The State of Business with the Ohio Society of CPAs

We're at the final episode in our series on workforce development and are using this as an opportunity to highlight some of the key points our guests have made these past two months. We've talked about the pipeline and the importance of early accounting exposure for high school and college students, how public and private industry approach continual learning for their staff, the skills that will be most in demand for professionals in the future, the value of integrating DEI into these conversations and so much more.    

In this episode, you'll hear from Barb Benton, vice president of government relations, and Tiffany Crosby, chief learning officer, who discuss the impact advocacy and legislative efforts have on workforce development. We cover OSCPA's government relations efforts, sitting for the CPA exam and the critical role members play in using their voice.

We spoke with Jason Weigand, senior director for North America Tax for Proctor & Gamble, about what workforce development is like from a corporate perspective, the areas workers need to consistently upskill to stay competitive, the value in lifelong learning as an accountant and much more. 

We spoke with John Jones, CEO & President of Hope Toledo. Hope Toledo is a 501(c) 3 organization that helps children obtain high-quality early childhood education through Pre-K and post-secondary training in college or trade schools. We talked with John about how DEI impacts workforce development for the profession, specifically around exposing diverse students to accounting and supporting them in their educational journey. 

We spoke with Tracie Miller, program chair of MS and BS accounting at Franklin University and Sara Martin, employee experience manager at BMF, on the role universities and internships play in upskilling and reskilling accounting talent. 

In this episode you'll notice some common themes emerge among an accounting student, a recent grad and high school educators. We'll hear about the value of having connections to accounting early in life, whether that's through school or personal life. We'll hear about the benefits of talking to others about the opportunities that come from this profession and what upskilling and development look like for young students. Thank you to our guests Kayla Campbell, Ebone' Johnson, Nicole Snider and Kristy Venne. 

In the second episode of our workforce development series, we're digging into how firms are handling the staffing shortage. We're looking at how firms are finding new staff, working to keep retention high and reskill and upskill their employees. We spoke to Steve Black of Brixey & Meyer and Alyson Fieldman of Rockit Results for their perspective.    Next week: Hear the student perspective on what it's like to study accounting during the talent crisis, and we spoke with high school educators on exposing more students to accounting. 

The first episode in this series focused on workforce development and the accounting profession, we're speaking with Scott Wiley, OSCPA President & CEO, Tiffany Crosby, CPA, chief learning officer at OSCPA and Craig Marshall, CPA, assurance partner at EY and Board of Directors chair, to look at how workforce development has evolved over the years and how it impacts the profession now. 

In the last episode of the State of Business podcast for 2022 we're covering some of the top episodes in its history. Some of the most popular episodes from the podcast have covered a wide range of topics, a testament to the diverse and multi-layered accounting profession.   The State of Business will look different in 2023, as we're moving to produce seasons of episodes that will focus on diving deep into one topic area. Look for new episodes in the spring. Answers to Social Security FAQs  https://oscpapodcasts.podbean.com/e/answers-to-social-security-faqs/ From CPA to convicted felon: One accountant's harrowing story https://oscpapodcasts.podbean.com/e/from-cpa-to-convicted-felon-one-accountant-s-harrowing-story/ How to manage a difficult employee https://oscpapodcasts.podbean.com/e/how-to-manage-a-difficult-employee/ 

In this episode we spoke with James Rumph, enterprise anti-fraud leader at Columbus-based insurance and financial services company Nationwide, on the fraud trends to watch for, the danger of opportunistic fraud and what CPAs can do to help detect it.  Hear more from James at the Fraud & Forensic Conference on December 20: https://my.ohiocpa.com/topclass/searchCatalog.do?latest=true&keywords=fraud+forensic+conference 

While it's encouraging if your business is doing well, it's crucial to consider future challenges and growth opportunities to ensure longevity. We spoke with several business experts in this week's podcast episode on business management tips to help your business grow and evolve to meet the rapid pace of change.  “What accountants should know about ESG”  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-accountants-should-know-about-esg/id1377649472?i=1000562412394     “The tricks for retaining business”  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tricks-for-retaining-business/id1377649472?i=1000579404760     “How to master the evolving business model”  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-master-the-evolving-business-model/id1377649472?i=1000555869045 

In this episode, we speak with Brandon Fredericks, CPA, principal at Apple Growth Partners. Earlier this year Brandon wrote a blog post titled “Your business and the metaverse” and he shared with me the perspective accounting professionals should take on the metaverse, how they can learn more about it now, ways the metaverse applies to business and more.

In this episode, we speak with Amy Vetter, CPA, CEO of the B3 Method Institute about the opportunity of advisory services. We discussed the benefits, the misconceptions and the future of advisory services for accounting firms. You can hear more from Amy on this topic in a six-week course starting October 28 and at a Client Advisory Services workshop on November 30. October 28 – December 14: The Client Advisory Services Practice Roadmap: The Cherished Advisor® Step-by-Step Program https://my.ohiocpa.com/topclass/topclass.do?expand-GotoOffering-aptifyid=56346 November 30: CAS Workshop: Building & Scaling a CAS Practice https://my.ohiocpa.com/topclass/topclass.do?expand-ConferenceEnrollment-mode=3-offering_id=14044211-viaTC=1  

We spoke with Lee Frederikson, partner at Hinge, a professional services firm about how accounting professionals need to try new approaches to retaining clients in this evolving business environment, what that means for technology and communication and how that might change in the future. 

In this episode we spoke with Lisa Bodell, CEO of FutureThink and keynote speaker at the Fall Accounting Shows. She will present “Why Simplicity Wins,” a session covering how organizations can rid themselves of unnecessary complexity and focus on simplifying their work.   We discuss why organizations should simplify, mistakes to avoid, metrics to use to measure success and much more.  Register for the Fall Accounting Shows to hear more from Lisa: https://ohiocpa.com/cpe/ohio-accounting-shows

In this week's episode we spoke with Eileen Smith, founder of SpokeSmith, about the value of public speaking. We discussed how it's an essential skill for CPAs, how to overcome a fear of public speaking, the best ways to prepare and more.   Accounting Shows: ohiocpa.com/greatestshow Public Speaking Course: https://my.ohiocpa.com/topclass/topclass.do?expand-OfferingDetails-viaTC=1-offeringId=14234968

In this episode we're speaking with John Jones, president & CEO of Hope Toledo. Hope Toledo is a 501(c) 3 organization that helps children obtain high-quality early childhood education through Pre-K and post-secondary training in college or trade schools. In 2020 Society President & CEO Scott Wiley, CAE, announced a three-part commitment to end racism and help create a business environment that offers equal opportunity to all. The plan consists of CEO leadership, organizational commitment – which includes a $100,000 pledge for initiatives – and advancing public policy.  In continuation of that, The Board of Directors has approved a $20,000 investment in Hope Toledo as one of the organizations OSCPA is supporting in this commitment.  We spoke with John about the Hope Toledo mission, upcoming initiatives, the difference that OSCPA's investment will make and much more. 

As the business environment rapidly evolves, so does the accounting profession. In this episode, we're highlighting some of the areas that are growing in popularity and will become topics accountants need to contend with in the near future. We spoke to three experts and you can hear their episode in full here:  "What accountants should know about ESG" https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-accountants-should-know-about-esg/id1377649472?i=1000562412394   "The evolution of work continues to speed up"  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-evolution-of-work-continues-to-speed-up/id1377649472?i=1000558194225   "Cybersecurity practices to follow in 2022"  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cybersecurity-practices-to-follow-in-2022/id1377649472?i=1000551325549    Register for the accounting shows here: https://ohiocpa.com/cpe/featured-learning 

In this episode we're speaking with Reginald Lee, PhD, a business analytics professor at Xavier University and a co-founder of Business Dynamics & Research Ltd. We talked about the trap many businesses fall into when they are looking at cash savings and efficiency, the sales pitch that promises “you'll save 50 millon dollars if you do this!” Reginald explained how that's not always the case, and how it's so crucial for CPAs to look at business improvement opportunities such as these in a different light.  Fall Accounting Shows: https://ohiocpa.com/cpe/featured-learning  Reginald's book: https://smile.amazon.com/Project-Profitability-Ensuring-Improvement-Projects/dp/1637421699/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2RQ5400P68MH&keywords=project+profitability&qid=1647017994&sprefix=project+profitability%2Caps%2C87&sr=8-1 

In this episode we're speaking with Mary Adams, founder of Smarter Companies, a consultancy that focuses on how to use a holistic view to increase performance and value. We discuss environmental, social and governance factors, commonly referred to as ESG, and how they impact businesses, accounting professionals and the role ESG will play in the future. If you're not familiar with ESG now, Mary can shed some light on why it's time to learn.

In this episode we're speaking with Brandon Smith, Public Affairs Specialist at the Social Security Administration in Cleveland. and Robert Fenn, the Public Affairs Specialist at the Social Security Administration in Akron, about the Social Security office now accepting in-person appointments and what that means for visitors, understanding what's available on the Social Security website, widow and widower increases and more.

In this episode we spoke with David Staley, associate professor in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and president of Columbus Futurists, about how the pandemic continues to impact the future of work. We discussed Zoom towns, how companies can prepare for unexpected change and much more.  Hear more from David at our Advance series! Register here: https://ohiocpa.com/cpe/complimentary-learning

In this episode we spoke with Sumit Mahajan | Global Chief Sales Officer at DataMatics Business Solutions, Inc., who has worked closely with CPAs who hold the responsibility of advising their businesses and clients during this tricky time. We talked about when it's time to update your business model, the benefits of global work, outsourcing because of the talent crunch and much more.   To hear more about Datamatics, Sumit can be reached here: sumit.mahajan@datamaticsbpm.com

"The payoff of working smarter, not harder"  For many busy professionals, work-life integration is a constant struggle, but according to the book, The Freedom Formula, How to Succeed in Business Without Sacrificing Your Family, health, or Life it doesn't have to be. The book was written by David Finkel, the CEO of Maui Mastermind, a business consulting group, and covers how professionals can make the best use of their time and succeed in their careers. We spoke with Gwen Walker, an advisor at MauiMastermind, about The Freedom Formula and we discussed the benefits of working smarter and not harder, how professionals can embrace this mindset, how to convince others to do the same and more.

"Cybersecurity practices to follow in 2022" In this episode we're speaking with Damon Hacker, President & CEO and a founder of Vestige Digital Investigations, a digital forensics company. We spoke with Damon about cybersecurity best practices in 2022, covering password protection, two-factor authentication, how cybersecurity should not be considered a project to complete and much more.

"How one man went from priest to CPA" In this episode, we spoke with Bob Wardega, who joined the accounting profession after he spent almost 15 years as a Catholic priest. We asked Bob about his transition from priest to a CPA, what he's learned about people in the process, the similarities of the two roles, what the accounting profession has meant to his life and much more. 

"How to stay focused while working through the latest Covid surge" The latest variant in the COVID pandemic, Omicron, now accountants for about 99% of cases according to the CDC, and businesses everywhere are feeling the strain as more employees are out of work due to exposure or testing positive. In this episode we spoke with Scott Wiley, CAE, president and CEO of The Ohio Society of CPAs on on what this latest variant means for businesses, how agility has taken on a new meaning, the role leaders and staff have to play in adding value and  more.  Register for the Town Hall to hear more from Scott here: https://my.ohiocpa.com/topclass/topclass.do?expand-OfferingDetails-viaTC=1-offeringId=11527636

"How to avoid burnout during busy season " In this week's episode we spoke with A'Shira Nelson, CPA, tax manager at Apple Growth Partners in Cleveland and member of the OSCPA Executive Board, about how to accountants can take care of themselves this upcoming tax season. We discussed dealing with unknowns during tax season, how to plan ahead to stay energized, conversations to have with your team and much more. 

"What to consider while looking for a new job" Reports are everywhere of many professionals leaving their employers for other opportunities. We spoke with Steve Black, practice leader of Human Resource Services at Brixey & Meyer, about what candidates should consider as they prepare to look for other employment. We discussed how to really learn about an organizations culture, red flags to look for in an employer, understanding your long-term goals and much more.   

"How CPAs can succeed in 2022" In this week's episode we spoke with Rita Keller, CPA firm management consultant. Keller has been a respected voice in CPA firm management for more than 30 years. Her daily blog, Solutions for CPA Firm Leaders, touches on everything from the talent shortage to increasing firm fees. We discussed how professionals can succeed in 2022, how firm leaders can create a cohesive cultural amid remote work and about lessons the accounting profession learned in 2021.

"How to ethically influence others to achieve success" We spoke with Brian Ahearn, a speaker, author, coach and consultant. He specializes in applying the science of influence in everyday situations and is a Cialdini Method Certified Trainer® trained in how to ethically influence others. Brian has a third book out called, “The Influencer,” about how to become a better salesperson, coach, and leader.  We discussed how to apply this specific influencer knowledge in every day scenarios and in business, dealing with different personalities, how this can benefit leaders and much more. 

In this week's episode we spoke with Joe DePeder, CPA, the owner of Audit Ready, a company that provides audit readiness services to businesses. Joe was in public accounting for six years before venturing out on his own, and we talked about what it's like to start your own business as a young professional, what made him want to take the leap to entrepreneurship and advice he has for others who are interested in doing something similar. 

"How to keep up with rapidly changing tax policy" In this week's episode we spoke with Tony Nitti, a Partner in RubinBrown's Tax Services Group and Partner-in-Charge of National Tax. Tony is a contributor of tax content to Forbes and a frequent speaker and trainer. We discussed the tax policy outlook, a topic Tony will present at our upcoming Mega Tax conference on December 15. Our conversation took place on November 18, and Tony mentioned there is a lot that could happen legislatively between now and the end of year on Capitol Hill. We covered some of what CPAs might expect to deal with in 2022, properly communicating with clients, advice for tax practitioners and more.  Register for the Mega Tax conference here: https://ohiocpa.com/cpe/major-conferences/mega-tax-conference 

"Achieving business goals in a tight labor market" The Department of Labor said last week that 4.4 million people left their jobs in September, up from 4.3 million in August. Businesses are struggling to find qualified candidates to fill open roles and at the moment, this labor shortage doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon. This is an issue Jim Boland, partner-in-charge at Cohen & Company wrote about in a recent blog post titled: 3 Tactics to Help Fill Core Business Needs in a Tight Labor Environment. While dealing with the labor shortage, we discussed the tactics Jim said businesses can take to ensure their most important business needs are met, covering automation, flexibility and outsourcing.

"Answers to Social Security FAQs" In this episode we spoke with Brandon Smith, Public Affairs Specialist at the Social Security Administration in Cleveland, and his colleague, Robert Fenn, the Public Affairs Specialist at the SSA in Akron, about what the recent cost of living update means for those with benefits. We also discussed questions they are commonly asked about social security, how CPAs can best prepare their clients for their future and much more. 

"Why your to-do list might be holding you back" We spoke with Brandon Fredericks, CPA, Principal at Apple Growth Partners, about how he relies on his calendar to decide what gets done, on which he wrote a blog post titled “The Death of the To-Do List.”  We discussed how using your calendar can help you prioritize your most impactful tasks, how to handle competing priorities, the value in off blocking free time on the calendar and much more.

"How employers can find opportunity in the resignation wave" We spoke with Lee Frederickson, Managing Partner of Hinge, a marketing firm for the professional services industry, about what's causing the resignation wave and how employers can evolve with the job market.  We discussed why financial and accounting staff are leaving employers, how employers can use this as a time to rebrand, what this means for the future of work and much more. 

"Expert tech advice to help your career and business " We're highlighting some of our recent episodes covering technology and the advice past guests on the show gave on how this area can improve your career and business. Listen to these episodes in full below:  The value in embracing cryptocurrency for accountants https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-value-in-embracing-cryptocurrency-for-accountants/id1377649472?i=1000531014355 How one CPA navigates rural clients and technology https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-one-cpa-navigates-rural-clients-and-technology/id1377649472?i=1000534021165 Protection from cyber hackers takes commitment https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/protection-from-cyber-hackers-takes-commitment/id1377649472?i=1000535463775

"A CPA's perspective on failing CPA exam sections, networking tips and more" In this episode we're speaking with Courtney Arrington, a CPA in Virginia who writes the blog "The Accounting Struggle," that provides guidance for students and professionals with CPA exam study tips, networking advice and more. We discussed what the process was like for her to grow her blog following, the value in being open about your failures in the profession, advice for young professionals and much more. Here's what she had to say.

"The opportunities and challenges of the construction and real estate industries" In this episode I'm speaking with Doug Houser, CPA, principal, director of construction & real estate services at Rea & Associates about the construction and real estate industries. We discuss how the industries have fared during the pandemic, what hurdles they still are dealing with, what CPAs who serve these industries should know and much more. 

"How subscription model pricing can help you beat your competitors" In this episode we're speaking with Ron Baker, CPA, founder of the VeraSage Insititute and Soul of Enterprise talk show about the subscription pricing model for firms. We discussed the profession's reaction to the subscription model, misconceptions, how to get started and much more.   You can hear more from Ron at our upcoming Virtual Accounting Shows in October and November, register here: https://ohiocpa.com/cpe/major-conferences/accounting-shows 

"How to manage a difficult employee" In this episode we're speaking with Eileen Connor, director of human resources at Bober Markey Fedorovich, about how to manage a difficult employee. We discuss what being a difficult employee means, how to have a discussion about behavior, the impacts difficult employees have on the organization and others and much more. 

In this episode we're speaking with Greg Gomach, senior client executive at DMC Technology Group and part of Ohio CPA proud organization William Vaughan Company. We talk about the threat of ransomware, how to handle it internally and what to tell your clients, steps to take if you discovered you've been hacked with ransomware and much more. 

"Manufacturers find ways to pivot, adapt to pandemic challenges" In this episode we're speaking with Jason Tuma, CPA, partner at Sikich LLP on how the manufacturing industry is handling the pandemic. While Jason said many of his clients have figured out the best way to safely work during COVID, they're still encountering roadblocks. We discussed the Sikich Industry Pulse survey on Manufacturing and Distribution, how the manufacturing industry is handling vaccines, some of the biggest pain points for the industry and much more. 

In this episode we're speaking with Shayna Chapman, CPA, founder and chief strategist at Shaynaco, which offers tax management, advisory services and accounting technology and consulting. We discussed the impact of technology when working with rural clients. The pandemic forced almost everyone to begin using virtual technology to run their businesses, but what about those who have almost no internet connection and no desire to move any of their business dealings virtual? We talked about how to best interact with rural clients when it comes to technology, unique issues rural clients face that others don't, how CPAs can be successful when serving a rural population and much more. 

"OSCPA Executive Board Chair shares insights on profession and leadership" In this episode we're speaking with Lori Kaiser, the CEO of Kaiser Consulting and the Chair of the Ohio Society of CPAs Executive Board. Lori has been a member of OSCPA for more than thirty years, and we discussed how she first became involved in the board, what she's learned through serving on boards over the years, her goals for OSCPA during her time as board chair and more. 

"DE&I in focus: Retaining diverse leaders" The accounting profession must work persistently on its culture and continue developing its pipeline to address a lack of diversity in its leadership. That was the conclusion of a study of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the U.S. accounting profession conducted by The Institute of Management Accountants – with help from The Ohio Society of CPAs.  On this episode, Loreal Jiles, lead researcher on the study and IMA Director of Research, leads a conversation with Scott Wiley, president and CEO of The Ohio Society of CPAs; and Margaret Finley, OSCPA's diversity, equity and inclusion strategist.  They discuss the challenges that are preventing diverse accounting employees from advancing, how professional organizations can help and more.  Learn more on this topic in the upcoming September/October issue of CPA Voice. 

"The future of the CPA Exam" We're speaking with Daniel Dustin, CPA, Vice President, State Board Relations at NASBA and Julia Woislaw, Senior Manager, of CPA Evolution at AICPA about CPA Evolution. It's a joint effort of NASBA and AICPA to transform the CPA licensure model to recognize the changing skills and competencies accounting requires today and will require in the future. We discussed where the initiative is at today, how this impacts accounting students as well as current CPAs, the impact this will have on the profession and much more. 

In this week's episode we're talking with Sean Stein Smith, CPA, assistant professor at Lehman College and serves on the advisory board of the Wall Street Blockchain Alliance about cryptocurrency in the financial space. We discuss how financial institutions are reacting to Bitcoin and crypto, what non-fungible tokens (NFT) are, and the cryptocurrency will impact the accounting profession in the future.  To hear more from Sean, register for the Financial Institutions Virtual Conference on Aug. 25: https://my.ohiocpa.com/topclass/topclass.do?expand-OfferingDetails-viaTC-Offeringid=10582980 

In this week's episode we're highlighting career advice from popular podcast episodes. Hear from  Kim Radison, founder of KKR Consult, on negotiating your next promotion, Celia King of Arrants McSwain on growing your leadership skills andAdrian Mayse, CPA, a tenured Associate Professor and Department Chair of Accounting at Howard University on writing a a picture book that allows children of diverse backgrounds to see themselves on the pages and learn about the accounting profession.  To hear these episodes in their entirety, go to the links below: Strategies for negotiating your next promotion https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strategies-for-negotiating-your-next-promotion/id1377649472?i=1000521465763 CPA writes children's book on growing up to be an accountant https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cpa-writes-childrens-book-on-growing-up-to-be-an-accountant/id1377649472?i=1000513462193 How working with horses can reveal leadership abilities https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-working-with-horses-can-reveal-leadership-abilities/id1377649472?i=1000516148560  

We're speaking with Jacob Schroeder, CPA, cofounder of Hydda Living and founder of Ascend Consulting, LLC about the role risk plays in our personal and professional lives. We discussed what it's like to evaluate risk as a CPA, his perspective on risk as an entrepreneur and how to implement a system to determine whether a risk is worth it.