Challenging the status quo of accounting operations

Stefan Van Duyvendyke headshot

Stefan van Duyvendijk

Daring to lead. A conversation with Natalie Lennon

Natalie Lennon

Focus on relationships, the rest will come.

Dan Luthi

So you think you know trust, with Leah Roe

Leah Roe

From accountant to automation expert, with Jason Staats

JasonStaats

Jason Staats

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

Ben Taylor

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

Karen Reyburn

Musicals, marketing and macro challenges, with Adam Pritchard

Adam Pritchard

The joint fun between cannabis and crypto accounting with Zach Gordon

Zach Gordon

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

Ryan Percy

Ryan Pearcy

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

Lynda Steffens

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

GregDaley

Greg Daley

Serial entrepreneurship, winery accounting, and setting family OKRs with Pedro Noyola

Pedro Noyola Headshot

Pedro Noyola

Helping clients become leaders of their own enterprises with Susan Bryant

Susan Bryant Headshot

Susan Bryant

The life-changing impact of good mentorship. A conversation with Jamie Johns.

Jamie Johns Headshot

Jamie Johns

50th episode special: Flipping the tables on Stuart McLeod (with Jess Marcello & George Connor)

Jess, George, and Stuart Headshot

Jess, George, and Stuart

Full-bodied wine and accounting

Zane Stevens

Friendly fire between Karbon and IRIS

JimDunham

Jim Dunham

When entrepreneurship is in your blood

MichaelLy

Michael Ly

E-commerce accounting: the evolving niche

JoeCox

Joe Cox

It’s high time for cannabis accounting: How Andrew Hunzicker is transforming services for this niche market

AndrewHunzicker

Andrew Hunzicker

An accountant’s mission to change livelihoods

GraemeTennick

Graeme Tennick

Water cooler talks, high-profile clients, and strategic expansion with Gary Bell

Gary Bell

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

MartinBown

Martin Bown

How Twyla Verhelst is influencing the next generation of accountants

TwylaVerhelst2

Twyla Verhelst

Small town accounting and big city finances

KyleBryant

Kyle Bryant

Acquiring a business the right way

Chris Williams

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

AndrewJordon

Andrew Jordon

Why I invested in Karbon

DaveYuan

David Yuan

From serving tables to building a leading accounting integrations system

MartinChee

Martin Chee

Can AI battle the Great Resignation in accounting? 

SimonLanglois

Simon Langlois

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

Jeremy Hyman

The secrets to growing your business without sacrificing your life

EdChan

Ed Chan

Deep-diving into the challenges of leadership

MatthewMay

Matthew May

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

JeffPhillips

Jeff Phillips

The pros and cons of company growth

KenjiKuramoto

Kenji Kuramoto

The importance of diversity and inclusion

CrystalCooke,jpg

Crystal Cooke

Crypto accounting, blockchain, and the metaverse

JoeDavid

Joe David

Empowering women through accounting

KatieBryan

Katie Bryan

What cartels and accountants have in common

Scott Scarano - headshot

Scott Scarano

Building a tech accounting firm the right way 

EnricoPalmerino2

Enrico Palmerino

Bringing value by doing what you love

KellieParks

Kellie Parks

Running an accounting firm from an RV

Chad Davis

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

Alastair Barlow

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

Leeroy Beeby

Entrepreneurship, content and professional journeys

Joyce Ong

Cannabis accounting, government roadblocks and client stories

Katye Maxson Landis

The importance of connection, shared values, and winning decisions

Tim Munro

Timothy Munro

Building a scalable, systematic firm that doesn’t drive you into the ground

Ryan Lazanis

Knowing your purpose, educating, and building communities

Jason Blumer

Jason Blumer, CPA

Balancing work with family, avoiding burnout, and running a female-only firm

KyleneOConnorCarse

Kylene O’Connor Carse

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

Marilyn Davies

The inside story of GoProposal’s acquisition by Sage

James Ashford headshot

James Ashford

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

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

Heather Townsend

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

Jorge Olavarrieta

Being responsively responsive, adopting technology, and providing expert evidence in court

OhranGobrin

Ohran Gobrin

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

BernieandJasonAckerman

Bernie & Jason Ackerman

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

Dawn Brolin headshot

Dawn Brolin

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

Gary Wood Headshot

Gary Wood

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

Steph Hinds headshot

Steph Hinds

Hiring effective workers, scaling your company and utilizing marketing for firm growth

DavidDiNardo

David DiNardo

Calculated risks and lifetime learning are the keys to success

Bruce Phillips Headshot

Bruce Phillips

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

What got us here might not get us there

Jeremy Allen

<div>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.<br><br>Together, Stefan and Stuart discuss:</div><ul><li>Living and skiing in Utah (02:00)</li><li>A fed-up accountant's quest for changing the status quo (05:32)</li><li>Stefan's career journey before FloQast (08:08)</li><li>Adopting new skill sets as a brand evangelist (12:09)</li><li>How FloQast is redefining accounting operations (14:12)</li><li>FloQast's 2023 strategic plan (21:00)</li><li>Building a user-centric product (23:51)</li><li>What's next for Stefan (27:20)</li></ul>

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.Together, Stefan and Stuart discuss:Living and skiing in Utah (02:00)A fed-up accountant's quest for changing the status quo (05:32)Stefan's career journey before FloQast (08:08)Adopting new skill sets as a brand evangelist (12:09)How FloQast is redefining accounting operations (14:12)FloQast's 2023 strategic plan (21:00)Building a user-centric product (23:51)What's next for Stefan (27:20)

Challenging the status quo of accounting operations, with Stefan van Duyvendijk

https://share.transistor.fm/s/8ab23358/transcript.txt

<div>Natalie Lennon, accounting firm owner, automation 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'.</div><ul><li>Natalie’s winding journey in accounting (2:00)</li><li>Becoming a partner at 28 years old (6:10)</li><li>The light-bulb moment that birthed Two Sides Accounting (7:15)</li><li>A passion for working with startups and progressive businesses (9:00)</li><li>Work smarter, not harder through automation (10:00)</li><li>The talent shortage and coming full circle around remote work (13:30)</li><li>COVID's financial impact on small businesses (17:00)</li><li>Setting boundaries to enable the ‘4-day work week dream' (21:55)</li><li>Finding equilibrium between work, life, and growth (23:30)</li></ul>

Natalie Lennon, accounting firm owner, automation 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'.Natalie’s winding journey in accounting (2:00)Becoming a partner at 28 years old (6:10)The light-bulb moment that birthed Two Sides Accounting (7:15)A passion for working with startups and progressive businesses (9:00)Work smarter, not harder through automation (10:00)The talent shortage and coming full circle around remote work (13:30)COVID's financial impact on small businesses (17:00)Setting boundaries to enable the ‘4-day work week dream' (21:55)Finding equilibrium between work, life, and growth (23:30)

<div>Dan Luthi is a partner at IgniteSpot 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.</div><ul><li>The genesis of IgniteSpot Accounting (01:00)</li><li>Helping clients achieve 100x growth within 5 years (03:25)</li><li>IgniteSpot Accounting's ideal client profile (05:26)</li><li>Dan's preferred accounting tech stack (06:40)</li><li>Going from hybrid to fully remote (07:51)</li><li>Taking an organic, value-based approach to marketing and growth (10:08)</li><li>Accelerated mergers and acquisitions post-pandemic (15:23)</li><li>Making sense of the volatile economy (17:19)</li><li>How to help small business clients through unpredictability (22:14)</li></ul>

Dan Luthi is a partner at IgniteSpot 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.The genesis of IgniteSpot Accounting (01:00)Helping clients achieve 100x growth within 5 years (03:25)IgniteSpot Accounting's ideal client profile (05:26)Dan's preferred accounting tech stack (06:40)Going from hybrid to fully remote (07:51)Taking an organic, value-based approach to marketing and growth (10:08)Accelerated mergers and acquisitions post-pandemic (15:23)Making sense of the volatile economy (17:19)How to help small business clients through unpredictability (22:14)

Focus on relationships, the rest will come. A conversation with Dan Luthi

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<div>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.</div><ul><li>From VP of Finance to VP of People Operations (00:30)</li><li>Getting laid off during maternity leave (06:34)</li><li>The evolution of finding her niche in trust and leadership coaching (10:23)</li><li>Would you have gone into entrepreneurship had you known everything about it? (12:14)</li><li>Leah grills Stuart on trust and leadership (20:00)</li><li>99% of your organizational issues are trust issues (21:55)</li><li>The Five-Behavior Trust Operating System (25:21)</li><li>Leah's 2023 professional and personal aspirations (46:57)</li></ul>

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.From VP of Finance to VP of People Operations (00:30)Getting laid off during maternity leave (06:34)The evolution of finding her niche in trust and leadership coaching (10:23)Would you have gone into entrepreneurship had you known everything about it? (12:14)Leah grills Stuart on trust and leadership (20:00)99% of your organizational issues are trust issues (21:55)The Five-Behavior Trust Operating System (25:21)Leah's 2023 professional and personal aspirations (46:57)

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<div>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.<br><br>Stuart and Jason discuss:</div><ul><li>The outdoors and writing off an RV (1:30)</li><li>Raising 3 kids under 5 (4:30)</li><li>The shortest path to an undergraduate is studying accounting (5:30)</li><li>Starting in a local Oregon accounting firm at the age of 19 (8:20)</li><li>Surrounding yourself with like-minded, entrepreneurial people&nbsp; (10:00)</li><li>Operational effectiveness and efficiency (11:45)</li><li>Why you need cloud-native tools that give you access to your own data (13:50)</li><li>Jason's tech stack (15:30)</li><li>Automation and the role of accountants as quasi-developers (18:00)</li><li>The power of online communities and learning from like-minded peers (24:30)</li><li>An open-source accounting firm? (30:00)</li></ul>

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.

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<div>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.<br><br></div><ul><li>Finding an interest in accounting in college (1:15)</li><li>Early career experience at EY &amp; Fannie Mae (2:00)</li><li>How Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae started (3:10)</li><li>The roller coaster real estate market around the world (4:00)</li><li>The genesis of SoftLedger (5:42)</li><li>The landscape of a mid-market general ledger solution (7:10)</li><li>The advantages of the next-gen cloud accounting software (8:08)</li><li>SoftLedger’s typical clients (8:51)</li><li>Benefiting from COVID-19’s push towards remote collaboration (10:00)</li><li>The investment landscape of SoftLedger (11:55)</li><li>How to enable accountants to ‘do more with less’ (14:58)</li><li>Running a startup with your best friend (16:00)</li><li>SoftLedger's product roadmap (16:30)</li><li>What excites Ben about the future (18:08)</li><li>Gaining traction through SEO (20:30)</li></ul><div><br></div>

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.

https://share.transistor.fm/s/f7d9b6ec/transcript.txt

<div>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'.</div><ul><li>Karen's journey from the US to Scotland (1:28)</li><li>Connecting with a culture that's not your own (2:15)</li><li>A temporary move that turned permanent (3:00)</li><li>Enjoying the natural beauty of Arizona and Scotland (5:30)</li><li>Karen's first job as a state auditor (8:00)</li><li>The worthy challenge of immigrating to a place you love (11:10)</li><li>How Karen got into marketing as an accountant (13:00)</li><li>Filling the marketing gap for accountants (16:00)</li><li>Not chasing growth for growth's sake (17:10)</li><li>Using marketing to attract ideal clients (18:00)</li><li>Bad marketing kills referrals (19:45)</li><li>Helping accountants reveal their greatness through marketing (21:30)</li><li>Consistency is the key to success (23:08)</li><li>Karen's favorite client success stories (24:00)</li><li>Top marketing tips for accountants (26:00)</li><li>The joys of working with clients who align with your values (31:00)</li><li>When in Rome, do as the Romans do (35:50)</li><li>The quirks of living in two cultures (38:30)</li><li>Beautiful places to visit in Scotland (41:30)</li></ul>

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'.

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<div>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.</div><ul><li>Wedding bells (1:30)</li><li>Life through the pandemic for Linford Grey (4:00)</li><li>A journey from singing and dancing to accounting (5:10)</li><li>Prioritizing marketing to drive growth (8:00)</li><li>Favorite musicals and a national tour for "Jesus Christ Superstar" (9:50)</li><li>Starting in accounting by starting your own firm (12:40)</li><li>Why the name Linford Grey? (15:15)</li><li>A niche in using technology to transform businesses (42:20)</li><li>Helping hospitality clients navigate the pandemic (21:30)</li><li>Running a business during COVID, Brexit, a declining economy, the war in Ukraine, an energy crisis and other macro challenges (26:20)</li><li>Adam's proudest client success story (32:00)</li><li>Dealing with bad clients (35:30)</li><li>A message to Linford Grey staff (36:00)</li></ul>

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.

https://share.transistor.fm/s/5a7b0947/transcript.txt

<div>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.</div><ul><li>Moving from public accounting to private equity (2:15)</li><li>Zach’s first B2C tech startup experience (4:00)</li><li>How Zach got into the crypto and cannabis accounting field (6:05)</li><li>The intricacies of cannabis accounting and taxes (9:42)</li><li>Overlap between two highly regulated industries (11:50)</li><li>Helping clients navigate crypto assets on the balance sheet (13:00)</li><li>What makes Propeller Industries special (16:24)</li><li>Making an impact for clients in the boardrooms (20:50)</li><li>What’s next for Zach (22:15)</li><li>Attracting fresh talent to the accounting profession (23:00)</li><li>The fallacies of billable hours (28:00)</li></ul>

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.

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<ul><li>First meeting at Accountex London 2018 (1:00)</li><li>Ryan's journey to accounting (2:00)</li><li>Moving from a small to a large to a mid-tier firm (5:20)</li><li>Empowering clients with the right business insights (9:00)</li><li>Harnessing the power of technology with SB Digital (14:50)</li><li>The benefits of being vendor agnostic (17:00)</li><li>Can the 4-day work week come to accounting (19:20)</li><li>Has the accounting talent pool shrunk? (20:00)</li><li>The most significant impact of accounting technology (23:00)</li><li>What impact will the UK leadership turmoil have on HMRC? (27:40)</li></ul><div><br></div>

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.

https://share.transistor.fm/s/23c68d38/transcript.txt

Meet the Accounting Leaders

Stefan van Duyvendijk

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Natalie Lennon

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Dan Luthi

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Leah Roe

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Discover what makes the world's accounting leaders tick