Social media users jumped on a Chase ATM “free money” scheme—but the consequences were severe. Accounting ARCWith Liz Mason, Byron Patrick, and Donny Shimamoto.Center for Accounting TransformationIn the age of social media, financial misinformation can spread as rapidly as it’s created, and the Chase Bank ATM scam exemplifies this.MORE Accounting ARC: How Accounting Pros Own the Stage in Public Speaking | Greg Kyte: Being a CPA Is Like Being the Marie Kondo of Numbers | Rachel Bashore: A...

Your pricing isn’t aligned with the future, and neither is your business model. Plus: 18 more takeaways.The Disruptors  With Liz Farr  Jody Padar, The Radical CPA, has been pushing for big changes in accounting for years. Her latest book, Radical Pricing, is a blueprint for firm owners who want to fully transform their businesses to serve clients better, make employees happier, and be more profitable. Padar maintains that combining pricing with standardization and productization drives firm...

"Marketing CPA firms in a sea of sameness is challenging, but when you niche down, the possibilities are limitless."By Jean CaragherFor CPA TrendlinesIn the latest episode of Capstone Conversations, Stacy Dreher, the Director of Practice Growth at James Moore & Company and the Association for Accounting Marketing’s (AAM) 2024 Marketer of the Year, dives into the world of accounting marketing and offers applicable advice for CPA firms of all sizes.  Follow Jean Caragher on CPA Trendlines...

Having a growth mindset, seeking feedback, and auditing one's skills are essential to continuous learning and development.Accounting Influencerswith Rob BrownBailey Parnell, owner of Skills Camp, emphasizes 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 characterize our relationships with ourselves and others. Parnell also explains...

"Clients want value, and now, with these tools, you can give them more value."Gear Up for GrowthWith Jean CaragherFor CPA Trendlines“AI and ChatGPT-type tools can become your advisory services assistant,” says John Higgins, founder and CEO of Higgins Advisory. “It can help CPAs communicate better as an advisor and help identify the things CPAs should focus on for the type of client they're advising.” Gear Up for Growth spotlights the best strategies for smart and effficient growth in today's...

Quick Tax Tip  With Art Werner  CPE Today  As the end of 2024 draws closer, tax advisors and taxpayers should prepare for major changes that could significantly impact tax bills. Art Werner highlights an upcoming challenge: the scheduled expiration of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which was signed into law in 2017 and brought significant tax breaks and lower tax rates.Show notes here | More Art Werner here Like many tax laws, the TCJA was designed to "self-destruct," meaning its...

From free speeches to paid engagements, thought leaders discuss breaking into the speaking circuit and what they’ve learned along the way.Accounting ARCWith Liz Mason, Byron Patrick, and Donny Shimamoto.Center for Accounting TransformationIn this episode of Accounting ARC, Donny Shimamoto, Liz Mason, and Byron Patrick dive into the world of paid speaking engagements. They share their experiences, the evolution from free to paid gigs, and how speaking has become a key part of their careers....

Find your unique voice in the profession, and don’t be afraid to innovate. Accounting ARCWith Donny Shimamoto.Center for Accounting TransformationGreg Kyte defies every stereotype of the typical accountant. Kyte, a licensed CPA and in-house accountant for a company managing medical office buildings, is also a stand-up comedian. In a recent interview on Accounting ARC, hosted by Donny Shimamoto, CPA, CITP, CGMA, Kyte discussed his unconventional journey and how he uses humor to engage...

The future of accounting will be strategy, communication, analysis, and proactive support. The DisruptorsWith Liz FarrRebecca Driscoll went out on her own at a young age when a partner at the CPA firm where she was working encouraged her. “You're not cut out for this path that we have in a traditional accounting firm,” Driscoll recalls him telling her.  “You're different, so you should go be different.” She already had a book of business as a staff accountant, but on the traditional path at...

Challenging the CPA mindset.Capstone Conversations  With Jean Caragher  Rea & Associates is transitioning from a traditional CPA-centric model to a broader advisory role, aiming to offer services such as IT consulting and wealth management. Becca Johns, director of practice growth, tells Jean Caragher in this episode of Capstone Conversations that the move demands major shifts in the firm’s internal mindset and culture, including redefining roles, retraining staff, and effectively...

Prune your existing portfolio to create a revenue pipeline.Accounting Influencerswith Rob BrownEd Warren, a veteran sales executive in the accounting industry, shares expert insights on growing accounting firms through client advisory services and leveraging technology to stay ahead of the competition in this episode of the Accounting Influencers Podcast with host Rob Brown.Full Show Notes Here | More Accounting Influencers with Rob Brown hereWarren shares his insights on how the accounting...

Be a client-centric human in a world of AI and technology. The DisruptorsWith Liz FarrSeveral years ago, Rory Henry asked himself, “Why don’t financial advisors and CPAs work together?” It boggled his mind because both work with the client’s finances but are not always in sync. “We’re advising them on their businesses, and then the wealth advisor takes over and manages the finances,” Henry says. “But really, one decision affects another.”  The ultra-wealthy have long used the family office...

With Jean Caragher  For CPA Trendlines  Lucas LaChance brings an auditor’s eye to marketing as the partner in charge of practice growth at Dallas-based Lane Gorman Trubitt, where he drives digital strategies that have fueled 143 percent revenue gains. More Capstone Conversations here | Follow Jean Caragher on CPA Trendlines here. | Get her best-selling handbook, The 90-Day Marketing Plan for CPA Firms, here | Catch Jean Caragher every Friday with Gear Up for Growth here |  But the bigger...

How nontraditional professionals leverage their skills to bring innovation and growth to the accounting profession. Accounting ARCWith Donny ShimamotoCenter for Accounting TransformationThe accounting profession is experiencing a wave of disruption, and nontraditional professionals are leading the charge. In a recent episode of Accounting ARC, host Donny Shimamoto, CPA.CITP, CGMA, sits down with Rachel Bashore, the director of operations at Herbein, to discuss her journey from attorney to...

Diversify your revenue streams with video and build a virtual accounting career.Accounting Influencerswith Rob BrownKate Josephine Johnson owns Heritage Business Services, LLC, a virtual bookkeeping firm serving small businesses across the United States. She is also the Chief Hustler at Bookkeeping Side Hustle, where she helps other accounting professionals build virtual accounting careers they love.Full Show Notes Here | More Accounting Influencers with Rob Brown hereJohnson shares her...

"Just having a title or a position doesn’t make you a leader. You have to earn the trust and respect of the team that you're leading."Gear Up for GrowthWith Jean CaragherFor CPA Trendlines In the latest episode of Gear Up for Growth, Carla McCall, managing partner of AAF CPAs and chair of the AICPA, shares valuable insights into leadership transitions within CPA firms. As the industry faces a generational shift—with 75% of current CPAs expected to retire in the next 15 years—McCall's...

"We have to...build something so special that people don't want an alternative." Gear Up for Growth. With Jean Caragher. For CPA Trendlines. For CPA firms to stand out, they must deliver an exceptional client experience—so unique that clients won’t want an alternative, Mitch Reno,  director of client experience at Rehmann, tells Jean Caragher in this episode of Gear Up for Growth. Gear Up for Growth spotlights the best strategies for smart and efficient growth in today's competitive...

“The difficulty isn’t identifying the ethical decision; it’s making the right choice with difficult implications."Accounting ARCWith Liz Mason, Byron Patrick, and Donny ShimamotoCenter for Accounting TransformationAccounting ethics training needs a major reboot, according to the latest episode of Accounting ARC. While traditional ethics training often feels like a check-the-box activity, hosts Liz Mason, CPA; Byron Patrick, CPA.CITP, CGMA; and Donny Shimamoto, CPA.CITP, CGMA, argue that the...

If no one’s complaining that your fees are too high, your fees are too low.The Disruptors.  With Liz Farr. Mike Maksymiw, the leader of Aprio Firm Alliance, hates charge hours as a primary performance metric. He even left a firm where he was a partner because of a dispute over charge hours. Although he exceeded his revenue goals by a healthy margin, he was penalized because he got the work done in fewer hours.21 MORE TAKEAWAYS: More Mike Maksymiw Disruptor Notes | MORE: Disruptors | MORE CPA...

As private equity gains momentum in the accounting industry, firms face a decision: embrace external investment or double down on independence.Gear Up for GrowthWith Jean CaragherFor CPA TrendlinesIn a recent episode of the Gear Up for Growth podcast, Alex Drost, managing principal of Connection Builders, discusses the growing interest of private equity (PE) in the accounting sector. Hosted by Jean Caragher, president of Capstone Marketing, the conversation delves into the driving forces...

Accounting Influencerswith Rob BrownRob Brown and Donny Shimamoto discuss reform, transformation, and change in the accounting profession at individual accountant and CPA plus practice levels.More Accounting Influencers with Rob Brown hereIn 2001, Donny founded IntrapriseTechknowlogies LLC, a specialized CPA firm dedicated to helping small businesses and middle-market organizations leverage strategic technologies, proactively manage their business and technical risks, and enable balanced...

Accountants must adapt to new value measures to remain relevant in a rapidly changing world. Accounting ARCWith Donny ShimamotoCenter for Accounting TransformationJoin host Donny Shimamoto as he chats with Bailey Lenart, founder of World Changing Business and Collective Flow. Bailey shares her journey from traditional accountant to ESG advocate, tackling non-financial metrics like emissions and biodiversity. SHOW NOTES here | MORE Accounting ARC hereDiscover how her passion for sustainability...

Your clients may need a lot of empathy and not just tactical advice. Plus 13 key takeaways.  The DisruptorsWith Liz Farr Terrell Turner started his “journey of doing things differently” on April 1, 2020, in the midst of the pandemic. While “2020 was the reset button for everyone,” that reset offered Turner a tremendous opportunity to create a new kind of firm. “We don't have any history in doing this,” Turner recalls thinking. “So how would we do this in this new environment that we're...

Capstone Conversations. Informal and informative discussions with leading growth strategists from the nation's most dynamic CPA firms.With Jean Caragher.  For CPA Trendlines.  In a business not always comfortable with notoriety, it takes bold ideas to position an accounting firm in the marketplace, according to Kristen Lewis, director of marketing at EisnerAmper and a member of the Association for Accounting Marketing Hall of Fame. Show notes here | Follow Jean Caragher on CPA Trendlines...