Exclusive information. Extraordinary insight.See all podcast episodes here: https://cpatrendlines.com/category/podcast/ CPA Trendlines is the world’s only research and advisory service focused solely on the tax, accounting, and finance professions. We use a time-tested, quality-proven, proprietary blend of data, analysis, community, experience, and imagination to produce extraordinary value for our clients. Elite decision-makers from all over the world look to CPA Trendlines for trusted advice, bold insights, and confidential access to exclusive intelligence and decision support. You’ll stay more focused, save time, grow revenue in a fast-changing global digital environment, and sleep better at night. Guaranteed. Facts. Figures. Insights. Implications. Here you'll find the data and analysis you can use for your practice and your career, plus exclusive research, insights, and commentary on the most pressing issues and fastest-changing trends. We are dedicated to delivering the actionable intelligence that tax, accounting, and finance professionals need in order to identify and act on emerging issues and opportunities. We specialize in high-quality, concise executive briefings designed to help busy professionals improve their organizations, advance their careers, and enhance their lives. Our reports are relevant, timely, and to-the-point, providing the most essential information, and are digestible often in under an hour.
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Exclusive information. Extraordinary insight.See all podcast episodes here: https://cpatrendlines.com/category/podcast/ CPA Trendlines is the world’s only research and advisory service focused solely on the tax, accounting, and finance professions. We use a time-tested, quality-proven, proprietary blend of data, analysis, community, experience, and imagination to produce extraordinary value for our clients. Elite decision-makers from all over the world look to CPA Trendlines for trusted advice, bold insights, and confidential access to exclusive intelligence and decision support. You’ll stay more focused, save time, grow revenue in a fast-changing global digital environment, and sleep better at night. Guaranteed. Facts. Figures. Insights. Implications. Here you'll find the data and analysis you can use for your practice and your career, plus exclusive research, insights, and commentary on the most pressing issues and fastest-changing trends. We are dedicated to delivering the actionable intelligence that tax, accounting, and finance professionals need in order to identify and act on emerging issues and opportunities. We specialize in high-quality, concise executive briefings designed to help busy professionals improve their organizations, advance their careers, and enhance their lives. Our reports are relevant, timely, and to-the-point, providing the most essential information, and are digestible often in under an hour.
Attention CPAs and accounting pros! Are you ready to take your practice to the next level? Then it’s time to upgrade to CPA Trendlines PRO Membership—your all-access pass to premium insights, strategies, and tools designed just for YOU!Get exclusive access to over 7,000 articles, tools, and expert analyses—keeping you ahead of the curve in practice management, growth, and industry trends!Enjoy VIP perks! Be the first to get new content, receive special handling on orders, and unlock priority concierge service just for PRO members!Save BIG! Get 20% off in the CPA Trendlines Shop, plus deep discounts on membership plans!And here’s a bonus: New PRO members receive welcome gifts worth over $300!Stay informed with exclusive member surveys, studies, and expert insights that help grow your firm and boost your success!More support, more value, more power for your practice!Upgrade today at CPA Trendlines and start maximizing your potential!📢 CPA Trendlines PRO—where accounting pros go PRO!
Differentiation, confidence, and connection can transform firms.Capstone ConversationsBy Jean CaragherFor CPA TrendlinesBonnie Buol Ruszczyk, founder of BBR Companies and one of the accounting profession’s most respected marketing strategists, joined Jean Caragher for a compelling episode of Capstone Conversations—this time as a newly inducted member of the Association for Accounting Marketing Hall of Fame.Follow Jean Caragher on CPA Trendlines here. | Get her best-selling handbook, The 90-Day Marketing Plan for CPA Firms, here | Catch Jean Caragher's other show, Gear Up for Growth, here. | And browse all the shows in the CPA Trendlines broadcast network hereRuszczyk, who was also named AAM’s Volunteer of the Year in 2014 and has made Accounting Today's Top 100 and CPA Practice Advisor’s Most Powerful Women in Accounting lists, spoke candidly about how far marketing has come in accounting—and how far it still needs to go.“Accounting marketers bring a perspective to firm strategy that many partners don’t have,” she says. “It’s not just about brochures and branding—it’s about growth strategy, mergers, business development, and client alignment.”Despite industry progress, Ruszczyk says many firms still struggle to stand out in a crowded market. “Everyone says, ‘our people are great,’ but that’s just noise,” she says. “What clients care about is: what can you do for me?”
Emerging professionals and a Gen X CFO explore mentorship, curiosity, and why success no longer wears a suit and tie.Accounting ARCWith Arpan Grewal and Chayton FarleeCenter for Accounting TransformationWhen you think of accounting, do you picture spreadsheets and number crunchers locked in back offices? Think again.In a special student-led edition of the Accounting ARC podcast, high school senior and Center for Accounting Transformation intern Arpan Grewal joins college accounting student Chayton Farlee and seasoned professional Nealy Wheat, CAE, SPHR, for an energetic and thoughtful conversation about the changing face of accounting—and what it means to succeed today.MORE Accounting ARC: True Grit: Recognizing Struggles That Shape Our Successes | More Admins, Fewer Students, No Plan | What Career Advice Gets Wrong for Gen Z - And How to Fix It |Your Identity is Not a Liability | What Happens in Vegas… Gets Reported on a Tax Return | Burnout, Be Gone: Accounting Needs a Boundary Breakthrough | The Ultimate Business Hack You’re Probably Ignoring | Resilience, Real Talk, and the Road to Mental Wellness | Blockchain Could Still Reshape Accounting | What Gen Z Wants from Business | Firm Differentiation Depends Upon Client ServiceWheat, who serves as chief financial and administrative officer of the American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT), shares hard-won career wisdom and personal stories to inspire the next generation. But this isn’t your typical “how I made it” narrative. Instead, listeners are treated to an open dialogue about failure, growth, curiosity, and the power of building your network early.“Success is not a straight line,” Wheat says. “It’s a lattice of opportunities, setbacks, and mentors.”
SALT changes may not be as sweet as clients think.Quick Tax TipWith Art WernerCPE TodayTax guru Art Werner doesn’t pull punches—and when it comes to the state and local tax (SALT) deduction limits in the proposed “Big Beautiful Bill,” he’s sounding the alarm for tax pros across the country.“This was the one area under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that had the most screaming going on,” Werner says, referencing the uproar he witnessed during live lectures in high-tax states like New York and California. “They were really angry.”Click here for more Art WernerWhile early rumors suggested the SALT cap might rise dramatically—perhaps even to $40,000—the current proposal sets the limit at $30,000 for married filing jointly and $15,000 for married filing separately, tripling the current $10,000 cap. That might sound like a win… until you read the fine print.
Attention CPAs and accounting pros! Are you ready to take your practice to the next level? Then it’s time to upgrade to CPA Trendlines PRO Membership—your all-access pass to premium insights, strategies, and tools designed just for YOU!See today 's best PRO offers here.Get exclusive access – Over 10,000 articles, tools, and expert guidance—keeping you ahead of the curve in practice management, growth, and industry trends.Enjoy VIP perks – Be the first to get new content, receive special handling on orders, and unlock priority concierge service just for PRO members.Save big– In the CPA Trendlines Shop, plus deep discounts on membership plans!And here’s a bonus: New PRO members receive welcome gifts worth over $300!Stay informed – With exclusive member surveys, studies, and expert insights that help grow your firm and boost your success!More support, more value, more power for your practice!Upgrade today at CPA Trendlines and start maximizing your potential!
As language evolves, clarity and authenticity are more important than ever.MOVE Like ThisWith Bonnie Buol RuszczykFor CPA TrendlinesIn this episode of MOVE Like This, host Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk welcomes Cass Bailey, CEO of Slice Communications, for an insightful discussion on how firms—especially those in professional services—can effectively communicate their organizational values in a way that resonates in today’s polarized environment. With deep experience in public relations, crisis management, and employee communication, Bailey offers guidance for navigating sensitive topics while maintaining alignment between internal culture and external brand.MORE MOVEBailey opens the conversation by sharing Slice Communications' journey from a traditional PR firm into a strategic communications agency. Today, her team helps businesses manage both their public reputation and internal messaging, especially when facing scrutiny around workforce practices and company culture.
Don’t be the next victim. Spot--and stop--fraud early. Quick Tech TalkWith Steve YossCPE TodayOccupational fraud remains one of the most pervasive and costly threats to organizations worldwide—and many companies may be underestimating the risk. A recent Quick Tech Talks episode delves into key findings from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners' (ACFE) 2024 Report to the Nations, uncovering the mechanics behind the world’s most common types of fraud and the staggering financial toll they exact.MORE Steve Yoss hereMORE TECHThe numbers are alarming: Occupational fraud is responsible for losses equaling up to 7% of global GDP, or more than $5 trillion annually, according to the ACFE. These crimes don’t just target large corporations—they impact businesses of all sizes and sectors. In this episode, listeners are guided through the three major categories of occupational fraud—asset misappropriation, financial statement fraud, and corruption—and shown how each can quietly undermine an organization’s integrity and profitability.
Accounting must abandon toxic traditions, prioritize people over profits, and rebuild its mentoring culture—or risk losing the next generation entirely. The DisruptorsWith Liz FarrYuri Kapilovich didn’t set out to become #TheFunCPA. It started as a casual hashtag when he shared photos from buses and bikes, but it stuck—especially after a networking event where attendees misread his booth sign and started calling him “The Funk PA.” The nickname became a brand, but it also reflects his deeper mission: bringing humanity and humor back to a profession that’s burning out its best talent.CPA TRENDLINES CELEBRATES: The 100th Episode of The DisruptorsMORE STREAMING: Martha Yasso: From Wall Street to Main Street | Jackie Meyer: Tax Plans in 90 Seconds? Believe It | Erica Goode: Build a $200K Firm in 15hrs/Week | Randy Crabtree: Live at the Intersection of Passion & Skill |McClelland and Telka: Women Ready to Rewrite the Rules of Accounting | Jacob Schroeder: AI Won’t Replace Accountants—But It Will Reveal Who’s Replaceable | Ditching Corporate America: The Bold Story Behind PBS Accounting’s Rapid Rise | Jean Zick: Happy Team = Happy Clients | Breslin & Greathead: Be a Client Advocate | Dominic Piscopo: Clear Pay=Bargaining Power | Debbie Kilsheimer: Stop Thinking Small |Kapilovich, founder of Kapilovich & Associates, believes the root of accounting’s talent shortage is simple: misplaced priorities. “We, as a profession—especially in the larger firms—have lost sight of the fact that the number one asset we have is our people,” he says. “It’s not the clients.”When firms put clients ahead of staff, the result is a toxic cycle: long hours, low pay, and outdated leadership practices that make accounting look like a dead-end career. “Why would I do accounting,” Kapilovich asks, “when I can do finance or computer science and make six figures right out of school?”
"No one wants to leave the IRS more than they have to." By Rory Henry CFP®, BFA™For CPA TrendlinesAn estimated 10 to 12 million Boomer-owned businesses are expected to transition over the next decade. That’s a massive wave of planning, liquidity events, and legacy questions. Yet experts say most owners don’t engage advisors until they’re well into the deal process.MORE Rory Henry and The Holistic Guide to Wealth ManagementBUY the Holistic Guide to Wealth Management“By the time they come to us, they’ve often already signed a letter of intent,” laments Randy A. Fox, CFP, AEP, founder of Two Hawks Family Office Services, on a recent panel discussion for contributors to my new book, Holistic Guide to Wealth Management. “That shuts the door on a lot of the strategies that could have helped them keep more of what they built,” Fox added. Fellow contributor and panel discussion guest Christine Nicholson, author, business consultant, and exit planning specialist, has worked with hundreds of owners. She sees the same distorted view of reality cloud their thinking -- owners mistakenly assume their kids will take over and believe their business is worth far more than it really is.
...And the 8 emerging leadership paths that can help you rise to the top...Accounting InfluencersWith Rob BrownIn the world of accounting, influence is no longer the exclusive domain of Big Four alumni or Ivy League pedigrees. Each December, Accounting Today releases its Top 100 Most Influential People list, highlighting leaders who shape the profession. The surprising truth behind many of these selections? Over 70% started from modest beginnings, without elite credentials, but with a clear strategy for building career capital.MORE Accounting Influencers with Rob BrownIn a recent episode of the Accounting Influencers Podcast, host Rob Brown delves into the evolving landscape of leadership in accounting. “This isn’t about popularity or vanity metrics,” Brown says. “It’s about curating influence—the kind that drives innovation, fosters relevance, and moves the profession forward.”
Understanding the full picture delivers higher ROI.Capstone ConversationsBy Jean CaragherFor CPA TrendlinesIn this episode of Capstone Conversations with Jean Caragher of Capstone Marketing, Alex Miller, marketing manager at Lanigan Ryan and the Association for Accounting Marketing’s 2025 Volunteer of the Year, shares powerful insights about the evolving role of marketers in accounting firms. Her two top takeaways? Curiosity and collaboration drive career success, and client experience and artificial intelligence (AI) offer the profession’s biggest opportunities and challenges. Follow Jean Caragher on CPA Trendlines here. | Get her best-selling handbook, The 90-Day Marketing Plan for CPA Firms, here | Catch Jean Caragher's other show, Gear Up for Growth, here. | And browse all the shows in the CPA Trendlines broadcast network here“Curiosity has opened so many doors for me,” says Miller. “You have to ask questions – about your firm's services, your teammates’ work, and your goals. When you understand the full picture, you can market more effectively and bring real value to your team.”
The ARC team spills their messiest moments and why grit—not perfection—matters most. Accounting ARCWith Byron Patrick, Liz Mason, and Donny ShimamotoCenter for Accounting TransformationIn the latest episode of Accounting ARC, hosts Donny Shimamoto, CPA.CITP, CGMA; Liz Mason, CPA; and Byron Patrick, CPA.CITP, CGMA, lay down their professional armor to explore one central theme: grit—what it means, when it matters, and how it shows up in real life. MORE Accounting ARC: More Admins, Fewer Students, No Plan | What Career Advice Gets Wrong for Gen Z - And How to Fix It |Your Identity is Not a Liability | What Happens in Vegas… Gets Reported on a Tax Return | Burnout, Be Gone: Accounting Needs a Boundary Breakthrough | The Ultimate Business Hack You’re Probably Ignoring | Resilience, Real Talk, and the Road to Mental Wellness | Blockchain Could Still Reshape Accounting | What Gen Z Wants from Business | Firm Differentiation Depends Upon Client Service |“This episode was about being honest,” says Patrick, CEO of VERIFYiQ and co-founder of TB Academy. “There are moments in everyone’s career where it all feels like too much.”
"Every bill hides a tax increase."Quick Tax TipWith Art WernerCPE TodayTrump’s new “Big Beautiful Bill” might look like a win for taxpayers...but not so fast. For accountants, lawyers, consultants, and other professional service providers, it could bring a stealthy tax hike.Click here for more Art WernerIn this episode of Quick Tax Tip, expert Art Werner unpacks how this proposed legislation may change the way accountants—and other professionals—get taxed. The bottom line? If you’re part of a pass-through entity, your tax benefits may be about to shrink.Werner opens the discussion with a familiar refrain in tax: It depends.
Plus, get 20 key takeaways, including life after layoffs.Accounting InfluencersWith Rob BrownAs technology transforms the accounting profession, jobs are being redefined—or eliminated altogether. In this episode of Accounting Influencers, host Rob Brown unpacks the wave of layoffs sweeping through the Big Four and leading software providers and what it means for the future of accounting careers.MORE Accounting Influencers with Rob BrownLayoffs at PwC, EY, Deloitte, KPMG, and Intuit are a wake-up call. These aren’t just belt-tightening moves—they’re signs of a larger shift driven by AI and automation. PwC cut 1,500 jobs in May, EY let go of over 1,400 employees, and Deloitte laid off "an unspecified number." Meanwhile, Intuit laid off 1,800 employees to invest more heavily in AI.As Brown puts it: “This isn’t just about cutting costs. These firms are pivoting to hire people who can drive tech-enabled growth.” The message is clear: jobs are disappearing, but new ones are emerging—for those with the right skills.
Back up your data in 10 minutes or less. It could be the most important thing you do today. Quick Tech TalkWith Steve YossCPE TodayIn the latest episode of Quick Tech Talks, you’ll learn why backing up your data isn’t just for IT professionals or large companies—it’s something anyone can do in just 10 minutes, using tools you likely already have.MORE Steve Yoss hereMORE TECHWhether you're managing financials, running a firm, or just storing family photos, protecting your digital files is no longer optional.With rising ransomware threats and hardware failure still a common reality, having a reliable backup strategy is the digital equivalent of locking your doors at night. Fortunately, getting started is way easier than you might think.“It doesn’t require a lot of technical expertise,” Yoss explains. “If you’ve got 10 minutes, you can do it.”
Your real ROI comes from relationships, not spreadsheets. The DisruptorsWith Liz FarrMartha Yasso didn’t just balance billion-dollar books — she watched businesses crumble under them.CPA TRENDLINES CELEBRATES: The 100th Episode of The DisruptorsMORE Jackie Meyer and The Concierge CPAMORE STREAMING: Jackie Meyer: Tax Plans in 90 Seconds? Believe It | Erica Goode: Build a $200K Firm in 15hrs/Week | Randy Crabtree: Live at the Intersection of Passion & Skill |McClelland and Telka: Women Ready to Rewrite the Rules of Accounting | Jacob Schroeder: AI Won’t Replace Accountants—But It Will Reveal Who’s Replaceable | Ditching Corporate America: The Bold Story Behind PBS Accounting’s Rapid Rise | Jean Zick: Happy Team = Happy Clients | Breslin & Greathead: Be a Client Advocate | Dominic Piscopo: Clear Pay=Bargaining Power | Debbie Kilsheimer: Stop Thinking Small |She began her career in the high-octane world of junk bonds on Wall Street, where she relished the analytical challenges of cash flow modeling. But what initially felt like powerful work soon turned emotionally draining. “I was ripping apart companies and watching it happen in real time,” she says. “It was exhausting and depressing.”Her breaking point came with the downfall of Toys R Us. “It failed because of where the cash was going. It wasn’t being reinvested into the business — it was being pulled out for gains by management.” That moment crystallized a new purpose for Yasso. She didn’t want to watch from the sidelines as companies fell apart. She wanted to help build them.
Research shows that money activates more areas of the brain than sex, death, politics, or religion. By Rory Henry CFP®, BFA™For CPA TrendlinesA recent McKinsey study found that the demand for holistic financial advice increased 60% from 2018 to 2023. Meanwhile, another McKinsey study projected a shortage of 100,000 financial advisors by 2034. That gap is leaving a massive opportunity for CPAs to step up as holistic advisors. MORE Rory Henry and The Holistic Guide to Wealth ManagementBUY the Holistic Guide to Wealth ManagementA recent Holistic Guide to Wealth Management book panel discussion with two industry luminaries showed that CPAs who are in the best position to thrive as holistic advisors are those who use technology to deliver deeper planning and relationship-driven advice. “Traditional econometric models were all predicated on this idea that people were rational,” noted psychologist, author, and behavioral finance expert, Dr. Daniel Crosby. “What we actually know is that it is perhaps least true of us when it comes to money.”
Building a firm should provide time, money, and freedom. The Concierge CPAWith Jackie MeyerFor CPA TrendlinesIn this conversation, Dr. Jackie Meyer, CPA and Reza Hooda, Coach & Mentor to Accountants with The Profitable Accountants Community, discuss the transformative journey of Hooda from a traditional accounting background to modernizing his practice through value pricing and effective client engagement strategies. More Jackie MeyerThey explore the importance of pricing psychology, positioning, and the four pillars of success in building a thriving accounting firm. Reza shares his insights on the challenges faced by accountants and the necessity of niching down to attract the right clients. The discussion also touches on the impact of mentorship and continuous learning in achieving business growth and personal freedom.
Leaders must decide whether to follow the money—or protect their independence.Accounting InfluencersWith Rob BrownIn a striking shift that’s redefining the accounting profession, private equity is no longer circling—it’s landed. On a recent episode of the Accounting Influencers Podcast, host Rob Brown breaks down what might be the most transformative trend facing accounting firm leaders today: the rapid influx of private equity (PE) into the industry.MORE Accounting Influencers with Rob Brown"Would you sell half of your accounting firm to a private equity firm for a billion dollars?" Brown asks. “Because some of the biggest names in our industry already have.”And they’re not small names. Baker Tilly, the 10th largest U.S. accounting firm, recently sold more than 50% of its business to a private equity firm. Grant Thornton did the same. The motivations are clear: stay competitive, invest in technology, attract top-tier talent, and survive the pressures of a changing profession.The episode lays out the perfect storm: firms are grappling with shrinking margins, relentless competition, and a talent shortage unlike any in recent history. Against this backdrop, private equity offers a lifeline—cash, resources, and a roadmap for accelerated growth.But the promise comes with caveats.“With that capital comes leverage and debt,” Brown warns. “Is this injection of cash helping firms stay relevant, or is it putting them at risk of losing their independence?”
To turn disruption into opportunities, get marketers to the table "early and often."Capstone ConversationsBy Jean CaragherFor CPA TrendlinesKristen Lewis, Managing Director of Marketing for EisnerAmper and the 2024 Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM) Marketer of the Year, joins Jean Caragher on Capstone Conversations to share lessons from her marketing leadership, insights on post-pandemic strategy shifts, and her vision for the profession’s future. The conversation examines both the tactical and human aspects of CPA firm marketing in an era of rapid change, industry consolidation, and heightened client expectations.Follow Jean Caragher on CPA Trendlines here. | Get her best-selling handbook, The 90-Day Marketing Plan for CPA Firms, here | Catch Jean Caragher's other show, Gear Up for Growth, here. | And browse all the shows in the CPA Trendlines broadcast network hereLewis reflects on her oft-quoted phrase from a previous Capstone appearance during COVID—“building the car while driving it”—as still being true today. She notes that the firm’s post-pandemic agility has become both a strength and a challenge, with the pace of innovation and disruption keeping teams moving at high speed. “We proved to ourselves that we could be nimble and change things on the fly,” she says. “That’s exciting, but also exhausting at times.”
Exclusive information. Extraordinary insight.See all podcast episodes here: https://cpatrendlines.com/category/podcast/ CPA Trendlines is the world’s only research and advisory service focused solely on the tax, accounting, and finance professions. We use a time-tested, quality-proven, proprietary blend of data, analysis, community, experience, and imagination to produce extraordinary value for our clients. Elite decision-makers from all over the world look to CPA Trendlines for trusted advice, bold insights, and confidential access to exclusive intelligence and decision support. You’ll stay more focused, save time, grow revenue in a fast-changing global digital environment, and sleep better at night. Guaranteed. Facts. Figures. Insights. Implications. Here you'll find the data and analysis you can use for your practice and your career, plus exclusive research, insights, and commentary on the most pressing issues and fastest-changing trends. We are dedicated to delivering the actionable intelligence that tax, accounting, and finance professionals need in order to identify and act on emerging issues and opportunities. We specialize in high-quality, concise executive briefings designed to help busy professionals improve their organizations, advance their careers, and enhance their lives. Our reports are relevant, timely, and to-the-point, providing the most essential information, and are digestible often in under an hour.