Yuri Kapilovich started #thefunCPA movement to change the stale, grueling culture of public accounting. On Episode 21 of CPA Life, he talks to John Randolph about his journey through seven different firms, including time spent in the Big Four, until he finally settled on starting his own firm, with a focus on a better work-life balance. Yuri understands that with the availability of information on the internet, the accounting industry must adapt to retain top talent. He is making it happen through his own firm, and he advocates for other firms to follow a similar path, as today’s generation of accountants simply won’t tolerate the conditions that have dominated the industry for so many years.

Host John Randolph continues his thought-provoking conversation with Geraldine Carter about transforming accounting firms on Episode 20 of CPA Life. Geraldine stresses the importance of understanding what clients truly value, explaining that all too often, clients don’t actually understand the product you’re selling them. She also takes issue with the oft-heard refrain that “CPAs are risk-averse,” arguing that in fact, CPAs take calculated risks all the time, and they take unnecessary risks through inaction. Part two of the discussion is full of big ideas to help you build a thriving and fulfilling practice.

Geraldine Carter’s background in engineering and adventure travel informs her gusto and skill for identifying and solving problems, and her experience in founding her own business led her to realize the challenges many CPAs face as business owners themselves. She talks to John Randolph on part 1 of this two-part episode of CPA Life about those challenges, and her coaching of CPAs on how to simplify their practices, focus on value creation, and get their hours and stress under control. Geraldine provides practical advice on harnessing the benefits of narrowing your focus through specialization or niching, such as higher margins and an easier workload.

Zane Stevens co-founded Protea Financial, an accounting firm focused on the wine industry, and it was remote from the beginning. He talks to John Randolph on Episode 18 of CPA Life about how this allowed him to treat employees like adults and provide flexibility in their roles. He also emphasizes the benefits of niche focus, arguing that firms that try to be everything to everyone often underdeliver. Zane notes that communication is often the biggest challenge for remote teams, requiring purposeful structures and frequent adjustments. Still, he finds that remote work allows for more precise, focused conversations and improved productivity.

Shannon Badger, co-founder of Badger CPA, joins John Randolph on Episode 17 of CPA Life. A fast-growing accounting firm founded in 2015, Badger has been recognized as one of the best firms to work for by Accounting Today and as one of the fastest growing businesses by Inc. Shannon discusses how they have achieved this rapid growth while prioritizing people over profits. They started small and built up gradually, emphasizing the importance of fixed fee pricing, managing workloads down to a 2,200 hour work year, hiring remote talent, and setting boundaries with clients to create a sustainable work environment for their employees.

Michael Meihaus, founder of Meihaus CPA, returns to CPA Life for episode two of this special series. John Randolph picks back up on Michael’s social media post of the 16 things he wishes he’d known when he started his accounting career, and Michael talks more about the lessons he learned from founding his own firm after ten years in public accounting. Of utmost importance is building relationships and having advocates both inside and outside your firm—an overarching framework. Within this framework, he stresses how vital it is to overcome imposter syndrome, to realize that the firm you work for will go on without you if you decide to leave, and to take any advice you receive with a thoughtful grain of salt.

Michael Meihaus started Meihaus CPA in 2022. He had many motivations, but a particularly unpleasant experience with a client where his wellbeing was pitted against the client’s dollars was among the major reasons. In part one of this special two part episode of CPA Life, Michael talks to John Randolph about the insights he’s gained in his ten years in accounting—things he knows now that he wishes he knew when he started. They include that imposter syndrome is common, even for senior managers, that firms should invest in interns and staff, that health and wellbeing don’t have to be pipe dreams within the accounting profession, and that as accounting continues to become more global, having an international outlook is of vital importance.

Tram Le took a unique path to becoming an accounting professional, passing up an opportunity to play tennis professionally and becoming an attorney along the way. On Episode 14 of CPA Life, she tells John Randolph more about TaxOps, where she serves as State and Local Tax Manager and the theme of a different approach to accounting continues. SALT is an oft-forgotten practice area but, Tram explains, one with enormous opportunity. At TaxOps, which has been recognized as a “best firm to work for,” among many other accolades over the past decade, Tram has helped create a “firmily”—a portmanteau of “firm” and “family,” where people feel valued and have each other’s best interests at heart.

John Briggs had his first taste of Big Four accounting life while he was still in college, and he immediately saw so many ways in which the traditional firm model didn’t work. On Episode 13 of CPA Life, he discusses how this and other experiences made him set out to create a distinctive, human-focused firm by founding Incite Tax. An advocate of scientific, results-based techniques for getting the job done, John talks about Incite’s licensee model, some of the work principles he outlines in his forthcoming book, the inception of their “IRS Sucks” motto, and more. Join host John Randolph and discover how this groundbreaking approach works.

This special two-part episode of CPA Life concludes with Amber Setter of Conscious Public Accountants rejoining John Randolph to delve back into their wide-ranging and insightful conversation. They focus on changes that need to happen and breaks that need to occur from the “old ways” of doing things, covering the integration of remote working into the accounting profession, how coaching plays a role in setting expectations and bringing firm leader and employee minds together, the massive advantages of ditching the billable hour and changing to subscription- and/or value-based billing, and more. You won’t want to miss it!

When Marcus Dillon of Dillon Business Advisors first branched out from his career, which included a stint with a Big Four firm, he realized that he had “recreated the monster” that sucked away all his time and energy in his new venture. Because his goal had been to take control of his life by doing things differently as a business owner, he took stock of what had happened and made the adjustments necessary to take the pressure off himself and his employees. This included saying no to old and new clients alike, divorcing the ideas of “work” and “business,” and ensuring his employees, many of whom work part-time, had the ability to properly balance their lives with their work, too. He has continued to utilize that philosophy to build DBA into the succes