Growing Your Firm | Strategies for Accountants, CPA's, Bookkeepers , and Tax Professionals

Growing Your Firm is the top podcast for ambitious firm owners to find tips, tactics, and strategies on how to grow their firm (or practice). In this podcast we'll be interviewing unique thought leaders in accounting, tax, and bookkeeping about topics including: practice management, marketing, social media, succession planning, partner relations, hiring, pricing, and much more.

Growing Your Firm | Strategies for Accountants, CPA's, Bookkeepers , and Tax Professionals is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 393 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Growing Your Firm | Strategies for Accountants, CPA's, Bookkeepers , and Tax Professionals, a business show with 393 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Growing Your Firm | Strategies for Accountants, CPA's, Bookkeepers , and Tax Professionals

  How AI Will Kill the Billable Hour in CPA Firms | Ron Baker

  Sep 6, 202634 min

  Is the billable hour finally dead? While many in the accounting profession expected the competition for talent to end timesheets, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is delivering the final blow. If your firm is still pricing based on time and effort rather than value and outcomes, you are risking your margins in an AI-driven world. In this exclusive fireside chat from the Growing Your Firm Summit, host David Cristello sits down with Ron Baker, founder of the VeraSage Institute, author of 8 best-selling books, and co-host of The Soul of Enterprise podcast. Ron breaks down the core psychology of value pricing, why firms must transition from selling "services" to guiding "transformations," and how subscription models create predictable recurring revenue. In this episode, we explore: The Death of the Billable Hour: Why AI makes pricing by the hour obsolete—and what firms must do to adapt. Value is a Feeling, Not a Number: The psychological factors behind pricing and why nobody should price themselves. Fixed Pricing vs. Value Pricing: Understanding the key differences and why fixed pricing based on hourly estimates is just the starting point. The Concierge Firm Model: How to eliminate "scope creep" by staying in your lane and offering white-glove, subscription-based packages. AI Beyond Efficiency: Why treating AI like a co-collaborator to create value—rather than just a tool to save time—is the key to future firm growth. Ditching Timesheets: What to measure instead of hours to track performance, accountability, and project success. Bonus Segment: Jetpack Workflow Capacity Management Demo Starting at 33:40, David Cristello gives an exclusive first look at Jetpack Workflow Version 2's Capacity Management View. Learn how operations managers and firm managers responsible for workflow can: Gain full visibility into future team workloads across weeks and years. Prevent staff burnout by identifying over-capacity team members instantly. Filter capacity by role, industry expertise, and client packages. Make one-off or recurring project reassignments with drag-and-drop ease. Featured Guest: Ron Baker

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  Growing Your Firm | Strategies for Accountants, CPA's, Bookkeepers , and Tax Professionals

  How Firms Are Reaching 7x EBITDA

  Aug 16, 202639 min

  Is your accounting practice built to scale—or positioned for a high-multiple exit? In this episode of Growing Your Firm, host David Cristello welcomes back Geoff Bruskin, founder and CEO of White Tiger Connections. Geoff pulls back the curtain on the current "white-hot" public accounting M&A market in 2026. From the rise of Fractional COO engagements to 7x+ EBITDA multiples, Jeff breaks down what buyers are looking for and why private equity (PE) plays fail 40% of the time when they ignore the human element of change management. Whether you're an Operations Manager looking to optimize workflow, a Managing Partner eyeing a future exit, or a CPA starting a firm, this episode is packed with real-world deal structures, go-to-market strategies, and tech implementation blueprints. In this episode, we explore: The Fractional COO Model: Why $1M to $20M accounting firms are hiring fractional executive leaders to build infrastructure for scale rather than overpaying for full-time roles. Inside a 7.4x EBITDA Deal: A deep dive into a $2.7M remote, subscription-based micro-platform firm asking $8M. The PE Spectrum (Successes vs. Failures): Why 30–40% of private equity acquisitions fail due to aggressive price hikes, poor software adoption, and staff turnover. The "Solutions Architect" Role: Why every growing practice needs an internal champion to bridge systems like CCH, TaxDome, Carbon, and CRM tools. Offensive vs. Defensive Strategy: How cross-selling Client Advisory Services (CAS) and wealth management can multiply your firm's enterprise value. Agentic AI & Claude CoWork: How modern leaders use AI agents to automate IT mapping, proposal scoping, and client deliverables. Key Deal Benchmarks Mentioned: Average Deal Multiple: 4x to 6x Adjusted EBITDA for traditional practices. Micro-Platform Multiples: Up to 7.4x+ for firms with 100% subscription models and balanced CAS/Tax integration. Solutions Architect Compensation: $60k to $150k annually (domestic or offshore) to eliminate technology friction. Featured Guest: Geoff Bruskin Take control of your practice: Optimize your workflow with Jetpack Workflow: https://bit.ly/4bj4a0H Sign up for a 14-day free trial to Jetpack Workflow! https://app2.jetpackworkflow.com/auth/login Stay Connected: Subscribe for bi-weekly stories from firm owners and modern accounting strategies. Say hi on social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jetpackworkflow LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jetpackworkflow Twitter: https://x.com/jetpackworkflow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jetpack_workflow/# Listen to Growing Your Firm Podcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growing-your-firm-strategies-for-accountants-cpas-bookkeepers/id923004172 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6MauXYaHFyS0rlb6L3Qb1U Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/jetpack-workflow/growing-your-firm #accounting #accountingfirm #firmgrowth #accountingworkflow

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  Growing Your Firm | Strategies for Accountants, CPA's, Bookkeepers , and Tax Professionals

  Building an $8M Impact Hyper Local CPA Practice

  Aug 2, 202646 min

  Can you run a thriving, hyper-local accounting practice while living in Mexico for four months of the year? Most accounting firm owners and managing partners assume that running a local firm requires being chained to a brick-and-mortar office—especially during busy seasons. In this episode of Growing Your Firm, host David Cristello sits down with Nancy McClelland, CPA (widely known as The Dancing Accountant). Nancy shares how she built a highly profitable, 100% remote, hyper-local firm in Chicago that allows her to spend every tax season working from Mexico. If you are a bookkeeping firm owner, a CPA starting a firm, or an operations manager trying to fix a broken tax season, this episode provides a masterclass in firm boundaries, client selection, and bookkeeper-to-tax-pro collaboration. In this episode, we unpack: The Hyper-Local Strategy: How Nancy built a 25-year-old firm serving only small businesses within a few specific Chicago neighborhoods. The "No Bookkeeping, No Tax" Rule: Why Nancy refuses to prepare tax returns for clients unless her team handles their monthly bookkeeping and advisory. Fixing the Bookkeeper-to-Tax Pro Handoff: Eliminating duplication of effort, preventing missed reconciliations, and creating a standardized "tax-ready" handoff checklist. Voting Clients Off the Island: How Nancy's team uses quarterly "paid happy hours" to identify and offboard clients who disrespect team members or drag down morale. Shunning "Growth for Growth's Sake": Why turning down new clients and focusing on deep advisory for a capped client base creates a more profitable, stress-free practice. Key Metrics & Workflow Takeaways: 100% Remote Flexibility: How Nancy transitioned her entire team to remote work over a decade ago using simple tools like Zoom, AirTable, and QBO. The Tax-Ready Bookkeeping Standard: Shifting year-end cleanups into recurring, junior-staff-driven monthly processes. Featured Guest: Nancy McClelland

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  Growing Your Firm | Strategies for Accountants, CPA's, Bookkeepers , and Tax Professionals

  CPA Firm Succession and Profitability Blueprint | Ira Rosenbloom

  Jul 19, 202641 min

  Are you running an accounting practice that can survive independent of your personal production, or are your key successors already looking for the nearest exit? In this episode of Growing Your Firm, host David Cristello sits down with Ira Rosenbloom, CEO of Optimum Strategies, known across the industry as the "Merger and Profitability Optimizer." With over 25 years of hands-on experience as a practicing CPA and managing partner, Ira pulls back the curtain on how to navigate the complex crossroads of generational change, standardizing client management, and securing maximum value for your firm. Whether you are a managing partner trying to transition equity, a CPAs starting a firm, or an operations manager driving software adoption, this masterclass changes how you view structural firm health. Inside This Episode, We Unpack: The Valuation Multiplier Trap: Why the fastest way to explosive growth isn't just jacking up client fees—it's analyzing fee tiers to identify where leakage actually occurs. Preventing Scope Creep: How to eliminate standard-to-actual time gaps by aligning your team with automated tracking and project margin thresholds. The "Gen-Z" Partnership Disconnect: Why your "locked-in" junior leaders are turning down partnership tracks—and how to redesign firm culture around outcomes instead of clock-punching. The Real Cost of Private Equity: A look at the 50-50 staff retention reality after a roll-up and what a boardroom buyout means for your long-term team autonomy. The Alternative Practice Model: How boutique independent firms can replicate private equity structures by integrating non-CPA advisory services to remain fiercely competitive. Ira's Golden Rule Checklist: The explicit strategic milestones every owner needs to implement between ages 55 and 65 to protect firm lineage. Key Metrics & Operational Takeaways For Firm Managers: Shed Equity Early: Why passing down fractional client liaison-ships ahead of retirement protects your client stickiness from a sudden talent walk-out. Client Tier Consolidation: Shifting bandwidth away from low-margin $3,500 compliance accounts to high-value strategic advisory. Featured Guest: Ira Rosenbloom

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  Growing Your Firm | Strategies for Accountants, CPA's, Bookkeepers , and Tax Professionals

  How to Build and Sell a 2M CPA and Law Firm | Mike Payne

  Jul 5, 202630 min

  Whether you're a CPA starting a firm, an operations manager, or a managing partner looking at succession options, understanding what actually drives firm valuation in today's intense M&A market is critical. In this episode of Growing Your Firm, host David Cristello sits down with Mike Payne, a veteran M&A consultant who has spent nearly two decades facilitating accounting firm mergers, acquisitions, and private equity investments. Mike pulls back the curtain on transactions ranging from $1M to over $100M to explain exactly how buyers evaluate practices and why the traditional metrics you read about are often just hearsay. In this episode, we explore: The Revenue vs. EBITDA Shift: Why the accounting world has fundamentally shifted from gross revenue multiples to Adjusted EBITDA valuations. The Private Equity (PE) Reality: How the massive influx of outside capital is reshaping deal structures, increasing cash at the table, and forcing traditional firms to change. The CAS and Tax Premium: Why a strong Client Accounting Services (CAS) department and recurring, sticky tax revenue can instantly add multiples to your firm's value. The "Airport Test" for Culture: Why early-stage deal-making fails without alignment on culture, leadership, and operational tech stacks. Stress-Testing Internal Succession: Real-world tactical advice for firm owners who want to successfully pass the baton to the next generation of junior partners. The Fiercely Independent Path: Why selling isn't your only choice, and how to build a highly profitable, independent firm by playing defense against consolidation. Key Benchmarks Mentioned: Healthy Profitability: Why 30% to 35% bottom-line profit (pre-owner compensation) is the gold standard benchmark for an attractive firm. Partner Billable Hours: The hidden red flag of high partner-level billable hours that can tank your valuation during due diligence. Featured Guest: Mike Payne

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