here’s what you’re looking for: jody padar

think in a new way, starting now.

by jody padar
the radical cpa

once you begin brainstorming about your new processes, you need to think about it from as many different viewpoints as possible, with an emphasis on design thinking. the easiest way to define design thinking is to look at it from your customer’s perspective instead of yours.

more on radicalism: being radical starts with being the change | why start being radical now? | going radical: the 4 tenets of a ‘new firm’ | why should cpas be radical? | the roots of ‘radical’ cpas | the first 3 questions i should have asked before starting my own practice

it’s not all about you. i know, i know. but hear me out. it’s hard to look at your firm from a customer’s perspective. that’s why we gravitate to a firm-centric point of view. this point of view asks questions like:

• what do we sell customers?
• how can we reach customers?
• what do we need to establish with our customers?
• and how can we make money from our customers?

we’re think­ing about ourselves internally. nobody wants to hang out with someone who only thinks of themselves, yet that is the way we run our firms.

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here are the questions you need to ask.

by jody padar
the radical cpa

“say it with me now: i am a change agent.”

before you consider adopting the cloud or any of the “new firm” mindset, you have to ask yourself if you are willing to be the change.

more on radicalism: why start being radical now? | going radical: the 4 tenets of a ‘new firm’ | why should cpas be radical? | the roots of ‘radical’ cpas | the first 3 questions i should have asked before starting my own practice

once you decide, first things, first. own it! you have to commit. if you teeter it will be harder. jump in feet first and feel the shock of the cold water. i’m not saying it won’t work if you wade in, i’m just saying it’ll be more of a challenge.

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your competition can come from anywhere now.

by jody padar
the radical cpa

i’ve been in the cloud for eight years so it’s old news to me.

the biggest thing to do is to look around and look at the competi­tion. you can probably leave your firm and start your own firm with less than $400 a month in software and without or very limited overhead. isn’t that terrifying for you old-timers!

more on radicalism: going radical: the 4 tenets of a ‘new firm’ | why should cpas be radical? | the roots of ‘radical’ cpas | the first 3 questions i should have asked before starting my own practice

that’s what the next generation of accountants has at their disposal. and they are doing it whether it’s good or bad, whether they have the experience or not. they are opening their own accounting firms. the times they are a-changin’. read more →

the alternative is complacency. we all know where that leads.

by jody padar
the radical cpa

cpas must be “radicalized” so they cannot be lulled into com­placency and driven by reaction to their current firm or live­lihood. the changes that are happening in today’s fast-paced world need to be addressed.

more on getting radical: the roots of ‘radical’ cpas | the first 3 questions i should have asked before starting my own practice

you and your team have already felt the changes. the silent majority of many employees are hurt, suspicious and feeling unheard. they see and experience the changes happening around them and don’t understand the complacency or the resistance to change from firm management. you may even be feeling this yourself within your firm of one.

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