After a decade in Big Four audit and private equity finance, Brendan Morahan saw two partner-track opportunities collapse in the space of six months. He didn’t set out to start BPM CPA, but he found himself in December 2023 with few good options and a lot of hard-won opinions about how small firms were getting it wrong. Within three years he had built a million-dollar practice by doing almost the opposite of what most firm owners do. In part 1 of this special two part conversation with John Randolph on Episode 93 of CPA Life, Brendan makes a pointed case that the traditional partnership model is losing its pull on the most capable people in public accounting, that the tax manager role is the single most critical and irreplaceable position in any small firm, and that advisory isn’t

Neil Barrow returns for part 2 of his special double CPA Life episode to unpack the realities of business development beyond buzzwords. John steers the conversation from the pitfalls of hiring for growth without a plan, to the delicate dance of balancing capacity and opportunity within your firm, and Neil’s philosophy is refreshingly straightforward: keep things simple, focus on relationships, and don’t lose sight of what actually works. You won’t want to miss the unexpected parallel Neil draws between perfecting an award-winning chili recipe and building a business, or his insight into how beer tastings can open doors to new clients just as effectively as chamber of commerce meetings.