under pressure. See Today's Special Offer MORE Accounting ARC: Baker: Interpreting Pricing Psychology | Don't Get Fired by Your Own Automation | What Amazon Doesn't Tell You | Royalties, Residuals, and Reality Checks | ARC-SLC | Free Speech Is a Right; Respect Is a Responsibility | Cash Bags, Casinos & Audits: How First Jobs Shape Us | Gen Z Redefines Careers | Bootleggers, Baptitsts & CPAs: Rethinking Licensure | CPA Firm Ownership Under Fire | Walking Violation: When Showing Your CPA Gets You in Trouble | Savage is not a typical accountant. She is the founder of The Savage Advantage, a consulting firm that provides outsourced controller work, budget development, governance support, and board training to nonprofits and civic organizations. She also writes and speaks through Blurred Lines, a personal platform built on the belief that people do not have to separate their faith, professional life, and community service into neat compartments.For Grewal, a Gen Z student leader, Savage's path offers a concrete example of how young professionals can blend technical careers with civic engagement.

The OBBBA just reset the rules.Quick Tax TipWith Art WernerCPE TodayFor the last several years, tax professionals, small businesses, and even casual online sellers have been living through what Quick Tax Tip host Art Werner calls “a fun roller coaster ride”—if you think tax compliance roller coasters are fun.In this episode, Werner breaks down the whiplash-inducing changes to Form 1099-K and the brand-new thresholds for 1099 reporting, and explains how Congress, the IRS, and a long list of confused taxpayers all contributed to the mess.Click here for more Art WernerIf you accept payment cards or use third-party payment processors such as PayPal, Venmo, Square, or Stripe, you may already know this story.

Analytics, automation, and AI will reshape audit roles—and that should excite CPAs.The DisruptorsWith Liz FarrAudit is notorious for long hours, terrible work-life balance, reliance on endless checklists, and repeating the same mind-numbingly tedious procedures year after year. But some, like Kathryn Horton, are creating a different path for success as an auditor.   At her solo firm, Kathryn K. Horton CPA, she provides outsourced audit and analytics consulting services to firms nationwide. As “auditor on call,” she steps into manager and senior manager roles for local, regional, and national firms, helping them increase capacity while reducing staff burnout.  MORE STREAMING: Chang: Killing SALY, One Agent at a Time | Vanover: 5-Star Firms Don't Bill by the Hour | Kless: Profit Is a Result. Flourishing Is the Purpose | Whitman: Build Culture on 'Progress,' Not Change | Shein: No PE? No M&A? No Problem | Hood and Weber: Time to RISE | Proctor: Turn Dumb Ideas into Brilliant Solutions | Carter-Gray: How 1 Poor Review Strengthened the Firm | Hartman: Upwork to “40 Under 40” in 3 Years | Telka: Transform Fear into Fuel | During her eight years in public accounting, Horton says, “I did struggle with burnout at various times, where the work-life balance really wasn't a balance anymore.” A significant factor was the hyper-connectedness of today's technology, where “we're essentially on call 24/7” responding to emails and calls, which made it “really hard to unplug and just recharge the batteries.” Another factor was demanding clients. “I realized that 80% of my stress was coming from 20% of my clients,” Horton recalls.  In her desire “to find an environment where I was happy,” where she could continue the work she enjoyed and “where I would be able to establish that work-life balance,” she realized she was the best one to create that for herself.  

Firms that translate AI-driven data into clear insight will lead the next era of advisory. By Rory Henry CFP®, BFA™For CPA TrendlinesFew people have been able to bridge the gap between emerging technology and the accounting profession the way Dr. Sean Stein Smith does. A CPA, researcher, Forbes contributor, and professor at Lehman College, Stein Smith serves on the advisory board of the Wall Street Blockchain Alliance and has spent more than a decade helping practitioners make sense of blockchain, crypto, and artificial intelligence.  MORE Rory Henry and The Holistic Guide to Wealth Management BUY the Holistic Guide to Wealth Management MORE Dr. Sean Stein Smith | Crypto Tax Planning – Beyond the Basics & What Practitioners Need to Know Going Forward | Dec. 11, 12:30 p.m. ET | On-Demand “The whole blockchain conversation has moved from the back burner to the front [burner],” he says. “Every major financial institution is entering the on-chain space.”And CPAs can no longer afford to ignore it.  

Poor onboarding frustrates clients, burns out staff, and kills profitability.It's Not Just the NumbersWith Penny Breslin and Damien GreatheadFor CPA TrendlinesWinning the client is exciting—but in Client Accounting Services (CAS), that's just the opening act. The real work, and the real success, depends on what happens immediately after a prospect says “yes.” MORE Penny Breslin and Damien Greathead MORE Advisory & Consulting BUY "It's Not Just the Numbers" In this episode of It's Not Just the Numbers, hosts Penny Breslin and Damien Greathead make the case that onboarding is one of the most overlooked, underdeveloped, and business-critical functions in CAS firms today.“Too many firms have no clue what actually happens when a client walks in the door,” Breslin says. “You sold the work, but what happens next? What experience does the client have? And what does your team do first?”

Two-thirds of current firm leaders risk being obsolete within three years.Accounting InfluencersWith Rob BrownA stark warning is shaking the accounting profession: 65% of current firm partners will be considered “digitally obsolete” within three years. The unsettling part? Private equity (PE) investors are not planning to retrain them—they are preparing to replace them. MORE Accounting Influencers with Rob Brown On the latest episode of the Accounting Influencers Podcast, host Rob Brown uncovers how private equity–backed firms are redrawing the profession's leadership map. The digital divide is no longer theoretical. It is already defining who will lead the future of accounting and who will be pushed aside.

Partners who cap their own comp can solve staffing, retention, and motivation in one bold move.Gear Up for GrowthWith Jean CaragherFor CPA TrendlinesWhen public accounting firms talk about “leadership challenges,” the conversation often turns into a soft focus on communication styles or vague culture issues.Michael Meihaus goes straight for the hard truths.On Gear Up for Growth, hosted by Capstone Marketing president Jean Caragher, Meihaus—owner of Meihaus CPA in Escondido, California—lays out the structural leadership failings he sees across the profession: outdated ownership models, harmful work expectations, broken incentives, and leaders who resist change because the current system works for them, even as it burns everyone else out. More Gear Up for Growth here. | More Jean Caragher here |  Get her best-selling handbook, The 90-Day Marketing Plan for CPA Firms, here |  More CPA Trendlines videos and podcasts here “It's simply that we don't change unless we have to,” he tells Caragher. In a profession that's been “stable, profitable, successful” for decades, too many people at the top have little incentive to transform how firms actually operate.  One of Meihaus's most provocative arguments is that many “partners” aren't really owners in any meaningful sense. 

“Being efficient got me more work, not more money. So I left.” Big 4 TransparencyBy Dominic Piscopo, CPAFor CPA Trendlines When Mike Maksymiw first joined the Big 4 Transparency podcast, listeners were struck by his candor, clarity, and willingness to challenge the profession's long-standing norms. Now, as host Dominic Piscopo welcomes him back as the show's first repeat guest, Maksymiw brings even more insight—this time shaped by Aprio's rapid growth, his own unconventional career path, and a message for accountants who feel stuck in roles that no longer fit.  MORE Dominic Piscopo | MORE Private Equity | MORE Pay & Compensation Maksymiw currently serves as executive director of the Aprio Firm Alliance, a national network of nearly 100 firms that share resources, expertise, and support across specialties and geographies. And—thanks to Aprio's recent acquisition of the PS Plus Alliance from RSM—the Alliance has nearly doubled in size.“It broadens how we can go find answers,” he explains. “Now there are a hundred people you can ask, and maybe fifty have done what you're trying to do. Maybe there are seven different ways to make it work.”

Embracing empathy helped build a healthier, more profitable firm with a smaller, stronger team. The DisruptorsWith Liz FarrAfter decades in public accounting, years emceeing national conferences, and a long stretch coaching college softball, Dawn Brolin has learned something most leadership books bury in footnotes: empathy drives performance.“Empathy is, to me, the number one characteristic that a leader should follow,” she told host Liz Farr in her return to The Disruptors. Her latest book, The Elevation of Empathy: Leading for the W.I.N., digs into why the accounting profession needs a different kind of leadership—one rooted in awareness, humanity, and intentional care.  MORE STREAMING: Chang: Killing SALY, One Agent at a Time | Vanover: 5-Star Firms Don't Bill by the Hour | Kless: Profit Is a Result. Flourishing Is the Purpose | Whitman: Build Culture on 'Progress,' Not Change | Shein: No PE? No M&A? No Problem | Hood and Weber: Time to RISE | Proctor: Turn Dumb Ideas into Brilliant Solutions | Carter-Gray: How 1 Poor Review Strengthened the Firm | Hartman: Upwork to “40 Under 40” in 3 Years Accounting firms often reward technical strength or revenue generation with leadership titles. But Brolin argues those metrics don't create leaders; they create what she calls “appointed leaders.”“You could be appointed a leader because of a skill or the amount of revenue you bring in. That doesn't mean you are one,” she says.Real leadership, in her view, has less to do with credentials and more to do with emotional intelligence, personal responsibility, and daily behaviors that elevate the people around you.*Originally published August 2025

Culture isn't an initiative—it's a strategy that drives retention and results.MOVE Like ThisWith Bonnie Buol RuszczykFor CPA TrendlinesIn this episode of MOVE Like This, host Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk talks with Stacie Kwaiser, CPA and CEO of Rehmann, about the firm's nearly three-decade journey toward building a culture where people stay, grow, and lead. MORE MOVE Kwaiser began her career in public accounting at Coopers & Lybrand before joining Rehmann, a firm that now employs more than 1,100 professionals across 22 offices. She rose through the audit practice and into firmwide leadership roles, ultimately becoming CEO in 2023. Along the way, she experienced—and helped shape—Rehmann's evolution into one of the profession's most recognized firms for women and equity leadership.Rehmann's reputation didn't happen by accident. Nearly 20 years ago, the firm launched its Women's Career Advocacy Program to address attrition among rising female professionals. That effort has since expanded into a firmwide Career Advocacy Program that embeds mentorship, sponsorship, and structured development into daily culture.Kwaiser is clear that these supports aren't optional. “You can't treat talent development like an initiative that comes and goes,” she says. “It has to be part of how you operate.”Originally published October 2025.

Get more value from the technology you already own. It's Not Just the NumbersWith Penny Breslin and Damien GreatheadFor CPA TrendlinesWhen accountants and bookkeepers talk about building a scalable, profitable firm, the conversation often jumps straight to technology. Which workflow app is best? Should we move payroll into a dedicated platform? Is our practice management system due for an upgrade? But as Penny Breslin and Damien Greathead emphasize in the latest episode of It's Not Just the Numbers, software is only as good as the processes that support it. Without consistent policies and documented procedures, even the most advanced tech stack will fail to deliver efficiency or profitability.  MORE Penny Breslin and Damien Greathead | MORE Advisory & Consulting | BUY "It's Not Just the Numbers" This lesson is especially crucial for firms offering Client Advisory Services (CAS). Advisory work depends on reliable, timely data and standardized outputs. If every accountant on the team closes the books differently, it doesn't just create inefficiency; it undermines the consistency and trust that clients rely on. 

Podcasts now serve every level of the profession, and intentional listening helps professionals grow faster.Accounting InfluencersWith Rob BrownThe accounting podcast world is no longer a niche corner of the internet. It is a sprawling ecosystem of news briefings, exam prep guides, leadership conversations, and tech trend breakdowns. For today's professionals—from students to senior partners—the shows they follow influence how they think, how they show up, and how they lead.In this episode of Accounting Influencers, host Rob Brown breaks down the types of accounting podcasts in the market today and explains why some help you grow while others simply drain your time. MORE Accounting Influencers with Rob Brown Not all accounting podcasts are built for the same audience. Some exist to help students pass exams. Others help partners stay current on regulatory changes. Some deliver tech deep dives. Others humanize the profession with personal stories.Understanding these differences helps listeners choose wisely and avoid content that feels irrelevant or repetitive.

Collaboration, transparency, and independence drive BeachFleischman's growth.Gear Up for GrowthWith Jean CaragherFor CPA TrendlinesWhen most people picture a CPA firm CEO, they don't envision a former marketing director in the big chair.That's exactly what makes Eric Majchrzak worth listening to.Majchrzak, CEO and Principal of BeachFleischman—Arizona's largest locally owned CPA firm and a Top 200 firm in the U.S.—has been named multiple times to Accounting Today's “Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting” and is an Association for Accounting Marketing Hall of Fame inductee. More Jean Caragher here | Get her best-selling handbook, The 90-Day Marketing Plan for CPA Firms, here | More Gear Up for Growth More CPA Trendlines videos and podcasts here On Gear Up for Growth, hosted by Capstone Marketing president Jean Caragher, Majchrzak pulls back the curtain on how his growth-minded, marketing-first lens is reshaping BeachFleischman's strategy, culture, and business model—and what other firms can steal from that playbook. If you're wrestling with growth, private equity pressure, talent shortages, or AI-driven disruption, this is a conversation you don't want to miss. 

Use hope to shift stress, strengthen culture, and keep talent.  Know-How KornerWith Donny ShimamotoCenter for Accounting TransformationKnow How Korner, hosted by Donny Shimamoto, aims to translate peer-reviewed findings into practical actions for firms. In a recent episode, Shimamoto interviews Dr. Katelynn Hopson, assistant professor of accounting at Arkansas Tech University, whose dissertation quantifies a deceptively soft concept—hope—and links it to how public accountants experience stress and consider leaving their firms. MORE Know-How Korner Hope, in the research literature, is not vague optimism. Psychologist C. R. Snyder frames it as goal-directed cognition comprising agency (“the will”) and pathways (“the ways”). Hopson studies state hope—how hopeful someone is about a specific time frame or event—rather than broad personality-level trait hope. State hope moves; it can be built or eroded by experience and context.“People who have higher levels of hope are more likely to want to stay and less likely to feel burned out,” Hopson explains.

The deduction's previous cap of $10K jumps to $2.5M.Quick Tax TipWith Art WernerCPE TodayIf you thought Section 179 was already generous, buckle up. Tax guru Art Werner is back with a Quick Tax Tip that dives into one of the most business-friendly changes proposed in the “Big, Beautiful Bill” — a massive, permanent expansion of the Section 179 expensing limit to $2.5 million.Click here for more Art WernerThat's right. The deduction, which once topped out at a modest $10,000 (yes, really), could soon allow businesses to expense up to $2.5 million of qualifying property immediately. According to Werner, this is not just another routine adjustment — this is a seismic change in year-one expensing power.And for the right business? It could be a game-changer.

Fieldguide's AI rewrites the rules that have held audit back for decades.The DisruptorsWith Liz FarrLike many auditors, Jin Chang didn't enjoy the manual work. “Why did I get a four-year degree to do this matching exercise between evidence and samples being tested?” he recalls thinking. “Why aren't machines doing this better and faster?”   So he founded Fieldguide, “the platform I wished I had, and the AI agents that we're building are the AI team members I wish I had to collaborate with.” His mission with FieldGuide is to automate the tedious work that drives talented people away from audit, allowing human practitioners to focus on judgment, strategy, and client relationships so “they have a promising career that I didn't see as attractive back then.”  MORE STREAMING: Vanover: 5-Star Firms Don't Bill by the Hour | Kless: Profit Is a Result. Flourishing Is the Purpose | Whitman: Build Culture on 'Progress,' Not Change | Shein: No PE? No M&A? No Problem | Hood and Weber: Time to RISE | Proctor: Turn Dumb Ideas into Brilliant Solutions | Carter-Gray: How 1 Poor Review Strengthened the Firm | As Chang explains, with audit and assurance, “there's this rising set of client demands and expectations.” Clients demand quality assurance at reasonable fees. However, “quality assurance and reasonable fees don't often go hand in hand. They're often opposite levers.” This tension creates what he calls “a downward spiral of burnout,” where junior auditors struggle to deliver quality work within tight budgets. This results in auditors questioning their career choices. Adding to these pressures are uncompetitive salaries and unclear promotion paths. However, Chang views generative and agentic AI as a transformational technology that simultaneously enhances both quality and efficiency. 

The most dangerous day of retirement is a psychological challenge more than a financial one. By Rory Henry CFP®, BFA™For CPA TrendlinesWhen most people think about retirement planning, they picture spreadsheets and savings targets. But as Dan Haylett, author of The Retirement You Didn't See Coming and host of the Humans vs. Retirement podcast, explains, the real challenge of retirement is not mathematical—it's psychological.  MORE Rory Henry and The Holistic Guide to Wealth Management BUY the Holistic Guide to Wealth Management “People focus on the numbers because they think that will solve all their challenges,” Haylett says. “But retirement is a complex human problem. Spreadsheets will not tell us who we are without a business card or what gets us out of bed in the morning.” Haylett distinguishes between “complicated” and “complex” problems. For instance, he says a tax return is complicated but solvable, while retirement is complex—filled with uncertainty, emotion, and shifting identity. That's a huge distinction, and Haylett argues that advisors who only solve the math side miss the messy human side of the client relationship. Haylett urges advisors to help clients plan beyond their finances – for instance, how they will structure their days in retirement, as well as their relationships and purpose. “Retirement is an emotional human transition,” Haylett says. “It requires people to think about who they are, what they are doing, and how their relationships might change.” 

Success depends on making deliberate choices.It's Not Just the NumbersWith Penny Breslin and Damien GreatheadFor CPA TrendlinesClient Advisory Services (CAS) remain the strongest revenue driver for accounting firms. Yet, building a thriving CAS practice goes far beyond adding bookkeeping or management reporting to your services. Success depends on how you select clients, manage teams, communicate value, and adapt to the realities of technology and outsourcing.  MORE Penny Breslin and Damien Greathead | MORE Advisory & Consulting | BUY "It's Not Just the Numbers" In a recent episode of It's Not Just the Numbers, co-hosts Damien Greathead and Penny Breslin unpack some of the most pressing challenges facing firm owners as they scale CAS. Their conversation highlights practical lessons on team transparency, client selection, vertical specialization, and even how to address the growing role of AI. One of the key questions from listeners was whether firms should share profitability data with their teams. The consensus is that full transparency isn't always necessary, but clarity around scope and efficiency is critical. Instead of disclosing exact margins, Greathead and Breslin suggest teaching your team what makes a service profitable, and what erodes that profitability.

Smarter, shorter, and more focused podcasts help firm leaders turn listening time into a competitive edge.Accounting InfluencersWith Rob BrownIn today's crowded attention economy, time is the rarest currency. Every minute you spend consuming content needs to work for you. That's why accounting leaders are turning to podcasts—not as entertainment, but as a professional advantage.In this episode of Accounting Influencers, host Rob Brown explores how podcasting is evolving and what that means for accountants and firm leaders who want to stay sharp, visible, and ahead of the curve. MORE Accounting Influencers with Rob Brown The podcast industry is booming—worth an estimated $47 billion globally and projected to triple in the next few years. But as Brown explains, this growth isn't about quantity; it's about quality.“The best podcasts,” he says, “cut through the noise. They know who they're for, and they deliver the goods.”Listeners today average seven podcasts in rotation, but loyalty is increasingly tied to the relevance of the content. The most trusted shows focus on niche audiences and deliver actionable value.Gone are the days of meandering interviews and filler content. The top-performing podcasts are shorter, tighter, and built for multitasking professionals.Brown notes three key shifts redefining the medium.

When you're too tired to lead, step aside.Gear Up for GrowthWith Jean CaragherFor CPA Trendlines“Leaders who realize they're too tired to keep managing change should recognize that it might be time to transition to somebody who has that energy,” says Carrie Steffen, CEO of the Iowa Society of CPAs, during her appearance on Gear Up for Growth, hosted by Jean Caragher of Capstone Marketing. “The longer you hang on when you don't have the energy for change, the more of a disservice you're doing, not only to your firm, but to the profession as a whole.”    More Jean Caragher here | Get her best-selling handbook, The 90-Day Marketing Plan for CPA Firms, here | More Gear Up for Growth More CPA Trendlines videos and podcasts here In addition to highlighting self-awareness as a key leadership skill, Steffen offered valuable insights for CPA firm leaders navigating today's dynamic environment. In her interview, two major takeaways stood out. 

Price discrimination segments customers by what they value most. Accounting ARC - Student-Led ConversationsWith Harshita MultaniCenter for Accounting TransformationOn Accounting ARC – Student-Led Conversations, host Harshita Multani interviews Ron Baker—author, educator, and sought-after speaker—about price discrimination and the psychology behind everyday pricing. Across coffee shops, hotels, streaming platforms, and movie theaters, Baker says the same principle repeats: value is subjective, so pricing must be, too.  MORE Accounting ARC: Don't Get Fired by Your Own Automation | What Amazon Doesn't Tell You | Royalties, Residuals, and Reality Checks | ARC-SLC | Free Speech Is a Right; Respect Is a Responsibility | Cash Bags, Casinos & Audits: How First Jobs Shape Us | Gen Z Redefines Careers | Bootleggers, Baptitsts & CPAs: Rethinking Licensure | CPA Firm Ownership Under Fire | Walking Violation: When Showing Your CPA Gets You in Trouble | Audit Bags to TikTok Tags, Gen Z Talks Success | Students Challenge Accounting's Traditional Career Path | True Grit: Recognizing Struggles That Shape Our Successes |More Admins, Fewer Students, No Plan | What Career Advice Gets Wrong for Gen Z - And How to Fix It | Your Identity is Not a Liability | Burnout, Be Gone: Accounting Needs a Boundary Breakthrough Baker argues that pricing “behaves like art” because people don't act like predictable particles. The goal is not perfect prediction, but rather constant testing: offering options, observing behavior, and refining strategy. That framing aligns with a growing body of hospitality research that shows how subtle cues—like removing the “$” symbol—change spending patterns. Cornell researchers find diners spend significantly more when menus list numerals without currency signs, a choice many premium venues intentionally make.  

“We didn't plan to build a 100-person firm. We just wanted to work for ourselves.” Big 4 TransparencyBy Dominic Piscopo, CPAFor CPA TrendlinesWhat does it take to build one of Canada's fastest-growing cloud accounting firms? In this episode of the Big 4 Transparency, host Dominic Piscopo sits down with Mike Pinkus, co-founder of ConnectCPA and host of the Growth Tales podcast, to unpack the bootstrapped, contrarian story behind ConnectCPA's rise to over 100 staff and a fully remote, recurring revenue model long before it was trendy.  MORE Dominic Piscopo | MORE Private Equity | MORE Pay & Compensation Founded in 2014 by Pinkus and co-founder Lior Zehtser, ConnectCPA was born from a desire for more autonomy - both personally and professionally. “We just wanted to work for ourselves,” Pinkus says. “Everything else was a byproduct.” Yet within a few years, they found themselves leading a national, cloud-native firm with a deep bench of accounting, tax, and finance professionals serving scaling businesses across North America.The firm's early bet on recurring revenue and cloud infrastructure paid off, but the growth came with growing pains. As the client base exploded, the firm took on nearly everything that came through the door until the operational costs caught up. Pinkus openly shares how a lack of data visibility and over-hiring led to margin pressure and process gaps, eventually prompting the firm to hit pause, install time tracking for its accounting team, and rework its client roster toward a more focused ICP. 

Measuring impact—not hours—creates happier teams, better clients, and a stronger profession.The DisruptorsWith Liz FarrWhat will it take to kill the billable hour? Chris Vanover, founder of CPAClub, believes it's not only “outdated and archaic,” but that today's age of AI and automation “is a recipe for the death of the billable hour.”    MORE STREAMING: Kless: Profit Is a Result. Flourishing Is the Purpose | Whitman: Build Culture on 'Progress,' Not Change | Shein: No PE? No M&A? No Problem | Hood and Weber: Time to RISE | Proctor: Turn Dumb Ideas into Brilliant Solutions | Carter-Gray: How 1 Poor Review Strengthened the Firm | Hartman: Upwork to “40 Under 40” in 3 Years | Telka: Transform Fear into Fuel | Woodard: Move Past Reports; Deliver Results CPAClub, formerly AuditClub, operates under a different model. As Hervochon explained in his first appearance on The Disruptors, CPAClub operates as a subscription service, where pass holders have access on a monthly or annual basis to a team of highly skilled auditors and accountants. This innovative business model undoubtedly contributed to the firm's recognition as CalCPA's Firm of the Year for 2025.  “CPAClub was launched back in 2022 with a mission to try to help improve the profession,” Vanover explains.  “Hours aren't necessarily something you want to buy, because ultimately, I could sell you 40 hours at a certain value per hour, but there's no guarantee that I would actually deliver anything with those hours,” Vanover explains.  

“A knee-jerk pullback can actually increase legal risk."MOVE Like ThisWith Bonnie Buol RuszczykFor CPA TrendlinesIn a climate where diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs have become political flashpoints, employment attorney Aislinn Sroczynski of Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld joins host Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk on MOVE Like This to unpack the facts behind the fear. The result is a grounded, no-nonsense discussion on how firms can remain inclusive, compliant, and confident—without compromising their values. MORE MOVE Despite the noise, Sroczynski reminds us that the legal foundation of DEI hasn't budged. Title VII, the ADA, the ADEA, and the Equal Pay Act still form the bedrock of U.S. anti-discrimination law. “What's changed,” she explains, “is the level of scrutiny.”That means employers should revisit—not rewrite—their programs to ensure they focus on fairness regardless of protected characteristics, not because of them.

"If they're consistently uncooperative, they're not a good CAS client, no matter how much they pay.”  It's Not Just the NumbersWith Penny Breslin and Damien GreatheadFor CPA TrendlinesIn the world of client accounting and advisory services (CAS), most firms focus on building internal teams, refining processes, and adopting the right technology. Yet, one crucial element often gets overlooked: the client. In a recent episode of It's Not Just the Numbers, co-hosts Damien Greathead and Penny Breslin explore why clients must be treated as integral members of the team, and what happens when firms fail to define the client's role in the process. Their conversation, drawn from decades of working with accounting firms around the world, provides a blueprint for CPAs and firm owners aiming to elevate their CAS practices.  MORE Penny Breslin and Damien Greathead | MORE Advisory & Consulting | BUY "It's Not Just the Numbers" Traditionally, accountants position clients as recipients of a service; for example, the client would deliver documents once a year, and the firm would produce a tax return. That transactional model doesn't work in CAS, says Breslin. 

Automation isn't replacing accountants—it's exposing who can't evolve.Accounting InfluencersWith Rob BrownArtificial intelligence isn't a future disruptor—it's already embedded in accounting. The profession's survival depends on how quickly firms adapt.“The robots are coming—scratch that—they're already here,” says Accounting Influencers host Rob Brown. “AI literacy isn't optional anymore. If you're treating AI as tomorrow's problem, you're already behind the curve.”The latest episode explores the seismic impact of automation on accounting and the urgent need for firms to transform their skills, strategies, and structures. MORE Accounting Influencers with Rob Brown Citing a McKinsey report, Brown notes that nearly 80% of organizations already use AI in at least one core function. “It's pervasive now,” he says. “Reconciliation, data entry, transaction classification—AI eats those jobs for breakfast.”A 2023 OpenAI study even found that automation could impact nearly all tasks performed by accountants and auditors. Yet, surprisingly, the accounting job market hasn't collapsed. “Two years into the generative AI journey, most jobs haven't vanished,” Brown observes. “The danger isn't robots replacing humans—it's humans who fail to leverage robots being replaced by those who do.”

Growth doesn't always mean moving on—it can mean moving deeper.Gear Up for GrowthWith Jean CaragherFor CPA Trendlines“I love Smith + Howard, and I loved marketing, but I didn't think I was the person for that role anymore,” says Julie Barnes, chief of staff of Smith + Howard, during her appearance on Gear Up for Growth, powered by CPA Trendlines, and hosted by Jean Caragher of Capstone Marketing. “I didn't want to leave; I wanted to do something different. I wanted to be valuable to the firm and create value in whatever role I landed in.”  More Jean Caragher here | Get her best-selling handbook, The 90-Day Marketing Plan for CPA Firms, here | More Gear Up for Growth More CPA Trendlines videos and podcasts here Barnes shares how her 30-year journey at the firm has evolved through initiative, transparency, and a culture that supports growth from within. Her story offers two powerful takeaways for professionals in accounting firms.

Leaders tie AI to real workflows, not wish lists, and adoption follows. Accounting ARCWith Liz Mason, Byron Patrick, and Donny ShimamotoCenter for Accounting TransformationAccounting leaders are accelerating AI deployment across tax, audit, and advisory—but three accounting veterans and hosts of Accounting ARC argue the difference between adoption and shelfware comes down to focus, guardrails, and relentless training. On the latest episode, hosts Liz Mason, CPA; Byron Patrick, CPA.CITP, CGMA; and Donny Shimamoto, CPA.CITP, CGMA; dissect how large firms are approaching Microsoft Copilot and adjacent tools. They agree that leaders should start now, but do so strategically.  MORE Accounting ARC: Don't Get Fired by Your Own Automation | What Amazon Doesn't Tell You | Royalties, Residuals, and Reality Checks | ARC-SLC | Free Speech Is a Right; Respect Is a Responsibility | Cash Bags, Casinos & Audits: How First Jobs Shape Us | Gen Z Redefines Careers | Bootleggers, Baptitsts & CPAs: Rethinking Licensure | CPA Firm Ownership Under Fire | Walking Violation: When Showing Your CPA Gets You in Trouble | Audit Bags to TikTok Tags, Gen Z Talks Success | Students Challenge Accounting's Traditional Career Path | True Grit: Recognizing Struggles That Shape Our Successes |More Admins, Fewer Students, No Plan | What Career Advice Gets Wrong for Gen Z - And How to Fix It | Your Identity is Not a Liability | Burnout, Be Gone: Accounting Needs a Boundary Breakthrough Patrick, CEO of VERIFYiQ and co-founder and educator at TB Academy, opens with a caution that resonates across enterprise tech cycles: many organizations feel pressured to adopt generative AI without clearly defining expected outcomes. He urges leaders to ask what success specifically looks like, whether that is fewer review points, faster cycle times on close, or reduced audit adjustments. 

Key changes to Sections 168 and 179 offer fresh opportunities for strategic deductions.Quick Tax TipWith Art WernerCPE TodayIn the latest Quick Tax Tip episode, tax expert Art Werner dives into one of the most talked-about provisions in the new tax bill: the restoration of 100% bonus depreciation.“Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, bonus depreciation started to phase down from 100% to zero,” Werner explains. “For 2025, it was set at 40%. But this new bill retroactively restores 100% bonus depreciation — starting Jan. 20, 2025 — and keeps it that way through the end of 2029.”Click here for more Art WernerThat January date, Werner notes, is significant: “It happens to be Inauguration Day. So it seems the new administration is ushering in a new era for business expensing.”The move reverses years of gradual cutbacks and offers businesses renewed incentive to invest in equipment and property. According to Werner, this means tax practitioners can breathe easier — at least for now.

In the age of AI, conversations, not calculations, will define the future of the profession.The DisruptorsWith Liz FarrEd Kless believes accountants can do much more than monitor the numbers. Together with Ron Baker, their latest venture, Threshold, is a community that aims to support professionals in facilitating transformations in their customers. As Kless explains, transformations occur when someone makes lasting changes in one or more of the domains of human flourishing.   MORE STREAMING: Whitman: Build Culture on 'Progress,' Not Change | Shein: No PE? No M&A? No Problem | Hood and Weber: Time to RISE | Proctor: Turn Dumb Ideas into Brilliant Solutions | Carter-Gray: How 1 Poor Review Strengthened the Firm | Hartman: Upwork to “40 Under 40” in 3 Years | Telka: Transform Fear into Fuel “The purpose of business is to promote human flourishing. Profit is the result of a business. And there's nothing wrong with that,” Kless says. “I think profit is good, but it's the result. It's not the purpose.” Drawing from Benjamin Franklin and economist Russ Roberts, Kless explains that human flourishing has four domains: making people healthier, wealthier, wiser, or helping them live with more purpose.  When accountants work with customers across these four domains, they are not merely providing accounting services but are also facilitating transformations. In a recent episode of The Disruptors, Ron Baker explained Joe Pine's model for economic value, which Pine described in his earlier book, “The Experience Economy.” In this model, transformations are the most valuable of economic offerings. 

A new generation of borrowers is emerging—and advisors need to be ready to serve them.By Rory Henry CFP®, BFA™For CPA TrendlinesStudent loan debt is not just a problem for young professionals anymore. It is a challenge that increasingly touches families, near-retirees, and even retirees. With more than $1.8 trillion in federal student loan debt across 42.5  million borrowers, the issue is too significant for CPAs and financial advisors to overlook because more and more of their clients are directly affected. MORE Rory Henry and The Holistic Guide to Wealth Management BUY the Holistic Guide to Wealth Management On the latest episode of Holistic Guide to Wealth Management, Alex Bottom, CEO of Finology, and Ryan Galiotto, CFP®, CSLP®, founder of the Student Loan Help Network, discuss how new legislation, shifting demographics, and growing demand for guidance are reshaping this area of planning.“Student loan planning is essentially looking at a client's full financial picture and helping them find the fastest and cheapest way to eliminate that debt,” Galiotto explains. “[Student loan] debt is a massive issue within our country right now, and it is only going to get bigger.”

"The classroom is no longer a pipeline for work-ready professionals."Accounting InfluencersWith Rob BrownToday's accounting leaders are facing an alarming truth: the next generation of recruits may be the least “work-ready” in decades.They know their algebra, their Shakespeare, and their chemistry formulas—but not how to introduce themselves in a job interview, meet a deadline, or handle feedback. That's the provocative premise explored in the latest episode of Accounting Influencers Podcast, where host Rob Brown tackles the widening gap between what schools teach and what firms need.“The classroom is no longer a pipeline for work-ready professionals,” Brown warns. “And accounting firms are starting to feel the pain.” MORE Accounting Influencers with Rob Brown Brown, a former high school math teacher, speaks from experience. He spent years coaching students to pass tests—not preparing them for the real world. “The curriculum is built for exams, not for the workplace,” he says. “No one's teaching children how to build trust, handle tough feedback, or develop emotional intelligence.”That shortfall has far-reaching consequences. According to research cited in the episode, only 11% of business leaders strongly agree that graduates leave school ready for work. Eight in ten employers say that new hires lack not only technical proficiency but also critical soft skills, such as resilience, digital literacy, and time management.

Poe Group Advisors; Helping accountants buy, build, and sell exceptional firms.Our clients love working with us, and we know you will too! Don't just take our word for it. Learn more about our client success stories and how we've guided buyers and sellers through a smooth transition with their bookkeeping, accounting, and CPA firms. Learn MorePoe Group Advisors is the premier accounting practice intermediary firm in the industry with over 20 years of M&A experience. PGA was founded by Brannon Poe, a CPA with a Big 4 background. Buying or selling a CPA firm is one of life's most significant ventures for business owners. Qualified buyers looking to buy an accounting firm want to find the right CPA practice for sale, and accounting practice sellers want to find the right buyer. This is where Poe Group Advisors excels time and time again in helping our clients find the right accounting practice sales opportunity. Learn More

Firms that want to stay independent must transform how they operate, lead, and plan for succession..Gear Up for GrowthWith Jean CaragherFor CPA Trendlines “The problem that a lot of firms have is they just don't pay attention to what succession really is until they get to the last few years,” explains William “Bill” Pirolli, executive vice president of firm services at Succession Institute, LLC, on Gear Up for Growth, hosted by Jean Caragher of Capstone Marketing. “It has to happen all throughout the lifetime of the firm in order to be properly established at the end.”  More Jean Caragher here | Get her best-selling handbook, The 90-Day Marketing Plan for CPA Firms, here | More Gear Up for Growth | More CPA Trendlines videos and podcasts here Pirolli, a former AICPA Chair and longtime CPA firm partner, emphasizes that succession planning must begin on day one, not five years before retirement. He cautions that too many firms wait until it's too late to build future leaders or transfer client relationships effectively. He also challenges firm leaders who proudly declare their intent to stay independent but lack a strategy to sustain it. True independence, Pirolli says, requires more than avoiding private equity. It demands discipline, leadership development, and a clear operational strategy.