Career Advice for Accountants & CPAs with Randy Crabtree

Episode 80. In today's interview, "Career Advice for Accountants & CPAs with Randy Crabtree."

Randy Crabtree is co-founder and partner of Tri-Merit Specialty Tax Professionals in the USA. Since 2019, he has hosted the bi-weekly “The Unique CPA,” podcast, which ranks among the world’s 10% most popular programs. (Source: Listen Score). You can find articles from Randy in Accounting Today’s Voices column, the AICPA Tax Adviser . He is a regular presenter at conferences and virtual training events hosted by CPA associations, state CPA societies and top 400 CPA firms across the country. Some of the takeaways from this interview:

⍟ the story behind The Unique CPA podcast and the two requirements for guests and topics

⍟ what makes a CPA or accountant unique in a world of noise and 'sameness'

⍟ explaining why accounting as a career choice is not so attractive, leading to talent problems and labor shortages in the profession

⍟ why the CPA or accounting qualification is limited in its scope compared to say legal qualifications

⍟ shout out to a previous episode on "Accounting Qualifications - Do Clients Really Care You are FCCA or CPA?" https://bit.ly/3IQGReB

⍟ what's behind accounting practices rebranding as advisory firms instead of CPA firms or accounting firms

⍟ what makes the good accountants great and separates the average ones from the rest

⍟ the difference between a professional accounting advisor who impacts a client's business vz merely reporting it

⍟ what good communications skills looks like for accountants and how they can acquire them

⍟ the role of passion and enthusiasm in the accounting profession, and why accountants don't always show it

⍟ the importance of self-awareness for accounting practitioners and recalibrating what's important in life and career

⍟ a journey of personal branding and thought leadership for accounting professionals by identifying strengths and passions

⍟ the danger for accountants of thinking that their role or job title is their whole identity

⍟ what makes a CPA or an accounting individual promotable up the career ladder

⍟ the fallacy that accountants and CPAs who do not win business for the firm (rainmakers) are not worthy of promotion

⍟ why it's okay for accountants and CPAs to NOT WANT to be partners in accounting firms

⍟ the definition of a strength for accountants and CPAs in terms of what they love and what they are really good at

⍟ the emergence of specialty firms and niche firms in accountancy and why niching offers competitive advantage

⍟ wise advice for younger CPAs and accountants who want to accelerate their career progression

⍟ the power for accounting professionals of sharing knowledge by developing a platform, creating content and showing passion

⍟ what accounting firm leaders must do to keep and nurture their best people for talent attraction and retention

Randy’s perspective took a sharp turn in 2014 when he suffered from a stroke. The path to recovery led him to re-focus on the importance of helping others and incorporating things he was passionate about into everyday life. As co-founder of Tri-Merit, this meant educating others on stroke awareness, early detection and on the simple pleasures in life like craft beer. He is Randy is also President of Stroke Survivors Empowering Each Other (SSEEO) and part-owner in an award-winning craft beer and bottle shop in Chicago, Illinois.

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