CPA Trendlines Podcasts

Two-thirds of current firm leaders risk being obsolete within three years.Accounting InfluencersWith Rob BrownA stark warning is shaking the accounting profession: 65% of current firm partners will be considered “digitally obsolete” within three years. The unsettling part? Private equity (PE) investors are not planning to retrain them—they are preparing to replace them. MORE Accounting Influencers with Rob Brown On the latest episode of the Accounting Influencers Podcast, host Rob Brown uncovers how private equity–backed firms are redrawing the profession’s leadership map. The digital divide is no longer theoretical. It is already defining who will lead the future of accounting and who will be pushed aside.

Reform firm structures before outside forces impose changes that erode independence.Gear Up for GrowthWith Jean CaragherFor CPA Trendlines“We don’t change unless we have to, but waiting for a crisis to force transformation is a failure of leadership,” says Michael Meihaus, owner of Meihaus CPA, appearing on Gear Up for Growth, hosted by Jean Caragher, president, Capstone Marketing. Meihaus calls for firm leaders to embrace meaningful ownership authority and rethink outdated business models that are no longer serving their people or their purpose.  More Gear Up for Growth here. | More Jean Caragher here |  Get her best-selling handbook, The 90-Day Marketing Plan for CPA Firms, here |  More CPA Trendlines videos and podcasts here Meihaus identifies two core failings within many accounting firms.

Attention CPAs and accounting pros! Are you ready to take your practice to the next level? Then it’s time to upgrade to CPA Trendlines PRO Membership—your all-access pass to premium insights, strategies, and tools designed just for YOU!See today 's best PRO  offers here.Get exclusive access – Over 10,000 articles, tools, and expert guidance—keeping you ahead of the curve in practice management, growth, and industry trends.Enjoy VIP perks – Be the first to get new content, receive special handling on orders, and unlock priority concierge service just for PRO members.Save big– In the CPA Trendlines Shop, plus deep discounts on membership plans!And here’s a bonus: New PRO members receive welcome gifts worth over $300!Stay informed – With exclusive member surveys, studies, and expert insights that help grow your firm and boost your success!More support, more value, more power for your practice!Upgrade today at CPA Trendlines and start maximizing your potential!

As private equity reshapes the profession, accounting leaders debate who should hold the keys to ownership. Accounting ARCWith Liz Mason, Byron Patrick, and Donny ShimamotoCenter for Accounting TransformationWhen New York passed the first CPA licensure law in 1896, the goal was simple: protect the public by ensuring financial professionals met high standards. More than a century later, that mandate is at the heart of a heated debate about who should be allowed to own CPA firms. MORE Accounting ARC: Walking Violation: When Showing Your CPA Gets You in Trouble | Audit Bags to TikTok Tags, Gen Z Talks Success | Students Challenge Accounting's Traditional Career Path | True Grit: Recognizing Struggles That Shape Our Successes | More Admins, Fewer Students, No Plan | What Career Advice Gets Wrong for Gen Z - And How to Fix It |Your Identity is Not a Liability | What Happens in Vegas… Gets Reported on a Tax Return | Burnout, Be Gone: Accounting Needs a Boundary Breakthrough | The Ultimate Business Hack You’re Probably Ignoring | Resilience, Real Talk, and the Road to Mental Wellness | Blockchain Could Still Reshape Accounting | What Gen Z Wants from Business | Firm Differentiation Depends Upon Client Service In the latest episode of Accounting ARC, hosts Liz Mason, CPA; Byron Patrick, CPA.CITP, CGMA; and Donny Shimamoto, CPA.CITP, CGMA, explore the evolution of firm ownership rules and their implications for the profession.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act can reward smart planners—and punish the unprepared.Quick Tax TipWith Art WernerCPE TodayIn the aftermath of the newly enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), taxpayers and businesses alike are scrambling to determine whether they stand to gain or lose under the sweeping changes. But according to tax authority Art Werner, the dividing line between winners and losers is clear: those who plan will win; those who don’t will lose. Click here for more Art Werner Catch more Art Werner, Wednesday, Sept. 3, for Tax Rumors, Episode 3, with CPA Steve Yoss, and hosted by CPA Trendlines’ Rick Telberg. “There are always winners and losers in a tax bill,” Werner says in the latest Quick Tax Tip podcast. “But the best answer I can give at this point is that the winners are going to be the people who plan.”

“You can’t ask people to act like partners and then treat them like employees.” Big 4 TransparencyBy Dominic Piscopo, CPAFor CPA TrendlinesIn an industry marked by incremental change and cautious tradition, Tim Petrey, managing partner at HD Growth Partners, is going all-in on a radical reimagining of what an accounting firm can be. Speaking on the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, Petrey shares how his firm has abandoned the tired trappings of the old model - mandatory billable hours, rigid promotion timelines, and siloed service delivery - in favor of a more dynamic, entrepreneurial approach. And he isn’t just talking about change, he’s living it.  MORE Dominic Piscopo | MORE Private Equity | MORE Pay & Compensation The episode dives deep into how HD Growth Partners embraces a consulting-first approach, using accounting services as a wedge rather than a foundation. The firm encourages team members, even juniors, to build one-on-one relationships with clients. Petrey believes the best learning happens on the job, with mentorship layered into real-world client work. This, he argues, is what keeps staff engaged and clients loyal. 

Automate common workflows, ensure accuracy, and free your time for higher-value work.Quick Tech TalkWith Steve YossCPE TodayFor years, QuickBooks Online (QBO) has been a go-to accounting platform for small and midsized businesses. Now, its Advanced Edition takes efficiency to a whole new level by introducing robust workflow automation features designed to eliminate repetitive tasks and keep financial professionals focused on what matters most. MORE Steve Yoss here | MORE TECH Imagine never having to manually send invoice reminders, route approvals, or post recurring journal entries again. With QBO Advanced, automation handles it for you. The platform now offers numerous automations to help you ensure accuracy, increase transparency, and allow you to focus on the work that means the most to you.

Attention CPAs and accounting pros! Are you ready to take your practice to the next level? Then it’s time to upgrade to CPA Trendlines PRO Membership—your all-access pass to premium insights, strategies, and tools designed just for YOU!See today 's best PRO  offers here.Get exclusive access – Over 10,000 articles, tools, and expert guidance—keeping you ahead of the curve in practice management, growth, and industry trends.Enjoy VIP perks – Be the first to get new content, receive special handling on orders, and unlock priority concierge service just for PRO members.Save big– In the CPA Trendlines Shop, plus deep discounts on membership plans!And here’s a bonus: New PRO members receive welcome gifts worth over $300!Stay informed – With exclusive member surveys, studies, and expert insights that help grow your firm and boost your success!More support, more value, more power for your practice!Upgrade today at CPA Trendlines and start maximizing your potential!

CPAs can help guide four types of client transformation - and break through their own listlessness.The DisruptorsWith Liz FarrRon Baker has been pushing accountants to change how they think and how they operate their businesses for decades, starting more than 20 years ago by ditching the timesheet, and followed recently by adopting a subscription approach to services. Now that more than half of CAS firms have abandoned hourly billing, according to the latest CPA.com CAS benchmark survey, it’s time for accountants to move from providing services to guiding transformations.    CPA TRENDLINES CELEBRATES:The 100th Episode of The Disruptors MORE STREAMING: Brolin: The W.I.N. Leadership Formula | Gertrudes: How EOS & “Unreasonable Hospitality” Reshaped GrowthLab | Vilms: The Power of People in a Tech-Driven World | Dickerson: From Diagnosis to Disruption | Kapilovich: Treat People Like People | Martha Yasso: From Wall Street to Main Street | Jackie Meyer: Tax Plans in 90 Seconds? Believe It | Erica Goode: Build a $200K Firm in 15hrs/Week | Randy Crabtree: Live at the Intersection of Passion & Skill |McClelland and Telka: Women Ready to Rewrite the Rules of Accounting | Baker’s latest endeavor with co-founder Ed Kless, Threshold, aims to support accountants and other professionals in moving into the transformation economy. Threshold is a membership community where professionals can receive guidance, attend meetings and webinars, and learn from each other.  

Firms that prioritize outcomes over hours are better positioned to innovate, retain clients, and empower teams.By Rory Henry CFP®, BFA™For CPA TrendlinesOn the latest episode of The Holistic Guide to Wealth Management, Loren Fogelman, founder of Business Success Solutions, and Mike Maksymiw, CPA, Executive Director of Aprio Firm Alliance, share strategies for firm growth, profitability, and sustainability. Their discussion covers value-based pricing, client relationships, team culture, leadership authenticity, and the role of technology in shaping the accounting profession’s future. MORE Rory Henry and The Holistic Guide to Wealth Management BUY the Holistic Guide to Wealth Management Fogelman argues that firms often avoid raising rates out of fear of alienating long-time clients, but that reluctance undervalues their services. She stresses that a structured approach to rate increases allows firms to retain most clients while improving profitability.The first step, she explains, is identifying which clients are profitable and which ones drain resources. By focusing on “what’s behind the money,” firms can better understand client goals and position themselves as consultants rather than technicians.