John Randolph resumes his conversation with Jason Blumer of Thriveal and Blumer CPAs on Episode 39 of CPA Life. Continuing their focus on strategies for firm growth, they tackle the complex problem of team management in the modern, often remote-based accounting world, stressing that leadership comes from the relationship leaders have with their charges, and that time spent cultivating that relationship has a far better return on investment in most cases than client work. Niching also plays a key role in maximizing any firm’s potential, while often being a rewarding, interesting path to take.

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Jason Blumer, CEO of Blumer CPAs and Thriveal, joins John Randolph for part one of their conversation on Episode 38 of CPA Life. Discussing his journey of building a sustainable CPA firm and the importance of intentional leadership, Jason explains that the entire concept behind Thriveal is that he made a lot of mistakes and had a lot of wrong ideas about entrepreneurship, and he wants to guide entrepreneurs with intentionality so they don’t make those same mistakes. Jason stresses, and John agrees, that community-driven culture is a key to firm growth and employee satisfaction, the details of which they discuss at length, with a lead-in to part two, which airs May 22nd, 2024.

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Jennifer Wilson of ConvergenceCoaching returns for part 2 of her conversation with John Randolph on Episode 37 of CPA Life. She delves into the intricacies of employee motivation, hiring practices, and compensation in CPA firms, and they discuss the vital role culture plays in everything a firm does, from hiring, to acquisitions, to turnover. Jen highlights the importance of learning from cultural mistakes, with John pointing out the rose-colored glasses that certain clients and partnerships can impart. Jen, a member of the National Pipeline Advisory Group, encourages those in the accounting profession to have their say by completing the group’s survey, which closes May 3rd, 2024.

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John Randolph welcomes Jennifer Wilson to a two part conversation starting with CPA Life episode 36. Jennifer discusses her journey from BDO to founding ConvergenceCoaching, her deep history of driving technological innovation in business and accounting, and her understanding of the evolution of and challenges within the accounting industry. With a focus on the dynamics of remote work, they also explore the importance of establishing a compelling mission which your employees can feel like they are a part of, and which Jennifer says is exactly the salve needed to soothe the problems in the accounting pipeline. A member of the National Pipeline Advisory Group, Jen explains its role in trying to solve the pipeline problem, which she will delve into further in part two.

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Host John Randolph continues his conversation with David Hartley on Episode 35 of CPA Life. They delve into ditching billable hours in favor of value billing, the potential for AI to vastly improve efficiency within CPA firms, and the importance of recruiting the next generation through values that appeal to them. Innovation is a key focus according to David, host of the But Who's Counting? podcast, who has plenty of insight into what’s coming for firms around the country and the globe and what firm leaders need to harness now to prepare for the future.

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David Hartley joined Anders CPAs + Advisors when they were looking to establish an Advisory practice, demonstrating how even a large firm can “steer its ship” in an active, anticipatory way. David talks to John Randolph on Episode 34 of CPA Life in part 1 of their two part conversation about the strategic planning and growth of the Advisory practice under his watch, and David delves into how to have a forward-thinking approach, remote work experiences, and strategies for managing both remote and in-office work models. He touches on the future of the CPA profession, the importance of continuous learning, the impact of client relationships, and the importance of culling clients that are no longer a good fit for where your firm is today.

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In Part 2 of this special CPA Life episode, John Randolph returns as the guest to talk to producer Justin Grant about many of the key concepts in talent acquisition and advisory that CPA firms simply don’t know that they don’t know. John explains this as the basis behind his Talent + Advisory model, which integrates value-based pricing, strategic discussions, managing a firm’s talent brand, online reputation management, the importance of relationships in accounting, and more. Above all, it is clear that just like an accounting client needs a partner in a firm that works with them on a recurring basis, so does an accounting firm need a partner that works with them to get to the root of their staffing needs and goals.

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The tables are turned as CPA Life producer Justin Grant takes the role of host to interview John Randolph, founder and principal of Benaiah Consulting Group—not just your regular host!—on Episode 32. John delves into his history in the recruiting and accounting space and the lessons he’s learned from his vast and diverse experience: the importance of finding a niche, the role of private equity in firm growth, the impact of company culture on the employee experience, and more. Through it all, John stresses that the niche he has determined is best for him and Benaiah is serving small, local CPA firms, because the passion he has for helping those firms succeed is something that can’t be duplicated.

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