In this week's episode of the Accounting Leaders Podcast, Stuart is joined by Connecticut-based CPA and author Dawn Brolin. They cover topics ranging from how experiences in coaching softball can be applied to your accounting firm to the importance of finding the motivation behind the work you do. They also discuss innovation and technology stacks in accounting, industry trends, and the freedoms of operating a virtual-first company.

The effect of having a designated motivator, defining the why, and creating an all-star tech stack

Dawn Brolin headshot

Dawn Brolin

Longtime friend of Stuart, Steph Hinds from Growthwise, joins the latest episode. Steph and Stuart explore how the accounting industry has adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic, the negative and positive impacts on small businesses, and how different countries and regions have reacted in their own unique ways. Steph also shares why it's so important to tell your own story, her thoughts on the automation of accounting, and discusses the state of the Australian economy. 

Helping clients tell their story, building long-lasting partnerships and automating the accounting industry

Steph-Hinds

Steph Hinds

Jeremy Allen, founder of System Six, joins Stuart in the inaugural episode of the Accounting Leaders Podcast. Together, they discuss what it’s like to lead a firm when you are not an accountant, the past, present and future of cloud accounting, the importance of company culture (especially for remote companies) and acquiring vs. being acquired.

What got us here might not get us there

Jeremy Allen

Jeremy Hyman is the Founder and Principal of Jeremy Hyman Associates, an IT services and consulting company that helps firms make sound IT decisions. With over 25 years of experience in the professional services sector and a degree in law, Jeremy is an IT manager, partner, software developer, and management consultant. In this episode, Jeremy and Stuart discuss multiple technological breakthroughs over the last two years, as well as some things to keep an eye out in the future. They also chat about remote work, the new reality of virtual meetings, and how technology distracts us on a day-to-day basis. 

Post-pandemic work-life, Pomodoro, and the future of technology

jeremy hyman

Jeremy Hyman

We're interrupting your podcast feed for a bonus, shorter episode to discuss some breaking industry news. Last week, pricing and onboarding app GoProposal announced they had been acquired by Sage. To give you the inside story, we brought back one of our earlier guests, the co-founder of GoProposal James Ashford. In this episode, James shares why he made this decision, what it means for GoProposal's customers and the wider profession, what accountants can learn from his M&A experience, and most importantly, what comes next.

The inside story of GoProposal’s acquisition by Sage

James Ashford	

In the second episode of the Accounting Leaders Podcast, Stuart sits down with James Ashford from GoProposal. James shares his untraditional journey from starting out as a magician to setting up his own agency where he mastered the art of selling services to clients. They discuss the importance of client relationships, his mission for GoProposal, recent changes in the accounting industry, and much more. 

Making a difference through closing deals, selling services and client relationships

Joyce is a founder, entrepreneur, content creator, disruptor, rebel against boring, a savior from sucky training, wife, mother, daughter, sister, and human. In this episode, Joyce and Stuart talk about academic experience, the beginning of their careers, and their journey to becoming business owners. Learn how Tax Nuggets Academy was founded (and what’s coming up next), and how owning a business affects your personal life.

Entrepreneurship, content and professional journeys

Joyce Ong

Seth Fineberg spent most of his professional career writing for the accounting industry. In this episode, he joins Stuart to share his new business venture, and how he's going to help bridge the gap between tech vendors and the community they serve.

Bridging the gap between tech vendors and accountants

Seth Fineberg

Alasdair McGill, Managing Director at Ashton McGill brings his client Colin Munro, Founder of Miconex, to share the journey they went on together that turned a small, local Scottish startup into growing global business.

Doing good work for good people

Alasdair McGill and Colin Munro

Jennie Moore wears two professional hats: one as an accounting firm owner, the other as Ignition's Partnerships Manager. In this episode, Jennie joins Stuart to discuss all things accounting and technology—from what can be done to make the accounting industry attractive again, to how technology can be used to augment accountants' capacity.

Finding an accountant's purpose in numbers.

Jennie Moore headshot

Jennie Moore

Anton Colella's journey in accounting is unconventional. After 18 years as a religious teacher, he joined Scotland's Institute of Chartered Accountants and later became the CEO of Moore Global, one of the world's largest accountancy networks. In this episode, Anton shares his story as a religious teacher, a leader, and a man with a strong sense of a higher purpose.

From good to great: A legacy of empowerment

Anton Colella

Candy Bellau grew up with an unconventional father who applied his genius in all the wrong ways. In this episode, Candy candidly shares how others' mistakes enlightened her to live a life of integrity, and what she's doing to maintain work-life balance for herself and her staff.

Turning all of life's lemons into lemonade

CandyBellau

Candy Bellau

Carla Caldwell, Stuart's long-time friend and ex-colleague, joins him for a delightful conversation about her journey in accounting, accounting technology, consulting, and entrepreneurship.

Right people, right place, right time.

Carla Caldwell

Rob Santos and Rory Henry of Arrowroot Family Office join Stuart to discuss how accountants are primed to be strategic advisors in the wealth and family management space.

Are accountants the missing piece of holistic wealth management?

Rob Santos and Rory Henry

Meghan Blair lives and works in Nantucket, Massachusetts, a tourist town with a close-knit community. In this episode, Meghan and Stuart discuss how COVID has impacted towns with seasonal economies, what accounting professionals can do to help, and an exciting update for Meghan's firm—Fogged in Bookkeeping.

Solving big problems in a small town

Meghan Blair

Stefan van Duyvendijk is the Accounting Operations Evangelist at FloQast. In this episode, Stefan chats with Stuart about the pains that drove FloQast's founders to building their own solution, and what sets the company apart from its competitors in the marketplace.

Challenging the status quo of accounting operations

Stefan Van Duyvendyke headshot

Stefan van Duyvendijk

Natalie Lennon, accounting firm owner, tech guru and podcaster, joins Stuart to discuss her career journey that led to Two Sides Accounting. They also chat about the talent shortage and what Natalie is doing to live the '4-day work week dream'.

Daring to lead. A conversation with Natalie Lennon

Natalie Lennon

Dan Luthi is a partner at Ignite Spot Accounting, a virtual accounting and fractional CFO service firm. In this episode, Dan shares IgniteSpot Accounting's journey, his favorite client stories, and how accountants can provide a sense of clarity for clients in an increasingly unfathomable world.

Focus on relationships, the rest will come.

Dan Luthi

Leah Roe is a CPA-turned-leadership-coach and organizational trust expert. In this episode, Leah and Stuart chat all things 'trust'. Leah shares how she unexpectedly got into the people and cultures space, the five behaviors that build trust in the workplace, and she turns the table on Stuart to find out how Karbon is rebuilding trust after a difficult company-wide layoff.

So you think you know trust, with Leah Roe

Leah Roe

Jason Staats—accounting firm owner, content creator, automation expert and online community champion—joins the latest Accounting Leaders Podcast episode. Jason shares his journey in accounting, the power of surrounding yourself with like-minded people, automation and no code development, and why vendors need to make more data accessible.

From accountant to automation expert, with Jason Staats

JasonStaats

Jason Staats

Ben Taylor, a CPA-turned-tech-entrepreneur and Founder of SoftLedger, sits down with Stuart to share his company's origin story, the landscape of a mid-market GL solution, how to enable accountants to 'do more with less', and the saving grace of having your best friend as your co-founder.

A CPA's transition into tech entrepreneurship, with Ben Taylor

Ben Taylor

Digital transformation expert, self-declared geek and fellow podcast host, Ryan Pearcy, joins Stuart to share his accounting journey. Together, they discuss the joys of empowering clients with the right business insights, the impacts of technology in accounting over the last two decades, and why the four-day workweek is less likely to be adopted by accounting firms than other businesses.

Digital transformation, empowering with business insights, and 4-day workweeks with Ryan Pearcy

Ryan Percy

Ryan Pearcy

Karen Reyburn is no stranger to change. She grew up in Arizona yet found her home-away-from-home in Scotland. She began her career as an auditor but discovered her true spark in marketing—a realization that ultimately led her to founding The Profitable Firm, a creative agency dedicated to serving accountants. In this episode, Karen shares her journey of living in two worlds, the power of marketing for accountants, and her growth philosophy of 'better over more'.

Is bad marketing killing your firm? A conversation with Karen Reyburn

Karen Reyburn

Adam Pritchard of UK firm, Linford Grey, joins Stuart to share his unique journey from touring the country appearing in on-stage musicals to starting his own accountancy practice. Adam talks about the challenges of helping his clients navigate the global pandemic, moving from one crisis to the next, and how he is building the type of business that he is proud of, enjoys, and provides a platform for his staff to develop and grow.

Musicals, marketing and macro challenges, with Adam Pritchard

Adam Pritchard

Zach Gordon is the VP of Accounting at Propeller Industries, an enterprise-grade financial service firm for high-growth startups. In this episode, he shares how he developed a speciality in cannabis and crypto accounting, the intricacies of serving clients in these highly regulated industries, and his plan for making accounting an attractive profession for young people again.

The joint fun between cannabis and crypto accounting with Zach Gordon

Zach Gordon

Lynda Steffens found her calling in accounting at a young age. She saw the impact of a good accountant early on through her family's farming business. In this episode, Lynda sits down with Stuart to look back at her journey from running her own practice to uplifting other accounting firm owners. They exchange thoughts on the image problem of the accounting industry today and share ideas on how we can make accounting sexy again.

How to fall back in love with your practice, with Lynda Steffens

Lynda Steffens

Greg Daley is the Chief Visionary at Parable, an accounting firm focusing on the church niche. In this inspiring episode, Greg discusses his journey from being a pastor to starting an accounting practice with his wife and growing that into a business that serves 230 churches across 42 US states. He shares why churches are similar to any business, his plan to grow to 1,000 clients, why the journey to the cloud has never been more apt, and the literal life-changing impacts that his firm has on its clients.

A mission that's larger than life, with Greg Daley

GregDaley

Greg Daley

This week, Stuart is joined by Heather Townsend, founder of The Accountants Millionaires' Club, author of 6 books, and highly-regarded influencer, speaker and coach to accounting firm owners. They explore the intricacies of her career, her capacity to be well-prepared, and the growth that she's helped many partners and firms achieve over the years.

What success really means, the state of UK accounting, and the strength of community

Heather Townsend

This week, Stuart is joined by Vice President of Product Management and Design for Intuit, Jorge Olavarrieta. In a wide-ranging chat, Jorge shares the path that brought him to Intuit, how the business is solving its customer’s biggest problems, and what’s coming next. 

Improving life for your customers, powering prosperity, and not doing it on your own

Jorge Olavarrieta

This week Stuart sits down with seasoned CPA and cloud technology advocate, Bruce Phillips from Aprio Cloud. They discuss the need for automation, moving from traditional file cabinets to cloud accounting, firm sizes, and shifts in the current talent market. They also cover the importance of mentorship and offer advice for those beginning a career in accounting.

Calculated risks and lifetime learning are the keys to success

Bruce Phillips Headshot

Bruce Phillips

Today, Gary Wood from CRC joins Stuart to discuss topics including the importance of networking with other accountants, dealing with the tumult and changes brought about by COVID-19, and coping with burnout. They also cover the importance of developing meaningful relationships with clients, maintaining work-life balance, and the path to and benefits of running a small firm. 


Networking, the benefits of running a small firm and saying ‘no’

Gary Wood Headshot

Gary Wood

This week Stuart is joined by the father-son accounting duo from BNA, Bernie and Jason Ackerman. They reveal the pros and cons of working with family, the quest to offer the ultimate client experience, the evolution of technolgy in the accounting industry and why we still have a long way to go, the impacts of COVID-19 and more.


Working with your dad, creating the ultimate client experience and technologies that the industry needs

BernieandJasonAckerman

Bernie & Jason Ackerman

This week, Stuart is talking all things cryptocurrency with Arthur Teller and Zac McClure from TokenTax, the leading crypto tax platform and cryptocurrency tax accounting company. Together they discuss a broad range of crypto topics including how this movement is giving the younger generation a way to gain wealth, the global implications, and the trends in cryptocurrency that everyone in the accounting profession should know about. They even provide an answer to Stuart’s question; “what is going to 20x in value in the next two years”!

Navigating the crypto and tax world, and the trends you need to know, with Zac McClure and Arthur Teller

Arthur Teller

Arthur Teller & Zac McClure

This week, Stuart is joined by Marilyn Davies, Director of Tandem Group, an accounting firm founded more than 100 years ago in the Taranaki region of rural New Zealand. Marilyn discusses the impact of COVID-19 on New Zealand businesses, the challenges of finding great staff, advice for the younger generation of accountants, and much more.

Accounting in rural New Zealand, the talent shortage, and what young accountants need to know

Marilyn Davies

Katye Maxson Landis is the owner of Moxy Accounting LLC in Portland, Oregon and is one of few women in the United States actively filing taxes for small cannabis businesses. In this episode, Katye sheds light on the accounting challenges that cannabis businesses face, the advantages that they can bring, and shares stories of her very interesting clients. She also talks about the future of the cannabis industry and her very own educational program for cannabis accountants.

Cannabis accounting, government roadblocks and client stories

Katye Maxson Landis

Leeroy Beeby is a co-founder of the innovative, technology-focused practice, Check The Level. He grew up in a family of small business owners and watched his parents struggle with time and money, which inspired him to establish a career in business. In this episode, Leeroy and Stuart talk about his experience living in different countries, and how his MBA helped him in his entrepreneurial journey, which later led him to start an accounting and bookkeeping firm for contractors. They also discuss technology, operations, and life-changing impact on his clients’ lives.

Living around the world, working with contractors, and construction accounting

Leeroy Beeby

Alastair Barlow is CEO and co-founder at Flinder. He has experience working with fast-growth businesses, transforming finance functions, writing for AccountingWeb, and being a part of global accounting and technology panels. In this episode, Alastair and Stuart discuss data analytics, the current position of Flinder and what’s in store for the future. They also share some interesting thoughts about rugby, ski trips, and the importance of relationships with your clients and colleagues.

What it takes to grow your company, expanding verticals, and application of data analytics

Alastair Barlow

Chad Davis is a co-founder and partner at LiveCA LLP, who decided to pursue a career in accounting at a very young age. Join Chad and Stuart as they discuss the origins of LiveCA, the philosophy behind it, and how helping competitors might be beneficial for your company. Accounting aside, they also talk about living and working from an RV, non-traditional schooling for kids, and growing a beard while traveling.

Running an accounting firm from an RV

Chad Davis

Kellie Parks is a cloud accounting specialist and coach at Calmwaters Cloud Accounting. In this episode, Kellie and Stuart talk about the early days of cloud accounting, the further development of technology and how it changed the life of Kellie and her clients. As an early adopter of remote work, Kellie shares the stories of the adventures that cloud accounting allowed her to do.

Bringing value by doing what you love

KellieParks

Kellie Parks

Enrico Palmerino is the CEO and Founder of Botkeeper, a platform that provides accountants with an automated bookkeeping practice using human-assisted machine learning and Artificial Intelligence. In this episode, Enrico and Stuart share their thoughts on the development of the accounting industry and how tech firms enable it to evolve. Learn what it takes to build a successful tech firm, the importance of choosing the right investment partner, and how watching sports can help you close a deal. 

Building a tech accounting firm the right way 

EnricoPalmerino2

Enrico Palmerino

Scott Scarano is the President of Padgett Business Services in North Carolina. He leads a team of unique advisors who share his passion for helping small businesses thrive. In this episode, Stuart and Scott discuss the impact of social media on productivity, Scott’s journey with Padgett, the parallels between cartels and accounting, and interacting with people in a post-COVID world. Scott also shares his unique story of learning how to run a business and what led him to be a podcast host.

What cartels and accountants have in common

Scott Scarano - headshot

Scott Scarano

Katie Bryan is the CEO and Founder of Propeller Advisory—a successful multi-figure accounting and business advisory firm based in Melbourne, Australia. She’s a business owner, mum to a newborn, wife, sister, and also helps her clients build businesses and lives they deserve. In this episode, Stuart and Katie discuss the accounting industry, the story of Propeller Advisory, and what made Katie open a venture to inspire women business owners.

Empowering women through accounting

KatieBryan

Katie Bryan

Joe David is the Founder and Managing Director of two UK-based firms: Nephos and a leading crypto accounting firm, Myna. In this episode, Stuart and Joe discuss crypto accounting and regulations, what the future of this space might look like, and how it can change our lives. Tune in for a great chat to learn about crypto and the future of podcasts in the metaverse.

Crypto accounting, blockchain, and the metaverse

JoeDavid

Joe David

As the Director of Diversity and Inclusion at AICPA, Crystal Cooke focuses on increasing the representation of minority groups in the accounting profession. In this episode, Crystal explains the current state of diversity and inclusion in the accounting industry, including ways to promote it and what AICPA is doing about it. Join Crystal and Stuart as they dissect the typical profile of the US accountant, and delve into the statistics around minority professionals.

The importance of diversity and inclusion

CrystalCooke,jpg

Crystal Cooke

Kenji Kuramoto is the Founder & CEO of Acuity, one of the largest CAS accounting firms in the US. Kenji has provided thousands of companies with a full range of financial solutions, from high-level strategic financial counsel to virtualized bookkeeping and tax services. In this episode, Kenji and Stuart discuss the challenges of growing a company, building a strong culture, and the importance of being flexible for employees. They also talk about discussing sensitive topics in the workplace, and what’s coming next for Acuity.

The pros and cons of company growth

KenjiKuramoto

Kenji Kuramoto

Jeff Phillips is the CEO of Padgett, one of the largest tax and accounting firms in North America. He also founded the recruitment platform Accountingfly in 2012 and has been recognized as one of Accounting Today’s Top 100 Most Influential People for helping solve the hiring challenges of CPA firms. In this episode, Jeff and Stuart discuss combining work with vacation while being remote, the story of Accountingfly, and what it takes to be a great leader. They also talk about holidays, Jeff's trip to Costa Rica, and how taking mangoes from someone's tree is acceptable.

Go remote or go home: Why remote work is the key to success for any modern accounting firm

JeffPhillips

Jeff Phillips

Matthew May is the VP of Sales & Marketing at Acuity, a virtual accounting solution for entrepreneurs. In this episode, Matthew and Stuart discuss how important it is to have a partner and mutual support in both rewarding and challenging times. They also talk about how Acuity has transformed throughout the years and the main challenges of a company's growth. Tune in for this inspirational discussion that dives deep into the challenges of partnership and leadership.

Deep-diving into the challenges of leadership

MatthewMay

Matthew May

Edward Chan is a Co-Founder of Wize Mentoring and a Non-Executive Chairman at Chan & Naylor. He started Chan & Naylor from his kitchen table and grew it to 10 offices around Australia with 160 staff and 15,000 clients. He then co-founded Wize Mentoring, which is now in 47 countries, connecting over 125,000 accountants. In this episode, Ed shares his tips on how to grow your business without sacrificing your life. He and Stuart dig into the success of Chan & Naylor, what the process of expanding the company looked like and what you need to do to find yourself.

[FREE Downloadable Playbook for Accountants - 3 Strategies to unlock a 20-Hour Workweek!](https://www.wizementoring.com/the-accountants-20hr-workweek-playbook-partnerships "Playbook for Accountants ")

The secrets to growing your business without sacrificing your life

EdChan

Ed Chan

Simon is the CEO and Co-Founder of Stamped Technologies, a tech-enabled audit firm focusing on year-end compliance services that leverage technology, purposely built AI, and seasoned CPAs. In this episode, Simon and Stuart discuss the technological advancements in the accounting industry, Simon’s career journey, and the story of Stamped. They deep-dive into the application of AI in the industry and how Simon sees the development of Stamped in the future.

Can AI battle the Great Resignation in accounting? 

SimonLanglois

Simon Langlois

Martin Chee is the CFO and Co-Founder at Amaka, an accounting integrations system that allows firms to automate their data entry processes. In this episode, Martin and Stuart dive into the story of Amaka, how it delivers value to clients, and the challenges and complexities that Martin faces in this niche. They also discuss Martin’s professional journey, how to work with clients efficiently, and the impact the pandemic had on his business.

From serving tables to building a leading accounting integrations system

MartinChee

Martin Chee

Dave is the Founder of Tidemark. He has 20+ years of experience in investing, advising, and building technology companies. In this episode, Dave and Stuart discuss the difference between technology companies in 1999 vs. 2021, how technology in accounting has been developing, and why Dave chooses to work with B2B software companies. Dave also talks about his passion for venture capital, and what the future holds for him and his company.

Why I invested in Karbon

DaveYuan

David Yuan

Andrew Jordon is the CEO and Founder of Connect4, a meeting platform that enables structured and efficient client meetings. Apart from a successful business career, Andrew is also the youngest trustee and treasurer at Prison Fellowship, the world's largest Christian non-profit organization for prisoner and justice reform. In this episode, Andrew and Stuart talk about Andrew's early career, the story of finding Connect4 and where it's heading. They also discuss charity, and how Andrew's values in business align with values outside of work.

Enacting change: One tech tool and one inmate at a time

AndrewJordon

Andrew Jordon

Chris Williams is the CEO of System Six, a modern accounting firm focused on providing dream accounting careers to their team members and superior services for their clients. In this episode, Chris explains how to achieve just that, including the criteria for selecting System Six for acquisition and what challenges he faced along the way. Besides Chris' journey with System Six, he and Stuart also discuss life outside work, the best golf spots in the Bay Area, and how his wedding preparation is going.

Acquiring a business the right way

Chris Williams

Kyle Bryant is the Managing Partner of Market Street Partners in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Kyle oversees the firm’s operations and has provided assurance, tax, and business consulting services for more than a decade. In this episode, Kyle and Stuart discuss the rapid growth of Chattanooga, what attracts businesses to invest in the region, and what the projections are for the future. As a manager of the largest transaction in Chattanooga’s history, Kyle is a top-tier professional in his city and gives an insight into how accounting is developing the Tennessee market.

Small town accounting and big city finances

KyleBryant

Kyle Bryant

Twyla Verhelst is the Head of FreshBooks Accountant Channel, leading the Accounting Partner Program, and has been recognized as one of Ignition’s Top 50 Women in Accounting. In this episode, Twyla and Stuart discuss the state of the accounting profession, how COVID forced the industry to evolve and why there is a shortage of young professionals in the industry. They also talk about the importance of diversity, the accounting community, and what running a marathon and running a business have in common.

How Twyla Verhelst is influencing the next generation of accountants

TwylaVerhelst2

Twyla Verhelst

Martin Bown is the founder and managing director of My Management Accountant—an accountancy service that works with small businesses across the UK to help them save time and money. In this episode, Martin shares his professional journey, My Management Accountant's story, and how they operate. Martin and Stuart also discuss his life outside of work, including sports and the joys of living the village life with his family.

In the business of helping businesses: How Martin Bown found his purpose as an accountant

MartinBown

Martin Bown

Gary Bell is the Co-Founder and Partner at FLB Accountants, an independent firm of Chartered Accountants based in the UK. In this episode, Gary and Stuart chat about Gary’s experience attending the first-ever Karbon customer conference in Lake Tahoe, FLB’s rationale for going hybrid, working with high-profile clients such as Apple TV, Netflix, and Amazon, and some exciting projects he’s working on in the renewable energy space.

Dawn Brolin from Powerful Accounting Inc.

The effect of having a designated motivator, defining the why, and creating an all-star tech stack, with Dawn Brolin

About the Episode

About the Episode

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About the Guest

Meet the Accounting Leaders

Seth Fineberg

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Alasdair McGill and Colin Munro

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Jennie Moore

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Anton Colella

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