CPA Trendlines Podcasts

Tax season brings challenges, but there are still silver linings. Art Werner reveals that even in February and March, accountants can find ways to help clients minimize tax burdens. Proactive tax planning shines as a key strategy, especially with Form 1040. He emphasizes maneuvering through unexpected client scenarios—like financial losses or shifts in income—to optimize tax situations. It's a reminder that timely advice can lighten financial loads, proving it's never too late to strategize.

Tina McGill, founder of MMAS CPA, shares her insights from transitioning into public accounting, focusing on delivering true value to clients. She discusses the importance of understanding client needs beyond mere data delivery. Tina emphasizes the role of technology in improving client communication and highlights innovative strategies for building lasting relationships. Additionally, she talks about the significance of flexibility in employee practices and the advantages of listening to clients to navigate advisory success.

Level up your skills with powerful lookup formulas.Quick Tech TalkWith Steve YossCPE TodayFor professionals wrestling with massive datasets, finding specific information in Excel can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. Whether it’s a customer ID, transaction number, or check number, pinpointing related details like totals, names, or dates can be daunting without the right tools. Enter Excel's powerful lookup formulas.MORE STEVE YOSSMORE TECHExclusively for PRO Members. Log in here or upgrade to PRO today.Among the trio of essential lookup functions—VLOOKUP, INDEX-MATCH, and the modern XLOOKUP—the latter emerges as the star. While VLOOKUP and INDEX-MATCH have long been staples for data retrieval, XLOOKUP combines their strengths with enhanced features, offering users a faster, more versatile solution.

"You don’t get to choose the leader you need to be. Your people tell you who you need to be to get the best out of them."Accounting Influencerswith Rob BrownLeadership is in the spotlight like never before. In a recent episode of the Accounting Influencers podcast, global leadership expert Mark Fritz shares his insights on how leaders can navigate today’s complex environment. Fritz emphasizes that the core principles of leadership remain timeless, but their application must adapt to the rapidly changing demands of the modern world.More Accounting Influencers with Rob Brown hereDrawing from his early career implementing enterprise systems globally, Fritz highlights how his international experience shaped his understanding of business operations and leadership dynamics. “The principles of leadership are universal,” he explains. “But the key is adapting them to the specific needs of your people.”Fritz underscores that effective leaders must evolve based on the situation. “Your people tell you who you need to be to get the best out of them,” he notes, stressing the importance of flexibility and understanding diverse team dynamics.

Full commitment is critical in niche accounting.Gear Up for GrowthWith Jean CaragherFor CPA TrendlinesIn the world of accounting, niche specialization is often a deliberate strategy. For Tim Allen, CPA, however, his journey into winery finance was more serendipitous than strategic. With over 30 years of experience—including time at a Big 4 firm, leadership roles at multiple wineries, and now managing a successful boutique firm exclusively dedicated to the wine industry—Allen has carved out a unique space for himself and his team.Gear Up for Growth spotlights the best strategies for smart and efficient 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 hereAllen's accounting came unexpectedly during his tenure at Deloitte’s San Francisco office. While his colleagues gravitated toward high-profile clients, Tim found himself drawn to wineries—clients that others overlooked. The opportunity allowed him to work closer to his family in Santa Rosa while developing a deep understanding of the industry’s financial intricacies.

Arpan Grewal, a high school junior and state officer for Indiana Business Professionals of America, takes the reins in this engaging conversation with seasoned professionals Donny Shimamoto, Liz Mason, and Byron Patrick. They reflect on their unique career paths in accounting, emphasizing the importance of ethics and continuous learning. The discussion challenges the stereotype of accounting as dull, highlighting its creativity and excitement. Mentorship and diversity in the accounting field also take center stage as they share insights for aspiring future accountants.

Reduce audit time by 20% without reducing quality.By Alan Anderson, CPATransforming Audit for the FutureFor most audit firms, the concept of “just in time” means that the audit was completed and the financials were delivered “just in time” to meet the deadline. But in this webinar, Alan Anderson explains how concepts from just-in-time manufacturing can be applied to make audits more efficient, reducing time by at least 15-20% while also improving quality and customer service. MORE ALAN ANDERSON: Are You Using the Right Business Model? | Give Advice While Remaining Independent | The New Formula for an Accounting Business | Don’t Risk Losing Good Employees for Bad Clients | Four Questions to Make Your Firm More Successful as a Business | Say Adios to Audit Fee Pressure | Deliver More Audit Value by Getting Out of the Conference Room | Six Essential Elements in Audit Planning | Before the Audit: More Than Just Planning | Five Crucial Attributes for Successful Audit Leadership | Put the Ethics Code to Work for Your Clients and Your Firm | Is Audit in Crisis Because of Definitions?Just-in-time manufacturing was devised to reduce inventory costs, downtime, and waste by following four sequential steps for every manufacturing process: design, build, inspect, and delivery. By analogy, the four steps of JIT manufacturing correspond to the four audit phases of planning, fieldwork, review, and delivery. The raw materials of an audit consist of the trial balance and schedules supplied by the client, and the final deliverable is the audit report.  

Stefan van Duyvendijk, Accounting Operations Evangelist at FloQast and co-author of 'Shift Happens,' encourages accountants to adopt an operational mindset. He discusses how automation is transforming accounting, allowing professionals to focus on strategic engagement. The conversation also highlights the evolving role of accountants as strategic assets, stressing the importance of effective communication and collaboration. Van Duyvendijk emphasizes the need for ongoing assessment of processes and networking in the accounting community to adapt to client expectations.

Revolutionize how businesses visualize and interpret data.Quick Tech TalkWith Steve YossCPE TodayBusinesses today are moving beyond traditional reporting methods to embrace the transformative potential of business intelligence tools. Industry leaders emphasize the importance of platforms like Tableau, Qlik, and Power BI, which allow companies to turn raw data into dynamic, interactive dashboards. These tools empower decision-makers to access real-time insights tailored to their specific needs, enabling them to make informed choices that drive success.MORE STEVE YOSSMORE TECHExclusively for PRO Members. Log in here or upgrade to PRO today. Business intelligence tools go far beyond static financial reports like balance sheets and income statements. By integrating sales, marketing, inventory, e-commerce, and even email newsletter data, companies can create a comprehensive “heads-up display” of their operations. Imagine transforming sales data into visual charts, mapping customer trends geographically, and combining diverse datasets into a single interactive platform. These tools enable businesses to manage proactively, focusing on forward-looking strategies rather than relying solely on retrospective analysis.

Removing clients isn’t just about profitability—it’s a firm-wide morale booster.Accounting Influencerswith Rob BrownWith over 35 years of industry experience, Jean Caragher has witnessed the profession's transformation, noting that marketing roles in accounting firms are now more strategic and influential than ever.More Accounting Influencers with Rob Brown hereCaragher describes her work at Capstone Marketing, where she serves as a fractional chief marketing officer for firms specializing in branding, content marketing, pricing, and client satisfaction strategies. "The foundation of marketing remains the same," she explains, "but today, we have a wealth of digital tools and data to enhance how firms promote themselves."