Podcasts about Accounting

Doctors flood our comments regarding the absurd story Brian Harpole told about his arrival at the hospital, Daily Wire continues to crash & burn financially according to a Semaphor article, and we dive deeper into what exactly happened in the car ride to the hospital on 9/10. 00:00 - Start. 02:28 - Email tip about broken shards in car. 05:17 - The hospital car ride story doesn't add up. 33:21 - Dissociative Identity Disorder email tip. 37:14 - Dave Rubin is not smart & Daily Wire is still in decline. 51:14 - Comments. PreBorn!​ ​ To donate, dial #250 and say they keyword “BABY" or by visiting https://preborn.com/candace The Wellness Company​ ​ Try the new 45-capsule RX Parasite Cleanse with two full cycles, now $250 less. USA compounded and doctor prescribed. Visit https://twc.health/CANDACE and use code CANDACE for $52 off plus free shipping. USA residents only

Intuit's Q3 fiscal 2026 earnings call was packed with numbers, and with her co-hosts sitting this one out, Alicia goes through them one by one to explain what each actually signals for bookkeepers, accountants, and QuickBooks users. She breaks down the strength of QuickBooks Online and mid-market growth, the slowdown in Desktop and Mailchimp, AI already running at scale, the shift toward assisted tax, and what the August pricing and packaging changes mean for your clients. She also steps off-script to share why she thinks Intuit raised prices before users were ready, and previews the deeper episodes coming on pricing and the ProPartner program.Sponsors:Aqqrue - http://uqb.promo/aqqrueSTR Search - http://uqb.promo/str(00:00) - Welcome and Setup (01:25) - How to Read Earnings (02:49) - Companywide Results (05:09) - QuickBooks Segment Growth (08:15) - QBO Plans and Pricing (09:33) - Services Payments Payroll (12:14) - Desktop and Migration (13:18) - Mid Market Enterprise Push (15:02) - Mailchimp Reality Check (16:53) - AI at Scale (17:40) - August Pricing Shakeup (23:07) - Accountants as Customers (24:51) - Workforce Cuts and Margins (26:41) - TurboTax Trends (30:43) - Credit Karma Monetization (34:13) - Pro Tax and Wrap Up (35:58) - Training Course and Goodbye LINKSJuly 21 through October 8: HANDS-ON QUICKBOOKS TRAINING COURSE, http://royl.ws/HOT2026?affiliate=5393907Alicia's book on Amazon: http://royl.ws/conversion-bookWe want to hear from you!Send your questions and comments to us at unofficialquickbookspodcast@gmail.com.Join our LinkedIn community at https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14630719/Visit our YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/@UnofficialQBOPodcastSign up to Earmark to earn free CPE for listening to this podcasthttps://www.earmark.app/onboarding 

This week, Mike Weisberg of Implement explains how AI is improving sales forecasting through trust, purpose, and accuracy, while reshaping the planner's role, reducing inventory bias, and separating prediction from human judgment.Download the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠episode transcript⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠===== In this episode, Mike Weisberg shares practical guidance on using AI in sales forecasting, including the right data foundation, six implementation dogmas, and explainable models. He also outlines how planners evolve into business partners and why judgment still matters most. ===== Guest: Mike Weisbjerg, Partner, Implement Consulting GroupMike is a Partner at Implement Consulting Group, where he has spent the last decade working at the intersection of supply chain planning and technology. He specialises in demand planning and AI-driven forecasting and decision making. With a focus on implementing demand planning solutions, Mike helps organisations move AI from proof of concept to production - with forecasts that planners actually trust.Host 1: Richard Howells⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Richard Howells⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP's ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability.Host 2: Oyku Ilgar, SAP  Oyku Ilgar is a marketer and thought leader specializing in SAP's digital supply chain and ERP solutions since 2017. As a marketer, blogger, and podcaster, she creates engaging content that highlights innovative SAP technologies and explores key topics including business trends, AI, Industry 4.0, and sustainability.   She holds dual bachelor's degrees in Finance & Accounting and English Translation, along with a master's degree in Business Administration and Foreign Trade, specializing in marketing. With her background in digital transformation, Oyku communicates technology trends and industry insights to help professionals navigate the evolving business landscape.  ===== Show Links:Implement Consulting Group. LinkArticle: Beyond accuracy: Six dogmas for turning AI forecasting into real business valueSupply Chain Management:  ⁠⁠SAP Supply Chain Management⁠⁠ ⁠⁠SAP Insights: Supply Chain⁠⁠       Follow Us on Social Media : Richard Howells: ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠, Oyku Ilgar: ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠      SAP Digital Supply Chain: ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠    Please give us a like, share, and subscribe to stay up-to-date on future episodes!  ===== Chapters:00:00:00: Intro00:01:06: Guest's Introductions00:02:05: Why traditional forecasting struggles in volatile markets00:03:25: The three fundamentals: trust, purpose, accuracy00:07:03: Which data matters most for AI forecasting00:10:12: Why bad data should not delay AI adoption00:13:26: The six dogmas for AI forecasting implementation00:14:38: The evolving role of the demand planner00:16:54: Measuring success beyond forecast accuracy00:18:35: How can Implement help companies in this latest AI-infused planning era?00:19:36: What is the Future of Supply Chain?00:20:17: Outro

This episode, which was recorded live at the NJCPA Convention & Expo, covers parts 2 and 3 of the AICPA's proposed changes to attestation standards. *** This episode qualifies for nano CPE credit. Find out more at https://njcpa.org/nano. *** Resources:AICPA exposure drafts of proposed SASs, SSAEs ad SQMSsAccounting and auditing articles and eventsJoin the Accounting & Auditing Standards Interest Group

What does it really take to keep ethics at the forefront as AI changes the game in accounting? In this episode, Tala Khalifeh, Chief of Staff at STAXX and a leader for IMA Shared Interest Groups, joins Adam Larson for an honest, insightful chat about her journey from internal audit to championing ethics in finance. Listen as Tala shares real stories about walking away from unethical workplaces, why human judgment still matters in the age of advanced AI, and how accountants can build trust in financial outputs. Perfect for anyone in accounting or finance curious about where technology and integrity meet, this episode will leave you with practical ideas and a fresh perspective on the future of your work.

Erica Goode spent her early career on the traditional accounting track — Big Four, Fortune 50 finance, the late nights and missed dinners that come standard with the path. Then she looked up at the senior leaders above her and realized she didn't want to be any of them when she grew up. That single honest moment set off a decade-long pivot that took her out of corporate, into full-time motherhood, and eventually into building the kind of accounting firm she'd never seen modeled for her. In this conversation with Paul Dio, Erica unpacks what it looks like to bring corporate-level skill — forecasting, cash-flow modeling, strategic finance — to the small businesses sitting right down the street. She talks about her first client, a Taekwondo studio, and how the work she'd built her career on suddenly became the thing standing between that small business and bankruptcy during the early months of COVID. The story is a quiet argument for why human accountants still matter, especially now. The episode also takes a hard look at the million-dollar revenue obsession that's everywhere in the consulting and accounting worlds. Erica makes the case that a business owner pulling $300K can take home almost as much as one chasing seven figures — minus the headcount, the overhead, and the burnout. Million-dollar revenue, in her words, is a vanity metric. What actually matters is what lands in your personal bank account at the end of the month, and how much of your life you got to keep along the way. There's also a fascinating detour into AI. Erica fed her own redacted tax return into Claude this past tax season just to see what would happen — and walked away with a 50/50 hit rate that captures exactly why human advisors still matter. The conversation lands on an optimistic note for the profession: when AI handles the rote work, accountants finally have room to be the human their clients actually need. Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction and welcome 01:00 – From Big Four to Fortune 50 to walking away 03:30 – "I don't see anybody I want to be when I grow up" 04:45 – Choosing to be home and not knowing there was a third path 06:00 – Missing accounting and the first client down the street 09:00 – The freedom of choosing your clients 11:00 – Books worth keeping on the shelf 13:00 – Why the Life First Accounting Firm podcast exists 17:00 – The vanity metric of seven-figure revenue 18:30 – Where AI can't replace the human 20:30 – Feeding her tax return into Claude 23:00 – Where accounting goes from here 25:30 – The Taekwondo studio and a cash-flow story that saved a business 30:00 – Where to find Erica Episode Resources Discover how Erica helps small business owners and entrepreneurs build profitable, life-first accounting practices through intentional forecasting, strategic finance, and client-by-client growth: www.ericagoodie.com Legacy Podcast: For more information about the Legacy Podcast and its co-hosts, visit https://businesslegacypodcast.com Leave a Review: If you enjoyed the episode, leave a review and rating on your preferred podcast platform. For more information: Visit https://businesslegacypodcast.com to access the show notes and additional resources on the episode.

Wer Podcasts um Aktien, Börse und Co hört, kann den Markt besser verstehen. Eine neue Studie zeigt nun aber: Einen Anlagevorteil schaffen sie für die Hörer nicht – aus einem bestimmten Grund. Martin Gramlich im Gespräch mit Janik Ole Wecks, Institute for Finance and Accounting der Universität Bremen

Will AI really automate most accounting work by 2040? Blake and David unpack what they heard at AICPA Engage, from deterministic AI agents and rising accounting enrollment to private equity's growing influence on firms. Plus, Blake shares an exclusive interview with FICPA CEO Shelly Weir on Florida's fight to protect CPA licensure. Listen to understand where the profession is heading—and what accountants may need to do next.SponsorsDigits - http://accountingpodcast.promo/digitsOnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpaySavant Labs - http://accountingpodcast.promo/savantR.E. Cost Seg - http://accountingpodcast.promo/recostsegChapters(00:00) - Cash Stolen In Bay Ridge (00:27) - Podcast Welcome Back (02:58) - Engage Conference Takeaways (03:58) - Hidden Vibe Coding (07:50) - Rise 2040 Automation Report (10:47) - Human In The Lead Debate (15:09) - Top Firm Concerns 2026 (18:29) - OpenAI Finance Team Lean (21:52) - Enrollment Up And CPA Pathways (25:19) - 7000 Cash Theft Revisited (26:52) - KPMG Whistleblower Scandal (28:33) - Crowe Gets 3B PE Deal (30:07) - Red Lobster AI Conspiracy (31:30) - PE Cross Selling Risks (33:39) - CPA Trust Campaign Launch (36:17) - Florida Licensure Threat (37:14) - Why Shelly Stayed Quiet (39:13) - What The Bill Proposed (43:28) - Why Deregulation Happened (45:46) - How FICPA Stopped It (48:46) - Mobility And Modernization (01:00:04) - CPE And Future Battles (01:03:59) - Wrap Up And Next Steps  Show NotesMan Accused of Stealing $7K from Accounting Firm in Brooklynhttps://pix11.com/news/local-news/brooklyn/man-accused-of-stealing-7k-from-accounting-firm-in-brooklyn-nypd/AICPA and CIMA Launch Rise2040: Shaping the Future of Finance and Accountinghttps://www.aicpa-cima.com/news/article/aicpa-and-cima-launch-rise2040-shaping-the-future-of-finance-and-accountingThe AICPA Asks: Are You Ready for Accounting in 2040?https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/the-aicpa-asks-are-you-ready-for-accounting-in-2040OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar Offers a Look Inside the Company's Finance Functionhttps://www.cfo.com/news/openai-cfo-sarah-friar-offers-a-look-inside-the-companys-finance-function/822545/Accounting Undergrad Enrollment Up 9%https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/accounting-undergrad-enrollment-up-93 More States Pass CPA Pathways Legislationhttps://www.cfodive.com/news/3-more-states-pass-cpa-pathways-bills-accounting/821649/A Master's Degree Isn't the Job Guarantee It Used to Behttps://www.wsj.com/articles/a-masters-degree-isnt-the-job-guarantee-it-used-to-beKPMG Secretly and Repeatedly Accessed a Whistleblower's Computer, Then Shared the Files with Its CEOhttps://thenextweb.com/news/kpmg-accessed-whistleblower-computerCrowe Gets PE Investment from KKRhttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/crowe-gets-pe-investment-from-kkr57% Say PE Threatens the CPA Brand. But They'll Take the Money.https://cpatrendlines.com/2026/06/09/cpa-pe-deal-tracker-57-say-pe-threatens-the-cpa-brand-but-theyll-take-the-money/Red Lobster's CEO Says He's Going to Transform the Chain into 'The Most AI-Forward Restaurant Company That Exists'https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/technology/articles/red-lobsters-ceo-says-hes-153500558.htmlStephano Slack Scores PE Fundinghttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/stephano-slack-scores-pe-fundingNeed CPE?Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.comSubscribe to the Earmark Podcast: https://podcast.earmarkcpe.comGet in TouchThanks for listening and the great reviews! We appreciate you! Follow and tweet @BlakeTOliver and @DavidLeary. Find us on Facebook and Instagram. If you like what you hear, please do us a favor and write a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser. Call us and leave a voicemail; maybe we'll play it on the show. DIAL (202) 695-1040.SponsorshipsAre you interested in sponsoring The Accounting Podcast? For details, read the prospectus.Need Accounting Conference Info? Check out our new website - accountingconferences.comLimited edition shirts, stickers, and other necessitiesTeePublic Store: http://cloudacctpod.link/merchSubscribeApple Podcasts: http://cloudacctpod.link/ApplePodcastsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAccountingPodcastSpotify: http://cloudacctpod.link/SpotifyPodchaser: http://cloudacctpod.link/podchaserStitcher: http://cloudacctpod.link/StitcherOvercast: http://cloudacctpod.link/OvercastClassifieds REFRAME 2026 - http://accountingpodcast.promo/reframe2026Flowglad -

Get my new book: https://bronsonequity.com/fireyourselfDownload my new special report - How to Use Inflation to Your Advantage - www.bronsonequity.com/inflationIn this episode of The Mailbox Money Show, host Bronson Hill and co-host Nate Hambrick welcome business strategist Carl J. Cox for a powerful discussion on "The Difference Between a Business and a Very Expensive Job."Carl shares practical insights from scaling multiple companies, revealing how to start and grow a real business instead of just creating more work for yourself. Topics include side hustles for safety, leveraging transferable skills, building genuine value with strong margins and cash flow, calculated risk-taking, buying existing businesses, and treating strategic plans as hypotheses to test.About the Guest:Carl J. Cox is a business strategist, entrepreneur, and CEO of 40 Strategy and 40 Accounting. With extensive experience scaling companies across industries, he is the creator of the Captain Method and author of Lost at CEO: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Strategy. He helps leaders build sustainable, high-performing businesses through strategic planning, succession, and execution.Packed with actionable advice for aspiring and current business owners, this episode will help you shift from trading time for money to creating real freedom and wealth.TIMESTAMPS00:40 - Welcome to the Mailbox Money Show!01:12 - Statistics on Business Success Rates01:51 - Guest Intro: Carl J. Cox02:25 - Avoiding Starting a Business That Becomes Just Another Job04:19 - Side Hustles and Leveraging Experience05:56 - Baby Steps for Finding and Starting the Right Business08:24 - Adjacent Industries and Calculated Risk-Taking10:09 - Staying Sharp Through Continuous Learning12:13 - Building Profitable Business Models and Saying No14:55 - The Role of Experimentation and Testing Ideas21:31 - Funding, Cash Flow, and Avoiding Growing Broke26:32 - Buying Existing Businesses from Retiring Boomers29:59 - Key Takeaways and Closing Remarks31:39 - How to Connect with Carl J. CoxCONNECT WITH THE GUESTWebsite: 40strategy.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/40strategy/Carl's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carljcox/Podcast: Measure Success PodcastBook: Lost At CEO: An Entrepreneur's Guide To Strategy (Amazon)Get the book for FREE: carljcox@40strategy.com#BusinessMindset#Entrepreneurship#SideHustle#BuildABusiness#CashFlow#StrategicPlanning#ScaleYourBusiness

Alicia runs through the latest round of Intuit announcements, including invoice deposits, garnishment tracking in Payroll, batch bill pay for up to 50 payments at once, and a redesigned review-and-pay screen that now shows clients every open invoice. She also gets a little cynical about Intuit's growing push to surface its own experts inside QuickBooks, where clients can connect directly with Intuit for setup, bookkeeping, and tax help. It wraps with a hands-on look at the new CAS revenue calculator at firmofthefuture.com and what it reveals about firm benchmarks and advisory pricing.Sponsors:Aqqrue - http://uqb.promo/aqqrueC&R Consulting - http://uqb.promo/cnr(00:00) - Welcome and Overview (00:29) - Better Together Tour (01:48) - Accountant Suite Training (03:14) - Modern Reports Update (04:21) - Invoice Deposits Changes (06:24) - Customer Payment Portal (08:02) - Payroll Garnishment Tracking (09:47) - Batch Bill Pay Upgrade (10:15) - Intuit Experts Pushback (13:19) - Cash Flow Tools Coming (14:28) - CAS Revenue Calculator (24:51) - Hands On Training Class (28:17) - Wrap Up and Goodbye LINKSFirmofthefuture.comAlicia's book on Amazon: http://royl.ws/conversion-bookJuly 21 through October 8: HANDS-ON QUICKBOOKS TRAINING COURSE, http://royl.ws/HOT2026?affiliate=5393907We want to hear from you!Send your questions and comments to us at unofficialquickbookspodcast@gmail.com.Join our LinkedIn community at https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14630719/Visit our YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/@UnofficialQBOPodcastSign up to Earmark to earn free CPE for listening to this podcasthttps://www.earmark.app/onboarding 

Michael Smith—Managing Partner and Founder, Emerald Advisors Michael Smith shares how a client-first philosophy, niche specialization, and independence helped Emerald Advisors grow from $385mm to more than $1B in assets. In Summary What happens when an advisor builds a business around client service rather than operational efficiency? Jason Diamond speaks with Michael Smith, Founder and Managing Partner of Emerald Advisors, about the path from a successful Merrill practice to an independent RIA that has grown from approximately $385mm to more than $1B in assets. Along the way, Michael shares the story of being told he was “overservicing” clients, why that moment became a catalyst for independence, and how a highly specialized service model fueled the firm's growth. Drawing on lessons from a 24-year Navy career, Michael offers a perspective on leadership, specialization, client care, and what it takes to build a durable business in today's wealth management landscape. The Storyline Growth is often viewed as the result of marketing, referrals, acquisitions, or scale. Michael Smith sees it differently. After building a successful practice at Merrill, Michael found himself at odds with the constraints of the traditional wirehouse model. What ultimately stood out wasn't compensation, technology, or platform capabilities. It was a philosophical difference around client service. When he was told he was spending too much time helping clients navigate tax planning, equity compensation, and other financial decisions outside the traditional scope of investment management, he began to question whether the model aligned with the way he wanted to serve families. That realization eventually led him to launch Emerald Advisors in late 2019. The firm started with roughly 85 clients and approximately $385mm in assets. Today, Emerald serves more than 225 families and oversees more than $1B in assets. Throughout the conversation, Michael reflects on the lessons learned from building an independent firm, developing a niche around concentrated stock positions and executive compensation, navigating custodial and technology decisions, and creating a culture rooted in accountability and service. Underlying it all is a simple belief: when firms become highly intentional about who they serve and how they serve them, growth often becomes the outcome rather than the objective. Topics Covered Merrill breakaways and independence Client service as a growth driver Building an RIA RIA growth and scalability Organic growth strategies Concentrated stock positions and equity compensation planning Ideal client personas and niche specialization Schwab and Fidelity custody relationships Advisor succession and enterprise value Navy leadership principles in wealth management The rise of mega RIAs Advisor technology and infrastructure > Download a transcript of this episode… Listen and Learn Highlights for Advisors Why did being accused of “overservicing” clients become a turning point? (08:15)Michael explains how a conversation with management revealed a deeper misalignment between his client-service philosophy and the wirehouse model. What does client service look like beyond portfolio management? (11:30)The discussion explores how tax planning, equity compensation guidance, and proactive coordination can deepen client relationships. Why can specialization accelerate growth? (15:45)Michael shares why serving a defined niche often creates stronger referrals, greater expertise, and clearer positioning. How has the RIA landscape evolved since 2019? (20:30)Michael reflects on the rise of mega RIAs, changing technology capabilities, and why he believes independent firms still have significant advantages. What role do custodians really play in an independent business? (23:15)Michael discusses his experience working with Schwab and Fidelity and why he views custodians as strategic partners rather than competitors. Is the wirehouse model still the right fit for some advisors? (26:45)The conversation challenges the assumption that independence is the best path for everyone and explores the realities of running a business. Does reaching $1 billion in assets actually change anything? (32:45)Michael offers a practical perspective on growth, success, and why asset milestones can be misleading. What can advisors learn from the “steamboat” philosophy? (37:15)Drawing on his Navy experience, Michael shares a leadership framework that continues to shape how he approaches business building and decision-making. Key Takeaways Exceptional client service can become a meaningful competitive advantage when it extends beyond investment management. Independence gave Michael the flexibility to build a service model that aligned with his philosophy rather than adapting his philosophy to fit the platform. Developing a niche around executive compensation and concentrated stock positions helped accelerate Emerald's growth. The ability to make technology, custodial, and operational decisions quickly remains a significant advantage for independent firms. Not every advisor should be independent. Running a business requires a different set of skills and responsibilities than serving clients alone. Growth milestones are useful, but they do not define success. Michael believes success existed long before Emerald reached $1 billion in assets. High-performing teams with a clear client focus often find that growth becomes a natural byproduct of execution. https://youtu.be/RjzsMcC2DnY Quotable Moments “I literally had to go back and Google the word overservicing.” “Servicing the client is the most important thing that we can do today.” “If you serve a niche and you're very good at that niche, that word gets around.” “Growth becomes the outcome.” FAQs Can an advisor really “over-service” clients? The discussion explores the tension between efficiency and depth of service. While some business models prioritize scale and consistency, others are built around solving a broader range of client problems. The right answer often depends on the advisor's philosophy and business model. Does specialization still matter in a relationship business? Michael argues that developing expertise in a specific area can accelerate growth by making referrals easier and helping advisors become known for solving a particular set of problems. What actually changes when an advisor becomes independent? Beyond economics, independence often creates more flexibility around client service, technology, processes, and business decisions. At the same time, advisors assume responsibility for running the business itself. Is full independence the right path for every advisor? No. Michael acknowledges that many advisors benefit from the structure, support, and resources available within traditional firms. Independence offers flexibility, but it also introduces complexity and responsibility. How should advisors think about the $1 billion milestone? Michael views asset milestones as useful benchmarks but not measures of success. In his view, business quality, client outcomes, and sustainability matter more than any specific asset number. What role does an ideal client persona play in growth? Rather than trying to serve everyone, Emerald built its business around a clearly defined client profile. Michael believes that focus improves service, creates operational consistency, and supports organic growth. How can advisors balance growth with client service? One of the central themes of the episode is that growth and service are not necessarily competing objectives. In some cases, a differentiated service model becomes the reason a business grows. The discussion explores the tension between efficiency and depth of service. While some business models prioritize scale and consistency, others are built around solving a broader range of client problems. The right answer often depends on the advisor's philosophy and business model. Michael argues that developing expertise in a specific area can accelerate growth by making referrals easier and helping advisors become known for solving a particular set of problems. Beyond economics, independence often creates more flexibility around client service, technology, processes, and business decisions. At the same time, advisors assume responsibility for running the business itself. No. Michael acknowledges that many advisors benefit from the structure, support, and resources available within traditional firms. Independence offers flexibility, but it also introduces complexity and responsibility. Michael views asset milestones as useful benchmarks but not measures of success. In his view, business quality, client outcomes, and sustainability matter more than any specific asset number. Rather than trying to serve everyone, Emerald built its business around a clearly defined client profile. Michael believes that focus improves service, creates operational consistency, and supports organic growth. One of the central themes of the episode is that growth and service are not necessarily competing objectives. In some cases, a differentiated service model becomes the reason a business grows. Related Resources The Transitioning Advisor's Lament: Things I Wish I Knew Before Freedom vs. Familiarity: Is it Worth Disrupting Comfort for Something That Might Be Better? IBD vs. RIA Revisited: Two Independent Pathways for Advisors to Consider Advisor Transition Report 2026 Guest Bio Michael Smith, CPWA® is the Founder and Managing Partner of Emerald Advisors, an independent wealth management firm overseeing more than $1 billion in assets for affluent families, executives, and business owners with complex planning needs. Mike entered the wealth management industry in 2005 after a distinguished 24-year career in the United States Navy, where he served both as an enlisted sailor in the Submarine Force and later as a Limited Duty Officer aboard USS Abraham Lincoln and on major staffs around the world. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Management and an MBA with dual emphases in Finance & Accounting and International Business. Throughout his career, Mike has been known for his commitment to comprehensive planning, helping clients navigate complex issues involving concentrated stock positions, executive compensation, tax strategy, estate planning, philanthropy, and multi-generational wealth transfer. His client-first approach and passion for education have helped Emerald Advisors grow from a startup firm in 2019 to a nationally recognized RIA serving more than 225 families. Outside of the office, Mike is an avid ultrarunner, golfer, lifelong learner, and dedicated advocate for children’s health initiatives. He is a current member of the Legacy Council at Seattle Children’s Hospital and has served in leadership and board roles supporting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, the ALS Association, and the Alyssa Burnett Adult Life Center. He is also the proud father of Kat Smith. NOTE: The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Diamond Consultants. Neither Diamond Consultants nor the guests on this podcast are compensated in any way for their participation. View the transcript of this episode… From “Overservicing” Clients to Building a $1B RIA: A Merrill Breakaway Story A conversation with Jason Diamond and Michael Smith, Managing Partner and Founder of Emerald Advisors.      Jason Diamond: Welcome to the latest episode of our podcast series for financial advisors. Today’s episode is From “Overservicing” Clients to Building a $1B RIA: A Merrill Breakaway Story. It’s a conversation with Michael Smith, managing partner and founder of Emerald Advisors. I’m Jason Diamond and this is the Diamond Podcast for financial advisors. Mindy Diamond: At Diamond Consultants, we help elite advisors identify the right environment for their businesses to thrive whether that’s at a wirehouse, boutique or independent firm. With nearly three decades of experience, we’ve guided thousands of advisors and represented more than a quarter of a trillion dollars in assets transitioned and, each year, one in four advisors managing a billion dollars or more who change firms are our clients. Our process is education driven and based on building relationships starting as your strategic partner well before you’re even thinking of a move. To schedule a confidential conversation, call us at (908) 879-1002. Wondering why advisors change firms and where they’re headed? Are transition deals going up or down? Those very questions and more inspired us to create our annual advisor transition report. It’s the award-winning, data-driven resource designed for advisors that connects the dots between the motivations around movement and the firm’s appetite for top talent. Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make smart decisions. Download your copy at diamond-consultants.com/transitionreport. Jason Diamond: Growth is often viewed as the result of better marketing, stronger referrals, a larger team and even acquisition and that’s all true yet growth can be the byproduct of something else entirely. For example, Michael Smith built a successful practice at Merrill then, one day, he was told he was spending too much time with his clients, or his management put it over-servicing clients. For Michael, that wasn’t a warning sign about his approach, it was a signal that he might have outgrown the firm and the model. Today, Michael is the founder and managing partner of Emerald Advisors, the independent RIA he launched in late 2019 with roughly 385 million in assets and 85 client relationships. Less than seven years later, the firm has grown to more than a billion in assets while remaining deeply focused on a highly-specialized client base and an unusually hands-on service model. What makes this story particularly interesting isn’t just the growth, it’s the thinking behind it. Michael’s perspective was shaped long before he entered wealth management. After serving more than two decades in the Navy, he brought a leadership philosophy centered on accountability, discipline and what he calls steamboat people, those who keep moving forward regardless of conditions, that mindset continues to influence how he builds his team, serves clients and evaluates opportunities. In this episode, we discuss the decision to leave Merrill, the realities of launching a fully independent RIA, why specialization can accelerate growth, the evolving role of custodians and technology and why he believes exceptional client service remains one of the industry’s most durable competitive advantages. Because Michael’s experience suggests that growth isn’t always the result of finding more opportunities, sometimes it’s the result of creating the freedom to execute the vision you already had so let’s jump in. Michael, thank you so much for joining us today. For starters, can you walk us through your background and what brought you to the world of wealth management? Michael Smith: Jason, thank you so much for the opportunity to be here today, I do listen to the podcast a lot especially before I left Mother Merrill. But my background and how I got into financial services is really distinct because I was on the board of JDRF back in the day and the national sponsor for JDRF was UBS PaineWebber and they’re like, “Mike, why don’t you be a financial advisor?” And my master’s degree was actually a finance and accounting in portfolio management because I’ve managed my own portfolio for years and years and so, when I couldn’t get a job, I just fell into it because I couldn’t get a job and I needed a job. That was 21 years ago, Memorial Day so that’s how I got into this industry. Jason Diamond: It’s a unique background, it’s super interesting and I want to talk more about it. You mentioned Mother Merrill, we’ll certainly get there. Before we do, give us a little bit of context on the current business you operate, Emerald Advisors, any context you can share on size, number of staff, types of clients you serve would be great. Michael Smith: Sure. So, we launched Emerald in 2019, November 2019 with about 85 clients and you always talk about this on the podcast how scared it is to launch and go independent. And I would say we took over about 95% of our clients that we wanted to bring over and today we’re at about 230 clients, I think we have some onboarding right now, we have just over a billion of assets. So, we launched with the 85 clients and around 350, 385 million, now we’re over a billion. Jason Diamond: Good for you. Michael Smith: Thank you. And I launched with four employees and we’re now at 11. And I would give a shout-out to one of my key employees because, when I launched, I actually hired somebody that had no experience with us and that was really a good thing because that allowed that person to really focus on operations and back office stuff while my business partner Emily and I were able to focus on bringing on the clients and alleviating any issues that they may have or thought. Jason Diamond: So, meaning you hired somebody basically immediately upon launch to help you with the transition and with this next chapter? Michael Smith: Correct. I hired them before but they started the day we launched. Jason Diamond: Brilliant, I love it. Oh, let’s definitely talk more about that because I think that’s a great strategy for … You’re right, you said it in a joking manner now because you’re seven years past but it’s a very real fear that advisors have and I think it’s worth talking more about. I want to mention too you have, obviously, built this business and grown this business dramatically. I don’t want to make this episode about the pandemic but you moved the business at a, certainly, a unique time. Did it impact your growth at all? Did you feel like you hit a brick wall? Just curious about your thoughts. Michael Smith: No, Jason, that’s a great observation. I would venture to say that the pandemic was actually a good thing for us. Jason Diamond: Interesting. Michael Smith: And I say that because, all of a sudden, you could hit pause because everyone was relearning how to do business, how do we do client reviews, how do we communicate with clients in a environment. So, I think the pandemic allowed us to just really reset our expectations visiting with clients because I used to fly a lot because I have clients in 38 different states so this has actually been, not just good for me, but good for the industry because I think it’s reset our expectations that we don’t have to be every day with a client facing. Jason Diamond: I agree with that largely and it’s true of our business too, by the way, it’s certainly reshaped the way people expect to be communicated with. I think Zoom has become much more mainstream, phone calls and we’ve heard from many other advisors who say something similar. I was just curious because you moved so close to or if there was an impact but I get, honestly, I think you’re right, it allowed you to have this nice natural inflection point and almost like flipping a switch of a clean slate. Michael Smith: It allowed us to learn the processes too. So, we launched in November 1st, by March we were in lockdown and so it gave us the opportunity to take several months of just learning the processes of how to be an RIA, it was pretty good. Jason Diamond: Absolutely. So, one of the things you mentioned in that was the way in which you serve clients and I’d read something funny and I think it was around the time of your move. You were talking about that, Merrill, you had a manager who spoke about that you would overserve your clients, you serve clients too much, tell me about that. Michael Smith: That was such an interesting topic because I got called down to the ops officer’s office and they’re like, “Ugh, Mike.” And it brought my admin down with me and they’re like, “Mike, these reports that you’re taking care of your clients too much,” and I’m like, “What do you mean?” “Well, you’re overservicing them.” Jason, I literally had to go back and Google the word overservicing because I was like, “How do you overservice the client? I’m not making their bed.” It was just so funny to me that I got counsel for overservicing clients when we’re in a client-facing job and I think that was part of the catalyst. Jason Diamond: Tell me more about what they meant, you think. Michael Smith: Hindsight, I think they … I like to take care of people which means I’m very intuitive towards taxes, I understand how the tax code works, I understand how everything impacts their bottom line. So, when we’re doing deferred comp enrollments or 401(k) enrollments or I’m a big believer in Roth 401(k)s and backdoor Roths and I’ve been doing them for years, I think what Mother Merrill wanted at that time was us not to do that. And, again, nothing against Merrill, I get it but this is how they wanted us to act and I wasn’t in that mold, I was taking care of clients to a much deeper depth is how I would say it. Jason Diamond: And I think that speaks to you outgrew the model not necessarily the firm. I think Merrill does a lot of things really well, you would agree with that, I think given that you built 85 clients and 350 million in assets is nothing to sneeze at. But the model that it seems like you value client service and an integrated client service experience of that and the wirehouse model oftentimes doesn’t put a premium on that. Tell me about your ethos or your thoughts around client service today and what being independent enables you to do. Michael Smith: So, that’s an interesting observation because one of my clients actually just mentioned to me that the reason we’re growing so much is because of our service model and the fact that we deliver a tremendous amount of value over just portfolio management. I said my managers is in portfolio management, I don’t do that any longer, I have a staff that handles that for me but it’s really the servicing of the clients because they don’t know what we know and I think servicing the client is the most important thing that we can do today. Jason Diamond: Give me some examples of what you mean by servicing the client in a more holistic way. I agree with you, by the way, portfolio management, table stakes, financial planning, table stakes, tell me more about what you mean. Michael Smith: By that I mean we do a quarterly review on tax. So, a lot of people don’t understand how taxes work and how estimated taxes work. So, estimated taxes are January 1st to March 31st, January 1st to May 31st, January 1st to August 31st, that’s how you do your estimated tax payments, you figure out what that is. And for compensated employees where they have RSUs that come in at different times of the year or different grants or exercise their options at a different time, that can affect their estimated tax liability and I’m not big on giving Uncle Sam any more money than they have to have until they need it. And then everyone doesn’t understand how the penalties and interest works on the IRS. And I’m big on the tax payments because that’s where we can add a lot of value for not a lot of time and we integrate it with our portfolio so we know what we’re doing with our gains. And I happen to reside in Washington State which has a long-term capital gains tax rate once you surpass about 270,000 of long-term capital gains. So, it’s super important for us to be aware of this and that’s how we service them. We also help them with their rebalancing of their 401(k)s, things that wirehouses cannot supposed to do, we are not supposed to be helping them with some of their aspects of life. Jason Diamond: Yup. That’s what I was alluding to earlier, it’s limitations on the model, not because they’re bad models, it’s just a different way, a different ethos around client service. You mentioned RSUs and corporate employees, I know that’s a niche you have is around concentrated stock positions and equity comp plans. I guess let me ask you two different questions around this. First of all, why that niche? Interested. And then, second of all, do you think a team needs to have a specialization to be competitive these days or do you think it’s okay just to be like, “My job is to be the best advisor and I want to service assets wherever those assets may come from?” Michael Smith: Another great observation. I’m going to address the niche first and foremost. I think, and I talked to R.J. Shook’s staff just recently, and having a niche gives you a specialization and it also accelerates your growth factor. If you serve a niche and you’re very good at that niche, then that word gets around. If you’re a jack of all trades, you can do lots of things but I don’t think you’re focused and you’re not hitting the right numbers that I like to see. And I think that would be my theme is the niche allows you to focus on a very specific type of ideal client, that’s a Schwab thing where you have an ideal client persona and our firm has an ideal client persona. As far as having the equity comp, I absolutely was one of the teams at Merrill Lynch that was equity compensation designated, I managed a couple of plans. My exposure to that, Jason, I haven’t thought about this in a very long time, came from UBS where I had team members that were colleagues that were associated with the Nextel Sprint plan. And I always thought that you’re taking care of the top executives but, really, my background being in the military was how do we take care of the troops, the troops, I call them sailors, and how do we educate those sailors. And one of the things I’ve always said in my entire career in the military and I still say to this day is 50% of every bonus or a promotion or something like that should go to long-term savings. So, I use that same mentality with RSUs, with stock options, with bonuses. Set that aside, let that grow because you’re not used to spending it and you will learn to spend what you make. Jason Diamond: I think that’s a great reason, it’s super smart and I love your explanation, it was a very simplistic way. Honestly, even I hadn’t thought about that around your niche, I think, becomes almost like a force multiplier for your own growth because it’s much easier to become the guy in X, Y, Z vertical than to be the guy in every financial advisor of America, across America. Let me ask you a follow-up question, you mentioned the ideal client persona. I spend a lot of time at our firm thinking about this as well, what does your ideal client persona look like. How do you think about an opportunity though that differs from that persona? So, it’s great. Obviously, everybody, it’s easy, you get somebody who’s your perfect prospect, they walk in the front door, sign me up. But when you get something that’s not down the fairway for you, is it just I evaluate it on a one-off basis or are you super disciplined to that approach because it’s who your firm is? Michael Smith: I truly haven’t given that a whole lot of thought but I will tell you how I would handle that because I am handling it with some one-offs. I like the opportunity because you’re stretching your brain in that you’re thinking about how somebody else is reacting so you’d never know. So, I like it from a learning perspective but I also know it comes with a lot of other baggage, I’ll call it baggage, because, all of a sudden, they want to short the market, they want to go long-short strategies. So, all of a sudden, they’re not in our niche and, all of a sudden, they’re taking a lot of time, they’re draining our time so I think you got to be very careful about what you wish for. And there’s a lot of great advisors out there that will walk circles around these topics that I’m like, “Okay, I would rather refer somebody so they get the right experience than give them the wrong experience.” Jason Diamond: I absolutely love that answer. The bow you just put on it, I think, is the appropriate way in my mind to put a bow. At the end of the day, wouldn’t you rather service somebody more optimally even if you don’t believe it’s yourself, I agree with that. I want to ask you one more point on the client service piece. I was playing around on your website and, on your service model, you have health as a component of the client experience of your diagram. Why do you think health matters in a financial context? Michael Smith: I always believed in a healthy mind and a healthy body will bring so much joy to you and I think health is just part of your persona. If you don’t take care of yourself and your body and your mind, then it doesn’t matter what I do, I think you got to start with health. So, I’m very big on the executive physicals, I routinely require all of our staff to have an annual physical. And, again, they’re young people but you got to have these annual … I live and breathe going to see a doctor every year to do my annual physical, not because I think I’m pretty good health, I still run, I do a lot of things but I think your life starts with being healthy. Jason Diamond: Yeah, it’s refreshing to hear that, no doubt. It’s funny to think about but 2019 is a long time ago now and, in RIA world, I almost think of it like dog years. You’ve been around the block now for a little while so I’m curious how have you seen this space change since you launched in 2019? Michael Smith: In 2019, I didn’t know what I was doing, I could barely get out a wet paper bag but I do think it’s changed dramatically. I would say the biggest thing I’ve seen in just the six and a half, almost seven years is the rise of the mega RIAs and how they’re going to shape the industry. Everyone talked about fee compression at Merrill Lynch. When I was at Merrill, we talked about fee compression, then they talked about robo-advisors and now they’re talking about artificial intelligence replacing advisors, I don’t believe that and I don’t think that’s going to happen in the RIA space. What I see the RIA space maturing is into these very big mega firms as well as these independent RIAs like myself that serve a very niche market where we can walk in our lane. The ability to transact today is so much easier as an RIA than it was at a wirehouse as well because we have instant access to technology. My military background, my Navy background says make a decision right, wrong or different, if you don’t like it afterwards or you get new data, course change. So, in our industry, we can change on a notice. I hired a tech firm last year, I didn’t like the experience nine months into it, guess what, they’re not coming back. So, I can do that but you can’t do that at the bigger firms and even the bigger mega firms would have a hard time navigating a change just like that on a dime. Jason Diamond: You bring up an interesting point. To the extent you face competition, do you find yourself competing more against traditional wirehouse type firms or RIAs like yourself, mega caps RIAs? Are your clients attuned to any of this? Michael Smith: That’s an observation I haven’t thought of either there, Jason. I would say I don’t feel that I have a … I know there’s competition out there but we have a growth issue more than we have anything else so I don’t … I can’t take on the clients that want to become my clients so I’m not competing with people too much. Jason Diamond: A capacity issue, you mean? Michael Smith: Yeah, I have a capacity issue. Jason Diamond: I think you’re not alone in that. How can I even think about competition and the like when … A lot of advisors would probably say that. I want to talk more about the capacity situation but, before I do, let’s talk a little more about the RIA setup. Who do you custody with, remind us, and why or how did you arrive at that decision? Michael Smith: Yeah. So, when I launched, I went with Schwab, Schwab is a phenomenal partner, they helped me get a lot of stuff done, I couldn’t have done it without Schwab. During the pandemic, I realized that I should probably … So, remember, during the pandemic, we had a lot of issues with the banking industry, it was almost like a financial crisis but in a very compressed time. So, during the COVID, I decided to add Fidelity as another custodian so now I have two custodians and I opened accounts on both sides of the house but I like the custodians that are there to help you, they’re very good at what they do. I don’t even consider them a competitor and they aren’t competitors, they have their own branch so I don’t consider them competitors, I think they’re my partners and both Charles Schwab and Fidelity are good partners. Jason Diamond: Yeah, I think that’s the healthy way to look at the custody relationship. That’s a very common approach, I think, is launching with one custodian and then adding a secondary custodian or a tertiary custodian down the line for one reason or another so I appreciate you sharing that because we get those types of nuts and bolts questions a lot so I figured I’d ask you. One last question on the setup and then we’ll shift gears. Has anything been a negative? So, you talked about leaving Mother Merrill behind and, Mother Merrill, we use it facetiously but obviously it implies a degree of comfort and the homeland so I’m curious if you miss anything. Michael Smith: I miss the camaraderie of being with a bunch of other folks. I mentioned this when I first launched, I mentioned it year over year with my team, the one thing that we miss as an RIA and, again, Dynasty has their benefits as well and the mega RIAs have their benefits but, if you’re a true independent like myself, we get to go to conferences that we want to and that’s a timing issue, really, a time constraint. But one thing Merrill and Morgan, JPMorgan, and the other big wirehouses have as well as the megas, they have the ability to put conferences together for their advisors or their administrators and have this education. That’s the one thing that, I think, would evolve in the RIA industry in the future as well. They’re not my competitors, they’re my business colleagues. And if we think of them as competitors, and a lot of people do because I don’t want to share my client information or what I do with my competitor because they may steal them, if you’re that insecure, then you’re probably not the right advisor in the first place. Jason Diamond: I don’t disagree with that. It’s interesting too, I hear two common answers to that question, not about Merrill but just about somebody who’s broken away, what do you miss about the captive firm world. Either on this podcast or just in conversations with advisors, brand comes up a lot and then the point you just raised. I’ll even hear like, “Hey, forget the conferences and the trainings, just being able to have an office where I’ve got eight other advisors on a row for me, it’s a little bit of a different setup than in the independent space,” and I think that’s just a reality of you take the good with the bad. And for other advisors, by the way, one of the things I want to ask you about to this point is do you believe that there are advisors that are just better served in the W2 traditional firm world or do you think that every advisor should be looking at the RIA space? Michael Smith: I think that wirehouse serves a great purpose and- Jason Diamond: Okay, me too. Michael Smith: … there’s a lot of great people that are great advisors in that wirehouse, they need the structure. What I hadn’t alluded to is, and I mentioned this to a former manager from Merrill Lynch of mine just recently, actually, I was like, “I don’t think advisors realize what it takes to run a business.” I’m not trying to sugarcoat it, running an RIA is hard work, it takes a lot of your time day in and day out to run a business as well as taking care of and servicing your clients so I do think the wirehouse venue is the right way to go. And, Jason, I want to go back to one other thing about your identity. I launched as the Smith Group because that’s what I was known at Merrill Lynch. Within three or four months, I changed that name to a firm because I did not want to be associated with it. So, when you’re at one of the wirehouses, you’re known as your team name or something of that sort, I didn’t want to be known as that, I wanted to be known as Emerald Advisors not the Smith Group because, all of a sudden, you have a single point of failure. So, brand identity, it’s not so unique inside the wirehouse because it’s a team name versus Merrill or Morgan Stanley or something like that. Jason Diamond: It’s a good segue because I’ll tell you where my mind goes when you bring that up. My mind goes is you’re smart in a way that you might not even realize or maybe you do realize which is that, if and when it ever comes time to sell this business, it is probably more valuable without your name attached to it or maybe not. But in some way, shape or form, as an RIA, you have an obligation to be thinking about that or it’s probably on your radar, maybe not an obligation. Have you given an ounce of thought to M&A either acquiring businesses, growing in that way or, ultimately, when you succeed out of this business and what the RIA space enables you to do? Michael Smith: To answer that question, yes. Everyone’s thinking about merger and acquisition, I think about succession planning from day one. I actually thought about I’m a big team person, I come from the submarine force where everyone is a key player on a submarine, every single person has a job and responsibility on a nuclear submarine. So, inside the financial services industry, I know Merrill Lynch was very big on teaming, I understand Morgan Stanley is as well because teaming gives them a breadth of responsibility where the responsibilities are shared. So, mergers and acquisitions or selling my business, I think, if you’re not thinking about that … And I’m not thinking about selling my business because that’s a distraction to me. If I needed the money, then I would’ve went to a wirehouse and that’s okay, you monetize your life’s work. Today, I’m all about what’s right for the client, what’s right for my team and what’s right for where I want to be in the next 10 to 20 years. So, I am growing, I do want to grow, I’m looking at opening offices in probably three locations in the next 24 months or so. Jason Diamond: Well, that’s what I was going to say, plenty of advisors I think would say the same, I have a lot of runway. But what about the other side of this equation which is you’ve had tremendous organic growth, you’ve tripled your client base, you’ve more than tripled the asset base, have you thought about acquisition as a mean to jet fuel the inorganic growth side of things? Michael Smith: I have but not in the typical sense that you’re looking at as buying a book of business. I want to partner with like-minded advisors that share that common thread of taking care of clients where you can serve as their trusted counsel and sit in the meetings with their attorneys and sit in the meetings with the accountants and give them sage counsel that you can only do because you’ve been with the family for 20 years. You know this family and that, not always, but I think that’s missed a lot in other firms. Jason Diamond: Yeah, I think that’s fair. I just thought of something else that you brought up. You brought Dynasty so I’m going to ask … I’m going to pull on this thread. That implies to me that you’re at least loosely aware of the supportive independence models that are out there yet you chose a very independent, autonomous path, why? Michael Smith: Because I didn’t know what I was doing. Jason Diamond: Fair. Michael Smith: Let’s be honest, I like Dynasty, I talked with Dynasty when I left. I talked to them all, I talked to Rockefeller, I talked to Morgan, I talked to Dynasty and then, when push came to shove, I wanted to be Mike Smith and launch my own firm and learn. And I will tell you, you learn drinking through a fire hose and we did that, we learned, I know the mistakes. What I didn’t want to do is just go to someplace where this is the stuff you’re going to have to use. So, I think Dynasty is a great launching platform, I think there’s other ones out there that are similar to Dynasty or the Rockefellers or the Morgans, it’s truly what you’re trying to achieve in life. What do you want for you and your clients and I always put my clients before me because I’ve always had this lifelong thing of, you do the right thing, you’re going to get taken care of. Jason Diamond: Yeah. And that’s a very common analysis, by the way, and it’s very common too for big advisors like yourself to say I did my homework across all of those different categories. I looked at the traditional wirehouses and regional firms and boutique firms, I looked at the independent broker dealers, I looked at the support platforms and the aggregators and the roll-ups and here’s ultimately what I landed on and why. Did you always know that though or was that something that it took you a diligence process to figure out? There was plenty of advisors, by the way, who come to us and they’re like, “I knew for the last five years that I was sitting there I was launching an RIA someday.” Michael Smith: Yeah. I did not know that and, to be honest with you, hindsight, I think one of those partners probably could have made me a little bit better at first because then I could have focused on clients versus focusing on, hey, how to open a business, who’s your technology … We talked about custodians and some other things but we didn’t talk about technology, how do you go find that technology. Where’s your email address come from? Who’s your chief compliance officer? When it resides on you, you got to look in the mirror. So, I think those parties out there that provide that for brand-new advisors launching could be very beneficial. I had in my mind what I needed to do and I knew I’m very frugal so mine boiled down to how much money I wanted to spend, to be honest with you. Jason Diamond: I think it is a cost benefit analysis, it is. It’s absolutely … Because if you list the functions of a support platform on paper and you showed it to somebody who didn’t know the industry, they would say, “Why on earth wouldn’t you do this? They’re taking off your plate compliance and tech and custody and the like,” and the answer is because there’s a cost associated with it and plenty of advisors decide what you decide, I wanted … Or I just wanted a greater degree of autonomy and freedom, to your point, the name on the door piece, I wanted this to be mine. Michael Smith: And, Jason, I think it also goes to the uncertainty. I had never done anything since Navy, financial advising and then launching. So, for me, I was launching with four employees I had to take care of and here I was going to hire a third party that I was going to have to spend X amount on and I didn’t even know what my income was going to be. That’s different if you’re a multi-billion dollar FA coming out of a wirehouse, the monetary dynamics are different. Jason Diamond: Agreed. Okay, here’s a good one for you. We get this concept from advisors, from firms, from private equity that a billion dollars in assets is like this magic number in our industry. Do you feel like anything’s changed now that you’re at a billion and what’s the next chapter for Emerald Advisors? Is it just continuing on this steady trajectory and serving clients and trust that everything else comes with that? Michael Smith: I go back and forth on a billion, everyone thinks that’s the right number, the biggest number that you need but I think it’s just an arbitrary numbers because it didn’t define who I was. And a lot of people define success at a billion, they define success that you’re a successful firm at a billion. I think I was a successful firm at 300 million, I was a successful financial advisor with 20 clients in 2005. I would say a billion is a multiplier, what I would tell new advisors out there today is gather assets. The more assets you have, the more revenue you generate. The more revenue you generate, the more money you can put in your pocket which means the longer you can stay in the industry. The problem with the industry is an attrition problem, not anything else. So, assets just give us the ability to have revenue which gives us the ability to grow. Jason Diamond: And is that the plan? Keep adding assets, keep growing one client at a time with the focus though, obviously, on what makes you which is a very client-centric service model. Michael Smith: Correct. There’s a lot of things I want to do in the next couple of years and expanding our footprint is our biggest one with the right partners and then just keep adding. I have a business development officer that I’m probably offer a job to here pretty soon and things are going well. Jason Diamond: Yeah, that’s great. You mentioned the tech stack and the other components of the business and I hear you on the frugal cost-benefit analysis. But who did you turn to for some of those early decisions, was it Schwab primarily who helped hold your hand through that? Michael Smith: Schwab was very good at helping me identify the tech stack at first and the tech stack is actually the one consistent, there’s a lot of things I’ve been consistent on but tech is one that I’ve stayed with them. I launched with RightSize, now they’re Advisory, they’re very good, they do the right job for us and I’m big on cybersecurity. So, tech was helpful from Schwab, Schwab helped us with that. Jason Diamond: So, we spoke a little bit about your naval experience but, I’m curious, can you tell us how has your naval experience shaped your perception or your experience in wealth management? Michael Smith: My Navy path was a lot different than many officers. I served 12 years as an enlisted person before I got my direct commission as a Mustang officer, typically called limited duty officers or loud, dumb and obnoxious as I like to say. But that experience gave me a unique perspective because I was able to be the enlisted side and officer which are the workers and then the management side so I had both experiences which was unique. When I was commissioned, Admiral Jerry Ellis, a submarine admiral that commissioned me, heard this lesson to the podium, he was just talking about me in this point but he said, “There are three kinds of people in every organization. You have rowboat people who need to be pushed, you have sailboat people who move whenever the conditions are favorable and then there’s steamboat people, they move continuously through calm or storm.” And he said, “This is Ensign Michael Smith,” he said, “Make your course.” And that’s always stood with me because you do have those three types of people in life. You got people that are just … They’re robo people, they go until they get tired. You got sailboat people that go wherever the wind blows them and then you got steamboat people that chart their own course. I would say for advisors out there make your course or just be happy with what you’re doing. But for some of us hard chargers, I think that analogy has stayed with me my entire career. Jason Diamond: It’s fantastic. I love the analogy, great naval tie in also. Thanks for sharing that. We got time for one more question. You have a fascinating background, a fascinating path to the industry, obviously, an incredibly disciplined approach around client service, any parting thoughts, words of wisdom especially as it relates to growth? That’s what strikes me most about your story is the growth that your move unlocked and that’s what every advisor who listens to our show is looking for. Michael Smith: I’m going to give another plug to Schwab on this. We actually were fortunate and I got their consulting group to come in right afterwards and I’m a big believer in having offsite. So, I’ve had an offsite, two offsites a year for my team and it’s the entire team unlike the wirehouses where you don’t take your admins and stuff like that. I take my entire team to an offsite and we group up on what we’re trying to achieve and have goals and objectives for the year. Schwab allowed us to use their consultants and we came up with our ideal client persona. Teams or firms that have this model become high performing. When you become high performing, growth becomes the outcome. I couldn’t do anything but grow. Jason, I couldn’t not grow because I had this ideal client persona, I knew how I was going to do it, it was measurable. So, growth becomes the outcome and, if you hold people responsible, then we’re all going to grow together and it’s a fun outcome. Jason Diamond: Fantastic, it’s a great place to end. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise with us, I can’t wait to see what the next chapter holds for Emerald, this has been a lot of fun. Michael Smith: Jason, thank you so much. I appreciate everything you do for the industry as well. Mindy Diamond: As a financial advisor, you hold yourself to the highest standards of integrity, honesty and credibility. You are successful because you take your professional responsibility seriously and are dedicated to your clients. But are you living your best business life? Are your goals aligned with your firms or could a better option exist? Should I Stay or Should I Go? Is a book written with you in mind? It’s a self-guided journey that walks you through the key steps that we take with our advisor clients. This strategic thought process and roadmap to professional self-discovery is designed to help you ask the right questions and think critically and objectively whether you’re considering change or not. Learn how to get your copy at diamond-consultants.com/thebook. From “Overservicing” Clients to Building a $1B RIA: A Merrill Breakaway Story A conversation with Jason Diamond and Michael Smith, Managing Partner and Founder of Emerald Advisors.      Jason Diamond: Welcome to the latest episode of our podcast series for financial advisors. Today’s episode is From “Overservicing” Clients to Building a $1B RIA: A Merrill Breakaway Story. It’s a conversation with Michael Smith, managing partner and founder of Emerald Advisors. I’m Jason Diamond and this is the Diamond Podcast for financial advisors. Mindy Diamond: At Diamond Consultants, we help elite advisors identify the right environment for their businesses to thrive whether that’s at a wirehouse, boutique or independent firm. With nearly three decades of experience, we’ve guided thousands of advisors and represented more than a quarter of a trillion dollars in assets transitioned and, each year, one in four advisors managing a billion dollars or more who change firms are our clients. Our process is education driven and based on building relationships starting as your strategic partner well before you’re even thinking of a move. To schedule a confidential conversation, call us at (908) 879-1002. Wondering why advisors change firms and where they’re headed? Are transition deals going up or down? Those very questions and more inspired us to create our annual advisor transition report. It’s the award-winning, data-driven resource designed for advisors that connects the dots between the motivations around movement and the firm’s appetite for top talent. Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make smart decisions. Download your copy at diamond-consultants.com/transitionreport. Jason Diamond: Growth is often viewed as the result of better marketing, stronger referrals, a larger team and even acquisition and that’s all true yet growth can be the byproduct of something else entirely. For example, Michael Smith built a successful practice at Merrill then, one day, he was told he was spending too much time with his clients, or his management put it over-servicing clients. For Michael, that wasn’t a warning sign about his approach, it was a signal that he might have outgrown the firm and the model. Today, Michael is the founder and managing partner of Emerald Advisors, the independent RIA he launched in late 2019 with roughly 385 million in assets and 85 client relationships. Less than seven years later, the firm has grown to more than a billion in assets while remaining deeply focused on a highly-specialized client base and an unusually hands-on service model. What makes this story particularly interesting isn’t just the growth, it’s the thinking behind it. Michael’s perspective was shaped long before he entered wealth management. After serving more than two decades in the Navy, he brought a leadership philosophy centered on accountability, discipline and what he calls steamboat people, those who keep moving forward regardless of conditions, that mindset continues to influence how he builds his team, serves clients and evaluates opportunities. In this episode, we discuss the decision to leave Merrill, the realities of launching a fully independent RIA, why specialization can accelerate growth, the evolving role of custodians and technology and why he believes exceptional client service remains one of the industry’s most durable competitive advantages. Because Michael’s experience suggests that growth isn’t always the result of finding more opportunities, sometimes it’s the result of creating the freedom to execute the vision you already had so let’s jump in. Michael, thank you so much for joining us today. For starters, can you walk us through your background and what brought you to the world of wealth management? Michael Smith: Jason, thank you so much for the opportunity to be here today, I do listen to the podcast a lot especially before I left Mother Merrill. But my background and how I got into financial services is really distinct because I was on the board of JDRF back in the day and the national sponsor for JDRF was UBS PaineWebber and they’re like, “Mike, why don’t you be a financial advisor?” And my master’s degree was actually a finance and accounting in portfolio management because I’ve managed my own portfolio for years and years and so, when I couldn’t get a job, I just fell into it because I couldn’t get a job and I needed a job. That was 21 years ago, Memorial Day so that’s how I got into this industry. Jason Diamond: It’s a unique background, it’s super interesting and I want to talk more about it. You mentioned Mother Merrill, we’ll certainly get there. Before we do, give us a little bit of context on the current business you operate, Emerald Advisors, any context you can share on size, number of staff, types of clients you serve would be great. Michael Smith: Sure. So, we launched Emerald in 2019, November 2019 with about 85 clients and you always talk about this on the podcast how scared it is to launch and go independent. And I would say we took over about 95% of our clients that we wanted to bring over and today we’re at about 230 clients, I think we have some onboarding right now, we have just over a billion of assets. So, we launched with the 85 clients and around 350, 385 million, now we’re over a billion. Jason Diamond: Good for you. Michael Smith: Thank you. And I launched with four employees and we’re now at 11. And I would give a shout-out to one of my key employees because, when I launched, I actually hired somebody that had no experience with us and that was really a good thing because that allowed that person to really focus on operations and back office stuff while my business partner Emily and I were able to focus on bringing on the clients and alleviating any issues that they may have or thought. Jason Diamond: So, meaning you hired somebody basically immediately upon launch to help you with the transition and with this next chapter? Michael Smith: Correct. I hired them before but they started the day we launched. Jason Diamond: Brilliant, I love it. Oh, let’s definitely talk more about that because I think that’s a great strategy for … You’re right, you said it in a joking manner now because you’re seven years past but it’s a very real fear that advisors have and I think it’s worth talking more about. I want to mention too you have, obviously, built this business and grown this business dramatically. I don’t want to make this episode about the pandemic but you moved the business at a, certainly, a unique time. Did it impact your growth at all? Did you feel like you hit a brick wall? Just curious about your thoughts. Michael Smith: No, Jason, that’s a great observation. I would venture to say that the pandemic was actually a good thing for us. Jason Diamond: Interesting. Michael Smith: And I say that because, all of a sudden, you could hit pause because everyone was relearning how to do business, how do we do client reviews, how do we communicate with clients in a environment. So, I think the pandemic allowed us to just really reset our expectations visiting with clients because I used to fly a lot because I have clients in 38 different states so this has actually been, not just good for me, but good for the industry because I think it’s reset our expectations that we don’t have to be every day with a client facing. Jason Diamond: I agree with that largely and it’s true of our business too, by the way, it’s certainly reshaped the way people expect to be communicated with. I think Zoom has become much more mainstream, phone calls and we’ve heard from many other advisors who say something similar. I was just curious because you moved so close to or if there was an impact but I get, honestly, I think you’re right, it allowed you to have this nice natural inflection point and almost like flipping a switch of a clean slate. Michael Smith: It allowed us to learn the processes too. So, we launched in November 1st, by March we were in lockdown and so it gave us the opportunity to take several months of just learning the processes of how to be an RIA, it was pretty good. Jason Diamond: Absolutely. So, one of the things you mentioned in that was the way in which you serve clients and I’d read something funny and I think it was around the time of your move. You were talking about that, Merrill, you had a manager who spoke about that you would overserve your clients, you serve clients too much, tell me about that. Michael Smith: That was such an interesting topic because I got called down to the ops officer’s office and they’re like, “Ugh, Mike.” And it brought my admin down with me and they’re like, “Mike, these reports that you’re taking care of your clients too much,” and I’m like, “What do you mean?” “Well, you’re overservicing them.” Jason, I literally had to go back and Google the word overservicing because I was like, “How do you overservice the client? I’m not making their bed.” It was just so funny to me that I got counsel for overservicing clients when we’re in a client-facing job and I think that was part of the catalyst. Jason Diamond: Tell me more about what they meant, you think. Michael Smith: Hindsight, I think they … I like to take care of people which means I’m very intuitive towards taxes, I understand how the tax code works, I understand how everything impacts their bottom line. So, when we’re doing deferred comp enrollments or 401(k) enrollments or I’m a big believer in Roth 401(k)s and backdoor Roths and I’ve been doing them for years, I think what Mother Merrill wanted at that time was us not to do that. And, again, nothing against Merrill, I get it but this is how they wanted us to act and I wasn’t in that mold, I was taking care of clients to a much deeper depth is how I would say it. Jason Diamond: And I think that speaks to you outgrew the model not necessarily the firm. I think Merrill does a lot of things really well, you would agree with that, I think given that you built 85 clients and 350 million in assets is nothing to sneeze at. But the model that it seems like you value client service and an integrated client service experience of that and the wirehouse model oftentimes doesn’t put a premium on that. Tell me about your ethos or your thoughts around client service today and what being independent enables you to do. Michael Smith: So, that’s an interesting observation because one of my clients actually just mentioned to me that the reason we’re growing so much is because of our service model and the fact that we deliver a tremendous amount of value over just portfolio management. I said my managers is in portfolio management, I don’t do that any longer, I have a staff that handles that for me but it’s really the servicing of the clients because they don’t know what we know and I think servicing the client is the most important thing that we can do today. Jason Diamond: Give me some examples of what you mean by servicing the client in a more holistic way. I agree with you, by the way, portfolio management, table stakes, financial planning, table stakes, tell me more about what you mean. Michael Smith: By that I mean we do a quarterly review on tax. So, a lot of people don’t understand how taxes work and how estimated taxes work. So, estimated taxes are January 1st to March 31st, January 1st to May 31st, January 1st to August 31st, that’s how you do your estimated tax payments, you figure out what that is. And for compensated employees where they have RSUs that come in at different times of the year or different grants or exercise their options at a different time, that can affect their estimated tax liability and I’m not big on giving Uncle Sam any more money than they have to have until they need it. And then everyone doesn’t understand how the penalties and interest works on the IRS. And I’m big on the tax payments because that’s where we can add a lot of value for not a lot of time and we integrate it with our portfolio so we know what we’re doing with our gains. And I happen to reside in Washington State which has a long-term capital gains tax rate once you surpass about 270,000 of long-term capital gains. So, it’s super important for us to be aware of this and that’s how we service them. We also help them with their rebalancing of their 401(k)s, things that wirehouses cannot supposed to do, we are not supposed to be helping them with some of their aspects of life. Jason Diamond: Yup. That’s what I was alluding to earlier, it’s limitations on the model, not because they’re bad models, it’s just a different way, a different ethos around client service. You mentioned RSUs and corporate employees, I know that’s a niche you have is around concentrated stock positions and equity comp plans. I guess let me ask you two different questions around this. First of all, why that niche? Interested. And then, second of all, do you think

So you've seen the headlines: AI is coming for bookkeeping, tax prep, and data entry. The accountants who thrive won't be the ones doing that work faster. They'll be the ones doing work AI can't touch.With cannabis newly rescheduled to Schedule III and tens of thousands of new companies coming over the next 12–18 months, there's never been a better window to build an AI-proof CFO practice.In this video, Andrew Hunzicker, CPA and founder of DOPE CFO, covers:- Why PwC, Intuit, and Goldman Sachs are racing to automate audit, bookkeeping, and tax... and what that means for your income- The one type of industry that's genuinely AI-proof, plus the simple test to spot it- The higher-level services clients gladly pay $10–20K/month for (it's not bookkeeping or tax)- The "number two" positioning that makes you indispensable to any CEOThe accountants who move first on this will own the next decade. Ready to build an AI-proof CFO practice?

What happens when you mix a relaxed evening of bourbon tasting with a candid look at dental practice finances? You get an eye-opening reality check that completely changes how doctors view their financial future.In this episode of The Millionaire Dentist, we recap our recent live event right here in Carmel, Indiana. We break down how an evening that started as a social dinner quickly transitioned into a deep, introspective discussion about taxes, overhead, and insurance adjustments.In this episode, we share insights on:The Room Goes Quiet: Why initially social, talkative dentists suddenly become quiet and introspective when they recognize the massive gap between their current numbers and their true financial potential.The "Excellent" Illusion: How successful practice owners realize they have actually accepted mediocrity from their current advisory relationships.Retiring at 49 with One Practice: Powerful real-world testimonials, including a dentist who retired at 49 and a former Indiana Dental Association president, proving that mastering your financial systems, not owning multiple chaotic locations, is the true key to an early retirement.Making the Successful More Successful: Why Four Quadrants Advisory exclusively partners with already successful dentists to optimize their wealth.Taking the Show on the Road: A look at how our low-risk, refundable reservation model is lowering barriers for doctors as we expand these live events nationwide to markets like Orlando, Minnesota, Naperville, Columbus, and Cincinnati.If you've ever wondered what goes on at a Four Quadrants event, or why attendees routinely tell us they wish they had found this information a decade earlier, this recap is your sneak peek behind the curtain.Upcoming Tour Dates: Go to our EVENTS page for infoFacebook: Four Quadrants AdvisoryInstagram: @fourquadrantsadvisoryLinkedIn: Four Quadrants Advisory

Joseph Sternberg explains the impending depletion of the Social Security Trust Fund, labeling it an accounting gimmick. He clarifies that the program is a pay-as-you-go system where current workers fund retirees. Sternbergdiscusses the political difficulty of reform, suggesting private accounts as a viable alternative for younger generations. (5)

In this episode, we discuss how financial due diligence is different from your regular compliance bookkeeping and how to clean up your books to secure the highest possible purchase price. You'll discover how simple accounting mistakes can destroy trust with buyers, lead to sudden price reductions, and even kill a deal. View the complete show notes for this episode. Want To Learn More?  The Role of Accountants When Selling Your Business M&A Due Diligence Preparation Quality of Earnings in M&A – The Ultimate Guide Additional Resources Selling your business? Schedule a free consultation today. Sign up for an Assessment and Valuation of Your Business. Courses: The Art & Science of Selling a Business Download The Art of The Exit: The Complete Guide to Selling Your Business Download Acquired: The Art of Selling a Business With $10 Million to $100 Million in Revenue If you have any topic or guest suggestions, please email them to podcast@morganandwestfield.com.

Are your prices too low because raising them feels unnerving?Most CPAs don't have a pricing problem. They have a confidence problem. In this episode, we dig into why pricing isn't math - it's psychology - and how underpricing steals your time, energy, and freedom. You'll hear practical ways to test higher prices, simplify your services, stop saying yes to everything, and build a firm that feels lighter, calmer, and far more profitable without grinding harder.Link to video replay:https://www.crowdcast.io/c/price-with-confidence…Link to full shownotes: https://www.businessstrategyforcpas.com/394…Want the skinny on pricing?If you feel trapped by your own accounting firm, it's not because of the work – it's how you've priced the work. Too many accountants are stuck in undercharging, overdelivering, and people-pleasing cycles. Break the pattern with my short PDF guide: 7 Pricing Essentials »It's free, and you can read it in 5 minutes.I want to help you get your prices up without losing loyal clients.  …Want to hear what works, from 57+ clients?Check out the Client Success Stories podcast: LISTEN »

A serial entrepreneur sets out to transform the trucking industry.SponsorsMaxima.AI - https://ohmyfraud.promo/maxima Get NASBA Approved CPE or IRS Approved CELaunch the course on EarmarkCPE to get free CPE/CEDownload the app:Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earmark-cpe/id1562599728Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.earmarkcpe.appQuestions? Need help? Email support@earmarkcpe.com.CONNECT WITH CALEBTwitter: https://twitter.com/cnewquistLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/calebnewquist/SOURCESTrevor Milton [Wikipedia]Nikola Corporation [Wikipedia]Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Availability [DOE]Trevor Milton Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Securities Fraud Scheme [U.S. Department of Justice]Former Nikola Corporation CEO Trevor Milton Charged in Securities Fraud Scheme [U.S. Department of Justice]Trump Pardons Nikola Founder Trevor Milton in Securities Fraud Case [CNBC]Nikola Founder Trevor Milton Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Fraud [CNBC]Nikola Founder Trevor Milton Sentenced to 4 Years in Jail for Fraudulent Claims [ABC News]Nikola Founder Trevor Milton Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Defrauding Investors [CNN]Nikola: How to Parlay An Ocean of Lies Into a Partnership With the Largest Auto OEM in America [Hindenburg Research]Nikola Admits Semi Truck Prototype Rolled Downhill in Promo [Futurism]Prosecutor Calls Nikola Founder a 'Con Man' in Closing Argument [FreightWaves]Prosecution Rests in Nikola Founder Trevor Milton's Fraud Trial [FreightWaves]Nikola Founder Trevor Milton Won't Testify in His Fraud Trial [Transport Topics]Nikola Founder Trevor Milton Stands Trial on Fraud Charges [CNBC]For Trevor Milton's Business Partners, Warning Signs Emerged Years Before Nikola Downfall [CNN]The Rise and Fall of Nikola Founder Trevor Milton [MEL Magazine]Nikola's Trevor Milton Left a Trail of Bitterness on His Way to Founding the Electric-Truck Startup [Yahoo Finance]Nikola's Trevor Milton Has $7.4 Billion Fortune on Free Truck Orders [Transport Topics]The Nikola Scandal Is a Cautionary Tale About Green Tech's Gauzy Promises [The New Republic]For Trevor Milton's business partners, warning signs emerged years before Nikola downfall [CNN Business]Trevor Milton and Nikola Just Another Page in Trucking History [Commercial Carrier Journal]How Much Are You Spending on Fuel Compared to Other Owner-Operators? [ATBS]California Hydrogen Highway [Wikipedia]Nikola Founder Trevor Milton Details Call With Trump Ahead of Pardon [WSJ News via YouTube]Nikola founder says $2 million in political donations to Trump had nothing to do with pardon [12 News via YouTube]

Points of Interest 00:01 – 00:53 – Why Revisit Positioning: Carson and Kristen introduce Parakeeto's repositioning effort and explain why they wanted to publicly discuss the evolution of the company's messaging. 00:53 – 02:18 – The Profitability Problem: The discussion explores how Parakeeto's heavy emphasis on profitability created confusion about what the company actually does for clients. 02:18 – 04:21 – The Challenge of Category Creation: Carson and Kristen reflect on attempts to create or fit into categories like FinOps and why unfamiliar categories often create more confusion than clarity. 04:21 – 06:18 – From Profitability to Stewardship: The conversation introduces the new positioning centered around helping agency owners focus on building their businesses while Parakeeto takes care of the money. 06:18 – 09:11 – The Emotional Side of Finance: Carson shares how financial discomfort and avoidance can affect decision-making and explains why confidence is a critical outcome of financial stewardship. 09:11 – 11:31 – What Taking Care of the Money Means: Kristen outlines the practical components of Parakeeto's approach, including accounting, forecasting, reporting, and operational guidance. 11:31 – 13:19 – Agency-Specific Financial Expertise: Carson explains how deep agency experience allows Parakeeto to interpret financial data within the operational realities of agency businesses. 13:19 – 15:06 – Turning Financial Insights into Action: The discussion highlights the importance of translating financial reporting into operational recommendations that improve agency performance 15:06 – 17:37 – Expanding into Accounting and Bookkeeping: Kristen explains how bringing bookkeeping and accounting services in-house creates continuity between financial data and strategic decision-making. 17:37 – 19:54 – The Agency CFO Perspective: The conversation explores why the title "Agency CFO" better communicates Parakeeto's blend of financial expertise and operational advisory support. 19:54 – 24:13 – Who Benefits Most from This Approach: Carson and Kristen discuss ideal client profiles, including agencies crossing the $1M mark and larger firms seeking greater visibility and clarity. 24:13 – 28:19 – Building Confidence Through Partnership: The episode concludes with a discussion about education, long-term partnerships, and helping agency owners feel more confident managing the financial side of their businesses. Show Notes Free Agency Toolkit Parakeeto Foundations Course Free access to our Model Platform Connect on LinkedIn Carson Pierce Kristen Kelly Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Demonstrating Dr. Barnhouse's acute understanding of Romans and his heart for effective preaching, these messages skillful and reverently expound even the most difficult passages in a clear way. Dr. Barnhouse's concern for a universal appreciation of the epistle fuels this series and invites all listeners into a deeper understanding of the life-changing message of Romans. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/791/29?v=20251111

This book raised something that was running subterranean in my system back up to the surface again.Today we meet J. Brooke and we're talking about the queer book that saved their life: Transition: Becoming Who I Was Always Meant to Be by Chaz Bono.J's full-length poetry book, I Can Tell You The Version That Will Make You Take My Side won the Editor's Choice Prize at Driftwood Press. It is now available everywhere you get your books. J has received two Pushcart nominations, a 2025 Best of The Net nomination, and there were a Finalist for the 2025 Iowa Review Nonfiction Prize. Their autobiographical essay “HYBRID” won Columbia Journal's 2020 Special Issue Nonfiction Award. Their work appears in Electric Lit, The Rumpus, Harvard Review and elsewhere. J is the Prose Book Reviews Editor at The Rumpus, Poetry Editor at Trans Poetics Archive, former Nonfiction Editor at Stonecoast Review.In Transition: Becoming Who I Was Always Meant to Be Chaz Bono shares his deeply moving and ultimately triumphant account of the physical and emotional process that brought him to a place of peace, and finally happiness. With a message to anyone who has ever felt that they couldn't be who they really are, Transition is as inspirational as it is intimate.Chaz Bono is an LGBTQ rights advocate, acclaimed author, and the only child of famed entertainers Sonny and Cher. He has written three books, including Transition, his groundbreaking account of a forty-year struggle to match his gender identity with his physical body and his transformation from female to male.Connect with J. Brookewebsite: jbrookewrites.combluesky: jbrookewrites.bsky.socialinstagram: @jbrooke_writesOur BookshopVisit our Bookshop for new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts: bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbookBuy your copy of Transition: Becoming Who I Was Always Meant to Be https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9780452298002Buy your copy of I Can Tell You the Version That Will Make You Take My Side: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9781949065435Become an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: John ParkerExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Bob Bush, Natalie Cruz, Troy Ford, Jonathan Fried, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, Sean Smith, and Karsten VagnerPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, Sofia Nerman, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonQuatrefoil LibraryQuatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: https://libbyapp.com/library/quatrefoil/curated-1404336/page-1Real quick: yes, you too can be a guest on our podcast! If you have a queer book that had a life-saving impact for you, then please visit thisqueerbook.com and fill out the form on the homepage! Looking forward to hearing back from you!Support the show

What legal ripple effects will the recent Supreme Court ruling create across the logistics industry? Bryan Nelson is back to decode how this landmark decision fundamentally shifts the framework of carrier selection policies and liability for transportation professionals! Bryan breaks down why relying solely on standard operating procedures won't fully insulate your business in court and explains how the ruling changes the landscape for using conditional vs. unrated carriers.  Whether you are a broker adapting to automation or a shipper auditing your supply chain, tune in to this episode!   About Bryan Nelson Bryan J. Nelson is a transportation and logistics attorney assisting clients in the development and review of transportation agreements, the resolution and mitigation of cargo claims, and the establishment of corporate compliance strategies in accordance with state and federal regulations.  Prior to joining Taylor Nelson, Bryan practiced as general counsel and served as a chief administrative officer in the transportation industry for over a decade, representing a family of companies that included a motor carrier, a third-party logistics corporation, and a transportation management system (TMS) provider. Bryan graduated from Stetson University earning his juris doctorate and his master's degree in business administration. He received his undergraduate degrees in Accounting and Finance from Florida State University.  With his hands-on experience in the transportation industry, Bryan recognizes and understands the unique challenges and opportunities facing transportation companies throughout the supply chain.   Connect with Bryan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-j-nelson-esq-mba-59876b1b/  Email: bnelson@taylorlawpl.com  

Andy Kvesic left the job every lawyer wants to build something the profession had never seen. As CEO of Aprio Legal, he traded a general counsel role at a thriving family office for the harder, riskier work of acquiring a Phoenix law firm and redesigning how professional services actually work. The result is a historic combination: the first time two Alternative Business Structure firms have merged, bringing together a corporate law firm and a national accounting and advisory firm backed by private equity. Attorneys, accountants, wealth planners, and business advisors now serve the same clients under one roof. The idea came from watching entrepreneurs waste time and energy bouncing between disconnected professionals who never coordinated with each other. Arizona's 2021 rule change allowing non-lawyer law firm ownership gave Kvesic the opening to try something different. His merger with Aprio wasn't a calculated exit. It was the recognition that both firms were solving the same problem from opposite ends: Aprio's professionals were constantly referring clients out for legal work, and Kvesic's attorneys were constantly referring clients out for tax and accounting. Neither could fully serve their clients alone. Building the integrated platform also forced a reckoning with how differently law firms and accounting firms run their businesses. After two decades working almost exclusively with other lawyers, Kvesic found Aprio's infrastructure to be a genuine upgrade: multi-year planning, pipeline visibility, real margin analysis. For an industry that largely runs on a cash-in, cash-out model aimed at maximizing year-end partner distributions, the difference is significant. The legal profession is changing whether it wants to or not. The more interesting question Kvesic raises is whether the people inside it will have the courage to lead that change rather than resist it.   Episode Breakdown: 00:00 From General Counsel to Law Firm Owner: Andy Kvesic's Career Path 02:51 The Vision Behind Raddock's Law and the ABS Model 09:03 How Aprio Legal Became the First ABS-to-ABS Merger 14:57 Cultural Differences Between Lawyers and Accountants 24:33 How Accounting Firm Discipline Is Changing Law Firm Operations 29:35 Growth Strategy and the Integrated Legal Accounting Platform 37:52 ABS Advice and the Future of the Legal Profession   Connect with Andy Kvesic: Connect with Andy on LinkedIn   Andy Kvesic - CEO, Aprio Legal | Partner    Connect with Howard Rosenberg: Connect with Howard on LinkedIn  Howard's Company web profile   Connect with Chris Batz: Connect with Chris on LinkedIn  Follow Columbus Street on LinkedIn Columbus Street Website  MergerWatch Website Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm  

Send us Fan MailWelcome to this episode of  For the Love of Chiropractic. On this episode, I get to speak with the owner and founder of Kickstart Accounting, Inc. They are not just another accounting firm. They produce themselves on being a catalyst for change, a partner in your entrepreneurial journey, and a beacon of financial empowerment.The founded and my guest on this episode, Danielle Hayden, is a seasoned Chief Financial Officer with over a decade of experience, and her firm is driven by a passionate mission to support and elevate women entrepreneurs who are redefining entrepreneurship.They like to say “Kickstart Accounting, Inc. is not merely a bookkeeping firm; we are your partners in growth. Our mission is to empower women entrepreneurs to navigate their financial journey with unshakable confidence. We believe that every challenge can be turned into an opportunity, and every financial decision holds the potential to shape a thriving business.”I hope you enjoy my conversation with Ms. Danielle Hayden.

Bob Kerr returns to break down his Tax Notes article on the IRS's Centralized Authorization File, the decades-old system that processes Forms 2848 and 8821 almost entirely by hand, now buried under 7 million forms a year at roughly 500 staff years and $50 million to run. He, Roger, and Annie get into why the backlog keeps growing, how practitioners can get ahead of it by putting 8821s on file early, and why transcripts belong in your current-year filing, not just your representation work.SponsorsPadgett -  Contact Padgett or Email Jeff PhillipsGet NASBA Approved CPE or IRS Approved CELaunch the course on EarmarkCPE to get free CPE/CE for listening to this episode.Read Bob's Article https://www.taxnotes.com/tax-notes-federal/practice-and-procedure/high-costs-irss-centralized-authorization-file-system/2026/04/06/7vjccChapters(00:00) - Welcome and Setup (02:36) - Why CAF Matters Now (06:54) - CAF Explained POA vs TIA (10:42) - Choosing 8821 vs 2848 (13:46) - Backlogs and Real Impacts (15:45) - Manual Processing Volume Surge (18:54) - Million Hours and 50M Cost (21:23) - Deadlines Snowball Effect (24:01) - CAF Volume Spiral (24:59) - Early Transcripts Benefits (28:33) - Client Use Cases (30:27) - Why IRS Can't Keep Up (39:13) - Train Clients and Set Expectations (43:33) - Transcripts Beyond Representation (44:32) - VITA Volunteering Insights (48:56) - Wrap Up and Thanks Follow the Federal Tax Updates Podcast on Social Mediatwitter.com/FedTaxPodfacebook.com/FedTaxPodlinkedin.com/showcase/fedtaxpodConnect with the Hosts on LinkedInRoger HarrisAnnie SchwabReviewLeave a review on Apple Podcasts or PodchaserSubscribeSubscribe to the Federal Tax Updates podcast in your favorite podcast app!This podcast is a production of Earmark MediaThe full transcript for this episode is available by clicking on the Transcript tab at the top of this pageAll content from this podcast by SmallBizPros, Inc. DBA PADGETT BUSINESS SERVICES is intended for informational purposes only.

Take a look at what the accountant and the accounting firm of the future will look like as AICPA president and CEO Mark Koziel shares details of the new Rise2040 report. Next week's is the one with Wayne Berson that we just recorded.

Andy Weins, a Veteran and fourth generation business owner & Lynn Corazzi, a former Procter & Gamble finance leader:  co-authors of: Stop Avoiding Your … Read more The post Most Small Businesses Have Accounting, Few Have Financial Leadership appeared first on Top Entrepreneurs Podcast | Enterprise Podcast Network.

Let's talk about the grace and forgiveness for things that aren't as big as they may seem to be when they occur. We all make mistakes and we can either let that mistake be the end of the impact, or we can allow our reactions to make an even bigger impact. Accountability is how we can learn to overcome our mistakes and create new healthy patterns we can rely on. Consistent execution is how we build that action of accountability into repeatable reliability. Accountability today creates a legacy tomorrow. Having a backup plan helps ensure the execution takes place regardless of any setbacks that may pop up in life. Remember though, actions speak louder than words. If you want to truly teach others, you have to do it that way for yourself first to prove success is possible for all. Make a plan you can execute on and stick to it. Or, know that if the day isn't rigid, it's okay to relax and give yourself grace in order to enjoy that much needed rest. Don't cast your unrealistic expectations onto others without having an intentional plan in place to ensure its success. Know that achievements aren't made without consistent effort and execution behind it. Live your life with solutions, erase the excuses, give grace to humanity, and lead by example. Be part of a community that doesn't just expect to be magically saved from all of life's problems, but willing to support each other with reciprocation when needed. We are all going through something, remember that before you so quickly cast judgment or blame. Show forgiveness when accidents happen and make a positive impact on other people you encounter. Feeding the hate mill is easy, take accountability and be the example of integrity you wish to see in other people, especially those little people who look up to you to teach them how to live life.

Francis Anderson quit running the day his little brother beat him.Poker was different.That one stuck.Francis grew up in Poughkeepsie, New York, in a competitive family. Road races on the weekends. Soccer. School. A normal path.Then college happened.University of Albany. Accounting major. Study room poker games. $5 and $10 buy-ins.And then Jamie Gold won the 2006 WSOP Main Event.For a lot of people, Moneymaker was the moment.For Francis?It was Jamie Gold talking people into doing the wrong thing for $12 million.From there, poker got serious fast.He started playing online, driving to Turning Stone, grinding $150 nightlies with a tiny bankroll, and building a network through PocketFives and AOL Instant Messenger.Then he satellited into the Sunday Brawl, got 7th for around $10K, and told his mom he was dropping out of college.As one does.In this episode of The Table 1 Podcast, Francis joins Art Parmann and Justin Young to talk through the full ride: ♠️ Finding poker during the Jamie Gold WSOP era ♥️ Dropping out after a Sunday Brawl score ♦️ Black Friday and the Costa Rica online poker migration ♣️ Grinding with David Peters and seeing elite work ethic up close ♠️ Moving to Vegas with a tiny bankroll ♥️ Getting crushed, going nearly broke, and rebuilding ♦️ Wearing a cowboy hat and mask to disguise himself in the Monster Stack ♣️ Turning a $5K bankroll into a massive WSOP score ♠️ Winning the $800 Independence Day event for $500K ♥️ Becoming Main Event chip leader the next day ♦️ Back-to-back WPT final tables ♣️ Why he still shows up early for $800s and $1KsThis one is a real grinder story.Not overnight success.Not one heater.A decade-plus of moving countries, rebuilding bankrolls, firing bullets, getting better, and showing up again the next day.Sometimes in a cowboy hat.

In this episode, we break down the massive wave of M&A activity hitting the industry, featuring our returning guest, Chris Kolquist from Koliway LLC! With tons of headlines about large companies looking to acquire businesses, we dive into what it takes to survive the freight recession and come out on top. We also cover the impact of the recent SCOTUS ruling on carrier decisions, how to transition from a founder-led business to a scalable organizational structure, and the future for boutique brokerages utilizing AI and automation! If you want to know what makes a brokerage truly appealing to buyers and how to protect your life's work, you don't want to miss this conversation!   About Chris Kolquist Throughout his career, senior executive and strategic leader Chris Kolquist has been a catalyst in driving commercial growth, positive financial results, and maximum shareholder value in challenging and hyper-competitive markets. He has built a noteworthy reputation for understanding investments, delivering ROI objectives, managing massive change, and building highly effective cultures. In 2021, Chris launched Koliway LLC, an investment and advisory firm specializing in investments, M&A transactions, board service, and advisory executive logistics work. Chris began his career with Arthur Andersen, where he served as Senior Auditor from 1998 to 2001, conducting audits, M&A transaction support, and financial due diligence for buy-side and sell-side clients. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1998 and obtained his CPA license in 2001 (now inactive).   Connect with Chris Website: https://koliway.com/  Email: ckolquist@koliway.com  

AI tools of today are viewed as something to help you think faster. The next phase is AI that actually does things for you — and it's already here for firm owners to explore.

Accounting issues unique to the rocket business

Intuit just cut 17% of its workforce, roughly 3,000 employees, and Alicia is joined by Dan DeLong and Matthew "Spot" Fulton to unpack what actually happened and why it isn't the AI story everyone assumed. Drawing on Dan's 18 years inside the company, they break down the real drivers behind the cuts, the unusually generous severance packages, the closing of the Reno and Woodland Hills offices, and the three big bets shaping Intuit's future. They also dig into the uncertain fate of MailChimp and what the mid-market pivot signals for ProAdvisors and the QuickBooks community.Sponsors:Aqqrue - http://uqb.promo/aqqrueC&R Consulting - http://uqb.promo/cnr(00:00) - Intuit Layoffs Overview (01:57) - Why Layoffs Happen (03:01) - Dan Layoff Story (04:58) - Restructure Not AI (06:23) - Details and Office Closures (09:42) - India and Global Impact (11:50) - Culture and Job Mobility (14:15) - Severance and Support (20:47) - Layoffs and Career Growth (24:42) - Letter Management Layers (29:03) - Customer Support Outsourcing (32:10) - Strategic Hubs and Remote Work (36:09) - TurboTax Credit Karma Merge (37:04) - Restructuring Around Customers (38:09) - Three Big Bets Explained (38:46) - AI Native Done For You (39:49) - Center Of Money Push (41:56) - Mid Market Expansion (43:22) - MailChimp Cuts And Risks (47:10) - Divestiture Rumors And AI (52:36) - SMB Churn And Competition (54:42) - Closing Thoughts And Thanks (55:41) - What's New With Hosts (56:16) - Scaling New Heights Plans (58:25) - Alicia Events And Training (01:01:35) - Awards And Final Wrap LINKSIntuit Account login episode: uqb.show/81 Dan's School of Bookkeeping course about Bulk Editing Data in QuickBooks: https://www.schoolofbookkeeping.com/a/2148284044/FzeLMxRpSchoolofbookkeeping YouTube: https://snip.ly/SOBYTFree Live Workshop Wednesdays: https://www.schoolofbookkeeping.com/workshop-wednesdayQB Power Hour: https://www.qbpowerhour.com/ Alicia's book on Amazon: http://royl.ws/conversion-bookJuly 21 through October 8: HANDS-ON QUICKBOOKS COMPLETE TRAINING COURSE, http://royl.ws/HOT2026?affiliate=5393907We want to hear from you!Send your questions and comments to us at unofficialquickbookspodcast@gmail.com.Join our LinkedIn community at https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14630719/Visit our YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/@UnofficialQBOPodcastSign up to Earmark to earn free CPE for listening to this podcasthttps://www.earmark.app/onboarding 

Karl Paadam made partner at PwC Estonia at 26, spent a decade in tech, and came back to build United Accountants on a contrarian thesis: the future of accounting is human. He joins Blake to explain how a firm can hand bookkeeping, categorization, and reconciliation to an AI operating system that layers on top of whatever software a firm already runs, freeing CPAs to keep their local brand and focus on judgment and advisory work. They also get into outcomes-based pricing, what it means to build "the first big small firm," and why the accountant who ignores AI is the one who gets replaced.Chapters(00:00) - Welcome Karl Paadam to the Earmark Podcast (01:51) - Building a Practice (02:40) - Leaving PwC for Tech (03:29) - Accounting Is Human (05:17) - Advisory Skills Shift (06:35) - AI Productivity in Practice (09:25) - United OS Walkthrough (10:34) - Partner Model Keep Brand (14:50) - Integrations No Rip Replace (18:44) - First Big Small Firm (21:48) - Outcomes Based Pricing (25:00) - AI Like Excel Era (28:05) - What AI Does Next (29:21) - Fear Traps and Controls (32:39) - Who United Fits Best (33:25) - Wrap Up and Contact Learn more about United Accountants https://www.unitedaccountants.com/ Sign up to get free CPE for listening to this podcasthttps://earmarkcpe.comhttps://earmark.app/Download the Earmark CPE App Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earmark-cpe/id1562599728Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.earmarkcpe.appConnect with Our Guest, Karl PaadamLinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/karl-paadam-39730214Connect with Blake Oliver, CPALinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaketoliverTwitter: https://twitter.com/blaketoliver/

Is accounting one of the most valuable degrees a student can pursue? In this episode of MX3 Podcast, we talk with an accounting student about internships, real-world accounting experience, CPA requirements, financial literacy, AI in accounting, and why understanding numbers can help you in business, taxes, investing, and life.We discuss why accounting is more than just math, how internships can prepare students for the real workforce, how AI is changing repetitive accounting tasks, and why financial education matters for everyone — whether you want to become an accountant, run a business, or simply understand your own money better.At MX3 Podcast, our mission is discussing money, motivation, and relevant events.

Send us a message!In this episode, we are joined by Ed Ulmer, CEO of Barefoot, for a conversation about trust accounting, vacation rental technology, and what operators need from their systems as their businesses become more complex. Ed shares how his background in tourism, destination marketing, real estate, and software all shaped the way he looks at vacation rental management today. For him, the industry has always come back to one core idea: trust. The conversation takes a deep dive into why trust accounting should not be treated as a back-office function. When vacation rental companies manage properties on behalf of owners, they are also managing funds, contracts, obligations, and expectations. As companies grow, that complexity only increases. Episode Chapters:03:18 - Ed's path from tourism, real estate, and software into vacation rental technology11:56 - Why vacation rental management is built on trust17:37 - What trust accounting really means for property managers25:24 - Why managing owner and guest funds gets more complex as companies grow27:27 - How state regulations and real estate requirements impact vacation rental operators30:10 - Why loyalty programs are harder to build in vacation rentals than in hotels33:48 - How PMS technology can support concierge services, rewards, and guest retention39:17 - What operators should consider when choosing a PMS47:55 - How AI and natural language search may change the booking experienceFor operators evaluating their technology, this episode offers a practical look at why the systems behind the business matter just as much as the guest-facing experience. Connect with Ed & Barefoot:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-ulmer-150596/ Website: https://www.barefoot.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mybarefoot ✨ Exclusive Offer to Alex & Annie Listeners: Manage your vacation rental business with more control and confidence using Barefoot. Alex & Annie listeners get 10% off monthly fees through 2026.

Welcome back to the Building the Premier Accounting Firm podcast. In today's episode, host Roger Knecht and his guest Yogi Goel, cofounder of Maxima, discuss AI's transformative impact on accounting, moving from transactional tasks to strategic advisory roles. They share insights on leveraging AI as a specialized employee to boost efficiency, client delivery, and firm profitability. This episode offers a clear vision for accounting professionals to adopt AI effectively. In This Episode: 00:00 Yogi Gyal's Journey to Accounting 02:37 Why Start Maxima AI? 06:21 AI in Accounting: Real vs. Hype 09:25 AI as an Employee: An Analogy 14:17 The Evolving Accounting Firm with AI 19:32 Maintaining Client Trust with AI 23:36 AI's Impact on Accounting Workflow 26:54 AI Adoption: The Future of Firms 30:48 Maxima vs. Generic AI Platforms 36:17 Freedom, Gratitude, and Family Values 40:19 Closing Thoughts and Resources Key Takeaways: Learn why AI is a tool, not a replacement, for accounting professionals. Understand the specific accounting tasks where AI excels and where human judgment remains vital. Discover how AI can free up time for advisory services and deeper client engagement. Explore the benefits of specialized AI agents in accounting compared to general AI models. Prepare your firm for future growth and increased profitability through AI adoption. Featured Quotes: "Accounting was one thing which – as the language of business – allowed me to interpret and compare businesses across [different industries]." — Yogi Goel "AI is a tool which is out there to help humans be better, not dominate humans." — Yogi Goel "The one who adopts AI at the center, in a balanced way, will have better client delivery in terms of time and accuracy, and more revenue and better margins." — Yogi Goel Conclusion: Thank you for joining us for another episode of Building the Premier Accounting Firm with Roger Knecht. For more information on how you can establish your own accounting firm and take control of your time and income, call 435-344-2060 or schedule an appointment to connect with Roger's team here.   Sponsors: Universal Accounting Center Helping accounting professionals confidently and competently offer quality accounting services to get paid what they are worth.   Offers: Get a demo of Maxima here: https://www.maxima.ai/book-a-demo   Special Offers for our Podcast Listeners, CLICK HERE to take advantage of them today! Remember this, Accounting Success IS Universal. Be sure to listen to our next episode and subscribe.   Also, let us know what you think of the podcast and please share any suggestions you may have.  We look forward to your input: Podcast Feedback   For more information on how you can apply these principles to start and build your bookkeeping, accounting, & tax business, please visit us at www.universalaccountingschool.com or call us at 801-265-3777.  And know that if it's about accounting, it's Universal.

On this episode of the Woodard Report podcast, Heather and Joe talk about major developments shaping the accounting profession, including Intuit's dramatic stock decline, workforce layoffs tied to AI adoption, and the launch of ChatGPT Finance. They also explore how artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming professional services, emphasizing the need for accountants to embrace change by leaning into human-centered skills like judgment, relationships, and advisory work. Along the way, they share productivity strategies, discuss the dangers of "not us" thinking around AI disruption, and spotlight a successful bookkeeping professional building a high-value, relationship-driven practice. Current events — Intuit's Stock Plunge and other troubles Ted Callahan, former head of accountant channel at Intuit, is now deputy CTO at Sage TV/Movie quote of the week — The Incredibles Project Hail Mary Excellent Thing We Learned — The rule of three Not-Us Thinking Member spotlight — Michael McClellan of Aurora Bookkeeping & Consulting The Woodard Report article of the week — Lock It Down, Write It Down (Intuit Security for Firms) Thank you to our show sponsor, Digits! Digits is the world's first agentic general ledger. It is accounting software that works for you. Built from the ground up for the AI era, Digits automates bookkeeping in month end, shifting your team from data entry to review and advisory. Visit Digits.com to get started today. Learn more about the show and our sponsors at Woodard.com/podcast

Aalberts keert, over twee weken, terug in de AEX. Het technologiebedrijf was daar jaren te vinden, maar verdween tijdens de coronapandemie. Om nu dus weer z'n comeback te maken. Het neemt het plekje in van koffieboer JDE Peet's, dat juist van de beurs vertrekt. Een aandeel dat in een half jaar al zo'n 40 procent is gestegen. Goede reden voor ons om het te hebben over dit aandeel. Blijft dit aandeel nu wél langer in de hoofdindex? En zit er nog groei in het aandeel. Hebben we het ook over een andere promotie, die van CSG. Het defensiebedrijf rolt de Midkap-index in. Verder staan we stil bij de beursgang van SpaceX. Het wil vrijdag 75 miljard dollar ophalen, maar kan 250 (!) miljard dollar krijgen. Geld dat vooral van particulieren komt. Zelfs van Chinezen, die op creatieve manieren de regels van de regering omzeilen. Ook staan we stil bij kwartaalrapportages. Moeten die niet verplicht terugkeren in Europa? En we bespreken de bizarre cijfers van TSMC. Die overschaduwd worden door een gerucht over nieuwe exportrestricties. Te gast: Thomas Pellegrom, van ABN Amro MeesPierson BNR Beurs is een journalistiek onafhankelijke productie, mede mogelijk gemaakt door Saxo. Over de makers: Jelle Maasbach is presentator van BNR Beurs en freelance financieel journalist. Zijn favoriete aandeel om over te praten is Disney, maar daar lijkt hij de enige in te zijn. Sinds de eerste uitzending van BNR Beurs is 'ie er bij. Maxim van Mil is presentator van BNR Beurs en journalist bij BNR, waar hij zich focust op de financiële markten en ontwikkelingen in de tech-wereld. Je krijgt hem het meest enthousiast als hij kan praten over ASML, of oer-Hollandse bedrijven zoals Ahold of ABN Amro. Jorik Simonides is presentator van BNR Beurs, economieredacteur en verslaggever bij BNR. Hij wordt er vooral blij van als het een keer níet over AI gaat. Je hoort hem ook in de BNR-podcast Moerdijk: dorp van de rekening. Milou Brand is presentator van BNR Beurs, freelance podcastmaker en columnist bij het Financieele Dagblad. Jochem Visser is presentator van BNR Beurs, maakt Beursnerd XL en is redacteur bij de podcast Onder Curatoren. Vraag hem naar obscure zaken op financiële markten en hij vertelt je waarom het eigenlijk nóg leuker is dan je al dacht. Over de podcast: Met BNR Beurs ga je altijd voorbereid de nieuwe beursdag in. We praten je in een kleine 25 minuten bij over alle laatste ontwikkelingen op de handelsvloer. We blijven niet alleen bij de AEX of Wall Street, maar vertellen je ook waar nog meer kansen liggen. En we houden het niet bij de cijfers, maar zoeken ook iedere dag voor je naar duiding van scherpe gasten en experts. Of je nu een ervaren belegger bent of net begint met je eerste stappen op de beurs, de podcast biedt waardevolle inzichten voor je beleggingsstrategie. Door de focus op zowel de korte termijn als de lange termijn, helpt BNR Beurs luisteraars om de ruis van de markt te scheiden van de essentie. Van Musk tot Microsoft en van Ahold tot ASML. Wij vertellen je wat beleggers bezighoudt, wie de markten in beweging zet en wat dat betekent voor jouw beleggingsportefeuille.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're exploring practical ways for accounting firms, especially smaller practices, to operationalize and navigate the monitoring process mandated by Statement on Quality Management Standards (SQMS) No. 1. *** This episode qualifies for nano CPE credit. Find out more at https://njcpa.org/nano. *** Resources:How to monitor a firm's system of quality managementAccounting and auditing articles and eventsJoin the Accounting & Auditing Standards Interest Group

Serial entrepreneur and founder of BILL Rene Lacerte shares his thoughts on how technology has shaped accounting over the past two decades -- and what it will mean for the profession in the future.

Is private equity betting on the wrong accounting firms? Blake and David break down CBIZ's stock slide, why investors may be losing faith in the traditional firm model, and how AI could help smaller firms compete far above their size. They also cover Starbucks ditching AI inventory counts, Microsoft reining in AI tool costs, and what all of it means for accountants navigating automation, pricing, and the future of firm growth.SponsorsCanopy - http://accountingpodcast.promo/canopyOnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpayC&R Consulting - http://accountingpodcast.promo/cnrMaxima.AI - http://accountingpodcast.promo/maximaChapters(00:00) - TAP 490 (02:53) - CBIZ Stock Slide (06:13) - AI Threat to Firm Models (11:32) - EisnerAmper Anti AI Take (15:42) - Livestream Shoutouts (16:13) - New England CPA Society Merge (20:42) - Starbucks Kills AI Inventory (23:34) - NASBA Exam Data Mess (26:34) - Phoenix Call Center Jobs and AI (28:36) - Will AI Really Kill Jobs (31:09) - Spreadsheets Then AI Now (33:07) - Automation Enables CFO Services (35:08) - Microsoft AI Token Shock (36:31) - Managing Token Spend (39:27) - AI Architect Role (43:36) - Trump IRS Settlement Reopened (45:04) - Beneficial Ownership Bill (45:52) - Newsom 100% Tax Threat (46:57) - KPMG Australia Whistleblower (49:35) - Xero Force No Code Agents (54:03) - Xero Earnings Melio Impact (59:03) - Vibe Coding Real Examples (01:02:35) - Wrap Up Earmark CPE  Show NotesWhat Can We Learn from CBIZ?https://www.accountingtoday.com/opinion/what-can-we-learn-from-cbizEisnerAmper on Accounting for AIhttps://www.privatefundscfo.com/eisneramper-on-accounting-for-ai/State Societies Merge to Form New England Society of CPAshttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/state-societies-merge-to-form-new-england-society-of-cpasStarbucks Kills Off Its Automated Counting AI Tool After Just 9 Monthshttps://www.goingconcern.com/starbucks-kills-off-its-automated-counting-ai-tool-after-just-9-months-because-it-sucked-at-counting/NASBA's CPA Exam Reporting Problems Are Improving, But Not Solvedhttps://www.accountingtoday.com/opinion/nasbas-cpa-exam-reporting-problems-are-improving-but-not-solvedPhoenix Built an Empire of Cubicle Jobs. AI Is Coming to Tear It Down.https://www.wsj.com/economy/jobs/phoenix-jobs-ai-call-centers-1ca1c3b3Why the A.I. Job Apocalypse (Probably) Won't Happenhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/03/opinion/ai-jobs-unemployment.htmlMicrosoft Cut Its Engineers Off from AI Because the Bill Got Too Bighttps://fortune.com/2026/05/22/microsoft-ai-cost-problem-tokens-agents/Does Your Firm Need an AI Architect?https://www.accountingtoday.com/opinion/does-your-firm-need-an-ai-architectJudge Reopens Trump's $10 Billion IRS Lawsuithttps://www.notus.org/donald-trump/trump-irs-suit-investigate-collusionNewsom Vows California Will Impose 100% Tax on Trump's Anti-Weaponization Fundhttps://abc7.com/post/newsom-vows-california-will-impose-100-tax-trumps-18-billion-anti-weaponization-fund/19188298/AICPA Backs Bill Limiting Beneficial Ownership Reportinghttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/aicpa-backs-bill-limiting-beneficial-ownership-reportingKPMG Australia CEO Andrew Yates Resigns Amid Whistleblower Scandalhttps://www.internationalaccountingbulletin.com/news/kpmg-australia-ceo-andrew-yates-resigns-amid-whistleblower-scandal/Xero FY26 Result: Revenue Surges 31% but Profit Dips Due to Melio Acquisition Costshttps://www.fool.com.au/2026/05/14/xero-fy26-result-revenue-surges-31-but-profit-dips-due-to-melio-acquisition-costs/Need CPE?Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.comSubscribe to the Earmark Podcast: https://podcast.earmarkcpe.comGet in TouchThanks for listening and the great reviews! We appreciate you! Follow and tweet @BlakeTOliver and @DavidLeary. Find us on Facebook and Instagram. If you like what you hear, please do us a favor and write a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser. Call us and leave a voicemail; maybe we'll play it on the show. DIAL (202) 695-1040.SponsorshipsAre you interested in sponsoring The Accounting Podcast? For details, read the prospectus.Need Accounting Conference Info? Check out our new website - accountingconferences.comLimited edition shirts, stickers, and other necessitiesTeePublic Store: http://cloudacctpod.link/merchSubscribeApple Podcasts: http://cloudacctpod.link/ApplePodcastsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAccountingPodcastSpotify: http://cloudacctpod.link/SpotifyPodchaser:

Alicia and Dan DeLong recap Intuit's May In the Know webinar, led by the big reveal that the ProAdvisor program will sunset in early 2027 and return as Intuit ProPartner Accountants. They break down the three Intuit Accountant Suite tiers (the free Core, the paid Accelerate, and the per-client Books Close add-on), walking through custom fields, KPI dashboards, and a new ProConnect Tax workflow, with a heads-up on the deadlines before free access ends. There's also expanded ProAdvisor support hours, the Workforce payroll rebrand, and a reminder that recertification season closes June 30.Sponsors:Aqqrue - http://uqb.promo/aqqrueC&R Consulting - http://uqb.promo/cnrLINKSIntuit's In the Know Slide Deck including “Resources for Making the Switch”: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SY6pwULfGXBnExxuHTvSLxRpd3r-LmA9/view?usp=sharingRightTool: RightTool.app, use code ROYALWISE for 20% offBooks Close episode: uqb.show/130Dan's School of Bookkeeping course about Bulk Editing Data in QuickBooks: https://www.schoolofbookkeeping.com/a/2148284044/FzeLMxRp Dan's LinksSchoolofbookkeeping YouTube: https://snip.ly/SOBYTFree Live Workshop Wednesdays: https://www.schoolofbookkeeping.com/workshop-wednesdayQB Power Hour: https://www.qbpowerhour.com/ Alicia's new Converting from QBDT to QBO book on Amazon: http://royl.ws/conversion-bookJuly 21 through October 8: HANDS-ON QUICKBOOKS COMPLETE TRAINING COURSE, http://royl.ws/HOT2026?affiliate=5393907We want to hear from you!Send your questions and comments to us at unofficialquickbookspodcast@gmail.com.Join our LinkedIn community at https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14630719/Visit our YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/@UnofficialQBOPodcastSign up to Earmark to earn free CPE for listening to this podcasthttps://www.earmark.app/onboarding 

What does it really take to sit in the second seat and do it with drive, grace, and guts? In this episode, Lindsay uncovers the journey and mindset of Stanton Hill, the Chief Financial and Operating Officer for the National Society of Black Engineers. From his unexpected path into leadership to the high-stakes pivots required during a crisis, Stanton Hill reveals the nuts and bolts (and the emotional work) of steering a student-governed organization with 25,000+ members.If you're wrestling with hybrid teams, retention headaches, or scaling real culture, this is your masterclass. Avoid missing real-world tactics on delegation, resilience, and helping people thrive even when the world flips upside down. Listen now for the brutal, refreshing clarity on what it takes to lead from the number two seat while building a legacy that outlasts your title.Timestamped Highlights00:40 – The real reason student governance keeps NSBE thriving02:22 – The moment a father invests for life in his son's future06:04 – How a COO earns trust and evolves during big leadership shifts10:06 – Brutal revenue risks when in-person events collapse overnight13:02 – The hidden reality behind hybrid events few executives know16:12 – Career fair hacks that build total confidence in seconds17:20 – The overlooked muscle every COO needs: leading with empathy29:07 – The ruthless approach to blocking out overwhelm, not just emails40:12 – How personal adversity can forge leaders who never flinchAbout the GuestStanton Hill brings two decades of experience in financial strategy and nonprofit operations. Prior to joining NSBE, he held several roles at the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), where he managed multimillion-dollar operating budgets, streamlined financial processes, and led grant management initiatives totaling over $30 million. He began his career with a focus on business analytics and process optimization and has since advanced through NSBE's leadership ranks: from Director of Finance and Accounting to Chief Financial Officer, and now Chief Financial & Operating Officer. Stanton Hill earned his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Morehouse College and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and High Technology from Northeastern University. He resides in Georgia with his wife Adrienne and their sons Davis and Carter.