

The Unique CPA
Randy Crabtree, CPA
Over more than five years and 200 episodes, The Unique CPA has blossomed from “just an accounting podcast” into a community of thriving accounting professionals. With personal fulfillment and energizing, passionate work at the top of our list of priorities, we’re keeping you at the forefront of the changing face of public accounting through conversations with fascinating leaders who understand that the one constant in the accounting profession is change: Change in our approach to the demands of the profession, change in the technology we use to more efficiently do our jobs, and change in our ability to express who each of us really is as a human being.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 18, 2022 • 32min
Improving Yourself is Awesomely Simple
On episode 77 of The Unique CPA, Randy talks to John Spence, author of Awesomely Simple and CEO of John Spence LLC, about his streamlined, simple techniques and strategies for helping businesses—and businesspeople—improve every day. John talks about the importance of reading and synthesizing a lot of information into simple takeaways, discusses the concepts of IQ, EQ and AQ, and offers helpful advice for anyone looking to get a leg up in their business or career. Get the full show notes and more resources at TheUniqueCPA.com

Oct 4, 2022 • 28min
Making the Profession Better, One Company at a Time
Kristen Keats joins Randy Crabtree on episode 76 of The Unique CPA, or in her case, the very, very busy CPA. The owner or co-founder of four, vertically integrated companies, Kristen’s goal is to change the accounting industry—she sees the gaps and shortcomings of the traditional firm model, and she’s putting that goal into action by demonstrating that another way is possible. Get the full show notes and more resources at TheUniqueCPA.com

Sep 20, 2022 • 37min
Celebrating The Unique CPA: Season 3 Finale Part 3
Episode 75 marks the end of festivities celebrating The Unique CPA from The Beer Temple in Chicago. In part 3, Blake Oliver, creator of Earmark CPE, and Matthew May, founder and VP at Acuity, join Randy Crabtree and Scott Scarano. They discuss the impact of technology, crypto, and the blockchain on accounting, talk more about the wave of private equity already sweeping firms, and hit on the most important thread of all running through good work in the profession: integrity. Get the full show notes and more resources at TheUniqueCPA.com

Sep 6, 2022 • 26min
Celebrating The Unique CPA: Season 3 Finale Part 2
The celebration continues with Episode 74 of The Unique CPA, live from The Beer Temple in Chicago. On part 2 of this three-part series, Randy and Scott Scarano of the Accounting High podcast talk to Dawn Brolin of Powerful Accounting and The Motivation Movement, a two-time “40 Under 40” award recipient from Accounting Today, and previous Unique CPA guest Josh Lance of Lance CPA Group, who has won the same award five times. Get the full show notes and more resources at TheUniqueCPA.com

Aug 23, 2022 • 32min
Celebrating The Unique CPA: Season 3 Finale Part 1
Episode 73 of The Unique CPA is live from The Beer Temple in Chicago, and the end of Season 3 celebrations are so big, we’ve had to split it into three parts! Randy is joined by Scott Scarano, host of the Accounting High podcast, and they talk to Tim Jipping, owner of Journey Advisors & CPAs, Allan Koltin, the founder of Koltin Consulting Group, and Kenji Kuramoto, the CEO of Acuity. Get the full show notes and more resources at TheUniqueCPA.com

Aug 2, 2022 • 40min
The Changing Face of Public Accounting
Blake Oliver joins Randy Crabtree on Episode 72 of The Unique CPA. The founder of Earmark CPE, Blake pieced together the seemingly disparate ideas of podcasts—a world to which he contributes via co-hosting the Cloud Accounting podcast—and CPE, utilizing his skills in web design, tech, and business building to bring free CPE to accountants nationwide. Plus, The Unique CPA has joined the Earmark family! So now you too can earn CPE by listening! Get the full show notes and more resources at TheUniqueCPA.com

Jul 19, 2022 • 37min
Nuts and Bolts Series #2: Catching Up with Tom and Layne
Tom Parker and Layne Bodily of FBP CPA first joined Randy on Episode 36, where they discussed their co-founding of the firm in Itasca, Illinois and their vision for their venture. Tom and Layne discuss its evolution so far, the challenges they’ve faced around the pandemic, employee retention, and establishing structures and best practices. As well, Layne has resiliently responded in the face of a cancer diagnosis, with the team and clients of FBP rallying around him. Get the full show notes and more resources at TheUniqueCPA.com.

Jul 5, 2022 • 41min
Keeping Business Flowing
On episode 70 of The Unique CPA, Randy talks to Gary Shamis, CEO of Winding River Consulting, about being an entrepreneur and dealing with losing control. They also discuss Winding River Consulting and Gary’s Managing Partner Bootcamp. Get the full show notes and more resources at TheUniqueCPA.com

Jun 21, 2022 • 23min
Importance of Value Pricing in Tax Accounting
On episode 69 of The Unique CPA, Randy talks to Jackie Meyer, founder of Meyer Tax Consulting, about running a completely virtual firm using her ROI plan. They also discuss her tax planning program called Tax Plan IQ, which helps people in the industry get around confusing AICPA standards, and what types of leadership will help your business succeed. Get the full show notes and more resources at TheUniqueCPA.com

Jun 7, 2022 • 33min
The Changing Culture of Accounting
On episode 68 of The Unique CPA, Randy talks to president and managing partner of GRF CPAs & Advisors, Jackie Cardello, about issues in the accounting industry like hiring and retaining employees, remaining diverse and inclusive, and the intimidating effects of social media. Get the show notes and more resources at TheUniqueCPA.com.