Podcasts about macpa

In this episode, we discuss the need to change the narrative around what it truly means to be a CPA.I'm joined by Carla McCall, the 2024-25 Chair of the AICPA, to explore how the accounting profession can attract new talent by focusing on purpose and passion rather than just tasks and hours. By highlighting the “why” behind accounting—what makes it exciting, meaningful, and impactful—we can inspire the next generation to see the true value of a career in this field.Carla's views perfectly align with the MACPA's “Purpose of a CPA” campaign, which encourages CPAs to share their personal stories and what drives them. We also discuss her plans for the year, insights on the industry's future, and her leadership approach. Don't miss this insightful conversation with a leader committed to showcasing the true purpose and value of the CPA profession.Resources:Carla McCall, CPA, CGMA, Managing Partner at AAFCPAsJournal of Accountancy article, "New AICPA chair: ‘We need to promote the cool work we do", by Mari SagedalMACPA's Purpose of a CPA: Share Your Why

This week, we're tackling a challenging yet crucial topic: when and how to fire a client. Some clients can end up costing more in time, effort, and frustration than the value they provide. Letting them go can sometimes be the best decision for your business. However, this process is not to be taken lightly—there are numerous pitfalls to avoid and best practices to follow. Thankfully, there are plenty of resources to make it easier.Joining me this week is Robert Albertini, an account manager at Aon, which has been a longtime partner of MACPA. With over 25 years of industry experience, particularly in professional liability, Robert will share his insights and expertise on managing client relationships and knowing when it's time to part ways.Resources:MACPA Preferred ProvidersRobert Albertini LinkedIn ProfileAon partner landing page

A decade ago, there were predictions that certain accounting jobs would be replaced by automation. Now, in the age of AI, we're still here and thriving. Today's conversation focuses on how we can collaborate with technology to enhance our work and deliver greater value to clients. To delve into this topic, I spoke with Andrew Hatfield, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of SafeSend, a long-time partner of MACPA. He and his team have released a paper discussing the role of AI, the importance of strengthening tech stacks in accounting firms, the shift from e-sign to e-file, the benefits of integrations and APIs, and the concept of a "single pane of glass"—a unified management console displaying data from multiple sources. Andrew and I discussed how client expectations have evolved, and how the technologies and predictions in SafeSend's paper can improve relationships between firms and their clients, as well as the CPA's role in this transformation.Resources:SafeSend paper, "Top 7 Predictions for Tax Automation in 2024" by Andrew Hatfield & teamSafeSendAndrew Hatfield LinkedIn ProfileOxford Martin School article, "The Future of Employment: How susceptible are jobs to computerisation?" by Carl Benedikt Frey & Michael OsborneThomson Reuters report, "2024 generative AI in professional services"CPA Practice Advisor article, "Most Tax Pros, Corporate and Public, Believe AI Should Be in Their Toolbox" by Isaac M. O'Bannon

In this episode, we welcome another longtime friend of MACPA, leadership expert and author of the new book, "This is NOT a Leadership Book: 20 Rules for Success", Emmanuel Gobillot. Emmanuel has been my go to source for all things leadership for many years. I speak to him about leadership as it relates to recruitment and retention, which is top of mind for everyone these days. Where do we find new CPAs? How can we get students interested in accounting again? It's important for leaders to express why our profession is important and why our work matters - that "why" is what is going to get young people excited about a future career in accounting. The focus of many employees entering the workforce is their role in society, their purpose, and finding institutions that match their outlook. Those in leadership need to personify that "why" and start changing the narrative about this profession. Begin by understanding your organization's higher purpose; it should be aspirational and authentic.Emmanuel spends a lot of time in his latest book speaking to authenticity, why it actually might be overrated UNLESS it's inline with your intent, your purpose, and the needs of your team. Listen in as we dive deep into his 20 rules to success and more. Resources:Emmanuel Gobillot website | LinkedIn | XThis is NOT a Leadership Book, by Emmanuel GobillotForbes article, How To Attract And Retain Top Executive Talent Through Purpose, by Karen Greenbaum

It's great time to talk about A.I. - the 1 year anniversary of ChatGPT just passed which set this whole artificial intelligence ride in motion. While A.I. has been around since the 1950s, it's exponential growth is really marked this past year both with the release of ChatGPT and Google's announcement of their own A.I. model, Gemini. Not long after, lawmakers in the European Union approved the A.I. Act which sets a new global benchmark for countries seeking to harness the benefits of A.I. while trying to protect against it's possible risks such as automating jobs, speaking misinformation, and endangering national security. While I was at the 2023 Digital CPA Conference, I gained some great tips from sources about how A.I. "newbies" can get started in meaningful and productive ways. Here are some simple steps from keynote speaker, Pascal Finette:Learn about it - simple enough but important to fill the gap between what we know and what we should know (listening to this episode is a great start)Start small and build projects quickly - learn firsthand what is possible with this technologyApply your experience to larger projects - use those smaller projects to inform what you can do with larger projects (crawl. walk. run.)Another step-by-step resource to get you started is the "Generative A.I. Toolkit" for CPAs, recently released by CPA.com, which includes 7 steps for building your A.I. strategy: Experiment Focus on the near term Consider client expectations Research what solution providers are buildingDefine acceptable usePut the technology's best feature to workEnsure that humans maintain a key role in the processThese tips are a great foundation for our episode this week as I speak with Don Tomoff, Director at Invenio Advisors, LLC and longtime friend of MACPA. Don shares his wealth of knowledge and experience in the field of A.I. and explains which steps CPAs should take right from the outset.ResourcesWired article, "Google's Gemini Is the Real Start of the Generative AI Boom" by Will KnightGenerative A.I. Toolkit from CPA.comDon Tomoff, LinkedIn Profile

This week, we have a longtime friend on the show, Jack Ciesielski, CFA, CPA, MACPA member and owner of investment research firm R.G. Associates. Jack was recently quoted in a Wall Street Journal article about former inspectors who are calling for updates in the U.S. public-company auditing process. There are claims that while inspections are a useful tool to detect potential deficiencies in public companies, the reports are limited in scope, lacking details, and not released in a timely process. I speak to Jack about the PCAOB's investor advisory group - what it is and what it does, along with some of the biggest issues related to auditing that investors are concerned about. He also shares his thoughts about the issues presented in the WSJ article and what should be done to better help investors. Listen in to this timely conversation! Resources: R.G. Associates, Inc. Jack Ciesielski LinkedIn ProfileWall Street Journal article, "Former Inspectors of Public-Company Audits Say Process Needs Retooling", by Mark MaurerPCAOB SPOTLIGHT, Staff Update and Preview of 2022 Inspection Observations

“Accounting is not just about money, it's about what I do to make other people's lives better” Bill Sheridan Bill Sheridan is a knowledge hunter, content curator, and lifelong learner. As chief communications officer for the Maryland Association of CPAs, he created and co-authors the association's acclaimed blog, CPA Success; produces the MACPA's “CPA Spotlight” podcast; and manages the association's member communications and numerous social networks. Bill speaks regularly at national conferences on the future of the accounting and finance profession, the strategic uses of social media, and the evolution of communication, collaboration and education. He delivers frequent presentations on behalf of the Business Learning Institute and is a certified Insights to Action strategic facilitator. He is inspired by and in awe of his wife, Alison, and their daughter, Molly. They live in St. Louis, Mo. As accountants in an ever-changing world, we need to know the facts but the one thing we need in order to remain relevant is learn people skills, go beyond what you now to who you are working for and with. Building better relationships and anticipation of changes that happen with people. Knowing where we are in the technological scene, sooner or later we will be using it to crunch numbers in the accounting scenes and this means as accountants, we will have to develop necessary skills that machines cannot duplicate and do, making us relevant in changing times. You can catch Bill on his socials: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billdsheridan https://twitter.com/BillSheridan Listen to this and so much more in the episode; petermargaritis.com   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I get a chance to talk with Christine Aspell, the newly appointed chair of MACPA's Board of Directors. MACPA has a long history of pulling in leaders with some of the best diversity of thought in their profession. We lean on these leaders not only to help MACPA serve members but also help our profession flourish as a whole. Christine is Managing Partner and Audit Partner at KPMG's Baltimore office, with 25+ years of experience providing assurance services to clients. She is passionate about the future of this profession, particularly when it comes to diversity & inclusion, advancing women in the profession, and helping the talent pipeline leading to profession. The pipeline is a huge concern as of late and multiple solutions have been proposed centering around education and regulatory requirements. Christine is taking a different tact; she wants to reconnect CPAs with a purpose behind their work and to share that purpose with students and young professionals who are hungry for work with meaning. "Our profession continues to change rapidly as technological advancements and regulatory changes and demographic trends reshape what we do and how we do it, but even amid that change, one thing remains constant: our purpose. The what, how, and even who of our great profession will adapt and change, but what won't change is our why." says Christine. Christine is hoping to collect and share stories about how CPAs help their clients who in turn help their communities; how CPAs help people lead better lives. These are the stories that will inspire others to become a part of this profession. Listen to learn more about this initiative and to hear Christine's own inspirational story. ResourcesChristine Aspell, MACPA Chair of Board of Directors, AnnouncementChristine Aspell LinkedIn Profile

Anoop Mehta, long time CPA, MACPA member, and just the second Marylander to chair the AICPA, is one of the sharpest, smartest people I know. He is a proponent of greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in the accounting and finance world. As an Indian-American who immigrated to the United States with his parents at just 12 years old, Anoop followed a path to a more diverse, inclusive profession. Not only has he followed this path, but he is helping to pave it as we speak. Listen to hear his unique, inspiring, story and the ways in which he's helping make progress in the area of DEI. Resources: https://youtu.be/dU1vGjjb-_I (The Path - The Anoop Mehta Story - MACPA) https://www.macpa.org/marylands-anoop-mehta-named-aicpa-chair/ (Maryland's Anoop Mehta named AICPA chair) https://www.linkedin.com/in/anoop-n-mehta-cpa-cgma-2741ab1b/?trk=public_profile_recommendations (Anoop Mehta, LinkedIn Profile)

In this episode of Asked and Answered by Soul episode, Jennifer Urezzio and award-winning author Maggie Mills, ghostwriter and founder of Black Book Marketing, have a dynamic discussion about knowing if you have a book within you, and how to go about getting started. We all have a story to tell, and more importantly, someone else will benefit from your story. Join us today as Jennifer and Maggie share that every time we sit down to write our story, we are learning about ourselves. Our joy and purpose are all in life's little tiny experiences, and we create our story one person and one moment at a time. Almost all of us have a book in us – have faith and give it a chance. You can learn more about Maggie at http://takemaggieswordforit.com/. About Maggie Maggie Mills has been published worldwide – yet, you have most likely never heard of her. That's because she is a ghostwriter. Maggie has spent her decades-long career happily behind-the-scenes, making other people look good – in print and online. She has combined her years in the advertising and marketing business with her time spent in publishing to weave words into pictures and make sinners sound like saints. Her clients include lawyers, preachers, bikers, educators, athletes, ad agencies, cyber security sleuths, and Wall Street whizzes. If it requires words, Maggie writes it. She produces creative content for books, tv & radio scripts, email campaigns, ads, collateral, and websites. She can help you write your book in one of three ways: writing, editing, and one-on-one author coaching. Winner of the MACPA award for feature writing and the Spark! award for blog writing, Maggie shares her knowledge and continues to hone her skills by serving on the Board of Directors for her local chapter of the American Marketing Association as President, Director of MarComm, and currently as Director of Nonprofit Outreach. The Asked and Answered by Soul podcast is dedicated to helping you understand that your Soul is the answer. If you are interested in learning more about the answers of your Soul, you can secure your free sacred practice tool here: https://www.soullanguage.us/sacredpractice/. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whether you like the phrase or not, “The Great Resignation” is real. People are leaving work in droves. That's presenting challenges for employers. How do we find the right people? How do we keep them? How do we understand what they want? Gabrielle Bosche is a bestselling author, two-time TEDx speaker, and is frequently called upon to speak and consult on millennial motivation and engagements for Fortune 500 Companies, presidential campaigns, and government agencies. She's also going to be the keynote speaker at the MACPA's 2022 Business and Industry Conference. She says understanding what employees want often comes down to a single word. Purpose. Does your organization stand for something significant beyond just making money? And do they understand how their jobs help bring people closer to realizing that purpose? To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit https://blionline.org/blog (blionline.org/blog). Resources: http://gabriellebosche.com (gabriellebosche.com) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabriellebosche/ (@gabriellebosche) https://www.gallup.com/workplace/389807/top-things-employees-next-job.aspx (The Top 6 Things Employees Want in Their Next Job) https://hbr.org/2022/03/to-retain-employees-support-their-passions-outside-work (To Retain Employees, Support Their Passions Outside Work) https://www.fastcompany.com/90737565/why-the-great-resignation-is-far-from-over (Why the Great Resignation is far from over) Future-Proof is produced and published by http://crate.media (Crate Media).

Mid-Atlantic CPA, Keith James, Email: keith@MACPA.email , Mobile: 570-269-2427 Keeping Gambling Records for Tax Preparation and More https://professorslots.com/keeping-gambling-records/ Your Slots Gambling Records for Income Tax Returns 2021 https://professorslots.com/slots-gambling-records/ IRS Topic No. 419 Gambling Income and Losses https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc419  IRS Publication 529 (12/2019), Miscellaneous Deductions https://www.irs.gov/publications/p529#en_US_2019_publink10004013 

It's legislative season here in Maryland, and getting involved in the process is more important than ever for the CPA profession. With more changes coming that promise to directly impact the accounting and financing profession than we've ever seen, our world is on high alert. We need to stay on top of those changes – which is why it's nice to have a little help from CPA societies. We take a close look at what's happening in Annapolis right now, because there are sure to be similar stories playing out in whatever state you're located in. To help us with that is Tom Hood, former CEO of the Maryland Association of CPAs, current executive vice president of Business Engagement and Growth at the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, and chair of the MACPA's Legislative Executive Committee. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit https://blionline.org/blog (blionline.org/blog). Resources: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomhood/ (linkedin.com/in/tomhood) Future-Proof is a production of http://crate.media (Crate Media)

We are 20 years out from 9/11, the tragic event that changed everything in the US. We all have our 9/11 stories – the things we remember most when we think back to that fateful day. To mark the occasion, we're going to hear from some of the leaders in the accounting and finance profession, their stories, where they were when it happened, and how the event has impacted the profession. Those leaders are: AICPA President and CEO, Barry Melancon Tom Hood, Executive Vice President of Business Growth and Engagement with the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants Jessica McClain, Controller for Brand USA and a member of The MACPA Foundation. Ed Rommel, a retired CPA, a former partner with TRS CPA Group, and a former chair of the Maryland Association of CPAs' Board of Directors. Tim Samuel, CFO of Bridgeway Community Church, and a member of the MACPA's Board of Directors.  Lexy Kessler, a partner with Aronson, and current MACPA Board Chair. MACPA President and CEO, Jackie Brown Let's spend some time today looking back – and looking forward. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit https://blionline.org/blog (blionline.org/blog). Future-Proof is a production of http://crate.media (Crate Media)

Anirban Basu is chairman and CEO of Sage Policy Group, an economic and policy consulting firm headquartered in the great city of Baltimore, Maryland. He is one of the most popular speakers on the MACPA educational circuit, chair of the Maryland Economic Development Commission, and of the Baltimore County Economic Advisory Committee. He was named one of Maryland's 50 most influential people. When it comes to the economy, he knows what he's talking about, so we're going to take a quick look with him – at Maryland, United States, the COVID factor, housing, all of it – and see what he has to say. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit https://blionline.org/blog (blionline.org/blog). Resources: https://sagepolicy.com/ (sagepolicy.com) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anirban-basu-2110335 (linkedin.com/in/anirban-basu-2110335) https://www.reuters.com/world/china/global-growth-stay-strong-virus-top-risk-say-economists-2021-07-27/ (“Global growth to stay strong but virus the top risk”) Future-Proof is a production of http://crate.media (Crate Media)

Lexy Kessler is the partner in charge of Aronson's Government Contract Services Group and chair of the AICPA's PCPS Executive Committee. As of July 1st, she is the new chair of the Maryland Association of CPAs Board of Directors. We're going to look at her priorities this year and the trends impacting CPAs in Maryland and beyond. Of course, diversity and inclusion in the pipeline are always a focus – however, Lexy is also excited to step into what she calls “MACPA 3.0,” stepping into the opportunities for the association that look ahead, past the current leadership and structural changes. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit https://blionline.org/blog (blionline.org/blog). Resources: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexykessler/ (linkedin.com/in/lexykessler) “https://www.icpas.org/information/professional-issues/decoding-the-decline (The CPA Pipeline Report: Decoding the Decline)” “https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/time-commitment-career-relevance-push-young-people-away-from-cpa-exam (Time commitment, relevance push people away from CPA Exam)” Future-Proof is a production of http://crate.media (Crate Media)

You would be hard-pressed to think of an area that has a greater impact on the working world than where we work. The pandemic has taken the cat out of the bag – so to speak – and there's no putting it back. Working from home is here to stay. Now it's up to us to keep it productive. Kassi Rushing is a communication and people strategist who works with organizations to bring their cultural visions to life. She's got experience and expertise in workplace culture, high-performing teams, diversity, equity and inclusion strategy, leadership and pipeline development, employee engagement, and communication strategy – all of which makes her the perfect person to talk about the future of work. Kassi gave a GREAT presentation at one of the MACPA's recent town hall meetings. She talks about some of the landmines that employers need to watch out for, the opportunities that are there for those of us who figure out how to do this right, what employees can do to help make this transition easier, and a look at the future of work itself. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit https://blionline.org/blog (blionline.org/blog). Resources: http://www.kassirushing.com/ (kassirushing.com) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kassirushing/ (linkedin.com/in/kassirushing) “https://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2021/05/27/hybrid-work-mistakes-companies.html (Allowing More Work From Home? Avoid These Common Mistakes)” Future-Proof is a production of http://crate.media (Crate Media)

Jackie Brown is best known for her long history of commitment to the profession and CPAs in Maryland, having joined MACPA’s staff in July 1980.  Since then, she has provided management oversight in almost every functional area of the Association, including public relations, professional development, membership, marketing, committees, and chapters. She assumed the new position of CEO in 2021, responsible for leading MACPA’s team as well as serving as liaison to the Board of Directors and several of its appointed task forces.

There are some big changes taking place at the Business Learning Institute. Tom Hood, now the former president and CEO of the Maryland Association of CPAs and the Business Learning Institute, is the new executive vice president of business growth and engagement for the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants — the global arm of the American Institute of CPAs. Before Tom closes out his time with the MACPA, we capture some of his wisdom so that we can learn from it going forward. He talks about where the profession was 24 years ago, how far it’s come in the past quarter-century, and most importantly, where it’s going from here. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit https://blionline.org/blog (blionline.org/blog). Resources: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomhood/ (linkedin.com/in/tomhood) https://www.macpa.org/maryland-takes-global-stage-as-tom-hood-bli-join-aicpa-team/ (Maryland takes global stage as Tom Hood, BLI join AICPA team) Future-Proof is a production of http://crate.media (Crate Media)

Byron Patrick is a chameleon of sorts, changing his specialty with the times and staying ahead of the curve. He’s a good friend of our host, Bill Sheridan, who met him in 2006 as the Director of IT for KatzAbosch in Maryland. He had just created a virtual office for the firm in an online virtual world called Second Life. Virtual space is a great place to teach and learn, and other platforms have come along since then and proved it right. Byron was thinking about this concept long before anyone else in the profession. He went on to co-found an organization that focused on remote work technologies and solutions in 2008, also well before remote work became a popular idea. He joined the Board of Directors for the Maryland Association of CPAs and eventually chaired that board during the 2013-14 fiscal year, becoming one of the youngest MACPA chairs ever in the process. In 2019, he joined the team at Botkeeper, which provides automated bookkeeping and accounting solutions for firms, as their director of pre-sales and solutions. In this conversation, he talks about automation, A.I., and what they allow firms to do that they can’t or haven’t thought about before. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit https://blionline.org/blog (blionline.org/blog). Resources: https://www.botkeeper.com/ (botkeeper.com) https://www.linkedin.com/in/byronpatrick (linkedin.com/in/byronpatrick) Future-Proof is a production of http://crate.media (Crate Media)

Alexander Hagerup is the founder of Vic.AI, a strategic partner of the MACPA and the Business Learning Institute. Alex is a serial tech entrepreneur based in New York with a strong passion for artificial intelligence. Alex joins us to talk about A.I., and how far we’ve come, and where we are now in terms of the automation possibilities that A.I. gives us. And maybe most importantly, why CPAs should be paying attention to this, and what this technology will do for us that will improve our lives, and the lives of our clients and customers. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit https://blionline.org/blog (blionline.org/blog). Resources: https://www.vic.ai/ (vic.ai) https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderhagerup/ (linkedin.com/in/alexanderhagerup) Future-Proof is a production of http://crate.media (Crate Media)

Inclusion remains a huge problem in our profession. As of 2016, just one percent of CPAs employed by public accounting firms were Black. And 0.3 percent of partners at those firms were black. Meanwhile, roughly 13 percent of our country’s population is Black. And the numbers for other people of color weren’t much better. We want our profession to look like the public it serves, but it isn’t close — and it isn’t making much progress, either. Our guests this week, Avonette Blanding and Kimberly Ellison-Taylor, offer some poignant insights that might help us take the first step. Avonette is chief financial officer at Maritime Applied Physics in Baltimore, which designs and builds advanced technology systems and vessels for the Defense Department. She is also the incoming chair of the Maryland Association of CPAs. And Kimberly is executive director of finance thought leadership at Oracle. She is a past chair of both the MACPA and the American Institute of CPAs, and just the second chairperson of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. She’s also a fixture on Accounting Today’s list of the most influential people in accounting. They are both Black women and true leaders in our profession, and they have insights, life experiences, and mindsets that the vast majority of people in our profession do not — but that we desperately need. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog (https://blionline.org/blog) . Resources: Avonette’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/avonetteblandingcpa (https://www.linkedin.com/in/avonetteblandingcpa/) Avonette’s Twitter: twitter.com/avonetteb_cpa (https://twitter.com/avonetteb_cpa?lang=en) Oracle: oracle.com/corporate/executives/kimberly-ellison-taylor (https://www.oracle.com/corporate/executives/kimberly-ellison-taylor.html) Kimberly’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kimberly-n-ellison-taylor-b1a13a2 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-n-ellison-taylor-b1a13a2/) “Together, We Can Make A Difference: A 12-Step Plan To Address Racism And Unconscious Bias.” (https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/news/2020/jun/kimberly-ellison-taylor-plan-to-address-racism-and-unconscious-bias.html) Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media)

What should we be doing with our money, with our investments, when things are as unpredictable as they’ve been lately? There’s a lot of advice out there — some of it good, some of it bad — and we wanted to speak to someone who knows what he’s talking about to sort it out. Lyle Benson is president of L.K. Benson & Company in Baltimore and a MACPA member who has been at the forefront of advancing planning services for individuals within the profession. He’s served with the AICPA’s Personal Financial Planning Division Executive Committee, the National Accreditation Committee, the Baltimore Association for Financial Planning, and he is also chair of the Media Task Force of the AICPA's PFP Section.  He joins us to talk about everything we need to be considering right now: Cash on hand, investments, estate planning, and financial planning — especially as it relates to uncertain and chaotic times like this. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog (https://blionline.org/blog) . Resources: www.lkbenson.com (https://lkbenson.com) LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lyle-benson-b019b25 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyle-benson-b019b25/) Read: "These Aren’t Normal Times. You Still Need a Financial Plan for the Pandemic" (https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/12/a-pandemic-financial-plan-can-help-you-get-a-better-grip-on-your-money.html) Read: "Money Lessons From the Pandemic—and the Power of Financial Planning" (https://www.marketwatch.com/story/money-lessons-from-the-pandemicand-the-power-of-financial-planning-2020-05-06) Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media)

Tom has been executive director and CEO of the Maryland Association of CPAs since January 1997. Armed with a passion for the profession and the drive to move it forward, he manages a staff of more than 30, works closely with the Executive Committee and Board of Directors, and oversees the work of numerous committees to promote and protect the CPA brand in Maryland.

The world has been slowly transitioning towards remote work, but we are suddenly in an era where many of us have been forced to adopt remote work practices in a very short time. Some of us weren’t ready for this, and we could all use a little guidance in making the leap. Here to help us through that is Greg Rittler, the founder of Blue Ocean Ideas. We learn what it takes to lead a fully-remote team like this under very difficult circumstances, and he has some great insights into how to lead a remote team in an era of crisis — lessons that many of us need in this profession. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog (https://blionline.org/blog) . Resources: Blueoceanideas.com (http://blueoceanideas.com) MACPA.org/COVID-19 (http://macpa.org/COVID-19) 1. Welcome to the World of Exponential Change: Becoming an Anticipatory Organization | with Daniel Burrus (https://player.captivate.fm/episode/f421de3c-952b-4fa7-80ee-e2ba5f96cffa) Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media)

When you’re talking about life in an exponential age, there are few skills that are as important as anticipation — the ability to spot future trends early, before they become truly disruptive, and take advantage of the opportunities they offer. One person who truly understands the importance of anticipation is our guest today, Rita McGrath. Rita is a longtime professor at Columbia Business School and a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review. She’s considered one of the world’s top experts on innovation and growth, and her latest book, (https://www.ritamcgrath.com/books/seeing-around-corners/) , offers an interesting perspective on the concept of anticipation. She joins us to talk about how her thoughts fit into what the MACPA is doing with Daniel Burrus and share insight into how we can all become better anticipators. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog (https://blionline.org/blog) . Resources: Learn more: www.ritamcgrath.com (http://www.ritamcgrath.com) Read: (https://www.ritamcgrath.com/books/seeing-around-corners/) LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ritamcgrath (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritamcgrath/) "Don't Assume Anything. Prove It." (https://www.macpa.org/dont-assume-anything-prove-it/) "Three Things You Must Do to Conquer Complexity" (https://www.macpa.org/three-things-you-must-do-to-conquer-complexity-1/) "If Your Team Isn't Doing These 6 Things, You're Doomed" (https://www.macpa.org/if-your-team-isn-t-doing-these-6-things-you-re-doomed/) Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media)

Bots are the name of the game this week. They are all the rage, and they’re setting their sights on the accounting and finance world. No one knows that more than our guest this week. Jody Padar built her “Radical CPA” brand as chief executive officer of New Vision CPA Group near Chicago. But then, in January she was named vice president of strategy for Botkeeper. We ask Jody about the potential of bots to transform this profession. As a future-focused accounting and finance professional, this is a conversation you need to pay attention to. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog (https://blionline.org/blog) . Resources: Learn more: www.botkeeper.com (https://www.botkeeper.com/) LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jody-padar-18a9711/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jody-padar-18a9711/) Start mastering these Future-Ready skills now by visiting MACPA.org/future-learning-framework (http://macpa.org/future-learning-framework) Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media)

When we had a whole show highlighting blockchain (https://blionline.org/podcast-blockchain-its-already-transforming-the-profession/) last year, the hype around it was sky-high. It was supposed to transform our profession and, in fact, many professions. It seemed like there was no problem that couldn’t potentially be solved through the use of blockchain technology. Now, things have cooled off a bit, but people in our profession are still very interested in how blockchain might transform what we do. Keith Nichols, General Manager for small to mid-size firms with Thomson Reuters, is one of them. Keith was previously Thomson Reuters’ managing director for government, which meant he had significant say in the global strategy and business operations of the government practice with the Tax and Accounting business at Thomson Reuters. That meant he was recognizing blockchain’s potential to disrupt things like governmental tax transactions, land registries, and things like that.  He’s been watching this technology for a while now, and he has some pretty interesting insights into the real potential of blockchain and how it might impact this profession and our society once the disillusionment wears out. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog (https://blionline.org/blog) . Resources: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/nicholskeith/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholskeith/) Read: Gartner Hype Cycle (https://www.gartner.com/en/research/methodologies/gartner-hype-cycle) Read: "Get ready for a massive “block” party" (https://blogs.thomsonreuters.com/answerson/get-ready-for-a-massive-block-party/) Start mastering these Future-Ready skills now by visiting MACPA.org/future-learning-framework (http://macpa.org/future-learning-framework) Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media)

We spend a lot of time talking about exponential technologies and the disruptive impact they’re having on our world — but today’s guest turns the tables on the mindset and focuses, instead, on the importance of exponential thinking.  Jeffrey Rogers is the Principal Facilitator at Singularity University (https://su.org/) , which is a global learning and innovation community that uses exponential technologies to tackle the world’s biggest challenges. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog (https://blionline.org/blog) . Resources: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-rogers-ab368658/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-rogers-ab368658/) Read: “How Will You Measure Your Life?” (https://hbr.org/2010/07/how-will-you-measure-your-life) Watch: "Jeff Rogers: Exponential thinking and creative resolution | SingularityU Brazil Summit 2019" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzZqebuwFWc) Start mastering these Future-Ready skills now by visiting MACPA.org/future-learning-framework (http://macpa.org/future-learning-framework) Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media)

In this episode, we’re talking about innovation in CPA firms — and, no, this isn’t the punchline to a knock-knock joke. It’s happening, believe it or not, and on a pretty serious scale. Joining us to about it is none other than Jonathan Kraftchick. Jonathan is the partner of assurance services in the Raleigh office of Cherry Bekaert, where he is known (informally) as the firm’s Innovation Partner and heads up the firm’s Innovation Team.  Jonathan has some great insights into what innovation actually looks like in practice within the stereotypically non-innovative environment of a CPA firm, and understanding what innovation looks like is an important first step towards being innovative. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog (https://blionline.org/blog) . Resources: Twitter: twitter.com/jkraftchick (https://twitter.com/jkraftchick?lang=en) LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jkraftchick (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jkraftchick/) "Jonathan Kraftchick Named Triangle’s Funniest Accountant" (https://www.cbh.com/firm-news/cherry-bekaert-director-jonathan-kraftchick-named-triangles-funniest-accountant/) Start mastering these Future-Ready skills now by visiting MACPA.org/future-learning-framework (http://macpa.org/future-learning-framework) Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media)

Will and Paul are joined by EOS implementor and the CCO of the MACPA, Bill Sheridan. Together they chat about EOS and it’s relevance for accounting firms – even the smaller ones.

We spent last week talking about federal tax issues that you might need to know about as we head into this year’s Busy Season. This week, we’re going to do the same thing — but on the state tax side of the ledger. So we sit down with Peter Franchot, comptroller for the state of Maryland. We also asked some of our MACPA members what questions they have for the comptroller, and we got a ton of responses. We were able to ask a few in this episode, but we hope to share answers to even more of your questions on the MACPA blog soon. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog (https://blionline.org/blog) . Resources: Prepare for tax season at MACPA.org/tax (http://macpa.org/tax) Start mastering Future-Ready skills now by visiting http://macpa.org/future-learning (http://macpa.org/future-learning) Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media)

Settle in and relax, folks, because this might be your last chance to chill until April. Yeah, tax season is here. And yeah, you’re probably going to be busy — but today’s episode just might help. Our guest is Cari Weston, director of tax practice and ethics for the American Institute of CPAs. She down with our host, Bill Sheridan, at the 2019 Digital CPA Conference to talk about the issues that will be impacting tax pros in 2020. This year, for a change, those issues go well beyond the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog (https://blionline.org/blog) . Resources: Prepare for tax season at aicpa.org/tax (http://aicpa.org/tax) Connect with Cari on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/cariweston (https://www.linkedin.com/in/cariweston) Learn more at MACPA.org/future-learning (http://macpa.org/future-learning)   Find CPA tax training at MACPA.org/tax (http://macpa.org/tax) Accounting Today's 2020 "Year Ahead" survey (https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/hoping-for-a-smoother-tax-season) Read: "2020 tax season filing preview” (https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/issues/2020/jan/2020-tax-filing-season-preview.html) Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media)

Given the latest research within the profession — see our recent conversation with Lexy Kessler (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/81-how-public-practice-needs-to-transform-soon-lexy/id1370422862?i=1000459738361) for details on all of that — there’s one thing that most accounting and finance professionals are thinking about: talent. How to find talent, how to keep it, and how to figure out what the best talent wants in the first place. This last bit is really important, too, because what younger generations want is often different from what the older generations wanted.  To learn more about this generational gap and what you can do to attract the best and brightest of the next generation of accountants, we sit down with Monique Malcolm-Hay, a senior consultant at PwC and founder of New-Gen Accountants. If you have any interest in the future of this profession, this episode is a must-listen. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog (https://blionline.org/blog) . Resources: www.newgenaccountants.com (http://www.newgenaccountants.com/) LinkedIn: .linkedin.com/company/new-gen-accountants/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/new-gen-accountants/) Twitter: @NewGenAccount (https://twitter.com/newgenaccount) Instagram: @NewGenAccountants (https://www.instagram.com/newgenaccountants/) Learn more at MACPA.org/future-learning (http://macpa.org/future-learning) Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media)

This episode releases on the cusp of a new year — so, if you’re reading this in 2019, we want to wish you a very happy, healthy, and prosperous 2020. Here’s to you and yours. Of course, with the new year comes New Year’s resolutions, and there’s one resolution that all accounting and finance professionals (and, really, most people) can benefit from: becoming a better delegator. So we sit down with Emily Morgan, the mastermind behind a group called Delegate Solutions, which offers premium-level virtual assistant services for entrepreneurs. They tackle your distracting to-dos, create a strategic delegation plan for meeting your goals, and fully manage the virtual team assigned to your projects. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog (https://blionline.org/blog) . Resources: DelegateSolutions.com (http://delegatesolutions.com) Download your FREE Delegate and Elevate (https://traction.eosworldwide.com/hubfs/EOS-Delegate-and-Elevate.pdf) worksheet Read: (https://www.eosworldwide.com/traction) by Gino Wickman Read: (https://www.eosworldwide.com/great-boss-book) by Gino Wickman and Rene Boer Learn more at MACPA.org/future-learning (http://macpa.org/future-learning) Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media)

Client Accounting Services (CAS) are the services that CPAs provide because clients can’t do them, don’t want to do them, or just aren’t good at doing them. It’s that full-menu offering of taking over many of a client’s routine internal accounting chores.  The popularity of these services is growing, too — to the extent that a lot of people in the accounting and finance profession consider CAS to be a new line of business, something they need to start exploring to keep up with the competition. But these services really aren’t new at all. Some firms have been doing this stuff for years, and bear the battle scars to prove it. In the process, they have also learned a thing or three that the rest of us can benefit from. So we sit down with one of these early vanguards of Client Accounting Services, Robin Thieme. Robin is the CEO and CAO — that’s Chief Anticipation Officer — of KBS CFO, a company that serves as a CFO, Chief Information Officer, and Chief Operating Officer for their clients. That might sound like a new concept, but Robin and her team have been doing this for the past 15 years. They were the Lewis and Clark of CAS. They were there before anyone else, trying to map this territory — and if we pay attention to what Robin has to say in this episode, we’ll be able to navigate this territory a little more easily. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog (https://blionline.org/blog) . Resources: KBSCFO.com (http://kbscfo.com) LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kbscfo/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbscfo/) Twitter: twitter.com/kbscfo (https://twitter.com/kbscfo) Learn more at MACPA.org/future-learning (http://macpa.org/future-learning) Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media)

Today we’re asking an important question that every industry is going to have to ask sooner or later: What does future-focused leadership look like? Our guest, Rachel Druckenmiller, is on a mission to humanize the workplace by igniting intentional leadership. She has made a name for herself nationally in the fields of workplace wellness and culture. In 2019, she was recognized as a 40 Under 40 Game Changer by Workforce Magazine, and in 2018, Employ Humanity named her one of “7 Wellness Leaders Making a Positive Impact.” But all of this — wellbeing, wellness, culture — it all ties directly to leadership. And Rachel trains leadership teams to be more self-aware, curious, and connected so that they can have greater impact and influence at their organizations. So, with those types of insights at our disposal, we wanted to find out from Rachel what a future-ready leader looks like. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog (https://blionline.org/blog) . Resources: www.RachelDruckenmiller.com (http://www.racheldruckenmiller.com) LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rachelbdruckenmiller (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelbdruckenmiller/) Instagram: www.instagram.com/unmutedlife (https://www.instagram.com/unmutedlife/) YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/racheldruckenmiller (https://www.youtube.com/user/racheldruckenmiller) Twitter twitter.com/rachel_druck (https://twitter.com/rachel_druck) Learn more at MACPA.org/future-learning (http://macpa.org/future-learning) Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media)

So you know Simon Sinek? Best-selling author, leadership expert, the people-don’t-buy-what-you-do-they-buy-why-you-do-it guy? Well, he has a new book titled (https://simonsinek.com/product/the-infinite-game/) and our host, Bill Sheridan, has become a bit obsessed with this notion of playing the Infinite Game, of adopting an infinite mindset. So we sat down with Stephen Shedletzky, chief of staff with Simon Sinek’s team at Start With Why. He supports leaders in creating environments where their people feel inspired to go to work, feel safe and valued while they are there, and return home at the end of each day fulfilled by the work they do. Stephen and I talk about ALL of this — the difference between Finite and Infinite Games, the benefits of thinking more infinitely, and how traditionally Finite-based professions — LIKE accounting and finance — can get started down a path toward thinking more Infinitely. Really good stuff this week. And if you can’t listen to Simon Sinek, then Stephen will definitely do. Here is Stephen Shedletzky. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog (https://blionline.org/blog) . Resources: Read: (https://simonsinek.com/product/the-infinite-game/) Twitter: twitter.com/steveshed (https://twitter.com/steveshed?lang=en) LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stephenshedletzky/?originalSubdomain=ca (https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenshedletzky/?originalSubdomain=ca) Watch Bill interview Simon Sinek: youtube.com/watch?v=g0ROzBuwoCo&feature=youtu.be (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0ROzBuwoCo&feature=youtu.be) Learn more at MACPA.org/future-learning (http://macpa.org/future-learning) Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media)

Today’s episode focuses on something a little different. Not the technology that’s going to prepare us for the future, not the hard trends that will affect change in the future, and not why we should stop panicking about AI putting all auditors out of work. Today, we’re talking about joy. Because our guest is Richard Sheridan, co-founder and CEO of Menlo Innovations (and of no relation to our host Bill Sheridan), has written two books on the topic: (https://www.amazon.com/Chief-Joy-Officer-Leaders-Eliminate/dp/0735218226) . To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog (https://blionline.org/blog) . Resources: Check out MenloInnovations.com (http://menloinnovations.com) Read: (https://www.amazon.com/Joy-Inc-Built-Workplace-People/dp/1591847125)   Read: (https://www.amazon.com/Chief-Joy-Officer-Leaders-Eliminate/dp/0735218226) Learn more at MACPA.org/future-learning (http://macpa.org/future-learning) Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media)

Riddle me this, Batman: What do you get when you cross exponential advances in technology with an unrelenting regulatory environment? The answer is no joke: what you get, oftentimes, is one big headache. These “hard trends” or “future facts” that futurist Daniel Burrus talks about — the things that we know will happen, with absolute certainty — they’re hard enough to come to grips with individually. But when they cross borders and join forces... well, that’s when our lives really start to get complex. There’s another way of looking at it, though, and our guests today are here to provide a little perspective. Marchelle Klippenstein is the Director of the SAP Concur value consulting organization and Jameson Hughes is a Value Consultant at SAP Concur, and they are both working to help organizations improve their financial outcomes through data analytics and deep-dive management consulting. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog (https://blionline.org/blog) . Resources: Learn more at www.concur.com (https://www.concur.com/) SEC’s Financial Technology Hub: www.sec.gov/finhub (https://www.sec.gov/finhub) MACPA.org/future-learning (http://macpa.org/future-learning) Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media)

Halloween is over. Autumn is kicking into full gear. And you know what that means — it’s time to talk about audits! Because the future of audit is... uncertain, to say the least.  Luckily, we had an opportunity to talk to Mark Miklosovic, the Customer Proposition Strategy Lead for tax professionals at Thomson Reuters, who spends much of his time thinking very critically about the future of this profession. We talk about where audit has been, where it is now, where it is going — and most importantly, what the future of this profession looks like. Given the pace of change today, it’s a crucial conversation to be having, and to be able to dig deep into the brain of someone who has a passion for this stuff like Mark does is a real treat. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog (https://blionline.org/blog) . Resources: Learn more at tax.thomsonreuters.com (http://tax.thomsonreuters.com) LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/markmiklosovic (https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmiklosovic/) Accounting Today: “Where is the audit profession going?” (https://www.accountingtoday.com/opinion/where-is-the-audit-profession-going) Accounting Today: “Audit dead in a decade?” (https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/audit-dead-in-a-decade) Accounting Today: “The future of audit: Looking ahead in a time of rapid change” (https://www.accountingtoday.com/opinion/the-future-of-audit-looking-ahead-in-a-time-of-rapid-change) Start mastering Future-Ready skills now at MACPA.org/future-learning (http://macpa.org/future-learning) Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media)

Pretty much every survey under the sun identifies recruitment and retention as one of the top five issues facing accounting and finance organizations today. Everyone is struggling with this and nobody seems to know how to solve it. There are a lot of suggestions being put forward throughout the profession — communicate, be a role model, make your expectations clear, offer a safe working environment, provide a clear career path, build leaders — and that’s all great advice. Yet, no matter how many times we hear this, talent continues to be one of our most pressing problems. So, what’s the real issue here? Why can’t we hire the people we want? And why can we keep the people we have? Our guest Alan Jagonlinzer has some ideas. Alan is a Professor of Financial Accounting, the Head of the Accounting Faculty Subject Group, and the Director of the Centre for Financial Reporting & Accountability at the Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge, where he has helped develop leadership, innovation, and change-management degree programs for accountants. You may not want to hear everything Alan says about what’s causing our recruitment and retention woes — but they’re things you have to hear. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog (https://blionline.org/blog) . Resources: Learn more at jbs.cam.ac.uk (http://jbs.cam.ac.uk) Twitter: https://twitter.com/jagolinzer (https://twitter.com/jagolinzer) LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jagolinzer (http://linkedin.com/in/jagolinzer) World Finance: “Mental health issues are becoming more prevalent in the financial services sector” (https://www.worldfinance.com/strategy/mental-health-issues-continue-to-plague-the-financial-services-sector) Economia: “Third of accountants suffer from poor mental health.” (https://economia.icaew.com/news/january-2018/third-of-accountants-suffer-from-poor-mental-health) Bloomberg Tax: “U.K. accountants in mental health crisis from work stress.” (https://news.bloombergtax.com/financial-accounting/u-k-accountants-in-mental-health-crisis-from-work-stress) Check out MACPA.org/future-learning (http://macpa.org/future-learning) Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media)

Today we’re going to talk about something that most accounting and finance professionals probably never give a second thought — writing. Writing is one of those skills that we all take for granted. We all do it in some way, shape, or form every day, so we all assume we’re awesome at it. Maybe even better at it than some of our peers? This is a misconception that happens all the time, in different areas of our life. We can’t all be better than mostly everyone else at most things, but we’ll learn more about that phenomenon in a moment. First, we want to introduce our guest Bob Dean, a learning and development expert who has designed, developed, and facilitated hundreds of interactive virtual learning programs, using a variety of technology platforms. More to the point, he has authored a series of programs for the Business Learning Institute about writing for results, writing as a leader, writing in a way that will get you noticed — and, equally important, writing in a way that makes sure people won’t notice you as someone who simply cannot communicate. Bob’s lessons are so simple and so easy to learn, yet so powerful and impactful. And if you take them to heart and learn to do them well, you won’t just become a better communicator. You will have mastered one of the key competencies that will turn you into a future-ready accounting and finance pro. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog (https://blionline.org/blog) . Resources: Connect with Dean at DeanPeoples.com (http://deanpeoples.com) Learn more at MACPA.org/future-learning (http://macpa.org/future-learning) Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media)

Pascal Finette is co-founder of be radical (https://beradicalgroup.com/) , an organization that teaches leaders how to create new business models for success, positively embrace disruption, and prepare their people to be future-forward and future-ready. He is also chair for Entrepreneurship and Open Innovation at Singularity University (https://su.org) , which is a global learning and innovation community that uses exponential technologies to tackle the world’s biggest challenges. He previously held leadership positions at Google, Mozilla, and eBay. Pascal’s focus these days is what the future looks like, as it pertains to the intersection of business and technology. And that future? It terrifies him and thrills him at the same time. He says he’s living this duality between freaking out and being super excited — and that gets us excited, too. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog (https://blionline.org/blog) . Resources: be radical: beradicalgroup.com (https://beradicalgroup.com/) Singularity University: su.org (https://su.org/) LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/pfinette/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/pfinette/) Twitter: twitter.com/pfinette (https://twitter.com/pfinette?lang=en) Disruption Map Exercise: https://youtu.be/CHymEuouJh8 (https://youtu.be/CHymEuouJh8) Pascal’s partnership with CPA.com: j.mp/CPARadical (http://j.mp/CPARadical) Learn more at MACPA.org/future-learning (http://macpa.org/future-learning) Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media)

Summer’s over, October’s here, and things are changing. But that’s the state of our world today, isn’t it? And not just when it comes to the weather.  Change is the new normal, and that can be an uncomfortable thing, especially for  CPAs. But for those who are ready to embrace it — to adapt a more nimble and flexible mindset — there are a lot of opportunities just waiting to be taken advantage of. The question is, then, how do we do that? How do we start embracing flexibility and fluidity as competitive advantages? How do we start thinking about transforming our very business models so that we’ll remain relevant in a changing and complex world? Those things aren’t baked into our DNA, are they? But here to help us figure it all out is Will Hill, the Tax Professionals Advisory product manager for Thomson Reuters. He’s also been included on CPA Practice Advisor’s “40 Under 40” list twice and he’s an iInnovator with TR’s Practice Forward service offering, which is focused on helping firms make the transition to having client relationships that are centered on Advisory Services. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog (https://blionline.org/blog) . Resources: Learn more at ThomsonReuters.com/tax-accounting (http://thomsonreuters.com/tax-accounting) LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/wghill (https://www.linkedin.com/in/wghill/) Read Will’s blog post: “Don’t Underestimate the Value of CPA Advisory Services” (https://tax.thomsonreuters.com/blog/dont-underestimate-the-value-of-cpa-advisory-services/) Read: “Inside CAS: Promises and Pitfalls” (https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/inside-client-accounting-services-promise-and-pitfalls) Check out MACPA.org/future-learning (http://macpa.org/future-learning) Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media/)

Today’s episode is all about Color Accounting — and if you’re not familiar with Color Accounting yet, you need to be! So, we invited Peter Frampton, co-founder of Color Accounting, onto the show to teach us all about what Color Accounting is and why it’s so important to the future of our profession. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog (https://blionline.org/blog) . Resources: ColorAccounting.com (http://coloraccounting.com/) LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/peterframpton (https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterframpton/) How Color Accounting works: https://youtu.be/QeoCoatHGsY (https://youtu.be/QeoCoatHGsY) Color Accounting’s books on accounting and finance: coloraccounting.com/books.html (https://www.coloraccounting.com/books.html) Learn more at MACPA.org/future-learning (http://macpa.org/future-learning) Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media/)

Today we’re going to talk about something you probably didn’t expect from this show: Cannabis.  But legalization for both medical and recreational cannabis products is growing at the state level. At this point, it seems like a hard trend. So it’s high time we talked about this stuff (pun intended)  if we want to future-proof this profession. To help us come to a joint understanding, if you will, about how we can best serve our clients in this area, we are joined by Emily Burns, who provides customized legal and consulting solutions specifically for the rapidly evolving cannabis industry. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog (https://blionline.org/blog) . Resources: Check out LegallyBurns.com (http://legallyburns.com/) Twitter: twitter.com/legallyburns (https://twitter.com/legallyburns) LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/legallyburns (https://www.linkedin.com/in/legallyburns/) Watch Sen. Orrin Hatch’s statement (https://www.cnn.com/2017/09/13/politics/orrin-hatch-medical-marijuana-research-bill/index.html) Take one of Emily’s courses: blionline.org/instructor/emily-burns (https://blionline.org/instructor/emily-burns/) Learn more at MACPA.org/future-learning (http://macpa.org/future-learning) Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media/)

We’ve been talking about the cloud for so long now that it’s easy to assume that everyone already has it figured out – but that’s the wrong assumption to make with our profession. There are exceptions, of course. There are some accounting and finance pros out there who take pride in getting ahead of new technologies early. But a sizeable part of the profession hasn’t made that leap yet. So Blake Oliver, co-host of the Cloud Accounting Podcast, joins us to assess where we’re at in the profession when it comes to cloud adoption, as well as what’s next from here. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog. Resources: Read: Cloud Accounting Blog Listen: Cloud Accounting Podcast Twitter: twitter.com/BlakeTOliver Facebook: www.facebook.com/blake.t.oliver LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/blaketoliver/ Learn more at MACPA.org/future-learning Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media/)

How do you transform your organization into a truly digital organization?  It’s not as simple as it sounds. You can’t just about employ some digital technologies and think that you’ve made it. Doing digital and being digital are not the same things. Not even close. So, we’re joined by Matt Loeb, principal of Optimal Performance Seekers and acting CEO of SECURE, who is simply one of the deepest thinkers about what it means to be digital in an increasingly digital world. Quite frankly, too many people get this stuff wrong, and Matt is here to point us in the right direction. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog. Resources: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mattloeb/ Twitter: twitter.com/mattloeb digitalNow Conference: digitalnowconference.com How to Win in a Winner-Take-All World by Neil Irwin Learn more at MACPA.org/future-learning Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media/)

To know where you’re going, you have to have an understanding of – and an appreciation for – where you’ve been.  Publisher and activist Marcus Garvey said, “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” And Michael Crichton, the bestselling author of Jurassic Park and Westworld, said, “If you don’t know history, then you don’t know anything. You are a leaf that doesn’t know it is part of a tree.” Why are our two favorite quotes about history also about trees? Who knows. But these quotes encapsulate what we’re going to be discussing on today’s episode: a glimpse back at a little-known but hugely important event in this nation’s history and the role that little-old Maryland played in that event. Our guest, Chris Formant, is a businessman by trade – a former top executive of a multi-billion-dollar global business and now the CEO of a technology company – but more to the point for this episode, he’s the author of a riveting new book called Saving Washington: The Forgotten Story of the Maryland 400 and the Battle of Brooklyn. It’s a piece of historical fiction; all of the events in the book actually happened, but they are told through the eyes of two fictional characters who give life to an event that most people know little or nothing about. And we can really learn a lot about history, and the present, through their eyes. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog. Resources: ChrisFormant.com Read: Saving Washington: The Forgotten Story of the Maryland 400 and the Battle of Brooklyn Instagram: instagram.com/chrisformant Twitter: twitter.com/cmformant LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/christopherformant Learn more at MACPA.org/future-learning Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media/)

We spend a lot of time on this show talking about future trends and technologies — things like artificial intelligence, blockchain, and automation – and, more importantly, what those things mean for the future of our profession. But there are many other hard trends — a.k.a. future facts, a.k.a. things that we know are going to happen – that will have a huge impact on what we do. The topics aren’t always as sexy, sure, but they’re equally impactful, and if we want to get serious about becoming future-ready, we need to be talking about these things, too. So, that brings us to the decidedly un-sexy world of regulation this week. It probably doesn’t excite you, but we have to talk about this stuff, as a profession, because it might have more of an impact on what we do going forward than anything that technology can throw our way. Luckily, our guest, Russ Golden, is one of the best people to talk to about regulation in the accounting and finance world because Russ is the Chairman of the Financial Accounting Standards Board, better known as FASB. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog. Resources: Find out more about the FASB’s most recent initiatives at (http://fasb.org/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/russellgolden Read: “FASB Proposes Improvements Related to Distinguishing Liabilities From Equity” Learn more at MACPA.org/future-learning Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media/)

Our guest today is Neil Irwin, who is the senior economic correspondent at the New York Times and the best-selling author of The Alchemists: Three Central Bankers and a World on Fire, about the global financial crisis and its aftermath. And Irwin recently wrote a new book titled How to Win in a Winner-Take-All World: The Definitive Guide to Adapting and Succeeding in High-Performance Careers. It’s a fascinating and important book, given the changing and complex world we live in. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog. Resources: Neilirwin.com How to Win in a Winner-Take-All World: The Definitive Guide to Adapting and Succeeding in High-Performance Careers Twitter: twitter.com/neil_irwin LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/neil-irwin/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/neil.irwin Learn more at MACPA.org/future-learning Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media/)

Today, we’re talking about the elephant in the room, or what Tom Hood would call the dead moose in the room. That thing that’s stinking up the joint but that nobody wants to do anything about – or, more to the point, nobody knows what to do about it. That dead moose is talent.  How do you find it? How do you keep it? How do you set your organization apart from all the others out there so people want to work for you? It’s a HUGE problem, and here’s why in three short words: One point five. That’s the unemployment rate for accountants and auditors. One point five percent. The national average is 3.7 percent. That means it’s more than twice as hard for employers to find great employees than everyone else. Welcome to reality, and reality continues to get more and more harsh. Ten thousand Baby Boomers reach retirement age every single day. That means one of two things: they’re retiring and they’re taking all of their wisdom and experience with them or they’re continuing to work, which means younger professionals have fewer opportunities to advance their careers, which means they’re more likely to look elsewhere for those opportunities. So, from a people perspective, accounting and finance professionals are dealing with a lot these days, and it’s not getting any easier.  So we sat down with Paul McDonald, Senior Executive Director at Robert Half, which specializes in the placement of professionals in the accounting and finance, technology, legal, creative, and administrative fields. Paul has more than 30 years in the recruiting field and he has advised thousands of company leaders and job seekers on how to hire and get hired. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog. Resources: Learn more at (http://roberthalf.com/) Read: “The Future of Work: Adapting to technological change” Read: “How to Make the Accountant Unemployment Rate Work for You” Twitter: twitter.com/paulcmcdonald Learn more at MACPA.org/future-learning Future-Proof is produced by Podcast Masters

Today’s show is all about innovation – which, let’s face it, it’s not something the accounting and finance profession is known for. We’re all about accounting for what has happened, and history tells us that what will happen is not our problem. Except, here’s the thing: We’re living in a world where we’ll be flattened by what’s in front of us if we don’t take the time to look for it, if we don’t take the time to turn around and look for what futurist Andrew Zolli would call those “weak signals of disruptive change” on the horizon. If we don’t start training ourselves to look forward to what’s next as much as we look back to what’s happened, we’re doomed. And here’s why: A few years ago, the Sleeter Group released the results of a survey that showed the top reason why clients decided to leave their CPA firms is that their CPAs were providing reactive services instead of proactive advice. In other words, their CPAs were holding them back instead of helping them become future-ready. At the same time, CPA.com released a survey that found 92 percent of CPAs said they weren’t prepared to provided that proactive advice. So, to recap: Our clients are demanding proactive, future-ready advice – and 92 percent of us aren’t prepared to provide that type of advice. That’s a problem. And that’s where this week’s guest comes in. Jordan Kleinsmith is the Director of Innovation for the Tax and Accounting business at Thomson Reuters. He’s the guy who’s keeping an eye on what’s happening in the profession and figuring how Thomson Reuters needs to respond, in terms of innovative new ideas, strategies, and products. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog (https://blionline.org/blog) . Resources: Checkpoint Edge: tax.tr.com/checkpoint/edge LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jordankleinsmith Learn more at MACPA.org/future-learning Future-Proof is produced by Podcast Masters

We’re going to talk about your career path today. If you’re new to the profession, and even if you’re not, we’re not going to lie to you – things are going to get weird.  It’s just the nature of work today. Things are changing at an exponential pace these days and that means your career is also going to change exponentially – so you have to be ready with new skills, a flexible career path, and the ability to shift on a dime when the time comes. More than ever, we all have to be more nimble, more flexible, and more willing to learn new skills. Our careers, our futures, and those of our customers and clients depend on it more now than ever. We can’t do anything about the twists and turns coming our way, but we can prepare ourselves to take those twists and turns without spinning out or flipping the car over. Luckily, today’s guest puts an inspiring twist on the twists and turns of career and life.  Tony Nitti is a partner in RubinBrown’s Tax Services Group, a well-known contributor of tax content to Forbes, and a frequent speaker and trainer at seminars and webcasts across the country. What’s clear when you hear him talk, though, is that he’s just a guy trying to figure out his way in the world. But his journey has been amazing, and it’s something that all of us can learn from. Rather than expand on that, we’re going to let Tony tell his story. Tony’s journey is OUR journey. Learn from what he’s done and apply it to your own journey – because this is amazing stuff. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog. Resources: Twitter: twitter.com/nittiaj Read Tony’s articles: Forbes.com/sites/AnthonyNitti Learn more at MACPA.org/future-learning Future-Proof is produced by (http://crate.media/)

The accounting and finance profession as we know it seems to be under assault. New technologies, staggering legislation and regulations, demographic shifts that are reshaping the face of workforces — we’re experiencing change and complexity on a level we’ve never seen before. Or is that really true? In a way, when you think about it, none of what we’re experiencing right now is new. All of the thought leaders out there are calling this “the Fourth Industrial Revolution.” Know what that means? There have been three other industrial revolutions before it. We’ve gone through massive change before. The only difference today is that these changes are happening faster than ever before, which means we have to be more agile than ever, ready to shift with the next big transformation. And that, in part, is Bill Reeb’s message to the accounting and finance world. Bill Reeb is chief executive of the management consulting firm Succession Institute, LLC. But more importantly, he is the incoming chair of the American Institute of CPAs, and he has a message for members of our rarified profession: Forget what you know. The world’s a different place. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog. Resources: Learn more at (http://aicpa.org/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-reeb-3547ab14 Start mastering your Future-Ready skills now by visiting MACPA.org/future-learning Future-Proof is produced by Podcast Masters

Our guests this week have a challenge for all accounting and finance professionals: start thinking in terms of moonshots. Now, you might be asking yourself, what in the world is a moonshot? It’s a huge, seemingly insurmountable quest that is ultimately inspirational and game-changing in nature. It’s something that, when achieved, changes the boundary between possible and impossible – just like the USA’s attempt to land Apollo 11 on the moon almost exactly 50 years ago. Sherif Hallaba and Travis Dirks are the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technology Officer, respectively, for an organization named XLabs. They describe themselves as a company that builds moonshot companies for the future, powered by artificial intelligence, unconventional computing, and neurotechnology. And if that sounds a little “out there” for our little podcast... well, it is, but they make a pretty strong argument that adopting a moonshot mindset will have some very tangible benefits for accounting and finance pros. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog. Resources: Check out (http://xlabs.ai/) Sherif on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shallaba Sherif on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sthallaba Travis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travisdirks Travis on Twitter: https://twitter.com/travisdirks Learn more at MACPA.org/future-learning Future-Proof is produced by Podcast Masters

Our guest this week is Brian Solis, who you’re probably already familiar with if you’re conference nerds like us. He describes himself as a digital analyst, an anthropologist, and a futurist; he has studied the effects of emerging technology on business, marketing, and culture; and he’s written best-selling books like (https://www.briansolis.com/books/) His latest book is called (https://www.briansolis.com/books/) – and it could really be a gamechanger for the accounting and finance industry, and really any industry that takes it to heart. We discuss how time seems increasingly important these days – and why, if you’re looking to take your business to the next level, if you’re looking for your next competitive advantage, if you’re trying to figure out where your business is going and how it’s going to get there, then the first question you should be asking yourself is, “How am I spending my time?” We’re not trying to shame anybody or make anyone feel guilty. This is all about becoming more aware of what’s sucking the time out of our lives so that we can better choose and prioritize what we actually want to and should be doing. Because, right now, a lot of our time isn’t spent working – it’s spent being distracted. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog. Resources: Check out (https://www.briansolis.com/) Read: LifeScale Twitter: https://twitter.com/briansolis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briansolis/detail/recent-activity/posts/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebriansolis Learn more at MACPA.org/future-learning Future-Proof is produced by Podcast Masters

This week we’re talking about the role of the CFO – a role that is changing, and pretty radically. Thanks to advances in technology and other disruptions, organizations are expecting their CFOs to play an increasingly strategic role; to actually help drive strategy in the organization, rather than just leading their department and crunching numbers. It’s a fairly recent phenomenon, but it’s happening quite quickly, and getting up to speed on that is just the latest challenge that finance chiefs are facing. Joining the show to offer some insight on the fluctuating world of corporate finance is Ash Noah, managing director of CGMA Learning, Education and Development, which is the global association that the American Institute of CPAs formed in partnership with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog. Resources: CGMA Competency Framework: https://www.cgma.org/resources/tools/cgma-competency-framework.html LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ash-noah-6b11895/ Learn more at MACPA.org/future-learning Future-Proof is produced by Podcast Masters

Today’s topic is A.I. Artificial intelligence. You might have heard about it? It’s that thing everyone’s been talking about for the last five years or so. Yeah, the hype is out of this world. But here’s the thing, and there’s really no getting around it: this isn’t something entirely new or groundbreaking. The technology itself is new, but we’ve been through this before. Excel was supposed to kill our profession, remember? Then came the Internet, and Turbotax, and the cloud. And you know what? We’re still here, adding greater value for our clients than ever. But technology today is also evolving faster than ever, meaning it’s harder to keep up than ever. Automated solutions are eating away at more of our foundational tasks than ever. However, for the time being anyway, they’re still just tools — tools that augment what we do and allow us to do it with greater efficiency, speed, effectiveness, all while adding more value for our clients than ever. It’s in that light that CPA.com, the technology arm of the American Institute of CPAs, released a new whitepaper titled “The Rise of Artificial Intelligence: A Critical Inflection Point for the Accounting Profession.” And it’s in that light that we sit down with our guest, Kacee Johnson, a strategic advisor with CPA.com. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog. Resources: Read: “The Rise of Artificial Intelligence: A Critical Inflection Point for the Accounting Profession” Learn more at MACPA.org/future-learning LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kacee-johnson/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kaceebop Future-Proof is produced by Podcast Masters

A lot of folks talk about this notion of becoming future-ready as if it’s some sort of magic trick. They paint a picture of a future where we need to learn all kinds of new stuff — new skills, new technologies, new strategies, and new business models — in order to out-maneuver the machines and remain relevant. And to some extent, that’s true. We’ve got some serious work to do from here on in. But on the other hand, there is a school of thought — a pretty well-supported and powerful school of thought — that says in order to become future-ready, we really need to be doing nothing more than what we all should have been doing right from the start: providing excellence. Excellence, certainly to our clients and customers, but just as importantly, to our employees. But that raises a couple questions, like where does excellence come from? And how does it start? To help us answer these questions, we sit down with Tom Peters, who is as deep a thinker in this space as exists in the world today. He co-wrote (https://www.amazon.com/Search-Excellence-Americas-Companies-Essentials/dp/0060548789/ref=pd_rhf_shvl_2) . To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog. Resources: Check out (http://tompeters.com/) Twitter: https://twitter.com/tom_peters Read Tom’s Essay: “The Speed Trap: When Taking Your Time (Really) Matters” Book: The Excellence Dividend Book: The Professional Service Firm50 (Reinventing Work) Book: In Search of Excellence Book: The Little Big Things Learn more at MACPA.org/future-learning Future-Proof is produced by Podcast Masters

Over the past year, we’ve spent a lot of time talking about how the accounting and finance profession is changing – but we haven’t spent nearly as much time talking about how those who regulate our profession are changing. So, on today’s episode, we sit down with Terri Polley, (outgoing) president and CEO of the Financial Accounting Foundation. The FAF is an independent, not-for-profit, private-sector organization that is responsible for the oversight of the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, and the Governmental Accounting Standards Board, or GASB. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog. Resources: Learn more at MACPA.org/future-learning LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terripolley/ Read: “Teresa S. Polley to Step Down as President and CEO of Financial Accounting Foundation” Future-Proof is produced by Podcast Masters

We’re headed back to Annapolis for this week’s episode, where Maryland’s General Assembly recently put a bow on its 2019 legislative session. It was another busy one, including some CPA-related legislation that will impact accounting and finance professionals, not just here in Maryland but throughout the country. Legislative advocacy, according to our members, is the most important thing that the MACPA does for them, and our president and CEO Tom Hood takes that role very seriously. So, today, we talk to Tom about what went down in Annapolis and how it is likely to impact our profession. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog. Resources: Learn more at MACPA.org/future-learning Read: “Legislative Report from the Maryland General Assembly, Sine Die” Future-Proof is produced by Podcast Masters

Where are we going to find tomorrow’s leaders? We’ve been doing these podcasts for almost a year now, and as much talking as we’ve done about the future, the missing ingredient in all of those conversations has been leadership. We just haven’t spent much time talking about future leadership, and with 10,000 baby boomers retiring every day, that’s a critical part of becoming future-ready. So this week, we are talking to Emmanuel Gobillot and Katherine Harris, co-authors of Unleash Your Leader: How to Win in Business. It's a blueprint of sorts for how you can turn yourself into a great leader, teaching us what we should be doing today to improve our odds of becoming the leaders of tomorrow. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog. Resources: Unleash Your Leader: How to Win in Business by Emmanuel Gobillot and Katherine Thomas CollaborationPartners.co.uk EmmanuelGobillot.com Learn more at MACPA.org/future-learning The Connected Leader by Emmanuel Gobillot Leadershift by Emmanuel Gobillot Follow the Leader by Emmanuel Gobillot Future-Proof is produced by Podcast Masters

If you ask most people — not all, but MOST people — outside of the profession what an accountant does, they’ll probably say “taxes,” or “auditing,” or some variation on the tasks of people who work in public accounting. But they’re missing about half of the profession, of course. You’ve got educators, you’ve got accountants who work for nonprofits and governments, and you have those who work in business and industry, which is arguably the largest segment of the profession – and that’s why, today, we’re diving deep into the world of management accounting. Joining us this week is Jeff Thomson, president and CEO of the Institute of Management Accountants, and they’re doing gangbusters over there at IMA. At a time when many associations are struggling to attract new members, the IMA has become one of the fastest-growing accounting associations in the world. Last year, it crossed the 100,000-member mark for the first time in its history. The issues that impact management accountants and others on the business and industry side are different, in many ways, from those that impact public accounting, but there are many similarities as well. We discuss the similarities and differences, and more importantly, the challenges that management accountants are facing these days – as well as the pretty significant opportunities that those challenges provide at the same time. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog. Resources: imanet.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/ima_jeffthomson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffthomsonima/ Learn more at MACPA.org/future-learning Future-Proof is produced by Podcast Masters

Today we’re discussing why accounting and finance professionals have a lot to gain from adopting an entrepreneurial mindset. Entrepreneurship isn’t something that many accounting and finance pros have a lot of experience with, but we’re in an era when at least thinking like an entrepreneur can go a long way toward becoming more future-ready. Entrepreneurs just look at the world differently, and adapting an entrepreneur’s mindset might help us evolve a little faster and become just a little more future-ready. Our guest David Mammano is the founder of the Avanti Entrepreneur Group, headquartered just outside of Rochester, NY, but open to entrepreneurs everywhere. He’s basically trying to build a huge community of entrepreneurs who can learn from one another, share resources and best practices and war stories, and support each other on their entrepreneurial journeys. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog. Resources: Learn more at AvantiEntrepreneurGroup.com Avanti Entrepreneur Podcast: http://avantientrepreneurgroup.com/podcasts-home Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidMammanoFan/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidMammano Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidcmammano/ Entrepreneurial Operating System: (http://strategyx.blionline.org/) Start mastering future-ready skills now at MACPA.org/future-learning Future-Proof is produced by Podcast Masters

We hope you have your thinking caps on, because today we’re going to be talking about education in this episode – and this is probably the right thing to be talking about for the accounting and finance profession! We talk about skills quite frequently on this show – the skills we’re going to need to remain relevant in a changing and complex world – so it seems appropriate that we spend some time talking about where we’re going to be getting these skills, and who’s gonna be teaching them to us. So... should accounting education change to reflect our changing reality? And if so, how should it change? And how quickly should it change? These are the questions that we explore with Kelly Richmond Pope, a Ph.D., a CPA, and an associate professor at the School of Accountancy and Management Information Systems at DePaul University, where her research focuses on organizational misconduct, ethics, fraud, and how organizations can design cultures and compliance systems to confront these challenges. She has some really interesting ideas about how accounting education needs evolve to better prepare students for the evolving profession they’re about to enter. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog. Resources: Learn more at https://www.kellyrichmondpope.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-richmond-pope-cpa-83689a5/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kellyrpope Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellyrpope/ Start mastering Future-Ready skills now at MACPA.org/future-learning Future-Proof is produced by Podcast Masters

Everyone talks about the importance of collaboration, but what does it really mean? Working together? Teamwork? Sharing ideas? It’s one of those things that’s hard to define, but we know it when we see it. And because of that, it’s something that everyone defines differently. But here’s the thing – every list of the most crucial future-ready skills for our profession includes collaboration. Every single one. So we have to figure out a definition that everyone can embrace. And here to help us figure that out is Rebekah Brown, the director of development with the Maryland Association of CPAs and a thought leader with the Business Learning Institute. She is as passionate and optimistic about the future of accounting and finance as anyone I know, and she has seen first-hand how powerful collaboration can be within our ever-evolving profession, particularly among our younger professionals. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog. Resources: Start mastering Future-Ready skills now at MACPA.org/future-learning LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebekahbrown Read: “Human skills need to sharpen to coexist with machines” Future-Proof is produced by Podcast Masters

“What we do isn’t really going to fundamentally change over time. How we do it is going to change tremendously.” In this episode of Accounting Marketing Doesn’t Suck, host Hugh Duffy talks with Bill Sheridan, chief communications officer at the Maryland Association of CPAs. Bill has been with MACPA for nearly two decades and shares his perspective on how artificial intelligence is impacting the accounting profession, content marketing (and outsourcing the marketing function, in general) as well as why firms should be concerned with RONI (Risk of Not Investing) rather than the typical ROI. Tune in! Bill Sheridan Chief Communications Officer Professional EOS Implementer Maryland Association of CPAs / Business Learning Institute Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn Bill Sheridan is a knowledge hunter, content curator, lifelong learner, and EOS implementer. As chief communications officer for the Maryland Association of CPAs and the Business Learning Institute, he created and co-authors the association’s acclaimed blog, CPA Success; he created and hosts the MACPA’s weekly “Future-Proof” podcast; and he manages the association’s member communications and numerous social networks. He was named one of Accounting Today’s “100 Most Influential People in Accounting” for 2016. Bill speaks regularly at national conferences on the future of the accounting and finance profession, the strategic uses of social media, and the evolution of communication, collaboration and education. He delivers frequent presentations on behalf of the Business Learning Institute and is a certified Insights to Action strategic facilitator.   Accounting Marketing Doesn't Suck is produced by Build Your Firm, leaders of marketing for accountants. Questions or Feedback? Email us at podcast@buildyourfirm.com

Bill Sheridan is the Chief Communications Officer at the Maryland Association of CPAs and the host of Future-Proof, a podcast in which Bill has interviewed a wide variety of leading thought leaders in the accounting profession and in corporate America. We discuss whether the profession is moving in the direction of becoming more future-proof, or future-ready, through the lens of the conversations he’s been having with his guests for nearly a year. So, let’s get right to it: is the profession future-proof? The short answer is no, we're not future-proof or future-ready yet – but we're getting there. However, we might be getting there a little slower than Bill and the other folks over at the MACPA hoped. “It seems like they're starting to realize that this stuff is real. It's not going away. In fact, it's starting to impact them right now, and they need to pay attention to it. So, that's encouraging that they are starting to pay attention,” Bill says. And in a way, this seeming reluctant to look forward makes sense for the accounting and finance profession. “When you think about the profession itself, accounting and finance will spend their entire careers looking behind them. By definition, they're accounting for things that have happened in the past. “So, turning around, and looking through the windshield, and noticing what's coming at you, isn't a muscle that they've spent a lot of time building. And so, they're just starting to do that now. And the more they do it, the better they'll get at it.” Becoming future-ready starts with being aware of what's going on. It comes back to the idea of the anticipatory organization, an idea championed by MACPA President and CEO Tom Hood. In this sense, anticipation a three-step process: aware, predict, and adapt.  So, first step, being aware of change. That involves asking questions and start to understanding it. Next is predicting what will happen. So, now that I'm aware of it, what kind of impact is this going to have on me and the people that I work with? And then, finally, adapting. What can we actually do about it? For example, here's a question for accounting and finance pros out there: how can you take advantage of 5G in a way that will benefit the people that you work with?  “That's the muscle that we have to start building. We know this is coming, and in very short order. So, what are the opportunities embedded in something like that? And we need to start thinking about that now before it hits mainstream and evolves into something else.” So becoming anticipatory is the practice of building that muscle – because change is going to happen over and over. “We need to be able to help walk our clients and customers into the future. In order to do that, we need to be there before them,” Bill says. Change Your Mindset is now being distributed on C-Suite Radio. You can find Change Your Mindset and many other outstanding business podcasts on C-Suite Radio by going to www.c-suiteradio.com. Resources: Listen to Future-Proof: https://blionline.org/blog/ | Apple Podcasts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billdsheridan/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillSheridan Take Sally Hogshead’s assessment: howtofascinate.com/you (use code “FutureProof” to take it for free) Read: The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups by Daniel Coyle Read: When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel H. Pink Read: The Excellence Dividend: Meeting the Tech Tide with Work That Wows and Jobs That Last by Tom Peters Read: The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey by Hal Burrows, Kenneth H. Blanchard, and William Oncken Read: The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya Parker Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

January 2019 is a big month for CPAs, in Maryland and throughout the country. The Maryland General Assembly begins its annual session on Jan. 9. Not a single bill has been introduced yet, but it’s already shaping up to be an extraordinarily busy session for those of us who are trying to protect our profession. For CPAs nationwide, of course, tax season is ramping up, and there are a number of issues that are already complicating things for tax practitioners: The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, The Supreme Court’s Wayfair decision, and the federal government shutdown. So things on the legislative and regulatory front are a little chaotic for the accounting and finance profession. But that’s why we’re here, right? State CPA societies like the MACPA – this is our bread and butter. Protecting our profession, protecting your livelihood, and protecting your clients. This is a huge part of why we’re here. So today, we’re talking about how all of this impacts you and your clients, what the MACPA is doing about it, and what YOU can do to help us. We’re joined by returning guest Tom Hood, the CEO of the Maryland Association of CPAs. Tom has his fingers firmly on the legislative and regulatory pulse of this profession – and it turns out there are some really big issues that we need to be paying attention to over the next few months. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog. Resources: Join us for CPA Day (Jan. 24, 2019): MACPA.org/CPADay Contribute to MACPA’s PAC: MACPA.org/Advocacy The Business Learning Institute Future-Proof is proudly sponsored by the Business Learning Institute, which delivers competency-based curriculum, courses, content, and community to maximize career trajectories and grow intellectual capital for organizational and executive leadership. Hundreds of course by dozens of instructors, and unlimited customization. Find out how the Business Learning Institute can help YOU by visiting BLIonline.org. Future-Proof is produced by Podcast Masters

When you think about helping your clients become more future-proof, you’re probably thinking about things like helping them innovate, revamping their business models, taking advantage of new technologies, or finding their next competitive advantage. However, you’re probably not thinking about helping them get their finances in order. I mean, that’s not future-proofing anybody’s business — that’s just doing what we’ve always done, right? And yet our guest this week, Lyle Benson, says doing what we’ve always done is, in a way, the essence of being future-ready. Lyle is president of L.K. Benson & Company in Baltimore, and he’s an MACPA member. He’s also on the forefront of advancing planning services for individuals within the profession; he served with the AICPA’s Personal Financial Planning Division Executive Committee, and the National Accreditation Committee, and the Baltimore Association for Financial Planning, and he is also chair of the Media Task Force of the AICPA's PFP Section. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog. Resources: Learn more at (http://lkbenson.com/) Connect with Lyle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyle-benson-b019b25/ Future-proof your services: AICPA.org/GrowAdvisoryServices Check out MACPA’s CPE catalog: MACPA.org/learning Future-Proof is produced by Podcast Masters

Did you know that the folks at the MACPA and the Business Learning Institute spend a significant chunk of their time outside of the state of Maryland? And the reason for it is actually pretty simple: there’s a lot of really important stuff happening in this profession, and very little of it happens exclusively in Maryland! Since our goal is to help our members become future-ready, we go to wherever the important stuff is happening, learn about it, and bring that knowledge back to Maryland. And the king of going to where the action is none other than Tom Hood, the CEO of the MACPA and the BLI (and the second most influential person in accounting, according to Accounting Today). He goes everywhere in search of knowledge that will make Maryland CPAs that much more prepared for what’s to come. That’s why Tom is our guest this week. He has been to some really interesting – and definitely exotic – places this year, and we wanted to find out what he’s learned on these trips that Maryland’s CPAs need to know. In This Conversation We Cover: What Tom has learned in Canada, Bora Bora, and beyond The #1 challenge that CPAs face around the globe The four T’s: Talent, taxes (standards, laws, and regulations), technology, and transformation How we can better engage both newer and older accounting and finance professionals moving forward 5G, Wi-Fi 6, & Our Profession We’ve seen multiple articles about 5G and Wi-Fi 6 lately, and it looks like something significant is on the horizon. 5G, of course, is the next generation of cellular network technology. It promises speeds that are multitudes faster than the current 4G standard, which could finally help drive the Internet of Things connectivity to “ready for primetime” status. 5G is being rolled out in late 2018 and should see much wider adoption in 2019 and beyond. Wi-Fi 6, meanwhile, should make its debut in 2019. It promises much higher upload and download speeds, it’ll be able to support 8K video streaming, and it will have a much lower power draw, which means much lower drain on your battery life. Combined, 5G and Wi-Fi 6 will do some incredible things – if you believe the folks who write about this stuff, anyway. In the article “Next Generation Wireless: What You Need To Know About 5G And Wi-Fi 6,” Paul O’Farrell of Forbes writes: “Seamless high performance access to information opens up a plethora of opportunity for developing new, never seen before applications: imagine walking into a store and using augmented reality to watch a live demonstration of the product you are pointing to in action, envision self-driving cars on a freeway, interacting with each other in real-time to ensure complete safety and coordinated traffic flow, or even imagine a surgeon performing a delicate operation, using virtual reality while he is in a different country, other than the patient.” O’Farrell continues by saying, “The possibilities are compelling and endless. It is a call to action for businesses and other organizations to leverage both of these technologies and create new services and offerings. In many markets, the ability to successfully do this will be the difference between success and failure.” So what does this mean for accounting and finance professionals? It’s time to put on our anticipatory hats! Anticipation is all about spotting future trends early and figuring out what opportunities they offer so we can take advantage of them before our competitors do, and there’s a lot of opportunity here. What could you do with the combined power of 5G and Wi-Fi 6? What challenges would that type of power help you overcome? How would they help you better serve your clients and customers? Start thinking about this stuff now – this is your opportunity to finally get in front of some of the hard trends that have been disrupting our world, which just so happens to be exactly what Tom Hood has been trying to do. You can learn more...

Over the past few weeks, we’ve spent a lot of time talking about the technology, trends, and skills we need to know about to be future-ready – but today we want to talk a little more about culture. This stuff can sound like a fluffy, touchy-feely thing, but truth be told, nothing is more important. If you get your culture right, you get your business right. It’s as simple as that. Our guest Richard Silberstein is the president of SIG, a company that’s committed to delivering a customized approach that helps them leverage and maximize their benefits to retain, recruit, and engage top talent. And in the interest of complete transparency, SIG is a preferred provider and partner with the MACPA because we believe what they’re doing is important and is making a difference in our profession. This is an organization that all accounting and finance professional should be paying attention to. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog. Resources: Learn more at (https://www.silbs.com/) Connect with Richard on LinkedIn Read: You Call It Digital Transformation; I Call It Culture Change” Register for MACPA’s annual CPA Summit: (http://macpa.org/Summit) Future-Proof is produced by Podcast Masters

Gary Boomer is the founder, visionary, and strategist at Boomer Consulting and a recognized thought leader in the accounting and finance profession. In This Conversation We Cover: How to become a thought leader How Gary views the future of the accounting and finance profession How our mindsets, skillsets, and toolsets need to change to move the profession forward The 3 ways you can add value Who influences influencers like Gary? To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog. Resources: Learn more at (https://www.boomer.com/) Connect with Gary: Twitter | LinkedIn Register for the inaugural Anticipatory Accelerator (Nov. 5-6): MACPA.org/Anticipatory Read: “5 things to know about the future of jobs” Read: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck Future-Proof is produced by Podcast Masters

Journalists do exceptionally important work... and often without a whole lot of credit being thrown their way. But think about it: Journalists are our lifeline to what’s going on in the world. We don’t have time to find everything out on our own, so we rely on them to give us the information that matters to us – and that’s a hugely valuable role. Which is our way of saying that we’re extremely excited to bring you this conversation with Daniel Hood, the editor-in-chief of Accounting Today, which is a fantastic source of news and resources specific to our profession. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog. Resources: Stay informed: (http://accountingtoday.com/) Connect with Daniel: Twitter | LinkedIn Register for MACPA’s 2018 CPA Summit Future-Proof is produced by Podcast Masters

It’s time to talk about diversity and inclusion. Why here, on a show about future-proofing our businesses? Well, because the future of this profession depends on it. Some of you may be thinking, “Isn’t that a little dramatic?” Not at all – and for a couple of reasons. But you don’t take our word for it because today we’re talking to Kim Drumgo, the director of diversity and inclusion at the AICPA, who has researched this more than just about anyone else. In This Conversation We Cover: Why diversity and inclusion are not synonyms The role of belonging in this conversation How diversity and inclusion affect the bottom line What your organization can start and/or stop doing to foster diversity and inclusion How is the accounting and finance professional positioned right now? Does Diversity & Inclusion Really Matter? There are two big reasons that diversity and inclusion matter – and matter a lot. First of all, there’s the right reason: this profession should look like the public that we serve, and every person in this profession deserves the same opportunities as every other person in this profession. A profession that invites the best thinking of everyone – regardless of race, religion, politics, gender, or any other differentiator – stands heads and shoulders above anything else. We are better united than we are apart. Then, there’s also the bottom-line reason – because, let’s face it, most things in this profession come down to money. So what does the bottom line say? As reported by Melissa Suzuno in her article “6 Statistics That Will Convince You to Prioritize Diversity & Inclusion,” the bottom line is saying stuff like this: 67 percent of job candidates want to join a diverse team. And I’m guessing you want an in when it comes to finding top talent, am I right? 57 percent of your current employees want to prioritize diversity. Inclusive companies enjoy 2.3 times higher cash flow than their competitors. 35 percent of diverse companies outperform homogeneous ones. Josh Bersin found that inclusive companies are 1.7 times more likely to be innovation leaders in their market. Diverse companies are 70 percent more likely to report that their company has captured a new market. When you listen to the bottom line, it says that having a more diverse and inclusive workforce makes you a business force to be reckoned with. So how does that play out in the accounting and finance world? Well, let’s start with this article from the Journal of Accountancy, written by Lucinda Harper: Research indicates that more diverse and inclusive teams have a larger talent pool in which to find new talent, and they can use that as a recruitment tool for finding more top talent. Diverse and inclusive organizations have access to a wider array of clients, which leads to more revenue. And on top of that, they’re more innovative because they have access to more varied ideas and deep thinking. So there you have it: The business case for diversity and inclusion. Want to help move diversity and inclusion forward in our profession? If you are a finance or accounting professional in Maryland and you’re passionate about helping to move the diversity and inclusion needle, or even if you’re just interested in learning more, the MACPA is building a community around this important issue. We hope you’ll consider joining the conversation. For more information, contact the MACPA’s Chief Operating Officer, Jackie Brown, at jackie@macpa.org. Resources: Learn more at (http://aicpa.org/Diversity) Connect with Kim on LinkedIn The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups by Daniel Coyle

Rebekah Brown is the Director of Development for the Maryland Association of CPAs and the Business Learning Institute. Rebekah frequently presents to groups both locally and nationally on the future of the accounting profession and, as a certified Insight to Action facilitator, she has guided firms, nonprofits, and accounting professionals in the United States and Canada in their strategic planning process.   On top of all the work that Rebekah does, she’s just downright passionate about the profession, taking a “rising tide raises all ships” philosophy to everything she does to train and educate her fellow and future accountants.   Rebekah focuses on what she calls the three P’s:   People – “I develop people! I am passionate ... about helping people find their strengths and find their place in the accounting profession. So, on an individual basis, with each of our members, I want to help develop them and develop their careers.” Pipeline – MACPA is over  100 years old, and in that time they’ve learned that we have to be constantly thinking about and developing future CPAs. So a lot of Rebekah’s work involves talking to college students, high school students, and even elementary school students about the accounting profession. “So, I’m always thinking about who is our next generation CPA, who's our next generation member, and preparing them for the profession.” Profession – The MACPA isn’t solely focused preparing accounting and finance professionals in Maryland. “We really believe that the rising tide raises all boats. So, we want the profession to grow to be successful, to be anticipatory, to be future-ready. And so, as we do that all over the world, we believe we are benefiting Maryland, and we believe that Maryland CPAs are even better positioned to be future-ready because of that.”   Speaking of the future of the profession, there was an article in Accounting Today titled “Melancon: It’s time to reimagine accounting” covering a presentation that Barry Melancon, the President and CEO of the AICPA, made this year at the AICPA ENGAGE Conference.   My favorite quote from this article is when Barry says, "We've changed significantly just in the past year, and we're never going to see the pace of change that's slower than what we're seeing now. And, you know, we won't be obsolete, particularly, if we embrace these changes."   Just let that sink in. How does that affect you and your business, and how does that affect you as an accounting financial professional as we move forward?   I highly recommend reading the article and listening to Barry's podcast interview with Bill Sheridan on Future-Proof, a podcast for accounting and financial pros.   After doing so myself, I have decided to invest my CPE time and dollars into learning more about blockchain and artificial intelligence. I've been somewhat reluctant to do this, but I want to have this better understanding of this technology.   Resources: Learn more: MACPA.org | BLIonline.org Connect with Rebekah: Twitter | LinkedIn Listen to Peter on Episode 19 of Future-Proof & subscribe on Apple Podcasts   -- Change Your Mindset is produced by Podcast Masters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You may be wondering, what does legislation and regulation have to do with me, an accounting or finance professional – or vasectomies? Well, as it turns out, quite a lot! New technologies, demographic shifts, and disruptions of all shapes and sizes are coming at us faster than ever – and how our lawmakers and regulatory agencies react to these changes will dictate how our profession works going forward. That’s why MACPA’s legislative team, with the support of volunteers, is always monitoring new bills and fighting for legislation that will benefit all Marylanders (and if you don’t live in Maryland, this is still important because some of these issues have implications that will affect everyone in our profession). To share more about our ongoing efforts, we’re joined by Tom Hood, the CEO of the Maryland Association of CPAs and the Business Learning Institute, who is just catching his breath after the end of a busy legislative season. Resources: Want to get involved? Head over to macpa.org/advocacy Connect with Tom Hood: Twitter | LinkedIn Learn more on the MACPA blog: macpa.org/blog Future-Proof is produced by Podcast Masters

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Join us when Tom Hood recalls discovering his passion for helping accounting and finance professional to realize the collaborative and strategic power of group discussions. Learn why finance leaders now more than ever must achieve an alignment between skill building and corporate strategy to successfully advance down the transformation path. Now access our FREE eBook “The Mentoring Round” featuring career insights from 25 of our CFO Thought Leaders: http://bit.ly/2Ga5Vfq

Only 8 percent of CPAs believe that the profession is future ready, according to CPA.com’s study Welcome to the Fast Future. This is a rather concerning statistic because the future is coming, and it might be closer than you think.   Bill Sheridan, Chief Communication Officer at the MACPA, is on the front lines trying to prepare CPAs for the future, and he recently published a new white paper that every CPA should read: Human Work in the Ages of Machines: Five Steps for Building a Future-Ready Finance Team.   Basically, the paper asks what happens when more and more of the things that accounting and finance professionals are trained to do are being done by machines, and what does that mean for our profession?   Because these technological changes are going to happen whether we like it or not, there's nothing we can do except learn how to do the things that machines can't do and work with them (or go out of business).   We have to go beyond being just number crunchers and become number interpreters; we have to be able to understand what we're viewing and become better communicators.   The futurist Peter Sheehan puts this another way: we've entered an age when humans should only do work that only humans can do, and everything else is going to be automated.   This means that CPAs will need a new set of eight core skills, if they want to remain relevant going forward: Communication Leadership Critical thinking and problem solving Anticipating and serving evolving needs Synthesizing intelligence to insight, or providing the insight to the numbers Integration and collaboration Tech savvy and the ability to analyze data Functional and domain expertise.   6/8 of these skills were also identified in the Horizons 2025 project. We tend to ignore stuff like that until it's almost too late – until the stuff that is on the horizon suddenly gets closer and is threatening to steamroll us.   We waited, and now it’s crunch time.   Bill doesn’t believe that the problem with CPAs is that we’re too introverted to learn these soft skills. Bill believes the big problem holding us back is that accounting is a rear-facing profession. We've been trained to look in the rearview mirror, and so that's what we've done for decades and decades.   Now we're at a point where we have to start looking through the windshield a little bit more and learn how to become a more forward-facing profession, which means figuring out what we need to do to stay relevant tomorrow rather than just accounting for what happened yesterday.   Bill developed the Five C’s for staying relevant through the change: Context - What are the big changes going on around us? There’s three hard trends converging: technological advances, changing demographics, and new legislation. Certainty - What can we be certain will happen? The futurist Daniel Burrus says your odds of succeeding go up and the risk of failing goes down, when you start basing your strategy around things that you know are going to happen. Capacity - It’s going to take time for us to learn how to become future ready, and we're all busier than ever before. But we make time for the things that are important to us. Competencies - As discussed previously, we're going to have to learn an entirely new set of skills. Key among them is anticipation: learning how to spot future trends before they happen and position our organizations to take advantage of them, before the competition, is actually a skill that you can learn. Core Values - In a world where everything seems to be changing around us, it's really kind of comforting to know that there are some things that should never change: our core values. The core purpose of this profession, as established by Vision Project, is to make sense of a changing and complex world.   How to Take Your First Steps Towards the Future   Trying to become future ready all at once is overwhelming, and more or less impossible. However, now is a great time to start building future-ready habits.   Bill suggests you start with a simple exercise: schedule one hour a week for yourself, and actually put it in your calendar. During that hour, do something like read a book that will help you prepare for the future, or ask your team what productivity apps they like and start implementing them.   In the resources below, you will find a number of valuable books and resources to learn from during your weekly time block, including Human Work in the Ages of Machines.   Resources: Connect with Bill on LinkedIn Human Work in the Ages of Machines: Five Steps for Building a Future-Ready Finance Team The Second Machine Age by Andrew McAfee and Erik Brynjolfsson Humans are Underrated by Geoff Colvin Only Humans Need Apply by Thomas Davenport and Julia Kirby The Fourth Industrial Revolution by Klaus Schwab The 2020 Workplace by Jeanne C. Meister Traction by Gino Wickman Thank You for Being Late by Thomas Friedman Brain Rules by John Medina -- Production & Development for Improv Is No Joke by Podcast Masters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Byron Patrick, Managing Director of CPA practice at Network Alliance, is a nationally-known industry thought leader and a multi-recipient of the CPA Practice Advisor's 40 Under 40 award. Byron has been an active member of the Maryland Association of CPAs since the beginning of his career, and he credits much of his professional success to the support and membership of the MACPA. Personally, I know I wouldn’t be where where I am today without my local association, and I wholeheartedly agree with Byron – The benefits from volunteering at your state CPA Association (or any professional association) are endless, and the financial and personal investment you make will pay for itself many times over. Too often, CPAs don’t want to participate with their association because they look at membership as a cost, when really it's an investment in your network and career. When Byron was chair of the MACPA’s young professional network, his message was to be selfish – get involved with the association. These relationships and these opportunities will absolutely have a positive impact on your career trajectory… if you are willing to make the investment, meet people, and take advantage of those opportunities. “As much as I do to give to the industry and association, and everything else, my take away is a thousand fold. And it's okay – I am perfectly fine with you getting involved if it's to be selfish, because once you show up you're not going to leave.” Resources: Connect with Byron on LinkedIn Learn more about Network Alliance -- Production & Development for Improv Is No Joke by Podcast Masters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s returning guest is Gregory Lainas, Senior Vice President and Division Director of Robert Half Management Services, a division of Robert Half International. Greg is an incredible networker – so good, in fact, that he networked his way into the novel Flashback and was the first person in the history of Robert Half to obtain $20 million in gross margin – and this interview is packed with helpful tips and stories about networking for business development. When we say networking, many of you (particularly accountants) might recoil. The concept is simple - it can be as simple as asking someone a question, and with social networking that ask is even easier -  but networking itself can still feel difficult. Why do so many of us still find networking difficult? As we grow up, we find our comfort zones and it only gets harder to leave those zones. If social situations aren’t where you feel comfortable, that can be seem like a big obstacle. There’s a fear of failure. Your inner critic says you can’t do it, there’s no point, or you will embarrass yourself. One way to quiet that inner critic, address your fear, and feel more comfortable is to take some of the pressure off of yourself by reframing your responsibility as a networker. Your primary role is not to talk – it is to listen, be interested, and be attentive. “You’re born with two ears, two eyes, and one mouth. That means you should be listening and watching twice as much as you’re talking.” The Greek philosopher Epictetus once said, “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” Gregory adds that we are also born with two eyes, and he has a great point: when we are networking, we need to be listening with our ears and our eyes. There’s a secret to looking interested and attentive: actually being interested, or even passionate, about what you’re doing! Maybe you don’t actually hate networking – maybe you just don’t like the things you are currently networking about. In baseball, they say there’s only one thing you cannot teach a player to do. You can teach them to hit, you can teach them to throw, you can teach them to field… but you cannot teach them to run. You can teach an accountant to listen, bot can’t teach passion. And you shouldn’t try to fake passion if you don’t have it. Give yourself a break by aligning your interests with your job or business, in some way. If you’re plastic, as Greg calls it, and camouflage your true interests, you won’t actually fool anyone. Another way to think of your role as a networker – and, really, anyone in a service business – is to think of yourself as a doctor for your clients or customers. We're trying to do a diagnosis, and we can't do the diagnosis if we're constantly talking. We have to listen, process, adapt, then prescribe. How can we apply the art of listening and networking to improve business development? The ultimate goal with any business interaction should be to stand out from your competitors and add value to your client or customer. Listening, passion and sincerity are all simple tactics, but they will help. You can also stand out by offering a distinct value proposition… but you won’t know what you can offer if you don’t play the role of the doctor and find their pain, first. Don’t believe it’s that simple? Next time you’re at a business appointment, try starting off with something like this: “Rather than me pontificate about all the services I represent, I'd like to learn more about your business. What keeps you up at night? What's preventing you from getting from point A to Point B?” Wait, listen, and pay attention. The results will speak for themselves. If you take the time to honestly serve your clients, and add value, then you will earn the right to do business with them, and you will set yourself apart from the competition in the process.   Resources: Connect with Greg on LinkedIn Robert Half Flashback by Gary Braver Exciting News: Listen, Learn, and Earn CPE Credits I’m excited to share that I've partnered with the American Association of CPAs and the Business Learning Institute to bring you a new learning opportunity for accounting professionals to earn CPE credits. Starting May 30th, you can earn up to 1 CPE credit for each completed podcast episode purchased for only $29 through the MACPA and Business Learning Institute self-study website. Just listen to an episode you purchase through the website and then take their review and final exam while you're working out, or after listening to an episode on your commute to and from work. It's that easy. You can learn more about getting CPE credits for listening to the show on my website. While all episodes of the podcast are available on my website, only those purchased through the MACPA BLI self-study website are eligible for CPE credit. Production & Development for Improv Is No Joke by Podcast Masters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Rozbruch is a nationally recognized entrepreneur and is the founder of Michael Rozbruch's Tax and Business Solutions Academy™, a training and consulting services company that trains and helps other CPAs, Attorneys and Enrolled Agents (as well as other professionals) to build highly profitable practices through proven marketing systems and strategies. But he doesn't stop there. He also trains on how to "close" the sale, manage the client relationship and knows firsthand how a best practice IRS Problem client niche practice should be run and operated. An unconventional CPA (licensed in Maryland) himself, Michael helped pioneer the tax resolution industry 16 years ago. He founded and built one of the most reputable tax resolution firms in the country. On the verge of a personal bankruptcy in 1998, he started Tax Resolution Services, Co. on his dining room table with zero clients and grew it into a nationally marketed powerhouse registering $23 million in sales, 4,000 clients and 125 employees. He is an author, a 2011 semi-finalist in Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year Award, made INC's. 500/5000 list in 2010 and 2011, is the president of the prestigious National Association of Tax Resolution Companies. Michael is a member of the CPE committee of ASTPS. Michael has been featured numerous times as the guest expert on the Fox News Network, KCAL and KABC. His interviews and expertise have been published in Inc. Magazine, Tax Analysts® "Tax Notes Today", U.S. News & World Report, The Wall Street Journal, and Entrepreneur Magazine, to name a few. As a Certified Tax Resolution Specialist (CTRS) and CPA, he has represented thousands of taxpayers who owe the IRS, but simply cannot afford to pay. Michael has been a guest speaker at conferences and has been interviewed on numerous TV news programs as a nationally recognized expert guest speaker. In 2009, CPA Magazine honored Michael with the prestigious national recognition of Top Tax Advisor to Know during Recession. He was also named an Executive of the Year Finalist in the 2009 American Business Awards. Additionally, Michael is the recipient of ASTPS's prestigious "Top Practitioner" fall 2005 Award, which recognizes distinguished members for their exemplary professional accomplishments, dedication, and contributions to the organization and the profession. He is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Maryland Association of CPA's (MACPA), International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, charter member of the American Society of IRS Problem Solvers (ASIPS), member of the Disciplinary Committee of the American Society of Tax Problem Solvers (ASTPS), and a recognized inductee into the "Who's Who" in finance and Industry. In 2011, Michael and Tax Resolution Services, Co. were recognized for the second year in a row on the Inc. 5000 list of America's Fastest Growing Companies, joining the ranks of past honorees such as Apple, Patagonia, Intuit, Microsoft and Oracle. Also, in 2011, he was a semi-finalist in Ernst & Young's "Entrepreneur of the year". In 2012, Michael became the host of a weekly TV show, "TAXMAN", on the BIZ TV Network. Michael accepted a Bronze Stevie Award for the "2012 Maverick of the Year" title on behalf of the American Business Awards which recognized his work as an expert in the tax resolution industry for the past 16 years. He has been interviewed by hundreds of radio stations and has appeared numerous times as a guest expert on national TV, including Fox News. Michael lives in Los Angeles, Ca. He has been married to the love of his life for 30 years who also works alongside him in managing the company. He has two daughters and loves going on family vacations. Michael enjoys good cigars and can usually be found cruising around in his supercharged 1968 Olds 4-4-2 and attending classic car shows on weekends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the Improv is No Joke podcast. Today’s guest is Bill Sheridan, the Maryland Association of CPAs’ Chief Communications Officer, editor, and resident social media cheerleader. He is creator and co-author of the association’s acclaimed blog, CPA Success; Certified Association Executive and thought leader at the Business Learning Institute; and manager of the association’s numerous social networks. Today we’re talking about what Bill sees on the horizon for information and technology, and how CPAs and other business professionals will need to adapt as technology changes. “I see a lot of change. It's going to get crazy, and it's going to get crazy really, really fast.” In 1965, Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel, observed that the number of transistors per square inch on integrated circuits had doubled every year since their invention – or, more simply, the processing speed of computer technology is doubling every year. This observation is called Moore’s Law, and 51 years later it still holds true. “It's doing more than giving us really cool gadgets to play with. It's fundamentally changing everything.” Moore’s Law suggests that computer technology experiences exponential growth, which can be hard to comprehend. In The Future of Professions by Daniel & Richard Susskind, they illustrate exponential growth with a simple mental exercise: imagine folding a piece of paper in half over and over and over again (it’s not actually possible to fold a piece of paper more than a few times, but this exercise gives you an idea of what exponential growth looks like). 4 folds = thickness of a credit card 11 folds = thickness of a soda can 21 folds = taller than Big Ben 31 folds = tall enough to reach outer space 43 folds = tall enough to reach the Moon 100 folds = thickness of 8 billion light years “Things are are changing radically, and they're changing for CPA's as well.” CPAs will have to come to terms the fact that computers will outperform them on some tasks, but nothing will change the fact that people will still need accounting services. CPAs need to adapt to new technology and clients’ changing needs, and if you don’t adapt then the generation below you will – so you’ll still be out of a job. The profession will still exist, but CPAs will need entirely new, adaptable skillsets. CPAs will need to be better improvisers. “I'm not here to tell anybody that you have to do this stuff, because you don't, but you also don't have to stay in business.” The young professionals who are going to be leading the CPA profession in a very short period of time are completely comfortable with moving from new technology to new technology, because that's just the way life is for them. The pushback from the old guard is fine and it's not unexpected, and very soon the accounting profession is going to shift to something that's much more capable of embracing new things, just because of the shift in leadership. “If we can get there first, if we can figure out how to become a little bit more future ready and then show our clients and customers how to do that as well, then our role as trusted business advisors just gets stronger.” As Chief Communications Officer, Bill’s philosophy is that the MACPAs needs to be wherever their members are and reach them in whatever way that they like to be reached, and they try to do that across all of the different platforms. By reaching out to their audience and adding value to their social media experience, Bill helps the MACPAs maintain their role as trusted business advisors when information is more available than ever. At CPA Success they write about what members of the MACPA need to know today – breaking news, new standards, etc. At the Business Learning Institute they focus on what might be happening down the road that they should be paying attention to. Similarly, they shared important news on their Twitter feed and engage more personally with their clients on Facebook. I always enjoy sitting down to talk with Bill, and I greatly appreciate him taking the time out of his busy schedule. We’re going to touch bases again on the podcast, in about a year, to see how technology is changing and discuss how we have adapted.   Resources: Follow the CPA Success blog Get educated with the Business Learning Institute The Future of Professions: How Technology Will Transform the Work of Human Experts by Daniel Susskind & Richard Susskind A More Beautiful Question by Warren Berger The Second Machine Age by Andrew McAfee and Erik Brynjolfsson Humans are Underrated by Geoffrey Colvin   Production & Development for Improv is no Joke by Podcast Masters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices