CPA Trendlines Podcasts

Accountants need to write their own stories.The DisruptorsWith Liz FarrGreg Adams believes that accountants' work opportunities have long been underappreciated and misunderstood. When accountants at parties are asked what they do, Adams explained that they always have to give the “but answer,” as in, "I’m an accountant, but I have a really cool job."  SHOW NOTES here | MORE PODCASTS and VIDEOS: Jody Padar: Make Radical Changes Now If You Want to Be Relevant in 2030 | Rebecca Driscoll: Amplify Reach By Helping Other Firm Owners | Rory Henry: Create the Return on Relationships | Mike Maksymiw: Be the Leader You Wish You Had | Terrell Turner: Build a Solid Business Showing Up as Yourself |His new book, Green Shade$, is an attempt to dispel the notion of accounting as limited to just tax or audit and “to change the branding and image of accountants.” 

Capstone ConversationsBy Jean CaragherFor CPA TrendlinesGlen Carmichael, digital marketing coordinator at YHB CPAs and Consultant, is pushing the firm's newsletter to more than 55,000 recipients, growing educational webinars to 23, and garnering 64,000 blog readers annually.And she's just getting started,Show notes here | Follow Jean Caragher on CPA Trendlines here. | Get her best-selling handbook, The 90-Day Marketing Plan for CPA Firms, here | Catch Jean Caragher's other show, Gear Up for Growth, on Fridays here. | And browse all the shows in the CPA Trendlines broadcast network hereBut with achievements like those, it's no wonder she has received the Association of Accounting Marketing Rookie of the Year Award.In this episode of Capstone Conversations, Carmichael shares her thoughts about her accomplishments, challenges, and insights into marketing for CPA firms.

Gary Shamis, CEO of Winding River Consulting, shares his insights on the impact of private equity in the accounting sector. He discusses how accounting's stable cash flows attract investors but warns of the personal costs for young partners. Shamis highlights the critical talent shortage in the profession and argues that private equity won't provide a quick fix. He also reveals how young and older partners navigate differing motivations, shedding light on the complex dynamics in accounting firm partnerships.

In this engaging discussion with Alan Whitman, CEO of ADW Advisory and former leader at Baker Tilly, listeners gain insights into how smaller CPA firms can leverage agility to outpace larger competitors. Whitman emphasizes the importance of speed and a forward-thinking mindset. He also discusses strategies for adopting a business-oriented approach to improve profitability and growth. Tactics like niche specialization and effective lead generation through webinars are highlighted, showcasing innovative ways to thrive in the competitive accounting landscape.

Social media users jumped on a Chase ATM “free money” scheme—but the consequences were severe. Accounting ARCWith Liz Mason, Byron Patrick, and Donny Shimamoto.Center for Accounting TransformationIn the age of social media, financial misinformation can spread as rapidly as it’s created, and the Chase Bank ATM scam exemplifies this.MORE Accounting ARC: How Accounting Pros Own the Stage in Public Speaking | Greg Kyte: Being a CPA Is Like Being the Marie Kondo of Numbers | Rachel Bashore: A Lawyer's Case for Reinventing Accounting | Beyond the Basics in Ethics Eduction | Bailey Lenart: From Ledger Sheets to Transformational Change | Election Tax Plans: What CPAs Need to Know | Leadership for the Future: Stakeholders, Sustainability, and Strategic Vision | In-Person Conferences Still Essential | Non-Accountants in Accounting: A Game-Changer for the Profession | Rubik Yeriazarian: Smaller Firms Offer Big Opportunities for Rapid Skill Development in Forensic Accounting | Accounting ARC | AI Will Steal Your Job. And That’s a Good Thing | Accounting ARC | The Right Kind of Lazy: Innovative Approaches to Streamlining Workflows | Accounting ARCA supposed “glitch” that allowed users to deposit checks and withdraw amounts above the federally set limit for immediate withdrawals became a viral trend on TikTok, leading many to commit fraud unknowingly. Hosts Liz Mason, CPA; Byron Patrick, CPA.CITP, CGMA; and Donny Shimamoto, CPA.CITP, CGMA; analyze the scam’s implications and highlight the lack of financial literacy that may have facilitated its spread.

Your pricing isn’t aligned with the future, and neither is your business model. Plus: 18 more takeaways.The Disruptors  With Liz Farr  Jody Padar, The Radical CPA, has been pushing for big changes in accounting for years. Her latest book, Radical Pricing, is a blueprint for firm owners who want to fully transform their businesses to serve clients better, make employees happier, and be more profitable. Padar maintains that combining pricing with standardization and productization drives firm profitability.  FULL show notes here | MORE Disruptors here  |  MORE PODCASTS and VIDEOS: Rebecca Driscoll: Amplify Reach By Helping Other Firm Owners | Rory Henry: Create the Return on Relationships | Mike Maksymiw: Be the Leader You Wish You Had | Terrell Turner: Build a Solid Business Showing Up as Yourself | This handbook isn’t just about “putting pricing on something,” Padar says. “That’s putting lipstick on a pig.” Many firms that have tried value pricing say it doesn’t work, but Padar says that’s because their business model isn’t aligned with their pricing. “If you leave the old school model and just put pricing on top of it, you're going to struggle,” she says. Radical Pricing walks readers through a process of standardizing and productizing services, defining the ideal customer, developing pricing, and even explaining how to bring legacy customers on board.  

"Marketing CPA firms in a sea of sameness is challenging, but when you niche down, the possibilities are limitless."By Jean CaragherFor CPA TrendlinesIn the latest episode of Capstone Conversations, Stacy Dreher, the Director of Practice Growth at James Moore & Company and the Association for Accounting Marketing’s (AAM) 2024 Marketer of the Year, dives into the world of accounting marketing and offers applicable advice for CPA firms of all sizes.  Follow Jean Caragher on CPA Trendlines here. | Get her best-selling handbook, The 90-Day Marketing Plan for CPA Firms, here | Catch Jean Caragher's other show, Gear Up for Growth, on Fridays here. | And browse all the shows in the CPA Trendlines broadcast network hereDreher’s journey in the field is nothing short of inspiring. Having joined James Moore & Company in 2014 as a marketing manager, she rose to Director of Practice Growth by 2020, a time that tested marketing professionals like never before. Her leadership has helped shape a dynamic six-member team, navigating challenges and opportunities in an ever-evolving industry.

Having a growth mindset, seeking feedback, and auditing one's skills are essential to continuous learning and development.Accounting Influencerswith Rob BrownBailey Parnell, owner of Skills Camp, emphasizes the importance of soft skills in the workplace, particularly in high-pressure professions like accounting. She stresses that grit is just one element of resilience and that soft skills are often the skills that characterize our relationships with ourselves and others. Parnell also explains how the VUCA acronym—Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity—applies to the current workplace environment and how soft skills are crucial in navigating it.Full Show Notes Here | More Accounting Influencers with Rob Brown hereParnell discusses the need for a growth mindset and being open to continuous learning and development. She stresses the importance of seeking feedback and auditing one's skills to identify areas that require action, especially with the increasing automation of some roles.

"Clients want value, and now, with these tools, you can give them more value."Gear Up for GrowthWith Jean CaragherFor CPA Trendlines“AI and ChatGPT-type tools can become your advisory services assistant,” says John Higgins, founder and CEO of Higgins Advisory. “It can help CPAs communicate better as an advisor and help identify the things CPAs should focus on for the type of client they're advising.” Gear Up for Growth spotlights the best strategies for smart and effficient growth in today's competitive landscape. More Gear Up for Growth every Friday here.| More Capstone Conversations with Jean Caragher every Monday | More Jean Caragher here | Get her best-selling handbook, The 90-Day Marketing Plan for CPA Firms, here | More CPA Trendlines videos and podcasts hereHiggins was a guest on Gear Up for Growth, hosted by Jean Caragher, president of Capstone Marketing, and powered by CPA Trendlines. Higgins shares specific examples of how ChatGPT can help CPAs become more efficient by providing quick research assistance, summarizing complex information for client presentations, and creating tools like Excel templates for common tasks. How does efficiency impact a firm’s pricing model? 

Quick Tax Tip  With Art Werner  CPE Today  As the end of 2024 draws closer, tax advisors and taxpayers should prepare for major changes that could significantly impact tax bills. Art Werner highlights an upcoming challenge: the scheduled expiration of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which was signed into law in 2017 and brought significant tax breaks and lower tax rates.Show notes here | More Art Werner here Like many tax laws, the TCJA was designed to "self-destruct," meaning its provisions will sunset at the close of 2025 unless Congress takes action.