Be a client-centric human in a world of AI and technology.

The Disruptors
With Liz Farr

Several 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 model to bring a staff of CPAs, attorneys, and advisors to provide governance, legacy planning, and intergenerational wealth planning. At Arrowroot Family Office, Henry is leveraging technology to bring the benefits of the family office model to everyone. “So it's really integrating these solutions, using technology, using relationships, to really provide for the many needs of the business and the personal finances of your clients.”

14 MORE TAKEAWAYS: More Rory Henry Disruptor Notes

MORE: Disruptors

MORE CPA TRENDLINES PODCASTS and VIDEOS: Mike Mksymiw: Be the Leader You Wish You Had | Terrell Turner: Build a Solid Business Showing Up as Yourself | Kelly Mann: Be the Bull in the China Shop | Alicia Katz Pollock: Create a Human-Centric Business | Nancy McClelland: Be the One Your Clients Ask First | Alan Whitman: Stop Accepting the Status Quo | The Disruptors | Sean Duncan: Discover Your Own Genius | Ingrid Edstrom: True Wealth Is Not Financial | Chris Hervochon: Be the Leader You Want to Work For | Caleb Jenkins: Firm Growth Requires Owners to Shift Roles |Ira Rosenbloom: Don't Merge for the Money | Adam Lean: Get Out of the Accountant's Trap | Geraldine Carter: Charging More is Better for Your Clients | Vimal Bava: When Working Smarter, Not Harder, Is the Only Option |

SEE THEM ALL here.

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 challenge, LaChance tells Jean Caragher in this episode of Capstone Conversations, is winning the competition for a shrinking pool of CPAs. “Human resources and marketing have to work hand in hand,” he says.

How nontraditional professionals leverage their skills to bring innovation and growth to the accounting profession.

Accounting ARC
With Donny Shimamoto
Center for Accounting Transformation

The 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 accounting professional and the valuable perspective she brings to her firm.

SHOW NOTES here | MORE Accounting ARC: Leadership for the Future: Stakeholders, Sustainability, and Strategic Vision | In-Person Conferences Still Essential | Non-Accountants in Accounting: A Game-Changer for the Profession | Rubik Yeriazarian: Smaller Firms Offer Big Opportunities for Rapid Skill Development in Forensic Accounting | Accounting ARC | AI Will Steal Your Job. And That’s a Good Thing | Accounting ARC | The Right Kind of Lazy: Innovative Approaches to Streamlining Workflows | Accounting ARC

"Accounting is ripe for change, and that’s what excites me," Bashore says, reflecting on how her varied career—from IT consulting to trial law—helped prepare her for the challenges of modern accounting. Bashore has a unique path into the industry. After years working with IBM, she transitioned into law, specializing in litigation before moving into banking and fintech.

Bashore’s background exemplifies adaptability. She explains how her role at IBM involved solving technical conflicts, which led her to study law and become a trial lawyer. Eventually, she shifted into operations, helping companies grow and manage risk. Her entry into accounting came through Herbein, where she saw opportunities to bring fresh perspectives to an industry on the verge of transformation.

"Accounting is becoming more about advisory services and helping clients succeed beyond just tax returns and audits," she remarks. "I’ve done that with software, law, and banking. Now, I get to help a firm expand into new areas."

Diversify your revenue streams with video and build a virtual accounting career.

Accounting Influencers

with Rob Brown

Kate 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 here

Johnson 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. She emphasizes the importance of using video in your business. Johnson 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.

"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 Growth

With Jean Caragher

For 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 experience highlights the importance of planning for the next wave of firm leadership.

Gear Up for Growth spotlights the best strategies for smart and effficient growth in today's competitive landscape. More Gear Up for Growth every Friday here.| More Capstone Conversations with Jean Caragher every Monday | More Jean Caragher here | Get her best-selling handbook, The 90-Day Marketing Plan for CPA Firms, here | More CPA Trendlines videos and podcasts here

During the conversation, McCall recounts her journey, beginning when she joined AAF in 1995, then becoming a partner at AAF in 2003, and eventually becoming a co-managing partner in 2011. She emphasizes the importance of having a firm-wide succession mindset, where every leader is responsible for mentoring and developing their potential successor. One key factor in AAF’s smooth transition was a structured Managing Partner in Training (MPIT) program designed to prepare future leaders for the complexities of running a CPA firm.

McCall reflects on her challenges in building trust and influence as a new leader. She stresses that leadership goes beyond simply holding a title—it requires earning respect through authenticity, feedback, and focusing on helping others succeed. Her journey to sole managing partner in 2020 demonstrated the power of aligning leadership around vision and strategy while empowering operational leaders to make day-to-day decisions.

McCall's advice to CPA firm leaders? Start succession planning early, foster a culture of candid feedback, and align your team around a shared vision. With the right mindset and preparation, transitioning leadership can lead to a stronger, more resilient firm.

"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 landscape. | More Gear Up for Growth every Friday here.| More Capstone Conversations with Jean Caragher every Monday | More Jean Caragher here | Get her best-selling handbook, The 90-Day Marketing Plan for CPA Firms, here | More CPA Trendlines videos and podcasts here

“What any managing partner listening or any marketing leader or growth leader within an organization needs to be hearing is let's look at what we do well,” says Reno. “Let's look at where there's an opportunity for us to do something better. And let's do that better and differently than the rest of our peers that we compete against.”

“The difficulty isn’t identifying the ethical decision; it’s making the right choice with difficult implications."
Accounting ARC
With Liz Mason, Byron Patrick, and Donny Shimamoto
Center for Accounting Transformation

Accounting 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 profession must move toward a more engaging and comprehensive approach.

SHOW NOTES here | MORE Accounting ARC: Leadership for the Future: Stakeholders, Sustainability, and Strategic Vision | In-Person Conferences Still Essential | Non-Accountants in Accounting: A Game-Changer for the Profession | Rubik Yeriazarian: Smaller Firms Offer Big Opportunities for Rapid Skill Development in Forensic Accounting | Accounting ARC | AI Will Steal Your Job. And That’s a Good Thing | Accounting ARC | The Right Kind of Lazy: Innovative Approaches to Streamlining Workflows | Accounting ARC

“Ethics education in accounting has become stale,” says Patrick, CEO and founder of VERIFYiQ and vice president of Client Success at The B3 Method Institute, reflecting on his 80+ hours of ethics training over his 22-year career. “The right decisions are usually obvious, but it’s the process of making them that’s difficult. Unfortunately, none of my training has equipped me to handle that challenge.”

One of the key issues raised in the episode is the formulaic nature of traditional ethics education. Mason, founder and CEO of High Rock Accounting, highlights that many presentations simply focus on independence and professional standards without delving into the philosophical underpinnings of ethics. “We’re not addressing the ‘why’ behind ethical decisions,” Mason emphasizes. “We need to be talking about ethical frameworks, values, and the cultural contexts that shape them.”

The hosts also discuss how ethics training often overlooks the complexities of real-world situations. “Most ethical dilemmas aren’t about identifying what’s right or wrong—they’re about the difficulty of making the right choice,” says Byron. “The implications of those choices are what make them hard.”

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 TRENDLINES PODCASTS and VIDEOS: Terrell Turner: Build a Solid Business Showing Up as Yourself | Kelly Mann: Be the Bull in the China Shop | Alicia Katz Pollock: Create a Human-Centric Business | Nancy McClelland: Be the One Your Clients Ask First | Alan Whitman: Stop Accepting the Status Quo | SEE THEM ALL here.

“The main thing I was supposed to do, I was doing,” he tells Liz Farr in this episode of The Disruptors. And if he hadn’t been meeting his revenue goals, that deficit in hours would have been something to remedy. “So I don't want people to think there's no place for these metrics. We must put them in the right order to run a business.”