dawn brolin, cpa, cfe, intentionally shrank her firm, powerful accounting,from 11 to three team members, the opposite of the way most firms grow. she also drastically cut her client list, while nearly tripling her fees from a select group of just 19 clients.
“i decided i wanted to change my life,” brolin says. “i want to change my staff’s life. and i want to change the way my clients work with me where they weren’t worried about getting a bill because they called me and asked me a question.”
part of that change in dawn’s life was her passion for coaching college softball, where she serves as the team’s designated motivator. because softball season overlaps with tax season, she leaves the office at 2 pm, five days a week. no one in her firm works more than 35 hours a week.
in the latest episode of the accounting arc podcast, hosts liz mason, cpa, and donny shimamoto, cpa/citp, cgma, explore the evolving role of artificial intelligence (ai) in the accounting profession, focusing on both its transformative potential and the ethical challenges it presents.
their conversation sheds light on the history of ai in accounting, the distinction between different types of ai, and the implications for professional ethics and regulatory standards.
“generative ai is different than machine learning, but machine learning has been in the accounting space for a long time,” says mason, the ceo and founder of high rock accounting. “our code of ethics should be considered at every point in time, and we need to understand the tech, review it, and manage it appropriately, making sure that we’re ahead of the regulatory environment and we’re advising on what it looks like for the future of our profession.”
what would an accounting firm look like if you had never worked in public accounting? because nicole davis, cpa, and jw davis, a registered investment advisor, didn’t follow the traditional path to firm ownership. they reimagined what a firm could look like, starting from a blank canvas instead of the regimented, structured, paint-by-numbers design of traditional accounting firms.
nicole is the founder and principal of butler-davis tax & accounting in the atlanta area, while jw is the ceo.
like many disruptor-led firms, jw explains that ”one of the really big things we focus on was work-life balance.” nicole adds, “if your culture is one of stress and long hours, then you really need to rethink your business model.”
chase birky wanted “a better way to cpa,” so he and co-founder max fritz created dark horse – the “anti-cpa firm,” which would be “the opposite of what a client would expect of a cpa firm, of what talent expects of a cpa firm.” dark horse democratizes access to the resources, tools, and technology available to larger firms so sole practitioners and small firms have an easier path to the modern cpa firm.
dark horse was born out of the realization that small businesses were underserved by their accountants. many small business owners have “these horror stories about the large firm that deprioritizes them and charges them an arm and a leg, or the one-off practitioner or micro firm that wouldn’t return their emails or phone calls, and never provides advice, just tells them to sign on the dotted line,” birky says.
in the labyrinth of financial intricacies, the collapse of a bank sends shockwaves through the economic landscape, leaving stakeholders scrambling for answers. in this episode, “accounting arc: unraveling the collapse of silicon valley bank” dissects the demise of silicon valley bank to unravel the intricate web of factors that precipitated its downfall.
hosted by seasoned financial experts, this accounting arc episode, featuring terry sherrill, cpa, a managing director with tps thayer in sugar land, texas, dives deep into the underlying causes of bank collapses while offering invaluable insights for cpas, auditors, and financial professionals to fortify against such catastrophes.
disruptors wiley, deshayes, satterley, etienne, penczak and vanover offer their takes on staffing in the accounting profession.
by amy welch
in a post-pandemic gig economy, the rest of the world laments the staffing crisis. however, while the solutions may not be easy, they seem to be pretty simple.
in the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 disruptors one-on-one interview series with liz farr, some of the profession’s most innovative thinkers suggest solutions ranging from re-examining your firm’s culture to tapping into two-year colleges for new talent. here, several weigh in on what they see as the potential answers to one of the most troubling issues in the accounting profession.
in a universe where financial chaos threatens to overwhelm even the bravest souls, our trio of accounting change agents emerge to restore order, one ledger at a time. these stewards of integrity are uniting to serve the integrated ecosystem of families, businesses, and communities and aligning their efforts to unlock the power of the accounting profession with their unique blend of wit, wisdom, and, yes, a dash of comedy.
in the inaugural episode, our agents pull back the curtain to reveal the origins of their financial prowess. delve into the captivating backstories as they share their personal journeys, unveil the driving forces behind their decision to become accounting professionals, and what led them to seek and find ways to improve the world.