Accounting Voices Podcast

"Best Client Service in Accounting", Tom Wheelwright, a tax expert, joins Rob, the author of the best-selling book, "Tax-Free Wealth". Tom is the founder and CEO of WealthAbility, a global tax and accounting firm dedicated to helping entrepreneurs and investors reduce their tax burden and build wealth.Tom shares his insights and expertise on tax planning and wealth creation topics. He explains how taxes work, why it's essential to have a tax strategy, and what steps individuals and business owners can take to minimise their tax liability.He discusses the importance of financial education and how it can help individuals make informed financial decisions and achieve their financial goals. He shares his perspective on the current state of the economy and offers his advice on how individuals can prepare themselves for potential economic changes.In addition, Tom emphasises the importance of having a team of advisors, including a tax advisor, financial planner, and legal expert, to help individuals make the best financial decisions for their unique situations.This episode offers valuable insights and practical advice for individuals and business owners looking to reduce their tax liability and build wealth. So be sure to tune in and gain some valuable insights from one of the leading tax planning and wealth creation experts.Key TakeawaysFocus on tax planning, not just tax compliance. Of course, compliance is essential, but planning can help clients reduce their tax liability and save money. Develop a niche. Specialising in a particular industry or type of client can help differentiate your firm from competitors and attract more clients. Offer value-added services. Consider offering services such as financial planning or business consulting to provide additional value to clients and increase revenue for your firm. Build a strong team. Hire and train top talent, including tax professionals, financial planners, and legal experts, to provide comprehensive services and ensure client satisfaction. Leverage technology. Use technology such as automation and cloud-based software to streamline processes and improve efficiency, ultimately reducing costs and improving profitability. Invest in marketing. Develop a strong brand and marketing strategy to increase visibility and attract more clients to your firm. Continuously educate yourself and your team. Stay current on changes in tax laws and regulations and industry trends to provide the best possible service to clients and stay ahead of competitors.Tom Wheelwright is an accomplished CPA, entrepreneur, and internationally recognized speaker with tax and wealth management expertise. As the CEO of WealthAbility® and a Rich Dad Advisor, he has helped thousands of entrepreneurs, small business owners, and investors achieve their financial goals.In addition to being a bestselling author of Tax-Free Wealth, he is releasing his upcoming book, The Win-Win Wealth Strategy, which outlines seven government investments to help individuals build wealth while reducing taxes.Tom is a trusted CPA for Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, and has spoken on stages across the globe to over 100,000 individuals. He also hosts two successful podcasts, The WealthAbility® Show with Tom Wheelwright, CPA and The WealthAbility® for CPAs Show.Tom's mission is to help people achieve their financial dreams by legally and permanently reducing their taxes. He is a regular contributor to Entrepreneur magazine. His work has been featured in prominent media outlets such as Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, FOX and Friends, Marketplace / NPR, and ABC News Radio.◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢The Accounting Influencers Podcast drops every Monday to accounting professionals, finance specialists, software vendors, tech providers and influencers across 150 countries in the accountancy, CPA and bookkeeping space. To participate in our international virtual speed networking events for the accounting community, go to https://accountinginfluencers.com/events and book your place at the next gathering. Great to build your personal brand and make valuable industry connections. ◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢You can watch this episode and more on our YouTube Channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@accountinginfluencersJoin the Accounting Influencers community and get invitations to our international speed networking events to build your personal brand and network in the accounting, finance and tech world: https://www.linkedin.com/company/accountinginfluencersFor videos of all podcast interviews and bonus video content: https://bit.ly/AI-youtubeThanks to our sponsors:ADVANCETRACK OUTSOURCING. Transform your accounting firm with AdvanceTrack. Our top-tier offshoring solutions free your team from mundane tasks, allowing you to focus on growth and client engagement. Experience seamless scalability and expert support. Visit advancetrack.com and elevate your practice today. https://www.advancetrack.comACCOUNTEX. Join us at Accountex London, the pinnacle of fintech innovation, May 15-16, 2024! Discover ground-breaking solutions from 295+ brands and gain invaluable insights at our CPD-accredited sessions. Connect with 10,000+ finance professionals. Elevate your practice – attendance is free, plus earn up to 16 CPD points! https://www.accountex.co.uk/londonDEXT. Streamline your accounting practice with Dext! Our cutting-edge tools, Dext Prepare, Commerce, and Precision, revolutionize data handling, saving you precious time and ensuring accuracy. Connect seamlessly with leading software like Xero and QBO. Join 500,000+ customers transforming their practices. Start your free trial and embrace efficiency today! https://dext.comIf you'd like to sponsor the show and elevate your brand with our audience, reach out to show host Rob Brown on LinkedIn and his team will reach out to fix up a chat to explore. https://www.linkedin.com/in/therobbrown

Welcome to the Accounting Influencers Podcast, going live every Monday to 150 countries and 30,000 accounting practitioners, fintech specialists and influencers in the accountancy, CPA and bookkeeping space.In this Talent Special bonus, "Human Capital & Talent in Accounting", host Rob Brown speaks with guest Gary Shamis about the challenges accounting firms face in talent acquisition and retention. Shamis notes the 50% decrease in the pipeline of new CPAs over the last five years and believes that the value proposition in public accounting needs to be improved, creating a deep hole in the industry. He emphasises the importance of focusing on clients, people, and growth, staying up-to-date with the competition, and re-evaluating the value proposition to increase the bottom end of compensation and create a culture of growth.The discussion also covers the impact of automation and robotics on the accounting industry. Shamis advises firms to have a contingency plan and appoint a tech-savvy employee to monitor industry developments. Attracting talented employees is a challenge, and the speaker suggests focusing marketing efforts on attracting staff rather than clients and changing partner bonuses to include incentives for bringing in talent. A strong brand is also essential for attracting both clients and employees.You can also watch this on youtube here: https://youtu.be/RiPX4KXYH0cKey Takeaways➤ New CPA pipeline has decreased by 50% in the last five years, creating a deep hole in the industry.➤ Value proposition in public accounting needs improvement to attract and retain talent.➤ Focusing on clients, people, and growth is crucial for accounting firms to succeed.➤ Staying up-to-date with competition and re-evaluating the value proposition is necessary.➤ Automation and robotics are impacting the accounting industry, and firms need a contingency plan.➤ Appointing a tech-savvy employee to monitor industry developments is crucial.➤ Marketing efforts should focus on attracting staff rather than just clients.➤ Partner bonuses should include incentives for bringing in talent.➤ A strong brand is essential for attracting both clients and employees.➤ Accounting firms must adapt to the changing landscape of the industry to succeed in talent acquisition and retention.Guest BioGary Shamis is an accomplished former managing partner of a top 40 US accounting firm that he sold to BDO in 2015. He is now the CEO of Winding River Consulting, which provides high-level strategy consulting to the Restaurant, CPA, and professional services industries. With numerous accolades in the accounting field, Gary was recognised as the EY Entrepreneur of the Year and is a Top Ten Managing Partner Elite by Accounting Today, where he was described as the “very model of the modern managing partner." Additionally, he was named Most Admired Peer by INSIDE Public Accounting and has been featured more than a dozen times on the Most Influential list by Accounting Today. Gary also co-authored How to Manage Your Accounting Practice: Taking Your Firm from Chaos to Consensus.In addition to his successful accounting career, Gary has served within the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants ranks. You can connect with Gary through his LinkedIn profile or Winding River Consulting's website. He has also been featured in various interviews, including "Accounting Firm Leadership Priorities: Gary Shamis" and "Key Drivers of Change in Accounting with Gary Shamis."You can connect with Gary here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-shamis-wrchttps://windingriverconsulting.comCheck out these other interviews with Gary:"Accounting Firm Leadership Priorities: Gary Shamis"https://bit.ly/3lyBIgW"Key Drivers of Change in Accounting with Gary Shamis"https://bit.ly/3xIhneq◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢If you like the show, we'd truly appreciate a review on whatever platform you listen. We'd love to get to know you!Main show website. For access to every single show with full shownotes: https://accountinginfluencers.com/podcastFor announcements of published shows, tagging guest so you can build your network and offer feedback on the show: https://www.linkedin.com/company/accountinginfluencersFor videos of all podcast interviews and bonus video content: https://bit.ly/AI-youtubehttps://www.instagram.com/accinfluencershttps://twitter.com/accinfluencershttps://www.facebook.com/accountinginfluencersThanks to our sponsors:Accountex. Accountex will return to ExCeL London UK on the 10-11 May 2023. Bringing together 250+ top fintech companies and cutting-edge start-ups, visitors can browse new software and stay up to date with the latest technology, tools and ideas in accountancy and finance. Alongside the exhibition, attendees will take away actionable tips from the CPD-accredited seminar programme, led by 200+ thought leaders shaping the profession.Accountex is Europe’s largest annual event for the accounting and finance profession. It attracts 8,000+ attendees and 250+ exhibitors. Attendees can get up to 16 CPD hours with 200+ free seminar sessions across 12 theatres.https://www.accountex.co.uk/london/

"Private Equity Impact in Accounting: Gary Shamis"Rob Brown talks to Gary Shamis about his experience in the accounting industry, from working for one of the Big Eight accounting firms to growing his own accounting firm and eventually selling it to BDO. He also discusses private equity in the accounting industry and the challenges facing the industry.Key Takeaways➤ Private equity firms increasingly invest in various industries, including accounting and financial services. As a result, many accounting firms are shifting their focus to represent private equity and portfolio companies to maintain business and grow their revenue.➤ Private equity partners often have a controlling interest in the companies they invest in and their primary focus is on a return on investment. This can create tension with managing partners trying to implement growth strategies and manage the company's complex operations.➤ Private equity deals between young and old partners are critical, as there may be differences in goals and priorities. It's important to consider these differences and how they may impact the partnership's success.➤ There has been consolidation within the accounting industry due to the rise of alternative practice models and rollups, which have been the subject of lawsuits and controversy. Large companies such as American Express, H&R Block, and CBIZ have been involved in this consolidation trend.Gary Shamis is a former top 40 US accounting firm managing partner who sold to BDO in 2015. He is now CEO of Winding River Consulting, a high-level strategy consulting for the Restaurant, CPA, and professional services industries. Gary won EY Entrepreneur of the Year and is a Top Ten Managing Partner Elite (Accounting Today), among many other accounting accolades. He was called the “very model of the modern managing partner. He was awarded Most Admired Peer (INSIDE Public Accounting) and has over a dozen appearances on the Most Influential list (Accounting Today). He has served within the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants ranks. He co-authored How to Manage Your Accounting Practice: Taking Your Firm from Chaos to Consensus.◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢The Accounting Influencers Podcast drops every Monday to accounting professionals, finance specialists, software vendors, tech providers and influencers across 150 countries in the accountancy, CPA and bookkeeping space. To participate in our international virtual speed networking events for the accounting community, go to https://accountinginfluencers.com/events and book your place at the next gathering. Great to build your personal brand and make valuable industry connections. ◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢You can watch this episode and more on our YouTube Channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@accountinginfluencersJoin the Accounting Influencers community and get invitations to our international speed networking events to build your personal brand and network in the accounting, finance and tech world: https://www.linkedin.com/company/accountinginfluencersFor videos of all podcast interviews and bonus video content: https://bit.ly/AI-youtubeThanks to our sponsors:ADVANCETRACK OUTSOURCING. Transform your accounting firm with AdvanceTrack. Our top-tier offshoring solutions free your team from mundane tasks, allowing you to focus on growth and client engagement. Experience seamless scalability and expert support. Visit advancetrack.com and elevate your practice today. https://www.advancetrack.comACCOUNTEX. Join us at Accountex London, the pinnacle of fintech innovation, May 15-16, 2024! Discover ground-breaking solutions from 295+ brands and gain invaluable insights at our CPD-accredited sessions. Connect with 10,000+ finance professionals. Elevate your practice – attendance is free, plus earn up to 16 CPD points! https://www.accountex.co.uk/londonDEXT. Streamline your accounting practice with Dext! Our cutting-edge tools, Dext Prepare, Commerce, and Precision, revolutionize data handling, saving you precious time and ensuring accuracy. Connect seamlessly with leading software like Xero and QBO. Join 500,000+ customers transforming their practices. Start your free trial and embrace efficiency today! https://dext.comIf you'd like to sponsor the show and elevate your brand with our audience, reach out to show host Rob Brown on LinkedIn and his team will reach out to fix up a chat to explore. https://www.linkedin.com/in/therobbrown

Welcome to the Accounting Influencers Podcast, going live every Monday to 150 countries and 30,000 accounting practitioners, fintech specialists and influencers in the accountancy, CPA and bookkeeping space.In this Talent Special bonus, "Digital Wellbeing for Busy People" Rob Brown interviews Bailey Parnell, an expert in digital culture, social media, and mental health. In this episode, they discuss the skills needed to thrive in a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) world. Bailey emphasizes the importance of a growth mindset, optimism, and resilience, as well as the interconnectedness of individuals and organizations.The conversation then shifts to the impact of digital culture on work and personal life, with Bailey discussing the dangers of social media addiction and the negative effects of screen culture on physical, sociological, and psychological health. She highlights the importance of accountants being mindful of their social media and screen usage and incorporating practices such as mindfulness and digital detoxing into their lives.Bailey also talks about her company, Skills Camp, which focuses on soft skills development and the importance of mental health responders and counsellors for stressed employees. The episode offers a cautionary tale to accountants looking to grow their firms, urging them to be vigilant about social media usage and prioritize their well-being over digital engagement.Overall, this episode of the Accounting Influencers Podcast provides valuable insights into the skills and mindset needed to succeed in today's VUCA world and practical tips for maintaining mental health and well-being in a digital culture. Don't miss this informative conversation between Rob Brown and Bailey Parnell!You can also watch this on youtube here: https://youtu.be/JKSTI6UeB0cKey takeaways ➔ To thrive in a VUCA world, individuals need a growth mindset, optimism, resilience, and the ability to adapt and embrace change.➔ Digital culture significantly impacts work and personal life. Accountants must be mindful of their social media and screen usage to combat the adverse effects on their physical, mental, and emotional well-being.➔ Companies need to create a culture that supports mental health and well-being, especially in a hybrid work environment, by training leaders to manage crises and promoting a human-centric workplace.➔ Soft skills development, such as interpersonal communication and emotional intelligence, is crucial for business professionals to succeed in today's world, and mental health responders and counsellors can help support stressed employeesGuest BioBailey Parnell is a 2x TEDx speaker, Founder & CEO of SkillsCamp, and named one of Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women. She is an internationally-recognized entrepreneur, an active humanitarian, and an expert in soft skills training. Bailey has nearly 4 million views on her TEDx talks, and her work has been featured in Forbes, Good Morning America, CBC, and other notable media outlets. She completed her Master's in Communications and Culture at Ryerson University with research on social media's impact on mental health. This research led to the creation of her signature 5 Steps Towards #SafeSocial and a connected non-profit of the same name. Bailey is known for her skilful storytelling, confidence, research, and humour. She frequently speaks on social media and mental health, soft skills, intergenerational understanding, and being a woman in business.Bailey's company SkillsCamp is a soft skills training company that works with businesses and educational institutions to help their staff and students develop the essential skills needed for personal and professional success - personal branding, stress management, emotional intelligence, and public speaking. Bailey's engaging and informative presentations have reached over 4 million people worldwide. Bailey enjoys wine, cheese, good TV, and "thought experiments" when she's not working. You can follow her on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook at @BaileyParnell or @baileytaylorparnel. For more information, visit her website at baileyparnell.com or contact her at bailey@skillscamp.co◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢If you like the show, we'd truly appreciate a review on whatever platform you listen. We'd love to get to know you!Main show website. For access to every single show with full shownotes: https://accountinginfluencers.com/podcastFor announcements of published shows, tagging guest so you can build your network and offer feedback on the show: https://www.linkedin.com/company/accountinginfluencersFor videos of all podcast interviews and bonus video content: https://bit.ly/AI-youtubehttps://www.instagram.com/accinfluencershttps://twitter.com/accinfluencershttps://www.facebook.com/accountinginfluencersThanks to our sponsors:Accountex. Accountex will return to ExCeL London UK on the 10-11 May 2023. Bringing together 250+ top fintech companies and cutting-edge start-ups, visitors can browse new software and stay up to date with the latest technology, tools and ideas in accountancy and finance. Alongside the exhibition, attendees will take away actionable tips from the CPD-accredited seminar programme, led by 200+ thought leaders shaping the profession.Accountex is Europe’s largest annual event for the accounting and finance profession. It attracts 8,000+ attendees and 250+ exhibitors. Attendees can get up to 16 CPD hours with 200+ free seminar sessions across 12 theatres.https://www.accountex.co.uk/london/

"Soft Skills Mastery in a VUCA World: Bailey Parnell", owner of Skills Camp, emphasises 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 characterise our relationships with ourselves and others. Bailey 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.Bailey and Rob discuss the need for a growth mindset and being open to continuous learning and development. They emphasise the importance of seeking feedback and auditing one's skills to identify areas that require action, especially with the increasing automation of some roles. The speakers differentiate between optimists and pessimists and explain how having an optimistic mindset, particularly in times of change and stress, is crucial. The conversation concludes by emphasising the need for a learner-centric approach to teaching soft skills that prioritises the learners' interests and learning styles over serving the institution.You can also watch this on youtubeKey takeawaysSoft skills are essential in accounting, as they play a significant role in building relationships with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders.Resilience is a critical soft skill, but it's not enough. Other essential skills include stress management, empathy, and cross-cultural communication.The VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity) acronym is a helpful way to describe the current workplace environment, and developing soft skills is crucial in navigating it.To develop soft skills effectively, a learner-centric approach should be taken that prioritises the learners' interests and learning styles over institutional needs.Having a growth mindset, seeking feedback, and auditing one's skills are essential to continuous learning and development.Being optimistic is crucial, especially in times of change and stress. Optimism isn't necessarily about being positive or negative, but rather how one views oneself about what happens.Bailey Parnell is a 2x TEDx speaker, Founder & CEO of SkillsCamp, and named one of Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women. She is an internationally-recognized entrepreneur, an active humanitarian, and an expert in soft skills training. Bailey has nearly 4 million views on her TEDx talks, and her work has been featured in Forbes, Good Morning America, CBC, and other notable media outlets. She completed her Masters in Communications and Culture at Ryerson University with research on social media's impact on mental health. This research led to the creation of her signature 5 Steps Towards #SafeSocial and a connected non-profit of the same name. Bailey is known for her skilful storytelling, confidence, research, and humour. She frequently speaks on social media and mental health, soft skills, intergenerational understanding, and being a woman in business.Bailey's company SkillsCamp is a soft skills training company that works with businesses and educational institutions to help their staff and students develop the essential skills needed for personal and professional success - personal branding, stress management, emotional intelligence, and public speaking. Bailey's engaging and informative presentations have reached over 4 million people worldwide. Bailey enjoys wine, cheese, good TV, and "thought experiments" when she's not working. You can follow her on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook at @BaileyParnell or @baileytaylorparnel. For more information, visit her website at baileyparnell.com or contact her at bailey@skillscamp.co◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢The Accounting Influencers Podcast drops every Monday to accounting professionals, finance specialists, software vendors, tech providers and influencers across 150 countries in the accountancy, CPA and bookkeeping space. To participate in our international virtual speed networking events for the accounting community, go to https://accountinginfluencers.com/events and book your place at the next gathering. Great to build your personal brand and make valuable industry connections. ◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢You can watch this episode and more on our YouTube Channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@accountinginfluencersJoin the Accounting Influencers community and get invitations to our international speed networking events to build your personal brand and network in the accounting, finance and tech world: https://www.linkedin.com/company/accountinginfluencersFor videos of all podcast interviews and bonus video content: https://bit.ly/AI-youtubeThanks to our sponsors:ADVANCETRACK OUTSOURCING. Transform your accounting firm with AdvanceTrack. Our top-tier offshoring solutions free your team from mundane tasks, allowing you to focus on growth and client engagement. Experience seamless scalability and expert support. Visit advancetrack.com and elevate your practice today. https://www.advancetrack.comACCOUNTEX. Join us at Accountex London, the pinnacle of fintech innovation, May 15-16, 2024! Discover ground-breaking solutions from 295+ brands and gain invaluable insights at our CPD-accredited sessions. Connect with 10,000+ finance professionals. Elevate your practice – attendance is free, plus earn up to 16 CPD points! https://www.accountex.co.uk/londonDEXT. Streamline your accounting practice with Dext! Our cutting-edge tools, Dext Prepare, Commerce, and Precision, revolutionize data handling, saving you precious time and ensuring accuracy. Connect seamlessly with leading software like Xero and QBO. Join 500,000+ customers transforming their practices. Start your free trial and embrace efficiency today! https://dext.comIf you'd like to sponsor the show and elevate your brand with our audience, reach out to show host Rob Brown on LinkedIn and his team will reach out to fix up a chat to explore. https://www.linkedin.com/in/therobbrown

In this Talent Special bonus, "Leading in a People First Culture: Xero's Jen Surtees," host Rob Brown speaks with Jen Surtees, the Director of People Experience (UK & EMEA) at Xero, about the importance of building and leading in a people-first culture.Jen explains that a people-first culture prioritises employees' well-being, development, and growth. She emphasises cultivating a culture where employees can thrive and feel supported. She identifies the first step as identifying the values that will drive the culture and developing a clear vision.Leaders should create a safe environment for employees to voice their opinions and concerns. People leaders can support the culture by ensuring policies and practices align with the company's values. Jen shares top tips for understanding and developing culture, including listening to feedback, identifying areas for improvement, and incorporating change where needed.You can also watch this on Youtube - https://youtu.be/7gz1D2r1IdkGuest Bio:Jen is the Director of People Experience (UK & EMEA) at Xero, with extensive experience in coaching and a passion for supporting individuals to be their best selves at work. Jen designs recruitment, development, and cultural programs for businesses that prioritize people at heart. She thoroughly researched the psychological conditions that foster high-performing teams and a sense of belonging, resulting in strong team cultures. Jen works at Xero, ensuring the company provides every employee with a world-class and inclusive experience. She creates an environment where employees can believe, belong and flourish. Under her leadership, Xero has been named the 5th Best Workplace in Tech and the 2nd Best Workplace for Women in the UK Large Business Category. Jen loves the great outdoors and recently moved with her husband and daughter to the coast, where they enjoy spending time outdoors and experiencing nature.Key takeaways ➤ A people-first culture is crucial for businesses in today's recruitment landscape.➤ Leaders must prioritise employee well-being, development, and growth to cultivate a thriving culture.➤ To build a people-first culture, leaders should identify the values that drive the culture and develop a clear vision for the organisation.➤ Leaders should create a safe environment for employees to voice their opinions and concerns.➤ People leaders can support the culture by ensuring policies and practices align with the company's values.➤ Top tips for understanding and developing culture include: listening to feedback, identifying areas for improvement, and incorporating change where needed.➤ Businesses need to specialise in a niche and become thought leaders.➤ Firms offering client advisory services (CAS) must focus on sales and marketing to succeed.➤ Verticals matter in CAS, and firms must think beyond write-up and controllership to provide more value to their clients.➤ To scale successfully in CAS, firms must focus on hiring and training staff, creating processes and systems and building technology infrastructure.➤ CPA and BPO firms can compete with low-priced providers in the current market by providing niche expertise and thought leadership.◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢If you like the show, we'd truly appreciate a review on whatever platform you listen. We'd love to get to know you!Main show website. For access to every single show with full shownotes: https://accountinginfluencers.com/podcastFor announcements of published shows, tagging guests so you can build your network and offer feedback on the show: https://www.linkedin.com/company/accountinginfluencersFor videos of all podcast interviews and bonus video content: https://bit.ly/AI-youtubehttps://www.instagram.com/accinfluencershttps://twitter.com/accinfluencershttps://www.facebook.com/accountinginfluencers

"The Power of a Pipeline for Accountants: Ed Warren"Rob Brown sits down with Ed Warren, an accomplished sales executive with over 25 years of professional services sales and marketing experience. Ed works for Sage, a large accounting software firm, and helps accountants grow their outsourced accounting practice.Ed shares his insights on how the accounting industry has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and what the future may hold for the industry. He believes that while the accounting firm space is in a good place given the circumstances, there is also a bit of complacency as they have weathered the storm reasonably well. However, staffing is a huge issue right now, and the industry will have to figure out how to adjust to players with different values than the legacy partner.Ed also discusses the importance of the trusted advisor relationship that accountants have with their clients. He shares tips on how firms can increase their revenue through client advisory services, including cross-selling other services to clients such as wealth management, family office, and retirement planning. He emphasizes the importance of making conscious decisions to go after higher volume, higher margin clients to provide a better client experience and where the team is treated with respect.Key takeaways➤ Staffing is a significant issue for accounting firms, as younger generations value work-life balance and giving back to their communities more than partnership and equity.➤ To stay competitive, accounting firms must adapt to changing software technologies, such as cloud-based ERP solutions and tax and compliance software.➤ Blockchain and other technologies in the venture stage could significantly impact the audit process in the next five to ten years.➤ Firms should focus on developing trusted advisor relationships with their clients and consider pruning their book of business to eliminate unprofitable relationships and replace them with clients who will pay their fees and treat their employees well.➤ Cross-selling other services to clients, such as wealth management, family office, and retirement planning, can create a multiplier effect and lead to multiple business streams.➤ Conducting a pipeline review and focusing on individuals expected to bring in new business is essential. Still, it's also crucial to have honest conversations with clients regarding the value of relationships and the lifetime value of a client.➤ Having tough conversations with clients regarding billing rates and ensuring that the billing is fair for the work done is essential for maintaining a successful practice.Ed Warren is an accomplished sales executive with over 25 years of professional services, sales and marketing experience. He has worked in marketing, business development, and practice growth roles in Top 100 and Top 200 CPA firms. Ed is a fractional Chief Growth Officer for cloud accounting firms, helping them grow their outsourced accounting practice. He is a board member and finance committee chair of the Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM) and currently serves as the treasurer of AAM.Aside from his professional work, Ed is an avid jogger, running 3 to 4 days per week, typically between 3 & 5 miles per run. He completed a Tough Mudder with his former managing partner and enjoys cooking, grilling, photography, and beach vacations with his wife, Marcia.Ed is active on Twitter, where he can be found at @EdwardDWarren, and on LinkedIn at http://linkedin.com/in/edwarddwarren. He is also offering a free eBook download titled "7 Tips to Increase Revenue with Client Advisory Services," which can be found at https://edwarddwarren.hubspotpagebuilder.com/7-tips-to-increase-revenue-with-client-advisory-services.◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢The Accounting Influencers Podcast drops every Monday to accounting professionals, finance specialists, software vendors, tech providers and influencers across 150 countries in the accountancy, CPA and bookkeeping space. To participate in our international virtual speed networking events for the accounting community, go to https://accountinginfluencers.com/events and book your place at the next gathering. Great to build your personal brand and make valuable industry connections. ◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢You can watch this episode and more on our YouTube Channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@accountinginfluencersJoin the Accounting Influencers community and get invitations to our international speed networking events to build your personal brand and network in the accounting, finance and tech world: https://www.linkedin.com/company/accountinginfluencersFor videos of all podcast interviews and bonus video content: https://bit.ly/AI-youtubeThanks to our sponsors:ADVANCETRACK OUTSOURCING. Transform your accounting firm with AdvanceTrack. Our top-tier offshoring solutions free your team from mundane tasks, allowing you to focus on growth and client engagement. Experience seamless scalability and expert support. Visit advancetrack.com and elevate your practice today. https://www.advancetrack.comACCOUNTEX. Join us at Accountex London, the pinnacle of fintech innovation, May 15-16, 2024! Discover ground-breaking solutions from 295+ brands and gain invaluable insights at our CPD-accredited sessions. Connect with 10,000+ finance professionals. Elevate your practice – attendance is free, plus earn up to 16 CPD points! https://www.accountex.co.uk/londonDEXT. Streamline your accounting practice with Dext! Our cutting-edge tools, Dext Prepare, Commerce, and Precision, revolutionize data handling, saving you precious time and ensuring accuracy. Connect seamlessly with leading software like Xero and QBO. Join 500,000+ customers transforming their practices. Start your free trial and embrace efficiency today! https://dext.comIf you'd like to sponsor the show and elevate your brand with our audience, reach out to show host Rob Brown on LinkedIn and his team will reach out to fix up a chat to explore. https://www.linkedin.com/in/therobbrown

Welcome to the Accounting Influencers Podcast, going live every Monday to 150 countries and 30,000 accounting practitioners, fintech specialists and influencers in the accountancy, CPA and bookkeeping space.In this Talent Special bonus, "Accounting Leaders - Good vz Great with Terry Snyder."You can also watch this on YouTube - https://youtu.be/zxhMC7Ty36IIn this episode of the Accounting Influencers Podcast, host Rob Brown welcomes Terry Snyder, a seasoned expert in accounting firm growth. Terry emphasizes the significance of cultivating a growth mindset in accounting and shares practical strategies for expanding your accounting firm. He delves into branding and provides tips on creating a strong brand, including defining your unique value proposition, identifying your ideal client, and creating a consistent visual and verbal identity.Moreover, Terry sheds light on the future of accounting and how firms can brace themselves for the technological changes ahead. He predicts that automation and AI will continue to play a significant role in the industry. He also highlights the importance of maintaining a personal touch and building strong relationships with clients. Tune in to the Accounting Influencers Podcast to learn more and to get valuable insights and tips from the industry's top influencers.Guest BioTerry Snyder, a growth, strategy, and culture consultant, formerly served as the Head of Allinial Global, one of the largest accounting alliances in the world. He currently advises BOKS International, large accounting firms, and software vendors on their growth strategies. He started his career in 1970 - interning with (Deloitte) Haskins & Sells before joining Arthur Andersen. In 2006, he stepped out of the profession and became the president of a bank for 2 years before joining Allinial Global as the CEO and President. He spent 12 years with AG, overseeing growth from from $600 million (NA focused) to over $4.3 billion (globally focused). Now retired, Terry lives living in Charlotte North Carolina and consulting with BOKS International on growth and strategy as well as individual firms. Key Takeaways➤ Having a growth mindset is essential for accounting firms to thrive, and it's crucial to be open to new ideas and seek out opportunities to learn and improve constantly.➤ Developing a strong brand is a key strategy for accounting firm growth, and a strong brand is more than just a logo or tagline. It's about creating a clear and compelling message that resonates with your target audience.➤ To build a strong brand, it's important to define your unique value proposition, identify your ideal client, and create a consistent visual and verbal identity.➤ Automation and artificial intelligence will continue to play a growing role in the accounting industry, but maintaining a personal touch and building relationships with clients is still essential.➤ To stay ahead of the curve in the accounting industry, it's important to invest in technology, develop new skills, and embrace change.◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢If you like the show, we'd truly appreciate a review on whatever platform you listen. We'd love to get to know you!Main show website. For access to every single show with full shownotes: https://accountinginfluencers.com/podcastFor announcements of published shows, tagging guest so you can build your network and offer feedback on the show: https://www.linkedin.com/company/accountinginfluencersFor videos of all podcast interviews and bonus video content: https://bit.ly/AI-youtubehttps://www.instagram.com/accinfluencershttps://twitter.com/accinfluencershttps://www.facebook.com/accountinginfluencersThanks to our sponsors:Accountex. Accountex will return to ExCeL London UK on the 10-11 May 2023. Bringing together 250+ top fintech companies and cutting-edge start-ups, visitors can browse new software and stay up to date with the latest technology, tools and ideas in accountancy and finance. Alongside the exhibition, attendees will take away actionable tips from the CPD-accredited seminar programme, led by 200+ thought leaders shaping the profession.Accountex is Europe’s largest annual event for the accounting and finance profession. It attracts 8,000+ attendees and 250+ exhibitors. Attendees can get up to 16 CPD hours with 200+ free seminar sessions across 12 theatres.https://www.accountex.co.uk/london/

How Accountants Can Grow with Video: Kate JohnsonOur guest today is Kate Josephine Johnson, owner of Heritage Business Services, LLC, a virtual bookkeeping firm serving small businesses across the United States. Kate is also the Chief Hustler at Bookkeeping Side Hustle, where she helps other accounting professionals build virtual accounting careers they love.In this episode, Kate shares her insights on how accounting professionals can diversify their revenue streams. She discusses various strategies, including eBooks, monthly membership for DIY clients, vendor referral links, YouTube, and sponsorships of newsletter and video content.Kate emphasizes the importance of using video in your business. She shares statistics about the rise of video and explains that you need two skills to make videos: creating and communicating. She also provides different ways to use video, such as internal operations, clients and hot prospects, and external “Know/Like/Trust” marketing.Kate also talks about how to enter the accounting space as an outsider and build a life you love. She shares her personal story of transitioning from corporate finance to small business accounting after being a stay-at-home mom for six years.Lastly, Kate elaborates on the mission of the Bookkeeping Side Hustle Community. The community aims to support accounting professionals, emphasize that bookkeeping is accounting, provide honest reviews, and foster a community of hardworking people. The community also rethinks income, helps job seekers, and makes accounting fun!Kate Josephine Johnson is the owner of Heritage Business Services, LLC, a virtual bookkeeping firm that serves small business clients throughout the United States. She is also the Chief Hustler at Bookkeeping Side Hustle, where she helps accounting professionals build a virtual accounting career they love. Kate is a proud Texan, Baylor Bear, and Navy wife. With an MBA from the Yale School of Management and a BA in Economics from Baylor University, Kate worked in corporate finance before choosing to be a stay-at-home mom for several years after her first child was born.In 2021, she was recognized as the Top 50 Women In Accounting. Kate is known to be a morning person and gets more done before 7:00 am than most people do all day long. She can be contacted via www.HeritageBusinessServices.com for small businesses and bookkeepingsidehustle@gmail.com for accounting professionals.Kate is also active on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, and she manages the Bookkeeping Side Hustle Facebook Group.Key takeaways from this episode include:Diversify your revenue streams: In addition to traditional accounting services, explore other opportunities to generate revenue, such as creating ebooks, offering monthly memberships for DIY clients, vendor referral links, YouTube, sponsorships of your newsletter and video content, and more.Use video in your business: Video is no longer optional in today's business world. Learn to create and communicate effectively through video to enhance your marketing efforts and engage your clients.Build a virtual accounting career: If you're an outsider looking to break into the accounting space, consider building a virtual accounting career that can scale up or down with your family's needs. Take advantage of resources like the Bookkeeping Side Hustle Community to learn how to make accounting fun and rethink income.Emphasize the "know/like/trust" factor: In addition to providing quality accounting services, focus on building relationships with your clients and fostering a sense of community to establish trust and loyalty. This can lead to more referrals and repeat business.Foster a positive company culture: Create a positive company culture that values hard work and respect for others, and provide opportunities for your employees to connect and engage with one another. This can help attract and retain top talent and ultimately drive growth for your firm.◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢The Accounting Influencers Podcast drops every Monday to accounting professionals, finance specialists, software vendors, tech providers and influencers across 150 countries in the accountancy, CPA and bookkeeping space. To participate in our international virtual speed networking events for the accounting community, go to https://accountinginfluencers.com/events and book your place at the next gathering. Great to build your personal brand and make valuable industry connections. ◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢You can watch this episode and more on our YouTube Channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@accountinginfluencersJoin the Accounting Influencers community and get invitations to our international speed networking events to build your personal brand and network in the accounting, finance and tech world: https://www.linkedin.com/company/accountinginfluencersFor videos of all podcast interviews and bonus video content: https://bit.ly/AI-youtubeThanks to our sponsors:ADVANCETRACK OUTSOURCING. Transform your accounting firm with AdvanceTrack. Our top-tier offshoring solutions free your team from mundane tasks, allowing you to focus on growth and client engagement. Experience seamless scalability and expert support. Visit advancetrack.com and elevate your practice today. https://www.advancetrack.comACCOUNTEX. Join us at Accountex London, the pinnacle of fintech innovation, May 15-16, 2024! Discover ground-breaking solutions from 295+ brands and gain invaluable insights at our CPD-accredited sessions. Connect with 10,000+ finance professionals. Elevate your practice – attendance is free, plus earn up to 16 CPD points! https://www.accountex.co.uk/londonDEXT. Streamline your accounting practice with Dext! Our cutting-edge tools, Dext Prepare, Commerce, and Precision, revolutionize data handling, saving you precious time and ensuring accuracy. Connect seamlessly with leading software like Xero and QBO. Join 500,000+ customers transforming their practices. Start your free trial and embrace efficiency today! https://dext.comIf you'd like to sponsor the show and elevate your brand with our audience, reach out to show host Rob Brown on LinkedIn and his team will reach out to fix up a chat to explore. https://www.linkedin.com/in/therobbrown

As part of this Success in Accounting podcast, we are giving you some bonus episodes with key influencers in accounting and fintech. These are to review 2022 and the pandemic era, assessing what we've learned, what has worked and what hasn't.We'll also look ahead to 2023 and preview where the challenges and opportunities are in the accounting and fintech world.You can view this episode on Youtube here: https://youtu.be/-Iz8GJtQmQsYour commentators and thought leaders in this bonus series include:Martin Bissett Advisor to the Advisors in Accounting & Fintech Organisations https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinbissett/Francesca Lagerberg CEO of Baker Tilly International https://www.linkedin.com/in/francescalagerberg/Steve Heathcote Chief Executive Officer at PrimeGlobal https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-heathcote-b327573a/Mark Koziel President and CEO at Allinial Global https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjkoziel/Samantha Louis Chief Executive Officer at Praxity Global Alliance https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-louis/Steve Cox Head of Market Insights at IRIS Software Group https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenchristophercox/Randy Johnston CEO & Co-Founder at Network Management Group https://www.linkedin.com/in/rpjohnston/Dan Richards Founder of Practice Win & MyFirms App https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielrichards1/We cover the following areas in these bonus episodes:A. 2022 in review1. How would you sum up the year for accounting? Any surprises, findings, outcomes?2. What kind of shape is the accounting profession in as we emerge from the pandemic?3. If you were a teacher giving accountants a school report, how would you grade them?4. What have we learned about the software, fintech and vendors or the associations, networks and alliances serving accountants?5. What lessons have we learned about what has succeeded and failed in the last 3 years?B. 2023 in preview1. What will be the main challenges for accountants and firms in the coming year?2. Where will accounting firms find their biggest opportunities in the coming year?3. What will separate the good accounting firms from the great ones in 2023?4. What will happen to the complacent accounting firms who won't/can't change?5. What's coming up for vendors in getting the attention of busy accountants or the or the associations, networks and alliances helping accounting firms in 2023?