CPA Trendlines Podcasts

This milestone episode proves that accountants can change lives—and legacies—every single day.The DisruptorsWith Liz FarrIn its milestone 100th episode, The Disruptors podcast pulls out all the stops with a powerful conversation featuring Paul Dunn, a four-time TEDx speaker, accounting innovator, and co-founder of the global giving platform B1G1. A true visionary, Dunn has spent decades redefining what it means to be an accountant—and his message to the profession is as bold and inspiring as ever. MORE PODCASTS and VIDEOS: Jacob Schroeder: AI Won’t Replace Accountants—But It Will Reveal Who’s Replaceable | Ditching Corporate America: The Bold Story Behind PBS Accounting’s Rapid Rise | Jean Zick: Happy Team = Happy Clients | Breslin & Greathead: Be a Client Advocate | Dominic Piscopo: Clear Pay=Bargaining Power | Debbie Kilsheimer: Stop Thinking Small | Dave Kersting: Collaborate with Co-Firming | Ashley Francis: AI's a Partner, Not a Replacement | Richard Roppa-Roberts: Collaboration Over Competition “If you’re in a sea of sameness, you’re not serving anyone,” Dunn tells host Liz Farr. “We need to move from 'standard' to 'stand out' because we 'stand for' something that is bigger than ourselves.”That “something bigger” is impact.According to Dunn, the key to differentiating an accounting firm isn’t just writing a purpose statement—it’s living one. Too often, he says, firms get bogged down creating long-winded declarations no one remembers. The real transformation comes when a firm becomes truly impact-driven.“What if you turned that around... and you became impact-driven, and you're able to say as a result, this month, look at what we did. We created these impacts in the community.”

David Osborne, CEO of Caseware, advocates for leveraging technology to enhance efficiency in accounting. Tom Hood, a top LinkedIn influencer and AICPA EVP, highlights the threat and opportunity of generative AI, urging a rethink of talent recruitment amidst a leaky pipeline. Katie Thomas, founder of Leaders Online, emphasizes the importance of marketing and rebranding the profession to attract new talent. Together, they call for a radical transformation in the accounting sector, showcasing how adaptability and innovation can reshape the future of the industry.

Firms with client experience programs see 19% higher growth rates, according to ClearlyRated study. Gear Up for GrowthWith Jean CaragherFor CPA TrendlinesCreating a truly differentiated client experience can be the key to standing out in a profession defined by trust, service, and technical excellence. That’s the message from Mitchell Reno, director of client experience at Rehmann, in this episode of Gear Up for Growth, hosted by Jean Caragher, president of Capstone Marketing.  Gear Up for Growth spotlights the best strategies for smart and effficient growth in today's competitive landscape. 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 Drawing on more than two decades of marketing and advisory experience—including 14 years as Rehmann’s chief marketing and sales officer—Reno discusses how client experience, when strategically engineered, becomes not only a competitive differentiator but a catalyst for firm-wide growth and innovation.“Client experience is not just good service,” Reno says. “It’s the sum total of every touchpoint a client has with your firm—from onboarding to billing to final delivery—and what they think and feel about all those moments.”

High-net-worth clients are urged to act before the estate tax exemption expires in 2025.Quick Tax TipWith Art WernerCPE TodayA key provision of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) is approaching its expiration date—and Art Werner, J.D., M.S. Tax, is sounding the alarm for advisors and their wealthy clients.In the latest episode of the Quick Tax Tip podcast, Werner explains that the temporarily doubled estate and gift tax exemption, enacted under the TCJA, is set to sunset on December 31, 2025. “This creates a lot of uncertainty,” says Werner. “We’re hearing all kinds of things from Congress—maybe an extension, maybe making it permanent, or even letting it die completely. Some are even calling for the estate tax to be repealed. Others want a much higher, even confiscatory, rate.” Click here for more Art WernerWith so much political volatility, Werner urges tax professionals to proactively plan for the possibility that the exemption could be drastically reduced—or eliminated altogether.The TCJA effectively doubled the lifetime estate and gift tax exemption to nearly $13 million per individual (over $25 million for married couples) in 2024. Without Congressional action, this amount could fall by half at the end of 2025.

“I am begging firms: do not let go of your DEI&B initiatives. It is a mistake.” MOVE Like ThisWith Bonnie Buol RuszczykFor CPA TrendlinesIn a wide-ranging and deeply personal conversation on the Move Like This podcast, Sandra Wiley, president of Boomer Consulting, shares powerful insights about the evolving culture of the accounting profession and what firms must do to thrive in 2025 and beyond. From building inclusive workplaces to solving the talent crisis, Wiley emphasizes one central idea: firms that embrace change, empathy, and innovation will outlast those that cling to the status quo. More MOVEWiley, a longtime leader in public accounting consulting, outlines Boomer Consulting’s growth from a tech-focused firm to a holistic advisor in five key operational areas: leadership, talent, growth, technology, and process. These “back office” functions, she explained, are often overlooked in CPA firms, yet they’re critical to long-term sustainability. Through consulting, training, peer communities, and the Boomer Knowledge Network, Wiley and her team are helping firms modernize how they work and who they are. 

Use AI to work smarter and connect deeper.The DisruptorsWith Liz FarrJacob Schroeder, founder of Ascend Consulting, is clear-eyed about artificial intelligence. He doesn’t see it as a silver bullet or a threat. Instead, he sees it as a catalyst that helps accountants get back to what matters most: being human.“AI is not the solution. It's a tool,” Schroeder says. “If you're trying to make AI the solution, you're going about it wrong.” MORE PODCASTS and VIDEOS: Ditching Corporate America: The Bold Story Behind PBS Accounting’s Rapid Rise | Jean Zick: Happy Team = Happy Clients | Breslin & Greathead: Be a Client Advocate | Dominic Piscopo: Clear Pay=Bargaining Power | Debbie Kilsheimer: Stop Thinking Small | Dave Kersting: Collaborate with Co-Firming | Ashley Francis: AI's a Partner, Not a Replacement | Richard Roppa-Roberts: Collaboration Over Competition | Ira Rosenbloom: M&A Numbers Are Easy - Culture Fit Is Hard | Roman Villard: Ditch the Suit & Shine | Instead of chasing efficiency for efficiency’s sake, Ascend uses AI to free up time for meaningful conversations and thoughtful, strategic guidance.By embedding QuickBooks data directly into client emails, for instance, Schroeder’s team ensures that every communication is efficient and infused with empathy and relevance.“Suddenly, now your response can be more human.”Ascend’s model is built around what Schroeder calls holistic advisory, a blend of business and personal financial strategy that reflects the full picture of a client’s life.“We help build a better future for you, your business, and your family. It’s about helping people create value—not just crunch numbers.”

As the first woman CEO of PICPA, Cryder shares how she’s tackling the CPA pipeline crisis and why it’s time to re-evaluate long-standing licensure rules. Accounting Influencerswith Rob BrownIn this episode of Accounting Influencers, Jen Cryder, CPA, CEO of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA), opens up about her unexpected path to leadership, the challenges shaping the accounting profession today, and why she believes this is one of the most exciting times to be a CPA.More Rob BrownWith oversight of 20,000 accounting and finance professionals, Cryder is not just a figurehead—she’s a force behind reshaping the profession’s image and strategy. From the CPA pipeline crisis to questions about the 150-hour rule, she addresses head-on the systemic changes needed to secure the future of the profession.“The perception remains that accounting is boring work. It couldn’t be farther from the truth,” says Cryder. She believes the profession suffers from an image problem impacting student enrollment and career choice, especially as finance and tech roles compete for top talent.

Stop billing. Start thrilling.Gear Up for Growth With Jean CaragherFor CPA TrendlinesIn a persuasive new episode of Gear Up for Growth, powered by CPA Trendlines, Paul Dunn – four-time TEDx speaker, cofounder of B1G1, and longtime champion of transformational leadership in the accounting profession – delivered a clear call to action for firm leaders: Ditch the billable hour and lead with purpose. Gear Up for Growth spotlights the best strategies for smart and efficient growth in today's competitive landscape. 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 Speaking with host Jean Caragher, president of Capstone Marketing, Dunn emphasizes that the profession's future lies not in tracking time but in creating lasting client outcomes and standing for something greater than profit. “It’s not about the inputs. It’s about the outcomes,” Dunn says. “When your vision becomes more powerful than your memories, your future becomes more powerful than your past.” More than 20 years after coauthoring The Firm of the Future, Dunn remains a fierce critic of time-based billing. He points to recent studies showing firms are beginning to move away from six-minute increments, but progress remains slow. 

Turn communication breakdowns into trust-building moments. Transformation TalksWith Donny ShimamotoCenter for Accounting TransformationIn the latest episode of Transformation Talks, host Donny Shimamoto, CPA.CITP, CGMA, leads a powerful discussion on “assumed discrimination”—the cultural collisions that happen when others project bias onto someone’s words or actions. MORE TRANSFORMATION TALKSJoining him are Arianna Campbell, COO of Boomer Consulting; Ed Kless, co-founder of THRESHOLD and co-host of The Soul of Enterprise; and Amy Welch, APR, CAE, mission advocacy strategist with the Center for Accounting Transformation and SVP/executive producer for CPA Trendlines. The episode begins by reframing how we talk. “Discussion” implies conflict, while “dialogue” is about listening. “The origin of ‘discussion’ is literally ‘to strike,’” says Kless. “But dialogue means ‘twin telling.’ That shift in mindset is everything.” 

The retirement planning hack can be a secret weapon for tax-free growth.Quick Tax TipWith Art WernerCPE TodayWhen most people hear “HSA,” they think of medical expenses and high-deductible health plans. But in the latest episode of Quick Tax Tip, tax educator and attorney Art Werner urges tax professionals—and their clients—to look deeper.Click here for more Art WernerIn his signature style, Werner reframes the Health Savings Account (HSA) as one of the most underrated retirement planning tools available today.“I don’t look at the HSA as a way to pay for medical bills,” says Werner. “I look at it as a disguised retirement plan.”Many taxpayers—and even some practitioners—limit their view of the HSA to a reimbursement vehicle for immediate out-of-pocket costs. But Werner explains that this account can function much like a Roth IRA, offering triple-tax benefits: contributions are tax-deductible, growth is tax-free, and qualified withdrawals for medical expenses are also tax-free.Here’s the twist: You don’t have to take reimbursements immediately.