
Rise and Stride
With each day, it feels like the business landscape is shifting. From regulatory changes to staffing concerns and everything in between, it’s challenging to stay in step—much less ahead—of what’s happening. In Rise and Stride, California Society of CPAs CEO Denise LeDuc Froemming will dive into leading topics by bringing together diverse voices that will empower you to take your next step.
Latest episodes

Feb 5, 2024 • 41min
Ep. 24: A Case for Curiosity
The future. Uncertainty. Change. The words cause many people to shiver, yet what would happen if we shift our mindset a bit, look deeper into opportunities and see these words as a gateway to growth? Best-selling author, entrepreneur and consultant Pascal Finette explains how. More resources:Be Radical https://rdcl.isDisrupt Disruption https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BT6SPPR2?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_G08RET326YSNDPE06T0K

Jan 8, 2024 • 35min
Ep. 23: Changing the Status Quo
Networking, investing and advocating for each other are just some of the avenues Julie Castro Abrams, managing partner at How Women Invest and CEO of How Women Lead, believes can help transform the way the world sees women leaders.

Dec 4, 2023 • 27min
Ep. 22: Beyond the Numbers
Whether you're a seasoned CPA or a budding accountant aiming to make a mark in the profession, we go beyond the numbers with Katie Thomas, CPA and owner of Leaders Online, in this podcast with advice and tips to unlock and grow success through leadership and branding.

Nov 6, 2023 • 30min
Ep. 21: Mindset Matters
We all know the importance and value of skills and knowledge when it comes to success, but even more important is mindset. In this episode, leadership trainer and coach George Griffin explains how the ability to believe in yourself, embrace challenges as opportunities and persist in the face of setbacks are keys to developing peak performance. And he should know. After failing out of college and being told he wasn’t college material, Griffin returned to school and earned multiple degrees, has managed more than $1 billion of real estate assets, is a best-selling author and is working with organizations to raise the bar on their leadership and organization culture.

Oct 2, 2023 • 40min
Ep. 20: Fighting Fraud
The challenge with looking for fraudsters, says CPA, author, professor and filmmaker Kelly Richmond Pope, is that anyone can be one. You can even see what type of fraudster you’d be by taking Pope’s online quiz.In this episode, Pope explains the key role CPAs play in detecting fraud, how the profession can better explain its “why” to attract the next generation and the responsibility leaders have of pouring into others.Additional resources:· Fool Me Once: Scams, Stories, and Secrets from the Trillion-Dollar Fraud Industry: A look at the perpetrators, victims and whistleblowers behind financial crimes.· All the Queen’s Horses: The story of Rita Crundwell, the perpetrator of the largest case of municipal fraud in American history.· TEDTalk: How Whistle-blowers Shape Industry: Lessons from some of the most high-profile whistle-blowers of the past, explaining how they've shared information that has shaped society—and why they need our trust and protection.· CalCPA Forensic Services Section

Sep 11, 2023 • 42min
Ep. 19: Unscripted Agility
On the surface, there doesn’t seem to be much of a connection between improvisation and the business world. Yet aspects of improv like collaboration, being unscripted and learning to be tolerant, even comfortable, around ambiguity can easily be laid upon our daily lives. Colleen Murray Peyton, founder of Overjoy Creative and improv performer, dives deeper into her work facilitating workshops for corporations on leadership development, corporate culture and communication—and explains how laughter and lightness can help make the hard things manageable.

Aug 7, 2023 • 41min
Ep. 18: Thriving as a Profession
Okorie Ramsey, VP of Sarbanes/Oxley for Kaiser, discusses leadership, diversity, innovation, and recruitment in accounting. Mentions importance of mentorship, technology, ESG, and DE&I in the profession. Highlights fostering DE&I in leadership roles and the significance of support and representation in the profession.

Jul 3, 2023 • 34min
Ep. 17: Cultivating Focus and Productivity
With all the beeps, pings and other notifications—not to mention meetings—battling for our attention, it’s challenging to stay focused and productive. But with the use of the right tools, knowing the difference between interruptions and disruptions, and other tips, productivity expert Sarah Tetlow, founder and CEO of Firm Focus, explains how you can stay organized, focused and accomplish what needs to be done.

Jun 5, 2023 • 33min
Ep. 16: The Value You Add
As technology advancements like ChatGPT and business imperatives like ESG gain footing, there are lots of opportunities for the CPA profession to step in and add value to their clients or companies in terms of strategy and story. Listen as Todd Rahn, Senior Managing Director at FTI Consulting, explains more.

May 1, 2023 • 35min
Ep. 15: Innovation Insights
Innovation may sound daunting to most people, but Simone Ahuja, CEO of Blood Orange, an innovation and strategy consulting group, explains how innovation is not always about bright, shiny objects. It’s about adding value in new ways and is connected to the things we do every day.